Context: Recently, the Patiala incident in which a group of Nihangs attacked a Punjab police party and chopped off the hand of an assistant sub-inspector has put the spotlight on the Nihangs.
About Nihangs

• It is an order of Sikh warriors which is characterised by blue robes, antiquated arms such as swords and spears, and decorated turbans surmounted by steel quoits.
• The nihangs are referred to as alligator, sword and pen in Persian and it also resembles from a Sanskrit word nihshank which means without fear, unblemished, pure, carefree and indifferent to worldly gains and comfort.
• The word nihang finds a place in the hymn of the Guru Granth Sahib, where it alludes to a fearless and unrestrained person.
• They use the slogans ‘chhardi kala’ (forever in high spirits) and ‘tiar bar tiar’ (state of ever preparedness) for unforeseen events.
• They had a major role in defending the Sikh panth after the fall of the first Sikh rule (1710-15) when Mughal governors were killing Sikhs, and during the onslaught of Afghan invader Ahmed Shah Durrani (1748-65).
• They held the grand council (Sarbat Khalsa) of Sikhs at Akal Takht and pronounced the resolution (Gurmata) passed.
• According to Budha Dal chief Baba Balbir Singh, any person irrespective of caste, creed or religion can be included provided he has unshorn hair as per the Sikh traditions at the time of entering the sect.
• However,it should be noted that “A Nihang does not attack an unarmed person.”

What is their role in Sikh history?

• Nihangs had a major role in defending the Sikh panth after the fall of the first Sikh rule (1710-15) when Mughal governors were killing Sikhs, and during the onslaught of Afghan invader Ahmed Shah Durrani (1748-65).
• When the Khalsa army was divided into five battalions in 1734, one Nihang or Akali battalion was led by Baba Deep Singh Shahid.
• Nihangs also took control of the religious affairs of the Sikhs at Akal Bunga (now known as Akal Takht) in Amritsar. They did not consider themselves subordinate to any Sikh chief and thus maintained their independent existence. At Akal Takht, they held the grand council (Sarbat Khalsa) of Sikhs and pronounced the resolution (Gurmata) passed.
• Their clout came to an end after the fall of Sikh Empire in 1849 when the British authorities of Punjab appointed a manager (sarbrah) for the administration of the Golden Temple in 1859.

How were Nihangs different from other Sikhs, and other Sikh warriors?

• As per an account by the East India Company’s Colonel James Skinner (1778-1841), Khalsa Sikhs were divided into two groups: Those who put on blue attire which Guru Gobind Singh used to wear at the time of battle and those who “do not follow any restrictions on the colour of their dress.
• Nihangs observe the Khalsa code of conduct in its strictest sense. They do not profess any allegiance to an earthly master. Instead of saffron, they hoist a blue Nishan Sahib (flag) atop their shrines.
• Nihangs use the slogans ‘chhardi kala’ (forever in high spirits) and ‘tiar bar tiar’ (state of ever preparedness) for unforeseen events.
• The Nihangs are fond of a popular drink called shardai or sharbati degh (sacrament drink). When a small measure of cannabis is added to it, it is termed sukhnidhan (treasure of comfort). A higher dose of cannabis in it was known as shaheedi deg. It was taken while battling enemies.

Context: Recently, TRIFED under Ministry of Tribal Affairs has asked the State Nodal Departments and Implementing Agencies to initiate procurement of Minor Forest Produces (MFPs) at Minimum Support Price (MSP) from the available funds under MSP for MFP Scheme.
About MSP for MFP Scheme 

• The scheme, launched by the Centre in August 2013, provides fair price for MFP collected by tribals through MSP. 
• It is designed as a social safety net for improvement of livelihood of MFP gatherers by providing them fair price for the MFPs they collect. 
• 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. 
• The Scheme was 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.

Key features of the scheme

• Ensure that the tribal population gets a remunerative price for the produce they collect from the forest and provide alternative employment avenues to them.
• Establish a system to ensure fair monetary returns for forest dweller’s efforts in collection, primary processing, storage, packaging, transportation etc, while ensuring sustainability of the resource base.
• Get them a share of revenue from the sales proceeds with costs deducted.

Significance

• Such measures are necessary for mitigating the impact of lockdown on tribal communities.
• This will provide much required livelihood support to the tribal gatherers and obviate the movement of middlemen from urban areas to tribal habitations, thus checking any eventuality of spread of corona virus among tribal communities.

Implementation of this Scheme

• The responsibility of purchasing MFP on MSP will be with State designated agencies.
• To ascertain market price, services of market correspondents would be availed by the designated agencies particularly for major markets trading in MFP.
• The scheme supports primary value addition as well as provides for supply chain infrastructure like cold storage, warehouses etc.
• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs will be the nodal Ministry for implementation and monitoring of the scheme. The Minimum Support Price would be determined by the Ministry with technical help of TRIFED.

How many crops are covered for MSP?

• Government announces minimum support prices (MSPs) for 22 mandated crops and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane. The mandated crops are 14 crops of the kharif season, 6 rabi crops and two other commercial crops.

In addition, the MSPs of toria and de-husked coconut are fixed on the basis of the MSPs of rapeseed/mustard and copra, respectively. The list of crops are as follows.

• Cereals (7): paddy, wheat, barley, jowar, bajra, maize and ragi
• Pulses (5): gram, arhar/tur, moong, urad and lentil
• Oilseeds (8): groundnut, rapeseed/mustard, toria, soyabean, sunflower seed, sesamum, safflower seed and nigerseed
• Raw cotton, Raw jute, Copra, De-husked coconut, Sugarcane (Fair and remunerative price, Virginia flu cured (VFC) tobacco

About Minor Forest Produce

• It is basically a subset of forest produce and got a definition only in 2007 when the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, was enacted.
• According to Section 2(i) of the said Act, Minor Forest Produce (MFP) are all non-timber forest produce of plant origin and includes bamboo, brushwood, stumps, canes, Tusser, cocoon, honey, waxes, Lac, tendu/kendu leaves, medicinal plants and herbs, roots, tuber and the like.
• Thus, the definition of “minor forest produce” includes bamboo and cane, thereby changing the categorization of bamboo and cane as “trees” under the Indian Forest Act 1927.
• The Minor Forest Produces provide both subsistence and cash income for people who live in or near forests. They form a major portion of their food, fruits, medicines and other consumption items and also provide cash income through sale.
• The importance of Minor Forest Produces for this section of the society can be gauged from the facts that around 100 million forest dwellers depend on Minor Forest Produces for food, shelter, medicines and cash income.
• It is important for them for food, shelter medicines and case income beside providing critical subsistence during the lean seasons, particularly for primitive tribal groups such as hunter gatherers, and the landless.
• Tribals derive 20-40% of their annual income from Minor Forest Produce on which they spend major portion of their time. Minor Forest Produce sector has the potential to create about 10 million workdays annually in the country.

About Minimum Support Price

• It is a form of market intervention by the Government of India to insure agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices. 
• These are announced by the Government of India at the beginning of the sowing season for certain crops on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
• MSP is price fixed by Government of India to protect the producer – farmers – against excessive fall in price during bumper production years.
• The minimum support prices are a guarantee price for their produce from the Government. 
• In case the market price for the commodity falls below the announced minimum price due to bumper production and glut in the market, government agencies purchase the entire quantity offered by the farmers at the announced minimum price.
• Objective: The major objectives are to support the farmers from distress sales and to procure food grains for public distribution.

Major factors that are considered by the authorities while fixing the MSP are:

• Cost of production, Changes in input prices, Input-output price parity, Trends in market prices, Demand and supply, Inter-crop price parity, Effect on industrial cost structure, Effect on cost of living, Effect on general price level, International price situation, Parity between prices paid and prices received by the farmers and Effect on issue prices and implications for subsidy

Agriculture Produce Market Committee

Context: Recently, the Centre has recommended that states suspend certain provisions of their respective Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Acts for three months to allow farmers to sell their harvest from multiple locations and to any buyer for encouraging social distancing.
Background

• The APMC Act regulates buying and selling of farm produce in about 5000 mandis or markets across the country. The Act empowers states to notify markets to cater to a specific area and farmers can sell in their designated markets only.

About Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMC)

• Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) is a system operating under the State Government since agricultural marketing is a State subject.
• The APMC has Yards/Mandis in the market area that regulates the notified agricultural produce and livestock. 
• The introduction of APMC was to limit the occurrence of Distress Sale by the farmers under the pressure and exploitation of creditors and other intermediaries.
• APMC ensures worthy prices and timely payments to the farmers for their produce.

APMC is also responsible for the regulation of agricultural trading practices. This results in multiple benefits like:

• Needless intermediaries are eliminated
• Improved market efficiency through a decrease in market charges
• The producer-seller interest is well protected
• The Government of India designed a model Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act in 2003 as a first attempt to bring reformations in the agricultural markets. 

Provisions under this act were:

• New market channels other than APMC markets
• Private wholesale markets
• Direct purchase
• A contract for buyers and farmers

The Market Committees under the APMC Act, 2003 were responsible for:

• Ensuring transparency in the transactions and pricing system of the market area
• Providing market-led extension services to farmers  
• Ensuring that farmers are paid for the produce sold on the same day
• Promoting agricultural processing that will increase the value of the produce
• Making the availability and dates public on which the agricultural produce is brought to the market
• Promoting and establishing public-private partnerships (PPP) in these markets. 

Salient Features of the Model APMC Act

• Legal persons, growers and local authorities are permitted to apply for the establishment of new markets for agricultural produce in any area. Under the existing law, markets are setup at the initiative of State Governments alone. Consequently, in a market area, more than one market can be established by private persons, farmers and consumers.
• There will be no compulsion on the growers to sell their produce through existing markets administered by the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC). However, agriculturist who does not bring his produce to the market area for sale will not be eligible for election to the APMC.
• Separate provision is made for notification of ‘Special Markets’ or ‘Special Commodities Markets’ in any market area for specified agricultural commodities to be operated in addition to existing markets.
• A new Chapter on ‘Contract Farming’ added to provide for compulsory registration of all contract farming sponsors, recording of contract farming agreements, resolution of disputes, if any, arising out of such agreement, exemption from levy of market fee on produce covered by contract farming agreements and to provide for indemnity to producers’ title/ possession over his land from any claim arising out of the agreement.
• Provision made for direct sale of farm produce to contract farming sponsor from farmers’ field without the necessity of routing it through notified markets.
• Provision made for imposition of single point levy of market fee on the sale of notified agricultural commodities in any market area and discretion provided to the State Government to fix graded levy of market fee on different types of sales.
• Licensing of market functionaries is dispensed with and a time bound procedure for registration is laid down. Registration for market functionaries provided to operate in one or more than one market areas.
• Commission agency in any transaction relating to notified agricultural produce involving an agriculturist is prohibited and there will be no deduction towards commission from the sale proceeds payable to agriculturist seller.
• Provision made for the purchase of agricultural produce through private yards or directly from agriculturists in one or more than one market area.
• Provision made for the establishment of consumers’/ farmers’ market to facilitate direct sale of agricultural produce to consumers
• Provision made for resolving of disputes, if any, arising between private market/ consumer market and Market Committee.
• State Governments conferred power to exempt any agricultural produce brought for sale in market area, from payment of market fee.
• Market Committees permitted to use its funds among others to create facilities like grading, standardization and quality certification; to create infrastructure on its own or through public private partnership for post-harvest handling of agricultural produce.

Context: Recently, the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare addressed the National Conference on Kharif Crops 2020 through a video conference in wake of Covid-19.
Key Points of the Conference

• The conference was focused on the states that they should aim to achieve the Kharif target and doubling the farmer’s income.
• Another session was organized on the sidelines of the conference which included Principal Secretaries of all the states and Agriculture Production Commissioners to share the challenges, achievements, and strategies to be adopted in states during the Kharif season.
• The main aim of the conference was to discuss various issues and list out steps in consultation with the States about preparedness for Kharif cultivation in view of the lockdown situation.
• The conference highlighted the vision of Prime Minister of “Goan, Garib aur Kisan” (Village, Poor and Farmers) should not suffer due to the crisis by urging the states to explain Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and Soil Health Card schemes to each and every farmer.
• The states were informed that All India Agri Transport Call Centre has been started to ensure that Agriculture is not affected due to the lockdown.
• The conference highlighted the extensive use of e-NAM.
• The target of foodgrains production for the year 2020-21 has been fixed at 298.0 million tonnes as compared to 291.10 million tonnes in 2019-20.

However, during the same period the Gross Cropped Area (GCA) has increased from 182.28 million hectare to 196.50 million hectare, with net area sown remaining largely unchanged at 140 million hectare.

• Gross Cropped Area: It represents the total area sown once as well as more than once in a particular year. When the crop is sown on a piece of land for twice, the area is counted twice in GCA.
• Net Area Sown: It represents the total area sown with crops. The area sown more than once in the same year is counted only once.

Besides having record foodgrains production last year (2018-19), country has also produced about 313.85 million metric tonnes of horticulture produce from an area of about 25.49 million hectare, which accounts for about 13 percent of the total world production of fruits. India is the second largest producer of vegetables, after China.
About major new initiatives taken by the Ministry for increasing production of crops and income of the farmers like 

• Intensification of “Per Drop More Crop” under flagship Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) by promotion of drip and sprinkler irrigation systems for improving water and fertilizer use efficiency, 
• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), 
• revised farmer friendly “Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)”,  
• e-NAM initiative to provide farmers an electronic online trading platform, 
• intensification of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Yojana, 
• introduction of Central Sector Scheme of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana (PM-KPY), 
• launching of Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA ) scheme to ensure MSP to farmers for oilseeds, pulses and crops, and  
• Minimum Support Price (MSP)  at a level of at least 2 times the cost of production along with  various provisions for Direct Marketing in view of COVID-19 and 
• advisory/Guidelines for agriculture management in the event of lockdown to ensure better economic return to the farmers.

For Rabi crops

• As regards the Rabi crops, it has been decided that all States will ensure procurement at Village/Block levels as farmers are not allowed to move out of block due lockdown position. 
• In addition, all States are taking steps for Direct Marketing/purchasing of crop produce from farmers.
• Advisory/Guidelines have been issued to the all States and relaxation given for movement of trucks/ vehicles loaded with seeds and fertilizers to ensure timely availability of such inputs at Village/Block levels across the country. 
• Government has also strengthened the e-NAM system to provide farmers an electronic online trading platform and better economic return to the farmers.
• Despite several efforts in past decades, large agriculture area is still dependent on the monsoons and in the event of failure of monsoons, farmers have been facing hardship for survival of their crops. 
• In view to resolve these problems “Prime Minister Krishi Sinchayee Yojana” (PMKSY) is being implemented with aim to expanding cultivable area under assured irrigation, improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water, enhance the adoption of precision-irrigation and other water saving technologies.
• The format of State Action Plan (SAP) for advance planning and implementation of the National Food & Nutritional Security Mission  (NF&NSM) has been simplified and reduced to about one page, so that States can get the SAPs prepared and submit the same to GoI after approval of competent authority with bare minimum efforts. 
• NF&NSM is mainly a mandate for production of foodgrains and is implemented on projectised mode through State Agriculture Departments across the country.
• Once SAPs are received, the same will be examined in a week’s time and approval will be conveyed to implementing agencies. 
• Project Monitoring Team exists at Central and State levels for guiding in formulation of SAPs and also for monitoring through field visit and farmers’ interaction. 
• Further, Geo-tagging of various interventions are also undertaken to ensure transparency in the programme implementation.

Top five countries

Context: An analysis of data by the Johns Hopkins University tracker shows that the top five countries with the highest mortality rate are the ones which lack a sufficient and robust health system and have fared poorly in latest Human Development Index (HDI) report released by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Background 

• Human Development Index measures a country’s overall achievement in its social and economic dimensions like health, level of education and standard of living.

Key Findings of the study

• Zimbabwe, which has so far recorded 11 cases and 3 deaths, has the highest mortality rate of 27.30 per cent, which is nearly five times that of the global rate of 5.9 per cent. 
• Zimbabwe is followed by Bahamas, Guyana, Algeria and Myanmar — none of which feature in the top 10 countries with most cases or fatalities. 
• Zimbabwe also ranked a lowly 132 out of 195 countries in the Global Health Security (GHS) Index, which measures health security and related capabilities of countries. 
• Bahamas, which has recorded 41 coronavirus cases and eight deaths so far, has the second highest mortality rate at 19.50 per cent, nearly four times that of the global average rate. 
• With a score of 0.805, the Caribbean country’s HDI rank is 60 and according to the GHS Index, it ranks 177. 
• Moreover, all the above countries feature in the bottom half of the Human Development Index — Guyana (123rd), Algeria (82nd) and Myanmar (145th) — signalling that the healthcare system of the countries is bound to face challenges in dealing with the pandemic. 
• Despite Italy having an HDI rank of 29, one factor affecting the country’s death rate may be the age of its population. Italy has the oldest population in Europe, with about 23 per cent of residents 65 or older. 
• Similarly, countries with the lowest mortality rate — Qatar (0.30 per cent), Singapore (0.30 per cent), Iceland (0.40 per cent), United Arab Emirates (0.50 per cent) and Latvia (0.50 per cent) — appear in the top 40 of the Human Development Index.

About Human Development Index

• The annual HDI 2019 report, ranked India at the 129th position, one rank above last year’s ranking, out of a total 189 countries.
• It  is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators, which are used to rank countries into four tiers of human development. 

The other indices that form the part of the 2019 Report are:

• Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI),
• Gender Development Index (GDI),
• Gender Inequality Index (GII) and
• Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).

A country scores a higher HDI when the lifespan is higher, the education level is higher, and the gross national income GNI (PPP) per capita is higher. 

• It was developed by Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq and Indian economist Amartya Sen and was further used to measure a country's development by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)'s Human Development Report Office. 
• This index is a tool used to follow changes in development levels over time and to compare the development levels of different countries. 

HDI measures average achievement of a country in three basic dimensions of human development:

• A long and healthy life.
• Access to knowledge.
• A decent standard of living.

Context: All banks understood the importance of BC Sakhi and Bank Sakhi and issued special ID cards for Covid-19 Lockdown Pass as Essential Service Duty.
About BC Sakhi and Bank Sakhi

• BC Sakhis are Self-Help Groups (SHGs) women working as Business Correspondents for banks. A Bank Sakhi is someone who has been an SHG member involved in conducting banking and book-keeping activities of the group.
• As a Bank Sakhi, she provides a range of financial services on behalf of the bank to her community and is supported by the local SHG federation which provides capacity development, training, and financial awareness in the community.
• Being a Bank Sakhi, she is paid a commission by the bank for different services, which covers her costs and provides her with an income.

Key Highlights of the Government Initiatives amid COVID-19 lockdown

• The Union Government had announced release of 500/- per month for 3 months in 20.39 Crore Women PMJDY accounts.
• Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development was given responsibility to transfer the fund with support of Department of Financial Services and Banks.
• Government of India also released other DBT funds like Rs.2000/- to PM Kisan Yojana accounts, MGNREGA wages payments to all rural population to address the financial stress being faced by the community.

Role of BC Sakhi and Bank Sakhi

• Due to release of DBT funds, there was expected rush at Bank premises for withdrawal of the amount.
• The instructions regarding withdrawal were already given in advance by many Banks as to how and who can come to the Bank for withdrawal as per last digit of account numbers.
• In most of the cases, the services of BC Sakhis (SHG women working as Business Corresspondents for banks) were utilized for making payments to the rural households.
• All banks understood the importance of BC Sakhi and Bank Sakhi and issued special ID cards for Covid-19 Lockdown Pass as Essential Service Duty.
• They were issued letters from the Banks and stickers/passes by local administration.
• SHG members engaged as BC Sakhi/ Bank Sakhi are playing a vital role in ensuring the disbursement of financial relief packages provided by Government of India.

What has been the outcome?

• As a result, out of around 8800 BC Sakhi and 21600 Bank Sakhi, around 50% of both cadre voluntarily started working amidst Lockdown across the country right from Assam, Mizoram, Sikkim, Manipur to Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, and other states of the country.
• Bank Sakhis are supporting Bank Branch Managers in managing rush at branches during DBT payment and ensuring social distancing of customers by creating awareness among rural community.

About about Business Correspondents

• Business Correspondents are retail agents engaged by banks for providing banking services at locations other than a bank branch/ATM. 
• BCs enable a bank to provide its limited range of banking services at low cost. They hence are instrumental in promoting financial inclusion.

As per the RBI guidelines the products provided by BCs are:

• Small Savings Accounts
• Fixed Deposit and Recurring Deposit with low minimum deposits
• Remittance to any BC customer
• Micro Credit and General Insurance

Context: Recently, the Government of India, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, has decided to issue Sovereign Gold Bonds under Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2020-21.
About Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB)

• SGBs are government securities denominated in grams of gold.
• They are substitutes for holding physical gold. Investors have to pay the issue price in cash and the bonds will be redeemed in cash on maturity.
• The Bond is issued by Reserve Bank on behalf of Government of India.

About Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2020-21
The Sovereign Gold Bonds will be issued in six tranches from April 2020 to September 2020.
The Bonds will be sold through:

• Scheduled Commercial banks (except Small Finance Banks and Payment Banks),
• Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL),
• Designated post offices, and
• Recognised stock exchanges viz., National Stock Exchange of India Limited and Bombay Stock Exchange Limited.

Some of the key features of Sovereign Gold bond Scheme is as tabulated as follows:

• Eligibility: The bonds will be restricted for sale to resident Indian entities including individuals, HUFs, Trusts, Universities and Charitable institutions.
• Denomination: The bonds will be denominated in units of one gram of gold and multiples thereof.
• Minimum size: Minimum permissible investment will be 1 gram of gold.
• Maximum limit: 4 kg for individuals, 4 kg for Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) and 20 kg for trusts and similar entities notified by the government from time to time
• Interest rate: The investors will be compensated at a fixed rate of 2.50 % per annum payable semi-annually on the nominal value. The interest on Sovereign Gold Bonds is taxable as per the IT Act, 1961.
• Sales channel: Bonds will be sold through Commercial banks, Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL), designated post offices (as may be notified) and recognised stock exchanges viz., National Stock Exchange of India Limited and Bombay Stock Exchange, either directly or through agents.
• Tenor:  8 years with an exit option from 5th year onwards to be exercised on the interest payment dates.
• Redemption: Redemption price shall be fixed in Indian Rupees and the redemption price shall be based on simple average of closing price of gold of 999 purity of previous 3 business days from the date of repayment, published by the India Bullion and Jewelers Association Limited.
• Joint holder: In case of joint holding, the investment limit of 4 KG will be applied to the first applicant only.
• Issue price: Price of Bond will be fixed in Indian Rupees on the basis of simple average of closing price of gold of 999 purity, published by the India Bullion and Jewellers Association Limited for the last 3 working days of the week preceding the subscription period. The issue price of the Gold Bonds will be ` 50 per gram less for those who subscribe online and pay through digital mode.
• Collateral: Bonds can be used as collateral for loans. The loan-to-value (LTV) ratio is to be set equal to ordinary gold loan mandated by the Reserve Bank from time to time.
• KYC documentation: Know-your-customer (KYC) norms will be the same as that for purchase of physical gold. KYC documents such as Voter ID, Aadhaar card/PAN or TAN /Passport will be required.Every application must be accompanied by the ‘PAN Number’ issued by the Income Tax Department to individuals and other entities.
• Tax treatment: The interest on Gold Bonds shall be taxable as per the provision of Income Tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961). The capital gains tax arising on redemption of SGB to an individual has been exempted. The indexation benefits will be provided to long term capital gains arising to any person on transfer of bond.
• Tradability: Bonds will be tradable on stock exchanges within a fortnight of the issuance on a date as notified by the RBI.
• SLR eligibility: Bonds acquired by the banks through the process of invoking lien/hypothecation/pledge alone, shall be counted towards Statutory Liquidity Ratio.
• Commission: Commission for distribution of the bond shall be paid at the rate of 1% of the total subscription received by the receiving offices and receiving offices shall share at least 50% of the commission so received with the agents or sub agents for the business procured through them.

Context: Over 10 crore people have been excluded from the Public Distribution System (PDS) because outdated 2011 census data is being used to calculate State-wise National Food Security Act (NFSA) coverage.

• With the 2021 census process being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, any proposed revision of PDS coverage using that data could now take several years.

About Public Distribution System (PDS) 

• Public distribution system is a government-sponsored chain of shops entrusted with the work of distributing basic food and non-food commodities to the needy sections of the society at very cheap prices.
• Wheat, rice, kerosene, sugar, etc. are a few major commodities distributed by the public distribution system.

About PDS Functioning

• The Central and State Governments share responsibilities in order to provide food grains to the identified beneficiaries.
• The centre procures food grains from farmers at a minimum support price (MSP) and sells it to states at central issue prices. It is responsible for transporting the grains to godowns in each state.
• States bear the responsibility of transporting food grains from these godowns to each fair price shop (ration shop), where the beneficiary buys the food grains at the lower central issue price. Many states further subsidise the price of food grains before selling it to beneficiaries.

Concerns

• The system is often blamed for its inefficiency and rural-urban bias.
• It has not been able to fulfill the objective for which it was formed. Moreover, it has frequently been criticized for instances of corruption and black marketing.

How much population missed the PDS coverage?

• Under the NFSA, the PDS is supposed to cover 75% of the population in rural areas and 50% of the population in urban areas, which works out to 67% of the total population, using the rural-urban population ratio in 2011.
• India’s population was about 121 crore in 2011 and so PDS covered approximately 80 crore people. However, applying the 67% ratio to a projected population of 137 crore for 2020, PDS coverage today should be around 92 crore.
• The biggest gaps are in Uttar Pradesh (2.8 crore) followed by Bihar (1.8 crore) people. State-specific birth and death rates from 2016 were used to calculate the population growth rate and projected population estimates.
• Many State governments are reluctant to issue new ration cards beyond the numbers that will be provided for by the Central quota, making it difficult to reduce exclusion errors in the PDS.
• This is because the State government stopped issuing new ration cards several years ago to avoid exceeding the numbers provided for by the Central government.

cancellation of orders

Context: About 15 million people face job losses in India’s exports’ sector following cancellation of over half of the orders and a gloomy forecast for global trade due to the COVID-19 pandemic as per exporters’ body FIEO.
Key Points

• Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has stated that many of the exporting units have had a cancellation of over 50% of the pre-existing orders due to their inability to deliver on time owing to the national lockdown in place and also due to the reduced demand conditions in the importing countries.
• The export units are left with very few existing orders.
• Given the global outbreak of the COVID-19, the forecast for global trade also does not seem promising for the export based industries.
• China’s reopening and resuming of factory operations post the lockdown has resulted in many orders going to China due to which India is losing market to China.

Challenges

• There are concerns that the continued closure of factories will result in heavy losses and bring them to the brink of closure as they were burdened with fixed costs which in any case have to be absorbed by the factories.
• The exporter’s body of FIEO estimates that about 15 million people may face job losses in India’s exports’ sector owing to reduced business opportunities.
• The bankruptcy of these units might also lead to an increase in NPAs (Non-Performing Assets) among exporting units, thus affecting the whole economy.

Suggestions given by FIEO

• It has sought immediate announcement of a relief package for the export sector.
• It has called for a balance between life and livelihood and is in favour of reopening of the factories with a minimum number of workers to ensure that the pre-existing orders are met.

About Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) 

• It was established in 1965 with headquarters in New Delhi. It was formed by Union Ministry of Commerce and private trade and industry. 
• It is an apex body of exports promotion council, commodity boards and export development authorities in India. 
• Its direct members contribute more than 70% of India’s exports
• Function: Providing crucial interface between international trading community of India and Centre and state government, railways, ports, surface transport, financial institutions and all other engaged in trade facilitation.

Context: Recently, In wake of coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has decided to provide rental waiver to IT companies housed in STPI premises in the country from March to June, i.e., for 4 months period as of now.
About Software Technology Parks of India (STPI)

• It was set up in 1991 as an autonomous society under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• Its main objective has been the promotion of software exports from the country.
• It acts as ‘single-window' in providing services to the software exporters.
• The services rendered by STPI for the software exporting community have been statutory services, data communications services, incubation facilities, training and value added services.
• It has also played a key developmental role in the promotion of software exports with a special focus on SMEs and startup units.
• It has been implementing the Software Technology Park (STP) scheme and the Electronics Hardware Technology Park (EHTP) scheme for the promotion of IT/ITES industry.
• It is also working closely with the respective State Governments/local authorities for creation of more space, equipped with state-of–the-art infrastructure facilities, for development of the software industry and increasing exports.
• It is the nodal agency for implementation of India BPO Promotion Scheme (IBPS) and North East BPO Promotion scheme (NEBPS) under Digital India Initiative.

About Software Technology Park (STP) scheme

• It is developed to promote 100% export of Software and IT services, including export of professional services using communication links or physical media.
• It acts as a single window in providing services to the software exporters and incubation infrastructure to SMEs.
• It is unique in its nature as it concentrates on one product or sector, i.e. computer software.
• It integrates the government concept of 100 percent Export Oriented Units (EOUs) and Export Processing Zones (EPZs) and the concept of Science Parks/Technology Parks, as operating anywhere in the world.

Context: Recently, NITI Aayog has released a collaborative network called 'CollabCAD'.
About CollabCAD

• It is a joint initiative of Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog and National Informatics Centre (NIC).
• It is a computer enabled software system which is aimed at providing a total engineering solution from 2D drafting & detailing to 3D product design.
• Its primary focus is to provide a great platform to students of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) across country to create and modify 3d designs with free flow of creativity and imagination.
• It would also enable students to create data across the network and concurrently access the same design data for storage and visualization.
• It would serve as a great platform for students to utilize indigenous, state-of-the-art made-in-India software for 3D modeling/slicing to use 3D Printing.
• This customized version of CollabCAD for ATLs with features that are most relevant to school students to materialize their ideas and creativity into physical solutions has been developed to enable designing without constraints.

About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)

• It is India’s flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.
• Its objective is to develop new programmes and policies for fostering innovation in different sectors of the economy, provide platform and collaboration opportunities for different stakeholders, create awareness and create an umbrella structure to oversee innovation ecosystem of the country.

About Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs)

• Its vision is to ‘Cultivate one Million children in India as Neoteric Innovators.'
• It is established in schools across India under Atal Innovation Mission.
• Its aim is to foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds; and inculcate skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing etc.
• AIM will provide grant-in-aid of Rs. 20 Lakh to each school that includes a one-time establishment cost of Rs. 10 lakh and operational expenses of Rs. 10 lakh for a maximum period of 5 years to each ATL.
• Schools (minimum Grade VI - X) managed by Government, local body or private trusts/society are eligible to set up ATL.

About National Informatics Centre (NIC)

• It was established in 1976, and has rich experience in providing ICT and eGovernance support to the Government.
• It spearheaded “Informatics-Led-Development” by implementing ICT applications in social and public administration and facilitates electronic delivery of services to the government (G2G), business (G2B), citizen (G2C) and government employee (G2E).
• It is an attached office under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

The following major activities are being undertaken:

• Setting up of ICT Infrastructure
• Implementation of National and State Level e-Governance Projects/Products
• Consultancy to the Government departments
• Research & Development
• Capacity Building

Context: Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched the 49th round of quarterly Order Books, Inventories and Capacity Utilisation Survey (OBICUS) of the manufacturing sector.The latest round has a reference period as January-March 2020.

Key Points

• The RBI has been conducting the OBICUS of the manufacturing sector on a quarterly basis since 2008.
• The survey represents the movements in actual data on order books, inventory levels of raw materials and finished goods and capacity utilization.
• Inventory is the amount of goods held by a company.
• Capacity utilization refers to the manufacturing and production capabilities that are being utilized by a nation or enterprise.
• The survey also gives out the ratio of total inventories to sales and ratio of raw material (RM) and finished goods (FG) inventories to sales in percentages.
• These are considered as important indicators to measure economic activity, inflationary pressures and the overall business cycle.
• Trend analysis is calculated for the survey based on quantitative data received from companies regarding new orders, backlog orders at the beginning of the quarter, pending orders at the end of the quarter.
• The survey provides valuable input for monetary policy formulation.
• The company level data collected during the survey are treated as confidential and never disclosed.
• In the 48th round of the OBICUS for the quarter October-December 2019 as many as 704 manufacturing companies were covered. As per the survey:
• Capacity Utilisation (CU) had declined to 68.6% in the third quarter of 2019-20 from 69.1% in the previous second quarter.
• Also, orders received in the third quarter(Q3:2019-20) were lower compared with the previous second quarter as well as with the level of 2018-19.

Context: Recently, Telangana Chief Minister has urged that RBI should implement quantitative easing policy by modifying FRBM Act and allow helicopter money.

Key Points

• Observing that there is a fall in revenues of both the state and central governments against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, Rao said a policy of Quantitative Easing (QE) is the only way to deal with the situation.
• Explaining the issue, he said if funds are pumped into the society, there is a possibility of getting some relief and reviving the system.
• This will facilitate the states and financial institutions to accrue funds. We can come out of the financial crisis. Release 5 percent of funds from the GDP through Quantitative Easing Policy.

About Helicopter Money

• By defination Helicopter Money is a monetary policy tool for Quantitative Easing (QE), which aims at "unexpectedly dumping money onto a struggling economy with the intention to shock it out of a deep slump.”
• This is an unconventional monetary policy tool aimed at bringing a flagging economy back on track. 
• The policy aims at putting more money into the pockets of people to nudge them to spend more money and in turn pick-up economic activity in the country. 
• Unexpectedly dumping money onto a struggling economy with the intention to shock it out of a deep slump.
• Under such a policy, a central bank directly increase the money supply and, via the government, distribute the new cash to the population with the aim of boosting demand and inflation.
• Quantitative easing also involves the use of printed money by central banks to buy government bonds. 
• But not everyone views the money used in QE as helicopter money. It sure means printing money to monetise government deficits, but the govt has to pay back for the assets that the central bank buys.

Difference between Helicopter money and QE

• Quantitative Easing is another type of monetary stimulus launched by the Federal Reserve after the financial crisis. 
• Under QE, the central bank makes large-scale purchases of assets or bonds from financial markets by supplying money into the banking system. 
• As a result, rate of interest comes down and this stimulates lending by banks, consumption, investment and economic growth.  
• The working of QE is through the banking system whereas Helicopter money works directly by stimulating demand from the people.

Context: Recently, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released its Monetary Policy Report (MPR).The report follows the unscheduled monetary policy meeting held in end March, 2020 to discuss the uncertainties arising from the nationwide lockdown.Since the review was conducted in end March, 2020, the early policy review, scheduled for April,2020 was withdrawn.
Key Findings of the Report

• The consumer price index (CPI)-based inflation, had stayed elevated in the last few months. It is expected to decrease during the course of the financial year.
• CPI inflation is tentatively projected to ease from 4.8% in (Quarter)Q1 of 2020-21 to 4.4% in Q2, 2.7% in Q3 and 2.4% in Q4.
• This may be due to the prevailing high uncertainty.
• Aggregate demand may weaken further than currently anticipated and ease core inflation further.
• Supply bottlenecks could increase pressures more than expected.
• Estimates indicate that inflation could move in a range of 3.6-3.8% assuming a normal monsoon and no major exogenous or policy shocks.
• Earlier the Repo Rate was reduce by 75 basis points (bps) to 4.4% and the Cash Reserve Ratio was reduced by 100 bps to 3%.
• However, the RBI refrained from making any prediction on growth. Forecasts for real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in India were not provided due to prevailing uncertainties due to Covid-19.
• Improvements in inflation and growth are expected to emanate from monetary, fiscal and other policy measures and the early containment of Covid-19. However, there are uncertainties with these factors.

Issue of Oil Price Drop

• The sharp reduction in international crude oil prices, if sustained, could improve the country’s terms of trade.
• However, the gain from this channel is not expected to offset the impact of shutdown and loss of external demand.

Exchange Rates

• The global financial market volatility caused by the uncertainty of macroeconomic impact of the Covid-19, as in February-March 2020, could exert pressure on the Indian rupee.
• Should the rupee depreciate by 5% from the baseline, inflation could increase by around 20 bps while GDP growth could be higher by about 15 bps through increased net exports.
• In contrast, should Covid-19 normalise quickly, strong capital flows could revive is still under trial.
• An appreciation of the rupee by 5% could moderate inflation by around 20 bps and GDP growth by around 15 bps vis-a-vis the baseline.

About Monetary Policy

• Monetary policy is the macroeconomic policy laid down by the central bank. It involves management of money supply and interest rate and is the demand side economic policy used by the government of a country to achieve macroeconomic objectives like inflation, consumption, growth and liquidity.
• In India, monetary policy of the Reserve Bank of India is aimed at managing the quantity of money in order to meet the requirements of different sectors of the economy and to increase the pace of economic growth.
• The RBI implements the monetary policy through open market operations, bank rate policy, reserve system, credit control policy, moral persuasion and through many other instruments.
• Using any of these instruments will lead to changes in the interest rate, or the money supply in the economy. Monetary policy can be expansionary and contractionary in nature. Increasing money supply and reducing interest rates indicate an expansionary policy. The reverse of this is a contractionary monetary policy.
• For instance, liquidity is important for an economy to spur growth. To maintain liquidity, the RBI is dependent on the monetary policy. By purchasing bonds through open market operations, the RBI introduces money in the system and reduces the interest rate.

Context: The motivated, enthusiastic and committed women members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) across the country formed under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) is contributing in addressing COVID-19 outbreak in India.
About their Effort

• These women are engaged in livelihoods activities, bringing social change through awareness generation, leading movements and responding during natural calamities.
• During the on-going crisis, SHG members have emerged as community warriors by contributing in every possible way to contain the spread of COVID-19.
• The SHG network across the country was made aware of the various aspects of the disease (personal hygiene, social distancing etc.) through Audio Visual (AV) IEC material and advisories developed by the Health Ministry which were circulated to all State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs).
• In Tamil Nadu, two volunteers of SHGs are assigned to each PDS shop. They are provided gloves, masks and sanitisers and they ensure that people in the queue maintain adequate distance.

Important Interventions by SRLMs

• JEEViKA, Bihar stepped in and started working on IEC materials that would help in awareness and preparedness for the outbreak.
• Rangolis for Awareness: SHG women from UP SRLM ‘Prerna’ have used their creativity to make rangolis and mark lines and circles to re-emphasise the need for ‘social distancing’. They have also been making wall paintings to spread key messages about COVID prevention in their communities.
• Didi Helpline: The Didi helpline, a telephonic helpline initiated by Jharkhand SRLM, is open 24 hours to help migrant labourers by providing them verified  It enables them to provide their data to state authorities to help evacuate them from different states, back to Jharkhand.
• Efforts to Dispel Fake News: Notable efforts have been made by women of Kudumbashree in Kerala, to help dispel the widespread fake news that causes  Through its network of WhatsApp groups, Kudumbasree is trying to propagate only the right information to the community.
• These platforms are used specifically to disseminate immediate, authentic information and updates on the outbreak and precautionary measures.
• Through many similar responsible collective actions organized across the nation,marginalised and vulnerable women of these communities have played a significant role in the war against Coronavirus while being empowered both socially and economically.

About Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission

• It was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development in 2011 as a restructured version of Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojna (SGSY).
• It aims at creating efficient and effective institutional platforms for the rural poor enabling them to increase household income through sustainable livelihood enhancements and improved access to financial services.
• NRLM has set out with an agenda to cover 7 crore rural poor households, across 600 districts, 6000 blocks, 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats and 6 lakh villages in the country through self-managed SHGs and institutions and support them for livelihoods collectives in a period of 8-10 years.

Salient Features of the Mission

• It lays special emphasis on targeting the poorest of the poor and the most vulnerable communities (i.e. Antyodaya) and their financial inclusion.

Innovative projects under National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP)

• to pilot alternate channels of financial inclusion;
• creating value chains around rural products;
• introduce innovative models in livelihoods promotion and;
• access to finance and scale-up initiatives on digital finance and livelihood interventions.

DAY-NRLM provides for mutually beneficial working relationships and formal platforms for consultations between Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs).

NRLM has also developed an activity map to facilitate convergence in different areas of interventions where NRLM institutions and PRIs could work together which has been disseminated to all SRLMs.

Context: Recently, Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs attended the Plenary Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee through video-conference .
Key Highlights of the Plenary Meeting of IMFC

• The discussions at the meeting were based on IMF Managing Director’s Global Policy Agenda titled, “Exceptional Times – Exceptional Action”.
• The members of the IMFC updated the committee on the actions and measures taken by member countries to combat COVID-19.
• It was also remarked on IMF’s crisis-response package to address global liquidity and members’ financing needs.
• Finance Minister also informed the IMFC about India’s role as a responsible member of the global community by providing critical medicines to other nations.

In her intervention at the meeting, FM outlined various measures taken in India to respond to the health crisis as well as to mitigate its impact. In this regard, she mentioned about following:

• Allocation of $2 Billion (Rs 15,000 crore) by the Government of India for strengthening the healthcare system;
• Announcement of a scheme of social support measures amounting to $23 Billion (Rs 1.70 lakh crore) to alleviate the hardship of the poor and the vulnerable;
• Provision of relief to firms in statutory and regulatory compliance matters;
• Easing of monetary policy by the RBI;
• Three-month moratorium on loan instalments.
• She also mentioned about Prime Minister’s initiative of creating a COVID-19 Emergency Fund for the SAARC region at the SAARC Leaders’ video-meeting.

About International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC)
Its Composition

• It has 24 members, drawn from the pool of 187 governors.
• Its structure mirrors that of the Executive Board and its 24 constituencies. 
• As such, the IMFC represents all the member countries of the Fund.

Its Functions 

• The IMFC meets twice a year, during the Spring and Annual Meetings. 
• The Committee discusses matters of common concern affecting the global economy and also advises the IMF on the direction its work.
• At the end of the Meetings, the Committee issues a joint communiqué summarizing its views. 
• These communiqués provide guidance for the IMF’s work program during the six months leading up to the next Spring or Annual Meetings. 
• There is no formal voting at the IMFC, which operates by consensus.

Its objective

• The IMFC advises and reports to the IMF Board of Governors on the supervision and management of the international monetary and financial system, including on responses to unfolding events that may disrupt the system.
• It also considers proposals by the Executive Board to amend the Articles of Agreement and advises on any other matters that may be referred to it by the Board of Governors.
• Although the IMFC has no formal decision-making powers, in practice, it has become a key instrument for providing strategic direction to the work and policies of the Fund.

Context: As per the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) World Economic Outlook (WEO), the COVID-19 pandemic is having a severe effect on the world economy which is expected to contract by 3% in 2020, much worse than the 2008-09 financial crises.
Key Findings of the Report

• World growth rates have been revised downwards by more than six percentage points since the January WEO update.
• The cumulative loss to global GDP over 2020 and 2021 from the pandemic crisis could be around $9 trillion, greater than the economies of Japan and Germany combined.
• The global forecast is characterised by ‘extreme uncertainty,’ the IMF warned.
• Emerging Asia is projected to be the only region that grows in 2020, at a rate of 1% — still more than 5 percentage points below the previous decade’s average.
• In China, where the coronavirus’s impacts were first recorded this year, the first quarter economic activity could have contracted by 8% year-on-year. China is projected to grow at 1.2% in 2020 and 9.2% in 2021.
• Assuming the pandemic fades in the second half of this year, with containment efforts gradually easing up, the world economy is projected to grow at 5.8% in 2021 as economic activity normalises, aided by policy, the IMF said.

In India

• India’s growth is expected to dip to 1.9% in 2020 and rebound to 7.4% in 2021, as per the WEO released by the IMF.
• India’s growth projection for 2020 is 3.9% less than what was projected in the January update to the WEO while its rebound in 2021 is 0.9 % higher than the January projection (for India, forecasts are on a fiscal year basis).

Measures to combat the impact

• IMF called on policymakers to make targeted fiscal, monetary and financial sector interventions to support impacted households and businesses.
• It advised that the fiscal measures should be two-fold, cushioning the impact on the most-exposed households and businesses and reducing firm closures, i.e., preserving economic relationships.
• Monetary stimulus by large central banks and liquidity facilities to reduce systemic stress will help limit the shock, positioning the economy for a better recovery.
• Strong multilateral cooperation is essential to overcome the effects of the pandemic, including to help financially constrained countries facing twin health and funding shocks, and for channeling aid to countries with weak healthcare systems.
• It was said that necessary measures to reduce contagion and protect lives will take a short-term toll on economic activity but should also be seen as an important investment in long-term human and economic health.
• The economic impact of the disease depends on a number of factors and their unpredictable interaction, including the pandemic’s pathway, the intensity and effectiveness of containment efforts, significant tightening of global financial market conditions and so forth.

About IMF

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international organization headquartered in Washington, D.C.
• It consists of 189 countries working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.
• It periodically depends on the World Bank for its resources.
• Through the fund and other activities such as the gathering of statistics and analysis, surveillance of its members’ economies, and the demand for particular policies, the IMF works to improve the economies of its member countries.

Report released by IMF are Global Financial Stability Report; World Economic Outlook Report and Fiscal Monitor.

Functions of the IMF

• To provide financial assistance to member countries with balance of payments problems, the IMF lends money to replenish international reserves, stabilize currencies and strengthen conditions for economic growth. Countries must embark on structural adjustment policies monitored by the IMF.
• It oversees the international monetary system and monitors the economic and financial policies of its 189 member countries. As part of this process, which takes place both at the global level and in individual countries, the IMF highlights possible risks to stability and advises on needed policy adjustments.
• It provides technical assistance and training to central banks, finance ministries, tax authorities, and other economic institutions. This helps countries raise public revenues, modernize banking systems, develop strong legal frameworks, improve governance, and enhance the reporting of macroeconomic and financial data. It also helps countries to make progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Context: To address unprecedented situation arising from global outbreak of Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19), and to ramp up availability or production of various drugs, Ministry of Environment,Forest and Climate Change has made an amendment to Environmental Impact Assessment Notification 2006.
Key Amendment to the Act

• All projects or activities in respect of bulk drugs and intermediates, manufactured for addressing various ailments, have been re-categorized from the existing Category ‘A’ to ‘B2’ category.
• Projects falling under Category B2 are exempted from requirement of collection of Base line data, EIA Studies and public consultation.
• The re-categorization of such proposals has been done to facilitate decentralization of appraisal to State Level so as to fast track the process.

About Environmental Impact Assessment

• Environmental assessment (EA) is the assessment of the environmental consequences (positive negative) of a plan, policy, program, or actual projects prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action.
• It is a tool of environmental management forming a part of project approval and decision-making.
• Environmental assessments may be governed by rules of administrative procedure regarding public participation and documentation of decision making, and may be subject to judicial review.

Stakeholders in the EIA Process includes:Those who propose the project

• The environmental consultant who prepare EIA on behalf of project proponent
• Pollution Control Board (State or National)
• Public has the right to express their opinion
• The Impact Assessment Agency
• Regional centre of the MoEFCC

About EIA Notification 2006

• The EIA Notification, 2006, broadly divides all projects into two categories—Category A and Category B—based on potential impacts over an area and on human health and natural and man-made resources.
• According to the notification, all Category A projects (with potentially significant impacts) are required to carry out an EIA and undertake a public hearing before an EC may be granted by the Union environment ministry.
• Category B projects (with potentially less significant impacts) are evaluated and given a clearance by state level authorities, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC).
• Moreover, projects under Category B1 also require an EIA and public consultation, but those falling under B2 are exempted from requirements of both EIA and public consultation.

The EIA process or stages is described below:

• Screening: this stage decides which projects need a full or partial assessment study.
• Scoping: this stage decides which impacts are necessary to be assessed. This is done based on legal requirements, international conventions, expert knowledge and public engagement. This stage also finds out alternate solutions that avoid or at least reduce the adverse impacts of the project. Alternate designs or sites that avoid or mitigate impact are investigated.
• Assessment & evaluation of impacts and development of alternatives: this stage predicts and identifies the environmental impacts of the proposed project and also elaborates on the alternatives.
• Public hearing: On completion of the EIA report, public and environmental groups living close to project site may be informed and consulted.
• EIA Report: in this reporting stage, an environmental management plan (EMP) and also a non-technical summary of the project’s impact is prepared for the general public. This report is also called the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
• Decision making: the decision on whether the project is to be given approval or not and if it is to be given, under what conditions.
• Monitoring, compliance, enforcement and environmental auditing: monitoring whether the predicted impacts and the mitigation efforts happen as per the EMP.

Importance of Environmental Impact Assessment

• EIA is a good tool for prudent environment management.
• It is government-policy that any industrial project in India has to secure EIA clearance from the Environment Ministry before approval for the project itself.

Context: The COVID-19 lockdown has activated poachers who had been forced into lying low for more than a year. At least six thwarted attempts have been made within a week in and around Assam’s national parks.
Key Points

• At least six thwarted attempts have been made by poachers eyeing Rhino horns, within a week in and around Assam’s national parks.
• A member of the Special Rhino Protection Force received bullet injuries during an encounter with a group of poachers in the Kaziranga National Park (KNP).
• The police also arrested five people involved in attempted poaching at the Nameri National Park.
• Lockdown appears to have given rhino poachers free time to regroup and plan strikes in Kaziranga after more than a year, they know there will be demand for rhino horns in China and other consumer countries in Asia after the pandemic-induced slump is over.
• The International Rhino Foundation has insisted that China, Vietnam and other countries must do more than merely banning wildlife trade temporarily.

About Demand of Rhino Horns

• The rhino horn trade is driven by the demand for rhino horn in Asian countries, particularly Vietnam.
• Rhino horn is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, but increasingly common is its use as a status symbol to display success and wealth.
• Besides rumours that it can cure people of COVID-19 also exist.
• However, a rhino horn is nothing but dead keratin cells, similar to human hair and nails.

About Rhinos in Asia and India

• There are three species of rhino in Asia — Greater one-horned, Javan and Sumatran. Javan and Sumatran Rhino are critically endangered and the Greater one-horned (or Indian) rhino is vulnerable In IUCN Red List.
• They are spread across India, Nepal, Bhutan, Indonesia and Malaysia. These countries are also known as Asian Rhino Range Countries.
• Only the Great one-horned rhino is found in India.
• At present, there are about 2,600 Indian rhinos in India, with more than 90% of the population concentrated in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park.

About Greater One-Horned Rhino

• The greater one-horned rhinoceros is the largest of the three Asian rhinos and, together with African white rhinos, is the largest of all rhino species.
• It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
• With at least half of the total population, India’s Kaziranga National Park remains the key reserve for this species.
• The greater one-horned rhino is identified by a single black horn about 8-25 inches long and a grey-brown hide with skin folds, which gives it an armor-plated appearance.
• They primarily graze, with a diet consisting almost entirely of grasses as well as leaves, branches of shrubs and trees, fruit, and aquatic plants.

Projects in India for conservation of Rhinos
1) About Indian (One Horn) Rhino Vision 2020

• Indian rhino vision 2020 implemented by the department of environment and forests, Assam.
• The programme will be supported by WWF — India, the international rhino foundation (IRF), and a number of local NGOs.
• Translocations are the backbone of the IRV 2020 program.
• The goal set was to populate the potential rhino habitat areas identified viz. Manas NP, Dibru Saikhowa WLS, Laokhowa-Bura Chapori WLS with a viable population of rhino through translocations from Kaziranga NP and Pobitora WLS.
• Manas National Park was selected as the first site for translocation of rhinos.
• Ten rhinos have been released into Manas since 2008. Ten more rhinos will be moved from Kaziranga National Park before the end of the year.
• The vision of this program is to increase the total rhino foundation in Assam from about 2000 to 3000 by the year 2020 and to ensure that these rhinos are distributed over at least 7 protected areas (PA) to provide long term viability of the one-horned rhino population.
• Concentrating so many rhinos in a single protected area like Kaziranga exposes the species to risks of calamities (epidemics, floods, massive poaching attempts).

2) National Rhino Conservation Strategy

• It calls for active engagement between India and Nepal to conserve the Greater one-horned rhinoceros.
• The plan said the single population of rhinos in Sukla-Phanta (Nepal), Valmiki Tiger Reserve (India) and Chitwan National Park (Nepal) and Dudhwa (India) is separated by the political boundary between the two countries.
• It asks for the management of the two population under the same protocol, instead of managing the two population separately.
• The plan calls for expanding distribution range as the occurrence of 90% of the rhino in one protected area is a cause of concern and conservation of existing and potential rhino habitats need to be made a national priority.

About Kaziranga National Park 

• It is one of India’s oldest reserve areas, located in Golaghat and Nagaon, in Karbi Anglong districts of Assam in northeast India.
• In 1905, the Kaziranga Proposed Reserve Forest was established. In 1950, the area was renamed Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary.
• In 1974, the Indian government gave the park official status.
• In 1985, the national park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Kaziranga is home to 2/3rd of the world’s population of rhinoceroses. In 2006, the park was declared a Tiger Reserve. It has one of the highest density of tigers in the world.

Context: Recently, National Innovation Foundation India (NIF) has brought out an indigenous herbal medication (dewormer) in form of commercial product for livestock owners as an alternate to chemical method of treatment of worm.
Key Highlights of development

• To make the indigenous herbal dewormer titles ‘wormivet’ available for livestock owners, NIF worked on a medication in treatment of endoparasite (worm) infestation among livestock.
• The anthelmintic activity of this medication in naturally infested helminthiasis was assessed. The results demonstrated successful impact of this medication.
• Patent was filed for this indigenous medication in 2007.
• In order to diffuse this technology to control endoparasite infestation among livestock, NIF value added and promoted development of a commercial product ‘Wormivet’ through Rakesh Pharmaceuticals, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Why livestock has been targeted?

• Livestock resources are recognized as an important means to sustain food demand and for sustaining local employment. Societies tend to protect animal health through its unique resource closest to its vicinity, like indigenous knowledge system.
• Internal parasite is a significant health problem as it causes diarrhoea, loss in body weight, anaemia, reproductive health concern thereby limiting productivity and growth.
• Further, inappropriate use of chemical dewormer generates resistance. The presence of internal parasite during regular diagnosis and contamination of soil health by chemical based therapy necessitates alternative sustainable therapies.
• In this scenarios, it becomes vital to recognize, respect and reward resolute belief of knowledge holders and their practices that were maintained over generations.
• Traditional system of medicine needs to be integrated in treatment for livestock health system.

About National Innovation Foundation India (NIF) 

• NIF is an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology, Union Ministry of Science and Technology.
• It was set up in February 2000 to provide institutional support for scouting, sustaining, spawning and scaling up the grassroots innovations across the country.
• Since then, it has been actively engaged in promoting creativity and innovation in society. 
• It has taken major initiatives to serve knowledge-rich but economically poor people of the country.
• It is committed to making India innovative by documenting, adding value, protecting IPR of contemporary unaided technological innovators as well as of outstanding traditional knowledge-holders and disseminating their innovations on non-commercial and commercial basis.

Other key facts related to NIF

• The INSPIRE Award – MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge) is being revamped and executed by Department of Science & Technology and National Innovation Foundation-India to align it with the action plan for “Start-up India” initiative.
• Micro Venture Innovation Fund (MVIF) at NIF, with support from Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), has provided risk capital to 230 innovation based enterprise projects, some of which are at different stages of incubation.
• Being organised since 2008, IGNITE is an annual competition for student’s ideas and innovations conducted by NIF in partnership with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
• NIF has set up a Technology Business Incubator (NIF) – NIF Incubation and Entrepreneurship Council (NIFientreC).

Context: Recently, the Royal Observatory in Belgium has observed a 30-50 per cent fall in levels of ambient seismic noise since schools and businesses were closed in mid-March.
Key Points

• In geology, seismic noise refers to the relatively persistent vibration of the ground due to a multitude of causes. It is the unwanted component of signals recorded by a seismometer.
• This noise includes vibrations caused due to human activity, such as transport and manufacturing, and makes it difficult for scientists to study seismic data that is more valuable.
• As per the study, due to the enforcement of lockdown measures around the world to tackle the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Earth’s crust has shown reduced levels of vibration.
• Apart from geology, seismic noise is also studied in other fields such as oil exploration, hydrology, and earthquake engineering.

How do the reduced noise levels help scientists?

• The seismic noise vibrations caused by human activity are of high frequency (between 1-100 Hz), and travel through the Earth’s surface layers. 
• Usually, to measure seismic activity accurately and reduce the effect of seismic noise, geologists place their detectors 100 metres below the Earth’s surface.
• However, since the lockdown, researchers have said that they were able to study natural vibrations even from surface readings, owing to lesser seismic noise.
• Due to lower noise levels, scientists are now hoping that they would be able to detect smaller earthquakes and tremors that had slipped past their instruments so far.
• This might help us detect smaller earthquakes and also see low amplitude parts of the ground motions caused by larger earthquakes.

Context: Recently, IEA has made some observations about the impact of global lockdown on oil demands across the world.
Key Findings

• The price of crude has already fallen about 60% since the start of the year due to a pricing war between Saudi Arabia and Russia and then the economic devastation wrought by the virus outbreak.
• Now, global demand for oil will fall this year by the most ever due to the economic lockdowns enforced around the world to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
• An estimated drop in demand of 9.3 million barrels a day this year is equivalent to a decade’s worth of growth.

Impact and implications of these changes:

• While the cheaper energy can be helpful for consumers and energy-hungry businesses, it is below the cost of production.
• That is eating away at the state finances of oil-producing countries, many of whom are relatively poor economies, and pushing companies to bankruptcy.
• With broad limits on travel and business, many consumers are unable to take advantage of the low prices anyway.
• The recent deal by OPEC and other countries to reduce global output by some 9.7 million barrels a day will help stabilize the situation somewhat.
• On top of those cuts, countries like China, India, South Korea and the United States will look to buy more oil to store away in strategic reserves.

About International Energy Agency (IEA)

• It is an Paris based autonomous intergovernmental organisation. 
• MISSION – To ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for its  member countries and beyond. 
• Its mission is guided by four main areas of focus: energy security, economic development, environmental awareness and engagement worldwide Headquarters (Secretariat): Paris, France.

Roles and functions

• Established in the wake of the 1973-1974 oil crisis, to help its members respond to major oil supply disruptions, a role it continues to fulfil today.
• IEA’s mandate has expanded over time to include tracking and analyzing global key energy trends, promoting sound energy policy, and fostering multinational energy technology cooperation.

Reports released by IEA

• Global Energy & CO2 Status Report.
• World Energy Outlook.
• World Energy Statistics.
• World Energy Balances.
• Energy Technology Perspectives.

Composition and eligibility

• It has 30 members at present. IEA family also includes eight association countries. A candidate country must be a member country of the OECD. But all OECD members are not IEA members.
• India is its associate member not permanent member.

To become member a candidate country must demonstrate that it has:

• Crude oil and/or product reserves equivalent to 90 days of the previous year’s net imports, to which the government has immediate access (even if it does not own them directly) and could be used to address disruptions to global oil supply.
• A demand restraint programme to reduce national oil consumption by up to 10%.
• Legislation and organisation to operate the Co-ordinated Emergency Response Measures (CERM) on a national basis.
• Legislation and measures to ensure that all oil companies under its jurisdiction report information upon request.
• Measures in place to ensure the capability of contributing its share of an IEA collective action.

Context: Recently, at G20 talks, top oil nations pushed to finalise a deal on oil cuts to lift prices slashed by the coronavirus crisis.
Key Points

• Measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus have destroyed demand for fuel and driven down oil prices.
• It strained the budgets of oil producers and also affected the U.S. shale industry which is more vulnerable to low prices due to its higher costs.
• Saudi Arabia and Russia and its allies (OPEC + group), had forged a pact to curb crude production by the equivalent of 10% of global supplies.
• They also want other producers including the United States and Canada to cut a further 5%.
• The crisis in the oil market has pushed Russia and Saudi Arabia to patch up differences after their hostile meeting in March, 2020.
• The dispute over how best to tackle falling prices led them to scrap their existing pact on production restraint that had helped balance the oil market for three years.
• Russia and Saudi Arabia agreed that their cuts would both be calculated from an October 2018 baseline.
• But efforts to conclude the deal hit the buffers when Mexico said it would only cut output by a quarter of the amount demanded by OPEC +.
• Mexico also said that the US had offered to make extra U.S. cuts on Mexico’s behalf.
• Mexico also cares less about low oil prices because of its hedging programme, which protects it against price falls.
• The demand for oil has plunged by 30% and even an unprecedented cut of 15% made by the deal in global supplies would have little effect on prices.
• The head of the International Energy Agency said importing countries could offer some support to the market by making extra purchases of crude for strategic reserves.
• The United States has said that it would help demand by opening its strategic reserve to store as much oil as possible.

About Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

• The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a permanent, intergovernmental organization, created at the Baghdad Conference in 1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.
• It aims to manage the supply of oil in an effort to set the price of oil in the world market, in order to avoid fluctuations that might affect the economies of both producing and purchasing countries.
• It is headquartered in Vienna, Austria.
• OPEC membership is open to any country that is a substantial exporter of oil and which shares the ideals of the organization.
• As of April 2020, OPEC has a total of 13 Member Countries viz. Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo, Angola, and Venezuela are members of OPEC.

About OPEC +

• The non-OPEC countries which export crude oil are termed as OPEC + countries.
• It is also referred to as the Vienna group.
• It is grouping of oil producing nations, made up of the OPEC members and 10 other non-OPEC members (include Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, South Sudan and Sudan).

Context: Recently, Stanford researchers have found strong evidence to support the theory that a devastating extinction event was caused by a lack of oxygen in Earth’s oceans approximately 444 million years ago. 
Background 

• Today, human-caused global warming is the primary cause of marine oxygen loss, and a variety of species are at risk. 

Key Points

• The investigation was focused on the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction, which is one of the “Big Five” mass extinction events in Earth’s history. 
• The most famous of the great die-offs is the Cretaceous-Paleogene event that wiped out three-quarters of all plant and animal species, including the dinosaurs, about 65 million years ago. 
• During the Late Ordovician event nearly 450 million years ago, most life was confined to the oceans and only a few plants had moved onto land. The continents were still mostly connected as a single giant landmass called Gondwana. 
• The initial wave of extinction was triggered by a global cooling that impacted much of Gondwana. Approximately 444 million years ago, a second wave of extinction set in that is theoretically tied to ocean anoxia. 
• It found that by the end of the Late Ordovician event, around 85 percent of marine species vanished from the fossil record. 
• Previous studies have derived ocean oxygen concentrations through the analysis of ancient sediments containing isotopes of metals such as uranium and molybdenum. 
• These elements have different chemical reactions in anoxic conditions compared to well-oxygenated conditions. 
• Now,researchers developed a new model which combined the existing metal isotope data with new data from samples of black shale, which was recovered from the Murzuq Basin in Libya. The shale was deposited in the geological record during the mass extinction event.  
• Based on the model, the researchers concluded that severe and prolonged anoxia must have occurred across large volumes of Earth’s deep seabeds. 
• The research indicates that the deoxygenation across modern oceans will push many species toward extinction. And by expanding our thinking of how oceans have behaved in the past, we could gain some insights into the oceans today.

Other Four Mass Extinctions Event

• The Late Devonian: This period is now regarded as a number of 'pulses' of extinction spread over 20m years, beginning 380m years ago. This extinction has been linked to major climate change, possibly caused by an eruption of the volcanic Viluy Traps area in modern-day Siberia. A major eruption might have caused rapid fluctations in sea levels and reduced oxygen levels in the oceans.
• The Middle Permian:  Scientists have recently discovered another event 262m years ago that rivals the 'Big Five' in size. This event coincided with the Emeishan eruption in what's now China, and is known to have caused simultaneous extinctions in the tropics and higher latitudes.
• The Late Permian: The Late Permian mass extinction around 252m years ago dwarfs all the other events, with about 96% of species becoming extinct. The extinction was triggered by a vast eruption of the Siberian Traps, a gigantic and prolonged volcanic event that covered much of modern day Siberia, which led to a cascade of environmental effects.
• The Late Triassic: The Late Triassic event, 201m years ago, shares a number of similarities with the Late Permian event. It was caused by another large-scale eruption, this time of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province, which heralded the splitting of the supercontinent Pangaea and the initial opening of what would later become the Atlantic Ocean.

Context: Recently, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has announced that it expects monsoon rainfall to be normal this year.

Key Points

• In its first stage Long Range Forecast (LRF) for monsoons, the IMD provided that Southwest monsoon seasonal (June to September) rainfall over the country as a whole is likely to be normal (96-104%).
• The monsoon seasonal (June to September) rainfall is likely to be 100% of the Long Period Average (LPA) with a model error of 5%.
• It is estimated that the deficient rainfall will be 9 percent.
• The IMD provided that Neutral El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions are prevailing over the Pacific Ocean and Neutral Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions are prevailing over the Indian Ocean.
• La Nina, or cooler-than-usual sea surface temperatures in the east-central Pacific Ocean, is typically associated with better monsoon rains and colder winters in India while El Nino is associated with below-normal rainfall in India.
• The southwest monsoon season, that replenishes the country's farm-dependent economy, first hits the southern tip of Kerala usually in the first week of June and retreats from Rajasthan by September.
• Since 2012, IMD is also using the dynamical global climate forecasting system (CFS) model developed under the Monsoon Mission to generate experimental forecasts.

About Models for Forecasting

• Dynamical Model: It is also called the Monsoon Mission Coupled Forecast System. It relies on the supercomputers, mathematically simulating the physics of the ocean and the atmosphere.
• This model is better at forecasting the state of the weather a week or two in advance and is not yet considered reliable by meteorologists in forecasting the monsoon.
• Statistical Model: It takes into consideration the global weather models pointing to negligible chances of El Nino, a warming of the central equatorial Pacific which is associated with the drying up of monsoon rain. The IMD relies on this model.
• In any given year, there is a 33% chance of a normal monsoon that’s why there is high confidence that the monsoon in 2020 would be normal.

About Monsoon

• It is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea.
• Usually, the term monsoon is used to refer to the rainy phase of a seasonally changing pattern, although technically there is also a dry phase.
• The term is sometimes incorrectly used for locally heavy but short-term rains.
• India’s geography and geology are climatically pivotal: the Thar Desert in the northwest and the Himalayas in the north work in tandem to create a culturally and economically important monsoonal regime.
• As in much of the tropics, monsoonal and other weather patterns in India can be wildly unstable: epochal droughts, floods, cyclones, and other natural disasters are sporadic, but have displaced or ended millions of human lives.

About El Nino

• It is a climate cycle in the Pacific Ocean with a global impact on weather patterns.
• The cycle begins when warm water in the western tropical Pacific Ocean shifts eastward along the equator toward the coast of South America.
• Normally, this warm water pools near Indonesia and the Philippines. During an El Nino, the Pacific’s warmest surface waters sit offshore of north-western South America.
• During an El Nino, the trade winds weaken in the central and western Pacific. Surface water temperatures off South America warm up, because there is less upwelling of the cold water from below to cool the surface.
• The clouds and rainstorms associated with warm ocean waters also shift toward the east.
• The warm waters release so much energy into the atmosphere that weather changes all over the planet.

About La Nina

• La Nina means ‘little girl’ in Spanish and is also known as El Viejo or ‘cold event’. 
• Here, the water temperature in the Eastern Pacific gets colder than normal. 
• As a result of this, there is a strong high pressure over the eastern equatorial Pacific. Now, there is low pressure in the Western Pacific and off Asia. 
• La Nina causes drought in Peru and Ecuador, heavy floods in Australia, high temperatures in Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, off the Somalian coast and good monsoon rains in India. 
• A La Nina is actually beneficial for the Indian monsoon.
• Generally, El Nino and La Nina occur every 4 – 5 years. El Nino is more frequent than La Nina. Typically, the episodes last for nine to twelve months.

About Indian Ocean Dipole

• It also known as the Indian Nino, is an irregular oscillation of sea surface temperatures in which the western Indian Ocean becomes alternately warmer (positive phase) and then colder (negative phase) than the eastern part of the ocean.
• The IOD involves an aperiodic oscillation of sea-surface temperatures (SST), between “positive”, “neutral” and “negative” phases.
• A positive phase sees greater-than-average sea-surface temperatures and greater precipitation in the western Indian Ocean region, with a corresponding cooling of waters in the eastern Indian Ocean—which tends to cause droughts in adjacent land areas of Indonesia and Australia.
• The negative phase of the IOD brings about the opposite conditions, with warmer water and greater precipitation in the eastern Indian Ocean, and cooler and drier conditions in the west.
• The IOD also affects the strength of monsoons over the Indian subcontinent.

About Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)

• It is the National Meteorological Service of the country which was established in 1875.
• It is under Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• It is the principal government agency in all matters relating to meteorology, seismology and allied subjects.

Context: Recently, the sales of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)has rose over 79 % to 8.38 lakh units in March compared to 4.68 lakh in the same month a year ago owing to Good Supply.
About About Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)

• It is a market-based instrument to promote renewable sources of energy and development of the market in electricity.
• It provides an alternative voluntary route to a generator to sell its electricity from renewable sources just like conventional electricity and offer the green attribute (RECs) separately to obligated entities to fulfil their RPO.
• One REC is created when one megawatt hour of electricity is generated from an eligible renewable energy source.
• It acts as a tracking mechanism for solar, wind, and other green energies as they flow into the power grid.It is traded on two power exchanges — Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) and Power Exchange of India (PXIL), in India.
• Its price is determined by market demand, and contained between the ‘floor price’ (minimum price) and ‘forbearance price’ (maximum price) specified by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC).
• It goes by many names, including Green tag, Tradable Renewable Certificates (TRCs), Renewable Electricity Certificates, or Renewable Energy Credits.
• Under Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) bulk purchasers like discoms, open access consumers and capacitive users are required to buy a certain proportion of RECs. They can buy RECs from renewable energy producers.
• RPO was instituted in 2011, it is a mandate that requires large power procurers to buy a predetermined fraction of their electricity from renewable sources.
• The proportion of renewable energy for utilities is fixed by the central and state electricity regulatory commissions.

About Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC)

• It had been established by the Government of India under the provisions of the Electricity Regulatory Commissions (ERC) Act, 1998.
• It is the Central Commission for the purposes of the Electricity Act, 2003 which has repealed the ERC Act, 1998.
• The Commission consists of a Chairperson and four other Members including Chairperson, Central Electricity Authority who is the ex-officio Member of the Commission.
• It intends to promote competition, efficiency and economy in bulk power market.
• It also improves the quality of supply, promote investments and advise the government on the removal of institutional barriers to bridge the demand supply gap.

Major functions of CERC under the Act, inter-alia, are

• to regulate the tariff of generating companies owned or controlled by the Central Government,
• to regulate the tariff of other generating companies having a composite scheme for generation and sale of electricity in more than one State,
• to regulate the inter-State transmission of electricity and to determine tariff for such transmission of electricity, etc.

Context: Recently, a study has been performed on the Primordial Black Holes that were born as a result of a tiny bump in the potential energy levels of the universe, at a time when it was expanding rapidly.

Key Points

• The study has been performed by the scientist duo from city-based Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA).
• Primordial black holes are a hypothetical type of black hole that formed soon after the Hot Big Bang.
• Approximately 14 billion years ago before the commencement of the Hot Big Bang phase, the very young universe was found to be active and expanding at a highly accelerated rate. 
• This exponential growth in its size, experts say, was fuelled by the presence of uniform energy field and density as the universe passed through the Cosmic Inflation phase.
• It is believed that they are formed as a result of collapsing radiations as opposed to the collapse of massive stars, which is the case of any other black holes.
• The recent study has confirmed that this marginal rise in potential energy resulted in birth of several PBHs and also emitted very powerful gravitational waves.
• PBH can be massively large as 3000kms or be extremely tiny like nucleus of an atom.
• Primordial black holes could have initial masses ranging from 10−8 kg (the so-called Planck relics) to more than thousands of solar masses.
• The universe had expanded to nearly 10^27 times its original size, that too, within just fraction of a second by the time Cosmic Inflation phase concluded. 
• In September 2019, a report by James Unwin and Jakub Scholtz proposed the possibility of a primordial black hole (PBH) the size of a tennis ball existing in the extended Kuiper Belt to explain the orbital anomalies that are theorized to be the result of a 9th planet in the solar system.

About Kuiper Belt

• The Kuiper Belt (also known as the Edgeworth–Kuiper belt) is a region of the Solar System that exists beyond the eight major planets, extending from the orbit of Neptune (at 30 AU) to approximately 50 AU from the Sun.
• It is similar to the asteroid belt, in that it contains many small bodies, all remnants from the Solar System’s formation.
• Unlike the Asteroid Belt, it is much larger – 20 times as wide and 20 to 200 times as massive.
• There have been more than a thousand objects discovered in the Kuiper Belt, and it’s theorized that there are as many as 100,000 objects larger than 100 km in diameter.

Context: Recently, the Ministry of Commerce has clarified that the contributions to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund or the State relief fund will not qualify as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) expenditure, while any donation to the PM CARES Fund will.
Key Points

• It has said in a circular that the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund’ or ‘State Relief Fund for COVID-19’ is not included in Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013, and therefore any contribution to such funds shall not qualify as admissible CSR expenditure,”
• Contribution made to State Disaster Management Authority to combat COVID-19 shall qualify as CSR expenditure under Schedule VII of Companies Act.
• Opposition parties slammed the circular as discriminatory and sought an immediate amendment to Schedule VII of the Companies Act to permit the States to access these funds which could save millions of lives.
• Similarly, payment of salary/ wages to employees and workers during the lockdown period, including imposition of other social distancing requirements, would also not qualify under the CSR framework.
• However, Contributions to the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) would qualify as CSR spending and donations to the State Disaster Management Authority to combat Covid-19 can be counted as admissible CSR expenditure.

About Corporate Social Responsibility

• Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a self-regulating business model that helps a company be socially accountable.
• It is also called corporate citizenship.
• By practicing CSR, companies can be conscious of the kind of impact they are having on all aspects of society including economic, social, and environmental.
• India is the first country in the world to mandate CSR spending along with a framework to identify potential CSR activities.

Current provisions governing CSR

• In India, the concept of CSR is governed by clause 135 of the Companies Act, 2013.
• The CSR provisions within the Act is applicable to companies with an annual turnover of 1,000 crore and more, or a net worth of Rs. 500 crore and more, or a net profit of Rs. 5 crore and more.

Activities which may be included by companies in their Corporate Social Responsibility Policies Activities relating to:—

• eradicating extreme hunger and poverty;
• promotion of education;
• promoting gender equality and empowering women;
• reducing child mortlity and improving maternal health;
• combating human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, malaria and other diseases;
• ensuring environmental sustainability;
• employment enhancing vocational skills;
• social business projects;
• contribution to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund or any other fund set up by the Central Government or the State Governments for socio-economic development and relief and funds for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, other backward classes, minorities and women; and such other matters as may be prescribed.

Amount to be spent

• Companies are required to spend, in every financial year, at least 2% of their average net profits generated during the 3 immediately preceding financial years.
• For companies that have not completed 3 financial years, average net profits generated in the preceding financial years shall be factored in.

Context: More than 50,000 Civil Defence volunteers are working at the grassroots level in various roles and capacities to assist the local administration in implementing the measures to contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
About their Working

• The Civil Defence personnel are supplementing the local administration in conducting surveillance of suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases. They have been working as rapid response teams.
• They have been deployed in all the States and most Union Territories, barring Ladakh, Daman & Diu, and Puducherry.
• Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Assam have taken the lead in using their services.
• The volunteers have been deployed under the command of District Magistrates to assist the local administration in implementing the COVID-19 guidelines and policies effectively.

Provision regarding their role

• Civil Defence operates under the Civil Defence Act and associated rules and regulations.
• The Act was amended in 2009 and a notification was issued in 2010 to include disaster management as an additional role. 
• Civil Defence is primarily organised on voluntary basis except for a small nucleus of paid staff and establishment which is augmented during emergencies.

Major Tasks of Civil Defence

• To make sure that the public is warned of danger and provided with instructions on how to avoid hazards.
• Advice people to protect themselves by either evacuating the area or remain and take shelter.
• Organizing immediate relief to the survivors.
• Support emergency services
• Rescue operations, Firefighting, Law enforcement, Medical care, Public works repair, Provision of voluntary Food, Shelter and Clothing, Assist in recovery operations, Clearance of Debris, Restoring utility services, Managing relocations centers.

Structure of Civil Defence administration in the country

• At the national level, the Director General, Civil Defence under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is responsible for formulating Civil Defence policies and for coordination. 
• In the states, the Civil Defence set- up is headed by a senior police officer designated as the Director, Civil Defence. 
• At the district level, the District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of a district is designated Controller of Civil Defence.

Eligibility for becoming a Civil Defence Volunteer
A person who intends to apply for appointment to a Civil Defence Corps must fulfill the following conditions;

• s/he shall be a citizen of India, or a subject or Sikkim or of Bhutan or of Nepal.
• s/he shall have completed the age of 18 years provided that this age limit may be relaxed at the discretion of the competent authority up to a maximum of 3 years for any branch or category of the Corps.
• s/he shall have passed at least the primary standard, that is to say, the fourth class, and this condition may be relaxed by the Controller at this discretion.
• Both men and women shall be eligible for appointment to the Corps.
• A person shall not be entitled to be appointed to the Corps unless he is found to be physically fit and mentally alert.
• Any service in the National Volunteer Force and in the Armed Forces of the Union shall be a special qualification.

Context: Recently, India has prepared a “containment” plan, essentially an updated version of an earlier Health Ministry blueprint that was drawn up when the only COVID-19 cases were those coming from abroad.
Components of India Containment Plan

A strategic approach based on the stage of transmission has been outlined by the Plan. There are 5 stages that have been identified. These includes:

• Travel-related case reported in India
• Local transmission
• Large outbreaks amenable to containment
• Widespread community transmission
• India becoming endemic for COVID-19

Approach recommended for the various stages of transmission

• Containment of Local Transmission: It hinges on extensive contact tracing and search for cases in the containment zone, testing all suspect cases and high-risk contacts, and isolating all suspect or confirmed cases; quarantining contacts; and social distancing.
• For Larger Outbreaks: In addition to the usual measures, there is higher focus on a particular geographic zone and hospitals around the area are prepared for a rise in cases. (Example: This was done in Agra in early March when the area was cordoned off, contact tracing and isolation undertaken at a large scale in Lohamandi area, and S N Hospital became the base of the surveillance team and also the place where suspected cases could be taken if required.)
• In addition, all asymptomatic healthcare workers are to be given hydroxychloroquine as a preventive.

Procedure to deal with confirmed and suspected cases

• According to the Plan, all suspect/confirmed COVID-19 cases will be hospitalized and kept in isolation in dedicated COVID-19 hospitals/hospital blocks.
• Persons testing positive for COVID-19 will remain hospitalized till such time as two of their samples are tested negative as per discharge policy.
• About 15% of the patients are likely to require hospitalization, and an additional 5 % will requires ventilator management.
• There is a plan to temporarily convert hotels/ hostels/ guesthouses/ stadiums near a COVID-19 hospital as care centres where mild cases may be kept to reduce the burden on hospitals.
• Moderate to severe cases, who require monitoring of their clinical status (patients with radiological evidence of pneumonia) will be admitted to COVID hospital.
• For more severe cases requiring respiratory or other support, tertiary care centres both private and government will be included as part of the micro plan.

Differential approach

• The plan has differential approach to different regions of the country, while mounting a strong containment effort in hot spots.
• The Health Ministry has issued directions for categorisation of designated facilities into three groups — COVID care centres, COVID health centres and dedicated COVID hospitals.
• The care centres will be for cases clinically assigned as mild or very mild, or suspected cases.
• The health centres are hospitals that will offer care for all cases that have been clinically assigned as moderate.
• The dedicated hospitals will offer comprehensive care, primarily for those clinically assigned as severe.

About Protection of healthcare personnel

• According to the plan, at all times doctors, nurses and para-medics working in the clinical areas will wear three-layered surgical mask and gloves.
• The medical personnel working in isolation and critical care facilities where aerozolisation is anticipated, will wear full complement of PPE (including N95 masks).
• The support staff engaged in cleaning and disinfection will also wear full complement of PPE.
• Environmental cleaning should be done twice daily and consist of damp dusting and floor mopping with Lysol or other phenolic disinfectants and cleaning of commonly touched surfaces with sodium hypochlorite solution.
• Sodium hypochlorite is already being used extensively, including in the Nizamuddin headquarters of the Tablighi Jamaat.

About ‘Bhilwara model’ to Control Covid-19
1) The strategy of Administration Complete Lockdown

• Under this the first measure taken by the Rajasthan government was to impose a curfew in the district on 20th March .
• Only essential services were allowed to operate
• The district border was sealed off on 19th Only those with a government approved pass were allowed to enter the district.

2) Aggressive Screening

• At the outset itself, the Health Department and the district administration in Bhilwara constituted nearly 850 teams and conducted house-to-house surveys at 56,025 houses and of 2,80,937 people.
• In just 3 days, these extensive screening and house-to-house surveys were conducted across the city to check for possible cases.

3) Efforts of Various Departments

• Health workers, home guards, police personnel, government officials and every other individual related to the screening of covid-19 patients were working without a break.

4) Zero mobility zone

• Two kilometre-area of any person found covid-19 positive was sealed and checks were done.
• These zones were turned into ‘zero mobility’ zones.

5) Use of Technology

• An app to monitor the conditions of those under home quarantine on a daily basis along with keeping a tab on them through geographical information system (GIS).

6) Maha – Curfew

• The curfew was transformed into a ‘Maha- curfew’ on 3 April .This intense version of curfew was far more.Under this new curfew even the essential services were barred.Doorstep delivery of essentials .Control rooms established for taking calls from citizens.

Context: As the lock down comes to an end on April 14, 2020, the GoI has been looking for ways to act then on. It has now been concluded that India will enter into “smart Lockdown”. Under the smart lock down, India is to be demarcated into red, orange and green zones.
Key Points

• The country may be divided into red, orange and green coronavirus colour zones depending on the number of positive cases in the proposed extended lockdown period. 
• The government may even allow limited services to function in these safe zones across the country. 
• Even as education institutions are likely to remain closed, small scale industries and liquor shops may be allowed to run in the extended lockdown period, it added. 
• India is currently under a 21-day lockdown. The government may categorise the country into three coronavirus colour zones namely red, orange and green.

Colour zones for coronavirus areas:

Under Red Zone

• The districts with substantial numbers of positive cases would fall under the red zone. The coronavirus red zone will see no activity.

Under Orange Zone

• The areas with limited number of cases in the past and with no surge in positive cases recently would be included under the orange zone. 
• Only restricted activities such as limited public transport and farm product harvesting is expected to be allowed in coronavirus orange zone.
• Areas marked under this category will be allowed to continue the minimum amount of activities such as ply limited public transport and harvest farm products.

Under Green Zone

• Areas that have reported no COVID-19 cases will be categorized as green zones. In these areas, some MSME (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) industries will be allowed to function with in-house lodging facilities for employees and proper maintenance of social distancing.

What may be allowed under Orange and Green Zones?

• State government asked for opening of liquor shops since these generate a substantial part of the state revenue.
• However,a few MSME industries falling under the green zone in districts with no COVID-19 case will be allowed to function with in-house lodging facilities for employees with proper maintenance of social distance.
• Agricultural activities are also set to be allowed in green and orange colour zones of coronavirus with strict maintenance of social distance. Even limited domestic air and train services may be allowed in some sectors.
• Limited domestic air and train services may be allowed in select sectors with 30 per cent or less passengers while limited metro services may also be started in cities like Delhi with 30 per cent passengers.

Context: According to the National Informatics Centre (NIC), traffic on the websites of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has gone up significantly as people looked for information about Covid-19.
Key Points

• Citizens look up to a source of genuine information on the pandemic.
• Various State centres of the NIC are working with the State governments to develop tracking and management portals to help the State and the district administration to combat the pandemic.
• This is done on similar lines of those already launched in Kerala and Meghalaya.
• For example, Covid-19 Jagratha: This portal was launched in Kerala.
• It is a one stop platform for the public to avail emergency services and information related to Covid-19 and ensures transparency and quality in public services and welfare measures.

NIC also highlighted some of the challenges of Work From Home(WFH) such as:

• Configuring Virtual Private Network (VPN) access — core to enabling government employees to work from their homes — to a large number of employees in a span of three or four days.
• A VPN provides online privacy and anonymity by creating a private network from a public internet connection.
• Limited Manpower: Given most of the members at NIC were also working from home, executing change at different levels was difficult with a limited manpower.
• Logistical Constraints: Availability of laptops or a home desktop for every resource was another challenge.
• Apart from increased traffic on ICMR's and Health Ministry's website, NIC’s videoconferencing service is also being extensively used due to social distancing norms.
• The videoconferencing service used by government officials, including the President and the Prime Minister, besides Union Ministers, Governors and Chief Ministers.

About National Informatics Centre

• It was established in 1976 and is located in New Delhi.
• It is under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
• It has also built a large number of digital solutions to support the government at various levels, making the last-mile delivery of government services to the citizens a reality.
• It provides network backbone and e-Governance support to the Central Government, State Governments and UT Administrations.
• It has been closely associated with the Government in different aspects of Governance besides establishing a Nationwide State-of-the-Art information and communication technology (ICT) Infrastructure.

Context: To complement the Aarogya Setu App (a government endorsed application that helps trace the contacts of those who may have been infected by COVID-19), the Survey of India (country’s apex map maker) has made public a trove of maps.

• To support this platform, a mobile application called Sahyog has also been created. This app will help collect location specific data with the help of community workers.

Benefits

• Swift Solution: Data collection by formal land survey is a lengthy and time taking process but the mobile app can help crowdsource data quickly.
• Complement Arogya Setu App: This will complement the recently launched Aarogya Setu App that helps trace the contacts of those who may have been infected by Covid-19.
• Relevant Information: Information regarding biomedical waste disposals, containment areas, available hospitals for Covid-19 cases, ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) testing laboratories and quarantine camps will be integrated on this platform with their latitudinal and longitudinal parameters. This could be customised to a variety of ‘Covid-related applications’ such as healthcare facilities, infection clusters and disaster management
• Data Localisation: Data collected using Sahyog application will be used for creating various applications for everyone’s usage and would facilitate building a dataset that remains inside India.
• Support System: The data fed by the volunteers working on the ground such as the ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) and Anganwadi workers will lead to a good support system for the government and doctors on ground.
• Health Delivery System: This will strengthen the public health delivery system of the central and state governments by providing necessary information support to workers dealing with the challenges of health, socio-economic distress and livelihood changes.
• Integration on Single Platform: A lot of geospatial data about locations of fire services, banquet halls etc. is already present with the Government which was not integrated in a single platform. This is a step in that direction.

About Survey of India

• It is the National Survey and Mapping Organization of the country under the Department of Science & Technology.
• It was established in 1767 and is the oldest scientific department of the Government of India.
• It is headquartered at Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

Their Responsibilities

• Advisor to Govt: Survey of India acts as adviser to the Government of India on all cartography of India related matters, such as geodesy, mapping and map reproduction.
• Geo names: It is responsible for the naming convention and spellings of names of geographical features of India.
• Certification and publication: Scrutiny and certification of external boundaries of India and Coastline on maps published by the other agencies including private publishers.
• Surveys: geodetic datum, geodetic control network, topographical control, geophysical surveys, cadastral surveying, geologic maps, aeronautical charts within India, such as for forests, army cantonments, large scale cities, guide maps, developmental or conservation projects, etc.
• National borders: Demarcation of the borders and external boundaries of India as well as advice on the demarcation of inter-state boundaries.

Context: Recently, the Department of Science and Technology has invited proposals to study appropriate intervention of yoga and meditation in fighting COVID-19 and similar kinds of viruses.
Key Points

• The proposals have been invited under the Science and Technology of Yoga and Meditation (SATYAM) programme of the DST, a department under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

According to the ‘Call for Proposals’ uploaded on the Department of Science and Technology's website, concept note should cover 

• aims and objectives of proposed work;
• existing literature;
• methodology;
• expected outcome;
• budget requirement and details of host institutions along with detailed biodata of the principal investigator with latest publications included in scientific journal databases.

It states that the project may address 

• improving immunity;
• improving respiratory system;
• and interventions to overcome respiratory disorders

“COVID-19 usually has three dimensions -- related to stress (worry, sitting at home), respiratory and the immune system.

• "The aim of this special call is to provide assistance to our society in today's critical condition arising due to pandemic COVID-19. 
• Since, this is a need based call, therefore, proposed work should be completed within 6-12 months.
• Scientific Investigation: The effects of yoga and meditation on the life of a person during such stressful times have to be scientifically investigated.
• Sometimes, there is an empirical correlation in the actions and the outcome, but it needs to be understood scientifically.
• Modern Tools: All the participants are expected to work together using the modern tools of life science and bio-sciences to understand what works and what does not.
• If something works then what is the efficacy and in what conditions does it work.
• Holistic Target: The project may address improving immunity, improving respiratory systems and interventions to overcome respiratory disorders and other dimensions like stress, anxiety and depression-related issues due to isolation, uncertainty and disruption in normal life.

About Science and Technology of Yoga and Meditation (SATYAM)

• Department of Science and Technology (DST), in 2015, conceptualized a new research program- ‘Science and Technology of Yoga and Meditation’ (SATYAM)- under its Cognitive Science Research Initiative (CSRI). 
• As Yoga and Meditation are interdisciplinary endeavors that interface with Neuroscience, Medicine, Psychology, Philosophy, and so on, therefore an interdisciplinary approach is needed to converge different & diverse disciplines as well as approaches & methods in the study of yoga and meditation. 
• Thus comprehensive research on yoga and meditation is expected to address various challenges confronting physical and mental health. 
• This new programme is aimed to foster scientific research on the effects of yoga and meditation on physical & mental health and on cognitive functioning in healthy people as well as in patients with disorders.

Basic themes being covered under SATYAM include, among others, 

• investigations on the effect of Yoga and Meditation on physical and mental health and well being, and 
• investigations on the effect of Yoga and Meditation on the body, brain, and mind in terms of basic processes and mechanisms.

Who can apply?

• Scientists/academicians with research background in ‘Yoga and Meditation’ and having regular position are invited to participate in this initiative. 
• Practitioners actively involved in yoga and meditation practices are also encouraged to apply in collaboration with academic and research institutions of repute. 
• Interested researchers are required to submit research proposals in their area of expertise along with Endorsement Certificate from the Head of the Institution and detailed bio-data of PI and Co-PIs.

Project duration: The project is tenable for a maximum period of three (3) years.

About Cognitive Science Research Initiative (CSRI)

• Cognitive Science is the study of human mind and brain, focusing on how mind represents and manipulates knowledge and how mental representations and processes are realized in the brain. 
• With this aim, the Department of Science & Technology (DST) had initiated a highly focused programme "Cognitive Science Research Initiative (CSRI)" in 2008 during 11th Five year plan. 
• It facilitates a platform to scientific community to work for better solution of challenges related with cognitive disorders and social issues through various psychological tools & batteries, early diagnosis & better therapies, intervention technologies and rehabilitation programmes.

Activities Supported under CSRI are as follows

• Individual R&D Projects;
• Multi-centric Mega Projects;
• Post Doctoral Fellowship and;
• Support for Schools, Training, Workshops, Conferences etc

Its Objectives

• Nature and origins of mental disorders, of physiological, social and neuro-chemical origins.
• Design of better learning tools and educational paradigms.
• Design of better software technologies and artificial intelligence devices.
• Streamlining of social policy formulation and analysis.

NPPA warns

Context: Recently, the Department of Pharmaceuticals has warned of a nationwide shortage of medicines and medical devices.It has urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to take immediate steps to help the drug makers resume production under the current lockdown.

• The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) had also written to all State Chief Secretaries on the problems faced by the pharma firms.

Key Points

• The Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers is entrusted with ensuring the seamless production and distribution of critical life-saving medicines in the wake of the lockdown to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
• On an average, drug and medical device makers are functioning at only 20%-30% of their full capacity during the lockdown.
• Production units engaged in making essential commodities, including medicines, vaccines, masks and their ancillaries have been exempted from the restrictions imposed as per the national lockdown.
• If the production will not reach the pre-lockdown level soon, it would lead to shortages of medicines and medical devices in the coming weeks.
• Both in the public and private sector, the seamless functioning of pharma manufacturing and distribution units is crucial in dealing with the crisis.
• A helpline has been created for pharma producers’ operational complaints, which are also being referred to State Drug Controllers for suitable intervention.

Challenges

• Export of Indian pharmaceuticals offer a better price in global markets which can lead to disproportionate shortages in the domestic market.
• Restrictions on mobility and production in several states.
• Unavailability of labour, transport and courier services.
• Reverse migration (from cities to sub-urban/rural areas) of labour and local workers.
• Lack of public transport options and the fear of police action.
• Drivers have left their trucks on highways fearing stoppage of vehicles on State, district and city borders and lack of food and diesel on the route.
• Closure of ancillary industries which are not being considered essential by few local administrations.
• They supply packaging material, excipients (required for tablets and capsules manufacturing), utility consumables like briquettes/gases (required to run boilers) and spare parts.

Suggestions

• Suitable measures are needed to reduce the export and focus more on domestic needs.
• State and district administrations need to be sensitised so that they can proactively fulfil the needs of pharma units to function fully.
• Allowance to the pharma industry to ferry back their contractual workers from their native places and make courier services fully functional in metro, Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities.
• Drivers with commercial licences should be allowed to move with or without a vehicle by treating it as a ‘pass’ during the lockdown.

About National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) 

• It is an independent body under Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

Its functions are to:

• fix/revise the controlled bulk drugs prices and formulations,
• enforce prices and availability of the medicines under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 1995/2013,
• recover amounts overcharged by manufacturers for the controlled drugs from the consumers
• monitor the prices of decontrolled drugs in order to keep them at reasonable levels.
• NPPA fixes ceiling price of essential medicines that are listed in Schedule I of DPCO, 2013.
• The calculation of prices cap for essential drugs is based on simple average of all medicines in particular therapeutic segment with sales of more than 1%.
• Medicines that are not under price control, manufacturers are allowed to increase the maximum retail price by 10% annually.

Context: Recently, nearly 2.8 million community leaders participated in online workshops to practice social behaviours necessary to curb the spread of COVID-19 in rural areas.
Key Points

• It is jointly carried out by National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Field Office in Hyderabad.
• The online training aimed at building the capacities of panchayati raj institutions (PRIs), self-help groups (SHGs), National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers and community radio stations.
• The programmes also built awareness on the role these institutions can play in making village communities aware of the disease. Participants were also briefed on the risk communication plan that these institutions can utilise to boost their role in spreading awareness.
• The programme was conducted through a digital application for enabling video conference calls with district master trainers from the three states.
• 873 district resource persons from the rural development department of Telangana were trained, according to a press release by the NIRDPR.

About National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj

• It was established in 1958, NIRDPR is an autonomous organisation under the Union Ministry of Rural Development.
• It is recognized internationally as one of the UN-ESCA (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) Centres of Excellence.
• It builds capacities of rural development functionaries, elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), bankers, NGOs through training, research and consultancy.
• It is located in Hyderabad in Telangana state.
• It has also North-Eastern Regional Centre at Guwahati, Assam to meet the NE-regional needs.

Its objectives

• Undertake research on its own or collaborate with State, national and international development agencies;
• Offer solutions to problems encountered in planning and implementation of the programmes for rural development, decentralised governance, panchayati raj and related programmes;
• Study the functioning of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and rural development programmes across the States.

About United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) 

• It was formerly known as United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund is special program of UN devoted to aiding national efforts to improve the health, nutrition, education, and general welfare of children.
• It was created in 1946 to provide relief to children in countries devastated by World War II.
• It is headquartered in New York City.
• After 1950, it directed its efforts toward general programs for improvement of children’s welfare, particularly in less-developed countries and various emergency situations.
• Its broader mission was reflected in present name adopted in 1953.
• It was awarded Nobel Prize for Peace in 1965.
• Since 1996 UNICEF programs have been guided by Convention on Rights of the Child (1989), which affirms right of all children to enjoyment of highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health.
• Much of UNICEF’s efforts are concentrated in areas in which relatively small expenditures, but have significant impact on lives of the most disadvantaged children, such as the prevention and treatment of disease.
• Its activities are financed by both government and private contributions.
• It supports immunization programs for childhood diseases and programs to prevent spread of HIV/AIDS.
• It also provides funding for health services, educational facilities and other welfare services.

1) COVID-19 Indo-US Virtual Networks
Context: Recently, the Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF), boosts “COVID19 Indo-US virtual networks” to address COVID 19 challenges.
Key Points of COVID19 Indo-US Virtual Networks

• The Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF), has invited Proposals for ‘COVID-19 Indo-U.S. Virtual Networks’ that would allow Indian and U.S. scientists and engineers currently engaged in COVID-related research to carry out joint research activities through a virtual mechanism, leveraging existing infrastructure and funding.
• Global challenges like COVID 19 call for global collaborations and partnerships, bringing together the best and brightest scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to work together to find solutions not only to address the current pandemic but also for the challenges that lie ahead.
• The Department of Science and Technology, Governments of India, and the U.S. Department of State are respective nodal departments.

Context: Recently, IUSSTF - Viterbi Program creates long-term S&T linkages between India & US under which 14 students will undertake a research internship at Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, LA, USA.

• The Viterbi Program of IUSSTF was developed between IUSSTF and the Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California (USC). 
• This program is a part of the Government’s endeavour to encourage research and development amongst the bright young Indian minds to create long-term, sustainable, and vibrant linkages between India and the US.
• Under this 8 week internship period students would be working broadly in areas of Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning and Neural Networks, communication circuits, Analog and Digital Circuit Design, and so on.

About The Indo-U.S Science and Technology Forum(IUSSTF)

• It was established under an agreement between the Governments of India and the United States of America in March 2000.
• It is an autonomous bilateral organization jointly funded by both the Governments.
• Its aim is to  promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation through substantive interaction among government, academia and industry. 
• The Department of Science & Technology,Governments of India and the U.S. Department of States are respective nodal departments and also the fund provider to it.

Objectives

• Create awareness through exchange and dissemination of Information and Opportunities in S&T cooperation.
• Capitalize and build on the scientific and technological synergy leading to long term partnerships on shared values.
• Support an exciting program portfolio that leads to sustainable interactions and strengthens strategic partnerships.
• Nurture contacts between young and mid-career scientists to develop mutual trust, foster excellence and explore new frontiers
• Encourage public-private partnerships to foster elements of Innovation, Application and Enterprise.

Other India-US Engagement on Education

• The Fulbright program- It offers international educational and cultural exchange programs.
• The Higher Education Dialogue- It laid out the road map for promoting strategic institutional partnerships, deepening collaboration in research and development, fostering partnerships in vocational education and focusing on junior faculty development.
• Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN)- It is launched by India, under this upto 1000 American academics will be invited and hosted each year to teach in Indian universities at their convenience.
• The two sides are also collaborating to establish a new Indian Institute of Technology in Ahmedabad.
• India is also learning from the U.S. experience in community colleges in order to meet our demands for skill-development and has agreed to collaborate with U.S. institutions in the area of Technology Enabled Learning and Massive Open On-line Courses (MOOCs) to extend the reach of education in India.

Context: According to the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), around 11,077 undertrials have been released from prisons nationwide as part of the mission to decongest jails following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Current Scenario

• NALSA has been providing assistance to prisoners who are eligible to be released on parole or interim bail under the relaxed norms, through its panel of lawyers.
• The Supreme Court has ordered all States and Union Territories to set up high-level panels which would consider releasing all convicts who have been jailed for upto seven years on parole to decongest jails in an attempt to contain the Covid-19 outbreak.
• The Bench suggested that undertrials awaiting for offences entailing maximum sentence of seven years also be extended a similar benefit.
• Local legal services authorities are actively assisting the high-level panels for identifying undertrials who could be released on bail during the present scenario.
• Till now, responses received from 232 districts reflect that around 11,077 undertrials and 5,981 convicts have been released.

About National Legal Services Authority (NALSA)

• It was formed on 9 November 1995 under the authority of the Legal Services Authorities Act 1987.
• Its purpose is to provide free legal services to eligible candidates (defined in Sec. 12 of the Act), and to organize Lok Adalats for speedy resolution of cases.
• The Chief Justice of India is patron-in-chief of NALSA while second senior most judge of Supreme Court of India is the Executive-Chairman.
• There is a provision for similar mechanism at state and district level also headed by Chief Justice of High Courts and Chief Judges of District courts respectively.
• The prime objective of NALSA is speedy disposal of cases and reducing the burden of judiciary.

Composition:

• As per section 3(2) of Legal Service Authorities Act, the Chief Justice of India shall be the Patron-in-Chief.
• Second senior-most judge of Supreme Court of India is the Executive-Chairman.

Important functions performed by NALSA:

• Organise Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of disputes.
• Identify specific categories of the marginalised and excluded groups and formulates various schemes for the implementation of preventive and strategic legal service programmes.
• Provide free legal aid in civil and criminal matters for the poor and marginalised people who cannot afford the services of a lawyer in any court or tribunal.

Basis for formation

• Article 39A of the Indian Constitution contains provisions for free legal aid to the weaker and poor sections of the society in order to ensure justice for all.
• Also, articles 14 and 22(1) of the Constitution make it obligatory for the State to ensure equality before law and a legal system which promotes justice on the basis of equal opportunity to all.
• Therefore, the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) was constituted for the provision of free legal services to the weaker sections of the society and to organize Lok Adalats for speedy and amicable resolution of cases.

Context: Recently, Epidemic Diseases Amendment Ordinance 2020 has been recently passed by the Odisha Government to amend Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.
About Epidemic Diseases Amendment Ordinance, 2020

• According to the Act, anyone who disobeys any regulation or order made under the Act, is liable for imprisonment up to 2 years or with a fine of up to Rs 10,000 or with both. All offences under the Act shall be cognizable and bailable.
• The Act also noted that any person disobeying any regulation or order made under the 1897 Act was deemed to have committed an offence punishable under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), under Section 3 of the Act.
• Further, a provision has also been also made in the Ordinance for special procurement of critical drugs and consumables to manage the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.

Odisha’s department of health and family welfare has also framed regulations which have two provisions:

• Not wearing a mask in public place shall be considered as an offence.
• The penalty for the first three instances has been kept at Rs 200 while for offences beyond that, the penalty shall be Rs 500 for each offence in the state.

About Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897

• The Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 is routinely enforced across the country for dealing with outbreaks of diseases such as swine flu, dengue, and cholera.
• It was introduced by colonial government to tackle the epidemic of plague that had spread in the erstwhile Bombay Presidency in the 1890s.

Provisions of the 1897 Epidemic Diseases Act

• The Act empowers state governments/UTs to take special measures and formulate regulations for containing the outbreak.
• Further, the Act also empowers the state to prescribe such temporary regulations that are to be observed by the public or by any person or class of persons as it shall deem necessary to prevent the outbreak of such disease or the spread thereof.
• The state may determine in what manner and by whom any expenses incurred (including compensation if any) shall be defrayed.
• The State Government may take measures and prescribe regulations for the inspection of persons travelling by railway or otherwise, and the segregation, in hospital, temporary accommodation or otherwise, of persons suspected by the inspecting officer of being infected with any such disease.
• It also 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).
• The Act also gives legal protection to the implementing officers acting under the Act.

Criticism about the Act

• The Act has been criticized by the Historians for its potential for abuse. With the help of the powers conferred by the Act, colonies authorities would search suspected plague cases in homes and among passengers, with forcible segregation, evacuations, and demolitions of infected places.
• In 1897, the year the law was enforced, freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak was punished with 18 months’ rigorous imprisonment after his newspapers Kesari and Mahratta admonished imperial authorities for their handling of the plague epidemic.

Previous Implementation of the Act

• 2009 Swine Flu outbreak in Pune: At that time, powers under Section 2 of the Act were used to open screening centres in civic hospitals across the city, and swine flu was declared a notifiable disease.
• 2015 Dengue outbreak in Chandigarh: The Act was implemented and controlling officers were instructed to ensure the issuance of notices and challans of Rs 500 to offenders.
• 2018 Cholera outbreak in Gujarat’s Vadodara: The district collector of Gujarat’s Vadodara issued a notification under the Act declaring the Khedkarmsiya village in Waghodia taluka as cholera-affected after 31 persons complained of symptoms of the disease.

Context: In an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit held online recently, leaders of the virus-hit region warned of the crippling economic cost of COVID-19, calling for trade routes to reopen to protect jobs and food supplies, as well as the stockpiling of medical equipment.
Key Points

• Vietnam chaired the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit held online. The discussions pertained to the impact of Covid-19 on southeast Asia.
• Leaders from China, Japan and South Korea joined the summit.
• All ASEAN member countries have strived to fight the pandemic which has harmed the lives of all citizens and socio-economic development, particularly the services sector which accounted for 30 per cent of the total GDP of ASEAN, threatening sustainability and social security
• ASEAN leaders have warned of the crippling economic cost of Covid-19 and called for trade routes to reopen to protect jobs and food supplies, as well as the stockpiling of medical equipment.
• The Covid-19 has ruined the region's tourism and export-reliant economies.
• Vietnam has urged Southeast Asian leaders to set up an emergency fund to tackle the coronavirus.
• Limited testing in Indonesia has resulted in the lower number of cases -- and under 400 deaths -- for a country of 260 million.
• Health systems from Myanmar to Laos are widely believed to be missing the true scale of infections.
• A recent surge in cases in Singapore has raised fears the pandemic could rebound in places which had batted back the initial outbreak.
• The Thai economy, the second largest in ASEAN, is expected to shrink by 5.3% in 2020 -- a 22-year low -- with millions left jobless.

About ASEAN

• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a regional organization which was established to promote political and social stability amid rising tensions among the Asia-Pacific’s post-colonial states. 
• The motto of ASEAN is “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”. ASEAN Secretariat – Indonesia, Jakarta. 
• Established in 1967 with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by its founding fathers. Founding Fathers of ASEAN are: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
• Ten members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.(Its Mnemonic: BPL TV MIMCS)
• Economy: ASEAN countries have a total population of 650 million people and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $2.8 trillion.
• Its Institution Mechanism:
• Chairmanship of ASEAN rotates annually, based on the alphabetical order of the English names of Member States.
• ASEAN Summit: The supreme policy making body of ASEAN. As the highest level of authority in ASEAN, the Summit sets the direction for ASEAN policies and objectives. Under the Charter, the Summit meets twice a year.

Context: Pandemics have had great influence in shaping human society and politics throughout history. 

• From the Justinian Plague of the sixth century to the Spanish flu of the last century, pandemics have triggered the collapse of empires, weakened pre-eminent institutions, created social upheavals and brought down wars.

About Justinian Plague

• One of the deadliest pandemics in recorded history broke out in the sixth century in Egypt and spread fast to Constantinople, which was the capital of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire.
• The plague was named after the then Byzantine Emperor Justinian.
• The outbreak, which spread from Constantinople to both the West and the East, had killed up to 25 to 100 million people.
• The plague hit Constantinople when the Byzantine Empire was at the pinnacle of its power under Justinian’s reign. The Empire had conquered much of the historically Roman Mediterranean coast, including Italy, Rome and North Africa.
• The plague would come back in different waves, finally disappearing in AD 750, after weakening the empire substantially.
• As the Byzantine Army failed to recruit new soldiers and ensure military supplies to battlegrounds in the wake of the spread of the illness, their provinces came under attack. By the time the plague disappeared, the Empire had lost territories in Europe to the Germanic-speaking Franks and Egypt and Syria to the Arabs.

About Black Death

• The Black Death, or pestilence, that hit Europe and Asia in the 14th century was the deadliest pandemic recorded in human history.
• It killed some 75 to 200 million people.
• The plague arrived in Europe in 1347, where up to 50% of the population died of the disease.
• In the words of Stanford historian Walter Scheidel, pandemics are one of the “four horsemen” that have flattened inequality. The other three are wars, revolutions and state failures.
• Black Death led to improved wages for serfs and agricultural labourers. Land became more abundant relative to labour [after the death of millions of working people].
• In parts of Europe, wages tripled as labour demand rose.
• The most significant impact of the Black Death was perhaps the weakening of the Catholic Church.
• The Church was as helpless as any other institution as the plague spread like wildfire across the continent, and this shook the people’s faith in the Church and the clergy. While the Church would continue to remain as a powerful institution, it would never regain the power and influence it had enjoyed before the outbreak of the plague.
• The Protestant Reformation in the 16th century would further weaken the Church.

About Spanish Flu

• The Spanish Flu, which broke out during the last phase of the First World War, was the deadliest pandemic of the last century that killed up to 50 million people.
• One of the major impacts of the outbreak was on the result of the war.
• Though the flu hit both sides, the Germans and Austrians were affected so badly that the outbreak derailed their offensives.
• German General Erich Ludendorff in his memoir, wrote that the flu was one of the reasons for Germany’s defeat.
• Germany launched its Spring Offensive on the western front in March 1918. By June and July, the disease had weakened the German units. The Armistice, signed on November 11, 1918, ended the War. But the flu continued to ravage parts of the world for many more months.

About COVID-19

• Despite it being too early to say how COVID-19 would change the world, the outbreak has seen countries, both democratic and dictatorial, imposing drastic restrictions on people’s movements.
• The western world lies exposed to the attack of the virus.
• Unemployment rate in the U.S. has shot up to the levels not seen since the end of the Second World War.
• Governments across the world, including the U.S. administration, are beefing up spending to stimulate an economy that shows signs of depression.

Context: Recently, US President has accused China of taking advantage of the US through the World Trade Organisation (WTO), saying that if China is considered a 'developing country', the US should be called one too.
Implication of this move

• China became a WTO member in 2001. By 2011, China became the second-largest economy in GDP terms, the first largest merchandise exporter, the fourth largest commercial services exporter and the first destination for inward FDI among developing countries.
• So if China is forced to take on the duties of a developed country and forego the benefits of a developing country, the West could soon ask other developing countries that are ahead of China (at least in per capita terms) to do the same.

Demands by developed countries

• For sometime now, developed countries, mainly the US, have been asking the WTO to end the benefits being given to developing countries.
• Nearly two-thirds of the members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have been able to avail themselves of special treatment and to take on weaker commitments under the WTO framework by designating themselves as developing countries.

How does WTO classify developed and developing countries?

• The WTO doesn’t define countries as ‘developing’ or ‘developed’. Member nations themselves are required to declare which category they fall under.
• However, these declarations can be challenged by other member nations.
• Over two-thirds of WTO’s 164 member countries are developing countries.

Advantages of a ‘developing country’ status

• Some WTO agreements give developing countries special benefits and rights, which are referred to as “special and differential treatment provisions”.
• These provisions include a longer time period for implementing agreements and commitments or measures to increase trading opportunities for developing countries.
• Essentially, under these agreements, developed countries may treat developing countries more favourably than other WTO members.
• However, a country that announces itself as ‘developing’ does not automatically benefit from unilateral preference schemes.

WTO norms for recognition of Developed, Developing and LDCs

• Under the WTO system, generally, countries are designated as developed, developing, and least developed countries (LDCs).
• The uneven level of development between developed and developing countries in the WTO is a well-recognised fact.
• Article XVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)recognises that attaining the objectives of this agreement would require facilitating the progressive development of those countries that can only support low levels of development and are at the early stages of development.
• Accordingly, countries self-designate themselves as ‘developing country’ to take advantage of provisions like Article XVIII of GATT and other special and differential treatment (S&DT) provisions in the WTO agreements.
• These provisions are aimed at increasing trade opportunities for developing countries, ensuring longer transitional periods to comply with WTO obligations, and affording technical assistance to countries, among other things.

About Special and differential treatment Provisions

• Longer time periods for implementing Agreements and commitments,
• Measures to increase trading opportunities for developing countries,
• Provisions requiring all WTO members to safeguard the trade interests of developing countries,
• Support to help developing countries build the capacity to carry out WTO work, handle disputes, and implement technical standards, and Provisions related to least-developed country (LDC) Members.
• The concept of non-reciprocal preferential treatment for developing countries that when developed countries grant trade concessions to developing countries, they should not expect the developing countries to make matching offers in return.

Context: Dr. B R Ambedkar’s Birth Anniversary is observed every year on 14th April and this yea marked his 129th Birth Anniversary.
About Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

• He was born in 1891 at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh.
• He had to face severe discriminations from every corner of the society as his parents hailed from the Hindu Mahar caste. Mahar cast was viewed as “untouchable” by the upper class.
• After coming back from US, Ambedkar was appointed as the Defence secretary to the King of Baroda, where he again faced discrimination.
• In wake of reaching to the people and making them understand the drawbacks of the prevailing social evils, he launched a newspaper called “Mooknayaka” (leader of the silent) with the help of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, Maharaja of Kolhapur.
• He was elected as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly. He is called as the father of the Indian Constitution.
• Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha was the first organization formed by him in 1924.
• He was appointed to the Bombay Presidency Committee to work with the Simon Commission in 1925.
• He was invited to attend the Second Round Table Conference in London in 1932 but Mahatma Gandhi was opposed to a separate electorate for untouchables as this would split the nation.
• By 1927, he decided to launch active movements against untouchability and espousing access to public drinking water resources and the right to enter Hindu temples. He led a satyagraha in Mahad to fight for the right of the untouchable community to draw water from the main water tank of the town.
• In 1932, the British announced a Communal Award of a separate electorate. Gandhi ji protested by fasting. This resulted in an agreement known as the Poona Pact in which Gandhi ji ended his fast and Babasaheb dropped his demand for a separate electorate.
• In 1936, he founded the Independent Labour Party. During this period, He wrote extensively on the condition of Dalits and the caste system in Hindu society. He also renamed his party as the Scheduled Castes Federation which later evolved into the Republican Party of India.
• He was appointed as the first Law Minister of Independent India, but he resigned from the Cabinet on September 1951 due to differences with Nehru on the Hindu Code Bill.
• He got himself converted to Buddhism in 1956.

Organisations formed by him are

• Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha (1923)
• Independent Labor Party (1936)
• Scheduled Castes Federation (1942)

Context: Recently, the Department of Science and Technology operating under Ministry of Science and Technology is to fund Seagull Biosolutions to develop Active Virosome vaccines and immunodiagnostic kits for COVID-19. The kits are expected to reach the market by August 2020.

About Active Virosome Vaccine and Immunodiagnostic Kits

• The above kits and vaccine has been developed by Seagull BioSolutions, a startup working on new biological technologies, being funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
• Active Virosome Technology (AVT) developed by Seagull Bio is useful for the production of vaccines & immunotherapeutic agents.
• These will be used to develop a novel vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 infection and also immunodiagnostic ELISA kits for COVID-19.

Current Scenario

• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnostic kits which are currently available in India are rapid & enable detection of active COVID 19 infection but cannot identify asymptomatic infections or those people who were exposed to or infected with COVID-19 in the past and did not suffer from the disease or have recovered from COVID-19 disease and may still be spreading the virus.
• In contrast, Immunodiagnostic kits help in detection of antibodies to COVID – which can identify these infections also.
• Therefore, SBPL has initiated efforts to produce Immunodiagnostic kits for COVID-19. These tests will enable healthcare researchers to monitor the spread of COVID-19 more accurately. 

Seagull Biobased out of Entrepreneurship Development Center (Venture Center), Pune, and supported under Seed Support System of the Technology Development Board (TDB), DST is producing two types of Active Virosome (AV) agents.

• One expressing S protein of COVID-19 (AV-S) and another one expressing structural proteins of COVID-19 (AV-SPs).
• SBPL is currently amplifying the synthesis of both these agents upto 10 mg levels so that their immunogenicity can be tested.
• This test will first be performed in wild type mice to ascertain the ability of AV-S & AV-SPs to induce anti-COVID-19 neutralizing antibodies & cellular immune response(s).
• In parallel to this Vaccine project, SBPL will also use the Active Virosomes expressing S protein of COVID-19 as an antigen for developing immunodiagnostic kits.
• IgM captures ELISA kits, IgG type antibody detecting ELISA kits, and a Lateral flow (LFA) immunodiagnostic test will be produced.
• LFA tests will empower individual citizens of India to test themselves easily & ensure that they remain disease-free.

About Virosomes 

• A Virosome is a drug that consists of unilamellar phospholipid membrane. 
• This membrane allows the drug to fuse with the target cells. 
• The central cavity of the virosome consists of proteins, nucleic acids and drugs. 
• The surface of the virosomes are made of different glycoproteins.

1)  Exploring novel blood plasma therapy for COVID-19

Context: As part of an innovative step towards treatment of COVID-19 patients, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) has came up with “convalescent-plasma therapy”.
What is convalescent-plasma therapy?

• When a pathogen like novel coronavirus infects, our immune systems produce antibodies. Like the police dogs, the antibodies span out to identify and mark the invading virus. White blood cells attach the identified intruders, and the body gets rid of the infection.
• The therapy, like blood transfusion, harvests the antibody from a recovered patient and ingest into a sick person. Helped by the antibody, the immune system mounts robust combat on the virus.

What are antibodies?

• Antibodies are one of the front-line immune response to an infection by a microbe.
• They are a particular type of proteins secreted by immune cells called B lymphocytes when they encounter an invader, such as a novel coronavirus. 
• The immune system designs antibodies that are highly specific to each invading pathogen. A particular antibody and its partner virus are made for each other.

How the treatment is given?

• Blood is drawn from a person who has recovered from COVID-19 sickness.
• The serum is separated and screened for virus-neutralizing antibodies.
• Convalescent serum, that is the blood serum obtained from one who has recovered from an infectious disease and especially rich in antibodies for that pathogen, is then administered to a COVID-19 patient.
• The sick acquires passive immunisation.

Who will be receiving the treatment?

• At present it is permitted as an experimental therapy for restricted use for severely affected patients only.

How is it different from vaccination?

• This therapy is akin to passive immunization.
• When a vaccine is administrated, the immune system produces the antibodies.
• Thus, in a later date, when the vaccinated person is infected by that pathogen, the immune system releases the antibodies and neutralise the infection. Vaccination provides lifelong immunity.
• In the case of passive antibody therapy, the effect lasts only up to the time the antibodies injected remain the bloodstream.
• The protection given is temporary.
• The mother transfers antibodies through breast milk to an infant before the child could build her own immunity.

What are the Challenges associated with this Therapy?

• This therapy is not simple to harness, primarily due to the difficulty of obtaining significant amounts of plasma from survivors.
• In diseases like COVID-19, where most of the victims are aged, suffering from other medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and so on, not all recovered patients can volunteer to donate blood.

Is it effective?

• Whenever a new viral outbreak takes places, there are no drugs to treat it. Hence, the convalescent serum has been used during past viral epidemics.
• During the outbreak of 2009–2010 H1N1 influenza virus pandemic, patients with an infection requiring intensive care were used.
• After the passive antibody treatment, the serum-treated individuals showed clinical improvement. The viral burden reduced, and the death rate could be lowered.
• The procedure was also useful during the Ebola outbreak in 2018.

Is it safe?

• With modern blood banking techniques that screen for blood-borne pathogens is robust. It is not difficult to match the blood type of donors and recipients.
• Therefore the risks of inadvertently transferring known infectious agents or triggering transfusion reactions are low.

How long the antibodies will remain in the recipient?

• After the antibody serum is given, it will stay on the recipient for at least three to four days. During this period, the sick person will recover.
• Research reports from the USA and China indicate that the beneficial effect of transfusion plasma is obtained in the first three to four days and not later.

2) Clinical protocol exploring the feasibility of convalescent plasma transfusion

Context: Recently, Kerala has got the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) approval for the clinical protocol exploring the feasibility of convalescent plasma transfusion which may be administered to severe Covid-19 patients.
Key Findings

• Kerala has gone a step ahead and won the Indian Council of Medical Research’s approval to explore the feasibility of administering convalescent plasma transfusion on critically ill patients. 
• The move was taken as a precautionary step to be prepared for the more severe second and third waves of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
• Kerala had also sought ICMR’s early clearance for using HIV antivirals (lopinavir/ritonavir) for treating Covid-19 after reports on their potential use surfaced.
• Kerala might need to submit an expanded access protocol to ICMR and Drugs Controller General’s approval and Institutional Ethics Committee approval would be necessary before the administration of the treatment.
• One major challenge is the non-availability of the kit for checking the antibody level in the plasma of a recovered person.
• It is not available in India and has to be brought from Germany.
• The cancellation of international flights would lead to delay in importing the desired number of kits.

About convalescent plasma therapy

• Convalescent plasma therapy involves transfusing certain components from the blood of people who have had the COVID-19 virus and recovered into people who are very sick with the virus or people who are at high risk of getting the virus.

Its working

• As people fight the COVID-19 virus, they produce antibodies that attack the virus. Those antibodies, proteins that are secreted by immune cells known as B lymphocytes, are found in plasma (liquid part of blood that helps the blood to clot when needed and supports immunity).
• Once a person has had the virus and recovered, that person has developed antibodies that will stay in their blood waiting to fight the same virus should it return. Those antibodies, when injected into another person with the disease, recognize the virus as something to attack.
• In the case of the coronavirus, antibodies attack the spikes on the outside of the virus, blocking the virus from penetrating human cells.

Context: In the global effort to tackle the novel coronavirus pandemic, many countries have now employed supercomputers to help expedited research into the virus. Scientists are using supercomputers. These supercomputers can help in developing a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, by identifying the virus proteins that can help create immunity among humans.
Key Points

• As COVID-19 cases have been mounting the world over, an abundance of data is being made available to researchers, which supercomputers are using for modelling and analysis.
• To help find a drug that could work against the novel coronavirus, supercomputers are being employed to look through databases of existing drug compounds. 
• The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has spikes on its surface, which it uses to invade cells in the human body. Supercomputers are looking for antiviral drugs that could potentially bind with those spikes, thus inhibiting the virus from infecting humans.
• These computers can also help in developing a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, by identifying the virus proteins that can help create immunity among humans.
• The other ways in which supercomputers are helping include studying the structure and origin of the novel coronavirus, analysing the spread of the virus in a population, as well as how it interacts with cells in the human body.

Supercomputers for preventing Covid-19
1) USA

• In the US, a massive public-private effort called the COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium has been launched, consisting industry players such as IBM, Google etc. The consortium provides scientists access to some of the world’s most powerful high-performance computing resources in support of COVID-19 research.

2) Japan

• In Japan, the government and the country’s top research laboratory will be using the Fugaku supercomputer, a successor to the ‘K’ computer– which in the past was known to have the highest calculation speed in the world.

3) China

• The Tianhe-1 supercomputer in China has been using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to diagnose COVID-19 patients from chest scans.

4) India

• In India, the government owned Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) has announced that it would collaborate with laboratories for performing drug repurposing simulations required towards the discovery of a new drug for COVID-19.

Context: Recently, some of the reports pointed out that after leaving the ICU, the COVID-19 patients may suffer from what is known as post-intensive care syndrome (PICS).
About Post-Intensive Care Syndrome

• It describes the disability that remains in the surviving the critical illness.
• It is a collection of physical, mental and emotional symptoms that continue to persist after a patient leaves the intensive care unit (ICU).
• It comprises of impairment in cognition, psychological health, and physical function of the intensive care unit (ICU) survivor.
• It is defined as new or worsening impairment in physical (ICU-acquired neuromuscular weakness), cognitive (thinking and judgment), or mental health status arising after critical illness and persisting beyond discharge from the acute care setting.
• PICS-Family (PICS-F) refers to the acute and the chronic psychological effects of critical illness on the family of the patient and includes the symptoms that are experienced by family members during the critical illness as well as those that occur following death or discharge of a loved one from the ICU.
• It is now being recognized as a public health burden due to the associated neuropsychological and functional disability; however its exact prevalence remains unknown.
• The major risk factors associated with it are duration of delirium in ICU, acute brain dysfunction (stroke, alcoholism), hypoxia (ARDS, cardiac arrest), hypotension (severe sepsis, trauma), glucose dysregulation, respiratory failure requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation, severe sepsis, use of renal replacement therapy, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), prior cognitive impairment (older age, preexisting cognitive deficits, premorbid health conditions).

The ABCDE bundle has been used with good preventive rates for PICS. This comprises of:

• Awakening (using light or minimal sedation);
• Breathing (spontaneous breathing trials);
• Coordination of care and communication among various disciplines;
• Delirium monitoring, assessment, and management;
• Early ambulation in the ICU.

Further, after leaving the ICU, over 30-80 per cent may develop problems related to cognitive function and other mental health issues, including difficulty in falling and staying asleep. 

• It is recommended that to avoid PICS, patients’ use of deep sedation is limited and early mobility is encouraged, along with giving them “aggressive” physical and occupational therapy. 
• Further, patients should be given the lowest dose of pain medications when possible, and should be put on lung or cardiovascular rehabilitation treatments along with treatments for depression, anxiety and PTSD.

Context: Recently, the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) has decided to support exploration of metabolomics alteration in COVID-19 infected patients.
About Metabolomics Alteration

• The metabolic alteration of COVID-19 infected patients has been conducted by IIT-Bombay, in collaboration with hospitals in Mumbai.
• The exploration will identify potential biomarker candidates to predict progression from non-severe to severe COVID-19 conditions.
• The search for potential diagnostic candidates will involve metabolite profiling of different patient groups with various complications.
• 'Metabolites' are small biomolecules, capable of regulating various pathways in all the living-organisms.
• Metabolomics Alteration is a very interesting approach to differentiate between the mild and severe cases of COVID-19 based on the determination of biomarkers from detailed metabolome or proteome investigations.

About Metabolomics

• It is the large-scale study of small molecules, commonly known as metabolites, within cells, biofluids, tissues or organisms.
• It is a powerful approach because metabolites and their concentrations, unlike other "omics" measures, directly reflect the underlying biochemical activity and state of cells / tissues. Thus metabolomics best represents the molecular phenotype.
• It affords detailed characterization of metabolic phenotypes and can enable precision medicine at a number of levels, including the characterization of metabolic derangements that underlie disease, discovery of new therapeutic targets, and discovery of biomarkers that may be used to either diagnose disease or monitor activity of therapeutics.

About Biomarkers

• A bio-marker, or biological marker is a measurable indicator of some biological state or condition.
• Biomarkers are often measured and evaluated to examine normal biological processes, pathogenic processes, or pharmacologic responses to a therapeutic intervention.
• They are categorized in 3 primary ways according to their clinical applications.
• They are classified as molecular biomarkers, cellular biomarkers or imaging biomarkers.
• All 3 types of biomarkers have a clinical role in narrowing or guiding treatment decisions and follow a sub-categorization of being either predictive, prognostic, or diagnostic.

Context: For the first time, the global community is preparing to celebrate 14 April as the  first  World Chagas Disease Day. One of the aims is to raise the visibility and public awareness of people with Chagas Disease and the resources needed for the prevention, control or elimination of the disease.

Key Points

• Chagas disease, also called American trypanosomiasis, has been termed as a “silent and silenced disease”, not only because of its slowly progressing and frequently asymptomatic clinical course but also because it affects mainly poor people who have no political voice or access to health care. 
• Once endemic in Latin American countries, Chagas disease is now present in many others, making it a global health problem.
• It was on this date in 1909 that the first patient, a Brazilian girl named Berenice Soares de Moura, was diagnosed for this disease by Dr Carlos Ribeiro Justiniano Chagas. 
• Raising awareness and the profile of this neglected tropical disease, which is often diagnosed in its late stages, is essential to improve the rates of early treatment and cure, together with the interruption of its transmission.
• Evidence-based, cost-effective interventions exist, including screening (blood, organs and of new-borns and children), early case detection, prompt treatment of cases, vector control, hygiene and food safety.
• WHO invites the countries to take action with us and add a global voice in favour of this and other neglected tropical diseases.

Key Facts about the Disease

• Chagas disease also known as American trypanosomiasis is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi).
• It is classified as a neglected tropical disease(NTD) which means it mostly affects the poorest countries of the developing world.
• Transmission:The main route of transmission is through the insect called triatomine bug which carries the Trypanosoma cruzi.
• Other routes of transmission: oral transmission, blood transfusion, mother-to-child, organ transplantation transmissions or even laboratory accident transmission.
• Distribution: Mexico, Central America, and South America.
• Symptoms: a) Initial Phase: Purplish swelling of the lids of one eye, fever, difficulty in breathing among others b) Later Phase: cardiac disorders, digestive problems, neurological or mixed alterations which can lead to sudden death.
• Treatment: It is curable if treatment is initiated soon after infection.

Did you know?

• Chagas disease is prevalent mainly among poor populations of continental Latin America and affects 6–7 million people.
• During the past decades, it has been increasingly detected in the United States of America and Canada and in many European and some Western Pacific countries.
• The disease can be transmitted by vectorial transmission (T. cruzi parasites are mainly transmitted by contact with faeces/urine of infected blood-sucking triatomine bugs.
• These bugs, vectors that carry the parasites, typically live in the wall or roof cracks of poorly-constructed homes in rural or suburban areas. Normally they hide during the day and become active at night when they feed on human blood.
• They usually bite an exposed area of skin such as the face, and the bug defecates close to the bite. The parasites enter the body when the person instinctively smears the bug faeces or urine into the bite, the eyes, the mouth, or into any skin break) contaminated food, transfusion of blood or blood products, passage from an infected mother to her newborn, and organ transplantation and even laboratory accidents.
• Without treatment, Chagas disease can lead to severe cardiac and digestive alterations and become fatal.
• The proposal to designate 14 April as World Chagas Disease Day was initiated by the International Federation of Associations of People Affected by Chagas Disease.
• On 24 May 2019, the World Health Assembly – WHO’s decision-making body - endorsed the proposal, which  was supported by several health institutions, universities, research centres, national or international nongovernmental platforms, organizations and foundations.
• Celebrating World Chagas Disease Day on 14 April will provide a unique opportunity to add a global voice in favour of this and other neglected tropical diseases.

Context: Recently, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has advised the feasibility of using pooled samples for molecular testing of Covid-19 citing the rise of cases in India.The advisory also stated that it is important to increase the number of tests being done in laboratories in India.
Key Points

• Stating that the number of COVID-19 cases in India is rising, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is now advising the feasibility of using pooled samples for molecular testing of patient samples. 
• The council has said that it is critical to increase the numbers of tests conducted by laboratories. 
• The advisory is aimed at increasing capacity of the laboratories to screen increased numbers of samples using molecular testing for COVID-19 for the purpose of surveillance.

About Pooled Testing

• A pooled testing algorithm involves the PCR screening of a specimen pool comprising multiple individual patient specimens, followed by individual testing (pool de-convolution) only if a pool screens positive. 
• As all individual samples in a negative pool are regarded as negative, it results in substantial cost savings when a large proportion of pools tests negative.
• This method is effective in two ways. First, it increases the capacity of testing and second, it saves a lot of resources — time, cost and manpower.

As per ICMR Recommendation

• Preferable number of samples to be pooled is five, though more than two samples can be pooled, but considering higher possibility of missing positive samples with low viral load, it is strongly discouraged to pool more than five samples, except in research mode.
• This method can be used in areas where the prevalence of COVID-19 is low, which means a positivity rate of less than two percent. 
• In areas with a positivity rate between two to five percent, sample pooling of PCR screening may be considered in a community survey of surveillance among asymptomatic individuals. Sample from such individuals should be directly tested without pooling.

Need of Pool testing

• This will reduce the total test kits used to examine patients and treat them.
• It is also expected to trim the work at the laboratories testing these samples.
• International researchers suggest that pooling test samples is cost effective, especially for the countries with limited resources.
• It can be used to prevent community spread of the disease.

About Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) 

• The is the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research and it is one of the oldest and largest medical research bodies in the world.
• The ICMR is funded by the Government of India through the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The governing body of the council is presided over by the Union Health Minister.

Context: Recently, A press release issued by the UN noted that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, measles immunisation campaigns have been delayed in 24 countries and will be canceled in 13 others since healthcare workers are required to deal with the pandemic.  

• The reason being that the healthcare workers are required to deal with the pandemic in countries where healthcare systems are inadequate.

Key Points

• The coronavirus pandemic, which has necessitated many prevention measures including strict lockdowns, has kept infants from getting routine immunisation services from some other diseases such as polio, yellow fever and cholera. 
• Measles is a highly contagious viral disease and despite the availability of a vaccine against it, it remains to be a leading cause of death among young children globally. The disease is transmitted via droplets released from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons. 
• The initial symptoms occur 10-12 days after contracting the infection and include high fever, a runny nose, bloodshot eyes and the appearance of white spots on the inside of the mouth. 
• Some of the most serious complications arising out of the disease include blindness, encephalitis (brain swelling), severe diarrhea, dehydration and severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia. 
• The disease is still common in parts of Africa and Asia and is more likely among poorly nourished children, especially those who are deficient in vitamin A.
• Mass immunisation drives and routine vaccination for children are the key public health strategies against the disease. Therefore, delaying the campaigns affects these strategies, potentially putting the life of thousands of children at risk. 
• Countries including Mexico, Bolivia, Lebanon, Nepal and Chile among others have delayed their immunisation campaigns.  It notes that children in rich countries are also not totally immune to this disease, since many parents (presumably a part of the anti-vaccination movement) refuse to get their children vaccinated. 

The WHO released an interim guideline for carrying out immunisation activities during COVID-19, which says 

• if immunisation actvities are negatively impacted during the pandemic, respective countries will need to design strategies for delivering “catch-up” vaccines after the outbreak subsides.
• Implementing this will require strategies to track and follow-up with individuals who missed getting vaccinated, assessing immunity gaps and re-establishing community demand.
• Further, it has advised that mass immunisation campaigns be “temporarily suspended” in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and that countries should monitor the necessity of delaying these campaigns at regular intervals.

About Measles

• Measles is a highly contagious viral disease. It remains an important cause of death among young children globally, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine.
• It is transmitted via droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons.
• Initial symptoms, which usually appear 10–12 days after infection, include high fever, a runny nose, bloodshot eyes, and tiny white spots on the inside of the mouth. Several days later, a rash develops, starting on the face and upper neck and gradually spreading downwards.
• The most serious complications include blindness, encephalitis (an infection that causes brain swelling), severe diarrhoea and related dehydration, and severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia.
• The disease is common in parts of Africa and Asia and is more likely among poorly nourished children, especially those who are deficient in vitamin A.
• Severe measles is more likely among poorly nourished young children, especially those with insufficient vitamin A, or whose immune systems have been weakened by HIV/AIDS or other diseases.
• Prevention: Routine measles vaccination for children, combined with mass immunization campaigns in countries with low routine coverage, are key public health strategies to reduce global measles deaths.
• Rubella: Also called German Measles, Rubella is a contagious, generally mild viral infection that occurs most often in children and young adults.

India and other South East Asia Region

• Unprecedented progress is being made against multiple vaccine-preventable diseases in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) South East Asia region, which was certified polio-free in 2014, and two years later, in 2016, became the second WHO region to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus. 
• Over the past five years, the drive to eliminate two deadly childhood diseases, measles and rubella, has gathered crucial momentum.
• Five out of the 11 countries in the region have achieved the goal of measles elimination (Bhutan, DPR Korea, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste) while six have achieved rubella control (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste).
• The remaining countries, including India, have initiated the implementation of key strategies to prevent infection, following member countries in adopting the goal of measles elimination and rubella control by 2020, in the 66th session of the Regional Committee for the WHO South-East Asia region.

Preventive efforts: Under  the Global Vaccine Action Plan, measles and rubella are targeted for elimination in five WHO Regions by 2020. WHO is the lead technical agency responsible for coordination of immunization and surveillance activities supporting all countries to achieve this goal.

Context: Recently, Two candidate vaccines for COVID-19 have entered the first phase of human clinical trials and another 60 candidate vaccines are in pre-clinical studies, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed.
Key Points

• A vaccine trial is a clinical trial that aims at establishing the safety and efficacy of a vaccine prior to it being licensed. 
• The vaccine candidate jointly developed by CanSino Biological Inc and Beijing Institute of Biotechnology uses the non-replicating viral vector as the platform, same as the non-corona candidates like Ebola, to develop a vaccine with a 'Adenovirus Type 5' candidate. 
• Adenoviruses are common viruses that cause pneumonia and can deliver potential antigens to stimulate the production of antibodies that work against the disease. 
• CanSino Biological Inc, in association with the Chinese Academy of Military Medical Science's Bioengineering Institute, had developed an Ebola vaccine in 2017. 
• The other vaccine that has entered the first phase of trials is from the US-based biotech firm Moderna and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) combine. 
• This lipid nanoparticle (LNP) encapsulated mRNA candidate vaccine uses an RNA platform with multiple candidates. 
• In this, the virus's genetic information is de-coded from the DNA to make proteins. mRNA, or messenger RNA, acts as an intermediary between the genetic information in DNA and the amino acid sequence of proteins, which gives cells command to make proteins that fight the viruses. But such vaccines have not yet been approved for human use. 
• Normally, the vaccine candidate, from the pre-clinical stage, which includes testing in small and large animals, have to go through three phases of clinical trials to prove its safety and efficacy.
• These human trials are done on different population in various geographies and have to create huge data in the 3 phases of human trials for regulatory sanctions. 
• In emergencies like this, fast tracking is possible, but the vaccine candidates still have to go through various trials before being introduced in the market. Typically, only one in ten experimental vaccines make it all the way through to regulatory approval.

Context: A recent study conducted by the researchers from the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia, has found that the head lice drug, Ivermectin, could potentially be used to kill the coronavirus.
Background 

• As the number of COVID-19 positive continue to rise across the globe, several scientists are testing different medicines to counter the virus. 
• While countries across the world are leaning on Hydrochloroquine, an anti-malarial drug to cure COVID-19, researchers are trying to find other possible drugs.

Key Findings of the study

• Researchers says a single dose could remove all viral RNA within 48 hours. The drug which is on the initial stages on testing, is yet to tested on COVID-19 patients. 
• The drug prevents the replication of SARS-CoV-2. When tested, the virus came to a rest within 24-48 hours after it was exposed to Ivermectin. 
• Levels of the virus declined by 99.8% in 48 hours and completely within three days. Researchers also say that there was even a significant reduction within 24 hours. 
• The drug helps in stopping the processes that allow proteins to move within the virus. It has also been proven that Ivermectin tackles other viruses such as HIV, dengue, influenza and Zika replicating, at least in the laboratory. 
• Ivermectin was developed as a veterinary drug in the 1970s but is now used to treat head lice. It is also effective against parasites that cause other infections. 
• Another interesting thing to note is, Ivermectin has already been approved by the World Health Organization as an “essential medicine.”
• Despite being an antibacterial drug, Ivermectin has shown effectiveness against other viruses as well, including HIV, influenza, Zika, and dengue, albeit in laboratory settings.
• Now, the preliminary findings of this drug’s effectiveness against the novel coronavirus have been described as “promising” by top experts in the field, and it remains to be seen whether these results can be replicated successfully and safely in human studies.
• If the human trials do turn out to be successful, it will significantly speed-up the development for a COVID-19 treatment, due to the fact that Ivermectin has already been established as a drug safe for human consumption.
• In the meantime, it is crucial to note that the drug has simply shown promising results on a cellular level, and it is yet to be tested on humans to gauge how effective it is against COVID-19. Therefore, experts warn that it is important not to consume, hoard, or prescribe this drug.

About Ivermectin

• It is a medicine used to kill parasites. Used since 1980s, the drug is mainly used in creams and lotions for head lice.
• Besides this, it is also used in a tablet form to cure roundworm infection and second-line treatment for scabies and rosacea, a skin condition that results in redness and causes pus-filled bumps on the face.
• The drug needs to be consumed with a glass of water on an empty stomach at least an hour before a meal. It is usually taken as a single dose or series of doses, as per the directions of the doctor.
• The drug may cause tiredness, loss of energy, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, dizziness, drowsiness and itchiness.
• In case of a skin or an eye infection, the medicine may lead to joint pain and swelling, swollen and tender lymph nodes, itching, rashes, fever and eye problems.
• Some of the serious side effects include low blood pressure, inability to breathe and can also lead to liver damage.

Context: Recently, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended that all Set Top Boxes (STBs) in the country must be made interoperable.
Key Points

• It means that consumers should be able to use the same STB across different DTH (direct-to-home) or cable TV providers.
• STBs deployed in the cable TV networks are non-interoperable. It’s in the DTH players comply with licence conditions to support common interface module based interoperability. So, in practice, they are also not readily interoperable.
• The Issues due to the lack of interoperability: It deprives the customer of the freedom to change her/his service provider, creates a hindrance to technological innovation and improvement in service quality and Hampers the overall sector growth.
• The Interoperable STBs within the cable TV segment and similarly within the DTH segment should be developed.

About Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

• It was established by an Act of Parliament (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997) to regulate telecom services, including fixation/revision of tariffs for telecom services.
• It provides a fair and transparent policy environment which promotes a level playing field and facilitates fair competition.
• The TRAI Act was amended to establish a Telecommunications Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to take over the adjudicatory and disputes functions from TRAI.
• TDSAT was set up to adjudicate any dispute between a licensor and a licensee, between two or more service providers, between a service provider and a group of consumers, and to hear and dispose of appeals against any direction, decision or order of TRAI.

Context: Recently, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has been orbiting asteroid Bennu for over a year now, since it arrived at the space rock in December 2018. Now, the spacecraft has successfully completed its ‘Checkpoint’ rehearsal and is one step closer to land on the asteroid’s Surface.
Key Points

• The rehearsal allowed the OSIRIS-REx team to test whether the various systems aboard the spacecraft like imaging, navigation and ranging systems worked as they should during descent.
• While landing the OSIRIS-REx autonomously checks its position and velocity at a location known as the checkpoint. At this position, it adjusts the trajectory down towards the surface.
• It was able to successfully deploy its sampling arm which is known as the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) and used the instruments on board to make observations of the sample site.
• Through the rehearsal, the team also confirmed that OSIRIS-REx’s Natural Feature Tracking (NFT) guidance system worked accurately.

About OSIRIS-REx Mission

• It stands for (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) is a NASA asteroid study and sample-return mission.
• The mission’s primary goal is to obtain a sample of at least 60 grams (2.1 oz) from 101955
• Bennu, a carbonaceous near-Earth asteroid, and return the sample to Earth for a detailed analysis.
• The material returned is expected to enable scientists to learn more about the formation and evolution of the Solar System, its initial stages of planet formation, and the source of organic compounds that led to the formation of life on Earth.
• If successful, OSIRIS-REx will be the first U.S. spacecraft to return samples from an Asteroid.

Its Objective

• Return and analyze a sample of pristine carbonaceous asteroid regolith in an amount sufficient to study the nature, history, and distribution of its constituent minerals and organic compounds.
• Map the global properties, chemistry, and mineralogy of a primitive carbonaceous asteroid to characterize its geologic and dynamic history and provide context for the returned samples.
• Document the texture, morphology, geochemistry, and spectral properties of the regolith at the sampling site in situ at scales down to millimeters.
• Measure the Yarkovsky effect (a thermal force on the object) on a potentially hazardous asteroid and constrain the asteroid properties that contribute to this effect.
• Characterize the integrated Global Properties of a primitive carbonaceous asteroid to allow for direct comparison with ground-based telescopic data of the entire asteroid population.

About Bennu asteroid

• Bennuis a carbonaceous asteroid in the Apollo group discovered by the LINEAR Project on September 11, 1999.
• It is a potentially hazardous object.
• It has a cumulative 1-in-2,700 chance of impacting Earth between 2175–2199.
• There is a well-defined ridge along the equator of asteroid Bennu.
• The presence of this ridge suggests that fine-grained regolith particles have accumulated in this area, possibly because of its low gravity and fast rotation.

Context: As a prelude to NASA’s upcoming manned Artemis missions scheduled to start in 2024, NASA will be sending the golf-cart sized robot, VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover), in 2023 to search for and map lunar resources (volatiles, minerals, and water ice) on the moon.   
Background 

• Creating a map of the water ice on the moon will pave the way for future exploration and extraction missions. 
• Water ice will be a critical resource for future exploration and colonization, not only for sustaining life (breathable oxygen) but also for deriving rocket fuel elements (hydrogen, oxygen).

About the Mission

• The mission will target the south pole region of the moon (landing site to be determined), where previous NASA missions have confirmed water ice to be present, especially in the cold permanent shadow areas of craters. 
• Once at the south pole, VIPER’s operating radius will be several kilometers, where it will explore various types of soils (areas of constant light, partial light, and complete darkness). 
• The rover will need to be robust enough to handle the extreme cold in the permanent shadow areas where temperatures never go above -250 F. 
• The VIPER mission is planned to last approximately 100 days. VIPER will be outfitted with various equipment to perform its duties. First of all, to identify potential drilling spots, the Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS) provided by NASA will detect hydrogen underneath the surface from afar. 
• Once a potential drilling spot has been identified, the rover will extract samples from down to 1-meter in depth by using The Regolith and Ice Drilling for Exploring New Terrain (TRIDENT) provided by Honeybee Robotics. 
• Once extracted, VIPER will analyze the samples by using the Near InfraRed Volatiles Spectrometer System (NIRVSS) to determine the type of hydrogen (water molecule or hydroxyl). 
• It will also analyze the volatile and mineral composition by using the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSolo).

Context: Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued an advisory that Zoom video conference is not a safe platform.
Key Points

• Zoom has seen an exponential rise in usage in India as office-goers remain at home due to the lockdown, imposed to curb the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Over 90,000 schools across 20 countries have started using it regularly.
• The maximum number of daily meeting participants of approximately 10 million at the end of December 2019 grew to more than 200 million daily meeting participants in March.
• It has been used extensively by everyone including the central and state ministers for official purposes and conducting meetings.
• The Cyber Coordination Centre of the MHA issued a set of guidelines for its safe usage.
• The Ministry asked the users to set strong passwords and enable waiting room feature so that call managers could have a better control over the participants.
• Users are warned against sharing links on public platforms.
• However, the MHA noted that it was not for use by government offices and officials.

Advisory by the Ministry to avoid constraint as follows

• The users are suggested to set strong passwords and enable “waiting room” features so that call managers could have better control over the participants.
• Users should also avoid using personal meeting ID to host events and instead use randomly generated meeting IDs for each event.
• People using the app should not share meeting links on public platforms.

However in response, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan apologised for the the company failing to fully implement its usual geo-fencing best practices, while assuring customers that there was no impact on Zoom for Government Cloud, a separate cloud service for government customers.

About its Formation

• Zoom is a US-based video communication and videoconferencing platform.
• This Silicon Valley-based company appears to own three companies in China through which at least 700 employees were paid to develop Zoom’s software.
• This arrangement is apparently an effort at labor arbitrage in which Zoom can avoid paying US wages while selling to US customers, thus increasing their profit margin.
• However, this arrangement may make Zoom responsive to pressure from Chinese authorities.
• Reportedly, few calls made through the app are routed through servers in China.

Advisory by CERT-In 

• The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) had also issued two advisories cautioning on the use of Zoom for office meetings.
• It cautioned that insecure usage of the platform may allow cybercriminals to access sensitive information such as meeting details and conversations.
• It said that multiple vulnerabilities had been reported in the video conferencing platform which could allow an attacker to gain elevated privileges or obtain sensitive information.

About Computer Emergency Response Team-India

• It is an organisation of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, with the objective of securing Indian cyberspace.
• It is the nodal agency which deals with cybersecurity threats like hacking and phishing.
• It collects, analyses and disseminates information on cyber incidents, and also issues alerts on cybersecurity incidents.
• CERT-IN provides Incident Prevention and Response Services as well as Security Quality Management Services.

Context: Recently, a controversial website called ‘Deep Nude’ which was in the news last year before being shut down has gone under operation once again.

• The Cyber Security agencies across the country and especially in Maharashtra are currently tracking the website which uses Artificial Intelligence algorithm to generate nude pictures of clothed people.

Need for Cyber Security in India

• The hacking, cracking and other forms of cyber-attacks have grown to a level of sophistication equaling the capability of most organization to defend against.
• The Cyber-attacks have no longer confined to just a hobby, it is a profession with very high stakes and sometimes involve nation states, terrorist groups and crime syndicates.
• There are growing number of scams and frauds through fake call and fake e-mail.
• It is not just the number of cyber-crime which is increasing but the degrees of such attacks are also on the rise.
• Cyber Security is an important area which is worthy of a commitment and are taking preventive actions against threats.
• As a significant portion of information is available on a global scale, there is a possibility of information wars and serious attention needs to be given to avoid its huge impact in future.

Cyber Crime Statistics in India

• As of 2018, India has over 400 million internet users, making it the second largest internet population in the world.
• According to a 2017 report, India has lost over 18 billion U.S. dollars due to cyber-crimes.
• In 2018, there were over 27 thousand cases of cyber-crimes recorded in the country, marking an increase of over 121 percent compared to the number of cases in 2016.
• In 2018 alone, India recorded over two thousand cases of cyber-crimes related to sexual harassment and exploitation and over 700 cases of cyber bullying against women and minors.
• India secures a spot amongst the top 10 spam-sending countries in the world alongside USA.

Types of Cyber Security Vulnerabilities

• Backdoor Attack: It is a type of malware attack that negates normal authentication procedures to access a system which gives perpetrators the ability to remotely issue system commands and update malware.
• Denial of Service Attack: It is a type of attack through which attackers attempt to prevent legitimate users from accessing the service.
• Direct Access Attack: It is an attack where a hacker is able to gain access to a computer and be able to download data directly from it.
• Eves Dropping: It is an attack which attacker secretly listens to the conversations between the hosts on a network.
• Spoofing: It includes a person or a programme impersonates another by creating false data in order to give illegal access to the system.
• Indirect Attacks: It is an attack launched by third party computer and thus making it more difficult to track the origin of the attack.
• Identity Theft: It includes theft of personal details of the user and the details are used to commit fraud.

Threats associated with Cyber Attacks

• The cyber-crime websites attacks the information of users for nefarious purposes like blackmail, pornography and creating catfish accounts on dating apps.
• Social media users become more vulnerable to cyber-crimes during festival seasons due to a spurt in unsolicited click-bait that claims to offer inviting discounts and markdowns.
• It can cause electrical blackouts, failure of military equipment and breaches of national security secrets.
• Over-reliance on fragile connectivity creates the potential for premeditated internet outages capable of bringing trade to its knees and heightened risk that ransomware will be used to hijack the Internet of Things.
• The intentional spread of misinformation, including by bots and automated sources, causes trust in the integrity of information to be compromised.

Challenges to Cyber Security in India

• The victims resist themselves from registering complaints for fear of the stigma attached to cyber-attacks.
• There is lack of leadership in tackling the issues around cyber security.
• The non-uniformity in devices used for internet access and the corresponding cyber security framework at national level is also absent.
• The greatest challenge which the cyber security faces is that cyber-crime has no boundaries, limitless and lack of separation between cyber-crimes.
• There is difficulty in applying traditional security concepts like deterrence and retaliation.
• There is absence of National Regulatory Policy on cyber security and thus leading to lack of awareness of cyber-attacks in the public domain.

Steps taken by governments for Cyber Security

• The government has set Cyber Crime Cells in almost all the states and union territories.
• Cyber Forensic training and investigation laboratories have been set up in Kerala, Assam, Mizoram and Jammu & Kashmir for the training of law enforcement agencies and judiciary in these states.
• Cyber Forensic Laboratories have been set up at Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata with the help of Data Security Council of India to impart training and awareness.
• Programme on Cyber Crime Investigation organized by National Law School, Bengaluru and NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad to create awareness on cyber laws and provide training for cyber security.
• National Technical Research Organization has been designated as the nodal agency for taking all measures for protection of national critical infrastructure and to handle cuber security threats.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs is also implementing the Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children scheme.

Government has taken several steps to prevent and mitigate cyber security incidents which include:

• Establishment of National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) for protection of critical information infrastructure in the country.
• All organizations providing digital services have been mandated to report cyber security incidents to CERT-In expeditiously.
• Cyber Swachhata Kendra (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre) has been launched for providing detection of malicious programmes and free tools to remove such programmes.
• Issue of guidelines for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) regarding their key roles and responsibilities for securing applications / infrastructure and compliance.
• Conducting cyber security mock drills and exercises regularly to enable assessment of cyber security posture and preparedness of organizations in Government and critical sectors.
• Conducting regular training programmes for network/system administrators and Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) of Government and critical sector organisations regarding securing the IT infrastructure and mitigating cyber-attacks.

Measures to be adopted for Cyber Security in India

• The government should develop a framework for protection of networks against the internal and external attacks.
• There should an established monitoring strategy and procedure supporting policies associated with cyber security.
• The government should provide a specialist training to incident management team.
• There should be a staff training programme and also maintenance of the user awareness of the cyber risks.
• There should be an involvement of private player in establishing a PPP model for cyber security in order to strengthen the cyber security posture.
• The information policy and practices shall be mandated at government functionaries.
• The security audit for all government websites, applications shall be adhered to international standards before hosting and publishing.
• There should be coordination between the centre and the states to implement cyber security strategy and mechanisms.

International Efforts to tackle Cyber Crimes

• The Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention on Cybercrime or the Budapest Convention) is the first international treaty seeking to address Internet and computer crime by harmonizing national laws, improving investigative techniques, and increasing cooperation among nations.
• Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) is the only non-profit membership organization with national reach that is dedicated to bringing together women in cybersecurity from academia, research and industry to share knowledge, experience, networking and mentoring.
• The SANS is the most trusted and by far the largest source for information security training and security certification in the world which also develops, maintains, and makes available at no cost, the largest collection of research documents about various aspects of information security.
• The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is a worldwide not-for-profit charitable organization focused on improving the security of software.

Road Ahead

• Cybersecurity is now a societal, legal, and mindset issue which is ultimately a human issue, because it is not just the security of your data and networks, but it is intrinsically linked to your personal self.
• India cannot be cyber security ready unless the issue is taken up on a mission mode and learn lessons from various international efforts.
• The reality is that there is no miracle solution or cure to cyber-attacks but we have to be proactive to defend ourselves and stay resilient. The goal is to have systems in place that empower us to react quickly in case there is a cyber-attack, and mitigate it before it wreaks havoc.

Context: Recently, the U.S. State Department, in its report, has said that China may have secretly set off low-level underground nuclear test explosions despite claiming to observe an international pact banning such blasts, a development that could fuel U.S.-Chinese tensions.

Key Points

• It  has said that the concerns about Beijing’s possible breaches of a “zero yield” standard for test blasts have been prompted by activities at China’s Lop Nur nuclear test site throughout 2019.
• China’s possible preparation to operate its Lop Nur test site year-round, its use of explosive containment chambers, extensive excavation activities at Lop Nur and a lack of transparency on its nuclear testing activities have raised concerns regarding its adherence to the zero yield standard, the report said, without providing evidence of a low-yield test.
• Beijing’s lack of transparency included blocking data transmissions from sensors linked to a monitoring centre operated by the international agency that verifies compliance with Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) banning nuclear test explosions.

About Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) 

• It is a multilateral treaty that bans all nuclear explosions, for both civilian and military purposes, in all environments.
• It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 September 1996 but has not entered into force, as eight specific nations have not ratified the treaty.
• The treaty was opened for signature in September 1996, and has been signed by 184 nations and ratified by 168.
• The treaty cannot enter into force until it is ratified by 44 specific nations, eight of which have yet to do so: China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran, Egypt, and the United States. The U.S. Senate voted against CTBT ratification in 1999.
• Hence, India is a non-signatory member to the treaty.
• In order to verify compliance with its provisions, the treaty establishes a global network of monitoring facilities and allows for on-site inspections of suspicious events.
• Russia, France and Britain – three of the world’s five internationally recognized nuclear powers – signed and ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which still requires ratification by 44 countries to become international law.
• Because both China and the United States are among eight signatories that have not ratified it. But, China has declared its adherence to its terms. Even the United States has observed a unilateral testing moratorium since 1992.
• About ‘Zero yield’: Zero yield refers to a nuclear test in which there is no explosive chain reaction of the type ignited by the detonation of a nuclear warhead.

India and CTBT:

India finds CTBT a threat to national security because of its –

• Discriminatory in nature as US which has already conducted more than 2000 tests suddenly realizes that here was no need to test nuclear devices any more.
• No time-bound disarmament schedule for nuclear weapon states
• CTBT would not help towards nuclear disarmament since it only banned nuclear explosive testing, but not other activities related to nuclear weapons, such as sub-critical (non-nuclear explosive) experiments, or computer simulations

About New START Treaty

• The Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms is also known as the New START Treaty. 
• New START restricted the United States and Russia to deploying no more than 1,550 nuclear warheads, the lowest level in decades, and limited the land- and submarine-based missiles and bombers that deliver them. 
• The Treaty’s duration is ten years, unless superseded by a subsequent agreement. New START Treaty, entered into force on February 5, 2011 is due to expire in February, 2021.
• A senior U.S. official said the concerns about China’s testing activities supported US President Trump’s case for getting China to join the United States and Russia in talks on an arms control accord to replace the 2010 New START treaty between Washington and Moscow that expires in February 2021.

Bharat Padhe Online

Context: Recently, the Minister of Human Resource Development launched a week long 'Bharat Padhe Online' campaign.

About Bharat Padhe Online campaign

• It is aimed at crowd sourcing of ideas for improving online education ecosystem of India.
• The campaign provides a platform for all the best brains in India to share suggestions/solutions directly with HRD Ministry to overcome constraints of online education while promoting the available digital education platforms.
• The target audience of this campaign would be the students and teachers.
• Ideas can be shared on twitter by using #BharatPadheOnline and on the Ministry's website.

SHAGUN Online Junction

• SHAGUN is an online junction under which the Department of School Education in the Government of India and all States and Union Territories (UTs) have launched several e-learning platforms.
• ‘Shagun’ is coined from two different words i.e. ‘Shala’, meaning Schools and ‘Gunvatta’ meaning Quality. The primary aim of the SHAGUN initiative is to facilitate both teachers and students with a platform where they can interact, however through digital medium for further learning.

There are three e-learning platforms which comes under the purview of SHAGUN:

• NREOE
• DIKSHA
• e-Pathshala

National Repository of Open Educational Resources (NROER)

• It is one of an excellent initiative launched by the Ministry of HRD with approximately 16000 registered users, and 14527 e-leanring resources. Students visiting NROR platform will get an exposure to e-libraries, e-books, e-courses, chance to participate in events online, and theme based education.
• Apart from this, students can access the website in both Hindi and English language.
• In fact, there is a feature through which learning of students can be out to test through ‘assignments’ also.

DIKSHA Portal

• The Ministry of HRD has launched National Digital Infrastructure for Teachers (DIKSHA) portal to equip teachers from 1st class to 12th class into the world of e-learning. The platform is available for both teachers and students requiring learning material.
• DIKSHA is one of a unique app that requires students and teachers to SCAN the QR code available in the book in order to access the prescribed learning material.
• With more than 80000 e-Books solely created to train and enhance the learning of Class 12th students, the aim of CBSE, NCERT and States or Union Territories is to ensure that the students do not miss out on learning in case they miss out on physical classroom learning.
• The portal is available in multiple languages for students.  

e-Pathshala

• Through this web-portal, students from class 1st to 12th will be able to access no less than 1886 audios, 2000 videos, 696 e-books (e-Pubs) and 504 Flip Books. The digital repository has been made available by NCERT to make sure that the students do not miss out on any important concept to be taught in the class.
• e-Pathshala is also available in several language like the other digital platforms.

Swayam Prabha

• Swayam Prabha is a collection of 32 DTH channels which run 24×7 for the students. Everyday new content of atleast 4 hours duration is floated on the website which runs 5 times in a day. Top education bodies of the nation such as NPTEL, IITs, UGC, CEC, IGNOU, NCERT and NIOS provide content to INFLIBNET Centre which runs these channels.

National Academic Depository (NAD) run by UGC that has tie up with approximately 55 school boards, 359 state universities, 123 deemed universities, 47 central universities and 260 private universities.

• National Digital Library of India run by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) under its National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT) to provide content to not just school students but also students pursuing higher education and Ph.D. level education.
• Virtual Labs is another key initiative of MHRD and GoI under the mentorship of NMEICT. It is a consortium of 12 IITs which aim to disburser online classes and study resource through Virtual labs wherein 700+ virtual experiments are designed and promoted for the aspirants to study and understand.