EDITORIALS & ARTICLES
19th April 2021
Hot Springs and Gogra Post
Recently, China had refused to vacate two of the four original friction points during the 11th round of discussions between the senior military commanders of India and China.
- At two friction points, Patrolling Point 15 (PP15) in Hot Springs, and PP17A near Gogra Post, China still has a platoon-level strength each, along with vehicles.
- In May 2020, China had diverted its troops towards the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
- It created a standoff with India and PP15 and PP17A were two of the four points where the soldiers were eyeball-to-eyeball.
- The other points of friction at that time were PP14 in Galwan Valley and the north bank of Pangong Tso.
- The maximum ingress was on the north bank of Pangong Tso, where the Chinese troops were at Finger 4, which is 8 km west of Finger 8 where India says the LAC lies.
What are Hot Springs and Gogra Post?
- Along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India in China, Indian Army has been given certain locations that its troops have to access to patrol the area under its control.
- The above mentioned patrolling areas are known as patrolling points, or PPs, and are decided by the China Study Group (CSG).
- CSG was set-up in 1976, when Indira Gandhi was the prime minister, and is the apex decision-making body on China.
- The patrolling points are on the LAC barring certain areas, like Depsang Plains and troops access these points to assert their control over the territory.
- It is an important exercise since the boundary between India and China is not yet officially demarcated.
- PP15 and PP17A are two of the 65 patrolling points in Ladakh along the LAC.
- PP15 is located in an area known as the Hot Springs, while PP17A is near an area called the Gogra post.
Location of PP15 and PP17A
- These patrolling points are close to the Chang Chenmo River in the Galwan sub-sector of the LAC in eastern Ladakh.
- The Hot Springs is just north of the Chang Chenmo River and the Gogra Post is east of the point where the river takes a hairpin bend coming southeast from Galwan Valley and turning southwest.
- The area is north of the Karakoram Range of mountains, which lies north of the Pangong Tso Lake, and south east of Galwan Valley.
Significance of Hot Springs and Gogra Post
- The area lies close to Kongka Pass and according to China, the Kongka Pass marks the boundary between India and China.
- India’s claim of the international boundary lies significantly east, as it includes the entire Aksai Chin area as well.
- The official negotiations on the boundary between India and China in 1960 had with Kongka Pass as the dividing point and the portion north of Kongka Pass is the boundary between Sinkiang (now Xinjiang) and Ladakh, and the portion south of it is that between Tibet and Ladakh.
- The Hot Springs and Gogra Post are close to the boundary between two of the most historically disturbed provinces of China.
Importance of Hot Springs and Gogra Post for Military
- The PP15 and PP17A are in an area where India and China largely agree on the alignment of the LAC, which comes southeast from Galwan Valley, turns down at Konga La and moves towards Ann Pass before reaching the north bank of Pangong Tso.
- China has a major post of the People’s Liberation Army a few km east of Kongka La, while Indian posts lie southwest of it.
- The official history notes that the Chinese had succeeded in eliminating possible launch pads for any offensive against the Aksai Chin highway by eliminating DBO, Chushul and Demchok positions.
- In October 1962, there was a company strength at the Galwan Post, while three other posts i.e. Hot springs, Nala Junction and Patrol Base had strengths of a platoon.
- The Hot Spring also served as the Company headquarter, and was shelled by the Chinese.
Chang Chenmo River
- It is also known as Changchenmo River.
- It is a tributary of the Shyok River which is a part of the Indus River system.
- Its source is near the Lanak Pass in the Chinese-administered region of Kashmir.
- It is at the southern edge of the disputed Aksai Chin region and north of the Pangong Lake basin.
- Chang Chenmo means "Great Northern" in Tibetic languages.
- The Chang Chenmo Valley lies in a depression between the Karakoram Range in the north and the Changchenmo Range in the south.
- In Chinese-administered Aksai Chin, the Changchenmo is joined by Toglung Marpo, Kyapsang and Silung Kongma.
- In Ladakh, it is joined by Silung Burma, Silung Yogma, Kugrung River and Rimdi River.
Kongka Pass
- It is a low mountain pass over a hill that intrudes into the Chang Chenmo Valley.
- China considers Kongka Pass as its boundary with India, whereas India regards Lanak Pass further east as the boundary.
Lanak La
- It is a mountain pass in the disputed Aksai Chin region, administered by China as part of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
- It is claimed by India as its border pass.
International Day for Monuments and Sites
Recently, the United Nations has celebrated the International Day for Monuments and Sites on April 18th.
International Day for Monuments and Sites
- The theme for International Day for Monuments and Sites 2021 is “Complex Pasts: Diverse Futures”.
- The day is promoted by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).
- The day is dedicated to recognising sites of historical importance, raising awareness regarding them, and stressing the need to restore and preserve them.
History of International Day for Monuments and Sites
- ICOMOS in 1982 had decided to celebrate April 18 as the International Day for Monuments and Sites or World Heritage Day.
- It was approved by UNESCO in 1983 during its 22nd General Conference.
What does the theme ‘Complex Pasts: Diverse Futures’ mean?
- The UNESCO website explains this year’s theme “Complex Pasts: Diverse Futures” i.e. the history of a place can involve many points of view.
- The conservation of cultural heritage requires careful examination of the past, and its practice demands provision for the future.
- The addressing of difficult and often contested histories involves complex conversations with different stakeholders, avoiding biased views and interpretations of the past.
- It acknowledges global calls for greater inclusion and recognition of diversity and invites all of us to reflect on, interpret and review existing narratives.
World Heritage Sites in India
- India is home to 38 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, out of the 1121 such spots identified around the world.
- Of these, 30 are ‘cultural’, such as the Ajanta Caves, Fatehpur Sikri, Hampi monuments and the Mountain Railways of India, and 7 are ‘Natural’, including Kaziranga, Manas and Nanda Devi National Parks.
- One is classified as ‘Mixed’, the Khangchendzonga National Park.
- In 2019, ‘Jaipur City’ became the 38th addition to the India list under Culture.
International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
- It is a non-governmental international organisation dedicated to the conservation of the world's monuments and sites.
- It works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places.
- It is a network of experts that benefits from the interdisciplinary exchange of its members.
- Its mission is to promote the conservation, protection, use and enhancement of monuments, building complexes and sites.
- It is an Advisory Body of the World Heritage Committee for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention of UNESCO.
US keeps India in currency practices monitoring
Recently, the United States has placed 11 countries, including India, China, Japan, South Korea, Germany and Italy in the currency practices monitoring list.
- The other countries named by the Department of Treasury in its quarterly report to Congress, are Ireland, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Mexico.
What is currency practices monitoring list?
- The US Department of Treasury has established a monitoring list of major trading partners that merit close attention to their currency practices and macroeconomic policies.
- An economy meeting two of the three criteria in the 2015 Act is placed on the Monitoring List.
- The Treasury will add and retain on the Monitoring List any major US trading partner that accounts for a large and disproportionate share of the overall US trade deficiteven if that economy has not met two of the three criteria from the 2015 Act.
What are the parameters used?
- An economy meeting two of the three criteria in the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 is placed on the Monitoring List which includes:
- A significant bilateral trade surplus with the US, one that is at least $20 billion over a 12-month period;
- A material current account surplus equivalent to at least 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) over a 12-month period; and
- “Persistent”, one-sided intervention when net purchases of foreign currency totalling at least 2 percent of the country’s GDP over a 12 month period are conducted repeatedly, in at least six out of 12 months.
What does the term ‘currency manipulator’ mean?
- It is a label given by the US government to countries it feels are engaging in “unfair currency practices” by deliberately devaluing their currency against the dollar.
- The practice would mean that the country in question is artificially lowering the value of its currency to gain an unfair advantage over others.
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)
Recently, a new report shows that a significant number of young people with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) develop neurological symptoms, including hallucinations.
- It is a condition where different body parts can become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs.
- It is also called pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome (PMIS or PIMS).
- Children with MIS-C may have a fever and various symptoms, including abdominal (gut) pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash, bloodshot eyes, or feeling extra tired.
- It typically emerges two to six weeks after a COVID infection, often one that produces only mild symptoms or none at all.
- The syndrome is rare, but can be very serious.
- The exact cause of MIS-C is not known yet, but it appears to be an excessive immune response related to COVID-19.
Signs and Symptoms of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)
- The specific features of MIS-C may include:
- Kawasaki-like symptoms: Rash, bloodshot eyes, swollen hands and feet, cracked lips, a swollen tongue that looks like a strawberry, and an enlarged lymph node in the neck.
- Toxic shock-like symptoms: Severe flu-like symptoms with high fever, as well as a sunburn-like rash, low blood pressure, and a very high heart rate.
- Gastrointestinal symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, or a swollen abdomen.
- Respiratory symptoms that have been reported with COVID-19, such as persistent cough and shortness of breath, may or may not be present.
- The new findings strengthen the theory that the syndrome is related to a surge of inflammation triggered by an immune response to the virus.
- The new study evaluated children under 18 who were admitted to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) between April and September of last year with the syndrome.
- All 24 of the patients with neurological symptoms had headaches and 14 had encephalopathy.
- Encephalopathy is a general term that can involve confusion, problems with memory or attention and other types of altered mental function.
- One child had seizures and three children had peripheral nerve abnormalitiesincluding weakness in facial or shoulder muscles.
- Six of the children had weakness or difficulty controlling muscles used in speech.
- Thirteen of the 24 with neurological symptoms needed to be placed on ventilators and 15 needed medications to improve their heart contractions.
State of Population Report 2021
Recently, the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) has released the State of Population Report 2021.
- The lack of bodily autonomy may have worsened during the coronavirus pandemic, placing record numbers of women and girls at risk of gender-based violence and harmful practices such as early marriage.
- The report also noted that a woman’s power to control her own body is linked to how much control she has in other spheres of her life, with higher autonomy associated with advances in health and education.
- The report documented several ways through which bodily autonomy of not only women and girls, but also men and boys, is violated, with factors such as disability worsening the situation.
- It also noted that punitive legal environments, combined with stigma, discrimination and high levels of violence, placed gay men and other men who have sex with men, at high risk of HIV infection.
- The report also documents many other ways that the bodily autonomy of women, men, girls and boys is violated, revealing that:
- Twenty countries or territories have “marry-your-rapist” laws, where a man can escape criminal prosecution if he marries the woman or girl he has raped.
- Forty-three countries have no legislation addressing the issue of marital rape (rape by a spouse).
- More than 30 countries restrict women’s right to move around outside the home.
- Girls and boys with disabilities are nearly three times more likely to be subjected to sexual violence, with girls at the greatest risk.
- The report shows that in countries where data are available:
- Only 55 per cent of women are fully empowered to make choices over health care, contraception and the ability to say yes or no to sex.
- Only 71 per cent of countries guarantee access to overall maternity care.
- Only 75 per cent of countries legally ensure full, equal access to contraception.
- Only about 80 per cent of countries have laws supporting sexual health and well-being.
- Only about 56 per cent of countries have laws and policies supporting comprehensive sexuality education.
United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA)
- It is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency.
- Its mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.
- It is formally named the United Nations Population Fund.
- It was created in 1969, the same year the United Nations General Assembly declared parents have the exclusive right to determine freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children.
Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB)
Recently, the President of India has signed the Tribunal Reform (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance 2021, shutting down Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) and other tribunals for good.
What is Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB)?
- It has been constituted by a Gazette notification of the Central Government in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in 2003.
- It was established to hear appeals against the decisions of the Registrar under the Trade Marks Act, 1999 and the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
- It has its headquarters at Chennai and shall have sittings at Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Ahmedabad.
- The Section 83 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999(Act), provides for the establishment of an Appellate Board to be known as the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB).
Exclusive Jurisdiction of IPAB
- The Appellate Board can receive, hear and dispose all appeals from any order or decision of the Controller and all cases related to the revocation of a patent, rectification of register, other than through a counter-claim in a suit for infringement.
- IPAB has the authority to proceed with the matter either de novo or from the stage at which it was transferred on appeal.
- The IPAB is the sole authority to exercise the powers and adjudicate proceedings arising from an appeal against an order or decision of the Controller.
Reasons for demise of IPAB
- It has been treated like an unwanted child ever since it was created by the government.
- It always looked for temporary fix for the problems in the innovation system because it was perennially understaffed and underfunded.
- The formers chairpersons have raised concerns regarding the judicial and institutional independence of the IPAB.
- The IPAB’s jurisdiction of cases was split between trademarks, patents, copyright, and geographical indication, where the predominant business pertained to trademarks.
- The patents bench of the IPAB would have probably taken longer to constitute had it not been for the limelight brought by the Novartis case.
New Bamboo-Dwelling Bat Species in Meghalaya
Recently, a team of scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has discovered a new Bamboo-Dwelling Bat Species in Meghalaya’s Lailad area near Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary.
Bamboo-Dwelling Bat Species
- The flying mammal (Eudiscopus Denticulus) is India’s first bamboo-dwelling bat with sticky disks.
- The bats are very distinctive in appearance with prominent disk-like pads in the thumb with bright orange colouration.
- It is reported to roost inside bamboo internodes aided by its adhesive disks.
- It has only been reported in a few localities in Southern China, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar.
- It takes the count of flying mammals in India to 130.
- The researchers have hypothesized that Eudiscopus bats from Vietnam and Meghalaya may have a very recent common origin and all existing bat populations expanded from the same region.
- The newly-recorded bat was presumed to be a bamboo-dwelling species, but its flattened skull and adhesive pads helped in identifying it as the disk-footed.
Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary
- It is located in the Ri Bhoi district of Meghalaya.
- The Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, Nongkhyllem Reserve Forest and a portion of community forest west of the Umtrew River that is being acquired by the state government.
- The area has become broken and rugged because of continuous erosion by the rivers Umtrew, Umran, Umling and Umtasor.
- There is a natural lake called Birbah in the southern part of the sanctuary.
- The area has a tropical monsoon climate.
- The major part of the habitat is Tropical Moist Deciduous Forest with patches of Tropical Semi-Evergreen Forest.
- It has been found to be the best protected area (PA) in the North East.
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