National
Karbi Agreement

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the agreement + about KAAC) + Mains ( GS II Centre- state relations + GS III internal security)
What's the NEWS

• A tripartite agreement among five insurgent groups of Assam, the Centre and the State government was signed to end years of violence in the Karbi Anglong region.
• Under the peace accord, more than 1,000 armed cadres have abjured violence and joined the mainstream. The agreement provides for their rehabilitation.
• The Centre will make available a special development package of ₹1,000 crore over the next five years, for the Assam government to undertake specific projects for the development of Karbi areas

Know! about the Salient features of the Agreement:

• It will ensure greater devolution of autonomy to the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, protection of identity, language, culture, etc. of Karbi people and focussed development of the Council area, without affecting the territorial and administrative integrity of Assam.
• The Karbi armed groups have agreed to abjure violence and join the peaceful democratic process as established by law of the land.
• The Agreement also provides for rehabilitation of cadres of the armed groups.
• The Government of Assam shall set up a Karbi Welfare Council for focussed development of Karbi people living outside KAAC area.
• The Consolidated Fund of the State will be augmented to supplement the resources of KAAC.
• Overall, the present settlement proposes to give more legislative, executive, administrative and financial powers to KAAC.

Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC)

• It is an autonomous district council in the state of Assam, India for development and protection of tribals living in area namely Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong district.
• The council is constituted under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India and administratively functions under the Government of Assam.
• It has administrative functions over two district, Karbi Anglong district and West Karbi Anglong district.

Defence
EXERCISE SIMBEX 2021

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about SIMBEX)
What's the NEWS

• The 28^th edition of Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) was conducted from 02 to 04 Sep 21.
• Initiated in 1994, SIMBEX is the Indian Navy's longest uninterrupted bilateral maritime exercise with any foreign navy.
• This year's edition of SIMBEX is also a special occasion as it takes place during the ongoing celebrations of the 75^th year of India's independence.
• This year's SIMBEX was planned without any physical interactions as an ‘at-sea only' exercise hosted by the RSN in the southern fringes of the South China Sea.

Science and Technology
National Level Exhibition of the INSPIRE Awards - MANAK

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the INSPIRE Awards - MANAK scheme + about INSPIRE scheme )
What's the NEWS

• A total of 581 school students from across the country showcased their innovative ideas at the 8th National Level Exhibition and Project Competition (NLEPC) under a government initiative aimed at fostering a culture of creativity and innovative thinking among children.
• The eighth edition of NLEPC,showcases innovative ideas of the students selected under the INSPIRE Awards - MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge) programme during 2019-20. It had to be deferred last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• More than 1,000 students attended the online programme which will continue for five days.

Objective

• To ignite a million young minds, making them part of the larger innovation-driven science and technology development within the country.
• MANAK connects students with bright ideas across the country and facilitates communication with the ignited minds.
• They put their ideas forward, discuss it with teachers and mentors and help solve problems of the common people

The INSPIRE Awards - MANAK scheme

• It is aligned with the ‘Start-up India' initiative launched by thePrime Minister of India.
• The scheme aims to motivate students in the age group of 10-15 years and studying in classes 6 to 10 to become future innovators and critical thinkers.
• It believes that once the original ideas and innovations rooted in Science and Technology by students get incubated, it will foster a culture of creativity and innovative thinking among school children.

Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research' (INSPIRE) scheme

• It is one of the flagship programmes of Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India.
• The INSPIRE Awards - MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge), being executed by DST with National Innovation Foundation - India (NIF), an autonomous body of DST, aims to motivate students in the age group of 10-15 years and studying in classes 6 to 10.
• The objective of the scheme is to target one million original ideas/innovations rooted in science and societal applications to foster a culture of creativity and innovative thinking among school children.
• Under this scheme, schools can nominate 5 best original ideas/innovations of students through this website till 15^th October,2021.

Health/Science and technology
CORBEVAX receives DCGI approval for Two Clinical Trials

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Mission COVID Suraksha + about CORBEVAX + about BIRAC)
What's the NEWS

• Department of Biotechnology Mission COVID Suraksha Supported Biological E Limited Novel Covid-19 Vaccine candidate - CORBEVAX receives DCGI approval for Two Clinical Trials"

Know! about CORBEVAX ( developed by Biological E. Limited.)

• The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and its PSU, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) have supported Biological E.'s COVID-19 Vaccine candidate from Preclinical Stage to Phase III clinical studies.
• In addition to receiving financial assistance under Mission COVID Suraksha, this vaccine candidate has also obtained a financial support under COVID-19 Research Consortia through National Biopharma Mission, BIRAC.
• Biological E. Limited. has received Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approval for conducting Phase III Comparator Safety & Immunogenicity trial in adults after Subject Expert Committee's (SEC) review of Phase I and II clinical trials data.
• Additionally, Biological E. also received approval to initiate the Phase II/III Study to evaluate Safety, Reactogenicity, Tolerability and Immunogenicity of CORBEVAX^TM vaccine in Children and Adolescents.
• The candidate is a RBD protein sub-unit vaccine.

Mission COVID Suraksha

• Mission COVID Suraksha launched under Atma Nirbhar Bharat package 3.0 being implemented by BIRAC, is committed to development of safe and efficacious COVID-19 vaccines.

Know about DBT

• The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), under the Ministry of Science & Technology, promotes and accelerates the development of biotechnology in India, including growth and application of biotechnology in the areas of agriculture, healthcare, animal sciences, environment and industry.

Know! about BIRAC:

• Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is a not-for-profit Section 8, Schedule B, Public Sector Enterprise, set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India as an Interface Agency to strengthen and empower the emerging Biotech enterprise to undertake strategic research and innovation, addressing nationally relevant product development needs

Know! about BIOLOGICAL E. LIMITED

• Biological E. Limited (BE), a Hyderabad-based Pharmaceuticals & Biologics Company founded in 1953, is the first private sector biological products company in India and the first pharmaceutical company in Southern India.
• BE develops, manufactures and supplies vaccines and therapeutics.
• BE supplies its vaccines to over 100 countries and its therapeutic products are sold in India and the USA. BE currently has 8 WHO-prequalified vaccines in its portfolio.

Defence
INS HANSA MARKS DIAMOND JUBILEE

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about INS HANSA)
What's the NEWS

• INS Hansa, the Indian Navy's premier air station, is celebrating its diamond jubilee on 05 Sep 2021.

Know! all about INS Hansa

• The Naval Jet Flight set up at Coimbatore in 1958 with Sea Hawk, Alize and Vampire aircraft, was later commissioned as INS Hansa on 05 September 1961.
• After the liberation of Goa, Dabolim airfield was taken over by the Navy in Apr 1962 and INS Hansa shifted to Dabolim June 1964.
• The air station also supports civil aviation by handling domestic and international flights 24x7, with an average of 29000 flights in a year.
• INS Hansa is the abode of the Indian Navy's frontline air squadrons - INAS 310 'Cobras' with Dornier-228 aircraft, INAS 315 'Winged Stallions' with the long range maritime patrol aircraft IL-38SD, INAS 339 'Falcons' with the airborne early warning Kamov-31 helicopter; INAS 303 'Black Panthers' and INAS 300 ' White Tigers' with the supersonic carrier-borne MiG 29K fighters, and INAS 323 ‘Harriers' with ALH Mk III helicopters.
• The air station will soon operate the Boeing P8I long range maritime reconnaissance aircraft with the commissioning of INAS 316.
• The base has also provided substantial aid to civil authorities in the form of search and rescue, HADR, flood relief, community activities and numerous Vande Bharat flights.
• INS Hansa is the host for the prestigious event of presentation of President's Colour to naval aviation by the Hon'ble President of India on 06 September 2021.
• The event coincides with the diamond jubilee of INS Hansa and the liberation of Goa.

Health
A case of Nipah Virus detected in Kozhikode district of Kerala

Relevance IN - Prelims ( all about Nipah Virus)
What's the NEWS

• A case of Nipah virus has been detected in Kozhikode district of Kerala.

Know! all about Nipah Virus

• Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic virus (it is transmitted from animals to humans) and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between people. (Human-to-human transmission of Nipah virus has been reported)
• In infected people, it causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis.
• The virus can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers.
• Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are the natural host of Nipah virus.
• There is no treatment or vaccine available for either people or animals. The primary treatment for humans is supportive care.
• Nipah virus was first recognized in 1999 during an outbreak among pig farmers in, Malaysia.
• Signs and symptoms-Infected people initially develop symptoms including fever, headaches, myalgia (muscle pain), vomiting and sore throat.
• The incubation period (interval from infection to the onset of symptoms) is believed to range from 4 to 14 days.
• The case fatality rate is estimated at 40% to 75%.
• The main tests used are real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from bodily fluids and antibody detection via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
• There are currently no drugs or vaccines specific for Nipah virus infection

Prelims Factoids
INS TABAR'S VISIT TO ALEXANDRIA

Relevance IN - Prelims ( locations - Alexandria harbour and Mohamed Naguib military base) + about Indian warships on a goodwill visit + about Exercise Bright Star 2021
What's the NEWS

• INS Tabar Reaches Alexandria Port As A Part Of International Maritime Partnership Exercise
• INS Tabar visited nine countries as part of her ongoing goodwill exercise.
• The third of the Talwar-calas frigate of the Indian Navy was an integral part of the international Maritime Partnership Exercise with Algerian Navy ship 'Ezzadjer.'

Indian warships on a goodwill visit

• Indian warships including INS Mysore, INS Tabar, INS Ganga, and INS Aditya have been deployed on a goodwill visit to several maritime nations of Africa and the Indian Ocean.
• The highly equipped naval warships held exercises with the international navies and coast guards of Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Seychelles, and Mauritius besides making port calls at Reunion Island and Mozambique to consolidate bilateral relations and interoperability at the sea.
• The visits aim to demonstrate the Indian Navy's blue water capability to deploy, operate and sustain a maritime task force well away from home for an extended duration.

Know! also about Exercise Bright Star 2021

• Operation Bright Star is the largest set of multinational army maneuvers in the Middle East, which began in 1981 between Egypt and the US, before a large number of countries joined them, reaching 21 this year.
• The most important characteristic of these exercises is the participation of the various branches of the naval and air defense forces, as well as infantry, armored vehicles, electronic warfare and others.
• Bright Star is a series of military training exercises hosted in Egypt in cooperation with the U.S. every two years.
• The drill, held on the Mohamed Naguib military base at the Mediterranean Sea
• It was last held in 2018, as the training was canceled in 2020 due to the Covid-19.
• Bright Star was launched as part of the U.S.-brokered peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.
• Many European and Arab countries participate in the comprehensive training that brings together all military departments.( India is not a participant, INS Tabar paid a visit to Egypt's Alexandria harbour in the backdrop of India's ongoing overseas deployment)

Persons in NEWS(PIN)
V. O. Chidambaram Pillai

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about V. O. Chidambaram Pillai)
What's the NEWS

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has remembered freedom fighter V. O. Chidambaram Pillai on his Jayanti.
• V. O. Chidambaram Pillai (5 September 1872 - 18 November 1936) is an icon of freedom movement in Tamil Nadu and respected for his sacrifices for the sake of nation.

Know! about V. O. Chidambaram Pillai

• He envisioned a self-reliant India and made key efforts towards it, especially in the ports and shipping sectors.
• V. O. Chidambaram Pillai founded the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company (SSNC) in 1906 to compete against the monopoly of the British India Steam Navigation Company.
•  He launched the first indigenous Indian shipping service between Tuticorin and Colombo with the SSNC, competing against British ships.
• Tuticorin Port Trust, one of India's thirteen major ports, is named after him.
• He was a member of the Indian National Congress
• He was later charged with sedition by the British government and sentenced to life imprisonment

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