Xenon Gas on Mount Everest & Autism in India – UPSC Prelims Quick Facts 2025

 

🧪 Xenon Gas – First Use on Mount Everest!

Source: TOI | Tags: GS Paper 3, General Science, Prelims Facts

What Happened?

1. Four British climbers became the first people to reach Mount Everest's summit using Xenon gas.

2. They used it to speed up acclimatisation, which means they adapted to the high altitude faster than normal.

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🌬️ What is Xenon Gas?

1. Xenon is a rare noble gas – also called "stranger gas".

2. It's colourless, odourless, and usually non-reactive.

3. Found in very small amounts in Earth's atmosphere.

4. It can be in solid, liquid, or gas form.

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🏭 How is Xenon Collected?

5. It is gathered during the air separation process, which uses fractional distillation to separate the air into nitrogen and oxygen.

6. As a byproduct of this action, xenon is released.

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🧬 Is It Really Inert?

7. Xenon is a noble gas, so it normally doesn’t react with other elements.

8. But, in some conditions, it can form compounds with fluorine and oxygen.

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🧗‍♂️ Uses of Xenon Gas

1. Mountaineering

9. Boosts oxygen delivery in the body.

10. Helps in acclimatisation – body adjusts to high altitude faster.

11. Prevents altitude sickness and hypoxia-related damage (low oxygen problems).

2. Medical Field

12. Used as a natural anesthetic (pain reliever).

13. Increases red blood cells by triggering hormone production.

14. supports in blood flow measurement and is also used to image the heart, brain, and lungs.

3. Lighting

15. Used in flashlights, strobe lights, and car headlights.

16. Gives a bright white light.

4. Industrial Use

17. Used in nuclear energy plants.

18. Found in television and radio tubes.

19. Etching microchips using Xenon difluoride.

5. Space Exploration

20. Works as fuel in ion propulsion systems in satellites and space missions.

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☠️ Toxicity of Xenon

21. Pure Xenon is safe, but Xenon compounds (like Xenon difluoride) are toxic and explosive.

22. They act as strong oxidising agents, which can be dangerous in labs or industries.

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🧠 Memory Trick:
“Xenon = Stranger Gas + Bright Light + Everest Fuel”

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🧩 Autism (Autism Spectrum Disorder - ASD)

Source: The Hindu | Tags: GS Paper 2, Disability Issues, Health

📌 What is Autism?

1. Autism is a brain development condition.

2. It affects how a person talks, interacts, and behaves.

3. Called Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) because symptoms vary from mild to severe.

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🌍 How Common is Autism?

4. About 1 in every 100 children worldwide have autism.

5. In countries like India, many cases are unreported because of lack of awareness.

6. Autism can come with other problems, like:

   • Epilepsy

   • Anxiety and depression

   • Sleep issues

   • Self-injury behavior

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🧠 Mental Ability?

7. Every person with autism is different.

8. Some have severe learning disabilities, others may have high intelligence.

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🧬 Causes of Autism

9. Not a single cause – comes from genetic + environmental reasons.

10. Genetic causes include:

• Family history of autism

• Older parents

• Other conditions like Down syndrome

11. Environmental causes include:

• Pollution during pregnancy

• Premature birth

• Some chemicals during birth or early life

❌ Myth Busted: Vaccines do NOT cause autism.

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💊 Can Autism Be Treated?

12. There's no full cure, but early care helps a lot.

13. Special education, therapy, and family support can improve life quality.

14. The earlier the treatment, the better the result.

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🇮🇳 India's Efforts for Autism

1. The National Trust Act (1999)

15. Legal and social support for people with autism and other disabilities.

2. DISHA Scheme

16. Gives early training and school preparation for children under 10 with disabilities.

3. Sahyogi Scheme

17. Trains Care Associates (helpers) to provide care to persons with disabilities.