< Daily Current Affairs & Important Editorials

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Sant Meerabai

GS- I >> Art & Culture>> Personalities

Context: Prime Minister (PM) participated in the 525th birth anniversary celebration of Sant Meerabai in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh

About Meerabai (1498-1546):

• Meera Bai is one of the great saint poets of the Bhakti movement.
• She was a Saguna Bhakt and held a deep devotion to Lord Krishna, whom she considered her husband.

Early life and marriage:

• She was born to Rajput King Ratan Singh in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
• In 1516, she was married to Bhoj Raj (son of Rana Sanga and prince of Mewar) who died in 1521.

Devotion to Lord Krishna:

• She refused to be a part of the royal household and moved to Brindavan in pursuit of her devotion.
• She is believed to have spent her last years in Dwarka.

Composition:

• She composed her poems in the Rajasthani dialect of Hindi and Braj ‘Mere to giridhar gopal’, and ‘Paayoji maine Ram Ratan Dhan Paayo’ is her most famous poem.
• Robert Bly and Jane Hirshfield in ‘Meerabai: Ecstatic Poems’ rendered some of her poems into English.

Social reformer:

• She was a disciple of Saint Ravidas who hailed from a caste considered ‘untouchable’.
• Her religious pursuits challenged societal norms for princesses and widows.

Source: newsonair.gov.in

Bail

GS- II >> Polity>> Judiciary

Context: High Courts, Session Courts Can Grant Interim/Transit Anticipatory Bail Even When FIR Is Registered in Another State: Supreme Court

About Bail:

• Judicial release of an accused from custody, conditioned on appearing in court later.
• Sections 46 to 439 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) govern the concept of bail.
• Can be granted by a police officer or judicial magistrate under CrPC.

About Anticipatory Bail:

• Pre-emptive bail granted to an individual expecting arrest.
• Section 438 of CrPC allows individuals anticipating trial for a non-bailable offense to apply for anticipatory bail.
• Applied to the High Court or Sessions Court where the alleged crime occurred.
• Prevents arrest once court grants anticipatory bail, serving as protection against false accusations.

About Statutory Bail:

• Arises when police fail to complete an investigation within a specified period.
• Section 167(2) of CrPC grants this right when investigations can’t be completed in 24 hours.
• Suspect presented in court for orders on police or judicial custody if investigation extends beyond the specified timeframe.

Source: www.indiatoday.in

Sturgeon

GS- III >> Environment >> Flora & Fauna

Context: Increase in Illegal sale of sturgeon in the lower Danube region, according to a report released by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

About Sturgeon:

• Despite a comprehensive ban on fishing and trading of wild sturgeon species, incidents of poaching were documented in Romania, Bulgaria, and Ukraine.
• Sturgeons predominantly inhabit freshwater bodies in North America and along its eastern coast, as well as rivers and inland seas in southern Russia.
• With a history dating back around 200 million years, sturgeons are often referred to as ‘living fossils’ due to their remarkably unchanged appearance over time.
• Sturgeon eggs, known as caviar, are considered a luxurious delicacy.
• Sturgeons face threats as they are caught not only for their eggs but also for their flesh, which can be sold fresh, pickled, or smoked. Additionally, the inner lining of their swim bladder is used to produce a gelatine type.
• Critically Endangered according to the IUCN status, sturgeons have been subject to international trade regulations under CITES since 1998.

About Danube Region: The Danube cooperation area stretches from the Black Forest (Germany) to the Black Sea (Romania-Ukraine-Moldova) covering the whole Danube River basin

Source: www.downtoearth.org.in

Solar Power Plant

GS- III >> Economy >> Renewable Energy

Context: Recently, UAE launched Noor Abu Dhabi is one of the world’s largest stand-alone operational solar-plant with a total capacity of 1.2 GW.

Other largest solar power plants:

• Bhadla Solar Park (multiple plants) in Rajasthan has a capacity of 2.25GW.
• Pavagada Solar Park in Karnataka has a capacity of 2 GW.
• Ramagundam Floating Solar PV Project at Ramagundam, Telangana is India’s largest floating solar power project (commissioned in 2022).
• Cochin International Airport is the world’s first solar-powered airport.

Source: www.space.com