Solution: B

Scientists in the United States have created the world’s first “living robots” named “xenobots”.

• The tiny robots have been built from the cells of the African clawed frog. Scientists have repurposed living cells scraped from frog embryos and assembled them into entirely new life-forms.
• The robots have been named after the species of aquatic frog Xenopus laevis, found across sub-Saharan Africa from Nigeria and Sudan to South Africa.
• While humans have been manipulating organisms for their benefit since at least the dawn of agriculture, and genetic editing has created a few artificial organisms in recent years, the latest research is a breakthrough because it designs, for the first time ever, “completely biological machines from scratch”.
• The xenobots can move toward a target, perhaps pick up a payload (like a medicine that needs to be carried to a specific place inside a patient) — and heal themselves after being cut.
• Many useful applications of these living robots include searching out nasty compounds or radioactive contamination, gathering microplastic in the oceans, travelling in arteries to scrape out plaque, etc.

An international team of researchers has found Henneguya salminicola, a multicellular animal with no mitochondrial DNA, making it the only known animal to exist without the need to breathe oxygen.

Solution: D

The Anti-Hijacking Act, 2016 is an Act of the Parliament of India intended to enforce The Hague Hijacking Convention and the 2010 Beijing Protocol Supplementary to the Convention.

The Act repeals and replaces The Anti-Hijacking Act, 1982. The new Act broadens the definition of hijacking to include any attempt to seize or gain control of an aircraft using “any technological means”, which accounts for the possibility that the hijackers may not be physically present on board the aircraft.

It prescribes capital punishment in the event of death of “any person”. The 2016 Anti-Hijacking Act replaces the 1982-vintage law, according to which hijackers could be tried for death penalty only in the event of death of hostages, such as flight crew, passengers and security personnel.

In the new law, the definition has been expanded to include death of “security personnel on board” or “ground support staff” as well.

In other cases of hijacking, guilty will be punished with imprisonment for life and fine, besides confiscation of movable and immovable property held by him or her. Those who organise or direct others to commit such offence will also be considered to have committed the offence of hijacking.

The new law mandates the central government to confer powers of investigation, arrest and prosecution on any officer of the central government or National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Solution: A

MILASEN

Doctors in the United States have customised a drug to treat a girl with a rare form of genetic disease, opening avenues for the development of personalised treatments for people with life-threatening rare diseases.

About:

• Milasen is said to be the first tailor-made treatment for a single patient. The drug, described in the New England Journal of Medicine, is believed to be the first “custom” treatment for a genetic disease.
• It is called milasen, named after the only patient who will ever take it: Mila Makovec, suffering from a form of Batten disease.

Significance:

• Milasen is not suited to the treatment of other patients with Batten disease because its design is customised to our patient’s specific mutation.
• However, the study demonstrates the ability to “rationally design, test, and deploy a novel therapeutic agent for a patient with a rare disease.”

Solution: D

Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010:

• Foreign funding of voluntary organizationsin India is regulated under FCRA act and is implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Under the Act, organisations require to register themselves every five years.
• As per the amended FCRA rules,all NGOs registered or granted prior permission under FCRA are now required to upload details of foreign contributions received and utilized by them every three months on their website or the FCRA website.
• NGOs now need to file their annual returns online, with the hard copy version dispensed with. The annual returns must be placed quarterly on the NGO’s website or the FCRA website maintained by the home ministry.

Who cannot accept Foreign Contribution?

• Election candidate
• Member of any legislature (MP and MLAs)
• Political party or office bearer thereof
• Organization of a political nature
• Correspondent, columnist, cartoonist, editor, owner, printer or publishers of a registered Newspaper.
• Judge, government servant or employee of any corporation or any other body controlled on owned by the Government.
• Association or company engaged in the production or broadcast of audio news, audio visual news or current affairs programmes through any electronic mode

Any other individuals or associations who have been specifically prohibited by the Central Government.

Solution: B

Samagra Shiksha-Jal Suraksha:

Samagra Shiksha-Jal Suraksha’ Drive has been launched by the Department of School Education & Literacy, HRD Ministry to create awareness about water conservation among all school students in the country.

Five Major Objectives:

1. To educate students learn about conservation of water.
2. To sensitize Students about the impact of scarcity of water.
3. To empower Students to learn to protect the natural sources of water.
4. To help every Student to save at least one litre of water per day.
5. To encourage Students towards judicious use and minimum wastage of water at home and school level.

Target:

1. One Student – One Day – Save One Litre Water.
2. One Student – One Year – Save 365 Litres Water.
3. One Student – 10 Years – Save 3650 Litres Water.

Solution: B

Spike is an Israeli fourth-generation fire-and-forget antitank guided missile and anti-personnel missile with a tandem-charge HEAT warhead. It was developed and designed by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

It is available in man-portable, vehicle-launched, and helicopter-launched variants.

Solution: C

What is PET resin or PET?

PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate. It is a form of polyester (just like the clothing fabric).

It is extruded or molded into plastic bottles and containers for packaging foods and beverages, personal care products, and many other consumer products.

PET is a highly valued packaging material because it is strong yet lightweight, non-reactive, economical, and shatterproof.

Like glass, PET is hygienic, strong and resistant to attack by micro-organisms, does not react with foods or beverages, and will not biologically degrade.

PET does not contain dioxins, nor can it produce dioxins, and no dioxins are created in the manufacturing of PET.

Solution: B

Embryo Transfer

Embryo Transfer Technology (ETT)  is a technique used to increase the reproduction rate of cows and buffaloes. Embryo transfer simply means collection of an embryo from a donor female and its transfer to the uterus of a recipient female of the same species.

NDDB established Embryo Transfer (ET) facility at SAG, Bidaj in 1987 and started super ovulation of elite cattle and buffaloes and production of in vivo embryos. Right from beginning, ET technology has extensively been used for bull production programmes. Since the inception of the project in 1987, 11584 viable embryos have been produced and 774 male calves born.

Around that time, a Science & Technology Project on Cattle Herd Improvement for Increased Productivity using Embryo Transfer Technology was launched by Ministry of Science & Technology, Dept. of Biotechnology, GoI. For implementation of this project, NDDB was made the Lead Implementing agency. Under this project, NDDB established one Main ET Lab at SAG Bidaj and four Regional ET Labs at CFSP&TI, Hessarghatta (Karnataka), ABC, Salon (UP), ShriNashik Panchavati Panjrapole, Nashik (Maharashtra) and Buffalo Breeding Centre, Nekarikallu (AP). NDDB also established 14 out of 25 proposed State ET centres across the country. Over the project period (1st April 1987 to 31st March 1992), NDDB produced 6824 embryos from cattle and 1452 embryos from buffaloes.

Solution: A

TRI-NETRA is an advanced collision avoidance system for Indian Railways. TRI-NETRA is the abbreviation for Terrain imaging for diesel divers Infra-red, Enhanced optical & Radar Assisted system.

TRI-NETRA system shall be made up of

• High-resolution optical video camera
• High sensitivity infra-red video camera
• Radar-based terrain mapping system

These three components of the system shall act as three eyes (Tri-Netra) of the Locomotive Pilot.

TRI-NETRA is designed to “see” the terrain ahead of the running locomotive during inclement weather by combining the images captured by the three sub-systems and to create a composite video image which shall be displayed in front of the Loco Pilot on a computer monitor.

It enables the pilot to see the terrain before the running locomotive reaches the point The system once installed, will help in enhancing the vision of the locomotive drivers in difficult weather conditions, such as fog, heavy rains, during night time etc., so that they have enough time to apply brakes without hitting the objects/obstructions.

Solution: A

African Nation, Malawi will be undertaking large scale pilot tests for the world’s most advanced experimental malaria vaccine in a bid to prevent the disease. The vaccine has been recommended by WHO for pilot introduction in selected areas of 3 African countries- Ghana, Kenya and Malawi.

About Malaria:

• caused by the infectious Plasmodium
• Spread: Female Anophelesmosquitoes deposit parasite sporozoites into the skin of a human host.
• Malaria is a leading cause of human morbidity and mortality. Despite huge progress in tackling the disease, there are still 212 million new cases of malaria and 430,000 malaria-related deaths worldwide each year according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Most cases (80%) and deaths (90%) were in sub-Saharan African.

World’s first vaccine against a parasitic disease: Mosquirix:

• RTS,S, known by its trade name Mosquirix, uses antibodies to target proteins presented by sporozoites (such as the circumsporozoite protein of  falciparum)to enhance the immune system and help prevent the parasite from infecting the liver.
• Mosquirix is also engineered using a hepatitis B viral protein and a chemical adjuvant to further boost the immune response for enhanced effectiveness.

 Malawi is first of the three countries chosen for the pilot program to roll out the vaccine. Soon, Ghana and Kenya will join in as part of a large scale pilot program backed by the WHO.

India’s efforts in this regard:

• India’s progress in fighting malaria is an outcome of concerted efforts to ensure that its malaria programme is country-owned and country-led, even as it is in alignment with globally accepted strategies.
• At the East Asia Summit in 2015, India pledged to eliminate the disease by 2030. Following this public declaration, India launched the five-year National Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination. This marked a shift in focus from malaria “control” to “elimination”. The plan provides a roadmap to achieve the target of ending malaria in 571 districts out of India’s 678 districts by 2022.

Solution: C

Fixed Dose Combinations refer to products containing one or more active ingredients used for a particular indication(s).

The manufacture for sale, sale and distribution for human use of FDCs has been regulated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

The clinical trials are conducted in accordance with the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules. The specific Rules are-

Rule 122 D -permission to import or manufacture fixed dose combination

Rule 122 DA –Mandatory requirement of permission from DCG (I) for conduct of clinical trial of new drug;

Solution: D

Startup India is a flagship initiative of the Government of India, intended to build a strong eco-system for nurturing innovation and Startups in the country.

This will drive sustainable economic growth and generate large scale employment opportunities. Start-up India initiative launched on 16th January 2016, consists of 19 Action Points that act as a guiding document for the initiative.

https://www.startupindia.gov.in/content/sih/en/startup-scheme.html

Solution: C

NEXT GENERATION SEQUENCING (NGS) FACILITY

Union Minister of Science and Technology inaugurated the Next Generation Sequencing (NSG) facility at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad today. This NGS facility is the fourth such facility in the country.

About:

• Genome sequencing is figuring out the order of DNA nucleotides, or bases, in a genome—the order of As, Cs, Gs, and Ts that make up an organism’s DNA.
• Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) allows parallel Genome sequencing, resulting in the generation of Giga bases of data in a short amount of time.
• Benefits: This has reduced the cost per genome significantly, making genomic data more accessible to individual researchers. Decreasing costs are making genomics an attractive and integral part of any successful bioscience research project.
• Application: The NSG would help prenatal genetic screening and counselling, thereby generating large scale genomic data critical for diagnosis and therapy. It would be of help, especially to patients suffering from rare genetic disorders.
• Recent development: The recent NSG facility at the CCMB in Hyderabad can sequence 18,000 samples in 8 minutes. With this, the CCMB can now sequence up to 30 human genomes or 384 diagnostic samples in a day.

Solution: B

G proteins, also known as guanine nucleotide-binding proteins, are a family of proteins that act as molecular switches inside cells, and are involved in transmitting signals from a variety of stimuli outside a cell to its interior.

Solution: D

Food Fortification is a scientifically proven, cost-effective, scalable and sustainable global intervention that addresses the issue of micronutrient deficiencies. In October 2016, FSSAI operationalized the Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2016 for fortifying staples namely Wheat Flour and Rice (with Iron, Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid), Milk and Edible Oil (with Vitamins A and D) and Double Fortified Salt (with Iodine and Iron) to reduce the high burden of micronutrient malnutrition in India. The ‘+F’ logo has been notified to identify fortified foods. Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2018 were notified in the Gazette of India on 09.08.2018.

India has a very high burden of micronutrient deficiencies caused by Vitamin A, Iodine, Iron and Folic Acid leading to Night Blindness, Goitre, Anaemia and various birth defects. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4)

58.4 percent of children (6-59 months) are anaemic

53.1 percent women in the reproductive age group are anaemic

35.7 percent of children under 5 are underweight

Fortification is a globally proven intervention to address the much prevalent micronutrient deficiencies in the population.

What are the Benefits of Fortification?

Food Fortification has a high benefit-to-cost ratio. The Copenhagen Consensus estimates that every 1 Rupee spent on fortification results in 9 Rupees in benefits to the economy. It requires an initial investment to purchase both the equipment and the vitamin and mineral premix, but the overall costs of fortification are extremely low. Even when all program costs are passed on to consumers, the price increase is approximately by 1-2%, which is less than the normal price variation.

Solution: D

In recent years, the emergence of highly versatile genome-editing technologies has provided investigators with the ability to rapidly and economically introduce sequence-specific modifications into the genomes of a broad spectrum of cell types and organisms. The core technologies now most commonly used to facilitate genome editing, shown in Figure 1, are (1) clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9), (2) transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), (3) zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), and (4) homing endonucleases or meganucleases.

Solution: C

“A molecular genetic technique used for the direct manipulation, alteration or modification of genes or genome of organisms in order to manipulate the phenotypes is called genetic engineering.” 

The technique is often known as genetic manipulation, genetic modification or genetic alterations, broadly it is categorized as genetic engineering.

In this technique, a recombinant DNA is constructed and inserted into the host genome using a vector. Or we can delete some mutant sequences from a genome. The first recombinant DNA was constructed by Paul Berg in 1972. 

It is employed for the production of improved plant species, therapeutic drugs or proteins, prevention of inherited genetic disorders and construction of a genetically modified organism.

Gene editing- A gene-editing technique is used to edit the genome in which an undesired DNA sequence is removed or a new gene can be inserted into the host genome. CRISPR-CAS9, TALEN and ZFN are some known gene-editing tools used in gene therapy experiments.

Solution: B

West Bengal government’s rice research Centre has come up with a new variety of rice called Muktoshri that can be grown in arsenic prone areas. It was developed jointly by the Rice Research Station at Chinsurah, coming under West Bengal’s Agriculture Department and the National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow.

Background:

West Bengal has a high concentration of arsenic in groundwater, with 83 blocks across seven districts having higher arsenic levels than permissible limits.

Arsenic- Key facts:

Arsenic is naturally present at high levels in the groundwater of a number of countries. It is also present in rocks and soils.

Arsenic is highly toxic in its inorganic form.

 Permissible limit:

World Health Organization’s provisional guideline value for arsenic in drinking water is 0.01 mg/l (10 μg/l). The permissible limit of arsenic in India in the absence of an alternative source is 0.05 mg/l (50 μg/l).

Golden Rice

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and its national research partners have developed Golden Rice to complement existing interventions to address vitamin A deficiency (VAD). VAD is a serious public health problem affecting millions of children and pregnant women globally.

In the south and Southeast Asian countries, where two-thirds or more of daily caloric intake is obtained from rice, Golden Rice can help in the fight against VAD, particularly among the people who depend mostly on rice for nourishment.

Bangladesh is set to becoming the first country to approve plantation of Golden Rice variety to counter Vitamin A deficiency.

Golden Rice

• In the late 1990s, German scientists developed a genetically modified variety of rice called Golden Rice.
• It is a variety of rice (Oryza sativa) produced through genetic engineering to biosynthesize beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, in the edible parts of rice.
• It differs from its parental strain by the addition of three beta-carotene biosynthesis genes.
• The parental strain can naturally produce beta-carotene in its leaves, where it is involved in photosynthesis.

Why golden rice?

• Golden Rice is intended to produce a fortified food to be grown and consumed in areas with a shortage of dietary vitamin A.
• It was claimed to be able to fight Vitamin A deficiency, which is the leading cause of blindness among children and can also lead to death due to infectious diseases such as measles.
• Rice is naturally low in the pigment beta-carotene, which the body uses to make Vitamin A. Golden rice contains this, which is the reason for its golden colour.

The claim has sometimes been contested over the years, with a 2016 study from Washington University in St Louis reporting that the variety may fall short of what it is supposed to achieve.

Solution: D

RNA interference (RNAi) is a biological process in which RNA molecules inhibit gene expression or translation, by neutralizing targeted mRNA molecules.

Applications of RNAi:

The use of the artificial Double-strand RNA (dsRNA) molecules induces RNA interference response of a cell and results in the regulation of the gene expression.

Thus the Artificially induced RNAi has several tremendous applications in the clinical, therapeutic and other research fields.

It is widely used now in gene knockout studies.

Also, it is implemented in functional genomics research and studies.

Therapeutically, it is now used against viral infections, cancer and neurological diseases, researchers aiming to use it as a safer therapy to cure diseases.

RNAi therapies can also be used in personalized medicines and targeted-gene therapy.

In recent years, RNAi technology has greatly emerged in plant research and crop improvements.

Scientists are now using the RNAi and antisense RNA technology in crop improvement.

Novel plant traits and disease-resistant species of plants are being developed using the present technology.

Moreover, it is also used in pest control and yield improvement.

Flvr Savr tomato, decaffeinated coffee and nicotine-free tobacco are some of the best examples of plant species developed using RNAi technology.

The RNAi is also used for disease and pathogen resistance, development of male sterility and functional genomic studies in plants.

Virus resistance plant species against Banana Bract Mosaic Virus, Rice Tungro Bacilliform Virus, Tobacco Mosaic Virus and Cucumber Mosaic Virus are developed by using the antiviral RNA silencing through RNAi.

Artificially engineered dsRNA complementary to the viral RNA is introduced into the plant genome which mimics like the natural si/miRNA and destroys viral dsRNA every time it attacks.

Solution: C

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)

IRRI is an independent, non-profit, research and educational institute, founded in 1960 by the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations with support from the Philippine government.

The institute, headquartered in Los Baños, Philippines, has offices in 17 rice-growing countries in Asia and Africa.

It is the world’s premier research organization dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science; improving the health and welfare of rice farmers and consumers; and protecting the rice-growing environment for future generations.

Solution: B

Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC)

• The Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) was constituted in December, 2010. The FSDC was set up to strengthen and institutionalise the mechanism for maintaining financial stability, enhancing inter-regulatory coordination and promoting financial sector development.
• An apex-level FSDC is not a statutory body.

Composition:

• The Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and its members are Governor, Reserve Bank of India; Finance Secretary and/or Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs; Secretary, Department of Financial Services; Chief Economic Adviser, Ministry of Finance; Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India; Chairman, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority and Chairman, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority. It also includes the chairman of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board (IBBI).
• Recently, the government through a gazette notification, had included ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) secretary in the FSDC in view of the increased focus of the government on digital economy.

Solution: A

CAR T-cell therapy:

A type of treatment in which a patient’s T cells (a type of immune system cell) are changed in the laboratory so they will attack cancer cells. T cells are taken from a patient’s blood. Then the gene for a special receptor that binds to a certain protein on the patient’s cancer cells is added to the T cells in the laboratory. The special receptor is called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). Large numbers of the CAR T cells are grown in the laboratory and given to the patient by infusion. CAR T-cell therapy is used to treat certain blood cancers, and it is being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Also called chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy.

Solution: C

A microRNA is a small non-coding RNA molecule found in plants, animals and some viruses that functions in RNA silencing and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. miRNAs function via base-pairing with complementary sequences within mRNA molecules.

Solution: B

“Healthy States, Progressive India” is a comprehensive Health Index report released by the NITI Aayog. The report ranks states and Union territories innovatively on their year-on-year incremental change in health outcomes, as well as, their overall performance with respect to each other. The report has been developed by NITI Aayog, with technical assistance from the World Bank, and in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

Solution: C

First Inter-State translocation of Tiger is happened between Madhya Pradesh and Odisha

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/first-inter-state-translocation-project-odisha-gets-second-big-cat-from-madhya-pradesh-5236415/