News In Short 27-12-2024

India’s Progress in Malaria Elimination

Syllabus :GS 2/Health 

In News

the number of annual malaria cases declined from 7.5 crore at the time of independence to 20 lacs by 2023, with over a 97 percent reduction

Malaria 

•  A life-threatening disease spread by certain types of mosquitoes, mainly in tropical countries.
• Transmission: Mostly through bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
  • Blood transfusions and contaminated needles can also transmit malaria.
•  It is preventable and curable.
• The infection is caused by a parasite, not spread person-to-person.

Significant Achievements:

• WHO’s World Malaria Report 2024 celebrates India’s progress.
  • India exited the WHO’s High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) group in 2024.
  • Drastic reduction in malaria cases and deaths between 2017 and 2023.
• Many states transitioned to lower disease burden categories from 2015 to 2023.
  • Only two states (Mizoram & Tripura) remain in the high burden category by 2023.

Comprehensive Strategy:

• National Framework for Malaria Elimination (NFME) launched in 2016.
• The National Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination (2023-2027) introduced enhanced surveillance and real-time data tracking.
• Integrated Vector Management (IVM): Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) and Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) used to reduce mosquito populations.
• Malaria prevention and treatment included in Ayushman Bharat health packages.
• India aims to eliminate malaria by 2030.
  • Committed to achieving zero indigenous cases by 2027 and preventing malaria re-establishment.

Source :TH

Dr. Manmohan Singh’ Contributions

Syllabus: GS2/Polity/GS3/Economy

Context

• Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh passed away recently at the age of 92.

About Dr. Manmohan Singh

• Born on September 26, 1932, in undivided Punjab, India
• He served as Prime Minister of the country for two consecutive terms 2004-09 and 2009-14.

His Major Contributions

• Government Service: Joined the Government of India in 1971 as Economic Advisor in the Commerce Ministry.
  • Appointed Chief Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Finance in 1972.
  • Held several important positions including Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Advisor to the Prime Minister, and Chairman of the University Grants Commission.
• Economic Reforms: As Finance Minister in the 1990s, played a key role in liberalizing India’s economy, reducing trade barriers, privatizing state-owned enterprises, and implementing reforms that fostered rapid growth.
• India’s GDP Growth: India experienced robust economic growth, with the economy expanding at an average rate of 7-8% per year during his tenure as Prime Minister.
• Fiscal and Banking Reforms: He contributed to strengthening India’s banking sector and addressing inflation, while maintaining fiscal discipline.
• Nuclear Deal (2008): He was instrumental in the landmark U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement, which strengthened India’s global standing and secured access to nuclear technology and fuel.
• Social Welfare Programs: His government introduced key social welfare programs, including the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and the Right to Information Act (RTI).
• Literary Work : He also authored the book “India’s Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth” (1964), critiquing India’s inward-oriented trade policy.
• Awards and Honors: Received the Padma Vibhushan (1987), India’s second-highest civilian honor.
  • Awarded the Asia Money Award and Euro Money Award for Finance Minister of the Year (1993, 1994).
  • Honored with the Adam Smith Prize (1956) and Wright’s Prize (1955).

Source: TH

Bald Eagle

Syllabus: GS3/Species in News

Context

• The bald eagle is officially declared as the national bird of the United States.

About

• The bald eagle is indigenous to North America. 
• Appearance: The Bald Eagle has a distinctive white head and tail with dark brown body and wings. Its yellow beak is large and hooked, and it has powerful talons.

• Diet: They are carnivorous birds, mainly feeding on fish, but will also hunt waterfowl or scavenge carrion.
• The Great Seal of the United States is a national symbol used in official documents such as treaties and commissions since 1782. 
• Symbolism: The Bald Eagle symbolizes strength, freedom, and independence.
• Distribution  :It  breeds in Canada, USA, Mexico, and the French island territories of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
• Conservation: The bald eagle is also protected under the National Emblem Act of 1940, which makes it illegal to sell or hunt the creature.
  • IUCN Red List status : It  is listed as Least Concern species .

Source: IT

Committee for ethical enablement of AI in financial sector

Syllabus :GS 3/Economy 

In News

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has formed a committee to create a framework for responsible and ethical AI use in the financial sector, named FREE-AI.

About the Committee 

• The committee will be led by Pushpak Bhattacharyya, Professor at IIT Bombay’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering.
• Committee’s Objectives: Assess the current adoption of AI in financial services globally and in India.
  • Review global regulatory and supervisory approaches on AI in the financial sector.
  • Identify potential risks associated with AI and recommend mitigation, evaluation, and monitoring frameworks for financial institutions (banks, NBFCs, FinTechs, PSOs, etc.).
  • Recommend a framework for responsible and ethical AI adoption in the Indian financial sector, including governance aspects.
  • Address any other AI-related matters within the Indian financial sector.
• Timeline: The committee will submit its report within six months from the date of its first meeting.

Source :TH

China to build world’s largest hydropower dam

Syllabus: GS1-Geography and GS3-Infra

Context

• China has approved the construction of the world’s largest hydropower dam close to the Indian border, raising concerns in riparian countries — India and Bangladesh.

About the Dam

• It will be constructed at a massive gorge in the Himalayan region, where the Yarlung Zangbo River (the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra) takes a sharp U-turn before flowing into Arunachal Pradesh (India) and then Bangladesh.

• The project, costing over one trillion yuan ($137 billion), is expected to generate over 300 billion kWh of electricity annually, enough to meet the yearly energy needs of more than 300 million people.
  • This capacity would significantly surpass the 88.2 billion kWh of the Three Gorges Dam in central China, currently the world’s largest hydropower project.
• This project is part of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) and National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035 adopted by Plenum, a key policy body of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2020.
• However, the dam also presents enormous engineering challenges, as the site is located on a tectonic plate boundary prone to earthquakes. 

Concerns in India and Bangladesh:

• The dam’s construction could empower China to control water flow, potentially releasing large amounts of water during times of conflict.
  • India is also building its own dam on the Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Concerns about the dam’s impact on the river’s flow and regional water security have been raised by India and Bangladesh.

Do you know?

• India and China established the Expert Level Mechanism (ELM) in 2006 to discuss various issues related to trans-border rivers under which China provides India with hydrological information on the Brahmaputra river and Sutlej river during the flood seasons.

Source: IE

125th Birth Anniversary of Sardar Udham Singh

Syllabus: GS1/ Modern History 

Context

• On December 26, India commemorated the 125th Birth Anniversary of Udham Singh—a symbol of courage, justice, and unwavering determination.

About

• Udham Singh, born as Sher Singh on December 26, 1899, in Sunam, Punjab, was a passionate patriot and a symbol of unwavering determination. 
• He was an Indian revolutionary belonging to the Ghadar Party and Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA).

Assassination of General O’Dwyer

• Sardar Udham Singh is best known for assassinating General O’Dwyer, the former lieutenant governor of undivided India’s Punjab, in 1940.
• The assassination was done in revenge for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar in 1919.
• General O’Dwyer was responsible for the massacre of which Singh himself was a survivor.

Trial and Execution

• Udham Singh was tried in London. In custody, used his name, ‘Ram Mohammad Singh Azad, ‘ to represent the three major religions in India and his anti-colonial sentiment.
• On July 31, 1940, he was hanged at Pentonville Prison.

Source: THEWEEK

Australia’s Online Safety Amendment

Syllabus: GS2/ Governance

Context

• Australia’s House of Representatives recently passed the “Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill, 2024”.
  • The Bill imposes an obligation on certain social media platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent children under 16 years of age from having an account. 

Impact of social media

• Excessive use of social media leads to feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety due to social comparisons, fear of missing out (FOMO), and cyberbullying.
• The quick, fast-paced nature of content on social media reduces attention spans, making it harder to concentrate on tasks that require deep focus.

Global Scenario

• China released a draft “Guidelines for the Establishment of Minors’ Modes for the Mobile Internet” in 2023.
• The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), passed in 1998, by the United States requires “operators of websites or online services” to seek parental consent, among other things, to access personal details of children under the age of 13.
• In 2023, France enacted a law requiring social network service providers to refuse children under the age of 15 access unless they are authorized by a parent or guardian.

Indian Scenario

• In India until now, a child above the age of 13 can open Google, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.
  • There is no limit on how much time they can spend on social media.
• The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights came out with some guidelines for child and adolescent participation in the entertainment industry in 2023. 

Source: TH