UPSC QUIZ 9.04.2024

Explanation:

• Recently a group of universities have written a joint note urging the International Criminal Court (ICC) to step in to deal with Environmental degradation linked with Human Rights.
• According to the University of Oxford, human activities leading to severe environmental harm usually also violate human rights and thus qualify as a crime against humanity such as genocide.
• This perspective emphasizes the need for a rights-based approach, recognizing the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment (R2hE) as pivotal.

Explanation:

• Supreme Court expanded the scope of Articles 14 and 21 to include the "right against the adverse effects of climate change".
• A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud granted power to the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) This important decision was given during the hearing of the petition to save the people from losing their place of residence due to transmission lines.
• According to the Supreme Court, an individual's right "against the adverse effects" of climate change is part of the fundamental right to life and equality.

Supreme Court arguments

• According to the Supreme Court, Article 48 (a) of the Constitution provides that the State shall endeavor to protect, improve the environment and protect the forests and wildlife of the country.
• Under the fundamental duty, clause (G) of Article 51(a) also provides that it is the duty of every citizen of India to protect the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, wildlife, improve it and have compassion towards living beings.

Explanation:

• Kodaikanal Solar Observatory celebrated its 125th birth anniversary.
• Over the years it has played an important role in developing our understanding of solar activity and its effects on Earth's climate and space weather.

Solar observatory

• A solar observatory is an institution dedicated to the observation and study of the Sun.
• These observatories use special telescopes and instruments to observe various phenomena on the Sun's surface, its atmosphere and the surrounding space.
• Necessity: The Sun serves as the main source of energy for life on Earth and changes on its surface or surrounding areas have the potential to greatly affect our Earth's atmosphere.

Explanation:

• National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India Limited (NCDFI) unanimously elected Dr. Meenesh Shah as Chairman in its board elections.
• Anand District Collector, IAS Praveen Chaudhary, who served as the returning officer, conducted the elections.
• Earlier on April 04, NCDFI elected eight directors unopposed on the Board in its General Body meeting.
• Apart from these elected directors, S. Regupathy, executive director of NDDB, is a nominee director on the board of NCDFI.

National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India

• It aims to facilitate the working of dairy cooperatives through coordination, networking, and advocacy.
• It was registered in December 1970. In 1984, it started working as the apex body of the cooperative dairy industry.
• It is governed under the provisions of the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Act, 2023.
• It has 20 regular members, 14 associate members, and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) as its institutional member.

Explanation:

• The year 2024 will celebrate the centenary of the discovery of the electroencephalogram (EEG) by German psychiatrist Hans Berger.
• EEG, a medical test that measures the brain's electrical activity, has become an important tool for understanding the brain and diagnosing neurological disorders.
• In 1924, working almost in solitude and very painstakingly, Hans Berger observed rhythmic electrical activity from the scalps of human subjects in Jena, Germany.
• Recognizing that this activity originated from within the brain, he coined the term “electroencephalogram.”
• It took another decade for the scientific community to accept Berger's work, leading to the birth of the field of electroencephalography.