Today's Brief 14/10/2024

IE Analysis: https://youtu.be/Qabt9BeFBRE?si=fmATmB_6xVAMhL3M

JN Analysis: https://youtu.be/_hbapAKSIvE?si=_iv24WySAwOT-yQA

(General Studies Paper II (Governance, Polity, Social Justice, and International Relations)

1 . Rare diseases : The National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021 (NPRD) outlines India's strategy to tackle the challenges posed by rare diseases.

The policy highlights the issues of high costs, limited treatment options, and lack of awareness surrounding rare diseases.

It aims to provide a balanced approach considering India's resource constraints while promoting prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment.

The policy categorizes rare diseases into three groups: those amenable to one-time treatments, those requiring long-term/lifelong treatments at lower costs, and diseases with expensive, lifelong treatments.

The policy also emphasizes the need for research and development, the creation of Centres of Excellence and Nidan Kendras for better diagnosis and treatment, and crowd-funding to bridge financial gaps for patients needing costly treatments.

There are between 7,000 to 8,000 rare diseases, but fewer than 5% have available therapies

Only about 1 in 10 patients receive disease-specific treatments

In the USA, rare diseases affect fewer than 200,000 people (6.4 in 10,000).

In the EU, a rare disease affects no more than 5 in 10,000 people

General Studies Paper III (Economy, Agriculture, Environment, Science and Technology)

2. Dragon drones essentially release a substance called thermite — a mixture of aluminium and iron oxide — developed a century ago to weld railroad tracks.

short article insert When ignited (usually with the help of an electrical fuse), thermite triggers a self-sustaining reaction that is quite difficult to extinguish.

It can burn through almost anything, from clothes to trees to military-grade vehicles

3.The East Asia Summit (EAS) is a high-level forum for dialogue and cooperation among the leaders of East Asian countries. It was established in 2005 and is held annually.

The EAS is a platform for countries in the region to discuss issues of common concern, such as economic growth, security, and environmental protection.

Members of the EAS:

ASEAN countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam

Australia

China

India  

Japan

New Zealand

Republic of Korea

Russia  

United States

Goals of the EAS:

To promote peace, stability, and prosperity in East Asia.

To strengthen cooperation among the member countries in various areas, such as economics, security, and culture.

To address common challenges facing the region, such as climate change, terrorism, and poverty.

Key achievements of the EAS:

The adoption of the East Asia Summit Declaration in 2005, which outlined the principles and objectives of the forum.

The establishment of the East Asia Summit Vision Group in 2007, which develops policy recommendations for the EAS.

The launch of the East Asia Summit Cooperation Fund in 2010, which supports regional cooperation projects.

The adoption of the East Asia Summit Connectivity Blueprint in 2018, which aims to improve connectivity among the member countries.

4. THAAD: terminal High Altitude Area Defense, is a U.S. missile defense system designed to intercept and destroy short, medium, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles during their terminal phase of flight.

THAAD uses a hit-to-kill approach, meaning it intercepts missiles by colliding with them at high speeds, rather than using explosives.

Key aspects of THAAD include:

THAAD can be rapidly deployed and relocated, providing flexibility in missile defense operations.

The system is supported by a powerful radar, known as the AN/TPY-2 radar, which helps detect, track, and identify incoming missiles.

Interception: It intercepts missiles in the exoatmosphere (outside Earth's atmosphere) or in the endoatmosphere (within the atmosphere), providing a wide defense envelope.

THAAD has been deployed in various locations, including South Korea, Guam, and the Middle East, as part of U.S. efforts to protect its allies and regional interests from missile threats, particularly from countries like North Korea and Iran.

THAAD is a key part of the U.S. and allied missile defense strategy, particularly in regions facing significant missile threat

5. Auroras, often referred to as the Northern Lights (aurora borealis) or Southern Lights (aurora australis), are a breathtaking natural light display that occurs in the Earth's sky, primarily in high-latitude regions.

These mesmerizing lights are caused by collisions between charged particles from the sun and the Earth's atmosphere.  

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Refrence: Indian Express