News 1: Panchsheel Agreement
GS-2 International Relations
About The News:
- Three months after negotiating an end to the military stand-off at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India and China agreed to concrete measures to resume direct flights, visas, people-to-people exchanges, and the Mansarovar Yatra for pilgrims this summer.
Key points for prelims
Panchsheel Agreement:
- The Panchsheel Agreement is a set of five principles that govern the relationship between India and China.
- It was signed in 1954 by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Premier Zhou Enlai.
Five principles of the Panchsheel Agreement:
- Mutual respect: Each country respects the other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity
- Non-aggression: The two countries agree not to attack each other.
- Non-interference: The two countries agree not to interfere in each other’s internal affairs
- Equality and mutual benefit: The two countries agree to treat each other equally and to work together for mutual benefit
- Peaceful coexistence: The two countries agree to coexist peacefully
Why is the Panchsheel Agreement important?
- It was intended to reduce tensions between the two countries .
- It was intended to improve economic and security cooperation between the two countries .
- It was intended to establish a framework for trade between the two countries .
- It was intended to act as a confidence-building measure between the two countries
- NEWS 2: Gullain-Barre Syndrome
GS-03 Science and Tech
About The News:
- Following a reported outbreak of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder, in Pune, with 73 cases so far, the Union Health Ministry has now sent a team to the city to assess the situation.
Key points for prelims:
Guillain-Barre Syndrome:
- It’s a neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system.
- This is the part of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord.
- It controls muscle movement, pain signals, and temperature and touch sensations.
- GBS is also called acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP).
- It can occur at any age, but it most commonly affects people between 30 and 50.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome Causes:
- The exact cause of the disease remains unclear, but it is often observed following a viral or bacterial infection, vaccination, or major surgery.
- At such times, the immune system becomes hyperactive, leading to this rare condition.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome Symptoms:
- Patients often begin with an unknown fever, followed by weakness and other nervous system-related symptoms.
- It can increase in intensity over a period of hours, days, or weeks until certain muscles cannot be used at all.
- Some cases of GBS are very mild and only marked by brief weakness
- Others cause nearly devastating paralysis, leaving the person unable to breathe on their own.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome Treatment:
- There is no known cure for this syndrome.
- The most commonly used treatment is intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), which is made from donated blood that contains healthy antibodies.
- This helps calm down the immune system’s attack on the nerves.
GS-02 Government Schemes
About the news:
- The Union government has decided to expand the ambit of the PM Fasal Bima Yojana to include crop damage by animals as a ground for payouts, a long-standing demand by farmers, an official said recently
Key points for prelims:
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana:
- Launched on 18th February 2016, PMFBY is a crop insurance scheme by the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation, and Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture.
- PMFBY aims to provide financial protection to farmers against crop loss due to natural disasters (hail, drought, famine), pests, and diseases.
