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  • Key Indicators Removed from NFHS-6 Factsheet

    Why in the news?

    Several indicators that were part of the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) have been omitted from the newly released NFHS-6 factsheet. The government stated that the move was aimed at “data harmonisation”.

    What is NFHS?

    The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) is:

    • A large scale nationwide household survey.
    • Conducted to collect data on:
      • Health
      • Nutrition
      • Family welfare
      • Population trends.
    • Conducted by: International Institute for Population Sciences
    • Under: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

    NFHS Timeline

    • First NFHS conducted in 1992-93.
    • NFHS-5 Conducted during 2019-21.
    • NFHS-6 Conducted during 2023-24.

    Major Changes in NFHS-6

    • NFHS-5 factsheet contained 131 key indicators.
    • NFHS-6 factsheet contains: 101 indicators.

    Indicators Removed

    Population Indicators

    • Sex ratio
    • Sex ratio at birth
    • Mortality rates
    • Birth and death registration data

    Women’s Health Indicators

    • Adolescent fertility rate
    • Contraceptive methods used
    • Family planning counselling
    • Information on contraceptive side effects
    • Out of pocket expenditure during delivery

    Child and Public Health Indicators

    • ORS and zinc treatment for diarrhoea
    • HIV awareness indicators
    • Waist to hip ratio data

    Cancer Screening Indicators

    Data related to screening for:

    • Cervical cancer
    • Breast cancer
    • Oral cancer
      was removed.

    Anaemia Data Excluded

    • Anaemia prevalence data was also excluded from NFHS-6.
    • Reason: Experts argued finger prick blood tests may overestimate anaemia prevalence.
    • Future anaemia estimates may come from: “Diet and Biomarker” survey by the National Institute of Nutrition.

    Government’s Explanation

    The Health Ministry stated that:

    • Several indicators are already covered under other surveys and schemes, such as:
      • Sample Registration System (SRS)
      • Swachh Bharat Mission reports
      • Ujjwala Yojana reports
      • ICMR cancer data systems.

    This was done to improve:

    • Data harmonisation
    • Avoid duplication across surveys.

    [2024] The total fertility rate in an economy is defined as:

    [A] the number of children born per 1000 people in the population in a year.

    [B] the number of children born to a couple in their lifetime in a given population.

    [C] the birth rate minus death rate.

    [D] the average number of live births a woman would have by the end of her child-bearing age.

  • SkyCast System

    Why in the news?

    Jitendra Singh inaugurated India’s first SkyCast System at Indira Gandhi International Airport under Mission Mausam.

    What is SkyCast?

    SkyCast is an advanced integrated aviation weather monitoring and forecasting system that provides:

    • Real-time weather intelligence
    • Fog monitoring
    • Turbulence detection
    • High-impact weather forecasting

    Key Features

    • Helps reduce:
      • Flight delays
      • Diversions
      • Cancellations
    • Provides short-term weather alerts to pilots and air traffic controllers
    • Monitors atmosphere up to nearly 3 km above airport

    Technologies Used

    SkyCast integrates:

    • Radar Wind Profiler
    • SODAR
    • Microwave Radiometer
    • Ground-based Fog Aerosol Spectrometer (GFAS)
    • Lidar-based Ceilometer

    [2025] GPS-Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) uses a system of ground stations to provide necessary augmentation. Which of the following statements is/are correct in respect of GAGAN?
    I. It is designed to provide additional accuracy and integrity.
    II. It will allow more uniform and high quality air traffic management.
    III. It will provide benefits only in aviation but not in other modes of transportation.
    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    [A] I, II and III

    [B] II and III only

    [C] I only

    [D] I and II only

  • BSF Border Security Infrastructure in Gujarat

    Why in the news?

    Amit Shah inaugurated the G-7 and G-13 Border Out Posts (BOPs) in Bhuj, Gujarat, and highlighted plans to strengthen border security through advanced technology and CISF-style security grids.

    Key Highlights

    • New BOPs inaugurated along the India-Pakistan border in Gujarat
    • Focus on:
      • Technological fencing
      • Smart border security
      • Territorial security concept
      • Leak-proof security grid

    About BSF (Border Security Force):

    • India’s “First Line of Defence”
    • Comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs
    • Guards borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh
    • Operates in extreme conditions from:
      • Desert regions
      • Marshlands
      • Forests
      • High-altitude areas

    Strategic Areas

    Sir Creek

    • The marshy disputed region between India and Pakistan
    • Security-sensitive coastal area

    Harami Nala

    • Creek area near Sir Creek
    • Vulnerable to infiltration and smuggling

    [2023] Which one of the following is the best example of repeated falls in sea level, giving rise to present-day extensive marshland?

    [A] Bhitarkanika Mangroves

    [B] Marakkanam Salt Pans

    [C] Naupada Swamp

    [D] Rann of Kutch

  • NFHS-6 (2023-24)

    Why in the news?

    The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released the National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6), showing major improvements in maternal health, child nutrition, immunisation, and financial protection.

    About NFHS

    • Conducted by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai
    • Covers population, health, nutrition, and family welfare indicators
    • NFHS-6 surveyed about 6.79 lakh households across 715 districts

    Key Findings

    Maternal and Child Health

    • (Hospital) Institutional deliveries increased: 88.6% → 90.6%
    • ANC coverage: 92.6% → 95.9%
    • Four or more ANC visits: 58.5% → 65.2%
    • Skilled birth attendance: 89.4% → 91.3%

    Child Immunisation

    • Full immunisation: 83.8% → 87.1%
    • Over 96% children received at least one vaccine
    • Rotavirus vaccine coverage: 36.4% → 85.4%
    • 95.6% vaccinations delivered through public health facilities

    Nutrition Indicators

    • Stunting reduced: 35.5% → 29.3%
    • Severe wasting reduced: 7.7% → 5.2%
    • Breastfeeding within one hour of birth: 41.8% → 50.1%

    Family Planning

    • Total Fertility Rate (TFR): 2.0
    • Contraceptive prevalence: 66.7% → 69.1%

    Health Insurance Coverage

    • Household coverage under health insurance schemes: 41.0% → 60.2%
    • Reflects expansion of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)

    Women’s Empowerment

    • Women using the internet: 33.3% → 64.3%
    • Women operating their own bank accounts: 78.6% → 89.0%
    • Women owning mobile phones: 53.9% → 63.6%

    [2022] The total fertility rate in an economy is defined as:

    [A] the number of children born per 1000 people in the population in a year.

    [B] the number of children born to a couple in their lifetime in a given population.

    [C] the birth rate minus death rate.

    [D] the average number of live births a woman would have by the end of her child-bearing age.

  • Subsurface Lunar Ice Discovery (Chandrayaan-2)

    Why in the news?

    Scientists from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) used data from Chandrayaan-2’s Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (DFSAR) to discover strong evidence of subsurface water-ice near the Moon’s South Pole.

    Key Findings

    • Target Location: Four “doubly shadowed craters” located inside Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs) at the lunar south pole.
    • Extreme Thermal Environment: These locations are permanently shielded from solar radiation, maintaining temperatures around 25 Kelvin (-248°C), acting as ideal cold traps to preserve volatiles.
    • The Prime Candidate: A 1.1 km diameter micro-crater located within the larger Faustini Crater showed the highest probability of containing clean subsurface ice.

    Geomorphological Evidence

    • Lobate-Rim Morphology: The highly-evident 1.1 km crater exhibits flow-like, lobed patterns along its rim.
    • Geological Meaning: This indicates that the initial meteoroid impact likely penetrated a layer of subsurface ice, melting it briefly to create a slurry-like, fluid ejecta pattern before re-freezing.

    About Chandrayaan-2 & DFSAR

    • Mission Context: Launched in July 2019; while its Vikram lander failed to make a soft landing, the orbiter remains fully functional in lunar orbit.
    • DFSAR Instrument: Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar.
    • Capabilities: It is the first fully polarimetric radar sent to the Moon, operating across L-band and S-band microwave frequencies to penetrate deep into the lunar regolith.

    Significance

    • In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU): Essential for future crewed bases (such as Artemis or India’s planned lunar base) to harvest local water for life support and rocket fuel production.
    • Strategic Mapping: Provides high-fidelity targeting data for future landing and excavation missions, including India’s upcoming Chandrayaan missions.

    Challenges

    • Accessing Cold Traps: Operating mechanical equipment in permanent darkness at 25 Kelvin presents immense engineering challenges.
    • Regolith Depth Overburden: The ice is subsurface, requiring specialized drilling and extraction systems rather than surface scraping.

    [2017] The terms ‘Event Horizon’, ‘Singularity’, ‘String Theory’ and ‘Standard Model’ are sometimes seen in the news in the context of

    [A] Observation and understanding of the Universe

    [B] Study of the solar and the lunar eclipses

    [C] Placing satellites in the orbit of the Earth

    [D] Origin and evolution of living organisms on the earth

  • New Evergreen Tree Species Discovered in Kerala

    Why in News?

    Scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute discovered a new evergreen tree species, Humboldtia nairiana, in Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary.

    About the Species

    • Belongs to the genus Humboldtia
    • Found in riparian forests of the southern Western Ghats
    • Named in honour of plant biotechnologist G.M. Nair

    Discovery

    • First collected during a 2010 floristic survey along the Cheenikkala-Pandimotta forest trail
    • Seedlings were conserved ex-situ at the JNTBGRI Arboretum
    • Flowering and fruiting observed in 2022
    • Morphological studies confirmed it as a new species

    Distribution

    • Strictly endemic to Kerala
    • Known only from the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve

    Conservation Status

    • Wild population is fragile and limited
    • Categorised as “Data Deficient” under IUCN criteria
    • Highlights need for habitat protection and field monitoring

    Ecological Importance

    • Adds to the biodiversity significance of the Western Ghats
    • Shows importance of riparian forest ecosystems
    • Strengthens conservation value of Agasthyamala region

    About Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve

    • Part of the Western Ghats
    • UNESCO-recognised biosphere reserve
    • Known for high endemism and rich biodiversity

    [2019] “Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuaries” are part of which of the following?

    [A] Agasthyamalai biosphere reserve

    [B] Nilgiri biosphere reserve

    [C] Seshachalam Hills

    [D] Panna biosphere reserve

  •  First National Report on the Nagoya Protocol on ABS

    Why in the News?

    The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change released insights from India’s first national report on the Nagoya Protocol related to Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS), highlighting India’s progress in ensuring equitable sharing of benefits arising from biological resources.

    About the Nagoya Protocol

    • Adopted Under: Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
    • Objective: To ensure Fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilisation of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.

    What is Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS)?

    • ABS means: Users of biological resources must share benefits with:
      • Local communities
      • Indigenous groups
      • Traditional knowledge holders
    • Benefits can include:
      • Monetary compensation
      • Technology transfer
      • Community development
      • Conservation support

    Key Findings of the Report

    • Large-Scale Implementation Between 2017 and 2025: 12,830 ABS approvals granted.
    • India’s Global Contribution
    • India issued:
      • 3,556 Internationally Recognised Certificates of Compliance (IRCCs)
      • Around 60% of global issuance.
    • Revenue Generated: ₹216.31 crore realised by: National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)
    • Community Benefit: ₹139.69 crore disbursed to benefit claimers and local communities.

    [2023] Consider the following statements:
    1. In Biodiversity the India, Management Committees are key to the realization of the objectives of the Nagoya Protocol.
    2. The Biodiversity Management Committees have important functions in determining access and benefit sharing, including the power to levy collection fees on the access of biological resources within its jurisdiction.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    [A] 1 only

    [B] 2 only

    [C] Both 1 and 2

    [D] Neither 1 nor 2