Swachh Survekshan Grameen, 2018

Why in news?

The Centre has launched the Swachh Survekshan Grameen, 2018, a nationwide survey of rural India to rank the cleanest and dirtiest States and districts on the basis of qualitative and quantitative evaluation.

• A random selection of 6, 980 villages across 698 districts will surveyed during the month of August, following which the Swachh Survekshan Grameen awards are expected to be announced in time for Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary on October 2.
• This is the first comprehensive survey for rural India, which has been launched after three successful editions of a similar survey in urban India. Citizen engagement is a key objective of this programme.
• The audio-visual communication campaign, featuring prominent celebrities including Swachh Bharat ambassadors including Shri Amitabh Bachchan and Shri Sachin Tendulkar, was also launched at the event.

The rankings will be based on three basic parameters:

• Direct observation of public places by independent surveyors,
• Service-level progress using data from the Swachh Bharat Mission’s information system
• Citizens’ feedback. The feedback will be solicited through village meetings, online feedback and direct interviews, as well as discussions with key influencers such as local officials, elected representatives and anganwadi workers.

Objective

• To undertake a ranking of states and districts on the basis of their performance attained on key quantitative and qualitative SBM-G parameters.
• In the process, through a countrywide communication campaign, rural communities will be engaged in the improvement of the sanitation and cleanliness of their surrounding areas.

DNA profiles

Why in news?

If there’s a criminal case, till the case is solved the DNA profile will remain in the bank. They will be removed after a judicial order. These things will be specified in the rules.

The rules will come after Parliament approves the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018, the latest version of the DNA ‘profiling’ Bill framed by the Department of Biotechnology in 2015.

Aim

To establish an institutional mechanism to collect and deploy DNA technologies to identify persons based on samples collected from crime scenes or to identify missing persons.

Salient features of bill

• The Bill envisages a DNA Profiling Board and a DNA Data Bank.
• To help in investigations, there would be a central databank as well as regional ones, and these would store DNA profiles under various heads, such as a ‘crime scene index’ or ‘suspects index’ or ‘offenders index.’
• The 11-member Board, according to the proposed legislation, is supposed to be the regulatory authority that will grant accreditation to DNA laboratories.
• An important thing that the Bill achieves is to ensure that private laboratories don’t proliferate and work without scientific validation. It will be a full-time Board and chaired by the Secretary, DBT.
• The Board, in consultation with members of the judiciary, will frame rules on how long the DNA details of an entrant on a crime index would be maintained. As such, there’s no reason for the details to remain for posterity, somebody has to give instructions for them to be removed. However, when and how these will be removed will be specified by the Rules.

First-Ever Colour X-Ray On A Human

Why in news?

New Zealand scientists have performed the first-ever 3-D, colour X-ray on a human, using a technique that promises to improve the field of medical diagnostics.

• The technique used is known as Medipix. The technology is developed by CERN.It works like a camera detecting and counting individual sub-atomic particles as they collide with pixels while its shutter is open. This allows for high-resolution, high-contrast pictures.
• The machine’s “small pixels and accurate energy resolution meant that this new imaging tool is able to get images that no other imaging tool can achieve. The images very clearly show the difference between bone, muscle and cartilage, but also the position and size of cancerous tumours, for example.

CERN

• CERN is the world’s largest nuclear and particle physics laboratory, where scientists and engineers are probing the fundamental structure of the Universe by using the most sophisticated scientific instruments and advanced computing systems.
• CERN is based in Geneva on the French-Swiss border.
• Presently CERN has 22 member states, four associate member states, and the observer status is given to four states and three International Organizations.

Council of World Affairs (ICWA)

Why in news?

Dr. TCA Raghavan is the new Director General (DG) of Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA).

ICWA

• It was established in 1943 by group of Indian intellectuals as think tank. It was established as non-official, non-political and non-profit organisation under Registration of Societies Act 1860.
• It was declared institution of national importance by Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), 2001 enacted by Parliament.
• The Vice President of India is the ex-officio President of ICWA, while the Minister of External Affairs is its Vice-President.
• ICWA is devoted exclusively for the study of international relations and foreign affairs. Vice President of India is its ex-officio President.