18 January 2013 Current Affairs
President’s rule imposed in Jharkhand
On 18 Januaray 2013 President Pranab Mukherjee imposed President’s rule in Jharkhand following its approval by the Union Cabinet on 17 January 2013The former Union Home Secretary, Madhukar Gupta, and the former Central Reserve Police Force Director General, K. Vijay Kumar, had been appointed advisers to Jharkhand Governor Syed Ahmed.On 18 January 2013 the President was proclaimed the imposition of President’s Rule in Jharkhand under Article 356(1) of the Constitution. This was the third time the state was placed under a President rule.
Lance Armstrong stripped of Sydney Olympics medal
The IOC acted after the International Cycling Union (UCI) took away the American’s seven Tour de France titles that he won from 1999 to 2005 on 22 October 2012 when he was found guilty of doping.Armstrong had 21 days to appeal against the UCI’s decision, but did not do so.The International Olympic Committee sent a letter to Armstrong on 17 December 2013 asking him to return his bronze medal from the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
One peak left for Premlata to conquer 7 Summits
The oldest Indian woman to climb Mt Everest, Premlata Agarwal, had reached the summit of Mt Vinson in Antarctica and now has only one peak left to conquer the 7 Summits, the highest mountains of each of the seven continents.Premlata, 47 years old and a mother of two, has scaled the Mt Vinson (4897 m) on January five without being able to acclimatise with the freezing weather.Premlata has scaled six summits — Mt. Everest (8848m, Nepal, Asia), Mt Elbrus (5642m, Russia, Europe), Mt Kilimanjaro (5895m, Tanzania, Africa), Mt Vinson (4897m, Antarctica), Mt Aconcagua (6962m, Argentina, South America) and Mt Carstensz Pyramid (4884m, Australia) and only one peak is left to conquer the 7 Summits.She would become the first Indian woman and one of the oldest women in the world to conquer the 7 Summits, if she succeeded in climbing Mt McKinley, which she had narrowly missed last year because of rough weather.Premlata had taken up the adventure sports in 2000 and climbed the Mt Everest in May 20, 2011.
Supreme Court bans shrines, statues on public roads
The Supreme Court of India on 18 January 2013 passed an order that constructing religious structures such as the temples and shrines on the public land was banned.The bench of Justices R M Lodha and S J Mukhopadhaya, in its order declared that henceforth no state should grant permission for installation of any statue or erection of structures on the public utility places, pavements, public roads as well as the sideways.The order can empower municipal and government bodies to prevent unauthorized constructions being carried out under the garb of religious structures as often local political interests and religious sentiments render authorities helpless.
Indians asked to avoid violence prone areas in Nigeria
India had issued an advisory to its citizens in Nigeria, asking them to limit their exposure to areas where radical Islamic sect Boko Haram is active. The Indian High Commission in an advisory placed on it’s website also warned Indian crew-members of ships to be careful while plying their ships in Gulf of Guinea, dominated by pirates. The advisory mentioned some Indian victims of violence in Nigeria, which included one killed and six injured on January 20, last year during a multiple attack by Islamic fundamentalists Boko Haram in the northern city of Kano.