• 13 Mar 2025

Toxic Wheat

Why in News? 

A study by Padma Shri Dr. Himmatrao Bawaskar links the unexplained hair loss in Maharashtra's Buldhana district to toxic elements in wheat consumption. 

 Key Points 

• Contaminated Wheat: 
  • A month-long study found that Public Distribution System (PDS) wheat contained dangerously high selenium levels and significantly low zinc content. 
    • Lab tests detected selenium levels of 14.52 mg/kg, far exceeding the normal 1.9 mg/kg. 
  • The wheat consignments originated from Punjab. 
• Rapid Onset of Alopecia: 
  • Villagers developed total baldness within 3-4 days of symptom onset. 
  • Around 300 individuals across 18 villages, including college students and young girls, suffered severe hair loss between December 2024 and January 2025. 
• Excess Selenium and Zinc Deficiency: 
  • Tests on affected individuals showed: 
    • 35-fold increase in blood selenium levels 
    • 60-fold increase in urine selenium levels 
    • 150-fold increase in hair selenium levels 
  • The study suggests excess selenium intake directly caused the outbreak, while low zinc levels worsened the condition. 
• Social Impact: 
  • The condition has affected people aged 8 to 72 years, leading to social stigma, disrupted education, and postponed marriages. 
  • Many children have stopped attending school and college due to the psychological impact. 
• Further Investigations: 
  • Scientists from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) collected water and soil samples and submitted its report to the central government. 
  • Dr. Bawaskar has not yet submitted his study report to the administration. 

 Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)  

• It is the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research. 
• Its mandate is to conduct, coordinate and implement medical research for the benefit of the Society; translating medical innovations into products/processes and introducing them into the public health system. 
• It is funded by the Government of India through the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. 

Selenium 

• Selenium is an essential mineral, and is crucial for various bodily functions, including metabolism, thyroid function, and immune health.  
• Rich food sources include Brazil nuts, seafood, meat, poultry, and organ meats. 
• Selenium Toxicity symptoms are nausea, vomiting, nail and hair discoloration, brittleness, and loss, fatigue, irritability, and foul breath odor. 

 Zinc  

• It is an essential trace mineral that plays a vital role in many bodily functions, including immune system function, wound healing, and DNA synthesis. 
• Zinc deficiency can lead to various health problems, including hair loss, impaired immune function, and delayed wound healing, and can be caused by inadequate intake, malabsorption, or increased needs. 

Uttarakhand First Nanofabrication Facility

Why in News? 

IIT-Roorkee has established a cutting-edge nanofabrication facility in Uttarakhand to advance India's semiconductor manufacturing mission.  

 Key Points 

• International Collaboration: 
  • IIT-Roorkee collaborated with Taiwan’s premier semiconductor institutions to exchange expertise. 
  • The Department of Science and Technology (DST) funded the project, which began in 2019. 
• State-of-the-Art Infrastructure: 
  • The facility features cutting-edge instruments, including: 
    • 50 kV Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) system with 10nm resolution. 
    • Inductively Coupled Plasma RIE (ICP-RIE), a key etching technology for semiconductor manufacturing. 
  • Equipped with ultra-clean rooms featuring controlled environments: 
    • Class 100 space (300 sq ft) and Class 1000 space (600 sq ft) for precision research. 
• Research Applications: 
  • The facility supports cutting-edge research in: 
    • Quantum sensors 
    • Spintronics 
    • Memory devices 
    • Thin-film devices 
    • Photodetectors 
    • Quantum optics 
    • Photonic crystals 

 Department of Science and Technology 

• The foundation of DST was laid on 3rd May 1971 along the model of National Science Foundation (NSF), USA. 
• It provides funding and also makes policies and co-ordinates scientific work with other countries. 
• It empowers scientists and scientific institutions and also works with a highly distributed system permeating stakeholders ranging from school college, PhD, Postdoc students, young scientists, startups and NGOs working in Science & Technology. 
• DST’s budget has increased over the years by 100%, which has allowed initiation of new programmes in a wide range of areas. 

 

COAIEMA Conference

Why in News? 

The 8th International COAIEMA (Council of Asian Industry and Emerging Market Alliances) conference was held in Lucknow on March 8, 2025. 8th March, 2025. 

Key Points  

• About the conference: 
  • The conference was organised at  Ambalika Institute of Management and Technology, Lucknow . 
  • It focused on strengthening collaboration among industries and promoting sustainable development.  
  • Representatives from various countries, policy makers and industry experts participated in this conference.  
  • Its main objective was to encourage the industries and innovation sector of Asian countries towards progress and empowerment. 
• Topics of discussion: 
  • Challenges and Opportunities in Artificial Intelligence: Engineering and Management Applications 
  • Startup Ecosystem 
  • Latest technological advancements 
  • Digital Transformation and Green Energy 
• About COAIEMA:  
  • It is a leading regional organisation that works to strengthen cooperation among industries and emerging markets in Asian countries.  
  • Its main objectives are: 
    • Promoting innovation. 
    • Accelerating the adoption of green technology . 
    • Taking rapid steps towards digitalisation of industries. 
    • Strengthening trade relations among Asian countries. 

 Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

• AI is defined as the ability of machines and systems to acquire knowledge , apply it , and behave intelligently . 
• The term "artificial intelligence" was first used by American computer scientist and cognitive scientist John McCarthy . He is considered the father of AI. 
• It includes techniques like machine learning , deep learning , big data , neural networks , computer vision , large language models , etc. 
• The ideal characteristic of artificial intelligence is the ability to perform and rationalize actions that have the best probability of achieving a specific goal. 

Task Force to Eradicate Child Marriage

Why in News? 

The Bihar government is going to constitute a state level 'task force' under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary to prevent and eliminate child marriage in the state . 

Key Points  

• Objectives and functions of the Task Force: 
  • To effectively guide the police and other agencies in preventing child marriage. 
  • To ensure strict disposal of cases related to Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA). 
  • Enhancing coordination between Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPO) and Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU). 
  • Appointment of Child Marriage Protection Officers at every district and sub-division level. 
• Status of child marriage in the state: 
  • According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5, Bihar ranks second after West Bengal in terms of rate of child marriage in the country . 
  • According to the report, 40.8 % of women in the state are married before the age of 18.  
• Other efforts to eradicate child marriage: 
  • Interactive meetings with girl students in schools under the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign . 
  • Cash reward of up to Rs 5000 for providing verified information under Informer Incentive Scheme . 
  • Organizing awareness camps in rural areas to inform the community about the ill effects of child marriage. 

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Campaign 

• It was launched in January 2015 with the aim to address sex selective abortion and the declining child sex ratio which was at 918 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2011. 
• This is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Human Resource Development. 
• The programme is being implemented across 405 districts in the country. 

 Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 

• About:  
  • Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 It is an act of the Government of India, which has been implemented to prevent child marriage in the society. 
• Key provisions of the Act: 
  • Under this Act, marriage of a man below 21 years of age or a woman below 18 years of age will be categorized as child marriage. 
    • Under this child marriage has been considered a punishable offence. 
  • Also, under this Act, any adult man who solemnizes a child marriage or any person solemnizing the child marriage shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term of two years, or with fine of up to one lakh rupees, or with both, but no woman shall be punished with imprisonment. 
  • The offences committed under this Act will be cognizable and non-bailable. 
  • Under this Act, there is also a provision to declare the marriage of a minor child invalid. 

Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary

Why in News? 

 In Madhya Pradesh, Indian wolves will be fitted with radio collars, which will help in researching their habitat, diet and behaviour. 

Key Points  

• About 
  • Three wolves from different packs in the Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary will be fitted with radio collars once permission is received from the National Tiger Conservation Authority. 
  • For this, a two-year study was started by the State Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur in February 2024 . 
• Objective: 
  • The aim of this research is to know about the life of wolves, their food, habitat, daily routine and co-existence with animals like tigers and leopards. 
• Status of wolves in Madhya Pradesh: 
  • In 2022, wolves were counted across the country, in which Madhya Pradesh ranked first with the highest number of wolves.  
  • According to the census, there were a total of 3170 wolves in India, out of which 20% i.e. 772 wolves were found in Madhya Pradesh alone.  
•   Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary:  
  • Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary is  the largest wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh . 
  • This sanctuary is spread over an area of about 1197 square km in three districts of Madhya Pradesh, Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur. 
  • This protected area is located on the banks of two major river basins of India, the Narmada and the Ganges . 
  • It is the natural habitat of the Indian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes), a subspecies of the grey wolf.  
    • In the year 1975, it was given the status of the state's largest sanctuary for the conservation of wolves. 
  • Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary is also considered a suitable area for cheetahs , hence it was given the status of Tiger Reserve a year ago.  

National Tiger Conservation Authority 

• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change . 
• It was established in the year 2006 by amending the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The first meeting of the Authority was held in November 2006. 
• It is the result of the efforts of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) that there has been a significant increase in the number of endangered tigers in the country.