Subject: GS Paper II (Health) & GS Paper III (S&T) UPSC Relevance: AI in public health and military medicine.
- The Problem: Diabetic Retinopathy is the damage to blood vessels in the retina due to high blood sugar. It is the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults.
- The AFMS Initiative: The Armed Forces Medical Services launched India's first AI screening for DR.
- How it Works: Non-mydriatic cameras take pictures of the eye's fundus. An AI algorithm (Deep Learning) identifies early signs like Microaneurysms or Hemorrhages that are invisible to the naked eye.
- Public Health Value:
- Task Shifting: It allows a technician or nurse to screen patients, leaving the few available Ophthalmologists to focus on surgery/treatment.
- Scalability: This AI can be deployed in remote border areas (Leh, Tawang) where specialists cannot visit frequently.
- Significance: It marks the transition from "Curative Medicine" to "Preventative AI-led Screening" in the Indian healthcare system.
IAS-2026 - OPTIONAL / GEOGRAPHY / PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION / SOCIOLOGY / ANTHROPOLOGY / ORIENTATION ON 03 & 04-10-2025 
