UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 03-07-2020 | Prelim Bits

Dhamma Chakra Day

The International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) in partnership with Ministry of Culture, will celebrate the upcoming Asadha Poornima on July 4, 2020 as Dharma Chakra Day.
The day marks Buddha's first teaching after attaining Enlightenment to the first five ascetic disciples (pañcavargika).
It was on the full-moon day of Asadha at ‘Deer Park', Ṛiṣipatana in the current day Sarnath, near Varanasi, India.
The teaching of Dhamma Cakka- PavattanaSutta (Pali) is also known as the First Turning of Wheels of Dharma.
Asadha Poornima falls on the first full moon day of the month of Asadha as per Indian sun calendar.
It is the second most sacred day for Buddhists after the Buddha Poornima or Vesak.
The Rainy Season retreat (Varsha Vassa) for the Monks and Nuns also starts with this day lasting for three lunar months from July to October, during which they remain in a single place, generally in their temples dedicated to intensive meditation.
They are served during this period by lay community who also observe Uposatha i.e. to observe eight precepts and meditate under the guidance of their teachers.
The day is also observed as Guru Poornima by both Buddhists and Hindus as a day to mark reverence to their Gurus.

Hul Divas

The Santhal rebellion was taken place in present-day Jharkhand, against both the British colonial authority and zamindari system by the Santhali people.
It started on June 30, 1855 and in 1856 the movement was brutally ended by troops loyal to the British.
The rebellion was led by the four Murmu Brothers - Sidhu, Kanhu, Chand and Bhairav, at Bhognadih.
Bhognadih is a village in Sahebganj district of Jharkhand was the main center of the Santhal Rebellion.
Hul Divas is celebrated to commemorate the tribal brothers and sisters of Jharkhand who revolted against the injustice of foreign rule.

Attorney General of India

Union government has extended the term of K.K. Venugopal as Attorney General (AG) for one year, who was appointed as the 15th AG of India in 2017.
The Attorney General (AG) of India is a part of the Union Executive, he is the highest law officer in the country.
AG is appointed by the President on the advice of the government (Article 76)
He must have been a judge of some high court for 5 years or an advocate of some high court for 10 years or an eminent jurist, in the opinion of the President (Similar to the appointment of SC Judge)
Term of the Office of Attorney General is not fixed by the Constitution.
Procedures and grounds for the removal of AG are not stated in the Constitution, thus he holds office during the pleasure of the President.
Solicitor General of India and Additional Solicitor General of India assist the AG in fulfillment of the official responsibilities.
He appear on behalf of the GoI in all cases in the Supreme Court or in any case in any High Court in which the GoI is concerned.
He has the right to speak and to take part in the proceedings of both the Houses of Parliament and their joint sitting, but without a right to vote.
He enjoys all the privileges and immunities that are available to a Member of Parliament.
He does not fall in the category of government servants and he is not debarred from private legal practice.

Accelerate Vigyan

Recently, the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), has launched a scheme called Accelerate Vigyan (AV) to strengthen scientific research mechanisms in the country.
It aims to expand the research base, with three broad goals i.e.

An Inter-Ministerial Overseeing Committee (IMOC) involving all the scientific ministries/departments has been constituted for the purpose of supporting SERB in implementing the AV scheme.

Components of Accelerate Vigyan

ABHYAAS Programme - It is an attempt to boost research and development by enabling and grooming potential PG/PhD students by means of developing their research skills in selected areas across different disciplines or fields.
It has two components - High-End Workshops i.e. KARYASHALA and Research Internships i.e. VRITIKA.
SAYONJIKA is an open-ended program to catalogue the capacity building activities in science and technology supported by all government funding agencies in the country.
SANGOSHTI is a pre-existing program of SERB for the organization of workshops.

Science and Engineering Research Board

It is a statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology established by an Act of the Parliament of India in 2009.
It is chaired by the Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Science and Technology and has other senior government officials and eminent scientists as members.
It was set up for promoting basic research in science and engineering and to provide financial assistance to scientists, academic institutions, Research and Development laboratories, industrial concerns and other agencies for such research.

G4 Virus

Recently, scientists have identified a “newly emerged” strain of influenza virus that is infecting Chinese pigs and that has the potential of triggering a pandemic.
Named G4, scientists believe that it has descended from the H1N1 strain that was responsible for the 2009 swine flu pandemic.
A Pandemic happens if a new strain emerges that can easily spread from person to person.
It has the capability of binding to human-type receptors (like, the SARS-CoV-2 virus).
However, it is not clear whether the new strain can transmit from one human to another.

H1N1 Pandemic

Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs, caused by a strain of H1N1 virus, which was transmitted from human to human.
It was known in the past to occur in people who had been in the vicinity of pigs.
While humans typically do not get infected by such a virus that circulates among pigs, when they do, it is called “variant influenza virus”.
The virus is transmitted by short-distance airborne transmission, particularly in crowded enclosed spaces.
The treatment includes antiviral therapy with medicines like Oseltamivir (Tamiflu), peramivir (Rapivab).

Pinaka Ammunition

The Pinaka weapon system is an all-weather, indirect fire, free flight artillery rocket system.
It consists of Multi Barrel Rocket launcher, Battery Command Post, Loader cum Replenishment Vehicle, Replenishment Vehicle and Digi Cora MET Radar.
It is developed by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

Astra Missiles

Astra missiles are Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile.
It is designed to be mounted on a fighter aircraft and is also designed to engage and destroy highly manoeuvring supersonic aircraft.
It has a range of over 70 km and can fly towards its target at a speed of over 5,555 km per hour.
The missile has all-weather day and night capability.
The missile has been indigenously developed by DRDO, along with almost 50 other public and private organizations.

Source: PIB, the Hindu, New on AIR, Indian Express

UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 03-07-2020