1. LA NINA

● La Nina is a climate phenomenon characterised by a cooling of the sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial PacificOcean.

● It is one phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in theEarth’s climate system.

● La Nina typically develops during the late summer or early fall and can last for several months, sometimes longer.

● The term “La Nina” translates to “the little girl” in Spanish, often used in contrast to El Niño, which translates to “the little boy.

Key Features of La Nina:

Weather Patterns: The changes in sea surface temperatures and atmosphericpressure can lead to shifts in weather patterns around the globe. For example, LaNiña can result in wetter conditions in the southern United States and drierconditions in the northwest.

Cold Water Anomalies: The central and eastern equatorial Pacific experience adrop in sea surface temperatures, which can be 3-5 degrees Celsius belownormal.

Shifts in Atmospheric Pressure: La Niña is associated with a strengthening of thetrade winds, which blow from east to west across the Pacific. This leads to higheratmospheric pressure in the western Pacific and lower pressure in the easternPacific.

Impact on Global Climate: La Nina can influence global temperature, sometimes offsetting the effects of global warming for short periods.However, it is important to note that La Niña does not halt or reverse the long-term trend of global warming.

Effects of La Nina

La Niña can lead to droughts in some areas and excessiverainfall in others, affecting crop yields and food availability. It can alsoinfluence the distribution and abundance of fish stocks, impacting fisheries.Water Resources: The altered precipitation patterns can lead to watershortages or floods, depending on the region, affecting water supply andwater management systems

Weather Extremes: La Nina can contribute to the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall, storms, and even changes in the path of hurricanes and typhoons.

Economic Impacts: The agricultural, water resource, andweather-related effects of La Niña can have significant economicconsequences, including impacts on food prices, insurance costs, andoverall economic stability.

Public Health: Changes in weather patterns can affect the prevalenceand distribution of diseases, such as malaria, dengue fever, and cholera, which are sensitive to climate conditions.

Prediction and Monitoring:

Scientists use various tools and models to predict the onset and intensity of La Nina events.These include satellite observations, buoy data, and climate models.The NOAA Climate Prediction Centre and other international climate agencies provide regular updates and forecasts to help governments and communities prepare for potential impacts.

2. Iran-Israel War

NEWS

India’s silence on rising tensions between Iran and Israel over the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh reflects its “dilemma” in trying to balance ties with both countries.

War

• Palestinian militant group Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in an Israeli strike in Iran, where he had been attending the inauguration of the country’s new president.
• Timeline of the Iran-Israel Conflict

Threat to Indian Community: There are about 18,000 Indians in Israel and about 5,000-10,000 Indians in Iran, about 90 lakh people are living and working in the Gulf and West Asia region.

Any conflict that expands will end up posing a risk to the Indian community that is based in the region.

Energy Security: The West Asia region contributes to India’s 80 percent of oil supplies, which a potential conflict will impact.

India has been able to minimise the impact of oil prices due to the Russia-Ukraine war by buying Russian oil at discounted prices, but this conflict will have an adverse impact on energy prices.

Investment and Strategic Importance: India has invested in a strategic relationship with major Arab countries, Iran, and Israel.

India sees the region as its extended neighbourhood, and it has been pushing for the INDIA MIDDLE EAST ECONOMIC CORRIDOR which has strategic as well as economic benefits. 

Chabahar in Iran is another strategic economic project, which acts as a gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia — since Pakistan denies land transit to Indian goods.

Any conflict in the region, and the implementation of any US sanctions will also impact India’s plans for Chabahar port. 

In addition, the India-Israel-UAE-US I2U2 initiative and plans to connect Indian cargo routes through the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to Russia could be affected.

Defence Relations with Israel: India has a very deep strategic relationship with Israel, especially in the context of defence and security partnership. 

India’s Neutral Stand

The Gulf Arab states — especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — have emerged as major economic and political partners for India.

Maintaining a Balanced Stand: India’s stakes in the bilateral relationships with both Israel and Iran are huge, India will expect both the countries to avoid military actions that will trigger a dangerous and wider war in the region. 

Based on the Complex Regional Politics: Inter-state and intra-state conflicts in the Middle East are deep and pervasive, and India will have to forever balance its engagement with key regional actors — Egypt, Iran, Israel, Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates — whose orientation and interests are different and often in conflict.

India’s call for de-escalation between Israel and Iran is about recognising the complexity of the region’s politics. 

Non- Ideological Engagement: The non-ideological engagement with the region is a necessary complement to India’s expanding interests in the Middle East.

India’s interests in the region are no longer limited to oil imports and labour exports. 

3.Women Entrepreneurship Programme

About

• The initiative aims to empower 25 lakh women across India, providing them with the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to start and grow successful businesses.

• Divided into two phases, NSDC, with support from the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), will offer free online self-learning entrepreneurship courses through the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) as part of the programme.
• In the next phase, NSDC extends incubation support to 10,000 shortlisted contestants across 100 business models. 

Challenges faced by Women Entrepreneurs in India

• Low risk taking ability: The women in India mostly lead a protected life, are less educated, less trained and get low financial support. Thus, they are not able to bear the amount of risk that is required for running an enterprise.
• Male-Dominated Society: Traditional Indian society is male-dominated, where women are often seen as subordinate to men.  Women are restricted from pursuing entrepreneurial ventures, limiting their growth and prosperity.
• Conflict with Family commitments: Running a business often conflicts with family responsibilities, making it challenging for women to balance both.
• Mobility Constraints: Safety issues and societal expectations restrict their movement for business purposes.
• Access to Technology: Women face challenges in accessing the latest technology and integrating digital solutions into their business models, putting them at a disadvantage compared to male entrepreneurs.

Government Initiatives

• MUDRA Loans: It provides credit specifically for women entrepreneurs. It facilitates financial support for women-led businesses and startups.
• Stand-Up India Scheme: It encourages entrepreneurship among women by providing easy access to financing. It aims to promote self-employment and business ventures led by women.
• Trade Related Entrepreneurship Assistance and Development” (TREAD): The scheme envisages economic empowerment of such women through trade related training, information and counseling extension activities related to trades, products, services etc.
  • Under the scheme, there is a provision for the Government of India to grant up to 30% of the loan/ credit maximum up to Rs. 30.00 lakh as appraised by lending institutions/ banks. 

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)

NSDC was established in 2008, as a not-for-profit public limited company under section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 (now section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013).
– It is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) enterprise working under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India. 
– NSDC aims to promote skill development by catalyzing creation of large, quality and for-profit vocational institutions.

4.Global Traditional Medicine Centre

Context

• Recently, India has pledged USD 85 million over the next decade to support the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre to strengthen the evidence base for traditional medicine and promote its integration into health systems worldwide.

Traditional Medicine in India – India has a rich heritage of traditional medicine that includes Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa, and Homeopathy. Practices 1. Ayurveda and Yoga are practised widely across the country. 2.The Siddha system is followed predominantly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. 3.The Sowa-Rigpa system is practised mainly in Leh-Ladakh and Himalayan regions such as Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling, Lahaul & Spiti – These systems have been integrated into the national healthcare system with institutionalised education and research councils – WHO describes traditional medicine as the total sum of the knowledge, skills and practises indigenous and different cultures have used over time to maintain health and prevent, diagnose and treat physical and mental illness Efforts Made by India – India has established a separate Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy) to promote holistic health and well-being. – It oversees the growth and development of traditional Indian medicines and Homoeopathy with the objective of making accessible, safe, effective, and quality medicines available to the public. – Digital Initiatives and Portals 1. AMAR Portal: Catalogues Ayush manuscripts, with digitised content available. 2. SAHI Portal: Displays medico-historical artefacts. 3. e-Books of Ayush: Digital versions of classical textbooks. 4. NAMASTE Portal: Morbidity statistics from hospitals. 4. Ayush Research Portal: Indexes published Ayush research articles. – Collections and Publications 1. Manuscripts and Library: Over 500 physical manuscripts, rare books from the 15th century AD. 2. Journal: Publishes the Journal of Indian Medical Heritage.

Key Points

• Financial Support: India’s 10-year contribution aims to bolster the WHO’s efforts in traditional medicine research, policy development, and public use. The funding will provide crucial data and evidence related to traditional medicine practices, products, and policies.
• Global Collaboration: By integrating traditional practices and knowledge, we can reach marginalised populations and work toward health for all.
• Shared Vision: The donor agreement aligns with the vision of India and WHO together, aiming to develop the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar, India, as a hub for advancing traditional medicine systems globally.
• Areas of Focus: The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre focuses on five interconnected areas:
  • Research and Evidence;
  • Primary Health Care and Universal Health Coverage;
  • Indigenous Knowledges and Biodiversity;
  • Digital Health Applications;
  • Biennial WHO Global Traditional Medicine Summit and Collaborations;

Efforts by WHO

• It has established the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India to harness their potential through modern science and technology.
• WHO Collaborating Centre: In India, there are approximately 58 WHO Collaborating Centres spanning various disciplines of biomedicine and allied sciences.
  • The National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage (NIIMH), Hyderabad ranks as the third WHO Collaborating Centre in the domain of Traditional Medicine, following the Institute for Teaching & Research in Ayurveda, Jamnagar, and the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY), New Delhi.

5. Retrovirus

Context

• Most viruses can’t really affect the genome but retroviruses can integrate and reshape the genomes of the hosts they infect.

What is Virus?

• A virus is an infectious microbe consisting of a segment of nucleic acid (either DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein coat called capsid.
• Viruses are not considered living organisms because they cannot carry out metabolic processes on their own.
• A virus cannot replicate alone; instead, it must infect cells and use components of the host cell to make copies of itself. 
• Often, a virus ends up killing the host cell in the process, causing damage to the host organism. 
• Well-known examples of viruses causing human disease include AIDS, COVID-19, measles and smallpox.

Retrovirus

• Retroviruses have an RNA genome; can reverse-transcribe it to DNA and thus insert it into the host’s genome.
• This integration can be quite stable, allowing the virus to persist in the host for long periods. 
• Types and Examples: There are several types of retroviruses, including Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which causes AIDS and the Human T-cell Leukemia Virus (HTLV), which is linked to certain types of cancer.

Endogenous Retroviruses (ERVs)

• The retrovirus invasions can sometimes mess up the integration process, causing ‘zombie’ regions in the host’s genome. These parts are called endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). 
  • ERVs usually can’t replicate and produce functional proteins since they lack their regulatory regions.
• If the integrations involve the germ cells — i.e. those that produce the gametes, sperm cells and ova — the host will be able to transmit its ERVs to its offspring. This happens in rare instances. 
• Evolution: Over the tens of thousands of years of mammalian evolution, many retroviruses have left a number of genomic elements in the genome, sort of the genetic fossils of early infections. 
• These elements have long lost the potential to produce viruses but researchers believe they have played a big hand in the evolution of their hosts. 
• Around 8% of the human genome is composed of ERVs.

Influence on Human Genome

• A good example of their influence are the syncytins, a class of genes thought to be descended from an ERV. 
  • Syncytins are important genes involved in placental development; many ERVs are also highly expressed in the placenta.
  • These genes originally came from viruses and were acquired by chance as the mammalian host evolved. 
  • But at some point they became essential for the host because they helped create the placenta.
  • Over time, the original ERV’s envelope gene (env) was thought to be modified or replaced by new versions, forming the syncytin genes as seen today in different mammal species.
• Tumours in colorectal cancer: ERVs are also involved in cell-type differentiation.
  • Researchers suggested that one human ERV element — or a portion of its DNA — called LTR10 significantly affects the formation of tumours in colorectal cancer. 
  • The LTR10 retroelement seems to have been integrated into the genome some 30 million years ago.
• The retroelement’s presence could produce large genomic changes, which could in turn affect the expression of the genes involved in tumour formation.

Significance of the Study

• In future, as research techniques continue to advance, scientists may uncover more wonderful insights into the evolutionary significance of ERVs and their contribution to human biology. 
• Such knowledge will lead to breakthroughs in regenerative medicine, cancer therapies, and personalised medicine, enhancing understanding of human health and evolution.