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).

Why in news?

• A team of scientists have derived accurate value of Pluto’s atmospheric pressure which is 80,000 times less than the atmospheric pressure at mean sea level on Earth.
• It was calculated from data obtained by observation of stellar occultation by Pluto.
  • An occultation happens when a celestial object gets hidden from the view of the observer due to another celestial object passing in between them.
• Data was calculated using 3.6-m Devasthal optical telescope (DOT) (India’s largest optical telescope) and 1.3-m Devasthal Fast Optical Telescope (DFOT) telescopes located at Devasthal, Nainital.

Why in news?

• Recently, Supreme Court has said the test can’t be said to be an infallible and cannot be the sole basis to decide the age of an accused who claims to be a juvenile.
• It is an age determination test of a person on the basis of assessment of his or her bony framework done through X-Rays/ CT-scans.
• The test is required to determine the age in order to fix the criminal liabilities based on which the law treats the persons differently based on their age.
• It is the primary test for age determination.
• Human bones are remodelled and new layer of bone material is laid by a process called ossification (or osteogenesis). Based upon this phenomenon, ossification test is carried out.

• This test only tells the ‘estimated’ age of a person and not the exact age.
• The test is not useful when a person has crossed 25-27 years of age. This is primarily because nearly all the bones are completely ossified and the skeletal growth ceases by the age of 25 years.

Why in news?

• Through infrastructure support granted under PURSE scheme, Indian Scientists have developed a first-of-its-kind tool for understanding the process of long-term memory consolidation in the brain.

About PURSE

• It is flagship Infrastructure program of Department of Science and Technology, commenced in 2009 exclusively for the University sector.
• The main objective of the scheme is to strengthen the research capacity of performing Indian Universities and provide support for nurturing the research ecosystem and strengthening the R&D base of the Universities in the country.
• The duration of support for PURSE Project will be for a period of 4 years.
• Pattern of funding is in the ratio 75% by DST and 25% by host institution.

Why in news?

• A new book titled “Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War” authored by Samuel Moyn was released.
  • Samuel Moyn is the Professor of Jurisprudence at Yale Law School and a professor of History at Yale University.
• This provocative book argues about the endless wars the USA created in the past including Vietnam War (1955-1975), Korean War (1950-1953), World War II (1939-1945) etc and this development might not represent progress at all.