News In Shorts

Twitter Co-Founder shared details of Bluetooth Messaging App, Bitchat.

• Bitchat is a new peer-to-peer messaging app that communicates without a centralised server or phone network.
• Bitchat relies on Bluetooth Low Energy Mesh Networking to enable communication

What is Bluetooth Mesh Networking? 

• It relies on Bluetooth clusters or Mesh network created by devices in a range. 
• Mesh network, also known as “multi-hop network”, is a networking topology.
  • In it, data can travel from any device to all others, achieving many-to-many communication. 
  • Even if one device fails, the network keeps working. 
• Messages are broadcast and relayed by nodes until they reach the intended destination.
  • When a Bluetooth device joins a Mesh network, it becomes a node

Potential Benefits of Bluetooth Mesh Networking

• No central database: the messages are stored entirely on users’ devices and are deleted after a short period. 
  • This design is created to prioritise users’ privacy.
  • Also, Messages are end-to-end encrypted and do not leave the network.
• No registration required: Users are not required to create accounts using their email or phone number, making the communication anonymous.
• Other: Low Power Consumption, etc. 

Key Limitations: high latency, Complex network management, low data transfer rates, etc.

The Digital India Foundation (DIF), a founding member of the AIANET, has objected to the membership application of Pakistan's AI Technology Centre (AITeC) to AIANET.

• Digital India Foundation (DIF) is a not-for-profit think-tank aiming to foster digital inclusion and adoption, and the use of the Internet and related technologies for the developmental process.

About AIANET

• About: It is an informal voluntary network and community for its  Members to exchange views, share information and expertise.
• Aim: Accelerate the development and deployment of AI technologies to enhance sustainable long-term prosperity, social and economic development
• Members: 17 including India. 
• Administered by: AI Alliance Russia.

Initiative aims to raise prices of any or all of three unhealthy products tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks by at least 50% through health taxes by 2035.

• Launched initiative can mobilize an additional US$ 1 trillion in public revenue globally over next decade.
• This Initiative functions as a collaborative alliance with coordinate efforts from coalition of development partners, civil society, academic institutions, and national governments.

What is Health Tax?

• Levied on products that have a negative public health impact e.g. Tobacco, Alcohol etc.
• WHO recommends taxation as one of the most cost-effective tools for addressing population levels of obesity and other related non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Need for Health Tax

• Health Impact: Consumption of tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks fuels the NCD epidemic which accounts for over 75% of global deaths.
• Economic Impact: These products create negative externalities (costs to others) and internalities (hidden costs to consumers).
  • Tobacco use alone costed the global economy US$ 1.4 trillion in 2012.
• Revenue Generation: 50% tax can generate up to US$ 3.7 trillion in new revenue globally within five years, or an average of US$ 740 billion per year – equivalent to 0.75% of global GDP.
• Promote Equity: As NCDs impact lower-income populations disproportionately.

Steps taken in India for curbing consumption of Unhealthy Products

• Aerated beverages in India are taxed at 28% GST and an additional 12% Compensation cess. 
• High-fat sugar Salt (HFSS) foods in India are taxed at a 12% GST rate.
• FSSAI limits Trans-Fatty Acids (TFA) in food products to 2% by mass of total oils and fats.

WHO/UNICEF 2024 Estimates show significant progress on Immunization in India.

• The data provides the world’s largest and most comprehensive dataset on immunization trends for vaccinations against 14 diseases.

Key Findings

• Global: In 2024, 89% of infants globally received at least one dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) containing vaccine.
• India: It reduced its number of zero-dose children by 43% in 2024 (from 1.6 million in 2023 to 0.9 million in 2024).
• Zero-dose children are those who have not received a single vaccine.

Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) of India

• Genesis: Initially launched in 1978 as the Expanded Programme on Immunization, it was rebranded as the UIP in 1985.
• Coverage: Provides free immunization against 12 diseases:
• Nationwide (9): Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Measles, Rubella, Childhood Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B and Meningitis & Pneumonia.
• Region-specific (3): Rotavirus diarrhoea, Pneumococcal Pneumonia, and Japanese Encephalitis.
• Under the National Rural Health Mission, the UIP has become a central component of India's public health efforts.
• Under this, a child is considered fully immunized after receiving all vaccinations as per the national schedule within the first year of life.
• Achievements: Polio-Free India (2014), Neonatal tetanus elimination (2015).
• Key Initiatives: Intensified Mission Indradhanush 5.0 (IMI 5.0) campaign with special focus on improvement of Measles and Rubella vaccination coverage, U-WIN Portal etc.

National Biobank inaugurated at the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB). 

• The newly launched facility marks a significant stride towards building India’s own longitudinal health database
• It will enhance India’s capabilities in precision medicine and biomedical research.

About National Biobank

• Launched under: Phenome India Project.
  • It is based on the UK Biobank model, but customized for Indian diversity.
• Purpose: It will aid in early diagnosis, improve therapeutic targeting, and bolster the fight against complex diseases such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular ailments, and rare genetic disorders.
  • It will generate high-resolution data that can power AI-driven diagnostics and gene-guided therapies.
• Coverage: It will collect comprehensive genomic, lifestyle, and clinical data from 10,000 individuals. 

About Phenome India Project

• It is officially called as Phenome India-CSIR Health Cohort Knowledge base (PI-CheCK).
• Launched by: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 2023. 
• Objective: It is designed to be a long-term, data-rich study tracking the health trajectories of individuals over several years. 

What is Phenome?

• Phenome is the entire set of phenotypes in a cell, tissue, organ, organism or species.
• Phenotype refers to the observable physical characteristics of an organism. 
  • These include the organism's appearance, development, and behavior. 
  • An organism's phenotype is determined by its genotype (set of genes the organism carries) as well as by environmental influences upon these genes.