St Martin’s Island
Why in News: As per the alleged statement, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh claimed that she could have stayed in power if she had handed over Bangladesh’s “St. Martin’s Island and Bay of Bengal to America.”
About St. Martin’s Island
Location:
- Situated in the northeastern region of the Bay of Bengal, near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.
- Located nine kilometers from the southern tip of Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf peninsula.
Geography:
- The island is predominantly flat with an elevation of 3.6 meters above mean sea level.
- It is Bangladesh’s only coral island, featuring coral reefs located 10-15 km to the west-northwest.
- The island serves as a breeding ground for sea turtles.
History:
- Originally part of the Teknaf peninsula around 5,000 years ago, the island gradually submerged into the sea.
- About 450 years ago, the southern part of present-day St. Martin’s Island re-emerged, with the northern parts rising above sea level within the following 100 years.
- Arab merchants were among the first settlers on the island, arriving in the 18th century.
- The island was initially named “Jazira” (meaning “the island” or “the peninsula”) by the merchants, later changed to “Narikel Jinjira” or “Coconut Island.”
- In 1900, British India annexed the island during a land survey. By that time, fishermen, either Bengali or from the Rakhine community (now Myanmar), had already settled there.
- The island was named St. Martin’s Island after the then Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong, Martin, during the British occupation.
Why the Worst of Food Inflation May Be Over
Why in News: Food inflation has been a significant challenge, with retail food inflation above 8% for eight consecutive months from November 2023 to June 2024. However, there is cautious optimism that inflationary pressures may ease in the coming months due to higher kharif crop plantings and favorable international food prices.
About Food Inflation
Current Inflation Trends:
- Retail food inflation hit 5.4% in July 2024, down from 9.4% in June. However, this decline is partly due to a high base effect from July 2023, where inflation was at 11.5%.
- Despite the lower year-on-year figure, monthly food inflation remains high, with a 2.8% rise from June to July 2024, translating to an annualized inflation rate of 33.8%.
Monsoon Influence:
- The southwest monsoon arrived slightly earlier than expected and has been favorable overall, with a 4.8% cumulative surplus in rainfall as of August 15, 2024.
- Good monsoon distribution has led to higher acreage under key kharif crops such as rice, pulses, maize, oilseeds, and sugarcane.
Crop Choices:
- Farmers are planting more arhar and maize due to higher market prices, which could help ease inflation in pulses and animal proteins.
- Cotton planting has decreased due to flat prices and risks associated with its cultivation, with farmers shifting to crops like groundnut, soybean, maize, or paddy.
Global Food Prices:
- Global food inflation has been negative since December 2022, with the FAO’s food price index down 3.1% in July 2024 compared to a year ago.
- Lower international prices, particularly for wheat, reduce the risk of imported inflation and could help stabilize domestic prices.
Outlook:
- Government wheat stocks are at their third-lowest level for August 1, but rice stocks are at a record high.
- The potential for a bumper kharif harvest, along with La Niña conditions expected in the upcoming months, bodes well for the rabi cropping season and could lead to easing of export restrictions and stockholding limits on key commodities.
Why the Latest Mpox Outbreak is an ‘Emergency of International Concern’
Why in News: The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) for the second time since 2022, due to a significant upsurge in cases, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighboring countries.
About Mpox
- Disease: Mpox is a viral infection caused by the mpox virus (MPXV), with symptoms including fever, headache, muscle aches, low energy, and rashes that last for two to three weeks. Although typically self-limiting, it can be deadly, especially in children and immunocompromised individuals.
- History: The virus has been known to infect humans since 1970, primarily in Africa until 2022, when it began spreading globally.
Current Concern:
- Clade Ib Spread: The current outbreak is driven by the spread of the clade Ib strain of MPXV, which is now predominantly transmitted through sexual contact—a mode of transmission not previously associated with this clade.
- Geographic Spread: Over 100 cases of clade Ib have been reported in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda—countries that had not previously reported mpox cases.
- Global Spread: More than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths have been reported globally in 2024 alone, raising alarms for a coordinated international response.
Risk to India:
- Previous Cases: During the 2022 outbreak, India reported 27 confirmed cases and one death, primarily of the less deadly clade II type.
- Potential Risk: With the first case of the more contagious clade Ib strain reported in Sweden and the interconnectedness of global travel, there is a risk of the outbreak reaching India again.
Vaccines for Mpox:
- Available Vaccines: At least two vaccines for mpox have been recommended by the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization.
- Global Access: WHO has triggered an Emergency Use Listing for these vaccines to accelerate access, particularly for lower-income countries. Collaborative efforts are underway to facilitate equitable distribution of vaccines and medical tools to affected regions.
The Improbable 800 km Journey of Stonehenge’s Centre Stone, and Why That Matters
Why in News: New geochemical analysis has revealed that Stonehenge’s central Altar Stone, a six-tonne sandstone monolith, originated from northern Scotland, approximately 800 km away, rather than from southwest Wales as previously believed. This discovery sheds new light on the complexity of Stonehenge’s construction and the extent of collaboration in neolithic Britain.
About: Stonehenge
- Historical Significance: Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument in southern England, has long puzzled researchers with its unknown purpose, mysterious construction methods, and uncertain origins. Despite these uncertainties, it remains a marvel of neolithic engineering and a testament to the ingenuity of prehistoric humans.
- Stone Groups: The site is composed of two main types of stones:
- Sarsens: These large sandstone blocks form the outer circle and are believed to have been sourced from Marlborough Downs, 25 km away.
- Bluestones: Smaller stones, traced to the Mynydd Preseli mountains in western Wales, approximately 240 km away.
Altar Stone Discovery:
- New Findings: Recent analysis using chemical dating techniques identified the Altar Stone as originating from the Old Red Sandstone formations in the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland and the Orkney Islands, marking it as the most distant stone in the monument.
- Implications: This discovery suggests that the construction of Stonehenge involved a far greater degree of cooperation across neolithic Britain than previously thought. It indicates that ancient Britons were capable of long-distance transport and communication, challenging previous notions of their social organization and technological capabilities.
Transport Theories:
- Human Agency: The stone’s journey, over 800 km, was likely achieved through human effort rather than natural forces like glaciation, as some have speculated.
- Land vs. Sea Route: There is debate over whether the stone was transported over land or by sea. While the sea route might have been more feasible due to the stone’s weight and the difficult terrain, some experts argue that an overland journey would have made the stone more “precious” through the efforts involved.
Significance:
- Cultural Importance: The transport of such a large and heavy stone over such a great distance suggests that the people of the time had a compelling reason for this effort, reflecting the cultural or spiritual significance of Stonehenge and its components.
- Historical Integration: The findings contribute to a broader understanding of neolithic Britain, highlighting the possibility of a more integrated society with extensive networks of trade and communication.
The discovery challenges previous assumptions about Stonehenge’s construction and provides a deeper insight into the sophistication of ancient societies in Britain.
Why Climate Change Poses an Existential Threat to the Panama Canal
Why in News: The Panama Canal, one of the world’s most critical shipping routes, is facing an existential threat due to climate change, specifically the increasing frequency and severity of droughts. These changes could severely disrupt global trade by affecting the canal’s operations, which depend heavily on a stable freshwater supply.
About Panama Canal
- Historical Significance: Opened on August 15, 1914, the Panama Canal is an 82-km-long engineering marvel that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, drastically shortening the shipping route between New York and San Francisco by approximately 12,600 km.
- Operational Mechanics: The canal is not just a simple waterway but a complex system of locks and elevators that raise and lower ships to navigate the differing elevations of the two oceans. The system relies heavily on freshwater from Lake Gatun, an artificial reservoir created for this purpose.
Water Dependency:
- Freshwater Usage: The canal’s lock system consumes enormous amounts of freshwater—each ship passing through requires over 50 million gallons (almost 200 million liters) of water. This water is primarily sourced from Lake Gatun, which also provides drinking water for over half of Panama’s 4.4 million residents.
- Impact of Droughts: In 2022, severe drought conditions led to a significant drop in Lake Gatun’s water levels, causing a reduction in the number of ships able to transit the canal daily. Ships that did pass had to reduce their cargo loads to navigate the shallower waters, leading to economic losses and delays in global trade.
Climate Change Threat:
- Increased Drought Frequency: Climate change is exacerbating the frequency and severity of droughts in Panama. Historically, Panama experienced major rainfall deficits once every 20 years, typically linked to El Niño events. However, in the last 26 years, Panama has faced three significant droughts, indicating a troubling trend likely linked to global warming.
- Permanent Water Scarcity: Experts warn that these droughts are not anomalies but a sign of a permanent shift in Panama’s climate. As the Earth’s temperature rises, such extreme weather events are expected to become more common, posing a long-term threat to the canal’s operations.
Proposed Solutions and Challenges:
- Damming the Rio Indio: To address the water scarcity, Panama Canal authorities have proposed creating a second water source by damming the Rio Indio. This $1.6 billion project, recently made possible by a Supreme Court ruling, aims to secure the canal’s water needs for at least the next 50 years.
- Social and Environmental Concerns: The proposed dam would flood the homes of approximately 2,000 people, primarily from lower socio-economic backgrounds, displacing them and disrupting their livelihoods. This has sparked controversy and opposition, highlighting the complex trade-offs involved in adapting to climate change.
Why the Delhi High Court is Hearing a Plea Against the Exclusion of Section 377 from the New Criminal Laws
Background: Section 377 of IPC: Originally criminalized “carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman, or animal.” The Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling in Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India decriminalized consensual same-sex relationships but did not eliminate the provision. The Section remained in the IPC until the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS) replaced it, removing Section 377 entirely.
Concerns Raised:
Protection for Non-Consensual Sexual Offences:
- Impact of Removal: Section 377 had a broad scope, including non-consensual acts and thus provided a level of protection for LGBTQIA+ individuals and men who might be victims of such offences. With its removal, there are concerns about a potential gap in legal protections for non-consensual sexual acts involving these groups.
Gendered Language of the BNS:
- Gender Bias: Chapter V of the BNS, which deals with sexual offences, uses gendered language, specifically focusing on rape as an offence committed by a man against a woman. This could leave gaps in protections for non-consensual acts involving men or individuals of other genders.
Recommendations and Anomalies:
- Parliamentary Standing Committee’s View: The committee had recommended retaining Section 377 in the BNS to address non-consensual sexual acts. The absence of such a provision in the BNS raises concerns about whether adequate legal mechanisms are in place for addressing sexual crimes against all individuals.
Case at the Delhi High Court:
- Petition Filed: Lawyer Gantavya Gulati has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) arguing that the removal of Section 377 from the IPC poses a threat, particularly to LGBTQIA+ persons and men, as it previously provided crucial protections.
- Government’s Stance: The Centre has contended that the court cannot direct the legislature to enact provisions based on perceived anomalies. The government has indicated that the issue has been raised with the union government and is under consideration.
Alternative Protections under the BNS:
- Section 36 (Right of Private Defence): Provides protection against offences affecting the human body, including those with the intent of committing rape or satisfying “unnatural lust.” However, the term “unnatural lust” is not explicitly defined.
- Section 38: Allows the use of force in cases of assault with the intention of committing rape or gratifying unnatural lust. This provision is broader but lacks specific definitions related to “unnatural lust.”
- Section 140: Addresses kidnapping or abduction where the victim is subjected to grievous harm or unnatural lust, but again, lacks a clear definition for “unnatural lust.”
The Delhi High Court’s hearing is crucial in addressing whether the removal of Section 377 has inadvertently created gaps in the legal protection against non-consensual sexual offences. The outcome could have significant implications for the rights and protections available to LGBTQIA+ individuals and men under the new criminal laws. The court’s decision will likely influence future legislative and legal approaches to ensuring comprehensive protection against sexual crimes.