What is Golden Rice?
Why in news?
- Bangladesh could become the first country to approve golden rice as it will soon take decision on the release of Golden Rice.
News summary
- Golden rice was developed almost two decades ago by biologists from Switzerland and Germany as a way to prevent vitamin A deficiency in the developing world.
- Lack of vitamin A is a leading cause of childhood blindness and can also make children more susceptible to death from other illness like measles.
- Vitamin A is made from beta-carotene, which is found in carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables.
- To create golden rice, scientists modified rice plants with beta-carotene genes from maize. By doing this, rice plants started to produce the rich orange-coloured pigment.
- Then, the transgenic plants were donated to publicly funded research centres to develop their own versions of golden rice using local rice varieties.
- Since the inception of golden rice in the late 1990s, debates have raged over the transgenic crop, considered a genetically modified organism (GM), and it has struggled to gain approval.
- Moreover, stringent international regulations such as the Cartagena Protocol have stymied approval of many GM crops.
Scenario in Bangladesh:
- In Bangladesh, the golden rice in question was developed at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños, Philippines.
- This particular version is based on the dhan 29 rice variety widely grown in Bangladesh.
- If everything goes to plan, farmers might be planting golden rice seed by 2021.
Review petition in Supreme Court
Why in news?
- Supreme Court will review Sabarimala judgment and a review plea is set to be moved over Ayodhya verdict too.
Important Facts
- Article 137 of the Constitution gives Supreme Court the power to review any of its judgments or orders. The court has the power to review its rulings to correct a “patent error” and not “minor mistakes of inconsequential import”.
- Grounds for review petition: In a 2013 ruling, the Supreme Court itself laid down three grounds for seeking a review of a verdict it has delivered —
- the discovery of new and important matter or evidence which was not within the knowledge of the petitioner or could not be produced by him;
- mistake or error apparent on the face of the record; or
- any other sufficient reason which means a reason that is analogous to the other two grounds.
Who can file a review petition?
- It is not necessary that only parties to a case can seek a review of the judgment on it. Any person aggrieved by a ruling can seek a review.
- As per 1996 rules framed by the Supreme Court, a review petition must be filed within 30 days of the date of judgment or order. While a judgment is the final decision in a case, an order is an interim ruling that is subject to its final verdict.
Why broiler chicken is sometimes chewy
Why in news?
- Broiler chicken can sometimes be hard to chew. Now, Researchers believe they have found the reason which is a condition called wooden breast syndrome.
News summary
- The wooden breast syndrome is a metabolic disorder characterised by abnormal fat accumulation in the breast muscle tissue of broiler chicken. When it affects broiler chickens, it makes the meat hard and chewy.
- The researchers identified an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase as likely contributing to wooden breast syndrome in broiler chickens. Lipase is crucial for fat metabolism.
- The first stage of the condition involves inflammation of the veins in the breast tissue and accumulation of lipid around the affected veins. Over time, this is followed by muscle cell death and replacement by fibrous and fatty tissue.
- It is a costly problem that can render the birds unmarketable and cause losses for growers.
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act
Why in news?
- The Home Ministry provided the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) Data on the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the Rajya Sabha.
News summary
- As per information received from the NCRB, 1,128,999 and 1,554 persons were arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) during 2015, 2016 and 2017, respectively. The NCRB is yet to publish the crime report for 2018.
- More than 35% of the cases registered under the stringent UAPA in 2017 were recorded in Manipur. The State registered 330 cases in 2017 in which 352 persons were arrested.
- Though U.P. has recorded only 12% of the cases, it topped the States in the number of arrests made.
Electricity per capita
Why in news?
- During the Winter Session of Parliament, the Ministry of Power released data on India’s per capita consumption of electricity.
Key highlights
- India’s per capita consumption of electricity is 1,181 kWh as of 2018-19.
- The highest per capita consumption in 2018-19 is in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, at 15,179 kWh. The Union Territory is followed by the states of Gujarat (2,378), Goa (2,274), Haryana (2,082) and Punjab (2,046).
- The state with the lowest per capita consumption of electricity is Bihar, at 311 kWh, followed by the North-eastern states of Assam (341), Nagaland (356), Manipur (371) and Tripura (514).
- The 5,251 previously un-electrified households in villages were electrified between 2017-18 and 2028-19 under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana scheme. Arunachal Pradesh accounts for the highest number of such households at 1,134, followed by Odisha (925), Jharkhand (729), Bihar (596) and Assam (572).
- As of April 28, 2018 all inhabited Census villages stand electrified, with the exception of seven states where over 19 lakh households were unwilling to be electrified earlier. These households are now willing to get electricity connections.