China grants its first covid vaccine patent to CanSino.
China's
vaccine maker CanSino Biologics Inc has won a patent approval from Beijing for
its COVID-19 vaccine candidate Ad5-nCOV, citing documents from the country's
intellectual property regulator. The patent was submitted for application on
March 18, and was approved on August 11.
It is the first COVID-19 vaccine
patent granted by China.
➡On August 11, Russian
President Vladimir Putin announced Russia had won the global race to approve a
covid vaccine. Russia said that the first consignments of its
"Sputnik" vaccine had been produced and will be given to healthcare
professionals on a voluntary basis.
➡China's CanSino's vaccine
uses a modified common cold virus to carry genetic material from the new
coronavirus into the human body, a method also used by the Oxford/AstraZeneca
vaccine.
➡Both vaccines elicited
antibody and T-cell immune responses and neither prompted any serious side
effects in early trials. T-cells are an important component of the immune
system's attack against foreign invaders, such as viruses.
➡CanSino's covid vaccine
has already received the greenlight to be used by China's military despite not
yet undergoing the type of large-scale testing needed to prove its ability to
prevent infection.
➡CanSino's vaccine
candidate was the first in China to move into human testing in March but other
potential vaccines developed by Sinovac Biotech and a unit of China National
Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) have already been approved for Phase III
trials overseas.
Saudi
Arabia is going to test virus vaccine, says Russia.
➡Russia has reached an
agreement in principle to conduct clinical trials of its controversial coronavirus
vaccine in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, according to the head of its sovereign
wealth fund. ➡According
to the chief executive officer of the Russian Direct Investment Fund,The
Russians are working with a pharmaceutical company in the kingdom and have
shared data from Phase I and Phase II trials with Saudi partners.
➡Russian scientists
engage with Saudi scientists and the Saudi Health Ministry, and Saudi is
believed to be a very strong partner for their joint work on the Sputnik V
vaccine.”
➡Earlier this month
Russia approved a coronavirus shot before crucial tests have shown it’s safe
and effective. The plan is to begin mass inoculation soon. A local association
of multinational pharmaceutical companies has called the rushed regulatory
approval risky.
➡Russia also shared its
data with the UAE and is expecting to start its trials there later in August.
Additionally,
it plans to conduct clinical trials in the Philippines and Brazil as well as at
home.
National
Digital Health Mission launched.
Modi
launched the National Digital Health Mission on the 74th Independence day. It
is expected that the mission would revolutionize India’s health sector.
Highlights:
➡ Under the National
Digital Health Mission, every Indian will receive a unique health identity
card.
➡The mission features
Tele-consultation and E-Pharmacies.
➡Every citizen who holds
the cards shall allow one-time access to the doctors and health care providers
during their visit to the hospitals.
➡ National Digital
Health Mission Mission allows patients to access health services remotely.
➡ The card will ensure
permission to access confidential medical data which will be provided for every
visit by the patient himself. It will assure the privacy and maintenance of the
patient. Also, the control of access to the digital records .
➡It will be completely
in the hands of the patient and the doctors will be able to access the medical
record every time only at the will of the patients.
Odisha
topped in implementing AMRUT scheme.
Odisha
has topped in the implementation of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation (AMRUT) scheme. As per the data provided by the Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs, Odisha has secured a score of 85.67%. Also,
Chandigarh and Telangana have secured the second and third positions followed
by Gujarat and Karnataka.
AMRUT scheme:
➡ AMRUT scheme was
launched by PM Narendra Modi in June 2015.
➡The scheme aims to
establish an infrastructure that will ensure robust sewage networks and water
supply for urban transformation.
➡ Under the mission,
efforts have been made towards universal coverage of water supply, construction
of sewage treatment plants, and improving green spaces in the 9 AMRUT cities of
Odisha.
➡ The nine cities are
Balasore, Bhubaneswar, Baripada, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Bhadrak,
Berhampur, and Puri. These cities are covered under the AMRUT scheme in Odisha.
➡ A total of 191
projects are grounded in the state. Out of the total 1919 projects, 148
projects have been implemented and the rest are likely to be completed by March
2021.
➡ Under the scheme, the
Universal coverage of piped water supply has been completed by laying or
replacing 400 km of pipeline to date, and all the nine AMRUT cities will have
100 percent network coverage by December 2020.
➡ Also, several parks
with well-conceived landscaping and rejuvenation facilities, open gyms, and
jogging trails have been developed.
Naga
Independence Day celebrated in Nagaland and Manipur.
Nagaland
and parts of Manipur celebrated 74th Naga Independence Day on 14th August 2020,
amid the Naga political issue involving several extremist groups. The day is
celebrated since 14 August 1947. The celebrations were lead by the Naga
Students’ Federation (NSF) in Nagaland. The day was celebrated by hoisting the
‘Naga national flag’, which is one of the demands made by Naga organizations
for an honourable solution to the 23-year-old peace process. Nagas declared
independence a day ahead of the Independence Day of India in 1947 seeking
self-rule.
History
In
the year 1947, India became independent from British rule. But the Nagas under
the Naga National Council wished to remain free. Hence, a Plebiscite was
conducted in 1951 where 99.9%
voted for Naga independence. Following this,
the Nagas did not take part in the first and second general elections that were
held in 1952 and 1957. Hence according to the Nagas, the Bordoloi and Hydari
Agreements were not implemented.
Later
in 1963, Nagaland attained statehood and the moderates signed the Shillong
Accord in 1975, which is the first peace agreement. But it has been rejected by
the hardliners and is continued with the armed movement for Naga sovereignty.
Renewable
Energy Ministry received proposals over 10 GW of fresh solar power Equipment.
Ministry
of New and Renewable Energy has received proposals over 10 gigawatt (GW) of
fresh solar power Equipment. The move is in line with the Government of India's
Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan. The move is to set up 100 GW of solar energy by
the end of 2022. By October 2019, India has already achieved 31 GW. Currently,
India is focusing on domestic manufacturing to reduce dependency on imports.
Previously, a 750 megawatt (MW) solar project was also inaugurated in Rewa,
Madhya Pradesh.
GoI's measure:
➡ GoI is yet to approve
a proposal to levy basic customs duty in the range of 20-40% on solar equipment
➡ Departments and
Institutions under GoI were brought under the ruling that they have to purchase
only domestically manufactured solar cells.
➡ Also, a 5 percent
interest subvention scheme was proposed for wafers, ingots, and cells
manufactured in the country
➡GoI implemented several
Safeguard Duties against solar equipment imported from China and Malaysia
Background:
At
the Paris summit, India has pledged that it would bring 40% of its electricity
generation from non-fossil fuels by 2030. Non-fossil fuels include nuclear
power, solar power, hydropower, renewable energy, etc.
Indigenous
AUM Photonic System developed for Real-Time Remote Monitoring of Air Quality.
Scientific
and Industrial Research Centre (GVP-SIRC) and GVP College of Engineering,
Visakhapatnam, has developed an indigenous photonic system for real-time remote
monitoring of air quality parameters. The system titled Air Unique-quality
Monitoring (AUM) was developed under the Clean Air Research Initiative of the
Department of Science and Technology.
Air Unique-quality Monitoring
System:
➡ The AUM system is an innovative
application of the principles of statistical mechanics, laser backscattering,
optoelectronics, artificial intelligence (AI), machine/deep learning, and
Internet of Things.
➡ AUM can identify,
classify, and quantify various pollutants simultaneously of orders of less than
one part per billion and meteorological parameters, with sensitivity, very high
precision, and accuracy.
➡ AUM was successfully
evaluated during laboratory trials with gold standards in collaboration with
EffecTech, UK.
➡ The system is operated
by Karnataka State Pollution Control Board under the aegis of the Central
Pollution Control Board of India.
➡ The system is capable
of simultaneous detection and quantification of all air quality parameters.
➡ It offers a number of
merits like portablility, compactibility, low powered nature and economical
over any of the currently available conventional systems.
➡ This system is
expected to boost India’s efforts towards self-reliance in high-end
technologies.
➡ It can additionally be
instrumental in supporting the endeavours in improving the nation’s health and
economy.
India
extended USD 1 million assistance to Antigua, Barbuda to tackle Covid-19
pandemic.
Government
of India has extended an assistance of $1 million to Antigua and Barbuda to
fight the COVID-19 outbreak. This assistance is aimed to improve health
infrastructure and capacities in Antigua and Barbuda. Indian High Commissioner
KJ Srinivasa handed over the medical supplies and medicine to Prime Minister of
Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne.
Highlights:
➡The assistance of $1
million from India will be used to improve health infrastructure in Antigua and
Barbuda, for procurement of life-saving medical supplies and equipment like
ventilators, etc.
➡ Under this assistance,
ventilators, full cover goggles, disposable impervious gowns, face shields,
examination gloves and disposable masks were facilitated.
1
GoI has also provided 10,000 hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets to the Government
of Antigua and Barbuda to support its fight against COVID-19.
➡ The Government of
Antigua and Barbuda's proposal for assistance and collaboration named
'Strengthening national Health capacities and reducing socio-economic and human
development
negative
impacts of COVID-19 crisis in Antigua and Barbuda' was processed under
India-United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Fund managed by United
Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) and the guidelines of the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
A
platform for Transparent Taxation -was launched to honour the honest.
Indian
P.M Modi launched a platform for “Transparent Taxation - Honouring the Honest”
through video conferencing on 13 August 2020. The platform is expected to meet
the requirements of the 21st-century taxation system. The platform has major
reforms like Faceless Appeal, Faceless Assessment, and Taxpayers Charter. The
platform focuses on the reduction in tax rates and simplification of direct tax
laws,
Transparent Taxation - Honouring
the Honest:
➡ With this launch, the
Faceless Assessment and Taxpayers Charter have come into force. The facility of
faceless appeal will be available for citizens across the country from 25th
September, Deen Dayal Upadhyay's birth anniversary.
➡ The new platform apart
from being faceless is also aimed at boosting the confidence of the taxpayer
and making him/her fearless.
➡ The platform is in
line with the GoI's move towards “Banking the Unbanked, Securing the Unsecured
and Funding the Unfunded”.
➡With Tax Charter,
taxpayers will now be assured of fair, courteous, and rational behavior.
➡ It aims to provide
resolution of pending tax disputes, the department also brought out the Direct
Tax Vivad se Vishwas Act, 2020. Currently, declarations for settling disputes
are being filed under this.
Expect
a wet September, late monsoon withdrawal due to La Niña::Research.
➡There is a 50-55 per
cent chance for the development of a La Niña condition in the equatorial
Pacific Ocean during the autumn of 2020, according to the latest update by the
United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
➡There is a 50 per cent
chance that it might continue into the winter season as well. Currently, El
Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) neutral conditions are prevailing in the equatorial
Pacific Ocean.
➡During the last four
weeks, equatorial sea surface temperatures were below average from the
International Date Line to the eastern Pacific and were above average in the
western Pacific. The International Date Line is an imaginary line on the
Earth’s surface, defining the boundary between one day and the next.
➡La Niña is the cooling
phase of the ENSO cycle in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, as opposed to the
warming El Niño phase. It is characterised by the unusual cooling of the central
and east-central equatorial Pacific Ocean.
➡Both, El Niño and La
Niña, are deviations from normal surface temperatures that occur due to the
anomalous behaviour of trade winds. In the case of El Niño, the trade winds
weaken, leading to warming.
➡In La Niña, the
opposite happens and the trade winds strengthen, leading to cooling. Both these
events can have large-scale impacts not only on ocean processes, but also on
global weather and climate.
➡During El Niño, the
central and equatorial Pacific Ocean becomes unusually warm. This disrupts
global wind patterns, affecting climatic conditions in tropical areas like
Africa, sub-tropical areas like India and extra-tropical areas like North
America.
➡In India this often,
but not always, causes erratic monsoons and droughts. In the case of La Niña,
the exact opposite happens and India receives more rainfall than normal,
leading to floods.
➡El Niño and La Niña
episodes typically last nine to 12 months, but some prolonged events may last
for years. While their frequency can be quite irregular, El Niño and La Niña
events occur on average every two to seven years. Typically, El Niño occurs
more frequently than La Niña.
➡El Niño tends to
produce a weaker monsoon but only 50 per cent of the weaker monsoons are attributable
to El Niño. La Niña tends to do the opposite and produce a wetter Monson.
➡Considering that the
monsoon is below normal along much of the west coast and central India, La Niña
could produce more rain during the rest of August and into September, according
to researchers.
➡The inter-annual
variability of the monsoon, in fact, tends to be the largest in September.
Hence, La Niña may produce a wetter September and a delayed withdrawal if it
grows stronger, he added. La Niña itself has been changing over the past four
decades.
➡A La Niña can affect
India’s winter.
The
winds during the winter are from the northeast near the land surface and this
is accompanied by a so-called Southwesterly Jet in the upper atmosphere. During
an El Niño, this jet is pushed southward and this allows more western
disturbance to bring rain and snow into northwestern India. But a La Niña
actually produces a more north-south low pressure system which brings in
Siberian air and the cold wave can extend much further south. During some
years, we have had frost in Mahabaleshwar and cold waves in hilly parts of
Tamil Nadu and so on. These can be associated with a La Niña.
The
monsoon rainfall over India during La Niña events after 1980 has reduced by
six-eight per cent. The main reasons for this are the changes in the spatial
pattern and intensity of La Niña within the tropical Pacific Ocean.
➡Warmer eastern
equatorial Pacific Ocean temperatures are impacting the La Niña phenomenon.
The
warming of the Indian Ocean has also been affecting the rainfall during La Niña
years after 1980 over central India, which could have an impact on the
long-term water availability of the region.
➡One instance of a
deficit monsoon season in the region during a La Niña year was in 2010.
Large
areas covering east‐central
India, the Bay of Bengal and extending eastward into the South China Sea and
the Philippines received deficit monsoon rains” during the year. This is when
north west India and Pakistan had extensive floods during the same period of
time.
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