UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 08-11-2024

PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme recently.

• It is a Central Sector scheme to provide financial support to meritorious students through various measures in both public and private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
• It is a key initiative of National Education Policy, 2020.
• Eligibility - Any student who gets admission in quality Higher Education Institution (QHEIs) will be eligible.
• The scheme will be applicable to the top quality higher educational institutions of the nation, as determined by the NIRF rankings.
• It includes
  • All HEIs, government and private, that are ranked within the top 100 in NIRF in overall, category-specific and domain specific rankings;
  • State government HEIs ranked in 101-200 in NIRF and all central government governed institutions.
• The scheme will be administered through a simple, transparent and student-friendly system that will be inter-operable and entirely digital.
• Funding – A special loan product will offer collateral free, guarantor free loan from banks and financial institutions to cover full amount of tuition fees and other expenses related to the course.
• For loan amount up to ₹ 7.5 lakhs, the student will also be eligible for a credit guarantee of 75% of outstanding default.
• This will give support to banks in making education loans available to students under the scheme.
• In addition to the above, for students
  • Having an annual family income of up to ₹ 8 lakhs, and
  • Not eligible for benefits under any other government scholarship or interest subvention schemes, 3% interest subvention for loan up to Rs.10 lakhs will also be provided during moratorium period.
• The interest subvention support will be given to one lakh students every year.
• Payment of interest subvention will be made through e-vouchers and Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) wallets.
• Preference will be given to students who are from government institutions and have opted for technical/ professional courses.
• Portal - The Department of Higher Education will have a unified portal “PM-Vidyalaxmi”.
• The portal has been developed and being maintained by NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited.
• Students will be able to apply for the education loan as well as interest subvention, through a simplified application process to be used by all banks.

References

1. PIB | PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme
2. Hindustan Times | PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme
3. Times of India | PM Vidyalaxmi

Lassa fever

Lassa fever has come into prominence after a recent case in Iowa, United States, involving the death of a traveler from West Africa.

• Caused by - The Lassa virus causes Lassa fever, a zoonotic disease that is part of the Arenaviridae family, with the Mastomys rat as its primary reservoir.
• Identified in - The disease was first identified in the town of Lassa in Nigeria in 1969
• Symptoms - Gradual onset of fever, general weakness, and malaise, followed after a few days by
  • More severe manifestations such as headache, sore throat, muscle and chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, cough, and abdominal pain.
• While approximately 80% of infections are asymptomatic or mild, severe cases can present with high fever, severe headaches, and haemorrhage, potentially leading to organ failure.
• Human Transmission - Humans usually contract the virus through contact with food or items contaminated by the the Mastomys rat’s urine or faeces.
• Secondary human-to-human transmission occurs through exposure to bodily fluids, raising significant risks, particularly in healthcare settings.
• Vulnerable population - Lassa fever poses particularly severe risks for pregnant women and infants.
• Infected pregnant women, especially those in their 3^rd trimester, face an increased maternal mortality rate of over 30%.
• The disease’s impact on the foetus is devastating, with a foetal death rate exceeding 85%.
• For children up to 2 years old, Lassa fever can manifest as “swollen baby syndrome, “characterized by extensive swelling and associated with a higher fatality rate than that of adults.
• Vertical transmission has been reported from the mother to the foetus in the transmission of Lassa fever.
• Prevention - Minimising rat-to-human transmission is vital to controlling Lassa fever.
• Fatality - Lassa fever has a case fatality rate (CFR) of approximately 1% overall.
• However, the CFR can escalate to as high as 15-20% among hospitalised patients.
• Notable sequelae include varying degrees of deafness in nearly 25-50% of patients one to three months after recovery.
• Estimated 1,00,000 to 3,00,000 individuals annually, with around 5,000 deaths each year.
• Cases in India - India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has classified Lassa fever as a disease of international significance.
• India has not recorded any documented cases until now (officially, no case reported till 2022).

Reference

The Hindu | Lassa fever

Haast's eagle

The Haast’s eagle gone extinct 500 years ago stands as the largest eagle ever existed.

• Scientific Name - Hieraaetus moorei.
• Native - It is native to the South Island of New Zealand.
• It is the largest eagle to ever exist, Weighing about 10-18 kilos (22-40 pounds).
• It was much bigger in weight and length than the largest vultures that are still alive, such as the black vulture or the Andean condor.
• Appearance - For its size, its wingspan was rather short. The Haast's eagle has a pale head, large, black-and-white birds with a crimson crown and wings that were tinted with yellow-green.
• Behavior - It is a raptorial bird and an apex predator.
• Like other forest-dwelling raptors like goshawks or harpy eagles, Haast's eagles most likely hunted in New Zealand's deep woods and shrublands.
• Prey - The moa was one of the huge, flightless bird species that the Haast's eagle preyed on most, which finally caused the species to go extinct.
• Moa was up to 15 times the weight of its predator, the Haast’s eagle, whose enormous beak could potentially tear into its prey's internal organs, causing blood loss that would have led to death.
• The moa, its prey, had a maximum weight of 200 kg (440 lb).
• A Haast's eagle could have easily monopolised a single enormous kill over several days because there were no other large predators or kleptoparasites around.
• Extinction - The species vanished around 1445 due to loss of prey.

References

1. Business Standard | Haast's eagle
2. Times of India | Haast’s eagle

RNA editing

A biotechnology company in Massachusetts in the U.S. named Wave Life Sciences made for becoming the first company to treat a genetic condition by editing RNA at the clinical level.

• Transcription – Transcription is the process of making an RNA copy of a gene's DNA sequence.
• This copy, called messenger RNA (mRNA), carries the gene's protein information encoded in DNA.
• Faulty proteins - During this process of transcription, the cell may make mistakes in the mRNA’s sequence and based on it produce faulty proteins.
• Many of these proteins have been known to cause debilitating disorders.
• RNA Editing - RNA editing allows scientists to fix mistakes in the mRNA after the cell has synthesized it but before the cell reads it to make the proteins.
• One technique involves a group of enzymes called adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR).
• Adenosine is one of the building blocks of RNA.
• ADAR works by converting some of the adenosine blocks in mRNA to another molecule called inosine.
• This is useful because inosine mimics the function of a different RNA building block called guanosine.
• Because guanosine-like function is found where adenosine is supposed to be, the cell detects a mistake and proceeds to correct it, in the process restoring the mRNA’s original function.
• And then the cell makes normal proteins.
• Scientists took advantage of ADAR’s effects to pair it with a guide RNA (or gRNA), the gRNA guides ADAR to a specific part of the mRNA, where the ADAR works its magic.
• They expect a variety of serious genetic conditions can be treated using such site-specific RNA editing.
• Recent Finding in RNA editing - Wave Life Sciences used RNA editing to treat α-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), an inherited disorder.
• In patients suffering from AATD, levels of the protein α-1 antitrypsin build up and affect the liver and the lungs.
• People with AATD affecting the lungs currently go through weekly intravenous therapy for relief, among people where AATD has affected the liver, a liver transplant is the sole treatment option.
• In its therapy, dubbed WVE-006, the company used a gRNA to lead ADAR enzymes to specific single-point mutations in the mRNA sequence of the SERPINA1 gene.
  • SERPINA1 gene contains the instructions for cells to make α-1 antitrypsin.
• A single-point mutation occurs when a single building block of the mRNA is wrong.
• Once at the target, the ADAR enzymes fix the mRNA and the cells produce α-1 antitrypsin at normal levels.
• Wave Life Sciences is planning to extend its RNA editing technology to treat Huntington’s disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and obesity.
• The first two and some forms of obesity are associated with single-point mutations.

Reference

The Hindu | RNA editing

Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

The CEO of NITI Aayog recently said that India should join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a China-backed Asian trade bloc it rejected years ago.

• It is a free trade agreement of the world's largest trade bloc.
• Members - It groups
  • 15 Asia-Pacific economies, including Australia, Japan, New Zealand, China, South Korea and
  • The 10 member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Members of ASEAN were Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

• Began in - The RCEP was signed in November 2020 and came into effect on January 1, 2022.
• Objectives
  • Trade -Reduce or eliminate tariffs and non-tariff barriers to trade.
  • Investment - Increase investment and encourage foreign investment.
  • Supply chains - Facilitate trade and investment among member nations, and enhance regional supply chains.
  • Economic growth - Promote economic growth and regional stability.
• Covering areas - RCEP will cover trade in goods, trade in services, investment, economic and technical cooperation, intellectual property, competition, dispute settlement and other issues.
• Trade volume – It is the world's largest free trade agreement by members' GDP, with the 15 member countries accounting for about 30% of the world's population and 30% of global GDP.

• India – India was the founding member of RCEP.
• In 2019, India decided to not join the bloc, on the grounds that the deal would hurt its farmers, businesses, workers and consumers.
• Significance for India - Joining the trade blocs of RCEP and CPTPP will help India boost its manufacturing base and exports by small and medium firms that constitute 40% of the country's exports.

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a free trade agreement between 11 countries.

• India's goods exports during April-September 2024 rose by 1.02% from a year earlier to $213.22 billion.

Reference   

Economic Times | Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)