• PARAM Rudra, recently seen in news, is a Supercomputer.PARAM Rudra Supercomputers are developed indigenously by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM).

Additional Information

• Definition:The new American rules define supercomputers broadly in terms of computing power in a defined space: a machine with 100 petaflops – the ability to carry out 100 trillion operations per second – in 41,600 cubic feet, with some other caveats.
• Currently,Frontier is the world’s fastest supercomputer. It is based on the Cray EX and is the successor to Summit (OLCF-4).
• India’s first supercomputer is Param 8000.

Supercomputers possess multiple distinctive features that set them apart from conventional computers. These are described below:

• Multiple CPUs: Supercomputers incorporate more than one CPU.
  • Each CPU contains circuits for interpreting program instructions and executing arithmetic and logic operations.
• Speed: These computers can support the high computation speed of CPUs.
• Storage: It has a very high storage capacity. Rapid retrieval of stored data and instructions is crucial to support high computational speed.
• Vector Arithmetic: By using Vector Arithmetic, they can operate on pairs of lists of numbers rather than on mere pairs of numbers.
• Multi-Users: A supercomputer allows multiple users to access supercomputing simultaneously

Explanation

• The Constitution specifies the grounds and method for removal of a judge of the High court or Supreme Court. According to it, a judge shall be removed (a) only by an order of the President, (b) after the presentation of an address by each house of Parliament, (c) supported by a special majority, (d) in the same session and (e) on the grounds of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. (these are the only two conditions mentioned in the constitution).
  Hence, statement 1 and statement 2 are correct.
• —In 1964, Parliament for the first time attempted to lay down the procedural modalities for the removal of a judge. The 1964 Bill lapsed following the dissolution of the Third Lok Sabha (1962-1967), and a version of the Bill similar to the committee’s recommendation was passed by the Fourth Lok Sabha in 1968. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
• Impeachment proceedings have been triggered only five times in history — against Justice V Ramaswami (SC, 1993), Justice Soumitra Sen (Calcutta High Court, 2011), Justice J B Pardiwala (Gujarat High Court, 2015), Justice C V Nagarjuna (High Court of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, 2017), and then CJI Justice Dipak Misra (2018). The proceedings, however, have never been successful, although Justice Sen was impeached by Rajya Sabha and subsequently resigned. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

Additional Information

Stem Cells:

• Stem cells are a special type of cells that have two important properties. They are able to make more cells like themselves. That is, they self-renew. And they can become other cells that do different things in a process known as differentiation. 
• Stem cells are found in almost all tissues of the body. 
• And they are needed for the maintenance of tissue as well as for repair after injury

Where do stem cells come from?

There are several sources of stem cells:

• Embryonic stem cells:These stem cells come from embryos that are 3 to 5 days old. At this stage, an embryo is called a blastocyst and has about 150 cells.
• Adult stem cells: These stem cells are found in small numbers in most adult tissues, such as bone marrow or fat. 
• Adult cells altered to have properties of embryonic stem cells. Scientists have transformed regular adult cells into stem cells using genetic reprogramming. By altering the genes in the adult cells, researchers can make the cells act similarly to embryonic stem cells. These cells are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
• Perinatal stem cells: Researchers have discovered stem cells in amniotic fluid as well as umbilical cord blood. These stem cells can change into specialized cells.

Explanation

• The government determines the date and duration of parliamentary sessions. 
  • The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs takes this decision.
•  It currently has ten Ministers, including those for Defence, Home, Finance, Agriculture, Tribal Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs, and Information and Broadcasting.
• The Law Minister and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs have been invited as special guests to the Committee. The decision of the Committee is communicated to the President, who then convenes Members of Parliament for the session.
•  The Constitution specifies that six months should not elapse between two parliamentary sessions. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
•  This provision is a colonial legacy. The framers of the Constitution borrowed it from the Government of India Act of 1935. It allowed the British Governor General to call a session of the central legislature at his discretion, requiring that the gap between two sessions should not be more than 12 months. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Explanation

• The National Consumer Disputes Redressal organisation (NCDRC) is a quasi-judicial organisation in India, established in 1988 under the Consumer Protection Act of 1986. Its headquarters is in New Delhi. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct.
• Mandate: To provide inexpensive, speedy, and summary redressal of consumer disputes.
• In accordance with Rule 3(12)(a) of the Tribunal (Conditions of Service) Rules, 2021, the Commission is presided over by a sitting or retired Judge of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India or a sitting or retired Chief Justice of an Hon’ble High Court. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
• Section 23 of the Consumer Protection Act of 1986 states that any individual aggrieved by an NCDRC order may file an appeal with the Supreme Court of India within 30 days.
• NCDRC shall have jurisdiction to entertain a complaint valued more than two crore and also have appellate and revisional jurisdiction from the orders of State Commissions or the District fora as the case may be.
• The provisions of this act cover ‘goods’ as well as ‘services’.
• Who Can File a Complaint: A complaint may be filed by the following:
  • A consumer
  • Any voluntary consumer association registered under the Companies Act 1956
  • The Central Government or any State Government
  • One or more consumers where there are numerous consumers.
• Appeal: Any person aggrieved by an order of NCDRC, may prefer an appeal against such an order to SC within a period of 30 days.