• Scientists have identified a single, small strand of microRNA, or miRNA, that plays a critical role in fighting cancer.
• The team at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in the US found that the microRNA, called let-7, also has the ability to recognise and remember tumour cells like T-cells.
  • This cellular memory is the basis for how vaccines work.

ABOUT MIRNA

• These are short non‐coding Ribonucleic Acids (RNAs) containing 20–24 nucleotides.
• It is a single-stranded small RNA molecule.
• It plays a role in the regulation of gene expression and gene silencing.
• It is present naturally in plants, animals and some viruses.

MECHANISM

• T-cells, which are white blood cells that specialise in fighting both pathogens, think of the common cold, and altered cells of the organism itself, like tumor cells

• When the T-cells recognise foreign antigens in our bodies, they turn into killer T-cells and attack whatever the pathogen may be, from the sniffles to Covid, or even cancer.
  • After the killer T-cells have won their battle, most of them die.
• However a few survive and transform into memory cells and form an elite task force called the ‘memory pool’.
  • They remember what that particular antigen looked like, so that they can be on the lookout for the next time it invades the body.
  • But, cancerous tumour cells work by tricking the killer T-cells, turning them off before they can attack and create a memory pool, leaving the cancer to metastasize unchecked.

ABOUT LET-7

• A tiny piece of miRNA, let-7 is highly expressed in memory cells.
• The more let-7 a cell has, the less chance that it will be tricked by cancerous tumour cells, and the greater chance it has of turning into a memory cell.

Let-7 miRNA has been handed down the evolutionary tree since the dawn of animal life.

• Gujarat has banned the invasive tree species- ‘Conocarpus’ plantation in forest or non-forest area, underlining its “adverse impacts on environment and human health”.
• Earlier, Telangana had also banned the plant species, which is widely used in public spaces for its ornamental looks but is known to have adverse effects on the local biodiversity.

ABOUT CONOCARPUS

• Conocarpus is an evergreen species with dark-green shiny leaves.
• It is an exotic mangrove species native to parts of North and South America as well as parts of Africa.
• It is a fast-growing species which is reported to be not palatable to wild herbivores or domesticated animals.
• Trees of this species flower in winter and spread pollen in nearby areas. It is learnt that this is causing diseases like cold, cough, asthma, allergy etc.
• Roots of this species go deep inside soil and develop extensively, damaging telecommunication lines, drainage lines and freshwater systems.

• India Ageing Report 2023 was released recently.
• It has been produced by the United Nations Population Fund, India, in collaboration with the International Institute for Population Sciences.
• It throws light on the challenges, opportunities, and institutional responses surrounding elderly care in India as the country’s elderly are likely to make up 20% of the country’s population by 2050.

MAJOR FINDINGS

• The three key government schemes for the elderly are the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS) and Annapurna Scheme.
  • 55% of elderly are aware of the old-age pension scheme (IGNOAPS); 44% about the widow pension scheme (IGNWPS); and 12% about the Annapurna Scheme.
• The awareness of MWPSC (Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens) Act is relatively very low at only 12%.
• It cites rural and urban disparities as well as State-wise variation as far awareness about the welfare schemes is concerned.

• IT also points out that access to social security schemes for older persons with disability remains far less.
  • According to the report around 32% of the elderly with hearing and vision impairments availed the social insurance scheme.

REASON FOR NOT AVAILING THE WELFARE SCHEMES

• multiple administrative procedures including extensive documentation
• elderly are often unable to carry out these mandatory requirements because of physical infirmities, lack of technical understanding among others.

IIPS Mumbai

• Established in
• It was formerly known as Demographic Training and Research Centre (DTRC).
• It is under administrative control of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

• Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, led by Dr. Amit Prasad, Associate Professor at the School of Biosciences and Bioengineering, have achieved a significant milestone in the fight against the pork tapeworm (T. solium) by pioneering an innovative protein-based vaccine.
• Collaborating with scientists from Dayanand Medical College and Hospital in Punjab and the CSIR-Institute for Himalayan Bioresource Technology in Himachal Pradesh, the team has introduced a faster, more effective approach to vaccine development for challenging infectious diseases.
• This tapeworm is notorious for causing both intestinal infections and severe brain infections leading to seizures.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) has long recognized the pork tapeworm as a major contributor to foodborne deaths, resulting in substantial disability-adjusted life-year losses.
• It accounts for a staggering 30% of epilepsy cases in developing nations, soaring to 45%-50% in regions with poor sanitation and free-roaming pigs.
  • In North India, the prevalence of brain infection stands at an alarming 48.3%.
• In response, the WHO’s “2030 Roadmap of Priority Neglected Tropical Diseases” is dedicated to eradicating T. solium and related infections affecting 1.5 billion people worldwide.

• Indian shooter Sift Kaur Samra clinched gold in the women’s 50m rifle 3 position event.
• Samra also achieved a world and Games record score of 469.6 points.
• Also, the Indian trio of Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh, and Rhythm Sangwan secured the gold medal in the women’s 25m pistol team event at the Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China.

• THE International Day for Universal Access to Information was proclaimed on 15 October 2019 at the 74^th UN General Assembly to be held on 28^th
• This year, the global celebrations in Oxford, United Kingdom on 28 September 2023 will center around the theme of “the importance of the online space for access to information.”

• World Rabies Day is observed annually September 28^th.
• Established by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) and recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), it day aims to promote efforts to combat rabies and highlight the importance of prevention.
• This year’s theme is “All for 1, One Health for All”.

ABOUT RABIES

• Rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic, viral disease.
• It is caused by a Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) virus that is present in the saliva of a rabid animal (dog, cat, monkey, etc).
• Symptoms include headaches, high fever, excessive salivation, paralysis, mental disturbances, and confusion, ultimately leading to death.
• It has 100% fatality rate if left untreated.

• Kalyana Karnataka, a vast arid region comprising seven north-eastern districts of the State, Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari and Vijayanagara, has some pockets that give one a feeling of being in the middle of the dense Western Ghats.
• One such place is Chincholi Wildlife Sanctuary, located around the Chandrampalli Dam in Chincholi taluk of Kalaburagi district of Karnataka.
• Chincholi Wildlife Sanctuary, declared as such in 2011, is a vast jungle of 134.88 square kilometres spread over five blocks, Chincholi, Sangapura, Bhonsapur, Magdumpur and Shadipur.
• The sanctuary has four dams, of which Chandrampalli is the major one.
• It is the first dry-land wildlife sanctuary in South India and the only one in the region with rich biodiversity.
• Flora– The sanctuary hosts several medicinal herbs and rare trees such as red sanders and sandalwood.
  • It has good dry deciduous and moist deciduous forest in the core with acacia and teak plantations on the fringes.
• Fauna includes blackbuck, common fox, four-horned antelope, fruit bat, hyena and Indian wolf.
  • Over 35 species of birds, including black drongo, black-winged kite, blossom-headed parakeet, blue pigeon, black-headed oriole and grey partridge.

• The Centre govt. recently notified the Angel Tax rules for valuation of equity and compulsorily convertible preferable shares issued by startups to resident and non-resident investors.
• In a bid to curb overvaluation and maintain transparency in capital transactions, unlisted companies issuing shares at a price exceeding their fair market value will be subject to Angel Tax at 30.6%.

• While earlier only investments made by a resident investor used to attract angel tax, the Budget for 2023-24 widened its ambit to include non-resident investors
• As per the Budget, the excess premium will be considered as ‘income from sources’ and taxed at the rate of up to over 30 per cent.
  • However, startups registered by the DPIIT (Department for promotion of industry and internal trade) are exempt from the new norms.
• The Income-tax (Twenty first Amendment), Rules, 2023 modify rule 11UA specify that the fair value of the shares will be as determined by the methods provided.
  • Rule 11UA is concerned with the valuation of shares for the purpose of levying Angel Tax.

• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in parts of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for another six months, beginning October 1.
• Also Manipur government declared the entire state a ‘disturbed area’ under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) for a period of six months in the wake of the prevailing law and order situation.
  • However, the status will not be implemented in areas under the jurisdiction of 19 police stations including the capital Imphal.

ABOUT AFSPA

• It grants special powers to the armed forces to bring back order in ‘disturbed areas.
• The Act gives unbridled power to the armed forces and the Central Armed Police Forces deployed in “disturbed areas” to
  • kill anyone acting in contravention of law,
  • arrest and search any premises without a warrant and
  • protection from prosecution and legal suits without the Central government’s sanction.
• Under Section 3, the Central Government or the Governor of the State or administrator of the Union Territory can declare the whole or part of the State or Union Territory as a disturbed area.