Today in History (May 8^th, 1758)

On 8th of May in 1758 the Maratha Empire captured Peshawar from the Durrani Empire in the Battle of Peshawar.

Let’s revise

A) Find correct statement about Rafah

1. It is a city in Syria
2. It is a city in the north of Gaza
3. It is a city in the south of Gaza
4. It is an independent country

Ans. (c)

B) The recent war between Israel and Hamas was started in___

1. January 2024
2. January 2023
3. October 2023
4. February 2024

Ans. (c)

C) Who is the current Lt. Governor of NCT of Delhi?

1. V.K. Saxena
2. Sanjay Singh
3. Gopal Rai
4. None of the above

Ans. (a)

D) Who is the current speaker of Delhi legislative assembly?

1. Sanjay Singh
2. Gopal Rai
3. Ram Niwas Goel
4. V.K. Saxena

Ans. (c)

E) Which pair of Union Territories in India has legislative assembly?

1. Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry
2. Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli
3. Andman & Nicobar Island, Dadra and Nagar Haveli
4. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Andaman & Nicobar Island

Ans. (a)

F) It is the body responsible for selecting athletes to represent India & managing the Indian teams at the Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and other international athletic meets.

1. Ministry of Youth Affairs
2. Indian Olympic Association
3. Secretary of Ministry of Youth Affairs
4. The Prime Minister Office

Ans. (b)

G) Current President of Indian Olympic Association is_______

1. Bajrang Punia
2. Sakshi Malik
3. P.T. Usha
4. Yogeshwar Datta

Ans. (c)
H) ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), also known as ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), is a______

1. Shia Group known for democratic movements in the middle east
2. Sunni Group and notorious for brutalities and terrorism
3. A political Party in Pakistan for religious reforms
4. A not for profit organisation to promote women empowerment

Ans. (b)

I) Who was the founder of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria)?

1. Abu Omar al-Baghdadi in 2004
2. Osama Bin laden
3. Abu Bakr
4. Mohammed al-Houthi

Ans. (a)

Summary of Today’s News

SC postponed order on bail plea of Kejriwal

The Supreme Court deferred the order on bail plea of Kejriwal. Kejriwal plead for bail on the ground of Lok Sabha election campaign. However the ED objected against this plea and said that bail for a “criminal” politician to canvas votes was hardly a fundamental right. There was no result after day-long hearing.
A Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta asked to tentatively list the case on May 9. Because the next week would be a tight squeeze due to the rush of the last week, as the court will be closed for a nearly two-month-long summer holiday.

The tanks of Israeli forces in Rafah

Although the talks are undergoing for truce between Israel and Hamas and there are warnings from the close allies of Israel. The UN has also warned Israel by raising concerns for civilian population on the brink of famine. Palestinian people has started movement from Rafah to other safer places.
However Hams has informed that it has accepted the proposal from Qatar and Egypt for cease-fire but Israel said that its core demands have not been accepted.

The plastic pollution a global problem

The Global Plastics Treaty to eliminate the use of plastics concluded its fourth round of negotiations recently. It was an ambitious initiative of at least 175 United Nations member nations. The goal is to fix a timeline to end the plastic probably 2040. The plan is to reach this conclusion by the end of 2024.
African, European and some other countries are ready to fix this timeline till 2040. But countries like India, China, and some developing nations etc. are not of the mind to make it binding in near future.
Here also comes the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities.” This principle says that the whole world is responsible for plastic pollution but some advances countries should pay the more as they had done the destruction more than any other nations.
The plastic treaty was mooted in 2022 and India itself banned around 19 types of plastics but still there are practical problems all over the world and which need to be solved. The global distribution of the plastic pollution is unequal with Brazil, China, India and the U.S. responsible for 60% of plastic waste, according to a report by the non-profit EA Earth Action. Hence only signing the treaties is not going to solve the problem of plastic pollution.
Much like how transitioning away from fossil fuel invites its own challenges, plastic pollution cannot be ended by merely signing treaties. There needs to be much greater investment in alternative products and making them affordable before realistic targets are decided upon.

The liberalisation of Indian Legal Industry

In 1991, India opened up its economy to global influences. While the legal sector remained somewhat shielded, globalization has now reached it too. The Bar Council of India has accepted this change by allowing foreign lawyers to operate in India within certain limits.
These new rules permit foreign lawyers to engage in corporate and transactional matters but not in litigation. They can participate in international arbitrations held in India. This is a significant shift from the previous system, where foreign lawyers had limited access.
The move is expected to bring long-term benefits like increased access to legal markets abroad for Indian lawyers, more competition leading to better quality services, and job opportunities. However, there are risks, like regulatory differences and competition from well-established foreign firms.
The Bar Council of India is aware of these challenges and is engaging in dialogue with stakeholders. The careful approach suggests optimism for the future of the Indian legal industry under globalization.