ANSWER: B

ANSWER: C

ANSWER: D

ANSWER: B

• A breach of privilege notice against Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut was referred to the Committee of Privileges for investigation by Rajya Sabha Chairman for his alleged remarks calling the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly a “house of thieves”.

ABOUT PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGE

• Parliamentary privilege refers to rights and immunities enjoyed by Parliament as an institution and MPs in their individual capacity, without which they cannot discharge their functions as entrusted upon them by the Constitution.
• These are defined under article 105 of the constitution.
• Under these privileges, the members of Parliament are exempted from any civil liability (but not criminal liability) for any statement made or act done in the course of their duties.
• No special law has been enacted to exhaustively codify all the privileges. They are rather based on five sources:
  • Constitutional provisions
  • Various laws made by Parliament
  • Rules of both the Houses
  • Parliamentary conventions
  • Judicial interpretations
• These privileges do not extend to the president who is also an integral part of the Parliament.
• A breach of privilege is a violation of any of the privileges of MPs/Parliament.
  • Among other things, any action ‘casting reflections’ on MPs, parliament or its committees; could be considered breach of privilege.
  • This may include publishing of news items, editorials or statements made in newspaper/magazine/TV interviews or in public speeches.

ABOUT COMMITTEE OF PRIVILEGES

• The Committee in
  • Lok sabha consists of 15 members nominated by the Speaker. The Speaker nominates the head of the committee of privileges.
  • Rajya Sabha consists of 10 members nominated by Chairman. The deputy chairperson heads the committee of privileges.
• The committee examines every question involving a breach of privilege of the House or of the members or of any Committee thereof referred to it by the House or by the Speaker/Chairman.
• It also determines with reference to the facts of each case whether a breach of privilege is involved and makes suitable recommendations in its report.
• It states the procedure to be followed by the House in giving effect to its recommendations.

ANSWER: B

• A tigress has given birth to four cubs in the Navegaon Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR).
• Currently, the NNTR has 12 to 17 tigers, as per the recent All India Tiger Estimation report.

ABOUT NAWEGAON NAGZIRA TIGER RESERVE (NNTR):

• It is situated in Gondia and Bhandara districts of Maharashtra.
• It was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1970.
• It was notified as the 46^th Tiger Reserve of India in 2013.
• It comprises Nawegaon National Park, Nawegaon Wildlife Sanctuary, Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary, New Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary and Koka Wildlife Sanctuary.
• It is connected with many surrounding tiger reserves like Pench and Kanha TR (Madhya Pradesh), Tadoba Andhari TR (Maharshtra), Indravati TR (Chhattisgarh).
• Major forest type found in NNTR is Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest which includes dry mixed forests to moist forest type. There are about 364 species of plants.
  • Bamboo occurs in abundance.
• Fauna includes Tiger, Panther, Small Indian Civet, Palm Civet, Wolf, Jackal, Wild Dog, Sloth Bear, Ratel, Common Giant Flying Squirrel, Gaur, Sambar, Chital, Four Horned Antelope, Mouse Deer and Pangolin.

ANSWER: C

• A recent study has revealed that due to climate change and ocean acidification, population of sea butterflies is shrinking.
  • This can impact entire ocean food web.

ABOUT SEA BUTTERFLIES

• Sea butterflies(Thecosomata), are a suborder of sea snails known as shelled pteropods.
• Sea butterflies are
  • The holoplankton, or true plankton, consists of those plants and animals that normally spend most or all of their life cycle solely within the water column.
• They are found in all oceans but are more diverse and abundant in colder waters.
• Sea butterflies have bilateral symmetry and a coiled or uncoiled shell of various shapes and sizes.
• Sea butterflies play a significant role in the global carbon cycle. They incorporate calcium carbonate into their shells through a process known as calcification.
  • Their shell is mostly transparent and very fragile and can be easily dissolved by ocean acidification.
• Sea butterflies are herbivorous organisms that feed primarily on phytoplankton, microscopic plants found in the ocean.
• Sea butterflies are an important food source for various marine organisms, including fish, seabirds, and whales.

ANSWER: D

• May 18^th is recognized as World AIDS Vaccine Day, an occasion that emphasizes the importance of creating a vaccine for the incurable illness.
• This day, also known as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day also pays tribute to the dedicated scientists and researchers who are committed to developing a vaccine to prevent HIV/AIDS.
• It was first observed in 1998.
• According to the WHO, HIV has resulted in the loss of 40.1 million lives thus far.

Note-

• World AIDS Day is designated on 1^st December every year.
• It is an international day observed since 1988 and dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic.

ANSWER: A

• Health Ministry has unveiled the “75/25” initiative and Shashakt Portal, aiming to revolutionize the management and prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in India.
• This ambitious program sets a target of providing Standard Care to 75 million individuals with hypertension and diabetes by 2025.
• The Ministry plans to train 40,000 Primary Health Care Medical Officers on the Standard Treatment Workflow for NCDs through the Shashakt Portal.

ANSWER: B

• The Libyan Parliament has expelled Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha, referring him for investigation.
• Finance Minister Osama Hamad has been appointed as his replacement.

ANSWER: D

• Anurag Thakur, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, recently said that a centre of excellence would be set up in Hamirpur to hone young sporting talents and promote sports.
• The centre of excellence, which will spot young talent and prepare Olympiad-level sportspersons, will be established in Hamirpur in the next two years.