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GS: 2
International relations:
U.S. raises spectre of Russia sanctions(The Hindu)
India and the U.S. are engaged in senior-level consultations over recent American sanctions against Russian entities, even as two visiting U.S. defence officials have told New Delhi that India is not fully immune to the sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
‘There must be a new treaty, to the advantage of India and Nepal’(The Hindu)
Nepal’s former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai says the land boundaries must be revised and regulation is necessary to cater to the needs of the 21st century
Indian Constitution and Polity:
Cabinet approves death for rape of girls under 12 years(The Hindu)
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance provides for stringent punishment of a jail term of minimum 20 years or life imprisonment or death for rape of a girl under 12 years.
Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance cleared(The Hindu)
The Union Cabinet on Saturday approved the promulgation of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance, 2018, which would empower the government to seize the domestic assets of those deemed by a court to be fugitive economic offenders.
‘Death penalty will deter reporting’(The Hindu)
As per the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data for 2016, 94.6% of total crimes against children under the POCSO Act as well as Section 376 are committed by either relatives or acquaintances.
GS: 3
Environment:
Ramsar tag likely for Sunderbans(The Hindu)
The Sunderban Reserve Forest, spread of 4,260 sq. km. with over 2,000 sq. km. of mangrove forests and creeks, is likely to be declared a Ramsar Site soon. Earlier this week, the West Bengal government gave its approval to the State Forest Department to apply for recognition under the Ramsar Convention.
Plants butterflies depend on(The Hindu)
The Western Ghats is home to 336 butterfly species. Their ‘larval host plants’ — plants that butterfly larvae or caterpillars feed on — range from common plants like the Indian curry leaf tree to rarer ones like the curled Aerides orchid found only in the southwestern tracts of the Ghats. Though many of these host plants have been documented since the 1800s, the records are scattered and hard to find, says Ravikanthachari Nitin of the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru.
Science and Technology:
IACS team designs logic devices for DNA-based computation(The Hindu)
Scientists at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Kolkata, have been successful in designing DNA-based logic devices that would find application in DNA-based computation. They have designed reusable YES and INHIBIT logic systems by using a small molecule that serves as a fluorescent probe and binds to both a four-stranded DNA structure (G-quadruplex) present in human telomeres and nucleic acid cleaving enzymes (nucleases).
IIT Roorkee develops a potent molecule to treat chikungunya(The Hindu)
A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has achieved a measure of success by finding a small molecule that has good antiviral activity against chikungunya virus. The antiviral activity was so high that the small molecule was able to achieve almost 99% reduction in the virus when 5 microMolar was used.
Bacteria help remove sulphur from fossil fuels(The Hindu)
Scientists from CSIR-Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (CSIR-IMMT) in Bhubaneswar used four bacterial strains that use dibenzothiophene (an organic sulphur compound which is a major contaminant of fossil fuel) as an energy source thereby getting rid of the sulphur.
New threat in the air(The Hindu Opinion)
A new study has confirmed a drastic shift in the patterns of malaria occurrence in India, from widely reported cases of P. vivax (a mild form of malaria) to an increasing number of cases of P. falciparum (a virulent form of the disease).
Strengthening the disease fight(The Hindu Opinion)
One of the most important advancements in modern medicine is at risk of becoming obsolete. The discovery of antibiotics almost a century ago, and which marked a new age of medicine, has helped produce cures for dozens of infections, from syphilis to pneumonia. However, health experts have always cautioned us of the risks of misusing antibiotics.
Yesterday’s current affairs material by Forum IAS
7 PM Editorial: Impeachment of CJI
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