Daily Newspaper Digest: 26 April 2021

1. SWAMITVA scheme

 (Source- PIB)

Why in the news?

• Recently the Prime Minister has launched the distribution of e-property cards under the SWAMITVA scheme on National Panchayati Raj Day.
• National Panchayati Raj Day is the national day of Panchayati Raj System in India celebrated by Ministry of Panchayati Raj on 24 April annually.

Key Highlights

• The distribution of e-property cards will mark the rolling out of the SVAMITVA scheme for implementation across the country.
• Nearly 4.09 lakh property owners will be given their e-property cards on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day.

About SWAMITVA scheme

• SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) was launched by Prime Minister on 24th April 2020.
• It is a Central Sector Scheme.

Nodal Ministry

• Its nodal ministry is Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR).

Aims

• It aims to promote a socio-economically empowered and self-reliant rural India.
• The Scheme has the potential to transform rural India using modern technical tools of mapping and surveying.
• It paves the way for using the property as a financial asset by villagers for availing loans and other financial benefits.
• It will cover around 6.62 Lakh villages of the entire country during 2021-2025.
• The pilot phase of the Scheme was implemented during 2020–2021 in the States of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and select villages of Punjab and Rajasthan.

Objectives of SVAMITVA Scheme

The scheme seeks to achieve the following objectives:-

• To bring financial stability to the citizens in rural India by enabling them to use their property as a financial asset for taking loans and other financial benefits.
• Creation of accurate land records for rural planning.
• Determination of property tax, which would accrue to the GPs directly in States where it is devolved or else, add to the State exchequer.
• Creation of survey infrastructure and GIS maps that can be leveraged by any department for their use.
• To support in preparation of better-quality Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) by making use of GIS maps.
• To reduce property related disputes and legal cases

2. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY)

( Source- The Hindu)

Why in the news?

• The Union government has recently announced that 5 kg of food grains would be provided to 80 core beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) for the months of May and June 2021.

About Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana

• PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana was announced as part of the first relief package during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The aim of the scheme is to ensure sufficient foods with the poor and needy amid the coronavirus crisis.

Silent features of the Scheme

• The scheme covered 80 crore ration card holders in the country.
• The foodgrains were to be distributed to all the beneficiaries under the targeted public distribution system (TPDS) for Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and priority household (PHH) ration cardholders.

3. Role of nitric oxide in fighting coronavirus

(Source- Indian Express)

Why in the news?

• Recently, a multinational collaboration has announced the results of phase 2 clinical trials indicating that a nitric oxide nasal spray can be an effective viral treatment.

About the Nitric Oxide therapy

• Nitric oxide is known to have a broad antimicrobial effect against bacteria, fungi, helminths, protozoa and viruses.
• To assess the potential of NO as a treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection, researchers evaluated its vitro antiviral effect on SARS-CoV-2 replication and published their findings in September 2020. (‘Mitigation of the replication of SARS-CoV-2 by nitric oxide in vitro’, Redox Biology).

What is Nitric Oxide nasal spray?

• It has been developed by a Vancouver-based biotech firm, SaNOtize Research and Development Corporations.
• The other partners are St Peter’s hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey, and Berkshire and Surrey Pathology Services.
• The spray releases a small, topical amount of nitric oxide that is well known to kill viruses including SARS-CoV-2.
• It is non-specific and thus kills any virus.
• The patients treated with the spray saw an average reduction of around 95% in viral load in the first 24 hours, and more than 99% within 72 hours.
• The self-administered nasal spray releases a small topical amount of nitric oxide and aims to kill the virus in the upper airways, preventing it from incubating and making its way to the lungs.

Note:

• The World Health Organization has yet to give an emergency use authorisation (EUA).
• Israel and Bahrain have given EUA to the spray, as a medical device.

4. Crew-2 Mission

(Source- The Hindu)

Why in the news?

• Recently, four astronauts were launched to the International Space Station (ISS) from Florida under Crew-2 mission.
• Out of the four astronauts, two are from NASA and two are from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the European Space Agency (ESA).

About Crew-2 Mission

• It is a part of collaboration between NASA and SpaceX under the Commercial Crew Program.
• It is the second crew rotation of the SpaceX Crew Dragon and the first with international partners.

Significance of Crew-2 Mission

• The Crew-2 astronauts will join the members of Expedition 65.
• They will stay aboard the ISS for six months during which time they will conduct science experiments in low-Earth orbit.
• The central focus during this time will be to continue a series of Tissue Chips in Space studies.
• Tissue Chips are small models of human organs that contain multiple cell types that behave similarly to the human body.