TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (13th OCTOBER 2023)

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1. INTENSIFIED MISSION INDRADHANUSH 5.0

TAG: GS 2: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT: Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI 5.0), the flagship routine immunization campaign of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will conclude all 3 rounds on 14th October 2023.

EXPLANATION:

• IMI 5.0 ensures that routine immunization services reach the missed-out and dropped out children and pregnant women across the country.
• For the first time the campaign is being conducted across all the districts in the country and includes children up to 5 years of age (Previous campaigns included children up to 2 years of age).

INTENSIFIED MISSION INDRADHANUSH (IMI 5.0):

• Mission Indradhanush (MI) was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on 25th December 2014.
• It is a special catch-up campaign under the Universal Immunization Program (UIP).
• It is conducted in the areas of low immunization coverage to vaccinate all the children and pregnant women left out or dropped out from Routine Immunization.

AIM:

• IMI 5.0 campaign aims to enhance immunization coverage for all vaccines provided under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) as per the National Immunization Schedule (NIS).
  • Under UIP, immunization is being provided free of cost against 12 vaccine preventable diseases: Nationally against 11 diseases.
  • Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Measles, Rubella, severe form of Childhood Tuberculosis, Rotavirus diarrhea, Hepatitis B, Meningitis & Pneumonia caused by Hemophilus Influenza type B and Pneumococcal Pneumonia and sub-nationally against 1 disease – Japanese Encephalitis (JE vaccine is provided only in endemic districts).

SPECIAL FOCUS:

• Special focus is on improvement of Measles and Rubella vaccination coverage with the aim of Measles & Rubella elimination by 2023.
• It also focusses on use of U-WIN digital platform for Routine Immunization in pilot mode across all districts in the country.

GROUND EXECUTION:

• IMI 5.0 is being conducted in three rounds i.e., 7 -12 August, 11-16 September, and 9-14 October 2023 i.e., 6 days in a month with the inclusion of a Routine Immunization Day.
• All States/UTs except Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Punjab would conclude all the three rounds of IMI 5.0 campaign by 14th October 2023.
• These four states could not start the IMI 5.0 campaign in August due to some inevitable circumstances.
• These states have concluded 1st round and are currently conducting the 2nd round.
• They plan to conduct the 3rd round of IMI 5.0 campaign in the month of November 2023.
• As on 30th September 2023, over 34,69,705 children and 6,55,480 pregnant women were administered vaccine doses during the first 2 rounds of IMI 5.0 campaign across the country.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/imi-50-reaches-children-up-to-five-years-for-the-first-time/article67411672.ece

2. AMA ODISHA, NABIN ODISHA SCHEME

TAG: GS 2: GOVERNANCE, GS 2: SOCIAL ISSUES

THE CONTEXT: Ahead of the simultaneous General and Assembly elections in Odisha due in April-May 2024, Chief Minister (October 10, 2023) rolled out a scheme, ‘Ama Odisha, Nabin Odisha’ (our Odisha, new Odisha).

AMA ODISHA, NABIN ODISHA SCHEME:

• It is a flagship program of the Government of Odisha that was launched in October 2023.
• The Government have modified the earlier “Ama Gaon Ama Bikash” by giving it a new dimension in the form of “Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha”.
• The scheme has a budget of Rs 3,397 crore and will cover all 6,794-gram panchayats in Odisha.
• Each gram panchayat will receive Rs 50 lakh to implement projects under the scheme.

KEY COMPONENTS OF THE SCHEME:

• Promotion of Jagannath culture:
  • The scheme will support the development and renovation of Jagannath temples and other religious places in Odisha.
  • It will also promote Jagannath culture through festivals, arts, and other cultural activities.

• Strengthening of digital infrastructure:
  • The scheme will provide internet connectivity, science parks, and skill development centers to villages.
  • It will also help to establish works hubs in villages to provide employment opportunities to rural youth.

• Empowerment of women and youth:
  • The scheme will support the creation of self-help groups for women and skill development programs for youth.
  • It will also provide financial assistance to women and youth entrepreneurs.

• Improvement of rural infrastructure:
• • The scheme will support the construction of roads, bridges, and other infrastructure in villages.
  • It will also help to improve the quality of education and healthcare in rural areas.
• The Ama Odisha, Nabin Odisha scheme is a comprehensive program that aims to address the key challenges facing rural Odisha.
• The scheme is expected to create jobs, improve rural infrastructure, and promote sustainable development in the state.

POTENTIAL IMPACT OF THE AMA ODISHA, NABIN ODISHA SCHEME:

• The Ama Odisha, Nabin Odisha scheme has the potential to have a significant impact on rural Odisha. The scheme could help to:
  • Create jobs and boost the rural economy.
  • Improve rural infrastructure and access to education and healthcare.
  • Promote sustainable development and preserve Jagannath culture.
  • Empower women and youth.

CONTROVERSY OVER THE SCHEME:

• The Opposition party has questioned use of the ‘conch’ symbol in government advertisements for the Ama Odisha, Nabin Odisha scheme.
• The conch is the electoral symbol of ruling political party.
• The opposition party has also questioned the timing of the scheme, coming months before the 2024 polls.
• It also alleged that the use of the conch symbol in government ads shows that the govt. is trying to “manipulate public opinion” and state the possibility challenge the use of the symbol in court.
• The ruling government was also accused of not following proper guidelines while implementing the scheme.
• Earlier, the Orissa High Court had issued a notice to the Odisha government in response to a petition challenging the implementation process of the Ama Odisha, Nabin Odisha scheme.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-politics/odisha-govts-rural-development-scheme-controversy-8980142/

3. INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC)

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: The conflict between Israel and Palestinian forces since militant group Hamas’ assault have created a huge and rising death toll on both sides. The war falls under a complex international system of justice that has emerged since World War Two.

EXPLANATION:

• Internationally accepted rules of armed conflict emerged out of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which have been ratified by all UN member states and supplemented by rulings at international war crimes tribunals.
• Here’s how they apply to the ongoing Israel-Hamas violence.

WHAT LAWS GOVERN THE CONFLICT?

• Internationally accepted rules of armed conflict emerged out of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which have been ratified by all UN member states.
• A series of treaties governs the treatment of civilians, soldiers and prisoners of war in a system collectively known as the “Law of Armed Conflict” or “International Humanitarian Law”.
• It applies to government forces and organised armed groups, including Hamas militants.
• If alleged Palestinian perpetrators of atrocities in Israel and all alleged perpetrators of crimes on the occupied Palestinian territories are not brought to justice at home, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague is the only international legal organ able to bring charges.
• The ICC’s founding Rome Statute gives it legal authority to investigate alleged crimes on the territory of its members or by their nationals, when domestic authorities are “unwilling or unable” to do so.
• Recently, the office of the prosecutor of the ICC confirmed that its mandate applies to potential crimes committed in the current conflict.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE ICC?

• The International Criminal Court (ICC), the world’s permanent war crimes tribunals, opened in The Hague in 2002.
• It has jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in its 123 member states or committed by its nationals.
• Many of the world’s major powers are not members, including China, the United States, Russia, India and Egypt.
• The ICC recognises Palestine as a member state, while Israel rejects the court’s jurisdiction and does not formally engage with it.
• The ICC has had an ongoing investigation into allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the occupied Palestinian territories since 2021.
• It has not issued any arrest warrants.
• Prosecutors said in 2021 there was a reasonable basis to believe that violations had been committed on all sides, including by Israeli troops, Hamas militants and other armed Palestinian groups.

ACTS THAT CAN VIOLATE WAR CRIMES LAW:

• The possible war crimes are the deliberate targeting of civilians, indiscriminate rocket attacks, and the taking of civilians as hostages by Palestinian armed groups, as well as the Israeli counter-strikes in Gaza that killed hundreds of Palestinians.
• Deliberate killings of civilians, hostage-taking, and collective punishment are heinous crimes that have no justification.
• The taking of hostages, murder and torture are explicitly banned under the Geneva Conventions, while Israel’s response could also be subject to a war crimes investigation.
• Israeli Defence Minister drew criticism from UN officials and human rights groups by announcing a tightened blockade to prevent food and fuel from reaching the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million people.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-global/what-war-crimes-laws-apply-to-the-israel-palestinian-conflict-8980317/

4. GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX (GHI)

TAG: GS 2: SOCIAL JUSTICE, GS 1: SOCIAL ISSUES

THE CONTEXT: India ranks 111 out of a total of 125 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2023.

EXPLANATION:

• India ranked 101 out of 116 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021.
• The Union government, though, contested India’s performance for the third year in a row, citing flawed methodology.
• Its progress against hunger nearly halted since 2015.
  • India made significant strides between 2000 and 2015, with its score improving from 38.4 in 2000 to 35.5 in 2008 and 29.2 in 2015, over the past eight years.
• Afghanistan, Haiti and 12 sub-Saharan countries perform worse than India on the GHI.
• India’s ranking is based on a Global Hunger Index score of 28.7 on a 100-point scale where 0 is the best score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst. This categorises India’s severity of hunger as “serious”.

HOW IS THE METHODOLOGY FLAWED?

• The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) questioned the GHI and called it a “flawed measure of hunger that doesn’t reflect India’s true position”.
• MoWCD said that data recorded on its Poshan Tracker portal showed child wasting prevalence of 7.2% among a total of 7.24 crore under-five-year-olds whose data was captured.
• Whereas the GHI used a value of 18.7% for child wasting.
• The latter, comes from the National Family Health Survey 5 (NFHS) 2019-2021, which is reported in the global repository, Joint Malnutrition Estimates Joint Data Set Including Survey Estimates, set up to ensure harmonised child nutrition estimates.
• The GHI uses the same data sources for all countries to calculate the respective country scores.
• This ensures that all the rates used have been produced using comparable methodologies.
• Introducing exceptions to this process for any country or countries would compromise the comparability of the results and the ranking.
• The second objection the MoWCD reiterated this year was the alleged use of a telephone-based opinion poll to calculate undernourishment, one of the indicators used in GHI.
• The GHI has maintained that it doesn’t use the poll but relies on data from India’s Food Balance Sheet to calculate undernourishment.

GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX:

• The Global Hunger Index is a peer-reviewed annual report, jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.
• It is designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels.
• The aim of the GHI is to trigger action to reduce hunger around the world.
• The GHI is an annual report and each set of GHI scores uses data from a 5-year period. The 2022 GHI scores are calculated using data from 2017 through 2021.
• GHI scores are based on the values of four component indicators:
  • Undernourishment
  • Child stunting
  • Child wasting
  • Child mortality

• Undernourishment:
  • The share of the population whose caloric intake is insufficient.
  • This makes up 1/3 of the GHI score.

• Child Stunting:
  • The share of children under the age of 5 who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition.
  • This makes up 1/6 of the GHI score.

• Child Wasting:
  • The share of children under the age of 5 who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition.
  • This makes up 1/6 of the GHI score.

• Child Mortality:
• • The share of children who die before their 5th birthday, reflecting in part the fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments.
  • This makes up 1/3 of the GHI score.
• The GHI score is calculated on a 100-point scale reflecting the severity of hunger – zero is the best score (implies no hunger) and 100 is the worst.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-ranks-111-out-of-a-total-of-125-countries-in-global-hunger-index/article67412042.ece/amp/

5. INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION (IIP)

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: The Industrial output rose in August 2023 as the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) increased by 10.3%, showed the official data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO).

EXPLANATION:

• According to the latest IIP data, the industrial growth in August 2023 is the highest in 14 months.
• The data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) showed that the manufacturing sector’s output increased by 9.3 per cent in August 2023.
• The Quick Estimates of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) are released on 12th of every month with a six week lag.
• It is compiled with data received from source agencies, which in turn receive the data from the producing factories/ establishments.
• The Quick Estimates of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) with base 2011-12 stands at 145.1. The Indices of Industrial Production for the Mining, Manufacturing and Electricity sectors for the month of August 2023 stand at 111.9, 143.5 and 220.5 respectively.

INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION (IIP):

• The All-India index of Industrial Production (IIP) is a composite indicator that measures the short-term changes in the volume of production of a basket of industrial products during a given period with respect to that in a chosen base period.
• The IIP is a quantum index, the production of items being expressed in physical terms.
• It is compiled and published monthly by the Central Statistical Organization (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation six weeks after the reference month ends.

REVISION OF IIP TO 2011-12 BASE YEAR:

• The Central Statistics Office (CSO) revised the base year of the all-India Index of Industrial Production (IIP) from 2004-05 to 2011-12 in 2017.
• The base year revision captures structural changes in the economy and improves the quality and representativeness of the indices.
• The revised IIP (2011-12) not only reflect the changes in the industrial sector but also aligns it with the base year of other macroeconomic indicators like the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Wholesale Price Index (WPI).

SOURCE: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1967120