DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

25^th February 2022

1 – QUANTUM TECH DEMO BY DRDO AND IIT DELHI 

GS III

Topic – Science and Technology related issues

• Context:
• A team of experts from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi recently demonstrated the Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) link over a 100-kilometer distance.
• What is the significance of this:
• With this achievement, the country has shown its own secure key transfer mechanism, which can be used to bootstrap military-grade communication security keys.
• Security agencies will be able to plan a proper quantum communication network with an indigenous technology backbone thanks to this technology.
• What is Quantum Key Distribution, and how does it work:
• Using multiple quantum mechanics components, QKD allows for secure communication.
• The method allows two communicating parties to generate random secret keys that are shared by both parties and known only to them, allowing them to encrypt and decode messages in a highly secure manner.
• How does it work:
• QKD works by sending millions of polarized light particles (photons) from one entity to another across a fiber optic connection.
• Each photon has a different quantum state, and when all the photons are added together, they form a bit stream of ones and zeros.
• When a photon arrives at its destination, it passes through a beam splitter, which causes the photon to take one of two paths into a photon collector at random.
• The receiver will then provide data to the original sender about the sequence of photons sent, which the sender will compare to the emitter, who would have sent each photon individually.
• Photons that enter the incorrect beam collector are eliminated, leaving just a precise sequence of bits. This bit sequence can then be used to encrypt data with as a key.
• Source – The Hindu

2 – ABOUT THE UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD:

GS III

Topic – Science and Technology related issues

• Context:
• After undergoing an umbilical cord blood transplant, a woman in the United States was cured of HIV.
• She is the third person in the world to be cured of HIV, and the first woman.
• What is HIV and how does it spread:
• The human immunodeficiency virus, also known as HIV, is an infection that targets the immune system by killing CD4 cells, which help the body respond to infection.
• When HIV infects CD4 cells, it begins reproducing and killing the cells, weakening the immune system and rendering the body more vulnerable to “opportunistic infections” that take advantage of the immune system’s weakness.
• What is the significance of this:
• This was the first time an HIV patient received an umbilical cord blood transplant that worked. Treatment will most likely become more readily available as a result of this strategy.
• Because this groundbreaking technique only requires partial matches rather than exact matches, it opens up treatment choices for people of many races.
• What is Cord Blood and How Does It Work:
• The blood that stays in the umbilical cord and placenta after delivery is known as cord blood (short for umbilical cord blood).
• It contains hematopoietic stem cells, which are special cells that can be used to treat certain disorders.
• What is cord blood banking, and how does it work:
• The procedure of collecting cord blood , removing and cryogenically freezing its stem cells and other immune system cells for future medical use is known as cord blood banking.
• Cord blood banking is widely recommended as a source of hematopoietic stem cells for haematological malignancies and diseases where transplantation is indicated.
• The use of cord blood as a source of stem cells for all other disorders has yet to be established.
• Source – The Press Information Bureau

3 – PREVENTION OF MONEY LAUNDERING ACT:

GS III

Topic – Economy Related Issues

• Context:
• The Supreme Court has stepped in to stop the misuse of the legislation after a series of searches and arrests of politicians, their relatives, and campaigners under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
• What exactly is the problem:
• The number and timing of these raids and arrests have raised questions about PMLA’s and its agency, the Enforcement Directorate’s, independence (ED).
• Some activists claim that PMLA and ED are being utilized to target opposition camps and cause political embarrassment.
• The following are the main allegations:
• Ordinary Crimes are being prosecuted under the law.
• Transparency and clarity are lacking: The Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), which is similar to the FIR, is a “internal document” that is not released to the accused.
• What is the definition of money laundering:
• Money laundering is the illicit technique of making money obtained from criminal activities such as drug trafficking or terrorist financing appear to have originated from a legitimate source. The money obtained through illicit activities is seen as ‘dirty,’ and the laundering process purifies it.
• About the Money Laundering Prevention Act:
• It was passed in response to India’s global commitment to combat money laundering (including the Vienna Convention).
• The PMLA was enacted in 2002 and went into effect in 2005 with the goal of preventing money laundering (the process of transforming black money into white) and providing for the seizure of property generated from money laundering.
• PMLA is primarily focused on three goals:
• Money laundering prevention and control.
• To seize and confiscate the property obtained through the laundering of funds.
• To deal with any other money laundering issues that may arise in India.

• Source – The Hindu

4 – ABOUT THE ANGADIAS:

Prelims Specific Topic

• The Angadia system is a century-old parallel banking system in which traders transmit money from one state to another via a person known as an Angadia, which stands meaning courier.
• It is mostly utilized in the jewellery industry, with Mumbai – Surat being the most popular route because to its proximity to the diamond trade’s two ends.
• The amount of money involved is enormous, and the Angadia is in charge of transferring money from one state to another for a fee.
• The Gujarati, Marwari, and Malbari communities are primarily active in the business.
• Is it permissible:
• While the Angadia system is lawful in and of itself, there is a shadow hanging over the activity because it is suspected that it is frequently used to move unauthorized funds.

• Source – The Press Information Bureau

5 – ABOUT THE KARAKATTAM DANCE:

Prelims Specific Topic

• Karakattam is a Tamil Nadu folk dance performed in honor of Mariamman, the rain goddess (the rain goddess).
• On their heads, the performers balance a pot.
• Why is it in the news:
• A group has sought that Karakattam (also known as Kumbakkali in some regions of Kerala) be recognized as the state’s agricultural art form.
• Source – The Press Information Bureau