Daily Current Affairs October 14, 2024

1. DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS 14 October, 2024 Prelims - General Studies III - Science and Technology Nobel Prize in Chemistry Context Recently, the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded by the Royal Swedish Acad- emy of Sciences. Prelims Question 1. Consider the following statements with reference to the Nobel Prize in Chemistry: 1) Half of the award has been recently awarded to David Baker for “Computational Protein Design.” 2) These new proteins can neutralise viruses, target cancer cells and even serve as cat- alysts for chemical reactions. 3) The other half of the award was shared between Demis Hassabis and John M. Jump- er for “Protein Structure Prediction.” Which of the following statement (s) is/are correct? A. 1 only B. 1 and 2 Only C. 1 and 3 Only D. 1, 2 and 3 Answer: D About ● The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was recent- ly awarded to David Baker, Demis Hassa- bis and John M. Jumper. ● Half the prize was awarded to David Bak- er for “Computational Protein Design.” ● The other half of the award was given jointly to Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper for “Protein Structure Predic- tion.” 3rd Floor, 36 Pusa Road, Above Kalyan Jewellers, Karol Bagh, New Delhi - 110005 +91 96676 61547, +91 96676 68174 www.avadhojhaclasses.com

2. Contribution of David Baker in Protein Science In 2003, David Baker designed a new protein from scratch. The group led by Baker created nine different ranges of proteins which have applications in pharmaceuticals, vaccines, na- no-materials, and sensors. Application of the Invention ● These new proteins can neutralise viruses, target cancer cells and even serve as catalysts for chemical reactions. ● In the current context, it was his research which contributed to the development of the world’s first computationally designed protein medicine, a vaccine for COVID-19. It has been developed by UW Medicine. Contribution of Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper in Protein Science ● Hassabis and Jumper have been credited for utilizing artificial intelligence to predict the structure of almost all known proteins. ● They introduced AlphaFold2, a model that can predict the structure of nearly all 200 mil- lion proteins identified by researchers. Application of the Invention ● It can predict three-dimensional (3D) structures of proteins from amino acid sequences with atomic-level accuracy. ● The AlphaFold2 model has been used by millions of scientists globally to address issues such as antibiotic resistance and plastic degradation. Sources: Hindustan Times, Reuters. United Nations Prelims - General Studies III - Awards and Honours Nobel Prize in Literature Context Recently, the Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to South Korean author Han Kang. About ● The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was recently awarded to Da- vid Baker, Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper. ● Half the prize was awarded to David Baker for “Computa- tional Protein Design.” ● The other half of the award was given jointly to Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper for “Protein Structure Pre- diction.” 3rd Floor, 36 Pusa Road, Above Kalyan Jewellers, Karol Bagh, New Delhi - 110005 +91 96676 61547, +91 96676 68174 www.avadhojhaclasses.com

3. ● The Nobel Prize in literature was recently awarded to South Korean author Han Kang for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.” ● She was also the recipient of the International Booker Prize in 2016 ● Her work is “characterized by this double exposure of pain which is a correspondence be- tween mental and physical torment with close connections to Eastern thinking.” ● Her famous works include The Vegetarian, The White Book, Human Acts and Greek Lessons. Source: Hindustan Times Prelims - General Studies III - Awards and Honours Nobel Peace Prize Context Recently, the Nobel Prize in Peace was awarded to the Japanese atomic bomb survi- vors’ group Nihon Hidankyo. About ● Recently, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the Japanese atomic bomb survivors’ group Nihon Hidankyo. ● The group has been awarded for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons. Nihon Hidankyo ● Nihon Hidankyo is a Japanese organization which represents survivors of the atomic bomb- ings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was formed in 1956. ● The group advocates for a nuclear-free world and preaches a powerful witness testimony on the horrors of nuclear warfare. ● The mission of the group is to raise global awareness of the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. ● The members of the group share their personal stories of the devastation they experienced in August 1945. ● In Japan, the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are called the Hibakusha. ● They have helped shape the international “nuclear taboo,” which is a powerful norm stig- matizing the use of nuclear arms as morally unacceptable. Source: Hindustan Times 3rd Floor, 36 Pusa Road, Above Kalyan Jewellers, Karol Bagh, New Delhi - 110005 +91 96676 61547, +91 96676 68174 www.avadhojhaclasses.com

4. Mains - General Studies III - Economy National Agriculture Code Context Recently, the Bureau of Indian Standards began the process of formulating the Na- tional Agriculture Code. About ● The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has started the process of formulating a National Agriculture Code (NAC). ● The Agriculture Code is being designed based on the National Building Code and Nation- al Electrical Code. ● Although the apex standard body, i.e. BIS, has already set standards for different products such as machinery such as tractors, harvesters, etc. and various inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, etc., there are various areas in agriculture which have not been covered by it. ● These include standards for the preparation of fields, micro irrigation and water use. National Agriculture Code (NAC) ● It will be formulated as a comprehensive standards framework which will cover the entire agriculture cycle. It will also have a guidance note for future standardisation. ● The code will have two parts. The first part will contain general principles for all crops while the second will deal with crop-specific standards for the likes of paddy, wheat, oil- seeds, and pulses. Objectives of the National Agriculture Code ● It aims to create an implementable national code which will cover recommendations for agriculture practices taking agroclimatic zones, crop type, socio-economic diversity of the country and all aspects of the agri-food value chain into consideration; ● It aims to provide the required reference of standards to policymakers, agriculture depart- ments and regulators for incorporating the provisions of NAC in their schemes, policies, or regulations; ● It aims to create a comprehensive guide for the farming community to ensure effective de- cision-making in agricultural practices; ● It aims to integrate relevant Indian Standards with recommended agricultural practices. ● It will address modern practices such as SMART farming, sustainability, traceability and documentation. 3rd Floor, 36 Pusa Road, Above Kalyan Jewellers, Karol Bagh, New Delhi - 110005 +91 96676 61547, +91 96676 68174 www.avadhojhaclasses.com

5. Components of NAC Agricultural Processes ● NAC will cover standards for agricultural processes such as crop selection, land prepara- tion, sowing/transplanting, irrigation/drainage, soil health management, plant health man- agement etc. ● Input Management: It will also cover standards for input management such as the use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and weedicides. Post-Harvest Processes ● NAC will cover standards for Post-Harvest Processes such as harvesting/threshing, prima- ry processing, post-harvest, sustainability, and record maintenance. ● It will also cover standards for crop storage and traceability. New Advancements in Agriculture ● NAC will also set standards for new and emerging areas like natural farming and organic farming. ● It will also standardize the use of Internet-of-Things and Artificial Intelligence in the field of agriculture. Standardized Agriculture Demonstration Farm (SADF) ● The BIS will also develop a ‘Standardized Agriculture Demonstration Farm’ (SADF) along the lines of provisions of the National Agriculture Code. ● It will be developed in selected agriculture institutes in the country. For setting up these farms, BIS will provide financial assistance to these institutes. ● The main objective of setting up these farms is to serve as experimental sites for testing and implementing various agricultural practices and new technologies. 3rd Floor, 36 Pusa Road, Above Kalyan Jewellers, Karol Bagh, New Delhi - 110005 +91 96676 61547, +91 96676 68174 www.avadhojhaclasses.com

6. Conclusion The inclusion of the National Agriculture Code will set standards for the farming processes and post-harvest processes along with input and storage. Hence, it will provide a benchmark for policymakers to formulate policies in related fields. Apart from that, the code will help to increase the productivity of Indian Agriculture by checking the wastage of pesticides and herbicides. Seeds, fertilizers and increasing the crop yield. As the code will also set standards for nascent technologies such as AI and IoT in agriculture, it will help farmers use this tech- nology on their farms. Overall, this code is a step towards increasing agriculture productivity and ensuring food security. Source: Indian Express 3rd Floor, 36 Pusa Road, Above Kalyan Jewellers, Karol Bagh, New Delhi - 110005 +91 96676 61547, +91 96676 68174 www.avadhojhaclasses.com