News:Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) removed the export restrictions on 24 active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and formulations. These include Vitamins B6, B1, B12, Neomycin, Erythromycin among others. Facts: Background: Amid COVID-19 pandemic, the government had earlier restricted exports of 26 bulk drugs and their formulations to curb shortages in India. Additional Facts: Directorate General… Continue reading Govt frees exports of all APIs, formulations except paracetamol
Category: Factly: Science and Technology
This category contains all Current Affairs Factly Articles for Prelims, related to Science and Technology. You can find all relevant Science and Technology related updates on this page. This page is specifically useful for UPSC Prelims exam.
What is Geo-fencing?
News:The Government of India has planned to use the ‘Geo-Fencing App’ to locate quarantine violators. Facts: Geo-fencing:It is a location-based service which uses GPS, RFID, Wi-Fi or cellular data to trigger a pre-programmed action when a person or device enters or exits a virtual boundary set up around a geographical location known as a geofence.… Continue reading What is Geo-fencing?
GRACE-FO Mission
News:NASA has released new global maps mapping groundwater, soil wetness using GRACE-FO mission satellites. Facts: The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission was launched in 2018.It is a successor to the original GRACE mission which orbited Earth from 2002-2017. Bodies involved:It is a partnership project between NASA and the German Research Centre for… Continue reading GRACE-FO Mission
NASA announces SUNRISE Mission
News:National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced the Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE) Mission. Facts: Objective: To study how the Sun generates and releases solar particle storms into planetary space. SunRISE contains six CubeSats which will observe radio images of low-frequency emission from solar activity and create 3D maps to locate the origin… Continue reading NASA announces SUNRISE Mission
Acute Encephalitis Syndrome(AES)
News:Amid coronavirus outbreak, Acute Encephalitis Syndrome(AES) returns in Bihar. Facts: Acute Encephalitis Syndrome(AES) also known as ‘Chamki Fever’ or Litchi Virus is an umbrella term used for infections that causes inflammation irritation or swelling on the brain. Cause: Viruses, bacteria, fungi and a range of agents.However, Japanese encephalitis(JE) virus is the most common cause of… Continue reading Acute Encephalitis Syndrome(AES)
Explained: What is Rapid Test
News:Kerala government has announced ‘rapid test’ to tackle the suspicion of whether the novel coronavirus has spread into the community. Facts: A rapid test is a speedy test conducted to determine whether there has been any kind of recent viral infection in a person’s body. When a pathogen enters a human body, specific antibodies are… Continue reading Explained: What is Rapid Test
Convalescent plasma therapy
News:US Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of convalescent plasma therapy for patients with serious life-threatening COVID-19 infections. Facts: Convalescent plasma therapy aims to make use of the antibodies developed in the recovered patient against the infections. Under this, whole blood or plasma from recovered patients are taken and then injected into critically… Continue reading Convalescent plasma therapy
Sodium Hypochlorite
News:Several States sprayed sodium hypochlorite solution on migrant workers to sanitise them. Facts: Sodium hypochlorite(NaOCl) is a compound that is used for surface purification, bleaching, odor removal and water disinfection. It is not recommended to be used on human beings as large quantities of chlorine can be harmful for the skin.
Air purifying technology to disinfect State hospitals in COVID-19 fight
News:‘Scitech Airon’, an air purifier, developed under ‘Nidhi Prayas’ programme, will be used to disinfect state hospitals amid coronavirus pandemic. The air purifying technology has been developed by an incubatee company of the Pune-based Science and Technology Park (STP or Scitech Park). Facts: NIDHI-PRAYAS (National Initiative for developing and harnessing Innovation – PRomoting and Accelerating… Continue reading Air purifying technology to disinfect State hospitals in COVID-19 fight
Zoonotic Diseases
News: Since the beginning of the 21st century, there has been emergence and outbreaks of multiple zoonotic diseases. Facts: Definition: Type of disease that passes from an animal or insect to a human. Diseases Features Nipah Host: Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family transmitted to humans from animals (such as bats or pigs), or contaminated foods… Continue reading Zoonotic Diseases
