The Hindu Editorial Analysis : 13th July 2024

The Hindu Editorial Analysis

We understand the significance of reading The Hindu newspaper for enhancing reading skills, improving comprehension of passages, staying informed about current events, enhancing essay writing, and more, especially for banking aspirants who need to focus on editorials for vocabulary building. This article will delve into today’s editorial points along with practice questions and key vocabulary.

NEET counseling to begin in the third week of July: government.

The Supreme Court has postponed the hearing of the case to July 18. The Union government stated that the candidatures of students found to be beneficiaries of any malpractices will be canceled at any stage during the counseling process or even afterward. The Centre also mentioned that cancellations before the third round will not affect the overall seat allocation process.

• The Union government has announced that counseling for eligible NEET-UG candidates will take place in four rounds starting from the third week of July, even as the Supreme Court postponed the case hearing to July 18 on Thursday. In its most recent affidavit, the government has cited an IIT-Madras report to refute claims of “mass malpractice” in the exam.
• A three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud granted the lawyers’ request to adjourn the hearing. Advocates Mathew J. Nedumpara and Charu Mathur, representing the petitioners, argued that the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) submitted their counter-affidavits late on Wednesday, giving them insufficient time to review the documents.
• Chief Justice Chandrachud informed the assembled lawyers that the CBI had already submitted a status report. During the previous hearing on July 8, the Supreme Court remarked that the sanctity of NEET had been compromised beyond doubt. Despite this, the Chief Justice expressed reluctance to order a retest, reasoning that such a measure would be an “extreme last resort.”
• The Centre stated that the candidatures of students found to be beneficiaries of any malpractices would be canceled at any stage during or even after the counseling process. It assured that the counseling process could be adjusted to accommodate such cancellations.
• The government clarified that the allocation of seats would be influenced by the timing of cancellations if candidates were found to be beneficiaries of malpractices. Typically, candidates can change seats during the first and second rounds of counseling based on their choices. Cancellations would not affect the overall counseling process and seat allocation if they occur before the third round, anticipated to begin in the second week of September.
• The government stated that if a candidature is canceled after the third round, the vacant seats could still be offered in the subsequent round. Candidates who have received seat allocations in earlier rounds will not be eligible to participate in the subsequent round.
• The Centre submitted that if any candidature is canceled after the completion of four rounds, the vacated seats could be offered in additional rounds of counseling.
• The Supreme Court is handling nearly 40 petitions that allege various irregularities, such as students receiving different marks on their scorecards compared to their OMR sheets, an unprecedented inflation of cut-off and average marks, and an unprecedented 67 candidates achieving perfect 720 marks. Many petitioners have asked the court to annul NEET-UG 2024 and hold new exams.
• The NTA, responsible for conducting the exam, dismissed the claim that 67 candidates achieved perfect scores as “fallacious and incorrect.” It clarified that the actual number of candidates with final scores of 720 was 61. Among these, 17 candidates from 16 centers in 15 cities obtained 720/720 based on provisional answer keys, while 44 achieved this score due to a revision in one Physics answer key.

More than 20 patients claim vision loss following cataract surgery at a government hospital in Kolkata

• Following allegations by 20 patients of vision loss after cataract surgery at the Garden Reach State General Hospital (GRSGH) in West Bengal in late June, many have criticized the State government. They claim that low-quality medication and inadequate medical services have jeopardized their livelihoods.
• Most of the patients, primarily tailors, were transferred to the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology (RIO) at the State-run medical college on July 1 following the failed surgeries. However, doctors informed most of them that they might never regain their vision.
• Sixty-year-old Rizwana Parveen, who had cataract surgery on her right eye on June 28, said she has been unable to see out of it since. “Doctors at GRSGH assured me that the eye drops would fix the problem. Two days later, they called and told me to report to the medical college, saying my eye was infected,” she said.
• “The main fault lies with the government. Their low-quality medicine has jeopardized my family’s livelihood.,” stated her daughter, Saba Aafreen.
• Salim Sheikh, a tailor in his 50s, said that work seems unlikely after the surgery on June 27 botched his left eye. He took an early discharge from RIO due to severe financial stress. “I work diligently to support my family, and my job depends on having good eyesight. Now, I’ve lost one eye completely and don’t know what the future holds,” he said. Despite earning only ₹6,000 a month for cutting and sizing fabric thread, he has already spent a similar amount on medicines in the past few days.
• Koushik Ray, the Medical Superintendent at GRSGH, stated that infections were detected in 20 patients, and 18 have been discharged from RIO so far. “We reached out to all the patients after identifying an infection in one of them during a post-surgical follow-up,” he told The Hindu. Narayan Swaroop Nigam, the Principal Secretary of the State Health Department, added that the medicines used in the surgeries have been sent for examination, and a team is conducting a probe into the matter.
• Alamara Bibi, 60, was admitted to RIO following complications from cataract surgery. “The doctors had the families draft and sign a letter consenting to all treatments, which stated that RIO would not be held liable for any outcomes.,” her daughter Reshma said. “I was disheartened that no government official or elected representative visited us, and we were not offered any compensation,” she added.

With 1,930 containers on board, the San Fernando becomes the first mothership to dock at Kerala’s Vizhinjam port

• Opening a new chapter in the country’s maritime history, the first mothership carrying cargo from Xiamen port in China arrived at the Vizhinjam international seaport—India’s first deep-water container transshipment port—on Thursday morning.
• The Marshall Islands-flagged container ship San Fernando, owned by SFL Corporation Ltd. and chartered by Maersk (AP Moller Group) of Denmark, is managed and operated by Bernhard Schulte Ship Management, based in Singapore.
• Adani Port pilots boarded the ship carrying 1,930 containers around 7:45 a.m. as it neared the passage to the berth. The vessel was then navigated through the buoyed channel into the calm breakwater area of the port. After turning around, tugs assisted in guiding it to the berth, where it was secured with mooring ropes.
• Four tugs were used to assist in bringing the ship to the berth. Three tugs worked together to push the ship forward and pull the aft, or vice versa, to turn it so the bow was facing outward, then aligned it with the berth before the tugs finally pushed it into position. The ship’s bow thruster and main engine power were also utilized during the berthing process.
• The vessel was scheduled to start unloading 1,930 containers by around 2 p.m.
• The ship was given a water salute at the port. It is scheduled to depart for Colombo on Friday after an official reception organized by the State government, which will be attended by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, and others.
• Construction on the ₹7,700-crore port project, a key flagship infrastructure initiative promoted by the Kerala government in partnership with the Adani Group under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, began on December 5, 2015.
• The project, originally set to be commissioned in 2019, faced delays and missed several deadlines for various reasons. The official trial run of the port will commence on July 12, ahead of the revised commissioning date scheduled for December 2024.

Important questions

1. What measures has the Union government indicated it will take regarding candidates found to be involved in malpractice during the NEET counseling process?
2. How did the Supreme Court respond to the allegations of irregularities in the NEET-UG exam, and what did Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud say about the likelihood of a retest?
3. What measures are being taken by the state government in response to the allegations of vision loss following cataract surgeries at the Garden Reach State General Hospital?
4. How have the patients affected by the surgeries expressed the impact of their vision loss on their livelihoods?
5. What were the circumstances surrounding the docking of the San Fernando at Kerala’s Vizhinjam port, and how was the ship navigated to its berth?

Important vocabulary

1. Counseling: The process of guiding candidates in choosing their educational options after an entrance examination.
2. Candidature: The status or condition of being a candidate for a position, exam, or opportunity.
3. Affidavit: A written statement verified by oath or affirmation, used as evidence in legal proceedings.
4. Irregularities: Deviations from standard procedures or rules, often implying wrongdoing or errors
5. Allegations: Claims or assertions that someone has done something illegal or wrong, typically made without proof.
6. Infection: The invasion and proliferation of microorganisms in body tissues, potentially leading to illness.
7. Consent: Authorization for something to occur or agreement to do something, typically formalized through a signed document.
8. Complications: Unforeseen problems or difficulties that arise during or after a medical procedure, potentially worsening the patient’s condition.
9. Transshipment: The transfer of cargo between vessels, often requiring a change in transport mode, typically at a port.
10. Public-private partnership (PPP): A collaborative agreement between government entities and private sector companies to fund, build, and operate projects, particularly in infrastructure.

Download Online Mock Test Mobile APP

• Join Official Telegram Channel
• Join Official Whatsapp Group

Recommended PDF’s for 2024:

• Computer Capsule 2024 : Download PDF
• Banking Awareness (Theory+MCQ’s) Complete PDF : Download Now
• Get FREE Study Materials & PDFs for IBPS , RBI, SBI, LIC AAO , LIC Assistant, NIACL & Other Exams Over the mail and Whatsapp