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5th Sep Current Affairs News Analysis | Prelims & Mains 2020

KIRAN Helpline
HEADLINES:
Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot to Launch 24×7 Toll-Free Mental Health Rehabilitation Helpline (1800-599-0019) ‘KIRAN’ On 7th September, 2020
WHY IN NEWS:
Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment will launch the “24×7 Toll-Free Mental Health Rehabilitation Helpline “KIRAN” (1800-500-0019)” through virtual mode
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Health
ISSUE:
DEVELOPED BY
- This Helpline has been developed by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
AIM
- The aim is to provide relief and support to persons with Mental Illness.
- The focus will be on distress management, mental well-being, promoting positive behaviors, psychological crisis management etc.
IASbhai WINDUP:
It will function as a lifeline to provide 1st stage advice, counseling and reference to individuals, families, NGOs, Parent Associations, Professional Associations, Rehabilitation Institutes, Hospitals or anyone in need of support across the country.
SOURCES: PIB | 5th Sep Current Affairs News Analysis
Kaziranga set to be expanded
HEADLINES:
Kaziranga set to be expanded by 3,053 hectares
WHY IN NEWS:
Assam govt. approves addition of areas straddling Nagaon and Sonitpur
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: National Parks
ISSUE:
KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK
- The Assam government has approved the addition of 30.53 sq. km ( 3,053 hectares) to the 884 sq. km Kaziranga National Park.
- The additional areas straddling two districts — Nagaon and Sonitpur — would make the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) grow to 1085.53 sq km.
- The core area of the KNPTR is 430 sq km.
CONSERVATION
- The additions include encroachment-evicted areas and suitable wildlife habitat on river islands (sandbars) that are vulnerable to encroachment.
- It is a move to consolidate the wildlife areas anticipating better wildlife conservation and reduction in human-wildlife negative interactions in the future.
- The hills of Karbi Anglong to the south of the park, where the rhino, tiger, deer and other animals take refuge during the floods.
IASbhai WINDUP:
Wildlife activists appreciated the expansion but pointed out that the rhino habitat is yet to be handed over possession of 1,461.59 hectares of land .
SOURCES: PIB | 5th Sep Current Affairs News Analysis
Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine is safe
HEADLINES:
Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine is safe
WHY IN NEWS:
It generated a strong immune response and didn’t produce serious adverse reactions during the trial’
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Health:Diseases
ISSUE:
- The two-shot vaccine being developed by Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute generated a strong immune response.
- It didn’t produce serious adverse reactions in the 76 volunteers who were inoculated in a trial.-Lancet
- This is the first time that details of the early human studies — or Phase-1/2 trials, to check the vaccine’s safety and ability to generate an immune response — of the vaccines have been reported in a peer-reviewed journal.
TWO COMPONENTS
- Both carry the gene for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike glycoprotein (rAd26-S and rAd5-S).
- Adenoviruses commonly affect humans and primates and have emerged as a sought-after platform to develop a vaccine against COVID-19.
- The ChAdOx1 vaccine candidate developed by Oxford University is based on a chimpanzee adenovirus vector platform .
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology and CanSino Biologics Inc. of China too are developing a vaccine on an adenovirus platform.
HUMORAL RESPONSE
- The vaccines were given to the selected volunteers 21 days apart.
- The spacing meant to generate a boosted response .
- However, between 28% and 50% of the volunteers reported pain at injection site, hyperthermia, headache, asthenia and muscle and joint pain.
- “Most adverse events were mild and no serious adverse events were detected,”.
IASbhai WINDUP:
- Russian scientists said they had begun Phase-3 trials of their vaccine in 40,000 volunteers, results of which are likely to be publicly known by November.
- So far, adenoviral vector vaccines have never been tested in commercial human vaccines except for a rabies vaccine.
SOURCES:DownToEarth | 5th Sep Current Affairs News Analysis
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