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BLACK COLOUR: Must Read !
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Page Contents:
14th Nov Current Affairs News Analysis | Prelims & Mains 2021
Today's Must Read Articles :Race to procure COVID-19 vaccine doses
HEADLINES:
Race to procure COVID-19 vaccine doses: Where do countries stand?
WHY IN NEWS:
India has confirmed the maximum number of doses at 1.6 billion
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3 : 4 :Health:Diseases : Medical Ethics
ISSUE:
THE RACE FOR VACCINE
- The disease has killed at least 1.29 million people as of November 13, 2020.
- The figures below are from an analysis from researchers at Duke University’s Global Health Innovation Center.
STATS
- High-income countries have booked 3.4 billion doses
- Upper middle-income countries –694 million doses
- Lower middle-income countries more than 1.7 billion doses.
COVAX
- This would mean that they would rely on COVAX Facility, a mechanism designed to guarantee fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide.
- One of the long-term goals is to provide funded countries with enough doses to cover 20 per cent of their population.
- It is a partnership between GAVI, the World Health Organization and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
- As of November 11, enough doses to cover 250 million people have been confirmed as purchased by COVAX.
DOSES PROCURED
- The European Union has procured rights to access 1.2 billion doses.
- United States, which is not a part of COVAX, has accessed right to one billion doses of the potential vaccines, enough to cover 230 per cent of its population.
- Similarly, Canada has purchased enough to vaccinate its population five times over.
Source: Duke University
CRITICAL CHALLENGES
- Using childhood immunisation infrastructure to target elderly populations
- Needle supply and proper disposal of biohazard waste
- Lack of trained providers to implement vaccines, particularly in rural areas
IASbhai WINDUP:
- High-income countries are making deals with major vaccine developers who are in turn reserving the lion’s share of the world’s manufacturing capacity to meet those commitments.
- We’re rapidly reaching the point where soon, even countries that have the finances to shop for vaccines will find there is no manufacturing capacity available to fill their needs.
- Even with new investments to build or retrofit additional facilities, there is a limit to how much global vaccine manufacturing capacity can expand in the next few years.
SOURCES: DownToEarth | 14th Nov Current Affairs News Analysis
High fluoride content : Groundwater Pollution
HEADLINES:
High fluoride content in Khordha, Nayagarh groundwater
WHY IN NEWS:
The study was by a team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT-Kaharagpur), the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC), Mumbai, and the Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai.
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: Groundwater : Acquifers
ISSUE:
PROCEDURE
- The researchers collected and analysed 22 water samples from tube wells and dug wells.
- They also analysed samples of rainwater, from each hot spring and from a local river.
FLUORIDE CONCENTRATION
DISTRIBUTION
- Fluoride concentration in groundwater are high in parts of Khordha and Nayagarh districts in Odisha.
- This can be a serious threat to human health.
The region in Eastern Ghats comprise deformed metamorphic and igneous rocks, containing fluoride-bearing minerals.
FINDINGS
- Rainwater was acidic with low electrical conductivity while groundwater was slightly acidic-to-neutral with low-to-high electrical conductivity.
- Similar high fluoride concentrations have been recorded in groundwater near geothermal regions in Telangana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
- Given the composition of the rocks in the area, the researchers attributed the findings to the leaching of sodium and chloride ions from host rocks.
- A high concentration of fluoride was found in nearly 40 per cent of the groundwater samples.
STANDARDS
- Samples with low fluoride concentration show comparatively higher bicarbonate values.
- There is an occurrence of very high fluoride concentration — up to 12 mg / l – around the hot spring area, perhaps due to increased dissolution.
IASbhai WINDUP:
- The accumulation of fluoride in water is not due to evapotranspiration or due to calcite precipitation.
- Fertilizers are sources of fluoride contamination.
SOURCES: DownToEarth | 14th Nov Current Affairs News Analysis
Employer can reject over-qualified aspirant-SC
HEADLINES:
‘Employer can reject over-qualified aspirant’SC overturns Odisha HC order
WHY IN NEWS:
The judgment came on an appeal filed by the Punjab National Bank against an Orissa High Court decision allowing an over-qualified candidate to be appointed as a peon.
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 2 : SC : Judicial Review
ISSUE:
THE VEDICT
- A Bench, led by Justice Ashok Bhushan, said courts have limited judicial review over such decisions by employers.
- Prescription of qualification for a post is a matter of recruitment policy. Discretion lies with the employer.
“It is for the employer to determine and decide the relevancy and suitability of the qualifications for any post, and it is not for the courts to consider and assess,” Justice M.R. Shah.
ANALYSIS
- Qualifications are prescribed keeping in view the need and interest of an institution or an industry or an establishment as the case may be.
- SC however, noted that an employer cannot act arbitrarily or fancifully in prescribing qualifications.
IASbhai WINDUP:
- The Supreme Court set aside the High Court decision of November 22, 2019, upholding an over-qualified candidate’s claim to a job as peon in the bank.
- It noted that this candidate had deliberately not disclosed the fact that he was a graduate. It was known only later.
SOURCES: THE HINDU | 14th Nov Current Affairs News Analysis
Green crackers: HC
HEADLINES:
Ensure that only green crackers are sold: HC
WHY IN NEWS:
They sport a distinct logo, QR code
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: Air Pollution
ISSUE:
GREEN CRACKERS
The Karnataka High Court on Friday directed the State government to strictly ensure that only green firecrackers.
SOURCES : BLOOMBERG
These crackers containing the distinct green logo of the :
- National Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Environment Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI)
- Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation (PESO)
- Quick Response (QR) code on their packaging, are sold across the State.
LOGO
IASbhai WINDUP:
- The Court also directed authorised officers, police and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board to regularly inspect stalls.
- To increase awareness about green firecrackers, the Court asked the government to give wide publicity through various media platforms.
SOURCES: THE HINDU | 14th Nov Current Affairs News Analysis
New species of vine snakes discovered
HEADLINES:
New species of vine snakes discovered
WHY IN NEWS:
- They are among the most common snakes in peninsular India, found even in peri-urban areas
- A team of researchers from the Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), after extensive sampling across peninsular India, have discovered new species of vine snakes in the region.
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: Fauna : Recent Findings
ISSUE:
VINE SNAKES
AHAETULLA FARNSWORTHI | SOURCES : IE
DISTRIBUTION
- Vine snakes are known to be among the most common snakes in peninsular India, found even in many peri-urban areas and in the Western Ghats.
- The common green vine snake (Ahaetulla nasuta) in India is a complex of several species.
AHAETULLA FARNSWORTHI | SOURCES : IE
FOUR DIFFERENT TYPES OF VINE SNAKES
Four distinct small-bodied and short-nosed species are:
- Northern Western Ghats vine snake (Ahaetulla borealis),
- Farnsworth’s vine snake (Ahaetulla farnsworthi),
- Malabar vine snake (Ahaetulla malabarica)
- Wall’s vine snake (Ahaetulla isabellina) in the Western Ghats rainforests alone.
- These species were superficially similar in their morphology, but separated by geographic or ecological barriers.
NAMING
- All the vine snakes were assigned names related to the locality or based on a morphological character.
IASbhai WINDUP:
- Finally, researchers recognised morphological distinctions between the brown vine snake in the Western Ghats.
- The one found in Sri Lanka, and gave the Western Ghats form a new name (Ahaetulla sahyadrensis).
- There are now six species of vine snakes endemic to the Western Ghats.
SOURCES: THE IE | 14th Nov Current Affairs News Analysis
Entry to Sabarimala via Portal
HEADLINES:
Entry to Sabarimala only for those who register on portal
WHY IN NEWS:
Masks are not compulsory while trekking, says Minister
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 1 : Festivals
ISSUE:
- Entry of pilgrims from Pampa to the temple will be through the virtual queue portal.
- A maximum of 1,000 devotees will be allowed for darshan during the first five days of the week.
- 2,000 on Saturdays and Sundays, and 5,000 on the days of ‘Mandala Puja’ and ‘Makaravilakku’.
MAKARAVILAKKU
- Makaravilakku is an annual festival held on Makar Sankranti in Kerala, India at the shrine of Sabarimala.
- An estimated half a million devotees flow to Sabarimala every year to have a darshan (vision) of this ritual this day.
THE CELEBRATION
- Lord Sri Rama and his brother Lakshmana met Sabari, a tribal devotee, at Sabarimala. Sabari offered the Lord fruits after tasting them.
- But the Lord accepted them gladly and whole-heartedly.
- The Lord then turned and saw a divine person doing tapas.
- He asked Sabari who it was. Sabari said it was Sasta.
- Rama walked towards Sasta and the latter stood up to welcome Rama.
- The anniversary of this incident is celebrated on Makara Vilakku day.
IASbhai WINDUP:
COVID-19 SAFETY AND REGULATIONS
- A COVID-19 negative certificate had been made mandatory.
- Those in the 60 to 65 years age group will have to produce a medical certificate for entry.
- The test should be taken by the pilgrims 24 hours before reaching the base camp at Nilackal.
- Masks will not be compulsory while trekking.
- Arrangements will be made to collect the used masks.
- Directions have been given to shops to make masks and sanitisers available to the pilgrims.
- Instead, showers will be installed by the Irrigation Department and the Kerala Water Authority will supply water.
SOURCES: THE IE | 14th Nov Current Affairs News Analysis
WHO centre for traditional medicine
HEADLINES:
WHO centre soon for traditional medicine
WHY IN NEWS:
PM dedicates two Ayurveda institutions to nation on 5th Ayurveda Day
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: Health : Medicines : Recent Developments
ISSUE:
GLOBAL CENTRE FOR TRADITIONAL MEDICINE
- The World Health Organization (WHO) will set up a Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed confidence that WHO would become the centre for global wellness.
- India had emerged as the “pharmacy of the world”.
- The Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (ITRA), Jamnagar (Gujarat), and the National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA), Jaipur (Rajasthan), are both premier institutions of Ayurveda.
- Jaipur institution has been designated an Institution Deemed to be University (De novo Category) by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
IASbhai WINDUP:
- It is a matter of pride for all Indians that the WHO has chosen India for establishing its Global Centre for Traditional Medicine.
- WHO Global Centre of Traditional Medicine in India to strengthen the evidence, research, training and awareness of traditional and complementary medicine.
SOURCES: THE HINDU | 14th Nov Current Affairs News Analysis
DISCOVER MORE : Important Daily Current Affairs for UPSC PRELIMS 2021
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