DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

01^st January 2022

No.	Topic Name	Prelims/Mains
1.	ABOUT THE REGIONAL RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM	Prelims & Mains
2.	DETAILS OF THE GST COUNCIL	Prelims & Mains
3.	ABOUT THE LOCATION IN NEWS – BLACK SEA	Prelims & Mains
4.	DETAILS OF THE RAPID ANTIGEN TESTS	Prelims & Mains

1 – ABOUT THE REGIONAL RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM:

GS III

Topic – Infrastructure related issues

• About:
• The Delhi–Meerut RRTS is a semi-high-speed rail line connecting Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut that is currently under construction.
• It is one of three rapid-rail routes planned as part of the National Capital Region Transport Corporation’s Regional Rapid Transport System (RRTS) Phase-I project (NCRTC).
• The route between Delhi and Meerut will be covered in roughly 62 minutes at a top speed of 160 km/h (99.42 mph) (1.03 h).
• These aerodynamic RRTS trains will be lightweight and thoroughly air-conditioned, thanks to their radiating stainless steel outer body.
• For ease of entry and egress, each automobile will have six automated plug-in type broad doors, three on each side.
• Source – The Hindu – 01/01/22 – Page Number 4

2 – DETAILS OF THE GST COUNCIL:

GS II

Topic – Statutory and Non-Statutory Bodies

• Context:
• Recently, the 46th Meet of the GST Council was held which decided on reversing the decision to increase the rate of GST on textiles from 5 % to 12 %, which was schedule to begin from 1 January 2022
• About the GST Council:
• Article 279A establishes it as a constitutional body.
• It was established by the Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016, and gives recommendations to the Union and State Governments on problems relating to the Goods and Service Tax.
• The GST Council is presided by the Union Finance Minister, while other members include Union State Ministers of Revenue or Finance, as well as State Ministers in Charge of Finance or Taxation.
• It is a federal body in which both the federal government and the states have equal representation.
• Every decision of the Goods and Services Tax Council must be made by a majority of not less than three-fourths of the members present and voting, in accordance with the following principles:
• Voting in the GST Council:
• The vote of the Central Government will be weighted at one-third of all votes cast.
• Also, the votes of all state governments combined shall have a weightage of two-thirds of the total votes cast.
• Significance of the GST Council:
• The GST Council was also praised in the Economic Survey 2017-18 for its cooperative federalism technology, which brings the Center and States together and may be applied to a variety of policy initiatives.
• Source – The Hindu – 01/01/22 – Page Number 1

3 – ABOUT THE LOCATION IN NEWS – BLACK SEA:

Prelims Specific Topic

• The Black Sea, also referred to as the Euxine Sea, is one of the world’s most famous inland seas and one of the world’s major water bodies.
• This Atlantic Ocean tributary is situated between Eastern Europe and Western Asia.
• The Pontic, Caucasus, and Crimean Mountains surround it from the south, east, and north, respectively.
• The Dardanelles, Bosporus, and Marmara Sea form a transitional zone between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea in Turkey.
• The Strait of Kerch connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
• Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania are the Black Sea’s neighboring countries.
• What is Anoxic Water:
• Anoxic water is water that has a considerable lack of oxygen.
• The Black Sea is the world’s largest water body with a meromictic basin, which indicates that water movement between the sea’s lowest and top layers is an uncommon occurrence anyplace on the planet.
• The existence of the Eutrophication process in the water also contributes to the anoxic situation.
• Source – The Hindu – 01/01/22 – Page Number 11

4 – DETAILS OF THE RAPID ANTIGEN TESTS:

Prelims Specific Topic

• What exactly are antigens:
• Antigens are foreign chemicals that cause the body’s immune system to react.
• What is the Covid-19 rapid antigen detection test:
• It’s a test that looks for antigens on or within the SARS-CoV-2 virus in swabbed nasal samples.
• It is a point-of-care test that is used to provide a diagnostic result rapidly outside of a traditional laboratory setting.
• What is the difference between a rapid antigen detection test and an RT-PCR test:
• The rapid antigen detection test, like RT-PCR, aims to identify the virus rather than the body’s antibodies.
• The most fundamental distinction between the two is the passage of time.
• The time it takes to perform an RT-PCR test is between 2 and 5 hours, not including the time it takes to transfer the sample.
• The maximum time for evaluating a positive or negative test in a fast antigen detection test is 30 minutes.
• What are the limitations of the results of an antigen test:
• These tests are highly specific for the virus, but they lack the sensitivity of molecular PCR assays. This means that positive antigen test findings are quite accurate, but false negatives are more common, therefore negative results do not rule out infection.
• Negative antigen test results may need to be validated with a PCR test before treatment options are made or to prevent the virus from spreading due to a false negative.
• The sample is only stable for one hour after it is collected in the extraction buffer. As a result, the antigen test must be performed in the healthcare environment where the sample was collected.

• Source – The Hindu – 01/01/22 – Page Number 10