ANSWER: C

• Bharat Biotech’s ChAd36-SARS-CoV-S COVID-19 (Chimpanzee Adenovirus Vectored) recombinant nasal vaccine has been approved by Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for primary immunization against COVID-19 in 18+ age group for restricted use in emergencies.
• This is India’s first intranasal vaccine for COVID-19.

About iNCOVACC

• The product – iNCOVACC – is stable at 2-8°C for easy storage and distribution.
• Bharat Biotech has established large manufacturing capabilities at multiple sites across India including Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana with operations pan-India.
• iNCOVACC has the double benefit of enabling faster development of variant-specific vaccines and easy nasal delivery that enables mass immunisation to protect from emerging variants of concern.
• “iNCOVACC is a recombinant replication-deficient adenovirus vectored vaccine with a pre-fusion stabilized spike protein. This vaccine candidate was evaluated in Phase-I, II and III clinical trials with successful results.
• iNCOVACC has been specifically formulated to allow intra-nasal delivery through nasal drops. The nasal delivery system has been designed and developed to be cost-effective in low- and middle-income countries.
• iNCOVACC was developed in partnership with Washington University St. Louis, which had designed and developed the recombinant adenoviral vectored constructs and evaluated them in preclinical studies for efficacy.

ANSWER: C

• Tripura becomes the first state in India to have the first modified bio-village.
• The Daspara village of Tripura is converted into a nature-based lifestyle and livelihood and reduced the use of chemical fertilizers.
• Dasapara is a home for 64 families which depends on agriculture and fishery.
• Daspara is one of the five successful bio-village 2.0 conceptualized in Tripura.

About:

• Tripura Government has aimed to set up a total of100 bio villages in the state.
• 10 bio villages are completed, and the first bio village has been set up at Dasapara in Charilam constituency of Sepahijala district.
• The bio village project aims to provide sustainable livelihood and food security to ensure holistic socio-economic development among rural communities.
• The project supports the development of solar-powered agricultural equipment, energy-saving electrical devices, biogas, and biofertilizers at the local level.
• The main objective of the project is to promote green technology like solar water pumps, biomass cook stoves, and biogas plants for sustainable production of agricultural and allied sector-related products.

ANSWER: D

• The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers said nano urea, a liquid fertilizer developed by IFFCO to reduce farmers’ dependence on packaged urea, had been allowed for commercial use based on existing rules that provisionally allow fertilizers to be used based on data from only two cropping seasons.
• The usual practice for recommending (or rejecting) a new fertilizer for commercial use required three seasons of independent assessment by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) , but in the case of nano urea this was reduced to two.
• The established and existing procedure for registration of any fertilizer for notification as per Fertiliser Control Order (FCO), 1985.
• Nano Urea has been provisionally notified under FCO based on encouraging results and feedback received from scientists of ICAR and State Agricultural Universities.
• Central Fertilizer Committee (CFC), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA & FW) has also recommended it based on data and due deliberations in this regard.

ANSWER: D

• The Uttarakhand education department launched an e-governance portal “Samarth”.
• This portal provides all administrative and educational updates including information about entrance exams, salary structures, and appointments from five state universities and 140 public schools.
• The initiative has been taken in a bid to make the education system more transparent in the state.

About the portal:

• The portal also provides access to 40 academic study modules.
• 200 assistant professors of science subjects will be sent to the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru for special training, while teachers of state universities will be given training at IIM Kashipur.
• The new education policy (NEP-2020)will be also implemented in the state from this session in September.
• In addition, to provide quality education to students, a teacher-sharing format that will connect multiple private and government schools across the country will also be introduced soon.

ANSWER: A

• The long-haul, heavy-duty trucks from Blue Energy Motors, which intends to upend the Indian trucking business by producing clean energy, almost zero emissions vehicles, will run on LNG.
• The business was inaugurated by Union Minister, Nitin Gadkari.
• Blue Energy Motors has a contract in place with FPT Industrial, the global powertrain brand of the Italian Iveco Group, to launch the first LNG trucks with BS VI-compliant FPT Industrial engines.

Key Points:

• The introduction of the 5528 4×2 tractor will serve as the first model for the market entry of LNG-fuelled trucks.
• Blue Energy Motors claims that its “trucks have been built and tested in compliance with the demanding duty cycles of the Indian transport industry.”
• These trucks, which have high-torque FPT Industrial engines, not only have the best TCO in their class but also provide unparalleled ride comfort and driver safety for long hauls.
• One of the most potent natural gas engines is the FPT Industrial engine, which is also compatible with CNG, LNG, and biomethane.
• To ensure best-in-class fuel consumption and lower noise than diesel engines, it uses multipoint stoichiometric combustion.

ANSWER: D

• An agreement for cooperation in the field of broadcasting between Prasar Bharati and Bangladesh Television was also signed on the occasion.
• As many as seven pacts were signed between India and Bangladesh after bilateral discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his visiting Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina.
• The agreements are related to water resources, IT and space, broadcasting as well as railways.
• These included an agreement on withdrawal of water from the cross-border Kushiyara river, cooperation in space technology, collaboration on IT systems used by railways for freight movement and an agreement for cooperation in the field of science and technology.
• In addition to this, the two sides also inked a pact to provide training to Bangladeshi railway staff and judicial officers in India.

ANSWER: D

• Warangal and two cities from Kerala have joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) in recognition of their outstanding efforts to make lifelong learning a reality for all at the local level.
• Warangal in Telangana, Thrissur and Nilambur are among the 77 cities from 44 countries which have joined this network of the world body.
• UNESCO GNLC is an international network consisting of cities that successfully promote lifelong learning across their communities.
• It includes 294 cities from all around the world that share inspiration, know-how and best practice among each other, the world body has said in a statement.
• Other cities that have joined the network are the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Durban in South Africa and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) among others.
• The 77 new members bring the total number of cities within the UNESCO GNLC to 294 in 76 countries, UNESCO said.

ANSWER: C

• Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari conferred the title of Honorary General of the Nepali Army to the Indian Army chief, Gen Manoj Pande, at a special ceremony, continuing the seven-decade-old tradition reflecting the close ties between the two countries.
• General Pande was also presented a sword and scroll during the ceremony held at the President’s official residence, Shital Niwas, in Kathmandu.
• Following the ceremony, General Pande called on the President of Nepal.
• Earlier, Gen Pande laid a wreath and paid homage at Bir Smarak (martyrs’ memorial) at Kathmandu. Thereafter, he visited the Nepali Army headquarters where he was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour.
• General Pande also handed over various non-lethal military items to Nepalese counterpart Gen PR Sharma.

ANSWER: C

• Dedicated efforts to improve the handwriting of about 90,000 students and training teachers to make the the teaching-learning process more effective and hi-tech have helped Virender Kumar become a proud recipient of a national award for teachers.
• Virender Kumar is serving as a teacher at Government Senior Secondary School, Dhorogra, in Sunni (Shimla).
• The other recipient of the national award from the state is Yudhveer Tandon, a teacher of Government Primary School, Anoga, in Sundla (Chamba).
• He strongly believes in the implementation of old concepts and has implemented the concepts of honesty shop, Bal Samachar Patrika, Bal Sansad, Swachhta Committee and computer-based intervention in his school.

ANSWER: D

• The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet approved child adoption leave of 180 days for regular women employees of the State government.
• The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting in Shimla chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.
• The nod was given by adopting Rule 43-B of CCS (Leave) Rules, 1972.

About:

• The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, recognizes that adoptive mothers too need to take some time off to tend to their children, represents some progress.
• Adoption in India is a contested issue rife with legal and bureaucratic hurdles.
• It’s governed under two different laws: the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956; and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
• There are several strict rules in place that determine the eligibility and suitability of prospective parents.
• These include parameters on composite age for couples, rules of adoption for single parents, a minimum duration of marriage for couples seeking to adopt, and the age of the prospective adopted child.