{"id":16852,"date":"2023-07-31T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-31T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/uncategorized\/31-07-2023\/daily-current-affairs-31-07-2023\/"},"modified":"2025-07-12T18:22:59","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T12:52:59","slug":"daily-current-affairs-31-07-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/31-07-2023\/daily-current-affairs-31-07-2023","title":{"rendered":"Daily Current Affairs &#8211; 31-07-2023"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>SC on Condition for bail<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus :GS 2\/Polity and Governance<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>In News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Supreme Court granted bail to activists Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira, charged with the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the Bhima Koregaon violence case.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>About bail<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The\u00a0 bail refers to the conditional release of a person from confinement or custody during investigation and trial.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0It can also be sought during the appellate stage to prevent endless internment during the pendency of appeal though the benefit of the presumption of innocence is not available at the latter stage.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Jurisprudence<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The jurisprudence of bail in post-independent India, is anchored on the bedrock of <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Article 21 of the Constitution<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> which safeguards not only life but also liberty by commanding that liberty can be deprived only through the procedure established by law, which must be \u201cjust, fair and reasonable\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The same procedural law which provides for<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> arrest and incarceration<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, ensures that bail can be sought by an accused through a broad spectrum of provisions ranging from <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>pre-arrest bail to statutory bail.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">While the former envisaged under<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> enables the accused to approach a Sessions court or High Court seeking a direction to release him on bail in case he is arrested on a non-bailable offence, the latter, as conceived under<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> Section 167 of the CrPC, <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">vests with the accused the right to be released if the investigation is not completed within ninety days or sixty days, as the case may be, depending on the severity of the alleged offence.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Key Highlights of recent SC\u2019s directions<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The court\u00a0 proposed to impose appropriate conditions while on bail. which included not leaving Maharashtra, surrendering their passports.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They must also inform an National Investigation Agency (NIA) officer about their address, and their mobile number should be shared with NIA and location must be on at all times.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Court clarified that in case of breach of bail conditions, it will be open for prosecution to move an application seeking cancellation of bail.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Concerns<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The question is whether this condition will offend the rights of the accused under Article 21 [fundamental right to life] of the Constitution,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Location sharing is an undoubtedly intrusive practice which forces accused persons to barter their right to privacy for their liberty.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">No degree of fear in the minds of agencies can sanction a practice where a person remains under a panopticon of surveillance even when outside of prison.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Courts can, and should, consider less intrusive means to secure state interests,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Earlier Judgments<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 2021, the Supreme Court had lashed out against the imposition of \u201conerous\u201d conditions for grant of bail, saying that such terms \u201ctantamount to denial of bail\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Way Ahead<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The courts should maintain a balance between the personal liberty of the accused and the investigational right of the police while examining the question of bail and imposing conditions.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The SC Bench has scheduled the case for hearing on August 14.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Source:<\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/location-sharing-as-a-condition-for-bail-a-look-into-two-supreme-court-orders-just-a-week-apart\/article67139405.ece#:~:text=%E2%80%9CLocation%20sharing%20is%20an%20undoubtedly,even%20when%20outside%20of%20prison.\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><u>TH<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>Tehseen Poonawala judgment on Mob Lynching<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ Governance, GS3\/ Extremism, Security<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Context<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Supreme Court (SC) of India directed the seven remedial measures in its judgment<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> \u2018Tehseen Poonawala 2018<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u2019 to States because of their lax response to lynching.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>About<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">SC has asked the Ministry of Home Affairs and the several state governments <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>to respond to a petition <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">questions their inaction against mob violence and lynching of Muslims by cowvigilantes over the past five years, despite <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>a previous Supreme Court judgment in Tehseen Poonawala versus Union of India in 2018 against vigilantism.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The petition seeks an examination of police apathy, constitutional violations, and a breach of &#8220;duty of care&#8221; towards the victims, along with immediate interim compensation and a &#8220;minimum uniform amount&#8221; for the victims of such violence.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 624px;\" cellspacing=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #fff2cc; vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid #000000;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Mob Lynching<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It is illegal activity done by the crowd of people who turn aggressive and kill an individual on the assumption that he is a criminal and hold him guilty without any legal trial.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>About Tehseen Poonawala judgment<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>t is the \u201csacrosanct duty\u201d of the State to protect the lives of its citizens, <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">and declared that the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>authorities of the States have the \u201cprincipal obligation\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> to see that vigilantism.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It said spiralling incidents of lynchings, and the gruesome visuals aired through social media have compelled the court to reflect on <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>\u201cwhether the populace of a great Republic like ours has lost the values of tolerance to sustain a diverse culture\u201d.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Bystander apathy<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, numbness of the mute spectators of the scene of the crime, the inertia of the law enforcing machinery to prevent such crimes and nip them in the bud and grandstanding of the incident by the perpetrators of the crimes, including in the social media, aggravates the entire problem, the court noted.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The judgement warned that vigilantes usher in anarchy, chaos, disorder and, eventually, there is an emergence of a violent society. \u201cVigilantism cannot, by any stretch of imagination, be given room to take shape\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Seven remedial directions given by the SC to States<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The appointment of <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>a designated nodal officer<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, not below the rank of Superintendent of Police for taking measures to prevent prejudice-motivated crimes like mob violence and lynching.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>immediate lodging of an FIR<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> if an incident of lynching or mob-violence comes to the notice of the local police. It is the duty of the Station House Officer who has registered the FIR to inform the nodal officer in the district, who in turn should ensure that the families of the victims are spared of any further harassment.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The investigation of the crime should be personally <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>monitored by the nodal officer<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> and the investigation and chargesheet are filed within the stipulated period inlaw.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">There should be a <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>scheme to compensate victims<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> of such prejudice-motivated violence.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Any failure to comply with the court\u2019s directions by a police or district administration officer would be considered as an \u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>act of deliberate negligence and\/or misconduct for which appropriate action must be taken against him\/her and not limited to departmental action under the service rules\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The departmental action shall be taken to its <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>logical conclusion<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> preferably <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>within six months.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">States should take <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>disciplinary action<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> against their officials if they did not did not prevent the incident an incident of mob lynching, despite having prior knowledge of it, or where the incident has alreadyoccurred, such official (s) did not promptly apprehend and institutecriminal proceedings against the culprits.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Source: <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><u>TH<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>Worldcoin Project<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Science &amp; Technology<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>In News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Recently, the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>OpenAI CEO Sam Altman <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">took to Twitter to formally re-introduce <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Worldcoin, a project <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">of his that was <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>eclipsed by the popularity of ChatGPT.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Background<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Altman previously introduced the beta <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>version of Worldcoin in October 2021<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">. In December 2022, Altman launched <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>OpenAI\u2019s chatbot ChatGPT<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">. This project captured global attention and Altman has since become a person of note in the booming artificial intelligence industry.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>What is Worldcoin?<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It is an initiative to create a digital network in which everyone can claim some kind of stake, and join the digital economy.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Using a device called \u201cOrb,\u201d Worldcoin volunteers known as<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> \u2018Orb operators\u2019 <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">scan a person\u2019s iris pattern to collect their biometric data and help them get a World ID through the World app.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">With the app, scanned participants can collect a<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> cryptocurrency called Worldcoin [WLD] <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">at regular intervals or make transactions with their World ID where possible. This process is called<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> \u201cproof of personhood\u201d.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>How does Worldcoin work?<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Worldcoin relies on volunteers called \u201cOrb operators\u201d who use a device called \u201cOrb\u201d to scan people\u2019s iris patterns and collect their biometric data.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Participants receive a World ID through the World app after getting their irises scanned. This unique ID allows them to claim Worldcoin cryptocurrency and conduct transactions.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Scanning irises ensures that people cannot sign up multiple times to receive more crypto rewards.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Users can collect WLD at regular intervals or use it for transactions, similar to a standard digital currency.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Risks Involved<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The legality of [Worldcoin\u2019s data] collection seems questionable, as do the conditions for storing biometric data.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Reports indicated that Worldcoin scanned underprivileged people\u2019s irises in emerging economies during the COVID-19 pandemic, raising ethical questions about informed consent and rewards for scans.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Worldcoin in India<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Worldcoin lists 18 locations \u2014 largely in Delhi, Noida, and Bangalore \u2014 where Orb operators are scanning people\u2019s eyes. Some locations include popular malls and metro stations in these cities.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 2009, Government of India launched Aadhar Card to provide a unique identity to the citizens of the country. It was meant to help the government fund a number of social welfare schemes and programs that are focused on the poor and most vulnerable sections of society and to streamline delivery mechanisms under welfare schemes, thereby ensuring transparency and efficiency. WorldCoin\u2019s goal is pretty much similar to that but on a global level. It aims to give back the wealth generated by AI back to society.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Source: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/technology\/worldcoin-what-is-sam-altman-biometric-project-how-does-it-work-in-india\/article67134353.ece\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/ Society, GS4\/ Case Studies\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Context<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">PM Modi in his \u2018Mann Ki Baat\u2019 <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>hails the fight against drugs,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> and speaks about transformation in <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Bichharpur village in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh (Mini Brazil)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, which was infamous for illicit liquor.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Key Points<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">On <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>August 15, 2020,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> the Centre had launched the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, which had so far reached more than 11 crore people.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">India had created a unique record of destroying 10 lakh kg of drugs worth \u00e2\u201a\u00b912,000 crore in the past year. Just about two weeks ago, 1.5 lakh kg of seized drugs was destroyed.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Case of Bichharpur village in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Despite limited resources, <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Raees Ahmed,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> a former national player and coach, <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>started teaching football to the local youth<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">. Within a few years, football became popular in the village, now known as <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>\u201cMini Brazil\u201d.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">More than 40 national and State-level players have emerged from Bicharpur. This football revolution is now slowly spreading in the entire region. Over 1,200 football clubs have been formed in Shahdol and surrounding areas. A tribal area which was known for illicit liquor \u2026 has now become the football nursery of the country.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ahead of Independence Day, the government aimed to launch <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>\u201cMeri Mati Mera Desh&#8221; campaign<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> <span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>to honour the bravehearts<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> who made the supreme sacrifice for the country.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Under this, 7,500 urns carrying soil from different parts of India, besides saplings, would be bought and used for developing Amrit Vatika near the National War Memorial in Delhi.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Source: <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><u>TH<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>Human Challenge Studies<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Health<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>In News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Bioethics Unit of the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">posted the consensus policy statement for the<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> ethical conduct of human challenge studies<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, in India.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>What is Human Challenge Studies?<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Human challenge studies are also known as <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>controlled human infection studies (CHIS).<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In these studies, <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>human beings are exposed to diseases<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> to understand the various facets of infectious microbes and the diseases or conditions caused by such pathogens.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Global scenario<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Globally, these studies have been carried out for <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>hundreds of years;<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>yellow fever study in the early 1900s<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, for instance, established that mosquitoes transmitted the yellow fever virus.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Many countries, including low-and middle-income countries such as <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Colombia, Kenya, Tanzania and Thailand<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, have carried out human challenge studies.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>India has not undertaken such trials<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> before and will be collaborating with scientists and institutions outside India who have been conducting such studies.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Human Clinical Trials vs Human Challenge Studies<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Participants in traditional clinical trials are strongly <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>advised to adopt and adhere to safety measures <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">to avoid getting infected and any exposure to the microbes and infection arising in the participants from such an exposure is left to chance. The opposite is the case with human challenge studies where <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Volunteers are deliberately exposed to disease-causing pathogens.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Traditional clinical trials are undertaken <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>to study the safety and efficacy of drugs and vaccines,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> whereas human challenge studies are carried out to <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>understand the various facets of infection and disease pathogenesis<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> besides selecting the best candidate drug or vaccine.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">While the adverse effects of the candidate drugs or vaccines are not known in both the studies (safety is evaluated for the first time in humans during the phase-1 stage of a traditional trial), volunteers in a human challenge trial face an <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>additional risk when deliberately exposed to the pathogen<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Finally, human challenge studies are often undertaken to study<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> \u201cless deadly diseases\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> such as influenza, dengue, typhoid, cholera and malaria, unlike in traditional clinical studies.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Need of undertaking human challenge studies<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> disease burden and mortality<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> from infectious diseases is significantly high at around 30% in India.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It will help <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>supplement traditional human clinical trials<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> and speed up the process of finding safe and effective interventions in the form of drugs and\/or vaccines.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It will vastly help in providing <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>better insight into multiple aspects<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> of even well-studied pathogens, infection, transmission, disease pathogenesis and prevention.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Since many infectious diseases are endemic in several developing countries, and resistance to existing drugs is increasing, there is a pressing need to find <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>more effective medical interventions.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Special safeguards for reducing harm to participants<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Except in very rare cases, as in the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, the infectious agents that are tested in human challenge studies<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> are well-known and studied.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> To reduce harm to the participants, <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>a weaker or less virulent form of the pathogen is used.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The other important requirement is the availability of a \u2018<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>rescue remedy\u2019 <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">to prevent the disease from progressing to its severe form. An exception was the reliance on remdesivir as a rescue remedy for participants in the studies involving SARS-CoV-2 virus even when the substantial mortality benefit of remdesivir was not known.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Ethical Challenges<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The participants in a human challenge trial are <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>deliberately exposed<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> to a disease-causing pathogen <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>that makes it ethically more challenging.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Participants with pre-existing medical conditions are to be excluded but very often people are unaware of many medical conditions. This makes it essential to carry out <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>detailed medical examinations of the participants before enrolment.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Assured payment<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> over and above reimbursement of the expenses may serve as an inducement and, in turn, to<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> exploitation.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> Enticing people to participate by advertising the amount of money that volunteers will be paid is quite common in traditional clinical trials.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It remains to be seen how <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>\u201cinformed\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> will be the informed consent, given the compulsion to get people enrolled in the new research methodology. The HPV vaccine trial in 2010 became notorious as informed consent requirements were flagrantly violated, as also during the Covaxin trial in Bhopal in 2020-2021.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>ICMR consensus statement<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The ICMR consensus statement has clearly mentioned that <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>only healthy individuals in the 18-45 years age bracke<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">t are to be enrolled.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Children and women who are pregnant, lactating or planning to conceive within the study period will not be enrolled; children will be included when \u201cdeemed appropriate\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Information on payment for participation should be mentioned in the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>consent form<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> but the exact amount of payment for participation is to be revealed \u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>only after the volunteer has consented to participate\u201d.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Source: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><strong><u>TH<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>Australia\u2019s Cocos Islands<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ India &amp; Foreign Relations, International Organisations &amp; Groupings<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>In News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">An <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Indian Navy Dornier maritime patrol aircraft<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> and an <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130 transport aircraft<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> visited Australia\u2019s<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> Cocos (Keeling) Islands (CKI).\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>About<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The move aims to<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> expand the strategic reach of the Indian military<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> and improve interoperability with Australia.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>India\u2019s access to CKI as well as Christmas Island<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, which is even closer to the strategic choke points, would significantly enhance the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>on-station time of the Indian Navy\u2019s P-8Is to monitor movement<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">s into the Indian Ocean.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Cocos (Keeling) Islands (CKI)<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The island is located in the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Southern Indian Ocean<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, close to Indonesia and strategic maritime choke points.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The\u00a0 CKI is an<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> Australian external territory located in the Indian Ocean<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, approximately 3,000 km north-west of Perth in western Australia.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The island comprises <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>two coral atolls <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">made up of<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> 27 smaller islands<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Significance for India<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Cocos can be an important base<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> for refuelling and <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Operational Turnaround for the Indian military<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, especially once the runway there is expanded to accommodate large aircraft like the P-8 long range maritime patrol aircraft.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Cocos Islands had been a<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> point of cooperation between the space agencies of the two countries<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> for India\u2019s Gaganyaan human space flight mission.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Australia\u2019s active support in establishing a temporary ground station at CKI for the Gaganyaan missions<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> offers potential opportunities for cooperation in earth observation, satellite navigation, space situational awareness, weather and climate studies using satellite data.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>India-Australia Defence Relations<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">India and Australia have also been holding exercises focussed on <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>anti-submarine warfare <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">with <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>P-8 aircraft<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> being cross-deployed.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The fourth such iteration was held in the first week of July with Australian Air Force P-8A deployed to I.N.S. Rajali Naval Air Station in Tamil Nadu.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Australia is set to host the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Malabar multilateral naval exercise<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> for the first time this year, including India, Australia, Japan and the U.S.<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>, at Sydney<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>India-Australia defence cooperation has been one of the fastest growing<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> in recent years with a series of exchanges, high-level visits and exercises, both bilateral and multilateral.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In addition, Maritime Domain Awareness, subsurface domain awareness, and anti-submarine warfare, have been major focus areas for the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Quad group of countries<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> in the backdrop of the rapid expansion of Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean Region.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">India and Australia signed a <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Mutual Logistics Support agreement in 2020<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, and the two Navies had signed the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>\u2018Joint Guidance for the India \u2013 Australia Navy to Navy Relationship\u2019 document<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> in August 2021.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Source: TH<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>The Cell- free DNA<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Biotechnology<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Context<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is a useful technique that is being used by researchers all over the world to better understand human diseases and enhance diagnosis, monitoring, and prognosis.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>What is Cell-free DNA?<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Small nucleic acid fragments known as CfDNA are discovered in bodily fluids outside of cells after being discharged from cells.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It was initially noticed in the blood of pregnant women in the late 1940s, which is when it was first discovered.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Cell death and other physiological processes, for example, can both manufacture and release cfDNA from the cells.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Several disease processes, including autoimmune conditions like systemic lupus erythematosus, are linked to the release of cfDNA.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>How is Cell Free DNA different from Normal DNA?<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<div>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 624px;\" cellspacing=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid #000000;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Cell Free DNA<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid #000000;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Normal DNA<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It is found in the bloodstream and other fluids present in the body.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Found within the cell nucleus or mitochondria.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It is used in Forensic for DNA profiling and investigations.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It is not used in Forensic.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It exists in Fragmented form.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It exists in the form of a double helix structure.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It can be used in detecting infectious diseases.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It is not used for detecting infectious diseases.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Applications of cfDNA<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing:\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">One of the most widely used applications of cfDNA has been in screening fetuses for specific chromosomal abnormalities.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The availability of affordable genome-sequencing approaches will allow clinicians to sequence cfDNA fragments that correspond to foetal DNA.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They can then use it to understand specific chromosomal abnormalities that involve changes in the chromosomal copy number.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Such changes can lead to conditions like Down\u2019s syndrome, which is due to a change in chromosome 21 .<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Monitoring Cancer:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Researchers have developed a new test they have dubbed \u2018Genome-wide Mutational Incidence for Non-Invasive detection of cancer\u2019, or \u2018GEMINI\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This is a type of genetic mutation that, when combined with machine-learning approaches, could provide a way to detect cancer early.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Using a particular machine-learning model, some genomic data, and data from a computed tomography (CT) scan, the researchers could successfully detect lung cancer.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It was discovered to be able to identify over 300 people who had a very high risk of acquiring lung cancer.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Organ Transplant:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> Using cfDNA applications, it may be possible to determine why the body is rejecting a transplanted organ. Here, donor-derived cfDNA, also known as dd-cfDNA, can be used to obtain an early yet precise estimation of how well the organ is being assimilated.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Other Uses:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> CfDNA could be employed as a biomarker for metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, as well as neurological disorders like Alzheimer&#8217;s disease, neuronal tumors, stroke, and traumatic brain damage.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Source: The Hindu<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>Facts In News<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).\u00a0<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus :GS 2\/Polity and Governance<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>In News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Former director-in-charge of the National Institute of Technology &#8211; Tiruchi G. Kannabiran has been appointed as the new director of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>About National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It was established in <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>1994 <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">as an autonomous institution of the University Grants Commission (UGC) with its HeadQuarter in Bengaluru.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The NAAC functions through its General Council (GC) and Executive Committee (EC) comprising educational administrators, policy makers and senior academicians from a cross-section of the Indian higher education system. The Chairperson of the UGC is the President of the GC of the NAAC, the Chairperson of the EC is an eminent academician nominated by the President of GC (NAAC).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Mandates : <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It conducts assessment and accreditation of Higher Educational Institutions (HEI) such as colleges, universities or other recognised institutions to derive an understanding of the \u2018Quality Status\u2019 of the institution.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It evaluates the institutions for its conformance to the standards of quality in terms of its performance related to the educational processes and outcomes, curriculum coverage, teaching-learning processes, faculty, research, infrastructure, learning resources, organisation, governance, financial well being and student services.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Source:<\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/tamil-nadu\/g-kannabiran-founding-director-of-iiit-sri-city-takes-over-as-naac-director\/article67138486.ece\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><u>TH<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>\u00a0International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus :GS 2\/Polity and Governance<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>In News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Central government has suspended the Director of the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), K.S. James, citing irregularity in recruitment.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>About\u00a0 International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, formerly known as the Demographic Training and Research Centre (DTRC) till 1970, was established in July 1956 under the joint sponsorship of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, the Government of India and the United Nations.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0The Institute is under the administrative control of the<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> Government of India.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It serves as a regional centre for Training and Research in Population Studies for the ESCAP region.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0It was declared as a &#8216;Deemed to be University&#8217; on August 14, 1985, under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Functions :\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It holds a unique position among all the regional population centres.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It was the first such centre started, and it serves a much larger population than any of the other regional centres.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It conducts important studies like the National Family Health Survey, Assessment of National Rural Health Mission, and the Global Adult Tobacco Survey.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Institute is the hub of population and health-related teaching and research in India, playing a vital role for planning and development of the country.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Source:<\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/iips-directors-suspension-decried-by-opposition-members-scientific-community\/article67138580.ece\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><u>TH<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>ULLAS mobile application<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Skill Development<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>News:<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">On the sidelines of Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam 2023 , the Union Minister of Education launched a mobile application of <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>ULLAS: Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>About ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society)<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It will focus on <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>promoting functional literacy, vocational skills, and many important life skills <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">like financial literacy, legal literacy, digital literacy, and empowerment of citizens to involve in nation-building of the country.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It imparts these skills<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> to citizens aged 15 and above who lost the opportunity to go to school.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> It is being implemented through <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>volunteerism<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It will serve as a <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>digital gateway for learners <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">to engage in diverse learning resources through the DIKSHA portal of NCERT.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The ULLAS initiative is poised to revolutionise education and literacy across the nation, by<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> fostering a learning ecosystem<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> that reaches every individual, bridging the gaps in basic literacy and critical life skills.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It marks a significant milestone in <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>harnessing the potential of technology<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> to facilitate widespread access to basic literacy.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Source: <\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1944168\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><u>PIB\u00a0<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>Conjunctivitis<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Health<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>In News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">With persistent rain, <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>cases of conjunctivitis, or \u2018pink eye\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, are on the rise in several parts of India.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Conjunctivitis<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>About:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Conjunctivitis refers to the<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> inflammation or infection of the conjunctiva<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> i.e. the thin,<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> transparent layer<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> of tissue that lines the inner surface of the eyelid and covers the white part of the eye.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Causes:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Viral Conjunctivitis: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Can be caused by a number of different viruses, such as <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>adenoviruses<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">. It is <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>very contagious<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> and sometimes can <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>result in large outbreaks <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">depending on the virus.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Bacterial Conjunctivitis: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Can be caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>can spread easily<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, it is <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>more common in kids<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> as compared to adults.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Allergic Conjunctivitis: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The result of the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>body\u2019s reaction to allergens,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> such as pollen from trees, plants, grasses, and weeds; dust mites; molds; dander from pets; medicines; or cosmetics. It is <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>not contagious.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Treatment<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Treatment usually involves <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>management of symptoms. <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Doctors advise against taking medicines without medical guidance.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The infection will usually clear up in<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> 5 to 14 days without treatment<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> and without any long-term consequences.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Source: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/everyday-explainers\/conjunctivitis-cases-on-the-rise-what-is-this-infection-8867922\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><strong><u>IE<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>Migraine<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Health<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Context<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">One in two people suffer from a headache disorder, while around 15% of people globally suffer from migraines.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>About: Migraine<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It is <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>a disease of hypersensitivity<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> having abnormal sensitive neuronal connections, primarily affecting the brain and it involves the whole body.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It attacks are thought <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>to originate from abnormal electrical excitability<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> in sensory neurons in the meninges, layers of membrane that protects the brain.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When sensitized, these neurons send signals to the brain which trigger headache pain, photophobia, and other symptoms.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">These neurons are also close to blood vessels, which is why headaches can feel like they pulse along with your heartbeat.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It is <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>aggravated by the immune, digestive and cardiovascular systems<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, that means if anyone targets one aspect of migraine with <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>analgesics [pain-relief]<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, then it is not likely to alleviate all symptoms and improve the patient&#8217;s quality of life.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>How do you treat migraine?<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Calcitonin Gene-related Peptide (CGRP)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> <span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>monoclonal antibodies:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> These medications<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> block the action of a protein ie CGRP<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, which plays an important role in the development of migraine symptoms, sensitizing neurons in the meninges.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Triptans:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> A class of medications which <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>bind to certain types of serotonin receptors<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> in the body and causes pain-relieving effects. <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Analgesics like paracetamol or aspirin can be effective in reducing headache pain, but don&#8217;t tend to help reducing chronic migraine symptoms<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Source: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><strong><u>IE<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Supreme Court granted bail to activists Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira, charged with the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the Bhima Koregaon violence case.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[28,29],"class_list":["post-16852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs","tag-indian-express","tag-thehindu"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16852","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\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16852"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16852\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16857,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16852\/revisions\/16857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}