Context: Recently, the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) has regained the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accreditation.

• The WADA accreditation was suspended in August 2019, based on non-compliances which were observed during on-site assessment of the Laboratory.

About Doping

• The term “doping” refers to the use of prohibited medications, drugs, or treatments by athletes with the intention of improving athletic performance.

Regulations

• In 1967 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned doping.
• In 1999, the IOC led the initiative to form the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
• WADA assists in setting the standard for other agencies and sports.

According to the World Anti-Doping Code a substance or treatment constitutes doping if it meets two of the three following criteria:

• It enhances performance
• It presents a risk to the athlete’s health
• It is contrary to the spirit of the sport

National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL)

• NDTL is a premier analytical testing & research organization established under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
• Aim: To get permanently accredited by International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to do the testing for the banned drugs in human sports.
• It is one of the 32 WADA accredited laboratories in the world.

Objectives

• To provide accurate & reliable testing services for Dope testing of Human sports to the satisfaction of clients
• To become an institution with high level of research in drug of abuse analysis in the country.
• To conduct research in Bio-Chemistry, Forensic science, Bio-technology, Chemistry & Pharmacology to innovate new methods for drugs of abuse analysis.
• To conduct research in drug of abuse and allied area under inter-disciplinary scheme to promote the interest of young talent.

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)

• WADA was established in 1999 as an international independent agency.
• It is composed and funded by the sport movement and governments of the world.
• Aim: To lead a collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport.
• Its key activities include scientific research, education, development of anti-doping capacities, and monitoring of the World Anti-Doping Code.
• World Anti-Doping Code is the document harmonizing anti-doping policies in all sports and all countries.

Objectives

• To protect the rights of all athletes in relation to anti-doping, contributing to the integrity in sport.
• To maintain the highest ethical standards and avoid improper influences or conflicts of interests that would undermine independent and unbiased judgement.
• To develop policies, procedures and practices that reflect justice, equity and integrity.

Context: Recently, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court to implement a “Uniform Judicial Code (UJC)” for High Courts across the country to adopt a uniform set of procedures, especially for virtual courts.
Key Petition

• The petition urged the apex court to take appropriate steps to adopt uniform procedure for case registration, use common judicial terms, phrases and abbreviations and make the court fee uniform.
• It has, alternatively, sought a direction to the Law Commission of India to prepare a report in consultation with the HC in this regard.

Need of Uniform Judicial Code (UJC)

• Matter of Equality: Judicial equality is a matter of constitutional right, its differentiation based on the jurisdiction of courts violates the right to equality.
• Different nomenclatures: All the 25 High Courts have different usage of the phrases when it comes to identifying different cases.
• Diverse procedures: The PIL plea highlighted how different High Courts follow different procedures in matters pertaining to virtual courts, started during the pandemic.
• Different fees: Unequal court fees in different states discriminate among citizens based on their place of birth and residence. Moreover, it promotes regionalism; hence it is a clear violation of Articles 14-15.

Road Ahead

Bringing in digitized Judiciary systems

• The judiciary needs to develop a well-defined framework supported by an accessible platform and direct e-court system in India.
• It also needs to harp on advanced infrastructure to run an e-court system that eradicates the digital divide, simultaneously upping judicial functioning.
• While the digitized judicial systems give some semblance of convenience for the people who interact with the court, digitization also brings threats of intrusion etc.

On December 25, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that children aged 15-18 years will get covid-19 vaccination from January 3, 2022.

Highlights

• He also announced a ‘precautionary’ or third dose for healthcare and frontline workers. The third dose will be administered from January 10.

• People aged above 60 years, with comorbidities will also be eligible for ‘precaution’ dose from January 10, with the recommendation of their doctors.

• According to PM, India will soon have nasal vaccine as well as world’s 1^st DNA vaccine.

Significance of the decision

Amid the rising infection across the world because of Omicron variant of Covid-19, the decision to vaccinate 15–18-year-old children is significant because it will strengthen India’s fight against COVID-19 as well as help students in schools and colleges health wise.

India’s Preparedness against covid-19

• Currently, India has 18 lakh isolation beds, 1.4 lakh ICU beds, 5 lakh oxygen supported beds and 90,000 special beds for kids. India have more than 3,000 functional PSA Oxygen plants. Around 4 lakh cylinders have been provided to states.

• On vaccination front, 141 crore doses have been administered in India. Thus, more than 90 per cent eligible population has been administered with the first dose of vaccine. 61 per cent adult population have been fully vaccinated. Some states have completed 100 per cent vaccination of their eligible population.

On December 26, 2021, Union Government constituted a high-level committee to look into withdrawal of AFSPA from Nagaland, in the aftermath of killing of six civilians in an Army ambush on December 4, 2021.

About the Committee

• The five-member committee is chaired by a Secretary-level officer.
• Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India, Vivek Joshi will head the committee.
• Additional Secretary in Union Home Ministry, Piyush Goyal, will be the Member-Secretary of the committee.
• Other members of the committee include Chief Secretary and Director General of Police of Nagaland and the DGP of Assam Rifles.

Why this committee has been constituted?

• Committee has been constituted because recently six civilians were killed in an Army ambush in Nagaland.
• Following the incident, demands for repealing AFSPA have been growing louder.
• It will examine the possibility of withdrawing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from Nagaland.
• Committee has been mandated to submit its report within 45 days.
• Withdrawal of AFSPA and Disturbed Area in Nagaland will be based on the recommendations of this committee.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Brahmos Aerospace Cruise Missile Manufacturing Unit in Lucknow, on December 26, 2021.

Highlights

On December 25, Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kesari reached Port of Maputo, Mozambique carrying 500 tonnes of food aid as part of SAGAR Mission, which is dubbed as “Security and Growth for All in the Region” Mission.

Key Points

• 500 tonnes of food aid were shipped to support the efforts of Government of Mozambique to tackle the challenges of ongoing drought and covid-19 pandemic.
• India is also committed to support the capacity building efforts of the Mozambique Armed Forces. To support thus, INS Kesari also carried two Fast Interceptor Craft and self-defence equipment, which will be handed over to the Armed Forces of Mozambique.

Significance of the aid

Extending aid to Mozambique was the eighth such deployment in accordance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of SAGAR.  It is being conducted in association with the Ministry of External Affairs, and other agencies. Such deployments were conducted in solidarity with extended maritime neighbourhood of India. It also highlights the importance India accords to these special relationships.

Sri Lanka is soon going to ink the long-dragging deal with India for jointly develop the ‘Trincomalee oil tank farm’.

Highlights

• Trincomalee oil tank farm deal is a coveted project, that has remained controversial since long time.

• India and Sri Lanka have been negotiating this project for 16 months.

• For this purpose, Sri Lanka’s Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila has instructed the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to form a subsidiary company called Trinco Petroleum Terminal Ltd.

• This move follows President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s approval on setting up a special purpose vehicle.

About Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm

The Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm is located in ‘China Bay’. It comprises of 99 storage tanks, with a capacity of 12,000 kilolitres each, spread across Lower Tank farm and Upper Tank Farm. Currently, Lanka IOC runs 15 tanks. The new agreement is being negotiated for the remaining tanks.  Indian Oil Corporation will work with the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation for developing the Upper Tank Farm.