{"id":15538,"date":"2021-06-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-05T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/uncategorized\/05-06-2021\/facts-in-news-170\/"},"modified":"2021-06-05T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-06-05T00:00:00","slug":"facts-in-news-170","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/05-06-2021\/facts-in-news-170","title":{"rendered":"Facts in News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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Facts in News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Delta Variant (B.1.617.2)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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Recently, scientists have noted that the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Delta variant (B.1.617.2) is capable of creating <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201cvery fast-rising outbreaks\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • SARS-CoV-2 variant’s <\/span><\/span><\/span>B.1.617 lineage <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>was detected in India earlier this year, 2021.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n
    • Its sub-lineage <\/span><\/span><\/span>B.1.617.2<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> is more<\/span><\/span><\/span> transmissible <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>than<\/span><\/span><\/span> contemporary lineages<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • The <\/span><\/span><\/span>World Health Organization<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> (WHO), which has given it the <\/span><\/span><\/span>label Delta,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> has categorised it as a <\/span><\/span><\/span>Variant Of Concern<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> (VOC).\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
        \n
      • WHO classifies<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> a variant as a VOC when it is <\/span><\/span><\/span>associated with an increase<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> in transmissibility or detrimental change in Covid-19 epidemiology; increase in virulence; or decrease in the effectiveness of public health measures or available diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        What makes the Delta variant a VOC?<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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        • Different variants are characterised by mutations \u2014 or alterations in the virus\u2019s genetic material.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • An RNA virus, such as SARS-CoV-2, is made of about<\/span><\/span><\/span> 30,000 base pairs<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> of <\/span><\/span><\/span>amino acids<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, placed like <\/span><\/span><\/span>bricks next to each other.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • An alteration in any of these bases <\/span><\/span><\/span>causes a mutation,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> effectively <\/span><\/span><\/span>changing the shape and behaviou<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>r of the virus.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • The<\/span><\/span><\/span> Delta variant contains multiple<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span>mutations <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>in the <\/span><\/span><\/span>spike protein<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>. At least <\/span><\/span><\/span>four mutations<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> are important.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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          • L452R was <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>first reported in Denmark in March 2020.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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            • This mutation has been found <\/span><\/span><\/span>more transmissible<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> than <\/span><\/span><\/span>wild-type strains<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and also <\/span><\/span><\/span>has been associated <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>with <\/span><\/span><\/span>reduced antibody efficacy<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and r<\/span><\/span><\/span>educed neutralisation <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>by vaccine sera.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
            • The mutation<\/span><\/span><\/span> P681R <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>has been <\/span><\/span><\/span>associated with chemical processes<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> that may enhance transmissibility.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
            • The <\/span><\/span><\/span>D614G mutation<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> was first <\/span><\/span><\/span>documented in the US<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> early in the pandemic, having initially circulated in Europe.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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              • There is evidence that variants with this mutation spread more quickly.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
              • Another mutation in Delta is<\/span><\/span><\/span> T478K<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
                  \n
                • This was present in around <\/span><\/span><\/span>65 per cent of occurrences in variant<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> B.1.1.222, first detected in Mexico last year and associated with higher infectivity.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

                  Source: TH<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Anti-Hail Guns<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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The Himachal Pradesh government will be testing the use of indigenously developed \u2018<\/span><\/span><\/span>anti-hail guns<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u2019 to help out horticulturists who face crop damage due to hailstorms.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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CIBER-2<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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A <\/span><\/span><\/span>NASA-funded rocket\u2019s launch window<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> will open at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, USA on 6<\/span><\/span><\/span>th<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/span> June.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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  • The <\/span><\/span><\/span>European Space Agency <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>(ESA) infrared space observatory Herschel also counted the number of galaxies in infrared and measured their luminosity previously.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • The <\/span><\/span><\/span>Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment-2, or CIBER-2<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, the mission is the latest in a series of sounding <\/span><\/span><\/span>rocket launches <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>that began in <\/span><\/span><\/span>2009.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • This instrument will launch aboard a <\/span><\/span><\/span>sounding rocket,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> a <\/span><\/span><\/span>small suborbital <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>rocket that will carry scientific instruments on brief trips into space before it falls back to Earth for recovery.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Once above Earth\u2019s atmosphere, <\/span><\/span><\/span>CIBER-2 will survey <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>a patch of sky <\/span><\/span><\/span>about 4 square degrees<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, for reference, the full Moon takes up about half a degree, which includes <\/span><\/span><\/span>dozens of galaxy clusters<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It will not count stars, but it will detect <\/span><\/span><\/span>the diffuse, cosmos-filling glow known as the extragalactic background light.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • From all of this extragalactic background light, the CIBER-2 will focus on a <\/span><\/span><\/span>portion of this called cosmic infrared background<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, which is emitted by some of the most common stars.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Aim: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>To count the number of stars that exist in the Universe.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Blue-Finned Mahseer<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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Recently, <\/span><\/span><\/span>Blue-Finned Mahseer<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> has been moved to the \u2018<\/span><\/span><\/span>least concern<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u2019 status in the <\/span><\/span><\/span>International Union for Conservation of Nature\u2019s<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> (IUCN)<\/span><\/span><\/span> Red List of Endangered Species<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Section 51(b), Disaster Management Act, 2005<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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Recently, the <\/span><\/span><\/span>former Chief Secretary of West Bengal<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> has been served a show-cause notice by the Union Home Ministry under <\/span><\/span><\/span>Section 51 of the Disaster Management <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>(DM) <\/span><\/span><\/span>Act, 2005<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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  • The DM Act came into <\/span><\/span><\/span>existence <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>after the <\/span><\/span><\/span>2004 tsunami<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and was <\/span><\/span><\/span>invoked for the first time<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> in the country in the wake of the<\/span><\/span><\/span> Covid-19 in 2020<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • The Centre invoked the Act through the <\/span><\/span><\/span>National Disaster Management Authority<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> (NDMA), headed by the Prime Minister, to streamline the management of the pandemic, empowering District Magistrates to take decisions and centralise other decisions.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Section 51 (b)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> prescribes \u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span>punishment for obstruction<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201d for <\/span><\/span><\/span>refusal to comply with any direction<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> given by or on behalf of the Central Government or the State government or the National Executive Committee or the State Executive Committee or the District Authority under the Act.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • The <\/span><\/span><\/span>violation shall be punishable<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> with<\/span><\/span><\/span> imprisonment <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>for a term that may <\/span><\/span><\/span>extend to one year <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>or with a <\/span><\/span><\/span>fine <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>or <\/span><\/span><\/span>both <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>upon conviction.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Imprisonment may be <\/span><\/span><\/span>extended to two years<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> if refusal to comply with orders result in loss of lives or imminent danger.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Devika River Project<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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Recently, suggestions have been welcomed on the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Devika Project in Udhampur<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, Jammu and Kashmir.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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  • It was started in <\/span><\/span><\/span>March 2019<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> under the <\/span><\/span><\/span>National River Conservation Plan<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> (NRCP), with an outlay of <\/span><\/span><\/span>Rs. 190 crore<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Development Works Include<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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    • Bathing ghats on the banks of the Devika River, removal of encroachments, restoration of natural water bodies and development of catchment areas along with cremation ground.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Construction of three sewage treatment plants, sewerage network of 129.27 km, development of two cremation ghats, protection fencing and landscaping, small hydropower plants and three solar power plants.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • Significance:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> The project will reduce river pollution and improve water quality.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Devika River<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
        \n
      • It originates in the hills near the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sudh Mahadev temple<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> in <\/span><\/span><\/span>Udhampur <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>and flows down towards the west and <\/span><\/span><\/span>merges with the Ravi river<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • It holds <\/span><\/span><\/span>religious significance<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> as it is revered by Hindus as the<\/span><\/span><\/span> sister of the river Ganga<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

        \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        \u00a0 Facts in News Delta Variant (B.1.617.2) Recently, scientists have noted that the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) is capable of creating \u201cvery fast-rising outbreaks\u201d. SARS-CoV-2 variant’s B.1.617 lineage was detected in India earlier this year, 2021.\u00a0 Its sub-lineage B.1.617.2 is more transmissible than contemporary lineages. The World Health Organization (WHO), which has given it the label […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15539,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[30,26,25,42],"class_list":["post-15538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs","tag-gs-2","tag-gs-3","tag-gs1","tag-literature"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2023\/07\/153514HOD current-affairs.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15538"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15538\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}