current affairs 06 August 2021 (In English)

IIT Roorkee has launched India's 1st Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) mobile app "Uttarakhand Earthquake Alert".

• The project was sponsored by the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA),
• As the Uttarakhand region is the most seismically active and prone to earthquakes.
• The application is available in two versions, compatible with both Android and iOS platforms.
• The program was initially launched only as a pilot project for the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India.

Governor can pardon prisoners, including those sentenced to death: Supreme Court

• Governor's power to pardon overrides a provision in the code of criminal procedure - section 433A.
• Governor can pardon the prisoners even before they have completed minimum 14 years of prison sentence.
• Section 433A states that the sentence of a prisoner can be waived off only after 14 years of imprisonment.
• Bench observed that, Section 433-A of the Code cannot and does not affect the constitutional power of President or Governor to grant pardon under Articles 72 or 161 of Constitution.
• Such power is in the exercise of the power of the sovereign.
• However, the Governor will have to act on the aid and advice of the State Government.
• Court noted, sovereign power of Governor to pardon prisoner under Article 161 is exercised by the State government and not the Governor on his own, in reality.

Australian startup "After Pay" which started 7 years ago has recently been sold for $29 billion.

• It has been bought by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's company "Square".
• "After Pay" offers Buy Now and Pay Later, which is why it has become so popular that millions of people have started using it.
• It has now been sold for about Rs 2 lakh 15 thousand crore.

Assam sent the 1st consignment of 50 metric tonnes of maize to Bangladesh.

• North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited has exported a total of 50 metric tonnes of maize to Bangladesh from Burigaon in Darrang district of Assam.
• NERAMAC had partnered with Simura Industrial & Mercantile Company Limited in Bangladesh for this consignment.
• This is the first export consignment of maize to Bangladesh.

Madras High Court strikes down Tamil Nadu law banning online games.

• The Madras High Court struck down a recent amendment to the Tamil Nadu Gaming Act, passed in 1930, that banned online gaming of rummy and poker with bets.
• The bench declared as unconstitutional, Part II of the TN Gaming & Police Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021,
• Which banned betting or wagering in cyberspace and also games of skill if played for a wager, bet, money or other stakes.