Current Affair Four

1. The Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is now a World Heritage Monument. The 34th session of the World Heritage Committee, presently underway in Brasilia, has inscribed Jantar Mantar in the UNESCO Heritage list.

* built by Maharajah Sawai Jai Singh II in the 18th century

* one of the one of the four existing astronomical observatories in India. The others are located in Varanasi, Delhi and Ujjain.

* The Samrat Tantra in Jaipur is one of the largest sundials in the world.

*The other international sites added to the list this year include, 11 Australian convict sites, the palace ensemble at ad-Dir’iyah in Saudi Arabia, Tabriz historic bazaar complex in Iran and the natural site of the Central Highlands in Shri Lanka.

2.The guests at the Commonwealth Games could avail themselves of free condoms at some selected places, if the proposal by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NA CO) materialises.

*NA CO Director-General K. Chandramouli

3.Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram and the former Minister of State for External Affairs, will marry Sunanda Pushkar.

4. The CBI filed a curative petition in the Supreme Court in the Bhopal gas tragedy case to recall the order dated September 13, 1996, quashing charges under Section 304 Part II of the Indian Penal Code (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) against the accused.

*The Supreme Court had on March 10, 1997, dismissed a review petition filed by the Bhopal Gas Peedith Sangharsh Sahayog Samiti.

*The curative petition settled by Attorney-General G. E. Vahanvati

* Poisonous Gas Leaked:- Methyl Isocyanate (MIC)

*CBI asked for charges to be restored who were let off by a trial court in Bhopal this past June with a minor punishment of two years for an offence under IPC Section 304 A (negligence).

5. The tripartite meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh – Union Water Resources Ministry, A.P. and Maharashtra – resolved to direct the Central Water Commission (CWC) to strictly verify the compliance of the Supreme Court interim order on the Babli issue between A.P. and Maharashtra.

*The Supreme Court, in its interim order in 2007, said Maharashtra could continue with the construction of the barrage, but not install the 13 crest-gates on the solid structure, which is important as their height determines how much water can be stored.

*Union Water Resources Minister Pa wan Kumar Bans al.

6. North Korea military threatened Strong physical retaliation against South Korea planned naval drills near their disputed sea border.

*South Korea plans to hold five-day naval drills in the Yellow Sea.

*North Korea Denies the charge of sinking S.K.naval ship CONAN.

7.The Republic of Malawi has changed its national flag.

*country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasa land.

8.Karnataka banned the export of iron ore.

*1st state to do so.

*C.M.- B.S. Yeddyurappa.

9. Epic, country’s 1st web browser.

*Brainchild of ALOK BHARDWAj and Tejas Vyas chief Tech Lead, Hidden Reflex.

10.The Parliament of Catalonia, an autonomous region of Spain, banned bullfighting, becoming the first region of mainland Spain to do so.

11. Anticipatory Bail is back in Utter Pradesh.

*Not applicable in murder/abduction etc cases of SC/ST of U.P.