Assam APSC CCE 2024 Registration Begins; Know How To Apply Here

 The Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) has released a notification for the Combined Competitive Exam (CCE 2024), aiming to fill 235 vacancies in Assam civil services, Assam police services, and other APSC departments. The online registration process commenced today on the official website apsc.nic.in, with the deadline set for February 6.

Scheduled tentatively for March 17, the APSC CCE preliminary exam will be followed by the Main examination between June and July. Specific exam dates will be communicated in due course, as mentioned in the official notification.

Applicants in the general category are required to pay a Rs 250 application fee, while SC, ST, and ex-servicemen of these categories must submit Rs 150. However, candidates falling under Below Poverty Line (BPL), Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD), and women categories are exempt from this fee payment.

How to apply for APSC CCE 2024?

1. Go to the official website apsc.nic.in.

2. Click on 'Application Forms (Apply)' on the homepage.

3. Complete the form with necessary details.

4. Upload all required documents and pay the applicable fees.

5. Submit the application and keep a hardcopy saved for future references.

How to tackle malnutrition effectively

 

Government programmes to fortify staples should be supplemented with initiatives on balanced diets

As a haematologist, I regularly examine patients with anaemia. One of the many causes of anaemia or low haemoglobin is iron deficiency. It primarily impacts children and women. It’s common knowledge that good nutrition is critical for overall health, but what’s not as well-known is the two-way relationship between nutritional deficiencies and certain disorders. Consistent intake of food lacking in essential micronutrients can lead to iron deficiency anaemia and Vitamin A, and zinc deficiency, and impair immunity. Conversely, conditions such as celiac disease and infections like h. pylori or worm infestations can disturb the digestive system, leading to nutrient deficiencies. Malnutrition caused by micronutrient deficiency has inter-generational impacts — anaemic mothers are known to give birth to anaemic babies.

Government programmes like Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) are among the biggest targeted measures to tackle the disorder. It involves administering iron and folic acid (IFA) tablets and other prophylactic measures. The Mid-day Meal Scheme for school children is another such intervention. However, challenges of effective implementation persist.

The burden of malnutrition is complex and needs to be addressed through multiple interventions. Diet plays a significant role. In pre-industrial times, a diverse and balanced diet was the norm. The traditional thaali comprises a balanced quantity of cereals, pulses, and vegetables seasoned with spices and herbs. Consuming fruits, seeds, nuts and dairy options has historically been regarded as an effective means of maintaining a balanced diet. Today, dietary patterns have shifted from seasonal and varied foods to processed and sugar-laden alternatives, which are calorically dense but nutritionally deficient. The onus seems to be on people to recognise that reducing consumption of processed foods is a crucial step towards ensuring better health outcomes.

The bigger challenge is that about 46 per cent of South Asia’s population lacks access to an affordable balanced diet, as per FAO data. According to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, 2023, around 74 per cent of India’s population could not afford a healthy diet, and 39 per cent fell short of a nutrient-adequate one. Recent government interventions such as Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) are timely. These could augment the ongoing efforts at individual and community levels. LSFF, when aligned with micronutrient supplementation programmes, diet diversity promotion and measures to induce behavioural change has immense potential to improve the efficacy of existing initiatives. Food fortification may not be the ideal remedy. However, it is a vital first step. Many countries adopted universal food fortification several years ago. India lags behind here.

At the same, fortification in India is not a completely novel strategy. The adoption of iodised salt under the National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme in 1992 significantly reduced goitre rates. The country’s food fortification programme now includes adding micronutrients to staples such as wheat flour, rice, edible oils, and salt.

Awareness is critical to the acceptance of fortified foods among the targeted beneficiaries. The appearance and texture of such foods — fortified rice kernels, for instance — often create misgiving. Addressing such concerns requires an intensive information, education and communication (IEC) campaign. An important step in this direction is to inform the beneficiaries about the stringent standards of fortification. Research also shows no danger of iron toxicity from such food — the quantity of iron in fortified foods is similar to that of the naturally occurring nutrient. In any case, the body’s homeostasis in people with normal health prevents excess iron absorption.

Multiple awareness strategies can be adopted to foster greater awareness. This includes utilising communication channels such as community radio, videos and door-to-door outreach. Messages in vernacular languages ensure that the information is easily understood and also helps dispel misconceptions and build trust. The way forward involves not just adoption of healthier dietary practices at the individual and community levels but also strategies by the state such as LSFF.

Written Tulika Seth

Source: Indian Express, 29/01/24

Quote of the Day January 19, 2024

 

“Hope is the power of being cheerful in circumstances which we know to be desperate.”
G. K. Chesterton

“आशा वह शक्ति है जो उन परिस्थितियों में भी हमें प्रसन्न बनाए रखती है जिनके बारे में हम जानते हैं कि वे खराब हैं।”
जी.के.चेस्टर्टन

Economic & Political Weekly: Table of Contents

 

Vol. 59, Issue No. 2, 13 Jan, 2024

Engage Articles

Reimagining History: The Politics of Representation in Nangeli's Tale

V. K. Karthika

Tackling the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Public Action in Kerala’s Exemplarity

V. Bijukumar

Editorials

Environmental Impact Assessments

On the Truckers’ Protests

From 25 Years Ago

​ From 25 Years Ago: ‘Terror Bombing’, Starvation and Mechanical Force: US Prescription for Good Governance ​

From 50 Years Ago

​ From 50 Years Ago- The Press: Prime Minister’s Day ​

H T Parekh Finance Column

Lessons from a Zambian Stand-off

C P Chandrasekhar

Commentary

Effect of FDI Inflows on the Export Performance of India

Richa Patel, Dipti Ranjan Mohapatra

New Trends in Regional Politics - Reflections on Assembly Elections in Telangana

Imtiaz Quadri

Beyond Anti-incumbency Winds of Change in Mizoram

Roluahpuia, Joseph K Lalfakzuala

Book Reviews

Electoral Politics and the State of India’s Democracy

Ashutosh Kumar

Dalit Representation in Hindi Cinema - Enclosure or Disclosure?

Manju Edachira

Perspectives

COVID-19 Scarring and Sustainable Recovery Challenges - A Production Function Approach

Saurabh Ghosh, Pawan Gopalakrishnan, Debojyoti Mazumder

Special Articles

Deep Renewables Penetration and Tariff Shocks

Anup Datta, Durgadas Goswami, Sanjay Mitra, Kaustav Rajpandit

Making of a Frontier Identity - Revisiting Prantobashir Jhuli: Goalparar Lokjeeban O Gaan

Gautam Chandra Roy, Juthika Das

Short- and Long-run Dynamics of Total Fertility Rate in West Bengal - An ARDL Bounds Co-integration Approach

Jeet Saha, Zafar Iqubal

Current Statistics

Current Statistics

Postscript

Waiting Voices of Dal Lake

Muhammad Ajaz Ur Rehman

Drawing Change through Ecocomics

Sathyaraj Venkatesan, S Yuvan

​​​​​​​Postmodern Scepticism and Subjectivity in Asteroid City

Saumya Dwivedi

Last Lines

Letters

Regulations in Commodity Derivative Contracts

Dushyant Mahadik, Yashmin Khatun

Afloat but Adrift

Pranav Krishna, Pranav Choudhury

Assam Baibhav Award for Ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi

 The Assam government has announced that it will confer the Assam Baibhav award, the state’s highest civilian honor, to Member of Parliament and former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi. He has been credited for playing a part in the establishment of the Ram temple in Ayodhya through the apex court judgment delivered under his leadership as CJI.

Achievements of Ranjan Gogoi

Ranjan Gogoi held the office of the 46th Chief Justice of India. During his tenure as CJI, the Supreme Court delivered its ruling on the long-pending Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute in 2019. This marked the conclusion of the decade-old controversial case.

Subsequently, Gogoi was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in March 2020 by the then President Ram Nath Kovind. He continues to serve in the Upper House of Parliament.

As the first Chief Justice of India hailing from the Northeast, Gogoi pioneered the path for greater regional representation at the highest echelons of the judiciary. Through expeditious adjudication of pending cases, he bolstered access and efficiency of the justice system during his CJI stint.

4 Winners for Assam Saurav

Four personalities have also been named joint winners of the Assam Saurav Award, the state’s second highest civilian honor. These include archaeologist Kishan Chand Nauriyal, swimmer Elvis Ali Hazarika, sprinter Hima Das and Tiwa dance exponent Nadiram Deuri.

17 Recipients for Assam Gaurav

Additionally, seventeen eminent citizens across diverse fields will receive the Assam Gaurav Award – the third highest state honor this year. This award includes a financial component of Rs.3 lakhs in addition to a certification or a citation or a medal

9th Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival

 The 9th Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival (PPHF) will be held from January 18-20, 2024 in Arunachal Pradesh. Declared a state festival, it centers around wildlife conservation, especially hornbills found in the Pakke Tiger Reserve.

Hornbill Species in Focus

The reserve harbors four hornbill species – Oriental Pied, Great Indian, Rufous-necked and the endangered Wreathed Hornbill. The week-long event generates awareness on preserving these iconic birds.

Linking Forest, Birds and People

PPHF also spotlights the role of indigenous Nyishi tribes in protecting hornbills after having earlier hunted them. It forges connections between forests, wildlife and local communities. The Nyishi is the largest tribal group in Arunachal Pradesh. The Nyishi tribe used to hunt hornbills traditionally and utilized their distinctive bills to create ethnic headgear. However, over time the Nyishi transformed into champions protecting the same hornbills that were once targeted.

Festival Origins and Goal

The first PPHF was organized in 2015 with the goal to recognize Nyishi conservation efforts. Beyond promoting hornbill conservation, other key goals of launching the Hornbill Festival were generating alternate livelihood streams for locals and raising nationwide awareness regarding the unique biodiversity found in Pakke Tiger Reserve and adjoining areas.

“Let Our Hornbills Remain”

This year’s theme stresses the critical need to safeguard hornbills for balancing the region’s ecosystems and culture. The onset of deforestation and climate threats lend urgency.

Activities at Upcoming Edition

Key activities lined up include:

• Bird watching tours
• Literary competitions
• Panel discussions
• Tribal music/dance performances
• River walks
• Local cuisine

The activities provide unique glimpses into the area’s natural and ethnic heritage while raising ecological awareness.

Express View on Manipur crisis: State government, step up

 

Continuing violence points to a lack of political will, and obduracy in failing to acknowledge that far more needs to be done

Recurring instances of violence in Manipur point to the obvious — the unrest that erupted in the state last year in May is far from over. This week alone, a mob targeted the 3rd Indian Reserve Battalion in Khangabok, Thoubal; Thoubal Police Headquarters was also attacked. Though authorities managed to repel the mobs in both instances, three BSF personnel were injured. In Moreh, a beleaguered border town, an Indian Reserve Battalion jawan and a havildar on deputation with the Manipur police commandos were killed and two others injured. The state’s Home Department Commissioner has put in a request with the Home Ministry requesting “air assets” in Imphal to meet with similar emergency situations.

These instances, only the latest in a dismal series, highlight how eight months into the ethnic conflict, the state government is yet to step up to its challenge. The attacks on security personnel are disturbing on multiple counts. After the initial inertia, the state has seen a larger deployment of security forces, including the Army and paramilitary forces, to bring the situation under control. Yet, accusations of partisanship are rife on the ground, posing hurdles in their way. Despite the Army chief’s recent assertion of growing stability in the state, violence against the security forces also highlights that force alone cannot tame a situation that requires sensitivity and compassion in equal measure. The instability in Myanmar, where Arakan insurgents claim to have taken control of Paletwa town in Chin state, that lies close to Myanmar’s border with India and Bangladesh, is a troubling development, compounded by the fact that of the estimated 4,500-odd arms looted from state police armouries in Manipur in the early days of the ethnic clash, only about 30 per cent have been recovered so far. This means that unaccounted-for arms remain in circulation in a state where borders and buffer zones have deepened along ethnic lines between the hill and valley people and where each feels distrust for the other and for those meant to govern and protect them.

In June last year, Home Minister Amit Shah had announced the formation of a peace committee, with representatives from different ethnicities, political parties and civil society, to begin the process of healing. The committee ran into internal differences soon after and is yet to meet. In the unending season of anger and grief in the state, this shows both a lack of will and an obduracy in failing to acknowledge that far more needs to be done.

Source: Indian Express, 19/01/24