UPSC 2017: Comprehensive News Analysis - Aug 15

A. GS1 Related

• Heavy rain since past three days sparked flash floods in parts of Bihar.
• Large areas in Assam and North Bengal inundated, paralyzing regular life and shattering rail link to the Northeast from the rest of the country.
• Kaziranga National Park (KNP) and the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam submerged, keeping rhinos and other animals under distress.
• Guarding has been strengthened as poachers could take advantage of the situation.

B. GS2 Related

In news

• Death toll at Uttar Pradesh hospital counts to 104.
• NHRC issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government seeking a detailed report within four weeks over the deaths of dozens of children and others at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College hospital in Gorakhpur.
• National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) termed the case as serious abuse of the right to life of patients.
• About 60 patients hospitalized to the intensive care unit of the government-run unit expired because of the oxygen supply being clogged due to pending payments to the supplier.
• The government had upheld that the children expired due to diverse illnesses, including Japanese encephalitis (JE)

What is encephalitis?

• Encephalitis is a potentially life-threatening but rare disease causing “acute inflammation” of the brain.
• Meaning of Acute: when a disease appears abruptly and grows at a fast pace.
• A person afflicted with encephalitis requires serious medical attention.

What are the causes of encephalitis?

• The disease can occur in people of all ages, but children and the elderly are more at risk of being afflicted with the disease.
• The usual cause of the rare disease is either a viral infection.
• Sometimes it is caused when the brain’s own immune system mistakenly attacks brain tissue.
• In rare cases, encephalitis is caused due to bacterial infection, parasites, or may be prompted from other infectious diseases.
• It is a non-communicable disease.

What is Japanese encephalitis?

• One of the most common form of viral encephalitis in Asia is the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), caused by mosquito-borne flavivirus.
• The disease belongs to the same genus as dengue, yellow and West Nile viruses.
• JEV primarily affects children as most adults tend to attain natural immunity from the disease, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

How can the disease be prevented?

• There are several vaccinations that are effective in preventing the disease, including vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella.
• People should also use proper clothing to prevent being bitten by mosquitoes in mosquito-infested areas.

Is the disease prevalent in India? How severe is it?

• Japanese Encephalitis is recognised as the leading cause of the disease in India.
• Region affected: West Bengal, Uttar Praesh, Assam, Bihar, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh,Goa, Pondicherry and Karnataka.
• Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are two states, which have seen the most number of encephalitis cases in recent years.
• The Uttar Pradesh government in May this year launched a vaccination campaign in 38 sensitive districts of the state to combat the JE virus.

In news

• It is compulsory for all films using the national flag to get clearance from the MHA. Moviemakers are to detail whether the screenplay really demands the usage of the national flag and stands by the dimensions of the flag and flagpole as approved by the law.
• The national flag is identified as an emblem in the (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950.
• National flag not be utilized for any trade or commerce, without the approval of the MHA.
• Abuse of the standard shall be illegal with detention for a duration, which may be long-drawn-out to three years, or with fine, or both.

C. GS3 Related

In news

• Though we celebrate 70 years of Independence, the farmers distress regarding marketing system for agri-products remains un-supportive.
• The e-NAM purposes to construct an pan-India spot market by crafting an electronic platform.
• For pan-India transactions to take place infrastructure more than installing a simple software is the need of the hour.
• The agri-futures market can be proposal to ensure farmers’ decisions are forward thinking.
• India documented the first trade in futures in 1875 in cotton in the Bombay Cotton Exchange.
• The sequence of interruptions throughout the Second World War due to the scarcity of essential commodities broke down the India’s futures market.
• This mind-set sustained post-Independence, and only pepper and turmeric were allowed to trade in 1977
• In 2003 three national exchanges were established and all supplies were permitted to be transacted in futures markets.
• But since 2003, 15 commodity futures were banned, leading to insecurity in the market.
• Markets are often disturbed by sudden prohibitions or deferments by the government due to deep mistrust in the functioning of these markets as very few farmers or farmer producer organizations (FPOs) trade on futures.

Chinese success on the similar platform

• China in the early 1990s started, and by 2016, it turned to be the largest player in global agri-futures contracts.
• State participation in the futures markets, No unexpected interruptions of commodities, Emphasis on choice of commodities are a few steps taken to strengthen the same.

Nothing here for Today!!!

E. Practice Questions for UPSC Prelims Exam

Question 1. IUCN’s RED DATA book classifies Celebes crested macaque as

Question 2. Consider the following statement with reference to Uttarayan Festival which 
was news recently:

Question 3. Which among the following country has signed but not ratified The World Health
Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control?

GS Paper I

GS Paper III

Also, check previous Daily News Analysis