Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

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India offers many roads, says President Kovind

News

• India and Vietnam “share a vision for the Indo-Pacific” and will launch their first “Bilateral Maritime Security Dialogue”, announced President Ramnath Kovind during a visit to Hanoi, as he took a broad swipe at China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” in an address to the National Assembly.

Beyond News

• President said Vietnam and India concurred on the “South China Sea” as a “critical component” of the Indo-Pacific, which is the area of another flashpoint with Beijing, that has a territorial dispute with Hanoi over the Spratly Islands in the SCS.
• President met with Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong, during the first leg of his two-nation tour to Vietnam and Australia, and the two sides signed four agreements in areas of communications, education, trade and investment.
• President at the meeting, the Vietnamese leader expressed thanks for 11 high-speed patrol vessels bought by Vietnam under a $100 million Line of Credit that was extended by India in 2014.
• While India wants the figure used for defence purposes, Vietnam has been keen to use it for infrastructure, informed sources said, with the added caution against allowing Vietnam’s foreign debt to exceed 50% of GDP.
• The tussle is seen as the outcome of countries in the region “hedging” their positions so as not to be caught in the middle of recent US-China tensions as well.

U.S. suspends $ 1.66 bn security aid to Pakistan

News

• The United States has suspended USD 1.66 billion in security assistance to Pakistan, following President Donald Trump’s directive early this year.

Beyond News

• USD 1.66 billion of security assistance to Pakistan is suspended,” Col Rob Manning, spokesman of the Department of Defense told reporters in an email response to questions.
• No further breakdown of the suspended security assistance to Pakistan was provided.
• Pakistan and Central Asia during the previous Obama administration, the blocking of military assistance to Pakistan, which began is a strong signal of American frustration.
• While Pakistan has suffered terribly from terrorism by Islamic extremists, Islamabad has also enabled extremists groups that attack its neighbours.
• After years of dithering, in recent years Pakistan’s security forces have moved strongly against the extremists that threaten the Pakistani state.
• Similarly, if Pakistan would take strong measures against groups which act against India, Pakistan would harvest huge economic benefits from better economic ties with India.

ICMR releases guidelines for antibiotics’ judicious use

News

• To ensure judicious use of antibiotics in healthcare facilities, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) released, Antimicrobial Stewardship Guidelines to advise hospitals in setting up Antimicrobial Stewardship Programmes (AMSP) for the purpose.

Beyond News

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public health challenge, and with very few new antibiotics in the pipeline, it is important to use the existing drugs judiciously. Since inappropriate use of antibiotics is rampant in India, there is an urgent need to improve antibiotic use in hospitals, which can be achieved through implementation of good AMS programmes.
• These guidelines provide guidance for setting up structure and processes of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programmes in healthcare institutions.
• It will help discuss essential elements of antimicrobial stewardship, diagnostic stewardship besides providing information on tools that can be used to measure progress.
• The National Health Policy, 2017, terms antimicrobial resistance as one of the key healthcare issues and prioritises development of guidelines regarding antibiotic use, limiting over-the-counter use of antibiotics and restricting the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in livestock.
• Hospital-based programmes dedicated to improving antibiotic use have been helpful in improving the quality of patient care and safety through increased infection cure rates, reducing treatment failures, and increasing the frequency of correct prescription for therapy and prophylaxis.

India, 15 other African countries account for 80% of world’s malaria cases: WHO

News

• India and 15 other countries in sub-Saharan Africa accounted for almost 80 per cent of the malaria cases reported globally last year, according to a WHO report which notes that a whopping 25 billion people in India were at the risk of contracting the mosquito-borne disease.

Findings

• The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) 2018 World Malaria Report, said that India was the only country to report progress in reducing its malaria cases in 2017 as compared to 2016.
• It said five countries to account for nearly half of all malaria cases worldwide were Nigeria (25 per cent), Democratic Republic of the Congo (11 per cent), Mozambique (5 per cent), India and Uganda (4 per cent) both.
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) is part of the United Nations that focusses on global health issues. This organisation was established on April 7, 1948, and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
• It has been working on issues such as smallpox and polio eradication, reproductive health, childhood immunisation, maternal morbidity rates and AIDS. The WHO remains firmly committed to the principles set out in the preamble of its Constitution. This Constitution was adopted by the International Health Conference held in New York in 1946.
• The objectives of the organisation include working towards universal health coverage, developing international health regulations, increasing access to medical products, and preventing non-communicable diseases among others.

Pakistan issues over 3,800 visas to Indian pilgrims to visit Nankana Sahib near Lahore

News

• Pakistan has issued over 3,800 visas to Indian pilgrims for participating in the 549th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in Nankana Sahib near Lahore from November 21-30.

Beyond News

• Pakistan High Commission said this was the largest number of visas issued for Sikh pilgrims in recent years.
• High Commissioner said this was a “special gesture” from Pakistan to the Sikh pilgrims who are expected to travel to Sikh holy places in Pakistan that are associated with the founder of the faith.
• Pakistan has also issued visas to Sikh pilgrims from other parts of the world.
• Earlier, a controversy broke out after Indian High Commissioner was prevented from entering Gurdwara Panja Sahib near Islamabad.
• However, Pakistan said it remained committed to “preserving sacred religious places and extending all possible facilitation for the visiting pilgrims of all faiths”.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

Astronomers expect rare gamma-ray burst

News

• In a second only to the Big Bang event, astronomers have identified a “nearby” star system with the potential to produce a gamma-ray burst, one of the most energetic events in the universe.

Findings

• According to a research, scientists revealed they have located the first of this rare star system in our galaxy, just 8,000 light years from earth, Xinhua news agency reported.
• A gamma-ray burst from a star like this has the capacity to strip the earth of its Ozone layer, thankfully it was too far away, the scientists said.
• The system was nicknamed Apep. Two of Apep’s stars are of the Wolf-Rayet variety meaning they are massive and reaching the end of their life.
• These stars could explode into supernovae at any time, and could result in a cataclysmic gamma-ray event combining with the system’s extreme conditions.

Nearly 400 paramilitary men killed in action in 2015-17: Ministry of Home Affairs

News

• Nearly 400 paramilitary personnel were killed in firing from across the border with Pakistan and in terrorist and insurgency violence in the country in the last three years.

Beyond News

• The highest number of personnel killed was from the Border Security Force (BSF). It lost 167 persons between 2015 and 2017.
• The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) lost 103 personnel, mostly while fighting Naxalites and militants in Jammu and Kashmir.
• While the BSF lost 62 personnel in 2015, 58 in 2016 and 47 in 2017, the CRPF lost nine personnel in 2015, 42 in 2016 and 52 in 2017.
• As many as 48 personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) were killed in action in the last three years of whom 16 were killed in 2015, 15 in 2016 and 17 in 2017. The SSB guards the Indo-Bhutan and Indo-Nepal border. The force is also deployed in internal security duties.
• Altogether 35 personnel of the Assam Rifles, which guards the India-Myanmar border and fights militants in the Northeast, were killed in action in the last three years.
• The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has lost two personnel in action in the last three years one each in 2016 and 2017. There were no casualties in 2015 from the CISF, which guards, airports, nuclear installations, metro services and other sensitive locations.

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