• A genome-wide survey of highly endangered staghorn coral in the Caribbean has identified 10 genomic regions associated with resilience against white band disease.

ABOUT STAGHORN CORAL

• Staghorn coral is one of the most important corals in the Caribbean.
• It, along with elkhorn coral and star corals built Caribbean coral reefs over the last 5,000 years.
• These corals can form dense clusters called “thickets” in shallow waters, serving as essential habitat for various reef creatures, especially fish.
• Staghorn coral colonies are golden tan or pale brown with white tips and they get their color from the algae that live within their tissue.
• These corals have antler-like branches and typically stem out from a central trunk and angle upward.
• Each staghorn coral colony is made up of many individual polyps that grow together.
• These coral get food from photosynthetic algae that live inside the coral’s cells. They also feed by capturing plankton with their polyps’ tentacles.
• IUCN Red list Status: Critically Endangered.
• Threats- Ocean warming; ocean acidification, unsustainable fishing practice and land-based sources of pollution.

• The R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India, leveraging Novavax’s adjuvant technology, has been recommended for use by the World Health Organisation (WHO) after meeting required safety, quality and effectiveness standards.
• The Matrix-M component is a proprietary saponin-based adjuvant from Novavax, which is licensed to the Serum Institute for use in endemic countries, while Novavax retains commercial rights in non-endemic countries.
• The vaccine was developed by the Jenner Institute at Oxford University and the Serum Institute of India with support from the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP), the Wellcome Trust, and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
• To date the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine has been licensed for use in Ghana, Nigeria and Burkina Faso.
• The Serum institute added that the efficacy of the vaccine over 12 months was 75% at sites with high seasonal malaria transmission and 68% at the sites with more perennial transmission using standard age-based administration.

ABOUT MALARIA

• Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites.
• It is spread to people through bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
• Malaria is most common in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, including sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America.
  • While Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for more deaths, Plasmodium vivax is the most widespread of all of the malaria species.
• Symptoms- fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue. In severe cases, malaria can lead to organ failure, coma, and death.

• The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) celebrated its Seventh Annual Day recently.
• Success story
  • Creditors have recovered around Rs 3 lakh crore through the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and the recoveries stood at more than Rs 51,000 crore last year, when the number of resolutions rose 80 per cent to 180.
  • Till August this year, 135 resolutions have happened and the number is likely to touch 300 by year-end.

ABOUT INSOLVENCY AND BANKRUPTCY BOARD OF INDIA (IBBI)

• Established on 1st October 2016 under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016.
• It is responsible for the implementation of the IBC.
• The IBC amends and consolidates the laws relating to insolvency resolution of individuals, partnership firms and corporate persons in a time-bound manner.
• Functions-
  • The IBBI regulates professionals as well as processes.
  • It has regulatory oversight over the insolvency professional agencies, insolvency professional entities, insolvency professionals and information utilities.
  • It enforces rules for processes of corporate insolvency resolution, individual insolvency resolution, corporate liquidation and individual bankruptcy under the IBC.
  • It specifies the minimum eligibility requirements for registration of insolvency professional agencies, insolvency professionals and information utilities and curriculum for the qualifying examination of the , insolvency professionals for their enrolment.
  • It collects and maintains records relating to insolvency and bankruptcy cases and disseminate information relating to such cases.
• Constitution
  • A Chairperson.
  • Three members from Central Government equivalent or not below the rank of a Joint Secretary representing the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Ministry of Law, ex -officio.
  • One member nominated by the RBI (Reserve Bank of India), ex-officio.
  • Five other members nominated by the Central Government, out of which at least three should be whole-time members.
• The term of office of the Chairperson and members (other than ex-officio members) is five years or until they attain sixty-five years, whichever is earlier, and they are eligible for re-appointment.

• The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their “discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19”.
• The first vaccines to use the mRNA technology were those made by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna against COVID-19.
• Katalin Karikó has become the 13^th women to win Nobel in Medicine.

ABOUT MRNA VACCINES

• mRNA stands for messenger RNA, is a form of nucleic acid which carries genetic information.
• Like other vaccines, the mRNA vaccine also attempts to activate the immune system to produce antibodies that help counter an infection from a live virus.
• However, while most vaccines use weakened or dead bacteria or viruses to evoke a response from the immune system, mRNA vaccines only introduce a piece of the genetic material that corresponds to a viral protein.
  • This is usually a protein found on the membrane of the virus and is called spike protein.
• Therefore, the mRNA vaccine does not expose individuals to the virus itself.

HOW ARE THESE VACCINES DIFFERENT?

• A piece of DNA must be converted into RNA for a cell to be able manufacture the spike protein.
• While an mRNA vaccine might look like a more direct approach to getting the cell to produce the necessary proteins, mRNA is very fragile and will be shred apart at room temperature or by the body’s enzymes when injected.
• To preserve its integrity, the mRNA needs to be wrapped in a layer of oily lipids, or fat cells.
• DNA is much more stable and can be more flexibly integrated into a vaccine-vector.
• In terms of performance, both are expected to be as effective.

CHALLENGE

• A challenge with mRNA vaccines is that they need to be frozen from -90 degree Celsius to -50 degree Celsius.
• They can be stored for up to two weeks in commercial freezers and need to be thawed at 2 degrees Celsius to 8 degrees Celsius at which they can remain for a month.

ABOUT NOBEL PRIZE

• The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901, following Nobel’s death in 1896.
• Each prize is worth 10 million kronor.
• The award is administered by Nobel Foundation in Stockholm, Sweden for 6 streams- Medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, economics, and peace.
• The Nobel prize for Economics was created by Sweden’s central bank in 1968.

• The State Food and Civil Supply Corporation (SFCSC) in collaboration with Kangra District Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) is all set to procure paddy from farmers at central government’s announced MSP Rs 2,023 per quintal in three procurement centres set up in Kangra district.
• The state government has notified procurement centres at Fatehpur, Milwan and Riyali in lower Kangra district for procuring paddy.
• The Milwan, Riyali and Fatehpur procurement centers have storage capacity of 1100, 600 and 400 metric tons, respectively.

• Revenue Minister recently said that the office of the HP Wool Federation located in Palampur will be shifted to Bharmour in Chamba district.
• The decision was taken at a meeting of the Tribal Project Advisory Committee presided over by the minister at Bharmour.

• World Space Week (WSW) is a global celebration that highlights the significance of space science and technology in enhancing human life.
• It was established in 1999 by the United Nations General Assembly.
• WSW is celebrated worldwide from October 4 to 10 every year to commemorate the launch of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, on October 4, 1957, and the Outer Space Treaty, which came into force on October 10, 1967.
• The theme for WSW 2023 is ‘Space and Entrepreneurship.’

• World Teachers’ Day is held annually on 5 October to celebrate all teachers around the globe.
• It commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.
  • It sets benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers, and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions.
• World Teachers’ Day is co-convened in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), UNICEF and Education International (EI).
• With the theme “The teachers we need for the education we want: The global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage”, the 2023 celebrations will aim to put the importance of stopping the decline in the number of teachers.

• The Andhra Pradesh Assembly passed the Andhra Pradesh Guaranteed Pension System Bill-2023.
• It will now bring all the state government employees under the Contributory Pension System (CPS) replacing the Old Pension System (OPS).
• Under the Guaranteed Pension System, all state government employees will be eligible for a guaranteed monthly pension of 50 per cent of their last drawn basic salary.
• There is an addition of dearness relief (DR) which will be announced twice a year and will increase the quantum of pension.
• The scheme will ensure a monthly spouse pension at the rate of 60 per cent of the guaranteed pension amount after the death of the pensioner.
• A retired government employee will get a minimum Rs 10,000 monthly pension.
• The scheme will combine elements of both the new and the old pension schemes.
• Those dismissed or removed from service and facing compulsory retirement due to disciplinary action will not be eligible under the scheme.

• India and Bangladesh commenced the 11^th edition of annual joint military exercise, SAMPRITI recently in Umroi, Meghalaya.
• The exercise underscores the importance of enhancing interoperability between the two armies, sharing tactical drills, and promoting best practices.
• It will engage approximately 350 personnel from both sides.
• Sampriti Exercise is a bilateral defence cooperation exercise between the armies of India and Bangladesh.
• This exercise, alternatingly organised by both countries, signifies strong bilateral defence cooperation initiatives.
• With its inception in Jorhat, Assam in 2009, the exercise has witnessed ten `successful editions till 2022.