News in Short

• Pakistani Prime Minister has announced the granting of provisional-provincial status to Gilgit-Baltistan, despite the ongoing protests against the Pakistan government over its decision to change the status of Gilgit-Baltistan.
• This comes following Saudi Arabia removing Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan from Pakistan’s map.
• Massive protests have been taking place against the Imran Khan-led government over the issue of Gilgit Baltistan.
• Gilgit- Baltistan, earlier known as Northern Areas has been governed by the “Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order of 2009”.

• A form of vitamin B3 can protect skin cells from the effects of ultraviolet (UV) exposure which is the main risk factor for non-melanoma skin cancers.
• Researchers in Italy isolated cells (human primary keratinocytes) from the skin of patients with non-melanoma skin cancers.
• These cells were treated with three different concentrations of nicotinamide (NAM) -- a form of vitamin B3 -- for 18, 24, and 48 hours and then exposed to UVB.
• Furthermore, it decreased antioxidant expression and blocked local inflammation by showing decreased nitric oxide (NO) release and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and reduced iNOS protein expression.

• Aditya Puri, who retired as the CEO of HDFC Bank on October 26, has joined global investment firm Carlyle as senior adviser.
• Puri was the first CEO of HDFC Bank when it was set up in 1994 and ran the bank for 26 years before retiring on October 26, 2020.
• Puri grew HDFC Bank into the largest private sector bank in India with over $210 billion of assets, and the most valuable bank in India with a market cap of over $90 billion.
• Sashidhar Jagdishan has replaced Aditya Puri as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of HDFC Bank.

• Manipal Hospitals, a multi-specialty healthcare provider, on Monday entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% stake in Columbia Asia Hospitals Private Limited (Columbia Asia).
• The deal is valued at ?2,100 crore, as per market sources. This makes Manipal Hospitals, the country's second largest healthcare chain, after Apollo Hospitals.
• Columbia Asia Hospitals commenced operations in India in 2005 in Hebbal, Bengaluru, and presently operates 11 hospitals across the country in Bengaluru, Mysore, Kolkata, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Patiala, and Pune.

• This analysis of an ancient Martian meteorite fuels the hypothesis that water might be one of many substances that occur naturally during the formation of planets. However, another hypothesis says that it came from asteroids and comets post-formation.
• This finding could help researchers answer the question of where water comes from. This, in turn, could impact theories on the origins of life and the exploration for life beyond Earth.
• Last month, researchers detected the presence of three more lakes, besides one large reservoir discovered two years ago, buried under the icy surface of the red planet, Mars.
• Researchers also confirmed the presence of one saltwater lake, which was discovered by planetary scientists two years ago, and also found three more lakes hidden under the surface of Mars. Scientists say that if reservoirs exist, they could be potential habitats for Martian life.