PIB Summary- 8th May, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Women in the Army

Context:

Details:

• The Corps of Military Police Centre & School (CMP C&S) at Bengaluru held the attestation parade of the first batch of 83 women soldiers.

Anti-COVID drug

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• An anti-COVID-19 therapeutic application of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has been developed by Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), Hyderabad.
  (i) INMAS is a lab of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• Clinical trial results have shown that this molecule helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence.
• Higher proportion of patients treated with 2-DG showed RT-PCR negative conversion in COVID patients.

Background:

• In April 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic, INMAS-DRDO scientists conducted laboratory experiments with the help of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad and found that this molecule works effectively against SARS-CoV-2 virus and inhibits the viral growth.
• Based on these results, the Drugs Controller General of India’s (DCGI) Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) permitted Phase-II clinical trials of 2-DG in COVID-19 patients in May 2020.
• Based on successful results of the phase II trials, DCGI further permitted the Phase-III clinical trials in November 2020. 
• Based on the results of these trials, DCGI granted permission for Emergency Use of this drug as adjunct therapy in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients. 
• Being a generic molecule and analogue of glucose, it can be easily produced and made available in plenty in the country.

3rd Arctic Science Ministerial

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Details: 

• India is participating in the 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3) – the global platform for discussing research and cooperation in the Arctic region. 
• The first two meetings—ASM1 and ASM2—were held in the USA in 2016 and Germany in 2018, respectively.
• ASM3, jointly organised by Iceland and Japan, is the first ministerial meeting being held in Asia.
• The meeting is designed to provide opportunities to various stakeholders, including academia, indigenous communities, governments and policymakers, to enhance collective understanding of the Arctic region, emphasize and engage in constant monitoring, and strengthen observations.
• The theme for this year is ‘Knowledge for a Sustainable Arctic’.

Background:

• Arctic warming and its ice melt are global concerns as they play a pivotal role in regulating climate, sea levels, and maintaining biodiversity.
• Moreover, there is growing evidence of connection between the Arctic and the Indian Ocean (which modulates the Indian monsoon).
• Hence, improving the understanding of physical processes and quantifying the impact of Arctic ice melt on the Indian summer monsoon is very important.
• Since 2013, India has enjoyed ‘Observer’ status in the Arctic Council.