Daily CURRENT AFFAIRS

NEWS

With the model code of conduct coming into effect in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur, the Union Health Ministry has decided to “exclude” the picture of Prime Minister from the Covid-19 vaccine certificates in these states.

ABOUT MODEL CODE OF CONDUCT

The MCC contains eight provisions dealing with general conduct, meetings, processions, polling day, polling booths, observers, party in power, and election manifestos. 

• General Conduct: Criticism of political parties must be limited to their policies and programmes, past record and work.  Activities such as: (a) using caste and communal feelings to secure votes, (b) criticising candidates on the basis of unverified reports, (c) bribing or intimidation of voters, and (d) organising demonstrations or picketing outside houses of persons to protest against their opinions, are prohibited.
• Meetings: Parties must inform the local police authorities of the venue and time of any meeting in time to enable the police to make adequate security arrangements.
• Processions: If two or more candidates plan processions along the same route, organisers must establish contact in advance to ensure that the processions do not clash.  Carrying and burning effigies representing members of other political parties is not allowed.
• Polling day: All authorised party workers at polling booths should be given identity badges.  These should not contain the party name, symbol or name of the candidate.
• Polling booths: Only voters, and those with a valid pass from the Election Commission, will be allowed to enter polling booths.
• Observers: The Election Commission will appoint observers to whom any candidates may report problems regarding the conduct of the election.
• Party in power: The MCC incorporated certain restrictions in 1979, regulating the conduct of the party in power.  Ministers must not combine official visits with election work or use official machinery for the same.  The party must avoid advertising at the cost of the public exchequer or using official mass media for publicity on achievements to improve chances of victory in the elections.  Ministers and other authorities must not announce any financial grants, or promise any construction of roads, provision of drinking water, etc. Other parties must be allowed to use public spaces and rest houses and these must not be monopolised by the party in power.
• Election manifestos: Added in 2013, these guidelines prohibit parties from making promises that exert an undue influence on voters, and suggest that manifestos also indicate the means to achieve promises.

The MCC is not enforceable by law.

TUBERCULOSIS

• Caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis)
• Most often affect the lungs but not just lungs but also other parts.
• Spread through the air, just like a cold or the flu.

SITUATION RIGHT NOW

• According to the WHO’s Global TB Report 2021, an 18 per cent decline in case notifications is perhaps the biggest indicator of the pandemic’s impact on global tuberculosis programmes.
• India reported a substantial drop in notifications — the country reported 18 lakh tuberculosis cases in 2020 compared to 24 lakh cases in 2019.
• With a total estimated incidence of 25.9 lakh TB cases, India is home to a quarter of the global burden of the disease.

WHAT IS INDIA DOING

• Since 2016, India has been on a mission mode to eliminate TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global target.
• With a four-fold increase in the budget to tackle the disease and a patient-centric National Strategic Plan for TB elimination, India had taken enormous strides towards reaching its goal.

IMPACT OF COVID

• Fear of Covid lockdowns and economic stress discouraged people from visiting medical facilities to get tested.
• This exacerbated the pre-existing health-seeking behaviour of people who, under normal circumstances too, would shy away from getting medical care.

TB MUKTH BHARATH

• Launched under the National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination in a mission mode for ending the epidemic by 2025.
• Multi-pronged approach which aims to detect all TB patients with an emphasis on reaching TB patients seeking care from private providers and undiagnosed TB in high-risk populations

About National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination

• Framework to guide the activities of all stakeholders whose work is relevant to TB elimination in India.
• Provides goals and strategies for the country’s response to the disease during the period 2017 to 2025.
• Direct the attention of all stakeholders on the most important interventions or activities that the RNTCP believes will bring about significant changes in the incidence, prevalence and mortality of TB.
• Guide the development of the national project implementation plan (PIP) and state PIPs, as well as district health action plans (DHAP) under the national health mission (NHM).
• VISION: TB-Free India with zero deaths, disease and poverty due to tuberculosis
• GOAL: To achieve a rapid decline in burden of TB, morbidity and mortality while working towards elimination of TB in India by 2025.

WAYS FOR EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION

• Important to increase levels of awareness of people about the disease
• Ensure that the people affected by the disease overcome social insecurities and access TB care and utilise the government’s TB programme.
• Active Case Finding (ACF) drives organised by the National TB Elimination Programme merit mention. These drives, implemented for systematic screening of TB among vulnerable populations or regions since 2017, have helped in early case detection. Even during the pandemic, in 2020, approximately 17.9 crore people were screened, and 52,273 TB cases were identified, according to the India TB Report 2021.
• Public participation and community ownership remain intrinsic to any sustainable strategy for TB elimination. It is time for a people’s movements for the elimination of TB.
• Elected representatives’ initiative and participation can certainly help to amplify the right messages about available care services, destigmatise the disease and encourage people to seek care. This could be achieved by supporting grassroots workers such as ASHAs, anganwadi workers and self-help groups who strive hard to sustain a responsive health system at the local level.

CONCLUSION

We will have to fill in the gap created by nearly one and a half years of Covid. While it remains essential to push for more finances and supportive policies at a national level, any tangible impact inevitably happens when the fundamentals of any movement are robust. In this case, the fundamentals are the people and community leaders. Collectively, we must keep alive this jan andolan against TB till the most vulnerable can secure themselves a safer future. Only then will we as a people achieve the ultimate objective of a “TB-mukt Bharat”.

NEWS

Union Jal Shakti Minister Announces 3rd National Water Awards

ABOUT

• Organised by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• Launched in 2007 for the first time along with the Ground Water Augmentation Awards and the winners in different categories are given a citation, trophy and cash prize.
• These focus on the good work and efforts made by individuals and organisations across the country, and the government’s vision for the path to ‘Jal Samridh Bharat’.
• Objectives:
  • To motivate individuals/organisations who are doing commendable work in the field of water resources conservation and management.
  • To create awareness among the people about the importance of water and encourage them to adopt the best water usage practices.
• For the year 2021
  • Uttar Pradesh has secured a first position in the ‘Best State Category’, followed by Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.
  • Under the ‘Best District-North Zone’ category, Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh has been awarded the first prize.
  • HAL, Bengaluru, Karnataka won an award for best CSR practises

NEWS

The Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), recently conducted a pilot project on the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) corporate office premises to demonstrate the use of clean energy to power EVs. It has said Solar-powered EV charging reduces carbon footprint.

DETAILS

• Electric vehicles (EVs) are being deemed as a key player in helping decarbonise the transport sector
• Solar rooftop photovoltaic (SRTPV) systems -
  • Offer a number of advantages in EV charging.
  • Easy to install because of their modular design
  • Cost-effective alternative to charging from the grid
  • Help reduce the detrimental effects of a surge in EV charging demand on the grid
• The levelised cost of energy generated by the solar plus storage power plant is strongly influenced by the utilisation of the battery storage. Higher utilisation of battery storage increased the cost of energy from the power plant
• EVs are picking up at a fast pace, especially two-wheelers. Adoption of EVs in the light and heavy commercial vehicle segment and personal car segment might take a little longer. Wider deployment of charging infrastructure, especially fast-charging and ultra-fast-charging points, can really unlock the value of EVs and accelerate adoption
• Report acknowledged that both these technologies have upfront cost barriers that hinder their adoption.

SOLAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGY

• Solar Photovoltaic: Solar photovoltaic (SPV) cells convert solar radiation (sunlight) into electricity. A solar cell is a semi-conducting device made of silicon and/or other materials, which, when exposed to sunlight, generates electricity.
• Solar thermal: Solar Thermal Power systems, also known as Concentrating Solar Power systems, use concentrated solar radiation as a high temperature energy source to produce electricity using thermal route.

ROOFTOP SOLAR SCHEME

• Aims to achieve a cumulative capacity of 40,000 MW from Rooftop Solar Projects by the year 2022.
• In a grid-connected rooftop or small Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) system wherein the DC power generated from the SPV panel is converted to AC power using the power conditioning unit and is fed to the grid.
• Implemented in the state by distribution companies (DISCOMs).
• Ministry is providing a 40% subsidy for the first 3 kW and 20% subsidy beyond 3 kW and upto 10 kW of solar panel capacity.
• The residential consumer has to pay the cost of rooftop solar plant by reducing the subsidy amount given by the Ministry as per the prescribed rate to the vendor

NEWS

INS Vikrant, is likely to be commissioned in 2022.

DETAILS

• Built as part of Atmanirbhar Bharat
• Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 1, is an aircraft carrier constructed by the Cochin Shipyard Limited for the Indian Navy
• Named Vikrant after the decommissioned maiden carrier of the Navy
• At present, India has only one aircraft carrier, the Russian-origin INS Vikramaditya
• Will have an air component of 30 aircraft, comprising MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31 airborne early warning helicopters and the soon-to-be-inducted MH-60R multi-role helicopter, besides the indigenous Advanced Light Helicopters.
• Speed : 30 knots (approximately 55 kmph)
• Shipborne weapons include Barak LR SAM and AK-630, while it has MFSTAR and RAN-40L 3D radars as sensors. The vessel has a Shakti EW (Electronic Warfare) Suite.

NEWS

PM announces 26th December as ‘Veer Baal Diwas’ to mark martyrdom of Sahibzada Zorawar Singh Ji and Sahibzada Fateh Singh Ji.They were sahibzades of Guru Gobind Singh

WHO WERE SAHIBZADES?

• Four sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji
• Sacrificed their lives in an important battle against the Mughals.
• Names of the Sahibzades were- Sahibzada Ajit Singh, Sahibzada Jujhar Singh, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh.
• Initiated into the Khalsa, an elite warrior group created by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 to protect the innocent from religious persecution.
• All four Sahibzades were executed by Mughal forces before the age of 19.
• Sikhism honors the martyred sons of Guru Gobind Singh in the ardas prayer as "Char Sahibzade," the four princes of the Khalsa warrior order.

NEWS

Various district administrations in Tamilnadhu have banned the conduct of Jallikattu events, ahead of Pongal festival, as part of safety measures.

ABOUT JALLIKATTU

• 2,000 years old Tradition
• Competitive sport and an event to honour bull owners who rear them for mating.
• Contestants try to tame a bull for a prize; if they fail, the bull owner wins the prize.
• Popular in Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Theni, Pudukkottai and Dindigul districts of Tamil Nadu known as the Jallikattu belt

• Celebrated in the second week of January, during the Tamil harvest festival, Pongal.
• Kangayam, Pulikulam, Umbalachery, Bargur and Malai Maadu are among the popular native cattle breeds used for Jallikattu.

Importance to Tamil Culture:

• Considered a traditional way for the peasant community to preserve their pure-breed native bulls.
• At a time when cattle breeding is often an artificial process, conservationists and peasants argue that Jallikattu is a way to protect these male animals which are otherwise used only for meat if not for ploughing.

Politics and Jallikattu

• In 2011, the Centre added bulls to the list of animals whose training and exhibition is prohibited.
• In 2014, the Supreme Court banned the bull-taming sport, ruling on a petition that cited the 2011 notification.

Current Legal Position:

• Legalised by state government.
• Challenged in court
• In 2018, the Supreme Court referred the Jallikattu case to a Constitution Bench, where it is pending now.
• Article 29 (1) mandates that “any section of the citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct language, script or culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same”

NEWS

Adi Sankaracharya’s birthplace in Kerala likely to be declared as national monument

What is an Ancient Monument:

According to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, any structure, sculpture, inscription, etc., which is in existence for not less than 100 years is termed ancient.

Who declares

• Designated by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
• Authorises the central government to “maintain, protect and promote the site”, which may be considered of significant historical importance, as mandated by the Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
• Currently, there are around 3,600 monuments of national importance being protected by the ASI.

The Place

• Adi Shankaracharya was born in Kalady
• It is on River Poorna/Periyar
• At present there is Sringeri Mutt , Tomb of Shankar’s mother and other temples here

NEWS

Bharath Subramanian becomes 73 chess grandmaster of India. He compled his third and final GM norm at Vergani Cup Open in Italy.

ABOUT CHESS GRANDMASTER

• What : Title awarded to chess players by the world chess organization FIDE.
• Highest title a chess player can attain.
• Usually held for life, though exceptionally it has been revoked for cheating.
• The title, along with the lesser FIDE titles of International Master (IM) and FIDE Master (FM), is open to all players regardless of gender.
• The International Correspondence Chess Federation (ICCF) awards the title of International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster (ICCGM). Both of these bodies are now independent of FIDE, but work in co-operation with it.
• Super grandmaster (super GM) is an informal term to refer to the world's elite players, usually players who are serious contenders for the World Championship.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS

Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel has been appointed vice-president of the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

DETAILS

Mr. Patel

• Will serve a three-year term as one of the multilateral development bank’s five vice-presidents
• Had resigned as RBI Governor in 2018 in a surprise decision, citing “personal reasons” after serving for two years.

ABOUT AIIB

• Multilateral development bank
• Mission - improve social and economic outcomes in Asia and beyond.
• Headquarters - Beijing
• Commenced operations in January 2016.

Aim

• By investing in sustainable infrastructure and other productive sectors today,
• Connect people, services and markets that over time will impact the lives of billions and build a better future.

Membership

• There are more than 100 members now.
• Fourteen of the G-20 nations are AIIB members including France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.

Voting Rights

• China is the largest shareholder with 26.61 % voting shares in the bank followed by India (7.6%), Russia (6.01%) and Germany (4.2 %).
• The regional members hold 75% of the total voting power in the Bank.

Organs

• Board of Governors: The Board of Governors consists of one Governor and one Alternate Governor appointed by each member country. Governors and Alternate Governors serve at the pleasure of the appointing member.
• Board of Directors: Responsible for the direction of the Bank’s general operations, exercising all powers delegated to it by the Board of Governors.
• International Advisory Panel: To support the President and Senior Management on the Bank’s strategies and policies as well as on general operational issues

• ALKA MITTAL becomes the first ONGC full-time woman director as Director, Human Resources
• KVIC rolls out innovative “Mobile Honey Processing Van” to support farmers and beekeepers
• Union Steel Minister laid the foundation stone for the new 5 MTPA project at JSW Steel Vijayanagar Works integrated steel facility in Ballari, Karnataka.