Recently Jammu and Kashmir government imposed restrictions in Srinagar under Section 144 (Unlawful assembly) of CrPC.
It is issued in urgent cases of security threat or riot.
When there are apprehensions of breach of public peace and order by some people, it is put into effect.
It will be issued by the District Magistrate of the area.
It bars the assembly of 5 or more people in that particular imposed area.
It also bans holding any kind of public meeting or rally until the order is withdrawn.
The section also empowers the authorities to block internet access.
It also bans all civilians from carrying of weapons including lathis, sharp-edged weapons or firearms in public places. (Exception for police or paramilitary or security forces).
It can remain in force for not more than 2 months.
However, if the state government considers it necessary for preventing danger, it can extend for not more than 6 months from the date of issuance of the initial order.
It can be withdrawn at any point of time.
If someone violates Section 144, the person can be booked for “engaging in rioting”.
The maximum punishment for such act is three years.
Difference between prohibitory orders under ‘Section 144’ and ‘curfew’, are
Curfew orders are issued in more severe situations where people are instructed to stay indoors for a specific period.
Establishments such as markets, schools, colleges, etc. are ordered to remain shut.
Only essential services are allowed to run on prior notice. There is a complete restriction on traffic as well.
The orders of curfew can be for a specific group or for the general public.
Area 51
It is the secret U.S. Air Force military installation located at Groom Lake in southern Nevada.
It is officially known as the ‘Nevada Test and Training Range’, Area 51 is part of it.
According to CIA official documents, the area has been used to develop and test supersonic aircraft and stealth fighter jets.
The installation has been the focus of numerous conspiracies involving extraterrestrial life (aliens).
It is believed that, it is the location where the US government stores and hides alien bodies and UFOs.
It was in 2013 that the CIA published declassified documents admitting that the Area 51 is a secret military site.
A Facebook event titled “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of us” was planned by around 2 million people plan to storm into Area 51.
QRSAM
Recently ‘Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air (QRSAM) Missile’ was successfully test-fired.
The state-of-the-art missile has been developed and tested by the ‘Defence Research and Development Organisation’ (DRDO).
It uses solid-fuel propellant and has a range of 25-30 km, with the capability of engaging multiple targets.
It is equipped with indigenously developed phased array radar, Inertial Navigation System, Data Link and RF seeker.
It is also equipped with electronic countermeasures against jamming by aircraft radars.
The entire mission was captured by various Electro Optical Tracking Systems, Radar Systems and Telemetry Systems.
It is an all-weather missile that will help the Indian Navy in Inertial Navigation System.
Restricted Use of Pesticides for Basmati
Punjab has over 40% of the total Basmati export of India.
There is a huge demand of Punjab Basmati across the globe.
So to meet the demand, farmers use the pesticide on the recommendation of pesticide dealers.
It is against the instructions of the agricultural experts and are not recommended by Agriculture Department.
In the past, Punjab Basmati has faced rejection due to detection of residue of such pesticides which are not permissible in Europe, US and other countries.
So, the Punjab government restricted 9 pesticides, which are,
