Facts in News
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Jagannath Temple
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The Jagannath Temple has been closed due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in Odisha.
Key Points
- Constructed by: King Anatavarman Chodaganga Deva, the first king of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty in the 12th century.
- It is dedicated to Lord Jagannath, a form of Lord Vishnu.
- It is well known as ‘Yamanika Tirtha’.
- The power of ‘Yama’, the god of death, has been nullified in Puri due to the presence of Lord Jagannath.
- It is also called the “White Pagoda”.
- This temple is part of Char Dham pilgrimages (Badrinath, Dwaraka, Puri, Rameswaram).
- Architecture:
- Structure:
- Garba griha
- Mukhashala
- Nata mandir
- Bhoga Mandapa
- Four gates:
- Eastern ‘Singhdwara’
- Southern ‘Ashwadwara’
- Western ‘Vyaghra Dwara’ and
- Northern ‘Hastidwara’.
- In front of the entrance stands the Aruna stambha or sun pillar, which was originally at the Sun Temple in Konark.
Image Courtesy: LiveMint
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Kangaroo Mother Care
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May 15 has been celebrated as International Kangaroo Mother Care Awareness Day.
Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC)
- It refers to the practice of providing continuous skin-to-skin contact between the mother and the baby.
- Benefits:
- It is the most feasible, readily available, and preferred intervention for decreasing neonatal morbidity and mortality in developed and developing countries.
- KMC is extremely beneficial for babies who are born prematurely and have low birth weights.
- It has also reduced severe infections/ sepsis, nosocomial infections, hypothermia, severe illness, and respiratory tract disease in low birth weight babies
- It creates an optimal environment for the adaptation of preterm babies to extra-uterine life.
Image courtesy: Healthy Newborn
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National Investigation Agency (NIA)
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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is conducting the probe related to terrorist organizations.
National Investigation Agency (NIA)
- Founded in: 2008
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- It is a statutory body created by an act of Parliament.
- Objective:
- It is India’s counter-terrorism task force, which is empowered to investigate terror-related crimes in any part of the country without special permission from the states.
- NIA (Amendment) Act 2019:
- It empowers the NIA to probe terror attacks targeting Indians and Indian interests abroad.
- Investigation can also be conducted in other offenses such as human trafficking; circulation of fake currency; manufacture and sale of prohibited arms; and cyber-terrorism.
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Elephant Seals
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Recently, Scientists have conducted research on the feeding behavior of northern elephant seals.
Key Points:
- Elephant seals get their name from the prominent noses of the males that resemble an elephant’s trunk.
- Species: the northern elephant seal and southern elephant seal.
- The two are the world’s biggest seals and the largest marine mammals other than whales.
- The males feed only in coastal waters.
- Size: 10 feet (male) to 13 feet (female).
- Diet: Carnivores
- Native Areas: Pacific coast of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
- Life Span:
- Northern Elephant Seal is 9 years
- Southern Elephant Seal is 21 years old.
- IUCN Status: Least Concern (for both species)
- Threats: Entanglement in marine debris, fishery interactions, and boat collisions.
Image Courtesy: National Geographic
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Convalescent Plasma Therapy (CPT)
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Recently, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) dropped convalescent plasma therapy (CPT) from the national clinical management protocol for Covid-19.
Convalescent Plasma Therapy (CPT):
- CPT (also called immunoglobulins) uses blood from people who’ve recovered from an illness to help others recover.
- Blood donated by people who’ve recovered from COVID-19 has antibodies to the virus that causes it.
- The donated blood is processed to remove blood cells, leaving behind liquid (plasma) and antibodies.
- These can be given to people with COVID-19 to boost their ability to fight the virus.
- Plasma is the clear liquid portion of the blood that remains after red and white blood cells, platelets, and other cellular components have been taken from it.
- Immunoglobulins are a class of proteins present in the serum and cells of the immune system, which functions as antibodies.
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National Crisis Management Committee
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Recently, the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) has reviewed the preparedness of concerned authorities to tackle Cyclone Tauktae.
National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC):
- The Committee is headed by the Cabinet Secretary and secretaries of all concerned ministries/ departments.
- It functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs and is an integral part of the National Disaster Management System.
- It is the country’s apex body to handle any emergency
- Objective: Effective coordination and implementation of relief measures and operations in the wake of natural calamity.
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Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients
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Due to the shortage of vaccines amid pandemic, the demand for the use of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) increased a lot.
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API)/Bulk Drugs
- It is the biologically active component of a drug product (tablet, capsule, cream, injectable) that produces the intended effects.
- For example, paracetamol is a bulk drug that is mixed with binding agents or solvents to prepare the finished pharmaceutical product.
- APIs are prepared from multiple reactions involving chemicals and solvents.
- The primary chemical or the basic raw material which undergoes reactions to form an API is called the key starting material, or KSM.
- Chemical compounds formed during the intermediate stages during these reactions are called drug intermediates or DIs.
- Currently India is dependent on China for its 70 percent of the API imports.
- Under the Ama Nirbhar Bharat, India has set up three bulk drug parks in partnership with the states, and even the Environment Ministry has exempted Green Impact Assessment for these.
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Malerkotla
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Recently, the Punjab Government declared Malerkotla as the 23rd district of the State.
Key Points
- Creation of New Districts:
- The power to create new districts or alter or abolish existing districts rests with the State governments.
- This can be done either through an executive order or by passing a law in the State Assembly.
- Many states prefer the executive route by simply issuing a notification in the official gazette.
- Benefits:
- The smaller districts lead to better administration and governance.
- The formation of new districts would be better served by local bodies with more powers.
- Districts are the three-tier of India’s governance after union and state.
- Role of Central Government:
- The Centre has no role to play in the alteration of districts or creation of new ones.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs comes into the picture when a State wants to change the name of a district or a railway station.
Additional Information:
- According to the 2011 Census, there were 593 districts in the country.
- Between 2001-2011, as many as 46 districts were created by the States.
- Till 2020, there are 741 districts in the country.
- States with Most Districts: Uttar Pradesh (75), Madhya Pradesh (52), Bihar (38), Tamil Nadu (37), Maharashtra (36), 33 each in Assam, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, Telangana (31), 30 each in Karnataka and Odisha.
- State with Lowest Districts: Goa (2).
Image Courtesy: Indian Express
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