Today in History ( January 3rd,2002)
Death of Professor Satish Dhawan
Professor Satish Dhawan, a prominent Indian rocket scientist, died on January 3, 2002. He was the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in 1972.
Let’s Revise
Q.1) Which country has halt the transit of Russian gas to Europe?
A) Georgia
B) Bulgaria
C) Spain
D) France
Answer: B)
Explanation: Ukraine’s Energy Minister stated that the halt was for national security purposes.
Q.2) What did Ukraine’s Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko say about Russia’s future financial losses?
A) Russia will gain more markets
B) Russia is losing markets and will incur financial losses
C) Russia will earn billions in profits
D) Ukraine will face financial losses
Answer: B)
Explanation: Halushchenko said the halt was a historic event that would result in financial losses for Russia.
Q.3) What was the main reason for the halt in the gas flow according to Gazprom’s statement?
A) Technical problems in Europe
B) Ukraine’s refusal to extend the pre-war transit deal
C) Sudden increase in gas demand
D) Sabotage of pipelines
Answer: B)
Explanation: Gazprom stated it could not send gas due to Ukraine’s decision not to extend the deal.
Summary of Today’s News
Linking the Voter Card with AADHAAR Card and Politics in Delhi
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have accused each other of manipulating the Delhi electoral rolls ahead of the February Assembly elections. The Congress had previously accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of arbitrarily altering voter rolls before the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Key Points:
• S.Y. Quraishi: Linking Aadhaar with voter IDs was intended to eliminate duplicate voter IDs. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) was created to address this issue.
• R.S. Sharma: Aadhaar assigns a unique identity number and provides real-time authentication, which can help ensure one voter ID per person and prevent proxy voting. However, Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship.
• Security Concerns: Both Quraishi and Sharma argue that linking Aadhaar with voter IDs does not compromise privacy or security, as the information involved is already public or optional.
• Right to Privacy: Sharma believes linking Aadhaar with voter IDs does not affect the right to privacy, while Quraishi raises concerns about potential misuse of telephone numbers.
• National Electoral Roll Purification and Authentication Programme: Issues of missing voters persist due to various reasons, including human error and administrative mischief.
• Transparency: While linking Aadhaar with voter IDs can help eliminate duplicate votes, it cannot address all issues related to voter fraud, which also involve human integrity and impartiality.
Incineration of Bhopal waste will not cause harm: M.P. CM
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav assured that the incineration of 337 tonnes of toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal would not harm the environment.
• The waste, containing 60% soil and 40% naphthalene and other chemicals, was transported to Pithampur for disposal at an incineration facility. Yadav emphasized that the disposal would follow scientific methods, adhering to court directions, and would involve consultations with various experts.
• He stated that naphthalene’s impact would have dissipated after 40 years, alleviating concerns. The government previously conducted a trial incineration in 2015, showing no environmental harm. Yadav also accused the Congress party of politicizing the issue.
• The waste was transported in spill-free containers with tight security.
