Introduction / Context:
This question checks awareness of standard terminology used in public health programmes. The acronym “IDSP” stands for a specific national health initiative. The learner must associate the correct word with the given acronym and context, rather than guessing purely from meaning. Such questions are common in general knowledge sections that intersect with English usage.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Fragment: “In-charge, Integrated Disease ____________ Programme (IDSP), Dr Shah …”
- Acronym: IDSP.
- Options: management, control, surveillance, eradication.
- We assume familiarity with common health programme names used in India and globally.
Concept / Approach:
IDSP is widely known as the “Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme.” The word “surveillance” in public health does not mean spying in a negative sense; it refers to systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data for planning and response. Therefore, the missing word must be “surveillance”. Other options, while related to health (management, control, eradication), do not match the established name of the programme and would make the acronym IDSP incorrect.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Expand the acronym IDSP. In Indian public health, IDSP officially stands for “Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme”.
Step 2: Check which of the options corresponds to the word “Surveillance”. Options list “management”, “control”, “surveillance”, “eradication”.
Step 3: Replace the blank with “surveillance”: “Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP)”. This now aligns perfectly with the acronym.
Step 4: Confirm that the other words would create wrong expansions such as “Integrated Disease Management Programme”, which is not the recognised name.
Step 5: Therefore, “surveillance” is the only correct and contextually accurate option.
Verification / Alternative check:
Verify that the expression “Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP)” matches known health-literature usage.
Check internal logic: the purpose of IDSP is to monitor and track disease patterns, which is exactly what “surveillance” means in epidemiology.
Using “management”, “control”, or “eradication” would change the official title and conflict with the given acronym.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A (management): Disease management refers to treatment and handling of cases, but there is no official “Integrated Disease Management Programme (IDMP)” in this context.
Option B (control): “Disease control programme” is a generic phrase, but the given acronym IDSP does not expand to “Integrated Disease Control Programme”.
Option D (eradication): Eradication means complete elimination of a disease, which is a different goal and again does not match the real name of IDSP.
Common Pitfalls:
Candidates who are unfamiliar with the acronym may choose a word purely by meaning, such as “control” or “management”.
Some learners misunderstand “surveillance” as only a security-related term and fail to recognise its technical use in health contexts.
Ignoring the acronym in brackets is another mistake; the question deliberately provides IDSP as a clue to the correct expansion.
Final Answer:
The blank must be filled with “surveillance”, giving “Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP)”.
Discussion & Comments