Daily Current Affairs Quiz 18 April 2023

a) Tamil Nadu

The Cumbum grapes recently earned the Geographical Indication tag.
· The Cumbum valley located at the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu.

· It is known as the Grapes city of South India and cultivates the Panneer Thratchai.

· This variety is also known as Muscat Hamburg.

· It was first introduced in Tamil Nadu by a French priest in 1832.

· The agro climate and the soil condition of the Cumbum region is very conducive for the cultivation of the Muscat variety.

· This variety is popular for its quick growth and early maturity.

· This ensures that the crop is available in the market almost throughout the year.

· The rich soil and water of the land are said to enhance the flavor of the natural fruit.

· The grape bunches are medium to large in size and compact in nature.

· These grapes are rich in vitamins, tartaric acid and antioxidants and reduces the risk of some chronic diseases.

· They are also known for a superior taste apart from the purplish-brown colour.

· Uses – The grapes grown are suitable for making wine, spirit, jams, canned grape juice and raisins.

c) India

The first-ever Global Buddhist Conference will be hosted by India on April 20 and 21. It will be organized based on the theme “Response to Contemporary Challenges from Philosophy to Praxis”.
It will cover subjects such as Buddhism and peace, environmental crisis, health and sustainability, and the preservation of the Nalanda Buddhist tradition, Buddhist pilgrimage, living heritage and Buddha relics.

d) Passage of financial business

In legislative parlance, to “guillotine” means to bunch together and fast-track the passage of financial business. It is a fairly common procedural exercise in Lok Sabha during the Budget Session.

After the Budget is presented, Parliament goes into recess for about three weeks, during which time the House Standing Committees examine Demands for Grants for various Ministries, and prepare reports. After Parliament reassembles, the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) draws up a schedule for discussions on the Demands for Grants. Given the limitation of time, the House cannot take up the expenditure demands of all Ministries; therefore, the BAC identifies some important Ministries for discussions.

It usually lists Demands for Grants of the Ministries of Home, Defence, External Affairs, Agriculture, Rural Development and Human Resource Development. Members utilise the opportunity to discuss the policies and working of Ministries.

Once the House is done with these debates, the Speaker applies the “guillotine”, and all outstanding demands for grants are put to vote at once. This usually happens on the last day earmarked for the discussion on the Budget. The intention is to ensure timely passage of the Finance Bill, marking the completion of the legislative exercise with regard to the Budget.

b) USA

The United has declared that the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl combined with xylazine – an animal tranquilizer is an “emerging threat” facing the United States.
Xylazine is increasingly being used in illicit drugs and it is seen as a threat due to its role in the ongoing opioid crisis.

d) Both 1 and 2

The Supreme Court evolved the “less restrictive” Public Interest Immunity (PII) claims proceedings as an “alternative” to the sealed cover proceedings while dealing with state requests for confidentiality.
· The PII proceedings would be a “closed sitting,” but a reasoned order allowing or dismissing the PII claim of the state should be pronounced in open court.

· The court will appoint an amicus curiae, which means “friend of the court”, to act as a bridge between the parties involved in public interest immunity claims. Hence, statenent 1 is correct.

The court-appointed amicus will be given access to the materials sought to be withheld by the state and allowed to interact with the applicant and their lawyer before the proceedings to ascertain their case. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Recently, the Supreme Court of India ruled on the use of sealed cover proceedings in courts and the telecast ban of a Malayalam channel.