Current Affairs – 16th November 2021

1.    POST MORTEM

• News: The Union Health Ministry on Monday revised the post-mortem protocols to allow for conducting the procedure after sunset.
• About Post- Mortem:
  • Apart from aiding the family of the deceased, the revision was also aimed at promoting organ donation and transplant as organs could be harvested in the stipulated time window after the procedure.
  • It noted that the change followed multiple references received from various sources and in line with the government’s commitment to promoting ease of living by reducing the burden imposed due to compliance of government processes.
  • In view of the rapid advancement, especially the availability of required lighting and infrastructure, performing night-time post-mortem was now feasible.

2.    XI SCHEDULE OF THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION

• News: Two villages in Rajsamand district of Rajasthan have voted overwhelmingly for permanent closure of liquor shops, following a prolonged campaign launched by women against liquor consumption in the region. Over 90% of the villagers voted in support of enforcing liquor prohibition in the polling.
• About XI Schedule of the Indian Constitution:
  • The 11th Schedule of Indian Constitution was added in 1992 by the 73rd Constitution Amendment Act.
  • This schedule contains 29 subjects.
  • This schedule covers important topics such as Panchayat’s powers, rural development, poverty alleviation, market, roads and drinking water etc.
  • Eleventh schedule of Indian Constitution contains the following functional items placed within the purview of the Panchayats:

1. Agriculture including agricultural expansion
2. Land improvement, implementation of land reforms, land consolidation and soil conservation.
3. Animal Husbandry, Dairying and poultry
4. Fisheries Industry
5. Minor irrigation, water management and watershed development
6. Social forestry and farm forestry
7. Small scale industries in which food processing industry is involved
8. Minor forest produce
9. Safe water for drinking
10. Khadi, village and cottage industries
11. Rural housing
12. Fuel and fodder
13. Rural electrification, including distribution of electricity
14. Road, culverts, bridges, ferries, waterways and other means of communication
15. Education including primary and secondary schools
16. Non-conventional sources of energy
17. Technical training and vocational education
18. Adult and non-formal education
19. Public distribution system
20. Maintenance of community assets
21. Welfare of the weaker sections of the in particular of the schedule caste and schedule tribes
22. Social welfare, including welfare of the handicapped and mentally retarded
23. Family welfare
24. Women and child development
25. Markets and Fairs
26. Health and sanitation including hospitals, primary health centres and dispensaries
27. Cultural activities
28. Libraries
29. Poverty Alleviation Programmes

3.    KRISHNA RIVER

• News: Two members of a family drowned and another went missing in Krishna river at Thotlavallur village in Andhra Pradesh’s Krishna district on Monday. The cousins had gone for a holy dip on the occasion of Kartika Somava- ram.
• About Krishna River:
  • The Krishna River is the fourth-largest river in terms of water inflows and river basin area in India, after the Ganga, Godavari and Brahmaputra.
  • The river, also called Krishnaveni, is almost 1,288 kilometres (800 mi) long.
  • It is a major source of irrigation for Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
  • The Krishna river originates in the Western Ghats near Mahabaleshwar at an elevation of about 1,300 metres (4,300 ft), in the state of Maharashtra in central India.
  • Tributaries:
    • Left: Bhima, Dindi, Peddavagu, Musi, Paleru, Munneru
    • Right: Kudali (Niranjna) Venna, Koyna, Panchganga, Dudhaganga, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, Tungabhadra
  • It is one of the most suitable arable basins in the world as 75.6% of the Krishna basin is under cultivation due to the availability of water.
  • The river’s source is at Mahabaleshwar near Jor village in the extreme north of Wai Taluka, Satara District, Maharashtra in the west, and it empties into the Bay of Bengal at Hamasaladeevi (near Koduru) in Andhra Pradesh on the east coast.

4.    JACKFRUIT TREE

• News: A jackfruit tree, aged around 250 years, located 40 km from Bengaluru, is believed to be Karnataka’s oldest tree of this variety and one of the oldest in the country.
• About Jackfruit:
  • The jackfruit also known as jack tree, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae).
  • Its origin is in the region between the Western Ghats of southern India, all of Sri Lanka and the rainforests of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
  • The jack tree is well-suited to tropical lowlands, and is widely cultivated throughout tropical regions of the world.
  • The jackfruit is the national fruit of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and the state fruit of the Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

5.    LIGHT COMBAT HELICOPTER

• News: Later this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would hand over the indigenous Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) to the Indian Air Force (IAF), drones built by start-ups to the Army and electronic warfare suites to the Navy at a three-day celebration titled Rashtriya Raksha Samarpan Parv in Jhansi, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar.
• About HAL Light Combat Helicopter:
  • The HAL Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) is an Indian multi-role attack helicopter designed and manufactured by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
  • The LCH has been ordered by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army. Its flight ceiling is the highest among all attack helicopters.
  • During the course of these tests, the LCH gained the distinction of being the first attack helicopter to land in Siachen, having repeatedly landed at several high altitude helipads, some of which being as high as 13,600 feet (4145 meters) to 15,800 feet (4815 meters).
  • During mid-2016, the LCH was recognised as having completed its performance trials, paving way for the certification of its basic configuration.
  • On 26 August 2017, limited series production of the LCH was formally inaugurated.