General Studies – II
Government Policies
1) A national programme for autism with multidisciplinary research and integrated support services are essential across the country. Discuss (200 Words)
Refer - The Hindu
Health
2) There is a need for upskilling and reskilling in the Indian Pharmaceutical sector. Do you agree with this view? Comment (200 Words)
Refer - Business Line
General Studies – III
Economy
3) Deposit insurance, a legitimate instrument to minimise the impact of bank failure, has been used sparingly in India. Discuss (200 Words)
Refer - Business Line
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 2 years
KEY POINTS
· Instead of relying on existing medical records from hospitals, we translated and validated widely used autism assessment tools and used these to estimate the prevalence of autism in nearly 12,000 schoolchildren.
· Interestingly, none of the children who met the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum in our study had a prior clinical diagnosis.
· Observational measures rely less on verbal information, and more on task performance, and are thus more easily translatable across cultures and settings.
· While the number of mental health professionals continues to grow, the current gap between demand and supply cannot be met directly by the specialists alone.
· Parallel efforts to widen the reach of diagnostic and intervention services through involving non-specialists, similar to a stepped-care model for psychological therapies, is required in order to bridge this chasm.
· To this end, emerging lines of evidence suggest the feasibility of such an approach for both autism identification and intervention in an Indian context.
· There is a growing evidence base for simple behavioural interventions that parents/caregivers can be trained on, that can have a positive impact.
· Sustainable public health pathways need to be developed such that they do not depend critically on a confirmed diagnosis from a specialist.
· The topmost priority of the respondents was for more research on how the society can better support autistic people.
KEY POINTS
· While biochemical pathways involved in core autism symptoms are unlikely to be different between cultures, there are notable cultural differences in who gets a clinical diagnosis of autism.
· This difference is likely to be driven by a range of sociological factors, such as access to appropriate clinical expertise, the allowance of provisions for inclusion in mainstream schools, as well as availability of medical insurance coverage for autism interventions.
· Autism is assessed behaviourally, and behavioural assessment tools (i.e. questionnaires or interviews with professionals) are the starting point for all research and clinical work on autism.
· Observational measures rely less on verbal information, and more on task performance, and are thus more easily translatable across cultures and settings.
· Greater focus on areas that have historically been under-researched in autism, such as sleep, diet, sensory symptoms, and immune function need to be included within routine assessments.
· According to the latest estimates, India has less than 10,000 psychiatrists, a majority of whom are concentrated in big cities.
· To this end, emerging lines of evidence suggest the feasibility of such an approach for both autism identification and intervention in an Indian context.
· Partnership with the private sector would also be vital, given the important work done by some of the parent collectives, and NGOs in this space.
KEY POINTS
· Deposits moved from smaller banks to the big ones on the assumption that these would not be allowed to fail given their systemic importance, and banking stocks reeled in a manner reminiscent of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2008.
· In the Indian context, state ownership of the majority of bank assets offers implicit assurance of safety for their depositors.
· During the last three years, India has witnessed three bank failures PMC Bank, YES Bank and Laxmi Vilas Bank.
· Apart from the depositor trauma and investor losses, bank failures can lead to a rise in fees and interest rates as banks would look to cross-subsidise their losses.
· Banks were always considered special because they play a key role in financial intermediation. But they face the risk of depositor runs, which are contagious.
· The original mandate of the regulators has been expanded over time from depositor protection to financial stability in the face of systemic risks, which are heightened by a highly interconnected financial system as was evidenced in the GFC.
· The RBI has been taking a series of measures to strengthen Indian banks and the financial system as a whole. Depositors should repose faith in its ability to safeguard their interests.
