In March 2024, the EU made history by approving a groundbreaking law on Artificial Intelligence. This legislation establishes unprecedented guidelines for the development and utilization of AI, with the goal of promoting transparency, accountability, and ethical behavior. This momentous event represents a major stride towards the responsible deployment of Artificial Intelligence on a global scale.

The European Union has recently introduced a groundbreaking legislation known as the Artificial Intelligence Act, marking a significant milestone not only for the EU but also for the global community. This Act aims to establish a comprehensive framework to address the potential risks associated with artificial intelligence while fostering innovation and safeguarding fundamental rights. With this new law in place, it is crucial to understand its implications, particularly concerning the regulation of AI tools such as Chat GPT and the prevention of issues like deep fakes.

The EU AI Act, as outlined by the European Parliament, seeks to prioritize a human-centric approach to technology. It proposes regulations based on the level of risk posed by AI systems, categorizing them into low, mid, and high-risk classifications. High-risk systems, such as those used in banking or critical infrastructure, are subject to stricter rules, including mandatory human oversight and monitoring. Moreover, the Act prohibits certain AI systems that could potentially cause harm, such as social scoring systems.

How does this new law address the use of tools like Chat GPT? Does it tackle the issue of deep fakes?

While the Act exempts certain AI tools, such as those used for military defense or scientific research, it imposes requirements on others, like facial recognition tools used by law enforcement. Additionally, it addresses concerns surrounding deep fakes by requiring the labeling of artificially generated or altered content and promoting transparency in the development and deployment of generative AI systems.

What penalties are outlined in the Act for non-compliance? How have tech companies reacted to these regulations?

Non-compliance with the EU AI Act carries significant penalties, ranging from fines of 7.5 million to 35 million euros for offenses such as providing incorrect information to regulators or deploying banned tools. Despite some mixed responses from tech companies, the Act is set to become law in May 2024, with implementation beginning in 2025. As other countries observe the EU’s approach to regulating AI, there is growing recognition of the need for similar measures worldwide, with the United States and China also taking steps to address the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.

There was a time when Afghanistan was a modern state, faith was a private matter, burkas were optional woman and men could travel together. Right next door Iran was not far behind; it was at far with the western world. Women could step out without a wheel, even meet men at public places but the Iran and Afghanistan of today are a lot different. Today HIJAB IS MANDATORY. Western clothing is frowned upon clerics dictate societal norms, religious police patrols the streets and civil rights are all but non-existent. What happened in these countries? They came under the Sharia Law.

Today let’s discuss the most controversial concept in the world, The Concept of Sharia. It’s back in the news after the Taliban took over Kabul; they plan to rule Afghanistan under the Sharia Law under the Taliban’s version of the Sharia Law. What does that mean? What will change in the Afghanistan? What place does the Sharia have in this day and age? How many people in the world follow it? Why is it so controversial? Why does the world fear it will take Afghanistan further back in time?

What is the Shari’ah Law?

To begin with the first question, ‘What is the Shari’ah?’ To many the word conjures horrors of hands being cut off of adulterers being beaten and women being oppressed. In fact no religious law has ever had worse press as the Sharia has in recent times. Why is that so? Thanks to the Misrepresentation, Manipulation and Misuse of Sharia by whom! The Islamic regimes, politicians, clerics, radicals, terrorists. They’ve all used the Sharia to rule in the name of God.

So, returning back to the question about The Sharia Law. Well there is no clear definition, different people understand and apply the Sharia in different ways but if we put the broad concept together the definition will sound like… The Sharia is Islam’s legal and spiritual system, both divine and philosophical. Divine because it is said to be God’s will for humankind and Philosophical because it is based on the human understanding of what that divine will is.

In Arabic, the SHARIA translates to “the clear, well-trodden path to water”. The human interpretation of Sharia is called the FIQH which literally means “human understanding”. Now these terms are used interchangeably but they are not the same.

SHARI’AH VS FIQH

Sharia is considered divine permanent infallible but its understanding is human. It’s a set of rules put together by Muslim scholars over the centuries. These rules have been drafted and applied to suit those in power.

The sources of Sharia Law, where do the Rules come from!!!

The three sources: The QURAN which is “Islam’s Holy Book”, The SUNNAH which is basically the “Deeds of Prophet Mohammad” and The HADITH which is the “Sayings of the Prophet Mohammad”.

There’s a range of other sources to work out how God wants Muslims to live but there is no single law book, no definite statute, no set judicial proceeding to determine what the Sharia is… It’s basically a vast collection of different often conflicting interpretations. These interpretations gave birth to five schools of thought, the five legal schools of Sharia and you must know this.

5 SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

There are different kinds of Sharia you would say. Hanbali (Founder: AHMAD IBN HANBAL), Maliki (Founder: MALIK IBN ANAS), Shafi (Founder: MUHAMMAD IBN IDRIS ASH-SHAFI’I) and Hanafi (Founder: ABU HANIFA AN-NU’MAN); these four belong to Sunni Islam and the fifth is the Shia version of Shria and it’s called Ja’fri. All five of them are named after theologists and jurist, the men who interpreted Islamic texts.

Now look at this map, the Hanbali School is the smallest and strictest of them all. It’s primary source is the Quran, it is practiced in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, it also has significant followers in Syria, Bahrain, UAE, Yemen and Oman.

The Maliki School of Sharia relies mostly on independent understanding of the Quran. It is predominantly found in African nations. The whole of West Africa along with Chad, Sudan and Kuwait.  

The Shafi School of Sharia relies on consensus over understanding of the Quran and this is where it’s followed: East Africa and South-east Asia in countries like Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Egypt, Djibouti, Maldives, Indonesia and small communities in Malaysia.

Furthermore we have the Hanafi School, the earliest, the most flexible version of the Sharia, it relies both on consensus and independent reasoning. This school has the largest number of followers, approximately one third of the Muslims worldwide. They live in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Egypt and Bangladesh.

Lastly we have the Ja’fri School of thought followed by only Shia Muslim; it is enshrined in the constitution of Iran. It also has a lot of followers in Iraq and small pockets of followers the world over.

So, we have five different versions of the Sharia. How are they different, not in the fundamentals of faith but in their practice? There are differences in how they pray, how they resolve legal matters, how they settle marital disputes, how they deliver punishment for certain crimes and this is understandable because no religion is uniform.

But the problem begins when religion is mixed with governance. Many Muslims who embrace the Sharia thought of it as a substitute for the law of the land and that’s where the problem lies.

The Sharia was just supposed to be a way of living, it was not meant to be associated with political power. When European colonialism began to spread the crown and the church came together, the church was used to further the interest of the rulers. The same thing happened in Muslim kingdoms and while European nations later separated the church from the state, many Islamic countries did not.

THE INFLUENCE OF COLONIALISM

France, Britain and other European powers had colonized much of West Asia, Africa and Asia. When they left, leaders of the newly formed Muslim majority countries faced the dilemma. Should they govern based on the previous Islamic values? Or should they embrace laws inherited from colonial rule?

Well they chose the Sharia as the basis of their legal justice system and this gave birth to all kinds of theocracies, hard-line and moderate.

NATION THAT ADOPTED SHARI’AH

Countries like Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Oman, Pakistan and Yemen they all had the Sharia. Even countries which were not colonized by the West adopted the Sharia.

In 1932, Saudi Arabia was formed as a theocratic monarchy.

In 1979, Iran witnessed an Islamic revolution, until then Iran was a secular monarchy. After the revolution the clerics took power and the country became an Islamic Republic.

In 1996, the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan and they made it a terror regime based on the Sharia.

What makes this law acceptable in some countries and horrific in others? The answer would be its understanding and implementation. Some countries enforce the most discriminatory and patriarchal aspects of the Sharia.

They selectively picked certain verses from the Quran and legalized draconian practices like polygamy, triple talaq, and genital mutation. They also enforced rules that had little or no basis in Islam. Research shows that most of these punishments were not sanctioned in the Quran; they were not practiced by the prophet.

Yet today they’ve made the highlights of the Sharia, they’re being used to dictate daily lives of Muslims the world over. A lot of followers do not understand this; they just stubbornly uphold ignorant and unjust practices. The biggest victims of this are Muslim women.

Does God judge differently based on gender? For many clerics it does, despite the fact that women worked and fought alongside the prophet. In many countries women cannot step out without “an abaya” (or a veil) but men can dress the way they want. Women cannot stand for president but men can govern for a lifetime. Women cannot choose to have an abortion but men are allowed to have four wives. Women cannot travel without a male guardian, women cannot drive, women cannot retain custody of their children after divorce and they receive half of what is awarded to their brothers in inheritance.

The list of restriction on women in the name of God is appalling and the Sharia misuse does not end there. It is cited to justify what they call the conquest mindset to wage wars in the name of Islam especially by terror outfits, who portray themselves as more faithful than other Muslims. They use religious scholars in their ranks to make finely crafted arguments to use religion as a pretext to perpetrate violence. They exploit people who have little understanding of Islam. They recruit them as foot soldiers to fight their politically motivated wars. Some join them in the name of faith, some in the name of their land, some for a good paycheck and some because they’re just murderous but this is not the Sharia.

A lot of damage has been done in the name of religion by people from all faiths, by people from all cultures that are true for the Sharia too. Yet it remains a way of life for 1.8 billion followers of Islam in more than 57 countries. Does that make it acceptable? Who decides and in which form?

As per my opinion all things including religion must evolve with time. If some practices are outdated, they must end. Religious law may not have a place in modern nation-states governed by a constitution. If the Sharia’s interpretation and practice clashes with today’s way of life and social structures then perhaps it’s time for revision and reflection rather than resentment.

Thanks for reading till now… Hopefully this article updated you, if you like this and want more such topics over here, don’t forget to mention them in the comment box below…

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The whole world is talking about Afghanistan these days… So many questions are again hitting back now after the Taliban attack and now takes over Afghanistan… Why Afghan government failed to monetize mineral reserves while Taliban earned millions… Why rare earths are so important… Why China dominates the world in the matter of rear earths and why is coming in support of the Taliban… Let’s discuss and get the answer of such many questions here…  

Afghanistan Last few Updates: You might have already heard a lot about what’s happening in Afghanistan. A group there called the TALIBAN has now taken the full control over the country just as US troops are leaving it. Leave explains what exactly is going on… the mob rush to leave Afghanistan to save their life and are afraid of what might happen next. Taliban fighters have seized presidential palace and taken control of nearly all of the country just over a week.

The fighting here goes back decades; the US invaded the country back in 2001, believing those responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington were hiding and training there. At the time Afghanistan was controlled by Taliban, an extremist Islamic group who tried to control lots of aspects of people’s lives from banning the flying of kites to stopping girls from going to school.

The US and its allies including Australia fought to remove Taliban from power. A new Afghan government was put in place but years on the Taliban never completely went away. Eventually, the US agreed to withdraw the last of its troops and leave power to the new Afghan government. But as they left the country last week, the Taliban quickly gained more power and control.

Now let’s come to the Rare Earths, The battle of why rare earths are so important?         

Rare Earths: Rare earths are group of 17 metallic elements with obscure names such as lanthanum and terbium. They are actually relatively plentiful in the earth’s crust. However, their Geo-chemical qualities mean they tend to be widely dispersed, making them relatively difficult to mine and process profitably, hence the name.

As a group, they tend to have high melting and boiling points. But it is when they react with other elements that they become really useful. In fact, they’re indispensable for many electronic, optical and magnetic applications and currently irreplaceable for modern devices such as electric vehicles and mobile phones. They are also vital for the defense industry.

Mineral deposits in Afghanistan…

Decades of war has left Afghanistan’s mining sector undeveloped. Huge untapped mineral reserves of Afghanistan now in Taliban’s control. Afghanistan sits on more than $1 Trillion worth of mineral wealth. In 2010, US military official and geologists revealed that Afghanistan has huge reserves of minerals and these major worth of mineral deposits have now slipped into the Taliban’s hands.

As per reports, supplies of minerals such as gold, copper and iron are scattered across Afghan provinces. The country sits on the huge reserves of rare earth minerals including lithium. Afghanistan is estimated to have the world’s biggest deposits of Lithium that could rival those in Bolivia.

Demand for metals such as cobalt and lithium is soaring as nations scramble to switch to clean technologies. According to The International Energy Agency (IEA), the world needs a boost in supplies of lithium, copper, nickel and cobalt.

Without ample global supply of rare earth minerals used in clean tech, attempts to tackle climate change could fail. China, Australia and the Democratic Republic of Congo account for 75% of the global supply of lithium, cobalt and rare earths.  

Will other countries invest in Afghan mining industry despite chaos?

Access to huge mineral reserves could be an incentive for nations to invest in Afghanistan despite Taliban takeover induced chaos. At present, minerals are estimated to generate $1 billion per year in Afghanistan, 30 to 40% of which is shipped off due to corruption.

Taliban may decide to tap these natural resources to boost its wealth and control on the nation. As per reports, countries including China, Pakistan and India may try to engage in mining in Afghanistan.

Lithium Extraction: Opportunity for China?

Unlike gold and copper, Lithium extraction requires much greater investment. As per the data of the IEA (International Energy Agency), it will take 16 years on an average to discover a deposit fir a mine to start production. China has revealed its intention to develop friendly relation with the Taliban. China is the world leader in mining rare earth minerals and may seek opportunities to tap into Afghanistan’s resources.

Lithium, Why so important to know about?

• Lithium is an essential component in rechargeable batteries.
• Lithium metal is used in technologies vital in to tackle the climate crisis.

State of the Afghanistan economy

As of 2020, 90% of Afghan’s population was living below the poverty line. The poverty of $2 per day was set by the former Afghan government. The World Bank described Afghanistan’s economy as “shaped by fragility and aid dependence”.

With the return of the Taliban, the slow progress of private sector development and diversification has come to halt. Danger of a “resource curse” looms over Afghanistan.

What is Resource Curse?

• “Resource curse” refers to countries that under-perform economically despite having natural resources.
• Such countries focus only on resource-dependent sector.
• This makes an economy heavily dependent on prices of particular commodity.
• Economic fluctuations occur if the prices of commodities fluctuate.
• Once resources have been exploited, not much is left to propel the economy.
• To eliminate “resource curse” Saudi Arabia has successfully diversified local industries.

Many African countries faced political instability and corruption as other counties and foreign companies tries to exploit their reserves.

Downside of having huge mineral deposits in unstable nation

• Insecurity
• Political instability
• Weak institutions
• Widespread corruption
• Hostile business environment

Mining could be ecologically devastating and locals living around mining sites may suffer, especially under an autocratic regime.

Why Afghan Government failed to monetize Rare Earth Mineral?

Most of the valuable mineral resources are found in Afghanistan, as per the government Afghan have mineral reserves worth billions of dollars but prolonged state of war have prevented the government from monetizing them. But that has not stopped the Taliban.

Mining has been a major source of revenue for them and now in the middle of reconciliation talks in Doha, they are ramping up production. Beneath Afghanistan’s war-torn surface is a treasure trove unbeknownst to many. The country’s mineral wealth reportedly runs into trillions of dollars.

Undiscovered Reserves of Afghanistan  

• LAPIS LAZULI in Northern Badakhshan
• Gold, Lead and Zinc in Helmand
• Talk and Marble in Southern Nangarhar

Afghanistan’s mineral wealth is both vast and diverse, and the government failed to monetize these reserves but guess who hasn’t? The Taliban. 400 million dollars, that’s how much the Taliban mines from Afghan soil in comparison, the government rakes in poultry 42 million dollars. So what explains this gulf for starters… the government has never been able to ensure the security of mines… no security, no foreign investments…

The industry is also plagued by corruption and inadequate infrastructure, on the other hand the Taliban are like a well-oiled machine. They hand out licenses, organize labor and control productivity at mines under their control. Even as reconciliation talks continue in Doha, the Taliban are pushing the frontiers of their territory hoping to bring more mineral-rich lands under their control.

For the government, these reserves are a lost opportunity, despite having trillions of dollars beneath their feet; the country continues to remain dependent on foreign aid. There is another problem with letting the Taliban operate mines abuses. They are not bound by international labor laws or human right standards.

NEWS UPDATE: Are we prepared enough to stop pandemic 2.0? A new kind of Bird Flu Virus, again from China…WHY???

China has reported the world’s first human case of infection with H10N3 strain of bird flu. China’s National Health Commision has confirmed that a 41 year old man in Zhenjiang, northwest of Shanghai, has caught the infection. This man hospitalised on April 28, after developing a fever and other symptoms.

He was diagnosed as having the H10N3 Avain influenza virus on May 28, a month later, the commission has said. However, it has not given details on how the man had been infected with the virus?

What is H10N3?

H10N3 is a low pathogenic or relatively less severe strain of the virus in poultry and the risk of its spreading on a very large scale is low, the commission has added.

As per the experts, “Only 160 isolates of the virus were reported in 40 years to 2018. No other cases of human infection with H10N3 reported globally earlier”.

How to prevent spread of H10N3?

The experts asked locals to avoid contact with sick or dead poultry. Also the locals were asked to avoid direct contact with live birds. Apart from this, people asked to pay attention to food hygiene and wear masks. Also the authorities asked people to check for fever and respiratory symptoms.  

The man was stable and ready to be discharged from the hospital. Medical observation of his close contacts had not found any other cases. Many different strain of Avain influenza are present in China and some sporadically infected people, usually those working with poultry.

There have been no significant numbers of human infections with bird flu, since the H7N9 stain killed around 300 people during 2016-2017. No other cases of human infection with H10N3 have been previously reported globally.

Like a viral virus, White Fungus Infection is also considered as more dangerous than Black Fungus. In the State of Bihar, about 4 cases and in UP, 1 case of White Fungus Infection have been registered till the time of writing the article.

As Indian states declare Black Fungus an epidemic, a new Infection has now been found. In Bihar, Doctors have found four cases of White Fungus. It is expected that information about this will be released soon by the Indian Health Department.

Is White Fungus more dangerous than Black Fungus?

Do you think, India is misusing steroids and leading the rise of Black Fungus?

REPORTED CASES

The first four White Fungus Infection cases have been reported from Patna in Bihar. It is to be noted that White Fungus is considered more dangerous than Black Fungus. One of the infected patients is a famous doctor from Patna. Also one case have be reported from Uttar Pradesh.

What is White Fungus Infection?

According to the experts, White Fungus Infection are more dangerous than Black Fungus due to its acute effect on lungs and other body parts including nails, skin, stomach, kidney, brain, mouth and private parts.

Similar to the Black Fungus, in which factors such as severe diabetes and suppression of immune system increases risk to people catching the infection, White Fungus pose dangerous to patients that have low immunity.

Also Read: All About Black Fungus

Decoding White Fungus Threats

• Not much evidence found on spread of White Fungus in some of the states.
• The experts feel it can be as virulent as the virus itself.
• The mortality rate of White Fungus is currently unknown.
• Medical experts believe that HRCT Scan may be requires to trace the fungal infection.

Is white fungus spreadable from one to the other person?

NO, White fungus is not contagious in most cases, as it cannot spread directly from person to person. However, there exist some species of the fungus that cause this infection on the skin. In such instances of external infection, the fungus can possibly be transferred from the patient to another individual who is at risk.

People with low immunity, comorbidities, diabetes, cancer or those using steroids regularly are at a higher risk of getting infected with the white fungus.

You should know that “Anti-fungal drug Amphotericin-B is being used to treat the cases of black fungus”.

Symptoms and Treatment of White Fungus

Patients of white fungus infection show symptoms similar to COVID-19. The four white fungus cases reported in Patna hospital showed COVID-related symptoms but did not test positive for COVID. In all the cases, the lungs of the patients were found infected. The symptoms can also be similar to black fungus.

As the white fungus affects lungs and chest, it may lead to cough, chest pain, breathlessness. The infection may have inflammatory symptoms and cause swelling, infections, persistent headaches and pains.

While the infection can be detected through X-rays and CT scans, the patients are given anti-fungal medication for its treatment. In the cases reported in Patna, the patients were given anti-fungal medicines and they recovered.

As of now, there is no more information about this White Fungus Disease; we all have to be more careful… And hopefully this post was helpful; more details will be updated soon…so stay connected. Also you may leave comments below and share with others to spread the information.

 Thanks for reading…

An Indian Air Force pilot was killed after a MiG-21 fighter jet crashed in Punjab. The MiG-21 Bison took off from Suratgarh in Rajasthan Air Force Station and crashed in Moga District.

The pilot has been identified as Squadron Leader Abhinav Chaudhari. The incident took place around 1am on Thursday (May 21), when the aircraft was on routine training sortie and the accident happened.

No other loss of life reported, no structural damage in the village but the Air Force of-course has condoled the tragic loss instead a court of inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the incident.  

Late Sqn Ldr Abhinav Chaudhari lost his life due to fatal injuries in the crash. The sqn Ldr was married just a year ago. He was from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.

The jet had taken off from Suratgarh in Rajasthan for Jagraon in Ludhiana for a night training sortie.The pilot was returning to Suratgarh when it crashed in Moga on the way back.

This is the third accident involving the MiG-21 this year.

MiG-21 Crash, 2021

MiG 21s are often called the ‘flying coffin’ due to their poor safety record.

During the period of 2003 to 2013, 38 aircrafts were crashed. Since 2021, about 20 have been involved in accidents.

The aircraft was in the news after a MiG-21 Bison went to head with Pakistan Air Force Jets In the post Balakot Air skirnish over LoC. There is a growing chorus for their phasing out due to the fatal crashes over the years.

Today, the Indian Air Force maintains just four squadrons of Mig-21, their Phasing out is supposed to begin by 2022. All the four squadrons of the MiG-21 Bisons are likely to be phased out in the next 5-6 years.

The Soviet-origin MiG-21 Bison is an upgraded version of the MiG-21 aircraft, that the IAF began inducting in the 1960s. The indigenously designed and manufactured Light Combat Aircraft Tejas will replace the aging fleet of the MiG-21 and with brand new Rafale jets trickling in, India’s air power eyes supremacy.

Thanks for reading… More details are awaited…

Cyclone Alert: Another Cyclone 'YAAS' to come after TAUKTAE

News Updates: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that a low-pressure area is likely to form over the east-central Bay of Bengal, reports claimed, a day after Cyclone TAUKTAE left a trail of destruction along the western coast. The weather department further predicted that the cyclone, if it forms, is likely to make landfall around 26 May. It has been named YAAS by Oman.

Cyclone TAUKTAE

The cyclone has been given the name ‘Tauktae’ (pronounced Tau’Te) by Myanmar. It means ‘gecko’, a highly vocal lizard, in Burmese dialect.

A low-pressure area over the Arabian Sea first concentrated into a depression and later intensified into a cyclonic storm named ‘Cyclone Tauktae’. The West Coast of India has been affected by the cyclone. It is the first cyclone of 2021.

Points to be noted…

What kind of a cyclone is Tauktae?

It is a tropical cyclone, termed as ‘Extreme Severe Cyclonic Storm’ (ESCS) and ‘Very Severe Cyclonic Storm’ (VSCS)

What is the meaning of the name ‘Tauktae’?

It means ‘Gecko’ (in Burmese Language) which is a highly vocal lizard

Which country has given the name ‘Tauktae’?

Myanmar has named this cyclone ‘Tauktae’.

How are cyclones named?

13 countries of the World Meteorological Organization/United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (WMO/ESCAP) Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC) name the cyclones

More about Cyclone Tauktae

1. It has originated over the Arabian Sea.
2. After Cyclone Vayu of 2019 and Cyclone Nisarga of 2020, Taukate Cyclone has come very close to the west coast of India for the third consecutive year.
3. Cyclone Tauktae has made 2021 the fourth consecutive year to witness the development of a cyclone over the Arabian Sea in a pre-monsoon period.
4. The Indian coastal regions of the following states are affected by Cyclone Tauktae:
   • Gujarat
   • Maharashtra
   • Goa
   • Kerala
   • Karnataka, and
   • Tamil Nadu

Cyclone Tauktae and Arabian Sea

Global Warming is a biggest problem in todays’ world, due to this Arabian Sea has been warming up in recent years and Cyclone Taukate is the fourth cyclone in consecutive years to have originated from the sea. Usually, out of the average of five cyclones that develop annually in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea region, four are formed over the Bay of Bengal (It being warmer than the Arabian Sea).

The warmer temperature supports active convection, heavy rainfall, and intense cyclone activity. However, Arabian Sea water too is warming up which provides an ample amount of energy that enables the intensification of tropical cyclones.

Cyclone Tauktae is the result of the same process where the warm waters of the Arabian Sea (up to the depths of 50 metres) led to a low-pressure system that underwent multiple stages of intensification to form a cyclone.

You may also like: All The Important Information You Need To Know About Cyclones 2021

Cyclone YAAS

After Cyclone Tauktae, an early indication of another system being formed over the Bay of Bengal is being observed.

A low-pressure area is apparently over the Bay of Bengal, which is likely to hit India’s eastern coast around May 26 or 27. If the cyclone is formed, it would be called ‘YAAS’, a name recommended by Oman.

It’s still in the ‘low-pressure area formation’. Indian Meteorological Department is waiting for its further development before making a formal announcement.

On Wednesday, RK Jenamanu, Senior Scientist, National Weather Forcaste Centre, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, “Low pressure of the cyclone storm is expected to start forming in the Bay of Bengal by May 22. May 23 should mark depression stage, and the final cyclonic storm is excepted to hit by May 24-25,” on Cyclone YAAS.

Talking about TAUKTAE, he added, “The cyclone has now weakened and has reached its point of depression. However, its Remnants are still very active in Northern India…” (ANI)

MUST READ: All The Important Information You Need To Know About Cyclones 2021

About Cyclone YAAS

Name meaning, Pronounce, Origin and Area that will be affected

YAAS is often misspelt as Yash and the name has been given by Oman. The word is said to have originated from the Persian language and it means Jasmin in English. It is pronounced as Yass.

Odisha, West Bengal and adjoining Assam and Meghalaya are likely to receive light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy falls at isolated places are very likely to commence from the evening of May 25. The intensity of the rainfall will increase substantially, the IMD said.

THANKS for reading… More updates will reach you soon… Stay connected and stay safe…

The Centre on Sunday said that Mucormycosis is a fungal infection found in COVID patients with uncontrolled diabetes and prolonged ICU stay and added that it may turn fatal if uncared.

Corona patients with diabetes and low immunity powered people must suspect of black fungal infection if there is one-side facial numbness or pain, sinusitis, blackish discolouration over the nose, blurred vision, toothache, thrombosis, chest pain, skin lesion.

As per the advisory, Mucormycosis mainly affects the people who are on medication which reduces the ability to fight against the pathogens. It said that the uncared Mucormycosis may turn fatal. Lungs or sinuses of such persons will get affected after inhaling the fungal spores from the air. The advisory stated that the symptoms of Mucormycosis are pain and redness around the eyes and nose, headache, fever, vomiting and difficulty in breathing.

This can lead to serious disease with warning signs and symptoms such as:

• Pain and redness around eyes and/or nose
• Fever
• Headache
• Coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Bloody vomits
• Altered mental status

What is Predisposes

• Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
• Immunosuppression by steroids
• Prolonged ICU stay
• Co-morbidities – post transplant/malignancy
• Voriconazole therapy

DOs & DON’s

How to prevent

• Use masks if you are visiting dusty construction sites
• Wear shoes, long trousers, long sleeve shirts and gloves while handling soil (gardening), moss or manure
• Maintain personal hygiene, including thorough scrub bath

When to suspect (in COVID-19 patients, diabetics or immunosuppressed individuals)

• Sinusitis – nasal blockade or congestion, nasal discharge (blackish/bloody), local pain on the cheek bone One sided facial pain, numbness or swelling
• Blackish discoloration over bridge of nose/palate
• Toothache, loosening of teeth, jaw involvement
• Blurred or double vision with pain; fever, skin lesion; thrombosis & necrosis (eschar)
• Chest pain, pleural effusion, haemoptysis, worsening of respiratory symptoms

How to manage

• Control diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis
• Reduce steroids (if patient is still on) with aim to discontinue rapidly
• Discontinue immunomodulating drugs
• No antifungal prophylaxis needed
• Extensive Surgical Debridement – to remove all necrotic materials
• Medical treatment
  • Install peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line)
  • Maintain adequate systemic hydration
  • Infuse normal saline IV before Amphotericin B infusion
  • Anti-fungal therapy, for at least 4-6 weeks (follow guidelines)
• Monitor patients clinically and with radio-imaging for response and to detect disease progression

Team approach

• Microbiologist
• Internal Medicine Specialist
• Intensivist Neurologist
• ENT Specialist
• Ophthalmologist
• Dentist Surgeon (maxillofacial/plastic)
• Biochemist

ALSO READ: Latest News: ‘Third Covid wave inevitable, we should be prepared’, warns Principal Scientific

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A higher proportion of patients treated with the drug tested negative for Covid in RT-PCR tests.

As India struggles against a divesting wave of covid virus infections, authorities cleared a medicine developed by Defence Research Development Organisation’s Institute of Nuclear Medicine & allied Sciences (INMAS), and pharma major Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. The anti-covid application of 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has been found to help in faster recovery of hospitalized patients, and reduce supplemental oxygen dependence, as per clinical trails.

DCGI has granted approval for emergency use of this drug developed by DRDO to treat covid-19. The drug comes in powder form in a sachet and is taken orally by dissolving it in water. A higher proportion of patients treated with the drug tested negative for Covid in RT-PCR tests.

From Twitter: https://twitter.com/DRDO_India/status/1390961209776623618

“An anti-COVID-19 therapeutic application of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has been developed by INMAS, a lab of DRDO, in collaboration with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Hyderabad. The drug will help in faster recovery of Covid-19 patients. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1717007“

What is 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG)?

The DRDO took the initiative of developing anti-covid therapeutic application of 2-DG.

In April 2021, DRDO scientists and Hyderabad-based Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) found that this molecule works effectively against Covid. Based on their work,the CDSCP permitted Phase-2 clinical trails of 2-DG in covid-19 patients in May 2020.

The reports says that in Phase-2 trails between May and October 2020, the drug was found to be safe in Covid-19 patients. The treatment also showed significant improvement in the speed of patients’ recovery. The phase-2 trail was conducted on 110 patients.

Phase-2a was conducted in 6 hospitals and the Phase-2b (dose ranging) clinical trail was conducted at 11 hospitals across the country. Reportedly, in efficacy trends, the patients treated with 2-DG showed faster symptomatic cure than Standard of Care (SoC) on various parameters. Based on these results the DCGI permitted phase-3 clinical trails in November 2020, which was conducted on 220 patients between December 2020 and March 2021.

The phase-3 clinical trails conducted across 27 covid hospitals across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. As per the data from this, a higher proportion of patients improved symptomatically and were free from supplemental oxygen dependence. Similar trends were observed in patients aged over 65 years as well.

How it works and how to use?    

“The mechanism of action of this drug is very unique. And as per the basic principle of this drug, it will be very effective on different variants of SARS-CoV2- Virus. With the help of our industry partner Dr. Reddy’s Lab, we are trying to bring this drug into the market at the earliest. ” Dr. Anant Narayan Bhatt (Scientist, INMAS, DRDO) said.

This medicine, 2-DG comes in powder form in a sachet, and taken orally by dissolving it in water. It accumulates in virus-infected cells, prevents virus growth. This virus growth stopped by halting viral synthesis and energy production. Selective accumulation in virally infected cells makes the drug unique. Currently, Dr. Reddy’s is producing the drug in India.

Also Read: Latest COVID-19 News: Relief to patients for admission to a Covid facility | CBSE 12th board exam will be postponed?

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The ministry said, “This patient-centric measure aims to ensure prompt, effective and comprehensive treatment of patients suffering from Covid-19”. CBSE Board Exam 2021: "The CBSE may follow the assessment plan of class 10, 'but it's too early to say", said CBSE official.

LATEST NEWS: The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare revised the national policy for the patients for the admission to various categories of covid facilities on Saturday. The ministry said, “This patient-centric measure aims to ensure prompt, effective and comprehensive treatment of patients suffering from Covid-19”. As per the updated policy, there will be no such requirements of positive test now mandatory for Covid patients to get Covid health facility. The only essential thing you must know is, “A suspect case must be admitted to the suspect ward of Covid Care Center (CCC), Dedicated Covid Health Centre (DCHC) or Dedicated Covid Hospital (DHC) as the case may be”. READ FULL DETAILS HERE… 

Board Exams News: The corona cases are rising so drastically, and due to this the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) may postpone the class 12 board exam 2021. speaking to a leading portal clarified that the board will take a final call on postponing and conducting the class 12 exams after reviewing the coronavirus situation in June, a CBSE official says. Meanwhile, he indicated that if the situation worsens, the CBSE may follow the assessment plan of class 10, ‘but it’s too early to say’.

“If the exams could not be conducted in July, then we can not further delay conducting the exam. As the entire exam process takes more than a month including evaluation of copies and result declaration. If suppose the result be declared by the end of August, how will the students take admission in varsities, higher education institutions” he added.

On the other side, many experts suggested to make an alternate option for Board Exams. Assessment strategy is a better way to deal with the current scenario. “Many students have lost a family member to the pandemic – they are young 17 or 18-year-olds and already worried about life, tackling grief and uncertainty. With all that is happening, the government must consider cancelling the exams and finding an alternative assessment plan like they have done for class 10″, a retired teacher advised.

Earlier, the Board had postponed the Class 12th board exam which was earlier scheduled to be conducted in March but now, the Education Ministry had said that a decision regarding the new time table or date sheet will be taken on June 1.