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11th Aug Current Affairs News Analysis | Prelims & Mains 2020

Dear Aspirants
IASbhai 11th Aug Current Affairs News Analysis | Prelims & Mains 2020 is an initiative to dilute major articles from leading Newspapers in India which are most relevant to UPSC preparation –‘THE HINDU, LIVEMINT , INDIAN EXPRESS’ and help millions of readers who find difficulty in answer writing and making notes everyday. Hence we choose articles on daily basis and analyse them with respect to UPSC PRELIMS 2020.

“You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals.” –Booker T. Washington

HIGHLIGHT INFO:

ORANGE COLOUR: Important for Prelims.

RED COLOUR: Important for Mains.

BLACK COLOUR: Must Read !

BLUE COLOUR : Important Links/Survey.

PINK COLOUR: Reports/Themes/Summits.

Today's Must Read Articles : Today's Must Read Articles :

ELEPHANTS DAY

MAURITIUS : EMERGENCY

WORLD BIOFUEL DAY

IC IMPACTS

Long-term impact of the novel coronavirus

      HEADLINES:

Should we worry about the long-term impact of the novel coronavirus?

      WHY IN NEWS:

It is in the nature of a microbe to multiply and cause diseases.SARS-CoV-2 is doing exactly this.

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Health:Diseases

      ISSUE: 

Pathogens differ in their ability to affect multiple organs but they all invariably cause long-term effects

LONG TERM IMPACT

  • CONCERNS : While the immediate morbidity and mortality is a problem, long-term impacts on health has raised concerns as well.
  • EVIDENCE ACCUMULATED : The virus can cause large-scale damage to the lungs, pharynx, heart, liver, brain and kidneys.

EXAMPLE
The Zika virus was isolated from placental tissues, both male and female reproductive tissues, nerve cells and ocular tissues such as the cornea.

  • This is, however, not a norm and other viruses like the poliovirus target just the central nervous system.

MULTIPLE ORGANS FAILURE

  • Coronavirus can accumulate in multiple organs through the receptor or the proteins .
  • These proteins of the virus act as an entry point into the cell — are widely distributed in the body.

This protein is angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, an enzyme which has the primary function of lowering blood pressure.

  • These are very common on the cell membranes of lungs, arteries, heart, kidney and intestines.

This affinity of the virus to certain body tissues is called tropism.

  • It is also controlled by factors such as the presence of physical barriers, local temperature and pH, which is a measure of acidity or basicity.

EXAMPLES

  • RHINOVIRUSES : These multiply exclusively in the upper respiratory tract because they are adapted to multiply best at low temperature and pH.
  • ENTEROVIRUSES : These can multiply in the intestine because they resist inactivation by digestive enzymes, bile and acid.

The factors controlling tropism are difficult to regulate through external manipulation.

  • Once these reach a tissue, they can damage it in two ways.
  • Damage can be direct due to takeover of the host cell or indirect, due to processes such as inflammation and the host immune response.
  • Other than this, the extent of damage also depends on the mode of transport that the virus uses to spread in the body.
  • While many viruses move around the body through the blood and lymphatic circulatory system, others piggyback on the nervous system.
  • More debilitating diseases seem to be caused by viruses that use the nervous system.

RABIES

  • The rabies virus, for example, enters the body through the bite of a rabid dog.
  • The initial replication happens under the skin and muscle around the bite

The virus spreads through the axons and dendrites of the nerve cells and perineural cells around the nerve cells.

  • Even polio virus and herpes virus travel through this system.
  • The virus benefits by using this route as it is shielded from antibodies.
  • Many infections lead to lifelong damage to the body.

People complain of joint pain years after contracting chikungunya and dengue.

      IASbhai WINDUP: 

  • Damage is permanent as the cells in the central nervous system (CNS) take a lifetime to regenerate.
  • There is evidence that SARS-CoV-2 also moves around through the CNS.
  • This can explain symptoms like headache, sense of smell and altered mental status.
  • But as the virus is new, it is still not clear whether the virus can induce chronic damage to the CNS system.

The only silver lining is that understanding these mechanisms provide targets for developing drugs to treat these viral pathogens.

SUGGESTED READING : https://www.iasbhai.com/how-long-coronavirus-stays-inside-human-body/ 
     SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | 11th Aug Current Affairs News Analysis

Submarine cable connectivity to Andaman & Nicobar Islands (CANI)

      HEADLINES:

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launches submarine cable connectivity to Andaman & Nicobar Islands (CANI)

      WHY IN NEWS:

The Connectivity will boost the Opportunities in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands says Prime Minister

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: Ports

      CONTEXT: 

Promoting Ease of Business and simplifying Maritime Logistics is the focus of the Government

CABLE CONNECTIVITY TO ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS (CANI)

  • The foundation stone for this project was laid by the PM on 30th December 2018 at Port Blair.

Andman & Nicobar Islands is going to develop as the hub of Port Led Development.

  • Andaman & Nicobar Islands to be a major port hub for international maritime trade.

INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES

  • Submarine Cable will help A&N in getting cheaper & better connectivity and all the benefits of Digital India.
  •  Especially in improving online education, tele-medicine, banking system, online trading and in boosting tourism.

Indian Ocean has been the center of India’s trade and strategic prowess for thousands of years and that Andaman & Nicobar is an important centre for India’s Economic-Strategic Cooperation.

  • Islands of India would be playing an important role under India’s new trade strategy for  Indo-Pacific region.
  • The Act-East policy, the role of Andaman and Nicobar in India’s strong relations with East Asian countries will increase.
  • The Island Development Agency was formed 3 years ago to strengthen its role.

      IASbhai WINDUP: 

INTERNATIONAL MARITIME TRADE

  • Government’s focus is also on promoting Ease of Business in the sea and simplifying Maritime Logistics.
  • Speedy construction of the deep draft inner harbor and the proposal to construct TransShipment Port in Great Nicobar at an estimated cost of about Rs 10 thousand crores.

This would enable big ships to anchor and would increase India’s share in maritime trade.

  • Blue economy like Fisheries, Aquaculture and SeaWeed farming in the island will accelerate in commensurate with the modern infrastructure.
  • Andaman & Nicobar will be developed as an hub of Port Led Development as it is at a Competitive Distance from many ports of the World.

Government is committed to the speedy development of national security linked border areas and island states.

SUGGESTED READING : http://sagarmala.gov.in/project/port-modernization-new-port-development 
     SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | 11th Aug Current Affairs News Analysis

Mount Sinabung

      HEADLINES:

Mount Sinabung eruption in Indonesia sends smoke flying 5 km

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 1 : Volcanoes

      ISSUE: 

The Mount Sinabung volcano in Indonesia erupted on August 10, 2020 morning spouting ash at least 5,000 metres high into the sky.

MT SINABUNG

Sinabung is a typical stratovolcano in northern Sumatra.

  • The ash destroyed several nearby plantations.
  • Meanwhile, the villagers have been advised to stay five kilometres from the crater’s mouth.

Mount Sinabung erupted in 2010 after a 400-year-long hiatus and has been continuously active since September 2013.

  • Activity increased starting around April 2017, with a large ash eruption on August 2, 2017.
  • Additional activity, including ash plumes, were observed over the next several months.

      IASbhai WINDUP: 

The largest eruption of the year occurred during the last week of December and continued into early 2018.

SUGGESTED READING : https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/sinabung.html 
     SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | 5th Aug Current Affairs News Analysis 

UGC says States can’t cancel exams

      HEADLINES:

UGC says States can’t cancel exams

      WHY IN NEWS:

Delhi, Maharashtra cannot take the decision on their own, Solicitor-General tells SC

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: Education

      ISSUE: 

In a fix: The UGC is strongly advocating the conduct of the final year examinations by September 30.

  • The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Monday strongly objected to the Maharashtra and Delhi governments employing the Disaster Management Act to cancel the examinations of students amid the COVID-19 pandemic, saying “sooner this issue is resolved, the better for the students”.
  • Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta said the conduct of examinations was entirely within the domain of the UGC, a statutory body.
  • The court decided to hear detailed arguments on Friday.

      IASbhai WINDUP: 

REVISED GUIDELINES

‘UGC Guidelines on Examinations and Academic Calendar for Universities in view of COVID-19 Pandemic’ was revised on July 6 in consultation with the Prof. K.C. Kuhad expert committee.

  • The revised guidelines offered students the choice to opt for offline (pen and paper) mode of taking examinations.
  • This gave students to opt for Online exclusively or the “blended” manner in which students could alternate between online and physical modes of attending the exams.
  • Besides, universities could conduct special examinations for students later on as and when feasible “so that a student is not put to any inconvenience or disadvantage”.
     SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | 11th Aug Current Affairs News Analysis

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