Syllabus

• Mains – GS 2

Context: Since its inception about a decade ago, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) has been a politically contentious issue in Tamil Nadu. The recent turn of events has made it a national issue.

Background:-

• NEET was originally conceptualised to ensure merit-based selection to medical schools and standardise the medical entrance process. It was seen as a solution to the problem of high capitation fees being charged by private medical institutions.

Key takeaways: 

• This year, more than 24 lakh candidates sat for the NEET after paying application fees ranging between Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,700. The application charges alone give a revenue of about Rs 337 crore to the testing agency. The application charges alone give a revenue of about Rs 337 crore to the testing agency. Moreover an individual candidate spends a few lakhs at coaching centres to prepare for the test.
• The initial eligibility for qualification, 50 percentile, was diluted to 30 percentile in 2020 and further to zero percentile in 2023. The reason cited was that several seats are vacant in private medical colleges.
• However, after the 60,000 seats in government medical colleges are filled up, people’s paying capacity plays a big role in filling up the remaining 50,000 seats in private colleges. This makes the MBBS dream virtually unattainable for students of the economically weak strata, despite scoring high marks in NEET.
• Nearly half of the MBBS seats become a virtual preserve of the wealthy, making a mockery of the objective of rewarding merit.
• Exams like the UCAT in the UK and MCAT in the US allow only students with excellent grades in higher secondary education to take the exams. In contrast, a NEET applicant only requires to pass the higher secondary school.
• This low entry requirement can undermine the importance of excelling in high school. This, in turn, lowers the standard of school education. The state government and their education ministries do not have any say in the selection process of future doctors in their states.
• Tamil Nadu has conducted several experiments in the entrance system to professional courses, starting from an interview system in the 1970s to the entrance examinations in 1983 along with 2/3rd weightage to marks in concerned subjects in the higher secondary education exam.
• Following recommendations from the Anandakrishnan Committee, the state abolished entrance exams and conducted admissions to medical and engineering colleges solely on the basis of higher secondary marks.
• Even after the introduction of NEET, the government ensured social equality and inclusivity, to an extent, by providing reservation to government school students as per the recommendations of P Kalaiyarasan and AK Rajan committees.
• Tamil Nadu’s experiences over five decades demonstrate that factors such as infrastructure, faculty numbers, and the extent of patient care services determine the quality of young doctors.
• NEET needs to be reevaluated. Public health is a state subject and education is part of the concurrent list. All states need to be taken into confidence, before framing the admissions processes, especially in institutions controlled by the state government. The debate on NEET touches on broader issues such as educational equity and federalism.

If NEET is riddled with problems, what are the alternatives?

• Instead of a single cross-sectional assessment, a summative assessment over two to three years of performance in school education along with a general aptitude test might improve the selection process.
• The primary objective of refining the medical entrance process is to ensure that students with high average marks gain admission not only to government-run medical colleges. The goal should be to ensure that people from disadvantaged sections are adequately represented in the medical field and they can contribute to making healthcare accessible to their communities.

For Your Information:

• Tamil Nadu has always been opposed to the NEET exam as it was against their perfectly functioning state policy of linking medical college admissions to high school performance. In 2021, Tamil Nadu constituted an Expert Committee headed by Justice A K Rajan.
• The Rajan Committee brought out startling evidence, showing how rural students from Tamil medium schools lost out heavily in clearing the NEET — between 2017-21, from an average of 15 per cent admissions of Tamil-medium students, the number had fallen to 1.6-3.2 per cent.
• Clearly, NEET disadvantaged rural and poorer students. Tamil Nadu was particularly affected as its sound public health system rested on students from rural backgrounds willing to work in primary health centres without ambitions of migrating abroad.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – ENVIRONMENT

Context: Hurricane Beryl became the earliest storm on record during the Atlantic hurricane season to have reached the highest Category 5 classification.

Background:

• The storm, which tore through the Caribbean islands earlier this month, killed at least 11 people after triggering intense floods and dangerous winds in Jamaica, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and northern Venezuela.

How are hurricanes formed?

• Hurricanes, or tropical storms, form over warm ocean waters near the equator.
• When the warm, moist air from the ocean surface rises upward, a lower air pressure area is formed below.
• Air from surrounding areas with higher air pressure rushes into this low pressure area, eventually rising, after it also becomes warm and moist.
• As warm, moist air rises, it cools down, and the water in the air forms clouds and thunderstorms. This whole system of clouds and winds gains strength and momentum using the ocean’s heat, and the water that evaporates from its surface.
• Storm systems with wind speeds of 119 kmph and above are classified as hurricanes.
• Hurricanes are classified using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale into five categories (Category 1 to Category 5) based on their sustained wind speeds.
• While Category 1 hurricanes bring winds of 119 to 153 kmph, Category 5 hurricanes, which are the strongest, have winds of 252 kmph or higher.
• Storms that reach Category 3 and higher are considered major hurricanes due to their potential to inflict significant damage.

How did Beryl become a Category storm?

• Within 24 hours of emerging as a tropical depression with winds of 56.3 kmph on June 28, Beryl transformed into a hurricane.
• Over the next 24 hours, it rapidly intensified to become a Category 4 hurricane. At that point, Beryl was the first Category 4 hurricane to form in June, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
• On July 1, Beryl made landfall on Grenada’s Carriacou Island as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of over 241 kmph.
• As it travelled through the Caribbean Sea, it continued to gain strength, and became a Category 5 hurricane on July 2. This made it the earliest Category 5 hurricane seen during the Atlantic hurricane season on record.

Why did Beryl become a Category 5 hurricane so early?

• The hurricane season in the Atlantic begins in June and lasts until November. Generally, the first major hurricanes do not form until September. This is because till that time, the ocean is not warm enough either at the surface, or deeper down to fuel such strong hurricanes, according to NOAA.
• This is what makes Beryl so unprecedented. Although it is difficult to attribute a specific hurricane to global warming, scientists see unusually warmer oceans as the primary reason behind Beryl turning into a powerful storm this early in the season.
• Scientists are still debating over how exactly climate change impacts hurricanes. There is agreement, however, that at the very least, climate change makes hurricanes more prone to rapid intensification — where maximum wind speeds increase very quickly.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus

• Prelims – ART & CULTURE

Context: The Central government is set to revise the criteria for granting classical language status based on recommendations from the Culture Ministry’s Linguistics Expert Committee.

Background:

• The revised criteria will be officially notified through a gazette notification after approval by the Union Cabinet. Languages like Marathi, which have been under consideration, may need to wait until the new criteria are in place.

Key takeaways

• The term “classical language” refers to a language that has had a significant influence on the development of literature, culture, and society, and is considered a language of high cultural or literary importance.
• Currently, six languages enjoy the ‘Classical’ status in India.
• These languages are recognized for their rich heritage, ancient texts, and cultural significance.
• Here are the six classical languages:
  • Tamil: Declared as a classical language in 2004.
  • Sanskrit: Attained classical status in 2005.
  • Kannada: Recognized as a classical language in 2008.
  • Telugu: Achieved classical status in 2008.
  • Malayalam: Granted classical status in 2013.
  • Odia: Received classical recognition in 2014.
• All these classical languages are listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
• The Ministry of Culture provides the guidelines regarding Classical languages.
• Guidelines for declaring a language as ‘Classical’ are:
  • High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years
  • A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers
  • The literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech community
  • The classical language and literature being distinct from modern, there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.
• Benefits:
  • Once a language is notified as a Classical language, the Human Resource and Development Ministry provides certain benefits to promote it:
  • Two major annual international awards for scholars of eminence in classical Indian languages.
  • A Centre of Excellence for studies in Classical Languages is set up.
  • The University Grants Commission is requested to create, to start with at least in the Central Universities, a certain number of Professional Chairs for the Classical Languages so declared.

Source: Hindu

Syllabus

• Prelims – ENVIRONMENT

Context: UNESCO recently added 11 new biosphere reserves worldwide, spanning countries like Colombia, Italy, Mongolia, and the Republic of Korea.

Background:

• These reserves, including two transboundary sites, aim to conserve biodiversity and cultural heritage amid global biodiversity and climate challenges.

Key Takeaways

• Biosphere Reserves are internationally designated areas recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
• These reserves aim to balance economic development, cultural preservation, and nature conservation.
• Criteria for Designation of Biosphere Reserve
  • A site must contain a protected and minimally disturbed core area of value of nature conservation.
  • The core area must be a bio-geographical unit and should be large enough to sustain a viable population representing all trophic levels.
  • The involvement of local communities and use of their knowledge in biodiversity preservation.
  • Area’s potential for preservation of traditional tribal or rural modes of living for harmonious use of the environment.
• Three Main Zones:
  • Core Areas: These are the most protected regions within a biosphere reserve. They conserve endemic plants, animals, and important genetic reservoirs. Human interference is minimal here.
  • Buffer Zone: Surrounding the core zone, this area allows limited activities like tourism, fishing, and grazing. Research and education are encouraged.
  • Transition Zone: The outermost part where human activities and conservation coexist harmoniously. Settlements, croplands, and managed forests characterize this zone.

Source: UNESCO

Syllabus

• Prelims – CURRENT EVENT

Context: Recently, on 5th July 2024, Earth reached aphelion.

Background:

• Our planet whirls around the sun in an ellipse, rather than a circle. On Friday (5th July) the planet reached its farthest point from its star, known as aphelion.

What causes aphelion and when does it happen?

• Earth reaches aphelion every July, and this year it occurred on Friday 5th of July.
• That Earth has an aphelion is a result of its orbit being elliptical, rather than circular. All planets in the solar system travel in elongated circles around the sun, rather than perfect ones. And it’s most likely true for worlds around other stars, too.
• The culprit for all of these elliptical orbits is gravity. All the planets tend to jostle each other around pulling their orbits from perfect circles.
• How much an orbit deviates from a perfect circle is measured by its eccentricity. The higher the eccentricity, the more elliptical the orbit.

How far are we from the sun at aphelion?

• At aphelion, Earth’s distance from the sun is about 94.5 million miles. Six months later, at the start of January in the winter, Earth is at its closest point to the sun at 91.5 million miles. This location is known as perihelion.

Does aphelion affect temperatures on Earth?

• A common misconception is that Earth’s varying distance from the sun is what gives rise to the seasons. It does have a small impact: We get 7 percent less sunlight at aphelion compared with the amount we are exposed to at perihelion, leading to slightly milder summers and winters in the Northern Hemisphere.
• But that effect is offset by Earth’s tilt on its axis, meaning that at different points along its orbit the hemispheres slant either toward or away from the sun.
• At aphelion, which occurs just weeks after a solstice, the northern half of the planet is leaning toward the sun, resulting in the longer, hotter days of summer even though Earth is farther away.
• And at perihelion in January, the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the sun, making the days shorter and the temperatures colder.
• In the Southern Hemisphere, this impact is reversed. Because the hemisphere leans away from the sun when Earth is at aphelion, southern winters are a little cooler than they would be if our orbit were perfectly circular. Then as the planet approaches perihelion in January, the hemisphere’s lean toward the sun, making southern summers slightly warmer.
• For planets with more exaggerated eccentricities, the changing distance can have a bigger impact. Sunlight on Mars, for example, can vary as much as 31 percent along its orbit.
• It is a coincidence that Earth reaches aphelion close to when its tilt toward the sun is greatest. And this will eventually change, as other planets in the solar system gravitationally yank and squeeze Earth’s orbit in the future. Its eccentricity is currently decreasing, meaning its path around the sun is becoming more circular.

Source: Newyork Times

Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – CURRENT EVENT

Context: Earlier this month, the World Bank upgraded Russia from an “upper-middle income” country to a “high-income” one, a status it last had in 2014.

Background:

• The ranking was boosted by growth in trade (+6.8%), the financial sector (+8.7%), and construction (+6.6%), which led to increases in both the real (3.6%) and nominal (10.9%) GDP.

About Russias growth:

• The improvement is on account of the war economy, and is unlikely to endure, according to experts.
• The World Bank classifies economies into four groups based on per-capita gross national income (GNI) in US dollars: low, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high. The Bank’s 2024-25 classification for high-income countries raised the threshold to $14,005 or more.
• Last year, Russians earned $14,250 per person on a gross national income basis, the Bank estimated. Bulgaria and Palau joined Russia in becoming “high-income economies” with $14,460 and $14,250 per-capita GNI respectively, the Bank said.
• In nominal terms, Russia ranks 72nd globally in per-capita GNI and 53rd in purchasing power parity.
• The resilience of Russia, which is now under more individual sanctions than Iran, Cuba, and North Korea combined, has come as a surprise.
• After the initial recessionary impact of sanctions in 2022, the (Russian) economy has returned to growth in 2023, supported by fiscal stimulus including military spending and credit expansion, and by successfully mitigating the impact of the sanctions.

Why sanctions against Russia is not working ?:

• OIL: The sanctions on Russia’s energy sector are not as tight as the ones that were imposed on Venezuela or Iran.
• INVESTMENTS: Investment is flowing to Russia’s defence and manufacturing sectors. The IMF has highlighted that some imports are being substituted by domestic goods, resulting in investments in new production facilities.
• CONSUMPTION: Private consumption has recovered strongly, adding 2.9 percentage points to GDP growth. This is being driven by buoyant credit and a strong labour market, with record low unemployment of just 3%, and a general rise in wages. The largely voluntary military recruitment model, using monetary incentives, has allowed sections of consumers to continue spending.

Source: Indian Express

Q1.) Consider the following countries

1. Poland
2. Norway
3. Finland
4. China
5. Mongolia

How many of the above countries shares border with Russia

1. Only two
2. Only three
3. Only four
4. All five

Q2.) Panna biosphere reserve is located in which among the following states in India?

1. Tamil Nadu
2. Gujarat
3. Madhya Pradesh
4. Uttarakhand

Q3.) With reference to the classical language in India, consider the following statements:

1. All the Classical Languages are listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
2. The Ministry of Culture provides the guidelines regarding Classical languages.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!!

ANSWERS FOR ’  10th July 2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.st

Q.1) –  a

Q.2) – d

Q.3) – d