Context: Recently, Tower and Infrastructure Providers Association (TAIPA) urged for quickly enhancing the telecom network capacity to cope with the rising data traffic amidst nation-wide lockdown.

• With data traffic in the country surging by at least 30% in the past few days amid most people working from home.
• It said there is a need to quickly enhance telecom network capacity for which the States need to align their policies with the Centre's Right of Way (RoW) 2016 norms.
• Telecom services come under essential services and thereby are exempted from the lockdown.
• To maintain data usage and smooth functioning of telecom services 24/7 , the telecom sector needs critical, robust infrastructure.
• The states need to align their policies with the Centre's Right of Way (RoW) 2016 norms.
• With more than three years gone, only 16 States out of 36 States/UT’s have broadly aligned their policy with RoW Policy 2016.

About TAIPA

• Tower and Infrastructure Providers Association(TAIPA) was constituted in 2011 as an industry representative body registered under the Indian Society registration act, 1860.
• All leading independent telecom infrastructure providers like Bharti Infratel, Indus Towers, ATC India Tower Corp., GTL Infrastructure, Tower Vision and Reliance Infrastructure are the members of the Society which visualizes itself to be the official voice for the Telecom Infrastructure industry.
• The association is dedicated to interact, discuss and deliberate with the Ministries, Policy Makers, Regulators, Financial institutions and Technical bodies etc. for the knowledge collection & dissemination for promotion of healthy growth in telecom services.
• The telecom infrastructure providers provide an Integrated Neutral Host Platform that is used by diverse and often competing operators resulting in the rapid deployment of networks supporting over 1.3 billion mobile subscribers.
• The new and upcoming technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence and virtual reality will be highly successful since the easy availability and accessibility of shared towers, a key input for the growth of this sector.
• The role and objectives of this society is primarily to be one-voice of the industry and emphasize the need to bring ‘Telecom Infrastructure Services’ under key utilities segment, to promote sharing of valuable resources, to improve competitiveness, to develop a unified industry voice on issues affecting tower erection, maintenance and service work etc.

The key objectives of the industry body are as follow:

• To ensure that the industry is given ‘Key Infrastructure’ status
• To promote formulation of ‘National Telecom Infrastructure Policy’ mandating the sharing of Towers
• To ensure ‘No Charges’ being put on IP-1s in terms of License Fee, etc. for providing cost-optimized services
• To mandate Authorities in-charge of Highways, Ports, Rails etc to share Right of Way
• To formulate uniform policy across India with regard to tower setup, maintenance and service work
• To organize a single-window clearance of all Municipal and Statutory approvals
• To get financial support out of USO Fund for every tower built / operating in Rural regions of the nation
• To organize incentives for deploying Alternate Energy Technologies
• To get further support from the Government by Tax Holidays & other Concessions, etc.

About Right of Way (RoW) rules,2016

• Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued Right of Way (RoW) rules for rollout of communication networks.
• It aims to facilitate the installation of mobile towers, optic fibre and copper cables in a time-bound, non-discretionary manner.
• The rules aim to rationalise administrative expenses across the country to a maximum of Rs 1000 per km for fibre, and a maximum of Rs 10,000 per application for overhead towers.
• It provides for fast-tracking decisions on RoW permits within 60 days after application

Context: Recently,The Reserve Bank of India has raised the limit for short term credit that the government can borrow from the central bank.The limits for this credit facility, known as ‘Ways and Means Advances’, has been raised sharply to Rs 1.2 lakh crore for the first half of 2020-21.

• The increased limit comes at a time when government expenditure is expected to rise as it battles the fallout of a spreading Coronavirus. The availability of these funds will give the government some room to undertake short term expenditure over and above its long term market borrowings. On Tuesday, the government announced that it will borrow Rs 4.88 lakh crore or 62 percent of its planned borrow.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) gives temporary loan facilities to the central and state governments. This loan facility is called Ways and Means Advances (WMA).

When was Ways and Means Advances introduced?

• The WMA scheme for the Central Government was introduced on April 1, 1997, after putting an end to the four-decade old system of adhoc (temporary) Treasury Bills to finance the Central Government deficit.

Purpose of the WMA scheme

• The WMA scheme was designed to meet temporary mismatches in the receipts and payments of the government. This facility can be availed by the government if it needs immediate cash from the RBI. The WMA is to be vacated after 90 days. Interest rate for WMA is currently charged at the repo rate. The limits for WMA are mutually decided by the RBI and the Government of India.

How does it work?

• The government can avail of immediate cash from the RBI, if required. But it has to return the amount within 90 days. Interest is charged at the existing repo rate.
• If the WMA exceeds 90 days, it would be treated as an overdraft (interest rate on overdrafts is 2 percentage points more than the repo rate).

What is WMA limit?

• The limits for Ways and Means Advances are decided by the government and RBI mutually and revised periodically. For the second half of the 2019-20 financial year, RBI set Rs 35,000 crore as limit for Ways and Means Advances.

Types of WMA

• There are two types of Ways and Means Advances — normal and special.
• Special WMA or Special Drawing Facility is provided against the collateral of the government securities held by the state. After the state has exhausted the limit of SDF, it gets normal WMA. The interest rate for SDF is one percentage point less than the repo rate.
• The number of loans under normal WMA is based on a three-year average of actual revenue and capital expenditure of the state.

Context: Recently, Union Labour Ministry notifies amendment in EPF Scheme to allow withdrawal of non-refundable advance by EPF members in the event of outbreak of pandemic COVID-19.
Key Findings under the Amendment

• The notification permits withdrawal of upto the amount of basic wages and dearness allowance for three months or upto 75% of the amount standing to member's credit in the EPF account, whichever is less, in the event of outbreak of epidemic or pandemic. 
• The employees working in establishments and factories across entire India, who are members of the EPF Scheme, 1952 are eligible for the benefits of non-refundable advance.
• The amended scheme Employees Provident Fund (Amendment) scheme,2020 has come into force from 28 March,2020.

About Employees Pension Scheme (EPS)

• EPF is the main scheme under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. 
• The scheme is managed under the aegis of Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
• It covers every establishment in which 20 or more persons are employed and certain organisations are covered, subject to certain conditions and exemptions even if they employ less than 20 persons each.
• Under EPF scheme, an employee has to pay a certain contribution towards the scheme and an equal contribution is paid by the employer. 
• The employee gets a lump sum amount including self and employer’s contribution with interest on both, on retirement.Of the employer’s share of 12 %, 8.33 % is diverted towards the EPS.
• As per the rules, in EPF, employee whose ‘pay’ is more than Rs. 15,000 per month at the time of joining, is not eligible and is called non-eligible employee. 
• Employees drawing less than Rs 15000 per month have to mandatorily become members of the EPF. 
• However, an employee who is drawing ‘pay’ above prescribed limit (at present Rs 15,000) can become a member with permission of Assistant PF Commissioner, if he and his employer agree.

Context: Recently, the Reserve Bank of India has announced more measures to fight economic disruptions caused by the Coronavirus, like extension of realisation period of export proceeds and allowing States to borrow more.
Extended the Realisation Period of Export Proceeds

• The time period for realisation and repatriation of export proceeds made up to or on July 31, 2020 has been extended to 15 months from the date of export.
• Earlier, the value of the goods or software exports made by exporters is required to be realised fully and repatriated to the country within nine months from the date of exports.
• The measure will enable exporters to realise their receipts, especially from COVID-19 affected countries, within the extended period, and also provide greater flexibility to exporters to negotiate future export contracts with buyers abroad.
• Export activities have been disrupted in the wake of the pandemic and lockdown in many countries.

Increased Ways and Means Limit

• RBI has formed an advisory committee to review the Ways and Means limit for State governments and Union Territories.
• Till the panel submits its report, the RBI has increased the Ways and Means advances limit by 30% for States and union territories.
• The revised limits will come into force with effect from April 1, 2020 and will be valid till September 30, 2020.
• Recently, the Central Government has hiked Ways and Means Advance (WMA) limit with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) by 60%.
• The ‘Ways and Means Advances’ is a scheme that helps meet mismatches in receipts and payments of the government. Under this scheme, a government can avail itself of immediate cash from the RBI.

Deferred implementation of countercyclical capital buffers (CCyB)
Background

• The rule was first introduced in Basel III as an extension of another buffer (called the capital conservation buffer). Basel III is a voluntary set of measures agreed upon by central banks all around the world.

Recently,The RBI has deferred the implementation of Counter Cyclical Capital Buffer (CCyB) for banks.

• It has decided that it is not necessary to activate CCyB for a period of one year or earlier, as may be necessary.
• It is intended to protect the banking sector against losses that could be caused by cyclical systemic risks increasing in the economy.
• It require banks to hold capital at times when credit is growing rapidly so that the buffer can be reduced if the financial cycle turns down or the economic and financial environment becomes substantially worse.
• Banks can use the capital buffers they have built up during the growth phase of the financial cycle to cover losses that may arise during periods of stress and to continue supplying credit to the real economy.

About capital conservation buffer (CCB)

• CCB is a relatively new concept, introduced under the international Basel III norms.
• The concept says that during good times, banks must build up a capital buffer that can be drawn from when there is stress.
• In India, the minimum capital requirement is 9 per cent and the CCB would be 2.5 percentage points over and above the minimum capital requirement.

Significance of Capital Conservation Buffer

• It is designed to ensure that banks build up capital buffers outside periods of stress which can be drawn down, as losses are incurred.
• Regulations targeting the creation of adequate capital buffers are designed to reduce the procyclical nature of lending by promoting the creation of countercyclical buffers as suggested Basel 3 norms. 
• During credit expansion, banks have to set aside additional capital, while during the credit contraction, capital requirements can be loosened. Systemically important banks are subject to higher capital requirements.
• The capital buffers increase the resilience of banks to losses, reduce excessive or underestimated exposures and restrict the distribution of capital. These macroprudential instruments limit systemic risks in the financial system.

RBI has taken some measures to safeguard the economy from impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What are the measures?

• RBI has cut the Repo Rate by 75 basis points (bps) from 5.15% to 4.4%.
• Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and Bank Rate has been reduced from 5.40% to 4.65%
• Reverse Repo Rate is reduced by 90 bps to 4%
• Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) of banks to be reduced by 100 bps to 3%
• Banks are permitted to grant moratorium i.e. a temporary halt, on all term loans of 3-months of instalments.
• These measures will inject liquidity of Rs 3.74 lakh crore to the system.

What do these policy cuts mean?

• The cut in repo rate and CRR are the sharpest after the 2008 response to the global financial crisis.
• With a high 90 bps cut in the reverse repo rate, lenders are being nudged away from parking funds in RBI’s reverse repo corridor.
• This rate cut and other liquidity facilities need to be enveloped in a package of macro and micro-prudential relaxations and regulatory forbearance.

What does the 3-months moratorium mean?

• This is not a waiver, but only a deferment i.e. a borrower does not have to pay interest or repay the principal on a loan for 3 months.
• Since non-payment will not lead to non-performing asset classification by banks, there will be no impact on credit score of the borrowers.
• But, the payments will be cumulated and will need further spreading out over the next quarter.
• Help for MSMEs is provided by enhancing Working Capital draw limits, by reducing margins or extending the WC cycle.
• The moratorium will reduce anxiety among businesses and individuals who will see a fall in income/cash flows.

Will these measures be effective?

• The effectiveness also depends on stakeholders’ perception of the credibility of the authorities’ response functions.
• As the shock to an already weakened economic system was a public health crisis, the first task is to stabilise the economy.

The ?1.7 Lakh Crore relief package – named PMGKY- was announced by Union government to alleviate the distress caused by COVID-19 pandemic.

Do You Know?

• The cost of the COVID-19 lockdown in India is pegged at nearly ?9 lakh crore
• This is the third shock that the informal economy faces, after demonetisation and GST.
• US announced 2 trillion USD (Rs 148 Lakh crore) stimulus package to fight COVID-19

The Key features of PMGKY are:

• Healthcare Workers: Insurance cover of ?50 lakh
• Food grains to Poor: 80 crore poor people under National Food Security Act will receive five extra kg of wheat or rice and 1 kg of pulses
• MGNREGA workers (13.63 crore): Wage increased from ?182/day to ?202/day
• Jan Dhan Women Account holders (20.4 crore): DBT of ?500/ month for next three months 
• Senior Citizens, disabled & Poor widows (3 crore): Ex-gratia of ?1000 (through existing pension schemes)
• Farmers (8.7 crore): Front loading of ?2000 to them under existing PM Kisan Yojana
• Ujjwala Beneficiaries (8.3 crore): Free cylinders for next three months
• Wage earners: Those earning below ?15000/month in firms having less than 100 workers will receive 24% of their monthly wages into their PF accounts for next three months
• Construction workers: Centre has directed States to use Construction worker’s welfare fund to give relief to 3.5 crore registered workers

Is there a specific strategy used by government in this relief package?

1. Government has followed two-pronged approach
   • Ensuring a steady supply of food and cooking gas to poor people
   • Easing cash woes of the vulnerable sections of society
2. Fiscally prudent: By utilizing existing schemes funding for the package is kept within the budget so as to retain control over the deficit 
3. Preserving Financial resources -Given the uncertainty over the length of crisis – government may announce future relief packages to adapt with changing situation

Challenges:

• Modest cash transfer might not be enough given the drying up of incomes for the vulnerable sections of society
• Implementation issues: People may face difficulties to draw money from their accounts during the lockdown
• Migrant labourers may find difficulties to access the extra food grain announced
• Package does not address the challenges being faced by Informal MSMEs and other hard-hit sectors.

Way ahead:

• Intervention by RBI like providing regulatory forbearance, moratorium on interest payments, changing classification norms, and ensuring easy access to credit. 

• Centre needs to enhance the resources of State through measures like
  • Releasing all the pending dues owed to the state governments on account of GST compensation. 
  • Assist states in raising finances from markets (by giving sovereign guarantees)
  • Sharing bonanza from fall in crude oil prices. 
  • Consult States to ensure that supply chain, spread across multiple states, of essential commodities is not disrupted
  • Harvest time – may lead to price fall or wastage due to disruption caused by lockdown – States to be financially supported (agriculture is a State subject)
• Civil Society and Corporates needs to pitch in during this crisis with their financial and human resources

Context: Having been stuck for the last two weeks amid lockdown in the country, truckers raise concerns over  e-way bills for goods in transit or in godowns, which were getting expired and could not be renewed on due dates.

About E-way bills

• E-Way Bill is the short form of Electronic Way Bill.
• It is a unique document/bill which is electronically generated for the specific consignment/movement of goods from one place to another, either inter-state or intra-state and of value more than INR 50,000, required under the current Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.
• It offers the technological framework to track intra-state as well as inter-state movements of goods of value exceeding Rs 50,000, for sales beyond 10 km in the GST regime.
• The e-Way Bill has been made compulsory from 1st April 2018.
• When e-Way Bill is generated, a unique e-Way Bill Number (EBN) is made available to the supplier, recipient and the transporter.

Who should generate an e-Way Bill?
GST Registered Person

• When a registered person causes the movement of goods/ consignment, either in the capacity of a consignee (i.e., buyer) or consignor (i.e., seller) in his/her vehicle or hired vehicle or railways or by air or by ship, then either the registered person or the recipient should generate the e-Way Bill.

Unregistered Person

• When an unregistered person causes the movement of goods, through his/her conveyance or hired conveyance or using the services of a transporter, then the e-Way Bill needs to be generated either by the unregistered person or by the transporter.

Circumstances to issue e-Way Bill

• Ideally, e-Way Bill should be generated before the commencement of movement of goods above the value of INR 50,000 (either individual invoice or consolidated invoice of multiple consignments).
• The movement of goods will be either about a supply/ reasons other than supply (like return)/ inward supply from an unregistered person.
• For purposes of an e-Way Bill, supply is considered either a payment in the course of business/ a payment which may not be in the course of business/ no consideration of payment (in the case of barter/ exchange).

Context: Recently,the Government of India promulgated the Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation of Certain Provisions) Ordinance, 2020 to bring into effect various tax compliance related measures announced on March 24 in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

• Extension of several time limits related to direct and indirect tax filings have been extended to June 30, so has the date for passing of order or issuance of notice by tax authorities under various direct taxes and Benami Law.
• The Ordinance also amended the provisions of the Income-tax Act to provide the same tax treatment to the PM-CARES Fund as available to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
• It also allowed for 100% exemption of donations made to PM Cares fund, set up to aid containment and relief efforts against the virus outbreak. Also, the limit on deduction of 10% of gross income shall also not be applicable for such donations.
• Taxpayers can avail the Sabka Vishwas Legal Dispute Resolution Scheme 2019 till June 30, giving more time to settle their indirect tax disputes.
• Government has enabled itself by amending the CGST Act, 2017, to extend due dates for various compliances including statement of outward supplies, filing refund claims, filing appeals, among others, on recommendations of the GST Council.

About Ordinance

• Ordinances are like a law but not enacted by the Parliament but rather promulgated by President of India when Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha or either of those is not in session. 
• Union Cabinet’s recommendation is a must for an ordinance to be promulgated.Using ordinances, immediate legislative actions can be taken.
• For an ordinance to exist, it should be approved by the Parliament within six weeks of it being introduced. 
• Parliament is required to sit within 6 weeks from when Ordinance was introduced. 

Ordinance Making Power of President
Article 123 deals with the ordinance making power of the President. President has many legislative powers and this power is one of them. He can only promulgate the ordinance under these circumstances:

• When both the houses or either of the house is not in session
• Circumstances occur where the President thinks it necessary to act without waiting for houses to assemble.
• No instructions are needed by President’s when he promulgates an ordinance
• His power to promulgate ordinance is not a discretionary power. Council of Ministers’ (headed by PM) advice is a pre-requisite
• The ordinance introduced by him can be withdrawn anytime

There are the following limitations

• President can promulgate an ordinance only when both the houses are not in session or only one house is in session.
• For an ordinance to be promulgated, such circumstances should be there which deem it necessary for President to legislate through the ordinance
• The President cannot promulgate an ordinance unless he is satisfied that there are circumstances that require taking ‘immediate action’.
• Ordinances must be approved by Parliament within six weeks of reassembling or they shall cease to operate. They will also cease to operate in case resolutions disapproving the ordinance are passed by both the Houses.

Context: Recently, India has invoked the peace clause of the World Trade Organization for exceeding the ceiling on support it can offer farmers for rice for the marketing year 2018-2019, marking the first time any country has taken recourse to this safeguard.
Issue

• “India’s breach of commitment for rice, a traditional staple food crop… arises from support provided in pursuance of public stockholding programmes for food security purposes which were in existence as of the date of the Bali Ministerial Decision on Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes.
• In its notification to the organisation, Govt.said that under its public stockholding programmes for food security purposes, rice, wheat, coarse cereals and pulses, among others, are acquired and released in order to meet the domestic food security needs of India’s poor and vulnerable population, and “not to impede commercial trade or food security of others.” 
• India is confident that it has met the conditions to be able to use the peace clause – and not distort trade or adversely affect the food security of other members – and that no country will raise a dispute.
• The peace clause protects a developing country’s food procurement programmes against action from WTO members in case subsidy ceilings are breached. High subsidies are seen to be distorting global trade.

About WHO Peace clause

• Peace clause’ available to India under the Bali agreement that says no member can take action against another on the food subsidy issue till a final agreement is reached on the issue, the deadline for which is the 11th ministerial in 2017.
• It is a mechanism which protects a developing country’s food procurement programmes against action from WTO members in case subsidy ceilings are breached (10% of the concerned crop’s value of production).
• It is available to the developing nations till a ‘permanent solution’ is found by the WTO members to the issue of public stockholding for food security purposes.

Context: Recently, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released ‘Emissions Gap Report’, according to which India is the fourth-largest emitter of Green House Gases (GHGs).
About Emission Gap

• Also called the “Commitment Gap”, it is the difference between the low level of emissions that the world needs to drop to, compared with the projected level of emissions based on countries’ current commitments to decarbonization.
• Every year, the report looks at the expected size of the gap in 2030 and progress countries are making in closing it.
• It looks at different scenarios based on the pledges that countries made to reduce or minimize their emissions under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The Emissions Gap Report measures and projects three key trendlines

• The amount of greenhouse gas emissions every year up to 2030.
• The commitments countries are making to reduce their emissions and the impact these commitments are likely to have on overall emission reduction.
• The pace at which emissions must be reduced to reach an emission low that would limit temperature increase to 1.5°C, affordably.

About Emissions Gap Report, 2019

• G20 nations collectively account for 78 per cent of all emissions, but only five G20 members have committed to a long-term zero emissions target.
• In the short-term, developed countries will have to reduce their emissions quicker than developing countries, for reasons of fairness and equity.
• All nations must substantially increase ambition in their NDCs, as the Paris commitments are known, in 2020.
• The world will fail to meet the 1.5°C temperature goal of the Paris Agreement unless global greenhouse gas emissions fall by 7.6 per cent each year.
• Global temperatures are set to rise about 3.2 degrees C by 2100.
• The top four emitters (China, USA, EU and India) contributed to over 55% of the total emissions over the last decade, excluding emissions from land-use change such as deforestation.

Solutions to curb this emissions

• A full decarbonization of the energy sector is necessary and possible.
• Renewables and energy efficiency are critical to the energy transition.
• The potential emission reduction thanks to renewable energy electricity totals 12.1 gigatonnes by 2050.
• Electrification of transport could reduce the sector’s CO2 emissions by a huge 72 per cent by 2050.
• Each sector and each country has unique opportunities to harness renewable energy, protect natural resources, lives and livelihoods, and transition to a decarbonization pathway.

Context: Despite the lockdown, India officially moved to a regime of tighter emission norms for motorised two- and four-wheelers.

• In 2016, the government had said India would directly progress from BS-IV norms to BSVI, skipping the intermediary stage. Nearly Rs 60,000 crore was spent on the switch-over to BS-VI fuels.

All you need to know about BS-VI fuels

• At fuel stations, only the low-sulphur fuel that complies with Bharat Stage-VI emission norms will be sold and so will cars at stores, whose engines meet the stricter norms.
• As per BS-VI emission norms, petrol vehicles will have to effect a 25% reduction in their NOx, or nitrogen oxide emissions.
• Diesel engines will have to reduce their HC+NOx (hydro carbon + nitrogen oxides) by 43%, their NOx levels by 68% and particulate matter levels by 82%. 
• BS-VI petrol and diesel, which have sulphur content of just 10 parts per million, were set to be costlier by Rs. 1/litre each, but state-run oil firms decided to maintain the current prices by adjusting the levy against cheaper crude.
• The emission norms of all models of two-wheelers in India are ahead of Europe (2021) and Japan (2022), and India is the first country to adopt this level of Emission Norms.

About Bharat Stage Emission Norms

• Bharat stage (BS) emission standards are laid down by the government to regulate the output of air pollutants from internal combustion engine and spark-ignition engine equipment, including motor vehicles.
• The first emission norms were introduced in India in 1991 for petrol and in 1992 for diesel vehicles. Followed these, the catalytic converter became mandatory for petrol vehicles and unleaded petrol was introduced in the market.
• The standards and the timeline for implementation are set by the Central Pollution Control Board under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• Compared to the BS4, BS6 emission standards are stricter. Whereas makers use this variation to update their vehicles with new options and safety standards, the biggest modification comes in the permissible emission norms.

Context: The nationwide lockdown, to prevent COVID-19, has led to minimal air pollution in over 90 cities including Delhi.
Key Findings

• During the lockdown, the government has asked the people to avoid unnecessary travel which has significantly reduced the traffic movement.
• Other factors which have contributed to the improved air quality are shutting down of industries and construction sites and rains.

According to the centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the measures against COVID-19 have led to a drop in:

PM 2.5

• It is an atmospheric Particulate Matter of diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres, which is around 3% of the diameter of a human hair.
• It causes respiratory problems and also reduces visibility.
• It is an endocrine disruptor that can affect insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity thus contributing to diabetes.

Nitrogen Oxide (NOx)

• NOx pollution is mainly caused due to high motor vehicle traffic and can increase the risk of respiratory conditions.
• Generally in March, pollution is in the moderate category in the Air Quality Index while currently, it is in the satisfactory or good category.
• Under the good category, pollution is considered to be at the lowest and the air is believed to be the healthiest to breathe.

According to Central Pollution Control Board(CPCB) 

• Air quality in the National Capital Territory of Delhi is presently in the good category.
• Kanpur, which has high pollution levels normally, is in the satisfactory category.
• 92 other cities with CPCB monitoring centres have recorded minimal air pollution, with the air quality ranging between good and satisfactory.

About Air Quality Index

• The AQI is an index for reporting daily air quality.
• It focuses on health effects one might experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air.
• AQI is calculated for Eight Major Air Pollutants namely PM2.5, PM10, Carbon monoxide, Sulfur dioxide, Nitrogen dioxide,Ammonia, Lead and Ground-level ozone

About Ground-level ozone

• It is also found in the stratosphere and protects from ultraviolet (UV) rays, while in the troposphere (ground level) it acts as a pollutant.
• It is not a primary pollutant but a secondary one.
• Ground-level ozone is not emitted directly into the air but is created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the presence of sunlight.
• Ground-level ozone and airborne particles are the two pollutants that pose the greatest threat to human healh in India

Other Observations and Suggestions

• The low AQI and the blue skies prove that air pollution was mostly anthropomorphic (man-made), which can be reduced by conscious efforts.
• Reducing air pollution by rapidly slowing down the economy is not an ideal way so mindful use of technologies and low-emission alternatives can be opted to minimise the pollution.
• It was also emphasised that air pollution weakens the lungs so countries like India with higher pollution and lower nutrition levels will be more affected by COVID-19 leading to higher morbidity and deaths.

Context: Recently, the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) banned sunscreen products with chemicals include those containing 3 Os: oxybenzone, octocrylene and octinoxate known to be harmful to coral reefs and marine life.
 Key Findings

• The ban came into effect on March 30, 2020, making USVI territory the first in the United States to implement it.
• Sunscreens containing the 3 Os — oxybenzone, octocrylene and octinoxate — harm the coral reefs that protect the Virgin Islands’ shoreline.
• Sunscreens containing mineral alternatives such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide have been exempted.
• The concentration of these chemicals is 40 times more than acceptable levels in some of the territorial waters.
• The archipelago nation of Palau is set to become the first country to enact a sunscreen ban, which will take effect in 2020.

About the Triple Threat: Oxybenzone, Octinoxate, and now Octocrylene

• Oxybenzone is a photo-toxicant, especially in the presence of ultraviolent light. This means that the greater the light intensity, especially in the UV and near-UV spectrum, new forms of toxicity manifest, and usually in a dose-dependent manner of both oxybenzone and light. It can have devastating effects on invertebrates, especially on juvenile developmental stages. In coral, it can cause coral bleaching, DNA damage, planula deformity, mortality, and skeletal endocrine disruption.
• Octinoxate filters UV-B rays from the sun. It does not protect against UV-A rays. It dissolves in oil, which makes it a fat-seeking substance in the body. It is formed by combining methoxycinnamic acid and 2-ethylhexanol- compounds which are not harmful on their own. When mixed together, they form a clear liquid that does not dissolve in water. It is found in hair color products and shampoos, sunscreen, lipstick, nail polish, and skin creams. In products other than sunscreens, it is used as a UV filter to protect the products from degrading when exposed to the sun. It is approved for use in cosmetics worldwide; the maximum concentration in ready-for-use preparations varies according to local legislation. According to the U.S. FDA the recommended use levels is up to 7.5 percent.
• Octocrylene is an organic compound used as an ingredient in sunscreens and cosmetics. It is an ester formed by the reaction of 3,3-diphenylcyanoacrylate with 2-ethylhexanol. It is a viscous, oily liquid that is clear and colorless.The extended conjugation of the acrylate portion of the molecule absorbs UVB and short-wave UVA (ultraviolet) rays with wavelengths from 280 to 320 nm, protecting the skin from direct DNA damage.

About Coral Reefs

• They are large underwater structures composed of the skeletons of colonial marine invertebrates called coral.
• They are important hotspots of biodiversity in the ocean and animals in the class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria.
• They secrete CaCO3 to form a hard skeleton.
• They are found only in the tropical seas between 30°N-25°S and the salinity requirement is 27 to 40%.
• Optimal temperature is 23°C-25°C, and must not fall below 20°C and above 35°C.

Importance of Coral reefs to Environment

• Coral reefs control the level of carbon dioxide in the water by converting it into a limestone shell.
• They support a wide range of species and maintain the quality of the coastal biosphere.

Context: Recently,Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations released report on Peatland degradation which play a crucial role in regulating global climate by acting as carbon sinks, are facing degradation and need to be urgently monitored.
Key findings of the report

• Peatlands cover only three per cent of Earth’s surface. However, their degradation due to drainage, fire, agricultural use and forestry can trigger release of the stored carbon in a few decades.
• The report highlights important case studies from Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Peru in their attempts to map and monitor peatlands.
• Peatlands contain 30 per cent of the world’s soil carbon.
• When drained, these emit greenhouse gases, contributing up to one gigaton of emissions per year through oxidation, according to the report.

Mapping peatlands

• Peatlands are formed due to the accumulation of partially decomposed plant remains over thousands of years under conditions of water-logging.
• To prevent their further degradation, these areas should be urgently mapped and monitored.
• Peatland mapping tells us where the peat is and what condition it is in.
• Together, with conservation and restoration measures, mapping also helps in maintaining water regulation services (reduction of flood intensities) and biodiversity.
• For countries keen on reducing emissions, monitoring the ground water level of peatlands is vital, or else they can turn into carbon emission sources.
• Mapping methodologies include both ground and remotely-sensed input data.
• The monitoring exercise of Peatlands requires a mix of satellite and ground-based exercises.

About Degraded peatlands

• Badly degraded peatlands that have been drained for a longer period of time, potentially burned and intensely managed can become hydrophobic.
• In this case, their re-wetting would not occur via natural means.
• Though peatlands in North America and the Russian Federation are still intact, about 25 per cent have degraded in Europe, Central and Southeast Asia, East Africa, southern America and the Amazon.

Restoration measures

• Indonesia, which has 40 per cent of all tropical peatlands, has taken corrective measures to alter drainage and deforestation since the 1980s.
• Their government created the Peat Ecosystem Restoration Information System (PRIMS), an online platform that provides information on the condition of peatlands and restoration efforts undertaken.
• Restoration work of highland peatlands was also conducted in the Hindukush Himalayan (HKH) region.
• This was done to ensure water security for cities in their watersheds.
• According to an ICIMOD report, the total peat area, excluding China, in the HKH region was 17,106 square kilometres in 2008. The degrading peat area was 8,236 square kilometres.
• In India, peatlands occupy roughly 320–1,000 square kilometres area.

Other benefits

• Peatlands occur in different climate zones. While in tropical climate, they can occur in mangroves, in Arctic regions, peatlands are dominated by mosses. Some mangrove species are known to develop peatland soils under them.
• Besides climate mitigation, peatlands are important for archaeology, as they maintain pollen, seeds and human remains for a long time in their acidic and water-logged conditions.
• The vegetation growing on pristine peatlands provide different kinds of fibres for construction activities and handicrafts.
• Peatlands also provide fishing and hunting opportunities. It is also possible to practise paludiculture or wet agriculture on rewetted peatlands.
• According to the Greifswald Mire Centre Strategy 2018-2022, rewetting of peatlands reduces emissions and can play an important role in achieving the objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Context: Recently,China’s National Health Commission published a list of recommended treatments, apart from western medicine and Chinese medicine, the list included Tan Re Qing, injections that contain bear bile powder.
Background

• Ever since the attention, China has faced enormous pressure from Chinese citizens as well as people from round the globe to end the use of wildlife as a resource.
• Subsequently, the Chinese government finally began laying the groundwork to impose a permanent ban on the trade and consumption of live wild animals for food.
• However, the trade of wild animals for medicine, pets, and scientific research will still carry on in China, although it will be subject to “strict” approval and quarantine procedures.
• Wherein it has recommended the use of Tan Re Qing, an injection that contains bear bile.
• Bear's bile contains high levels of ursodeoxycholic acid, also known as ursodiol. It has been clinically proven to help dissolve gallstones and treat liver disease.

About Bear's bile

• Tan Re Qing is secreted by the liver and stored in the gallbladder of the bear. 
• The bile from various species of bears, including Asiatic black bears and brown bears, has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine since the 8th century. 
• Bear's bile contains high levels of ursodeoxycholic acid, also known as ursodiol. 
• It has been clinically proven to help dissolve gallstones and treat liver disease. Ursodeoxycholic acid has been available as a synthetic drug worldwide for decades.
• The process of extracting bile from the live bear is painful and can cause agony to the animal. Hence, a  synthetic version of ursodeoxycholic acid has been available for decades.

About Asiatic Black Bear

Common names: Asiatic black bear, Himalayan black bear
IUCN status - vulnerable (A2cd+3d+4d); CITES Appendix I
Scientific name: Ursus thibetanus
Physical Description

• The Asiatic Black Bear has a coat of smooth black fur and can be distinguished by a V of white fur on its chest. It is similar in appearance to the brown bear, but with a slighter build.

Ecology & Habitat

• Broad leaved and coniferous forests to an elevation of 4,300m.

Population & Distribution

• The Asiatic black bear occupies a narrow band from southeastern Iran through Afghanistan and Pakistan, across the foothills of the Himalayas, to Myanmar. It occupies all countries in mainland Southeast Asia except Malaysia and has a patchy distribution in southern China. Another population cluster exists in northeastern China, the southern Russian Far East, and into North Korea. A small remnant population exists in South Korea. They also live on the southern islands of Japan (Honshu and Shikoku) and on Taiwan (China) and Hainan. There are no accurate estimates of population size available.

Threats

• Illegal hunting for body parts, specifically the gall bladder, paws and skin poses the main threat, together with habitat loss caused by logging, expansion of human settlements and roads.

Context: Recently, a study was conducted by scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) which has proved that the Himalayan Ibex is a distinct species from the Siberian Ibex.
About the Study

• The paper, ‘Genetic evidence for allopatric speciation of the Siberian Ibex (Capra sibirica) in India,’ has recently been published in Endangered Species Research, an international peer-reviewed journal.
• The researchers, under a project funded through the National Mission on Himalayan Studies implemented by the Ministry of Environment, undertook field surveys and collected faecal samples from Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.
• Himalayan Ibex is distributed in the trans-Himalayan ranges of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh up to the river Sutlej.

About Himalayan Ibex

• It is listed as Least Concern species as per IUCN Red List.
• The Himalayan Ibex male is distinguished from other ibex because of his characteristic horn and beard.
• The Ibex does not always migrate to lower heights in winter and mostly stays at fairly high altitude using wind-blown ridges.
• It is found in the Trans Himalayas region of Ladakh and the Greater Himalayas and Pir Panjals of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
• It is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Threats: Poaching also occurs in some areas by military personnel, road maintenance workers, and others, especially in areas accessible by vehicle.
About Siberian Ibex

• It is a wild goat species which is listed as Least Concern as per IUCN Red List.
• It is distributed in diverse habitats, ranging from cold deserts, rocky outcrops, steep terrain, high-land flats and mountain ridges to low mountains and foothills.
• Its distribution extends from Mongolia towards Altai, Hangai, Gobi-Altai, the Hurukh mountain ranges as well as Sayan Mountains near Russia.
• Its Distribution: In Asia, Most Siberian ibexes are seen in central and northern Asia, Afghanistan, western and northern China (Primarily Xinjiang), north-western India, south-eastern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, eastern Uzbekistan, Mongolia, northern Pakistan, and south-central Russia.

About National Mission on Himalayan Studies 

• Implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• Vision: To support the sustenance and enhancement of the ecological, natural, cultural, and socioeconomic capital assets and values of the IHR. 
• Mission: To launch and support innovative studies and related knowledge interventions (that do not tread on the beaten path) towards the sustenance and enhancement of the ecological, natural, cultural, and socio-economic capital assets and values of the IHR. 
• The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) is the section of the Himalayas within India, spanning 10 Indian states (administrative regions) namely, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal of Indian Republic.

The NMHS envisages to work towards a set of linked and complementary goals including 

• Fostering conservation and sustainable management of natural resources, 
• Enhancing supplementary and/or alternative livelihoods for IHR peoples and overall economic and ecological well-being of the region, 
• Controlling and preventing pollution in the region, 
• Fostering increased/augmented human and institutional capacities and the knowledge and policy environments in the region, 
• Strengthening, greening, and fostering development of climate-resilient core infrastructure and basic services assets. 

Context: According to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), the strict enforcement of 21-day lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the pollution in Kaveri river and its tributaries.

• According to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), the Cauvery and tributaries like Kabini, Hemavati, Shimsha, and Lakshmana Tirtha are regaining their decades-old status in terms of water quality.
• Also the untreated sewage from residential areas, pollutants from industries, religious waste material from pilgrims, and construction debris had been polluting the rivers.
• These rivers were flowing with hazardous elements such as lead, fluoride, faecal coliform, and some suspended solids in highly dangerous quantities. 
• It is evident that the lockdown has significantly brought down the pollution level in rivers, said sources in KSPCB.
• However, the board will test the water samples at the regional laboratory in Mysuru under the national programme Monitoring of Indian National Aquatic Resources and Global Environmental Monitoring Scheme.

About Global Environment Monitoring System (GEMS)

• It was introduced in 1975 at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment.
• It is a global operation that collects information to better understand and protect the Earth’s environment.
• This effort is made with the cooperation of other countries, who contribute data to the GEMS.

About Monitoring of Indian National Aquatic Resources (MINARS)

• It is a National Programme of monitoring national aquatic resources.
• It was started in 1984, with a total of 113 stations spread over 10 river basins.
• The present network comprises 870 stations on rivers, lentic water bodies and subsurface waters.

About Cauvery River

• It also Known as Dakshina Ganga or the Ganga of the South.
• It rises at an elevation of 1,341 m at Talakaveri on the Brahmagiri range near Cherangala village of Kodagu (Coorg) district of Karnataka.
• The total length of the river from origin to outfall is 800 km.
• The Cauvery basin extends over states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Union Territory of Puducherry draining an area of 81 thousand Sq.km.
• It is bounded by the Western Ghats on the west, by the Eastern Ghats on the east and the south and by the ridges separating it from Krishna basin and Pennar basin on the north.
• The Nilgiris divide the basin into two natural and political regions i.e., Karnataka plateau in the North and the Tamil Nadu plateau in the South.

Tributaries of the Cauvery River

• Left Bank: the Harangi, the Hemavati, the Shimsha and the Arkavati.
• Right Bank: Lakshmantirtha, the Kabbani, the Suvarnavathi, the Bhavani, the Noyil and the Amaravati joins from right.

Why in News?

The Centre has decided to postpone the first phase of the 2021 Census, earlier planned to start on 1st April 2020, due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

What is the current situation?

• The 21-day national lockdown called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is until April 15.
• But the return of any semblance of normalcy in daily life will take many more weeks, if not months.
• India is still struggling to make sense of the extent and intensity of the pandemic and the accompanying and inevitable economic calamity.
• It is certain that all resources will need to be mobilised, first for combating the malady and then for tending society and the economy back to its health and dynamism.

What was the original schedule?

• According to the original schedule, there were two phases,
  1. 1st phase (April to September 2020) - House listing and updating of the National Population Register, and
  2. 2nd phase (February 2021) - Population enumeration.
• As the Census is a massive exercise, which involves mass contact and diversion of resources, the Centre has postponed it.

What does this suspension mean?

• As the Centre has put off the first phase until further orders, the State governments can now focus on the pressing task of combating the coronavirus.
• This suspension opens a fresh window, and an entirely new context, for reconciliation between the Centre and States on the exercise itself.
• The NPR exercise and the allied questions regarding citizenship rights had turned India into a cauldron of discord.
• But, the pandemic has forced the collective attention of the country on the interconnectedness of modern life.

Why did the State governments oppose?

• Several State governments had made their opposition clear to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
• They also made their opposition to the additional questions in the NPR pro forma that many fear is a prelude to something more cynical and divisive that is based on some quaint ideas of nationhood.
• The Centre clarified that people could choose not to respond to these questions, but never bothered to address the underlying concerns.

What could the Centre do?

• The Centre can turn this crisis into an opportunity to restore mutually respectful terms for relations with States and harmony among communities — both currently frayed.
• Unshakeable national unity is essential for the country to tide over the pandemic crisis.
• The Centre must use this sobering backdrop to analyse India’s priorities as a country and revisit its idea of citizenship and plans for the NPR.

The transfer of Chief Justice Vijaya K. Tahilramani from the Madras High Court to Meghalaya is shocking and disconcerting. She had presided over a court of 75 judges and administered a subordinate judiciary in 32 districts in addition to the Union Territory of Puducherry. In contrast, the Meghalaya High Court has only three judges and a subordinate judiciary in just seven districts.

The transfer of a Chief Justice from one of the bigger High Courts to one of the smallest High Courts in the country is an obvious case of downgrading and amounts to public humiliation of the highest judicial officer in a State. Her response to this humiliation has been graceful but resolute — resignation.

Supreme Court’s jurisdiction over transfer of judge-

• The Supreme Court derives its power to select, appoint and transfer judges from its verdicts in Three Judges Cases.
• After a spate of “punishment transfers” of upright judges by the Central government during the Emergency in 1975, the judiciary arrogated to itself the power in order to preserve judicial independence.
• Thus, the collegium system consisting of the Chief Justice of India and four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court was put in place.
• However, the apex court’s power to transfer is not unfettered and absolute and can only be carried out in public interest for better administration of justice.
• The Supreme Court can order a judge’s transfer to improve the functioning of either of the High Courts or if there are close relatives of the judge practicing in the same Court.
• The apex court can also do so if the judge has litigation or property interest in the State or has become controversial and so her continuance in the same High Court is not conducive.

What can be done-

• The Supreme Court cannot function as a sentinel of justice unless it puts its own house in order. Its functions, both judicial and administrative, have to be transparent and accountable.
• The collegium is not a creation of the Constitution, but of the court itself.
• Yet, when the collegium’s decisions are called into question for having been influenced by extraneous considerations, there is no institutional check.
• The government’s attempt to have a National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) was rejected by the Supreme Court in 2015 and the system of collegium has continued with its opaqueness and inconsistencies.
• A proper mechanism needs to be placed whereby the selection and transfer of judges needs to be carried on in public scrutiny.

Conclusion-

In recent times, despite its judicial pronouncements in cases such as the entry of women into Sabarimala and triple talaq, the Supreme Court has not exactly covered itself with glory in cases of women on its own administrative side.

 Any arbitrary transfer by the Supreme Court collegium reduces the High Court judges to a subordinate status. Further, the collegium system, by its opacity, has failed to build a fearless and strong judiciary and serve the public interest.

Context: Recently,The Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was passed by the Karnataka Assembly in order to bring about major changes in the functioning of the rural local bodies in Karnataka.

Salient features of the Bill

• The Bill amends the Karnataka Gram swaraj and Panchayat Raj act, 1993.
• It reduces the term of the offices of presidents and vice-presidents of gram panchayats, taluk panchayats and zilla panchayats from five years to 30 months.
• No-confidence motion could not be moved against the presidents and vice-presidents of all three-tiers of local bodies before 15 months from the date of election. At present, no-confidence motion can be moved within 30 months from the date of election.
• The Deputy Commissioner would preside over the meeting while no-confidence motion is considered in taluk panchayat and the regional commissioner would preside in the case of Zilla Panchayats.
• In case the no-confidence moved is defeated, then no such motion is to be moved again in the next six months.
• The Bill envisages some electoral reforms and that included closing of liquor shops 48 hours before the polling of panchayats.
• On property tax collection by Gram Panchayats: It has proposed no tax on vacant land in airport or industrial area or industrial areas where plantations are grown. It proposes to levy 0.10% tax on the capital value of the property on the runway area of an airport.

Context: Recently,Sixty two Cantonment Boards spread over 19 States/Union Territories, across the country, with a population of approx. 21 lakh  (including military and civil) have geared up to the challenge posed by Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Key Findings

• Instructions have been issued to all the Cantonment Boards to identify beds in hospitals/health centres and guest houses for any eventuality.
• Presidents and Chief Executive Officers of the Cantonment Boards are in constant touch with civilian authorities in their respective areas and providing required assistance whenever needed.
• All the advisories issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare are being strictly adhered to by all the Cantonment Boards.
• All the Cantonment offices buildings, residential areas, school premises, libraries, parks and markets are being sanitised regularly.
• Task forces have been set up consisting of office staff to ensure supply of essential commodities, food items, etc, especially for poor people residing in Cantonment areas.

About Cantonment Boards

• It is a civic administration body in India under control of the Ministry of Defence.
• It is neither elected nor a statutory body. A cantonment board is for municipal administration for civilian population in the cantonment area.
• The overall municipal administration of the Cantonment areas comes under Cantonment Boards which are democratic bodies.
• The Cantonment areas were and are primarily meant to accommodate the military population and their installations.
• Cantonments are different from the Military Stations in that the Military Stations are purely meant for the use and accommodation of the armed forces and these are established under an executive order whereas the Cantonments are areas which comprise of both military and civil population.

Cantonments are divided into four categories, namely,

• Category I – population exceeds fifty thousand.
• Category II – population exceeds ten thousand, but does not exceed fifty thousand.
• Category III – population exceeds two thousand five hundred, but does not exceed ten thousand.
• Category IV – population does not exceed two thousand five hundred.

Members

• The board comprises elected members besides ex-officio and nominated members as per the Cantonments Act, 2006.
• The term of office of a member of a board is five years.
• A cantonment board consists of eight elected members, three nominated military members, three ex-officio members (station commander, garrison engineer and senior executive medical officer), and one representative of the district magistrate.

He was born on November 12, 1938, in Leiah, West Punjab (now in Pakistan).He did his schooling in Ambala and then studied at Kirori Mal College, Delhi University. He served as a historian at the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT).
Arjun Dev served as Member Secretary of the National Steering Committee on Textbook evaluation. One of his books, which was discontinued by NCERT and was republished by Orient Blackswan as “History of the World: From the Late 19th to the Early 20th century”, has remained a widely read text.

After retiring from the NCERT, Prof. Arjun took up another major enterprise, the Towards Freedom Project of the Indian Council of Historical Research. It was a project conceived as a rejoinder to the British government-inspired Transfer of Power Volumes which documented the history of the last ten years of colonial rule in India in a manner that did scant justice to our great national liberation struggle. 

A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar in Punjab’s Rupnagar district has come up with a design of an autonomous ‘WardBot’ which can deliver medicines and food to COVID-19 patients in isolation wards without human intervention.
Key Points:
i.The WardBot was developed under the guidance of EktaSingla, Associate Professor and Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Ropar.
ii.The deployment of WardBot in hospitals helps in minimising the risk of the frontline health staff getting infected with the deadly virus (COVID-19).
iii.About WardBot: The Ward bot is fitted with sensors, can work on a known path and can carry food items and medicines, necessary equipment for delivery to patients at different beds from one room to the other from the remotely located control room.
iv.The control room can instruct multiple bots to accomplish tasks simultaneously on different floors.v.The WardBot uses simple gesture sensors for a quarantined person to wave a bye to the robot, as an indication of receiving the material. Patients will get intimation through bed IDs being displayed on small LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) units.
vi.Other Features: WardBot also has a feature of self-sanitising on the return path and could be used for sanitising walls of the hospital and can also work in low-light conditions.

About IIT-Ropar:
Motto– Deploy our intellect on the right path
Director– Sarit Kumar Das.

Context: Recently, Scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), an autonomous institution under the Department of Science and Technology, has developed a one-step curable anti-microbial coating which, when coated on different surfaces such as textile, plastic and so on could kill a range of virus types including COVID 19.
About this Covalent Coating

• It is a one-step curable anti-microbial coating.
• It can kill a range of virus types including COVID-19 when it was applied on different surfaces such as textile, plastic and so on.
• It was found out that the coating could completely kill influenza virus as well as resistant pathogenic bacteria and fungi, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and fluconazole-resistant C. albicans spp.
• It is anticipated that the coating may inactivate SARS-CoV-2 upon contact and can help prevent contamination if coated on various surfaces.
• The coating can be fabricated on a variety of surfaces, and its ease and robustness eliminate the necessity of skilled personnel for procurement of the coating.
• The coating can be fabricated on a variety of surfaces, and its ease and robustness eliminate the necessity of skilled personnel for procurement of the coating.
• The molecules developed have an ability to chemically cross-link with different surfaces upon UV irradiation.
• Upon the formation of the coating, it has been shown to permeabilize the membranes of pathogens (i.e. bacteria) leading to their inactivation.
• Molecules were designed, keeping in mind their optimum solubility in a wide range of solvents (such as water, ethanol, chloroform etc.) and a cost-effective three to four-step synthetic strategy with easy purification and high yield.
• For coating on cotton, the sheets were dipped in a water solution of the compounds whereas, for other cases, ethanolic substrates were drop-casted on them followed by UV irradiation.
• After coating, the surfaces were evaluated for their antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activity.

Significance of this Research

• Microbial attachment and their colony formation on different surfaces play a major role in the transmission of deadly infections in the community as well as healthcare settings.
• The recent outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 has created an unprecedented stir in the global public health. Corona virus, like influenza, is also an enveloped virus.
• Therefore it is anticipated that the coating may inactivate SARS-CoV-2 upon contact and can help prevent contamination if coated on various surfaces.
• The molecule can be synthesized in large scale through a CRO (Contract Research Organization) and can be coated on various personal protective tools such as masks, gloves, gowns, etc. in collaboration with the private organizations.
• The molecules can also be coated on other medical devices and tools to avoid hospital-acquired or nosocomial infections.

Context: Researchers have been working on a hybrid system that creates the building blocks for organic molecules by capturing the energy of sunlight. And this system works by combining bacteria and nanowires.

   Background 

• If humans ever hope to colonize Mars, the settlers will need to manufacture on-planet a huge range of organic compounds, from fuels to drugs, that are too expensive to ship from Earth.
• We can’t ship packages between Mars and Earth back on forth: one, that would be extremely expensive; two, it is not sustainable. So it is necessary for us to have a plan to produce most items locally.
• The only other requirement, besides sunlight, is water, which on Mars is relatively abundant in the polar ice caps and likely lies frozen underground over most of the planet?.

About Nanowires 

• They are incredibly thin silicon wires that are about a hundredth of the width of a human hair. 
• They are used as electronic components, sensors, and solar cells. In order to work it, we only need sunlight and water, which Mars has plenty on its vast surfaces in frozen form.

How does the system work? 

• The system works like photosynthesis.
• The left side of the reactor is the chamber which contains the nanowire-bacteria hybrid that reduces CO2 to form acetate. Oxygen is produced on the right side.
• The team first demonstrated the nanowire-bacteria hybrid reactor five years ago; however, the solar conversion efficiency was only about 0.4%. 
• The researchers tried to increase the efficiency by putting more bacteria onto the nanowires, however, that idea wouldn't make the cut.
• The efficiency of the system is comparable to the plant that best converts CO2 to sugar, which is sugar cane by 4-5% efficiency.
• Top efficiency is achieved by operating at the optimal acidity for bacteria, which gave more efficient conversion of solar energy to carbon bonds.  
• The silicon nanowires are essentially like an antenna: They capture the solar photon just like a solar panel. Within these silicon nanowires, they will generate electrons and feed them to these bacteria. Then the bacteria absorb CO2, and spit out acetate. 
• The biohybrid can also pull carbon dioxide from the air on Earth to make organic compounds and simultaneously address climate change, which is caused by an excess of human-produced CO2 in the atmosphere.
• We can almost think of this as planting new trees. While producing energy, it helps with climate change too. It brings a good deal for everyone involved.

Context: Recently, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States has approved the use of Convalescent plasma collected from patients recovered from COVID-19, to treat seriously ill COVID-19 patients.

About the Therapy

• It seeks to make use of the antibodies developed in the recovered patient against the coronavirus. 
• The whole blood or plasma from such people is taken, and the plasma is then injected in critically ill patients so that the antibodies are transferred and boost their fight against the virus.

Need of the hour

• While clinical trials are underway to evaluate the safety and efficacy of administering convalescent plasma to patients with COVID-19, the FDA is granting clinicians permission for use of investigational convalescent plasma under single-patient emergency Investigational New Drug Applications (INDs), since no known cure exists and a vaccine is more than 1 year away from becoming available.

WHO guidelines in this regard

• It mandate a donor’s permission before extracting plasma. 
• Plasma from only recovered patients must be taken, and donation must be done from people not infected with HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, or any infectious disease. 
• If whole blood is collected, the plasma is separated by sedimentation or centrifugation, then injected in the patient.
• If plasma needs to be collected again from the same person, it must be done after 12 weeks of the first donation for males and 16 weeks for females, the WHO guidelines state.

Can it be Done in India ?

• India has facilities for removing 500 ml of plasma from a donor using aphaeresis.
• Experts say the treatment could be effective for patients in the age group 40-60, but may be less effective for people aged beyond 60 years.
• The move would require a series of approvals as India has never done this before for combating any disease.
• While plasma transfers immunity from one person to another, it is not known if it can save lives in COVID-19 infection. 
• However, past records show the efficacy of treatment against diseases like Spanish Flu, HINI etc.. when no specific vaccination or treatment was available for them.So it can be tried by India.

Context: Diseases caused by coronaviruses, such as COVID-19, are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people.As the novel coronavirus has spread across continents, studies are underway to better understand its origin and how it is transmitted.

• According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), SARS-CoV was transmitted to humans from civet cats, and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels.
• Both the viruses, however, are believed to have originated from bats and subsequently passed on to other animals.
• While researchers are yet to conclude how the novel coronavirus, which was first detected in China’s Wuhan, originated, many believe it could be traced back to bats.
• Many studies over the years have found bats to be a natural reservoir for a large number of zoonotic viruses that have caused outbreaks in many countries in the past. These include rabies, Marburg, Nipah and Hendra viruses. 
• Researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China were able to trace the origin of the SARS virus to these bats in a remote cave in the country’s southeastern Yunnan province.
• Research suggests that bats, which make up a quarter of all mammal species, have developed stronger immune systems through the process of evolution which enabled them to fly.
• Studies have shown that when bats fly, the energy requirements in their bodies cause cells to break down into bits of DNA which are then released. While most organisms would treat such DNA particles as foreign invading bodies, in bats such responses are more muted. 
• Due to this weakened response, bats do not develop inflammations, which can cause a considerable toll on the body’s energy. This phenomenon is believed to be the reason so many viruses can exist in their bodies. 
• In a 2007 study at the American Society of Microbiology that predicted the emergence of a SARS-like coronavirus epidemic. Coronaviruses are well known to undergo genetic recombination, which may lead to new genotypes and outbreaks.

How do germs spread between animals and people?
Zoonotic transmission can occur in any context in which there is companionistic (pets), economic (farming, etc.), predatory (hunting, butchering or consuming wild game) or research contact with animals.

• Contamination of food or water supply: Eating or drinking contaminated food can cause various types of diseases in humans.
• Direct contact: While petting or touching animals, and bites or scratches.
• Indirect contact: Coming into contact with areas where animals live and roam.
• Vector-borne: Being bitten by a tick, or an insect, like a mosquito or a flea food-borne

Type of disease that passes from an animal or insect to a human

• Ebola: There are 6 species of Ebola Virus identified till date namely Zaire, Bundibugyo, Sudan, Taï Forest, Reston and Bombali.It is Transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission. Its host are fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family.
• Nipah: It is transmitted to humans from animals (such as bats or pigs), or contaminated foods and transmitted directly from human-to-human.Its host are Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family.
• Zika: It is transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes and infected people can transmit Zika through transfer of body fluids including sexual intercourse.
• Avian/Bird Flu: It is caused by H5N1 virus, a subtype of the influenza A virus. Human infections occur through infected bird-to-human contact or contact with surfaces and objects  contaminated by their droppings but Human-human transmission is limited.
• Swine Flu: It is caused by H1N1 virus. It occur in people with direct exposure to pigs spread from person to person, similar to seasonal influenza viruses.
• Kyasanur forest disease: It is caused by Kyasanur Forest disease Virus(KFDV), a member of the virus family Flaviviridae. Rodents, shrews and monkeys after being bitten by an infected tick are the common host by which its transmission to humans occur after a tick bite or contact with an infected animal.
• Rabies: It is caused by Ribonucleic Acid(RNA) virus that is present in the saliva of a rabid animal.It is transmitted to humans following a bite of a rabid animal.
• West Nile Virus: It is caused by the West Nile Virus.Birds are the natural host which transmits it to humans through bites from infected Culex mosquitoes.
• Monkeypox: It is caused by monkeypox virus transmitted to people from wild animals such as rodents and primates and Human-to-human transmission caused by contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials.
• Dengue: It is caused by Dengue virus belonging to the genus Flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae and it is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected female Aedes Aegypti mosquito.
• Hantavirus: They are family of viruses which are spread mainly by rodents.It does not spread from one person to another and can be contracted if someone comes in contact with a rodent that carries the virus.
• Malaria: It is caused by Plasmodium parasites which is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.

Context: Recently, the Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) returns in Bihar as toddler dies in Muzaffarpur.While the causes of AES are still researched, the association with hypoglycaemia and litchi fruit has again drawn attention.
About Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES)

• It is a basket term used for referring to hospitals, children with clinical neurological manifestation that includes mental confusion, disorientation, convulsion, delirium, or coma.
• It is a severe case of encephalitis transmitted by mosquitoes and is characterized by high fever and inflammation of the brain.
• It is coined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2006, to signify a group of diseases which seem similar to one another but are difficult to differentiate in the chaotic environment of an outbreak.
• It most commonly affects children and young adults and can lead to considerable morbidity and mortality.

Symptoms

• Its Symptoms include confusion, disorientation, coma, or inability to talk, high fever, vomiting, nausea, and unconsciousness.
• The National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme in India has set up countrywide surveillance for AES through sentinel sites with a focus on detecting Japanese encephalitis (JEV).

About Cause of the Disease

• It is considered a very complex disease as it can be caused by various agents including bacteria, fungi, virus and many other agents.
• Viruses are the main causative agents in AES cases, although other sources such as bacteria, fungi, parasites, spirochetes, chemicals, toxins, and noninfectious agents have also been reported over the past few decades. It is not Vaccine-Preventable.
• It is mostly caused by Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) (ranging from 5%-35%) and, Nipah virus, Zika virus, Influenza A virus, West Nile virus, Chandipura virus, mumps, measles, dengue, scrub typhus, S.pneumoniae are also found as causative agents for AES.

About Litchi Fruits

• It outbreaks in north and eastern India have been linked to children eating unripe Litchi Fruit on empty stomachs.
• It contains the toxins hypoglycin A and methylenecyclopropylglycine (MCPG), which cause vomiting if ingested in large quantities. Hypoglycin A is a naturally occurring amino acid found in the unripened litchi that causes severe vomiting (Jamaican vomiting sickness), while MCPG is a poisonous compound found in litchi seeds.

How it Affects Children?

• The Blood glucose falls sharply causing severe brain malfunction (encephalopathy), leading to seizures and coma, and death in many cases.
• It is because the under-nourished children lack sufficient glucose reserve in the form of glycogen and the production of glucose from non-carbohydrate source is blocked midway leading to low blood sugar level. It causes serious brain function derangement and seizures.

Road Ahead

• Measures needed to be taken are by Increase access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation facilities, improve nutritional status of children at risk of JE/AES, Preparative measures to be in place before the possible outbreaks, Vector control, Better awareness generation among children, parents through Anganwadi workers, ANMs etc.

Context: Recently,The Union Health Ministry has allowed the use of Hydroxy chloroquine in combination with Azithromycin under close monitoring for patients with severe disease and requiring ICU management as per the revised Guidelines on Clinical Management of COVID–19.

Key Findings

• Hydroxy chloroquine was previously under testing and was allowed to be administered only to doctors and caregivers in direct contact with COVID-19 positive cases.
• The Health Ministry has noted that no specific antiviral has been proven to be effective as per currently available data. However, based on the available information (uncontrolled clinical trials), Hydroxy chloroquine may be considered.
• Its usage in some patients has shown a significantly reduced viral load in nasal swabs.
• It is known to have a variety of side-effects, and can in some cases harm the heart.
• It has been cautioned that the medication is presently not been recommended for children less than 12 years, pregnant and lactating women.

About Hydroxy chloroquine

• It is used to prevent or treat malaria infections caused by mosquito bites. It does not work against certain types of malaria (chloroquine-resistant). 
• This medication is also used, usually with other medications, to treat certain auto-immune diseases (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis) when other medications have not worked or cannot be used. 
• It belongs to a class of medications known as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). It can reduce skin problems in lupus and prevent swelling/pain in arthritis, though it is not known exactly how the drug works.

About Azithromycin

• It is an antibiotic that fights bacteria.Azithromycin is used to treat many different types of infections caused by bacteria, such as respiratory infections, skin infections, ear infections, eye infections, and sexually transmitted diseases.
• It is used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections. It is a macrolide-type antibiotic. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria.
• This medication will not work for viral infections (such as common cold, flu). Unnecessary use or misuse of any antibiotic can lead to its decreased effectiveness.

Context: Studying cultures of E. coli bacteria, a group of evolutionary biologists from Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, has found that the population size determines the kind of fitness trade-offs the microbes adopt.
Key Findings

• Escherichia coli, also known as E. coli, is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus Escherichia that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms.
• Fitness trade-off may be understood in the following manner: Organisms do not have the capacity to maximise all their functions at the same time.
• Often when they enhance one function, another function suffers, or when they adapt to survive well in one environment, they cannot survive or reproduce well in another environments. This is called a fitness trade-off.
• This concept has been used by evolutionary biologists to explain why species prefer one environment to another.
• There are several ways in which the concept of fitness trade-off originates.
• Evolution causes some organisms to be generalists, by which it is meant that they can survive in different environments, and basically they will have an tolerable level of fitnessin all environments.
• The other option is they evolve into specialists, where the organism will have a high degree of fitness in a particular environment while having low fitness in other environments.
• An example of this is in the context of antibiotic resistance – generalists tolerate a wide range of distinct antibiotics (for example, multidrug resistant bacteria). On the other hand, specialist bacteria have to show a fitness trade-off.
• They resist one antibiotic (for instance, rifampicin) but become susceptible to another (for instance, tetracycline).
• The study experimentally affirms the link between population size and evolution of fitness trade-offs. Owing to their higher extent of specialisation, larger populations can become more vulnerable to sudden changes in the environment.
• If the environment abruptly shifts between two states that show fitness trade-offs with each other, then populations with a history of evolution at larger numbers would be at a greater disadvantage than historically smaller populations.
• For example, costs of antimicrobial resistance are expected to check the spread of resistant microbes if antimicrobials are removed abruptly from the environments. Moreover, pathogens are also expected to experience fitness trade-offs when they migrate across different hosts.

About Escherichia coli

• They are a bacterium that is commonly found in the gut of humans and other warm-blooded animals. While most strains are harmless, some can cause severe foodborne disease. 
• Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) is a bacterium that can cause severe foodborne disease.
• E. coli infection is usually transmitted through consumption of contaminated water or food, such as undercooked meat products and raw milk.
• Symptoms: Include abdominal cramps and diarrhea, which may be bloody. Fever and vomiting may also occur.
• Most patients recover within 10 days, although in a few cases the disease may become life-threatening.

Context: To tackle suspicions of whether the novel coronavirus has spread into the community and if not prevent such a scenario, the Kerala government has announced ‘rapid tests’ that will ensure speedy results within half an hour.

• Over the last five days, Kerala’s health department reported 93 positive cases of novel coronavirus, taking the total number of infected to 202 since February and heightening fears of community transmission of the virus in the state.
• The government has received approval of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in this regard. The health department, in a statement said the testing will be done using kits approved by ICMR and National Institute of Virology, Pune.

About ‘rapid test’ for Coronavirus

• A rapid test is conducted to determine whether there has been any kind of recent viral infection in a person’s body.
• When a pathogen enters a human body, specific antibodies are released as a response to the virus.
• A rapid test can detect the presence of such antibodies in blood, serum or plasma samples quickly, indicating a viral infection. Rapid testing is conducted usually to check for community transmission of a virus during an epidemic.
• According to the health department, it is a simple test that can be done with a person’s blood sample and will give out results within 10-30 minutes. It is also a low-cost test.
• Even though a rapid test can be extremely helpful to check for community transmission during a global pandemic such as this, it is not a confirmatory test for SARS-CoV-2 that causes the coronavirus infection. Positive test indicates exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Negative test does not rule out Covid-19 infection.
• The person still has to be subjected to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for confirmation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. A rapid test comes positive after 7-10 days of viral infection and remains positive for several weeks after that.
• Those with a history of recent foreign travel, people who may have had contact with foreign returnees, health workers who maintain close contact with Covid-19 patients, residents of a region reporting higher-than-usual cases of respiratory illness and those who have recovered from such respiratory illnesses can undergo rapid tests.

Context: Recently,a new technology has been adopted by the Maharashtra hospitals in the fight of COVID-19 fight. The technology was developed by a Pune based Start Up.

About Scitech Airon

• It is a negative ion generator which helps to control the virus, bacteria, and fungal infections in a closed environment.
• It is designed in such a way that it could clean up the air and disinfect areas which are exposed to the infection through Covid 19 positive cases and suspects.
• A Pune based company, Jclean Weather Technologies, is the nodal company for manufacturing the Scitech Airon.
• Its usefulness in killing disease-causing viruses and bacteria has been scientifically tested by various globally renowned labs in different types of closed environments.
• The negative ions generated by the ionizer form clusters around microparticles such as airborne mold, corona or influenza viruses, mite allergens, bacteria, pollens, dust and so on and render them inactive through a chemical reaction by creating highly reactive OH groups called hydroxyl radicals.
• The detergent property generated by the ion generator helps in the breakdown of the outer protein of the allergens, viruses, and bacteria, which helps in controlling airborne diseases.
• It has been developed under the NIDHI PRAYAS program initiated by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Significance of the technology

• It helps to control the virus, bacteria, and other fungal infections in a closed environment and could help purify the air and disinfect areas around COVID-19 positive cases and suspects. Hence it could ensure the wellbeing of the staff, doctors, and nurses who are working round the clock in quarantine facilities by enhancing their disease-resistance power and ability to fight the virus.

About NIDHI

• NIDHI (National Initiative for Development and Harnessing Innovations), an umbrella program is pioneered by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, for nurturing ideas and innovations (knowledge-based and technology-driven) into successful startups.

About Nidhi Prayas Program

• Department of Science & Technology has launched a NIDHI program (National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations) under which programmes for setting up of incubators, seed fund, accelerators and ‘Proof of concept’ grant for innovators and entrepreneurs have been launched.
• Under NIDHI, PRAYAS (Promoting and Accelerating Young and Aspiring innovators & Startups) programme has been initiated in which established Technology Business Incubators (TBI) are supported with PRAYAS grant to support innovators and entrepreneurs with grants for ‘Proof of Concept’ and developing prototypes.
• A maximum grant of Rs. 220 lakh is given to a TBI for establishing a PRAYAS Centre which includes Rs.100 lakh for PRAYAS SHALA, Rs. 20 lakh for operational cost of PRAYAS Centre and maximum of Rs. 10 lakh to one innovator for developing prototype. Funding for ten innovators is given to the TBI in a year.

Components of NIDHI

• NIDHI GCC - Grand Challenges and Competitions for
• NIDHI - PRomoting and and accelerating Young and
• NIDHI-Entrepreneur In Residence (NIDHI-EIR)-Suppo
• Startup-NIDHI
• NIDHI-Technology Business Incubator(TBI)-Converti
• NIDHI-Accelerator-Fast tracking a start-up throug
• NIDHI-Seed Support System (NIDHI-SSS)-Providing e
• NIDHI Centres of Excellence (NIDHI-CoE)-A World c and last one is Nidhi Prayas Program

Eligibility for Submission of a Proposal of PC

• STEPs/TBIs  promoted  by  Government  of  India  are  eligible  to  apply  under  the  PRAYAS Centers (PC).
• The  proposal  to  be submitted  by  aSTEP  /  TBI and  other  institutions  with  a  proven  track record in promotion of technology based entrepreneurship. The STEP / TBI is  supposed   to   have   adequate   expertise   and   infrastructure to  support  innovation  scouting,  screening,  selection  for funding  support  and  monitoring  of  progress  of development.
• Student applicants pursuing long term research projects like doctoral research projects or similar projects will not be supported under the program.
• The STEP/TBI should have been in existence for at least 3 years. This limit of time period will not apply  to  entities  created  by the central  government or state governments.
• A  pure R&D  proposal  for  academic  pursuits  and  industrial consultancy  will  not  be eligible for support.
• The  proposals  which  are  not  complete  or  do  not  meet  eligibility  criteria  will  not  be considered

Context: Recently,India has volunteered to participate in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) ongoing solidarity trial for developing vaccines for Covid-19.
About the event of WHO

• It with its partners is organizing a study called the solidarity trial in many countries in which some of the untested treatments are compared with each other.
• The study has been designed to generate the robust data needed to show which treatments are the most effective.
• WHO’s multi-country solidarity trials aims to isolate drugs approved by regulators for other diseases that can be utilised in the Covid-19 fight.

Efforts of India

• Earlier we did not do it because our numbers were so small and contribution would have looked minuscule.
• Vaccine development wasn’t a priority for Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) currently because there are around 30 vaccine groups already in operation worldwide.
• Keeping in view the rising number of cases and challenges faced by India, the government has decided to participate in the solidarity trial.

About Solidarity Trail

• The Solidarity Trial will test four different drugs or combinations — remdesivir, a combination of two drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir, the two drugs plus interferon beta, and chloroquine.
• And will compare their effectiveness to what is called standard of care, the regular support hospitals treating COVID-19 patients.

Challenges faced by India

• Most medical devices are shipped through international passenger flights. 
• However, with flight restrictions in place, such shipments have to solely depend on cargo flights. 
• As a result of this, cargo clearances have slowed down and a huge backlog is witnessed at customs. 
• Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI), which represents research-based medical technology companies that have a large footprint in manufacturing, R&D and healthcare worker training in India, is in constant engagement with the government to tackle the current COVID-19 situation in India.

Indian Scientists’ Response to CoViD-19 (ISRC)

• It is a voluntary group of scientists who regularly discuss the rapidly evolving situation with its dire need for science communication.
• With nearly 200 members, the group has scientists from institutions such as the NCBS, the IISc, the TIFR, the IITs, the IISERs and many others.
• The group aims to study existing and available data to bring out analyses that will support the Central, State and local governments in carrying out their tasks.
• This platform works through two channels — phone and WhatsApp to connect people in need with those who can provide help.

Context: Recently,NASA has selected a new mission to study how the Sun generates and releases giant space weather storms – known as solar particle storms – into planetary space. For the mission, NASA has awarded $62.6 million to design, build and launch SunRISE no earlier than July 1, 2023.

• The Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE) will look into how Sun generates and releases the giant weather storms, known as the solar particle storms, into space

About SunRISE Mission

• The mission will look into how Sun generates and releases the giant weather storms, known as the solar particle storms, into Space.
• The mission will also help in greater understanding of the solar system.
• It will study the impact that solar particle storms have on planets
• The findings would help safeguard astronauts from solar storms while they travel to Mars or the Moon.
• It can help protect astronauts traveling to the Moon and Mars by providing better information on how the Sun’s radiation affects the space environment they must travel through.

About its working

• The mission design relies on six solar-powered CubeSats to simultaneously observe radio images of low-frequency emission from solar activity and share them via NASA’s Deep Space Network.
• The constellation of CubeSats would fly within 6 miles of each other, above Earth’s atmosphere, which otherwise blocks the radio signals SunRISE will observe.
• Together, the six CubeSats will create 3D maps to pinpoint where giant particle bursts originate on the Sun and how they evolve as they expand outward into space.
• This, in turn, will help determine what initiates and accelerates these giant jets of radiation.
• The six individual spacecraft will also work together to map, for the first time, the pattern of magnetic field lines reaching from the Sun out into interplanetary space.

About Solar storms

• They are violent events on the sun which can temporarily distort the earth’s magnetosphere – the region around the earth which is influenced by its magnetic field.
• Solar storms are a variety of eruptions of mass and energy from the solar surface.
• Flares, prominences, sunspots, coronal mass ejections are the common harbingers of solar activity, as are plages and other related phenomena seen at other wavelengths.
• These kinds of space weather activities affect earth and normal functioning of humans on earth.
• Solar storms can last only a few minutes to several hours but the effects of geomagnetic storms can linger in the Earth’s magnetosphere and atmosphere for days to weeks.

Note: A geomagnetic storm is a temporary disturbance of the Earth's magnetosphere caused by a solar wind shock wave and/or cloud of magnetic field that interacts with the Earth's magnetic field.