Helium Crisis: India imports helium for its needs, and with the USA appearing set to cut off exports of helium since 2021, Indian industry stands to lose out heavily. The Federal Helium Reserve which is the major helium reserve of the USA is set to close down production in 2021, and scientists are looking for […]
Category: Science and Technology Current Affairs
What is Double Mutant Coronavirus Variant?
Double Mutant Coronavirus Variant: Genome sequencing of a section of virus samples by a consortium of 10 laboratories across the country, called the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG), has revealed a unique “double mutant” coronavirus variant — with a combination of mutations not seen anywhere else in the world. The new variant has been […]
National Health Mission (NHM) : FY 2019-20
National Health Mission (NHM): The Union Cabinet was apprised of the progress under National Health Mission (NHM) during FY 2019-20. The Cabinet noted that NHM has envisaged new Initiatives in 2019-20 as: Social Awareness and Actions to Neutralize Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) initiative was launched to accelerate action to reduce deaths due to childhood pneumonia. Surakshit Matritva […]
What is Parosmia? Covid-19
Parosmia: Some people may experience parosmia as a symptom of COVID-19. Parosmia is a medical term used to describe a condition in which affected individuals experience “distortions of the sense of smell”. A person with parosmia can detect certain odours, but they might experience the smell of certain things as different and often unpleasant. For […]
Covishield : Interval Between Doses
Covishield: The government has decided to increase the interval between the first and second doses of Covishield to up to eight weeks in its ongoing vaccination drive against Covid-19. Covishield is Serum Institute of India’s version of AZD1222, the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca in collaboration with the University of Oxford. Some data from global trials […]
What is Diptheria Disease? Global Rise
Global Rise Of Diptheria: A recent study has found that Diphtheria, which is a relatively easily-preventable infection, could become a major global threat. The number of diphtheria cases reported globally has been increasing gradually. In 2018, there were 16,651 reported cases, more than double the yearly average for 1996-2017 (8,105 cases). Indian Scenario: According to […]
What is Rajasthan Model Of Public Health?
Rajasthan Model Of Public Health: The Chief Minister of Rajasthan announced the implementation of the Rajasthan Model of Public Health that would include a Right to Health as well as measures for preventive, primary and curative care as envisioned by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Rajasthan Model of Public Health: The Mukhya Mantri Chiranjeevi Yojana […]
High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs)
High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs): Indian scientists have developed a highly reliable HEMT from gallium nitride (GaN). This is the first-ever indigenous HEMT device and is useful in electric cars, locomotives, power transmission and other areas requiring high voltage and high-frequency switching. This would reduce the cost of importing such stable and efficient transistors required […]
First Moving Supermassive Black Hole Discovered
First Moving Supermassive Black Hole: Scientists have discovered the first moving supermassive black hole whose mass is about three million times that of our Sun. The black hole was traveling within its own galaxy (J0437+2456) which is around 228 million light-years away from Earth. Scientists studied 10 faraway galaxies with supermassive black holes in the […]
National Non-Ferrous Metal Scrap Recycling Framework, 2020
National Non-Ferrous Metal Scrap Recycling Framework, 2020: The Ministry of Mines has issued a National non-ferrous metal scrap recycling framework, 2020 in a bid to cut down the scrap imports. It also seeks to use a life cycle management approach for better efficiency in the mineral value chain process. Objectives of the Recycling Framework: To work […]
