What is National Automotive Board (NAB)?

It is a body to facilitate interaction between Government and automobile industry. NAB will act as a thinktank for the Government, especially for the growth of hybrid and electric vehicles in the country. NAB will promote research and Development in auto sector. NAB also help in National Mission for Electric Mobility (NMEM) and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). [Details given in the same article] Who will be the members of NAB?

Board will have members from the 1. Planning Commission 2. Department of a. Heavy Industry, b. Road Transport and Highways, c. Science and Technology, d. Environment and Forests. 3. Scientists and industry representatives. Where is the money for NAB?

Recall the earlier article on Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), that body will be financed via charging 5 rupees per airplane ticket. Similarly this NAB will be financed by putting Cess (Tax on tax) on the Automobile industry. What is National Mission for Electric Mobility (NMEM)?

It provides the roadmap for achieving significant penetration of electric vehicles (including hybrid vehicles) in Indian market by 2020. Department of Heavy Industry (DHI), will be responsible for implementing NMEM What is a Hybrid vehicle?

A hybrid vehicle is uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. Most commonly petrol and electricity. Here is an example car: Honda Civic (hybrid)

Hybrid cars are more expensive than conventional cars. But if you can design a car that can use solar, hydrogen, petrol, diesel, kerosene and electricity (6 in one) that can also be called a Hybrid car. What are the advantages of Electric / Hybrid vehicles?

1. Reduces crude oil consumption and thus decreases current account deficit= rupee strengthened. 2. It is environmentally sustainable (IF the electricity for such vehicles, is provided via solar/wind power.) 3. This will decrease CO2 emission by upto 1.5% in 2020= improve quality of life. 4. Job creation, if new factories are setup. What is Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS)?

Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) is essentially the application of computer and communications technologies coming to help traffic and transport problems. For example gathering of data through CCTV/Satellite then providing timely feedback to traffic police and road-users. Some examples are o Wireless Traffic Control System o Intelligent Transit Trip Planner and Realtime Route Information to public via SMS / web portals. o Automatic Red Light Violation Detection System using CCTV. These projects are being financed by Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. What are the Benefits of ITS?

improved safety to drivers,

better traffic efficiency, reduced traffic congestion, improved energy efficiency Enhanced economic productivity. Mock Questions MCQs for CSAT /RBI Grade B

1. Government has setup the National Automotive Board to grant FDI clearance in Automobile sector. 2. National mission for Electric Mobility aims at integrating the thermal power stations of North and South India into single national electricity grid. Mock Questions for GS Mains Paper I 1. Examine the Role and responsibility of Automobile sector in combating the climate change. (15 marks) 2. Write short notes on following (50 words, 5 marks) 1. Reasons for setting up National Automotive Board setup. 2. What do you understand by Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS)? 3. What is the primary Objective of National Mission for Electric Mobility (NMEM)?

What are the functions of DGCA ?

DGCA=Directorate General of Civil Aviation It is a regulatory body under Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The main functions of DGCA, following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. registration of aircraft Licensing pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, flight engineers. Supervision of Institutes, clubs and schools engaged in in flying training. Conducting air crash investigations Formulating guidelines for airplane safety. It serves as nodal agency for coordination with ICAO (International civil aviation organisation, a United Nations agency). What is Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Bill?

Government plans to introduce this bill in the winter session of Parliament. This bill aims to replace the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) -an autonomous body with more powers. Structure of CAA

Chairman + board members. Chairman (of CAA) will have a fixed term of five years Chairman will be a person with requisite aviation experience can head the authority. An Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer with requisite aviation experience will also be eligible for the post. Autonomy: Finance

This new regulator will need annual earnings of around Rs 140 crore, for making itself financially independent. A major part of the earnings will come from fee charged for giving out licences. A substantial amont of money will also come from charging from passengers.(Government plans to introduce a surcharge of Rs 5 per flight ticket to fund the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)). Autonomy: Personnel

CAA will also have the autonomy to hire its employees and decide the salaries of its employees. At present, appointments at the DGCA are approved by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which is a time-consuming process.

What is Japanese Encephalitis (JE)?

The suffix -itis means inflammation. Encephalitis means inflammation of the brain Meningitis inflammation of the meninges (the tissues that surround the brain or spinal cord) What are the symptoms?

headache and stiff neck Convulsions Weakness of the arms, legs Pain behind the eyes Raised body temperature between 38 and 41 degrees Celsius. If untreated, it can result in to Coma, paralysis Mental retardation or death. fatality rate can be as high as 60% Geographical Spread

Flavivirus reproduces in pigs but doesnt infect them. So, Pigs are amplifying hosts. (also water birds) Mosquitoes belonging to the Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Culex vishnui groups they usually breed in flooded rice fields.

These Culex mosquitoes are normally zoophilic, i.e. they prefer to take blood meals from animals rather than from humans. These Mosquitoes usually prefer to drink the blood of such pigs. But when the population of such mosquitoes increases exponentially (during rainy season, around August), human biting rate increases. And thus Flavivirus gets transferred from pigs to humans and damages our brain= inflation of brain = Japanese Encephilitis. Man is the dead end host, i.e. JE is not transmitted from one infected person to other.

In short, Japanese Encephalitis requires four things 1. 2. 3. 4. Pigs with flavivirus (Amplifying host). Rice fields (Mosquito breeding ground) Culex mosquitos (carrier) Human (The innocent victim)

Image from www.medindia.net Therefore, JE is found throughout south east Asia, because Rice cultivation and pig rearing is common. But because of the critical role of pigs, its presence in Muslim countries is negligible. Solution for Japanese Encephalitis (JE)? 1. Vaccination 2. Chemical vector control (e.g. spraying chemicals to kill mosquitos)= not good solution, because the breeding sites (irrigated rice fields) are huge. 3. Keep larvae eating fish, such as guppies, in ponds. 4. Personal protection (using repellents and/or mosquito nets) = good idea. 5. There is no transmission from person to person and therefore patients do not need to be isolated.

6. If there is large scale outbreak of JE, Government would need to eliminate pig population = problem of livelihood. 7. Rice growing farmers should never be encouraged to do pig rearing as a secondary source of income. 8. Firstly, there is no curative treatment for J.E. (i.e. No magic pill, injection etc. that will cure it). J.E. is treated symptomatically by reducing the fever, analgesics for headache, sedatives for seizures and specialized intravenous therapy to reduce cerebral swelling. Apart from Japanese, there is another type of Encephalitis, known as Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) What is Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES)?

This is also inflammation of brain. But it is caused by entero virus. The virus comes in the air or water through open defecation and circulates mainly through shallow hand pumps in the area. Why is Japanese Encephalitis in News?

In India alone, the of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), which have claimed nearly 1,000 lives so far in 2012. In Oct 2012, Government of India launched a Rs.4000 crore plan to tackle JE problem. Main Target States : Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Assam This plan will jointly implemented by following Ministries of 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Health and Family Welfare, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Social Justice and Empowerment, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Women and Child Development.

Plan has following components: 1. Vaccination of Children (1.5 to 15 years age group) 2. provide safe drinking water to the affected persons by replacing shallow tubewells with deep tubewells (To prevent Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES)) 3. Provide proper sanitation facilities. (Perhaps allotting more money under Total Sanitation Campaign) 4. Provide alternative means of livelihood for pig-rearing farmers. 5. Set up special schools for mentally challenged children. JEEV (2 marker)

JEEV is the brandname of Indias first indigenously developed vaccine for Japanese Encephalitis (JE). There is no other vaccine available to private doctors in India currently. But the company

has yet to obtain approval of WHO to export this vaccine to other countries. (important because this happened in Sept.2012) National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (5 marker)

It is a comprehensive programme for prevention and control of vector borne diseases namely Malaria, Filaria, Kala-azar, Japanese Encephalitis (JE), Dengue and Chikungunya. It is covered under the overall umbrella of National Rural Health Mission. Mock Questions

Please note: you can find truckload of potential MCQs Statements and 2 markers from India Yearbooks chapter on Health and Family Welfare. Multi Choice Question (MCQ) Which of the following statements are correct? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Swine is the amplifying host of the virus responsible for Japanese Encephalitis. Aedes aegypti mosquito is the main carrier of Japanese Encephalitis. Poultry culling is essential during the outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis. Japanese Encephalitis is widely prevalent in Arid and Desert areas of Africa. Japanese Encephalitis can spread by talking or touching a patient. The vectors of Japanese Encephalitis breed in large water bodies such as paddy fields. Mains 1. To what extend the geography and climate of India are responsible for the menace of Malaria, Dengue, Chikungunya and Jap.Encephalities. Suggest long term mitigation efforts required to uproot these diseases. (25 marks). 2. Suggest measures for prevention and control of Japanese Encephalitis in India (12 marks) 3. The JEEV vaccine has been making the headlines in the recent months. Who make the ideal candidates for receiving this vaccine and what are its benefits? (2 marks) Interview 1. As a district collector what steps would you take in case of an outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis / Dengue / SARS?