CHRI
- The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) is an independent, non-partisan, international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New Delhi.
- The organization works for the practical realization of human rights across the Commonwealth.
- In 1987, several Commonwealth associations founded CHRI as a response to South Africa’s policy of racism.
- These groups felt that while member countries had a common set of values and legal principles from which to work and a forum within which to promote human rights, there was relatively little focus on human rights issues.
- CHRI's objectives are to promote awareness of and adherence to the Harare Commonwealth Declaration, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and other internationally recognized human rights instruments, as well as domestic instruments supporting human rights in member states.
Harare Commonwealth Declaration
- The Harare Commonwealth Declaration was a declaration of the Commonwealth of Nations, issued in Harare, Zimbabwe, on 1991.
- It sets out the Commonwealth's core principles and values, detailing the Commonwealth's membership criteria, and redefining and reinforcing its purpose.
Universal Declaration on Human rights
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.
- The Declaration consists of 30 articles affirming an individual's rights which, although not legally binding in themselves, have been elaborated in subsequent international treaties, economic transfers, regional human rights instruments, national constitutions, and other laws.
- The Declaration was the first step in the process of formulating the International Bill of Human Rights, which was completed in 1966, and came into force in 1976 after a sufficient number of countries had ratified them.
- India is the signatory of UDHR.
Kashmiri Stag
- Kashmir stag or Hangul is the state animal of Jammu & Kashmir.
- It is restricted to the Dachigam National Park some 15 km north-west of Jammu & Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar.
- It is placed under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the J&K Wildlife Protection Act, 1978.
- The Hangul was once widely distributed in the mountains of Kashmir and parts of Chamba district in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh.
- The IUCN’s Red List has classified it as Critically Endangered and is similarly listed under the Species Recovery Programme of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Environmental Information System (ENVIS) of the MoEFCC.
cVIGIL App
- “cVIGIL" is an Android application which will be operational only where elections are announced.
- “cVIGIL” will allow anyone in the election-bound state to report violations of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) that comes into effect from the date of announcement of elections and goes on till a day after the polls.
- By using this app, citizens can immediately report on incidents of misconduct within minutes of having witnessed them and without having to rush to the office of the returning officer to lodge a complaint.
- The identity of the complainant will be kept confidential.
- The app will receive complaints only about the Model Code of Conduct violations.
- The user will get 5 minutes to report an incident after having clicked a picture or a video.
- To prevent any misuse, the app will not allow uploading of the pre-recorded or old images and videos.
- The app will not facilitate saving of the photos or videos recorded using the ‘cVIGIL' app into the phone gallery either.
RISAT
- India has produced its indigenous radar imaging satellite RISAT.
- The Satellite uses synthetic aperture radars (SAR) to provide Indian forces with all-weather surveillance and observation, which are crucial to notice any potential threat or malicious activity around the nation’s borders.
Bodhisattva
- A bodhisattva is a Buddhist deity who has attained the highest level of enlightenment, but who delays their entry into Paradise in order to help the earthbound.
- The bodhisattva, known in Sanskrit as Avalokiteśvara, takes both male and female form and is associated with the qualities of mercy and compassion
- The Archaeological department has recently excavated a Bodhisattva sculpture from Telangana.
Source: The Hindu, Down to Earth
