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  • Step towards more LGBTQIA+ affirmative medical curriculum doesn’t go far enough

    Context

    The National Medical Commission (NMC), the body responsible for regulating medical education in India, released an advisory regarding the LGBTQIA+ community and the necessary changes in the competencies of its competency-based medical education (CBME) curriculum.

    Exclusion of LGBTQIA+ community in medication

    • Medical education in India has focussed only on the binary of male and female, heterosexuality and cis-gendered lives, while excluding homosexuality and gender non-binary and transgender issues.
    • This results in the exclusion of the LGBTQIA+ community.
    • Even with the release of the competency-based medical curriculum in August 2019, the curriculum continues to include a queerphobic syllabus.

    About the NMC notification

    • The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 mandates governments to take measures for the “review of medical curriculum and research for doctors to address their [transgender] specific health issues,” but no action has been taken since then.
    • In June 2021, in response to a case filed by a queer couple, the Madras High Court laid down a set of guidelines and directed the NMC to ban queerphobic practices such as conversion therapy which aims to forcibly change the sexual orientation of a person.
    • In its notification, the NMC has advised medical colleges to teach gender in a way that is not derogatory to the queer community.
    • The authors of medical textbooks have also been asked to amend the books to remove any harmful contents regarding virginity and the queer community.

    Issues with the NMC notification

    • While the NMC advisory title mentions necessary changes in the competencies of its CBME curriculum, there are no specifications on what these changes are.
    •  At the same time, the CBME curriculum itself mentions queerphobic things that are to be taught to students.
    • Certain acts are called as sexual offences even though the Supreme Court has read down Section 377. 
    •  Also, the competencies which will make a future Indian doctor respectful and empathetic in treating a queer patient are missing.

    Way forward

    • The NMC must start by recognising the flaws in its own CBME curriculum and explicitly state the changes required.
    • Specific guidelines on how to make healthcare queer-affirmative are needed.
    • The directive also needs to specify changes across several subjects and not just forensic medicine and psychiatry.
    •  For this, there needs to be a participatory stakeholder consultation towards the development of a queer-affirmative curriculum.
    • Finally, there needs to be clarity on what the NMC plans to do for tackling queerphobia in the current set of health professionals.

    Consider the question “The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 mandates governments to take measures for the review of the medical curriculum. In light of this, discuss the changes needed in the medical curriculum regarding the LGBTQIA+ community.”

    Conclusion

    Without these changes, equitable access to healthcare for queer persons will remain a faraway dream.

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  • 25th October 2021| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1    Salient features of world’s physical geography

    GS-2   Salient Features of the Representation of People’s Act.

    GS-3   Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

    GS-4    Probity in Governance: Concept of public service;
    Philosophical basis of governance and probity.

    Questions:

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 Identifying the factors which affect the salinity of ocean bodies, discuss the reasons behind relatively higher salinity of the North Sea, Arabian Sea and Red Sea. (10 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 How internal democracy in political parties can influence political outcomes in a representative democracy? What are the challenges in achieving it through internal elections for leadership within the party in India. (15 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 India’s power landscape is dominated by thermal power plants. However, the rapid growth of variable renewable energy sources has necessitated the transition plan. In context of this, suggest the broad contours of the transition from thermal to variable renewable energy sources. (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 Examine the role of media in promoting probity in governance.(10 Marks)

     

    HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?

    1. Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.

    2. A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.

    3. You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.

    4.  Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.

    5. Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.

    6. If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 11th  October is uploaded on 11th October then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis

    7. If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th October is uploaded on 13th October, then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.

    8. We encourage you to write answers on the same day. However, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor like @Staff so that the mentor is notified about your answer.

    *In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. 

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    CLICK HERE To join Daily AWE

  • 25th October 2021 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

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    [WpProQuiz 818]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 818]

  • G7 Trade Ministers’ Digital Trade Principles

    The Group of Seven wealthy nations agreed on a joint set of principles to govern cross-border data use and digital trade.

    What are the Digital Trade Principles?

    • Open digital markets: Digital and telecommunications markets should be competitive, transparent, fair, and accessible to international trade and investment.
    • Cross-border data flows: To harness the opportunities of the digital economy and support the trade of goods and services, data should be able to flow freely across borders with trust.
    • Safeguards for workers, consumers, and businesses: Labour protections must be in place for workers who are directly engaged in or support digital trade, providing decent conditions of work.
    • Digital trading systems: To cut red tape and enable more businesses to trade, governments and industries should drive forward the digitization of trade-related documents.
    • Fair and inclusive global governance: Common rules for digital trade should be agreed and upheld at the World Trade Organization.

    About Group of Seven

    • The G-7 or ‘Group of Seven’ includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
    • It is an intergovernmental organization that was formed in 1975 by the top economies of the time as an informal forum to discuss pressing world issues.
    • Initially, it was formed as an effort by the US and its allies to discuss economic issues.
    • The G-7 forum now discusses several challenges such as oil prices and many pressing issues such as financial crises, terrorism, arms control, and drug trafficking.
    • It does not have a formal constitution or a fixed headquarters. The decisions taken by leaders during annual summits are non-binding.
    • Canada joined the group in 1976, and the European Union began attending in 1977.

    Evolution of the G-7

    • When it started in 1975—with six members, Canada joining a year later—it represented about 70% of the world economy.
    • And it was a cosy club for tackling issues such as the response to oil shocks.
    • Now it accounts for about 40% of global gdp.
    • Since the global financial crisis of 2007-09 it has sometimes been overshadowed by the broader g20.
    • The G-7 became the G-8 in 1997 when Russia was invited to join.
    • In 2014, Russia was debarred after it took over Crimea.

     

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  • Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Yojana (PK3Y)

    Women farmers in the hill State of Himachal Pradesh are gradually turning to non-chemical, low cost “natural farming”, under the Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Yojana (PK3Y).

    Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Yojana

    • Launched in 2018, the State’s PK3Y is promoting the climate resilient Subhash Palekar Natural Farming (SPNF), also called ‘Zero Budget Natural Farming’.
    • Over 1.5 lakh farmers have been trained in natural farming in the State so far, with substantial numbers of women participants.

    About Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF)?

    • ZBNF is a set of farming methods, and also a grassroots peasant movement, which has spread to various states in India.
    • Subhash Palekar perfected it during the 1990s at his farm in Amravati district in Maharashtra’s drought-prone Vidarbha region.
    • According to the “zero budget” concept, farmers won’t have to spend any money on fertilisers and other agricultural inputs.
    • Over 98% of the nutrients that crops require — carbon dioxide, nitrogen, water, solar energy — are already present in nature.
    • The remaining 1.5-2% are taken from the soil, after microorganisms convert them from “non-

    Four Wheels of ZBNF

    The “four wheels” of ZBNF are ‘Jiwamrita’, ‘Bijamrita’, ‘Mulching’ and ‘Waaphasa’.

    • Jiwamrita is a fermented mixture of cow dung and urine (of desi breeds), jaggery, pulses flour, water and soil from the farm bund.
    • This isn’t a fertiliser, but just a source of some 500 crore micro-organisms that can convert all the necessary “non-available” nutrients into “available” form.
    • Bijamrita is a mix of desi cow dung and urine, water, bund soil and lime that is used as a seed treatment solution prior to sowing.
    • Mulching, or covering the plants with a layer of dried straw or fallen leaves, is meant to conserve soil moisture and keep the temperature around the roots at 25-32 degrees Celsius, which allows the microorganisms to do their job.
    • Waaphasa, or providing water to maintain the required moisture-air balance, also achieves the same objective.

    Astra’s of ZBNF against pest attacks

    • ZBNF advocates the use of special ‘Agniastra’, ‘Bramhastra’ and ‘Neemastra’ concoctions.
    • They are based on cow urine and dung, plus pulp from leaves of neem, white datura, papaya, guava and pomegranates — for controlling pest and disease attacks.

    Is it organic farming?

    • ZBNF uses farmyard manure or vermicompost.

    However, not all farmers are convinced about ZBNF. Why?

    • Cost of labour: The cost of labour for collection of dung and urine, apart from the other inputs used in preparation of Jiwamrita, Neemastra or Bramhastra is quit higher.
    • Bovine cost: Keeping cows is also a cost that has to be accounted for. Farmers cannot afford to keep desi cows that yield very little milk.
    • Vulnerability to pest attacks:  ZBNF is scarcely practiced.  The crop grown would be vulnerable to attacks by insects and pests have already become pest-immune.

     

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  • What is Hybrid Immunity?

    A study has shown that a combination of natural infection with a single dose of vaccine provides greater immunity than either natural infection without vaccination or full vaccination in individuals.

    What is the new study?

    • People without prior infection but fully vaccinated with the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine showed a decline in neutralising antibodies over a period of three to seven months.
    • But the decline was much less in vaccinated people with prior infection.
    • People with hybrid immunity had a higher and more durable neutralising antibody response.
    • The hybrid immunity offers stronger protection than just infection or full vaccination alone.

    What is Hybrid Immunity?

    • It is natural immunity from an infection combined with the immunity provided by the vaccine.
    • The immunological advantage from hybrid immunity arises mostly from memory B cells.

    What are memory B cells?

    • In immunology, a memory B cell (MBC) is a type of B lymphocyte that forms part of the adaptive immune system.
    • B lymphocytes are the cells of the immune system that make antibodies to invade pathogens like viruses.
    • They form memory cells that remember the same pathogen for faster antibody production in future infections.

    How do they assist hybrid immunity?

    • While the bulk of antibodies after infection or vaccination decline after a short while, the memory B cells get triggered on subsequent infection or vaccination.
    • The memory B cells triggered by infection and those triggered by vaccination have different responses to viruses.
    • Infection and vaccination expose the spike protein to the immune system in vastly different ways.
    • After full vaccination, antibodies produced by natural infection continued to grow in potency and their breadth against variants for a year after infection.
    • Unlike after vaccination, the memory B cells formed after natural infection are more likely to make antibodies that block immune-evading variants.

     

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  • [pib] India’s First Banni Buffalo IVF Calf Born

    With the birth of first IVF calf of a Buffalo breed namely Banni in the country, India’s Ovum Pick-Up (OPU) – IVF work has reached to next level.

    Banni Buffalo

    • Banni buffaloes are also known as “Kutchi” or “Kundi”.
    • The breeding tract includes the Banni area of Kutchchh district of Gujarat.
    • The breed is maintained mostly by Maldharis under locally adapted typical extensive production system in its breeding tract.

    What makes them unique?

    • Banni buffaloes are trained to graze on Banni grassland during night and brought to the villages in the morning for milking.
    • This traditional system of buffalo rearing has been adapted to avoid the heat stress and high temperature of the day.
    • It has unique qualities of adaptation such as the ability to survive water scarcity conditions, to cover long distances during periods of drought and disease resistance.

    Indigenous buffalo breeds in India

    S. No. Breed Breeding state
    1 Banni Gujarat
    2 Bargur Tamil Nadu
    3 Bhadawari Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh
    4 Chhattisgarhi Chhattisgarh
    5 Chilika Odisha
    6 Gojri Himachal Pradesh and Punjab
    7 Jaffarabadi Gujarat
    8 Kalahandi Odisha
    9 Luit (Swamp) Assam
    10 Marathwadi Maharashtra
    11 Mehsana Gujarat
    12 Murrah Haryana and Delhi
    13 Nagpuri Maharashtra
    14 Nili Ravi Punjab
    15 Pandharpuri Maharashtra
    16 Surti Gujarat
    17 Toda Tamil Nadu

     

     

     

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    Back2Basics: In-vitro fertilization (IVF)

    • IVF is a type of assisted reproductive technology used for infertility treatment and gestational surrogacy.
    • A fertilised egg may be implanted into a surrogate’s uterus, and the resulting child is genetically unrelated to the surrogate.
    • Some countries have banned or otherwise regulate the availability of IVF treatment, giving rise to fertility tourism.
    • Restrictions on the availability of IVF include costs and age, in order for a woman to carry a healthy pregnancy to term.
    • IVF is generally not used until less invasive or expensive options have failed or been determined unlikely to work.

    IVF process

    • IVF is a process of fertilization where an egg is combined with sperm outside the body, in vitro (“in glass”).
    • The process involves monitoring and stimulating a female ovulatory process, removing an ovum or ova (egg or eggs) from the female ovaries and letting sperm fertilise them in a liquid in a laboratory.
    • After the fertilised egg (zygote) undergoes embryo culture for 2–6 days, it is implanted in the same or another female uterus, with the intention of establishing a successful pregnancy.

     

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  • [pib] Amended Technology Up-gradation Fund Scheme

    Union Minister of Textiles has reviewed the Amended Technology Up-gradation Fund Scheme (ATUFS) to ease of doing business, bolstering exports & fuelling employment.

    What is ATUFS?

    • The Ministry of Textiles had introduced Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) in 1999.
    • It is a credit linked subsidy scheme intended for modernization and technology up-gradation of the Indian textile industry.
    • It aims at promoting ease of doing business, generating employment and promoting exports. Since then, the scheme has been implemented in different versions.
    • The ongoing ATUFS has been approved in 2016 and implemented through web based iTUFS platform.
    • Capital Investment Subsidy is provided to benchmarked machinery installed by the industry after physical verification.

     

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  • How Civilsdaily Mentorship helped UPSC 2020 AIR 25 Vaibhav Rawat || Unherd Shorts | Civilsdaily Mentorship Program: Toppers Testimonials (Link Inside)

    How Civilsdaily Mentorship helped UPSC 2020 AIR 25 Vaibhav Rawat || Unherd Shorts | Civilsdaily Mentorship Program: Toppers Testimonials (Link Inside)

    Talk to Vaibhav’s UPSC Mentors- https://bit.ly/Free_One_to_One_Mentorship

    Check out Vaibhav’s excerpt on how he cleared UPSC 2020:- https://youtu.be/hAeYOs0O

    Vaibhav cracked Mains in the first attempt but only barely! With very few marks in GS, he joined Civilsdaily’s Mentorship Program for 2020 for his second attempt and the results were clear – he secured 25th rank in UPSC 2020. Vaibhav is an IT BHU graduate, school cricket captain, 7th ranker in All India Science Olympiad, a former employee at Samsung R&D and current Rank Holder for UPSC 2020.

    We, at Civilsdaily IAS family, are equally thrilled and overjoyed. We wish Vaibhav Rawat, all the very best. This turn around which he has experienced in his life, may he reflect upon the society.

    Guys, let’s hear more from Vaibhav himself and try to learn what a common aspirant learns in this quest to cross the threshold.

    Heartiest congratulations to Vaibhav Rawat
    AIR 25
    UPSC Civil Services 2020

  • Don’t stop your Mains preparation even if you get low marks in Prelims|| Register for Free 1-1 Mentorship for UPSC 2022 – Samanvaya

    Do you know only 42% of toppers clear UPSC CSE examinations in their first attempt? The rest clear it because they didn’t give up. In our student Jayant Nahata’s (AIR 56, UPSC 2020) words, “Do you want the pain of hard work or do you want the regret of failure?”

    book your slot for Samanvaya free 1-on-1 mentorship

    Sajal Sir has helped over 400 aspirants secure ranks in the last 6 years. This year, he has guided over 30 students to secure ranks in the top 100 in UPSC 2020. He was the topper of GS 2017 Mains.

    Our next mentor, Sudhanshu Sir has cleared mains 3 times, attended interviews twice and has served the Ministry of Defence for 10 years.

    And this is what both of our mentors have to say to you —

    “It doesn’t matter how much you believe you scored based on the answer key, start preparing for mains right now! Study daily, every day and CONSISTENTLY. Do not give up on studying or spend more than 2 days without preparation until your name shows up on the list.”

    We understand that this year’s paper was tricky. We know you have burnt the midnight oil for months. You might be doubting yourself right now. But this is not the time to lose hope. This is not the time to give up. The Prelims results are not out yet. Do not stop preparing for Mains!

    Watch this video by our Civilsdaily student Anil Kumar Rathore who failed 4 times before he cleared UPSC’19 with AIR 81.

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    Why Samanvaya 2022?

    With a dedicated 1-1 mentorship program, we use the tried and tested ‘SMART’ method of preparation that has helped more than 400 students become officers!

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    At Civilsdaily, your assigned mentors interact with you on a daily basis. They are not just teachers, but coaches, philosophers, and guides. And this is how they will help you succeed:

    • Motivating you for one whole year and pushing you to complete the modules on time.
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    AIR 148 UPSC 2020 topper and our Civilsdaily student Ponmani explains why answer writing with mentorship for Mains is necessary.

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