UAPA gave an impetus to fight against terror : Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that Central laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) had given an impetus to the system in a decisive fight against terrorism.

About Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act

• The UAPA – an enhancement on the TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act), which was allowed to lapse in 1995 and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) was repealed in 2004 — was originally passed in 1967 under the then Congress government led by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Eventually, amendments were brought in under the successive United Progressive Alliance (UPA) governments in 2004, 2008 and 2013.
• At present, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is functioning as the Central Counter-Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency in India established under NIA Act 2008

Features of the UAPA Act

• The Act gives special procedures to handle terrorist activities, among other things. It aims at the effective prevention of unlawful activities associations in India. Unlawful activity refers to any action taken by an individual or association intended to disrupt the territorial integrity and sovereignty of India.
• Who may commit terrorism: According to the Act, the union government may proclaim or designate an organisation as a terrorist organisation if it: (i) commits or participates in acts of terrorism, (ii) prepares for terrorism, (iii) promotes terrorism, or (iv) is otherwise involved in terrorism. The Bill also empowers the government to designate individuals as terrorists on the same grounds.
• UAPA has the death penalty and life imprisonment as the highest punishments. The Act assigns absolute power to the central government, by way of which if the Centre deems an activity as unlawful then it may, by way of an Official Gazette, declare it so.
• Under UAPA, both Indian and foreign nationals can be charged. The offenders will be charged in the same manner whether the act is performed in a foreign land, outside India.
• Approval for property seizure by National Investigation Agency (NIA): As per the Act, an investigating officer is required to obtain the prior approval of the Director-General of Police to seize properties that may be connected with terrorism. The Bill adds that if the investigation is conducted by an officer of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the approval of the Director-General of NIA would be required for seizure of such property.
• The investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA): Under the provisions of the Act, investigation of cases can be conducted by officers of the rank of Deputy Superintendent or Assistant Commissioner of Police or above. The Bill additionally empowers the officers of the NIA, of the rank of Inspector or above, to investigate cases.
• Insertion to the schedule of treaties: The Act defines terrorist acts to include acts committed within the scope of any of the treaties listed in a schedule to the Act. The Schedule lists nine treaties, comprising of the Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings (1997), and the Convention against Taking of Hostages (1979). The Bill adds another treaty to this list namely, the International Convention for Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (2005).

Wayanad farmer creates Ashoka Chakra using paddy art

• Tourists and pilgrims on their way to the Thirunelly Sree Mahavishnu temple in Kerala’s Wayanad are flocking to a farm at Thrissilery to view the Ashoka Chakra created by Johnson Oliappuram, a progressive farmer.
• The 58yearold Farmer hopes his experiment will attract people to paddy cultivation.
• The origin of tambo art or rice paddy art can be traced to Japan where people plant paddy of various varieties and hues to create the desired images.
• Johnson is cultivating as many as 46 varieties of rice seeds, including the aromatic varieties of Wayanad such as Gandhakasala, Jeerakasala and Mullan kaima, on his 20 cents of land that he hopes will inspire people to take up paddy farming
• Tourists and pilgrims on their way to the Thirunelly Sree Mahavishnu temple in Wayanad are flocking to a farm at Thrissilery to view the Ashoka Chakra created by Johnson Oliappuram, a progressive farmer. The 58-year-old farmer hopes his experiment will attract people to paddy cultivation.
• The origin of tambo art or rice paddy art can be traced to Japan where people plant paddy of various varieties and hues to create the desired images

About national emblem

• The State Emblem of India is the national emblem of the Republic of India and is used by the union government, many state governments, and other government agencies.

History:

• The State emblem is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka(Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh).
  • In the original, there are four lions, standing back to back, mounted on an abacus with a frieze carrying sculptures in high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull and a lion separated by intervening wheels over a bell-shaped lotus.
  • Carved out of a single block of polished sandstone, the capital is crowned by the Wheel of the Law (Dharma Chakra).

 Emblem Adopted:

• In the State emblem, adopted by the Government of India on26^th January 1950, only three lions are visible, the fourth being hidden from view.
• The wheel appears in relief in the centre of the abacus with a bull on right and a horse on left and the outlines of other wheels on extreme right and left.
• The bell-shaped lotus has been omitted.

21.4 lakh TB cases notified in India in 2021: Health Ministry

• India notified 21.4 lakh TB cases last year which is approx.
• 18% higher than 2020, the union health ministry said on Friday highlighting the latest findings of the WHO Global TB Report 2022.
• The report discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis, treatment and burden of disease for TB all over the world.
• The health ministry taken note of the WHO TB report and clarified that India has, in fact, performed far better on major metrics as compared to other countries over time.
• India’s TB incidencefor the year 2021 is 210 per 100,000 population – compared to the baseline year of 2015 (incidence was 256 per lakh of population in India); there has been an 18% decline which is 7 percentage points better than the global average of 11%.
• These figures also place India at the 36th position in terms of incidence rates i.e. from largest to smallest incidence numbers,” stated ministry
• While the COVID-19 pandemic impacted TB Programmes across the world, India was able to successfully offset the disruptions caused, through the introduction of critical interventions in 2020 and 2021 – this led to the National TB Elimination Programme notifying over 21.4 lakh TB cases – 18% higher than 2020.
• This success can be attributed to an array of forward-looking measures implemented by the Programme through the years, such as the mandatory notification policy to ensure all cases are reported to the government,

Elon Musk fires top executives of Twitter

• Chief Executive Officer Parag Agrawal is among executives planning to depart as Elon Musk completes his $44 billion deal to take over the social network, according to people familiar with the matter.
• Also leaving are Vijaya Gadde, the head of legal, policy and trust; Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal, who joined Twitter in 2017; and Sean Edgett, who has been general counsel at Twitter since 2012, according to people familiar with the matter, who declined to be named because the information isn’t public.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has launched a common credit portal SAFAL’ (Simplified Application for Agricultural Loans) for the welfare of farmers

Uttar Pradesh will get a new Terai Elephant Reserve

Kerala has launched the ‘Women Friendly Tourism’ project

Gujrat has achieved 100 per cent ‘Har Ghar Jal’ goal

Modhera village has become India’s 1st Net-Zero Energy Community

Sony company has launched earphones made from recycled plastic bottles

Austria will host the 91st INTERPOL General Assembly in 2023

India and the US conducted Tri-Services HADR exercise at Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

Atlanta Hartsfield – Jackson International Airport  has emerged as the busiest airport in the world according to OAG ranking

Source : THE HINDU