Daily CURRENT AFFAIRS

Daily Current Affair - UPSC/KAS Exams - 15th June 2021

What is in news : Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology has summoned representatives of the micro-blogging site to appear before it and also called officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to present their version on the ongoing controversies.

What are Parliamentary Committees: The Lok Sabha website describes a parliamentary committee as a “committee which is appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker and which works under the direction of the Speaker and presents its report to the House or to the Speaker and the Secretariat”.

Different types of committees:

• ‘Standing’committees: Their existence is uninterrupted and usually reconstituted on an annual basis. They are further divided into financial committees and departmentally-related standing committees (DRSCs).
• Finance committees are considered to be particularly powerful. The three financial committees are the Public Accounts Committee, the Estimates Committee and the Committee on Public Undertakings.
• ‘Select’ committees formed for a specific purpose, for instance, to deliberate on a particular bill. Once the Bill is disposed of, that select committee ceases to exist.
• Chairman of committe is appointed by speaker of lok sabha

Who is the chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology : Shashi Taroor

What is Project ‘Extension Hospitals’:

• To initiate the project, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) has invited private sector companies, donor organizations, and individuals.
• They will support the initiative along with several other projects of national importance.
• About 50 hospitals have been selected across the states where highest number of Covid-19 cases were reported.

Key points

• Project will run especially in rural areas and smaller towns.
• Modular hospitals are an extension of hospital infrastructure.
• It will be built adjacent to existing hospital building.

First phase of project: Under the first phase, 100 bedded hospitals will be commissioned at Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh; Amravati, Pune & Jalna in Maharashtra; Mohali in Punjab while, 20-bed hospital will be established at Raipur in Chhattisgarh. One each of 20, 50, and 100-beds will be commissioned in Bengaluru.

What : It measures price changes from the perspective of a retail buyer.

Details

• It is released by the National Statistical Office (NSO).
• The CPI calculates the difference in the price of commodities and services such as food, medical care, education, electronics etc, which Indian consumers buy for use.
• The CPI has several sub-groups including food and beverages, fuel and light, housing and clothing, bedding and footwear.
• Four types of CPI are as follows:
  • CPI for Industrial Workers (IW).
  • CPI for Agricultural Labourer (AL).
  • CPI for Rural Labourer (RL).
  • CPI (Rural/Urban/Combined).
• Of these, the first three are compiled by the Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Fourth is compiled by the National Statistical Office (NSO) in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
• Base Year for CPI is 2012.
• The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) uses CPI data to control inflation.

Why is it important : The retail inflation is measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

What is in news : Retail inflation hit a six-month high of 6.3% in May, owing to a persistent rise in fuel and edible oil prices

How is the index caluculated :

• The CPI is a measure that examines the weighted average of prices of a basket of consumer goods and services, such as transportation, food, and medical care.
• It is calculated by taking price changes for each item in the predetermined basket of goods and averaging them. Changes in the CPI are used to assess price changes associated with the cost of living.
• The CPI is one of the most frequently used statistics for identifying periods of inflation or deflation.

What is Operation Olivia: Operation Olivia was started by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), first in early 1980s. This operation helps in protecting Olive Ridley turtles every year when they start nesting along Odisha coast for breeding in months of November to December. Under it, round-the-clock surveillance is conducted from November till May through Coast Guard assets like Fast patrol vessels, Interceptor craft, Air cushion vessels and Dornier aircraft.

Current scenario: In between November 2020 to May 2021, Coast Guard has devoted 225 ship days and 388 aircraft hours. They have protected 3.49 lakh turtles.

Who enforces these laws

• These laws and operation are enforced by the Coast Guard which gets power under Orissa Marine Fisheries Act. Efforts are made at various levels such as:
• Enforcement of use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TED) by trawlers in waters surrounding nesting areas.
• Prohibition of using gill nets as turtle approaches to the shore to curtail turtle poaching.

About Olive Ridley

• Olive Ridley turtles are listed as vulnerable under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
• Sea turtles found in India have been included in Schedule I of Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. They are also listed in Appendix I of Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora.
• Their mass nesting is called as arribada. Gahirmatha, Astaranga coast, mouth of Devi river and Rushikulya are four arribadas sites off the Odisha Coast in India. Apart from that, Hope Island of Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh is also preferred for mass nesting.

What : Cryogenic electron microscopy is an electron microscopy technique applied on samples cooled to cryogenic temperatures and embedded in an environment of vitreous water. An aqueous sample solution is applied to a grid-mesh and plunge-frozen in liquid ethane or a mixture of liquid ethane and propane.

What is in news : Researchers in the country would soon have access to four Cryogenic-Electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) facilities paving the way towards establishment of leadership in structural biology, enzymology, and drug discovery to combat new and emerging diseases.

Details:

• Location- Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai; Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay; Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur; and Bose Institute, Kolkata
• IIT Chennai will focus on nano-biointerfaces
• IIT Bombay will execute research on ribosome translation and its implication in disease and antibiotic resistance
• IIT Kanpur will conduct research focused on macromolecular structures and drug discovery with a specific focus on membrane proteins
• Bose Institute, Kolkata will focus on transforming the structure-guided drug discovery and therapeutics research for communicable and non-communicable diseases, allosteric drugs, transcription, and epigenetics.        
• The first national cryo-EM facility was established at National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in 2017 and then subsequently in IISc, Bangaluru, and RCB Faridabad. However, it was felt that the existing cryo-EM research facilities in the country are not adequate to leave a mark at the global stage.
• The National Facilities supported by the Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB), an institution under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), would help explore Macromolecular Structures and Complexes” and create research knowledge base and skills for cryo-EM research in India to establish leadership in structural biology, enzymology, ligand/drug discovery.   

What is the success of Cryo-EM :

• Cryo-EM has revolutionized structural investigations of macromolecules in recent times. It is a testimonial for a revolutionary technology for structural biologists, chemical biologists, and ligand discovery, which has gained a clear edge over contemporary x-ray crystallography.
• In light of these advancements, cryo-electron microscopy technique was recognized with the Nobel Prize for the high-resolution structure determination of biomolecules in solution (2017).
• The revolution in resolution resulted in atomic-level understanding of the Zika virus surface proteins, thus aiding structure-based drug discovery, deciphering of structure of hard-to-crystallize membrane proteins and other macromolecular complexes.

What is the news : Pune-based firm Thincr Technologies India Private Limited, comes up with 3D-printed Masks Coated with Anti-Viral Agents

Details :

• The virucidal mask project is among the earliest projects to have been selected for commercialization, by Technology Development Board (TDB), a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, as part of the Government’s fight against COVID-19.
• Thincr Technologies India works in development of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D-printers to discover new pharmaceutical formulations and drug-loaded filaments of different drugs.
• The coating has been tested and shown to inactivate the SARS-COV-2 virus. The material used for coating on the mask is a Sodium Olefin Sulfonate based mixture. It is a soap forming agent with hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties. In contact with enveloped viruses, it disrupts the outer membrane of the virus. The ingredients used are stable at room temperature and are widely used in cosmetics
• The filters of these reusable masks have also been developed using 3D printing.

What is in news : Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar has developed a device ‘Jivan Vayu’ which can be used as a substitute of CPAP machine.

Details

• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is a treatment method for patients having breathing problems during sleep called sleep apnea. The machine uses mild air pressure to keep the airways open for easy breathing. It is also used to treat infants whose lungs have not fully developed. The machine blows air into the baby's nose to help inflate his or her lungs. The treatment is all the more necessary during early stages of the Covid-19 infection. It reduces lung damage and allow patients to recover from the inflammatory effects.
• Fulfilling all the medically required parameters, this leak-proof, low-cost CPAP delivery system, “Jivan Vayu’ is designed for a 22mm CPAP closed circuit tube. It can even be customized as per the size of the tube.  Since it can run during power failures, this can be used to safely transport a patient.
• ‘Jivan Vayu’ can deliver high flow oxygen (20–60 LPM) while maintaining a continuous positive pressure of up to 20 cm H2O. The device is designed to maintain an FiO2 of above 40% with a PEEP (positive end-expiratory pressure) of 5-20 cm H2O.

• Researchers have studied human kidney cells in the lab to examine the effects of Covid-19 on kidney health. The findings appear in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).
• Many individuals who develop Covid-19 also experience kidney damage, but it has been so far unclear if this is a direct result of viral infection or a consequence of another condition or the body’s response to the infection. To investigate, a team led by Benjamin Dekel (Sheba Medical Center, Israel) cultivated human kidney cells in lab dishes and infected them with SARS-CoV-2. They found that
• The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus can infect and replicate in human kidney cells, but this does not typically lead to cell death.
• Kidney cells that already have features of injury may be more easily infected and develop additional injury.
• Prior to infection, the cells contained high levels of interferon signalling molecules, and the infection stimulated an inflammatory response that increased these molecules. In contrast, infection of kidney cells deficient in such molecules resulted in cell death, suggesting a protective effect. The cells in these experiments were grown as a three-dimensional spheroid that imitates the healthy kidney or as a two-dimensional layer that mimics the cells of an acutely injured kidney. Cells that mimicked an acutely injured kidney were more prone to infection and additional injury but not cell death.

HISTORY AND CULTURE

What is in news : The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has extended his best wishes to the people of Odisha on the auspicious occasion of Raja Parba.

Raja Parba

• Raja Parba, also called as Mithuna Sankranti is a 3-day festival celebrating womanhood is being celebrated across Odisha starting Monday.
• During this period, it is believed that Mother Earth menstruates and prepares herself for future agricultural activities with the arrival of monsoon
• This festival is synonymous with varieties of cakes (pithas).
• Different kinds of pithas such as 'Poda Pitha', 'Manda', 'Kakara', 'Arisha', 'Chakuli' and 'Chandrakala' have been made available on 'Pitha on Wheels' (kiosks on wheels). These vehicles selling traditional cakes have been stationed in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Sambalpur
• The term Raja has come from Rajaswala (meaning a menstruating woman) and during the medieval period the festival became more popular as an agricultural holiday remarking the worship of Bhudevi, who is the wife of Lord Jagannath. A silver idol of Bhudevi is still found in Puri Temple aside from Lord Jagannatha.

What is the issue : UN Children’s agency, UNICEF has warned about 33,000 severely malnourished children in Tigray region of Ethiopia who are at high risk of death

Where is Tigray : Ethiopia

What is the issue:

• In November 2020, Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed, had ordered ground and air military operation in Tigray. Operations were launched after accusing Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) (one the Ruling party) of attacking on federal army camps. This conflict has killed about thousands of people and left about five million in need of aid. Actual tensions between Ethiopian government and Tigray People’s Liberation Front started with appointment of Abiy Ahmed as prime minister of country in 2018.
• Tigray region has been devastated because of fighting between government forces and rebels in which about 1.7 million people displaced since conflict started in November 2020.

UNICEF Study

• UN-backed study found that 353,000 people in Tigray region were living in severe crisis while Ethiopian government nullify the finding and says aid is getting through.
• As per UNICEF, food situation in region has reached to level of a catastrophe. It is defined as starvation and death affecting small groups of people over large areas.
• About 33,000 young children and babies are close to sickness and potential death from malnutrition.
• Two million people are classed as on brink of severe crisis.

• National award-winning Kannada actor Sanchari Vijay passed away. He is known for his performances in Nathicharami and Nanu Avanalla Avalu
• Kannada film producer K.C.N. Chandrashekhar, popular as K.C.N. Chandru in film circles, passed away in Bengaluru
• Viswanathan Anand’s simultaneous online chess games against celebrities on Sunday night raised more than ₹10 lakh. The event was conducted by chess.com for COVID-19 relief
• D. Gukesh  won the $15,000 Gelfand Challenge chess title on Sunday. It was part of elite Meltwaters Champions Chess Tour.
• NTPC, India’s largest integrated power generating company under Ministry of Power has floated a global Expression of Interest (EOI) to set up two pilot projects, Standalone Fuel-Cell based backup power system and a standalone fuel-cell based microgrid system with hydrogen production using electrolyser at NTPC premises. Through the projects, NTPC is looking to further strengthen its footprint in green and clean fuel. NTPC will collaborate for implementation and further commercialization of the projects.
• A total of 850 oxygen plants are being set up in various districts of the country from PM Cares Fund for catering to the needs of the country to fight the pandemic COVID-19, Dr C Satish Reddy, Secretary, Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), highlighted at the Department of Science & Technology (DST) Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Discourse Series.
• Indian Scientists have recently found that the cancer-causing virus Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) affects the glial cells or the non-neural cells in the central nervous system and alters molecules like phospho-inositols (PIP); a type of lipid, glycerol, and cholesterol, when the virus infects the brain cells.
• Chinese spacecraft, Shenzhou-19, will blast off from Gobi Desert on a Long March rocket soon. Spacecraft will ferry three men to an orbiting space module where they will stay for three-month. This will be the first time China will send humans into space since 2016.
• World Blood Donor Day was observed on June 14 with the aim of creating awareness about need for safe blood and life-saving components of blood which is required for transfusion.World Blood Donor Day is celebrated on 14th June to mark birthday anniversary of Karl Landsteiner who was born on June 14, 1868. Landsteiner was awarded with Nobel Prize for his discovery of ABO blood group system.This year, world blood donor day is being celebrated under theme- “Give blood and keep the world beating”.