Prelim Bits 28-01-2018

Assumption Island - Seychelles

Assumption Island is one of the 115 islands constituting Seychelles archipelago.
India signed a pact to develop Assumption Island, during PM Modi’s visit to Seychelles in 2015.
Ironing out the earlier differences, India has now signed a revised agreement with Seychelles.
Assumption Island is leased to India for the operation of a naval base and air strip by the Indian navy.
The agreement will enable India to help Seychelles build military infrastructure for the Seychelles People’s Defence Forces.
Seychelles has said it would “suspend” the use of military facilities on Assumption Island in case if India is at war.
This is because it is not a military base.
Also, other “international partners” can also use the facilities being developed by India on the island.
It is being financed entirely by India; but Seychelles retains full ownership of the facilities and sovereign rights over the island.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) has recommended the introduction of HPV vaccine in the UIP.
NTAGI is an advisory body that recommends vaccines for India’s Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a group of more than 150 viruses. It is usually harmless and goes away by itself.
However, some types cause papilloma or warts in parts of the body.
HPV spreads by skin-to-skin contact and is the most common sexually transmitted infection.
HPV is commonly associated with cervical cancer.
India has one of the world’s highest burdens of HPV-related cancer and around 67,000 women die from this disease each year.
HPV vaccines offered by private firms face clinical trial issues in India on concerns of side-effects; Supreme Court is yet to decide.

Objectionable Content

The Ministry of Electronics and IT has highlighted that around 1300 social media URLs were blocked or removed in the last year.
These were based on the recommendation of a government committee to deal with “objectionable content”.
The Information Technology (IT) Act 2000 and Indian Penal Code provides for dealing with “objectionable content” posted online.
Blocking is a sovereign power that is given to the government by virtue of Section 69A of the IT Act.
There are concerns with the parameters on deciding a particular content as 'inappropriate' or 'objectionable'.

Pulse Polio Immunisation (PPI)

As part of the National Immunisation Day observed on 28 January, PPI programme for 2018 was launched.
More than 17 crore children of less than 5 years across the country will be given polio drops.
The polio virus causes paralysis, known as an acute flaccid paralysis (AFP).
This is characterised by sudden muscle weakness, and fever in one or more limbs.
India reported its last polio case in 2011 and is also declared polio-free by WHO in 2014.
However, the immunisation drive continues as polio virus is still circulating in other parts of the world.
The injectable Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) has also been introduced recently into the Universal Immunisation Programme.
IPV is an injectable form of polio vaccine administered alone or in combination with other vaccines including the OPV (oral polio vaccine).

Universal Immunization Programme

The Indradhanush mission, launched in 2014, is to fast track the universal immunization programme.
The mission aims at increasing the immunisation coverage to 90% by 2018.

Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)

The Union Home Ministry is planning to set up the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre in Delhi.
It would deal with cyber crimes such as financial frauds, circulation of communal and pornographic contents.
The centre would maintain a list of suspects and the leads generated during investigations in cyber crime cases.
This would be shared with law enforcement agencies through a "secured internal network".
The ministry has asked states to establish a similar mechanism in every district.
The ministry has also released a sum of Rs 83 crore in this regard.
This would fund the setting up of a cyber forensic training laboratory-cum-training centre for police officials in each state.

Source: PIB, The Hindu