Geneticist Helen Hobbs found that when people had a mutation in PCSK9, they ended up with lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol.This mechanism of mutation protected people against heart disease without any side effects. She had won the 2016 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for discovery of a mutation in a gene… Continue reading A lifetime of finding genes to counter heart disease
Category: Daily Factly articles
Amrut Cities–Municipal Corporations of Raigarh, Ambikapur, and Kumbakonam Bag Top Swachhata Excellence Awards
AMRUT cities and Municipal Corporations of Raigarh, Ambikapur and Kumbakonam have bagged the first, second and third prizes respectively of Swachhata Excellence awards 2019. DAY-NULM Swachhata Excellence Awards have been instituted by Ministry of Housing and urban affairs to recognize the Urban local bodies(ULBs) working towards achieving sanitation outcomes with their communities and promoting dignified… Continue reading Amrut Cities–Municipal Corporations of Raigarh, Ambikapur, and Kumbakonam Bag Top Swachhata Excellence Awards
No change in China’s stance
China has declined to back India’s appeal to list Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the United Nations following Pulwama attack. China has repeatedly used its veto power at 15 member UN Security council(UNSC) to block the listing of Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the 1267 Sanctions Committee. The UNSC… Continue reading No change in China’s stance
India revokes Most Favoured Nation status granted to Pakistan
India has revoked the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to Pakistan in the aftermath of the terror attacks in Pulwama. Most Favoured Nation is a treatment accorded to a trade partner to ensure non-discriminatory trade between two countries vis-a-vis other trade partners. Under WTO rules, a member country cannot discriminate between its trade partners. If… Continue reading India revokes Most Favoured Nation status granted to Pakistan
Government hikes minimum selling price of sugar
Government has increased the minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar to support the oversupply hit sugar industry. MSP is the minimum price paid to the farmers for procuring food crops.It is announced by the Government at the beginning of the sowing season. There are two objectives of the Minimum Support Price system (a)To prevent distress… Continue reading Government hikes minimum selling price of sugar
India’s fastest Vande Bharat Express to be flagged off by PM Narendra Modi tomorrow
India’s first semi-high speed train Vande Bharat Express (Train 18) will be flagged off by Prime Minister. Train 18 is India’s first indigenously built engineless train capable of running at a speed of up to 160 kmph,It is also being referred to as a successor to the 30-year-old Shatabdi Express. The fully air-conditioned semi-high speed… Continue reading India’s fastest Vande Bharat Express to be flagged off by PM Narendra Modi tomorrow
PM Modi to give first instalment of Kisan scheme to 1 crore
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM-KISAN) will be formally launched on 24th February in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. The scheme was announced in the interim Budget 2019-20. Under the scheme, a direct income support of Rs 6,000/annum will be provided to small and marginalised farmers. The financial assistance will be directly transferred to the… Continue reading PM Modi to give first instalment of Kisan scheme to 1 crore
Centre to bring 13 % of large dams under World Bank’s dam rehabilitation project
The Indian government has decided to increase the percentage of large dams under Dam Safety Rehabilitation and Improvement Project project(DRIP) to 13%. At present, 4% of dams are under the project. The project was launched in 2012 by the Central Water Commission (CWC) under Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation. It is… Continue reading Centre to bring 13 % of large dams under World Bank’s dam rehabilitation project
Wasted effort: half of India’s waste-to-energy plants defunct
According to an analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment, 7 out of 15 waste-to-energy (WTE) plants in India are not functional. It has also stated that the existing plants are working below capacity. A waste-to-energy plant is a facility which converts non-biodegradable waste to generate electricity through the process of incineration. The reasons… Continue reading Wasted effort: half of India’s waste-to-energy plants defunct
EU, India to jointly invest Rs 323 crore on 7 water projects
European Union,through its research and innovation programme ‘Horizon 2020’and Indian Government has decided to jointly invest on seven research and innovation projects The key focus areas of these projects include a)improving the quality of drinking water,b) waste c) water management,d) real-time monitoring and control systems and (e) Ganga rejuvenation. The projects seeks to develop innovative… Continue reading EU, India to jointly invest Rs 323 crore on 7 water projects
