• The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) issued an alert regarding the common painkiller, Meftal, and recommended people must take the drug only after consulting a doctor as it contains mefenamic acid which can trigger adverse reactions like DRESS syndrome, etc.
• Meftal is a commonly used drug for menstrual cramps and rheumatoid arthritis.
• The primary constituent of Meftal is Mefenamic acid, a pain-relieving agent employed for the alleviation of muscle and joint pain as well as menstrual pain.
  • Additionally, it exhibits efficacy in mitigating sore throats, nerve pain, and muscle aches.

ABOUT DRESS SYNDROME

• The Drug Rash with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is a unique and severe idiosyncratic response to a medication, marked by a protracted onset period.
• It was linked to medications such as abacavir, allopurinol, and lamotrigine.
• Subsequently, it manifests through a diverse array of clinical symptoms, typically including fever, skin rash, lymphadenopathy, eosinophilia, and a spectrum of systemic manifestations ranging from mild to severe.
• It poses a considerable life-threatening risk, with an estimated mortality rate of approximately 10% across various studies.

ABOUT INDIAN PHARMACOPOEIA COMMISSION

• IPC is an autonomous Institution of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Its basic function is to update regularly the standards of drugs commonly required for treatment of diseases prevailing in this region.
• It publishes official documents for improving Quality of Medicines by way of adding new and updating existing monographs in the form of Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP).
• It promotes rational use of generic medicines by publishing National Formulary of India.
• It prescribes standards for identity, purity and strength of drugs essentially required from the health care perspective of human beings and animals.
• It provides IP Reference Substances (IPRS) which act as a fingerprint for identification of an article under test and its purity as prescribed in IP.

• The Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi, has been honoured with the prestigious ‘Green University’ award at COP 28 held in UAE.
• The recognition was given to the institute in acknowledgment of its comprehensive commitment to sustainable practices and its holistic approach towards environmental initiatives.
• This award was conferred by Green Mentors, a non-governmental organisation holding special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in the United States.

• The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) bagged the “ISSA Vision Zero 2023” Award in the recently held 23^rd World Congress on Safety and Health at Work in Sydney, Australia.
• “Vision Zero” is a transformational approach for prevention of accidents at work places integrating the three dimensions of safety, health and well-being at all levels of work.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY ASSOCIATION

• The International Social Security Association (ISSA) is the principal international institution bringing together social security agencies and organizations of the world.
• The ISSA’s aim is to promote dynamic social security as the social dimension in a globalizing world.
• Founded in 1927, the ISSA has its headquarters at the International Labour Office in Geneva.
• The ISSA provides access to information, expert advice, business standards, practical guidelines and platforms for members to build and promote dynamic social security systems worldwide.

ABOUT ESIC

• It is a state-run organization set up under the Employee State Insurance Act of 1948.
• Nodal Ministry- Ministry of Labour & Employment
• It provides socio-economic protection to the worker population and immediate dependent or family covered under the ESI scheme.

• The World’s first portable hospital, ‘Aarogya Maitri Aid Cube’ was unveiled recently in Gurugram.
• It is designed indigenously under the Project ‘BHISHM’ (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog, Hita and Maitri)’.
• It has been jointly developed by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Defence, and the National Security Council.
• This cube is tailored to treat up to 200 casualties, emphasizing rapid response and comprehensive care.
• In the face of mass casualty incidents (MCIs), where requirements range from basic aid to advanced medical and surgical care, the Aid Cube stands out with its ability to be deployed within 12 minutes.
• The portable hospital includes 72 detachable mini-cubes and these cubes can be converted into a surgical station that has all the facilities where small operating procedures can also be performed.
• It can handle bullet injuries, burns, head, spinal and chest injuries, minor surgeries, fractures and major bleeding.
• These cubes are light and portable, and can be rapidly deployed anywhere, from airdrops to ground transportation.

• In a bid to boost forest cover in the coal belt region of Chhattisgarh, Coal India Ltd subsidiary, South Eastern Coalfileds Ltd (SECL) will undertake plantation using the Miyawaki method for the first time in its operational areas.
• The plantation using the Miyawaki technique will be carried out over a period of two years in which about 20,000 saplings will be planted.
• The plantation will include big plants such as Bargad, Peepal, Aam, Jamun etc, medium plants such as Karanj, Amla, Ashok etc, and small plants such as Kaner, Gudhal, Trikoma, Ber, Anjeer, Nimbu etc.

ABOUT MIYAWAKI METHOD

• It was named after Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki
• It involves planting native trees, shrubs and groundcover plants within every square meter to create a dense canopy layer of tall trees in small land parcels.
• The plants used in the Miyawaki method are mostly self-sustaining and don’t require regular maintenance like manuring and watering.
• In this method, the trees become self-sustaining and they grow to their full length within three years.
• Advantages- Forests grow rapidly; Utility in urban forestry; increase carbon sequestration, reduce air and noise pollution and attract local birds and insects.

• A Book Fair and an exclusive Exhibition-cum-Sale of National Archives of India(NAI’s) Publications was recently held in New Delhi.

ABOUT NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF INDIA

• The National Archives of India is the custodian of the records of enduring value of the Government of India.
• Established on 11 March, 1891 at Calcutta (Kolkata) as the Imperial Record Department, it is the biggest archival repository in South Asia.
• It has a vast corpus of records, public records, private papers, oriental records, cartographic records and microfilms, which constitute an invaluable source of information for scholars-administrators and users of archives.
• The Director General of Archives has been given the mandate for the implementation of the Public Records Act, 1993 and the rules made there under, the Public Records Rules, 1997 for the management, administration and preservation of public records in the Ministries, Departments, Public Sector undertakings of the Central Government.
• It functions as an Attached Office of the Ministry of Culture.
• It has one Regional Office at Bhopal and three Records Centres at Bhubaneswar, Jaipur and Puducherry.

• India’s fight against cybercrime has witnessed a substantial breakthrough with the implementation of the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System.
• The initiative, established by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre(I4C), has proven instrumental in curbing financial frauds and preventing the unlawful diversion of funds by cybercriminals.
• The system has recorded a staggering 12.8 lakh cybercrime complaints since its inception.
• Remarkably, it has successfully safeguarded over Rs 930 crore across more than 3.8 lakh complaints.

ABOUT I4C

• Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) was established by MHA, in New Delhi to provide a framework and eco-system for Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) for dealing with Cybercrime in a coordinated and comprehensive manner.
• I4C is envisaged to act as the nodal point to curb Cybercrime in the country.
• The I4C involves agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation, the National Investigation Agency, and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team .
• It aims to create a system for sharing expertise and best practices related to cybercrime investigations and digital forensics.
• It aims to coordinate all activities related to implementation of Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT) with other countries related to cybercrimes in consultation with the concerned nodal authority in MHA.
• The I4C has a dedicated website to share and access information, intelligence, and collaborate on cybercrime investigations.

• India’s first Pompe disease patient, passed away last month at the age of 24 years after battling the disease.
• In 2010, her father had started the Organisation for Rare Diseases India (ORDI), the first NGO in the country for rare diseases.

ABOUT POMPE DISEASE

• Also known as Glycogen Storage Disease Type II, Pompe disease is a rare genetic disorder caused by a deficiency of the enzyme acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA).
  • This enzyme is crucial for breaking down glycogen into glucose within the lysosomes of cells.
• Its prevalence estimates range from 1 in 40,000 to 1 in 300,000 births.
• It occurs across diverse ethnicities and populations.
• The age of onset and severity can vary.
• Key symptoms
  • Progressive muscle weakness is a primary feature of Pompe disease. It affects both skeletal and smooth muscles, leading to difficulties in mobility and daily activities.
  • Motor skill delay in children
  • Degenerative impact on bones leading to joint contractures and skeletal deformities.
  • Respiratory complications due to weakening of respiratory muscles, including the diaphragm.
  • Cardiac involvement
• Enzyme assays are conducted to measure the activity of acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA), the deficient enzyme.
  • Genetic testing identifies mutations in the responsible GAA gene.
• There is currently no cure for Pompe disease.
  • However, there are treatment options available to manage symptoms and improve the patient’s quality of life.
  • Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT) is a standard treatment, involving the infusion of the missing enzyme to alleviate glycogen buildup.

• National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) has been established at 1022 locations across the country as of November 2023.
• VPN IDs have been created and shared with all States/UTs to ensure secured access to the NAFIS application.

ABOUT NAFIS

• Conceptualized and managed by the NCRB at the Central Fingerprint Bureau (CFPB) in New Delhi, the National Automated Fingerprints Identification System (NAFIS) project is a country-wide searchable database of crime- and criminal-related fingerprints.
• The web-based application functions as a central information repository by consolidating fingerprint data from all states and Union Territories.
• It enables law enforcement agencies to upload, trace, and retrieve data from the database in real time on a 24×7 basis.
• NAFIS assigns a unique 10-digit National Fingerprint Number (NFN) to each person arrested for a crime.
  • This unique ID will be used for the person’s lifetime, and different crimes registered under different FIRs will be linked to the same NFN.
• ID’s first two digits will be that of the state code in which the person arrested for a crime is registered, followed by a sequence number.

• The Global Cooling Watch report, Keeping it Chill: How to meet cooling demands while cutting emissions – was released by the UN Environment Programme-led Cool Coalition.
• The report is released in support of the Global Cooling Pledge, a joint initiative between the United Arab Emirates as host of COP28 and the Cool Coalition.
  • Over 60 countries signed up to the Pledge with commitments to reduce the climate impact of the cooling sector.
• The cooling sector accounts for 20 per cent of electricity use and is essential in combating rising temperatures, maintaining food quality and safety, as well as keeping vaccines stable and economies productive.

MAJOR FINDINGS

• 82% of global cooling-related GHG emissions came from G20 countries, in 2022.
• Under the current approach to cooling, the installed capacity of cooling equipment globally will triple between now and 2050.
  • The resulting emissions could be between 4.4 billion and 6.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in 2050.
• Presently, more than 40 countries, including India, have developed National Cooling Action Plans (NCAPs)

RECOMMENDATIONS

• The new proposed action plans include passive cooling (such as cool roofs, ventilation and bringing nature back to cities), higher energy efficiency standards, and a faster phasedown of climate-warming refrigerants and air conditioning.
• Getting cooling right with these measures would cut at least 60 per cent off predicted 2050 sectoral emissions, provide increased access to life-saving cooling, take the pressure off energy grids, and save trillions by 2050.

TARGETS UNDER INDIA COOLING ACTION PLAN (ICAP)

• Launched in 2019, ICAP aims to
  • Reduce cooling demand across sectors by 20% to 25% by 2037-38, and
  • Reduce refrigerant demand by 25% to 30% by 2037-38.
  • Reduce cooling energy requirements by 25% to 40% by 2037-38
  • Recognize ‘cooling and related areas’ as a thrust area of research under the national S&T Programme.