Daily Current Affairs : 18/1/2019

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CSE

Topics Covered

  1. Jallikattu
  2. Global Risk Report
  3. Facts for Prelims
  4. Lokpal (Covered under earlier Daily Current Affairs)

1 . Jallikattu

What is Jallikattu?

  • It is a traditional bull-taming sport organised in Tamil Nadu during Pongal. Also known as Eruthazhuvuthal or Manju virattu, the sport involves a natively reared stud that is set free inside an arena filled with young participants.
  • The challenge lies in taming the bull with bare hands. Ideally, participants try to grab the bull by its horns or tail and wrestle it into submission. A few also tend to latch on to the bull by clinging to the hump at the back of its neck. The participants are usually young men in their 20s
  • The practice dates back to as far as 2000 years ago, according to a few historical accounts. It mainly was active in the districts of Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Theni, Pudukkottai and Dindigul of Tamil Nadu until its ban in 2011. Organisers of the event argue that it is closely associated with village life and the bulls are specially reared for this purpose. Breeders often claim they treat the bulls like their own children and spend large sums of money towards their upkeep. Many participants, however, are either fatally gored, trampled or mauled by the bull.

What is the controversy surrounding Jallikattu?

  • In 2011, during the UPA rule, the Environment Ministry added bulls to its 1991 notification banning the training and exhibition of bears, monkeys, tigers, panthers and dogs.
  • The notification was challenged in the Supreme Court and was upheld in 2014. Under the NDA government, the ministry in 2016 modified its earlier notification and declared that the sport could continue despite the existing ban.
  • This was in direct contravention with the apex court order, and was duly challenged by animal welfare organisation such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

How it is still continued

  • Due to these protests, on 21 January 2017, the governor of Tamil Nadu issued a new ordinance that authorized the continuation of jallikattu events
  • Tamil Nadu legislature passed a bipartisan bill, with the accession of the Prime Minister, exempting jallikattu from the Prevention of Cruelity to Animals Act (1960).

2. Global Risk Report

About Global Risk Report

  • The Global Risks Report is an annual study published by the World Economic Forum 
  • Based on the work of the Global Risk Network, the report describes changes occurring in the global risks landscape from year to year and identifies global catastrophic risks.
  • The report also explores the interconnectedness of risks, and considers how the strategies for the mitigation of global risks might be structured.

About 2019 Report

Top 5 Risks by Likelihood

  1. Extreme weather events (e.g. floods, storms, etc.)
  2. Failure of climate-change mitigation and adaptation
  3. Major natural disasters (e.g. earthquake, tsunami, volcanic eruption, geomagnetic storms)
  4. Massive incident of data fraud/theft
  5. Large-scale cyberattacks

Top 5 Risks by Impact

  1. Weapons of mass destruction
  2. Failure of climate-change mitigation and adaptation
  3. Extreme weather events (e.g. floods, storms, etc.)
  4. Water crises
  5. Major natural disasters (e.g. earthquake, tsunami, volcanic eruption, geomagnetic storms)

Top 5 Risk Interconnections

  1. Extreme weather events + failure of climate-change mitigation and adaptation
  2. Large-scale cyberattacks + breakdown of critical information infrastructure and networks
  3. High structural unemployment or underemployment + adverse consequences of technological advances
  4. High structural unemployment or underemployment + profound social instability
  5. Massive incident of data fraud/theft + large-scale cyberattacks
  6. Failure of regional or global governance + interstate conflict with regional consequences

Top 5 Trends

  1. Changing climate
  2. Rising cyber dependency
  3. Increasing polarization of societies
  4. Rising income and wealth disparity
  5. Increasing national sentiment

3 . Facts for Prelims

  • National Museum of Indian Cinema : Gulshan Mahal in Mumbai

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