10th Sep. Prelims Sure Shot for UPSC/IAS Exam

Dengue

• Dengue is a vector-borne disease transmitted by the bite of an infected female Aedes Aegypti mosquito. The mosquito becomes infected when it feeds on the blood of a person infected with the virus. After about one week, the mosquito can then transmit the virus while biting a healthy person.
• There are 4 serotypes of the virus that causes dengue. These are known as DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, DEN-4. Infection with one strain will provide life-time protection only against that particular strain. However, it is still possible to become infected by other strains.
• Dengue cannot be spread directly from person to person. However, a person infected and suffering from dengue fever can infect other mosquitoes.
• Most cases occur in tropical areas of the world, including the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Southern China, Taiwan, the Pacific Islands, the Caribbean, Mexico, Africa, Central and South America.
• Dengue causes flu-like symptoms and lasts for 2-7 days. Dengue fever usually occurs after an incubation period of 4-10 days after the bite of the infected mosquito.  High Fever (40°C/ 104°F) is usually accompanied by at least two of the following symptoms: headaches, pain behind eyes, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands, joint, bone or muscle pains and rash.
• There is no vaccine or specific medication for dengue fever.

Nirbhaya Fund

• The Rs 1,000 crore Nirbhaya Fund was announced in Union Budget 2013 by the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram.
• The corpus was to be utilised for upholding safety and dignity of women.
• It is a non-lapsable corpus fund.
• It is being monitored by Empowered Committee of Officers under Secretary of Women and Child Development Ministry.
• Ministry of Women and Child Development apart from several other concerned ministries were authorised to work out details of structure, scope and application of this fund.
• The Fund is administered by Department of Economic Affairs of the finance ministry.

Vizag Youth selected for Gold Program of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences

• Sree Hari Varma Sagi of Visakhapatnam became the only Indian to be selected for the prestigious Gold program of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
• Film students, graduates and those aspiring to join the film industry, from all over the world, apply for the Gold program. The programme was launched in 2017.

Iodine

• Iodine is a vital micro-nutrient for optimal mental and physical development of human beings.
• Deficiency of iodine can result in a range of disabilities and disorders such as goitre, hypothyroidism, cretinism, abortion, still births, mental retardation and psychomotor defects.
• Children born in iodine deficient areas may have up to 13.5 IQ points less than those born in iodine sufficient areas.

What is meant by Dumping good ?

• Dumping is when a country’s businesses lower the sales price of their exports to gain unfair market share. They drop the product’s price below what it would sell for at home. They may even push the price below the actual cost to produce. They raise the price once they’ve destroyed the other nation’s competition