UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 06-05-2021
iasparliament
May 06, 2021
AYUSH-64
AYUSH-64 is a poly herbal formulation that has been found to help in the treatment of asymptomatic, mild and moderate COVID-19 infection.
It was developed by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), a research institution under the Ministry of Ayush.
Originally developed in 1980 for treatment of Malaria, this drug has notable antiviral, immune-modulator and antipyretic properties. It may also be taken as prophylactic medicine.
But as a side effect of Ayush-64, loose motions can occur in some patients, which can be self-limiting and does not require any medical intervention.
BEAM Committee
The Central Government had constituted the 'BVLOS Experiment Assessment and Monitoring (BEAM) Committee' to invite Expression of Interest (EOI) to undertake BVLOS experimental flights of drones.
For this, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued an EOI notice.
The BEAM Committee has selected 20 consortia ('Selected Consortia') for the experimental flights.
Ministry of Civil Aviation has granted conditional exemption from Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021 to 20 entities to conduct Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) experimental flights of drones.
These exemptions are subject to complete adherence to the requirements stated in the said EOI notice and the directions/ exemptions issued (or to be issued in future) by the BEAM Committee.
This conditional exemption shall be valid for period of one year, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Section 142 of the Social Security Code
Section 142 of the Social Security Code, 2020 has been notified by Ministry of Labour & Employment covering applicability of Aaadhar.
It will enable Labour Ministry to collect Aadhar details for the database of beneficiaries under various social security schemes.
National Data Base for Unorganised Workers (NDUW) is at an advanced stage of development by National Informatics Centre.
The portal is aimed at collection of data for unorganised workers including migrant workers for the purpose of giving benefits of the various schemes of the Government.
An inter-state migrant worker can register himself on the portal on the basis of submission of Aadhar alone.
SARS-COV2 in Asiatic Lions
Eight Asiatic Lions housed in the Nehru Zoological Park (NZP), Hyderabad were infected with SARS-COV2.
The samples from the lions were shared with the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology - Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species (CCMB-LaCONES) Hyderabad.
Under this Indian Navy operation, seven Indian Naval ships (INS) have been deployed for shipment of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) -filled cryogenic containers from various countries to India.
[Seven INS viz. Kolkata, Kochi, Talwar, Tabar, Trikand, Jalashwa and Airavat]
In 2020, Operation Samudra Setu was launched by the Navy and around 4000 Indian citizens stranded in neighbouring countries, amidst COVID 19 outbreak, were successfully repatriated back to India.
Vande Bharat Mission
The Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) that started repatriating Indians stranded abroad due to Covid-19 and the resultant lockdowns has turned out to be one of the largest evacuations of civilians by a country.
It has surpassed the large-scale airlift of 1,10,000 people in 1990 at the onset of the Gulf War.
National carrier Air India, which carried out the bulk of air transfers under the mission, was supported by its budget carrier Air India Express.
Air India Express (AIE) lifted agricultural products, mainly fruits and vegetables, to West Asian countries, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
Under the mission, the entire cost of travel will be borne by the passengers. The mission gave priority to Indian citizens with “compelling reasons to return.
“Transport bubbles”, temporary arrangements between two countries aimed at restarting commercial passenger services when regular international flights are suspended due to the pandemic, are in place.
Reciprocal in nature, airlines from both countries enjoy similar benefits. Such arrangements had been established with many countries.
Purchasing Managers’ Index
The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) was at 55.5 in April 20221, little changed from March’s reading of 55.4.
In PMI parlance, a print above 50 means expansion while a score below 50 denotes contraction.
It is a survey-based measure that questions people about changes in their perception about key business variables as compared with the previous month.
Purpose - To provide information about current and future business conditions to company decision makers, analysts, and investors.
To know more about Purchasing Managers’ Index, click here.
