2023 04 27
Table of Contents:
GS Paper 2:
- National Medical Devices Policy 2023
- Ayurveda practitioners Vs Allopathy doctors
GS Paper 3:
- Rising sea levels and their disastrous consequences
- Left Wing Extremism (LWE)
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
- ‘Makkalai Thedi Mayor’
- Barbie with Down syndrome
Facts for Prelims (FFP)
- Thirunelly temple
- Zero Shadow Day
- PM-SHRI scheme
- SUPREME initiative
- The Big Catch-up
- Shingrix
- Quasars
- 3200 Phaethon
National Medical Devices Policy 2023
GS Paper 2
Syllabus: Government policies
Context: Indian Union Cabinet has approved the National Medical Devices Policy, 2023
Need for the policy:
- Nearly 80% of the medical devices currently sold in the country are imported, particularly high-end devices.
- India has one of the lowest per capita spending on medical devices at $3 compared to the global average of per capita consumption at $47.
The objective of the Policy:
- Facilitating orderly growth: The medical devices sector is a fast-growing sunrise sector in India with a 5% share in the global medical device market.
- Accelerated growth with a patient-centric approach
- Achieving a 10-12% share in the expanding global market over the next 25 years (from 1.5% currently)
- Expanding market size to $50 billion by 2030 (from current $11 billion)
- Providing an enabling ecosystem for manufacturing
- Encouraging domestic investments and production of medical devices
- Promote the safety and efficacy of medical devices.
- Provide support in training and capacity-building programs
Strategies to Promote Medical Device Sector:
| Strategy | Example |
| Streamlining Regulatory Processes | Creation of a Single Window Clearance System for Licensing of Medical Devices; coordination between all the stakeholder departments/organizations such as AERB, MeitY, DAHD, etc., Enhancing the role of Indian Standards like BIS; Designing a coherent pricing regulation. |
| Enabling Infrastructure | Developing medical device parks and clusters in line with the National Industrial Corridor Program and the proposed National Logistics Policy 2021 under the ambit of PM Gati Shakti. |
| Facilitating R&D and Innovation | Supporting R&D and innovation through the establishment of Centres of Excellence in academic and research institutions, innovation hubs, ‘plug and play’ infrastructures and support to start-ups. |
| Attracting Investments in the Sector | Supporting investments through schemes and interventions like Make in India, Ayushman Bharat program, Heal-in-India, Start-up mission, and encouraging public-private partnerships. |
| Human Resources Development | Skilling, reskilling, and upskilling of professionals in the medical device sector; Supporting dedicated multidisciplinary courses for medical devices in existing institutions; Developing partnerships with foreign academic/industry organizations. |
| Brand Positioning and Awareness Creation | Initiating studies and projects for learning from best global practices of manufacturing and skilling systems, promoting more forums to bring together various stakeholders for sharing knowledge, and building strong networks across the sector. |
Government Initiatives:
- PLI Scheme for medical devices: A total of 14 projects producing 37 products commissioned
- Manufacturing of high-end medical devices has started which include Linear Accelerator, MRI Scan, CT-Scan, Mammogram, C-Arm, MRI Coils, high-end X-ray tubes, etc.
- Support for setting up of 4 Medical devices Parks in the States of Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh
- Medical Devices Rules in 2017: The rules classify medical devices into four classes based on associated risks and international standards.
- National Health Policy 2017: It highlights the need to promote R&D and domestic manufacturing of medical devices
Conclusion:
The policy is expected to provide the required support and directions to strengthen the medical devices industry into a competitive, self-reliant, resilient, and innovative industry that caters to the healthcare needs of India and the world.
Insta Links
Mains Links
Discuss the major provisions of National Medical Devices Policy 2023 (250 Words)
April 27, 2023 /27 Apr 2023, governance, GS2, health, National Medical Devices Policy 2023, social justice, Today's Article
Ayurveda practitioners Vs Allopathy doctors
GS Paper 2
Syllabus: Government Policies
Source: TH
Context: The Supreme Court of India has set aside a 2012 Gujarat High Court order which held that Ayurveda practitioners working in government hospitals should be treated at par with allopathy doctors and entitled to equal pay.
SC contention:
- Both categories of doctors were not performing equal work to be entitled to equal pay.
- Allopathy doctors were required to perform emergency duties and provide trauma care, which could not be performed by Ayurveda doctors.
- Complicated medical conditions and post-mortem/autopsy cannot be carried out by Ayurveda doctors
- Doctors with MBBS degrees attend to hundreds of patients during outpatient days in general hospitals, which is not the case for Ayurveda practitioners.
Comparison of Ayurveda and Allopathy
| Aspect | Ayurveda | Allopathy |
| Origin | Originated in India | Originated in Europe and America |
| Treatment approach | Holistic approach, natural remedies | Scientific approach, drug-based treatments |
| Diagnosis | Observational, pulse diagnosis | Diagnostic tests, imaging techniques |
| Training and Education | Formal education, Gurukul system | Formal education in medical schools |
| Surgery | Limited to minor procedures | Advanced surgical procedures |
| Focus | Prevention and overall well-being | Disease management and symptom relief |
| Research | Limited research | Extensive research and clinical trials |
| Side effects | Minimal | Possible side effects of drugs and treatments |
| Integration with modern medicine | Limited integration | Widely used in conjunction with modern medicine |
Status of doctors in India:
- Allopathic: There is only one allopathic government doctor for every 10,926 people in India against the WHO’s recommended doctor-population ratio of 1:1000.
- Number of registered AYUSH doctors: Around 8 lakh (in 2018)
- There has been an increase in the availability of allopathic medical practitioners, dental surgeons and nurses per lakh population over the years.
April 27, 2023 /27 Apr 2023, Ayurveda practitioners Vs Allopathy doctors, GS2, GS3, health, SCIENCE, Today's Article
Rising sea levels and their disastrous consequences
GS Paper 3
Syllabus: Environment, Conservation
Source: TH
Context: As per the WMO’s ‘State of the Global Climate 2022’ report, the world’s sea level is rising at an unprecedented rate.
Rising sea levels: The rate of global mean sea-level [GSML] rise has doubled from 2.27 mm/year in 1993-2002 to 4.62 mm/year in 2013-2022.
GSML budget (individual contribution of these factors): Loss of glaciers and ice sheets contributed 36% to the GSML rise (between 2005-2019), Ocean warming (55%), and changes in the storage of land water (less than 10%).
Causes:
- Ocean warming (increasing concentrations of CO2 and other GHGs drive global warming, 90% of the extra heat is stored in the oceans),
- Ice loss from glaciers and ice sheets. Earth’s ice cover/cryosphere includes the
- Arctic and Antarctic regions (called sea ice),
- Glaciers,
- Ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica,
- Seasonal snow cover, and
- Permafrost (mass of land that remains below 0ºC for at least two straight years).
Effects:
- It will cause changes in land cover – seas swallowing more of the land cover.
- The chances of weather formations like cyclones could increase.
- Changes in land water storage → more seawater could seep into the ground → Groundwater (usually freshwater) turning saline.
- Water crises in coastal areas → impacting agriculture in adjacent regions → displacement of hundreds of thousands of people → increasing social disparities and economic liabilities of governments.
Most vulnerable: Coastal communities particularly in tropical countries like India and South Africa, which have high population densities.
Case study (Impact of sea-level rise on societies):
- The Sunderban Delta in West Bengal is the world’s largest mangrove area.
- The lives of coastal communities, including their economic activities, are tied intricately with the coastal ecosystem.
- Rising sea levels and coastal erosion has left more islands submerged under water, endangering socio-economic stability and has forced local communities to migrate.
- A combination of these forces has increased child trafficking in the Sundarbans.
Way ahead:
- More reports are required to generate and accumulate data on climate change.
- These reports should also press for global and local policy-level changes related to climate change.
Insta Links:
State of the Global Climate 2022
April 27, 2023 /27 Apr 2023, 27 April CA, Disastrous consequences of rising global mean sea-level [GSML], GS 3, State of the Global Climate 2022, Sunderban delta, Today's Article, Today’s article, World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)
Left Wing Extremism (LWE)
GS Paper 3
Syllabus: Challenges to Internal Security
Source: IE
Context: Ten personnel of the Chhattisgarh Police’s District Reserve Guard (DRG) were reported killed in an IED attack by Maoists in the state’s Dantewada district.
The left-wing extremism (LWE or Naxal insurgency in India:**
- It originated in a 1967 uprising in Naxalbari (West Bengal) by the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
- Naxals are a group of people who believe in the political theory derived from the teachings of the Chinese political leader Mao Zedong.
Causes: Inequitable development, Displacement of people (eviction from lands traditionally used by tribals), etc.
Strategy: They believe that the solution to social and economic discrimination is to overthrow (by force) the existing political system.
Govt. measures to solve LWE:
- The Home Ministry came up with the –
- The strategy of
- The LWE Division to implement security-related schemes aimed at capacity building in the LWE-affected States.
- Modernising the police force (SMART, CCTNS, NATGRID)
- Social Integration (surrender and rehabilitation policy, skill development)
- Development (Infrastructure – mobile towers)
- The state governments have also launched several counter-insurgency measures. For example, Andhra Pradesh established an elite force called Greyhounds to successfully crack down on Naxal leaders.
Current situation:
- The influence of Maoists and associated violence has been falling consistently (gone down by 77% since 2010 and resultant deaths by 90% to 98 in 2022) in the country.
- A general disenchantment with the Maoist ideology among the youth has deprived the insurgent movement of new leadership.
- The government has cut the number of districts declared to be Naxal-affected from over 200 in the early 2000s to just 90 now.
- The presence of Naxals is said to be minimal to zero in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Bihar.
- The Home Ministry has vowed to rid the country of the Maoist problem by 2024.
A widely accepted principle in counter-Maoist strategy:
- The war against Left Wing Extremism can only be won by the state police and not central forces.
- This is because the state police have local knowledge, understand the language, and have local networks that are essential for the generation of intelligence.
Situation in Chhattisgarh:
- It is the only state in the country where Maoists continue to have a significant presence.
- In the last five years (2018-22), 1,132 violent incidents, in which 168 security forces personnel and 335 civilians lost their lives, accounted for over a third of all Maoist-related violence.
Why did the Maoists attack in Chhattisgarh at this time?
- The onset of the monsoon makes it difficult to conduct offensive operations in the jungles.
- Almost all major attacks by Maoists on security forces have taken place during the Tactical Counter Offensive Campaigns (TCOCs) period in the summer.
- The TCOC period this year has been characterised by increasing improvised explosive device (IED) attacks.
Why does Chhattisgarh continue to remain troubled?
- The counter-insurgency measures started late in Chhattisgarh.
- By this time, the police of neighbouring states had pushed Maoists from their states to Chhattisgarh, making it a concentrated zone of Maoist influence.
- The special unit of the Chhattisgarh Police, the DRG, was raised from the local tribal population and trained to fight Maoists and has become active relatively recently.
- The absence of roads and minimal presence of the administration in the interiors of Bastar has stymied the operations of security forces and ensured Maoists’ influence through a mix of fear and goodwill.
How has the Centre responded?
- Apart from supporting LWE states through Security Related Expenditure (SRE), the Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS) aims to strengthen local police and intelligence setups.
- Through the Special Central Assistance for building infrastructure (roads), the Centre has maintained a massive presence of the CRPF in the affected states.
- The Centre has also unleashed the Counter-terrorism National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate on CPI(Maoist) cadres.
Conclusion: The Chhattisgarh experience demands an urgent revisiting of the existing counter-insurgency strategy → a security-centric approach. The most appropriate thing at this juncture would be to open the channels for political dialogues with Maoists.
Insta Links:
Mains Links:
What are the determinants of left-wing extremism in the Eastern part of India? What strategy should the Government of India, civil administration and security forces adopt to counter the threat in the affected areas? (UPSC 2020)
April 27, 2023 /27 Apr 2023, 27 April CA, GS 3, left wing extremism, maoism, Naxalbari, naxals, Today's Article, Today’s article
‘Makkalai Thedi Mayor’
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
Source: TH
Chennai Mayor R. Priya will launch a new scheme called ‘Makkalai Thedi Mayor’ in the city on May 3. Under this scheme, the Mayor will visit each of the 15 zones in the city every 15 days to meet with residents and receive petitions relating to civic issues in the zone.
The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) already has a helpline, 1913, to resolve civic issues, and residents are encouraged to use this helpline as well as the ‘Namma Chennai’ app to report civic issues.
Usage: The example can be used in governance case studies. It shows the values of -Accountability, Responsiveness, Empathy, and Transparency
April 27, 2023 /27 Apr 2023, Makkalai Thedi Mayor, Today's Article
Barbie with Down syndrome
Source: HT
Mattel, the toy company behind the iconic Barbie doll, has introduced its first Barbie representing a person with Down syndrome. The company collaborated with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to ensure that the doll accurately represents a person with Down syndrome.
The company aims to increase diversity and inclusivity. Previous dolls line includes a Ken doll with a prosthetic leg, a Barbie with hearing aids, and dolls with a skin condition called vitiligo.
Usage: The example shows respect for diversity, inclusivity, representation, and sensitivity towards people with disabilities.
April 27, 2023 /27 Apr 2023, Barbie with Down syndrome, Mattel, Today's Article
Thirunelly temple
Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: TH
Context: The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has urged the government to conserve historically significant structures, including the 600-year-old ‘Vilakkumadom’ at the Sree Mahavishnu Temple in Thirunelly, during its renovation.
About Thirunelly temple
| Information | Details | |
| Name | Sree Mahavishnu Temple at Thirunelly |  |
| Location | Wayanad district, Kerala | |
| Architectural style | Traditional Kerala architecture | |
| Age | Built-in the 15th century AD | |
| Significant structure | Vilakkumadom, a granite structure | |
| Concerns raised | Loss of historically significant structures during renovation | |
| River nearby | Papanashini | |
| Hills nearby | Brahmagiri hills | |
| About INTACH | The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (est. 1984; HQ: New Delhi) is a non-profit charitable organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. Its vision is to spearhead heritage awareness and conservation in India. In 2007, the United Nations awarded INTACH a special consultative status with United Nations Economic and Social Council. | |
| About Kerala architecture style | Kerala architecture uses wood, brick, and laterite stone. It has sloping roofs, intricate carvings, and an open courtyard. Teakwood and rosewood are commonly used, and rainwater harvesting is important. It’s used in temples, palaces, and houses in Kerala. |
April 27, 2023 /27 Apr 2023, Thirunelly temple, Today's Article
Zero Shadow Day
Source: IE
Context: Recently, Bengaluru experienced a ‘Zero Shadow Day’, when vertical objects appear to cast no shadow.
About Zero Shadow Day:
| Description | |
| Definition | Zero Shadow Day is a phenomenon where the sun is exactly overhead and vertical objects appear to cast no shadow. It happens twice a year for every point on Earth between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. |
| Causes | Earth’s rotation axis is tilted at an angle of roughly 23.5° to the axis of revolution around the Sun |
| Occurrence | One day during Uttarayan (Sun moves northwards from winter solstice to summer solstice) and one day during Dakshinayan (Sun moves southwards from summer solstice to winter solstice) |
| Latitude | Occurs at latitudes equal to the angle between the Sun’s location and the equator on that day |
| Bengaluru Example | Experienced Zero Shadow Day on April 25, 2023, at 12:17 pm local time along 13-degree Latitude, with the next one expected on August 18, 2023 |
As the Earth revolves around the Sun, it also rotates on its axis. During the year, the Sun’s location moves from 23.5 degrees south of the celestial equator to 23.5 degrees north of the equator (Uttarayan), and then back again (Dakshinayan). All places whose latitude equals the angle between the Sun’s location and the equator on that day experience Zero Shadow Day |
April 27, 2023 /27 Apr 2023, Today's Article, Zero Shadow Day
PM-SHRI scheme
Source: HT
Context: The government has selected 6,448 schools from 28 states and Union territories for upgradation under the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) scheme, out of more than 200,000 eligible schools that applied.
Key details of the PM ScHools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) initiative:
| PM ScHools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) | |
| Type of Scheme | Centrally Sponsored Scheme |
| Announced | 2022 |
| Duration | 2022-23 to 2026-27 |
| Eligibility | Existing schools run by the Centre, States, UTs, and local bodies, including KVs, JNVs, state government schools, and those run by municipal corporations |
| Objective | To showcase the components of the National Education Policy, 2020 and serve as a model school. |
| Key Features of Redeveloped Schools | Modern infrastructure including labs and smart classrooms; experiential, holistic, integrated, play/toy-based, inquiry-driven, and discovery-oriented pedagogy |
| Cost Sharing Ratio | 60:40 between Union Government and States/UTs (90:10 in certain cases) |
| Number of Schools to be Redeveloped | 14,500 |
| Selection process | It had three stages: Firstly, states and UTs had to agree to implement NEP in its entirety and sign MoUs. Then, schools eligible for selection were identified based on a minimum benchmark using UDISE+ data. Finally, the selected schools had to compete for the PM-SHRI status. |
| Parameters of selection | Curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment; access and infrastructure; human resources leadership; inclusive practices and gender equity; management, monitoring, and governance; and beneficiary satisfaction |
April 27, 2023 /27 Apr 2023, PM-SHRI scheme, Today's Article
SUPREME initiative
Source: BS
Context: The Ministry of Science and Technology has launched the Support for Up-gradation Preventive Repair and Maintenance of Equipment (SUPREME) initiative to provide financial support for the upgradation and maintenance of analytical instrumentation facilities (AIFs).
What are AIFs?
They are specialized laboratories that provide advanced research infrastructure and technical expertise for scientific investigations in various fields such as physical sciences, life sciences, materials sciences, and engineering.
About SUPREME initiative:
| Topic | Details |
| Aim | To provide financial support for repair, upgradation, maintenance, retrofitting, or acquiring additional attachments to increase the functional capabilities of existing analytical instrumentation facilities |
| Eligibility | Different facilities created under the projects with the support of DST only will be considered for funding support under this Scheme. Also, UGC recognized Central Universities/ State Funded Universities/Deemed Universities /Private Universities among others are also eligible to apply under this scheme. |
| Duration | The duration of support will be for a period not exceeding 3 years. |
| Funding Pattern | The funding pattern in the scheme would be 75:25 for all private and government-owned institutions (except for state-funded institutions for which 100% funding would be considered). |
April 27, 2023 /27 Apr 2023, SUPREME initiative, Today's Article
The Big Catch-up
Source: UNICEF
Context: On April 24, 2023, a global effort called “The Big Catch-up” was announced by various health organizations
About Big Catch-up Initiative:
| The Big Catch-up | |
| Implementing Partners | WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Immunization Agenda 2030, and other health partners |
| Objective | Boost childhood vaccination rates and reverse declines caused by the COVID-19 pandemic |
| Target Countries | 20 countries including India, where three-quarters of the children who missed vaccinations in 2021 live |
| Key Activities | Strengthen healthcare workforces, improve health service delivery, build demand for vaccines, and address obstacles to restoring immunization |
| Current coverage | In India, full immunization coverage among 12–23-month-old children increased from an estimated 62% in 2015–2016 to 76% in 2019–2020. |
| About Immunisation Agenda 2030 (launched in 2021) | It has set a target of avoiding 50 million vaccine-preventable infections in this decade; It intends to reduce the number of zero-dose children by 50%. And achieve 90% coverage for essential vaccines given in childhood and adolescence. |
April 27, 2023 /27 Apr 2023, Immunisation Agenda 2030, The Big Catch-up, Today's Article, UNICEF
Shingrix
Source: TOI
Context: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Pharma has announced the launch of the Shingrix vaccine in India for the prevention of shingles (herpes zoster) and post-herpetic neuralgia in adults aged 50 years and above.
| Vaccine | Shingrix ( for prevention of shingles) | |
| About shingles | Shingle is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. It can occur anywhere in your body. Shingles are caused by the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus that causes chickenpox | |
| Purpose | To prevent shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia in adults aged 50 years or more | |
| Virus Target | Varicella zoster virus (VZV) | |
| Type | It is the world’s first non-live, recombinant subunit vaccine to be given intramuscularly in two doses. | |
| Approved By | US Food and Drug Administration and the European Commission | |
| Risk Groups | Individuals with weakened immunity due to diabetes, heart disease, kidney diseases, etc. | |
| What is a “non-live, recombinant subunit vaccine”? | It is a type of vaccine that is made by taking a small piece of the germ (and not the whole germ) that causes a disease and using it to stimulate the body’s immune system to produce a response. |
April 27, 2023 /27 Apr 2023, shingles, Shingrix, Today's Article
Quasars
Source: DTE
Context: According to a new study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, galaxy mergers likely ignite quasars, the most powerful and brightest objects in the universe.
About Quasars:
| Property | Description | |
| Definition | Quasars (short for “quasi-stellar radio source“) are very luminous objects in faraway galaxies that emit jets at radio frequencies | |
| Detection | First detected in the 1960s | |
| Emits | Radio waves, visible light, ultraviolet rays, infrared waves, X-rays, and gamma-rays | |
| Size | Most are larger than our solar system, approximately 1 kiloparsec in width | |
| Location | Only found in galaxies with supermassive black holes that power the bright discs | |
| Formation | As matter falls into the black hole, it emits a tremendous amount of energy, creating a very bright and luminous disc around the black hole. Quasars are formed by the energy emitted by materials swirling around a blackhole right before being sucked into it | |
| Types | Radio-loud: About 10% of the overall quasar population with powerful jets that are strong sources of radio-wavelength emission Radio-quiet: The majority of quasars (about 90%) lack powerful jets, with relatively weaker radio emission than the radio-loud population |
|
| About Black Hole | Point in space where matter is so compressed as to create a gravity field from which even light cannot escape |
April 27, 2023 /27 Apr 2023, Quasars, Today's Article
3200 Phaethon
Source: NASA
Context: Phaethon, an asteroid that is the source of the annual Geminid meteor shower, has been found to have a tail made of sodium gas rather than dust as previously thought.
About Phaethon
| It is classified as an asteroid (the first to be discovered via satellite in 1983) and named after the Greek myth of Phaethon, son of the sun god Helios, due to its close approach to Sun. It is blue in colour, which is rare for an asteroid. | |
| Mystery | Phaethon is an asteroid but it shows comet-like behaviour, by being the source of the annual Geminid meteor shower. |
| About the Geminid meteor shower | The Geminids are a prolific meteor shower caused by the object 3200 Phaethon, which is thought to be a Palladian asteroid with a “rock comet” orbit. The meteor shower peaks during mid-December each year and is considered to be one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers. |
| Asteroid Vs Comet | An asteroid is a small rocky or metallic body that orbits the Sun, while a comet is a small icy body that also orbits the Sun but is composed of ice, dust, and rock. Asteroids are generally solid and inactive, while comets are known for their long tails created by the sublimation of their ice as they approach the Sun. |
| About Meteor | A meteor, on the other hand, is a small particle, typically a piece of an asteroid or comet, that enters the Earth’s atmosphere and burns up due to the friction with the air. When a meteor enters the Earth’s atmosphere and starts to glow, it is often referred to as a shooting star or meteorite. |
April 27, 2023 /27 Apr 2023, 3200 Phaethon, Asteroid, Comet, Today's Article