Rapid Fire Current Affairs | 17 Nov 2023

National Epilepsy Day

National Epilepsy Day is celebrated every year in India on 17^th November to raise awareness about the brain disorder and bust myths surrounding the disease.

• Epilepsy is a brain disorder that can cause seizures due to abnormal brain activity or temporary changes in the brain's electrical functioning.
  • The brain produces orderly electrical impulses along nerve cell networks, but in epilepsy, this balance is disrupted thus it impacts consciousness, movements, or sensations.
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 50 million people worldwide are affected by epilepsy and India accounts for nearly 10-20% of the global burden of epilepsy.
• Epileptic seizures are broadly categorized into focal and generalized seizures based on the location of abnormal brain activity.
  • Focal seizures may cause brief emotional changes, involuntary movements, and symptoms like dizziness.
  • Generalized seizures present varied symptoms including staring, muscle jerking, loss of control, twitches, and sudden loss of consciousness.
• Every year the second Monday of February is observed as International Epilepsy Day.

Read more: International Epilepsy Day

National Press Day

National Press Day, marked on 16^th November, holds immense significance in India as it marks the establishment of the Press Council of India, functioning as a guardian of journalistic ethics and freedom.

• Unlike other global Press or Media Councils, the unique authority of the Press Council of India extends even over state instruments, ensuring the independence of the press.
• The Council, initiated in 1966, was recommended by the first Press Commission in 1956 to uphold professional standards and ethics in journalism through a statutory body comprising industry stakeholders.

Read more: National Press Day