Today's Headlines - 26 July 2023
World in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) Day
GS Paper - 3 (Biotechnology)
World IVF Day is observed every year on 25 July to commemorate the birth of the first test tube baby – Louise Brown – who was born on this day in 1978 through the in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) technique. This day celebrates the hope and joy that IVF has brought to millions of couples facing infertility challenges globally.
More about the day
Also known as World Embryologist Day, it serves as a reminder of the groundbreaking advancements in fertility treatments – giving hope to those longing for parenthood.
It raises awareness about infertility issues, encourages open conversations and reduces the stigma around seeking fertility assistance.
In 1978, Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe achieved a milestone by successfully helping a woman give birth to the world’s first test tube baby.
Till date, IVF remains one of the most effective and widely used assisted reproductive technologies.
The name of the first Indian test tube baby is Kanupriya Agarwal (Durga) who was born on 3 October 1978.
Late Dr. Subhash Mukherjee was the first-ever person in India and the second in the world to create a baby through the IVF procedure.
What is IVF?
IVF involves the fertilisation of eggs outside the body, where mature eggs are retrieved from the ovaries and fertilised with sperm in a laboratory setting.
The resulting embryos are then carefully monitored for a few days before being transferred back into the uterus, with the aim of achieving a successful pregnancy.
#upsc #news #todayheadline #fertilisation #IVF #world #vitro #biotechnology #louisebrown #globally #technique #embryologist #robertedwards #patrick #steptoe #kanupriyaagarwal #subhashmukherjee
World in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) Day
GS Paper - 3 (Biotechnology)
World IVF Day is observed every year on 25 July to commemorate the birth of the first test tube baby – Louise Brown – who was born on this day in 1978 through the in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) technique. This day celebrates the hope and joy that IVF has brought to millions of couples facing infertility challenges globally.
More about the day
Also known as World Embryologist Day, it serves as a reminder of the groundbreaking advancements in fertility treatments – giving hope to those longing for parenthood.
It raises awareness about infertility issues, encourages open conversations and reduces the stigma around seeking fertility assistance.
In 1978, Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe achieved a milestone by successfully helping a woman give birth to the world’s first test tube baby.
Till date, IVF remains one of the most effective and widely used assisted reproductive technologies.
The name of the first Indian test tube baby is Kanupriya Agarwal (Durga) who was born on 3 October 1978.
Late Dr. Subhash Mukherjee was the first-ever person in India and the second in the world to create a baby through the IVF procedure.
What is IVF?
IVF involves the fertilisation of eggs outside the body, where mature eggs are retrieved from the ovaries and fertilised with sperm in a laboratory setting.
The resulting embryos are then carefully monitored for a few days before being transferred back into the uterus, with the aim of achieving a successful pregnancy.
#upsc #news #todayheadline #fertilisation #IVF #world #vitro #biotechnology #louisebrown #globally #technique #embryologist #robertedwards #patrick #steptoe #kanupriyaagarwal #subhashmukherjee
Today's Headlines - 04 August 2023
CERT-In flagged Akira ransomware
GS Paper - 3 (ICT)
The central government’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) issued an advisory flagging the emergence of a new ransomware called Akira. The Gurgaon police have also raised an alert about Akira.
What is Ransomware?
Ransomware is essentially a kind of malware — software used to gain unauthorised access to systems to steal data. This data can then be used by cyber criminals to demand a ransom.
Akira targets computer systems that run on Windows and Linux operating systems and is known to spread laterally across networks.
According to the advisory issued by the government, Akira steals personal data, encrypts it, and later extorts money from the victims.
In case a user refuses to pay, the ransomware actors threaten to release their data on the dark web.
What is Akira?
Akira is a new family of ransomware that was used for cyber attacks in the US and Canada in March this year.
This is different from the Akira ransomware that was flagged by Microsoft Defender Antivirus in 2017. In the US, the ransomware was reported to actively target several organisations and expose their sensitive data.
Akira uses a double-extortion technique to exfiltrate and encrypt data to increase the chances of extracting money from its victims.
It was first flagged in April, and a majority of its victims are from the US. The reason you are hearing about Akira right now is because of the number of organisations that it has impacted in the US and the latest advisory from the government.
How is Akira different from other ransomware?
Their routine includes exfiltrating data from hacked networks, then triggering encryption and posting a ransom demand.
Reportedly, once the gang is convinced that it has stolen enough data to extort money from the victim, they deploy Akira’s payload.
They Delete Windows Shadow Volume copies (a technology by Microsoft Windows that creates backup copies) from the devices using a PowerShell command: essential text-based instructions used to perform tasks, and manage systems, files, and settings.
After using the PowerShell command, the ransomware proceeds to encrypt a wide range of data file types and adds ‘.akira’ extension to them.
#upsc #news #headline #CERT #flagged #Akira #ransomware #ict #computer #emergency #police #cyber #linus #darkweb #victims #canada #antivirus #technique #shadow #powershell #system #software
CERT-In flagged Akira ransomware
GS Paper - 3 (ICT)
The central government’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) issued an advisory flagging the emergence of a new ransomware called Akira. The Gurgaon police have also raised an alert about Akira.
What is Ransomware?
Ransomware is essentially a kind of malware — software used to gain unauthorised access to systems to steal data. This data can then be used by cyber criminals to demand a ransom.
Akira targets computer systems that run on Windows and Linux operating systems and is known to spread laterally across networks.
According to the advisory issued by the government, Akira steals personal data, encrypts it, and later extorts money from the victims.
In case a user refuses to pay, the ransomware actors threaten to release their data on the dark web.
What is Akira?
Akira is a new family of ransomware that was used for cyber attacks in the US and Canada in March this year.
This is different from the Akira ransomware that was flagged by Microsoft Defender Antivirus in 2017. In the US, the ransomware was reported to actively target several organisations and expose their sensitive data.
Akira uses a double-extortion technique to exfiltrate and encrypt data to increase the chances of extracting money from its victims.
It was first flagged in April, and a majority of its victims are from the US. The reason you are hearing about Akira right now is because of the number of organisations that it has impacted in the US and the latest advisory from the government.
How is Akira different from other ransomware?
Their routine includes exfiltrating data from hacked networks, then triggering encryption and posting a ransom demand.
Reportedly, once the gang is convinced that it has stolen enough data to extort money from the victim, they deploy Akira’s payload.
They Delete Windows Shadow Volume copies (a technology by Microsoft Windows that creates backup copies) from the devices using a PowerShell command: essential text-based instructions used to perform tasks, and manage systems, files, and settings.
After using the PowerShell command, the ransomware proceeds to encrypt a wide range of data file types and adds ‘.akira’ extension to them.
#upsc #news #headline #CERT #flagged #Akira #ransomware #ict #computer #emergency #police #cyber #linus #darkweb #victims #canada #antivirus #technique #shadow #powershell #system #software
Today's Headlines - 02 September 2023
Chandrayaan-3 confirms Sulphur in lunar surface
GS Paper - 3 (Space Technology)
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said the Pragyan rover's Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope confirmed the presence of sulphur in the lunar surface near the south pole, through the first-ever in-situ measurements. Pragyan is a lunar rover that forms part of Chandrayaan-3, the lunar mission developed by ISRO.
More about discovery
The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard Chandrayaan-3 Rover has made the first-ever in-situ measurements on the elemental composition of the lunar surface near the South Pole.
These in-situ measurements confirm the presence of sulphur (S) in the region unambiguously, something that was not feasible by the instruments onboard the orbiters.
LIBS is a scientific technique that analyses the composition of materials by exposing them to intense laser pulses.
A high-energy laser pulse is focused onto the surface of a material, such as a rock or soil. The laser pulse generates extremely hot and localised plasma.
The collected plasma light is spectrally resolved and detected by detectors such as Charge Coupled Devices. Since each element emits a characteristic set of wavelengths of light when it is in a plasma state, the elemental composition of the material is determined.
Chandrayaan-3 successfully executed a soft landing on the moon on 23 August 2023, making India the fourth nation in the world to achieve a successful lunar landing.
India also marked a milestone by becoming the first country to land near the South Pole, an area believed to harbour significant amounts of water ice.
ISRO on 29 August 2023 said preliminary analyses, graphically represented, have unveiled the presence of aluminium (Al), sulphur (S), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), and titanium (Ti) on the lunar surface.
Further measurements have revealed the presence of manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O). A thorough investigation regarding the presence of hydrogen is underway.
Flashback
The LIBS instrument is developed at the Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS) / ISRO, Bengaluru.
LEOS, situated at Peenya Industrial Estate, Bengaluru, is one of the vital units of ISRO.
It deals with the design, development, and production of attitude sensors for all low Earth orbit (LEO), geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) and interplanetary missions.
It develops and delivers optical systems for remote sensing and meteorological payloads.
#upsc #news #headline #chandryaan #sulphur #lunar #surface #spacetechnology #ISRO #pragyan #laser #spectroscope #southpole #situ #measurment #rover #LIBS #elemental #composition #scientific #technique #materials #laserpulse #rock #soil #plasma #wavelengths #light #chargedevices #softlanding #milestone #waterice #aluminium #calcium #iron #chromium #titanium #silicon #oxygen #manganese #hydrogen #LEOS #GEO #peenya
Chandrayaan-3 confirms Sulphur in lunar surface
GS Paper - 3 (Space Technology)
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said the Pragyan rover's Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope confirmed the presence of sulphur in the lunar surface near the south pole, through the first-ever in-situ measurements. Pragyan is a lunar rover that forms part of Chandrayaan-3, the lunar mission developed by ISRO.
More about discovery
The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard Chandrayaan-3 Rover has made the first-ever in-situ measurements on the elemental composition of the lunar surface near the South Pole.
These in-situ measurements confirm the presence of sulphur (S) in the region unambiguously, something that was not feasible by the instruments onboard the orbiters.
LIBS is a scientific technique that analyses the composition of materials by exposing them to intense laser pulses.
A high-energy laser pulse is focused onto the surface of a material, such as a rock or soil. The laser pulse generates extremely hot and localised plasma.
The collected plasma light is spectrally resolved and detected by detectors such as Charge Coupled Devices. Since each element emits a characteristic set of wavelengths of light when it is in a plasma state, the elemental composition of the material is determined.
Chandrayaan-3 successfully executed a soft landing on the moon on 23 August 2023, making India the fourth nation in the world to achieve a successful lunar landing.
India also marked a milestone by becoming the first country to land near the South Pole, an area believed to harbour significant amounts of water ice.
ISRO on 29 August 2023 said preliminary analyses, graphically represented, have unveiled the presence of aluminium (Al), sulphur (S), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), and titanium (Ti) on the lunar surface.
Further measurements have revealed the presence of manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O). A thorough investigation regarding the presence of hydrogen is underway.
Flashback
The LIBS instrument is developed at the Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS) / ISRO, Bengaluru.
LEOS, situated at Peenya Industrial Estate, Bengaluru, is one of the vital units of ISRO.
It deals with the design, development, and production of attitude sensors for all low Earth orbit (LEO), geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) and interplanetary missions.
It develops and delivers optical systems for remote sensing and meteorological payloads.
#upsc #news #headline #chandryaan #sulphur #lunar #surface #spacetechnology #ISRO #pragyan #laser #spectroscope #southpole #situ #measurment #rover #LIBS #elemental #composition #scientific #technique #materials #laserpulse #rock #soil #plasma #wavelengths #light #chargedevices #softlanding #milestone #waterice #aluminium #calcium #iron #chromium #titanium #silicon #oxygen #manganese #hydrogen #LEOS #GEO #peenya