Old as good as New

Chikungunya

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an arbovirus, of the genus, Alphavirus, that is transmitted to humans by virus-carrying Aedes mosquitoes.

It causes an illness with symptoms similar to dengue fever. CHIKV manifests itself with a prolonged arthralgic disease that affects the joints of the extremities. The acute febrile phase of the illness lasts only two to five days. The pain associated with CHIKV infection of the joints persists for weeks or months.

In Africa, chikungunya is spread via a sylvatic cycle in which the virus largely resides in other primates in between human outbreaks.

Since its discovery in Tanganyika, Africa in 1952, chikungunya virus outbreaks have occurred occasionally in Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, but recent outbreaks have spread the disease over a wider range.

* The first outbreak in India was in 1963 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

What is Net Neutrality?

It is the principle that Internet users should be in control of what content they view and what applications they use on the Internet. The Internet has operated according to this neutrality principle since its earliest days. Indeed, it is this neutrality that has allowed many companies, including Google, to launch, grow, and innovate.

Infact, broadband carriers should not be permitted to use their market power to discriminate against competing applications or content. the neutrality of the Internet is at stake as the broadband carriers want Congress's permission to determine what content gets to you first and fastest. Put simply, this would fundamentally alter the openness of the Internet.

The Current Status of Net Neutrality

Net neutrality is a major issue as the U.S. considers new telecommunications laws. The U.S. House of Representatives passed its telecommunications bill, H.R. 5252, without adequate net neutrality protections. On June 28, the Senate Commerce Committee passed its own telecom bill, S. 2686. The debate now shifts to the full Senate, where advocates will be working to get strong net neutrality language is any bill that the Senate considers.

Green Paper

Green Paper is a paper prepared by the government for discussion/ consultation purposes. A Green Paper is usually followed by a White Paper, which then forms the basis of a Bill to be presented to Parliament.

Geographical Indications (GI) Registry

n December 1999, the Parliament passed the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. It seeks to provide registration and better protection of geographical indications relating to goods produced and manufactured in India. The Act is administered by the Controller General of Patents, Design and Trade Marks who is the Registrar of Geographical Indications. The Geographical Indications Registry is located in Chennai.

RAPD stands for Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA.

RAPD reactions are PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) reactions but they amplify segments of DNA which are essentially unknown to the scientists as they are random.