UPSC QUIZ 03.06.2024

Explanation:

• The over-politicization of Indian higher education is in the news these days because it is having a profound impact on academic life and autonomy of institutions.
• It is deeply rooted in the history of Indian education and has increased in intensity in recent years.
• At present, academic freedom and intellectual discourse in India are being hindered, due to which the demand for comprehensive reforms in the education system in India has also emerged as an important issue.

Current Status of Higher Education in India

• In India, higher education refers to tertiary level education pursued after completing 12 years of schooling. It has the second largest higher education system in the world, comprising over 58,000 higher education institutions.
• Currently, India has 43.3 million students enrolled for higher education. Of these, around 79% of students are enrolled in undergraduate courses, 12% in postgraduate (master’s degree) courses, and only 0.5% in PhD courses. Most of the remaining students are pursuing sub-degree diploma programmes

Explanation:

• A recent study has revealed that tobacco use is becoming the most widespread cause of many diseases and deaths. It affects not only those who use it but also those who cultivate it.
• To tackle the tobacco industry, we need to understand the current trends of tobacco use and consumption, for which the latest data is required.Tobacco is the most widely recognised preventable cause of disease and death in the world.
• India has the world's second-highest (after China) number of tobacco consumers, with nearly 26 crore people.

Key Facts about Tobacco Usage

• Tobacco kills up to half of its users who don’t quit.
• Tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year, including an estimated 1.3 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke.
• In India, nearly 1.35 million die every year due to use of tobacco.
• Around 80% of the world's 1.3 billion tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries.
• In 2020, 22.3% of the world’s population used tobacco

Explanation:

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has recently launched a pair of miniature satellites, called CubeSats (6U) to measure the heat lost from the Earth's poles.
• The PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission aims to fill a critical gap in understanding the planet's energy budget by studying the heat emissions from the Earth's poles.
• The mission involves two CubeSats equipped with thermal infrared spectrometers to measure the amount of infrared and far-infrared radiation emitted from the Arctic and Antarctica.
• This data will help scientists better understand the balance between incoming and outgoing heat, which is crucial for predicting changes in the Earth's ice, seas, and weather patterns.A cube satellite (cubesat) is a standardized, low cost, small satellite design typically used for technological demonstration and research.
• It is a Nanosatellite - weighs less than 10 kgs.These are relatively inexpensive and can be launched in larger numbers, making them a valuable tool for scientific research and technology demonstrations.

Explanation:

• Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru have made a significant breakthrough in the mass production of recombinant proteins by utilising Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).
• This advancement is crucial for producing essential substances like vaccine antigens, insulin, and monoclonal antibodies.

Recombinant Proteins

• Recombinant proteins are proteins engineered in the lab by inserting the gene coding for the protein into bacterial, viral, or mammalian cells.
• Typically, these proteins are produced in large bioreactors using the cells of a specific yeast which contains a unique promoter, called the alcohol oxidase (AOX) promoter.
• The AOX promoter can be activated by methanol to produce recombinant proteins in large quantities.

Explanation:

• National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru has been conferred with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2024 Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion. Dr. Pratima Murthy, the director of NIMHANS, received the award.
• The award was conferred on NIMHANS at a special ceremony at the Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly in Geneva on Friday, 31 May 2024, The Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly President, Dr Edwin Dikoloti of Botswana and the WHO’s Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus were present on the occasion.The World Health Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the WHO, and its annual meeting is held at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.