As we consider how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming various fields, one emerging area is the use of synthetic medical images in healthcare.
What are Synthetic Medical Images?
Synthetic medical images are AI-generated images created without using traditional imaging devices like MRI, CT scans, or X-rays.
These images are constructed using mathematical models or AI techniques, such as generative adversarial networks (GANs), diffusion models, and autoencoders.
Advantages offered
Intra- and Inter-Modality Translation: Generate images from the same or different types of scans, helping when certain scans are unavailable.
Privacy Protection: Created without patient data, reducing privacy concerns and easing data sharing for research.
Cost and Time Efficiency: Synthetic images are quicker and cheaper to generate compared to real medical scans.
Scalability: Easier to produce large volumes of medical data for AI training and research.
Challenges posed
Potential for Misuse: Could be used to create medical deepfakes, leading to fraudulent claims or fake clinical findings.
Lack of Real-World Complexity: May not capture subtle details found in real medical data, potentially lowering diagnostic accuracy.
Truth Erosion: Relying too heavily on synthetic data may distort AI models, leading to diagnoses that don’t align with real-world cases.
Ethical and Regulatory Concerns: Questions around how these images should be controlled and monitored to avoid misuse.
PYQ:
[2020] With the present state of development, Artificial Intelligence can effectively do which of the following?
Bring down electricity consumption in industrial units
Create meaningful short stories and songs
Disease diagnosis
Text-to-Speech Conversion
Wireless transmission of electrical energy
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
The survey gathered primary data from 1 lakh rural households across 28 states and Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
The first NAFISsurvey was conducted for the agricultural year 2016-17, with results released in 2018.
This survey provides valuable information on rural economic and financial indicators, especially in the post-COVID period.
Key Highlights from NAFIS 2021-22:
Details
1. Increase in Average Monthly Income
• Average monthly income increased by 57.6% from Rs. 8,059 in 2016-17 to Rs. 12,698 in 2021-22, indicating a nominal CAGR of 9.5%.
• Agricultural households earned slightly more, with an average income of Rs. 13,661, compared to Rs. 11,438 for non-agricultural households.
• Salaried employment was the largest income source for all households, accounting for approximately 37% of total income.
• For agricultural households, cultivation was the main income source, contributing about one-third of their monthly earnings.
• For non-agricultural households, government/private services contributed 57% of the total household income.
2. Rise in Average Monthly Expenditure
• Average monthly expenditure increased from Rs. 6,646 in 2016-17 to Rs. 11,262 in 2021-22.
• Agricultural households had higher expenditure at Rs. 11,710, compared to Rs. 10,675 for non-agricultural households.
• In states like Goa and Jammu & Kashmir, monthly household expenditure exceeded Rs. 17,000.
• Overall, agricultural households demonstrated both higher income and expenditure levels than non-agricultural households.
3. Increase in Financial Savings
• Annual average financial savings rose to Rs. 13,209 in 2021-22 from Rs. 9,104 in 2016-17.
• 66% of households reported saving money in 2021-22, up from 50.6% in 2016-17.
• 71% of agricultural households reported savings, compared to 58% of non-agricultural households.
• States with 70% or more households saving money include Uttarakhand (93%), Uttar Pradesh (84%), and Jharkhand (83%).
• States with less than half of households reporting savings are Goa (29%), Kerala (35%), Mizoram (35%), Gujarat (37%), Maharashtra (40%), and Tripura (46%).
4. Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Usage
• 44% of agricultural households possessed a valid Kisan Credit Card (KCC).
• Among those with land holdings greater than 0.4 hectares or who had taken agricultural loans from banks in the past year, 77% had a valid KCC.
5. Insurance Coverage
• Households with at least one member covered by any form of insurance increased from 25.5% in 2016-17 to 80.3% in 2021-22.
• 80.3% means that four out of every five households had at least one insured member.
• Agricultural households had higher insurance coverage than non-agricultural households by about 13 percentage points.
• Vehicle insurance was the most prevalent, with 55% of households covered.
• Life insurance coverage extended to 24% of households, with agricultural households showing slightly higher penetration (26%) compared to non-agricultural ones (20%).
6. Pension Coverage
• Households with at least one member receiving any form of pension increased from 18.9% in 2016-17 to 23.5% in 2021-22.
• Overall, 54% of households with at least one member over 60 years old reported receiving a pension.
• Pensions included old age, family, retirement, or disability pensions, highlighting their importance in supporting elderly members of society.
7. Financial Literacy
• Respondents demonstrating good financial literacy increased from 33.9% in 2016-17 to 51.3% in 2021-22, a rise of 17% points.
• Individuals exhibiting sound financial behavior increased from 56.4% to 72.8% during the same period.
• When assessed on financial knowledge, 58% of rural respondents and 66% of semi-urban respondents answered all questions correctly.
Key aspects that contribute to Rural Empowerment
The survey shows significant progress in rural financial inclusion since the first survey in 2016-17.
Rural households have seen improvements in income, savings, insurance coverage, and financial literacy.
Government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, MGNREGS, and PMAY-G have contributed to the improvement in the lives of rural people.
PYQ:
[2015] Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana was launched by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 28 August 2014. What is the main objective of the scheme?
(a) To provide housing loan to poor people at cheaper interest rates
(b) To promote women’s Self Help Groups in backward areas
(c) To promote financial inclusion in the country
(d) To provide financial help to marginalised communities
Q). Besides being a moral imperative of a Welfare State, primary health structure is a necessary precondition for sustainable development.” Analyse. (UPSC CSE 2021)
Q) The public health system has limitations in providing universal health coverage. Do you think that the private sector can help in bridging the gap? What other viable alternatives do you suggest? (UPSC CSE 2015)
Mentor’s Comment: In July, a 26-year-old executive from a multinational consulting firm ended her life due to immense work pressures, shedding light on a critical issue affecting millions of working Indians. In September, a 38-year-old software engineer in Chennai also took his life, battling depression caused by work-related stress.
Despite outwardly successful careers, these tragic losses highlight India’s growing mental health crisis, where success is often tied to relentless productivity and material wealth. With over 197 million people suffering from mental health disorders, according to the Lancet Psychiatry Commission, India’s economic growth has increased societal pressures, neglecting mental well-being and fostering disconnection from community and self-awareness. In today’s editorial, we will dive more into the causes and impacts of Mental Health in Indian Society.
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Let’s learn!
Why in the News?
This year’s theme for World Mental Health Day (October 10) focuses on ‘prioritizing mental health in the workplace. India faces a mental health crisis driven by urban stress, financial instability, and intense competition.
Key points related to Mental Health issues as per WHO:
• According to WHO, India has a significant burden of mental health issues with 2443 Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) per 100,000 population. • India’s age-adjusted suicide rate is 21.1 per 100,000, among the highest globally. • The economic loss due to mental health conditions between 2012-2030 is estimated to be USD 1.03 trillion.
What are the reasons behind the rising stress and anxiety?
Mental Health Epidemic: India is facing a growing mental health crisis, with millions suffering from disorders like depression, anxiety, and stress.
Pressures of Urban Living: Urban life, financial instability, and intense competition contribute significantly to rising stress.
Material Success vs. Well-being: Despite material success, many people feel isolated and disconnected from their communities, leading to a sense of purposelessness.
Consumerism and Social Comparison: In urban areas, consumerism fosters a culture where wealth and luxury goods define status, causing feelings of inadequacy and stress.
Fear of Insignificance: As per Ernest Becker’s theory, much of human behavior is driven by the fear of impermanence. People chase material wealth for social validation, but this pursuit neglects self-awareness and deeper emotional needs.
Mental Health Policy and Legal Frameworks by Govt:
• National Mental Health Policy, 2014: Promotes a rights-based and participatory approach for quality service delivery. • Mental Healthcare Act, 2017: Provides a legal framework that aligns with the UNCRPD (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities), focusing on protecting the rights of individuals with mental illness, decriminalizing suicide, and ensuring access to mental health services.
Collective Action, Community as Solutions:
Shifting focus to Collective Well-being: The emphasis needs to move from individual success to collective well-being. Strong social connections, supportive communities, and meaningful work are critical to mental health.
Examples from other Countries: Initiatives like Brazil’s community gardens promote shared responsibilities, fostering a sense of belonging and combating isolation.
Value of Community Living: Community living provides a sustainable alternative to individualistic consumerism by promoting shared responsibility and collective purpose, strengthening social support networks, reducing competition, and offering a sense of purpose.
Way forward:
Strengthen Community-Based Mental Health Programs: Focus on building strong social connections and support systems through community-based initiatives, promoting collective well-being over individual competition, and addressing isolation.
Enhance Accessibility to Affordable Mental Health Services: Expand access to cost-effective, quality mental health care at the primary health care level, ensuring services are available to all, especially in underserved areas.
Approximately two-thirds of workers at Samsung’s flagship factory in Chennai have been on strike for a month, demanding higher wages, an eight-hour workday, improved conditions, and union recognition.
What are the main demands of the striking workers?
Higher Wages: Workers are demanding increased salaries to improve their financial conditions.
Eight-Hour Work Day: The employees seek the implementation of an eight-hour workday to ensure better work-life balance.
Better Working Conditions: Strikers are advocating for improved health and safety standards in the workplace.
Recognition of Labour Union: The workers want formal acknowledgment of their recently formed union, the Samsung India Workers Union (SIWU).
What is Samsung’s union policy?
Historically, Samsung has maintained a strict no-union policy for over 80 years, resisting any collective bargaining efforts by employees.
In July 2021, the company began to recognize unions after successful negotiations at Samsung Display and Samsung Electronics, allowing for some degree of collective bargaining.
Samsung now has various unions representing its workforce globally, with significant representation in South Korea.
Why was SIWU unrecognised?
Registration Challenges: SIWU’s registration has been opposed by Samsung management, citing trademark violations due to the use of the name “Samsung” in the union’s title.
Legal Precedents: SIWU argues that trademark issues should not apply, as their activities do not involve commercial undertakings that could infringe on the trademark.
Pending Legal Review: The case regarding SIWU’s registration is pending further court hearings, with the government examining objections raised by the management.
What has been the govt.’s response?
Indifferent Stance: SIWU and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) have accused the Tamil Nadu government of being indifferent and supportive of Samsung management, which the government denies.
Support for Workers’ Rights: The government claims it considers the registration application in light of Samsung’s objections and aims to ensure fair treatment of both workers and management.
CITU’s Position: Union leaders assert that government intervention in favor of management undermines the rights of workers and can deter unionization efforts, despite evidence showing that unions can benefit both employees and companies.
Present Legislation in India:
Notice Period and Conditions for Strikes: Under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, workers must provide a 14-day notice before striking, which cannot exceed a maximum of 60 days.
Strike definition: The definition of a strike now includes “mass casual leave,” where over 50% of employees taking leave can be classified as a strike.
Increased Flexibility for Employers: The code has increased the threshold for layoffs from 100 to 300 workers, allowing companies to lay off employees without government approval.
This change aims to give employers greater flexibility in managing their workforce, which has raised concerns among labor unions about job security and workers’ rights.
Way forward:
Facilitate Dialogue and Mediation: Establish a formal dialogue between the workers, Samsung management, and government representatives to address grievances, negotiate demands, and work towards a mutually beneficial agreement.
Strengthen Legal Framework for Union Recognition: Amend or clarify existing labor laws to ensure timely and transparent registration processes for unions, protecting their rights and enabling effective collective bargaining.
The ‘Fairwork India Ratings 2024’ highlights that platform aggregators in India fail to ensure local living wages and resist recognizing the collective rights of workers.
Who are the Gig Workers?
Gig workers are individuals who take up short-term, flexible work assignments, typically managed via digital platforms. In the Indian context, gig workers operate in various sectors such as food delivery, ride-hailing, logistics, and personal/domestic care services.
These workers are not considered employees in the traditional sense and often lack the benefits associated with full-time employment, such as job security, healthcare, and social protection.
Examples of platforms using gig workers include Swiggy, Zomato (food delivery) Uber, Ola (transportation), etc.
Key highlights as per the report:
No Platform Scored Perfectly: No digital labor platform scored more than 6 out of 10 points, and none met all criteria across the five principles — Fair Pay, Fair Conditions, Fair Contracts, Fair Management, and Fair Representation.
Fair Pay: Only BigBasket and Urban Company ensured a minimum wage, but no platform met the criteria for guaranteeing a living wage after work-related costs.
Fair Conditions: Several platforms (e.g., Amazon Flex, Swiggy, Zepto) provided safety equipment and training, but only a few offered comprehensive accident insurance and income loss compensation.
Fair Contracts: BigBasket, Swiggy, and others made contracts accessible and comprehensible, and provided data protection for workers.
Fair Management: Platforms like BluSmart and Zomato implemented processes for addressing grievances and preventing discrimination.
Present Status of Gig Economy in India:
Growth of the Gig Economy: India is witnessing rapid growth in the gig economy, with millions of workers depending on digital platforms for their livelihoods.
The rise of app-based platforms such as Uber, Zomato, and Urban Company has driven the expansion of gig work across urban areas.
Government Focus: Recent years have seen increasing political and legislative attention to gig worker welfare. Karnataka and Jharkhand are examples of states that have proposed new legislation to regulate platform work and protect gig workers’ rights.
Worker Conditions: Despite the expansion of gig work, platforms in India still lag in ensuring fair pay, safety, and management of gig workers.
The Fairwork India Ratings 2024 reveal that no platform scored above 6 out of 10, signaling considerable gaps in adhering to key labor standards.
Challenges faced by the Gig Economy
Low Wages and Unstable Earnings: Many platforms fail to ensure a local living wage for workers after accounting for work-related costs. Only a few platforms like Bigbasket and Urban Company guarantee the local minimum wage, but none meet the standard of ensuring a living wage.
Lack of Social Security and Benefits: Most gig workers lack access to benefits such as healthcare, insurance, and paid leave. While a few platforms provide accident insurance, broader social security protections remain elusive.
Poor Working Conditions: Platforms often do not ensure adequate safety training or measures. While some like Swiggy, Zomato, and Zepto offer basic safety equipment and training, broader protections, especially in terms of income loss and sick leave, are limited.
Inflexible Contracts: Contracts on platforms are frequently unclear, lengthy, and not always comprehensible for workers, making it difficult for them to fully understand their rights and obligations.
Management Issues and Bias: Workers face arbitrary decisions and discipline without proper recourse. Though some platforms have mechanisms for workers to appeal decisions, few have adopted policies to ensure fairness in work allocation.
Collectivization Challenges: Platforms resist recognizing gig workers’ right to form unions or collective bodies. Despite the growing movement for gig worker collectivization, no platform showed evidence of supporting or acknowledging these efforts.
Way forward:
Strengthen Legal Protections and Social Security: Introduce comprehensive legislation ensuring gig workers receive fair wages, social security benefits like healthcare and insurance, and clear, comprehensible contracts.
Promote Worker Representation and Fair Management: Encourage platforms to recognize collective bodies of gig workers, ensuring their right to unionize. Implement transparent and bias-free management practices, along with grievance redressal mechanisms, to improve working conditions and fairness.
On October 9, 2024, the Union Cabinet approved extending the free fortified rice supply under welfare programs until December 2028.
Why Rice Fortification is needed?
Widespread Micronutrient Deficiency: India faces a significant public health challenge with micronutrient deficiencies, particularly iron, Vitamin B12, and folic acid. Anaemia, caused by iron deficiency, is a persistent issue affecting large segments of the population, including children, women, and men.
Rice as a Staple Food: Given that 65% of India’s population consumes rice as a staple, it is an ideal vehicle to deliver essential micronutrients to combat these deficiencies, helping improve overall health, productivity, and cognitive development.
Process of Rice Fortification:
Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK): The process involves producing fortified rice kernels that are enriched with essential micronutrients such as Iron, Folic Acid, and Vitamin B12.
Blending with Regular Rice: These fortified kernels are then blended with regular rice at a ratio prescribed by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India).
Typically, fortified kernels make up 1-2% of the total rice, ensuring consistent delivery of micronutrients without altering the taste or cooking properties of the rice.
How the Fortification Initiative has fared so far?
The rice fortification scheme was implemented in three phases between 2022 and March 2024, with the target of achieving universal coverage in all government schemes by March 2024 successfully met.
Fortified rice is now supplied under major welfare programs like the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS), and PM POSHAN in all states and Union Territories.
The initiative is fully funded by the central government, highlighting its commitment to tackling malnutrition and ensuring inclusive nutritional security across the country.
How can food fortification help reduce malnutrition in India?
Combats Micronutrient Deficiencies: Fortifying staple foods with essential nutrients like iron and vitamins helps reduce widespread deficiencies that cause anemia and poor health.
Wide Reach: Through existing public programs (PDS, ICDS), fortified food reaches vulnerable populations, ensuring consistent nutrient intake for large segments of society.
Cost-Effective: It offers a scalable, affordable solution to malnutrition, improving health outcomes without significant changes in diets or eating habits.
Way forward:
Strengthen Monitoring and Quality Control: Implement robust monitoring mechanisms to ensure the consistent quality of fortified rice and its proper distribution across welfare programs to maximize nutritional benefits.
Raise Awareness and Promote Consumption: Conduct awareness campaigns to educate the public on the health benefits of fortified rice, ensuring higher acceptance and consistent consumption to address widespread micronutrient deficiencies.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that India has successfully eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem.
This makes India the third country in the Southeast Asia Region to achieve this milestone.
WHO has classified Trachoma as a neglected tropical disease (NTD).
WHO estimates that around 150 million people worldwide are affected by Trachoma, and 6 million of them are either blind or at risk of severe visual problems.
Trachoma is commonly found in underprivileged communities living in poor conditions.
What is Trachoma?
Trachoma is a bacterial infection that affects the eyes.
It is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia Trachomatis.
It is contagious, spreading through contact with the eyes, eyelids, or secretions from the nose or throat of an infected person.
If untreated, Trachoma can lead to irreversible blindness.
Trachoma in India: A Historical Perspective
In the 1950s and 1960s, Trachoma was one of the leading causes of blindness in India.
To tackle this, India launched the National Trachoma Control Program in 1963.
Later, these efforts were integrated into India’s National Program for Control of Blindness (NPCB).
In 1971, the rate of blindness due to trachoma was 5% in the country.
Due to various interventions under the National Programme for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment (NPCBVI), the rate has now dropped to less than 1%.
What are the key measures taken to eliminate Trachoma?
India implemented the WHO SAFE strategy across the country. This strategy includes:
Surgery
Antibiotics
Facial hygiene
Environmental cleanliness
Although by 2017, India was declared free from infective Trachoma, it continued surveillance of Trachoma cases from 2019 to 2024.
PYQ:
[2018] Appropriate local community-level healthcare intervention is a prerequisite to achieve ‘Health for All’ in India. Explain.
Rwanda has reported a Marburg virus outbreak with several confirmed cases and deaths, making it a country of concern for public health.
About the Marburg Virus
The Marburg virus is a highly dangerous virus that causes Marburg Virus Disease (MVD), also known as Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever.
It belongs to the same family of viruses as Ebola (the filovirus family).
MVD has a case fatality rate that can range from 24% to 88%, depending on the virus strain and how cases are managed.
The virus was first identified in 1967 during simultaneous outbreaks in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany.
How does it spread?
The Marburg virus initially spreads from animals to humans, primarily through exposure to Rousettus bats, particularly the Egyptian fruit bat, found in caves or mines.
Once a person is infected, it can spread from human to human through:
Direct contact with the blood, and bodily fluids (urine, saliva, sweat, vomit, feces, breast milk, and semen) of an infected person.
Indirect contact with surfaces or objects like bedding or clothing that have been contaminated with these fluids.
Medical workers are often at risk, especially during outbreaks, due to contact with patients when proper infection control practices are not followed.
The virus does NOT spread through the air like the common cold or flu.
Symptoms and Treatment
Symptoms typically begin between 2 to 21 days after exposure to the virus.
Early symptoms are: High fever, severe headache, Muscle aches, Chills, Severe watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain and cramping, nausea and vomiting.
As the disease progresses, more severe symptoms may develop, including: Bleeding (both internal and external) ex—blood in vomit and faeces.
Patients often die 8 to 9 days after the onset of symptoms, primarily from severe blood loss and multiple organ failure.
Currently, there are no approved vaccines or specific antiviral treatments for MVD. However, supportive care can improve the chances of survival.
Supportive treatment includes:
Rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids to maintain fluid and electrolyte balance.
Treatment of specific symptoms like fever, pain, and diarrhoea.
Blood transfusions and oxygen therapy may be required for severe cases.
PYQ:
[2015] Among the following, which were frequently mentioned in the news for the outbreak of Ebola virus recently?
