Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh Assesses Progress on India’s 2030 FMD-Free Target Through Vaccination

Key Highlights:

• Goal: Achieve an FMD-free India by 2030 through vaccination.
• Economic Impact: FMD causes ₹24,000 crore annual losses.
• FMD-Free Zones: Identified in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat.
• Vaccination: Extended nationwide, including pastoral sheep and goats; Ladakh already started.
• Domestic Production: All vaccines developed by ICAR; India can now export to select Asian countries.

Foot and Mouth Disease:

• Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of livestock that has a significant economic impact.
• The disease affects cattle, swine, sheep, goats and other cloven-hoofed ruminants.
• FMD virus belongs to Aphthovirus genus of the picornaviridae family.
• FMD can spread when infected animals bring the virus into physical contact with susceptible animals.
• Virus contaminated facilities, contaminated vehicles, raw or improperly cooked garbage containing infected meat or animal products can also spread the virus of FMD.
• In rare cases, humans are also susceptible.

Can Humans be affected?

• Humans can be infected with foot-and-mouth disease through contact with infected animals, but this is extremely rare. Some cases were caused by laboratory accidents. Because the virus that causes FMD is sensitive to stomach acid, it cannot spread to humans via consumption of infected meat, except in the mouth before the meat is swallowed.
• Symptoms of FMD in humans include malaise, fever, vomiting, red ulcerative lesions (surface-eroding damaged spots) of the oral tissues, and sometimes vesicular lesions (small blisters) of the skin.

Government Initiatives

• FMD control program (FMDCP), initiated in 10th plan period and was extended to 11th and 12th plan period. Presently, it covers 351 districts in 13 states and 6 UTs.
• The Ministry of Agriculture, Department (of Animal and Husbandry) had initiated ‘FMD Mukt Bharat’ under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) during 2016-17, a program to cover all the states which were not covered under the six-monthly vaccination scheme.

FSSAI Launches Project to Address Microplastic Contamination in Indian Food

Key Highlights:

Project Launch: FSSAI launched a project titled “Micro-and Nano-Plastics as Emerging Food Contaminants: Establishing Validated Methodologies and Understanding the Prevalence in Different Food Matrices” in New Delhi.

Objective: The project aims to develop and validate methods for detecting micro and nano-plastics in food, and to assess their prevalence and exposure levels in India.

Key Goals:

• Develop standard protocols for micro/nano-plastic analysis.
• Conduct intra- and inter-laboratory comparisons.
• Generate data on microplastic exposure levels among Indian consumers.

Collaborators: The project involves CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (Lucknow), ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (Kochi), and Birla Institute of Technology and Science (Pilani).

Context: This initiative addresses the growing concern of microplastic contamination in food highlighted by a recent FAO report, which pointed out their presence in common items like sugar and salt.

Impact: The findings will help in formulating effective regulations and safety standards specific to India, contributing to both national and global efforts to tackle microplastic contamination.

Microplastics:

• They are defined as plastics less than five millimeters in diameter—smaller in diameter than the standard pearl used in jewelry. It can be harmful to our ocean and aquatic life.
• Under the influence of solar UV radiation, wind, currents and other natural factors, plastic fragments into small particles, termed microplastics (particles smaller than 5 mm) or nanoplastics (particles smaller than 100 nm).

Health Risks of Consuming Microplastics:

• Toxicity: Microplastics can carry harmful chemicals that may leach into the body.
• Inflammation: Potential to trigger inflammatory responses or immune issues.
• Bioaccumulation: Possible accumulation in the body and disruption of biological processes.
• Unknown Long-term Effects: Ongoing research needed to fully understand long-term health impacts.

Malaysian PM arriving today; trade, people-to-people links on agenda

Visit Overview:

• During the visit, he will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The two leaders are expected to sign various agreements and outline a “multi-sectoral cooperation agenda” aimed at enhancing trade, strategic ties, and people-to-people links between India and Malaysia.

 Key Areas of Cooperation:

• The focus will be on improving trade relations, strategic partnerships, and fostering stronger people-to-people connections between the two nations.

India and Malaysia Relations

• India established diplomatic relations with the Federation of Malaya (predecessor state of Malaysia) in 1957. India is represented in Malaysia through the High Commission of India based in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is represented in India through their High Commission in New Delhi and Consulates General in Mumbai and Chennai.
• The two countries enjoyed a strong relationship in the 1960s as a result of the personal friendship between Prime Ministers Nehru and Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra.
• Malaysia is one of the important countries for India’s Look East Policy and Act East Policy. The two countries have close political, economic and socio-cultural relations.

Diplomatic Relations:

• India and Malaysia established diplomatic relations shortly after Malaysia gained independence from British rule in 1957.
• Both countries are participants of various international businesses, consisting of the United Nations, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), and the Non-Aligned Movement.

Trade and Economic Relations: 

• Malaysia is the 13th biggest trading partner for India even as India stands between the ten largest trading partners globally.
• Furthermore, Malaysia has emerged as the third biggest trading companion for India from the ASEAN region and India is the most important trading partner for Malaysia in most of the countries of the Southeast Asian region.
• Malaysia stands as both nations have engaged in numerous financial agreements consisting of the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).
• Both nations have agreed to conduct trade agreements in Indian rupees, reflecting an aim to bolster trade relations. 

Defence and Security: 

• The defence ties have progressively multiplied, marked by the signing of a defense cooperation memorandum in 1993, everyday security cooperation conferences, joint military exercises, and Malaysia’s interest in acquiring 18 new Indian light fighter jets, indicating potential growth in arms trade between the two nations.

Strategic Partnership: 

• India and Malaysia have aimed to strengthen their strategic partnership by diverse initiatives, which include high-level visits, joint commissions, and dialogues.
• Both countries have expressed pursuits in enhancing cooperation in regions which includes security, counter-terrorism, maritime security, and cultural trade.

Tourism and diaspora:

• Over the last two decades, tourism has been a cornerstone in fostering relations between India and Malaysia.
• Various agreements, including the India-Malaysia visa waiver for diplomatic and professional passport holders, a tourism-focused memorandum of understanding in 2010, a bilateral agreement on employment and people’ welfare in 2009, and a revised air services agreement in 2017, have significantly contributed to the growth of tourism between the countries.

Cultural Ties: 

• Indian impact in Malaysia can be seen in numerous factors of Malaysian way of life, along with language, religion (Hinduism and Buddhism), structure, delicacies, and fairs.

Challenges

• Trade Disputes and Imbalances:Trade disputes and imbalances were a significant challenge in India-Malaysia relations.

Issues associated with tariffs, non-tariff limitations, and trade restrictions have occasionally strained economic ties between the two countries.

• Geopolitical Considerations: Both countries have diverse foreign coverage priorities and engagements with different countries, that may result in differences in strategic views.

Blue moon

Definition and Usage of "Blue Moon"

Common Definition: A "blue moon" traditionally refers to a second full moon occurring in a single calendar month. This is a rare event, hence the term "blue moon" is often associated with rarity.

Historical Definition: The term "blue moon" was also used to describe the moon appearing blue due to specific atmospheric conditions, such as volcanic eruptions.

Historical and Atmospheric Causes of a Blue Moon

Tambora Eruption (1815):

• Location and Impact: The eruption of Mt. Tambora, located in modern-day Indonesia, was the most powerful volcanic eruption in recorded history.
• Climatic Effects: The eruption released vast amounts of ash and sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, leading to a significant drop in global temperatures (0.4–0.7 °C) and causing the climatic anomalies known as the "year without summer" in 1816.
• Visual Impact: The atmospheric particles from the eruption could have caused the moon to appear blue, as described in literary sources such as Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem "Alastor" written during that period.

Mayon Volcano Eruption (1814):

• Preceding Event: The eruption of the Mayon Volcano in the Philippines in the previous year also contributed to the atmospheric conditions leading to the "year without summer."

Krakatoa Eruption (1883):

• Location and Impact: The eruption of Krakatoa, a volcanic caldera in Indonesia, was one of the most violent volcanic events in recorded history.
• Climatic Effects: The eruption resulted in substantial atmospheric dust and particles, which caused significant global climatic disturbances.
• Visual Impact: The Royal Society in London documented that the moon appeared blue, and the sun exhibited unusual colors (such as green) in various parts of the world due to these atmospheric effects.

Historical Use of the Term "Blue Moon"

Metaphorical Usage:

• Early 1820s: The term "blue moon" began to be used metaphorically to denote an event that is rare or infrequent.

Farmers’ Almanac (1937):

• Modern Definition: The term "blue moon" was popularized to refer specifically to the second full moon in a single calendar month by the U.S. farmers’ almanac published in 1937.
• Misinterpretation: This definition was based on a misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the term, which had historically been used in other contexts.

Recent Example

August 2023:

Occurrence: A blue moon, in the modern sense of the term, occurred in August 2023, demonstrating the modern usage of the term as referring to the second full moon in a calendar month.

Suo Motu

SC takes suo motu cognisance of rape and murder of doctor

What is Suo Motto? 

Suo Moto Cognizance: In law, the term “suo moto cognizance” refers to the court’s authority to hear cases on its own initiative without any formal complaint or petition being submitted by any party. Based on information obtained from media reports, letters, or any other reliable source, the court starts the procedures on its own.

Constitutional Provisions: According to Articles 32 and 226 of the Indian Constitution, the Supreme Court and High Courts in India have the ability to take suo moto cognizance of cases. The Supreme Court is given the authority to issue writs for the enforcement of basic rights by Article 32, and the High Courts are given the same authority by Article 226 within their respective spheres of jurisdiction.

Judicial Activism: Suo Moto Cognizance is regarded as an example of judicial activism, in which the judge takes proactive measures to solve pressing concerns that could otherwise go ignored or neglected. By taking on such cases, the courts hope to guarantee the prompt and effective administration of justice.

What are the types of cases where Suo Moto can be applied?

• Contempt of Court: Cases involving contempt of court, which may include deliberate disobedience of court orders or conduct that embarrass the court, can be taken suo moto cognizance by courts.
• Reopening of Old Cases: The court may reopen a closed case by taking suo moto cognizance if fresh, substantial evidence is discovered.
• Order Probes for New Cases: Based on information from affected parties or media reports, courts may launch inquiries or order investigations in cases where there is an apparent injustice being done to a person or a group of society.
• Protection of Fundamental Rights: Suo moto cognizance may be exercised in situations when a citizen’s fundamental rights have been violated.
• Matters of Public Interest: The court may get involved in situations that affect a broad segment of the community or have a significant amount of public interest.