#Prelims #SnT_Currents
SAATHI App
- an initiative of the Ministry of Tourism with Quality Council of India
- to assist the hospitality industry to continue to operate safely and thereby instill confidence among the Staff, employees and the guests about the safety of the hotel/unit.
SAATHI App
- an initiative of the Ministry of Tourism with Quality Council of India
- to assist the hospitality industry to continue to operate safely and thereby instill confidence among the Staff, employees and the guests about the safety of the hotel/unit.
#Prelims #SnT_Currents
Haiyang-2C
- It is a new ocean-monitoring satellite launched recently by China.
- It can provide all-weather and round-the-clock observation of wave height, sea surface height, wind speed and direction, and temperature.
Haiyang-2C
- It is a new ocean-monitoring satellite launched recently by China.
- It can provide all-weather and round-the-clock observation of wave height, sea surface height, wind speed and direction, and temperature.
#SnT_Currents #PT2021
Avian Botulism
- It is a neuro-muscular illness caused by Botulinum (natural toxin) that is produced by bacteria, Clostridium botulinum.
- The bacteria is commonly found in the soil, rivers, and seawater. It affects both humans and animals.
- The illness affects the nervous system of birds, leading to paralysis in their legs and wings.
Avian Botulism
- It is a neuro-muscular illness caused by Botulinum (natural toxin) that is produced by bacteria, Clostridium botulinum.
- The bacteria is commonly found in the soil, rivers, and seawater. It affects both humans and animals.
- The illness affects the nervous system of birds, leading to paralysis in their legs and wings.
#PT2021 #SnT_Currents
Rudram Anti-Radiation Missile
News
Recently, it's been successfully tested
- developed by the DRDO.
- strike range of around 100 to 150 km.
- First indigenous air-to-ground missile
- designed for suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD).
Rudram Anti-Radiation Missile
News
Recently, it's been successfully tested
- developed by the DRDO.
- strike range of around 100 to 150 km.
- First indigenous air-to-ground missile
- designed for suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD).
#PT2021 #MainsFodder #SnT_Currents
Metro Neo
- It is an urban rail transit system targeted at tier 2 and tier 3 cities.
It provides
- low-cost, energy-efficient and eco-friendly
- It will not run on track but on road.
- Suitable for 8000 passengers
- Lighter and smaller than Metro
- Feeder system to high capacity Metro.
Nashik will introduce first
Metro Neo
- It is an urban rail transit system targeted at tier 2 and tier 3 cities.
It provides
- low-cost, energy-efficient and eco-friendly
- It will not run on track but on road.
- Suitable for 8000 passengers
- Lighter and smaller than Metro
- Feeder system to high capacity Metro.
Nashik will introduce first
#MainsFodder #PT2021 #SnT_Currents
Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Awards
Aim: encourage technology students to move towards setting up biotechnology and other start-ups.
Two categories of awards:
Students Innovations for Advancement of Research Exploration
- life sciences
- biotechnology
- agriculture
- Medical devices etc
Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technological Innovations
- Engineering disciplines
Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Awards
Aim: encourage technology students to move towards setting up biotechnology and other start-ups.
Two categories of awards:
Students Innovations for Advancement of Research Exploration
- life sciences
- biotechnology
- agriculture
- Medical devices etc
Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technological Innovations
- Engineering disciplines
#MainsFodder #PT2021 #SnT_Currents
The Software Technology Parks of India (STPI)
- It is an autonomous society
- Launched by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
- Established in 1991.
Objective: encouraging, promoting and boosting the export of software from India.
Significance:
- provide statutory and other promotional services to the exporters
- promote micro, small and medium entrepreneurs
- Creating conducive environment for entrepreneurship in the field of IT/ITES.
- Establish and manage infrastructure resources such as Datacom facilities etc
The Software Technology Parks of India (STPI)
- It is an autonomous society
- Launched by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
- Established in 1991.
Objective: encouraging, promoting and boosting the export of software from India.
Significance:
- provide statutory and other promotional services to the exporters
- promote micro, small and medium entrepreneurs
- Creating conducive environment for entrepreneurship in the field of IT/ITES.
- Establish and manage infrastructure resources such as Datacom facilities etc
#PT2021 #SnT_Currents
Fast Radio Burst in Milky Way
News: Recently NASA has spotted fast Radio Burst for the first time in the Milky Way
FRB is bright bursts of radio waves whose durations lie in the millisecond-scale.
It was first discovered in 2007.
NASA observed a mix of X-ray and radio signals.
The findings confirm that magnetars could be sources for FRBs.
Fast Radio Burst in Milky Way
News: Recently NASA has spotted fast Radio Burst for the first time in the Milky Way
FRB is bright bursts of radio waves whose durations lie in the millisecond-scale.
It was first discovered in 2007.
NASA observed a mix of X-ray and radio signals.
The findings confirm that magnetars could be sources for FRBs.
#SnT_Currents #PT2021
Himgiri
- stealth frigates
- built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, under Project 17A for the Navy.
- Under the Project 17A program, a total of seven ships, four at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and three ships at GRSE.
- They are being built with enhanced stealth features, advanced indigenous weapon and sensor fit along with several other improvements.
Himgiri
- stealth frigates
- built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, under Project 17A for the Navy.
- Under the Project 17A program, a total of seven ships, four at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and three ships at GRSE.
- They are being built with enhanced stealth features, advanced indigenous weapon and sensor fit along with several other improvements.
#SnT_Currents #PT2021
Black Fungus
- Also called as Mucormycosis or zygomycosis.
- It is a serious but rare fungal infection.
- Caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes which exist in the environment.
- It mainly affects people who have health problems or take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness.
- The symptoms are face numbness, one-side nose obstructions or swelling of eyes, or pain.
Early detection and treatment can help.
News
Occurrence of Covid triggered mucormycosis with high morbidity and mortality.
Black Fungus
- Also called as Mucormycosis or zygomycosis.
- It is a serious but rare fungal infection.
- Caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes which exist in the environment.
- It mainly affects people who have health problems or take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness.
- The symptoms are face numbness, one-side nose obstructions or swelling of eyes, or pain.
Early detection and treatment can help.
News
Occurrence of Covid triggered mucormycosis with high morbidity and mortality.
#SnT
Baikal-GVD
- News: Russian scientists launched Baikal-GVD (Gigaton Volume Detector)
- It is an underwater neutrino telescope in the waters of Lake Baikail.
- This lake is world’s deepest lake situated in Siberia.
- It is one of the world’s three largest neutrino detectors.
Significance:
1. It determine neutrino sources.
2. will help us understand the origins of the universe since some neutrinos were formed during the Big Bang.
3. others continue to be formed due to supernova explosions or nuclear reactions in the Sun.
4. One way of detecting neutrinos is in water or ice, where neutrinos leave a flash of light or a line of bubbles when they interact.
Baikal-GVD
- News: Russian scientists launched Baikal-GVD (Gigaton Volume Detector)
- It is an underwater neutrino telescope in the waters of Lake Baikail.
- This lake is world’s deepest lake situated in Siberia.
- It is one of the world’s three largest neutrino detectors.
Significance:
1. It determine neutrino sources.
2. will help us understand the origins of the universe since some neutrinos were formed during the Big Bang.
3. others continue to be formed due to supernova explosions or nuclear reactions in the Sun.
4. One way of detecting neutrinos is in water or ice, where neutrinos leave a flash of light or a line of bubbles when they interact.
#SnT
Serum Institute of India
- Serum Institute of India Pvt.
Ltd.
- World's largest vaccine manufacturer by number of doses produced and sold globally.
Based in Pune, Maharashtra.
Founded by Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla in 1966
Aim: to manufacture life-saving immuno-biologicals, which were in shortage in the country and imported at high prices.
Function:
1. It manufactures highly specialized life saving biologicals like vaccines
2. Uses cutting edge genetic and
cell based technologies, antisera, etc.
3. Vaccines manufactured by the Institute are accredited by the World Health Organization.
4. It sells BCG, polio vaccines, r-Hepatitis B, DTP etc.
Serum Institute of India
- Serum Institute of India Pvt.
Ltd.
- World's largest vaccine manufacturer by number of doses produced and sold globally.
Based in Pune, Maharashtra.
Founded by Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla in 1966
Aim: to manufacture life-saving immuno-biologicals, which were in shortage in the country and imported at high prices.
Function:
1. It manufactures highly specialized life saving biologicals like vaccines
2. Uses cutting edge genetic and
cell based technologies, antisera, etc.
3. Vaccines manufactured by the Institute are accredited by the World Health Organization.
4. It sells BCG, polio vaccines, r-Hepatitis B, DTP etc.
#SnT
Sero Survey
News: The third sero survey conducted within Mumbai.
Key points:
- It has shown the presence of
antibodies in 36.30% samples out of the total 10,197.
- The survey included blood samples of only those who had not been vaccinated were collected.
- The sero positivity rate has increased in non-slum areas compared with slum areas.
[Sero Positivity means positive result of a blood test for a particular antibody (a substance in the blood that fights a disease).]
- The health department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has recommended intensifying vaccinations among the general public as the best way to control the spread of the coronavirus.
Sero Survey
News: The third sero survey conducted within Mumbai.
Key points:
- It has shown the presence of
antibodies in 36.30% samples out of the total 10,197.
- The survey included blood samples of only those who had not been vaccinated were collected.
- The sero positivity rate has increased in non-slum areas compared with slum areas.
[Sero Positivity means positive result of a blood test for a particular antibody (a substance in the blood that fights a disease).]
- The health department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has recommended intensifying vaccinations among the general public as the best way to control the spread of the coronavirus.
#SnT
BEAM Committee
- The Central Government had constituted the 'BVLOS Experiment Assessment and Monitoring (BEAM) Committee'.
- Aim: to invite Expression of Interest (EOI) to undertake BVLOS experimental flights of drones.
- The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued an EOI notice.
- The BEAM Committee has selected 20 consortia ('Selected Consortia') for the experimental flights.
- Ministry of Civil Aviation has granted conditional exemption from Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021 to 20 entities to conduct Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) experimental flights of drones.
BEAM Committee
- The Central Government had constituted the 'BVLOS Experiment Assessment and Monitoring (BEAM) Committee'.
- Aim: to invite Expression of Interest (EOI) to undertake BVLOS experimental flights of drones.
- The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued an EOI notice.
- The BEAM Committee has selected 20 consortia ('Selected Consortia') for the experimental flights.
- Ministry of Civil Aviation has granted conditional exemption from Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021 to 20 entities to conduct Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) experimental flights of drones.
#SnT_Currents #PT2021
CoviSelf
- It is India’s first Covid-19 self-testing kit approved recently by the ICMR.
- anyone can collect their own nasal sample and test it for SARS-CoV-2.
- Developed by MyLab Discovery Solutions, a Pune-based molecular company.
- It uses a rapid antigen test, in which a nasal swab sample is tested for the virus and gives results within 15 minutes.
CoviSelf
- It is India’s first Covid-19 self-testing kit approved recently by the ICMR.
- anyone can collect their own nasal sample and test it for SARS-CoV-2.
- Developed by MyLab Discovery Solutions, a Pune-based molecular company.
- It uses a rapid antigen test, in which a nasal swab sample is tested for the virus and gives results within 15 minutes.
#SnT_Currents #PT2021
Vitamin D
- It is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning that it dissolves in fats and oils and can be stored in your body for a long time.
- It is produced when sunlight (or artificial light, particularly in the ultraviolet region of 190-400 nm wavelength) falls on the skin and triggers a chemical reaction to a cholesterol-based molecule, and converts it into calcidiol in the liver and into calcitriol in the kidney.
Vitamin D
- It is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning that it dissolves in fats and oils and can be stored in your body for a long time.
- It is produced when sunlight (or artificial light, particularly in the ultraviolet region of 190-400 nm wavelength) falls on the skin and triggers a chemical reaction to a cholesterol-based molecule, and converts it into calcidiol in the liver and into calcitriol in the kidney.
#SnT
AmbiTAG
- Developed by Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar
- a first-of-its-kind IoT device called AmbiTag.
- Function: It records real-time ambient temperature during the transportation of perishable products, vaccines (like COVID vaccine), body organs and blood.
- Developed under IIT Ropar Technology Innovation Hub - AWaDH (Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub) and its Startup ScratchNest.
- AWaDH is a Govt of India project.
Key features:
- It generates an alert when the
temperature goes beyond a pre-set limit.
- It helps to know whether that particular item transported from anywhere in the world is still usable or perished.
- Shaped as USB device
- It continuously records the temperature of its immediate surroundings from -40 to +80 degrees in any time zone for
- a full 90 days on a single charge.
AmbiTAG
- Developed by Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar
- a first-of-its-kind IoT device called AmbiTag.
- Function: It records real-time ambient temperature during the transportation of perishable products, vaccines (like COVID vaccine), body organs and blood.
- Developed under IIT Ropar Technology Innovation Hub - AWaDH (Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub) and its Startup ScratchNest.
- AWaDH is a Govt of India project.
Key features:
- It generates an alert when the
temperature goes beyond a pre-set limit.
- It helps to know whether that particular item transported from anywhere in the world is still usable or perished.
- Shaped as USB device
- It continuously records the temperature of its immediate surroundings from -40 to +80 degrees in any time zone for
- a full 90 days on a single charge.
#SnT # PT2021
CD8 T cells
- Study to better understand the immune determinants of Covid-19 deaths.
- CD8 T cells are a type of white blood cells that can kill cancer cells and other invaders.
Finding -
1. Blood cancer patients with Covid-19 who had higher CD8 T cells were more than 3 times likelier to survive than patients with fewer CD8 T cells.
2. Patients with blood cancers, in particular patients treated with anti-CD20 antibodies, had decreased B cells and antibodies compared to patients with solid cancers and patients without cancer.
CD8 T cells
- Study to better understand the immune determinants of Covid-19 deaths.
- CD8 T cells are a type of white blood cells that can kill cancer cells and other invaders.
Finding -
1. Blood cancer patients with Covid-19 who had higher CD8 T cells were more than 3 times likelier to survive than patients with fewer CD8 T cells.
2. Patients with blood cancers, in particular patients treated with anti-CD20 antibodies, had decreased B cells and antibodies compared to patients with solid cancers and patients without cancer.
#SnT #PT2021
ASPAGNII
- News: Department of Biotechnology- National Institute of Immunology (DBT-NII) receives ASPAGNII trademark.
- It is India’s First Indigenous Tumour Antigen SPAG9.
- SPAG9 was discovered by Dr Anil Suri in 1998.
- Currently, ASPAGNII is being used in dendritic cell (DC) based immunotherapy in cervical, ovarian cancer and will be used in breast cancer.
- Immunotherapy is a new approach that exploits the body’s inner capability to put up a fight against cancer.
- With this approach, either the immune system is given a boost, or the T cells are “trained’’ to identify recalcitrant cancer cells and kill them.
- In DC-based vaccine, patient’s cells called monocytes are collected from their blood and modified into dendritic cells.
- The DCs are primed with ASPAGNII and are injected back to the patient to help the ‘fighter’ cells, or T-cells, in the body to kill the cancer cells.
- DC-based immunotherapy is safe, affordable and can promote antitumor immune responses and prolonged survival of cancer patients.
ASPAGNII
- News: Department of Biotechnology- National Institute of Immunology (DBT-NII) receives ASPAGNII trademark.
- It is India’s First Indigenous Tumour Antigen SPAG9.
- SPAG9 was discovered by Dr Anil Suri in 1998.
- Currently, ASPAGNII is being used in dendritic cell (DC) based immunotherapy in cervical, ovarian cancer and will be used in breast cancer.
- Immunotherapy is a new approach that exploits the body’s inner capability to put up a fight against cancer.
- With this approach, either the immune system is given a boost, or the T cells are “trained’’ to identify recalcitrant cancer cells and kill them.
- In DC-based vaccine, patient’s cells called monocytes are collected from their blood and modified into dendritic cells.
- The DCs are primed with ASPAGNII and are injected back to the patient to help the ‘fighter’ cells, or T-cells, in the body to kill the cancer cells.
- DC-based immunotherapy is safe, affordable and can promote antitumor immune responses and prolonged survival of cancer patients.
#PT2021 #SnT_Currents
GAVI
- Created in 2000,
- Gavi is an international organisation – a global Vaccine Alliance, bringing together public and private sectors with the shared goal of creating equal access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the world’s poorest countries.
- GAVI has observer status at the World Health Assembly.
- Gavi brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry in both industrialised and developing countries, research and technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private philanthropists.
GAVI
- Created in 2000,
- Gavi is an international organisation – a global Vaccine Alliance, bringing together public and private sectors with the shared goal of creating equal access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the world’s poorest countries.
- GAVI has observer status at the World Health Assembly.
- Gavi brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry in both industrialised and developing countries, research and technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private philanthropists.