Feb 05, 2016: Julian Assange, Aedes Aegypti, South Asian Games 2016

Feb 05, 2016: Julian Assange, Aedes Aegypti, South Asian Games 2016

General Studies: Daily Capsule

Curtain Raiser –News Update (Feb 05, 2016)

Julian Assange’s detention illegal, says UN panel

Julian Assange	WikiLeaks founder
Ruling of a United Nation’s panel on Julian Assange	Three-and-a-half-year forced stay in the Ecuadorian embassy in London amounts to ‘arbitrary detention’

Source: Julian Assange’s detention illegal, says UN panel, by Parvathi Menon, The Hindu, Feb 05, 2016, Delhi Edition

Aedes mosquitoes, and approach to eradicate

Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes	Transmit Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika
Approach to mosquito eradication	--genetic modification -- introduction of lethal bacterial strain

Source: Moving in for the kill,by R.Prasad, The Hindu, Feb 05, 2016, Delhi Edition

12^th South Asian Games (from 05^th Feb 2016 to 16^th Feb 2016)

South Asian Games host nation	India (host cities:Guwahati and Shillong)
Participating countries (8)	Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldves, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India
Disciplines (23), Events (241)	Guwahati—Athletics, basketball, cycling, football, handball, hockey, kabaddi, kho-kho, shooting, squash, swimming, tennis, trialthon, volleyball, weightlifting and wrestling Shillong: archery, badminton, boxing women’s football, judo, table tennis, taekwondo and wushu

Source: India expected to extend its dominance, by A.Vinod, The Hindu, Feb 05, 2016, Delhi Edition

Some important Amendments/legislations likely to get attention:

50% quota for women in Panchayats (from existing 33%)	Plan for Constitutional Amendment
Insolvency and bankruptcy code	Likely
Goods and Services Tax (GST)	122nd Constitution Amendment Bill likely to be passed

 Facts that can be used for Essay writing or subjective questions:

“The World Bank’s World Development Report 2008 shows that agricultural growth is at least twice as effective in reducing poverty compared to growth originating in non-agricultural sectors.”

Source: Going against the grain, by P.S.Vijayshankar, The Hindu, Feb 05, 2016, Delhi Edition