Why in news?

• According to World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), India reported an outbreak of highly contagious H5N1 bird flu virus on a poultry research farm in state of Bihar and at a small farm in Thane, Maharshtra.

About H5N1

• Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 is a subtype of “influenza A virus’’. It can cause illness in humans and many other animal species.
• A bird-adapted strain of H5N1 is the highly pathogenic causative agent of H5N1 flu, commonly called as avian influenza (or bird flu).
• It is enzootic in many bird populations, particularly in Southeast Asia.
• One strain of HPAI A(H5N1) is spreading across the globe, after first appearing in Asia. It is epizootic and panzootic, that kills millions of birds.
  • An epizootic is defined as an outbreak of disease in which there is an unusually large number of cases, whereas an enzootic refers to a low level of disease that is constantly present in a population.
  • A panzootic is an epizootic that spreads across a large region, or even worldwide.

Why in news?

• During the recently heldPasuvulaPanduga cattle festival, many people were reportedly injured.

About the festival

• Pasuvula Panduga is a cattle festival that is observed annually during Kanuma (3^rdday of the Sankranthi Festival), to appease the gods for improving and protecting livestock.
• This festival is held in the Rangampet village of Andhra Pradesh.
• Before the start of this event, the cows and bulls are colourfully decorated with trophies being attached to the horns. After that, the animals are forced to go through the narrow road leading to the fields, with villagers on either side.
• The purpose of this sport is to snatch the trophies from the horns of the cattle as it runs via the snaky path of the village. At times money ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 is also tied to the horns with a winner takes it all policy. Organizers provide all the prizes that are attached to the horns of the cattle.

Why in news?

• Tamil Nadu government has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that it would not permit the proposed INO at Bodi West Hills in Theni district.
• Affidavit raised following concerns over INO Project
  • Tunnelling work would create the problems like construction waste material, rock bust and roof collapse movement in the eco-fragile area.
  • Biodiversity impact as the region harbours many endemic species.
  • The area is a significant watershed and catchment zone for the rivers Sambhal and Kottakudi, and supports livelihoods in five districts of Tamilnadu.
  • The project area links Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala with Srivilliputhur Meghamalai Tiger Reserve. Quarrying and construction activities will upset wild animals which use the corridor for seasonal migration.

About Indian Neutrino Observatory (INO)

• It is a multi institutional effort aimed at building a world-class underground laboratory and an Iron Calorimeter (ICAL) detector for studying neutrinos.
• It aims to assess the properties of neutrino particles and to make precision measurements of the parameters related to neutrino oscillations.
• It is jointly funded by the of Atomic Energy and the Dept. of Science and Technology.

About Neutrinos

• Neutrinos are tiny neutral, elementary particles which interact with matter via the weak force. The weakness of this force gives neutrino the property that matter is almost transparent to them.
• The Sun and all other stars, produce neutrinos copiously due to nuclear fusion and decay processes within their core.
• Neutrinos provide a tool to study structure of nucleons (protons and neutrinos), to learn how matter evolved from simple particles into more complex composites of particles.

Why in news?

• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced that Nepal will be the first foreign country to adopt India’s UPI system.
• It is expected to serve the larger digital public good in Nepal and bolster interoperable real-time person-to-person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions.
• Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features.
• Key Features of UPI: Instant transfer of funds, bill sharing facility, can be used 24 hours and on all public holidays etc.

Why in news?

• The agreements relate to peace seeking settlement signed between Ukraine and Russia and are named after the Belarusien capital where the agreements were first settled.
• Minsk 1 – Signed in 2014, it was a 12-point ceasefire deal. However, it could not stand.
• Minsk 2 – Representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and leaders of separatist-held regions Donetsk and Luhansk signed a 13-point agreement in February 2015.
• Its provisions include ceasefire, withdrawal of weapons, interim self-government for the Donetsk and Luhansk etc.
• However, Ukraine and Russia interpret the pact very differently leading to the “Minsk conundrum’.

Why in news?

• Recently, non-scheduled urban co-operative banks, state co-operative banks, and district central co-operative banks have been included as member lending institutions (MLIs) under the Scheme.
• The scheme was launched in 2000 jointly by Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
• Objective: To make available collateral-free credit to the micro and small enterprise sector.
• Fund and non-fund based (Letters of Credit, Bank Guarantee etc.) credit facilities up to Rs 200 lakh per eligible borrower are covered
• Trust named Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises was established to implement the scheme.

Why in news?

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the demise of noted Kannada writer and poet, Shri Chennaveera Kanavi.

About Shri Chennaveera Kanavi

• Chennaveera Kanavi was born in Hombal of Gadag district on June 28, 1928. He completed his schooling and college in Dharwad.
• He later worked as a director of Prasaranga of the Karnataka University from 1956 to 1983.
• He was considered one of the major poets and writers in the Kannada language and received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his work Jeeva Dhwani (Poetry) in 1981.
• He was popularly known as “Samanvayada Kavi” and “Soujanyada Kavi”.
• In 2011, he was honoured with the Sahitya Kala Kaustubha Award.

Why in news?

• The union government recently approved a new scheme “New India Literacy Programme” during the fiscal years 2022-2027 to cover all the aspects of adult education and also to align with national education policy 2020.

About the scheme

• Even after Saakshar Bharat programme was implemented during 2009-10 to 2017-18, it is estimated that 18.12 crore adults are still non-literate.
• Objective of the scheme is to cover all aspects of Adult Education which include foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) as other components necessary for a citizen of 21st century such as:
  • Critical life skills, Vocational skills development, Basic education and Continuing education.
• It aligns with National Education Policy 2020 and from now on term “Education For All” will be used in place of “Adult Education’
• Launched for FYs 2022-27, target for FLN is 5 crore learners @ 1.00 crore per year by using “Online Teaching, Learning and Assessment System (OTLAS)”.
• Key features
  • FLN will be imparted to all non-literates in the age group of 15 years and above.
  • Priority will be given to Girls and women, SC/ST/OBC/Minorities, Persons with Special Needs (Divyangjans), Marginalized/ Nomadic/ construction workers/ laborers/etc.
  • Focus areas: Aspirational districts, districts with literacy rates less than National/State average, districts with female literacy rates less than 60%.
  • Outlay: Rs.1037.90 crore (Central share of Rs.700 crore and State share of Rs.337.90 crore).

Why in news?

• Michiaki Takahashi Google Doodle: Google Doodle commemorated the 94th birth anniversary of Japanese virologist Dr Michiaki Takahashi on February 17, 2022. Takahashi developed the world’s first vaccine against chickenpox.

About Michiaki Takahashi 

• Michiaki Takahashi was born on February 17, 1928 in Osaka, Japan.
• He got his medical degree from Osaka University. He later got the opportunity to work as a researcher at the Research Institute for Microbial Disease at Osaka University in 1959. He studied polio viruses and measles at the institute.
• He developed the world’s first chickenpox vaccine named “Oka” in early 1974. The lifesaving vaccine has been utilized in over 80 countries over the years and has been administered to millions of children around the world.
• Takahashi was appointed as the director of the Microbial Disease Study Group at Osaka University in 1994.

World’s first Chickenpox vaccine

• Michiaki Takahashi cultured live but weakened chickenpox viruses in animal and human tissue to make the world’s first chickenpox vaccine. Within five years of development, the vaccine was ready for clinical trials.
• Takahashi developed the world’s first vaccine targeting the varicella virus that causes chickenpox. The vaccine was subjected to rigorous research and was proven to be extremely effective.
• The Research Foundation for Microbial Diseases began the rollout of the vaccine in 1986 as the only varicella vaccine approved by the World Health Organization.
• The vaccine helped prevent millions of chickenpox cases every year.

Why in news?

• A US patient became the first woman and the third person to date to be cured of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) after receiving a SCT from a donor who was naturally resistant to virus that causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
  • HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system.If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS.

About Stem Cell Transplant

• Stem Cell Transplant SCT, also called bone marrow transplant, is a procedure in which a patient receives healthy stem cells to replace damaged stem cells.
• Types of SCT
  • Autologous transplantation uses the patient’s own stem cells. These cells are removed, treated and returned to his or her own body after a conditioning regimen.
  • Allogeneic transplantation where stem cells come from another person, called a donor.
• Stem cells are special human cells that are able to develop into many different cell types such as muscle cells, blood cells, and brain cells.
  • They are unspecialized, so they cannot do specific functions in the boay.
  • Three main types of stem cells:
  • Embryonic stem cells (supply new cells for an embryo as it grows and develops into a baby);
  • Adult stem cells (supply new cells as an organism grows and to replace cells that get damaged);
  • Induced pluripotent stem cells, or IPS cells’ (stem cells that scientists make in laboratory).