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CONTENTS
1. OFFICIALS OF TABLIGHI JAMAAT CHARGED WITH DEFYING RESTRICTIONS. 2. PRE-MONSOON CROP CULTIVATION TALES A HIT. 3. ANDHRA BANK FADES INTO HISTORY. 4. SC UPHOLDS RIGHT TO DISCUSS COVID-19. 5. MINISTRY, SCIENTIFIC ADVISER DIFFER ON MAKE USE. 6. STUDY SHOWS MIDDLE-AGE COVID-19 MORALITY RISK. 7. CENTRE TO BORROW RS.4.88 LAKH CR. IN FIRST HALF. 8. PM ASKS STATES TO SUGGEST PLAN FOR STAGGERED END TO LOCKDOWN. 9. VIRUS CASES DOUBLE IN INDIA IN FIVE DAYS. 10. GEO-FENCING APP WILL BE USED TO LOCATE QUARANTINE VILOATORS. 11. TABLIGHI JAMAAT: ON A MISSION TO PURIFY ISLAM. 12. DOCTORS WARY OF BCG VACCINE STUDY. 13. DRDO DEVELOPS BIO SUIT, SEALANT FOR SAFETY GEAR. 14. OPEC, RUSSIA DELAY MEETING. 15. 42% OF PATIENTS BETWEEN 21 &40 YEARS. 16. PANDEMIC DRIVES ONCOLOGISTS TO TWEAK CANCER TREATMENTS. 17. MASS TRANSPORT MAY NOT RESUME FULLY IN KEY CITIES IN APRIL. 18. GROUNDING OF PLANES AFFECTS IMD’S WEATHER DATA SUPPLY. 19. LIGHTS-OFF EVENT WILL NOT HARM GRID: MINISTRY. 20. STUDY LISTS 69 EXISTING DRUGS TO TARGET NOVEL CORONAVIRUS. 21. TESTS, TREATMENT FREE UNDER AYUSHMAN BHARAT. 22. LOOK INTO ISSUE OF PAROLE FOR PSA CASES: J&K HC. 23. INDIA BANS EXPORT OF HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE. 24. PENCH TIGER DEATH RAISES COVID FEARS. 25. NEWYORK ZOO TIGER TESTS POSITIVE FOR VIRUS. 26. INDIA LIFTS BAN ON EXPORT OF HYDROXYCLOROQUINE. 27. OPPOSITION SLAMS DRUG EXPORT. 28. KERALA-KARNATAKA BORDER ROW SORTED OUT, CENTRE INFORMS SC. 29. LOSS OF SMELL MAY BE LINKED TO CELLS: STUDY. 30. SBI CUTS MCLR BY 35BPS. 31. ECONOMY TO CONTRACT 4.5% IN FOURTH QUARTER, SAYS ICRA. 32. MSME’S NEED HUGE PACKAGE: JAIRAM. 33. NO SIGNIFICANT RATE OF INCREASE IN COVID-19 POSITIVE CASES: ICMR. 34. ODISHA BECOMES FIRST STATE TO EXTEND LOCKDOWN TILL APRIL 30. 35. KERALA GETS NOD FOR TRIAL OF PLASMA THERAPY. 36. OPERATION SHIELD AT 21 LOCATIONS IN DELHI. 37. AHMEDABAD ADOPTS SOUTH KOREAN MODEL.
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38. NO EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION: HEALTH MINISTRY. 39. SCARCITY OF DRUGS, DEVICES IMMINENT, GOVT. WARNED. 40. INDIA POUNDS LOC TERROR LAUNCHPADS, PAK. ARMY SITES. 41. RED ARMY KEEPS VIRUS AT BAY IN NORTHEAST. 42. NEW HELPLINE TO FIGHT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. 43. KALARIPAYATTU- THE MOTHER OF ALL MARTIAL ARTS. 44. NIHANGS, A SIKH WARRIOR SECT. 45. INDIA TALKING TO U.S. OVER VISA SANCTIONS. 46. 30 FOREIGNERS DEAD IN DETENTION CENTRES. 47. MGNREGA JOBS CRASH TO 1% OF NORMAL. 48. FLOOR TEST IS GOVERNOR’S DISCRETION. 49. 1.27 LAKH VOLUNTEERS OFFER SERVICES. 50. WATER FROM GANGA YAMUNA BEING TESTED. 51. FRAI URGES PM TO ALLOW PETTY SHOPS TO OPEN. 52. FESTIVE SPIRIT BRINGS CHEER TO ASSAM. 53. 170 DISTRICTS IDENTIFIED AS HOTSPOTS: HEALTH MINISTRY. 54. INDIA TO RECEIVE NORMAL MONSOON, FORECASTS IMD. 55. U.S. FREEZES WHO FUNDING OVER CORONAVIRUS CRISIS. 56. MONSOON MAY BE LATE IN MANY STATES. 57. 11,077 FREED FROM PRISIONS, SAYS NALSA. 58. MINISTRY ISSUES SOP FOR SOWING OF KHARIF CROPS. 59. GOLDEN TEMPLE SEES A BIG DIP IN OFFERINGS. 60. CHINA MAY HAVE CONDUCTED N-TEST: U.S. 61. INSURERS CAPITAL, LIQUIDITY MAY BE ADVERSELY IMPACTED, SAYS IRDAI. 62. NEW NORMAL: MORE AIRPORT TIME, NO FRILLS AND HIGHER FARE. 63. E-COMMERCE FIRMS CAN’T SUPPLY NON-ESSENTIAL GOODS, SAYS GOVT. 64. ISLAMOPHOBIA IS RISING IN INDIA: OIC. 65. KARZAI WELCOMES INDIA’S INVOLVEMENT IN TALKS. 66. HOW REVERSE REPO RATE BECAME BENCHMARK INTEREST RATE IN THE ECONOMY. 67. WHAT ARE MK 54 TORPEDOES, AGM-84L HARPOON MISSILES US HAS CLEARED FOR SALE TO INDIA. 68. CHINA SAYS INDIAN TRADE CURBS ARE AGAINST WTO PRINCIPLES. 69. AAROGYA SETU APP MUST FOR LABOURERS, SAYS CPWD. 70. RBI RAISES WMA LIMIT FOR APRIL-SEPT. 71. U.S. CRUDE FUTURES PLUNGE OVER 40% TO 1986 LOW. 72. OPEN UP E-COM SERVICES: IAMAI. 73. HOSPITAL IN STATE GETS NOD FOR PLASMA THERAPHY TRIALS. 74. CBDT STICKS WITH BUDGET’S TAX TARGET. 75. KANDHAMAL TRIBES. 76. DRUG FOR SEPSIS TO BE TESTED FOR COVID-19. 77. PAKISTHAN REMOVES NAMES FROM TERRORISM WATCH LIST.
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78. ATTACKS ON HEALTH WORKERS TO ATTRACT UP TO 7 YEARS IN PRISION. 79. NO 100% QUOTA FOR TRIBAL TEACHERS: SC. 80. TRUMP SET TO SIGN IMMIGRATION ORDER. 81. CABINET APPROVES RS. 15,000CR. PACKAGE. 82. FACEBOOK, JIO TO WORK ON MAJOR PROJECTS. 83. LOCKDOWN ENSURED GROWTH OF CASES REMAINED LINEAR, SAYS GOVT. 84. INDIA FOLLOWING U.S. TRAJECTORY, SAYS CHINESE DISEASE EXPERT. 85. DRDO DEVELOPS MOBILE VIROLOGY LAB. 86. RBI TO RESTART OPERATION TWIST TO MANAGE YIELDS. 87. TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER RESTRICTING IMMIGRATION. 88. FIRST PLASMA THERAPY TO BEGIN IN KARNATAKA TODAY. 89. NO PLAN TO EASE FISCCAL DEFICIT TARGETS. 90. WILDLIFE BOARD NOD FOR MINING IN ASSAM ELEPHNAT RESERVE. 91. IITD’S CORONAVIRUS DETECTION ASSAY GETS ICMR APPROVAL. 92. SERUM INSTITUTE EYES COVID-19 VACCINE BY OCT. 93. INDIA AMONG TOP 3 MILITARY SPENDERS: REPORT. 94. BTAD PLACED UNDER GOVERNER’S RULE. 95. UN WARNS OF A HUMAN RIGHTS DISASTER. 96. COST OF DOING BUSINESS TO SEE SIGNIFICANT RISE. 97. MINISTRY DOES U-TURN ON PLASMA THERAPY. 98. $1.5 BILLION ADB LOAN TO FUND COVID RESPONSE. 99. USCIRF DOWNGRADES INDIA IN 2020 LIST. 100. MID-DAY MEALS ON DURING VACATION. 101. BRICS SHOULD HELP ENTREPRENEURS: INDIA. 102. ONLY 30 LAKH FOUND MNREGA WORK IN APRIL. 103. ORDINANCE ROUTE TO DEFER PAY IN KERALA. 104. REGULATING ACADEMICS IS IN NATIONAL, PUBLIC INTEREST: SC. 105. NEET APPLIES TO MINORITY COLLEGES: SC. 106. STUDY ON CHINA DAMS BRINGS THE BRAHMAPUTRA INTO FOCUS. 107. INDIA REMAINS ON U.S. PRIORITY WATCH LIST.
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OFFICIALS OF TABLIGHI JAMAAT CHARGED WITH DEFYING RESTRICTIONS Tablighi Jamaat: Tablighi Jamaat literally the Outreach Society, is an Islamic missionary movement that focuses on urging Muslims to return to practising their religion as it was practised during the lifetime of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Focuses particularly in matters of ritual, dress and personal behavior. The organisation is estimated to have between 150 million to 250 million adherents (the majority living in South Asia. A presence in somewhere between 180[8] and 200 countries. It has been called "one of the most influential religious movements in 20th century Islam". The movement was founded in 1927 by Muhammad Ilyas al- Kandhlawi in Mewat region of India. Nizamuddin Markaz: Nizamuddin Markaz Masjid or Banglewali Masjid is a mosque located in Nizamuddin West in South Delhi, India. It is the global center for the Tablighi network and birthplace of the Tablighi Jamaat, the missionary and reformative movement started by Muhammad Ilyas Kandhlawi. Why in News? Thousands of people from across the country, as well as from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia, attended a gathering at the centre earlier this month over a number of days.
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Markaz Nizamuddin is the international headquarters of Tablighi Jamaat, a puritanical Islamic sect. More than 400 people with symptoms were admitted to different hospitals and over 1,100 shifted to government-run quarantine facilities in Delhi alone over Monday and Tuesday. Hundreds of others who returned home after staying at the centre over the last fortnight might have carried the virus to several States. The Delhi police on Tuesday registered a case against Maulana Saad and others from Tablighi Jamaat under Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, read with Sections 269, 270, 271 and 120-B of the IPC, for violation of government directions on restriction of gatherings and safety measures, including physical- distancing.
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PRE-MONSOON CROP CULTIVATION TALES A HIT Despite the State government being on overdrive to ensure that agricultural activities continue to be normal during this unprecedented crisis caused by COVID-19, officials are keeping their fingers crossed about pre-monsoon crop cultivation. Besides the main crops such as ragi and maize, farmers cultivate green gram, black gram and sesame, especially in Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Mandya and Hassan districts, during this season. According to the official, the preparatory work for sowing normally starts by the first week of April. In a few places, sowing has been completed, but it has not even commenced in many places. In agriculture timing, is very important. If sowing is delayed, it will hurt the yield and overall productivity. He also said that people across the board were staying indoors and labour was in short supply. We are appealing to farmers to continue with their agricultural activities while also staying safe. District administrations are working with dealers to ensure there is enough supply of seeds and fertilizers, the official said. Explaining the importance of pre-monsoon crop for the kharif crop that will follow, another official said that those who grow pre-summer crops normally let plants grow on their fields after harvesting the crops. The plant stubs become green manure when farmers prepare the fields when monsoon arrives.
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Pre-monsoon crop contributes to less than 10% of the total agricultural production in the State, but remains important Though pre-monsoon crop depends on early rains in rain-fed regions, farmers with their own irrigation facilities do not wait for the rains. Meanwhile, in the paddy belt in the irrigated regions of north Karnataka, the crop is waiting to be harvested. The paddy in fields in Raichur, Ballari, Koppal and Gangavathi were ready for harvesting, but farmers were facing labour issues though the department has allowed them to get farm machineries for harvesting.
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ANDHRA BANK FADES INTO HISTORY
Andhra Bank as one of the oldest and well-known household names in the region gets amalgamated with Union Bank of India. A part of the Central government plan to create four larger banks by merging 10, the move will see Andhra Bank over time coming to be identified as Union Bank of India. While its fading into history is certain, what, however, will remain in public memory is the long association it built with lakhs of customers, earning their trust and rendering decades of service. For the Telugu States, it will be second, home grown bank they will have to let go. State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH) was the first when it got merged with the State Bank of India (SBI) in April 2017. Under the present plan of the Centre, four sets of merger will come into force on Wednesday. One of them will see Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank amalgamating into Union Bank of India. The combined entity will be the 5th largest public sector bank and will have the 4th largest branch network of any bank in India. History: Andhra Bank was founded by freedom fighter Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya. Commenced business on November 28, 1923 with a paid up capital of ₹ 1 lakh and an authorised capital of ₹10 lakh.
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The present network of the bank comprises nearly 2,900 branches and almost 3,800 ATMs. Union Bank of India Managing Director and CEO Rajkiran Rai G. had recently said the combined entity will have 9,500 branches and 12,000 ATMs across the country. Of the 9,500 branches, 700 plus are to be rationalised because of their proximity.
The iconic landmark for denizens of Hyderabad, Andhra Bank’s old headquarters in Koti, is set to get a makeover with a new name. Nagara GopalNagara Gopal.
SC UPHOLDS RIGHT TO DISCUSS COVID-19 The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the right to free discussion about COVID-19. Even as it directed the media to refer to and publish the official version of the developments in order to avoid inaccuracies and large-scale panic.
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It ordered the government to start a daily bulletin on COVID-19 developments through all media avenues in the next 24 hours. A Bench, led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde, was responding to a request from the Central government that media outlets, in the “larger interest of justice”, should only publish or telecast anything on COVID-19 after ascertaining the factual position from the government. A Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) report in the court, signed by Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, explained that “any deliberate or inaccurate” reporting by the media, particularly web portals, had a “serious and inevitable potential of causing panic in larger section of the society”. The Ministry said any panic reaction in the midst of an unprecedented situation based on such reporting would harm the entire nation. Creating panic is also a criminal offence under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. A daily bulletin by the Government of India through all media avenues, including social media and forums to clear the doubts of people, would be made active within a period of 24 hours as submitted by the Solicitor- General of India. Noting that the 21-day nationwide lockdown was “inevitable” in the face of an “unprecedented global crisis” like the COVID-19 pandemic, the government blamed “fake and misleading” messages on social media for creating widespread panic, which led to mass “barefoot” journey of migrant workers from cities to their native villages in rural India.
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Fake News: Deliberate or inadvertent fake news and material capable of causing a serious panic in the minds of the public is found to be the single most unmanageable hindrance in the management of this challenge. The Ministry said the Narendra Modi government, in fact, took “pro-active, pre-emptive and timely” action 13 days before even the World Health Organization declared COVID- 19 a “public health emergency of international concern”. But the mass migration of the poor would defeat the preventive measures taken by the Central government. It said “there was no necessity for migrant workers to rush to their villages” when the Centre, fully conscious that no citizen should be deprived of basic amenities. It had announced a ₹1.70 lakh crore package under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana to take care of their daily needs.
MINISTRY, SCIENTIFIC ADVISER DIFFER ON MASK USE India’s highest science advisory body, the office of the Principal (PSA), and the Union Health Ministry
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appear out of sync on whether masks should be widely used by people. The Ministry’s standing recommendation is that not everybody should be wearing masks. Among those who are not healthcare workers, only those who had a cough or exhibited signs of a flu or a respiratory illness need to be wearing them as did those caring for COVID-19 patients. The reason this isn’t recommended for the public at large — though now almost anyone on the street can be seen to be wearing them — is that it will lead to a shortage and unavailability for doctors, nurses and other hospital staff. On Tuesday, however, the office of the PSA through the Press Information Bureau recommended the widespread use of masks. It endorsed, above all, home-made masks that could easily be made and were reusable with washing and sanitising. The key criteria for proposed designs are ease of access to materials, easy of making at home, and ease of use and reuse. Wearing of masks is especially recommended for people living in densely populated areas across India,” notes the advisory. The office of the PSA is a key coordinating agency among government scientific bodies and industry to accelerate decisions on dealing with COVID-19. It does not recommend the use of the health mask or the N95 mask that are expensive, not-reusable and largely used in hospital settings. K. Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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The Health Ministry, which is the nodal agency for monitoring the pandemic, said it was “studying the recommendations” of the office of the PSA. Health Ministry spokesperson Lav Agrawal said at the daily press briefing on Tuesday, “The World Health Organization hasn’t given a categorical opinion on its [mask] usage. However, a technical committee is looking into this issue and suitable guidelines will be issued soon. Our stress is on social distancing. We request that not everyone wear a mask. We have defined guidelines on who should and shouldn’t be wearing one. Raman Gangakhedkar, who was also at the briefing as a representative of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said: “There’s a wide gap between the number of cases in the United States and India and the risk of exposure isn’t as much here. Hence only those sick or at risk of exposure should be wearing them. Other than the question of shortage, the scientific consensus was that COVID-19 was not an airborne disease and most people contracted it through coming into contact with infectious droplets picked up from surfaces. The government's policy regarding the use of masks is evolving. Probably they are now taking more notice of the fact there may be a sizeable number of asymptomatic carriers of the infection. Some studies suggest nearly 25% of COVID-19 infected may be asymptomatic — and wearing a mask is a good precautionary measure. The March 31 advisory from the office of the PSA recommends the use of home-made cotton masks that are
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reusable after appropriate washing and disinfection that can be done at home.
STUDY SHOWS MIDDLE-AGE COVID-19 MORALITY RISK Middle-aged people, and not just the elderly, have a dramatically higher risk of dying or developing serious illness from COVID-19, says a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal. Researchers from Britain analysed more than 3,600 confirmed COVID-19 cases as well as data from hundreds of passengers repatriated from Wuhan. They found that age was a key determining factor in serious infections. With nearly one in five over-80s requiring hospitalisation, compared to around 1% among people under 30. Taking into account estimates of the number of cases that may not have been clinically confirmed — that is, mild or
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asymptomatic infections — the data showed the hospitalisation rate of patients in their fifties was 8.2%. It estimated that the mortality rate from confirmed cases in China was 1.38%. The Lancet study showed that 18.4% of patients in their 80s were hospitalised in China. This compared to 4.3% for 40 to 49-year-olds and roughly 1% for people in their 20s. There might be outlying cases that get a lot of media attention, but our analysis very clearly shows that at aged 50 and over, hospitalisation is much more likely than in those under 50, and a greater proportion of cases are likely to be fatal. CENTRE TO BORROW RS.4.88 LAKH CR. IN FIRST HALF The Centre will borrow ₹4.88 lakh crore in the first half of the coming financial year 2020-21, or 62.56% of the gross borrowings of ₹7.8 lakh crore for FY21, Department of Economic Affairs Secretary Atanu Chakraborty said. The government is committed to meet its requirements for fighting COVID-19, whether on account of health issues, or on account of protecting the economy. Cash Management: The Centre proposes to revise its ways and means advances (WMA) limit to ₹1.2 lakh crore. This will be reviewed on a need basis, according to Mr. Chakraborty. The revised limit is significantly higher than the ₹75,000 crore limit imposed in the first half of 2019-20.
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The government will roll out weekly G-Sec tranches of ₹19- 21,000 crore, higher than the ₹17,000-crore tranches in 2019-20. It plans weekly borrowings of ₹25,000 crore in the first quarter, with a net borrowing of ₹1,37,090 crore in the quarter, he said. The Budget announcement for G-sec issuances through Debt Exchange Traded Fund route will be operationalised in the second half of 2020-21, and will be rolled out by initiating appointment of required intermediaries.
PM ASKS STATES TO SUGGEST PLAN FOR STAGGERED END TO LOCKDOWN Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at his second videoconference with Chief Ministers, on Thursday told them that it was “important to formulate a common exit strategy to ensure staggered re-emergence of the population once the lockdown ends”. Modi emphasised that the collective goal of all should be to “save every Indian”. He asked the States to brainstorm and send suggestions for the exit strategy. Our first priority for the next few weeks should be testing, tracing, isolating and quarantine. For this, all State to district level efforts must be coordinated,” he pointed out. Modi urged that district-level disease surveillance officers should be appointed as soon as possible to make sure that penetration of this strategy is optimum. Data collected from private laboratories allowed to test should be collated district-wise to be utilised for further strategising on tackling the pandemic.
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He emphasised that the supply lines for medical equipment and drugs and raw materials needed for the manufacture of these products need to be kept seamless, even more than supplies of other products. Separate Hospitals: Every State should ensure that there are separate hospitals for COVID-19 patients, and the doctors attending to them need to be protected. I would also urge you to step up online training of doctors in the treatment of COVID-19, he said. This being the harvest season in many parts of the country, farmers and labourers, exempted from the lockdown, were engaged in harvest operations and they should maintain some physical distancing even on fields. As for procurement, we must find ways to do it beyond the route of Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMC). A truck pooling scheme should also be worked out with farmers for ferrying produce to the market. Harvesting will possibly need to be done in a staggered manner,. The Centre would release ₹11,000 crore from the State Disaster Relief Fund by this month, and it should be used for efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The monies and grains released under the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana should be disbursed speedily. Significantly, he also told the Chief Ministers that volunteers of the National Cadet Corps and the National Service Scheme would also be recruited in the effort to combat COVID- 19. Other than this, crisis management groups should coordinate with as many NGOs as possible and strategies should be shared with all stakeholders as we need everyone’s help at this time. Modi also urged the States that immunity boosting methods used by traditional systems of medicines in India such as Ayurveda should be promoted as fatalities were high among those with compromised immunity.
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“These are our traditional ways of boosting immunity,” he said pointing to the fact that an advisory by the AYUSH Ministry had been issued in this regard.
VIRUS CASES DOUBLE IN INDIA IN FIVE DAYS The number of COVID-19 cases in India has doubled in the past week, with 328 more cases and 12 deaths reported on Thursday. The tally now stands at 2,069 cases, with 53 deaths and 155 cured of the novel coronavirus infection. The Health Ministry said there were reports of several doctors, nurses and paramedics testing positive.
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The number of cases increased sharply from 909 this weekend, and the Health Ministry confirmed that it was looking at tweaking the testing protocol With a rapid anti-body test in hot-spots, where those indicating a positive would be sent for confirmation and the others would be quarantined. The Health Ministry said extensive action was being taken in Asia’s largest slum, Dharavi in Mumbai, after a death due to COVID-19 was reported there.
GEO-FENCING APP WILL BE USED TO LOCATE QUARANTINE VILOATORS The Centre is using powers under the Indian Telegraph Act to “fetch information” from telecom companies every 15 minutes to track COVID-19 cases across the country. The government has tested an application that triggers e-mails and SMS alerts to an authorised government agency if a person has jumped quarantine or escaped from isolation, based on the person’s mobile phone’s cell tower location. The “geo-fencing” is accurate by up to 300 m, a government communication said. Used by Kerala: Kerala was one of the first States to use geo-fencing to track COVID-19 cases. On March 29, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) shared a standard operating procedure (SOP) with all telecom service providers regarding the application called COVID-19 Quarantine Alert System (CQAS). The system will collate phone data, including the device’s location, on a common secured platform and alert the local agencies in case of a violation by COVID-19 patients under watch or in isolation.
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Secure Network: The SOP says that the DoT and C-DOT, in coordination with telecom service providers, have developed and tested the application. It said the location information is received periodically over a secure network for the authorised cases with “due protection of the data received”. The States have been asked to seek the approval of their Home Secretaries under the provisions of Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, for the specified mobile phone numbers to request the DoT to provide information by email or SMS in case of violation of “geo-fencing”. The particular provision under the Act, amended multiple times since 1885, authorises the State or the Centre to access information of a user’s phone data in case of “occurrence of any public emergency or in the interest of the public safety.” The CQAS will prepare a list of mobile numbers, segregating them on the basis of telecom service providers, and the location data provided by the companies will be run on the application to create geo-fencing, the SOP said. Data Will Be Deleted: It said that the phone number should be deleted from the system after the period for which location monitoring is required is over and the data would be deleted four weeks from thereon. “The data collected shall be used only for the purpose of Health Management in the context of COVID-19 and is strictly not for any other purposes. Any violation in this regard would attract penal provisions under the relevant laws,” the SOP said. The SOP said that geo-fencing will only work if the quarantined person has a mobile phone from Airtel, Vodafone-Idea or Reliance Jio, as “BSNL/MTNL” do not support location based services. BSNL and MTNL are government owned.
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TABLIGHI JAMAAT: ON A MISSION TO PURIFY ISLAM At least 2,000 people, both from across the country and foreign nations such as Indonesia and Malaysia, had attended the gathering in Nizamuddin that started in early March and went on for a couple of weeks. Maulana Saad Kandhalvi, leader of the group, has been booked by the Delhi police under the Epidemic Disease Act. Jamaat’s Origins: The Tablighi Jamaat (Society of Preachers) was founded by a Deobandi Islamic scholar Muhammad Ilyas al- Kandhlawi in Mewat, India, in 1926. Al-Kandhlawi’s goal was to establish a group of dedicated preachers as a Muslim revivalist society, who could revive “true” Islam, which he saw was not being practised by many Muslims.
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The slogan Al-Kandhlawi coined for his new organisation captured the essence of its activities — “Oh Muslims, become true Muslims”. Al-Kandhlawi called upon his fellow Muslims to “enjoin the good and forbid the evil”. Al-Kandhlawi’s mission was also to revive his faith, but based on its core teachings and lifestyle of its early leaders. Also in Mewat where the Tablighi was founded, the Meos Muslims, a Rajput ethnic group, had followed syncretic traditions. Al-Kandhlawi wanted to end it all through dawa (proselytising). He sent his volunteers to villages to spread “the message of Allah”. The organisation grew fast in British India. In its annual conference held in November 1941, some 25,000 people attended. After Partition, it grew stronger in Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Now, Tablighi’s largest national wing is in Bangladesh. The group has presence in 150 countries and millions of followers. Purify The Faith: Inspired by the Deobandi creed, the Tablighis urge fellow Muslims to live like the Prophet did. They are theologically opposed to the syncretic nature of Sufi Islam and insist on its members to dress like the Prophet did (trouser or robe should be above the ankle). Men usually shave their upper lip and keep long beard. The focus of the organisation was on ‘purifying’ the Muslim faith. The organisation has a loose structure. The Emir is the leader of the international movement and is always related to the group’s founder Muhammad Ilyas al-Kandhlawi. The current leader, Maulana Saad Kandhalvi, is the grandson of the founder. The group also has a Shura Council, which is largely an advisory council with different national units and national headquarters. Key Activities: The Tablighi Jamaat members have declared they are not political.
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They have also decried violence in the name of religion. They say the Prophet Mohammed has commanded all Muslims to convey the message of Allah, and the Tablighis take this as their duty. They divide themselves into small Jamaats (societies) and travel frequently across the world to spread the message of Islam to Muslim houses. The group’s modus operandi is peaceful and it is focused entirely on the Muslim community worldwide. “There is a culture of secretism in the organisation, which develops suspicion,” Ajit Doval, now India’s National Security Adviser and a former intelligence boss, said in 2013.
The Tablighi members have declared they are apolitical and decried violence in the name of religion.PTIPTI Why in News? The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has blacklisted 960 foreigners, present in India on tourist visas, for their involvement in Tablighi Jamaat activities.
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It has also directed the Directors General of Police of all the concerned States and Union Territories including Delhi Police to take necessary action against all such violators, on priority, under relevant sections of the Foreigners Act, 1946, and Disaster Management Act, 2005. A blacklisted foreigner cannot get a visa from any of the missions abroad to come to India. About 9,000 people linked to the Nizamuddin event have been traced in different parts of the country.
DOCTORS WARY OF BCG VACCINE STUDY BCG Vaccine: Bacillus Calmette–Guérin(BCG) vaccine is a vaccine primarily used against tuberculosis (TB). In countries where tuberculosis or leprosy is common, one dose is recommended in healthy babies as close to the time of birth as possible. Adults who do not have tuberculosis and have not been previously immunized but are frequently exposed may be immunized as well. Additionally it is sometimes used as part of the treatment of bladder cancer. The BCG vaccine was first used medically in 1921. It is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines, the safest and most effective medicines needed in a health system. What does BCG vaccination consist of? BCG vaccine consists of the strains of bacterium that cause lung tuberculosis in humans. The strain is named Mycobacterium Bovis. During vaccine making, the strength of active bacteria is reduced so that it does not cause disease in healthy people. It is called an active ingredient in the language of medicine. In addition to this, the vaccine contains sodium, potassium and magnesium salts, glycerol and citric acid.
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BCG vaccine in India: The BCG vaccine was first introduced in India as a pilot project in the year 1948. The very next year, in 1949, it was started in schools across the country. In 1962, the National TB Program started in India and children were vaccinated soon after birth across the country. According to this, it can be assumed that a large population in India is BCG vaccinated.
BCG Vaccination Scar on Arm. Why in News? Doctors and scientists in India have expressed caution on a study which argues that countries that have deployed the BCG- tuberculosis vaccine in their immunisation programmes have seen fewer deaths from COVID-19.
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The study argues that 55 middle and high-income countries chosen for the analysis that have a current universal BCG policy had 78 deaths per million people. Whereas middle and high income countries that never had a universal BCG policy (five countries) had a larger mortality rate, with 39 deaths per million people, a significant variation. India wasn’t included in the analysis. The BCG vaccine is known to confer a strong immune response that have protective effects beyond just staving off a tuberculosis infection and because COVID-19 was particularly lethal to the elderly, those countries where the elderly were likely to have had a BCG shot in their childhood were likely to be better protected against the coronavirus. “Italy, where the COVID-19 mortality is very high, never implemented universal BCG vaccination. Japan [and which has a BCG policy since 1947] has maintained a low mortality rate despite not implementing the most strict forms of social isolation.
DRDO DEVELOPS BIO SUIT, SEALANT FOR SAFETY GEAR In a major breakthrough, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a special sealant as an alternative to seam sealing tape which is critical in personal protective equipment (PPE). A bio suit was also developed to keep medical and other personnel engaged in combating COVID-19 safe from the deadly virus. The DRDO has prepared a special sealant as an alternative to seam sealing tape based on the sealant used in submarine applications.
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Presently, bio suits prepared using this glue for seam sealing by an industry partner has cleared test at the Southern India Textile Research Association (SITRA), Coimbatore. It said bio suit production in the country by DRDO industry partners and other industries was being hampered due to non- availability of seam sealing tapes. The DRDO can mass produce this glue through the industry to support the seam sealing activity by suit manufacturers. Technology Transfer: At present, Kusumgarh Industries, with technology transfer from the DRDO, is producing the raw material, coating material, and the complete suit is being manufactured with the help of another vendor. The current production capacity is 7,000 suits per day. Another vendor with experience in garment technology is being brought in and efforts are on to ramp up the capacity to 15,000 suits a day. The bio suit has been subjected to rigorous testing for textile parameters as well as protection against infection from synthetic blood. Separately, Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, has designed and developed its own handheld Infra Red (IR) based temperature sensor for screening at its entry gates, which have an average influx of around 20,000 personnel every day. The instrument has been manufactured through in-house resources at a cost of under ₹1000, a fraction of the cost of the temperature guns in the market.
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OPEC, RUSSIA DELAY MEETING OPEC: The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is an Permanent, intergovernmental organization of 14 nations. founded on 14 September 1960 in Baghdad by the first five members (1) Iran, (2) Iraq, (3) Kuwait, (4) Saudi Arabia, and (5) Venezuela.
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OPEC added 11 additional member countries they are (6) Qatar (1961), (7) Indonesia (1962), (8) Libya (1962), (9) the United Arab Emirates (1967), (10) Algeria (1969), (11) Nigeria (1971), (12) Ecuador (1973), (13) Gabon (1975), (14) Angola (2007), (15) Equatorial Guinea (2017), and (16) Congo (2018). Qatar terminated its membership on Jan. 1, 2019. Indonesia suspended its membership on Nov. 30, 2016. As of 2019 the organization consists of 14 states. OPEC had its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, in the first five years of its existence. Headquartered since 1965 in Vienna, Austria.
OPEC is a cartel that aims to manage the supply of oil in an effort to set the price of oil on the world market. According to its statutes, OPEC membership is open to any country that is a substantial exporter of oil and shares the ideals of the organization.
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How OPEC Works: As a cartel, OPEC members have a strong incentive to keep oil prices as high as possible while maintaining their shares of the global market. The advent of new technology, especially fracking in the United States, has had a major effect on worldwide oil prices and has lessened OPEC’s influence on the markets. Fracking: Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing, which is the process of creating fractures in rocks and rock formations by injecting specialized fluid into cracks to force them to open further. The larger fissures allow more oil and gas to flow out of the formations and into the wellbore, from where they can be easily extracted. Fracking has resulted in many oil and gas wells attaining a state of economic viability due to the level of extraction that can be reached and has allowed drilling firms access to previously difficult-to-reach sources of oil and gas.
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As of January 2020, OPEC has 13 member countries. Ecuador announced that it would leave OPEC on 1 January 2020. Ecuador's Ministry of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources released an official statement on 2 January 2020 which confirmed that Ecuador had left OPEC. Though it was still listed as a member state on OPEC's website as of 7 January. Approval of a new member country requires agreement by three-quarters of OPEC's existing members, including all five of the founders. In October 2015, Sudan formally submitted an application to join, but it is not yet a member.
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OPEC+ Members: In addition to the OPEC members, the following 10 more oil exporting countries led by Russia, are grouped as OPEC+ cartel from the year 2016. They cooperate in fixing the global crude oil prices by agreeing to production quotas so that global production is below the global demand/consumption.
OPEC+ countries excluding OPEC
S Azer Ba Br Kaza Mal M O S Ru outh ssia baijan hrain unei khstan aysia exico man udan Sudan
The non-OPEC countries which export crude oil are termed as OPEC plus countries. Why in News? OPEC and Russia have postponed a meeting planned for Monday until later next week. OPEC sources said on Saturday, as a row intensified between Moscow and Saudi Arabia over who is to blame for plunging oil prices. The meeting’s delay came despite pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, known as OPEC+. To urgently stabilise global oil markets.
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Output Cut: OPEC+ is working on an unprecedented oil output curb equal to about 10% of world supply, or 10 million barrels per day. Oil prices hit an 18-year low on March 30 due to sliding demand caused by government lockdowns to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. Failure of OPEC and other producers led by Russia to extend an earlier deal on output curbs that expired on March 31.
Losing flow: The postponement comes despite U.S. President Trump appeal to stabilise prices.
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42% OF PATIENTS BETWEEN 21 &40 YEARS About 42% of those confirmed positive for COVID-19 in India are between the ages of 21-40 years old, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday. Demography of the disease in India: Only 17% of those testing positive were over 60. By comparison, data from the U.S. Centres for Disease Control said 29% of those affected were in the 20-44 age group and 32% were above 60. India recorded 2,904 cases and 75 deaths as on Saturday compared to the 2,79,355 cases and 7,451 deaths in the United States. 9% of those testing positive were below 20 years in India. The Ministry said the number of new cases recorded nationwide between Friday and Saturday was 601, with 58 critically ill in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. Data from State Health Department: The death toll from the outbreak, rose to 103 with Maharashtra reporting the maximum at 32. The most number of active cases were also reported from Maharashtra at 551. Followed by Tamil Nadu with 476 and Delhi with 431 of the total 3,196 cases. Quick Results: As the number of cases continued to rise, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) issued an advisory to start rapid antibody based blood tests in areas reporting clusters and in large migration gatherings or evacuee centres. The results of such tests will be available in 15-30 minutes.
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The Health Ministry said nearly 30% of the cases were linked to last month’s Tablighi Jamaat meet in Delhi.
PANDEMIC DRIVES ONCOLOGISTS TO TWEAK CANCER TREATMENTS The COVID-19 outbreak has posed a unique challenge for oncology experts across the country — to balance the higher risk of exposure to the virus on account of the treatments and the risk of progression of cancer in their patients. To tackle this, oncologists are switching patients to less aggressive therapies, postponing surgeries where possible and opting to individualise the treatment approach for each patient. Since February, when the SARS-CoV-2 virus had found its way to India, Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH) in Mumbai began decreasing the intensity of chemotherapy in cases where it was possible.
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Reasons: Intensive cancer therapies result in decreased blood count, more immunosuppression and often require blood platelet transfusions. These patients are thus at high risk of catching the infection. Data from China: They relied on data from China, which showed a high mortality rate due to COVID-19 in cancer patients on active treatment. An analysis of patients in China published in The Lancet Oncology in March stated that patients with cancer might have a higher risk of COVID-19 than individuals without cancer. Patients with cancer had poorer outcomes from COVID-19, providing a timely reminder to physicians that more intensive attention should be paid to patients with cancer, in case of rapid deterioration. Data from China has shown that mortality in cancer patients was two times higher as compared to general patients with COVID-19. Italy had recorded a 20% mortality in cancer patients. We have to use this data for our learning. We are trying to make multiple interventions on case to case basis. For example, we are switching elderly cancer patients on oral therapies instead of intravenous, opting for milder therapies and also reducing their hospital visits. But it all differs on a case to case basis, based on the biology of cancer.
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Oncology: Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an oncologist.
MASS TRANSPORT MAY NOT RESUME FULLY IN KEY CITIES IN APRIL Mass transport, cinemas, malls, and industries with a large workforce are not likely to be back to normal fully even after the end of the 21-day lockdown in COVID-19 hotspot districts such as Bengaluru Urban and Mysuru where the number of cases has been rising in the last few days.
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The State government is not likely to grant permission to mass transport providers, cinemas, malls, and industries to operate services/business at least for a couple of weeks in April. Mass transport system was unlikely to resume operations in places such as Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, and Chickballapur in April. The services of Namma Metro and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses are unlikely to be back to normal in April. Owing to revenue shortfall, the government may consider granting permission to BangaloreOne centres to remain open for a limited hours during the day. This would help residents to pay bills of various service providers. There are 191 BangaloreOne centres in the city. Districts Unaffected: Markets, petty business establishments, small-scale industries, handicraft shops, and small hotels would be allowed to operate businesses in COVID-19-free districts. The government has planned to set up a ministerial team on formulating a plan for a “staggered exit” of lockdown in different cities, districts, and sector-wise industries. Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa is expected to hold consultations on this issue with Ministers and form the team. The proposed team is expected to suggest to the government the type of industries that are eligible to reopen after the lockdown period. As a large number of workforce in the State is depending on over six lakh small- and medium-scale industries, the
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government is expected to grant permission to open industries with a handful of employees.
Services unlikely to resume totally in places such as Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, and Chickballapur.
GROUNDING OF PLANES AFFECTS IMD’S WEATHER DATA SUPPLY The grounding of the country’s civilian aircraft has strangled a key source of weather data that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) uses for its forecasts.
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Officials, however, clarified that India’s annual monsoon forecast system was on track, with the first forecast scheduled to be issued in mid-April. Aircraft relay data about temperature and wind speed in the upper atmosphere to meteorological agencies the world over and this is used in the dynamical models. The ones which are run on super computers and relied on to give weather forecasts three days, or even two weeks in advance. Inputs from aircraft are important for the dynamical models as they determine the initial conditions for these models. However, for the monsoon forecast, which is a long-term forecast, this isn’t significantly affected.” Beginning mid-March, India began restricting incoming international flights into the country and by March 24 imposed a total shutdown on domestic air travel as well. Traditional System: This year, the IMD will likely rely on its traditional statistical forecast system — the workhorse, developed on the basis of historical data. India had begun to move away from this system and started to rely on its dynamical models as it better captures developing changes in the atmosphere. However, India’s dynamical models are still not as adept as meteorologists want them to be, for warning of a drought or extreme changes in monsoon rainfall. That, and limited data from aircraft as well as a general decline in land-based information because of a shortage of manpower to send observations, are forcing the agency’s hand.
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We need multiple observations from weather stations from all parts of the country. Aviation-generated data is also helpful to warn of developing thunderstorms or swings in temperatures that often begin at the heights aircraft traverse.
From the skies: The inputs sent by aircraft are important as they determine the initial conditions.
LIGHTS-OFF EVENT WILL NOT HARM GRID: MINISTRY India’s power grid is likely to come to no harm on account of the mass switching off of electric lights on Sunday, the Power Ministry has said
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Some apprehensions have been expressed that this may cause instability in the grid and fluctuation in voltage which may harm the electrical appliances. It said the electricity grid was “robust and stable”, and adequate arrangements and protocols were in place to handle the variation in demand. Only Residential Lights: It said the call was not to switch off street lights or computers, television sets, fans, refrigerators and air conditioners. Only lights should be switched off, but not except in hospitals and other essential services such as public utilities, municipal services, offices, police stations, manufacturing facilities. To dispel the “deep darkness” that the pandemic had wrought, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday exhorted Indians to switch off their residential lights at 9 p.m. on Sunday. Light candles or flash their phone-lights in the following nine minutes. Power companies say a sudden dip and then a spike in supply could threaten the stability of the grid and may cause some of them to trip. Power System Operation Corporation (Posoco) Ltd, a public sector company in charge of managing the grid load, said it expected a 12-13 GW (1 gigawatt is 1,000 megawatt) dip and a subsequent surge in 17 minutes. 20% Down: With the lockdown in force, power suppliers across India are already grappling with a 20% dip in demand.
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An instability in the grid would wobble the frequency range at which electricity flows and threaten an outage. In an advisory, Posoco described the anticipated fluctuation in demand as “unprecedented” and would need hydro and gas resources to help the grid retain its stability. The method of management would be a phased reduction in gas- and hydro generation from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at inter- State generating stations and then a ramping up from 9:10 onwards.
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STUDY LISTS 69 EXISTING DRUGS TO TARGET NOVEL CORONAVIRUS In a breathtaking feat, nearly 100 scientists from across the globe worked together to study the genes of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and have published a list of drugs that can be repurposed to treat COVID-19.
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The study posted on preprint server bioRxiv on March 27 is yet to be peer-reviewed or published in a scientific journal. The proteins of the virus must attach to the human proteins to cause the infection. The team studied 26 coronavirus genes that help in the production of these proteins. It also studied human proteins and found 332 SARS-CoV-2 and human protein interactions. The team then listed 67 human proteins that can be targeted by 69 drugs to fight the infection. These drugs include the those under clinical trials and/or preclinical compounds. When the virus invades the cells, it hijacks the cells’ molecular machinery to replicate itself because it cannot do this on its own. The drugs we have identified may be able to inhibit these molecular machines so that the virus can no longer use them for its own survival. However, they still need to be further tested. Familiar Names: The list includes unexpected candidates such as entacapone used to treat Parkinson’s disease. Another is the antiviral medication named ribavirin, which was administered to Nipah patients in Kerala during the 2018 outbreak. Chloroquine, an antimalarial drug, and metformin, used to treat diabetes.
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TESTS, TREATMENT FREE UNDER AYUSHMAN BHARAT Ayushman Bharat Scheme: The Ayushman Bharat Scheme was launched in 2018 to address health issues at all levels – primary, secondary and tertiary. It has two components:
1. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), earlier known as the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) 2. Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs)
Ayushman Bharat is National Health Protection Scheme, which will cover over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries). Providing coverage upto 5 lakh rupees per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. Ayushman Bharat - National Health Protection Mission will subsume the on-going centrally sponsored schemes – (a) Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and
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(b) The Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS). Salient Features: Benefits of the scheme are portable across the country and a beneficiary covered under the scheme will be allowed to take cashless benefits from any public/private empanelled hospitals across the country. The beneficiaries can avail benefits in both public and empanelled private facilities. To control costs, the payments for treatment will be done on package rate (to be defined by the Government in advance) basis. One of the core principles of Ayushman Bharat - National Health Protection Mission is to co- operative federalism and flexibility to states. For giving policy directions and fostering coordination between Centre and States, it is proposed to set up Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission Council (AB-NHPMC) at apex level Chaired by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister. States would need to have State Health Agency (SHA) to implement the scheme. To ensure that the funds reach SHA on time, the transfer of funds from Central Government through Ayushman Bharat - National Health Protection Mission to State Health Agencies may be done through an escrow account directly. In partnership with NITI Aayog, a robust, modular, scalable and interoperable IT platform will be made operational which will entail a paperless, cashless transaction.
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Major Impact: Ayushman Bharat - National Health Protection Mission will have major impact on reduction of Out of Pocket (OOP) expenditure on ground of: (a) Increased benefit cover to nearly 40% of the population, (the poorest & the vulnerable) (b) Covering almost all secondary and many tertiary hospitalizations. (except a negative list) (c) Coverage of 5 lakh for each family, (no restriction of family size)
This will lead to increased access to quality health and medication.
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In addition, the unmet needs of the population which remained hidden due to lack of financial resources will be catered to.
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STATES/DISTRICTS COVERED: Ayushman Bharat - National Health Protection Mission will be rolled out across all States/UTs in all districts with an objective to cover all the targeted beneficiaries.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY):
It was launched as the National Health Protection Mission and renamed later. It is the largest government-funded health insurance scheme in the world. The scheme offers eligible families an insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakh per annum per family. This amount is intended to cover all secondary and most tertiary care expenditure incurred. There is no cap on family size and age under the scheme, to ensure that nobody is left behind. The cover will include pre and post hospitalisation expenses. It will also cover all pre-existing conditions. 3 days of pre-hospitalisation and 15 days of post- hospitalisation like medicines and diagnostics are covered. Components of treatment covered under the scheme: Medical examination, consultation and treatment Medical consumables and medicines Intensive and non-intensive care services Medical implant services Lab and diagnostic investigations Complications arising out of treatment Accommodation benefits and food services
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The beneficiary will also receive a defined transport allowance per hospital.
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Why in News? The Central government has decided to provide free testing and treatment of COVID-19 under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme. This, it notes, will help more than 50 crore Ayushman beneficiaries to get free testing and treatment in designated private hospitals across India. Confirming this, Indu Bhushan, CEO of Ayushman Bharat, said this would allow beneficiaries to get timely and standard treatment. Giving details, Dr. Bhushan said: “The empanelled hospitals can use their own authorised testing facilities or tie up with an authorised testing facility for the scheme. These tests would be carried out as per the protocol set by Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and by private labs approved/registered by the ICMR. Similarly, treatment of COVID-19 by private hospitals will be covered under AB-PMJAY.” Private Sector: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that “in this unprecedented crisis we have to very actively involve the private sector as a key partner and stakeholder in the fight against COVID-19. Making testing and treatment available under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY will significantly expand our capacities by including private sector hospitals and labs and mitigate the adverse impact of this catastrophic illness on the poor. He added that States were in the process of enlisting private sector hospitals that could be converted into COVID-19 only hospitals.
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LOOK INTO ISSUE OF PAROLE FOR PSA CASES: J&K HC The J&K High Court has asked the High Powered Committee (HPC), convened to de-congest jails by releasing prisoners on parole in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, to examine the allegations that no detainee booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) was being considered for any parole. Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Rajnesh Oswal passed these orders on Saturday while hearing a Public Interest Litigation on the COVID-19 outbreak and the response given by the J&K administration. “Let the rules be urgently implemented and steps for grant of special parole to prisoners as is envisaged therein be taken on priority,” observed the division Bench. The direction came after advocate Pirzada informed the court that the HPC has overlooked the aspect of detenus who have been detained under the PSA. “The order of the Supreme Court makes a reference only to prisoners without specifying the provision of law under which they may have been imprisoned.” In his letter, Mr. Pirzada said, “There were indications that there was vulnerability [of catching the virus] in jails in the context of health, hygiene and sanitation. There is a sizeable number of detainees detained under the PSA and are equally exposed to the hazards of the viral disease in J&K and outside jails.” Public Safety Act: The Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978 (PSA) is a preventive detention law under which a
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person is taken into custody to prevent them from acting harmfully against "the security of the state or the maintenance of the public order" in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir (now a union territory). The Public Safety Act, 1978 of Jammu and Kashmir is a defensive detention law that allows taking a person into custody to prevent him or her from acting in any matter that is prejudicial to “the security of the state or the maintenance of the public order”. Under the act, a person can be held for 2 years without trial and they need not be produced before a court. A similar act called the National Security Act (NSA) is used by the other state governments for preventive detention. Any person can be booked under PSA when an administrative order passed either by Divisional Commissioner (DC) or the District Magistrate (DM). Any detention under this act can’t be made under the order by police based on specific allegations or for a specific violation of laws.
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What happens after detention under PSA? The District Magistrate (DM) communicates to the person within five days and informs him about the reason for the detention in writing. However, DM has a right to communicate within 10 days in exceptional cases.
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It is important because on the basis on that communication a detained person can make a representation against the order. However, District Magistrate has powers to not to disclose all the facts on the basis of the detention is ordered. Constitutional safeguards to a detained person: According to Article 22 (a) of the constitution, no person who is arrested will be detained in the custody without being informed. He will be communicated until he shall be denied the right to consult and to be defended by a legal practitioner of his choice. A person detained under the PSA shall be produced before the nearest magistrate within a period of 24 hours (article 22-b). However, Article 22(3) (b) allows for preventive detention and restriction on personal liberty for reasons of state security and public order. Types of Detention:
Punitive detention: It is a punishment for illegal acts done. Preventive detention: It is imprisonment of a person beforehand to prevent possible commitment of crime. Preventive detention thus is action taken on grounds of suspicion that some wrong actions may be done by the person concerned.
What are grounds for Preventive detention? It can be made only on four grounds which are as follows –
o security of state, o maintenance of public order,
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o maintenance of supplies and essential services and defence, o foreign affairs or security of India.
INDIA BANS EXPORT OF HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE
Hydroxychloroquine:
Hydroxychloroquine is in a class of drugs called antimalarials. It is used to prevent and treat acute attacks of malaria. It is also used to treat discoid or systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis in patients whose symptoms have not improved with other treatments.
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Chloroquine: Chloroquine is used to treat malaria, as well as in chemoprophylaxis, which is the administering of drugs to prevent the development of disease. Since 2006, it has not been recommended for use in severe malaria because of problems with resistance, particularly in the Oceania region, according to the World Health Organization. WHO includes it on its list of “essential medicines,” meaning it should be kept affordable and accessible at all times. According to the Swiss-registered organization, Medicines for Malaria Venture, chloroquine is a derivative of quinine, which French chemists in 1820 isolated from the bark of the cinchona tree found in South America, employing it as a treatment for fevers. Hydroxychloroquine is what’s known as an analog of chloroquine, meaning the two have similar structures but different chemical and biological properties. The former is considered the less toxic derivative, according to studies.
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Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have in vitro activity against SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and other coronaviruses, with hydroxychloroquine having higher potency against SARS-CoV-2. The National Taskforce for COVID-19 has recommended hydroxychloroquine for prophylaxis in case of asymptomatic healthcare workers involved in the care of suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 and asymptomatic household contacts of laboratory confirmed cases. Why in News? India has changed its official policy and prohibited export of hydroxychloroquine, a drug that has uses in the treatment of COVID-19, hours before U.S. President Donald Trump urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release the quantity of the drug that the U.S. had ordered. The Directorate-General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) had prohibited the export of the drug on March 25. But it left the option of export open to fulfil “export obligation” and on “humanitarian grounds”. On April 4, the DGFT issued a new notification, ending the exception mentioned in the previous order. As a result, India will not export hydroxychloroquine even “against full advance payment”. “The export of hydroxychloroquine and formulations made from hydroxychloroquine, therefore, shall remain prohibited, without any exception,” said the notification issued by the DGFT on Saturday. The Ministry of External Affairs did not respond to questions on the sudden change in the policy.
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PENCH TIGER DEATH RAISES COVID FEARS
The spectre of COVID-19 has made its appearance in one of India’s most storied tiger reserves. The death of a 10-year-old ailing male tiger, in the Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) — the country’s most munificent reserve —that succumbed to a ‘respiratory illness’. But a report of a confirmed COVID-19 infection in a tiger at the Bronx Zoo, in New York,U.S. United States and advisories by divisions of the Environment Ministry that deal with the protection of the cats in zoos, as well as in Tiger Reserves has officials in the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)— the organisation that manages the protection of India’s 3,000-odd tigers — puzzling on whether the tiger should be tested for the novel coronavirus disease. Research college in Jabalpur The people who handled the dead tiger and were involved in its post-mortem would be tested for the infection. The viscera samples collected as part of the standard protocol have been preserved and will be sent to the veterinary as well as the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.
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The 10-year-old male tiger succumbed to a ‘respiratory illness’ last Saturday.
Pench Tiger Reserve: Pench Tiger Reserve or Pench National Park is one of the premier tiger reserves of India. The first one to straddle across two states - Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Ordinarily, the reference to Pench is mostly to the tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh (M.P).
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NEWYORK ZOO TIGER TESTS POSITIVE FOR VIRUS A tiger at New Yorks Bronx Zoo has tested positive for COVID-19, the institution said Sunday, and is believed to have contracted the virus from a caretaker who was asymptomatic at the time. The four-year-old Malayan tiger named Nadia along with her sister Azul, two Amur tigers and three African lions all developed dry coughs and are expected to fully recover. It is not known how this disease will develop in big cats since different species can react differently to novel infections, but we will continue to monitor them closely and anticipate full recoveries. All Zoos Closed: All four of the zoos and the aquarium in New York — where the virus death toll has topped 4,000 — have been closed since March 16.
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The zoo emphasised that there is “no evidence that animals play a role in the transmission of COVID-19 to people other than the initial event in the Wuhan market. No evidence that any person has been infected with COVID- 19 in the U.S. by animals, including by pet dogs or cats. Chinese disease control officials have previously identified wild animals sold in a Wuhan market as the source of the pandemic that has infected well over one million people worldwide. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture website, there had “not been reports of pets or other animals” in the U.S. falling ill with COVID-19 prior to news of tiger Nadia. It is still recommended that people sick with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus. In late March, a pet cat was discovered infected with the virus in Belgium, following similar cases in Hong Kong where two dogs tested positive. All of those animals are believed to have contracted the virus from the people they live with. The Bronx zoo said preventative measures were in place for caretakers as well as all cats. Sarah Caddy, veterinarian and clinical research fellow at the University of Cambridge, said that since domestic cats had been shown to be potentially susceptible to the virus, the tiger becoming infected was “not wholly unexpected”.
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Humans to cats: The New York-based Bronx Zoo where Nadia (right) the Malayan tiger, tested positive.
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INDIA LIFTS BAN ON EXPORT OF HYDROXYCLOROQUINE What is hydroxychloroquine and what is it used for? It is an antimalarial drug option, considered less toxic than chloroquine, and prescribed in certain cases. Doctors also prescribe hydroxychloroquine for patients of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
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Who makes this drug in India? Hydroxychloroquine had a market size of only around Rs 152.80 crore in the 12 months ended February 2020, according to pharmaceutical market research firm AIOCD Awacs PharmaTrac. However, several countries source the drug from India. Mumbai-headquartered Ipca Laboratories had nearly 82% of the market, with its brands HCQS and HYQ. Around 80% of the volumes produced by Ipca are exported. Ahmedabad-headquartered Cadila Healthcare (Zydus Cadila) prepares the brand Zy Q, with 8% of the market. Wallace Pharmaceuticals (OXCQ), Torrent Pharmaceuticals (HQTOR) and Overseas Healthcare Pvt Ltd (CARTIQUIN) have smaller shares. Why has the COVID-19 outbreak spotlighted hydroxychloroquine? In a study last month in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents (IJAA), French scientists reported: Twenty cases were treated and showed a significant reduction of the viral carriage. Compared to controls, and much lower average carrying duration than reported of untreated patients in the literature. Azithromycin (an antibiotic) added to hydroxychloroquine was significantly more efficient for virus elimination. The study was flagged as being too small to draw a definitive conclusion. However, by March 21, Trump had begun to call the drug a “game changer”, and has since been pushing it.
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At the end of last month, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) issued an advisory recommending the use of hydroxychloroquine in asymptomatic healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients. And also allowed doctors to prescribe it for household contacts of confirmed COVID-19 patients. However, the government has stressed that the drug can only be used in COVID-19 treatment on prescription, and that it should not instill a sense of “false security”. Since when has India stopped exporting the drug? The US has been looking to procure the drug for emergency use. On March 21, Ipca told stock exchanges here that the US Food and Drug Administration had “made exception” to its import alert against the company so that it could get stocks. India decided to ban exports of the drug on April 4. On Tuesday, the government decided to ease the ban. Is hydroxychloroquine actually effective? Two large trials are under way on the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine, and even chloroquine, in COVID-19 treatment. In the World Health Organization (WHO) solidarity trial, of which India is a part, clinicians worldwide are to follow a common protocol to treat patients with hydroxychloroquine. The second is the chloroquine accelerator trial, largely funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. As of now, the jury is still out on how effective these drugs can be against the virus, according to virologist and CEO of the Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance Dr Shahid Jameel.
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Both of these are testing very large numbers of patients according to the random testing protocol used to test medicines. The results of those trials are not available yet. If people in high exposure situations such as health workers are taking hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine as a preventive measure in limited ways, it may be fine. But, it is not all right for the general public to go around popping these drugs hoping that they will be protected. They may not be protected, but they will definitely cause themselves some harm. Why in News? India on Tuesday announced that it had rescinded its earlier ban on the export of malaria drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). In view of the humanitarian aspects of the pandemic, it has been decided that India would licence paracetamol and HCQ in appropriate quantities to all our neighbouring countries who are dependent on our capabilities. We will also be supplying these essential drugs to some nations that have been particularly badly affected by the pandemic. The MEA announcement came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said that India could invite “retaliation” if it withheld supplies of HCQ, for which the U.S., Brazil and other countries have already placed advance orders.
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OPPOSITION SLAMS DRUG EXPORT The Opposition criticised the Union government for the quick capitulation in the face of a veiled threat by U.S. President Donald Trump on the ban on export of anti- malarial drug hydroxychloroquine. The government lifted the ban within hours of Mr. Trump’s comments.
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Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to argue that Indians have the first right over life-saving medicines during the coronavirus pandemic. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that though the Congress valued and cherished India's friendship with the U.S., it saw Mr. Trump's language as ‘unwarranted’. Allowing the export of hydroxychloroquine by bowing down before a foreign power cannot be in national interest, he said. The government should think deeply about the export of essential medicines as our citizens have the first right over them. Let down India: Yechury CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the statement by the U.S. President was completely unacceptable. But Modi govt has succumbed to the threat by allowing the export. That this happened after an expensive gala was organised for him by Modi, instead of preparing to contain Covid-19, shows how this govt has let down India. Senior TMC leader and Lok Sabha member Saugata Roy said that while the humanitarian gesture made by the Indian government was welcome, it should have raised concern over the language used by Mr. Trump.
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KERALA-KARNATAKA BORDER ROW SORTED OUT, CENTRE INFORMS SC The Supreme Court on Tuesday disposed of a bunch of petitions concerning the Kerala-Karnataka border sealing case after the Union government informed that a consensus had been worked out to allow patients requiring urgent medical treatment to cross the Talapadi border and access hospitals in Mangaluru. Appearing before a Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said a meeting was held among the Union Home Secretary and the Chief Secretaries of the States to amicably resolve the crisis.
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An agreement had been reached on the parameters and protocol for allowing patients into Karnataka. On April 3, the court ordered the Centre, Kerala and Karnataka to confer immediately and “formulate parameters for passage of patients for urgent medical treatment at the border at Talapadi”. The court then listed the case on April 7. The April 3 order was based on petitions highlighting how Karnataka had enforced a blockade which, the court was informed, had resulted in deaths as ambulances bound for Mangaluru were not being permitted to cross the border. The petitions asked the court to intervene to facilitate free movement of vehicles carrying persons who need urgent medical treatment across the border. Karnataka argued that the blockade was put in place in the interest of public health. The situation regarding COVID-19 was “really dire”. Kerala was the “worst-affected” State in the country, with nearly 194 cases. In this, Kasaragod, adjoining Karnataka, was the “worst- affected” district of Kerala with over 100 positive cases, it said.
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LOSS OF SMELL MAY BE LINKED TO CELLS: STUDY Multiple reports have surfaced, primarily from Europe and the United States, from physicians and ear, nose and throat specialists, of COVID-19 patients complaining of an inability to smell — or anosmia. However, it is not clear whether neurons in the brain that are responsible for recognising various odours are damaged, or whether other cells may be involved. Researchers at Delhi’s Indrapastha Institute of Information Technology report in the study that is still being peer- reviewed but available as a public preprint. It is not neurons but a class of cells in the upper regions of the nasal cavity that may be involved: these are called sustentacular cells and horizontal basal cells. Crucially, both are not directly involved in helping us smell, but nourish and support the cells that help us do, and so the virus may be inflicting an indirect attack on the olfactory sensory cells. While research on this aspect of the disease is emerging, studies say the loss of smell is different from diminished smell or a lack of perceiving flavour in food when one is afflicted with a cold or stuffy nose. The coronavirus has spike proteins that bind to ACE 2 receptors on human cells and the enzyme’s presence is a proxy to revealing the signature of the virus in the body’s cells.
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Clinical Symptoms: Research so far suggests that it take between 5-14 days for clinical symptoms of the virus — dry cough, laboured breathing and fever — to show and unless this manifested, those infected are likely to continue socialising and spreading the virus. Because the loss of smell surfaces much earlier, anyone who does not feel sick but registers a significant inability to smell could self-isolate. A questionnaire could be used via an app, for users to check or report these systems to a doctor. An analysis by a team at King’s College London showed that 59% of COVID-19 positive patients reported a loss of smell and taste, compared with only 18% of those who tested negative for the disease. These results were much stronger in predicting a positive COVID-19 diagnosis than self-reported fever.
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SBI CUTS MCLR BY 35BPS
What is marginal cost of funds-based lending rate or MCLR? The RBI introduced the MCLR methodology for fixing interest rates from 1 April 2016. It replaced the base rate structure, which had been in place since July 2010. The marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR) is the minimum interest rate that a bank can lend at. MCLR is a tenor-linked internal benchmark, which means the rate is determined internally by the bank depending on the period left for the repayment of a loan. MCLR is closely linked to the actual deposit rates and is calculated based on four components: (a) The marginal cost of funds, (b) Negative carry on account of cash reserve ratio, (c) Operating costs and (d) Tenor premium. Under the MCLR regime, banks are free to offer all categories of loans on fixed or floating interest rates. The actual lending rates for loans of different categories and tenors are determined by adding the components of spread to MCLR.
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Therefore, the bank cannot lend at a rate lower than MCLR of a particular maturity, for all loans linked to that benchmark. Fixed-rate loans with tenors of up to three years are also priced according to MCLR. Banks review and publish MCLR of different maturities, every month. Certain loan rates, like that of fixed-rate loans with tenors above three years and special loan schemes offered by the government, are not linked to MCLR.
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Why in News? State Bank of India, the country’s largest lender, has reduced the marginal cost of fund-based lending rate (MCLR) by 35 basis points (bps) across all loan tenures. The new rate will come into effect from April 10. With this cut, the one-year MCLR of SBI will be 7.4%. EMIs on eligible home loan accounts (linked to MCLR) will get cheaper by around ₹24 per ₹1 lakh on a 30-year loan. The move comes after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reduced the repo rate by 75 bps in the last week of March. The lender has also reduced the savings account deposits rate, the second such cut in a month and third cut since November 2019. “In view of adequate liquidity in the system, SBI realigns its interest rates on savings bank deposits, with effect from April 15, 2020,” SBI said. The new rate will be 2.75% for both savings account balance of less than ₹1 lakh and above ₹1 lakh.
ECONOMY TO CONTRACT 4.5% IN FOURTH QUARTER, SAYS ICRA The Indian economy is likely to witness a sharp contraction of 4.5% during Q4FY20 and is expected to recover gradually to post a GDP growth of just 2% in FY21, rating agency ICRA said. ICRA said it reduced the growth forecast due to the nationwide lockdown imposed in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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“Concerns have morphed from the impact of imports from China on domestic supply chains into domestic and external demand shock, with social distancing and lockdowns leading to production shutdowns and job losses in some sectors” ICRA said. Sectors that will be impacted: High Impact (a) The most are aviation, (b) Hotels, (c) Restaurants and tourism, (d) Auto dealerships, (e) Ceramic tiles, (f) Gems and jewellery, (g) Retail, shipping, (h) Ports and port services, (i) Seafood and poultry and (j) Microfinance institutions. Moderate impact on Sectors:
(a) automobiles, (b) auto components, (c) building materials, (d) construction, (e) chemicals, (f) residential real estate, (g) consumer goods, (h) pharmaceuticals, (i) logistics, (j) banking, (k) mining, (l) paper, (m) consulting, (n) ferrous metals,
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(o) footwear, (p) glass, (q) plastics, (r) power and trading are going to be moderate. Low Impact Sectors:
(a) Education, (b) dairy products, (c) fertilisers and seeds, (d) FMCG, (e) healthcare, (f) food and food products, (g) insurance, (h) telecom, (i) utilities, (j) sugar, (k) tea, (l) coffee and agricultural produce. The rating agency said extended demand disruptions are likely to lead to elongated payment cycles.
MSME’S NEED HUGE PACKAGE: JAIRAM MSME:(Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006 which was notified on October 2, 2006, deals with the definition of MSMEs.
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The MSMED Act, 2006 defines the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises based on (1) The investment in plant and machinery for those engaged in manufacturing or production, processing or preservation of goods and (2) The investment in equipment for enterprises engaged in providing or rendering of services.
Old Definition according to 2006 Act:
In the month of February 2018, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved a change in the definition of the MSMEs. Now MSMEs will be defined on the basis of ‘annual turnover’ instead of investment in plant & machinery/equipment.
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New definition of the MSMEs in India:
Manufacturing Sector:
Manufacturing Sector Enterprises Micro Annual turnover is less Enterprises than Rs.5 cr. Small Annual turnover is Enterprises between Rs. 5 Cr to Rs. 75 cr. Medium Annual turnover is Enterprises between Rs. 75 Cr to Rs. 250 cr. Service Sector:
Service Sector Enterprises Micro Annual turnover is less Enterprises than Rs.5 cr. Small Annual turnover is Enterprises between Rs. 5 Cr to Rs. 75 cr. Medium Annual turnover is Enterprises between Rs. 75 Cr to Rs. 250 cr.
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Government schemes to promote MSMEs: Coir Vikas Yojana: The interventions under CVY Scheme envisage a wide range of activities like skill development of artisans, mahila coir yojana, for modernization, upgradation and/or establishing a new unit under Coir Industry Technology Upgradation Scheme (CITUS). CITUS: A new component namely “Coir Industry Technology Upgradation Scheme (CITUS)” has been introduced replacing the earlier component i.e. “Development of Production Infrastructure” of Coir Vikas Yojana.
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Micro & Small Enterprises Cluster Development (MSE- CDP): The Ministry of MSME has adopted cluster development approach for enhancing productivity and competitiveness as well as capacity building of MSEs. The Scheme supports financial assistance for establishment of Common Facility Centres (CFCs) for testing, training centres, R&D, Effluent Treatment, raw material depot, complementing production processes etc. Digital MSME Scheme: It involves usage of Cloud Computing where MSMEs use the internet to access common as well as tailor-made IT infrastructure. Revamped Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI): Organizes traditional industries and artisans into clusters and make them competitive by enhancing their marketability & equipping them with improved skills. A Scheme for Promoting Innovation, Rural Industry & Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE): Creates new jobs & reduce unemployment, promotes entrepreneurship culture, facilitates innovative business solution etc.
MSME Sambandh: To monitor the implementation of the public procurement from MSMEs by Central Public Sector Enterprises.
MSME Samadhaan:
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MSME Delayed Payment Portal –– will empower Micro and Small entrepreneurs across the country to directly register their cases relating to delayed payments by Central Ministries/Departments/CPSEs/State Governments. Why in News? COVID-19 lockdown has thrown MSMEs — Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises — into deep distress. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has urged the Centre to set up a ₹1 lakh crore corpus fund as part of a relief package for the sector. Mr. Ramesh called for tax sops and other measures to ensure liquidity, preventing mass unemployment, deferring payment of dues and pausing litigation against MSMEs. The Rajya Sabha MP noted that there were over 6.3 crore MSMEs in the country. It accounts for almost half of all exports and a third of the national GDP. They employed 11 crore people, and were struggling to pay wages, given the shutdown of many businesses, the sharp depression in demand and a massive cash crunch. To ensure liquidity, Mr. Ramesh suggested loan restructuring options, and a 6-month moratorium on payment of dues. Tax payments could also be deferred for six months, while property taxes and other local body taxes could be waived for three months.
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NO SIGNIFICANT RATE OF INCREASE IN COVID- 19 POSITIVE CASES: ICMR The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday said the country has maintained a steady rate of COVID-19 positive cases — 3% to 5% over the past month and half — and has registered no significant increase in this trend so far. The country currently has 5,865 confirmed cases and 169 deaths. This includes 591 new cases and 20 deaths in the last 24 hours, Joint Secretary in the Union Health Ministry Lav Agrawal said at the daily press briefing. He added that 473 people had recovered and been discharged so far. The ICMR noted that 1,44,910 samples from 1,30,792 individuals had been tested as on April 9. Of these, 5,734 samples tested positive till date. Positivity rate ranges between 3%-5% with no major increase.
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Plasma therapy: In this therapy, plasma from a COVID-19 recovered patient is transfused into an infected severely ill patient so that the specific antibodies in the blood of the recovered patient can help fight the infection. This is done for very ill patients on ventilators and has given good results in some studies abroad. The nationwide death toll touched 205 on Thursday, State Health Departments reported. The number of active cases was 5,815. Maharashtra continued to report the maximum number of deaths, at 97, as well as active cases at 1,142. Tamil Nadu reported 799 active cases, with 96 new cases. While Delhi has 683 active cases with more 3 deaths since Wednesday.
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ODISHA BECOMES FIRST STATE TO EXTEND LOCKDOWN TILL APRIL 30 Odisha on Thursday extended the lockdown till April 30. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made the announcement after a Cabinet meeting held through videoconferencing. He said one had to decide between protecting the lives of the people and economic activity at this crucial juncture, and the Cabinet decided that saving lives was the topmost priority now. Educational institutions in the State would remain closed till June 17, he noted. Help for those stranded: As regards the people from Odisha who are stranded in various parts of the country, Mr. Patnaik said his government’s intervention for their well-being would be through the State governments concerned. We will take care of all the people who are stranded in Odisha. Activities related to agriculture, animal husbandry and MGNREGS would be facilitated during the lockdown period, he said. Food security was a major priority of the government. There will not be any problem in transport of goods. The government was leaving no stone unturned in scaling up testing and treatment facilities. He thanked doctors from all over the country who had offered their services for the telemedicine helpline launched on Wednesday.
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KERALA GETS NOD FOR TRIAL OF PLASMA THERAPY
With Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan making it clear that the State would explore all available treatment options for COVID-19. The State has gone a step ahead and won the Indian Council of Medical Research’s approval to explore the feasibility of administering convalescent plasma transfusion on critically ill patients. Convalescent plasma therapy is not new and has been used by doctors to treat critically ill patients during earlier epidemics like H1N1, SARS and Ebola. The expert committee which is guiding the State’s containment and mitigation strategies against COVID-19 had recommended exploring the plasma therapy following the report in JAMA of a pilot study done by doctors in China. It may be noted that plasma from the blood of previously infected yet healthy individuals had been transferred to five
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critically ill patients in China and their condition had steadily improved and were subsequently discharged from hospitals. The proposal submitted to the ICMR says that the Transfusion Medicine Department of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology would help the State Health Department in exploring the feasibility of plasma therapy for COVID-19 treatment. Getting the clinical protocol for administering plasma therapy cleared by the ICMR is just part of our preparedness.
OPERATION SHIELD AT 21 LOCATIONS IN DELHI The Delhi government will carry out ‘Operation SHIELD’ at 21 locations identified as containment zones in the capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said here on Thursday. The operation involves sealing, identifying and quarantining people, doorstep delivery of essential items and door-to-door checking of people. We have begun Operation SHIELD S-Sealing of the immediate area after geographical marking, H-Home quarantine of all in the area, I-Isolation and tracing of people who have been first and second contacts, E-Essential supplies delivered at the doorstep, L-Local sanitisation and disinfection and D-Door-to-door checking,
Mr. Kejriwal also underscored the need for wearing masks by all those stepping out of their homes.
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This has been advised based on recent observations and news from across the world where authorities are advising everyone, and not just people infected with the coronavirus, to wear masks to protect themselves. Based on the experiences of other countries, we have issued orders that everyone stepping out of their homes in Delhi should wear masks. Mr. Kejriwal said the government would take strict action against those misbehaving with healthcare professionals, after two women doctors of Safdarjung Hospital were mistreated by a local at Gautam Nagar on Wednesday. He said the pandemic would necessitate tough decisions. As no economic activities are taking place, tax collection has stopped. In view of this, we have decided that except for the expenses to contain the spread of the virus and provide free ration and food, no other expenses will be incurred by the government.
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AHMEDABAD ADOPTS SOUTH KOREAN MODEL As COVID-19 cases surge, Ahmedabad is battling to contain the spread of the pandemic with intensive surveillance and aggressive testing to detect the maximum number of cases of infected people. So far, 141 cases have been reported from Ahmedabad, with 58 reported on Thursday morning alone. Intensive surveillance and aggressive testing — these two approaches will ensure we detect as many cases as possible.
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One case proactively detected can mean up to ten lives saved, assuming one positive undetected person can infect around 400 people and considering about 3% mortality rate. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has now adopted the South Korean model of enhanced testing to ascertain the scale of the epidemic in the city of 6.5 million people. Along with aggressive testing, the civic body has hardened social distancing measures by strictly regulating goings and comings in the entire walled city area, from where the maximum number of cases have emerged. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has identified 14 clusters or hotspots where intensive surveillance, mass testing and contact tracing of infected persons will be carried out with enhanced focus.
NO EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION: HEALTH MINISTRY The Union Health Ministry denied evidence of community transmission (CT) of COVID-19 while reporting at least 700 new cases. The nationwide death toll from the epidemic touched 206, and the Ministry confirmed 6,761 positive cases. The Ministry’s response follows an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) report of nearly month long surveillance of 5,911 randomly chosen samples of patients who exhibited Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI), whom 104 tested positive for COVID-19. All but two were tested between March 21-April 2 and 40 had no history of international travel or contact with someone with travel history but had picked up the infection, indicating community transmission, the ICMR said.
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Over the last few weeks, there have been reports from several States of people testing positive but who were unable to explain the possible source of the infection. However, the Health Ministry has consistently maintained that this was not evidence for CT. Health Ministry spokesperson Lav Agrawal said all of the cases of SARI were from districts where there were confirmed cases of the disease and that travel histories of those SARI patients were being investigated. The Health Ministry response comes even as States have announced an extension of the lockdown beyond April 14 citing CT; Chief Minister Amarinder Singh declared on Friday that CT had been observed in Punjab. Reports from State Health Departments put the death toll at 252 with 6618 active cases. Maharashtra reported 197 fresh cases even as the death toll in the State climbed to 110. The ICMR had randomly tested samples from laboratories in 52 districts in 20 states. As of now, nearly 280 districts have reported confirmed cases. Independent epidemiologists said the ICMR still had too few surveillance sites to detect CT evidence and ought to be expanding it manifold. Sentinel site surveillance of all SARI (or at-least all X-ray positive pneumonia) is essential for getting an idea about the spread of COVID-19. All cases reporting to these sites have to be tested. At least 10-20 sites in every district have to be selected and sample collection facilities have to be arranged there. Sites will have to be increased in a locality if community transmission occurs. At the daily media briefing, Mr. Agrawal said India needed about 1 crore hydroxychloroquine tablets and had stocks nearly three times that.
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Arrangements for additional two-three crore tablets have been made and through private sector two crore tablets had been sent to the field.
SCARCITY OF DRUGS, DEVICES IMMINENT, GOVT. WARNED A countrywide shortage of medicines and medical devices is likely in the coming weeks, the Department of Pharmaceuticals has warned the Home Ministry.
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Urging it to take immediate steps to help drug makers resume production under the current lockdown. Drug and medical device makers are functioning “…on an average, at only 20%-30% capacity during the lockdown. Export Demand: Underlining that half of India’s output of pharmaceuticals is exported as global markets offer better prices. The Department of Pharmaceuticals stressed that this could lead to disproportionate shortages in the domestic market, calling for suitable measures to be taken “in the right earnest” to prevent this “avoidable” situation. Production units engaged in making essential commodities, including medicines, vaccines, masks and their ancillaries had been exempted from the restrictions imposed as per the three- week national lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24. Though several States had already imposed restrictions on mobility and production by then, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister had urged State governments to ensure such production work continues, at a review meeting on March 22. Constraints on Labour: Reverse migration of labour and local workers not reporting to work due to lack of public transport options and the fear of police action, combined with family and local community pressure, has made it difficult to operate factories even at lower than normal capacity. The letter urged the Home Ministry to allow the pharma industry to ‘ferry back their contractual workers from their native places’ and make courier services ‘fully functional’ in metro cities as well as Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities. Courier services are ‘crucial in ensuring movement of medicines and medical devices… is not adversely affected during the lockdown.
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Truckers’ Troubles: State and district administrations need to be sensitised and nudged to be proactive to fulfil the need for pharma units to function fully. Mooting that drivers with commercial licences be allowed to move with or without a vehicle by treating it as a ‘pass’ during the lockdown. Many drivers have left their vehicles on highways or dhabas and returned to their native places. Unless they are allowed to reach their vehicles, those vehicles will be left stranded and thus would be out of circulation. There is a dire need to not only address the apprehensions of these drivers but also to motivate/incentivise them (with insurance, etc.). The Department of Pharmaceuticals, entrusted with ensuring the seamless production and distribution of critical life-saving medicines in the wake of the lockdown to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Also reiterated its concerns about ancillary industries that it had raised in an earlier April 3 letter to the Home Ministry. Ancillary suppliers of inputs, including packaging material, excipients (required for tablets and capsules manufacturing), utility consumables like briquettes/gases (required to run boilers) and spare parts are not able to operate/supply.
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INDIA POUNDS LOC TERROR LAUNCHPADS, PAK. ARMY SITES The Army on Friday said it had inflicted heavy damage on the Pakistani army’s gun areas and terrorist launchpads after unprovoked ceasefire violation by the “enemy side” in two areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. Army retaliated “effectively and strongly” to the ceasefire violation in Keran sector in Kupwara district in the afternoon. Police officials said Pakistan had violated the ceasefire in Uri area of Baramulla district as well.
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The heavy exchange of fire amid the ongoing lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced scores of villagers living along the LoC in Kupwara to shift their families to safer locations. ‘Bid to Disrupt Peace’: It was condemnable that when the entire world was coming together to fight the pandemic, Pakistan and its sponsored terrorists were making attempts disrupt peace. The shelling comes days after a gunfight between the Army and infiltrators resulted in the death of five elite paratroopers and an equal number of infiltrators. Line of Control: The term Line of Control (LoC) refers to the military control line between the Indian and Pakistani controlled parts of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. A line which does not constitute a legally recognized international boundary, but serves as the de facto border. Originally known as the Cease-fire Line, it was redesignated as the “Line of Control” following the Simla Agreement, which was signed on 3 July 1972. The part of the former princely state that is under Indian control is known as the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistani-controlled part is divided into Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit–Baltistan. The northernmost point of the Line of Control is known as NJ9842. The India–Pakistan border continues from the southernmost point on the LoC. Another ceasefire line separates the Indian-controlled state of Jammu and Kashmir from the Chinese-controlled area known as Aksai Chin. Lying further to the east, it is known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
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RED ARMY KEEPS VIRUS AT BAY IN NORTHEAST Red Army: A ‘red army’ of wise old men and women are helping villages across some hill States in the n ortheast to keep the novel coronavirus away. Gaon buras (male villager elder) and gaon buris (female village elder) — usually referred to as GBs. Though a majority of those felled by the COVID-19 pandemic are aged 60 years or more this hasn’t stopped from following their predecessors in forming a shield between the villages and the enemy — in this case, the virus.
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The village elders across the States are distinguished by their red coats provided by the government, which also pays them a stipend of ₹1,500 per month. Assam Frontier (Administration of Justice) Regulation of 1945, under which GBs are appointed, prescribes the 35-60 age slab. A majority of Arunachal Pradesh’s estimated 9,500 GBs are 60 or more. A head gaon bura, who supervises five GBs, is usually older. Sharing Tasks: The population of a village decides the number of GBs. Assisting the GBs in Nagaland are the dobashi, the custodians of Naga customary laws who also wear red coats. They have been salaried government employees since 1842 when the British appointed the first dobashis for interpreting Naga dialects into Assamese or Hindi.
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NEW HELPLINE TO FIGHT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Friday launched a helpline number — 0721-7735372 — to enable those facing domestic violence to send a WhatsApp message to access help. In the first week after the lockdown, the NCW recorded more than a two-fold increase in complaints of domestic violence and sexual assault as well as as a three-fold rise in complaints of police apathy towards crimes against women. The move comes days after Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani held a web-conference with more than 1,000 participants from various institutions linked to her Ministry on the issue of women’s safety. The Minister sought to convey the message that the government was working for women in need of protection. Digital Governance: She urged her staff to take steps to encourage reporting of violence against women as well as use digital governance effectively to ensure their safety. The messaging facility will also help those women who cannot make a call because they may be overheard by the perpetrators of abuse. The NCW has compiled a State-wise list of One Stop Centres as well as nodal police officers who can be contacted immediately. It is also working on building a network of counsellors and has sought UN Women’s help on this.
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National Commission for Women: The National Commission for Women(NCW) is the statutory body of the Government of India, generally concerned with advising the government on all policy matters affecting women. It was established in 31 January 1992 under the provisions of the Indian Constitution,as defined in the 1990 National Commission for Women Act. The first head of the commission was Jayanti Patnaik. The objective of the NCW is to represent the rights of women in India and to provide a voice for their issues and concerns. The subjects of their campaigns have included dowry, politics, religion, equal representation for women in jobs, and the exploitation of women for labour. They have also discussed police abuses against women. The commission regularly publishes a monthly newsletter, Rashtra Mahila, in both Hindi and English.
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KALARIPAYATTU- THE MOTHER OF ALL MARTIAL ARTS Kalaripayattualso known simply as Kalari, is an Indian martial art and fighting style that originated in modern- day Kerala. It is believed to be the oldest surviving martial art in India. It originated inKerala during 3nd century BC to the 2nd century AD. The place where this martial art is practised is called a ‘Kalari’. It is a Malayalam word that signifies a kind of gymnasium. The word kalari first appears in Sangam literatureto describe both a battlefield and combat arena. It is also considered as the father of modern Kung – Fu. According to ancient folklore, Lord Vishnu’s disciple Parasurama who was an avatar of Lord Vishnu is believed to be the founder of martial arts in India. Kalaripayattu, which is the most popular amongst many martial arts practiced in India, is believed to have been founded by Parasurama. Kalaripayattu reach its zenith during the hundred years of war between the Cholas, Pandyas and Cheras.
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Today martial arts in India are back in focus. Kalaripayattu is now practiced widely across Kerala, fringes of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and also in Sri Lanka. How other Martial Arts derived from Kalaripayattu? The ethnic Indian martial art of Kalari Payat (Kalaripayattu) – meaning ‘Battleground‘ or ‘Gymnasium‘ – (Kalari), ‘Method‘ or ‘Art‘ – (Payatt), has a special significance for practitioners of the Tibetan and Chinese martial arts. In tradition, the Shaolin Temple martial art of China was introduced by the Indian Buddhist Patriarch and founder of Ch’an’ (Zen) Buddhism; Bodhidharma (450-523 AD).
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Styles of Kalaripayattu: There are 3 acknowledged styles of Kalaripayattu – 1. Northern, 2. Southern and 3. Central with the names referring to different parts of the Kerala region. The Northern and the Southern styles each have their own mythical gurus – Parashurama and Agastya Muni, respectively. Kalaripayattu masters practiced not only the martial craft, but also medicine (kalari chikitsa) and herbalism, which they used to heal the wounds of soldiers who had been hurt in battle. Decline of Kalaripayattu: They started becoming less arcane around the 10th-12th century AD, when Keralite society became militarised due to fights between kingdoms and dynasties.
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After a heydey in the 16th and 17th centuries, the importance of Kalaripayattu and the warriors who practiced it gradually declined due to developments in societal structure and military technique. When the British colonised India in the mid-19th century, they considered the warriors a threat to British authority, and the practice of Kalaripayattu was banned on penalty of death or exile. Revival of Kalari: It wasn’t until the 1920s, when a wave of rediscovery of historic traditions swept over India, that we saw the rise of Kalaripayattu schools. As well as a revival of the spirit of the martial art itself. Kalaripayattu presentations became very popular, as people enthusiastically recalled the heroic past of their country. Nowadays, there are many kalaris in Kerala, with dozens of schools in every town, and quite a few in other parts of India, in big cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai or Bangalore. There are also teachers operating in countries all over the world.
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Kalari Movements: Kalaripayattu movements find their inspiration in the power and strength of animals. There are around 10 animal postures – depending on different Kalaripayattu schools – such as the: 1. Elephant, 2. Lion, 3. Boar, 4. Cock, 5. Peacock, 6. Fish, 7. Horse, 8. Cat, 9. Turtle and 10. Snake.
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For each of them, a specific kind of energy is presented. It is a combination of tension, relaxation, focus and readiness – all at the same time. Marmas: ‘Marmas’ is a popular term in the vocabulary of Kalari experts. It refers to weak pressure points that the practitioners take advantage of, to disable or kill an opponent. The Ayurveda places the number of lethal Marmas at 64, an unfortunate victim of a bull’s eye hit would surely see his/her lights go out.
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Kalariyapayattu Benefits: 1. It boosts flexibility. 2. It improves the strength in an individual’s body. 3. It ensures to make you fast. 4. It cuts down the ‘laziness” in your body. 5. Your concentration power increases the more you practice this art. 6. Your patience is improved with the practice of this art. 7. If you are stressed, the hatha yoga Asana’s taught in this art ensure to de-stress you. 8. Your presence of mind is improved as you learn new moves for the battlefield. 9. You can survive a real attack as well. 10. Helps in self defence. 11. Increases immunity and overall health. 12. Improves self-discipline and self-awareness.
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Why in News? With focus of Kerala turning to wellness tourism and in view of the corona pandemic, Ayurveda has been given prominence among the microsites added to the official website www. keralatourism.org. New Microsites in Kerala: 1. Yoga, 2. Kalaripayattu, 3. Temples of Kerala, 4. Judaism in Kerala and 5. Discovering Malabar.
NIHANGS, A SIKH WARRIOR SECT The Nihangs are a Sikh sect whose members live on the fringes of society and dress up as medieval warriors owing allegiance to Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru, specialising in the traditional martial art of gatka (similar to the modern sport of fencing). The Nihang or Akali is an armed Sikh warrior order originating in the Indian subcontinent.
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Early Sikh military history was dominated by the Nihang, known for their victories where they were heavily outnumbered. Traditionally known for their bravery and ruthlessness in the battlefield, the Nihang once formed the irregular guerrilla squads of the armed forces of the Sikh Empire. Traditional Nihang dress is known as Khalsa Swarupa. The Nihang were particularly famous for their high turbans (dastar bunga) and their extensive use of the chakramor war- quoit.
A Nihang in the 1860’s with a characteristically elaborate turban.
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Gatka: Gatka is the name of an Indian martial art associated with the Sikhs of the Punjab and the Tanoli and Gujjar It is a style of stick-fighting, with wooden sticksintended to simulate swords. Gatka, a traditional martial art with a prominent place in Sikh history, is played with wooden sticks also called ‘Khutka’. Gatka is a unique and inexpensive fighting art developed to defend and display fighting skills and to better exercise self- control. Gatka promotes physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Now in its revival phase, it was earlier considered a diminishing art by UNESCO. The Sikh fighters also called Nihangs have a long history of performing Gatka. The Nihangs have passed down this Sikh Martial art, through generations, since the sixth Sikh Guru Hargobind Ji. The tenth Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji was known as the greatest master of weaponry of his time. The Sikhs successfully used this weaponry art in the 16th- 17th centuries for their protection against Mogul aggressions. The modern-day Gatka was developed in the 19th century. It is divided in two sub-styles, called Rasmi (traditional) and Khel (sport) from the year 1920. Gatka was standardized as a sport and rules were drafted since 1936. Punjabi University Patiala, Punjab is the only university that offers a one-year diploma course in Gatka. Gatka is an integral part of Hola Mohalla celebrations at the Sikh holy town of Anandpur Sahib.
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Why in News? Eleven persons were arrested on Sunday for an attack on a police party by a group of Nihangs, a Sikh warrior sect, at a vegetable market in Punjab’s Patiala.
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INDIA TALKING TO U.S. OVER VISA SANCTIONS The government is “engaged” in talks with the U.S. administration to reconsider President Donald Trump’s orders to impose visa sanctions on countries that don’t take back illegal “aliens” in the U.S. within a week. In particular, the order clashed with New Delhi’s decision to restrict all passengers, including Indian citizens from any other country, owing to the coronavirus pandemic. If Washington refuses to relent on its seven-day deadline, or New Delhi refuses to lift the ban on incoming travel within the week, Indians could face a major cut in U.S. visas granted this year. Like all incoming international travel, the deportation of illegal immigrants to India has also been affected by the lockdown and COVID-19-related travel restrictions. India had been cooperating with the U.S. to repatriate illegal Indian nationals from the U.S. as it is the government’s policy “not to encourage illegal immigration to any country. According to the Department of Homeland Security’s 2018 survey, Indians constitute one of the largest groups of illegal aliens in the U.S., numbering an estimated 4,70,000 who had entered by 2015. However, the Trump administration has pushed for India to tighten its controls on emigration, and accept more deportations in the past few years. In October and November 2019, India brought back 150 citizens who had entered the U.S. illegally, and accepted 311 others deported by Mexico who were trying to enter the U.S. illegally. At present, the Ministry of External Affairs estimates that there are about 25,000 Indians stranded in different parts of the world who roughly fall into three categories: business travellers, tourists and students whose colleges and schools have been shut down owing to the pandemic.
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However, the U.S. President has also used the COVID-19 situation to justify cracking down on countries that “deny or delay” the acceptance of aliens who are citizens.
30 FOREIGNERS DEAD IN DETENTION CENTRES All but four of the 30 “declared foreigners” who had died in Assam’s detention centres till date were Bengali speakers. Of the rest, two each belonged to the Adivasi and Koch- Rajbongshi communities, according to State government records. The official list shows 16 of the dead were Hindus and 14 Muslims. Six detention centres were established in as many central jails in 2009, four years after the contentious Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act, 1983 was scrapped for suspected foreigners to be tried under the Foreigners’ Act, 1946. Koch-Rajbongshi: The Rajbongshiis an ethnic group inhabiting parts of Assam, Meghalaya, northern West Bengal,some parts of Bihar and on the eastern parts of Nepal, Bhutan and northern Bangladesh. The word “Rajbongshi” literally means “royal community”. They speak Rajbongshi/Rajbanshi language. This language is also spoken in Bangladesh and Nepal. The Rajbongshi was primarily animist(perceiving all things animated and alive.), but later on, they followed Hinduism/Sanatana (both Shaiva and Vaishnavite). A few sections of Rajbongshi people were also found to be followers of Christianity.
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MGNREGA JOBS CRASH TO 1% OF NORMAL MGNREGA: Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), also known as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) is Indian legislation enacted on August 25, 2005. The MGNREGA provides a legal guarantee for one hundred days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work at the statutory minimum wage. The Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), Govt of India is monitoring the entire implementation of this scheme in association with state governments. This act was introduced with an aim of improving the purchasing power of the rural people, primarily semi or un-skilled work to people living below poverty line in rural India. An additional 50 days of wage employment are provided over and above 100 days in the notified drought affected areas or natural
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calamity areas in the country on recommendation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. The Ministry also mandates the provision of additional 50 days of wage employment to every Scheduled Tribe Household in a forest area, provided that these households have no other private property except for the land rights provided under the FRA Act, 2006. Wage rates for workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 are notified annually based on Consumer Price Index-Agricultural Labourers (CPI-AL) by the Central Government in accordance with the provisions of section 6(1) of the MGNREGA. It is an Indian labour law and social security measure that aims to guarantee the ‘right to work’. Within 15 days of submitting the application or from the day work is demanded, wage employment will be provided to the applicant. MGNREGA focuses on the economic and social empowerment of women. MGNREGA provides “Green” and “Decent” work. Social Audit of MGNREGA works is mandatory, which lends to accountability and transparency. MGNREGA works address the climate change vulnerability and protect the farmers from such risks and conserve natural resources. The Gram Sabha is the principal forum for wage seekers to raise their voices and make demands. It is the Gram Sabha and the Gram Panchayat which approves the shelf of works under MGNREGA and fix their priority.
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Why in News? Employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has collapsed to just over 1% of the usual rate this month due to the COVID-19 lockdown. 1.9 Lakh Families: Data from the MGNREGA website show that less than 1.9 lakh families have been provided work under the scheme so far in April 2020. In comparison to almost 1.6 crore households which were provided work in March, and the 1.8 crore households employed under the scheme in February before the lockdown began.
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Chhattisgarh was the highest employment generator under the scheme in April, providing work to more than 70,000 families. Followed by Andhra Pradesh with more than 53,000 households given work. Key Source: The scheme, which guarantees 100 days of work per year at an average daily wage of ₹209, is key to providing livelihoods to poor villagers. It is a backbone of the rural economy in difficult times. Overall, 7.6 crore families hold active job cards under the scheme, and almost 5.5 crore families found work under the scheme last year. The crash in employment rates under the scheme is despite the fact that migrant workers returning to villages should have increased demand in rural areas.
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FLOOR TEST IS GOVERNOR’S DISCRETION Floor Test:
According to Article 75 (3) and Article 164 of the Constitution, the Council of Ministers are collectively responsible to the House of the People. When a legislative assembly passes no-confidence motion against the council of ministers, the government of the day dissolves.
In a nutshell, floor test is essentially a vote of confidence. The floor test helps determine whether the government of the day continues to enjoy majority support of the legislature.
When a floor test is called for in the assembly of a state, the chief minister will move a vote of confidence and prove that he has the majority support. If the floor test fails, the chief minister will have to resign.
A Governor can call for a floor test any time he objectively feels a government in power has lost the confidence of the House and is on shaky ground.
In a judgment, a Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Hemant Gupta concluded that a Governor can call for a trust vote if he has arrived at a prima facie opinion, based on objective material, that the incumbent State government has lost its majority in the Assembly. Trust Vote:
A confidence motion, or a vote of confidence, or a trust vote, is sought by the government in power on the floor of the House.
The idea underlying the trust vote is to uphold the political accountability of the elected government to the State legislature.
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In directing a trust vote, the Governor does not favour a particular political party.
It is inevitable that the specific timing of a trust vote may tilt the balance towards the party possessing a majority at the time the trust vote is directed.
All political parties are equally at risk of losing the support of their elected legislators, just as the legislators are at risk of losing the vote of the electorate.
This is how the system of parliamentary governance operates,” Justice Chandrachud observed.
The intention behind a trust vote was to enable the elected representatives to determine if the Council of Ministers commanded the confidence of the House.
It was the MLAs, and not the Governor, who made the ultimate call whether a government should stay in power or not, the court said.
It said that a Governor’s power to call for a floor test is not restricted only before the inception of a State government immediately after elections, but continues throughout its term.
The court clarified that the Governor’s requirement to have a trust vote does not “short-circuit” any disqualification proceedings pending before the Speaker.
It said a Governor need not wait for the Speaker’s decision on the resignation of rebel MLAs before calling for a trust vote. Difference between Trust Vote, Floor Test and No- confidence Motion: No- Confidence Trust Vote Floor Test Motion
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· A No-confidence motion is usually · A confidence moved by the motion or a trust vote is opposition when it feels a procedure for the that the ruling government to prove its government does not majority in the House. enjoy a majority in the · A trust vote can House any longer. No take place by way of a reason is required to motion of confidence move such a motion. which is moved by the · The floor test is a · A no-confidence government or brought term used for the test of motion can be moved by the opposition. the majority. If there are by any member of the · It is a motion doubts against the chief house and can be done normally proposed by minister, the governor only in the Lok Sabha the Prime Minister to can ask him to prove his and not the Rajya test the majority in the majority in the House. Sabha. Such a motion is Lok Sabha. Such an · In case of a moved under Rule 198 exercise normally takes coalition government, of the Rules of place when a new the chief minister may Procedure. government is set to be be asked to move a vote · A member has to formed. Any party will of confidence and win a give written notice of first have to prove its majority. the motion before 10 majority on the floor of am, which is then read the House before taking out by the Speaker of over. the House. · A trust vote can · A minimum of 50 also be brought about if members have to a government resigns accept the motion and and another party stakes the Speaker would a claim to form the accordingly announce government. the date for the discussion on the motion.
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· In case the government fails to prove its majority, then the government has to resign.
1.27 LAKH VOLUNTEERS OFFER SERVICES NDMA: Ministry: Ministry of Home Affairs National Disaster Management Authority, abbreviated as NDMA, is an apex Body of Government of India, with a mandate to lay down policies for disaster management. NDMA was established through the Disaster Management Act enacted by the Government of India on 23 December 2005.
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NDMA is responsible for framing policies, laying down guidelines and best-practices for coordinating with the State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) to ensure a holistic and distributed approach to disaster management. It is headed by the Prime Minister of India and can have up to nine other members. Since 2014, there have been four other members. There is a provision to have a Vice Chair-person if needed. NDMA has a vision to “build a safer and disaster resilient India by a holistic, pro-active, technology driven and sustainable development strategy that involves all stakeholders and fosters a culture of prevention, preparedness and mitigation. It works closely with the National Institute of Disaster Management for capacity building. It develops practices, delivers hands-on training and organizes drills for disaster management. It also equips and trains disaster management cells at the state and local levels.
Why in News? More than 1.27 lakh individuals and 5,300 organisations have so far registered themselves as volunteers with the Prime Minister
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Narendra Modi-led National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for the fight against COVID-19. The NDMA has also received donation offers for more than 8.35 lakh items including digital infrared thermometers, digital thermal scanners (full body), masks, gloves, sanitisers and personal protective gear. The Authority, through its subordinate and State bodies, is monitoring all the operations associated with the measures being taken at the ground level. NCC students have been helping the local administrations in extending help to the needy and spreading awareness about the preventive measures to be taken to arrest the spread. Online Courses: The Department of Personnel and Training, in coordination with the Ministry of Human Resource Development, has already come up with online courses on the pandemic for the frontline workers. These courses are meant for doctors, nurses, paramedics, hygiene workers, technicians, auxiliary nursing midwives, State government and civil defence officials. The Health Ministry has also been issuing specific guidelines on healthcare facilities and treatment. The Integrated Government Online Training (iGOT) courses are available on the Diksha platform, both for the laptop/desktop and mobile phone users. The launch of iGOT platform was fast-forwarded as requested by the respective Empowered Group of Officers to prevent the spread of infection among, and through, the frontline workers.
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WATER FROM GANGA YAMUNA BEING TESTED NMCG: Ministry: Ministry of Jalshakti Department: Department of water resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG) was registered as a society on 12th August 2011 under the Societies Registration Act 1860. It acted as implementation arm of National Ganga River Basin Authority(NGRBA) which was constituted under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA),1986. NGRBA has since been dissolved with effect from the 7th October 2016, consequent to constitution of National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River Ganga. The Act envisages five tier structure at national, state and district level to take measures for prevention, control and abatement of environmental pollution in river Ganga and to ensure continuous adequate flow of water so as to rejuvenate the river Ganga as below: (1) National Ganga Council under chairmanship of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India. (2) Empowered Task Force (ETF) on river Ganga under chairmanship of Hon’ble Union Minister of Jal Shakti (Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation). (3) National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG). (4) State Ganga Committees and (5) District Ganga Committees in every specified district abutting river Ganga and its tributaries in the states. NMCG has a two tier management structure and comprises of Governing Council and Executive Committee. Both of them are headed by Director General, NMCG. Executive Committee has been authorized to accord approval for all projects up to Rs.1000 crore.
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Similar to structure at national level, State Programme Management Groups (SPMGs) acts as implementing arm of State Ganga Committees. Thus the newly created structure attempts to bring all stakeholders on one platform to take a holistic approach towards the task of Ganga cleaning and rejuvenation. River Ganga: The Ganges or Ganga is a trans-boundary river of Asia which flows through India and Bangladesh. The 2,601 km (1,616 mi) river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of India and Bangladesh, eventually emptying into the Bay of Bengal. It rises from the Gangotri glacier near Gaumukh (3,900 m) in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. Here, it is known as the Bhagirathi. At Devprayag, the Bhagirathi meets the Alaknanda; then after, it is known as the Ganga. Major tributaries → Yamuna, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi, Son, Tons & Punpun.
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Why in News? The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) — the arm of the Water Ministry tasked with directing the ₹20,000 crore clean-up of the Ganga — and the Central Pollution Control Board are expected to find out in 10 days. Water samples have been collected from Delhi (Yamuna) and all Ganga basin States, and are in the process of being analysed. While this was also part of the routine water quality monitoring in the river, there was a “special focus” on the impact of lockdown. Lockdown Impact: Measuring the degree of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonium nitrate would point to whether the lockdown has had an impact. Effluents from industries as well as sewage discharge would impact COD levels. There are some preliminary indications that the water looks cleaner but a proper analysis is awaited. The stoppage of industrial pollutants has definitely had a positive effect on water quality in the Yamuna. Chemical Oxygen Demand: In environmental chemistry, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) is an indicative measure of the amount of oxygen that can be consumed by reactions in a measured solution. It is commonly expressed in mass of oxygen consumed over volume of solution which in SI units is milligrams per litre (mg/L). A COD test can be used to easily quantify the amount of organics in water. The most common application of COD is in quantifying the amount of oxidizable pollutants found in surface water (e.g. lakes and rivers) or waste water. COD is useful in terms of water quality by providing a metric to determine the effect an effluent will have on the receiving body, much like biochemical oxygen demand (BOD).
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Why Measure COD? COD is used as a general indicator of water quality and is an integral part of all water quality management programs. Additionally, COD is often used to estimate BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) as a strong correlation exists between COD and BOD, however COD is a much faster, more accurate test. Biochemical Oxygen Demand: BOD is the amount of dissolved oxygen used by microorganisms in the biological process of metabolizing organic matter in water. The more organic matter there is (e.g., in sewage and polluted bodies of water), the greater the BOD; and the greater the BOD, the lower the amount of dissolved oxygen available for higher animals such as fishes. The BOD is therefore a reliable gauge of the organic pollution of a body of water. One of the main reasons for treating wastewater prior to its discharge into a water resource is to lower its BOD—i.e., reduce its need of oxygen and thereby lessen its demand from the streams, lakes, rivers, or estuaries into which it is released.
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FRAI URGES PM TO ALLOW PETTY SHOPS TO OPEN FRAI: The Federation of Retailer Association of India (FRAI), a representative body of about 40 million micro, small and medium retailers from across the country. The members of the association sustain their livelihood by selling goods of daily needs like biscuits, soft drinks, mineral water, cigarettes, bidi, pan etc. in the neighbourhood. The profit of these micro retailers in selling these essential products works out to about Rs 15,000 per month. The closure of such shops during the lockdown has stopped the daily inflow of their income, FRAI said. According to FRAI, March to June is the most important period for small retailers to earn extra money. But while business plans have been irrevocably altered, FRAI said its members and their families are facing survival challenges. Why in News? Ram Asre Mishra, president, FRAI, appealed to the Prime Minister to empathise with the hardships faced by our poor and helpless individual members and allow them to open their shops immediately.” Also appealed to the PM to immediately announce an economic package to compensate for the losses of petty retailers in daily income.
FESTIVE SPIRIT BRINGS CHEER TO ASSAM Bihu: Bihu is a set of three important Assamese festivals in the Indian state of Assam— (1) Rongali or Bohag Bihu observed in April, (2) Kongali or Kati Bihu observed in October, and (3) Bhogali or Magh Bihu observed in January. The Rongali Bihu is the most important of the three, celebrating spring festival.
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The term Bihu is also used to imply Bihu dance otherwise called Bihu Naas and Bihu folk songs also called Bihu Geet. Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu also called Xaat Bihu is a festival celebrated in the Indian state of Assam and other parts of northeastern India. It marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year. It usually falls in the 2nd week of April, historically signifying the time of harvest.
Why in News? Assam on Monday began celebrating its firstever Bohag or Rongali Bihu without rong, meaning merriment, because of the COVID19 lockdown.
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But the reopening of liquor outlets lifted the “festive spirits” for some across the State. The Excise Department on Sunday, the eve of the essentially most boisterous of three Bihus in Assam, approved the opening of all IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor) shops, bonded warehouses, bottling plants, distilleries and breweries across the State for limited hours from Monday.
170 DISTRICTS IDENTIFIED AS HOTSPOTS: HEALTH MINISTRY Nearly one in five districts in India is a hotspot, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday, a day that saw at least 1,036 COVID- 19 infections. The government said it had classified every district into a hotspot, potential hotspot or a green zone. Of India’s 736 districts, 170 were ‘hotspots’, defined as places with at least 15 confirmed infections or where there was an exponential rise in cases. There were 207 ‘potential hotspots,’ Lav Agrawal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said at the daily media briefing. There were 11,439 confirmed cases and 377 deaths. A total of 1,306 people have been been discharged after recovery. Details of these districts were not shared but in all of these places —potential or not — testing would be ramped up to include checking even those who displayed ‘influenza-like illnesses’ and breathlessness. According to reports from the State Health Departments, the total number of cases rose to 12,380, of which 10,566 were active ones. While 422 people have died of the disease, 1,392 have recovered. Special teams had been set up to trace all contacts and to conduct house-to-house surveys. These teams will include health staff, local revenue staff, corporation staff, Red Cross and volunteer groups who have undergone an online training course.
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District Magistrates had the authority to declare regions as hotspots, and a protocol would be in place to check how a district was performing in containing the spread of the virus. In order to break the chain of transmission, focus needs to be on contact tracing, monitoring and clinical management. States have been asked to uniformly implement the containment plan in every district across the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while announcing extension of lockdown said all districts would have to strictly enforce quarantining until April 20, after which based on the ‘performance’ of districts in keeping the case count low or halting a rapid rise in infections, restrictions would begin to be eased. Were these regions to regress, restrictions would be reimposed. Pat from WHO: Praising India’s response, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, said, “Despite huge and multiple challenges, India has been demonstrating unwavering commitment in its fight against the pandemic.” The WHO Representative to India, Henk Bekedam, said, “Our field personnel have been redirected to support the fight against COVID-19. The same team worked tirelessly along with the government and other partner organisations to help India become polio-free. I am confident that the WHO team can once again join hands with the government to help win this fight against COVID-19.
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INDIA TO RECEIVE NORMAL MONSOON, FORECASTS IMD India Meteorological Department: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India. It was formed in 1875. It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology. IMD is headquartered in Delhi and operates hundreds of observation stations across India and Antarctica. Regional offices are at Mumbai, Kolkata, Nagpur and Pune.
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IMD is also one of the six Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres of the World Meteorological Organization. It has the responsibility for forecasting, naming and distribution of warnings for tropical cyclones in the Northern Indian Ocean region, including the Malacca Straits, the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf. IMD Mandate: Undertake meteorological observations and provide current information and forecasting information for most favorable operation of weather-dependent activities such as irrigation, agriculture, aviation, shipping etc. Offer warning against severe weather phenomenon such as tropical cyclones, norwesters, dust storms, heat waves, cold waves, heavy rains, heavy snow, etc. Provide met-related statistics needed for agriculture, industries, water resources management, oil exploration, and any other strategically important activities for the country. Engage in research in meteorology and allied subjects. Detect and locate earthquakes and evaluate of seismicity in various parts of the country for developmental projects.
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Why in News? India will likely have a normal monsoon, with a chance of ‘above normal’ rain in August and September, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday. The IMD issues a two-stage forecast: the first in April, followed by a more detailed one in the last week of May, which will also illustrate how the monsoon will spread over the country. The IMD’s confidence stems largely from global weather models pointing to negligible chances of El Nino, a warming of the central equatorial Pacific that’s associated with the drying up of monsoon rain. It has also officially redefined the definition of what constitutes ‘normal’ rainfall and reduced it by 1 cm to 88 cm. The June-September rainfall accounts for 75% of the country’s annual rainfall. Quantitatively, the monsoon seasonal rainfall is likely to be 100% of the Long Period Average (LPA) with a model error of ± 5%. The LPA of the season rainfall over the country as a whole for the period 1961-2010 is 88 cm. The expectation of excess rain comes from a forecast by the dynamical model or the Monsoon Mission Coupled Forecast System — that relies on supercomputers, mathematically simulating the physics of the ocean and the atmosphere. According to this forecast, there is a “high probability (70%)” for the rainfall to be “above normal to excess”. Last year, the IMD said in April that the monsoon would be ‘near normal’ or a tad below normal. India instead ended up with excess rainfall — or the maximum rainfall in a quarter century — largely owing to torrential rain in August and September from the unusual warming in the Indian Ocean. The dynamical model, while better at forecasting the state of the weather a week or two in advance, isn’t yet considered reliable by meteorologists in forecasting the monsoon.
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The statistical models, which the IMD relied on to make its forecasts, had a 41% forecast probability of normal monsoon. The Indian Ocean Dipole, a temperature anomaly in the ocean that can increase monsoon rain, was also expected to be in a “neutral” state during the monsoon, the forecast added. The odds of excess rain or a drought are 9% each.
U.S. FREEZES WHO FUNDING OVER CORONAVIRUS CRISIS U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a freeze on funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) for “mismanaging” the coronavirus crisis. With the world battling to get on top of the pandemic that has killed 1,25,000 people, Mr. Trump fired a broadside at the WHO and halted payments amounting to $400 million last year. Funding would be frozen pending a review into the WHO’s role in “severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus,” said Mr. Trump, who accused the Geneva-based body of putting “political correctness above life-saving measures”. The outbreak could have been contained “with very little death” if the WHO had accurately assessed the situation in China, where the disease broke out late last year. Beijing hit back, saying the move was bad for the global fight. This U.S. decision will weaken WHO’s capacities and undermine the international cooperation against the epidemic. Global efforts to join forces against the COVID-19 pandemic faltered on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump froze funding for the World Health Organization. Igniting a chorus of criticism from world leaders who urged solidarity in the face of a crippling economic crisis. Trump’s shock move came as a patchwork of countries experiment with loosening lockdown measures, ushering the planet into a new and uncertain phase of a pandemic that has
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killed more than 1,25,000 people worldwide and infected at least two million. In Europe, Denmark became the first country on the badly-hit continent to start reopening schools, while Finland lifted a travel blockade on the Helsinki region. Italy and Spain have also allowed some businesses to restart after signs both are finally flattening the curve. But as governments launch into delicate debates of how to jump- start economies without triggering new waves of infection, Mr. Trump rattled efforts at global solidarity by ramping up his blame-game with the WHO and halting funds to the agency. Fired Back: Leaders around the globe fired back at the U.S. President, who initially downplayed the dangers of a virus that has now killed more people in the U.S. than any other country. “There is no time to waste,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Twitter following Mr. Trump’s decision, adding that the organisation’s “singular focus is on working to serve all people to save lives and stop the COVID-19 pandemic”. Trump also earned a rebuke from UN chief Antonio Guterres and billionaire Bill Gates, who tweeted that cutting funding was “as dangerous as it sounds”. Beijing, who has been the focus of Mr. Trump’s finger-pointing for weeks, warned the move would “undermine the international cooperation” at a “critical moment” in the pandemic. The European Union’s foreign policy leader Josep Borrell was similarly disapproving of a move he said lacked any justification, while African Union chief Moussa Faki Mahamat condemned Mr. Trump’s decision as “deeply regrettable”. The controversy erupted as the world is trying to soften the blow of a looming economic catastrophe, which the International Monetary Fund has said could see $9 trillion wiped from the global economy in the worst downturn since the 1930s Great Depression.
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Economy Contracts: The virus-hit Chinese economy probably contracted for the first time in around three decades in the first quarter, according to an AFP poll of economists. With tentative hope the pandemic could be past its peak in some European hotspots, countries are gradually lifting restrictions – to mixed reception. Children started returning to nurseries, kindergartens and primary schools in parts of Denmark, where other measures, such as the closing of borders, bars, restaurants remained in place. Finland’s PM Sanna Marin also lifted a travel ban in the Helsinki region even as she urged residents to continue avoiding movement, saying “now is not the right time to go to the summer cottage”. Italy is allowing bookshops, launderettes, stationers and children’s clothing retailers to reopen. And Spain, which saw another dip in its daily death toll, has permitted work to start some factories and construction sites, though most people remain under strict stay-at-home measures.
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President Donald Trump speaks during a coronavirus briefing in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington.
MONSOON MAY BE LATE IN MANY STATES The monsoon is arriving late in many States and exiting even later, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said at its annual monsoon forecast conference. Along with defining a new normal for rainfall — 88 cm as opposed to the 89 cm — it also gave new dates for the monsoon’s onset in several cities as part of an update, which it said was essential for a variety of economic activities ranging from agricultural planning to power distribution. However, the IMD would continue to account for monsoon rain as the rainfall that the country received from June 1 to September 30. The monsoon appeared to be lingering in many places until October.
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We have been discussing this matter, of the monsoon’s delayed withdrawal and whether we should have a different accounting system for monsoon rainfall keeping in mind the new withdrawal dates. No decision has been taken. On Time in Kerala: The onset over Kerala, which marks the arrival of the monsoon into mainland India, will continue to be June 1. However, the onset date in Mumbai — historically June 10 — will now be June 11. The official withdrawal date is now delayed by over a week to October 8, instead of September 29. The onset over Chennai has been delayed by three days — from June 1 to June 4. Ahmedabad will see the monsoon arrive nearly a week late — June 21 instead of June 14. Bhopal, too, is seeing a similar delay — to June 22 instead of June 15. Delhi, too, will see a four-day delay in the monsoon’s arrival to June 27. New monsoon advance dates over States like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Telegana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar and parts of Uttar Pradesh are delayed by three-seven days compared to existing normal dates. A significant delay in the withdrawal of the monsoon over northwest and central India has been observed. Monsoon withdraws from NW India almost 7-14 days later from the existing dates. There is no change in the final withdrawal date over south India, i.e., 15th October. The new dates accounted for the vagaries of climate change as well as the increased number of data gathering stations that better accounted for the arrival and exit of the monsoon.
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11,077 FREED FROM PRISIONS, SAYS NALSA National Legal Services Authority: (NALSA) National Legal Services Authority of India (NALSA)was formed on 9 November 1995 under the authority of the Legal Services Authorities Act 1987. Article 39 Aof the Constitution provides for free legal aid to the poor and weaker sections of the society, to promote justice on the basis of equal opportunity. Article 14and Article 22 (1), obligates State to ensure equality before law. The Chief Justice of Indiais patron-in-chief of NALSA while second seniormost judge of Supreme Court of India is the Executive-Chairman. There is a provision for similar mechanism at state and district level also headed by Chief Justice of High Courts and Chief Judges of District courts respectively.
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The prime objective of NALSA is speedy disposal of cases and reducing the burden of judiciary. The current chairman of NALSA is justice Sharad Arvind Bobde. Functions of NALSA: Its purpose is to provide free legal services to eligible candidates (defined in Sec. 12 of the Act), and to organize Lok Adalatsfor speedy resolution of cases. NALSA identifies specific categories of marginalised and excluded groups and formulates various schemes for implementation of legal service programmes. It provides services of free legal aid in civil and criminal matters for the poor and marginalised people who cannot afford the services of a lawyer in any court or tribunal. It works in close coordination with various State Legal Services Authorities, District Legal Services Authorities and other agencies.
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Why in News? The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has said that as many as 11,077 undertrials have been released from prisons nationwide as part of the mission to decongest jails following the COVID-19 pandemic. NALSA said it had been providing assistance to prisoners who were eligible to be released on parole or interim bail under the relaxed norms, through its panel lawyers. In most of the cases, their bail applications are being filed through legal aid counsel. Similarly, necessary assistance is being provided to the convicts. Till now, responses received from 232 districts reflect that around 11,077 undertrials and 5,981 convicts have been released.
MINISTRY ISSUES SOP FOR SOWING OF KHARIF CROPS Kharif Crops: The word “Kharif” is Arabic for autumn since the season coincides with the beginning of autumn or winter. Kharif crops, which are also known as monsoon crops, are the crops which are grown during the monsoon or rainy season (June to October). Their seeds are sown at the beginning of the monsoon season and the crops are harvested at the end of the monsoon season. Kharif crops depend on the rainfall patterns. The timing and quantity of rainwater are the two important factors that decide the output of Kharif crops. The main Kharif crops grown in India include paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, cotton, sugarcane, groundnut, pulses etc. The sowing time may vary in the different states of India as it depends on the arrival of monsoon. Southern states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu the seeds are usually sown towards the end of May.
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Northern states like Punjab, Haryana the seeds are sown in the month of June.
Why in News? The Union Agriculture Ministry laid down the standard operating procedure (SOP) to guide farmers on safety precautions that need to be strictly followed during planting of kharif crops amid the threat of COVID-19 pandemic. Transplanting of paddy and vegetables are labour-intensive activities. Hence, it is important to strictly follow guidelines on social distancing, sanitizing and wearing masks, the SOP released by the ministry during the national video conference on kharif crops Workers should wash their hands, legs and face with soap when coming out of the field for meal or rest, it added.
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For preparing land for sowing of kharif crops, the ministry said, farmers should minimise labour and use tractor. Farmers should use seed-cum-fertiliser drills and reduce the number of workers in the field. As per the SOP, social distancing and sanitization norms should be followed during field preparation, sowing and fertiliser application. Maintain social distance of atleast 1-2 metre during farm operations. Workers should be assigned separate duties with regard to farm activities. Sanitisation Important: All farm equipment from seed drill, plough to tractor should be sanitized before use. Those working in the farm field should wear masks or cover their face with three layers of chunnis, gamchha or towel. Each worker should have a separate utensil and clean it with soap after use. For operations like weeding and spraying of fertilisers and pesticides, the Ministry asked farmers to Burn or bury in soil empty packets of pesticides. Sun dry empty bags of seeds, fertilisers for two days for re-use. SOP also advised that farmers take bath and wash clothes with soap and sundry after the day’s work.
GOLDEN TEMPLE SEES A BIG DIP IN OFFERINGS Golden Temple: The Golden Temple, also known as Harmandir Sahib, meaning “abode of God” or Darbar Sahib, meaning “exalted court”. It is a Gurdwaralocated in the city of Amritsar, Punjab, India. It is the holiest Gurdwara and the most important pilgrimage site of Sikhism.
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The foundation of which was laid by the Muslim saint, Mian Mir, an admirer and friend of Guru Arjun, the fifth guru of Sikhism. The temple is built on a 67-ft square of marble and is a two storied structure. The top structure of the temple is covered with pure gold leaf, hence, the popular name, Golden Temple. Inside the temple lies the holy book of the Sikhs – the Granth Sahib. The Granth Sahib is kept in the temple during the day and in the Akal Takht or Eternal Throne in the night. The spiritual focus is the tank, the Amrit Sarovar, which surrounds the glistening central shrine. Amritsar takes its name from this Amrit Sarovar which was excavated in 1577 by the fourth Sikh guru, Guru Ram Das. The ‘Guru Ka Langar‘ located near the eastern entrance offers food to all visitors. In the early 1980s, the temple became a center of conflict between the Indian government led by Indira Gandhi, some Sikh groups and a militant movement led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwaleseeking to create a new nation named Khalistan. In 1984, Indira Gandhi sent in the Indian Army as part of Operation Blue Star, leading to deaths of over 1,000 militants, soldiers and civilians, as well as causing much damage to the temple and the destruction of Akal Takht. Akal Takht, the chief center of religious authority of Sikhism. The temple complex has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its application is pending on the tentative list of UNESCO. Operation Blue Star: Operation Blue Starwas the codename of an Indian military action carried out between 1 and 8 June 1984 to remove militant religious leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers from the buildings of the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in Amritsar, Punjab.
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The decision to launch the attack rested with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
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Akal Takht being repaired by the Indian Government after the attack. It was later pulled down and rebuilt by the Sikh community. A clean-up operation codenamed Operation Woodrosewas also initiated throughout Punjab. The military action in the temple complex was criticized by Sikhs worldwide, who interpreted it as an assault on the Sikh religion. Five months after the operation, on 31 October 1984, Indira Gandhi was assassinatedin an act of revenge by her two Sikh bodyguards, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh. Public outcry over Gandhi’s death led to the killings of more than 3,000 Sikhs in the ensuing 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Operation Woodrose: Operation Woodrosewas a military operation carried out by the Indira Gandhi-led Indian government in the months after Operation Blue Star to “prevent the outbreak of widespread public protest” in the state of Punjab. The government arrested all prominent members of the largest Sikh political party, the Akali Dal, and banned the All India Sikh Students Federation, a large students’ union. In addition, the Indian Army conducted operations in the countryside during which thousands of Sikhs, overwhelmingly young men, were detained for interrogation and subsequently tortured. Despite its purported success in controlling the armed insurgency in the Punjab region, the operation was criticized by human-rights groups for the suspension of civil liberties and habeas corpus, resulting in the disappearances of thousands of Sikh men.
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Why in News?
Amid the ongoing curfew in the wake of COVID-19, the offerings at Golden Temple have fallen drastically, forcing the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to appeal to people to donate generously. SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal has urged people to donate in whatever possible way they can so that ‘langar’ (community kitchen), at the Golden Temple and other gurdwaras continues to be served uninterruptedly.
CHINA MAY HAVE CONDUCTED N-TEST: U.S. China may have secretly set off low-level underground nuclear test explosions despite claiming to observe an international pact banning such blasts, the U.S. State Department said in a report that could fuel U.S.-Chinese tensions. The finding, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, may worsen ties already strained by U.S. charges that the global COVID-19 pandemic resulted from Beijing’s mishandling of a 2019 outbreak of the coronavirus in the city of Wuhan.
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U,S. concerns about Beijing’s possible breaches of a “zero yield” standard for test blasts have been prompted by activities at China’s Lop Nur nuclear test site throughout 2019, the State Department report said. Zero Yield: Zero yield refers to a nuclear test in which there is no explosive chain reaction of the type ignited by the detonation of a nuclear warhead. China’s possible preparation to operate its Lop Nur test site year- round, its use of explosive containment chambers, extensive excavation activities at Lop Nur and a lack of transparency on its nuclear testing activities… raise concerns regarding its adherence to the zero yield standard. The 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) allows activities designed to ensure the safety of nuclear weapons. CTBT: The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test–Ban Treaty(CTBT) is a multilateral treaty that bans all nuclear explosions, for both civilian and military purposes, in all environments. The Treaty was negotiated at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. It opened for signature on 24 September 1996. 182 countries have signed the Treaty – the last country to do so was Trinidad and Tobago on 8 October 2009 which also ratified the Treaty on 26 May 2010. 154 countries have ratified the Treaty – most recently Ghana on 14 June 2011. Why is the CTBT so important? The CTBT is the last barrier on the way to develop nuclear weapons. It curbs the development of new nuclear weapons and the improvement of existing nuclear weapon designs. When the Treaty enters into force it provides a legally binding norm against nuclear testing.
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The Treaty also helps prevent human suffering and environmental damages caused by nuclear testing. Why has the Treaty not entered into force yet? The Treaty’s entry into force depends on 44 specific States that must have signed and ratified the Treaty. These States had nuclear facilities at the time the Treaty was negotiated and adopted. As of August 2011, 35 of these States have ratified the Treaty. Nine States still need to do so: China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the United States. India, North Korea and Pakistan have not yet signed the Treaty. All 44 States are listed in the Treaty’s Annex 2. Chinese Compliance: China has always adopted a responsible attitude, earnestly fulfilling the international obligations and promises it has assumed. The pace and manner by which the Chinese government is modernising its stockpile is worrying, destabilizing, and illustrates why China should be brought into the global arms control framework.
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INSURERS CAPITAL, LIQUIDITY MAY BE ADVERSELY IMPACTED, SAYS IRDAI IRDAI: Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA) is a statutory body set up by the IRDA Act, 1999. It is an autonomous and apex body which has the responsibility to regulate and control the Insurance sector in India. Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA) was established after the recommendations of Malhotra Committee report of 1994. The committee had recommended for the establishment of an independent authority for the regulation of Insurance sector in India. Thus Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) Act, 1991 was enacted and the IRDA received the status of a statutory body in 2000 by the Indian Parliament.
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IRDA was set up as an autonomous body headquartered at New Delhi. The headquarters of IRDA was later on shifted to Hyderabad, Telangana in 2001. The Government of India appoints the Chairman and other members of the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA). However, the insurance regulatory Development Authority Act, 1999 amended the insurance act 1938, Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956 and the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Act, 1972 and the Insurance sector were now opened for the private sector participation. Functions: The functions of the IRDAI are defined in Section 14 of the IRDAI Act, 1999, and include: Issuing, renewing, modifying, withdrawing, suspending or cancelling registrations Protecting policyholder interests Specifying qualifications, the code of conduct and training for intermediaries and agents Specifying the code of conduct for surveyors and loss assessors Promoting efficiency in the conduct of insurance businesses Promoting and regulating professional organisations connected with the insurance and re-insurance industry Levying fees and other charges Inspecting and investigating insurers, intermediaries and other relevant organisations Regulating rates, advantages, terms and conditions which may be offered by insurers not covered by the Tariff Advisory Committee under section 64U of the Insurance Act, 1938.
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Why in News? The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) wants insurance companies to critically examine their capital availability and solvency margin for the current financial year (2020-21). Advising their boards to undertake such an exercise, the regulator said they needed to devise strategies for ensuring that the insurers had adequate capital and resources available with them. Indian insurers need to prepare strategies and action plans for business continuity to ensure enhanced protection to policyholders. It is critical in these difficult times for all the Indian insurers to ensure that at all times they protect the interests of policyholders and provide necessary financial security to them.
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NEW NORMAL: MORE AIRPORT TIME, NO FRILLS AND HIGHER FARE Airports Authority of India:AAI Ministry: Ministry of Civil Aviation The Airports Authority of Indiaor AAI is a statutory body (created through the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994) working under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India. It is responsible for creating, upgrading, maintaining and managing civil aviation infrastructure in India. It provides Communication Navigation Surveillance / Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) services over Indian airspaceand adjoining oceanic areas. It also manages a total of 126 Airports, including 11 International Airports, 11 Customs Airports, 89 Domestic Airports and 26 Civil enclaves at Military Airfields. AAI is implementing a Satellite Based Navigation System, called GAGAN (GPS Aided Geo Satellite Navigation) to provide SBAS services over the Indian subcontinent, capable of regional expansion to South East Asia.
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DGCA: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) is the statutory body formed under the Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2020. This directorate investigates aviation accidents and incidents. It is headquartered along Sri Aurobindo Marg, opposite Safdarjung Airport, in New Delhi. The Government of India is planning to replace the organisation with a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), modelled on the lines of the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Functions: 1. Registration of civil aircraft 2. Certification of airports 3. Licensing of pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, air traffic controllers and flight engineers, and conducting examinations and checks for that purpose. 4. Checks on the proficiency of flight crew and other operational personnel such as flight dispatchers and cabin crew. 5. Approving training programmes of operators for carriage of dangerous goods, issuing authorizations for carriage of dangerous goods, etc. 6. Safety Oversight of all entities approved/ certified/ licensed under the Aircraft Rules 1937.
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Why in News? The Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the safety regulator DGCA and the aviation security watchdog Bureau of Civil Aviation Security are finalising guidelines for airports and airlines. Passengers taking a flight must prepare to spend more time at the airport, temperature checks, fewer frills on board and possibly higher air fares, as airlines, airports and the government work to ensure physical distancing. Once you board the flight, the middle row seat is likely to be left empty, in accordance with the DGCA guidelines, or possibly four out of six seats in a row could be left empty.
E-COMMERCE FIRMS CAN’T SUPPLY NON-ESSENTIAL GOODS, SAYS GOVT The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Sunday clarified that supply of non-essential goods by e-commerce companies will remain prohibited during the lockdown.
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The Ministry also issued guidelines for the movement of migrant labourers living in relief camps to their workplace, within the boundaries of a State, in areas where the lockdown will be relaxed from April 20. The Ministry asserted that there will be no inter-State movement of labourers. They will be registered, screened and those who are asymptomatic would be transported to their places of work by ensuring social distancing measures. The relaxations will not apply to hotspots or containment zones, and public transport will remain prohibited till May 3. On April 15, the MHA had revised its guidelines issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, to allow the States to decide on the additional public activities to be allowed from April 20 in non- hotspot zones. It said the additional facilities would have to be based on strict compliance with the existing guidelines on lockdown measures. As per the April 15 order, “e-commerce companies” and vehicles used by their operators had been allowed but it was not specified if it was applicable to items others than essentials. The MHA wrote to the States to exclude the e-commerce category from the revised guidelines. In another letter, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla clarified that e-commerce firms would continue to operate for home delivery of essential goods, as earlier. Commerce and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted that he was grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the clarification that “e-commerce companies can only supply essential goods during the lockdown”. This will create a level playing field for small retailers. The Confederation of All India Traders issued a statement claiming credit for the exclusion of e-commerce companies.
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ISLAMOPHOBIA IS RISING IN INDIA: OIC Organisation of Islamic Cooperation: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations which has membership of 57 states spread over four continents. It is an organisation of the collective voice of the Muslim world. The main motive of the organisation is to the safeguard and protects the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world. The Organization was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on 12th Rajab 1389 Hijra (25 September 1969) as a result of criminal arson of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.
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Members of OIC: There are total 57 members from which some were became member before 1990 and some were after 1990. Members before 1990:Afghanistan; Algeria; Chad; Egypt; Guinea; Indonesia; Iran; Jordan; Kuwait; Lebanon; Libya; Malaysia; Mali; Mauritania; Morocco; Niger; Pakistan; Palestine; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Sudan; Somalia; Tunisia; Turkey; Yemen; Bahrain; Oman; Qatar; Syria; United Arab Emirates; Sierra Leone; Bangladesh; Gabon; Gambia; Guinea-Bissau; Uganda; Burkina Faso; Cameroon; Comoros; Iraq; Maldives; Djibouti; Benin; Brunei and Nigeria. Members after 1990: Azerbaijan; Albania; Kyrgyzstan; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; Mozambique; Kazakhstan; Uzbekistan; Suriname; Togo; Guyana; and Cote d’Ivoire.
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In 1993, Zimbabwe withdrew its membership. Bosnia and Herzegovina (1994); Central African Republic (1997); North Cyprus (1979); Thailand (1998) and Russia (2005) are the observer states. Purpose of OIC: To enhance and consolidate the bonds of fraternity and solidarity among the Member States; To safeguard and protect the common interests and support the legitimate causes of the Member States and coordinate and unify the efforts of the Member States in view of the challenges faced by the Islamic world in particular and the international community in general. Respect the right of self-determination and non-interference in the domestic affairs and to respect sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of each Member State; Ensure active participation of the Member States in the global political, economic and social decision-making processes to secure their common interests; Reaffirm its support for the rights of peoples as stipulated in the UN Charter and international law; To strengthen intra-Islamic economic and trade cooperation; in order to achieve economic integration leading to the establishment of an Islamic Common Market; To exert efforts to achieve sustainable and comprehensive human development and economic well-being in Member States; To protect and defend the true image of Islam, to combat defamation of Islam and encourage dialogue among civilizations and religions; To enhance and develop science and technology and encourage research and cooperation among Member States. India and OIC: India is not a member of the OIC, but was invited to the recently concluded Abu Dhabi meeting as the guest of honour. In 1969, the invite to then union minister was withdrawn at Pakistan’s insistence.
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Dsepite the fact that, India accounts for 12% of the world’s Muslim But inclusion of Infia in the OIC has been blocked by Pakistan. However, it is also important to note that the past record of the OIC with respect to India is most OIC has been consistently criticising India for human rights violations in Kashmir as alleged by Pakistan. Concerns/Argument about not Joining: The OIC statements mean less these days because a number of OIC countries privately dissociate themselves from the grouping, considering it more of an irritant India is a secular country, regardless of all the religions here, India does not prefer religion above nationality. Thus, the government must carefully consider its engagement with OIC. Thus, if India decides to engage with OIC it should be on the basis of our national interest not on account of religion There are issues with respect to OIC’s stands on Kashmir in the past. OIC stand on Kashmir In past decades, India had to spend lots of diplomatic capital to counter OIC’s stands at many international organizations. By attending it, India is validating the same organization. Issues raised by India at OIC: At OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, External Affairs Minister(EAM) of India stressed that the anti-terror fight was not a clash between civilisations. EAM said the fight against terrorism and extremism was described as a fight between ideas. She presented India’s pluralism and diversity as a source of strength and said Indian Muslims are a “microcosm” of India’s larger diverse “They speak Tamil and Telugu, Malayalam and Marathi, Bangla and Bhojpuri or any of the numerous languages of India. India indirectly target Pakistan for terrorism.
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India’s Stand: Rejecting a resolution by the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) on Jammu and Kashmir that referred to “Indian terrorism” and “mass blindings”, the External Affairs Ministry said its stand on the matter is “well known”. The resolution on Jammu and Kashmir, another on the “India- Pakistan Peace Process” that praised Pakistan for its “efforts”, and a statement on “Muslim minorities” worldwide that called upon the Indian government to rebuild the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, came as an embarrassment for the government just a day after External Affairs Minister had addressed the gathering. “We reaffirm that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and is a matter strictly internal to India,” the Ministry said in a statement after the conclusion of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Abu Dhabi. Experts opine that the other resolutions “don’t reflect or need a consensus” of the entire 57-nation group. “They are essentially national positions of individual countries, and often go unopposed”. Why in News? Calling on the Indian government to take steps to protect Muslim minorities who are being “negatively profiled,” facing “discrimination and violence” amidst the COVID-19 crisis, the 57- member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has criticised what it called “growing Islamophobia” in India. We urge the Indian Govt to take urgent steps to stop the growing tide of Islamophobia in India and protect the rights of its persecuted Muslim minority as per its obligations under international Human Rights law,” said a tweet issued by OIC’s Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (OIC- IPHRC). PM’s Call for Unity: The statement came on the same day Prime Minister Narendra Modi had clearly said that “unity and brotherhood” must be the
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response to the coronavirus, which does not see race, religion, colour, caste, creed, language or borders before striking. The Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment on the statement. Last week it had reacted sharply to two similar statements on religious “stigmatisation” of minorities in India by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). In one statement, the U.S. Commission criticised India, Pakistan and Cambodia for “failure to protect vulnerable religious communities” and “increased stigmatisation”. Patient Segregation: The USCIRF reacted to reports, which the government denied, that COVID-19 patients were religiously segregated at a hospital in Ahmedabad. It also held an expert hearing on “Religious Freedom on South Asia”, organised by the “Hindus for Human Rights”, “Indian- American Muslim Council” and “International Christian Concern,” ahead of its annual USCIRF report release on April 28, where India has been categorised as a “tier 2 country of particular concern.” Misguided Reports: MEA As if its peremptory commentary on religious freedom in India is not enough. The USCIRF is now spreading misguided reports on the professional medical protocols followed to deal with spread of COVID-19 in India. Meanwhile, on March 30, the United Nations’ Office of The Commissioner for Human Rights had issued a more general statement against the “exploitation” of coronavirus-related fears by groups and politicians to “scapegoat minorities” in various countries.
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KARZAI WELCOMES INDIA’S INVOLVEMENT IN TALKS Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has welcomed the American gesture to bring in India into the ongoing negotiation for sustained peace in the war-torn country. The response followed hours after U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad discussed the state of the peace talks and the coronavirus crisis in South Asia with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. I have said this since the process began.
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I do hope India will join the peace process in support of a sovereign and united Afghanistan with a strong government, in keeping with the traditional friendship between India and Afghanistan,” Mr. Karzai, who met with Indian envoy to Afghanistan Vinay Kumar. During his visit to Delhi in January, Mr. Karzai had also pitched for India’s support to the U.S.-Taliban and intra-Afghan process in meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Khalilzad made the move and said, I reached out to Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar yesterday to discuss the latest on the Afghan peace process. He said that both sides discussed the issue of release of prisoners. We also spent some time covering the immediate and longer-term impact of the coronavirus. The development is significant as it came days after a six-nation talk on the Afghan scenario was held which had excluded India.
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HOW REVERSE REPO RATE BECAME BENCHMARK INTEREST RATE IN THE ECONOMY The Indian economy’s slowdown during 2018 and 2019 is becoming much worse in 2020 with the spread of COVID-19 and the stalling of almost all economic activity. Like most other central banks in the world, the Reserve Bank of India, too, has tried to cut interest rates to boost the economy. However, unlike in the past, when the RBI used its repo rate as the main instrument to tweak the interest rates, today, it is the reverse repo rate that is effectively setting the benchmark. What are Repo and Reverse Repo Rates? The repo rate is the rate at which the RBI lends money to the banking system (or banks) for short durations. The reverse repo rate is the rate at which banks can park their money with the RBI. With both kinds of repo, which is short for repurchase agreement, transactions happen via bonds — one party sells bonds to the other with the promise to buy them back (or repurchase them) at a later specified date. In a growing economy, commercial banks need funds to lend to businesses. One source of funds for such lending is the money they receive from common people who maintain savings deposits with the banks. Repo is another option. Under normal circumstances, that is when the economy is growing, the repo rate is the benchmark interest rate in the economy because it is the lowest rate of interest at which funds can be borrowed and, as such, it forms the floor rate for all other interest rates in the economy — for instance, the interest rate consumers would have to pay on a car loan or the interest rate they will earn from a fixed deposit etc.
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What has changed now? Over the last couple of years, India’s economic growth has decelerated sharply. This has happened for a variety of reasons and has essentially manifested in lower consumer demand. In response, businesses have held back from making fresh investments and, as such, do not ask for as many new loans. Add to this, the pre-existing incidence of high non-performing assets (NPAs) within the banking system. Thus, the banks’ demand for fresh funds from the RBI has also diminished. This whole cycle has acutely intensified with the ongoing lockdown. As such, the banking system is now flush with liquidity for two broad reasons: on the one hand, the RBI is cutting repo rates and other policy variables like the Cash Reserve Ratio to release
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additional and cheaper funds into the banking system so that banks could lend and yet, on the other, banks are not lending to businesses, partly because banks are too risk-averse to lend and partly because the overall demand from the businesses has also come down. So, how has reverse repo become the benchmark rate? The excess liquidity in the banking system has meant that during March and the first half of April, banks have been using only the reverse repo (to park funds with the RBI) instead of the repo (to borrow funds). As of April 15, RBI had close to Rs 7 lakh crore of banks’ money parked with it. In other words, the reverse repo rate has become the most influential rate in the economy. What has the RBI done? Recognising this, the central bank has cut the reverse repo rate more than the repo (see graph) twice in the spate of the last three weeks. The idea is to make it less attractive for banks to do nothing with their funds because their doing so hurts the economy and starves the businesses that genuinely need funds. Will the move to cut reverse repo work? It all depends on the revival of consumer demand in India. If the disruptions induced by the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease continue for a long time, consumer demand, which was already quite weak, is likely to stay muted and businesses would feel no need to borrow heavily to make fresh investments. If consumer demand revives quickly, the demand for credit will build up as well. From the banks’ perspective, it is also important for them to be confident about new loans not turning into NPAs, and adding to their already high levels of bad loans. Until banks feel confident about the prospects of an economic turnaround, cuts in reverse repo rates may have little impact.
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WHAT ARE MK 54 TORPEDOES, AGM-84L HARPOON MISSILES US HAS CLEARED FOR SALE TO INDIA The US Department of State approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to India of 16 MK 54 all round up lightweight torpedoes and related equipment at an estimated cost of $63 million. In addition, in another deal, the US approved the possible sale to India of ten AGM-84L Harpoon Block II air-launched missiles and related equipment at an estimated cost of $92 million. The principal contractor for the first deal is Raytheon Integrated Defense System based in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, while Boeing is the principal contractor for the equipment in the second deal. India plans to use the equipment requested in both the deals on the Indian Navy’s Boeing P-8I maritime aircraft. This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to strengthen the U.S.- Indian strategic relationship and to improve the security of a major defensive partner, which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in the Indo- Pacific and South Asia region. The P-8I Aircraft: Boeing’s P-8s are designed for long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The P-8s India version is called the P-8I, and helps the Indian Navy carry out important maritime operations. According to Boeing, the aircraft can surpass 25,000 flight hours, and gives the Navy a significant edge in the strategically important Indian Ocean. India currently has eight of these aircraft and is scheduled to receive four more by 2022. One of these is expected to be delivered this year. In June 2019, the Ministry of Defence placed an order for ten more of these aircraft. The aircraft has a length of 40 meters and can fly at a speed of 789 km/hour.
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They are stationed at INS Rajali and a secondary station is being set up at INS Kochi.
What is the MK 54 lightweight torpedo? The MK 54 lightweight torpedo was known as the Lightweight Hybrid Torpedo (LHT). It weighs around 608 pounds, while its warhead weighs around 96.8 pounds and is highly explosive. These torpedoes are used by US surface ships, fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters and are their primary anti-submarine warfare weapon. According to the US Director Operational Test and Evaluation, the primary use of this equipment is for offensive purposes when deployed by anti-submarine warfare aircraft and helicopters, and for defensive purposes when deployed by ships and against fast, deep-diving nuclear submarines and slow-moving, quiet, diesel- electric submarines.
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What are AGM-84L Harpoon Block II air-launched missiles? The Harpoon missile system will be integrated into the P-8I aircraft to conduct anti-surface warfare missions in defense of critical sea lanes while enhancing interoperability with the United States and other allied forces. India will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defense. The Harpoon was initially developed for the US Navy in 1983 and was later adapted for use on the B-52H bombers. The Harpoon was first deployed in 1977 and is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile system. This missile is being used by Armed forces in over 30 countries across the world and Boeing has delivered over 7,000 Harpoon missiles to date. Further, the Harpoon missile uses GPS-aided inertial navigation to hit the designated target. Its warhead weighs over 500 pounds and is capable of delivering lethal firepower against targets, including land-based targets, coastal defence sites, surface-to-air missile sites, exposed aircraft and industrial or port facilities.
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CHINA SAYS INDIAN TRADE CURBS ARE AGAINST WTO PRINCIPLES WTO: The World Trade Organization(WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that is concerned with the regulation of international trade between nations. The WTO officially commenced on 1 January 1995 under the Marrakesh Agreement, signed by 123 nations on 15 April 1994, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade(GATT), which commenced in 1948. It is the largest international economic organization in the world. The WTO deals with regulation of trade in goods, services and intellectual property(TRIPS) between participating countries by providing a framework for negotiating trade agreements and a dispute resolution process.
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Aimed at enforcing participant’s adherence to WTO agreements, which are signed by representatives of member governments and ratified by their parliaments. The WTO prohibits discrimination between trading partners, but provides exceptions for environmental protection, national security, and other important goals. Trade-related disputes are resolved by independent judges at the WTO through a dispute resolution process. As of 2019 the WTO has 164 member countries, with Liberia and Afghanistan the most recent members, having joined in July 2016, and 23 “observer”.
History: The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) traces its origins to the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference,which laid the foundations for the post-World War II financial system and established two key institutions, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
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The conference delegates also recommended the establishment of a complementary institution to be known as the International Trade Organization (ITO), which they envisioned as the third leg of the system. In Havana in 1948, the UN Conference on Trade and Employment concluded a draft charter for the ITO, known as the Havana Charter, which would have created extensive rules governing trade, investment, services, and business and employment practices. The Havana Charter never entered into force, primarily because the U.S. Senate failed to ratify it. As a result, the ITO was stillborn. Meanwhile, an agreement as the GATT signed by 23 countries in Geneva in 1947 came into force on Jan 1, 1948 with the following purposes: (1) To phase out the use of import quotas. (2) And to reduce tariffs on merchandise trade. The GATT became the only multilateral instrument(not an institution) governing international trade from 1948 until the WTO was established in 1995. Despite its institutional deficiencies, the GATT managed to function as a de facto international organization, sponsoring eight rounds (A round is a series of multilateral negotiations) of multilateral trade negotiations. The Uruguay Round,conducted from 1987 to 1994, culminated in the Marrakesh Agreement, which established the World Trade Organization (WTO). Why WTO replaced the GATT: The GATT was only a set of rules and multilateral agreements and lacked institutional structure. The trade in services and intellectual property rights were not covered by regular GATT rules.
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Governance: Ministerial Conference: The topmost decision-making body of the WTO is the Ministerial Conference, which usually meets every two years. It brings together all members of the WTO, all of which are countries or customs unions. The Ministerial Conference can take decisions on all matters under any of the multilateral trade agreements.
General Council: The General Council is the WTO’s highest-level decision-making body located in Geneva, meeting regularly to carry out the functions of the WTO. It has representatives (usually ambassadors or equivalent) from all member governments and has the authority to act on behalf of the ministerial conference which only meets about every two years. Appellate Body: The Appellate Body was established in 1995 under Article 17 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (DSU). The DSB shall appoint persons to serve on the Appellate Body for a four-year term. It is a standing body of seven persons that hears appeals from reports issued by panels in disputes brought by WTO Members.
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Why in News? India’s recent policy to curb opportunistic takeovers of domestic companies goes against the World Trade Organisation (WTO) principles, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy This is the first response from the Chinese side after the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in an April 17 decision imposed restrictions saying companies from countries that share borders with India can invest “only under the government route”. The additional barriers set by Indian side for investors from specific countries violate the WTO’s principle of non- discrimination, and go against the general trend of liberalisation and facilitation of trade and investment. More importantly, they do not conform to the consensus of the G20 leaders and Trade Ministers to realise a free, fair, non- discriminatory, transparent, predictable and stable trade and investment environment, and to keep our markets open,” said Counsellor Ji Rong, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy.
AAROGYA SETU APP MUST FOR LABOURERS, SAYS CPWD Aarogya Setu App: The Government of India launched ‘Aarogya Setu’ an app to track the cases of COVID-19 and alert the citizens of the country to keep safe. It uses GPS and Bluetooth features of smartphones to track the infection. It helps in determining whether the person has been in close contact with any other infected person or not. The government has launched the app in 11 different languages. The mobile app has been developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) that comes under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
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Why in News? Central government organisations involved in construction, including various metro rail corporations, were instructed by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) to ensure that “all labour personnel/staff” returning to work from Monday have downloaded the government’s COVID-19 tracking app — Aarogya Setu. The organisations were also asked to make sure there is no resumption of work in coronavirus containment zones and only workers still present at the camps should be asked to return to work at a particular site. Standard operating procedures, such as those issued by the National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) for private developers, taking into account the advice of the Health and Family Welfare and Home Ministries should be prepared and followed, the organisations were told.
RBI RAISES WMA LIMIT FOR APRIL-SEPT WMA: Ways and means advances(WMA) is a mechanism used by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) under its credit policy to provide to States, banking with it, to help them tide over temporary mismatches in the cash flow of their receipts and payments. This is guided under Section 17(5) of RBI Act, 1934, and are repayable in each case not later than three months from the date of making that advance. 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). The Ways and Means Advances scheme was introduced in 1997. The Ways and Means Advances scheme was introduced to meet mismatches in the receipts and payments of the government.
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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. Why in News? The RBI has decided to increase the ways and means advances limit for the April-September period of the current financial year to ₹2 lakh core from ₹1.2 lakh crore due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To tide over the situation arising from the outbreak of the COVID- 19 pandemic, it has been decided, in consultation with the Government of India, that the limit for Ways and Means Advances (WMA) for the remaining part of first half of the financial year 2020-21 (April 2020 to September 2020) will be revised to ₹ 2,00,000 crore,” the RBI said.
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U.S. CRUDE FUTURES PLUNGE OVER 40% TO 1986 LOW Oil prices tumbled on Monday, with the U.S. crude futures contract plunging more than 40% to its lowest level since 1986, as investors worried about lack of storage and German and Japanese data indicated a bleak global economy. Brent was down $1.56, or 5.6%, to $26.52 a barrel by 8.50 p.m. (IST) while the front-month May WTI contract fell $8.16, or 44.7%, to $10.11 a barrel. Prices have been pressured for weeks since with the COVID-19 outbreak, hammering demand even as Saudi Arabia and Russia failed to reach an agreement to cut supply.
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The two sides, with U.S. urging, agreed more than a week ago to cut supply by 9.7 million bpd, but that will not quickly reduce the global glut. Brent oil prices have collapsed around 60% since the start of the year, while U.S. crude futures have fallen more than 80%, to levels well below break-even costs necessary for many shale drillers. This has led to drilling halts and drastic spending cuts. S. crude futures hit a low of $10.01 a barrel, the lowest since 1986. Analysts said the sell-off was exaggerated by the contract’s imminent expiry.
OPEN UP E-COM SERVICES: IAMAI IAMAI: Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) is a not- for-profit industry body registered under the Societies Act, 1896. Its mandate is to expand and enhance the online and mobile value added services sectors. IAMAI also put forward the problems and requirements of the businesses to the consumers, shareholders, investors and the government of India. The main purpose of the Internet and Mobile Association of India is to improve and expand the value added services pertaining to mobiles and several online services IAMAI is a specialized industry body in India representing the interests of online and mobile value added services industry.
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Why in News? The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on Monday said it had requested the government to open up e-commerce services, adding that the online vs offline debate is an ‘incorrect portrayal’ of the ground reality as lakhs of sellers from the physical markets also sold online. Today, the only priority is to emphasise on ‘social distancing’ and e-commerce can support India’s fight against COVID-9. It added that the key to returning to normal was the fulfilment of consumer demand, which, under the present public health crisis, could be effectively done through e-commerce. Preservation of consumer demand is of prime importance that will keep the economy chugging along as the country starts the difficult process of economic recovery. This demand needs to be met and nurtured towards restoration rather than being suppressed to a future date.
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HOSPITAL IN STSTE GETS NOD FOR PLASMA THERAPHY TRIALS Bringing hope to the battle against COVID-19, the Central Drugs Control Organisation under the Director General of Health Services has approved a research proposal from a hospital in Karnataka to study the use of convalescent plasma therapy in treating COVID-19. The therapy that holds promise in treatment of COVID-19 cases will be tested on at least 10 critical patients in the State in the initial phase. Following the approval granted to HCG Hospitals, trials will begin on critical COVID-19 patients who are currently in ICU and on ventilators using plasma from patients who recovered from Victoria Hospital. It will be taken up in collaboration with the State government for the benefit of our patients. The therapy could be used in the category of patients who are battling the disease along with severe comorbidities and respiratory distress. We have planned a Phase I/II, Open Label, parallel arm clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of this therapy in COVID-19 infected patients for free. The approval has been granted under the provisions of the New Drugs and Clinical Trial Rules, 2019. The idea behind this therapy is that immunity can be transferred from a healthy person to a sick patient using convalescent plasma. This therapy uses antibodies from the blood of a recovered COVID-19 patient to treat another critical patient. The recovered patient’s blood develops antibodies to battle against COVID-19. Once the blood of the first patient is infused to the second patient, those antibodies will start fighting against coronavirus in the second person. Ashish Dhoot, immunohematologist at HCG, said the plan is to collect 500 ml of plasma from recovered patients from Victoria
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Hospital and use it on critical patients whose blood group is compatible with the donor’s plasma. We will first collect a sample and test it before asking the patients to come to the blood bank and donate the plasma. The collected plasma from recovered patients would be stored for use on other patients in future. Use of convalescent plasma has been studied in outbreaks of other respiratory infections, including the 2003 SARS-CoV-1 epidemic, the 2009-2010 H1N1 influenza virus pandemic, and the 2012 MERS-CoV epidemic. In India, currently there is one more registered trial for the same therapy, by Government Medical College, New Delhi. Trials have also begun in Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Kerala. Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute had also sent a research request on behalf of COVID-19 hospitals in Bengaluru to Central agencies.
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CBDT STICKS WITH BUDGET’S TAX TARGET CBDT: It is a statutory body established as per the Central Board of Revenue Act, 1963. It is India’s official financial action task force unit. It is administered by the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance. Structure: The Central Board of Direct Taxes consists of a Chairman and six members that deal with the following: Income Tax Revenue Legislation and Computerisation Audit and Judicial Investigation Personnel and Vigilance The Members of the CBDT are selected from the Indian Revenue Service (IRS). The members constitute the top management of the Income Tax Department. Functions: It deals with matters related to levying and collecting Direct Taxes. Formulation of various policies. Supervision of the entire Income Tax Department Suggests legislative changes in Direct Tax Enactments Suggests changes in tax rates Proposes changes in the taxation structure in line with the Government policies. Why in News? Even as the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown to combat it has brought the economy to a near standstill, the Centre has gone ahead and set its Income Tax authorities a daunting target of collecting ₹13.2 lakh crore for the fiscal year ending in March 2021.
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In a correspondence to all Principal Chief Commissioners of Income Tax (PCCIT) dated April 16, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has spelt out zone wise targets for the collection of corporate tax, personal income tax and security transaction tax (STT). The figures, which are a reiteration of the revenue receipt estimates spelt out by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget presented in February, comrprise a corporation tax component of ₹6.81 lakh crore, personal income tax of ₹6.25 lakh crore and STT at ₹13,000 crore.
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KANDHAMAL TRIBES The Kondhaor Kandha is the largest tribe of the state Odisha in terms of population. They have a population of about one million and are based mainly in the Kandhamal and adjoining districts namely Rayagada, Koraput, Balangir and Boudh. Traditionally hunter-gatherers, they are divided into the hill- dwelling Khonds and plain-dwelling Khonds for census purposes. All the Khonds identify by their clan and usually hold large tracts of fertile land but still practice hunting, gathering and slash- and-burnagriculture in the forests as a symbol of their connection to and ownership of the forest. Khonds speak the Kuiand Kuvi languages and write them in Odia script. They are a designated Scheduled Tribe in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and West Bengal. Why in News? Kandhamal tribals do not tonsure their heads or have haircuts during funeral rituals. Women grow their hair long and trim it among themselves. Unlike other parts of Odisha, tribals of Kandhamal never had a special sect of barbers for hair grooming. People needing haircut get together at a shady place near a stream. Mostly the youths prefer to do the haircut as novelty. Most tribal families have their own set of comb and scissors to provide haircut to each other. During this time of COVID-19 threat, when villages are obeying lockout norms, this practice of haircut by near and dear surely helps tribal people to block infection.
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DRUG FOR SEPSIS TO BE TESTED FOR COVID-19 SEPSIS: Sepsis is caused by your body’s defense system (immune system) working overtime to fight infection. It’s sometimes called septicemia. The large number of chemicals released into the blood during this process triggers widespread inflammation. This can lead to organ damage.
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Blood clotting during sepsis reduces blood flow to limbs and internal organs. This deprives them of nutrients and oxygen. In severe cases, one or more organs may fail. Causes: While any type of infection — bacterial, viral or fungal — can lead to sepsis, the most likely varieties include: 1. Pneumonia. 2. Infection of the digestive system (which includes organs such as the stomach and colon). 3. Infection of the kidney, bladder and other parts of the urinary system. 4. Bloodstream infection (bacteremia).
Why in News? Sepsivac was originally developed for treating sepsis by a class of pathogens called gram negative bacteria, that are known to cause life-threatening infections. Given the similarities in the immune-system response in critically ill COVID-19 patients, it is theorised, the therapy could stimulate a benign response.
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A large quantity of cytokines, chemicals signalling the presence of an infection, are produced in the early stages of the body’s response against an infection to stimulate the production of antibodies. However, cytokines also cause inflammation of organs and can be counter-productive in protecting the body. Keeping them in check is the goal of so called immuno- modulators, or medicines like Sepsivac.
PAKISTHAN REMOVES NAMES FROM TERRORISM WATCH LIST Pakistan has quietly removed around 1,800 terrorists from its watch list, including that of the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind and LeT operations commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, ahead of a new round of assessments by the global anti-money- laundering watchdog FATF, according to a U.S.-based start-up that automates watchlist compliance. The so-called proscribed persons list, which is maintained by Pakistan’s National Counter Terrorism Authority ( NACTA), is intended in part to help financial institutions avoid doing business with or processing transactions of suspected terrorists. The list in 2018 contained about 7,600 names. It has been reduced to under 3,800 in the past 18 months, according to Castellum.AI, a New York-based regulatory technology company. 1,800 Names Removed: About 1,800 of the names have been removed since the beginning of March, according to data collected by Castellum. Pakistan is working to implement an action plan that has been mutually agreed to with the Paris-based The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), part of which involves demonstrating effective implementation of targeted financial sanctions.” It is possible that these removals are part of Pakistan’s action plan to implement the FATF recommendations. The FATF will evaluate Pakistan’s progress in June 2020.
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ATTACKS ON HEALTH WORKERS TO ATTRACT UP TO 7 YEARS IN PRISION
Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897: The Epidemic Diseases Act was introduced by the Britishto tackle the epidemic of bubonic plague that broke out in the then state of Bombay. This law aims to provide for the better prevention of the spread of dangerous epidemic diseases. Under the act, temporary provisions or regulations can be made to be observed by the public to tackle or prevent the outbreak of a disease. Section 2A:of the Actempowers the central government to take steps to prevent the spread of an epidemic. It allows the government to inspect any ship arriving or leaving any post and the power to detain any person intending to sail or arriving in the country. Section 3: provides penalties for disobeying any regulation or order made under the Act. These are according to section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant). Section 4: gives legal protection to the implementing officers acting under the Act.
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The Epidemics Diseases Act is routinely enforced across the country for dealing with outbreaks of diseases such as Swine Flu, Dengue. For Example in 2009, to tackle the swine flu outbreak in Pune, Section 2 powers were used to open screening centres in civic hospitals across the city, and swine flu was declared a notifiable disease. What is an Epidemic? Epidemic is a term that is often broadly used to describe a problem that has grown out of control. It occurs when an infectious disease spreads rapidly to several people within a country or location. Epidemics are generally highly communicable diseases that spread through the population in a very short time. These diseases could be viral, bacterial or other health events such as obesity. Why in News? The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the promulgation of an ordinance to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, making acts of violence against medical staff a cognisable and non- bailable offence and to provide compensation for injury to healthcare personnel or for damage or loss to property. The ordinance proposes that in cases of attacks on healthcare workers, the investigation will be completed within 30 days and the final decision arrived at within one year. The punishment for such attacks will be three months to five years and the fine ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh. In severe cases, where there are grievous injuries, the punishment will be six months to seven years and the fine ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh. Zero Tolerance: As per the new ordinance, there shall be zero tolerance to any incidents of violence against healthcare service personnel and/or damage to property. All offences of violence will be cognisable and non-bailable.
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This will facilitate punishment under the law in cases of violence against healthcare service personnel serving during an epidemic. Public venting of angst against healthcare service personnel leading to harassment assault and damage to property is being highlighted daily. Portrayal as potential spreaders of COVID-19 pandemic played havoc with the confidence of the medical community which is demanding protection. IMA Calls Off Protest Plan: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) withdrew a protest planned against the attacks on doctors and healthcare professionals after the Union government promised that all necessary steps, including relevant legislation, would be introduced for their safety and dignity. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) asked the States to appoint nodal officers to redress any safety issue related to medical professionals 24/7. In a letter, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla asked the States to take strict action against those who obstruct last rites of a medical professional and provide security for the final rites.
NO 100% QUOTA FOR TRIBAL TEACHERS: SC A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court held it unconstitutional to provide 100% reservation for tribal teachers in schools located in Scheduled Areas across the country. It is an obnoxious idea that tribals only should teach the tribals. When there are other local residents, why they cannot teach is not understandable. The action defies logic and is arbitrary. Merit cannot be denied in toto by providing reservation,” Justice Mishra, who wrote the verdict for the Constitution Bench, observed.
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The five-judge Bench was answering a reference made to it in 2016 on whether 100% reservation is permissible under the Constitution. Sawhney Judgment: The court held that 100% reservation is discriminatory and impermissible. The opportunity of public employment is not the prerogative of few. A 100% reservation to the Scheduled Tribes has deprived Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes also of their due representation. The court referred to the Indira Sawhney judgment, which caps reservation at 50%. Citizens have equal rights, and the total exclusion of others by creating an opportunity for one class is not contemplated by the founding fathers of the Constitution of India. The case stemmed from a legal challenge to January 10, 2000 order issued by the erstwhile State of Andhra Pradesh Bench providing 100% reservation to the Scheduled Tribe candidates. Out of whom 33.1/3% shall be women, for the post of teachers in schools located in the Scheduled Areas of the State. The court said the 2000 notification was “unreasonable and arbitrary.
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The SC felt that merit cannot be denied in toto by providing reservation.
TRUMP SET TO SIGN IMMIGRATION ORDER President Donald Trump confirmed he would sign an order later on Wednesday partially blocking immigration to the U.S., in a move he argues would protect workers from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Immigration is a key issue for Mr. Trump’s conservative base, which he is keen to energise ahead of the November election. Trump will be signing my Executive Order prohibiting immigration into our Country today.
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The President said that he would stop the issuing of green cards — permanent residency permits — for 60 days, but would exempt temporary workers such as seasonal farm labourers. It will help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs as America reopens. It would be wrong and unjust for Americans to be replaced with immigrant labour flown in from abroad. About 22 million Americans have lost their jobs since the outbreak forced a global shutdown. The U.S. is the world’s hardest-hit country, and health care infrastructure in hotspots such as New York has struggled to cope. Divert Attention: The executive order on immigration will likely spark court action to reverse it, and has raised hackles among his Democratic opponents. Texas lawmaker Joaquin Castro slammed what he called “an attempt to divert attention away from Mr. Trump’s failure to stop the spread of the coronavirus and save lives”. The Supreme Court has in recent months offered several significant victories to the Trump administration on immigration. A month ago, the court allowed the federal government to maintain a policy that will send more than 60,000 asylum seekers back to Mexico. Trump said, even without this order, our Southern Border, aided substantially by the 170 miles of new Border Wall & 27,000 Mexican soldiers, is very tight. Trump’s administration is keen to get America back to work and has said there are enough coronavirus tests for each State to move to “phase one” of a gradual reopening, ending some stay-at-home restrictions. But several State Governors have complained of a lack of testing capacity and a fear of sparking a fresh surge in infections.
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CABINET APPROVES RS. 15,000CR. PACKAGE The Union Cabinet approved a ₹15,000-crore investment package for the COVID-19 emergency response and health system preparedness. Post facto approval was given to the package at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The funds will be used in three phases, with ₹7,774 crore for immediate use and the rest for medium-term support, that is one to four years. The key objectives of the package include mounting emergency response to slow and limit COVID-19. The plan includes developing diagnostics and COVID-19- dedicated treatment facilities, centralising the procurement of essential medical equipment and drugs, strengthening the healthcare systems nationally and in States, bio-security preparedness and pandemic research. Phase one of the plan has already been rolled out by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with ₹3,000 crore in additional funds being released to the States and the UTs for strengthening facilities. The network of diagnostic laboratories had been expanded and orders for 13 lakh diagnostic kits had been placed. Health workers, including ASHA workers, have been given insurance cover under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. Personal protection equipment, N95 masks and ventilators, testing kits and drugs are being procured centrally.
FACEBOOK, JIO TO WORK ON MAJOR PROJECTS Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that following the ₹43,574 crore investment in Jio Platforms. The two firms would work together on ‘major projects’ that would open up business opportunities for people in India.
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With communities around the world in lockdown, many of these entrepreneurs need digital tools they can rely on to find and communicate with customers and grow their businesses. This is something we can help with — and that’s why we’re partnering with Jio to help people and businesses in India create new opportunities. Zuckerberg added that India, which is home to the largest communities on Facebook and WhatsApp, and a lot of talented entrepreneurs, is in the middle of a major digital transformation, and organisations such as Jio have played a big part in getting hundreds of millions of people and small businesses online. This is especially important right now, because small businesses are the core of every economy and they need our support. India has more than 60 million small businesses and millions of people rely on them for jobs. Separately, Facebook’s chief revenue officer David Fischer, and VP and MD, India, Ajit Mohan, said in a joint blog that the $5.7 billion, or ₹43,574 crore, investment in Jio Platforms, makes Facebook its largest minority shareholder. The two executives of the U.S.-headquartered firm added that India was in the midst of one of the most dynamic social and economic transformations the world had ever seen, driven by the rapid adoption of digital technologies. In just the past five years, more than 560 million people in India had gained access to the Internet. Goal: Facebook’s goal is to enable new opportunities for businesses of all sizes, but especially for the more than 60 million small businesses across India. They account for the majority of jobs in the country, and form the heart and soul of rural and urban communities alike. The focus of Facebook’s collaboration with Jio, they added, would be creating new ways for people and businesses to operate more effectively in the growing digital economy.
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For instance, bringing together JioMart with the power of WhatsApp, can enable people to connect with businesses, shop and ultimately purchase products in a seamless mobile experience. India is a special country for us. Over the years, Facebook has invested in India to connect people and help businesses launch and grow. WhatsApp is so ingrained in Indian life that it has become a commonly used verb across many Indian languages and dialects. And Instagram has grown dramatically in India in recent years as the place where people follow their interests and passions. Noting that in less than four years Jio had brought more than 388 million people online. We are excited about furthering our investment in India’s vibrant digital economy. Our efforts with Jio will be focussed on opening new doors and fuelling India’s economic growth and the prosperity of its people. We look forward to working with Jio, and to future collaborations in India to advance this vision.
India is in the middle of a major digital transformation, says Mark Zuckerberg.
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LOCKDOWN ENSURED GROWTH OF CASES REMAINED LINEAR, SAYS GOVT India has managed to maintain a linear growth of COVID-19 cases over the one-month period during its lockdown. The Union Health Ministry said even as the country reported over 1,409 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of cases to 21,700 with 16,689 active ones. There have been over 4,324 recoveries, which takes the recovery rate to 19.89 % the Health Ministry said. A total of 686 deaths have been reported, with 34 in the past 24 hours. There are 12 districts that did not have a fresh case in the last 28 days. Since April 21, eight new districts have been added including — Chitradurga (Karnataka), Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh), Imphal West (Manipur), Aizawl West (Mizoram), Bhadradri Kothagudem (Telangana), Pilibhit (Uttar Pradesh), SBS Nagar (Punjab) and South Goa (Goa). Also, 78 districts from 23 States/Union Territories have not reported any fresh cases during the last 14 days. State Health Departments have put the nationwide death toll at 718 with 23,034 cases of which 17, 428 are active ones. Maharashtra has 5,304 active cases, with Mumbai reporting 478 new cases and eight deaths on Thursday taking the death toll to 168 and 4,232 cases. Strategies Successful: Despite a 24-fold increase in testing, the percentage of positive cases is not rising phenomenally when compared to the percentage of positive cases at the beginning of the lockdown. The growth of cases has been more or less linear, not exponential. This indicates that the strategies we have adopted have succeeded in containing the infection to a particular level.
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INDIA FOLLOWING U.S. TRAJECTORY, SAYS CHINESE DISEASE EXPERT India’s trajectory in COVID-19 cases is following the United States and likely to similarly reach a plateau rather than peak soon, one of China’s top infectious disease experts has said. Since there were already signs of some community transmission in India, it was more likely to follow the trend of the U.S. and Europe rather than limit cases to a low number, said Zhang Wenhong, a leading figure in China’s COVID-19 strategy I think the overall situation in India may be similar to that of the U.S. The measures of each state in the U.S. are different. Some states are strict and some have resumed work.
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India has to consider how the economy functions and how the epidemic can be controlled, so it does not pay a high price for epidemic prevention. Long Term Strategy: He said in this view, India’s approach to adopt a long-term strategy made sense, including its approach to testing. While India’s approach in tackling COVID-19 has been different from China’s sweeping lockdowns and mass quarantines, India’s strategy was understandable for its national conditions. “Every country should find a way that suits them according to their situation,” he said. He suggested China’s “100%” lockdown, or Australia’s approach of locking down until very low numbers of new cases were reached, was unlikely to be replicated in other countries, and added that he did not necessarily advocate a one-size-fits-all approach. India may not be able to keep cases to as low a level as did many places in China — which managed to limit the spread outside of the Hubei province epicentre with mass lockdowns, quarantines and testing. but at the same time, the rise in cases did not mean the spread was uncontrollable. Work Goes On: Do not look only at the number of cases. There have been hundreds of thousands of cases in the U.S. and Europe, more than in India. The lives of Europeans still has not stopped, and they are preparing to resume work, school and business. Zhang made the comments on Wednesday while interacting with Chinese nationals in India in an online exchange arranged by the Chinese Embassy, and fielding questions on India’s strategy, testing and the future trajectory of cases.
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Globally Under Control: He believed the global pandemic was broadly under control, and as the number of diagnosed cases increased, the mortality rate would further reduce. This outbreak, he said, was very different from SARS in 2003, which had a far higher mortality among both young and old. This also explained why some countries were choosing to reopen their economies and schools. On the question of whether Indians had a higher immunity than the rest of the world — a matter that has been widely debated in China — Dr. Zhang said the incidence rate in India suggested this was not the case. He said he was, however, moved to see how “calm” people were in handling the pandemic, which suggested what they did have was a high “spiritual immunity”.
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DRDO DEVELOPS MOBILE VIROLOGY LAB DRDO: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday inaugurated through videoconference a mobile virology research and diagnostics laboratory (MVRDL). It has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), together with ESIC Hospital, Hyderabad, and the private industry. The mobile lab will be helpful in carrying out diagnosis of COVID- 19 and in virus-culturing for drug screening, convalescent plasma- derived therapy, comprehensive immune profiling of patients towards vaccine development and early clinical trials specific to Indian population,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement. MVDRL: The MVRDL is the combination of a bio-safety level (BSL)-3 lab and a BSL-2 lab and was set up in a record time of 15 days. It can process 1,000-2,000 samples a day. The laboratories comply with the biosafety standards of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) so as to meet international guidelines. The first such MVRDL was developed by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, in consultation with ESIC Hospital. It can be positioned anywhere in the country.
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RBI TO RESTART OPERATION TWIST TO MANAGE YIELDS Operation Twist: India’s central bank; RBI has launched ‘Operation Twist‘ on 23 December 2019. This operation has been launched to increase the long term investment in the country. ‘Operation Twist’ means that the government or the country’s Monetary Authority; sells the short term securities and buys long term securities simultaneouslythrough Open Market Operations (OMO). So in the operation twist; the short term securities are converted into long term securities. On 23 December 2019, the Reserve Bank of India, sold short-term securities worth Rs 10,000 crore through the Open Market Operations (OMO) and purchased long term securities of the same value.
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The maturity period of the short term securities was up to 2020 but the maturity period of long term securities is for 10 years or up to 2029. The sole purpose of this twist is to moderate high long-term interest rates in the market and bring them closer to the repo rate. Operation Twist first appeared in 1961 as a way to strengthen the U.S. dollar and stimulate cash flow into the economy.
Why in News? The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced simultaneous purchase and sale of government bonds in a bid to soften long- term yields. The central bank will buy ₹10,000 crore of bonds maturing between 2026 and 2030 and sell the same amount of T-bills. On a review of current and evolving liquidity and market conditions, the Reserve Bank has decided to conduct simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities under open market operations (OMO) for ₹10,000 crore each on April 27, 2020.
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Such open market operations are known as ‘Operation Twist,’ which was used by the RBI in December last year for the first time. Following the announcement, the yields on the 10- year bonds dropped by 20 basis points (bps). The move will also aid monetary transmission by prompting banks to pass on interest rate cut benefits to their customers. The RBI had reduced key policy rate or the repo rate by 75 bps to 4.4% in the monetary policy review, announced in the last week of March.
TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER RESTRICTING IMMIGRATION U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday barring certain categories of immigrants from admission to the U.S. for 60 days. Ostensibly to protect Americans’ jobs at risk from the COVID-19 pandemic. The order has several exemptions, including for those who are already in the U.S. seeking to switch their visa status to permanent residency. Trump had tweeted earlier this week that he would “temporarily suspend immigration”. The President’s proclamation went into effect shortly before the country’s weekly job report was released, showing that another 4.4 million Americans had declared themselves unemployed in the week ending April 18, taking the total number to some $26 million since the pandemic began. The immigration of the following categories of non-U.S. citizens is restricted for 60 days starting Thursday. Those outside the U.S., those who do not already have a valid immigrant visa, those that do not have an official travel document other than a visa that is valid on the effective date of the
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proclamation “or issued on any date thereafter that permits him or her to travel to the United States and seek entry or admission”. Chain Migration: The new order, while in effect, will prevent individuals from bringing their parents, adult children, or siblings into the U.S. (Mr. Trump has called this “chain migration”). Entry into the U.S. for individuals who are already legal permanent residents is not suspended. The order also does not apply to spouses of U.S. citizens or those seeking entry on the EB-5 investor visa. Some immigrant visa holders such as doctors, nurses, healthcare workers and COVID-19 researchers and their spouses and minor dependents are exempt from the suspension order. “Without intervention, the United States faces a potentially protracted economic recovery with persistently high unemployment,” the presidential order reads. Introducing additional permanent residents when our healthcare resources are limited puts strain on the finite limits of our healthcare system at a time when we need to prioritize Americans and the existing immigrant population.
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FIRST PLASMA THERAPY TO BEGIN IN KARNATAKA TODAY Convalescent Plasma Therapy: In order to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers and scientists are working tirelessly to develop a proper treatment for patients infected with the novel Coronavirus. Amid testing the already existing antiviral drugs and new ones, the researchers have come across the Convalescent Plasma Therapy, which could be a potential treatment for the virus. Several countries including China and the US have already started the clinical trials of the Convalescent Plasma Therapy due to the absence of a coronavirus-specific treatment to cure the infected patients. The Convalescent plasma therapy was first used during the 1918 Spanish Influenza outbreak.
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The approach was used recently during the outbreak of SARS, MERS and Ebola viruses.
What is Convalescent plasma therapy and how does it work to fight COVID-19? Convalescent Plasma Therapy, also known as passive antibody therapy, provides a person with already developed antibodies to fight a virus. Under the Plasma Therapy, the COVID-19 patients will be infused with an antibody-rich blood plasma of the people who have recovered from the novel Coronavirus. The Convalescent Plasma Therapy is based on the antibodies and proteins developed by the immune system that protects the body from any potential harm. When any virus attacks the body, the immune system produces antibodies to attack the virus. These antibodies are produced by immune cells ‘B lymphocytes’, found in blood plasma. The person who recovers from a virus has developed antibodies that stay in blood to fight the same virus, if it returns.
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And if these antibodies are infused into other person infected with the same virus, they recognise the virus and attack it. However, these antibodies stay for short period in other person’s blood. Some antibodies neutralize the virus and some work by mobilizing the immune cells to combat a disease.
Is the Convalescent Plasma Therapy a success in treating COVID-19 patients? It is not yet clear that which mechanism will be followed by COVID-19 antibodies to fight off the disease. However, it is expected that the infusion of blood plasma will boost the passive immunity until the patient develops his or her own targeted ability to combat the virus.
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Results of Convalescent plasma therapy trials conducted in China: As per the tests conducted on a few patients of Coronavirus in China, the therapy came out as a promising option for severe cases. The tests were conducted in 10 patients who were given a single dose of blood plasma of recovered patients. The results showed that the coronavirus disappeared from patients’ blood in 7 days; lung lesions improved within 7 days and clinical symptoms improved significantly within 3 days. Why in News? The first plasma therapy in Karnataka for COVID-19 patients will begin on Saturday, and will be carried out jointly by the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) and the HCG Hospital. Jawaid Akthar, Additional Chief Secretary (Health and Family Welfare), said that many people who have recovered from the disease have come forward to donate their blood. We will begin by collecting the samples of two or three people who have recovered. Those who have other co-morbidities cannot participate in this process. R. Jayanthi, Dean and Director of BMCRI, said that a mass appeal will be sent to patients who have recovered from COVID-19 to come forward and donate. “Those who are discharged and are in the period of 14 to 28 days can come forward to donate.” The trial will test the efficacy of plasma therapy which uses antibodies of cured patients to treat critically ill COVID-19 cases.
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NO PLAN TO EASE FISCCAL DEFICIT TARGETS
What is Fiscal Deficit? Fiscal deficit is the distinction between the government’s total expend and its total receipts and this excludes borrowing. Gross fiscal deficit = Total expenditure – (Revenue receipts + Non-debt creating capital receipts) The fiscal deficit has to be financed by borrowing. Hence, it manifests the total borrowing necessities of the government from all the possible sources.
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Gross fiscal deficit = Net borrowing at home + Borrowing from RBI + Borrowing from abroad
Difference Between Fiscal Deficit and Revenue Deficit
Basis Fiscal Deficit Revenue Deficit
Meaning The fiscal deficit is the Revenue deficit is the excess of Budget surplus of Revenue Expenditure over Budget Expenditure over Receipt other than Revenue Receipts. borrowings.
Significance It reflects the total It reflects the government borrowings inefficiency of the during a fiscal year. government to reach its regular or recurring expenditure.
Formula Budgetary Deficit – Revenue expenditure – Borrowings Revenue receipts. Or Or BE – BR excluding RE – RR Borrowings (RE +CE)–(RR+CR excluding borrowings)
Sources to Finance Fiscal Deficit Following Are the Two Sources to Finance Fiscal Deficit: (a) Borrowings
The fiscal deficit is accomplished by the borrowings from a commercial bank, internal sources like public, etc. or from
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the external sources like International Agencies like IMF, Foreign Governments, etc. (b) Deficit Financing (I.e. Printing New Currency)
The government can also borrow funds from RBI against its securities to meet the fiscal deficit. Therefore, RBI issues new currency for this purpose. This process is recognized as Deficit Financing.
What is the Finance Commission?
Constituted by the President in November 2017 It is headed by N K Singh Deliberation period from end of 2017 to end of October 2019 Article 280 of the Constitution of India provides for a quasi- judicial body, the Finance Commission. It is constituted by the President of India every fifth year or at such earlier time as he considers necessary. The recommendations made by the Finance Commission are only advisory in nature and hence, not binding on the government. The 15th Finance commission makes recommendations for the period of 2020-2025 (5 years).
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Importance of 15th Finance Commission: The 15th FC has been set up in a time when huge reforms have been taken under the fiscal federalism:
Replacement of Planning Commission with NITI Aayog. Implementation of GST reforms. Abolition of the planned and non-planned expenditure.
Why in News?
Despite the strain on government finances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no credible proposal to amend the legislation meant to control the fiscal deficit, Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission N.K. Singh said. The government was currently looking to see how to ameliorate economic hardship while staying within the broad framework of the existing law. While presenting the Union Budget in February, the Finance Minister had invoked the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act’s escape clause to relax the fiscal deficit
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target for 2020-21 by 0.5% percentage points to 3.5% of the GDP. If the government wishes to increase spending further in light of the current crisis, as many economists have recommended, it may need to amend the Act. The State governments have been demanding that their own 3% fiscal deficit targets be relaxed to 4% or even 5%, to give them elbow room in dealing with the impact of the lockdown.
Need for New Law:
Dr. Singh said that change would not be possible without fresh legislation being enacted by the States. A more expeditious method would be for the States to first trigger their own escape clauses. He also cautioned that the States need to weigh the cost of borrowing from the market, and whether there would be appetite for their bonds. Economic Advisory Council members felt that options need to be considered for financing the additional deficit. It is important to ensure that the State governments get access to adequate funds to undertake their fight against the pandemic, they said, adding that different States may come out of the pandemic’s impact in different stages. A support mechanism for cash-starved small enterprises needs to be a top priority, along with partial loan guarantees and other measures to protect non-banking financial companies.
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WILDLIFE BOARD NOD FOR MINING IN ASSAM ELEPHNAT RESERVE Elephant Reserves of India: The Government of India had launched the project Elephant in the year 1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with objectives to protect elephants, their habitat & corridors; to address issues of man-animal conflict; and welfare of captive elephants. The project aims to ensure the long-term survival to the populations of elephants in their natural habitats by protecting the elephants, their habitats and migration corridors. Other goals of Project Elephant are supporting the research of the ecology and management of elephants, creating awareness of conservation among local people, providing improved veterinary care for captive elephants. Activities of the Project Elephant: 1. Ecological restoration of existing natural habitats and migratory routes of elephants;
2. Development of scientific and planned management for conservation of elephant habitats and viable population of Wild Asiatic elephants in India.
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3. Promotion of measures for mitigation of man elephant conflict in crucial habitats and moderating pressures of human and domestic stock activities in crucial elephant habitats.
4. Strengthening of measures for protection of Wild elephant’s form poachers and unnatural causes of death.
5. Research on Elephant management related issues.
6. Public education and awareness programmes.
7. Eco-development.
8. Veterinary care.
List of Elephant Reserves of India
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Elephant Range Elephant Reserve Location East-Central Mayurjharna ER West Bengal landscape (South- Singhbhum ER Jharkhand West Bengal- Jharkhand-Orissa Mahanadi ER Orissa Sambalpur ER Baitami ER South Orissa ER Lemru ER Chhattisgarh Badalkhol- Tamorpingla ER Kameng-Sonitpur Kameng ER Arunachal Landscape Pradesh (Arunachal- Assam) Sonitpur ER Assam Total Eastern-South Dihing-Patkai ER Assam Bank Landscape South Arunachal Arunachal (Assam- Arunachal Pradesh ER Pradesh Pradesh) Kaziranga-Karbi Kaziranga-Karbi Assam Anglong-Intanki Anglong ER Landscape (Assam- Dhansiri-Lungding ER Nagaland) Intanki ER Nagaland North Bengal- Chirang-Ripu ER Assam Greater Manas Eastern Doars ER West Bengal Landscape (Assam- West Bengal) Meghalaya Garo Hills ER Meghalaya Landscape Khasi Hills ER Mysore ER Karnataka
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Brahmagiri-Nilgiri- Wayanad ER Kerala Eastern Ghat Nilgiri ER Tamil Nadu Landscape Rayala ER Andhra Pradesh (Karnataka- Kerala- Tamilnadu- Nilambur Kerala Andhra) Coimbatore ER Tamil Nadu Anamalai- Anamalai ER Tamil Nadu Nellianpathy-High Anamudi ER Kerala Range Landscape (Tamil Nadu- Kerala) Periyar- Periyar ER Kerala Agasthymalai Srivilliputhur ER Tamil Nadu Landscape (Kerala- Tamilnadu) North-Western Shivalik ER Uttarakhand Landscape Uttar Pradesh ER Uttar Pradesh (Uttarakhand-Uttar Pradesh)
National Board for Wildlife (NBWL):
The NBWL is constituted by the Central Government under Section 5 A of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA). It serves as an apex body to review all wildlife-related matters and approve projects in and around national parks and sanctuaries. The board is advisory in nature and advises the Central Government on framing policies and measures for conservation of wildlife in the country.
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It is chaired by India’s Prime Minister and its vice-chairman is Minister of Environment. The NBWL has 47 members including the chairperson. Among these, 19 members are ex-officio members. Every new government constitutes a new board, based on the provisions of the WLPA, with the new PM as the chair.
Functions of NBWL:
The primary function of the NBWL is to promote the conservation and development of wildlife and forests. It has the power to review all wildlife-related matters and approve projects in and around national parks and sanctuaries. No alternation of boundaries in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries can be done without the approval of the NBWL.
North-Easter Coal Field (NECF): North Eastern Coalfields is a unit of Coal India Limited, which has its headquarters in Margherita in Assam. The unit came into existence in 1975 after nationalization of coal mines in India. It took over the private mines operating in the Northeastern states of India and at present has mines operating in states of Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. At present there are five working mines – three underground and two opencast mines. Why in News? Amid the countrywide lockdown, the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has recommended coal mining in a part of an elephant reserve in Assam.
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The NBWL’s Standing Committee had on April 7 discussed a proposal for use of 98.59 hectares of land from the Saleki proposed reserve forest land for a coal mining project by North-Easter Coal Field (NECF), a unit of Coal India Limited. The NBWL is under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). Saleki is a part of the Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve that includes the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary covering 111.19 sq km of rainforest and several reserve forests in Sivasagar, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts. Panel Set Up: The NBWL had in July 2019 formed a committee comprising its member R. Sukumar, Assam’s Chief Wildlife Warden, and a representative of the local wildlife division for assessing the mining area. In the April 7 meeting, Mr. Sukumar stated that 57.20 ha of hilly forestland had already been broken up by the user agency (NECF) and the remaining 41.39 ha was unbroken. He recommended a “cautious approach” for preserving the “basic integrity of this forested hill slope” that is a part of the elephant reserve in Assam adjoining Arunachal Pradesh’s Deomali Elephant Reserve with “a sizeable population of elephants”. After detailed discussions, the Standing Committee “recommended for approval” the proposal for mining in the broken-up area after the user agency submits a rectified site- specific mine reclamation plan in consultation with the Assam Forest Department.
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IITD’S CORONAVIRUS DETECTION ASSAY GETS ICMR APPROVAL
IIT Delhi said it has got the approval from the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for a probe-free coronavirus detection assay developed by it. The assay had been validated at ICMR with a sensitivity and specificity of 100%, making IIT-D the first academic institute to have obtained ICMR approval for a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnostic assay. The assay was developed by researchers at IIT Delhi’s Kusuma School of Biological Sciences (KSBS). Using comparative sequence analyses, the IIT Delhi team identified unique regions (short stretches of RNA sequences) in the COVID-19/SARS COV-2 genome. These regions are not present in other human coronaviruses, providing an opportunity to specifically detect COVID-19. It added that the method used primers targeting unique regions of COVID-19 that were designed and tested using real-time PCR. These primers specifically bind to regions conserved in over 400 fully sequenced COVID-19 genomes. This highly sensitive assay was developed by extensive optimisation using synthetic DNA constructs followed by in- vitro generated RNA fragments. The research team said the assay would be useful for specific and affordable high throughput testing. This assay can be easily scaled up as it does not require fluorescent probes. The team is targeting large-scale deployment of the kit at affordable prices with suitable industrial partners as soon as possible.
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Clean code: The team has identified unique regions (stretches of RNA sequences) in the SARS COV-2 genome. IIT-DELHI
SERUM INSTITUTE EYES COVID-19 VACCINE BY OCT The city-based Serum Institute of India has said that it expects the vaccine for COVID-19 developed by the University of Oxford in the market by October or November provided the safety and efficacy of the product is established during trials. The institute has partnered with the Oxford vaccine project as one of the seven global institutions that will manufacture the vaccine. In around two weeks, we can produce five million doses a month and scale that up to 10 million after six months while typically producing a vaccine takes a long time. Observing that there were a lot of people who thought that they would have a vaccine in a few months, Mr. Poonawalla said there was, however, a strong caveat.
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Trial Process: If the vaccine works in the U.K. trial and we do another trial in India, which we are hoping to start shortly, in safety and efficacy, only then will it be available by October or November and that is only if we start producing at our personal cost in risk by the end of this month. Further, he said the institute would be using one of the existing facilities for manufacturing the COVID-19 vaccine. However, it will take over two years to set up new manufacturing facility for COVID-19 vaccine. Typically vaccines take many years but with the regulatory approvals in India that have been very carefully changed for this product development, we are very pleased to announce that we will be able to do it by the end of this year. SII is currently looking at 4-5 million doses monthly and would start manufacturing early to save time in the hope that the trial would be successful. we hope to build up 20-40 million doses by September- October in the hope that if the trial works, then we will have this product. SII would be partnering with ICMR for the clinical trials and that he was in touch with the Department of Biotechnology.
INDIA AMONG TOP 3 MILITARY SPENDERS: REPORT The global military expenditure rose to $1917 billion in 2019 with India and China emerging among the top three spenders, according to a report by a Swedish think tank, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). In 2019, China and India were, respectively, the second- and third-largest military spenders in the world.
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China’s military expenditure reached $261 billion in 2019, a 5.1% increase compared with 2018. While India’s grew by 6.8% to $71.1 billion the report said. In 2019, the top five largest spenders: 1. U.S. ($732 bn), 2. China, 3. India, 4. Russia ($65.1 bn) and 5. Saudi Arabia ($61.9 bn) accounted for 62% of the global expenditure. The annual report ‘Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2019’ was released on Monday. India’s tensions and rivalry with both Pakistan and China are among the major drivers for its increased military spending. The $71.1 billion spent by India on defence in 2019 was 2.4% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). India was at the fourth position in 2018 with Saudi Arabia at the third. Significant Rise: Stating that India’s expenditure in 2019 was 6.8% more than that in 2018, the report says the country’s military expenditure has risen significantly over the past few decades. It grew by 259% over the 30-year period of 1990–2019, and by 37% over the decade of 2010–19. However, its military burden fell from 2.7% of GDP in 2010 to 2.4% in 2019. While India’s defence spending excluding pensions, which constitute a significant part, has been growing in absolute terms, it has been going down as a percentage of its GDP as noted by the report. For instance, the defence allocation in the latest budget for 2020- 21 which was ₹3.37 lakh crore, excluding defence pensions, accounts for about 1.5% of the country’s GDP, the lowest in recent times.
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In comparison, Pakistan’s military expenditure rose by 70% over the decade 2010–19, to reach $10.3 billion while the military burden increased from 3.4% of GDP in 2010 to 4% in 2019, says the report. Pakistan was at the 24th position in 2019 compared to 19th in 2018.
By leaps and bounds: India’s expenditure grew 259% over a 30- year period between 1990 and 2019.
BTAD PLACED UNDER GOVERNER’S RULE Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD): BTAD is spread over four districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri. The BTAD and other areas mentioned under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution have been exempted from the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019. Recently, the central government, the Assam government and the Bodo groups, signed an agreement to redraw and rename the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) as the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), in Assam.
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BODO: The Bodo are a Tibeto-Burmese-speaking ethnic group in Assam. The Bodo people speak the Bodo language, a Tibeto-Burman language recognized as one of twenty-two scheduled languages in the Indian Constitution. The Bodo people are recognized as a plains tribe in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The Bodo people are concentrated within the Assamese districts of Udalguri, Chirang, Baksa, Bajali, Sonitpur, Goalpara, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, and Kokrajhar. Bodos are the single largest community among the notified Scheduled Tribes in Assam. Bodos are a part of Bodo-Kachari and constitute about 5-6% of Assam’s population. Traditionally, Bodos practiced Bathouism, which is the worshiping of forefathers, known as Obonglaoree. In ancient Sanskrit literature, Bodos were called as Kiratas and Mlecchas. Bodos were also formerly known as Rangtsa or Ramsa.
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Why in News? Governor’s rule has been imposed in Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) as the State Election Commission deferred Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) election indefinitely due to the lockdown in view of The decision has been taken as “a situation has arisen in which the administration of the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India. It was placed under the Governor’s Rule on Monday after the expiry of the 5-year term of the council that governs it. Its election, scheduled on April 4, had been deferred. The BTAD, comprising 4 districts of Assam, falls under the Bodoland Territorial Council formed in 2003.
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UN WARNS OF A HUMAN RIGHTS DISASTER The UN rights chief warned on Monday that countries flouting the rule of law in the name of fighting the novel coronavirus pandemic risk sparking a “human rights disaster”. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called on countries to refrain from violating fundamental rights “under the guise of exceptional or emergency measures”. Emergency powers should not be a weapon governments can wield to quash dissent, control the population, and even perpetuate their time in power. “They should be used to cope effectively with the pandemic — nothing more, nothing less.” Her comments came after more than 200,000 people have perished in the pandemic and nearly 3 million have been infected worldwide by the novel coronavirus since it surfaced in China late last year. Bachelet acknowledged that states have the right to restrict some rights to protect public health, but she insisted that any restrictions should be necessary, proportionate and non- discriminatory, and also limited in duration. There have been numerous reports from different regions that police and other security forces have been using excessive, and at times lethal, force to make people abide by lockdowns and curfews. Shooting, detaining, or abusing someone for breaking a curfew because they are desperately searching for food is clearly an unacceptable and unlawful response. So is making it difficult or dangerous for a woman to get to hospital to give birth. In some cases, people are dying because of the inappropriate application of measures that have been supposedly put in place to save them,” Ms. Bachelet said. She also decried the mass arrests in some countries over curfew violations as “both unnecessary and unsafe.”
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“Jails and prisons are high risk environments, and states should focus on releasing whoever can be safely released, not detaining more people.” The UN rights chief also warned that efforts to rein in dangerous misinformation around the pandemic was in some cases being used as an excuse to crack down on legitimate free speech. It is important to counter misinformation, but shutting down the free exchange of ideas and information not only violates rights, it undermines trust.
The flora speaks: A message of support in Bant, Netherlands, created by cutting flower heads in a field of tulips.
COST OF DOING BUSINESS TO SEE SIGNIFICANT RISE As COVID-19 takes its toll on the economy and on human lives, the cost of doing business is set to go up as companies gear up to adhere to new safety and hygiene standards in their daily operations despite likely scaled down business activity and lower earnings.
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The change in cost of doing business will vary from sector to sector. In the case of verticals like salons, where human touch is high, the cost would go up by 30-40%. If a person who gives a haircut or a facial has to wear a new PPE for every new customer, it is about a ₹500-₹600 extra per customer,” said B.S. Nagesh, chairman, Retailers Association of India and founder TRRAIN. He said for larger retail stores, the cost escalation would be anywhere between 10-50%. Efficacy to Decline: If one comes to a 1,000 sq. ft store and if only four people are allowed, then the efficacy of the store would come down by 50%. In that case, the cost will go up by 10-15 % easily. But overall the impact would be 30-35% in the first year. For large manufacturers and hotels and restaurants the cost escalation will be in double digits, as companies will be forced to operate at sub-optimal levels due to lack of demand and fewer employees. There will be impact in terms of cost because manufacturing facilities will run at lower capacity due to intermittent runs. The company’s hotels business is set to undergo changes in service delivery in confirmity with the new normal. Contact-less Service: In the hotels business, customers have a lot of concern around safety. We have to think about how to redesign our services and deliver non-contact service, how to maintain social distance norms and how to create many more avenues for check-ins etc. Airlines and airport operators will also have to bear extra costs to take on board fewer passengers, possibly well below existing capacities as well as breakeven levels and deploy more manpower to enforce safety and hygiene norms.
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Nipping margins: In sectors such as salons, the cost would rise by 30-40%, says RAI chariman B.S. Nagesh. REUTERS
MINISTRY DOES U-TURN ON PLASMA THERAPY Plasma therapy is not an approved treatment for COVID-19 and is only one of the several therapies being explored currently, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday. The therapy is still at an experimental stage and the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) is currently studying its efficacy. ICMR has not given any clearance for its use as a prescribed treatment and the misuse can have fatal outcome for the patients. The Health Ministry statement comes days after the Drug Controller General of India gave its go-ahead to a proposal by the ICMR for the clinical trial of convalescent plasma therapy in COVID-19 patients as per the protocol developed by the Council. Evidence Not Enough: At the daily press briefing, Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said currently there are no approved therapies for
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COVID-19 and there is not enough evidence to claim that plasma therapy can be used for treatment of the disease. The ICMR has launched a national-level study to look into the efficacy of plasma therapy in treatment of COVID-19. Till the ICMR concludes its study and a robust scientific proof is available, plasma therapy should be used only for research or trial purpose. If plasma therapy is not used in proper manner under proper guidelines, then it can also cause life threatening complications. Last week, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had asked the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) to contact recovered COVID-19 patients to come forward for blood donation, from which convalescent plasma could be collected and used. As mentioned by ICMR, the convalescent plasma will be really helpful in treating severe and serious COVID-19 patients.
The ICMR has not given clearance, says the Centre
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$1.5 BILLION ADB LOAN TO FUND COVID RESPONSE ADB: Asian Development Bank (ADB) was established on Dec.19, 1966. The aim of this bank is to accelerate economic and social development in Asia and pacific region. The bank started its functioning on January 1, 1967.Its headquarter is located at Manila, Philippines. Official United Nations Observer. The bank admits the members of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP, formerly the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East or ECAFE) and non-regional developed countries. It is modeled closely on the World Bank, and has a similar weighted voting system where votes are distributed in proportion with members’ capital subscriptions. Functions of ADB: (1) To make loans and equity investments for economic and social development of its developing members countries. (2) To provide for technical assistance for the preparation and implementation of development projects and advisory services. (3) To respond to the request for assistance in coordinating developmental policies and plans in developing member countries. (4) This bank constituted Asian Development Fund in 1974, which provides loans to Asian countries on concessional interest rates. Why in News? The Government of India has taken a $1.5 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to fund its immediate response to COVID-19, both in terms of the health and socio-economic impacts. The bank is also in talks with the government to fund further stimulus measures, including support for Micro, Small & Medium
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Enterprises and for extending health services through public- private partnerships. The money, translating to more than ₹11,000 crore, will be spent to implement the containment plan and rapidly ramp up the test- track-treatment capacity. It will also be used to provide social protection for 80 crore poor people over the next three months, according to Finance Ministry additional secretary Sameer Kumar Khare, who signed the loan agreement. The loan, approved by the ADB under its COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support (CARES) Programme, is the bank’s largest ever to India. The Centre will also take the ADB’s technical support to strengthen its implementation framework and capacities to deliver the Rs. 1.7 lakh crore welfare package announced last month. The bank was also in talks to provide “further possible support for stimulating the economy, support strong growth recovery, and to build resilience to future shocks. During an April 9 telephone meeting, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa told Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman that apart from emergency needs, the bank was also willing to support “short- to medium-term measures to restore the dynamic economic growth of the country by exploring all available financing options. This would include support for the MSMEs by facilitating access to finance through credit guarantee schemes, integration into global and national value chains through enterprise development centers, and a credit enhancement facility for infrastructure projects.
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USCIRF DOWNGRADES INDIA IN 2020 LIST The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has downgraded India to the lowest ranking, “countries of particular concern” (CPC) in its 2020 report. The report, released in Washington by the federal government commission that functions as an advisory body, placed India alongside countries, including China, North Korea, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. India was categorised as a “Tier 2 country” in last year’s listing. This is the first time since 2004 that India has been placed in this category. “India took a sharp downward turn in 2019,” the commission noted in its report, which included specific concerns about the Citizenship Amendment Act, the proposed National Register for Citizens, anti-conversion laws and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. “The national government used its strengthened parliamentary majority to institute national-level policies violating religious freedom across India, especially for Muslims.” The panel said that the CPC designation was also recommended because “national and various State governments also allowed nationwide campaigns of harassment and violence against religious minorities to continue with impunity, and engaged in and tolerated hate speech and incitement to violence against them”. The Centre reacted sharply to the USCIRF report on Tuesday, terming it “biased and tendentious” and rejected its observations. Three of the 10 USCIRF commissioners, including Gary Bauer, Johnnie Lee, and Tenzin Dorjee, dissented with the panel’s recommendation on India as being ‘too harsh’ and that ended up placing the country alongside what they termed as “rogue nations” like China and North Korea. “I am confident that India will reject any authoritarian temptation and stand with the United States and other free nations in defence
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of liberty, including religious liberty,” wrote Commissioner Bauer in his dissenting note. The commission also recommended that the U.S. government take stringent action against India under the “International Religious Freedom Act” (IRFA). It called on the administration to “impose targeted sanctions on Indian government agencies and officials responsible for severe violations of religious freedom by freezing those individuals’ assets and/or barring their entry into the United States under human rights-related financial and visa authorities, citing specific religious freedom violations”. In 2005, Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was at the time the Chief Minister of Gujarat was censured by the USCIRF. The commission had recommended sanctions against Mr. Modi for the 2002 riots and the U.S. government had subsequently cancelled his visa. The USCIRF 2020 report makes a specific mention of Home Minister Amit Shah, for not taking what it deemed as sufficient action to stop cases of mob lynching in the country, and for referring to migrants as “termites”. In December 2019, the USCIRF had also asked the U.S. government to consider sanctions against Mr. Shah and “other principal leadership” over the decision to pass the Citizenship Amendment Act.
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MID-DAY MEALS ON DURING VACATION Mid-Day Meal Scheme: Mid-day meal (MDM) is a wholesome freshly-cooked lunch served to children in government and government-aided schools in India. On 28 November 2001, the Supreme Court of India passed a mandate stating, “We direct the State Governments/Union
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Territories to implement the Mid-Day Meal Scheme by providing every child in every Government and Government assisted Primary School with a prepared midday meal.” The Midday Meal Scheme comes under the HRD Ministry’s Department of School Education and Literacy. Launched in the year 1995 as a centrally sponsored scheme, it provides that every child within the age group of six to fourteen years studying in classes I to VIII who enrolls and attends the school, shall be provided hot cooked meal having nutritional standards of 450 calories and 12 gm of protein for primary (I- V class) and 700 calories and 20 gm protein for upper primary (VI- VIII class), free of charge every day except on school holidays. The scheme covers all government and government aided schools and also Madarsa and Maqtabs supported under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). Tamilnadu is a pioneer in introducing Mid-Day meals in India.
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Why in News? The Centre plans to extend the mid-day meal scheme in government schools over the summer holidays due to the COVID- 19 lockdown. An additional ₹958 crore will be provided for this purpose, Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank told State Education Ministers on Tuesday. An extra ₹790 crore would be provided to buy pulses, vegetable, oil, spices and fuel by hiking the annual allocation for cooking costs. The Centre will also provide 3 lakh tonnes of foodgrains, worth approximately ₹990 crore.
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However, reports from States suggest that the current implementation of the mid-day meal scheme has been patchy and variable across different regions. While Kerala is providing actual cooked meals delivered to the homes of poor students, a large number of other States, including Karnataka and West Bengal, are providing dry rations to students’ families in lieu of cooked meals during the lockdown. Delhi schools do not seem to be offering either option, with officials simply pointing to the cooked meals being offered at general relief centres across the city. Nationwide, 11.5 crore children studying in Class 1 to 8 in 11.34 lakh schools depend on the scheme for a nutritious lunch. Board Exam Papers: Nishank also urged States to begin the process of evaluating answer sheets of completed State Board exams during the lockdown itself, and facilitate the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in its correction of answer sheets as well. Noting that an alternative academic calendar has already been released by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), the Union Minister said States could adopt it according to their local situation. He also urged them to prepare safety guidelines in preparation for opening of schools post the lockdown. The Education Ministers of 22 States and secretaries from another 14 States and Union Territories participated in the videoconference with the Union Minister.
BRICS SHOULD HELP ENTREPRENEURS: INDIA BRICS: BRICS is the acronym coined for an association of five major emerging national economies: 1. Brazil, 2. Russia, 3. India,
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4. China and 5. South Africa. Originally the first four were grouped as “BRIC” (or “the BRICs”), before the induction of South Africa in 2010. The BRICS members are known for their significant influence on regional affairs; all are members of G20. Since 2009, the BRICS nations have met annually at formal summits. China hosted the 9th BRICS summit in Xiamen on September 2017, while Brazil hosted the most recent 11th BRICS summit on 13-14 November 2019.
Why in News? Member countries of the BRICS group should assist private entrepreneurs to help them deal with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Monday. He also spoke of the need for reform in the multilateral global platforms during the videoconference of Foreign Ministers of the BRICS group which was convened by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
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Jaishankar emphasised that we need to provide support to businesses, especially MSMEs, to tide over the crisis and ensure livelihoods are not lost. The Minister emphasised that the pandemic is not only posing a great risk to the health and well being of humanity but is also severely impacting global economy, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, South African Minister of International Relations Grace Naledi Pandor and Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo participated.
ONLY 30 LAKH FOUND MNREGA WORK IN APRIL MGNREGA: Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), also known as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) is Indian legislation enacted on August 25, 2005. The MGNREGA provides a legal guarantee for one hundred days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work at the statutory minimum wage. The Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), Govt of India is monitoring the entire implementation of this scheme in association with state governments. This act was introduced with an aim of improving the purchasing power of the rural people, primarily semi or un-skilled work to people living below poverty line in rural India. An additional 50 days of wage employment are provided over and above 100 days in the notified drought affected areas or natural calamity areas in the country on recommendation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
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Why in News? Although the Centre gave explicit instructions to reopen its flagship rural jobs scheme from April 20, only 30 lakh people were provided work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in April, about 17% of the usual, government data show. In mid-April, only 1% of the usual number of workers had found employment. The figures for this April are the lowest in five years, and show an 82% drop from the previous year’s figure of 1.7 crore workers.
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Some States had zero workers as on April 29, showing they had not restarted their work sites at all. Only 1,005 people got work in Haryana, along with 2,014 in Kerala and 6,376 in Gujarat, showing very low rates of employment. Andhra Pradesh, on the other hand, has provided 10 lakh jobs, though it is still lower than the 25 lakh jobs provided last April. In the light of government failure to provide sufficient work at a time when the loss of livelihoods due to the lockdown and returning migrant workers have increased the need for work in Indian villages, there is a rising demand for compensation wages to be paid to workers instead.
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ORDINANCE ROUTE TO DEFER PAY IN KERALA The Kerala Cabinet has cleared a draft Ordinance empowering the government for deferring six days’ salary of employees and teachers for five months to face the extraordinary fiscal crisis triggered by the COVID-19 outbreak. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters here on Wednesday that there was a steep fall in income and the crisis was unbearable. The decision on deferment was made to overcome the crisis. Since the High Court had pointed out that the decision was legally untenable, the Cabinet decided to recommend the Governor to promulgate an Ordinance. The Ordinance will also empower the government to impose a 30% cut in the salary, allowances and honorarium of Ministers and MLAs for a year. The draft explains that in the event of any disaster or public health emergency, it shall be competent and lawful for the government to defer up to one-fourth of the total salary of an employee in any institution owned or controlled by the government, including aided and grant-in-aid bodies. The High Court had said there was no sanction of law for the order to defer the salary and it amounts to deprivation of property of the employees and teachers who were affected by it. Hence, the government had to issue the Ordinance under extraordinary circumstances. Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac clarified that the government had the powers to deduct up to one-fourth of the total monthly salary of an employee for the management of the crisis that stemmed out of the public health emergency, but would strictly go by the earlier decision to defer the salary.
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REGULATING ACADEMICS IS IN NATIONAL, PUBLIC INTEREST:SC Regulating academics and imposing reasonable restrictions to ensure educational standards are in national and public interest, a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court ruled, holding that the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) is mandatory for admission to medical colleges run by religious and linguistic minority communities. The right to freedom of trade or business is not absolute. It is subject to “reasonable restriction in the interest of the students’ community to promote merit, recognition of excellence, and to curb the malpractices. A uniform entrance test qualifies the test of proportionality and is reasonable. NEET is intended to check several maladies which crept into medical education, to prevent capitation fee by admitting students which are lower in merit and to prevent exploitation, profiteering, and commercialisation of education. The institution has to be a capable vehicle of education. The court said minority institutions were equally bound to comply with the conditions imposed under the law. The regulations, including admission through NEET, were neither divisive or dis-integrative. They were necessary. The judgment was based on a challenge by the colleges to several notifications issued by the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the Dental Council of India (DCI) under Sections 10D of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, and the Dentists Act, 1948, for uniform entrance examinations. Professional educational institutions constitute a class by themselves. Specific measures to make the administration of such institutions transparent can be imposed. The rights available under Article 30 [right of minorities to administer their institutions] are not violated by provisions
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carved out in Section 10D of the MCI Act and the Dentists Act and Regulations framed by MCI/DCI.
NEET APPLIES TO MINORITY COLLEGES: SC The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) is mandatory for admission to medical colleges run by religious and linguistic minority communities, the Supreme Court held on Wednesday. A three-judge Bench led by Justice Arun Mishra held that admissions solely through NEET for graduate and postgraduate medical/dental courses does not violate any fundamental and religious rights of minorities. NEET would apply for both aided and unaided medical colleges run by minorities. The court dismissed arguments by the managements of several minority-run medical institutions, including the Christian Medical College Vellore Association, that bringing them uniformly under the ambit of NEET would be a violation of their fundamental right to “occupation, trade and business”. The colleges had argued that imposing NEET would violate their fundamental rights of religious freedom, to manage their religious affairs, to administer their institutions. They said the State was reneging on its obligation to act in the best interest of minorities. But Justice Mishra, who wrote the 108-page judgment, said it was time the field of education returned to the “realm of charity”, a character it had lost over the years. NEET was brought in to weed out malpractices in the field. The court held that the rights of trade, business and occupation or religious rights “do not come in the way of securing transparency and recognition of merits in admissions”.
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STUDY ON CHINA DAMS BRINGS THE BRAHMAPUTRA INTO FOCUS A new study highlighting the impact of China’s dams on the Mekong river has raised fresh questions on whether dams being built on other rivers that originate in China, such as the Brahmaputra, may similarly impact countries downstream. While China’s southwestern Yunnan province had above- average rainfall from May to October 2019, there was “severe lack of water in the lower Mekong”, the study found based on satellite data from 1992 to 2019. The Mekong flows from China to Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The Mekong River Commission, which comprises Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, has said more scientific evidence was needed to establish whether dams caused a 2019 drought. The study released this month said six dams built since the commissioning of the Nuozhadu dam in 2012 had altered natural flow of the river. It was published by the Sustainable Infrastructure Partnership in Bangkok and the Lower Mekong Initiative, which is a U.S. partnership with all the downstream countries besides Myanmar. The study was funded by the U.S. government. Groundless Study: China has maintained that the dams it is building on the river, known as the Lancang there, are “run of the river” dams that only store water for power generation. The Foreign Ministry said the study was “groundless”. Yunnan had also suffered from drought, while the Lancang only accounted for 13.5% of the Mekong’s flows.
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India has long expressed concerns over dam-building on the Brahmaptura. In 2015, China operationalised its first hydropower project at Zangmu, while three other dams at Dagu, Jiexu and Jiacha are being developed. Indian officials have said the dams are not likely to impact the quantity of the Brahmaputra’s flows because they are only storing water for power generation. Moreover, the Brahmaputra is not entirely dependent on upstream flows and an estimated 35% of its basin is in India. India does not have a water-sharing agreement with China, but both sides share hydrological data. “We have got China to cooperate with us for warnings on how floods are moving down the Yarlung Tsangpo and into the Brahmaputra, so that we can warn our population living in low-lying areas and move them safely to higher ground,” said Gautam Bambawale, who was India’s Ambassador to China until December 2018. “India will continue to raise the issue of river waters in the Brahmaputra with China, as that appears to be the only methodology to ensure what happened on Mekong does not happen on Brahmaputra. Management Problem: India, for the most part, doesn’t have a quantity problem but a management one,” added Ambika Vishwanath, who researches water security and is director of the Kubernein Initiative. “We really need to worry more about activity in China affecting quality, ecological balance, and flood management.” The Mekong study, she added, was not conclusive on the question of how China’s dams had affected quantity of flows. “To state that the basin had less water because of activities in China alone is misleading, mainly because that only considers the water flowing into the lower basin at one
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station in Thailand,” she said, adding that the study did not consider other dams and water-use along the course of the river. The lower basin isn’t entirely dependent on flows from China, but also receives water from tributaries in all four countries, which the study did not account for.
INDIA REMAINS ON U.S. PRIORITY WATCH LIST Special 301 Report: The Special 301 Report is prepared annually by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) that identifies trade barriers to United States companies and products due to the intellectual property laws, such as copyright, patents and trademarks, in other countries. By April 30 of each year, the USTR must identify countries which do not provide "adequate and effective" protection of
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intellectual property rights or "fair and equitable market access to United States persons that rely upon intellectual property rights". By statute, the annual Special 301 Report includes a list of "Priority Foreign Countries", that are judged to have inadequate intellectual property laws; these countries may be subject to sanctions. In addition, the report contains a "Priority Watch List" and a "Watch List", containing countries whose intellectual property regimes are deemed of concern.
Why in News? India continues to be on the ‘Priority Watch List’ of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) for lack of adequate intellectual property (IP) rights protection and enforcement, the USTR said in its Annual Special 301 Report. India remained one of the most challenging economies for IP enforcement and protection, the report said, using language it has used previously. Algeria, Argentina, Chile, China, Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and Venezuela are also on the Priority Watch List. While India made “meaningful progress” to enhance IP protection and enforcement in some areas over the past year, it did not resolve recent and long-standing challenges, and created new ones. The same assessment was made in the 2019 report. These long-standing concerns were about innovators being able to receive, maintain and enforce patents particularly in the pharmaceutical sector; concerns over copyright laws not incentivising the creation and commercialisation of content; and an outdated trade secrets framework.
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“India also further restricted the transparency of information provided on state-issued pharmaceutical manufacturing licenses, continues to apply restrictive patentability criteria to reject pharmaceutical patents, and still has not established an effective system for protecting against the unfair commercial use, as well as the unauthorized disclosure, of undisclosed test or other data generated to obtain marketing approval for pharmaceuticals and certain agricultural chemical products. The report also mentioned high customs duties on medical devices and Information and Communications Technology. These goods categories were persistent challenges in trade talks between the two countries last year — the language used in the 2020 report in this context is the same as in the 2019 report. Online IP enforcement in India has improved, the report said, but progress is undercut by factors including weak enforcement by courts and the police, lack of familiarity with investigative techniques and no centralised IP enforcement agency.
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