27 August 2023 CNA
Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related C. GS 3 Related SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 1. After Chandrayaan3, what are ISRO’s plans? D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials INDIAN ECONOMY 1. Why was a 40% duty imposed on onion exports? SOCIAL JUSTICE 1. Missed childhood TB cases impede achieving 2025 goal F. Prelims Facts 1. Seethakali Folk Art 2. Asian Development Bank, Centre to open climate change and health centre in Delhi G. Tidbits 1. Minimum Export Price on Basmati H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
![FIP Magazine](https://cdn1.byjus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/fip-download-mobNew.png)
A. GS 1 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
B. GS 2 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
C. GS 3 Related
Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. After Chandrayaan3, what are ISRO’s plans?
Syllabus- Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology; Indigenization of Technology and Developing New Technology
Prelims- Gaganyaan Mission, Aditya L1, NISAR, LUPEX, Shukrayaan Mission
Mains- Achievements of ISRO, New technologies under development by ISRO
Context:
ISRO has several key projects planned for 2024 and the future. Some of the key missions include:
- Gaganyan mission: It aims to demonstrate human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of 3 to an orbit of 400 km for a 3-day mission. Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LMV-3) is being re-configured to meet human rating requirements and renamed Human Rated LVM3 (HLVM3) for the purpose. As part of this mission, Gaganyaan G1 and G2 flights are planned in 2024. These are uncrewed test flights of the human rated LVM-3 rocket that will pave the way for India’s first manned space mission.
Read more on Gaganyaan Mission.
- Aditya-L1: Aditya-L1 will be India’s first space-based mission to study the Sun. The spacecraft will be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, located approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. Lagrange points are special places in space where objects sent there will stay still. This happens because the gravity pulling from celestial objects on a satellite is balanced by the force that keeps it moving around them. Spacecraft can use these spots to save fuel and stay in one place without using too much energy.The L1 point offers the advantage of continuous views of the Sun without any occultation or eclipses.
- NISAR Satellite: The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission is a collaborative mission between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to develop a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory. The primary objective of NISAR is to generate high-resolution, globally comprehensive datasets of Earth’s surface over a period of 12 days, enabling the study of various terrestrial and atmospheric phenomena.
- Launch of the GSAT-20 communications satellite: The satellite will augment the communication infrastructure supporting India’s Smart Cities Mission by providing additional data transmission capacity.
- Small satellite launches: ISRO will continue to launch small satellites for various applications, including Earth observation, navigation, and technology demonstration.
- Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD): This is a reusable launch vehicle that can carry payloads of up to 20,000 kg to low-Earth orbit. It is expected to reduce the cost of access to space for both India and other countries.
Read more on Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD).
- Methalox propellant development: ISRO is working on developing a methane-based propellant that is safer and more efficient than traditional fuels. This fuel is a mix of methane and liquid oxygen.
- Electric propulsion system development: ISRO is also working on an electric propulsion system for satellites, which would be lighter and more efficient than traditional chemical propulsion systems. This could increase the lifespan of satellites in future.
- Transfer of technology to private sector: ISRO plans to transfer technology related to telecommunications and electronics to the private sector, and eventually, the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) as well.
- Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) mission: In collaboration with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), ISRO is planning a mission to explore the lunar south pole, including a lander and rover (more sophisticated than Chandrayaan 3) that can survive the harsh lunar environment. The rover will have the capability to drill and extract subsurface samples of the moon for analysis. The mission will demonstrate ‘night survival’ capabilities i.e while the solar panels will power the lander and rover during the day, alternative energy sources will be used at night. Electronic components in the mission must be able to withstand extreme temperatures ( night temperatures can drop to as much as -180°C). JAXA will provide the launch vehicle and rover while ISRO will provide the lander
Also read The Hayabusa 2 mission by JAXA.
- Future moon missions: ISRO plans to continue exploring the Moon with future missions, including Chandrayaan-5, -6, and possibly more.
- International collaborations: With Russia under sanctions due to the conflict in Ukraine, ISRO is expanding its collaboration with international space agencies and companies to provide launch services and explore new opportunities.
- Missions to Mars and Venus: ISRO has plans to return to Mars and develop missions to study Venus, including the ‘Shukrayaan’ mission.
Nut Graf: ISRO has several key projects planned for 2024 and the future, including the Gaganyaan mission to demonstrate human spaceflight capability, the Aditya-L1 mission to study the Sun, and the NISAR mission to generate high-resolution images of Earth’s surface etc which could cement India’s position in the elite space agencies of the world.
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
1. Why was a 40% duty imposed on onion exports?
Syllabus: Public Distribution System, Issues of Buffer Stocks and Food Security
Prelims: India’s Onion Exports, Export Duty, Cropping Seasons
Mains: Public Distribution System, Food Security, Doubling farm incomes, India’s Trade Policy
Introduction:
- The government has imposed a 40% duty on the export of onions until the end of the year. Additionally, measures to offload the onion stocks in various wholesale markets have been taken to reduce retail prices.
Reasons for Onion shortage in India?
- The steps aim to stabilize domestic prices of onions and mitigate the demand-supply mismatch in the local markets.
- Onion crops are grown in India across three seasons: kharif, late kharif, and rabi.
- Onions grow best under mild weather conditions. Adverse weather conditions (higher temperatures and unseasonal rainfall) in the months of February and March, have affected the output from the Rabi season.
- These conditions have led to early maturity with smaller bulb size and reduced shelf life (down from the usual 6 months to around 1 month)
- The rabi crop contributes the most to production in a calendar year (close to 70% according to CRISIL)
- Maharashtra is the largest onion-producing state, followed by Madhya Pradesh. These regions have been affected by these adverse weather conditions.
- For the current year, production of onion is estimated at 31.1 MT, down from 31.7 MT in 2021-22.
- Area under production is also expected to be lower by 7%
- India exports approximately 2.5 million tonnes of fresh onions annually and is the third largest exporter after The Netherlands and Mexico. Any further increase in the exports is bound to affect the domestic prices.
Also read Crash in Onion Prices.
Way Forward?
- The government has enhanced the buffer stock to five lakh metric tonnes.
- Onions from the buffer will be sold to retail consumers at a subsidized rate of ₹25/kg.
- Ensuring remunerative prices for farmers while also keeping a continuous affordable supply of onions (to limit inflationary pressures) is the need of the hour.
Nut Graf: Due to adverse weather conditions, the production of onions in India is estimated to be lower this year. The government has imposed a 40% duty on onion exports and enhanced the buffer stock to five lakh metric tonnes to stabilize domestic prices and mitigate the demand-supply mismatch.
1. Missed childhood TB cases impede achieving 2025 goal
Syllabus: Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources
Prelims: National Strategic Plan 2017-2025, Tuberculosis, WHO’s End TB strategy
Mains: National Strategic Plan 2017-2025, Sustainable Development Goals
Introduction:
- There is a significant gap in the detection and notification of tuberculosis (TB) cases among children in India. TB is a leading cause of death among children and early diagnosis and treatment are essential for improving their survival rates.
What does the data say?
- According to the National Strategic Plan 2020-2025 report, children continue to be underrepresented in the national TB surveillance system, with limited capacity for case detection and lack of sensitive diagnostics being major challenges.
- In 2022, while the total notified cases were over 2.4 million, pediatric TB cases notified were only 1,35,734, which is 5.6%. In contrast, according to the 2022 pediatric TB management guidelines for India, children contribute to more than 13% of the TB case load. This shows that there is a difference of around 4-5% between the notified cases and incidence of the disease.
- This implies that over 2,00,000 children with TB were missed in 2022 alone, with the cumulative number of missed cases being much higher considering the consistent gap in detection over the years.
Challenges in diagnosing TB in children?
- Diagnosing TB in children is challenging due to difficulties in obtaining quality samples of sputum (for testing), low bacterial load in them, and the need for highly sensitive molecular tests.
- Moreover, the use of smear microscopy instead of molecular tests (more sensitive to detect cases in children) poses a significant challenge in TB diagnosis and drug-resistance screening.
- Only a small portion of children and extrapulmonary TB patients are successfully screened for drug resistance.
- There is a reduction in BCG vaccination coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic which may have contributed to the increase in TB cases among children.
- While the coverage has improved slightly in recent years, it still remains lower than pre-pandemic levels.
What are the National Strategic Plan 2017-2025 targets?
- The National Strategic Plan 2017-2025 aims to reduce TB incidence to 44 new cases or 65 total cases per lakh population by 2025.
- The estimated TB incidence for 2021 was 210 per lakh population, making it a challenging task to achieve the target.
- The program also aims to reduce TB mortality to 3 deaths per lakh population by 2025, while the estimated mortality for 2020 was 37 per lakh population.
- The plan aims to eliminate catastrophic costs for affected families, but 7-32% of drug-sensitive TB patients and 68% of drug-resistant TB patients still experience such costs. If the financial burden due to TB is above 20% of the household income, then it is considered a catastrophic cost.
- The Indian government’s goals align with the World Health Organization’s End TB strategy, which aims for an 80% reduction in new cases, 90% reduction in mortality, and zero catastrophic cost by 2030.
Conclusion
- Focus should shift towards improved diagnostics, enhanced case detection, and increased BCG vaccination coverage to address the significant gap in TB detection and control among children in India.
Nut Graf: India has a significant gap in the detection and notification of tuberculosis (TB) cases among children. This is due to a number of factors, including the difficulty of obtaining quality samples for testing, the low bacterial load in children, and the need for highly sensitive molecular tests. The National Strategic Plan 2017-2025 aims to reduce TB incidence and mortality among children, but it will be challenging to achieve these targets without improved diagnostics, enhanced case detection, and increased BCG vaccination coverage.
F. Prelims Facts
- Seethakali folk art originates from the Perinad region in Kerala. It is a blend of songs, storytelling and fast movements
- It is believed to have originated 150 years ago among Veda and Pulaya communities
- The art form recreates episodes from Ramayana, depicting Seetha’s journey.
- Seethakali songs are orally passed on from one generation to the next.
- It is usually performed during the Onam festival.
- Performers visit houses, using natural props and instruments (bamboo, palm leaves) with costumes and make-up.
- Vivid make-up, dynamic music, traditional instruments, spontaneous movements are some of the key characteristics of this art form.
2. Asian Development Bank, Centre to open climate change and health centre in Delhi
- India will open a climate change and health hub in New Delhi in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
- The hub will aim to provide leadership on global health matters pertaining to climate change, and to enhance the resilience of health systems against the impact of climate change.
Also read ADB’s IF-CAP.
- Asian Development Bank
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) was established in 1966 with its headquarters in Manila, Philippines.
- The ADB has 67 member countries from the Asia-Pacific region.
- The ADB was modelled after the developmental work undertaken by the World Bank.
- Japan holds the largest share in the ADB with 15.677%, followed by the USA (15.567%), China (6.473%), and India (5.812%).
- The ADB’s primary goal is social development through reducing poverty in the Asia-Pacific region with inclusive growth, sustainable growth, and regional integration.
- The ADB invests in various sectors such as infrastructure, health, public administration systems, and helps nations mitigate the effects of climate change and manage natural resources.
- Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health
-
- Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH) was an outcome of the COP 26 meet in Glasgow.
- It aims towards building climate-resilient and sustainable health systems under the WHO framework by knowledge sharing, technical support, capacity development between the countries.
- It includes both government entities and non-State entities like NGOs.
G. Tidbits
1. Minimum Export Price on Basmati
- Minimum Export Price (MEP) is the price below which an exporter is not allowed to export the commodity from India.
- Notifications on MEP are usually issued by the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The actual decisions on MEP are taken at the Cabinet level.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. ‘Seethakali’ is a folk dance form of:
- Kerala
- Odisha
- Tamil Nadu
- Telangana
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation: Seethakali traditional (folk) dance form of Kerala. Primarily performed by Dalit artists belonging to the Veda and Pulaya communities, especially during the days running up to Onam.
Q2. Consider the following statements:
- The point where the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3 landed has been named ‘Shiv Shakti’
- The day of the soft landing of Chandrayaan 3, will be commemorated as ‘National Science Day’
- The point where Chandrayaan-2 left its footprint on the lunar surface has been named ‘Tiranga’
How many of these statements is/are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
Statement 2 is incorrect. The day of the soft landing of Chandrayaan 3, will be commemorated as ‘National Space Day’
Q3. Which of these statements is/are incorrect?
- World Health Organization – Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (WHO GCTM) will be set-up in Jamnagar in Gujarat.
- A climate change and health hub will be set-up in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala under the Ministry of AYUSH in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
The climate change and health hub in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will be set-up in New Delhi under the Ministry of AYUSH.
Q4. Consider the following statements with respect to Tuberculosis:
- India has set the target to eliminate Tuberculosis by the year 2025.
- TB is a notifiable disease in India
- Elimination of Tuberculosis is one of the sustainable development targets to be achieved by 2030 by the world
How many of these statements is/are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation: All 3 statements are correct. From the year 2012, TB is a notifiable disease in India. All cases of TB diagnosed by any means has to be reported to the public health authorities
Q5. National Commission for Safai Karmcharis is a:
- Constitutional body
- Statutory body
- Quasi-judicial body
- Non-statutory body
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
It was a statutory body till 2004, post which the act lapsed, and it is now a Non-Statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- While deforestation can cause a reduction in forests as carbon sinks, there are many other threats to forests’ carbon sequestration capabilities. Elaborate. (10 marks 150 words) [GS-3; Environment & Ecology ]
- How can childhood TB cases affect India’s aim to achieve TB elimination by 2025? (10 Marks 150 words)[GS-2; Social Justice]
Read previous CNA articles here.
Comments