DAY 44Quick read

Aadhaar is a verifiable 12-digit identification number issued by UIDAI to the residents of India for free of cost.
VID is a temporary, revocable 16-digit random number mapped with the Aadhaar number.
Blue coloured ‘Baal Aadhaar’ can only be used up to the age of 5, after which it becomes invalid.

Nipah virus (NiV) is a newly emerging disease that can be transmitted from its reservoir (natural wildlife host) the flying foxes (fruit bats) to both animals and humans. It takes its name from Sungai Nipah, a village in Malaysia where it was first identified.
The Nipah virus is a type of RNA virus in the genus Henipavirus. ○ The infection is generally believed to be emerging from fruit bats from the Pteropodidae family
There are currently no drugs or vaccines specific for NiV infection although this is a priority disease on the WHO R&D Blueprint. Intensive supportive care is recommended to treat severe respiratory and neurologic complications.

The drug ribavirin has been shown to be effective against the viruses in laboratory (in vitro), but human investigations to date have been inconclusive and the clinical usefulness of ribavirin remains uncertain.

A quasar is an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus, in which a super massive black hole with mass ranging from millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun is surrounded by a gaseous accretion disk.
Shining so brightly that they eclipse the ancient galaxies that contain them, quasars are distant objects powered by black holes a billion times as massive as our sun. These powerful dynamos have fascinated astronomers since their discovery half a century ago.

The global financial crisis showed that the health and functioning of a country’s financial sector has far-reaching implications for its own and other economies. The Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) is a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of a country’s financial sector. FSAP assessments are the joint responsibility of the IMF and World Bank in developing economies and emerging markets and of the IMF alone in advanced economies. The FSAP includes two major components: a financial stability assessment, which is the responsibility of the IMF, and a financial development assessment, the responsibility of the World Bank.

India has been accessing funds from the World Bank (mainly through IBRD and IDA) for various development projects. India is one of the founder members of IBRD, IDA and IFC. World Bank assistance in India started from 1948 when a funding for Agricultural Machinery Project was approved.
To become a member of the Bank, under the IBRD Articles of Agreement, a country must first join the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Membership in IDA, IFC and MIGA are conditional on membership in IBRD.

The Special Drawing Right (SDR) is an interest-bearing international reserve asset created by the IMF in 1969 to supplement other reserve assets of member countries.
• The SDR is based on a basket of international currencies comprising the U.S. dollar, Japanese yen, euro and pound sterling. It is not a currency, nor a claim on the IMF, but is potentially a claim on freely usable currencies of IMF members. The value of the SDR is not directly determined by supply and demand in the market, but is set daily by the IMF on the basis of market exchange rates between the currencies included in the SDR basket.

A new plant has been unearthed in the Agastya hills, also called a miracle plant. What is this plant? ○ The genetic makeup of Arogyapacha (Trichopus zeylanicus), a popular medicinal plant native to the hills of Agasthya has been decoded by scientists in the University of Kerala. ○ Called “Wonderful Plant,” the Kani Tribal Community traditionally uses the plant to tackle fatigue. ○ The wide spectrum of pharmacological effects, such as antioxidant, aphrodisiac, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-ulcer, anti-hepatic, hepatoprotective, has been shown.

Vaccines provided under UIP:
BCG
BCG stands for Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine. It is given to infants to protect them from tubercular meningitis and disseminated TB.
OPV
OPV stands for Oral Polio Vaccine. It protects children from poliomylitis.
Hepatitis B vaccine
Hepatitis B vaccine protects from Hepatitis B virus infection.
Pentavalent Vaccine
Pentavalent vaccine is a combined vaccine to protect children from five diseases Diptheria, Tetanus, Pertusis, Haemophilis influenza type b infection and Hepatitis B.
Rotavirus Vaccine
RVV stands for Rotavirus vaccine. It gives protection to infants and children against rotavirus diarrhoea. It is given in select states.
PCV
PCV stands for Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine. It protects infants and young children against disease caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. It is given in select states.
fIPV
fIPV stands for Fractional Inactivated Poliomylitis Vaccine. It is used to boost the protection against poliomylitis.
Measles/ MR vaccine
Measles vaccine is used to protect children from measles. In few states Measles and Rubella a combined vaccine is given to protect from Measles and Rubella infection.
JE vaccine
JE stands for Japanese encephalitis vaccine. It gives protection against Japanese Encephalitis disease. JE vaccine is given in select districts endemic for JE.
DPT booster
DPT is a combined vaccine; it protects children from Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis.
TT
Tetanus toxoid vaccine is used to provide protection against tetanus.

The Essential Commodities Act (ECA) was enacted by the Central Government in 1955 to control and regulate trade and prices of commodities declared essential under the Act.

The Act empowers the Central and state governments concurrently to control production, supply and distribution of certain commodities in view of rising prices. 

The Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) and such other orders have been issued under the powers of the ECA.

Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana – “Saubhagya” scheme was launched by the government of India to ensure electrification (electricity connections) of all willing households in the country in rural as well as urban areas.
The Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (REC) will remain the nodal agency for the operationalization of the scheme throughout the country.