UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 18-09-2024

Periyar

Periyar’s 146^th birth anniversary celebrated recently in chennai.

• Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy, also known as "Periyar," is an Indian social activist and politician born on September 17, 1879.
• His parents - Venkatappa Nayakar and Chinnathayee.
• He started the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam.
• He is known as the 'Father of the Dravidian movement' as well as Pagutharivu Pagalavan.
• INC - E.V. Ramasamy joined the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1919, but resigned in 1925 when he felt that the party was only serving the interests of Brahmins.
• He was arrested during the non-cooperation movement in 1920.
• In 1921, he courted imprisonment for picketing toddy shops in Erode.
• In 1921, during the anti-liquor campaign he cut down 100 trees in his own farm.
• He opposed and questioned the discriminated against non-Brahmins by Brahmins in cultural and religious matters.
• Vaikom Satyagraha - He led the famous Vaikom Sathya Graha in 1924, where the people of down trodden community were prohibited to enter into the temple.
• Finally the Travancore government relaxed such segregation and allowed the people to enter into the temple. Hence periyar was given the title of ‘Vaikom Hero’.
• From 1929 to 1932 Ramasamy made a tour of British Malaya, Europe, and Soviet Union which influenced him.

• In 1939, E.V. Ramasamy became the head of the Justice Party and in 1944, he changed its name to Dravidar Kazhagam.
• E.V. Ramasamy promoted the principles of rationalism, self-respect, women’s rights and eradication of caste.

Tamil Nadu celebrates Periyar’s birth anniversary as 'Social Justice Day' since 2021 whereas the World Day of Social Justice is 20^th Feb.

• Newspapers & Journals
  • Kudi Arasu, Tamil weekly magazine
  • Puratchi,
  • Pagutharivu,
  • Viduthalai,
  • Revolt, English magazine.

Reference

The Indian Express | Periyar’s 146th birth anniversary

Cellulitis Disease

There has been an upsurge in number of cellulitis cases in Karimnagar, Telangana.

• Cellulitis- It is a common, potentially serious bacterial skin infection.
• It is caused by Streptococcus and Staphylococcus bacteria, which live on the skin's surface.
• In some cases, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can cause cellulitis.
• Infection - It typically affects the skin's deeper layers, including the dermis and subcutaneous tissue.
• Cellulitis can occur anywhere on the body, but it most often affects the lower legs.
• The affected skin is swollen and inflamed and is typically painful and warm to the touch.
• Symptoms- Redness, swelling, warmth, Pain, Fever and blisters.
• Left untreated, the infection can spread to the lymph nodes and bloodstream and rapidly become life-threatening. It isn't usually spread from person to person.
• Affected Population- Common among those working in agriculture, construction, and people prone to cuts, bruises, and other injuries.
• People who are overweight, have a weakened immune system, or have other skin diseases are at higher risk for developing cellulitis.
• Diagnosis- Doctors usually diagnose cellulitis through a physical examination of the affected area.
• In severe cases, blood tests may be conducted to check for a more widespread infection.
• Treatment- The primary treatment is a course of antibiotics.
• The disease can be treated successfully with antibiotics, and most people recover fully within 24 hours.

References

1. Deccan chronicle | Spread of Cellulitis Disease
2. Hopkins medicine | Cellulitis

Karma Festival or Karma Naach

Festival Karma starts with great pomp in Jharkhand recently.

• The Karma Dance, also known as Karma Naach, is a traditional tribal performance that is conducted to commemorate the harvest festival and to honor the revered Karam tree.
• Region- Eastern India, especially in Chota Nagpur plateau, covering states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal celebrated this tribal festival.
• Central deity –Karam tree, regarded as a symbol of Karam Devta or Karamsani, the deity representing strength, vigor, and vitality.
• Dance - Both males and females actively gather to form a circle, intertwining their arms around each other’s waists & dances in a circle around a sacred tree, honored as Karma.
• Instrument - Thumki, Chhalla, Payri, and Jhumki instruments.
• Celebrated by - Munda, Ho, Oraon, Baiga, Kharia, and Santhal tribes.
• Celebrated on - The Ekadashi tithi (the eleventh day) of the lunar fortnight in the month of Bhado/Bhadra, which corresponds to August-September in the Gregorian calendar.
• Nature of Celebration - A week prior to the festival, young women gather clear sand from the river to sow 7 varieties of grains.
• On the festival day, a branch from the Karam tree is planted in a courtyard or ‘akhra’.
• In addition they also planted the stems of Chirchitti (chaff flower) and Sindwar (chaste tree) in their rice fields, which, according to Tirkey, served as natural pest deterrents.
• Devotees present jawa (hibiscus) flowers, and the pahan (priest) performs rituals for Karam Raja.
• Traditional belief –Once the procession concludes, the karma branch must not touch the ground and should remain elevated between the dancers for the continuation of the performance.
• The festival concludes with the immersion of the Karam branch in a river or pond, where devotees share the jawa among themselves.
• Towards the conclusion of Karam, branches from sal or bhelua trees are often placed in fields, symbolizing the hope that Karam Raja/Devta will safeguard their crops.

Reference

The Indian Express | Karam Festival

Syntretus perlmani

New Parasitoid Wasp Species, Syntretus perlmani recently discovered by Researchers in Mississippi in Eastern US.

• It is a new species of wasp that lays eggs inside living, adult fruit flies, which then burst from the hosts' abdomens while they're still alive.
  • Female S. perlmani use their needle-like ovipositor organ, the stinger in stinging wasps to stab and deposit an egg within a fruit fly's abdomen.
  • The egg then hatches into a tiny wasp larva, which grows inside the fly for about 18 days before leaving its host for dead.
• It is the 1^st wasp found to infect adult fruit flies similar wasp species are known to target flies during their younger, more vulnerable larva and pupa life stages.
• The wasps are parasitoids rather than parasites because they always kill their hosts, while parasites usually don't.
• Syntretus perlmani infects the adult stage of fruit flies in the genus Drosophila, including one of the most deeply studied model organisms in biology, Drosophila melanogaster.
• Appearance - It is distinct from other species in the genus Syntretus by virtue of its small size (body length about 1.5 mm).
• Distribution - It can be easily collected from backyard fly baits and has a broad geographic distribution throughout the Eastern U.S.

Reference

Live Science | Syntretus perlmani

Lenacapavir, Potential Preventive HIV Drug

Patent applications for a drug called lenacapavir have shown to be capable of virtually eliminating new HIV infections through sex opposed in India.

• Lenacapavir Drug – It functions as a fusion capsid inhibitor.
• It disrupts the HIV capsid, which is the protein structure that safeguards the genetic material and enzymes essential for the virus's replication.
• This medication is delivered via subcutaneous injection, with a dosing schedule of once every 6 months.
• Protentional of the Drug- The drug Lenacapavir has gained significant attention for its potential in preventing HIV.
• It is administered through biannual injections as numerous clinical trials have shown it to be more effective than traditional oral preventive treatments, known as pre-exposure (PrEP).
• PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis- It involves the administration of antiretroviral medications to reduce the risk of HIV infection in individuals who are considered to be at high risk.
• The primary medication utilized in PrEP is Truvada, which consists of a combination of two antiretroviral agents - Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and Emtricitabine.
• There are multiple forms of PrEP, including daily oral pills and a long-acting injectable form.
• UNAIDS Opinion- Lenacapavir could play a pivotal role in the global effort to eradicate AIDS, provided that it is accessible to all.

HIV/AIDS

• HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the immune system, and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is the most advanced stage of HIV infection.
• HIV/AIDS is particularly targeting CD4 cells (T cells) that are essential for combating infections.
• It can spread through sexual contact, illicit injection drug use or sharing needles, contact with infected blood, or from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.
• There is no vaccine to prevent HIV infection and no cure for HIV/AIDS.

 Reference

The Hindu | Patent for HIV prevention drug opposed in India