25 Dec 2023: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. MedTech Mitra
2. PM-JANMAN
3. AstroSat
4. Prelims Facts

1. MedTech Mitra

Syllabus: GS-2, Govt schemes & programmes

Prelims: MedTech Mitra

Context:

Union Minister launched MedTech Mitra.

MedTech Mitra:

• It is a platform that will help the country’s young talents by supporting and giving them a final shape to their research, knowledge, and logic and help them get regulatory approval.
• It is an online portal for med-tech startups. The platform aims to assist medtech innovators in clinical evaluation, regulatory facilitation, and uptake of new products.
• The portal will be coordinated collaboratively by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), under the guidance of NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission.
• India’s med-tech sector is import-dependent, with imports accounting for up to 80 per cent in some cases.
• The launch of a separate portal for medtech startups comes months after the government launched the National Medical Device Policy and a scheme worth Rs 5,000 crore to promote research in the pharma and medtech sectors.
• According to industry figures, India accounts for only 1.5 per cent of the global medical devices market. India is currently Asia’s fourth-largest medical equipment manufacturer while having an 8 per cent share in the global medtech research and development workforce.

2. PM-JANMAN

Syllabus: GS-2, Govt Schemes

Prelims: PM-JANMAN

Context:

Ministry of Tribal Affairs initiated the IEC Campaign on Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN).

Details:

• The campaign aims to raise awareness and ensure 100% saturation of Government Schemes in PVTG majority tribal habitations.
• It aims to reach out to 22000 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) majority tribal habitations and PVTG families in 200 districts across the country.
• This campaign is an effort aimed at saturating PVTG families with individual entitlements and habitations with basic facilities, by making these tribal communities aware of their entitlements.  
• During the campaign period,  Aadhar cards, Community certificates and Jan Dhan accounts will be provided as these are basic requirements for other schemes such as the issue of Ayushman card, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, Kisan credit card, etc. 

Read more on PM JANMAN in PIB dated Nov 29, 2023.

3. AstroSat

Syllabus: GS-3, Science and technology

Prelims: AstroSat

Context:

Milli-second burst detected by AstroSat in a new high magnetic field neutron star can help understand such stellar entities.

Details:

• AstroSat, India’s first multi-wavelength space-based observatory, has detected bright sub-second X-ray bursts from a new and unique neutron star with ultrahigh magnetic field (magnetar), which can help understand the extreme astrophysical conditions of magnetars.

What are magnetars?

• Magnetars are neutron stars having an ultrahigh magnetic field that is much stronger than the terrestrial magnetic field. 
• Simply put, the magnetic field of a magnetar is over one quadrillion times stronger than the magnetic field of Earth. 
• What powers the emission of high-energy electromagnetic radiation in them is the decay of magnetic fields in these objects. 
• Besides, magnetars display strong temporal variability, typically including a slow rotation, a rapid spin-down, and bright but short bursts going on up to months-long outbursts.
• Example: SGR J1830-0645 which was discovered in October 2020 by NASA’s Swift spacecraft.

The study:

• Researchers from the Raman Research Institute and Delhi University studied the magnetar SGR J1830-0645 and explored its characteristics in broad-band X-ray energies with AstroSat.
• They performed the timing and spectral analysis of this magnetar using two instruments onboard AstroSat — the Large Area X-Ray Proportional Counter (LAXPC) and Soft X-Ray telescope (SXT).
• One of the key findings was the detection of 67 short sub-second X-ray bursts, with an average duration of 33 milliseconds.
• The brightest burst observed lasted for about 90 milliseconds.
• The study concluded that SGR J1830–0645 is a unique magnetar that showcased an emission line in its spectra.
• The team noticed that the pulsed component of the overall X-ray emission showed significant variation with energy.

4. Prelims Facts

Veer Baal Diwas

• On the day of the Prakash Purab of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, on 9th January 2022, the Prime Minister announced that 26th December will be observed as ‘Veer Bal Diwas’, to mark the martyrdom of Sri Guru Gobind Singh’s sons Sahibzadas Baba Zorawar Singh Ji and Baba Fateh Singh Ji.

Read previous PIB articles here.