UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS SIMPLIFIED

Vaccines A vaccine is a biological preparation that develops acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease. Acquired immunity is immunity one develops over a lifetime. It can come from a vaccine, exposure to an infection or disease, or another person’s antibodies (infection-fighting immune cells). When pathogens (germs) are introduced into the body from a vaccine or a disease, the body’s immune system learns to target those germs in the future by making new antibodies. # Types of vaccines Vaccines are made up of viruses or bacteria that are altered or weakened so that they only cause an imitation of the disease and not the disease. There are a variety of different ways to alter or weaken the viruses or bacteria so that vaccination develops immunity instead of serious disease. # Following are the different types of vaccines based on how they are made: Live attenuated vaccines have weakened form of the living viruses in them. They are the closest to natural infections hence they quite effective, but everyone cannot get them because people with weakened immune systems like those undergoing chemotherapy, may have adverse reactions. Examples include MMR, chickenpox, and the flu vaccine nasal spray is also known as FluMist. Toxoid vaccines prevent diseases caused by bacteria that produce toxins (poisons) in the body. These have weakened forms of toxins called toxoids in them. For example, DTaP and Tdap vaccines contain diphtheria and tetanus toxoids, in addition to protection against pertussis. Inactivated vaccines have viruses in inactivated (killed) form. These vaccines produce immune responses, but cannot cause the disease itself.  Examples include hepatitis A, influenza (shot only), polio (shot only), and rabies. Subunit vaccines use only a part of the virus or bacteria instead of the full organism. They contain only the essential antigens from the causative agent, hence they cannot cause illness. An example is pertussis (whooping cough) component of the DTaP vaccine. Conjugate vaccines use part of the coating of bacteria called polysaccharides. It is a type of subunit vaccine which combines a weak antigen with a strong antigen as a carrier so that the immune system has a stronger response to the weak antigen. Examples include hepatitis B, HPV, shingles, pneumococcal (PCV13), and meningococcal (MenACY). # Types of CoVID-19 Vaccines: There are four main types of CoVID 19 vaccinations- Whole virus vaccine: These have the live attenuated and inactivated vaccines types. These require only conventional storage conditions. India’s COVAXIN is an inactivated type. Protein sub-unit vaccine: The viral subunit is mixed with adjuvants to help stimulate an immune response. They are expensive to produce and may require booster doses. NOVAVAX is of such category. mRNA (nucleic acid) vaccine: The RNA code of the SARS CoV-2 virus is inserted into the host cell whose protein machinery interprets it to produce viral antigens. The host body then produces antibodies in response and develops immunity against the SARS CoV-2. These are easy to make and cheaper to produce, but this has never been used by humans before. They require extreme cold storage of -70 degrees Celsius. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are such types. Viral vector vaccine: They also work by giving cells genetic instructions to produce antigens. But they differ from nucleic acid vaccines because they use harmless viral vectors like adenovirus to deliver these instructions. Our cellular machinery is hijacked by them to produce antigens which then trigger the immune response. They require only conventional cold storage. COVISHIELD and Russia’s Sputnik belong to this category.

A dose of science in the vaccination strategy - The Hindu https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/a-dose-of-science-in-the-vaccination-strategy/article38393908.ece

Winter Olympics Winter Olympics is the premier competition for sports that are played on ice or snow. It is held every four years and features participants from across the world. Ice skating, ice hockey, skiing and figure skating are some of the popular sports that are played at the Winter Games. The first Winter Olympics were held in 1924 in Chamonix, France. Winter sports were initially played at the Summer Olympics, with the 1908 London Olympics hosting four figure skating events and Antwerp 1920 having figure skating as well as ice hockey. However, in 1924, a separate event was created for winter sports, called the International Winter Sports Week. It was held in Chamonix, France – the host country for the 1924 Summer Olympics. Two years later, the International Winter Sports Week in Chamonix was officially recognised as the first Winter Olympic Games. This years’ edition of the Winter Olympic Games will be held in Beijing, China from 4th February to 20th February 2022. India has been participating in the Winter Olympics since 1964.

China defends choice of PLA Galwan commander as Olympics torchbearer - The Hindu https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/china-defends-choice-of-pla-galwan-commander-as-olympics-torchbearer/article38393150.ece

Camilla should be Queen when Prince Charles becomes King, says Queen Elizabeth II - The Hindu https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/camilla-should-be-queen-when-prince-charles-becomes-king-says-queen-elizabeth-ii/article38387277.ece

Officials: Russia at 70 % of Ukraine military buildup - The Hindu https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/officials-russia-at-70-of-ukraine-military-buildup/article38388042.ece

Goods and Services Tax (GST) * The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a value-added tax  levied on most goods and services sold for domestic consumption. * The GST is paid by consumers, but it is remitted to the government by the businesses selling the goods and services. *  GST is applicable on ‘supply’ of goods or services as against the old concept on the manufacture of goods or on sale of goods or on provision of services. *  GST is based on the principle of destination-based consumption taxation. * It is a dual GST with the Centre and the States simultaneously levying tax on a common base. GST to be levied by the Centre is called Central GST (CGST) and that to be levied by the States is called State GST (SGST). * Import of goods or services would be treated as inter-state supplies and would be subject to Integrated Goods & Services Tax (IGST) in addition to the applicable customs duties. * CGST, SGST & IGST are levied at rates to be mutually agreed upon by the Centre and the States. The rates are notified on the recommendation of the GST Council. # The Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act * An Act to provide for compensation to the States for the loss of revenue arising on account of implementation of the goods and services tax in pursuance of the provisions of the Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016. #GST Council * It is a constitutional body  under Article 279A. * It makes recommendations to the Union and State Government on issues related to Goods and Service Tax and was introduced by the Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016. * The GST Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and other members are the Union State Minister of Revenue or Finance and Ministers in-charge of Finance or Taxation of all the States. * It is considered as a federal body where both the centre and the states get due representation. # Every decision of the Goods and Services Tax Council shall be taken at a meeting by a majority of not less than three-fourths of the weighted votes of the members present and voting, in accordance with the following principles, namely: * The vote of the Central Government shall have a weightage of one third of the total votes cast, and * The votes of all the State Governments taken together shall have a weightage of two-thirds of the total votes cast in that meeting.

Finance Minister to discuss aviation fuel’s inclusion in GST regime with States - The Hindu https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/finance-minister-to-discuss-aviation-fuels-inclusion-in-gst-regime-with-states/article38388806.ece

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission It aims to provide digital health IDs for all Indian citizens to help hospitals, insurance firms, and citizens access health records electronically when required. The pilot project of the Mission had been announced by the Prime Minister from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 15th August 2020. # Features of the Mission: Health ID: It will be issued for every citizen that will also work as their health account. This health account will contain details of every test, every disease, the doctors visited, the medicines taken and the diagnosis. Health ID is free of cost, voluntary. It will help in doing analysis of health data and lead to better planning, budgeting and implementation for health programs. Healthcare Facilities & Professionals’ Registry: The other major component of the programme is creating a Healthcare Professionals’ Registry (HPR) and Healthcare Facilities Registry (HFR), allowing easy electronic access to medical professionals and health infrastructure. The HPR will be a comprehensive repository of all healthcare professionals involved in delivering healthcare services across both modern and traditional systems of medicine. The HFR database will have records of all the country’s health facilities. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission Sandbox: The Sandbox, created as a part of the mission, will act as a framework for technology and product testing that will help organisations, including private players intending to be a part of the national digital health ecosystem become a Health Information Provider or Health Information User or efficiently link with building blocks of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. # Implementing Agency: National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

National Health Authority The National Health Authority or the NHA is responsible for implementing India’s flagship public health insurance/assurance scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). NHA has been set-up to implement the PM-JAY at the national level. In the States, SHAs or State Health Agencies in the form of a society/trust have been set up with full operational autonomy over the implementation of this scheme including extending the coverage to non SECC beneficiaries. # Functions of NHA From 2018-2019, the organization was under the control of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. After 2019, the organization became independent and answerable to its own board of experts and policy makers. The organization's primary activity is to manage the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY),which is a national health insurance program in India.  Other goals include improving access to health information and data for the public sector and supporting the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority.

Weighing in on a health data retention plan - The Hindu https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/weighing-in-on-a-health-data-retention-plan/article38389337.ece

Smart cities: Smart city application like traffic management, Instant weather update, local area broadcasting, energy management, smart power grid, smart lighting of street, water resource management, crowd management, emergency response etc can use a reliable 5G wireless network for its functioning. Smart farming: 5G technology will be used for agriculture and smart farming in the future. Using smart RFID sensors and GPS technology, farmers can track the location of livestock and manage them easily. Smart sensors can be used for irrigation control, access control and energy management. Mission critical applications: Like telemedicine services, remote control of critical infrastructure and vehicles. It has the potential to transform industries with highly reliable, low latency link. Better Governance: Better speed and connectivity would reduce red tapism. It will enhance speedy completion of projects and better implementation of policies. It will enable accountability in the system through a better monitoring system and will reduce corruption. Employment generation: 5G wireless technology will open greater opportunity for new device manufactures and application developers. New VoIP devices and smart devices will be introduced in the market and thus more job opportunities as well. This will help in inclusive growth reaping demographic dividend. Enhanced Security: 5G wireless technology is one the best solution for security surveillance due to higher bandwidth and unlicensed spectrum. It will enhance better coordination among various agencies. Smart appliances which can be configured and accessed from remote locations, closed circuit cameras will provide high quality real-time video for security purposes. Logistics and shipping: Logistic and shipping industry can make use of smart 5G technology for goods tracking, fleet management, centralized database management, staff scheduling and real-time delivery tracking and reporting. Industrial Growth: Future industries will depend on smart wireless technologies like 5G and LTE advanced for efficient automation of equipment, maintenance, safety, tracking, smart packing, shipping, logistics and energy management. Agricultural applications: 5g technology can be used for agriculture and smart farming in future. Using smart RFID sensors and GPS technology, farmers can track location of livestock and manage them easily. Smart sensors can be used for irrigation control, access control and energy management. Healthcare and mission critical applications: 5G technology will support medical practitioners to perform advanced medical procedures with reliable wireless network connected to another side of the globe. Doctors can connect with patients from anywhere anytime and advice them when necessary. Scientists are working on smart medical devices which can perform remote surgery. Smart medical devices like wearable will continuously monitor patient’s condition and activate alert during emergency.

5G Technology 5G or fifth generation is the latest upgrade in the long-term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks. 5G enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices.  It’s a unified platform which is much more capable than previous mobile services with more capacity, lower latency, faster data delivery rate and better utilisation of spectrum. # The low, mid, and high-frequency spectrum 5G mainly works in 3 bands, namely low, mid and high frequency spectrum — all of which have their own uses as well as limitations. The low band spectrum has a great promise in terms of coverage and speed of internet and data exchange but the maximum speed is limited to 100 Mbps (Megabits per second). So Telcos can use and install it for commercial cell phone users who may not have specific demands for very high speed internet, the low band spectrum may not be optimal for specialized needs of the industry. The mid-band spectrum offers higher speeds compared to the low band, but has limitations in terms of coverage area and penetration of signals. This band may be used by industries and specialized factory units for building captive networks that can be moulded into the needs of that particular industry. The high-band spectrum offers the highest speed of all the three bands, but has extremely limited coverage and signal penetration strength. Internet speeds in the high-band spectrum of 5G has been tested to be as high as 20 Gbps (giga bits per second), while, in most cases, the maximum internet data speed in 4G has been recorded at 1 Gbps. # Salient Features Capability: 5G will provide much faster mobile broadband service as compared to the previous versions and will provide support to previous services like mission critical communication and the massive Internet Of Things (IoT). Upgraded LTE: 5G is the latest upgrade in the long-term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks. Speed: With peak delivering rate of up to 20 Gbps and an average of 100Mbps, it will be much faster as compared to its predecessors. The speed increment is partly achieved partly by using higher-frequency radio waves than previous networks. Capacity: There will be up to 100 x increase in traffic capacity and network efficiency. Spectrum usage: Will provide better usage for every bit of spectrum, from low bands below 1 GHz to high bands. Latency: It’s expected to have lower latency with better instantaneous, real-time access of the data. The 5G, like 4G LTE, also uses Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) but the new 5G NR (New Radio) air interface will enhance OFDM and provide better flexibility in data delivery. Millimeter wave spectrum: The 5G networks will operate in the millimeter wave spectrum (30-300 GHz) which has the advantage of sending large amounts of data at very high speeds because the frequency is so high, it experiences little interference from surrounding signals. # Applications of 5G technology High-Speed mobile network: 5G will revolutionize the mobile experience with supercharged wireless network. Compared to conventional mobile transmission technologies, voice and high-speed data can be simultaneously transferred efficiently in 5G. Entertainment and multimedia: 5G can provide 120 frames per second, high resolution and higher dynamic range video streaming without interruption. Audiovisual experience will be rewritten after the implementation of the latest technologies powered by 5G wireless. Augmented Reality and virtual Reality services will be better experienced over 5G. Internet of Things:  IoT applications collects huge amount of data from millions of devices and sensors and thus requires an efficient network for data collection, processing, transmission, control and real-time analytics which 5G network is a better candidate.

Fixing frequencies first: On 5G economic payoff in Budget speech - The Hindu https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/fixing-frequencies-first-on-5g-economic-payoff-in-budget-speech/article38389296.ece