Current Affairs 26 March 2024 for UPSC And State PSC Exam

Project ANAGRANINF

News- The Technology Development Board (TDB) has signed an agreement with two companies and approved a grant of ₹75 Lakhs for the project “ANAGRANINF,” aimed at developing a new class of antibiotics to combat Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections.

About

The goal of this project is to create a groundbreaking antibiotic capable of targeting the FabI enzyme, offering a potent solution against severe gram-negative bacterial infections.

GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIA:

• Characterized by a thin peptidoglycan cell wall and an outer lipopolysaccharide membrane, termed sidearms.
• Possess mechanisms for developing and transferring drug resistance.
• Cause serious infections like pneumonia and meningitis, particularly in healthcare settings.
• Show resistance to multiple drugs, with growing resistance to many antibiotics.
• Examples include Enterobacter, salmonella, and Pseudomonas species.

KEY FACTS ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT BOARD:

• Established by the Technology Development Board Act, 1995.
• Promotes indigenous technology development and commercialization, and adapts imported technology.
• The board comprises 11 members.
• Offers equity or loans to industrial sectors and financial aid to R&D institutions.
• Receives grants from the Government of India, funded by industrial cess under the Research and Development Cess Act, 1986 (amended in 1995).

Vote-from-Home

News- For the first time in Lok Sabha election history, the Election Commission of India has introduced a ‘vote-from-home’ option for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) and senior citizens aged 85 and above.

About

Eligibility for the ‘vote-from-home’ facility includes:

• Individuals aged 85 and above.
• Persons with Disabilities, with a disability certified to be 40% or more.
• Media persons with Election Commission authorization for polling day coverage.
• Essential service workers, including those in metros, railways, and healthcare.
• Service voters, such as armed forces personnel and Central Armed Police Forces personnel away from their voting locations, and those on poll duty.

To use the vote-from-home facility, eligible voters must:

• Complete Form 12D to inform the ARO of their inability to visit the polling station.
• Obtain Form 12D from the ECI website or the district officer’s office.
• Submit the form within five days after the polling date is announced.
• Await a home visit from polling officials for postal ballot voting, notified via SMS or post.
• If unavailable during the first visit, a second attempt will be made. Absence at the second visit disqualifies the voter from home and booth voting.

Electoral Trusts

News- The updated list revealing corporate donations to political parties through electoral bonds is currently under review. Many entities listed have a history of significant contributions to political parties via electoral trusts.

About

• Companies establish electoral trusts to direct donations to political parties.
• Only firms registered under the Companies Act, 1956, Section 25, qualify to apply as electoral trusts.
• Electoral trusts’ names do not disclose the founding company or group.

Eligible to contribute

• Indian citizens.
• Companies registered in India.
• Resident Indian associations.

Ineligible to contribute

• Non-Indian citizens.
• Other electoral trusts.
• Contributors lacking PAN.
• NRIs without a valid passport number.

Electoral trusts can use up to 5% of annual funds for administrative costs, distributing the remaining 95% to political parties.

Governed by Rule 17CA in the Income Tax Rules, 1962, as amended by the Central Government on January 31, 2013.

Further detailed by The Electoral Trusts Scheme, 2013, which outlines registration eligibility and procedures for electoral trusts.

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