WHY IN THE NEWS?

• A 19-year old Pakistani climber Shehroze Kashif became the youngest person in the world to reach the summit of K2, the second-highest peak in the world.
• Shehroze Kashif from Lahore achieved the feat of scaling the 8,611-metre high peak with the aid of bottled oxygen.
• Before Kashif, Sajid Sadpara, the son of the legendary climber Muhammad Ali Sadpara, was the youngest person to have climbed K2 at the age of 20.
• Kashif also scaled the world’s 12th-highest mountain, the 8,047-meter Broad Peak, at the age of 17. In May this year, he became the youngest Pakistani to scale Mount Everest.
• Pakistan, Nepal, and China are home to the 14 highest peaks in the world, also known as the 8,000ers. Five 8,000-metre peaks, including K2 and Nanga Parbat, are in Pakistan.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• Supreme Court of India on August 3, 2021, held that the Governor of state can pardon prisoners, including in the death sentence cases. Governor can pardon the prisoners even before they have completed a minimum of 14 years of a prison sentence.
• Court also said that the Governor’s power to pardon overrides a provision given under Section 433A of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
• Section 433A mandates that the sentence of the prisoner can be remitted only after 14 years of jail. The court observed that Section 433-A of the Code cannot and does not affect the constitutional power of the President or Governor to grant pardon under Articles 72 or 161 of the Constitution.
• Such power is in the exercise of the power of the sovereign. However, Governor will have to act on the aid and advice of the State Government.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• Padma Shri awardee and noted author Padma Sachdev, the first modern woman poet of Dogri language, passed away. She received the Padma Shri, the country’s fourth-highest civilian award, in 2001 and was awarded the Kabir Samman for poetry for 2007-08 by the Madhya Pradesh government.
• She authored many books in Dogri and Hindi, and her poetry collections, including ‘Meri Kavita Mere Geet’, won her the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1971. 

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• Indian wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya bagged the silver medal after losing in the final of men’s 57kg freestyle category to Russian Olympic Committee’s (ROC) Zavur Uguev.
• This is India’s fifth medal at the Tokyo Olympics and the second silver of the campaign.
• Ravi Kumar is the fifth Indian wrestler after KD Jadhav, Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, and Sakshi Malik to finish on the Olympic podium.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• Indian men’s hockey team defeated Germany to win their first-ever Olympic medal in 41 years. India wins the bronze medal in men’s hockey after beating Germany 5-4 at Tokyo Olympics.
• Before this podium finish for bronze, India last climbed up the Olympic podium in 1980, when it won its 8th gold at the Games.
• Simranjeet Singh scored two goals for India at the Oi Hockey Stadium, along with Hardik Singh, Harmanpreet Singh and Rupinder Pal Singh also adding their names on the scoresheet.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• The Indian Econometric Society (TIES) Trust has selected two renowned economic scholars for the Prof. C.R. Rao Centenary Gold Medal award. Renowned economists Jagdish Bhagwati and C Rangarajan have been conferred with the inaugural Prof CR Rao Centenary Gold Medal (CGM).
• Bhagwati is a professor of economics, law and international relations at Columbia University while C Rangarajan is the former chairman of the Economic Advisory Council of the Prime Minister and former governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
• TIES Trust had constituted a jury to shortlist the awardees. Based on the jury’s recommendations, it announced that inaugural award to two distinguished scholars. The medal is presented once in two years to an Indian or Indian-origin scholar for lifetime contributions to the fields of theoretical and applied aspects of quantitative economics and official statistics.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• Indian Naval Ship Khanjar becomes the first Indian Navy ship to call at the heritage coastal port of Gopalpur in Odisha. The two-day visit was organised as part of Aazadi ka Amrit Mahotsav as well as Swarnim Vijay Varsh celebrations to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Independence and the 50th anniversary of the 1971 War.
• The visit of the ship was aimed at enhancing ties and spreading awareness with the local populace on aspects of coastal security and maritime operations. During the visit, ship’s officers interacted with Port Officials and discussed aspects related to berthing facilities for OTR of Naval ships and security overview of port infrastructure.
• The ship’s team also undertook a cleanup drive at Gopalpur beach and tree plantation in the port premises. In addition, books and dry provisions were distributed to Samarth Orthopedically Handicapped Welfare Association, at Chatrapur in Ganjam district.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of 1,023 fast track special courts, including 389 exclusive POCSO courts, as a centrally sponsored scheme for another two years.
• Union minister Anurag Thakur said out of 31 states and union territories, 28 have started the scheme. West Bengal is one of the states which has not started the scheme.
• The scheme would continue from April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2023, with an outlay of Rs 1572.86 crore — Rs 971.70 crore as central share and Rs 601.16 crore as state share. The central share is to be funded from the ‘Nirbhaya’ Fund. The scheme was launched on October 2, 2019.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Recently, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed and completed blacktopping the world’s highest motorable road at Umling La pass in Eastern Ladakh, located at an altitude of 19,300 ft.

About the Road:

• By constructing this road, BRO has created a record in high-altitude road construction.
  • It bettered the previous record of a road in Bolivia connecting to its volcano Uturuncu at 18,953 ft.
• The strategic road built under ‘Project Himank’ passes through the Umling La Top and connects Chisumle and Demchok villages.
• It will enhance the socio-economic condition and promote tourism in Ladakh.
• The road is close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and will allow quick movement of troops and equipment.

Project Himank:

• Project Himank, is a project of the BRO being implemented in the Ladakh region of Jammu & Kashmir.
• This project started in 1985.
• Under this project, BRO is responsible for the construction and maintenance of roads and related infrastructure including the world’s highest motorable roads.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

In recent years, a lot of efforts have been put by conservationists to save the world’s most endangered turtle, Swinhoe’s softshell turtle from the brink of extinction.

• The animal is also known as the Hoan Kiem turtle or Yangtze giant softshell turtle.
• In Vietnam, these animals have great cultural significance as people in Hanoi revere this creature as a living god.

About:

Scientific Name: Rafetus swinhoei

• These turtles are grey with light grey or yellow spots.

Significance:

• Some researchers have highlighted their importance to the seafloor biosystem, where they contribute by enriching soil nutrients and facilitating seed dispersion.

Habitat:

• The natural habitat for these turtles are wetlands and large lakes.
• Native to China and Vietnam.

Protection Status:

• IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
• CITES: Appendix II

Threats:

• They have been driven to the brink by hunting for their meat and eggs, as well as by the destruction of their habitat.