- The no. of influenza A(H1N1) virus cases and deaths has been 19,000 and 900 respectively.
- State of Gujarat most worse hit,rajasthan,punjab,Delhi also hit badly.
- Cases detected in south india,also on surge.
- According to pune based National institute of virology,virus has not undergone significant mutations,but there has been point mutatation,resulting in a new strain -The Michigan strain than the earlier Chicago strain.
- The increased caseload and mortality this
year compared with last year could be because pre-existing
immunity through exposure to the California
strain is no longer effective, and people are therefore
not immune to the new strain. - Government has been inefficient in releasing data periodically and frequently.
- also depicts the failure of the government in creating awareness about preventive measures.
- Uptake of influenza virus vaccines this year,has been poorly low.
- Guidelines for vaccination of high risk groups like pregnant woman,young and old people,those infected with some other disease, has been released only last month,which shows that lessons have not been learnt from the 2015 epidemic.
LESSON NOT LEARNT
MOTHER TERESA"S UNIVERSE OF GRACE
- Mother Teresa,born today 107 years ago.
- she had compassion for those afflicted by leprosy,but cured by the disease,still carrying their ravages in their bones and lives.
- she considered them not only as "cases",but as human being subjected to abject humiliation and misery.
- she followed Swami vivekanda's concept of "Daridra narayan",meaning "service to god by the service to those in need and offering soccour to destitutes,poors and marginalised.
- she founded the Missionaries of Charities,to help people in need.
- she knocked the doors of the delhi government in 1970 to plead for some land so that she could build a shelter for them and a hospital for them for their treatment and sugery.
- she set up a handloom centre in the industrial town of titagarh near Kolkata,where these patients worked. The centre is still a hive of production of white saris with 3 blue strips,a trademark of the Missionaries of Charities.
- LEPROSY IS BACK
- In India the disease was almost eradicated as a public health problem in 2005,with levels of patients suspected with leprosy being 1 in 10000.
- But with the dropping of fund for the critical medicines still needed to combat the remnants of the disease,cases are on a surge with astounding 127,000 new cases detected in 2016.
- National leprosy eradication programme (NLEP) launched a sustained campaign in as many as 149 districts across 19 states.
- 9 judge bench of Supreme Court, in a unanimous verdict, declared privacy as a fundamental right.
- Privacy is intrinsic to life and liberty and helps people to stand up against public sterilisation.
- Chided the government for calling it an {elitist construct}.
- It is a right enshrined in the constitution as a part of guarantee to life and liberty in the article 21 of the constitution.
- It includes preservation of personal intimacies, sanctity of family life, marriage, procreation, the home and sexual orientation.
- Privacy connotes a individual to be left alone. It safeguards individual autonomy, and recognises one’s ability to control vital aspects of his/her life.
- Informational privacy is one of the facets of this right. Dangers to this can originate from state and non state actors.
- It is not an absolute right. It can be intruded by the government but only for legitimate state concerns.
- If it’s against anyone’s interest, it can be challenged in the any of the courts of judiciary.
- Government should build a robust mechanism to ensure a balance between individual interests and legitimate state concerns.
- legitimate aims of the state can be protecting national security,investigating crime,spreading innovation and knowledge, and preventing the dissipation of social welfare benefits.
- The judgment, if it declares privacy as a fundamental right, would finally reconcile Indian laws with the spirit of Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 and Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), 1966, which legally protects persons against the “arbitrary interference” with one’s privacy, family, home, correspondence, honour and reputation.
- The National food security act,2013 empower the common people in securing subsidised food.
- section 14,15 and 16 of this act requires the State governments to set up grievance redress mechanism and a State food commission.
- But the act not has not been implemented properly;it's just heeded in name in many states.
- NFSA was thought to bring social security through public distribution systems and child welfare schemes.
- poor implementation only because of political unwill.
- A full fledged,State food commission and district level grievance redress mechanism should be set up in each state.
- Need for Modernisation of Public Distribution systems to eradicate fraud and deficiencies.
- The issue of food security should be made universal so that families under sudden financial distress can enter into scheme and some can opt out based on changed circumstances
- The Central government must keep the State government under close surveillance.
9.Odium -general or wdespred hatred incurred by someone as a result of thier actions.
Vocabulary........4
eg. the police was called upon, to pacify the aggrieved students who were declined admission into patna college, despite having cleared cutoffs, as seats were full.
9.AGGRIEVED - angry and resentful aue to unjust treatment.
eg. The aggrieved farmers, came out in large numbers and protested, not making much money on their harvest.
10.BARGE IN - to intrude, to enter or interrupt suddenly and without invitation.
eg. The terrorists barged into the Taj Hotel and fired on the civilians and security officials, killing many.
11.deterrent-a thing that discourages or is trying to discourage someone from doing something.
Vocabulary(day 3)
1.Expedient- simple,easy,quick or convenient
2.Encroachment- entry into a place or area which was previously unvommon,
An intrusion into anothers possession or rights.
3.Deliniate- sketch out,to outline, mark out,describe accurately..
4.Approbation- the act of approving
5.Prophecy - a prediction made by a divine spirit.
5.Flamboyant - bold or showy in behaviour.
6.nonchalant- calm and relaxed
7.obscure - dark,faint,indistinct
8.oblivious- unaware, lacking awareness
9.melancholy- affected by great sadness or depression...
Vocabulary day-2 (14-3-17)
1.cult- a group of people with a religious,philosophical or cultural identity,sometimes viewed as a sect,devotion to a saint
2.delusion-that is falsely or delusively believed or propagated;false belief,error in belief
3.impetuous-making arbitrary decisions,especially in an impulsive and forceful manner.
4.obvious- easily discovered,seen or understood,self explanatory,eyely.
5.deprave- to speak ill of,to malign,to revile.
Vocabulary day-1(12-3-17)
1.Obliviate - to forget,remove from existence
2.Frenzy - in state of panic or wild activity
3.catatonic - motionless and unresponsive,as from shock.
4.lousy -remarkably bad,poor in quality,dirty,mean.
Eg- a lousy doctor.
5.midget- a small version of something.a short person
6.magnum opus- a great or important work of literature,art or music,masterpiece
7. Succumb- to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire.
8 regale-a feast,meal
9.Devious- not straightforward or honest,not frank
10.rabble- a mob,a disoderly crowd,mass of common people.