Don’t ‘perpetuate prejudices’ against communities, Arunachal CM urged

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has ruffled the feathers of the Chakmas, settled in the state, by calling them “refugees”.

The Chakma Development Foundation of India (CDFI) urged him not to perpetuate prejudices against the Chakmas and the Hajongs by branding them as refugees and stating that they are not eligible for permanent settlement in the state.

• Chakmas and Hajongs:

  • Mizoram and Tripura have a sizeable population of the Buddhist Chakmas while the Hindu Hajongs mostly inhabit the Garo Hills of Meghalaya and adjoining areas of Assam.
  • The Chakmas and Hajongs of Arunachal Pradesh are migrants from the Chittagong Hill Tracts of erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.
  • Displaced by the Kaptai dam on the Karnaphuli River in the 1960s, they sought asylum in India and were settled in relief camps in the southern and south-eastern parts of Arunachal Pradesh from 1964 to 1969.

    • A majority of them live in the Changlang district of the State (Arunachal Pradesh) today.

• Citizenship Status:

  • Out of the 65,000 Chakmas and Hajongs, about 60,500 are citizens by birth under Section 3 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, after having been born before 1 July 1987, or as descendants of those who were born before this date.
    • The applications of the remaining 4,500 surviving migrants following the 1996 Supreme Court order have not been processed to date.
  • The Citizenship (Amendment) Act of 2019, which amended two sections of the 1955 Act, has nothing to do with the Chakma-Hajongs since they were permanently settled by the Union of India in the 1960s.
  • And since 95% of the migrants were born in the North-East Frontier Agency or Arunachal Pradesh, the Inner Line Permit mandatory under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873 for outsiders seeking to visit the State, also does not apply to them.

India to host SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting this week

India will host Defence Ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) grouping, including China’s Li Shangfu and Russia’s Sergei Shoigu, later this week

The Defence Ministers will discuss amongst other issues matters concerning regional peace and security, counter-terrorism efforts within the SCO and an effective multilateralism. Defence Minister will also hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines

This will be the first high-level military visit from China since the start of the LAC crisis in April 2020. Previously both sides held the 18th round of military talks between Corps Commanders, agreeing that restoring peace along the border areas would “enable progress” in recently strained relations.

SCO

• The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
• Presently, the SCO comprises eight member states namely India, Kazakhstan, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
• SCO nations together encompass nearly half the human population and it covers approximately three-fifths of the Eurasian continent in terms of geographical expanse.
• The SCO, seen as a counterweight to NATO, is an eight-member economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations.
• India was made an observer at the SCO in 2005.
• India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.

‘Why is PM CARES Fund not subject to public audit?’

Alleging that the PM CARES Fund is shrouded in secrecy, the opponents asks why it has no transparency and accountability and is not subjected to any audit or covered under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, despite 60% of its funds coming from public sector undertakings (PSUs).

At a press conference, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said that a public fund that gets donations of ₹5,000 crore should come within the ambit of RTI and show accountability.

• No Audit by CAG: The Court ruled that while NDRF is to be audited by the CAG of India according to the Disaster Management Act, 2005, a public charitable trust like PM-CARES Fund need not be.
  • The Fund will, however, be audited by an independent auditor.
• No Transfer of Funds of PM-CARES to NDRF: The Court ruled ”The PM CARES Fund is a charitable trust registered under the Registration Act, 1908. The trust does not receive any Budgetary support or any Government money.”
  • NDRF, formed under Section 46 of the DM Act of 2005, were provided for by Central and State Budgets.
• Individuals Can Contribute to NDRF: The court held that there is “no statutory prohibition on individuals to make voluntary contributions to NDRF” under Section 46(1)(b) of the DM Act.

WHO flags contaminated cough syrup made in India

The World Health Organization (WHO)said that contaminated cough syrup made by an Indian company had been found on the Marshall Islands and in Micronesia.

Marshall Islands were analysed by quality control laboratories of the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia. The analysis found that the product contained unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants.

Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are toxic to humans when consumed, and can prove fatal.

• Diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG) are often found as contaminants in glycerin, which is used as a sweetener in the manufacture of pharmaceutical cough syrups.
• DEG and EG both have similar physical properties (colourless, odorless and viscous). They are also used in industrial products such as paints, stationery inks, fluids used in brakes and clutches of vehicles, and antifreeze.

Scientists discover second largest blue hole in the world off Mexico Coast

Scientists have discovered a colossal blue hole which has been confirmed to be the second-deepest blue hole in the world off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.

• It is a type of underwater sinkhole or vertical cave that is typically found in low-lying coastal karst platform regions.
• These are formed when limestone or other carbonate rock is dissolved by slightly acidic groundwater over a long period.
• Features of Taam Ja Blue hole
• It is around 900 feet deep and scientists have dubbed it the second-deepest blue hole found on the planet.
• It has a nearly circular shape at its surface with steep sides that form a large conic structure covered by biofilms, sediments, limestone, and gypsum ledges.
• It was found in the central portion of Chetumal Bay, where submerged coastal karstic sinkholes locally named ‘pozas’ have been reported.
• A series of discontinuous terraces were detected at water depths, near the eastern and north-western walls of the blue hole before developing steep and almost vertical slopes.
• There is variation in salinity and temperature inside the blue hole.

Yucatan Peninsula

• It is a Northeastern projection of Central America which is lying between the Gulf of Mexico to the west and north and the Caribbean Seato the east.
• The peninsula is almost wholly composed of beds of coralline and porous limestone rocks.

Sinkhole

• It can be formed due to natural processes or human activity.
• It is formed in the areas of “karst” terrains, where the rock below the surface of the Earth can be easily dissolved by groundwater.
• Karst terrain is created from the dissolution of soluble rocks, mostly limestone and dolomite and is characterised by distinctive landforms such as caves, sinkholes and springs.
• These can also be formed due to human activity due to broken land drains, water mains and sewerage pipes, increased rainfall etc.

Manamadurai pottery from the state of Tamil Nadu earned a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

• The Vaigai River enriches the clay used for the Manamadurai pottery.
• Pot making requires expertise as the bottom has to be perfectly round.
• The circumference of the pot and the neck should be proportionate so that the pot sits flat on the ground.
• The right proportion of mud, clay and heating makes this product very strong.
• The main raw materials for making these pots are soil and water.
• The sand, collected from different places in the district, is used for making pottery and dried for two days. The particles of the mud get separated by sieving.

Geographical Indication

• It is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
• This is typically used for agricultural products, foodstuffs, wine and spirit drinks, handicrafts and industrial products.
• The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999seeks to provide for the registration and better protection of geographical indications relating to goods in India.
• This GI tag is valid for 10 years following which it can be renewed.