Sudan extends opening of Adre border crossing for aid delivery

• Sudan’s sovereign council said it would extend the use of the Adre border crossing with Chad, seen as essential by aid agencies for the delivery of food and other supplies to areas at risk of famine in the Darfur and Kordofan regions.
• Conflict erupted between rival militaries the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over the transfer of power to civilian rule.
• Adre, which was closed by an order from the army-controlled government in February, was re-opened for three months in August until November 15, and it had not been clear whether that period would be extended.
• The border town of Adre used to be home to 40,000 people, but it now hosts around 230,000 Sudanese refugees. Many spend months in harsh conditions while waiting to be relocated inland.
• Members of the government have protested against the opening, saying it allows for the RSF to deliver weapons. However, the Sudanese army is not in physical control of the border crossing which lies within territory seized last year by the RSF, which controls most of Darfur.
• The United Nations welcomed the decision to keep Adre open for another three months.

Sudan trapped in a ‘nightmare of violence’

• UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the people of Sudan are trapped in a “nightmare of violence, hunger, disease and displacement”, as the brutal war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to rage.
• The country’s army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are battling in a power struggle that exploded in April 2023.
• With a population of 46 million, Sudan is the third most populous country in Africa.
• The situation in Sudan has been in a freefall since the war erupted in April 2023.
• The people of Sudan face an ever-deepening crisis as the relentless war between rival militaries pushes the country further into chaos.
• It is now the world’s worst displacement crisis, with more than 11 million people driven from their homes — nearly three million among them into neighbouring countries as refugees, according to the UN relief coordinating office — OCHA.
• Disease outbreaks, including cholera, malaria and dengue fever, are spreading quickly due to the collapse of the health system.
• The exodus from Sudan has put pressure on surrounding countries to provide assistance to all those in need of shelter and basic services.
• The war has unleashed a severe hunger crisis, affecting millions. Large swathes of fertile croplands lay fallow as families have either fled for safety or lack seeds, fertilizers and other necessities.
• The latest analysis by the global food security tracker, or IPC, found that more than 750,000 people were facing the very highest levels of food insecurity and potential widespread famine.
• Access for aid workers and supplies also remains a major challenge.
• The socio-economic outlook of the country is growing more dire by the day. Full-time employment across Sudan has plummeted by half and only one in seven urban households have access to the health services they need.
• With two-thirds of the fighting concentrated in cities and towns of over 100,000 inhabitants, understanding the impacts of the war on urban livelihoods is crucial to address both immediate economic challenges and long-term development obstacles.

Cardiovascular Kidney Metabolic (CKM) syndrome

• The Cardiovascular Kidney Metabolic (CKM) syndrome is a growing public health crisis, exacerbated by lifestyle changes and globalization, with Tamil Nadu as a focal point in highlighting the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, contributing to premature deaths and a strain on health resources.
• This issue is being underscored in light of World Diabetes Day on November 14.

Health Burden & Statistics 

• Rising Prevalence of NCDs: In Tamil Nadu, NCDs now account for 69% of premature deaths and 68% of years lost to disability, with 28.5% of the population overweight and 11.4% obese, reflecting a larger national trend.
• Diabetes & Hypertension Crisis: The state’s 2020 STEPS survey reveals alarming levels of diabetes (17.6%) and hypertension (33.9%), with poor glycemic control and management, particularly among poorer communities.
• Economic Impact: The rising burden of NCDs, especially CKM-related conditions like coronary angioplasty and dialysis, strains Tamil Nadu’s health budget, with nearly Rs 1,200 crore spent annually on insurance premiums under CMCHIS.

Challenges in Healthcare Management 

• Fragmented Care: Current healthcare models treat diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease separately, leading to fragmented care, multiple specialist visits, and inefficiencies.
• Integrated Care Model: There is a push for integrated clinics where multidisciplinary teams of specialists manage CKM as a unified condition, optimizing care and reducing patient burden.
• Public Health Initiatives: Tamil Nadu has implemented schemes like Muthu Lakshmi Reddy for pregnant women and school-based weight screenings, which aim to tackle CKM risk factors early in life.

Globalization and Lifestyle Impact

• Lifestyle Changes: Globalization has fostered workaholism, long hours, and unhealthy eating habits, contributing to CKM syndrome by disrupting hormone regulation and metabolism.
• Role of Work Hours: There is increasing recognition that long working hours and frequent night shifts exacerbate health risks, leading to poor metabolic health and increased obesity.
• Health Policy Recommendations: Experts argue for regulating work hours and improving lifestyle, including healthier food options like millets and low-sodium salt, as preventive measures to curb the CKM epidemic.

India tops global diabetes list with 21.2 crore cases in 2022

• The number of adults living with diabetes worldwide has surpassed 80 crore, more than quadrupling since 1990, according to new data released in The Lancet on World Diabetes Day. 

• In 2022, an estimated 82.8 crore adults had diabetes, an increase of 63 crore from 1990. Of these, 42 crore were women and 40.8 crore were men.

• Of the 82.8 crore, India’s share formed over a quarter (21.2 crore). Another 14.8 crore were in China, while 4.2 crore, 3.6 crore and 2.2 crore lived in the US, Pakistan and Brazil, respectively.

• The analysis, conducted by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) with support from the World Health Organisation (WHO), highlights the scale of the diabetes epidemic and an urgent need for stronger global action to address both rising disease rates and widening treatment gaps, particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

World Diabetes Day

• The United Nations observes November 14 as World Diabetes Day.

• It provides an opportunity to raise awareness about diabetes as a critical global public health issue and emphasize the collective and individual actions needed to improve the prevention, diagnosis and management of the condition.

• This year’s theme, “Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps,” underpins the  commitment to reducing the risk of diabetes, and ensuring that all people who are diagnosed with diabetes have access to equitable, comprehensive, affordable and quality treatment and care.

Some facts on diabetes:

• Diabetes is a chronic disease, which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. This leads to an increased concentration of glucose in the blood (hyperglycaemia).

• Type 1 diabetes (earlier known as insulin-dependent or childhood-onset diabetes) is characterised by a lack of insulin production.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin by itself. 

• Type 2 diabetes (earlier known as non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes) is caused by the body''s ineffective use of insulin. It often results from excess body weight and physical inactivity. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin or doesn’t make enough insulin.

• Gestational diabetes is hyperglycaemia that is first recognised during pregnancy. It can lead to serious health risks for both the mother and child.

• The rising prevalence of diabetes and other noncommunicable diseases is driven by a combination of factors — rapid urbanisation, sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy diets, tobacco use, and increasing life expectancy.

• Obesity and overweight are the most important risk factors responsible for diabetes. Much of the diabetes burden can be prevented or delayed by behavioural changes favouring a healthy diet and regular physical activity.

Key points of the Lancet report:

• The study reports that global diabetes prevalence in adults rose from 7 per cent to 14 per cent between 1990 and 2022. 

• Low and middle-income countries experienced the largest increases, where diabetes rates have soared while treatment access remains persistently low. 

• In 2022, almost 45 crore adults aged 30 and older — about 59 per cent of all adults with diabetes — remained untreated, marking a 3.5-fold increase in untreated people since 1990. About 90 per cent of these untreated adults are living in low and middle-income countries.

• In 2022, almost one third of the 44.5 crore adults (13.3 crore) with untreated diabetes lived in India.

• Undiagnosed diabetes has been linked with complications such as diabetic retinopathy — when high levels of blood sugar damage the eye’s retina (which is sensitive to light) — which can potentially cause vision loss and blindness.

• The study further reveals substantial global differences in diabetes rates, with the prevalence of diabetes among adults aged 18 and older around 20 per cent in the WHO South-East Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean Regions. These two regions, together with the African Region, have the lowest rates of diabetes treatment coverage, with fewer than four in 10 adults with diabetes taking glucose-lowering medication for their diabetes.

• The study was conducted by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), a worldwide network of over 1,500 researchers and practitioners, in collaboration with WHO. It is the first global analysis of trends in both diabetes rates and treatment coverage that is based on data from over 140 million people aged 18 years or older that were included in more than 1,000 studies covering populations in all countries.

Countries must take action urgently

• Diabetes increases the risk of debilitating complications such as amputation, vision loss, and renal failure, and is associated with cardiovascular disease, dementia, some cancers, and infections such as tuberculosis and severe COVID-19. Diabetes can be detected at the primary health-care level, and treatment with oral hypoglycaemic drugs or insulin, as well as newer injectable medicines, reduces the risk of, and slows progression to, complications and sequelae.

• Failure to treat or delay in treatment increases the risk of complications and death. Therefore, diabetes prevalence and diabetes treatment coverage, and how they have changed, are important measures of population health and the performance of health systems.

• In 2022, WHO established five global diabetes coverage targets to be achieved by 2030. One of these targets is to ensure that 80 per cent of people with diagnosed diabetes achieve good glycemic control. The latest report underlines the scale and urgency of action needed to advance efforts to close the gap.  

• To bring the global diabetes epidemic under control, countries must urgently take action. This starts with enacting policies that support healthy diets and physical activity, and, most importantly, health systems that provide prevention, early detection and treatment.

Initiatives by Indian govt to support diabetes patients

• The government of India has launched several proactive measures to tackle diabetes as part of the broader National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) under the National Health Mission (NHM).

• The government of India, under the NP-NCD, provides technical and financial assistance to states and Union Territories through the National Health Mission (NHM).

• Support is allocated based on state and UT proposals with a focus on prevention and management of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases.

• As many as 743 District NCD Clinics and 6,237 Community Health Center NCD Clinics have been established across India to ensure local-level care and accessible services.

• Emphasis is on training healthcare personnel, strengthening healthcare infrastructure, and facilitating early diagnosis and referral.

• Implemented a population-based initiative that offers screening and control for common NCDs like diabetes, hypertension, and certain cancers.

 • Targeting individuals over 30, screenings are a core part of the healthcare services provided at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.

• These centers promote preventive health practices, conduct screenings, and engage in community-based wellness initiatives.

• Public awareness on diabetes is promoted through observance of national and international health days.

• Healthy lifestyle promotion includes guidance from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on nutrition.

• The Fit India Movement, led by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and yoga programs from the Ministry of AYUSH encourage active and healthy lifestyles.

• Under NP-NCD, states receive financial support for diabetes awareness programs as per their programme implementation plans.

• In addition to preventive measures, the NP-NCD also offers financial assistance for purchasing glucometers and diabetes medications, as requested by states and UTs. The NHM’s Free Drugs Service Initiative provides free essential medicines, including insulin, to economically vulnerable groups.

• Through the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), quality generic medications, including insulin, are made available at affordable prices with state collaboration to ensure wider accessibility.

Nasa is planning to lay down gas pipeline on Moon''s South Pole

• The sustainability of the Artemis program, which aims to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon, heavily relies on the ability to utilize in-situ resources
• Nasa has already invested substantially in developing technologies
• It plans for in-situ oxygen extraction
• It involves bottling the oxygen in compressed gas tanks
• Nasa is considering the implementation of a gaseous oxygen pipeline on the Moon''s South Pole.
• This innovative project, dubbed the Lunar South Pole Oxygen Pipeline (L-SPoP), aims to revolutionize lunar surface operations for the Artemis program, significantly reducing costs and risks associated with oxygen transportation on the lunar surface.
• Nasa has already invested substantially in developing technologies to extract oxygen from lunar regolith and water from lunar ice. These oxygen extraction technologies are slated for large-scale demonstration on the Moon as early as 2024, with the potential to support Artemis astronauts by 2026.
• Currently, plans for in-situ oxygen extraction involve bottling the oxygen in compressed gas tanks or liquefying and storing it in dewars.
• However, transporting these containers across the lunar surface is energy-intensive and potentially the most expensive aspect of utilizing in-situ oxygen, given the long distances between resource extraction areas and human habitats or liquefaction plants.
• The proposed L-SPoP system envisions a 5-kilometer pipeline to transport oxygen gas from production sources to storage or liquefaction facilities near a lunar base. This pipeline would be constructed using in-situ manufactured pipe segments, likely made from lunar aluminum due to its prevalence at the South Pole and compatibility with existing extraction methods

Key features of the L-SPoP design include:

• * Robotic construction using regolith-derived metals
  * Robotic repair capabilities
  * An oxygen flow rate of approximately 2 kg/hour
  * Minimal power requirements for long-term operation
  * High operational reliability with a projected lifespan exceeding 10 years
• Nasa said that this modular design approach ensures adaptability, repairability, and evolvability, potentially leading to a long-lasting infrastructure with reduced dependence on Earth-based resources.
• The pipeline could play a crucial role in establishing sustainable, long-term human presence on the Moon, paving the way for future deep space exploration.

NEW FINDINGS ON URANUS

The In 1986, NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft flew close to Uranus to collect data. During its five-day visit, Voyager 2 sent back important information that shaped how we understand this distant planet.

• However, scientists have now realized that some of the information from this visit might not be completely accurate due to unusual conditions at the time.
• In 1781, William Herschel, a German-born British astronomer, discovered Uranus with a telescope. This made Uranus the first planet to be found using this technology.
• Uranus is the third largest planet in our solar system.

Findings

• The solar wind is a stream of high-speed particles that flow out from the sun. This solar wind can affect planets, especially their magnetic fields.
• When Voyager 2 visited Uranus, it was just after a strong solar wind event, which compressed Uranus’s magnetic field, or "magnetosphere," to only 20% of its usual size. This change in the magnetosphere led to unusual observations.
• The compressed magnetosphere made scientists think that Uranus had very little plasma (a high-energy state of matter) and unusually strong electron belts.

Magnetosphere

• A magnetosphere is the region around a planet dominated by the planet''s magnetic field. Other planets in our solar system have magnetospheres, but Earth has the strongest one of all the rocky planets: Earth''s magnetosphere is a vast, comet-shaped bubble, which has played a crucial role in our planet''s habitability.

Plasma

• Plasma, which is a mix of high-energy particles, usually fills a planet’s magnetosphere and comes from sources like the solar wind or the planet’s moons.
• This new information might help scientists discover hidden oceans under the surfaces of these moons by studying their magnetic environments.

Voyager 2’s Mission

• Voyager 2 is a space probe launched by NASA on August 20, 1977, as a part of the Voyager program. It was launched on a trajectory towards the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn and enabled further encounters with the ice giants Uranus and Neptune.
• It remains the only spacecraft to have visited either of the ice giant planets and was the third of five spacecraft to achieve Solar escape velocity, which allowed it to leave the Solar System.
• Voyager 2 successfully fulfilled its primary mission of visiting the Jovian system in 1979, the Saturnian system in 1981, Uranian system in 1986 and the Neptunian system in 1989. The spacecraft is now in its extended mission of studying the interstellar medium. It is at a distance of 138.05 AU from Earth as of October 2024.

Panje Wetland

• The Panje wetland in Navi Mumbai, a 289-hectare site, has gone dry due to the blocked flow of intertidal waters, despite the state’s directive to maintain the tidal flow. 
• Panje wetland is a vast expanse of a low-lying inter-tidal area in Uran taluka of Raigad district in Maharashtra.
• It is bordered by the fishing villages of Panje, Phunde, Bokadvira and Dongri.
• Panje Wetland is the largest migratory water bird congregation site in Navi Mumbai and one of the best birding sites in Maharashtra.
• Panje typically draws 50 bird species, with around 30 being migratory. These birds, including flamingos from Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary, rely on Panje and similar wetlands for survival. 
• Other important species include Northern Pintail, Ruddy Shelduck, Bar and Black-tailed Godwits, Ruddy Turnstone, Glossy Ibis, Curlew Sandpiper, Kentish Plover, Slender-billed Gull and Pacific Golden Plover.
• Panje wetland plays a critical role in supporting local fishing communities, who now face dwindling resources.

RULES UNDER NEW WATER ACT NOTIFIED

• The Union Environment Ministry has issued new rules for conducting investigations and imposing penalties for violations of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act.

Water Rules 2024

• The main objective of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) (Manner of Holding Inquiry and Imposition of Penalty) Rules 2024 is to streamline the process of investigating and imposing penalties for water pollution violations under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
• The Act specifies monetary penalties for general offenses and tampering with monitoring devices, and it provides a process for resolving these violations.

What changes were made to the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, under the amendments in 2024?

• The recent amendments to the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 decriminalized several types of violations, replacing imprisonment with monetary penalties ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15 lakh. Failure to pay penalties may result in imprisonment for up to three years or fines of up to twice the amount.
• It empowered the central government to exempt certain industries from obtaining prior approval from the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB).  

Appointment of SPCB chairpersons under the new rule

• The Water Act 2024 requires the central government to prescribe the process for nominating and appointing State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) chairpersons, providing central control over appointments previously made by state governments.

Role of an adjudicating officer under the new rules

• Complaints about violations of the Water Act 2024 may be filed by authorized officers from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), State Pollution Control Boards (SPCB), Pollution Control Committees, and Integrated Regional Offices of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. 
• The Union government to appoint officers to adjudicate offenses, violations and determine penalties. 
• An adjudicating officer (must be at least a Joint Secretary rank) will be in charge of supervising the inquiry process, issuing notices to alleged violators, and conducting inquiries, which must be completed within six months of the notice.

Violation of the Water Act 2024

• If a government department is found to have violated the Water Act 2024, the head of the department will be fined with one month''s basic salary, unless they prove that due diligence was used to prevent the violation.

SC slams ‘bulldozer justice’, calls it unconstitutional                      

• Equating “bulldozer justice” with a lawless state of affairs where might is right, the Supreme Court laid down guidelines and said no property should be demolished without a prior show cause notice.
• The apex court observed it will be totally unconstitutional for more than one reason if a citizen’s house is demolished merely because he is an accused or a convict, that too without following the due process as prescribed by law.
• A batch of petitions were filed under Article 32 of the Constitution to raise the grievance on behalf of various citizens whose residential and commercial properties have been demolished by the state machinery, without following the due process of law, on the grounds of them being involved as accused in criminal offences. 
• A bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan said the Executive cannot declare a person guilty, as this process is the fundamental aspect of the judicial review.

Key points of the judgment:

• The bench started the judgment with a few lines of famous Hindi poet Pradeep to highlight the importance of having a home.
• Observing that the right to shelter is one of the facets of Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) of the Constitution, the Supreme Court said a house is not just a property but embodies the collective hopes of a family or individuals for stability, security and a future.
• The chilling sight of a bulldozer demolishing a building, when authorities have failed to follow the basic principles of natural justice and have acted without adhering to the principle of due process, reminds one of a lawless state of affairs, where might was right. 
• In the Constitution, which rests on the foundation of ‘the rule of law’, such high-handed and arbitrary actions have no place. Such excesses at the hands of the executive will have to be dealt with the heavy hand of the law.
• If the executive in an arbitrary manner demolishes the houses of citizens only on the ground that they are accused of a crime, then it acts contrary to the principles of ‘rule of law’. 
• If the executive acts as a judge and inflicts penalty of demolition on a citizen on the ground that he is an accused, it violates the principle of ‘separation of powers’. The SC bench is of the view that in such matters the public officials, who take the law in their hands, should be made accountable for such high-handed actions. 
• For the executive to act in a transparent manner so as to avoid the vice of arbitrariness, certain binding directives need to be formulated. This will ensure that public officials do not act in a high-handed, arbitrary, and discriminatory manner. Further, if they indulge in such acts, accountability must be fastened upon them.
• Even in cases consisting of imposition of a death sentence, it is always a discretion available to the courts as to whether to award such an extreme punishment or not. There is even an institutional safeguard in the cases of such punishment to the effect that the trial court’s decision imposing death penalty cannot be executed unless it is confirmed by the High Court.
• In that light, it cannot be said that a person who is only accused of committing some crime or even convicted can be inflicted the punishment of demolition of his property.
• In order to allay the fears in the minds of the citizens with regard to arbitrary exercise of power by the officers/officials of the State, the bench found it necessary to issue certain directions in exercise of power under Article 142 of the Constitution.

 Article 142 empowers the Supreme Court to pass any decree or order necessary for doing complete justice in any case or matter pending before it.

• Even after orders of demolition are passed, the affected party needs to be given some time so as to challenge the order before an appropriate forum. 
• Even in cases of persons who do not wish to contest the demolition order, sufficient time needs to be given to them to vacate and arrange their affairs.
• Notice shall be served upon the owner/occupier by a registered post. Additionally, the notice shall also be affixed conspicuously on the outer portion of the structure in question.
• The time of 15 days shall start from the date of receipt of the said notice.
• The notice shall contain details regarding the nature of unauthorised construction, specific violation and the grounds of demolition.

The Green transition India needs

As COP29 negotiations unfold amidst global political uncertainties and regional conflicts, India faces the dual challenge of decarbonizing its economy while ensuring sustainable economic growth and attracting climate finance. The country must adopt seven critical shifts to build a green, resilient, and clean energy system that aligns with its growing power demands and emerging climate goals.

Key Shifts in India''s Energy Transition

• Decentralized Energy Systems: India needs to shift from centralized to decentralized energy systems by scaling up distributed renewable energy (DRE) sources. While rooftop solar potential is significant, affordability remains a barrier for lower-income groups, requiring market-driven interventions like community solar models.
• Opex Model for Clean Energy: A shift is required from traditional capital expenditure (capex) models to operational expenditure (opex) models. This would involve pay-as-you-go models for solar installations, energy efficiency services, and electric transport, reducing the financial burden on individual consumers.
• Climate-Resilient Investments: Investment in climate-resilient energy infrastructure should replace short-term financial risk considerations. As more than 80% of India’s population now lives in climate-vulnerable districts, making energy systems resilient against climate shocks is the least risky long-term strategy.

Strategic Approaches for Economic Integration

• Global Clean Energy Supply Chains: India should move beyond protectionist policies and focus on plugging into global clean energy supply chains. By adding value and collaborating on solar PV and green hydrogen, India can contribute to building a global rules-based energy architecture.
• Integration of Decarbonisation and Digitalisation: With India’s rapid internet penetration, integrating decarbonisation with digital technologies, such as AI systems, smart appliances, and meters, can optimize energy flow and enhance system resilience. Smart meters and digitally managed grids can become key elements of future energy business models.
• Circular Economy for Critical Minerals: India must transition to a circular economy, particularly for critical minerals used in clean energy technologies. The management of solar waste and recovery of valuable minerals such as silicon and cadmium is crucial to both environmental sustainability and mineral security.

People-Centric Approach to the Energy Transition

• Financing End-Use Consumers: Shifting the focus from financing large power developers to financing end-use consumers is vital. This includes supporting consumers who wish to buy electric vehicles, install solar panels, or adopt energy-efficient appliances.
• Investment in Consumer-Centric Business Models: Small-scale investments in individual consumers can create a market of substantial size. By developing financial portfolios for consumers, India can unlock a massive opportunity for clean energy adoption.
• Centrality of People in Policy Making: The energy transition should prioritize people at its core, ensuring that policies benefit end-users and align with the needs of both rural and urban consumers for cleaner energy access and affordable energy solution.

West Bank

The  Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that 2025 would be the year when Israel will annex the occupied West Bank.