Three ICAR institutes engaged in COVID-19 testing on humans
ICAR undertaking several efforts to help farmers during lockdown, gives advisories to crores of farmers across the country Shri Tomar directs all Agricultural Universities to conduct online classes Posted On: 14 APR 2020 5:46PM by PIB Delhi
The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar reviewed activities of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in helping farmers overcome the problems arising due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the nationwide lockdown to check the spread of the pandemic. While three ICAR institutes are engaged in COVID-19 testing on humans, ICAR has undertaken several efforts to help farmers during lockdown and given advisories to crores of farmers across the country. Shri Tomar directed all Agricultural Universities to conduct online classes.
During the review meeting, ICAR Director General Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra informed that the ICAR has issued National and state-specific advisory for farmers, translated into 15 regional languages and widely communicated through digital platforms adequately informing the farmers about the exemptions granted to farming related activities during lockdown and important agricultural operations to be carried out following all precautions.
On the directions of the Agriculture Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, more than 5.48 crore farmers have already been reached through the issue of 1,126 advisories across the states by Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) through mKisan portal. Dissemination of advisory was also made through WhatsApp groups (4893 KVK WhatsApp groups covering 5.75 lakh farmers) and other digital platforms (reaching 8.06 lakh farmers). 936 News items on advisories issued by KVKs appeared in newspapers; messages were disseminated through broadcast of 193 radio talks and 57 TV programmes.
Research institutes used ICT tools including Expert Systems and Mobile Apps, and provided advisories on appropriate crop management technologies in wheat, rice, maize, pulses, millets, oilseeds, sugarcane, fibre crops, mango, citrus, banana, pomegranate, grapes, litchi, spices, flowers, vegetables, melons and plantation crops such as coconut, arecanut, cocoa and tuber crops.
Advisories to various stakeholders and technologies for processing, value addition and marketing of flower, vegetables and fruit produce have been extended to entrepreneurs, private firms and state governments.
Fisheries Research Institutes under ICAR prepared information, education and communication (IEC) materials in fisheries production for dissemination to various stakeholders engaged in fisheries. Dairy, Livestock and Poultry research institutes of ICAR are creating awareness regarding feeding, breeding and health care of animals as well as minimum processing of milk, eggs and chicken for boosting immunity to fight corona virus.
On the advice of Shri Tomar, the ICAR issued advisory to all Vice-chancellors of Agricultural Universities for taking classes through online mode and most of them are doing so using online tools. ICAR has notified three of its Research Institutes; NIHSAD, Bhopal, IVRI, Izatnagar, and NRC on Equines, Hisar for COVID-19 testing in humans. These institutes have also been designated for COVID testing of samples from Zoo animals by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The NIHSAD, Bhopal has tested 23 suspected COVID-19 samples and all of them were found negative. Dr. Mohapatra said the ICAR will commission studies in climate change, virology and other diseases and undertake research on the transmission of virus from animals and birds in zoos and in the nature to humans and vice versa and whether crops can help fight such challenges.
ICAR institutes and KVKs have prominently disseminated the message for use of Arogya Setu mobile application to fight COVID 19 pandemic. As a result, 25.04 lakh farmers have been reached of which 2.92 lakh farmers have already downloaded the application for their use.
On the directions of Shri Tomar, the ICAR has provided its Guest Houses at various establishments across the country for setting up quarantine facilities besides providing RT-PCR equipment and operating staff for COVID-19 investigation. Dr. Mohapatra said the ICAR is also extending help to affected poor people by providing free food while the DARE/ICAR family has contributed about Rs 6.06 crores to the PM-CARES Fund.
COVID-19: Initiatives by Smart Cities
Vadodara The Vadodara district administration has installed a helium balloon attached with two cameras for surveillance on lockdown violators. The balloon, installed in the Tandalja area, also has a public address system attached to it. The administration has divided the city into four zones, red, orange, yellow and green as part of a strategy to deal with the corona virus pandemic.
Bengaluru Model COVID-19 War Room at Bengaluru - Covid-19 data dashboard of Karnataka has been inaugurated by State Minister for Medical Education on 7 April 2020 at Bengaluru Smart City COVID War Room. This dashboard will be the single source of all COVID-related data which includes people under quarantine, their contacts, medical personnel on ground, hospitals, taluk-wise & City-wise data & beyond. This real-time data is being put together with a host of software and applications
Kalyan Dombivali To create awareness and keep citizens informed about Corona, awareness videos are published on KDMC Face book page. To constantly keep citizens engaged, the Face book page has published a daily routine of activities has been designed from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. The city has identified local experts from different fields such as Yoga, Culinary Art, Aerobics, music, poetry, ghazal, kathak and Bharatanatyam, philosophy and allotted time slots to each of them, in which they come live in Face book Page of KDMC during scheduled time slots. This initiative is receiving huge response and appreciation from citizens.
Agra • E-Doctor Seva is a tele-video consultation facility, launched by Agra Smart City Ltd for local population. https://tinyurl.com/edoctorapp. It is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative of Agra Smart City Limited. Consultation facility will be available from 10 am to 12.00 pm (Monday to Saturday).For consultations, citizens will have to log in using the link (https://tinyurl.com/edoctorapp ) and schedule an appointment with the doctor. Appointments can be taken using the mobile app.
App can be downloaded by any Android phone (play store) users by clicking the link below: (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.needstreet.health.hppatient). Once appointment is taken through the site/app a particular date and time will be allocated for the consultation. The patient can have a tele/video call with the doctor at the scheduled time. After consultation, online prescription can also be downloaded by patient from the site/app. On request, required medicines will be delivered at home from the Smart Health Centre-Pharmacy.
• This noble and innovative initiative is taken by Agra Smart City in association with its PPP partner Azael Manufacturing Private Limited. They are also in the process of opening 10 Smart Health Centers in Agra for providing affordable and holistic healthcare services to local masses. One such centre is already operational and serving the local population.
• Smart Health Centers established under Smart City scheme help in spreading awareness about various Do & Don’ts of Corona ,each patient is given a 3-5 min briefing on the advisory regarding Corona for both the general consultation as well as at the dental clinic. 325 patients took consultation in March and 675 patients in February. 1015 sanitizers and 935 masks were distributed at subsidized rates through the pharmacy at smart health center which provided a great relief to the people.
• Agra Administration in association with Agra Smart City & Agra Police is making full use of ICCC Control Room established by Agra Smart City Limited at Nagar Nigam Agra. Agra Lock down Monitoring App has been launched. This innovative video surveillance solution will be made use to effectively monitor the various locations in Agra city to manage the crowd and fight COVID 19. The latest in this effort is the AI based Analytics, the first of its kind combat COVID 19 in Agra.
The latest ground-breaking technology adopted by Agra Administration is provided by the existing Surveillance vendor under CSR initiative. An alert is instantly generated to help the authorities to strictly maintain social distancing in Agra. The alerts are configured through an App on the field staff Mobile phones and help the Police Administration on ground. Agra lockdown monitor App will be available to all thana in-charges and any other police personnel as required.
• Along with district administration, cooked food bank has been established which collect cooked food packets from various NGOs and it is been distributed to needy, destitute and labourers etc., 5000 food packets has been distributed.
Kakinada COVID-19 data dashboard developed in Kakinada ICCC. Kakinada, district, state and country level information is being displayed in the ICCC. The details can be accessed at https://covid19.kkdeservices.com:2278.
Chandigarh Chandigarh has installed a comprehensive ‘fight COVID station’ with facilities of thermal screening by taking temperature, pedestal operated hand-wash and soap dispenser, mist spray of sodium hypochlorite solution and hand dryer facility. It has been installed at the Main Mandi sector-25, Chandigarh by Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh and all visitors to Mandi are expected to pass through the station.
They have observed a 30-50 per cent fall in levels of ambient seismic noise since schools and businesses were closed in mid-March. Seismologists around the world have now begun a collaborative effort to study the fall in seismic noise levels.
What is seismic noise? In geology, seismic noise refers to the relatively persistent vibration of the ground due to a multitude of causes.
It is the unwanted component of signals recorded by a seismometer– the scientific instrument that records ground motions, such as those caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and explosions.
Causes: This noise includes vibrations caused due to human activity, such as transport and manufacturing, and makes it difficult for scientists to study seismic data that is more valuable. Apart from geology, seismic noise is also studied in other fields such as oil exploration, hydrology, and earthquake engineering.
How do the reduced noise levels help scientists? The seismic noise vibrations caused by human activity are of high frequency (between 1-100 Hz), and travel through the Earth’s surface layers. Usually, to measure seismic activity accurately and reduce the effect of seismic noise, geologists place their detectors 100 metres below the Earth’s surface.
However, since the lockdown, researchers have said that they were able to study natural vibrations even from surface readings, owing to lesser seismic noise.
Due to lower noise levels, scientists are now hoping that they would be able to detect smaller earthquakes and tremors that had slipped past their instruments so far.
They are planning to build a comprehensive solution that includes application programming interfaces (APIs) and operating system-level technology to assist in enabling contact tracing.
Need for: Contact tracing is considered essential for bringing epidemics under control, and is expected to help governments in relaxing lockdown orders. Identifying people at the onset of symptoms and promptly isolating them reduces exposure to other persons.
Via contact tracing, people who have come into contact with a person carrying a disease are alerted and identified. Additionally, prompt isolation and admission of the symptomatic person to a treatment facility decreases the delay to supportive treatment, which improves the likelihood of survival.
What is Contact tracing? The World Health Organization (WHO) defines contact tracing as the process of identifying, assessing, and managing people who have been exposed to a disease to prevent onward transmission.
How will the coronavirus new technology by Google and Apple work? Phone-based matching via official apps will help alert people if they have come in contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19. For this to work, COVID-19 patients would have to declare their status to the respective apps voluntarily.
Following this, all people whose Android/iOS smartphones were detected nearby such patients, would get notified. This means, you will be notified even if you were around a stranger who has tested positive for the disease.
Next, Bluetooth-based contact tracing will be built into the Android and iOS platforms, and users would be able to use the feature without downloading an app.
Trump has accused China of taking advantage of the US through the World Trade Organisation (WTO), saying that if Beijing is considered a ‘developing country’, the US should be called one too.
Should China still be classified as a developing nation? What are the implications? China became a WTO member in 2001. By 2011, China became the second-largest economy in GDP terms, the first largest merchandise exporter, the fourth largest commercial services exporter and the first destination for inward FDI among developing countries.
So if China is forced to take on the duties of a developed country and forego the benefits of a developing country, the West could soon ask other developing countries that are ahead of China (at least in per capita terms) to do the same.
Who are the developing countries in the WTO? There are no WTO definitions of “developed” and “developing” countries. Members announce for themselves whether they are “developed” or “developing” countries. However, other members can challenge the decision of a member to make use of provisions available to developing countries.
What are the advantages of “developing country” status? Developing country status in the WTO brings certain rights. Developing country status ensures special and differential treatment (S&DT) or provisions which allow them more time to implement agreements and commitments, include measures to increase trading opportunities, safeguard their trade interests, and support to build capacity to handle disputes and implement technical standards.
WTO norms for recognition of Developed, Developing and LDCs: Under the WTO system, generally, countries are designated as developed, developing, and least developed countries (LDCs). The uneven level of development between developed and developing countries in the WTO is a well-recognised fact.
Article XVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)recognises that attaining the objectives of this agreement would require facilitating the progressive development of those countries that can only support low levels of development and are at the early stages of development.
Accordingly, countries self-designate themselves as ‘developing country’ to take advantage of provisions like Article XVIII of GATT and other special and differential treatment (S&DT) provisions in the WTO agreements.
These provisions are aimed at increasing trade opportunities for developing countries, ensuring longer transitional periods to comply with WTO obligations, and affording technical assistance to countries, among other things.
What are “special and differential treatment” provisions? Longer time periods for implementing Agreements and commitments, Measures to increase trading opportunities for developing countries, Provisions requiring all WTO members to safeguard the trade interests of developing countries,
Support to help developing countries build the capacity to carry out WTO work, handle disputes, and implement technical standards, and Provisions related to least-developed country (LDC) Members.
The concept of non-reciprocal preferential treatment for developing countries that when developed countries grant trade concessions to developing countries, they should not expect the developing countries to make matching offers in return.
Demands by developed countries: For sometime now, developed countries, mainly the US, have been asking the WTO to end the benefits being given to developing countries.
Nearly two-thirds of the members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have been able to avail themselves of special treatment and to take on weaker commitments under the WTO framework by designating themselves as developing countries.
Significance: Such measures are necessary for mitigating the impact of lockdown on tribal communities.
This will provide much required livelihood support to the tribal gatherers and obviate the movement of middlemen from urban areas to tribal habitations, thus checking any eventuality of spread of corona virus among tribal communities.
What is this scheme all about? The Union Cabinet, in 2013, approved a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for marketing of non-nationalized / non monopolized Minor Forest Produce (MFP) and development of a value chain for MFP through Minimum Support Price (MSP).
This was a measure towards social safety for MFP gatherers, who are primarily members of the Scheduled Tribes (STs) most of them in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) areas.
The scheme had Rs. 967.28 crore as Central Government share and Rs. 249.50 crore as the States share for the current Plan period.
Key features of the scheme: Ensure that the tribal population gets a remunerative price for the produce they collect from the forest and provide alternative employment avenues to them.
Establish a system to ensure fair monetary returns for forest dweller’s efforts in collection, primary processing, storage, packaging, transportation etc, while ensuring sustainability of the resource base. Get them a share of revenue from the sales proceeds with costs deducted.
Coverage: Earlier, the scheme was extended only to Scheduled Areas in eight states and fixed MSPs for 12 MFPs. Later expanded to all states and UTs. Total number of MFPs covered under the list include more than 40 items.
Implementation: The responsibility of purchasing MFP on MSP will be with State designated agencies.
To ascertain market price, services of market correspondents would be availed by the designated agencies particularly for major markets trading in MFP.
The scheme supports primary value addition as well as provides for supply chain infrastructure like cold storage, warehouses etc. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs will be the nodal Ministry for implementation and monitoring of the scheme. The Minimum Support Price would be determined by the Ministry with technical help of TRIFED.
Significance of the scheme: The Minor Forest Produce (MFP), also known as Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP), is a major source of livelihood and provides essential food, nutrition, medicinal needs and cash income to a large number of STs who live in and around forests. An estimated 100 million forest dwellers depend on the Minor Forest Produce for food, shelter, medicines, cash income, etc.
However, MFP production is highly dispersed spatially because of the poor accessibility of these areas and competitive market not having evolved. Consequently, MFP gatherers who are mostly poor are unable to bargain for fair prices. This package of intervention can help in organizing unstructured MFP markets.
Technically called “convalescent-plasma therapy”, the treatment aims at using the immune power gained by a recovered person to treat a sick person.
But, before understanding more about the therapy, let’s see how our immune system works? When a pathogen like novel coronavirus infects, our immune systems produce antibodies.
Like the police dogs, the antibodies span out to identify and mark the invading virus. White blood cells attach the identified intruders, and the body gets rid of the infection.
But, what are antibodies? Antibodies are one of the front-line immune response to an infection by a microbe. They are a particular type of proteins secreted by immune cells called B lymphocytes when they encounter an invader, such as a novel coronavirus.
The immune system designs antibodies that are highly specific to each invading pathogen. A particular antibody and its partner virus are made for each other.
How plasma therapy works? Blood is drawn from a person who has recovered from COVID-19 sickness. The serum is separated and screened for virus-neutralizing antibodies. Convalescent serum, that is the blood serum obtained from one who has recovered from an infectious disease and especially rich in antibodies for that pathogen, is then administered to a COVID-19 patient. The sick acquires passive immunisation.
When was it previously used? How effective has it been? We have effective antibiotics against bacterial infection. However, we do not have effective antivirals. Whenever a new viral outbreak takes places, there are no drugs to treat it. Hence, the convalescent serum has been used during past viral epidemics. 2009–2010 H1N1 influenza virus pandemic. The Ebola outbreak in 2018.
How long the antibodies will remain in the recipient? After the antibody serum is given, it will stay on the recipient for at least three to four days. During this period, the sick person will recover. Various studies have confirmed this.
Difference between this therapy and vaccination? This therapy is akin to passive immunization. When a vaccine is administrated, the immune system produces the antibodies.
Here, the effect lasts only up to the time the antibodies injected remain the bloodstream. The protection given is temporary.
Whereas, Vaccination provides lifelong immunity. For example, the mother transfers antibodies through breast milk to an infant before the child could build her own immunity.
Related fact: In 1890, Emil von Behring, a German physiologist, discovered that the serum obtained from a rabbit infected with diphtheria was effective in preventing the diphtheria infection. Behring was awarded the first-ever Nobel prize for medicine in 1901.
Background: The Reliance Power’s Ultra Mega Power Project’s (UMPP) in Sasan area of Singrauli fly ash dyke collapsed recently. The flood of the toxic ash slurry from the collapsed dyke located in adjoining Harhawa village washed away six persons, including three kids, a woman and two men living in the adjoining villages.
What is Fly Ash? Popularly known as Flue ash or pulverised fuel ash, it is a coal combustion product.
Composition: Composed of the particulates that are driven out of coal-fired boilers together with the flue gases.
Depending upon the source and composition of the coal being burned, the components of fly ash vary considerably, but all fly ash includes substantial amounts of silicon dioxide (SiO2), aluminium oxide (Al2O3) and calcium oxide (CaO), the main mineral compounds in coal-bearing rock strata.
Minor constituents include: arsenic, beryllium, boron, cadmium, chromium, hexavalent chromium, cobalt, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, selenium, strontium, thallium, and vanadium, along with very small concentrations of dioxins and PAH compounds. It also has unburnt carbon.
Health and environmental hazards: Toxic heavy metals present: All the heavy metals found in fly ash nickel, cadmium, arsenic, chromium, lead, etc—are toxic in nature. They are minute, poisonous particles accumulate in the respiratory tract, and cause gradual poisoning.
Radiation: For an equal amount of electricity generated, fly ash contains a hundred times more radiation than nuclear waste secured via dry cask or water storage.
Water pollution: The breaching of ash dykes and consequent ash spills occur frequently in India, polluting a large number of water bodies.
Effects on environment: The destruction of mangroves, drastic reduction in crop yields, and the pollution of groundwater in the Rann of Kutch from the ash sludge of adjoining Coal power plants has been well documented.
However, fly ash can be used in the following ways: Concrete production, as a substitute material for Portland cement, sand. Fly-ash pellets which can replace normal aggregate in concrete mixture. Embankments and other structural fills. Cement clinker production – (as a substitute material for clay). Stabilization of soft soils. Road subbase construction.
As aggregate substitute material (e.g. for brick production). Agricultural uses: soil amendment, fertilizer, cattle feeders, soil stabilization in stock feed yards, and agricultural stakes. Loose application on rivers to melt ice.
Loose application on roads and parking lots for ice control.
The issues which impede its full-scale utilization in India: Indian fly ash is primarily of the calcareous or class C variety,implying that it possesses not only pozzolanic, but also hydraulic (self-cementing) properties. In contrast, European fly ash is of a silicious or class F variety, implying an absence of hydraulic properties. The pricing of fly ash is increasingly becoming a contentious issue that is hampering its gainful utilisation.
Imperfections typical of quasi-markets,such as information asymmetry and high transaction costs, vested interests, technical and technological limitations, and the lack of regulatory oversight and political will, have impeded the flow of fly ash to its most value-adding use.
Observed on 10th April 2020. It commemorates the 265th birth anniversary of Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of Homoeopathy.
The theme of 2020 is “Enhancing the scope of Homoeopathy in Public Health”. What is Homeopathy? The way to heal by the doctrine of ‘similia similibus curantur’ i.e likes are cured by likes.
The homeopathic medical system is a recognized medical system in India under the Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973. It is also recognized as one of the national systems of medicines.
It is a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
Established under Technology Development Board Act, 1995 It provides financial support to Indian companies for commercialization of indigenous technology or adaptation of imported technology.
About CAT: The Central Administrative Tribunal was established by an Act of Parliament namely Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 as sequel to the 42nd amendment of the Constitution of India inserting Article 323 A.
Functions: The tribunal adjudicates disputes and complaints with respect to Recruitment and Conditions of Service of the persons appointed to the Public Services and Posts in connection with the affairs of the Union or any State or of any other Local Authorities within the territory of India or under the control of the Government of India.
Composition: The Tribunal is headed by the Chairman and 65 Members, 33 from Judicial (including Chairman) and 33 from the Administrative stream. The Chairman is normally a retired Chief Justice of a High Court.
YUKTI stands for Young India Combating COVID with Knowledge, Technology and Innovation.
The portal aims to monitor and record the efforts and initiatives of MHRD which have been taken in the wake of COVID-19.
What are Primordial Black Holes (PBH)? Primordial Black Holes (PBH) were formed during the Hot Big Bang phase. It is believed that they are formed as a result of collapsing radiations as opposed to the collapse of massive stars, which is the case of any other black holes.
PBH can be massively large as 3000kms or be extremely tiny like nucleus of an atom.
Virosomes are enveloped virus like particles. They are lipid-based carriers (envelopes) containing the functional fusion viral proteins and natural membrane proteins of the natural virus.
These lipid-based viral envelopes can be combined with additional rationally designed antigens and adjuvants for each specifics vaccine or immunotherapies.
Virosomes based vaccines are designed to maintain the immunogenicity of a live-attenuated virus but with the safety of a killed virus. The virosomes are devoid of the nucleocapsid and without the genetic material of the source virus, they are unable to replicate, cause an infection or a disease.
It is an indigenous herbal medication (dewormer).
It was recently brought out by National Innovation Foundation India (NIF) in form of commercial product for livestock owners as an alternate to chemical method of treatment of worm.