Prelims Booster
1. Plaint:
- A plaint is a legal document that contains the claims made by the plaintiff when they bring a case to a civil court. (A plaintiff is a person who brings a civil action in a court of law).
- It serves as the initial step in starting a lawsuit.
- In fact, in the very plaint, the contents of the civil suit are laid out.
- Through such a plaint, the grievances of the plaintiff are spelled out, as well as the possible causes of action that can arise out of the suit.
- A plaint which is presented to a civil court of appropriate jurisdiction contains everything, including facts to relief that the plaintiff expects to obtain.
- Order VII of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) particularly deals with a plaint.
- A few of the essentials of a plaint implicit in itself are those only material facts, and not all facts or the law as such is to be stated, the facts should be concise and precise, and no evidence should be mentioned.
- Particulars of a Plaint (Rules 1 to 8 of Order VII of the CPC):
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- The name of the civil or commercial court where the lawsuit will be filed.
- Information about the plaintiff, including their name, address, and description.
- Details about the defendant, including their name, residence and description.
- If the plaintiff has any health issues or disabilities, these should be mentioned.
- The facts that give rise to the cause of action and where this cause of action occurred.
- Facts that help determine the court’s jurisdiction.
- Information about the relief or remedy the plaintiff is seeking from the court.
- If the plaintiff wants to set off a portion of their claim, the amount allowed should be stated.
- The value of the subject matter of the suit, not just for jurisdiction but also for court fees.
- Verification by the plaintiff under oath.
2. Foreign Exchange Reserve:
- Foreign Exchange Reserves (also called Forex Reserves) are reserve assets held by a central bank in foreign currencies.
- Foreign assets comprise assets that are not denominated in the domestic currency of the country.
- These may include foreign currencies, bonds, treasury bills, and other government securities.
- Reserves are denominated and expressed in the US dollar, which is the international numeraire for the purpose.
- RBI is the custodian of the foreign exchange reserves in India.
- India’s foreign exchange reserves comprise of;
- Foreign currency assets (FCAs): These are maintained in currencies like the US dollar, euro, pound sterling, Australian dollar, and Japanese yen.
- Gold
- SDR (Special Drawing Rights): This is the reserve currency with the IMF.
- RTP (Reserve Tranche Position): This is the reserve capital with the IMF.
- The biggest contributor to India’s Forex reserves is foreign currency assets, followed by gold.
- Purpose:
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- They are used to back liabilities on their own issued currency, support the exchange rate, and set monetary policy.
- To ensure that RBI has backup funds if their national currency rapidly devalues or becomes altogether insolvent.
- If the value of the Rupee decreases due to an increase in the demand for the foreign currency, then RBI sells the dollar in the Indian money market so that depreciation of the Indian currency can be checked.
- A country with a good stock of forex has a good image at the international level because the trading countries can be sure about their payments.
- A good forex reserve helps in attracting foreign trade and earns a good reputation with trading partners.
3. Nano Urea:
- It is a nanotechnology-based revolutionary Agri-input that provides nitrogen to plants.
- It is developed and patented by the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO).
- IFFCO Nano Urea is the only nano fertilizer approved by the Government of India and included in the Fertilizer Control Order (FCO).
- Features:
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- Compared to conventional urea prill, Nano Urea has a desirable particle size of about 20-50 nm, and more surface area (10,000 times over 1 mm urea prill), and number of particles (55,000 nitrogen particles over 1 mm urea prill).
- It contains 4.0 % total nitrogen (w/v).
- Benefits:
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- It is produced by an energy-efficient, environment-friendly production process with less carbon footprints.
- Increased availability to crops by more than 80%,resulting in higher nutrient use efficiency.
- It is expected to improve crop productivity, soil health, and nutritional quality of produce and address the “imbalanced and excessive use” of conventional fertilizer.
Places in News
1. Nainativu Island:
- It is located in the Palk Strait, the stretch of sea that separates Sri Lanka from southern India.
- It’s close to the famous island of Delft (also known as Neduntheevu).
- This tiny island is fairly close to the northern Sri Lankan city of Jaffna.
- It is an important pilgrimage place for both Hindus and Buddhists.
- Historical significance: Historians note the island is mentioned in the ancient Tamil Sangam literature where it was mentioned as Manipallavam
- Nagapooshani Amman Kovil, a historic Hindu temple dedicated to the principal goddess of Tamil Hindus, Amman is located in this Island.
- She is identified with the famous Tamil deity Meenakshi from Madurai from mainland India.
- The Mahavamsa, which is literally the ‘Great Chronicle’, was composed by the Monk Mahanama in the 6th century A.D.
- According to the chronicle, the Buddha came to this Island, literally meaning ‘Serpent Island’, on his second visit to Sri Lanka, five years after attaining enlightenment.
