Current Affairs Apr 30 – GES Reporter

AYUSH 64

Why in News?

The scientists found that AYUSH 64, a poly herbal formulation developed by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of Ayush is useful in the treatment of asymptomatic, mild and moderate COVID-19 infection as an adjunct to standard care.
It is worthwhile to mention that initially the drug was developed for Malaria in the year 1980 and now is repurposed for COVID-19.

About

AYUSH 64 comprises of Alstonia scholaris (aqueous bark extract), Picrorhiza kurroa (aqueous rhizome extract), Swertia chirata (aqueous extract of whole plant) and Caesalpinia crista (fine-powdered seed pulp).
This medicine is also recommended in National Clinical Management Protocol based on Ayurveda and Yoga which is vetted by National Task Force on COVID-19 Management of ICMR.

Solving Oxygen shortage by converting Nitrogen Generator into Oxygen Generator

Why in News?

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has come up with a creative and ingenious solution to addressing the shortage of medical oxygen for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the country.
The pilot project which has been tested successfully relies on a simple technological hack: conversion of PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) Nitrogen Unit to PSA Oxygen Unit!
Oxygen production could be achieved at 3.5 atm pressure, with a purity level of 93% – 96 %. This gaseous oxygen can be utilised for COVID-related needs across existing hospitals and upcoming COVID-19 specific facilities by providing a continuous supply of oxygen.

How can the nitrogen unit be converted into an oxygen unit?

It has been done by fine-tuning the existing Nitrogen Plant setup and changing the molecular sieves from Carbon to Zeolite.
Such nitrogen plants, which take air from the atmosphere as raw material, are available in various industrial plants across India.
Therefore, each of them could potentially be converted into an oxygen generator.
The pilot project is a collaborative effort between IIT Bombay, Tata Consulting Engineers and Spantech Engineers, Mumbai, who deal with PSA Nitrogen & Oxygen plant production.

PIB

Amendments to GNCTD Act, 1991

Why in News?

The Government of National Capital Territory (GNCTD) Amendment Act, 2021 has come into force after being passed by the Lok Sabha on 22.03.2021, by the Rajya Sabha on 24.03.2021, and after the assent of the President of India on 28.03.2021.
The Amendment Act has the effect of amending Sections 21, 24, 33 and 44 of the Act.
The objective of the Amendment Act is to make it more relevant to the needs of the Capital;
- - further define the responsibilities of the elected Government and the Lt. Governor (LG); and
  - create a harmonious relationship between the Legislature and the Executive.
  - The Amendment would ensure better governance in the NCT of Delhi and lead to improved implementation of schemes and programmes meant for the common people of Delhi.
The amendments are consistent with the existing legal and constitutional provisions, and are in line with the judgements of the Hon’ble Supreme Court.
The amendments to the GNCTD Act, 1991, in no way alter the constitutional and legal responsibilities of the elected Government to take necessary action, in respect of the subjects transferred to them in the State and Concurrent Lists of the Constitution of India, including subjects such as health, education, etc.

PIB

Production of Oxygen Enrichment Unit

Why in News?

CSIR-CMERI transfers the technology to companies’ to ramp up the production of Oxygen Enrichment Unit.
On average, an individual requires 5-20 LPM air containing appropriate percentage of oxygen.
The technology developed by CSIR-CMERI provides in-house enrichment of Oxygen and offers independence from external parties as well as eliminates the risks and difficulty of handling bulky cylinders. CSIR-CMERI developed OEU can help patients to recover faster.

PIB

New high-yielding and pest-resistant variety of soybean

Why in News?

Indian Scientists have developed a high-yielding and pest-resistant variety of soybean.
This newly developed variety called MACS 1407 is suitable for cultivation in the states of Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and North-Eastern states and its seeds will be made available to farmers for sowing during the 2022 Kharif season.

About

In 2019, India produced around 90 million tons of soybean, widely cultivated as oil seeds as well as a cheap source of protein for animal feed and many packaged meals and is striving to be among the world’s major producers of soybean.
High-yielding, disease resistant varieties of the legume can help achieve this target.
Using the conventional cross breeding technique scientist developed MACS 1407 which gives 39 quintals per hectare making it a high yielding variety and is also resistant to major insect-pests like girdle beetle, leaf miner, leaf roller, stem fly, aphids, white fly and defoliators.
Its thick stem, higher pod insertion (7 cm) from ground, and resistance to pod shattering make it suitable even for mechanical harvesting. It is suitable for rain-fed conditions of north- east India.
MACS 1407 require an average 43 days for 50 % flowering and take 104 days to mature from the date of sowing.
It has white coloured flowers, yellow seeds and black hilum. Its seeds have 19.81 % oil content, 41 % protein content and show good germinability.

PIB

Palestinians Election

Why in News?

Palestinian elections can take place only when Israel approves voting in east Jerusalem, the Israeli-annexed part of the city that Palestinians claim as their future capital.
The Palestinians insist voting take place in the occupied West Bank, which is controlled by the Abbas-led Palestinian Authority, the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, and in east Jerusalem.
Israel’s said that Palestinian elections were an “internal Palestinian issue” which Israel had no intention of “preventing”.
But Israel has not commented directly on voting in Jerusalem, the city it describes as its “undivided capital” and where it now bans all Palestinian political activity.
Israel is itself mired in its worst ever political crisis, with no government yet formed following inconclusive March 23 elections.

THE HINDU

Women’s Prize for fiction

Novels that explore forgotten and neglected communities in Britain, the U.S. and the Caribbean were named finalists for the 30,000 pound ($42,000) Women’s Prize for fiction.
The six-book shortlist includes American author Brit Bennett’s tale of twins who take different paths,
The Vanishing Half, U.S. writer Patricia Lockwood’s social media satire No One is Talking About This and Transcendent Kingdom, a story of African immigrants in Alabama by Ghanaian-American writer Yaa Gyasi.
Also in the running are Barbadian writer Cherie Jones’ story of gritty life on a beautiful island, How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House, and two books by British writers: Susanna Clarke’s literary fantasy Piranesi and Claire Fuller’s rural family saga Unsettled Ground.
Founded in 1996, the prize is open to female English-language writers from around the world. Previous winners include Zadie Smith, Tayari Jones and Maggie O’Farrell.
The winner of the 2021 Women’s Prize will be announced on July 7 at a ceremony in London.

THE HINDU

China launches key module of space station

Why in News?

China launched an unmanned module containing what will become living quarters for three crew on a permanent space station that it plans to complete by the end of 2022.
The module, named “Tianhe”, or “Harmony of the Heavens”, was launched on the Long March 5B, China’s largest carrier rocket, from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre on the southern island of Hainan.
Tianhe is one of three main components of what would be China’s first self-developed space station, rivalling the only other station in service – the International Space Station (ISS).
The ISS is backed by the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada. China was barred from participating by the United States.
Tianhe forms the main living quarters for three crew members in the Chinese space station, which will have a life span of at least 10 years.
The Tianhe launch was the first of 11 missions needed to complete the space station, which will orbit Earth at an altitude of 340 to 450 km (211-280 miles).
In the later missions, China will launch the two other core modules, four manned spacecraft and four cargo spacecraft.
Work on the space station programme began a decade ago with the launch of a space lab Tiangong-1 in 2011, and later, Tiangong-2 in 2016.
China has prioritised space exploration in recent years, with the aim of becoming a major space power by 2030. By 2045, it hopes to establish a programme operating thousands of space flights a year and carrying tens of thousands of tonnes of cargo and passengers.

THE HINDU

World’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge

Why in News?

Hugo Xavier became one of the first people to cross the world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge when it opened near his tiny hometown of Arouca in northern Portugal.
Hidden between rock-strewn mountains covered with lush greenery and yellow flowers inside the UNESCO-recognised Arouca Geopark, the bridge hangs 175 meters above the fast-flowing River Paiva.

THE HINDU

Mono Pile Technology in Coastal Road

Why in News?

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to introduce mono pile technology, for the first time in the country, in the under-construction Coastal Road that connects south Mumbai to western suburbs.
Generally, any bridge on a sea or river is built using group pile technology. But in mono pile technology, one single pile is used instead of four piles for supporting one pillar.
This will save the space to construct the pillars. The number of piles has come down to 176 from 704 due to the introduction of this new technology. It is also environment friendly.

THE HINDU

Former Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee

Why in News?

Eminent jurist and former Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee passed away.
Sorabjee was born on March 9, 1930 in erstwhile Bombay to a Parsi family.
He appeared in several historic cases, including the Kesavananda Bharati case or the Basic Structure Doctrine case.
He received the Padma Vibhushan for championing free speech and human rights.
Even recently, he raised his voice against students of Jawaharlal Nehru University being slapped with sedition for expressing their dissent.
He worked for the Sikh community pro bono after the 1984 riots. He was appointed an Honorary Member of the Order of Australia.
He was twice appointed Attorney General of India.

THE HINDU

Predicting success of vaccine without a big trial

Moderna’s vaccine provides protection against Covid-19 by triggering the production of antibodies against a key viral protein, a study in monkeys suggests. The insight — if confirmed in humans — could speed the development of next-generation vaccines.
Vaccines can trigger diverse immune responses, including the manufacture of antibody molecules that bind and block infectious viruses, and the activation of T cells that kill virus-infected cells.
By identifying the immune responses that can predict a vaccine’s success, scientists could more easily judge candidate vaccines.
The vaccinated animals that had the lowest levels of viral genetic material in their noses and lungs also had the highest levels of antibodies that recognise the viral spike protein, the molecule that the Moderna vaccine encodes. Levels of other immune markers did not correlate as strongly with the vaccine’s protective effects.
In a one-sentence summary of their findings, the researchers said “mRNA-1273 vaccine-induced antibody responses are a mechanistic correlate of protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in NHP”.
MRNA-1273 is the technical name for the vaccine developed by Moderna. NHP stands for ‘non-human primates’, i.e. monkeys.
A parallel study now under way will compare immune markers in people who were protected by jabs, including the Moderna one, with markers in people who were infected despite receiving a vaccine.
Identifying these ‘correlates of protection’ will help researchers to assess existing and future vaccines without running costly, large-scale clinical trials.

New SEBI rule for fund manager compensation

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has said that a minimum 20% of the compensation of mutual fund managers and other key personnel in an asset management company (AMC) should be in the form of units of the mutual fund schemes they manage.
Key personnel here refers to the likes of chief executive officer, chief investment officer, research head and their direct reportees.

What’s new in this circular? Isn’t pay linked to performance?

The compensation of fund managers — at least the variable pay component — is linked to performance.
What SEBI has done here is crystallise the rules and extend it beyond fund managers to so-called key employees.
Moreover, SEBI has specified the rules of allocation of this 20% by saying that is should be proportional to the assets under management of the schemes in which an employee has a role or oversight.
For example, a CEO who has overall oversight will have 20% of her compensation spread across all the schemes.
On the other hand, a fund manager who manages only one fund will have at least 50% of this type of compensation in the scheme she manages and the remaining in other schemes of the mutual fund that are riskier.
The regulator has also specified that these units offered by way of compensation are locked-in for three years.

How will this help retail investors?

This move by SEBI will boost the transparency of fund manager compensation.
It helps build accountability. It ensures that fund houses actually link the pay of fund managers to performance and go beyond lip service.
Besides, since a whole lot of employees’ compensation is linked to how well a mutual fund is doing, it could encourage whistleblowing if wrongdoing is happening.
It will give a lot of psychological comfort to investors that their fund manager has skin in the game.

World will lose 10% of glacier ice even if it hits climate targets

A tenth of the world’s mountain glacier ice will have melted by the middle of this century even if humanity meets the goals of the Paris climate agreement.
The loss is equivalent to more than 13,200 cubic kilometres of water – enough to fill Lake Superior, or more than 10m Wembley Stadiums – with knock-on effects on highly populated river deltas, wildlife habitats and sea levels.
In some particularly hard-hit areas, including central Europe, North America and low latitudes, glacier mass is expected to decline by more than half.
The overwhelming bulk of this melt-off, which does not include Greenland or Antarctica, is unavoidable because it has been locked in by the global heating caused by humans in recent years.
The actions governments take today – including the recent announcements of more ambitious emissions-cutting goals by the US, the UK and others – can make a big difference to the landscape in the second half of this century.

THE GUARDIAN

Speed at which world’s glaciers are melting has doubled in 20 years

The melting of the world’s glaciers has nearly doubled in speed over the past 20 years and contributes more to sea-level rise than either the Greenland or Antarctic ice sheets, according to the most comprehensive global study of ice rivers ever undertaken.
Scientists say human-driven global heating is behind the accelerating loss of high-altitude and high-latitude glaciers, which will affect coastal regions across the planet and create boom-and-bust flows of meltwater for the hundreds of millions of people who live downstream of these “natural water towers”.
Between 2000 and 2019, glaciers lost 267 gigatonnes (Gt) of ice per year, equivalent to 21% of sea-level rise.
The mass loss was equivalent to submerging the surface of England under 2 metres of water every year.
This was 47% higher than the contribution of the melting ice sheet in Greenland and more than twice that from the ice sheet in Antarctica. As a cause of sea-level rise, glacier loss was second only to thermal expansion, which is prompted by higher ocean temperatures.
The pace of glacier thinning outside of Greenland and Antarctica picking up from about a third of a metre per year in 2000 to two-thirds in 2019.
The study uses historical Nasa satellite data and new statistical methods to construct three-dimensional topographies going back 20 years and covering 99.9% of the world’s glaciers.
Alaska accounted for 25% of the global mass loss, the Greenland periphery 12% and north and south Canada 10% each. The Himalayas and other parts of high-mountain Asia lost 8%, as did the southern Andes and subantarctic regions.
Smaller, lower glaciers did not contribute as much in volume, but they were the most vulnerable to change. The thinning of New Zealand’s glaciers increased seven-fold between 2000-04 and 2015-19. Thinning rates in the European Alps were twice the global average.
India and China are depleting underground sources and relying on river water, which substantially originates from glaciers during times of drought.
This will be fine for a few decades because glaciers will keep melting and provide more river runoff, which acts as a buffer to protect populations from water stress.
But after these decades, the situation could go downhill. If we do not plan ahead, there could be a crisis for water and food, affecting the most vulnerable.

THE GUARDIAN