Learn with NITISH KUMAR

■ Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020 : • India secured a total of 19 medals at the Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020. • It includes 5 gold🥇, 8 silver🥈and 6 bronze medals🥉. • India sent its highest ever contingent of 54 para athletes in Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020. • Out of a total of 162 nations, India have finished 24th in the overall medal tally, while its accomplishment of 19 medals is ranked 20th based on the number of medals. • India made its first appearance at the Paralympics in 1968. • India had won 12 medals in total till the 2016 Rio edition. □ Medal winners 🥇🥈🥉 : 1) Bhavina Patel (Table Tennis) - Silver 2) Nishad Kumar (High Jump) - Silver  3) Avani Lekhara (Shooting) - Gold, Bronze. 4) Yogesh Kathuniya (Discus throw) - Silver 6) Sundar Singh Gurjar (Javelin throw) - Bronze 6) Devendra jhajharia (Javelin throw) - Silver. 7) Sumit Antil (Javelin throw) - Gold. 8) Singhraj Adhana (Shooting) - Bronze, Silver. 9) Thangavelu Mariyappan (High jump) - Silver 10) Sharad Kumar (High jump) - Bronze. 11) Praveen Kumar (High jump) - Silver. 12) Harvinder Singh (Archery) - Bronze 13) Manish Narwal (Shooting) - Gold. 14) Pramod Bhagat (Badminton) - Gold. 15) Manoj sarkar (Badminton) - Bronze. 16) Suhas Yathiraj (Badminton) - Silver 17) Krishna nagar (Badminton) - Gold

📰 News : Experts express concern over diversion of fresh water from Odisha’s Brahmani river. • Environmentalists on Friday expressed concern over the massive diversion of fresh water from the Brahmani river basin, which could pose a grave threat to the famous mangrove vegetation in Odisha. • Bhitarkanika is a notified Ramsar wetland and it spreads over 195 sq. km and is home to 62 mangrove species. • The Bhitarkanika forests, the second largest mangrove ecosystem in the country. It is also the breeding place for endangered saltwater crocodiles. • This mangrove is the protective barrier of the region against cyclones and tidal surges. • The Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, which forms the boundary in the east, attracts the world''s largest population of olive ridley sea turtles for nesting. • Without the mangroves, the Gahirmatha sanctuary will become a "marine desert" and lose its richness and diversity. • Proportionate fresh water flow from the Brahmani river basin and the Kharasrota river keep the salinity level of the water along the shore down. • The Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO), an environmental pressure group, had drawn public attention on the excess water allocation for industries, which is likely to reduce fresh water discharge to the sea. • The diversion of water would definitely lead to the depletion of water table. It will affect mangrove ecosystem of Bhitarkanika and its flora and fauna. • After Farakka Barrage in West Bengal was commissioned, the Sundarbans mangrove forests were drastically affected. □ Mangroves : • Mangroves are shrubs or small trees that grow in coastal saline or brackish water. • Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees, also called halophytes, and are adapted to harsh coastal conditions. • Leaves are thick and contain salt-secreting glands. • They are confined to tropical and subtropical regions as they need high solar radiation to filter saline water through their roots. • They have blind roots which are called Pneumatophores. These roots help these trees to respire in anaerobic soils.  • The seeds of Mangrove Forests trees germinate in the trees itself before falling. This is called Viviparity mode of reproduction. □ Brahmani & Kharasrota river : • It is formed by the confluence of the Sankh and South Koel rivers near Raurkela in Odisha. • It is the second longest river in Odisha after the Mahanadi. • It’s a seasonal river that flows in Odisha. • Sankh has its origins near the Jharkhand-Chhatisgarh border, near Netarhat Plateau. • South Koel too arises in Jharkhand, near Lohardaga, on the other side of a watershed that also gives rise to the Damodar River. • Together with the rivers Mahanadi and Baitarani, it forms a large delta before entering into the Bay of Bengal. • The Kharasrota is a river that flows in Odisha state of India. It is a tributary of the Brahmani River.

📰 News : DCGI approves clinical trials of Biological E. Covid-19 vaccine CORBEVAX on children. • Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical firm Biological E. has received the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approval for initiating the Phase II/III study to evaluate its CORBEVAX vaccine in children aged above 5 years. • It has also received nod for conducting Phase III trial in adults after a Subject Expert Committee’s (SEC) review of its Phase I and II clinical trials data. • Following Zycov-D by Zydus Cadilla and Covaxin by Bharat Biotech, Corbevax becomes third India made vaccine. • It may be available for use in children. • Zycov-D has already received authorisation for emergency use in children who are above 12 years. • Covaxin is being tested in children who are younger and officials have said that the vaccine is likely to be ready by September. □ How does Corbevax work? : • Corbevax is based on a vaccine technology of a protein antigen, in this case the spike protein, which binds to the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor on the host cell membrane and facilitates virus entry. • The body's own cells then make more copies of this protein that then stimulates the immune system of the body to produce antibodies to protect against a potential, future infection.

■ KAZIND-21 : • KAZIND-21 is a joint military Exercise between Kazakhstan and India. • It is the fifth edition of the annual bilateral exercise by both armies. • The fourth edition of the exercise was held at Pithoragarh in September 2019. • The scope of the exercise includes professional exchange, planning and execution of operations in a counter-terrorism environment and sharing of expertise. • The exercise will strengthen mutual confidence, inter-operability and enable sharing of best practices between the Armed Forces of India and Kazakhstan. • The joint exercise also reflects the strong resolve of both nations to counter terrorism and will to stand shoulder to shoulder to combat the same. □ About Kazakhstan : • Kazakhstan shares borders with 5 countries. They are Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan. • Nur-Sultan is the capital city of Kazakhstan. • India was one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Kazakhstan. Diplomatic relations were established in February 1992. • India and Kazakhstan have been strategic partners since 2009. • Kazakhstan is the most resource rich country in Central Asia and is also India’s largest trade and investment partner. • India and Kazakhstan actively cooperate under the aegis of various multilateral fora including Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Shanghai Cooperation Operation (SCO) and the United Nations (UN) organisations. • There are three factors which make Kazakhstan important for India. First, its geo-strategic location; Second, its economic potential, especially in terms of energy resources; and Third, its multi-ethnic and secular structure.

📰 News : 200 Army personnel to take part in Exercise ZAPAD 2021 in Russia. • A contingent of 200 Army personnel will participate in the multinational military Exercise ZAPAD 2021 being held at Nizhniy, Russia. • It is a multinational military Exercise. 17 countries invited for the exercise, there are 9 participating countries and 8 Observers including China and Pakistan. • The exercise aims to enhance military and strategic ties amongst the participating nations while they plan and execute this exercise. • ZAPAD 2021 is a 13-day exercise and will end on 16 September. It is mainly aimed at boosting anti-terror cooperation. • ZAPAD 2021 is one of the theatre level exercises of Russian armed forces and will focus primarily on operations against terrorists. • The 9 Participating countries are Mongolia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, Russia, India and Belarus. • The 8 Observer countries are Pakistan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka.

■ Rowlatt Act & Jalianwalla Bagh massacre (1919) : • The Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919, popularly known as the Rowlatt Act. • This act was passed on the recommendations of Sedition Committee chaired by Sir Sidney Rowlatt. • This act had been hurriedly passed in the Imperial Legislative Council in March 1919 despite the united opposition of the Indian members. • It gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities and allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years, conviction in a court of law. The Act thus also enabled the government to suspend the right of Habeas Corpus. • It empowered the police to search for a place without a warrant. It also placed severe restrictions on the freedom of the press. • Madan Mohan Malviya, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Mazhar ul Haq resigned from Imperial Legislative Council after the Rowlatt Act was passed. • The act was widely condemned by Indian leaders and the public. The bills came to be known as ‘Black bills’. • To abolish this act, Gandhi and the other leaders called for a Hartal (suspension of work) to show Indians’ objection to this rule, called the Rowlatt Satyagraha. • The movement was cancelled by Gandhiji when it was marred by rioting in some provinces, particularly in Punjab where the situation was grim. • The British government’s primary intention was to repress the growing nationalist movement in the country. • Two popular Congress leaders Satya Pal and Saifuddin Kitchlew were arrested. • The protest was very intense when the act came into effect and the army was called in Punjab to tackle the situation. □ Jallianwala Bagh Massacre : • The situation in Punjab was alarming as there were riots and protests against the Rowlatt Act. • Punjab was put under martial law, which meant that it became unlawful for more than 4 people to assemble at a place. • The Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab at that time was Michael O’Dwyer. Lord Chelmsford was India’s Viceroy. • On the day of the festival of Baisakhi on 13th April 1919 in Jallianwala Bagh, a public garden in Amritsar, a crowd of non-violent protestors had gathered. Also, among the crowd were pilgrims who had come to celebrate Baisakhi. • General Dyer came there with his troops and blocked the only narrow entrance to the garden. • Then, without warning, he ordered his troops to fire at the unarmed crowd, which included children as well. • At least 1000 people and injured more than 1500 people. This tragedy came as a rude shock to Indians and totally destroyed their faith in the British system of justice. • National leaders condemned the act and Dyer unequivocally. However, Dyer was appreciated by many in Britain and the British in India but Winston Churchill criticized it. • Michael O’Dwyer, the then Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab, who had approved the actions of Brigadier-General Dyer, was assassinated by Udham Singh in London in 1940 as revenge against the massacre. Udham Singh is believed to have witnessed the massacre as a child. □ Nationalist Response : • Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood in protest. • Mahatma Gandhi gave up the title of Kaiser-i-Hind, bestowed by the British for his work during the Boer War. □ Hunter Commission : • The government formed a committee of inquiry to investigate the Jallianwala Bagh shootings. • On October 14, 1919, the Government of India announced the formation of the Disorders Inquiry Committee. • The committee was commonly known as Hunter Commission after the name of chairman, Lord William Hunter. It also had Indian members. • In the final report submitted in March 1920, the committee unanimously condemned Dyer’s actions. • However, the Hunter Committee did not impose any penal or disciplinary action against General Dyer.