4 May 2024, The Indian EXPRESS
Disappointed with apathy of voters in metros: Poll panel on turnout in Phase 2
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GS2- Salient Features of the Representation of People’s Act.
- Acknowledging the dip in voter turnout in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission (EC) Friday expressed disappointment about the polling percentage in some metropolitan cities in the second phase, attributing it to “rigid levels of apathy” in urban seats.
- The Commission’s statement comes against the backdrop of a drop of just under 4 percentage points for the first phase of elections and under 3 percentage points for the second phase compared to the 2019 elections.
- Voting percentage for the 102 seats that went to poll in the first phase on April 19 was 66.14% and for the second phase on April 26, in which 88 seats voted, was 66.71%.
Loss to nation due to oral cancer deaths: Study pegs it at Rupees 72 lakh for a man, Rupees 57 lakh for woman
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GS2- Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health
- A new study led by Tata Memorial Hospital has estimated that premature oral cancer deaths have cost India productivity losses to the tune of $5.6 billion or 0.18 per cent of its GDP in 2022.
- One of the key findings of the study, according to its lead author Dr Arjun Singh, Assistant Professor, Tata Memorial Hospital, is that 91 per cent of the deaths or terminal stages were among patients with a median age of 41.5 years.
- Given that the retirement age in India is around 62 years, the study — which tracked 100 patients over three years — showed that those who succumbed to the disease cumulatively lost 671 productive or working years (29.8% to early stages and 70.2% to advanced stages). The monetary value of the losses for men exceeded Rs 57 lakh and that for women Rs 71 lakh.
Banned oxytocin still used in Delhi dairies, HC takes note
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GS3- Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life
- The Delhi High Court has ordered State authorities to take action against the spurious use of oxytocin on cattle in dairy colonies in the Capital.
- It noted that administering the hormone, which results in increased milk production, amounts to animal cruelty and is, therefore, an offence.
- The court asked the Delhi government’s Department of Drugs Control to conduct weekly inspections and register cases against the administration of the hormone.
- These cases will be investigated by the police.
Army looks to form new unit to play role of adversary in wargame training
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GS3- Various Security Forces and Agencies and their Mandate
- The Army is working on creating a new unit that can simulate the role of an adversary during military exercises and wargame training, senior officials aware of the development told The Indian Express.
- Plans for the new unit — OPFOR, or “opposing forces” — are currently under discussion and will be implemented after final approval from the Army hierarchy.
Weather proofing polls
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GS2- Salient Features of the Representation of People’s Act.
- The need of the hour, obviously, is to make the elections as participative as possible.
- The Election Commission of India (ECI) must be complimented for making every effort to reach out to the voters and make arrangements for voting in far-flung places, some of which are difficult to access.
- Civil society organisations and news media have also created campaigns to raise the awareness about the right — and the duty — to vote.
What is ‘Eta Aquariid’ meteor shower, set to light up the night sky this weekend
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GS3-Awareness in the fields of Space
- The Eta Aquariid meteor shower, which has been active since April 15, will peak on May 5 and 6.
- Comprising burning space debris moving at speeds of around 66 km per second (2.37 lakh kmph) into Earth’s atmosphere, these showers are seen in May every year, and are best visible to countries such as Indonesia and Australia in the Southern Hemisphere.
Emergency, first non-Cong Govt, and a promise belied
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GS1-Post-independence Consolidation and Reorganization within the country
- The Lok Sabha election of 1977 brought the country’s first non-Congress government to power.
- Indira Gandhi’s popularity after the 1971 war was dealt big blows by the students’ movement in Gujarat and Jayaprakash Narayan’s call for Total Revolution.
- When in 1975, Allahabad High Court set aside her election in 1971 on grounds of electoral malpractice, Indira responded by imposing the Emergency.
- In the election held after the Emergency was lifted, the people handed her a crushing defeat, and Morarji Desai became Prime Minister.
India- Nigeria trade officials meet as China’s Africa investments falter
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GS2- Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
- Amid an ongoing property crisis in China that has put brakes on its investments in Africa, Indian officials held a Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting with their Nigerian counterparts last month, the commerce and industry ministry said on Friday (May 3).
- This comes after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last year said that the ripple effects of China’s slowing economy extended to sovereign lending to sub-Saharan Africa, which fell below $1 billion last year—the lowest level in nearly two decades.
