Methanol

Why in news?

• The United States has recalled several lots of hand sanitisers and aloe gel due to toxic methanol content, citing health risks like nausea, coma, and even death.

About

• People who may come in contact with such toxic methanol content hand sanitisers are vulnerable to several side effects including “nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, coma, seizures, permanent blindness, permanent damage to the central nervous system, or death.
• Methanol is the simplest alcohol (CH3OH) known as methyl alcohol.
• It is a chemical building block for several everyday products, including plastics, paints, car parts and construction materials.
• Methanol also is a clean energy resource used to fuel cars, trucks, buses, ships, fuel cells, boilers and cook stoves.

Adjudicating Authority Under PMLA

Why in news?

• The Adjudicating Authority under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) confirmed the attachment of assets belonging to the Congress party-promoted National Herald newspaper.

About

• The PMLA forms the core of the legal framework to combat money laundering. PMLA and the Rules notified there under came into force in 2005 .
• Section 5 of the PMLA provides for the attachment of any property that is suspected to have been acquired with the proceeds of crime in a case of any offence that is listed in the schedule of the law.
• This provisional attachment order is valid for a period of 180 days.
• It must be confirmed within this time by an Adjudicating Authority appointed by the central government, failing which the property is automatically released from attachment.
• Because the initial attachment is provisional, the accused can continue to enjoy the property until the Adjudicating Authority confirms the attachment — after which the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has the power to claim possession.