Content:
- Burials Must Be Held Only in Designated Graveyards for Each Faith: Supreme Court
- In a First, a Tribal King from Kerala to Attend Republic Day Parade in Delhi
- Is the Government Encouraging ‘Crosspathy’?
- Flagship Scheme for Girl Child Has Helped Defeat Bias: Modi
- National Health Mission Has Curbed Several Public Health Concerns, Says Centre’s Report
- Space Telescopes Stumble on Rule-Breaking Black Hole
Burials must be held only in designated graveyards for each faith: Supreme Court
Core Issue: A family’s request to bury Pastor Subhas Baghel in their native village (Chhindawada, Chhattisgarh) vs. the state’s proposed designated Christian graveyard in Bastar district.
Relevance : GS2(Polity and Governance)
Court Observations:
- Affidavit by Chhattisgarh deemed “vague”; Court demanded clarity on the location, boundaries, and exclusivity of the Christian graveyard.
- Justice B.V. Nagarathna: Urged resolution as the body had been in the morgue since January 7; emphasized burials must occur in designated areas specific to faith.
- Justice Satish Chandra Sharma: Stressed the importance of burial in an officially designated Christian graveyard.
State Government’s Stand:
- Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta: Defended the state’s designated graveyard for Christians in Bastar and offered to install signboards to avoid confusion.
Family’s Argument:
- Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves: Criticized the state’s approach as discriminatory and hostile, asserting the burial should take place in Chhindawada per family traditions.
Key Legal and Religious Implications:
- Religious Freedom: Addresses the right to practice one’s faith in burial practices.
- State’s Role: Highlights the need for clear designation and respect for religious burial grounds.
- Discrimination: Raises concerns about bias in the treatment of burial practices of minority communities.
Next Steps:
- The Supreme Court has reserved its order and requested a revised affidavit from the state for a detailed and conclusive resolution.
In a first, a tribal king from Kerala to attend Republic Day parade in Delhi
Historical First: Raman Rajamannan, head of the Mannan tribe, becomes the first tribal king from Kerala to attend the Republic Day parade in Delhi.
Relevance : GS 1(Society),GS 2(Governance)
Invitation Details:
- Guests of the Scheduled Tribes Development Department.
- Travel expenses covered by the SC Development Department.
Planned Activities:
- Meeting national leaders, including the President of India.
- Visiting landmarks like Agra and Delhi’s historical sites.
Tribal Representation:
- Center’s initiative for tribal participation at Republic Day.
- Recognizes the Mannan tribe’s heritage and cultural significance.
About the Mannan Community:
- Settled in Kozhimala, Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary buffer zone, Kerala.
- Unique system of 48 settlements ruled by a king.
- King plays a central role in cultural and social traditions.
Impact and Significance:
- Visibility: Highlights Kerala’s indigenous traditions on a national platform.
- Recognition: Acknowledges the role of tribal leadership in Indian culture.
- Tribal Welfare: Reflects efforts to integrate tribal voices into national discourse.
Is the government encouraging ‘crosspathy’?
Maharashtra FDA Directive:
- Allows homeopathic practitioners with a modern pharmacology certificate to prescribe allopathic medicines.
- Controversial as it challenges a Bombay High Court stay from 2017 on a similar matter raised by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
Relevance : GS 2(Health , Governance)
Legal Background on Crosspathy:
- Supreme Court Stance: Opposes crosspathy, deeming it medical negligence (e.g., Poonam Verma case, 1996).
- Judicial Precedents: Cross-system practice is generally disallowed unless explicitly permitted under state orders.
Government’s Rationale:
- Doctor Shortage: India has over 13 lakh allopathic doctors but faces significant gaps in rural areas and specialized fields.
- Integrative Medicine Push: AYUSH practitioners are seen as a resource to bridge healthcare access gaps.
Challenges and Concerns:
- Patient Safety: IMA argues untrained practitioners risk patient well-being.
- Policy Ambiguity: FDA’s directive conflicts with court orders, highlighting regulatory gaps.
- Infrastructure Issues: Shortages in rural healthcare and lack of clear guidelines for AYUSH integration exacerbate challenges.
Strategic Approach:
- Role of AYUSH: Should focus on complementary healthcare roles, not replacing modern medicine.
- Regulation Need: Proper oversight is crucial to prevent risks and ensure integrative medicine functions effectively.
Flagship scheme for girl child has helped defeat bias
Launch and Objective
- Initiation: Launched on January 22, 2015, in Panipat, Haryana.
- Objective: Improve the declining child sex ratio (CSR) and promote women empowerment.
- Multi-Ministerial Collaboration: Involves Women and Child Development, Health and Family Welfare, and Education Ministries.
Relevance : GS 2(Governance, Schemes)
Important Achievements
Child Sex Ratio (CSR):
- Improved from 918 (2014-15) to 930 (2023-24), showing progress in gender equality at birth.
Education:
- Girls’ secondary enrolment rose from 75.51% to 78%, indicating enhanced educational access.
Healthcare:
- Institutional deliveries increased from 61% to 97.3%.
- Antenatal care registrations (first trimester) improved from 61% to 80.5%.
Awareness and Advocacy:
- Nationwide campaigns fostered awareness of gender equality.
- Grassroots organizations played a vital role in amplifying outreach.
Impact and Focus
- Empowerment: Strengthened education and healthcare access for girls.
- Community Involvement: Enhanced participation in local initiatives.
- Sustainability: Emphasis on maintaining momentum to ensure equal opportunities for girls across the nation.
National Health Mission has curbed several public health concerns
Context: Achievements of the National Health Mission (NHM) in improving healthcare access, reducing mortality rates, and strengthening rural and community-based healthcare systems
Relevance : GS 2(Health,Governance )
Reduction in Mortality Ratios
- Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR):
- Decline of 83% since 1990, outpacing the global reduction of 45%.
- Impact: Improved maternal healthcare and access.
- Infant Mortality Rate (IMR):
- Reduced from 39 (2014) to 28 per 1,000 live births (2020).
- Impact: Enhanced neonatal care and newborn health services.
Improvement in Fertility Rate
- Total Fertility Rate (TFR):
- Declined from 2.3 (2015) to 2.0 (2020) per NFHS-5.
- Impact: Better family planning and women’s health services.
Healthcare Workforce Expansion
- Workforce Engagement:
- 2021-22: 2.69 lakh healthcare workers engaged.
- 2022-23: 4.21 lakh professionals, including 1.29 lakh Community Health Officers (CHOs).
- 2023-24: 5.23 lakh workers, including 1.38 lakh CHOs.
- Impact: Strengthened healthcare delivery, especially in rural areas.
Health Emergencies Response
- Integrated System: Effective response to pandemics and disease outbreaks.
- Impact: Improved preparedness for public health crises.
Control of Communicable Diseases
- Tuberculosis (TB):
- Targeted interventions for early detection, treatment, and prevention.
- Impact: Lower TB incidence and progress towards elimination.
- Sickle Cell Anaemia:
- Focused initiatives to reduce incidence and improve care.
- Impact: Enhanced quality of life for affected individuals.
Strategic Areas of Focus
- Maternal and Child Health: Progress towards SDG targets ahead of 2030.
- Integrated Healthcare: Unified approach combining primary care, vaccination, and disease control.
- Rural Healthcare: Addressing gaps in underserved areas through CHOs and expanded infrastructure.
Space telescopes stumble on rule-breaking black hole
Context :
- LID-568 is a low-mass supermassive black hole existed 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang.
- Detected using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Relevance : GS 3(Science)
Important Findings:
- Feeding at an exceptional rate, nearly 40 times higher than previously thought possible.
- Exceeds the Eddington limit, leading to super-Eddington accretion (a rare and short-lived phenomenon).
- Surpasses the Eddington limit by a factor of 40, unlike other super-Eddington black holes (which exceed it by a factor of 2-3).
Significance:
- Challenges traditional black hole growth theories that suggest gradual accretion over millions of years.
- Implies that rapid mass accumulation could occur in short bursts, possibly explaining quick formation of supermassive black holes in the early universe.
Characteristics:
- Located 2.3 billion light-years away, expanding the known distance for super-Eddington black holes.
Impact on Current Models:
- Suggests supermassive black holes could rapidly gain mass during intense feeding periods, challenging long-accumulation models.
Future Research Directions:
- Observing similar galaxies with fast-feeding black holes to understand feeding mechanisms.
- Exploring how long a black hole can maintain super-Eddington accretion and the prevalence of this behavior.
Theoretical Explanations for Super-Eddington Accretion:
- Mechanisms may include thick accretion discs, powerful jets, and black hole mergers.
- Follow-up observations with JWST will help test these theories.
Broader Implications:
- The discovery could reshape our understanding of how supermassive black holes form in the early universe and influence cosmic evolution.
