India's life expectancy improves
India has seen an improvement in overall life expectancy at birth to 69 years, with women expected to live for 70.4 years and men for 67.8 years, according to the latest Sample Registration Survey (SRS) for 2013-17.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21431-india-s-life-expectancy-improves
#India #expectancy #SRS #Uttarakhand #LifeReport

India looks at Indo-Pacific region
India looks at an open, inclusive and balanced region connected by secure seas, integrated by trade and investment, underpinned by the rule of law, External Affairs Minister S Jaishanakar said in singapore on 9 September 2019, as he sought Singapore's support in addressing the challenges posed by the changing world.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21430-india-looks-at-indo-pacific-region
#India #IndoPacific #SJaishanakar #ASEAN #SMEs #China

India's first trade centre for women
Kerala will set up India’s first international women’s trade centre (iWTC), in consonance with the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs), in Kozhikode.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21429-india-s-first-trade-centre-for-women
#women #iWTC #India #SDGs #Kerala #Vision2020

Ravish Kumar received Ramon Magsaysay Award
Senior Journalist Ravish Kumar on 9 September 2019 received the Ramon Magsaysay award 2019, regarded as the Asian version of the Nobel Prize, in Manila, Philippines.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21428-ravish-kumar-received-ramon-magsaysay-award
#RavishKumar #NDTV #PIU #NobelPrize #RamonMagsaysayAward

Nobel Prize for Medicine 2019
The 2019 Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology was jointly awarded on 7 October 2019 to two Americans and a British scientist, namely William G. Kaelin Jr, Gregg L. Semenza, Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe, for their discoveries of “how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability”.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21648-nobel-prize-for-medicine-2019.html
#NobelPrize #Medicine2019 #British #JamesAllison

India plans to deploy M777s near LAC
India has decided to enhance its artillery firepower along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in eastern Arunachal Pradesh, with the US-made M777 Ultra-Light Howitzers likely to be deployed along the LAC by the year-end. The development comes ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected India visit next week.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21647-india-plans-to-deploy-m777s-near-lac.html
#M777 #LAC #India #HimVijay #Assam #Army #XiJinping

New organic compounds in Enceladus
Data from NASA’s Cassini mission has found new kinds of organic compounds, which have ingredients for amino acids–the key building blocks of life– from the icy plumes of Saturn’s moon Enceladus.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21646-new-organic-compounds-in-enceladus.html
#Neworganic #NASA #JPL #Earth #Cassinimission #moon

UNSC endorses US-Taliban deal
The UN Security Council (UNSC) has adopted a resolution to welcome the recent progress in the peace process in Afghanistan.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23072-unsc-endorses-us-taliban-deal.html
#UNSC #NATO #Taliban #Resolution2513

Coronavirus a global pandemic
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on 11 March 2020 as the new coronavirus, which was unknown to world health officials just three months ago, has rapidly spread to more than 121,000 people from Asia, to Europe, the Middle East and now parts of the United States.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23071-coronavirus-a-global-pandemic.html
#Coronavirus #globalpandemic #WHO #COVID19 #PHEIC

Funds to promote innovation, peace
India is in discussions with the Commonwealth of Nations over the introduction of new targeted funds to promote innovation and peace within the 54 member-countries.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23070-funds-to-promote-innovation-peace.html
#CFTC #CommonwealthofNations #WorldWars #CHOGM

WEF's COVID action platform
With the coronavirus epidemic hurting economic activities globally, the World Economic Forum on 11 March 2020 launched a new platform with the support of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to convene the global business community for a collective action on the COVID-19 response.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23069-wef-s-covid-action-platform.html
#COVID #WEF #CEOs #KlausSchwab #globally

WEF’s YGL list
Byju Classes’ founder Byju Raveendran and Zomato’s co-founder Gaurav Gupta are among the five Indians named by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in its new list of 115 Young Global Leaders (YGL) on 11 March 2020.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23068-wef-s-ygl-list.html
#WEF #YGL #CEOs #SwapanMehra #Byju #NobelPrize

Asian Nobel Prize cancelled
A Philippine peace award has been cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, marking only the third disruption in six decades for the annual prize regarded as an Asian Nobel.
https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23918-asian-nobel-prize-cancelled.html
#nobelprize #ramonmagsaysay #covid19

Nobel Prize In Medicine - 2020
Americans Harvey J. Alter and Charles M. Rice, and British scientist Michael Houghton were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology on 5 October 2020 for the discovery of the hepatitis C virus.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/26313-nobel-prize-in-medicine-2020.html
#NobelPrize #Medicine2020 #hepatitisCvirus #UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

Nobel Prize In Physics - 2020
Three scientists won this year’s Nobel Prize in physics on 6 October 2020 for advancing our understanding of black holes, the all-consuming monsters that lurk in the darkest parts of the universe.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/26341-nobel-prize-in-physics-2020.html
#NobelPrize #Physics2020 #UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

Nobel Prize In Economics - 2020
The Nobel Prize 2020 in Economic Sciences on 12 October 2020 was awarded to Paul R. Milgrom and Robert B. Wilson “for improvements to auction theory and inventions of new auction formats.”
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/26532-nobel-prize-in-economics-2020.html
#NobelPrize #Economics2020 #PaulRMilgrom #RobertBWilson #UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

Today's Headlines - 18 August 2023
IITG produces pluripotent stem cells
GS Paper - 3 (Biotechnology)

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG) in collaboration with scientists from Christian Medical College, Vellore, have reported a method to convert regular human skin cells into pluripotent stem cells. The human body is made of many kinds of cells – nerve cells, heart cells, liver cells, pancreatic cells, and so on, with unique structures and functions.

More about the News

All these distinctive cells originate from stem cells to perform a specific function. Lack of any of this cell type in a human body will result in a disease or disorder.
Thus, stem cells can be programmed to develop into mature functional cells, which can be used to replace damaged cells.
Stem Cells have to be extracted from embryos or parts of the adult human body like the brain or bone marrow, which is challenging from both ethical and practical aspects.
Thus, scientists are exploring techniques to convert ordinary cells, like skin or blood cells, into pluripotent stem cells – stem cells that can be programmed to develop into any other form of an adult cell type. These cells are called Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs).
The most important advantage of iPSCs is their potential to produce patient-specific cells which can be transplanted to the site of injury or the site of tissue degeneration due to various disease conditions, and thereby, eliminate any chance of immune rejection.
The conversion of mature cells into iPSCs was first shown by Prof. Shinya Yamanaka, who won the Nobel Prize in 2012 for his discovery.
How it Prepared

This research involved introducing specific genes into mature cells to convert them into iPSCs.
The researchers have used a safe, integration-free method, and have introduced genes such as OCT3/4, SOX2, KLF4, L-MYC, LIN28 and a p53 shRNA into skin cells to transform them into iPSCs.
The iPSCs produced by the IITG and CMC researchers were versatile, maintained their genetic makeup well, and could potentially differentiate into a range of body cell types.
Additionally, tests confirmed that the DNA structure of the cells was not altered and matched that of the original cells. Importantly, these iPSCs were found to be free from bacterial contamination.
iPSCs are useful for the design of stem-cell therapies for a range of ailments. iPSCs can be programmed to become beta islet cells to treat diabetes, blood cells to treat leukaemia, or neurons to treat disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer’s diseases.
Given the importance and potential of stem cells, the Government of India actively supports stem cell research through the Department of Health Research-Indian Council of Medical Research (DHR-ICMR).
This commitment spans two decades and includes initiatives such as advanced research centres, thematic task forces, and iPSC generation.
The collaboration between IIT Guwahati and CMC Vellore aligns seamlessly with these efforts and India’s endeavour to be at the forefront of stem cell research.

#upsc #news #headline #IITG #pluripotent #stem #cells #biotechnology #technology #guwahati #biotechnology #christian #medical #college #vellore #human #pluripotent #nervecells #pancreaticcells #unique #functions #disease #adult #practical #IPSC #shinyayamanaka #nobelprize #parkinson #alzheimer #diabetes #forces #research #DHR #ICMR #department #taskforces #india

Hidankyo & Hibakusha - Nobel Peace Prize 2024 - Current Affairs by Dr A R Khan - KSG India

https://youtu.be/7OWmVvEWxsI