Cyclone Michaung: Made landfall near Bapatla in Andhra Pradesh with wind speeds around 100 km per hour. Chennai recorded approximately 500 mm of rainfall in two days, flooding large parts of the city.
Post Office Bill: Rajya Sabha had passed the Post Office Bill 2023 the previous day, replacing the 1898 Act.
UN peacekeeping: India participated in a UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting in Accra, Ghana, attended by 85 or more countries.
Anti-submarine craft: INS Mahe, Malvan, and Mangrol formally commissioned at Cochin Shipyard.
1. Cyclone Michaung: landfall in Andhra Pradesh
GS area: Geography, Disaster Management
Cyclone Michaung made landfall near Bapatla on the Andhra Pradesh coast on the afternoon of 5 December 2023:
Wind speed at landfall: About 100-110 km per hour, classifying it as a severe cyclonic storm.
Track: The cyclone originated as a low-pressure area in the Gulf of Thailand, moved into the Bay of Bengal, and intensified before curving toward the Indian coast.
Chennai flooding: The city recorded approximately 500 mm of rainfall in two days, far exceeding its average December total. Large residential and commercial areas were inundated.
Andhra Pradesh impact: More than 20 cm of rain in many areas. About 6,00,000 acres of crops including rice, cotton, chillies, and maize were damaged.
Response: The National Disaster Response Force deployed teams to coastal Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Puducherry.
Disaster management hook: NDRF is a specialised force under the National Disaster Management Authority. The NDMA was established under the Disaster Management Act of 2005.
Static linkage: Disaster management, Bay of Bengal meteorology, cyclone classification.
The Bay of Bengal is one of the world's most cyclone-prone bodies of water:
Season: The Bay of Bengal cyclone season runs from April to December with peak activity in October-November and a secondary peak in May-June.
Why December cyclones are unusual: By December, sea surface temperatures in the Bay typically cool below the 26-27°C threshold needed to sustain a cyclone. Michaung benefited from anomalously warm waters off the southern Andhra Pradesh coast.
Naming the cyclone: The name Michaung was contributed by Myanmar. In the Burmese language it refers to strength and resilience.
Cyclone classification in India: IMD classifies systems progressively as Depression, Deep Depression, Cyclonic Storm, Severe Cyclonic Storm, Very Severe, Extremely Severe, and Super Cyclonic Storm.
Static linkage: Indian Ocean geography, disaster management.
3. Post Office Bill, 2023: key provisions recap
GS area: Polity (legislation), Governance
The Post Office Bill 2023 received the Rajya Sabha's assent and awaited presidential signature. The law replaces the Indian Post Office Act of 1898. Key provisions:
India Post size: 1,55,531 post offices, the world's most extensive postal network.
Digital addresses: Geospatial coordinate-based digital address codes will be issued.
Exclusive privilege removed: The monopoly on carrying letters (inherited from the 1898 Act) is abolished.
DG authority: The Director General's powers are expanded.
Interception clause: Government may intercept postal articles for national security or public order. Unlike other interception laws, no prior judicial oversight is mandated. This clause drew parliamentary criticism.
Liability shift: Under the 1898 Act, the government bore liability for lost postal articles in some circumstances. The 2023 Act removes this liability.
Static linkage: Legislation, governance, postal sector.
4. UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting in Accra
GS area: International Relations
India participated in the 2023 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting held in Accra, Ghana:
Accra: The capital of Ghana, located on the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa.
Meeting: Brought together defence and foreign ministers from over 85 countries to discuss contributions to UN peacekeeping operations.
India's record: India has been one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping operations since 1950. The first contribution was during the Korean War.
Ghana: Borders Burkina Faso to the north, Ivory Coast to the west, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean to the south.
Static linkage: International organisations, India's foreign policy, West Africa geography.
5. Sugarcane juice ban for ethanol: supply management
GS area: Economy, Agriculture
The government issued a temporary prohibition on using sugarcane juice and sugar syrup for ethanol production to maintain domestic sugar availability and stabilise prices:
Ethanol blending programme: India targets 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol by 2025-26. The programme achieved about 12 per cent blending in the 2022-23 season.
Supply concern: Diverting large volumes of sugarcane juice to ethanol would reduce sugar available for domestic consumption and exports, putting upward pressure on sugar prices.
Feedstocks allowed: The ban covers only juice and syrup. Molasses, a lower-value byproduct, can continue to be used for ethanol production.
Static linkage: Agriculture, energy policy, biofuels.
6. PACS: primary agricultural credit societies
GS area: Economy (agriculture, credit)
The Ministry of Cooperation announced that Model Bye-Laws would enable Primary Agricultural Credit Societies to diversify into more than 25 business activities including dairy, fisheries, and warehousing:
PACS established: 1904.
Members: About 13 crore farmers.
KCC loans: PACS account for 41 per cent of all Kisan Credit Card loans. Of these, 95 per cent benefit small and marginal farmers.
Budget 2023-24: Rs 2,516 crore allocated to computerise 63,000 PACS over five years.
NPA problem: RBI reports Rs 72,550 crore in non-performing assets against Rs 1,43,044 crore in total lending, reflecting governance and repayment challenges.
DRESS syndrome alert: The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission issued a safety alert about mefenamic acid (sold as Meftal) causing "Drug Rash with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms" (DRESS syndrome), a severe delayed-onset allergic reaction.
Meghalaya GI tags: Three Meghalaya products received Geographical Indication tags: Lakadong Turmeric (with 6.8-7.5 per cent curcumin content), Garo Dakmanda (traditional tribal dress), and Larnai Pottery (black pottery from the Jaintia Hills).
Practice MCQs
Check yourself
With reference to cyclone classification by the India Meteorological Department, arrange the following in order of increasing intensity: 1. Cyclonic Storm 2. Super Cyclonic Storm 3. Deep Depression 4. Very Severe Cyclonic Storm
Check yourself
Consider the following statements about Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS): 1. They were established in 1904 under the Cooperative Societies Act. 2. They account for about 41 per cent of all Kisan Credit Card loans. 3. Budget 2023-24 allocated Rs 2,516 crore to computerise 63,000 PACS. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Check yourself
Cyclone Michaung, which made landfall in Andhra Pradesh in December 2023, was named by:
Check yourself
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was established under which act?
Check yourself
Lakadong Turmeric, which received a Geographical Indication tag in December 2023, is notable primarily for: