Health
Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS)
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about SERS + about IMPRINT) + Mains ( GS II Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources
What's the NEWS

• Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology here have developed a handheld Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS)-based platform for early diagnosis of dengue and also gives dengue test results within one hour (rapid diagnosis).

Know! more about it

• The institute said that the handheld device has been successfully tested on the clinical blood samples collected from hundreds of individuals in collaboration with ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR), New Delhi, and also helps in rapid detection of HIV.
• Early diagnosis of dengue is the key to prevent deterioration of a patient's health. However, conventional diagnostic tools like nucleic acid detection using Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) is a time-taking process and it also requires expensive equipment and reagents for the diagnosis of dengue
• This ultrasensitive and handy device has wide range of applications in the early stage onsite detection of viral diseases and can produce the final report of investigation within an hour.
• The research work was funded by IMPRINT India programme of the Ministry of Education with New Age Instruments and Materials Pvt Ltd as the industry partner.

Know! about IMPRINT

• IMPRINT is the first of its kind MHRD supported Pan-IIT + IISc joint initiative to address the major science and engineering challenges that India must address and champion to enable, empower and embolden the nation for inclusive growth and self-reliance.

This novel initiative with twofold mandate is aimed at:

(a) Developing new engineering education policy
(b) Creating a road map to pursue engineering challenges

• IMPRINT provides the overarching vision that guides research into areas that are predominantly socially relevant.

Health
Anamaya

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Anamaya) + Mains ( GS II Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States)
What's the NEWS

• Anamaya, the Tribal Health Collaborative was launched by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Union Minister of Tribal Affairs
• The Collaborative is a multi-stakeholder initiative of Tribal Affairs Ministry supported by Piramal Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
• It will converge efforts of various Government agencies and organisations to enhance the health and nutrition status of the tribal communities of India.

Know! more about the initiative

• A multi-stakeholder initiative supported by Piramal Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF),‘Anameya' will converge efforts of various Government agencies and organisations to enhance the health and nutrition status of the tribal communities of India.
• This Collaborative is a unique initiative bringing together governments, philanthropists, national and international foundations, NGOs/CBOs to end all preventable deaths among the tribal communities of India.
• It aims to build a sustainable, high-performing health eco-system to address the key health challenges faced by the tribal population of India.
• It will begin its operations with 50 tribal, Aspirational Districts (with more than 20% ST population) across 6 high tribal population states.
• Over a 10-year period, the work of the THC will be extended to 177 tribal Districts as recognised by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Steps taken by the Tribal Ministry

• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has been working relentlessly to address the health challenges of the tribal communities, engaging with State Governments, civil society organisations and other stake-holders.
• As part of this Collaborative, the Ministry will undertake several activities such as: setting up of the National Council on Tribal Health to drive policy initiatives in tribal health; establishment of a Health Cell to closely monitor healthcare delivery in the tribal areas, devising mechanisms to implement the Tribal Health Action Plan and so on."
• The collaboration between Government and Non-Government agencies to address the issue of Tribal health is a right approach to reach the most marginalised and vulnerable communities
• A ‘Tribal Health Cell' is being set up in Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• Health care facilities in tribal areas are very scarce and the health standards of tribal are below normal level. All welfare measures should reach up to grass root level.

Polity
Justice Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana appointed as Chief Justice of India

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the procedure of appointing CJI)
What's the NEWS

• Justice NV Ramana has been appointed the next Chief Justice of India.
• He will assume charge on April 24, 2021 after the retirement of CJI SA Bobde.He will be 48th Chief Justice of India.
• Justice Bobde had recommended Justice Ramana's name as his successor to the Union law ministry. President Ram Nath Kovind formally appointed Justice Ramana as the next CJ

Know! about the process of appointment of CJI

• The President of India, in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India, appointed Shri Justice Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana, Judge of the Supreme Court, to be the Chief Justice of India.
• A notification in this regard has been issued by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice today.
• The Chief Justice of India and the Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President under clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution.
• Appointment to the office of the Chief Justice of India should be of the seniormost Judge of the Supreme Court considered fit to hold the office.
• The Union Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs would, at the appropriate time, seek the recommendation of the outgoing Chief Justice of India for the appointment of the next Chief Justice of India.
• Whenever there is any doubt about the fitness of the seniormost Judge to hold the office of the Chief Justice of India, consultation with other Judges as envisaged in Article 124 (2) of the Constitution would be made for appointment of the next Chief Justice of India.
• After receipt of the recommendation of the Chief Justice of India, the Union Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs will put up the recommendation to the Prime Minister who will advise the President in the matter of appointment.

Health
CSF & Sheep Pox Vaccine

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about CSF & Sheep Pox Vaccine)
What's the NEWS

• The ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh transferred the Technology - CSF & Sheep Pox Vaccines to M/s Hester Biosciences through Agrinnovate India Limited

Indigenous Vaccines ( benefits)

• The development of Vaccines using indigenous strains is a step towards Atma Nirbhar Bharat.
• The Vaccines to be a great problem-solver for the farmers or people involved in animal husbandry practices.
• The commercialization of the Vaccines a great achievement for the ICAR-IVRI.
• The two Vaccines are the first indigenous Vaccines to be developed in the country.
• The Vaccines will be a game-changer for the Swine-rearing people.

Live Attenuated Indigenous CSF Cell Culture Vaccine (IVRI-CSF-BS)

• The Classical Swine Fever (CSF) is an important disease of pigs that causes 100% mortality.
• In India, the disease is controlled by a lapinized CSF vaccine (Weybridge Strain, U.K.) produced by killing large numbers of rabbits.
• To avoid this, the ICAR-IVRI earlier developed a Cell Culture CSF Vaccine using the Lapinized Vaccine Virus from foreign strain.
• The Indigenous CSF Cell Culture Vaccine (IVRI-CSF-BS) developed by using an Indian field isolates has a huge export potential.
• Due to its very high titre (1x109.5 TCID50 / ml), the Vaccine can produce a large number of doses (60 Lakhs approx.) easily from only one 75 cm² Tissue Culture Flask.
• The country's yearly requirement of 22 million doses can be prepared in just four 75 cm² Tissue Culture Flasks.
• Costing around less than Rs 2/- per dose as against Rs. 15 to Rs. 25/- of Lapinized CSF Vaccine, the high titre vaccine would be the most economical CSF Cell Culture Vaccine.
• The vaccine has been extensively tested for safety and potency. The vaccine has been found to induce protective immunity from day 14 of the Vaccination till 18 Months.

Indigenous Live Attenuated Sheep Pox Vaccine [SPPV Srin 38/00]

• Sheep pox is a severe viral disease in sheep which is economically important in small ruminants.
• A live attenuated Sheep Pox Vaccine using indigenous strain was developed by the Institute for preventive vaccination in the sheep population.
• The developed Vaccine uses indigenous Sheep Pox Virus Strain [SPPV Srin 38/00] and is adapted to grow in the Vero cell line which makes the Vaccine production to be easily scalable.
• The Vaccine is innocuous, safe, potent, and immunogenic [efficacious] for sheep aged more than six months of age.
• It has been evaluated both in-house and field. It protects the Vaccinated animals for a period of 40 months.

Agrinnovate India Ltd. (AgIn)

• It was incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 (No. 1 of 1956) on 19th October, 2011. It is a "for profit" Company owned by Department of Agricultural Research & Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.
• It is to act as an effective interface between Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR- an autonomous organization under DARE) on one side and the Stakeholders of agricultural sector (Farmers; Public & Private Sector firms; R&D organizations; Educational Institutions- all of these at National and International level) on the other side, for a significant purpose of securing, sustaining and promoting global agricultural development.

Objectives

• Protection, management, commercialization and distribution of Intellectual Property for Public Benefit.
• Production, marketing and popularization of ICAR's products, processes and technologies in agriculture and allied sectors such as seed, planting material, vaccines, diagnostics, biotechnological products, other value added inputs and products and farm implements and machinery.
• Providing consultancies, contract research, contract service, customized capacity building.
• Setting up of research and production farms outside India and undertaking global brand building initiatives.
• Providing technical support for turnkey projects on production and processing plants in agriculture and allied sectors.
• Creation of public-private partnerships in research, education and other capacity building endeavors in agriculture and allied sectors.
• Carrying out activities to integrate proficiencies in agricultural sciences with management, such as market intelligence, pricing and valuation issues, to nurture demand-driven research.

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