19.05.2007

• ALL THE BEST TO YOU IN YOUR PRELIMS EXAM TOMORROW
  

• Retinoblastoma week:
• This is a childhood cancer which occurs in children below 4 years. It is a genetic disorder and might be caused by abnormal genes of caused by mutation of a particular gene in the child.
• Retinoblastoma Week is being observed from May 13 to 19.
• Military World Games
• They will be held in October in Hyderabad from October 14 to 17.
• Brig. Gen. Dr. Gianni Gola of Italy, is the president of the CISM, which is a French acronym for the International Military Sports Council, the body that decides where the Games will be held.
• The first games were held in Rome in 1995, the second in Zagreb in 1999 and the third in Catania (Italy) in 2003.
• Competitions will be held in 15 disciplines out of which two — sailing and triathlon — will be held in Goa. The other 13 events will be held in Hyderabad.
• About 6,000 participants are expected to arrive for the meet.
• Ragging
• It was banned in 2001.
• 6 states have enacted anti-ragging laws.
• Why ragging is in news now is that the Supreme Court has ruled tough measures for curbing the menace while virtually accepting the recommendations of the committee headed by R.K. Raghavan, former Director of CBI.
• A couple of points worth noting about that committee’s recommendations:
• Setting up anti-ragging squads, anti-ragging committees, mentoring cells, and monitoring cells at the levels of institutions, the district, the State and the Centre.
• To make ragging a specific under the Indian Penal Code and to amend the Indian Evidence Act to shift the burden of proof from victim to the perpetrator.
• What is McCarthyism?
• McCarthyism is the term describing a period of intense anti-Communist suspicion in the United States that lasted roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s. This period is also referred to as the Second Red Scare, and coincided with increased fears about Communist influence on American institutions and espionage by Soviet agents. Originally coined to criticize the actions of U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy, "McCarthyism" later took on a more general meaning, not necessarily referring to the conduct of Joseph McCarthy alone.
• During this time many thousands of Americans were accused of being Communists or communist sympathizers and became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before government or private-industry panels, committees and agencies. The primary targets of such suspicions were government employees, those in the entertainment industry, educators and union activists. Suspicions were often given credence despite inconclusive or questionable evidence, and the level of threat posed by a person's real or supposed leftist associations or beliefs was often greatly exaggerated. Many people suffered loss of employment, destruction of their careers, and even imprisonment. Most of these punishments came about through trial verdicts later overturned, laws that would be declared unconstitutional, dismissals for reasons later declared illegal or actionable, or extra-legal procedures that would come into general disrepute.
• India’s new Cabinet Secretary
• K.M. Chandrasekhar, the IAS officer of 1970 batch from Kerala, who is currently the Revenue Secretary in the Union Finance Ministry is the new Cabinet Secretary. He will have a tenure of 2 years and will take charge on June 14, 2007.
• Paul Wolfowitz loses his job as President of World Bank
• World Bank annually channels about $22 bn in loans and grants to poor countries.
• Why did he lose the job?
• In June 2005, when he took over as President of the Bank, one Ms. Shaha Riza (an employee of the Bank and friend of Mr. Paul Wolfowitz) was moved to the state department to avoid a conflict of interest, but stayed on the Bank’s payroll.
• The Bank’s ethics panel concluded that she received salary increases at Wolfowitz’s direction that were higher than allowed under the Bank rules.
• Snooker – Rexello Castors Islam Gymkhana Open tournament
• Yasin Merchant retained the title beating Ashok Shandilya
• World’s cardiac patients
• 60% of them likely to be Indian by 2010.
• Sir Creek dispute with Pakistan – maps exchanged by India and Pakistan
• Detailed mapping of the 65 mile marshy strip was carried out by both the countries and maps exchanged.
• The dispute has been over the demarcation of the creek with India saying that the boundary should start from middle of the estuary while Pakistan has been saying that the demarcation should start on the south-east bank.
• The two countries have till 2009 to notify the maritime economic zone to the UN Convention on Law of the Sea.
• President of the European Union Commission
• Jose Manuel Barroso
• Mobile phone users of the world
• Do you know that there are about 3 bn mobile users in the world?
• That’s about 50% of the total population!!!
• Passport scam
• There are about 40 mn passports issued in the country and about 10 to 12 mn are being added every year.
• With the recent scam in human trafficking coming to light, this is an important figure that you can keep a tab on.