Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• Nari shakti’ offers G20 nations a women’s empowerment model

GS Paper 3

• Employment and participation
• In Punjab, ominous signs of extremism and police, political failure
• Why India needs stable capital flows
• Unpacking the new set of e-waste rules
• In defence of financial globalisation
• We need to democratically reimagine science

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• India tops list of global internet shut-offs: Report
• Prime Minister transfers Rs. 16,800 crore towards PM Kisan Samman Nidhi
• NeGD organizes its 34th CISO Deep Dive Training Programme under MeitY’s initiative Cyber Surakshit Bharat
• Why onion prices have crashed in Lasalgaon wholesale market
• Why did Putin suspend Russia’s participation in New START?
• PM Modi inaugurated Shivamogga airport in Karnataka today. All you need to know about the greenfield airport
• ‘Organ on a chip’: The new lab setup scientists are using instead of animals to test new drugs
• 1,300 ­year ­old Buddhist stupa found in Odisha’s Jajpur

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

Nari shakti’ offers G20 nations a women’s empowerment model

News: The article discusses the way India has led the empowerment of women and which can act as a model to showcase India’s efforts to G20 nations.

What are the different measures taken by India to empower women?

Nari Shakti Scheme: It funds women entrepreneurs by providing soft loans.

Women in Engineering Science and Technology (WEST) programme: It encourages women pursuing education in STEM subjects.

Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP): It is a unified access portal that brings together an ecosystem for women.

Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP): It has funded over 107,000 women entrepreneurs between 2016 and 2021. In addition, the government has mandated targeted procurement from women entrepreneurs.

Legislation: There law in India provides for reserving one-third of the seats for women in gram panchayats, panchayat samitis, zilla parishads, municipalities and municipal corporations.

Around 21 states have mandated 50% representation which has helped create local-level ecosystems for uplifting women and encouraging women’s participation in economic activities.

Self-Help Groups (SHGs): They have also contributed to women’s development.

Corporate sectors: The women workforce in corporate sectors have improved tremendously. For example, banking and finance services (31%), media sector (30%), IT services (34%-46%).

Women entrepreneurs: There are more than 20% of proprietary MSME units run by women in India. The accessibility to the internet has further increased female entrepreneurship in the country.

Hence, these all efforts and measures taken by India can be a model for other G20 nations.

What more can be done by India to ensure women’s empowerment?

There is a need to focus on three critical areas: a) women in STEM, b) women-led enterprises and c) women at the grassroots level.

These will have a huge impact on women’s development and will help G20 economies reduce gender gaps and inequality, as envisaged under the UN Sustainable Development Agenda.

GS Paper 3

Employment and participation

News- The National Sample Survey Office has released its annual summary of the Periodic Labour Force Survey. The report covers the period between July 2021 and June 2022.

What does the survey tell about the employment situation in India?

The PLFS is used to calculate an unemployment rate for India.

The report says that during 2021-22, unemployment in rural areas declined to 3.2% from 3.3% in 2020-21. In urban areas, it declined to 6.3% from 6.6%.

The LFPR for rural women above the age of 15 is at 36.6% in 2021-22 and for urban women above 15 is at 23.8%. By contrast, it is 78.2% for rural men above the age of 15. For urban men above 15, it is 74.7%.

What are the implications of low LFPR in India?

There is a general view that raising the LFPR should be a major priority to increase India’s level of potential economic growth.

There is a broad academic consensus that the female LFPR in India is not increasing and may in fact be declining.

The large difference between the male and female LFPRs sets India apart from its global peers. In most Southeast Asian countries, the female LFPR is over 50%. In China it is close to 70%.

The influx of women workers into the formal workforce was helpful in achieving high economic growth for East Asian economies. It is a major differentiator for the Bangladesh economy today.

The PLFS is thus a reminder that ensuring access to work outside the home for women must be a priority for high economic growth.

In Punjab, ominous signs of extremism and police, political failure

News- The followers of Amrit Pal Singh, leader stormed the police station at Ajnala near Amritsar on February 23, 2023, demanding the release of Lovepreet Singh Tufan.

What are the security related challenges faced by Punjab?

It is facing problems on multiple fronts. Criminal gangs have grown up in different districts and there are frequent reports of gang warfare. Seventy organised gangs with over 500 members are said to be active in the state.

Drugs are being smuggled into the state in a big way. 40% of Punjabi youth in the age group of 15-20 years have fallen prey to drugs and 48% of farmers and labourers are addicts.

Pakistan has been dropping weapons and drugs through drones on a large scale. According to the BSF, there is virtually a bombardment of drones.

There is a well-orchestrated plan to revive terrorism in the state. Pakistan has been is sheltering and funding the terrorist groups like Babbar Khalsa International, International Sikh Youth Federation

The ISI is also supporting Sikh diaspora, particularly those belonging to the World Sikh Organisation and Sikhs for Justice.

What is the sequence of events showing the deteriorating security situation in Punjab?

As far back as 2014, the Damdami Taksal built a memorial for Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and other militants killed during Operation Blue Star

In 2016-17, there were targeted murders of RSS workers.

Khalistan posters and Bhindranwale’s images are openly displayed on the streets of Punjab on the anniversary of Operation Blue Star.

What are the reasons for the fragile security situation in Punjab?

Administration is showing a very low key response to these developments. It is politically convenient for them.

Security forces are capable of dealing with these challenges. But, they are not being provided with clear political directions. Political masters advice in critical scenarios is generally to handle the situation “tactfully” and not use force. It is convenient for their vote bank politics.

State government is interfering largely in police functioning. Higher functionaries of police have less functional autonomy. There have been four Director Generals of Police in the state since September 2021.

What is the way forward to improve the security scenario in Punjab?

The security of Punjab cannot be equated with the hinterland states.  The problem will have to be handled both internally as well as externally.

If the state government does not show the political will, it may be dismissed and President’s Rule can be imposed in the state. A strong governor will have to be sent with a team of competent advisors.

Why India needs stable capital flows

News- As per the RBI’s quarterly statistics, the current account deficit widened to 4.4% of GDP in the second quarter of 2022-23, down from 2.2% in the preceding quarter.

What is the performance of other indicators of the external sector of the economy?

The overall trade deficit has declined to $37.73 billion in the third quarter, from $49.1 billion in the second quarter of 2022-23. There was a sharp decline in the trade deficit to $1.27 billion in January.

Remittances and services exports have provided a counter-balance to rising merchandise trade deficits. In the first half of 2022-23, services exports recorded a growth of 32.7 % over the same period last year. Remittances have reached $48 billion in April-September 2022

What are the implications of higher CAD for the Indian economy?

Large and persistent CADs are not good if they show poor export competitiveness and are financed by unstable financing.

Large and persistent CADs expose India to the risks associated with its financing. If CADs can be financed by stable capital inflows, such as FDI, they are desirable.

If deficits are financed by volatile capital flows such as portfolio flows, there may be a cause of concern. Portfolio flows are more susceptible to reversals in case of any global financial shock.

FDI inflows have been weak in the current fiscal year. FDI and portfolio inflows each only financed about 18% of CADs in the second quarter of 2022-23. So, there is a financing issue.

The countercyclical nature of India’s CAD is a matter of concern. The country’s CAD rises when output falls rather than when demand rises. It indicates the dominance of external shocks. For instance, if oil prices rise, it raises the cost of production and leads to a fall in economic growth.

What is the way forward for economic policy in this scenario?

Over the medium term, policymakers need to arrest the negative impacts of slowdown in global trade on merchandise exports.

Further rate hikes by the US Fed may lead to capital outflows. It will generate imported inflation.  Policy measures to facilitate exports by focusing on structural reforms to improve trade competitiveness are needed. The government must sign free trade agreements.

India is currently facing the twin-deficit problem of high fiscal and CADs. Aggressive fiscal consolidation may be undesirable amid the fears of global slowdown.

A comfortable external environment can be maintained by ensuring stable financing. Exchange rates should be used as a shock absorber to manage the  adverse global economic situation.

Unpacking the new set of e-waste rules

News- In November 2022, the Ministry of Environment and Forests further notified a new set of e-waste rules. These rules will come into force from April 1, 2023.

What are some specifics about older rules related to e-waste?

The first set of e-waste Rules was notified in 2011 and came into effect in 2012. An important component of the Rules was the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).

E-Waste rules 2016 were amended in 2018. These rules included provisions to promote ‘authorisation’ and ‘product stewardship’. Other categories of stakeholders such ‘Producer Responsibility Organisations (PRO) were also introduced in these rules.

What are issues with the new e-waste Rules of 2022?

1. The new rules of 2022 in its EPR framework include the requirement of ‘Registration of Stakeholders’. But, many formal recyclers undertake activities only up to the pre-processing or segregation stage. After that, they channelise e-­waste to the informal sector.

The earlier rules placed importance on seeking authorisation by stakeholders. But, a weak monitoring system and a lack of transparency resulted in inadequate compliance.

2. A ‘digitalized systems approach’ has been introduced in the new rules. It may now address these challenges. Standardising the e -waste value chain through a common digital portal may ensure transparency.

But, it is crucial to reduce the frequency of ‘paper trading’ or ‘false trail’. It is the practice of falsely revealing 100% collection on paper while collecting ‘scrap’ to meet targets.

3. Two important stages of ‘efficient’ e-­waste recycling are efficient recoveries of rare earth metals and safe disposal of the residual during e-­waste recycling.

The rules briefly touch upon the two aspects. But, they do not clearly state the requirement for ensuring the ‘recovery tangent’.

4. The new notification does away with PRO and dismantlers and vests all the responsibility of recycling with authorised recyclers. This move seems to cause initial turbulence, where the informal channels may seek benefits.

PROs acted as an intermediary between producers and formal recyclers by bidding for contracts from producers and arranging for ‘certified and authorised’ recycling.

The informal sector plays a crucial role in e-waste handling. 95% of e-­waste is channelised to the sector. But, it has given little recognition in the new rules.

The recycling is the last stage that poses a major concern where e waste is handed over to the informal recyclers. The rest of the stages do not involve any hazardous practices.

What are other challenges in recycling of e-waste?

Many producers have still not set up collection centres and some have labelled their head office located on the outskirts of the city as the ‘only’ collection point.

Formal companies are mainly clustered in the metropolises. They also fail to provide doorstep

collection to consumers. The quantum of e-­waste is not enough to meet their overhead

expenses or transport.

consumers lack awareness and information about the existence of any such services.

What is the way forward for proper implementation of e-waste rules?

All stakeholders must have the right information and intent to safely dispose of e­waste.

There is a need for consistent efforts towards increasing consumer awareness, strengthening reverse logistics, building capacity of stakeholders, improving existing infrastructure, enhancing product designing, and adopting green procurement practices.

This should be supplemented by establishing a robust collection and recycling system on the ground.

In defence of financial globalisation

News: The article discusses the reasons why some countries fear financial globalization and what measures are needed to overcome the fear.

Why some countries fear financial globalisation?

They fear financial globalizations due to: a) Exchange rate distortions, b) Uncertainties associated with the global financial flows, c) Loss of autonomy of monetary policy.

These countries point to the recent aggressive monetary tightening by the US Federal Reserve.

For example, when central banks of developed markets increase interest rates, global capital leaves developing countries which leads to currency depreciation and inflation.

However, decisions cannot be made by just looking at one problem and there are measures available to tackle these issues.

What are the different measures available against the fear of financial globalizations?

Exchange rate distortions: Prices move up and down in all markets to keep demand and supply in balance. Therefore, countries which do not like price volatility, have options to exchange the variable prices for a fixed price and by giving a fee.

However, countries require sound thinking in financial economic policy to exchange for fixed prices. In the case of India, there is much to be done on this front.

Uncertainties associated with the global financial flows: Financial globalization and trade globalization are not different and move together. There are risks associated with both of them but both bring immense benefits for countries.

Therefore, better thinking and more capable institutions are required to cope up with uncertainties.

Loss of autonomy of monetary policy: Countries like India have adopted inflation targeting to solve this problem. The targeting of 4 percent CPI inflation by the RBI helps it to cut through the exchange rates. Hence, monetary policy autonomy is ensured.

Why does India need globalization?

The Indian Information Technology (IT) industry has developed due to globalisation. It was one of the US investment banks that invested in the equity of an IT company back in 1993.

This led to the development of the IT industries in India at that time when Indian investors didn’t have much knowledge about this industry.

Further, there is also a need of foreign investment in developing large scale renewable energies in India.

Moreover, India’s flows of both the current and the capital account have increased because of increase in the international trade.

What is the way ahead?

Although globalization brings risks for an economy, it should be adopted because of its huge benefits. Risks can be tackled by coming up with better institutions and policies.

We need to democratically reimagine science

News- Last week, an article in a mainstream publication claimed that the ‘shivling’ was proof that sages in ancient India knew of the existence of protons and electrons and that their knowledge had been forgotten because they didn’t use the same words that western scholars did.

What are issues faced by science today?

Two extreme positions are followed in the knowledge system.

1. Scientism– There are attempts to rationalise the validity of knowledge organised in some non­science system according to the tenets of science.
2. Pseudoscience– To avoid the accusation of pseudoscientific approach, some are championing scientism. It is the claimed superiority of science and scientific knowledge. It excludes other equally legitimate experiences of reality.

The supporters of these two extreme positions are unable to imagine other, better alternatives to a world in which science and non­science are at cross purpose to each other

Sometimes to prove the claims of scientific approach, something vaguely scientific is preferred over other empowering alternatives.

Response to COVID­19 was delayed by waiting for evidence in case of scientific studies. This happens when science is understood as a totalising system that has the superpower to transform all ignorance.

Our pursuit of the scientific image is endangering the real image of the world.

Science has an androcentrism problem that prefers masculinist viewpoint. It has privileged some learning ecologies over others. It has shaped the way scientists decide which questions to ask about the world, and how scientific achievement is defined and rewarded.

What is the way forward to improve the knowledge system related to science?

There is need for more humanity scholars who can take a critical yet informed view of

science from the outside. It must involve people who have evolved their own ways to produce and organise knowledge based on observation and experience, including Indigenous peoples.

There is a need for a cultural shift where scientific facts are not considered to be rationally superior to a traditional observation based knowledge system.

There is a need for better science literacy that isn’t founded on the idea that the ‘scientific image’ is inherently more desirable.

We need to systematically examine our misinterpretation of, ‘scientific temper’. For a democratic imagination of science, there should be systematic criticism of science.

HSS studies should be included as part of science education in schools, colleges and universities. Where this faculty already exists, it should be integrated into the core curriculum instead of letting it operate on the sidelines.

Educational institutes should incorporate disciplines such as history of science and science and technology studies. Here, students should critically engage with the practice of science itself.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

India tops list of global internet shut-offs: Report

Source: The post is based on the article “India tops list of global internet shut-offs: Report” published in Indian Express on 28th February 2023

What is the News?

Access Now and the KeepItOn coalition has released a report titled “Weapons of control, shields of impunity: Internet shutdowns in 2022”.

What are the key findings of the report related to India?

Internet Shutdowns in India: India has enforced as many as 84 internet shutdowns in 2022 and was on top of the list of nations that ordered internet shutdowns for the fifth year in a row.

– The shutdowns were ordered on various accounts including protests, conflict, school exams, and elections.

Internet Shutdowns state wise: In 2022, the Internet was shut down 49 times in Jammu and Kashmir, the highest of any state in the country.

– Authorities in Rajasthan imposed shutdowns on 12 different occasions followed by West Bengal, which ordered shutdowns seven times.

Decline in Internet Shutdowns: 2022 was the first time when the Internet Shutdowns were fewer than 100 in India since 2017.

– This might be due to legal challenges against shutdowns, fewer mass protests in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the sustained and increasing crackdown on dissent.

Which law governs Internet Shutdowns in India?

Currently, internet shutdown orders are governed under the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017. 

The rules framed by the Department of telecommunication(DoT) say temporary suspensions can be due to public emergency or public safety and gives senior bureaucrats from the Home Ministry at the central and state levels the power to order shutdowns.

What are parliamentary Standing committee views on Internet Shutdowns?

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has expressed concern over frequent internet shutdowns without any empirical study and pulled up the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for not maintaining the record of incidents and inaction on several of its recommendations.

The committee directed the DoT to lay down a clear cut principle of proportionality and procedure for lifting of internet shutdowns in coordination with the home ministry to prevent any misuse of the suspension rules.

It said that a centralized database of all internet shutdowns by the states can be maintained either by DoT or Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) on similar lines as maintained by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in the MHA.

Prime Minister transfers Rs. 16,800 crore towards PM Kisan Samman Nidhi

Source: The post is based on the article “Prime Minister transfers Rs. 16,800 crore towards PM Kisan Samman Nidhi” published in PIB on 28th February 2023

What is the News?

The Prime Minister has transferred the 13th installment of about Rs 16,800 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to the bank accounts of more than 8 crore beneficiary farmers across the country.

What is the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi(PM-KISAN) Scheme?

Launched in: 2019

Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

Aim: To supplement the financial needs of land holding farmers.

Features: Under the scheme financial assistance of Rs.6000 per annum is provided to all landholding farmer families across the country subject to certain exclusion criteria relating to higher income strata.

– The amount is transferred in three four-monthly installments of Rs. 2000 each, directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiary farmers.

– State Government and UT administration are responsible for identifying the farmer families which are eligible for support as per scheme.

Eligibility: The scheme was initially meant for small and marginal farmers having land holding upto two hectares but scope of the scheme has now been extended to cover all landholding farmers.

Self-registration Mechanism: Process of Self-registration of beneficiaries has been made simple and easy through mobile app, PM KISAN portal and walk-ins via Common Service Centers in order to give the maximum benefit to the farmers.

Physical Verification Module: In order to maintain the authenticity and validity of the scheme, a mandatory physical verification of 5% beneficiary every year is being done as per the provisions laid down in the scheme.

NeGD organizes its 34th CISO Deep Dive Training Programme under MeitY’s initiative Cyber Surakshit Bharat

Source: The post is based on the article “NeGD organizes its 34th CISO Deep Dive Training Programme under MeitY’s initiative Cyber Surakshit Bharat” published in PIB on 28th February 2023

What is the News?

National e-Governance Division(NeGD) has organized the 34th CISO Deep-Dive training programme under Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative.

What is the  Deep-Dive Training Programme?

The Deep-Dive Training Programme is a​​imed at creating awareness around cyber security and developing an empowered and strong cyber ecosystem in government organizations.

The programme is organized for chief information security officers (CISOs) and frontline IT officials from various ministries and departments, government and semi-government organizations from central and state governments, PSUs and banks among others.

What is the Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative?

Launched in: 2018

Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Electronics and IT(MeitY)

Aim: To spread awareness about cyber-crime and build capacities of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT officials, across all government departments.

Significance: It is a first-of-its-kind of partnership between the Government and industry consortium under Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.

Why onion prices have crashed in Lasalgaon wholesale market

Source: The post is based on the article “Why onion prices have crashed in Lasalgaon wholesale market” published in Indian Express on 28th February 2023

What is the News?

Farmers forced the suspension of trading at Lasalgaon, India’s largest wholesale market for onions located in Maharashtra’s Nashik district following a crash in onion prices.

When do farmers grow onions?

Farmers grow onion in bulk: kharif (transplanted in June-July and harvested in September-October), late-kharif (transplanted in September-October and harvested in January-February) and rabi (transplanted in December-January and harvested in March-April). 

The harvested crop isn’t marketed in one go; farmers usually sell in tranches, ensuring no price collapse from a bunching of arrivals.

The kharif onions are marketed right up to February and the late-kharif till May-June.Both kharif and late-kharif onions contain high moisture which allows them to be stored for a maximum of four months. 

This is unlike the rabi onions which, grown during the winter-spring months, have low moisture content and can be stored for at least six months.It is the rabi crop that feeds the market through the summer and monsoon months, till October.

Why have onion prices crashed?

Sudden rise in Temperature: The current price collapse has primarily to do with a sudden rise in temperatures.Onions containing high moisture are prone to quality deterioration from heat shock, with the abrupt drying-up leading to shrivelling of the bulbs.

Normally, farmers would have been selling only the kharif crop now.But the extreme heat this time has forced them to offload even the late-kharif onions, which can no longer be stored. Since both kharif and late-kharif onions are arriving at the same time, prices have fallen.

Water availability: Improved water availability from good monsoon rains this time has induced farmers in MP, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Gujarat to plant onions over a larger area.The influx of the onion from all these states has also triggered the price collapse.

What can the government do

Farmers have demanded that the government fix a floor price of Rs 1,000/quintal and not allow any purchase to happen below that rate. 

Further, it should direct the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (Nafed) to start procuring.

Why did Putin suspend Russia’s participation in New START?

Source: The post is based on the article “Why did Putin suspend Russia’s participation in New START?” published in The Hindu on 28th February 2023

What is the News?

The Russian President has announced that Russia is suspending its participation in the New START treaty, the only remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia.

What is the New START Treaty?

The New START Treaty was signed by the then-US President and then-Russian president in 2010. The treaty came into force in 2011 and was extended in 2021 for five more years.

Under the Treaty, America and Russia cannot deploy more than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads and more than 700 long ­range missiles and bombers.It also limits each country to 800 deployed and non­ deployed launchers and delivery vehicles. 

Additionally, the treaty allows each side to carry out up to 18 short notice (32 hours) on ­site inspections of strategic nuclear weapons sites annually to ensure that the other country.

Compliance of the treaty: The treaty gave the US and Russia seven years to reduce their stockpiles, including nuclear warheads that are launched using long-range missiles, submarines, and bombers.In 2018, both nations met the arms limits prescribed by the pact.

– However, inspections under the treaty have stalled in the past three years. They were first put on hold in March 2020 owing to the COVID­19 pandemic.Russia and the US were due to discuss the restarting of inspections in November 2022, but this was postponed by the Russian President.There has been no development in this regard since.

Why did Russia suspend the treaty?

The Russian President has said that it is suspending the treaty as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation(NATO) and the U.S wanted to “inflict ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia and “try to get to our nuclear facilities at the same time”.

Russia also accused the U.S. of rejecting Russian requests for visits to specific U.S. facilities.The U.S State Department also stated that Moscow was not complying with the pact as it had not let Washington carry out on-site inspections.

Will this suspension lead to an arms race?

The Russian President said that the country is not withdrawing from the treaty entirely. But Russia will not allow US countries to inspect its nuclear arsenal.

Analysts believe it is entirely symbolic since Russia had not been permitting inspections anyway.As per them, the move appears to be aimed at pressuring the US President and his allies so that Russia can dictate the terms under which the war would come to an end.

PM Modi inaugurated Shivamogga airport in Karnataka today. All you need to know about the greenfield airport

Source: The post is based on the article “PM Modi inaugurated Shivamogga airport in Karnataka today. All you need to know about the greenfield airport” published in Livemint on 28th February 2023

What is the News?

The Prime Minister has inaugurated Shivamogga airport in Karnataka.

About Shivamogga Airport:

Shivamogga airport is a greenfield domestic airport.It has been constructed under the Centre’s UDAN scheme aimed to make air travel affordable to all.

The airport will help boost air connectivity of the central Karnataka region.

Note: In Budget 2023, the government said 50 additional airports, heliports, water aerodromes and advance landing grounds will be revived for improving regional air connectivity in the country.

What is a Greenfield Project?

A greenfield project is one which is not constrained by prior work.It is constructed on unused land where there is no need to remodel or demolish an existing structure. 

Some examples of greenfield projects are new factories, power plants or airports which are built from scratch.Those facilities which are modified/ upgraded are called brownfield projects

‘Organ on a chip’: The new lab setup scientists are using instead of animals to test new drugs

Source: The post is based on the article “‘Organ on a chip’: The new lab setup scientists are using instead of animals to test new drugs” published in The Hindu on 28th February 2023

What is the News?

US has approved the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act 2.0.The act gives go ahead to computer-based and experimental alternatives to animals to test new drugs.This move is expected to boost the research and development of “organ on a chips”.

What is Organ on a chip?

They are small devices containing human cells that are used to mimic the environment in human organs, including blood flow and breathing movements, serving as synthetic environments in which to test new drugs.

Why Organ on a Chip?

The current consensus is that animals can mimic some human diseases well but not others.

These challenges have led scientists to look for alternative models that mimic human diseases. One such is the organ­ on ­a ­chip model, which has garnered a lot of attention in the last decade.

What are the potential applications of Organ on a Chip? 

Organ-on-a-chip technology has numerous potential applications, including drug development, disease modelling and toxicity testing.

This could also lead to the development of more effective and personalized treatments for a variety of diseases.

What are the advantages of using Organ on a Chip?

Reduce the chances of contamination and spread of disease from animals being experimented on.

Minimize ethical dilemmas associated with the use of animals for testing (treatment of animals and their well-being).

What is the progress in the development of organ on chip?

Donald Ingber, a professor of bioengineering and director of the Wyss Institute at Harvard University, and his colleagues developed the first human organ ­on ­a­ chip model in 2010.It was a ‘Lung on a chip’ that mimicked biochemical aspects of the lung and its breathing motions.

Researchers in India are also developing organ-on-a-chip models, including a skin-on-chip model, which is being tested for studying skin irritation and toxicity, and a retina-on-chip model.

1,300 ­year ­old Buddhist stupa found in Odisha’s Jajpur

Source: The post is based on the article “‘1,300 ­year ­old Buddhist stupa found in Odisha’s Jajpur” published in The Hindu on 28th February 2023

What is the News?

​​The Archaeological Survey of India(ASI) has stumbled upon a 1,300­ year­ old stupa right in the middle of a mining site in Odisha’s Jajpur district.

The stupa was found at Parabhadi, which is situated near Lalitagiri, a major Buddhist complex.

Note: This is the same place from where Khondalite stones were supplied for the beautification project around the 12th century Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri.

What are Khondalite Stones?

Khondalite is a foliated metamorphic rock.In India, it is also called Bezwada Gneiss and Kailasa Gneiss.

It was named after the Khond tribe of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh because well-formed examples of the rock were found in the inhabited hills of these regions of eastern India.

Khondalite stones were widely used in ancient temple complexes. 

Khondalite stones are proposed to be used widely to maintain aesthetic value of some projects such as the heritage security zone, the Jagannath Ballav pilgrim centre, Puri lake development project, the Atharnala heritage project and the Matha Development Initiative.

What is Lalitagiri?

Lalitagiri is a major Buddhist complex in the state of Odisha.

The complex is home to stupas, ‘esoteric’ Buddha images, and monasteries (viharas), which is the oldest site in the region.

Significant finds at this complex include Buddha’s relics.Tantric Buddhism was practiced at this site.

Together with the Ratnagiri and Udayagiri sites a short distance away, Lalitagiri is part of the “Diamond Triangle”.