The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health Report
- The report gives a comprehensive estimates of disease burden due to malnutrition and its trends in every state of India.
- According to the report, two-thirds of the 1.04 million deaths in children under 5 years in India are due to malnutrition.
- The overall under-five death rate due to malnutrition has decreased substantially from 1990 to 2017.
- However, malnutrition is still the underlying risk factor for 68% of the deaths in under-five children in India.
- The Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY) rate attributable to malnutrition in children varies 7-fold among the states.
- The deaths rate range as high as 72.7% in Bihar and a low of 50.8% in Kerala.
- Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh are states with a high such proportion.
- Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, Mizoram and Goa have the lowest proportions of such deaths.
- Among the malnutrition indicators, ‘low birth weight’ is the largest contributor to child deaths in India.
- It is followed by child growth failure which includes stunting, underweight, and wasting.
- For substantial improvements across malnutrition indicators, states need to implement an integrated nutrition policy.
Hydrogen-powered vehicles over Electric vehicles
- China, Japan and South Korea have set ambitious targets to put millions of hydrogen-powered vehicles on their roads.
- But, Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) have been upstaged by electric vehicles (EVs).
- It becomes a mainstream option due to the success of Tesla Inc’s luxury cars as well as sales and production quotas set by China.
- Critics argue FCVs may never amount to more than a niche technology.
- But proponents counter hydrogen is the cleanest energy source for autos available and with time, it will gain acceptance.
- China, far and away the world’s biggest auto market is aiming for more than 1 million FCVs in service by 2030.
- Japan, a market of more than 5 million vehicles annually, wants to have 800,000 FCVs sold by that time.
- Resource-poor Japan sees hydrogen as a way to greater energy security.
- Driving ranges and refuelling times for FCVs are comparable to gasoline cars, whereas EVs require hours to recharge and provide only a few hundred kilometres of range.
- In general, hydrogen is seen as the more efficient choice for heavier vehicles that drive longer distances.
- However, lack of refuelling stations which are costly to build, is usually cited as the biggest obstacle to widespread adoption of FCVs.
- Consumer worries about the risk of explosions are also a big hurdle.
- Residents in Japan and South Korea have protested against the construction of hydrogen stations.
- This year, a hydrogen tank explosion in South Korea killed 2 people, followed by a blast at a Norway hydrogen station.
- Heavy subsidies are needed to bring prices down to levels of gasoline-powered cars.
- Automakers contend that once sales volumes increase, economies of scale will make subsidies unnecessary.
Legal age for Marriage
- A couple in Punjab, a 19-year-old male and a 24-year-old female, have been provided security cover on the court’s orders.
- They claim they are married and have a certificate from a Gurdwara.
- The case rose to prominence after 3 members of the man’s family were murdered allegedly by the girl’s family.
- ‘Hindu Marriage Act, 1955’ (which also applies to Sikhs) states that a girl must be 18 and a boy 21 at the time of marriage.
- But as per the ‘Majority Act, 1875’, every person domiciled in India attain the age of majority on completing the age of 18.
- Even the Supreme Court has clearly specified that 2 adults, 18 or above, can live together with their consent as ‘live-in partners’, even if they are not married.
- As per the ‘Hindu Marriage Act’, a marriage can either be declared void (completely illegal) or voidable by the court.
- It can be declared ‘voidable’ if an objection is filed saying that consent of boy or girl wasn’t taken.
- In an order dated May 7, 2018, the Supreme Court in one such case where girl was 19 but boy was not 21, said,
- It is sufficient to note that both of them are major.
- Even if they were not competent to enter into wedlock, they have right to live together even outside wedlock.
- The freedom of choice would be of the girl as to with whom she wants to live.
- The live-in relationship is now also recognised under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act.
- A debate has been ongoing on making 18 as uniform age for marriage for both men and women in India.
- ‘Anand Marriage Act’ which was notified in Punjab, only applies for separate registration of Sikh marriages but not in case of disputes.
Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Policy
- The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) approved the ‘Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Policy.
- It plans to develop high-density, mixed-use areas around 5 Metro stations in Delhi in the first phase under this policy.
- The primary goals of the policy are to,
- Promote the use of public transport and discourage dependence on private vehicles and
- To provide walking-distance access to public transport to the maximum possible numbers of people
- DDA also wants to promote mixed housing and markets close to Metro stations.
- The relevance of TOD lies in the fact that despite a 373-km Delhi Metro rail network and other public transport options,
- Delhi has been unable to deliver efficient, comfortable, affordable, and subsidised parking options.
- This has led to commuters relying on automobiles, especially private vehicles, much more than on public transport.
- At the heart of TOD, also lie the principles of healthy, more environment-friendly lifestyles.
Source: PIB, The Indian Express
