DAILY
CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS
28.02.2025
News 1: Accredited Social Health Activist
GS-2 Governance
About The News:
- ASHA workers have been on an indefinite stir in front of the Kerala government secretariat over the last several days demanding an increase of their monthly remuneration to Rs 21,000, retirement benefit of Rs 5 lakh and other basic benefits.
Key points for prelims
ASHA Workers:
- ASHA is a trained female community health activist.
- Conceived and funded by the Indian National Rural Health Mission (NHRM).
- Aims to promote public health awareness in rural areas. Acts as a bridge between the community and the public health system.
- Objectives of the ASHA Program Promote public health awareness among rural populations.
- Increase utilization and accountability of existing health services.
- Enhance access to healthcare, medicine, and sanitation.
- Encourage health-conscious behavior and female hygiene standards.
- ASHA Selection and Training Selected from and accountable to the local community.
- Minimum one ASHA per 1000 people in rural and urban areas.
- Basic public health training and equipped with a standard drug kit.
- Selection involves community groups, Anganwadi, Gram Sabha, and health officials. ASHA Selection Criteria In rural areas: Woman resident of the village, married/widowed/divorced, age 25-45, literate (preferably Class 8 to 10).
- In urban areas: Woman resident of ‘slum/vulnerable clusters’, belonging to identified vulnerable groups.
- States have flexibility to relax norms based on local conditions.
- Compensation for ASHA Workers Primarily an ‘honorary volunteer’ but compensated in specific situations.
- Average monthly income: Rs 2,000 to Rs 7,000 (varies by state).
- Eligible for incentives under national health programs.
- Additional income from social marketing of healthcare products. Performance-based payments to avoid impacting main livelihood.
- GS-3 Environment
- About The News:
- The European Union recently acknowledged India’s “specific concerns” about implementing the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
- Key points for prelims:
- Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism:
- A European Union (EU) tariff on carbon-intensive products.
- Aims to prevent carbon leakage by discouraging production shifts to non-EU countries with lower carbon costs.
- Encourages cleaner industrial production in non-EU countries.
- Purpose of CBAM Ensures a fair carbon price on imported goods entering the EU.
- Aligns the carbon price of imports with domestic production.
- Prevents undermining of the EU’s climate objectives.
- Compatible with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.
- Carbon Certificates under CBAM EU importers must buy carbon certificates corresponding to EU carbon prices.
- Certificate prices based on EU carbon credit market auction prices.
- Number of certificates depends on imported goods’ quantity and embedded emissions.
- If a carbon price is already paid in the origin country, deductions apply.
- Implementation Timeline of CBAM Products Covered under CBAM Initially covers products in carbon-intensive sectors at risk of ‘carbon leakage’:
- Iron and Steel
- Cement
- Fertilizers
- Aluminium
- Electricity
- Hydrogen
- GS-1 Geography
- About the news:
- Mount Fentale volcano in Ethiopia is spewing unusually large volumes of methane from its crater, according to satellite measurements of the potent greenhouse gas.
- Key points for prelims:
- Mount Fentale:
- Stratovolcano located in Awash National Park, Oromia Region, Ethiopia.
- Rises approximately 600 m from the floor of the Rift Valley.
- Covers an oval area of approximately 100 sq km.
- What is a Stratovolcano? A tall, steep, and cone-shaped type of volcano.
- Unlike flat shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes have higher peaks.
- Usually feature a small crater at the peak.
- Built by layering lava, ash, and tephra over time.
- Characteristics of Stratovolcanoes Alternating layers of pyroclastics and lava.
- Ash falls and lava flows solidify, creating a narrower cone.
- Make up approximately 60% of the Earth’s individual volcanoes.
- Known as composite volcanoes due to their layered structure.
- Mains Questions:
- Critically analyze the role of ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers in strengthening public health systems in rural India. What are the key challenges they face, and how can the government address their demands for better remuneration and welfare benefits?
