GS Analyst
Daily Current Affairs

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the global monkey pox outbreak a 'public health emergency of international concern' (PHEIC).

• On January 30, 2020, WHO had categorised COVID-19 as a PHEIC, when about 7,500 cases of novel coronavirus were reported.
• And on March 11 2020, the agency elevated it to 'pandemic.'
• Now the Monkey pox has declared as PHEIC by WHO.
• Monkey-pox (MPX) was first discovered in 1958 in colonies of monkeys kept for research, hence the name ‘monkey-pox.’
• The first human case of monkey-pox was reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 1970.
• Recently, an ongoing outbreak of the viral disease monkey-pox was confirmed in May 2022.

About

• A PHEIC is an ‘extraordinary event’, which constitutes a public health risk to other States through the international spread, and which potentially requires a coordinated international response.
• International Health Regulations Emergency Committee is made for scrutinizing the global situation.
• The responsibility of declaring an event as an emergency lies with the Director-General of the WHO and requires the convening of a committee of members.
• PHEIC comes below the Pandemic situation, declared as a global health concern.

What is Monkey Pox?

• Monkey-pox (MPX) is a viral zoonotic disease with symptoms similar to smallpox, although with less clinical severity.
• It is a potentially serious viral illness that typically involves flu-like symptoms, swelling of the lymph nodes, and a rash that includes bumps that are initially filled with fluid before scabbing over.
• Illness could be confused with a sexually transmitted infection like syphilis or herpes, or chickenpox.

Mode of transmission:

• Human-to-human transmission is known to occur primarily through large respiratory droplets generally requiring prolonged close contact.
• It can also be transmitted through direct contact with body fluids or lesion material, and indirect contact with lesion material, such as through contaminated clothing or linens of an infected person.
• The disease goes through four different phases.
• The first invasion period, which is between 0-5 days, is characterised by fever, headache and lymph node swelling.
• The swelling of the lymphnodes is one of the characteristic features of monkey pox and is not observed in similar rash causing diseases like measles and chickenpox.

What causes monkey-pox?

• It is a rare disease that is caused by infection with the monkey-pox virus.
• This virus belongs to the Ortho-pox-virus genus.
• It includes the variola (smallpox) virus as well as the vaccinia virus, which is used in the smallpox vaccine.

What is the mandate to declare a PHEIC?

• Rising numbers and evidence of person-to-person transmission in a handful of cases outside of China.
• Greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, and which are ill-prepared to deal with it.

India’s situation

• The first case of monkey pox was confirmed in India after a person who had returned to Kerala from UAE developed symptoms of the disease. His samples were sent to National Virology Institute in Pune which confirmed the disease.

Police Commissioner and MLA of Andhra Pradesh with other officials offered ‘Ashadam Sare’ to Goddess Kanaka durga at Sri Durga Malleswaraswamy Vaarla Devasthanam.

• This holy shrine of Goddess Durga is a Swayambhu (self-manifested).
• It is the second largest temple in Andhra Pradesh.
• Kanakadurgamma Temple situated on the banks of River Krishna in Vijayawada.
• It is situated on Indrakeeladri Hills.
• The Mythological significance of the place is learned from the story that Arjuna prayed to Lord Shiva on these Hills.

‘Ashadam Sare’:

• Hundreds of devotees visit Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam at top of Indrakeeladri to mark the beginning of Pavitra Ashada Sare Utsavalu.
• The annual Sare festivities: Large number of devotees will visit the temple and offer Saree to Goddess Kanaka Durga.
• On the first day, temple priests and officials under the supervision of chief priest Vishnubhotla Siva Prasada Sharma presented the Sare.
• They participated in the procession from Gosala of Sri Kanaka Durga.
  
  

Significance of the Temple

• The temple of Kanaka Durga the Goddess of power, riches and benevolence and the presiding deity of Vijayawada, is thronged by lakhs of pilgrims for worship during the “Navarathri” festival.
• The ancient temple of Kanaka Durga, abounds with legends of historical interest.
• Goddess is looking towards north-east with cool smile and bliss. Because of which the devotees are blessed with whatever they pray for.
• This is only temple in the world where the main diety (moola varlu) are decorated in forms of Sri Saraswati, Sri Maha Lakshmi, Sri Bala Tripura Sundari, Sri Rajarajeswari, Sri Mahishasura mardini, Sri Durga devi, Sri Annapurna devi, Sri Gayatri, Sri Lalitha Tripura Sundari.
• Here Durga is on the right side of Malleswara as against the tradition of Goddesses taking their position on the left of their consorts.
• This shows that Shakthi is predominant on the

Bhakti Tradition links

• Adi-Sankaracharya visited the temple and installed the Srichakra and initiated worship of Kanaka Durga in vedic ways, and avoided animal sacrifice.

Recently, an example of heteropessimism is seen when a men trends by #MarriageStrike on Twitter, as the Delhi HC was hearing a plea to criminalise marital rape.

• The term was coined in 2019 by American gender theorist Asa Seresin.
• Heteropessimism can be defined as public declarations of dissatisfaction with heterosexual relationships, by people who continue to be in those relationships.
• Heteropessimism consists of performative disaffiliations with heterosexuality, usually expressed in the form of regret, embarrassment, or hopelessness about straight experience.
• These disaffiliations are “performative” does not mean that they are insincere but rather that they are rarely accompanied by the actual abandonment of heterosexuality.

What causes heteropessimism?

• The realisation for heterosexual people that Marriage has for gain or loss.
• Here, the disillusionment works at two levels – the simple realisation that the first flush of romance does not last, and the deeper, structural problems of heterosexual relationships, which stem from patriarchy, gender inequality, an unfair burden of housework on women, and the pressure of ‘provider and protector’ roles on men.

The factors associated with heteropessimism

• Heteropessimism has been caused and shaped by larger social, economic and political currents.
• Modern self-dependence concept for Women: Traditionally, marriage was between the “provider” and the “homemaker”. While more women are economically independent, our social conditioning remains rooted in these traditional roles.
• Over-expectations for Females: Girls are taught to believe that they will have a life-partner like a prince, which generates over-expectation of girls from male counterparts.
  
  
  

Does it influence the patriarchal mind-set?

• The answer to it is ‘YES’ to some extent. Litigation on sexual crimes draws from social and caste-based perceptions on what constitutes rape and these are, in turn, based on who is presumed to have access to women’s bodies.
• It is the belief that can is the cause of several social issues by Women like martial Rape and Sexual Assault after marriage or while being in a relationship.

The migratory monarch butterfly, a sub-species of the monarch butterfly that travels around 4,000 kilometres across America each year, has been classified ‘endangered’ in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

• Monarchs, the most recognisable species of butterfly, are important pollinators and provide various ecosystem services such as maintaining the global food web.
• Their population in the continent has declined 23-72 per cent over the last decade.
• Most of these butterflies are found in the California coast and forests in central Mexico.
• A smaller population of the species is also found in countries like Australia, Hawaii and India.

Characteristic features:

• These butterflies follow a unique lifestyle: They traverse the length and breadth of the American continent twice a year, feasting on nectar from a variety of flora.
• The female monarch butterfly lays each of her eggs individually on the leaf of a milkweed plant, attaching it with a bit of glue she secretes.

• The monarch larvae feed on this species on hatching.
• The removal of this breeding ground by farmers because they are ‘weed’ is an important driving factor for the dwindling numbers.
• More focused strategies such as “planting native milkweed and reducing pesticide use to supporting the protection of overwintering sites”, are imperative for a significant and sustainable rebound of the monarch population.
  
  

Route for travelling of these Butterfly species

Reason for decline in their Population

• Climate Change: Climate change and change in land use pattern has made their survival difficult in the region.
• Habitat destruction: Threats to this abundant and popular butterfly species come from habitat loss and food plant destruction.
• Continuous reduction in population: Heavy use of chemical pesticides, and destruction of the Monarchs’ own place in the environment, has significantly reduced populations in some areas.
  
  

Recognising “right to be forgotten” as a facet of right to privacy, the Supreme Court has ordered masking of personal details of parties to a case of sexual offence should be kept private as it can cause embarrassment and social stigma for women.

Background

• The court observed that the right to privacy of the woman is to be protected. On the other hand, online platforms questioned their right to publish.
• As per the Supreme Court, Right to privacy includes the right to be forgotten and the right to be left alone.

The Right to Privacy

• In Puttaswamy v. Union of India case, 2017, the Right to Privacy was declared a fundamental right by the Supreme Court.
• Right to privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 and as a part of the freedoms guaranteed by Part III of the Constitution.

Right to be Forgotten (RTBF)

• It is the right to have publicly available personal information removed from the internet, search, databases, websites or any other public platforms, once the personal information in question is no longer necessary, or relevant.
• The RTBF gained importance after the 2014 decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) in the Google Spain case.
• In the Indian context, the Supreme Court in Puttaswamy v. Union of India, 2017 noted that the RTBF was a part of the broader right of privacy.
• The RTBF emerges from the right to privacy under Article 21 and partly from the right to dignity under Article 14.

About the Right to be Left Alone

• In general terms, when the society will not interfere in the choices made by the person so long as they do not cause harm to others is ‘Right to be left alone’.

Some issues involved with this Judgement

• Privacy vs. Information: It brings the person’s right to be left alone, derived from Article 21, directly in conflict with the rights of the media to report on issues, flowing from Article 19.
• Enforceability against Private Individuals: This raises the question of whether fundamental rights can be enforced against the private individual, which is generally enforceable against the state.
• Misleading Judgements: Courts in India have repeatedly either accepted or rejected the application of RTBF while completely ignoring the wider constitutional questions associated with it.

The National Investigating Agency (NIA) court in Dantewada acquitted 121 tribals, including a woman, who were arrested in connection with a suspected 2017 Maoist attack that claimed the lives of 25 security personnel in Chattisgarh’s Sukma district.

• On April 24, 2017, a combined patrolling party — comprising 72 jawans from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)’s 74th battalion and district police were guarding a road cum bridge construction in Sukma’s Burkapal when they were ambushed by a large group of 200-250 alleged Maoists.
• This was the second deadliest Naxalite attack in terms of casualties.
• The investigators alleged that the arrested villagers were members of the banned CPI (Maoist) Party. 
• The prosecution also submitted that they had been in possession of weapons.
• All 121 accused were charged with Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 302 (murder), 149 (unlawful assembly), 307 (attempt to murder) 396 (dacoity), 397 (robbery, armed with deadly weapon) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
• They were also charged with provisions of the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act (CSPSA), 2005 and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967 that prohibit taking membership of an unlawful organisation (CPI (Maoist) in the given case and indulging in any unlawful activity for it.
• Apart from this, provisions of the Arms Act, 1959, and Explosives Act, 1908 were also slapped.
• Then began the tribals’ long struggle for justice. The village rallied around to fight for the men in jail. 
  

About the Judgement

• NIA presented before the court that 22 (of the 25) prosecution witnesses were neither aware of the incident nor did they know the accused.
• Even after those witnesses were declared hostile by the prosecution and subjected to direct questions, no fact about the incident had emerged while they were being examined.
• Thus the prosecution has not been able to prove its case beyond doubt.
• Court has ordered to leave them as there was no evidence against them after suffering five years in Jail.

Vulnerability of Locals in the Naxalite affected regions

• Displacement: Frequent attacks in these region lead to displacement of several tribals in the region leaving their native place.
• Increase in Crime rate: It leads to increase in crime rate in the region merely on the grounds of suspicion, in self-defence by tribals.
• Possibility of joining Naxal groups: Due to lack of adequate facilities and unemployment, they may choose to actually join the groups which can use them against their development.
• Often seen as accused in their own place: Tribals of the Naxal prone areas are often termed as accused to be Naxals themselves, which causes their social stigmatization.
  
  

Government Interventions

• Operation Green Hunt: It was started in 2010 and massive deployment of security forces was done in the naxal-affected areas.
• From 223 districts that were affected due to naxalism in the year 2010, the number has come down to 90 in nine years.
• Aspirational Districts Programme: Launched in 2018, it aims to rapidly transform the districts that have shown relatively lesser progress in key social areas.
• Continuous efforts of government have reduced the frequency of violent attacks in the naxalism-affected regions.
• The government even started ‘Relief and Rehabilitation Policy’ for bringing naxalites into mainstream.