Weekly Current Affairs (22nd to 31st May 2023) Part - 2 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Tribal Health in India

Context: Recently, the healthcare challenges faced by tribal communities in India have come into focus. Despite India's remarkable achievements, such as emerging as the world's 5th-largest economy and its contribution to the global vaccination drive, tribal communities continue to experience significant healthcare disparities.

• As India celebrates its accomplishments at India@75, it is crucial to address the urgent need for equitable healthcare access for tribal communities.

What is the Status of Tribal Communities in India?

Demographic Status:

• Tribal communities in India constitute a significant portion of the country's population, accounting for approximately 8.9%.
• Out of the total Schedule Tribe population, approximately 2.6 million (2.5%) belong to “Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups” (PVTGs) known as the “Primitive Tribes” - the most disadvantaged of all the Schedule Tribe communities.
• They are spread across various states, with higher concentrations in states like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, the NER states and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Cultural Status:

• Tribal communities in India have their own rich and diverse culture, language, and traditions.
• They have a symbiotic relationship with nature and depend on forests and hills for their livelihood.
• They have their own beliefs, practices, and preferences regarding health, education, religion, and governance.

Related Constitutional and Statutory Provisions:

• Certain tribal communities in India are recognized as Scheduled Tribes (STs) under Article 342 of the Constitution of India.
• They are entitled to special provisions and safeguards for their social, economic, educational, and political development.
• Their interests are safeguarded by various laws and policies such as the 5th and 6gh Scheduled areas, Forest Rights Act 2006, and the PESA Act 1996.
• They also have representation in the Parliament and State Legislatures through reserved seats.
• Draupadi Murmu is India's first tribal President.

Developmental Status:

• Tribal communities in India face multiple challenges and disadvantages in terms of poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, health, employment, infrastructure, and human rights.
• They lag behind the national average on various indicators of human development such as income, education, health, sanitation, and gender equality.
• They also face discrimination, exploitation, displacement, and violence from non-tribal people and institutions. They have limited access to resources and opportunities for their empowerment and participation.

What are the Main Tribal Health Issues?

Malnutrition:

• Tribal people don’t get enough food or the right kind of food to stay healthy. They suffer from hunger, stunting, wasting, anemia, and lack of vitamins and minerals.

Communicable Diseases:

• Tribal people are more likely to catch infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, HIV/AIDS, diarrhoea, respiratory infections, and diseases spread by insects or animals due to several factors like poor sanitation and hygiene, and limited access to healthcare.

Non-Communicable Diseases:

• Tribal people are also at risk of getting chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and mental disorders.
• According to a study, about 13% of tribal adults have diabetes and 25% have high blood pressure.

Addictions:

• The above-mentioned diseases can be caused by factors such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and substance abuse.
• More than 72% tribal men 15–54 years of age use tobacco and more than 50% consume alcohol against 56% and 30% non-tribal men, respectively.

What are the Challenges in Tribal Health?

Lack of Infrastructure:

• Inadequate healthcare facilities and infrastructure in tribal areas.
• Insufficient access to clean water and sanitation facilities.

Shortage of Medical Professionals:

• Limited presence of doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals in tribal regions.
• Difficulty in attracting and retaining skilled healthcare personnel in remote areas.
• Imbalance in the distribution of healthcare professionals, with a concentration in urban areas.

Connectivity and Geographic Barriers:

• Remote locations and difficult terrain hinder access to healthcare services.
• Lack of proper roads, transportation facilities, and communication networks.
• Challenges in reaching tribal communities during emergencies and providing timely medical assistance.

Affordability and Financial Constraints:

• Limited financial resources and low-income levels among tribal communities.
• Inability to afford healthcare expenses, including medical treatments, medicines, and diagnostics.
• Lack of awareness about available healthcare schemes and insurance options.

Cultural Sensitivities and Language Barriers:

• Unique cultural practices and beliefs that impact healthcare-seeking behavior.
• Language barriers between healthcare providers and tribal communities, leading to miscommunication and inadequate care.
• Lack of culturally sensitive healthcare services that respect tribal customs and traditions.

Limited Access to Essential Services:

• Insufficient availability of essential healthcare services, such as maternal and child health, immunization, and preventive care.
• Inadequate access to specialized care, diagnostic facilities, and emergency medical services.
• Limited awareness about health issues, preventive measures, and healthcare rights among tribal communities.

Inadequate Funding and Resource Allocation:

• Limited allocation of funds for healthcare in tribal areas.
• Insufficient investment in healthcare infrastructure, equipment, and technology.
• Lack of dedicated funding for addressing tribal health challenges and implementing targeted interventions.

What is the GoI’s Report on Tribal Health in India?

• In 2018, an expert committee, constituted jointly by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Tribal Affairs released the first comprehensive report on Tribal Health in India.

Recommendations of the Report:

• Implement Universal Health Assurance under the National Health Policy (2017) in tribal areas.
• Utilize Aarogya Mitra, trained local tribal youth, and ASHA workers for primary care in tribal communities with support from the gramsabha.
• Provide financial protection through government medical insurance schemes for secondary and tertiary care.
• Introduce ST Health Cards for tribal people living outside scheduled areas to facilitate access to benefits at any healthcare institution.
• Implement a Tribal Malaria Action Plan in tribal-dominated districts under the National Health Mission.
• Strengthen Home-Based Newborn and Child Care (HBNCC) programs to reduce infant and child mortality.
• Enhance food security and strengthen Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) to address malnutrition.
• Publish a state of tribal health report every three years and establish a Tribal Health Index (THI) to monitor tribal health.
• Establish a National Tribal Health Council as an apex body, along with Tribal Health Directorate and Tribal Health Research Cell, at both central and state levels.

Way Forward

• Addressing the disparity in health-seeking behavior and health-care delivery among tribal populations.
• Recognizing and acknowledging the services provided by traditional healers in tribal communities.
• Empowering tribal communities through health literacy programs to enable them to make informed decisions about their health.
• Implementing targeted recruitment and retention strategies to attract healthcare professionals to tribal regions. And Investing in the development of road networks, transportation facilities, and communication networks to enhance connectivity.

PBR and Biodiversity Management in India

Context: The National Campaign for Updation and Verification of People's Biodiversity Register (PBR) was launched in Goa, marking a significant milestone in the documentation and preservation of India's rich biological diversity. It was organised by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

• Till now, 2,67,608 PBRs have been prepared in the country.

What is the People's Biodiversity Register?

About:

• The People's Biodiversity Register serves as a comprehensive record of various aspects of biodiversity, including conservation of habitats, preservation of land races, folk varieties, and cultivars, domesticated stocks and breeds of animals, and micro-organisms.
• Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) are created as per the Biological Diversity Act 2002 for promoting conservation, sustainable use, and documentation of biological diversity.
• Local bodies in the states and union territories constitute BMCs, which are entrusted with the preparation of People's Biodiversity Registers in consultation with local communities.

Importance:

• It helps in conserving biodiversity, which is key to maintaining balance in nature. It also enables local communities to share the benefits derived from genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.
• It supports the implementation of the provisions of the Biological Diversity Act 2002, which aims to regulate access to biological resources and ensure fair and equitable benefit sharing.
• Being a bottom-up exercise, it is also a means of understanding the overlap of cultural and natural biodiversity.
• It envisages a decentralised way through an inclusive approach.
• It aligns with the concept of “Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE)”, introduced by the Indian Prime Minister at COP26 in Glasgow.
• This concept calls upon individuals and institutions globally to promote mindful and deliberate utilisation of resources to protect and preserve the environment.

What is the Status of Biodiversity Management in India?

About:

• With only 2.4% of the earth’s land area, India accounts for 7-8% of the world’s recorded species.
• 4 of the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots are located in India: The Himalayas, Western Ghats, Indo-Burma area, and Sundaland.
• Two of these, the Indo-Burma area and Sundaland, are distributed throughout South Asia and are not precisely contained within India’s formal borders.

Biodiversity Governance in India:

• India’s Biological Diversity Act (BDA) 2002, is in close synergy with the Nagoya Protocol and aims to implement provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
• The Nagoya Protocol sought to ensure commercial and research utilisation of genetic resources led to sharing its benefits with the government and the community that conserved such resources.
• The BDA was hailed as an important step towards preserving India’s vast biodiversity, as it recognised the sovereign right of countries over its natural resources.
• It seeks to address issues of managing bio-resources in the most decentralised manner possible.

It also envisages three layered structures:

• The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) at the national level.
• The State Biodiversity Boards (SSBs) at the state level
• Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) at the local level.
• The act also strengthens the country’s stand with respect to anyone claiming an intellectual property right over biodiversity-related knowledge.

Challenges related to Biodiversity Conservation:

• Introduction of Invasive Species: Invasive alien species include plants, animals and pathogens that are non-native to an ecosystem cause environmental harm or adversely affect ecological balance.
  • According to CBD reports, invasive alien species have contributed to nearly 40% of all animal extinction.
• Global Warming and Climate Change: It poses threats to plant and animal species as many organisms are sensitive to carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere that may lead to their disappearance.
  • Use of pesticide, rise of tropospheric ozone, sulphur and nitrogen oxides from industries also contribute to the degradation of natural ecosystems.
• Choking Marine Biodiversity: Due to lack of efficient plastic waste management, microplastics are getting dumped into oceans choking and starving marine life and causing liver, reproductive, and gastrointestinal damage in animals and directly impacting marine biodiversity.
• Genetic Modification Concern: Genetically modified plants impose high risks to the disruption of ecosystem and biodiversity because the better traits produced from engineering genes can result in the favouring of one organism.

Hence, it can eventually disrupt the natural process of gene flow and affect the sustainability of indigenous variety.

What is the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)?

• The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was negotiated and signed by nations at the Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil on June 5, 1992.
• The convention came into force on December 29, 1993. India became a party to the convention on February 18, 1994. At the present, there are 196 Parties to this Convention.

CBD is a legally binding treaty and has 3 main objectives:

• Conservation of biodiversity.
• Sustainable use of the components of biodiversity.
• Fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources.
• The Secretariat of the CBD is based in Montreal, Canada.

Way Forward

• Community-led Conservation: There is a need to engage local communities, including indigenous peoples, in the conservation efforts. Encourage their active participation by involving them in decision-making processes, establishing community-managed conservation areas, and recognizing their traditional knowledge and practices related to biodiversity conservation.
• Technology and Data-driven Conservation: There is a need to utilise emerging technologies such as remote sensing, drones, and artificial intelligence to monitor and track biodiversity changes, identify high-priority conservation areas, and assess the effectiveness of conservation interventions.
• Protecting Entire Biosphere: Conservation should not be limited to the species level but should be about the conservation of the entire ecosystem, including the local communities.
  • India needs more biosphere reserves to protect biodiversity and ensure sustainability of the ecosystem.

Child Wasting in India

Context: Recently, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), WHO (World Health Organization), World Bank Group have released a report titled- “Levels and trends in child malnutrition: Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates (JME)”, stating that in 2020, 18.7 % of Indian children were affected by Wasting caused by poor nutrient intake.

What are Joint Malnutrition Estimates (JME)?

• The JME group was created in 2011 to address the call for harmonized child Malnutrition estimates.
• The inter-agency team releases annual estimates for child stunting, overweight, underweight, wasting and severe wasting.
• Child malnutrition estimates for the indicators stunting, wasting, overweight and underweight describe the magnitude and patterns of under- and overnutrition.
• The UNICEF-WHO-WB Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates inter-agency group updates regularly the global and regional estimates in prevalence and numbers for each indicator.
• The key findings in the 2023 Edition include global and regional trends for all mentioned indicators as well as country-level modelled estimates for stunting and overweight.

What are the Findings of the Report?

Wasting:

• Half of all children with wasting in the world live in India.
• In 2022, an estimated 45 million children under five (6.8 %) were affected by wasting globally, of which 13.6 million were suffering from severe wasting.
• More than three quarters of all children with severe wasting live in Asia and another 22 % live in Africa.

Stunting:

• India had a stunting rate of 31.7 % in 2022, down from 41.6 % in 2012, a decade ago.
• Some 148.1 million of children under age five worldwide, were affected by stunting in 2022.
• Nearly all children affected lived in Asia (52 % of the global share) and Africa.

Overweight:

• There are 37 million children under five who are overweight globally, an increase of nearly four million since 2000.
• India had an overweight percentage of 2.8 % in 2022, compared to 2.2 % in 2012.

Progress:

• There is insufficient progress to reach the 2025 World Health Assembly (WHA) global nutrition targets and UN-mandated Sustainable Development Goal target 2.2.

WHA global Nutrition Targets are:

• Reduce stunting by 40% in children under 5
• Reduce the prevalence of anaemia by 50% among women in the age group of 19-49 years
• Ensure 30% reduction in low-birthweight
• Ensure no increase in childhood overweight;
• Increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months up to at least 50%
• Reduce and maintain childhood wasting to less than 5%.
• Only about a third of all countries are ‘on track’ to halve the number of children affected by stunting by 2030 and assessment of progress to date not being possible for about one quarter of countries.
• Even fewer countries are expected to achieve the 2030 target of 3% prevalence for overweight, with just one in six countries currently ‘on track’.
• An assessment of progress towards the wasting target is not possible for nearly half of countries.

What are the Recommendations?

• Children suffering from severe wasting require early detection and timely treatment and care to survive.
• More intensive efforts are required if the world is to achieve the global target of reducing the number of children with stunting to 89 million by 2030.
• Gaps in the available data in some regions make it challenging to accurately assess progress towards global targets. Regular data collection is therefore critical to monitor and analyze country, regional and global progress on child malnutrition moving forward.

What is Malnutrition?

About:

• Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients.
• The term malnutrition covers two broad groups of conditions.
• One is ‘Undernutrition’—which includes stunting (low height for age), wasting (low weight for height), underweight (low weight for age) and micronutrient deficiencies or insufficiencies (a lack of important vitamins and minerals).
• The other is Overweight, obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases (such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer).
• Childhood overweight occurs when children’s calorie intake from food and beverages exceeds their energy requirements.

Indian Initiatives Related to Malnutrition:

• Mid-day Meal (MDM) scheme
• POSHAN Abhiyaan
• The National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013,
• Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)
• Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme
• Aspirational District Programme

WMC Approves Global Greenhouse Gas Watch

Context: Recently, the 19th World Meteorological Congress (WMC) has approved the Global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Watch (G3W), a GHG monitoring initiative, to reduce the heat-trapping gases and combat Climate Change.

• The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) in the Collaboration with WHO also framed 2023-2033 Implementation Plan for Advancing Climate, Environment and Health Science and Services to manage the impact of Climate Change.

Note: The Nineteenth World Meteorological Congress (Cg-19) is currently taking place from 22 May to 2 June 2023 at the International Conference Centre of Geneva (CICG). It is the supreme body of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

What is the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)?

• The WMO is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 192 Member States and Territories.
• India is a member of WMO.
• It originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which was established after the 1873 Vienna International Meteorological Congress.
• Established by the ratification of the WMO Convention on 23rd March 1950, WMO became the specialized agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences.'
• WMO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

What is the Greenhouse Gas Watch (G3W)?

About:

• It will establish internationally coordinated top-down monitoring of greenhouse gas fluxes to support the provision of actionable information to the UNFCCC Parties and other stakeholders.
• The GHG watch will fill critical information gaps and provide an integrated and operational framework. The framework will bring all space-based and surface-based observing systems, as well as modeling and data assimilation capabilities, under one roof.

Implementation:

• The monitoring infrastructure will build on and expand WMO’s long-standing activities in GHG monitoring, implemented as part of the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) and via its Integrated Global GHG Information System (IG3IS).
• The GAW of WMO focuses on building a single coordinated global understanding of atmospheric composition, its change, and helps to improve the understanding of interactions between the atmosphere, the oceans and the biosphere.
• IG3IS aims to coordinate an integrated global GHG information system, linking inventory and flux model based information with atmospheric observations and modelling, to provide the best possible estimates of greenhouse gas emissions at the national and urban scales.

Components:

• Surface-based and satellite-based observations
• Prior estimates of the GHG emissions based on activity data and process-based models
• Global high-resolution Earth System models representing GHG cycles
• Data assimilation systems associated with models to generate products of higher accuracy

Significance:

• At present, there is no comprehensive, timely international exchange of surface and space based GHG observations or modelling products.
• GHG monitoring infrastructure will help improve understanding of the carbon cycle. Understanding the full carbon cycle is vitally important for the planning of mitigation activities.
• Globally consistent, gridded information on GHG and their fluxes with appropriate time resolution will help in the improved evaluation of sources and sinks of GHG and indicate their association with the biosphere, the ocean and the permafrost areas.

What is the 2023-2033 Implementation Plan?

Objective:

• The plan aims to achieve “better health and well-being for people facing existing and emerging extreme weather events, climate change and environmental risks through the effective integration of climate, environment and health science and services across the world”.
• It seeks to promote a coordinated approach to manage the impact of climate, weather, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation, extreme events and other environmental factors on health.

Need:

• By 2030-2050, climate change is projected to cause approximately 250,000 extra deaths annually due to malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea, and heat stress.
• If current emission levels persist, up to 8.4 billion people could be at risk from malaria and dengue, two major vector-borne diseases, by the end of the century.
• Concerns arise regarding extreme heat and the importance of strengthening understanding, early warning systems, and risk management for climate-related risks like heat waves, wildfires, and air quality issues.
  • In 2022, India experienced its hottest March, leading to early heat waves across various regions.
  • Extreme heat will expose 600 million Indians to dangerous temperatures by 2030.

IRDAI Vision 2047

Context: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), as part of its Vision Insurance for all’ by 2047, has allotted states and union territories to every insurer to increase insurance penetration in India.

• IRDAI is also planning to launch Bima Trinity - Bima Sugam, Bima Vistar, Bima Vaahaks – in collaboration with general and life insurance firms to make insurance activities hassle free.

What is IRDAI Vision 2047?

Objective:

• Insurance for All by 2047 aims that every citizen has an appropriate life, health and property insurance cover and every enterprise is supported by appropriate insurance solutions.
• It also aims to make the Indian insurance sector globally attractive

Pillars:

• Insurance customers (Policyholders)
• Insurance providers (insurers)
• Insurance distributors (intermediaries)

Focus Areas:

• Making available right products to right customers
• Creating robust grievance redressal mechanism
• Facilitating ease of doing business in the insurance sector
• Ensuring the regulatory architecture is aligned with the market dynamics
• Boosting innovation
• Competition and distribution efficiencies while mainstreaming technology and moving towards principle based regulatory regime.

Significance:

• It can help people in households all over the country to have access to an affordable insurance policy that covers health, life, property, and accidents.
• These policies would offer faster claim settlements, sometimes within hours, and additional benefits like gym or yoga memberships.

What is Bima Trinity?

• Bima Sugam: It is a unified platform that combines insurers and distributors. It simplifies policy purchases, service requests, and claims settlement for customers in one convenient portal.
• Bima Vistar: It is a comprehensive bundled policy that covers life, health, property, and accidents. It provides defined benefits for each risk category, ensuring quick claim payouts without surveyors.
• Bima Vaahaks: It is a women-centric workforce operating at the Gram Sabha level. They will educate and convince women about the benefits of comprehensive insurance, particularly Bima Vistar. By addressing concerns and emphasizing advantages, Bima Vaahaks empower women and enhance their financial security.

What is the State of Insurance Sector in India?

• According to the Economic Survey 2022-23, life insurance density in the country increased from USD 11.1 in 2001 to USD 91 in 2021. Total global insurance premiums in 2021 increased 3.4% in real terms, with the non-life insurance sector registering 2.6% growth, driven by rate hardening in commercial lines in developed markets.
• According to the Economic Survey 2022-23, India's insurance market is poised to emerge as one of the fastest-growing markets globally in the coming decade.
• As per the IRDAI, insurance penetration in India increased from 3.76% in 2019-20 to 4.20%in 2020-21, registering a growth of 11.70%.
• Also, the insurance density increased from USD 78 in 2020-21 to USD 91 in 2021-22.
• Life insurance penetration in 2021 was 3.2%, almost twice as high as the emerging markets and slightly above the global average.
• India is at present the 10th biggest market in the world it is projected to be 6th biggest by 2032.

What are the Challenges Related to Insurance Sector

Lower Adoption Rate:

• Insurance is not widely adopted in India compared to other countries. This is because many people are not aware of insurance or don't trust it.
• In rural areas, where a large portion of the population lives, only a small percentage have life insurance coverage.
• The insurance industry's contribution to India's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is less than 5%, which is lower than the global average. In simple terms, insurance is not widely used in India, and efforts are needed to increase awareness and trust in insurance products.

Lack of Product Innovation:

• The insurance sector in India has been slow in product innovation. Many insurance companies offer similar products, which leads to a lack of differentiation in the market.

Fraudulence:

• Fraud includes things like making false claims and lying about information.
• The use of digital technology and customer-focused policies may have unintentionally given fraudsters more chances to steal identities and make fake claims.
  • Over 70% of Indian insurers have seen an increase in fraud cases in the past two years.

Talent Management:

• The insurance sector in India faces a talent shortage. The industry needs skilled professionals in areas such as actuarial science, underwriting, claims, and risk management.
• Attracting and retaining talented professionals is a challenge for the industry.

Slow Rate of Digitalization:

• The insurance sector in India has been slow to adopt digitalization compared to other industries, which has resulted in several challenges such as inefficient processes, lack of transparency, and poor customer experience.

Claims Management:

• The claims process in India is often seen as complicated, slow, and opaque, which can lead to customer dissatisfaction and loss of trust in the insurance industry.
• This can be due to a lack of transparency, inefficient processes, and poor communication with customers.

What is IRDAI?

• IRDAI, founded in 1999, is a regulatory body created with the aim of protecting the interests of insurance customers.
  • It is a statutory body under the IRDA Act 1999 and is under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Finance.
• It regulates and sees to the development of the insurance industry while monitoring insurance-related activities.
• The powers and functions of the Authority are laid down in the IRDAI Act, 1999 and Insurance Act, 1938.

Way Forward

• To improve the insurance sector in India, several steps can be taken to leverage technology, align with customer behavior, optimize data usage, simplify claims management, adopt hybrid distribution models, and tackle fraud.
• Digitalization should be a priority across the value chain to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and support ecosystem development. This involves using technology to enhance employee skills and productivity through upskilling programs.
• Insurers need to align with dynamic changes in customer behavior and preferences. By offering quick personalized products and prioritizing flexibility over mass offerings, insurers can better meet customer needs and manage perceptions.