The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) recorded the statement of T. Veena, daughter of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and owner of a now dormant information technology firm, in Chennai.
About Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO)
It is a corporate fraud investigating agency set up by the Government of India.
It was established on 21st July, 2015, and operates under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
Section 211 of the Companies Act, 2013, accorded a statutory status to the SFIO.
Its core objective is to be an investigative and law enforcement agency to detect and prosecute or recommend to prosecute white-collar frauds or crimes.
It usually takes up the following types of cases sent by the Central Government:
Complex cases needing investigation across multi-discipline and inter-departmental affairs.
Cases with a huge monetary impact on the public.
Cases where investigation can lead to the cleaning up of systems and the implementation of changes in laws and procedures.
Serious fraud cases sent by the Department of Company Affairs.
It also takes up cases on its own only when decided by the Director of the SFIO, and also gives the reasons for taking up the case in writing.
Upon assignment of a case to the SFIO, no other investigative agency can proceed with an investigation for any offense under the Act.
The Central Government can ask the SFIO to investigate a company in the following cases:
When it receives a report from the Registrar or Inspector under Section 208 of the Companies Act 2013.
When the company itself passes a special resolution and requests an investigation.
Where there is a huge monetary impact on the public or for other large-scale public interest cases.
When any Central Government or State Government department makes a request for an investigation.
Organizational Structure:
It consists of experts in the fields of accountancy, forensic auditing, law, information technology, investigation, company law, capital markets and taxation.
SFIO is headed by a Director as Head of Department in the rank of Joint Secretary to the Government of India.
The Director is assisted by Additional Directors, Joint Directors, Deputy Directors, Senior Assistant Directors, Assistant Directors Prosecutors, and other secretarial staff.
Its headquarters is in New Delhi, with five regional offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.
Topic: Constitutional Bodies
2. National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST)
Why in the news?
In the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes’ (NCST) report on the demographic changes in Jharkhand’s Santhal Pargana region, the Commission has recommended roping in non-State actors, specifically non-governmental organizations (NGOs), to deal with the alleged problem of “Bangladeshi infiltration” into the State.
The report concludes that the demographic changes in the Santhal Pargana region over the last seven decades had been caused by alleged infiltration of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
This is in divergence with the Union government’s understanding of the issue as per an affidavit filed by the Home Ministry last month before the Jharkhand High Court, which is hearing a batch of petitions on the issue.
About National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST):
It is a constitutional body established in the year 2004.
Constitutional Provisions:
It was established by amending Article 338 and inserting a new Article 338A in the Constitution through the Constitution (89th Amendment) Act, 2003.
By this amendment, the erstwhile National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was replaced by two separate Commissions namely-
the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), and
the NCST w.e.f. 19 February, 2004.
The term of office of Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and each member is three years from the date of assumption of charge.
The Chairperson has been given the rank of Union Cabinet Minister, and the Vice-Chairperson that of a Minister of State and other Members have the ranks of a Secretary to the Government of India.
Functions of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (Under Clause (5) of Art. 338A):
To Monitor safeguards provided for STs under the Constitution or under other laws
To inquire into specific complaints relating to Rights & Safeguards of STs
To advise in the Planning Process relating to Socio-economic development of STs
To submit report to the President annually and other times on welfare Measures required related to Socio-economic development of STs
To discharge such other functions in relation to STs as the President may by rule specify
Topic: Emergency
3. President’s Rule
Why in the news?
President’s Rule was withdrawn in Jammu and Kashmir, paving the way for the formation of a new government in the Union Territory. A Gazette notification to this effect was issued by the Union Home Ministry.
About President’s Rule:
According to Article 356, President's Rule can be imposed on any state of India on the grounds of the failure of the constitutional machinery.
Article 356 of the Constitution of India is based on Section 93 of the Government of India Act, 1935.
This is of two types:
If the President receives a report from the state's Governor or is otherwise convinced or satisfied that the state's situation is such that the state government cannot carry on the governance according to the provisions of the Constitution.
Article 365: As per this Article, President's Rule can be imposed if any state fails to comply with all directions given by the Union on matters it is empowered to.
In simple words, the President's Rule is when the state government is suspended and the central government directly administers the state through the office of the governor (centrally appointed).
It is also called a State Emergency or Constitutional Emergency.
Parliamentary approval is necessary for the imposition of President's Rule in any state.
The proclamation of President's Rule should be approved in both Houses of Parliament within two months of its issue. The approval is by a simple majority.
The President's Rule is initially for a period of six months. Later, it can be extended for a period of three years with parliamentary approval, every six months.
The 44th Amendment to the Constitution (1978) brought in some constraints on the imposition of the President's Rule beyond a period of one year. It says that President's Rule cannot be extended beyond one year unless:
There is a national emergency in India.
The Election Commission of India certifies that it is necessary to continue the President's Rule in the state because of difficulties in conducting assembly elections in the state.
What happens after the President's Rule is imposed?
The governor carries on with the administration of the state on behalf of the President. He or she takes the help of the state's Chief Secretary and other advisors/administrators whom he or she can appoint.
The President has the power to declare that the state legislature's powers would be exercised by the Parliament.
The state legislative assembly would be either suspended or dissolved by the President.
When the Parliament is not in session, the President can promulgate ordinances with respect to the state's administration.
Revocation of the President's Rule:
President's Rule can be revoked anytime after such a proclamation has been made by a subsequent proclamation by the President.
A proclamation of revocation does not require approval by Parliament.
International Relations
Topic: Defense
4. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
Why in the news?
The United States will send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to Israel, along with the troops needed to operate it, even as Iran warned Washington to keep American military forces out of Israel.
About Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
It is an American transportable, ground-based anti-ballistic missile defense system designed to shoot down short, medium, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles in their terminal phase (descent or reentry) by intercepting with a hit-to-kill approach..
First proposed in 1987 and then developed after the experience of Iraq's Scud missile attacks during the Persian Gulf War in 1991, it was finally deployed in 2008.
It cannot be used as a form of attack against an enemy.
It is designed to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles in their final flight phase.
THAAD is coupled with space-based and ground-based surveillance stations, which transfer data about the incoming missile and inform the THAAD interceptor missile of the threat type classification.
It is designed and manufactured by the USA company Lockheed Martin.
It has been previously deployed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Guam, Israel, Romania as well.
The THAAD interceptor carries no warhead, instead relying on its kinetic energy of impact to destroy the incoming missile.
Geography
Topic: Physical Geography
5. Auroras
Why in the news?
Auroras, marked by reddish or greenish light in the night sky and usually observed in the far-northern regions, are recently observed in Ladakh. The appearance of intense red-hued rays of light was the latest in a series of recent aurora sightings.
About Auroras:
These are essentially natural lights that appear as bright, swirling curtains in the night sky and can be seen in a range of colours, including blue, red, yellow, green, and orange.
These lights primarily appear near the poles of both the northern and southern hemispheres all year round but sometimes they expand to lower latitudes.
These are called aurora borealis in the north and aurora australis in the south.
Formation of auroras:
It is due to activity on the surface of the Sun.
The star continuously releases a stream of charged particles, mainly electrons and protons, and magnetic fields called the solar wind.
As the solar wind approaches the Earth, it is deflected by the planet’s magnetic field, which acts like a protective shield.
However, some of the charged particles are trapped in the magnetic field and they travel down the magnetic field lines at the north and south poles into the upper atmosphere of the Earth.
These particles then interact with different gases present there, resulting in tiny flashes that light up the night sky.
When solar wind particles collide with oxygen, a green colour light is produced. Interaction with nitrogen produces shades of blue and purple.
Auroras expand to midlatitudes when the solar wind is extremely strong.
This happens when the activity on the Sun’s surface goes up, leading to solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are essentially extra bursts of energy in the solar wind.
In such cases, the solar wind is so intense that it can result in a geomagnetic storm, also known as a magnetic storm — a temporary disturbance of the Earth’s magnetic field. It is during a magnetic storm that auroras can be seen in the mid-latitudes.
Topic: Landforms
6. Sahara desert
Why in the news?
Sahara desert witnesses first floods in 50 years. A rare deluge of rainfall has left lagoons of water amid the palm trees and sand dunes of the Sahara desert.
About Sahara desert:
It is a desert spanning across North Africa, excluding the fertile region on Mediterranean Sea coast, the Atlas Mountains of Maghreb, and the Nile Valley in Egypt and Sudan.
It covers an area of 9,200,000 sq. km., 31% of the African continent.
It is the largest hot desert in the world and the third-largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the northern Arctic.
It stretches from the Red Sea in the east and the Mediterranean in the north to the Atlantic Ocean in the west, where the landscape gradually changes from desert to coastal plains. To the south it is bounded by the Sahel, a belt of semi-arid tropical savanna around the Niger River valley and the Sudan region of sub-Saharan Africa.
It is divided into several regions, i.e.
Western Sahara
Ahaggar Mountains
Tibesti Mountains
Aïr Mountains
Ténéré desert
Libyan Desert
It covers large parts of Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Western Sahara and Sudan, and parts of southern Morocco and Tunisia.
Environment and Ecology
Topic: Multilateral Organizations
7. World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
Why in the news?
The Living Planet Report 2024, a biennial assessment by conservation organization the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), revealed that the average size of monitored wildlife populations has decreased by 73 per cent since 1970.
Populations have declined significantly over the last 50 years, according to trends in nearly 35,000 wildlife populations and 5,495 species of amphibians, birds, fish, mammals and reptiles, said the paper titled A System in Peril. The assessment emphasized the severe impact of human activities on wildlife and called for urgent action to protect biodiversity.
The WWF uses the Living Planet Index (LPI), which tracks the average trends in wildlife populations rather than focusing on increases or declines in individual species numbers. By monitoring changes in species population sizes over time, the LPI serves as an early
warning indicator of extinction risk and helps assess ecosystem efficiency.
About World Wildlife Fund (WWF):
It is an international non-governmental organization aimed at wilderness preservation & reduction of human impact on the environment.
It was founded in 1961.
Its headquarters are located in Gland (Switzerland).
It is the world’s largest conservation organization
Its objectives include:
Conserving the world’s biological diversity
Ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable
Promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption
Reports & programmes:
Living Planet Report
Earth hour
Debt-for-nature swaps
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
Healthy GrownPotato
Science and Technology
Topic: Indigenization of Technology
8. X-band radar
Why in the news?
After devastating floods and landslides killed more than 200 people in Kerala’s Wayanad district, the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences approved an X-band radar to be installed in the district.
A torrential downpour triggered the landslide in the valley above Punchirimattom, near the Mundakkai region; its effects were compounded by a massive debris flow triggered by the rains.
About X-band radar:
Its objective is to monitor smaller particles like rain droplets or fog.
It uses Doppler radar and Rayleigh scattering to detect object movement.
It emits radiation in the X-band of the electromagnetic spectrum: 8-12 GHz, corresponding to wavelengths of around 2-4 cm (this is in the microwave part of the spectrum.)
The smaller wavelengths allow the radar to produce images of higher resolution. However, the greater the frequency of some radiation, the faster it will be attenuated. So X-band radars have a relatively shorter range.
In Wayanad, the new radar is expected to be able to monitor the movements of particles, such as soil, to inform landslide warnings.
The device will also perform high temporal sampling, that is, rapidly sample its environs, allowing it to spot particle movements happening in shorter spans of time.
The first X-band radar was installed in India in New Delhi in 1970.
Working of Radar:
Radar is short for ‘radio detection and ranging’. It uses radio waves to determine the distance, velocity, and physical characteristics of objects around the device.
A transmitter emits a signal aimed at an object whose characteristics are to be ascertained (in meteorology, this could be a cloud).
A part of the emitted signal is echoed by the object back to the device, where a receiver tracks and analyzes it.
Weather radar, also known as a Doppler radar, is a common application of this device. The Doppler effect is the change in frequency of sound waves as their source moves towards and away from a listener.
In meteorology, Doppler radars can reveal how fast a cloud is moving and in which direction based on how the cloud’s relative motion changes the frequency of the radiation striking it. Doppler radar relies on Rayleigh scattering, when the scatterer is much smaller than the wavelength of the radiation.
A pulse-Doppler radar can measure the intensity of, say, rainfall by emitting radiation in pulses and tracking how often they’re reflected to the receiver. This way, modern Doppler radars can monitor weather conditions and anticipate new wind patterns, the formation of storms, etc.
Topic: Health
9. Precision medicine
Why in the news?
Precision medicine is bringing in a new era of personalized healthcare. The eld began to take concrete shape when scientists were wrapping up the Human Genome Project. Since then, genomics has played a major role in the diagnosis and treatment of various cancers, chronic diseases, and immunological, cardiovascular, and liver diseases.
A biobank is a repository of biological samples alongside their genetic data. These samples are collected from consenting individuals for use in research. For precision medicine to succeed, biobanks need to be large and diverse or only a small section of society will benefit from the findings of research
About Precision medicine:
It is an emerging approach for disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person.
It is also known as personalized medicine.
It is a new frontier for healthcare combining genomics, big data analytics, and population health.
It allows doctors and researchers to predict more accurately which treatment and prevention strategies for a particular disease will work in which groups of people
It is in contrast to a one-size-fits-all approach, in which disease treatment and prevention strategies are developed for the average person, with less consideration for the differences between individuals.
Biobanks:
These are repositories that store biological samples such as blood, tissues, DNA, etc., alongside their genetic data, collected from consenting individuals for research purposes.
Biobanks provide genetic data essential for identifying disease patterns and developing targeted therapies.
They enable research into genetic disorders, chronic diseases, and personalized treatments.
Large and diverse biobanks ensure precision medicine benefits more people across varying ethnicities and demographics.
Present status in India:
Growth of precision medicine: The Indian precision medicine market is growing rapidly, expected to be worth over $5 billion by 2030.
Biobanks: There are 19 registered biobanks in India. Major initiatives like the Genome India Project and Phenome India have begun collecting large-scale genetic data.
Policy gaps: India lacks comprehensive biobank regulations, which hampers growth in precision medicine.
Significance of Biobank regulations:
Ensuring ethical standards: Clear regulations will protect individual rights, ensuring informed consent and preventing misuse of genetic data.
Boosting research: Regulating biobanks can enhance trust, encouraging more public participation in precision medicine research.
Global collaboration: Aligning Indian laws with global standards will facilitate international collaborations in drug development and clinical research.
Art and Culture
Topic: Festivals
10. Banni festival
Why in the news?
Nearly 60 persons were injured in the annual Banni festival organized at Devaragattu in Kurnool district.
Popularly known as ‘karrela samaram’, the festival involves a clash between stick-wielding people from 10 villages during a procession of the deities of Mala Malleswara Swamy on the night of Dasara.
The traditional stick fight had been going on for hundreds of years. Nearly four lakh people from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana thronged Devaragattu to watch the fete.
About Banni festival:
It is a traditional stick-fight.
It is celebrated on the night of Dussehra celebration (Vijaya Dasami) every year.
The objective of this event was to snatch the idols from the God's team, leading to a fierce battle known as the Banni Fight.
This festival was celebrated by people under the Vijayanagara Empire.
It is celebrated on the account of the victory of Lord Mala Malleswara Swamy and Goddess Parvati over demonish Mani and Mallasura, who troubled the people at Devaragattu region.
Rituals
The ritual takes place at midnight when the procession of idols of the ruling deities Malamma (Parvati) and Malleshwara Swamy (Shiva) are brought down the hill temple at Neraneki.
Devotees carry long sticks or lathis with them for hitting each other with these sticks on the head.
The basic idea of this fight is to capture the procession idol.
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