LESSON NOT LEARNT

LESSON NOT LEARNT

• 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 effective, 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.

MOTHER TERESA"S UNIVERSE OF GRACE

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. National leprosy eradication programme (NLEP) launched a sustained campaign in as many as 149 districts across 19 states.

PRIVACY - A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT

• 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.

FOOD FOR ACTON

• 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.

      SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM

•  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.
•  

VOCABULARY.(From THE HINDU) ...................

1.Peeve - Irritated.  

eg.- the peeved youth  of India demands their voices being heard by the government on issues of thier interest.

2.Servility - an excessive willingness to serve or please others.

eg.- The absence of labor laws for domestic workers leave them with no options other than servility for their employers.

3.Abject - completely without pride or dignity.

eg.- Labor laws saves the labors from getting into the trap of abject servitude and discrimination by their employers.

4.Foray - a sudden attack or incursion into enemy territory to obtain something.

eg- the foray of indian soldiers into the Doklam region has heated up the diplomatic ties between China and India.

5.Relish- M.Venkaih Naidu relishes his role in politics in states of andhra pradesh and telangana and also as a minister in the Modi Cabinet.

6.Fuss- a display of unnecessary or excessive excitement.

eg. There was a fuss in the crowd to see their celebrated hero Mr. Amitabh Bachchan outside his residence on the ocassion of his birthday.

7.Relinquish - voluntarily cease to keep or calm;give up.

eg. Mr. Manohar Parikar,relinquishing from the post of Defence Minister to become Goa's Chief Minister has left a big dent to fill,in the Modi Cabinet.

8.Absolve- declare free from guilt,obligation or punishment.

eg.-  According to some Hindu Traditions,taking a bath in the Holy Ganges absolves your spirit.

9.Odium -general or wdespred hatred incurred by someone as a result of thier actions.