Current Affairs Exam

Daily Current Affairs and News Analysis 05-02-2025

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Dhimsa Dance

  • Celebration of Progress: Tribal families in Neelabandha, Andhra Pradesh, received electricity for the first time since Independence, leading to a celebratory “Dhimsa” dance. This highlights improved living conditions and government efforts to provide basic amenities to remote areas.
  • Dhimsa Dance: Cultural Significance: “Dhimsa” is a popular tribal dance performed by various tribes in Andhra Pradesh, marking significant events like festivals, weddings, and the hunting festival. The dance’s performance is circular in nature with dancers holding each other’s arms at the back.
  • Dance Details: The Dhimsa dance is performed using wind and percussion instruments. There are 12 varieties of Dhimsa. It includes instruments like dappu, tudumu, mori, kidgi, gilka, and jodukommulu. Themes of Dhimsa dance revolve around mythologies, folktales, and daily life of tribal communities.
  • Electricity Access: The Anakapalli district administration, following state government directives, provided electricity to the remote village. This involved overcoming logistical challenges such as the lack of proper roads.
  • Ongoing Needs: While electricity access is a major achievement, the village still lacks road facilities and certain other basic needs.
  • Key Question Answers:
    • Q1: The famous dance of Andhra is Dhimsa.
    • Q2: The article does not mention the name of Araku dance.
    • Q3: Dhimsa means “sound of the footsteps”.

Indrayani River

  • The Indrayani River in Maharashtra is facing a critical issue: it’s covered in a layer of white, toxic foam.
  • This contamination is concerning, especially considering the rising cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) in Pune, where the river flows.
  • The Indrayani River’s course originates in the Western Ghats and flows through Pune district, eventually merging into the Bhima River (a tributary of the Krishna River).
  • The river is important religiously, with sacred towns like Alandi and Dehu situated on its banks. Alandi is significant for the samadhi of Dnyaneshwar, and Dehu is the hometown of Saint Tukaram.
  • The river also passes through the industrial town of Pimpri-Chinchwad and is used for irrigation and agriculture.
  • Valvan Dam, a hydroelectric generating station, is situated on the Indrayani River at Kamshet.

Global Cat Alliance

  • Official Launch and Status: The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) officially comes into force as a treaty-based inter-governmental organization. This was confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India.
  • Launch Date and Purpose: Launched on April 9, 2023, during the “Commemorating 50 years of Project Tiger” event, with the aim to conserve seven big cat species.
  • Big Cat Species: The IBCA focuses on the conservation of the Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, and Puma.
  • Founding Members: Republic of Nicaragua, Kingdom of Eswatini, Republic of India, Federal Republic of Somalia, and Republic of Liberia are the initial member countries.
  • Establishing Body: Established by the Government of India through the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC).
  • Membership Scope: Open to 97 ‘range’ countries where these big cats naturally live, along with other interested nations and international organizations. As of now, 27 countries including India have consented to join.
  • Objectives: To promote collaboration, share conservation practices, and provide financial support to protect big cats globally, halt population decline, and reverse current trends.
  • Governance: A General Assembly, a Council of 7-15 members, and a Secretariat. The Secretary-General will be appointed by the General Assembly upon recommendation of the Council.
  • Funding: India has initially committed Rs. 150 crore for five years (2023-2028).
  • Location: The IBCA headquarters is located in India.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

  • Innovative Drug Delivery System: Researchers have developed a “self-actuating” drug delivery system to revolutionize Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) treatment.

  • Targeted Treatment: The system targets inflammation directly within the joints, releasing therapeutic agents only when needed.

  • How it Works: The system uses microspheres loaded with methotrexate, a common anti-rheumatic drug. These microspheres respond to biochemical

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    signals in the inflamed joints, triggered by specific enzymes (MMP-2 and MMP-9) present during RA flare-ups.

  • Unique Formulation: The formulation includes polymer-lipid hybrid micro-composites. The lipid component (soya lecithin) ensures high drug encapsulation, while the polymer component (gelatin) responds to Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP).

  • Controlled Drug Release: The gelatin substrate is cleaved when exposed to inflammatory enzymes, triggering a controlled, pulsatile release of the drug.

  • Benefits:

    • Reduced joint swelling, inflammation, and cartilage damage in animal studies.
    • Enhanced drug effectiveness with improved bioavailability and retention.
    • Potential for fewer doses, less pain, improved joint function, and slower joint damage progression.
    • Safer, more effective alternative to current RA treatments by eliminating the need for frequent drug injections and reducing systemic toxicity.

  • Wider Applications: The technology has potential for managing other inflammatory diseases and could be used in regenerative medicine, personalized treatments, and veterinary medicine.

  • Cause of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition, caused by the immune system attacking healthy body tissue.

ELT

  • Colossal Project: The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is nearing completion, a groundbreaking project.
  • World’s Largest: It will be the world’s largest optical telescope.
  • Massive Mirror: Features a primary mirror spanning 128 feet (39 meters).
  • Location: Being built in the Atacama Desert, Chile, on Cerro Armazones.
  • Funding & Build: Constructed by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), costing around $1.4 billion.
  • Scientific Capabilities: Designed to potentially detect and image terrestrial planets in habitable zones.
  • Protective Structure: Housed within a giant dome to protect it from the harsh environment of the Atacama Desert.
  • Mirror Composition: Primary mirror comprises 798 hexagonal segments.
  • ESO’s Role: Built and operated by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), an intergovernmental organization.
  • ESO Countries: Supported by 16 countries, ensuring global collaboration.
  • ESO Objectives: Focused on building and operating advanced observing facilities.
  • ESO’s Sites: ESO manages world-class observing sites in Chile.
  • Headquarters: Located in Garching, Germany.

Rare Disease Policy

  • Delays in Implementation: Patients with rare diseases, particularly children, are facing critical health challenges due to delays in implementing the National Policy for Rare Diseases (NPRD) 2021.
  • Policy Overview: The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare launched the NPRD in March 2021. It categorizes rare diseases into three groups based on treatment options and costs.
  • Disease Categories: The policy categorizes rare diseases into three groups: those with one-time curative treatment, those requiring long-term treatment with relatively lower costs, and those where treatment is available but is very high cost.
  • Financial Assistance: The policy provides financial support of up to Rs. 50 lakhs per patient for treatment at designated Centres of Excellence (CoEs).
  • Centres of Excellence: 12 CoEs have been identified to diagnose, prevent, and treat rare diseases, facilitating access to specialized care.
  • Registration and Treatment: Patients register with a nearby CoE to receive treatment, which begins immediately after registration.
  • Supportive Services: Nidan Kendras provide genetic testing and counselling services.
  • Tax Exemptions: The government has granted exemptions from Goods & Services Tax (GST) and Basic Customs Duty on imported drugs for rare diseases.
  • Research and Development: The National Consortium for Research and Development on Therapeutics for Rare Diseases (NCRDTRD) has been established to promote research and development, local drug manufacturing, and create an environment for affordable indigenous manufacturing of drugs.
  • Examples of Rare Diseases in India: Examples of rare diseases in India include Osteopetrosis, Laron’s Syndrome, Fabry disease, Prader Willi Syndrome, Cystic Fibrosis etc.
  • Causes of Rare Diseases: The causes of rare diseases include genetic mutations, environmental factors, infections, immune system disorders, metabolic abnormalities, and sometimes chromosomal abnormalities or unknown factors.

NYPS 2.0

  • Initiative Overview: The
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    National Youth Parliament Scheme (NYPS) 2.0, spearheaded by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, was discussed in the Rajya Sabha.
  • Objectives: The primary goals of NYPS 2.0 are to strengthen democratic foundations, promote discipline and tolerance, and educate students about parliamentary processes, government functions, and constitutional values.
  • Participation Methods: The program offers three avenues for citizen involvement via a web-portal:
    • Institution Participation: Educational institutions can organize Youth Parliament sessions, with “Kishore Sabha” for classes VI-XII and “Tarun Sabha” for UG/PG students.
    • Group Participation: Groups of citizens can organize Youth Parliament sittings.
    • Individual Participation: Individuals can engage by taking a quiz on “Bhartiya Democracy in Action.”
  • Training Resources: NYPS 2.0 web portal provides e-training materials like literature, model debates, and video tutorials to aid participants.
  • Purpose of Youth Parliament: It offers a platform for young people to develop debating skills, express views on national/international issues, and understand parliamentary procedures. The program provides a debate between the best debaters, policymakers, and opinion-makers.
  • Importance: This scheme aims to build informed and engaged citizens, strengthening the democratic fabric of the nation by equipping the youth with knowledge and skills necessary for active participation in a democratic society.

Mosquitofish vs. Guppy

  • National Green Tribunal Inquiry: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) is seeking a response from the Central government regarding the use of Gambusia affinis (Mosquitofish) and Poecilia reticulata (Guppy) for mosquito control. This highlights a current legal and environmental concern.

  • Mosquitofish as a Biological Control Agent: Gambusia affinis, commonly known as the mosquitofish, is widely used to control mosquito larvae. This makes it a key tool in mosquito control strategies.

  • Historical Use in India: Mosquitofish has been used in India for over a century, including in malaria control programs since 1928. This emphasizes the long-standing practice and its perceived benefits.

  • Invasive Species Concerns: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has identified Gambusia as one of the world’s worst invasive alien species. This highlights the environmental risks associated with its use.

  • Mosquitofish Release in Multiple States: Mosquitofish has been stored and released in several Indian states, including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, and more. This indicates the geographic extent of its use.

  • Guppy Fish Characteristics: Poecilia reticulata (Guppy), also a biological control agent, is a non-migratory fish native to parts of South America and the Caribbean. It can live in both freshwater and brackish water. It is commonly used in genetics research and as an aquarium species.

  • Guppy as an Invasive Species: While popular as aquarium species, Guppy can occupy a wide range of aquatic habitats and is a threat to native species due to exotic parasites and is believed to play a role in the decline of several threatened and endangered species.

  • Guppy Release in Selected States: Guppy has been released in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, and Odisha.

National Emblem of India

  • The Issue: The Union Home Ministry has directed state governments to prevent misuse and improper depiction of the State Emblem of India. This includes omitting the motto “Satyameva Jayate” in Devanagari script.
  • The Emblem’s Components: The State Emblem is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath. It features three visible lions, a Dharma Chakra in the center, a bull on the right, a galloping horse on the left, and the motto “Satyameva Jayate” in Devanagari script below. The bell-shaped lotus is omitted.
  • Importance of “Satyameva Jayate”: The motto “Satyameva Jayate” (meaning “Truth Alone Triumphs”) is an integral part of the emblem. Its omission constitutes a violation of the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005.
  • Legal Framework: The use of the State Emblem of India is restricted to specific authorities and purposes defined by the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005, and the State Emblem of India (Regulation of Use) Rules, 2007.
  • Consequences: The government is taking action against government agencies and individuals who improperly use or depict the emblem, including those displaying it incompletely.
  • Historical Context: The emblem was adopted by the Government of India on January 26, 1950.

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