08 Feb 2022: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Status of IMR and MMR in India
2. National Single Window System
3. Detection of SARS-CoV-2
4. Dr. Zakir Hussain

1. Status of IMR and MMR in India

Syllabus: GS II, Issues related to health

Prelims: IMR, MMR

Mains: Progress made by the intervening schemes to reduce Infant Mortality Rate and Maternal Mortality Rate

Context: The report of the Registrar General of India determined that there has been a reduction in the Infant Mortality Rate and Maternal Mortality Rate both at the national level and at the level of states and union territories. 

Effective Interventions by the Government: 

• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has taken active measures to implement several schemes that aim to result in the healthy being of newborns, mothers, children and adolescents. 
• The National Health Mission provides for the implementation of the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) strategy. This is based on the Annual Programme Implementation Plan submitted by the states and the union territories. 

The issue of Infant Mortality Rate has been addressed by the following schemes:

• Facility based New-born Care – The Sick New-born care units are set up in order to prevent the health risks of the newborns. New-born Stabilisation Units have been established at the community health centres to protect and care for the sick and small babies. 
• Young Children – This is a home-based care programme wherein the ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers pay a home visit to assess the health conditions of the newborns.
• Mothers’ Absolute Affection – Under this initiative, breastfeeding for six months and its benefits along with the awareness on infant and young child appropriate behaviour are encouraged. 
• The Social Awareness and Actions to Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully is an initiative that has effectively reduced childhood morbidity and mortality due to Pneumonia. 
• The Universal Immunisation Programme has been implemented to vaccinate children against life-threatening diseases like Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Polio, Tetanus, Rotavirus, meningitis that add to infant mortality. 
• Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram – Under this programme, children from 0-18 are examined for 30 health conditions to better their survival. This is carried out by the District Early Intervention Centres. 
• Anaemia Mukt Bharat – Anaemia in pregnant women and children has been assessed under the Anaemia Mukt Bharat strategy which is a part of POSHAN Abhiyan. 

Interventions to improve Maternal Mortality Rate:

• Initiatives like Janani Suraksha Yojana, launched in 2005, has facilitated cash transfer to reduce maternal mortality by improving their health status and meeting their nutritional demands. 
• PM Surakshit Matritva Ashwasan offers pregnant women free healthcare services ensuring zero tolerance to denial of services to pregnant women.
• Over 25000 delivery points have been empowered across the country in terms of infrastructure, equipment and trained workforce to attend to the needs of mothers with complications. 
• Capacity building has been augmented for the doctors dealing with Anaesthesia and Obstetric care to skill them better to overcome the shortages of specialists in the rural areas. 
• LaQshya is a programme that aims to improve the conditions in the labour room and maternity operation theatres for quality service during the delivery and the postpartum period. 

Read more about Maternal Mortality Rate in the linked article.

2. National Single Window System

Syllabus: GS III, Issues relating to growth, development and employment

Prelims: Ease of doing business

Mains: Government initiative to promote business in the country

Context: Jammu & Kashmir becomes the first union territory to get integrated with the National Single Window System (NSWS). 

Details of the issue:

• Under the NSWS initiative, a number of industrial parks in Jammu & Kashmir will be facilitated for further growth and development.
• Digital platforms will be available for the investors to explore land availability in the union territory to bring more business. 

About NSWS: 

• The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched the national single window system for expanding the scope of Ease of Doing Business. 
• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade in association with Invest India initiated this portal. 
• It is aimed at making investments flexible and easy. 
• This single window system acts as a portal that allows businesses to apply for clearances, track the process and address their queries.
• It ensures a one-stop solution for states and central governments in carrying out businesses bringing more transparency and accountability. 
• It offers a Know Your Approvals service which gives information about the required approvals, criteria and a common registration form. This speeds up the process of documentation in carrying out business.
• This single window system is in alignment with the interests of schemes like Make in India, Startup India, Production Linked Incentive (PLI). 

3. Detection of SARS-CoV-2

Syllabus: GS III, Developing new technology

Prelims: Fluorescence, Polymorphism

Mains: India’s progress in developing new technology to combat life-threatening diseases

Context: Scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in collaboration with scientists from the Indian Institute of Science have developed a new technology to detect pathogens including the SARS-CoV-2 virus. 

Important highlights:

• The entire study employs fluorometric detection techniques that identify the genetic material (DNA/RNA) of HIV, Ebola, Zika, bacteria and other mutating pathogens. 
• Fluorescence is a phenomenon by which a material absorbs a beam of light at a particular wavelength and reflects the light at a different wavelength. 
• The study aimed at identifying the genetic modifications of the pathogens (SARS-CoV-2 in this case) at the molecular level that involves conformational polymorphism. 
• Polymorphism is the change in the sequence of the DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) that leads to the creation of variants. Single nucleotide polymorphism in the human genome is majorly related to diseases, drug response and so on. 
• The study establishes a scope to integrate the molecular detection platform into field-deployable isothermal amplification assays.
• This would ensure more reliability and better diagnosis along with the specificity of the sequence. 

Advantage over the existing methods:

• This study is based on the acid targeted diagnosis of the SARS-CoV-2 which reduces the possibility to generate false positive results. 
• In the case of RT-q-PCR, there is the detection of non-specific amplification products that result in false positive outputs. 
• This new technique will recognize DNA secondary conformations to achieve reliable and reproducible data. 
• The existing detection methods use repurposed concepts which draw a possibility to produce less reliable results. 
• The fluorometric assay involves a completely novel strategy to target the unique structure of the virus using small molecule fluorophore (a fluorescent capable compound). 

4. Dr. Zakir Hussain

Syllabus: GS I, History, the Freedom Struggle – important contributors

Prelims: About Dr Zakir Hussain

Context: Dr. Zakir Hussain has been commemorated with a floral tribute by the President of India. 

About Dr. Zakir Hussain:

• He was an economist and a politician who served as the third President of India from 1967 to 1969. 

Read more about Dr. Zakir Hussain in the linked article.

Read previous PIB here.

February 8th, 2022, PIB:- Download PDF Here