Union Cabinet approves amendments in the "Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986"

The Union Cabinet approved the introduction of Amendments to the "Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986".

Major amendments proposed are as follows:

• Broaden the scope of the law to cover the audio-visual media and material in electronic form.
• Penalties to be enhanced to a maximum of 3 years of imprisonment and fine of b/w Rs.50,000 to Rs.1,00,000 for first conviction, and imprisonment of not less than 2 years, but which may extend to 7 years, and a fine b/w Rs.1,00,000 to Rs.5,00,000 for second conviction.

Police officers not below the rank of Inspectors authorized to carry out search and seizure, in addition to State and Central Government officers authorized by the State or Central Government.

The International Conference on Biodiversity also known as CoP11 has decided to integrate Human Health issues with Convention on Biodiversity. In this regard, a Joint Group will be set up with representatives of the member countries to work out modalities to facilitate joint efforts by Health organizations and the biodiversity conservation organizations. This is the first time that human health related issues have been discussed at the CoP level.

CoP11 will encourage Taxonomy scientists for identification and cataloging of living species. A contact Group has been set up to deliberate on methods to integrate Traditional Knowledge with the Biodiversity Convention. CoP also decided to establish a scientific body to discuss ways and means to integrate Traditional Knowledge to serve the objectives of the convention on biodiversity.

Chinese author Mo Yan won Nobel Prize for literature. His real name is Guan Moye. The Swedish Academy recognized the writer as a one "who with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary".

Some of his notable works:

• Red Sorghum
• The Republic of Wine
• Life and Death are Wearing Me Out

In 2011, the prize was given to Swedish poet Tomas Transtroemer.

Serge Haroche of France and David Wineland of America together won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing methods to observe the bizarre properties of the quantum particles without disturbing them. This thing was previously thought unattainable.

What is their invention?

• Their inventions are the methods by which quantum particles like atom, electron or photon can be observed while preserving their quantum properties. Earlier, the problem was that these particles after they are separated from surrounding lose their specific properties due to interaction with the environment. But using the novel methods it will now be feasible to separate and observe these particles without destroying their characteristics.

What can be its possible implementation?

• The ground-breaking research has already enabled scientists in construction of ultra precise clocks. Its major application can be in the development of new superfast computers based on quantum physics.

US scientists Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka win the 2012 Nobel Prize in chemistry for studies of an important family of protein receptors, called G-protein-coupled receptors.

What are G-protein-coupled receptors?

• It is an important family of receptors found in human body cells which allow the cell to sense and respond to outside chemical signals like adrenaline. The human body has about 1,000 kinds of such receptors, some receptors are in the nose, tongue and eyes, and help in sensing smells, tastes and vision.

What could be the possible application of the study?

• The study will be helpful in enhancing the understanding of modern pharmacology as well as how cells in different parts of living organisms can react differently to external stimulation, such as light and smell, or the internal systems which control our bodies such as hormones. The study could be particularly helpful in the development of new and better pharmaceuticals as about half of all medications achieve their effect through G-protein-coupled receptors.