18 August Complete Daily

Complete Daily Current : 18 August 2020

IAS PCS Prelims Special Daily Notes

Swasthya Portal

1. Union Tribal Affairs Minister has e-launched “Swasthya” Portal.

2. It is the first of its kind comprehensive platform for health and nutrition related information of the tribal population of India.

3. Ministry of Tribal Affairs in collaboration with Piramal Swasthya, the Centre of Excellence has developed this Tribal Health and Nutrition Portal.

4. It has a dashboard, knowledge repository, partner segment, Sickle Cell Diseases (SCD) support corner.

5. It encourages people with Sickle Cell disease or trait to register themselves.

6. The dashboard presents data curated from multiple sources for the 177 identified high priority tribal districts.

Sickle Cell Diseases

• SCD is group of disorders that cause red blood cells to become misshapen and break down.

• With sickle cell disease, an inherited group of disorders, red blood cells contort into a sickle shape.

• The cells die early, leaving a shortage of healthy red blood cells (sickle cell anemia) and can block blood flow causing pain (sickle cell crisis).

• Infections, pain and fatigue are symptoms of sickle cell disease.

• Treatments include medication, blood transfusions and rarely a bone-marrow transplant.

• Treatment can help, but this condition can't be cured

Pavitrapati and Aushada tara

7. Pune based Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, developed an Ayurvedic based Biodegradable Nanofibres Face Mask “Pavitrapati”.

8. Pavitrapati acts a virus neutralizer to resist against the bacteria / virus.

9. It has also developed an anti-microbial body suit in the name of “Aushada tara”.

10. Aushada tara suit has super hydrophobic, breathing, anti-microbial, comfort feeling properties.

11. The fabric material of the suit has the approval for fighting against the COVID-19.

12. The suit had cleared the splash resistant tests and it has got good repellent property of any fluids.

13. The above two products are the Trademarked products of DIAT (DU).

National Digital Health Mission

• Union government has launched the National Digital Health Mission, on pilot mode in 6 Union Territories.

• It is a flagship initiative of the government like Ayushman Bharat.

• The mission seeks to provide an efficient and affordable health coverage through a wide-range of data and infrastructure services.

• It comprises six key building blocks or digital systems namely

• HealthID,

• DigiDoctor,

• Health Facility Registry,

• Personal Health Records,

• e-Pharmacy

• Telemedicine.

• The National Health Authority (NHA), the attached office of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare which will design, build, roll-out and implement the NDHM.

• It will be a voluntary healthcare programme that would reduce the gap among stakeholders such as doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers, etc.

• It will be a major stride towards the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.8 of Universal Health Coverage, including financial risk protection.

• The scheme would first be tested on a pilot basis in the UTs except Delhi.

Right of Daughters

• Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 amended Section 6 of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956.

• It removed the discrimination clause in inheritance of ancestral properties by giving equal rights to daughters.

• It came into effect on September 9,2005.

• However, the amendment threw up two questions such as

1. whether it would apply only to daughters born after September 9, 2005

2. whether, if they were born before that, it would be limited to those whose father (the coparcener) was also alive on that day

1. Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) has expanded the Hindu women’s right to be the coparcener (joint legal heir) and inherit ancestral property on terms equal to male heirs.

2. It ruled that a Hindu woman’s right to be a joint heir to the ancestral property is by birth and does not depend on whether her father is alive or not.

3. Daughters will now be treated at par with sons of coparceners, and will be granted equal coparcenary rights in their father’s property upon birth itself and their marital status would not affect it.

4. This judgement only applies to HUF property, and does not affect personal or self-acquired assets held individually.

5. The law applies to ancestral property and to intestate succession in personal property, where succession happens as per law and not through a will.

Hindu Succession Act, 1956

1. The Mitakshara school of Hindu law codified as the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 governed succession and inheritance of property but only recognised males as legal heirs.

2. It applied to everyone who is not a Muslim, Christian, Parsi or Jew by religion.

3. Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains and followers of Arya Samaj, Brahmo Samaj, are also considered Hindus for this law.

4. Traditionally, only male descendants of a common ancestor along with their mothers, wives and unmarried daughters are considered a joint Hindu family.

5. The legal heirs hold the family property jointly.

Helium Enhanced Cool Stars

1. Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) an autonomous institute of DST, have discover He-enhanced cool bright stars among the metal-rich parts of Omega Centauri globular cluster.

2. This is the first time He-abundance has been found in Omega Centauri.

3. Globular clusters are the stellar systems with millions of stars formed from the same gaseous cloud. 

4. Omega Centauri is the brightest and the largest globular cluster in our Milky Way Galaxy.

5. Usually, the stars formed will be homogeneous in their chemical composition of elemental abundances.

6. But, there are clusters which deviate from this norm.

7. The different stars of Omega Centauri do not show the same metal content, a parameter that indicates its age, but a large range in it.

8. The study provides a very important clue for the origin of the He-enhanced population establishing that these are the second generation of stars formed from the metal-rich and He-enhanced material from the first generation of stars.

Prelims + Mains Mixed Daily Notes

News: The Prime Minister has launched the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) on the eve of Independence Day.

Facts:

14. NDHM: It is a voluntary healthcare programme that aims to reduce the gap among stakeholders such as doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers by bringing them together and connecting them in an integrated digital health infrastructure.

15. Components: The mission comprises six key building blocks or digital systems namely HealthID, DigiDoctor, Health Facility Registry, Personal Health Records, e-Pharmacy & telemedicine.

16. Health Id : It is a 14-digit serial number which will be generated for each individual.The Id will be a repository of all health-related information of a person such as medical tests, previous prescriptions, diagnosis, treatments and all historical health records.

17. Implementation: The National Health Authority(NHA) would design, build, roll-out and implement the mission.

18. Coverage: The scheme would first be tested in the Union Territories of Chandigarh, Ladakh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.

Additional Facts:

19. National Health Authority(NHA): It is the apex body responsible for implementing Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

20. It is governed by a Governing Board chaired by the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare.

News: Prime minister has announced the launch of Project Dolphin and Project Lion to protect these species in their natural habitat in a holistic manner.

Facts:

• Project Lion: The project is aimed at conservation of India’s Asiatic Lions.It will focus on habitat development, engaging technologies in lion management and addressing the issues of disease in lions.

• Aisatic Lion: They are confined to Gir National Park and its surrounding environments in Gujarat’s Saurashtra district.

• IUCN Status: Endangered

• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule-I

• CITES: Appendix I

• Project Dolphin: The project is aimed at the conservation of the Gangetic Dolphins – both riverine as well as the oceanic dolphins in India.

• Gangetic river dolphin: It is India’s national aquatic animal found in parts of the Ganges, Meghna and Brahmaputra river systems in India, Nepal and Bangladesh.

• IUCN Red List: Endangered

• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

• CITES: Appendix I.

News: Central Water Commission(CWC) along with Google has launched a flood forecasting initiative.

Facts:

21. Flood Forecasting Initiative: It aims to provide alerts to the public regarding flood situations in the region.It also offers current water level in the flood affected regions in the country and colour-coded maps indicating flooded areas.

Additional Facts:

• Central Water Commission is a premier Technical Organization of India in the field of Water Resources and is presently functioning as an attached office of the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

• Purpose: To initiate and coordinate with State Governments concerned for conservation and utilization of water resources throughout the country for the purpose of Flood Control, Irrigation, Navigation, Drinking Water Supply and Water Power Development.

News: Ministry of AYUSH has launched a three-month campaign “Ayush for Immunity”.

Facts:

• Aim: To increase awareness about affordable and easy practices that can be adopted for enhancing immunity and preventing any disease.

• Theme: Accessible and Affordable health for all through Ayush solutions.

Additional Facts:

• National AYUSH Morbidity and Standardized Terminologies Electronic (NAMASTE) Portal: It was launched in the year 2017 to provide standardized terminologies & morbidity codes for Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani systems of medicines.

• AYUSH GRID: It is a digital platform that aims to bring onboard all AYUSH facilities including hospitals and laboratories and to promote traditional systems of healthcare.

News: Scientists at Gayatri Vidya Parishad-Scientific and Industrial Research Centre have developed the Air Unique-quality Monitoring (AUM) system with the support of the Department of Science and Technology(DST) Clean Air Research Initiative.

Facts:

• Air Unique-quality Monitoring(AUM) system: It is an indigenous system for real-time remote monitoring of air quality parameters that can identify, classify and quantify various pollutants simultaneously (of orders of less than one part per billion) and meteorological parameters.

Additional Facts:

• Clean Air Research Initiative: It was launched in 2009 by the Department of Science and Technology with the aim to develop national research competence to drive down the cost of clean energy through pre-competitive translational research, oriented research led disruptive innovations & human and institutional capacity development.

News: United States Food and Drug Administration(FDA) has approved SalivaDirect test for Covid19.

Facts:

3. Who developed the test? The SalivaDirect test has been developed by researchers from Yale School of Public Health in partnership with the National Basketball Association(NBA).

4. How is the test different? SalivaDirect test uses saliva samples as opposed to the more invasive nasopharyngeal swabs.

5. What is the testing Procedure? The collection and testing of saliva samples involves three steps — collecting saliva without preservative buffers, proteinase K treatment and heat inactivation and dualplex RT-qPCR virus detection.

6. Significance:

7. The test can detect the virus even when the number of virus copies in the saliva sample is as low as 6-12 copies per microlitre.

8. The test is affordable when compared to other tests of Covid-19.

9. The testing makes sample collection non-invasive and reduces the need for trained healthcare workers to collect the samples, reducing the risk of infection during collection.

10. This test is more accurate when compared to other tests using nasopharyngeal swabs which sometimes leads to false negative results due to errors at the time of sample collection.

News: Union Minister of Youth and Sports has launched a nation-wide initiative of Fit India Youth Clubs.

Facts:

6. Fit India Youth Club: It is a part of the Fit India Movement that aims to harness the power of youth to create mass awareness about the importance of fitness.

7. Under the initiative, volunteers of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan and other youth organizations will come together to register as Fit India Youth Clubs in every block in the country.

8. Each member of the club will then motivate people from the community and in schools to take up fitness activities.

Additional Facts:

6. Fit India Movement: It was launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to encourage people to inculcate physical activity and sports in their everyday lives.

News: Department of Biotechnology(DBT) Secretary has inaugurated the Pune-based Center for Biopharma Analysis(CBA).

Facts:

9. Aim: To provide high-quality analytical services to biopharmaceutical developers and manufacturers and create long lasting value for bio-entrepreneurs and industry.

10. This centre is supported by the National Biopharma Mission of the Department of Biotechnology(DBT) and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council(BIRAC).

Additional Facts:

1. National Biopharma Mission(NBM): It is an industry-academia collaborative mission for accelerating biopharmaceutical development in the country.

2. Launched Year: It was launched in 2017 at a total cost of Rs 1500 crore and is 50% co-funded by World Bank loan.

3. Implementation: Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).

IAS PCS Mains Special Daily Notes

1.On National Digital Health Mission (NDHM)

Source: The Indian Express and Livemint

Syllabus: GS-2- Health

Context: Indian Prime Minister announced National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) on Independence Day.

About National Digital Health Mission (NDHM)

4. It aims to liberates citizens from the challenges of finding the right doctors, payment of consultation fee, making several rounds of hospitals for prescription sheets.

Features:

5. It would be a voluntary healthcare programme that would reduce the gap among stakeholders such as doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers, pharmacies, insurance companies and citizens by connecting them in an integrated digital health infrastructure.

6. It comprises six key building blocks or digital systems:

7. Health ID,

8. Digi Doctor,

9. Health Facility Registry,

10. Personal Health Records,

11. e-Pharmacy

12. Telemedicine

13. Health ID and Health Facility Registry shall be owned, operated and maintained by the government. However, private operators will have equal opportunities to integrate with these systems and create products for the market

14. The National Health Authority design, build, roll-out and implement the National Digital Health Mission.

Privacy concerns over National Digital Health Mission:

• Critics have raised concerns about the extent to which a government should have access to personal information.

• There are also concerns over the risk of data leaks from a widely-linked central database.

Way Forward:

15. There is an urgent need for a robust data protection law which will give legal control over our data stored anywhere on our behalf. Also, the citizens the right to be forgotten should be ensured.

16. The government and India’s legal, IT and medical systems need to come together to translate the NDHM’s patient-centric vision into reality.

2.Global trade and India’s geopolitical stature

Source: Live Mint

Syllabus: Gs3: Economic Development,

Context: India needs to focus one Self-reliance through robust economic expansion and not by shutting the world out and losing foreign support.

Economic slowdown impact negatively India’s geopolitical standing:

• Need to avoid past mistakes which undermined strategic interests: Countries and companies are more interested in economic upside. For instance, during 1970s and 80s, due to import and foreign exchange restrictions, international sanctions and foreign sympathy for domestic insurgencies kept us on the back foot.

• Current policy approach of India undermining geopolitical interest:

o Rising trade restrictions.

o Reluctance to participate in a wider geopolitical contest against China.

o Undermining relevance as a world power: China trying to box New Delhi into a sub-subcontinental role and push its hegemonic economic agenda.

• If no fiscal stimulus provided: According to Pronab Sen’s estimates, it could take five years for India’s gross domestic product to return to the 2019-20 levels.

o Slow recovery and global growth.

o Slew of measuresintroduced by the government in recently are useful but inadequate for a quick recovery

o Rise in protectionism and raising taxes.

 “self-reliance” should not be mistaken as “self-sufficiency”.

• Benefits of self-reliance:

• Helped with the demands of living during lockdown when global supply chains were in disarray.

• To signal displeasure against Chinese aggression and to impose costs on Beijing.

• Self-sufficiency:

• Decrease competition:for instance, a domestic purchase quota for defence equipment shields domestic producers from competition will eventually lead to lower quality products.

• Restrict consumer choice.

• Idea of self sufficiency is impractical and harmful to national interest.

Achieve Self-reliance by accelerating the recovery and regaining the path of high growth:

• Marshall Plan-like public investment in infrastructureis necessary to galvanize rapid post-pandemic growth.

• Raise per capita income: greater our per-capita income leads to the greater our self-reliance. For instance, the United States is self-reliant not because it makes everything within its borders, but because it can purchase or make everything that it wants.

• Diversify the sources:Reducing dependence on imports from China or fuel from West Asia doesn’t mean trying to make everything in India.

• Work with like-minded nations: shape the international trading system in a manner that reduces catastrophic risks and geopolitical coercion. It will also strengthen India’s hand in international relations.

• Maintain strategic autonomy: justify reluctance to side with the United States in the Indo-Pacific theatre against China.

• Resist the forces of de-globalization: to build more balanced international economic order.

3.Agri- Markets: One Nation, One Market

Source: The Indian Express

Syllabus: GS  3-Transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints

Context: Agriculture Infrastructure Fund is a major step towards getting Agri- markets rights for farmers.

Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF):

• Anew pan India Central Sector Scheme which is also a part of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ to make farmers self- reliant.

• It will provide a medium- long term debt financing facility for investments in viable projects for post- harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets through interest subvention and financial support, largely anchored at the Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and also availed by individual entrepreneurs.

• Under this scheme, Rs one lakh crore will be provided by banks and financial institutions as loans, at concessional rates, to Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and other entrepreneurs through Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACs).

Government issued ordinance to liberate the legal framework of agri- market:

Government had issued three ordinances. These ordinances relate to the amendments in the Essential Commodities Act, APMC Act:

• To allow farmersto sell their produce outside the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis and

• To encourage farming contractsbetween farmers, processors, exporters and retailers.

Role of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD):

It is responsible for the creation of 10,000 more Farmers Producer Organizations. Thus, it will create a package which will help these outfits realize better prices.

Absent elements of Agricultural Infrastructure Fund:

11. Small Farmers- It is known that better storage facilities can help farmers avoid distress selling immediately after the harvest, when prices are generally at their lowest.

9. However, small farmers cannot hold stocks for long as they have urgent cash needs to meet family expenditures.

10. Therefore, the value of storage facilities at the Farmer Producers Organizations (FPO) level could be enhanced by a negotiable warehouse receipt system.

7. Agri futures markets- Several countries such as China and The U.S. have agri- future markets that are multiple times the size of those in India. The value of traded contracts on agri- futures in the National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX), the latest agri- commodities derivatives exchange in India was Rs 18.3 lakh crore in 2012.

11. It fell to Rs 4.5 lakh crore in 2019 and by July 2020 it reduced to Rs. 1.5 lakh crore.

Action needed to minimize the market risk:

17. FPOs Training- NABARD should form a compulsory module that trains Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs) to use the negotiable warehouse receipt system and navigate the realm of agri- futures to secure their market risks.

18. Involvement of Government agencies- Government agencies in commodity markets such as The Food Corporation of India (FCI), National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), State Trading Corporation (STC), should increase their participation in agri- futures.

19. Banks as re- insurers – The banks which gives loans to Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs) and traders should participate in commodity future as ‘re- insurers’ of sorts for the healthy growth of agri- markets.

20. Liberating and stable policies- Governmentpolicies should be more stable and market friendly.

Way Forward:

India needs to secularly and geographically integrate its Agri- markets (one nation, one market), so that spot and future markets will unite in long term. Only then the Indian farmers will realize the best price for their produce and markets risks will be covered.      

4.A vision for progressive capitalism

Source- The Indian Express

Syllabus-GS 3- Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment

Context- Production, devolution, universalism, and market-building can all be given higher specification in detailed policies. But policy without vision only leads to a permanent and pensioned Opposition.

Issues with current economic system:

Economic distribution system- Measurement of economic growth by gross domestic product (GDP), which is basically a measure of the goods and services produced in a certain period of time and a sign of the health — or lack thereof — of the economy.

Challenges associated with GDP

21. Inequality– Even when the GDP numbers are strong, the prosperity isn’t being shared. Income inequality has exploded, wages have stagnated, and the richest are hoarding wealth while everyone else struggles to keep up.

22. Multi-dimensional effect– More power has been concentrated in the hands of fewer corporations, which result as weaker unions, wage stagnation, less innovation, and lower productivity.

To make the economy grow faster:

1. Restructuring rigged markets – This is to change how they work and who they reward, rather than simply redistributing their benefits after the fact.

2. Deregulation of market– The real prescription for growing the economy is deregulation, tax cuts, and a pro-market bent.

3. Main principles– Should focus on general principle such as production, devolution, universalism, and market-building.

4. Production –Focusing on cities and towns in poorer regions of India. Export route to prosperity is now closed with the end of hyper globalization. Poorer regions still have a shot to “export” their way to prosperity, with richer regions playing their consumers.

5. Devolution-Fiscal power must be transferred to the state and local level to get policies form-fit for specific markets and conditions to reverse our internal colonialism.

6. Universalism- Need of universal basic income and universal healthcare policies to cease inequality, instability, and ecological disaster.

7. Market-building- Markets are allocation mechanisms, information processors, ways of being social. Progressives have to stop thinking about “The Market” as a den of vice. Markets long predate capitalism; they will outlast it.

Way forward-

A progressive vision means finding out the difference between growth and redistribution — and finding where there’s overlap. It has to be based on inclusive growth where interests of all sections are considered.

5.Current Economic Contraction

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus: Gs3: Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development and Employment.

Context: The current economic contraction is different from what India has experienced earlier, that’s why government needs to borrow and spend more.

Economic contraction during past:

 Fall in growth:growth fell from 8 per cent in 1999-2000 to an average of 4.5 cent during the next three years.

 However, India has never experienced negative economic growth since 1979-80.

 19957-58: Registered a significant balance of payments (BOP) deterioration.

 1979-80: witnessed the second global oil shock following the Iranian Revolution.

 Economic contraction in past were due to “supply side” issues.

Current economic contraction is purely economic problem and different in following ways:

 As per various agencies, there will be real GDP decline of 5-10 per cent for 2020-21. It would be the country’s first ever not triggered/accompanied by an agricultural or a BOP crisis.

 Agriculture sector witnessing growth: no shortage today of food

 Rabi crop harvest improved and ongoing kharif season is expected to perform better.

 Public cereal stocks increased at 94.42 million tonnes as on July 1 were also 2.3 times the required level.

 Current account registered BOP surplusin January-March 2020 quarter (first in 13 years).

 Merchandise trade account recorded surplus for the first time after January 2002.

 Rise in savings:Aggregate deposits with commercial banks as of July 31 were Rs 14.17 lakh crore or 11.1 per cent higher than last year.

 Increase in Forex reserves:Foreign exchange reserves were at an all-time high of $538.19 billion rising by $60.38 billion since end-March the lockdown.

 Western style demand slowdown leading to recession: due to decrease in consumption and investment demand.

 Reasons for less demand:

 Decrease in household expenditure due to loss of income.

 Employed persons and businesses are saving more.

 Businesses reducing capacity, investing less, reducing staff strength and conserving cash.

 Limited fiscal space:government has limited fiscal space due to increase in fiscal deficit to 4.6 per cent in 2019-20

 Impact: Decrease in consumption and investment will contract the economy further leading to reduction investment as well.

 Crisis faced by banks due less credit demand: deposits are increasing (11.1 per cent). However, the corresponding credit growth has been just Rs 5.37 lakh crore or 5.5 per cent.

Way forward:

 Government needs to increase public spending:

 Increase borrowing:Fiscal deficit has increased but between 2007-08 and 2019-20, the Centre’s outstanding debt-GDP ratio has come down from 56.9 to 49.25 per cent and liabilities of state also fell from 74.6 to 69.8 per cent. Governments can borrow at rates below nominal GDP growth.

 Less cost of borrowing: yields on 10-year Indian government bonds have softened from 6.5 to 5.9 per cent and even more for states — from 7.9 to 6.4 per cent — despite massive fiscal slippages.

 Learning from past:The weighted average cost of Central borrowings more than halved from 12.01 per cent in 1997-98 to 5.71 per cent in 2003-04 and the then government resorted to borrowing.

The need of the hour is that the government should focus more on GDP growth and reviving the economy.