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Daily News Analysis.

GEMINI : New Blood Testing Technology For Cancer (GS-3)

News: GEMINI (Genome-wide Mutational Incidence for Non-Invasive Detection of Cancer), a novel blood test tool created by researchers, employs genome-wide sequencing of individual DNA molecules in conjunction with machine learning.

• This technique may make it possible to detect malignancies, including lung cancer, early.
• A blood sample is first taken from cancer-risk patients as part of the GEMINI test. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) released by tumours from this sample is sequenced utilising affordable whole genome sequencing.
• cfDNA is an acronym for “cell-free DNA.”
• When cells in the body die and decompose, little pieces of DNA are released into the circulation or other physiological fluids.
• Since these DNA fragments are not contained within cells, they are referred to as “cell-free.”
• Sequence changes in individual DNA molecules are analyzed to produce mutation profiles across the genome.
• A score reflecting the chance of having cancer is then produced by a machine learning algorithm that recognizes variations in the frequency of cancer and non-cancer mutations.
• Over 90% of lung malignancies, including early-stage conditions, were found in laboratory tests using the GEMINI test in conjunction with computerized tomography imaging.
• Additionally, the test revealed changed mutation profiles in cfDNA from individuals who had other malignancies, including liver cancer, melanoma, and lymphoma, pointing to potential broader applications.

Pictorial Representation:

National Deep Tech Startup Policy (GS-3)

News: The National Consortium has made the draft of the National Deep Tech Startup Policy (NDTSP) available for public comment.

Policy Objectives: Strengthening the deep tech startup ecosystem in India and addressing its particular problems-

• Deep Tech is a term used to describe cutting-edge, sophisticated technologies that are the result of important scientific and engineering breakthroughs.
• Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) are two instances of deep technology.
• They entail the creation of complex algorithms and models that give computers the ability to learn from data and make wise decisions.
• India now has more than 326 incubators and accelerators, making it the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world. In the field of deep technology, 14% of them work.

National Partnership:

• The Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) recommended the creation of the National Consortium, an apex-level agency tasked with developing a comprehensive policy framework for the Indian deep tech startup ecosystem.
• It is led by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and includes high-ranking members from numerous government agencies, business organizations, academic institutions, and innovation hubs.

Special Development Councils To Preserve Tribal Culture : Odisha Government (GS-2)

News: The Special Development Councils (SDCs) initiative has been put into place by the government of Odisha in order to safeguard economic growth while preserving and promoting tribal culture.

• The SDCs put a lot of effort into recognizing and promoting crucial cultural elements that define tribe identity, like language, sacred groves, and tribal craftspeople.
• The establishment of around 21 tribal proficiency centers to teach about tribal culture and dialect
• It is being done to preserve more than 4,500 sacred groves.
• Over 40,000 tribal craftspeople have received artist ID cards to protect their culture and open up employment prospects ensuring that the development projects take the cultural context into account.

Tribes in Odisha:

• The Constitution of the Indian Republic recognizes 62 different tribes as being scheduled tribes in the Indian state of Odisha. It should be noted that not all tribals or adibasis are regarded as Scheduled Tribes. The phrase “Scheduled Tribes” refers to some indigenous peoples whose status is acknowledged to some formal degree by national legislation.
• “Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups” (PVTGs) are 13 of the 62 Scheduled Tribes of Odisha. The scheduled tribes of Odisha make up more than 22.84% of the state’s total population (95,90,756 in total) and 0.79% of the population of the entire country, according to the 2011 Census.

Akira : Ransomware (GS-3)

News: The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team has issued a warning about the ransomware known as Akira.

• Data encryption, a ransom note creation, and the deletion of Windows Shadow Volume copies are all features of the Akira ransomware.
• The ransomware’s ability to append the “.akira” extension to all encrypted files’ filenames gives it its name.
• Akira Ransomware is made to stop Windows services or activities that would prevent it from encrypting files on the compromised system.
• It leverages VPN services to deceive users into downloading malicious files, especially when two-factor authentication is not set.
• Using the Windows Restart Manager API, the ransomware also kills running Windows services to stop anything from interfering with the encryption process.
• Program Data, Recycle Bin, Boot, System Volume data, and other folders important to system stability are not encrypted by design.
• Additionally, it prevents changes to Windows system files ending in.syn,.msl, and.exe.
• txt is a ransomware letter that is left behind after sensitive data has been taken and encrypted. It contains details about the attack and a link to Akira’s leak and negotiation site.
• A different negotiation password is given to each victim, which must be input on the threat actor’s Tor website.
• The victim can only communicate with the ransomware gang using this negotiating site’s chat interface, unlike previous ransomware operations.

Indian Computer Emergency Response Team:

• In accordance with Information Technology Act, 2000 Section (70B), the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology established CERT-IN in 2004.
• The National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC), which is under the National Technical Research Organization (NTRO), which is under the Prime Minister’s Office, and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), which is under the Ministry of Home Affairs, are two organizations with which CERT-IN shares overlapping responsibilities.

Lokmanya Tilak National Award: (General Studies-1)

News: During his visit to Pune, the Prime Minister will receive the Lokmanya Tilak National Award.

• The Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust established the Lokmanya Tilak National Award in 1983.
• On August 1st, the anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak’s passing, this honor is granted to individuals who have produced noteworthy and extraordinary accomplishments while working for the advancement and development of the country.
• During the Indian independence movement, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, also referred to as Lokmanya Tilak, was a well-known Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, social reformer, and political figure.
• He was a key figure in the development of contemporary India and was arguably the most ardent supporter of Swaraj, or Indian self-rule.
• Along with G. S. Khaparde and Annie Besant, he also played a role in the founding of the All India Home Rule League in 1916–18.
• Maharashtra, the Central Provinces, Karnataka, and the Berar region were where Tilak established his Home Rule League. In the remaining portion of India, Besant’s League was active. It aimed to promote self-rule and increase public understanding of India’s constitutional right to self-government.
• Tilak was an active journalist and writer. He spread nationalist views through his newspaper, “Kesari” (meaning Lion in Marathi), which was eventually renamed “Maratha” in English.
• He offered his theory that the Vedas originated in the Arctic region in “The Arctic Home in the Vedas,” one of his significant literary works, and in “Shrimad Bhagavad Gita Rahasya,” which offers a nationalist interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita.