WHY IN NEWS

Jal Jeevan Mission has provided tap water supply to more than 97 lakh households in 61 JE-AES affected priority districts (in 5
states).
✓ These priority affected states are Assam, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
➢ It is characterized by an acute onset of fever and clinical neurological manifestation that includes mental confusion,
disorientation, delirium, or coma.
➢ The disease most commonly affects children and young adults and can lead to considerable morbidity and mortality.
➢ Viruses are the main causative agents in AES cases
✓ Although other sources such as bacteria, fungus, parasites, spirochetes, chemicals, toxins and noninfectious agents have
also been reported over the past few decades.
➢ Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is the major cause of AES in India (ranging from 5%-35%).
✓ AES due to JEV was clinically diagnosed in India for the first time in 1955 in the southern State of Madras, now
Tamil Nadu.
➢ AES including Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is a group of clinically similar neurologic manifestation caused by several different
viruses, bacteria, fungus, parasites, spirochetes, chemical/ toxins etc.
➢ AES or Japanese Encephalitis, also known as ‘Chamki Fever’ or ‘Litchi Virus’ in India, is an umbrella term used for infections
that cause inflammation, irritation or swelling in the brain.
➢ According to National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme (NVBDCP), 10,485 AES cases were diagnosed in 2018 with
632 deaths across 17 states.
✓ AES cases were reported mainly from Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, Tamil Nadu,
Uttar Pradesh.
WHY IN NEWS
Recently, A “Joint Communication” was signed between Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
and Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) to secure the rights of traditional forest dwellers and proper implementation of the
Forest Rights Act, 2006.

➢ It will give more powers to the tribal communities in managing the forest resources.
➢ State forest departments will carry out verification of claims for forest rights, mapping of forest lands involved and
provision of necessary evidence as required etc.
➢ A nodal agency to be designated for specific non-timber forest products as supply chain platforms in collaboration
with TRIFED, Ministry of Ayush, MFP (Minor Forest Produce) Federations, Van Dhan Kendras etc.

➢ It is commonly known as the Forest Rights Act (FRA).

➢ It recognizes and gives the forest rights and the right to occupy forest land to the forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes
(FDST) and other traditional forest dwellers (OTFD).
✓ Forest rights can also be claimed by any member or community who has primarily resided in forest land for bona
fide livelihood needs for at least three generations (75 years) prior to 13th December, 2005.
WHY IN NEWS
Recently, the Nagaland Government appealed to all Naga political groups to resume the peace talks with a positive
approach of mutual respect by setting aside pre-conditions in the greater interest of the people.

➢ Nagas are a hill people who are estimated to number about 2.5 million (1.8 million in Nagaland, 0.6 million in Manipur
and 0.1 million in Arunachal states).
➢ They live in the remote and mountainous country between the Indian state of Assam and Burma.
➢ Nagas are not a single tribe, but an ethnic community that is divided into sixteen main tribal groups, each with its own
name and distinct language.
➢ This community belongs to the Indo-Mongoloid Family.
➢ The present day Naga people have been called by many names, like 'Noga' by Assamese, 'Hao' by Manipuri and 'Chin'
by Burmese.
➢ The various Naga groups have their own distinct festivals. However, Few festivals are inter-group or Inter-tribe –
✓ Hornbill Festival
▪ It is also called the 'Festival of Festivals'.
▪ It is celebrated to promote inter-group interaction.
▪ Celebration held every year from 1 to 10 December, in Nagaland
✓ Lui Ngai Ni Festival
▪ It is the seed-sowing festival celebrated by the Naga tribes of Manipur.
▪ It was declared a state holiday since 1988.
WHY IN NEWS
Recently, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order calling on the Federal Trade Commission to curb restrictions
imposed by manufacturers that limit consumers’ ability to repair their gadgets on their own terms.
✓ The UK, too, introduced right-to-repair rules that should make it much easier to buy and repair daily-use gadgets
such as TVs and washing machines.
✓ But ‘Right to repair’ movement has faced tremendous resistance from tech giants such as Apple and Microsoft
over the years.
➢ Under this movement, Activists and organizations around the world have been advocating for the right of consumers
to be able to repair their own electronics and other products.
➢ The movement traces its roots back to the very dawn of the computer era in the 1950s.
➢ The goal of the movement is to get companies to make spare parts, tools and information on how to repair devices
available to customers and repair shops to increase the lifespan of products and to keep them from ending up in
landfills.

➢ Activists argue that electronic manufacturers are encouraging a culture of ‘planned obsolescence’ — which means that
devices are designed specifically to last a limited amount of time and to be replaced.
➢ This leads to immense pressure on the environment and wasted natural resources.
✓ As manufacturing an electronic device is a highly polluting process.
CONT.
➢ This will help boost business for small repair shops, which are an important part of local economies.

➢ These including Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Tesla, have been lobbying against the right to repair.
➢ They argue that opening up their intellectual property to third party repair services or amateur repairers could lead to
exploitation and impact the safety and security of their devices.
➢ These companies are also constantly claiming that they are working towards greater durability themselves.
WHY IN NEWS
Recently, the Vice President of India has greeted the people on
the occasion of Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra in Odisha.

➢ It is, also called as Chariot Festival, a Hindu festival associated

with Lord Jagannath.
➢ It is among the most famous Vaishnavite rituals in India and
abroad.
➢ This year marks the 144th Rath Yatra of the Lord.
➢ The nine-day festival commemorates Lord Jagannath's annual
visit, along with brother Lord Balbhadra and sister Goddess
Subhadra, to the Gundicha Temple via Mausi Maa Temple.
✓ In order to pay their respects to Queen Gundicha, wife of
the legendary King Indradyumna, who built the Puri
Jagannatha temple.
➢ It is celebrated on Dwitiya Tithi during Shukla Paksha of Ashada
month (June-July).
➢ For the festival, three special chariots are built every year from
a particular type of Neem tree wood.
WHY IN NEWS
Recently, National Institute of Biomedical Genomics ➢ It works under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
(NIBMG), Kalyani an Autonomous Institute funded by the
➢ It was set up in 1986.
Department of Biotechnology, has created the world's
first database of genomic variations in oral cancer ➢ It aims to boost and augment the development of the
(dbGENVOC). biotechnology ecosystem in India through its expansion
and application in agriculture, healthcare, animal
sciences, environment, and industry.
➢ Oral cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer among
men in India, largely fuelled by tobacco-chewing.
✓ Tobacco-chewing causes changes in the genetic
material of cells in the oral cavity. ➢ It has been established as an autonomous institution by
➢ It will be updated annually with variation data from new the Government of India, under the aegis of the
oral cancer patients from different regions of India and Department of Biotechnology.
southeast Asia. ➢ It is located in Kalyani, West Bengal.
➢ It has the potential to support advances in oral cancer ➢ This is the first institution in India explicitly devoted to
research and will be a major step in moving forward research, training, translation & service and capacity-
from simply cataloguing variants to gain insight into their building in Biomedical Genomics.
significance.
WHY IN NEWS
Recently, UP govt. has launched its New Population Policy
2021-30, on the occasion of World Population Day (11th
July).

➢ It was established by the then-Governing Council of the

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in
1989.
✓ It seeks to focus attention on the urgency and
importance of population issues
➢ In December 1990, the United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution to continue
observing World Population Day on 11th July.
✓ To enhance awareness of population issues,
including their relations to the environment and
development.
➢ The Day was first marked on 11 July 1990 in more than
90 countries.
WHY IN NEWS
Recently, the world-famous Kesariya Buddha stupa has been waterlogged following floods
after heavy rainfall.
➢ It is located, about 110 km from the State capital Patna, in east Champaran district of
Bihar.
➢ It has a circumference of almost 400 feet and stands at a height of about 104 feet.
➢ It is regarded as the largest and the tallest Buddhist stupa in the world.
➢ The first construction of the stupa is dated to the 3rd century BCE.
✓ The original Kesariya stupa is believed to date back to the time of emperor
Ashoka (circa 250 BCE) as the remains of an Ashokan pillar was discovered there.
➢ Its exploration started in the early 19th century after its discovery led by Colonel
Mackenzie in 1814.
✓ In 1861-62, it was excavated by General Cunningham.
✓ In 1998, an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) team led by archaeologist K.K.
Muhammad had excavated the site properly.
➢ The ASI has declared it a protected monument of national importance.
➢
✓ It refers to a situation – “When people avoided each other during the pandemic, they failed to build up the
immunity against viruses that comes from normal contact.”
✓ The “immunity debt” phenomenon occurs because measures like lockdowns, hand-washing, social distancing and
masks are not only effective at controlling Covid-19.
▪ They also suppress the spread of other illnesses that transmit in a similar way, including the flu, common
cold, and lesser-known respiratory illnesses like RSA (Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia).
▪ RSA is heart rate variability in synchrony with respiration, by which the R-R interval on an ECG is shortened
during inspiration and prolonged during expiration.

➢
✓ It refers to travelling (mobile) theatre groups exclusive to Assam.
✓ Unlike Street plays, Mobile Theatre groups travel from place to place with their cast, singers, musicians, dancers
and crew, often carrying tents and seating with them.
✓ The Kohinoor Opera was the first mobile theatre group of Assam, founded by Natyacharya Brajanath Sarma, in
1930.
✓ The first Mobile Theatre play was staged on 2 October 1963, in Pathsala, Assam.
✓ It has a huge contribution to the social development of Assamese society.
➢
✓ It is a community radio station set up by South Odisha Voluntary Action (SOVA), a Koraput based non-profit
organization.
✓ It is bringing school lessons to the poor tribal students amidst Covid crisis in Odisha’s Koraput district who don’t
have internet access or cannot afford a smartphone.
✓ It started broadcasting educational content for students in 2016.
✓ All programmes are designed in Odia and Desiya dialects as entire tribes and non-tribes do use Desiya as a
common communication dialect

➢
✓ VIPER stands for “Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover.”
✓ It is planned for delivery to the lunar surface in late 2023 under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload
Services (CLPS) program.
✓ It aims to get a closer view of the Moon's South Pole and evaluate the concentration of water as well as other
potential resources on its surface.
✓ It is the first resource mapping mission on any extraterrestrial body.
✓ NASA is undertaking the mission to understand if it is possible for human life to sustain there, by using locally
available resources.
➢
✓ Cuba has developed the world’s first conjugate vaccine for COVID-19.
✓ A conjugate vaccine is a type of vaccine which combines a weak antigen with a strong antigen as a carrier so that
the immune system has a stronger response to the weak antigen.
✓ The most commonly used conjugate vaccine is the Hib conjugate vaccine.
✓ As of 2018, the latest conjugate vaccine is typhoid conjugate vaccine which may be more effective and prevents
typhoid fever in many children under the age of five years.