23 Aug 2021: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

August 23rd, 2021, CNA:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. Pro-Pak. slogans: NSA invoked against 4
HEALTH
1. Afghan returnees to get polio vaccines
C. GS 3 Related
SECURITY
1. Assam moves to ease fresh row with Mizoram
2. Hurriyat may face wrath of UAPA
DEFENCE
1. Malabar war games to begin
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. Breaking the logjam, handing over the baton
HEALTH
1. Focusing on diseases sidelined by COVID-19
F. Prelims Facts
1. Vaccinated pilgrims can visit Kartarpur
2. Sainik Samman Pension Scheme (SSSPS)
G. Tidbits
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

Category: HEALTH

1. Afghan returnees to get polio vaccines

Context:

The Health Ministry has decided to vaccinate returnees from Afghanistan with free polio vaccines as a preventive measure.

Concern:

• India received its “polio-free certification” along with the entire Southeast Asia region on March 27, 2014.
• However, wild polio virus cases continue to be reported in neighbouring Pakistan and Afghanistan — the last two polio-endemic countries in the world.
• According to the WHO, failure to eradicate polio from these last remaining strongholds could result in as many as 2,00,000 new cases every year, within 10 years, all over the world.
• Child vaccination drives, including polio campaigns, were halted in both Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2020 to avoid the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
• However, according to UNICEF, polio immunisation campaigns were resumed in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Details:

• Vaccination of those coming in from Afghanistan will ensure that people harbouring the virus will not be able to infect those around them.
  • Afghanistan has suffered because of its compromised disease surveillance and healthcare system.
• The WHO has said that if enough people in a community are immunised, the virus would be deprived of susceptible hosts and would die out.
• High levels of vaccination coverage have to be maintained to stop transmission and prevent outbreaks from occurring.
• The move by the government is vital in ensuring India’s status as a polio-free country.

2. Hurriyat may face wrath of UAPA

Context:

A ban under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) may be imposed on both factions of the Hurriyat Conference, which has been spearheading the separatist movement in Jammu and Kashmir for over two decades.

What is the Hurriyat Conference?

• The Hurriyat Conference came into existence in 1993 with 26 groups, including some pro-Pakistan and banned outfits such as the Jamaat-e-Islami, the JKLF and the Dukhtaran-e-Millat.
• It also included the People’s Conference and the Awami Action Committee.
• It broke into two factions in 2005, into a moderate group and a hardline one.

Details:

• A probe into the funding of terror groups indicated the alleged involvement of secessionist and separatist leaders, including members and cadres of the Hurriyat Conference.
• Both factions of the Hurriyat are likely to be banned under Section 3(1) of the UAPA, under which “if the Central Government is of opinion that any association is, or has become, an unlawful association, it may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare such association to be unlawful”.
• The proposal has been mooted in accordance with the Union government’s policy of zero tolerance against terrorism.

Note:

• So far, the Union government has banned the Jamaat-e-Islami and the JKLF under the UAPA.
• The ban was imposed in 2019.

Category: DEFENCE

1. Malabar war games to begin

Context:

The Quad countries — India, the U.S., Australia and Japan — will carry out the Malabar naval exercise off the coast of Guam.

• It is taking place in the midst of a growing convergence of interests in the maritime domain as well as military cooperation among the Quad nations in the face of China’s increasing assertiveness.
• Global concerns are mounting over China’s growing military muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region.

Malabar Exercise:

• Malabar Exercise started off in 1992 as a bilateral naval exercise between Indian and US navies.
• In 2015, Japan joined the exercise Malabar making it a trilateral naval exercise.
• In 2020, the Australian Navy joined the Malabar Exercise making it a quadrilateral naval exercise. Earlier, Australia joined the exercise in 2007.
• It is seen as a reflection of the increasing partnership among the Quad countries.
• China has been suspicious about the purpose of the exercise as it feels that the annual war game is an effort to contain its influence in the Indo-Pacific.
• The exercise is not part of the framework of cooperation under Quad.

Read more on Malabar Exercise.

Category: HEALTH

1. Focusing on diseases sidelined by COVID-19

Background:

Non-Communicable Diseases:

• Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are medical conditions or diseases that are not caused by infectious agents. These are chronic diseases of long duration, and generally with slow progression and are the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioural factors.
• NCDs are the silent killers of our generation.
  • Nearly 71% of all deaths worldwide occur due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancer.
  • One out of every four deaths occurs due to cardiovascular diseases, especially among younger patients. In the Indian subcontinent, there is early onset and rapid progression of such diseases, and a high mortality rate. Those with NCDs find that productive years of life are lost and there is high-out-of-pocket expenditure on treatment.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on NCDs:

Increased vulnerability:

• Available evidence points to the increased vulnerability of people with pre-existing NCDs to COVID-19 infection.
• The outcomes in COVID-19 patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease risk factors or disease and diabetes can be worse than others.

Disruption of NCD services:

• The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the disruption of NCD services.
  • The staff working in the area of NCDs have been reassigned to COVID-19 work. This has led to a lack of staff for NCDs treatment.
  • There is a severe shortage of medicines and diagnostics services available for NCDs.
  • The decreased availability of public transport has led to cancellations of planned treatments.
• The pandemic has severely disrupted primary healthcare systems which form a critical part of the screening and management of NCDs. As per a World Health Organization (WHO) survey conducted in May 2020, low-income countries were the most affected by this disruption.

Psychological impact:

• Lockdowns and reduced physical interactions led to loneliness, especially in the geriatric population. This resulted in mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.
• The subsequent increase in consumption of alcohol and tobacco and adoption of an unhealthy diet increases the exposure to NCD risk factors.
  • Tobacco consumption has been linked to hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Recommendations:

• A paradigm shift is the need of the hour to tackle the silent epidemic transition to NCDs.

Attention to NCDs:

• The national and state health policymakers need to give requisite attention to the NCDs.
• The National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke needs to be expanded and adequately funded.
  • To address the challenge posed by NCDs, the National Health Mission launched the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke, in 2010, focusing on strengthening infrastructure, promoting good health, human resource development, early diagnosis, management and referral.

Prevention strategy:

• There have to be campaigns for promoting a healthy lifestyle.
• The importance of physical activity and mental health needs to be emphasized.

Strengthening primary health care system:

• The primary health system needs to be strengthened to prevent, diagnose and provide care for NCDs.
  • PHC system can tackle up to 80% of health needs and can reduce the need for specialized health care services. Thus strengthening the primary health infrastructure will help lessen the burden on hospitals.
• Primary healthcare systems must be adequately resourced and trained to ensure that persons at risk of NCDs receive appropriate screening, counselling and treatment. The administrations should ensure essential NCD medicines and basic health technologies in all primary healthcare facilities.
• Screening for NCDs at the grassroots level and the delivery of locally relevant and contextual messages for health promotion and prevention of NCDs will be critical interventions in the fight against NCDs. The ASHA workers can be appropriately trained and equipped to play this role.
  • As part of Ayushman Bharat, the Government is supporting the States for strengthening Sub Centres and Primary Health Centres as Health and Wellness Centres for the provision of comprehensive primary care that includes preventive and health promotion at the community level with a continuum of care approach.

For more related information on the primary health care based rural healthcare system in India, refer to the following article:

CNA June 4, 2021: Rural health care needs fixing, and now

Use of telemedicine:

• There is the need to ensure that those at the highest risk continue receiving treatment for NCDs in spite of any future lockdowns or travel regulations.
• Telemedicine can help maintain a degree of continuum in healthcare services disrupted by the pandemic. Also, it can help reduce travel expenses, thus lowering patients’ expenditure burden.

Curtail tobacco and alcohol consumption:

• India’s response plan to address the growing burden of NCDs must include tobacco and alcohol cessation activities.

Additional information:

• In 2013, the WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs 2013–2020 (Global NCD Action Plan) was adopted by the World Health Assembly to strengthen global and national responses to prevent and control NCDs.
• The Global NCD Action Plan includes a global monitoring framework and nine voluntary global targets to be attained by 2025.
• The World Health Organization has set a target of 25% relative reduction in overall mortality from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, or chronic respiratory diseases by 2025.

2. Sainik Samman Pension Scheme (SSSPS)

• It is a Central Scheme for the grant of pension to freedom fighters and their families from the Central Revenues.
• The Scheme provides for the grant of pension to living freedom fighters and their families – if they are no more alive, and to the families of martyrs.
• On their demise, pension is provided to their eligible dependents viz. spouses and thereafter, unmarried and unemployed daughters and dependent parents, as per prescribed eligibility norms and procedure.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (Freedom Fighters Division) is the implementing agency.

Q1: Consider the following statements:

Q2: Which of the following was/were the objectives of the Socio-Economic and Caste Census 
(SECC) 2011?

Q3: Which of the following statements regarding Malabar Naval Exercise is/are correct?

Q4: Consider the following statements regarding the Office of the United Nations High 
Commissioner for Refugees: 

Q5: The Gandhi-Irwin Pact included which of the following? (UPSC-2020)

August 23rd, 2021, CNA:- Download PDF Here