Cyclone Asna has formed over the Kutch coast in Gujarat and adjoining areas of Pakistan, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Asna, a rare land-originating cyclonic storm in August, headed to the Arabian Sea. It is expected to move further away from the western coast in the next 48 hours.
About Cyclone Asna:
A deep depression situated over Saurashtra and Kachchh regions of Gujarat is intensified into a Cyclone Asna.
It Asna would be the first cyclone to form in August in the North Indian Ocean (NIO) region since 1981 and the first in the Arabian Sea since 1976.
Cyclone:
It is a large-scale system of air that rotates around the center of a low-pressure area.
It is formed around the low-pressure area, called a depression, along a zone of cold and warm air exchange called the ‘eye wall’. The eye is the central and calmest part of the cyclone.
From this eye wall, long, arching clouds and rain systems called rainbands spiral outwards, which bring alternating periods of intense rain and calm spells during a cyclone.
The air circulates inward in:
anticlockwise direction in the Northern hemisphere
clockwise direction in the Southern hemisphere
Cyclones are classified as:
Extra tropical cyclones (temperate cyclones): They occur outside of the tropic. They have “cold air at their core, and derive their energy from the release of potential energy when cold and warm air masses interact”
Tropical cyclones: They develop in the regions between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer
India is exposed to nearly 10 percent of the world’s tropical cyclones. More cyclones occur in the Bay of Bengal than the Arabian Sea and the ratio is approximately 4:1.
Cyclones are given many names in different regions of the world. They are known as:
Typhoons in the China Sea and Pacific Ocean
Hurricanes in the West Indian islands in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean
Tornados in the Guinea lands of West Africa and southern USA
Willy-willies in north-western Australia
Tropical cyclones in the Indian Ocean
2.National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)
Why in the news?
The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved Dickey Alternative Investment Trust and Adani Power Ltd.’s ₹3,335.52 crore (excluding resolution process cost) resolution plan for bankrupt Coastal Energen Private Ltd., which owns and operates an imported coal based thermal power plant at Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu.
About National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT)
It was constituted under Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013 for hearing appeals against the orders of the National Company Law Tribunal(s) (NCLT), with effect from 1st June 2016.
It was established to provide an efficient and specialized forum for addressing matters related to company law, insolvency, and competition law.
Objectives:
To hear appeals against the orders passed by NCLT(s) under Section 61 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC).
To hear appeals against the orders passed by Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India under Section 202 and Section 211 of IBC.
To hear and dispose of appeals against any direction issued or decision made or order passed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
To hear and dispose of appeals against the orders of the National Financial Reporting Authority.
Its headquarters are located in New Delhi.
Composition:
It is composed of a chairperson and judicial and technical members.
These members are appointed by the Central Government based on their expertise and experience in relevant fields such as law, finance, accountancy, management, and administration.
Disposing of cases:
On the receipt of an appeal from an aggrieved person, the Appellate Tribunal would pass such orders, after giving an opportunity of being heard, as it considers fit, confirming, changing or setting aside the order that is appealed against.
The Appellate Tribunal is required to dispose of the appeal within a period of six months from the date of the receipt of the appeal.
Competition Commission of India (CCI):
It is a statutory body established under the Competition Act, 2002 of India.
It is responsible for promoting and ensuring fair competition in the Indian market and preventing anti-competitive practices that may harm consumers, other businesses, or the overall economy.
It plays a crucial role in maintaining a competitive business environment and safeguarding the interests of consumers and competitors.
3.United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
Why in the news?
The Taliban regime’s Morality Ministry said it would not cooperate with the United Nations mission in Afghanistan, calling it “an opposing side”.
The announcement comes after the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) warned that a new morality law, requiring women to cover up completely and not raise their voices, would damage prospects for engagement with the international community.
About United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA):
It was established on 28 March 2002 by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1401.
It was basically established to assist the state and the people of Afghanistan in laying the foundations for sustainable peace and development.
Its original mandate was to support the implementation of the Bonn Agreement (December 2001).
It is an integrated mission. This means that the Special Political Mission, all UN agencies, funds and programmes, work in a multidimensional and integrated manner to better assist Afghanistan according to nationally defined priorities.
Bonn Agreement (2001):
It was a closed-door negotiation.
The existing nominal head of state (Rabbani) was sidelined and did not participate, and the Taliban were completely excluded from the Bonn negotiations.
The United Nations and several other international actors played major roles in pushing the negotiations forward, and the Bonn Agreement was blessed by the U.N. Security Council.
It set an ambitious three-year political and administrative roadmap which was, by and large, followed:
The Emergency Loya Jirga (grand council) of June 2002 established the transitional administration, a new Constitution was ratified in early 2004, and presidential and parliamentary elections were held in 2004 and 2005.
4.Listeria
Why in the news?
American health agency Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that a listeria surge has escalated, making it the United States’ biggest outbreak since 2011.
The outbreak, which was first reported in July 2024, has now claimed at least nine lives and led to 57 hospitalisations across 18 states.
The CDC warned that listeria is a bacteria that can survive on surfaces like meat slicers and in foods, even at refrigerated temperatures. Symptoms can take up to 10 weeks to appear after consuming contaminated food, which makes this outbreak particularly challenging to contain.
About Listeria:
It is a type of bacteria found in soil, vegetation, water, sewage and even the faeces of animals and humans.
Listeria-contaminated food can lead to an infection called listeriosis.
Symptoms of listeriosis:
Most people who ingest listeria-infected food do not fall sick or develop symptoms for up to two months until the symptoms present themselves.
Symptoms include vomiting, nausea, cramps, severe headache, constipation and fever.
Vulnerability:
People with compromised immune systems, pregnant persons and their offspring and the elderly (aged 65 and above) are vulnerable. The US outbreak has a median age of 75.
Listeria can result in hospitalization and even death for the immunocompromised and the elderly.
Pregnant women are 10 times more likely to develop a listeria infection and risk pregnancy loss, premature birth or even life-threatening infection in the newborn.
Some foods are more likely to have listeria than others, including milk, raw sprouts, deli meats and hot dogs, soft cheeses and smoked seafood.
Treatment depends on the extent of the infection.
In many cases, intestinal listeriosis manifests within a day or two of consuming the contaminated food item and may lead to diarrhoea and vomiting. The treatment is similar to one for a routine stomach infection and could require antibiotics.
If the infection spreads beyond the intestines, it leads to invasive listeriosis. Severe symptoms present themselves two weeks after the food has been consumed.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
It is a national public health agency under the Department of Health and Human Services.
It focuses on protecting public health by monitoring and controlling diseases, promoting health, and providing guidelines to prevent illness and injuries.
5.Pacific Islands Forum
Why in the news?
Members at Pacific Islands Forum back joint police plan, maintain ties with Taiwan.
Pacific leaders endorsed a major joint policing initiative and rebuffed moves from China’s allies to sideline Taiwan, as they wrapped up a regional summit in Tonga.
Security was a focal point at this year’s Pacific Islands Forum, an unwieldy bloc of U.S. partners, China friends and states still tied to Taiwan.
About Pacific Islands Forum:
It is an intergovernmental organization formed in 1971.
It consists of 18 member states located in the Pacific region, which include Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
It aims to push for economic growth, enhance political governance and security for the region, and strengthen regional cooperation.
Its vision is for a resilient Pacific region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity that ensures all Pacific peoples can lead free, healthy and productive lives.
It discusses priority issues at its annual meeting, where decisions made by the member states are reached by consensus.
The decisions are implemented by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
Its members have been pushing to raise funds for climate action. Notably, the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF), a regional financing facility established by PIF is currently $380 million short of its $500 million target.
Blue Economy:
It refers to the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of marine ecosystems.
It emphasizes the importance of the ocean and its resources as a source of economic opportunity, innovation, and wealth creation, while also acknowledging the need for conservation and sustainability.
Online Classes.jpg)