- WEST BENGAL – DOOARS
- Madhu Tea Garden in West Bengal’s Alipurduar district
- The situation highlights several socio-economic issues facing the region and the local tea garden worker community, predominantly tribal.
- Region
- The region in question is the Dooars, located in West Bengal, which serves as a gateway to Bhutan and varies significantly in elevation
- This area is known for its extensive tea gardens, which play a crucial role in the local economy
- Tribes Discussed Oraons and other indigenous groups working in these tea gardens
- Main Issues: Starvation and Malnutrition: Instances of starvation and severe malnutrition among workers
- Exemplified by the death of Dhani Oraon and the critical health condition of his wife, Asharani Oraon
- Minimum Wage and Employment Issues: Workers are paid below the minimum wage, with reports of delayed and irregular payments
- This has been exacerbated by the long closure of tea gardens which affects the workers’ ability to earn a living wage
- Health and Housing: Poor living conditions in the tea gardens with inadequate government oversight and lack of basic facilities
- Land Rights: Tea garden workers face issues regarding land ownership and rights, as they live on leased land without proper entitlements, which affects their security and livelihood
- Government Assistance and Policies: The government’s response has been critiqued for inadequacy and lack of effective implementation, particularly concerning wage issues and housing schemes like the Cha Sundari Scheme
- Solutions and Steps Taken by the Indian Government:
- Legal and Wage Reforms: A recent directive from the Calcutta High Court mandated the fixing of minimum wages for tea garden workers
- Which is a step towards addressing the wage disparity
- Housing and Land Rights: Introduction of the Cha Sundari Scheme, which aims to provide housing units to tea garden workers, although it has faced implementation challenges
- Healthcare Initiatives: Improving healthcare access in these remote areas is crucial
2. SRILANKA LEASES ITS WHITE ELEPHANT AIRPORT
- A “white elephant” in the context of airports refers to an international airport that was built but has failed to achieve significant success
- Characteristics: Low passenger traffic: They handle far fewer passengers than initially projected, making them commercially non-viable
- High construction costs: They were often built with excessive spending, leading to financial burdens
- Limited geographic relevance: They might be located in areas with low population density or lacking established travel routes
- Debt burden: The construction costs are often financed by loans, leading to ongoing debt repayments for the owning country or entity
- Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (Sri Lanka): This airport was built with heavy loans and has struggled to attract airlines or passengers due to its remote location So, if you hear about a “white elephant international airport,” it’s basically a fancy way of saying it’s a big, expensive airport that isn’t being used much
3. SOLAR RADIATION AVAILABLE FOR PRODUCING POWER FALLING IN INDIA
- A recent study by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) found a concerning decrease in the amount of usable sunlight (solar insolation) in several parts of India. This decline impacts the efficiency of solar panels in converting sunlight to electricity.
- Key points:
- Solar Insolation: This refers to the amount of solar radiation reaching a specific area over a period of time
- It’s essentially the sun’s energy hitting the Earth’s surface
- Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) Potential: This is a specific measurement of solar insolation that considers how much sunlight can be realistically converted into electricity by solar panels
- Decreasing Trend – The IMD study using data from 1985 to 2019 shows a general decline in SPV potential across various Indian cities, including major solar power production areas.
- Theory Behind Solar Power Solar power relies on the conversion of sunlight into electricity using photovoltaic cells
- Here’s a basic explanation of the process:
- Sunlight: The sun constantly emits energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation, including visible light
- Solar Panel: A solar panel is made up of numerous photovoltaic cells containing silicon wafers
- Photovoltaic Effect: When sunlight strikes the silicon wafer, it excites electrons within the material, causing them to flow and generate an electric current.
- Direct Current (DC): The photovoltaic effect produces a direct current (DC) electricity
- Inverter: Most solar power systems include an inverter that converts the DC electricity from the panels into alternating current (AC) for use in homes and businesses Impact of Reduced Insolation The IMD study highlights the negative impact of decreasing solar insolation on SPV potential. How it affects solar power generation?
- Lower Efficiency: With less sunlight reaching the panels, they generate less electricity
- Solar Power Targets: India has ambitious goals for increasing solar power capacity
- Reduced insolation might make achieving these targets more challenging Possible Causes for Reduced Insolation
- Increased Aerosol Load: Fine particles from pollution sources like fossil fuel burning and dust can absorb and deflect sunlight, reducing the amount reaching the Earth’s surface.
- Cloud Cover: Denser cloud formation can block sunlight, further impacting solar insolation. Potential Solutions
- More Efficient Solar Panels: Advancements in solar cell technology can improve the efficiency of converting even lower levels of sunlight into electricity
4. EVM (ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINE
- EVMs were first used in 1982 in the Assembly constituency of Paravur in Kerala in 50 out of 123 booths
- The court said that “blind distrust” of an institution or a system breeds unwarranted scepticism and impedes progress Why? Justice Sanjiv Khanna observed:
- SC acknowledged the right of voters to question the working of EVMs — which are but an electronic device that has a direct impact on election results However — it is also necessary to exercise care and caution when we raise aspersions on the integrity of the electoral process
- Repeated and persistent doubts and despair, even without supporting evidence, can have the contrarian impact of creating distrust
- This can reduce citizen participation and confidence in elections, essential for a healthy and robust democracy (Justice Dipankar Datta penned a separate but concurring opinion) The court refused the petitioners’ suggestion that paper slips from Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units be handed over to electors
- To take a leisurely look before inserting them into the ballot boxes
- It further dismissed the plea by the petitioners — the ADR and AK Agarwal — for cross-verification of all EVMs and VVPATs across the country
- Now, only 5% of EVM-VVPAT counts are randomly verified in any constituency
5. CHINA AND USA
- This year marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the United States
- Over the past 45 years, the relationship has gone through wind and rain, and the two sides can draw a few important lessons:
- China and the United States should be partners rather than rivals
- Help each other succeed rather than hurt each other
- Seek common ground and reserve differences rather than engage in vicious competition
- Honour words with actions rather than say one thing but do another
ONE LINER
- PELLOW DEVICE developed by Tamil Nady power engineers has been patented by Central Government
- Banned : Tamil Nadu prohibits Use of Liquid Nitrogen in Smoke Biscuits
