 Greetings aspirants, I welcome you all to the Indian Express weekly news analysis brought to you by Shankar Ayes academy. A kind request to you all aspirants, those who have not subscribed our YouTube channel, do subscribe and hit the bell icon button so that you will get regular updates about our current videos. Displayed here is a list of topics that we will be discussing in this video. I have chosen six different news articles from Indian Express newspaper. Now let us get into our first news article discussion. Look at this news article, this article is taken from 13th October, Indian Express newspaper. This article is speaking about ozone hole. Last month, Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite of the European Space Agency deducted a large hole over the Antarctica continent. Know that Sentinel-5P satellite was launched in October 2017 as part of European Union's Ennivroin Mental Monitoring Program. This satellite measures the trace gases in the atmosphere in order to monitor ozone and climate. So recently, Sentinel-5P satellite has detected a presence of large ozone hole over the Antarctica. Scientists in the European Space Agency say that the ozone hole over Antarctica has spread over approximately 26 million square kilometers, which is roughly three times the size of Brazil. This is the crux of this article. Now in this discussion we will understand about the basics of ozone layer and then about the recent findings of ozone hole over Antarctica. Now let us start with ozone layer. See ozone layer is nothing but a region of trace gas present in the stratosphere layer of the Earth's atmosphere. Now what is this trace gas? See trace gases refers to the small amount of gases present in the atmosphere. Know that Earth's atmosphere is composed of about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1% other gases. These 1% of other gases is what is termed as trace gas. Now coming back to ozone, see ozone is basically a molecule that contains three oxygen atoms. The ozone is chemically called O3. The ozone occurs naturally in the stratosphere layer of Earth's atmosphere. However, it is found in trace amounts, which means that the ozone contributes to less than 1% of gases in the Earth's atmosphere. That is why ozone is termed as trace gas. Now look at this image here. See Earth's atmosphere is composed of five layers. They include troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere. Know that high concentration of ozone molecule is present in the stratosphere. That is 15 to 50 km above the Earth's surface. And the ozone is present like a layer in the stratosphere. See this ozone layer is very critical for any life in Earth. It functions as a protective gas shield by absorbing ultraviolet radiation that are coming from the Sun. By doing this, the ozone layer protects humans and ecosystems from dangerous amounts of ultraviolet radiation. Know that over exposure to ultraviolet radiation is detrimental to both human and environment. The ultraviolet rays can destroy the green cover and crops. And exposure to high amounts of ultraviolet radiation can cause skin cancer in humans. So by absorbing ultraviolet radiation from the Sun, the ozone layer protects us from harmful conditions like cancer. Because of this much importance, the ozone layer is fondly called Earth's sunscreen. Hope you understood about ozone layer. Now coming with the ozone hole, see the ozone hole is not really a hole. It is just a region in the stratosphere layer where the concentration of ozone is extremely low. To say it in other words, ozone hole is an area in the stratosphere that has very little amount of O3 molecules. See the ozone hole occurs due to depletion of O3 molecules. So the ozone hole is also referred to as ozone depletion. See ozone depletion happen in many regions of the stratosphere. But it mainly occurs over Antarctica continent in the winter months. What is the reason behind this? See during winter, there used to be very less severe temperatures in the Antarctica continent. This causes polar vertex in the stratosphere region that is directly present above Antarctica. See polar vertex is nothing but a special circulation pattern occurs in the stratosphere due to less temperature and wind flow. This polar vertex phenomenon lead to the formation of polar stratospheric clouds in the stratosphere. These clouds used to circulate in the stratosphere and they deplete the ozone. Now before seeing how the polar stratospheric clouds depletes the ozone, let us see some facts about ozone depleting substances. See some of the substances like chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, methyl bromide, carbon tetrachloride and so on that are released from the etched surface can able to destroy ozone layer. Know that these ozone depleting substances has chlorine and bromine in it. And these substances are insoluble in water and relatively unreactive in the etched surface. So they used to mix with air in the lower atmosphere and they rise from the lower atmosphere into the stratosphere. Know that the ozone present in the stratosphere is unstable and very reactive. Naturally, three oxygen atoms present in the ozone molecule can split easily and they also react easily with chlorine and bromine. So the presence of high chlorine and bromine in the stratosphere destabilizes the ozone and they make bond with split oxygen atoms easily and this led to the depletion of ozone. While this is the case during winter months the circulation of polar stratospheric clouds fastens the ozone depletion in stratosphere. These clouds help the chlorine and bromine to bond with split oxygen atoms rapidly and this led to the ozone depletion. So this is the reason behind a large hole over the Antarctica during winter months. Now you may have a doubt. In Arctic region also there is less temperature. But why there is no significant ozone hole like in Antarctica? As we all know, Arctic region is surrounded by land on all its sides. But Antarctica is surrounded by vast ocean waters. So due to the presence of huge water bodies, the temperature is relatively very low in Antarctica than the Arctic. Apart from this, the huge water bodies surrounding Antarctica also facilitate the vast air circulation. These factors facilitate the formation of polar stratospheric clouds over the Antarctic and which lead to the ozone depletion. See, Arctic also experience very low temperature but it is not enough to form polar vertex as by the Antarctica. And this is why there is no significant ozone hole in Arctic region like in Antarctica. Hope I cleared your doubt. Coming back to the ozone depletion, see the ozone depletion was first identified in the early 1980s. Then by the mid 1980s, scientists found that industrial chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons are mainly responsible for ozone depletion. Note that chlorofluorocarbons were used extensively in air conditioners, paints, refrigerators and so on. And after several years in 1987, the Montel protocol was brought to address ozone depletion. See, Montel protocol is an international agreement to stop the production and import of ozone depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons. The protocol was aimed to reduce concentration of chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere to protect its ozone layer. The protocol came into effect from 1st January 1989. As a result, there has been a steady decrease in the use of ozone depleting substances. So the ozone hole started to shrunk slowly. The recent estimates by the scientists shows that ozone layer will be restored to its 1980s state by 2040s. Apart from this, the biggest hole in the Andartica will set to be repaired by 2066. This is all about the current state of ozone layer. Now finally, let us see the recent findings of ozone hole over Andartica. As we saw at the beginning, Sentinel-5P satellite of the European Space Agency detected a large ozone hole over the Andartica continent. The scientists say that the large hole in the Andartica is linked with temperature, wind speed and pressure. They highlighted that the ozone hole will grow and shrunk throughout the year. During winters in Andartica, the ozone hole grows and it shrunks again during summers. The scientists noted that the occurrence of large hole this year is due to volcanic eruption. See, last year there was a volcanic eruption off the coast of Tonga, which is a country in Oceania. This eruption has led to the injection of water vapours and other harmful chemicals into the stratosphere. And this accelerated the depletion of ozone and led to the widespread hole. The scientists pointed out that this air hole will not cause serious problems. However, they are worrying about climate change. The scientists feel that climate change may affect the progress made in the ozone layer production so far. Apart from this, they are also concerned about frequent wildfires that are occurring due to global warming. The scientists said that wildfire can cause huge ozone depletion. They highlighted that the larger than usual ozone holes over Andartica in both 2021 and 2022 were mainly linked to wildfires in various countries. This is all about the recent findings about ozone hole. And that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion, we saw about the basics of ozone layer, then we saw about ozone depletion. And finally, we saw some points about the recent findings about ozone hole over Andartica. Since this topic is very much important for you, both prelims and means. So, raise all the points that we discussed. Now, with these points in mind, let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this article. This article is taken from the editorial page of 14th October Indian Express newspaper. This article is speaking about the prevalence of under nutrition in India. This article was written in the backdrop of recently released Global Hunger Index. So, in this discussion, we'll first understand the basics about the Global Hunger Index. And then we'll understand the points provided in this editorial article. Now, first, let us start with Global Hunger Index. See, the Global Hunger Index, which is in short known as GHI, is being released annually by two NGOs, namely Conson Worldwide and Welthunger Highlife. This index highlights the prevalence of hunger across the world. Basically, the Global Hunger Index aims to raise awareness about hunger and it also aims to eradicate hunger. Note that the scores of the Global Hunger Index are calculated based on the values from four indicators such as undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and child mortality. Here undernourishment refers to the share of population with insufficient caloric intake. Then child stunting refers to the condition where the children aged under five have low height for their age. Then child wasting refers to the condition where the children aged under five have low weight for their height. And finally, child mortality refers to the share of children who die before their fifth birthday. Okay, based on these four indicators only, GHI score is arrived. The score of Global Hunger Index is represented on a 100 point scale. The scale consists of points from 0 to 100. See, zero is the best possible score, which means that there is no hunger, whereas hundred is the worst score, which means that there is severe hunger. Note that the GHI score is classified into five parts based on the severity. That is from low to extremely alarming. The countries are placed in certain categories based on the GHI scores. Okay, now coming to the 2020 Global Hunger Index. See in the 2023 Global Hunger Index, India ranks 111 out of 125 countries. India obtained a score of 28.7 in the 100 point scale. So India falls under the serious hunger category. Last year, India ranked 107 out of 121 countries. But this year, India's rank has fallen four places. Okay, see India rejected this 2023 Global Hunger Index. The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development has said that three of the four indicators used for the calculation of Global Hunger Index are related to health of the children. That is, child stenting, child wasting and child mortality. So the ministry said that the index did not reflect the situation of the entire population. The ministry also observed that the Global Hunger Index arrived at a calculation of undernourished population based on an opinion poll conducted on a very small sample size of 3,000 people. So this also did not reflect the exact situation. By citing these reasons, India rejected the 2023 Global Hunger Index. And India said that the index was flawed and it does not reflect India's true position. Okay, this is all about the 2023 Global Hunger Index and about the response of Indian government. Now let us see the situation of undernourishment in India as mentioned in the editorial. The editorial highlights several schemes or legislations enacted by the government to eradicate undernourishment. India has brought the National Food Security Act in 2013. This act aims to provide basic cereals and grains to the Indian people. So it currently helps in eradicating hunger and undernourishment in India. Apart from this, the government is also implementing the Poshan 2.0 scheme. The scheme seeks to address the issue of malnutrition in children, adults and girls and pregnant women. Like this, the government is implementing many other schemes to eradicate hunger, undernourishment and malnutrition in India. However, the author says that some of the factors like technical glitches, bureaucratic hurdles, social and economic inequalities and gender discrimination, they prevent a large number of Indian people from assessing these benefits under various schemes or legislations. So still some people in India are facing hunger and undernourishment. Okay, this is one important finding mentioned in the editorial. Apart from this, the editorial also pointed out the statistics related to childhood nutrition under the National Family Health Survey 5. See, National Family Health Survey 5 found that 89% of children between 6 to 23 months do not receive a minimum acceptable diet. See, this is marginally better than National Family Health Survey 4. According to National Family Health Survey 4, about 90.4% of children between 6 to 23 months didn't receive a minimum acceptable diet. But according to the National Family Health Survey 5, childhood nutrition has improved. However, 89% is still a high number. Apart from this, National Family Health Survey 5 also pointed out that there are high rates of anemia across large sections of Indian population. The high rates of anemia are seen in children below 6 years, adults and girls and boys and women between 15 to 49 years including pregnant women. So this data highlights insufficient intake of proper and nutritious food. So overall, India has enacted significant legislations or schemes to address the situation of undernourishment in India. Apart from this, India also witnessed improvement in child nutrition. But according to the data, there is still a significant population living with hunger and undernourishment. So the Indian government has to act wisely to ensure zero hunger in India. Okay. And that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion, we saw about 2023 global hunger index. Then we saw about the position of India in 2023 global hunger index. Then we saw about India's response to the global hunger index. And finally, we saw some points about the status of undernourishment in India. Now with these points in mind, let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article. This article is taken from 15th October Indian Express newspaper. Recently, on October 14th, the Australian government conducted a referendum on the proposal to recognize indigenous people in the Australian constitution. See, aboriginal and Torres Strait island people are the indigenous people of Australia. They make up about 3.8% of Australia's population. And they have inhabited Australia for about 60,000 years. However, the indigenous people are not mentioned or recognized in the Australian constitution. Apart from this, they are also socially and economically most disadvantaged people in Australia. So to recognize these indigenous people and to protect them, Australian government recently made a proposal to alter the Australian constitution. The Australian government has proposed to create an indigenous advisory body named Voice to Parliament to recognize indigenous Australian people. So in order to obtain the opinion of Australian people regarding recognizing the indigenous people, the Australian government conducted a referendum. See, referendum is nothing but a direct voting procedure that is conducted to obtain the opinion of people regarding proposed law or any other change. See, most of the Australian people voted against the government proposal. So it is a major setback to Australian government's effort in recognizing indigenous people. Okay, this is all about the news. In this news article, we frequently heard about the term referendum. See, referendum is one of the tools of direct democracy. So in this discussion, we'll understand some points about direct democracy and its tools. Now let us start with direct democracy. See, direct democracy refers to the system in which citizens has the right to take part in the decision making process. To put it simply, in direct democracy, citizens of the country take part in day-to-day decision making and administration of the government. So the citizens of the country have a direct say in formulating the laws and affairs. Note that direct democracy is also called pure democracy or participatory democracy. Switzerland is one of the countries where direct democracy is prevalent. On the contrary to direct democracy, we have indirect democracy. See, in indirect democracy, the citizens choose their representatives. The representatives in turn participate in the administration of the government. And the representatives act on behalf of their people. So in indirect democracy, the direct participation of citizens is limited in taking important decisions and formulation of policies. Note that indirect democracy is also called representative democracy. India is the common example of indirect democracy. See, in India, we elect the representatives through elections. And these representatives will represent us in the parliament and state legislatures. Okay, this is all about two forms of democracy. Now let us move on to see about the different devices of direct democracy. See, in direct democracy, people use four devices to exercise the supreme power of decision making. The devices include referendum, initiative, recall and plebiscite. Now we'll see a brief about each one of these devices. First, let us take the referendum. Referendum is a direct voting procedure whereby a proposed legislation of the government is referred to the people or electorate in order to get their opinion. In simple words, referendum is a voting procedure where all the people of a country can vote on a particular political question on proposed law or legislation. The next one is initiative. Through this method, people can directly propose a bill for enactment. Sometimes, people's proposed bills are first submitted to a legislature. If they are passed by the legislature, they become law without the need for a popular vote. But if the bill fails to pass in the legislature, it may be directly submitted to a vote by the public. If most of the people support the proposed bill, then that particular bill becomes law. Okay, this is all about initiative. And the third one is recall. See, through this method, the voters can remove a representative or an officer before the expiry of his term. This is done when such persons fail to discharge his duties properly. So recall is based on the principle that the office holders are agents of the people and therefore they should be constantly subject to control. Okay, this is all about recall. And the final one is plebiscite. Plebiscite is a method of obtaining the opinion of people on any issue of public importance. See, this tool may seem similar to referendum. But the difference lies in the subject. See, referendum is used to obtain the opinion of people on any proposed law or legislation. Whereas plebiscite is used to obtain the opinion of people on any issue of public importance. Okay, hope you got the difference. And that's all regarding this discussion. And this discussion is about two forms of democracy, that is direct and indirect democracy. Then we saw about four devices of direct democracy. Now with these points in mind, let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article. This article is taken from 16th October Indian Express newspaper. See, recently, Cashew from the Goa state has got geographical indication tag. That is GA tag. The Goa and Cashew is unique and sweeter in taste. There have been lots of complaints from the producers and processors of Cashew in Goa. They said that Cashew sourced from other states are marketed and sold as a Goa and Cashew by the traders. This affects the market of Goa and Cashew. Apart from this, some tourists had also complained about the inferior quality of Cashew sold by the Goa and traders. So to address all these concerns, several Cashew producers in Goa had applied for GA tag. And recently, the government has provided a GA tag. So hereafter, Goa and Cashew will come with GA logo. And the traders in Goa won't be able to use the Goa and Cashew logo on the packets without registration. So this helps to avoid duplication and it will provide greater opportunity for the Cashew industry in the Goa state. This is all about the news. Now in this discussion, let us learn some points about Cashew crop. Cashew is one of the important plantation crops in India. The Cashew was introduced in India by the Portuguese during the 16th century. The Portuguese had introduced the Cashew in India from Brazil. Now India is one of the largest Cashew producing countries in the world. The Cashew industry in India employs more than 10 lakh people in farming and processing industries of Cashews in rural areas. So the Cashew industry has large economic significance to India. Now talking about the climate and soil requirements for Cashew, in general Cashew grows in all soils from sandy soil to laterite soil. But well-drained deep sandy loam soils are the best one for growing Cashew. However, heavy clay soils are not suitable for Cashew crop. This is because Cashew does not withstand water logging conditions. See, heavy clay soils often result in water logging conditions during the rainy season. So this is why heavy clay soils are not suitable for Cashew crop. This is all about soil requirements. Now talking about the temperature, hot humid conditions with temperature in the range of 20 to 30 degree Celsius is optimal for Cashew growth. Then Cashew needs an annual precipitation in the range of 2000 to 3500 millimeter. However, extreme low temperature and frost are not conducive for Cashew plantations. Okay, this is all about climatic and soil requirements for Cashew crop. Now coming to the cultivation area and production of Cashew. In India, Cashew cultivation covers an area of about 0.7 million hectares. India produces over 0.8 million tons of Cashews annually. In India, Cashew is mainly grown in states like Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Orissa, West Bengal and in some parts of North Eastern region. Note that Maharashtra is the largest producer of Cashew during 2021-22. It is followed by Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. Besides the vast scale of Cashew production, India is also famous for processing and exporting Cashews. India is the largest exporter of Cashews. India exports Cashews to over 60 countries of the world. The top three export destinations include United Arab Emirates, Japan and Netherlands. Okay, this all about cultivation and production of Cashew. And that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw about the temperature and soil requirements for Cashew crop and we saw some points about the cultivation area and production of Cashew in India. Now with these points in mind, let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article. This article is taken from 17th October Indian Express newspaper. See, recently a passenger ferry service has been inaugurated between India and Sri Lanka. Know that the term ferry refers to the watercraft or boat that carries passengers, vehicles and so on. See, the recently inaugurated passenger ferry service is running from Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu to Kanagasanturai in North and Sri Lanka. Note that the name of the vessel used in the ferry service is called Cheriyapani. See, based on this inauguration of ferry service only, this article here is written. This article highlights the potential impacts regarding this ferry service. So, in this discussion, we'll understand all the points provided in this news article. Now, let us start with the history. See maritime linkage between India and Sri Lanka dates back to several decades. From the early 1900s until 1982, a ferry service was run between Chennai and Colombo via Tuthukudi Port. However, this ferry service was halted in 1982 due to the Civil War in Sri Lanka. After the end of Civil War in 2009, both sides had engaged in talks for the resumption of ferry service. Then in 2011, a memorandum of understanding was signed between India and Sri Lanka for passenger transportation by sea. As a result, a ferry service was launched. However, due to poor response, the ferry service did not last for more than six months. Then after some years, attempts were made by both sides to establish ferry services from Rameshwaram to Talai Mannar of Sri Lanka and Karekal to Kanagasanturai. But various challenges had blocked the establishment of ferry services. And finally, after 40 years, a passenger ferry service was recently inaugurated between India and Sri Lanka. It runs between Naga Patiknam in Tamil Nadu and Kanagasanturai in North and Sri Lanka. Okay, now what would be the potential impacts of this ferry service? Firstly, the ferry service can promote religious tourism between both the countries. Through the ferry service, travelers from India can access significant religious sites in Colombo and in the southern parts of Sri Lanka. Similarly, Sri Lankan tourists can access Indian pilgrim centres such as Nagpur, Velanganni, Tanjavur, Madurai and so on. So, the ferry service would promote religious tourism between India and Sri Lanka. Apart from this, it will also strengthen cultural ties between both the countries. Secondly, the ferry services would boost regional commerce and trade between India and Sri Lanka. It also strengthens connectivity between both the countries. And finally, the ferry service will bring the people of two countries very close to each other. This encourages people-to-people contact and it further strengthens the relationship between two countries. These are all some of the potential impacts that might be brought out by the ferry service. Despite the past two impacts, there are some challenges that need to be addressed. See the current ticket fare for this ferry service is approximately 7,670 rupees. Many of the people are concerned about this high ticket fare. Apart from this, ticket booking systems are also very poor. The people will be able to get tickets only at selected places. This also poses a challenge. These concerns might lead to less passengers. So, in order to succeed in running the ferry services, ticket rates should be reduced. Also, the ticket booking should be made available on popular travel sites. This will help the ferry service to succeed. And that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion, we saw the history of maritime linkage between India and Sri Lanka. And then we saw about the recent inauguration of ferry services between India and Sri Lanka. Then we saw about the potential impact of recently inaugurated ferry service. And finally, we saw some points about the challenges to the ongoing ferry service. Now, with these points in mind, let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article. This article is taken from 19th October in Indian Express newspaper. This article is speaking about Mars Quack. See, if quack, that is the shaking, occurs in the earth, we call it as Earth Quack. Similarly, if quack occurs in the Mars, we call it as Mars Quack. See, last year, that is on May 2022, NASA's inside lander has detected largest ever quack on the Mars. The quack was measured 4.7 on the magnitude scale. Recently, scientists have found the reason for such big quack on the Mars. And this is why the article about Mars Quack appeared in the newspaper. Now, in this discussion, we will understand about the reasons for quacks in Mars. Now, first, let us understand few points about NASA's inside lander. Know that inside stands for interior exploration using seismic investigations, geodesy and heat transport. The inside mission was launched by NASA in 2018 to study the inner space of Mars. That is to study the crust, mantle and core of the Mars. Know that NASA ended its inside mission on December 2022. In those four years of mission, the seismometer present in the inside lander had detected over 1319 Mars quacks. Of that, the quack that was detected in May 2022 was a largest ever quack. It was measured 4.7 on the magnitude scale. See, this 4.7 magnitude does not cause any major destruction in Earth. But the same magnitude can cause substantial shake in the Mars. Okay. Now, coming to the reason for such large Mars quack, first of all know that Mars do not have the geological process such as plate tectonics like Earth. As we all know, Earth's crust is divided into big plates. These big plates in the crust are continuously moving around and this causes earthquakes. But if we take Mars, see Mars has single unbroken crust. This means that the crust of the Mars is now divided into plates like Earth's crust. Whereas the crust of the Mars is single and unbroken. So probably plate tectonics didn't have a role in Mars quack. Therefore, scientists thought that a meteorite impact on the Mars might be the reason behind unusual large Mars quack. The scientists in the NASA, with the help of other space agencies, they have searched for craters in Mars that might be caused due to meteorite impact. However, they did not find any impact crater on the Mars. So the scientists have arrived to a new conclusion. They said that Mars quacks are actually triggered by tectonic activity happening within the Mars itself. See, probably the Mars quacks had caused due to fault in the Mars crust. Fault means a short break in the crust. Scientists says that Mars is still slowly shrinking and cooling. So there is still some motion within the Mars crust. And this resulted in fault in the Mars crust. These faults in turn might have triggered Mars quacks. So even though there are no active plate tectonics within the Mars crust, the occurrence of faults can trigger Mars quacks. So this is the recent findings about Mars quack. Scientists believe that the discovery opens a new chapter on the seismic activities of Mars. And this helps in unrevealing the secrets of Mars interior. And that's all regarding this discussion. This discussion is all about the recent behind Mars quacks. With this, we have come to the end of the video. If you found our video to be useful, do like, comment and share it with your friends. And don't forget to subscribe Shankaray's Academy YouTube channel. Thank you for listening.