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The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly adopted a resolution urging the Centre not to implement the recommendations made in the report of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Languages, submitted by its chairman to the President of India.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who moved the resolution, charged that the recommendations were against regional languages, including Tamil, and the interest of people who spoke those languages.
DMK was born to nurture Tamil and to protect it from the onslaught of other languages. The party has been functioning as a Tamil protection movement since its inception.
The BJP members staged a walkout. O. Panneerselvam, deputy leader of the AIADMK (Speaker is yet to act on a representation from the AIADMK removing him as deputy leader), supported the resolution.
Three other MLAs, who were his supporters, were in the House when the resolution was moved. Other members headed by former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had already been evicted from the House by the Speaker.
This is not a struggle to protect the language. We have been waging it as a war to protect the Tamil race and culture. The resolution alleged that many recommendations made in the report were contrary to the promise made by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and were against the use of English as official language as ensured by the resolutions passed in 1968 and 1976.
The recommendations are detrimental to the multilingual structure of our country and question the future by ignoring English and completely excluding the 22 languages of non-Hindi speaking States, which are mentioned in the eighth schedule of the Constitution.
Mr. Stalin said Tamil Nadu had again been pushed to the forefront to defend the mother tongue Tamil, to keep English as the official language, to preserve all 22 languages.
Minister for Water Resources and Leader of the House Duraimurugan said it was an emotional moment for him as he was one of the student leaders who spearheaded the anti-Hindi agitation in 1965.
This is the House that named the State as Tamil Nadu. The members of the House hailed it when the then Chief Minister Anna (C.N. Annadurai) moved the resolution. I witnessed it by sitting in the gallery.
BJP floor leader Nainar Nagendran said his party would certainly condemn if Hindi was imposed. “But I have no reason to believe it since Prime Minister had quoted Tirukural and spoke about Tamil in the United Nations.
If a student from Tamil Nadu gets admission in a State like Uttar Pradesh, he can continue his lesson through English as a medium.
City
Govt. starts spraying bio decomposer solution in fields as AQI remains ‘poor(Page no. 2)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
The Capital’s air quality index (AQI) deteriorated slightly and continued to be in the “poor” category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government started spraying bio-decomposer solution in paddy fields in the city to reduce stubble burning. The government first used the solution in 2020 and then again in the following year. The government claimed to have achieved positive results in both years.
The Delhi government has aimed to spray the bio-decomposer over 5,000 acres of agricultural land this year. We have formed 21 teams to undertake the task.
The government will spray bio-decomposer free-of-cost on all Basmati as well as non-Basmati agricultural fields.
The bio-decomposer solution is one of the 15 focus points in the Delhi government’s winter action plan, which was released last month.
In the last two years, a bio-decomposer capsule, developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, was turned into a solution through a week-long process, after which it decomposes straw and stubble into manure.
This year, the PUSA Institute has provided the bio-decomposer in liquid form to the Delhi government. The government has procured the liquid bio-decomposer directly from PUSA and is spraying the bio-decomposer under its supervision. This time, PUSA has also prepared a bio-decomposer in powder form and the government has decided to use it on 1,000 acres of agricultural fields on a trial basis.
States
Japan seeks GI tag for nihonshu, an alcoholic beverage (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 3, Intellectual Property Right)
The Embassy of Japan, New Delhi, has filed an application seeking Geographical Indication (GI) tag for nihonshu/Japanese sake, an alcoholic beverage. It is learnt that this is the first time a product from Japan has filed for a tag at the Geographical Indication Registry here.
According to details provided in the filing, in Japan, nihonshu is regarded as a special and valuable beverage made from fermenting rice.
People traditionally drink nihonshu on special occasions, such as festivals, weddings or funerals, but it is also consumed on a daily basis. Thus, it is an integral part of the lifestyle and culture in Japan. The sake market (almost all are nihonshu) is the second largest brewed liquor (such as beer) market in Japan.
For making nihonshu three main raw materials – rice, koji-kin (a type of fungal spore) and water – are required. The production of nihonshu follows an alcoholic fermentation method called parallel multiple fermentation and involves raw material treatment, koji making, starter culture making, mash making, pressing, heat sterilisation and bottling. The rice and koji used should originate in Japan.
The Embassy of Japan, in the filing, also mentioned that in the past, the economy of Japan was based around rice, which was used as a sort of quasi-money before the establishment of a monetary economy in the Meiji period (1869-1912). As a result, nihonshu production was thoroughly under the government’s control.
As nihonshu’s production became more industrialised in the Edo period (1603-1868), those who had special licences began hiring many farmers in the agricultural off-season.
They gradually won a reputation as craftsmen, which resulted in the establishment of the hierarchical Toii system ( Toii is the person responsible for sake brewing), likened to an apprenticeship or guild system. The Toii has full authority for the production of nihonshu at breweries and leads all the workers.
In addition, the Toii plays an important role in training young apprentices by imparting upon them their techniques and experience. Through this system, the techniques of making nihonshu are being passed on to the present day.
A GI is a label that is applied to products that have a specific geographical origin and have characteristics that are related to that particular location.
Six spider species discovered across the country(Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
Arachnologists from the Centre for Animal Taxonomy and Ecology (CATE), Christ College, Irinjalakuda, have discovered six new species of spiders from across the country.
The new species of spiders were found from the Garo hills in Meghalaya, the Thar desert of Rajasthan, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kottappara hills near Kothamangalam, Thumboormuzhi butterfly garden near Athirappilly, and the University of Calicut campus, according to Sudhikumar A.V., Head, Department of Zoology, Christ College, who led the team.
The other members of the team are Rishikesh Balkrishna Thripathi, Sudhin P.P., Shilpa K.R. and Amulya Baji, who are research scholars of CATE, Christ College.
Studies conducted on the Garo hills of Meghalaya resulted in the first spotting of the genus Siamspinops from India with a new species Siamspinops garoensis. This belongs to the family of flat spiders, Selenopidae.
This spider lives in the crevices of rocks on hills and its flat body is suitable for this mode of life. The yellowish brown spider measures about 10 mm in length. There is a black circle around its eyes and black patches on the abdomen. After mating, females lay eggs and incubate them in an egg sac.
Two new species of spiders coming under the family of jumping spiders ( Salticidae) were discovered from the Thar desert of Rajasthan and the Kurichiyad forest ranges of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.
Afraflacilla miajlarensis, the Thar species, is characterised by white fine hairs on a black head and black horizontal lines on the abdomen.
This spider stays among dry leaf blades. Afraflacilla kurichiadensis, the Wayanad species, is characterised by red patches around the eyes and white hairs on the abdomen.
The bulged first pair of legs are also a special feature of this species. This spider lives in the moist deciduous forest of Kurichiyad.
The next spider species lacks a venom gland and belongs to the family of feather- legged spiders (Uloboridae). This new species has been named as Philoponella rostralis, due to the presence of a beak like structure on the male reproductive organ.
This spider makes a special type of web under the leaves and it can subdue the prey with the help of woolly silk produced from their cribellum (additional silk producing organ in front of the spinnerets).
Grazing animals key to long-term soil carbon stability: IISc study (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
A study carried out by researchers at the Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES) and the Divecha Centre for Climate Change (DCCC), IISc, has revealed that grazing animals hold the key to long-term soil carbon stability.
The 16-year-long study carried out by CES and DCCC researchers states that large mammalian herbivores like the Yak and Ibex play a crucial role in stabilising the pool of soil carbon in grazing ecosystems such as the Spiti region in the Himalayas.
Experimental removal of grazing by herbivores from such ecosystems was found to increase the fluctuations in the level of soil carbon, which can have unintended negative consequences for the global carbon cycle, the study revealed.
According to the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, since soil contains more carbon than all plants and the atmosphere combined, it is important to ensure its persistence.
When plants and animals die, dead organic matter remains in the soil for a long duration before microbes break it down and release carbon into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
The soil pool is a reliable sink for trapping carbon. Maintaining stable levels of carbon in the soil is therefore key to offsetting the effects of climate change.
Mr. Bagchi began studying the impact of grazing animals on Himalayan ecosystems way back in 2005 and he and his team have established fenced plots (where animals were excluded) as well as plots in which animals like yak and ibex grazed.
Over the following decade, he and his students collected soil samples from the region and analysed their chemical composition, tracking, and comparing the levels of carbon and nitrogen in each plot year after year.
From one year to the next, soil carbon was found to fluctuate 30-40% more in the fenced plots where animals were absent, compared to the grazed plots where it remained more stable each year.
A key factor underlying these fluctuations was nitrogen. Depending on the soil conditions, nitrogen can either stabilise or destabilise the carbon pool. Grazing by herbivores, however, changes their interactions in ways that tip the balance in favour of the former, the researchers found, stated IISc.
Many previous studies have focused on measuring carbon and nitrogen levels at long time intervals, assuming that the accumulation or loss of carbon is a slow process but the interannual fluctuations they noticed in their data paint a very different picture.
Editorial
Whose pleasure? (Page no. 8)
(GS Paper 2, Parliament and State legislature)
erala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s indirect threat that he can independently dismiss Ministers is neither in keeping with the dignity of his office nor in line with the Constitution.
His claim that “statements of individual ministers that lower the dignity of the Governor’s office can invite action including withdrawal of pleasure” has no basis in the constitutional system.
Article 164 of the Constitution, which says the Chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor and other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the Chief Minister’s advice, adds that “the Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the Governor”.
There have been instances of Governors dismissing Chief Ministers, but those were related to constitutional situations in which the legislative majority of the incumbent ministry was in doubt.
It is also now judicially determined that the question of majority can be answered only on the floor of the legislature through a confidence vote.
Nothing in the Article means that the Governor may independently dismiss a Minister. The pleasure doctrine exists only in a constitutional sense, and is exercised by the Governor only on the advice of the Chief Minister.
In other words, the term ‘pleasure of the Governor’ is used as a euphemism to refer to the Chief Minister’s power to drop a Minister from the Council of Ministers.
The context for this particular confrontation appears to be the Governor’s reluctance to grant assent to the Kerala University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
Higher Education Minister R. Bindu’s remark that the Governor should return the Bill for reconsideration instead of withholding his approval indefinitely was a possible trigger for his comment.
While Governors may differ with the contents of a Bill and may exercise the available constitutional options, they should not use their powers to stall legislation unpalatable to them. In the realm of university laws, Governors, being Chancellors of most universities, the scope for friction is quite high.
It should be remembered that the office of Chancellor is created by the statute that establishes a university, and the legislature is equally competent to curtail the Chancellor’s powers or even abolish the system of having the Governor as Chancellor. Even the M.M. Punchhi Commission, which reviewed Centre-State relations, recommended that Governors should not be burdened with the role of Chancellors.
Explainer
Gambia child deaths and cough syrups(Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 2, Health)
The Gambia’s Health Minister Ahmadou Lamin Samateh said on Saturday, October 8, that the number of child deaths likely linked to contaminated cough syrups made by an Indian manufacturer had risen to 69.
This came a day after Gambian President Adama Barrow said the surge in acute kidney injuries linked to the paracetamol syrups was under control.
In early September, health authorities in the West African nation of the Gambia were investigating if there was a link between dozens of child deaths from acute kidney injuries and the consumption of a paracetamol syrup used for fever, cough, cold, and pain.
Doctors began to witness a spike in the number of cases of severe kidney injuries in children under the age of five by late July and suspected a link with medicines.
The Gambia's director of health services Mustapha Bittaye was quoted by Reuters as saying that a number of children began to get sick with kidney problems within three to five days of consuming a paracetamol syrup sold locally.
The affected would experience fever, inability to pass urine, and vomiting, followed by kidney failure. According to Gambian Health Ministry figures, 28 children had died by early August, with the fatality rate being 90%.
In September, The Gambia started coordinating with the World Health Organisation about the incidents and reported four locally-sold cough syrups it suspected could be linked to the injuries and deaths.
On October 5, the WHO issued a medical alert about four substandard products— products “that fail to meet either their quality standards or specifications”.
These were four cough syrup variants- Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup, whose manufacturer was stated as Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited, Haryana, India.
The alert added that the substandard products mentioned were unsafe and their use, especially in children, could “result in serious injury or death.
WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the four syrups in question have been “potentially linked to” the cases of kidney injuries and the deaths of 66 children in the Gambia, calling the incidents “beyond heartbreaking”.
While the Gambia started recalling all medicines containing paracetamol syrup in September, it began the recall of the four specific Indian-made syrups after the WHO’s product alert.
The illusion of being faster than light: how a star problem was solved(Page no. 11)
(GS Paper 3, Science and Tech)
In 2017, astrophysicists observed an unusual feat among the stars. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave (LIGO) observatories recorded a signal which indicated that two massive and dense stellar bodies had merged to form a third body, likely a black hole.
In the process they gave off vibrations that quite literally shook the universe and its very fabric of space-time. For the very first time, scientists noted that this observation of the LIGO observatories coincided with the measurements made by other telescopes that measured visual and electromagnetic signals.
Evidence seemed to suggest that it was. From this, scientists, piecing together evidence from complementary measurements, surmised that the event they had observed was of two neutron stars merging and forming a black hole and, in the process, giving off light.
An unusual jet of matter was observed that gave an illusion of travelling faster than light. These were all exciting phenomena observed for the very first time by telescopes and observatories on earth.
Now, using data that had been recorded by the Global Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics (GAIA) spacecraft and Hubble Space Telescope instruments, scientists have confirmed that the above picture is correct. They have made it more precise and descriptive.
In a paper published in Nature, they describe measuring the “apparent speed” of the jet to be about seven times the speed of light.
They have also measured more accurately a factor called the Lorenz factor which scales with the actual speed of the particles in the jet.
Unlike earlier estimates which placed this factor at about 4, the present paper estimates this factor to be over 40. This is because they measure the speed of the relativistic jet to be close to 0.9997c, where “c” is the speed of light.
This resolves the earlier fuzziness about what the source was and puts the source clearly as massive neutron stars merging to give a black hole and throwing off relativistic jets of particles in the process.
Neutron stars are stellar corpses, left behind after a star has undergone a supernova explosion and reached the end of its lifetime. They are extremely dense, containing more mass than the sun in a sphere that is a few tens of kilometre wide.
The observation of particles moving at seven times the speed of light is an illusion. “This happens in cases where a source moves (towards us) with a velocity that is very close to light's velocity.
News
‘Court cannot issue direction to frame Universal Civil Code’(Page no. 12)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Governance)
Citizens belonging to different religions and denominations follow different property and matrimonial laws which is an "affront to the nation's unity". Article 44 (Uniform Civil Code) divests religion from social relations and personal law, the government has maintained in the Supreme Court.
The preliminary submissions are part of recent affidavits filed by the Union Law Ministry to petitions, which was filed by Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, seeking directions from the apex court to the government to remove "anomalies" and frame uniform divorce law and uniform guidelines for adoption and guardianship of children.
The government said the power to make laws is exclusively that of the legislature. The court cannot give a “mandamus to Parliament to make certain laws.
This is a matter of policy for the elected representatives of the people to decide and no direction in this regard can be issued by the court. It is for the legislature to enact or not enact a piece of legislation.
The Ministry said it had requested the Law Commission to examine "various issues relating to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC)" and make recommendations considering the sensitivity and in-depth study involved of various personal laws governing different communities.
The 21st Law Commission had uploaded a consultation paper titled 'Reform of Family Law subsequently in August 2018. But the term of the 21st Law Commission had come to an end on August 31, 2018.
The subject matter will be placed before the 22nd Law Commission for its consideration when the Chairman and Members of the Commission are appointed.
As and when the report of the Law Commission in the matter is received, the government would examine the same in consultation with the various stakeholders involved.
Though the 22nd Law Commission was constituted way back in 2020, the chairperson has not been appointed so far.
Elaborating on the common civil code, the government said the Directive Principles of State Policy "creates an obligation upon the state to endeavour to secure for citizens a uniform civil code throughout the country under Article 44 [of the Constitution].
It said the expression 'Uniform Civil Code' denotes the fields of personal law relating to marriage, divorce, maintenance, custody and guardianship of children, inheritance and succession and adoption.
‘We don’t believe in hierarchical world’ (Page no. 13)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
India does not believe in a hierarchical world order where few countries are considered superior to others, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said addressing the 2nd India-Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD) at the DefExpo 2022 while inviting African countries to explore Indian defence equipment and technologies, stating that India has emerged as a leading defence exporter in recent years.
We do not believe in making or becoming a client or satellite state, and so, when we partner any nation, it is on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect. Forging relations comes naturally to India, as we work towards mutual economic development.
Africa, South East Asia and Middle East have emerged as major focus areas as India looks to emerge as a major global arms exporter.
Stating that peace, security and development are inter-related, he said security is essential for enabling development in the region.
We have created a robust public and private defence industry. A defence manufacturing ecosystem has been created in India which has the advantage of abundant technical manpower. Our defence industry can work with you to fulfil your defence requirements.
The IADD adopted a ‘Gandhinagar declaration’ as an outcome document. It proposes to enhance cooperation in the field of training in all areas of mutual interest by increasing training slots and deputation of training teams, empowerment and capability building of the defence forces of Africa, participation in exercises and humanitarian assistance during natural disasters, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. India offered fellowship for experts from African countries through Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis.
Mr. Singh termed India and African countries as important stakeholders in ensuring a safe and secure maritime environment, especially in the Indian Ocean Region while reiterating India’s support to Africa to deal with challenges of conflict, terrorism and violent extremism.
India remains united with African countries in their quest for peace, security, stability, growth and prosperity. Our partnership with Africa is centered on the 10 guiding principles articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to Parliament of Uganda in 2018.
Speaking of India’s support to Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Singh said India has been the first responder in providing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief to several African countries.
India-U.K. form joint group to enhance (Page no. 13)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Defence industry organisations from India and the U.K. have decided to create a new Defence Industry Joint Working Group (JWG) for more effective cooperation, according to the U.K. High Commission. The inaugural meeting of the JWG was held on the sidelines of DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar.
The JWG is part of an ongoing initiative between the two countries to strengthen the defence and security partnership through industrial collaboration.
The U.K. recently issued its first Open General Export License (OGEL) in the Indo-Pacific region to India, shortening delivery times for defence procurement.
DefExpo-2022 has representation from 20 U.K. defence companies. The U.K. industry is already integrating Indian defence suppliers into their global supply chain, manufacturing defence equipment not just for India but for the world.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) recently conducted a subject matter expertise exchange with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) during the visit of Eurofighter Typhoon, Voyager and A-400 in New Delhi and also held joint-flying exercises with the Indian Air Force (IAF).
A stronger UK-India defence relationship is an essential element of the British and Indian governments’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, stated Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India.
Mark Goldsack, Director of U.K. Defence and Security Exports termed it another step in the growing defence relations between the two countries while stating that they are “working to establish a portfolio of collaborative projects to support the development of new technologies and capabilities as agreed under the 2030 Roadmap.”
Stating that the U.K. is a world leader in critical defence technologies such as jet engine developments and electric propulsion technology, the statement said, “We are keen to share this expertise with India supported by our respective industries.
In the April 2022 joint statement, the UK and India have welcomed the finalisation of the Letter of Arrangement between the U.K.’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and India’s DRDO.
The U.K. has offered advanced core technologies to India, capable of creating an indigenous, ITAR-free jet engine owned, manufactured and exported by India.
India and the U.K. have established an Electric Propulsion Capability Partnership and the Joint Working Group will establish a strong partnership between the two navies for development of Electric Propulsion capability for India.
SC asks govt. to develop modules on drug abuse that can render as order (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 2, Health)
The Supreme Court highlighted that drug abuse has gripped the society while the government said elite Departments such as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence are examining ways to plug loopholes and augment preventive mechanisms to counter the menace while examining a possible "narco-terror angle".
Drug menace is gripping the society. We need you to think of some of the module, ideas which can translate as an order which we can pass to govern the entire situation," Chief Justice of India U.U. Lalit, leading a Bench, addressed Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre.
The court's amicus curiae in the case, advocate Shoeb Alam, said drug menace has taken a turn for the worse following the pandemic.
The people involved, pushers and users, take to the dark web to deal in drugs. Courier and postal services are used to ferry narcotics.
The distribution networks have become more systematic, organised and widespread. He said ₹30,000 crore worth of narcotics have been seized in the past several months. He referred to the drug haul at the Mundra port recently. He referred to reports by Narcotics Control Bureau, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Comptroller and Auditor General and even the AIIMS, which showed that a "sizeable population".
"It is a matter of demand and supply," Mr. Alam submitted. The court asked Ms. Bhati and Mr. Alam to sit together and draw up some common parameters and find a reasonable solution to combat the situation. The court scheduled a hearing after five weeks.
In the previous hearing of the suo motu case, the court on Monday had roped in the Centre while acknowledging that the inroads made by drug mafia in society, especially among youngsters, pose a “grave situation’.
The suo motu case was taken up on the basis of letter from a citizen to the Supreme Court highlighting the alarming increase in drug abuse, especially among school children and youths.
Several High Court across the country have in the past taken cognisance of the shadow cast by the drug mafia on society.
In 2020, the Madras High Court had observed that drug abuse was one of the major triggers behind commission of heinous offence. The High Court highlighted the pervasive influence wielded by drug peddlers in schools, colleges and other public places.
World
Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka wins Booker Prize for afterlife thriller(Page no. 15)
(Miscellaneous)
Sri Lankan writer Shehan Karunatilaka won the Booker Prize for his second novel The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, about a dead war photographer on a mission in the afterlife.
Mr. Karunatilaka received a trophy from Queen Consort Camilla at the English language literary award's first in-person ceremony since 2019. He also gets a 50,000 pound ($56,810) prize.
Set in 1990 Sri Lanka during the country's civil war, Mr. Karunatilaka's story follows gay war photographer and gambler Maali Almeida, who wakes up dead.
Time is of essence for Maali, who has "seven moons" to reach out to loved ones and guide them to hidden photos he has taken depicting the brutality of his country's conflict.
"My hope for 'Seven Moons' is that in the not too distant future... it is read in a Sri Lanka that has understood that these ideas of corruption, race baiting and cronyism have not worked and will never work," Mr. Karunatilaka said in his acceptance speech.
I hope it is read in a Sri Lanka that learns from its stories and that 'Seven Moons' will be in the fantasy section of the bookshop and will... not be mistaken for realism or political satire.
This year's shortlist of Booker Prize contenders included British author Alan Garner's Treacle Walker, Zimbabwean author NoViolet Bulawayo's Glory, Small Things Like These by Irish writer Claire Keegan, U. S. author Percival Everett's The Trees and Oh William! by U. S. author Elizabeth Strout.
This is a metaphysical thriller, an afterlife noir that dissolves the boundaries not just of different genres, but of life and death, body and spirit, east and west," judges chair Neil MacGregor said of Mr. Karunatilaka's book.
It is an entirely serious philosophical romp that takes the reader to 'the world's dark heart' - the murderous horrors of civil war Sri Lanka," MacGregor added. "And once there, the reader also discovers the tenderness and beauty, the love and loyalty, and the pursuit of an ideal that justify every human life.
Past winners of the Booker Prize, which was first awarded in 1969, include Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie and Yann Martel.