Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 29 January 2022

SSC CGL Current Affairs

Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 29 January 2022

::NATIONAL::

DCGI approves trials for intranasal booster dose

India’s drugs regulator on Friday approved advanced clinical trials for Bharat Biotech’s intranasal Covid-19 vaccine candidate (BBV154), including as a booster dose for those who have been earlier jabbed with either Covaxin or Covishield, according to people familiar with the development.
The trials for the adenovirus vectored vaccine, to be used as a spray to the nose, will be conducted at nine sites across the country with almost 900 participants in all.
The trial sites identified are All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi and Patna (Bihar), Aatman Hospital, Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Oyster and Pearl Hospitals, Pune, and Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital, Wardha (Maharashtra), PGIMS, Rohtak (Haryana), and Prakhar Hospital, Kanpur, and Rana Hospital, Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), and Jeevan Rekha Hospital, Belagavi (Karnataka).
The approval letter, issued to the Hyderabad-based company by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI, VG Somani, laid down certain conditions for conducting the trials in the country. HT has seen the approval letter.
The phase 3 trials will be conducted as randomised open label multi-center study to compare immunogenicity and safety of BBV154 with Covaxin.
“Firm should submit the safety data of sufficient duration post second dose. Firm is required to constitute a data safety and monitoring board to review the safety data. The formulation intended to be used in clinical trials shall be manufactured using validated procedures under good manufacturing practices conditions and shall have ongoing stability programme…,” reads the approval letter.
Another condition for approval is that the company will be using only Kasauli (Himachal Pradesh) based central drugs laboratory certified batches in the clinical trials.
The company in a statement confirmed the development.
“BBV154 (Nasal covid vaccine) has received approval for phase 3 clinical trials. The trials will evaluate BBV154 nasal vaccine for both the 2 dose primary schedule and booster dose schedule. Intra nasal vaccines are easier to administer in mass immunization campaigns and help reduce / stop transmission,” read the statement.

::INTERNATIONAL::

UN rights chief welcome to visit Xinjiang, only for cooperation: China

China said it welcomes a visit by the UN’s top rights official to Xinjiang but only for exchange and cooperation and not for “political manipulation”, essentially ruling out any probe by the global body to investigate allegations of human rights abuse against Muslim minorities.
China has been accused of running massive internment camps where more than a million people from Muslim minority groups, majority of them Uighurs, have been held in mass detention.
Beijing denies the allegations, saying the camps are for vocational training and deradicalisation.
Responding to questions about a possible visit by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, to Xinjiang, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said an invitation had been issued long ago and was being discussed.
“China welcomes UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Madame Michelle Bachelet to visit China and take a trip to Xinjiang. The invitation was extended a long time ago. Since then, the two sides have maintained communication over this,” Zhao said on Friday.
“China’s position is consistent and clear. The purpose of the visit is to promote exchange and cooperation. We oppose any attempt to exploit this matter for political manipulation,” he added.
To a related question, Zhao said: “I can assure you that Xinjiang enjoys stability and prosperity and residents there lead happy and fulfilling lives with their human rights fully protected.”
The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post had reported on Friday that approval for Bachelet’s visit was given only after the end of the Beijing Winter Olympics - to be held between February 4 and 20 - and on condition that it should be “friendly” and not framed as an investigation.
Beijing also insisted that Bachelet’s office hold off on publishing a report on Xinjiang ahead of the Games, as requested by Washington, anonymous sources told the newspaper.
The report is expected to be the UN’s first comprehensive ruling on the allegations of systematic abuse of rights, which western governments, including the US have called genocide.

::ECONOMY::

India’s ‘bad bank’ gets into action, to acquire ₹82,845 crore NPAs soon

National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL) is ready to acquire stressed assets worth ₹82,845 crore involving 38 non-performing assets (NPAs) in phases -- 15 NPA accounts involving ₹50,335 crore by March 31 and the balance in the next financial year -- officials said, indicating that India’s bad bank is ready to start operations nearly a year after its creation was announced .
“Both NARCL and IDRCL [India Debt Resolution Company Ltd] have been setup to resolve NPAs worth over ₹2 lakh crore in phases,” a finance ministry spokesperson said. The intent to constitute the two entities was announced by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, 2021.
“The high level of provisioning by public sector banks of their stressed assets calls for measures to clean up the bank books. An Asset Reconstruction Company [ARC] and Asset Management Company [AMC] would be set up to consolidate and take over the existing stressed debt and then manage and dispose of the assets… for eventual value realization,” she added in her budget speech on that day.
“All requisite approvals for setting up of NARCL and IDRCL including from RBI [Reserve Bank of India], have now been received and both the companies are ready to commence their business,” Dinesh Kumar Khara, chairman, State Bank of India (SBI) said in a statement.
“This arrangement will be on a ‘Principal-Agent’ basis and final approvals and ownership for the resolution shall lie with NARCL as the Principal. This is as per the structure originally envisaged,” he added. This arrangement will also be in full conformity with provisions of SARFAESI Act as well as outsourcing guidelines of RBI, Khara said. The Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act helps banks in expeditious recovery of NPAs.

::SCIENCE AND TECH::

US scientists regrow frog's lost leg, want to test new technique on humans

A group of American researchers has successfully regrown the missing legs of a frog, using a combination of five drugs, the Daily Mail reported. They now want to test the technique in mammals.
The experiment was carried out on the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) that had limbs missing due to an injury, the Daily Mail report said.
The injured part was enclosed in a silicone cap filed with protein gel filled with the five-drug cocktail, which contained brain derived neurotrophic factor, 1,4-dihydrophenonthrolin-4-one-3carboxylicacid, resolvin D5, a growth hormone and retinoic acid.
Each drug had a different purpose, including reducing inflammation and helping in growth of nerve fibres, blood vessels and muscles.
The ‘bio domes’ were sealed with the solution for just 24 hours, and set in motion the process of regeneration which took 18 months, the Daily Mail reported quoting the researchers.
The adult frog, unable to regenerate limbs naturally, had 'almost fully functional' limbs restored, including boneless toes, which they used to help swim, said the team of researchers which included scientists from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts and Harvard University's Wyss Institute in Boston.

::SPORTS::

Women's Asia Cup hockey: India beat China 2-0 to win consolation bronze

Last edition champions India defeated China 2-0 to win a consolation bronze medal at the women's Asia Cup hockey tournament here.
The Indians left behind the disappointment of their semifinal defeat to Korea and controlled the proceedings in the first two quarters, scoring two goals in the process, to go into half time with a 2-0 lead against China.
They, however, failed to score any more goals in the second half.
The Indians started brightly and earned a couple of penalty corners and from one such situation, Sharmila Devi gave her side the lead in the 13th minute, scoring from a rebound after Gurjit Kaur's initial flick was saved by the Chinese defence.
India continued in the same vein in the second quarter and had the better share of chances.
The Indians kept up the pressure on the Chinese defence with relentless raids and secured another penalty corner in the 19th minute which was converted by Gurjit with a superb drag-flick to make the scoreline 2-0.
The Indians kept up the pressure on the Chinese defence at the start of the fourth and final quarter but failed to create any clear cut chances.
China earned a penalty corner 10 minutes before time but the Indians defended in numbers to thwart any danger to their citadel.