UPSC QUIZ 03.05.2024

Explanation:

• The Supreme Court has issued a direction to the Central Government to fix standardized rates for various medical procedures.
• The court's direction has created concern among stakeholders in India's emerging healthcare industry.
• The order criticized the central government for its failure to enforce the 12-year-old clinical establishment rules.
• These rules empower the Central Government to notify a standard rate of medical procedures and treatments keeping in mind the standard of living of different regions of the country.

Current status of regulation of medical procedures in India

• In India, care delivery is primarily through private providers, whose prices are determined by the market.
• Health in India is a state subject, the Government of India has enacted the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010 and notified the Clinical Establishments (Central Government) Rules, 2012 for registration and regulation of clinical establishments.

Explanation:

• United States has decided to place India on the watch list in the intellectual property (IP) protection case on April 25, 2024.
• In this context, the US pointed out that India remains one of the most challenged major economies in the world.

2024 Special 301 Report released by USTR

• Along with India, Argentina, Chile, China, Indonesia, Russia and Venezuela have also been included in the watch list in the 2024 Special 301 Report released by the US Trade Representatives (USTR).
• The Dominican Republic is no longer on the watch list.

• This report is an annual review of the global state of IP protection

Explanation:

• The Supreme Court has constituted a nine-judge bench to interpret the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) in the light of ownership and control of physical resources.
• The purpose of the Preamble of the Constitution is to secure social and economic justice, freedom and equality to all citizens.
• Part III of the Constitution lists the fundamental rights which guarantee liberty and equality.
• The Directive Principles of Policy (DPSP) mentioned in Part IV are the principles that the Central and State Governments should follow to achieve social and economic justice.
• Although unlike the fundamental rights in Part III, the D.P.S.P. Even though they are not maintainable in court, they are fundamental in the governance of the country.
• Articles 39(B) and 39(C) in Part IV contain principles which are intended to achieve economic justice.

Explanation:

• The report, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research by geologists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Oxford University, reveals insights into Earth's ancient magnetic field as revealed by ancient rocks, shedding light on its early geological evolution.

Key findings of the report

Magnetic field strength

• Geologists have discovered ancient rocks about 3.7 billion years old in the Isua supracrustal belt in southwestern Greenland, which contain the oldest remnants of Earth's early magnetic field.
• The rocks remained intact as a result of a magnetic field with a strength of at least 15 microtesla, which is similar in magnitude to Earth's magnetic field today (about 30 microtesla).

Explanation:

• The first international workshop on 'Emerging Technologies and Challenges for Exoskeletons' was organized by Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO).
• Exoskeletons are wearable devices designed to facilitate basic human functions and are used in a variety of fields such as medical, military, rescue, operational, industrial and consumer applications.
• In the medical field, they are used in occupational therapy, enhancement and rehabilitation therapy to help people who have suffered some kind of accident and need to walk or function normally again.
• Pediatric exoskeletons are designed for children with mobility issues, such as those affected by spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, muscular atrophy and muscular dystrophy.
• There are many industrial applications, including assisting workers who engage in tasks such as paint spraying, welding, assembly line material handling, etc.
• Exoskeletons are used in the military because they help reduce the physical burden on soldiers and increase their ability to walk long distances.
• They can be used to help ex-combatants and other rescue workers survive in hazardous environments.