8th July – Current Affairs
Antifa :
Ø History: Antifa has been around for several
decades, with some dating it as far back as Nazi Germany.
Ø Etymology: Antifa is borrowed from German Antifa, short for
antifaschistisch ‘anti-fascist’, in Antifaschistische Aktion (multiparty front
initiated by the German Communist Party in 1932 to counter Nazism) and in other
collocations.
Ø Global presence: While the movement has had a
presence in several European countries and has now come into focus in the
United States following the election of President Trump in 2016, with violence
marking some of its protests and demonstrations.
Ø Membership: Antifa does not have a formal
organisational structure. It draws its members from other movements such as
Black Lives Matter and the Occupy movement.
Ø
Functioning: Antifa members typically dress in
black and often wear a mask at their demonstrations, and follow far-left
ideologies such as anti-capitalism. They take up causes such as LGBTQ and
indigenous rights. What makes them stand out is the violence.
Five Eyes :
Ø Name: The Five Eyes name refers to the
security classification of intelligence documents: “SECRET –
AUS/CAN/N.Z./U.K./U.S. EYES ONLY” or “FVEY.”
Ø What
is it? It
is an anglophone intelligence
alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the
United States.
Ø Functioning: Five Eyes allowed the national agencies to
share monitoring infrastructure, and to track nuclear-armed Soviet submarines
during the Cold War. The surveillance partnership strengthened following the
9/11 attacks on the United States, and monitoring of internet communications
has since expanded exponentially.
Rain Water Harvesting
Cell :
Ø Union Housing and
Urban Affairs Ministry has released its Guidelines for urban water
conservation.
Ø The guidelines have been issued as
part of the first phase of Jal Shakti Abhiyan which began on 1st of this
month and will continue till 15th of September this year.
Ø
Key
features of guidelines released:
o All Urban Local Bodies across the
country have been asked to set up a cell for monitoring of Rain Water
Harvesting and revival of at least one water body in their areas.
o The cell should monitor the extent
of groundwater extraction and groundwater aquifer recharge. This information
should be displayed at prominent locations for public awareness.
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