9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – October 21st, 2022

Posted on October 21st, 2022 Last modified on October 22nd, 2022 Comments Views : 899

Dear Friends,

We have initiated some changes in the 9 PM Brief and other postings related to current affairs. What we sought to do:

Ensure that all relevant facts, data, and arguments from today’s newspaper are readily available to you.
We have widened the sources to provide you with content that is more than enough and adds value not just for GS but also for essay writing. Hence, the 9 PM brief now covers the following newspapers:
1. The Hindu
2. Indian Express
3. Livemint
4. Business Standard
5. Times of India
6. Down To Earth
7. PIB
We have also introduced the relevance part to every article. This ensures that you know why a particular article is important.
Since these changes are new, so initially the number of articles might increase, but they’ll go down over time.
It is our endeavor to provide you with the best content and your feedback is essential for the same. We will be anticipating your feedback and ensure the blog serves as an optimal medium of learning for all the aspirants.
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Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

This Hindi – and Hindi alone – counsel is flawed

Source– The post is based on the article “This Hindi – and Hindi alone – counsel is flawed” published in The Hindu on 21st October 2022.

Syllabus: GS1- Regionalism. GS2- Indian Constitution

Relevance– Regionalism based on language

News- The article explains the need for continuation of English as an official language. It also explains constitutional and statutory provisions related to language.

What are the recommendations of the official language committee?

Hindi should replace English as the language of examinations for recruitment to the government.

Hindi should be the only medium of instruction in Kendriya Vidyalayas, IITs, IIMs and central universities.

It should be constitutionally binding on State governments to propagate Hindi.

What is the official language committee?

The official language committee is a statutory committee constituted under Official Language Act, 1963.

Its duty is to review the progress made in the use of Hindi for the official purposes of the Union and submit a report to the President. Committee’s recommendations are required to be acted upon by the government.

What are the constitutional provisions related to language?

Article 343 of the Constitution declares that Hindi in Devanagari script shall be the official language of the Union. The English language will continue for 15 years from the commencement of the Constitution.

Parliament may provide by law that English will continue even after the period of 15 years. Parliament enacted the official languages Act in 1963. It provided for the continuance of English indefinitely as official language along with Hindi for the official purposes of the Union and for transaction of business in Parliament.

What can be the consequences of Hindi imposition?

Language is an emotive issue. It has the potential to divide people. It was evident in violent protests in southern India during the 1960s when the Union tried to replace English with Hindi.

Once Hindi replaces English, the language used in the examination for recruitment to the all India services will be Hindi alone. Therefore, candidates from the non-Hindi States, the south in particular, will face a great disadvantage.

India has two major groups of languages, the Indo-European language group and the Dravidian language group. It was English which brought the northern and southern regions together. If Hindi is imposed, it may be a threat to the unity of India.

Why is it necessary to continue with English language use?

It is necessary to address the concerns of the people of the southern region on account of language. The overwhelming public opinion in the south is that English should continue as one of the official languages.

The mood of the Constituent Assembly was in large measure influenced by the freedom struggle, the nationalistic aspirations and Gandhiji’s strong advocacy of a national language.

That mood slowly changed over the years as India began interacting with the world.

English was crucial in acquiring knowledge in science and technology as well as in other fields of human activity.

In these circumstances, the policymakers should seriously think of making the constitutional provisions that Hindi and English should be the official languages of the Union. Other countries like Canada also have two official languages.

GS Paper 2

Death of a worker: Qatar deaths should prod a reorienting of public policy for migrant workers

Source– The post is based on the article “Death of a worker: Qatar deaths should prod a reorienting of public policy for migrant workers” published in The Indian Express on 21st October 2022.

Syllabus: GS2- Indian diaspora

Relevance– India relations with gulf countries

News- The article explains the issues faced by migrant workers in Gulf countries.

An investigation by the Indian Express has found that at least 40 people have died in Qatar since 2010 when FIFA awarded World Cup 2022 to the Gulf kingdom. These deaths are under-reported by authorities in Qatar.

What are the issues faced by migrant workers in gulf countries?

Over 8 million Indians live and work in the Gulf countries and their annual remittances constitute over $25 billion. A majority of them are semi-skilled or unskilled. Hence they are vulnerable to exploitation by employers.

Many of them are recruited through the visa sponsorship system. It ties a foreign worker’s residency permit to an employer. This system is exploited by agents and employers to recruit labours desperate for employment.

The administrations in Gulf nations are non-transparent. It does not recognise labour rights.

The availability of cheap and footloose global labour also reduces their bargaining power.

What is the way forward?

The Responsibility of ensuring the well-being of the migrant workforce also lies with the both Union and state governments in India.

The migrants should be provided pre-departure training. It will help inform migrant workers about their rights and equip them to deal with crises at labour sites and camps.

Indian embassies need to prioritise the concerns of migrant workers. The Centre could start a conversation with governments in the Gulf on improving oversight in contract enforcement and labour welfare.

The governments at Union and state levels should learn from best practices followed by some states. Kerala is one such example. It has created institutional checks and systems to build a safety net for migrant workers.

The nodal agency for non-resident Keralites, NORKA ROOTS offers personal accident insurance cover upto Rs 4 lakh and critical care coverage of Rs 1 lakh. It also liaison with Gulf-based community organisations and the government in critical situations.

Global Hunger Index: A lesson in how not to measure hunger

Source– The post is based on the article “Global Hunger Index: A lesson in how not to measure hunger” published in The Indian Express on 21st October 2022.

Syllabus: GS2- Issues related to hunger

Relevance– Estimation of hunger and malnutrition

News- The article explains the issue with the Global Hunger Index.

In the recently released Global Hunger Index. India ranked 107 out of 123 countries.

What are the issues related with methodology of Global Hunger Index?

About a third of the index rests on the Food and Agricultural Organisation’s estimates of the proportion of undernourished in the population. These estimates are based on Gallup World Poll’s survey of 3,000 households in India.

The sample of the Gallup survey is small and not representative. There is a lack of transparency as data used by gallup surveys is not available in the public domain.

FAO has not released standard errors for their estimates. It makes it difficult for us to evaluate whether data is statistically significant.

Does this index genuinely measure hunger?

The index rests on four indicators: Proportion of undernourished in the population, under-five mortality rate, prevalence of stunting and wasting in children under five. The last three indicators come from the National Family Health Survey for India.

First indicator identifies the proportion experiencing hunger. But the latter three are only partially related to hunger.

Child mortality depends heavily on a country’s disease climate and public health systems. Many child deaths are associated with conditions surrounding birth, congenital conditions, or delivery complications. These are not necessarily markers of hunger.

The relationship between stunting, wasting and hunger is not apparent. UNICEF says that poverty is not a clear cause of stunting as there are stunted children even among the wealthiest households.

Various factors contribute to stunting, such as infant and child care practices, hygiene, dietary diversity and cultural practices surrounding maternal diet during pregnancy. Wasting is associated both with recent illness and low food intake.

Recent year trends of three indicators show their different patterns. NFHS surveys show that the child mortality rate fell from 95 deaths per thousand in 1998 to 40 per thousand in 2019. Child stunting decline was also substantial, from 51.5% to 35.5%. Wasting has not changed. It was 19.5% in 19988 and 19.3% in 2019.

What are the impacts of too much focus upon this index?

It directs governmental attention to cross-national comparisons. It leads to neglect of underlying issues.

Amartya Sen has also expressed concerns that concentrating too much on the Human Development Index or any other index would be a great mistake.

GS Paper 3

Stubble burning: Addressing north India’s burning issue sustainably

Source: The post is based on the article “Addressing north India’s burning issue sustainably” published in The Hindu on 21st October 2022.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Environment

Relevance: Ways to address the issue of stubble burning

News: Stubble burning is a major problem in North India and every year it is in the news around winter.

The government generally comes up with short-term solutions and farmers are mostly held responsible for the stubble burning causing low-quality air in North India.

However, it is not suitable to blame farmers for the action as stubble burning has a historic reason behind it.

What were the reasons that caused the stubble burning?

The green revolution was one of the main reasons behind stubble burning. It was introduced in the 1960s-70s to fulfil the food demand of the growing population. It transformed the way agriculture was practised, especially in Punjab and Haryana.

Under the green revolution, high-yielding seeds of wheat and paddy were given to farmers with the support of a guaranteed buyer (the government) and minimum support prices. This led to two crops (wheat and paddy) dominance in the market.

However, these two crops depleted the groundwater of the region, increased the use of pesticides and fertilizers. It also led to the consolidation of small farms into larger landholdings.

Therefore, the Punjab and Haryana governments introduced laws to conserve groundwater. The government encouraged farmers to look to the monsoon rather than groundwater to irrigate their crops.

The wait for the monsoon water provided a shorter period between harvesting kharif crops and sowing rabi crops. Due to the shorter period, farmers prefer to burn the stubble and clear the fields for the rabi crops.

The effect of stubble burning is felt throughout the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) including Bihar and West Bengal.

It has severe effects on the air quality of the NCR which has caused the government to criminalize the act.

Moreover, the government has also taken various other steps to tackle the issue.

What are the steps taken by the government?

The Union and State governments have taken various short-term ex-situ and in-situ solutions.

In-situ solutions include happy seeders and bio-decomposers while the ex-situ solutions include collecting and using stubble to produce ethanol or to simply burn in thermal power plants.

However, these solutions are not very effective in improving the situation.

What can be the possible solution to tackle stubble burning?

First, the entire value chain of agriculture in the region needs to change in the region of Punjab and Haryana.

This means that the amount of paddy grown should be reduced and replaced by other crops that are agro-ecologically suitable such as cotton, maize, pulses and oil seeds.

Second, there is a need to build trust with farmers and to ensure that they are seen as partners and they should be provided necessary solutions like financial support to shift from paddy to other corps.

Third, the government should come up with a policy that aims at sustainable development and include all aspects such as agriculture, nutrition, water, environment and economy as they all are interconnected.

Read more: Reducing air pollution: Stubble burning needs economic solutions

Sustainability is good for business as well as the planet

Source: The post is based on the article “Sustainability is good for business as well as the planet” published in Live Mint on 21st October 2022.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Environment

Relevance: Adopting technologies for decarbonization

News: Climate change has been an important phenomenon these days that countries are looking into as it not only affects the environment but also society and the economy.

Therefore, organizations across the world are making commitments to decarbonize by adopting different technologies and sustainable business strategies.

Moreover, the pandemic did affect the Sustainable Development Goals achievement but it also showed the way to reduce carbon emissions.

How did the pandemic highlighted the technologies for decarbonization?

The pandemic made employees to work from home using internet services. This work-from-home has become a culture even after the pandemic.

Working from home not only cuts the cost of the firms, but it also helps in reducing carbon footprint.

According to the studies, both small and large enterprises can reduce their per-user carbon footprint from 30% to 90% by just moving to cloud computing.

Further, firms can also use a ‘sustainability calculator’ to track greenhouse gas emissions arising from their cloud use.

Therefore, firms can adopt sustainable technologies for decarbonization. Some of the firms have already proceeded in this direction.

How firms are adopting technologies for decarbonization?

Building technologies: The adoption of smart buildings has increased the productivity of the assets, made energy utilization more efficient and created accessible and secure spaces using technologies like the Internet-of-Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), etc. For example, 500-acre campus with 125 buildings can save 6-10% of energy and can address 48% of faults in less than a minute using technology.

Intelligent manufacturing: The adoption of technology is helping manufacturers to decarbonize their core operation, reduce emissions across their supply chain and create a product with the help of digital technologies. These technologies also increase the movement of goods in supply chains and reduce waste. For example, Siemens Gamesa saved 6,000 hours a year at just one facility by using cloud, IoT and Bluetooth technology for equipment searches.

Banking: A study showed that customers prefer banks with better sustainability records demonstrated by their ESG (environment, social, governance) initiatives. For example, Flowe (a digital bank) went beyond banking to integrate green living and personal health goals into its services. Thus, including sustainability in business goals can help improvement in banks.

Agriculture: Technology is playing an important role in helping farmers and producer companies to sow seeds at the right time, and manage soil parameters using IoT among others. Technology also helps procurers to optimize the supply chain using IoT.

Further, there are various industries (healthcare, energy, etc.) where technology is helping to achieve the objective in a sustainable way.

Therefore, it is important for industries to adopt sustainable technology to tackle climate change.

Green hydrogen and capturing atmospheric CO2: Does a bright future lie beyond the gloomy economic horizon?

Source: The post is based on an article “Does a bright future lie beyond the gloomy economic horizon?” published in Live Mint on 21st October 2022.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Environment

Relevance: Green hydrogen and capturing CO2 from the air

News: This article discusses the sustainable measures required to address the current economic situation

What is the current economic condition of India, and what is needed to improve it?

The economic condition of India is not good as the growth is declining with high inflation. Unemployment and underemployment are expected to worsen unless India achieves growth of 7-8%.

As per Chief Economic Advisor V. Anantha Nageswaran, the repeated efforts of India to boost the economy have failed due to the prevailing economic shocks (Ukraine war, high fuel prices, dollar/rupee rate, etc.)

Therefore, according to him, India will grow by over 6% if these effects of the shock decrease and it is further expected to grow by 8% if external demands increase.

India grows exceptionally fast whenever the world is growing exceptionally fast. Therefore, achieving a growth of 8% or so will depend on the state of the global economy.

Why climate action is crucial for long-term global economic conditions?

The long-term global economic condition will depend on the climate action taken by countries around the world as global warming is an emerging threat to humanity.

Countries have already started taking efforts towards global warming by developing new technologies. However, green hydrogen and CO2 captured from the air hold an important position among all technologies.

What is green hydrogen, and what are its uses?

Green hydrogen refers to hydrogen produced through the electrolysis of water using renewable power.

Hydrogen is already used in industrial production, but the use of green hydrogen has just started in the industries.

The cost of producing green hydrogen was a concern, but it has declined from $6/kg in 2015 to an estimated $3/kg by 2025 and more countries are looking to switch to green hydrogen with increasing investments in it.

It has a wide range of application in industries including steel, cement, ammonia for fertilizers, home cooking and heating, etc.

It is expected that the market for green hydrogen could grow to over $1 trillion by 2050.

The shift to green hydrogen will reduce CO2 emissions. However, it is not carbon-neutral or carbon negative which is required to combat global warming.

Must read: Green Hydrogen Policy – Explained, pointwise

What is required to capture CO2 from the atmosphere?

Countries are developing new technology to capture CO2 emitted from industries or from the air. The technology will break down and convert the CO2 molecule for use in products such as fuels, plastics and other polymers, building materials, etc.

However, developing technology which synthetically reproduces the natural photosynthesis process of plants and directly consumes CO2 from the air will be useful. This technology exists, but there is a need to improve it and increase its production.

Moreover, direct carbon capture is a startup industry which is expected to grow $550 billion by 2040.

What are the challenges and way forward?

The challenge is to bring huge investments into these technologies and increase its production at the required rate to reverse global warming.

Further, huge investments in these technologies could bring new investment boom and a new wave of other product and process innovations could drive a new phase of high global economic growth.

The Rs 40,000-crore defence challenge

Source– The post is based on the article “The Rs 40,000-crore defence challenge” published in the Business Standard on 21st October 2022.

Syllabus: GS3- Security

Relevance– Defence manufacturing

News- The article explains the steps taken by the Indian government to boost defence and aerospace exports.

Prime Minister Modi gave a call to the aerospace and defence industry to achieve an annual export target of Rs 40,000 crore.

Defence Production Policy of 2018 aims to increase defence exports more than 10-fold from the existing level of Rs 2,000-3,000 crore annually to over Rs 35,000 crore.

Defence exports have multiplied eight times in the past five years. It has reached to 13000 crore this year.

What steps have been taken by the government?

The government has created a policy framework for boosting aerospace and defence exports.

Defence attaches posted at Indian embassies abroad have been tasked with seeking opportunities for military exports to their host countries.

The government has created a liberalised trade environment for defence exports by eliminating structural obstacles to trade in arms.

India has already obtained entry into three of the four global export control regimes: The Missile Technology Control Regime, the Wassenaar Arrangement, and the Australia Group. It is making efforts for entry into NSG.

It has offered some neighbouring countries like Myanmar, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka credit lines to purchase Indian defence equipment.

Defence PSUs are now required to have 25% of their turnover in exports.

A nodal agency, the Indigenous Defence Equipment Exporters Association has been set up for processing defence export inquiries from prospective customers across the globe.

What is the way forward?

Instead of focusing on the export of low-value consumables such as ammunition, spare parts and aerospace components, India needs to concentrate on high-value, complex combat platforms.

Defence forces should take a lead in inducting indigenous weaponry like Tejas fighters, the light combat helicopters, Dhruv and Rudra helicopters, the Arjun tank, Akash air defence systems.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

PM launches Mission LiFE in the presence of U.N. Secretary General

Source: The post is based on the following articles

a. “PM launches Mission LiFE in the presence of U.N. Secretary General” published in The Hindu on 20th October 2022.

b. “PM launches Mission LiFE at Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar, Kevadia, Gujarat” published in PIB on 20th October 2022.

What is the News?

The Prime Minister in the presence of the U.N Secretary-General has launched ‘Mission LiFE’.

What is the concept of LIFE?

LIFE stands for LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment).

The concept of LiFE was introduced by the Prime Minister —at COP26 in Glasgow on 1 November 2021.

It aims to nudge individuals and communities to practice a lifestyle that is synchronous with nature and does not harm it. Those who practice such a lifestyle are recognised as Pro Planet People.

On 5 June 2022, on World Environment Day, India furthered the vision of LiFE by launching the LiFE Global Movement inviting academicians, researchers and start-ups across the world to think about specific and scientific ways in which the full potential of collective action can be harnessed to address the environmental crisis.

What is Mission LIFE?

Mission LiFE seeks to translate the vision of LiFE into measurable impact.

Aim: It is designed with the objective to mobilize at least one billion Indians and other global citizens to take individual and collective action for protecting and conserving the environment in the period 2022–28.

– Within India, at least 80% of all villages and urban local bodies are aimed to become environment-friendly by 2028.

Duration: The mission is a 5-year programme.

Strategy: The Mission LiFE aims at following a three-pronged strategy 1) Nudging individuals to practise simple yet effective environment-friendly actions in their daily lives (demand), 2) Enabling industries and markets to respond swiftly to the changing demand (supply) and 3) Influence government and industrial policy to support both sustainable consumption and production (policy).

Implemented by: The mission will be incubated, curated and piloted by NITI Aayog and subsequently implemented by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Significance: Mission LiFE emboldens the spirit of the P3 model, i.e. Pro Planet People, as it is premised on the basic principles of ‘Lifestyle of the planet, for the planet and by the planet’.

India’s contributions against Climate Change: The annual per capita carbon footprint in the country is only about 1.5 tons, compared to the world average of 4 tons per year.

India has the fourth-largest capacity for renewable energy in the world.

India is ranked fourth in wind energy and fifth in solar energy. India’s renewable energy capacity has increased by about 290 % in the last 7-8 years.

India has also achieved the target of 40% of the electric capacity from non-fossil-fuel sources nine years ahead of the deadline.

Forest Conservation Rules infringe upon land rights of tribes people: ST panel chief

Source: The post is based on the article “Forest Conservation Rules infringe upon land rights of tribes people: ST panel chief” published in The Hindu on 21st October 2022.

What is the News?

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has asked the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MoEFCC) to put on hold the Forest Conservation Rules 2022.

What are the Forest Conservation Rules,2022?

Forest Conservation Rules 2022 were issued by the Environment Ministry under the Forest Conservation Act.

Click Here to read more

What was NCST’s reaction to the rules?

NCST formed a six-member working group to look into whether the rules violated any provisions in the Forest Rights Act (FRA) and if they infringed upon the rights of tribal people, according to officials.

Based on the conclusion of the working group, NCST has asked the Ministry of Environment to put on hold the Forest Conservation Rules 2022.

This is because these rules eliminate the requirement of consent of local tribes and forest dwellers for the diversion of forest land for other purposes. This would amount to infringing upon the land rights of tribespeople under the Forest Rights Act.

It has also asked the government to focus on implementing the rules framed in 2017 and put on hold the new rules.

What is the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST)?

NCST was set up in 2004 by amending Article 338 and by inserting a new article 338A in the Constitution through the 89th Constitution Amendment Act, 2003.

Objective: To oversee the implementation of various safeguards provided to STs under the Constitution or under any other law for time being in force or under any other order to the Government and to evaluate the working of such safeguards.

Composition: It consists of a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson and 3 other Members who are appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal. At least one member should be a woman.

Term: The Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson and the other Members hold office for a term of 3 years. The members are not eligible for appointment for more than two terms.

Status: The Chairperson has been given the rank of Union Cabinet Minister, the Vice Chairperson has the rank of a Minister of State and other Members have the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.

Explained | Saving the vultures of Tamil Nadu

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained | Saving the vultures of Tamil Nadu” published in The Hindu on 21st October 2022.

What is the News?

The Tamil Nadu government has formed a committee to set up an institutional framework for the effective conservation of vultures.

It has also banned the use of diclofenac, a drug, to treat cattle while there are strict restrictions on the sale of other NSAIDs in the Nilgiris, Erode and Coimbatore districts.

Which Vultures are found in Tamil Nadu?

Tamil Nadu boasts the largest population of vultures south of the Vindhya Mountain Range.

It is home to four species of vultures — the white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis), long-billed vultures (Gyps indicus), the Asian king-vulture (Sarcogyps calvus) and the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus).

Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, parts of the Nilgiris forest division and the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve are crucial strongholds for the vultures in southern India.

Nilgiris, Erode and Coimbatore districts are believed to form one of the largest contiguous expanses where vultures are spotted.

Are vulture populations in Tamil Nadu decreasing?

The population of the vultures in the Nilgiris, Erode and Coimbatore districts have remained largely stable.

But the experts state that the numbers are still extremely low and that even a single poisoning event could lead to several of the species going locally extinct.

For instance, the use of some Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) to treat cattle, such as diclofenac, nimesulide, and ketoprofen among others has led to the crash in vulture populations across India.

What role do vultures play in the local ecosystem?

As scavengers, vultures help prevent the spread of many diseases and can remove toxins from entering the environment by consuming carcasses of dead cattle/wildlife before they decompose. Unfortunately, their tolerance for harmful substances does not extend to man-made drugs.

What are the challenges faced by Vultures in Tamil Nadu?

Firstly, temple tourism in the Sigur plateau is centred primarily around vulture habitats, such as Siriyur, Anaikatty and Bokkapuram. Over the last few years, there have been recorded instances of vultures abandoning nesting sites located too close to temples inside these reserves.

Secondly, the spread of invasive weeds such as the Lantana camara in vulture landscapes, which hinders the birds from scavenging as their large wing spans require plenty of open areas to safely land and to take to the skies in case of any major threats.

Finally, due to the illegal tapping of water along the streams running through these areas, possible climate change, and forest fires, the Terminalia arjuna trees, which many vultures use as nesting sites, are disappearing.

AIIMS issues SOPs for treating sitting Members of Parliament

Source: The post is based on the article “AIIMS issues SOPs for treating sitting Members of Parliament” published in The Hindu on 21st October 2022.

What is the News?

AIIMS, New Delhi has issued a standard operating procedure (SOPs) for streamlining the medical care arrangements for sitting Members of Parliament.

What is the SOP issued by AIIMS for treating sitting members of Parliament?

The SOP is aimed at streamlining treatment arrangements for sitting Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for the out-patient department, emergency consultation and in-patient hospitalization.

Key Provisions of SOP: Duty Officers will be available in the control room round the clock for OPD and emergency consultation and inpatient hospitalization of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs.

– Special phone and landline numbers which will be made available for the MPs to contact officials and doctors of the All India Institute of Medical Science.

– In case an MP requires OPD consultation from a speciality or super-speciality department, the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha Secretariat or personal staff of the lawmaker will contact the Duty Officer and provide the details about the ailment and doctor to be consulted.

– For in-patient hospitalization of an MP, the treating faculty will send a brief note to the Medical Superintendent on the ailment, the proposed line of management, and the expected duration of stay.

What are the objections raised against this?

The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the new set of standard operating procedures (SOP).

It has stated that these new rules go against the culture of AIIMS and promote “VIP culture”.

It also adversely affects the morale of doctors and added that inequality in terms of healthcare was unacceptable.

Union Minister launches National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage and the pilot project of Balvatika 49 KendriyaVidyalayas across the country

Source: The post is based on the article “Union Minister launches National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage and the pilot project of Balvatika 49 Kendriya Vidyalayas across the country” published in PIB on 20th October 2022.

What is the News?

The Minister for Education has released the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for foundational stage (children aged 3 to 8 years) education.

He also launched ‘Balvatika’ at Kendriya Vidyalayas.

What is the National Curriculum Framework?

National Curriculum Framework essentially serves as a guideline for syllabus, textbooks and teaching practices for the Education system in India.

NCF is usually published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

NCF has been revised a total of 4 times – 1975, 1988, 2000 and 2005. NCF 2022 would be the fifth revision of the framework.

About the NCF 2022

NCF-2022 has four sections — a) The National Curriculum Framework for School Education, b) The National Curriculum Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education, c) The National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education and d) The National Curriculum Framework for Adult Education.

The framework includes the ‘panchakosha’ concept for education with five components: 1) Physical development (sharirik vikas), 2) Development of life energy (pranik vikas), 3) Emotional and mental development (manasik vikas), 4) Intellectual development (bauddhik vikas) and 5) Spiritual Development (chaitsik vikas).

It uses ‘play,’ at the core of the conceptual, operational and transactional approaches to curriculum organization, pedagogy, time and content organization, and the overall experience of the child.

What are the recommendations and observations made by NCF 2022?

Observations: Currently there is a learning crisis in India, as children are enrolled in primary school but are failing to attain basic skills such as foundational literacy and numeracy.

– Only 50.9% of the students admitted to Grade 1 in 2020-21 had prior preschool experience.

Recommendations: Mother tongue will be the primary medium of instruction in both public and private schools for children up to the age of 8 because learning a new language reverses the entire learning process in the early years.

– English could be one of the second language options. However, it avoids providing any specific timetable for introducing English.

– Children in the age group of 3 to 8 should not be burdened with textbooks. In the last two years of the foundational stage, or ages 6 to 8 years, simple and attractive textbooks can be considered.

What are Balvatikas?

Balvatika Classes for students in the age groups of 3+, 4+ and 5+ years of age are being introduced in a set of 49 Kendriya Vidyalayas.

Since more than 85% of a child’s cumulative brain development occurs prior to the age of 6, providing appropriate care to stimulate their brain and support their physical and emotional development is essential for every child.

Indigenous UAV Rustom-2 to complete user trials by August 2023

Source: The post is based on the article “Indigenous UAV Rustom-2 to complete user trials by August 2023” published in The Hindu on 21st October 2022.

What is the News?

India’s indigenously developed Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Rustom-2 is expected to complete all user trials by August 2023.

What is Rustom-2?

Rustom 2 is a medium altitude long endurance(MALE) Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

It is also known as Tapas-BH (Tactical Airborne Platform for Aerial Surveillance-Beyond Horizon 201).

Developed by: Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), an arm of DRDO with the production partners being Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Ltd.

Purpose: It is being developed to carry out surveillance and reconnaissance(ISR) roles and is also capable of carrying different combinations of advanced payloads and capable of auto-landing among others.

Significance of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAV): High-endurance UAVs are a priority requirement for the armed forces especially in the standoff with China in Eastern Ladakh.

– The armed forces rely heavily on the Israeli Searcher and Heron drones and need more such UAVs. The Services have embarked on a major upgrade project of the Heron UAVs.

– A separate proposal for 30 armed Predator drones, 10 for each Service from the U.S. is also in advanced stages.

Mission DefSpace: We have to work fast to solve various challenges in space technology:PM

Source: The post is based on the article “We have to work fast to solve various challenges in space technology:PM” published in The Hindu on 19th October 2022.

What is the News?

Prime Minister has launched ‘Mission DefSpace’ at the ongoing DefExpo.He also unveiled the HTT-40 (Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40) indigenous trainer aircraft.

What is Mission DefSpace?

Aim: To develop innovative solutions for the three Services (Indian airforce, Navy and Army) in the space domain through the Indian industry and start-ups.

– To develop a range of military applications for space warfare and to enable the private industries to offer solutions to the armed forces for future offensive and defensive requirements.

Under the mission, 75 challenges are being opened to get innovative solutions, based on the defence requirements in the space domain.

– Startups, innovators and the private sector will be invited to find solutions for the problems that will include both offensive and defensive capabilities.

What is HTT-40 Indigenous Trainer Aircraft?

HTT-40 is a basic training aircraft developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

It will replace the ageing fleet of HAL HPT-32 Deepak trainers that are in service with the IAF.

Features: It takes off from a short distance and has a high climb rate.

– It has a maximum speed of 450km/h and can reach a maximum distance of 1,000 km. The stall speed with flaps down is 135 km/h.

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with Ministry of Home Affairs organises Tribal Youth Exchange Programme for the development of Tribal Yout

Source: The post is based on the article “Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with Ministry of Home Affairs organises Tribal Youth Exchange Programme for the development of Tribal Youth” published in PIB on 19th October 2022.

What is the News?

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs organised the 14th Tribal Youth Exchange Programme for the development of Tribal Youth.

What is the Tribal Youth Exchange Programme?

Organized by: Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan(NYKS) with the support of the Ministry of Home Affairs since 2006.

Aim: 1) To sensitize Tribal Youth to the Rich Cultural Heritage of India and to enable them to appreciate the concept of unity in diversity, expose them to development activities and industrial advancement and 2) To help the tribal youth to develop emotional linkages with their peer groups in other parts of the country and enhance their self-esteem.

Significance: The tribes who are residing in the remote corners of the nation do not have access to first-hand information about what is happening elsewhere in the country. With more interaction of students and youth communities with their peer groups in other parts of the country, the gap can be bridged. Tribal youth exchange programmes are designed to facilitate such interactions.

German Chancellor says Russia using ‘scorched-earth tactics’: What is this strategy

Source: The post is based on the article “German Chancellor says Russia using ‘scorched-earth tactics’: What is this strategy” published in Indian Express on 20th October 2022.

What is the News?

The German Chancellor has said that the Russian President was using “energy and hunger” as weapons but his “scorched earth tactics” would not help Russia win the war over Ukraine.

What are scorched earth tactics?

Scorched earth tactics form part of a military strategy which seeks to destroy anything that could be of use to the enemy, including energy supplies, bridges, provision stores, agricultural fields, road and railway links etc.

The destruction could be carried out by the enemy or by the retreating army of a country which does not want invaders to use its resources.

Harming civilians as part of this strategy has been banned under the 1977 Geneva Convention.

What are examples of scorched earth tactics?

Globally: A notable example of the use of this tactic came during the American Civil War in 1864 when Union General William Tecumseh Sherman and his soldiers burnt everything in sight as they marched through Confederate areas. The campaign, known as the March to the Sea played a major role in breaking the will of the Confederacy and hastening the end of the war.

India: In India, the armies of Maratha leader Chhatrapati Shivaji were known for their scorched earth tactics. Some historians have said that while the Maratha leaders looted and burnt enemy towns, they were under orders to not harm civilians or desecrate religious sites.

[social_warfare]