Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 08 July 2021

::NATIONAL::

The Ministry of Ayush has issued a statement challenging the findings of a study that linked the herb giloy to liver damage.
The study, published in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology, mentioned that the “use of herb TinosporaCordifolia (TC), commonly known as giloy or guduchi, resulted in liver failure in six patients in Mumbai”.
The ministry, however, said that relating giloy or TC to liver damage would be “misleading and disastrous to the traditional medicine system of India as herb guduchi or giloy has been used in Ayurveda since long. The efficacy of TC in managing various disorders is well established”.

About:

Giloy, used in many herbal and ayurvedic medicines, is known to treat many health issues.
It has a high nutritional content and includes steroids, flavonoids, lignans, and carbohydrates.

Benefits of giloy:

Giloy can be helpful in boosting immunity. It is packed with antioxidants and can help one fight off free radicals and disease-causing germs.
It is beneficial in removing toxins from the body, purifies blood, and help combat urinary tract infections and liver disease.”
Giloy also helps in controlling diabetes by improving your body’s blood glucose levels.

The Union Government expanded its Council of Ministers to 77 by inducting new ministers and promoting junior ministers.

About:

The 91st Amendment to the Constitution introduced Article 75(1A), which states that theUnion Council of Ministers cannot exceed more than 15 percent of total strength of Lok Sabha.
Council of Ministers is a Constitutional body; however, its size and classification are not mentioned in the Constitution.
Classification into a three-tier body (Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers) is based on British parliamentary conventions.

About:

An RN alerts police forces across the world about fugitives who are wanted internationally.RN is not an arrest warrant.
Interpolis an intergovernmental organization that helps coordinate the police force of 194member countries. It is headquartered in Lyon, France.
Each of the member countries hosts an INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB).
The Central Bureau of Investigation is designated as the NCB of India.

In Malaysia, some residents of low-income families have started waving white flags as part of the so-called “White Flag Campaign”, or the #bendera putih (white flag) movement.
Malaysia recorded more than 7,000 cases, which is the highest the country has seen in over a month. Kuala Lumpur, the capital city, recorded about 1,500 infections.

What is this movement?

As part of the movement that was initiated last week, families that are facing hunger or need any other kind of assistance are encouraged to wave a white flag or put a piece of white cloth outside their homes to signal that they need help.
The idea is that by spotting the white flag, neighbours and good samaritans can reach them.
On the Sambal SOS app, which was initially called the Bendera Putih app, people can see the map of Malaysia where active food banks are marked.
This is to help people easily track down food banks. Some fishermen from Penang are also helping out the community by handing over fresh fish to families in need.
Alongside the white flag movement, there is the black flag movement as well, in order to express dissatisfaction with the Malaysian government.
Specifically, this movement is demanding that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin resign.

The first shipment of Geographical Indication (GI) certified Bhalia variety of wheat was exported today to Kenya and Sri Lanka from Gujarat.

About:

The GI certified wheat has high protein content and is sweet in taste.
The crop is grown mostly across Bhal region of Gujarat which includes Ahmedabad, Anand, Kheda, Bhavanagar, Surendranagar, Bharuch districts.
The unique characteristic of the wheat variety is that it is grown in the rainfed condition without irrigation and cultivated in around two lakh hectares of agricultural land in Gujarat.
The Bhalia variety of wheat received GI certification in July, 2011.
The registered proprietor of GI certification is Anand Agricultural University, Gujarat.

• Recently, NASA received its first sample of asteroid Ryugu, which was returned to Earth lastDecember by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Hayabusa2 spacecraft.

About:

• Ryugu, a diamond-shaped space rock, is orbiting the sun between Earth and Mars and occasionally crosses Earth's orbit (therefore classified as potentially hazardous).
• Ryugu is classified as a carbonaceous, or C-type asteroid, which means it contains a lot of carbon and water.
• Studying asteroids like Ryugu could help in answering questions about origins of tolar system andwhere molecules like water came from.

Assam government has decided that only hand woven Gamosa'(scarf)of state's weavers will be used in the government programmes.

About:

Assamese gamosa is generally a white cotton towel with its characteristic red border of woven motifs.
It is the symbol of feeling and belongingness, welcoming people, respecting elders, love and care to loved ones.
It is listed under the Geographical Indications (GI) Registry.