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1 . SC to list review petitions today
Important Articles
- The article relates to Sabarimala issue
- Focus should be on Review petition, the concept is explained below
- Supreme court has the power to review its own judgement. The powers of the Supreme Court to review its own judgements are elaborated in the article 137 of the Constitution of India. This has to be read with the provisions of any law made by Parliament or any rule made under article 145 of the constitution
- Under Supreme Court Rules, 1966 such a petition needs to be filed within 30 days from the date of judgement or order
- The petition or appeal goes before the same bench who had delivered the initial judgment.
- Generally the review petition is filed under very limited grounds, such as an error apparent on the face of record.
- Review Petition is not an appeal
2 . Modi steps in as CBI begins to probe its own leadership
- Complete details about the History, Functions and power of CBI can be found under the following links
- History and Background
- Powers and Privileges
3. Where Ganga meets the Bay of Pollution
Important Points
- Number of pilgrims descending on the Sagar Island to take a dip at the place where the Ganga meets the Bay of Bengal, has risen from 2 lakh in 1990 to 20 lakh in 2018
- Diseases like cholera, dysentery, and skin disease were predominant in the post-Ganga Sagar Mela period
- Deterioration in water quality parameters
- Solution : – 1) Wastewater treatment plant be set up 2) Need to make the mela plastic-free to prevent plastics from clogging the ocean
- About Sagar Island – Sagar is the biggest island of the Sunderbans archipelago. It is situated in West Bengal. Several studies have shown that the island is at the frontline of climate change, facing serious erosion on its east and west sides due to rising sea level and tidal surges.
4. ‘Blood vessels may be 3D printed in future’
Important Points
- Scientists have developed a 3D printing technique that can recreate the complex geometry of blood vessels, and could one day be used to produce artificial arteries and organ tissues
- Click here to know about 3 d Printing
5 . Direct tax base widens sharply over 4 years, compliance rises
Important Points
- The direct tax base has significantly widened in the last few years, according to new back series data released by the government
- The data showed a growth of more than 80% in the number of returns filed in the last four financial years
- The number of persons filing income tax returns also increased
- Reasons – 1) The effect of demonetisation 2) The increase in the use of information being collected digitally and being used by the tax department 3) The movement towards digital assessment and decrease in the number of cases being picked up for scrutiny 4) The ease of getting refund, majorly by small and medium taxpayers
6 . Panel for adopting UN model on cross-border insolvency
- Topic comprehensively covered under the PIB Analysis click here
7 . ‘In urban U.P., 87% of waste from toilets goes to rivers, farmlands’
Important Points
- Inefficient sanitation systems ensure that almost 87% of the excreta being generated by these toilets is being dumped in water bodies or agricultural lands, according to a new analysis of 30 cities by the Centre for Science and Environment
- Building more toilets will only worsen the environmental, sanitation and manual scavenging situation, unless sewerage connections are improved
- Manual Scavenging – Without a sewerage system, the effluent from the septic tank, along with greywater from the kitchen and bathroom flows out into stormwater drains and open drains or nullahs. The faecal sludge, on the other hand, has to be periodically emptied from the septic tank, either manually or mechanically using vacuum trucks or tankers.
- As there is no designated site for disposal, the emptied faecal sludge ends up in open drains/nullahs/open fields, which eventually lead to polluting the Ganga and other rivers and surface water bodies
- Summary – With building more toilets the focus should also be given for building appropriate drainage system.
8. What is the artificial moon planned in China? – Indian Express
Important Points
- In a bid to replace streetlamps and reduce electricity costs in urban areas of the country, China is planning to launch its own ‘artificial moon’ by 2020,
- ‘Illumination satellites’ are being developed in Chengdu, a city in southwestern Sichuan province, which will be placed one in front of the other.
- The satellites will shine from the light of the real Moon but will be eight times brighter
- The man-made moons could replace streetlamps in urban areas, which would save electricity costs for Chengdu, if the man-made moons illuminate.
- The light can also be helpful in disaster zones during blackouts
- China is not the first country which is trying to make artificial lights with the help of Sunlight. In the 1990s, Russian scientists reportedly used giant mirrors to reflect light from space in an experimental project called Znamya or Banner
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