(DND) Daily News Discussion - 8th June 2021 our YouTube channel for entire GS Course FREE of cost - Sleepy Classes
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Daily News
Discussion
(DND)
8th Jun e 202 1
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Table of Contents
1. Covid Series (Part IV)...........................................................................................1
1.1.Vaccine......................................................................................................................................1
1.2.More anti-bodies produced by Covishield than Covaxin ............................................3
1.3.Delta variant of Covid-19....................................................................................................4
1.4.why some are asymptomatic ..............................................................................................5
2. Environment ...........................................................................................................7
2.1.Sea snot outbreak in Turkey ................................................................................................7
3. Economy ..................................................................................................................9
3.1.El Salvador’s decision to use Bitcoin as legal tender.....................................................9
3.2.Incredible India Tourist Facilitator Certi cation Programme (IITFC). .....................10
4. Polity .........................................................................................................................12
4.1.Model Panchayat Citizens Charter ...................................................................................12
Current affairs Worksheet ( 8th June 2021) .........................................................................14
Note -
• The Newspaper clippings pasted in PDF are important from Mains point of view as it contains the
fodder material for Mains Answer Writing.
• Also watch DND video lectures everyday @ 4 PM on Sleepy’s YouTube channel in order to
understand how to get the most out of everyday’s Newspaper .
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Click here to watch the following topics on YouTube
1. Covid Series (Part IV)
1.1.Vaccine
• A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious
disease.
Live-attenuated vaccines
• Live vaccines use a weakened (or attenuated) form of the germ that causes a disease.
• Because these vaccines are so similar to the natural infection that they help prevent, they create a
strong and long-lasting immune response.
• Just 1 or 2 doses of most live vaccines can give you a lifetime of protection against a germ and the
disease it causes.
Inactivated vaccines
• Inactivated vaccines use the killed version of the germ that causes a disease.
Subunit, recombinant, polysaccharide, and conjugate vaccines
• Subunit, recombinant, polysaccharide, and conjugate vaccines use speci c pieces of the germ — like
its protein, sugar, or capsid (a casing around the germ).
Toxoid vaccines
• Toxoid vaccines use a toxin (harmful product) made by the germ that causes a disease.
• They create immunity to the parts of the germ that cause a disease instead of the germ itself. That
means the immune response is targeted to the toxin instead of the whole germ.
COVAXIN
• Developed by Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical
Research’s National Institute of Virology, Pune
• It is an inactivated vaccine which is developed by inactivating (killing) the live microorganisms that
cause the disease.
COVISHIELD
• Developed by the University of Oxford in collaboration with Swedish-British drugmaker
AstraZeneca.
• Serum Institute of India (SII) is the manufacturing partner in India. It is based on a weakened version
of a common cold virus or the adenovirus that is found in chimpanzees.
Sputnik V
• The vaccine, also known as Gam-Covid-Vac, is a combination of two different adenoviruses (Ad26 and
Ad5).
• The adenoviruses — viruses that cause common cold — are combined with the SARS-CoV-2 (the virus
that causes Covid-19) spike protein, which prompts the body to make an immune response to it
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mRna vaccine
• The Department of
Biotechnology (DBT),
Ministry of Science &
Te c h n o l o g y h a s
announced that it has
approved additional
funding towards clinical
studies of India’s' rst of
its kind' mRNA-based
COVID-19 vaccine -
HGCO19, developed by
P u n e - b a s e d
biotechnology company
G e n n o v a
Biopharmaceuticals Ltd.
DNA vaccine
• DNA vaccines, which are often referred to as the third-generation vaccines, use engineered DNA to
induce an immunologic response in the host against bacteria, parasites, viruses, and potentially
cancer.
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1.2.More anti-bodies produced by Covishield than Covaxin
• A single dose of Covishield
elicited about 10 times the
anti-bodies than Covaxin
whereas a second dose
narrowed the gap
somewhat, with
Covishield-triggered anti-
bodies about six times that
of Covaxin- stimulated
ones, the study found
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1.3.Delta variant of Covid-19
• Public Health England (PHE) has said a staggering 61% of the samples sequenced are now of the
Delta variant (B.1.617.2)
• This means the Delta variant, rst detected in India, is more dominant in the UK than the Alpha
variant that had last year triggered a surge in the UK
Delta variant
• Multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants are circulating globally. One of these is the B.1.617 lineage, detected in
India earlier this year. Early evidence suggests that its sub-lineage B.1.617.2, known as the Delta
variant, is more transmissible than contemporary lineages.
What makes the Delta variant a VOC?
• Different variants are characterised by mutations — or alterations in the virus’s genetic material. An
RNA virus, such as SARS-CoV-2, is made of about 30,000 base pairs of amino acids, placed like bricks
next to each other.
• An alteration in any of these base cause a mutation, effectively changing the shape and behaviour of
the virus. The Delta variant contains multiple mutations in the spike protein. At least four mutations
are important.
Mutation in Delta Variant
• L452R
✓ rst reported in Denmark in March last year.
✓This mutation has been found more transmissible than wild-type strains and also been associated
with reduced antibody ef cacy and reduced neutralisation by vaccine sera.
• P681R
✓has been associated with chemical processes that may enhance transmissibility
• D614G
✓mutation was rst documented in the US early in the pandemic, having initially circulated in
Europe.
✓There is evidence that variants with this mutation spread more quickly
• T478K
✓This was present in around 65% of occurrences in variant B.1.1.222, rst detected in Mexico last
year and associated with higher infectivity.
Three observation
• Delta cases are rising while Alpha cases are declining
• Delta may be an increased risk of hospitalisation compared to contemporaneous Alpha cases
• Reduction in vaccine effectiveness for Delta compared to Alpha
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1.4.why some are asymptomatic
• The team led by Newcastle University, UK, has demonstrated that the gene, HLA-DRB1*04:01, is
found three times as often in people who are asymptomatic.
• This suggests that people with this gene have some level of protection from severe Covid
• They used next-generation sequencing to focus on a category of genes called HLA.
Longitude and Latitude relation
• The gene they identi ed, HLA-DRB1*04:01, is known to be directly correlated to latitude and
longitude.
• This means more people in the North and West of Europe are likely to have this gene, and this
suggests that populations of European descent will be more likely to remain asymptomatic but still
transmit the disease to susceptible populations.
Full year Current Affairs Revision through MCQs
Science & technology -Day 7
1. Consider the following statements in context to WHO funding
1. As of March 2020, Assessed contribution of US was largest among member countries
2. In recent years, Assessed contributions have accounted far more than voluntary contribution
3. Each Member State must contribute to WHO funding.
Select the correct answer code:
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 1 and 3 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. All of the above
2. AEFI deaths seen in news, include
1. Anxiety about immunization
2. Vaccine quality defect
3. Coincidental events (not due to the vaccine)
Select the correct answer code:
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 1 and 3 only
C. 2 and 3 only
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D. All of the above
3. Consider the following statements in context to African swine fever
1. As per current information it only affects members of the pig family
2. It is caused by a large DNA virus
3. It cannot be transmitted to humans through contact with pigs or pork.
Select the correct answer code:
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 1 and 3 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. All of the above
4. Consider the following matches:
1. MANAV First 3D printed robot
2. Daksh Bomb Disposal
3. Bandicoot Manual Scavenging
Select the correct answer code:
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 3 only
D. All of the above
5. Consider the following matches in context to Drones categories:
1. Nano Less than 250 grams
2. Small 250 grams to 2 Kg
3. Medium 2 Kg to 25 Kg
Select the correct answer code:
A. 1 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. None of the above
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2. Environment
2.1.Sea snot outbreak in Turkey
• Turkey’s Sea of Marmara, that connects the Black Sea to the
Aegean Sea, has witnessed the largest outbreak of ‘sea snot’.
• The sludge has also been spotted in the adjoining Black and
Aegean seas.
• Sea snot forms when algae are overloaded with nutrients
due to rising sea temperatures as well as the discharge of
untreated sewage into the sea.
• Phytoplankton thrive in warmer and nutrient-rich waters,
and then discharge the snotty substance.
• Turkey’s President Erdogan blamed the current outbreak on
untreated water being dumped from cities like Istanbul
• The thick slimy layer of organic matter, which looks like a viscous, brown and foamy substance, has
spread through the sea south of Istanbul and also blanketed harbours and shoreline
• A ‘sea snot’ outbreak was rst recorded in the country in 2007. Back then, it was also spotted in the
Aegean Sea near Greece.
• But the current outbreak in the Sea of Marmara is by far the biggest in the country’s history.
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Concern
• Severe threat to the marine ecosystem of the country.
• Divers have said that it has caused mass deaths among the sh population, and also killed other
aquatic organisms such as corals and sponges.
The mucilage is now covering the surface of the sea and has also spread to 80-100 feet below the
surface.
• If unchecked, this can collapse to the bottom and cover the sea oor, causing major damage to the
marine ecosystem.
• Also affected the livelihoods of shermen. The sludge is getting collected in their nets, making them
so heavy that they break or get lost.
Effort
• Turkey’s biggest maritime clean-up operation is being launched on Tuesday, and called on local
residents, artists and NGOs to join hands to extend assistance.
• Turkey has planned to reduce nitrogen levels in the sea by 40%, which would help tackle the crisis
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3. Economy
3.1.El Salvador’s decision to use Bitcoin as legal tender
• El Salvador’s populist millennial President Nayib Bukele has said that he would be making the Bitcoin
cryptocurrency legal tender in the Central American country
Economy
• El Salvador has not had its own monetary policy since 2001, when a right-wing government made
the US dollar the of cial currency.
• Along with Ecuador and Panama, El Salvador is currently among three nations in Latin America to
have a ‘dollarized economy
Reason to adopt Bitcoin as an of cial tender
• Depends heavily on remittances sent by Salvadorians from abroad.
• Around a quarter of the country’s citizens live in the US, and in 2020 they sent home more than $6
billion in remittances despite the pandemic– making up more than 20% of the GDP.
• A big chunk of those 6 billion dollars is lost to intermediaries.
• By using Bitcoin, the amount received by more than a million low income families will increase in the
equivalent of billions of dollars every year.”
• This will help to increase nancial inclusion in El Salvador, where 70% of the population does not
have a bank account and relies on the informal economy.
Move to adopt virtual currencies globally
• Cryptocurrencies is fast gathering pace, such as in Cuba, Venezuela and Mexico, where many are
preferring virtual tokens that are decentralised and unregulated
Cuba
• In Cuba, the appeal of cryptocurrencies has proliferated ever since its Communist regime allowed
mobile internet in 2018, as many have used them for circumventing US sanctions and a decades-long
trade embargo.
• Virtual money is being used for making payment for utilities, cross- border transactions, as well as
for remittances from abroad
Mexico
• In Mexico, where also remittances from the US form a huge source of income, the crypto market has
boomed.
• Between September 2019 and May 2020, the country’s Bitso crypto exchange grew by 342%
Venezuela
• In Venezuela, which is undergoing an economic and humanitarian crisis, many are adopting crypto
money as spiralling hyperin ation has harmed the bolivar, the of cial currency.
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What is the attitude of governments towards cryptocurrencies?
• The growing allure of cryptocurrencies– which allow instantaneous transactions and need digital
wallets instead of bank accounts– have grabbed the attention of governments around the world who
are now looking to launch their own virtual tokens, called central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).
• CBDCs are being touted as a means for extending nancial services to those who have remained
underserved by traditional banks, while mitigating the risks of unregulated private tokens such as
Bitcoin.
• Last month, the US took a decisive step towards issuing its own CBDC, with the Federal Reserve
announcing it will release a research paper later this year that explores the move further.
• In April, China rolled out pilot testing for its home grown digital currency, and in May issued major
curbs on private cryptocurrency transactions.
• In India, the government has oated The Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Of cial Digital Currency
Bill, 2021, which will prohibit all private cryptocurrencies and lay down the regulatory framework
for the launch of an “of cial digital currency”.
Fiat Money
• Fiat money is not backed by physical commodities, such as gold. Instead, it is government-backed.
• Most paper currencies today are at currencies. Fiat money value is based on the relationship
between supply and demand. Fiat holds value because of people’s faith in that nation’s currency
Legal tender
• is any currency declared legal by a government.
• Many governments issue a at currency and then make it legal tender by setting it as the standard for
repaying debt.
Qns
• Financial inclusion is not only a moral imperative, but also a way to grow the country’s economy,
providing access to credit, savings, investment and secure transactions.Discuss
3.2.Incredible India Tourist Facilitator Certi cation Programme
(IITFC).
• Recently Tourism Minister inaugurates the newly upgraded website of IITTM in 108 national &
International languages
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4. Polity
4.1.Model Panchayat Citizens Charter
• A Model Panchayat Citizens Charter/ framework for delivery of the services across the 29 sectors,
aligning actions with localised Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as prepared by Ministry of
Panchayati Raj (MoPR) in collaboration with National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati
Raj (NIRDPR)
About Citizen’s Charter
• The Citizen’s Charter is a voluntary and written document that spells out the service provider’s
efforts taken to focus on their commitment towards ful lling the needs of the citizens/customers
• In India, the concept of citizen’s charter was rst adopted at a ‘Conference of Chief Ministers of
various States and Union Territories’ held in May 1997 in the national capital.
• The task of coordination, formulation, and operationalization of citizen’s charters are done by the
Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG)
Principles of Citizen’s Charter (As originally framed)
• Quality – Improving service quality.
• Choice – Wherever possible.
• Standards – Speci cally mention what to expect and how to go about if standards are not met.
• Value – For taxpayers’ money.
• Accountability – At the level of the individual and the organization.
• Transparency – Transparency in rules/schemes/procedures/grievances
Need of Panchayat Citizen Charter
• Panchayats constitute the third tier of government in the rural areas and represent the rst level of
Government interaction for over 60 per cent of the Indian population.
• Panchayats are responsible for delivery of basic services as enshrined under article 243G of the
Constitution of India, speci cally in the areas of Health & Sanitation, Education, Nutrition, Drinking
Water.
Signi cance
• The Citizen Charter would ensure transparent and effective delivery of public services for
sustainable development and enhanced citizen service experiences; deepening inclusive and
accountable Local Self Governments by incorporating diverse views while designing and delivering
services.
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Current affairs Worksheet ( 8th June 2021)
Factual sheet for Quick revision
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