Convalescent Plasma

What is Convalescent Plasma? - People who have recovered from COVID-19 have antibodies to the disease in their blood. Doctors call this convalescent plasma. Researchers hope that convalescent plasma can be given to people with severe COVID-19 to boost their ability to fight the virus. Everyone who has suffered from a disease possibly carries what … Continue reading Convalescent Plasma

Space: A New Era & Emerging Opportunities

Private sector will be given a level playing field in building satellites, launches and other space based services as the government decided to open up the space sector. Private sector firms are also expected to play a big role in future projects for planetary exploration and outer space travel. Union Minister Jitendra Singh said private … Continue reading Space: A New Era & Emerging Opportunities

Classical Languages

Currently, six languages enjoy the ‘Classical’ status: Tamil (declared in 2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014). The guidelines for declaring a language as ‘Classical’ are: (i) High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years; (ii) A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a … Continue reading Classical Languages

COVID-19: Tackling Stigma And Discrimination

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKgvWpYNUyo Stigma and discrimination are among the key obstacles in the fight against Covid-19 besides other health care challenges. Watch is video to understand how this can be controlled effectively at the community and individual level.

Pooling of Samples

What is pooling of samples & how does it work? - A pooled testing algorithm involves the PCR screening of a specimen pool comprising multiple individual patient specimens, followed by individual testing (pool de-convolution) only if a pool screens positive. As all individual samples in a negative pool are regarded as negative, it results in … Continue reading Pooling of Samples

Preparing for UPSC 2020-21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cm544DQCVM The Union Public Service Commission announced the revised annual examination dates for UPSC Civil Services and other examinations conducted by the commission. UPSC CSE Preliminary Examination 2020 will now be conducted on October 4 and UPSC Mains have now been postponed till January 8, 2021. The exams were deferred due to nationwide lockdown imposed … Continue reading Preparing for UPSC 2020-21

Logistics Sector

Overview: The Indian logistics sector is currently valued at $160 Bn, the sector is expected to become worth $215 Bn in the next two years. India’s rank has gone up from 54 in 2014 to 44 in 2018 in the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI), in terms of overall logistics performance. The Indian logistics … Continue reading Logistics Sector

E-Courts

Quick Pointers: Challenges: Establishing hardware, software and IT systems for courts; Establishing appropriate e-filing systems and procedures; Creating skill training and recognition for paralegals. Lack of awareness among people. Way Forward: Drawing a blueprint - Involvement of judges, technologists, court administrators, skill developers and system analysts to draw up a blueprint for institutionalising online access … Continue reading E-Courts

Herd Immunity

Herd immunity is a form of indirect protection from infectious disease that occurs when a large percentage of a population has become immune to an infection, whether through vaccination or previous infections, thereby providing a measure of protection for individuals who are not immune. Watch this video for a discussion and analysis of the concept … Continue reading Herd Immunity

Human Lives Over Profits

2% of the global population are homeless and 20% lack adequate housing. Informal sector employs up to 60% of the working population globally and 90% in India. 35% of the people across the globe lack access to sanitation. According to UNICEF, even prior to COVID-19, diseases directly linked to lack of safe water killed 1,400 … Continue reading Human Lives Over Profits