Civil Service Bytes

In News: Unaware of the POSCO law, tribals in Kerala marry minors and are punished for rape The  Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POSCO)  is no doubt an effective deterrent to sexual exploitation and harassment of minors. But its textual implementation in the tribal belts of Kerala has given rise to a strange situation. Many  tribals, who are ignorant of the stringent provisions in the Act, marry minor girls , in keeping with their traditional practice, and  end up in jail on rape charges . Most cases are registered without any formal complaint from the girls or their parents. “The situation is prevalent in almost all tribal belts of Kerala, including Wayanad, Attappady and Idukki. But the worst affected are the Paniya and Kattunaika community members in Wayanad.” “Child marriage is common among the Paniya and Kattunaikars tribes  and this has remained a part of their custom for many years. These people are not aware of the existence of a law or even

‘Rising antimicrobial resistance, a serious threat to economic growth’  1) What is antimicrobial resistance? Antimicrobial resistance is resistance of a microorganism to an antimicrobial drug that was originally effective for treatment of infections caused by it. Resistant microorganisms (including bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites) are able to withstand attack by antimicrobial drugs, such as antibacterial drugs (e.g. antibiotics), antifungals, antivirals, and antimalarials, so that standard treatments become ineffective and infections persist, increasing the risk of spread to others. 2)How Antimicrobial resistance can occur? There are three main ways by which resistance can occur: by natural resistance in certain types of bacteria, by genetic mutation, or by one species acquiring resistance from another. The evolution of resistant strains is a natural phenomenon that occurs when microorganisms replicate themselves erroneously or when resistant traits are exchange

F-16V – The Most Technologically Advanced 4th Generation Fighter in the World The Lockheed Martin F-16V configuration provides relevant combat capabilities in a scalable and affordable package. The core of the F-16V configuration is an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, a modern commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)-based avionics subsystem, a large-format, high-resolution display; and a high-volume, high-speed data bus. Operational capabilities are enhanced through: A Link-16 Theater Data Link The  Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod Advanced Weapons Precision GPS navigation and Auto Ground Collision Avoidance System INDIA_USA_PAKISTAN: NEGATIVE TRIANGULAR DYNAMIC The US notification last week on the sale of F-16s to Pakistan and India’s expression of displeasure in reaction suggest how difficult it is to alter the entrenched negative triangular dynamic between New Delhi, Rawalpindi and Washington. India’s objections to US military assistance to Rawalpindi date b

Delhi Dialogue to focus on Impact of TPP on India-ASEAN ties The  impact of the U.S.-led mega trading and political blocs on India-ASEAN ties  is likely to be the highlight of the 8th round of  Delhi Dialogue . One emerging mega bloc, the  Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), received a major boost recently with the joining of Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore (ASEAN Countries). Diplomats are concerned that India will have to adjust to  the new set of security and economic rules  as increasing number of Southeast Asian countries join TPP, which began taking shape with the arrival of President Barack Obama to the White House in 2009. “The process of joining TPP by several countries in Southeast Asia has highlighted the conflicting segments in the Southeast Asian region. Delhi Dialogue will give us a chance to assess how India will have to adjust to these mega trading and political blocs  emerging in this region which is vital for India’s security and economic future.

Mercury appears to be dark due to the abundance of carbon that originated deep below the surface of our solar system’s innermost planet, a new study has found. The planet reflects much less sunlight than the Moon, on which surface darkness is controlled by the abundance of iron—rich minerals that are known to be rare on Mercury’s surface, researchers said. Researchers led by Patrick Peplowski of the Johns Hopkins University in US have confirmed that a high abundance of carbon is present at Mercury’s surface. They have also found that the carbon most likely originated deep below the surface in the form of a now-disrupted and buried ancient graphite-rich crust, some of which was later brought to the surface by impact processes after most of Mercury’s current crust had formed. The researchers obtained data from NASA’s MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) spacecraft, the first space mission designed to orbit Mercury. “We used MESSENGER’s Neutron

What is OCD It is a neurobiological disorder caused by the deficiency of a neuro-chemical in the brain called serotonin, which triggers obsessions that are characterised by repetitive thoughts which are intrusive in nature. OCD traps a person in a vicious cycle of obsessions, and this leads to anxiety, fear, tension or irritation. Engaging in compulsive behaviour allows the person to lower that anxiety temporarily, but a fresh obsession is triggered soon enough. Treating OCD Depending on the severity of the case, the doctor treats the patient through medication or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). In some cases, due to their severity, doctors use medicines and CBT to treat the patient. The treatment is often for 16 to 20 sessions, with one session lasting 60 minutes. Early identification and motivation towards treatment is the key to recovery. So when do you have to seek treatment? When the obsessive behaviour is time-consuming, causing substantial distress and severe

The Aadhaar Bill has been introduced as a money bill, even though it doesn’t qualify as such under Article 110 of the Constitution. If the Speaker agrees to this, it will render the Rajya Sabha toothless in this matter, and will weaken our democracy. The government should reintroduce it as an ordinary legislative bill, which is what it is. While the government has in the past argued before the Supreme Court that Aadhaar is voluntary, Section 7 of the bill allows the government to mandate an Aadhaar number (or application for an Aadhaar number) as a prerequisite for obtaining some subsidies, benefits, services, etc. This undermines its arguments before the Supreme Court, which led the court to pass orders holding that Aadhaar should not be made mandatory. This move to make it mandatory will now need the government to argue that rather than contravene the apex court order, it has instead removed the rationale for it. Interestingly, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democr

When the National Democratic Alliance introduced the Aadhaar Bill in Parliament late last week, it looked like the government was trying to latch the stable door a few years after the horse had bolted. This is 2016. We are approaching a billion issued Aadhaars. Passing an enabling legislation now is a bit like planning a coronation to celebrate the diamond jubilee of the Queen. Much of the opposition to Aadhaar comes from the massive amounts of sensitive personal information that has been collected. These apprehensions are exacerbated by the casual and porous approach that the government has to inter-departmental data transfer—a fear that was brought into sharp focus when it took the full might of the Supreme Court to stop the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from accessing the Aadhaar fingerprint database. This is why we need an Aadhaar legislation—to establish boundaries within which the identity database will function and clearly cordon it off from government over-reach. In

The first evidence that Zika virus might be causing Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a severe neurological disorder, has emerged from a retrospective study of 42 patients diagnosed with GBS during the Zika virus outbreak in French Polynesia (between October 2013 and April 2014). According to results published on March 1 in the journal  The Lancet , based on the analysis of data from French Polynesia, the incidence of GBS was estimated to be 24 in 100,000 people infected with the virus. Till now, the link between Zika virus and GBS was less clear. But that has changed with this study showing for the first time an epidemiological link between Zika virus and GBS. However, the researchers have not been able to establish a clear pathophysiological mechanism for GBS. According to the World Health Organization, during 2015 and 2016, eight countries (including Colombia) and territories have reported an increased incidence of GBS and/or laboratory confirmation of a Zika virus infection among

India  has been ranked at the  90th place in a list of 126 countries compiled by World Economic Forum (WEF) on the basis of their ability to deliver secure, affordable  and sustainable energy, which was topped by Switzerland . The latest  Global Energy Architecture Performance Index  Report, explored the energy architecture of 126 countries based on their ability to provide energy access across three dimensions of the "energy triangle" - affordability, environmental sustainability, security and access. The list was topped by Switzerland followed by Norway and Sweden in the second and third place, respectively. Others in the top 10 include France (4th), Denmark (5th), Austria (6th), Spain (7th), Colombia (8th), New Zealand (9th) and Uruguay (10th). Among the BRIC nations, Brazil was the top performer as it was ranked at the 25th place, followed by Russia (52nd), India (90th), China (94)y. Regarding India, the report noted that it is "facing a vast array of challen