Today in History (Mar 11^th, 2011)

On this day, a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami struck Japan’s northeastern coast, killing nearly 20,000 people and severely damaging the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power station.

Let’s revise

A) Which of the following country has a democratic government?

1. Afghanistan
2. Saudi Arabia
3. Syria
4. Bharat

Ans. (d)

B) Which of the following country provides maximum rights to its women?

1. Afghanistan
2. Pakistan
3. India
4. Iran

Ans. (c)

C) Afghanistan ruling Taliban has placed severe restrictions against Women like exclusion from public life, secondary education, access to parks, sports, Gyms etc. based on __

1. Shariyat law
2. Constitutional Law
3. Democratic Law
4. None of the above

Ans. (a)

D) United Nations labels as “gender apartheid” the restrictions on women in a country. What is the name of this country?

1. Syria
2. Japan
3. Afghanistan
4. India

Ans. (c)

E) Which is the capital city of Afghanistan?

1. Kabul
2. Islamabad
3. Balkh
4. Tehran

Ans. (a)

F) The Frontier Technology Lab is being funded by____

1. World Bank
2. IMF
3. Asian Development Bank
4. Meta

Ans. (d)

G) Frontier Technology Labs are aiming for_______

1. Skills in modern digital technologies for students
2. Development of Defence technologies
3. Development of agricultural technologies
4. Development of technologies for cultural development

Ans. (a)

Summary of Today’s News

India signs free trade pact with 4 European nations

• These nations are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
• The objective is to achieve $100 billion in investments in India and generate one million jobs within a 15-year timeframe.
• The Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) represent the second comprehensive FTA after India’s agreement with the United Arab Emirates.
• This accord entails substantial tariff reductions, enhanced market access, and streamlined customs procedures.
• The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, distinct from the European Union.
• For the first time, the FTA includes a section addressing commitments to human rights and sustainable development.
• The agreement will take effect upon ratification by the EFTA states, anticipated possibly by the year’s end, in accordance with their parliamentary procedures.

What is European Free Trade Association

• It is an intergovernmental organisation established in 1960 by the Stockholm Convention.
• Objective: Promotes free trade and economic integration between its members within Europe and globally.
• Member Countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
• The members of this organization are all open, competitive economies committed to the progressive liberalisation of trade in the multinational arena as well as in free trade agreements.
• In contrast to the European Union (EU), it is not a customs union.

Differences in Election Commission

• The abrupt and unforeseen departure of Election Commissioner (EC) Arun Goel, just a week before the Lok Sabha election announcement, caught many off guard.
• However, insiders within the election commission have revealed that apparent disagreements surfaced between Mr. Goel and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar during their visit to West Bengal to oversee poll preparations earlier this month.
• Opposition raises questions over resignation of the EC days ahead of announcement of LS polls
• Sources say only some high ranking government officials and CEC knew about the developments
• In the press briefing, the CEC mentioned that Mr. Goel had returned to Delhi due to “health concerns”.
• However, sources close to Mr. Goel have dismissed that and maintained that “he is in the pink of health”

Election Commission of India

• It is mainly a self-governing body.
• The ECI controls supervise and direct the entire process of the election to the legislature, parliament, president, and vice president.
• The EIC was established on 25th January 1950.
• The headquarters of the ECI is in New Delhi.
• The ECI earlier was a one-member body.
• From 16th October 1989, the Election Commissioner of India is a three members body
• In the same year the age of voting was changed from 21 to 18.
• Part XV of the constitution of India deals with the part of the elections.
• The “Article 324 to 329” deals with the eligibility, powers, tenure, and function of the Election Commission and members.

Pritzker Architecture Prize

• Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto has been announced as the recipient of the 2024 Pritzker Architecture Prize.

Key Points About this Prize

• It is the highest international accolade for architects.
• Established in 1979 by Jay A. Pritzker, the prize is funded by the Pritzker family and sponsored by the Hyatt Foundation.
• Japan and the Pritzker: Architects from Japan have secured the highest number of Pritzker prizes.
• The sole Indian laureate is the late Balkrishna Doshi (2018).

Right to Repair Portal

• The Ministry of Consumer Affairs (MCA) has launched the Right to Repair Portal India
• It is to provide consumers the access to repair information for their products and reduce e-waste.
• The Right to Repair Portal India brings together information from different sectors including mobile and electronics, consumer durables, automobiles, and farming equipment.
• It provides consumers with access to product manuals and repair videos, as well as information on the price and warranty of spare parts.
• The portal also allows consumers to submit feedback and suggestions on products and services.
• Role: The website is expected to play a key role in enabling consumers to make informed decisions about the purchase and maintenance of their products, and to promote a circular economy model.