CURRENT AFFAIRS - 06.12.2023

 

1. A ripple effect of electoral loss INDIA meet deferred A meeting of the top leaders of the INDIA opposition bloc has been deferred to the third week of December after some of them expressed their inability to attend it due to their preoccupations. Another meeting convened by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence in Delhi today with the floor leaders of the INDIA constituents in Parliament will, however, go ahead according to its schedule to formulate the opposition strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Meanwhile, the JDU reiterated that Bihar CM Nitish could be the PM face of the INDIA bloc. Why The decision was taken as some leaders of the bloc, including Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, said they will not be able to attend Wednesday's meeting. Nitish reportedly said he was unwell while his Tamil Nadu counterpart, MK Stalin, expressed inability to attend Wednesday's meeting due to the cyclone that has hit the southern state. Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, is busy with a family wedding, the sources said. SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said, "The SP president has no plans to attend the meeting of the INDIA bloc on Wednesday. Ram Gopal Yadav or any other leader authorised by the national president will go for the meeting." What it means This puts a question mark on the sustainability of the INDIA bloc just months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls likely in April-May 2024. This comes a day after the BJP emerged victorious in the elections in three Hindi heartland states — Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh — while the Congress won the poll battle in Telangana. There have been rumblings within the INDIA bloc after the Congress's electoral loss in the three Hindi heartland states, with the SP, which was miffed after being ignored in seat sharing, expressing its displeasure openly.

2. Revanth ready for a new role Next Telangana CM is... Telangana Congress chief A Revanth Reddy, who switched from the TDP in 2017 and spearheaded the successful electoral campaign against the BRS, was on Tuesday named as the new chief minister of the state. Announcing the decision at the party headquarters here on Tuesday, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said the swearing-in of the 54-year-old leader will take place on December 7 in Hyderabad. Venugopal, however, did not say who all would join the government. After a tussle Reddy's name was cleared following stiff opposition to his candidature by a section of the Telangana Congress for the past two days. The names of at least two candidates were doing rounds the CM post — Dalit leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, and N Uttam Kumar Reddy. Uttam Kumar was a formidable aspirant, having been a seven-time MLA. An ex-Air Force pilot, he was the Congress's state chief till Revanth Reddy took over. And he declared earlier on Tuesday that he was in the running for the CM post. The opponents argued that the Congress did not win any assembly seat in Malkajgiri, which Revanth Reddy represented in Parliament. They also alleged that Revanth Reddy had a cash-for-vote case against him. What worked for Revanth Reddy Revanth Reddy enjoyed the support of 42 of the 64 newly elected Congress MLAs despite concern that the party enjoyed just a slim majority in the 119-member Telangana Assembly. This meant that a walkout by even five MLAs could destabilise his government during the vote of confidence. But the Congress leadership backed Revanth Reddy. Reddy, 54, has been credited with bringing the Congress to victory in Telangana to pave the way for the first non-BRS government in the state. Outgoing CM K Chandrasekhar Rao has led the government in Telangana since its formation in 2014.

3. What made Cyclone Michaung so deadly The landfall Severe cyclonic storm Michaung made landfall along the south Andhra Pradesh coast between 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm on Tuesday, with its maximum impact felt in Chennai and adjacent areas of Tamil Nadu on Monday. Michaung crossed near coastal south Andhra Pradesh's Bapatla district with maximum gales of up to 90 to100 km per hour causing heavy damage to agricultural crops in thousands of acres of farmland and to hundreds of other properties. After wreaking havoc in TN & Andhra, Michaung is causing heavy rain in southern districts of Odisha. Gajapati admin has announced holiday on Wed due to heavy rain forecast. A trail of deaths Tragically, at least 12 people lost their lives in various rain-related incidents in and around Chennai. Despite relentless rains on Monday, personnel on fishing boats and farm tractors worked diligently to rescue stranded individuals in the inundated city on Tuesday. Cyclone hotbed The Bay of Bengal is known as a cyclone hotbed, churning out intense weather systems every now and then throughout the year. Michaung, signifying strength and resilience, stands as the fourth cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal and the sixth cyclone to emerge in the Indian Ocean in 2023. Andhra Pradesh's vulnerability Andhra Pradesh, with its long coastline of 974 kilometres, is more vulnerable to cyclones compared to other disasters like drought, storm surges, and floods. According to AP State Disaster Management Authority, about 3.3 million people reside within 5 km distance from the coastline. Thus, a storm surge with even a small wavelength from the sea level affects lakhs of people living along the coast. From the devastating 'Diviseema Uppena' in 1977 and the ghastly 'Hudhud' in 2014 to 'Titli' in 2018, the frequency of weather systems has increased over the years. Unusual December Nearly 60 cyclones crossed the coast of or severely hit Andhra Pradesh in the last five decades, with about 40 of them forming in October and November alone, sparing December. Of these 60 cyclones, seven storms made their landfall in Andhra Pradesh, or neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu and Odisha, in the month of December. What experts say Cyclones are not uncommon in South Asia, but scientists say that climate change has resulted in more frequent storms, heat waves, floods and droughts.

4. A murder and a slugfest What Three armed men shot right-wing group Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena's president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi dead in the living room of his house in Jaipur on Tuesday. One of the attackers was also killed in retaliatory firing, police said. One of Gogamedi's security guards sustained bullet injuries in the exchange of fire with the assailants, who had gone to his house in the Shyam Nagar area on the pretext of meeting him, they said. Who Gogamedi formed Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena after he was expelled from Shri Rajput Karni Sena in 2015 over differences with its founder Lokendra Singh Kalvi. Both these outfits had protested against Deepika Padukone starrer "Padmaavat" in 2018 over alleged distortion of historical facts about the Rajput community. Caught on camera The incident was caught on CCTV. Joseph said, "The entire incident was captured on CCTV. We are trying to identify and trace the other two accused. Those involved in the planning of the murder will also be caught." According to preliminary information, Shekhawat used to run a shop, he said. A Congress-BJP slugfest The BJP and the Congress sparred over Gogamedi's killing, with both parties claiming that the law-and-order scenario deteriorates under the other's dispensation. Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat slammed the Congress, saying this is the adverse effect of the way "gang wars have flourished" in Rajasthan since the time of the Ashok Gehlot government. He said Gogamedi had "filed a police complaint and also warned the administration about it. But unfortunately, security was not provided at the level at which it should have been provided". Senior Congress leader Pramod Tewari claimed that the courage of criminals in Rajasthan has gone up just after the information that the BJP is coming to power in the state.

NEWS IN CLUES 5. Identify this city Clue 1: This is the first city in India to introduce an underground metro railway system. Clue 2: It has the global headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity. Clue 3: The city has the oldest and largest museum in Asia founded in 1814 Scroll below for answer

6. What explains fresh bull run at stock markets A Sensex surge Benchmark Sensex and Nifty soared to new lifetime highs on Tuesday, extending their rally for a sixth consecutive session. The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 431 points to close at a new record high of 69,296. As many as 20 Sensex scrips closed with gains. The broader index Nifty also climbed 168 points to hit its lifetime high of 20,855 with 32 of its components closing in the green. The market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms surged by more than Rs 2.5 lakh crore to cross Rs 350 lakh crore. What's pushing it up The current surge in the share markets is fueled by robust buying in power, banking and utility stocks. Analysts say the positive sentiment sees an unabated inflow of foreign funds on the back of favourable macroeconomic data in the previous week. The results of assembly polls of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are also a factory. Adani Group stocks soared up to 20% following a report that the US agency found short-seller Hindenburg Research's allegations of corporate fraud against the conglomerate were not relevant. How This surge can also be linked to recently published GDP data, showing a robust economic growth of 7.6% in the second quarter of the ongoing financial year. The GDP figures surpassed expectations. Inflation has moderated, with the consumer price index falling to 4.87% in October, and core inflation, too, easing. The victory of the BJP in the Hindi heartland has eliminated the risk of some fiscally imprudent announcements by the Modi government, months ahead of the 2024 parliamentary election. Crude oil prices have cooled, currently below $80 a barrel despite the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. The US economy is faring better than expected. The 10-year US government bond yield has fallen and inflation eased considerably there. What else Now, investors are expecting the RBI to maintain the status quo on the interest rate in its bi-monthly monetary policy decision on Friday.

7. 'Illegal migrants' problem in Assam is real but...' SC hearing Admitting that the problem of illegal immigrants faced by Assam is real, a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday, however, said the validity of the contentious Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, cannot be decided on the grounds of subsequent infiltration in the state after creation of Bangladesh in 1971. A special provision Section 6A was inserted as a special provision in the Act in 1985 to deal with the citizenship of people covered by the Assam Accord. Under this, foreigners who had entered Assam before January 1, 1966, and been "ordinarily resident" in the state, would have all the rights and obligations of Indian citizens. However, those who had entered the state between January 1, 1966, and March 25, 1971, would have the same rights and obligations except that they would not be able to vote for 10 years. What's Assam Accord? A tripartite agreement, the Assam Accord was signed by the All Assam Students' Union, the Assam government and the Centre on August 15, 1985 to detect and deport illegal immigrants. It marked the culmination of the six-year anti-foreigner agitation in the northeastern state. Is Section 6A unconstitutional? Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha, a Guwahati-based civil society organisation, first challenged this provision in 2012, terming it as arbitrary, discriminatory and unconstitutional claiming it provides different dates for regularising illegal migrants in Assam. A batch of pleas As many as 17 petitions are pending in the SC. On Tuesday, lawyers representing the petitioners argued that the effect of the provision has been devastating in the state with migrants growing in numbers changing the whole demography of the state and leading to frequent clashes. Citing studies and government reports, they submitted that there has been consistent growth in the number of Bengali-speaking Muslim population in Assam, posing a threat to the existence of the indigenous population. What SC says The SC bench hearing the matter pointed out that the population of Bengali-speaking Muslims grew most during the 1991-2001 period, which was 27%. "We are not belittling what has been said in the reports but the problem, you are pointing out, happened 1991 onwards and 1991-01 was the critical decade," the bench said, adding that the successive governments have failed to stop the infiltration.

8. A downgrade for China by Moody's What Moody's Investors Service cut its outlook for Chinese sovereign bonds to negative, underscoring deepening global concerns about the level of debt in the world's second-largest economy. Why now Moody's cites China's utilization of fiscal stimulus to support local governments and the escalating property downturn as key factors posing risks to the nation's economy, contributing to the negative outlook. What China says China's government expressed disappointment, emphasizing economic resilience and control over the property downturn's impact, disputing Moody's assessment. Previous downgrade Moody's last downgraded China's credit rating in 2017, citing the likelihood of a substantial rise in economy-wide debt. The recent negative outlook revision reflects ongoing concerns about China's debt sustainability. Global ratings Earlier this year, Fitch Ratings mentioned a possible reconsideration of China's A+ sovereign credit score. S&P Global Ratings has maintained China's ratings at A+ with a stable outlook since its last downgrade in 2017. Challenges for China's economy China faces economic struggles in 2023, with weaker-than-expected recovery from Covid policies and a deepening property crisis, unemployment, and a global economic downturn necessitating more government intervention. Moody's now expects China's annual GDP growth to be at 4% in 2024 and 2025 and at an average of 3.8% between 2026 and 2030. And a surging India In a significant development for the global economy, S&P Global Ratings has forecasted that India is on a trajectory to become the world's third-largest economy by 2030. India's rise as an economic powerhouse is significant in the global economic landscape, especially as it contrasts with China's slowing growth. India's GDP is expected to grow at 6.4%-6.8% this fiscal year, accelerating to 7% by 2026. In contrast, China's growth is projected to slow to 4.6% by 2026. For more

9. Why global warming is here to stay What The decade 2011-20 was the warmest decade on record and each decade since the 1990s has been warmer than the previous one with no immediate sign of reversing of this trend, a new report by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) released at the UN climate conference here said on Tuesday. Wet decade The report characterises the 2011-2020 decade as a "wet decade" for northwest India, Pakistan, China, and the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, indicating a trend of increased precipitation. Extreme warm days The occurrence of extreme warm days during 2011-2020 was approximately twice the 1961-1990 average in several regions, including southeast Asia, Europe, southern Africa, Mexico, and eastern Australia. The global mean temperature for the period 2011-2020 was 1.10 ± 0.12 degree C above the 1850-1900 avg and more countries reported record high temperatures than in any other decade. Impact on India Extreme weather events in India, such as the devastating floods in Uttarakhand in 2013 and the widespread flooding during the country's two wettest monsoon seasons in 2019 and 2020, causing over 2000 flood-related deaths as per the report. Socio-economic toll Droughts in the decade inflicted significant socioeconomic and humanitarian consequences globally. Widespread crop failures (ranging from 10% to 100% in surveyed districts) compelled households to heavily rely on India's Public Distribution System (PDS) for essential food grains. Glacial thinning The report also notes alarming trends, including glacial thinning worldwide and a 75% increase in ice loss from the Antarctic continental ice sheet between 2011-2020 compared to 2001-2010, contributing to rising sea levels. Meanwhile The provisional annual report for 2023, released during COP28, predicts that 2023 is on track to become the warmest year on record, reflecting the ongoing impact of climate change. Call for serious action With global carbon dioxide emissions reaching 36.8 billion metric tonnes in 2023, WMO deputy secretary general Elena Manaenkova urged a more serious commitment to address climate change at the international level.

10. You share your b'day with... Source: Various

Answer To NEWS IN CLUES Kolkata: Kolkata has been ranked as the safest city in India for the third consecutive year, reporting the lowest number of cognizable offenses per lakh population, according to the National Crime Records Bureau's 'Crime in India 2022' report. In 2022, the city recorded 86.5 cases per lakh people, with Pune and Hyderabad following at 280.7 and 299.2 respectively. Cognizable crimes include those registered under the Indian Penal Code and Special and Local Laws. COURTESY : TIMES TOP 10