CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC | The Hindu | PRELIMS 2020 | 8th April 2020

IASbhai DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC (THE HINDU+LIVEMINT+PIB)

Dear Aspirants
IASbhai Daily Current Affairs for UPSC 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 PRELIMS2020.

There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits.– Michael Phelps

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.

Page Contents:

Swasth ke Sipahi

HEADLINES:

Swasth ke Sipahi deliverying essential services and medicines at doorstep of patients and elderly under Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP)

MINISTRY? :-Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Schemes

LEARNING:

For PRELIMS it is important to understand this initiative and the role of generic medicine.

ISSUE:

Pharmacists, popularly known as “Swasth ke Sipahi”, of Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendra , are deliverying essential services and medicines at doorstep of patients and elderly under Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) of the Government of India.

PRADHAN MANTRI JAN AUSHADHI KENDRAS (PMJAK)

Working as part of Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendras (PMJAK), they are extending essential services by making available quality generic medicines at affordable prices to the common People of the country and the elderly persons at their doorstep to fight Corona pandemic.

IMPLEMENTED BY :

PMJKs are being run by Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India(BPPI) under Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India with an objective of providing quality and affordable healthcare to anyone in need.
Presently, more than 6300 PMJAKs are functioning across the nation, covering 726 districts of the country.

FEATURES:

All PMJAKs are playing a key role in ensuring availability of essential medicines and delivering them at their doorstep.
As informed by BPPI, recently, one of their “Swasth ke Sipahi” shared his experience.
One central warehouse in Gurugram, two regional warehouses at Guwahati and Chennai and around 50 distributors are working towards ensuring a surplus supply of the medicines to all the kendras, across the country.
In order to control the supplies of the medicines, set up a strong SAP based end to end point of sales software to avoid any stockout situation.

Mobile application “Jan Aushadhi Sugam” is also available for common public to locate their nearest kendra and availability of medicines with its price.

IASbhai WINDUP:

In the lockdown period, Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) is generating awareness through informational posts on their social media platforms, to help people protect themselves from Coronavirus.

SOURCES:THE HINDU/DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC CSE Prelims & Mains

“Samadhan”

HEADLINES:

Ministry of Human Resources Development launches “Samadhan” a challenge to fight against covid19 and future challenges

WHY IN NEWS:

Applications to participate in this competition will start from 7 April 2020.

MINISTRY? :-Ministry of Human Resource Development

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Health:Diseases

LEARNING:

For PRELIMS note down the important aspects about Samadhan challenge.

For MAINS does this initiative cover disaster management and all other relevant issue ? How such competitions can help India discover its true potential?

ISSUE:

The Innovation Cell of the Ministry of Human Resources Development and All India Council for Technical Education in collaboration with Forge and InnovatioCuris launched a mega online challenge – SAMADHAN – to test the ability of students to innovate.

“SAMADHAN” CHALLENGE

The students participating in this challenge will search and develop such measures that can be made available to the government agencies, health services, hospitals and other services for quick solutions to the Coronavirus epidemic and other such calamities.
“Samadhan” challenge, work will be done to make citizens aware, to motivate them, to face any challenge, to prevent any crisis and to help people get livelihood.
Under the “Samadhan” challenge, the students and faculty will be motivated for doing new experiments and new discoveries and provide them with a strong base leading to spirit of experimentation and discovery.

IASbhai WINDUP:

The success of this program depends on how effective are the ideas of participating contestants with ability to find solutions, technically and commercially, which in turn will help fight the epidemic like coronavirus.

SOURCES:THE HINDU/DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC CSE Prelims & Mains

Ban on export of hydroxychloroquine

HEADLINES:

India lifts ban on export of hydroxychloroquine

WHY IN NEWS:

Move comes hours after Trump warned of ‘retaliation’.The MEA announcement came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said that India could invite “retaliation” if it withheld supplies of HCQ, for which the U.S., Brazil and other countries have already placed advance orders.

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Drugs

LEARNING:

For PRELIMS it is important to understand the importance of this drug.

For MAINS is this act a retaliation to superpower ? How will this effect India – US relationship ,

ISSUE:

India on Tuesday announced that it had rescinded its earlier ban on the export of malaria drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), which is now being used in countries such as the U.S. as a possible line of treatment for COVID-19.

HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE

Hydroxychloroquine oral tablet is available as a brand-name drug and a generic drug. Brand name: Plaquenil.
Hydroxychloroquine comes only as a tablet you take by mouth.
Hydroxychloroquine is used to treat malaria, lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis.

SIDE EFFECTS:

headache
dizziness
diarrhea
stomach cramps
vomiting

The ICMR’s approval followed a recommendation :

“The recommendation is for empirical use of the drug based on available evidence and is restricted for use by only two categories of people and under strict supervision of a doctor,” .
Drug approving agencies across the world, including the FDA, has cleared the drug for prophylaxis or for treating COVID-19 patients.
The available evidence of the efficacy of the drug is a small study by French researchers involving 26 COVID-19 patients.

A study found at [wc_highlight color=”yellow” class=””] “significant” reduction in viral load in over half the number of patients[/wc_highlight] end of six days of therapy.

IASbhai WINDUP:

Reporters in a separate briefing that the U.S. already had a national stockpile of about 29 million capsules of HCQ.

“In view of the humanitarian aspects of the pandemic, it has been decided that India would licence paracetamol and HCQ in appropriate quantities to all our neighbouring countries who are dependent on our capabilities.

SOURCES:THE HINDU/PIB/DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC CSE Prelims & Mains

‘Ujala Samoohs’

HEADLINES:

Women’s groups assist vulnerable households in Udaipur

WHY IN NEWS:

‘Ujala Samoohs’ in 15 panchayats are also fighting fake news and misinformation about COVID-19

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 1:2:3:Women empowerment:Gram Panchayat: Fake News

ISSUE:

With local panchayat functionaries busy grappling with the consequences of the nationwide lockdown, a cluster of women’s groups in Udaipur district’s Salumbar block have started an initiative to help the most vulnerable households and to fight fake news and misinformation about the COVID-19.

A women’s group in Rajasthan’s Udaipur district holds a meeting to help families during the COVID-19 lockdown.Special

They have also gathered authentic information about the government’s various welfare schemes.
Ujala Samoohs, working as women’s solidarity groups, have come together in 15 village panchayats of the tribal-dominated Salumbar block to help manage the pandemic and ensure that vulnerable families, which may have been left out of the schemes, receive their benefits during the present crisis.
Besides, they have spread awareness about methods to stay safe and prevent infection.
Udaipur-based Ajeevika Bureau, working among the communities dependent on migration and labour, has supported the initiative to enable the women in the region to assert their citizenship rights.
Through a number of activities, including connecting with Sarpanches on social media groups, the Ujala Samooh members have gathered information on the availability of assistance and benefits under the government’s schemes to keep everyone informed in the villages.
As the groups have been active in the block for the last nine years, their network in about 160 villages has helped them reach out to the vulnerable families.

IASbhai WINDUP:

Ujala Samooh leader Narni Bai prepared a list of vulnerable households, including those comprising the landless poor and those headed by single women, because the panchayat had missed her hamlet when listing out households for free rations.