Daily Current Capsules 10^th June 2022
Health
India's first COVID vaccine for animals launched
What's the NEWS

• Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare launched Animal Vaccine and other Diagnostic Kits developed by the ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, Haryana.

Know! about Ancovax Vaccine

• The Ancovax Vaccine on Equines is an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Delta (COVID-19) Vaccine for Animals.
• The immunity induced by Ancovax neutralizes both Delta and Omicron Variants of SARS-CoV-2.
• The Vaccine contains inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (Delta) antigen with Alhydrogel as an adjuvant.
• It is safe for dogs, lions, leopards, mice and rabbits.
• Equine Research institute has developed six vaccines and 19 diagnostic technologies for the prevention of infectious diseases in equines and other animals, out of which four have been launched today.
• The diagnostic kits launched today include CAN-CoV-2 ELISA Kit.
• It is a sensitive and specific nucleocapsid protein based indirect ELISA Kit for antibody detection against SARS-CoV-2 in Canines.

Surra ELISA Kit

• The Surra ELISA Kit is a suitable Diagnostic Assay for Trypanosoma evansi infection in multiple animal species.
• The Surra is one of the most important haemoprotozoan diseases of the different livestock species caused by Trypanosoma evansi.
• The disease is prevalent in all the agro-climatic parts of India.

Equine DNA Parentage Testing Kit

• The Equine DNA Parentage Testing Kit is a powerful genomic technology for parentage analysis.
• The Parentage among the Horses can be definitely established using Multiplex PCR Technology to compare allele sizes.
• At ICAR-NRC on Equines, an optimized 21 DNA Market Panel is being used for Parentage testing.

International

IAEA's 35-nation board passes resolution chiding Iran on uranium traces
@iaeaorg

What's the NEWS

• The UN nuclear watchdog, IAEA's 35-nation board of governors passed a resolution criticizing Iran for failing to explain uranium traces at undeclared sites.
• The resolution was submitted by the UK, France, Germany and the US to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and was backed by 30 countries.
• Only Russia and China opposed the move.
• Iran condemned the resolution.
• Iran had said, it disconnected two IAEA cameras which monitor its nuclear sites prior to the adoption of the resolution
• The motion is the first to chide Iran over its nuclear ambitions since 2020.
• It comes as talks to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) remain stalled.
• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
• The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
• Though IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957 through its own international treaty, the IAEA Statute, the IAEA reports to both the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.
• It is based in Vienna.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or Iran nuclear deal or Iran deal

• It is an agreement on the Iranian nuclear program reached in Vienna on 14 July 2015, between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council-China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States-plus Germany)[a] together with the European Union.
• Formal negotiations toward JCPOA began with the adoption of the Joint Plan of Action, an interim agreement signed between Iran and the P5+1 countries in November 2013.
• Iran and the P5+1 countries engaged in negotiations for the next 20 months and, in April 2015, agreed on a framework for the final agreement.
• In July 2015, Iran and the P5+1 confirmed agreement on the plan, along with the "Roadmap Agreement" between Iran and the IAEA.
• In May 2018 the United States withdrew from JCPOA
• Iran had moved closer to developing a nuclear weapon since the American withdrawal.

Environment
Re-introduction of cheetahs

 

What's the NEWS

• India is set to bring cheetahs from South Africa to Madhya Pradesh's Kuno-Palpur National Park by August this year.

Know! about Cheetah

• The cheetah is the only large carnivore to have gone extinct in India, primarily due to hunting and habitat loss.
• In 1952, the Indian government officially declared the Cheetah extinct in the country.
• There are two sub-species of cheetahs recognized today, the Asiatic (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) and the African (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus).
• A 10 sq km enclosure has reportedly been readied in the national park and would soon house at least 6 cheetahs.
• A plan is underway to introduce 8-10 cheetahs every year.
• If the re-introduction of cheetahs into the wild is successful, it would mark the culmination of a decades-long process.
• The State Wildlife Board of Andhra Pradesh was the first to suggest the policy in 1955, on an experimental basis in two districts of the state.

Government Initiatives
BIOTECH STARTUP EXPO - 2022

 

What's the NEWS

• The Prime Minister inaugurated the Biotech Startup Expo - 2022 and also launched Biotech products e portal.

Expo Highlights

• India's bio-economy has grown 8 times in the last 8 years.
• It has grown from $10 billion to $80 billion.
• India is not too far from reaching the league of top-10 countries in Biotech's global ecosystem
• Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) contributed in the development of the sector in the country.

There are five big reasons why India is being considered a land of opportunities in the field of biotech.

• First- diverse population and diverse climatic zones
• Second- India's talented human capital pool
• Third- increasing efforts for ease of doing business in India.
• Fourth- The demand for Bio-Products is increasing continuously in India
• Fifth- India's Biotech Sector and its track record of success.

Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC)

• It is a not-for-profit Section 8, Schedule B, Public Sector Enterprise, set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India
• It is an Interface Agency to strengthen and empower the emerging Biotech enterprise to undertake strategic research and innovation, addressing nationally relevant product development needs.
• BIRAC is a industry-academia interface and implements its mandate through a wide range of impact initiatives, be it providing access to risk capital through targeted funding, technology transfer, IP management and handholding schemes that help bring innovation excellence to the biotech firms and make them globally competitive.

Key Strategies
 Foster innovation and entrepreneurship
 Promote affordable innovation in key social sectors
 Empowerment of start-ups & small and medium enterprises
 Contribute through partners for capability enhancement and diffusion of innovation
 Enable commercialization of discovery
 Ensure global competitiveness of Indian enterprises
Factoids
Rashtriya Puruskar Portal

 

What's the NEWS

• The Union Government has launched the Rashtriya Puruskar Portal for inviting nominations for various awards of the various Ministries, Departments and agencies to ensure transparency and public partnership.

Know! about the portal

• This common portal has been developed by the government to bring together all the awards under one digital platform.
• The Portal aims to facilitate citizens to nominate individuals and organizations for various awards instituted by the Government of India.

Awards

• Sardar Patel National Unity Award
• Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award
• Jeevan Raksha Padak series of Awards
• Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Telecom Skill Excellence Award

Factoids
4th State Food Safety Index

 

What's the NEWS

• On the occasion of World Food Safety Day Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare released the 4th State Food Safety Index (SFSI) for the year 2021-22.
• The Health Minister also felicitated 11 winning smart cities of the EatSmart Cities Challenge, launched by FSSAI last year in association with the Smart Cities Mission under the aegis of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

Know! About SFSI

• SFSI was started from 2018-19 with the aim of creating a competitive and positive change in the food safety ecosystem in the country.
• The SFSI measures the performance of States on the basis of five parameters of food safety set by the Health Ministry.
• The rating is done by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
• This year, among the larger states, Tamil Nadu was the top ranking state, followed by Gujarat and Maharashtra.
• Among the smaller states, Goa stood first followed by Manipur and Sikkim.
• Among UTs, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi and Chandigarh secured first, second and third ranks.

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