Candida Auris
Category: Sc & tech
- A fungus immune to drugs is secretly sweeping the globe.
- The fungus, called Candida auris, preys on people with weakened immune systems.
- The rise of Candida auris indicates that like bacteria, germs are growing resistance.
- auris is so tenacious, in part, because it is impervious to major antifungal medications, making it a new example of one of the world’s most intractable health threats: the rise of drug-resistant infections.
- For decades, public health experts have warned that the overuse of antibiotics was reducing the effectiveness of drugs that have lengthened life spans by curing bacterial infections once commonly fatal.
- But lately, there has been an explosion of resistant fungi as well, adding a new and frightening dimension to a phenomenon that is undermining a pillar of modern medicine.
- Simply put, fungi, just like bacteria, are evolving defences to survive medicines.
FPI
Category: Economy
- The country’s foreign exchange reserves rose to a ten-month high of $412 billion.
- Record foreign portfolio investment (FPI) inflows and a $5 billion rupee-dollar swap window by the central bank added to the forex kitty.
- Forex reserves are now highest since $413 billion recorded in June, 2018.
- While forex reserves had hit a high of $426 billion in April 2018, it witnessed a steady slide over the following months.
- It went down to $392 billion in on account of the RBI intervention to manage the rupee, which slipped to all time lows in October 2018 following sharp rise in crude oil prices and outflows by foreign institutional investors.
- The appreciating rupee also increases returns on foreign investors pumping money in Indian markets, as it helps boost their returns in dollar terms.
- A rupee-dollar swap by the RBI last month also added to the forex reserves. In order to inject rupee liquidity, the RBI on March 26 conducted an auction to buy $5 billion from the market and simultaneously sell it back to the same counterparties effective March 2022.
- The amount of dollars that has been mopped up via these operations will reflect in the banking regulator’s foreign exchange reserves for the tenor of the swap while also reflecting in RBI’s forward liabilities.
Battle of Kangla Tongbi
Category: Miscellaneous
- The Battle of Kangla Tongbi is considered one of the fiercest battles of World War II.
- Japanese forces had planned a three pronged offensive to capture Imphal.
- At Kangla Tongbi ( Manipur), a small regiment put up stiff resistance against the advancing Japanese forces.
- The Platinum Jubilee of the Battle of Kangla Tongbi War was commemorated on 07 Apr 2019.
