NEWS:AQLI 2025 reveals all of India breathes unsafe air Delhi residents could gain 8.2 years in life expectancy
GS-3 environment
- The AQLI 2025 report indicates that all of India experiences air quality exceeding WHO safe limits for PM2.5 [5 g/m³].
- Northern plains expose approximately 544.4 million people to harmful air pollution.
- Delhi residents could gain 8.2 years in life expectancy by meeting WHO standards.
- Bangladesh recorded 12 times higher PM2.5 levels than WHO guidelines in 2023.
- China has shown a consistent decrease in pollution over the last decade, despite a 2.8% increase in 2023.
- Global PM2.5 concentration in 2023 was 1.5% higher than in 2022 and almost 5 times over the WHO limit.
It is developed by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC).
The index translates air pollution concentrations (especially particulate matter PM2.5) into their impact on life expectancy.
Key Points about AQLI:
- Purpose: To show how much longer people could live if air pollution levels met international or national standards.
- Focus: Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), the most deadly form of air pollution.
- Calculation: Uses epidemiological studies (especially work by Nobel Laureate Michael Greenstone and others) to estimate life expectancy loss due to air pollution.
- Global Coverage: Provides data at global, national, and regional levels.
- India’s Situation (as per latest reports):
- India is among the countries with the highest life expectancy loss due to PM2.5 pollution.
- On average, Indians lose 5–6 years of life expectancy if current pollution levels persist.
- In the Indo-Gangetic Plain, losses can exceed 8–10 years.
PM2.5 stands for Particulate Matter with a diameter less than 2.5 micrometers (µm).
It is one of the most harmful air pollutants because of its tiny size and ability to penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream.
Characteristics:
- Size: ≤ 2.5 micrometers (about 1/30th the width of a human hair).
- Invisible to the naked eye.
- Composed of: Sulfates, nitrates, black carbon, ammonia, dust, organic compounds, heavy metals.
NEWS:health insurance schemes like PMJAY are insufficient for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) due to structural issues
GS-2 governance
- PMJAY (Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana) and State Health Insurance Programs (SHIPs) aim to provide health coverage up to ₹5 lakh per household annually, focusing on in-patient care.
- In 2023-24, PMJAY covered 58.8 crore individuals with a budget of approximately ₹12,000 crore, while SHIPs had a combined budget of at least ₹16,000 crore.
- A study found PMJAY increased private hospital utilization without significantly impacting overall hospitalization rates.
- The National Health Authority (NHA) reported pending dues under PMJAY alone amounted to ₹12,161 crore.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, also known as Ayushman Bharat – National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM).
It is the world’s largest government-funded health insurance scheme, launched in September 2018.
Key Features:
- Objective: Provide financial protection for poor and vulnerable families against catastrophic health expenses.
- Coverage:
- 10.74 crore families (approx. 50 crore people) – based on SECC (Socio-Economic Caste Census) 2011 data.
- ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalization.
- Beneficiaries: No cap on family size, age, or gender. Priority to women, children, senior citizens.
- Cashless & Paperless: Treatment available at empanelled public and private hospitals.
- Portability: Beneficiaries can avail services anywhere in India.
- Packages: Covers surgeries, day care treatments, cost of medicines, diagnostics, pre- and post-hospitalization.
Institutional Mechanism:
- Implemented by National Health Authority (NHA) under MoHFW.
- States can implement via State Health Agencies (SHA).
NEWS:UK’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism threatens Indian exports India needs unified carbon market for global competitiveness and decarbonization
GS-3 environment
- The India-U.K. FTA, while beneficial, doesn’t address the impact of the U.K.’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (UK-CBAM), set to begin in January 2027.
- UK-CBAM will initially target hard-to-abate sectors like steel and aluminum, potentially increasing costs for Indian exporters by 20-40%.
- India’s current carbon pricing, including the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), is significantly lower than the U.K.’s, leading to potential cost disadvantages.
- A global carbon pricing agreement is essential to prevent fragmented systems that disrupt supply chains and hinder climate goals.
The UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (UK-CBAM) is a carbon tariff slated for implementation on January 1, 2027, designed to impose a carbon price on imported goods from sectors considered vulnerable to carbon leakage—meaning goods that might be produced abroad in jurisdictions with lax or absent carbon pricing.
Emissions & Calculation Methods
- The UK-CBAM covers both direct (Scope 1) and indirect emissions (Scope 2), including electricity, heat, steam, and cooling (broader than the EU CBAM)
- Importers may use either actual emissions data or predefined default values for calculating embodied emissions. These default values are per-product and based on global averages, at least initially.
- The CBAM rate—applied per sector—is linked to the domestic UK carbon price (under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme and Carbon Price Support) and is adjusted quarterly.
Carbon Pricing is an environmental policy tool used to put a monetary cost on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, especially carbon dioxide (CO₂).
The goal is to internalize the environmental cost of emissions, incentivize industries to reduce their carbon footprint, and promote cleaner alternatives.
🔑 Key Mechanisms of Carbon Pricing:
1. Carbon Tax
- A direct tax imposed on the carbon content of fossil fuels or on emissions produced.
- Provides price certainty (per ton of CO₂), but emissions reduction depends on how industries respond.
- Example: Sweden’s carbon tax (introduced in 1991, among the highest globally).
NEWS:ICMR’s CEREBO A portable brain injury diagnostic tool revolutionizing TBI detection in remote areas promising faster cheaper radiation-free results
GS-3 science and technology
- CEREBO, a portable, non-invasive brain injury diagnostic tool, has been developed by ICMR, MDMS, AIIMS Bhopal, NIMHANS Bengaluru, and Bioscan Research.
- CEREBO detects intracranial bleeding and edema within a minute and is safe for infants and pregnant women.
- The device is designed for use in ambulances, trauma centers, rural clinics, and disaster response units.
- Clinical validation, regulatory approvals, and feasibility studies have been completed, paving the way for global adoption.
- TBIs are a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, disability and socio-economic losses in India.
- Road traffic injuries are the leading cause (60%) of TBIs followed by falls (20%-25%) and violence (10%).
CEREBO is an indigenously developed, handheld, non-invasive medical device designed to detect traumatic brain injuries (TBI)—specifically intracranial bleeding and brain edema—rapidly and safely, even in resource-limited settings.
How It Works
- Technology: Utilizes Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) combined with Machine Learning (AI) to analyze haemoglobin profiles through the skull, identifying potential bleeding or swelling.
- Diagnostic Output: Provides colour-coded results within a minute or two—indicating severity for quick triage.
- Safety & Accessibility: Free from radiation, making it safe for pregnant women and infants, and easily operated by paramedical or minimally trained s taff after just 30 minutes of training.
MAINS MOCK QUESTION
Particulate Matter (PM2.5) pollution has emerged as one of the gravest public health challenges in India. Discuss the sources and health impacts of PM2.5 pollution. What measures has India taken to address this problem, and what further steps are needed?
