1. Ethics is an understanding of the nature of conflicts arising from moral imperatives and how best we may deal with them.
2. Ethics in medical research deals with conflicts of interest across various levels. Guidelines have been proposed for standardized ethical practice throughout the globe.
3. Medical ethics also deals with the choices made by society, the distribution of resources, access to health care, and the dilemmas arising from them.
4. Why is Medical research Ethics important?

• Autonomy
• Non-maleficence
• Beneficence
• Justice

It is suggested that though the value of published guidelines and the help that may be available from research ethics committees is quite great, the primary responsibility for maintaining high standards of practice in research rests with the research workers themselves.

• Following International code for ethics in clinical research: It laid down 10 clear principles to be followed by researchers and;
• made voluntary consent essential,
• allowed subjects to withdraw from the experimentation at any time,
• banned experiments that could result in major injury or death of the subjects, and
• Made mandatory to have preclinical data before experimenting on humans.
• A set of guidelines was adopted by the 18thWorld Medical Association (WMA) General Assembly, which was called the Declaration of Helsinki.
• It contained 32 principles, which stress on informed consent, the confidentiality of data, vulnerable populations, and the requirement of a protocol, including the scientific reasons for the study, to be reviewed by the ethics committee.
• Though the Declaration of Helsinki had created a stir in the medical community, medical atrocities continued.
• The Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) in association with the World Health Organization (WHO) developed “International Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects” in 1982.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4192767/

National News

Karthigai Deepam Chariot festival held in Tamil Nadu

Why In News

The Karthigai Deepam Chariot festival was held at Thiruparankundram in Madurai, Tamil Nadu after a gap of two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Important Points

The Karthigai Deepam Chariot festival was held at Thiruparankundram in Madurai, Tamil Nadu after a gap of two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is one of the most important festivals in Madurai which many devotees attend.

It is a very old festival and is also celebrated in the neighboring states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. This festival is very important among the Tamils. This festival is mentioned in the literature of Tamils known as Ahananuru, a collection of poems.

The actual history may not be clearly stated in the scriptures but some citations have been found in the ancient writings. One can find a reference to this festival of lights in the the age old literature of Tamils known as Ahananuru, a collection of poems.

It is one of the great books of Sangam literature that talks about the happenings between 200 BC and 300 AD. Avaiyyar, renowned woman of Sangam age also mentions about karthigai Deepam in her poems.

Anurag Thakur Inaugurated India’s 1st Drone Training Conference

Why In News

Towards empowering and mobilising farmers across the nation with the use of agri-drones, Minister Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated India’s first Drone Skilling and Training Virtual E-Learning Platform.

Key Points

Towards empowering and mobilising farmers across the nation with the use of agri-drones, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated India’s first Drone Skilling and Training Virtual E-Learning Platform at the Chennai manufacturing facility of Garuda Aerospace, a drone-based startup of India.

The Minister, simultaneously flagged off Garuda Aerospace’s drone yatra, ‘Operation 777’ which will educate and demonstrate the efficacy of drones for different agricultural uses across 777 districts in India.

The I&B Minister also launched the first of 1000 planned Drone Centre of Excellence at the company’s Manufacturing unit in Chennai which is also the largest in India. To gain hands-on experience, and understand functionality and technology, he also flew a drone after a quick crash course.

Garuda Aerospace:

Garuda Aerospace is a Chennai-based start-up dealing in drone technology, and its Kisan Drones are fitted with sensors, cameras, and sprayers and help in increasing food crop productivity, reducing crop loss, reduce farmer exposure to harmful chemicals.

CoP27: Swayam Shikshan Prayog Has Been Awarded The Local Adaptation Champions Awards

Why In News

Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), Maharashtra-based organisation has been awarded the Local Adaptation Champions Awards.

Key Points

Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), Maharashtra-based organisation has been awarded the Local Adaptation Champions Awards, organised by the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) at the ongoing COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. 

It won the award in the ‘Capacity and Knowledge’ category for the work in supporting women farmers to adopt more resilient and sustainable agricultural practices in Marathwada, Maharashtra, where a focus on water-intensive cash crops currently leaves farmers exposed to climate shocks such as poor and uncertain monsoon seasons.

Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP):

SSP is one of the four organisations recognised for their work in leading climate change adaptation for vulnerable local communities. Over the past 10 years, SSP developed the Women-led Climate Resilient Farming (WCRF) model, helping small and marginal farmers to transition from cash to food crops, as well as from chemical to bio inputs, while also supporting in the conservation of soil and water, and the promotion of more diversified and resilient livelihoods through farm-allied businesses.

Till now, the NGO has trained 3,00,000 rural women from across India to adapt to climate change with this model which is being implemented in eight districts in Maharashtra (Osmanabad, Solapur, Latur, Landed, Washim, Aurangabad, Ahmednagar and Jalna).

Significance:

Ban Ki-moon, Chair of the Global Center on Adaptation and 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations, said, “Swayam Shikshan Prayog empowers women to become agricultural leaders rather than labourers. In the process, they are not only able to feed their families but also in time produce a marketable surplus to generate income.”

The Global Center on Adaptation(GCA):

The Global Center on Adaptation, an international organization that raises awareness and resources on adaptive climate solutions through public and private sector collaborations, organized the award.

ISRO and Social Alpha Sign MoU to Establish SpaceTech Innovation Platform

Why In News

ISRO has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with incubator and accelerator Social Alpha, to launch the SpaceTech Innovation Network (SpIN).

Important Points

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with incubator and accelerator Social Alpha, to launch the SpaceTech Innovation Network (SpIN), focused on innovation curation and venture development for the space domain.

The platform is the first of its kind in India, and is a unique public-private collaboration for startups and small-medium enterprises (SMEs) in the emerging space economy. The initiative provides further impetus to the commercialisation of space and is aligned with India’s recent space reform policies. SpIN will focus on three categories, geospatial technologies, mobility as well as aerospace components such as materials, sensors, and avionics.

The SpaceTech Innovation Network(SpIN)

SpIN is India’s first dedicated platform for innovation, curation and venture development for the burgeoning space entrepreneurial ecosystem.

SpIN will primarily focus on facilitating space tech entrepreneurs in three distinct innovation categories:-

1) Geospatial Technologies and Downstream Applications, 2) Enabling Technologies for Space & Mobility and 3) Aerospace Materials, Sensors and Avionics.

This is a one-of-a-kind public-private collaboration for start-ups and SMEs in the space industry.

The Innovation Challenge launched by SpIN:

SpIN has launched its first innovation challenge for developing solutions in areas of maritime and land transportation, urbanization, mapping, and surveying.

The selected start-ups and innovators will be able to access both Social Alpha’s and ISRO’s infrastructure and resources as per the prevailing guidelines.