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  • What are ‘Bio-Computers’ and what can they tell us about the human brain?

    bio-computer

    Central idea: Johns Hopkins University scientists have proposed creation of Bio-Computers’ using a new area of research called “organoid intelligence”.

    Background

    • JHU scientists will harness the processing power of the brain and help understand the biological basis of human cognition, learning, and neurological disorders.
    • Traditional methods of studying the human brain involve using rat brains, which are structurally and functionally different from human brains.

    Building brain organoids in the lab

    • Scientists are building 3D cultures of brain tissue in the lab, called brain organoids, using human stem cells.
    • Brain organoids capture many structural and functional features of a developing human brain and are being used to study human brain development and test drugs.
    • However, brain organoids developed in the lab lack sensory inputs and blood circulation, which limits their growth and sophistication.

    Transplanting brain organoids

    • Scientists have transplanted human brain organoid cultures into rat brains, where they formed connections with the rat brain and were functionally active.
    • However, human brain organoids are still nested in the rat-brain microenvironment, which limits their relevance to humans.

    What is the new “bio-computer”?

    • The JHU researchers’ scheme combines brain organoids with modern computing methods to create “bio-computers”.
    • Brain organoids will be grown inside flexible structures affixed with multiple electrodes to record the firing patterns of neurons and deliver electrical stimuli.
    • Machine-learning techniques will be used to analyze the response patterns of neurons and their effect on human behavior or biology.

    Opportunities for “bio-computers”

    • Brain organoids can be developed using stem cells from individuals with neurodegenerative diseases or cognitive disorders to reveal the biological basis of human cognition, learning, and memory.
    • “Bio-computers” could help decode the pathology of and develop drugs for neurodevelopmental and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and microcephaly.

    Challenges for bio-computers

    • Brain organoids have a diameter of less than 1 mm and have fewer than 100,000 cells on average, limiting their computing capacity.
    • Researchers will have to develop microfluidic systems to transport oxygen and nutrients and remove waste products.
    • The hybrid systems will generate large amounts of data that will need to be stored and analyzed using “Big Data” infrastructure and advanced analytical techniques.
    • An ethics team is proposed to identify, discuss, and analyze ethical issues as they arise in the course of this work.

    Conclusion

    • Biocomputers will harness the processing power of the brain and help understand the biological basis of human cognition, learning, and various neurological disorders.
    • Scaling up brain organoids and developing microfluidic systems and analytical techniques are the key challenges.
    • Ethical issues arising from the development of biocomputers will be analyzed by an ethics team.

     

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  • SWAMIH investment fund and its affordable housing push

    swami

    The Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH) Investment Fund I has raised Rs 15,530 crore so far.

    What is the SWAMIH investment fund?

    • The SWAMIH Investment Fund I is a social impact fund specifically formed for completing stressed and stalled residential projects.
    • The Fund is sponsored by the Ministry of Finance and is managed by SBICAP Ventures Ltd., a State Bank Group company.
    • The Fund is considered as the lender of last resort for distressed projects.

    Who are eligible for this fund?

    It considers-

    • First-time developers,
    • Established developers with troubled projects,
    • Developers with a poor track record of stalled projects,
    • Customer complaints and NPA accounts, and even
    • Projects where there are litigation issues.

    Significance of the funds

    • The Fund’s presence in a project often acts as a catalyst for better collections and sales primarily in projects that were delayed for years.
    • According to the Finance Ministry, SWAMIH Fund has one of the largest domestic real estate private equity teams focused only on funding and monitoring the completion of stressed housing projects.

    How many projects so far have been financed by the Fund?

    • SWAMIH has so far provided final approval to about 130 projects with sanctions worth over Rs 12,000 crore.
    • The Fund has completed 20,557 homes and aims to complete over 81,000 homes in the next three years across 30 tier 1 and 2 cities.
    • The Fund has been able to complete construction in 26 projects and generate returns for its investors.
    • It has also played a critical role in the growth of many ancillary industries in real estate and infrastructure sector having successfully unlocked liquidity of more than Rs. 35,000 crore.
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  • One Nation, One Challan Initiative

    challan

    The Gujarat Govt. informed High Court that it’s setting up virtual traffic courts under ‘One Nation One Challan’ initiative while hearing a PIL on the matter.

    What is the One Nation, One Challan initiative?

    • One Nation, One Challan is an initiative of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
    • It aims to bring all related agencies, such as the traffic police and the Regional Transport Office (RTO), on one platform, to enable seamless collection of challans as well as data transfer.
    • The integrated system uses the CCTV network to detect traffic violations and retrieve the registration number of the offending vehicle from applications like VAHAN and SARATHI.
    • An e-Challan is then generated with the relevant penalty amount, and sent to the mobile number linked with the vehicle.

    What did the Gujarat govt inform?

    • In Gujarat, the initiative is operational in three commissionerate areas of Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Surat since January this year and implementation at Vadodara is underway.

    How does the integration help?

    • Prior to the integration, details of vehicle ownership from a different state could not be accessed through the CCTV network for penalization.
    • Integration of all states’ RTO data and traffic police data with the support of NIC servers allows access to vehicle registration and related data for violators from different states.
    • Challans will be sent directly to the mobile number registered with the vehicle.
    • NIC is set to launch its own application for e-Challan delivery.

    How do virtual traffic courts work?

    • Virtual courts are aimed at eliminating the presence of litigants in the court.
    • An accused can search their case on the virtual court’s website. Upon successful payment of the fine, the case will be shown as disposed of.
    • For now, one court is in the process of being designated as a virtual court for the whole of Gujarat.

     

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  • Assam’s Maidams meet UNESCO technical requirements for heritage centre

    maidam

    Assam’s pyramid-like structures known as moidams or maidams have met all the technical requirements of UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre.

    Charaideo Maidams

    • The Charaideo maidams represents the late medieval (13th-19th century CE) mound burial tradition of the Tai Ahom community in Assam.
    • The Ahoms preferred to place the departed family members at Charaideo where the first king Sukapha was laid to rest.
    • The historical chronicles inform that wives, attendants, pet animals and huge quantity of valuables were buried with the departed kings.
    • The Charaideo Maidams enshrine the mortal remains of the members of the Ahom royalty, who used to be buried with their paraphernalia.
    • After the 18th century, the Ahom rulers adopted the Hindu method of cremation and began entombing the cremated bones and ashes in a Maidam at Charaideo.
    • Out of 386 Maidams explored so far, 90 royal burials at Charaideo are the best preserved, representative of and the most complete examples of mound burial tradition of the Ahoms.

    Architecture details

    • Architecturally it comprises a massive underground vault with one or more chambers having domical superstructure.
    • It is covered by a heap of earthen mound and externally it appears a hemispherical mound.
    • At the top of the mound a small open pavilion chow-chali is provided.
    • An octagonal dwarf wall encloses whole maidam.

     

    Ahoms Dynasty

    • The Ahom, also known as the Tai-Ahom, are an ethnic group from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in India.
    • This ethnic group is made up of interbred descendants of the Tai people, who first came to Assam’s Brahmaputra valley in 1228, and indigenous people who later joined them.
    • Sukaphaa, the Tai group’s leader, and his 9000 supporters founded the Ahom empire (1228–1826 CE), which ruled over part of modern-day Assam’s Brahmaputra Valley until 1826.
    • Charaideo, more than 400 km east of Guwahati, was the first capital of the Ahom dynasty founded by Chao Lung Sukaphaa in 1253.
    • The current Ahom people and culture are a mix of the ancient Tai people and culture, as well as indigenous Tibeto-Burman people and cultures that they assimilated in Assam.

     

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  • Foldscope: A new paper microscope

    fold

    Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, have developed a cheap paper microscope (foldscope) connected to a smartphone camera that could find wider application in a variety of research areas, and in some cases potentially replace more expensive equipment.

    What is Foldscope?

    • The Foldscope is a handheld microscope made mostly of paper that can be easily linked to a smartphone camera.
    • It has a magnification of around 140x and can identify objects just 2 micrometres wide.
    • It was first created by researchers at Stanford University in 2014.
    • IISc version of Foldscope costs around Rs 400, much cheaper than that of Stanford’s one.

    How is Foldscope comparable to electron microscope?

    • The researchers found that Foldscope could capture the roundness and aspect ratio of an object to within 5% of those imaged by a state-of-the-art instrument called a scanning electron microscope (SEM).
    • SEM costs more than Rs 50 lakh each.
    • Preparing a sample for study through a Foldscope takes less than an hour, whereas the same process for an SEM was “tedious and time-consuming”.

    Potential applications

    • Foldscopes can be used in pharmaceuticals (to inspect drug products), environmental science (to observe pollutants), and cosmetics (to observe powders and emulsions), among other fields.
    • They can also be used to study “soil particles’ morphology,” which can “help understand soil structure, nutrient availability, and plant growth” in agriculture.
    • It allows for in-field soil analysis and visualisation of soil structure per Indian Standard Soil Classification System which earlier required bulky microscopes with high resolution.
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  • PMI suggests Services activity hit 12-year high

    services

    The Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for the services sector in India rose to 55.3 in February. This marks the highest level of the PMI in the services sector in 12 years, driven by an increase in new business orders and employment.

    Service Sector

    The service sector, also known as the tertiary sector, includes a wide range of economic activities that are focused on providing intangible goods and services to customers.

    Some examples of activities that fall under the service sector include:

    1. Hospitality and tourism: This includes activities such as hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, and tour operators.
    2. Retail and wholesale trade: This includes businesses that buy and sell goods, such as supermarkets, department stores, and online retailers.
    3. Financial services: This includes banks, insurance companies, and investment firms.
    4. Professional and business services: This includes activities such as legal services, accounting, consulting, and advertising.
    5. Information and communication technology: This includes activities such as software development, telecommunications, and data processing.
    6. Healthcare and social assistance: This includes activities such as hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and social services.
    7. Education and training: This includes activities such as schools, colleges, universities, and vocational training.
    8. Transportation and logistics: This includes activities such as shipping, warehousing, and distribution.

    Purchasing Managers’ Index

    • PMI is an indicator of business activity — both in the manufacturing and services sectors.
    • The S&P Global India Services PMI is compiled by S&P Global from responses to questionnaires sent to a panel of around 400 service sector companies.
    • It is a survey-based measure that asks the respondents about changes in their perception of some key business variables from the month before.
    • It is calculated separately for the manufacturing and services sectors and then a composite index is constructed.

    How is the PMI derived?

    • The PMI is derived from a series of qualitative questions.
    • Executives from a reasonably big sample, running into hundreds of firms, are asked whether key indicators such as output, new orders, business expectations and employment were stronger than the month before and are asked to rate them.

    How does one read the PMI?

    • A figure above 50 denotes expansion in business activity. Anything below 50 denotes contraction.
    • Higher the difference from this mid-point greater the expansion or contraction. The rate of expansion can also be judged by comparing the PMI with that of the previous month data.
    • If the figure is higher than the previous month’s then the economy is expanding at a faster rate. If it is lower than the previous month then it is growing at a lower rate.

    Recent trends in Services PMI

    • For the 19th straight month, the headline figure was above the neutral 50 mark, denoting expansion.
    • There was substantial moderation in cost pressures as input prices increased at the slowest pace in almost two-and-a-half years and output charge inflation softened to a 12-month low.
    • Still, capacity pressures remained mild and jobs rose only marginally.

     

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  • World Bank Index on Life Cycle of Working Women

    women

    Central idea: The article reports on India’s score in the World Bank Index on the life cycle of working women.

    World Bank Index on the Life Cycle of Working Women

    • It is a tool developed by the World Bank to measure and track the progress of women’s economic participation and opportunities over their lifetimes.
    • It is based on a set of indicators that measure factors such as laws and regulations affecting women’s employment, access to finance, and gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace.

    The index is divided into three categories:

    1. Starting a job,
    2. During employment, and
    3. After employment.
    • Each category includes a set of indicators that measure the specific challenges and opportunities faced by women at different stages of their careers.
    • The purpose of the index is to provide policymakers and stakeholders with data and insights that can be used to inform policies and programs aimed at improving women’s economic opportunities and outcomes.
    • The index is updated periodically to track progress over time and identify areas where more action is needed.

    India’s performance

    • India has scored 74.4 out of 100 in the World Bank Index on the life cycle of working women, which measures factors like laws, regulations, and practices affecting women’s economic participation.
    • This score places India at 140th out of 190 countries surveyed in the index.

    Issues highlighted

    • India has made progress in certain areas, such as maternity benefits and anti-discrimination laws.
    • There are still significant gaps in areas like equal pay and access to finance.
    • The report also highlights the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s economic participation, with many women facing job losses and reduced hours of work.

    Key recommendations

    • The report concludes by recommending actions that can be taken to improve women’s economic participation, such as-
    1. Increasing access to childcare
    2. Promoting flexible work arrangements and
    3. Addressing gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace

     

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  • Hidden corridor discovered in Pyramid of Giza using Cosmic-Ray Muon Radiography

    muon

    A hidden corridor has been unearthed by scientists inside the Great Pyramid of Giza using a non-invasive technique called cosmic-ray muon radiography.

    What is Cosmic-Ray Muon Radiography (CMR)?

    • CMR is a technique used to study the density and composition of materials hidden within large and dense objects, such as geological formations, archaeological sites, and industrial facilities.
    • The technique involves using muons, a type of cosmic-ray particle, to generate images of the interior of such objects.
    • Muon particles are created when cosmic rays, mostly protons and atomic nuclei, collide with atoms in the Earth’s upper atmosphere.
    • These muons travel through the atmosphere and penetrate deep into the ground, passing through objects along their path.
    • Muons are highly penetrating particles that can penetrate several meters of rock or other materials, making them ideal for imaging the internal structure of objects.

    Working principle

    • The principle behind CMR is to measure the flux of muons passing through an object and compare it to the expected flux based on the object’s geometry and composition.
    • Differences in the measured and expected flux indicate variations in the object’s density or composition, which can be used to create an image of the object’s internal structure.

    Applications

    Some key applications of cosmic-ray muon radiography include:

    1. Volcano monitoring: By using muon radiography to create images of the interior of volcanoes, scientists can better understand their structure and potential eruption hazards.
    2. Archaeology: Muon radiography can be used to explore the interior of pyramids and other ancient structures without damaging them.
    3. Nuclear reactor monitoring: Muon radiography can be used to detect the presence of nuclear materials within reactors and to monitor their condition over time.

    Great Pyramid of Giza

    muon

    • The Great Pyramid is the largest of the three pyramids in Giza, originally standing roughly 147 m above the Giza plateau.
    • Construction was started in 2550 BC, during the reign of Khufu, often considered the greatest pharaoh of Egypt’s old kingdom.
    • It is estimated that the pyramid was built using 2.5 million stone blocks, each weighing between 2.5 and 15 tonnes.

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  • Yellowstone NP celebrates its 151st anniversary

    yellow

    Yellowstone National Park, which celebrated its 151st anniversary earlier this week, is widely considered to be the first national park in the world.

    Yellowstone National Park

    • It is a large protected area located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho.
    • It was established in 1872 and is widely considered to be the first national park in the world.
    • It spans an area of over 9,000 sq. km comprising lakes, canyons, rivers, iconic geothermal features such as the Old Faithful geyser, and mountain ranges.

    Some key features and attractions of Yellowstone National Park include:

    1. Geothermal features: Yellowstone is famous for its geothermal features, including geysers, hot springs, mud pots, and steam vents. The most famous of these is Old Faithful, a geyser that erupts on a regular schedule.
    2. Wildlife: Yellowstone is home to a diverse array of wildlife, including grizzly bears, wolves, bison, elk, and moose. Visitors can see these animals in their natural habitats throughout the park.
    3. Scenic drives: The park has several scenic drives, including the Grand Loop Road, which takes visitors to many of the park’s major attractions.
    4. Fishing: The park has many rivers and lakes that offer excellent fishing opportunities, including the Yellowstone River.

     

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  • Supreme Court verdict on ECI appointments

    Central idea: The Supreme Court has directed the central government to form a permanent selection committee consisting of consist of the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India or his nominee to recommend the appointment of Election Commissioners.

    Supreme Court Ruling

    • The Supreme Court ruled that the appointment of the CEC should be made through a transparent and participatory process.
    • It directed the government to set up a permanent selection committee to recommend names for the appointment of the CEC.
    • The committee will consist of the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition, and Chief Justice of India or his nominee.
    • The court emphasized that the appointment process should ensure the independence of the Election Commission and be free from executive interference.

    Why such move?

    • The ruling will bring more transparency and accountability to the appointment process of the CEC.
    • It will prevent any undue influence by the ruling government in the appointment of the CEC.
    • The ruling also reinforces the importance of an independent Election Commission in ensuring the fairness of the democratic process in India.

    Why did the SC debate the issue?

    • In 2015, a PIL was filed challenging the constitutional validity of the practice of the Centre appointing members of the Election Commission.
    • In October 2018, a two-judge bench of the SC referred the case to a larger bench since it would require a close examination of Article 324 of the Constitution.

    What is the challenge?

    Article 324(2) states that the President appoints the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners, subject to any law made by Parliament.

    • Absence of law: The crux of the challenge is that since there is no law made by Parliament on this issue.
    • Urge for judicial intervention: The Court must step in to fill the constitutional vacuum, urges the PIL.
    • Question of executive non-interference: This examination also leads to the larger question of separation of powers and if the judiciary is overstepping its role in filling this gap in the law.

    About Election Commission of India

    • The ECI is a constitutional authority whose responsibilities and powers are prescribed in the Constitution of India under Article 324.
    • In the performance of its functions, the Election Commission is insulated from executive interference.
    • It is the Commission that decides the election schedules for the conduct of elections, whether general elections or by-elections.
    • ECI decides on the location of polling stations, assignment of voters to the polling stations, location of counting centres, arrangements to be made in and around polling stations and counting centres and all allied matters.

    Litigations against EC

    • The decisions of the Commission can be challenged in the High Court and the Supreme Court of India by appropriate petitions.
    • By long-standing convention and several judicial pronouncements, once the actual process of elections has started, the judiciary does not intervene in the actual conduct of the polls.

    Why is EC under lens these days?

    • Executive interference: ECs are expected to maintain distance from the executive — a constitutional safeguard to insulate the commission from external pressure and allow it to continue as an independent authority.
    • Violating official channels: The EC’s communication with the Government on election matters is through the bureaucracy — either with its administrative ministry — the Law Ministry or the Home Ministry.
    • Breach of protocol: The Law Ministry spells the fine print on law for the country and is expected not to breach the constitutional safeguard provided to the commission to ensure its autonomy.

    Recent incidence of criticisms

    Ans. Partiality in Elections

    • Over the last couple of years, several actions and omissions of the commission have come in for criticism.
    • Nearly 66 former bureaucrats in a letter addressed to the President, expressed their concern over the working of the Election Commission.
    • They felt was suffering from a credibility crisis, citing various violations of the model code of conduct during the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.

    Importance of ECI for India

    • Conduction of Election: The ECI has been successfully conducting national as well as state elections since 1952.
    • Electoral participation: In recent years, however, the Commission has started to play a more active role to ensure greater participation of people.
    • Discipline of political parties: It had gone to the extent of disciplining the political parties with a threat of derecognizing if the parties failed in maintaining inner-party democracy.
    • Upholds federalism: It upholds the values enshrined in the Constitution viz, equality,
      equity, impartiality, independence; and rule of law in superintendence, direction, and control over electoral governance.
    • Free and fair elections: It conducts elections with the highest standard of credibility, freeness, fairness, transparency, integrity, accountability, autonomy and professionalism.

    Issues with ECI

    • Flaws in the composition: The Constitution doesn’t prescribe qualifications for members of the EC. They are not debarred from future appointments after retiring or resigning.
    • No security of tenure: Election commissioners aren’t constitutionally protected with the security of tenure.
    • Partisan role: The EC has come under the scanner like never before, with increasing incidents of breach of the Model Code of Conduct in the 2019 general elections.
    • Political favor: The opposition alleged that the ECI was favoring the ruling party by giving a clean chit to the model code of conduct violations made by the PM.
    • Non-competence: Increased violence and electoral malpractices under influence of money have resulted in political criminalization, which ECI is unable to arrest.

     

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