 A very good evening aspirants. Welcome to the Hindu newspaper analysis brought to you by Shankara AAS Academy. Today's date is 8th of July 2023. Displayed here are the list of news articles that we are going to discuss today. Now without much delay, let us get into the first news article discussion. Now take a look at this editorial article. The author here discusses the ongoing challenges faced in the quest for peace in Yemen. See it has been 8 years since the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the Iran-backed Haudi rebels have been fighting in Yemen. In April 2022, the United Nations negotiated a ceasefire between the Haudi rebels and the Yemeni government. Building on this year's long ceasefire negotiations for peace has begun in Yemen. So in this news article discussion, the author highlights various complexities in the peace process. We'll see the points mentioned in the article one by one. Before that, the syllabus relevant to the news article is highlighted here for your reference. You can go through it. Firstly, let us see the background of the issue. See the Yemen civil war began in 2014. The initial cause of the war was rising fuel prices and dissatisfaction with the government. Haudi rebels, a Shia militia, aligned with Iran, seized control of the capital city of Yemen, Sana. Following failed negotiations, the rebels seized the presidential palace in January 2015, leading President Abd Rabu Mansur Hadi and his government to resign. Beginning in March 2015, a coalition of Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia, which is being a sunny majority country, launched a campaign of economic isolation and air strikes against the Haudi insurgents. Although initially the civil war was about rising fuel prices and the need for change in government, intervention of regional powers in Haudi's conflict, including Iran, which is Shia, and Gulf states, Saudi Arabia, which is sunny, drew Yemen into a regional proxy struggle along the Shia-Sunni divide. In addition to the Shia-Sunni divide, one other thing that prompted Saudi to involve itself in the war is that Saudi Arabia has a 1400 kilometer prosperous land border with Yemen. So it does not want Iran-backed Haudi rebels taking control of Yemen. As it would bring Saudi's historic rival, Iran close to its border. Currently the conflict is in stalemate. The Haudi rebels are in control of the capital city Sana and the principal port, Hodeida. The coalition led by Saudi Arabia controls the sea and the sky and large part of the south. Since Saudi Arabia has controlled the coastal regions in the south, it implemented a naval blockade to prevent Iran from supplying the Haudis. This blockade also prevented essential food, medical and energy supplies from reaching the civilian population of Yemen. The situation pushed Yemen into the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The United Nations estimated that 60% of the estimated 3,77,000 deaths in Yemen between 2015 and the beginning of 2022 were the result of indirect causes like food insecurity and lack of accessible healthcare services. Nearly 74% or 25 million Yemenis remain in need of assistance. 5 million are at risk of famine and a cholera outbreak has affected over 1 million people. All sides of the conflict are reported to have violated human rights and international humanitarian law. So clearly the war has brought great disaster for the people of Yemen. Not just for the people of Yemen, as the war has now entered a stalemate, it is costing dearly for Saudi also. Saudi Arabia has spent $60 billion in the eight-year conflict. With no end in sight, Saudi Arabia wants to make a face-saving exit. In addition to this, during the recent Saudi-Iran Accord which was mediated by China, Iran agreed to curtail military supplies to the Haudis. All these factors started the peace process and Saudi-Haudi diplomatic engagement. So this is about the background of the issue. Now we will see about the peace process. Firstly, let us see the positive outcomes. See both sides have exchanged prisoners. Next, Saudi Arabia eased the blockade on Sana and Haudida. This allowed the humanitarian aid to reach the Haudi-controlled areas. Finally, Saudi Arabia has eased its control on airspace, allowing flights to take Yemeni pilgrims including Haudi leaders from Sana Airport to Mecca for the Hajj. So these are some of the positive outcomes. Now let us see the challenges in the peace process. First is the issue of salary. See the Haudi have asked Saudi Arabia to pay the salaries of all government officials including armed forces personnel for the last few years from Yemen's oil revenues. But Saudi is reluctant as it does not want to pay salaries for its former enemies. Second is the issue of compensation for war damages. Actually, Saudi Arabia is willing to consider contributing to the reconstruction of the war-torn nation. But it is the word compensation that is worrying Saudi Arabia. This word gives a sensation as Saudi Arabia lost the war to the Haudis. Now the third issue is that rebels are reluctant to engage with the Saudi-supported presidential leadership council PLC that heads the internationally recognized Yemeni government. The rebels are asking to directly engage with Saudi Arabia. This is because even though Saudi Arabia fails to accept, the fact is that Haudis clearly have an upper hand in the war right now. So the Haudis feel that PLC which will lose its relevance once Saudi Arabia withdraws from Yemen is in no position to negotiate with them. Now the fourth one is the issue of Southern Transitional Council. See the Southern Transitional Council is a united Arab Emirates-backed movement based in Aden. Look at this image here. The green colored region is in control of the STC. The objective of this movement is to split MN into two and to re-establish the former People's Democratic Republic of MN, PDRY. Look at this map. The PDRY was an independent communist country from 1967 to 1990. Following a series of war between North and South MN in 1972 and 1979, the country was finally united in 1990. Now with UAE backing the STC wants to separate South MN again. Now you may have a question. Why is UAE supporting the STC in its quest for an independent state? This is because in supporting STC's cause, the UAE will get access to ports of South MN and that's also the island of Sokotra in the Gulf of Aden and Pyramid island at the mouth of the Bab al-Mandab. So all these locations have huge geopolitical implications. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia wants a united MN. This is because when there is a united MN, so that it can assert influence over the South MN provinces of Hadramout and Al-Mahra. Hadramout shares an 800-kilometer border with the kingdom. Also, Al-Mahra could provide an oil pipeline to Saudi Arabia to the Indian Ocean by passing the Strait of Hormuz. So Saudi Arabia has sponsored its own Hadramout National Council that rejects the independence again of the STC. So the two countries, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been trying to exert their influence for their own personal interest. It is due to all these complexities in the peace process, the author feels that the road to lasting peace and stability in Yemen is challenging and uncertain. That's all regarding this news article. Make note of all these points. In this news article discussion, we saw what are the complexities in the peace process of Yemen. With these learnt points, now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Now take a look at this news article. It says that a 15-year-old boy in Alapullah has died from primary amoebic meningo encephalitis which is in short called as PAM. See, this is a rare infection caused by the brain-eating amoeba also known as necleria foleri. The amoeba enters the body through the nose, destroys brain tissue and causes brain swelling. So in this context, let us learn about this disease from our exam perspective. See, necleria foleri is a type of amoeba and it's sometimes called the brain-eating amoeba. This amoeba usually lives in warm fresh water like lakes, rivers and hot springs. When people go swimming or diving in these places, the amoeba can enter their body through the nose. It can also infect people if they clean their nostrils with the contaminated water. Now if you ask how they infect humans, see once the amoeba gets inside the body, it travels up to the brain. It starts to destroy the brain tissue and this can cause a dangerous infection called primary amoebic meningo encephalitis or PAM for short. Now talking about the symptoms, see the symptoms of PAM can be similar to those of meningitis like having a headache, feeling sick and having a fever. Later on, a person might have a stiff neck, seizure which are like sudden shaking or convulations and even hallucinations. In some cases people can go into a coma. PAM is a very serious infection and sadly it can often lead to death. The fatality rate is very high for this infection. Also know that it is not contagious between people. So what are the treatment options available? See doctors are still trying to figure out the best way to treat this infection because it is very rare and spreads quickly within the body. Right now they use a combination of different drugs. These drugs include amphotericin B, azithromycin, fluconazole, rifampin, multifocin and dexamethasin to fight the infection. See here the important point to note is, climate change is a concern when it comes to this amoeba. But why? See as I mentioned earlier, negleria fowleri likes warm water. So as global temperature rise, the chances of getting infected with this amoeba might increase because this organism can grow and survive better in warmer water. Higher temperatures in lakes and rivers can create a more suitable environment for the amoeba to thrive. So with climate change, there may be a higher risk of infection because now it can thrive even in places where it was not commonly found before. Remember it is a very rare infection but it's always good to be aware and take precautions when swimming in warm fresh water bodies. So these are all some of the important points that you have to remember about PIM. So these learnt points, now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Now take a look at this news article. It says that the government plans to share data from the PM Gatishakthi platform with industries and potential investors. The platform contains geospatial data and it has evaluated and facilitated numerous infrastructure projects. The government is working on consensus and is focusing on addressing data protection and privacy concerns before opening the platform to external stakeholders. This is about the article given here. In this context, let us learn few facts about PM Gatishakthi. See the PM Gatishakthi plan was launched on October 13, 2021. The aim was to bring maximum planning and coordination among government stakeholders, especially different ministries. So the main goal of this plan is to minimize delays and ensure seamless travel and transport across the country. The PM Gatishakthi master plan will integrate infrastructure schemes from various ministries and state governments including Bharat Mala, Sahar Mala, inland waterways, dry or land ports, Udaan and more. The plan will encompass economic zones like textile clusters, pharmaceutical clusters, defense corridors, electronic parks, industrial corridors, fishing clusters and agricultural zones. So by incorporating these schemes, the Gatishakthi initiative seeks to streamline and coordinate infrastructure development across different sectors. Now let us understand the need for Gatishakthi program. See there exists a wide gap between macro planning and micro implementation. Also there are other issues like lack of coordination and thinking and working in silos when doing a government project. This has led to delays and wastage of resources. Let me explain this. Imagine you are building a house. You have a big plan in mind. But sometimes things don't go as smoothly as you expect. This can happen because different people and departments are not working together effectively. One day the electrician come to do the work but on the same day the building construction is also happening simultaneously. And you have also called the painter to do the painting. It will be a chaos, right? This happens because there is no sharing of information or coordination of efforts. This can cause problems and slow down the progress of the project. Here we have to coordinate the work so that everything goes smoothly. Similarly, government also takes up infrastructure projects and different ministries work on it. There must be coordination among the ministries to prevent any chaos. The Gatishakthi program brings together various ministries and stakeholders related to infrastructure into one platform. It ensures better coordination and synchronization among departments and ministries. Now let us quickly talk about the silent features of Gatishakthi master plan. See firstly, the plan aims to provide an integrated national infrastructure. So project worth rupees 110 lakh crore will fall under this program during 2020 to 25. It includes various sectors like roads, railways, aviation ports and more. Then one of the key focuses of the plan is to end inter ministerial silos. It aims to connect and integrate different modes of transport. So this will lead to a seamless travel and transport system, thereby saving time and money for the movement of goods and people across the country. Thirdly, the plan brings together 16 important ministries related to infrastructure into one platform. This is to ensure faster decision making and coordination. The 16 ministries include railways, road and highways, petroleum and gas, telecom, power, shipping and aviation among others. Fourthly, the Gatishakthi plan aims to ensure India's global competitiveness by developing next generation infrastructure. And it also ensures seamless multimodal connectivity. This will improve the ease of living and doing business in the country. Fifthly, a digital platform has been created for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects. This platform basically allows different ministerial departments to access data on infrastructure development. This will enable better planning, execution and coordination. Finally, to oversee the implementation of this initiative, an empowered group of secretaries has been established. It is headed by the Cabinet Secretary. Now in this image, you can see the six pillars of the plan. That's all regarding this news article. In this news article, we saw about PM Gatishakthi, a very important scheme. Make note of it and use it in your main censor. So these learnt points, now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article. This news article provides various data regarding the issue of suicide. The issue of suicide is suddenly in news because yesterday, DIG Mr. C. Vijay Kumar committed suicide. Let us sort rest in peace. In this news article discussion, we will see few data given in the article. See, Tamil Nadu has recorded the second highest number of suicides according to NCRB data 2021. Tamil Nadu has recorded 18,925 suicides and it is just below Maharashtra which has recorded 22,207 suicides. Now look at this graph. The graph shows number of suicides among professionals and salaried persons. From the graph, we can see that in case of suicides among persons employed in PSUs and private sector, Maharashtra has the highest number. And in the case of government servants, the most number of suicides is recorded in Tamil Nadu. Now look at this graph. This graph highlights the numbers of suicides among government servant including PSU employees in Tamil Nadu and India. From the graph, we can see that there has been an increase in suicides in 2020 and 2021 in India. And this increase is mainly due to increase in suicides among government employees in Tamil Nadu. Now look at this graph. This graph focuses on Tamil Nadu. It shows the sector-wise classification of number of suicides among government employee in Tamil Nadu. From this, we can see that the suicide number among the people employed in the PSUs is very high. So the government must take steps to address the issue. Now let us see some of the steps taken by Indian government to address the issue of suicide. See firstly in 2017, the government passed the Mental Health Care Act to provide healthcare to people affected by mental health issues. Secondly, the Ministry of Social Justice and Improvement launched a 24x7 toll-free helpline KIRAN, K-I-R-A-N. Through this helpline, the ministry aims to provide support to people facing anxiety, stress, depression, suicidal thoughts and other mental health concerns. Then, to address the mental health issues among students during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Education launched the Mano Darbhan Initiative. Finally, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. Through this strategy, the government aims to achieve a reduction in suicide mortality by 10% by 2030. These are all some of the initiatives taken by the government to address the issue of suicide. Remember, mental health is not a destination but a process. It's about how you drive, not where you are going, okay? That's all regarding this news article. With these learnt points, now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article. It says that the Delhi government is going to test and hydrogen-powered buses later this year. The hydrogen buses are being developed under a joint venture involving Indian Oil Corporation Limited and Tata Motors. See the hydrogen buses are just like an electric bus. In the hydrogen buses, there would be a fuel cell battery. Here, hydrogen is used to interact with the fuel cell battery. During this interaction with hydrogen, the fuel cell produces electricity which in turn is used to run the bus. And there would be no carbon emission. It is said that the hydrogen fuel cell buses that are going to be deployed are intelligently manufactured in India. But it is reported that the fuel cells used in buses are imported from other countries. This is all about the news article given here. So, in this news article discussion, let us understand different types of hydrogen. Firstly, let us see some of the basics about hydrogen. See, hydrogen is a chemical element with symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is classified as a non-metal and it exists as a gas at room temperature. Hydrogen is a colorless and non-dolus gas. The hydrogen gas is also flammable which means it can be easily ignited. Note that hydrogen is a clean fuel. So, where hydrogen is combusted, it produces only water. To get a clarity, look at this reaction here. In this reaction, the hydrogen is combusted with the help of oxygen and the byproduct we get is water that is H2O. So, because of this only, hydrogen is called a clean fuel. Note that hydrogen rarely exists in a free state. This means that mostly hydrogen does not occur alone. It generally exists with other elements like oxygen, sodium and so on. So, if we need hydrogen, we have to produce it artificially. The hydrogen can be produced from a variety of resources like natural gas, nuclear power, biogas, etc. and it can also be produced from renewable powers like solar and wind. Based on these production methods only, the hydrogen is further classified into many types. Some of the major types include grey hydrogen, blue hydrogen, green hydrogen, black hydrogen, brown hydrogen, red hydrogen and pink hydrogen. Now, we will understand the types one by one. Let us take grey hydrogen first. Grey hydrogen refers to the hydrogen that is produced using fossil fuels like natural gas or coal. Note that grey hydrogen accounts for roughly 95% of the hydrogen produced in the world today. As coal or natural gas is used in the hydrogen production, it releases some greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. So, grey hydrogen is not considered as a low-carbon fuel. Note one difference here. We are not speaking about hydrogen combustion. As we saw earlier, hydrogen is a clean fuel and while combustion, it does not release greenhouse gas. But here, we are speaking about the hydrogen production method and the associated process. So, do not get confused here. Now, coming to blue hydrogen. Blue hydrogen is similar to grey hydrogen. But here, most of the CO2 that are emitted during the production process will be sequestered. This means that the CO2 emitted during the production process will be stored in the ground using carbon capture and storage methods. Therefore, blue hydrogen is considered to be a low-carbon fuel as the process involves capturing and storing the carbon dioxide instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. See, blue hydrogen is a cleaner alternative to grey hydrogen. But it is expensive since carbon capture technology is used. Now, coming to green hydrogen. Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced using electricity that is obtained from clean energy sources. Green hydrogen is the cleanest fuel and it is also considered as low or zero emission hydrogen. This is because the production process of green hydrogen involves the use of energy sources from wind and solar which do not release greenhouse gases when generating electricity. Green hydrogen is usually produced using an electrolysis process. Electrolysis process involves the use of electricity to split the compounds. With the help of electrolysis process, the water is split into hydrogen and oxygen. This is how hydrogen is produced using electrolysis. When this electrolysis process uses the electricity obtained from wind or solar, then the resultant hydrogen produced will be termed as green hydrogen. Now, coming to other types. See, black hydrogen refers to the hydrogen that is produced using black coal. Then, brown hydrogen refers to the hydrogen that is produced using lignite that is the brown coal. Then, red hydrogen is hydrogen that is produced using biomass like leaves, wood, rice straw and so on. And finally, pink hydrogen refers to hydrogen generator through electrolysis powered by nuclear energy. Pink hydrogen is usually considered green because it does not emit CO2 during its production. That's all regarding this news article discussion. In this news article discussion, we saw in detail about hydrogen, its properties. Then, we saw the types of hydrogen based on the production method. We had a problem's question in 2023 regarding hydrogen fuel cells. So, very important topic, make note of it. With these learnt points, now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Take a look at this news article. AIIB, that is Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, responded to allocations made by a former executive. The executive climbed that the bank is controlled by the Communist Party of China. The AIIB has denied this climb and said there is no evidence for the same. This is about the news article given here. In this context, let us quickly go through AIIB from our exam perspective. See the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank AIIB is a multilateral development bank established in 2016. The goal is to improve the social and economic outcomes in Asia and beyond. It provides financing for infrastructure projects in the region like roads, railways, ports, energy pipelines and telecom networks. See the idea for the AIIB was proposed by China's President Xi Jinping in 2013. It was proposed as an alternative to existing international lending bodies like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. So we can say that the bank's establishment is a challenge to the influence of western institutions. Know that AIIB is headquartered in Beijing, China, talking about the membership norms. Though it is a development bank focused on developing Asia, it has members from all over the world. It has one out five members actually. Also it is open an inclusive multilateral financing institution. So it is open to countries and regions dedicated to promoting economic and social development in Asia. Membership in AIIB shall also be open to members of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development or the Asian Development Bank. Now let us see some of their purpose and few examples with respect to India. Firstly, AIIB's investment in infrastructure and other productive sectors seek to foster sustainable economic development, create wealth and improve infrastructure connectivity. For example, the AIIB approved a $356.67 million loan to the Indian government to support the expansion of the Chennai metro rail system. Secondly, they adopt and innovate constantly to deliver customized investment solutions that overcome the client's challenges. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it emphasized green projects and supported public health initiatives besides infrastructure. Lastly, let us see some of the important achievements of this AIIB. So in 2018, AIIB was granted permanent observer status in the United Nations, in the deliberations of both the United Nations General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council. Another achievement is since 2017, AIIB has received AAA ratings with a stable outlook from the top credit rating agencies like Standard and Poor's, then Maddie's and Fitch. These are all some of the important facts that you have to remember about AIIB. That's all regarding the news article discussion. Let us move on to the next part of the analysis, which is the preliminary practice questions. Now take a look at this first question. Four statements are given here regarding the Mental Health Care Act 2017. Statement one says, the Act ensures the people with mental health issues have the right to access mental health care and treatment from services run or funded by the government. Statement two, the Act decriminalizes suicide in our country. Statement three, the Act places a ban on electroconvulsive therapy and psychosurgery. Statement four, the Act envisages the establishment of central mental health authority and state mental health authority. See the correct answer for the question is option C, only three. Only three statements are correct here. Statement three is incorrect here. It does not place a ban on electroconvulsive therapy and psychosurgery. It just place a restriction on the use of electroconvulsive therapy and psychosurgery. So here the correct answer for the question is option C, only three. Now moving on, here four statements regarding brain eating amoeba is given. You have to choose how many statements are correct here. Statement one, the amoeba lives in warm freshwater like lake, rivers and hot springs. This statement is correct. We saw in the discussion right. The mortality rate of this infection is very high. This also we saw in the discussion. The mortality rate has highest 98% but it is a rare infection. Now the third statement says increasing temperature of water bodies due to climate change can kill the amoeba. Actually this is incorrect. The organism best grows in high temperature up to 46 degree Celsius and sometimes can survive at even higher temperatures. So this statement is incorrect. Statement four, the infection can spread through aerosol droplets. Statement four is incorrect. It is not contagious between people. Scientists haven't found any evidence of the spread of neglaria, fowlery through water vapour or aerosol droplets. So the correct answer for the question is option B, only two. Here two statements are correct and two statements are incorrect. Now moving on, utter innovation mission is set up under the... See the correct answer here is option C, Neethiayag. This is the previous question. With this let us move on to the next part, displayed here are the main practice questions for you today. Just go through the question, try to write an answer and post it in the comment section. With this we came to the end of the news article discussion. 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