• Since last September, countries like the UK and the US have rolled out variant-specific or bivalent boosters, in the hope that they would provide better protection against the coronavirus infection in comparison to the original vaccine.
• However, a slew of recent studies have shown that a phenomenon in our bodies, called immune imprinting, might be making these new boosters far less effective than expected.
• The observed ineffectiveness of the bivalent or variant-specific boosters might be due to immune imprinting, scientists of both studies concluded.

What is immune imprinting?

• Immune imprinting is a tendency of the body to repeat its immune response based on the first variant it encountered — through infection or vaccination — when it comes across a newer or slightly different variant of the same pathogen.
• The phenomenon was first observed in 1947, when scientists noted that “people who had previously had flu, and were then vaccinated against the current circulating strain, produced antibodies against the first strain they had encountered”, according to a report published in the journal Nature.
• At the time, it was termed the ‘original antigenic sin’ but today, it’s commonly known as imprinting.
• Imprinting acts as a database for the immune system, helping it put up a better response to repeat infections. After our body is exposed to a virus for the first time, it produces memory B cells that circulate in the bloodstream and quickly produce antibodies whenever the same strain of the virus infects again.

The problem

• The problem occurs when a similar, not identical, variant of the virus is encountered by the body. In such cases, the immune system, rather than generating new B cells, activates memory B cells, which in turn produce “antibodies that bind to features found in both the old and new strains, known as cross-reactive antibodies”.
• Although these cross-reactive antibodies do offer some protection against the new strain, they aren’t as effective as the ones produced by the B cells when the body first came across the original virus.
• The recent findings of two studies suggested immune imprinting might be posing a hurdle in the success of the bivalent or variant-specific vaccines.

• The Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) today inaugurated various infrastructure-related construction activities for the 382 MW Sunni Dam Hydro Electric Project.
• The 382 MW Sunni Dam Project is a run-of-the-river project situated in District Shimla and Mandi of Himachal Pradesh on river Satluj.
• On Commissioning, the project shall generate 1382 Million Units annually and the levelized tariff is Rs. 3.90 per unit. The Project is scheduled to be commissioned within 63 months of the commencement of construction works.
• The construction work for the 113-metre double-lane steel truss bridge has been started. The bridge is estimated to cost about Rs 14 crore.
• The widening work on the left bank approach road and the construction work on the right bank approach road were inaugurated. The work on both the roads is scheduled to be completed by March.

• The Kullu-Manali airport at Bhuntar in the district has made a quantum jump in the Customer Satisfaction Index 2022. The airport has been ranked fifth in terms of facilities for passengers among 56 mid-level airports across the country with a passenger load of less than two million. It was ranked 10th among 57 airports in the nation in 2021.

Was 10th among 57 airports in 2021

• A survey was conducted under the Customer Satisfaction Index on 33 parameters, including cleanliness and better facilities in the airport
• It covered 56 airports across the country with a passenger load of less than two million
• The Bhuntar airport got a rating of 4.94 of five in the survey conducted in two rounds from July to Dec
• It was ranked 10th among 57 airports in 2021.

• Kerala’s Wayanad becomes the first district in the country to provide basic documents to all tribal people.
• The Akshaya Big Campaign for Document Digitisation (ABCD) campaign provided Aadhaar cards, ration cards, birth/death certificates, etc.
• These documents are digitized and saved in DigiLocker accounts.
• Digitalising the documents through DigiLocker will help the beneficiaries easily retrieve the documents in case these are lost or damaged.

• India considers the full implementation of the 13th Amendment in Sri Lanka “critical” for achieving reconciliation with the minority Tamil community, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said recently.

History

• In 1987, India and Sri Lanka signed an agreement to implement the 13^thamendment of the Sri Lankan constitution.
• According to the agreement, the Sri Lankan Government will provide powers to the Tamil community in the country.
• According to India, 13A is essential for the Sri Lankan Government to reconcile with the Tamil community in the country.

What is 13A?

• 13A is the 13^thamendment of the Sri Lankan constitution.
• The 13A provides for the devolution of power to the Tamil community.
  • Tamilians are the minority in the country of Sri Lanka.
• The Tamil community in the country is demanding a separate state. In 1987, with the Indian Union Government’s efforts, the Sri Lankan Government agreed to increase the powers of Tamilians in the country through 13A. However, 13A was not implemented.

History

• Sri Lanka has had a long history of failed negotiations to end the Tamil claim of discrimination by allowing some form of political autonomy.
• An Indian effort in 1987 that created the system of a joint provincial council for the Tamil-dominated north and east faltered as the Tamils claimed it fell short of full autonomy.
  • Tamils say that not enough power had been devolved to the provincial councils to make them meaningful.
• President Wickremesinghe himself tried an aborted constitutional effort between 2015-19 which too came to be scuttled by the hardline majority politicians.
• The Tamils put forward their demand for autonomy since gaining independence from Britain in 1948 which from the mid-70s turned into a bloody armed conflict.
• Over the years, the Sri Lankan government has been aggressive against Tamilian groups following its war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).The LTTE ran a military campaign for a separate Tamil homeland in the northern and eastern provinces of the island nation for nearly 30 years before its collapse in 2009 after the Sri Lankan Army killed its supreme leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

• At least 70 samples of commonly used drugs were found to be of sub-standard quality by CDSCO after latest round of inspections.

About Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO)

• CDSCO is under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
• It is Central Drug Authority for discharging functions assigned to Central Government under Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
• Under Drugs and Cosmetics Act, CDSCO is responsible for:
  • Approval of Drugs, Conduct of Clinical Trials, Laying down standards for Drugs, and Control over quality of imported Drugs in country.
  • Coordination of activities of State Drug Control Organizations by providing expert advice.

• This mela is organised annually on the occasion of Magh Bihu (celebrated in the mid-January), in the Morigaon District of Assam.
• The three-day annual event is organised under the traditional king of the Tiwa tribe called Gobha Deoraja that once ruled the area.
• Magh Bihu is a traditional harvest festival of Assam.
• It has kept alive the system of barter as a means of procuring goods.

Tribal communities like Tiwa, Karbi, Khasi and Jaintia from nearby hills participate in the fair.

• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) chief said the target is to double penetration in the next five years, and added that it is possible to insure all by 2047.
• Insurance Penetration is the ratio of premium underwritten in a particular year to the GDP.
  • It indicates the level of development of insurance sector.
  • In India the overall penetration for insurance is 4.2% as of FY21-end with life insurance at 3.2%, and non-life at 1%.
  • Insurance density (ratio of insurance premium to population) has increased from $78 in 2020-21 to $91 in 2021-22.
• Reasons for low penetration:
  • Lack of awareness,
  • Lack of customised and standardised products,
  • Fewer product innovations, etc.
• How to enhance insurance penetration
  • Make property insurance compulsory.
  • Insurers should have bancassurance arrangements with non-bank lenders, co-operative banks and also payment aggregators.
  • Financial sector participants should work together synergistically for deepening the penetration.
  • Business conglomerates should channelise funds into the sector.

• The guidelines are aligned with those guidelines issued under Consumer Protection Act (CPA), 2019.
  • Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022 was issued under CPA, 2019
  • It provides a framework for protecting consumers against unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements.

Need for the guidelines

• There has been increased use of social media for promotional activities and influencer violations comprising almost 30% of ads taken up by the Advertising Standards Council of India .
• India’s social media influencer market expected to reach 2,800 crore by 2025 (from Rs 1,275 crore in 2022).

Important guidelines

• Any celebrity, influencer or virtual influencer must disclose any material connection (trips or hotel, etc.) with the advertiser.
• Disclosures must be prominently and clearly displayed.
• Endorsements must be made in simple, clear language and terms such as “advertisement; “‘sponsored;’ or “paid promotion” can be used.
• The product and service must have been actually used or experienced by the endorser.

Non-compliance can lead to a jail term of up to 2 years and penalty of Rs 50 lakh.

• The Bihar government had recently launched the caste survey which aims to compile data on each family digitally through a mobile application from the panchayat to the district level.
• However, pleas were submitted to quash the notification on the ground that the caste-based census”violated the basic structure of the Constitution”
• SC refused to entertain the petitions and asked the petitioners to approach the high court.

About Caste Census

• Caste Census is the caste-wise tabulation of population in the census exercise.
• Caste was included as a parameter in Census data only during the 1931 Census.
• Ever since independence, the Census had only the data related to SC and ST populations.
• Caste Census is under the administrative control of Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Earlier in 2011 attempt was made towards Caste Census by conducting the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC).
• Rohini Commission was another attempt by categorization within OBCs for better targeted service delivery.
• Need for Caste Census
  • Obsolete data as the data is nearly 8 decades old.
  • Hindrance to sub categorisation of OBCs as denoted by Rohini Commission.
  • To have sufficient data for Govt policy making.
  • To provide equitable representation to all castes.