Current Affairs 27 May 2025

Content:

1. Manage anaemia before pregnancy
2. Why are ‘sugar boards’ necessary in schools?
3. Scientists finally solve the 160-year-old problem of Mendel’s peas
4. Centre’s reform nudge to States resulting in less land wastage: Ministry data
5. The dawn of autonomous satellites and the legal vacuum above us

Manage anaemia before pregnancy

Problem Identification

• High prevalence of anaemia: Over 57% of women of reproductive age in India suffer from undiagnosed anaemia.
• Symptoms ignored: Fatigue, dizziness, and weakness are often dismissed as routine.
• Critical timing: By the time pregnancy begins, many women already have dangerously low haemoglobin levels.

Relevance : GS 2(Health)

Consequences of Anaemia at Conception

• Increased risk of:
  • Preterm birth
  • Low birth weight
  • Maternal complications: e.g., pre-eclampsia, post-partum hemorrhage
• Reduced iron transfer to fetus → infant anaemia
• Maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality increases

Need for a Paradigm Shift

• Current maternal health efforts are focused during pregnancy.
• For long-term improvement:
  • Shift to preconception care
  • Focus on woman’s health before conception
  • Ask not just “Are you ready for motherhood?” but “Is your body ready for pregnancy?”

Limitations of Current Anaemia Management

• Oral Iron-Folic Acid (IFA) is the standard, but:
  • Side effects: nausea, diarrhea, constipation
  • Poor absorption, especially in chronic anaemia
  • Low adherence in women
• Oral iron’s effectiveness is reduced due to Hepcidin-regulated absorption

Suggested Interventions

• Intravenous Ferric Carboxymaltose (IV FCM):
  • Rapid restoration of haemoglobin and iron stores
  • Not affected by Hepcidin
  • Suitable for moderate to severe anaemia

• Vitamin B12 and Folate injection:
  • 49% women have B12 deficiency
  • Essential for RBC formation and neurological development
  • Oral iron alone is insufficient without addressing B12

• Thyroid and blood sugar screening:
  • Undiagnosed hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism can mask or worsen anaemia
  • Gestational diabetes often detected late → risks to fetal health

Community & Policy-Level Actions

• Community awareness:
  • Involve families to promote preconception check-ups
• Grassroots healthcare workers:
  • ASHAs and Anganwadi workers should integrate preconception education in maternal health programs
• Normalize preconception check-ups:
  • Treat as essential as antenatal care

Policy Recommendations

• Expand interventions:
  • Broaden IV FCM usage
  • Combine B12, folate, and iron injectables
• Improve oral IFA strategies:
  • Rethink dosing patterns (alternate day, twice weekly)
• Make preconception care routine and institutionalised

Long-Term Vision

• Addressing anaemia before pregnancy is key to:
  • Healthier mothers
  • Smarter, healthier future generations
• Maternal health is a societal imperative, not just a medical concern

Conclusion

• No woman should begin pregnancy anaemic.
• Preconception health care must become standard, urgent, and transformative.
• Action is not optional — it’s essential for national health and development.

Why are ‘sugar boards’ necessary in schools?

Why are ‘sugar boards’ necessary in schools?

• Rising incidence of Type-2 diabetes among children: Once considered an adult disease, it is now increasingly seen in children due to high sugar intake.
• Excess sugar in diets: Children aged 4–10 get 13% of calories from sugar, and 11–18-year-olds get 15% — far above the recommended 5%.
• Unhealthy food environment in schools: Easy availability of sugary snacks, beverages, and processed foods in and around schools.
• Need for early health education: Schools are an effective platform to inculcate healthy eating habits from a young age.

Relevance : GS 2(Health , Governance)

What are ‘sugar boards’?

• Visual learning tool: DIY boards display actual sugar content in popular food/drinks like cola and packaged juices using teaspoons or packets of sugar.
• Student involvement: Children create the boards during workshops, making the activity interactive and engaging.
• Informative content: Includes sugar content in common foods, recommended daily intake, and health risks of excess sugar.
• CBSE’s role: Over 24,000 CBSE schools asked to implement the boards and submit reports/photos by July 15.

Role of NCPCR (National Commission for Protection of Child Rights):

• Advocated for nationwide adoption: Urged all schools (CBSE + State boards) to implement sugar boards.
• Expressed concern: Highlighted the rise of Type-2 diabetes in children and the poor dietary environment in schools.
• Stakeholder engagement: Organizing sessions with pediatricians, teachers, and parents; promoting workshops and awareness programs.

Is Type-2 Diabetes prevalent in Indian children?

• Estimated incidence: 397 per lakh among Indian children (second only to China with 734/lakh).
• Lack of comprehensive data: No nation-wide population-based studies yet.
• Higher vulnerability: Indian genetic makeup predisposes to metabolic disorders even at lower BMI thresholds.

FSSAI’s regulatory status on sugar and HFSS:

• No finalized HFSS cut-offs: Scientific panel discussions underway but no consensus yet.
• Existing standards: WHO recommends <25g (6 tsp) sugar/day; India relies on these in absence of indigenous norms.
• Call for Indian-specific data: Experts argue for country-wide studies tailored to Indian dietary and metabolic profiles.
• Labeling norms: A product must have ≤5g sugar/100g to claim “low sugar”, but HFSS definitions for school meals are yet unresolved.

Next steps:

• Beyond sugar boards: NCPCR aims to include warnings about high salt and trans-fat in school meals.
• Data collection ongoing: Gathering health data from hospitals and during school health drives.
• Parent engagement: Emphasizing nutrition education during PTA meetings.
• Health expert outreach: Pediatricians to conduct awareness workshops in schools.

Conclusion:

• Sugar boards are a simple yet powerful educational tool to combat childhood obesity and lifestyle diseases.
• Their widespread adoption, combined with regulatory clarity, community engagement, and health data tracking, could form a holistic public health strategy for India’s children.

Scientists finally solve the 160-year-old problem of Mendel’s peas

Historical Context

• In 1856, Gregor Mendel began experiments on pea plants to study inheritance.
• He identified 7 discrete traits, noticing dominant and recessive patterns.
• His findings (1866) were largely ignored during his lifetime.
• In 1900, three scientists — Hugo de Vries, Carl Correns, Erich von Tschermak — independently rediscovered Mendel’s work.

Relevance : GS 3(Science)

Mendel’s Key Discoveries

• Traits followed predictable 3:1 ratios in second-generation crosses.
• Introduced the concepts of dominant/recessive traits and discrete units of heredity (now called genes).
• Formed the foundation for modern genetics, later leading to the chromosome theory of inheritance.

The Unresolved Mystery

• Despite scientific advancements, genetic basis for all 7 traits Mendel studied was not fully explained.
• Only 4 traits were genetically characterised until recently:
  • Seed shape
  • Seed colour
  • Plant height
  • Flower colour

Breakthrough Study in Nature (2025)

• Paper: ‘Genomic and genetic insights into Mendel’s pea genes’ (Feng et al.).
• Used next-generation sequencing on 697 pea variants.
• Generated a 60 terabase DNA dataset (≈14 billion pages worth of genetic data).

Major Scientific Breakthroughs

1. Genetic Basis for Remaining 3 Traits Identified:
   1. Pod Colour: Deletion near ChlG gene disrupts chlorophyll, causing yellow pods.
   1. Pod Shape: Changes in MYB and CLE-peptide genes cause constricted pods.
   1. Flower Position: Deletion in CIK-like-coreceptor-kinase gene and a modifier locus leads to terminal flower positioning.

• Complexity of Pea Plant Genetics Revealed:
  • Though peas belong to 4 species, genetically cluster into 8 groups due to admixture.
  • Discovered additional alleles for traits previously thought to be simple — e.g., a variant that turns white flowers purple.

• Expanded Trait Mapping:
  • Identified 72 agriculturally important traits (e.g., architecture of seed, pod, root).
  • Created a genomic map for deep trait-tracking and breeding research.

Scientific and Agricultural Implications

• Resolves a 160-year-old puzzle in genetics.
• Provides a blueprint for plant breeding — improved crop yield, disease resistance, stress adaptation.
• Demonstrates the power of combining classical genetics with modern genomics.

Reflection

• Mendel’s curiosity in a monastery garden laid the groundwork for centuries of biological advancement.
• The study underscores how fundamental research can yield profound future applications.

Centre’s reform nudge to States resulting in less land wastage: Ministry data

 Background of the Reform Initiative

• In 2020, the Centre launched the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment.
• It provides 50-year interest-free loans to States for capital expenditure.
• A portion of the loans is conditional, tied to the implementation of specific reforms:
  ➤ Road construction
  ➤ Digitisation
  ➤ Optical fibre installation
  ➤ Urban reforms
  ➤ Disinvestment and monetisation

Relevance : GS 2(Solid Waste Management)

 Budgetary Growth of the Scheme

• In 2020, the scheme’s cap was ₹12,000 crore.
• It has expanded to ₹1,50,000 crore in 2025–26, reflecting growing state participation and investment needs.

 Land and Industrial Reforms Outcomes

• 22 States have amended building bylaws related to industrial and commercial land use.
• 18 States have reduced land wastage to below 30% in factory plots.
  • Previously, ~50% of industrial land was consumed by parking and setback norms.
  • Reforms led to more optimal land use by revising outdated regulations.

 Digitisation of Land Records – Key Achievements

• 90% of cadastral maps (ownership and boundary details) have been digitised.
• 91% of Records of Rights (RoR) have been digitised
  ➤ 35 crore out of 38 crore records.
• 30% of land parcels have received Unique Land Parcel Identification Numbers (ULPINs)
  ➤ 22 crore out of 76 crore parcels.

 Broader Implications

• Efficient land use encourages industrial investment by freeing up usable factory land.
• Digitisation enhances land transparency, dispute resolution, and supports Ease of Doing Business.
• Supports Centre–State cooperative federalism by incentivising reform through funding.

The dawn of autonomous satellites and the legal vacuum above us

 Evolution of Satellites

• The Space Age began with the launch of Sputnik (1957) — satellites were passive tools (e.g., GPS, communication, Earth observation).
• Now, AI integration is transforming satellites into autonomous, intelligent machines capable of real-time decision-making and self-operation.

Relevance : GS 3(Space ,Technology)

 Features of AI-Powered Satellites

• Satellite edge computing enables onboard processing and decision-making.
• Key capabilities:
  • Automated space operations (docking, refuelling, debris removal).
  • Self-diagnosis and repair of faults.
  • Route planning for orbital optimization.
  • Real-time geospatial intelligence and disaster detection.
  • Combat support, including threat identification and engagement.

 Emerging Risks and Challenges

• AI hallucinations could lead to misclassification of threats (e.g., mistaking commercial satellites as hostile).
• Autonomous reactions (e.g., evasive manoeuvres) could trigger diplomatic crises or near-collisions.
• AI decisions may occur without human oversight, creating serious accountability gaps.

 Legal and Regulatory Vacuum

• Existing space laws — Outer Space Treaty (1967) and Liability Convention (1972) — assume human control.
• Key legal challenges:
  • Fault attribution: Who is liable — the launching state, the operator, the developer, or the AI?
  • Jurisdictional complexity: Multinational development, operation, and registration of satellites complicates legal responsibility.
  • Authorisation and supervision under OST becomes vague in AI contexts.

 Need for Legal and Technical Solutions

• Legalreforms:
  • Categorise levels of autonomy, similar to autonomous vehicles.
  • Mandate meaningful human control for high-risk decisions.
  • Develop global certification standards for satellite AI behaviour (fault response, manoeuvre logs, etc.).
• International frameworks could emulate aviation and maritime insurance and liability models (e.g., HNS Convention, Montreal Convention).

 Ethical and Geopolitical Imperatives

• Dual-use concerns: Satellites could be used for autonomous weapons, raising fears of an arms race in space.
• Ethical data governance needed to manage massive data collection, privacy, and surveillance issues.
• Risk of escalation from AI-triggered errors underscores the need for international cooperation.

 Call for a New Regulatory Architecture

• AI-driven autonomy in orbit demands intelligent, adaptive legal frameworks.
• Historical analogy: just as cars needed traffic laws, AI satellites need space governance reforms.
• Shared orbits mean shared responsibilities — requiring multilateral collaboration and technological foresight.