Daily News Descriptions

1.Dhangar community

Why in the news?

The Dhangar community, a pastoral and nomadic tribal group in Maharashtra, has intensified their efforts to reclaim traditional grazing lands amid growing concerns about the shrinking spaces for their sheep and goats.
Nomadic Dhangar community demands dedicated grazing corridors in Maharashtra forests.
Amidst forest disputes, development pressures and shrinking pastures, Dhangars seek legal protection for traditional shepherding practices.

About Dhangar community:

The Dhangars are a community of shepherds found mainly in Maharashtra. .
They are known by other names such as Golla and Kuruba
Status of recognition:
- The Dhangars are on Maharashtra’s list of Vimukta Jati and Nomadic Tribes (VJNT).
- They are recognised as Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the Central list.
- They have been demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for decades.
- According to Dhangar leaders, the community is identified as “Dhangad” elsewhere in the country, and gets reservation as an ST.
Population:
- The community is believed to be around 1 crore strong, which would make them about 9% of the Maharshtra’s 11.2 crore population (2011 census).
- Around 40% of the Dhangar population is believed to be solely dependent on herding.
Demand for grazing rights:
- The Forest Rights Act, 2006, allows traditional occupations including grazing, but it has helped only STs get access to grazing grounds.
- Dhangars, who come under the nomadic tribes category, have not benefited.

2.Poland

Why in the news?

PM Modi arrives in Warsaw on the first leg of a two-nation visit to Poland and Ukraine.
Mr. Modi’s visit to Poland is the first trip by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in the past 45 years.

About Poland:

It is a country in central Europe.
Borders:
- Poland's borders have changed many times over the centuries. Its present borders were set after World War II ended in 1945.
- Poland has seven neighbors: Germany, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia.
- It has a variety of striking landscapes, from the sandy beaches of the Baltic Sea coast in the north and the rolling central lowlands to the snow capped peaks of the Carpathian and Sudeten Mountains in the south.
Its capital is Warsaw.
Its major mountain ranges include the Carpathians and the Sudetens.
Vistula and Oder rivers flow through this country.
It has more than 1,300 lakes throughout the country.
It is a parliamentary republic with a prime minister who is the head of government and a president who is the head of state. The government structure is centered on the council of ministers.
It is a member of both NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and the EU (European Union).

European Union (EU):

It is a political and economic union of 27 member states located primarily in Europe.
It was established by the Maastricht Treaty, which entered into force on November 1, 1993.
Its main goal is to promote cooperation and integration among its member states in order to enhance economic and political stability in Europe.
It has its own currency, the Euro, which is used by 19 of the member states.
It has a single market where goods, services, and capital can move freely.

3.Euthanasia

Why in the news?

SC refuses to permit euthanasia for an aged couple’s comatose son.
SC says this is not a case of passive euthanasia, as the patient, comatose after a multi-storey fall, is not dependent on any external device for life support; active euthanasia is illegal, notes CJI, seeking other support for the caregivers.

About Euthanasia:

The word 'Euthanasia' is derived from Greek words, 'Eu' meaning 'good' and 'thanatos' meaning 'death', put together it means 'good death'.
Euthanasia is defined as the hastening of death of a patient to prevent further sufferings.
Active Euthanasia:
- It refers to the physician's deliberate act, usually the administration of lethal drugs, to end an incurably or terminally ill patient’s life.
- There are three types of active euthanasia, in relation to giving consent for euthanasia, namely
  - Voluntary euthanasia: given at patient’s request
  - Non Voluntary euthanasia: given with guardian’s consent
  - Involuntary euthanasia: given without patient’s consent
Passive Euthanasia:
- It refers to withholding or withdrawing treatment which is necessary for maintaining life.
Legality of Euthanasia in India:
- A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court in Common Cause vs Union of India (2018) recognised a person’s right to die with dignity, saying that a terminally ill person can opt for passive euthanasia and execute a living will to refuse medical treatment.
- The Court permitted an individual to draft a living will specifying that she or he will not be put on life support if they slip into an incurable coma.
- The Court recognised the right to die with dignity as a fundamental right and an aspect of Article 21 (Right to Life).
- In India, active euthanasia is a crime.
  - Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) deals with the attempt to commit suicide and Section 306 of the IPC deals with abetment of suicide, both actions are punishable.
  - Only those who are brain dead can be taken off life support with the help of family members.

Living Will:

It is a person’s right to issue advance directive on the course of his/her treatment, including withdrawal of life support, should such a situation arise.
However, there is no way a living will provision can be made fool-proof requiring no intervention of the doctor or immediate decision makers around a person.

Article 21 of the Indian Constitution:

It deals with Protection of life and personal liberty.
No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.

4.Gasherbrum

Why in the news?

After six days of being stranded on a remote peak in Pakistan's northeast, two injured Russian climbers were finally rescued, while another remains missing and is presumed dead.

About Gasherbrum:

It is a remote group of peaks situated at the northeastern end of the Baltoro Glacier in the Karakoram mountain range.
The peaks are located within the border region of Gilgit-Baltistan (Pakistan) and Xinjiang (China).
The massif contains three of the world's 8,000 m. peaks.
The highly visible face of Gasherbrum IV has gained the nickname the "Shining Wall" and this has often been claimed as the meaning of the word "Gasherbrum".
The name Gasherbrum comes from "rgasha" (beautiful) + "brum" (mountain) in Balti, hence it actually means "beautiful mountain".
The Gasherbrum range forms the continental divide of southern Asia:
- Drainage to the north and east flows into the Tarim Basin.
- Drainage to the south and west flows into the Arabian Sea.

Karakoram Mountain Range:

It is a great mountain system extending about 500 km from the easternmost extension of Afghanistan in a southeasterly direction along the watershed between Central and South Asia.
It encompasses some of the greatest concentration of high mountains in the world and the longest glaciers outside the high latitudes.
The Karakorams are part of a complex of mountain ranges at the centre of Asia, including the Hindu Kush to the west, the Pamirs to the northwest, the Kunlun Mountains to the northeast, and the Himalayas to the southeast.
The borders of Tajikistan, China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India all converge within the Karakoram system, giving this remote region great geopolitical significance.

Tarim Basin:

It is an endorheic basin in Xinjiang, Northwestern China occupying an area of about 888,000 km2 and one of the largest basins in Northwest China.
Its northern boundary is the Tian Shan mountain range and its southern boundary is the Kunlun Mountains on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau.
The Taklamakan Desert dominates much of the basin.
It is also called Little Bukhara region.

5.Amul

Why in the news?

Indian brand “Amul” has been ranked as the “strongest food brand in the world” as per the latest Food & Drink 2024 report.

About Amul (Anand Milk Union Limited):

It was established in 1946 as the Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union Limited in Anand, Gujarat.
It was founded by Tribhuvandas Patel, with the support of Morarji Desai and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
In 1950, it was formed as a brand for the dairy products produced by the cooperative.
It is managed by the GCMMF, which is jointly owned by more than 3.6 million milk producers in Gujarat.
It pioneered the adoption of the Anand Pattern, an economic organizational model designed to empower small producers through collective action. This approach fosters integration among producers, enabling economies of scale while preserving individual autonomy in decision-making.
It played a pivotal role in India's White Revolution, which aimed to increase milk production and make India self-sufficient in milk.
Its products are now exported to over 50 countries.

White Revolution or Operation Flood:

Inspired by the successful ‘Anand Pattern’.
The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) launched the White Revolution, also known as Operation Flood in 1970.
It connected rural milk producers with urban consumers through dairy cooperatives.
It transformed India into the world's largest milk producer, significantly boosting milk production and improving its management efficiency.
It transformed the dairy-deficient nation into the global leader in milk production.
Phases of Operation Flood:
- Phase I (1970-1980):
  - Financed by the sale of skimmed milk powder and butter oil gifted by the European Union (then European Economic Community) through the World Food Programme.
  - Operation Flood linked 18 milksheds with consumers in major metropolitan cities.
  - Initiated the foundation of a self-sustaining system of village cooperatives.
- Phase II (1981-1985):
  - Increased milksheds from 18 to 136 and expanded outlets to 290 urban markets.
  - Established a self-sustaining system of 43,000 village cooperatives, covering 4.25 million milk producers.
  - Significantly increased domestic milk powder production, promoting self-reliance.
- Phase III (1985-1996):
  - Enabled dairy cooperatives to expand and strengthen infrastructure for procuring and marketing milk.
  - Emphasized veterinary healthcare services, feed, and artificial insemination.
- Added 30,000 new dairy cooperatives and peaked milksheds to 173 in 1988-89.
Post-Operation Flood:
- In 1991, India underwent liberalization, privatization and globalization reforms, allowing for private participation in various sectors, including dairy.
- Foreign equity of up to 51% was allowed in milk products, except for malted products.
- The initial phase saw the proliferation of unregulated dairies, leading to concerns of adulterated and contaminated milk.
- The Milk and Milk Products Order (MMPO) was instituted in 1992 to regulate the sector and introduce oversight.
- The industry witnessed significant growth in processing capacity, primarily driven by large private players.
Current Milk Production:
- India is the highest milk producer i.e., ranks first position in the world contributing twenty-four percent of global milk production.
- The top 5 milk-producing states are Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.