DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS 05 October 2021
Pandora Papers Will Be Investigated: Centre
- The Pandora Papers, published on Sunday, are based on documents leaked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalism (ICIJ) and exposed the offshore dealings of kings, presidents, and prime ministers, including Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.
- There are at least 380 persons of Indian nationality in the Pandora Papers.
- These are 11.9 million leaked files from 14 global corporate services firms which set up about 29,000 off-the-shelf companies and private trusts in not just obscure tax jurisdictions but also countries such as Singapore, New Zealand, and the United States, for clients across the world.
- What do the Pandora Papers reveal?
- The Pandora Papers reveal how the rich, the famous and the notorious, many of whom were already on the radar of investigative agencies, set up complex multi-layered trust structures for estate planning, in jurisdictions which are loosely regulated for tax purposes, but characterised by air-tight secrecy laws.
- The purposes for which trusts are set up are many, and some genuine too. But a scrutiny of the papers also shows how the objective of many is two-fold: i) to hide their real identities and distance themselves from the offshore entities so that it becomes near impossible for the tax authorities to reach them and, ii) to safeguard investments — cash, shareholdings, real estate, art, aircraft, and yachts — from creditors and law enforcers.
Japan’s New PM H. E. Kishida Fumio
- Fumio Kishida has formally taken office as Japan’s new prime minister, succeeding Yoshihide Suga who resigned after just one year in office.
- Mr Kishida, 64, won the race to lead Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) last week.
- He will face a range of tough issues, including post-pandemic economic recovery and threats from North Korea.
- Mr Suga decided to step down as prime minister after a year in office due to plummeting poll ratings caused by the handling of the pandemic.
Shyamji Krishna Varma Remembered on his Jayanti
- Shyamji Krishna Varma (4 October 1857 – 30 March 1930) was an Indian revolutionary fighter, an Indian patriot, lawyer, and journalist who founded the Indian Home Rule Society, India House, and The Indian Sociologist in London.
- In 1905 he founded the India House and The Indian Sociologist, which rapidly developed as an organised meeting point for radical nationalists among Indian students in Britain at the time and one of the most prominent centres for revolutionary Indian nationalism outside India. Krishna Varma moved to Paris in 1907, avoiding prosecution.
DRDO Dare to Dream 2.0 & Young Scientists Awards
- Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh felicitated the winners of ‘Dare to Dream 2.0’ Contest of Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) in New Delhi on October 04, 2021. The Raksha Mantri gave away awards to 40 winners – 22 in Individual category and 18 in Startup category. He also launched ‘Dare to Dream 3.0’ to promote innovators & startups and provide a platform for the young, ignited minds in the country.
- Dare to Dream is DRDO’s pan-India contest to promote Indian academicians, individuals, and startups to develop emerging defence and aerospace technologies/systems. DRDO provides technical and financial support to the winners for realization of their ideas under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme.
- Shri Rajnath Singh also gave away DRDO Young Scientists awards for the year 2019. Sixteen DRDO scientists, under the age of 35 years, were awarded for their outstanding contribution in areas of their expertise.
- Congratulating the winners of ‘Dare to Dream’ and ‘DRDO Young Scientists’ awards, Shri Rajnath Singh said, they reflect the energy, enthusiasm and commitment of the youth of the country to create something new. He exuded confidence that the winners in the fields of innovation, design & development will inspire young minds and create path-breaking innovation in future. The ‘Dare to Dream’ challenge, he said, represents the vision and mission of the Government as also the mandate of DRDO.
World Animal Day 2021
- World Animal Day is an International Day of Action for animal rights and welfare celebrated annually on October 4.
- Historically, the day was initiated by its originator, cynologist and animal protection activist Heinrich Zimmermann, but today, the yearly global celebration of animals is spearheaded by UK-based animal welfare charity, Naturewatch Foundation.
- The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) celebrated World Animal Day 2021 & Launched website to benefit end users of Animal Welfare.
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize 2021
- Professor T Govindaraju from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India, has received the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, 2021 for his ground-breaking concepts and discoveries, which have significant potential for diagnosis and treatment for Alzheimer’s, lung cancer among other health problems.
- His innovative work on small molecules, peptides, and natural products offers both diagnostics as well as therapeutics, leading to personalized medicine.
- The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology is a science award in India given annually by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research for notable and outstanding research, applied or fundamental, in biology, chemistry, environmental science, engineering, mathematics, medicine, and Physics.
Sense of Touch and Heat Research Wins Nobel Prize
- Scientists who discovered how our bodies feel the warmth of the sun or the hug of a loved one have won the Nobel Prize.
- David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian, from the US, share the 2021 prize in Medicine or Physiology for their work on sensing touch and temperature.
- They unpicked how our bodies convert physical sensations into electrical messages in the nervous system.
- Their findings could lead to new ways of treating pain.
- Heat, cold and touch are crucial for experiencing the world around us and for our own survival.
- But how our bodies actually do it had been one of the great mysteries of biology.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
- International Consortium of Investigative Journalists was established in
- 1995
- 1996
- 1997
- 1998
ANSWER: C
- Current Director of International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
- Gerard Ryle
- Sheila Coronel
- Reginald Chua
- Rhona Murphy
ANSWER: A
- Indian Home Rule Society in London was established in
- 1900
- 1905
- 1910
- 1915
ANSWER: B
- In 1909, a member of India House,______ assassinated Sir W.H. Curzon Wyllie.
- Madan Lal Dhingra
- V.N. Chatterjee
- Lala Har Dayal
- V.V.S. Aiyar
ANSWER: A
- The Hindu-German Conspiracy took place during
- Revolt of 1857
- First World War
- Second World War
- Quit India Movement
ANSWER: B
- HQ of The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI)
- Tamil Nadu
- Haryana
- Gujarat
- Kerala
ANSWER: B
- The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act was passed in
- 1948
- 1952
- 1960
- 1976
ANSWER: C
- Well-known humanitarian _____ was instrumental in setting up the AWBI
- Rukmini Devi Arundale
- Poonam Ahluwalia
- Arun Cherukavil
- Parvatibai Athavale
ANSWER: A
- The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was established in ____.
- 1962
- 1958
- 1973
- 1986
ANSWER: B
- Current Chairman of DRDO
- Varun Reddy
- Sateesh Reddy
- Sunil Reddy
- Tarun Reddy
ANSWER: B
ALSO READ:
