UPSC Current Affairs 30th June 2026

Tackling Adolescent Malnutrition in India

• Context: The National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6) (2023-24) highlights a sharp rise in obesity, high blood sugar, and lifestyle diseases among Indian adolescents, signaling a shift from traditional undernutrition to a complex public health challenge.

Key Highlights & Data Points

• The Double Burden: Persistent undernutrition coexists with rapidly rising overweight/obesity rates. NFHS-6 reveals obesity has climbed to 30.7% among women and 27.3% among men.
• The “Thin-Fat” Phenotype: Many Indian adolescents appear lean but possess high visceral fat, making them highly vulnerable to early-onset Type-2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular risks.
• The Dietary Shift: A severe reliance on cereal-heavy diets lacking adequate protein, fruits, and vegetables. Simultaneously, ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption is growing at 13.7% annually.
• Future Projections: A 2025 Lancet study projects that by 2050, 21.8 crore men and 23.1 crore women in India will be overweight, with the sharpest rise in the 15–24 age bracket.

School-Based Intervention Matrix

The text identifies schools as primary hubs for preventive healthcare through structural changes:

Drishti Mains Question: “Preventive healthcare must begin in classrooms rather than hospitals.” Examine this statement in the context of adolescent nutrition and lifestyle diseases in India.

SUMAN Roadmap 2030

• Context: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the SUMAN (Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan) Roadmap 2030 during the 16th Conference of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW).

Core Strategy & Objectives

• Framework: Anchored in the RMNCHA+N (Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition) framework. It adopts a strict life-cycle approach covering pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal care.
• Targets: Aiming to bring down the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) below 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030, alongside achieving zero preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
• Geographic Focus: Introduces time-bound interventions across 130 districts in 13 high-focus States (including UP, Bihar, MP, Rajasthan, Assam, and Jharkhand).
• Key Innovations: Introduces AI-enabled labor rooms, climate-responsive health planning, and Samagra Shishu Bal Swasthya Karyakram (SSBSK) integration for seamless care up to 36 months.

Other Digital Health Deliverables Launched

• Drug Registry: A unified digital database under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) to standardize generic and branded drug information.
• Unified Health Interface (UHI): An open network layer enabling citizens to discover and book teleconsultations/health services across multiple independent provider apps.
• Aarogya Setu 2.0: Revamped into a comprehensive national health app featuring Personal Health Records (PHR) and ABHA creation.

Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) Operational Guidelines

• Context: The Union Health Ministry released updated AMB Operational Guidelines to mark eight years of the initiative, moving India from purely prophylactic (preventive) care to aggressive therapeutic (treatment) management.

Evolution of the Framework

The program upgrades its legacy strategy to a comprehensive 7x7x7 framework:

[Legacy 6x6x6 Strategy] ───► UPGRADED TO ───► [7x7x7 Operational Framework]
                                                │
                                                ├── 7th Beneficiary Group: Low Birth Weight (LBW) babies (0-6 months)
                                                ├── 7th Intervention: "Eating Right" via diversified iron-rich diets
                                                └── 7th Institutional Arm: Digitally integrated Monitoring & Evaluation

• The T4 Strategy: Operational tracking shifts from T3 to T4: Test, Treat, Talk, and Track to prevent patients from falling out of the continuum of care.
• Clinical Standards: Mandates Intravenous Iron Therapy (Ferric Carboxymaltose) for severe cases among pregnant women.
• Sobering Realities (NFHS-5 Data): Anemia remains a massive public health anchor, affecting 67.1% of children under 5 and 52.2% of pregnant women in India.

Relevant PYQs for GS Paper 2

Prelims

1. Which of the following is/are the indicators/indicators used by IFPRI to compute the Global Hunger Index Report? (2016)

1. Undernourishment
2. Child stunting
3. Child mortality Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only(c) 1, 2 and 3(d) 1 and 3 onlyAnswer: (c)

2. Which of the following are the objectives of ‘National Nutrition Mission’? (2017)

1. To create awareness relating to malnutrition among pregnant women and lactating mothers.
2. To reduce the incidence of anaemia among young children, adolescent girls and women.
3. To promote the consumption of millets, coarse cereals and unpolished rice.
4. To promote the consumption of poultry eggs.Select the correct answer using the code given below:(a) 1 and 2 only(b) 1, 2 and 3 only(c) 1, 2 and 4 only(d) 3 and 4 onlyAnswer: (a)

3. Consider the following statements in the context of interventions being undertaken under Anaemia Mukt Bharat: (2023)

1. It provides prophylactic calcium supplementation for pre-school children, adolescents and pregnant women.
2. It runs a campaign for delayed cord clamping at the time of childbirth.
3. It provides for periodic deworming to children and adolescents.
4. It addresses non-nutritional causes of anaemia in endemic pockets with special focus on malaria, hemoglobinopathies and fluorosis. How many of the statements given above are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four Answer: (c) — Statement 1 is incorrect as AMB focuses on Iron-Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation, not calcium.

Mains

• “How far do you agree with the view that the focus on lack of availability of food as the main cause of hunger takes the attention away from ineffective human development policies in India?” (2018)
• “Appropriate local community-level healthcare intervention is a prerequisite to achieve ‘Health for All’ in India. Explain.” (2018)

GS Paper 3 (Environment, Science & Tech, Security)

India’s First 3D-Printed Artificial Reefs

• Context: Tamil Nadu is pioneering the deployment of India’s first 3D-printed artificial reef modules off the Ramanathapuram coast under Phase II of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

Technological & Ecological Design

• The Engineering: Developed by IIT Madras-incubated startup Tvasta in collaboration with ICAR-CMFRI. Each module weighs approximately 1 tonne.
• Structural Shift: Unlike conventional concrete structures, these modules do not use iron reinforcement (preventing rust degradation). Instead, they utilize complex 3D-printed geometries containing folds, crevices, and customized macro-porosity.
• Target Objective: To provide immediate attachment surfaces for degraded coral larvae, sponges, and marine algae, accelerating fish biomass generation and stabilizing coastal livelihoods.

Topic B: Unmanned Warfare — Baaz Battalions

• Context: The Indian Army is raising specialized drone units called Baaz Battalions to institutionalize unmanned aerial tactical capabilities.
• Mandate: Transitioning from standalone drone flights to dedicated battalion-level assets for real-time electronic surveillance, reconnaissance, counter-drone operations, and frontline intelligence.
• Strategic Drivers: Heavily informed by modern combat theaters, specifically lessons drawn from the Russia-Ukraine war, active Line of Actual Control (LAC) standoffs with China, and specialized counter-insurgency operations (Operation Sindoor).

Relevant PYQs for GS Paper 3

Prelims

1. Which of the following have coral reefs? (2014)

1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
2. Gulf of Kachchh
3. Gulf of Mannar
4. SunderbansSelect the correct answer using the code given below:(a) 1, 2 and 3 only(b) 2 and 4 only(c) 1 and 3 only(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4Answer: (a) — Sunderbans is dominated by mangrove ecosystems, not coral reefs.

Mains

• “Discuss the causes of depletion of mangroves and explain their importance in maintaining coastal ecology.” (2019)
• “What are the consequences of spreading of ‘Dead Zones’ on marine ecosystems?” (2018)

GS Paper 1 (History & Culture)

Maharishi Sushruta Statue Unveiled in Edinburgh

• Historical Event: The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (established 1505) has unveiled a bronze statue of ancient Indian physician Maharishi Sushruta, recognizing his historical legacy.
• Art & Craft Linkage: Crafted at Swamimalai (Tamil Nadu) using the ancient lost-wax method (Cire Perdue) featuring a single bronze casting technique.
• Historical Coordinates: Associated historically with Varanasi, generally placed around the 7th–6th century BCE.
• Medical Contributions: Celebrated globally as the “Father of Surgery” and “Father of Plastic Surgery.” Author of the Sushruta Samhita, which forms the core of Ayurveda’s Brihat Trayi (Great Trilogy) alongside the Charaka Samhita and Astanga Hridaya. He documented over 300 surgical methods, including early rhinoplasty (nasal reconstruction) and cataract extractions.

Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda (1510–1569)

• Historical Profile: A prominent feudatory chieftain under the Vijayanagara Empire (granted administrative rights by Emperor Achyuta Deva Raya).
• The Founding of Bengaluru (1537): Established the modern city by constructing the Bengaluru Fort and mapping out the functional market area known as Bengaluru Pete.
• Social Architecture: Celebrated for enforcing progressive social reforms, specifically the abolition of the custom of forcing unmarried women of the Morasu Vokkaliga lineage to undergo amputation of the last two fingers of their left hand (Bandi Devaru).
• Modern Memorial: Honored via the 108-foot Statue of Prosperity in Bengaluru, certified as the tallest bronze statue of a city founder.

Relevant PYQs for GS Paper 1

Prelims

While there is no direct standalone question on Sushruta or Kempe Gowda in recent Prelims, ancient Indian science and technology literature is highly targeted.

• Example (2012 Prelims Focus): Questions frequently map ancient scientists/poets to their contemporary empires (e.g., mapping Varahamihira, Charaka, or Brahmagupta to Gupta/Kushan eras).

Mains

• “Evaluate the statement that the Vijayanagara Empire represented a synthesis of South Indian cultural traditions, architectural forms, and administrative systems.” (Derived theme on the legacy of Vijayanagara chieftains).