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Hundreds of copies of the Environment Ministry’s elephant census report — Status of Elephant in India 2022-23 — have been gathering dust since February this year. (File)Every Monday, UPSC Current Affairs Pointers in UPSC Essentials aim to go beyond the headlines and provide content relevant to your UPSC Prelims, State PCS, and other competitive examinations.
If you missed the UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | September 23 to September 29, 2024 from the Indian Express, read it here.
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— Five languages – Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali – are accorded the status of ‘classical language’. Now, the total ‘classical language’ in India is 11.
— In October 2004, the Centre decided to create a new category of languages as “classical languages”.
— In November 2004, a Linguistic Experts Committee (LEC) was constituted by the Ministry of Culture under the Sahitya Akademi to examine the eligibility of the languages proposed to be accorded classical language status.
— On July 25 this year, the LEC unanimously revised the criteria for classical status.
— It includes: High antiquity of early texts, and recorded history over a period of 1500- 2000 years; a body of ancient literature/ texts, which is considered a heritage by generations of speakers; epigraphic and inscriptional evidence; knowledge texts, especially prose texts in addition to poetry; and that classical languages and literature could be distinct from its current form or could be discontinuous with later forms of its offshoots.
— The first language to get recognised as a classical language was Tamil (2004), followed by Sanskrit (2005), Telugu (2008), Kannada (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014).
| Some Interesting Facts |
| There is no single Prakrit language. Prakrit refers to a group of closely related Indo-Aryan languages. Ardhamagadhi is a dialect of Prakrit. Jain agamas and the Gatha Saptashati are written in Ardhamagadhi.
Pali is a form of Sanskritised Magadhi Prakrit. It was the language of the Theravada Buddhist Canon — the Tipitakas. Story continues below this ad Prakrit and Pali are the two Classical languages that are not mentioned in the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution. |
— The Union Health Ministry has released draft guidelines on withdrawing or withholding medical treatment in terminally ill patients, closing a regulatory gap that left medical professionals in a lurch.
— Euthanasia refers to the practice of an individual deliberately ending their life, oftentimes to get relief from an incurable condition, or intolerable pain and suffering. It is of two types – ‘active’ and ‘passive’.
— Active euthanasia, which is legal in only a few countries, entails the use of lethal substances to end the life of the patient. Passive euthanasia is when life-support mechanisms that preserve the patient’s life are withdrawn
— Active euthanasia is illegal in India. However, in 2018, the Supreme Court allowed for a ‘living will’ where, an adult in his conscious mind, is permitted to refuse medical treatment or voluntarily decide not to take medical treatment to embrace death in a natural way.
— The Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium allow both euthanasia and assisted suicide for anyone who faces “unbearable suffering” that has no chance of improvement. Switzerland bans euthanasia but allows assisted dying in the presence of a doctor or physician.
— An expert committee constituted by NITI Aayog, in 2023, after the outbreak of Covid has released a report titled ‘Future Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response —A Framework for Action’.
— It has recommended a new Public Health Emergency Management Act (PHEMA) and the implementation of other measures to ensure a swift and effective response within the first 100 days of the outbreak.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes part in a cleanliness drive at a school in New Delhi on Wednesday. (PTI Photo)
— On 2nd October, the Swachh Bharat Mission completed its 10 years.
— The theme of this year is “Swabhav Swachhata, Sanskar Swachhata“.
— It was launched on October 2, 2014, to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to make the country Open Defecation Free (ODF).
— The second phase of the project, launched in 2021, is expected to run till 2025. It included the target of ensuring that the treatment of both liquid and solid waste is achieved through the help of technology and private sector engagement.
— India, Nepal, and Bangladesh have signed a tripartite agreement to facilitate cross-border electricity trade.
— As per the agreement, Nepal will export 40 MW of hydroelectricity to Bangladesh via Indian territory.
— The rate per unit of electricity has been fixed at 6.4 cents. From the export of electricity, Nepal will make an annual income of around USD 9.2 million.
— Ayush Medical Value Travel Summit 2024 was inaugurated in Mumbai on September 30.
— The summit’s theme was ‘Global Synergy in Ayush: Transforming Health and Wellness through Medical Value Travel’.
— The summit is organised by the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, the Government of Maharashtra, and key partners.
— According to the latest issue of Current Biology, the Indian elephant migrated from the north to the south over many millennia and lost their genetic diversity progressively with each southward migration.
— It was believed that the southern elephant population was divided by the Palghat Gap, acting as a natural barrier, along the Western Ghats. Now, a new study has revealed that the Shencottah Gap further south also acted as an impediment to elephant movement.
— The Palaghat Gap is a major break in the Western Ghats mountain range. Shencottah Gap connects Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
— The elephant census is conducted every five years by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), an autonomous body under the ministry. However, there is a delay in the release of recent data due to change in the methodology.
— According to the last national census conducted in 2017, India is home to more than 29,000 elephants.
— In 2023, Project Elephant was merged with Project Tiger to create a new division with the name ‘Project Tiger and Elephant Division’ under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
— Elephant Day is celebrated on August 12.
— Asian elephants, scientific name- Elephas maximus indicus, IUCN status- Endangered.
— Hurricane Helene has caused huge destruction in Southeastern United States.
— The storm triggered the worst flooding in North Carolina in over a century.
— The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) for 2022-23.
— It showed that the total number of employees in manufacturing industries increased by 7.5 per cent to 1.84 crore in 2022-23 from 1.72 crore in 2021-22.
— This is the highest rate of increase in employment in manufacturing industries in the last 12 years.
— The highest employment was recorded in factories producing food products, followed by textiles, and basic metals.
— According to the report, the number of workers employed in the informal sector in 2022-23 fell by 16.45 lakh, or 1.5 per cent, to 10.96 crore from 11.13 crore in 2015-16.
(FYI: These data are meant to develop an understanding about the status of the economy. You don’t need to remember everything.)
| PAST PULSE |
| The Union Budget 2024 announced the Purvodaya plan which will cover five states- Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Jharkhand– to generate economic opportunities to attain Viksit Bharat.
Angel taxes for all classes of investors have been abolished. |
(Just FYI: UPSC has consistently included questions on health and diseases in its examinations over the years. For instance, in 2014, a question about the Ebola virus appeared in the Prelims, and in 2017, a question about the Zika virus was featured. Therefore, it is crucial to stay updated on diseases that are currently in the news.)
— Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has been diagnosed with leptospirosis and has been put on medication.
— According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Leptospirosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria belonging to the genus Leptospira.
— It is mainly a disease of animals that occasionally infect humans. The bacteria can be transmitted to humans through cuts and abrasions of the skin, or the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and mouth with water contaminated with the urine of infected animals.
— Common animals that transmit Leptospirosis include farm animals such as cattle, pigs, and horses but can range from wild animals such as raccoons and porcupines to domesticated dogs.
Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin
— Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin became the first women doctor to hold the position of the Director General of the Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS).
— The DGAFMS is directly responsible to the Ministry of Defence for overall medical policy matters which are related to the Armed Forces
— M V Shreyams Kumar of Mathrubhumi was elected President of The Indian Newspaper Society (INS), an apex body of publishers of newspapers, magazines and periodicals in the country.
— The INS, earlier known as Indian & Eastern Newspaper Society, was inaugurated at a meeting of the representatives of the following founding publications on February 27, 1939, at the Statesman House, New Delhi.
(Source: indiannewspapersociety.in)
— Delhi High Court Acting Chief Justice Manmohan took oath as the Delhi High Court’s Chief Justice on 29th September.
— Appointment of Acting Chief Justices is to be made by the President under Article 223 of the Constitution.
— The Chief Justice and Judges of the High Courts are to be appointed by the President under clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution.
— Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, was killed by Israel in an air strike.
— Hezbollah, the “Party of God”, was formed in the early 1980s in response to the Israeli occupation of Lebanon.
— Israel considered Nasrallah a terrorist, and Hezbollah has been designated a terrorist organisation by several countries.
Mark Rutte
— On 1st October, Mark Rutte took office as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s 14th Secretary General.
— He is a former Prime Minister of the Netherlands.
(Just FYI: The location of the place is important, considering that UPSC has asked several questions about places that were in the news, such as Aleppo and Kirkuk, in the 2018 UPSC Prelims. The best way to remember them is to plot them on a world map.)
A view of the Somnath Temple in Gujarat. (Express photo)
— 800 cops and dozens of excavators were deployed in a demolition drive near Somnath Temple.
— It is an important Hindu pilgrimage located in Prabhas Patan, Veraval, in Gujarat.
— According to the temple website, it is “the holy place of the First Aadi Jyotirling Shree Somnath Mahadev.”
— The temple faced a serious attack in 1026 CE by Mahmud of Ghazni during the reign of Bhima I.
— According to an inscription, Kumarapala (r. 1143–72) rebuilt the Somnath temple in 1169. He replaced a decaying wooden temple.
— During its 1299 invasion of Gujarat, Alauddin Khalji’s army, led by Ulugh Khan, defeated the Vaghela king Karna, and sacked the Somnath temple.
— In 1395, the temple was destroyed for the third time by Zafar Khan, the last governor of Gujarat under the Delhi Sultanate and later founder of the Gujarat Sultanate.
— According to the temple website, in 1782, Maratha queen Ahalyabai Holkar built a small temple at the site.
— After Independence, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel announced the decision to reconstruct Somnath at a huge gathering in Junagarh.
(Source: girsomnath.nic.in)
— A new study has found fresh evidence that confirms the dockyard’s existence in the Harappan city of Lothal, along the Bhogava river, a tributary of Sabarmati, in the Bhal region of Gujarat.
— The study has revealed that the Sabarmati river used to flow by Lothal (currently, it flows 20 km away from the location) during the Harappan Civilisation.
— The meaning of Lothal (a combination of Loth and (s) thal) in Gujarati is “the mound of the dead.”
— Archaeologist SR Rao excavated the post-city of Lothal.
— Lothal was nominated in April 2014 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its application is pending on the tentative list of UNESCO.
— In August 2024, India and Vietnam signed an agreement to develop the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) in Lothal.
— NMHC is set to become an international tourist destination, showcasing India’s maritime heritage from ancient to modern times. The project began in March 2022 and is being developed at a cost of Rs 4,500 crore.
(Source: PIB)
Chagos Island
— The United Kingdom announced on October 3 that it would cede sovereignty of the strategically important Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
— The Chagos archipelago, comprising 58 islands, lies roughly 500 km to the south of the Maldives archipelago in the Indian Ocean.
— These islands were used by the French for their coconut plantations. They ceded the island to the British in 1814.
— In 1965, it became part of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) and attached to Mauritius. Even when Mauritius gained independence in 1968, Chagos remained with Britain.
— According to a new study, the Arun River basin, located 75 km away from Mount Everest, is causing the Everest peak to rise by up to 2 mm per year.
— The Arun River is spread across Nepal and Tibet. It drains into the Kosi River, contributing to the Sapt-Kosi River water system.
— Currently, Sutlej Jal Vikas Nigam (SJVN) is executing 2,200 MW of three Hydroelectric Projects in the Arun River basin in Nepal.
Important locations involved in the West Asia Conflict
Actor-politician Mithun Chakraborty
— Actor and former Rajya Sabha MP Mithun Chakraborty will be conferred the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024.
— He will be presented the award at the 70th National Film Awards ceremony on October 8, 2024.
— It is India’s highest honour in cinema, established in 1969, which is presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals.
— Cyber Slavery: It refers to a situation where an individual is allegedly held against their will and forced to carry out cyber fraud. According to a recent report, as many as 5,000 Indians have been duped in such scams in Cambodia.
— PUSA-44: Pusa-44 is a variant of paddy bred by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi. It was released for large-scale cultivation in 1993. Pusa-44 takes 155-160 days to grow, from the time of sowing its seeds in nurseries to harvesting the grain.
— Cadaver donation: It sees a person donate their entire body (rather than individual organs) to science after death. Anyone over the age of 18 years can legally consent to become a cadaver donor. Recently, CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury, who died on September 12, donated his body to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
— Sarco Pod: It is a coffin-sized, air-tight machine designed by Exit International. It is used for euthanasia in Switzerland. It consists of a 3D-printed detachable capsule placed on a stand with a canister of liquid nitrogen. A person lying inside it could press a button to initiate the dying process, flooding the air inside it with nitrogen gas.
Philip Nitschke, front, stands next to a ‘suicide pod’ known as ‘The Sarco’ in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. (AP)
(Note: The best way to remember facts for UPSC and other competitive exams is to recall them through MCQs. Try to solve the following questions on your own.)
A. Which of the following classical languages are also listed in Schedule 8 of the Constitution?
1. Marathi
2. Assamese
3. Malayalam
4. Pali
Select the correct options.
(a) 1, 2, and 3 only
(b) 2, 3, and 4 only
(c) 3 and 4 only
(d) 1 and 2 only
B. Where was the Ayush Medical Value Travel Summit 2024 was organised?
(a) New Delhi
(b) Mumbai
(c) Lucknow
(d) Gandhinagar
C. Consider the following statements:
1. Lothal was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.
2. India and Maldives have agreed to develop the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) in Lothal.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
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