Daily News Simplified - DNS 08 12 19

Notes

SL. NO. TOPICS

THE HINDU PAGE NO.

1 Why the pygmy hog of Assam wants protection (The Hindu Magazine) 09

2 A typhoid vaccine manufactured in India offers 82% protection 15

3 Karvy stock scandal 14

4 Sri Lankan Malayalis keep their Kerala connection alive 16

5 2.3 million children in India unvaccinated for measles 15

6 Odisha reduces farmers’ scheme assistance 07

Dated: 08. Dec. 2019 DNS Notes - Revision Title 1. Why the pygmy hog of Assam wants protection (The Hindu Magazine Page 09)

Syllabus Prelims: Environment and Ecology

Theme Endangered Species

Highlights About Pygmy hog

• The pygmy hog is the smallest and the rarest wild pig in the world. • Pygmy hog is an indicator species of tall wet grasslands

Status of the species • Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 – Schedule 1 (most threatened) • CITES – Appendix 1 • IUCN Red List 2019: Critically Endangered mammal • It is one of the most endangered of all mammals (IUCN 2007).

Habitat • Tall and wet grasslands of Himalayan foothills. • Originally undisturbed tall grasslands of Terai region of India, Nepal and Bhutan and

Bengal Duar region. • Currently viable population of Wild pygmy hog is known to exist only in the Manas

National Park, Oran National Park and Sonai-Rupai wildlife sanctuary in Assam. Importance of Pygmy hog: Indicator species • It is extremely sensitive to changes in the grassland ecosystem. • Thus it is a key indicator of health of grassland ecosystem in the Terai region which is

crucial for survival of a number of other endangered species such as the great Indian one-horned rhinoceros, tiger, swamp deer, wild buffalo, Bengal florican etc.

Threats • Loss of habitat due to • Agriculture • Livestock grazing • Flooding by irrigation projects

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• Tree plantation under forestry operations • Encroachment by human settlements

Conservation efforts • Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme was launched in 1995 in Assam. • Multi-pronged approach of

captive breeding re-introducing in the wild habitat management.

• Reintroduction was done from 2008 in Barnadi Wildlife Sanctuary, Orang National Park, and Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary.

Personal Notes

Dated: 08. Dec. 2019 DNS Notes - Revision Title 2. A typhoid vaccine manufactured in India offers 82% protection (The Hindu Page 15)

Syllabus Mains: GS Paper III – Economy Theme Real Estate Sector

Highlights Conjugate vaccines for typhoid Abstract A Hyderabad-based biotechnology company has developed a conjugate vaccine for typhoid which has a higher efficacy than the conventional weak attenuated vaccines. Context Currently weakened live vaccine is used commercially for typhoid which an efficacy of 60-70%. Besides these vaccines cannot be used on infants below 6 months because the immune system is not developed in these babies to trigger a response. The conjugate vaccine on the other hand has a higher efficacy of 82% according to the results of clinical trials. Besides conjugate vaccines can be used even in case of infants below 6 month. Basics of Vaccines Whenever our body is encountered with microbial infection, the immune system responds by releasing antibodies to fight these microbes. Further if the body encounters the same microbial infection in the future, the immune system immediately responds making the microbe ineffective providing protection for infections. Thus vaccines are used to generate immune responses from the body in order to fight infections. Types of vaccines Weakened Live Vaccines These vaccines are made of weakened live microbes that are released in the body generating a response from the immune system, thereby providing protection against these microbes in the future. The weakened live microbes are used because they are weak and thus cannot cause harm and also because they can generate a response from the immune system. Thus they cannot be used in cases where the immune system of the person in weak. Conjugate vaccines These vaccines are developed out of specific parts of the microbe, say a protein, a sugar molecule etc. Since these vaccines a Because these vaccines use only specific parts of the germ, they generate a targeted immune response targeting only this key part of the germ. As a result even people with weak immune systems also can respond to these specific part of the microbe. Need for developing conjugate vaccine for Typhoid 1. Low efficacy: Currently used vaccines have low efficacy of 60-70%

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2. Ineffective among infants: In a high-incidence country like India, children below 2-years of age are susceptible for infections. Due to weakly developed immune system the weak live microbes are effective. 3.Anti-microbial resistance: Though typhoid can be treated with antibiotics, the microbes have developed drug-resistance. India is home to multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistance (XDR) strains. Thus vaccine is a better way to fight typhoid than antibiotics,

Personal Notes

Dated: 08. Dec. 2019 DNS Notes - Revision Title 3. Karvy stock scandal (The Hindu Page 10)

Syllabus Mains: GS Paper III – Economy

Theme Security Markets

Highlights Context Recently SEBI banned the Karvy Stock Broking firm from conducting broking operations in its interim order. This was on account of alleged misuse of customer's securities by Karvy which pledged the securities in order to obtain loans from lenders and re-routed the loan to an infrastructure company that happens to a sister concern of Karvy Stock Broking firm.

Personal Notes

Dated: 08. Dec. 2019 DNS Notes - Revision Title 4. Sri Lankan Malayalis keep their Kerala connection alive (The Hindu Page 16)

Syllabus Mains: GS Paper I - History Prelims: History

Theme Important Personalities

Highlights Context:

Sri Lankans of Keralite origin are gathering in Sri Lanka to commemorate the 165th year of Kerala's social reformer Narayan Guru.

It is important to note that people of Indian origin in Sri Lanka are not only Tamils but also Keralites. They mainly entered the island as traders or laborers.

He led a reform movement in Kerala, against the injustice in the caste-ridden society of Kerala in order to promote spiritual enlightenment and social equality and hence it becomes important for us to know few of his important contributions to Indian Society.

Few important aspects of Sri Narayan Guru’s life

• Born into a family of the Ezhava caste in an era when people from such communities were regarded as lower caste.

• Fight against casteism o Casteism was practiced in Kerala during the 19th and early 20th centuries and

the lower caste people such as Ezhavas and Thiyyas and the untouchable castes like Paraiyars, tribals and Pulayars had to suffer discrimination from the upper caste people such as Brahmins.

o It was against this discrimination that Guru performed his first major public act, the consecration of Siva idol at Aruvippuram in 1888.

• Vaikom Satyagraha o The social protest of Vaikom Satyagraha was an agitation by the lower caste

against untouchability in Hindu society of Travancore. o It was reported that the trigger for the protest was an incident when Narayana

Guru was stopped from passing through a road leading to Vaikom Temple by an upper caste person.

• Sivagiri pilgrimage • Writings and philosophy

o It was he who propagated the motto, One Caste, One Religion, One God for All (OruJathi, OruMatham, OruDaivam, Manushyanu) which has become popular as a saying in Kerala,

o He furthered the non-dualistic philosophy of AdiSankara by bringing it into practice by adding the concepts of social equality and universal brotherhood.

o He wrote in three languages: Tamil, Malyalam and Sanskrit o Prominent Works:

AtmopadesaŚatakam, a hundred-verse spiritual poem DaivaDasakam, a universal prayer in ten verses. Translation of Thirukural of Valluvar, Ishavasya Upanishad and

OzhivilOdukkam of KannudaiyaVallalaar. • Notable disciples

o KumbalathuparambuAyyappan: better identified as SahodaranAyyappan or PulayaAyyappan, was a social reformer, thinker, rationalist, journalist, and politician from Kerala, India.

o He modified the famous slogan of Narayana Guru, OruJaathiOruMathamOruDaivamManushyanu (One Caste, One Religion,

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One God for Mankind) as Jati Venda, Matam Venda, Deivam Venda Manushyanu (No Caste, No Religion, No God for Mankind)

Personal Notes

Dated: 08. Dec. 2019 DNS Notes - Revision Title 5. 2.3 million children in India unvaccinated for measles (The Hindu Page 15)

Syllabus Mains: GS Paper II – Social Justice

Theme Issues related to health

Highlights About Measles and Rubella Measles

• Measles, or rubeola, is a viral infection of the respiratory system which can spread through contact with infected mucus and saliva. An infected person can release the infection into the air when they cough or sneeze.It is the leading cause of death in children.

• Symptoms: Cough fever, red eyes etc. A widespread skin rash is a classic sign of measles. • A vitamin A deficiency is considered to be a risk factor for measles. Children with too

little vitamin A in their diets have a higher risk of catching the virus. Rubella (German Measles)

• Rubella is a mild viral infection that occurs most often in children and young adults. • Rubella infection during pregnancy can cause abortion, stillbirth and may lead to

multiple birth defects in the new born; like blindness, deafness, heart defects; known as Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS).

• India accounts for around one third of all children born worldwide with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).

India's efforts to control Measles and Rubella

• The National Family Health Survey-4 (2015–2016) has assessed the vaccination coverage for the measles to be 81.1%.This is low compared to the 95% coverage level required for elimination.

• In this regard, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has initiated measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign in the age group of 9 months to less than 15 years in a phased manner across the nation in 2017.

• The MR vaccine has now become part of routine immunisation programme.

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Personal Notes

Dated: 08. Dec. 2019 DNS Notes - Revision Title 6. Odisha reduces farmers’ scheme assistance (The Hindu Page 07)

Syllabus Mains: GS Paper III – Economy Prelims: Current Events

Theme Price support schemes for farmers

Highlights KAALIA Scheme

What is KALIA Scheme?

• KALIA stands for “Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation”.

• This scheme has been launched by Odisha Government to accelerate Agricultural Prosperity and reduce poverty in the State.

Who is eligible to get benefit under the scheme and what are the benefits?

• This scheme is for the benefit of Small and marginal farmers, landless Agricultural household, vulnerable Agricultural household, landless Agricultural labourers and sharecroppers (Actual cultivators)

• Small and Marginal Farmers are eligible to get benefit Financial assistance of Rs.25000/per family over 5 seasons under support to cultivators for cultivation. (It is to be noted that a small farmer is a cultivator who owns 1 hectare (2.5 acres) to 2 hectares (5 acres) of Agricultural land. A marginal farmer is a farmer who owns less than 1 hectare of Agricultural land.)

• Land less agricultural householdsare eligible to get financial Assistance of Rs.12500/ for the livelihood support under the scheme.

• Vulnerable agricultural household covering vulnerable cultivators/ landless agricultural labourers are eligible to get financial assistance of Rs, 10,000per year under the KALIA scheme. Vulnerable cultivators/ landless agricultural labourers include old age, disability, disease or any other reason.

• Out of the above three components viz., support to cultivators for cultivation, livelihood support for landless agricultural household and financial assistance to vulnerable agricultural household, one beneficiary will avail only one benefit as per the eligibility.

• Apart from these components, the scheme also provides for life insurance support and interest free crop loans for all the categories of beneficiary under KALIA scheme.

Rythu Bandhu Scheme

• Rythu Bandhu scheme also known as Farmers’ Investment Support Scheme (FISS) is a farmer welfare program of the Government of Telangana. This scheme has been introduced in order to support farmers' investment in the agriculture so as to boost the agricultural prosperity.

• Under this scheme, the government is providing Rs 4,000 per acre per season, twice a year for growing Kharif and Rabi crops.

• The financial assistance is provided to all the farmers and there is no cap on the number of acres owned by the farmers.

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• It is to be noted that more than 75% of the agricultural land in Telangana is under the control of small and marginal farmers and hence this scheme is considered to be of immense benefit to the small and marginal farmers.

KALIA Scheme Rythu Bandhu Scheme

State Odisha Telangana

Coverage Small and marginal farmers, landless Agricultural household, vulnerable Agricultural household, landless Agricultural labourers and sharecroppers (Actual cultivators)

All the Farmers

Tenants and Sharecroppers included

Yes No

Financial Assistance Provided

Differs for different categories of beneficiaries

Uniform financial assistance of Rs 8,000 per year

Life Insurance Support

Yes No

Interest Free Crop Loans

Yes No

Personal Notes

Dated: 08. Dec. 2019 DNS Notes - Revision