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UPSC Prelims News 6th September 2022

 

UPSC Prelims News of 6th September 2022

 

V.O Chidambaram Pillai

Context: The Prime Minister of India paid tributes to freedom fighter V. O. Chidambaram Pillai on his birth Anniversary.

About Chidambaram Pillai:

  • Pillai was also known as Kappalottiya Tamilan (The Tamil Helmsman) and Sekkizuththa Semmal.
  • Birth: Pillai was born on 5th September 1872 in Ottapidaram, Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.
  • Political career: Pillai joined politics in 1905 after the Bengal Partition. He was part of the Swadeshi Movement initiated by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Lala Lajpat Rai.
  • Freedom movement: Pillai initiated the Tuticorin Coral Mills strike (1908) demanding better pay and a reduction in the number of working hours.

 

V.O Chidambaram Pillai
V.O Chidambaram Pillai

 

  • He resolved to carry out a procession celebrating release of BC Pal from Jail. He was arrested and imprisoned in the Central Prison in Coimbatore. His Barrister title was taken away by British.
  • Contributions: Pillai established a shipping company by the name of the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company (SSNCo).
  • He established institutions such as Swadeshi Prachar Sabha, Dharmasanga Nesavu Salai, Madras Agro-Industrial Society Ltd, National Godown and Desabimana Sangam.
  • He formed an organisation called the Swadeshi Sangam, or ‘National Volunteers’.
  • He took up the cause of the working class in Tamil Nadu.
  • Literary works: Pillai’s literary works include Meyyarivu, Meyyaram, an Autobiography, commentary on the Thirukkural, compiled works of Tolkappiyam, etc.

 

PM-SHRI Yojana

Context: The government has announced development and upgradation of 14,500 schools across the country under the Pradhan Mantri Schools For Rising India (PM-SHRI) Yojana.

About PM-SHRI:

  • The PM-SHRI schools will be developed to become model schools, encapsulating the full spirit of the new National Education Policy.
  • They will provide modern, transformational and holistic method of imparting education.
  • Increased emphasis will given be on a discovery oriented, learning centric way of teaching.
  • Infrastructure: These schools will be equipped with modern infrastructure such as labs, smart classrooms, libraries, sports equipment, art room, etc.
  • Objective: The schools will not only focus on qualitative teaching, learning and cognitive development but will also create holistic and well-rounded individuals equipped with key 21st-century skills.
  • The focus of the scheme will be on achieving proficiency in learning outcomes in every grade.
  • Selection of schools: The centrally sponsored scheme will be implemented by strengthening existing schools selected from amongst those managed by the centre, states, Union Territories and local bodies.
  • Assessment: Students will be assessed based on conceptual understanding and application of knowledge to real-life situations.

 

Mamangam Festival

  • Recently, a few history researchers urged the Kerala government to declare Thirunavaya, in the present-day Malappuram district, a heritage village and protect the historical relics in the area.
  • Traders from various parts of India and places such as China, Ceylon, Arabia and Europe used to move to Thirunavaya to participate in Mamangam, the 28-day-long trade festival.
  • This trade festival was celebrated during the medieval times, once every 12 years on the banks of the Bharathappuzha (River of Bhārata), also known as the Nila or Ponnani River, in the state of Kerala.
  • It was used to be held on the premises of the Navamukunda temple, believed to be around 5,000 years old now.
    • The Navamukunda temple is one of the 108 major Vishnu temples in India. It is famous for its sculptures, including the 10 incarnations of Vishnu.
  • It seems to have begun as a temple festival, analogous to the Kumbha Melas at Ujjaini, Prayaga, Haridwar and Kumbakonam.
  • Today, Mamangam relics such as the ‘nilapadu thara’ and the ‘manikinar’ are protected by the Kerala government’s archaeology department.
  • The last Mamangam is said to be held in 1755 before Mysore’s Hyder Ali invaded Malabar and ended the Zamorin’s prominence.

 

World’s First Inhaled Version of COVID Vaccine

Context: China became the first country to approve a needle-free, inhaled version of a Covid-19 vaccine.

  • About: The vaccine, called Convidecia Air or Ad5-nCoV, changes the liquid form of the vaccine into an aerosol using a nebulizer. The vaccine can then be inhaled through the mouth using the nebulizer machine.
  • How it works? Inhaled vaccines specifically target mucosal surfaces – the nose, throat and lungs, the point of entry for pathogens – to induce a localized immune response.
  • Carrier Virus: This vaccine uses harmless adenovirus as a carrier for the genetic code that teaches the body how to fight Covid.
  • Significance: They are needle-free and can be self-administered, broadening their appeal to vaccine-hesitant people and potentially easing pressure on healthcare resources.
  • COVID-19 vaccines in India:

 

Vaccine

Technology

Covishield Recombinant Vaccine
Covaxin Inactivated viral vaccine
Sputnik V Adenovirus viral vector vaccine
ZyCoV-D DNA plasmid-based vaccine
Corbevax Recombinant protein sub-unit vaccine
Covovax Recombinant nanoparticle vaccine
HGCO19 mRNA based vaccine

 

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