# Covaxin phase 1 trials

• Phase 1 results show that covaxin, a covid-19 vaccine candidate is safe.

• It was well tolerated in all dose groups and generated a robust immune response.

• This result is released in a preprint paper titled “A phase 1: safety and immunogenicity trial of an inactivated SARS-COV-2 vaccine namely BBV152.

• The interim findings from the phase 1 placebo-controlled randomised double blind trial on the safety and immunogenicity of three different formulations of BBV152 reported the results of trials on 375 participants, with one adverse event which was found to be unrelated to the vaccine.

# ISRO

• The ISRO will launch a communication satellite, CMS -01, on board the PSLV-C50 from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan space center on saturday.

• CMS-01 is a communication satellite envisaged for providing services in extended C band of the frequency spectrum.

• Its coverage will include the Indian mainland and Andaman & Nicobar and lakshadweep islands.

• The satellite is expected to have a life of more than 7 years.

• CMS-01 is the 42nd communication satellite of India and PSLV on its 52nd mission.

• On november 7, ISRO had placed into orbit, India’s Earth observation satellite, EOS-01 and nine other customer satellites.

# HDI

• India dropped two ranks in United nations Human development index(HDI) this year.

• However, if the index were adjusted to assess the planetary pressures Caused by each nation’s development, India would move up 8 places in the ranking, according to the report.

• For the first time, the United nations development programme introduced a new metric to reflect the impact caused by each country’s per capita carbon emissions and its material foot print, which measures the amount of fossil fuels, metals and other resources used to make the goods asnd services it consumes.

# North east power grid project

• The cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) on wednesday approved the revised estimates of the north eastern region power system improvement project at 6700 crore.

• I&B minister Prakash javdekar said the project would add 2100 km of transmission lines and 2000 km of distribution lines.

# Currency manipulators

• The US treasury labelled switzerland and Vietnam as currency manipulators on wednesday.

• It also added three new names, including India to a watchlist of countries it suspects of taking measures to devalue their currencies against the dollar.

• The treasury criteria to label a country as a manipulator is that, countries must atleast have a $20 billion plus bilateral trade surplus with the US, and a global current account surplus exceeding 2% of GDP.

# Subsidy for sugar exports

• The centre approved a 3500 crore rupee subsidy to sugar mills to incentivise them to export 60 lakh tonnes of surplus stock in the 2020-21 season.

•  It will help them to clear payment arrears dou to cane farmers.