• Union Cabinet approves Rs 1,250 cr for India's participation in Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) Project.
• SKAO is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to radio astronomy, headquartered in United Kingdom.
  • SKAO will consist of one global observatory, operating two telescopes, across three sites.
    • Two SKA telescopes will be at radio-quiet sites in South Africa and Australia. 
    • They will operate as one large unit.
  • They are expected to be operational by 2029. 

• Objectives of SKAO: 
  • Understand about the birth of Universe. 
  • Detect Gravitational Waves. 
    • A gravitational wave is an invisible ripple in space.
  • Understand the evolution of Galaxies, Dark matter and Cosmic Magnetism.

• India joined SKAO in 2012 as an Associate Member and has actively participated in the pre-construction phase of the SKA telescopes.
  • In 2022, the National Centre for Radio Astronomy, Pune and SKAO signed cooperation agreement. 
  • Giant Metre wave Radio Telescope (GMRT) is playing role in SKAO. 

• Significance for India: Will allow Indian astronomers direct access to the best radio astronomy facility in the world in the future.
  • Also, it will drive growth of technologies several key areas, ranging from antennas and electronics to data and software, including areas like artificial intelligence.

• OSIRIS REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security-Regolith Explorer) is embarking on a new mission as OSIRIS-APEX (Apophis Explorer)

• Recently, OSIRIS REx delivered a sample from asteroid Bennu. 

• OSIRIS-APEX 
  • It will study Apophis when it will be closest to Planet Earth i.e. 20000 miles.
    • Apophis is an S-type asteroid made of silicate materials and nickel-iron.
  • The mission aims to observe the physical changes in asteroid Apophis induced by Earth’s gravitational pull.
  • Space Agency: NASA

• NASA launched Peregrine Lunar Lander to explore Moon’s Bay of Stickiness.
• Mission is part of Nasa's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, which partners with commercial entities to deliver payloads to Moon.
• Scientific goals of mission include:
  • To analyze lunar exosphere.
  • Assess thermal properties and hydrogen content of lunar regolith.
  • Study magnetic fields etc.
• Bay of Stickiness (also known as Sinus Viscositatis region), an area on moon, lies adjacent to Gruitheisen Domes near Oceanus Procellarum, or Ocean of Storms.

• Japanese spacecraft SLIM landed on the moon, making Japan the fifth country to reach the lunar surface. 
  • The other four countries are India, United States, Russia, and China.

• About SLIM 
  • It successfully demonstrated pinpoint technology for landing.
    • This technology enables landing within 100 m of a target. 
    • Because of achieving this feat, it is also referred as Moon Sniper. 
  • Objective: Acceleration of the study of the Moon and planets using lighter exploration systems. 
  • Agency: Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

• India to use SpaceX Falcon-9 Rocket to Launch Communications Satellite GSAT-20 in 2024
• For the first time, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) will launch a communication satellite on a SpaceX rocket. 

• About GSAT -20 (Renamed as GSAT-N2) 
  • GSAT-20 is a high- throughput Ka-band Satellite which will be fully owned, operated and funded by NSIL.
  • The satellite, weighing 4700 kg, has been specifically designed to meet the demanding service needs of remote and unconnected regions.
    • It is much heavier than launch capacity of ISRO’s most powerful rocket; LVM-3 (which can launch spacecraft weighing up to 4000 kg into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit).
  • GSAT-20 will be the second “demand driven” satellite launch enabled by NSIL.
    • Previously, NSIL successfully undertook its 1st Demand-driven satellite mission, GSAT-24, with TataPlay purchasing its capacity for Direct-To-Home broadcasting.

• According to India's 2020 space sector reforms, NSIL is required to build, launch, own, and operate satellites in a "Demand-driven mode."
  • In the "Demand-driven" mode, when a satellite is launched, it is known in advance who the end customers will be. 
  • Previously, the mode was more "supply-driven," where capacity was leased after the satellite launch.

NewSpace India Limited (NSIL)

• NSIL (incorporated in March 2019) is commercial arm of ISRO.
• It is a Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Department of Space.
• Presently, NSIL owns and operates 11 communication satellites in orbit.

• Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), ISRO developed FEAST, a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software. 
  • FEA is a computerized method for predicting how a product reacts to real-world forces.
• FEAST will be used to perform FEA of various types of structures including rockets, aircraft, satellites, buildings, etc.
  • So far, users have mostly depended on expensive software versions from foreign firms for this function.
• VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), is the lead centre of ISRO responsible for the design and development of launch vehicle technology.

• A team of researchers have developed a method to model the kilonova explosion.

• About Kilonova Explosion: 
  • A kilonova is a bright blast of electromagnetic radiation that happens when two neutron stars or a neutron star and a stellar-mass black hole collide and merge.
  • A neutron star is formed when a star having a mass more than 1.44 times that of the Sun (as per Chandrasekhar limit) blows off its gaseous envelope in a supernova explosion. 
    • They are among the densest objects in the cosmos.

• Cyber security researchers have issued a warning about this new malware.
• Chameleon Trojan attaches itself to legitimate Android apps to avoid detection and runs code in the background.
  • It uses 'Accessibility service' on Android devices to disable biometric authentication methods like fingerprint and face unlock to steal the phone’s PIN.
  • It uses stolen PIN to unlock the device and steal more sensitive information like credit card passwords, login credentials, etc.

• SpaceX, an American company, launched the first batch of Starlink satellites with “Direct-to-Cell” capabilities.
• Direct-to-Cell satellites have an advanced eNodeB modem onboard that acts like a cellphone tower in space.
  • Current communication system is based on the land based tower for transferring signals.
• It allows Starlink to deliver direct satellite broadband connectivity on smartphones anywhere on Earth. 
• It will also connect Internet of Things (IoT) devices with common LTE (Long-Term Evolution) standards.
  • IoT refers to a network of physical devices embedded with sensors, software and network connectivity that allows them to collect and share data.

• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) notified revised pharma manufacturing rules. 
• Rules will ensure good manufacturing practices  (GMP) and requirements of premises, plant, and equipment for pharmaceutical products.
  • Revised rules are notified under Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 and will be called Drugs (Amendment) Rules, 2023.
  • Schedule M prescribes GMP for pharmaceutical products and includes requirements of facilities and their maintenance, personnel, manufacture, control and safety testing, storage and transport of material, written procedures and records, traceability, etc.

• Key highlights of the revised rules
  • Include new categories of drugs: pharmaceutical products containing hazardous substances such as sex hormones, steroids, cytotoxic substances; biological products; radiopharmaceuticals; phytopharmaceuticals; and investigational pharmaceutical products for clinical trials for humans.
  • Implementation: 6 and 12 months for large manufacturers (over Rs 250 crore turnover) and MSMEs (less than Rs 250 crore turnover) respectively.
  • Provision for informing the licensing authority about drug recall (presently no such mechanism for informing).
  • Other changes introduced: A pharmaceutical quality system, quality risk management, a computerised storage system for all drug products etc.

About GMP

• GMP ensures that products are consistently produced and controlled according to set quality standards.
• WHO has established detailed guidelines for GMP.
• In India, GMP system was first incorporated in 1988 in Schedule M of Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, and were revised in 2018, bringing them on par with WHO standards.

• Havisure-India’s first indigenously developed Hepatitis A vaccine launched. 
• Havisure was developed by Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
• Havisure is a two-dose vaccine wherein first dose is administered at above 12 months of age and second dose is given at least after 6 months of the first dose. 
  • It is also recommended for individuals who are at risk of exposure or travel to the regions with high hepatitis A prevalence.
• Hepatitis is an inflammation of liver that is caused by a variety of infectious viruses and non-infectious agents.
  • There are five main strains of hepatitis virus i.e. A, B, C, D and E.

• Initiatives taken to prevent Hepatitis
  • National Viral Hepatitis Control Program 2019 to eliminate Hepatitis C in India by 2030.
  • Mission Indradhanush 2014 provides vaccination against Hepatitis B along with 7 other infections.
  • World Hepatitis Day (28 July every year).

• Two prominent institutions under Ministry of Ayush namely National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) have launched 'SMART 2.0'.
• SMART 2.0 (Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda Research in Teaching Professionals) Program
  • It aimed to promote robust clinical studies in priority areas of Ayurveda with Ayurveda academic institutions/ hospitals across the country through mutual collaboration. 
• Earlier launched SMART 1.0 aimed to boost scientific research in priority healthcare research areas through Ayurveda colleges and hospitals. 

• WHO’s International Classification of Diseases 11 (ICD-11) now introduced Module 2 (ICD 11 TM 2). 
• Module 2 of the supplementary chapter on traditional medicine conditions under ICD 11 is dedicated to Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani (ASU) data and terminology. 
  • It encompasses more than 500 codes. Infectious diseases like Malaria and lifestyle diseases like chronic insomnia are also included. 
• ICD is the international standard for systematic recording, reporting, analysis, interpretation, and comparison of mortality and morbidity data.
  • It also includes a dedicated chapter on traditional medicine. 
  • Previously, ICD-11 included Module-1 which covers traditional medicine conditions originating in ancient China, which is now commonly used in Japan, Korea etc.
  •  ICD-11 came into effect in January 2022.

• Significance of ICD-11
  • Provides a list of diagnostics categories to collect and report on traditional medicine conditions in an internationally comparable manner.
  • Link traditional medicine practices with global conventional medicine’s norms and standard development.
  •  Enable integration of traditional medicine into insurance coverage and reimbursement systems, in line with WHO objectives relating to universal health coverage.

• World Health Organization (WHO) Global report on Trends in prevalence of Tobacco use 2000–2030 released.
• India is world's second biggest tobacco producer after China.
  • Globally, there are 1.25 billion adult tobacco users.
  • Nearly 267 million adults (15 years and above) in India are users of tobacco.
  • Major tobacco producing states: Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Telangana, and Bihar.
  • Tobacco is a drought-tolerant, hardy and short-duration crop which can be grown on soils where other crops cannot be cultivated profitably.

• Key findings of report
  • Decline in tobacco use with about 1 in 5 adults worldwide consuming tobacco in 2022 compared to 1 in 3 in 2000.
  • At least 37 million adolescents aged 13–15 years are current users of some form of tobacco – 25 million boys and 12 million girls.

• Impact of Tobacco use
  • Kills more than 8 million people each year due to risk of heart disease, lung disorders, cancer etc., including an estimated 1.3 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke.
  • As per WHO, smoking costs world's economies more than US$ 1 trillion annually in healthcare expenditure and lost productivity.
  • Deforestation due to its cultivation.
• India’s initiatives to control Tobacco use: National Tobacco Control Programme, Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019, Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act 2003, National Tobacco Quit Line Services etc.

Global Initiatives to control tobacco use WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) adopted in 2003.  India ratified it in 2004. MPOWER measures introduced by WHO.

• World Economic Forum is set to begin session on novel ‘Disease X’.

• About ‘Disease X’
  • It is a theoretical term and "X" refers to "unexpected”. 
  • WHO introduced Disease X in 2018 to represent an unknown pathogen that could cause a serious international epidemic. 
  • WHO has placed Disease X alongside other high-priority diseases such as Ebola and Zika virus in its awareness campaigns.

• Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), has established a ‘Bio-Imaging Bank’ for cancer. 
  • Through it, the hospital is utilizing deep learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to craft a cancer-specific tailored algorithm that aids in early-stage cancer detection. 
• BIB aims at creating a robust repository encompassing radiology and pathology images. 
  • It will be linked with clinical information, treatment specifics date etc. 
  • This will be also used for training, validation, and rigorous testing of AI algorithms for early detection of cancer.

• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced new treatment regimen for Leprosy.

• About Leprosy (Hansen’s disease)
  • Cause: It is a chronic infectious disease which is caused by a type of bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae.
  • Affects: Skin, peripheral nerves, mucosa of upper respiratory tract, and eyes.
  • Transmission mode: Droplets, from the nose and mouth, due to close contact with untreated cases.
  • Treatment: Curable with multidrug therapy.
  • Classification: into two types for treatment purposes,
    • Pauci-Bacillary (PB) cases have fewer bacteria visible and show no signs of advanced disease in biopsies.
    • Multibacillary (MB) patients have visible bacteria and may show signs of more advanced disease in biopsies

• About new treatment regimen announced
  • Ministry has decided to introduce a three-drug regimen for Pauci-Bacillary (PB) cases of leprosy in place of a two-drug regimen for six months.
  • Multi-drug therapy (MDT), as recommended by WHO, consists of three drugs - dapsone, rifampicin and clofazimine.

• Recent Steps Taken
  • National Strategic Plan (NSP) & Roadmap for Leprosy (2023-27) to achieve zero transmission of leprosy by 2027.
  • National Leprosy Eradication Programme a centrally sponsored scheme under National Health Mission.
    • Nikusth 2.0 Portal, an integrated portal for leprosy case management.

Status of leprosy in India

• India has achieved elimination of leprosy as a public health problem as per WHO criteria of less than 1 case per 10,000 population at National level in 2005.
• Prevalence Rate at national level has decreased to 0.45 per 10,000 population in 2021-22 as compared to 0.69 per 10,000 population in 2014-15.

• A two-month old girl, diagnosed with BBS, became the youngest to receive bone marrow transplant from a voluntary donor. 
• BBS, also known medically as Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), is a rare genetic disorder affecting the immune system.
  • A baby with SCID completely lacks a functional immune system and is extremely vulnerable to severe and life-threatening infections.
  • Babies born with SCID lack white blood cells, including lymphocytes (T-cells and B-cells), which fight infections.
  • Most common treatment is a stem cell transplant (bone marrow transplant).

• JSW Steel has constructed 1 km long four lane steel slag road section on NH-66 (Mumbai-Goa).
  • Earlier, Border Roads Organization has also constructed a steel slag road in Arunachal Pradesh.
• This project falls under the initiative of the Waste to Wealth and Clean India Campaign

• Steel Slag Road Technology
  • The slag is generated from a steel furnace burning in the form of molten flux material as an impurity.
  • Steel slag is a non-metallic, glassy material consisting of calcium, magnesium, manganese, and aluminium silicates and oxides in various combinations.
  • During the road construction, steel slag is processed to remove impurities and metal content. 
  • These processed steel slag aggregates exhibit superior mechanical properties compared to natural aggregates. 
  • The road includes bituminous and cement concrete steel slag sections on both the right-hand and left-hand carriageways. 

• Benefits
  • Cost Efficiency: Steel slag roads offer approximately 30% cost savings compared to traditional road construction.
  • Durability: Steel slag's robust properties ensure roads built with it surpass the lifespan of conventional roads.
  • Abundant Availability: India, as the world's second-largest steel producer, has abundant access to steel slag, facilitating widespread use in infrastructure projects.
  • Environmental Friendliness: The innovative process significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to a greener approach in road construction.
  • SDG 9 Contribution: Embracing steel slag roads contributes to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 9, promoting resilient infrastructure and sustainable industrialization.
  • Temperature Resilience: With a melting point over 200 degrees Celsius, steel slag is resistant to temperature variations, suitable for diverse climates.

• An American company has developed a fuel ANEEL (named after India’s scientist, Dr Anil Kakodkar).
• ANEEL is a mix Thorium and Uranium of a certain level of enrichment, called HALEU (High Assay Low Enriched Uranium).
  • HALEU has an enrichment level of  5-20%, whereas most current reactors are enriched up to 5%.

• Potential Benefits
  • ANEEL can be used in the existing Pressurized Heavy-Water Reactors (PHWRs) of India’s nuclear fleet.
  • Reduction in nuclear waste etc.