 A very good evening aspirants, I welcome you all to the Hindu daily news analysis brought to you by Shankar's academy. Aspirants many of you are watching our videos without subscribing to our YouTube channel. So please subscribe and hit the bell icon button so that you will get regular notifications about our controversy videos. Today I am going to cover important news articles from the Hindu newspaper dated 28th of December 2023. Displayed here is a list of topics that we will be discussing today at the end of the video we will also have problems practice question discussions. So try to watch the entire video now let us get into our first news article discussion. Look at this news article we all know that recently there was an oil spill in Enno region of North Chennai. Within few weeks now there occurred another tragedy in Enno. Yesterday there was a leak of ammonia gas from an underwater pipeline in a fertilizer plant in Enno. See ammonia gas is harmful and it can cause serious health impacts in humans. So the leak of ammonia gas has created tensions in the Enno region. And this is the crux of the news article given here. Now in this discussion let us understand some important facts about ammonia. See previously the UPSS has asked a question about ammonia in 2020 problems. So it is very important for us to know about ammonia as it is currently appearing in the news. Now first let us begin with the basics of ammonia. The chemical formula of ammonia is NH3. This means that the ammonia consists of one nitrogen atom bonded with three hydrogen atoms. Ammonia is a colorless gas at room temperature and it has a pungent smell. Also know that the ammonia is highly soluble in water. Ammonia naturally occurs in the environment in soil, air and in plants. Note that ammonia is also naturally present in our body and it is secreted by the kidneys to neutralize excess acid in our body. Now having seen the basics now let us see the production process of ammonia. See ammonia can also be produced artificially. Ammonia is primarily produced through the Haber process. In this process nitrogen and hydrogen gases are combined under high pressure and temperature. They are combined in the presence of a catalyst. As a result we will get ammonia. This is how ammonia is produced artificially. Now moving on to see about the uses of ammonia. Firstly the ammonia is primarily used to produce fertilizers like ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulphate and urea. The fertilizers with ammonia content helps in plant growth and increases the crop yield. Secondly ammonia is also used in various industrial processes like production of plastics, production of pharmaceutical drugs, production of cleaning agents and production of explosives. Thirdly ammonia is also used in refrigeration systems in industries. Fourthly ammonia is used in the production of formaldehyde. And finally the ammonia is used as a antimicrobial agent in food products. So this is all about the major applications of ammonia. Now moving on to see the health impacts of ammonia. Firstly understand that ammonia is highly toxic. So high concentration of ammonia can cause irritation to the eyes, nose and respiratory system. As per the Bureau of Indian Standards the acceptable maximum limit of ammonia in drinking water is 0.5 ppm. If water contains ammonia beyond this limit it is toxic to our body. Secondly the ammonia is highly flammable. So it has to be stored carefully or else it may cause huge harm. And finally the excess inhalation of toxic ammonia gas will affect the lungs. It leads to irritation and inflammation in the lungs. Sometimes the exposure to high concentrations of ammonia can result in the accumulation of fluid in the lungs. This condition is called pulmonary edema. And it is one of the serious health complications in humans. Okay so these are all some of the health impacts of ammonia. And that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw about the properties of ammonia. Then we saw about the production process of ammonia. Then we saw about the uses of ammonia. And finally we saw some points regarding the health impacts of ammonia. Now with these points in mind let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article. This news article talks about India's banana exports. See India is the world's largest banana producer accounting for 26.5% of world's banana production. Despite this fact India's global export share is just one percentage. This is due to different ripening periods and some other issues. So to sort out these issues India is developing C protocols for exporting fresh fruits and vegetables. The protocol includes understanding why each time scientifically understanding the ripening of fruits harvesting at a particular time and training farmers. By incorporating some of these protocols India successfully exported a trial shipment of fresh bananas to the Netherlands through sea route. As the export was successful India is currently aiming to increase the exports of banana to 1 billion US dollars in the next five years. Okay and this is the crux of the news article given here. Now in this context let us understand some of the basics about banana from Purulam's perspective. See banana is the second most important fruit crop in India. The first important fruit crop in India is mango. Banana is known for its unique qualities. It is available throughout the year and it is affordable and have different varieties with varying taste. Banana is rich in nutrient with high medicinal values. Because of these reasons banana is recognized as the favorite fruit among all classes of people in India. Okay now coming to the varieties of banana. Dwarf Cavendish, Robusta, Rastali, Poovan, Nendaran, Red Banana, Ney Poovan, Pachanadan, Virupakshi, Mondan, Karpura Valley and Saved Velchi Moosa are some of the important banana varieties grown in India. Now moving on to say about the nutritional values of banana. See banana is a rich source of carbohydrate and vitamin B. It is also a good source of potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium. The banana is free from fat and cholesterol. So if it is consumed regularly it will help in reducing risk of heart diseases. Banana is also recommended for patients suffering from high blood pressure, arthritis, ulcer, gastroenteritis and kidney disorders. Also know that the banana is rich in fiber content. So it is easy to digest. Okay see in most of the places in India banana powder is used as the first baby food. Okay so these are all some of the nutritional values of banana. Now drawing about the climate requirement for banana. Banana is a tropical crop that requires a warm and humid climate. Its cultivation is confined to regions between 30 degree north and 30 degree south of the equator. It can be grown from the sea level to an elevation of 2000 meter above mean sea level. Banana requires an optimum temperature ranging between 20 degree Celsius and 35 degree Celsius for its cultivation. And an average it requires 1700 meter rainfall for its growth. Here note that the rainfall should be distributed throughout the year. Okay this is all about the climate requirement. Now coming to the soil conditions for growing banana. Rich loamy soil with pH between 6.5 to 7.5 is most preferred soil type for banana cultivation. And the soil should have good drainage with adequate moisture. Okay this is all about the soil conditions. Now finally let us see the major banana producing states in India. As of 2023 Andhra Pradesh is the leading banana producer which accounts for nearly 16.5% of countries total banana production. Andhra Pradesh is followed by Maharashtra and Gujarat. Some of the other important banana producing states are given here. You can pause the video and go through it. Okay and that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw various facts related to banana. See this topic is very important for our problems exam. So we raise all the facts that we discussed. Now with these points in mind let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article. This article is taken from the science page. This article talks about Huntington's disease. This article reports that the scientists are using fruit flies to find close to Huntington's disease. So in this discussion let us understand the basics about the Huntington's disease. Its causes and symptoms from Purlim's perspective. See to have a better understanding about the Huntington's disease. First we should know some basics about human central nervous system. Know that the central nervous system in our body is made up of two parts. The first part consists of the brain and the spinal cord. And the second part is called the peripheral nervous system. Here the first part of the central nervous system that is the brain and the spinal cord is very important. This is because they are only responsible for basic body functions like breathing, walking, movement and so on. Here note that both the brain and spinal cord are made up of two basic types of cells such as neurons and glia. Here neurons are made up of specialized cells called nocells. They transmit and process information through electrical and chemical signals in the brain. Whereas the glial cells are non-neuronal cells and it provides physical and metabolic support to the neurons. Okay now with these basics let us see about Huntington's disease. See Huntington's disease is an inherited disease that causes the progressive degeneration of nocells in the brain. This in turn degrades the neurons that makes up brain and spinal cord. Now what happens if neuron starts to degrade? As I said earlier neurons communicate with each other through electrical and chemical signals. When neurons degrade the transmission of signals becomes compromised. This can result in disruptions to sensory perception, motor control and cognitive functions of our body. This means that the person with degeneration of nocells might have uncontrolled movements like jerking, loss of coordination, trouble in walking, difficulty in swallowing, memory loss and slurred speech. See these are all some of the symptoms and effects caused by Huntington's disease. As I said earlier Huntington's disease is progressive in nature. This means that the disease tends to progress and will get worse over the time. Okay this all about the Huntington's disease and its symptoms. Now what causes Huntington's disease? See any genetic change or mutation in the HTT gene can cause Huntington's disease. Here note that the HTT gene is responsible for making a protein called Huntington. This protein helps our nocells to function. So if someone has the Huntington's disease then their DNA will lack the information required to make the Huntington protein. As a result these proteins grow in an abnormal shape and they destroy the neurons. So this is the cause for the Huntington's disease. Now talking of the types of Huntington's disease. See there are two types of Huntington's disease. The first one is adult onset. This type is the most common form of Huntington's disease. Symptoms under this type usually begin after the age of 30. Okay the second type is yearly onset or juvenile Huntington's disease. This type affects children and teenagers. However this type is very rare. Okay now finally let us see the treatment and prevention options. See the Huntington's disease cannot be cured and we can't slow the progression of Huntington's disease. But healthcare providers can offer some medications to help with certain symptoms of Huntington's disease. See some of the drugs available in the market can help in controlling the unusual movements caused by Huntington's disease. Okay and that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw about what is Huntington's disease. Then we saw about the symptoms or effects of Huntington's disease. Then we saw about the causes of Huntington's disease. Then we saw about the two types of Huntington's disease. And finally we saw some points regarding the treatment and prevention options available to prevent Huntington's disease. Now with these points in mind let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this editorial article. This article is about measuring under nutrition. The author of this editorial criticizes the methodology used by India in measuring under nutrition. The author argues that like other countries India also uses the globally accepted WHO standards to measure its under nutrition. But the author points out the recent research which shows that there are number of issues in using WHO standards in measuring under nutrition in India. And this is the crux of the article given here. Now in this discussion let us understand about an important social issue under nutrition which is important for UPSC exam. You will understand the topic through main's answer rating approach. Now let us start the discussion. Now first we look at the question. The question is analyze the causes of under nutrition among children in India. List out the steps taken by the Indian government to improve nutrition in children. 150 words 10 marks. See this question falls into general studies paper one and it comes under the syllabus topic of population and associated issues poverty and developmental issues urbanization their problems and their remedies. Okay this is the syllabus. Now coming back to the question. See this question is a state forward one. In the first part we have to analyze the causes of under nutrition among the children in India. Then in the second part we need to list out the steps taken by the Indian government to improve nutrition among the children. Okay now let us straight away get into the introduction. Since the question is about under nutrition in children we can write the definition of under nutrition and its effects in children in the intro part. You can also use a standard definition from any reputed international organizations like WHO, UNICEF etc. You can even quote a data to substantiate your introduction part. Okay now let us see what is under nutrition and its effects in children. Under nutrition refers to deficiencies or imbalance in a person's intake of nutrients. The under nutrition can lead to various forms of deficiencies in children like stunting, wasting, underweight and micronutrient efficiencies. Here stunting means a low height for age. Then wasting means a low weight for height. Then underweight means low weight for age. Okay see under nutrition is a serious socio-economic issue for any developing and underdeveloped countries including India. In India under nutrition is in an alarming situation as expressed in the National Family Health Survey 5 data 2019-2021. According to the National Family Health Survey 5 around 35.5% of children have suffering from stunting. Then around 19.3% of Indian children are suffering from wasting. The survey also found that nearly 32.1% of Indian children are with underweight. Apart from this the survey also found that 59.7% of Indian children aged 6 to 59 months are anemic. Okay so these data highlighting the alarming situation of under nutrition in children in India. Okay see this could be a good introduction for this question. Now coming to the body part of the answer. As I said earlier the body part of the answer is split into two parts. In the first part you have to analyze the causes of under nutrition among the children in India. And in the second part we need to list out the steps taken by the government to improve nutrition among the children. Now first let us see the causes of under nutrition among children in India. The first and important causes poverty and economic disparity. See the poverty and disparities among the poor people will result in inadequacies or shortages of food for their children. This is with respect to both the quality and quantity of their diet. This disparity is severe among the marginalized sections of the people like SCs, STs, women, transgenders, children etc. This disparity will leave them with a little choice of diversified foods like milk, chicken, eggs that are rich in protein. So this affects the overall nutrition of the children. According to the Food and Agriculture organizations, the regional overview of food security and nutrition 2023 report nearly 74.1% of Indians are unable to afford a healthy diet. This data highlights the poor under nutrition among Indian people including children. Okay so the poverty and disparities among the poor people is the main cause of under nutrition among children in India. The second important cause of under nutrition in children is lack of access to diversified foods. See in India the diet is more of a cereal-centric one. This will limit the access to diverse and nutritious food among the people and their children. This will lead to a situation called hidden hunger, which means lack of nutrients in the food. See various state interventions like public distribution system also focused on providing rice, wheat and other cereals. This also adds to limited consumption of diversified foods. Okay the third important cause is patriarchy and associated issues. See this may look a strange correlation but it is true. Patriarchy and male dominated family will decide on the quality and quantity of food consumed by a girl child. You could be aware of the rhymes of dosa in childhood. It tells that the father gets four dosa, mom gets three, brother gets two and sister gets only one dosa. Apart from this patriarchy also leads to lack of education among the women. Note that an educated and employed woman would easily understand and afford a diversified diet. She can also assess a good maternal health. On the flip side a woman who is uneducated and casual laborer can't understand and spend on hidden hunger, maternal health etc. So patriarchy and associated issues are also one of the causes of under nutrition among children. Fourthly the issue is with the reduced governmental spending. The parliamentary committee notes that the schemes like Shaksham, Anganwadi and Portion 2.0 program have got only a marginal increase in budgetary allocation this year. The issues not only with the allocation but also their utilization. See the parliamentary committee found that over 32% of funds which are released under portion of beyond have not been utilized. So reduced governmental spending and underutilization of funds are also one of the causes of under nutrition among children in India. And finally other causes like lack of access to sanitation, inadequate health infrastructure, lack of awareness about breastfeeding and rural unemployment are also some of the reasons that increases the risk of under nutrition among the Indian children. Okay so these are some of the causes of under nutrition among children in India. This is all about the first part of the body of the answer. Now in the second part we'll see the steps taken by the government to improve nutrition in children. The first important step is the introduction of integrated child development services scheme or ICDS. The scheme was launched in 1975. The scheme aims to provide various services like food, preschool education, primary health care, humanization, health checkup and referral services. Note that the beneficiaries for the scheme are children under age of six years and their mothers. Okay so this is an important scheme in improving the health outcomes of children. The second important step is midday meal scheme. The scheme aims to improve nutritional levels among school children. It does by providing free lunch at school. Some pioneer states like Tamil Nadu extended the scheme by providing free nutritious breakfast at the school. Note that it has a positive impact on enrollment, retention and attention of children in schools. And thirdly there are various schemes which focused on the pregnant and lactating women. The basic thought behind the scheme is a healthy mother will give birth to a healthy child. Here we have to note an important scheme like Pradhan Mantri Matruvandana Yojana. The scheme provides a subsidy of Rs. 6000 directly to the bank accounts of pregnant women. The pregnant woman can use it for availing better facilities for her delivery. There is also another program called mothers absolute affection. This is a nationwide program of health ministry to promote breastfeeding in India. And fourthly there are specific programs and policies for combating under nutrition in India. An important scheme is Potion Abiyan or National Nutrition Mission. See this is a flagship program to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. Potion Abiyan aims to reduce stunting underweight and low birth weight each by two percentage per year. It also aims to reduce anemia among young children, adolescents and women each by three percentage per year. See the scheme got updated as Potion 2.0. In 2.0 the scheme will include three significant initiatives of Anganwadi services, the scheme for adolescent girls and Potion Abiyan and its umbrella. By doing this it can improve the nutritional outcomes of children in India. And fifthly in some states the public distribution system have been updated to improve diversification of dietary practices in India. This can have a multiplier effect on the nutritional outcome of the people including children. Okay so these are all some of the steps taken by the Indian government to improve nutrition among the children. Okay now having completed the body part let us see the conclusion. The conclusion can be like a good nutrition as the power to fight, poverty, improve the quality of life of people and empower women. So it is necessary to invest in the health and nutrition of women and children. This is even more important for any aspiring developing countries like India. This is because it will give rise to good human capital formation and development in the country. On a nutshell a good nutrition is the key to achieve intra-generational and intergenerational equity in the country. So this can be a balanced conclusion for this question. And that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion through the main's answer rating approach we saw the causes of under nutrition among children in India. Then we saw about the steps taken by the Indian government to improve nutrition among the children. Now with these points in mind let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article. This news article talks about the Vixit Bharat Sankal Piatra program. According to the news article this program has reached a total of 2.5 crore people so far. And this is the crux of the news article given here. Now in this discussion let us understand some of the facts about the Vixit Bharat Sankal Piatra program. The Vixit Bharat Sankal Piatra was launched on 15th November 2023 on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas. Here note that the Janjatiya Gaurav Divas is absorbed on November 15 every year to commemorate the brave tribal freedom fighters. Also note that 15th November is the birth anniversary of Sree Birsa Munda who was a tribal freedom fighter from Jharkhand. Now coming back to the Vixit Bharat Sankal Piatra. See Vixit Bharat Sankal Piatra is basically a nationwide outreach program of the government of India. Through this program the government aims to create awareness among the citizens about the central government's flagship schemes and programs like Ayushman Bharat, PM Ujwala Yojana, PM Shurakshabhima Yojana, PM Swannidhi etc. Apart from this through this program the government also aims to monitor the delivery of benefits under several welfare schemes. Now moving on to see about the objectives of the Vixit Bharat Sankal Piatra Outreach Program. Firstly, the outreach program aims to reach out to the vulnerable people like SCs and STs. Through this Ayutra the government aims to identify individuals who are eligible for various government schemes but they have not availed of the benefits. Secondly, the outreach program focuses on spreading information about government schemes and creating awareness among the public. For this purpose the government has sent information vans across the country. Initially the vans will visit the districts that are having significant scheduled tribe population. Later the remaining districts will be covered under the program. Thirdly, the Yathra aims to engage with the beneficiaries of government schemes. This allows the beneficiaries to share their personal stories and experiences with the implemented programs. This can create awareness among the non beneficiaries and it helps the government to enroll potential beneficiaries by collecting details and information from participants. Okay, so these are all some of the objectives of the Vixit Bharat Sankal Piatra Outreach Program. Here note that the program is being implemented as a whole-of-government approach. This means that the program will involve active participation of various central government ministries or departments, state governments, central government organizations and institutions. This will ensure the participation of all the parties who are responsible for serving the citizens of the country. Okay, to sum it up, the Vixit Bharat Sankal Piatra is a nationwide outreach program that aims to create awareness among the citizens about the central government's flagship schemes and programs. Through this program the government also aims to enroll new beneficiaries. Okay, and that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion, we saw various facts about Vixit Bharat Sankal Piatra Outreach Program. Now, with these points in mind, let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article. Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has decided to increase the minimum support price for cobra crop for the year 2024. The new minimum support price for milling cobra will be Rs.11,160 per quintal. See, this is an increase of Rs.300 from the last season. This is the crux of the news article given here. Now, in this discussion, let us understand some points about minimum support price from Pulum's perspective. Now, first, let us see what is minimum support price. See, minimum support price, which is in short called as MSP, is a form of market intervention by the government of India. It is the price at which the government purchases crops from the farmers. By doing so, the government protects the farmers against any sharp fall in the prices of crops. The minimum support price is announced by the central government at the beginning of every sowing season. The minimum support price is approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister. The prices are fixed and approved on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices. Now, let us see the objectives of minimum support price. The minimum support price is aimed at protecting the farmers against excessive fall in price during bumper production years. And during drought season, the minimum support price will provide a guarantee price for farmers produced. Apart from this, the minimum support price will ensure food security in the country. This is because the crops procured under the minimum support price is used for public distribution under the public distribution system. Okay, this is all about the objectives. Now, let us see the crops that are covered under minimum support price. See, government announces minimum support prices for 22 mandated crops and a fair and remunerative price for sugarcane. See, among the 22 crops, 14 crops belong to curfew season. Then, 6 crops belong to raw bee season. And 2 other belong to commercial crops. See, the 22 crops covered under the minimum support price are displayed here. Just pass the video and go through it. That's all regarding this discussion. In the discussion, we saw the basics of minimum support price from Purlim's perspective. Now, with these points in mind, let us move on to the next part of the video. That is to discuss preliminary practice questions. As friends, today we are having three questions. I will solve two of them and one will be a quiz question for you. Look at the first question. This question is asked in UPSC Prilms 2023. Here, three statements are given. We have to find how many of the statements are correct. Look at the fourth statement. The government of India provides minimum support price for Niger seeds. See, this statement is correct. The Niger seed is one of the 22 crops that are provided with minimum support price. Now, come to the second statement. Niger is cultivated as a cariff crop. See, this statement is also correct. Niger is a cariff crop. Now, come to the third statement. Some tribal people in India use Niger seed oil for cooking. See, this statement is also correct. Some tribal communities across India use Niger seed oil for cooking. Here, all the given three statements are correct. So, the correct answer for the question is option C all three. Now, come to the second question. This question is regarding banana. Here also, three statements are given. You have to find how many of the statements are correct. Look at the fourth statement. India is currently the world's largest exporter of banana. See, this statement is incorrect. Here, note that India is the world's largest producer of banana. But India is not the world's largest exporter. India accounts only one percentage of global exporter of banana. And note that equal is the world's largest exporter of banana. Okay. So, fourth statement is incorrect. Now, come to the second statement. The state of Tamil Nadu is the largest producer of banana in India in the financial year 2022-23. See, this statement is incorrect. The state of Andhra Pradesh is the largest producer of banana in the financial year 2022-23 and not Tamil Nadu. Now, come to the third statement. Banana is a richer source of carbohydrates, but it does not contain proteins. See, this statement is incorrect. Here, first part of the statement is correct. Banana is rich in carbohydrates, but the banana also contains some little amount of proteins. So, third statement is also incorrect. Here, all the given three statements are incorrect. So, the correct answer for the question is option D, none. Displayed here is a quiz question for you today. I will post this quiz question in the community section. Try to answer it. With this, we have come to the end of the video. If you found our video to be useful, do like, comment, and share it with your friends. And don't forget to subscribe Shankar Ayes Academy YouTube channel. Thank you for listening.