• Dr Rakesh Kumar, working as assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathology at the CSK HP Agriculture University, has been awarded the Prof S Ramachandran Memorial Young Scientist Award as the Best Molecular Oncologist-2022 during the International Veterinary Pathology Congress held at Hyderabad recently.
• He has been awarded for his research work on the “Evaluation of anti-cancerous effect of Saussurea lappa (Kuth) against breast cancer in laboratory rat model”.
• Kuth is cultivated in Lahaul and Spiti and has shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and hepatoprotective effects.

About:

• It is located in the state of Chhattisgarh. The name of Kanger Ghati National Park is derived from the Kangar river, which flows in its length.
• Kanger Valley got the status of a national park in the year 1982.
• Kanger Valley National Park is a typical mixed humid deciduous type of forest, in which the Sal, Saugaun, teak and bamboo trees are available in abundance.
• The most popular species in this area is Bastar Maina (The state bird of Chattisgarh). Bastar Maina, is a type of Hill maina (gruncula Dhariosoa), which is capable of emulating the human voices.
• This National Park is home to three exceptional caves – famous for their amazing geological structures of Kutumbasar, Kailash and Dandak- Stellagmites and Stalactites. National Park is known for the presence of underground limestone caves with dripstone and flowstone.
• Tirathgarh Waterfall is located in Kanger Valley National Park.

• Punjab registered a reduction of 29.99 per cent and neighbouring Haryana a significant 47.60 per cent decline in the paddy crop residue burning events this year, which the Environment Ministry attributed to “vigorous and consistent efforts” made by Union and state governments and other stakeholders.
• Overall Punjab, Haryana, NCR-UP, NCR-Rajasthan and the Delhi-NCT saw the stubble-burning cases coming down from 78,550 in 2021 to 53,792 in 2022, a reduction of 31.5 per cent as per figures based on Standard ISRO Protocol for monitoring paddy crop residue burning events between September 15 and November 30 in the five regions.
• Though there was an overall reduction in the area monitored, two districts of Punjab (Bathinda and Fazilka), one in the NCR district of UP (Bulandshahr) and one of Haryana (Yamunanagar) reported significantly higher number of fires as compared to the corresponding period last year.
• In Punjab, the five hotspot districts were Sangrur, Bathinda, Firozepur, Muktsar and Moga, recording a total of 21,882 cases, 43.83 per cent of the total. In 2021, there were 11 districts with a fire count of more than 3,000 contributing to 79.6 per cent of the total fires reported in Punjab. This year, there were seven districts with more than 3,000 fire counts contributing to 57 per cent of the total. The single day highest fire counts in Punjab were 3,916 in 2022 as compared to 5,327 in 2021, a reduction of about 26.5 per cent, said officials.
• In Haryana, the five hotspot districts with maximum number of farm fire counts this year were Fatehabad, Kaithal, Jind, Sirsa and Kurukshetra, which recorded 2,548 fire counts, 69.6 per cent of the total fires.
• These five districts reported 4,644 fire counts last year, a reduction of 45.1 per cent. The single day highest fire counts in Haryana were 250 in 2022 as compared to 363 in 2021, a reduction of about 31.1 per cent.

• The Centre has released a list of 117 United Nations bodies and other international organisations whose contribution to Indian entities will not be covered under the stringent Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010, officials said.
• Indian organisations receiving foreign funds are mandatorily registered under the FCRA and they must have a special account at a designated branch of the State Bank of India in New Delhi.
• According to a Home Ministry document, the UN agencies and other international bodies and organisations “to be not covered” by the definition of “foreign source” under the FCRA include the UN System’s Secretariat, Office of Internal Oversight Services, Department of Political Affairs, Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Department for General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services.
• The United Nations office at Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Geneva, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Geneva, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Geneva, United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), New York, and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNClAD), Geneva, were also not covered under the FCRA.
• The Unicef, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations International Drug Control Programme, United Nations Population Fund, World Food Programme, Rome, Economic Commission for Europe and Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean have also been excluded from the FCRA ambit.

• With Mylab’s PathoDetect kit patients can with a single test know their active TB infection as well as drug resistance to 2 most common drugs – Isoniazid and Rifampicin – so that they take treatment that will actually work.
• The first ‘Made in India’ kit recently approved by the DCGI, TB expert panel under the ICMR has been developed by Mylab. The kit is a RT-PCR based kit for accurate detection and will be used with Mylab Compact device systems – which will allow completely automated testing of multiple samples within 2 hours.
• This will be instrumental in supporting the Prime Minister’s vision to eliminate TB by 2025 from India, said Hasmukh Rawal, the MD of Mylab.
• He explained that the device will help address several problems simultaneously. It can not only do multiple tests at one time but also does not need highly technical people which we are already short of to handle samples and reagents, he added.
• The kit has been approved after rigorous and large scale field trials and recommended by the TB Expert Committee under ICMR.
• “Multicentre centre evaluation study and field feasibility testing studies were carried out for the “PathoDetect MTB RIF and INH drug resistance kits” & Compact device systems. The centres of trials included the most reputed Tb research centres of India, which evaluated the performance of the kit against the currently used diagnostic assays for Tuberculosis,” said Rawal.
• He further said, “There is a huge problem of resistance to drugs when it comes to TB. Until now, India had to conduct 2 tests: one to detect TB first and to check drug resistance – that against only one drug (Rifampicin). But with Mylab’sPathoDetect™ kit, the test pattern will be changed.”
• Also, the test kits have been designed to work in ambient temperatures compared to existing PCR options which need 2-8 degree cold storage. Mylab Compact™ device systems do not require special infrastructure for operations and feasibility studies done on mobile vans in rural areas indicate them to be very robust.

• Google’s Jigsaw subsidiary is launching a new anti-misinformation project in India, aimed at preventing misleading information that has been blamed for inciting violence, a top executive said.
• The initiative will use “prebunking” videos – designed to counter false claims before they become widespread – circulated on the company’s YouTube platform and other social media sites.
• Google’s efforts to challenge the spread of misinformation mark a contrast with rival Twitter which is cutting its trust and safety teams, despite new owner Elon Musk saying it will not become a “free-for-all hellscape”.
• Google recently conducted an experiment in Europe where it sought to counter anti-refugee narratives online in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
• The experiment in India will be bigger in scope as it will deal with multiple local languages — Bengali, Hindi and Marathi — and cover diverse sections of a country populated by over a billion people.
• “This presented an opportunity to research prebunking in a non-western, global south market,” said Beth Goldman, Jigsaw’s head of research and development.
• Like other countries, misinformation spreads rapidly across India, mostly through social media, creating political and religious tensions.
• Indian government officials have called on tech companies such as Google, Meta, and Twitter to take stronger action against the spread of fake news.
• The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has repeatedly invoked “extraordinary powers” to block YouTube channels, and some Twitter and Facebook accounts, allegedly used to spread harmful misinformation.
• Inflammatory messages have also spread via Meta’s messaging service Whatsapp, which has more than 200 million users in India. In 2018, the company curbed the number of times a message could be forwarded, after false claims about child abductors led to mass beatings of more than a dozen people, some of whom died.
• Working in collaboration with the Alfred Landecker Foundation, a pro-democracy organization based in Germany, the philanthropic investment firm Omidya Network India, and a number of smaller regional partners, Jigsaw has produced five videos in three different languages.
• After watching the videos, viewers will be asked to fill in a short multiple-choice questionnaire, designed to gauge what they have learned about misinformation. The company’s recent research on the subject suggested viewers were 5% more likely to identify misinformation after watching such videos.
• The Indian initiative will focus on issues that resonate in the country, Goldman added.
• “By forewarning individuals and equipping them to spot and refute misleading arguments, they gain resilience to being misled in the future.”
• Results are expected to be published in summer 2023.

• India’s premier show on Technical Textiles – ‘Technotex 2023’ will be held in Mumbai from 22nd to 24th February 2023. The largest event of technical textile industry in India is focused on providing its attendees access and networking opportunities to meet top CEOs, manufacturers, industry peers, purchase managers and suppliers from India and around the globe.
• The event is being organized by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India in collaboration with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce Industry, under National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM). The Union Minister further said that the Technotex 2023 is being organised at the most opportune time when India has assumed G-20 Presidency. “The G-20 Presidency offers an exceptional opportunity for India to contribute to the global agenda on insistent matters of global importance”.
• Addressing a curtain raiser event for Technotex 2023 in Mumbai today, the Union Minister of State for Textiles Darshana Jardosh said Technotex 2023 offers a good opportunity for Startup Entrepreneurs who represent the fastest-growing category worldwide. “Keeping in view the high potential of startups in the technical textile arena, Technotex 2023 will focus on discussions to empower Startup Ventures, promote knowledge exchange on best practices and develop capacities of entrepreneurial ecosystem for startups”.
• The curtain raiser was organized to brief the Foreign Missions in India, Media Houses and the leading Technical Textile industry about the significance of the event, the importance the ministry accords to the sector and to set the chord for meaningful deliberations in making the summit fruitful.
• The Minister exhorted the industry representatives to tap the potential of the growing global technical textile market. “The robust global market is waiting for the industry as both domestic consumption and export are expected to grow rapidly. It is very important that we build a strong connect with the global industry, attract domestic and global investments as well as project India’s strengths, initiatives and facilities”.
• The Minister of State for Textiles informed that the Government is making all efforts to promote Technical Textiles and has undertaken various initiatives in this direction, such as creation of PLI scheme, HSN Codes, National Technical Textiles Mission.
• National Technical Textile Mission (NTTM),the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved this mission in 2020 intending to lift India as a global leader in technical textiles and increase their use in the market.
• “The end-usage of Technical Textiles products covers a wide array of industries, thereby presenting plethora of opportunities as a high value sector in India”.
• Textiles Minister for Government of Maharashtra Chandrakant Patil said that the Technical Textile sector is one of the key constituents of the Indian economy and a niche sunrise sector, aligning with the government’s focus on Aatma Nirbhar Bharat. He mentioned that Maharashtra’s Textile Policy is aimed at generating 10 lakh new jobs; attracting investments worth Rs. 36,000 crores, and providing many benefits including competitive power tariff and increased capital subsidy.
• Comparing the penetration of Technical Textile in Indian textile industries with that in global markets, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India, Rajeev Saxena; Textiles Commissioner Roop Rashi; Vice Chairman, Indian Technical Textile Association (ITTA), Avinash Misar; and Chairman & Mentor, FICCI Technotex SME Organizing Committee & Chairman, Mohan Kavrie also addressed the occasion.
• The Ministry and the industry look forward to more than 15,000 business visitors in Feb 2023 and a huge interaction with user industries within the Government of India as well as abroad, including all diplomats and CEOs and so on, at the decadal edition of the event.

• Union Minister of Ayush Shri Sarbananda Sonowal announced that three National Ayush Institutes – All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Goa, National Institute of Unani Medicine (NIUM), Ghaziabad and National Institute of Homoeopathy (NIH), Delhi will be dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 11th December 2022. These satellite institutes will further strengthen the research, international collaborations and facilitate affordable Ayush services for larger community.
• While addressing the media Shri Sarbananda Sonowal also gave details of 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC), which will showcase the scientificity, efficacy, strength of Ayush System of Medicines at Global level in Panjim, Goa.
• Minister of State of Ayush Dr. Munjapara Mahendrabhai along with Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha and other officials of Ministry of Ayush were present on this occasion. Prime Minister will also attend the valedictory function of WAC on 11 December in Goa.
• On this occasion, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal said, Establishment of these institutes is in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of expansion of infrastructure and human resources, promotion of research in the traditional medical systems. Through these institute Government of India will be further strengthen its capabilities to provide affordable healthcare to every citizen and every region of the country.
• Establishment of these three National Ayush institutes in Ayurveda, Homeopathy and Unani will create 400 additional seats for 400 students, who want to pursue UG, PG and Doctoral courses and also add 550 additional beds in these three streams.
• All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Goa will work to provide the highest quality facilities for UG, PG and post-doctoral streams in the aspects of education, research and patient care services through Ayurveda system of medicine. It will be developed into a wellness hub of Ayurveda promoting Medical Value Travel (MVT) and will function as a model centre for international and national collaboration for academic & research purposes.
• The National Institute of Homoeopathy (NIH), Delhi is first of its kind to be established in Northern India for developing the Homoeopathic system of medicine and to provide health care facilities. It will work in mainstreaming and integrate Ayush healthcare services with modern medicines and encourage R&D and innovation and to develop National Institutes of repute.
• National institute of Unani Medicine (NIUM), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh will be a satellite Centre of the existing National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bangalore.  It will first such institute in Northern India and cater to the patients around Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and other states of India as well as foreign nationals under MVT.
• Ministry of Ayush is collaborating to organize 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) at Panjim, Goa and will showcase the scientificity, efficacy, and strength of Ayush System of Medicines at Global level. To this end various activities are being planned and Ayush fraternity is also participating in different discussions, presentations etc.

• Most countries in Asia have failed to achieve a global minimum target of protecting at least 17 per cent of land by 2020, according to a study based on data from 40 countries.
• Under current trends, the outlook for achieving the UN Global Biodiversity Framework’s 2030 target to protect at least 30 per cent of land is bleak, with Asia set to miss this by an even greater margin, the researchers said.
• To counter the global biodiversity crisis, at the 2010 UN Convention on Biological Diversity, almost 200 countries pledged to protect at least 17 per cent of their terrestrial environments by 2020 (known as Aichi Target).
• The Aichi Biodiversity Targets are an ambitious set of global goals aimed at protecting and conserving global biodiversity
• To investigate whether they achieved this, researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge in the UK, with collaborators in Asia, analysed data from official reports submitted to the World Database on Protected Areas.
• The study, published in the journal Communications Biology, found that only 40 per cent of Asian countries achieved the target of a minimum of 17 per cent coverage for protected areas by 2020.
• In particular, very few countries in West and Central Asia achieved the target. Overall, Asia was the most underperforming continent, with just 13.2 per cent of land being designated as a terrestrial protected area in 2020 — compared with a global average of 15.2 per cent protection, the researchers said.
• Only 40 per cent (16) of Asian countries, mainly in East and South Asia, had met the 17 per cent protection target by 2020. However, 14 out of 19 West and Central Asian countries had not met the target, they said.
• Asian countries also tended to have a slower year-on-year increase in the amount of land protected for conservation, at just 0.4 per cent per year on average, according to the study.
• For 241 highly at-risk mammal species across Asia, on average 84 per cent of their ranges fell outside protected areas, the researchers said.
• They calculated that almost all Asian countries will fail to meet the 2030 target unless their rate of establishing protected areas increases by up to six times faster.
• Under the current trajectory, Asia as a whole would only achieve 18 coverage by 2030 — far below the target of 30 per cent protection.
• The outlook was worst for West and South Asia, projected to achieve 11 per cent and 10 per cent coverage respectively by 2030.
• “Asia is a challenging continent for setting targets for protected areas, since areas of high biodiversity typically conflict with dense human populations and rapid economic growth,” said study lead author Mohammed Farhadinia from the University of Oxford.
• “While this research demonstrates the need for more investment in protected areas in Asia, it also shows the importance of establishing realistic, achievable goals that take into account socio-geographical restrictions,” Farhadinia said.
• The findings carry important significance ahead of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15), when the governing body of the Convention of Biological Diversity will convene in Montreal, Canada from December 7-19.
• At this meeting, government representatives will review the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and discuss strategies for meeting the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework targets.

• The Wildlife Wing of the Forest Department has launched ‘Adoption and Donation Scheme’ under which interested individuals and institutes can adopt zoo animals or an entire zoo in the state. The scheme aims to promote wildlife awareness, protection and better care of the animals.
• The Forest Department wants to create public participation through the scheme in order to ensure good care of animals lodged in the zoos and pheasantries across the state. As per the scheme, anyone can adopt an animal or a bird or an entire zoo or pheasantry or rehabilitation centre on an annual basis.
• So far a leopard and three pheasants have been adopted by a company and individuals. The annual cost for adopting an Asiatic lion has been pegged at Rs 2 lakh while for a snow leopard and black Himalayan bear it is Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.50 lakh, respectively. Those adopting a sambhar or a herd of deer will have to shell out Rs 40,000 and Rs 50,000, respectively. An entire zoo can be adopted for Rs 1 crore and a pheasantry for Rs 25 lakh per annum.
• Three zoos at Kufri in Shimla district, Gopalpur in Kangra district and Renukaji in Sirmaur district are located in the state. The pheasantries are located at Chail in Solan district, Manali in Kullu district and Sarahan in Shimla district.
• “The zoos are maintained under the Himachal Pradesh Zoo and Conservation Breeding Society, which covers all our nature parks and mini zoos. Anyone can adopt an Asiatic lion, snow leopard, Himalayan black or brown bear. Pheasant, including the beautiful and endangered cheer pheasants or monal or western tragopan, can also be adopted,” Rajeev Kumar, Principal Chief Conservator Forest (Wildlife), said. The adopters can also gift the animal, by getting the adoption certificate transferred, to their children, friends and relatives on special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries.
• The name of the individual who adopts the animal will be displayed outside the enclosure of the animal. Besides, those who adopt the entire zoo or pheasantry will be guests of honour at all function of the Wildlife Wing. Those adopting animals will be entitled to special privileges such as free passes for visit to zoos or complimentary stay at wildlife rest houses.
• “The HP Zoo and Conservation Breeding Society gets the funds through grant-in-aid and the revenue generated by zoos is barely sufficient to meet with the annual requirements of the zoos,” he said.