DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS
Dated : 27 May 2020
Topic Covered :
1. SC on Migrant Crisis
2. Aarogya Setu is now open source
3. ‘Prepare for war’: China’s Xi Jinping tells army to thwart coronavirus impact on national security
4. Earth’s magnetic North pole is shifting
SC ON MIGRANT CRISIS
Why in news?
A three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court on May 26 said there have been “inadequacies and certain lapses” on the part of the Central and State governments in dealing with the migrant workers crisis during the lockdown.
Highlights:
1. The court ordered the Centre and the States to immediately provide transport, food and shelter free of cost to the stranded migrant workers.
2. The suo motu cognisance of media reports and representations from senior lawyers to step in to protect the fundamental rights of the migrant workers was taken by the judges in their chambers.
3. It asked Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta to assist the court and produce on record by day May 28 measures taken by the Centre so far to alleviate the migrants’ sufferings.
Source : Hindu
AAROGYA SETU IS NOW OPEN SOURCE
Why in news?
The source code of Aarogya Setu App for android has been made open and for the IOS version will be made open in the next two weeks.
Highlights:
1. Definitions :
a. Source Code : Source code is the fundamental component of a computer program that is created by a programmer. It can be read and easily understood by a human being. When a programmer types a sequence of C programming language statements into Windows Notepad, for example, and saves the sequence as a text file, the text file is said to contain the source code.
b. Open Source :
i. The term open source refers to something people can modify and
share because its design is publicly accessible
ii. Open source software is software with source code that anyone can
inspect, modify, and enhance.
c. Closed Source
i. Some software has source code that only the person, team, or
organization who created it—and maintains exclusive control over it—can modify. People call this kind of software "proprietary" or "closed source" software.
2. Opening the source code to the developer community signifies the government’s
continuing commitment to the principles of transparency and collaboration.
Source : PIB
‘PREPARE FOR WAR’: CHINA’S XI JINPING TELLS ARMY TO THWART CORONAVIRUS
IMPACT ON NATIONAL SECURITY
Why in news?
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday directed China’s armed forces to strengthen
training of troops and to be ready for war amid coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic’s visible impact on the world’s most populous country’s national security.
Highlights:
1. State media reports quoted the Chinese premier as saying that it was important to
“comprehensively strengthen the training of troops and prepare for war”,
"resolutely safeguard national sovereignty” and “safeguard the overall strategic stability of the country”.
2. Xi’s speech comes amid rising tension with the US, frequent references by local
politicians and diplomats of reunifying Taiwan, if necessary by force, and the likely implementation of a new – and controversial – security law meant to crack down on pro-democracy dissidents in the special administrative region of Hong Kong.
3. Tension is also escalating with India with troops from the two countries clashing
along different areas along the 3,488 kilometre-long disputed border especially, in Ladakh, in May.
4. It was announced last week that China has set its annual defence budget growth
target at 6.6%, as compared to 7.5% last year.
Source : Hindustan Times
EARTH’S MAGNETIC NORTH POLE IS SHIFTING
Why in news?
There is a turf war out there to control the location of Earth’s north magnetic pole. The
winner appears to be visible from a distance. This is due to the sudden sprint observed in the drift of Earth’s magnetic pole towards Siberia pivoting away fast from Canada.
Highlights:
1. The shift would inevitably change the way world navigates itself using not just ships, maps, smart phones but a plethora of tools to map journey of life.
2. Background :
a. According to EarthSky report, the location of Earth’s north magnetic pole
appears to be controlled from deep within Earth by 2 competing blobs in the magnetic field. One present beneath Canada, and the other beneath Siberia. Domain experts now say “The Siberian blob is winning.”
3. Until the early 1990s, the magnetic North Pole was known to lie some 1,000 miles
south of true north, in Canada. The magnetic north drift had a trajectory observed at a rate of up to about 9 miles (15 km) a year.
4. The decade preceding the millennium year witnessed the drift of Earth’s magnetic
North Pole turn into “more of a sprint,” say scientists. Currently its speed is about 30 to nearly 40 miles a year (50-60 km a year) toward Siberia. Scientists, using satellite measurements, have confirmed the rapid cruise.
Source : Financial Express
