Climate Events and an umbrella for Urban Health

The Monsoon season in India has led to large scale devastation with events of Cyclonic storm Biparjoy, floods in the state of Assam and heavy rain led damages in parts of North India. But the climate events also pose a challenge of common water and Vector-borne diseases especially in the Urban centres.

Disease Vulnerability in the urban areas:

• Less developed parts of the urban areas are more vulnerable
  • Less developed parts of the urban areas such as slums and urban settlement colonies are the most vulnerable groups of extreme climate events.
• Vulnerability to Malaria
  • Households with poor socio-economic indicators are more vulnerable to Malaria.
  • Households from climatically high and moderately-high vulnerable states are at a greater risk of suffering from Malaria.

Rebuilding the health system is a way out:

1. A Resilient Health system

• The Urban Primary healthcare system has to be rebuilt to ensure resilience, with a focus on vulnerable population in the Urban slums and peri-urban areas.
  • A resilient health system capable of responding to emergency situations and adapt to changing public health needs has to be formed.

2. Greater Public Investment
   • Greater public investment in primary care systems of urban centres can help vulnerable sections to handle climate shocks effectively.
   • Revitalising the Urban local bodies for revenue generation can support the efforts of National Urban Health Mission (NUHM), as large part of preventive and public health functions are the responsibilities of the Urban Local Bodies.
   • A special fund from statutory organisations such as Finance Commission to build a resilient ecosystem in vulnerable urban areas will be essential to address the urban health problems.
3. Strengthening of Surveillance and information systems
   • The realm of Surveillance and information systems such as Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme needs to be universalised, strengthened and comprehensive to enable,
     1. Greater cooperation and cooperation during emergencies
     2. Knowledge and data sharing
     3. Preventive and curative functions
     4. Treatment practices
     5. Regulation of rates and standards.
4. Adequately skilled workforce
   • Comprehensive health system approach with integration of front-line workers across various disease management programmes.
   • The shortage of adequately trained workforce in health and allied areas has to be met with immediately.
5. Climate change inclusive models
   • The planning and management of healthcare systems should incorporate the idea that climate-change led events will be more intense and frequent in the future.

Link: Climate events and an umbrella for urban health - The Hindu

Learning from the CHIPS Act of the US

Why in the news?

The United States’s Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors and Science (CHIPS) Act, 2022 which aims to strengthen its semiconductor industry, has completed one year as a law.

What are the Provisions of the law and what lessons can India learn from it?

About:

India’s Semiconductor Industry:

Potential of Indian Semiconductor Industry:

1. The Electronic Manufacturing sector has grown from $30 billion to over $100 billion.
2. India has more than 200 mobile manufacturing units.
3. Domestic semiconductor consumption is expected to reach $80 billion by 2026.

Facilitating factors for the growth of the industry:

India’s Semiconductor Mission:

1. 1. Under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
   2. To make India as a global hub for electronics, chip manufacturing and design.
   3. Launched as part of ‘Make in India’ Initiative.
   4. The mission proposes a $10 billion incentive plan with a fiscal outlay of up to 50% of a project’s cost to display and semiconductor fabricators.
   5. Four Schemes under the Mission
      1. Semiconductor Fab Scheme – A fiscal support of up to % of project cost on projects appraised by the Expenditure Finance Committee.
      2. Display Fab Scheme - A fiscal support of up to % of project cost on projects appraised by the Expenditure Finance Committee.
      3. Semiconductor and Semiconductor ATMP - fiscal support of 50% of capital expenditure to Compound Semiconductors / Silicon Photonics / Sensors (including MEMS) Fabs and Semiconductor Packaging (ATMP / OSAT) units.
      4. Design Linked Incentive Scheme - offer financial incentives and design infrastructure support across various stages of development and deployment of semiconductor design(s) for Integrated Circuits (ICs), Chipsets, System on Chips (SoCs), Systems & IP Cores and semiconductor linked design(s) over a period of 5 years.

Link: Learning from the CHIPS Act of the U.S.   - The Hindu

India’s Ballistic Missile Mission

Ballistic missile:

A ballistic missile is rocket-propelled self-guided strategic weapon system that follows a ballistic trajectory to deliver a payload from its launch site to a predetermined target.

A Ballistic Missile Trajectory

India’s Ballistic Missile Mission:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. The inter-continental Ballistic missile (ICBM) with a range >5500km designed for nuclear weapon delivery (thermonuclear warheads).
                     1. Agni-V à land based nuclear capable ICBM with range of 7000km and a payload capacity of ~1500 kg; speed of Mach 24 (29,401 kmph)
                  2. Ground based nuclear weapons programme consists of 4 operational ballistic missile systems and ~70 warheads.
                     1. Prithvi-II missiles à short range of 250km and Road mobile missile.
                     2. Agni-I à short range of 700km and Road & Rail mobile missile.
                  3. India is a part of the nuclear triad club à the 3-pronged military force structure consisting of
                     1. Land launched Nuclear missiles
                     2. Nuclear missile armed Submarines
                     3. Strategic Aircraft carrying nuclear bombs and missiles.
                  4. Multi-layered Ballistic missile defence system to protect from attacks.
                     1. Prithvi Air Defence System
                        1. An anti-ballistic missile developed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere.
                        2. A 2-stage missile capable of intercepting at a maximum altitude of 80km
                        3. Can engage 3000km-class of ballistic missiles at Mach 5.
                     2. Navy’s INS Dhruv can act as an early warning system to protect from enemy missiles aimed at urban areas and military instalments.

Link: How it works: India’s ballistic missile mission- The New Indian Express

The State of Elementary education In Rural India Report, 2023

Why in the News?

The State of Elementary education In Rural India Report, 2023 was released based on a pan-India survey conducted by the Development intelligence Unit (DIU) which highlights the usage of smartphones among students.

Findings of the Report:

1. More children used smartphones for entertainment rather than for education purposes.
   • 49.3% of students have access to smartphones in rural India.
   • Of these students having access to gadgets, 76% of students used it to play video games.
   • Other entertainment use by the students included downloading and watching movies and listening music.
2. Low usage of smartphones for studies
   • 34% use gadgets for downloading study material
   • 18% accessed online learning through tutorials.

3. Drop-out of students:
   • 36% of the survey’s girl students dropped out from schools due to the following students
     1. To help out with the family’s earnings
     2. Child’s lack of interest in studies
     3. Daughters had to take care of household chores and siblings
   • Drop out among boys were also prevalent dur to the reason of lack of interest in studies.
   • Drop out among both boys and girls were greater after completion of Primary Education (75% for boys and 65% for girls).
4. Parents’ participation in their children’s studies:
   • Only 40% of parents had daily conversation about learnings in school with their children
   • 32% of parents had a conversation about studies in school few days in a week
   • 80% of the parents wanted their children to become graduates or attend higher degrees.

• • 84% of the parents attended the parents-teachers meet regularly.
  • Reasons cited for sending their children to school

Recommendations cited by the report:

1. Early childhood care and education has to be emphasized.
2. Education in local languages has to be encouraged
3. There needs to be a greater involvement of women in the development sector programmes.

Other Recommendations:

1. World Health Organization:
   1. The screen time of young children should not exceed two hours per day.
   2. Adolescents should use digital devices under strict parental supervision.
   3. Parents and relatives of children have the onus of monitoring and limiting the use of digital devices.
2. Land in communities need to identified as playground for children to involve them in physical games and sports
   1. Mobile games impact the health of children
   2. Obesity and cognitive impairment in children is a serious concern with the sedentary lifestyle.
3. Parents shall use smartphone features like “Digital wellbeing and parental control” to limit the hours of surfing and filter content in smartphones.
4. Parents should restrict themselves from high screen media use to interact with children more effectively.
5. Awareness programs to educate children about cybercrime, cyber bullying and internet safety rules can be conducted in schools.
6. More internet de-addiction centres need to be established akin to AIIMS Behavioural Addiction clinic that interacts with school and college students to create awareness.

Link: More students using smartphones for entertainment than study: survey - The Hindu

Tuberculosis

Why in the News?

A large trial involving ~2800 people conducted in India has revealed that nutritional support plays a key role in cutting down tuberculosis (TB) disease rate and mortality reduction in TB infected patients.

TB and Nutritional deficit:

1. Severe undernutrition is one of the contributing causes of deaths in TB patients.
2. Undernutrition as a risk factor accounts for over 40% of new TB cases every year.

Key highlights of the study:

1. Nutritional support led to 39% reduction in all forms TB disease (pulmonary and extra-pulmonary) and 48% reduction in microbiologically confirmed pulmonary TB.
2. Early weight gain in the first two months was associated with 60% lower risk of TB mortality.
3. Treatment w successful in 94% of TB patients and only 4% of mortality was reported during the trial period.

About:

Tuberculosis:

1. An infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that commonly affect the lungs.
2. Mode of transmission: A communicable disease transmitted from person to person via droplets from the throat and lungs of people with the active respiratory disease.
3. Tuberculosis is preventable and curable.
4. Those who are infected but not (yet) ill with the disease cannot transmit it.
5. TB disease is usually treated with antibiotics and can be fatal without treatment.
6. Symptoms: prolonged cough, chest pain, weakness, fatigue, weight loss, fever and night sweats.

Incidence if TB cases globally and in India:

1. Global TB Report 2021: The estimated mortality rate among all forms of TB was 37 per 100,000 population in 2020.
2. India has the highest burden of TB with two deaths occuring every three minutes from tuberculosis (TB).
3. TB is the 13th leading cause of death and the second leading infectious killer after COVID-19 (above HIV and AIDS).
4. The Covid-19 pandemic led to setbacks in the fight against TB in decades of gain achieved.
5. Of the total number of people who develop TB each year, about 90% are adults, with more cases among men than women

Efforts taken so far:

1. National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP)
   • Free of cost laboratory services to patients attending public health facilities and those referred from the private sector.
   • Special campaign to identify Active Case finding among risk groups: diabetes, chronic kidney and liver disease, patients on immuno-suppressants, etc.,

1. • Adoption and adaptation of newer drugs and treatment modalities for TB control.
     • • For instance, an injection-free treatment regimen for Drug-sensitive TB has been implemented across the country.
   • Decentralised TB services to the Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWC) to offer last-mile service delivery to TB patients.
   • Access to drugs including newer drugs to patients seeking care in the private sector has been given for free.
2. National Strategic Plan for Elimination of Tuberculosis (NSP 2017- 25)
   • Four critical pillars of NSP 2017-25 includes
     1. Detect
     2. Treat
     3. Prevent – implementation of TB Preventive therapy to all household contacts.
     4. Build

3. 18 States have committed to Ending TB by 2025 by formally implementing
   • State-specific Strategic Plans and
   • District-specific Strategic Plan
4. TB comorbidities handling:

1. Malnutrition
   1. Nutrition-TB App (N-TB App):
      1. Under Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD).
      2. facilitates the implementation of the technical aspects of the nutritional assessment and appropriate supplementation
2. Tobacco smoking and alcohol
   1. Support through de-addiction centres
   2. Social Support systems to people struggling with alcoholism.
3. HIV
   1. Provider Initiated Testing and Counselling (PITC) initiative for early detection of HIV among presumptive TB patients.
   2. Single-window TB and HIV services implementation

5. TB Aarogya Sathi application
   • For people with TB with multi-language support
   • TB screening tool
   • Self-reporting bank account and treatment adherence feature.

Link: Trial done in India shows nutrition support prevents TB, related deaths - The Hindu

Ancient Civilisation unearthed at Keeladi

Why in the News?

A weighing unit made of quartz crystal has been unearthed for the first time in Keeladi excavation site in Tamil Nadu.

Keeladi excavation Site:

1. Keezhadi/ Keeladi is a village in Sivagangai district, 12 km southeast of Madurai in Tamil Nadu.
2. The region is being unearthed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department (TNAD).
3. Five phases of excavation in the site have revealed that the antiquities unearthed here could date from the 5th century BCE to the 3rd century CE.
4. The evidences unearthed also establishes the existence of an urban settlement of Sangam Age on the banks of the river Vaigai at Keeladi.
5. The ancient towns of Kondagai and Manalur are also said to be associated with this region.

Findings:

1. Existence of a Tamil civilisation that had trade links with other regions in the country and abroad.

For instance, an orange carnelian bead engraved with the image of a wild boar was unearthed. Carnelian stones are not found in Tamil Nadu but only in North-western parts of India, which reflects a possible ancient north-south trade link.

2. The archaeological evidences provide significant corelation to the Sangam Literature’s descriptions by Tamil poets.
3. The findings have estimated that Sangam era could have commenced much earlier to the current assumption of 300 BC.
4. The Tamil-Brahmi scripts have been pushed to date around 6^th century BCE instead of the assumed 5^th century BCE.
5. Th artefacts found could date as far as 580 BCE or 2600 years ago. The artefacts unearthed includes,
   • Brick structures
   • Terracotta ring wells
   • Fallen roofing with tiles
   • Golden ornaments
   • Broken parts of copper objects
   • Iron implements
   • Terracotta chess pieces
   • Ear ornaments
   • Spindle whorls
   • Figurines
   • Black and red pottery ware
   • Few pieces of arretine ware
   • Beads made of glass, terracotta and semi-precious stones. 
6. Potters of Keeladi were aware of the technique of
   • Using carbon material for black colour and hematite for red
   • Raising the kiln temperature to 1100°c
7. The letters engraved in pottery reflect the high level of literacy of the society in 6^th century BCE and show a close resemblance to Indus valley signs.

8. Absence of coins represents the existence of population dependent in the Barter system.
9. The Keeladi civilisation had enough surplus to spend on precious adornment, industry and leisure/ fun.

10. No signs of religious worship have been found.
11. Water-management infrastructure with three kinds of channels for transporting different qualities of water:
    • Sewage
    • Industrial waste
    • Fresh water

Link: Crystal quartz weighing unit found in Tamil Nadu's Keeladi (msn.com)

Cyber and Malware attacks in India

Why in the News?

With increasing incidents of cyber and malware attacks on critical infrastructure across the country, the Defence ministry has decided to replace the Microsoft Operating system (OS) with a locally built OS Maya.

Maya Operating system:

1. 1. 1. 1. A new locally developed OS based on a free, open-source software called Ubuntu.
         2. The Maya OS has been developed by the Defence Ministry in a period of 6 months with the co-ordination of various govt agencies that includes
            • Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
            • The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
            • The National Informatics Centre (NIC).
         3. The idea of Maya OS was envisioned in 2021 after India faced several cyberattacks in its critical infrastructure and defence systems.
         4. Main advantages of Maya OS:
            • Similar interface and functionality as that of Windows enabling ease of user adaptability.
            • Chakravyuk feature:  An end-point anti-malware and anti-virus software that creates a virtual layer between the user and the internet potentially blocking hackers from accessing sensitive data.
            • Ubuntu offers a high-level of security as it has very few malwares exploits and vulnerabilities compared to Windows.
            • Ubuntu offers built-in firewall, a strict user permission system and regular security updates that help protect it from potential threats.
         5. Maya OS will be rolled out in the South block before August 15 and the remaining computer systems should be upgraded to Maya OS by the end of the year.

Rationale behind the introduction of Maya OS:

1. India has become one of the most attacked and breached countries in the world.
2. Among the 829 million cyber-attacks detected and blocked globally by a firm, close to 59% were directed towards India in 2022.
3. Involvement of state actors in carrying out cyberattacks has been a recent trend. For instance, the AIIMS cyberattack was traced to Chinese links.
4. Threat actors are continuing to modernise their attack tool kits with high impact strategies thus leading to higher probability of monetization and further rise in attack campaigns.

About:

Cyber threats and Malware attacks in India:

A cyber attack is an attempt by cybercriminals, hackers or other digital adversaries to access a computer network or system, usually for the purpose of altering, stealing, destroying or exposing information

Types of Cyber-attacks:

1. Malware
   • Software programs designed to damage or do unwanted actions on a computer.
   • They include viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware and ransomware.
2. Phishing
   • Attacks sent via mail and ask users to click on a link and enter their personal data
   • They include a link that directs the user to a dummy site that will steal a user’s information
3. Password attacks
   • Involves a third party trying to gain access to your systems by solving a user’s password.
4. Denial of service attacks
   • Attackers send high volumes of data or traffic through the network until the network becomes overloaded and can no longer function.
5. Man in the Middle (MITM)
   • Information is obtained from the end user and the entity the user is communicating with by impersonating the end points in an online information exchange (i.e., connection from smartphone to website).
6. Drive-by downloads
   • A program is downloaded to a user’s system just by visiting the site.
   • It doesn’t require any type of action by the user to download.

Major sectors affected:

Recent cyberattacks and security breaches in India:

1. All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) platform came under cyberattacks using ransomware for 2 times in 2023.
2. The ransomware attacks on Oil India Limited and Spice Jet servers in 2022
3. The Mumbai Power Grid outage in 2020
4. Cyberattack on Kudankulum Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) in 2019.

Steps taken by Government to counter Cyberattacks in India:

1. National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) functions to protect the critical information infrastructure in the country.
2. Mandatory reporting of cyber security incidents by all organisations providing digital services.
3. Cyber Swachhta Kendra (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre)- provides for detection of malicious programmes and free tools to remove such programmes.
4. Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) provide for securing applications, infrastructure and compliance.
5. Crisis Management Plan for countering cyber-attacks and cyber terrorism.
6. Conducting cyber security mock drills and exercises regularly in Government and critical sectors.

Link: India Defence Ministry to replace Microsoft OS with Maya - The Hindu

Assam Rifles

The Manipur police has registered a Criminal case against the Assam Rifles on the charges of ‘arrogant act’ of letting the accused Kuki militants to escape freely to a safe zone, ‘obstruction of duty’ and ‘criminal intimidation’ in the ongoing Manipur violence.

1. History of Assam Rifles:
   1. The Assam Rifles (AR) is the oldest paramilitary force in the country.
   2. Formed in 1835 as a militia called the ‘cachar levy’ primarily to protect British Tea estates and their settlements against tribal raids.
   3. The force consisting of 3000 men were sent to Europe and middle East to fight a Great War as a part of the Rifle regiments of the British Army and thus later named as Assam Rifles.
   4. Assam Rifles has grown substantially over the years from 17 battalions in 1960 to 46 battalions at present.
2. Operations carried out by Assam Rifles:
   1. It is a region-specific force with its operational role in the North East to counter insurgency but has also been deployed in other areas in the past:
      1. combat role during Sino-India War 1962
      2. operating in foreign land as part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF)
      3. Deployment in Sri Lanka in 1987 (Op Pawan)
3. Roles and tasks of ARs include:
   1. Conduct counter insurgency operations under the control of the army in the North east and other areas where deemed necessary.
   2. Ensure the security of the Indo-China and Indo-Myanmar borders during peace and ‘proxy war’ situations.
   3. Act as penultimate interventionist force of the central government in internal security situation or when the situation goes beyond the control of central paramilitary operations, under the control of army.

Link: Manipur Police register criminal case against Assam Rifles - The Hindu

No-Confidence Motion

1. Article 75 of the Constitution - Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.
2. This means that the ministry stays in office as long as it enjoys the confidence of the lower house.
3. This effectively gives power to the Lok Sabha to remove the ministry from the office by passing No-confidence motion.
4. Therefore, it has been used as a tool for ascertaining the confidence of Lok Sabha in the council of ministers by proving their majority on the floor of the House.
5. Lately, it has been used as a tool by the opposition to force the ruling party into a discussion in the House on significant issues.
6. The term 'No-confidence' Motion is not mentioned in the Constitution of India but mentioned in the Rules of Lok Sabha (Rule 198).
7. Any member of the Lok Sabha can move the no-trust motion, provided it has the support of at least 50 members of the House
8. The motion can be moved only in the Lok Sabha and not in Rajya Sabha.

Link: No-confidence motion a sign of mistrust within INDIA bloc: PM Modi - The Hindu

G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group

1. The Action Plan is guided by the political declaration of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGASS) against corruption.
2. The ACWG focuses on promotion of international cooperation in the areas of
   1. Asset recovery
   2. Law enforcement cooperation
   3. Information-sharing
   4. Technology
   5. Denial of safe haven/entry
3. The ACWG also seeks to continue building its cooperation and engagement with relevant international organizations and bodies, in particular UNODC, OECD, FATF, WB and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
4. The WG also commits to effectively implement the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) as the most comprehensive legally binding universal instrument to prevent and combat corruption.
5. Substantive priorities included in the ACWG:
   1. Public sector transparency, integrity and accountability
      1. Strengthen transparency, open data and good governance, including in public procurement and the management of public finances.
      2. Establishment or reinforcement of protection frameworks for witnesses and whistle-blowers.
   2. Private sector transparency, integrity and accountability, anti-money laundering and beneficial ownership transparency
      1. Promote good practices in business integrity
      2. Anti-corruption ethics and compliance programmes
      3. Address the misuse of legal persons and arrangements such as shell companies for corruption
      4. Promote regulatory and supervisory regimes for banks and non-bank financial institutions
   3. International cooperation, denial of safe haven and asset recovery
      1. exchange good practices on legislation, cross-border information-sharing and operational procedures between nations.
      2. Implement anti-corruption safeguards in investment immigration policies to prevent corrupt actors seeking safe haven.