CURRENT AFFAIRS - 22.11.2023

 

1. A new lifeline for trapped workers First video The first visuals of the 41 workers trapped inside the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi emerged Tuesday, raising hopes of families anxiously awaiting their evacuation as a multi-pronged rescue effort entered its 10th day. The video, captured using an endoscopic flexi camera sent through a 6-inch pipeline, showed workers in yellow and white helmets receiving food items and speaking to the rescue teams, providing assurance about their well-being. A breakthrough A crucial development in the rescue mission was the successful construction of a 6-inch diameter pipeline through the debris in the collapsed portion of the under-construction tunnel. This pipeline facilitated the delivery of food and essential items to the trapped workers, marking a significant breakthrough in the operation. Multifrontal rescue efforts The primary emphasis of the rescue operation is on horizontal drilling over vertical drilling due to challenges posed by the rock formation. Simultaneous efforts are underway on five different fronts to rescue the trapped workers and this multi-pronged approach suggests a comprehensive strategy to address the complex rescue situation, according to Lt General (Retd) Syed Atta Hasnain, a member of National Disaster Management Authority. Earlier in the day, International Tunneling and Underground Space Association president Arnold Dix said that the 900 mm pipe-pushing is the fastest means to rescue the workers. NDRF teams are rehearsing at the site to deal with any contingency. Tunnel collapse On November 12, a collapse transpired during the construction of a tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot, entrapping 41 labourers in a 60m stretch on the Silkyara side. The workers are confined in a 2 km-built tunnel section with completed concrete work and amenities like electricity and water.

2. 'Covid vax not behind sudden deaths' What Covid-19 vaccination did not increase the risk of unexplained sudden deaths among young adults in India, concluded a comprehensive study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Tuesday. The study "Factors associated with sudden deaths among adults aged 18-45 years in India - a multicentric matched case-control study" has been published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research. Lifestyle factors The study identifies lifestyle factors such as current smoking status, alcohol use frequency, recent binge drinking, recreational drug/substance use, and vigorous-intensity activity as associated with unexplained sudden deaths. Higher frequency of alcohol use correlates with higher odds of unexplained sudden death compared to never users. Risk factors Past Covid-19 hospitalisation, family history of sudden death, recent binge drinking, use of recreational drugs, and vigorous-intensity physical activity 48 hours before death/interview were positively associated with unexplained sudden death. Patients with unexplained sudden death were four times more likely to have been hospitalised for Covid-19. Study overview The ICMR conducted a multicentric matched case-control study across 47 tertiary care hospitals in India. The analysis included 729 cases and 2,916 controls, focusing on apparently healthy individuals aged 18-45 years who suddenly died of unexplained causes between October 1, 2021, and March 31, 2023. Why this study Anecdotal reports of sudden death among healthy young adults in India led the researchers to conduct the investigation. These deaths raised concerns that they might be related to Covid-19 infection or Covid vaccination. Protective effects of vax The study indicates that receiving two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine lowered the odds of unexplained sudden death, while a single dose did not. Covid-19 vaccination is generally documented to prevent all-cause mortality across age groups and settings.

3. What Punjab and Delhi must do to tackle toxic air What The Supreme Court came down hard on the AAP-led governments in Delhi and Punjab on Tuesday as it continued with its hearing on a clutch of petitions concerning the national capital's annual toxic air problem. Delhi's air quality remained in the "very poor" zone on Tuesday. One big contributor to Delhi's bad air is stubble burning in neighbouring states, especially Punjab. A carrot-and-stick analogy Sending a clear message that "stick must follow the carrot", the top court said that the Punjab government should take punitive action if farmers continue to do crop burning. It also suggested that the Centre should not purchase paddy crops from such farmers and they be deprived of the benefit of MSP. 'Learn from Haryana' The Supreme Court asked Punjab government to learn from neighbouring Haryana and draft a policy to incentivise farmers for not burning crop stubble. It also highlighted the lack of representation of farmers in the matter. "The farmer is being made a villain... and he is not being heard from. He must have some reason to burn this stubble." Punjab recorded more than 2,000 farm fire cases between Saturday and Monday. Redirect funds The Supreme Court Tuesday also ordered the Delhi government to redirect funds set aside for advertisements to the Regional Rapid Transport System (RRTS) project if it does not pay up its share of expenses incurred on the project within a week. The court was hearing a case pertaining to rising air pollution in Delhi-NCR. The bench expressed strong reservations against the AAP-led government in the capital for not fulfilling its promise to contribute its share. What's RRTS? The RRTS is a 17-km rail-based, high-frequency commuter transit system that will connect Delhi to Meerut in less than one hour. The court had in April underlined the importance of the project in helping bring down high pollution levels in the NCR. Unfulfilled assurance During a hearing in July, the Delhi government had submitted an undertaking assuring that it would make the payment of Rs 415 crore. When the matter was taken up Tuesday, the bench observed there was "gross breach" of assurances given by the Delhi government.

4. An Israel-Hamas truce in sight What Israel and Hamas are reportedly "close" to a deal to free hostages taken by the latter in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a truce in the Gaza war. A confirmation Qatar-based Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh issued a statement, saying, "We are close to reaching a deal on a truce." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said, "We are making progress...I hope there will be good news soon." Hamas and Islamic Jihad sources said details of the agreement would be announced officially by Qatar and other mediators. Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said, "We are at the closest point we ever had been in reaching an agreement." He further said negotiations were at a "critical and final stage". What's the deal Reports suggest Hamas, as per the agreed terms of the deal, will release between 50 and 100 civilian hostages. No military personnel will be released. In exchange, Israel would free around 300 Palestinians, among them women and minors, from its prisons. The exchange of hostages and prisoners would span several days, with 10 hostages and 30 Palestinian prisoners to be released each day. The deal reportedly includes a "complete ceasefire" on the ground for five days, with Israel allowed to fly sorties over northern Gaza for 18 hours a day. The deal also provides for between 100 and 300 trucks of food and medical aid, as well as fuel, to enter Gaza. And a 'bureaucratic error' Ahead of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Israel on Tuesday re-published its decision to declare Pakistani outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba a terrorist organisation. Clarifying its position, its foreign ministry said, "It's not a new thing and it is actually from 2013. It was recently re-published because of a bureaucratic error but it is not a new thing."

NEWS IN CLUES 5. Identify this central agency Clue 1: It reports to the Union ministry of finance Clue 2: It is entrusted with enforcement of three particular laws Clue 3: A third extension given to its previous chief was termed illegal by the Supreme Court Scroll below for answer

6. A showdown in Rajasthan Modi vs Rahul PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Congress is a symbol of corruption, nepotism and appeasement - three evils preventing India from becoming a developed nation - as he addressed a public meeting in poll-bound Rajasthan's Baran district, Around 600 km away, at a rally in Rajasthan's Baytu district, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi targeted the PM on Tuesday referring to him as "Panauti Modi" - insinuating that Modi is a harbinger of bad luck - citing his presence at the cricket stadium in Ahmedabad where India lost the final match of the ODI World Cup to Australia on November 19, and criticised Modi's governance model highlighting unemployment, inflation, etc. The clock is ticking All 200 seats in Rajasthan go to assembly polls on November 25, and the counting of votes will take place along with four other states on December 3. The state has witnessed a revolving door outcome in assembly polls for many years now, with power shifting between the Congress and BJP - a trend which the Congress, currently in power in the state, is trying to change. A comparison of manifestos Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday released the Congress manifesto, promising a caste survey, interest-free loans up to Rs 2 lakh to farmers and 10 lakh job opportunities. The Congress also promised recruitment at the panchayat level and a special law to implement MSP as per recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. The BJP released its manifesto on November 16 for the Rajasthan assembly polls, promising a subsidy of Rs 450 per LPG cylinder for Ujjwala scheme beneficiaries and 2.5 lakh government jobs. Party chief JP Nadda also said that if the BJP forms the government in the state, a Special Investigation Team will be formed to probe paper leaks and other alleged scams in the Congress government.

7. Why 'misleading' claims can cost Patanjali dearly It's about ads The Supreme Court on Tuesday cautioned Patanjali Ayurved, a company co-founded by yoga guru Ramdev that deals in herbal products, against making "false" and "misleading" claims in advertisements about its medicines as cures for several diseases. In an oral observation, the top court said, "All such false and misleading advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved have to stop immediately. The court will take any such infraction very seriously." The court was hearing a plea of the Indian Medical Association (IMA). The warning During the brief hearing, the court asked Patanjali Ayurved not to publish misleading claims and advertisements against modern systems of medicine. It said the bench may also consider imposing a fine of Rs 1 crore on every product if a false claim is made that it can cure a particular ailment. An advice The top court also asked the Centre to find a remedy for misleading medical advertisements where claims are made about medicines that perfectly cure certain diseases. A year after... On August 23 last year, the top court issued notices to the Union health ministry and Ministry of Ayush and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd on the IMA's plea alleging a smear campaign by Ramdev against the vaccination drive and modern medicines. The bench will now take up the plea of IMA for hearing on February 5, next year. In the last hearing... The court had said Ramdev needed to be restrained from abusing the doctors and other systems of treatment. "Ultimately, we respect him as he popularised yoga. We all go for this. But, he should not criticise the other system. What is the guarantee that Ayurveda whatever system he is following will work?" "You see the type of advertisements accusing all the doctors as if they are killers or something. Huge advertisements [have been put out]," the bench headed by the then CJI NV Ramana, since retired, had said.

8. Can Ramayana & Mahabharata make school kids more patriotic? A recommendation Epics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata should be included in social sciences textbooks and the Preamble of the Constitution written on classroom walls, a high-level NCERT panel has recommended, its chairperson CI Issac said on Tuesday. The seven-member committee, constituted last year, has made several recommendations for its final position paper on social sciences. It is a key prescriptive document for laying down the foundation for the development of new National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks. The (NCERT) has not taken a call on the recommendations yet. Why Issac said, "The panel has stressed on teaching epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata in the social sciences syllabus to students. We think that students in their teenage years build their self esteem, patriotism and pride for their nation." Noting that every year thousands of students leave the country and seek citizenship in other countries because of a lack of patriotism among them, Issac said, "Therefore, it is important for them to understand their roots and develop love for their country and their culture." "Some boards already teach Ramayana and Mahabharata but it should be done in a more elaborate way," he said. After 'Bharat' suggestion The same panel had also recommended replacing the country name 'India' with 'Bharat' in textbooks, introducing 'classical History' instead of ancient History in the curriculum, and highlighting "Hindu victories" in the textbooks for classes 3 to 12. What's going on? The NCERT is revising the school curriculum in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The new NCERT textbooks are likely to be ready by the next academic session. The panel's recommendations may now be taken into consideration by the 19-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) notified in July to finalise the curriculum, textbooks and learning material for these classes.

9. 'Manipur clash a political problem' What Terming the ethnic clashes in Manipur as a "political problem", Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita on Tuesday said incidents of violence will continue unless around 4,000 weapons, which were looted from security forces, are recovered from common people. He also said India is giving shelter to anyone from Myanmar seeking refuge, including common villagers, army or police, in Mizoram and Manipur, but not armed cadres of militant groups or drug traffickers. A condition Kalita further explained the direction to the forces on the border is that the common villagers seeking refuge to escape the conflict in Myanmar are not stopped and whenever they are ready, they are sent back. "While doing that, the directions are very clear that no armed cadres will be allowed to come. Any armed cadres trying to come are addressed in an appropriate manner. There is a definite check on people with drugs and arms, and anybody caught is handed over to the police following the due procedure," Kalita said. The aim "Our efforts have been to contain the violence and motivate both sides of the conflict to come for a peaceful resolution of the political problem. Because ultimately, there has to be a political resolution to the problem," Kalita told reporters at an interaction organised by the Gauhati Press Club. As far as the ground situation was concerned, the Indian Army's aim initially was to carry out rescue and relief operations for the people who were displaced from their houses, he said. The challenge "We are trying to contain the violence, which we have been largely successful. But because of the polarisation between the two communities, Meiteis and Kukis, some sporadic incidents keep taking place here and there," Kalita said. Asked why normalcy has not returned to Manipur even after more than six-and-half months of the clashes, he said there have been some legacy issues between the three communities that live in the state — Meitei, Kuki and Naga.

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Answer To NEWS IN CLUES Enforcement Directorate. The central agency on Tuesday said it has attached immovable assets and equity shares worth about Rs 752 crore as part of its ongoing money laundering probe against the Congress-promoted National Herald newspaper and companies linked to it. The provisional attachment order came as assembly elections in five states are in progress. The Congress called the agency action as “petty vendetta tactics” and dubbed the Enforcement Directorate a “coalition partner” of the BJP which, it claimed, is staring at a certain defeat in the assembly polls. COURTESY : TIMES TOP 10