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Posted 17 May 2024

Updated 18 May 2024

8 min read

NPPA

NPPA has cut down prices of various medicines related to diabetes, blood pressure, asthma etc.

About NPPA

  • It was constituted by a government of India resolution in 1997, as an independent Regulator for pricing of drugs.
  • Ministry: Attached office of Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers.
  • Functions:
    • Implement and enforce the provisions of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order
    • To monitor the availability of drugs, identify shortages, if any, and to take remedial steps. 
    • Advise the central government on changes/ revisions in the drug policy. 

 

  • Tags :
  • NPPA
  • pricing of drugs

Co-lending

The Finance Ministry has asked the State Bank of India to form a committee to tackle co-lending issues.

About Co-lending/ Co-origination

  • It is an arrangement where multiple lenders partner to provide loans to borrowers
    • This helps increase lending capacity and reduces risk for individual lenders.
  • As per RBI, banks and NBFCs can co-lend loans to priority sectors, with a minimum 20% credit risk on NBFCs, and the rest on banks.
  • Banks are not allowed to enter into co-lending arrangement with an NBFC belonging to the promoter Group.

 

  • Tags :
  • Co-lending
  • Co-origination

Insurance Surety Bonds

NHAI Organises Workshop on Implementation of Insurance Surety Bonds in National Highway Contracts.

About ISB

  • ISB  are legally enforceable three-party contracts comprising:
    • 1st party: Principal (the beneficiary).
    • 2nd party: Contractor 
    • 3rd party: Surety Provider (The Insurance Company).
  • ISBs provide the Principal with the financial guarantee that the Contract will be completed as per mutual agreed terms between the Principal and the Contractor.
  • Government has made ISB at par with Bank Guarantees.
  • Wider adoption of such instruments will help to strengthen infrastructure development in the country.
  • Tags :
  • Surety Bonds
  • bank guarantees

Nor'westers

India is working to develop its first research testbed to study Nor’westers.

About  Nor'westers 

  • These are extremely severe evening thunderstorms accompanied by squally winds.
  • Triggered by daytime landmass heating in March and April, in eastern India (Bihar, jharkhand, West Bengal, etc.).
  • It's also called ‘Kalbaisakhi’, a calamity of the month of Baisakh. 
    • In Assam, these storms are known as “Bardoli Chheerha”.
  • These showers are useful for tea, jute, and rice cultivation.

 

  • Tags :
  • Nor Westers
  • Kalbaisakhi
  • Bardoli Chheerha

Mitogenome

A latest study on South African Leopards mitogenome has revealed details about their possible origin.

About Mitogenome

  • It is a small circular chromosome found inside the mitochondria.
    • Mitochondria are considered as the powerhouse of the cell and generate the energy necessary to power cells.
  • Built of double-stranded DNA similar to nuclear genome and are entirely maternal in nature.
    • Nuclear genomes are inherited equally from both parents.
  • Tags :
  • Mitogenome
  • Mitochondria

Plunging Region

A study at Oxford University Physics provided the first observational proof of ‘plunging regions’ as per Einstein’s theory.

About Plunging region

  • It is an area around Black Hole where matter stops circling the black hole and instead falls straight in.
    • It was predicted by Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity which states that it is impossible for particles to safely follow circular orbits sufficiently close to a black hole.
  • Plunging regions exert some of the strongest gravitational forces in the galaxy.
  • Tags :
  • Black Hole
  • Plunging Region
  • Theory of General Relativity

LUPEX

India-Japan joint moon mission Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX) is likely to take flight in few years.

About LUPEX

  • Aimed at exploring the Moon for water and other resources and gaining expertise in exploring the surface of the Moon.
  • It is an international cooperative project, with the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) responsible for the lunar rover, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) handling the lander.
    • Observation instruments from NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) will also be mounted on the rover.
  • Tags :
  • ISRO
  • JAXA
  • LUPEX

RoseTTAFold

RoseTTAFold, an AI software prediction tool, has the potential to revolutionize target discovery and understand drug-target interaction better.

About RoseTTAFold

  • Developed at the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington. 
  • Uses generative diffusion-based architectures (an AI model) to predict structural complexes.
  • It is a ‘three-track’ neural network which integrates three types of information namely:
    • Sequential patterns in proteins, 
    • Interplay between amino acids, and 
    • Their probable 3D- configurations. 
  • The model has the ability to predict structures and interactions between any combination of protein, DNA, and RNA.
  • Tags :
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • RoseTTAFold All-Atom
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