R21/Matrix M: A malaria vaccine candidate has shown promise in phase 2b clinical trials, with high efficacy at 77%. The results of the trial were published recently in preprints with The Lancet. The new vaccine candidate, called R21/Matrix M, is a modified version of RTS, S — another candidate against malaria that has been in […]
Category: Current Affairs
Ebola Outbreak in Congo
Ebola Outbreak: The Democratic Republic of Congo declared the end of an Ebola outbreak that infected 12 people in the eastern province of North Kivu and killed six of them. The outbreak was contained using Merck’s Ebola vaccine, which was given to more than 1,600 of the patients’ contacts and contacts of contacts. The cases […]
Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2021
Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2021: According to the report Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2021, the second wave of Covid-19 can put India’s economic recovery at “risk”. ADO is a series of annual economic reports on the Developing Member Countries (DMCs) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). GDP Projections: For India: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will […]
Core Sector Output: Grew By 6.8% In March 2021
Core Sector Output:: The eight-core sectors grew by 6.8% in March 2021 (the highest in 32 months), after a 3.8% dip in February, but the spike was largely due to the base effects from March 2020. During 2020-21 (April-March), the output of the eight sectors contracted by 7% as against a positive growth of 0.4% […]
Meeting Of Foreign Ministers Of G7 Countries
Meeting Of Foreign Ministers Of G7 Countries: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will embark on a four-day visit to London to participate in a meeting of foreign ministers of G7 countries. India has been invited to the meeting as a guest country. The G-7 or ‘Group of Seven’ are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the […]
Relief Measures For Taxpayers Under GST
Relief Measures For Taxpayers Under GST: In view of the corona pandemic, the government has announced various relief measures for taxpayers under GST law including a reduction in the interest rate and waiving of late fees. The Finance Ministry has issued a notification in this regard. A lower rate of interest of 9 percent for […]
Climate Change Causing Shift In Earth’s Axis
Climate Change Causing Shift In Earth’s Axis: A study published in Geophysical Research Letters of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) says that due to the significant melting of glaciers because of global temperature rise, Earth’s axis of rotation has been moving more than usual since the 1990s. While this change is not expected to affect […]
Xylophis Deepaki: Found in Tamil Nadu
Xylophis deepaki: A tiny snake “Xylophis deepaki” has been named in honour of Indian herpetologist Deepak Veerappan for his contribution in erecting a new subfamily Xylophiinae to accommodate wood snakes. The common name suggested for the species is ‘Deepak’s wood snake’. Xylophis deepaki is a tiny snake of just 20 cm in length with iridescent […]
State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF): First Instalment
State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF):: The Centre has released the first installment of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to States, in the wake of the second wave of Covid-19 that has claimed thousands of lives since April 2021. Normally, the first instalment is released in June as per the recommendations of the Finance Commission. […]
World Press Freedom Day 2021 : Theme
World Press Freedom Day: World Press Freedom Day is being observed on May 3, 2021. World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO’s General Conference. Since then, 3 May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day. […]
