Prelim Bits 13-06-2019

Ajiviks Philosophy

• Around the 6th century BC, at the time of the Buddha, there was an explosion all across India of different schools of thought and philosophy.
• One of the most popular was the Ajivika sect, Makkhali Goshala was its most important leader.
• The Ajivikas’ central belief was that absolutely everything is predetermined by fate or niyati, and hence human action has no consequence one way or the other.
• Like Jains, Ajiviks wore no clothes and lived as ascetic monks in organised groups.
• They were known to practice extremely severe austerities, such as lying on nails, going through the fire, exposing themselves to extreme weather, and even spending time in large earthen pots for penance.
• There was no caste discrimination and people from all walks of life joined them.
• The Barabar Caves (ancient rock-cut caves) in Bihar dating from the Mauryan Empire, were made for Ajiviks and Jains to retreat and meditate.
• Buddhist and Jain texts are very critical of the Ajiviks, Ajiviks are considered fairly important rivals of both.
• The sect reached its peak during the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka’s father’s Bindusara’s was a follower of Ajivika.
• Ashoka himself, best known for his spreading of Buddhism all over India and Southeast Asia, was an Ajivik for most of his life.

Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill

• Cabinet approves the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019
• The Bill would ensure gender equality and gender justice to Muslim women.
• The Bill would also help in protecting the rights of married Muslim women and prevent divorce by the practice of ‘talaq-e-biddat’ by their husbands. 
• The Bill propose to declare the practice of triple talaq as void and illegal.
• It also makes an offence punishable with imprisonment up to three years and fine.
• It also provides for payment of subsistence allowance to married Muslim women and dependent children.
• The Bill also proposes to make the offence cognizable, if information relating to the commission of an offence is given to an officer in charge of a police station by the married Muslim woman upon whom talaq is pronounced or by any person related to her by blood or marriage.
• The Bill further provides for hearing the married Muslim woman upon whom talaq is pronounced before the accused is released on bail by the Magistrate.

Waqf Properties

• A Waqf property is an inalienable charitable endowment under Islamic law, which typically involves donating a building, plot of land or other assets for Muslim religious or charitable purposes with no intention of reclaiming the assets

• Union government has launched a Geo tagging and digitalization programme of Waqf properties across the country to ensure these properties can be utilized for the welfare of the society.
• For the first time since Independence, Government has decided to provide 100 per cent funding to develop schools, colleges, ITIs, polytechnics, hospitals, multi-purpose community hall “Sadbhav Mandap” on Waqf land under Pradhanmantri Jan Vikas Karykram (PMJVK).

Pradhanmantri Jan Vikas Karykram (PMJVK).

• Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) seeks to provide better socio-economic infrastructure facilities to the minority communities.
• The scheme particularly concentrates in the field of education, health & skill development which would further lead to a lessening of the gap between the national average and the minority communities with regard to backwardness parameters.
• The erstwhile Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) has been restructured and renamed as Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram for effective implementation.
• The restructured scheme is to be implemented during the remaining period of the 14th Finance Commission ie. March 31, 2020.

Immunotherapy

• Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen.
• Chemotherapy may be given with curative intent, or it may aim to prolong life or to reduce symptoms.
• Unlike chemotherapy, immunotherapy works by leveraging the body’s own immune system to fight disease.
• Recently a study found that an immunotherapy treatment helped significantly boost survival rates among patients suffering from advanced lung cancer.
• T-Cells are type of cells which grows in the thymus gland (near throat, above lungs), which plays a central role in the immune response.
• Immunotherapy improves the efficacy of the T-Cells in fighting Cancer cells.

Source: PIB, Indian Express