UPSC Daily Current Affairs| Prelim Bits 11-04-2025

India- Portugal Relationship

Prelims – Current events of national and international importance.

Mains (GS II) – India and its neighborhood- relations.

Why in News?

President Droupadi Murmu recently held extensive discussions with President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa of Portugal and deliberated on various aspects of India-Portugal relations.

• Both sides agreed to further strengthen the ties in several areas, including trade and investment, IT, renewable energy and connectivity.

• Commemorative postage stamps - Both sides launched commemorative postage stamps marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between India and Portugal.
• The stamps reflect the rich artistic and cultural heritage of India and Portugal, and feature vibrant folk attire from both countries
  • Rajasthan's distinctive Kalbeliya costume, and
  • The traditional Viana do Castelo dress from Portugal.

• President of India visited the Church of Santa Maria and laid wreath at the tomb of Luis Vaz de Camoes, the national poet of Portugal.
• She toured the Monastery of Jeronimos, a masterpiece of 16^th-century architecture in Portugal.
• President receives “Key of Honour” of Lisbon City in Portugal.
• Significance - The relationship between India and Portugal enhances the overall strength of the India-European Union partnership.
• Currently, trade between the two nations stands at $1.5 billion and has been experiencing consistent growth.
• Portugal was also the first country in Europe with whom India had signed a Migration and Mobility Agreement.
• It was during the Portuguese presidency of the EU in 2000 that the first India-EU summit was hosted by Portugal.

Reference

Business Standard | India-Portugal relationship

Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL)

Prelims – Current events of national and international importance| General Science.

Mains (GS III) – Science and Technology – Developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

Why in News?

The new test, RAPID-CRISPR developed using CRISPR technology can quickly and accurately diagnose acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).

• It is a rare but serious blood cancer characterized by the abnormal accumulation of immature white blood cells called promyelocytes, often leading to severe bleeding and clotting problems.
• It is classified as a subtype of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a cancer of the blood-forming tissue (bone marrow).
• It accounts for about 10-15% of newly diagnosed AML cases.
• Common symptoms
  • Sudden bleeding from the gums and nose
  • Fatigue
  • Unexplained fever
  • Bone pain
• While these symptoms may mimic those of other conditions, definitive diagnosis relies on histopathological assessments, including complete blood count (CBC) and cell morphology.
• APL results from a genetic mutation that causes an abnormal fusion of two genes, PML and RARA, which disrupts the normal production of blood cells.
• This genetic alteration leads to a significant decrease in white blood cells and platelets, hindering the body’s ability to combat infections and manage bleeding.
• Average Diagnosis age in India - 34 years.
• Affecting Ratio - Male-to-female ratio of 1.5:1.
• Severity - The condition poses a particular risk due to the potential for sudden internal bleeding in critical organs such as the lungs and brain, which can be life-threatening within days if not addressed promptly.
• Prognosis - With appropriate treatment, APL is considered one of the most curable subtypes of AML, with high remission and cure rates.
• Treatment - Often treated with a combination of chemotherapy and non-chemotherapy drugs like all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO).

Reference

The Hindu | Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL)

Theobaldius Konkanensis

Prelims – Current events of national and international importance| General issues on Environmental ecology & Bio-diversity.

Mains (GS III) – Conservation.

Why in News?

A team of researchers from India and U.K. have discovered a species of land snail from the Konkan region of Maharashtra and named it, ‘Theobaldius konkanensis’. 

• It is a new species of cyclophorid (any snail in the family Cyclophoridae) land snail.
• Endemic to -Northern Western Ghats.
• Habitat - Found on the forest floor among leaf litter and on moist, decaying branches in tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests.
• Behaviour - It is active during the day and night.
• Distinction - It differs from all other Indian Theobaldius species.
• This species also tends to have a more elevated spire than other Theobaldius species.
• Appearance - Snail’s shell is thick, conoidally depressed, widely umbilicated with regularly increasing whorls, corneous yellow qin colour with brown striations, collabrally striated periostracum that wears off in patches.

• Distribution - Theobaldius currently numbers 20 species and were distributed in India (9 species), Sri Lanka (11 species) and Sumatra (1 species) island in Indonesia.
  • Species in India - T. nivicola and T. orites - North-east India.
  • T. anguis, T. deplanatus, T. maculosus, T. ravidus, T. stenostoma, and T. tristis - endemic to the Western Ghats;
  • T. annulatus - occurs in both Sri Lanka and the Western Ghats.
• Mating - Most of the operculate land snails have separate sexes and majority of land snails are hermaphrodite (having both sex).
• Land snail and slug breed only in rainy season. They reproduce by cross-fertilisation as well as self-fertilisation.
• Lifespan - 2 to 7 years.
• Significance - Land snails are excellent bioindicators and are susceptible to climatic fluctuations.

Reference

The Hindu | Theobaldius konkanensis

Magnetic Nanoparticles for Cancer Treatment

Prelims – Science and Technology.

Mains (GS III) - Science and Technology - Developments and applications of science and technology and their effects on everyday life.

Why in news?

Scientists from the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati, in collaboration with NIT Nagaland, used magnetic nanoparticles to treat cancer.

• The magnetic system is developed with newly synthesized nanocrystalline cobalt chromite magnetic nanoparticles.
• It can treat cancer by increasing temperature of tumour cells through a procedure called magnetic hyperthermia.

• Material used - Scientists developed nanocrystalline cobalt chromite magnetic nanoparticles using the chemical co-precipitation method.

• These nanoparticles are doped with Gadolinium (Gd) to enhance magnetic and heat-generating properties.
• They act as nano-heaters when introduced into the body in fluid form.
• Under an alternating magnetic field, they produce localized self-heating.
• This heating can raise the tumour temperature to 46°C, leading to cancer cell death (necrosis).
• Advantages - Targeted and localized treatment of cancer.
• External control through magnetic fields.
• Minimally invasive and potentially cost-effective therapy.
• Fewer side effects compared to chemotherapy and radiation.

Reference

PIB | Magnetic Nanoparticles for Cancer Therapy

Chintan Shivir 2025

Prelims – Current events of national and international importance| Economic and Social Development.

Mains (GS II) – Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Why in News?

Chintan Shivir has been organized across various ministers for developmental programs.

• Chintan Shivir - It is a mission-oriented platform for Constructive Dialogue, Ideation, and Exchange of Best Practices.

Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

• Key pillars - Education, Economic development, Social protection, and Accessibility.
• Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) presented progress under schemes such as
  • Assistance to Disabled persons (ADIP),
  • Scholarships for PwDs, and
  • Initiatives for skill development and digital inclusion.          
• It focused on educational empowerment under schemes such as Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarships for marginalized sections, and PM-YASASVI.
• Key livelihood-oriented schemes - Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana and Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED) were reviewed, showcasing successful models of asset creation, cluster development, and entrepreneurship support.
• The NAMASTE Scheme discussions underscored the importance of modernizing sanitation work and eradicating manual scavenging through a blend of technology, legal safeguards, and skill development.
• The focus remained on ensuring dignity and financial independence for sanitation workers, particularly women, through sustained collaboration and inter-agency coordination.

Ministry of Mines

• It has organized Chintan Shivir to engage with stakeholders and drive reforms in the mining sector to propel growth and development.
• Key topics
  • Increasing mineral production and operationalization of mineral blocks.
  • Circular economy.
  • Encouraging private exploration and access to geo-scientific data.
  • Developing a local ecosystem for mining equipment manufacturing.

Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) 

• Key Initiatives - Mission Vatsalya, Mission Shakti, and Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0.

Mission Vatsalya is to ensure the welfare and rehabilitation of children in difficult circumstances, with a focus on child rights, advocacy, and strengthening the juvenile justice system.

Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 is an Integrated Nutrition Support Programme, seeks to address the challenges of malnutrition in children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers.

• These sessions aim to address critical issues and chart a way forward for strengthening the welfare of women and development of children in India.

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports

• Focused on Preparation for Los Angeles 2028 and Discussed Roadmap to Host 2036 Olympics.
• Key topics - Fresh emphasis should be given to promoting school sports, production of quality coaches and welfare of athletes.     
• National Sports Repository System is being upgraded to enable close monitoring and systematic development of every registered athlete.
• The program will help the NSRS and the Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) program.
• Welfare of coaches and their holistic skilling were also discussed.
• States to utilize the Khelo India State Training Centres to train and excel at the global level.

Ministry of Coal

• Key Topics - Coal PSUs and industry partners to adopt state-of-the-art technologies and implement rigorous safety standards to safeguard the lives of workers and ensure the well-being of the workforce.
• It necessitated developing robust mechanisms for mine closures, focusing on biodiversity conservation, land reclamation, and transforming mined-out areas into hubs of community activity and ecological balance.
• It targets 2 billion tonnes of coal production, improving coal transportation systems, and adopting cleaner technologies like coal gasification to align with India's energy transition goals.
• Key Initiatives - Special Campaign 4.0. & iGOT Karmayogi platform, a learning platform aimed at promoting capacity development among civil services, part of Mission Karmayogi.

Reference

PIB | Chintan Shivir 2025