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The primary anchor of a health-care road map

Ayushman Bharat: 1.5 lakh health sub-centers are being converted into health and wellness centers
National Health Protection Mission (NHPM): ₹5 lakh per family, per annum, reaching out to 500 million people.

Best health care at the lowest possible cost

Cost & quality: accountability of health care provider
Disease burden reduction

Eliminate catastrophic health expenditures

Nothing will happen overnight. We have to solve all issues that will arise by Good Governance.
2003: Institute of Health Systems (IHS) commissioned by Vajpayee Government.
Family Health Protection Plan (FHPP), open to all individuals
De-link entitlement to health care from the poverty line Proceed as perØ capacity, to scale the health premium subsidy. Economically weakerü sections: 75-90% Lower income: 50%ü Middle income groups :ü 20%
NHPM: pushing for hospitalisation at secondary- and tertiary-level private hospitals
Without primary health care, direct hospitalisation is a high-cost solution.
Public sector health capacities are constrained at all levels.
Credible PPP is must.
Provide all care for all the medical conditions specified
Accept and abide by standard treatment protocols and guidelines notified
No unnecessary care/treatement
Accept the AB-NHPM financial compensation package
The annual premium for each beneficiary would be paid to those service providers, for up to one year only (renewable), as selected by beneficiaries.
The resultant competition would enhance quality and keep costs in check.
Upgrading district hospitals to government medical colleges and teaching hospitals will enhance capacities at the district level.
The Swachh Bharat programme must be incorporated in the PMJAY.
Inter-sectoral action linking health and development
clean drinking water,
sanitation,
garbage disposal,
waste management,
food security,
nutrition
vector control
Kerala and Tamil Nadu have demonstrated that high-performing, primary health-care systems do address a majority of community/individual health needs.
Early detection and treatment
Robust delivery of preventive, clinical and diagnostic health-care services will result in early detection of cancers, diabetes and chronic conditions, mostly needing long-term treatment and home care.
Technology and innovation are further reducing costs.
As we integrate prevention, detection and treatment of ill-health, the PMJAY will win hearts if people receive a well-governed ‘Health for All’ scheme.

The plane truth

Rafale deal and 2 broad issues 1) Overvalued 2) Crony capitalism
Former French President François Hollande: GoI suggested Anil Ambani’s firm for offset partner.
Defence Ministry of India: no role of Govt. in offset deal.
No questions have been raised about the capabilities of the jet.
Real victim of this political war: DEFENCE MODERNISATION
The 36-aircraft Rafale order was the first highprofile military deal announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Rafale pact hinged on an ‘offset clause’ insisting that the French company spend 50% of the contract value in setting up manufacturing facilities with Indian partners.
Whom should we believe? GoI or former President of France. This is a question we need to ask ourselves.

Governor’s discretion

Discretionary powers of the Governor
Tamil Nadu Cabinet adopted a resolution recommending that the Governor release the seven convicts under Article 161 of the Constitution.
Article 161 of the Constitution provides the Governor with the power to “remit or commute the sentence of any prisoner”.
Justice Ranjan Gogoi led bench: “authority concerned will be at liberty to decide the said application as deemed fit”.
The Governor’s decision will be subject to judicial review by the constitutional courts.

Pardon: Complete
Commutation: hard to light
Remission: period
Respite: special case
Reprieve: give extra time

Nabam Rebia and Bamang Felix v. Deputy Speaker (2016): the discretionary power of the Governor is extremely limited and entirely amenable to judicial review.
Samsher Singh v. State of Punjab (1974): Governor may do so only “in harmony with his Council of Ministers”.
Alien to our constitution: a situation where the Governor exercises his power under Article 161 against the express recommendation of the Council of Ministers.
Such a decision will result in a tragic evisceration of the Constitution and its founding principles such as the federal structure, Cabinet responsibility and accountable governance.
This may also be interpreted as the Governor having lost faith in the State government with regard to the performance of its executive functions.

Saving Cauvery’s cradle

- UN estimates: 10 billion population by 2050

UN report of 2015 Water for a Sustainable World: the gap between the availability of water and our need for water is only going to increase.
Sustainable management of water is the need of the hour.
Mega projects pose a clear threat to the long-term water security of the three States that depend on the Cauvery (Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu), and exacerbate the threat posed by seasonal droughts and floods.
The Cauvery basin drains an area of about 81,000 sq. km.
Kodagu: originates in Talakaveri
The Cauvery and its tributaries contribute the bulk of water to the Krishna Raja Sagara dam near Mysuru, the primary water source for Bengaluru. Drinkingü Growing cropsü Producing electricityü Industrial productionü 3 proposed railway plans
Forests, riverbeds, wildlife and agricultural lands are under sever pressure because of developmental projects.
The continuing loss of forest cover and illegal sand mining from river beds endanger water and food security for all the downstream communities in the Cauvery basin.
This area is sparsely populated: alternative project is enough.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation stated that the project would not be beneficial to the State.
Western Ghats: one of the most biodiverse regions on earth
Kodagu has about 45% forest cover and about 30% agroforestry systems (coffee plantations and paddy fields).
Between 2013 and 2015, a high-tension power line linking Mysuru and Kozhikode resulted in the loss of about 50,000 trees in Kodagu alone.
tree loss that is 10 times more
India State of Forests 2017: Kodagu lost 102 sq. km. of tree cover in just two years.
Kodagu basin receives heavy rainfall, mainly during the southwest monsoon that feeds the Cauvery.
This year this region has got twice rainfall amount.
Results: landslides and floods
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology: increasingly variable monsoon rainfall
Earth and Space Science News (Eos): Particularly in Asia, developmental activities are main culprits behind fatal landslides.
The variable nature of monsoons makes India one of the most vulnerable regions to water-related disasters associated with climate change and extreme weather events.
BBC report: in next 10 years Bengaluru will run out of drinking water.
Economists should estimate the monetary and human cost of cities like Bengaluru becoming dry, and implement policies focused on achieving and maintaining sustainable water resources.
UN Decade for Water, which emphasises water security for all.
There are no substitutes for water as the very basis for life.

Important News

TDP MLA, leader shot dead by Maoists in Araku Valley
Araku MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and former MLA of the same constituency Siveri Soma, also of the TDP, were shot dead on Sunday morning, allegedly by cadres of the banned CPI (Maoist).
According to sources, both the MLA and the former MLA were travelling in two cars to the village to attend a gram darsini (village meet) organised by the local administration. Around 11 a.m., 15 to 20 Maoists stopped the car, surrounded them, and forced the leaders to get down.
The weapons from the three personal security officers (PSOs) accompanying the leaders, comprising two 9-mm pistols and one 9-mm carbine, were taken away, even before the security persons could react.
According to Mr. Soma’s driver, the group was held at gun point by the Maoists, who were in the age group of 25-30, including a couple of women. The leaders were taken away a few paces ahead, after their hands were tied. A few minutes later, they were shot dead at point blank range.
Maldives strongman faces defeat
Maldives Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was set for a victory in Sunday’s highstakes presidential polls, unseating strongman President Abdulla Yameen in a major upset.
With a near-60% lead around midnight, after almost 70% of the votes were counted, senior lawmaker Solih, backed by a coalition of Opposition parties, emerged winner.
This is a clear victory…and a vote for the country to return to the path of democracy,” former President Mohammed Nasheed
Hollande’s remarks contradictory: FM
Army jawan, friend arrested in Rewari gang-rape case
PM launches Ayushman Bharat
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the mega healthcare scheme Ayushman Bharat, also known as the Pradhan MantriJan Aarogya Yojana (PM-JAY), from Ranchi in Jharkhand on Sunday.
Citizen science initiative helps save hornbills
Data on the bird to be used to learn about its habitat
There are nine hornbill species in India, but experts say that information on its distribution in the country is not very clear.
J&K’s special status challenged
A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the continued existence of Article 370, which gives a temporary autonomous status to the State of Jammu and Kashmir and restricts the power of Parliament to make laws for the State.
The petition especially challenges a particular proviso in Article 370 which mandates that the President should first get the permission of the ‘Constituent Assembly of the State of Jammu and Kashmir’ before declaring the Article null and void.
The PIL plea, filed by Supreme Court advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, contends that the restriction on the President continues to survive despite the fact that the Constituent Assembly of J&K dissolved on January 26, 1957.
The petition contends that the proviso of Article 370(3) has lapsed with the dissolution of the J&K Constituent Assembly.
WhatsApp appoints grievance officer
India looks to buy Israeli missiles
Defence Acquisition Council: Spike anti-tank guided missiles from Israel through the government-togovernment route
The deal is for 170 launchers, 4,500 missiles and 15 simulators.
Spike is a third-generation, fire-and-forget, man-portable missile manufactured by Israel’s Rafael.