Daily Current Affairs – 11 October 2022

Russia launches fresh missile attack on Ukraine

Russian forces launched a barrage of fatal bombardments across Ukraine early on Monday, in an apparent retaliation for an explosion that damaged a key bridge to Moscow annexed Crimea.
The biggest wave of strikes across Ukraine in months killed at least five people in Kyiv
Ukraine’s most senior military general said Russia had fired 75 missiles on cities across the country, in a wave of attacks that included Iranian drones.

Background of Russia – Ukraine Conflict

Post the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Ukraine gained independence in 1991.

Ukraine was a member of the Soviet Union until 1991 when it disintegrated, and Russia has tried to maintain the country in its orbit since then.
In 2014, a separatist insurgency started in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland, Donetsk Basin, also known as,
Russia further gained a maritime advantage in the region due to its invasion and annexation of Crimea.
As a result, both the US and the EU have pledged to safeguard the integrity of Ukraine’s borders.

Importance of Ukraine to Russia

Ukraine and Russia have shared cultural and linguistic ties for hundreds of years.
Ukraine was the most powerful country in the Soviet Union after Russia.
Ukraine has been a hub for commercial industries, factories and defence manufacturing.
Ukraine also provides Russia with access to the Black Sea and crucial connectivity to the Mediterranean Sea.

What are the reasons for Russian Aggression ?

Economic Factors

- Russia, considering the economic significance of Ukraine, sought Ukraine’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC), which is a free trade agreement that came into being in 2015.
- With its huge market and advanced agriculture and industrial output, Ukraine was supposed to play an important role. But Ukraine refused to join the agreement.
Geo-Political and Strategic Factors
- Russia claims that the eastward expansion by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) which they call “enlargement”, has threatened Russia’s interests and has asked for written security guarantees from NATO.
- NATO, led by the U.S., has planned to install missile defence systems in eastern Europe in countries like Poland and the Czech Republic to counter Russia’s intercontinental-range missiles.

Enlargement of NATO

NATO is a military alliance of 30 Nations (28 European and 2 North American countries) that constitutes a system of collective defense.
Enlargement of NATO is the process of including new member states in NATO.
Since the German unification in 1990, NATO has added new members five times.
The alliance had 12 founding members in 1949, which currently has 30 members.
Members include three Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania that share borders with Russia.

Members also include Hungary, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, all of them were a part of the former Soviet-led Warsaw Pact.

Russia’s demands

Russia has demanded a ban on further expansion of NATO that includes countries like Ukraine and Georgia that share Russia’s borders.
Russia asked NATO to pull back its military deployments to the 1990s level and prohibit the deployment of intermediate-range missiles in the bordering areas.
Further, Russia asked NATO to curb its military cooperation with Ukraine and other former Soviet republics.

Bhopal gas tragedy survivors protest outside Health Minister’s office

Nearly 50 women survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984 protested outside the office of Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, demanding that the government not withdraw its curative petition seeking enhanced compensation.

Background of Bhopal gas tragedy

Post-midnight on December 3, 1984, Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) (Chemical formula- CH3NCO or C2H3NO)leaked from the pesticide plant of Union Carbide (now Dow Chemicals), an MNC, in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal.
- It is estimated that about 40 tonnes of gas and other chemicals leakedfrom the Union Carbide factory.
- Methyl isocyanate is extremely toxic gasand if its concentration in the air touches 21ppm (parts per million), it can cause death within minutes of inhaling the gas.
It is one of the worst chemical disasters globally and still continues to have its ill effects on the people of the affected areas.
After the tragedy, the government of India enacted a Public Liability Insurance Act (1991),making it mandatory for industries to get insurance the premium for this insurance would contribute to an Environment Relief Fund to provide compensation to victims of a Bhopal-like disaster.

Reasons for the Bhopal Gas Tragedy

The government of India and activists blame UCIL for flouting safety norms and neglecting proper maintenance and safety procedures. During the build-up to the leak, the plant’s safety systems for the extremely poisonous MIC were not functioning.
Many valves and lines were in disrepair, and many vent gas scrubbers, as well as the steam boiler meant for cleaning the pipes, were out of service.
There were three tanks were MIC was stored and the leak occurred in tank E610. This tank contained 42 tons of MIC when it should have contained only 30 tons as per safety rules.
During the late hours of that fateful night, water is believed to have entered a side pipe and into the tank when workers were trying to unclog it. This caused an exothermic reaction in the tank and increased the tank’s pressure slowly which led to the atmospheric venting of the gas.
By 11:30 PM, the workers inside the plant were beginning to experience the effects of the toxin.
There were three safety devices in the plant which could have averted the disaster had they been working properly – a refrigeration system, a flare tower and a vent gas scrubber. The refrigeration system was meant to cool the MIC tank, the flare tower was meant to burn the escaping MIC and the gas scrubber, which had been turned off at that time, was too small to handle a calamity of this scale.
About 40 metric tons of MIC escaped into the atmosphere within 2 hours.
The police in Bhopal were informed of the leak by about 1:00 AM. The public became aware of the leak mostly through direct contact with the gas and also by coming out into the open to see what the commotion was about. A timely warning that they should have looked for shelter might also have mitigated the effects of the tragedy.

PM Modi to inauguration of the first phase of the ₹856crore Mahakaleshwar Temple corridor development project

The corridor is being developed at an estimated cost of over Rs 850 crore and has been named ‘Mahakal Lok’.
The corridor measures over 900 metres in length and will house around 200 statues and murals of lord Shiva and goddess Shakti, among other religious figures
The project in the holy city of Ujjain, which is expected to significantly boost tourism in the State,

Background of temple

The temple in its present form was built by the Maratha general Ranoji Shinde in 1734 CE.
Before Independence, the Devasthan Trust used to look after the temple.
This was replaced by the municipal corporation of Ujjain post-Independence.
The collectorate office of Ujjain district now manages the administration of the temple.

About Mahakal corridor

Mahakal Maharaj Mandir Parisar Vistar Yojna is a plan for the expansion, beautification, and decongestion of the Mahakaleshwar temple and its adjoining area in Ujjain district.
Under the plan, the Mahakaleshwar temple premise of around 2.82 hectares is being increased to 47 hectares, which will be developed in two phases by the Ujjain district administration.
This will include the 17 hectares of Rudrasagar lake.

First phases of the Mandir Parisar Vistar Yojana

One of the aspects of the Vistar Yojna’s first phase is a visitor plaza with two entrances or Dwaars: the Nandi Dwaar and the Pinaki Dwaar.
A 900-metre pedestrian corridor has been constructed, connecting the plaza to the Mahakal temple, dotted with 108 murals and 93 statues depicting stories related to Lord Shiva, such as Shiv Vivah, Tripurasur Vadh, Shiv Puran, and Shiv Tandav Swaroop.

30 years of 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act completed

73^rdAmendment Act was passed in 1992 and it came into effect on 24 April 1993.
The Act empowered state governments to take the necessary steps that would lead to the formalisation of the gram panchayats and help them operate as units of self-governance

Background of 73rd Amendment Act (1992)

Village panchayats had been in use in India for a long time before the 1992 legislative changes, but the structure had several inherent flaws such as the incapacity to serve as a people’s government that could respond to their needs.

This resulted from a number of causes, including a lack of funding, irregular elections, and insufficient representation of the weaker groups, such as women and scheduled castes and tribes.
Article 40 of the Indian Constitution’s Directive Principles of State Policy states that the government must make it easier for gram panchayats to be established and run efficiently.
The central government of India passed the 73rd Amendment Act in 1992 to solve these problems and enhance local self-government.
The law was approved by both houses and went into effect on April 24th, 1993.

Objective of 73rd Amendment Act (1992)

The main objective of the 73^rd Amendment act was the democratic decentralization of power and resources from the center to elected representatives at lower levels in order to allow individuals to participate more directly in governance.
The objective of the 73^rd Amendment pertains to Article 40 of the constitution which requires the state to organize village panchayats and grant them the necessary powers and authority to enable them to function as units of self-government.
This amendment is based on the Gandhian Principle of DPSP which recommended grass root level democracy i.e. people should decide matters on their own.
Gandhiji advocated the third level of government that can understand the problems of the people of the village at the grassroots level.

73rd Amendment Act (1992) – Constitutional Provisions

Local governments were provided constitutional sanction through the 73rd Amendment Act of 1992 which was enforced on 24th April 1993.
The 11th schedule was added to the constitution through this amendment which contained 29 subject matters of the Panchayats.
This act also added Part IX to the Constitution which contained provisions from Articles 243 to 243 O.
This amendment brought the state governments under constitutional obligation to adopt the new system of Panchayati Raj in accordance with the provisions of the act.

Pakistan will take part in SCO anti-terror exercise closing ceremony

Pakistan has been invited to the closing ceremony, on October 13, of the ongoing Joint AntiTerror Exercise ( JATE) within the ambit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) being hosted by India, official and diplomatic sources confirmed.
Pakistan delegation has been extended an invitation for the closing ceremony on the last day of JATE ‘Manesar Antiterror 2022’
The National Security Guard (NSG) is hosting the multinational JATE “Manesar AntiTerror 2022”,
India also participated in the RATS meet that Pakistan organized last year. An Indian delegation had participated in the closing ceremony of the two week
JATE2021 hosted by Pakistan at the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Pabbi, in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, in September 2021.
Counterterror officials of Pakistan, Russia, China and four Central Asian countries met in Delhi under the structure as India assumed its role as Chairperson of the SCORATS mechanism in October 2021.
JATE is an annual counter terrorist exercise held within the framework of the SCO RATS.

About Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organization.
It’s a Eurasian political, economic and military organization aiming to maintain peace, security and stability in the region.
It was created in 2001.
The SCO Charter was signed in 2002, and entered into force in 2003.

Genesis:

Prior to the creation of SCO in 2001,Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan were members of the Shanghai Five.
Shanghai Five (1996) emerged from a series of border demarcation and demilitarization talks which the four former Soviet republics held with China to ensure stability along the borders.
Following the accession of Uzbekistan to the organization in 2001, the Shanghai Five was renamed the SCO.
India and Pakistan became members in
On 17^thSeptember, 2021, it was announced that Iran would become a full member of the SCO.

Objectives:

Strengthening mutual trust and neighborliness among the member states.
Promoting effective cooperation in -politics, trade & economy, research & technology and culture.
Enhancing ties in education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, etc.
Maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region.
Establishment of a democratic, fair and rational new international political & economic order.

Veteran leader Mulayam Singh Yadav (Neta ji) passes away

Mulayam Singh Yadav (22 November 1939 – 10 October 2022) was an Indian politician and the founder-patron of the Samajwadi Party.
He served for three non-consecutive terms as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and also served as the Minister of Defence, Government of India.
He was elected as MLA to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly 10 times and to the Parliament of India, Lok Sabha 7 times.
A long-time parliamentarian, he was the Member of Parliament (MP), representing the Mainpuri constituency in the Lok Sabha at the time of his death, and earlier represented Azamgarh and Sambhal
Mulayam Singh Yadav was often referred to as Netajiby party leaders and workers.

Operation Megha Chakra launched by CBI

Key Highlights of the Megh Chakra Operation

Searches at 59 locations across 20 States and one Union Territory were conducted.
It has been alleged that a large number of Indian nationals were involved in the online circulation, downloading and transmission of the CSAM using cloud-based storage.
The operation is sought to collate information from various law enforcement agencies in India, engage with the relevant law enforcement agencies globally and coordinate closely through the Interpol channels on the issue.
The probe had led to the identification of over 50 groups with more than 5,000 offenders, including the nationals of about 100 countries.
A similar exercise code named “Operation Carbon” was conducted by CBI in November 2021.

India’s Second Nano-Fertilizer Plant Set-up in Prayagraj

Key Points about the Plant

This will be IFFCO’s second plant in the country at Phulpur. IFFCO’s first nano fertilizer unit in the country was established in Kalol, Gujarat. It was launched by Prime Minister Modi.
In the second phase, units have been set up at Aonla (Bareilly) and Phulpur (Prayagraj). The production capacity of Phulpur plant is 7 crore and Amla has a capacity of 11 crore bottles per annum.
A target of producing 70 lakh bottles of manure has been set in Phulpur between November and March next year. IFFCO has set a target of producing 32 crore bottles of nano urea annually from the three plants, which will replace 13.7 crore metric tonnes of subsidized urea.
Phulpur unit head Sanjay Kudeshia said that nano fertilizer liquid has been prepared in the plant, which will start production from November. This fertilizer will not only help in saving the fertility being destroyed due to excessive use of urea at present, but will also save money, labor and time of the farmers.
The fertilizer capacity of half a liter of nano manure prepared at Phulpur plant is 45 kg of urea. The weight will be equal to one sack. Argentina and Brazil have also tied up with IFFCO for its supply.
There have been complaints of excessive use of urea to increase the yield of crops, which has been destroying the fertility of agricultural land for a long time. To address this concern, IFFCO has not only prepared nano fertilizer liquid, but has also patented it. IFFCO management claims that nano fertilizer will not only increase the fertility of the land, but also production.
For the farmers, this fertilizer will be cheaper than urea. 45 kg. While a sack containing urea is available for Rs 267, a half-liter bottle of liquid nano compost that meets the same requirement will be available for Rs 240 only. Not only this, 24 thousand crore rupees given every year as subsidy to the farmers from the government fund will also be saved.
It is worth noting that nano urea is not only environment friendly but it is also more profitable than urea. Where the crop gets 30 percent profit from urea, while the crop gets 80 percent profit from nano urea (nano manure). Apart from this, the cost of nano urea is also less than that of urea. Drones can also be used to spray nano fertilizers.

K Raja Prasad Reddy elected as Indian Newspaper Society president

International Day of the Girl Child is observed on October 11 every year.

International Day of the Girl Child was first observed in October 11, 2012 by the United Nations.