Jharkhand State PCS

• 20 Jun 2024

Pension Benefit to Sickle Cell Anemia Patients

Why in News?

According to the officials, People suffering from sickle cell anemia will get a monthly pension of Rs 1,000 in Jharkhand's Khunti district.

Key Points

• The Khunti district administration has approved pension benefits for persons suffering from sickle cell anemia under Swami Vivekananda Nishakt Swawlamban Protsahan Scheme.
  • In the first phase, nine beneficiaries have been identified from different blocks - three each from Khunti and Karra, two from Murhu and one from Torpa block.
• In case any sickle cell case coming to light or identified later on it will be covered under this scheme.
• Sickle cell screening of 99,165 people has been conducted so far in the district.
  • Out of which 114 were found to be carriers of sickle cell and a total of 46 persons were found to be suffering from sickle cell anemia-thalassemia disease.
  • Among them, nine people who have been suffering from 40% or more sickle cell anemia-thalassemia disease are being given pension under the scheme on the basis of disability certificate.

Swami Vivekananda Nishakta Swavlamban Protsahan Yojana

• It is a scheme launched by the Department of Women, Child Development & Social Security, Government of Jharkhand.
• It aims to provide social security to differently abled people aged five years and above who are in need of financial assistance.
• The scheme operates as a Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) where the pension amount is directly transferred to the bank account of the beneficiary.

Sickle Cell Disease

• Sickle cell disease is a genetic blood disorder characterized by an abnormality in hemoglobin, the protein responsible for carrying oxygen in red blood cells.
• It causes red blood cells to adopt a sickle or crescent shape, hindering their movement through vessels, leading to potential complications like severe pain, infections, anaemia, and strokes.
• In India alone, an estimated 30,000-40,000 children are born with sickle cell disease annually.

Thalassaemia

• Similar to sickle cell disease, individuals with thalassaemia experience severe anaemia due to low haemoglobin levels, necessitating lifelong blood transfusions and chelation therapy to manage iron accumulation.
• Major symptoms include fatigue, paleness or jaundice, shortness of breath, delayed growth, facial bone deformities (in severe cases) among others.

Tigresses Relocation to Palamu Reserve

Why in News?

According to the sources,to keep the four tigers that have moved to Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) efforts are being made to bring in two tigresses and one tiger from another reserve.

Key Points

• The approval of the National Zoo Authority is awaited for shifting 350 animals to the Soft Release Centers (SRC) set up in the reserve.
  • Permission from National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for shifting the cheetals, sambhars and deer has already been obtained.
• The forest officials have set up four SRCs to ensure enough food for tigers, which will help them breed in the reserve.
  • In these centres, animals are placed in pre-release cages placed close to the location where they will be released.
• Soft releases at Baresadh, Lukaiya, Mundu, and Dhardharia cover 10 hectares each, creating a suitable environment for cheetal breeding, which will serve as prey for the tigers.
• Cheetals and sambhar will be shifted from Betla National Park and Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park (Birsa Zoo) to different SRCs.
• According to the report on the status of tigers in India, released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019, there were no tigers in PTR.
  • PTR is spread over an area of about 1,230 sq km. It was made a tiger reserve in 1973.

National Zoo Authority

• It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It was constituted in 1992 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• It is chaired by the Union Minister of Environment and has 10 members and a member-secretary.
• The main objective of the authority is to complement and strengthen the national effort in conservation of rich biodiversity.
• The authority provides recognition to zoos and is also tasked with regulating the zoos across the country.
  • It lays down guidelines and prescribes rules under which animals may be transferred among zoos nationally and internationally.
  • It coordinates and implements programmes on capacity building of zoo personnel, planned breeding programmes and ex-situ research.

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

• It is a statutory body under section 38 L (1) of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• It was established in 2005 following the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force.