Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Earth Hour- Earth Hour was launched in 2007 by the World Wide
Fund for Nature to encourage awareness of environmental issues.The
idea is to turn off lights for an hour.
-Earth Hour is a worldwide movement for the planet organized by the
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The event is held worldwide
annually encouraging individuals, communities, households and
businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour, from 8:30
to 9:30 p.m. on the last Saturday in March, as a symbol for their
commitment to the planet. It was famously started as a lights-off event
in Sydney, Australia in 2007.
2. Deep below the ice, far from the playful penguins and other animals
that bring tourists to Antarctica, is a cold and barren world that by all
indications should be completely void of life. But recently, scientists
researching melting ice watched a 15-centimeter fish swim by. Not long
after that, they saw shrimp-like creatures.
In even more remote places on the continent, areas that haven't been
exposed to sunlight for millions of years, scientists found a surprise
right out of an alien movie- the DNA of a microscopic creature that
looks like a combination of a bear, manatee and centipede.
3. Annual World Water Development Report predicts global water
demand will increase by 55 pc by 2050, while reserves dwindle.
The world could suffer a 40 percent shortfall in water in 15 years
unless countries dramatically change their use of the resource, a U.N.
report warned. Currently, about 748 million people worldwide have
poor access to clean drinking water. World Water Day- 22nd March.
4. Grapevine thrips is the most destructive pest in India. It also
damages other crops such as jamun, guava, mango, cashew nut, rose,
etc. It is active during March-May and September-October. Adults and
nymphs feed by rasping on the ventral side of the leaves and flowers
stalk and suck the oozing sap.
There are two other species of thrips such as Scirtothrips dorsalis
and Thrips hawaiiensis which exclusively attack blossoms and
developing berries causing scarred fruits resulting poor quality and low
price in the market. The life cycle of this thrips is completed in 11 to 25
days.
They undergo hibernations as pupae deep into the soil surface
during winter. Young nymphs appear reddish and adults are yellowish
brown. They reproduce both in sexual and parthenogenetic ways.
5. The amount of water vapour present in a column of air determines
the Absolute Humidity of air. Meteorologists uses the concept of
Relative Humidity whereby the amount of water vapour present in air is
calculated with respect to the amount of water vapour the air can hold.
During rainy season or conditions of high humidity, the relative
humidity is on the higher side which means air cannot hold moisture
further.
Q- Why it feels hotter in humid conditions ?
Ans- In humid conditions where surrounding air cannot hold further
water vapour, sweat evaporates slowly, if at all. As a result the body
heats up. it is difficult for the sweat to evaporate and in high humidity
conditions we tend to sweat more. This explains why it feels so much
10. India became the first country to have entered the Mars Sphere of
Influence in its maiden attempt. The historic mission has completed six
months of orbiting the Red Planet and the mission has been extended
for another six months.
Of the five payloads onboard, the Mars Colour Camera (MCC) has
been the most active, taking several stunning images of the red
planets surface and its surroundings, including valleys, mountains,
craters, clouds and dust storms.
The four instruments are Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM), Lyman
Alpha Photometer (LAP), Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition
Analyser (MENCA) and Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (TIS).
- MSM measures the natural gas in the Martian atmosphere with PPB
(particles per billion) accuracy and map its sources. As methane is an
indicator of past life on Mars, the sensor is looking for its presence in
the Martian orbit.
- LAP is studying the atmospheric process of Mars and measure the
deuterium (isotope) and hydrogen ratio and neutral particles in its
upper atmosphere.
- MENCA and TIS are analysing the neutral composition and measure
the temperature during day and night to map the surface composition
and mineralogy of Mars.
**AUTISM- Pervasive neurological disorder that is observable in early
childhood and persists throughout the lifespan, characterised by
atypical communication, language development, eye contact, and
sensory experiences.
11. Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML)----AML is a type of cancer affecting bone marrow and blood cells and less
than 25 per cent survive for more than five years in adult AML cases.
Like in many other cancers, AML too is caused by genetic changes
at cellular level. These changes result in production of fusion proteins,
transcription factors and lead to growth of abnormal leukaemia cells.
Transcription factors which bind DNA and regulate gene expression
play a key role in triggering such abnormal cancerous cells.
Transcription Factor- A protein that binds to specific DNA sequences,
thereby controlling the flow (or transcription) of genetic information
from DNA to mRNA.
Myeloid- Of or pertaining to bone marrow.
Leukaemia- Any specific form or type of cancer of the blood-forming
tissues affecting the blood cells or blood-forming tissues.
12. Kaziranga National Park is a national park in the Golaghat and
Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India. A World Heritage Site, the
park hosts two-thirds of the world's great one-horned rhinoceroses.
13. How knuckle cracking produces popping sound ?
- Formation of a cavity within the synovial fluid, a slippery substance
that lubricates the joints, has been found to be the cause.
- The current study found that joint surfaces suddenly separate due to
distraction force (or pulling force) and there is less amount of synovial
fluid to fill the suddenly expanded joint volume. As a result, a cavity or
bubble is formed. The creation of this bubble is what produced the
popping sound.
- An experiment confirmed that the sound was produced not by the
bursting of a bubble but by the formation of a bubble. According to the
scientists, the creation of a bubble is in line with tribonucleationa
process where opposing surfaces resist separation until a critical point
where they separate rapidly resulting in vapour cavities that do not
collapse instantaneously.
14. Why do most of the clouds move from south to north direction over
our subcontinent?
- Clouds usually move according to the wind pattern. Wind is caused
due to difference in temperatures and pressures which may be affected
by various factors. Movement of wind is a very complex phenomenon
affected by latitude, proximity of water bodies, sea shore and land
undulations. It is also affected by the rotation of the Earth.
- Where the land mass is surrounded by sea water, air near land
surface is warmer and moves up. To replace the air mass, wind blows
from sea to the land mass. This is also known as breeze. Then there is
global movement of wind.
- In our subcontinent, the southern regions are surrounded by sea
water which causes the wind to move from sea to the land mass i.e.
from south to north. The direction changes as the seasons change.
15. The Indian Mackerel Rastrelliger kanagurta is an important food
fish commonly consumed in South and Southeast Asian countries.
- All three species of mackerels Rastrelliger kanagurta, Rastrelliger faugni and
Rastrelliger brachysoma.
16. The Chestnut-breasted Partridge (Arborophila mandellii), endemic
to the Eastern Himalayas is rarely captured by the shutterbugs.
There are nearly 45 different species of partridges, of
which the Chestnut-breasted Partridge is classified as
a
hill
partridge.
The
International
Union
for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that about
2,500 Chestnut-breasted Partridges live in Arunachal Pradesh, Bhutan
and Lower Tibet along the Eastern Himalayas.
17. The chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes
and causes an infection in humans known as chikungunya fever. The
disease causes fever and severe joint pain; the joint pain can last for a
few months and in some cases for up to several years. India is one of
the worst affected countries.
- The chikungunya virus has two surface proteins E1 and E2. While E1
is a fusion protein, E2 very likely plays a role in binding the virus with
receptors seen on human cells. The E2 has three domains A, B, and
C. Of the three, the domain C is not accessible to antibodies and of
little use in vaccine development.
18. Some typical animals found in Tundra regions:
Reindeer- An arctic and subarctic-dwelling deer of the species
Rangifer tarandus, with a number of subspecies.
Lemming- A small Arctic and Subarctic rodent from any of six genera
of similar rodents.
20. Some of the endangered bird species are the Polynesian grounddove, the Tahiti monarch and the Tuamotu sandpiper, named after an
island chain in French Polynesia.
21. Currently, about 2.8 per cent of the species on Earth are at risk of
extinction due to climate change that has already occurred.
One in six species on Earth could be threatened with extinction from
climate change unless steps are taken to reduce global warming
emissions, new research has warned.
22. India is home to 48 of the 250 known species of bumblebees, the
only pollinators of vegetation in high-altitude regions. They are one of
the most economically important insects.
- Mostly characterised by black, yellow and reddish body hair, and
often striped, bumblebees are generally found on altitudes of 2,00015,000 feet along the entire Himalayas, from Jammu & Kashmir to
Nagaland.
- Bumblebees are important to the ecosystem, as without them seed
setting and fruiting will not take place in many plants, as they are the
only pollinator at high altitudes in the Himalayas. They pollinate
vegetables, fruit trees, cash crops and even ornamental and medicinal
plants high in the Himalayas.
- Like the honeybees, bumblebees are social insects and live in
colonies the size of which depends on the species.The founder of
the colony is the queen that hibernates throughout winter. In spring,
she finds a site for new nest. Having mated the previous autumn, she
then lays her eggs which will result in the first batch of workers.
23. Pradeep Reddy and his team of researchers at Salk Institute of
Biological Studies in California have developed a technique that could
help women prevent their children from inheriting severe illnesses
including those of heart and brain.
The technique involves editing of DNA in the mitochondria, dubbed as
the powerhouse, as it generates chemical energy for the body.
Mitochondria contain genetic material which is inherited only from the
mother, unlike DNA in the cell's nucleus which is inherited from both
parents.
Hence, disorders attributed to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations
can only be inherited from the mother. In families where incidence of
maternal inheritance of disease is strong, the eggs can be edited
before in vitro fertilization by sperm.
Disorders of mitochondria can affect single organs and could cause
fatality at birth or leave individuals with severe illness for a lifetime.
Mutations in mtDNA are known to mainly affect organs that are heavily
energy dependent like brain and heart. They also cause hormonal
disorders like diabetes.
Mr. Reddys team showed specific enzymes called restriction
endonucleases and transcription activator-like effector nucleases
can be used to target mtDNA mutations and eliminate them.
24. Parthenium- A recently immigrated plant from the North-America
into India which is a kind of grass known for its ill-effects on human
health, mainly causing respiratory and skin diseases.
25. Why does milk boiling in a milk cooker not overflow?
AnsThe major constituent of milk is water i.e. 85-87 per cent and the rest
is distributed among fat, protein, sugar and salts. The boiling point of
milk (100.17 degree Celsius), therefore, is slightly higher than that of
water (i.e. 100degree Celsius). However before milk is brought to
boiling relatively less dense constituents like the fat and the proteins
partially segregate and mostly float up to form the layer of cream. This
is a covering layer and does not allow water vapour to pass through it
normally.
- When milk is boiled in an ordinary vessel, the temperature of the
liquid rises, even above the boiling point and a large quantity of water
vapour is generated below the cream cover. This makes the cream
layer bulge out.
- On the other hand when milk is heated in a milk cooker all these
above processes do not occur. The milk cooker is a double-walled
vessel with the annular gap containing water, which boils at a lower
temperature than the boiling point of milk. As the boiling of water
continues, the supplied heat is used in transformation of liquid water
into water vapour at 100 degree C and the temperature of the water
and the vessel remains constant at 100 degree Celsius.
The cream layer forms on the top of the mass of milk, like the earlier
case. However, the temperature being lower than the boiling point of
milk, it does not cause the vapour bubbles to form and bulge out of the
cream layer. Thus milk does not overflow.
The Gir forest is the only place in the whole of Asia where the Asiatic
lion is now found.
41. Preparations for Chandrayaan-2, the second lunar exploration
mission of the country, is progressing well and is expected to be ready
for launch by 2017. The ambitious mission involving complex
technologies comprised releasing of an orbiter, a lander and a rover.
This will also be the first-ever soft landing (landing which does not
result in the destruction of the payload vehicle) by any Indian
spacecraft on an astronomical body." The lander, was planned to touch
down in the polar region of the moon, which would also be the first
such attempt by any nation.
The first-ever solar orbiter mission of the country Aditya - L 1, to study
the solar corona, would also be ready for launch by the end of 2017 or
early 2018. This would be the maiden attempt by the nation to reach
the Lagrangian point 1 (L1) between the Earth and Sun.
42. What is RSBY?
- RSBY was launched by Ministry of Labour and Employment in 2008,
has now been shifted to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare from
April 1 2015, to provide health insurance coverage for Below Poverty
Line (BPL) families.
- The objective of RSBY is to provide protection to BPL households from
financial liabilities arising out of health shocks that involve
hospitalization.
- Beneficiaries under RSBY are entitled to hospitalization coverage up
to Rs. 30,000/- for most of the diseases that require hospitalization.
Government has even fixed the package rates for the hospitals for a
large number of interventions. Pre-existing conditions are covered from
day one and there is no age limit.
- Coverage extends to five members of the family which includes the
head of household, spouse and up to three dependents. Beneficiaries
need to pay only Rs. 30/- as registration fee while Central and State
Government pays the premium to the insurer selected by the State
Government on the basis of a competitive bidding.
- Under RSBY, smart cards are issued to BPL families.
43. After samples of Maggi noodles manufactured in March 2014
were reportedly found to contain high lead content and Monosodium
Glutamate (MSG), the instant noodles brand is under scrutiny by
various state governments and Union Consumer Affairs Ministry.
- The test cnducted in a lab reportedly found Mono Sodium Glutamate
(MSG), a flavour enhancer that officials say is not listed in Maggi
packets and also having lead exceeding the prescribed limits of 2.5
ppm, which turned out to be 17.2 ppm in the test conducted.
44. HANDLOOM
- Kanchipuram weaves: Tamil Nadu; pashmina & shahtoosh- J&K; eri &
muga silks: Assam.
- A/c to the new definition(2012) and The Handloom (Reservation and
Articles for Production) Act,1985: "Handloom means any loom other
than powerloom & includes any hybrid loom on which at least one
process of weaving require manual intervention or human energy for
production.
- Presently 11 items are listed under this act including pure silk n
Kerberos and Styx the smallest and faintest of Plutos five moons.
55. May 12, 2015 Nepal earthquake occurred in between the two major
fault systems in the Himalayas the Main Boundary Thrust and the
Main Central Thrust. The two fault systems are 100-120 km apart and
run as a linear belt all along the Himalayas from Kashmir to Arunachal
Pradesh. In the Himalayan region, 90 % of the earthquakes occur
between these two fault systems.
- Indian Seismic and GNSS Network (ISGN) seeks to enhance the
capability in monitoring seismic activity in India, besides providing high
quality data for researchers. It provides real-time data to 100
standalone seismic stations spanning across the country. GNSS- Global
Navigation Satellite System.
56. Establishment of Indian Seismic and GNSS Network (ISGN) is an
initiative of Earth System Sciences Organization (ESSO), Ministry of
Earth Sciences (MoES), Under this project, standalone seismic and
GPS/GNSS receiver stations (provided by MoES to different National
institutions through its various programmes) as well as Regional
seismic data Centres of our country are integrated through satellite
and terrestrial links with data centres established at Indian National
Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) Hyderabad, and India
Meteorological Department(IMD), New Delhi. Thus, a National central
pool is created for real time acquisition of seismic and GPS data, real
time processing, data sharing, storing & archival and earth quake/alert
information to general public.
INCOIS, as nodal agency, has established the network.
The major objective of the project is to get more accurate earthquake
parameters for National Tsunami Early Warning System(at INCOIS),
mapping of earthquake Hazard and facilitate sharing of data to
scientific researchers, among Regional/ National Seismic centers and
dissemination of the data to general public in India.
57. New species of camphor has been reported from Western Ghats in
kerala, which is found endemic to the region of Ghats. It has been
named as Cinnamomum agasthyamalayanum after the type locality,
Agasthyamala hills, from where it was reported.
- Extraction of Natural Camphor & Camphor Oil :
(i). Natural Camphor is extracted by distilling the leaves and bark of
Cinnamomum camphora, a native to China, Taiwan, southern parts of
Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, it is also synthetically produced.
(ii). Camphor oil is extracted by steam from the chipped wood, root
stumps and branches of the camphor tree. It is then rectified under
vacuum and filter pressed.
- Camphor's Medicinal applications especially in Ayurveda:
(i) has pain-relieving effect.
(ii) it is an ingredient in a few externally applied oils to relieve muscle
spasm.
(iii) also has mild mucolitic property and can reduce bronchospasm.
(iv) also used in mild dosage in internal medicines.
- Distribution of new species of camphor: b/w Attayar and Chemungi of
Agasthyamala in Thiruvananthapuram. Isolated populations were also
recorded from Rosemala in Kollam distt of Kerala; found distributed in
the windward evergreen forests of Agasthyamalai phyto-geographical
was on the left falls and supplied power to the city of Bangalore. Tamil
Sangam literature (300BCE to 500CE) mentions the kaveri and Sri
Ranganathaswamy Temple.
62. Snow Leopards Quick Facts:
They are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species.
They inhabit alpine and subalpine zones at elevations from 3,000 to
4,500 m (9,800 to 14,800 ft). In the northern range countries, they also
occur at lower elevations.
The snow leopard is the National Heritage Animal of Pakistan.
Their habitat extends through 12 countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan,
China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal,
Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. China contains as
much as 60% of all snow leopard habitat areas.
- In India, their geographical range encompasses a large part of the
western Himalayas including the states of Jammu and Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in
the eastern Himalayas.
- The snow leopard, like all big cats, is listed on Appendix I of the
Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species
(CITES), which makes trading of animal body parts (i.e., fur,
bones and meat) illegal in signatory countries . It is also protected
by several national laws in its range countries. India is also a
signatory to CITES.
63. World Environment Day
- It is the UNs principal vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness
and action for the environment. It is run by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP).
- It is celebrated every year on June 5th. It was established by the
United Nations General Assembly in 1972.
- Over the years it has grown to be a broad, global platform for public
outreach that is widely celebrated by stakeholders in over 100
countries.
The theme for 2015 is Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume
with Care.
Italy will serve as the host of the WED 2015.
- National Zoological Park- New Delhi
64. Two primry source of uranium....
a. Pitchblende ....50 to 80 % uranium cntnt
b. Uraninite...65 to 80 % uranium cntnt
- Peat s d 1st stage f coal formation..Lignite or brown coal...carbn cntnt
45 - 70%...Bituminous ..70 - 90%...Anthracite....90%....
Anthracte dsnt prduce smoke n ash...whreas bituminous n lignite
does....
- Anthracite is the most metamorphosed type of coal in which the
carbon content is between 92.1% and 98%.
- Main ore f thorium- Monazite(thrium cntnt 2.5%), Allanite:0.1-2%,
Zircon- 0.4%. Thorium dioxide occur as a rare mineral in thorianite wid
upto 12% ThO2.
65. The Colubroidea are a superfamily in the suborder Serpentes
(snakes). It contains over 85% of all the extant species of snakes.
76. A Indian Air Force (IAF) Mirage 2000 fighter landed on the Yamuna
expressway near Mathura for the first time on 21/5/15. The landing was
part of trials to use national highways for emergency landing.
77. Western Disturbance is the term used in India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh and Nepal to describe an extra tropical storm originating in
the Mediterranean, that brings sudden winter rain and snow to
the northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent.
- This is a non-monsoonal precipitation pattern driven by the
Westerlies. The moisture in these storms usually originates over the
Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
- Extratropical storms are a global, rather than a localized, phenomena
with moisture usually carried in the upper atmosphere (unlike
tropical storms where it is carried in the lower atmosphere).
- Western Disturbances are important to the development of the Rabi
crop in the northern subcontinent, which includes the locally important
staple wheat.
78. Turner Syndrome:
Turner syndrome (TS) also known as UllrichTurner syndrome, gonadal
dysgenesis, and 45,X, is a condition in which a female is partly or
completely missing an X chromosome.
- Typically they are without menstrual periods, do not develop breasts,
and are unable to have children. Heart defects, diabetes, and low
thyroid hormone occur more frequently.
79. Xpert MTB/RIF:
- It is a cartridge-based, automated diagnostic test that can identify
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)DNA and resistance to rifampicin
(RIF)by nucleic acid amplification technique(NAAT).
- Rifampicin : a reddish-brown antibiotic used chiefly to treat
tuberculosis and leprosy.
- Xpert can substitute smear microscopy as an initial diagnostic test to
diagnose more number of TB cases and also for diagnosing rifampicin
resistance.
80. Thanks to software developed by IIT Hyderabad researchers, semiskilled persons can use an ultrasound imaging device to perform
preliminary diagnosis to classify a kidney as either normal or abnormal
in terms of stones, cysts, or bacterial infection. When fully functional,
the imaging system developed can provide a fillip to healthcare in rural
and remote areas where lack of trained sonologists has become a
norm.
# Sphygmomanometer: Blood pressure measuring instrument.
81. Posterior Parietal Cortex (PPC) :
- It is a region that processes the intention of moving the desired limb.
It plays an important role in producing planned movements.
- Motor Cortex: the part of the cerebral cortex in the brain in which
originate the nerve impulses that initiate voluntary muscular activity. It
actually processes the movement itself.
82. Tuberose:
bees
on
89. The incidence of cancer has grown over the last decade in India
although the rate of mortality has fallen, new data shows. Breast
cancer is the fastest growing in terms of incidence for women and kills
the most, and prostate cancer is the fastest-growing in incidence for
men, while lung cancer killed the most men.
90. EEZ- An exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is a sea zone prescribed by
the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea over which a
state has special rights regarding the exploration and use of
marine resources, including energy production from water and wind.
91. Sun Halo- one type of optical phenomenon, forming a circle
with a radius of approximately 22 around the Sun, or occasionally
the Moon (also called a moon ring or winter halo). It forms as sunlight
is refracted in millions of randomly oriented hexagonal ice crystals
suspended in the atmosphere.
92. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D5) powered
by an indigenous cryogenic engine puts the 1,982 kg GSAT-14
communication satellite into a perfect orbit after liftoff from
Sriharikota.
93. Folk dances of Uttarakhand : Chanchari, Jagar, Thadia
Folk dance of Rajasthan: Terahtali
94. The historical region of Amaravathi, commercial island city-state
on the Krishna riverfront, chosen to be the capital city of the new
Andhra Pradesh.
- It was the capital of the Satavahana kings between the 2nd and 3rd
century BCE they ruled most of the country from here and also
an important region for Buddhism along with Nagarjunakonda.
95 Brent Crude Oil- A form of crude oil which is softer in composition.
It has lower sulfur content and has lower density. That's why it is
softer. It is found mainly in the North sea, esp. in the vicinity of North
London.
- In meteorology, the polar front is the boundary b/w the polar cell
& the Ferrel cell in each hemisphere. At this boundary a sharp
gradient in temperature occurs between these two air masses, each at
very
different
temperatures. The
polar
front arises as a
result
of cold polar air
meeting
warm
tropical
air.
- Protectionism:
- A system or policy of protecting the domestic producers of a
product from foreign competition by imposing tariffs, quotas,
duties or other barriers on importations.
- Eliminating all the exemptions for the countervailing duty (CVD)
will eliminate the negative protection facing Indian manufacturers,
and help the Make in India initiative, without violating Indias
international obligations.
142. The Peninsular plateau is flanked by stretch of narrow coastal
strips, running along the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of
Bengal on the east. The western coast, sandwiched between the
Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, is a narrow plain. It consists of
three sections:
(i) The northern part of the coast is called the Konkan (Mumbai
Goa),
(ii) The central stretch is called the Kannad Plain, and
(iii) The southern stretch is referred to as the Malabar coast.
143. Special Category States:
- The concept of a special category state was first introduced in 1969
when the 5th Finance Commission sought to provide certain
disadvantaged states with preferential treatment in the form
of central assistance and tax breaks.
- Initially three states Assam, Nagaland and Jammu & Kashmir were
granted special status but since then eight more have been included
(Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,
Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand).
- All other states barring these are treated as General Category
States. The rationale for special status is that these states, because of
inherent features, have a low resource base and cannot mobilize
resources for development.
- Some of the features required for special status are:
(i) hilly and difficult terrain;
(ii) low population density or sizeable share of tribal population;
(iii) strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries;
(iv) economic and infrastructural backwardness; and
(v) non-viable nature of state finances.
144. Leucoderma:
- Leucoderma is a condition that causes skin to lose its
pigmentation or colour. As a result, people with vitiligo have white
patches on the skin. In an advanced stage, most of the body skin can
lose its pigmentation.
- Current treatments, such as steroid creams and light therapy, fall
short as they are not reliably effective in reversing the disease.
- An existing FDA-approved medication for rheumatoid arthritis called
'tofacitinib citrate' is used to successfully treat a patient suffering from
vitiligo. The drug causes no adverse side effects in the patient.
145. Unlike people with drug-susceptible TB, those with multi drugresistant TB (MDR-TB) are less likely to transmit disease to others living
in the same household (also known as household contacts).
- As a rule, people who are in close contact for extended periods of
time with a person who has TB disease either drug-susceptible TB or
- The Rangarajan report also states that those spending less than
Rs 32 per day in rural areas would be considered poor. The
Tendulkar committee had pegged the poverty line at Rs 27 a day for
rural India.