{"id":15056,"date":"2021-05-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-04T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/uncategorized\/04-05-2021\/facts-in-news-142\/"},"modified":"2025-10-09T15:32:38","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T10:02:38","slug":"facts-in-news-142","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/04-05-2021\/facts-in-news-142","title":{"rendered":"Facts in News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Facts in News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Article 311\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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  • Article 311 of the Constitution of India states that no person<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> who is a member of a <\/span><\/span><\/span>civil service<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> of the Union or <\/span><\/span><\/span>an all-India<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> service or a civil service of a State or holds a civil post under the Union or a<\/span><\/span><\/span> State shall be dismissed or removed<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> by an authority subordinate to that by which he was appointed.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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    • While<\/span><\/span><\/span> clause 2<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> provides that this shall be preceded by an inquiry in which the person will be given a<\/span><\/span><\/span> reasonable opportunity<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> to present his side of the story,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • \u00a0Its subsection C says this clause will not apply \u201cwhere the <\/span><\/span><\/span>President or the Governor,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> as the case may be, is <\/span><\/span><\/span>satisfied<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> that in the interest of the <\/span><\/span><\/span>security of the State<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, it is not <\/span><\/span><\/span>expedient to hold such an inquiry.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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World Press Freedom Day<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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  • Every year May 3rd is observed as <\/span><\/span><\/span>World Press Freedom Day.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It was proclaimed by the <\/span><\/span><\/span>UN General Assembly<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> in December <\/span><\/span><\/span>1993<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, following the recommendation of <\/span><\/span><\/span>UNESCO’s<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> General Conference.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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    • It came as a result of the 1991 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Windhoek Declaratio<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>n.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • The day acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Also, it is a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • The theme for World Press Day 2021 is<\/span><\/span><\/span> \u201cInformation as a Public Good.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • The <\/span><\/span><\/span>World Press Freedom Index<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> has been published every year since 2002 by <\/span><\/span><\/span>Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) or Reporters Without Borders.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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      • In 2021 India ranked at <\/span><\/span><\/span>142nd out of 180<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> countries.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Sheikh Zayed Book Award<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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  • Recently, Mumbai-born academician<\/span><\/span><\/span> Dr. Tahera Qutbuddin<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, a professor of Arabic Literature, Department of NELC, University of Chicago, has been adjudged the winner of the 1<\/span><\/span><\/span>5th Sheikh Zayed Book Award.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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    • The award commemorates the late <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> Founding President of the<\/span><\/span><\/span> UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhab<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>i, and his pioneering role in <\/span><\/span><\/span>promoting national unity and development<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • The Award, and its associated accolades, are presented annually to <\/span><\/span><\/span>outstanding writers, intellectuals<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, and <\/span><\/span><\/span>publishers,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> as well as a young <\/span><\/span><\/span>talent whose writing<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and translation in humanities objectively enrich Arab intellectual, cultural, literary and social life.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • The Sheikh Zayed Book award is an <\/span><\/span><\/span>independent cultural initiative<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> administered by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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  • It is a<\/span><\/span><\/span> UN agency<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> for refugees, displaced and stateless people.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Mandate<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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    • To aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • To ensure that everyone has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • To assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to a third country.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • It was <\/span><\/span><\/span>created in 1950<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, during the <\/span><\/span><\/span>aftermath of the Second World War<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, to help millions of Europeans who had fled or lost their homes.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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      • In <\/span><\/span><\/span>2020<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, it marked its <\/span><\/span><\/span>70<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>th<\/sup><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> anniversary<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
      • In <\/span><\/span><\/span>1954<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, it won the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Nobel Peace Prize<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> for its groundbreaking work in Europe.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • It has more than 17,324 personnel working in <\/span><\/span><\/span>135 countries<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Headquarter:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> Geneva.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Funding:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> Almost entirely by <\/span><\/span><\/span>voluntary contributions<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, with 86 per cent from governments and the European Union (EU).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • The <\/span><\/span><\/span>High Court of Manipur <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>has allowed 7 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Myanmar nationals<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> to seek protection from UNHCR.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • India <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>is <\/span><\/span><\/span>not <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>a party to the <\/span><\/span><\/span>UN Refugee Conventions, 1951<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> but is a <\/span><\/span><\/span>party <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>to the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and the <\/span><\/span><\/span>International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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        • Non-refoulement<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> is the principle under international law that a person fleeing persecution from his own country should not be forced to return.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Xylophis deepaki<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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  • It is a<\/span><\/span><\/span> tiny wood snake<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> of just<\/span><\/span><\/span> 20 cm length<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> with <\/span><\/span><\/span>iridescent scales<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> with a broad <\/span><\/span><\/span>off-white collar<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It was <\/span><\/span><\/span>first found in a coconut plantation<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> of the <\/span><\/span><\/span>drier regions<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and in <\/span><\/span><\/span>lower altitudes <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>around <\/span><\/span><\/span>Agasthyamalai hills in Kanyakumari<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It is an <\/span><\/span><\/span>endemic <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>species of <\/span><\/span><\/span>Tamil Nadu<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It is named in honour of <\/span><\/span><\/span>Indian herpetologist Deepak Veerappan<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> for his contribution in <\/span><\/span><\/span>erecting a new subfamily Xylophiinae<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> to accommodate wood snakes.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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    • A herpetologist is a <\/span><\/span><\/span>zoologist who studies reptiles and amphibians<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> such as frogs and salamanders.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Many focus on <\/span><\/span><\/span>conservation <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>of these species and others use them to <\/span><\/span><\/span>assess overall environmental conditions<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> in a particular area.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • Wood Snakes<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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      • Harmless burrowing snakes, sub-fossorial and often found while digging soil in farms and under the logs in the Western Ghat forests.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Feed on earthworms and possibly other invertebrates.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

        (Image Courtesy: <\/span><\/span><\/span>TH<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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  • It uses<\/span><\/span><\/span> computers and rotating X-ray machines<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> to <\/span><\/span><\/span>create cross-sectional images<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> of the body.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • These images provide <\/span><\/span><\/span>more detailed information than normal X-ray images<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and can show the soft tissues, blood vessels, and bones in various parts of the body.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • In <\/span><\/span><\/span>Covid-19 cases<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, if a patient\u2019s <\/span><\/span><\/span>oxygen level is going down below 95<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> even after a week after coming Covid positive then such patients should <\/span><\/span><\/span>get their CT scan done to detect the infection level<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Otherwise, it is<\/span><\/span><\/span> recommended not to expose the body to radiations of CT scan<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> unnecessarily.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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    • The more radiation can lead to the<\/span><\/span><\/span> risk of cancer <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>in case of multiple scans.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Some people have an <\/span><\/span><\/span>allergic reaction to the contrast material<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, which is a <\/span><\/span><\/span>special dye to help internal structures show up more clearly<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> as it blocks X-rays and appears white on the images.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • It is also <\/span><\/span><\/span>not recommended to pregnant women<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> to save the baby from potential risks of radiations.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      (Image Courtesy: <\/span><\/span><\/span>VW<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Facts in News Article 311\u00a0 Article 311 of the Constitution of India states that no person who is a member of a civil service of the Union or an all-India service or a civil service of a State or holds a civil post under the Union or a State shall be dismissed or removed by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[30,26,25],"class_list":["post-15056","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs","tag-gs-2","tag-gs-3","tag-gs1"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15056","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15056"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15056\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56398,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15056\/revisions\/56398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15056"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15056"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15056"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}