EDITORIALS & ARTICLES
25th March 2021
Borphukan
Recently, a controversy broke out when the Congress and the Asom Jatiya Parishad slammed PM Narendra Modi for referring to Borphukan as a freedom fighter.
- Lachit Borphukan was a general during the 17th Century period of the Ahom dynasty.
- He is credited with defeating the Mughals (Aurangzeb) in the Battle of Saraighat (1671) on the Brahmaputra.
- It was one of the greatest achievements of the Ahom Kingdom and a sheer epitome of tactical brilliance, perfect use of terrain, guerrilla warfare and intelligence gathering.
- He is remembered as the greatest military hero of Assam.
- According to Arup Kumar Dutta, author of the book The Ahoms, Borphukan represents a time when the “Assamese race was united and able to fight an alien, formidable force such as the Mughals”.
- The Tai-Ahom ethnic community, seen as the descendants of the Ahom dynasty who reside in Upper Assam, represent Assamese sub-nationalism.
Failure of first inter-state tiger relocation project
Recently, a tigress shifted as part of India’s first inter-state translocation project in 2018 from Madhya Pradesh to Odisha has returned home after spending 28 months in Satkosia Tiger Reserve
What is Inter-state Tiger Relocation Project?
- It was initiated in 2018 wherein two big cats, a male (Mahavir) from Kanha Tiger Reserve and a female (Sundari) from Bandhavgarh from Madhya Pradesh were relocated to Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Odisha.
- The relocation was meant to serve two purposes:
- Reducing tiger population in areas with excess tigers to majorly reduce territorial disputes; and
- To reintroduce tigers in areas where the population has considerably reduced due to various reasons
- It was started under the project of “augmentation and recovery of tiger population in Satkosia tiger reserve”.
- Under the project, six tigers (three pairs) from different reserves of Madhya Pradesh were to be sent to Odisha.
- The two key factors were considered for choosing the animal:
- First, a dispersing young animal which is to find a new; and
- Second, an adult transient which was yet to establish any territory
Outcome of Inter-state Tiger Relocation Project
- The arrival of the tigers was followed by severe protests by villagers living on the fringes of the reserve.
- The forest department officials were attacked and their offices burnt down by irate villagers.
- It was the outcome of displacing tribals from Raigoda in the core area to Saruali on the outskirts of the reserve.
- The villagers feared the big cats would endanger their livelihoods, lives and livestocks.
- They also alleged that they were not consulted or informed prior to the translocation.
Reasons for failure of Inter-state Tiger Relocation Project
- The major reason which contributed to the failure of the project was the lack of confidence and trust building between the forest department and the villagers.
- The already existing female tigress in the core area did not allow the presence of another tigress and chased her away.
- Sundari’s proximity to human habitations which are in abundance even close to the core area in Satkosia could have led to the human-animal conflict.
- The field staff and tiger reserve management were under-prepared for the translocation of the big cats.
- The local communities were not taken into confidence nor conveyed the benefits from tourism that tigers could bring them.
- The protection was not up to the mark and the only undisturbed, prey rich habitat was already occupied by the old resident tigress causing Sundari to occupy human dominated, disturbed areas.
Satkosia Tiger Reserve
- It is comprised of two adjoining Sanctuaries of central Odisha named as Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary and Baisipalli Sanctuary.
- The Mahanadi River is flowing through a gorge stretching 22 km.
- It spreads across four districts of Odisha and has as its core area 523 sq km.
- It was declared as a Tiger Reserve in 2007.
- It comes under Gadjat hills sub-division of Chhotnagpur Plateau Biotic Provinces and Eastern Ghats Biotic Provinces under Deccan Peninsular Biogeographic zone.
- Satkosia is the meeting point of two bio-geographic regions of India i.e. the Deccan Peninsula and the Eastern Ghats, contributing immense biodiversity.
Suez Canal blocked by traffic jam
Recently, the Suez Canal has been blocked after a large cargo ship ran aground while passing through it, bringing traffic on the busy trade route to a halt.
Suez Canal
- It is a critical shipping artery that connects the Mediterranean and Red Seas through Egypt.
- It is a human-made waterway and as one of the world’s most heavily used shipping lanes, carrying over 12% of world trade by volume.
- It was built in 1869 to provide a major shortcut for ships moving between Europe and Asia.
- The 150-year-old canal was controlled by British and French interests in its initial years, but was nationalised in 1956 by Egypt.
- In 2015, Egypt announced plans to further expand the Suez Canal, aiming to reduce waiting times and double the number of ships that can use the canal daily by 2023.
Significance of Suez Canal
- The canal is a major source of income for Egypt’s economy, with the African country earning $5.61 billion in revenues from it in 2020.
- According to reports, nearly 50 ships pass through it every day, and it accounts for 12% of world trade.
- The majority of oil transported by sea passes through the Suez Canal, which is the fastest crossing from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean, but demands hefty passage tolls.
- The journey between ports in the Gulf and London, for example, is roughly halved by going through the Suez as compared to the alternate route via the southern tip of Africa.
Reasons for traffic jam at Suez Canal
- The vessel blocking Suez is the Ever Given which is a Panama-registered container ship that is on its way to Rotterdam in the Netherlands from China.
- The 2018-built vessel, which is 400-m long and 59-m wide, got stuck at Suez Canal due to a mishap caused by bad weather.
India-US to re-establish Homeland Security Dialogue
Recently, the Biden administration has announced the re-establishment of the Homeland Security Dialogue with India that was discontinued by the previous Trump dispensation.
- The two countries had welcomed efforts to “reinvigorate” the dialogue at the 2+2 dialogue of the foreign and defence ministers of the two countries held in October 2020.
- The increased cooperation among the four countries (US, India, Japan and Australia) on emerging technology was one of the key outcomes of the First Quad Summit.
What is Homeland Security Dialogue?
- It is an initiative of the Obama administration.
- It was announced by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and President Barack Obama in November 2010 as part of the global strategic partnership between India and the United States.
- The first India-US Homeland Security Dialogue was held in May 2011 in India.
- The second India-US Homeland Security Dialogue was held in Washington DC in 2013.
- The dialogue at the ministerial level were not scheduled after 2013 though working groups set up as part of the dialogue continued to engage on several areas of mutual concern and issues.
Significance of Homeland Security Dialogue
- It is quite important as both United States and India have shared concerns about terrorism.
- It enables open line of communications and rapport between the leading officials which can ensure better coordination, keeping citizens from both nations safer.
- The sharing of information on sources of cyberattacks, the tactics, and potential countermeasures will be very helpful.
- It affirmed the strategic importance of cooperation for the security of the two countries and their people, based on their shared values of democracy, pluralism and openness.
Appointment of Chief Justice of India
Recently, the Chief Justice of India S A Bobde has officially recommended the second most senior Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice N V Ramana, as his successor.
Appointment of Judges of Supreme Court
- The judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the president.
- The chief justice is appointed by the president after consultation with such judges of the Supreme Court and high courts as he deems necessary.
- The other judges are appointed by president after consultation with the chief justice and such other judges of the Supreme Court and the high courts as he deems necessary.
- The consultation with the chief justice is obligatory in the case of appointment of a judge other than Chief justice.
Appointment of Chief Justice of India
- From 1950 to 1973, the practice has been to appoint the senior most judge of the Supreme Court as the chief justice of India.
- The above established convention was violated in 1973 when A N Ray was appointed as the Chief Justice of India by superseding three senior judges.
- The discretion of the government was curtailed by the Supreme Court in the Second Judges Case (1993), in which it ruled that the senior most judge of the Supreme Court should alone be appointed to the office of the chief justice of India.
Qualifications of Judges of Supreme Court
- A person to be appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court should have the following qualifications:
- He should be a citizen of India.
- He should have been a judge of a High Court (or high courts in succession) for five years; or
- He should have been an advocate of a High Court (or High Courts in succession) for ten years; or
- He should be a distinguished jurist in the opinion of the president.
- It is clear that the Constitution has not prescribed a minimum age for appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court.
Oath or Affirmation of Judges of Supreme Court
- A person appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court, before entering upon his Office, has to make and subscribe an oath or affirmation before the President.
UN Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR)
Recently, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has expressed gratitude to UN Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR) which has commended India's remarkable progress in reducing the premature mortality from Non Communicable Diseases.
UN Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR)
- It was created in 1963 to train and equip young diplomats from newly-independent UN Member States with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate through the diplomatic environment.
- It is governed by a Board of Trustees and is headed by an Executive Director.
- It is a project-based organization and does not receive any funds from the regular United Nations budget.
- It is financed entirely from voluntary contributions derived mainly from UN Member States, other UN agencies, international and intergovernmental organizations, foundations NGOs and the private sector.
- Its framework is aligned with the 2030 Agenda and is structured around five pillars that correspond to four of the five thematic pillars of the 2030 Agenda: Peace, People, Planet and Prosperity.
- The Institute originally had its headquarters based in New York and a European Office in Geneva but in 1993, UNITAR’s headquarters were transferred to Geneva.
Objectives of UNITAR
- It provides innovative learning solutions to individuals, organizations and institutions to enhance global decision-making and support country-level action for shaping a better future.
- It provides training and capacity development activities to assist mainly developing countries with special attention to Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other groups and communities who are most vulnerable.
- It aims to reflect a drive for results and programming to develop the capacities of individuals, institutions and organizations with a view to overcoming global challenges.
Significance of UNITAR
- It has acquired unique expertise and experience in designing and delivering a variety of training activities.
- It has become a leading institute in the provision of customized and creative learning solutions to institutions and individuals from both public and private sectors.
Core Functions of UNITAR
- Providing high-quality learning solutions to address the capacity development needs of individuals, organizations and institutions;
- Advising and supporting governments, the UN and other partners with knowledge services, including those that are technology-based;
- Facilitating knowledge and experience sharing through networked and innovative processes; and
- Integrating innovative strategies, approaches and methodologies into our learning and related knowledge products and services.
National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill 2021
Recently, the Lok Sabha has passed the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill after it was passed in Rajya Sabha.
Key Provisions National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill 2021
- Allied health professional: The Bill defines ‘allied health professional’ as an associate, technician, or technologist trained to support the diagnosis and treatment of any illness, disease, injury, or impairment.
- Such a professional should have obtained a diploma or degree under this Bill.
- The duration of the degree /diploma should be at least 2,000 hours (over a period of two to four years).
- Healthcare professional: A ‘healthcare professional’ includes a scientist, therapist, or any other professional who studies, advises, researches, supervises, or provides preventive, curative, rehabilitative, therapeutic, or promotional health services.
- Such a professional should have obtained a degree under this Bill.
- The duration of the degree should be at least 3,600 hours (over a period of three to six years).
- Allied and healthcare professions: The Bill specifies certain categories of allied and healthcare professions as recognised categories.
- These are mentioned in the Schedule to the Bill and include life science professionals, trauma and burn care professionals, surgical and anaesthesia related technology professionals, physiotherapists, and nutrition science professionals.
- The central government may amend this Schedule after consultation with the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Profession.
- National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions: The Bill sets up the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions.
- The Commission will consist of:
- Chairperson,
- Vice-Chairperson,
- Five members (at the level of Joint Secretary) representing various Departments/ Ministries of the central government,
- One representative from the Directorate General of Health Services,
- Three Deputy Directors or Medical Superintendents appointed on a rotational basis from amongst medical institutions including the AIIMS, Delhi and AIIPMR, Mumbai, and
- 12 part-time members representing State Councils, among others
- The Commission will perform the following functions with regard to Allied and Healthcare professionals:
- Framing policies and standards for regulating education and practice;
- Creating and maintaining an online Central Register of all registered professionals;
- Providing basic standards of education, courses, curriculum, staff qualifications, examination, training, maximum fee payable for various categories; and
- Providing for a uniform entrance and exit examination, among others
- Professional Councils: The Commission will constitute a Professional Council for every recognised category of allied and healthcare professions.
- The Professional Council will consist of a president and four to 24 members, representing each profession in the recognised category.
- The Commission may delegate any of its functions to this Council.
- State Councils: Within six months from the passage of the Bill, state governments will constitute State Allied and Healthcare Councils.
- The State Councils will consist of:
- Chairperson (at least 25 years of experience in the field of allied and healthcare science),
- one member representing medical sciences in the state government,
- two members representing state medical colleges,
- two members representing charitable institutions, and
- two members from each of the recognised categories of allied and healthcare professions, nominated by the state government, among others.
- The State Councils will:
- Enforce professional conduct and code of ethics to be observed by allied healthcare professionals;
- Maintain respective State Registers;
- Inspect allied and healthcare institutions; and
- Ensure uniform entry and exit examinations
- Offences and penalties: No person is allowed to practice as a qualified allied and healthcare practitioner other than those enrolled in a State Register or the National Register.
- Any person who contravenes this provision will be punished with a fine of Rs 50,000.
Significance of National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill 2021
- It seeks to regulate and standardise the education and practice of allied and healthcare professionals in the country.
- It is aimed at fulfilling long-pending demands of the sector, and enhances employment opportunities for professionals.
- The group of allied professionals is large and the bill is trying to regulate this field, by providing dignity to their roles.
- It is expected to benefit an estimated 9 lakhs allied and healthcare-related professionals and thousands of other professionals joining the workforce annually.
Cats & Dogs infected by UK Variant of Coronavirus
Recently, the first few cases have been reported of cats and dogs being infected with the so-called “UK variant” of the coronavirus.
- It is of great concern that some of the infected animals have also been diagnosed with a heart condition known as myocarditis.
Myocarditis
- It is an inflammation of the heart muscle
- It decreases the ability of the heart to pump blood normally.
- The myocardium muscle is responsible for contracting and relaxing to pump blood in and out of the heart and to the rest of the body.
- It can be caused by a number of factors, including a viral infection.
- The severity of symptoms varies i.e. in extreme cases, the patients of myocarditis can suddenly lose consciousness or show signs of heart failure.
- The potential culprits of causing Myocarditis are:
- Viruses: They are one of the most common causes of infectious myocarditis.
- The most common viruses to cause myocarditis include Coxsackievirus group B (an enterovirus), Human Herpes Virus 6, and Parvovirus B19 (which causes fifth disease).
- Bacteria: It can also result from infection with Staphylococcus aureus or Corynebacterium diptheriae.
- Staphylococcus aureus is the bacterium that can cause impetigo and be a methicillin resistant strain (MRSA).
- Corynebacterium diptheriae is the bacterium that causes diphtheria, an acute infection that destroys tonsils and throat cells.
- Fungi: Yeast infections, molds, and other fungi can sometimes cause myocarditis.
Connection between Myocarditis and COVID-19
- The UK paper does not establish the coronavirus infection as the cause for myocarditis in the animals.
- It notes that among people, myocarditis associated with multisystem inflammatory syndrome is a well-recognised complication of Covid-19.
- The UK animals were diagnosed with myocarditis first, and the virus infection later.
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