NATIONAL:
1. AAP Now National Party
Why in news - The Election Commission (EC) recognized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a national party on April 10, 2023.
Key Points –
• EC revoked the national party status of the All India Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI).
• Current national parties (6) - BJP, Congress, CPI(M), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), National People’s Party (NPP) and the AAP.
• It also granted “recognised state political party” status to the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) in Nagaland, Voice of the People Party in Meghalaya, and the Tipra Motha in Tripura.
• ECI has laid down the technical criterion for a party to be recognised as a national party.
• A party may gain or lose national party status from time to time, depending on the fulfilment of these laid-down conditions.
Definition of National Party –
• A political party would be considered a national party if –
(a) it is ‘recognized’ in four or more states; or
(b) if its candidates polled at least 6% of total valid votes in any four or more states in the last Lok Sabha or Assembly elections and has at least four MPs in the last Lok Sabha polls; or
(c) if it has won at least 2% of the total seats in the Lok Sabha from not less than three states.
INTERNATIONAL:
1. The Pentagon Leaks
Why in news - Several classified documents, some even marked “top secret” including maps, charts and photographs surfaced on the internet.
Key Points –
• The documents first appeared on the anonymous image board 4chan in March 2023.
• Bellingcat (intelligence research firm) stated that the documents appeared on a Minecraft Discord server before being public.
• Minecraft (computer game) is a virtual world made of blocks where players can explore, create and fight off monsters.
• Discord is a platform where users chat about games, investing and other topics in mostly private, invitation-only groups called servers.
• Snowden revelations (June 2013) - A former contractor for the CIA Edward Snowden leaked to the media details of extensive internet and phone surveillance by American intelligence.
ECONOMY:
1. GI Tag to 5 Handicraft Products
Why in news - GI tag has been given to 5 handicraft products of Madhya Pradesh.
Key Points –
• They are –
(a) Gond Painting of Dindori
(b) Carpet of Gwalior
(c) Batik Print of Ujjain
(d) Stone Craft of Jabalpur Bhedaghat
(e) Saree of Waraseoni of Balaghat
About GI Tags –
• Given by - Department of Industry Promotion and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Primarily an agricultural, natural or manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory.
• Valid for a period of 10 years.
• It can be renewed from time to time for a further period of 10 years each.
• Administered by - Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 which came into force with effect from September 2003.
SCIENCE – TECHNOLOGY:
1. Uranium -241
Why in news - Physicists in Japan discovered a new isotope of uranium with atomic number 92 and mass number 241, i.e Uranium-241.
Key Points –
• To find uranium-241, the researchers accelerated uranium-238 nuclei into plutonium-198 nuclei using the KEK Isotope Separation System (KISS).
• In a process called multinucleon transfer, the two isotopes exchanged protons and neutrons, resulting in nuclear fragments with different isotopes.
• The researchers identified uranium-241 which could have a half-life of 40 minutes.
“Magic Number” Nuclei –
• It contains a certain number of protons or neutrons that result in a highly stable nucleus.
• Lead (82 protons) is the heaviest known ‘magic’ nucleus.