Scrub Typhus is an acute illness in humans caused by a bacteria.
It is transmitted by the bite of infected mite larva present in the soil.
Gorakhpur in U.P is treated as a hub of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES).
Number of patients affected by AES admitted in the Hospital has increased during Monsoon period.
To find out the reason behind this, researchers has identified the role of scrub typhus.
Almost, 65% of the AES patients got infected by Scrub Typhus.
This finding is important, given that scrub typhus can be treated easily if detected early.
The increase in infestation of rodents by mites during August-October explains why scrub typhus incidence peaks during monsoon.
TRAI App in UMANG platform
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has integrated its Mobile Apps namely DND 2.0 & MyCall with UMANG Platform.
UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) is developed by National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
It provides a single platform for all Indian Citizens to access pan India e-Gov services ranging from Central to Local Government bodies and other citizen centric services.
It provides a unified approach where citizens can install one application to avail multiple government services.
The services live on the app include Aadhaar, DigiLocker, Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) among others.
Citizens will be able to access Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) services, apply for a new PAN, and can register under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana.
Adopt a Heritage Scheme
It is an initiative of the Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the Archaeological Survey of India.
Under the scheme, government invites public sector companies, private sector firms as well as individuals, to develop selected monuments and heritage and tourist sites across India.
Selected firms and individuals will be appointed as “Monument Mitras” for the development of tourist amenities in the selected heritage sites.
So far, 31 agencies or Monument Mitras have been approved to adopt 95 monuments/tourist sites.
MoUs has been signed for adopting Mt. Stok Kangri (in Ladakh), Trail to Gaumukh, (in Uttarakhand), Red Fort (in Delhi) and the Gandikota Fort (in Andhra Pradesh).
Union Minister of Tourism has recently replied to a question in Parliament, asserting that no site in the state of Assam has been chosen under this project.
Kaziranga National Park is yet to be included in this project.
Green Propellants
ISRO is developing green propellants for use in future rocket & satellite propulsion systems.
It has made a beginning by developing an eco-friendly solid propellant to eliminate the emission of chlorinated exhaust products from rocket.
The propellants are based on Glycidyl Azide Polymer (GAP) as fuel and Ammonium Di-Nitramide (ADN) as oxidizer.
ISRO is also carrying out various technology demonstration projects involving green propellant combinations such as Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2), Kerosene, Liquid Oxygen (LOX), Liquid Methane etc.
It has successfully developed ISROSENE, which is a rocket grade version of kerosene as an alternative to conventional hydrazine rocket fuel.
It has already used Liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen combination in cryogenic upper stage of GSLV MK-III.
Star Tortoise
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has recently seized 1,125 star tortoises from that were being smuggled to Bangladesh.
A star tortoise is one of the most expensive reptiles in the international pet market in countries in Asia, like Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, as well as in Europe and America.
Indian star tortoise is native to India (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa, Tamil Nadu), Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
It naturally inhabits scrub forests, grasslands, and some coastal scrublands of arid and semi-arid regions.
It has been included on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
It is placed under Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
It is listed as “Vulnerable” in IUCN red list of threatened species.
It is also prohibited for export under the Foreign Trade Policy.
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence is the apex anti-smuggling agency of India.
It is working under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
It is tasked with detecting and curbing,
Combating commercial frauds related to international trade and evasion of Customs duty.
Illicit international trade in wildlife and environmentally sensitive items,
Smuggling of contraband, including drug trafficking,
DRI was previously 'C.R.I.B.' (Central Revenue Intelligence Bureau) which was made in 1953.
