UPSC Daily Current Affairs| Prelim Bits 05-02-2025

Brucellosis

Why in News?

An 8-year-old girl from Kottakkal in Malappuram district of Kerala died at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, recently after undergoing around two months of treatment for brucellosis.

• It is a bacterial infection caused by the consumption of unpasteurized milk.
• Caused by - Various Brucella species.
• It is also known as undulant fever, Mediterranean fever, Malta fever
• It mainly infects cattle, swine, goats, sheep and dogs.
• Transmission - Humans acquire it through direct contact with infected animals, by eating or drinking contaminated animal products or by inhaling airborne agents.
• Most cases are caused by ingesting unpasteurized milk or cheese from infected goats or sheep. Human-to-human transmission is very rare.
• Symptoms - Fever, weakness, weight loss, and general a feeling of discomfort. In many patients, they can be mild and may not get diagnosed at all.
• Incubation Period - It can vary from one week to two months, but it usually lasts between two and four weeks.
• Vulnerable age group - It affects people of all ages. Transmission primarily affects farmers, butchers, hunters, veterinarians and laboratory personnel.
• Treatment - Treatment options include taking doxycycline 100 mg tablets twice a day for 45 days, and streptomycin 1 g daily for 15 days as per the advice of the doctors.
• Prevention - Vaccination of cattle, goats and sheep is among the prevention options.
• Pasteurisation of milk for direct consumption and for creating derivatives such as cheese is an important step to prevent its transmission from animals to humans.

Reference

The Hindu | What is brucellosis?

Rare Diseases in India

Why in News?

Recently, a 19-year-old child actress, Suhani Bhatnagar, died due to dermatomyositis, a rare disease

Dermatomyositis

• It is an uncommon inflammatory disease marked by muscle weakness and a distinctive skin rash.
• The condition can affect adults and children, affects more females than males.
• There's no cure for dermatomyositis.

Rare disease

• A disease is considered rare if it affects fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. and fewer than 1 in 10,000 people in the European Union.
• Definition – According to WHO, Rare disease is a lifelong disease with a prevalence of 10 or fewer per 10,000 population.
• According to Organization of Rare Diseases India (ORDI) defined rare disease as a disease when it affects 1 in 5,000 people.

Rare Disease Day was observed on the last day of February i.e., 28^th February (or 29 in leap years).

• Spread – It affect approximately 3.5% to 5.9% of the population.
• Causes – 72% of rare diseases are genetic, with over 7000 characterized by diverse disorders and symptoms.

Status in India

• India lacks a standard definition for rare diseases.
• Estimate suggests that about 8 crore-10 crore Indians suffer from one rare disease or another, over 75% are children.
• India accounts for one-third of the global rare disease incidence, with over 450 identified diseases.
• These range from widely known ones such as Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Gaucher’s disease to lesser-known ones such as Mucopolysaccharidosis type 1 and Whipple’s disease.
• Centres of Excellence – They are institutions identified by the central government under the National Policy for Rare Diseases (NPRD), 2021.
• Aim – To treat patients suffering from rare diseases actively.
• Currently, 63 rare diseases are included under NPRD on recommendation of Central Technical Committee for Rare Diseases (CTCRD).

Reference

The Hindu | Rare diseases

Anti-conversion Bill, Rajasthan

Why in News?

The Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2025 was introduced in the ongoing Budget Session of the state Assembly recently.

• Provisions of the bill - Religious conversion by misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage has been made an offence in the Bill.
• The offence under the anti-conversion bill will be cognisable and non-bailable and triable by a court.
• Individuals who desire to convert their religion are required to give a declaration in the prescribed form at least 60 days in advance to the District Magistrate.
• The burden of proof that a religious conversion was not done through unlawful means rests on the person who has "caused" the conversion.
• The court may grant appropriate compensation to victims of unlawful conversion, which may extend to a maximum of ₹5 lakh.
• Repeat offenders may face double the punishment provided under the law for each subsequent offense.
• Marriages done for the sole purpose of conversion will be deemed invalid by family courts.
• Punishment and penalties - The Bill provisions imprisonment for a term not less than one year.
  • It may extend to 5 years with a fine of Rs 15,000.
• Those who violate the rules in respect of a minor, a woman or a person belonging to the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of 2 years.
  • It may extend to 10 years along with a fine of Rs 25,000.
• In case of mass conversion, the bill provisions 3 years of jail extending up to 10 years and a fine of Rs 50,000.
• Marriages done for the sole purpose of conversion will be deemed invalid by family courts.
• Once passed, Rajasthan will become the 12^th state to have an anti-conversion law.
• Other states having anti-conversion law
  • Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Reference

The Indian Express | Anti-conversion bill

Golden-Headed Cisticola

Why in News?

According to bird watchers, the recent discovery of a golden-headed cisticola in the southern Western Ghats marks the 1^st sighting after an extensive gap.

• It is a tiny bird, shines brightly with its golden crown and captivating song.
• Scientific Name – Cisticola exilis.
• Discovered in – Mathikettan Shola National Park, Idukki, Kerala.
• It is known as Bright-Capped Cisticola.
• Habitat – Grasslands, sub-coastal areas, wetlands, savannas, woodlands, scrublands, swamp margins, rivers, and irrigated farmlands.
• Distribution – Western Australia, north-east to Darwin, Cape York and India and southern China.

Golden-Headed Cisticola has been observed in parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, northern Kerala and 1^st time found in the southern part of the Palakkad gap in the Western Ghats.

• Morphology – Small, sandy-colored bird with short tail, cream-colored underside and brown upper side.
• Streaks of black or dark brown on the upper part of their body, black wings, golden head, throat is white and back of their neck is dull shade of gold.

• Sexual dimorphism
  • Male – Has distinct golden-orange plumage on their head, neck, and chest during breeding.
  • It also has pinkish beaks and black streaks on their backs.
• Call – It produces a variety of sounds distinct from other birds range from a teewip to wheezz, whit-whit.
• Diet – It is omnivorous, feed on invertebrates such as insects, small slugs, and eat grass seeds.
• Threats – Urbanization
  • Land development
  • Changes in agricultural practices
  • Wetland degradation.
• Conservation Status
• IUCN – Least Concern.
• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 – Schedule II.

References

1. The Hindu| Golden-headed Cisticola
2. Thai National Parks| Bright-capped cisticola
3. Simply Birding| Golden-headed Cisticola’s Threats

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