DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS
1 – Saiga Antelope: GS III – Environmental Conservation:
Context:
- The Saiga Antelope (Saiga tatarica) has been reclassified from Critically Endangered to Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List.
- This important report provides a bright outlook for the survival of the Saiga antelope species and highlights successful conservation initiatives.
What are the Saiga Antelope’s salient features?
About:
- Large, migratory, and nomadic, the saiga antelope inhabits the Eurasian Steppe.
- It can be found in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and the Russian Federation.
- It is a member of the Bovidae family (order Artiodactyla).
- There are two subspecies of Saiga: Saiga tatarica mongolica, which is restricted to Mongolia, and Saiga tatarica tatarica, which is distributed throughout most of its range.
- The typical habitat is made up of wide, level spaces with low-growing flora that let animals move fast.
- Despite being goat-sized, their peculiar hanging nose gives them a camel-like appearance, and the male saiga has horns.
Saiga Population Decline:
- Poaching for the species’ meat and horn was the main cause of the decline. In Chinese Traditional Medicine, the horn is utilised.
- A significant outbreak in 2015 claimed the lives of almost 200,000 animals, putting the species’ encouraging recovery at risk.
Preservation:
- The Saiga antelope’s listing on the global Red List has improved as a result of conservation initiatives.
- Kazakhstan has demonstrated admirable leadership in the establishment of State Protected Areas, anti-poaching campaigns, and law enforcement strategies.
- Governments and civil society organisations have found it easier to work together to conserve the Saiga antelope thanks to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).
- The number of Saiga antelope has increased to about 1.9 million, while the number of animals in the Mongolian subspecies has increased significantly, reaching 15,540 according to the 2023 census.
Continuous Difficulties:
- The issues that persist include poaching, illegal trade, sickness, climate change, disturbances, and infrastructural development.
Source The Hindu
2 – Turbulence: GS III – Science and Technology:
Context:
- Complex fluid motion known as turbulence is characterised by erratic variations, chaotic oscillations, and the creation of vortices, which are swirling patterns.
- A flow’s classification as laminar (well-ordered) or turbulent (very unstable) depends on the balance between the fluid’s inertia (propensity to continue flowing) and viscosity (force that slows motion).
- Turbulence comes when inertia rules.
Uses for Turbulence:
- Turbulence studies are used by meteorological models to produce more precise short-term weather forecasts, which are crucial for disaster preparedness.
- Environmental policy are influenced by the assessment of pollution dispersion in the atmosphere through the study of turbulence.
Source The Hindu
3 – Goldfish: GS III – Environmental Conservation:
- A little member of the carp family, the goldfish was among the first fish to be tamed.
- If released into the wild, they may grow to enormous proportions, becoming invasive and dangerous to local marine species, thus weakening delicate ecosystems.
- Its diet consists of nearly everything, including crustaceans, algae, and aquatic plants.
- They may spawn multiple times in a single season, attain sexual maturity rapidly, and withstand a large variety of water temperatures.
- In addition to being destructive, feral goldfish also contribute to the formation of toxic algal blooms by eating the algae and removing the nutrients that support its growth.
Source The Hindu
4 – Tihar Shop: GS II – Government Policies and Interventions:
- The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily stopped sales of items made by convicts, but the Tihar Jail Store has reopened with a new location.
- The goal of this programme is to give the prisoners options for rehabilitation so they can have a better chance at life.
- The store sells a wide range of goods, such as clothing, faux jewellery, bread, buns, candles, soaps, cleaning supplies, furniture, and candy.
- Before allowing them to run the shop, previous records of jail convicts will be taken into account, including their behaviour, health, and length of stay.
- The money from the auction will be deposited into the Treasury, and each prisoner will receive their allotted salary.
Source The Hindu
5 – Initiatives for Mental Health in India: GS II – Government Policies and Interventions:
Context:
- The country’s efforts to address mental health issues have been made more transparent by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Which mental health initiatives are highlighted?
- The NMHP, or National Mental Health Programme.
- The goal of the NMHP, which was founded in 1982 and underwent a restructuring in 2003, is to improve psychiatric wings in hospitals and modernise mental health facilities.
- Furthermore, the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP), which covers 716 districts, has been concentrating on community mental health treatments at the primary healthcare level since 1996.
- In community health and primary health facilities, DMHP offers outpatient services, counselling, psycho-social therapies, and assistance for individuals with severe mental problems.
- Collectively, they represent an all-encompassing approach to mental health services in India.
The National Telemental Health Programme:
- In an effort to increase national access to high-quality mental health counselling and care services, NTMHP was introduced in October 2022.
- The National Apex Centre for Tele MANAS’s coordinated operations throughout India is the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), located in Bengaluru.
- 36 Tele Mental Health and Normalcy Augmentation Systems (MANAS) Cells have been created by 25 States/UTs to provide mental health services.
- 63,806 calls to the helpline number were handled in total.
Collaboration between iGOT-Diksha and NIMHANS:
- Via the (iGOT)-Diksha platform, NIMHANS offers psychological support and training.
- NIMHANS offers health workers online training via the (iGOT)-Diksha platform.
The HWC-Ayushman Bharat Scheme:
- The Ayushman Bharat Programme includes the Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs).
- Preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care—a specialised medical approach meant to enhance the quality of life for individuals with life-threatening illnesses—are among the services that the programme seeks to offer in a broader sense.
- Under the purview of Ayushman Bharat, operational guidelines for Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders (MNS) at Health and Wellness Centres (HWC) have been released.
Handling Issues with Mental Health Caused by Pandemics:
- A round-the-clock helpline that provides psychosocial support to different population groups has been developed by the government.
- publication of recommendations and instructions aimed at various social groupings.
- advocacy for stress and anxiety management across a variety of media channels, creating a nurturing atmosphere.
Funding Assistance for Mental Health Facilities:
- Under the National Health Mission, the District Mental Health Programme is allotted Rs. 159.75 crore for States and Union Territories in 2022–2023.
Source The Hindu
