Facts in News

Facts in News

Cycle Threshold (Ct) Value

• It is a value that emerges during the Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) Test.
• It is the number of cycles at which fluorescence of the PCR product is detectable over and above the background signal.
• Simply, it refers to the number of cycles after which the virus can be detected.
  • If a higher number of cycles is required, it implies that the virus went undetected when the number of cycles was lower.
  • The lower the Ct value, the higher the viral load, because the virus has been spotted after fewer cycles ( inversely correlated with viral load).
• The Ct value tells us about the viral load in the throat and not in the lungs.
• According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a patient is considered Covid-positive if the Ct value is below 35.

Itolizumab

• It is an existing safe and effective drug used for psoriasis.
  • Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease involving unregulated growth of skin cells that develop into red patches mostly on knees and elbows, but also on some other parts of the body.
• The drug was developed by Bengaluru-based Biocon and was approved in 2013.
• The Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) approved it as a novel biologic therapy for restricted emergency use in the treatments for Covid-19.
• It controls the hyper-activation of the immune system and prevents morbidity and mortality.

Python-5 Missile

• Fifth generation Python-5 Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) has been added to Tejas to increase its air-to-air weapons capability.
  • Tejas is India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft.
• Its live firing was conducted to validate target engagement from all aspects as well as beyond visual ranges. 
• These were fired from Tejas aircraft of Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) flown by Indian Air Force (IAF) Test pilots belonging to National Flight Test Centre (NFTC).
• It is manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems (Israel).

(Image Courtesy: Airforce Technology)

Non-resident Taxable Persons (NRTPs).

• NRTP is any person who occasionally undertakes transactions involving supply of goods or services or both, whether as principal or agent or in any other capacity, but who has no fixed place of business or residence in India.
• A non-resident taxable person making taxable supply in India has to compulsorily take registration. 
• There is no threshold limit for registration. A non-resident taxable person cannot exercise the option to pay tax under composition levy. 
• He has to apply for registration at least five days prior to commencing his business in India using a  valid passport (and need not have a PAN number in India). 
  • A business entity incorporated or established outside India, has to submit the application for registration along with its tax identification number or unique number on the basis of which the entity is identified by the Government of that country or its Permanent Account Number, if available.
• A non-resident taxable person has to make an advance deposit of tax in an amount equivalent to his estimated tax liability for the period for which the registration is sought.

Article 223 of the Indian Constitution

• It deals with the appointment of acting Chief Justice. 
  • When the office of Chief Justice of High Court is vacant or when any such Chief Justice is, by reason of absence or otherwise, unable to perform the duties of his office, the duties of the office shall be performed by such one of the other Judges of the Court as the President may appoint for the purposes.
• Recently, the President of India, according to the powers conferred by Article 223 of the Constitution of India, appointed Justice Rajesh Bindal, senior-most Judge of Calcutta High Court, to perform the duties of the office of the Chief Justice of the court.

Project ‘Pyrasol’

• As a part of Indo-German Project ‘Pyrasol’, the  foundation stone of the Integrated Solar Dryer and Pyrolysis pilot was laid in Chennai.
  • It was awarded to CSIR-CLRI by the Indo-German Science & Technology Centre(IGSTC).
    • IGSTC through its flagship program ‘2+2 Projects’, catalyses innovation centric R&D projects by synergising the strength of research and academic institutions and public/private industries from India and Germany.
• Aim:  To transform urban organic waste into biochar and energy in smart cities.
  • The project focuses on managing and organising collection, treatment, and disposal systems of urban wastes in Indian Smart Cities as well as in other urban centres with an integrated and interactive approach.
  • The project will ultimately lead to technology development for the joint processing of Fibrous Organic Waste (FOW) and Sewage Sludge (SS) of Indian smart cities into hygienic and highly valuable biochar associated with energy recovery, carbon sequestration and environmental improvement.