EDITORIALS & ARTICLES
5th June 2021
Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment (CIBER)-2 Instrument
Recently, a NASA-funded rocket’s launch window will open at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, USA.
Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment (CIBER)-2
- The scientists have estimated that on average each galaxy consists of about 100 million stars in order to roughly estimate the number of stars in the Universe.
- The instrument will launch aboard a sounding rocket, a small suborbital rocket that will carry scientific instruments on brief trips into space before it falls back to Earth for recovery.
- The aim of this mission is to count the number of stars that exist in the Universe.
- It is designed to continue the spectro-photometric and fluctuation campaign of the Extragalactic Background Light (EBL) in the near infrared.
- It will help to evaluate and find the true figures of the stars, as the highest estimated number of the celestial bodies from the massive universe might not be enough.
- It is a near-infrared rocket-borne instrument designed to conduct comprehensive multi-band measurements of extragalactic background light (EBL) anisotropy on arc-second to degree angular scales.
Working of CIBER-2
- It will survey a patch of sky that will include dozens of clusters of galaxies.
- The instrument will not actually count individual stars but it will instead detect the extragalactic background light, which is all of the light that has been emitted throughout the history of the Universe.
- It will focus on a portion of the cosmic infrared background, which is emitted by some of the most common stars.
- It is aiming to look at how bright this light is to give scientists an estimate of how many of these stars are out there.
Extragalactic Background Light and Cosmic Infrared Background
- The EBL is a background glow of the collective photons produced in the universe over time.
- It was used in the first CIBER mission to determine the total light from stars through optical to ultraviolet scale.
- The objective is to use cosmic infrared background to point out the common types of stars such as M and K dwarfs.
- The sounding rocket will measure the number of stars not by counting the physical bodies themselves, but by the traces of lights that are emitted by stars in faint galaxies.
Delta variant of Covid-19
Recently, the Public Health England (PHE) has said a staggering 61% of the samples sequenced are now of the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) of Covid-19.
Delta variant of Covid-19
- B.1.617 is one of the multiple SARS COV-2 variants and its sub-lineage B.1.617.2, known as the Delta variant.
- The early evidence suggests that Delta variant of Covid-19 is more transmissible than contemporary lineages.
- The World Health Organization (WHO), which has given it the label Delta, has categorised it as a variant of concern (VOC).
- The WHO classifies a variant as a VOC when:
- It is associated with an increase in transmissibility or detrimental change in Covid-19 epidemiology;
- Increase in virulence; or
- Decrease in the effectiveness of public health measures or available diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics.
Why Delta variant is considered as variant of concern (VOC)?
- An RNA virus, such as SARS-CoV-2, is made of about 30,000 base pairs of amino acids, placed like bricks next to each other.
- The Delta variant contains multiple mutations in the spike protein.
Evidence on Severity and Transmissibility
- The delta continues to demonstrate a substantially increased growth rate compared to Alpha across multiple analyses.
- The evidence from England and Scotland suggests there may be an increased risk of hospitalisation compared to contemporaneous Alpha cases.
Promotion of Red Tourism in China
Recently, the popularity of ‘red tourism’ is at an all-time high in the country as the Chinese Communist Party celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2021.
Red Tourism
- In China, ‘red tourism’ refers to visiting sites which have a modern revolutionary legacy.
- It was launched in 2004 with the purpose to promote locations with historical and cultural significance to the ruling Communist Party’s history.
- The red sites in the country now form the core of a booming tourism industry that seeks to promote the party’s heritage.
- The tourism sites are a big attraction for the young Chinese population that loves to travel and learn more about the country’s history.
Significance of Red Tourism
- It involves visiting places that are of historical and cultural importance for the Chinese Communist Party.
- It has been bringing in huge revenues which is fuelling China’s economic boom since the pandemic.
- It seeks to spread awareness about the history of the Communist Party of China starting from its origins.
- It reminds people of the sacrifices made by the leaders of the Communist party to forge a modern China.
Famous sites covered by ‘red tourism’
- It includes places such as:
- Nanhu Lake in East China’s Zhejiang, where the First National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party was held on a boat in 1921;
- Mao Zedong’s birthplace Shaoshan have been witnessing huge footfall;
- Yan’an, Mao Zedong’s revolutionary base area where the Red Army arrived after the Long March;
- Jinggangshan, where leading members of the Communist Party of China established their first rural base for the revolution in 1927;
- Nanchang, the capital city of Jiangxi Province which witnessed a significant Uprising in 1927 led by Zhou Enlai and He Long; and
- Jinggang Mountain in Jiangxi Province where the revolution led by the Communist Party of China began in October, 1927.
Critics of Red Tourism
- It seeks to educate people about the country’s past often indulges in one-sided story-telling.
- It can tend to gloss over the failures and misdeeds of the Communist leaders of the country, thus peddling a version of history which can suit the party’s interests.
- Many have pointed out that more than fostering the spirit of research and academic scholarship in history, ideological indoctrination is at the heart of this project.
Corbevax Vaccine
Recently, India has placed an advance order to block 300 million doses of a new Covid-19 vaccine, Corbevax, from Hyderabad-based Company Biological E.
Corbevax Vaccine
- It is a “recombinant protein sub-unit” vaccine, which means it is made up of a specific part of SARS-CoV-2 i.e. the spike protein on the virus’s surface.
- It is indigenously produced as its beginning can be traced to the Baylor College of Medicine’s National School of Tropical Medicine.
- The School had been working on recombinant protein vaccines for coronaviruses SARS and MERS for a decade.
- It is a protein sub-unit vaccine, similar to inactivated whole-cell vaccines such as Covaxin, and does not contain live components of the virus.
Working of Corbevax Vaccine
- The spike protein allows the virus to enter the cells in the body so that it can replicate and cause disease.
- When this protein alone is given to the body, it is not expected to be harmful as the rest of the virus is absent.
- The body is expected to develop an immune response against the injected spike protein.
- When the real virus attempts to infect the body, it will already have an immune response ready that will make it unlikely for the person to fall severely ill.
- It will be among the first Covid-19 vaccines to use this platform.
Corbevax Vaccine is different from others
- The Covid-19 vaccines approved so far are either mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) or viral vector vaccines (AstraZeneca-Oxford/Covishield, Johnson & Johnson and Sputnik V) or inactivated vaccines (Covaxin, Sinovac-CoronaVac and Sinopharm’s SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine–Vero Cell).
- The inactivated vaccines, which include killed particles of the whole SARS-CoV-2 virus, attempt to target the entire structure of the virus.
- Viral vector and mRNA vaccines use a code to induce our cells to make the spike proteins against which the bodies have to build immunity.
- As it is made using a low-cost platform, it is also expected to be among the cheapest available in the country.
Importance of Corbevax Vaccine
- It is the first time the Indian government has placed an order for a vaccine that has not received emergency use authorisation.
- The Centre has provided major pre-clinical and clinical trial support towards the vaccine’s development, including a grant-in-aid of Rs 100 crore from the Department of Biotechnology.
Defence Acquisition Council (DAC)
Recently, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved proposals concerning Capital Acquisitions of various equipment for modernisation and operational needs of the Armed Forces amounting to approx. Rs 6,000 crore.
- The DAC also approved issue of RFP for construction of six Conventional Submarines under Project P 75 (I) under the Strategic Partnership (SP) Model.
- The project envisages indigenous construction of six conventional submarines equipped with the state-of-the-art Air Independent Propulsion system at an estimated cost of Rs 43,000 crore.
- It is being the first case processed under the Strategic Partnership model which would be one of the largest ‘Make in India’ projects.
Significance of Capital Acquisitions by DAC
- It will serve to facilitate faster and more significant absorption of technology and create a tiered industrial ecosystem for submarine construction in India.
- It will help reduce current dependence on imports and gradually ensure greater self-reliance and dependability of supplies from indigenous sources.
- India will be enabled to achieve its 30-year Submarine construction programme envisioned by the Government to acquire national competence in submarine construction.
- It will be an important step towards enhancing the nation’s quest for self-reliance in modern conventional submarine construction and sustainment activities.
- It provides a unique long-term opportunity and planning certainty for the industry to invest and support submarine construction.
- It will also infuse the latest technology and weaponry for submarines in India through strategic tie up between Indian Industry and leading foreign OEMs.
Defence Acquisition Council (DAC)
- It is chaired by the Union Minister of Defence.
- Its objective is to ensure expeditious procurement of the approved requirements of the Armed Forces in terms of capabilities sought.
- The functions of the DAC include:
- In-principle approval of 15 Year Long-Term Integrated Perspective Plan for Defence Forces;
- Accord of Acceptance of Necessity to acquisition proposals;
- Categorization of the acquisition proposals relating to 'Buy', 'Buy & Make' and 'Make';
- Issues relating to Single vendor clearance; and
- Decision regarding 'offset' provisions in respect of acquisition proposals above Rs. 300 crores.
SAGE (Seniorcare Ageing Growth Engine) Initiative
Recently, the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has launched the SAGE (Seniorcare Ageing Growth Engine) Initiative and SAGE Portal.
Need for SAGE Initiative
- India’s elderly population is on the rise as the share of elders, as a percentage of the total population in the country, is expected to increase from around 7.5% in 2001 to almost 12.5% by 2026.
- There is an urgent need to create a more robust elder care ecosystem in India, especially in the post-COVID phase.
- The number of elderly people is steadily increasing in our country, so there is a need to keep in mind that the elderly should remain happy, healthy, and financially and physically active.
SAGE (Seniorcare Ageing Growth Engine) initiative
- The SAGE portal will be a “one-stop access” of elderly care products and services by credible start-ups.
- The start-ups will be selected on the basis of innovative products and services, which they should be able to provide across sectors such as health, housing, care centers etc.
- It is designed as per the suggestions of the Empowered Committee on start-ups for the elderly to solicit the involvement of youth and their innovative ideas for elderly care.
- An allocation of Rs 25 crores has been made for the SAGE project in the current financial year i.e. 2021-22.
- The Ministry will act as a facilitator, enabling the elderly to access the products through these identified start-ups.
- It aims to identify, evaluate, verify, aggregate, and deliver products, solutions and services directly to the stakeholders.
Senior Citizen Welfare Fund
- It has been established under the Finance Act, 2015.
- It aims to be utilized for such schemes for the promotion of the welfare of senior citizens, in line with the National Policy on Older Persons.
- The unclaimed money lying under Small Savings Schemes, Employees Provident Fund, Public Provident Fund schemes, Life and non-life insurance schemes or policies maintained by insurance companies and accounts of Coal Mines Provident Fund is transferred into Senior Citizens’ Welfare Fund.
- Any unclaimed deposit such as Small savings and other savings schemes of the Central Government including the Post Office Savings Accounts, Post Office Recurring Deposit Accounts, Post Office Time Deposit Accounts, Post Office Monthly Income Accounts, Senior Citizens’ Savings Scheme Accounts, Kisan Vikas Patras etc. goes into the SCWF.
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