Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 10 May 2014

Violation of Model code by Rahul Gandhi

Noting that he prima facie violated the Model Code of Conduct, the Election Commission has issued a show cause notice to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his alleged remarks that if Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to power, 22,000 people will be killed in violence.
The Commission has asked him to respond to the notice by May 12 morning ,otherwise the poll panel will take further action without further reference.
The BJP had moved the EC against Mr. Rahul for his remarks.
It had provided the Commission with CD of his speech and newspaper clippings.
The EC reminded Mr. Rahul of the provision in the Model Code which States that no party or candidate would indulge in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred.
The show cause notice also referred to the provision which refrains parties and candidates from making distorted or unverified allegations and limits their criticism to policies and programmes of rival parties.
Issue of natural gas export
A bi-partisan group of 22 American senators have expressed reservation on the export of natural gas to Asian countries such as India and China, arguing that such a move by Obama Administration would result in an increase in cost for consumers and businesses at home.
They said the “large-scale exports of natural gas to Asia could also jeopardize America’s goal of achieving energy independence, a goal made more achievable by the recent increase in domestic gas production”.
The senators urged Mr. Obama to consider the impacts on American manufacturing and families that rely on natural gas.
The recent approval for export of liquefied natural gas from a sixth export facility has meant that the total approved exports now exceeds the amount of gas currently being used in every single American home and commercial business.
The exports well exceeds the high export scenario referenced by a Department of Energy study in 2012 that indicated prices could increase by up to 54 per cent and it would translate into more than $60 billion a year in higher energy costs for American consumers and businesses.

Implantable device to control BP

Not being able to control blood pressure even after gulping pills would no longer be a problem. Soon, an implantable device will reduce blood pressure by sending electrical signals to the brain.
In a first, German researchers have successfully reduced the blood pressure in rats by 40 percent with this device without any major side effects.
This could offer hope for a significant proportion of patients worldwide who do not respond to existing medical treatment for the condition.
The implantable device uses an intelligent circuit to record the activity of the patient, for instance when they are exercising, and adjust the blood pressure accordingly.
The device consists of 24 individual electrodes that are integrated into a micro-machined cuff. It is designed to wrap around the vagus nerve, which extends from the brainstem to the thorax and abdomen — supplying and stimulating various major organs including the heart and major blood vessels.
The device works by picking up signals from specific sensors, known as baroreceptors, which are activated when blood vessels stretch.

Statue of Gandhiji

A life-size bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi would be installed in Irving in Texas, fulfilling a long-cherished dream of Indian-Americans living in the city. A 7-foot tall and 30-inch wide bronze statue of Gandhiji, cast in Andhra Pradesh, will be installed on a 6-foot tall pedestal.
It will have a granite wall as a backdrop, inscribed with Gandhiji’s memorable words, as well as those from Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Albert Einstein, Barack Obama and others.

Validity of sports code

The Delhi high court has directed all National Sports Federations (NSF) to follow the national sports code. This simply means that the Union sports ministry's guidelines on age and tenure restriction have attained legal sanctity.
This is a shot in the arm for the ministry which suspended the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) and Archery Association of India (AAI) for not implementing age and tenure directives. The court's directive will certainly make all NSFs accountable and their functioning transparent.
The sports ministry has repeatedly outlined that recognition to any NSF would rely on the current legal status of the organisation, recognition by the respective international federation, the Asian federation and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). The IOA had also challenged the government's authority, but the latest directive from the court has come as a jolt.

Ceasefire in South Sudan

South Sudan’s President has reached a ceasefire agreement with a rebel leader, an African regional bloc said , after a vicious cycle of revenge killings drew international alarm.
The deal means “an immediate cessation of hostilities within 24 hours of the signing” and “unhindered humanitarian access” to all people affected by the months-long conflict, said a statement by the political bloc known as IGAD, which is mediating the conflict.
Ethnically targeted violence in the world’s youngest country broke out in December, killing thousands of people and forcing more than 1.3 million to flee their homes. The U.N. Security Council has expressed “horror” at recent killings of civilians.
U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice welcomed the peace agreement in a statement, saying it “holds the promise of bringing the crisis to an end”.
South Sudan is a largely Christian nation that broke off from the Muslim-dominated Sudan after a 2011 referendum. The fighting is an embarrassment to the U.S., which has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in aid and has been its strongest international champion.