TNPSC Current Affairs January 04, 2021

www.tnpsc.academy
– TNPSC Current Affairs January
04, 2021 (04/01/2021)

Topic: Latest Diary of Events

Serum Institute`s Covishield vs Bharat Biotech`s Covaxin

In a significant development, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has formally approved Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech vaccines for restricted emergency use against COVID-19 in India.

Background:

Neither Covishield nor Covaxin has completed the crucial Phase-3 trial, under which a vaccine candidate is administered to volunteers at multiple locations across the country. The approval was based on a recommendation by a Subject Expert Committee which deliberated for two days on granting approvals to the vaccines.

About Covishield:

Covishield has been developed by Oxford University in collaboration with Astrazeneca. Pune-based Serum Institute of India is their manufacturing and trial partner. It uses a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold virus.

This virus causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein.

About Covaxin:

Covaxin is developed by Bharat Biotech and it is India’s first indigenous vaccine against Covid-19. Bharat Biotech has developed this vaccine in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and National Institute of Virology.

It is an inactivated vaccine which is developed by inactivating (killing) the live microorganisims that cause the disease.

This destroys the ability of the pathogen to replicate, but keeps it intact so that the immune system can still recognise it and produce an immune response.

Is it safe?

WHO has welcomed the authorisation but there are many who fear the vaccine and the safety of it all. Surveys have found that many Indians are in no rush to get vaccinated. Experts also believe that more information about the vaccine trials should be published.

What is the process of getting an emergency use authorisation in India?

Experts and activists say India’s drug regulations do not have provisions for a EUA, and the process for receiving one is not clearly defined or consistent.

Despite this, CDSCO has been granting emergency or restricted emergency approvals to Covid-19 drugs during this pandemic for remdesivir and favipiravir.

Topic: Latest inventions on Science and Technology

Banana Grit

Recently, scientists at the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) at Pappanamcode in Kerala have come up with a new product, Banana Grit or Granules, developed from raw Nendran bananas.

CSIR is the largest research and development (R&D) organisation in India.

About Banana Grit:

Banana Grit and its byproduct can improve gut health and is an ideal ingredient in a healthy diet. The concept was introduced to utilise the presence of resistant starch in bananas.

Starch is a white, granular, organic chemical that is produced by all green plants. It is a soft, white, tasteless powder that is insoluble in cold water, alcohol, or other solvents.

In humans and other animals, starch from plants is broken down into its constituent sugar molecules, which then supply energy to the tissues.

Significance:

By diversifying the products sourced from Banana, farmers can fetch better prices for their harvest. It will help in maintaining health and well-being.

Nendran bananas:

Chengazhikodan Nendran Banana, also known as Chengazhikode Banana, is among the most popular traditional fruits cultivated in Thrissur district, Kerala.

This variety of Nendran Banana is famed for its characteristic taste, bunch shape and fruit colour. The crop is mainly cultivated in organic mode and the crop duration is 13-14 months.

The Chengalikodan Nendran banana grown in Kerala got Geographical indication (GI) Tag in 2014. GI refers to any indication that identifies the goods as originating from a particular place, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the goods is essentially attributable to its geographical origin.

Topic: Latest Diary of Events

World Braille Day: January 4

Every year, the World Braille Day is celebrated on January 4 by United Nations and several other international organizations. The day is celebrated to create awareness of the importance of Braille as a means of communication in the realization of human rights for the blind.