Current Affairs – August 01, 2024

Table of contents

{GS2 – Polity – IC} Eighth Schedule

Context (TH): A private bill has been introduced in the Lok Sabha to include Bhojpuri in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

Part XVII of the Indian Constitution (Articles 343 to 351) deals with the Eighth Schedule.
It includes 22 languages, with 14 originally listed: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.
The Sindhi language was added by the 21st Amendment Act of 1967.
Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali were included by the 71^st Amendment Act of 1992 while Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santali were added by the 92^nd Amendment Act of 2003.

Official Language Commission

The Official Languages Commission was set up in 1955 under Article 344 of the Indian Constitution, which mandates its establishment by the President.
It reviews the progress of language use, makes recommendations for improvement, reports to the President, and advises on language policy.

Bhojpuri

An ancient language derived from Sanskrit, it is the mother tongue of many people in UP, Western Bihar, Jharkhand, and parts of Madhya Pradesh.
Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan, Viveki Rai, and Bhikhari Thakur were notable Bhojpuri writers.
Bhartendu Harishchandra, Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi, and Munshi Premchand were greatly influenced by Bhojpuri literature.

Context (IE): SC ruled that there would be no re-test for NEET UG 2024 exam.

The court concluded that the exam was limited to around 155 beneficiaries and found no evidence of a systemic failure in its conduct.

Issues Raised

Systemic deficiencies: The cases registered by the CBI at Hazaribagh, Godhra or Latur, demonstrate that many of the malpractices and omissions were committed by invigilators, city coordinators and people authorised by NTA.
Inadequate Investigations: There were no actions the NTA or CBI undertook to ascertain if other centres were similarly compared.
Flawed statistical analysis: The report by IIT Madras is perfunctory and makes inaccurate statements. E.g., it misses several important threads, such as the performance of those who got a change of centre.
Uneven distribution of top ranks: The data reveals a highly skewed distribution of top ranks, with a concentration in specific coaching hubs like Kota and Sikar.
Economic and gender bias: The high costs of coaching and cultural factors contribute to an uneven playing field in favour of rich and male students.
Urban Migration: Due to uneven distribution of opportunities. For instance, in Ratnagiri, it is causing a flight of the middle class to cities with CBSE schools.

Way Forward

To make all the relevant data public and to undertake long-term studies. For example, the Rajan Committee Report was commissioned by the Tamil Nadu Government.
This will help in finding a way to balance the branding and mobility of centralisation and the inclusivity, relevance and development of more regional higher education policies.

Read More > Exam paper leaks in India.

Context (TH): Punjab, Gujarat & Haryana have reported the country’s highest number of H1N1 deaths.

According to the Health Ministry, India has reported over 7000 H1N1 cases, with Delhi, Gujarat, and Rajasthan being the top three affected states.
H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) is a zoonotic disease caused by the H1N1 influenza virus, which can infect the respiratory tracts of both pigs and humans.
It can be prevented through vaccination with Swine flu vaccines.
It is a subtype of influenza A virus and is transmitted through infectious droplets & contaminated hands.
However, eating pork does not pose a risk of contracting swine influenza, as the virus is typically confined to the respiratory tract & is not present in their meat.
In tropical regions, influenza may occur yearly, causing more irregular outbreaks.

Read More > Types of Influenza Viruses.

{GS3 – Envi – CC} South Africa’s New Law on Climate Change

Context (TH): South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, signed into law a piece of legislation that will impose mandatory curbs on emissions.

Significance

This law is crucial for reducing the country’s carbon footprint and attaining net zero emissions by 2050. South Africa is among the top 15 global emitters.
The energy sector, responsible for 80% of emissions, is a primary focus.
The bill is a response to a global demand to move away from fossil fuels.
The bill supports 2021 NDC targets and emphasizes a ‘just transition’ to sustainable jobs requiring $8 billion annually by 2030.

Indian Context

India lacks comprehensive climate change law. The Climate Change Bill, 2021 that proposed for a Council on Climate Change has not progressed significantly.
In India, Climate change is addressed in multiple Acts, including the Environmental Protection Act, Forest Conservation Act, and Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act.
The SC ruled that citizens have a “right against the adverse effects of climate change” and noted lack of omnibus climate change legislation,
It emphasized the need to link climate change impacts to Constitutional rights of liberty, life, and equality.

{Prelims – In News} Potassium Cyanide (KCN)

Context (TH): Potassium cyanide (KCN) causes sudden death by inhibiting oxygen transport in the body, leading to cellular suffocation.

It is a cyanide salt composed of equal Pottasium (K+) and Cyanide (CN-) ions.

Properties of KCN

Appearance: White, crystalline solid.
Solubility: Highly soluble in water, forming a colourless solution.
Odour: Emits a faint, bitter almond-like smell.
Toxicity: Extremely toxic, inhibits cellular respiration by binding to cytochrome c oxidase.
Reactivity: Reacts with acids to release hydrogen cyanide gas, a highly poisonous substance.

Applications of KCN

Gold and Silver Extraction: Used in mining to extract precious metals from ores through cyanidation.
Electroplating: Employed in the electroplating industry to coat materials with gold, silver, or other metals.
Organic Synthesis: Utilised as a reagent in organic chemistry for the synthesis of nitriles.
Jewelry Cleaning: Applied in dilute solutions for cleaning and polishing jewellery.
Photography: Historically used in photographic processes, such as wet-plate collodion photography.
Laboratory Reagent: Employed in scientific research and chemical analysis in laboratories.

How Potassium Cyanide Causes Death?

Ingestion: Potassium cyanide enters the body, usually through ingestion.
Dissociation: It splits into potassium ions and cyanide ions.
Binding to Hemoglobin: Cyanide ions have a high affinity for the iron in haemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen.
Oxygen Blockage: Cyanide binds to haemoglobin, preventing it from carrying oxygen.
Cellular Respiration Disruption: Cyanide also binds to cytochrome c oxidase, a crucial enzyme in the electron transport chain within cells.
Oxygen Utilization Blockage: This binding stops cells from using oxygen effectively.
Organ Failure: As more cells die, organs begin to fail due to lack of oxygen.
Sympyoms: Headache, Giddiness, Bluish Tinge to Skin, Nausea and vomiting.
Death: If untreated, the lack of oxygen leads to unconsciousness and rapid death.

Treatment of KCN Poisoning

Administer Antidotes: Use antidotes such as hydroxocobalamin (Vitamin B12a) or sodium thiosulfate to neutralise cyanide.
Activated Charcoal: For adsorption or chemical reactions.

Regulations Governing KCN

Manufacture and Storage: Tightly regulated under the Manufacture, Storage, and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989.
Licensing: A license from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade is required for its import or export.
Controlled Substance: It is classified under the Poisons Act of 1919 as a poison, requiring strict control over its sale and distribution.
Environmental Regulations: Disposal and transport must adhere to guidelines set by the Central Pollution Control Board.
Users must comply with safety standards prescribed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to protect workers and prevent accidents.
Guidelines from international conventions, such as the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Rotterdam Convention, to regulate its use and trade.

{Prelims – In News} Sikkim – India’s Only Income Tax-Free State

Context (BI): As the July 31^st deadline for submitting Income Tax Returns (ITRs) approaches, all Indian states are required to comply, except for Sikkim.

The State of Sikkim is exempt from paying income tax under the Income Tax Act of 1961, as per the terms of its merger with the Union of India in 1975, as constitutionally guaranteed under Article 371F (Sikkim’s special status).
Sikkimese women who marry non-Sikkimese individuals or outsiders on or after April 1, 2008, will not be eligible for tax exemptions.
Additionally, members of scheduled tribes in specific regions, including Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura, are eligible for income-tax exemptions under Section 10(26) of the Income Tax Act.

{Prelims – S&T – Defence} Tarang Shakti Exercise 2024

Context (TH): The IAF is hosting its largest multilateral exercise, Tarang Shakti, in two phases at Sulur (TN) in August and Jodhpur (RJ) in September.

Out of 18 countries, Germany, France, Spain, the UK, Australia, Bangladesh, Greece, Singapore, the UAE, and the US are participating with air assets.
Indian Navy is participating in Phase-1 with Mig-29K carrier-borne fighters.
Germany will deploy its A400M transport aircraft.
Aim: To build mutual trust, enhance interoperability, and showcase India’s indigenous industry, demonstrating “Atmanirbharta” through its indigenous platforms (Light Combat Aircraft, Advanced Light Helicopter, Light Combat Helicopter).