Alarming trend of very high C-section births, says survey
Paper:
Mains: G.S. I & III Social Issues and Science & Technology
Why in news?
There has been an increase in the number of Caesarean section (C-section) deliveries in a majority of states as per recent estimates of the National Family Health Survey 2019-20.
Key details
- States such as Telangana, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, and some in the northeast, have shown a jump in C-section deliveries, especially at private healthcare facilities, in the last five years.
- The international healthcare community has considered the ideal rate for caesarean sections to be between 10 per cent and 15 per cent.
- When medically justified, a caesarean section can effectively prevent maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. However, an analysis shows that in most states, it is more than 50 per cent in the private healthcare facilities.
- C-sections have increased in the country in a majority of the 22 states according to NFHS -2019-20. There has also been a rise in the number of institutional deliveries and a fall-out could be the increase in C-sections.
- There is another equally important aspect that needs to be understood: women find it convenient to avoid experiencing strenuous long hours of labour pain since the C-section technology is easily available and affordable to most.
- NFHS 2019-20 data shows that in Maharashtra, 94.7 per cent of deliveries were institutionalised as against 90.3 per cent in 2015-16. C-section births rose from 20 per cent in 2015-16 to 25.4 per cent in 2019-20.
- At private healthcare facilities in Maharashtra, at least 39 per cent of the deliveries were via C-section, according to NFHS data 2019-20, as against 33 per cent in 2015-16.
- Telangana saw a jump in the number of births via C-sections from 74.5 percent to 81.5 per cent in 2019-20 in private healthcare facilities.
- In Himachal Pradesh, at least 88 per cent deliveries were institutionalised, as against 76.4 per cent in 2015-16. Private healthcare facilities saw a rise in C-section births from 44 .4 per cent in 2015-16 to 51.4 per cent births via C-section in 2019-20.
- Kerala has registered 99.8 per cent institutionalised births and here too, there has been a slight jump in the number of deliveries via C-sections. As against 35.8 per cent births in 2015-16 via C-sections, in 2019-20, at least 38.9 percent births were via C-sections.
- Notable exceptions to this trend were Lakshadweep, which saw a decline, from 38.4 per cent in 2015-16 to 31.3 per cent in 2019-20, while Nagaland also showed a decline in the number of births via C-sections at private healthcare facilities, from 31.5 per cent to 23.6 per cent in 2019-20.
- The pandemic has resulted in an increased C-section rate due to unnatural fears. There is a perception of a quick in and quick out of hospital, with a C-section.
- Cesarean delivery (C-section) is a surgical procedure used to deliver a baby through incisions in the abdomen and uterus. A C-section might be planned ahead of time if you develop pregnancy complications or you’ve had a previous C-section and aren’t considering a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC).
India is far ahead of China in soft power, says Rajnath
Paper:
Mains: G.S. II Polity and Governance
Why in news?
Speaking at the FICCI’s 93rd Annual General Meeting, Singh said: “There can be a serious debate on who owns more military might, but when it comes to soft power, there is no scope of ambiguity. India is far ahead of China when it comes to leading the world with ideas. If you look at the entire East Asia, there is a huge cultural impact of India.”
Key details
- India’s soft power far exceeds that of China, according to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
- He referred to the impact and influence of Buddhism being the main religion for nearly 80 per cent of China’s inhabitants before the Xinhai Revolution.
- India’s soft power is strong, and it has been so, long before such a concept was made famous by American political scientist Joseph Nye (an American political scientist) in.
- For centuries, India’s soft power was already being recognised in many parts of the world, where people learned about and accessed the arts and culture of one of the world’s oldest civilisations.
- In the last few years, the government is focusing on four specific soft power assets of India for achieving diplomatic successes and furthering the country’s national interests: Buddhism, Diaspora, Yoga, economic leverage.
- Soft power’ refers to the ability to persuade others to do something using neither force nor coercion (Joseph Nye). While conventional, hard power relies on the State’s military and economic resources, soft power works on persuasion, aiming at furthering a country’s ‘attractiveness’.
- Soft power is mostly based on intangibles such as the power of example. E.g. Yoga, Buddhism, movies, music, spirituality etc.
- Today, most countries use a combination of soft power and hard power, together called ‘smart power’.
November sees food inflation drop to 9.43%
Paper:
Mains: G.S. III Indian Economy
Why in news?
India’s retail inflation based on the consumer price index (CPI) moderated marginally in November to 6.93%, from 7.61% recorded in October, wit food price inflation cooling off to 9.43% from 11% in the previous month.
Key details
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- India’s retail inflation decelerated to a three-month low at 6.93% in November as vegetable prices eased .
- However, the central bank is unlikely to cut policy rate anytime soon as inflation still remains well above the upper limit of its tolerance level of 6%.
- RBI in its latest monetary policy review earlier this month kept its policy rate unchanged at 4% but signalled to keep its policy accommodative to support growth. It, however, raised its inflation forecast to 6.8% in the third quarter, 5.8% in the fourth and 4.6-5.2% in the first half of the next financial year.
- In rural India, both overall retail inflation and food price inflation, were about 0.5 percentage points higher than the 6.73% and 9.1%, respectively, recorded in urban India. The National Statistical Office (NSO) combines the rural and urban inflation rates to arrive at All India inflation rates.
- Although lower food inflation has moderated CPI, core inflation still remains high at around 5.5% and protein inflation is still high within the food index.
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Bodoland People’s Front stakes claim to form council
Paper:
Mains: G.S. II Polity and Governance
Why in news?
The Bodoland People’s Front emerged as the single largest party with 17 seats in the just concluded Bodoland Territorial Council polls.
Key details
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- The Bodoland Territorial Council was constituted under the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India in 2003 after the signing of Memorandum of Settlement on 10th February 2003 between the Government of India, the Government of Assam and Bodo Liberation Tigers, to fulfil economic, educational and linguistic aspiration and the preservation of land-rights, socio-cultural and ethnic identity of the Bodos; and to speed up the infrastructure in BTC area.
- The Council aims at bringing about accelerated progress to one of the most backward region of the state of Assam with special focus on the development of the Bodo people in the field of education, preservation of land rights, linguistic aspiration, culture and its ethnic identity.
- Area: The BTC’s jurisdiction is over four districts of Assam — Kokrajhar, Baksa, Chirang and Udalguri — and they are collectively known as Bodoland Territorial Administrative Districts.
- Communities: Major communities residing in BTC include Bodos, Assamese , Bengalis, Koch-Rajbongshis, Rabhas, Garos , Adivasis, Muslims and Nepalese, etc.
- The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India (Articles 244(2) and 275(1)) provides for decentralized self-governance and dispute resolution through local customary laws in parts of the North East which are mainly tribal areas.
- It contains provisions as to the Administration of Tribal Areas in the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
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Hunger alert
Paper:
Mains: G.S. I, II & III Social Issues, Social Justice and Malnutrition
Why in news?
Latest edition of NFHS data for phase 1 was released recently.
Key details
