National
Arunachal Pradesh launches mobile banking service ‘SIMsePAY’
- Government of Arunachal Pradesh has launched a mobile banking service called SIMsePAY.
- The service was launched in collaboration with Yes Bank.
- SIMsePAY, is a mobile banking service which uses SMS on phones without internet. The service aims to help customers in rural areas with less or no internet connectivity.
New route to drug discovery found by scientists in New Delhi
- Researchers at International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Delhi discovered a novel route to ascertain new drug targets and potential drugs.
- These new drug target routes and potential drugs are particularly for the parasites such as Loa loa nematode (roundworm) and Schistosoma mansoni platyhelminths (flatworm) that cause several diseases.
- These parasites are the major cause of diseases in African countries. The discovery is important because in addition to limited treatment options available, the worms are drug resistant.
- Researchers have identified and used Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) molecules in their discovery.
- ICGEB is an international non-profit research organisation started under the auspices of United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) established in 1994.
International
International Anti-Corruption Day: December 9
- The theme for this year is ‘United against corruption for development, peace and security’.
- UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the United Nations Convention against Corruption and designated the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as secretariat for the Convention against corruption.
- The Convention came into force in December 2005.
World Human Rights Day: December 10
- This year’s theme is ‘Stand up for someone’s rights’.
- Human rights day is celebrated to raise awareness about International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
- World Human Rights Day is celebrated to commemorate the adoption of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on December 10, 1948.
- The conventions was adopted by UNGA
First American to fly in space John Glenn dies at 95
- John Glenn was best known for circling the earth in 1962. He circled the planet aboard the Friendship 7 space capsule.
- At the age of 77, he was also the oldest person, worldwide, to fly into space. He went to the orbit aboard the space shuttle Discovery.