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Newspaper Terms Simplified for IAS Prelims

Part 3

1.      ALMA telescope

Introduction

ALMA is an international astronomy facility, and is a partnership between the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the National Science Foundation (NSF) of the United States and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan in collaboration with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is used to observe light from space in millimetric and submillimetric wavelengths.

Relevance to Astrobiology

ALMA is being used to study planetary systems that orbit distant stars.

Millimeter/submillimeter-wave observations can aid the search for extrasolar planets in many ways. Such observations can provide much higher resolving power (ability to see fine detail) than current optical or infrared telescopes.

At millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths, the difference in brightness between a planet and the star it orbits can also be less, making the planet easier to observe. ALMA observations can also be used to gather data about worlds inside our solar system, such as Saturn’s moon Titan.

NASA Astrobiology Involvement

Scientific results from ALMA are helping exoplanet researchers determine the types and locations of systems that could support habitable planets. ALMA has also provided valuable information about worlds closer to home, including Saturn’s moon Titan.

Why is ALMA located in Chile’s Atacama Desert?

ALMA is situated at an altitude of 16,570 feet (5,050 metres) above sea level on the Chajnantor plateau in Chile’s Atacama Desert as the millimetre and submillimetre waves observed by it are very susceptible to atmospheric water vapour absorption on Earth. Moreover, the desert is the driest place in the world, meaning most of the nights here are clear of clouds and free of light-distorting moisture — making it a perfect location for examining the universe.

What are some of the notable discoveries made by ALMA?

·   With ALMA’s capability of capturing high-resolution images of gas and dust from which stars and planets are formed and materials that could be building blocks of life, scientists are trying to find answers to age-old questions of our cosmic origins.

·   One of the earliest findings came in 2013 when it discovered starburst galaxies earlier in the universe’s history than they were previously thought to have existed. “These newly discovered galaxies represent what today’s most massive galaxies looked like in their energetic, star-forming youth”, NRAO said in a statement.

·   Next year, ALMA provided detailed images of the protoplanetary disc surrounding HL Tauri — a very young T Tauri star in the constellation Taurus, approximately 450 light years from Earth — and “transformed the previously accepted theories about the planetary formation”, ESO said.

·   In 2015, the telescope helped scientists observe a phenomenon known as the Einstein ring, which occurs when light from a galaxy or star passes by a massive object en route to the Earth, in extraordinary detail.

·     More recently, as part of the Event Horizon Telescope project, a large telescope array consisting of a global network of radio telescopes, it provided the first image of the supermassive black hole at the centre of our own Milky Way galaxy. The image was unveiled by scientists in May 2022.

2.      Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan

Objectives

·         Provide additional patient support to improve treatment outcomes of TB patients

·         Augment community involvement in meeting India’s commitment to end TB by 2025

·         Leverage Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities

Scope

®      The Ni-kshay Mitra shall provide additional support to all the on-treatment TB patients who have given consent for support, in the selected health facilities /blocks/urban wards/districts/states.

®      Only individual Ni-kshay Mitra can choose patients from a given health facility. The other Ni-kshay Mitras have to choose the entire geographical unit (blocks/urban wards/districts/states).

®      The type of additional assistance that may be provided by the Ni-kshay Mitra to on-treatment TB patients who have given consent for support shall include the following:

o    Nutritional support

o    Additional investigations for the diagnosed TB patients

o    Vocational support

o    Additional nutritional supplements

®      The minimum period of commitment for providing additional support to the TB patient shall be one year.

Expected Output

®      This initiative will increase the active involvement of society in the fight against tuberculosis.

®      This activity aims at increasing awareness among the public regarding tuberculosis.

®      Involvement of the community in supporting the treatment cascade shall also help in the reduction of stigma.

®      Provision of additional support to the TB patient shall also result in the reduction of the out-of-pocket expenditure for the family of the TB patient.

®      Ultimately improved nutrition for the TB patient shall result in better treatment outcomes.

Indian Initiatives to Eliminate TB

®    National TB Elimination Programme - It provides, various free of cost, quality tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment services across the country through the government health system.

®    The Nikshay Ecosystem - It is the National TB information system which is a one-stop solution to manage information of patients and monitor program activity and performance throughout the country.

®    Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) - It aimed at providing financial support to TB patients for their nutrition.

®    TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign - Launched in 2019, it is showcasing the highest level of commitment for the elimination of TB.

®    The Saksham Project - It is a project of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) that has been providing psycho-social counselling to DR-TB patients.

®    Joint Effort for Elimination of Tuberculosis (JEET) - It is the largest private health sector engagement initiative for TB. The Government of India has partnered with the Global Fund to launch JEET.

3.      Non communicable diseases

About Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)

·    NCDs, also known as chronic diseases, tend to be of long duration and are the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behaviours factors.

·    NCDs are not transmitted from person to person. These diseases persist for a long time and are generally slow to progress.

·   NCDs often affect people during their most productive years. When individuals with NCDs face tremendous healthcare costs and a restricted ability to work, households struggle with increased financial risk.

·   Covid-19 highlighted the links between NCDs and infectious disease, with serious impacts on NCD care. In the early months of the pandemic, 75 percent of countries reported disruption to essential NCD services.

Measures taken by India to prevent NCDs

·   National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS).

·   Preventive aspect of NCDs is strengthened under Comprehensive Primary Health Care through Ayushman Bharat Health Wellness Centre scheme.

·   Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has banned sales and advertisements of junk foods in school canteens and within 50 metres around school campuses.

·    FSSAI has launched ‘Eat Right India’ movement to improve public health and combat negative nutritional trends to fight lifestyle diseases. It also launched a mass media campaign ‘Heart Attack Rewind’ for the elimination of industrially produced trans-fat in the food supply.

·    Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana helps to reduce indoor air pollution.

·    In response to WHO’s Global action plan for the prevention and control of NCDs 2013-2020, India is the first country to develop specific national targets to reduce number of global premature deaths from NCDs by 25% by 2025.

·    Promotion of an active life through activities like Yoga which can address the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

4.      Zombie Ice at Greenland

·    Zombie ice, also known as doomed ice, is the one that continues to be a segment of the parent ice sheet but does not accumulate fresh snow. This type of ice is prone to melting and raising sea levels.

·    It means that solidification of ice is not happening, thus leading to melting of ice.

·    According to the UN Atlas of the Oceans, 8 of the world’s 10 largest cities are near a coast. Rising sea levels will make flooding, high tides and storms more frequent and worse as their impact will reach more inland. This, in turn, means a threat to local economies and infrastructure. Also, low lying coastal areas will take a harder hit.

·    The World Economic Forum’s 2019 Global Risks Report noted that “already an estimated 800 million people in more than 570 coastal cities are vulnerable to a sea-level rise of 0.5 metres by 2050.

5.      Climate Reparations

·   It refers to a call for money to be paid by the Global North to the Global South as a means of addressing the historical contributions that the Global North has made toward climate change.

·   It is also about the need for acknowledgment and accountability for the loss of land and culture and how that has affected the Global South.

·   A country like India, currently the 3rd largest emitter, accounts for only 3% of historical emissions. China, which is the world’s biggest emitter for over 15 years now, has contributed about 11% to total emissions since 1850. U.S. and European Union, including UK, account for over 50% of all emissions during this time.

The Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM) for Loss & Damages, established at the UNFCCC in 2013 (19th COP), was the 1st formal acknowledgment of the need to compensate developing countries affected by climate disasters.