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Current Affairs 2 January 2021 – IAS Current Affairs

IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 2 January  2021 – IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 2 January 2021  focuses on Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :

  1. Status of Kala Azar in Four States
  2. Digital Payments Index

Status of Kala Azar in Four States

Why in News ?

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare chaired an event to review the status of the disease Kala-Azar in the four states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

Key Facts

  • Kala Azar is the 2nd largest parasitic killer in the world after Malaria and results in a 95% fatality rate if the patients are not treated.
  • Additionally, up to 20% of the patients who are correctly treated and cured, develop a skin condition called Post-Kala-Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) which surfaces within months to years after treatment.
  • These patients can contain large amounts of parasites in their skin lesions, making them an important source of transmission.
  • 54 districts in four states namely Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal that are currently affected by Kala-azar with sporadic cases in other states like Assam, HP, J&K, Kerala, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand.

Status of Kala Azar in India

  • As of 30th November 2020, only 12 blocks in Jharkhand and 4 blocks in Bihar have reported more than 1 case per 10,000 population.
  • Bihar has achieved elimination target in almost all except 4 blocks located in districts of Siwan and Saran (out of 458 blocks).
  • Jharkhand significant progress both in reduction of Kala-azar and PKDL cases, as well as in number of blocks reporting more than 1 case per 10,000 population.
  • Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have achieved their elimination target and needs to be more vigilant and diligent to consolidate and sustain their gains.

Activities to target the elimination of the disease

  • Development of a plan for the “unreached poorest” or underprivileged sections in endemic areas.
  • Kala-azar elimination programme within POSHAN Abhiyaan.
  • State Schemes
    • Jharkhand under Birsa Munda Awas Yojana and Bhimrao Ambedkar Awas Yojana.
  • Co-ordination with the rural development department and engage with Panchayati Raj functionaries.
Kala Azar
  • A disease in which a parasite migrates to the internal organs such as the liver, spleen (hence “visceral”), and bone marrow.
    • Also called Visceral leishmaniasis is spread by sandfly bites.
  • Some people have no symptoms while symptoms may include fever, weight loss and swelling of the spleen or liver.
  • Proper medication is available but if left untreated it leads to death.
    • It results in a 95% fatality rate if the patients are not treated.
  • Kala Azar is the 2nd largest parasitic killer in the world after Malaria.

Way Forward

Sensitization of the population, proper training of human resource, quick completion of Prime Minister’s dream of ‘Housing for All’ by 2022, strengthening adverse drug reaction reporting system, both for Kala-azar and Post-Kala-Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) with special focus on PKDL cases with eye complications, institutional management of Kala Azar/HIV cases at the district level has to be more focused to reduce the situation.

Source : PIB

GS II : Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources

Digital Payments Index

Why in News ?

Continuous rise of digital transaction across the country the Reserve Bank of India has come up with a ‘composite Digital Payments Index (DPI)’ to measure the extent of digitisation of payments in India.

Digital Payments Index

  • Aims to to measure the extent of digitisation of payments in India. 
  • The RBI-DPI has been constructed with March 2018 as the base period i.e. DPI score for March 2018 is set at 100
  • DPI consists of five key parameters that would capture deepening and penetration of digital payments
    • Payment enablers
    • payment infrastructure demand-side factors
    • Payment infrastructure supply-side factors
    • Payment performance
    • Consumer centricity
  • Each of these parameters also consisted of sub-parameters.
  • Major technology players including Paytm, PhonePe, Google Pay, and recently launched WhatsApp Payments.
  • India’s UPI payments had shot up 82 per cent in the current fiscal year’s Q2.

Other Initiative

  • Also announced increasing the upper limit of contactless card payments from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 from January 2021
  • RTGS transactions available 24×7 in order to further boost digital payments.

Source : The Hindu

GS III : Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment

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