Daily News Descriptions

28 Aug 2024 15:14:04 pm

1.Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)

Why in the news?

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation has granted approval to Siemens Healthineers for the manufacture of RT-PCR testing kits for detection of Mpox.
The kits will be manufactured by the company’s molecular diagnostics manufacturing unit in Vadodara, with a production capacity of one million a year.

About Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO):

It is the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) of India for the medical devices industry.
It is a statutory body established under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
It is responsible for overseeing the import, manufacture, sale, and distribution of medical devices in the country. The CDSCO ensures that medical devices comply with safety, quality, and efficacy standards.
It works under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) is the head of the CDSCO.
Its headquarters are in New Delhi.
Under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, CDSCO is responsible for,
- Approval of new drugs
- Conduct of clinical trials
- Laying down the standards for drugs
- Control over the quality of imported drugs in the country
- Coordination of the activities of State Drug Control Organizations
CDSCO, along with state regulators, is jointly responsible for the grant of licenses for certain specialized categories of critical Drugs such as blood and blood products, I. V. Fluids, Vaccine, and Sera.
It conducts inspections and audits to ensure that medical device companies are complying with regulations related to safety, quality, and efficacy.

Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940:

It regulates the import, manufacture, and sale or distribution of drugs and cosmetics through licenses and permits.
Its main objective is to ensure that the drugs and cosmetics marketed in India are reliable, efficient, and in compliance with national standards.
The associated Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, which were formulated in association with the 1940 Act, provide provisions for classifying medications into schedules and instructions for the storage, sale, presentation, and prescription of each schedule.

2.OPEC +

Why in the news?

Rising consumption of liquid fuels in India, which is expected to touch 6.6 million barrels per day (mb/d) by 2028, and declining crude-oil exports from West Asia due to production cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies (OPEC +) could force Indian refiners to tap resources in the Americas, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has said.

About OPEC +:

It is a group of oil-exporting countries which meets regularly to decide how much crude oil to sell on the world market.
- These nations came to an accord towards the end of 2016 “to institutionalize a framework for cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC producing countries on a regular and sustainable basis.”
- These nations aim to work together on adjusting crude oil production to bring stability to the oil market.
OPEC + controls about 40% of global oil supplies and more than 80% of proven oil reserves.
It comprises OPEC (Organization of the Oil Exporting Countries) countries plus Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mexico, Malaysia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Oman.
At the core of this group are the members of OPEC, which are mainly Middle Eastern and African countries.

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC):

It is a permanent intergovernmental organization of oil-exporting countries.
Its mission is to:
- Coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of its member countries.
- Ensure the stabilization of oil prices in the international oil markets, with a view to eliminating harmful and unnecessary fluctuations.
It was founded in Baghdad, Iraq, with the signing of an agreement in September 1960 by five countries, namely the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.
Currently, it has 12 members, including Algeria, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria, and the United Arab Emirates.
Its headquarters are in Vienna, Austria.

3.Senegal

Why in the news?

Thousands of young Senegalese try to leave the West African country each year to head to Spain, fleeing poverty and the lack of job opportunities. Since the beginning of the year, more than 22,300 people have landed on the Canary Islands, 126% more than the same period last year.

About Senegal:

It is a West African country.
It is located in the Northern and Western hemispheres of the Earth.
It lies in the Sahel region and forms a transitional zone between the arid Sahara desert to the north and the belt of humid savannas to the south.
It is bordered by four countries i.e. Mauritania, Mali, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau. It also shares its borders with Gambia, which is geographically enclaved within Senegal.
Its western border lies with the Atlantic Ocean.
The Senegal river forms the border between Senegal and Mauritania.

Sahel Region

It is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition in Africa between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south.
Sahel is a vast region with a semi-arid climate that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea along the Sahara desert’s southern rim.
It consists of 12 countries and houses 400 million people. Countries lying in the Sahel region are Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, The Gambia, Guinea Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal etc.

4.Nano DAP

Why in the news?

A two-year field experiment on the efficacy of nano diammonium phosphate (DAP) by scientists from the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has found a substantial decrease in wheat yields compared to conventional nitrogen fertilizer application.
A decline in plant height and nutrient content in wheat grain and straw, which is essential for protein production, was also observed.
This research revealed that the efficiency of nano DAP is still unclear, similar to concerns raised about the benefits of nano urea.

About Nano DAP:

It is a unique liquid fertilizer product that contains nanoparticles of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP).
It is a source of nitrogen and phosphorus, the two key primary nutrients essential for the growth of crops.
It contains 8% Nitrogen and 16% Phosphorus by volume.
Unlike conventional DAP, which comes in granular form, IFFCO’s Nano DAP is in liquid form.
It has an advantage in terms of surface area to volume, as its particle size is less than 100 Nanometre (nm).
Advantages:
- Higher Crop Yield: Due to small size and more surface area to volume ratio; seed treatment and foliar application of Nano DAP at critical growth stages enhances nutrient availability to crops.Hence, Crop yield increases due to increase in leaf chlorophyll, photosynthesis, root biomass, number of effective tillers and branches.
- Quality Food: Nutritional quality of harvested food produce was found to be better in terms of protein and nutrient content.
- Reduction in Chemical Fertilizer Usage: Enhanced use efficiency of one bottle (500 ml) of Nano DAP can potentially replace the phosphorus requirement met by conventional DAP by 50%.
- Environment Friendly: Production of Nano DAP is energy and resource friendly. Precision and targeted application of this to crops therefore leads to agriculture sustainability and safety of the environment by reducing soil, air and water pollution.
- It is more pocket-friendly than its conventional counterpart.A 500 ml bottle of Nano DAP, equivalent to a 50-kg bag of conventional DAP
- It is set to significantly reduce this import burden.

5.Indian Grey Wolf

Why in the news?

Wolves are a flagship species for conserving India’s remaining grassland ecosystems.

However, the situation of the Indian wolf is dire. The exact numbers of the Indian wolf are not known, though estimates suggest there are between 2,000 and 3,000 individuals across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

About Indian Grey Wolf:

It is a subspecies of grey wolf that ranges from Southwest Asia to the Indian Subcontinent. Its distribution range extends from the Indian subcontinent to Israel.
It lives in warmer conditions.
It is intermediate in size between the Tibetan and Arabian wolf and lacks the former’s luxuriant winter coat due to it living in warmer conditions.
It travels in smaller packs and is less vocal than other variants.
It is nocturnal and hunts from dusk to dawn
It inhabits areas dominated by scrub, grasslands and semi-arid pastoral agro-ecosystems.
Conservation Status
- IUCN Red List: Least concerned
- Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 : Schedule I
- CITES : Appendix 1
It is threatened by habitat loss, depletion of prey species etc.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN):

It is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.
It was founded in 1948 and has now become the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.

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