Context: Recently, the central government has asked states to devise schemes for transfer of these funds to the bank accounts of construction workers through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) route.
Current Scenario

• In a directive to all states and union territories for the unorganised workers employed in the construction sector, the Union Labour and Employment Ministry has asked for the use of Rs 52,000 crore of unutilised cess collected under the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Cess (BOCW) Act. 
• Under section 60 of the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Cess Act, 1996, the central government advises the state governments/UTs to frame a scheme under section 22(1)(h) of the Act for transfer of adequate funds in the bank accounts of the construction workers through direct benefit transfer mode.
• The Act regulates the employment and conditions of service of building and other construction workers.
• It provides for their safety, health and welfare measures and for other matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
• All State Governments/UTs have been advised to transfer funds from the Cess Fund to the account of construction workers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.
• The amount to be granted to construction workers may be decided by the respective state governments and Union territories.
• The financial assistance at this point in time would help to mitigate the financial crisis of construction workers to some extent and boost their morale to deal with COVID-19.
• The directive for the unorganised workers follows after the central government’s advisories to chief secretaries of all states and UTs, employers’ associations and public enterprises, urging all public and private sector employers to not terminate any employment, and not reduce wages.

About Cess Fund

• The BOCW Cess Act, 1996, provides for the levy and collection of cess at 1-2 % of the cost of construction, as the Central government may notify.
• The cess has been levied at the rate of 1% of the cost of construction, as notified by the Central government in its official gazette.
• The cess is collected by the State governments and UTs.
• It is utilised for the welfare of building and other construction workers by the respective State Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Boards.

About Cess

• Cess is a form of tax charged/levied over and above the base tax liability of a taxpayer. 
• A cess is usually imposed additionally when the state or the central government looks to raise funds for specific purposes. For example, the government levies an education cess to generate additional revenue for funding primary, secondary, and higher education. 
• Cess is not a permanent source of revenue for the government, and it is discontinued when the purpose levying it is fulfilled. It can be levied on both indirect and direct taxes.

Types of Cess in India

• Education Cess: Education cess was introduced to finance and provide standard quality education to poor people.
• Health and education cess: Proposed in Budget 2018 by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to meet the education and health needs of rural and rural and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.
• Swachh Bharat Cess: Introduced in 2015, a 0.5% Swachh Bharat cess was imposed to fund national campaign for clearing the roads, streets and the infrastructure of India.
• Krishi Kalyan Cess: This cess was aimed at developing the agricultural economy, and was collected at the rate of 0.5%.
• Infrastructure Cess: Announced in Union Budget 2016, this cess was charged on the production of vehicles.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has taken several measures to reduce volatility across markets.

What is SEBI?

• SEBI is a statutory regulatory body established under the SEBI Act, 1992.
• It monitors and regulates the Indian capital and securities market.
• It will protect the interests of the investors formulating regulations and guidelines to be adhered to.

What are its recent measures?

• The regulator has raised margins for stocks, and lowered the market-wide position limit for stock futures to curb speculation.
• It has also set a limit of Rs 500 crore on index derivatives positions taken by mutual funds, financial institutions, and proprietary traders.
• It has imposed penalties at up to 10 times the prescribed minimum for non-compliance.
• These measures are broadly in line with actions taken by many overseas market regulators, which are all struggling to cope with the pandemic.

What would be the investors’ attitude?

• While tighter controls might lead to less wild price fluctuations, the trend is likely to remain bearish.
• Even strong supportive action by the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank has not reversed poor investor sentiment.
• Until the threat of the pandemic recedes, investors would avoid risk.
• They will seek the safety of hard currency instruments like US government bonds.
• This “risk-off” attitude has hit every emerging market hard.
• In March 2020, the Nifty has already dropped by over 21% in 3 weeks, which was caused due to the heavy selling by foreign investors.
• Consequently, the rupee has fallen to historic lows, breaching the Rs 75 barrier versus the US dollar.

How will the world be affected?

• There are uncertainties about how long the lockdown will last, and the full extent of the damage it will cause, both in terms of deaths and economic losses.
• COVID-19 is likely to have triggered a global recession.
• Right now, the world economy is struggling to contain a supply shock caused by lockdowns and cessations of normal economic activity.
• But it will soon become a demand issue as more and more people suffer income losses.

How will India be affected?

• Even before coronavirus surfaced, the Indian markets were perceived as overvalued, given the slower growth over the past seven quarters.
• The first six months of 2020 could be worse.
• Growth may slide further and the corporate results will be dismal.
• While sectors such as aviation, tourism, transport, etc., will be hit particularly hard, there will be losses and slowdowns across the board.

What are the few positives to the current sell-off?

• Investors may find value in beaten-down stocks and a weaker rupee could help improve India’s competitiveness.
• Another positive is low energy prices, which help the trade balance and assist in containing the fiscal deficit.

What is the conclusion?

• The bottom line is the markets hate uncertainty and the pandemic is causing huge amounts of it.
• Until there is clarity on the pandemic front, and a promise that the disease can be contained, investors will continue their flight to safety.
• While SEBI’s actions are pragmatic, at best, they will reduce volatility.
• But, the investors will wait for good news on the coronavirus front before they start buying emerging-market stocks again.

Context: To ensure sufficient supply during the lockdown, the government on March 25 decided to increase monthly quota of subsidised foodgrains by 2 kg to 7 kg per person through ration shops for 80 crore beneficiaries.

• All States have been asked to take foodgrains from the Centre in advance for distribution through the PDS
• Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the government is supplying 5 kg of foodgrains per month to over 80 crore people at a highly subsidised price.

About National Food Security Act (NFSA),2013

• Its objective is to provide for food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity.
• It provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population for receiving subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), thus covering about two-thirds of the population.
• The eligible persons will be entitled to receive 5 Kgs of foodgrains per person per month at subsidised prices of Rs. 3/2/1 per Kg for rice/wheat/coarse grains.
• The existing Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households, which constitute the poorest of the poor, will continue to receive 35 Kgs of foodgrains per household per month.
• The Act also has a special focus on the nutritional support to women and children. Besides meal to pregnant women and lactating mothers during pregnancy and six months after the child birth, such women will also be entitled to receive maternity benefit of not less than Rs. 6,000.
• Children upto 14 years of age will be entitled to nutritious meals as per the prescribed nutritional standards.
• In case of non-supply of entitled foodgrains or meals, the beneficiaries will receive food security allowance.
• The Act also contains provisions for setting up of grievance redressal mechanism at the District and State levels.
• Separate provisions have also been made in the Act for ensuring transparency and accountability.

Context: Recently,the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the setting up of a National Technical Textiles Mission at a total outlay of Rs1,480 crores.

Significance of the Mission

• The Mission will focus on usage of technical textiles in various flagship missions, including in strategic sectors.
• It aims to position the country as a global leader in technical textiles and increase the use of technical textiles in the domestic market.
• The Mission will aim at taking domestic market size to $40 billion to $50 billion by 2024.
• A Mission Directorate will be operational in the Ministry of Textiles.
• The use of technical textiles in agriculture, aquaculture, dairy, poultry, etc. Jal Jivan Mission; Swachch Bharat Mission; Ayushman Bharat will bring an overall improvement in cost economy, water and soil conservation, better agricultural productivity and higher income to farmers per acre of land holding in addition to promotion of manufacturing and exports activities in India.
• The use of geo-textiles in highways, railways and ports will result in robust infrastructure, reduced maintenance cost and higher life cycle of the infrastructure assets.
• Promotion of innovation amongst young engineers will be taken up by the Mission; along with creation of incubation centres and promotion of ‘start-up’ and Ventures’.
• Objective:To position India as a global leader in technical textiles and increase the use of technical textiles in the domestic market.
• Implementation :For 4 years from 2020-21 to 2023-24

Component-l (Research, Innovation and Development)

• Will focus on research and development at both, fiber level and application-based in geo, agro, medical, sports and mobile textiles and development of bio- degradable technical textiles.
• Research activities will also focus on development of indigenous machinery and process equipment.
• Will have an outlay of Rs1,000 crores.

Component-II (Promotion and Market Development)

• Will be for promotion and development of market for technical textiles.
• Will aim at average growth rate of 15-20% per annum taking the level of domestic market size to 40-50 Billion USD by the year 2024.

Component–III (Export Promotion)

• Will focus on export promotion so that technical textile exports from the country reach from the Rs14,000 crore now to Rs20,000 crores by 2021-2022.
• Ensure 10% average growth every year till the Mission ends.
• An export promotion council for technical textiles will be set up.

Component-IV (Education, Training, Skill Development)

• Will promote Technical Education at higher engineering and technology levels related to technical textiles and its application areas.

Data on the Indian Technical Textiles Segment

• It is estimated at $16 billion which is approximately 6% of the $250 billion global technical textiles market.
• The penetration level of technical textiles in India varies between 5% and 10% against the level of 30% to 70% in developed countries.

Context:Recently,Cabinet has approved the Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0) Scheme for development of world class infrastructure along with common facilities and amenities through Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMCs) that will help India to become the mobile manufacturing hub in the world.
About the Scheme

• It aims at developing world class infrastructure along with common facilities and amenities through Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMCs).
• It seeks to set up Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMCs) and Common Facility Centers (CFCs). 
• It is expected that these EMCs would aid the growth of the ESDM(Electronics System Development and Maintenance) sector which help in development of entrepreneurial ecosystem, drive innovation and catalyse the economic growth of the region by attracting investments in the sector, increasing employment opportunities and tax revenues.
• This new Production-linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) help develop Indian Champion companies to tap the Global as well as Indian markets through these specific production incentivisation measures."
• It will create a robust infrastructure base for electronic industry to attract flow of investment in ESDM sector and lead to greater employment opportunities.
• Financial Implications: The total outlay of the propose EMC 2.0 Scheme is Rs. 3,762 crore over a period of 8 years.

Benefits provided under this scheme

• Availability of ready infrastructure and Plug & Play facility for attracting investment in electronics sector
• New investment in electronics sector
• Jobs created by the manufacturing units;
• Revenue in the form of taxes paid by the manufacturing units

Need for this move

• Currently, 85 percent of the global mobile exports are catered to by two countries - China and Vietnam. Further, only three global ecosystems - Samsung, Apple, and Chinese majors such as Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Huawei, dominate the multi-billion-dollar mobile phone export. It is well-recognized that India suffers a manufacturing disability vis-a-vis China (19-23 percent) and Vietnam (9-12 percent). 

Significance of EDSM sector

• Economic: Electronics Industry is the world's largest and fastest growing Industry and is increasingly finding applications in all sectors of the economy. Electronics hardware manufacturing is one of the important pillars of both "Make in India" and "Digital India".
• Security: Focus on electronics hardware manufacturing up to the Chip level is required due to the growing security concerns associated with electronics hardware in critical sectors including cyberspace, communications networks etc.
• Strategic: India is a signatory to the Information Technology Agreement (ITA-1) of WTO and Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with various countries/ trading blocs such as ASEAN, Korea and Japan.Lagging in this sector will see it overwhelmed by imports.

About Electronic Manufacturing Clusters (EMC)

• To make India a global player in the field of Electronics Manufacturing and to offset disabilities faced by industries for reliable infrastructure, Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC) scheme created in 2012 which aim to provide support for creation of world-class infrastructure for attracting investments in the Electronics Systems Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) Sector. 
• For effective functioning of the scheme, a set of guidelines for operationalization of the EMC scheme were issued on 15th April 2013. The guidelines for EMC contains the requisite project parameters, detailed terms and conditions of the scheme along with the applications forms for making preliminary and final application. 
• The EMCs scheme provides grant assistance for setting up of both Greenfield and Brownfield EMCs across the country. The financial assistance under the scheme is in the form of grant-in-aid only. 
• The Scheme is open for 5 years for receiving applications from the date of notification.
• As a result India's share in global electronics manufacturing grew from 1.3 per cent (2012) to 3 per cent (2018). It accounts for 2.3 per cent of India's GDP at present.

Context: Recently, Cabinet approves Promotion of domestic manufacturing of critical Key Starting Materials/Drug Intermediates and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients in the country.
Background

• The Indian pharmaceutical industry is the 3rd largest in the world by volume. However, despite this achievement, India is significantly dependent on import of basic raw materials, viz., Bulk Drugs that are used to produce medicines. In some specific bulk drugs the import dependence is 80 to 100%.
• Continuous supply of drugs is necessary to ensure delivery of affordable healthcare to the citizens. Any disruption in supplies can have significant adverse impact on Drug Security, which is also linked to the overall economy of the country. Self-sufficiency in manufacturing of bulk drugs is highly required.

Current Scenario
Recently, Union Cabinet approved the following schemes

• The scheme on Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks for financing Common Infrastructure Facilities in 3 Bulk Drug Parks with financial implication of Rs. 3,000 crore for next five years.
• Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for promotion of domestic manufacturing of critical KSMs/Drug Intermediates and APIs in the country with financial implications of Rs6,940 crore for next eight years.

About Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks

• Decision is to develop 3 mega Bulk Drug parks in India in partnership with States.
• Government of India will give Grants-in-Aid to States with a maximum limit of Rs. 1000 Crore per Bulk Drug Park.
• Parks will have common facilities such as solvent recovery plant, distillation plant, power & steam units, common effluent treatment plant etc.
• A sum of Rs. 3,000 crore has been approved for this scheme for next 5 years.

About Production Linked Incentive Scheme

• Financial incentive will be given to eligible manufacturers of identified 53 critical bulk drugs on their incremental sales over the base year (2019-20) for a period of 6 years.
• Out of 53 identified bulk drugs, 26 are fermentation based bulk drugs and 27 are chemical synthesis based bulk drugs.
• Rate of incentive will be 20 % (of incremental sales value) for fermentation based bulk drugs and 10% for chemical synthesis based bulk drugs.
• A sum of Rs. 6,940 crore has been approved for next 8 years.

Impact of this move

• The scheme is expected to reduce manufacturing cost of bulk drugs in the country and dependency on other countries for bulk drugs.
• The scheme intends to boost domestic manufacturing of critical KSMs/Drug Intermediates and APIs by attracting large investments in the sector to ensure their sustainable domestic supply and thereby reduce India's import dependence on other countries for critical KSMs/Drug Intermediates and APIs.
• It will lead to expected incremental sales ofRs. 46,400 crore and significant additional employment generation over 8 years.
• Implementation:

Implementation Authority

• For Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks: The scheme will be implemented by State Implementing Agencies (SIA) to be set up by the respective State Governments and the target is to set up 3 mega Bulk Drug Parks.
• For Production Linked Incentive Scheme: The scheme will be implemented through a Project Management Agency (PMA) to be nominated by the Department of Pharmaceuticals. The Scheme will be applicable only for manufacturing of 53 identified critical bulk drugs (KSMs/Drug Intermediates and APIs).

Benefits of this move

• Common infrastructure facilities would be created with the financial assistance under the sub-scheme in 03 Bulk Drug Parks.
• It is expected to reduce manufacturing cost and dependency on other countries of Bulk Drug in the country.

Context:

Crude oil, caught in a spiral of demand destruction due to the coronavirus spread and oversupply worries from the unravelling of the OPEC-plus arrangement, has faced a major rout.

From about $65 a barrel in end-December, Brent oil has crashed to about $35 now a level last seen in early 2016.

The impact of Covid-19 will be felt on the global demand for oil, too, as a dramatic increase in Covid-19 cases has put further downward pressure on demand for commodities, including oil.

Thus, both supply and demand shocks have coalesced to roil the crude oil market. Since the start of the year, oil prices have fallen by about a third. Prices may drop further under the weight of the twin assault of higher supply and lower demand.

Price war for market share gains between Russia and Saudi Arabia:

The last two trading sessions have been particularly brutal for the fuel with Saudi Arabia and Russia, the prime players in the OPEC-plus group, refusing to extend their output cuts to stabilise already weak prices.

This has heralded a price war for market share gains, with the Saudis firing the first salvo and the Russians expected to retaliate.

The race to the bottom could result in many casualties among global oil producers, including the US shale oil industry.

Why India Need Strategic Petroleum Reserves?

India still needs to import 83% crude oil of its requirement which increase import bill of india which further widens the Current Account Deficit (CAD) of the country.

The fluctuations in the price of the crude oil in the international market create an atmosphere of uncertainty in the country.

So, in this way the economic condition of the country is dependent on the oil importing countries i.e. Gulf countries which does not suit to a sovereign country like India.

It is known that the current petroleum reserves of India are sufficient to fulfil just 13 days oil requirement of the country.

But this is not sufficient to tackle any unpredicted event occurs in the international crude market. So India want to have petroleum reserves of 90 days.

In order to ensure energy security for 90 days, India needs to build up additional petroleum reserves of 13.32 metric ton.

Declining of Oil prices: Impact on India:

1. It is, therefore, not a stretch to expect oil prices over the coming financial year to be lower than they were in the previous two.
2. This has positive implications for India’s economy and policymaking, as it comes at a time when it has embarked on an uncertain and hesitant recovery.
3. A direct casualty is the ability of the government to spend or meet its fiscal commitments in the form of budgetary transfers to states, payment of dues and compensation for revenue shortfalls to state governments under the goods and services tax (GST) framework.
4. India imports more than 83% of its oil needs, the price crash offers a breather on the macroeconomic front. According to estimates, a one-dollar decrease in crude oil price reduces the oil bill by around $1.6 billion per year.
5. The collapse in oil prices will cut the country’s import bill, and soften its current account deficit.
6. Budgetary constraints combined with the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act have held the government back from fully offsetting a private sector demand slowdown with its own spending.
7. Low oil prices offer an opportunity to raise some revenue and improve its fiscal balance.
8. Second, the additional tax revenue thus generated through higher excise duty should be used to clear all dues of the central government, whether to private companies, state governments, or others awaiting tax refunds.
9. Putting cash back in the hands of households and small businesses will go a long way in maintaining the growth of domestic demand, besides improving the credibility of the Union government as a trustworthy counter-party.
10. Third, the potential excise duty windfall from oil prices could come in handy for the government to provide relief to beleaguered telecom companies.
11. The government will have fiscal leeway to allow a staggered and a longer schedule for the payments they have to make, arising out of the Supreme Court ruling on adjusted gross revenues.
12. The fall in crude prices will also help ease inflationary pressures that have been building up over the past few months. This will increase the space for the monetary policy committee to ease rates further.

Government has to get its act together to reap the benefits in the long term:

Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd is responsible for building buffers. Currently, it has 5.33 million tonnes of underground strategic reserve facility in Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru and Padur (Karnataka), while another 6.5 mt facility is coming up at Padur and Chandikhole (Odisha).

Work on two more facilities — at Bikaner in Rajasthan and Rajkot in Gujarat.

What works for India:

It is the age of globalization where the price of a product is determined by the demand-supply chain.

The interconnected nature of international oil markets makes disruptions in any given area likely to affect prices in much wider geography.

But does the price offer any comfort? Energy expert says, “Neither ultra-low nor ultra-high prices are good for India.

Prices that encourage growth in both the exporting Gulf countries and India are good for us; after all, nearly 10 million Indians work in the GCC countries, who send over $40 billion in remittances.”

Ultra-low prices may help India in the short run but can hurt in the medium to long run.

The opposition has urged the government to pass on the benefits of the low crude prices to the common man, by reducing the retail rates of petrol, diesel and cooking gas.

Conclusion:

As a summary, it can be said that construction of strategic petroleum reserves by India is a great way to secure country’s energy security.

These reserves would act like piggy bank for India in the event of war like situation in the gulf countries or other oil importers of India.

India wants to develop a transparent market for natural gas where the price is determined on an exchange. The aim is to increase the use of natural gas in India’s total energy mix from 6.5 percent to 15 percent between 2028 and 2030.

India must safeguard its renewable energy sector and redouble its efforts to gassify its economy.

These continue to be the best bets to power India into a more secure and green future. The present instability in the global oil market further underlines the need to move away from the energy sources of yesterday.

The Blue Dot Network was a proposal which was on table when the US President Donald Trump made a maiden visit to India.

What is the Blue Dot network?

• It will certify infrastructure and development projects.
• It was jointly launched by the US (Development Finance Corporation), Japan (Japanese Bank for International Cooperation) and Australia (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade).
• It is a multi-stakeholder initiative that was launched in November 2019 on the sidelines of the 35th ASEAN Summit (Thailand).

What does the initiative aim to do?

• It aims to promote high quality and trusted standards for global infrastructure development by bringing together the governments, the private sector and civil society.
• The infrastructure projects will be vetted and approved by the network depending on standards, as per which, the projects should meet certain global infrastructure principles.
• The projects that are approved will get a “Blue Dot”, thereby setting universal standards of excellence.
• This will attract private capital to projects in developing and emerging economies.
• The proposal for the Blue Dot network is part of the US’s Indo-Pacific strategy which aims at countering China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Why the proposal is countering BRI?

• BRI is a programme that wants to connect Asia with Africa and Europe.
• It wants to connect them via land and maritime networks along six corridors with the aim of improving regional integration, increasing trade and stimulating economic growth.
• The name was coined in 2013 by China’s President Xi Jinping.
• It consists of a belt of rail routes, highways, oil and gas pipelines and other infrastructure projects extending from Xian in Central China through Central Asia, Russia, West Asia and Europe.
• There is also a branch extending from Kashgar in Xinjiang to Gwadar in Balochistan via Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

What are the areas in which Blue Dot need a lot of work?

• Financing - The BRI involves direct financing that will give countries in need of immediate short-term relief.
• But, the Blue Dot Network is not a direct financing initiative and therefore may not be what some developing countries need.
• The question is whether the Blue Dot is offering first-world solutions to third-world countries.
• Coordination - The Blue Dot will require coordination among multiple stakeholders when it comes to grading projects.
• Given the past experience of Quad, the countries involved in it are still struggling to put a viable bloc.
• Therefore, it remains to be seen how Blue Dot fares in the long run.
• [Quad - An informal strategic dialogue between the US, Japan, Australia and India.]

How has the US’s foreign policy towards China evolved?

• Prior to 2001, US foreign policy was focused towards integrating China into its plan.
• But this changed after China’s emergence as a global superpower.
• Under Barack Obama, US foreign policy started shifting focus to Asia, where the US wanted to counter China’s growing influence.
• The National Security Strategy (NSS) under Trump says that the China seeks to displace the US in the Indo-Pacific region.
• It also says that it wants to expand the reaches of its state-driven economic model, and reorder the region in its favour.
• The US sees China’s infrastructure investments and trade strategies as reinforcing its geopolitical aspirations.
• As per the US, China’s efforts to militarise outposts in the South China Sea restricts the free movement of trade and undermines regional stability.

Context: Recently, Invest India, India’s national Investment Promotion & Facilitation Agency, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched the Invest India Business Immunity Platform.

About the platform

• The Invest India Business Immunity Platform is designed as a comprehensive resource to help businesses and investors get real-time updates on India’s active response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus). 
• This dynamic and constantly updating platform keeps a regular track on developments with respect to the virus, provides latest information on various central and state government initiatives, gives access to special provisions, and answers and resolves queries through emails and on WhatsApp.
• The Business Immunity Platform (BIP) is the active platform for business issue redressal, operating 24/7, with a team of dedicated sector experts and responding to queries at the earliest.
• This platform also provides the ability to join the dots to find matching suppliers with required supplies and for innovators, startups and MSMEs to show case their solutions.
• Invest India has also announced a partnership with SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) for responding and resolving queries for MSMEs.
• This Platform shall help people get access to all the information they require while staying in their comfort of their homes. With this platform, Invest India aims to bring facilitation at your doorstep!

About Invest India

• It is the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of India, set up as a non-profit venture under the aegis of Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
• It facilitates and empowers all investors under the ‘Make in India’ initiative to establish, operate and expand their businesses in India.
• It is created to attract and retain high quality investments into India.
• It provides sector-and state-specific inputs, and hand-holding support to investors through the entire investment cycle, from pre-investment, decision-making to after-care.
• It also provides comprehensive facilitation to investors interested in India, including strategic business advisory, policy guidance, location assessment, issue redressal and expansion support.
• As the national investment promotion and facilitation agency, it focuses on sector-specific investor targeting and development of new partnerships to enable sustainable investments in India.
• In addition to a core team that focuses on sustainable investments, Invest India also partners with substantial investment promotion agencies and multilateral organizations. 
• It also actively works with several Indian states to build capacity as well as bring in global best practices in investment targeting, promotion and facilitation areas.

Context: Recently, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to advance the first of the two variable rate term repo auctions to March 26 from March 30, to address any additional demand for liquidity and to provide flexibility to the banking system in year-end liquidity management.
Current Scenario

• This has been one of the many steps taken by the central bank to tide over a potential liquidity crisis.
• On 6 March, the central bank had announced two variable rate term repo auctions of Rs 25,000 crore each to be conducted on March 30 and March 31 to address any additional demand for liquidity and to provide flexibility to the banking system in year-end liquidity management.
• As a special case, Standalone Primary Dealers (SPDs) were also allowed to participate in these auctions along with other eligible participants.
• The central bank also decided to temporarily enhance liquidity available to SPDs under the its Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) from Rs 2,800 crore to Rs 10,000 crore with immediate effect in order to facilitate year-end liquidity management by SPDs.
• All other terms and conditions as applicable to term Repo auctions will remain the same. The Reserve Bank is monitoring the evolving financial market conditions. 
• The Reserve Bank will calibrate its operations to meet any need for additional liquidity support, if warranted, to ensure normal functioning of markets, promote staff welfare and preserve financial stability.

About Repo rate

• A repurchase agreement (repo) is a form of short-term borrowing for dealers in government securities.
• In the case of a repo, a dealer sells government securities to investors, usually on an overnight basis, and buys them back the following day at a slightly higher price.
• That small difference in price is the implicit overnight interest rate. Repos are typically used to raise short-term capital.
• They are also a common tool of central bank open market operations.
• For the party selling the security and agreeing to repurchase it in the future, it is a repo; for the party on the other end of the transaction, buying the security and agreeing to sell in the future, it is a reverse repurchase agreement.

Description: In the event of inflation, central banks increase repo rate as this acts as a disincentive for banks to borrow from the central bank. This ultimately reduces the money supply in the economy and thus helps in arresting inflation.
About Reverse Repo rate

• It is a mechanism to absorb the liquidity in the market, thus restricting the borrowing power of investors.
• It is done when the RBI borrows money from banks when there is excess liquidity in the market. The banks benefit out of it by receiving interest for their holdings with the central bank.

Description: During high levels of inflation in the economy, the RBI increases the reverse repo. It encourages the banks to park more funds with the RBI to earn higher returns on excess funds. Banks are left with lesser funds to extend loans and borrowings to consumers.
 
Current Repo Rate and its Impact

• RBI keeps changing the repo rate and the reverse repo rate according to changing macroeconomic factors. Whenever RBI modifies the rates, it impacts all sectors of the economy; albeit in different ways. Some segments gain as a result of the rate hike while others may suffer losses. RBI recently cut down the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.15% from 5.75%. In the same line, the reverse repo rate was also reduced to 4.9% from 5.5%.

• About Repo Auction: An auction conducted by the central bank of a country (RBI in Indian context) to inject cash into banking system. Central Bank(RBI) lends money to commercial banks. Commercial banks deposit government and listed corporate bonds as collateral.
• About variable Repo rate Auction: The RBI conducts variable rate 14 day term repo auctions on every Tuesday and Friday. At this auction, it decides the repo rate and the amount of disbursement available under this window. In this manner, it is able to keep the call money rates closer to the previously decided repo rate.
• Currently, it also conducts 28 day term repo auctions. As recommended by the Urjit Patel committee, the RBI would seek to introduce longer term variable rate repo auctions as well.
• About Reverse Repo Auction: An auction conducted by the central bank of a country to remove excess cash from the banking system. Here central bank issues sovereign bonds to absorb the excess liquidity. Commercial banks can buy these bonds because they will get some interest on their excess deposits.

Context: The Ministry of Textiles is implementing converged Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana (MGBBY).
About Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana 

• It was introduced by the Government of India in December, 2003. Since 2005-06 this scheme has been revised and implemented with the title “Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Yojana”.
• The scheme will cover 26.19 lakh weavers during the period 2012-13 to 2016-17 including maximum renewal cases each year.
• Its objective is to provide enhanced insurance cover to the handloom weavers in the case of natural as well as accidental death and in cases of total or partial disability.
• The scheme provides social security benefits like life, accidental & disability insurance coverage to handloom weavers/workers across the country, who have already enrolled under the scheme.
• All weavers between the age group of 18 to 59 years are eligible for this scheme.
• The weavers belonging to the State Handloom Development Corporations/Apex/ Primary Handloom Weavers? Cooperative Societies will be covered under the Scheme.
• Weavers outside co-operative can also be covered under the scheme on a certificate from the State Directorate of Handlooms that they are fulfilling the eligibility conditions.
• It will be the responsibility of the State Director in charge of Handlooms to verify the eligibility of the weavers who are proposed to be covered under the scheme.
• It will be the responsibility of the State Director In charge and LIC to ensure that women weavers, weavers belonging to minorities and weavers of NER States (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim) are given adequate representation while implementing the scheme
• To provide the benefits to all handloom weavers/workers in an effective manner, the Government of India has organized Hasthkala Sahyog Shivirs in handloom clusters across the country in association with State Governments and LIC for creating awareness among the weavers for enrollment under the Scheme. 
• The claim benefits are provided by LIC directly into the bank account of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Administration

• The scheme will be administered by the LIC of India.
• The authority in-charge of Handlooms in the State shall finalise insurance coverage of the weavers with the Life Insurance Corporation of India.
• The Ministry of Textiles also regularly organizes awareness programmes and camps through its Weavers’ Service Centres to facilitate enrolment of handloom weavers/workers under Government Flagship Insurance Schemes.

Context: Recently,the Union government has announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and countrywide lockdown, providing free food and cash transfers to support the poorest citizens who are most vulnerable during the crisis.
Components of the New release Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package

• PM Garib Kalyan Yojana will include cash transfers to the poor and migrants.
• About 80 crore people will come under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (food scheme). 
• Everyone under this scheme will get 5 kg of wheat/rice for free in addition to what they are already getting under NFSA.
• The government will also give 1 kg of one choice of pulse to each household under this scheme for the next three months. People can take it in two installments as well.

Cash transfers Under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana

• Farmers receive Rs 6,000 every year through the PM-KISAN scheme. The government will now be giving the first instalment upfront. About 8.69 crore farmers are expected to benefit from this immediately.
• 20 crore woman Jan Dhan account holders to be given ex-gratia amount of 500 rupees per month for the next three months, to run the affairs of their household.
• The government expects that wage increase under MNREGA will benefit 5 crore families. The wage increase will amount into an additional income of Rs 2,000 per worker.
• The government will offer cash transfer through DBT (direct benefit transfer) in in eight parts: Farmers, MNREGA, widows, poor pensioners, divyang, women under Jan Dhan Yojana, women and households under Ujjwala scheme, self-help groups for women including those under the livelihood mission, organised sector workers under EPFO, construction workers and district mineral funds.
• ‘Divyangs’, poor senior citizens, widows will get Rs 1,000 over the next three months.

Insurance Scheme for Health Workers

• The Centre would provide Rs. 50 lakh medical insurance cover for the next three months for about 22 lakh health workers in government hospitals fighting the spread of the virus at personal risk.
• The health workers include ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers, medical sanitary workers in government hospitals, paramedics, nurses and doctors.
• For 63 lakh SHGs, which help 7 crore households, the government is doubling collateral-free loans to Rs 20 lakh.
• About 8.3 crore families below poverty line will get free LPG cylinders for three months.

Other Components

• Employees’ Provident Fund Regulations will be amended to include Pandemic as the reason to allow non-refundable advance of 75 percent of the amount or three months of the wages, whichever is lower, from their accounts.This will benefit 4.8 crore workers who are registered with EPF and in a position to withrdraw money.
• Welfare Fund for Building and Other Constructions Workers: State Governments will be given directions to utilise this fund to provide assistance and support to these workers to protect them against economic disruptions.

Criticism of this move

• The Rs 1.7 lakh crore economic package announced for the vulnerable sections — farmers, women, construction workers, senior citizens, widows and the disabled — is less than 1 per cent of India’s GDP.
• The issue at hand is not just the size of the package relative to the GDP but the urgency of monetary transfer to unorganised sector workers, who have not only lost their jobs and income, but also face a massive health scare.

Concerns and Challenges ahead

• There is no evidence that the government has a plan for unorganised sector workers such as dhobis, rickshaw pullers, barbers, rural labourers, etc, even if they are registered with state governments. Neither for construction workers who are not registered with states. Workers in both these segments will not be eligible for any payout.
• The strength of the unorganised sector force stood at 47.41 crore, according to the NSSO’s Employment and Unemployment Survey, 2011-12. While the Labour Ministry does not keep data on migrant workers, the Economic Survey in the past had assumed it at 20 per cent of the total workforce.

The government has directed the banks, not to deduct income tax on pension and disability benefits provided to disabled retired military personnel.

What is the story behind?

• A circular was issued by the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (PCDA) in February, 2020.
• This circular allowed the banks to deduct the income tax on pension and disability benefits.
• It was based on a June 2019 notification of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) which provided exemption to those invalidated from service due to bodily disabilities.
• But, the sudden deduction of tax liabilities by the banks led to a public outrage, forcing the government to keep the decision in abeyance.
• The defence accounts department has been directed by the government to withdraw this circular.

What are the categories of disabled veterans?

• They are classified under three categories: battle casualties (war wounded), battle casualties and disabilities due to service conditions.
• Battle casualties (war wounded) - Military personnel who have been disabled due to wounds or injuries suffered by them in operations with the enemy or such like operations.
• Battle casualties - Military personnel who have been declared battle casualties but have not suffered injuries due to physical wounds.
• Disabilities due to service conditions - Military personnel who have been disabled due to conditions of service, wherein some of the disabilities akin to lifestyle diseases are also included.

How are benefits given to disabled personnel?

• Benefits are based on the percentage of disability.
• Less than 20% disability is not entitled to any benefits while those with 50% disability, 75% disability and 100% disabled are entitled to.
• Amount of disability pension given is also based on the percentage of disability.
• A percentage of last pay drawn on retirement by the military personnel is given as disability pension for the three categories of disabled veterans.

Are these disability pensions tax-free?

• The entire pension and disability element of pension in all the categories is exempt from payment of income tax.
• But the June 2019 CBDT notification had said that tax exemption on disability pension would be available only to personnel who had been invalidated from service and not to personnel who had retired otherwise.
• This has been challenged in the Supreme Court which, in a 2019 order, directed all parties to maintain ‘status quo’ on the matter.

What is the current controversy about?

• The PCDA circular was issued for taking “necessary action” on the 2019 CBDT notification.
• Then banks started debiting tax at source for the entire financial year 2019-20 from the February pension of retired military personnel who were receiving disability pension.
• This led to several pensioners receiving as little as Rs.1000 in their accounts.

Context: Recently, the Centre has approved a Rs1,340-crore recapitalisation plan for Regional Rural Banks (RRBs). The move is crucial to ensure liquidity in rural areas during the lockdown due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Significance of the Recapitalisation

• This Recapitalisation would improve their capital-to-risk weighted assets ratio (CRAR) and strengthen these institutions for providing credit in rural areas.
• The step will help those RRBs which are unable to maintain a minimum CRAR of 9%, as per the regulatory norms prescribed by the RBI.
• The release of the Rs. 670 crore as the central share funds will be contingent upon the release of the proportionate share by the sponsor banks.

Background behind Recapitalisation of RRBs

• The recapitalisation process of RRBs was approved by the cabinet in 2011 based on the recommendations of a committee set up under the Chairmanship of K C Chakrabarty.
• The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) identifies those RRBs, which require recapitalisation assistance to maintain the mandatory CRAR of 9% based on the CRAR position of RRBs, as on 31st March of every year.
• The scheme for recapitalization of RRBs was extended up to 2019-20 in a phased manner post 2011.

About Regional Rural Banks

• RRBs are financial institutions which ensure adequate credit for agriculture and other rural sectors.
• Regional Rural Banks were set up on the basis of the recommendations of the Narasimham Working Group (1975), and after the legislation of the Regional Rural Banks Act, 1976.
• Stakeholders: The equity of a regional rural bank is held by the Central Government, concerned State Government and the Sponsor Bank in the proportion of 50:15:35.
• The RRBs combine the characteristics of a cooperative in terms of the familiarity of the rural problems and a commercial bank in terms of its professionalism and ability to mobilise financial resources.

The main objectives of RRBs are

• To provide credit and other facilities to the small and marginal farmers, agricultural labourers, artisans and small entrepreneurs in rural areas.
• To check the outflow of rural deposits to urban areas and reduce regional imbalances and increase rural employment generation.
• The RRBs are required to provide 75% of their total credit as priority sector lending.

About Capital-to-risk Weighted Assets Ratio

• CRAR or Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) is the ratio of a bank’s capital in relation to its risk weighted assets and current liabilities.
• It is decided by central banks and bank regulators to prevent commercial banks from taking excess leverage and becoming insolvent in the process.
• The Basel III norms stipulated a capital to risk weighted assets of 8%.
• However, as per RBI norms, Indian scheduled commercial banks are required to maintain a CRAR of 9%.

Context:

One of the major private player Yes Bank (India’s fifth largest private sector bank) has also come under the RBI action for mounting bad loans.

In order to save Yes Bank from collapsing and to preserve people’s trust in the Indian banking system, RBI has taken several measures.

It placed the financially troubled Yes Bank under a moratorium, the Reserve Bank of India announced a draft ‘Scheme of Reconstruction’ that entails the State Bank of India (SBI) investing capital to acquire a 49% stake in the restructured private lender.

Reasons for Yes Bank Crisis:

1. The alacrity with which the bailout has been proposed is commendable, given that Yes Bank’s stock tumbled 56% on the BSE, eroding shareholders’ holdings and dragging the 10-bank S&P BSE Bankex down with it, an indicator of the contagion risk that a sudden bank resolution can pose to the financial system.
2. However, the decision to suspend normal business operations raises several worrying questions, both about the health of the banking sector, and the adequacy of the oversight role that regulators essay.
3. Domino effect of IL&FS crisis: Yes Bank illustrates the widening damage from India’s shadow banking crisis, which has left the Bank with a growing pile of bad loans.
4. Yes Bank’s total exposure to Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services(IL&FS) and Dewan Housing Finance Corp (DHFL) was 11.5% as of September 2019.

Deteriorating Financial Position:

1. The financial condition Deteriorated due to its inability to raise capital to address potential loan losses. The bank was experiencing losses and inadequate profits in the last four quarters.
2. It will also have adverse impacts on the Banking sector. People will gravitate towards public sector banks which are already reluctant to provide credit.
3. Private banks will be forced to offer higher deposit rates, keeping the cost of credit higher.
4. Thereby banks will not be able to cater the credit requirement which is a prerequisite to realise the dream of becoming a $5 trillion economy by 2024-2025.

Governance Issues:

1. The bank had serious governance issues. That is the reason former Deputy Governor of RBI Mr.R Gandhi was included in the BOD of the yes bank. Ultimately the bank reported NPA of Rs 3,277 crore in 2018-19.
2. Yes Bank’s troubles are not exactly new or unique and its problems with mounting bad and dodgy loans reflect the underlying woes in the borrower industries, ranging from real estate to power and non-banking financial companies.
3. The continued inability of several corporates to repay their loans resulting in many landing up in insolvency proceedings has meant that lenders have been the hardest hit.
4. Yes Bank, which is yet to report third-quarter financials, suffered a dramatic doubling in gross non-performing assets over the April-September six-month period to 17,134 crore, even as it scrambled to raise capital to shore up its balance sheet.

Huge Liabilities:

1. The Yes Bank has a total liability of 24 thousand crore dollars. The bank has a balance sheet of about $40 billion (2.85 lakh crore rupees). The Yes Bank has to pay $ 2 billion to increase the capital base.
2. With the economy in the throes of a persistent slowdown, the prospects of banks’ burden of bad loans easing soon are limited.
3. The fact that the lender ended up at the resolution stage, without ever being placed under the central bank’s Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework, also raises a question mark over how and why Yes Bank eluded the specifically tailor-made solution to address weakness at banks.

What is Prompt Corrective Action (PCA)?

1. PCA is a framework under which banks with weak financial metrics are put under watch by the RBI.
2. The RBI introduced the PCA framework in 2002 as a structured early-intervention mechanism for banks that become undercapitalised due to poor asset quality, or vulnerable due to loss of profitability.
3. It aims to check the problem of Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) in the Indian banking sector.
4. The framework was reviewed in 2017 based on the recommendations of the working group of the Financial Stability and Development Council on Resolution Regimes for Financial Institutions in India and the Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission.
5. PCA is intended to help alert the regulator as well as investors and depositors if a bank is heading for trouble. The idea is to head off problems before they attain crisis proportions.
6. Essentially PCA helps RBI monitor key performance indicators of banks, and taking corrective measures, to restore the financial health of a bank.

Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) Measures:

1. RBI can place restrictions on dividend distribution, branch expansion, and management compensation.
2. Only in an extreme situation, would a bank be a likely candidate for resolution through amalgamation, reconstruction or winding up.
3. RBI may place restrictions on credit by PCA banks to unrated borrowers or those with high risks, but it doesn’t invoke a complete ban on their lending.
4. RBI may also impose restrictions on the bank on borrowings from interbank market.
5. Banks may also not be allowed to enter into new lines of business.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) mechanism needs to be strengthened to meet global standards with active involvement of the government, regulators, lenders, borrowers and the judiciary.

Conclusion:

With several other public sector banks currently engaged in merging with weaker peers as part of the Centre’s plan, it has fallen on the country’s largest bank to play the role of a white knight to a private rival.

While Yes Bank’s depositors are sure to heave a huge sigh of relief, India’s banking sector is still far from out of the woods. Clearly, the RBI and Centre have their task cut out in ensuring that the need for such bailouts is obviated.

The central bank had in recent years flagged several concerns, including a distinct divergence between the reported and RBI’s own findings on the bank’s financials.

This could then be a good opportunity for the RBI to review its PCA guideposts and revise them to ensure that such a slipping under the radar does not recur. The choice of SBI as the investor to effect the bailout reflects the paucity of options the government has.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has placed the financially troubled Yes Bank under a moratorium (temporary suspension).

What happened after this?

• After placing this bank under a moratorium, the RBI announced a draft ‘Scheme of Reconstruction’.
• This scheme entails the State Bank of India (SBI) investing capital to acquire a 49% stake in the restructured private lender.
• Yes Bank’s stock tumbled that eroded shareholders’ holdings and dragging the 10-bank S&P BSE Bankex down with it.
• This is an indicator of the contagion risk that a sudden bank resolution can pose to the financial system.
• So, the enthusiasm with which the bailout has been proposed is praiseworthy.

Why the lender was hit hard?

• Yes Bank’s problems with mounting bad and illegal loans reflect the underlying woes in the borrower industries.
• The continued inability of many corporate to repay their loans has resulted in many landing up in insolvency proceedings.
• This has meant that lenders have been the hardest hit.
• It has suffered a doubling in gross non-performing assets over the April-September period, even as it scrambled to raise capital to shore up its balance sheet.
• With the economy in the throes of a persistent slowdown, the prospects of banks’ burden of bad loans easing soon are limited.

• The lender has been ended up at the resolution stage, without being placed under the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework of the RBI.
• This raises a question over how and why the bank escaped the PCA that was a tailor-made solution to address weakness at banks.

How did the lender escape the PCA framework?

• The lender’s stated operational metrics had not breached the pre-set thresholds for triggering the PCA action.
• But, the central bank had flagged several concerns in recent years.
• This also includes the concern of the distinct divergence between the reported and RBI’s own findings on the financials of the bank.
• This could be a good opportunity for the RBI to review its PCA guideposts and revise them to ensure that such a slipping under the radar does not recur.

Why SBI has been chosen as an investor?

• The choice of SBI as the investor to effect the bailout reflects the scarcity of options with the government.
• Several other public sector banks are also currently engaged in merging with weaker peers as part of the Centre’s plan.

Context: Recently, National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed a committee comprising of representative from the Central Pollution Control Board and IIT Delhi, to carry out a study to assess the amount of damage caused to the environment due to the dump sites in Delhi.
About Legacy Waste

• Legacy waste are those waste that remain piled up for several years at the waste dumping yards.Biomining method is proposed by the central pollution control board (CPCB) for the effective disposal of legacy waste.
• Legacy wastes can be roughly grouped into four categories: contained and/or stored waste, buried waste, contaminated soil and groundwater, and contaminated building materials and structures. 
• Examples of contained or stored waste are wastes in tanks, canisters, and stainless steel bins. For example, large quantities of high-level radioactive wastes are stored at Department of Energy (DOE) legacy sites in tanks. 
• Buried wastes include radioactive and chemically contaminated wastes disposed of in near-surface pits and trenches. These wastes may or may not be stored in containers prior to burial (NRC 2005).
• Contamination of soil and groundwater occurred through intentional (following past environmental practices) and accidental (e.g., leaching of buried wastes or leaking of tanks) releases.
• Building materials that are considered waste were contaminated by nuclear material (e.g., pipes, filters, and pumps).The structures themselves may also be contaminated.

Over the years, generation of dry waste, especially plastic waste and packaging, has increased at a tremendous rate. This is because of:

• Rapid increase in e-commerce industry from shopping to ordering food.
• Many brand owners have shifted from larger SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) size to smaller SKU size due to changing market scenario.
• Shifting of public consumer preferences to daily use plastic products like bottles, food containers, etc.
• GST on recyclables making it uneconomical for waste-pickers and kabadiwalas to collect low-value waste

About Biomining

• It refers to the excavation of old dumped waste and make windrow of legacy waste thereafter stabilization of the waste through bio-remediation i.e. exposure of all the waste to air along with use of composting bio-cultures, i.e. screening of the stabilized waste to recover all valuable resources (like organic fines, bricks, stones, plastics, metals, clothes, rags etc.) followed by its sustainable management through recycling, co-processing, road making etc.

Biomining in solid waste management

• It can be used to clear oil spills in sea and pollution from the soil, groundwater, surface water and air.
• It can also effectively use to clear hills of garbage without any ill-effects. Also with zero emission of harmful gases(Methane, Hydrogen sulphide and ammonia ) and Leachate.
• It can be used for wastewater treatment to industrial waste.
• It can be used for hydrocarbon contamination (PCB, Pentachlorophenol, and Trichloroethylene etc.).
• It can be used for storage tanks and pipes, landfills and pesticides and herbicides.
• It can be used for the treatment of agriculture chemical waste (like thiazine and DDT) and inorganic like (Uranium, sulphur etc.).

Context: Recently,the Government of India is implementing programmes such as National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) to tackle the impact of climate change on agriculture.
Current Scenario

• Global Warming associated with the increase in concentration of green house gases in the atmosphere is one of the reasons for the increase in extreme weather events. 
• Due to global warming agriculture sector is likely to be affected and climate change is expected to impact yields of agriculture crops in a business as usual scenario.
• To tackle its impact ICAR has launched a flagship network project National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA).
• NICRA aims at strategic research on adaptation and mitigation, demonstration of technologies on farmers’ fields and creating awareness among farmers and other stakeholders to minimize the impacts of global warming on agriculture. 
• Under this project, large number of indigenous genetic resources and improved crop varieties of pulses (black gram, green gram, pigeonpea, chickpea) and cereals (rice and wheat) are screened for major abiotic stresses like drought and heat to identify superior cultivars for large scale adoption in farmer’s fields genetic materials for cultivation at farmers field.
• In the process number of genetic materials including improved varieties were identified, some of which are already in the farmer’s fields. 
• Besides, location specific NRM(Natural Resource Management) technologies are being demonstrated under Technology Demonstration Component of NICRA in 151 climatically vulnerable districts to achieve climate resilient agriculture. 

About NICRA

• It was launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in 2011. 
• To enhance resilience of Indian agriculture to climate change and climate vulnerability through strategic research and technology demonstration.
• The research on adaptation and mitigation covers crops, livestock, fisheries and natural resource management. 
• It consists of four components namely a) Strategic Research b) Technology Demonstration c) Capacity Building and d) Sponsored or Competitive Grants.

About ICAR

• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• It is the apex body for coordinating, guiding and managing research and education in agriculture including horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences in the entire country.
• Its headquartered at New Delhi.

Context: Recently,US authorities have put out tsunami warnings after an earthquake has struck Russia’s Kuril Islands.
Current Scenario

• RUSSIAN authorities lifted a tsunami warning in the Pacific far east after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the Kuril Islands.
• The earthquakes of this strength in the region have caused tsunamis in the past far from the epicenter of the earthquake.
• The epicenter is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter or focus.(The hypocenter is where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates.)

Geographical location of Kuril Islands

• It is a volcanic archipelago which separates the Sea of Okhotsk from the north Pacific Ocean.It forms part of the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire.
• The archipelago extends for 750 miles (1,200 km) from the southern tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula (Russia) to the northeastern corner of Hokkaido island (Japan) and separates the Sea of Okhotsk from the Pacific Ocean. 
• The 56 islands cover 6,000 square miles (15,600 square km).
• The chain is part of the belt of geologic instability circling the Pacific and contains at least 100 volcanoes, of which 35 are still active, and many hot springs. 
• Earthquakes and tidal waves are common; the tidal wave of 1737 attained a height of 210 feet (64 metres), one of the highest on record. Parallel to the chain, in the Pacific floor, is the Kuril Trench, which reaches a depth of more than 6.5 miles (10.5 km). 
• The climate in the islands is severe, with long, cold, snowy winters and cool, wet, foggy summers. 
• The average annual precipitation is 30–40 inches (760–1,000 mm), most of which falls as snow, which may occur in any month from the end of September to the beginning of June. Vegetation ranges from tundra on the northern islands to dense forest on the larger southern islands. 
• The only significant occupation is fishing, especially for crab. 
• The principal centres are the towns of Kurilsk on Iturup, the largest island, and Severo-Kurilsk on Paramushir. Some vegetables are grown on the southern islands.

History of Kuril Islands

• The Kurils were originally inhabited by the Ainu, and they were later settled by the Russians and Japanese, following several waves of exploration in the 17th and 18th centuries.
• The Ainu or the Aynu, also known as the Ezo in the historical Japanese texts, are an indigenous people of Japan and Russia.
• In 1855 Japan and Russia concluded the Treaty of Shimoda, which gave control of the four southernmost islands to Japan and the remainder of the chain to Russia. 
• In the Treaty of Saint Petersburg, signed by those two countries in 1875, Russia ceded possession of the Kurils to Japan in exchange for uncontested control of Sakhalin Island.
• In 1945, as part of the Yalta agreements (formalized in the 1951 Treaty of Peace with Japan), the islands were ceded to the Soviet Union, and the Japanese population was repatriated and replaced by Soviets. 
• However, Japan still claims historical rights to the southernmost islands and has tried repeatedly to persuade the Soviet Union and, from 1991, Russia to return those islands to Japanese sovereignty.Currently, the Islands are under Russian administration.

Context: Recently, Union finance minister said state governments should use district mineral foundation (DMF) funds for response and preparedness to fight the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

• DMF funds should be used to supplement and augment healthcare facilities, screening and testing requirements and any other resources that might be required.
• Augmenting healthcare services and delivery is already a high priority area with respect to DMF investments, according to DMF rules of all states.

About District Mineral foundation (DMF)Funds

• It is a trust set up as a non-profit body, in those districts affected by the mining works, to work for the interest and benefit of persons and areas affected by mining related operations. It is funded through the contributions from miners.
• Its manner of operation comes under the jurisdiction of the relevant State Government.
• Setting up of District Mineral Foundations (DMFs) in all districts in the country affected by mining related operations was mandated through the Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Amendment Act, (MMDRA) 2015.  
• Then in same year, GoI launched Pradhan Mantri Khanij Khsetra Kalyana Yojna (PMKKKY) which will be implemented under DMF. Directions were issued under section 20A of MMDR Act to all State to incorporate PMKKKY into rule framed for DMF.

About Pradhan Mantri Khanij Khsetra Kalyana Yojna (PMKKKY)

• (Khanij means Mineral and Kshetra means area or field in Hindi. Kalyan stands for welfare and Yojana stands for a Plan or project).
• It is a programme launched by central govt. to provide for the welfare of areas and people affected by mining related operations.
• It is implemented by the District Mineral Foundations (DMFs) of the respective districts using the funds accruing to the DMF from miners. 

The overall objectives of PMKKKY scheme are:

• to implement various developmental and welfare projects/programs in mining affected areas.These projects/ programs will be complementing the existing ongoing schemes/projects of State and Central Government;
• to minimize/mitigate the adverse impacts, during and after mining, on the environment, health and socio-economics of people in mining districts; and
• to ensure long-term sustainable livelihoods for the affected people in mining areas.

Utilization of Fund

• At least 60% of PMKKKY funds will be utilized for high priority areas like: (i) drinking water supply; (ii) environment preservation and pollution control measures; (iii) health care (iv)education; (v) welfare of women and children; (vi) welfare of aged and disabled people;(vii) skill development; and (viii) Sanitation. 
• Remaining funds will be utilized for works like : (i) physical infrastructure; (ii) irrigation; (iii)energy and watershed development; and (iv) any other measures for enhancing environmental quality in mining district.

Context: Recently,Scientists from Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Dehradun have found that glaciers in Sikkim are melting at a higher magnitude as compared to other Himalayan regions.

• The study published in Science of the Total Environment assessed the response of 23 glaciers of Sikkim to climate change for the period of 1991-2015 and revealed that glaciers in Sikkim have retreated and deglaciated significantly from 1991 to 2015. 
• To understand the various parameters of Sikkim Himalayas glaciers such as length, area, debris cover, snow-line altitude (SLA), WIHG selected 23 representative glaciers from this region.
• This study, for the first time, studied multiple glacier parameters, namely length, area, debris cover, snowline altitude (SLA), glacial lakes, velocity, and downwasting, and explored interlinkage among them to present a clear picture about status and behavior of glaciers in the Sikkim.
• The Sikkim glaciers have been poorly studied till now, and field-based mass balance measurements have been limited to only one glacier (ChangmeKhangpu) and for a short period (1980-1987). 
• The studies are regional in nature and do no give emphasis on individual glacier behavior. Besides, most of the existing measurements in this region have been focused on length/area changes only. Velocity estimations have also been extremely rare.

Research Findings

• This study, for the first time, studied multiple glacier parameters, namely length, area, debris cover, snowline altitude (SLA), glacial lakes, velocity, and downwasting.
• Even explored interlinkage among them to present a clear picture about status and behavior of glaciers in the Sikkim.
• Small-sized glaciers in Sikkim are retreating while larger glaciers are thinning due to climate change.
• Compared to other Himalayan regions, the magnitude of dimensional changes and debris growth are higher in the Sikkim which is a major shift in glacier behavior has occurred around 2000. 
• Contrary to the western and central Himalaya, where glaciers are reported to have slowed down in recent decades, the Sikkim glaciers have shown negligible deceleration after 2000. 
• Summer temperature rise has been prime driver of glacier changes.
• The behavior of glaciers in the region is heterogeneous and found to be primarily determined by glacier size, debris cover, and glacial lakes. 
• Though a generalized mass loss is observed for both small (less than 3 km square) and large-sized glaciers (greater than 10 km square), they seem to adopt different mechanisms to cope with the ongoing climatic changes. 
• While the first adjust mostly by deglaciation, the latter lose mass through downwasting or thinning.

Benefit of this Findings

• A detailed and rigorous literature survey related to the study was carried out to assess the existing knowledge in the subject. 
• Accurate knowledge of magnitude as well as the direction of glacier changes, as highlighted in the present study, can lead to awareness among common people regarding water supplies and possible glacier hazards, particularly to those communities that are living in close proximity. 
• The study can provide ample baseline data on glacier changes and systematically explore the causal relationship between glacier parameters and various influencing factors. 
• A clear understanding of glacier state will help orienting future studies as well as taking necessary measures.   

Context: Recently, the Lok Sabha has passed the Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2020 which seeks to amend the Aircraft Act, 1934.
About Aircraft (Amendment) Bill,2020

• It will provide statutory status to regulatory institutions like the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
• It regulates the manufacture, possession, use, operation, sale, import and export of civil aircrafts and licensing of aerodromes.
• The statutory status to these regulatory institutions would improve India’s aviation safety ranking as suggested by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
• It proposes to increase the fine amount for violations of rules from Rs10 lakhs to Rs 1 crore for aviation industry players.
• It may cancel the licences, certificates or approvals granted to a person under the Act if the person contravenes any provision of the Act.
• It exempted aircrafts belonging to the naval, military, or air forces of the Union. It expands this exemption to include aircrafts belonging to any other armed forces other than these three.
• It also enlarges the scope of the Act to include regulation of all areas of air navigation.
• The proposed amendments would fulfill the safety requirements of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). 

This will also enable the three regulatory bodies in the civil aviation sector in India Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to become more effective.

• DGCA will carry out oversight and regulatory functions with respect to matters under the Bill.
• BCAS carries out regulatory oversight functions related to civil aviation security.
• AAIB carries out investigations related to aircraft accidents and incidents.

About Challenges

• The civil aviation sector had been deregulated with little role for the government to set air fare.
• There has been a drop in demand and airline companies are under stress due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
• Air India is having huge losses (Rs26 crore daily) due to its disinvestment and it is likely to get worse in the wake of the pandemic.
• The aviation sector faces the shortage of Air-Traffic Controllers (ATCs).
• The cases of “near miss” in the skies have increased.

Context: Recently on March 22 is World Water Day, designated so by the UN to measure the world's progress towards providing everyone with clean water for drinking and hygiene.

Current Scenario

• “Wash your hands when you get home, and keep scrubbing them for at least 20 seconds” – that is good advice, with or without the coronavirus. 
• However, there is one big problem: more than 40 per cent of the world’s population lives in regions where water is scarce and is increasingly becoming more so.
• According to the United Nations, over two billion people are living with the risk of reduced access to freshwater resources, and by 2050, at least one in four people is likely to live in a country affected by chronic or recurring shortages of fresh water. 
• Today, with Covid-19 present in every continent except Antarctica, washing hands as they should be washed is a difficult challenge in many developing countries. 
• Clean water and soap are often in short supply, and many slum dwellers live in homes without running water. As the world confronts the coronavirus pandemic, clean and accessible water for all has become all the more essential.
• March 22 is World Water Day, designated so by the UN to measure the world’s progress towards providing everyone with clean water for drinking and hygiene.

History of World Water Day

• In 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development took place in Rio de Janeiro. That same year, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution by which March 22 of each year was declared World Day for Water, to be observed starting 1993.
• Later on, other celebrations and events were added. For instance, the International Year of Cooperation in the Water Sphere 2013, and the current International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028. 
• These observances serve to reaffirm that water and sanitation measures are key to poverty reduction, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.

Why World Water Day is celebrated

• World Water Day is an international observance day. The intention is to inspire people around the world to learn more about water-related issues and to take action to make a difference. In 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, or Covid-19, there is an additional focus on hand-washing and hygiene.
• Issues include water scarcity, water pollution, inadequate water supply, lack of sanitation, and the impact of climate change.

World Water Day 2020 theme

• The theme for 2020 is ‘Water and Climate Change’ and explores how the two issues are inextricably linked. In view of the growing Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 campaign also promoted messages around hand-washing and hygiene and gave guidance on staying safe while supporting the campaign.
• “The global Covid-19 outbreak, once again, highlights how challenging uncertainties can be. Climate change and its effect on water resources impact human and natural environment just as unpredictably.

How the world celebrates Water Day

• World Water Day is celebrated around the world with a variety of events. These can be educational, theatrical, musical or lobbying in nature. The day can also include campaigns to raise money for water projects.

How real is the fresh-water crisis?

• According to the UN, more than 40 per cent of the world’s population lives in regions where water is becoming increasingly scarce, and that figure is likely to rise. 
• Every day, nearly 1,000 children die from preventable water- and sanitation-related diseases. Drought afflicts some of the world’s poorest countries, worsening hunger and malnutrition. According to technology product company 3M India, "the looming water crisis is a wake-up call for India, with over 600 million people facing high to extreme rate of water stress”.

Let us look at some instances to understand how real the freshwater crisis is:

• In 2019, residents of Chennai had to queue up for water delivered by tanker trucks because the city’s reservoirs were empty. A drought, worsened by climate change, had almost exhausted local supplies. Chennai, home to 7 million people, still faces severe shortages, and might exhaust its groundwater within a few years.
• “India’s water demand will surpass supply by the end of this decade. This World Water Day is a call to action for each one of us to make well informed choices regarding our water consumption habits,” according to Grundfos India.
• In rural Mexico, some 5 million people lack access to clean water. Women and children collect water, taking time that could be spent in school or on some other activity. Meanwhile, men decide how water rights are allocated.

Solution to end the water crisis

• To improve sanitation and access to drinking water, there needs to be increased investment in freshwater management and sanitation facilities in developing countries within Central Asia, Southern Asia, Eastern Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South-Eastern Asia.

Help at Individual level

• "Over 40 per cent of water gets wasted because of errors, leakages and inefficient controls across consumer and industrial levels, thus impeding access to water across all strata of the society and has grave implications for the environment," according to Danfoss India.

So, the least you can do is – don't waste water. Use water efficiently.

• Turning off faucets when not in use
• Shortening the length of showers
• Using low-flow toilets
• Watering plants by hand rather than hose

Context: Recently,the Union  government has developed a platform which will host webinars by AIIMS doctors for healthcare workers across the country, and an app that will trace the paths of COVID-19 positive patients, serving as a warning to possible contacts.

• The Government has developed a platform which will host webinars by All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) doctors for healthcare workers across the country.
• A webinar platform has been developed in tandem with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The webinars are for the frontline health workers (nurses, paramedics, ASHA- Accredited Social Health Activist workers, Anganwadi workers), who are more prone to COVID-19.
• The webinars would be streamed on Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp.
• The state governments would also be involved so as to make the content available in regional languages.

• The government has also worked on a contact path tracing app, tentatively called ‘Corona Kavach’.
• Jointly developed by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the app uses a person’s location to assess whether they are in the high risk geographical zone or not.
• The app would store location data and would enter the credentials of the person if he/she tests positive. This information would be sent to the cloud.
• A signal would come to the app which would convert it from green to red.
• The server would then find out people who were in close proximity with the infected person in the last 14 days.
• Their apps would turn yellow and they would get an alert that they should quarantine themselves.

Other Initiatives of the Government

• Chat Boxes on Facebook and WhatsApp have been set up by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for providing information about COVID-19.
• A portal to map the requirements of hospitals, and cross-referencing them with those who have offered to help with equipment is also being set up by the government.

Context: The Korean Model, a vigorous regime of “trace, test, treat”, has shown remarkable results in controlling the spread and mortality of the novel coronavirus, without putting a nationwide lockdown in place, and depended on conducting as many as 18,000 tests a day, South Korean Ambassador to India has said.

• ‘Korean model’ is grounded on concentrated testing of high-risk areas and clusters.
• Korea found out at the beginning of the spread of the virus that a certain religious cult group and its gathering was the cause of a large portion of the spread in a certain area of the country. This group had massive gatherings in a closed-off space with congregation in close contact with each other.
• The government listed all members of the group across the country, tracked their whereabouts and conducted tests on a massive scale, leading to the rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases.
• However, Korea succeeded in identifying and isolating potential cases at a very early stage and finally flattened the curve.
• Korea, as a democratic country, put top priority on the principles of openness and transparency. The government fully committed to sharing information, in a prompt and transparent manner, gained public trust and high-level of civic awareness, which encouraged the public to take voluntary self-quarantine and other preventive measures such as ‘social-distancing’.

Lessons that India needs to incorporate from South korea’s response

Steps taken in the initial phase

• Identifying and isolating the core of the spread of the virus with full medical capacity at the earliest possible stage is a key essence of the Korean model.

Testing infrastructure

• South Korean medical teams and bio-companies were able to develop new testing kits with surprising speed. 
• Efficiency in working of testing centers Anybody in the country who has symptoms or reasons to be tested can get the test within minutes at a ‘drive-thru’ or ‘walk-thru’ testing centre.Also the results of the tests are sent by text message the very next day. 
• South Korea has also made available over 650 testing centers nationwide.

Principles of openness and transparency

• The government’s commitment  to sharing information, in a prompt and transparent manner and has gained public trust and high-level of civic awareness.
• This encouraged the public to take voluntary self-quarantine and other preventive measures such as ‘social-distancing’.

Context: Recently, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment informed Lok Sabha about the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR).

• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has formulated a National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) for 2018-2025.
• The Plan aims at reduction of adverse consequences of substance (drug) abuse through a multi-pronged strategy.
• The activities under the NAPDDR, inter-alia, include awareness generation programmes in schools/colleges/Universities, community based peerled intervention programmes for vulnerable adolescent and youth in the community, provisioning of treatment facilities and capacity building of service providers.
• The Ministry is also providing central assistance for running and maintenance for Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts (IRCAs). 

Objectives of NAPDDR

• Create awareness and educate people about the ill-effects of drugs abuse on the individual, family, workplace and the society at large.
• Reduce stigmatization of and discrimination against, groups and individuals dependent on drugs in order to integrate them back into the society;
• Develop human resources and build capacity for working towards these objectives;
• Facilitate research, training, documentation, innovation and collection of relevant information to strengthen the above mentioned objectives;
• Provide for a whole range of community based services for the identification, motivation, counselling, de-addiction, after care and rehabilitation for Whole Person Recovery (WPR) of addicts;
• Formulate and implement comprehensive guidelines, schemes, and programmes using a multiagency approach for drug demand reduction;
• Undertake drug demand reduction efforts to address all forms of drug abuse;
• Alleviate the consequences of drug dependence amongst individuals, family and society at large.

Implementation agency

• The National Institute of Social Defence (NISD), New Delhi, an autonomous body under the administrative control of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, is the nodal training and research Institute for interventions in the area of Social Defence.

Key Fact

• Alcohol is the most common psychoactive substance used by Indians. After Alcohol, Cannabis and Opioids are the next commonly used substances in India.
• The Golden Triangle is the area where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet at the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong rivers. It is famous for opium-producing areas.

Constitutional Provision: Article 47 of the Constitution provides that "The State shall regard the raising of the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties and, in particular, the State shall endeavor to bring about prohibition of the consumption except for medicinal purposes of intoxicating drinks and of drugs which are injurious to health."
International Treaty: India is a signatory to the three UN Conventions namely, Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971 and Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988.

Context: Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved the inclusion of AYUSH Health and Wellness Centre (AYUSH HWC) component of Ayushman Bharat in the National AYUSH Mission (NAM).
Background

• The National Health Policy 2017 has advocated mainstreaming the potential of AYUSH systems (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sows-rigpa and Homoeopathy) within a pluralistic system of Integrative healthcare.
• The Government of India, in February, 2018 has decided that 1.5 lakh health & wellness Centres would be created by transforming existing Sub health Centres and Primary health Centres to deliver Comprehensive Primary health Care.
• It was further decided that Ministry of AYUSH will operationalize 10% of the total sub-health Centres as Health and Wellness Centres i.e. 12,500 under Ayushman Bharat.
• The vision of the proposal is to establish a holistic wellness model based on AYUSH principles and practices, to empower masses for "self care" to reduce the disease burden and out of pocket expenditure and to provide informed choice of the needy public.
• The move is aimed at establishing a holistic wellness model based on AYUSH principles and practices focusing on preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative healthcare by integration with the existing public health care system.

About Ayushman Bharat

• Ayushman Bharat (AB) is an attempt to move from a selective approach to health care to deliver comprehensive range of services spanning preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative care.
• It has two components which are complementary to each other. Under its first component, 1,50,000 Health & Wellness Centres (HWCs) will be created to deliver Comprehensive Primary Health Care, that is universal and free to users, with a focus on wellness and the delivery of an expanded range of services closer to the community.
• The second component is the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) which provides health insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per year to over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families for seeking secondary and tertiary care.
• HWC are envisaged to deliver expanded range services that go beyond Maternal and child health care services to include care for non -communicable diseases, palliative and rehabilitative care, Oral, Eye and ENT care, mental health and first level care for emergencies and trauma , including free essential drugs and diagnostic services

Objectives of AYUSH-HWC

• To establish a holistic wellness model based on AYUSH principles and practices focusing on preventive promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative healthcare by integration with the existing public health care system.
• To provide informed choice to the needy public by making the AYUSH services available.
• The AYUSH services include community awareness about lifestyle, Yoga, medicinal plants and provision of medicines for selected conditions as per strength of AYUSH systems.

Benefits of AYUSH-HWC

• Enhanced accessibility to achieve universal health coverage for affordable treatment.
• Reduced burden on secondary and tertiary health care facilities
• Reduced out of pocket expenditure due to "self-care" model.
• Integration of AYUSH in implementation of SDG 3, as mandated by NITI Aayog
• Validated holistic wellness model in target areas

About National Health Policy 2017 

• It aims at achieving universal health coverage and delivering quality health care services to all at affordable cost.
• It envisaged raising public spending on health to 2.5% of GDP by 2025.
• The Policy seeks to reach everyone in a comprehensive integrated way to move towards wellness. 
• It seeks to promote quality of care, focus is on emerging diseases and investment in promotive and preventive healthcare.
• The policy is patient centric and quality driven. It addresses health security and make in India for drugs and devices.

Context: Recently,Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry asked state governments to begin providing hot cooked Mid Day Meals (MDM) or food security allowance to all students in classes 1 to 8 for as long as their schools remain closed to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Background of this move

• The Union government had announced a nationwide shutdown of classrooms on March 16 in a bid to break the chains of transmission of the novel coronavirus. 
• Some states such as Delhi and Kerala had closed schools, much before the Centre’s announcement, till March 31.
• Even Kerala is already providing hot-cooked meals to students at home. Emulating Kerala, West Bengal announced similar measures.
• The ministry’s order came after the Supreme Court issued notices to all state governments to explain how they would ensure the midday meals reach the vulnerable while schools stay shut.
• The Union government’s order draws power from the MDM Rules 2015, which envisage a situation when meals cannot be provided to students on account of unavailability of foodgrains, cooking cost, fuel or absence of cook-cum-helper. 
• In such a situation the government expected to provide a food security allowance to each child consisting of foodgrains and cooking cost entitlement

The MDM rules 2015, provide that:

• The place of serving meals to the children shall be school only.
• If the Mid-Day Meal is not provided in school on any school day due to non-availability of food grains or any other reason, the State Government shall pay food security allowance by 15th of the succeeding month.
• The meal shall be prepared in accordance with the Mid Day Meal guidelines issued by the Central Government from time to time.
• Procuring AGMARK quality items for preparation of midday meals, tasting of meals by two or three adult members of the school management committee, including at least one teacher, before serving to children.
• The School Management Committee mandated under Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 shall also monitor implementation of the Mid-day meal Scheme.
• The State Steering-cum Monitoring Committee (SSMC) shall oversee the implementation of the scheme including establishment of a mechanism for maintenance of nutritional standards and quality of meals.

About Mid Day Meal Scheme

• The MDM Scheme comes under the Ministry of HRD.
• It was launched in the year 1995 as a centrally sponsored scheme.
• The scheme provides that every child within the age group of six to fourteen years studying in classes I to VIII who enrolls and attends the school, shall be provided hot cooked meal having nutritional standards of 450 calories and 12 gm of protein for primary (I- V class) and 700 calories and 20 gm protein for upper primary (VI-VIII class), free of charge every day except on school holidays.
• Currently, there are 9.17 crore students covered under this scheme.
• The scheme covers all government and government aided schools and also Madarsa and Maqtabs supported under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.

About Samagra Shiksha scheme

• It is an overarching programme for school education extending from Primary till class 12. The programme was introduced in the Union Budget 2018-19 with the aim to treat school education holistically without segmentation of primary and secondary education.
• This programme subsumes the three erstwhile Centrally Sponsored Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE).
• It envisages the ‘school’ as a continuum from pre-school, primary, upper primary, secondary to senior secondary levels.

The major interventions, across all levels of school education, under the scheme are:

• Universal Access including Infrastructure Development and Retention; Gender and Equity, Inclusive Education; Financial support for Teacher Salary; Digital initiatives; Pre-school, Vocational and Sports and Physical Education; Strengthening of Teacher Education and Training; Monitoring and Programme Management; Entitlements under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 including uniforms, textbooks etc.

Context: Recently,Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation issued a circular granting one-time dispensation for utilizing funds under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme to address the challenges in the fight against COVID-19.
About Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS)

• It is an on-going Central Sector Scheme which was launched in 1993-94.
• Initially came under the control of the Ministry of Rural Development. Later, in October 1994, it was transferred to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
• The Scheme enables the Members of Parliament to recommend works for creation of durable community assets based on locally felt needs to be taken up in their constituencies in the area of national priorities namely drinking water, education, public health, sanitation, roads etc.
• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation is responsible for the policy formulation, release of funds and prescribing monitoring mechanism for implementation of the Scheme.

Objective of the Scheme

• To enable MPs to recommend works of developmental nature with emphasis on the creation of durable community assets based on the locally felt needs to be taken up in their Constituencies.
• Lok Sabha Members can recommend works within their constituencies and elected Members of Rajya Sabha can recommend works within the State they are elected from.
• Nominated Members of both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha can recommend works anywhere in the country.
• To create durable assets of national priorities viz. drinking water, primary education, public health, sanitation and roads, etc.
• It is a Central Sector Scheme. The annual MPLADS fund entitlement per MP constituency is Rs 5 crore.
• The recommendations of the works are made by the MPs for the betterment of the community.

Implementation of the Scheme

• A Member of Parliament shall give his/ her choice of Nodal District in a prescribed format to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation with copy to the State Government and to the District Magistrate of the chosen District.
• The annual entitlement of Rs 5 crore shall be released, in two equal instalments of Rs 2.5 crore each, by Government of India directly to the District Authority of the Nodal District of the Member of Parliament concerned.
• The District Authority shall identify the Implementing Agency capable of executing the eligible work qualitatively, timely and satisfactorily.
• It shall be responsible for timely and effective implementation of such works.
• All recommended eligible works should be sanctioned within 75 days from the date of receipt of the recommendation, after completing all formalities.
• The District Authority shall, however, inform MPs regarding rejection, if any, within 45 days from the date of receipt of recommendations, with reasons thereof.

Context: Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved the signing and ratifying of the Extradition Treaty between the Republic of India and the Kingdom of Belgium.

Background of this Treaty

• The new Extradition Treaty will replace the pre-Independence Extradition Treaty between Great Britain and Belgium of 1901 that was made applicable to India through the exchange of Letters in 1958 and is currently in force between the Republic of India and the Kingdom of Belgium. 

Salient Features of the Treaty

• Obligation to Extradite: Under which each Party agrees to extradite to the other any person found in its territory, who is accused or convicted of an extraditable offence in the territory of the other Party.
• Extraditable Offences: It means an offence punishable under the laws of both the Parties with imprisonment for a period of one year or more severe punishment. Where extradition is sought in respect of a convicted person, the duration of the sentence remaining to be served must be at least six months at the time of making the request. Offences relating to taxation, or revenue or is one of a fiscal character also fall within the scope of this Treaty.

Mandatory grounds for Refusal shall be refused if:

• the offence involved is a political offence. However, the Treaty specifies certain offences, which will not be considered as political offences.
• the offence for which extradition is requested is a military offence
• the request for prosecution has been made for the purpose of prosecuting or punishing the person on account of his race, sex, religion, nationality or political opinion.
• the prosecution of enforcement of sentence has become time barred.

Extradition of Nationals: Extradition of nationals is discretionary. Under this,The nationality will be determined at the time the offence was committed.
Benefits of this Treaty

• It  would provide a legal framework for seeking extradition of terrorists, economic offenders, and other criminals from and to Belgium.  After ratification, the Treaty will enter into force from the date of exchange of instruments of ratification between India and Belgium.

Context: Recently, the Indian Navy conducted a joint patrol with the French Navy from the Reunion Island in February. The patrol was conducted by a P-8I aircraft with French Navy personnel onboard.

About this patrol on Reunion Island

• The Indian and French Navy for the first time conducted joint patrols from the Reunion Island which is an overseas region of France and an island east of Madagascar and 175 km southwest of Mauritius.
• The patrol was conducted by a P-8I aircraft with French Navy personnel onboard.
• According to the report India has carried out Coordinated Patrols (CORPAT) only with maritime neighbours and had rejected a similar offer by the US.
• France is also the first country to deploy a Liaison Officer at the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre (IFC-IOR) as part of efforts to improve Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).
• For the implementation of the White Shipping agreement, India and France welcome the appointment of a French liaison officer at the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram. 
• The two nations further intend to coordinate their action at the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and undertake, along with interested states, a joint project for reinforcing assets for combatting piracy and all kinds of maritime trafficking in the Southern Indian Ocean.
• France also intends to work concertedly with India at the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), over which it will preside from 2020 to 2022.

About CORPAT

• CORPAT is an Indian Navy tactical procedure on behalf of Indian “Wannabe” diplomatic ambitions rather than a Multi National Treaty.
• CORPAT has been carried out with Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Thailand.
• It is a naval procedure that India carries out with any other country that is willing in an attempt at showing the flag as a diplomatic maneuver.

Major strategic partner

• France has steadily emerged as a major strategic partner for India with big ticket defence deals and increased military to military engagement. 
• The Indian navy is currently inducting French Scorpene conventional submarines, being built in India under technology transfer, and the Indian Air Force will soon get the first batch of its 36 Rafale fighter jets.
• Currently, under the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and broader maritime cooperation, the Indian Navy undertakes joint EEZ surveillance with Maldives, Seychelles and Mauritius and CORPATs with Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia.
• The joint patrols, along with other activities, are part of the Navy’s increasing engagement in the Indian Ocean Region through capacity-building and joint activities for improving MDA and interoperability.

Mutual benefits between Indo-France in Defence

• Indo-French naval cooperation is aimed at securing the critical sea lanes, the need to effectively combat security threats piracy, trans-national crime and terrorism and also to build security capacities in the Indian Ocean.
• The more substantive pay-off of a nautical pact with France for India is a potential expansion of the Indian Navy’s operational footprint across the Indo-Pacific region.
• Future discussions might result in the signing of a reciprocal agreement granting French naval vessels access to Indian ports for repair and resupply, and Indian vessels the right to routinely use France’s Indian Ocean military bases like Djibouti where china has a base.
• French facilities are likely to add to India’s network of nautical outposts in the IOR, including in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Seychelles, where India plans to build and operate a military base. 
• French companies, such as Dassault Aviation etc are  extremely competitive and the country’s defence industry has a reliable record of production and supply with firms having particular expertise in navigating India’s defence market for instance the contracts for the Rafale aircraft and Scorpene submarines (Project-75).
• A nautical pact with France sends a strong message to India’s geopolitical antagonists in maritime Asia. India will be hoping for a closer engagement in the Western Indian Ocean, where France has one of the most forward-deployed armed forces in the world.
• India’s naval leadership would be keen to expand the scope and complexity of the Indo-French bilateral naval exercise VARUNA
• A partnership with the French navy in littoral South-East Asia would allow the Indian Navy to influence the security-dynamic of the Pacific, even extending operations to the Southern Pacific Islands.

Context: After the Janata Curfew, Delhi and many other states took the Centre’s advice to enforce a full lockdown in districts to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Background

• The orders issued to curb the spread of the coronavirus have been framed under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, which lays down punishment as per Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, for flouting such orders –leading to imprisonment of up to 6 months or fine up to Rs 1000 or both.
• In the past, the Act has been routinely enforced across the country for dealing with outbreaks of diseases such as swine flu, dengue, and cholera.
• Its penal provisions are currently being invoked by states to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

About Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code

• Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, provides penalties for disobeying any regulation or order made under the Act.
• These are according to Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant).
• Section 188, which comes under the Code’s Chapter X, ‘Of Contempt of the Lawful Authority of Public Servants’, reads:

“Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant.—

• Whoever, knowing that, by an order promulgated by a public servant lawfully empowered to promulgate such order, he is directed to abstain from a certain act, or to take certain order with certain property in his possession or under his management, disobeys such direction,shall, if such disobedience causes or tends to cause obstruction, annoyance or injury, or risk of obstruction, annoyance or injury, to any persons lawfully employed, be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month or with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees, or with both;and if such disobedience causes or tends to cause danger to human life, health or safety, or causes or tends to cause a riot or affray, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.

What happens if you violate the lockdown orders?
Under Section 188, there two offences:

• Disobedience to an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant, If such disobedience causes obstruction, annoyance or injury to persons lawfully employed.
• Punishment: Simple Imprisonment for 1 month or fine of Rs 200 or both
• If such disobedience causes danger to human life, health or safety, etc;
• Then Punishment: Simple Imprisonment for 6 months or fine of Rs 1000 or both
• According to the First Schedule of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), 1973, both offences are cognizable, bailable, and can be tried by any magistrate.

These are extraordinary times, but under what circumstances is Section 188 IPC invoked normally?

• To be punishable under Section 188, the order has to be for public purposes by public functionaries. An order made in a civil suit between two parties does not fall under this Section.
• There must be evidence that the accused had knowledge of the order with the disobedience of which he is charged. Mere proof of a general notification promulgating the order does not satisfy the requirements of the section. Mere disobedience of the order does not constitute an offence in itself, it must be shown that the disobedience has or tends to a certain consequence.

Context: Recently, an extraordinary Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit has been convened to discuss the challenges posed by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and to forge a global coordinated response.

• According to a release, the G20 countries committed to inject more than $5 trillion into the global economy, and contribute to the World Health Organisation (WHO) led COVID-19 solidarity response fund.

As per Joint Statement

• “The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic is a powerful reminder of our interconnectedness and vulnerabilities. 
• The virus respects no borders. Combating this pandemic calls for a transparent, robust, coordinated, large-scale and science-based global response in the spirit of solidarity.
• They will share timely and transparent information; exchange epidemiological and clinical data; share materials necessary for research and development; and strengthen health systems globally, including through supporting the full implementation of the WHO International Health Regulations.”
• The leaders agreed to have more interactions of G-20 Foreign Ministers, health officials and the respective Sherpas before the Riyadh Summit of the G-20 nations in November 2020.

About WHO’s “failure” in responding and Other Criticisms

• Many countries have been critical of WHO’s failure to alert the world quickly enough of the potential threat from the pandemic, even after it had been informed of its spread in Wuhan by China on December 31 last year. 
• Others, most notably the United States, have been particularly critical of China for not having been transparent and shared information about the pandemic, and have even called for the virus to be named the “Chinese virus” or the “Wuhan virus,” a move China has opposed strongly.

Difference of opinion on lockdown

• There have been differences among G-20 countries on lockdowns in order to control the pandemic spread through social distancing.
• The US wants to lift the lockdown by saying “cure cannot be worse than the problem itself.”as it is impacting the economy.
• The President of Brazil has called state-imposed lockdowns a crime while India has imposed a stringent 21-day lockdown across the country.

About G20 Countries

• As of 2017 there are 20 members of the group: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Spain is a permanent guest invitee.
• Collectively, the G20 economies account for around 90% of the gross world product (GWP), 80% of world trade (or, if excluding EU intra-trade, 75%), two-thirds of the world population, and approximately half of the world land area.

About Structure and Functioning of G20

• The G20 Presidency rotates annually according to a system that ensures a regional balance over time.
• For the selection of presidency, the 19 countries are divided into 5 groups, each having no more than 4 countries. 
• The presidency rotates between each group. Every year the G20 selects a country from another group to be president.
• India is in Group 2 which also has Russia, South Africa, and Turkey.
• The G20 does not have a permanent secretariat or Headquarters. Instead, the G20 president is responsible for bringing together the G20 agenda in consultation with other members and in response to developments in the global economy.
• TROIKA: Every year when a new country takes on the presidency (in this case Argentina 2018), it works hand in hand with the previous presidency (Germany, 2017) and the next presidency (Japan, 2019) and this is collectively known as TROIKA. 
• This ensures continuity and consistency of the group’s agenda.

Context: Recently, UK has been confirmed as the first co-chair of the governing council of India-led global Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
Current Scenario

• The Governing Council is the highest policy-making body of the CDRI. It is co-chaired by India and a representative of another national government nominated by rotation every two years.
• "The UK is already working closely with India as a joint force for good on climate change.This India-led CDRI will bring about a transformation in how infrastructure is designed, constructed, operated and maintained. 
• The UK will provide "technical advice and expertise to help set up and build the Secretariat and advance the objectives of the Coalition."
• The initial focus will be on disaster and climate risk analysis and governance of infrastructure.
• "Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the minister participated remotely over video link from the UK. and UK will also host COP26 in Glasgow in November 2020.

About CDRI

• It was launched by India at the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit in New York,US in 2019.
• It is an international knowledge and capacity development platform where countries can collaborate to make their existing and new infrastructure strong enough to withstand natural disasters.
• It aims to rapidly expand the development of resilient infrastructure and retrofit existing infrastructure for resilience, and to enable a measurable reduction in infrastructure losses.
• As of March 2020, the CDRI comprises 15 member countries: Afghanistan, Australia, Bhutan, Fiji, Germany, Italy, India, Japan, Mauritius, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom and United States.
• The National Disaster Management Authority(NDMA),New Delhi is operating as the interim secretariat of CDRI.

Benefits of this move

• The CDRI will serve as a platform where knowledge is generated and exchanged on different aspects of disaster and climate resilience of infrastructure. 
• It will bring together technical expertise from a multitude of stakeholders. In doing so, it will create a mechanism to assist countries to upgrade their capacities and practices, with regard to infrastructure development in accordance with their risk context and economic needs.
• This initiative will benefit all sections of society. Economically weaker sections of society, women and children, are the most vulnerable to the impacts of disasters and hence, will be benefitted from the improvement of knowledge and practice in creating disaster resilient infrastructure. 
• It will also benefit all areas with high disaster risk. In India, the north-eastern and Himalayan regions are prone to earthquakes, coastal areas to cyclones and tsunamis and central peninsular region to droughts.

Connection between CDRI and BRI

• CDRI is seen as India’s response to the Belt Road Initiative (BRI), China’s ongoing programme to recreate the ancient Silk Route trading links.
• China is building massive new land and maritime infrastructure in several countries.
• India and some other nations view this as an attempt by China to use its economic and military heft to usurp strategic assets in other countries.
• Unlike BRI, CDRI is not an attempt by India to create or fund infrastructure projects in other countries.

Context: Recently,the Disaster Management Centre of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation has launched a website related to COVID-19. The website shows number of Corona virus Cases in member states.

Background behind the formation of SDMC

• South Asian region is highly prone to multiple disasters due to geo-climatic conditions. As per Center for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters (EM- DAT CRED), more than 1625 major disasters have occurred in SAARC region since 1990 causing life loss of more than 12 million, affecting 2.8 billion and causing damage more than 100 trillion US$.
• Owing to its population density, hazard probability and existing vulnerabilities, South Asian region is one the most disaster-prone regions in the world. 
• In last decade 2006 to 2016, the region has experienced more than 450 disaster events causing life loss of more than 56,000 affecting more than 570 million people. Interestingly, more than 60% of the losses were due to floods & cyclones.
• Nearly 23% of the world's population lives in the SAARC countries. The region is exposed to a plethora of natural hazards both hydro-meteorological and geophysical. 
• In terms of the number of events over the last 40 years, the principal natural hazards are floods (50%), cyclones (25%), earthquakes (13%), and major landslides (8%).

About SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC)

• Interim Unit (IU) of the South Asia Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) has been set up under the premise of Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM).
• The centre provides training and capacity building services. 
• It also facilitates information exchanges between the SAARC members for their effective disaster risk management. 
• The SAARC Members include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

SDMC's Vision

• To be a Centre of Excellence for regional cooperation and specialized service delivery to Member States for Disaster Risk Reduction, Response and Recovery for Sustainable Development.

SDMC's Mission

• To support Member States in their DRR initiatives through application of Science & Technology, Knowledge from Multiple Disciplines, Exchange of Good Practices, Capacity Development, Collaborative Research and Networking in line with the Global Priorities and Goals and other relevant Frameworks adopted by Member States.

Function of SDMC

• Provide assistance in the formulation of Policies, Strategies and Sustainable Development Frameworks in relation to disaster Management and Disaster Risk Reduction
• Compile and collate information for the region required for weather forecasting and monitoring special weather phenomena.
• Strengthen regional response mechanisms to reduce loss of lives, injuries and to provide timely humanitarian assistance to people affected by disasters.
• Organise training workshops, conferences, seminars, lectures for various stakeholders on key priority/focus areas of the Member States and on various aspects of disaster management.
• Develop educational materials and conduct academic and professional courses on key priority/focus areas.
• Develop training modules on various aspects of key priority/focus areas and conduct programmes for Training of Trainers including simulation exercises.
• Collaborate with other global, regional and national centres of excellence to achieve synergies in programmes and activities.
• Conduct studies on assessment and management of disaster risks posing a threat to inclusive and sustainable development in South Asia.
• Undertake research, projects, programmes contributing towards mitigating the impact of trans-boundary disasters.
• Facilitate exchange of experiences and technical support among Member States on National Action Plans for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Context: The 2020 Tokyo Olympics has been postponed to be held before the summer of 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe announced by the International Olympic Committee.
Background behind this Postponement

• It was postponed to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.
• The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present.
• The exact dates is a question for the Tokyo organising committee and an International Olympic Committee panel overseeing the preparations.
• The organisers have postponed the event for the first time in its 124-year modern history and also considered as the first postponement of an Olympics in peacetime.

History

• The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 at Athens (Greece).
• In 1940, Japan was to be the first Asian country to host the Olympics.
• But its military aggression in Asia forced the annulment of the Olympics scheduled in Japan.
• The 1940 Olympics is known as the “Missing Olympics” after the Games were switched to Helsinki (Finland) before finally being scrapped because of World War II.

Impact of this Postponement

• The move would be a devastating blow for Tokyo, which had won widespread praise for its organisation, with venues finished well ahead of time and tickets massively oversubscribed.
• The Olympics, which has experienced boycotts, terrorist attacks and protests, but has been held every four years since 1948, would be the highest-profile event affected by the virus that has killed thousands and closed sports competitions worldwide.
• Training has become impossible for many athletes and exposes them to the risk of contracting or spreading the disease.
• Competitions and qualifiers have been scrapped, while international travel is severely limited.
• Tokyo was spending some $12.6 billion to host the Games, according to its latest budget, and experts believe a postponement could cost it some $6 billion in the short-term before recouping it when it eventually goes ahead.

About International Olympic Committee (IOC)

• It is a non-governmental international organisation which came into existence in 1894.
• It is a not-for-profit independent international organisation that is committed to building a better world through sport.
• It ensures the regular celebration of the Olympic Games, supports all affiliated member organisations and strongly encourages, by appropriate means, the promotion of the Olympic values.

About Summer Olympics 

• The Olympic Summer Games take place during the first year of the Olympiad (period of four years) which they are to celebrate.
• They are the exclusive property of the IOC, which entrusts their organisation to a host city seven years in advance.
• The programme of the Games must include at least 15 of the total number of Olympic sports (sports governed by recognized International Federations and admitted to the Olympic programme by decision of the IOC at least seven year before the Games).

Context: Recently, scientists from Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune develop biofortified, high protein wheat variety MACS 4028, a semi-dwarf variety, has shown the superior and stable yielding ability

• Bio fortification is a process to increase the bioavailability and the concentration of nutrients in crops through both conventional plant breeding and genetic engineering.
• Durum is a kind of hard wheat grown in arid regions that is typically ground into semolina and used to make pasta.
• Durum wheat, or Triticum turgidum, is the second most cultivated species of wheat after bread wheat, which is also called common wheat or Triticum aestivum.

Benefits

• It shows high protein content of about 14.7%, better nutritional quality having zinc 40.3 ppm, and iron content of 40.3 ppm and 46.1 ppm respectively, good milling quality and overall acceptability.
• It is a semi-dwarf variety, which matures in 102 days and has shown the superior and stable yielding ability of 19.3 quintals per hectare.

Resistance

• It is resistant to stem rust, leaf rust, foliar aphids, root aphids, and brown wheat mite.
• The MACS 4028 variety is also included by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) programme for United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to alleviate malnutrition in a sustainable way and can boost the Vision 2022 “Kuposhan Mukt Bharat”, the National Nutrition Strategy.
• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has also tagged this variety under the Biofortified category during the year 2019.
• MACS 4028 has been notified by the Central Sub-Committee on Crop Standards, Notification and Release of Varieties for Agricultural Crops (CVRC) for timely sown, rainfed condition of Peninsular Zone, comprising Maharashtra and Karnataka.
• In the peninsular zone of India (Maharashtra and Karnataka states), wheat cultivation is majorly done under rainfed and limited irrigation conditions. Under such conditions, the crop experiences moisture stress.

About Wheat

• It is the second most important cereal crop in India after rice.
• It is the main food crop, in northand north-western part of the country.
• It is a rabi crop that requires a cool growing season and a bright sunshine at the time of ripening.
• It requires 50 to 75 cm of annual rainfall evenly-distributed over the growing season.
• There are two important wheat-growing zones in the country:- the Ganga-Satluj plains in the north-west and black soil region of the Deccan.
• The Major wheat-producing states are Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh etc.

About National Nutrition Mission (NNM) 

• It aims to reduce stunting, under-nutrition, and anaemia among young children, women and adolescent girls, besides reducing low birth weight. More than 100 million people are expected to benefit from NNM,
• NNM is backed by a National Nutrition Strategy prepared by the NITI Aayog with the goal of attaining “Kuposhan Mukt Bharat" or malnutrition-free India, by 2022.
• It aims to map various schemes that address malnutrition and set up a robust convergence mechanism, and an information and communications technology-based real-time monitoring system, besides incentivising states and Union territories to meet the targets.
• It will also incentivise Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) for using IT-based tools, social audits and setting up of nutrition resource centres involving the masses.
• POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) is a flagship programme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD).
• Government of India, which ensures convergence with various programmes i.e., Anganwadi Services, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) of MWCD Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), National Health Mission (NHM), Swachh-Bharat Mission, Public Distribution System (PDS), Department Food & Public Distribution, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation.

Context: In a move to fight against whiteflies National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) Lucknow has developed a pest-resistant variety of cotton and is going to start field trials this year from April to October in Faridkot Center of Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana.

• Whiteflies are one of the top ten devastating pests in the world that damage more than 2000 plant species and also function as vectors for some 200-plant viruses.
• Cotton is one of the worst-hit crops by whiteflies. As two-third of the cotton crop was destroyed by the whiteflies in Punjab in 2015.

Why this variety was needed?

• As Bt cotton is also a genetically modified cotton and present in the market for farmers usage but it is resistant to two pests only it is not resistant against white flies which not only damages cotton but many other crops too with this it transmits disease viruses too.

About the Research

• To develop the pest-resistant variety researchers explored 250 plants from lower plant biodiversity to identify novel protein molecules that are toxic to whitefly.
•  “Leaf extract of all the plants were prepared separately, and whiteflies were allowed to fed on them. Out of the 250 plants, the leaf extract of an edible fern Tectaria macrodonta causes toxicity to the whitefly.
• When whiteflies feed on sub-lethal doses of insecticidal protein, it interferes with the life cycle of insect that in turn resulted with very poor egg laying, abnormal egg, nymph and larval development and extraordinary poor emergence of the fly.  

However, this protein was found to be un-effective on non-target insects.

• “This clearly shows that the protein is specifically toxic to whitefly and does not cause any harmful effect on other beneficial insects like butterfly and honeybee. 

About Tectaria macrodonta fern

• Family (Christenhusz et al, 2011) : TECTARIACEAE
• Family (As per The Plant List) : Tectariaceae
• Species : Tectaria macrodonta
• Habit : Herb-Terrestrial
• Native : Tropical Asia
• Comments : Common in the Western Ghats.
• Distribution Locality : Chikamagalur; Dakshina Kannada; Hassan; Kodagu; Mysore; Shimoga; Uttara Kannada
• This fern is known to be used as salad in Nepal and as a concoction for the gastric disorders in many regions of Asia also goes in favour for the possibility of the insecticidal protein that is found in the fern.
• It works against whiteflies but being safe for application on the crop plants and provides protection from them.

About National Botanical Research Institute

• The CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) – is amongst one of the constituent research institutes of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi.

R & D Areas and Infrastructure

The aims and objectives of the Institute are pursued through various projects distributed among the following six broad areas of R & D supported by S&T support services for their respective activities:

1. Plant Diversity, Systematics and Herbarium
2. Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry and Product Development
3. Plant Ecology and Environment Technologies
4. Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
5. Plant Genetic Resources and Improvement
6. Botanical Garden, Plant Conservation and Agrotechnologies

Objectives

• Basic and applied research on plant diversity and prospection, plant-environment interaction and biotechnological approches for plant improvement.
• Development of technologies for new plant and microbial sources of commercial importance
• Building up germplasm repository of plants of indigenous and exotic origin, including rare, endangered and threatened species
• Providing expertise and assistance for identification, supply and exchange of plants and propagules, garden layout and landscaping
• Dissemination of scientific knowledge and technologies on plants and microbial resources through publications, training, capacity building and extension activities

Context: Recently,The Defence Ministry released a draft of its new procurement policy, which, for the first time, allows for lease of defence equipment, pushes for more indigenous content and brings in after-sales support under the contract of capital acquisition.
Background

• The draft DPP was prepared by a committee headed by the Director General (Acquisition), which was set up in August 2019.
• The DPP 2020 when finalized would supersede DPP 2016. 
• The draft is open for further suggestions from industry before being finalized for promulgation. 
• The finalized DPP 2020 will come into effect from April 01, 2020 and will remain in force till 31 March 2025.

Leasing as a new category of acquisition

• In addition to the existing ‘Buy’ and ‘Make’ categories, the draft DPP 2020 has introduced leasing of defence equipment as a new category for acquisition.

Leasing will be permitted under two categories:

• Lease (Indian) where Lessor would be an Indian entity and is the owner of the assets.Lease (Global) where Lessor is a Global entity. 
• This category of acquisition would be mainly useful for military equipment not used in actual warfare like transport fleets, trainers, simulators, etc,.
• Leasing will help substitute huge initial capital outlays with periodical rental payments.

Higher Indigenous content: The draft proposes increasing the indigenous content mandated in various categories of procurement by about 10% to support the ‘Make in India’.A simple and realistic methodology has been incorporated in the current DPP for verification of indigenous content.
‘Buy’ (Global – Manufacture in India) category: Another new category introduced in the Draft DPP includes the ‘Buy’ (Global – Manufacture in India) with minimum 50% indigenous content on cost basis of total contract value. This will help ensure indigenous development of the technology and resources.
After-sales support: A major proposal in the new DPP includes making after-sales support, a part of the capital acquisition contract.The scope and options for product support have been widened to include contemporary concepts like Performance Based Logistics (PBL), Life Cycle Support Contract (LCSC) and Comprehensive Maintenance Contract (CMC) to optimise life cycle support for equipment.
Post Contract Management: Given the long time of defence deals and the fast evolution of technology, Post Contract Management has been emphasized on in the current DPP to provide clear guidelines for the contracts signed.
Other provisions: There are incentives for local material and software purchases and emphasis on product export under offsets.
All these modified offset guidelines proposed to give emphasis on export of products rather than components. Higher multipliers proposed for procurement from MSMEs and units established in Defence Industrial Corridors. Higher multipliers proposed for Transfer of Technology to private Companies / DPSUs / OFB and DRDO.

Context: Recently, the Health Ministry has issued telemedicine guidelines enabling doctors to write prescriptions based on telephone conversations.

• It aimed at decongesting healthcare facilities in the wake of Covid-19, will also make healthcare accessible to remote areas in general and make faster intervention possible with the current immobilisation due to coronavirus making hospital and clinic visits difficult.
• It provides information on various aspects of telemedicine, including on technology platforms and tools available to medical practitioners and how to integrate these technologies to provide healthcare delivery.
• It also spells out how technology and transmission of voice, data, images and information should be used in conjunction with other clinical standards, protocols, policies and procedures to provide care.

Its Guidelines Specifically Explicitly exclude the following

• The Use of digital technology to conduct surgical or invasive procedures remotely
• Other aspects of telehealth such as research and evaluation and continuing education of healthcare workers
• Specifications for hardware or software, infrastructure building & maintenance
• Does not provide for consultations outside the jurisdiction of India

Context: Recently, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a ventilator and plans to produce 5,000 of them per month to treat COVID-19 patients.

• DRDO had developed a ventilator along with the Society for Biomedical Technology (SBMT) and now the technology has been transferred to an industry in Mysuru.
• The industry is producing the secondary version of a ventilator initially developed by DRDO.
• Currently, it has a capacity to manufacture 5,000 ventilators per month and this could be scaled up to 10,000 per month.

Other contributions by DRDO

• DRDO laboratories have manufactured 20,000 litres of sanitiser and supplied to various organisations like Delhi police.
• It has developed N-99 and 3-layered masks and supplied 10,000 masks to Delhi police personnel.
• It is tying up with some private companies to make personal protection equipment such as body suits and also ventilators.
• It is working on providing ready-to-eat meals for the government and health workers through the Defence Food Research Laboratory, Mysore which already supplies them to the armed forces.
• The Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) has also increased the production of sanitisers, masks and bodysuits.

About DRDO

• It is the R&D wing of Ministry of Defence, Govt of India, with a vision to empower India with cutting-edge defence technologies and a mission to achieve self-reliance in critical defence technologies and systems, while equipping our armed forces with state-of-the-art weapon systems and equipment in accordance with requirements laid down by the three Services. 
• It pursuit of self-reliance and successful indigenous development and production of strategic systems and platforms such as Agni and Prithvi series of missiles; light combat aircraft, Tejas; multi-barrel rocket launcher, Pinaka; air defence system, Akash; a wide range of radars and electronic warfare systems; etc., have given quantum jump to India's military might, generating effective deterrence and providing crucial leverage.
• It is a network of more than 50 laboratories which are deeply engaged in developing defence technologies covering various disciplines, like aeronautics, armaments, electronics, combat vehicles, engineering systems, instrumentation, missiles, advanced computing and simulation, special materials, naval systems, life sciences, training, information systems and agriculture.

About Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) 

• Indian Ordnance Factories is a giant industrial setup which functions under the Department of Defence Production of the Ministry of Defence. Indian Ordnance Factories, headquartered at Kolkata, is a conglomerate of 41 Factories, 9 Training Institutes, 3 Regional Marketing Centres and 4 Regional Controller of Safety.

Its Mission: Production of State of the Art Battle Field Equipments
Its Vision

• To Equip our Armed Forces with Modern Defence and Battle Field Equipments
• To Continuously Modernise our Production Facilities
• To Train and Motivate Personnel
• To equip ourselves with Technologies through Acquisition, Synergy and In-house R&D
• To Continuously Improve Quality
• To improve operational efficiency and communications by extensive use of information technology
• To improve highest level of customer satisfaction
• To increase customer base in Defence, Non-Defence and Export markets and establish Global Presence

Context: Recently,The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has approved three other centres, alongside the National Institute of Virology (NIV), as agencies for approving diagnostic kits which give its approval to Mylab manufacturer.

• These are the National AIDS Research Institute, Pune; the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata; and the National Institute of Pathology, New Delhi, according to a notification issued by the ICMR.
• Earlier, the kits approved by the United States Food and Drugs Administration or certified by the European Union were allowed to offer commercial tests for detecting SARS CoV-2.
• However, ICMR stated that it is no longer a requirement and even those approved by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) would be eligible for testing.

About Made in India COVID19 Test Kit

• India-based Mylab has discovered (Covid-19) diagnostic test kits, called reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests.
• It is the first indigenous manufacturer to be approved for deploying its kits for COVID-19 testing.
• RT-PCR kits can study 1000 samples from large labs and 200 from smaller labs.
• It is First 'Made in India' COVID19 Test Kit to diagnose COVID-19 gets the commercial approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).The approval is expected to help increase testing in the country.
• According to the developers, it would cost nearly one-fourth of the current procurement cost and is faster as it screens and detects the infection within 2.5 hours as compared with over 7 hours by others.

About Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

• Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research.
• It was founded in 1911 with the name of Indian Research Fund Association (IRFA) and renamed as ICMR in 1949.
• It is funded by the Government of India through the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

About Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO)

• It is the national regulatory body for Indian pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
• Within the CDSCO, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) regulates pharmaceutical and medical devices, under the gamut of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The DCGI is advised by the Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) and the Drug Consultative Committee (DCC).
• It is divided into zonal offices which do pre-licensing and post-licensing inspections, post-market surveillance, and recalls when needed.
• Manufacturers who deal with the authority are required to name an Authorized Indian Representative (AIR) to represent them in all dealings with the CDSCO in India.

Background

• Each year, we commemorate World Tuberculosis (TB) Day on March 24 to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB, and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic. 
• The date marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.
• Till know at Global level organisations have saved an estimated 58 million lives since the year 2000. 
• To accelerate the TB response in countries to reach targets – Heads of State came together and made strong commitments to end TB at the first-ever UN High Level Meeting in September 2018.
• Even SDG 3.3 includes a target of ending the TB epidemic by 2030

Current Scenario

• TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious killer. 
• Each day, over 4000 people lose their lives to TB and close to 30,000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease. 

The theme of World TB Day 2020 - ‘It’s time’ – puts the accent on the urgency to act on the commitments made by global leaders to:

• scale up access to prevention and treatment;
• build accountability;
• ensure sufficient and sustainable financing including for research;
• promote an end to stigma and discrimination, and
• promote an equitable, rights-based and people-centered TB response.

Global efforts to combat TB 

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a joint initiative “Find. Treat. All. #EndTB” with the Global Fund and Stop TB Partnership, with the aim of accelerating the TB response and ensuring access to care, in line with WHO’s overall drive towards Universal Health Coverage. 
• This World TB Day, WHO calls on governments, affected communities, civil society organizations, health-care providers, and national/international partners to unite forces under the banner “Find. Treat. All. #EndTB” to ensure no one is left behind. 

The new consolidated guidelines recommend a range of innovative approaches to scale up access to TB preventive treatment:

• WHO recommends a scale-up of TB preventive treatment among populations at highest risk including household contacts of TB patients, people living with HIV and other people at risk with lowered” immunity or living in crowded settings.
• WHO recommends an integration of TB preventive treatment services into ongoing case finding efforts for active TB. All household contacts of TB patients and people living with HIV are recommended to be screened for active TB. If active TB is ruled out, they should be initiated on TB preventive treatment.
• This New World Health Organization (WHO) guidance will help countries accelerate efforts to stop people with tuberculosis (TB) infection becoming sick with TB by giving them preventive treatment.

India's Road to elimination of TB

• India has the highest burden of both tuberculosis (TB) and multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB based on estimates reported in Global TB Report 2016.
• Although the available data suggest that the TB epidemic may be on the decline, the absolute number of new cases is still the highest. India accounts for about 24% of the global prevalence, 23% of the global incident cases, and 21% of the global TB deaths.
• Taking into consideration the magnitude of the disease burden, the Government of India has announced its plan to eliminate TB by 2025 under its National Strategic Plan (NSP) for Tuberculosis Elimination (2017-2025).
• Mass BCG vaccination to prevent TB.
• And programs like ‘TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign’ has been launched with an aim to eliminate tuberculosis from India.
• Under this campaign aims to improve and expand the reach of TB care services across the country, by 2022.
• It has three pillars: clinical approach, public health component and active community participation.

Given a lot of hue and cry now happening over the covid-19 pandemic that our world is facing today, its perhaps time to reflect upon its microcosm and macrocosm to have a fair idea of both the problem and its solution especially from an Indian point of view.

The microcosm

• Microcosm means a community, place, or situation regarded as encapsulating in miniature the characteristics of something much larger. In this context, it retraces the fundamentals to creation of a pandemic. A part of the world confronted with SARS in 2003, and then with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012. The fact is that in these cases, including the COVID-19, the virus found in bats has jumped from animals to humans. In the case of SARS, the World Health Organization (WHO) found that the civet cat, raccoon dog and badger were the most likely intermediate hosts. In the case of MERS, the camel was the intermediate host.
• The route of COVID-19 is not yet clear — the local market, which is seen to be the source of the outbreak, does not sell bats, it is said. But even as scientists work out the details, the fact is that we are beginning to see more zoonotic diseases — from swine flu to avian influenza. These are diseases that are getting transferred from animals to humans, triggering a pandemic.
• The fact is that so much of this virus transference is happening because of our dystopian relationship with the natural world. On the one hand, we are pushing every kind of chemical and toxin into our food. This is making food a source of disease, not just nutrition. Antibiotics are being shoved into animals and even crops — not for disease control but to make them grow more; put on weight, so that business profits. As a result, resistance to drugs needed for human survival is on the rise.
• On the other, we are growing our food in ways that favour disease growth — industrial farms, which are vertically integrated, are fast becoming the source of contagion. Remember the origin of swine flu from industrial hog factories in Mexico that contaminated water! This breaking of the boundaries between animal and human habitats will lead to more such outbreaks. And this, in a world that is even more inter-connected and globalised, will make the infection wildly contagious.

The macrocosm

• In the past three decades, the world has invested in building a monolith trade system, which has no local or regional control.
• The risk management systems of the poor should teach us that diversification is the key to survival. The farmers of our world always minimised risk through a system of crop and livestock management. They grew a variety of crops — scientists have counted over 50 crops growing in single homesteads. They reduced dependence on the factors that they could not control, but worked on ways to build more resilient local economies.
• With global markets in a tailspin and the International Monetary Fund warning of a global recession, all major economies, including India will take a hit, and the growth in India’s gross domestic product (GDP) could come down sharply in the next couple of quarters.
• The only silver lining amid the pandemic lies in the fall in crude oil prices, which has improved the trade balance and is likely to bring down inflation. Of the four indicators of the ease of living scorecard--- headline and core inflation, real rural wages and job outlook--- three were in the red, as of February. Only core inflation was in green. The fall in headline inflation could be a welcome relief in the coming months but the distress in the rural sector and impact on jobs could offset any such gains and dampen the purchasing power of most Indians.
• The decline in inflation would however give room to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to cut policy rates. While RBI has announced some measures to boost liquidity in the foreign exchange and domestic markets, it has stopped short of cutting interest rates so far unlike global peers, which have front-loaded rate cuts.
• Lower crude oil prices could also result in a revenue gain for the central government of about 0.4% of GDP. But this is unlikely to provide much space for another round of fiscal stimulus, said Anubhuti Sahay of Standard Chartered in a report dated March 12. Besides, the government may want to allocate extra funds to healthcare.
• The spread of Covid-19, in India and globally, is likely to be the biggest determinant of how the macro-tracker is going to look like in the coming months. All arms of public policy --- fiscal and monetary --- will be required to mitigate the economic impact of the health shock.

Conclusion

Now, I know that we cannot turn back the clock of globalisation; we cannot wish away this monster world trade system. It is profitable and it is aspirational — everybody wants to be integrated to the world supply chain. But surely, given the almost certain shocks that await us in our world, it is time we re-thought the very idea of globalisation. Let’s start by working on localisation first. Its time when we put in motion the slogan- "think global act local."

Context: Recently,the National Centre for Cell Science has found that the pathogenic protein called Huntingtin Protein causes a decrease in overall protein production.
About the Study

• In the study on fruit flies, it was observed that the pathogenic Huntingtin protein causes a decrease in the overall protein production in cells.
• The Huntingtin clumps collect together (sequester) molecules of another protein called Orb2, which is also involved in the process of protein formation.
• Orb2 protein is crucial for maintenance of memory in fruit flies.
• In humans, a family of proteins called CPEB is equivalent to the Orb2 protein in fruit flies.
• Further studies found that the CPEB proteins are also sequestered by the pathogenic Huntingtin clumps, similar to the Orb2 protein molecules.
• The study, thus, becomes relevant to and valuable in understanding HD in humans.

About Huntington disease

• Huntington’s disease is an inherited genetic disease that causes the progressive breakdown (degeneration) of nerve cells in the brain. 
• It is caused by a mutation in a gene called HTT which is involved in the production of a protein called huntingtin.

Symptoms

• The symptoms of Huntington’s disease usually develop between ages 30 and 50 but they can appear at an early as well as late age.
• The disease has a broad impact on a person’s functional abilities and usually results in movement, thinking (cognitive) and psychiatric disorders.

Treatment

• There is currently no cure for Huntington’s disease and no way to slow or stop the brain changes it causes but drugs, physiotherapy and talk therapy can help manage some symptoms.

About National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS)

• It is an autonomous organisation aided by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, was established to facilitate cell biology research in the country.
• It is located within the academically-enriched campus of the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU). 
• Since its inception, it has been performing cutting-edge research in cell biology, providing valuable services as a national animal cell repository, and supporting human resource development through various teaching and training programmes. 
• It has been at the forefront of basic research in diverse fields of cell biology, especially those addressing important human health issues such as cancer, metabolic disorders, infectious diseases, and regenerative medicine. 
• The research at NCCS is focused on answering these challenging health issues through approaches that integrate modern and conventional disciplines including cell biology, cellular signalling, stem cell biology, immunology, genomics, proteomics, systems biology, structural biology and microbial ecology.

Context: Recently,Karnataka has signed an “impromptu pact” with the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos in Switzerland to start a “Centre for Internet of Ethical Things” in Bengaluru. 

• It is a collaboration with the World Economic Forum(WEF) 
• It aim to bring together aspects of Artificial Intelligence(AI), Internet of Things(IoT) and Ethics on a single platform.
• By signing an agreement with WEF,Karnataka became the first state in the country to offer a competitive environment for investors.

About Artificial Intelligence

• Artificial intelligence is the branch of computer science concerned with making computers behave like humans.
• It is the study of ways in which machines can be made to have sufficient creative reasoning power to perform mental task
• Examples of problem that falls under the area of Artificial Intelligence include understanding of language, recognising scenes, finding a way to reach an object that is far overhead etc.

About Internet of Things(IoT)

• It is a system of interrelated devices that can connect and share data over a network without requiring the human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.
• This includes everything from cellphones, coffee makers, washing machines, headphones, lamps, wearable devices and almost anything else you can think of.  
• This also applies to components of machines, for example a jet engine of an airplane or the drill of an oil rig.

Context: Recently, Researchers from a Canadian space observatory have been recording the periodic radio waves hitting Earth from a neighbouring galaxy from past few years.

About Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs)

• They are super intense, millisecond-long bursts of radio waves produced by unidentified sources in the space.
• Their discovery in 2007 by American astronomer Duncan Lorimer led to the term ‘Lorimer Bursts’.
• Since then, just a few dozen similar events have been observed in data collected by radio telescopes around the world, building evidence that points to a variety of potential causes.
• Only a handful of emissions have been traced to specific areas of the sky, indicating sources in other galaxies.
• The flash of radio waves is incredibly bright if distant, comparable to the power released by hundreds of millions of suns in just a few milliseconds.
• This intensity suggests powerful objects like black holes and neutron stars could be involved.
• The events were once considered to be largely transient – they seemed to happen once, without obvious signs of a repeat emission. However, a number of such bursts have been identified since then.

Significance of this Research

• First noticed in 2018 by the Canadian observatory the waves have created ripples across the globe for one reason  they arrive in a pattern.
• This gave birth to theories that they could be from an alien civilization.
• Initially, it was believed that the collision of black holes or neutron stars triggers them.
• But the discovery of repeating FRBs debunked the theory of colliding objects.
• FRBs whose locationss are identified  all over the universe, separated by billions of light years. “That means any alien memo instructing others to make the same type of short transmissions to the cosmos would arrive billions of years apart. 

Context: Recently, Boston University astrophysicist and collaborators reveal a new model of our heliosphere that’s shaped somewhere between a croissant and a beach ball.

About Heliosphere

• The sun sends out a constant flow of solar material called the solar wind, which creates a bubble around the planets called the heliosphere.
• The heliosphere acts as a shield that protects the planets from interstellar radiation.
• The heliosphere is thought to reside in the Local Interstellar Cloud inside the Local Bubble, which is a region in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy. Outside the heliosphere there is a forty-fold increase in plasma density. 
• The heliosphere is a vast region, extending more than twice as far as Pluto. 
• It casts a magnetic “force field” around all the planets, deflecting charged particles that would otherwise muscle into the solar system and even tear through DNA. 
• However, the heliosphere, despite its name, is not actually a sphere. Space physicists have long compared its shape to a comet, with a round “nose” on one side and a long tail extending in the opposite direction.
• In 2015, using a new computer model and data from the Voyager 1 spacecraft, researchers came to a different conclusion: they proposed that the heliosphere is actually shaped like a crescent, not unlike a freshly baked croissant, in fact.
• In this “croissant” model, two jets extend downstream from the nose rather than a singlefade-away tail.
• By timing particles echoing off the boundary of the heliosphere and correlating them withions measured by the twin Voyager spacecraft, Cassini scientists concluded that the heliosphere is actually very nearly round and symmetrical: neither a comet nor a croissant, but more like a beach ball.
• Unlike most previous models, which assumed that charged particles within the solarsystem all hover around the same average temperature, the new model breaks the particles down into two groups.
• First are charged particles coming directly from the solar wind. Second are what space physicists call “pickup” ions. These are particles that drifted into the solar system in an electrically neutral form.
• Researchers studying exoplanets–planets around other stars are keenly interested incomparing our heliosphere with those around other stars. Because they believe it holds recipe for formation of life.
• Researchers are still working on DNA-shredding interstellar particles and what theymean for life on Earth and on other planets.
• Researchers are hoping to stir NASA to launch a next-generation interstellar probe thatwill cut a path through the heliosphere and directly detect pickup ions near the heliosphere’s periphery.

Key Points of the programme

• Government is successfully running online Annual Refresher Programme In Teaching (ARPIT) for the professional development of higher education faculty using the MOOCs platform SWAYAM.
• Through ARPIT, new & emerging trends, pedagogical improvements and methodologies for transacting revised curriculum have been imparted.
• ARPIT has been launched to enhance the quality of teaching and is a step towards the commitment of the government to “Har Ek Kaam Desh Ke Naam”.
• ARPIT is doing a great job in empowering the teaching faculty.
• For implementing ARPIT, 75 discipline-specific institutions have been identified and notified as National Resource Centres (NRCs).
• NRCs prepare online training material with focus on latest developments in a discipline, new & emerging trends, pedagogical improvements and methodologies for transacting revised curriculum.
• NRCs are located in a mixed range of institutions such as, Central Universities, IISc, IUCAA, IITs, IISERs, NITs, State Universities.
• The training materials are uploaded and made available through SWAYAM. NRC also publishes the list of the faculty who have been certified.

About Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) 

• It is a free Web-based distance learning program that is designed for the participation of large numbers of geographically dispersed students.
• They are changing the world of education by providing free online courses for higher education, executive education, and employee development. 
• These courses are provided by well-qualified lecturers from some of the most renowned institutes in the world.
• These courses provide virtual education to people from any corner of the world where there is accessibility to the internet. Massive open online courses are expected to complement the future of higher education in the world.

About SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active–Learning for Young Aspiring Minds)

• It is a programme initiated by Government of India and designed to achieve the three cardinal principles of Education Policy viz., access, equity and quality. 
• The objective of this effort is to take the best teaching learning resources to all, including the most disadvantaged. 
• It seeks to bridge the digital divide for students who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy. 
• This is done through an indigenous developed IT platform that facilitates hosting of all the courses taught in classrooms to be accessed by anyone, anywhere at any time. 
• All the courses are interactive, prepared by the best teachers in the country and are available, free of cost to the residents in India.
• It is developed by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and NPTEL, IIT Madras with the help of Google Inc. and Persistent Systems Ltd.
• It would be ultimately capable of hosting 2000 courses and 80000 hours of learning: covering school, under-graduate, post-graduate, engineering, law and other professional courses.

Context: Recently, the Union government’s ‘mechanism for marketing of minor forest produce (MFP) through minimum support price (MSP) and development of value chain for MFP’ scheme can offer respite to forest-dependent labourers in the wake of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, according to experts.
About Minor forest produce scheme

• The scheme, launched by the Centre in August 2013, provides fair price for MFP collected by tribals through MSP.
• At the time of the launch in 2013, the estimated outlay was Rs 967.28 crore from the central government; states had to pitch Rs 249.50 crore towards capital and revenue expenditure.
• Under the scheme "Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce through Minimum Support Price and development of Value chain for MFP" Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Minor Forest Produce (MFP) has been fixed for select MFP. 
• The scheme is designed as a social safety net for improvement of livelihood of MFP gatherers by providing them fair price for the MFPs they collect.

The scheme has been started with following objectives

• To provide fair price to the MFP gatherers for the produce collected by them and enhance their income level
• To ensure sustainable harvesting of MFPs.
• The Scheme will have a huge social dividend for MFP gatherers, majority of whom are tribals

Coverage of the Scheme

• The Scheme has been implemented in eight States having Schedule areas as listed in the Fifth Schedule of the constitution of India. From November 2016, the scheme is applicable in all States.
• MFP comprises all non-timber forest produce of plant origin such as bamboo, brush wood, stumps, cane, tussar, cocoons, honey, wax, lac, tendu or kendu leaves, medicinal plants and herbs, roots, tubers, etc, according to the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

Available Data

• Almost 60-70 per cent income of forest dwellers depends on collection and sale of MFP, according to the tribal affairs ministry.
• Recent estimates by Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation indicated that the trade value was approximately Rs 20,000 crore for 55 economically important MFPs.
• The scheme has been scaled up since its inception — between 2016-17 and 2018-19, Rs 60 crore was released for its implementation.
• However, experts said the money was lying with the states unutilised.
• For eg: In Odisha, total fund available with the state government was over Rs 90 crore till February 2018-end.
• This included interest earned from the bank but the expenditure has been only Rs 3.71 crore, i.e., six per cent of the amount.

Implementing Agencies

• Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt of India. of India shall be the Nodal Ministry for implementation and monitoring of the scheme. Ministry of Tribal Affairs shall announce Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the selected MFPs with the technical support from TRIFED.
• TRIFED shall be Central Nodal Agency for implementation of the scheme through State level implementing agencies.

Context: Recently, the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) has Launched transformational “Tech For Tribals” program in partnership with Institutes of National Importance (INIs) to develop Tribal entrepreneurship.
About “Tech For Tribals” program 

• It is a game changing and unique project aimed to transform 5 crore Tribal Entrepreneurs.
• An initiative supported by Ministry of MSME, aims at capacity building and imparting entrepreneurship skills to tribal forest produce gatherers enrolled under the Pradhan Mantri VanDhan Yojana(PMVDY).
• VanDhan products will be marketed through all available distribution channels.
• To push Government institutional purchases, Tribes India has a presence in Government eMarket Place (GeM).
• The program will ensure higher success rate of the Tribal Entrepreneurs by enabling and empowering them to run their business with marketable products with quality certifications.
• Under the program trainees will undergo a 30 days training program over six weeks comprising 120 sessions. The Partner institutions will develop course contents relevant to Entrepreneurship in Value Addition and Processing of Forest Produces.
• The course curriculum will include Achievement Motivation and positive psychology, Entrepreneurial Competencies, capacity utilization, Product positioning - Grading / Sorting, Branding, Packaging, etc.
• National Level Tribal Festivals namely Aadi Mahotsavs, along with other exhibitions, are being organised in various cities all over the country are other efforts being taken to expand the marketing opportunities for Tribes India products and country’s tribal heritage.

About TRIFED

• The full form of TRIFED is ‘The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India’. It was established in 1987. It became operational from April 1988. 
• The basic objective of the TRIFED is to provide good price to the products made or collected from the forest by the tribal peoples.
• It is a national level apex organization functioning under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Objectives of the TRIFED are;

• To provide fair price to the 'Minor Forest Produce (MFP) collected by the tribes and enhance their level of income.
• To ensure sustainable harvesting of 'Minor Forest Produce (MFP).
• To save the tribes from the exploitation of the business mediators who purchase the products of the tribes at cheap rate and sell at the higher prices. So TRIFED removed the mediators.
• If the price of the products fluctuates then TRIFED arranges compensation for the tribes from the Ministry of Agriculture.
• It also assures the tribes for purchasing their products at a particular price, primary processing of products, storage of products and transportation etc.
• It provides information related to fair price markets for the 'Minor Forest Produce (MFP). Like tribes of all over country sell their products in the trade fair organised at the Pragati Maidan, New Delhi every year.
• It helps in increasing the bargaining power of the tribes to fetch good price of the MFP.
• It provides adequate training to the tribes to make value addition to their products.