Current Affairs: 5 & 6 July 2011

Dree festival in Arunachal Pradesh

• Dree Festival: The chief festival of the Apatani community in Arunachal Pradesh
  
• Dree being celebrated in the state with conventional passion
  
• Few rites are performed to worship and appease Gods and Goddesses, who protect the crops, and ensure well-being
  
• In every village, after observing Dree, 7 days taboo period is strictly observed
  
• During this 7 days period, people are not allowed to work in the field or garden nor they can bring green vegetables and fire woods as it is supposed that if the adherence of these taboos is violated the performance at the time of festival may not be successful
  

India, Netherlands to intensify efforts to augment trade, economic ties

• India and Netherlands to intensify efforts to augment trade and economic ties, which stands at over € 5 Billion at present
  
• Decision taken after the External Affairs Minister Mr. S.M.Krishna held extensive talks with his Dutch counterpart Professor Rosenthal in New Delhi
  
• Netherlands, a founding member of EU and NATO is one of the most developed countries and the 16th largest economy globally
  
• Both leaders also held talks on wide range of bilateral, regional and international issues
  
• SBI to open a branch in Netherlands
  
• India to set up an Indian Cultural Centre in Netherlands in the near future
  
• Professor Rosenthal expressed Netherlands’ support for India’s permanent membership in an expanded UN Security Council
  

$ 200 million Loan extended to Kerala by the World Bank

• $ 200 million Loan to Kerala by WB (World Bank)
  

Objective:–

• To assist Kerala improve its basic infrastructure facilities in urban and rural areas
  
• To help the state usher in second-generation reforms towards greater decentralisation at the local level
  
• Around 978 gram panchayats and 60 municipalities in Kerala to benefit from the Project
  
  

EU combat group formed by France, Germany and Poland

• France, Germany and Poland joined forces to form a joint European Union combat group
  
• Agreement signed in Brussels, 4 days after Poland assumed the rotating EU presidency
  
• EU maintains a rotation of rapid reaction forces, known as Battle Groups, to be positioned in cases of emergency, though they have not yet been called into action
  
• The new unit will be known as the Weimar Triangle Combat Group
  
• Weimer Triangle Combat Group to become available in 2013
  
• Poland will command the group
  
• Poland will provide a majority of the 1,700 soldiers
  
• Germany will provide logistical support
  
• France will contribute medical support
  
• Operational command of the unit to be located near Paris, in Mount Valerien, France
  

   

Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Kisan Sandesh Padyatra’

• Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi‘s ‘Kisan Sandesh Padyatra’
  
• Mr. Rahul Gandhi began his ‘Kisan Sandesh Yatra’ from Bhatta Parsaul area
  
• Bhatta Parsaul has become the nerve centre of the farmers’ movement in the state and has ignited a debate on U.P’s land acquisition policy
  
• Rahul Gandhi visiting villages in U.P. and holding small meetings with villagers on the farmers issue including the land acquisition policy of the U.P Government
  
• As per Mr. Gandhi he wants to understand the farmers’ views on the development issues
  
• Rahul Gandhi will continue his Padyatra up to Aligarh where the Congress is organizing a Kisan Mahapanchayat on the 9^th July
  2011 on the land acquisition and other agrarian and developmental issues
  

Arming of Tribals Unconstitutional: SC

• Supreme Court criticized the Practice of deploying Vigilante Groups like ‘SALWA JUDUM’ in the fight against Maoist
  
• Supreme Court asked the Central Government and Chhattisgarh Governments to discontinue from arming the Tribals in the name of SPOs (SPECIAL POLICE OFFICERs)
  
• Supreme Court held that these SPOs were
  UNCONSTITUTIONAL
  
• The Apex court criticized the Governments for supporting and funding creation of SPOs under various titles like ‘Koya Commandos’ and ‘Salwa Judum’
  

Country pays tribute to Babu Jagjivan Ram

• Rich tributes to the former Deputy Prime Minister of India and one of the founding fathers of the Indian Constitution, Babu Jagjivan Ram on his 25^th death anniversary
  
• Popularly known as Babuji
  
• A man of diverse talents Babuji ascended from a modest beginning to become a cabinet minister and later the Deputy Prime Minister of the country
  
• During his tenure as Agriculture Minister, the country saw the Green Revolution
  
• He had an uninterrupted parliamentary career of half a century, which is a world record
  

NHRC issues Notices to states, Ministries for banning use of Asbestos

• NHRC (National Human Rights Commission) issued notices to all states and several Union Ministries on banning the use of white asbestos
  
• It asked them to file a status report on it within 4 weeks
  
• Reason for Action: NHRC took into consideration a complaint alleging that around 50,000 people die every year in the country due to asbestos related cancer
  
• The complainant Gopal Krishna of Toxics Watch Alliance sought NHRC’s intervention for a ban on the use of White asbestos, which is dangerous for the health and causes a variety of deadly diseases
  
• The appellant also requested for grant of compensation package for present and future victims of asbestos related diseases
  
• Some facts about White Asbestos:-
  
• White asbestos: A Chrysotile Asbestos , a fibrous material used for building roofs and walls
  
• Chrysotile is the most common form of Asbestos
  
• Chrysotile / White Asbestos has been recommended for inclusion in the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent
  
• If listed in Rotterdam Convention, exports of Chrysotile would only be permitted to countries that explicitly consent to imports
  
• Rotterdam Convention: It is an international treaty that restricts the global trade in hazardous materials
  

78 Gold
at Special Olympics World Summer Games for India

• Team representing India won 243 Medals for the Country at the Special Olympics World Summer Games held in Athens
  
• The medals include 78 Gold, 73 Silver and 92 Bronze
  
• The team returned from Athens today
  
• Rollers Skating bagged the maximum 31 Gold
  

Actor Aamir Khan appointed as the Brand Ambassador for India’s Ministry of Women and Child Development

• Mr. Aamir Khan has been appointed as the Brand Ambassador for India’s Ministry of Women and Child Development for spreading the message of curbing malnutrition among children
  

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Month: Current Affairs - July, 2011