Rapid Fire
Rapid Fire Current Affairs
- 05 Sep 2023
- 5 min read
WHO's Gujarat Declaration
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released the outcome document of the first WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit 2023 in the form of the “Gujarat Declaration”.
- India hosted the first WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Gujarat.
- The declaration reaffirmed global commitments towards indigenous knowledge, biodiversity and traditional, complementary and integrative medicine.
- The Gujarat Declaration aims to advance evidence-based traditional medicine interventions for universal health coverage and health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- It calls for standardized documentation and data collection on traditional medicine.
- The summit explored the role of digital health technologies, including AI, in traditional medicine.
Read more: Global Centre for Traditional Medicine: Gujrat
Uncertainty of Andhra Pradesh students’ Local Quota
Andhra Pradesh students' 'local quota' in educational institutions, protected by Article 371 D, faces uncertainty as the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 expires in May 2024.
- Article 371 of the Constitution provides “special provisions” for 11 states, including six states of the Northeast (excluding Tripura and Meghalaya).
- Article 371 D was incorporated as the 32nd amendment to the Constitution in 1973.
- It particularly applies to the regions of Andhra Pradesh, addressing agitations in the early 1970s.
- Article 371 D was introduced to safeguard the rights of local students in education and employment.
- Under Article 371 D, 85% of seats in educational institutions are reserved for local students.
- The provision has played a crucial role in ensuring access to education for students in specific regions.
Read more: Stalemate Between Telangana and AP,
Electricity's Surge in Indian Irrigation: MIC 6th Edition Report
The recently published sixth edition of the Minor Irrigation Census (MIC) report offers significant insights into the power sources employed in Indian irrigation.
- The MIC highlights a noteworthy transformation in the primary power source for irrigation in India, where electricity has taken center stage.
- In 2011, electricity was the predominant power source for 56% of irrigation, a figure that surged to 70% by 2017.
- However, these findings are specific to the 2017-18 period and do not provide an accurate representation of the present state of irrigation practices.
Read more: India's 6th Minor Irrigation Census
IAF's Trishul Exercise Tests Western Air Command's Readiness
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has launched its annual mega training exercise, Trishul, with the activation of all combat assets under the Western Air Command (WAC).
- This internal exercise encompasses a wide range of frontline assets, including fighter jets, transport aircraft, and helicopters, deployed from Leh in Kashmir to Nal in Rajasthan.
- Trishul serves as a crucial test of the command's operational preparedness, requiring a high level of coordination and readiness due to its scale and complexity.
Read more: Need to Modernise Indian Air Force
Israeli PM Proposes Fiber Optic Link from Asia and the Middle East to Europe
Israel's Prime Minister has put forward the idea of a fibre optic cable project, to connect Asia and the Arabian Peninsula with Europe through Israel and Cyprus.
- It highlights that the fibre optic connection serves as a cost-effective and secure route for international communication.
- This proposal extends Israel's collaboration with Cyprus and Greece on energy projects, such as the EurAsia Interconnector, a 2,000-megawatt undersea electricity cable.
- Additionally, there are plans for energy diversification, including gas pipelines and liquefied natural gas processing plants, to strengthen the East Mediterranean basin's link to Europe.
Read more: Optical Fibre
