Newly synthesised biocompatible drug delivery system combined with anti-inflammatory drugs brings potential solution for rheumatoid arthritis Scientists explored the potential of the anti-inflammatory FDA-approved drug 9-aminoacridine (9AA) and the natural compound caffeic acid (CA), generally found in coffee or wine conjugated to nano micelles, an amphiphilic molecule that forms spherical structure when immersed in water, for …
Read More »Monthly Archives: May 2023
Project SMART
The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and Ministry of Railways jointly signed an MoU with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for ‘Station Area Development along Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail’ (Project-SMART). Project-SMART envisages to develop surrounding areas of Mumbai – Ahmedabad High Speed Railway (MAHSR) Stations. Aim: To enhance accessibility and convenience of commuters & …
Read More »DRUG RECALL LAW IN INDIA
We have never witnessed domestic or foreign pharmaceutical companies recall substandard or mislabelled drugs in India. India has been mulling the creation of a mandatory recall law for substandard drugs since 1976, and yet no law exists that mandates such medicine be removed from the market to this day. The issue has come up repeatedly in regulatory meetings in …
Read More »FOOD ADS IN INDIA
Recently, the Advertisement Monitoring Committee at the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) flagged 32 fresh cases of food business operators (FBOs) making misleading claims and advertisements. What are the regulations? FSSAI uses the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising & Claims) Regulations, 2018 which specifically deals with food (and related products). The Central Consumer …
Read More »MiG-21
Three civilians were killed after an Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-21 fighter jet crashed into a house in Rajasthan. About MiG-21: The MiG-21s are among the six fighter jets presently flown by the Indian Air Force (IAF). The MiG-21s are single engine, single-seater multi-role fighter/ground attack aircraft. It was inducted into the IAF in the early 1960s. …
Read More »TITLE 42
The United States is getting ready to lift COVID-19 restrictions that have blocked migrants caught at the U.S.-Mexico border from seeking asylum since 2020, a major policy shift with humanitarian and political implications. What is Title 42? The COVID restrictions, known as Title 42, were first implemented in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. Title 42 allowed …
Read More »ARAB LEAGUE
In unanimous decision, Arab League readmits Syria after 11-year absence What is Arab League? The Arab League is a regional organization in the Arab world. The Arab League was formed in Cairo in 1945. Initially it had six members: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria Currently, the League has 22 members. Syria’s participation was suspended from 2011 till recently. Each …
Read More »THE COMMISSION FOR SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL TERMINOLOGY
The Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT) is working on technical and scientific terminology in 10 Indian languages that are under-represented in the learning landscape. Key details: The CSTT will bring out what it calls fundamental (basic) dictionaries with 5,000 words per language. These will be in digital, searchable format, and free of cost. Which …
Read More »GALAPAGOS CONSERVATION
Credit Suisse has announced buying Ecuadorian bonds worth $1.6 billion (€1.45 billion) in a debt-for-nature swap that cost the Swiss bank just $644 million and in return, Ecuador’s government had pledged to spend about $18 million annually for two decades on conservation in the Galapagos Islands. The Galápagos Islands are …
Read More »RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first vaccine, Arexvy for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to lower respiratory tract disease in people older than 60 years. This is the first RSV vaccine to be approved anywhere in the world. The trial showed that a single dose of the vaccine reduced the risk of people, older than 60 years, developing lower respiratory tract disease caused …
Read More »DONANEMAB AND LECANEMAB
Two drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease showed promising results. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurologic disorder that causes the brain to shrink (atrophy) and brain cells to die. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia — a continuous decline in thinking, behavioral and social skills that affects a person’s ability to function independently. The early signs of the disease include …
Read More »INDIA’S FIRST NATIONAL WATER-BODY CENSUS
The findings of the first-ever water body census, conducted by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, was published recently. Need for a water body census India is facing a water crisis with groundwater decline, biodiversity loss, and climate change increasing the frequency of floods and droughts. Water bodies buffer against climate variability, holding flood waters for use in …
Read More »BLUESKY
Bluesky has come to the fore as a potential claimant to Twitter’s throne. What is Bluesky? Bluesky is a micro-blogging platform and social website. It is built on the AT Protocol (Authenticated Transport Protocol). Bluesky might be classified as a Twitter competitor but it is different in terms of its structure, as it is meant to form part of …
Read More »PETERSBERG CLIMATE DIALOGUE
The Petersberg Dialogue on Climate Change was held in Berlin recently. It was hosted by Germany and the United Arab Emirates. The focus of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue is on laying the groundwork for the COP28 Climate Change Conference in the United Arab Emirates. Ministers from 40 countries attended the conference to discuss the way forward towards COP28. …
Read More »IRREVOCABLE DEREGISTRATION AND EXPORT REQUEST AUTHORISATION
Aircraft lessors (in the Go First Airlines case) sought deregistration and repossession of 20 aircraft leased to the Wadia Group airline by filing applications with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) using their Irrevocable Deregistration and Export Request Authorisation (IDERA). Irrevocable Deregistration and Export Request Authorisation, or IDERA, empowers lessors to get their …
Read More »PROJECT DANTAK
The Prime Minister has praised the initiative by Border Roads Organisation Project Dantak to commemorate 64th Raising Day. Project DANTAK is commemorating its Diamond Jubilee in Bhutan. Project DANTAK was established on April 24, 1961 by the Third King of Bhutan and then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru. DANTAK was tasked to construct the pioneering motorable roads in Bhutan. Over the years, …
Read More »MANIPUR’S ETHNIC FAULTLINES
Context: The ongoing violence between the Kuki-Zomi tribals and the largely Hindu Meiteis in Manipur is the first time in three decades that the state has witnessed direct clashes between two ethnic groups. The Manipur valley is encircled by skirts of low hills that spread into Nagaland and Mizoram. In these hill areas live 15 Naga tribes and the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi …
Read More »HUMAN RIGHTS RESOURCE CENTRE REPORT
India recorded the second highest number of attacks on defenders protesting harmful business practices in 2022, according to a new report. The report is prepared by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), an international non-profit. India saw 54 such incidents of attacks, which is lower only than Brazil’s record of 63. India’s Jindal Steel Ltd (JSW) …
Read More »HAUNTED HERITAGE WALK IN DELHI
Delhi’s first ‘Haunted Heritage Walk’ to kick off from Malcha Mahal. Organized by Delhi Tourism department. Among the other sites that the walk will cover include: Bhooli Bhatiyari ka Mahal, Feroze Shah Kotla and the Tughlaqabad Fort. Aim: The Tourism department is identifying “haunted” sites in the national capital to conduct heritage walks. A detailed plan on …
Read More »AKASHVANI
The Centre ordered that public broadcaster, previously known as All India Radio (AIR), be exclusively referred to as Akashvani in all broadcasts and programmes. Previously, the two names were used interchangeably. Guglielmo Marconi sent out the first radio transmission in 1895. In India, the Radio Club of Bombay sent out the first commercial transmission in 1923. The Calcutta Radio Club was …
Read More »