Women in Command Roles of the Indian Army

• The Indian army elevated female commanders to commanding positions within their respective arms and services for the first time.
• This choice would also encourage more women to enlist in the Indian Army, which will worsen the gender pay gap and support the organization's efforts to foster diversity and inclusivity.

About the news:

• A crucial development for the first time, the Indian Army qualified 108 women officers to lead troops in their different branches and services.
• In a variety of arms and services, including engineers, signals, army air defense, intelligence corps, army service corps, army ordnance corps, and electrical and mechanical engineers, women officers were chosen from the 1992 to 2006 batch.
• The Army Ordnance Corps, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, and the Corps of Engineers are the ones with the most openings.

A long battle:

• Induction of women into the Indian Army began in 1992 as non-medical officers, while induction of women into the Indian Army Medical Corps began in 1993.
• In 2010, the Delhi High Court declared the Indian Army's policy of prohibiting women from serving in combat roles to be discriminatory and unconstitutional.
• In 2013, the Supreme Court affirmed the Indian Army's decision to bar women from some combat roles, citing social views and a lack of infrastructure as reasons why the Indian Army was not prepared for women in combat roles.
• 2016 saw the Indian Army make the announcement that it would start allowing women to serve in combat capacities in a few of its armed forces, beginning with the Corps of Military Police.
• The Supreme Court ruled in 2017 that women ought to have equal opportunity in the Army, including in combat situations.
• 2020: The Indian Army said that all positions, including combat responsibilities, would be open to women.
• Induction of female fighter pilots into the Indian army's short service commission begins in 2021.

In 2020, what decision did the Supreme Court make?

• The Army modified its regulations in 2019 to allow women who served on a short service commission (SSC), who would have otherwise retired after 14 years of service, to choose a permanent commission instead.
• However, this was only applicable to the groups of female officers beginning their careers in the Army in 2020; it was not retroactive.
• With the historic Supreme Court ruling in 2020, women officers were given permanent commissions with backward effect.
• This paved the way for their continued development and advancement in the Army, which has recently made leadership and higher management courses available to women.

Benefits of Women in the Army:

• Increasing diversity can improve military effectiveness and decision-making because women bring a new perspective and set of talents to the force.
• The inclusion of women contradicts the conventional notion that they are helpless and less capable than males.
• Increased morale: The induction of women can increase the morale of female troops and foster a more welcoming environment for all soldiers.
• Better societal representation: The Indian Army is designed to defend and serve the entire population, and by having a more representative force, it would be able to better comprehend and meet the requirements of the community.

Challenges faced by the women in Army:

• Physical requirements: Women may find it difficult to meet the same physical standards as males due to the demanding physical nature of military duty.
• Opportunities for women in the Indian Army have been scarce, especially in combat roles, which has hindered their ability to grow professionally.
• Lack of support: Women in the Indian Army have reported feeling underappreciated by their male peers and superiors, which can make it challenging for them to be successful in their jobs.
• Limited representation: There aren't many women to look up to and women are underrepresented in leadership roles in the Indian Army.

What Does It Mean to Command a Unit?

• A colonel's promotion makes an officer qualified to lead troops in battle.
• Because it is a high-ranking job in the military and also gives the officer direct contact with troops on the ground, the position of colonel is much sought after.
• This engagement gives the Colonel a rare opportunity not available in higher-ranking posts like Brigadier or Major General to take a more hands-on approach to leadership and decision-making.

What about the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy?

• All Navy branches now have female officers, and they will eventually be qualified for permanent commission.
• As they enter the service and are qualified for permanent commission, female officers will be allowed to command air squadrons and ships in addition to shore-based forces.
• All branches of the IAF, including the new weapon systems branch and the fighter stream, are now open to female officers.
• They will be qualified to command units in the future as they are given permanent commissions based on their eligibility and available positions.

Where In the army, women are not permitted?

• The Army still does not allow women to serve as foot soldiers in border conflicts in the core combat arms of Infantry, Mechanized Infantry, and Armored Corps.
• The fact that male troops have frequently been kidnapped as prisoners of war and subjected to torture by the enemy is a major cause of this resistance.
• However, the Army recently agreed to allow women to serve in the combat support arm, the Corps of Artillery.

Way Forward

• The Indian Army should take steps to establish a more friendly atmosphere for women, such as increasing the number of women-only barracks and offering childcare facilities, even though allowing women to serve on an equal footing in the army is a progressive move.
• Although there have been difficulties in integrating women into the Indian Army, the general trend needs to be supported because so many women have been successful in their careers and made significant contributions to the armed forces.
• The Indian Army should try to eliminate any biases that may exist and modify the military's culture to be more welcoming of women.

Measles and Rubella

• The COVID-19 epidemic snatched two years from the programs therefore the government opted to shift the Measles-Rubella eradication target to 2023.
• India set the goal of eradicating measles and rubella by 2023 in anticipation that the 2020 target would not be feasible.

Why is it important to eradicate diseases?

Elimination of measles:

• Prior to vaccination, measles killed 1% of all children under the age of five, whereas polio paralyzed around 1% of all children under the age of five.
• Measles case fatality rates ranged from 10% to 15%.
• Children who made a full recovery would have lost weight as well as consistent progress made in their scholastic and cognitive development.
• The immune system is weakened by measles, making children more susceptible to other infectious diseases and increased mortality during the following two to three years.
• Rubella must be eradicated since it has the propensity to cross the placenta of infected pregnant women and harm the growing fetus's eyes, brain, heart, and other tissues.
• Congenital rubella syndrome, in which affected infants are born with serious birth abnormalities including cataracts, deafness, heart issues, and developmental delay.

What is the Measles and Rubella Scenario in India and the World?

• According to the World Health Organization, measles is one of the most contagious human viruses in the world and kills more than a million children annually, while rubella is a prominent vaccine-preventable cause of birth abnormalities.
• According to figures from the WHO, the measles vaccine is thought to have prevented more than 30 million deaths worldwide over the past 20 years.
• In 14 States between 2010 and 2013, India carried out a staged measles catch-up immunization program for children aged 9 months to 10 years, immunising over 119 million kids.
• In 2014, Mission Indradhanush was established to increase vaccination rates among the unvaccinated.
• India developed a national strategic plan for the eradication of measles and rubella from 2017 to 2021.
• The government added the rubella-containing vaccine (RCV) to the regular immunisation schedule during this time.
• As of December 2021, Bhutan, DPR Korea, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste have all been confirmed as having eliminated the measles. Maldives and Sri Lanka have also maintained their status as countries that have eradicated rubella in 2021.

About measles:

• Measles is a highly contagious viral illness.
• It is transmitted by the mouth, throat, or nose droplets of an infected individual.
• Before the measles vaccine was launched in 1963, the disease was responsible for more than 2 million fatalities annually.
• A safe and effective vaccination is currently available, but measles still claims the lives of thousands of youngsters each year throughout the world.
• Young children make up the majority of the fatalities.
• The paramyxovirus family includes the measles virus, which is often spread through direct contact with the air.
• Measles mortality decreased by almost 73% between 2000 and 2018 thanks to intensive vaccination campaigns conducted worldwide.
• Measles symptoms often start 10 to 12 days after the infection. The typical signs include:
• extreme fever
• clogged nose
• eyes that are red
• Little white dots on the mouth's interior
• Rashes that extend downward from the face and upper neck (this appears after several days)

Vaccine for measles:

• This vaccination, known as the MMR, protects against measles, mumps, and rubella.
• MMR is administered twice, once at 12 to 15 months and once around 4 to 6 years of age.
• Teenagers and adults can receive the MMR vaccine as needed.

About Rubella:

• Young adults can contract the typically mild viral infection known as rubella, much like children.
• It is contagious and has no known cure, while vaccinations are available to prevent it.
• If a pregnant woman contracts rubella, the unborn child is in grave danger.
• It may result in permanent birth abnormalities or blindness (congenital rubella syndrome).
• It is also known as German measles or three-day measles and has a red rash as its distinguishing characteristic.
• The measles virus is distinct from the rubella virus.
• Rubella is not as severe or contagious as measles, despite the fact that they both have some symptoms.

Difference between measles and rubella:

What steps has the government made to eradicate measles and rubella?

• Measles and rubella (MR) eradication is defined as three years of no clinical disease and no transmission of the MR viruses.
• Vaccination and surveillance are the two components of the intervention.
• After missing the initial objective of 2015, the government planned to eradicate measles and rubella from India by the year 2020.
• By administering the MR vaccine in 2017, the government sought to induce a very high level of immunity against both diseases.
• All States have high rates of school enrollment and attendance, so the chance to immunize kids in the class was taken.
• However, parents and school administrators had a lot of concern and hostility toward the program because there wasn't enough information provided to the public.
• Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic robbed the program of two years, moving the MR eradication objective to 2023.
• Despite the pandemic, the UIP has kept its MR second dose coverage below five years at roughly 85% nationwide.
• The district-by-district initiative relies heavily on the support of parents, health care workers at all levels, opinion leaders, influencers, the media, and NGOs to be successful.

NOROVIRUS

• Recently, two pupils in Kerala were found to have norovirus.
• A group of viruses known as norovirus causes gastrointestinal sickness. In addition to severe vomiting and diarrhoea, it also results in inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestines.
• Norovirus outbreaks aren't usually dangerous, but if the right precautions aren't done, the virus can spread quickly. The typical infectious agent is tainted water or food. The faecal-oral pathway is how the virus spreads.

About norovirus:

• It is a category of viruses that causes digestive illnesses.
• In addition to severe vomiting and diarrhoea, it also results in inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestines.
• The norovirus can reach temperatures of 60°C and is resistant to several disinfectants. Consequently, the virus is not destroyed by simply heating food or chlorinating water. The virus can also endure a number of widely used hand sanitizers.

Transmission:

• Different types of norovirus can infect a person multiple times throughout their lifetime, but establishing immunity to one kind does not give protection against other varieties.
• A healthy person can catch the virus from an infected person by eating contaminated food or touching contaminated surfaces.
• The virus can mostly be spread through oral feces.
• Symptoms of the norovirus often appear 12 to 48 hours after exposure. The majority of norovirus patients recover in 1 to 3 days.
• Many commonly used hand sanitizers and disinfectants are ineffective against norovirus. Additionally, it can withstand heat up to 60 degrees Celsius, so heating food or chlorinating water won't be enough to kill the virus.
• Although it is unrelated to the flu brought on by the influenza virus, the norovirus is also known as stomach flu or the stomach bug.
• All ages are susceptible to norovirus, although the young, old, and those with comorbid conditions are particularly at risk.
• The norovirus kills over 2 lakh individuals annually, including roughly 50000 kids.

Preventing and Treating Norovirus:

• By maintaining adequate hand hygiene and using other preventative measures, norovirus can be avoided.
• After using the restroom or changing a baby's diaper, wash your hands with soap and water.
• Cleaning your hands with soap and water before handling or preparing food.
• Washing produce thoroughly before using it.
• People who interact with animals need to use extra caution.
• Chlorinated water should be consumed by residents of places that frequently experience norovirus epidemics.
• Although there is no specific therapy for norovirus, symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting can be controlled with generic medications.
• To avoid dehydration, infected patients should drink plenty of warm water.

Are you aware?

• Other names for norovirus sickness include food poisoning, stomach flu, and "stomach bug." Food poisoning can be caused by noroviruses, as well as by other microbes and substances.
• Flu and norovirus infections are unrelated (influenza). Although they have some similarities, the flu is a respiratory condition brought on by the influenza virus.

Norovirus in India:

• In India, norovirus cases are less frequent than they are in many other countries.
• The infection has previously been documented, primarily from Southern India, and particularly from Kerala.

Read Also: Bird Flu in India

Jagannath Temple

• Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal recently entered a topic that has raged for decades and occasionally sparked controversy by supporting the admission of foreign nationals into the renowned Jagannath Temple in Puri.
• Only Hindus are currently permitted inside the temple to make prayers to the gods inside the sanctum sanctorum.

Why are non-Hindus prohibited from entering the Jagannath Temple?

• Despite the lack of an obvious justification, it has been a tradition for generations.
• According to some historians, Muslim monarchs' repeated assaults on the Temple may have prompted the servitors to set limits on non-Hindus' access.
• Some claim that this has always been the case, even before the Temple was constructed.
• Lord Jagannath is also referred to as Patitapaban, which is Sanskrit for "saviour of the oppressed."
• Therefore, it is thought that everyone who is prohibited from entering the Temple for religious reasons has the opportunity to see the Lord in the shape of Patitapaban at the Lion's Gate.

Example:

• Due to Indira Gandhi’s marriage to a non-Hindu, her admittance into the Temple in 1984 was opposed by the Temple's servants.
• A Thai princess was only able to see the Temple from the outside in 2005 because visitors from other countries are not permitted.
• In spite of her sizable donation, a Swiss national was turned away in 2006 owing to her Christian faith.

What are the most important details regarding Jagannath Temple?

• The Eastern Ganga Dynasty's King Anatavarman Chodaganga Deva is thought to have built the temple in the 12th century.
• According to Hindu mythology, Lord Jagannath's presence in Puri has negated the influence of Yama, the god of death, which is why Jagannath Puri's temple is known as the "Yamanaka Tirtha."
• This shrine, known as the "White Pagoda," is a stop on the Char Dham pilgrimage route (Badrinath, Dwaraka, Puri, Rameswaram).
• The temple is renowned for its distinctive architecture, which consists of a substantial compound wall and a sizable temple complex with numerous towers, halls, and shrines.
• The annual Rath Yatra event, during which Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra are carried out in a spectacular parade atop a chariot, is the temple's main draw.
• The Mahaprasad, a special meal prepared in the temple kitchen and served to worshippers, is another specialty of the temple.

INS Vagir

Recently, the fifth diesel-electric Kalvari-class submarine Vagir was commissioned by the Indian Navy.

Major Points:

• The submarine, also called Sand Shark, was handed off to the Indian Navy in December 2022.
• Vagir is one of the six submarines in the project 75-developed Kalvari class.
• The submarines of the Kalvari class are capable of engaging in a variety of naval warfare situations, such as minelaying, anti-warship and anti-submarine operations, and information collection and surveillance.
• The submarine's cutting-edge technology has ensured: Superior stealth features include cutting-edge acoustic absorption techniques, low radiated noise levels, and a design that is hydrodynamically optimised.
• The capacity to use precise guided weaponry to target the opposition
• Four of these submarines—NS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj, and INS Vela—have already been commissioned into the Navy.
• The sixth, INS Vagsheer, will be put into service the following year.
• Name origin: Vagir, a submarine that served the Navy from 1973 to 2001.
• Built by: the French M/s Naval Group and the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Capabilities and technical details:
• Transmission systems for this class of submarines are diesel-electric.
• These are predominantly assault submarines, sometimes known as "hunter-killer" kinds, which are built to hunt down and destroy enemy naval vessels.

Features:

• The submarine has the ability to operate in all operational theatres and to communicate with other members of a Naval Task Force.
• Torpedoes and tube-launched anti-ship missiles can be used to launch attacks, whether the target is above or below the surface.
• It is capable of carrying out a wide range of tasks, including as anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence collection, mine laying, area surveillance, etc.

Significance:

• Building these submarines in an Indian yard is another step toward "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" and boosts self-confidence in this field. This is the third submarine to be handed to the Indian Navy in a period of 24 months, which is a remarkable accomplishment.
• Vagir, with features like an innovative noise absorption method, stands for stealth and bravery.
• Vagir will improve the ability of the Indian Navy to advance India's maritime interests.
• It has the ability to carry out a variety of tasks, such as anti-surface, anti-submarine, information gathering, mine laying, and surveillance missions.

About Project-75:

• The Indian Navy is undertaking a project to construct six Scorpene Class attack submarines.
• The 1,500-ton, conventionally powered Scorpene submarine can dive as deep as 300 metres.
• In accordance with a USD 3.75 billion agreement inked in October 2005, The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) is building six Scorpene submarines with technical support from Naval Group of France.
• Project 75 calls for six submarines to be built locally.