Some Important News for GK

First Rashtriya Ekta Diwas observed on October 31, 2014

First Rashtriya Ekta Diwas observed, people acrossIndia participate in ‘Run for Unity’

On 31st October 2014, Rashtriya Ekta Diwas was observed nationwide to commemorate the 139thbirth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

The decision to observe 31 October as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Integration Day was taken by the Union Government.

The day was inaugurated by the Prime MinisterNarendra Modi who paid floral tributes at the statue of Sardar Patel and also flagged off the Run For Unity in New Delhi.

‘Run for Unity’ campaign

• The Run for Unity campaign, a nationwide marathon took place on the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.
• It was organized in cities, towns and villages all over India.
• This campaign was to pay tribute to the efforts made by Sardar Patel to unite India.
• During flagged off occasion, the PM Narendra Modi praised Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and requested the people to work towards creating Shresth Bharat (Foremost India).

Objective of the Commemoration Rashtriya Ekta Diwas

This day will create awareness among the people about Sardar Patel’s contribution towards India’s freedom struggle and ensuring national integration in India.

Sardar Patel played a pivotal role in the merger of princely states with British ruled India to form a sovereign united country called India

It will reaffirm the inherent strength and resilience of our nation to withstand the actual and potential threats to the unity, integrity and security of our country.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

• Sardar Patel was born on 31 October, 1875 at Karamsand, Gujarat.
• He was a barrister with a successful law practice, before he left the law to join the Indian national movement under Gandhi.
• He played a major role in organizing peasants’ movements in Kheda and Bardoli in Gujarat, and during the Quit India movement.
• His biggest contribution to India was his role in the integration of the over 500 princely states with India during 1947-49.
• He is known as the Iron Man of India or Bismarck of India.
• He is also remembered as the Patron Saint of India’s civil servants for establishing modern all-India services.

Chairman of Union Carbide Warren Anderson dies at 92

Former Chairman of Union Carbide Corporation, Warren M Anderson died on 29th September 2014 at a nursing home in Vero Beach, Florida. He was 92. Anderson was blamed for the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy as he was Chairman and CEO of the Union Carbide Corporation at the time of the disaster.

His death was not announced by his family in public but it was confirmed from public records.

About Warren M Anderson

• Warren M Anderson was an American businessman.
• He had served as Chairman and CEO of the Union Carbide Corporation at the time of the Bhopal disaster in 1984.
• Four days after the accident, he was immediately arrested. But after quickly paying bail, he never ran away and never returned to face trial in India.
• He was officially labeled as a fugitive by Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhopal on 1st February 1992 Bhopal disaster.
• The judge also called him an absconder for failing to appear at the court hearings in a culpable homicide case.
• Union government had requested the US government to extradite him several times but it was always denied since the first extradition request in 2003 due to lack of evidence.

Bhopal gas tragedy

• The Bhopal gas tragedy was a gas leak incident in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. It is considered as the world’s worst industrial disaster.
• It occurred on the night of 2-3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
• Over 500,000 people in Bhopal and surrounding area were exposed to methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other chemicals after gas leak incident.
• The government of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh confirmed 3,787 deaths as a result of gas leakage. Unofficial estimates exceeded 10,000.
• More than a half-million people were injured, with many dying from illnesses including lung cancer, kidney failure and liver disease.
• In 1989, Union Carbide paid $470 million to the Indian government to settle litigation stemming from the disaster.
• In 2010, eight low-level Indian executives of Union Carbide’s Bhopal subsidiary were convicted of negligence in this tragedy.

Names of 12 cities in Karnataka changed

On 31st October 2014, NDA government cleared the proposal of renaming 12 cities and towns of Karnataka.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh gave his approval to the proposal of the Karnataka government made on October 27, 2006 to change the names of the 12 towns and cities.

The home minister’s nod came after Survey of India, Ministry of Railways, Department of Posts, Ministry of Science and Technology and Intelligence Bureau have given their No Objection and clearance for the change in the nomenclature of the identified cities.

List of renamed cities with their new names

• Bangalore- Bengaluru
• Mangalore- Mangaluru
• Bellary- Ballari
• Belgaum- Belagavi
• Bijapur- Vijapura
• Hospet- Hosapete
• Hubli- Hubballi
• Chikmagalur- Chikkamagaluru
• Mysore- Mysuru
• Tumkur- Tumakuru
• Gulbarga- Kalaburagi
• Shimoga- Shivamogga

Background for renaming cities

The Karnataka government had taken the decision to rename these cities on the occasion of the golden jubilee of formation of the state of Karnataka on 1stNovember 2006.

The main reason was to change names of these cities was in consonance with their pronunciation in Kannada language.