1. CDFD launches study to develop treatments for rare genetic diseases in children
Tags: Science and Technology National News
Hyderabad-based Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) on November 1, 2022 launched a nationwide study to decode the genetic mutation that causes Paediatric Rare Genetic Disorder (PRaGeD) in children.
Important facts
The PRaGeD mission is a pan-India initiative funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
The initiative will discover genes that cause rare diseases, develop suitable treatments, provide counselling and create awareness among people.
About 15 research and health institutions from across the country are participating in the study.
Under this initiative, 5,600 families will be screened over a period of five years to identify the genetic causes of undiagnosed paediatric rare genetic diseases.
Once the genetic mutation is detected in these children, the researchers will conduct studies in animals and cell models to understand how the genetic mutations are causing the rare disease.
What is a rare genetic disease?
A rare disease is any disease that affects a small percentage of the population.
Most rare diseases are genetic, therefore these are called rare genetic diseases.
These diseases are present throughout a person’s entire life, even if symptoms do not immediately appear.
Common rare diseases found in India are haemophilia, thalassemia, sickle cell anaemia and primary immune deficiency in children, auto-immune diseases, lysosomal storage disorders like Pompe disease, Hirschsprung disease etc.
The burden of rare genetic diseases in India is close to 70 million and about 30 percent of children suffering from such diseases are below the age of five years.
2. UP’s Ranipur gets 53rd tiger reserve of India
Tags: National National News
The Ranipur Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh has become the 53rd tiger reserve of India, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on 31st October.
Important facts
Ranipur Tiger Reserve in Chitrakoot district of UP is the fourth tiger reserve in the state after Dudhwa, Pilibhit and Amangarh.
According to the latest tiger census conducted in 2018, India has 2,967 tigers, of which 173 are in UP.
About Ranipur Tiger Reserve
Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the UP-MP border in Chitrakoot and about 150 km from Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
Covered with northern tropical dry deciduous forests, this area is home to tigers, leopards, bears, spotted deer, sambar, chinkara and other mammals.
Established in 1977, it is one of the main attractions of Chitrakoot district of Uttar Pradesh.
Other tiger reserves in Uttar Pradesh
At present there are three tiger reserves in the state. These include Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Amangarh Tiger Reserve and Pilibhit Tiger Reserve.
Amangarh is the buffer zone of Jim Corbett National Park and is located in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh.
Dudhwa Tiger Reserve is located in Lakhimpur, Pilibhit Tiger Reserve is in Pilibhit.
3. UP’s Ranipur gets 53rd tiger reserve of India
Tags: National National News
The Ranipur Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh has become the 53rd tiger reserve of India, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on 31st October.
Important facts
Ranipur Tiger Reserve in Chitrakoot district of UP is the fourth tiger reserve in the state after Dudhwa, Pilibhit and Amangarh.
According to the latest tiger census conducted in 2018, India has 2,967 tigers, of which 173 are in UP.
About Ranipur Tiger Reserve
Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the UP-MP border in Chitrakoot and about 150 km from Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
Covered with northern tropical dry deciduous forests, this area is home to tigers, leopards, bears, spotted deer, sambar, chinkara and other mammals.
Established in 1977, it is one of the main attractions of Chitrakoot district of Uttar Pradesh.
Other tiger reserves in Uttar Pradesh
At present there are three tiger reserves in the state. These include Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Amangarh Tiger Reserve and Pilibhit Tiger Reserve.
Amangarh is the buffer zone of Jim Corbett National Park and is located in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh.
Dudhwa Tiger Reserve is located in Lakhimpur, Pilibhit Tiger Reserve is in Pilibhit.
4. Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina confers ‘Friends of Liberation War’ honour on Edward M Kennedy
Tags: Awards International News
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina posthumously awarded the prestigious 'Friends of Liberation War' honour to former US Senator Edward M Kennedy in Dhaka on 31 October for his contribution to the liberation of Bangladesh.
Important facts
The honour was handed over to his son Edward M. Ted Kennedy Jr.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina remembered with gratitude the contribution of Edward Kennedy Sr.
He said Kennedy Sr. took a bold step against the genocide committed by Pakistan on innocent Bengali people despite the role of the US government during the 1971 Liberation War.
She said Kennedy Sr. had worked hard to suspend military and economic aid to Pakistan until the end of the war.
Liberation War of 1971
In the 1950s, Pakistan was ruled by a military-bureaucratic rule that ruled the entire country (East and West Pakistan) in an undemocratic manner.
The Bengalites had no political representation in this system of governance.
This dominance of West Pakistan was challenged by the Bengalis during the general elections of 1970.
In the general election of 1970, the Awami League of East Pakistan's Sheikh Mujibur Rahman got a clear majority.
West Pakistan was not ready for any leader of East Pakistan to rule the country.
On March 26, 1971, West Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight in East Pakistan.
As a result, lakhs of Bangladeshis had to take refuge in India.
The Pakistani army had to face defeat due to the bravery of the 'Muktiwahini Sena' and Indian soldiers who fought for the independence of Bangladesh.
On 6 December 1971, a new nation Bangladesh was born out of 13 days of war with the intervention of India.
5. Govt restricts use of Glyphosate in agriculture
Tags: National National News
The government has recently banned the use of herbicide glyphosate and its derivatives, considering the health hazards to humans/animals. Only authorised pest control operators are allowed to use it.
About Glyphosate
It is a widely used herbicide that controls broadleaf weeds and grasses.
It works by blocking an enzyme essential for plant growth.
It was developed in 1970, and its scientific name is N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine.
This product is mainly used in agriculture.
Glyphosate and its formulations are widely registered and are currently used in over 160 countries, including the European Union and the United States.
Farmers around the world have been using it for safe and effective weed control for more than 40 years.
In India, glyphosate is approved for use only in tea gardens and non-planting areas with the tea crop. Its use elsewhere is illegal.
Health impacts of glyphosate
The worrying findings were revealed in a 2020 study by Pan India on the status of glyphosate use in the country.
The health effects of glyphosate range from cancer, reproductive and developmental toxicity to neurotoxicity and immunotoxicity.
Symptoms include burning, swelling, skin irritation, mouth and nose pain, unpleasant taste, and blurred vision.
The large-scale use of glyphosate in non-designated areas has serious consequences.
The use of all weedicides, including glyphosate, is depleting food resources and depriving them of adequate nutrition.
It was being used in more than 20 crop fields.
6. Govt restricts use of Glyphosate in agriculture
Tags: National National News
The government has recently banned the use of herbicide glyphosate and its derivatives, considering the health hazards to humans/animals. Only authorised pest control operators are allowed to use it.
About Glyphosate
It is a widely used herbicide that controls broadleaf weeds and grasses.
It works by blocking an enzyme essential for plant growth.
It was developed in 1970, and its scientific name is N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine.
This product is mainly used in agriculture.
Glyphosate and its formulations are widely registered and are currently used in over 160 countries, including the European Union and the United States.
Farmers around the world have been using it for safe and effective weed control for more than 40 years.
In India, glyphosate is approved for use only in tea gardens and non-planting areas with the tea crop. Its use elsewhere is illegal.
Health impacts of glyphosate
The worrying findings were revealed in a 2020 study by Pan India on the status of glyphosate use in the country.
The health effects of glyphosate range from cancer, reproductive and developmental toxicity to neurotoxicity and immunotoxicity.
Symptoms include burning, swelling, skin irritation, mouth and nose pain, unpleasant taste, and blurred vision.
The large-scale use of glyphosate in non-designated areas has serious consequences.
The use of all weedicides, including glyphosate, is depleting food resources and depriving them of adequate nutrition.
It was being used in more than 20 crop fields.
7. Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) Asia Pacific Conference
Tags: National National News
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Goa is hosting a three-day long Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) conference from 1st to 3rd November 2022.
Important facts
Delegates will discuss and collaborate on key issues that will help shape the future of Asia's aviation industry and turn the vision of the Global Council for Complete Air Transport Systems (CATS) of 2045 into reality.
Theme of 2022 conference - “Think Global, Collaborate Regional, Accomplish Local”.
The conference also covered Digitization and Automation, which play an important role in strengthening CANSO's vision for the skies of the future.
Delegates will also be able to witness some of the cutting edge technology that will help modernise air traffic management in the region.
About CANSO
The Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) is the global voice of the air traffic management (ATM) industry and is shaping future skies.
Its members support more than 90% of the world's air traffic and include air navigation service providers, airspace users and operators, manufacturers and aviation industry suppliers.
It brings together the world's air navigation service providers, leading industry innovators and air traffic management experts to share knowledge, develop best practices, and shape the future of safe and seamless airspace.
Founded - 1996
Director General - Simon Hocquard
About Airports Authority of India
Airports Authority of India is an organisation/authority functioning under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) manages a total of 133 airports which include 11 international airports, 8 customs airports, 81 domestic airports and 25 civil enclaves in defence airfields.
Established- 1st April, 1995
President- Sanjeev Kumar
Headquarters - New Delhi
8. Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) Asia Pacific Conference
Tags: National National News
Goa is hosting a three-day long Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) conference from 1st to 3rd November 2022.
Important facts
Delegates will discuss and collaborate on key issues that will help shape the future of Asia's aviation industry and turn the vision of the Global Council for Complete Air Transport Systems (CATS) of 2045 into reality.
Theme of 2022 conference - “Think Global, Collaborate Regional, Accomplish Local”.
The conference also covered Digitization and Automation, which play an important role in strengthening CANSO's vision for the skies of the future.
Delegates will also be able to witness some of the cutting edge technology that will help modernise air traffic management in the region.
About CANSO
The Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) is the global voice of the air traffic management (ATM) industry and is shaping future skies.
Its members support more than 90% of the world's air traffic and include air navigation service providers, airspace users and operators, manufacturers and aviation industry suppliers.
It brings together the world's air navigation service providers, leading industry innovators and air traffic management experts to share knowledge, develop best practices, and shape the future of safe and seamless airspace.
Founded - 1996
Director General - Simon Hocquard
About Airports Authority of India
Airports Authority of India is an organisation/authority functioning under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) manages a total of 133 airports which include 11 international airports, 8 customs airports, 81 domestic airports and 25 civil enclaves in defence airfields.
Established- 1st April, 1995
President- Sanjeev Kumar
Headquarters - New Delhi
9. Second edition of Naval Commanders' Conference
Tags: Defence National News
The second edition of Naval Commanders' Conference of 2022 begins on 1 November, 2022 in New Delhi.
Important facts
During the four-day conference, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will address and interact with naval commanders on matters related to national security.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and the Chiefs of Indian Army and Indian Air Force will also interact with the Naval Commanders.
During the conference, the Chief of Naval Staff, along with other Naval Commanders, will review major operations, material, logistics, human resource development, training and administrative activities undertaken by the Indian Navy over the past few months.
They will deliberate on plans for important future activities and initiatives.
The conference will also focus on the dynamics of the geo-strategic situation in the region and the Navy's readiness to deal with it.
Chief of Defence Staff - General Anil Chauhan
Chief of Indian Air Force - V. R. Chaudhari
Chief of Indian Army - General Manoj Pande
Chief of Indian Navy - Admiral R Hari Kumar
10. PM Modi declares Rajasthan's Mangarh Dham national monument
Tags: National National News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared Mangarh Dham in Rajasthan a national monument on 1 November, 2022.
Important facts
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the ‘Mangarh Dham ki Gaurav Gatha’ programme in Banswara district of Rajasthan on 1 November.
The event is being organised by the Ministry of Culture. The Chief Ministers of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat are also participating in this program.
He addressed a gathering of members of Bhil tribals and other tribes at Mangarh Dham in Banswara district.
PM paid tributes to the tribals who were massacred by the British army in 1913 in Mangarh in Rajasthan.
About Mangarh Dham
It is a memorial for around 1,500 tribals massacred by the British army in 1913, is located on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border, a region with a large tribal population.
In 1913 the assembly of tribals and forest dwellers against the British Raj in Mangarh was led by the social reformer Govind Guru.
This massacre of tribals, which took place six years before Jallianwala Bagh, is sometimes referred to as "Adivasi Jallianwala".
On November 17, 1913, the British army killed hundreds of Bhil tribesmen in the hills of Mangarh.
The Bhil tribe is called the "Dhanush Man of India" because they are highly skilled in learning the bow.
