{"id":148203,"date":"2024-12-23T19:40:23","date_gmt":"2024-12-23T14:10:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=148203"},"modified":"2024-12-23T19:40:23","modified_gmt":"2024-12-23T14:10:23","slug":"next-generation-dna-sequencing-facility","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/next-generation-dna-sequencing-facility","title":{"rendered":"Advanced Facility for Pashmina Certification and Next Generation DNA Sequencing Facility"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Union<\/span><b> Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> inaugurated the <\/span><b>Advanced Facility for Pashmina Certification<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>Next-Generation DNA Sequencing (NGS) Facility<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 at the <\/span><b>Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>About the Next-Generation DNA Sequencing (NGS) Facility<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NGS enables rapid decoding of entire genomes and analyses millions of DNA sequences simultaneously.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provides insights into genetic diversity, evolutionary relationships, and population health.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.7979%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt; color: #000000;\"><b>Wildlife Institute of India (WII),Dehradun<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is a premier institution dedicated to wildlife research, education, and conservation in India.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Established in 1982, WII is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Applications in Wildlife Conservation:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identifies population genetic health and genetic diversity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Studies genetic barriers and their impacts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Helps in understanding disease outbreaks and detecting illegal wildlife trade.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Evaluates effects of climate change on biodiversity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-148180 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/2311-676966982013b.webp\" alt=\"DNA Sequencing\" width=\"551\" height=\"364\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/2311-676966982013b.webp 903w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/2311-676966982013b-300x198.webp 300w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/2311-676966982013b-768x508.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 551px) 100vw, 551px\" \/><b>Impact on Research:<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establishes WII as a leading molecular and genetic research centre.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facilitates studies in biodiversity genomics, population genetics, and disease surveillance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NGS facility supports research on:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Genetic adaptation to climate change.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pathogen-host interactions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conservation strategies for endangered species, including tigers, elephants, and riverine dolphins.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Pro and Con of NGS facility<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6975%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 51.6064%;\"><b>Pros:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>High throughput:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> NGS can sequence a massive amount of DNA in a short time, allowing for the analysis of many genes simultaneously.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Cost-effective<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (in the long run): While initial investment is high, the cost per sample decreases significantly when processing large batches.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Improved patient care:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Enables more accurate diagnoses, personalized treatment plans, and improved disease management.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 48.6212%;\"><b>Cons:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>High initial investment:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Requires substantial infrastructure (computers, storage, specialized equipment).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Data analysis challenges:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Demands highly skilled personnel to analyze and interpret the vast amount of data generated.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Potential for data overload:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Managing and extracting clinically relevant information from the massive datasets can be complex.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+CSE+Books\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>About Pashmina Certification Centre (PCC)<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Established under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model between <\/span><b>WII<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the <\/span><b>Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH).<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6988%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt; color: #000000;\"><b>About\u00a0 Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH)<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>EPCH is an apex body of handicrafts exporters for promotion of exports of handicrafts and allied products<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and project India&#8217;s image as a reliable supplier of high quality handcrafted goods and merchandise.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was\u00a0 established in 1986-87 under the <\/span><b>Companies Act.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Objective:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To promote, support, and increase the export of handicrafts from India.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Key Activities:<\/b><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organizing the<\/span><b> Indian Handicrafts &#038; Gifts Fair (IHGF) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0which is a major<\/span><b> international trade fair.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Promoting Indian handicrafts in international markets.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Supporting skill development and capacity building of artisans.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Providing information and assistance to exporters.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Certified over 15,000 Pashmina shawls in a year, ensuring authenticity and absence of mixed fibers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New features include a<\/span><b> Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with<\/span><b> Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for<\/span><b> precise wool testing and certification<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Significance\u00a0 of PCC<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Economic Impact: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Promotes self-reliance in traditional handicrafts.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supports livelihoods of artisans and weavers, especially in Jammu &#038; Kashmir.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Global Market Credibility:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Enhances credibility of<\/span><b> certified Pashmina products in national and international markets.<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"4\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensures fair trade practices and discourages <\/span><b>prohibited fibers like Shahtoosh<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as the shawl made up of<\/span><b> pashmina wool was promoted as an alternative to Shahtoosh shawl<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Conservation Contributions:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Discourages illegal trade in <\/span><b>Shahtoosh wool,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> aiding in the<\/span><b> conservation of Tibetan antelope (Chiru).<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As per the IUCN, the species is currently categorized as<\/span><b> Near Threatened<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc\/pw-only-ias?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.5984%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt; color: #000000;\"><b>About Pashmina\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Pashmina is renowned for its exceptional softness, warmth, and luxurious feel.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">The word pashmina is originated from a word &#8216;pashm&#8217; means &#8216;soft gold&#8217; in local language, and &#8216;wool&#8217; in Persian language<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Originates from the<\/span><b> undercoat of the Changthangi goat<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a breed found in the high altitudes of the Himalayas in regions like Ladakh, India.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>GI Tag Certificate:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Kashmir Pashmina has received Geographical Indication (GI) certification, recognizing its unique origin and quality.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Animal Used:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Changthangi goat (Capra aegagrus hircus), also known as the<\/span><b> Pashmina goat.<\/b><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Pashmina goats shed their 80\u2013170g winter undercoat naturally each spring, collected through combing during the moulting season.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6375%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 111.19%; text-align: center;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Also Read<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" 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Store<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-test-series-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>UPSC Test Series<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-textbooks?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Textbooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-modules?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Modules\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Check Out UPSC Modules From PW Store<\/b><\/a><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change inaugurated the Advanced Facility for Pashmina Certification and Next-Generation DNA Sequencing (NGS) Facility  at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":148182,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"paper-wise":[2089],"subject":[4642],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/148203"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/current-affairs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148203"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/148203\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":148205,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/148203\/revisions\/148205"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=148203"},{"taxonomy":"paper-wise","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/paper-wise?post=148203"},{"taxonomy":"subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subject?post=148203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}