DIABETES AMONG WOMEN HIGH IN SOUTHERN INDIA
Focus: GS-III Science and Technology Why in news? Researchers have identified that districts in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have the maximum prevalence for diabetes among women. The researchers sourced data from the National Family Health Survey-4 (2015-16) as it provides district-level health indicators for women. Factors at play A skewed gender ratio […]
CCMB FINDS CHEAPER, MORE EFFECTIVE RT-PCR METHOD
Focus: GS-III Science and Technology Why in news? Currently, the preferred protocol for testing uses the RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction) test which is times consuming and expensive. Researchers have studied methods using RT-PCR with dry swabs which helps in bypassing the RNA isolation stage reducing time consumed and expense. Why was this needed? In […]
KEY TERMS BEING USED IN CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK
Focus: GS-III Science and Technology, Prelims COVID-19 A term coined by the World Health Organization (WHO) to denote the disease that has led to a pandemic. CO stands for corona, VI for virus, and D for disease, while the numerals – 19 refer to the year in which the first case was detected. WHO claimed […]
MAGNETOCALORIC MATERIAL FOR CANCER TREATMENT
Focus: GS-III Science and Technology Why in news? Scientists have developed a rare-earth-based magnetocaloric material that can be effectively used for cancer treatment. Details In magnetic hyperthermia, magnetic nanoparticles are subjected to alternating magnetic fields of few Gauss, which produce heat due to magnetic relaxation losses. Magnetic hyperthermia is studied to try to address the […]
INNOVATIONS FOR OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICES
Focus: GS-III Science and Technology Why in news? Scientists have developed a novel recipe for fabrication of Transparent Conducting Glasses (TCG) which brings down its production cost by 80% compared to Tin-Doped Indium Oxide (ITO) based technology which is currently in use. Scientists have found a new process for synthesizing crystalline rubrene, a polycyclic aromatic […]
AEROSOL CHARACTERIZATION AND RADIATIVE EFFECTS IN HIMALAYAS
Focus: GS-III Science and Technology, Prelims Why in news? Details The research paper found that monthly-mean atmospheric radiative forcing of aerosols leads to increasing heat rates and Temperature over the Ladakh region is increasing over the 3 decades 1990-2020. Impact of aerosls still remains one of the major uncertainties in the climate change assessment. What […]
GLOBAL VACCINE SUMMIT 2020
Focus: GS-III Science and Technology Why in news? India has pledged 15 Million US Dollars to GAVI, the international vaccine alliance, while addressing the virtual Global Vaccine Summit. What the Prime Minister Highlighted during the Global Vaccine Summit? India shared the country’s available stocks of medicines (Hydro chloroquine and others) with over 120 countries. Mission […]
NEW SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND INNOVATION POLICY (STIP)
Focus: GS-III Science and Technology, Prelims Why in news? The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (Office of PSA) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) have jointly initiated a decentralized, bottom-up, and inclusive process for the formulation of a new national Science Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP 2020). […]
SPACEX CAPSULE DELIVERS NASA ASTRONAUTS TO ISS
Focus: GS-III Science and Technology, Prelims Why in news? SpaceX delivered two astronauts to the International Space Station for Nasa on 31st May, following up a historic liftoff with an equally smooth docking. Significance It was the first time a privately built and owned spacecraft carried astronauts to the orbiting lab in its nearly 20 […]
Ease of learning
BACKGROUND School education has been jolted out of its conventional ways by an unprecedented disruption due to the Pandemic. The Government is yet to issue a timeline for the reopening of schools. WHAT IS A VIRTUAL CLASSROOM? A virtual classroom is an online learning environment that allows for live interaction between the tutor and the learners as they are […]