UPSC Daily News Analysis

Juice jacking

Overview: Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a cautionary message to mobile phone users about juice jacking. About Juice jacking: The term “juice jacking” was first coined in 2011 by investigative journalist Brian Krebs. It is a form of cyberattack where a public USB charging port is tampered with and infected using hardware and software changes to steal d

What is a Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS)

Overview: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted two flight tests of the Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missile. About Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) VSHORADS is a fourth-generation Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPAD) specially designed to counter low-altitude aerial threats over short distances. These ar

Hemophilia A

Overview: Recently, the Union Science and Technology Minister told that India has conducted the first human clinical trial of gene therapy for ‘haemophilia A’ at Christian Medical College – Vellore. About Hemophilia A It is a genetic disorder that affects the body’s ability to form blood clots. It is a rare disorder in which the blood doesn't clot in the typ

What is Gene therapy

It is a technique that modifies a person’s genes to treat or cure disease. Gene therapies can work by several mechanisms: Replacing a disease-causing gene with a healthy copy of the gene   Inactivating a disease-causing gene that is not functioning properly Introducing a new or modified gene into the body to help treat a disease Gene therapy products are being studied to

Kulasekarapattinam Spaceport

Overview: The Prime Minister recently laid the foundation stone for a new spaceport at Kulasekarapattinam in southern Tamil Nadu. About Kulasekarapattinam Spaceport It is a new spaceport coming up at Kulasekarapattinam, a coastal hamlet near the temple town of Tiruchendur in Thoothukudi district in southern Tamil Nadu. It will be second after the space agency’s existing Satish

Opportune pause - Indian Science Congress (ISC)

Context: The Indian Science Congress (ISC) 109th edition, originally to be held in  Lucknow University in 2024, has been cast in doubt after the University pulled out citing an  ongoing dispute between the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the ISC Association.  News: The Indian Science Congress (ISC) is an annual event for scientific discussions

Milli-second burst detected by AstroSat

Context: AstroSat, India’s first multi-wavelength space-based observatory, has detected bright sub-second X-ray bursts from a new and unique neutron star with ultrahigh magnetic field (magnetar), which can help understand the intriguing extreme astrophysical conditions of magnetars. Magnetars They are neutron stars having an ultrahigh magnetic field that are much stronger

AI-powered misinformation biggest short-term threat to global economy

Context: False and misleading information supercharged with cutting-edge artificial intelligence that threatens to erode democracy and polarise society is the top immediate risk to the global economy, the World Economic Forum said in a report on Wednesday. About the report: The World Economic Forum (WEF) report identifies misinformation and disinformation  as the most severe risk ove

Are antibiotics over-prescribed in India?

Context: The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) recently found that over half of the nearly 10,000 hospital patients surveyed for a study were given antibiotics to prevent, rather than treat, infection.  The survey mapped patients treated on one to five days each at 20 tertiary care institutes across 15 States and two Union Territories between November 2021 and April 2022. It

Equipment for Recycling of Waste Thermoplastic Polymers

Context: Indigenous equipment called single screw extruder developed for mechanical recycling through melt-mixing of waste thermoplastic polymers and inorganic particulate fillers can help manufacture and characterize polymer composites that can be molded to the required shape for making paver blocks, tiles, and bricks. Present status of recycling:  At present, commercially available melt-
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