Environment
Q1. India’s status as the world’s TB capital persists, casting a shadow over its ambitious goal of eradicating tuberculosis by 2025. Critically examine the statement. (10M)
Introduction
Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and the leading cause from a single infectious agent, ranking above HIV/AIDS. It is an infectious disease caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis. With an estimated 2.64 million tuberculosis patients, India has 28 percent of the world’s TB cases, which is the highest in the world.
Body:
India’s status as the world’s TB capital persists due to following reasons:
- High TB burden: India has consistently had one of the highest burdens of tuberculosis globally, with millions of new cases reported each year. The sheer magnitude of the problem makes eradication efforts complex and resource-intensive.
- Poverty and Social Determinants: Malnutrition, overcrowded living conditions, lack of access to clean water and sanitation, and limited healthcare access in impoverished communities contribute to the spread of the disease.
- Drug-Resistant TB: India also faces a growing threat from drug-resistant TB, including multi-drug-resistant (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR-TB) Treating drug-resistant TB is more challenging, expensive, and time-consuming, further impeding eradication efforts.
- Limited Funding and Resources: While India has made efforts to combat TB, there might be limitations in funding and resources necessary for the comprehensive implementation of eradication strategies.
- Fragmented Healthcare System: India’s healthcare system is fragmented, with both public and private sectors offering services. Coordinating efforts and ensuring a unified approach to tackle TB across sectors can be challenging.
- Tobacco use: In India, 9% of TB-related deaths are caused by tobacco. Though tobacco use has fallen in recent years, a whopping 28.6% of adults still use tobacco, and that number includes at least 625,000 children between the age of 10 and 14.
- People living with HIV have a higher risk of developing active TB, and TB can worsen the outcome for HIV patients.
Steps taken by India to eradicate TB by 2025:
- National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP): aims to strategically reduce TB burden in India by 2025, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals.
- It reached over a billion people in 632 districts/reporting units and is responsible for carrying out the Government of India’s five-year National Strategic Plans for TB elimination along with the States/UTs.
- Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY): which aims to meet the nutritional requirements of TB patients, especially the underserved.
- The Nikshay Portal: it is an online portal for real-time tracking of the notified TB cases.
- TB harega desh Jeetega campaign: has been launched as a people’s movement for TB elimination in India.
- Ni-kshay mitras: the government also launched the community engagement programme where Ni-kshay mitras can adopt TB patients and provide them monthly nutritional support.
- So far, 71,460 Ni-kshay Mitras have adopted about 10 lakh TB patients under the programme.
- Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres: over 1,50,000 Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres will be established by December 2022 to decentralize comprehensive primary healthcare including TB care services at the grassroots level.
- Patient Provider Support Agencies (PPSA): As part of engaging the private sector, Patient Provider Support Agencies (PPSA) have been rolled out across 250 districts through the domestic setup and JEET initiative, leading to 32% of all TB patients being notified from the private sector.
- Introducing new drugs and regimens: India has introduced new drugs and regimens for TB treatment, such as Bedaquiline and Delamanid, to improve treatment outcomes for patients with drug-resistant TB.
- The government has also implemented a universal drug susceptibility test, meaning that antibiotic susceptibility of the mycobacterium is determined for all newly diagnosed cases.
Measures needed:
- Poverty and hunger: The social determinants of health, such as poverty, malnutrition, and poor living conditions, contribute to the high burden of TB in India. Addressing these underlying factors is critical to reducing the incidence of TB.
- Targeted interventions are needed to reach high-risk populations, such as people living with HIV, migrants, and prisoners, who are more vulnerable to TB infection and disease.
- Strengthened healthcare system: The healthcare system needs to be strengthened to improve access to TB diagnosis and treatment, particularly in remote and underserved areas.
- The huge private sector in the country, where at least 50% cases of TB are reported for treatment, needs to be engaged rapidly and effectively.
- Scaling up testing: There is a need to aggressively scale up testing with innovative strategies such as active surveillance, bidirectional screening for respiratory tract infections using the most sensitive molecular diagnostics, and contact tracing.
- Increasing public awareness and education about TB is crucial to reducing the stigma associated with the disease, improving treatment adherence, and encouraging people to seek early diagnosis and treatment
Conclusion
Tuberculosis (TB) remains the biggest killer disease in India, and eliminating TB in India by 2025 requires a multi-sectoral approach that addresses the social, economic, and health-related factors that contribute to the disease.
Q2. What is quantum computing and how does it differ from classical computing? Also, mention the specific goals and targets set by the recently launched National Quantum Mission? (15M)
Introduction
Quantum computing relies on quantum physics by taking advantage of certain quantum physics properties of atoms or nuclei that allow them to work together as quantum bits, or qubits, to be the computer’s processor and memory. It scores over existing computing methods by performing more efficient algorithms than traditional computing.
Body:
Difference between quantum computing and classical computing:
National Quantum Mission:
The National Quantum Mission, launched by the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India, aims to catapult efforts across the nation to engineer and utilise the delicate quantum features of photons and subatomic particles to build advanced sensors that boost the value added by these enterprises and to support sustainable development. Its specific goals and targets are as follows:
- Targets: The new mission targets developing intermediate scale quantum computers with 50-1000 physical qubits in 8 years in various platforms like superconducting and photonic technology.
- Satellite based secure quantum communications between ground stations over a range of 2000 kilometres within India,
- long distance secure quantum communications with other countries,
- inter-city quantum key distribution over 2000 km
- multi-node Quantum network with quantum memories are also some of the deliverables of the Mission.
- Goals:
- Four thematic hubs: The mission will undertake four thematic hubs for quantum research at top national universities, which include quantum computing, quantum communications, quantum sensing and meteorology, and quantum materials and
- Promote R&D: It will mainly work towards strengthening India’s research and development in the quantum arena alongside indigenously building quantum-based (physical qubit) computers.
- Develop plethora of devices: the mission will focus on research and technology development to build a plethora of devices and systems, including magnetic sensors, Precise clocks, Navigation devices etc.
- It will cater to quantum technologies along with other major scientific megaprojects like:
- semiconductor mission
- neutrino observatory
- gravitational wave detection.
Conclusion
Quantum technology holds great promise, many of these applications are still in the research and development stage. Quantum technologies require significant advancements in hardware, algorithms, and infrastructure to become more practical and commercially viable.
Value addition:
Ethics
Syllabus: “Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity”
Q3. Do we see probity on part of all the stakeholders in tackling negative effects of climate change in our country? Critically analyse (10M)
Introduction:
Probity, often regarded as the cornerstone of ethical behavior, encompasses a steadfast adherence to moral principles, honesty, integrity, and transparency in all actions and decision-making processes.
Body:
Principles of probity:
Are all stakeholders in climate change fighting its negative effects:
Comparing with successful initiatives such as Montreal protocol in 1987 which helped rebuild Ozone layer, our actions against climate change can be judged as lacking probity as there is a 66% chance that the annual global average temperature will hit 1.5 ºC above pre-industrial temperatures at some time in the next five years, according to a World Meteorological Organization.
Conclusion:
While there have been commendable efforts by various stakeholders in India, it is crucial for all stakeholders to adhere to probity, ensuring accountability, transparency, and ethical conduct because ‘we don’t inherit earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our next generation’.
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