Current Affairs Exam

WHO Report: Highlights compassion as crucial for improving Primary Health Care (PHC), addressing mental health, and delivering patient-centered care.

What is Compassion in PHC: Recognizing suffering and acting to alleviate it within essential health services, enhancing care quality, accessibility, and equity.

Significance: Compassion combines emotional connection with action, differing from passive sympathy or emotionally draining empathy.

Mental Health Crisis: High prevalence of mental disorders in India (13.7%), economic loss (USD 1.03 trillion, 2012-2030), and treatment gap (70-92%). Compassion vital for responsive, holistic care.

Inclusive Care: Compassion promotes inclusion for marginalized groups like Dalits, Adivasis, LGBTQ+, and persons with disabilities.

Institutionalizing Compassion: Integrate compassion as a measurable dimension of Quality of Care (QoC).

Enhance HWC Capacity: Train health workers in trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and compassionate communication.

Integrate Metrics in Audits: Use patient feedback on compassion in outcome-based health grants.

Reform Curriculum: Introduce modules on compassionate leadership and grief counseling.

Mental Health Interventions: Embed empathy training in Tele MANAS. Promote home visits and community dialogue.

Clinical Courage Example: A doctor’s decision to treat a TB patient with compassion in Rajasthan, where resources are limited, demonstrates courage and the value of focusing on the patient’s needs.

SWATI model: An NGO trains ASHA workers to support survivors of violence.

Tamil Nadu Disaster Preparedness: The health system in Tamil Nadu has a more structured governance, accountability mechanisms, and proactive disaster response.

Importance of People-centred Healthcare: Focus on empowering people to be responsive in the existing system.

Exercise INDRA 2025 Commences: The 14th edition of the India-Russia bilateral naval exercise ‘Indra’ has begun off the coast of Chennai.

Six-Day Exercise: The exercise will span six days, featuring sophisticated maritime drills and live weapon firings.

Phases of the Exercise: Divided into two phases: a Harbour Phase in Chennai (March 28-30) and a Sea Phase in the Bay of Bengal (March 31-April 2).

Participating Ships: Russian Navy ships Pechanga, Rezkiy, and Aldar Tsydenzhapov are participating. The Indian Navy has deployed warships Rana, Kuthar, and maritime patrol aircraft P8I.

Advanced Naval Drills: The Sea Phase includes tactical maneuvers, live weapon firings, anti-air operations, underway replenishment, helicopter cross-deck landings, and exchange of sea riders.

Objective: Aims to enhance naval interoperability and operational synergy between the Indian and Russian navies.

Long-Term Strategic Relationship: Exercise INDRA epitomizes the long-term strategic relationship between the two navies since its inception in 2003.

Symbol of Maritime Cooperation: The exercise has evolved into a symbol of maritime cooperation, showcasing the two nations’ commitment.

Strengthening Ties: Intended to enhance maritime cooperation, strengthen friendship, exchange best practices, and bolster diplomatic ties.

US Tariffs Imposed: Donald Trump imposed a 10% tariff on imports from Heard & McDonald Islands, despite the islands having no known exports to the US.

Remote Location: The islands are a remote, uninhabited sub-Antarctic volcanic island group in the southern Indian Ocean, far southwest of Australia.

Australian Territory: They are an Australian external territory governed directly by the Australian government.

Volcanic Activity: Heard Island features the Big Ben volcano (Mawson Peak), Australia’s highest mountain outside the mainland. McDonald Island has shown recent volcanic activity, increasing in size. They are the only volcanically active sub-Antarctic islands.

Ecological Significance: UNESCO World Heritage Site, pristine ecosystem with marine birds, mammals (penguins, seals), and free of invasive species.

Uninhabited: The islands are completely uninhabited except for occasional research missions.

Baffling Trade Policy: The tariff imposition is questionable due to the islands’ lack of exports to the US.

Other Territories Affected: Other Australian external territories (Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island, and Norfolk Island) and the British Indian Ocean Territory also face tariffs, with similar questions about trade rationale.

New Observations: Jupiter’s atmosphere around the Great Red Spot is surprisingly active and interesting.

What it is: The Great Red Spot is a long-lasting anticyclone (high-pressure area) on Jupiter, creating a persistent storm.

Location: Southern Hemisphere of Jupiter.

Appearance: A giant red spot. The cause of the red color is unknown.

Size: Diameter of 15,400 miles, almost twice the size of Earth and one-sixth the diameter of Jupiter.

Wind Speed: Winds inside the storm reach speeds of about 270 mph.

Lifespan: It has existed for at least 150 years, possibly longer.

Why it lasts: Jupiter’s lack of a solid surface allows the storm to persist. A solid surface would dissipate the storm’s energy.

Changes: The Great Red Spot changes in shape, size, and color.

Largest Storm: It is the largest known storm in the Solar System.