DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS
1 – Clouded leopards: GS III – Environmental Conservation
Context:
- Researchers have found that in the tropical canopy forests of western Assam’s Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve, clouded leopards appear to play a mysterious game of hide-and-seek.
Important details:
- Another name for the clouded leopard is the mainland clouded leopard.
- It is a wild cat that inhabits Bhutan, Bhutanese deep forests, Southeast Asian deep forests, South Chinese deep forests, and Northeast Indian deep forests.
- The clouded leopard is locally extinct in Hainan Island, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
- It is estimated to have a total population of fewer than 10,000 adults with a declining trend.
- Classification by the IUCN: Vulnerable.
- CITES Appendix I.
Threats:
- widespread loss of woodland.
- Poaching for the commercial wildlife trade.
- Its bodily parts are accessible for use in decorating and dressing.
- the mainland clouded leopard, which lived from central Nepal to peninsular Malaysia, and
- The Sunda clouded leopard is only found in Borneo and Sumatra.
- It can be found in the Indian states of Sikkim, northern West Bengal, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya.
Source The Hindu
2 – Kuttikkanam Palace: GS I – Indian Culture
Important details:
- Also referred to as Ammachi Kottaram.
- It was built in the 1890s by the British.
- The palace was constructed under the administration of Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma, who ruled the Travancore princely state from 1885 until 1924.
- Owner of a plantation J.D. The building’s construction was supervised by Munro.
- It functioned as the getaway residence for the old Travancore royal family.
- The palace was built in a unique style that combines elements of Indian and British architecture.
- The palace’s exterior is made of white stone, while the interior is decorated with traditional Keralan art.
Source The Hindu
3 – Emblems and Names Act: GS II – Government Policies and Interventions
Considering the Act:
- In order to prevent the illegal use of certain names and symbols for commercial and professional purposes, the Act was established in 1950.
- Any acronym with a name is referred to as name.
- The Act prohibits the misuse of particular names and symbols.
- It is forbidden to improperly use the name, symbol, or official seal of the Government of India (GOI) or of any state.
- It also prohibits the use of the national flag, the president’s, governor’s, and prime minister’s seals, names, and insignia.
- The use of historical figures’ names, symbols, or seals, including those of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, and Indira Gandhi, is likewise prohibited.
- Any use of a name that suggests favouritism on the part of the Indian government or a state, or a connection to any local authority, company, or organisation established by the government in accordance with any currently in force law, is illegal under the law.
- Any organization’s name that begins with “Indian Council of” could lead people to believe that the government is patronising or supporting it.
What powers does the Centre have in accordance with this Act?
- The Act prohibits a competent entity from registering a corporation that has a title with a name or emblem that contravenes the Act.
- Any disagreement regarding whether a specific symbol falls within one of the ones listed in the Schedule may be referred to the Centre, whose decision will thereafter be final, by such an institution.
- A punishment that could reach Rs. 500 will be imposed on anyone who violates the 1950 Act’s rules.
- The Central Government or any other body authorised in this regard by general or special order of the Central Government must first approve any prosecution for an offence punishable under this Act.
- As a result, the Centre must approve even the power of the competent authority to start criminal proceedings.
- Now, the Act’s Schedule may be modified by the Centre.
- In order to carry out the goals of this Act, the government may also pass rules.
- Every such regulation must be laid before both Houses of Parliament for a period of thirty days while they are in session. If a change is suggested following that period, the regulation will only take effect in that revised form—or not at all.
Source The Hindu
4 – Havana Syndrome: GS II – Health-related issues
In relation to Havana Syndrome:
- S. intelligence and embassy workers purportedly come across a set of mental health symptoms known as the “Havana Syndrome” abroad.
- In general, a “syndrome” is essentially a group of symptoms.
- It does not relate to a particular medical condition, but rather to a collection of symptoms that are frequently present together but whose reasons may be elusive.
- Memory loss, balance issues, nausea, migraines, and hearing certain noises without any background noise are typical symptoms of the Havana Syndrome.
Causes of Havana Syndrome include:
- The victims may have been exposed to powerful microwaves that interfered with or damaged their neurological systems, according to a medical evaluation of the patients and US experts’ studies.
- It was asserted that pressure building inside the brain was what produced the impression of hearing a sound.
- Increased exposure to strong microwaves is thought to permanently damage the brain, disrupt memory, and interfere with the body’s ability to maintain balance.
- It was thought that a special apparatus, at the time called a “microwave weapon” by Americans, was utilised to broadcast strong microwave beams.
Source The Hindu
5 – The language used in courts: GS II – Judiciary-related issues
Context:
- The Supreme Court has ruled that Hindi is the national language, despite the fact that there are at least 22 official languages in the country.
Important details:
- More than 100 different languages as well as 270 mother tongues are spoken in the nation.
- The Constitution of India does not, however, designate any one language as the national tongue of India.
- The official language of the Union is Hindi written in the Devanagari script, according to Article 343 of the Constitution.
- The Union shall use Indian numerals in their international form for all official purposes.
- In accordance with Article 351, it is the Union’s duty to promote the Hindi language’s expansion and advancement so that all facets of India’s composite culture can express themselves through it.
- The originality of Hindustani and the other Indian languages included in the eighth schedule, as well as their forms, styles, and phrases, must be preserved when doing this.
What is the eighth schedule?
- 22 different languages are listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
- There were once only 14 languages on this Schedule.
- English is absent from the Eighth Schedule’s list of 22 languages.
- One of the 99 unscheduled languages of India.
English proficiency level:
- Along with Hindi, English is one of the two official languages of the federal government.
- It was to be in force for a period of fifteen years for all the official purposes of the Union for which it was being used immediately prior to the Constitution’s commencement.
- The usage of: may be regulated by law by Parliament after the aforementioned fifteen years.
- the Devanagari numeral system for whatever purposes may be prescribed by law.
Use polite phrases when speaking:
- Article 348 states that up until Parliament specifically specifies otherwise, all Supreme Court and High Court hearings, as well as all legislation, acts, ordinances, rules, and decrees, etc. at the Union and state levels, shall be performed in English.
- Article 348 (2) permits the use of Hindi or any other language used for any official functions of the State in proceedings in the High Court having its major seat in that State, with the Governor’s approval and the President’s prior approval.
- The High Court must make its decisions in English even if the hearings can be held in any official language.
- It must be submitted with an official High Court-approved English translation.
What about lower courts?
- The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 permits the State Government to determine the terminology that should be used by each State court other than the High Court for purposes of this Code.
- According to the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, until the State Government instructs otherwise, every court that is subordinate to a high court must use the terminology that was in use at the time the code was created.
- The language of any such court and the manner in which petitions and court procedures must be prepared may be prescribed by the State Government.
Source The Hindu
