31st JAN, 2023

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GLOBAL REPORT ON NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES 2023 RELEASED BY WHO
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of diseases that are mainly prevalent in tropical areas.

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Examples: Dengue and chikungunya, lymphatic filariasis, soil-transmitted helminthiases etc.
Report provides a consolidated, up-to-date assessment of progress towards control, elimination and eradication of 20 diseases and

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disease groups (NTDs) globally, regionally and nationally.
Progress is reported in the context of NTD roadmap 2021–2030, WHO’s blueprint to drive global efforts in the fight against NTDs.
Key highlights:
Burden of NTDs continues to be unequally borne by a small number of countries: 16 countries bear 80% of this burden.
Over the past decade, the number of people requiring interventions against NTDs decreased by 25%.

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As of December 2022, 47 countries had eliminated at least one NTD.
Threats INITIATIVES AT GLOBAL LEVEL
Slower than expected progress in high burden countries,
Uneven progress across certain diseases, The London Declaration on NTDs.

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Persistent underlying risk factors (poverty, climate change) and 30 January recognised as World Neglected
Rapid population growth. Tropical Diseases Day.

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Recommendations
Invest in innovative operations and financing solutions that foster
integration and cross-sectoral collaboration.
Boost global support for countries with highest burdens,
Kigali Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases.
The first self-learning course was made available
on dedicated NTD channel.
Two NTD Apps have been launched by WHO.

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Facilitate country ownership and sustainability of NTD programmes.

ADVISORY TO TELECAST “PUBLIC SERVICE CONTENT” RELEASED BY MINISTRY OF

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INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
The guidelines were stipulated in the new uplinking-downlinking rules prescribed by the ministry on November 9 last year.
The fresh advisory was issued after consultations with private satellite television channels and their associations.

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Key features
Channel will undertake public service broadcasting for a minimum period of 30 minutes in a day on themes of
Content national importance and of social relevance like education, welfare of women, protection of environment
and of cultural heritage etc.
Broadcasters have the liberty to modulate their content.
Content can be shared between the Broadcasters.
Channels will be required to air national interest content for 15 hours every month.
Accounting of
Content need not be of 30 minutes at a stretch it can be split over smaller time slots, but can’t be done from
Timing
midnight to 6 am.
Voluntary compliance and self-certification would be the guiding principles.
Reporting Broadcasters shall submit a monthly report on the Broadcast Seva Portal by the 7th of the following month.
Exemptions
Foreign channels, downhinking in India (in languages other than those specified in the Eighth schedule of
Constitution).
Channels broadcasting predominantly (more than 12 hours) sports and devotional, spiritual, yoga content
will be exempt from furnishing the monthly reports.
Electronic Media Monitoring Centre under Ministry shall keep the record of the content telecast for a period
Identification
of 90 days.

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RESEARCHERS FIND NEW WAY TO IMPROVE STORAGE TIME OF QUANTUM INFORMATION

Recently an international team of scientists has made a breakthrough in retaining the quantum coherence of quantum dot spin qubits.
Spin-photon interfaces are elementary building blocks for quantum networks
that allow converting stationary quantum information (such as the quantum QUANTUM COHERENCE
state of an ion or a solid-state spin qubit) into light (namely photons) that can
Ability of a quantum state to maintain its
be distributed over large distances.
entanglement and superposition in the face of
A major challenge is to find an interface that is both good at storing quantum interactions.

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information and efficient at converting it into light.
It deals with the idea that all objects have
Optically active semiconductor quantum dots are the most efficient wave-like properties.
spin-photon interface known to date but extending their storage time beyond
If an object’s wave-like nature split in two ,
a few microseconds has puzzled physicists in spite of decade-long research
then two waves may coherently interfere with
efforts.

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each other in such a way to form a single state
Recent research provides a solution to the problem that improves the storage that is a superposition of 2 states. (a qubit is a

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of quantum information beyond hundred microseconds. superposition of the 0 and 1 states.)
Quantum dots (QDs) are a unique type of nanocrystalline semiconductor
whose electronic and optical properties are dependent on the size and shape of

CONSULTATION PAPER ON
the dots (for applications like Biomedical and Environmental Applications,
Photoconductors and Photodetectors, QDs for Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and
Display Applications etc.).
“REGULATING CONVERGED

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DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES AND
For spins in quantum dots, short coherence times were the biggest roadblock to
applications in quantum technology.
SERVICES” RELEASED BY TRAI
FIRST HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE OF THE INITIATIVE ON

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The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
CRITICAL AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES (iCET) HELD (TRAI) has sought industry suggestions on the
legal, regulatory, licensing and spectrum

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iCET is a unique initiative led by the
Indian National Security Council
Secretariat (NSCS) and the U.S.
National Security Council (NSC).
It aims to expand partnership in critical
RELATED NEWS
NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture
Radar (NISAR) mission is
scheduled to launch in September
management framework to deal with
convergence of carriage of broadcasting
services and telecommunication services.
It has also sought the industry’s views on

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and emerging technologies.
Six areas of cooperation
2023 from Sriharikota. how testing, training, and research
development under various ministries can
It will be a near-polar orbit
be synergised in a convergent landscape.

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Scientific research and development satellite and will scan the
globe every 12 days over the Need
Quantum and artificial intelligence
course of its three-year Convergence has created policy, regulatory
Defense innovation mission of imaging the Earth’s and administrative overlaps of telecom
Space land, ice sheets and sea ice. sector with broadcasting sector.

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Advanced telecom which would It will allow scientists to track
Digital connectivity, which is used to
include things like 6G changes in croplands, hazard
provide telecom and internet services, has
Semiconductors sites and monitor crises such as
also acquired capabilities to provide
volcanic eruptions.
Significance of iCET: services which were provided by the
Vital for India's growing role as a trusted supply chain partner and broadcasting services.
contributor in the global technology value chain. In the past telecommunications and
Deals directly with disruptive domains which are central to the next Industrial broadcasting served two distinct
Revolution and future warfare. purposes, and as such were governed by
Open new markets for India’s deep technology players. separate regulatory and licensing
frameworks, it is no longer the case in
Since most critical and emerging technologies today are dual-use, it can give present times.
a fillip to the two countries’ innovation ecosystem.
Absence of institutional mechanism for
Potentially opens the door for the US to lift existing export control
coordination among multiple administrative
restrictions.
units/government departments that are
Measures to strengthen iCET responsible to govern converged services,
Introduce an advisory council/steering committee by including industry leads to confusion and uncertainty
representatives, technologists, philanthropists, academics etc. amongst stakeholders.
Regular high-level meetings. To enable industry players to offer new
Monitoring mechanism to ensure that impact is being recorded at every level. services in a converged era and provide it in
iCET fellowship and connector fund created. a ubiquitous and cost-efficient manner.

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NATIONAL ANTI-LEPROSY DAY OBSERVED

In India, World Leprosy Day is observed on January 30, on Mahatma Gandhi's
Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that may
death anniversary.
lead to severe disfiguring skin sores and
However, Globally, the last Sunday of January is observed as World Leprosy nerve damage in the arms, legs, and skin
Day (WLD). areas around your body.
Leprosy in India
Also known as Hansen’s disease.
Prevalence rate of leprosy has come down from 0.69 per 10,000 population in
It is a chronic bacterial infection that is

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2014-15 to 0.45 in 2021-22.
caused by the Mycobacterium leprae
Annual new case detection rate per 100,000 population has come down from bacteria.
9.73 in 2014-15 to 5.52 in 2021-22.
Leprosy is curable with multidrug
Despite India being declared ‘leprosy-free’ in 2005, the country still accounts
therapy (MDT).
for over half (almost 66%) of the world's new leprosy patients.

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New initiatives: It is a neglected tropical disease (NTD).
National Strategic Plan & Roadmap for Leprosy (2023-27): It will focus on stopping transmission by speeding case detection

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efforts and maintaining a robust surveillance infrastructure.
National Guidelines for Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) Surveillance in leprosy: Will provide the technical guidance in
developing and sustaining a robust surveillance system for AMR surveillance in leprosy patients.
Launch of Nikusth 2.0 Portal: It is an integrated portal for leprosy case management under NLEP.
It will aid in efficient data recording, analyzing and reporting of data and a real time dashboard at center, state and district

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levels.

ALSO IN NEWS

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Recently, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj organised a multistakeholder conference for consultation
on e-Gram Swaraj 2.0, Manthan: Charting New Paths.

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About e-Gram Swaraj Portal
The portal aims at capacity building of the third tier of governance through technological
interventions.
The portal aims to bring better transparency in decentralised planning, progress reporting and
work-based accounting.

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e-Gram Swaraj The application is developed as part of Panchayat Enterprise Suite (PES) under e-Panchayat
Mission Mode Project (MMP).

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Core modules on the portal includes Panchayat Profile, Planning, Progress Reporting and
Accounting.

Released by International Monetary Fund (IMF).

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The IMF releases the WEO twice every year, in April and October, apart from updating it twice —
in January and July.
Key findings
World economy to grow 2.9% in 2023.
Recession risks have subsided and central banks are making progress in controlling inflation.
World Economic Outlook
(WEO) update India will stay the world’s fastest growing major economy in 2023 and 2024.
Growth in India is set to decline from 6.8 percent in 2022 to 6.1 percent in 2023.
Other reports by IMF: Global Financial Stability Report.

More than 340 birds of different species ( including rare peregrine falcon) enumerated in water
bodies of Kawal Tiger Reserve during the Asian Water Bird Census 2023.
About Kawal Tiger Reserve
Location: Located in the Telangana State along banks of river Godavari, forming part of the
Deccan peninsula-central highlands.
Habitat: Dense forests, grasslands, open areas, rivers, streams and water bodies.
Kawal Tiger reserve Flora: Teak, Bamboo, Mahua etc.
Fauna: Nilgai, chinkara, black buck, sambar, spotted deer, wild dog etc.

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Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) has come out with a management plan to eradicate Senna
spectabilis, exotic invasive plant.
About Senna spectabilis
It is a small, rounded deciduous tree that produces yellow flowers.
Native species of America, it has been introduced to India as ornamental plant.
Senna spectabilis
(calceolaria shower) Spread areas include Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR), Bandipur, Nagarhole, Mudumalai and
Sathyamangalam tiger reserves etc.

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New logo of EIACP released.
Environmental Information System (ENVIS) is renamed as EIACP.
EIACP serves as a one stop platform for dissemination of environmental information, informed
policy formulation on various facets of environment and facilitation of alternate livelihoods through
green skilling.

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Environmental
Information, Awareness, EIACP conducts Environmental Awareness Programs to School Children, Colleges and
Universities on Environmental Important Days.

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Capacity Building and
Livelihood Programme As per the mandate of EIACP, the activities of the Programme Centres are to be aligned with
(EIACP) Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) introduced by India at COP 26 in Glasgow.
Dermatologists have cautioned that indiscriminate use of biotin can be detrimental to one’s
health.

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About Biotin (Vitamin B7)
It is a water-soluble B vitamin found naturally in some foods and also in supplements.
It plays a vital role in assisting enzymes to break down fats, carbohydrates, and proteins in
Biotin (Vitamin B7) food.
It also helps to regulate signals sent by cells and activity of genes.

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According to the National Centre for Disease Control’s (NCDC) Integrated Disease Surveillance

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Programme, India is seeing a surge in H1N1, or swine flu.
H1N1 (Swine flu)
Swine flu is a type of influenza A virus found in pigs.
Influenza A is a type of virus that causes influenza (the flu), a highly contagious respiratory

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illness.
H1N1 (Swine Flu)
Swine flu is mild in most people but can be severe for some high risk groups such as people
with chronic conditions, pregnant people.

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Khelo India Youth Games is being held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
A special mobile application has been launched to ensure that participating athletes, coaches,
support staff etc have access to all related information.

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About KYIG
KIYG were first hosted in 2018 in New Delhi.
Kehlo India Youth Games Current edition (fifth) of KIYG will feature athletes taking part in the U-18 age category.
(KYIG), 2022
Also, water sports being included for first time in history of games.

Djokovic wins Australian Open title to reach 22nd career Grand Slam.
A Grand Slam in tennis refers to winning all four major tournaments (Australian Open, French
Open, Wimbledon, and US Open) in the same calendar year.
It is considered the biggest achievement in professional tennis.
A Career Grand Slam refers to a professional tennis player winning all four Grand Slam
Grand slam tournaments in their career.

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