VISION

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Daily Current Affairs, 28th April 2021

aditya 18:23

1) World Day for Safety and Health at Work: 28 April

•World Day for Safety and Health at Work is observed globally on 28 April every year. This day is observed to promote the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally and raise awareness to ensure health and safety at the workplace.

•The theme for 2021 is “Anticipate, prepare and respond to crises – Invest Now in Resilient Occupational Safety and Health Systems”.

2) Workers’ Memorial Day: 28 April

•The Workers’ Memorial Day, also known as International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers occurs every year on 28 April. The day has been organized worldwide by the International Trade Union Confederation since 1996.

•Theme 2021: ‘Health and Safety is a fundamental workers‘ right.’

•Its purpose is to remember workers killed in incidents at work or by diseases caused by work and honour the victims of occupational accidents and diseases by organizing worldwide mobilizations and awareness campaigns on this date.

3) India third highest military spender in 2020

•India has retained its position as the third biggest military spender in the world in 2020, according to new data titled ‘SIPRI Military Expenditure Database’ published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on April 26, 2021.

4) DRDO develops single crystal blades for helicopter engines

•The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed single-crystal blades technology for helicopters and has supplied 60 of these blades to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as part of their indigenous helicopter development programme for engine application. The DRDO will develop a total of five sets (300 blades) of single-crystal blades.

•This is part of a programme taken up by the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) to develop five sets of single-crystal high-pressure turbine (HPT) blades using a nickel-based superalloy.

5) Uttar Pradesh won e-panchayat award

•The Uttar Pradesh government won the “E-Panchayat Puraskar 2021”, ranking first in Category I. It was followed by Assam and Chhattisgarh at the second position, while Odisha and Tamil Nadu stood third. Every year, the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj awards those states, which ensure maximum use of information technology to keep a tab on the work done by gram panchayats.

6) Oxford Economics Projects India’s FY22 GDP Growth Forecast to 10.2%

•The Global forecasting firm Oxford Economics has revised downwards the GDP growth forecast for India to 10.2 per cent for fiscal 2021-22. Earlier it predicted this at 11.8 per cent. The downward revision is based on the country’s serious health burden, weak vaccination rate and lack of a convincing government strategy to contain the pandemic.

7) Arun Raste named new MD & CEO of NCDEX

•Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has given approval to the appointment of Arun Raste as MD and CEO of National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) for a period of 5 years.

•Raste is currently associated with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) as an Executive Director and prior to NDDB, he has worked with organisations like IDFC First Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, NABARD, ACC Cement, and a non-profit NGO IRFT.

8) PESB selects Amit Banerjee as CMD of BEML

•Public Enterprise Selection Board selected Amit Banerjee as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Bharat Earth Movers Limited, (BEML) an Indian Public Sector Undertaking. The PESB announced on meeting held on April 26, 2021. Currently, he is serving as Director (Rail & Metro), BEML Limited.

•In his professional career spanning over three decades in BEML, Shri Banerjee has worked in R&D and manufacturing functions. His experience involves the design & development of various products like SSEMU, Metro cars, Catenary Maintenance Vehicle, etc.

The HINDU Notes – 28th April 2021

the hindu notes

aditya 15:06

📰 A pragmatic approach for COVID-19

Managing mild symptoms at home is vital to reduce the burden on an already stretched system

•The second wave of COVID-19 infections in India has turned into a public health emergency, and it has become difficult for most people to even access the healthcare system. Finding a hospital bed has turned almost impossible in many parts of the country, and if one does manage hospital admission, critical supplies like medical oxygen are hard to come by. Healthcare personnel have been trying to do their best under these trying circumstances, but they are now stretched to the breaking point. Amid this, a plethora of guidelines and lack of concordance across recommendations put forward by different States add to the confusion.

•Various drug cocktails with unproven or marginal benefits are being used widely. To address the confusion, the India COVID SOS team, a group of volunteers from across the world, including India, has developed clear guidance in various Indian languages to help in home-management of patients. This is not intended to be a substitute for medical care but rather a way to assist people with mild to moderate symptoms safely at home.

Moderate illness

•Starting with the basics, if one develops symptoms of COVID-19, like fever, sore throat, dry cough, headache, body aches, and loss of smell or taste, they should try to get tested. Given the high number of cases in India, if a person has one or more of these symptoms and lives in a highly affected area, they are very likely to have the infection. However, if testing is unavailable, they must assume that they have COVID-19 and should stay home, keep the windows open for ventilation, and follow other tips. Most importantly, avoid panic. It is important to remember that over 90% of people with COVID-19 recover fully without needing hospital care. A pulse oximeter must be used to check oxygen saturation levels three to four times a day, or more often if there is difficulty in breathing.

•There is some evidence that a steroid inhaler may be helpful for people over the age of 50 years. If available, an inhaled steroid (budesonide) may be used twice a day for five to seven days. If oxygen levels are at or above 92%, hospitalisation, blood tests or a CT scan are not needed. Further, oral steroids, intravenous Remdesivir, or plasma may not be beneficial for such patients. In fact, taking oral steroids at this stage could actually be harmful.

•In case the oxygen levels are less than 92%, one must reach out to a doctor and follow their recommendations. Our suggestions at this stage apply only if an individual cannot reach a doctor or find a hospital bed.

•The most important treatments at this point are oxygen and oral steroids. Dexamethasone is the most commonly used steroid medication, usually given at a dose of 6 mg per day for five days. In case dexamethasone is not available, there are several alternatives.

•If a patient has diabetes, it’s important to monitor their blood sugar while on steroids, and if it is higher than normal, the doctor must be informed. They should also stay in touch with a doctor and seek urgent help if oxygen needs increase to more than four litres a minute.

Unproven methods

•Most other treatments that have been tried for COVID-19 have shown no benefit. This includes widely prescribed treatments such as ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, vitamin supplements, antivirals, and antibiotics. Convalescent plasma has not lived up to its initial promise and several trials have failed to demonstrate significant benefit with routine use. Collecting, testing, and administering plasma adds more strain to an already overburdened healthcare system and uses up valuable resources. Similarly, recent data indicate that Remdesivir has a limited role in COVID-19 treatment, and patients should not seek admission to hospitals solely to receive this drug.

•Most people will recover completely at home. Staying home if the symptoms are mild will help save hospital beds, oxygen, and other supplies for seriously ill patients. This also means that doctors, nurses, and other medical staff can do a better job of taking care of critical patients. However, worsening symptoms must not be ignored and a patient should not delay going to the hospital if needed.

•What else can individuals do? Wearing a mask, avoiding crowds, and washing hands are some ways through which people can prevent the spread. Getting vaccinated is the most important step. COVID-19 vaccines are safe and highly effective at preventing severe illness and death from the infection. One can still get COVID-19 after vaccination, but typically, the illness will be mild.

•The grave humanitarian crisis sweeping through India can be controlled only by large-scale public health measures. Curfews and lockdowns will work if implemented carefully. Mass gatherings should be prohibited. Large-scale vaccination drives are essential. Celebrities from the film industry, social media influencers and sports stars should promote vaccination, the use of masks, and physical distancing. Testing needs to be scaled up and test results should be reported in a timely manner. Medical supplies, including oxygen, should be made available, not just in healthcare settings but also to persons at home. Tools for triage of patients and accessible dashboards listing available resources are the need of the hour. At this point, many of these things are being cobbled together by volunteers. But an organised response would be much more effective.

Acknowledging the crisis

•Finally, much of the reporting of cases and deaths has been coming from media rather than government sources. Indeed, since the beginning of the pandemic, responsible science reporters have been the best sources of information, not just in India but around the world. We need robust data. In order to deal with the problem, it is important to acknowledge the enormity of it.

•India is facing an unprecedented public health crisis. The number of new cases being reported each day is higher than it has ever been in any country. As bad as the situation is currently, it could get much worse. We have seen that deaths from COVID-19 increase when the healthcare system is overwhelmed. But the damage can be greatly minimised by the measures described above: a combination of prevention and appropriate management.

•The massive spread can be arrested by following safety protocols and through rapid vaccination. If the vast majority of patients who can be treated safely at home stay home, so that hospital resources can be directed to critically ill patients who truly need them, we will be able to manage the crisis better. All eyes are on India and the actions we take now can help us turn the corner in the next few weeks.

📰 Right priorities: On U.S. COVID-19 aid to India

Vaccine Inequity - Implications

Shankar IAS

aditya 07:44

What is the issue?

The Government of India unveiled a completely revamped vaccine strategy.
The resultant vaccine inequity could make containment measures more difficult.

What is the recent decision?

Two key elements are the hallmark of this new strategy, which will be implemented from May 1, 2021.
1) The phased roll-out of the vaccination drive (initiated on January 16, 2021), under which the vaccine-eligible sections of the population were gradually increased, has now been extended to the entire adult population.
All above 18 years will now get vaccinated.
2) A significant deregulation of the vaccine market has been effected.
Vaccine manufacturers now have the freedom to sell 50% of their vaccine production to State governments and private hospitals.
This can be sold at prices that can be substantially higher than that hitherto fixed by the government.
A third element of the vaccine strategy, which was not announced formally, is a grant of ₹45 billion to the two vaccine manufacturers to boost their capacities.
- Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech.

What are the concerns?

Muslim Women’s Right to Initiate Divorce

Shankar IAS

aditya 07:42

Why in news?

A recent judgement of a division Bench of the Kerala High Court recently clarified the Muslim women’s right to initiate divorce.

What are the currently available options for Muslim women to divorce?

One of the methods is divorce by mutual consent, through the process called Mubaarat.
Another right of a Muslim woman to divorce is by way of Khula, wherein she decides to terminate the marriage.
This process may be called wife-initiated Talaq.
Till now, Ulemas, particularly of the Hanafi School, have interpreted that Khula can be exercised only when the husband accedes to the wife’s request.
So, without the intervention of courts, a Muslim woman can unilaterally divorce her husband, only if, by contract, he has delegated the right to divorce to his wife.
If he refuses, the woman has no option but to approach courts of law under the provisions set out in the Dissolution of Muslim Marriage Act of 1939.

What is the present case for?

THE HINDU NEWSPAPER IMPORTANT ARTICLES 28.04.2021

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aditya 07:37

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Raus IAS Focus Magazine April 2021 PDF

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aditya 06:59

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GS SCORE Yearly Compilation Geography Mountains & Peaks in India PDF

yearly current affairs

aditya 06:55

GS SCORE Yearly Compilation Geography Mountains & Peaks in India PDF

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Daily Current Affairs, 27th April 2021

vision ias current affairs

aditya 20:28

1) India Joins Rescue Ops For Missing Indonesian Submarine “KRI Nanggala-402”

•The Indian Navy has joined the rescue operation for an Indonesian submarine and its 53-person crew that went missing more than 4 days ago. Indonesia had sought assistance from India after its 44-year-old submarine, KRI Nanggala-402, went missing while conducting a torpedo drill north of the island of Bali. The Navy’s Deep-Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSVR) left from Visakhapatnam.

2) China names its first-ever Mars rover “Zhurong”

•China has named its first-ever Mars rover “Zhurong” after an ancient fire god ahead of a landing attempt on the Red Planet in May. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) revealed the name at the sixth China Space Day held in Nanjing. The Chinese name for Mars, “Huoxing,” literally means “fire star.”

•Zhurong was the most popular of 10 shortlisted names for a public vote that opened in January, and that choice was backed by an expert panel and the CNSA itself. The rover carries panoramic and multispectral cameras and instruments to analyze the composition of rocks. Zhurong will also investigate subsurface characteristics with ground-penetrating radar if all goes according to plan.

3) Goldman Sachs Downgrade India’s GDP Growth Forecast to 10.5% for FY22

•Wall Street brokerage, Goldman Sachs revised downward the GDP growth forecast of India for the fiscal year 2021-22 (FY22) to 10.5 per cent from the earlier estimate of 10.9 per cent. The downward revision is due to the increasing number of pandemic cases and a host of key states announcing stricter lockdowns, thus affecting economic activities.

4) A new book title “Living Mountain” by Amitav Ghosh

•“The Living Mountain” is a new story by Jnanpith winner and internationally renowned author Amitav Ghosh, written during the course of the pandemic. It is a fable for the current times: a cautionary tale of how humans have systematically exploited nature, leading to an environmental collapse.

•HarperCollins Publishers India will publish The Living Mountain as a special standalone edition in January 2022 under its prestigious Fourth Estate imprint. The book will also be published simultaneously in Hindi, and as an ebook and an audiobook.

5) Rafael Nadal clinches 12th Barcelona Open title

•Rafael Nadal beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 to win his 12th Barcelona Open title. It was Nadal’s 87th career title, and his 61st title on clay. This is the second tournament where Nadal has captured 12 or more titles. The 13-time Roland Garros champion will return to No. 2 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

6) Manchester City won League Cup football tournament

•Manchester City won the League Cup for a record-equalling fourth time in succession with a deserved victory over a disappointing Tottenham Hotspur side at Wembley. City’s victory equalled Liverpool’s achievement in the early 1980s of winning the competition four years in a row.

7) UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham leads global vaccination drive

•UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, David Beckham, is fronting a global initiative to inspire confidence in vaccines and encourage parents around the world to vaccinate their children against deadly diseases.

•In a powerful video released ahead of World Immunization Week, Beckham talks about the loss of everyday activities due to COVID-19, such as hugs with family, spending time with friends, and being with the people we love, and encourages parents to vaccinate themselves so that they can be safe.

The HINDU Notes – 27th April 2021

the hindu notes

aditya 12:54

📰 Unfair and dangerous: On vaccine inequity

Vaccine inequity will make containment measures more difficult

•In the midst of a raging second wave, which is touching new peaks each passing day, the Central government has abdicated its responsibility to ensure vaccine equity through free vaccination for the poor across all age groups. While State governments were never consulted or given prior notice about the change in vaccination policy, giving the two vaccine manufacturers a free hand to decide the price at which vaccines will be sold to State governments has made universal COVID-19 vaccination a difficult task to achieve. A large percentage of those aged 18-44 years does not have the resources to pay for vaccines and hence will fall through the cracks. So, the States will have to take a leading role in the free immunisation programme. While nearly two dozen States have already committed to vaccinate for free the target population, it remains to be seen if they use any criteria to identify the beneficiaries. Never before has universal immunisation of nearly 600 million people been left to State governments and the private sector while the Union government restricts itself to vaccinating for free just 300 million. With this precedent, States will probably be required to vaccinate children too, when vaccines become available, thus burdening them even further and thereby actively promoting vaccine inequity. If making States pay for vaccines is an ill-conceived idea, forcing them to shell out more than what the Union government pays for the same vaccines is a sure recipe for exacerbated vaccine inequity. With vaccination being the only safe way to end the pandemic, undertaking any exercise that leaves a large population unprotected will cost the country enormously in terms of lives and livelihoods.

•While the Union government has already allocated ₹35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccination in this Budget and also committed to provide further funds if required, it will spend less than ₹10,000 crore to vaccinate for free all above 45 years. While the sudden change in policy is therefore not due to lack of financial resources, the State governments, which have not factored in funds for vaccination, will now be required to garner funds for the same. There is hence a great compulsion to make pricing more transparent and allow States to collectively bargain for a lower price and assured timelines to receive supplies. The current policy, which has earmarked 50% supplies to State governments and private hospitals, takes the States and the companies to a completely uncharted territory leading to competition among States, and between State governments and private hospitals. Vaccine shortage from both manufacturers is likely to last a few months. The combination of policy pandemonium, profiteering by vaccine manufacturers in the thick of the pandemic and vaccine shortage is unlikely to result in a smooth roll-out of vaccines for the target group. This could lead to a dangerous situation where containment and mitigation measures become even more difficult.

📰 An idea on taxation that is worth a try

Ancient Indian History Class notes Pdf

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