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
Articles Sources
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