• May 18^th is recognized as World AIDS Vaccine Day, an occasion that emphasizes the importance of creating a vaccine for the incurable illness.
• This day, also known as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day also pays tribute to the dedicated scientists and researchers who are committed to developing a vaccine to prevent HIV/AIDS.
• It was first observed in 1998.
• According to the WHO, HIV has resulted in the loss of 40.1 million lives thus far.

Note-

• World AIDS Day is designated on 1^st December every year.
• It is an international day observed since 1988 and dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic.

• A recent study has revealed that due to climate change and ocean acidification, population of sea butterflies is shrinking.
  • This can impact entire ocean food web.

ABOUT SEA BUTTERFLIES

• Sea butterflies(Thecosomata), are a suborder of sea snails known as shelled pteropods.
• Sea butterflies are
  • The holoplankton, or true plankton, consists of those plants and animals that normally spend most or all of their life cycle solely within the water column.
• They are found in all oceans but are more diverse and abundant in colder waters.
• Sea butterflies have bilateral symmetry and a coiled or uncoiled shell of various shapes and sizes.
• Sea butterflies play a significant role in the global carbon cycle. They incorporate calcium carbonate into their shells through a process known as calcification.
  • Their shell is mostly transparent and very fragile and can be easily dissolved by ocean acidification.
• Sea butterflies are herbivorous organisms that feed primarily on phytoplankton, microscopic plants found in the ocean.
• Sea butterflies are an important food source for various marine organisms, including fish, seabirds, and whales.

• A breach of privilege notice against Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut was referred to the Committee of Privileges for investigation by Rajya Sabha Chairman for his alleged remarks calling the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly a “house of thieves”.

ABOUT PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGE

• Parliamentary privilege refers to rights and immunities enjoyed by Parliament as an institution and MPs in their individual capacity, without which they cannot discharge their functions as entrusted upon them by the Constitution.
• These are defined under article 105 of the constitution.
• Under these privileges, the members of Parliament are exempted from any civil liability (but not criminal liability) for any statement made or act done in the course of their duties.
• No special law has been enacted to exhaustively codify all the privileges. They are rather based on five sources:
  • Constitutional provisions
  • Various laws made by Parliament
  • Rules of both the Houses
  • Parliamentary conventions
  • Judicial interpretations
• These privileges do not extend to the president who is also an integral part of the Parliament.
• A breach of privilege is a violation of any of the privileges of MPs/Parliament.
  • Among other things, any action ‘casting reflections’ on MPs, parliament or its committees; could be considered breach of privilege.
  • This may include publishing of news items, editorials or statements made in newspaper/magazine/TV interviews or in public speeches.

ABOUT COMMITTEE OF PRIVILEGES

• The Committee in
  • Lok sabha consists of 15 members nominated by the Speaker. The Speaker nominates the head of the committee of privileges.
  • Rajya Sabha consists of 10 members nominated by Chairman. The deputy chairperson heads the committee of privileges.
• The committee examines every question involving a breach of privilege of the House or of the members or of any Committee thereof referred to it by the House or by the Speaker/Chairman.
• It also determines with reference to the facts of each case whether a breach of privilege is involved and makes suitable recommendations in its report.
• It states the procedure to be followed by the House in giving effect to its recommendations.

• As per the new regulations by the National Medical Commission (NMC), doctors will now have to get a Unique Identification Number (UID) to be able to practice medicine in the country
• The UID will be generated centrally by the NMC Ethics board.

ABOUT NATIONAL MEDICAL COMMISSION (NMC)

• NMC has been constituted by National Medical Commission Act, 2019 replacing the Medical Council of India (MCI), which was constituted under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.
• The NMC will function as the country’s top regulator of medical education and medical professionals.
• It grants recognition of medical qualifications gives accreditation to medical schools, grants registration to medical practitioners, monitors medical practice and assesses the medical infrastructure in India.
• HQ-New Delhi
• It has four autonomous boards:
  • Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (sets norms for undergraduate courses),
  • Post-Graduate Medical Education Board (sets norms for post-graduate courses),
  • Medical Assessment and Rating Board
  • Ethics and Medical Registration Board (regulates professional conduct of the doctors and registers them).

• A research team of the Department of Wildlife Protection has recently confirmed the presence of snow leopard in Kishtwar High Altitude National Park through camera trap photographs.

ABOUT KISHTWAR HIGH ALTITUDE NATIONAL PARK

• It is located in the Kishtwar district of UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The area was declared as a Kishtwar High Altitude National Park in 1981.
• It was majorly founded to protect the Snow Leopards that are now slowly vanishing from the nature.
• The area lies in the central crystalline belt of the great Himalayas and the tract is situated on the high altitudes i.e., sub-alpine and alpine zone.
• The National Park encompasses the catchment area of Kiber, Nanth and Kiyar Nallas, all of which drain south-west into Marwah River (locally called Mariv Sudir) which later joins Chenab.
• It encompasses breathtaking alpine meadows, snow-capped peaks, and lush green forests, serving as a vital ecological corridor for many wildlife species.
• Flora:
  • The flora mainly comprises coniferous, alpine, meadows and scrub forests.
  • Trees include Fir, Himalayan Yew, Deodar, Blue Pine, or Kail and Spruce.
• Fauna:
  • The park is a renowned snow leopard reserve.
  • Brown Bear, Himalayan Black bear, Musk Deer, Ibex, Markhor, Wild boar, Bharal, Indian Muntijal, Serow, and Rhesus macaque are also found here.
  • Alligator-tailed vulture, bearded vulture, white-cheeked bulbul and the Himalayan jungle crow are some of the birds found here.

ABOUT SNOW LEOPARD (PANTHERA UNCIA)

• Habitat
  • Mountainous regions of central and southern Asia.
  • In India, their geographical range encompasses: Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Hemis, Ladakh is the Snow Leopard capital of the world.
• Protection status
  • IUCN red list- Vulnerable
  • Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES)- Appendix I
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972- Schedule 1
• Snow Leopard is on the list of 21 critically endangered species for the recovery programme of the Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change.

• For giving fresh impetus to deliverables under the flagship Pradhan Mantri MatsyaSampada Yojana(PMMSY) seven major field studies are being carried out by National Productivity Council (NPC).
• The seven areas include
  • Best practices in fish marketing system of Andhra Pradesh and dissemination through workshop;
  • Agro-climatic zone-specific mapping of innovative fishing Practices for enhancing Production and Productivity in Upper Gangetic Plain Region;
  • Design improvement in storage containers used in supply chain for inland and marine fishes by vendors;
  • Improvement in fish marketing infrastructure of Ghazipur and Howrah fish markets;
  • Evaluation of RAS and Biofloc technologies and their dissemination through workshop;
  • Strengthen monitoring mechanism of implementation of PMMSY and
  • Assessment of post-harvest losses in inland and marine fisheries and to suggest measures to minimize these losses.
• It will help strengthen the mechanism of delivery of the central scheme ‘Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL

• It is an autonomous organization set up in
• It works under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

ABOUT PRADHAN MANTRI MATSYA SAMPADA YOJANA (PMMSY)

• PMMSY is being implemented by the Department of Fisheries (DoF), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
• PMMSY was introduced by the Government of India, as part of the ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ package to bring about Blue Revolution with the investment of Rs. 20,050 crores, the highest ever investment in the Fishery sector.
• It is designed to address critical gaps in the fisheries value chain from fish production, productivity and quality to technology, post-harvest infrastructure and marketing.
• The main motto of PMMSY is ‘Reform, Perform and Transform’ in the fisheries sector.

• A centre for research on extended reality (XR) and artificial intelligence (AI) was inaugurated at Shoolini University
• The students would have an opportunity to work on live, cutting-edge projects during their course of study through collaborations with industry partners.

• International Museum Day is celebrated on May 18^th.
• The theme for this year’s International Museum Day is “Museums, Sustainability and Well-being”.
• Museums can contribute to goals of sustainability and wellbeing by gathering, conserving, and showcasing artifacts that narrate the history of our planet and its diverse life forms.

• World Hypertension Day 2023 was observed on May 17^th.
• This annual event aims to raise awareness about hypertension, its causes, and the importance of prevention and management.
• Theme- ‘Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer.’

• Chicago University economist and Nobel laureate Robert E Lucas, 85, passed away recently.
• He won the Nobel Prize in 1995 for his work on rational expectations and efficacy of government intervention in economy.
• He argued that if people are rational, which is assumed in microeconomics, then government intervention will only have an impact on prices and inflation if it is unexpected or unpredictable.
• Otherwise, people adjust their expectations for future inflation as soon as policy is announced and it then has no impact on prices as well as the inflation.
• His research was seen as a direct confrontation with Keynesian economics, which said that with other factors constant, government spending can lead to a rise in output.