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Indian Constitution and Polity:
TN files for contempt against Centre(The Hindu)
Tamil Nadu on Saturday moved the Supreme Court to initiate contempt proceedings against the Union government for its “wilful disobedience” in not implementing the court’s February 16 judgment in the Cauvery dispute.
‘Dilution of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act cannot be allowed’(The Hindu)
Taking strong exception to a recent judgement of the Supreme Court that imposed several restrictions on filing of cases and arrest of persons under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the National Coalition for Strengthening of SC / ST (PoA) Act has urged the Union government to take swift measures to overturn this “dilution of the Act.”
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Science and Technology:
Combating a needle phobia(The Hindu Opinion)
For many people with type 2 diabetes (a condition characterised by the body being unable to effectively use its natural insulin to control blood sugar) the prospect of self-administering injections appears scary. To determine if this anxiety could be handled through psychological counselling, the M.V. Hospital for Diabetes, Royapuram in Chennai recently conducted a study.
Let’s aid innovation(The Hindu Opinion)
Despite cancer being the primary focus of research and development across the world, only seven oncology drugs were introduced in India in the 2010-2014 period. In this time, nearly 50 breakthrough therapies were rolled out globally.
Genetic diversity can prevent rapid spread of infectious diseases(The Hindu)
An infectious disease can spread at different rates in different countries. This phenomenon has been observed in many cases, for instance in the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.
Microbes help in making hydrocarbons(The Hindu)
Scientists at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, have succeeded in engineering the metabolic pathway of Escherichia coli in such way that it would synthesise hydrocarbons of carbon chain length 15 and 17, which are the fundamental components of diesel. The results were recently published in Journal of Metabolic Engineering.
Bronze Age Egyptians’ strategy holds a message for our civilisation(The Hindu)
More than 3,000 years ago the queen of the Hittites, who lived in what is now Turkey, sent a clay tablet to Ramses II, the Egyptian pharaoh, with an SOS: “I have no grain in my lands.”
Masquerade in nature(The Hindu)
Try locating a leaf beetle on a leaf. It’s difficult, and not just because these insects are tiny, barely half the size of our smallest fingernail. They have evolved a unique strategy to blend out of sight: they resemble the feeding marks – holes or scrapes – they make on leaves. This could be to avoid being seen by predators, say scientists.
A new biological ‘switch’(The Hindu)
Scientists have discovered a new metabolic process in the body that can switch off inflammation.
Yesterday’s current affairs material by Forum IAS
7 PM Editorial: The Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill 2017
