Prelim Bits 14-05-2019

Database for Indian Rhino

• Union Environment ministry has commenced a project to create DNA Profiles of all Rhinos in the country by 2021.
• There are three species of rhinos, of which only one, the Indian rhino is found in the country.
• Indian rhino could be the first wild animal species in India to have all its members DNA-sequenced.
• World Wide Fund for Nature – India (WWF-India) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) are part of this project.
• This project would be useful in curbing poaching and gathering evidence in wildlife crimes involving rhinos.
• There are about 2,600 rhinos in India, with more than 90% of the population concentrated in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park.
• It is listed as Vulnerable in IUCN red list of threatened species.
• It is mainly poached for its hard, hair-like growth, which is revered for medicinal use in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
• The horn is also valued in North Africa and the Middle East as an ornamental dagger handle.

Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization

• CTBTO has invited India to be an observer in the treaty.
• It is expected to give India access to data from the International Monitoring System, which can detect even small nuclear explosions using seismology, hydroacoustics, infrasound and radionuclide technology.
• It is a multilateral treaty that bans all nuclear explosions, for both civilian and military purposes, in all environments.
• It was adopted by the United Nations 1996 but has not entered into force as eight specific states have not ratified the treaty.
• 166 states have ratified the CTBT and another 17 states have signed but not ratified it.
• China, Egypt, Iran, Israel and the United States have signed but not ratified the Treaty.
• India, North Korea & Pakistan have not signed it. They have neither signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty 1968.
• According to CTBT each State Party undertakes not to carry out any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion, and to prohibit and prevent any such nuclear explosion at any place under its jurisdiction or control.

MANAV

• It is a human atlas initiative launched by the Department of Biotechnology.
• It aims at creating a database network of all tissues in the human body from the available scientific literature.
• Applications – Better biological insights through physiological and molecular mapping, develop disease models and have a wholistic analysis and finally drug discovery.
• The project encouraged colleges and universities to register as teams and work in this project.
• The project can be signed up by students from science background who are in their final year graduation and above.
• Initially, the project will focus on curating information revolving skin tissues.

FCRA license

• The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration of Bengaluru-based NGO Infosys Foundation has been cancelled by the Home Ministry recently.
• As per the FCRA Act 2010, all NGOs are required to be registered under the Act to receive foreign funding, and also have to furnish the same.
• An FCRA applicant can be a Trust or Society or a Section 8 Company.
• The not-for-profit entity must have also been in existence for a minimum of 3 years while making the FCRA application.
• It should not have received any foreign contribution prior to that without the Government’s approval.
• Organisations have to submit their annual return to the government within 9 months from the closure of the previous financial year.

Source: The Hindu, The Indian Express