·       It was launched during 1969, the birth centenary year of Mahatma Gandhi.

·       It is a Central Sector Scheme of the Government of India.

·       It provides an opportunity to the student youth of the 11th & 12th Class of schools at +2 Board level and student youth of Technical Institution, Graduate & Post Graduate at colleges and University level of India to take part in various Government led community service activities & programmes.

·       Motto: The motto of National Service Scheme is NOT ME BUT YOU

·       Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.

·       It is based on the “Rath” wheel of the Konark Sun Temple situated in Odisha.

·       The navy blue colour indicates the cosmos of which the NSS is a tiny part, ready to contribute its share for the welfare of mankind.

·       The Red colour in the badge indicates that the NSS volunteers are full of blood i.e. lively, active, energetic and full of high spirit.

·       The giant wheels of the Sun Temple portray the cycle of creation, preservation and release, and signify the movement in life across time and space.

The world has three types of tundra:

·       Arctic Tundra which occurs north of the taiga belt in the far Northern Hemisphere (It encompasses the land between the North Pole and the boreal forest, including parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.)

·       Alpine tundra which prevails above the tree line in mountains worldwide (in various mountain ranges such as the Rockies, the Andes, the Himalayas, and the Alps).

·       Antarctic tundra which includes several sub-Antarctic islands and parts of the continent of Antarctica

·       Short growing seasons: The summer growing season is just 50 to 60 days, when the sun shines up to 24 hours a day.

·       Permafrost: A layer of permanently frozen soil lies beneath the surface, which can be a few inches to several feet thick.

·       Flora: Mosses, lichens, sedges, cotton grass, birches etc.

·       Fauna: Arctic foxes, snow geese, polar bears etc.

·       Limited biodiversity: The harsh conditions of the tundra result in fewer plant and animal species compared to other biomes.

·       Carbon sink: The tundra acts as a significant carbon storage area due to slow decomposition rates in the cold environment.

·       It is the National Survey and Mapping Organization of the country, under the Department of Science and Technology.

·       It is the oldest scientific department of the Govt. of India.

·       It was set up in 1767 (India under British Rule) and has evolved rich traditions over the years.

·       Organized into only 5 Directorates in 1950, mainly to look after the mapping needs of Defence Forces in the North West and North East, the Department has now grown into 18 Directorates spread in all parts of the country to provide the basic map coverage required for the development of the country.

·       It acts as an adviser to the Govt. of Indiaon all survey matters, viz Geodesy, Photogrammetry, Mapping, and Map Reproduction.

Main duties and responsibilities

·       All Geodetic Control, and Geodetic and Geophysical surveys.

·       All Topographical Control, Surveys, and Mapping within India.

·       Mapping and Production of Geographical Maps and Aeronautical Charts.

·       Surveys for developmental projects.

·       Survey of forests, cantonments, large scale city surveys, guide maps, cadastral surveys, etc.

·       Survey and Mapping of special maps.

·       Spellings of Geographical names.

·       Demarcation of the External Boundaries of India, their depiction on maps published in the country, and also advice on the demarcation of inter-state boundaries.

·       The WHO defines a biomarker as “any measurement reflecting an interaction between a biological system and a potential hazard, which may be chemical, physical, or biological. The measured response may be functional and physiological, biochemical at the cellular level, or a molecular interaction”.

·       Experts also call them molecular markers and signature molecules.

·       They are indispensable in diagnosing disease, prescribing the right medication, right dosage, and even while designing new drugs.

Classification of Biomarkers:

Based on their source or location:

·       Molecular – have biophysical properties, which allow their measurements in biological samples such as blood plasma, serum, cerebrospinal fluid, bronchoalveolar lavage, biopsy, urinalysis, and faecal analysis

·       Radiographic – obtained from imaging studies, for example, bone mineral density

·       Histologic – reflect biochemical or molecular alteration in cells, tissues, or fluids; for example, the staging and grading of cancers

·       Physiologic – measures of body processes, for example, blood pressure, pulse rate, and heart rate

Based on roles/functions:

·       Susceptibility/Risk Biomarkers: Indicate the person’s likelihood of developing a particular disease or condition in the near or distant future.

·       Diagnostic Biomarkers: These are used to detect or confirm a particular disease or condition.

·       Prognostic Biomarkers: In people who already are confirmed to have a disease, prognostic biomarkers can predict the likelihood of disease progression or relapse.

·       Monitoring Biomarkers: These biomarkers are used for one or all of these reasons: to assess the stage or condition of the disease, to measure the exposure to a particular drug, and to measure exposure to an environmental agent.

·       Predictive Biomarkers: These are used to identify individuals who have a higher likelihood of experiencing a strong outcome when exposed to a particular drug.

·       In an RCT, participants are randomly assigned to either the treatment group, which receives the intervention being studied, or the control group, which does not receive the intervention or receives a placebo.

·       This random assignment helps ensure that any differences observed between the two groups are due to the intervention itself and not to other factors.

·       Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have revolutionized medicine, providing an impartial way to assess treatment efficacy.

·       They’ve led to major breakthroughs like aspirin preventing heart attacks, HIV antiretroviral therapies, and COVID-19 vaccines.

·       RCTs tested streptomycin, the first effective antibiotic for TB, transforming TB management. Sir Austin Bradford Hill’s work introduced the ‘Bradford Hill Criteria,’ vital in modern epidemiology. These criteria confirmed links between factors like alcohol and heart disease, and smoking and lung cancer, shaping public health policies and perceptions.

·       Kremer and fellow economists Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo won the 2019 Nobel Prize winner in Economics for experiments using RTCs