20Th Feb 2021 Current Affairs Analysis by Iastoppers' Editorial Team | 2021-02-20 17:00:00

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20th Feb 2021 Current Affairs Analysis By IASToppers' Editorial Team | 2021-02-20 17:00:00

Polity and Governance #MeToo: defamation case

A Delhi court dismissed former Union Minister’s criminal defamation complaint against a female journalist over her tweets accusing him of sexual harassment.

Background:

The Union Minister Mr. Akbar was accused of sexual harassment in 2018 in the wake of #MeToo movement. In response, the Union Minister filed a criminal defamation case against the journalist in October 2018.

What is Defamation?

Defamation is the general term for a legal claim involving injury to one's reputation caused by a false statement of fact and includes both libel (defamation in written or fixed form) and slander (spoken defamation).

Laws for defamation:

Section 499 of IPC primarily governs the law on defamation; however, it is pertinent to note that the law has been extended to "electronic documents". Section 469 of the IPC (forgery for purpose of harming reputation) has been amended by the Information Technology Act, 2000 to include 'electronic record forged'. Section 500 lays down the punishment for criminal defamation. Section 500: Whoever defames another shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both. It is noteworthy that Section 499 of the IPC, 1860 has remained unaltered for the last 158 years.

Types of defamation:

Civil:

In civil defamation a person who is defamed can move either High Court or subordinate courts and seek damages in the form of monetary compensation. There is no punishment in the form of jail sentence.

Criminal:

In criminal defamation, the person against whom a defamation case is filed might be sentenced to two years’ imprisonment or fined or both.

Exception:

One of the major exceptions to defamation is if what is being alleged is the absolute truth and is for the public good.

[Ref: The Hindu]

35th Statehood Day of Arunachal Pradesh & Mizoram

Arunachal Pradesh & Mizoram became full states on February 20, 1987 with the 53rd Constitutional Amendment Act.

About Arunachal Pradesh:

Arunachal Pradesh is a state in Northeast India. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south. It shares international borders with Bhutan in the west, Myanmar in the east, and a border with

China in the north at the McMahon Line. Itanagar is the state capital of Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal Pradesh finds mention in the literature of Kalika Purana and Mahabharata. Over 1.5 million residents of Arunachal Pradesh belong to the five Tani tribes (Nyishi, Adi, Galo, Apatani, Tagin). In 1912–13, the British Indian government made agreements with the indigenous peoples of the Himalayas of northeastern India to establish the North-East Frontier Agency from five tracts of frontier lands. The North-East Frontier Agency was renamed as Arunachal Pradesh by Sri Bibhabasu Das Shastri, the Chief Commissioner of Arunachal Pradesh on 20 January 1972, and it became a Union Territory. In 1987, through the 53rd Constitutional Amendment Act, Arunachal Pradesh received statehood.

About Mizoram:

Mizoram is a state in northeastern India, with Aizawl as its capital city. "Mizo-ram" means "land of the Mizos". The earliest Mizos who migrated to India were known as Kukis. It is the southernmost landlocked state, sharing borders with three of the Seven Sister States namely Tripura, Assam and Manipur. About 91% of the state is forested. Among all of the states of India, Mizoram has the highest concentration of tribal people. Mizoram was previously part of Assam until 1972, when it was carved out as a Union Territory. Through the 53rd Constitutional Amendment Act, Mizoram received statehood in 1987.

[Ref: The Hindu]

Issues related to Health & Eudcation First AES case of the year suspected in Muzaffarpur

Recently a child has been diagnosed with Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), the year's first, at a hospital in Muzaffarpur, Bihar.

About Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES):

AES is a broad term involving several infections specifically affecting young children. It is a neurological disorder which affects the brain and the limbic system. In Bihar, it is locally known as Chamki Bukhar. The disease outbreak is usually reported during monsoons (June-October). But the incidence is also reported during April-June in Bihar. It can manifest into more severe conditions such as very high fever, coma, delirium, seizure and disorientation upon deterioration.

Causes of AES:

Viruses are the main causative agents in AES cases, although other sources such as bacteria, fungus, parasites, spirochetes have also been reported over the past few decades. Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus is the most common cause of AES in India, attributing 5-35% due to JE. Apart from viral encephalitis, severe form of leptospirosis and toxoplasmosis can cause AES. It is also caused by scrub typhus, dengue, mumps, measles, even Nipah or Zika virus.

Types of AES:

Different types of encephalitis have different causes:

Japanese encephalitis is spread by mosquitoes Tick-borne encephalitis is spread by ticks Rabies can be spread through a bite from a mammal There are also primary or secondary encephalitis: Primary or infectious encephalitis can result if a fungus, virus, or bacterium infects the brain. Secondary, or post-infectious, encephalitis is when the immune system responds to a previous infection and mistakenly attacks the brain.

[Ref: Down to Earth]

MSN to discover Anti-Epilepsy drug

Drugmaker MSN Group is focussed on introducing generic products for various therapies.

Key highlights:

MSN has developed the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient and the finished dosage formulation of Brivanext. The product has received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India, and will be available in India very soon.

What is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a chronic disorder that causes unprovoked, recurrent seizures. A seizure is a sudden rush of electrical activity in the brain. There are two main types of seizures. Generalized seizures affect the whole brain. Focal, or partial seizures, affect just one part of the brain. A mild seizure may be difficult to recognize. It can last a few seconds during which one lacks awareness. Stronger seizures can cause spasms and uncontrollable muscle twitches, and can last a few seconds to several minutes.

During a stronger seizure, some people become confused or lose consciousness. Epilepsy is a fairly common neurological disorder that affects 65 million people around the world.

Symptoms:

Stiffening of the body Shaking Loss of bladder or bowel control Biting of the tongue Loss of consciousness

Possible causes include:

Traumatic brain injury Scarring on the brain after a brain injury (post-traumatic epilepsy) Serious illness or very high fever Stroke, which is a leading cause of epilepsy in people over age 35 Other vascular diseases Lack of oxygen to the brain Brain tumour or cyst Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease Maternal drug use, prenatal injury, brain malformation, or lack of oxygen at birth Infectious diseases such as AIDS and meningitis Genetic or developmental disorders or neurological diseases

Treatment:

Anti-epileptic (anticonvulsant, antiseizure) drugs: These medications can reduce the number of seizures one has. In some people, they eliminate seizures. Vagus nerve stimulator: This device is surgically placed under the skin on the chest and electrically stimulates the nerve that runs through your neck. Ketogenic diet: More than half of people who don’t respond to medication benefit from this high fat, low carbohydrate diet. Brain surgery: The area of the brain that causes seizure activity can be removed or altered.

[Ref: The Hindu]

Bilateral & International Relations U.S. takes steps to reinstate Iran nuclear deal

The US administration under the President Biden stated to participate in talks with Iran to reinstate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or the Iran nuclear deal.

The deal has been unravelling since the U.S.’s departure from JCPOA in 2018.

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA):

JCPOA is a detailed agreement between Iran and the P5+1 countries (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) signed on July 14, 2015. The nuclear deal was endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2231, adopted on July 20, 2015. The deal offered Iran relief on sanctions and investment in exchange for curbing its nuclear program. Iran agreed to significantly cut its stores of centrifuges, enriched uranium and heavy- water, all key components for nuclear weapons. The JCPOA established the Joint Commission with all the negotiating parties represented, to monitor implementation of the agreement. Iran signed JCPOA after being hit with devastating economic sanctions by the United Nations, US and the European Union that costed it tens of billions of pounds a year in lost oil export revenues, frozen assets and trade loss.

Developments under JCPOA:

Former US President Donald Trump walked away from the landmark nuclear treaty in May 2018 arguing that it emboldened Iran to act against American interests. However, the European Union, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Russia and China attempted to keep the international agreement alive. Iran announced its full withdrawal from JCPOA following the U.S. targeted strike that killed the country’s Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani in Iraq on 3rd Jan 2020. Iran has ended its commitment to any limits on the level of uranium enrichment, stockpile of nuclear fuel and also nuclear research and development.

[Ref: The Hindu]

Art & Culture For the first time in 44 years, Khajuraho Dance festival to be held on temple

The 47th edition of the Khajuraho Dance Festival, an internationally acclaimed cultural event, will be conducted for the first time in 44 years on the temple premises.

About Khajuraho:

It is a small town located in the Bundelkhand region (Chhatarpur District) of Madhya Pradesh. The temple site is within Vindhya mountain range in Central India. It is famous for groups of Hindu and Jain temples. Six are dedicated to Shiva, eight to Vishnu and his affinities, one to Ganesha, one to Sun god, three to Jain Tirthankars. These temples are a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their beautiful and erotic rock carvings. The 10th-century Bhand Deva Temple in Rajasthan was built in the style of the Khajuraho monuments and is often referred to as 'Little Khajuraho'.

History:

In the ancient times it was known as Vatsa. The temples of Khajuraho were built between 950 and 1050 A.D. during the Chandela dynasty of

Central India. The temples were built about 35 miles from the Medieval city of Mahoba, the capital of the Chandela dynasty, in the Kalinjar region. It is mentioned in the accounts of Xuanzang (641 BCE, Chinese pilgrim) and Abu Rihan-al- Biruni (1022 CE). Ibn Battuta (1335 CE) mentioned visiting Khajuraho temples, calling them "Kajarra". It was later destroyed by Muslim Sultan Qutb-ud-din Aibak and Sikandar Lodi. After the decline of the Chandela dynasty in 13th century, in 1838, it was rediscovered by a British army engineer, Captain T.S. Burt. By that time only 22 of the original 85 temples had survived.

Architecture:

The temples are famous for their Nagara-style architectural symbolism and their erotic sculptures. They are made of sandstone, with a granite foundation that is almost concealed from view. Most temples were built during the reigns of the Hindu kings Yashovarman (Lakshmana Temple)

and Dhanga (Vishvanatha temple). Laksmana temple was built in 954 CE to celebrate independence from the Gurjara- Pratihara. The Visvanatha temple (1002 CE) which was designed by Sutradhara Chhichchha. The largest and currently most famous surviving temple is Kandariya Mahadeva built in the reign of King Vidyadhara. The Chaunsat Yogini Temple (64 tantric goddesses) has 64 shrine rooms arranged around a rectangular courtyard. It is believed that the temples constitute five different sets of sculptures: Cult images Parivara, parsva and avarana devatas Apsaras and the surasundaris Secular sculptures of miscellaneous themes (dancers, musicians, disciples and domestic scenes) Mythical creatures (vyalas, sardula and other animals) The main components of these temples are: Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) with antarala, a narrow ante-chamber Maha Mandapa, a large hall Ardha Mandapa and a mandapa, which are smaller additional halls Pradakshina Path, a circumambulation path A few temples at Khajuraho are of the Panchayatana type, with four shrines dedicated to the divinities and often another shrine in front of the portico dedicated to the vahana (vehicle) of the principal deity.

[Ref: The Hindu]

Geophysical phenomena Breaking of Earth’s magnetic field 42,000 years ago

A study found that the world experienced a few centuries of apocalyptic conditions 42,000 years ago, triggered by a reversal of the Earth’s magnetic poles combined with changes in the Sun’s behaviour.

The key findings of the Study of geomagnetic reversal:

The ozone layer was destroyed, electrical storms raged across the tropics, solar winds generated auroras, Arctic air poured across North America, ice sheets and glaciers surged and weather patterns shifted violently. Life on earth was exposed to intense ultraviolet light, Neanderthals and giant animals known as megafauna went extinct, while modern humans sought protection in caves. One of the most dramatic of these pole migrations took place some 42,000 years ago and is known as the Laschamps Excursion, named after the village where it was discovered.

The ancient New Zealand kauri trees revealed a prolonged spike in atmospheric radiocarbon levels caused by the collapse of Earth’s magnetic field as the poles switched, providing a way of precisely linking widely geographically dispersed records. Tropical Pacific rain belts and the Southern Ocean westerly winds abruptly shifted, bringing arid conditions to Australia, including giant kangaroos and giant wombats went extinct. During the magnetic switch, the strength of the magnetic field plummeted to less than 6% of present. With essentially no magnetic field, Earth totally lost its very effective shield against cosmic radiation, and many more of these very penetrating particles from space could access the top of the atmosphere. The Sun experienced several “grand solar minima” throughout this period, during which the overall solar activity was generally much lower but also more unstable. The high energy cosmic rays from the galaxy and also enormous bursts of cosmic rays from

solar flares were able to penetrate the upper atmosphere, charging the particles in the air and causing chemical changes that drove the loss of stratospheric ozone. These conditions would have also extended the dazzling light shows of the aurora across the world at times, nights would have been as bright as daytime. The dramatic changes and unprecedented high UV levels caused early humans to seek shelter in caves, explaining the apparent sudden flowering of cave art across the world 42,000 years ago.

Earth’s Magnetic field:

Earth's magnetic field, also known as the geomagnetic field, is the magnetic field that extends from the Earth's interior out into space, where it interacts with the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun.

The magnetic field is generated by electric currents due to the motion of convection currents of a mixture of molten iron and nickel in the Earth's outer core. These convection currents are caused by heat escaping from the core, a natural process called a geodynamo. It is represented by a field of a magnetic dipole currently tilted at an angle of about 11 degrees

with respect to Earth's rotational axis. The North geomagnetic pole actually represents the South pole of the Earth's magnetic field, and conversely the South geomagnetic pole corresponds to the north pole of Earth's magnetic field. While the North and South magnetic poles are usually located near the geographic poles, they slowly and continuously move over geological time scales, but sufficiently slowly for ordinary compasses to remain useful for navigation. At irregular intervals averaging several hundred thousand years, the Earth's field reverses and the North and South Magnetic Poles respectively, abruptly switch places. These reversals of the geomagnetic poles leave a record in rocks that are of value to paleomagnetists in calculating geomagnetic fields in the past.

Geomagnetic reversal:

A geomagnetic reversal is a change in the orientation of Earth's magnetic field such that the positions of magnetic north and magnetic south become interchanged.

Key Fact:

The Earth's magnetic north pole is drifting from northern Canada towards Siberia with a presently accelerating rate.

[Ref: Down to Earth]

Indian History Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti celebrated

Recently Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti was celebrated to commemorate the 391st birth anniversary of Maratha emperor Shivaji Maharaj.

About Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj:

Shivaji Bhonsale was born in the year 1630 at Shivneri Fort near Pune. His name is derived from a regional deity by the name of Shivai, unlike what most people believe is Lord Shiva. Shivaji’s father Shahaji served alongside Malik Ambar, who defended the Deccan region, the first to be done by any Maratha against the Mughals. His mother Jijabai was extremely devoted to his mother who was also very deeply religious. His first triumph was the capture of Torna Fort of the Bijapur Kingdom at the age of 16. By 1647 he had captured Kondana and Rajgad forts and had control of much of the southern Pune region.

Extent of Shivaji’s Kingdom:

He established a new Hindu kingdom in Maharashtra. It included Maharastra, Konkan, and a large part of the Carnatic. His kingdom extended from Ramnagar in the North to Karwar in the South. In the East it included Poona, Satara, Baglan, half of Nasik and a portion of Kolhapur. It also included a considerable part of Mysore stretching from Belgaon to the bank of Tungabhadra, opposite to Bellary district of Tamil Nadu.

Social life:

Under Shivaji’s rule, dishonor of women was not tolerated. Women of captured territories in his rule were left unharmed, unlike other rulers of the time. Violating a woman’s rights would meet with severe punishment. Shivaji was considered as the Jaanta Raja, or the Knowing King. He was a benevolent ruler and showed mercy to his opponents who surrendered. He would also offer them a place in his own army.

Political life:

He was the first Chhatrapati and founder of the Maratha Empire. Shivaji maintained peaceful relations with Mughals. His royal army included 66,000 Muslims from a cavalry of 1,50,000. He offered his help to Aurangzeb in conquering Bijapur. Shivaji encountered with the Afzal Khan (Sultan of Bijapur) in 1659 in Battle of Pratapgad. The Battle of Pratapgad was a battle fought anear the town of Satara, Maharashtra, between Marathas under Shivaji and the Adilshahi general Afzal Khan. The Marathas defeated the Adilshahi forces. He was interested to devise tactics like guerrilla warfare. Shivaji was the father of the Indian Navy and realized that a naval fleet was required to protect India from foreign invaders. He was prudent enough to establish a navy and forts at the coastline to protect the Konkan side of Maharashtra. He was skilled in mapping out military missions. Aurangzeb sent his maternal uncle Shaista Khan to attack Shivaji. Shivaji defeated him and sacked the port city of Surat, a wealthy Mughal trading centre in 1664. In response to the attacks on Shaista Khan, Aurangzeb sent the Rajput Mirza Raja Jai Singh I to defeat Shivaji. In the Treaty of Purandar, signed between Shivaji and Jai Singh in 1665, Shivaji agreed to give up his several forts to the Mughals. Shivaji agreed to become a vassal of the Mughal empire, and to send his son Sambhaji to fight for the Mughals in the Deccan as a mansabdar.

Administration:

Shivaji was an autocrat with all powers concentrated in his heads but he was a benevolent despot sincerely desired to promote the welfare of his subjects. He was assisted by a Council of eight ministers called Ashta Pradhan. It was only an advisory board.

Religious life:

Shivaji was a secular monarch, but he never compromised his own religious roots. He tried reviving the positive aspects of Hinduism and even married his own daughter to a converted Hindu.

About Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti or Shiv Jayanti:

It was in 1870 that it was started to be celebrated after Mahatma Jyotirao Phule discovered the tomb of Shivaji in Raigad. Phule reinterpreted Shivaji, depicting him as a hero of the lower castes. Later during the independence struggle, freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak popularized the figure of Shivaji as a means of encouraging Indians to stand against the colonizers. Leaders appropriated Shivaji as a symbol of resistance and valour against the invading forces to help strengthen the freedom movement.

[Ref: The Hindu]

Key Facts for Prelims Digilocker

The Ministry of External Affairs launched a new scheme by which applicants applying for passport services can provide link to their specific documents uploaded in the DigiLocker.

This would enable citizens to submit various documents required for Passport Services through DigiLocker in a paperless mode.

About Digilocker:

DigiLocker is a key initiative under Digital India, a flagship program aimed at transforming India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. The platform is targeted at paperless governance and provides citizens a sharable private space on a public cloud enabling availability of all documents/certificates provided on this cloud.

TROPEX-21

TROPEX-21 (Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise) exercise commenced in January 2021 involving all three Commands of the Indian Navy, the Tri-Services Command at Port Blair, and elements of Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard.

The Biennial exercise is the largest exercise conducted by Indian Navy aimed to validate its concepts of war-fighting across the entire spectrum of warfare.

AMPHEX- 21 and NAVDEX- 21

Indian Naval Ship Pralaya arrived at Abu Dhabi, UAE to participate in the NAVDEX 21 (Naval Defence Exhibition) and IDEX 21 (International Defence Exhibition), scheduled from 20 to 25 February 2021. The participation of an Indian Navy Ship in NAVDEX 21 and IDEX 21 highlights close relations between India and UAE. Further, the participation of INS Pralaya in NAVDEX 21 and IDEX 21 is aimed at showcasing the strengths of India’s indigenous ship building INS Pralaya, the second ship of the indigenously built Prabal Class Missile Vessels, was commissioned in the Indian Navy on 18 December 2002.

Someshwara Temple

Halasuru Someshwara Temple is located in the neighborhood of Halasuru in Bangalore, Karnataka. The 10th Century temple dates back to the Chola period. Chola period existed between 3rd Century BCE – 1279 CE. It is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Major additions or modifications were made during the late Vijayanagara Empire period (1336 - 1646) under the rule of Hiriya Kempe Gowda II.

Dharmaraya Swamy Temple

Shri Dharmaraya Swamy Temple is one of the oldest and most famous Hindu temples of Bangalore, Karnataka. It was built over eight hundred years ago by the Thigalas, one of the area's oldest social group, an agricultural community who tilled the soil and grew vegetables and flowers. The temple displays architectural features of buildings from the Western Ganga dynasty, the Pallava dynasty and the Vijayanagara Empire. Deities worshipped here include Dharmaraya, Krishna, Arjuna, Draupadi, Nakula, Sahadeva and Bhima.