These current affairs are written in a easy to remember format and are useful for competitive exams like - UPSC Civil Services, UPPSC, BPSC, MPPPSC, State PSCs and other competitive examinations.
What are "Heat Waves" ?
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of likely development of heatwave conditions over multiple states in the country.
A heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature over a location increases by 5 to 6 degrees from normal or rises above 45 degrees Celsius in the plains.
Over the hills, the threshold is 30 degrees Celsius.
Environment
Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)
According to modified guidelines of Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) - the tenure of officials in the vigilance units of government organisations is restricted to three years at one place.
The tenure may be extended to three more years, albeit at a different place of posting.
Undue long stay of an official in a vigilance department had the potential of developing vested interests, apart from giving rise to unnecessary complaints or allegations.
Read More: Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)
Polity
Convalescent plasma
Demand for convalescent plasma has grown steadily over the past one week in Gurugram with sudden spike in COVID-19 cases.
Blood plasma is a yellowish liquid component of blood that holds the blood cells of whole blood in suspension. It is the liquid part of the blood that carries cells and proteins throughout the body. It makes up about 55% of the body's total blood volume.
Convalescent plasma refers to plasma obtained from an individual who has recuperated from an infection.
During the infectious period, the individual's immune system would have mounted an attack on the foreign virus. By the time the virus is vanquished, the body would have developed ammunition specifically to beat the virus, which will be a type of antibody.
These antibodies are suspended in the circulating blood, and can be separated out from one of the components of blood - the plasma.
A donor can donate her plasma up to twice a week with a minimum gap of 48 hours, and a maximum of 24 times in a year in India.
A special medical technology called apheresis, using expensive equipment, is used to draw blood from the patient, separate the plasma out, and return the rest of the blood back into the body.
Science & Tech
"Lab on Wheels" programme
Delhi Technological University's Lab on Wheels programme, have students of the university travelling in a bus across Delhi to teach government school students and underprivileged children.
The idea is to impart education in the fields of Mathematics and Science to those students who come from marginalised and poor economic backgrounds.
It is part of "Education Reaches You" scheme.
Gov. Schemes
Wolf-Rayet stars
Indian astronomers traces rare supernova explosion to rare Wolf-Rayet stars - Wolf-Rayet stars are hottest kind highly luminous objects a thousand times that of the Sun.
Supernovae are highly energetic explosions in the universe releasing an enormous amount of energy.
Science & Tech