GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

Context

The state visit by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to New Delhi is seen as an another important step in building a strategic relationship between India and Greece.

• State Visit by Greek Prime Minister to India
• Strategic Relationship Building: The state visit by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to New Delhi signifies a significant step in strengthening the strategic relationship between India and Greece.
• Potential: This momentum follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic visit to Greece in August 2023, sparking excitement among Greek political and business leaders about the strategic partnership potential with India.
• Deepening ties: Mr. Mitsotakis emphasizes the importance of deepening bilateral ties, positioning Greece as a gateway to Europe for India and emphasizing the reciprocal benefits of a close strategic relationship.

Importance of Security and Stability

• Geopolitical Significance: Both Greece and India occupy geopolitically volatile yet strategically vital regions, emphasizing the interdependence of security, stability, and prosperity in the East Mediterranean and Indian Ocean regions.
• Required collaboration: Recent events underscore the urgent need for both countries to collaborate strategically, recognizing the compelling reasons and urgency for building stronger ties.
• Cooperation: The visit underscores the imperative for enhanced security cooperation and stability to ensure prosperity in both regions.

Enhancing Bilateral Cooperation

• Diverse Cooperation Channels: Bilateral cooperation spans strategic, military, and business realms, albeit progressing at a measured pace over the years.
• Collaboration: Notable collaborations include joint military exercises, investment ventures in construction, shipping, and banking sectors, highlighting growing economic ties.
• Further opportunities for partnership: As economic reforms in Greece pave the way for sustainable growth and positioning within the EU and NATO, initiatives like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor gain traction, presenting further opportunities for partnership.

Context

Private manufacturers show reluctance in developing a vaccine for Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) due to its limited prevalence and lack of commercial viability despite significant research and development investments required.

Private Sector Hesitancy

• Lack of Interest from Manufacturers: Private manufacturers are showing reluctance to develop a vaccine for KFD due to limited market viability. The small number of cases and the substantial investment required for research and development make it unattractive for private companies to pursue.
• Urgent Need for Vaccination: Despite the disease's relatively low prevalence, recent fatalities and infections underscore the critical need for vaccination efforts to address KFD effectively. The reluctance of private manufacturers highlights the challenges of relying solely on private sector initiatives for addressing public health issues.
• Government Intervention Required: Collaborative efforts between the government, research institutions, and private sector stakeholders may be necessary to overcome the challenges posed by diseases with limited commercial appeal.

Historical Spread and Regional Impact

• Origins and Expansion: KFD, also known as "monkey fever," was first observed in 1956 in Karnataka's Kyasanur forest areas and has since spread to neighboring districts and states.
• Interstate Transmission: The transmission of KFD across state borders underscores the need for coordinated efforts and interstate cooperation to combat the disease effectively.
• Challenges of Regional Disease Management: Managing diseases like KFD requires coordinated efforts not only within states but also across regional boundaries.

Vaccination Efforts and Current Challenges

• Past Vaccination Success and Recent Setbacks: Previous vaccination efforts utilizing a chick embryo fibroblast culture-based vaccine were successful until recent years.
• Need for Alternative Measures: In light of the vaccine's ineffectiveness, there is an urgent need to explore alternative control measures and strategies for managing KFD outbreaks.
• Government Response and Future Outlook: While the availability of an effective vaccine remains uncertain in the near term, ongoing research and collaboration efforts offer hope for improved disease management strategies in the future.

Context

The services sector has become a key driver of India's economy, contributing 53% of the Gross Value Added (GVA) compared to the industry sector's 28%. This dominance is reflected in employment distribution as well, with 31% of jobs generated in the services sector, surpassing the 25% in industries.

Rise of the Services Sector

• Dominance of Service: India's services sector contributes significantly to the Gross Value Added (GVA), surpassing the industrial sector.
• Employment generation: The sector also accounts for a considerable portion of employment, driving demand for entry-level workers.
• Extension of scope: This growth extends beyond IT services, encompassing retail, telecom, consulting, hospitality, banking, and healthcare.

Engineering Graduates in the Services Sector

• Employment Trends: Due to a mismatch between engineering education and job demand, a substantial number of engineering graduates are finding employment in the services sector.
• Qualification vs employability: Despite the technical nature of their education, many engineers are employed in non-technical roles across various service industries.
• Skills usage: Engineers' adaptability and problem-solving skills make them valuable assets in service-oriented roles.

Need for Generic Service-Oriented Courses

• Addressing Educational Gaps: There is a pressing need for generic service-oriented courses to prepare graduates for diverse professional challenges in white-collar service environments.
• Broader sector & its demand: Current educational offerings in niche domains like healthcare or hospitality fail to meet the demands of the broader services sector.
• Required skills: Developing courses that blend technical proficiency with soft skills and industry-specific knowledge is essential to meet the evolving needs of the service industry.