‘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. […]
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 […]
SHANGHAI LAB THAT FIRST SEQUENCED CORONAVIRUS GENOME SHUT DOWN
Why in news? A Shanghai-based lab — Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & School of Public Health — at Fudan University which was the first to sequence the whole genome of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and publicly share the data on January 11 was shut down on January 12 for “rectification”. Details In the first […]
NCBS METHOD TO DETECT VIRUS ASSOCIATED WITH A RARE SKIN CANCER
Why in news? A team from National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru, has developed a diagnostic system to detect the presence of Merkel cell polyomavirus in Merkel cell carcinoma tumours. The researchers have developed a test using the CRISPR-CAS12 technology. This is an important development, both, from the point of view of diagnostics and giving […]
ACCESS TO THE NATIONAL ONLINE EDUCATION PLATFORM SWAYAM
Why in news? The Ministry of HRD through its Online/Digital Education Initiatives is trying to ensure that students can continue their learning sitting at their home, during this lockdown period. The Education portals of NCERT like Diksha, e-pathasala, NROER and NIOS and the other ICT initiatives like Robotics education (e-Yantra), Open Source Software for Education […]
Poor hygiene in Meat Shops/Slaughter Houses
In the present scenario, Corona virus does not spread through meat and fish products. Fish/Meat Markets and Slaughter houses in the country are controlled by local bodies and State Governments. However, some States have informed that, there are few markets where poor hygienic conditions prevail. FSSAI has launched ‘Clean and Safe Meat Campaign’ wherein, in […]
Space Technology and Telescopes for UPSC Exam
What is Planet? Three conditions for a celestial object to be called a ‘planet’ – it must orbit the Sun it should be massive enough to acquire an approximately spherical shape it has to ‘clear its orbit’ i.e. be the object that exerts the maximum gravitational pull within its orbit ‘Dwarf planets’, on the other […]
ISRO TO LAUNCH 36 MISSIONS IN 2020-21
Why in news? Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has planned 36 missions including satellites and launch vehicles for the fiscal year 2020-21. ISRO will send up 10 earth observation satellites during 2020-21. Details of the missions in 2020-21 Earth observation satellite- 10 Communication satellite- 3 Navigation satellite- 2 Space science satellite- 3 Technology Demonstration- 1 […]
COALBED METHANE POLICY, 1997
Why in news? The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has brought out following policies/notifications after Coal Bed Methane (CBM) Policy 1997: Policy for extension of exploration phases for exploration and production under CBM contracts in 2007. Guidelines for pricing and commercial utilization of CBM in 2011. Notification for grant of right to exploration and […]