Hindu Notes from General Studies-02
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HC: Do not deny cover for genetic defect
News
In a significant judgment, the Delhi High Court termed “unconstitutional” discrimination in health insurance policies of individuals with genetic disorders.
Beyond News
- Justice said that,a person suffering from a genetic disorder needed medical insurance as much as others.
- Genetic disorders have been the source of debate in the health insurance sector.
China home to 241 million old people: report
News
China is fast turning into an aging society as the number of people aged 60 and above has reached 241 million, accounting for 17.3 per cent of the total population, according to an officials.
Beyond News
- Since China first became an aging society in 1999, the number of people aged 60 or above has seen a net increase of 110 million.
- It is estimated that the number of seniors will peak around 2050 to reach 487 million, 34.9 per cent of the total population.
- As the old age population grew, which was largely attributed to the three decades old one child policy, China has permitted couples to have two children since 2016.
- China has stepped up nationwide education on ageing with the aim to raise citizens’ awareness and called on the public to care for the elderly.
Hindu Notes from General Studies-03
In a record, more than 4 lakh olive ridleys nest at Rushikulya
News
With 4,28,083 mother olive ridley turtles nesting, the endangered species has created an all-time record of mass nesting at the Rushikulya rookery coast in the Ganjam district of Odisha this year.
Beyond News
- The mass nesting is expected to continue for another two to three days.
- Mass nesting of olive ridley turtles has not yet started on the coasts along the Gahirmatha beach and the mouth of the Debi river, two other major nesting sites in Odisha.
- Forest officials say the Gahirmatha beach is the largest mass nesting site for olive ridley turtles along the Indian coastline, followed by the rookery at the mouth of the Rushikulya river.
With 3,65,000 nests, olive ridley turtles had created a record of mass nesting at Rushikulya in 2017. They have already broken the record this year, indicating that the environment of this coast continues to be conducive for their mass nesting. In 2016, for some unexplained reason, there was no mass nesting at this coast.
Jupiter’s moon Europa may host life
News
Jupiter’s icy moon Europa may host life in an ocean of liquid water hidden under its 10 kilometre-deep ice crust, scientists say.
Beyond News
- Researchers conducted a theoretical research to evaluate microbial habitability of Europa using data collected from similar environments on the Earth.
- It was recently discovered that the bacterium Candidatus Desulforudis audaxviator survives inside the mine without sunlight by means of water radiolysis, the dissociation of water molecules by ionising radiation.
- Jupiter’s powerful gravitational attraction causes the Europa’s orbit to be extremely elliptical, meaning the latter finds itself either to close or too far from the gas giant. This makes the icy moon suffer geometrical deformation as it moves at the mercy of Jupiter’s immense tidal force.
The energy released by the alternating states of elongation and relaxation makes Europa’s subsurface capable of hosting an ocean of liquid water.
- Researchers evaluated how chemical imbalance in Europa could be initiated through the emanation of water leading to chain reactions between water and chemical elements found in Europa’s crust.
- Uranium, thorium and potassium are the radioactive elements considered by the research, which estimated the concentrations for these materials in Europa, based on the quantities already observed and measured on Earth, in meteorites and in Mars.
- The ocean bed on Europa appears to offer very similar conditions to those that existed on primitive Earth during its first billion years. So studying Europa today is to some extent like looking back at our own planet in the past,” Galante said.