Thursday, 15th April 2021
INSULIN- Cure for Diabetes
It was on 15th April 1923 that insulin became commercially available in the treatment of diabetes and went on to save lakhs of lives. Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas in our body doesn’t produce enough insulin or when the body is unable to effectively use the insulin that it produces. The hormone insulin helps store the blood sugar in various organs like liver. In absence of it, blood sugar level rises, leading to several complications.
U.S. to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by September 11
In News
According to the US administration, the U.S. will begin withdrawing its troops in Afghanistan before May 1 and complete the process before September 11. There are between 2,500 and 3,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan at present.
Background
- The U.S. and its NATO allies had signed a deal with the Taliban to withdraw their troops from Afghanistan if the Taliban met certain preconditions, including a cessation of violence (the Taliban has repeatedly attacked on civilians and Afghan security forces since) and not turning the country into a haven for terrorist groups, particularly al-Qaeda.
- The war in Afghanistan has led to the deaths of nearly 2,400 American troops, and cost the country around $2 trillion.
- The decision to withdraw is based on data gathered by American intelligence, which suggest that Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups do not pose an immediate threat to strike the United States from Afghanistan.
US influence in Afghanistan after the withdrawal
- Reposition troops in the region: The Biden administration is now expected to reposition its troops in the region to maintain a watch on Afghanistan and the Taliban, although it is unclear how it would effectively be able to do so without direct military involvement.
- Diplomatic security: Some US troops will remain in Afghanistan to provide diplomatic security which remains a standard practice.
- Special Operations: A New York Times report mentioned that the US could rely in future on secretive Special Operations, intelligence operatives to stem major threats from terror organisations such Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Implications of the withdrawal for the Afghan Government
- Threats of attacks from Taliban: The Afghan government is likely to face a difficult road ahead as over the past year, the Taliban have launched multiple attacks to bring more territory under their control, and US intelligence suggests that they are expected to make further military gains.
- Scope of Taliban’s military victory: The possibility of the Taliban being able to strike a peace deal with the Afghan government is low, as the Taliban is gaining in military strength. The Taliban have already stated that they would not be attending a new round of talks to decide Afghanistan’s future that is scheduled in Turkey later this month.
Sources:
dnaindia.com/analysis/column-us-withdrawal-from-afghanistan-its-effects-on-india-2723612
Aahar Kranti initiative launched
In News
The Union Health Minister has recently launched Aahar Kranti Initiative aimed at spreading awareness about nutrition and locally available nutritious food, fruits, and vegetables.
About the Initiative
- Good Diet and Good Cognition: Vijnana Bharati (Vibha) and Global Indian Scientists' and Technocrats' Forum (GIST) have come together to launch this mission with the motto of “Good Diet-Good Cognition".
- Raise awareness: It is aimed at helping people realise the value of a traditional diet and the importance of consuming local fruits and vegetables.
- Integrating the entire value chain: Aahaar Kranti needs to happen across the food value chain from producers to consumers and the nutrition needs to be supported across these verticals.
- Address hunger and diseases: The movement is designed to address the peculiar problem being faced by India and the world called hunger and diseases in abundance.
Significance of the initiative
- Address Malnourishment: Malnourishment continues to be a problem for the country. The primary reason for this is the lack of nutritional awareness in all sections of our society.
- Nutrition and Covid 19: There is also a need for a nutritionally balanced diet in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Nutritional diet will provide greater immunity and higher resilience.
- Training Teachers: The programme will focus on training teachers, who, in turn, will pass on the message to the multitudes of students, and through them to their families and finally the society at large.
- Integrate agriculture: Agriculture plays an important role in helping to address the issue of malnutrition. Bio-fortified food, micronutrient rich fertilizers and improved agronomic practices can help in balanced nutrition.
Sources:
NCSC Launches Online Grievance Management Portal
In News
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) recently announced an Online Grievance Management Portal for submission of complaints about atrocities against citizens who belong to the Scheduled Caste.
About the Portal
- The portal was developed in collaboration with the Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics (BISAG-N), a Centre of Excellence under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
- The portal will be available in English and Hindi, though documents can be uploaded in multiple languages, and different file types (including audio and video files). The government will also be launching apps for the portal.
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National Commission for Scheduled Castes · It is a constitutional body established with a view to provide safeguards against the exploitation of Scheduled Castes and Anglo Indian communities. · It aims to promote and protect their social, educational, economic and cultural interests and the special provisions made in the Constitution. Duties and Functions of the Commission: The Constitution of India under Article 338 has assigned the following duties and functions to the Commission: · To investigate and monitor all matters relating to the safeguards provided for the Scheduled Castes under the Constitution or under any other law for the time being in force or under any order of the Government and to evaluate the working of such safeguards. · To inquire into specific complaints with respect to the deprivation of rights and safeguards of the Scheduled Castes. |
Significance of the portal
- Online registration of complaint: Complaints for atrocities against citizens who belong to scheduled castes had to be filed by hand so far.
- Track progress: The portal will also allow users to track progress of their complaints. This is an important step towards empowering the community and also increasing accountability.
- Similar to e-courts project: The portal is intended to make the hearing processor similar to India’s e-Courts project and allow grievance redressal for the country’s scheduled caste population in a time bound manner.
Sources:
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1711868
livemint.com/politics/policy/ncsc-launches-online-portal-to-register-complaints-on-atrocities-against-scheduled-caste-population-11618423323535.html
Image of the Day
A child chases away swarm of locusts on his family farm in Kenya. Similar to Africa, the Indian subcontinent also faces locust attack and unprecedented risk to agriculture, farm-based livelihoods and food security. The attack of locusts is a cross-border phenomenon where extended rainfall in West Asia and East Africa leads to increased breeding and favorable rain-bearing winds aid their transport towards India. UN FAO has warned of more such attacks along both sides of the India-Pakistan border.
Managing India's Second COVID-19 Wave
In News
The Lancet COVID-19 Commission India Task Force has released a statement on urgent steps required to manage India’s Second COVID-19 Wave.
The Second COVID Wave- Facts
The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has hit India hard.
- The number of new cases has gone up from 11,794 in the first week of February 2021 to close to 200,000 as of April 14, 2021.
- The number of new deaths per day has gone up from 116 in the first week of February 2021 to over 1000 as of April 14, 2021.
- Test positivity rates (TPRs) rose nationwide from 2.8% in the first week of April 2021 to 10.3% by April 10th 2021 with wide regional variation, peaking in Maharashtra at 25%.
How it is different from first COVID wave?
- The rate of increase in new cases is significantly higher. The increase from 10,000 to 80,000 new cases per day from February to April has taken less than 40 days. In September, this journey took 83 days.
- Many more of the cases testing positive are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, resulting in relatively low rates of hospitalization and mortality.
- It is not entirely clear if the higher proportion of asymptomatic cases are entirely due to better contact tracing (more family members, for example, being tested).
- Preliminary analysis indicates that while the pandemic has spread, the geographic contours of the second wave closely mirror those of the first wave, though with a deeper penetration into tier 2, tier 3 cities.
Why do we need to manage the Second Wave?
It is imperative to break the transmission spread of the disease and reduce the number of new cases. In absence of such efforts, worst case scenarios project that
- India could lose nearly 1,750 lives to COVID per day, rising to approximately 2,320 per day by the first week of June 2021.
- Disruptions to regular health services, such as routine immunisation and delivery care, could have devastating consequences for maternal and child survival.
- Fiscally, India may need to spend more than $7.8 billion on testing and $1.7 billion on healthcare utilisation due to COVID-19 infections leading to death by September 2021.
Way Forward
Urgent steps are needed along two trajectories of action-
- Large scale vaccinations to minimize the severity of the disease, and
- Breaking the chain of transmission through safe behaviours.
On these trajectories, The Lancet COVID-19 Commission India Task Force recommends following actions, along with rigorous implementation at the district and local levels.
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Strategy |
Actions |
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Vaccinations |
· Aggressive coverage of priority population groups, followed by phased opening up to younger populations based on supplies · Specific focus on the urban poor, especially in states (and districts) with the fastest rates of infection. · Addressing access (through community and workplace-based camps), and demand (through strong community mobilization) to increase uptake within the population |
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· Urgently approve and deploy a broader mix of vaccines- Apart from currently being used Covishield and Covaxin, also take actions on Janssen (Johnson and Johnson), Novavax, Sputnik V, and mRNA vaccines. |
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· Ramp up manufacturing capacity for vaccines |
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· Address vaccine hesitancy |
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· Monitor, collate, and transparently report on Adverse Events Following Inoculation (AEFIs) to ensure efficacy of vaccine and enhance the transparency and public trust |
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Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) |
· Public advocacy campaign on mask wearing and safe behaviour · Bans on mass gatherings and venues for large congregations · Community led, decentralized tracing and testing · Scaling up RT-PCR testing, with data on vaccinations |
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Travel & Mobility |
· International travel: A mandatory 7-day institutional quarantine for all visitors arriving from other countries, with an RT-PCR test conducted on day 8 is recommended. · Domestic travel: There should be no lockdown. Advisories should be issued to promote safe behaviours, and testing made available at source and destination sites. |
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Schools & Colleges |
· Teachers and school staff must be vaccinated on a priority basis. · The next two months can be used to prepare the education sector for a safe opening in July 2021 for the next academic year. |
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Genome Sequencing |
· A focused effort required to identify the root causes of the surge, including an expansion of genome sequencing of the coronavirus. For this, the Indian SARS-COV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) must be supported through financial and regulatory support. |
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Strengthening of the Health System |
· Address bottlenecks in the pharmaceutical supply chain to end shortages of essential drugs (steroids) and equipment; · Invest in medical facilities infrastructure and overall preparedness especially in tier 2 and 3 cities to cope with high levels of hospitalization; · Initiate refresher training programs and support for health care workers to equip them to handle COVID cases (including optimal deployment through task shifting); · Strengthen ongoing programs to support the mental, emotional, and physical needs of health care workers. · In all cases it is recommended strengthening of virtual health consultations, and management of mild COVID cases remotely (through home based care). |
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Economic Activity |
· Lancet Task Force do not recommend a blanket national or state lockdown, as opposed to localized, phased restrictions or closures. · In areas of high infection rates, the focus is on breaking the chain of transmission through local actions. · Advisories should be issued that strongly encourage anyone that can remain at home (white collar workers, for example, who can work from home) to do so. · Decisions on local lockdowns or curfews are best left to local authorities, and must be based on localised trends in epidemiological data (transmission, test positivity rates, hospitalization, and mortality rates). |
Mental Health and Normalcy Augmentation System (MANAS)
- Context- launch of MANAS App
- MANAS Mitra is a comprehensive, scalable, multi-lingual, and national digital wellbeing platform and an app developed to augment mental well-being of Indian citizens.
- MANAS is based on life skills and core psychological process, with universal accessibility, delivering age-appropriate methods and promoting positive attitude focusing on wellness.
- MANAS App integrates the health and wellness efforts of various government ministries, scientifically validated indigenous tools with interfaces developed by various national bodies and research institutions.
- The initial version of MANAS will focus in the age group of 15-35 years (age 15 to 20 termed as Mann-Marg and age 20 to 35 termed as YoungISTAN).
- MANAS was initiated by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and was jointly executed by NIMHANS Bengaluru, AFMC Pune, C-DAC Pune and C-DAC Bengaluru.
Primary source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1711860
National Mission For Sustaining The Himalayan Eco-System (NMSHE)
- Context- NMSHE’s ICAR team awarded for agricultural information dissemination in Leh.
- Formulated under National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), NMSHE is a mission to contribute to the sustainable development of the country by enhancing the understanding of climate change, its likely impacts and adaptation actions required for the Himalayas.
- NMSHE seeks to facilitate formulation of appropriate policy measures and time-bound action programs for sustaining and safeguarding the Himalayan ecosystem along with developing capacities at the national level to continuously assess its health status.
- The mission attempts to address some important issues concerning:
- Himalayan glaciers and the associated hydrological consequences,
- Biodiversity conservation and protection,
- Wildlife conservation and protection,
- Traditional knowledge societies and their livelihood and
- Planning for sustaining of the Himalayan Ecosystem.
- It covers eleven states (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Assam and West Bengal) and two Union Territories (Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh).
- After being formally approved by the government in 2014, the Ministry of Science and Technology was given the nodal responsibility of coordinating this mission.
Primary Source: http://dst.gov.in/sites/default/files/NMSHE_June_2010.pdf
Indian Rhino Vision 2020
- Context- completion of the Indian Rhino Vision 2020 initiative.
- The Indian Rhino Vision 2020 was an initiative to increase the number and geographical range of rhinos in Assam through wild-to-wild translocations from high density areas to those regions which had less rhino population.
- The target was to attain a wild population of at least 3,000 greater one-horned rhinos in Assam by the year 2020 and to reduce the risk to the rhino population from the poachers by spreading the population in multiple parks.
- It was launched by the Assam Forest Department in partnership with WWF-India, the International Rhino Foundation and US Fish & Wildlife Service in 2005.
- The translocated rhinos helped Manas National Park get back its World Heritage Site status in 2011.
- The translocation program will result in mixing of the genes and set up a healthy breeding population for the future of the species.
Primary source: https://www.wwfindia.org/?15301/Indian-Rhino-Vision-2020--Burachapori-gets-rhinos-after-25-years
Not on the same page at sea – The Hindu
Essence - Editorial is providing commentary on recent manoeuvre by US Navy, in which USS John Paul Jones carried out a freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) 130 nautical miles (within India’s EEZ) west of the Lakshadweep Islands, without any prior permission. Indian observers reacted with shock and dismay at what some described as an unnecessary provocation by the U.S. Navy. U.S. defended the military operation off India’s waters terming it “consistent with international law”. U.S. officials believed that, India’s requirement of prior consent for the passage of foreign warships through Indian EEZs is a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
India interprets the maritime convention differently. Indian experts note that the UNCLOS does not explicitly permit the passage of military vessels in another state’s EEZ.
Why you should read this article?
- To know about the differences in interpretation of US and India on United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
- To understand possible challenges for India’s maritime security in future, due to freedom of navigation operations (FONOP) being held within 200 Nautical Miles (EEZ).
- To get grasp of possible reasons of US choosing this exercise in Lakshadweep & not around Andaman & Nicobar Islands. And how it’s signal on larger role of US navy in Indian Ocean & South China Sea.
Link - https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/not-on-the-same-page-at-sea/article34304977.ece
To regulate WhatsApp and Big Tech, India’s competition panel needs more teeth – and fresh thinking - Scroll
Essence - Recently, The Competition Commission of India ordered an investigation into WhatsApp’s privacy policy update alleging that the Facebook-owned company has breached antitrust provisions through its “exploitative and exclusionary conduct”. The commission has called for the probe a month after the government notified the Information Technology Rules (Intermediary Guidelines), 2021, to regulate social media intermediaries, over-the-top services and digital news. In this context, this article examines India’s competition policy and the current institutional capacity to conduct such investigations.
Why you should read this article?
- To know about the technical pre-requisites necessary to investigate Big Tech and companies like WhatsApp.
- To understand problem associated with India’s competition policy and the current institutional capacity which makes it difficult to investigate digital platforms for antitrust behaviours.
- To appreciate the urgent need for fresh perspective to effectively regulate big tech in India such as more policy and legislative tools, interim remedies, an army of technical experts and a proactive approach.
e-Kasih in Malaysia: Social Benefits Monitoring Tool
Present Situation
- In India, many poverty alleviation programme are running simultaneously like Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana etc.
- One common issue faced by almost all schemes are possibility of over inclusion, exclusion error etc. So there is need to have an Intergrated Information system like e-Kasih of Malaysia
About e-Kasih
- It is National Integrated Information System on Poverty launched by Malaysia Government.
- It aims to avoid duplication of programs given to poor by establishing a central data bank which can be accessed by all aid agencies.
Lesson from e-Kasih
- It help to understand Country’s Demographics and frame policies to target specific groups such as the urban and the rural poor.
- Data based Decision Making by collating poverty information, poverty mapping, feedback making the policy more effective
Outcomes
- Poverty reduction: The overall poverty has come down from 15.8% in 1990 to 1.7% in 2012
- Promotes transparency and accountability in governance as there is use of verifiable data for decision making
- Empowerment of Citizen through information which bridges the trust deficit between the citizen and government
Where can this case study be used?
Innovative example for improvement in Public Service Delivery, How to use data for Better Service Delivery, Making Citizen as a key stake holder in Governance: Social Contract Theory
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