{"id":82009,"date":"2026-08-20T19:11:37","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T13:41:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=82009"},"modified":"2026-08-20T19:11:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T13:41:59","slug":"news-in-short-20-08-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/20-08-2026\/news-in-short-20-08-2026","title":{"rendered":"News In Short 20-08-2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Idea of a \u2018perfect victim\u2019 or an \u2018ideal victim\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Polity and Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Bombay High Court set aside the 2021 judgment of the trial court that had acquitted Tarun Tejpal.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The High Court also said that it had fallen for the notion that a sexual assault complainant must be a \u2018<strong>perfect victim\u2019 and conduct herself in a certain way to appear credible.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The idea of a <strong>\u2018perfect victim\u2019 or an \u2018ideal victim\u2019<\/strong> was theorised by <strong>Norwegian criminologist Nils Christie in 1986.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>According to him,<strong> \u2018perfect victim\u2019 possesses five main attributes.\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They are often female, disabled, very young, or very old, and are therefore weak in relation to the offender.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They are involved in \u201crespectable activities\u201d.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They cannot reasonably be blamed for being where they were during the crime.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They do not know the offender personally.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They are attacked by a perpetrator who is \u201cbig and bad\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>This one-size-fits-all idea of victimhood<\/strong> is propagated widely by the media, social media, films, and by the larger society.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This narrow perception of an \u2018ideal victim\u2019 <strong>creates a hierarchy of victimisation.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Those who are thought of as \u201cundeserving\u201d are even perceived as contributing to the situation and receive less sympathy or none at all.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The High Court Stand: <\/strong>The High Court criticised the Sessions Court for focusing on the complainant\u2019s conduct, reactions, and personal background instead of the evidence on record.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recently, the Supreme Court issued a report <strong>recommending greater gender sensitivity in judicial writing.\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It cautioned judges against drawing adverse conclusions from delayed reporting, lack of physical injuries, inconsistencies in testimony or a survivor\u2019s demeanour, noting that <strong>trauma affects people differently.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/the-myth-called-perfect-victim\/article71364757.ece\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Coking Coal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Economy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Indian Steel mills are facing mount\u00ading pres\u00adsure on mar\u00adgins as <strong>higher cok\u00ading coal prices<\/strong>, driven by sup\u00adply dis\u00adrup\u00adtions in Aus\u00adtralia and China and the Iran war, raise steel\u00admak\u00ading costs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India, the <strong>world\u2019s second-largest crude steel producer<\/strong>, meets around <strong>90% <\/strong>of its coking coal requirements through imports, with Australia accounting for at least half of these imports.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In steel making, coal is converted into<strong> coke<\/strong>, a high-carbon fuel that generates the intense heat required in blast furnaces and helps extract iron from iron ore.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Coking coal accounts for nearly <strong>40% of steel pro\u00adduc\u00adtion costs<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Coking coal<\/strong> has suitable properties and relatively low ash content to produce strong coke required for blast furnaces.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>On the other hand, <strong>non-coking coal<\/strong>, despite its relatively high ash content, can generate sufficient heat to run boilers and turbines, making it suitable for power generation.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Initiatives<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Mission Coking Coal (2021):<\/strong> Aims to reduce import dependence by increasing domestic coking coal production to <strong>140 MT<\/strong> and raising the blending of domestic coal in steelmaking from <strong>10% to 30% by 2030<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Critical and Strategic Mineral:<\/strong> The Government has notified coking coal as a <strong>Critical and Strategic Mineral<\/strong> under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act) to encourage domestic exploration and production.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pressreader.com\/india\/the-indian-express\/20260820\/282071988741638?srsltid=AfmBOooUKutOxHlv_LPlw72MnPfXtkWrobsV1WTrV6E55hfTnSaYo7Sx\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">New Development Bank<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/IR; GS3\/Economy&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Iran decided to join the New Development Bank to strengthen monetary, financial and banking cooperation with BRICS countries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>New Development Bank<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is a multilateral development bank established by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/27-04-2026\/india-brics-presidency-priorities\">Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS).<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It was founded in 2015 and Its membership is open to members of the \u200bUnited Nations, as well as to borrowing and non-borrowing member countries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u00a0It aims to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in emerging markets and developing countries.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Members<\/strong> : India, Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Bangladesh, UAE, Egypt, and Algeria are members of NDB.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Uzbekistan became the New Development Bank\u2019s tenth member and the first Central Asian country to join the institution.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Focus Areas\u00a0 : <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f9f8f8\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f9f8f8;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"163\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-175-1024x163.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-82014\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-175-1024x163.png 1024w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-175-300x48.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-175-768x122.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-175.png 1196w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/27-04-2026\/india-brics-presidency-priorities\"><strong>BRICS&nbsp;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It brings together eleven major emerging markets and developing countries of the world: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It serves as a useful platform for consultation and cooperation on contemporary issues having global as well as regional significance, and issues of global political and economic governance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It comprises :<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-dominant-color=\"ecede9\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #ecede9;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"672\" height=\"111\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-174.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-82013\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-174.png 672w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-174-300x50.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 672px) 100vw, 672px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/iran-join-brics-development-bank-soon-central-bank-governor-says-2026-08-12\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Reuters<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Helicase: The DNA Separator<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Science and Technology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In a recent study sci\u00adent\u00adists found <strong>how cells make sure they start copy\u00ading DNA only at the right time.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Helicase<\/strong> is an<strong> enzyme<\/strong> that <strong>unwinds the two strands of DNA <\/strong>so that the <strong>cell can copy the genetic inform\u00ada\u00adtion stored in them.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>DNA is nor\u00admally a double helix,<\/strong> i.e. two long strands held together by bonds between bases on each strand, spiralling around each other.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When a cell divides, it needs to make a copy of the DNA, which requires these strands to be sep\u00adar\u00adated.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f4edec\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f4edec;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"329\" height=\"356\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-172.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-82011\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-172.png 329w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-172-277x300.png 277w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 329px) 100vw, 329px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Hel\u00adicase <\/strong>attaches to a particular region of DNA and moves along the molecule.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It uses<strong> energy from ATP<\/strong> \u2014 the cell\u2019s main chem\u00adical energy source \u2014 to change its shape and force apart the two DNA strands.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The res\u00adult is a <strong>Y-shaped region called the replication fork,<\/strong> where the two strands are exposed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Other enzymes called<strong> topoi somerases relieve this twist\u00ading<\/strong> and <strong>pre\u00advent the DNA from becom\u00ading tangled or break\u00ading.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once the helicase has sep\u00adar\u00adated the strands, <strong>other rep\u00adlic\u00ada\u00adtion machinery can use each exposed strand as a tem\u00adplate.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/todays-paper\/2026-08-19\/th_chennai\/articleGUMGDPHDK-16131069.ece\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Raichur Miyawaki Forest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Environment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Miyawaki method has been in the news repeatedly over the past year from <strong>Raichur&#8217;s Yakalaspura dumpsite-turned-forest in Karnataka<\/strong>, to Rajkot&#8217;s Nakrawadi landfill transformation in Gujarat, to urban afforestation drives in Mumbai.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is the Miyawaki Method?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Miyawaki method is an <strong>afforestation technique <\/strong>that creates dense, native, multi-layered forests in a short span of time, even in very small urban spaces.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It was developed in the <strong>1970s by Japanese botanist and plant ecologist Dr Akira Miyawaki<\/strong>, who based it on the idea o<strong>f &#8220;potential natural vegetation&#8221;<\/strong> means the forest that would naturally exist in a region if left undisturbed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The core idea is rather than <strong>planting a few trees sparsely<\/strong> and waiting decades for a forest to form, plant many native species very close together and let them compete for sunlight and nutrients.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"aeb9a4\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"943\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-173-943x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-82012\" style=\"--dominant-color: #aeb9a4; aspect-ratio:0.9209106326121589;width:628px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-173-943x1024.png 943w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-173-276x300.png 276w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-173-768x834.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-173.png 1203w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 943px) 100vw, 943px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: TH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Amazon Rainforest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Environment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A recent study published in Global Change Biology has found that just 15\u201325 tree species play a major role in regenerating deforested areas of the Amazon rainforest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Amazon rainforest, often called the<strong> lungs of the Earth<\/strong>, is home to about <strong>10% <\/strong>of all known plant and animal species \u2014 and countless others that haven\u2019t even been discovered yet.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Amazon spans <strong>8 countries and one overseas territory<\/strong>: <strong>Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela<\/strong>, and <strong>French Guiana<\/strong> (a French overseas territory).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It stores around <strong>250\u2013300 billion tonnes of carbon<\/strong>, equivalent to <strong>15\u201320 years of global greenhouse gas emissions<\/strong>, and generates rainfall that supports some of the world\u2019s largest cities and most vital agricultural regions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is home to over <strong>47 million people<\/strong>, including <strong>2.2 million Indigenous and traditional communities<\/strong>, whose cultures and livelihoods are deeply tied to the forest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-dominant-color=\"24374c\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #24374c;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"472\" height=\"520\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-171.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-82010\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-171.png 472w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-171-272x300.png 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 472px) 100vw, 472px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pressreader.com\/india\/the-hindu-international-9bn2\/20260820\/281895895081739\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong><br \/>\nContext<\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">\n<p>Bombay High Court set aside the 2021 judgment of the trial court that had acquitted Tarun Tejpal.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nAbout<\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"\t>\n<p>The idea of a \u2018perfect victim\u2019 or an \u2018ideal victim\u2019 was theorised by Norwegian criminologist Nils Christie in 1986.\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">\n<p>According to him, \u2018perfect victim\u2019 possesses five main attributes.\n<\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/20-08-2026\/news-in-short-20-08-2026 \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-82009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82009","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\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82009"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82009\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82016,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82009\/revisions\/82016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}