Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE) Observatory

Context:

• DAE Inaugurates MACE, Asia’s Largest and World’s Highest Imaging Cherenkov Observatory, at Hanle, Ladakh

About MACE Observatory:

• MACE is the largest imaging Cherenkov telescope in Asia.
• Located at an altitude of ~4,300 m, it is also the highest of its kind in the world.
• The telescope is indigenously built by BARC with support from ECIL and other Indian industry partners.
• MACE Observatory is a monumental achievement for India, and it places our nation at the forefront of cosmic-ray research globally.
• This telescope will allow us to study high-energy gamma rays, paving the way for deeper understanding of the universe’s most energetic events.
• The significant role that MACE project plays not only in advancing scientific research but also in supporting the socio-economic development of Ladakh.
• MACE project would inspire future generations of Indian astronomers, scientists, and engineers.
• The inauguration of the MACE telescope marks a significant step forward for Indian astrophysics and cosmic-ray research.
• Situated at an altitude of ~4,300 m, the MACE telescope will observe high-energy gamma rays, contributing to global efforts to understand the most energetic phenomena in the universe, such as supernovae, black holes, and gamma-ray bursts.
• This facility will also complement global observatories, strengthening India’s position in the field of multi messenger astronomy.
• Looking ahead, the MACE project aims to foster international collaborations, advancing India’s contributions to space research and bolstering India’s position in the global scientific community.
• The observatory will also serve as a beacon of inspiration for future generations of Indian scientists, encouraging them to explore new frontiers in astrophysics.

Trachoma

Context:

• India has eliminated trachoma as a public health problem: WHO

News:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has now recognised that India has successfully eliminated trachoma, a bacterial infection that affects the eyes, as a public health problem.
• The UN health body announced that India is the third country in South-East Asia Region to reach this important public health milestone.

About Trachoma:

• Trachoma is a bacterial infection that affects the eyes.
• It is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia Trachomatis.
• Trachoma is contagious, spreading through contact with the eyes, eyelids, nose or throat secretions of infected people, if left untreated it causes irreversible blindness.
• WHO has termed Trachoma as a neglected tropical disease.
• Trachoma is found in underprivileged communities living in poor environmental conditions.
• Trachoma was amongst the leading cause of blindness in the country during 1950-60.
• The Government of India launched the National Trachoma Control Program in 1963 and later on Trachoma control efforts were integrated into India’s National Program for Control of Blindness (NPCB).
• In 1971, blindness due to Trachoma was 5% and today, owing to the various interventions under the National Programme for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment (NPCBVI), it has come down to less than 1%.
• WHO SAFE strategy was implemented throughout the country wherein SAFE stands for adoption of surgery, antibiotics, facial hygiene, environmental cleanliness etc.
• As a result, in 2017, India was declared free from infective Trachoma.
• However, surveillance continued for trachoma cases in all the districts of India from 2019 onwards till 2024.
• The National Trachomatous Trichiasis (TT only) Survey was also carried out in 200 endemic districts of the country under NPCBVI from 2021-24, which was a mandate set by WHO in order to declare that India has eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem.
• All the reports were compiled in a specific dossier format by the NPCBVI team and were shared with the WHO country office for final scrutiny.
• Finally, after years of fighting against Trachoma, WHO declared that India has eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem.

Why is the textile industry struggling to perform better?

What caused the slump in the Indian textile sector in the last two financial years?

Introduction:

• Union Minister for Textiles recently said that the Indian textile and apparel sector is aiming for a total business of $350 billion annually by 2030, which is to generate 3.5 crore jobs.
• However, the industry went through a tumultuous phase during the last two financial years, casting a shadow on the possibility for 10% CAGR.

Present status:

• The size of the Indian textile and apparel industry was estimated to be $153 billion in 2021, with almost $110 billion contributed by domestic business.
• In FY22, India was the third largest textile exporter globally, enjoying a 5.4% share.
• India is also said to have the second largest manufacturing capacity, with a robust capability across the value chain.
• The sector’s contribution to GDP is close to 2.3% (FY21) and 10.6% of total manufacturing Gross Value Added (GVA) in FY23.
• About 105 million people are employed by the textile and garment units, directly and indirectly.
• For an industry that has 80% of its capacity spread across MSMEs and is sensitive to international developments as it is strongly linked to global markets, FY2021-2022 saw tremendous growth with $43.4 billion exports.
• However, slowdown in demand that started in 2022-2023 only worsened in FY24 with a slump in exports and domestic demand.
• This impacted manufacturing clusters severely.
• For instance, Tamil Nadu, which has the largest spinning capacity in the country, saw the closure of nearly 500 textile mills in the last two years.
• In Tiruppur, which is a knitwear production destination, many units saw a 40% drop in business in FY23.

Reasons for exports slump:

• Geopolitical developments and a slump in demand in buying countries hit the exporting units.
• This was exacerbated by high raw material prices of both, cotton and Man Made Fibres (MMF), and the growing import of fabrics and garments.
• The imposition of a 10% import duty on cotton has made Indian cotton more expensive compared to international prices.
• In the case of MMF, introduction of quality control orders has disturbed raw material availability and price stability.
• The industry is repeatedly demanding removal of the import duty on cotton at least during the off-season months of April to October.
• This is an industry in which the stakeholders compete in the international market with countries that heavily support their domestic production capabilities.
• So, India needs schemes that run for at least five years and boost investments.
• Raw material should be available for the domestic industry at internationally competitive prices.

Other challenges:

• Apart from policy issues, the industry is also staring at disruptions in its traditional business systems.
• Direct retailing to customers through e-commerce is a trend that is catching on among garment and home textile manufacturers, with more startups entering this space.
• A report notes that “(Foreign) brands are fast-tracking the adoption of ESG sustainability across the supply chain.”
• They are defining their sustainability targets and want to source from vendors who will meet these targets.
• Further, there is a rise in comfort wear, loungewear, and athleisure as the emphasis on comfortable clothing has increased among consumers.
• Even in the domestic market, much has changed in the way business is done.
• Customers in rural and semi-urban areas prefer to shop in multi-brand outlets or hyper markets. They do not want to step into outlets of less known brands.

Way forward:

• The industry is looking at a $100 billion investment across various segments of the value chain by 2030 to augment production capacities and meet the $350 billion target.
• Labour constitutes roughly 10% of the production cost in the textile sector.
• The industry has no option but to look at technology and skilling of its workforce to improve productivity and reduce wastages.

Forests nearly the size of Ireland lost in 2023, says study

Context:

• Deforestation continued last year at a rate far beyond pledges to end the practice by 2030, according to a major study.

More info:

• Forests nearly the size of Ireland were lost in 2023, according to two dozen research organisations, NGOs and advocacy groups, with 15.7 million acres of trees felled and burned.
• This “significantly exceeded” levels that would have kept the world on track to eliminate deforestation by the end of the decade, a commitment made in 2021 by more than 140 leaders.
• Forests are home to 80% of the world’s terrestrial plant and animal species and crucial for regulating water cycles and sequestering CO2, the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming.
• Globally, deforestation has gotten worse, not better, since the beginning of the decade.
• We are only six years away from a critical global deadline to end deforestation, and forests continue to be chopped down, degraded, and set ablaze at alarming rates.
• In 2023, 9.1 million acres of tropical primary forest – particularly carbon rich and ecologically biodiverse environments – disappeared, a figure that should have fallen significantly to meet the 2030 objective.
• In high-risk regions, researchers pointed to backsliding in Bolivia and in Indonesia.
• The report said there was an “alarming rise” in deforestation in Bolivia, which jumped 351% between 2015 and 2023.
• In Indonesia, deforestation slumped between 2020-2022 but started rising sharply last year.

MicroRNAs

Context:

• The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun
• The scientists won the esteemed prize for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation

About microRNAs:

• MicroRNAs, or miRNAs, are small, non-coding molecules of RNA.
• They are typically around 19-24 nucleotides long and play an important role in determining how much messenger RNA (mRNA), which carries genetic information, eventually gets translated into protein.
• The body makes proteins in a complex process with two broad steps.
• In the transcription step, a cell copies a DNA sequence into messenger RNA (mRNA) in the nucleus.
• The mRNA moves from the nucleus, through the cell fluid, and attaches itself to the ribosome.
• In the translation step, another type of RNA called transfer RNA (tRNA) brings specific amino acids to the ribosome, where they are linked together in the order specified by the mRNA to make the protein.
• Micro RNA, or miRNA, regulates the production of proteins by bonding with and subsequently silencing the mRNA at an appropriate juncture.
• The process is called post-transcriptional gene regulation.

Applications:

• A single micro-RNA can regulate the expression of many genes, and alternatively a single gene can also be controlled by multiple micro-RNAs.
• This leads to fine tuning of different types of cells despite similar genetic information.
• Abnormal regulation by microRNA can contribute to cancer, and mutations in genes coding for microRNAs have been found in humans, causing conditions such as congenital hearing loss, eye and skeletal disorders.
• However, there are no clear applications of miRNAs yet. Understanding them is the first step towards further research.

Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs)

Context:

• Consumption of ultra-processed and fast foods leading cause of diabetes in India, reveals new study

More info:

• A diet rich in advanced glycation end products (AGEs) – which includes ultra-processed and fast foods – is among the leading cause of India being the world’s diabetic capital notes a first-of-its-kind clinical trial finding.
• The study found that low-AGE diets exhibited improvement in the insulin-sensitivity and reduction in the inflammatory levels compared to high-AGE diets.
• The study for the first time in India revealed that low AGE diets could be a potential strategy to reduce diabetes risk.
• AGEs: Harmful compounds that are formed when sugars react with fats or proteins during high-temperature cooking, like frying or roasting – are directly linked to inflammation, a key factor behind diabetes.
• Studies on the subject, earlier studies from the west demonstrated an increased risk for chronic diseases due to the consumption of highly processed foods that are high in fat, sugar, salt, and potentially toxic compounds known as AGEs.
• This current study has shown that consumption of AGE-rich foods leads to inflammation in the body, an underlying cause of diabetes.
• This is because glycation – a non-enzymatic chemical process in which a sugar molecule binds to a protein or lipid molecule – can result in harmful reactions in the body.
• It recommends that by following low-AGE diet (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat milk) overweight and obese individuals can reduce oxidative stress in their bodies, which refers to the imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants that result in inflammation and cell damage.
• The high-AGE foods included those prepared by roasting, deep-frying, and shallow-frying, while the low-AGE foods included those cooked by boiling and steaming, in a short span of time.
• The low-AGE diet can also lower risk of future type 2 diabetes.
• By adopting healthier diets such as green leafy non starchy vegetables, fruits, boiled foods rather than fried ones and cutting down on bakery foods and sugary foods one can have diets which are low in dietary AGE’s and thus lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• It means going back to the healthier diets that our forefathers ate.