11th Aug Current Affairs News Analysis | Prelims & Mains 2020
“You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals.” –Booker T. Washington
Page Contents:
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:
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.
- 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.
- These are very common on the cell membranes of lungs, arteries, heart, kidney and intestines.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
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.
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:
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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:
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.
- 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.
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:
- 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
- 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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