28 MAY 2017 Current Affairs from The Hindu
Kunal Kumar, Published On:28-May-2017
CURrENT AFFAIRS: 28.05.2017
1. A MAN SETS RECORD FOR RTI REPLIES
· Akhand, an Odisha-based activist entered his name in Limca Book of Records for the highest number of replies received from a single organisation on a Right to Information (RTI) application.
· He received 333 replies from Department of Posts in less than three months.
· According to Limca Book of Records, he received 162 replies in February, 157 in March and 14 in April.
· He asked for very valid answers from different Departments like whether Internal Complaint Committees (ICC) has been formed at various divisions of the Department as per the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
RTI ACT, 2005
Ø Right to Information is an act which givesright to the people to get any government information under the control of public authorities, in order to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority.
Ø It extends to the whole India except J&K.
Ø RTI is inherent in our constitution in the form of article 19(1)(a) under Fundamental Rights-freedom of speech and expression.
Ø Every citizen has right to claim information from public authorities.
Ø Public authorities have to provide information within 30 days.
Ø In case of delay in reply, a penalty can be imposed by Central Information Commission or State Information Commission.
Source: The Hindu
2. FORTIFIED FOOD FOR THOUGHT
· Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi is supporting the introduction of packets of fortified, ready-to-serve meals to tackle malnutrition.
· For this a campaign by the NGO Akshaya Patra Foundation named ‘Feed the Future Now’ is launched.
· This campaign aims to serve five billion meals to children across India by 2020.
· This campaign is receiving a huge support of several private companies, including PepsiCo India, Nestle, Reliance Fresh, Facebook etc.
WORLD HUNGER DAY
· It is celebrated on 28th May every year.
· It was launched by The Hunger Project in 2011.
· It’s objective is toraise awareness of chronic hunger and celebrate the achievements of millions of people who are already taking actions to end their own hunger.
· In the world, around 795 million people do not have enough food to eat.
· 60% of the world’s hungry are women.
· 98% of the world’s undernourished live in developing countries.
· Hunger kills more people than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.
Source: The Hindu
3. INDIA GIVES $500 MN AID TO MAURITIUS
· Two countries decided to firm up cooperation in the field of maritime security in Indian Ocean region by signing a maritime security agreement.
· The operational life of theCoast Guard ship Guardian, that was given to Mauritius by India under a grant assistance programme is also extended.
· Other three agreements which were signed are
(i) Setting up of a civil services college in Mauritius.
(ii) On cooperation in ocean research.
(iii) US dollar Credit Line Agreement between the SBM Mauritius Infrastructure Development Company and Export-Import Bank of India.
· Both countries also decided to ramp up cooperation in other areas too like trade and investment.
MAURITIUS
Ø It is an Indian Ocean Island nation.
Ø Its capital is Port Louis.
Ø Mauritius is the most densely populated country in Africa.
Ø Among all the developing countries, Mauritius has the highest life expectancy at 73 years.
Ø National animal :Dodo
Ø It doesn’t maintain a standing army.
Source: The Hindu
4. INDIAN RESEARCHERS DEVELOP 3D BIOPRINTED CARTILAGE
· A team lead by Prof.Sourabh Ghosh from Department of Textile Technology (IIT) Delhi has been successful in 3D bioprinting of cartilage using a bioink.
· The chemical composition of the bioinksupports cell growth and long-term survival of the cells.
· This is the first time in India that a 3D bioprinted tissue has been developed in a lab.
· The results of the study were published in the journal Bioprinting.
· Next step would be to implant this 3D bioprinted cartilage into the knee joints of animals to see if it remains stable in the knee joint and is able to integrate with the surrounding cartilage tissue.
Source: The Hindu
5. CENTRE CONFIRMS 3 ZIKA CASES IN GUJARAT
· The Union Health Ministry has confirmed that three cases of Zika were reported from Ahmedabad in January.
· The information was made public now as the World Health Organization (WHO) has now published a ‘member state report’ on its website.
· The Zika virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also transmits dengue and chikungunya.
· An Inter-Ministerial Task Force has been set up under the chairmanship of Health Secretary and a Joint Monitoring Group is reviewing the global situation on Zika.
ZIKA VIRUS
Ø It can cause birth defects
Ø Symptoms of Zika Virus Infection are usually mild.
Ø Zika began first time in Africa and then spread rapidly.
Ø Research is underway for a Zika Vaccine.
Source: The Hindu
QUESTIONS BASED ON
CURRENT AFFAIRS: 28.05.2017
1. IN WHICH YEAR RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT CAME INTO FORCE IN INDIA?
(a) 2003
(b) 2005
(c) 2007
(d) 2009
2. World hunger day is celebrated ON which date?
(a) 28th May
(b) 28th June
(c) 27th April
(d) 27th March
3. What is the capital of Mauritius?
(a) Port Louis
(b) Tamarin
(c) Goodlands
(d) Curepipe
4. Indian researchers develop 3D bioprinted cartilage. The results of the study were published in which journal?
(a) Molecular cell
(b) Bioinformatics
(c) Cellular biology
(d) Bioprinting
5. Zika virus is transmitted through the bite of which mosquito?
(a) Anopheles
(b) Coquillettidia
(c) Aedes aegypti
(d) Culex
ANSWERS
1. (b)
2. (a)
3. (a)
4. (d)
5. (c)