| 1. Machines stuck, hope hinges on manual efforts |  | Army pressed in- Personnel from the Madras Sappers regiment of the Army's Corps of Engineers were deployed to clear the escape passage in the Silkyara tunnel, where blades of the auger drilling machine had become lodged, halting operations to rescue 41 workers trapped since November 12.
Machines stuck- Despite efforts to use a plasma cutting machine transported from Hyderabad with the support of the Indian Air Force, the machine faced difficulties dislodging the blades of the auger machine.
- Army personnel are now employing gas cutting machines for the delicate and time-consuming process, expected to extend until Monday.
Focus on manual op- Once the escape passage is cleared, rescue agencies plan to resume manual digging and insert 900 mm pipes through the auger to reach the stranded workers, who are approximately 10 to 12 meters away from the point where the operation had stalled.
The plan- While work is ongoing to clear the escape tunnel for horizontal drilling, four alternative options are also being considered: vertical drilling, drilling from the Barkot-end of the tunnel, and excavating escape tunnels on the left and right sides.
Vertical drilling- A vertical drilling operation, aimed at creating an alternative escape route for the trapped workers, reached 19.2 metres on Sunday as per NHIDCL MD Mahmood Ahmed.
- The goal is to drill down 86 meters from the top of the hill to reach the trapped workers and if the "exercise goes without facing obstructions, we can hope to finish it in four days by November 30," he said.
Meanwhile- BSNL completed the setup of a landline service at the Silkyara tunnel, establishing communication between the trapped workers and their families.
- A handset was sent through a 6-inch supply pipe inserted earlier in the week, allowing workers to speak with their family members outside through a fixed line.
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| 2. China's pneumonia outbreak puts India on guard |  | An advisory- The Centre has advised states to immediately review public health preparedness in view of recent reports indicating a surge in respiratory illness in children in northern China.
- In a statement on Sunday, the Union health ministry said it has decided to proactively review preparatory measures against respiratory illnesses as a matter of abundant caution.
- "The Government of India is closely monitoring the situation and indicated that there is no need for any alarm," it said.
What states have to do- The Centre has advised states and Union Territories to review preparedness such as availability of beds, drugs and vaccines for influenza, medical oxygen, antibiotics, personal protective equipment, testing kits and reagents, functionality of oxygen plants and ventilators, and infection control practices.
- The state authorities have been asked to send nasal and throat swab samples of patients with SARI, particularly children and adolescents, to the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories for testing for respiratory pathogens.
In focus- The state authorities have been advised to implement the Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy in the context of Covid-19', shared earlier this year.
- The guidelines provide for integrated surveillance of respiratory pathogens presenting as cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI).
- They have also been asked to ensure that the trends of ILI and SARI, particularly among children and adolescents, are closely monitored by the district and state surveillance units of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP).
- The data of ILI/SARI is required to be uploaded on the IDSP-IHIP portal.
Meanwhile...- China has said the surge in respiratory illnesses that have drawn the global attention are caused by the flu and other known pathogens, and not by a novel virus.
- The emergence of new flu strains or other viruses capable of triggering pandemics typically starts with undiagnosed clusters of respiratory illness.
- Both SARS and COVID-19 were first reported as unusual types of pneumonia.
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| 3. A 'wedding' advice from PM Modi |  | A 'big family' trend- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged couples to hold wedding celebrations on Indian soil so that the country's money does not leave its shores, saying he was troubled by the trend of some "big families" conducting weddings abroad.
- In his Mann Ki Baat monthly radio broadcast, Modi said while shopping for weddings, people should give importance to products made in India only.
The quote- "The wedding season as well has commenced now. Some trade organisations estimate that there could be a business of around Rs 5 lakh crore during this wedding season."
- "One thing has been troubling me off and on for a long time...These days a new milieu is being created by some families to go abroad and conduct weddings. Is this at all necessary?"
- "It is possible that the kind of system you want may not be there today, but if we organise such events, systems will also develop. This is a topic related to very big families. I hope this pain of mine will definitely reach those big families."
It's about economy- Modi said if people celebrate the festivities of marriages on Indian soil, amid the people of the country, the country's money will remain in the country.
- "In the last few days, business worth more than Rs 4 lakh crore has been done in the country on Diwali, Bhaiya Dooj and Chhath," he said.
- In his last month's Mann Ki Baat programme, Modi emphasised on 'Vocal for Local' i.e. buying local products.
Fast but slower- Modi's remarks have come as India's GDP figures for the second quarter are expected to be released this week.
- Experts estimate that the GDP growth rate is at 7.1%, which is slower than that of the first quarter, when the economy grew at 7.8%.
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| 4. After wooing OBCs, Nitish's big Dalit push in Bihar |  | What- In a Dalit outreach, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addressed 'Bhim Sansad' in Patna on the occasion of the Constitution Day on Sunday.
- He said, "We are followers of socialist icon Ram Manohar Lohia who had close ties with Ambedkar. Babasaheb and Lohia happen to be the five persons whom our party officially looks up to for inspiration, the other three being Mahatma Gandhi, Jayaprakash Narayan and [former Bihar CM] Karpoori Thakur."
- He mentioned various measures his government has taken for the uplift of weaker sections of society, including the recent hike in reservations for SCs, STs, OBCs and extremely backward classes.
The timing- Nitish's Dalit outreach follows weeks after his mega outreach to the OBCs through a caste survey that put the share of backward castes in Bihar at 63%.
- His government followed it up with laws to raise the reservation ceiling to 75%, including 10% for the EWS.
- The Dalit move also comes as India moves closer to the Lok Sabha election due for April-May next year. Dalits form about 20% of the Bihar population.
A 'special' demand- Nitish reiterated his demand from the Centre to accord Bihar 'special status" for which he has been campaigning for about a decade.
- He said, "We took the step after a caste survey which has brought to light that the state is home to 94 lakh poor families. We intend to undertake many more measures for poverty alleviation a reason why I intend to launch a fresh campaign for special status."
An attack on Centre- "I solicit the support of people of the state for my campaign. Our critics say the central government is providing us with enough assistance. It is nonsense," Nitish said.
- "The Centre launches schemes and tries to get away with the entire credit while the states are made to bear 40% of the expenses", alleged the JD-U leader, who had snapped ties with the BJP last year and has since emerged as a key leader of the INDIA coalition.
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| 6. Why Delhi is waiting for a spell of rain |  | Air is still toxic- Delhi continued to reel under high levels of pollution with a negligible improvement in the air quality on Sunday. The AQI index stood at 389, in the "very poor" zone, at 11 am and deteriorated further to 396 by 4 pm.
- Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said, "In the last two to three days there was a rise in pollution but today we have come out of the 'severe category'."
Waiting for rains- Rai said, "It is predicted that from today the wind speed will increase, and there is a probability of rain also. The improvement in air quality, which is being noticed from today will continue to rise and in the next two days, air quality will improve.
- Slight rain in the coming days may provide some relief. The IMD has forecast a generally cloudy sky with the possibility of very light rain or drizzle in Delhi from Sunday night.
- Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 26.4 degrees Celsius on Sunday while the minimum temperature was 10.4 degrees Celsius, a notch below the season's average.
- The IMD said there could be shallow to moderate fog after the rain. The relative humidity was recorded at 78 per cent on Sunday evening.
What's turning air toxic- The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has flagged non-compliance with pollution measures at 11 coal-based thermal power plants in the Delhi-NCR.
- Focused on particulate matter, nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide emissions by the coal-based thermal power plants, the CSE study said that these plants were contributing at least 8% of pollution in the area.
- The CSE report said despite multiple deadline extensions and revised categorisations by the Union environment ministry, many plants in the region are struggling to meet prescribed norms for emissions of nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide and particulate matter.
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| 7. What made Kerala campus stampede fatal? |  | The incident- A stampede during the annual festival at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) resulted in the tragic death of four students and left over 60 others injured.
- The incident occurred before singer Nikita Gandhi's performance in the open-air auditorium.
Casualties and injuries- Four students, two boys and two girls, lost their lives, with over 60 individuals undergoing treatment at Kalamassery Medical College Hospital and nearby medical facilities.
Sudden downpour and rush- The open-air auditorium venue witnessed chaos during the event.
- The police said the tragedy unfolded when a sudden downpour occurred during the musical event, causing the audience to rush to the auditorium using the stairs which resulted in unfortunate deaths and injuries.
Myths and reality- The CUSAT music fest stampede is a stark reminder that high-density crowds can be lethal.
- While mass gatherings — common in events like pilgrimages, music concerts, and protests — sometimes lead to stampedes, research shows it's asphyxiation, not trampling, is the primary cause of death in stampedes.
- A high-density crowd, defined as six or more people per square metre, resembles fluid movement and can exert pressure waves exceeding 1,000 pounds of force.
- This phenomenon, known as "crowd crush," can lead to two lethal outcomes: crowd crush and progressive crowd collapse. For more
Probe ordered- The Kerala government has ordered an expert committee investigation into the stampede.
- The expert panel will also suggest measures to enhance crowd control measures and overall safety during large-scale events.
Deaths due to stampedes- According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, more than 100 deaths due to stampedes in last five years with an average of 21 persons a year.
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| 8. Netanyahu in Gaza as Hamas frees 17 more hostages |  | A statement in Gaza- Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu entered the Gaza Strip on Sunday and spoke with troops as another exchange of hostages and prisoners took place on the third day of the ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
- In Gaza, Netanyahu told Israeli troops, "We are making every effort to return our hostages, and at the end of the day we will return everyone... We are continuing until the end, until victory. Nothing will stop us."
- It was not immediately clear where he went inside Gaza.
- In a separate development, Hamas announced that one of its top commanders had been killed, without saying when or how. Israel's military confirmed it.
But ceasefire holds- The tense four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, appeared to be back on track after a third group of hostages was released on Sunday.
- Hamas released 17 hostages, following up similar releases on Friday and Saturday of 13 hostages each.
- Israel has released, in exchange, 39 prisoners on each day.
- A fourth exchange is expected on Monday — the last day of the cease-fire during which a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed. All are women and minors.
Humanitarian assistance- A total of 61 trucks delivered food, water and medical supplies to northern Gaza on Saturday, and another 187 trucks of vital supplies also crossed into the Gaza Strip on Sunday, the United Nations office for humanitarian affairs said.
- Fuel was supplied for the first time, and access to northern areas, blocked for a month, was restored.
Casualties and destruction- The war has resulted in over 1,200 Israeli and more than 13,300 Palestinian casualties. The four-day cease-fire has provided some respite, allowing people to survey damage and access essential services.
Meanwhile...- In the West Bank, Palestinian health authorities reported that Israeli troops had killed eight Palestinians over a 24-hour period.
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| 9. Will Zelenskyy hold election amid war with Russia? |  | What- An intense debate has been going on in Ukraine and parts of Europe for months about whether the country can go to the presidential election while it is fighting a war with Russia.
- Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's tenure ends next year. Elections will be due in March 2024 but Zelenskyy earlier this month said he was "not in favour" of changing course while the country was still at war with Russia.
The law- Ukraine is under martial law, which was imposed after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
- Under martial law, all elections, including the presidential ones, are prohibited.
- Reports also suggest that the general public mood in Ukraine is against holding the election as a vote could distract the nation from its fight for survival.
But a US angle- The US has been a stellar support for Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion and it is in the US that the Ukrainian election has become a political issue.
- Recently, the White House called Ukraine a "strong" democracy while emphasising that it was not the time to hold the election.
- But the discussion about Ukrainian elections is being pushed by US politicians — especially in the Republican Party — ahead of the US presidential election in 2024.
- The Republican proponents are using the martial law provision of Ukraine to push their demand to block military aid to Ukraine. And these voices are getting louder.
- Earlier this month, Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican candidate for the presidential nomination, alleged that Ukraine "is not a paragon of democracy" and was "threatening not to hold elections this year unless the US forks over more money".
- Without the US's aid, Ukraine's existential war against Russia is expected to be impacted hugely.
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| Answer To NEWS IN CLUES |  | Greece. A cargo ship, the Raptor, sank off the Greek island of Lesbos, leaving 13 crew members missing, including four Indians, and one person rescued. The ship, en route from Alexandria to Istanbul, reported a mechanical problem before disappearing. A historic Greek warship sustained damage from gale force winds earlier this month, repeatedly hitting a dock amid a series of storms causing flooding. In September, Storm Daniel brought cataclysmic rain to central Greece, devastating the region's agriculture with crop losses and fatalities among farm animals.
COURTESY : TIMES TOP 10 |
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