Headlines

COP-28 calls for ‘transition away’ from fossil fuels - Page No.1 , GS 3
India votes in favour of immediate ceasefire in Gaza by Israel - Page No.1 , GS
2
Sammakka Sarakka - Page No.1 , GS 1
Article 370 judgment is a case of constitutional monism- Page No.6 , GS 2
Indians vulnerable to climate change-induced health issues- Page No.7 , GS 2
Road fatalities rise in India, despite global drop: WHO - Page No.12 , GS 2,3

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 Pg no. 1 GS 3
COP-28 calls for ‘transition away’ from fossil fuels -
Page No.1 , GS 3
• Nations took a small but decisive step towards ridding the world of fossil fuels, after
negotiators in Dubai on Wednesday adopted a resolution, called the Dubai Consensus.

• Creating a path to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is humanity’s best shot at
keeping global temperatures from rising beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the
century, according to scientific assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC). This implies cutting emissions to 43% of 2019 levels by 2030 and 60% by
2035, an onerous ask given that just seven years remain for the first target, while
emissions keep rising, year on year.

• The consensus text reflects a compromise between developed and developing countries
on what the world should do to stem greenhouse gas emissions while also ensuring that
countries contribute proportionally, on the basis of their historic responsibility for the
climate crisis.

• These climate talks are annual affairs but move forward incrementally because the UN
rules say an agreement can result only if all 198 signatories agree on every line in the text.
• The top oil consuming countries of 2022 were the US < China <
India < Russia < Japan < Saudi Arabia < Brazil < South Korea <
Canada < Germany.

• India is still highly exposed to the industrial activities related to

fossil fuels - it is the world's 3rd largest oil consumer at around 5
million barrels a day with an annual growth rate of oil demand at 3-
4%.

• India’s import dependency in oil and natural gas has also increased
- in the case of natural gas, the net import dependency rose from
just over 30% (2012-13) to nearly 48% (2021-22).
• Crude oil has also seen a similar increase in imports.
India's Renewable Energy Targets:
• 175 GW Renewable Energy Capacity by 2022:
• 100 GW of Solar Power.
• 60 GW of Wind Power.
• 10 GW of Biomass Power.
• 5 GW of Small Hydro Power.

500 GW Non-Fossil Fuel Based Energy by 2030:

• Announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at COP26 summit.

50% Electricity from Non-Fossil Fuel Sources by 2030:

• Pledged in India's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
under the Paris Agreement.
 Pg no.1 GS 2

India votes in favour of immediate ceasefire in Gaza

by Israel - Page No.1 , GS 2
• India on Tuesday voted in favour of a United Nations General Assembly
(UNGA) resolution that called on Israel for an immediate ceasefire, the
protection of civilians in accordance with international law and the
release of all hostages.

• India was among 153 countries that made up a massive 4/5th majority in
the Assembly who voted in favour of the resolution, where only 10
countries, including the U.S. and Israel, voted against the resolution, and
23 abstained.

• Despite being “unsatisfied” with the resolution, Israel said it appreciated

India’s support and votes in favour of two proposed amendments.

• Thanking India, the Palestinian Ambassador to India said that all

countries must say “enough is enough”.
 Pg no. 1 GS 1

Sammakka Sarakka - Page No.1 , GS 1

• The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Central Universities
(Amendment) Bill, and the Repealing and Amending Bill. While the first
Bill is to establish a tribal university in Telangana, as promised in the
Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, the latter is to repeal 76 “redundant
and obsolete” laws.

• The Central Universities Bill was discussed amid the Opposition walkout
over the security breach in the Lok Sabha.

• The Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 4 and passed on

December 7, paved the way for establishing Sammakka Sarakka Central
Tribal University in Telangana.
About the Legend of Sammakka and Sarakka:

• Sammakka is said to have been married to Pagididda Raju, a

feudal chief of the Kakatiyas(a Deccan dynasty) who ruled the
Warangal area.
• She had two daughters and one son - Sarakka or Saralamma,
Nagulamma and Jampanna, respectively.
• In the 13th-century, in a battle against the local rulers in protest
against the imposition of taxes, Saralamma died while
Sammakka disappeared into the hills.
• The local (Koya) tribals believed that she (Sammakka)
metamorphosed into a vermillion casket.
The Sammakka Saralamma Jatara:

• Mulugu holds a biennial festival - the SammakkaSaralamma Jatara -

often referred to as the Kumbh Mela of the tribals.
• The event commemorates the battle of the mother-daughter duo
against the imposition of taxes on the Koya people.
• Over the period, the festival has assumed so much importance that
it is believed that after Kumbh Mela, the SammakkaSaralamma
Jatara attracts the largest number of devotees in the country.
• Close to 1.5 crore devotees from various tribal and non-tribal
communities participate in this festival, including those from
Andhra Pradesh, MP, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, etc.
• Considering the footfall of the festival, the Samakka-Sarakka Jatara
was declared a state festival in 1996.
 Pg no. 6 GS 2

Article 370 judgment is a case of constitutional

monism- Page No.6 , GS 2
• Another site where the Court’s monism operates is in its reading
of Clause 3 of Article 370. The Court rejects the argument that
Article 370 had gained permanence after the dissolution of the
Constituent Assembly as this ‘is premised on the understanding
that the constitutional body had unbridled power to alter the
constitutional integration of the State with the Union’.

• The Court also relies on Clause 3 to hold that Clause 1 could be

operated without the concurrence of the State government since ‘the
effect of applying all the provisions of the Constitution to Jammu and
Kashmir through the exercise of power under Article 370(1)(d) is the
same as issuing a notification under Article 370(3)’.
 Pg no. 7 GS 2,3

Indians vulnerable to climate change-induced health

issues- Page No.7 , GS 2
• More than half of India’s population, living in 344 districts, face high or very high
health vulnerability induced by climate change. People are increasingly being
exposed to the effects of climate change, such as prolonged summers, heavy and
unpredictable rains, floods and droughts, and rising sea levels and melting
glaciers.

• As a result, they fall ill more often, face a greater risk of future ailments, lose
livelihoods, get pushed into poverty, and are forced to migrate. People fight and
try to adapt to these changes and prepare themselves better for future events.

• However, the same exposure may not have the same health consequences for
everyone. People who are exposed to higher green cover, have better living
conditions, education, secured work, better social safety nets and resilient health
systems would be able to adapt to the changes and mitigate the consequences
better.

• People who live on the margins, whose livelihoods are not secured, and who have
to pay when someone in the family falls ill will be more vulnerable to these
changes.
• findings suggest that 298 districts have high or very high levels
of exposure. These districts house around 52% of India’s
population. Almost 30% of India’s population living in 184
districts are faced with very high and high sensitivity.

• Addressing inequalities in the distribution of various social

determinants of health could reduce health vulnerability.
Providing sustainable livelihood opportunities, improving
working conditions, providing people with social safety nets, and
improving the education status of the population and its
employability could contribute to reducing sensitivity and
enhancing ACs.
 Pg no. 12 GS 2,3

Road fatalities rise in India, despite global drop: WHO

- Page No.12 , GS 2,3
• Road traffic deaths fell by 5% to 1.19 million annually worldwide between
2010 and 2021, with 108 United Nations member countries reporting a drop,
the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a report. India, however,
registered a 15% increase in fatalities.

• The total number of road traffic fatalities in India went up to 1.54 lakh in 2021
from 1.34 lakh in 2010, the ‘Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023’ said.

• Ten countries succeeded in reducing road traffic deaths by over 50%. These
are Belarus, Brunei Darussalam, Denmark, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, Russian
Federation, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.
Thirty-five countries made notable progress, reducing road traffic deaths by
30% to 50%.
• As of 2019, road crashes were the leading cause of deaths among
children and youth aged five to 29 years, and were the 12th
leading cause of deaths when all ages are considered. Two-thirds
of deaths occurred among people of a working age.

• In the past decade, a 5% reduction in absolute numbers of road

traffic fatalities was accompanied with a growth in the global
population by nearly 14 billion, or roughly 13%.

• This translates into the road fatality rate declining from 18 per 1
lakh people in 2010 to 15 per 1 lakh in 2021, which represents a
16% decline in the road traffic death rate since 2010.
• he report also noted that during the same period, the global motor vehicle
fleet grew 160%. Therefore, annual fatality rates per 1 lakh vehicles fell from
79 deaths to 47 deaths, which is a 41% reduction.

• The report shows that 28% of global road traffic deaths occurred in the WHO’s
South-East Asia Region, 25% in the Western Pacific Region, 19% in the African
Region, 12% in the Region of the Americas, 11% in the Eastern Mediterranean
Region, and 5% in the European Region.

• “Nine in 10 deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, and fatalities

in these countries are disproportionately higher when set against the
number of vehicles and roads they have. The risk of death is three times
higher in low-income than high-income countries, yet low-income countries
have just 1% of the world’s motor vehicles,” the report said.
Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety (2015):
• The declaration was signed at the second Global High-Level
Conference on Road Safety held in Brazil. India is a signatory to
the Declaration.
• The countries plan to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.6
i.e., to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road
traffic accidents by 2030.

Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030:

• The UN General Assembly adopted resolution "Improving global
road safety " with the ambitious target of preventing at least
50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
• The Global Plan aligns with the Stockholm Declaration, by
emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach to road
safety.
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