Recently, American doctors have performed the first transplant of a genetically modified kidney from a pig into a living human at Massachusetts General Hospital, US. The patient, Rick Slayman, a 62-year-old man, had been diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease. After the transplant, he is now recovering well and is expected to be discharged from the hospital soon.
Doctors have said that they believe that his new kidney could last years but also acknowledged that there are many unknown factors in animal-to-human transplants. Experts say xenotransplants (transplants of animal organs into people) are crucial to solving the organ shortage. This is the third transplant of a pig organ into a living human. The first two were hearts transplanted into living people who had run out of other transplant options. However, both of these patients did not survive for too long after their respective heart transplants.
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Did You Know?
Massachusetts General Hospital was also the first 2 hospitals to perform a kidney transplant in 1954.
NASA is planning to launch the Europa Clipper Mission to Jupiter’s watery moon in October 2024. It is also proposing to send along with the spacecraft a unique message that has been recorded in 103 languages including Hindi. NASA has found strong evidence of an ocean under the icy crust of Jupiter’s moon Europa. It is estimated that the amount of water on Europa is more than twice the amount of water of all of Earth’s oceans combined.
The message is engraved on a plate made from metal tantalum. NASA collected recordings of the word “water” spoken in 103 languages from around the world. The audio files were then converted into waveforms (visual representations of sound waves) and etched into the plate.
A Parliament is an important aspect of any democratic country. Parliament is the lawmaking body of a government. The Indian Parliament is responsible for making laws, overseeing the administration, passing the budget, and discussing issues of national and international importance. The members of the Indian Parliament are either elected or appointed.
The Indian Parliament is the highest legislative body of India.
The President Of India
The head of the Indian Parliament
The Two Houses
Rajya Sabha – 250 seats (Current = 245)
Lok Sabha – 550 seats (Current = 545)
What Is Rajya Sabha?
According to the Constitution of India, the Rajya Sabha or the Upper House of the Indian Parliament consists of the representatives of the States and the Union Territories and persons nominated by the President of India. Rajya Sabha is a permanent body and cannot be dissolved. However, one third of the members retire every second year, and are replaced by newly elected members. Each member is elected for a term of six years.
What Is Lok Sabha?
Universal Adult Suffrage. According to the Constitution of India, Lok Sabha can have a maximum of 550 members in the House. However, presently the Lok Sabha consists of 545 seats out of which 543 seats are filled by elected representatives. The remaining two seats are filled by nomination of representatives of the Anglo-Indian Community if the President feels that this community has not been represented adequately.
Term Of The Lok Sabha
The term of the Lok Sabha, unless dissolved earlier, is five years from the date: appointed for its first meeting. But in case of any emergency, this period may be extended by Parliament in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of India.
Who Can Contest The Lok Sabha Polls?
The contestant must be a citizen of India.
Must be 25 years of age.
Should be enrolled as a current voter in any parliamentary constituency of India.
Must possess other qualifications as prescribed by or under any law made by the Parliament of India.
Who Can Vote?
The Universal Adult Suffrage means that all Indian citizens above the age of 18 have the right to vote, irrespective of caste, creed, religion, gender or ethnicity.
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How Is The Government Of India Formed?
For a political party to form the government in India, it should have at least half the number of the Lok Sabha members or more i.e. 272 (50% of 543). When a political party wins 272 seats or more in the Lok Sabha elections, it is called winning with an absolute majority.
If no single party wins with an absolute majority, the leading parties will try to form a coalition with smaller parties. These alliances and coalitions between political parties could be formed either before or after the Lok Sabha elections.
After the election results are declared, the President of India will ask the party with an absolute majority or the party with maximum number of seats or any coalition of parties (in case no single party has absolute majority) to form the government.
The party with absolute majority or the coalition of political parties will nominate one of its members to be the Prime Minister. In turn, the Prime Minister will select the council of Ministers to assume the responsibilities of the different departments in the cabinet.
Interesting Facts About The Lok Sabha Elections
The total elective membership of the Lok Sabha is distributed among the Indian states in such a way that the ratio between the number of seats allotted to each State and population of the State is, as far as practicable, the same for all states.
For the first time in the history of India, certain people can vote from home in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Senior citizens who are above 85 years and persons with disabilities can opt for postal ballots and cast their votes from homes.
The first general elections in India were held in 1951-1952.
NOTA, short for None of the Above, was introduced in 2013 to allow voters to declare that they reject all the candidates fielded by every contesting party.
The Election Commission of India enforces the Model Code of Conduct once the elections are announced. This code of conduct is implemented to ensure free and fair elections. It is a set of guidelines for the conduct of political parties and candidates during elections.
The Following States Have The Most Number Of Lok Sabha Seats:
Before every edition of the Olympic Games, a flame is kindled by rays of the sun during a ceremony held in the ancient ruins of Olympia, Greece under the authority of the International Olympic Committee. This flame is known as the Olympic Flame. The Olympic Flame is usually lit at Olympia a few months before the opening of the Olympic Games. Starting the ceremony at Olympia celebrates the link between the Ancient Olympic Games and the Modern Olympic Games.
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From Olympia, the flame is usually carried for a number of weeks until it reaches the host city, mainly on foot by runners, but also using other forms of transport.
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For the Paris Olympics, the ceremonial lighting ceremony is scheduled on April 16 in Olympia, Greece. Over 11 days, 600 torchbearers in Greece will carry the flame 500 km across 41 municipalities.
The torch is passed from one torchbearer to the next until it reaches the cauldron at the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium. The flame announces the Olympic Games and spreads a message of peace of peace and friendship between the people. The Torch relay ends at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
Olympia was where the Ancient Olympic Games were held.
For the Paris Olympics, the flame will travel from Greece to France by boat. The Olympic flame arriving in the host country symbolises the advent of the spirit of the Games. Before lighting the cauldron at the opening ceremony, the flame is carried by a multitude of torchbearers throughout the host country and into the host city.
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For the Paris Olympics, the flame will arrive in Marseille in France on May 8. The flame will arrive from Athens, Greece, after travelling by sea on board the full-rigged ship Belem.
The flame will then travel across various French territories for 68 days. 10,000 torchbearers will carry the flame across the 64 territories of France until July 26, when the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony is scheduled to take place on the River Seine.
When And Where Did The Tradition Of The Olympic Torch Relay Begin?
The Olympic Flame first became a tradition of the Modern Olympic Games, when an Olympic Flame was lit and remained burning at the entrance to the Olympic stadium throughout the Amsterdam 1928 Olympic Games.
However, the Olympic Torch Relay was started for the first time at the Berlin 1936 Olympic Games. The torch relay has opened the Olympic ceremonies ever since.
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Let The Games Begin
The Torch relay ends at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. The final runner (or sometimes runners) enters the stadium and lights the cauldron with the Olympic Flame. The Games can then begin!
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The Paralympic Flame And Torch Relay
Shortly after the Olympic Flame is extinguished during the closing ceremony for the Olympic Games, the Flame for the Paralympic Games is lit in Stoke Mandeville (in England). Stoke Mandeville is the historic birthplace of Paralympic sport. For the Paris Paralympic Games, the flame after being lit in Stoke Mandeville will cross the sea like its Olympic twin. However, this time the flame will travel via the Channel Tunnel, marking the start of a legendary relay.
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From August 25 to August 28, 2024, around 1,000 forerunners will carry the Paralympic Flame to around 50 cities throughout France.
Fun Facts
The current Summer and Winter Olympics torches that carry the Olympic Flame and are designed to withstand wind and rain. They are also uniquely designed to include special elements of the host country and spirit of the Games.
When two torches meet and one already-lit torch lights the flame of the other it’s called a “Kiss“.
Sometimes the Olympic torch can go out. Although, it’s really rare that this happens due to a malfunctioning burner or extreme wind. Just in case, there’s always a “mother flame” carried in specially designed miner’s lanterns that they can use to relight the torch.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that former prime ministers P.V. Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, and scientist Dr. M.S. Swaminathan will be conferred with the Bharat Ratna. Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award in India. PV. Narasimha Rao was the Indian prime minister from 1991 to 1996 and is known to be the man who started the economic liberalisation of India. Chaudhary Charan Singh, a well known champion of workers and farmers’ rights, briefly served as the Indian prime minister in 1979. Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, a renowned scientist, is known as the architect of India’s green revolution.
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Usually, three Bharat Ratna awards are given in a year. However, this year, the government has named five people for Bharat Ratna, including veteran leader LK. Advani and former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur. This is the highest number of Bharat Ratna awards given in a single year.
Economic liberalisation means the process of easing the rules and regulations with respect to trade policies by the government of a country. This is done in many ways like by removing trade restrictions and permitting more foreign investment in certain sectors, based on specific conditions.
The Green Revolution introduced new methods and technology for growing, harvesting, and processing crops in India in the 1960s. This led to an increase in agricultural production in India and greatly reduced food shortages.
