Meghana Pandit appoints as CEO of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust

Why In News

One of the major teaching hospitals in the UK, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has named Professor Meghana Pandit, a renowned physician of Indian descent, as its CEO.

Key Points

·         One of the major teaching hospitals in the UK, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has named Professor Meghana Pandit, a renowned physician of Indian descent, as its CEO.

·         In addition to being the first person of Indian descent to be nominated CEO of any National Health Service (NHS) trust in the Shelford Group, which includes some of the largest teaching hospitals in the nation, Ms. Pandit becomes the trust’s first female chief.

·         Ms. Pandit, who was serving as the interim CEO at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) since July 2022, was permanently appointed to the post following a “rigorous and competitive process,” which concluded after what OUH described as an extensive national and international recruitment search.

Who is Meghana Pandit?

·         Ms. Pandit trained in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the Oxford Deanery and was Visiting Lecturer in Urogynaecology at the University of Michigan in the U.S.

·         She has served as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) within the NHS trusts and led the development of a clinical strategy with the responsibility of overseeing hundreds of doctors.

·         She is an Honorary Professor at Warwick University and an Associate Fellow at Green Templeton College, University of Oxford.

·         The CEO of the NHS trust is personally responsible, along with the NHS Chief Executive, as the parliamentary accountable officer for ensuring that the organisation works effectively in accordance with national policy and public service values, and maintains proper financial stewardship.

Avian flu: Is it the next human pandemic?

Why In News

Is Avian flu the next human pandemic: Worldwide, populations of domestic poultry and wild birds are being decimated by The Largest Reported outbreak of avian influenza.

Key Points

·         Worldwide, populations of domestic poultry and wild birds are being decimated by The Largest Reported outbreak of avian influenza.

·         There are growing concerns that it could be harmful to people as well. The World Health Organization’s Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus issued a warning on February 8 urging everyone to get ready for a potential bird flu pandemic.

Avian flu: Is it the next human pandemic?

·         The recent spread of the influenza virus H5N1, a subtype that affects both birds and mammals, was what prompted Dr. Tedros’ warning.

·         Peru has just reported the H5N1-related deaths of 585 sea lions.

·         On a mink farm in Spain, an outbreak was identified in October.

·         Foxes and otters in Britain have been proven to have the virus.

·         Yet, there is no indication from these occurrences that the virus is about to infect humans.

·         People often only become infected with H5N1 after handling birds since it is not well adapted to infect mammals’ upper respiratory tracts.

·         Yet, the growing number of species that carry the disease indicates that the threat is growing.

·         Dr. Tedros stated that there is little risk to humans, but cautioned that this may not always be the case.

Avian flu: Pre-Covid Assumptions

·         Before COVID-19, it was commonly believed that an influenza virus would be responsible for the subsequent human pandemic. Over 50 million people died from the 1918 influenza epidemic, which was later shown to have avian origin genes.

·         Moreover, flu pandemics struck in 1968, 2009, and 1957–1958. Although human occurrences of avian flu are uncommon, they can have extremely high fatality rates.

·         Following an outbreak in Asian poultry, avian flu claimed the lives of 860 people in 1997, killing half of them.

·         There is no evidence that H5N1 spreads easily between people. However since the outbreak in 1997, the virus’s capacity to transfer from birds to humans has changed as a result of its ongoing evolution.

·         It is concerning how far it has already gone, especially in the Americas. Unexpected new varieties of the virus could appear as it comes into contact with new bird and animal populations.

·         ‘Omorgus Khandesh’ is a Newly Discovered Indian Beetle by Zootaxa

Avian flu: Mammal-to-mammal spread

·         Mammal-to-mammal spread would be of special concern. The theory that the sea lions contracted the virus through dead, diseased seabirds rather than from each other has not yet been confirmed by experts.

·         Although the animals at the Spanish fur farm were killed and mammal-to-mammal transmission believed to be extremely unusual, it appears that mink-to-mink infections happened there.

·         The majority are created using an antiquated technique that requires letting chicken eggs incubate the vaccines.

·         This requires time Dr. Tedros’ warning ought to pique interest in modernising flu vaccine production and accumulating antiviral medications.

·         It might also lead to increased surveillance of the current outbreak in order to give early notice of any new indications that H5N1 is still capable of spreading across animals.

·         Instead, it could be acquiring the capacity to infect people.

Is Avian flu Dangerous?

·         The outbreak might be contained by killing contaminated animals and possibly even immunising some flocks of domestic birds.

·         It is difficult to foresee how viruses, such as the covid or influenza, will evolve. But even though the risks seem modest, the indicators of bird flu are concerning enough to call for preparation for the worst.

EU formally bans gas, diesel car sales from 2035

Why In News

In a move to boost the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), the European Parliament has approved the law to ban the sale of new gas and diesel cars in the EU, starting in 2035.

Key Points

·         In a move to boost the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), the European Parliament has approved the law to ban the sale of new gas and diesel cars in the EU, starting in 2035.

·         The new legislation sets the path towards zero CO2 emissions for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in 2035.

·         EU is planning on reducing the carbon dioxide emissions from cars and vans. A 100% reduction has been planned as compared to 2021.

What is the plan of the EU:

·         The EU will prepare a plan and present it by 2025. The plan will assess the emissions released by the cars and vans throughout their lifetime. The 2030 targets have been revised.

Significance of this move by the EU:

·         EU had set a target of reaching “Climate Neutrality” by 2050. According to European Union, the law will play a significant role in achieving this target.

About European Union(EU):

·         The European Union is a group of 27 countries that operate as a cohesive economic and political block. 19 of these countries use EURO as their official currency. 8 EU members (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Sweden) do not use the euro.

·         The EU grew out of a desire to form a single European political entity to end centuries of warfare among European countries that culminated with World War II and decimated much of the continent.

·         The EU has developed an internal single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states in matters, where members have agreed to act as one.

India, Uzbekistan 4th Joint Military Exercise ‘Dustlik’

Why In News

4th Joint Military Exercise ‘Dustlik’ between India and Uzbekistan: The 2023 edition of the biennial training exercise DUSTLIK will be held in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, from Febr 20 to March 5.

Key Points

·         The fourth iteration of the biennial training exercise DUSTLIK (2023) will be held in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, from February 20, 2023 through March 5, 2023, as part of a military-to-military exchange programme between the Indian Army and the Uzbekistan Army.

·         The 14th Battalion, The GARHWAL RIFLES, a unit under Western Command, will participate in this bilateral exercise on behalf of the Indian contingent. Soldiers from the Uzbekistan Army’s North Western Military Region will serve as its representatives.

·         Increasing military capability to conduct multi-domain operations in a sub-conventional setting under United Nations Mandate is the goal of this joint exercise.

·         The fourth iteration of the annual bilateral military drill “Dustlik” with the Uzbekistan Army will feature the Indian Army.

·         The second round, meanwhile, was conducted in India from March 10 to March 19 of 2021 at the Foreign Training Node Chaubatia, Ranikhet.

·         The Yangiarik district of Uzbekistan hosted the third iteration of Exercise Dustlik from March 22 to March 29 of that year.

·         The main objective of Exercise Dustlik is to provide collaborative training for counterterrorism operations carried out in accordance with a United Nations mandate, particularly in hilly, urban, or rural environments.

India, Uzbekistan Joint Exercise ‘Dustlik’ Inaugural Editions

·         After ten days of combined training, the first Indo-Uzbekistan Joint Field Training Exercise “DUSTLIK-2019” ended on November 13, 2019.

·         The joint training, which was held at Uzbekistan’s Chirchiq Training Area, concentrated on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations (CI/CT Ops) in an urban setting as well as the sharing of knowledge about firearms proficiency.

·         The exercise also gave the militaries a chance to improve cross-cultural understanding and boost trust and collaboration.

UN Social Development Commission elects Ruchira Kamboj to preside its 62nd session

Why In News

Ruchira Kamboj, India's permanent representative to the UN, has been chosen to serve as the commission's chair during the 62nd session.

Key Points

·         Ruchira Kamboj, India’s permanent representative to the UN, has been chosen to serve as the commission’s chair during the 62nd session.

·         At the opening session of the 62nd session of the UN Commission for Social Development this week in New York, Kamboj was chosen as chair by acclamation. it chose Thomas Lammar of Luxembourg, Jon Ivanovski of North Macedonia, and Carla Mara Carlson of the Dominican Republic to serve as the 62nd session’s vice chairs.

·         On the final day of its 61st session, the Commission for Social Development forwarded four draught resolutions to the UN Economic and Social Council for consideration.

·         One of the proposed resolutions centred on achieving full employment and decent work for everybody to reduce inequality and hasten the COVID-19 pandemic’s recovery was adopted by consensus.

·         The UN Economic and Social Council would decide that the priority theme for the 62nd session of the Commission will be “Fostering social development and social justice through social policies to accelerate progress on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” and the Commission approved this text during its final meeting of the 62nd session.

Who is Ruchira Kamboj ?

·         Ruchira Kamboj is an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1987 batch, who currently serves as India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations since August 2022.