Society 

Compassion in primary healthcare: here’s what it looks like in India - The Hindu

In January, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a report calling for compassion in primary healthcare systems. “Compassion — characterised by awareness, empathy, and action — is identified as a transformative force for PHC, driving quality care and health system transformation,” the report read.

Compassionate care

• Definition: Responsiveness, community adaptation, and quality assurance through training, audits, and support.
• India’s primary healthcare includes:
  • 1.6 lakh Sub-Centres (3,000–5,000 people each)
  • 26,636 PHCs (20,000–30,000 people each)
  • 6,155 CHCs (80,000–1.2 lakh people each)

Clinical Courage in Rural Rajasthan

• Amrit Clinics in Udaipur: Run by Basic Health Services (BHS), they serve 90,000+ tribal people.
• Challenges: PHC doctors managing 40+ national programmes and lacking resources.
• Factors: Community trust, dignity, and home visits enhance compassionate delivery.

Support for Violence Survivors – Gujarat Model

• Upward referral chain: Connects ASHAs to counsellors at sub-centres (Health & Wellness Centres under Ayushman Bharat).
• 400+ ASHAs trained since 2012: promotes gender-sensitive, trauma-informed care in primary health.

Tamil Nadu – Model for Disaster Preparedness

• Specific feature: Unlike most States, Tamil Nadu provides annual epidemic training to public health staff.
• Effective disaster response: Body disposal, sanitation, fly control, food safety.

World Affairs 

T.N. Assembly unanimously adopts resolution on retrieval of Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka - The Hindu 

Ahead of Prime Minister’s visit to Sri Lanka, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly recently unanimously adopted a resolution, urging the Union government to take steps to retrieve the Katchatheevu island, located in Palk Bay, from Sri Lanka.

Katchatheevu Island 

• About: 285-acre uninhabited island in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka
• Location: 33 km from Rameswaram (India), 62 km from Jaffna (Sri Lanka)
• Strategic Importance: 
  • Serves as maritime boundary marker
  • Rich in fisheries; vital for Tamil Nadu’s fishermen
  • Houses St. Anthony’s Church, significant to fishermen of both nations
• Origin: Originated from a 14th-century volcanic eruption
• Historical Ownership: Controlled by Jaffna Kingdom (Sri Lanka) → Later by Ramnad Zamindari (India) under Nayak rulers
• Issues: Disputed by British India and Sri Lanka until 1974 agreement, which ceded it to Sri Lanka
   

U.S. national arrested for entering restricted island in Andamans - The Hindu 

A U.S. national was arrested in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for allegedly entering the prohibited tribal reserve area of North Sentinel Island.

North Sentinel Island 

• Location: Part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Indian Union Territory)
• Geography: Situated west of the central Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal
• Area: ~60 sq. km; Dimensions: ~8 km long, ~7 km wide
• Features: Covered in dense tropical rainforest and surrounded by a shallow reef

• Inhabitants: Sentinelese Tribe, one of the world’s last uncontacted tribes
• Origin: Believed to be direct descendants of early human migrants from Africa (~60,000 years ago); live in voluntary isolation.
• Legal Protection: Protected under Andaman and Nicobar Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Act, 1956
• Restrictions: Illegal to approach within 5 nautical miles of the island
• Population Estimates: • As per 2011 census efforts and anthropological estimates: ~15 to 500 individuals
   

Economy 

Why are undersea cables important? - The Hindu

India is getting new cable landing systems coming online gradually. The latest addition is Airtel’s 2Africa Pearls system, which has investments from Facebook parent Meta, adding 100 terabits per second of capacity to India’s international bandwidth. Earlier this year, the SEA-ME-WE-6 cable was also landed in Chennai and Mumbai.

Undersea Cables:

• Role: Connect global internet networks, telecom operators, and ISPs across countries.
• Components: Comprise fiber optic strands within heavily padded cables to withstand deep-sea conditions.
• Numbers: Around 600 cables globally; carry 90% of data, 80% of world trade, and $10 trillion in financial transactions.
• Data flow: Each cable supports hundreds of Gbps, enabling massive data flow.

India’s Undersea Cable Infrastructure

• Two major hubs: Mumbai and Chennai.
• Cable systems in India: 17 cable systems currently land in India.
• Domestic projects:
  • CANI (Chennai-Andaman)
  • Kochi-Lakshadweep
• Concerns: About future sufficiency due to rising data demand.

Risks to India's Subsea Connectivity

• Low Indian share: India has a low global share in cable systems (1–3%).
• Comparative analysis: More cables land in Singapore than in all of India.
• Cable cuts: Vulnerable to cable cuts (e.g., Red Sea disruption could affect 25% of India’s internet).
• Historic trade routes: Influence current subsea corridors, increasing vulnerability.

Challenges 

• Excessive permissions: 51+ clearances from multiple departments hinder new cable landings.
• Deployment delays: Most deployment delays occur within territorial waters near landing sites.
• Operational challenges: Posed by fishing trawlers and lack of domestic repair ships.

Solutions

• Simplified regulatory process
• Domestic cable repair ships 
• Investment in storage depots and infrastructure security.

How did the US calculate reciprocal tariffs? Not how Trump said it would/ How tariffs will hit, whom - Indian Express 

US President recently celebrated America’s “Liberation Day” on April 2 by announcing “reciprocal tariffs” against all major trading partners.

Trump’s New Tariffs: Overview

• Base Tariff: 10% on all countries (effective April 5), up from earlier 2.5%.
• Country-Specific Tariffs: Additional reciprocal tariffs based on halved estimates of what each country levies on US goods (effective April 9).

Tariff Impact on Countries

• Cambodia (1% of US trade deficit): 44% tariff
• Bangladesh (0.5%): 37%
• China (25% of deficit): 34%
• EU (20% of deficit): 20%
• Countries with US trade surplus (e.g. UK, Brazil, Singapore) also penalized.

Cited Reasons

• High WTO-bound agricultural tariffs (avg. 113.1%, up to 300%)
• Sudden tariff hikes in recent budgets (2019–2022)
• Ad hoc tariff changes without consultation
• Restrictions on FDI in retail and telecom
• Dominance of state-owned banks and insurance firms
• Agricultural subsidies (fertilizers, credit waivers)
• Frequent internet shutdowns, affecting digital trade
• Weak IP enforcement and transparency
• Absence of uniform government procurement policy

Broader Implications

• Historical Parallel: Compared to the Smoot-Hawley Act (1930s), which worsened the Great Depression.
• Current Message:
  • Tariffs may increase if targeted countries retaliate.
  • Non-retaliation may signal US openness to negotiate and reduce tariffs.
  • India may need to reform protectionist policies to gain reprieve.

Economic Consequences of Tariffs

• Slower US Growth:
  • Global trade disruption may lower corporate profits and GDP growth.
• Higher US Inflation:
   
  • Tariffs raise import prices unless offset by currency appreciation.
  • If the rupee weakens (e.g. ₹108/$), US import prices stabilize; otherwise, prices rise 26% for Indian goods.
• Risk of Stagflation in the US:
  • Combination of economic stagnation and rising prices.
• Global Repercussions:
  • Worldwide slowdown and inflation.
  • Dependence on the US (13% of global trade) may decline if Europe (38%) and Asia (35%) deepen ties.

India’s Options

• Protect domestic policy autonomy
• Use tariff pressure as leverage for reforms aligned with global expectations

Environment 

New damselfly species discovered in Wayanad - The Hindu 

A group of researchers have discovered a new species of damselfly in the Wayanad landscape of the Western Ghats, Kerala.

Euphaea wayanadensis 

• Classification: Belongs to the family Euphaeidae (damselfly group)
• Discovery: First observed in 2013 at Kalindi River, Thirunelli (Wayanad, Kerala)
• Further sightings: Wayanad (2013–2019), Aralam (Kannur), and western Coorg (Karnataka)
• Identification: Initially misidentified as Euphaea pseudodispar (from Maharashtra). Confirmed as a new species through genetic analysis.
• Hind Wing: Longer black patch than similar species
  Colouration: Males have broader, uninterrupted humeral and antehumeral stripes.
• Genital Structure: Unique male genital vesicle, distinguishing it from related species
• Habitat: Found near fast-flowing streams with rocky beds and aquatic vegetation
• Ecology: Inhabits evergreen and semi-evergreen forest zones
• Threats: Highly restricted distribution; vulnerable to habitat loss and climate change