What caused the Bhopal Gas tragedy?
On December 3rd, 1984, thousands of people in Bhopal, India, were gassed to death after a catastrophic chemical leak at a Union Carbide pesticide plant. More than 150,000 people were left severely disabled of whom 22,000 or more have since died of their injuries - in a disaster now widely acknowledged as the world’s worst-ever industrial disasterMore than 27 tons of methylisocyanate & other deadly gases turned Bhopal into a gas chamber.
None of the six safety systems at the plant were functional, and Union Carbide’s own documents prove the company designed the plant with “unproven” and “untested” technology, and cut corners on safety and maintenance in order to save money.Carbide is still killing in Bhopal.
The Central Bureau of Investigation traces its origin to the Special Police Establishment(SPE) which was set up in 1941 by the Government of India. The functions of the SPE then were to investigate cases of bribery and corruption in transactions with the War and Supply Deptt. Of India during World War II. Superintendence of the S.P.E. was vested with the War Department.Even after the end of the War,the need for a Central Government agency to investigate cases ofbribery and corruption by Central Government employees was felt. The Delhi Special Police Establishment Act was therefore brought into force in 1946. This Act transferred the superintendence of the SPE to the Home Department and its functions were enlarged to cover all departments of the Govt. of India. The jurisdiction of the SPE extended to all the Union Territories and could be extended also to the States with the consent of the State Government concerned.
The Arjuna Award was instituted in 1961 as the highest national recognition for outstanding performance in Sports and Games in the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Cup, World Championship disciplines and Cricket. As per the revised scheme from April 2002,the objective of Arjuna Awards is to recognize outstanding performance of sports persons,at international level only.
Cherrapunji, Meghalaya. It is a town in East Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya. It is credited as being the wettest place on earth. Cherrapunji sits on the southern tip of a plateau that looms over Bangladesh. The cliffs of Cherrapunji are the first place hit by moisture that forms over the Bay of Bengal. All the rain lands on arid, deforested, ground. As there is no reservoir to store the rain water, it rapidly runs down the hill towards the plains of Bangladesh. Cherrapunji's yearly rainfall average stands at 11,430 mm (450 in). This figure places it behind only nearby Mawsynram, Meghalaya, whose average is 11,873 mm (467 in) and Mount Wai?ale?ale on the Hawaiian island of Kaua?i, whose average is 11,684 mm (460 in).
1950. India were invited by FIFA and the Brazilian Football Federation participate in the fourth World Cup in Brazil after a number of countries pulled out of the tournament that year, but the team couldn't take part as most of its players played the game barefooted, and, as per the stipulation of the world body, wearing shoes was mandatory.It was only in 1985 that India did attempt to qualify for the quadrennial event when they took part in the qualifiers for the 13th edition, in 1986, at Mexico. However, they failed to get beyond the first round. In fact, they have participated in the qualifiers regularly since 1994 but failed to get beyond the first round.