GS Analyst
Daily Current Affairs

In view of heatwave conditions, the India Meteorological Department has issued yellow warning for western Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, western UP, MP, and Jharkhand.

What are Heat Waves?

• Heat Wave is simply, a continuous spell of abnormally hot weather. Heat wave need not be considered till maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40º C for Plains and at least 30º C for Hilly regions.
• Criteria for declaring Heat Wave followed by IMD

Situation 1 - When normal maximum temperature of a station is less than or equal to 40º C. Declare Heat Wave if:

• Heat Wave Departure from normal is 5º C to 6º C
• Severe Heat Wave Departure from normal is 7º C or more

Situation 2 - When normal maximum temperature of a station is more than 40º C. Declare Heat Wave if:

• Heat Wave Departure from normal is 4º C to 5º C
• Severe Heat Wave Departure from normal is 6º C or more

Situation 3 - When actual maximum temperature remains 45ºC or more irrespective of normal maximum temperature, heat wave should be declared.

Impact based heat wave warning issue by India Meteorological Department (IMD):

Health impacts of heat wave:
   

With the overarching aim of providing critical medical aid to Sri Lanka during the ongoing crisis, INS Gharial as part of Mission SAGAR IX reached Colombo.

About Mission SAGAR IX:

• INS Gharial delivered over 760 kgs of 107 types of critical lifesaving medicines.
• In line with GoI’s vision of SAGAR – Security And Growth for All in the Region – the Indian Navy undertakes several deployments titled ‘Mission SAGAR’ to assist friendly IOR littorals. 
• Since May 2020, Indian Navy has successfully concluded eight such missions, deploying ten ships to 18 Friendly Foreign Countries.
• With a steadfast intent of delivering a high quantum of humanitarian assistance to our neighbours, personnel from ships and shore organisations of Indian Navy have invested close to a million man-hours to bring succour to our friends, overseas.
  

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently proposed rules for banning menthol cigarettes and all flavoured cigars.

About Menthol cigarettes:

• Menthol cigarettes are flavored with menthol, which triggers the cold-sensitive nerves in the skin.
• Menthol has a cooling and anesthetic (or pain killing) effect.
• This also decreases the cough reflex and can soothe the dry throat feeling that many smokers have.
• As a result, menthol smokers may inhale more deeply, hold the smoke in the lungs longer, and get more exposure to the dangerous chemicals in cigarette smoke.
• Menthol is a flavor additive with a minty taste and smell.
• In addition to tasting good, it has a cooling and painkilling effect.
• Cigarette manufacturers add it to cigarette filters to cover up the unpleasant taste of tobacco and make cigarettes more appealing.

What are the health risks of flavored cigars?

• Flavored cigars, or cigarillos, come in flavors like cherry, grape and vanilla. They are typically available at convenience stores and gas stations for a very low price.
• Like menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars were not covered by the 2009 flavor ban. Cigars are not regulated in the same way as cigarettes.
• Removing these products would be an important step in reducing the overall impact of tobacco on public health, especially in communities where they are popular.

How would a similar ban be likely to play out in India?

• If India were to ban menthol and other flavoured cigarettes, the impact might be limited, given that chewing tobacco and bidi are the most common forms of tobacco use.
• India has 7 crore tobacco users aged 15 and above, as per the last available Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS 2016-17) — 18% of the population uses smokeless tobacco, 7% smoke, and 4% use both.
• Banning products has logistical issues as well. “Banning is not the solution. Things will be smuggled in.”

How many young Indians are tobacco users?

• Tobacco use among 15-24-year-olds has been reducing in India, from 18.4% in GATS-1 (2009-10) to 12.4% in GATs-2 (2016-17), a relative reduction of 33%.
• On the other hand, there has been an increase in tobacco use among American youth, driven mostly by e-cigarettes.
• More than 1 in 4 high school students used tobacco product in the previous 30 days in 2018, with e-cigarette use increasing from 11.7% to 20.8% among high school students from 2017 to 2018, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• In India, e-cigarettes are banned.
• A recent study from Canada shows that after menthol cigarettes were banned, 8% more menthol smokers quit smoking than non-menthol smokers.
• Another modelling based study from Singapore, where use of flavoured cigarettes is predominant, showed that in 50 years, smoking prevalence will increase from 12.7% to 15.2% if flavoured cigarettes are not banned, go down by 10.6% if there is a complete ban, and remain the same if there is a partial ban.
  

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently said that the first known human case of H5 bird flu in the United States has appeared in a person in Colorado.

About H5 Bird Flu:

• This is the second human case associated with this specific group of H5 viruses that are currently predominant, and the first case in the United States.
• The first case internationally occurred in December 2021 in the United Kingdom in a person who did not have any symptoms and who raised birds that became infected with H5N1 virus.
• More than 880 human infections with earlier H5N1 viruses have been reported since 2003 worldwide.
• However, the predominant H5N1 viruses now circulating among birds globally are different from earlier H5N1 viruses.
  

Avian influenza:

• Bird flu or avian influenza is a disease which is caused by avian influenza Type A virusesfound naturally in the wild birds worldwide.
• The virus can infect domestic poultry which includes chickens, ducks and turkeys.
• Avian Influenza type A viruseswhich are classified based on two proteins on their surfaces:
• Hemagglutinin(HA)
• Neuraminidase(NA)
• There are about 18 HA subtypes and 11 NA subtypes.
• Several combinations of these two proteins are also possible e.g., H5N1, H7N2, H9N6, H17N10, etc.
• The virus was first detected in geese in China in 1996.
• Symptoms of avian influenza: Fever, cough, sore throat, nausea, abdominal pain, muscle aches, diarrhea, vomiting Severe respiratory illness (respiratory distress, viral pneumonia, respiratory failure), Neurologic changes (altered mental status, seizures).
• Risk groups: Children and adults below 40 are seen to be the most affected and mortality was high in 10-19 years old.

Centre would consider favourably the Himachal Pradesh government’s request for inclusion of the Hatti community in the list of Scheduled Tribes in the state.

Hattis:

• The Hattis are a close-knit community who got their name from their tradition of selling homegrown vegetables, crops, meat and wool etc. at small markets called ‘haat’ in towns.
• The Hatti community, whose men generally don a distinctive white headgear during ceremonies, is cut off from Sirmaur by two rivers called Giri and Tons.
• Tons divide it from the Jaunsar Bawar area of Uttarakhand.
• The Hattis who live in the trans-Giri area and Jaunsar Bawar in Uttarakhand were once part of the royal estate of Sirmaur until Jaunsar Bawar’s separation in
• Due to topographical disadvantages, the Hattis living in the Kamrau, Sangrah, and Shilliai areas lag behind in education and employment.

Societal norms of Hattis

• The Hattis are governed by a traditional council called Khumbli, which like the khaps of Haryana, decide community matters.
• The Khumbli’s power has remained unchallenged despite the establishment of the panchayati raj system.
• The two clans have similar traditions, and inter-marriages are commonplace.
• There is a fairly rigid caste system among the Hattis — the Bhat and Khash are the upper castes, while the Badhois are below them.
• Inter-caste marriages have traditionally remained a strict no-no.

Since when have the Hattis been demanding tribal status?

• The community has been making the demand since 1967, when tribal status was accorded to people living in the Jaunsar Bawar area of Uttarakhand, which shares a border with Sirmaur district.
• Their demand for tribal status gained strength because of resolutions passed at various maha Khumblis over the years.