ICMR SUGGESTS TESTING OF POOLED SAMPLES
Why in news? Stating that the number of COVID-19 cases in India is registering a rise, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is now advising the feasibility of using pooled samples for molecular testing of COVID-19. ICMR has said that, for India, it is critical to increase the numbers of tests conducted by laboratories. […]
INTEGRATED GEOSPATIAL PLATFORM
Why in news? The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, has created an Integrated Geospatial Platform out of available geospatial datasets, standards-based services, and analytic tools to help decision making during the current COVID-19 outbreak and aid devising area-specific strategies to handle the socio-economic impact in the recovery phase. The platform is […]
STUDY TO IDENTIFY BIOMARKERS TO PREDICT PROGRESSION
Why in news? The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), will support exploration of metabolomics alteration in COVID-19 infected patients conducted by IIT Bombay in collaboration with some hospitals in Mumbai. The Board was set up for promoting basic research in science and engineering […]
COVID-19: INITIATIVES BY SMART CITIES
Initiatives by Smart Cities Vadodara The Vadodara district administration has installed a helium balloon attached with two cameras for surveillance on lockdown violators. Bengaluru Model COVID-19 War Room at Bengaluru – Covid-19 data dashboard of Karnataka has been inaugurated which will be the single source of all COVID-related data. Kalyan Dombivali To create awareness and keep […]
IUSSTF BOOSTS INDO-US VIRTUAL NETWORKS TO ADDRESS COVID 19 CHALLENGES
Why in news? The Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF), has invited Proposals for ‘COVID-19 Indo-U.S. Virtual Networks’ that would allow Indian and U.S. scientists and engineers currently engaged in COVID-related research to carry out joint research activities through a virtual mechanism, leveraging existing infrastructure and funding. Proposals that convincingly demonstrate the benefits and value […]
‘MODERATE HUMIDITY MAY DETER CORONAVIRUS’
Why in news? Coronaviruses are sensitive to humidity and are less likely to thrive at moderate levels of humidity, a series of experimental studies over the years have shown. It is important to note that these studies didn’t study actual coronaviruses but a bacteriophage Phi6, which is considered a safer surrogate. Key Highlights Earlier in […]
‘CALL DATA BEING USED TO IMPROVE QUALITY’: SURVEILLANCE CONCERNS
Why in news? Amid questions over possible surveillance and violation of privacy following bulk call data records being sought by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the government on 18th March 2020, asserted that the data was only being collected to analyse and improve the quality of telecom services and ruled out any form of surveillance. […]
BIOTECHNOLOGY TOPICS FOR UPSC | CURRENT AFFAIRS
STEM CELL Stem cells are the body’s raw materials — cells from which all other cells with specialized functions are generated. Under certain conditions in the body or a laboratory, stem cells divide to form more cells called daughter cells. These daughter cells either become new stem cells (self-renewal) or become specialized cells (differentiation) with a more specific function, such as […]
THE SARS-COV-2 IS MUTATING, SAY SCIENTISTS
Why in news? Senior scientists at Australia’s national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), have said the virus dubbed SARS-CoV-2 is mutating, after analysing the 115 published genome sequences from the current COVID-19 outbreak. Some of these ‘errors’ in the virus known as ‘mutations’ may be significant for the development and […]
HACKERS MAY HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR SMART DEVICE
Why in news? iPhone, iPad, Amazon Echo or Kindle or certain handsets from Google, Samsung or Xiaomi, is exposed to have a vulnerable WiFi chips that allowed hackers to access data from the handset. Once a hacker gets access to any device for even a short period of time, they can do anything, including planting […]