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Current Affairs Compendium – May 2024 12 Minutes to CLAT Th is...

Current Affairs Compendium – May 2024 12 Minutes to CLAT Th is PD F be lo ng s to tri g un ay at un na ti (tr ig un ay at un na CURRENT AFFAIRS COMPENDIUM – MAY 2024 ti@ gm ai l.c om ,9 12 07 Visit us at: 12minutestoclat.com 70 55 5) Subscribe to us on: YouTube Follow us on: Telegram, Instagram E-mail: [email protected] 12minutestoclat.com  Th Table of Contents is PD F be lo ng National Current Affairs:................................................................................. 7 s to tri Collapse of the Virupaksha Temple.................................................................... 7 g un ay Sahitya Akademi Fellowship to Ruskin Bond..................................................... 11 at un na Deferral of NHRC’s accreditation by UNHRC...................................................... 15 ti (tr ig un Eucalyptus Planting Controversy in Kerala........................................................ 20 ay at un Liability of Lawyers under Consumer Protection Act.......................................... 23 na ti@ Calcutta High Court’s Judgement on Muslim OBC Quota.................................... 26 gm ai Nepal – India Border Dispute........................................................................... 30 l.c om ,9 The Naga Issue.............................................................................................. 35 12 07 70 Navratna Status to IREDA............................................................................... 40 55 5) International Current Affairs........................................................................ 44 Myanmar’s Myitsone Dam............................................................................... 44 World Hydrogen Summit 2024......................................................................... 47 Scarlet Johnson v. OpenAI.............................................................................. 51 77th World Health Assembly............................................................................ 57 Divorce in Philippines...................................................................................... 62 BIMSTEC Charter............................................................................................ 66 12minutestoclat.com 1  Cannes Film Festival 2024............................................................................... 70 Chabahar Port................................................................................................ 74 Th is International Solar Alliance.............................................................................. 79 PD F be Peru classifies ‘Trans’ People as mentally- ill..................................................... 83 lo ng s to tri g un Economy & Business...................................................................................... 91 ay at un 30 years of TRIPS........................................................................................... 91 na ti (tr Zimbabwe’s new Currency............................................................................... 97 ig un ay at un na Reports & Indices.......................................................................................... 99 ti@ gm Global Travel & Tourism Index 2024................................................................ 99 ai l.c om Oxford Global Cities Index 2024.....................................................................103 ,9 12 07 70 55 Defence, Space and Environment:...............................................................105 5) NASA’s PREFIRE Mission................................................................................105 Cyclone Ramal...............................................................................................108 Challenge to Adani’s Wind Energy Project.......................................................111 Agnibaan......................................................................................................114 Exercise Shakti..............................................................................................116 The Rafale M Deal.........................................................................................118 12minutestoclat.com 2 Sports............................................................................................................123 Olympics 2024...............................................................................................123 Th is PD F be Important Days.............................................................................................130 lo ng s World Red Cross Day 2024.............................................................................130 to tri g un National Technology Day 2024.......................................................................132 ay at un World Telecommunication and Information Society Day...................................136 na ti (tr National Endangered Species Day 2024..........................................................138 ig un ay International Day for Biological Diversity.........................................................140 at un na ti@ gm ai Student Support Contact: l.c om ,9 12 07 8302916701; 70 55 5) 9303019139 12minutestoclat.com 3  4 5) 55 70 07 12 ,9 om l.c ai gm ti@ na un at ay un ig (tr ti na un at ay g un tri to s ng lo be 12minutestoclat.com F PD is Th  5 5) 55 70 07 12 ,9 om l.c ai gm ti@ na un at ay un ig (tr ti na un at ay g un tri to s ng lo be 12minutestoclat.com F PD is Th  6 5) 55 70 07 12 ,9 om l.c ai gm ti@ na un at ay un ig (tr ti na un at ay g un tri to s ng lo be 12minutestoclat.com F PD is Th  National Current Affairs Th is PD F be Collapse of the Virupaksha Temple lo ng s to tri g un ay at un na ti (tr ig un ay at un na ti@ gm ai l.c om ,9 12 07 70 55 Recently: A small portion of the 'Salu Mantapa' at the 'Ratha Beedi' of the renowned Virupaksha Temple in Hampi has 5) collapsed following heavy rainfall. This led some conservationists to blame Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials for allegedly neglecting its protection and conservation. However, ASI officials argued that the restoration work of the temple, including the pavilion, was already underway and the rains led to its pre-emptive collapse. The UNESCO website also noted broader concerns about the heritage site’s preservation. About Virupaksha Temple: 12minutestoclat.com 7  The Virupaksha Temple is located in Hampi in the Vijayanagara district of Karnataka, India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and it is the oldest temple in Hampi and is flocked by pilgrims and tourists. Th It is also otherwise known as the Pampapathi temple and is a surviving structure amidst the ruins of Hampi. is PD A nationally protected monument, the temple is believed to have its origins in the 7th century. F be Inscriptions associated with Lord Shiva date back to the 9th and 10th centuries. lo ng The paintings on the ceilings of the temple date back to the fourteenth and sixteenth century. s to tri It was built by Lakkan Dandesha, a nayaka (chieftain) of the ruler, Paruda Deva Raya during the Vijayanagara rule. g un Virupaksha temple gained prominence and underwent extensive expansion in the 14th century during the Vijayanagara ay at un Empire (1336 to 1646). na ti The Chalukyan and Hoysala emperors also have a hand in contributing to the temple. (tr ig The temple was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 due to its rich architectural heritage and historical un ay significance. at un na Major renovation and restoration work, including the broken towers of the north and east gopura were undertaken at the ti@ break of the 19th century. gm ai The Virupaksha temple, Hampi is the only one, which remains intact amidst the others ruined by the Bahmani sultanates l.c om and is still in worship. ,9 12 Even the destruction of the Hampi in 1565, during the battle of Talikota, did not deter the religious sect of 07 70 Virupaksha-Pampa in their worship. 55 5) The Architecture: Virupaksha temple, Hampi, apart from the sanctum, boasts of three ante chambers, a pillared hall and an open pillared hall. The sanctum sanctorum houses the Shiva lingam, the main object of worship. A pillared cloister, entrance gateways, courtyards, smaller shrines and other numerous structures encompass the temple complex. The nine-tiered eastern gateway, which accommodates some earlier structures, is 50 meters and is proportionately constructed. 12minutestoclat.com 8  It has a stone base with a brick structure. The Kanakagiri gopuram towards the north paves the way to a small enclosure with smaller shrines and leads one Th forward to the Tungabhadra River. is PD One of the most interesting features in the Virupaksha temple, Hampi, is the usage of mathematical concepts in its F be construction and decoration. lo ng The repeated patterns in the construction depict the concept of fractals. The temple is triangular in shape. s to tri g un ay at un The collapse and the renovation: na ti (tr According to ASI officials, the condition of the stone pillars of the temple, has deteriorated because of natural phenomena ig un such as rain over a long period. ay at un It has been found that only three metres of the 19-metre-long pavilion, consisting of four pillars, are damaged due to na ti@ heavy rain. gm The ASI is responsible for 57 out of the 95 monuments in Hampi that are nationally protected ai l.c The rest are under the state government’s control. om ,9 Before beginning the restoration work, ASI digitally documented all the monuments under its control. 12 07 The restoration work began in 2019, with the first phase completed between 2019-20 and the second phase 70 55 completed between 2021-22. 5) The pavilion was also supposed to be restored later on. Now that a portion is damaged, the ASI is dismantling the entire pavilion and will undertake restoration work on a priority basis. Rs 8 crore was granted in the last financial year by the Central government for the restoration of monuments in the Kalyan Karnataka region. According to the ASI, restoring the dismantled pavilion will cost roughly Rs 50 lakhs and is expected to be completed in three to four months. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI): 12minutestoclat.com 9  Archaeological Survey of India is the premier organization for archaeological researches and protection of cultural heritage in India. Th It was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham who also became its first Director-General. is PD Alexander Cunnigham is also known as the ‘Father of Indian Archaeology’. F be Archaeological pursuits started much earlier, in the 18th century, when Sir William Jones formed the Asiatic Society in lo ng 1784 together with a group of antiquarians. s to tri ASI regulates all archaeological activities conducted in the country through the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and g un Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (AMASR Act), 1958. ay at un It also regulates the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972. na ti It is a statutory body after independence, under the AMASR Act, 1958. (tr ig ASI has more than 3500 protected monuments and archaeological sites of National Importance that it protects and un ay preserves. at un na It is headquartered in New Delhi and Yadubir Singh Rawat is the current Director General. ti@ gm ai l.c om ,9 12 07 70 55 5) 12minutestoclat.com 10  Sahitya Akademi Fellowship to Ruskin Bond Th is PD F be lo ng s to tri g un ay at un na ti (tr ig un ay at un na ti@ gm Recently: Eminent English author Ruskin Bond was awarded the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Fellowship at his Mussoorie ai l.c home. om ,9 12 Bond was named a recipient of Akademi’s highest honour in September 2021. However, due to his ill health, he could not 07 70 be given the honour in person. 55 5) The award was presented at his residence in Mussoorie by Sahitya Akademi President Madhav Kaushik and Secretary K Sreenivasarao. Sahitya Akademi Fellowship forms the highest honor which the Akademi confers through a system of electing Fellows and Honorary Fellows. Who is Ruskin Bond? Ruskin Bond is an Indian Author who was born in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, on 19th May, 1934. Bond has been actively writing for more than 50 years and has written in various genres of literature, including short stories, children’s books, novels, autobiographical works and non-fiction. 12minutestoclat.com 11  Bond has written over 300 short stories, essays and novels and more than 30 books for children besides several other works. Th His notable works include “Vagrants in the Valley”, “Once Upon a Monsoon Time”, “Angry River”, “Strangers in the Night”, is PD “All Roads Lead to Ganga”, “Tales of Fosterganj”, “Leopard on the Mountain” and “Too Much Trouble”. F be The 1978 Hindi film “Junoon” is based on Bond’s historical novel “A Flight of Pigeons” (Indian Rebellion of 1857). lo ng Adaptations of his stories were aired on Doordarshan as the TV serial ‘Ek Tha Rusty’. s to tri Several of his stories – “The Night Train at Deoli”, “Time Stops at Shamli” and “Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra” – were g un included in the school curriculum in India. ay at un In 2005, his children’s book “The Blue Umbrell” was adopted into a film. na ti Bond also appeared in 2007 film ‘Saat Khoon Maaf’, directed by Vishal Bharadwaj, based on his story, ‘Susanna’ s (tr ig Seven Husbands’. un ay He is the recipient of several prestigious awards including: at un na The Sahitya Akademi Award in 1992 ti@ Sahitya Akademi’s Bal Sahitya Puraskar in 2012 gm ai Padma Shri in 1999 l.c om Padma Bhushan in 2019 ,9 12 07 70 55 5) Sahitya Akademi: The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India. It was constituted by the Government of India by a resolution passed on 15 December 1952 and was formally inaugurated in 1954. It initially functioned under executive order, but was subsequently registered as a society under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860. The constitution of the Sahitya Akademi provides that it shall be run by three authorities — a General Council, an Executive Board, and a Finance Committee. Its office is located in Rabindra Bhavan in Delhi. 12minutestoclat.com 12  It publishes two bimonthly literary journals: Indian Literature in English and Samkaleen Bharatiya Sahitya in Hindi. Th is PD F be Awards conferred by the Sahitya Akademi: lo ng s to tri g un Sahitya Akademi Award: ay at un na The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi annually confers on writers of the ti (tr most outstanding books of literary merit. ig un These books are published in any of the 22 languages of the 8th Schedule to the Indian constitution as well as in ay at un English and Rajasthani language. na ti@ The literary work or book should be first published during the five years immediately preceding the year of the gm award, in any of the languages recognised by the Sahitya Akademi, for being eligible for the award. ai l.c om The award was established in 1954 and consists of a casket containing an engraved copper-plaque, a shawl and an ,9 amount of Rs. 1,00,000/-. 12 07 The plaque was designed by the Indian film-maker Satyajit Ray. 70 55 The award was first conferred in 1955. 5) The annual process of selecting awardees runs for the preceding twelve months. Sahitya Akademi Fellowships: They form the highest honor which the Akademi confers through a system of electing Fellows and Honorary Fellows. Sahitya Akademi Award is the second-highest literary honor next to a Sahitya Akademi Fellowship. Only 21 Fellows can be elected at any given time. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was the first writer elected to the Fellowship in 1968. Mulk Raj Anand was the first Indian English writer to be inducted in 1989. 12minutestoclat.com 13  The first woman to be elected Fellow was Mahadevi Varma, in 1979. The executive board of the Akademi recommends the names of literary persons to be elected as Fellows and Honorary Th Fellows to the General Council. is PD The General Council, who operates for the period of five years, holds an authority to elect a fellow based on the F be recommendation made by the executive board. lo ng In 1994, the Akademi began the practice of holding an event called 'Samvad' in which Fellows read from their work. s to tri The participants in the first series included Vishnu Bhikaji Kolte, Harbhajan Singh and Nagarjun. g un Other Sahitya Akademi Fellowships include: ay at un Sahitya Akademi Honorary Fellowship: For non-Indian scholars who have significantly contributed to Indian na ti literature. It is limited to 10 fellowships at a time. (tr ig Premchand Fellowship: For creative writers from South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) un ay countries other than India researching Indian literature and culture. at un na o It was established in 2005 during Munshi Premchand's 125th birth anniversary. ti@ Ananda Coomaraswamy Fellowship: For Asian scholars (excluding Indians) pursuing literary projects. It was instituted gm ai in 1996. l.c om ,9 12 07 70 Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar: 55 5) Conferred for contribution to children’s literature first published during the five years immediately preceding the year of Award. Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar: Conferred for books published by an author of the age of 35 and below. Bhasha Samman: 12minutestoclat.com 14  Conferred for significant contribution to Indian languages other than the above 24 major ones recognized by the academy and also for contributions to classical and medieval literature. Th It was established in 1996 and is given to 3-4 persons every year in different languages. is PD F Sahitya Akademi Prize for Translation: be lo ng Conferred for outstanding translations of major works in other languages into one of the 24 major Indian languages. s to tri It is instituted in 1989 at the insistence of then-Prime Minister of India, P. V. Narasimha Rao. g un ay at un na ti Deferral of NHRC’s accreditation by UNHRC (tr ig un ay at un na ti@ gm ai l.c om ,9 12 07 70 55 5) Recently: In a setback for India’s human rights record, the Geneva-based, United Nations-linked Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) deferred the accreditation of the National Human Rights Commission- India (NHRC) for the second year in a row. 12minutestoclat.com 15  The decision was taken during the meeting of the Sub Committee on Accreditation (SCA) on May 1, that included representatives from New Zealand, South Africa, Honduras and Greece (the current members of SCA). Th The decision could now affect India’s ability to vote at the Human Rights Council and some UNGA bodies is PD The human rights body stated that the deferral means that the no final decision on the accreditation has been taken yet. F be lo ng s to tri g un How are the NHRIs accredited? ay at un na The United Nations’ Paris Principles, adopted in 1993 by the U.N. General Assembly, provide the international ti (tr benchmarks against which National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI) can be accredited. ig un The Paris Principles set out six main criteria that NHRIs are required to meet: ay at un Mandate and Competence na ti@ Autonomy from Government gm Independence guaranteed by a statute or Constitution ai l.c Pluralism om ,9 Adequate Resources 12 07 Adequate powers of investigation 70 55 ‘A’ status accreditation also grants participation in the work and decision-making of the GANHRI, as well as the work of 5) the Human Rights Council and other U.N. mechanisms. The NHRC got the ‘A’ status of accreditation for the first time in 1999, which it retained in 2006, 2011, and in 2017. “B” status institutions may participate as observers in the international and regional meetings of the national human rights institutions. They cannot vote or hold office with the Bureau or its sub-committees. They are not given NHRIs badges, nor may they take the floor under agenda items and submit documentation to the Human Rights Council. Out of the 120 members of GANHARI, 88 countries have “A” status accreditation, while 32 have “B” status”. 12minutestoclat.com 16 Reasons for Deferral? While the committee’s latest report is still awaited, its previous report had cited a number of reasons for recommending the Th is deferral. PD F These include: be lo The lack of transparency in appointing members to the NHRC. ng s to The appointment of police officers to oversee human rights investigations. tri g The lack of gender and minority representation on the member panel - NHRC has just one woman in its top un ay body right now. The representation of the minorities is also not adequate. at un na The NHRC’s “A-status” has only been deferred once before, in 2016, but it was restored in 2017. ti (tr This is the first time India’s status has been suspended for two years in a row, in 2023 and in 2024. ig un On March 26, nine human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, jointly ay at un wrote to GANHRI expressing concern about India’s human rights institutions. na ti@ gm ai l.c om ,9 What is Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI)? 12 07 70 It was established in 1993 as the global network of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) – administrative bodies set 55 5) up to promote, protect and monitor human rights in a given country. It coordinates the relationship between NHRIs and the United Nations human rights system, and is unique as the only non- UN body whose internal accreditation system, based on compliance with the 1993 Paris Principles, grants access to UN committees. It was known as the 'International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions' prior to 2016. It is composed of 120 members including India. Its secretariat is situated in Geneva, Switzerland. 12minutestoclat.com 17 Sub- Committee on Accreditation (SCA): The GANHRI, through the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA) is responsible for reviewing and accrediting NHRIs in Th is compliance with the Paris Principles every five years. PD F The SCA meets in Geneva twice a year to consider accreditation applications. be lo Once the SCA has considered an application, it presents a report and recommendations to the GANHRI Bureau, which has ng s to responsibility for making the final decision on the accreditation of NHRIs. tri g The members of the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA) include one NHRI representative from each of the four un ay regional groupings. at un na Current members- ti (tr Human Rights Commission of New Zealand (Asia Pacific) – Chairperson ig un Human Rights Commission of South Africa (Africa) ay at un Comisionado Nacional de los Derechos Humanos de Honduras (America) na ti@ Greek National Commission of Human Rights (alternate) / Ombudswoman of Croatia from October 2024 (Europe) gm SCA members are voted to the position by their respective regional network. ai l.c They serve a term of three years, which can be renewed. om ,9 The United Nations Human Rights Office – through the National Institutions and Regional Mechanisms Section – is a 12 07 permanent observer and serves as Secretariat to the SCA. 70 55 5) National Human Rights Commission: It been set up under the Protection of Human Rights Act passed by Parliament in 1993. The act was later amended in 2006. It was established in order to ratify the Paris Principle that India is a signatory to. The Protection of Human Rights Act also allowed state governments to establish the State Human Rights Commission. The NHRC is responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights, defined by the act as "Rights Relating to Life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the constitution under Article 21. The NHRC consists of: The chairperson and five members (excluding the ex-officio members). 12minutestoclat.com 18  A Chairperson, can be someone who has been a Chief Justice of India or a Judge of the Supreme Court. Composition of Members- Th One member is, or has been, a Judge of the Supreme Court of India. is PD One member is, or has been, the Chief Justice of a High Court. F be Three Members, out of which at least one shall be a woman, to be appointed from amongst persons having lo ng knowledge of, or practical experience in, matters relating to human rights. s to tri Arun Kumar Mishra, a former judge of Supreme Court, is the current chairperson of the commission. His tenure is ending g un in the next month, i.e. June 2024. ay at un Justice Ranganath Mishra was the first chairperson of the NHRC in 1993. na ti (tr ig un ay United Nations Human Rights Council: at un na ti@ The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the gm promotion and protection of human rights around the world. ai l.c It was established in 2006 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. om ,9 Members of the Council serve for a period of three years and are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two 12 07 consecutive terms. 70 55 It is made up of 47 United Nations Member States which are elected by the UN General Assembly (UNGA). 5) Omar Zniber is the current President of UNHRC. 12minutestoclat.com 19  Eucalyptus Planting Controversy in Kerala Th is PD F be lo ng s to tri g un ay at un na ti (tr ig un ay at un na ti@ gm ai l.c om ,9 Recently: Forest department cancelled the permission given to Kerala Forest Development Corporation (KFDC) to cultivate 12 07 eucalyptus on its land. 70 55 5) The Kerala government issued an order allowing the Kerala Forest Development Corporation (KFDC) to plant eucalyptus trees for its financial sustenance in 2024-2025. Environmentalists soon protested the decision saying the move would adversely affect forests and heightens human-animal conflicts in future. Subsequently, the head of the Forest Force submitted a report to the State Forest Minister saying it hadn’t permitted the planting of eucalyptus trees inside forests. On May 20, the government amended its order to limit permission to only cut exotic tree species from lands in the KFDC’s control. What is Eucalyptus? 12minutestoclat.com 20  Eucalyptus, (genus Eucalyptus) is large genus of more than 660 species of shrubs and tall trees of the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), native to Australia, Tasmania, and nearby islands. Th Other names of these are Tailapatra, Sugandhapatra, Tailaprana, and Nilgiri Taila. is PD It is the most important genus of trees found in the Australian forests comprising approximately 77% of all of the trees. F be Today, most commercially grown trees grow in the Mediterranean and subtropical regions, including Spain and lo ng Morocco. s to tri It attains the height of more than 300 feet. g un In India, It is widely grown in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujrat, Haryana, Mysore, Kerala and in the Nilgiri Hill. ay at un It grows well in deep, fertile, well drained loamy soil with adequate moisture. na ti It is also found in Nagarhole National Park and Bandipur National Park in India. (tr ig Eucalyptus is used as the pulpwood in the manufacture of the paper as well as raw material. un