Current Affairs 27-NOV-2023 (The Hindu)

Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019

(D => Pg-12)

CAA

• Enacted to grant citizenship to certain migrants.
• Amended Citizenship Act, 1955.

Key Provisions

• Granting citizenship to people belonging to 6 religions, who came from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
  • 6 religions - Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians.
  • Note - not applicable to Muslims.
  • Cutoff date - on or before Dec 31, 2014.
• Relaxation in the requirement of years to be a naturalized citizen.
  • General rule - 11 years of staying in India is required to get citizenship through the naturalization process.
  • CAA, 2019 - 5 years is enough.
• People belonging to 6 religions shall be deemed to be citizens of India from the date of their entry into India.
  • All legal proceedings against such people regarding illegal migration will be closed.
• CAA, 2019 - not applicable to,
  • Illegal migrants - residing in the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, or Tripura (Schedule 6).
  • Areas covered under "The Inner Line" notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.

Practice Question – Mains GS – II

Discuss the key provisions of the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019. List out the challenges in implementing this act. (150 words, 10 marks)

Piezo Electric Effect

(D => Pg-Science)

Piezo Electric Effect

About the Effect

• Phenomenon - Materials like quartz, ceramics like PZT, bone, tendons - generate an electric current in response to mechanical stress.
• Discovered in 1880, in quartz, by Jacques and Pierre Curie.

Process

• When the material is subjected to a mechanical stress:
  • Polarize the molecules.
  • Positive & negative charges within the material are separated from each other.
  • Due to polarization - Electric potential is generated across the material.
  • If the material is connected to a circuit, a current can flow through it.

Reverse Piezo-Electric Effect

• Application of Voltage - Material becomes mechanically stressed or deformed in shape.
• Piezoelectric materials - conversion of energy from the mechanical domain to electrical domain & vice versa.

Examples of Piezo-electric Materials

• Natural quartz crystals, semi-crystalline polyvinylidene polymer, cane sugar, quartz, Rochelle salt, topaz, bone, and even wood.

Application of Piezo-electric Materials

• Sensors, actuators, energy harvesting devices, ultrasonic applications like intrusion detectors and alarms.
• AF (audio frequencies) as pickups, microphones, earphones, beepers, and buzzers.
• IIT-M & DRDO scientists developed piezoelectric MEMS (micro electro mechanical system) technology for underwater communication.

Practice Question – Prelims

Consider the following statements about Piezoelectric effect.

1. Conversion of energy from the mechanical domain to the electrical domain and vice versa is possible in this effect.
2. It is observed only in solid materials.
3. Quartz is the only material which can exhibit Piezo-electricity.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct :

a) Only One

b) Only Two

c) All Three

d) None

Femicide

(D => Pg-9)

Femicide

Act of killing women or girls on account of gender.

WHO definition - Femicide is the intentional murder of women solely for the reason that they are women.

Causes of Femicide

• Patriarchal mindset - ill-treating of women & violence.
• Dowry - > 5000 women are killed annually by their husbands & his family members when the demands for dowry are not met.
• Honour killings - marrying outside the caste or religion.
• Abuse of women - sexual harassment.

Steps Taken by the Government

National Commission For Women

• Set up in January 1992.
• Role - improving the status of women & advising the government on all policy matters affecting women.

Dowry Prohibition Act 1961

• Prevents the act of giving or receiving any form of dowry.
• Punishment for offenders.

Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005

• Deals with violence against women occurring within the family.

Mission Shakti

• Aim - to improve interventions for women’s empowerment, safety, and security.

Other Schemes Empowering Women

• Beti Padao Beti Bachao
• PM Ujjwala
• Stand Up India

Practice Question – Mains GS – I

What is Femicide? Analyse the causes of femicide in India and list out the steps taken by the Indian government to prevent femicide in India.

(150 words, 10 marks)