November 2024
Download PDF Daily Current Capsules - 16th May 2019
Bilateral Relations
India, Mongolia to ink pact for petrochemical unit
Relevance IN - Mains ( GS II Bilateral relation between India and Mongolia)
What's the NEWS
India backs Nigeria's Ambassador appointment as next President of UN General Assembly
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about UNGA) + Mains ( GS II important international institutions )
What's the NEWS
Department of Biotechnology launched MANAV: Human Atlas Initiative
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the MANAV initiative + Mains ( GS III awareness in the field of biotechnology)
What's the NEWS
Consider the following statements about MANAV initiative
1. The Ministry of Human Resource and Development has recently launched human tissue mapping project called MANAV: Human Atlas Initiative.
2. The Objective of this initiative is to map every single tissue of human body to find out deepest information and roles of tissues and cells linked to a variety of ailments.
3. This project is funded by Department of Biotechnology (DBT) that would make a database network of all human body tissues.
Find the correct statements from the option given below
a. 1 and 2
b. 2 and 3
c. 1 and 3
d. All
KEEP Learning KEEP Evolving
TEAM CL IAS
Bilateral Relations
India, Mongolia to ink pact for petrochemical unit
Relevance IN - Mains ( GS II Bilateral relation between India and Mongolia)
What's the NEWS
- India and Mongolia are expected to sign an agreement for the construction of Mongolia's first petrochemical refinery that is expected to cut some of its dependence on Russian fuel.
- The project will be the largest being undertaken by the government of India under its Lines of Credit programme. The line of credit will be implemented with Exim Bank funding.
- The petrochemical refinery -- near Sainshand in southern Dornogovi province -- is to be built at an approximate cost of $1.25 billion utilising the $1 billion line of credit announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Ulan Bator in 2015. It is expected to be completed by 2022.
- Mongolia has its own oil fields producing enough crude for its requirements. However, almost all of its crude oil is exported and all of its finished petrochemical products are imported.
- The establishment of this refinery will be a significant step towards reduction of import dependence and will ensure energy security for the country
- Besides the petrochemical complex, India will also be taking up work for the construction of 27 kilometres of railway line, 17.5 kilometres of road and 19 kilometres of power transmission line to connect the refinery to existing networks. These are to be completed by September 2019
- Ties between India and Mongolia date back centuries with Buddhism seen as a major binding factor between the two countries.
- India established diplomatic relations with Mongolia in December 1955, becoming the first non-Soviet Union country to establish such ties.
- In more recent times, the two countries have set up mechanisms like the India-Mongolia Joint Working Group for Defence and the "India-Mongolia Joint Committee on Cooperation (IMJCC)" chaired at ministerial level besides others to cement cooperation.
- New Delhi's attempts to boost cooperation with Mongolia come against the backdrop of China making inroads into South Asia--Sri Lanka and Nepal besides Myanmar--considered India's periphery.
- In recent years, New Delhi has increased interaction with countries like South Korea, Japan and Vietnam--all countries seen as on the periphery of China.
- Analysts say India's interaction with Mongolia gives New Delhi much needed diplomatic and strategic leverage vis a vis the big countries in Mongolia's neighbourhood.
- Lately, both the countries have strengthened their relations through mechanisms like ‘India-Mongolia Joint Working Group for Defence' and ‘India-Mongolia Joint Committee on Cooperation (IMJCC)'.
India backs Nigeria's Ambassador appointment as next President of UN General Assembly
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about UNGA) + Mains ( GS II important international institutions )
What's the NEWS
- India extended its support to Nigerian Ambassador to the United Nations, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande for his appointment to the post of President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
- Know! about the post of President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
- The post of the President of UNGA rotates among the geographic regions. As per the tradition, the UN's regional groups nominate a single candidate who is then rubber-stamped by the Assembly.
- For the next session of the Assembly, it is the turn of Africa. All the countries of the African continent agreed unanimously to field Muhammad-Bande as their candidate.
- The UN Assembly is made up of all the 193 Member States.
- The General Assembly is one of the six main organs of the United Nations; it is the only one which enables all 193 Member States to have equal representation - One Nation, One Vote.
- Every year in September, all the Member nations meet in New York for the annual General Assembly session.
- It provides a forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the UN Charter.
Department of Biotechnology launched MANAV: Human Atlas Initiative
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the MANAV initiative + Mains ( GS III awareness in the field of biotechnology)
What's the NEWS
- Department of Biotechnology (DBT) working under ministry of science and technology has recently launched human tissue mapping project called MANAV: Human Atlas Initiative.
- It has been launched to improve understanding on human physiology. Objective of this initiative is to map every single tissue of human body to find out deepest information and roles of tissues and cells linked to a variety of ailments.
- This project is funded by Department of Biotechnology (DBT) that would make a database network of all human body tissues. Those students part of this project will be trained and instructed with skills to perform annotation.
- Physiological and molecular mapping for better biological insight
- Develop disease models through predictive computing
- Major Objective of the initiative is to find out and capture human physiology in two stages - normal stage and disease stage
- At final stage, overall analysis and medicine discovery.
- Department of Biotechnology has issued funds of Rs 13 cr to two institutions in Pune, Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER) and National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS).
- Also, Persistent Systems has co-funded the project and is developing the platform, and has contributed Rs 7 crore.
- Through physiological and molecular mapping this programme involve in getting better biological insights, develop disease models through predictive computing and have a holistic examination and at last drug discovery.
- The project can be signed up by students who are in their final year of graduation and above. Students of various streams like biochemistry, systems biologists, pharmacologists, zoology,, biotechnology, botany, microbiology, bioinformatics, health sciences, and data sciences can associate with this project. Those students can also join who doesn't have science background or not involved in active scientific research.
- It is an Indian government department under the Ministry of Science and Technology. This department is responsible for administrating development and commercialisation in the field of modern biology and biotechnology in India.
- It was set up in 1986. In December 2015, the Department of Biotechnology launched the National Biotechnology Development Strategy 2015-2020 programme.
- The stated aim of the programme is to intensify research in the fields of vaccines, human genome, infectious and chronic diseases, crop science, animal agriculture and aqua culture, food and nutrition, environmental management and technologies for clean energy.
- NABARD announces Rs 700-crore venture capital fund for rural agricultural start-ups
- Relevance IN - Prelims ( about NABARD ) + Mains ( GS III economic developments - financial inclusion + GS II government policies and interventions for the development of various sectors)
- India's National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has recently announced for Rs. 700 crore project funds for equity investments in agriculture and rural start-ups.
- NABARD was used to contribute to other funds but it is for the first time when NABARD launched its own funds.
- This project was launched by Nabventures, an auxiliary unit of NABARD.
- With this initiative NABARD will assist those start-ups who are engaged in agriculture and rural areas' development.
- It will help to boost rural economy. When rural start-ups will get some funds and work for benefit of villages, it will automatically improvise rural financial condition.
- NABARD will fund some companies it will generate employment as well as new market to the country.
- This initiative will probably mitigate migration if rural population will get employment and better infrastructure in their own area.
- These funds will provide a boost to investment ecosystem in the core areas of agriculture, food and improvement of rural livelihoods.
- NABARD has already contributed Rs 273 crore to 16 alternate investment funds.
- NABARD is now 100 per cent owned by the government, which has been focusing on start-ups through a slew of measures.
- National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is an apex development financial institution for rural development in India.
- It's headquarter is located at Mumbai while regional offices are present across India. NABARD was established on the recommendations of B.Sivaraman Committee, (by Act 61, 1981 of Parliament) on 12 July 1982 to implement the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act 1981.
- NABARD is the most important institution in the country which looks after the development of the cottage, small scale, village and other rural industries in the country.
Consider the following statements about MANAV initiative
1. The Ministry of Human Resource and Development has recently launched human tissue mapping project called MANAV: Human Atlas Initiative.
2. The Objective of this initiative is to map every single tissue of human body to find out deepest information and roles of tissues and cells linked to a variety of ailments.
3. This project is funded by Department of Biotechnology (DBT) that would make a database network of all human body tissues.
Find the correct statements from the option given below
a. 1 and 2
b. 2 and 3
c. 1 and 3
d. All
KEEP Learning KEEP Evolving
TEAM CL IAS