- Army gets 27,000 AK-203 rifles through joint venture
- The Indian Army has started receiving the Russian AK203 assault rifles after the deal with Russia so back to back delays.
- As many as 27,000 rifles have been handed over to the army so far by the Indo Russian joint venture established at Korva in Uttar Pradesh.
- Another 8000 will be handed over in the next two week. Indigenization level achieved is around 25%.
- Indo Russian rifles Pvt Ltd is a joint venture set up in 2019.
- Indo-Russian Rifles Private Ltd (IRRPL) was set up jointly between erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board OFB [now Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL) and Munitions India Limited (MIL)] of India and Rosoboronexport (RoE) and concern Kalashnikov of Russia.
2. Critical priority pathogens continue to pose threat: WHO
- Critical priority pathogens present major global threats due to their high burden and ability to resist treatment and spread resistance to other bacteria according to the latest bacterial pathogens priority list updated by the World Health organisation.
- This includes gram negative bacteria resistant to last resort antibiotics and mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to the antibiotic rifampicin.
- The list features 15 families of antibiotic resistant bacteria grouped into critical, high and medium categories for prioritisation.
- In 2017, WHO developed the first BPPL to guide investment into the R&D of new antibacterials and it listed 13 bacterial pathogens (phenotypes).
3. Monsoon sets in over Nicobar, to reach Kerala by May 31, says IMD
- The Southwest monsoon made its onset over the Nicobar Islands which is the southernmost region of the country as per the Indian meteorological department
- The monsoon is expected to reach Kerala by May 31.
- The date of monsoon on set over Kerala has varied widely over the past 150 years the earliest being May 11 in 1918 and the most delayed being June 18 in 1972.
- Last month the IMD forecast above normal rainfall with favourable la Nina conditions expected to set in August September.
- Southwest monsoon normally sets in over Kerala around 1st June. It advances northwards, usually in surges, and covers the entire country around 15th July. The NLM is the northern most limit of monsoon upto which it has advanced on any given day.
4. Renew the generalised system of preferences
- Generalised system of preferences or GSP refers to an approach that has been adopted by nearly all developed countries for roughly the last half century to offer incentives for economic reform in developing countries through lower tariffs.
- It is the oldest and most far reaching approach to aid for trade in the modern multilateral trading system embodied in the World Trade organisation.
- It can play a vital role in establishing stable market access for developing countries that otherwise struggle to tap into global trade flows.
- It is also vital in offering alternatives to Chinese imports and providing an advantage to suppliers in trusted developing country markets.
- It could be a strong statement of the mutual desire of India and the United States As the partnership continues to grow under 2 countries play critical and collaborative roles in the Indo Pacific.
5. HPV vaccine prevents Cervical cancer in deprived groups: study
- The human papilloma virus vaccine is cutting cases of cervical cancer right across the socioeconomic spectrum with most cases being prevented in more deprived group according to a major study funded by cancer research UK.
- Until now there had been concerns that the HPV vaccine could have an unequal impact across society.
- Due to a typically higher incidence of cervical cancer in more deprived group researchers found that more cases were prevented in most deprived group compared t the least deprived group.
- HPV is a group of more than 200 related viruses, of which more than 40 are spread through direct sexual contact. Among these, two HPV types cause genital warts, and about a dozen HPV types can cause certain types of cancer. More than 95% of cervical
- cancer is caused by the HPV virus.
ONE LINER
- R.Mahadevan appointed as Chief Justice of Madras High Court
- India Climbs to 39th position in World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Development Index
- May 23 – World Turtle Day
