India has improved its ranking by three positions in the Global Corruption Index 2018.
The index was released by released by the Transparency International.
India was ranked 81st in 2017, is ranked 78 in 2018/
Denmark and New Zealand topped the 2018 index while Somalia, Syria and South Sudan were at the bottom respectively.
US has dropped out of top 20 countries for the first time since 2011.
The CPI reveals that the continued failure of most countries to significantly control corruption is contributing to a crisis of democracy around the world.
The CPI measures public sector corruption in 180 countries and territories.
It draws upon 13 expert assessments and surveys of business executives to give each country a score from zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
Project 75(I)
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved indigenous construction of six submarines for the Indian Navy at a cost of over Rs. 40,000 crores.
This is the second project under the Ministry of Defence’s ambitious Strategic Partnership (SP) model.
The model aims at providing a significant fillip to the Government’s ‘Make in India’ program.
Strategic Partnership model envisages indigenous manufacturing of major defense platforms by an Indian Strategic Partner.
Indian Strategic Partner will collaborate with foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) to set up production facilities in the country.
The model has a long term vision of promoting India as a manufacturing hub for defense equipment through transfer of niche technologies and higher Indigenous Content.
Samantha Express
'Samantha Express' is a special tourist train covering prominent places associated with chief architect of the Indian Constitution Dr BR Ambedkar and Gautam Buddha.
It will be run by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation.
It will embark on its maiden journey on April 14 from Nagpur.
The train will cover Chaityabhoomi (Mumbai), Mhow (Indore), Bodhgaya (Gaya), Sarnath (Varanasi), Lumbini (Nautanwa), Kushinagar (Gorakhpur), Deekshabhoomi (Nagpur), all places linked with either Lord Buddha or Ambedkar.
CAR-T
An 11-year-old has become the first patient to receive CAR-T therapy (immunotherapy) that uses the body's own cells to fight cancer.
CAR-T is a personalized form of cancer treatment.
CAR-T involves removing immune cells and modifying them in a laboratory so they can recognize cancer cells.
Immunotherapy is treatment that uses your body's own immune system to help fight cancer
First, the patient has blood removed and the white blood cells are separated out, with the rest of the blood being returned to the patient.
A harmless virus is used to insert genes into T-cells, a special type of immune cell.
These genes cause the T-cells to add a hook on to their surface, known as a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR).
These engineered CAR-T cells - programmed to recognize and destroy the patient's cancer cells - are multiplied in huge numbers and then infused back into the patient.
Phased Manufacturing Program
Phased Manufacturing Program (PMP) is under implementation to promote indigenous manufacturing of Cellular Mobile Handsets and sub-assemblies/ components/ accessories.
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had notified PMP in 2017 to encourage manufacturing of mobile components in the country.
It also aims to promote the indigenous manufacturing of populated printed circuit boards, camera modules and connectors in 2018-19, and display assembly, touch panels, vibrator motor and ringer in 2019-20.
It is expected that India’s handset manufacturing industry to grow to $500 billion (Rs 32, 50,000 crore) in five to seven years.
The policy sets a time-bound framework for establishing the country as a hub for mobile and component manufacturing.
It would also help to meet the bulk of global handset needs over time, besides creating 5.6 million jobs.
Amami rabbits
Japan’s Environment ministry has started to catch feral cats on Amami Oshima island to avoid them from preying on Amami rabbits.
Ammai rabbits are endemic to the Ryukyu Archipelago of Japan
So it is also known as the Ryukyu rabbit.
The Amami rabbit is a living remnant of ancient rabbits that once lived on the Asian mainland and it is often called a living fossil.
The rabbit is a primitive, dark-furred rabbit.
IUCN has classified the rabbit as endangered.
The Amami rabbit is also classified as a Japanese National Monument.
