Why in news ?

• The Central government has declared Smart City awards 2020 in which Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Surat (Gujarat) won the award jointly for their overall development.
• Whereas Uttar Pradesh emerged on the top among all states, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu under the Smart City award, 2020.
• The Smart City awards were given across the themes of Social Aspects, Governance, Culture, Urban Environment, Sanitation, Economy, Built Environment, Water, Urban Mobility

Why in news ?

• Microsoft officially launched its new Windows operating system ‘Windows 11’. It is being called as the “next generation” of Windows.
• The release comes nearly six-year after the current latest Windows Operating System ‘Windows 10’ was launched in July 2015.
• Windows 11 is special because it focuses on a new user interface, a new Windows Store, and improvements to performance, including a center-aligned Taskbar and Start button.

Why in news ?

• The National Skill Development Corporation and WhatsApp announced an alliance to launch the Digital Skill Champions Program that aims to train India’s youth on digital skills, in order to make them employment ready.
• The partnership identifies two broad areas of collaboration viz., WhatsApp Digital Skills Academy and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) and WhatsApp Business App Training sessions.
• Through this program, school and university students would be coached to imbibe digital and online skills that would culminate with WhatsApp and NSDC awarding ‘Digital Skill Champions’ certification.

Why in news ?

Recently, the Defence Minister visited the Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka to review the ongoing infrastructure development under Phase-II of ‘Project Seabird’.

About:

Project Seabird-Phase II:

• Project Seabird involves construction of a naval base over an area of 11,169 acres.
• Phase I comprised construction of a deep-sea harbour, breakwaters dredging, a township, a naval hospital, a dockyard uplift centre and a ship lift. It was completed in 2005.
• Phase-II of Project Seabird was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security in 2012. It envisages expanding facilities to house additional warships and set up a new Naval Air Station, among other plans.
• INS Kadamba is currently the third-largest Indian naval base, and is expected to become the largest naval base in the eastern hemisphere after completion of expansion Phase II.
• The Navy’s lone aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya is based at Karwar. The base also has the country’s first sealift facility, a unique “shiplift” and transfer system for docking and undocking ships and submarines.
• The project involves several technical and environmental challenges.

Why in news ?

Every year, Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) Day is celebrated on 27^th June to recognise the contribution of these industries in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

History:

• The United Nations (UN) designated 27^thJune as Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day through a resolution passed in the UN General Assembly in April 2017.
• In May 2017, a program titled ‘Enhancing National Capacities for Unleashing Full Potentials of MSMEs in Achieving the SDGs in Developing Countries’ was launched.
• It has been funded by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Sub-Fund of the United Nations Peace and Development Fund.

Significance:

• The UN wants countries to recognise sustainable development goals and create awareness about them.
  • An International Trade Centre survey on Covid-19 impact among businesses in 136 countries has shown that nearly 62% of women-led small businesses have been strongly affected by the crisis, compared to just over half of firms led by men, and women-owned are 27% more likely not to survive the pandemic.
• Formal and informal MSMEs make up over 90% of all firms and account, on average, for 70% of total employment and 50% of GDP. As such, they are key actors in achieving a green recovery.

• 2021 Theme:
  • MSME 2021: Key to an inclusive and sustainable recovery

Syllabus– General Studies 2 (Governance)

Issues relating to quality of life: livelihood, poverty, hunger, disease and social inclusiveness.

Context

The lessons to draw from chronic epidemics such as HIV/AIDS to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Four decades ago, on June 5, 1981, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an unusual fungal infection of the lungs (pneumocystis carinii pneumonia) in five gay men in Los Angeles.
• That was the first time the world learnt about the devastating infection caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in people with a weak immune system.

Furthermore:

• Clio Epidemiology is the study of information from past epidemics for advice about the present.
• We have dealt with HIV infection for 40 years.

Issues

• Non completion of Targets:
  • India scripted one of the biggest success stories in fighting HIV/AIDS between 1997 and 2010, after the infection hit the shores in 1986.
  • The achievement of “controlling AIDS” was flagged by the Centre in 2012 as a small victory in the long journey of accepting, understanding and fighting the disease. But soon it fell short of the following targets:
    • The aim of the World Health Organization, of which India is a member, was to ensure that 90% of the people living with HIV/AIDS are on anti-retroviral therapy by 2020.The target has been pushed by at least five years.
    • The 2017 National Health Policy and the UN Sustainable Development Goals aim to end AIDS by 2030.This goal too looks like it may take longer to achieve.
  • When the COVID-19 outbreak shook the world in 2020, transferring the blame for unmet targets got easy.

But AIDS had actually fallen off the radar long before.

• • If it is further flushed out of public memory, it will be difficult to check progress on controlling it.
• Cause for underachievement of target:

The information and education campaigns of the 1990s helped to check the transmission of HIV infection through two routes: mother to child, and blood transfusions.Strict ante-natal protocols were established and blood banks were upgraded with superior testing facilities.The sale of blood was banned. Excellent awareness programmes and intensive follow-up action plans led to significant decline in incidence.

But the reduced visibility of the disease led to plateauing of efforts.

• • The politics let AIDS slip from being priority health news.
  • The arrogance and complacency of governments between 2013 and 2019 slackened the implementation of AIDS control programmes countrywide.
  • Post 2014 the HIV infection diagnosis rate dropped from 60% in 2010 to 23% in 2019, the mortality rate doubled and new cases spiked five times more during the period.
  • According to National AIDS Control Organization (NACO’s) annual HIV Estimates report of 2019, there were over 58,000 AIDS-related deaths and over 69,000 new HIV infections added to the pool of 2.3 million people living with HIV/AIDS, with 98% of new infections in the high-risk groups.
    • This happened because the campaign to educate and empower the vulnerable communities — MSM (men who have sex with men), IDUs (Injecting Drug Users), migrant and sex workers, and truck drivers — was losing steam.
  • An entire new generation had grown up on Internet knowledge. They were downloading dating apps and hooking up with no awareness of AIDS.
  • Natural desires and sexual behaviour cannot be changed; yet discussions with adolescents on safe sex were buried.

Solutions:

• The need for a multi-sectoral and multi-pronged strategy to contain AIDS by a broad coalition of economists, scientists, doctors, researchers, technicians, civil society representatives and policymakers.
• To fight any medical crisis, we can trust the same formula of supporting
  • Science-driven responses,
  • Good quality data and empirical evidence and
  • Consolidating guidelines.
• There is a road map for reducing new HIV infections by 2030.
• Good data and information from scientific investigations have to be combined and the Centre needs to provide resources to scale.
• E.g., The nationalized AIDS treatment plan:
  • It is a perfect example of how early detection, diagnosis and treatment saved many lives.
  • It gave a head start to the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) when every State and Union Territory established its own AIDS control organisation.
    • They were given a free hand and funds to monitor the epidemic and work on integrated action plans under NACO’s supervision.
• The existing workforce in 21,000 Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTC) is well-equipped.

They can help in:

• • • Early detection of infections,
    • Provide basic information on modes of transmission,
    • Promote behavioural change,
    • Reduce vulnerability and
    • Link people with care and treatment services.
  • A majority of the ICTCs have an excellent outreach in the interiors. The staff can also be easily utilised for dealing with COVID-19 now.
  • At the core of every exit strategy is a strong surveillance system.
  • The government needs to rearrange its priorities and re-energise the ICTCs along with the 32,000-plus primary and urban health centres to uphold the right to treatment and the dignity of individuals affected by diseases — AIDS, COVID-19 or any other.
• By integrating education and awareness outreach programmes and re-allocating and releasing funds on time, any chronic (TB/HIV/malaria), acute (cholera/plague) or new outbreak becomes easier to deal with.

Conclusion:

There is no scarcity of experiences to draw from if only we are inclined to learn from our past, rather than forget and be condemned to repeat it.

Question- Lessons from fight against HIV-AIDS can help in countering present and future Pandemics. Comment.

Article- https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/keeping-alive-conversations-about-aids/article35026483.ece

Why in news ?

As per Karnataka government, work on ‘Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project’ will start in month of September 2021. Project is expected to be completed by 2026.

Highlights

• Project will be completed at an estimated cost of Rs 15,767 crore.
• It is being considered as India’s most integrated rail project.
• Project will connect Bengaluru with its suburbs through a rail-based rapid-transit system.
• This project has been a dream of Karnataka governments since 1983.

Background

Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project was proposed by Karnataka government in 1983. It was first proposed by an expert team from Southern Railway (then Bengaluru was under purview of Southern Railway). Its proposal was submitted as Karnataka’s first Transportation Survey which was commissioned by the then Chief Minister R Gundu Rao.

Aim of the project

Project was proposed with the aim of linking Bengaluru to its suburbs, satellite townships and surrounding rural areas by rail-based rapid-transit system. It is expected air-conditioned and metro-like trains will run across the network. It will also provide a fast, safe and more comfortable mode of travel to rural and urban commuters.

Why in news ?

Government has allowed private companies to establish & operate rocket launch sites within and outside the country. However, it is subject to prior authorisation from government.

Key Points

• Draft National Space Transportation Policy-2020 which was put forward by the Department of Space and IN-SPACe is the nodal agency responsible for overall approval.
• As per the policy, any orbital or sub-orbital rocket launch from Indian or overseas territory can be carried out only after authorisation from Indian National Space Promotion & Authorization Center (IN-SPACe).
• Mission can be launched from own or leased launch site or from mobile platforms like land, sea or air.
• Currently, Agnikul Cosmos is developing small rocket to launch small satellites into orbit. Skyroot Aerospace is the other small rocket maker.
• As per the policy, IN-SPACe authorisation requires financial guarantee or insurance cover by proposer under its ownership to fulfil nation’s liability as per international agreements.
• If the launch will be carried outside the India, all approvals necessary to undertake the scope of activities in another nation or territory will be in accordance with applicable laws of concerned nation or territory.
• Compliance and approvals of administration which is controlling the territory from where Launch is performed will be ensured by proposer. The proof of compliance or approvals will be enclosed with application for authorisation.

Why in news ?

European Space Agency is set to hire and launch world’s first physically disabled astronaut.

Key points

It is going to be 22-member space programme for which decennial recruitment call for astronauts.  It received 22,000 applicants. Space mission will ESA’s 7-billion-euro budget mission and is a third of NASA’s. Seven or eight launches in a year are dwarfed by 40 launches by United States.

How Space Missions are evolving?

Space is developing fast. Different space agencies are refashioning their outlining plans to refresh space missions.  Founder of Amazon, Bezos hopes, will become the first man to go into space on his own rocket in July 2021. This highlights the role that tech billionaires are playing in space field which was once dominated by public agencies.

European Space Agency (ESA)

ESA is an intergovernmental organization comprising of 22 member states. The agency, established in 1975, is dedicated to exploration of space. It is headquartered in Paris. Its space flight programme includes human spaceflight, launch & operation of unmanned exploration missions to other planets & Moon, Earth observation, science & telecommunication etc.

Why in news ?

• Max Verstappen (Netherlands-Red Bull) has won the 2021 French Grand Prix. This race is the seventh round of the 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship.
• With this win, Max Verstappen has 131 points and now leads Lewis Hamilton (119 points) in the Formula One drivers’ title race, after seven matches. Lewis Hamilton (Britain-Mercedes) stood second and Sergio Perez (Mexico- Red Bull) stood third.