24-12-2021

24-DECEMBER-2021

The Hindu News Analysis – 24th December 2021 – Shankar IAS Academy
Page Number*
S.
News Articles
No.
C B D H T

1 Needed, a public health data architecture for India 8 8 6 10 8

2 Mamallapuram dance fest gets under way 6 - - - -

3 Earthquake in Chickballapur again - 7 - - -

4 Turtle trail to get a boost with mass tagging 14 12 1 14 1

Prelims Practice Questions

@ end of the video
9 Mains Practice Questions
*C – Chennai; B – Bengaluru; D – Delhi; H – Hyderabad; T – Thiruvananthapuram
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Pg: 8 – C, B, T;
Pg: 6 – D;
Pg: 10 - H

Part A—Preliminary Examination The National Family Health Survey (NFHS):

Paper I - (200 marks) • Large-scale, multi-round survey.

 Current events of national and international
• Provides information on
importance.
 Fertility, infant and child mortality
 Economic and Social Development-Sustainable
Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics,  Practice of family planning.
Social Sector Initiatives, etc
 Maternal and child health
Part B—Main Examination
 Reproductive health
PAPER-III

General Studies‐III: Technology, Economic Development,  Nutrition

Bio diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster
 Anemia
Management.
 Quality of health & family planning
 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning,
mobilization, of resources, growth, development and
• First survey conducted in 1992–1993.
employment.
• NFHS 2019-20- fifth in the series.
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• Goals – Provide essential data on health and

family welfare for policy and program purposes.

• The International Institute for Population

Respondents of the survey:
Sciences (IIPS) – nodal agency.
• Largely women in the reproductive age group.
Funds:
• 5th round covered 6,36,699 households, 7,24,115
• United States Agency for International
women, and 1,01,839 men.
Development (USAID).
• Women’s questionnaire alone was 93 pages long
• Department for International Development
with 1,139 questions.
(DFID).
• Size of the survey directly affects the data
• The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
quality.
• UNICEF.

• The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

• MOHFW (GOI).

Issues

• Confusing research with programme monitoring Author’s suggestion

and surveillance
• Time to show that we have the capacity
• Department of Planning, Statistics & Programme to plan the public health data needs for
Monitoring who is supposed to take a final call the country.
on the survey lacks technical capacity.
• Ensure the data are collected in an
Other Surveys orderly and regular manner

• National NCD Monitoring Survey (NNMS). • Appropriate budgetary allocation.

• National Mental Health Survey (NMHS). • Requires clarity of purpose

• Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS). • Determined /realistic approach to the

• The alcohol survey. issue.

• The Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey

(CNNS).
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The author proposes three national surveys:

• 1- shortened NFHS focusing on Reproductive and

Child Health (RCH).

• 2 - a Behavioral Surveillance Survey focusing on

HIV, NCD, water sanitation and hygiene (WASH).

• 3 - a single nutrition-biological survey focusing

on data collection on blood pressure,
anthropometry, blood sugar, serology, etc.

• It should be done every three to five years.

• States have to become active partners including

providing financial contributions to these
surveys.

• A strong political will is needed.

Pg: 6 – Chennai Edition

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Mamallapuram Dance Festival:

• Organised every year - January to February.

• Indian Dance Festival - Bharathanatyam, Kuchipudi,

Mohiniattam and Kathak.

• Folk arts - Oyilattam, Karagattam, Kavadi and

Thappaattam.

• Mamallapuram fest - backdrop of Arjuna’s penance.

• Tribute to great art forms of high popularity all

over the world.

• Attracts people from all parts of the world.

Mamallapuram or Mahabalipuram

• Southeastern India’s Coromandel Coast.

• A group of monuments - rock-cut cave temples,

monolithic temples, bas-relief sculptures,
structural temples & the excavated remains of
temples.
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• Created by the Pallava dynasty - ruled in 6th and 9th centuries CE. Distinct position in Indian
classical architecture.

• High quality of craftsmanship - natural landscape utilized in carving out the structures.

Five categories of the Mamallapuram monuments:

• Mandapas
• Rock reliefs
 Form of rock cut cave temples -
 Sculptural bas reliefs master creation during
Narasimhavarman-I Mamalla.
Mamalla’s reign.
 Examples - Konerimandapa, Mahishmardhini
 Four such reliefs present at Mamallapuram
cave, & Varahamandapa.

• Rathas  Noteworthy - Arjuna’s Penance and

Govardhanadhari.
 Monolithic temples.
 Arjuna’s Penance majestic bass relief carved
 Ratha means chariot.
on two enormous adjacent rocks
 Depicting many Hindu divinities and royal
portraits.
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• Temples: • Excavated remains:

 Structural architecture introduced by King  Sustained removal of sand - several buried

Rajasimha. structures around the Shore temple.

 Mukundanayananar temple & Olakkanesvara  Unique among them - stepped structure, a

temple. miniature shrine, a Bhuvaraha image and a
reclining image of Vishnu.
 Famous Shore temple - most finite layout of
a Dravida vimana. Significance of Monuments at Mamallapuram:

 Unique artistic achievement.

 Characteristics like softness and suppleness of

their modelling - spread to faraway places
such as Cambodia, and Java.

 A testimony to the Pallavas civilization of

southeast India.

• Identified potential threats - encroachment &

unauthorized constructions in the
prohibited/regulated areas.

• Monitored and well maintained by

Archaeological Survey of India.
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Pg: 7 – Bangalore Edition

Earthquake:

• Sudden shaking or trembling of the earth

which lasts for a very short time.

• Caused by a disturbance deep inside the

earth’s crust.

• Cause immense damage to buildings, bridges,

dams and people.

• Can be a great loss to life and property.

• Cause floods, landslides and tsunamis.

Fig : Earthquake
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Causes of Earthquake

• Caused by the disturbance deep down inside

the uppermost layer of the earth called the
crust.

• Outermost layer of the earth is not in one

piece. It is fragmented.

• Each fragment is called a plate.

• These plates are in continual motion.

• When they brush past one another or a plate

goes under another due to collision, they
cause disturbance in the earth’s crust
causing earthquake.

Origin of Earthquake

• When the Lithospheric plates moves, the surface of the

earth vibrates.

• The vibrations can travel all round the earth.

• These vibrations are called earthquakes.

• The place in the crust where the movement starts is

called the focus.

• The place on the surface above the focus is called the

epicenter.

• Vibrations travel outwards from the epicenter as waves.

• Greatest damage is usually closest to the epicenter.

• And the strength of the earthquake decreases away from

the centre.
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Seismic zones:

• The boundaries of the plates are the weak

zones .

• The weak zones are also known as seismic or

fault zones.

• Kashmir, Western and Central Himalayas, the

whole of North-East, Rann of Kutch, Rajasthan
and the Indo–Gangetic Plane.

• Power of an earthquake is expressed in terms

of a magnitude on a scale called the Richter
scale.

• Mercalli scale measures the intensity of an

earthquake.

Pg: 14 – C, H;
Pg: 1 – D, T
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Olive Ridley turtles :

Part A—Preliminary Examination
• Smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles
Paper I - (200 marks)
found in the world.
 Current events of national and international
importance. • Inhabit - warm waters of the Pacific,

 General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio- Atlantic and Indian oceans.

diversity and Climate Change - that do not require • Name - tied to the colour of its shell.
subject specialization.

Part B—Main Examination

PAPER-III

General Studies‐III: Technology, Economic Development,

Bio diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster
Management.

 Conservation, environmental pollution and

degradation, environmental impact assessment.

• Spend entire lives in the ocean - migrate thousands

Characteristics:
of kms between feeding and mating grounds.
• Growth
• Females - return to the very same beach from
 Length - 2 feet, where they first hatched - to lay their eggs.

 Weight - 50 kgs. • Arribada - thousands of females come together on

• Males & females grow to the same the same beach to lay eggs.

size.

• Females - a slightly more rounded

carapace.

Consumption Pattern:

• Carnivores - feed mainly on jellyfish,

shrimp, snails, crabs, molluscs & a
variety of fish and their eggs.
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Nesting pattern:

• Dig a conical nest for about one and a half feet deep with their hind flippers.

• Largest mass nesting for the Olive-ridley - Coast of Orissa in India - followed by the coasts of
Mexico and Costa Rica.

• Hatching - about 45-65 days.

Threats:

• Human activities.

• Poaching.

• Accidental killing of adult turtles through entanglement in trawl nets and gill nets.

• Hatchlings survival rate is very low.

Protection status:

• India - Schedule – I of the Indian Wildlife

(Protection) Act, 1972.

• IUCN – Vulnerable.
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Practice Question – Prelims Practice Question – Prelims

Q. Consider the following about the Q. Consider the following statements
earthquakes regarding Mamallapuram
1. The place in the crust where the 1. Mamallapuram Fest which is a dance
movement starts is called the epicenter. festival is conducted here twice a year.
2. The place on the surface is called the 2. The monuments and rock cut cave
focus. temples in Mamallapuram was an
3. Greatest damage is usually closest to artistic significance of Chola dynasty.
the epicenter. Select the correct answer from the code
Which of the statements given above is/are given below.
incorrect?
(a) Both 1 and 2
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3 only (c) 2 only
(d) None of the above (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Practice Question – Prelims

Answers
Q1. Option (b) – 1 and 2 only Practice Question – Mains
Q2. Option (d) – Neither 1 nor 2 GS-III
Q. What is Arribada in relation to Olive
Practice Question – Mains Ridley Turtles? Why is it important to
protect such phenomenon.
GS – III
(250 Words, 10 Marks)
Q. The National Family health survey (NFHS-
5) data are not without the challenges.
Examine the statement.
(250 Words, 15 Marks)