TITBITS:
1. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will make his first
official trip to China, stressing on Nepal-China ties, Nepal's foreign ministry
said. The Foreign Affairs Ministry
confirmed that the four-day official trip is at the invitation of Chinese
Premier Li Qiang, whose letter was handed over to Foreign Secretary Sewa
Lamsal.
2. The entitlement of religious and linguistic minorities to constitutional protection in India often gives rise to questions about how an institution's 'minority character' is determined. A seven-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court of India, by a 4:3 majority, has laid down the 'indicia' required for identifying a minority institution.
3. In the midst of the continuous evolution of the
concept of "gig workers", there was a groundbreaking movement in
India recently a nationwide digital strike this Deepavali that was organised by
women gig workers. This was a call made by the Gig and Platform Services
Workers Union (GIPSWU), India's first union that is dedicated primarily to
women gig workers.
4. In Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, 10 elephants died,
likely due to kodo millet contaminated with toxic mycotoxins, underscoring
fungal risks in crops under humid conditions. Kodo millet, a drought-resistant
crop, can develop Cyclopiazonic Acid (CPA) mycotoxins in high-moisture
settings, causing poisoning symptoms like vomiting and tremors. Documented
since the 1920s, kodo millet toxicity has affected both humans and animals. To
mitigate risks, improved agricultural practices, biocontrol, and mycotoxin detection
methods like chromatography and ELISA are recommended.