Part 10 - Newspaper Terms Simplified for IAS for Prelims
Description
Newspaper Terms Simplified for IAS Prelims
Part 10
1. JUICE Mission
• The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, or Juice, mission on Friday (April 14) from its spaceport in French Guiana on an Ariane 5 launcher.
• Planned to reach Jupiter in 2031, the mission aims to carry out a detailed exploration of the Solar System’s largest planet and its icy moons, which potentially have habitable environments.
• It will make detailed observations of the giant gas planet and its three large ocean-bearing moons — Ganymede, Callisto and Europa”, by using remote sensing, geophysical and in situ instruments.
• Another primary goal of the mission is to create a comprehensive picture of Jupiter by trying to understand its origin, history and evolution. Scientists believe that this would help them provide “much-needed insight into how such a planetary system and its constituents are formed and evolved over time, as well as revealing how possibly habitable environments can arise in Jupiter-like systems around other stars.”
• Juice will also analyse the chemistry, structure, dynamics, weather, and climate of Jupiter and its ever-changing atmosphere.
• Only two other spacecraft have ever examined Jupiter: the Galileo probe, which orbited the gas giant between 1995 and 2003, and Juno, which has been circling the planet since 2016.
• Another spacecraft, NASA’s Europa Clipper, would already be orbiting the planet — scheduled to be launched in October this year, Europa Clipper would arrive at Jupiter in 2030 and aims to study its Europa moon.
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)
a. 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.
b. NCDs are not transmitted from person to person. These diseases persist for a long time and are generally slow to progress.
c. 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.
d. 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. Uttaramerur inscription
Uttaramerur lies in present-day Kanchipuram district, approximately 90 km southeast of Chennai. It is a small town and had a population of roughly 25,000 in the census of 2011. It is known for its historic temples built during Pallava and Chola rule
The famous inscription from Parantaka I’s reign is found on the walls of the Vaikunda Perumal Temple.
What does the inscription say?
The inscription gives details of the functioning of the local sabha, i.e. the village assembly. A sabha was an assembly exclusively of brahmans and had specialised committees tasked with different things. The Uttaramerur inscription details how members were selected, the required qualifications, their roles and responsibilities, and even the circumstances in which they could be removed.
Appointing representatives to the sabha
Describing how the sabha shall be constituted, the inscription says, “There will be 30 wards. Everyone living in these 30 wards would assemble and select one representative for the village assembly.”
It then goes on to describe what the qualifications for such a representative must be. These include ownership of a certain amount of land, having a house, being between the age of 35 and 70 and “knowing mantras and Brahmanas” (from the Vedic corpus). An exception can be made on land ownership if the person has learnt at least “one Veda and four Bhashyas”. One must also be “well-versed in business” and “virtuous”.
The inscription then lists a number of factors which disqualify someone and their family (all the relations are systematically listed) from consideration. These include, “not having submitted accounts” while previously serving in a committee, committing any of the first four of the five ‘great sins’ (killing a brahman, drinking alcohol, theft and adultery), being associated with outcastes, and eating ‘forbidden’ dishes.
