Current Affairs April 2020

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CURRENT AFFAIRS ORGANIC AND ORGANISED APRIL 2020

A LETTER FROM MY HEART

Dear IAS Aspirant Friends, It gives me immense pleasure to present to you the 360º Current Affairs Magazine for the month of April 2020. The dedicated team that compiles and edits Current Affairs at IAS WINNISHERS has made sincere efforts to provide to you the most relevant and important news from the point of view of Interview, Mains and especially the soon approaching Prelims.

Our mission is to facilitate the current affairs knowledge that is ORGANIC and ORGANISED.

Due to the ongoing unfortunate situation, we fully empathize your anxiety related to the exam. This exam requires complete focus and dedication, and it becomes all the more relevant in times like the one we are facing now. This compilation gives you the right direction and aids you in your preparation for the exam.

Wishing You Success Vinay Kumar R Founder & CEO, IAS WINNISHERS

Contents

1.POLITY& CONSTITUTION ...... 8 1.1.DOMICILE RULES FOR J&K ...... 8 1.2.CASH LESS INDIANS, THE NEW NORMAL, AND SURVIVAL ...... 9 1.3.RESTRICTIONS ON COURT HEARINGS LAWFUL ...... 11 HEALTH &COVID-RELATED NEWS ...... 12 1.4.MAKING THE PRIVATE SECTOR CARE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH ...... 12 1.5.QUARANTINE AND LAW ...... 13 1.6.DATA DRIVE: A BURDEN ON HEALTH ...... 14 1.7.ON KERALA-KARNATAKA BORDER ROW ...... 15 1.8.A KEY ARSENAL IN RURAL INDIA’S PANDEMIC FIGHT ...... 16 1.9.MPLADS FUNDS ...... 17 1.10.SINGLE EDUCATION PLATFORM ...... 19 1.11.A COLLECTIVE NATIONAL ENDEAVOR ...... 20 1.12.FREE COVID-19 TESTS ONLY FOR THE POOR ...... 21 1.13.GETTING THE CONTAINMENT STRATEGY IN INDIA RIGHT...... 22 1.14.IN INDIA’S RESPONSE, A COMMUNICATIONS FAILURE ...... 22 1.15.AHEAD OF COVID CURVE ...... 23 1.16.NEED OF AN AD-HOC RESPONSE ...... 24 1.17.STATUS OF PDS...... 25 1.18.MOVING HOUSE ONLINE ...... 26 1.19.AAROGYA SETU APP ...... 27 1.20.COVIDINDIASEVA...... 29 1.21.NO 100% QUOTA FOR TRIBAL TEACHERS ...... 30 1.22.NOMINATION TO COUNCIL ...... 31 2. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ...... 34 2.1.EXTRAORDINARY G20 TRADE AND INVESTMENT MINISTERIAL MEETING ...... 34 2.2.PROTECTING PEACEKEEPERS ...... 34 2.3.UN RESOLUTION ON CORONA VIRUS ...... 35 2.4.INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION (IOM) ...... 36 2.5.SPECIAL SESSION OF THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL ...... 38 2.6. U.N. PEACE KEEPING FORCE ...... 39 Copyright © by Winnishers Educational Services Pvt Ltd

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2.7.INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF) ...... 41 2.8.IMF-WORLD BANK DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING ...... 44 2.9.CATASTROPHE CONTAINMENT AND RELIEF TRUST (CCRT) ...... 45 2.10.IMF PROJECTS 1.9% GROWTH FOR INDIA IN 2020...... 46 2.11.SAARC COVID-19 EMERGENCY FUND ...... 47 2.12.VIRTUAL G20 ENERGY MINISTERS MEETING ...... 48 2.13.FUNDING OF WHO ...... 50 2.14.VIRTUAL G20 FINANCE MINISTERS MEETING ...... 51 2.15.ORGANISATION OF ISLAMIC COOPERATION ...... 53 2.16.NEW DEVELOPMENT BANK MEET ...... 55 2.17. INDIAN OCEAN COMMISSION (IOC) ...... 56 2.18.LOCKDOWN LEARNERS ...... 57 2.19.SAARC HEALTH MINISTERS CONFERENCE ...... 58 2.20.UN CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT ...... 59 2.21.USCIRF REPORT ...... 61 2.22.ACCESS TO COVID-19 TOOLS (ACT) ACCELERATOR ...... 62 3. ECONOMY ...... 64 AGRICULTURE ...... 64 3.1.INDIAN RICE EXPORTS SUSPENDED ...... 64 3.2.e-NAM ...... 64 3.3.INDIA USES PEACE CLAUSE OF WTO ...... 66 3.4.FARMERS ARE AT THEIR WITS END ...... 68 3.5.JAPAN LIFTS INSPECTION ORDER FOR INDIAN SHRIMP ...... 70 3.6.RECORD FOOD PRODUCTION ...... 71 3.7.SUBSIDY FOR NON-UREA FERTILISERS...... 72 3.8.PRICES OF SUGARCANE ...... 73 3.9.FOODGRAIN STOCK WILL LAST TILL NEXT YEAR MARCH ...... 74 3.10.HOARDING GOVERNMENT, STARVING PEOPLE ...... 75 ECONOMIC GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ...... 77 3.11.ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT (EIU) ...... 77 3.12.LOCKDOWN PEGGED AT ABOUT $120 BILLION ...... 78 3.13.INPUT-OUTPUT MODEL ...... 80 3.14.MULTIPLIER EFFECT ...... 81 3.15.WORLD TRADE ORGANIATION ...... 81 3.16.IMF PLACES INDIA AS THE FASTEST-GROWING EMERGING ECONOMY ...... 82 3.17.ECONOMIC LIBERALISATION AND ITS FAULTS ...... 83 3.18.MOODY’S SLASHES INDIA GROWTH FORECAST TO 0.2% FOR 2020 ...... 85 INDUSTRY, INFRASTRCUTURE AND SERVICES SECTOR ...... 86 3.19.TRAI WANTS SET TOP BOXES TO BE MADE INTEROPERABLE ...... 86 3.20.12,000 MW CPSU SOLAR SCHEME ...... 86

3.21.GOVERNMENT TO BUY STAKES IN MSMES ...... 88 3.22.GOVT NOD MANDATORY FOR FDI FROM NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES ...... 88 3.23.NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PIPELINE (NIP) ...... 90 3.24.EXPORT BRANDING STRATEGY ...... 91 FISCAL AND MONETARY POLICY ...... 92 3.25.LOAN MORATORIUM ...... 92 3.26.GOVERNMENT CAPS SPENDING ...... 92 3.27.MORATORIUM ON REPAYMENT PUTS NBFCS IN A SPOT ...... 93 3.28.INDEX FUNDS ...... 94 3.29.TLTRO FUNDS ...... 95 3.30.WAYS AND SPECIAL MEANS ADVANCES ...... 96 3.31.NBFCS GET Rs 50,000-CR. LIQUIDITY BOOSTER ...... 98 3.32.OPERATION TWIST ...... 99 3.33.NO PLAN TO EASE FISCAL DEFICIT TARGETS ...... 100 3.34.RODTEP SCHEME ...... 101 3.35.VIRTUAL CURRENCIES ...... 102 3.36.CURRENCY SWAP ...... 104 PRICES & FINANCIAL SECTOR ...... 104 3.37.GREEN BONDS ...... 104 3.38.GDP-LINKED BONDS ...... 105 3.39.MORATORIUM ON REPAYMENT PUTS NBFCS IN A SPOT ...... 106 3.40.GOLD BACKED EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF) ...... 107 3.41.CRUDE OIL PRICES EFFECT ON INDIA ...... 108 3.42.FRANKLIN TEMPLETON MUTUAL FUND ISSUE ...... 110 3.43.ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK ...... 111 4. ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY ...... 113 4.1.AIR QUALITY IMPROVES IN 90 CITIES ...... 113 4.2.HANTAVIRUS ...... 113 4.3.SUNSCREENS & CORAL REEFS ...... 114 4.4.PENCH TIGER DEATH RAISES COVID-19 FEARS ...... 114 4.5.EGYPTIAN VULTURES IN TAMIL NADU ...... 115 4.6.AMENDMENT TO ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION BILL 2006 ...... 116 4.7.EARTH DAY ...... 116 4.8.WORLD VETERINARY DAY 2020 ...... 117 5. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ...... 119 SPACE RELATED ...... 119 5.1.PINK SUPERMOON ...... 119 5.2.SunRISE MISSION...... 120 5.3.KEPLER-1649c ...... 120 5.4.Li-RICH GIANT STARS ...... 121

5.5.TIANWEN-1 ...... 122 5.6.FIRST MERGER OF TWO BLACK HOLES WITH UNEQUAL MASSES DETECTED ...... 123 5.7.ASTEROID 1998 OR2 ...... 124 5.8.INTERSTELLAR OBJECTS ...... 125 5.9.SUPER-LUMINOUS SUPERNOVAE...... 125 5.10.NEW GLOBAL MAPS MAPPING GROUNDWATER, SOIL WETNESS ...... 126 5.11. ISRO’S ASSISTANCE IN FINDING RICH FISHING AREAS...... 127 OTHER NEWS ...... 128 5.12.ANTI-SMOG GUNS ...... 128 5.13.LOW-COST ELECTRO-CATALYSTS ...... 128 5.14.NTPC INVITES TENDER FOR PILOT HYDROGEN BUS AND CAR PROJECTS ...... 129 5.15.MAGNETIC RAM ...... 130 5.16.BIO-FORTIFIED CARROT ...... 130 5.17.VIRTUAL BRAILLE KEYBOARD ...... 132 COVID-19 RELATED ...... 133 5.18.AIR PURIFYING RESPIRATORS...... 133 5.19.DISINFECTING MAHARASHTRA HOSPITALS IN COVID 19 FIGHT ...... 134 5.20.SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE ...... 135 5.21.BAG VALVE MASKS ...... 136 5.22.ANTI-MICROBIAL COATING ...... 137 5.23.COVID-19 QUARANTINE ALERT SYSTEM (CQAS) ...... 137 5.24.FAVIPIRAVIR ...... 138 5.25.RAILWAY UNIT FIRST TO MAKE VENTILATOR ...... 139 5.26.PRANA-VAYU, A LOW-COST VENTILATOR...... 140 5.27.LIFI TECHNOLOGY TO MONITOR COVID-19 PATIENTS ...... 140 5.28.RAPID TEST FOR DETECTION OF COVID-19 ...... 142 5.29.CFTRI, I-T DEPARTMENT JOIN HANDS TO PROVIDE NUTRITIOUS FOOD ...... 143 5.30.DRDO DEVELOPS KIOSK FOR COVID-19 SAMPLE COLLECTION ...... 144 5.31.BAT CORONAVIRUS STRAIN FOUND IN TWO SPECIES OF BATS IN INDIA ...... 144 5.32.SAHYOG ...... 145 5.33.CHITRA GENELAMP-N ...... 146 5.34REMDESIVIR ...... 147 5.35.CORONAVIRUS SPARES NO MAJOR ORGAN IN THE BODY ...... 148 5.36.DASHBOARD PRACRITI ...... 149 6. SECURITY ...... 151 6.1.P8I MARITIME PATROL AIRCRAFT ...... 151 6.2.BIO SUIT ...... 152 6.3.OPERATION SANJEEVINI ...... 153 6.4.CYBER FRAUDS ...... 153 6.5.IRAN LAUNCHES ITS FIRST MILITARY SATELLITE ...... 155

6.6.INDIA AMONG TOP 5 MILITARY SPENDERS ...... 155 6.7.BSF CREATES AWARENESS OF COVID-19 AMONG ODISHA TRIBALS ...... 156 7. SOCIAL ISSUES ...... 158 7.1.COMPREHENSIVE DISABILITY INCLUSIVE GUIDELINES ...... 158 7.2.FOREST RIGHTS ACT AND THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS ...... 159 7.3.ANDAMAN INDIGENOUS TRIBALS ...... 159 7.4.KERALA’S TRIBAL PEOPLE TAKE THE ROAD TO LITERACY ...... 160 7.5.TRIBALS IN ODISHA’S NAGADA ...... 161 7.6.DOMESTIC VIOLENCE...... 162 7.7.INDIAN MIGRANTS ...... 163 7.8.UN WOMEN AND THEIR ACTION PLANS ON COVID-19 ...... 164 7.9.ACUTE ENCEPHALITIS SYNDROME (AES) ...... 165 7.10.STATE OF THE WORLD’S NURSING REPORT ...... 166 7.11.KAZHAIKOOTHADIS ...... 167 7.12.WORLD CHAGAS DISEASE DAY ...... 167 7.13.IMMUNIZATION CAMPAIGNS FOR MEASLES AND OTHER DISEASES ...... 168 7.14.CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE FROM INDIA ...... 169 7.15.CONTAINMENT PLAN IN CHANDIGARH ...... 170 7.16.THE GREAT ANDAMANESE ...... 172 7.17.SHEHRI SAMRIDHI UTSAV ...... 173 7.18.GENDER SOCIAL NORMS INDEX(GSNI) ...... 174 7.19.BIHAR POLICE SWABHIMAN VAHINI ...... 174 7.20.CORE VALUES OF EDUCATION INJURED DUE TO RECENT DELHI RIOTS ...... 175 7.21.COUNTRY’S FIRST WOMEN-ONLY MEDICAL COLLEGE ...... 175 7.22.OPEN DEFECATION-FREE PLUS (ODF+) AND ODF++ ...... 176 7.23.USAGE OF MODERN CONTRACEPTIVES ...... 177 7.24.REHABILITATION OF BEGGARS ...... 178 8. SCHEMES ...... 180 8.1.SPICE+ ...... 180 8.2.PARAMARSH ...... 180 8.3.NATIONAL AGRICULTURE MARKET (E-NAM) ...... 181 8.4.HACK THE CRISIS – INDIA ...... 183 8.5.CLONE TRAINS ...... 183 8.6.DIGITAL CAMPAIGN FOR SHGS ...... 184 8.7.ACTION TAKEN BY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ...... 185 8.8.YUKTI ...... 186 8.9.SOVEREIGN GOLD BOND SCHEME 2020-21 ...... 186 8.10.DEKHOAPNADESH WEBINAR SERIES ...... 188 8.11.SWAYAM ...... 188 8.12.SWAYAM PRABHA ...... 190

IMPORTANT SCHEMES UNDER MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AIMED AT HIGHER EDUCATION ...... 191 8.13.STUDY IN INDIA PROGRAMME ...... 191 8.14.SWAMITVA SCHEME ...... 192 8.15.VIDYADAAN 2.0 ...... 193 8.16.ATAL PENSION YOJANA ...... 194 8.17.LIFE SKILLS (JEEVAN KAUSHAL) FOR STUDENTS ...... 195 8.18.GeM ...... 195 8.19.ANGIKAAR CAMPAIGN ...... 197 9. MISCELLANEOUS/FACTS ...... 199 GEOGRAPHY ...... 199 9.1.TROPICAL CYCLONE HAROLD ...... 199 9.2.ANAK KRAKATAU ...... 199 9.3.DOPORIJO BRIDGE CONSTRUCTED ...... 200 9.4.ROHTANG PASS ...... 201 9.5.KASOWAL BRIDGE ...... 202 9.6.NORD STREAM 2 PROJECT ...... 202 OTHER NEWS ...... 203 9.7.PMRU ...... 203 9.8.INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE ...... 204 9.9.AMBUBACHI MELA ...... 205 9.10.DEVANAHALLI CHAKOTA ...... 205 9.11.THE WORLD TRAVEL & TOURISM COUNCIL (WTTC) ...... 206 9.12.KERALA TOURISM ...... 206 9.13.STRANDED IN INDIA...... 207 9.14.TABLIGHI JAMAAT ...... 207 9.15.BLOCKCHAIN TRACK ...... 208 9.16.FACEBOOK LAUNCHES PRAGATI ...... 208 9.17.PULITZER PRIZE ...... 208 9.18.OPERATION SHIELD ...... 209 9.19.KAVUTHEENDAL RITUAL ...... 209 9.20.GAMOSA EVOLVES FROM MEMENTO TO MASK IN ASSAM...... 209 9.21.DURBAR MOVE ...... 210 9.22.NIHANGS ...... 210 9.23.KOLAMS TO GET ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES...... 211 9.24.ANTHARIUM ...... 212 9.25.HYDROGEN FUEL BUS AND CAR PROJECT ...... 213 9.26.HUBBLE TELESCOPE ...... 213 9.27.PERSONS IN NEWS...... 214 9.27.1 ARJUN DEV ...... 214

9.27.2 RAJA RAVI VARMA ...... 214 9.27.3 PANDIT RAVI SHANKAR ...... 215 9.27.4 NIRMAL SINGH KHALSA ...... 215 9.28.INTERNATIONAL/NATIONAL DAYS ...... 216 9.28.1 WORLD HEALTH DAY ...... 216 9.28.2 KHONGJOM DAY ...... 216 9.28.3 NATIONAL PANCHAYATI RAJ DAY ...... 216 9.28.4 THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF MULTILATERALISM AND DIPLOMACY FOR PEACE ...... 217 9.28.5 WORLD BOOK DAY ...... 217 9.28.6 AMBEDKAR JAYANTI ...... 217 9.28.7 MAHAVIR JAYANTI ...... 217 9.29RECENT APPS...... 218 9.29.1 SANITATION APP ...... 218 9.29.2 KISAN RATH ...... 218 9.29.3 PUNE’S MOBILE APP SAIYAM ...... 219 9.29.4 APTHAMITRA ...... 219 9.30KARMI-BOT ...... 220

1.POLITY& CONSTITUTION

1.1.DOMICILE RULES FOR J&K

Why in news? Centre defines new domicile rule for J&K, includes those who have lived in UT for 15 years. The notification has been issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs in exercise of powers conferred by the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019.

What does the definition include?  The definition expands to include those o who have "studied for a period of 7 years and appeared in class 10th/12th examination in an educational institution located in the UT of J&K. o A person residing in Jammu and Kashmir for at least 15 years. o Children of those central government officials, all India services officers, officials of PSUs and autonomous body of central government, public sector banks, officials of statutory bodies, officials of central universities and recognised research institutes of central government who have served in Jammu and Kashmir for a total period of 15 years or children of parents who fulfil any of the conditions in sections. o Persons registered as a migrant by the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrants) in the UT of J&K, will also be included in the definition.

What else the rule says?  Section 5A states that no person shall be eligible for appointment to a post carrying a pay scale for not more than level 4 “unless he is a domicile of UT of J&K.”  The Centre has repealed the J&K civil Domicile: The term is not services (special provisions) Act. defined in the Constitution. The  State jobs will be reserved for domicile. basic idea of domicile is  The Ministry of Home Affairs on April 1, 2020 permanent home. Residence ordered for the adaptation of the Jammu and and intention to reside and Kashmir state laws 2020. The Ministry stated make it permanent home are that the laws shall come into force with necessary conditions for immediate effect. Among the 138 state laws, domicile. 25 have been revoked while others have been substituted. Under the new laws, state jobs will be reserved for those who fulfil the criteria of being a ‘domicile’ of the union territory.

Background Repeal of Article 35-A:  Article 370 and Article 35-A, which gave Jammu and Kashmir a special status and defined a J&K resident respectively were revoked by the central government on August 5, 2019. The state was then bifurcated into two union territories- J&K and Ladakh.  Article 35-A defined the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir and gave them special rights. The article empowered the J&K legislature to define “permanent residents” of the state and provide them with special rights and privileges.  Under the article, only permanent J&K residents were eligible to own immovable property in the state or get employment under the state government or have right to state scholarships.

Permanent Resident definition Earlier, the J&K constitution had defined permanent residents as those who were either born or settled in J&K before 1911 or have been residing in the state for 10 years.

1.2.CASH LESS INDIANS, THE NEW NORMAL, AND SURVIVAL

Remonetisation could save millions of the poorest Indians possibly running out of money at lockdown end and after.

The possible consequences of lock down would be 1. It is very likely that the bottom 47 percentile of India’s population will run out of cash. 2. Estimates are based on the World Bank’s poverty line of $3.2 a day for a lower middle-income country such as India, assuming people are spending just to survive. 3. It is also likely that the population between the 47th percentile and up to 87th percentile will have only half the cash they had before the lockdown began. 4. What this means, in real terms, is that the poorest 500 million Indians would be out of cash reserves completely by April 15 and another 500 million will be left with just half their reserves.

Reality of Indian society 1. The top 1% in India held 62% of all the currency in circulation, whereas the top 0.1% held 33%, a third of Rs 17-lakh crore in circulation at the time of demonetization. 2. Many Indians have managed to deal with political and social inequality with their ability to negotiate their freedom using money. 3. For poor Indians, having cash to pay back money lenders or landlords has meant having the choice between freedom and slavery. Money gives them choice; the freedom not to have their labour exploited. 4. Inequality of cash, a basic economic instrument, gives us a picture of how unequal our society is.

5. The Gini coefficient, a common measure of inequality, of cash holding in India is as high as 0.71, where 0 indicates perfect equality and 1 indicates perfect inequality. 6. Other measurements of inequality such as the Atkinson Index [A(1)=0.624] and the Generalized Entropy Index [GE(1)=3.108] also show a very high inequality of cash holding. This means that in India, cash is heavily concentrated at the top. 7. Even inter-district and intra-district cash inequality is very high. The top 10% districts held 764 times more currency than the bottom 10% districts. 8. The bottom 60 districts, mostly comprising hill and tribal districts, held only 0.2% of all the cash. 9. In absolute numbers, there are 10.9 million cash-rich Indians in the top 1%, that is almost equal to the population of Belgium

Why remonetisation?  Inequality reproduces more inequality. If a majority of Indians lose their cash reserves, they will fall into income traps where real wages will diminish and lost wages can only be recovered by longer working hours.  The government has to overlook its focus on cashless payments because the need of the hour is to allay people’s anxieties  A targeted Rs 2.5-lakh crore cash transfer will put money directly in the pockets and purses of the population up to the 87th percentile; Rs 1.34 lakh crore will be for the poorest 500 million Indians, whereas Rs 1.2-lakh crore will replenish the reduced cash reserves of the rest of the population up till the 87th percentile.  As political philosopher G.A. Cohen said, “Lack of money induces lack of freedom, even if accept the identification of freedom with the absence of interference, money provides freedom because it extinguishes interference with access to goods and services”. Appreciating this line gives thought for remonetisation.

FOR PRELIMS: What is Atkinson index? The Atkinson index (also known as the Atkinson measure or Atkinson inequality measure) is a measure of income inequality developed by British economist Anthony Barnes Atkinson. The measure is useful in determining which end of the distribution contributed most to the observed inequality.

What is Gini coefficient ?  The distribution of Income in an economy is represented by the Lorenz Curve and the degree of income inequality is measured through the Gini Coefficient.  The Gini Coefficient, which is derived from the Lorenz Curve, can be used as an indicator of economic development in a country.  The Gini Coefficient measures the degree of income equality in a population.  The Gini Coefficient can vary from 0 (perfect equality) to 1 (perfect inequality).  A Gini Coefficient of zero means that everyone has the same income, while a Coefficient of 1 represents a single individual receiving all the income.

1.3.RESTRICTIONS ON COURT HEARINGS LAWFUL

Why in news? The court invoked its extraordinary Constitutional powers under Article 142 to step away from the convention of open court hearings. The open court system ensures transparency in administration of justice. The Supreme Court deemed all restrictions imposed on people from entering, attending or taking part in court hearings as lawful in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Supreme court stand on lock down: 1. Every individual and institution is expected to cooperate in the implementation of measures designed to reduce the transmission of the virus. 2. The court made it clear that public health takes precedence over conventions. 3. The challenges occasioned by the outbreak of COVID-19 have to be addressed while preserving the constitutional commitment to ensuring the delivery of and access to justice to those who seek it. Indian courts have been proactive in embracing advancement in technology in judicial proceedings.

Move from side of Supreme Court to support lock down: 1. In the past few days, the SC and the High Courts had stopped open court hearings. Cases were heard via videoconferencing to ensure social distancing. The Supreme Court premises was completely shutdown. 2. The CJI Bench assembled to suo motu streamline the videoconferencing guidelines for courts. 3. The courts should make available videoconferencing facility for litigants who do not have it or appoint an amicus curiae.

Conditions for video conference : In no case shall evidence be recorded without the mutual consent of both the parties by videoconferencing. If it is necessary to record evidence in a courtroom, the presiding officer shall ensure that appropriate distance is maintained between any two individuals in the court

For prelims :

What is Article 142?  Article 142 “provide(s) a unique power to the Supreme Court, to do “complete justice” between the parties, i.e., where at times law or statute may not provide a remedy, the Court can extend itself to put a quietus to a dispute in a manner which would befit the facts of the case.  Article 142(1) states that “The Supreme Court in the exercise of its jurisdiction may pass such decree or make such order as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it, and any decree so passed or order so made shall be enforceable throughout the territory of India in such manner as may be prescribed by or under any law made by Parliament and, until provision in that behalf is so made, in such manner as the President may by order prescribe”.

HEALTH &COVID-RELATED NEWS

1.4.MAKING THE PRIVATE SECTOR CARE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH

India needs a national policy providing for free testing and treatment of COVID-19 patients in private hospitals

As India enters the second week of a national lockdown imposed in response to COVID- 19, it is still unclear how well prepared the healthcare system is in dealing with the pandemic.

Challenges in India to face this situation 1. Resurce constraints to government. 2. Lack of public health facilities to match the increase of number of infected 3. Tertiary care and public health are weakest links in the government system. 4. So far little attention has been given to increase of public health expenditure. 5. Lack of comprehensive National policy to ensure that private healthcare capacity is made available to the public. 6. The governance of the health service system is clearly fragmented and has created anxiety among the public. 7. There is lack of a visible central command, which should be created under the supervision of the Union Health Minister, aided by a team of experts. 8. At present, the government has put a cap on the cost at Rs4,500 per test,(in private testing labs) which is a burden for even a middle class patient. Government itself do not have adequate facilities.

Steps needed to face the challenges 1. There is a need for a comprehensive national policy to ensure that private healthcare capacity is made available to the public. 2. To make treatment affordable The National Health Authority has recommended that the testing and treatment of COVID-19 be included in the PM-Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). 3. At this point, and certainly before the lockdown is lifted, it is absolutely essential that adequate testing and quarantine facilities are created. 4. The Central government has already taken over some private hotels to accommodate persons quarantined for COVID-19. One way of expanding such facilities would be for the government to ‘take over’ private corporate laboratories and hospitals for a limited period. 5. The political directive for such a move needs to come from the Central government while ensuring that the Ministry of Health provides standard treatment protocols for health personnel. 6. In India, private corporate hospitals have, in the past, received government subsidies in various forms and it is now time to seek repayment from them. 7. The government may argue that treatment for COVID-19 has been included under Ayushman Bharat, and this will take care of the poor. But, what about the large, differentiated middle class, many of whom are employees in the services sector. They do not have secure employment, nor do they have insurance cover. Crisis

situations help reveal deeper realities to societies. Universal public healthcare is essential not only to curb outbreaks, but also to ensure crisis preparedness and the realisation of the promise of right to health.

1.5.QUARANTINE AND LAW

History of quarantine law:

The first law on medical isolation was passed by the Great Council in 1377, when the plague was rapidly ruining European countries. Detention for medical reasons was justified and disobedience made a punishable offence. The law prescribed isolation for 30 days, called a ‘trentino’. Subsequently, many countries adopted similar laws to protect the people. When the duration of isolation was enhanced to 40 days, the name also changed to ‘quarantine’ by adopting the Latin quadraginta, which referred to a 40-day detention placed on ships.

It was about 196 years ago (1824) that the U.S. Supreme Court, in an en banc sitting led by Chief Justice John Marshall, affirmed the powers of the state to enact quarantine laws and impose health regulations. The world has since faced many health emergencies caused by dangerous diseases.

What is quarantine? Quarantine is considered the oldest mechanism to reduce the rapid spread of bacterial infections and viral onslaughts. It has been legally sanctioned by all jurisdictions in the world for the maintenance of public health and to control the transmission of diseases. Since ancient times, societies have practised isolation, and imposed a ban on travel or transport and resorted to maritime quarantine of persons.

In the list of diseases that may require quarantine, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome that can go on to become pandemic has been recently added to the existing ones — cholera, diphtheria, infectious tuberculosis, plague, smallpox, yellow fever and viral hemorrhagic fever.

Quarantine and isolation

Quarantine is imposed to separate and restrict the movement of persons, who may have been exposed to infectious disease, but not yet known to be ill.

But, isolation is a complete separation from others of a person known or reasonably believed to be infected with communicable diseases.

Do Quarantine infringe the basic right ? When an employee of the World Wildlife Federation was diagnosed with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in 1990, he was terminated from service and detained for 64 days in quarantine-like isolation under Goa Public Health (Amendment) Act, 1957 (GPH). The Bombay High Court (1990) felt that solitary detention was a serious

infringement of basic human rights guaranteed to the individual, but held that under unusual situations and exceptional exigencies, such isolated detentions are justifiable for the cause of public health. Such isolation, undoubtedly, has several serious consequences. It is an invasion upon the liberty of a person. It can affect a person very adversely in many matters, including economic condition.

But in matters involving a threat to the health of the community, individual rights have to be balanced with public interest.

India and quarantine law India, the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, a law of colonial vintage, empowers the state to take special measures, including inspection of passengers, segregation of people and other special steps for the better prevention of the spread of dangerous diseases. It was amended in 1956 to confer powers upon the Central government to prescribe regulations or impose restrictions in the whole or any parts of India to control and prevent the outbreak of hazardous diseases.

Guidelines for Quarantine  The Director of World Health Organization (WHO) on March 30 determined that the outbreak of COVID-19 constitutes a public health emergency of international concern and issued interim guidance for quarantines of individuals.  The guidance permitted the restriction of activities by separation of persons who are not ill, but who may have been exposed to an infectious disease within the legal framework of the International Health Regulations (2005).  As per the WHO guidelines, possible quarantine settings are: hotels or dormitories and well-ventilated single rooms or homes, where a distance of at least one metre can be maintained from other members.

1.6.DATA DRIVE: A BURDEN ON HEALTH

The increase in FY20 revised estimates came on the back of government’s flagship health insurance scheme. And, budget figures show that the Centre only budgeted a 6% increase in health-spending for this fiscal.

Status of Health sector in India  The state of primary healthcare centres—data shows that in rural areas, there is only one functioning Primary Healthcare Centre for every 64,800 people and one PHC doctor for every 38,000 people—it is also evident from India’s yearly allocations to health, which registered only a 2.9% increase in FY19 as compared to FY18.  The increase in FY20 revised estimates came on the back of government’s flagship health insurance scheme. And, budget figures show that the Centre only budgeted a 6% increase in health-spending for this fiscal.  In the global health security index, which measures preparedness for a pandemic, India ranks quite low. While the global average was 40.2, India’s score was just 46.5. When the government comes out of this crisis, it will need to relook its health spends.

Doctor Patient Ratio  Studies and Survey reveal that in India, there is one government doctor for every 10,189 people (the World Health Organisation recommends a ratio of 1:1,000) implying a deficit of 6,00,000 doctors.  The nurse: patient ratio is 1:483, implying a shortage of two million nurses.  India today needs twice as many doctors as are available, three times as many nurses and four times as many paramedic.  More than 17% of Indian population spends at least 10% of household budgets for health services.  Competition Commission of India report on affordability stated that 50 to 65% of Indians did not have regular access to essential medicines.  According to the Indian Medical Association (IMA) nearly 75% of doctors in India have faced some form of violence or threat at some point in their careers

Major challenges of health sector in India 1. Meagre healthcare budget, overcrowding, long waiting time and the need for multiple visits for investigations and consultations frustrate patients on a daily basis. 2. Inadequate resources. 3. Expensive medical education leading to less number of doctors being produced. 4. Unaffordable treatments. 5. Lack of Proper implementation of laws.

Way forward 1. Medical Protection Act which is brought in 19 states to be extended to other states as well. 2. The expenditure on health sector needs to be increased. Medical colleges also need to redefine their teaching in terms of knowledge, skill and behaviour by incorporating modules on humanitarian conduct, including etiquette and ethics. 3. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) should help arrive at a solution that can address the concerns of both doctors and patients by instituting better systems to counsel patients and remove unreasonable expectations about treatment outcomes. 4. Training and standard operating procedures.

1.7.ON KERALA-KARNATAKA BORDER ROW

Kerala-Karnataka border issue poses questions on restrictions, relations during a pandemic.

 Kerala’s grievance over Karnataka sealing its border to prevent the spread of COVID-19 has brought under focus the extent and the possible limits, of restrictions that may be imposed by the government to deal with a public health emergency.  After the Kerala High Court Directed The Center to ensure free vehicular movement for those requiring urgent medical treatment on the national highway

that connects Kasaragod in Kerala to Mangaluru in Karnataka, the Supreme court has directed the Centre to confer with the States and formulate the norms for creating a passage at Talapadi, the border.

Problem faced Kasaragod district suffering due to the highway closure. Many here depend on medical facilities in Mangaluru for emergencies, while others rely on inter-State movement for essential medicines to reach them.

Why closure? Karnataka’s objection is based on the fact that Kasaragod has Kerala’s largest number of COVID positive cases. It has a reasonable apprehension that allowing vehicles might result in the disease spreading to its territory.

Kerala's view The Kerala High Court took the view that denying emergency medical aid amounts to a violation of the right to life and liberty, and addressed jurisdictional objections from Karnataka by observing that its direction was to the Centre, as what was under closure was a national highway.

What is the irony? Late last month, the Kerala Governor promulgated the ‘Kerala Epidemic Diseases Ordinance, 2020’ to arm itself with extraordinary powers to deal with the pandemic. One of its clauses says the State can seal its borders for such period as necessary, while another empowers it to restrict the duration of essential or emergency services, including health, food supply and fuel.

For Prelims :  Inter-State migration and quarantine are under the Union List, while the prevention of infectious diseases moving from one State to another is under the Concurrent List.  This can only mean that while States have the power to impose border restrictions, the responsibility to prevent a breakdown of inter-State relations over such disputes is on the Centre.

1.8.A KEY ARSENAL IN RURAL INDIA’S PANDEMIC FIGHT

Context With migrant labour back in their hometowns, Gram Panchayats can strengthen containment measures in the interiors. With the ubiquitous 21 day lock down unprecedented in the history of independent India, stronger and harsher than anywhere else in the world, the interiors within the boundaries need attention. Role of Panchayats to strengthen containment measures 1. Many scientists and researchers have already predicted the possibility of villages becoming hotspots of the disease after the 21-day lockdown is lifted. Though geographical spread may be limited, the concentration of the spread may get out of

hand. It is here that gram panchayats which are very well placed, and close to their own people with limited resources, can help them in enforcing isolation and making the necessary arrangements. 2. Panchayats can work exactly in three areas: awareness generation, setting up isolation conditions, and streamlining social security measures announced by the Central and State governments.

Need of the hour  First, a model needs to be established, with concrete standard operating procedures and best practices that can be replicated throughout rural India.  Organizations such as Professional Assistance For Development Action (PRADAN) have been trying to influence Gram Panchayats and district administrations in many States ever since the pandemic. With sustained engagement, they have been able to coordinate with the administration to use the resources of panchayats, collaborate with self-help groups and to set isolation conditions within village premises (with beds, sanitisers, drinking water, cooked meals, etc.) in many interior blocks across the districts in central and eastern India.  Involving Panchayats — and by observing adequate safety measures — to establish isolation facilities across the length and breadth of the country is the need of the hour.  Consider the second part, even with the harvesting of wheat almost over in States such as Madhya Pradesh; people are still out in the fields, but once they are done with their work it is the panchayat that can do the work effectively to confine people within their homes with adequate awareness generation.  The police cannot reach out to each and every village round the clock because of their inadequate resources. Community policing with the active engagement of panchayats, by collaborating with women’s collectives, is a potential area where a people-led movement can be kick-started in a short time span  A seminal understanding developed is that, without the agency of gram panchayats, it is not possible to deploy any system effectively and to adequately take prompt actions to include the excluded.  Directions to gram panchayats to use the 14th Finance Commission grants to help villagers is a welcome measure, already done by various State governments. But laying stress on three actions specifically — arranging isolation facilities with cooked meal supply; awareness generation, and finally, ensuring that the most vulnerable have access to the welfare measures announced — is crucial if rural India is to be saved.  It is time for panchayats to exercise their agency. For this, thrust is needed from top layer of administration — a direction that will help the nation fight this deadly virus. With enough political will, and a changed perspective of executive machineries, it is totally possible

1.9.MPLADS FUNDS

Why in news?

The suspension of the MPLAD scheme for two years to boost the funding available for the COVID-19 fight is a step in the right direction

What has already been done ? Last month, it allowed utilization of MPLADS funds to the extent of at least Rs 5 lakh by each MP to purchase medical equipment for government hospitals in their constituencies. Many members made immediate use of the one-time dispensation to recommend the procurement of N95 masks, personal protective equipment, and ventilators.

The advantages of taking off the scheme : 1. The immediate benefit now is the freeing up of about Rs 7,900 crore over a two- year period so that it can be spent on boosting the health infrastructure needed to combat the pandemic. 2. The transfer of these sums to the Consolidated Fund of India would help judicious deployment anywhere in the country, based on an assessment of the varying needs in different regions, it would redound to the government’s credit if the genuine efforts made by members to help their constituents are not frustrated.

Why striking down the scheme would be rational ? 1. Past experience has been that some members do not utilize their full entitlement and that there is a gap between recommendation made by members and implementation by the administration under this scheme. 2. There has also been persistent criticism about the scheme’s very nature. A conceptual flaw pointed out by experts is that it goes against the separation of powers. 3. It allows individual legislators to encroach on the planning and implementation duties of the administration 4. Jurists have pointed out that the Constitution does not confer the power to spend public money on an individual legislator. Experts have called it out for weak monitoring. 5. The CAG has flagged instances of financial mismanagement and inflation of amounts spent. 6. The Second Administrative Reforms Commission recommended its abrogation altogether, highlighting the problems of the legislator stepping into the shoes of the executive.

About MPLAD scheme :  The Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) is an ongoing Central Sector Scheme which was launched in 1993-94.  The Scheme enables the Members of Parliament to recommend works for creation of durable community assets based on locally felt needs to be taken up in their constituencies in the area of national priorities namely drinking water, education, public health, sanitation, roads etc.  The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has been responsible for the policy formulation, release of funds and prescribing monitoring mechanism for implementation of the Scheme.

Features 1. The MPLADS is a Plan Scheme fully funded by Government of India. The annual MPLADS fund entitlement per MP constituency is Rs. 5 crore. 2. MPs are to recommend every year, works costing at least 15 per cent of the MPLADS entitlement for the year for areas inhabited by Scheduled Caste population and 7.5 per cent for areas inhabited by S.T. population. 3. In order to encourage trusts and societies for the betterment of tribal people, a ceiling of Rs. 75 lakh is stipulated for building assets by trusts and societies subject to conditions prescribed in the scheme guidelines. 4. Lok Sabha Members can recommend works within their Constituencies and Elected Members of Rajya Sabha can recommend works within the State of Election (with select exceptions). Nominated Members of both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha can recommend works anywhere in the country. 5. All works to meet locally felt infrastructure and development needs, with an emphasis on creation of durable assets in the constituency are permissible under MPLADS as prescribed in the scheme guidelines. Expenditure on specified items of non durable nature are also permitted as listed in the guidelines.

1.10.SINGLE EDUCATION PLATFORM

Why in news? According to ministry sources, schools and higher education institutions are likely to remain closed until June end. India had announced a countrywide classroom shutdown on March 16 as one of the measures to contain the outbreak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's has asked the HRD Ministry to roll out a common learning platform for students of Class I up to postgraduation

Currently, there is an institutional push for online learning during the shutdown, but the government’s resource are scattered across different platforms such as Swayam (India’s MOOC platform), Swayam Prabha (DTH educational channels) and National Digital Library, among others.

The outbreak had led to a novel experiment in the largest online learning exercise ever.

For prelims

SWAYAM :  SWAYAM is a programme initiated by Government of India and designed to achieve the three cardinal principles of Education Policy viz., access, equity and quality.  The objective of this effort is to take the best teaching learning resources to all, including the most disadvantaged.  SWAYAM seeks to bridge the digital divide for students who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy.

 This is done through a platform that facilitates hosting of all the courses, taught in classrooms from Class 9 till post-graduation to be accessed by anyone, anywhere at any time.  All the courses are interactive, prepared by the best teachers in the country and are available, free of cost to any learner.  More than 1,000 specially chosen faculty and teachers from across the country have participated in preparing these courses.

The courses hosted on SWAYAM are in 4 quadrants – o video lecture, o specially prepared reading material that can be downloaded/printed o self-assessment tests through tests and quizzes and o an online discussion forum for clearing the doubts.

 Steps have been taken to enrich the learning experience by using audio-video and multi-media and state of the art pedagogy / technology.

SWAYAM PRABHA The SWAYAM PRABHA is a group of 32 DTH channels devoted to telecasting of high- quality educational programmes on 24X7 basis using the GSAT-15 satellite. Every day, there will be new content for at least (4) hours which would be repeated 5 more times in a day, allowing the students to choose the time of their convenience.

 The channels are uplinked from BISAG, Gandhinagar. The contents are provided by NPTEL, IITs, UGC, CEC, IGNOU, NCERT and NIOS.  The INFLIBNET Centre maintains the web portal.

The DTH Channels shall cover the following:  Higher Education: Curriculum-based course contents at post-graduate and under-graduate level covering diverse disciplines such as arts, science, commerce, performing arts, social sciences and humanities, engineering, technology, law, medicine, agriculture, etc. All courses would be certification-ready in their detailed offering through SWAYAM, the platform being developed for offering MOOCs courses.

 School education (9-12 levels): modules for teacher's training as well as teaching and learning aids for children of India to help them understand the subjects better and also help them in preparing for competitive examinations for admissions to professional degree programmes.

 Curriculum-based courses that can meet the needs of life-long learners of Indian citizens in India and abroad.  Assist students (class 11th & 12th) prepare for competitive exams.

1.11.A COLLECTIVE NATIONAL ENDEAVOR

COVID-19 calls for a largeness of political vision that will bring all of India together to get the better of the virus

The need of the hour : 1. If there is a time for a national government, it is now. We are all in it together and representatives of all political parties should work together to deal with what we are told is the severest crisis since Independence. This is not the time to seek political gain, but a time when everyone will be more than willing to put aside their differences to tackle the crisis. The initiative has to come from the ruling party. 2. The Centre must have the State Governments as equal partners while taking decisions. The past week has seen a bit of a change, but it has taken weeks for the Centre to begin consulting the States. 3. The most productive effort will be an partnership between the Centre and the States. Some States began preparation well before the Centre woke up to the seriousness of COVID-19. There is little so far that the States have been able to learn from the Centre, but there is much that the Centre can learn from the States, and the States from each other. 4. Decision to be taken by cabinet in consideration with opinion of the Health minister. 5. Centre should give more sources for delaying with lock down impact on Economy. 6. Centre need to listen to problems of people and be sensitive to the needs rather than restricting expression of press. 7. Bringing attention to social tension one caused recently regarding infected Muslim citizens attending Jamat. 8. Extending lock down should come with best solution to address issues of unorganized sectors ,as Indian population is majority involved in unorganized sectors .

1.12.FREE COVID-19 TESTS ONLY FOR THE POOR

Why in news? The Supreme Court modified its April 8 order to clarify that free testing for COVID-19 shall continue to be made available to the poor eligible under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.

 Free testing would also be made available to any other category of economically weaker sections of society as notified by the government from time to time, the court said  Private labs would continue to charge the Indian Council of Medical Research rates of up to Rs 4,500 for tests from people who can afford to pay.  The court further directed the Health Ministry to identify beneficiaries among the weaker sections of society, including workers belonging to low income groups in the informal sectors and beneficiaries of Direct Benefit Transfer who can be made eligible for free testing.

What was April 8th order ?

 According to the Supreme Court, tests relating to Covid-19 whether in approved government laboratories or approved private laboratories to be free of cost.  The Supreme Court had ordered private medical labs across the country to not charge patients for testing for Covid 19.

1.13.GETTING THE CONTAINMENT STRATEGY IN INDIA RIGHT

Geoffrey Rose, a pioneer in preventive medicine wrote; “The primary determinants of disease are mainly economic and social, and therefore its remedies must also be economic and social. Medicine and politics cannot and should not be kept apart.”

Corona virus spread has been so quick because of the challenges in the awareness creation among the people to maintain social distancing and frequent hand washing and many more.

Social and economic aspects that led to spread of disease 1. Migrant workers, in their millions, crowded into any available means of transport to return to their homes. No social distancing was possible. 2. The pathogen in the present epidemic was identified very quickly. Only supportive treatment is available for the seriously ill. 3. India does not have the capacity to manage a large number of very sick patients simultaneously and cannot ramp up resources significantly in the short time available. 4. Besides infrastructure, critical-care medicine requires a large number of highly skilled health-care workers. 5. Diagnostic kits and laboratories equipped to perform the Reverse Transcriptase- Polymerase Chain Reaction test were few. 6. Personal hygiene in the form of frequent handwashing is impossible in the packed slums present circumstances. 7. The World Bank estimates that there are over 650 million poor people in India (living on less than $3.20).

Learning from examples

1. South Korea relied on active, free and massive screening, closing schools and recommending remote working. Nearly 20,000 tests are done every day.There is widespread use of masks and sanitisers. No lockdown was imposed. 2. In Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, surveillance systems identified potential cases and their contacts. Diagnostic tests were developed early, and laboratory testing capacity was increased. 3. In all these countries, costs are covered by the government.

1.14.IN INDIA’S RESPONSE, A COMMUNICATIONS FAILURE

As India grapples with COVID-19 a widely prevalent belief is that the crisis is purely driven by the disease. However, the truth is that confused, and often disempowering communication, has contributed equally to our present predicament.

Problems with communication in India 1. India has no crisis communication strategy ,to curb the media from publishing or broadcasting news on the pandemic, without checking facts with them. 2. Government has not created even a single central repository of public information and communication that speaks credibly, directly and continuously to people. 3. There is always a confusion on the transmission data and facts.

Steps from the Government side to ensure better spread of information 1. This is a time when the government needs to be forthcoming and transparent in its communications. 2. It should also use the media as an ally to broadcast its messages and, at the same time, take steps to pull down fake, misleading and alarmist news. 3. Every daily briefing should be used as an opportunity for engagement, not circumvention. 4. The more information the government gives, the less speculation and rumours will circulate. 5. The government should also have begun a media engagement strategy, along with a multilingual, information campaign on every aspect of the crisis. 6. During times of crisis, the government has to over-communicate. 7. Another aspect missing in India’s approach is empathy and efforts to improve social cohesion and connectedness. The media could be a critical ally here. 8. The government needs to revise its media and communications strategy around the COVID-19 crisis to build an atmosphere of trust, social cohesion and purpose — where the media and people are participants. 9. It needs to be transparent, open about its limitations and accept criticism. If the government wants to control the crisis, it needs to stop controlling the media or patronizing the public.

1.15.AHEAD OF COVID CURVE

What nation can learn from Kerala: Lockdown is not enough. Preparedness, decentralization, are key

Things to be appreciated in Kerala 1. The recovery rate in Kerala is nearly 50 per cent while the all-India average is around 11. 2. While the mortality rate among the infected is 0.5 per cent in Kerala, the all-India average is 3.4 per cent. 3. The transmission rate of a primary carrier is 2.6 while in Kerala it is only 0.4. 4. Preparedness — that is the key word to the success of Kerala and the key lesson to be learned from it. 5. Kerala health infrastructure and equipment has got greater attention with investment around 4000 crore rupees .

6. Five thousand seven hundred and seventy-five new posts have also been created. 7. The Aardram Health Mission was launched with a focus to transform the PHCs into family health centres. There is also the distinctive flavour of Kerala — mass participation in preventive and palliative healthcare. 8. Once news of the Wuhan pandemic came, the Kerala health system scrambled to readiness — the control room was set up, mock drills were organised and the first influx was contained. 9. The morale of health personnel has been exceptionally high. Special training, protective gear, scientific duty rotation and, most importantly, societal empathy and solidarity, have all contributed. 10. Kerala has the highest test rate in the country. 11. 55 lakh elderly and disadvantaged have received Rs 8,500 as welfare payments. An equal number of workers have been paid Rs 1,000-3,000 each from the welfare funds.Interest-free consumption loan of Rs 2,000 crore has been distributed. Besides, nearly 4 lakh meals are distributed every day to the needy from community kitchens set up by local governments.

What best the Government can do now ? 1. It is the synergy generated by integrating state government plans and programmes with the local governments, the co-operatives, women neighbourhood groups (Kudumbashree) and civil society organisations that makes Kerala distinct,the similar approach of decentralisation is the best move. 2. Multi-level planning with technical committees and groups working at the state level. 3. Message to be transmitted to everyone with clarity and daily briefings to avoid confusion during crisis.

1.16.NEED OF AN AD-HOC RESPONSE

Parliament enacted the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (Act of 2005) to ensure that the mechanisms to deal with a natural or man-made calamities deliver without delay.

Role of NDMA during the crisis of COVID  The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), chaired by the Prime Minister, is responsible for laying down the policies for managing disasters. And what is required is a National Plan for managing this disaster in coordination with the states and district authorities.  No National Plan to deal with the pandemic has so far been unveiled,the need is to have national plan for NDMA to execute during this crisis.  The NDMA alone can recommend restoration of the means of livelihood, relief in repayment of loans or the grant of fresh loans to persons affected, at such concessional terms as it may consider appropriate under act.  The data of affected recovered can be effectively managed by NDMA.

Need of the hour : The central government has not put in place any mechanism. The absence of any institutional mechanism has resulted in the mayhem that we are witnessing across the

country. Ad hoc decision-making seems to be the order of the day. Having national mechanism with NDMA effective role will address the issue.

1.17.STATUS OF PDS

Why in news? Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan while detailing the efforts of his Ministry in distributing foodgrains across the country, blames State governments for the gap in enrolling beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System and failing to embrace the one nation-one ration card scheme.

What are the steps taken by Ministry for food security? 1. Food Corporation of India (FCI) from the Chairman and Managing Director to the labourers, who have been working round the clock to ensure no shortage of food grains. Despite logistical problems, the FCI has met the challenge head on. 2. Till now 1,404 rail rakes carrying 39.41 LMT food grains have been transported. We have a stock of 588.9 lakh tonnes of food grains. 3. Fixed wheat at Rs 21/kg and rice at Rs 22/ kg for the State governments to procure, which is far lower than the MSP rate. 4. The government has decided to supply over next three months additional 2 kg subsidized food grains under the PDS, taking the total monthly quota to 7 kg per person.

What are the challenges for Food security ? 1. As per 2011 census, 50% of urban population and 75% rural population have to be covered under Public Distribution System (PDS). As per the census, there should be 81,34,9400 beneficiaries. But state governments could have added 39.89 lakh ration cards going by census. Only 15 States and UTs have utilized their quota. These include Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Goa, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, M.P., Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Lakshadweep and Ladakh. 2. Delay in implementation of one nation one ration card . 3. Huge population and the Economy slowdown because of Pandemic ,it is challenging to meet needs under PDS

Other challenges associated with food security  Lack of access to remote areas: For the tribal communities, habitation in remote difficult terrains and practice of subsistence farming has led to significant economic backwardness.  Increase in rural-to-urban migration, large proportion of informal workforce resulting in unplanned growth of slums which lack in the basic health and hygiene facilities, insufficient housing and increased food insecurity.  Overpopulation, poverty, lack of education and gender inequality.  Although a number of programmes with improving nutrition as their main component are planned in the country but these are not properly implemented.

 Diverting the grains to open market to get better margin, selling poor quality grains at ration shops, irregular opening of the shops add to the issue of food insecurity

Way forward :  Cooperation among states and center is need for ensuring effective food security .  One Nation one ration card to be implemented soon Nationwide  The right to food is a well established principle of international human rights law. It has evolved to include an obligation for state parties to respect, protect, and fulfil their citizens’ right to food security.  As a state party to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, India has the obligation to ensure the right to be free from hunger and the right to adequate food.

India needs to adopt a policy that brings together diverse issues such as inequality, food diversity, indigenous rights and environmental justice to ensure sustainable food security.

What is food security ?

 Food security, as defined by the United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security, means that all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life.  Food security is the combination of the following three elements:  Food availability i.e. food must be available in sufficient quantities and on a consistent basis. It considers stock and production in a given area and the capacity to bring in food from elsewhere, through trade or aid.  Food access i.e. people must be able to regularly acquire adequate quantities of food, through purchase, home production, barter, gifts, borrowing or food aid.  Food utilization: Consumed food must have a positive nutritional impact on people. It entails cooking, storage and hygiene practices, individuals health, water and sanitations, feeding and sharing practices within the household.

1.18.MOVING HOUSE ONLINE

How crucial legislative work could continue in crisis.

Earlier this month, 12 MPs created history when they met virtually in their official capacities. These MPs are members of the joint committee on salary and allowances,if MPs can meet online to discuss issues under a particular law, they can also assemble online to do legislative work

It is the stoppage in the work of parliamentary committees which needs immediate attention. As the next session of Parliament is a few months away, it gives the

parliamentary secretariat time to draw up plans for holding an online session should the need so arise.

What do law says for online meeting of house ? 1. Our parliamentary rules do not require MPs to meet physically at the Parliament House. 2. Discussions have taken place on multiple occasions for holding its session outside Delhi. The only requirement for a duly constituted sitting of a house is that it be presided over by the chairman/speaker or any authorised MP. 3. The rules also give full discretion to the Rajya Sabha Chairman and Lok Sabha Speaker when it comes to running the houses 4. On matters which are not apparent in the rules, both of them have the residuary power to decide on them. 5. The Speaker also has the discretion to allow the parliamentary committees to meet outside the House, which he has allowed on multiple occasions.

Examples from world : 1. Across the world, legislatures are using a combination of technology, physical separation and reduced physical presence to continue their work. 2. The Brazilian parliament passed a resolution to work remotely during the public health emergency. 3. The Chilean Senate has passed a law to allow it to meet remotely using appropriate video conferencing technology. 4. In Indonesia and Maldives, a sitting of the parliament has happened remotely. 5. In the UK, the House of Commons Commission has suggested a hybrid model of virtual and physical presence.

The switch to a virtual meeting for their legislative work might be easy. What will require work is the setting up of protocols for ensuring participation, security and robust technology. It is time that our Parliament leverages its technological ability and steps up to fulfil its constitutional duty.

1.19.AAROGYA SETU APP

Why in news? The Aarogya Setu app launched by the government is designed to enable users who have come in contact with COVID-19 positive patients to be notified, traced and suitably supported. It has been criticised for not complying with data protection principles of data minimisation, purpose limitation, transparency and accountability, all of which are crucial to protecting the privacy of its users.

What is Aarogya Setu app ?  The mobile application, launched by the Union Health ministry on April 2, helps users identify whether they are at a risk of COVID-19 infection.  It has been developed by the National Informatics Centre, a part of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.  Aarogya Setu Mobile App' which is available for both Android and iOS mobiles.

 This Application also provides people with important information, including ways to avoid corona infection, its symptoms.

Key Features of the App  The application uses Bluetooth and GPS of a smart phone to inform the user if he is in a radius of 6 feet from a COVID-19 infected person.  It is designed to keep track of other AarogyaSetu users that a person came in contact with, and alert him or her if any of the contacts tests positive for COVID- 19.  The application also provides information about the best practices and advisories regarding containment of the virus.  The application is available in 11 languages. In order to keep the application running, one has to keep their GPS and Bluetooth ON always.  The application asks for name, gender, profession, travel history and profession.  The data extracted are to be shared only to Government of India according to the terms and conditions of the application.  These records are stored on the phone till the time any user tests positive or declares symptoms of COVID-19 in a self-assessment survey in the app.  In such cases, the records are uploaded to the servers.  According to the privacy policy of the app, it gives users a colour coding of green and yellow based on their self assessment.  The data of users who fall in the yellow category are uploaded to the server, while that of those in the green category — purportedly the lower risk group — is retained in the app.

Privacy component of the Application  While the app searches for information about COVID-19 patient, it does not disturb the privacy of the patient.  The privacy policy of the application clearly states that the user data extracted will not be shared with third party.

What is the criticism now ? 1. Heightened epidemic surveillance by the government could lead to an increased risk of institutionalized surveillance of individuals. 2. It has been criticized for not complying with data protection principles of data minimization, purpose limitation, transparency and accountability, all of which are crucial to protecting the privacy of its users. 3. According to the app’s privacy policy, Aarogya Setu collects the personal data of its users and allows the disclosure of such data to the government to provide it with necessary details for “carrying out medical and administrative interventions necessary in relation to COVID-19.” Such vague articulation weakens the app’s purpose limitation. The government is also at liberty to revise the terms of the privacy policy at its discretion (and has done so) without notifying its users. 4. Given the design of the app, it is not difficult to conceive of the wide dangers of its misuse to carry out surveillance of users. 5. Some reports suggest that the government is considering using the app as a criterion for restricting users’ movement.

6. The potential restriction on freedom of movement will have considerable impact on an individual’s access to basic government benefits and services, thus endangering citizens’ right to life. For example, entry into banks and access to PDS may become subject to the colour coding of the person on the Aarogya Setu app. 7. There is no limitation on the gamut of restrictions that may be imposed using the app. The resultant impact will be disproportionately higher on the most vulnerable sections of the society. 8. Individuals may be forced to download the app to be able to access basic amenities and services. 9. The situation bears resemblance to Aadhaar. Originally designed as an optional programme to provide government benefits to citizens based on their voluntary consent, Aadhaar was later made compulsory, even for private services such as banking and mobile phone registrations.

Wayforward: 1. To avoid unforeseeable dangers of mass surveillance and disproportionate restrictions of fundamental rights, it is therefore imperative that the Aaorgya Setu app is implemented only through law, especially since India lacks a comprehensive data protection or surveillance law. 2. It is already a settled legal principle that any limitation of fundamental rights must be implemented only through a law pursuing legitimate state interest. 3. Enacting such a law will not only subject government actions to limitations but will also facilitate its constitutional scrutiny.

1.20.COVIDINDIASEVA

Why in news? Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan launched the ‘COVID India Seva’, an interactive platform to establish a direct channel of communication during the pandemic.

Uses of platform: 1. The initiative is aimed at enabling transparent e-governance delivery in real-time and answering citizen queries swiftly, at scale, especially in crisis situations like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 2. Through this, people can pose queries @CovidIndiaSeva and get answers in almost real time. 3. The @CovidIndiaSeva works off a dashboard at the backend that helps process large volumes of tweets, converts them into resolvable tickets and assigns them to the relevant authority for real-time resolution. 4. Trained experts will share authoritative public health information swiftly at scale, helping to build a direct channel for communication with citizens 5. It is powered by a team of experts who are trained and equipped to treat and respond to each query uniquely, and at scale. This will enable government in establishing a direct channel with citizens, connecting with them in real-time to provide authoritative health and public information,

6. The dedicated account will be accessible to people be it local or national in their scope. 7. It is important to note that the Ministry will respond to broader queries and public health information. This does not require the public to share personal contact details or health record details.

1.21.NO 100% QUOTA FOR TRIBAL TEACHERS

Why in news? 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.

What the court said? 1. The court held that 100% reservation is discriminatory and impermissible. 2. The opportunity of public employment is not the prerogative of few. 3. A 100% reservation to the Scheduled Tribes has deprived Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes also of their due representation. 4. The court referred to the Indira Sawhney judgment, which caps reservation at 50%. 5. The court also said 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.

For Prelims : 1) Ekalavya residential schools .

(https://iaswinnishers.com/2020/03/28/daily-current-affairs-march-28/

Also in IAS Winnishers March Current affairs magazine -https://iaswinnishers.com/wp- content/uploads/2020/04/March-Final-Magazine.pdf , Topic -7.5, page 160 ).

2) Indira Sawhney case

 In the famous Mandal case (Indra Sawhney v. Union of India 1992), the scope and extent of Article 16(4), which provides for reservation of jobs in favour of backward classes, has been examined thoroughly by the Supreme Court.  Though the Court has rejected the additional reservation of 10% for poorer sections of higher castes, it upheld the constitutional validity of 27% reservation for the OBCs with certain conditions, viz,  The advanced sections among the OBCs (the creamy layer) should be excluded from the list of beneficiaries of reservation.  No reservation in promotions; reservation should be confined to initial appointments only. Any existing reservation in promotions can continue for five years only (i.e., up to 1997).

 The total reserved quota should not exceed 50% except in some extraordinary situations. This rule should be applied every year.  The ‘carry forward rule’ in case of unfilled (backlog) vacancies is valid.  A permanent statutory body should be established to examine complaints of over- inclusion and under-inclusion in the list of OBCs.

1.22.NOMINATION TO COUNCIL

Why in news? On April 9, after a meeting presided over by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the Maharashtra Cabinet recommended to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackery should be nominated to one of the seats reserved for the Governor’s nominee in the state Legislative Council.

Why nomination now? Thackeray took oath on November 28, 2019 and in accordance with Article 164(4) - “a Minister who for any period of six consecutive months is not a member of the Legislature of the State shall at the expiration of that period cease to be a Minister”.

It follows that the Chief Minister must become part of the Maharashtra legislature before May 27; however, with the pandemic raging, a by-election cannot be held. The only way to fulfil the requirement, therefore, is for Thackeray to be nominated to the Upper House by the Governor. If that does not happen, he will have to make way for someone else to lead the Shiv-Sena NCP-Congress coalition.

Is it Constitutional? The nomination route for non-member Ministers is less common — but not unconstitutional.

What the SC judgment says ? In S R Chaudhuri vs State of Punjab and Ors (2001), the Supreme Court had ruled that “it would be subverting the Constitution to permit an individual, who is not a member of the Legislature, to be appointed a Minister repeatedly for a term of ‘six consecutive months’, without him getting himself elected in the meanwhile. The practice would be clearly derogatory to the constitutional scheme, improper, undemocratic and invalid”.

The nomination route A situation in which an individual who is not a member of the legislature becomes chief executive of the government is in itself fairly common

Earlier examples:  H D Deve Gowda was not a Member of Parliament when he was appointed Prime Minister in June 1996.

 Shushil Kumari Shinde and Prithviraj Chavan were not members of the Maharashtra legislature when they became Chief Minister in 2003 and 2010 respectively.

Thackeray is likely to have had no problems becoming a member of the legislature had the pandemic not hit.

What the Constitution says? Under Article 171(5), the Governor can nominate “persons having special knowledge or practical experience in respect of. literature, science, art, co-operative movement and social service”

So Does Uddhav Thackeray qualify under it ? Thackeray can be said to have a stronger claim in this regard — he is an ace wildlife photographer and, as per the Allahabad High Court in Har Sharan Varma vs Chandra Bhan Gupta And Ors (February 15, 1961), even politics can be seen as ‘social service'.

The role of the Governor Two Legislative Council seats in the Governor’s quota are currently vacant; however, the terms of these vacancies end on June 6, and a fresh appointment can be made only for the remainder of the term.

It has been argued that Section 151A of The Representation of the People Act, 1951, prohibits the filling of a vacancy if “the remainder of the term of a member in relation to a vacancy is less than one year”. However, this cannot be a reason for the Governor to refuse nomination — because the bar is in respect of by-election to fill a vacancy, not nomination.

Of course, the Governor could argue that he is not obligated under the Constitution to act swiftly on the advice of the Council of Ministers

The question of discretion What are the limits to the Governor’s discretion in nominations? In Biman Chandra Bose vs Dr H C Mukherjee (1952) the Calcutta High Court rejected the plea that none of the nine nominated members to the legislature fulfilled the required criteria, and held that the Governor cannot use his discretion in nominating members to the Council. He has to go by the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.

What the constitution says about discretionary power of Governor ? Article 163(1) of the Constitution makes it clear that the Governor must follow the recommendations of the Council of Ministers in all situations “except in so far as he is by or under this Constitution required to exercise his functions or any of them in his discretion”.

 The Constitution specifically mentions the situations in which the Governor can act in his discretion, e.g., Article 239 (Administration of Union Territories), Article371 (Special provision with respect to the States of Maharashtra and

Gujarat), Article 371A (Nagaland), Article 371H (Arunachal Pradesh), and in the Sixth Schedule (Provisions as to the Administration of Tribal Areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram),  The Governor does have a general discretion in appointing the Chief Minister, but there are well established conventions governing the exercise of such discretion.  Even the Governor’s pardoning powers are to be exercised on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers (Maru Ram vs Union of India, 1980).  In Hargovind Pant vs Dr Raghukul Tilak & Ors (1979), the Supreme Court held that the Governor is not an employee of the central government. He is neither under its control nor accountable to it, and is an independent constitutional office.

2. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2.1.EXTRAORDINARY G20 TRADE AND INVESTMENT MINISTERIAL MEETING

Why in news? The Extraordinary G20 Trade and Investment Ministerial virtual meeting was held on March 31, 2020. Union Commerce and Industry minister Piyush Goyal participated in the video conference.

 Speaking at the virtual conference, Union Minister Piyush Goyal called for further enhancing access to affordable medicines and facilitating easier movement of health professionals across national borders.  The Minister stated that despite many challenges, India has been a dependable and affordable source of high quality medical and pharma products to nearly 190 countries around the world.  India had called for easy movement of health professionals and enhanced access to affordable medicines across national borders. Amidst the threat of COVID-19, India is supplying affordable medical products to nearly 190 countries in the world. India urged the G20 countries to come up with G-20 Global Framework to improve access to medicines.  The framework should include diagnostic equipment, critical medicines, health professionals and medical kits.

Background The Extraordinary G20 Trade and Investment Ministerial virtual meeting was held less than a week after the first virtual G20 summit, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The summit was hosted by Saudi Arabia, the current chair of the group. During the summit, the G20 leaders pledged to inject $5 trillion into the global economy to lessen the impact of the coronavirus outbreak across the world.

2.2.PROTECTING PEACEKEEPERS

Why in news? The United Nations (UN) Security Council on March 30 unanimously adopted its first resolution on improving the safety and security of peacekeepers. The resolution is aimed at taking all-dimensional measures to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers.

 The resolution was sponsored by China, a major contributor, strong supporter and important participant of UN peacekeeping operations, and cosponsored by 43 countries, including Russia, Vietnam, Indonesia and South Africa.  In the context of the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the Security Council’s work faces difficulties.  Holding the presidency for March, China has actively explored new working methods, maintained consultations with Security Council members by telephone,

video and emails, and broadened consensus, reflecting the Security Council's primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security through practical actions.

2.3.UN RESOLUTION ON CORONA VIRUS

Why in news? The UN General Assembly has unanimously adopted its first resolution on the coronavirus pandemic co-sponsored by India and 187 other nations, calling for intensified global cooperation to defeat the deadly disease that is causing “severe disruption” to societies and economies.  The resolution titled ‘Global solidarity to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)’ was the first such document on the pandemic to be adopted by the world body.  The UN Security Council is yet to discuss the coronavirus outbreak, even as the total number of cases across the world crossed one million.  The resolution said the 193-member General Assembly notes with great concern the threat to human health, safety and well-being caused by the pandemic.  It recognises the unprecedented effects of the pandemic, including the severe disruption to societies and economies, as well as to global travel and commerce, and the devastating impact on the livelihood of people.  The resolution called for intensified international cooperation to contain, mitigate and defeat the pandemic, including by exchanging information, scientific knowledge and best practices and by applying the relevant guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization.  It also emphasised the need for full respect for human rights, and stresses that there is no place for any form of discrimination, racism and xenophobia in the response to the pandemic.  The resolution was sponsored by Ghana, Indonesia, Liechtenstein, Norway, Singapore and Switzerland.

Resolution in silence mode There was no meeting held to pass the resolution. The resolution was adopted in silent mode. The UNGA has announced that the draft resolution is to stay open till April 2 for the member countries to object. If not objected the organization will circulate a confirmation letter among its member countries.

Declaration of solidarity  A second draft resolution titled Declaration of solidarity of the United Nations in the face of the challenges posed by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) , sponsored by Russia and supported by Central African Republic, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela was not approved by the General Assembly. The resolution called for refraining from raising trade barriers, imposing new export restrictions or implementing protectionist and discriminatory measures inconsistent with the World Trade Organization rules, and not to apply any unilateral coercive measures undertaken without the mandate of the Security Council.

 The resolution on global solidarity expressed its gratitude and support to all frontline health-care workers, medical professionals, scientists and researchers, as well as other essential service providers.  Through the resolution, the Assembly renewed its commitment to help people and societies in special situations, especially the weakest and most vulnerable.  The resolution expresses optimism that the unprecedented crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic can be mitigated and successfully reversed through leadership and sustained global cooperation and solidarity and calls upon the United Nations system to work with all relevant actors to mobilise a coordinated global response to the pandemic and its adverse impact on all societies.  It also recognised that the poorest and most vulnerable are the hardest hit by the pandemic and that the impact of the crisis will reverse hard-won development gains and hamper progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

2.4.INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION (IOM)

IOM is an intergovernmental organization that provides services and advice concerning migration to governments and migrants, including refugees, internally displaced persons and migrant workers. IOM was established in 1951 as Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM) to help resettle people displaced by World War II.

It was granted Permanent Observer status to UN General Assembly in 1992 Cooperation agreement between IOM and the UN was signed in 1996.

IOM works in four broad areas of migration management: o Migration and development, o Facilitating migration, o Regulating migration and o Forced migration

 Formation - 1951; 69 years ago (as Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration)  Headquarters - Geneva, Switzerland  Membership - 173 member states and 8 observer states as of March 2019 (over 80 global and regional IGOs and NGOs are also observers)  Official languages - English, French and Spanish  Director General - António Vitorino  Observer States: Bahrain, Bhutan, Indonesia, Kuwait, Qatar, Russian Federation, San Marino and Saudi Arabia.  Focus Areas: Promotion of International Migration Law; Policy Debate and Guidance; Protection of Migrants’ Rights; Migration Health; and the Gender Dimension of Migration  Nodal Ministries: Ministry of External Affairs  Flagship Publications: World Migration Report

IOM X  IOM X is a Communication for Development campaign operated by the International Organization for Migration in Bangkok, Thailand.  The campaign's stated purpose is: "to encourage safe migration and public action to prevent human trafficking and exploitation in the Asia Pacific region."  IOM X has worked on a range of issues related to exploitation and human trafficking, such as protecting men enslaved in the Thai fishing industry, the use of technology to identify and combat human trafficking, and end the sexual exploitation of children.

Background Refugees: These are the people who have been forced to flee their resident country because of war, violence or persecution. Such people are protected by international law, specifically the 1951 Refugee Convention.

 1951 Refugee Convention deals with the rights of the displaced as well as the legal obligations of states to protect them. India, despite having a large population of refugees, is not a signatory to this convention.  An asylum seeker is someone who claims to be a refugee but whose claim hasn’t been evaluated yet. This person has applied for the asylum on the grounds that returning to his or her country would lead to persecution on account of race, religion, nationality or political beliefs.  World Migration Report: It is International Organisation for Migration’s (IOM) flagship publication that features the latest trends in international migration, discusses emerging policy issues and provides regional recent developments in Africa, America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Oceania.

International Migration Day -18th December

Recent Cases of Migration  Syria is focal point of 'global refugee crises'. Lot of people migrate from the country.  People crossing Mediterranean Sea from Libya to Italy.  Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar fleeing to Bangladesh and India.  Thousands of Dominicans and Stateless in Caribbean.

Recent Steps taken by Countries to regulate Irregular Migration 1. Strategies adopted by European Union (EU):  Divergent national approaches to accepting Asylum Seekers.  Using EU budgets to support refugee integration.  Strengthening external borders.  Collaborating with third countries to cut off transit routes.  Tying Foreign Assistance to stemming migration

2. Hungary has restricted illegal immigration by suspending the acceptance of asylum seekers sent back to it by other EU states. 3. U.S. has also made some changes in its Immigration policy.

4. Italy has called for detention and deportation of migrants, who it blames for the instability and threats in the country. 5. Dutch has adopted a zero tolerance approach towards those immigrants who are unwilling to sign up to the country’s way of life.

2.5.SPECIAL SESSION OF THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL

Why in News? India is gearing for diplomatic activities as the U.N. Security Council appears set for a special session over the COVID-19 pandemic. South Block is tracking reports that a special closed session of the UNSC is to be held as early as on April 9 when all 15 members of the highest U.N. body are likely to discuss the situation on the intensifying crisis that has disrupted life and economy in India as well.

Process  The session will draw statements from all the member-countries with interested non-members participating as observers. A meeting of the UNSC had been talked about since the beginning of the pandemic in China in December 2019, but the process seems to have taken off with the arrival of the Dominican Republic as the president of the body. The meeting though closed is not “closed door” and there is a possibility that it could be globally webcast if all members agree.  Though other regional and global bodies like G20 have convened urgent virtual summits, the Security Council’s inability to meet raised concern in world capitals in recent weeks.  Several of its 10 elected members demanded a special session on the pandemic caused by the novel Corona virus during the previous presidency which was with China.  The COVID-19 crisis has gripped almost all the U.N. member-countries barring a few with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom being one of the most high profile names to be affected by the viral infection. India’s former envoy to U.N.  It makes sense to have a meeting of the UNSC as the pandemic is threatening global peace and economy. Apart from the health aspect, the economic disruption will require global cooperation among all member-nations of the UNSC and the UN General Assembly. This is a time for cooperation and the meeting should not be seen as an occasion to corner any member of the UNSC.

Outcomes The meeting could lead to two kinds of outcome statements, said the veteran diplomat. The President of the SC could read out an outcome statement or a consensus document could be released on the issue after the meeting representing all sides of the discussion.

Preparations  IT technicians at the U.N. are testing various online options to determine whether they can securely encrypt sensitive diplomatic discussions and guard against hacks and other threats to U.N. cybersecurity.  The U.N. is also striving to facilitate formal meetings of the rights council, complete with live, virtual interpretation of discussion in the six official

languages—Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Informal meetings, without simultaneous interpretation, will not come online before the end of next week.

2.6. U.N. PEACE KEEPING FORCE

Why in News?

A new force under Chapter VII The UN Security Council (UNSC) stands paralysed because of petty battles on the name of the pandemic, its origin and the need for transparency. It should hold an emergency meeting and authorise the UN Secretary General to put together a force under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. The mandate of the Charter should be interpreted to emphasise that this is the greatest threat to international peace and security. Moreover, conflicts are possible on account of the fragility of the international system. Member states should be requested to send not only troops, but also police, health workers and equipment.

 So far COVID-19 has spread in relatively prosperous regions of the world, which have stable infrastructure and health systems. We cannot trust that it will not spread to less equipped states, in which the devastation will be much more. Only a UN force which can enforce social distancing and lockdowns can prevent a catastrophe.  The UN peacekeeping forces are called Blue Berets because of the colour of the caps that they wear.  The health force can have caps of another colour, probably red. The launch of the Red Berets will be a historic action to be taken at a critical moment. The UN’s relevance will be established and there will be concrete action taken to end the pandemic.

Chapter VII resolution

 Chapter VII resolutions determine the existence of a threat to the peace, a breach of the peace, or an act of aggression in accordance with Article 39, and make a decision explicitly under Chapter VII.  A UNSC Resolution is considered to be ‘a Chapter VII resolution’ if it makes an explicit determination that the situation under consideration constitutes a threat to the peace, a breach of the peace, or an act of aggression, and/or explicitly/ implicitly states that the UNSC is acting under Chapter VII in the adoption of some or all operative paragraphs.

Background

UN peacekeeping force  Peacekeeping by the United Nations is a role held by the Department of Peace Operations as "a unique and dynamic instrument developed by the organization as a way to help countries torn by conflict to create the conditions for lasting peace".

 It is distinguished from peacebuilding, peacemaking, and peace enforcement although the United Nations does acknowledge that all activities are "mutually reinforcing" and that overlap between them is frequent in practice.  Founded - 1945  Peacekeepers monitor and observe peace processes in post-conflict areas and assist ex-combatants in implementing the peace agreements they may have signed. Such assistance comes in many forms, including confidence-building measures, power-sharing arrangements, electoral support, strengthening the rule of law, and economic and social development.  Accordingly, UN peacekeepers (often referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets because of their light blue berets or helmets) can include soldiers, police officers, and civilian personnel.  The United Nations Charter gives the United Nations Security Council the power and responsibility to take collective action to maintain international peace and security. For this reason, the international community usually looks to the Security Council to authorize peacekeeping operations through Chapter VII authorizations.

Financial Resources  The financial resources of UN Peacekeeping operations are the collective responsibility of UN Member States.  Decisions about the establishment, maintenance or expansion of peacekeeping operations are taken by the Security Council. According to UN Charter every Member State is legally obligated to pay their respective share for peacekeeping.  Peacekeeping expenses are divided by the General Assembly based upon a formula established by Member States which takes into account the relative economic wealth of Member States among other things.  The General Assembly approves resource expenditures for peacekeeping operations on a yearly basis. Financing covers the period from 1 July to 30 June of the following year.

Structure  A United Nations peacekeeping mission has three power centers. The first is the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, the official leader of the mission. This person is responsible for all political and diplomatic activity, overseeing relations with both the parties to the peace treaty and the UN member- states in general. They are often a senior member of the Secretariat.  The second is the Force Commander, who is responsible for the military forces deployed. They are a senior officer of their nation's armed services, and are often from the nation committing the highest number of troops to the project.  Finally, the Chief Administrative Officer oversees supplies and logistics, and coordinates the procurement of any supplies needed.  Peacekeepers could be called in when the major international powers (the five permanent members of the Security Council) tasked the UN with bringing closure to conflicts threatening regional stability and international peace and security.  The first peacekeeping mission was launched in 1948. This mission, the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), was sent to the newly created

State of Israel, where a conflict between the Israelis and the Arab states over the creation of Israel had just reached a ceasefire.  In 1988, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the United Nations peacekeeping forces.

Participation The UN Charter stipulates that to assist in maintaining peace and security around the world, all member states of the UN should make available to the Security Council necessary armed forces and facilities.

2.7.INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF)

Why in News? IMF chief warned that “global growth will turn sharply negative in 2020,” with 170 of the International Monetary Fund's 180 members experiencing a decline in per capita income. “In fact, we anticipate the worst economic fallout since the Great Depression,” Ms. Georgieva said in a speech previewing next week's spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank, which will be held virtually due to the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19.  Countries already have taken steps worth a combined $8 trillion, but Ms. Georgieva urged governments to do more to provide “lifelines” for businesses and households to avoid a scarring of the economy that would make the recovery so much more difficult.  In a few days the IMF will release its World Economic Outlook with grim forecasts for its members for this year and next. In January, the IMF projected global growth of 3.3 percent this year and 3.4 percent in 2021. But that was a different world. The bleak outlook applies to advanced and developing economies alike. This crisis knows no boundaries. Everybody hurts.  She noted that about $100 billion in investments already had fled emerging markets — more than three times the capital exodus seen in the 2008 global financial crisis.

Background International Monetary Fund (IMF) Established in: 1945 Headquarters: Washington DC Purpose: Promotes international monetary cooperation.

The IMF’s fundamental mission is to ensure the stability of the international monetary system. It does so in three ways: keeping track of the global economy and the economies of member countries; lending to countries with balance of payments difficulties; and giving practical help to members.

Economic Surveillance The IMF oversees the international monetary system and monitors the economic and financial policies of its 189 member countries. As part of this process, which takes place both at the global level and in individual countries, the IMF highlights possible risks to stability and advises on needed policy adjustments.

Lending The IMF provides loans to member countries experiencing actual or potential balance of payments problems to help them rebuild their international reserves, stabilize their currencies, continue paying for imports, and restore conditions for strong economic growth, while correcting underlying problems.

Capacity Development The IMF works with governments around the world to modernize their economic policies and institutions, and train their people. This helps countries strengthen their economy, improve growth and create jobs

Organisation and Finances

The IMF has a management team and 17 departments that carry out its country, policy, analytical, and technical work. One department is charged with managing the IMF’s resources. This section also explains where the IMF gets its resources and how they are used.

Management The IMF has a Managing Director, who is head of the staff and Chairperson of the Executive Board. The Managing Director is appointed by the Executive Board for a renewable term of five years and is assisted by a First Deputy Managing Director and three Deputy Managing Directors

Staff The IMF’s employees come from all over the world; they are responsible to the IMF and not to the authorities of the countries of which they are citizens. The IMF staff is organized mainly into area; functional; and information, liaison, and support responsibilities.

IMF Resources Most resources for IMF loans are provided by member countries, primarily through their payment of quotas.

Quotas Quota subscriptions are a central component of the IMF’s financial resources. Each member country of the IMF is assigned a quota, based broadly on its relative position in the world economy.

Special Drawing Rights (SDR) The SDR is an international reserve asset, created by the IMF in 1969 to supplement its member countries’ official reserves.

Gold Gold remains an important asset in the reserve holdings of several countries, and the IMF is still one of the world’s largest official holders of gold.

Borrowing Arrangements While quota subscriptions of member countries are the IMF's main source of financing, the Fund can supplement its quota resources through borrowing if it believes that they might fall short of members' needs.

Governance Structure The IMF has evolved along with the global economy throughout its 70-year history, allowing the organization to retain a central role within the international financial architecture.

Country Representation Unlike the General Assembly of the United Nations, where each country has one vote, decision making at the IMF was designed to reflect the relative positions of its member countries in the global economy. The IMF continues to undertake reforms to ensure that its governance structure adequately reflects fundamental changes taking place in the world economy.

Accountability Created in 1945, the IMF is governed by and accountable to the 189 countries that make up its near-global membership. Decision making at the IMF was designed to reflect the relative positions of its member countries in the global economy.

Transparency The IMF has policies in place to ensure that meaningful and accurate information—both about its own role in the global economy and the economies of its member countries—is provided in real time to its global audiences.

Corporate Giving The IMF Giving Together campaign guides the IMF's humanitarian and community outreach efforts.

World Economic Outlook (WEO)

The World Economic Outlook (WEO) is a report by the International Monetary Fund that analyzes key parts of the IMF's surveillance of economic developments and policies in its member countries. It also projects developments in the global financial markets and economic systems.

The WEO is usually prepared twice a year and is used in meetings of the International Monetary and Financial Committee.

The World Economic Outlook (WEO) presents the IMF's analysis and projections of global economic developments and classifies their analysis by region and stage of economic development. This report is the main instrument of disseminating the findings and analysis of their global surveillance activities to the world.

2.8.IMF-WORLD BANK DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING

Why in News? Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended the 101st meeting of IMF-World Bank’s Development Committee. The Development Committee meeting of World Bank- International Monetary Fund was held via video-conferencing on 17th April 2020. At the meeting, IMF chief Kristalina Georgiev said that the World is headed for 'severe recession' in 2020.  The meeting occurred at a time of unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s devastating effects are being felt across the globe as the human and economic toll continues to rise.  India participated in the 101st meeting of the development committee that was held through video conference. The experts that attended the meet discussed response to COVID-19 emergency and COVID-19 debt initiatives. The major debt initiative is International Call for Action in Support of IDA countries.

Agenda  The key agenda of the meeting was to evaluate and discuss the impact of COVID- 19 and the ‘Great Lockdown’ announced across the globe by major economies of the world as a precautionary measure to curb its spread.  At the meeting, financial experts also discussed the economic response for the COVID-19 health emergency and the debt incentives that needs to be taken in order to bring the world economy back on track.

Outcomes  The Committee welcomed the World bank financial support of 150 to 160 billion USD to combat COVID-19 for the next 15 months.  As part of overall response, and through the Fast Track COVID-19 Facility,  IBRD and IDA are making funds available to help developing countries in their urgent response to the public health threat, as they strengthen their health systems, shore up social safety nets, and improve access to services, while bolstering their response capacity and building up disease surveillance.  IFC is also making funds available for prompt short- and medium-term financial support to trade flows and the wider private sector.  MIGA is making fast-track guarantees available to meet financing needs for the immediate health response and economic recovery. IDA calls for Debt Support  IMF and World Bank also discussed ‘major debt initiative’ which is an International call for action in Support of IDA countries.  While dealing with the crisis, the Development Committee also said that it is important to explore sustainable solution for debt challenges of the middle-income countries. The Spring Meetings are attended by approximately 2,800 delegates from our member countries, 350 observer organization representatives and 800 members of the press. Approximately 550 accredited civil society members also participate in the Meetings.

2.9.CATASTROPHE CONTAINMENT AND RELIEF TRUST (CCRT)

Why in News? The International Monetary Fund said it would provide immediate debt service relief to 25 member countries under its Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust to allow them to focus more financial resources on fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the Fund's executive board approved the first batch of countries to receive grants to cover their debt service obligations to the Fund for an initial six months.

The first countries that will receive debt service relief from the CCRT are Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Togo and Yemen.

Evolution  A precursor of the CCRT was used for Haiti after the devastating earthquake that struck the island nation in 2010.  Renamed CCRT, it was also used to provide relief to countries affected by the 2014 Ebola outbreak.  The IMF in March approved changes that would allow the CCRT to provide up to two years of debt service relief to the Fund's poorest members as they responded to the outbreak of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

The IMF said the aid, if properly channeled, would afford the countries the opportunity to concentrate on medical spending and other urgent necessities in the challenging economic environment, where steep income depreciation, lost revenue and increasing expenditure are rife.

The Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust  The Catastrophe Containment and Relief (CCR) Trust allows the IMF to provide grants for debt relief for the poorest and most vulnerable countries hit by catastrophic natural disasters or public health disasters.  The relief on debt service payments frees up additional resources to meet exceptional balance of payments needs created by the disaster and for containment and recovery.  Established in February 2015, the CCR Trust grants complement donor financing and the IMF concessional lending through the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust.

Purpose of the CCR Trust  In February 2015, the IMF transformed the Post-Catastrophe Debt Relief Trust to create the Catastrophe Containment and Relief (CCR) Trust, broadening the range of situations covered by IMF disaster assistance to include fast-spreading epidemics.

 The new trust allows the IMF to join international debt relief efforts when poor countries are hit by the most catastrophic of natural disasters and to assist poor countries battling public health disasters—such as epidemics of infectious diseases—with grants for debt service relief.  The purpose of debt relief under the CCR Trust is to free up resources to meet exceptional balance of payments needs created by the disaster rather than having to assign those resources to debt service.

Eligibility. Assistance through the CCR Trust is currently available to low-income countries eligible for concessional borrowing through the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust and which also have either a per capita income below the International Development Association’s (IDA) operational cutoff (currently US$1,165) or, for small states with a population below 1.5 million and a per capita income below twice the IDA cutoff (currently US$2,330).

Structure The CCR Trust has two windows: 1. Post-Catastrophe Relief window, to provide exceptional assistance in the wake of a catastrophic natural disaster; and 2. Catastrophe Containment window, to provide assistance in containing a public health disaster.

2.10.IMF PROJECTS 1.9% GROWTH FOR INDIA IN 2020

Why in News?

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) further slashed India’s growth estimate for FY21 to 1.9% from 5.8% estimated in January, warning that the “worst recession since the Great Depression” will dwarf the economic damage caused by the global financial crisis a decade back. It also said that India and China would be the only two major economies likely to register growth, with all others contracting.

The Covid-19 pandemic will shrink world output by 3% in 2020, IMF said in the April update of its World Economic Outlook (WEO) released in Washington DC, the first after the magnitude of the outbreak became clear.

The growth forecast is marked down by more than 6 percentage points relative to the October 2019 WEO and January 2020 WEO Update projections—an extraordinary revision over such a short period of time.

India’s growth is seen recovering sharply to 7.4% in the next fiscal year. The IMF sees India’s FY20 growth at 4.2%, down from 4.8% estimated in January. China, where the coronavirus outbreak began, is seen growing 1.2% in 2020 and 9.2% in 2021.

The IMF said the recovery forecast for 2021 depends critically on the pandemic being brought under control in the second half of 2020, allowing containment efforts to be gradually scaled back and restoring consumer and investor confidence.

Virtual WEO meeting  The WEO is the IMF's flagship report and is released at its Spring and Fall meetings.  The Spring meeting is being held this year in a virtual mode because of the social distancing required to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the travel restrictions.  The IMF released only the first chapter of the WEO and said the full report would be available next month.  The abbreviated report has the projections for only the major economies and does not include its analysis for individual countries or regions. Highlights

 The report said that the priority should be to contain COVID-19's contagion although these "necessary measures to reduce contagion and protect lives will take a short-term toll on economic activity."  The WEO said that "dampening the impact of the shock on the most exposed households and businesses should rely heavily on temporary and targeted policies, including cash transfers, wage subsidies, tax relief, and extension or postponement of debt repayments" and noted that India has announced new food and cooking gas distribution and cash payments to poorer households.  The WEO projects consumer prices in India to increase by 3.3% this fiscal year and by 3.6 in the next.  The current account balance is projected to fall by 0.6% this year and by 1.4% next year, according to the report.

World Bank Projection India’s economy is expected to grow 1.5 per cent to 2.8 per cent in the 2020-21 fiscal which started on April 1, the World Bank said in its South Asia Economic Focus report. It estimated India will grow 4.8 per cent to 5 per cent in the 2019-20 fiscal that ended on March 31.

Other projections Following the announcement of the extension of the nationwide lockdown until May 3, rating agency ICRA also projected a contraction in the range of 10 percent to 15 percent in India's gross domestic product (GDP) for FY21. On the other hand, Barclays emerging markets research has cut India’s calendar year 2020 GDP forecast to 0.0 percent from 2.5 percent earlier.

2.11.SAARC COVID-19 EMERGENCY FUND

Why in News? Pakistan pledged to contribute $3 million to the SAARC Coronavirus Emergency Fund proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with an initial offer of $10 million from India to help combat the fast-spreading Covid-19 pandemic in the region.

Pakistan urged that that all proceeds of the fund should be administered by the SAARC Secretariat and that the modalities for the fund's utilisation should be finalized through consultations with the Member States as per the SAARC Charter.

But many believe that Pakistan is trying to score "narrow political points" by tying its contribution to the SAARC COVID-19 Emergency Fund to the bureaucracy of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Recent Developments  Pakistan boycotted the recent video conference of trade officials of the SAARC countries, saying such initiatives could only be effective if spearheaded by the group's secretariat instead of India.  India has been maintaining that the initiatives taken under extraordinary circumstances are focused on jointly dealing with the pandemic without being bounded by any procedural formalities.

India's concern  Pakistan will get a free hand to block India's initiatives if COVlD-19 related interactions are brought under formal structure of SAARC.  If the initiatives are brought under the umbrella of SAARC, then Pakistan will have the option of scuttling them by pressing for the principle of consensus in drafting of agenda, outcome document and on all other related issues at every step.

India has been considering the activities as being stand-alone and outside the "SAARC calendar of approved activities".

A series of initiatives have been taken to deal with with the pandemic as a follow up to the lndia initiated video conference of SAARC leaders March 15.

Background In a video conference on forming a joint strategy to fight Covid-19 in the SAARC region, Prime Minister Modi on March 15 proposed the emergency fund with an initial offer of $10 million from India and asserted that the best way to deal with the Coronavirus pandemic was by coming together, and not growing apart.

Subsequently, Nepal and Afghanistan pledged $1 million each, Maldives committed $ 200,000, Bhutan $100,000, Bangladesh $1.5 million and Sri Lanka pledged $5 million to the fund.

2.12.VIRTUAL G20 ENERGY MINISTERS MEETING

Why in News?

A record oil production cut hangs in the balance after energy ministers from the Group of 20 major economies agreed that stabilization in the market is needed, but stopped short of discussing specific production numbers.

 The energy ministers' meeting came one day after oil producer group OPEC and its allies — in their own emergency meeting — proposed taking a record 10 million barrels per day of crude off the market.  The meeting was called by Saudi Arabia, the current G20 chair, and it was chaired by Saudi Arabia Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz. Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan had participated in the G20 Extraordinary Energy Ministers’ virtual meeting on India’s behalf. The Energy Ministers of other G20 nations, guest countries and heads of international organizations such as IEA, OPEC and IEF were also present during the virtual meeting.

Background  The G20 group had called for the extraordinary energy ministers' meeting to discuss OPEC-led plans for the global crude oil production cut accord. This is the first time that the G20 group specifically convened to address energy issues. Saudi Arabia, which is OPEC's largest oil producer holds the G20's rotating presidency for this year.  The meeting comes amid major fall in global oil demand as more than a quarter of countries across the world have imposed complete lockdowns, grounded aircraft, taken vehicles off roads and shut down factories to combat novel corona virus outbreak.  The meeting was held to foster global dialogue and cooperation to ensure stable energy markets and enable a stronger global economy.

Outcomes  In a marathon video meeting, all members of OPEC and its allies, commonly known as OPEC+, agreed to the cuts apart from Mexico. This means the cut, which amounts to roughly 10% of global supply, is still subject to the country's approval.  OPEC+'s proposed cut was not contingent on nations outside of the group curbing output, although the expectation is that there will be global efforts to prop up the market. The corona virus-induced demand loss has sent oil prices tumbling to near two-decade lows.  Following the G20 meeting Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak said he expected nations outside the group to cut production by an additional 5 million barrels per day.

What did OPEC+ propose?  Led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, on Thursday the group outlined a cut of 10 million bpd from May 1 for an initial period of two months through to June 30.  For the subsequent six months, OPEC+ said in a statement that from July 1 through to December 2020, the total adjustment agreed would amount to a cut of 8 million barrels per day.

 Thereafter, for a period of 16 months through to April 30, 2022, the cuts would amount to 6 million bpd.  The suggested cuts were far larger than any deal OPEC+ has ever agreed on before, but many are concerned it won't be enough to prop up prices with the market already awash with crude.

India at the meeting  Union Energy Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reiterated PM Narendra Modi’s call to G20 to take a human-centric approach to overcome the current hardships, especially for the most vulnerable population.  The Minister highlighted the decision of PM Modi to provide free LPG cylinders to over 80.3 million poor families under the Ujjwala scheme as a part of the 23 billion dollars relief package.  The Minister emphasized that India is, was and will continue to be the global energy demand centre. He also highlighted the Indian government’s efforts to fill its Strategic Petroleum Reserves.  On the ongoing energy market fluctuations, the Minister said that India has always called for a stable oil market that is not only reasonable for the producers but also affordable for consumers.  He further appreciated the collective efforts of the OPEC countries to balance the supply-side factors that are imperative for long-term sustainability.  The Minister has, however, urged that oil prices should be kept at affordable levels to allow for a consumption-led demand recovery.

India’s strategy to fill petroleum reserves India has signed pacts with Saudi Arabia’s ARAMCO and ADNOC to fill up its petroleum reserves. Several refineries are currently operating at 50% to 60% of their capacity. There are three strategic petroleum reserves in India. They are at Vishakapatnam (1.3 million tonnes), Padur (2.5 million tonnes) and Mangalore (1.5 million tonnes).

2.13.FUNDING OF WHO

Why in News? US President Donald Trump has stirred a debate over the impartiality of the World Health Organisation (WHO) accusing it of being too China-centric and thus failing to stop novel coronavirus pandemic. Trump went on to stop the US's fund to the WHO.The US has been the biggest contributor to the WHO purse, which has a budget of $6.2 billion.

WHO Funding  The WHO is funded by its members and philanthropic organisations.  The US with 14.67 per cent of total contribution is the largest funding source for the United Nations health agency. The next big contributors are the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (9.76 per cent) and GAVI Alliance (8.39 per cent). The GAVI Alliance is a Geneva-based public-private partnership organisation to which Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation makes a sizeable contribution.

 The UK (7.79 per cent) and Germany (5.68 per cent) are the only other country after the US to make over 5 per cent of total financial budget of the WHO.  The UN Office for the Coordination of HumanitarianAffairs (UNOCHA) is other body to make over 5 per cent contribution. The World Bank (3.42 per cent), the Rotary International (3.3 per cent), the European Commission (3.3 per cent) and Japan (2.7 per cent) are among other major contributors to the WHO's finances.  China, which is at the centre of the current WHO controversy in the wake of novel coronavirus pandemic, contributes only 0.21 per cent of total money flowing into the global health agency.  India's share of contribution is more than double the China's at 0.48 per cent and much closer to France's (0.5 per cent). Interestingly, even Pakistan contributes (0.36 per cent) to the WHO more than China.

There are four ways in which the WHO gets its fund  Voluntary contributions:are the biggest category of funding that the WHO receives - almost 80 per cent of all contributions. Voluntary contributions can be made by member states - 194 at present -- or NGOs. These funds come in two forms - core voluntary contributions and specified voluntary contributions. o Core contributions give the WHO flexibility to use the money according to its need and priorities o Specified contributions need to go towards the specified cause.

 The next big category of funding is assessed contributions. These are like membership fees. Being a WHO member for a country does not come free. The WHO assesses stipulated fee for each member country depending on its financial health and population. For some reason, world's biggest economy, the US, contributes almost 15 per cent of total WHO funds and the second largest less than 0.25 per cent. The assessed contributions or WHO membership fee accounts for 17 per cent of total funding of the health agency, which introduced a special funding framework in 2011, two years after swine flu pandemic hit the globe.  Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) contributions make up about 3 per cent of total WHO funds. Its stated goal in 2011 was "to improve and strengthen the sharing of influenza viruses with human pandemic potential". Novel coronavirus is much like an influenza virus causing similar symptoms in humans with a difference that it complicates pre-existing health conditions particularly among elderly people.

2.14.VIRTUAL G20 FINANCE MINISTERS MEETING

Why in News? The finance ministers and central bank governors of the G20 group of the world's largest economies started a virtual meeting to further address the global challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman shared with G20 Finance Ministers the policy measures undertaken by the Government and RBI to support the poor,

vulnerable and various sectors of the Indian economy to tide over the COVID-19 induced crisis.  Participating in the virtual session of the 2nd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting under Saudi Arabian presidency, Sitharaman said that so far within a couple of weeks INDIA has disbursed financial assistance amounting to $ 3.9 billion to more than 320 million, with a special focus on direct benefit transfer through digital technology so that the exposure of beneficiaries to public places is minimized.

Action Plan The outcome of the virtual financial ministerial meet is as follows  To deliver comprehensive IMF support package  To implement support of multilateral development banks  To address debt vulnerabilities in low-income countries  To enhance coordination among international organizations  To optimize use of resources

The members agreed to follow principles of FSB (Financial Stability Board) to assess and address financial stability risks.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman who participated in the virtual meeting welcomed the action plan finalized at the meeting calling it a step in the right direction. The document will guide individual and collective actions for the G20 members in responding to COVID-19 pandemic in short and medium term.

Suspension of Debt repayments for poor Nations  After the second virtual meeting, G20 members in a communiqué said the debt suspension including both principal and interest will be available to all least developed countries as defined by the United Nations for a period of three years with one year additional grace period. The suspension period will start from 1 May and will last until December 2020.  Each beneficiary country will be required to commit to use the created fiscal space to increase social, health or economic spending in response to the corona virus crisis. They cannot also contract new non-concessional debt during the suspension period, other than agreements under this initiative or in compliance with limits agreed with the IMF and World Bank.

Summit of G20 Finance Ministers  Every year since 1999, the financial ministers of the G20 member countries meet to discuss major economic issues that is prevailing globally.  The Summit of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, who prepare the leaders' summit and implement their decisions, was created as a response both to the financial crisis of 2007–2008 and to a growing recognition that key emerging countries were not adequately included in the core of global economic discussion and governance.

2.15.ORGANISATION OF ISLAMIC COOPERATION

Why in News? The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) urged India to take "urgent steps" to protect the rights of its minority Muslim community and stop the incidents of "Islamophobia" in the country. Human rights commission of the OIC said Muslims were being vilified in India.  The OIC's Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission said the Indian media was negatively profiling the Muslims and subjecting them to discrimination.  OIC-IPHRC urges the Indian Government to take urgent steps to stop the growing tide of Islamophobia in India and protect the rights of its Muslim minority.

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation  The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation is an international organization founded in 1969, consisting of 57 member states, with a collective population of over 1.8 billion as of 2015 with 53 countries being Muslim-majority countries.  The organisation states that it is the collective voice of the Muslim world and works to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony.  The OIC has permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European Union. The official languages of the OIC are Arabic, English, and French.

 Administrative centre (Headquarters) - Jeddah, Saudi Arabia  Charter signed - 25 September 1969

Creation  On 25 September 1969, an Islamic Conference, a summit of representatives of 24 Muslim majority countries (most of the representatives being heads of state), was held in Rabat, Morocco.  Six months later in March 1970, the First Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In 1972, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC, now the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) was founded.

Goals According to its charter, the OIC aims 1. To preserve Islamic social and economic values; 2. Promote solidarity amongst member states; 3. Increase cooperation in social, economic, cultural, scientific, and political areas; 4. Uphold international peace and security; and 5. Advance education, particularly in the fields of science and technology.

The emblem of the OIC contains three main elements that reflect its vision and mission as incorporated in its new Charter. These elements are: the Kaaba, the Globe, and the Crescent.

Members The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has 57 members, 56 of which are also member states of the United Nations, the exception being Palestine. Some members, especially in

West Africa and South America, are – though with large Muslim populations – not necessarily Muslim majority countries. A few countries with significant Muslim populations, such as Russia and Thailand, sit as Observer States.

Astana Declaration The Astana Declaration is a policy guidance adopted by OIC members at the Astana Summit. The Astana Declaration commits members to increase investment in science and technology, education, eradicate extreme poverty, and implement UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Relationship with India  Islam is the second-largest religion in India after Hinduism, with roughly 15% of the country's population or 201 million people identifying as adherents of Islam (2018 estimate).  It makes India the country with the largest Muslim population outside Muslim- majority countries. However, India's relationship with Pakistan has always been tense and has a direct impact on India-OIC relations, with Pakistan being a founding member of the OIC. India has pushed for the OIC to accept India as a member, arguing that about 11% of all Muslims worldwide live in India. Pakistan opposes India's entry into the OIC.  The reason for opposition to India's entry into the OIC cited by Pakistan is due to the human rights issues and problems faced by the Kashmiris in the Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir. India has pushed against the OIC for referring to the state of Jammu and Kashmir as "occupied by India". The Muslim world has been supporting Pakistan rather than India in case of dissentions between the two. However, the role of the OIC concerning the Kashmir issue is that India has the largest Muslim minority and those people have shown desire to join the OIC. While the First Islamic Summit held in 1969 in Rabat did not have the issue of the Kashmir people, granting the 60 million Muslims living in India membership in the OIC was discussed.

 For the first time in five decades, the United Arab Emirates invited foreign minister of India Sushma Swaraj to attend the inaugural plenary 46th meeting of OIC foreign ministers held in Abu Dhabi on 1 and 2 March overruling strong objections by Pakistan. Pakistan boycotted the meet objecting to the invitation to India. Swaraj addressed the meet raising concern for spreading terrorism.

Criticism OIC has been criticised by many Muslims for its lack of real engagement and solutions for Muslim countries in crisis. It is said to have made progress in social and academic terms but not politically.

2.16.NEW DEVELOPMENT BANK MEET

Why in News?

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman called for enhancing the emergency financing facility of the New Development Bank (NDB), based on the requirements of member nations to fight the pandemic.  Addressing the fifth annual meeting of the board of governors of NDB via video conference, the minister said: “The bank has financial capacity to enhance the emergency facility up to $10 billion for price-related assistance. Therefore, based on the demand from member countries, this facility should be enhanced.”  She also encouraged the NDB to take appropriate steps to join the G-20 forum, along with the multilateral development banks and international financial institutions. She also hailed NDB’s efforts in fast-tracking financial aid to BRICS countries, including India, under the emergency assistance programme.  So far, NDB has approved 14 projects worth $4,183 million in India.  The minister also dwelt on India’s efforts on supplying critical medicine to needy nations to help them tackle the pandemic.

New Development Bank NDB was set up in 2015 by the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). With its subscribed capital base of $50 billion, NDB aims to mobilise resources for infrastructure and sustainable development. The initial authorized capital of the bank is $100 billion divided into 1 million shares having a par value of $100,000 each. The initial subscribed capital of the NDB is $50 billion divided into paid-in shares ($10 billion) and callable shares ($40 billion). The initial subscribed capital of the bank was equally distributed among the founding members. The Agreement on the NDB specifies that the voting power of each member will be equal to the number of its subscribed shares in the capital stock of the bank.

 Formation - July 2014 (Treaty signed) July 2015 (Treaty in force)  Type - International Financial Institution  Legal status - Treaty  Headquarters - Shanghai, China  The first regional office of the NDB is in Johannesburg, South Africa.  Membership 1. Brazil 2. Russia 3. India 4. China 5. South Africa

 Official language - English  President - K.V. Kamath  Parent organization - BRICS

2.17. INDIAN OCEAN COMMISSION (IOC)

Why in News? India was recently accepted as an observer in the Indian Ocean Commision, getting a seat at the table of the organization that handles maritime governance in the western Indian Ocean.

IOC, a trusted regional actor

Following a request from New Delhi, the IOC granted observer status to India at the Commission’s 34th Council of Ministers.

 Founded in 1982, the IOC is an intergovernmental organisation.  Comprises of five small-island states in the Western Indian Ocean: the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion (a French department), and Seychelles.  Though Réunion brings a major power, France, into this small-state equation, decisions in the IOC are consensus-based, and while France’s foreign policy interests are represented, the specifics of Réunion’s regional decision-making emerge from its local governance structures.

In 2012, the IOC was one of the four regional organisations to launch the MASE Programme — the European Union-funded programme to promote Maritime Security in Eastern and Southern Africa and Indian Ocean. Under MASE, the IOC has established a mechanism for surveillance and control of the Western Indian Ocean with two regional centres. TheRegional Maritime Information Fusion Center (RMIFC), based in Madagascar, is designed to deepen maritime domain awareness by monitoring maritime activities and promoting information sharing and exchange. The Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC), based in Seychelles, will eventually facilitate joint or jointly coordinated interventions at sea based on information gathered through the RMIFC.

Significance of this status for India:  India will get an official foothold in a premier regional institution in the western Indian Ocean, boosting engagement with islands in this part of the Indian Ocean.  These island nations are increasingly important for India’s strategic outreach as part of its Indo-Pacific policy.  This move would enhance ties with France which is the strong global power in the western Indian Ocean.  It lends depth to India’s SAGAR (security and growth for all in the region) policy unveiled by PM Modi in 2015.  The move would lead to greater security cooperation with countries in East Africa.  The move also strengthens western flank of the Indo-Pacific and is a stepping stone to security cooperation with East Africa.

In March 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited three small but significant Indian Ocean island states — Seychelles, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka. During this tour, he unveiled India’s strategic vision for the Indian Ocean: Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR). SAGAR seeks to differentiate India’s leadership from the modus operandi of other regionally active major powers and to reassure littoral states as India’s maritime influence grows. As External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar signalled at the fourth Indian Ocean Conference in September last year, India’s SAGAR vision is intended to be “consultative, democratic and equitable”. India’s recent admission as observer to the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) will put this vision to the test.

2.18.LOCKDOWN LEARNERS

Why in News? The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) has launched a 'Lockdown Learners' series of online dialogues with students and educators in India on COVID-19 and its impact on Sustainable Development Goals, peace and rule of law.

The dialogues have been launched by the United Nations body under its flagship Education for Justice initiative.

Highlights :  Through these dialogues, the aim is to sensitise students on concerns of vulnerable groups and emerging issues such as cybercrime, misinformation, gender-based violence, discrimination, corruption among others.  The Lockdown Learners series also provides a platform for students to receive mentorship and knowledge support through activity-based learning, and use their talent and skills to promote awareness and share their ideas and solutions to address some of these problems.  It also focuses on conducting interactions convened with hundreds of students and educators, Samarth Pathak, UNODC's Communications Officer for South Asia.  The initiative invited schools to join UNODC's efforts to create a positive framework for students to be productive and engaged during the period of lockdown, reduce stress through positive messaging, and empower young people.  What makes UNODC's educational products particularly noteworthy is their emphasis on values, teaching children to think, and helping them build special empowering skills.  These products include free-to-use educational material, comics, board and online games, The Zorbs cartoon series and other modules and videos that may be used by teachers and students at home to develop an understanding on peace and the rule of law.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes : The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes is a United Nations office that was established in 1997as the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention by combining the United Nations International Drug Control Program (UNDCP) and the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division in the United Nations Office at

Vienna. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group and was renamed the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in 2002.

Organizational Structure  It has its headquarters in Vienna (Austria), with 21 field offices and two liaison offices in Brussels and in New York City. The United Nations Secretary-General appoints the agency's Executive Director.  Yuri Fedotov, the former Russian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, held this position since from 2010 until 2019, when the United Nations Secretary-General announced that Ms. Ghada Fathi Waly of Egypt would replace him as both Executive Director of UNODC and Director General of the United Nations Office at Vienna.  UNODC incorporates the secretariat of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).

Education for Justice The Education for Justice Initiative was launched by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes to teach next generation about crime prevention and address problems under law.

The World Drug Report The World Drug Report is a yearly publication that presents a comprehensive assessment of the international drug problem, with detailed information on the illicit drug situation.

It provides estimates and information on trends in the production, trafficking and use of opium/heroin, coca/cocaine, cannabis and amphetamine-type stimulants. The Report, based on data and estimates collected or prepared by Governments, UNODC and other international institutions, attempts to identify trends in the evolution of global illicit drug markets.

Through the World Drug Report, UNODC aims to enhance Member States' understanding of global illicit drug trends and increase their awareness of the need for the more systematic collection and reporting of data relating to illicit drugs.

2.19.SAARC HEALTH MINISTERS CONFERENCE

Why in News? India participated in The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) health ministers conference hosted by Pakistan to promote great regional cooperation to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

India was represented by Rajiv Garg, the Director General of Health Services who was assisted by experts from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Most SAARC countries were represented at the official level.

The meeting was chaired by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza and attended by SAARC Secretary-General- Esala Ruwan Weerakoon.

India’s presentation  A detailed presentation at the conference on how it responds to the situation & about its efforts to increase production of medicines and essential materials besides its research on drugs and vaccines to confront the pandemic.  Highlighted the successful use and promising future of new and innovative technology-based solutions such as the mobile app ‘Aarogya Setu’ to maximize community outreach and intervention.  Creation of a dedicated website developed by SAARC Disaster Management Centre in Gandhinagar and promoting a separate network of health and trade officials deal with the pandemic at the regional level.

Highlights SAARC countries agreed to enhance cooperation in the health sector, especially in the context of efforts to combat the virus at the regional level & to work together to adopt international best practices keeping in view the specific Socio-economic circumstances of South Asia. Discussed issues including real-time sharing of information and clinical data, capacity building among others.

Background  The meeting comes over a month after India took the lead with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring the SAARC leaders together through a video-conference.  India has developed an electronic platform for all SAARC countries to exchange information on response mechanisms to deal with the pandemic. The platform will be launched for exchange of specialized information and tools on COVID-19 among designated health professionals in the region.

2.20.UN CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT

Why in News? The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has cancelled over $1 trillion debt owed by developing countries amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to help them overcome the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Highlights:  UNCTAD report stated that over 64 low-income countries currently spend more on debt service than their health systems. For developing countries debt has become inevitable, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  UNCTAD estimated financing and liquidity requirements due to the pandemic sums up to at least $2.5 trillion.

 The high-income developing nations have debt service obligations of between $2 to $2.3 trillion in 2020 and 2021. Also, the UNCTAD stated that the middle and low- income countries have debt service obligations of $700 billion to $1.1 trillion.

Earlier, the G20 countries allocated $8 trillion into a stimulus for their own economies. The G20 nations agreed to suspend the bilateral debt service payments by the world's poorest countries until the end of 2020.

The G20 grouping has called for “Global Debt Deal” that will grant one-year debt standstill. After one year, the developing world shall pay back the debt with interest.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development  UNCTAD is the part of the United Nations Secretariat dealing with trade, investment, and development issues. The organization's goals are to: "maximize the trade, investment and development opportunities of developing countries and assist them in their efforts to integrate into the world economy on an equitable basis".  UNCTAD was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964 and it reports to the UN General Assembly and United Nations Economic and Social Council.  The primary objective of UNCTAD is to formulate policies relating to all aspects of development including trade, aid, transport, finance and technology.  The conference ordinarily meets once in four years; the permanent secretariat is in Geneva.  One of the principal achievements of UNCTAD (1964) has been to conceive and implement the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP). It was argued in UNCTAD that to promote exports of manufactured goods from developing countries, it would be necessary to offer special tariff concessions to such exports.  The first UNCTAD conference took place in Geneva in 1964  Currently, UNCTAD has 195 member states and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

UNCTAD members:

All UN members plus UN observer states Palestine and the Holy See. UNCTAD members are divided into four lists, the division being based on United Nations Regional Groups with six members unassigned: Armenia, Kiribati, Nauru, South Sudan, Tajikistan, Tuvalu.  List A consists mostly of countries in the African and Asia-Pacific Groups of the UN.  List B consists of countries of the Western European and Others Group.  List C consists of countries of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC).  List D consists of countries of the Eastern European Group.

Reports UNCTAD produces a number of topical reports, including:

 The Trade and Development Report  The Trade and Environment Review  The World Investment Report  The Economic Development in Africa Report  The Least Developed Countries Report  UNCTAD Statistics  The Information Economy Report  The Review of Maritime Transport  The International Accounting and Reporting Issues Annual Review  The Technology and Innovation Report

2.21.USCIRF REPORT

Why in News? US commission mandated to monitor religious freedom globally asked the State Department to designate 14 nations, including India, as "countries of particular concern", alleging that religious minorities are under increasing assault in these nations.

 This is the first time since 2004 – which was in the backdrop of the Gujarat riots of 2002 – that USCIRF has recommended that India be designated as a “Country of Particular Concern”.  Effectively, its internal ranking has put India at par with countries such as Pakistan, Russia, China, Myanmar and Saudi Arabia.  The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reacted sarcastically to India being categorised as a “country of particular concern” by saying, “We regard it as an organisation of particular concern and will treat it accordingly.”  India hit back at a panel of the US Congress, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), that downgraded it from “Tier II” to “Tier I” or “countries with particular concern” with respect to religious freedom.  India rejected the US Commission for International Religious Freedom's (USCIRF) observations, terming them as "biased and tendentious".  The USCIRF has been critical about the Kashmir lockdown, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Delhi riots and the campaign against a Muslim sector.  The USCIRF has frequently timed its statements on the eve of a major Indo-US engagement. A few days before US President Donald Trump’s visit to India, USCIRF released a factsheet that said the CAA was a “significant downward trend in religious freedom” in India. The USCIRF also criticised the Delhi riots that began when Trump was in India, and urged the Modi government to protect religious minorities.

2020 Annual Report Highlights :  The USCIRF, an advisory body to the US Congress, released its 2020 annual report, where it recommended that the Trump administration “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”.  It recommended that the US administration “designate India as a ‘country of particular concern’, or CPC, for engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations, as defined by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA)”.  Three out of nine commissioners at the USCIRF dissented or made separate qualifying notes to the report on India.  The report said, “Following the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) re-election in May, the national government used its strengthened parliamentary majority to institute national level policies violating religious freedom across India, especially for Muslims. The national government allowed violence against minorities and their houses of worship to continue with impunity, and also engaged in and tolerated hate speech and incitement to violence.”It cited the CAA-NRC issue, revoking of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi riots in February this year (which took place outside the reporting period of USCIRF’s annual report) as reasons for the downgrade of India.  Earlier, India was in the Tier-2 category (States under watch list), and now it has been moved to the Tier-1 category (Countries of particular concern).

The USCIRF has done away with the Tier 1 & Tier-2 nomenclature this year, and renamed them as “countries of particular concern” and “states under watchlist”.

2.22.ACCESS TO COVID-19 TOOLS (ACT) ACCELERATOR

Why in News? The World Health Organization along with the other international leading organizations such as Global Fund, UNTAID, CEPI, etc. has launched the COVID-19 Tools (Act) Accelerator.

The collaboration helps to speed up the development, production and access to therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines of Corona Virus.

Highlights

 The main aim of the collaboration is to make COVID-19 treatment available to both rich and poor.  The initiative has been launched based on the experience that during H1N1 Swine Flu in 2009, the distribution of vaccines was not equitable. This was because only the rich countries were able to purchase them.

During the launch, world leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron were all present. However, the United States stayed away from the launch.

ACT Accelerator initiative:  ACT Accelerator initiative provides a global platform for action to enhance connections and leverage interdependencies for collective partnership.  It also enhance problem-solving, mobilizing and guiding investments, and driving equitable access for new COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.  The process will help "speed up and harmonize" the development, production, and equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics for COVID- 19.  The initiative will ensure all people have access to all the tools to defeat COVID-19.  The ACT Accelerator ensures to bring together the combined power of several organizations to work with speed and scale.

G20 The Saudi G20 Presidency has welcomed the launch of “Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator”, a landmark, global and timely collaboration for the accelerated development, production and equitable access to new COVID-19 tools.

3. ECONOMY

AGRICULTURE

3.1.INDIAN RICE EXPORTS SUSPENDED

Why in News? Indian rice traders have stopped signing new export contracts amid the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, as labour shortages and logistics disruptions have hampered the delivery of even existing contracts.

Impact:  The halt in exports from the world's biggest exporter is allowing rival countries such as Thailand to raise shipments in the short term and lift global prices, forcing millions of poor consumers in Africa to pay higher prices.  About 400,000 tonnes of non-basmati rice and 100,000 tonnes of basmati rice, meant for March-April delivery, are either stuck at ports or in the pipeline due to the lockdown.  Before the lockdown, India was offering 5% broken parboiled variety at around $365 per tonne free-on-board basis. Thailand is now been offering the same grade at around $540 per tonne.

Facts on India’s rice exports:  New Delhi mainly exports non-basmati rice toBangladesh, Nepal, Benin and Senegal, and premium basmati rice to Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.  India's rice exports in 2019 fell 18.1% from a year earlier to 9.87 million tonnes, the lowest in eight years, as demand moderated from key Asian and African buyers.  India is the world’s largest exporter of rice followed by Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan and US. China is the largest importer of rice followed by Iran, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and US.

What impact does it have on India?  India is likely to produce 117.47 million tonnes of rice in 2019/20 against an annual consumption of about 100 million tonnes, with state inventories at 31 million tonnes. If the lockdown is extended, or the pandemic spreads among key buying nations, denting demand, India's rice industry could suffer major losses.

3.2.e-NAM

Why in News? In a move aimed at decongesting mandis and maintaining supply chains of fruits and vegetables, the Centre added two new features on the electronic national agriculture

market (e-NAM) platform to make it more convenient for farmers to sell their produce at warehouses and collection centres set up by farmer producer organisations (FPOs).

What did it do?  Agriculture minister launched the new features of e-NAM which will strengthen agriculture marketing and reduce the need for farmers to physically come to mandis for selling their produce.  The warehouse-based trading module in e-NAM software will facilitate trading from the premises of warehouses based on negotiable warehouse receipts in electronic form (e-NWR).  The other module will allow farmers get access to the e-NAM platform from collection centers of FPOs.

How does it help?  The FPO trading module will help these organisations upload their produce from their premises or collection centres for bidding.  They can upload the assaying report and picture of the produce and quality parameters to help bidders, even outside the state, to see the produce before bidding.  FPOs have the option for delivery of produce either from their premise or by bringing to mandi premise after successful bidding. This will not only decongest mandis but also reduce the logistics cost for FPOs. e-NAM:  National Agriculture Market is an online trading platform for agricultural commodities in India. The market facilitate farmers, traders and buyers with online trading in commodities  The Portal is managed by Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) with the technology provider, NFCL’s iKisan division.  As many as 585 mandis in 16 statesand 2 UTs are already connected under e- NAM and there is proposal to bring in another 415 mandis under the platform.  When any mandi is connected to e-NAM, it provides a trading platform within its premise as an additional medium to farmers, apart from the traditional commission agent system  Only warehouses, accredited by the Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) will be eligible to offer the trading services once the states notify them as deemed markets, the agriculture ministry said in a statement. So far, Telangana (14 warehouses) and Andhra Pradesh (23 warehouses) have declared designated warehouses as deemed markets.

Electronic National Warehousing Receipts (eNWR)  Warehouse Act defines a “negotiable warehouse receipt” as the receipt under which the goods represented therein are deliverable to the depositor or order, the endorsement of which has the effect of the transfer of goods represented thereby and the endorsee for which takes a good title”  It is managed by National E-Repository  Small farmers can take loan against eNWRs usually up to 75% of the value of crops, at concessional interest rate of 7% to meet their immediate needs.

 The eNWR charge is normally around Rs 25/tonne for a period not exceeding the normal shelf life of the crop.

Benefits of e-NWR’s :

3.3.INDIA USES PEACE CLAUSE OF WTO

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

What is this about?  India informed the WTO that the value of its rice production was $43.67 billion in 2018-19 and that it gave subsidies worth $5 billion. The limit is pegged at 10% of the value of food production in the case of India and other developing countries.  PeaceClause means that any country in breach of its statutory obligations under the WTO Agreement on Agriculturewhich cannot be legally challenged against trade distortion.

 This temporary clause was made in Bali Ministerial Conference in 2013. The peace clause protects a developing country’s food procurement programmes against action from WTO members in case subsidy ceilings are breached.  In WTO’s Special and Differential treatment provision, agriculture subsidies can be given up to 10% and 5% of the value of produce for developing and developed countries respectively.Subsidies over and above the prescribed ceiling are seen as trade distorting.  This is the first time any country has invoked the peace clause.  India is confident that it has met the conditions to be able to use the peace clause – and not distort trade or adversely affect the food security of other members – and that no country will raise a dispute.  The issue will be discussed in the Committee on Agriculture of the WTO.

Justification for the breach of the clause:  The public stockholding programmes for food security purposes, rice, wheat, coarse cereals and pulses, among others, are acquired and released in order to meet the domestic food security needs of India’s poor and vulnerable population, and not to impede commercial trade or food security of others.  The government does not undertake exports on a commercial basis from public stockholdings.  Additionally, open market sales of food grains from public stockholdings are made, provided the buyer gives an undertaking of not exporting from such purchases.  The main objectives of the food security programmes are to ensure minimum support prices for farmers, stability in food grain prices and their equitable distribution at affordable rates to the marginalised and vulnerable sections of society throughout the year.

3.4.FARMERS ARE AT THEIR WITS END

Context: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to global concerns on the state of agriculture and food security. On the one hand, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned of a “food crisis”,  If countries do not protect vulnerable people from hunger and malnourishment.  Farmers face a stalemate as they are unable to work on their land, earn remunerative prices and gain access to markets.

Food stocks and prices  According to the FAO, as on April 2, 2020, the total stock of cereals in the world was about 861 million tonnes. This translates to a stocks-to-use ratio (SUR) — i.e., proportion of consumption available as stocks — of 30.7%.  The SURs for wheat, rice and coarse grains were 35.3%, 35.1% and 26.9%, respectively. But world stocks are different from national stocks.  About 52% of the global wheat stocks is held by China, and about 20% of the global rice stocks is held by India. If the major holders of global stocks decide to turn precautionary and stop exporting, and if the lockdown is prolonged, countries dependent on rice imports will suffer.  Kazakhstan, a major wheat exporter, has banned exports. Russia, the largest wheat exporter, is expected to restrict its exports. Vietnam, the third largest rice exporter, has stopped its exports, which will reduce the global rice exports by 15%. If India and Thailand too ban exports, world supply of rice will sharply fall.  In March 2020, the Philippines and the European Union, major rice importers, had inventories of rice enough to feed their populations for about three months. Others, however, had inventories to hold on for about one month only. If the lockdown continues beyond a month, these countries will face food shortages.

Stock in India  India’s foodgrain output is projected to be about 292 MMT in 2019-20. On March 1, 2020, the total stock of wheat and rice with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) was 77.5 MT. The buffer norms for foodgrain stocks — i.e., operational stock plus strategic reserves — is 21.04 MT.  Similarly, for pulses, India had a stock of 2.25 MT in mid-March 2020. In both cases, the rabi harvest is slated to arrive in April 2020, and the situation is expected to ease further.

What is the issue?  There is always an element of uncertainty on how prices will behave if both demand and supply fall together. Prices in different markets fluctuate considerably given differences in the extent of production, stocks, arrivals and supply disruptions.  According to the FAO, the world food price index fell by 4.3% and world cereal price index fell by 1.9% between February and March 2020 due to the weakening demand for food and the sharp fall in maize prices owing to poor

demand for biofuels. However, retail prices of rice and wheat have been rising in the Western economies in March 2020.  The major reasons identified are panic buying by households,export restrictions by countries and continuing supply chain disruptions. Retail prices of beef and eggs have also been rising.  In India, WPI and CPI for food were rising from mid-2019 onwards, reflecting a rise in vegetable prices, especially onion prices. January and February 2020 saw a moderate fall in these indices, but vegetable prices have remained high. If food prices rise due to the lockdown, it will be on top of an already rising price curve.  However, unlike in the West, food prices in India have not risen after the lockdown.While supplies have declined, demand has fallen too. Yet, wholesale prices of foodgrains and vegetables in the mandi have been stable, with only the prices of pulses showing a tendency to rise. This is because there has been a sharp fall in the consumption of foodgrains and vegetables. Similarly, the consumption of milk has fallen by 10-12%.

The crisis in farming  Harvesting and marketing of crops are in crisis across India, because of: (a) disruptions in the procurement of foodgrains by government agencies; (b) disruptions in the collection of harvests from the farms by traders; (c) shortage of workers to harvest the rabi crops; (d) shortage of truck drivers; (e) blockades in the transport of commodities; (f) limited operations of APMC mandis; (g) shutdowns in the retail markets.  These supply bottlenecks have led to a fall in farm gate prices. According to media reports, tomato growers in Maharashtra were receiving only Rs 2 per kg. Wheat prices in Madhya Pradesh fell from Rs 2200/Q to about Rs 1,600/Q. In Punjab, vegetable prices fell from Rs15/kg to Rs1/kg.  The large-scale return of migrant workers to their homes has disrupted harvest operations, and farmers are being forced to leave the crop in the fields.  While mechanical harvesters can be used, there is a shortage of drivers/operators. Most rice mills work with migrant workers, and their return home has meant that these mills are not buying paddy from farmers. There are also severe labour shortages in milk processing plants, cold storage units and warehouses.  Agricultural goods have been notified as essential goods. But about 5,00,000 trucks are reportedly stranded in the highways and State borders. Milk trucks are able to unload at the destination but unable to return empty, which has upset supply schedules. Trucks are in shortage as drivers have gone home. Imports of vegetable oils are not being lifted from ports due to shortage of trucks.  Most APMC mandis are functioning only twice or thrice a week. Livestock feeds are in short supply, and this is breaking the back of livestock growers.

Conclusion: The world and India have adequate food stocks. But as global trade shrinks and supply disruptions persist, a prolonged lockdown will adversely affect food security in many countries. In the Western world, food prices are rising due to panic buying and stockpiling. Food prices are not yet rising in India. What has kept Indian food prices low is the severe decline in food consumption, especially among the poor, after the lockdown. That is, hunger may keep the food inflation in March 2020 low. Concurrently, farmers face acute labour shortages, falling farm gate prices and lack of access to input/output markets. It is unclear who is benefiting, but farmers, workers and the poor are at their wits’ end.

3.5.JAPAN LIFTS INSPECTION ORDER FOR INDIAN SHRIMP

Why in News? Seafood exports to Japan is likely to gain with the country lifting inspection order for Indian Black Tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) after the export consignments of this shrimp were found free from any residue of synthetic anti-bacterial drug furazolidone. Japanese agency has also reduced import inspection sampling frequency for Black Tiger shrimp to 30% from the current 100%.

Global productivity and market for Indian Shrimp  India accounts for nearly 6% of the global fish production and is the largest producer of shrimps in the world.  Black Tiger shrimp, commonly known as the giant tiger prawn or Asian Tiger shrimp, is a popular seafood delicacy the world over and also forms an important segment of India’s marine products export basket.  Japan consumes nearly 40% of India’s Black Tiger shrimp exports, while it enjoys niche markets in EU and US also.

Steps taken by MPEDA to increase the exports:  The validation of the relentless efforts undertaken by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) in raising the request at various platforms and through its trade promotion office in Tokyo.  MPEDA, through its field offices and society named National Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture, had been constantly educating the farmers on better management practices (BMPs) and the ill-effects of using unknown inputs, which may contain residues of antimicrobial substances like furazolidone.  MPEDA has also been making sustained efforts to revive the production of Black Tiger shrimp by supplying high health seeds of the variety from its new Multispecies Aquaculture Complex (MAC) at Vallarpadam in Kochi. The seeds supplied by MAC have evoked a rapidly growing interest among the farmers to raise the disease-free variety.

Indian Fisheries Sector  Fisheries remain an important source of food, nutrition, employment and income in India. The sector provides livelihood to about 16 million fishers and fish farmers at the primary level and almost twice the number along the value chain.  Recognising the importance of the sector, an independent Department of Fisheries has been created in 2019 to provide sustained and focused attention towards the development of fisheries sector.  The sector has been showing a steady growth in the total GVA and accounts for 6.58 per cent of GDP from agriculture, forestry and fishing.  It registered an average annual growth rate of more than 7 per cent in the recent years.  The sector has been one of the major contributors of foreign exchange earnings with India being one of the leading seafood exporting nations in the world.  During 2018-19, export of marine products stood at 13,92,559 metric tonnes and valued at 46,589 crore.  USA and South East Asia are the major export markets for Indian seafood.  India has rich and diverse fisheries resources. The marine fisheries resources are spread along the country’s vast coastline and 2.02 million square km Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and 0.53 million sq.km continental shelf area.  The total fish production in the country stood at 13.42 million metric tonnes (provisional) during 2018-19.Of this, the marine fisheries contributed 3.71 million metric tonnes and the inland fisheries contributed 9.71 million metric tonnes.  During 2018-19, 71 per cent of marine fisheries potential and 58 per cent of the inland fisheries potential have been harnessed.  Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund was created to address the gaps in fisheries infrastructure, during 2018-19 with a total fund size of 7,522.48 crore.  The FIDF provides concessional finance/loan to the Eligible Entities (EEs), including State Governments/Union Territories (UTs) and State entities for development of identified fisheries infrastructure facilities.  The concessional finance under the FIDF is provided by the Nodal Loaning Entities (NLEs) namely 1) NABARD 2) National Cooperatives Development Corporation (NCDC) and 3) All scheduled Banks

3.6.RECORD FOOD PRODUCTION

Why in news? On the back of a normal monsoon forecast, the Agriculture Ministry is targeting a record food grain production of 298.3 million tonnes for 2020•21, higher than the 291.95 million tonnes estimated for 2019•20.  According to a presentation made by Agriculture Commissioner at a National Conference on Agriculture•Kharif 2020 Campaign, both rice and wheat

production targets are minimally higher than the previous year. However, the focus is on driving the growth in pulses, coarse cereals and oilseeds.  The India Meteorological Department issued its first forecast for the monsoon, predicting normal rainfall, with a chance of above normal rain in August and September.

Crop Targets:  Rice: The main kharif season crop is rice, and the Agriculture Ministry is targeting a harvest of 102.6 million tonnes (M.T), slightly higher than the last kharif season harvest of 101.95M.T. However, it has lowered its rice production target for the next rabi season to 14.9 M.T. This means that the total rice production target for 2020•21 is 117.5 M.T.  Barely: It is higher than the previous year's target of 117.47 M.T.  Wheat: Wheat production is also expected to remain steady, with a 2020•21 target of 106.5 M.T, in comparison to the previous year’s estimate of 106.21 M.T.  Coarse Cereals: The Agriculture Ministry hopes to ramp up production of coarse cereals this year, but admits that the challenge is how to create demand for nutricereals or millets. It is targeting a harvest of 48.7 M.T in comparison to the previous season’s 45.24 million tonnes.  Pulses: With regard to pulses, the target is 25.3 M.T compared to the previous season's estimates of 23 M.T, with the entire increase projected to come from the kharif season.  Oilseeds: They are a major priority, especially due to the disruption in edible oil imports caused by the COVID•19 pandemic. The targeted harvest is 36.64 M.T, in comparison to the last season's estimates of 34.19 M.T.  Oil Palm Plantation: The Ministry has also created an action plan for oil palm plantation, given the disruptions in imports. It hopes to cover 31,500 hectares with about 45 lakh seedlings this year, with the bulk of the plantation in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

3.7.SUBSIDY FOR NON-UREA FERTILISERS

Why in news? The Centre slashed the subsidy on non-urea fertilisers, a move that would reduce the burden on the exchequer to Rs 22,186.55 crore in this fiscal amid the COVID-19 outbreak.  The decision in this regard was taken at the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) headed by Prime Minister.  The CCEA has given its approval for fixation of nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) rates for phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers for 2020-21. The CCEA also approved the inclusion of a complex fertiliser namely ammonium phosphate (NP 14:28:0:0) under the NBS scheme.

Nutrient based Subsidy Scheme (NBS)  In 2010, the government had launched the nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) programme under which a fixed amount of subsidy, decided on an annual

basis, is provided on each grade of subsidised phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers, except for urea, based on the nutrient content present in them.  It is being implemented by Dept. of Fertilizers under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.  In India, urea is the only controlled fertilizer and is sold at a statutory notified uniform sale price.

How were subsidies given?  Government is making available fertilizers, Urea and 21 grades of P&K fertilizers to farmers at subsidized prices through fertilizer manufacturers/importers.  Under the scheme, a fixed amount of subsidy decided on an annual basis is provided on each grade of subsidized Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers, except for Urea based on the nutrient content present in them.  In case of urea, the government fixes the maximum retail price (MRP). The difference between the production cost and the MRP is reimbursed to manufacturers.

3.8.PRICES OF SUGARCANE

Why in news? Supreme Court ruling out any conflict between the statutory minimum price (SMP) of sugarcane fixed by the Centre and the advisory price by the state government if the latter is higher, a five-Judge Constitution Bench refused to refer the issue to a larger Bench, as sought by sugar mills of Uttar Pradesh.  Since 2009-10, the SMP has been replaced with fair and remunerative price (FRP) and some states like Uttar Pradesh continue to announce state-advised prices which are higher than FRPs.  Settling the issue, the Bench led by Justice Arun Mishra said there is no conflict till the time the price fixed by the state government is higher than the central government.  According to the SC, by virtue of Entries 33 and 34 of List III (concurrent list) of Seventh Schedule, both the Centre as well as the state government has the power to fix the price of sugarcane.  The central government having exercised the power and fixed the ‘minimum price,’ the state government cannot fix the ‘minimum price’ of sugarcane. However, at the same time, it is always open for the state government to fix the “advised price”which is always higher than the “minimum price”, in view of the relevant provisions of the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966” the Constitution Bench said in its order.  It is only in a case where the “advised price” fixed by the state government is lower than the “minimum price” fixed by the central government, the provisions of the central enactments will prevail. So as long as the “advised price” fixed by the state government is higher than the “minimum price” fixed by the Central government, the same cannot be said to be void under Article 254 of the Constitution,” the SC said.

Entry 33 & 34 of Concurrent List:  33. Trade and commerce in, and the production, supply and distribution of,— (a) the products of any industry where the control of such industry by the Union is declared by Parliament by law to be expedient in the public interest, and imported goods of the same kind as such products; (b) foodstuffs, including edible oilseeds and oils; (c) cattle fodder, including oilcakes and other concentrates; (d) raw cotton, whether ginned or unginned, and cotton seed; and (e) raw jute.]  34. Price control

State Advised Price:  State Advised Price (SAP) is the price set by state governments for the sugarcane.  It is the price that sugar mills would have to pay farmers instead of the Fair and Remunerative Price. It is generally higher than FRP.

3.9.FOODGRAIN STOCK WILL LAST TILL NEXT YEAR MARCH

Why in news? The stock of foodgrains available with the Food Corporation of India is comfortable to manage the situation till March next year, but it would be an exaggeration to hold that the stock is far in excess of the buffer stock requirement, which should include additional allocation.  Responding to the demand being made by food security activists that the Central government, with enormous excess stock, releases more foodgrains to States free of cost or at a nominal price over and above the existing allocations.  The buffer stock norms were fixed based on the requirement of wheat or rice at 5 kg a person for 80 crore beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), which was in line with the requirements of the law.

Additional allocation of foodgrains  The norms have been determined, considering normal situations and they essentially provide for any production shortfalls. As per the norms fixed in 2015, the buffer stock, as maintained on April 1, was around 210 lakh tonnes, a figure which would change on the first day of July, October and January.  However, a pandemic is a different situation and it may demand a revision of the existing norms in view of the additional allocation of foodgrains at 5 kg a person, as being done under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY) for three months - April to June this year in the light of the coronavirus (COVID-19). In essence, the buffer norms now need to take into account the additional allocation too.  As on date, the total stock is 564 lakh tonnes, of which rice accounts for 284 lakh tonnes and wheat, 280 lakh tonnes. In the remaining period of April, May and June, it is expected that there will be an outflow of 200 lakh tonnes for the regular

NFSA scheme, 5 kg free for each NFSA beneficiaries given under PMGKAY and the new schemes introduced for non-NFSA cardholders and NGOs.

Kharif Procurement  As the Kharif procurement season for rice is approaching an end and wheat procurement has just started, the stock position at warehouses will naturally be high on July 1.  Wheat being once a year crop, it has to be stocked from July for almost a year to meet the year-long demand by the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) till the arrival of the next crop.  Similarly, at least for six months has to be waited to start receiving the inflow of Kharif rice. Given our country’s pattern, we have to procure wheat in about three months for the entire year and rice over six to eight months.

National Food Security Act :  Government of India enacted National Food Security Act (NFSA) in July,2013 which gives legal entitlement to 67% of the population (75% in rural areas and 50% in urban areas) to receive highly subsidized foodgrains.  Under the Act, foodgrain is allocated o 5 kg per person per month for priority households category o 35 kg per family per month for Antyodaya Anna Yojana families at a highly subsidized prices of Rs. 1/-, Rs. 2/- and Rs. 3/- per kg for nutri-cereals, wheat and rice respectively.  Coverage under the Act is based on the population figures of Census, 2011.  The Act is now being implemented in all 36 States/UTs and covers about 81.35 crore persons.  The annual allocation of foodgrain under National Food Security Act and Other Welfare Schemes is about 610 Lakh Metric Tons.

3.10.HOARDING GOVERNMENT, STARVING PEOPLE

Context: India has moved from a state of dependence on importing food grain from the United States (the PL 480 programme) to self-sufficiency to export capability. The Green Revolution changed everything.  The Public Distribution System (PDS) was introduced in India in 1942. It was a system of rationing the food grain available. In the Seventh Five Year Plan Period, PDS was made a permanent feature and the whole population was brought under PDS.  PDS served two purposes: o As production of food grain soared, farmers were left with huge marketable surpluses. India needed a system that would procure the food grain at fair and remunerative prices — and set a floor for the producer price. Food Corporation of India (FCI) procures the surplus food grain at a Minimum Support Price (MSP).

o The other purpose was to stock food grain after the Kharif and Rabi harvests and release the required quantities to the states every month in order to ensure year-round availability and price stability.  The distribution of food grain is based on a complex system of classification of and distribution to different sections of the people: Above Poverty Line (APL), Below Poverty Line (BPL), Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Open Market Sales.

Who Owns the Food Grain?  The food grain belongs to the people of India. The grain was produced by the toil of the farmers and agricultural labour. It was procured, and is stored, using taxpayers’ money. Any profit or loss due to the operations of the FCI or the State Civil Supplies Corporations is a profit or loss to the exchequer. If the food grain belongs to the people of India, it is the people of India who have a first claim on the food grain.  If we keep this fundamental truth in mind, it is easy to answer the question: what should the government do in an emergency situation like the outbreak of a pandemic, the nationwide lockdown, and the inevitable poverty and hunger among, at least, the bottom half of the population (13 crore families)?

No Cash, No Food  It is a stark fact that millions of families have run out of cash. They cannot buy food. The worst fate that can befall a person is being locked down, alone or with his family, with no money and no food.  The poor are forced to compromise their dignity by standing in long queues for free cooked food provided by the government or private bodies.  The distribution of free cooked food can never be perfect. The food will not reach all parts of a state. The quality will be poor. The quantity will be inadequate.  In a country where malnutrition is entrenched, especially among children, there is the danger of hunger becoming widespread too. Hunger and malnutrition will lead to starvation.

The irony is that India has mountains of food grain and a system of public and private shops that can reach the food grain to the people, yet millions of poor are going hungry. The central and state governments have to ensure only two things, as long as the lockdown lasts: 1) That the families have thecash to buy grain, pulses, oil, salt, sugar, etc. from the public and private shops that are supplied with adequate stocks. This option will cost, based on Rs 5,000 per family, a maximum of Rs 65,000 crore to tide over the period until the end of May. 2) That adequate grain, pulses, oil, salt, sugar, etc. is given free to the 13 crore families. This option will cost, at the rate of 10 kg per person in a family per month, 65 LMT of grain per month plus a small cost for the pulses, oil, salt, sugar, etc. In fact, both options should be exercised. India owes that much to the poor. The Rabi procurement will fill the godowns again soon.

Also in news

Foodgrain stocks hit all-time high of 73.85 mt in April 2020

The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) relief package, announced on March 27 2020 to alleviate the distress of people most affected by the nationwide lockdown, may help whittle down some of the excess foodgrain stocks.  Foodgrain stocks in the central pool stood at 73.85 million tonne (mt) as on April 1, the highest ever for this date and three-and-a-half times the minimum operational-cum-strategic reserve requirement of 21.04 mt.  The 73.85 mt figure includes 24.70 mt of wheat and 32.24 mt of rice. In addition, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state government agencies were holding 25.24 mt of un-milled paddy, whose rice equivalent, at an outturn ratio of 67%, worked out to 16.91 mt.  The build-up of stocks to such high levels is mainly a result of governmental procurement of grain exceeding offtake from the central pool.  The NFSA currently entitles three-fourths of all rural and half of all urban households to 5 kg of wheat or rice per person per month at Rs 2 per kg and Rs 3 per kg, respectively. Under the new package, an extra 5 kg of wheat/rice is being given per person per month, free of cost, for a three-month period from April to June 2020. An additional 12.14 mt of wheat and rice has been allocated for this purpose.

ECONOMIC GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT

3.11.ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT (EIU)

It is an organization that provides forecasting and advisory services to assist entrepreneurs, financiers, and government officials.  The EIU provides country, industry, and risk analysis based on the work, research, and insights of a worldwide network of economic, political, and business experts. Additionally, the EIU has a system of country specialists that provide country-specific insight and analysis.  The Economist Intelligence Unit operates as an independent research and analysis business within the London-based Economist Group, the media company that publishes The Economist magazine.  It has provided services since 1946. Free access to certain reports and other information is granted on the EIU website; other reports and data are available for purchase or through paid subscriptions.  The EIU offers its clients detailed analysis and forecasts for 205 countries. Those clients can access certain data for free or purchase individual articles or complete country plans that provide access to a selection of economic and business information for a specific national markets.

 The service covers a country's economic and political outlook, credit risk, business environment, market opportunities, regulatory environment, and financing conditions.

Its reports include, 1. Worldwide Cost of Living Index  The Worldwide Cost of Living is a bi-annual Economist Intelligence Unit survey that compares more than 400 individual prices across 160 products and services.  The survey incorporates easy-to-understand comparative cost-of-living indices between cities and has been carried out for more than 30 years.

2. Global Liveability Rank  It publishes an annual Global Liveability Ranking, which ranks 140 cities for their urban quality of life based on assessments of stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.  Austria's capital, Vienna, has ranked the most liveable city among the 140 cities surveyed by The Economist Intelligence Unit for the second year in a row in 2019.

3. Where-to-be-Born Index  The where-to-be-born index (previously called the quality-of-life index, abbreviated QLI) attempts to measure which country will provide the best opportunities for a healthy, safe and prosperous life in the years ahead.  It is based on a method that links the results of subjective life-satisfaction surveys to the objective determinants of quality of life across countries along with a forward-looking element.

4. Democracy Index  It intends to measure the state of democracy in 167 countries, of which 166 are sovereign states and 164 are UN member states.  The index was first published in 2006, with updates for 2008, 2010 and later years.  The index is based on 60 indicators grouped in five different categories, measuring pluralism, civil liberties and political culture.  In addition to a numeric score and a ranking, the index categorises each country in one of four regime types: full democracies, flawed democracies, hybrid regimes and authoritarian regimes.  In 2019, India was ranked 51st rank with the score of 6.90 which comes under the category of “flawed democracy”. Norway, Iceland and Sweden are top ranked democratic countries.

3.12.LOCKDOWN PEGGED AT ABOUT $120 BILLION

The complete 21-day COVID-19 shutdown of most economic activity has created new roadblocks, causing severe disruptive impact on both demand and supply side elements across sectors. The cost of the lockdown is pegged at around $120 billion (approximately Rs 9 lakh crore) or 4% of the GDP.

Further, 90% of India's workforce is employed in the unorganised sector and this lockdown will effectively put over 45 million migrants living off daily earnings out of work. Sectors like construction projects, mobility services, housekeeping and other informal sector employment will come to a sudden halt.

The manufacturing sector faces a triple challenge. 1. There are going to be serious supply chain disruptions not just when dealing with foreign parties, but also the domestic industry. 2. Sectors like automobiles, pharmaceuticals, electronics, chemical products etc., are facing an imminent raw material and component shortage. 3. The shutdown and resulting loss of revenue is certain to cause a number of bankruptcies and closures, especially in the MSME sector with corresponding disruption to supply chains.

Other issues associated with it:  On the demand side, several industries would get impacted starting with the consumer durable goods and will cascade to other intermediate goods and basic goods.  The government was the major spender on investment in the infrastructure sector, which will slowdown now with resources and attention being diverted. Hence, industries like steel and cement, which did well, last year, will stumble.  The services sector will see a fall in demand. These include aviation, hotels, restaurants, tourism, retail malls etc. The real estate sector, which was already in deep trouble, could well slide even more,in the medium term at least.  Even 10-20% job losses among its 7.3 million employees in restaurants across the country would mean up to 15 lakh unemployed. Any delay in addressing the economic consequences will lead to massive job losses.

As a solution:  Firms cannot be expected to drain their already stretched cash-flows. To tide over the present crisis, banks should give three months' salary as overdraft facility to the employees of companies which can be escrowed to the companies with a nominal rate of interest not exceeding 3%.  On electronic component and semi-conductor industry, the impact will be felt in the areas of logistics, packaging and testing. A special package should be designed for this highly skilled industry.  In the case of contract workers, many casual and informal workers are directly or indirectly dependent on the survival of small and medium enterprises for jobs.  The government could lend support through tax holidays and zero-interest loans for three months.  In the case of services sector, the government should consider contributing the employer's share of PF for all employees earning less than Rs 20,000 per month and ESI contribution for all employees earning below the statutory threshold level of Rs 21,000 per month, for a period of 12 months.  For firms that have difficulties in managing their cash flows, the government should extend a government-backed loan guarantee, on the basis of which firms can raise loans on preferential terms to the extent of 25% of their existing working capital arrangements.

 All rating agencies may be advised to suspend rating reviews till the lockdown is over.  The RBI needs to come up with a special window to provide liquidity to NBFCs and microfinance institutions in this period.  The government should ensure that all refunds across tax legislation — up to 75% should be given without any verification and any wrongful claim can be recovered without any interest.  Private sector hospitals need to be encouraged to provide specific number of isolation wards to the poor and extended financial assistance on soft terms.  In the absence of new Export/Import Policy, all export incentives viz MEIS, SCIS, EPCG license etc. should be extended for one more year. Fixed charges levied may be waived and the industry may be charged only on the actual consumption of electricity.  Immediate refund of IGST will help exporter in dealing with liquidity issues.  In order to have Business Continuity Plans where the economy is better prepared for a work from home mode, the government should halve GST rates on all laptops, routers, cloud services, dongles and such other equipment and services.  All companies should be asked to devote their CSR funds exclusively towards creation of clean quarantine centres, and addition of hospital beds, ventilators and PPEs, besides investing in testing and other facilities aimed at preventing the spread of the virus.  Women's Self-Help Groups and the informal sector should be asked to produce masks, hand sanitisers, among others in a big way. Banks should be asked fund these activities and State governments should arrange for the marketing of these products to their local primary health centres.

3.13.INPUT-OUTPUT MODEL

Input-output analysis ("I-O") is a form of macroeconomic analysis based on the interdependencies between economic sectors or industries.  This method is commonly used for estimating the impacts of positive or negative economic shocks and analyzing the ripple effects throughout an economy.  The model depicts inter-industry relationships within an economy, showing how output from one industrial sector may become an input to another industrial sector. In the inter-industry matrix, column entries typically represent inputs to an industrial sector, while row entries represent outputs from a given sector.  Such models provide detailed sector wise information of output and consumption in different sectors of the economy and their inter-linkages, along with the sum total of wages, profits, savings and expenditure in each sector and by each section of final consumers (Households, governments, etc.)  This type of economic analysis was originally developed by Wassily Leontief (1905–1999), who later won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his work in this area.  The last officially published IO table for India was for the year 2007-2008.  I-O models estimate three types of impact: direct, indirect, and induced.

o The direct impact of an economic shock is an initial change in expenditures. For example, building a bridge would require spending on cement, steel, construction equipment, labor, and other inputs. o The indirect, or secondary, impact would be due to the suppliers of the inputs hiring workers to meet demand. o The induced, or tertiary, impact would result from the workers of suppliers purchasing more goods and services. This analysis can also be run in reverse, seeing what effects on inputs were likely the cause of observed changes in outputs.

3.14.MULTIPLIER EFFECT

The Multiplier Effect refers to the proportional amount of increase in final income that results from an injection of spending. Alternatively, a multiplier effect can also work in reverse, showing a proportional decrease in income when spending falls. An effect in economics in which an increase in spending produces an increase in national income and consumption greater than the initial amount spent. For example, if a corporation builds a factory, it will employ construction workers and their suppliers as well as those who work in the factory. Indirectly, the new factory will stimulate employment in laundries, restaurants, and service industries in the factory's vicinity.

3.15.WORLD TRADE ORGANIATION

Why in News? The only certainty right now in a pandemic-gripped world is the all-enveloping uncertainty. WTO acknowledged as much when it released its outlook for global trade whereby projecting merchandise trade to plummet by anywhere between 13% and 32% in 2020 to posit a wide range of possible trajectories for the predicted decline in trade given the unprecedented nature of the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak and the uncertainty around its precise economic impact.  Economists at the WTO, however, appear more certain that the disruption and resultant blow to trade will in all likelihood be far worse than the slump brought on by the global financial crisis of 2008.  The tight restrictions on movement and social distancing norms across geographies have led to severe curbs on labour supply, transport and travel and the shuttering of whole sectors from hotels and non-essential retail to tourism and significant parts of manufacturing.  The WTO expects all regions, save Africa, West Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, to suffer double-digit declines in exports and imports this year even under its “optimistic scenario”, which postulates a recovery starting in the second half.  Global supply chains have increased in complexity, especially in industries such as electronics and automotive products, making them particularly vulnerable to the current disruptions, with countries that are a part of these value linkages set to find trade more severely impacted.

 Services trade — in which India has a higher global share as an exporter ($214 billion, or 3.5%, in 2019) than in merchandise exports — may be significantly affected by the transport and travel curbs.  A small silver of silver in this bleak outlook for services trade is the role that the WTO sees for information technology services as companies try to enable employees to work from home and people order essentials and drugs online and socialise remotely.

Conclusion:  The world will be best served if nations do not turn insular and erect new barriers to the movement of goods, services and people in the aftermath of the pandemic.

3.16.IMF PLACES INDIA AS THE FASTEST-GROWING EMERGING ECONOMY

Context:The IMF (International Monetary Fund) projected a GDP growth of 1.9 per cent for India in 2020, as the global economy hits the worst recession since the Great Depression in the 1930s due to the raging coronavirus pandemic that has nearly stalled all economic activities across the world.  With this subdued forecast, India is likely to record its worst growth performance since the 1991 liberalisation.

What does IMF Report say?  The International Monetary Fund, in its latest edition of the World Economic Outlook, has placed India as the fastest-growing emerging economies of the world. It is among the only two major countries, which will register a positive growth rate in 2020. The other being China, for which the IMF has projected a growth rate of 1.2 per cent.  IMF in its report projected that the global growth in 2020 will fall to -3 per cent. This is a downgrade of 6.3 percentage points from January 2020, a major revision over a very short period.  Most countries, in the advanced economy group, are forecast to contract this year, including the United States (–5.9 per cent), Japan (–5.2 per cent), the United Kingdom (–6.5 per cent), Germany (–7.0 per cent), France (–7.2 per cent), Italy (– 9.1 per cent), and Spain (–8.0 per cent).  This is a crisis like no other, and there is substantial uncertainty about its impact on people’s lives and livelihoods. A lot depends on the epidemiology of the virus, the effectiveness of containment measures, and the development of therapeutics and vaccines, all of which are hard to predict.  In addition, many countries now face multiple crises — a health crisis, a financial crisis, and a collapse in commodity prices, which interact in complex ways.  Assuming thepandemic fades in the second half of 2020 and that policy actions taken around the world are effective in preventing widespread firm

bankruptcies, extended job losses, and system-wide financial strains, the IMF projects global growth in 2021 to rebound to 5.8 per cent.  The emerging markets and developing economies face additional challenges with unprecedented reversals in capital flows as global risk appetite wanes, and currency pressures, while coping with weaker health systems, and more limited fiscal space to provide support. Moreover, several economies entered this crisis in a vulnerable state with sluggish growth and high debt levels.

Great Depression of 1929 The Great Depression was the worst worldwide economic downturn that lasted for 10 years from 1929, beginning in the US when the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street crashed and wiped out millions of investors.

Facts for Prelims:  South Asia Economic Focus report is released by World Bank  World Economy Report is released by IMF

3.17.ECONOMIC LIBERALISATION AND ITS FAULTS

Context: In the late 1980s, transnational corporations started shifting the production base to smaller companies in developing countries, especially Asia, in search of cheap labour and raw materials. Developed countries supported the move because shifting the polluting and labour-intensive industries suited them as long as ownership remained with their companies. Thus, the world witnessed the development of global supply chains in many products starting with garments, where in huge companies with massive market power dictated the terms to smaller manufacturers down the value chain to produce cheaply.  Though many developing countries participated in the global production/value/supply chains, the substantial value addition in developing countries happened in a few production hubs, of which China emerged to be a major one. Manufacturing shifted from a decentralised production system spread across different countries to just a few locations.  However, countries like China defied the logic of supply/value chains ensuring substantial value addition for themselves. They even carried out backward integration and thus emerged as global manufacturing hubs for certain products. In the case of health products, China became the global supplier of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), personal protective equipment (PPE), and medical devices diagnostics.

Implication from Chinese products:  This has major implications for the COVID-19 outbreak. The resultant loss of manufacturing base has affected the ability of many governments, including of developed countries, to put up an effective response to the crisis.  The U.K. Prime Minister asked the country’s manufacturers to produce ventilators in order to provide care for critical COVID-19 patients.

 Similarly, the U.S. President invoked the Defense Production Act of 1950 to ramp up N95 mask production. Under this legislation, the U.S. President can direct U.S. manufacturers to shift from their normal manufacturing activities to produce goods according to the directions of the government.  Similarly, the French Health Minister stated that the country may nationalise vaccine companies if necessary. Spain nationalised all its private hospitals.Israel and Chile issued compulsory licences to ensure that medicines are affordable.  This exposes the poor state of preparedness and dependence on imports for essential goods required to meet the challenge of any major disease outbreak. This shows that what is good for the company may not be good the country in all circumstances (Micro-Macro Paradox). So, the overwhelming objective of private sector-led economic growth has proved to be disastrous.

In India, economic liberalisation has damaged the government’s capacity in two ways: 1) It incapacitated the government to respond to emergencies based on credible information. The dismantling of the ‘Licence Raj’ resulted in the elimination of channels of information for the government, which is crucial to make informed policy choices. For instance, as part of the removal of ‘Licence Raj’, the government stopped asking for information from the manufacturer to file the quantity of production of various medicines. As a result, it has taken weeks now and a series of meetings for the government to gather information about stocks and the production capacity of pharmaceutical companies. 2) The logic and policies of economic liberalisation seriously undermined the manufacturing capabilities of health products in India. The short-sighted policy measures, with the objective of enhancing profitability of the private sector, allowed the import of raw materials from the cheapest sources and resulted in the debasing of the API industry, especially in essential medicine.

Condition of India:  According to a report of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), nearly 70% of India’s API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) import is from China. The CII report lists nearly 58 API where the dependence is 90% to 100%. As a cost- effective producer of medicines, the world is looking to India for supply, but it cannot deliver due to its dependence on China, which has also forced India to impose export restrictions on select medicines.  Similar dependence exists with regard to PPE, medical devices and diagnostic kits. The 100% dependence on Reagents, an important chemical component for testing, is limiting the capacity of the government from expanding testing because the cost of each test is Rs 4,500.  There are only a few domestic manufacturers who can produce PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and medical devices like ventilators. Now the country is not able to get required quantities of test kits, PPE and parts of ventilators through importation.  In the name of economic efficiency, India allowed unconditional imports of these products and never took note of the dangers of dependency.

 Global supply/production chains not only destroyed the manufacturing base in developed and developing countries; they also resulted in loss of jobs and poor working conditions in these sectors.

Conclusion: A virus has made us rethink our obsession with the economic efficiency theory. It implores us to put in place an industrial policy to maintain core capacity in health products so that we can face the next crisis more decisively.

3.18.MOODY’S SLASHES INDIA GROWTH FORECAST TO 0.2% FOR 2020

Why in news? Moody’s Investors Service slashed India’s growth forecast to 0.2 per cent for the 2020 calendar year from the earlier projection of 2.5 per cent released in March.  Stating that the economic costs of shutdown of the global economy are accumulating rapidly, Moody’s in its Global Macro Outlook 2020-21 (April 2020 Update) projected that all G-20 advanced economies would contract by 5.8 per cent in 2020.  In November last year, before the emergence of the coronavirus, the rating agency was expecting the global economy to grow by 2.6 per cent this year (2020).  Among the emerging economies in G-20, Moody’s projected India to grow at 0.2 per cent in 2020 and 6.2 per cent in 2021. This compares to 5.3 per cent growth clocked in 2019.  China is projected to grow by 1 per cent in 2020 and 7.1 per cent in 2021, as against 6.1 per cent in 2019.  Moody’s in the report titled ‘Global recession is deepening rapidly as restrictions exact high economic cost’, said there are significant downside risks to its growth forecasts in the event that coronavirus pandemic is not contained and lockdowns have to be reinstated.  India, China and Indonesia are the only 3 G-20 countries which are projected to grow in 2020, while the others will see a contraction, according to the report.  The US economy is projected to contract by 5.7 per cent, the UK by 7 per cent, Italy by 8.2 per cent, Japan by 6.5 per cent and France by 6.3 per cent. Even with a gradual recovery, 2021 real GDP in most advanced economies is expected to be below pre-coronavirus levels.  Oil prices will likely move up in 2021 as demand recovers along with economic growth. For 2021, it forecasts Brent to average USD 45 per barrel and WTI to average USD 40 per barrel.

Moody’s Corporation:  Moody's was founded by John Moody in 1909 to produce manuals of statistics related to stocks and bonds and bond ratings  Moody's Corporation, often referred to as Moody's, is an American business and financial services company. It is the holding company for Moody's Investors Service (MIS), an American credit rating agency, and Moody's Analytics (MA), an American provider of financial analysis software and services.

INDUSTRY, INFRASTRCUTURE AND SERVICES SECTOR

3.19.TRAI WANTS SET TOP BOXES TO BE MADE INTEROPERABLE

Why in news? The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended that all set top boxes (STBs) in the country must be interoperable, meaning that consumers should be able to use the same STB across different DTH or cable TV providers.  The regulator also suggested that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting make the required amendments in licensing and registration.  Noting that there are technical and commercial constraints to the universal STB, that the interoperability should be platform-specific, i.e., STBs are interoperable within the cable TV segment and similarly within the DTH segment.  TRAI also recommended that a coordination committee be set up by the I&B Ministry to steer implementation of revised STB standards for both the DTH and the cable TV segments.

What is the issue?  The lack of interoperability of set top boxes between different service providers not only deprives the customer of the freedom to change her/his service provider, but also creates a hindrance to technological innovation, improvement in service quality, and the overall sector growth.  While the STBs deployed in the cable TV networks are non-interoperable, those by direct-to-home (DTH) players complied with license conditions to support common interface module based interoperability. However, in practice, even in the DTH segment the STBs are not readily interoperable.

3.20.12,000 MW CPSU SOLAR SCHEME

Why in News? The Union government has appointed state-run lender Indian Renewable Energy Agency (IREDA) as the implementing agency for setting up solar power plants by Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSU). The CPSU scheme, meant to promote domestic solar manufacturing, was being run by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).  CPSUs have not shown a keen interest in participating in this scheme which aims to set up 12,000 MW of solar capacity by government companies by FY23.  The Cabinet has already sanctioned a viability gap funding (VGF) support of Rs 8,580 crore towards this scheme, capped at Rs 70 lakh per MW.  Domestic solar module makers were looking forward to this scheme as one of the major sources of demand as more than 85% of all module requirement in India is met through imported component, mainly Chinese, as these products are 8- 10% cheaper than those made by Indian counterparts.

Why CPSU’s are discouraged with the scheme?  SECI had conducted two auctions under the scheme and only 2,027 MW could be awarded mainly due to tepid response from CPSUs. About 85% of this capacity has been awarded to NTPC. The auctions were conducted on the basis of discount on VGFs offered by the bidders. NTPC won the projects even after offering no discount on the VGFs.  The Union government has also reduced the maximum tariff at which government entities will buy power from these plants by 20% to Rs 2.8/unit. This, experts pointed, would make the scheme more unattractive to CPSUs.

What is it used for? Power procured from projects under CPSU scheme will have to be consumed by the government entities only, which is in line with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), 1994, which permits governments to purchase domestic products preferentially without violating World Trade Organization norms.

Viability Gap Funding (VGF): Viability Gap Funding is an infrastructure model where a grant one-time or deferred, provided to support infrastructure projects by the government that are economically justified but fall short of financial viability. The lack of financial viability usually arises from long gestation periods and the inability to increase user charges to commercial levels.

INDIAN RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY  IREDA is a Public Limited Government Company established as a Non-Banking Financial Institution in 1987.  It is engaged in promoting, developing and extending financial assistance for setting up projects relating to new and renewable sources of energy and energy efficiency/conservation with the motto: “ENERGY FOR EVER”

Solar Energy Corporation of India:  Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd. (SECI) is a company of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, established to facilitate the implementation of the National Solar Mission (NSM).  It is the only Central Public Sector Undertaking dedicated to the solar energy sector.  The company's mandate has been broadened to cover the entire renewable energy domain and the company will be renamed to Renewable Energy Corporation of India (RECI).

3.21.GOVERNMENT TO BUY STAKES IN MSMES

Why in news? MSME Ministry said that Rs.10,000-crore Fund of Funds proposed by the MSME Ministry has been approved by the Finance Ministry and will be placed before the Cabinet soon for clearance

About:  The MSME Ministry urging MSMEs to list on stock exchanges for raising capital said that the government will buy 15 per cent of the amount raised as equity stake from the Fund of Funds. For instance, if the MSME raises Rs 50 crore, then Rs 7.5 crore in equity will be bought by the government.  The 15 per cent equity support will be provided to MSMEs with AAA credit rating going public while the fund will be controlled by the National Small Industries Corporation or another government organization.  As per the latest government data, there are currently around 6 crore MSMEs in India contributing 48 per cent to India’s exports, 29 per cent to the country’s GDP and employing around 11 crore people.

How does it help Indian Economy?  India should take the war against pandemic COVID-19 as a blessing in disguise and consider it as an opportunity to rise further. If the industry has to benefit from the crisis to attract investment then there are some countries/investors which are looking to move away from their investments from China, and India can be one of the best options for them.

Fund of funds: A fund of funds (FOF)—also known as a multi-manager investment—is a pooled investment fund that invests in other types of funds (mutual funds). In other words, its portfolio contains different underlying portfolios of other funds. These holdings replace any investing directly in bonds, stocks, and other types of securities. Unlike the mutual funds which invests in shares of listed companies as pooled investment, a FOF is that which invests in the units of these mutual funds.

3.22.GOVT NOD MANDATORY FOR FDI FROM NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES

Why in news? In a move that will restrict Chinese investments, the Centre has made prior government approval mandatory for foreign direct investments from countries which share a land border with India. Previously, only investments from Pakistan and Bangladesh faced such restrictions.  The revised FDI policy is aimed at “curbing opportunistic takeovers/acquisitions of Indian companies due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

What is revised FDI Policy say?  A non-resident entity can invest in India, subject to the FDI Policy except in those sectors/activities which are prohibited. However, an entity of a country, which shares land border with India or where the beneficial owner of an investment into India is situated in or is a citizen of any such country, can invest only under the Government route.  Pakistani investors face further restrictions in requiring government approval for FDI in defence, space and atomic energy sectors as well.  India shares land borders with Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Investors from countries not covered by the new policy only have to inform the RBI after a transaction rather than asking for prior permission from the relevant government department.  The official statement added that a transfer of ownership of any existing or future FDI in an Indian entity to those in the restricted countries would also need government approval.

Why this move?  Given the macro situation, it is a measure to protect vulnerable companies, with possibly low valuations, from unwelcome takeovers. However, while the DPIIT has set out its policy stance, the Non Debt Rules that the Ministry of Finance will publish in this regard is awaited, as that will set out the different scenarios which will trigger the Central Government approval requirement and other considerations regarding foreign investments from the neighbours.  China's footprint in the Indian business space has been expanding rapidly, especially since 2014. A recent report from Brookings India showed that net Chinese investment in India until 2014 stood at $1.6 billion, mostly coming from state-owned players in the infrastructure space. In 2017, total investment had increased five-fold to at least $8 billion according to Chinese government data, with a shift from a state-driven to market-driven approach.  The total current and planned Chinese investment in India has now crossed $26 billion, according to estimates from Brookings report paper.  The single biggest Chinese acquisition has been in the pharmaceutical space, with Shanghai-based Fosun paying $1.09 billion for a 74% stake in Hyderabad-based Gland Pharma.  Perhaps the most underestimated aspect of Chinese investment has been the way that Chinese capital now undergirds the technology start-up space in India, with Chinese venture capitalists funding household names such as Paytm, Flipkart, Swiggy, Zomato, Oyo, Ola etc.  A February 2020 report by the Gateway House think tank estimates that Chinese giants such as Alibaba and Tencent have funded at least 92 Indian start-ups. This means that China is embedded in Indian society, the economy, and the technology ecosystem that influences it.

Foreign Direct Investment According to International Monetary Fund, “A FDI is when a multi-national company (MNC) owns 10% or more of a foreign company”.

3.23.NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PIPELINE (NIP)

Why in news? The task force headed by economic affairs secretary submitted its final report on the “National Infrastructure Pipeline” (NIP) to finance ministry.

About:  It was announced by the PM of India in his Independence Day Speechand a task force was constituted within the Finance Ministry which includes Officials from the Departments of Economic Affairs and Expenditure in the Finance Ministry and NITI Aayog.  It is estimated that India would need to spend $4.5 trillion on infrastructure by 2030to sustain its growth rate. The endeavour of the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP), is to make this happen in an efficient manner.  With the economy being battered by the pandemic, a government task force firmed up a road map for capital investments of Rs 111 lakh crore in infrastructure over six years through FY25, pledging 71% of the expenditure for energy, roads, urban development and railways, and envisaging a key role for private investors.  An interim report of the task force was released in December 2019, which had envisaged investments of over Rs 102 lakh crore between FY20 and FY25.  The latest report has called for a set of reforms and suggested ways of financing it by deepening the corporate bond markets (including those of municipal bonds), setting up development financial institutions for the infrastructure sector, accelerating monetisation of infrastructure assets and land, etc.  According to an official statement, of the total expected capital expenditure of Rs 111 lakh crore, projects worth Rs 44 lakh crore (40% of NIP) are under implementation, projects worth Rs 33 lakh crore (30%) are at the conceptual stage and those worth Rs 22 lakh crore (20%) are under development. Information regarding the stage of certain projects worth Rs 11 lakh crore (10%) are unavailable at the moment.  The highest investments are proposed for the energy sector (24%), followed by roads (18%), urban development (17%) and railways (12%).  The Centre (39%) and the states (40%) are expected to have almost equal share in implementing the infrastructure pipeline, followed by the private sector (21%).  The government aims to raise the share of the private sector to 30% in coming years. This requires massive reforms in the way the PPP model is designed, given the poor response of the private sector to such projects over the years.  The task force has recommended that three committees be set up: o One panel will monitor the NIP progress and eliminate delays; o Steering committee in each infrastructure ministry for following up implementation; o Steering committee in the department of economic affairs in the finance ministry for raising financial resources for the NIP. While basic monitoring will vest with the ministry and project agency.  The NIP project database will shortly be hosted on the India Investment Grid (IIG) to provide visibility to the NIP and help in its financing with prospective investors, both domestic and foreign.

India Investment Grid:  India Investment Grid is an initiative of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Invest India.  The India Investment Grid (IIG) showcases a plethora of investment opportunities across India on a single interactive platform. An initiative to enhance the ease of doing business in India, IIG connects potential investors to projects and promoters.

Invest India:  Invest India, set up in 2009, is a non-profit venture under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.  As the national investment promotion and facilitation agency, Invest India focuses on sector-specific investor targeting and development of new partnerships to enable sustainable investments in India.  In addition to a core team that focuses on sustainable investments, Invest India also partners with substantial investment promotion agencies and multilateral organizations.  Invest India also actively works with several Indian states to build capacity as well as bring in global best practices in investment targeting, promotion and facilitation areas.

3.24.EXPORT BRANDING STRATEGY

The India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), established by the Department of Commerce, promotes and creates awareness in international market about Indian products and services through branding campaigns.  Branding campaigns have been undertaken by IBEF around international events for select export sectors to highlight their strength and achievements in major target markets through branding modes like venues, advertising through outdoor and print, media interaction, digital marketing (including social media), use of branding material etc.  The branding strategy is reviewed regularly in consultation with concerned stakeholders to make suitable adjustment and maximise benefits for Indian products.  Based on the proposals submitted by the Export Promotion Councils/Trade Promotion Organizations, an annual plan for organizing participation Promotion exporters in various international fairs and expos is drawn and supported under the Market Promotion Initiative (MAI) Scheme. No targets of earnings from such events are fixed.

FISCAL AND MONETARY POLICY

3.25.LOAN MORATORIUM

Context: The next several months are going to be nightmarish for businesses given they are going to face severe cash-flow pressures following the 21-day lock-down, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), nonetheless, should not have allowed borrowers a moratorium on loan repayments.  The better way to address the problem was to have left it to lenders to decide which customers would be eligible for the repayments holiday. A break of this kind tends to be misused and one can now expect repayments to be delayed by much longer than just three months.  It could take as long as a year for some of them—the smaller companies—to get back on their feet. Even though lenders are making it very clear that the benefit will come at a cost, most borrowers are expected to use the breather and worry about the charges later.

Why lenders have to decide on moratorium?  Had it been left to the bankers, they could have used their discretion to pick out the customers genuinely in need of relief. They could have allowed those borrowers who have provided enough collateral to use the moratorium window while continuing to recover the money from unsecured borrowers.  A blanket breather can be justified for microfinance customers, and bankers need not worry too much about home loans either, since the property is mortgaged to them. However, allowing those who have borrowed against credit cards to delay repayments was not warranted.

What will be the impact?  Investors, understandably, will be reluctant to invest in a bank whose balance sheet is not up to date, so banks will find it hard to raise capital at a good valuation.  Assuming all the installments are placed under moratorium, it will amount to 4- 5% of loans for the banks, and around 25-50% of the net worth.  The uncertainty about how much they will actually be able to recover after three months could keep them from lending to good customers. And, that is not good for business.

3.26.GOVERNMENT CAPS SPENDING

Why in news? With the Centre expecting an extreme cash crunch due to the COVID-19 crisis, most Central government departments have been asked to cut their first quarter expenditure to 15-20% of the year’s budget estimates (BE).

Why this move?  Finance Ministry keeping in view the present situation arising out of the COVID- 19 and the consequential lockdown, it is expected that the cash position of government may be stressed in Q1 (April to June 2020). Considering this, it is essential to regulate the government expenditure and to fix the Quarterly Expenditure Plan (QEP) / Monthly Expenditure Plan (MEP) of specific Ministries/Departments.  Any deviation from this guideline would require prior approval from Ministry of Finance.  Departments considered crucial to dealing with the pandemic and the resultant lockdown will not be affected by these restrictions, including Health, Pharma and Ayush, Agriculture, Rural Development and Textiles, Food and Consumer Affairs, Civil Aviation and Railways.  Expenditures towards interest payments and transfers to states will be unaffected, the finance ministry’s office memorandum noted.  Large expenditures are already subject to the expenditure controlguidelines of August 2017 which says prior permission is required for any single payment abov Rs 5,000 crore.  The Supreme Court and President can continue spending as usual. The Central Vigilance Commission and Union Public Service Commission also fall in this category.

3.27.MORATORIUM ON REPAYMENT PUTS NBFCS IN A SPOT

Why in News? Non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) faces a tough time following the Reserve Bank of India’s recent directive on providing a moratorium on repayment. Why this issue?  Though these entities (NBFC) are providing moratorium to their customers, they still have to continue repaying banks and other borrowers. NBFCs are highly dependent on banks for funding.  NBFCs face a double whammy because they are offering moratorium to customers despite not getting one themselves from their lender-banks. That will put a significant pressure on the liquidity profiles of many NBFC’s.  NBFCs, unlike banks, do not have access to systemic sources of liquidity and depend significantly on wholesale funding  According to Crisil (global credit rating agency), liquidity pressure will increase for almost 25% of the Crisil-rated NBFCs if collections do not pick up by June 2020.

 Crisil said while larger and better-rated NBFCs may still be able to manage the situation, smaller or lower-rated NBFCs, which have significant dependence on bank funding, will find the going extremely tough.  Given the challenges in access to fresh funding, and presuming nil collections, Crisil’s study underscores that a number of NBFCs will face liquidity challenges if they do not get a moratorium on servicing their own bank loans and are forced to meet all debt obligations on time.

Non- Banking Financial Corporations:  It is a company registered under the Companies Act of 1956 and is engaged in the business of loans and advances, housing finance, acquisition of shares/stock/bonds etc. issued by government or local authority or other securities, chit businesses, but does not include any institution whose principal business is that of agriculture and industrial activity.  A company incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 and desirous of commencing business of non-banking financial institution as defined under Section 45 I(a) of the RBI Act, 1934 should comply with the following: o It should be a company registered under Section 3 of the companies Act, 1956. o It should generally have a minimum net owned fund of Rs 200 lakh.  NBFCs whose asset size is of Rs 500 cr or more as per last audited balance sheet are considered as systemically important NBFCs.  Some of the examples of NBFCs are Investment banks, mortgage lenders, money market funds, insurance companies, hedge funds, private equity funds etc.

Difference between Banks and NBFCs  NBFC cannot accept demand deposits  NBFCs do not form part of the payment and settlement system and cannot issue cheques drawn on itself.  Deposit insurance facility of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation is not available to depositors of NBFCs, unlike in case of banks.

3.28.INDEX FUNDS

Index Fund: An index fund is a type of mutual fund with a portfolio constructed to match or track the components of a financial market index. An index mutual fund is said to provide broad market exposure, low operating expenses and low portfolio turnover. For example: Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500).

What are the benefits of investing in index funds?  Typically, the benchmark index of any exchange would comprise the largest and most liquid companies publicly listed on that bourse. The benchmarks are quite diversified in terms of sector representation as well. So, investing in an index fund allows the investor to have a well-diversified portfolio of the largest

companies. An investor can own a basket of stocks at a much lower cost compared to owning each stock individually in a benchmark.

Are index funds better than other types of equity funds? According to Warren Buffet, who is widely considered as one of the most successful investors in the world, recommends index funds as a haven for savings for the sunset years of life. Rather than picking out individual stocks for investment, it makes more sense for the average investor to buy all of the S&P 500 companies at the low cost an index fund offers.

Do index funds offer cost benefits as well? As mentioned earlier, index funds are a form of passive investment instrumentsas fund managers do not have any active role in managing such funds on a day to day basis. So, typically, index funds have a lower expense ratio compared to an actively- managed fund where the fund manager does active stock picking. Hence, there is a cost benefit in favor of index funds.

3.29.TLTRO FUNDS

Why in News? While banks are permitted to buy investment-grade bonds under the TLTRO (Targeted Long-term Repo Operations) scheme, market participants believe they will stay with AAA paper whether in the primary or in the secondary market.

What is it? TLTRO's (The Targeted Longer-term Refinancing Operations) are financial operations by central banks that provide financing to credit institutions. By offering banks long-term funding at attractive conditions they preserve favourable borrowing conditions for banks and stimulate bank lending to the real economy. The TLTRO's are targeted operations unlike LTRO's, as the amount that banks can borrow is linked to their loans to non- financial corporations and households.

 Reserve Bank of India (RBI) clarified that banks can use up to 50% of the funds to buy corporate bonds in the primary market and the rest in the secondary market.  Also, RBI made it clear that any amount that is not used within the given time frame would attract a penal interest – the prevailing policy repo rate plus 200 basis points for the number of days the money remained unused. (Banks have up to 30 working days to use the money borrowed in the first tranche of TLTRO conducted on March 27).  Good quality companies are lining up to raise funds from the corporate bond market, even as banks are flush with funds raised under the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) targeted long-term repo operations (TLTRO) that are to be deployed within the stipulated timeframe of 30 working days.

Why it is important?  It is noteworthy that almost Rs 1.59 lakh crore of corporate bonds are due for maturity in the next three months up to June 2020, according to data by Prime Database. Although bulk of these papers are rated AAA, other category papers form about 42% of the bonds that are due for maturity.  However, certain reports indicate that the markets regulator is reluctant to offer a moratorium deal to the commercial paper and corporate bond repayments coming up in the first quarter.

(To know more about LTRO refer to the link below: https://iaswinnishers.com/2020/02/29/daily-current-affairs-feb-29/)

3.30.WAYS AND SPECIAL MEANS ADVANCES

What is it?  It is a facility for both the Centre and states to borrow from the RBI. These borrowings are meant purely to help them to tide over temporary mismatches in cash flows of their receipts and expenditures. In that sense, they aren’t a source of finance per se.  Section 17(5) of the RBI Act, 1934 authorises the central bank to lend to the Centre and state governments subject to their being repayable “not later than three months from the date of the making of the advance”.

How much does the RBI charge on these advances?  The interest rate on WMA is the RBI’s repo rate, which is basically the rate at which it lends short-term money to banks.  The governments are, however, allowed to draw amounts in excess of their WMA limits. The interest on such overdraft is 2 percentage points above the repo rate.  No state can run an overdraft with the RBI for more than a certain period.

What are the existing WMA limits and overdraft conditions?  For the Centre, the WMA limit during the first half of 2020-21 (April-September) has been fixed at Rs 120,000 crore. For the states, the aggregate WMA limit is Rs 51,560 crore, from April 1, 2020.  The central bank, also extended the period for which a state can be in overdraft from 14 to 21 consecutive working days, and from 36 to 50 working days during a quarter.

Why have all these relaxations been made? The lockdown has resulted in revenues drying up, and it is the states that are actually feeling the heat. With economic activity at a near standstill, there is hardly any money coming in from GST and other revenue generating sources. At the same time, the states are also incurring the bulk of the on-the-ground expenditures for combating the novel coronavirus. In a scenario where their expenses are real, mounting and cannot be

deferred, even as revenues are collapsing and uncertain, the states are facing an unprecedented cash crunch.

Can’t they borrow from the market?  The financial position of states was precarious even before the lockdown. The gross fiscal deficit of 22 states, as per latest available data, rose from 2.4% of their GSDP (gross state domestic product) in 2018-19 to 2.9% in 2019-20, with the corresponding revenue deficit ratio also climbing from 0.1% to 0.7%.  Moreover, gross government market borrowings shot up from Rs 10,49,323 crore (Centre: Rs 571,000 crore, States: Rs 478,323 crore) in 2018-19 to Rs 13,44,521 crore (Centre: Rs 710,000 crore, States: Rs 634,521 crore) in 2019-20.  The lack of clarity on how much the states (and even the Centre) would eventually need to borrow is reflected in bond yields. Since March 9, the weighted average yields (interest) at auctions of 10-year state government securities have risen from 6.86% to 7.57%. Yields on 10-year Government of India bonds, too, have gone up from 6.07% to nearly 6.5% over this period. This, despite the RBI cutting its repo rate from 5.15% to 4.4%.

So, will the increase in the WMA limits help?  The WMA window, as already pointed out, is intended only to tide over temporary mismatches in cash flow of receipts and payments. The total government borrowings is likelihood to cross over Rs 20 lakh crore.  At some point, the Centre, at least, might have to invoke Section 5(3) of its Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003(Escape Clause). That overriding provision in the Act – which otherwise bars the RBI from lending to the government, except for meeting temporary cash flow mismatches – allows the central bank to “subscribe to the primary issues of Central Government securities” under very specified grounds.

For Prelims:

 Normal WMA: They are clean advances without any security by the RBI. Both Central and State government are eligible for it. This is the first option available to states.  Special WMA: They are secured advances by the RBI provided against the pledge of government of India dated securities. State governments are only eligible for this option. In this case Central government has the option of issuing Treasury Bills which state government cannot issue.  Overdraft: If the government wants more than the allotted amount over and above the WMAs, it has the option of overdraft that is at penal rate – 2% more than the repo rate.

3.31.NBFCS GET Rs 50,000-CR. LIQUIDITY BOOSTER

Why in news? The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced a host of measures to provide liquidity support to non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), apart from giving them certain benefits for loans extended to the commercial real estate sector. Banks can avail Rs 50,000 crore through the targeted long-term repo operation.  The banks have to invest the funds availed under targeted long-term repo operation (TLTRO), in investment grade bonds, commercial paper, and non- convertible debentures of NBFCs. RBI stipulated that small and mid-sized NBFCs and micro-finance institutions (MFIs) should receive at least 50% of these funds.  Of the 50% stipulated for smaller entities, 10% has to be invested by banks in securities of MFIs, 15% in securities issued by NBFCs with asset size of Rs 500 crore and below; and 25% in securities issued by NBFCs with assets size between Rs 500 crore and Rs 5,000 crore.  The RBI has also decided to provide special refinance facility of Rs 50,000 crore to NABARD, SIDBI and NHB to enable them to meet sectoral credit needs. This would comprise ₹ 25,000 crore to NABARD for refinancing regional rural banks (RRBs), cooperative banks and micro finance institutions (MFIs); Rs 15,000 crore to SIDBI for on-lending/refinancing; and Rs 10,000 crore to NHB for supporting housing finance companies (HFCs).

Investment Grade:  An investment grade is a rating that signifies a municipal or corporate bond presents a relatively low risk of default. Bond rating firms like Standard & Poor’s and Moody's use different designations, consisting of the upper- and lower- case letters "A" and "B," to identify a bond's credit quality rating.  "AAA" and "AA" (high credit quality) and "A" and "BBB" (medium credit quality) are considered investment grade. Credit ratings for bonds below these designations ("BB," "B," "CCC," etc.) are considered low credit quality, and are commonly referred to as "junk bonds."

Commercial Paper:  Commercial paper is a commonly used type of unsecured, short-term debt instrument issued by corporations, typically used for the financing of payroll, accounts payable and inventories, and meeting other short-term liabilities.  Maturities on commercial paper typically between 7 days to maximum of one year from the date of the issue.  Commercial paper is usually issued at a discount from face value and reflects prevailing market interest rates.

Held-to-maturity (HTM): Held-to-maturity securities are purchased to be owned until maturity. A company's management might invest in a bond that they plan to hold to maturity. As a result, there are different accounting treatments for held-to-maturity securities compared to securities that are to be liquidated in the short term.

Non-convertible debentures (NCD):  They are fixed-income instruments, usually issued by high-rated companies in the form of a public issue to accumulate long-term capital appreciation.  They cannot be converted into shares/securities when company goes for the offer. They offer relatively higher interest rates when compared to convertible debentures.

Marketweight:  Marketweight is a credit rating system for fixed-income instruments. The marketweight ranking system gives a subjective estimate of the accuracy of the current credit spread and determines whether an investment is attractive.  The system includes three ranks: marketweight, overweight and underweight. The marketweight rating indicates that the current credit spread of an instrument is in line with expectations.  Example of such a fixed-income instrument is investment-grade bonds.

3.32.OPERATION TWIST

Why in news? The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced a simultaneous sale and purchase of government bonds under the Open Market Operations(OMO) mechanism, on lines of the “Operation Twist” that was adopted by the US Federal Reserve in 2011-12. It is the second time RBI resorting to such measure as it done in December-2019

What is Operation Twist?  Operation Twist’ is when the central bank uses the proceeds from sale of short- term securities to buy long-term government debt papers, leading to easing of interest rates on the long term papers.  Under this mechanism, the short-term securities are transitioned into long-term securities.  Whenever there is a long-term investment deficit in the country and the investors are hesitant to make long-term investments in the economy, the government jumps in to revive growth by lowering the interest rate for long- term investment ventures.

What RBI does?  There is an inverse relationship between the bond prices and their yields. That is as the yield of bonds increases, the price of the bond decreases or viceversa. For example, assume an investor purchases a bond that matures in five years with a 10% annual coupon rate and a face value of Rs.1,000. If interest rates were to fall in value, the bond's price would rise because its coupon payment is more attractive.  As the central bank buys long-term securities (bonds), their demand rise which in turn pushes up their prices.

 However, the bond yield comes down with an increase in prices. Yield is the return an investor gets on his (bond) holding/investment. The interest rate in an economy is determined by yield. Thus, lower long-term interest rates mean people can avail long-term loans (such as buying houses, cars or financing projects) at lower rates.

Benefits:  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 which can enhance liquidity.  It will make the long-term investment instruments cheaper to be available in the market recurring low yield to purchase.

Relationship between Bond and Bond yield  Coupon rate or interest rate— The higher a bond's coupon rate, or interest payment, the higher its yield. That's because each year the bond will pay a higher percentage of its face value as interest.  Price of the bond — The higher a bond's price, the lower its yield. That's because an investor buying the bond has to pay more for the same return.

3.33.NO PLAN TO EASE FISCAL DEFICIT TARGETS

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.  In the recent Union Budget, the Finance Ministry has invoked the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act’s escape clause to relax the fiscal deficit target for 2020•21 by 0.5% percentage points to 3.8% 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.

Condition of states:  The State governments have been demanding that their own 3% fiscal deficittargets be relaxed to 4% or even 5%, to give them elbow room in dealing with the impact of the lockdown. Presently state government fiscal deficit target is capped at 3% of GDP.  The 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, to respond to economic shocks similar to the option available to the Centre.  The States need to weigh the cost of borrowing from the market, and whether there would be appetite for their bonds.  It is important to ensure that the State governments get access to adequate funds to undertake their fight against the pandemic, adding that different States may come out of the pandemic’s impact in different stages.

15th Finance Commission (2020-2025) :  The Fifteenth Finance Commission was constituted on 27 November 2017 under the chairmanship of N.K. Singh.  The Finance Commission is a constitutionally mandated body that is at the centre of fiscal federalism which is set up under Article 280 of the Constitution.  The Constitution provides that Finance Commission shall consist of a Chairman and four other members to be appointed by President. The Chairman or members are eligible for reappointment.  Its core responsibility is to evaluate the state of finances of the Union and State Governments, recommend the sharing of taxes between them, and lay down the principles determining the distribution of these taxes among States.  The Terms of Reference of the current Commission have some distinctive features, including o Recommending monitorable performance criteria for important national flagship programmes o Examining the possibility of setting up a permanent non lapsable funding for India’s defence needs. o The reorganisation of the State of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories – one of Jammu and Kashmir and one of Ladakh – presents a new dynamic.  The 15th FC has to submit its second report in October for 5-year period beginning FY22, with regard to devolution of central taxes and other incentives to states.

(To know more about Escape Clause: https://iaswinnishers.com/2020/02/18/daily- current-affairs-feb-17/ )

3.34.RODTEP SCHEME

Why in news? The Government of India (GoI) has introduced Remission of Duties or Taxes on Export Product (RoDTEP) scheme to replace the existingMerchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS)and create a fully automated route for Input Tax Credit (ITC) in the GST to help increase the exports in India.

 The RoDTEP scheme will be monitored by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and comes into effect from January 1, 2020. The scheme provides an additional export credit of up to Rs.68,000 crores and the projected forgone revenue will be up to Rs.50,000 crores.  Under RoDTEP a mechanism would be created for re-imbursement of taxes/ duties/ levies, which are currently not being refunded under any other mechanism, at the central, state and local levels, but which are incurred in the process of manufacture and distribution of exported products.

 RoDTEP is based on the principle that taxes and levies borne on the exported products should be either exempted or remitted to exporters unlike the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS), which is an export incentive scheme.

Automated ITC MoF has announced that the ITC will create a fully automated refund module to the manufacturing and service sector through Form GST RST-01. The automation shall reduce double taxation, claims for deemed exports, claiming GST tax refunds and acts as an authentic source to UN, WTO and other foreign embassies.

Increase in Insurance Cover To increase the loan availability for exporters, MoF has introduced through ECGC acting aguarantee for the loans availed. This would cover 60% of all loans to exporters and will be increased to 90%.

Resolution of WTO Deadlock Apart from boosting the export sector of our country, RoDTEP will coordinate with WTO to reduce the post-production transaction costs for exporters. This will line up with countries such as the United States and Brazil has already implemented a number of export-promotion schemes similar to RoDTEP. The implementation of the scheme shall provide a production-oriented process along with WTO, which in turn boosts the production of SMEs, MSMEs.

Benefits to Indian Exporters By adopting to RoDTEP scheme, Indian exporters will be able to meet the international standards for exports. This would increase the economy for the country and working capital for the enterprise.

Financial Benefits Exporters will enjoy lower rates of interest on capital loans, higher insurance cover, financial incentives on exports.

3.35.VIRTUAL CURRENCIES

What does the Supreme Court order reinstating virtual currency activities mean?

A three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court of India struck down a 2018 circular of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which sought to prevent banks and institutions from dealing in “virtual currencies” — also referred to as cryptocurrencies, an example being Bitcoin — and providing services to those engaged in trading in such currencies. The Court order comes seven months after an inter-ministerial committee recommended that cryptocurrencies be banned, proposing instead that an official digital currency be launched in the country.

Why did the case land in court?

It has its origins in the writ petitions filed by the industry body, the Internet and Mobile Association of India, and several crypto exchanges, their shareholders, and traders. They challenged the RBI circular on many counts. Through that circular, the RBI had forbidden banks from extending a range of services to facilitate individuals and entities in dealing with cryptocurrencies. The list of such services included “maintaining accounts, registering, trading, settling, clearing, giving loans against virtual tokens, accepting them as collateral, opening accounts of exchanges dealing with them and transfer/receipt of money in accounts relating to purchase/sale of VCs [or virtual currencies].”

Why does the central banker find virtual currencies problematic? This can be understood by how the RBI defined virtual currencies in 2013, which the Court said was perhaps the first time it took note of “technology risks in changing business environment”. The RBI defined such currency, the Court order notes, “as a type of unregulated digital money, issued and controlled by its developers and used and accepted by the members of a specific virtual community”. The absence of a centralised authority running it, seen as a plus by those who back cryptocurrencies, is viewed as a drawback by official monetary systems. There are other factors too. The value of such currencies has been driven purely by speculative impulses, and they have had a volatile journey all along. The anonymity that the system ensures has also been misused in the past, with cryptocurrencies said to enable funding of terrorist operations. There is also fear that it could undermine the monetary system and render policies ineffective. And all these fears are shared by the global financial system.

Why did the court rule in favour of petitioners? Their reasoning was based on the fact that the RBI had not found that the activities of virtual currency exchanges had adversely affected the entities it regulated. This, even as virtual currencies have not been banned in the country. “But the trading in VCs and the functioning of VC exchanges are sent to comatose by the impugned circular by disconnecting their lifeline namely, the interface with the regular banking sector,” the order said.

But while doing so, they have indicated quite strongly that the central bank has the requisite power to regulate or prohibit virtual currencies. They have noted that: “Anything that may pose a threat to or have an impact on the financial system of the country, can be regulated or prohibited by RBI, despite the said activity not forming part of the credit system or payment system.”

3.36.CURRENCY SWAP  A currency swap, sometimes referred to as a cross-currency swap, involves the exchange of interest – and sometimes of principal – in one currency for the same in another currency. Interest payments are exchanged at fixed dates through the life of the contract.  It is considered to be a foreign exchange transaction and is not required by law to be shown on a company's balance sheet.  A currency swap involves the exchange of interest—and sometimes of principal— in one currency for the same in another currency.  Companies doing business abroad often use currency swaps to get more favourable loan rates in the local currency than if they borrowed money from a local bank.  Considered to be a foreign exchange transaction, currency swaps are not required by law to be shown on a company's balance sheet.  Interest rate variations for currency currency swaps include fixed rate to fixed rate, floating rate to floating rate, or fixed rate to floating rate.

The Basics of Currency Swaps Currency swaps were originally done to get around exchange controls, governmental limitations on the purchase and/or sale of currencies. Although nations with weak and/or developing economies generally use foreign exchange controls to limit speculation against their currencies, most developed economies have eliminated controls nowadays. So swaps are now done most commonly to hedge long-term investments and to change the interest rate exposure of the two parties. Companies doing business abroad often use currency swaps to get more favourable loan rates in the local currency than they could if they borrowed money from a bank in that country.

How a Currency Swap Works? In a currency swap, the parties agree in advance whether or not they will exchange the principal amounts of the two currencies at the beginning of the transaction. The two principal amounts create an implied exchange rate. For example, if a swap involves exchanging €10 million versus $12.5 million, that creates an implied EUR/USD exchange rate of 1.25. At maturity, the same two principal amounts must be exchanged, which creates exchange rate risk as the market may have moved far from 1.25 in the intervening years.

PRICES & FINANCIAL SECTOR

3.37.GREEN BONDS

Why in News? India’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has raised $100 million in green bonds through private placement. This is the bank’s third iteration of green bonds and already has raised such bonds of $700 million.

 SBI continuing its commitment towards sustainable development, has raised $100 million floating rate notes at a coupon rate of 80 basis points (bps) above the three-month Libor.  These bonds will be issued through SBI’s London branch and shall be listed on Singapore Exchange (SGX).

Green Bonds:  A green bond is a type of fixed-income instrument that is specifically earmarked to raise money for climate and environmental projects.  According to RBI, green bonds, carbon market instruments, and FinTech-based green funds are now at the forefront of climate change financing.  The World Bank issued the first official green bond in 2009.  During 2007-2018, cumulative issuances of green bonds worldwide has been $ 521 billion, with India ranking second among emerging market economies (EMEs) in these issuances (Climate Bonds Initiative, 2019).  RBI said that supranational institutions have been increasingly contributing to these efforts, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) already incorporating the same into its multilateral and bilateral surveillance.  In September 2019, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) launched an open-ended US dollar denominated fund for central bank investments in green bonds aimed at management of their forex reserves and to support the deepening of the green-bond market.

Add on:  A supranational institution is an entity that is formed by two or more national governments through international treaties.  Report on Trends and Progress of Banking in India is released by RBI every year. This Report presents the performance of the banking sector, including cooperative banks, and non-banking financial institutions.

3.38.GDP-LINKED BONDS

Why in news? The GoI may issue listed, Indian rupee denominated, 25-year GDP-linked bonds that are callable from, say, the fifth year.  GDP-linked bonds are a form of floating-rate bond with a coupon (interest) that is associated with the growth rate of a country. It is just like other floating- rate bonds that are linked to interest rates, such as LIBOR or federal funds rate, or inflation rates.  The coupon (interest) on a GDP-linked bond is correlated to the GDP growth rate and is subject to a cap. The issuer, the GoI, is liable to pay a lower coupon during years of slower growth and vice-versa. The listing of bonds provides investors an exit option.

 A callable bond is a debt instrument in which the issuer reserves the right to return the investor's principal and stop interest payments before the bond's maturity date (say in this context the 5th year).  Publishing reliable and timely GDP data is a prerequisite for the successful issue of GDP-linked bonds.  Costa Rica, Bulgaria and Bosnia-Herzegovina issued the first pure GDP-linked bonds in the 1990s. Argentina and Greece issued warrant-like instruments similar to GDP-linked bonds in 2005 and 2012 respectively.

3.39.MORATORIUM ON REPAYMENT PUTS NBFCS IN A SPOT

Crisil findngs:  Also, an expected scramble for funds means corporates and government-owned financiers will also be interested by NBFC window. Consequently, only higher- rated NBFCs may end up benefiting.  Crisil said while larger and better-rated NBFCs may still be able to manage the situation, smaller or lower-rated NBFCs, which have significant dependence on bank funding, will find the going extremely tough.  Given the challenges in access to fresh funding, and presuming nil collections, Crisil’s study underscores that a number of NBFCs will face liquidity challenges if they do not get a moratorium on servicing their own bank loans and are forced to meet all debt obligations on time.

 A company incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 and desirous of commencing business of non-banking financial institution as defined under Section 45 I(a) of the RBI Act, 1934 should comply with the following: o It should be a company registered under Section 3 of the companies Act, 1956. o It should generally have a minimum net owned fund of Rs 200 lakh.  NBFCs whose asset size is of Rs 500 cr or more as per last audited balance sheet are considered as systemically important NBFCs.  Some of the examples of NBFCs are Investment banks, mortgage lenders, money market funds, insurance companies, hedge funds, private equity funds etc.

3.40.GOLD BACKED EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF)

Why in News? At a time when stocks globally witnessed huge sell-offs and volatility, holdings in gold- backed exchange traded funds (ETFs) reached an all-time high in March.

About:  According to the World Gold Council, March capped a record-breaking quarter as gold ETF holdings and assets added $23 billion in net inflows — the largest quarterly gain in history.  The global body has highlighted the fact that uncertainty around the short-and long-term economic impacts of COVID-19 continues to drive sharp volatility across many assets, leaving global equities in the bear market (price trend is downwards) territory, while encouraging inflows into safe havens like treasuries and gold.  WGC has found that lower rates have a positive impact on gold prices and offer the opportunity for additional gold exposure [potentially replacing bonds] in a low-rate environment.

Gold backed ETF: Gold backed Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are securities designed to track the gold price. They are commodity funds that trade like stocks and have become a very popular form of investment. Although they are made up of assets that are backed by gold, investors don't actually own the physical commodity.

World Gold Council (WGC):  The World Gold Council is the market development organisation for the gold industry. It works across all parts of the industry, from gold mining to investment, and their aim is to stimulate and sustain demand for gold.  It is an association whose members comprise the world’s leading gold mining companies. It helps to support its members to mine in a responsible way and developed the Conflict Free Gold Standard.  They frequently publish research that demonstrates gold’s strength as a preserver of wealth – both for investors and countries. They also provide analysis of the industry, offering insights into the drivers of gold demand.  They have also launched various products such as SPDR GLD and gold accumulation plans in India and China.  Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, they have offices in India, China, Singapore and the United States.

3.41.CRUDE OIL PRICES EFFECT ON INDIA

Why in news? The historic rout in oil markets that sent US crude prices plummeting to as much as minus USD 40 a barrel is unlikely to translate into any big reduction in petrol and diesel prices in India as domestic pricing is based on different benchmark, and refineries are already filled up to brim and cannot buy US crude just yet. With storage capacity already overflowing amid coronavirus-induced demand collapse, traders rushed to to get rid of unwanted stocks triggering the collapse of US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for May delivery.

Why no direct effect on India?  Low oil prices may seem good in short-term but in the long run it will hurt the oil economy as producers will have no surplus to invest in exploration and production which will lead to a drop in production  Oil companies have not changed rates despite a fall in international prices as they first adjusted them against the increase that was warranted from a Rs 3 per litre hike in excise duty and close to Re 1 per litre additional cost of switching over to cleaner BS-VI grade fuel from April 1.  The negative price has no direct impact on India or Indian oil prices, as this has taken place due to crude oil produced and traded within the US.  India’s prices are driven partly by another benchmark, the Brent, which is still trading at USD 25/barrel. Therefore, the retail price of fuels in India are unlikely to fall. The cost of Brent crude was higher since more storage space is available across multiple locations, making deliveries easier.  India imports 4 million barrels/day (1.4 billion barrels/year) of oil. The country has been benefitting from the falling prices of oil for the last five years, when oil dropped from a peak of USD 110/barrel to USD 50-60/barrel last year, enabling India to invest in public service programmes.

Difference between Brent and West Teas Intermediate:  Brent crude is extracted from the North Sea; WTI is usually extracted from US oil fields in Texas, Louisiana, and North Dakota.  WTI, with a lower sulphur content (0.24 percent) than Brent (0.37 percent), is considered "sweeter".  Both oils are relatively light, but Brent has a slightly higher API gravity, making WTI the lighter of the two. American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity is an indicator of the density of crude oil or refined products.  Brent crude price is the international benchmark price used by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), while WTI crude price is a benchmark for US oil prices. Since India imports primarily from OPEC countries, Brent is the benchmark for oil prices in India.  Most of the oil produced in Europe, Africa and the Middle East is priced according to the cost of Brent crude.  Brent is the reference for about two-thirds of the oil traded around the world and hence it is slightly more sensitive to geopolitical tensions.

How did prices fall below zero?  The first thing to understand is that, even before the Covid-19 induced global lockdown, crude oil prices had been falling over the past few months. They were closer to $60 a barrel at the start of 2020 and by March-end, they were closer to $20 a barrel.  Historically, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), led by Saudi Arabia, which is the largest exporter of crude oil in the world (single-handedly exporting 10% of the global demand), used to work as a cartel and fix prices in a favourable band. It could bring down prices by increasing oil production and raise prices by cutting production.  Cutting production or completely shutting down an oil well is a difficult decision because restarting it is both costly and cumbersome. Moreover, if one country cuts production, it risks losing market share if others do not follow suit.  The global oil pricing is by no stretch an example of a well-functioning competitive market. In fact, its seamless operations crucially depend on oil exporters acting in consort.  In March, 2020 the accord between Saudi Arabia and Russia came to an end and disagreed over the production cuts required to keep prices stable. Oil-exporting countries decided to cut production by 6 million barrels a day — the highest production cuts — and yet the demand for oil was shrinking by 9 to 10 million barrels a day.  This meant that the supply-demand mismatch continued to worsen right through March and April. All possible the mismatch resulted in almost all storage capacity being exhausted. Trains and ships, which were typically used to transport oil, too, were used up just for storing oil. In the end, it would be the demand-supply mismatch (adjusted for how much can be stored away) that will decide the fate of oil prices.

3.42.FRANKLIN TEMPLETON MUTUAL FUND ISSUE

Why in news? Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund, the ninth largest in the country, has jolted investors with its decision to wind up six yield-oriented managed credit funds.  The six schemes have combined assets under management of around Rs 28,000 crore, nearly 25% of the total assets under management (Rs 116,322 crore) of Franklin Templeton MF in India.  It essentially means that Franklin Templeton MF will first liquidate the assets in the schemes and then return the money to investors. With the market situation tough for now, investors may not get an immediate exit.  Industry insiders say the fund house may find it difficult to get a buyer for the low-rated assets in the portfolio, so investors may have to wait.  On the other hand, if the fund house pushes hard to get new buyers for those assets, it will go at a substantial haircut (reduction to the value of asset), which would mean a big loss for investors on their capital investment.  Shutting down six schemes is unprecedented and can break investor confidence in mutual funds.

What was the issue in fund managing? While all credit risk funds invest up to 65 per cent in bonds rated AA or below, market experts say that fund managers can lower their risk by following a higher diversification strategy.  If the scheme is diversified significantly on the asset side (not given large exposure to a few companies), then even if there is a default by one or two companies, the entire portfolio does not get affected.  Similarly, if the scheme is well diversified on the liability side (not having just a few large investors), then even if one or two investors seek redemption, it does not push the fund house to sell — as has happened with Franklin Templeton.

Credit risk funds:  Credit risk funds are debt funds that play on the principle of high-risk-high- reward. By definition, credit funds invest 65 per cent of the portfolio in bonds that are AA rated or below, and investors must be aware that they are investing in schemes that are investing in lower-rated papers.  While higher-rated bonds of companies are more secure and offer lower interest rates, credit risk funds generally invest in lower-rated bonds which offer higher return but also carry a higher risk.

3.43.ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

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 the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, both in terms of the health and socio-economic impacts.  The money, translating to more than Rs11,000 crore, will be spent to implement the containment plan and rapidly ramp up test-track-treatment capacity. It will also be used to provide social protection for 80 crore poor people over the next three months.  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.

CARES Programme:  The multilateral agency said its COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support (CARES) Program will contribute directly to the improvement of access to health facilities and care, as well as social protection for more than 800 million people, including families below the poverty line, farmers, health care workers, women, senior citizens, people with disabilities, low wage earners, and construction workers.  The CARES Program is funded through the COVID-19 pandemic response option (CPRO) under ADB’s Countercyclical Support Facility.  CPRO was established as part of ADB’s USD 20 billion expanded assistance for developing member countries’ COVID-19 response, which was announced on April 13.

Asian Development Bank:  Founded in 1966, under the auspices of the United Nations organization now known as ESCAP (Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) and is headquartered in Manila, Philippines.  It's primary mission is to foster growth and cooperation among countries in the Asia-Pacific Region. It has been responsible for a number of major projects in the region and raises capital through the international bond markets.  The ADB also relies on member contributions, retained earnings from lending and the repayment of loans for funding of the organization.  It provides assistance to its developing member countries, the private sector, and public-private partnerships through grants, loans, technical assistance, and equity investments to promote development.  The largest shareholders of the Asian Development Bank are the United States and Japan (15.6 % each) followed by China, India and Australia.  From 31 members at its establishment, ADB now has 68 members. Its members are 49 from Asia and Pacific and 19 from non-regional developed countries.  Asian Development Outlook is the annual publication by ADB.

 India was a founding member of ADB in 1966 and is now the bank’s fourth- largest shareholder and top borrower. ADB commenced operations in India in 1986.

4. ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

4.1.AIR QUALITY IMPROVES IN 90 CITIES

Why in news? With a nationwide lockdown in place, over 90 cities, including Delhi, recorded minimal air pollution.  According to the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the measures against COVID-19 have led to a drop in PM2.5 (fine particulate pollutant) by 30% in Delhi and by 15% in Ahmedabad and Pune, respectively.  The level of Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) pollution, which can increase the risk of respiratory conditions, has also reduced. NOx pollution is mainly caused due to a high motor vehicle traffic.  Moreover, 92 other cities with CPCB monitoring centres have recorded minimal air pollution, with the air quality in the range of “good” to “satisfactory”.  An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor and 401-500 severe.  Welcoming the reduction in pollution, environmentalists urged the government to treat it as a “wake-up call” and stop its “obsession” with “development” at the cost of the environment.

4.2.HANTAVIRUS

Why in news? Recently, a man from China’s Yunnan province died from Hantavirus while on a bus to the Shandong province.

What is Hantavirus?  Hantaviruses are a family of viruses spread mainly by rodents.  They are found mostly in Europe and Asia.  Hantavirus was originally discovered in Asia during the Korean War. The actual virus was not isolated until 20 years later, in 1976. It was discovered in a striped field mouse near the Hantan River in South Korea. Hence the prototype was christened Hantaan virus.  Hantaviruses can cause Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, which is an infectious disease characterized by flu-like symptoms. It can progress rapidly to potentially life-threatening breathing problems. It can also cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.  Being a zoonotic disease, each hantavirus serotype has a specific rodent host species. It can spread to people via the aerosolized virus that is shed in urine, feces, and saliva.

4.3.SUNSCREENS & CORAL REEFS

Why in news? Sunscreens containing the 3 Os — oxybenzone, octocrylene and octinoxate — harm the coral reefs that protect the US Virgin Islands’ shoreline have been banned from March 30 2020.  Sunscreens containing mineral alternatives such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide have been exempted.  The concentration of these chemicals is 40 times more than acceptable levels.  Other nations are likely to follow suit. The Hawaii government, for instance, stated that it has voted to ban the sale of sunscreens containing reef-damaging chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate from 2021.  Key West in Florida has banned stores from keeping sunscreen containing the toxin 3 O’s from 2021. The Caribbean islands of Bonaire have unanimously voted to ban the sale of sunscreen by 2021.  The archipelago nation of Palau is set to become the first country to enact a sunscreen ban, which will take effect in 2020.

4.4.PENCH TIGER DEATH RAISES COVID-19 FEARS

Why in news? 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) has raised serious concerns.  A confirmed COVID-19 infection in a tiger at the Bronx Zoo, in New York, 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) puzzling on whether the tiger should be tested for the novel coronavirus disease.  Nadia, the COVID-positive tiger in the Bronx Zoo is believed to have been infected by an asymptomatic zookeeper.  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 research college in Jabalpur as well as the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.  On April 6th, both the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and the NTCA issued guidelines that require zoos to be on the “highest alert” and monitor animals on closed-circuit cameras 24/7 for “abnormal behaviour and symptoms.”

About NTCA  National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) was established in December 2005 following a recommendation of the Tiger Task Force ,constituted by the Prime Minister of India for reorganized management of Project Tiger and the many Tiger Reserves in India

 A programme for protection called, 'Tiger Protection Program' (popularly known as Project Tiger ) was started in 1973, by the Government of India in co-operation with WWF (World Wildlife Fund)  Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 was amended in 2006 to provide for constituting the National Tiger Conservation Authority (Statutory Body) responsible for implementation of the Project Tiger protect endangered tigers.  The National Tiger Conservation Authority plan to is set up under the Chairmanship of the Minister for Environment and Forests .

4.5.EGYPTIAN VULTURES IN TAMIL NADU

Why in news? Until a few years ago, Egyptian Vultures were sighted all over Tamil Nadu, now their population is in single digits.  The concept of Vulture Safe Zones (VSZs) were developed in South Asia as an in- situ approach to remove the threat to Vultures from diclofenac, and other toxic NSAIDs used in veterinary practice and to ensure free from carcass poison.  The VSZ, usually set up in a 100km radius, focusses on engaging local authorities and communities. They are motivated to ensure a safe zone for vulture by removing threats to its survival.  The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists White-backed Vulture, Long-billed Vulture, Red-headed Vulture and Slender-billed Vulture as Critically Endangered species, which is the penultimate stage before which they go extinct.  The IUCN status of Egyptian Vulture is Endangered Species.  Other reasons for their decline include : use of deworming drugs in cows, pesticide laden insects and use of chemicals laden with chromium, sodium and ammonium in tanneries.

4.6.AMENDMENT TO ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION BILL 2006

Why in news? To address unprecedented situation arising from global outbreak of Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19), and to ramp up availability or production of various drugs, Ministry of Environment,Forest and Climate Change on 27th March 2020, has made an amendment to EIA Notification 2006.  All projects or activities in respect of bulk drugs and intermediates, manufactured for addressing various ailments, have been re-categorized from the existing Category ‘A’ to ‘B2’ category.  Projects falling under Category B2 are exempted from requirement of collection of Base line data, Environemntal Impact Assessment Studies and public consultation.  The re-categorization of such proposals has been done to facilitate decentralization of appraisal to State Level so as to fast track the process.  This amendment is applicable to all proposals received up to 30th September 2020.

4.7.EARTH DAY

April 22nd, 2020, marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the annual celebration of the environmental movement. The day is celebrated to demonstrate environmental protection. It is being celebrated since 1970.

THEME : Climate Action The day was proposed by peace activist John McConnell in 1970. The day is celebrated by World Earth Day Network. Around 193 countries join the celebrations.

50th Anniversary This year the 50th anniversary of World Earth Day is celebrated through digital mobilizations.

 In 1970, according to EarthDay.org, about 20 million Americans assembled to demand greater attention to the protection of the planet. Since then, activists around the world have gathered each year to mark the day.  With many nations having banned mass gatherings to slow the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus, green activists are marking the 50th anniversary of Earth Day online, urging environmental action through apps, webinars and digital campaigns.  But organizers and environmentalists are pushing ahead with celebrations — this year with low-carbon digital tools.  Earth Challenge 2020 is a mobile phone app that allows users to take photos and upload them to provide local data on key environmental issues, from air quality to plastic pollution.

 The earthddayswitch.org website allows consumers in Britain to see if their banks and energy companies are investing in fossil fuels, whose use creates the majority of greenhouse gas emissions heating up the planet.

4.8.WORLD VETERINARY DAY 2020

How animal welfare by vets can help prevent future outbreaks Transmission from animals to humans and poor animal welfare standards in the food chain were instrumental in the origin of this pandemic.  Zoonotic infections invariably progress into epidemics or pandemics whenever animal welfare is compromised.  Sixty per cent of the pathogens that cause diseases in humans are of animal origin, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health.  These diseases — known as zoonoses — can be transmitted by domestic or wild animals.  The most effective and economic solution to protect humans is to combat all zoonotic pathogens through their control at the animal source itself. Early detection of diseases and infections at animal source can prevent their transmission to humans or introduction of pathogens into the food chain.  For Food Producing animals, Veterinarians are responsible for the compliance of regulations on animal health, animal welfare, food safety and safe trade of animal products throughout the food chain.

The humane method of production can be ensured by following means:  Animal welfare is ensured by good management practices like proper feeding, watering, housing and taking preventive measures like vaccination and deworming  Surveillance, prevention and control of animal diseases  Feed quality control  Safe use of veterinary drugs  Transportation of only healthy animals: The health of animals to be screened during the transportation from farm to slaughter house, as overcrowding, poor handling and live transportation of livestock has been found to compromise immunity, making them prone to infection  Animals are examined clinically before slaughter and inspection of carcass is done after slaughter  Maintenance of hygiene and cold chain during processing, storage and distribution of food products

Stray dog population control  Ninety-nine per cent of human rabies cases are transmitted by dog bites, according to the World Health Organization.  The focus must be on controlling dog rabies so that human rabies can be eliminated This can be achieved by:  Anti-rabies vaccination (ARV) of dogs  Awareness on responsible ownership

 Dog identification Control of stray dog populations through Animal Birth Control programmes.

5. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

SPACE RELATED

5.1.PINK SUPERMOON

Why in news? A supermoon showed up in the sky on April 7- 8 across India and the world. It would be the biggest and brightest full moon of 2020.

What is a Supermoon? According to NASA, a supermoon takes place when a full moon is at its closest to the Earth. When the full moon appears at perigee (closest point from the earth) it is slightly brighter and larger than a regular full moon and that is what we call a “supermoon.”  They are called Supermoons because they are 7 per cent bigger and 15 per cent brighter, compared to an average full Moon.  The full moon in April is called the ‘pink moon’, but it is only pink in name  The moon will not be originally pink in colour. It got its name from the pink wildflowers- Wild Ground Phlox - that bloom in the spring and are native to North America.  It is also called Paschal moon because, in the Christian calendar, this is used to calculate the date for Easter – the first Sunday after the Paschal Moon is Easter Sunday.  The April moon is also known as the Sprouting Grass moon, the Egg Moon and the Fish Moon, all Native American names for the phenomenon.

Names of full moons in different months of the year:  January is the Wolf Moon, February is the Snow Moon, March is the Worm Moon, May is the Flower Moon, June is the Strawberry Moon, July is the Buck Moon, August is the Sturgeon Moon, September the Corn Moon, October the Hunter’s Moon, November the Beaver Moon, and December the Cold Moon.

Reasons for such variety of names:  Early Native American tribes did not record time using either the Julian or the Gregorian calendars. Instead they used the moons to keep track of seasons.

Pink Moon Significance:  The April "Pink Moon" is of significance to various cultures across the globe. In the Hindu calendar, it coincides with Hanuman Jayanti, marking the birth of Lord Hanuman.  For followers of Christianity, it marks the beginning of the Easter weekend and also coincides with Good Friday.

 Buddhists in Sri Lanka especially, term it as Bak Poya, when Gautama Buddha visited the country after Enlightenment and settled feud between two groups from the Naga community.

5.2.SunRISE MISSION

Why in news? Nasa has selected a new mission that will study how space weather forms on the sun and launches radiation storms or solar storms into space.  Called the Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE), the mission consists of six small CubeSats that will provide three dimensional maps of solar activity to pinpoint the places where giant particle storms are launched into space.  CubeSats will work in sync in a fashion similar to a radio telescope. They are quite popular among researchers since they can be fitted with a rich selection of tools and are powered by solar energy.  Nasa has awarded $62.6m (£50m) to design, build and launch the array sometime after 1 July 2023 as a secondary payload on an existing commercial launch.  A better understanding of space weather could help protect astronauts on moon or Mars exploration missions. It is thought that the information could be used to learn more about the solar system.  Despite recent advancements in technology and especially space technology, a significant amount of hardware remains vulnerable in the face of solar storms, as the high-energy particles can induce catastrophic short-circuits. In the past solar storms have been responsible for issues related to satellite communication and blackouts. New shielding solutions are being developed, and they will be ready for tests in the future.

5.3.KEPLER-1649c

Why in news? A team of scientists have discovered an Earth-size exoplanet 300 light-years away while taking a second look at old observations from NASA’s Kepler space telescope that the agency retired in 2018.  The planet, called Kepler-1649c, orbits its star’s habitable zone (Goldilocks Zone) — the area around a star where a rocky planet could support liquid water.  The computer algorithm misidentified the exoplanet but the researchers reviewing Kepler data recognised the planet that is most similar to Earth in size and estimated temperature.  The Kepler-1649c is only 1.06 times larger than Earth. The light received by this planet from its host star is around 75 per cent of the amount of light Earth receives from our Sun, meaning that the exoplanet’s temperature may be similar to Earth.  Unlike Earth, the Kepler-1649c orbits a red dwarf, which are known for stellar flare-ups that may make a planet’s environment challenging for any potential life.

 A year on Kepler-1649c is equivalent to only 19.5 Earth days.  To conclude whether the Kepler-1649c can support life, scientists need more information on this newly discovered planet. At the moment, there is still much that is unknown about this exoplanet, including its atmosphere, which could affect the planet’s temperature.

What is Goldilocks’s zone?  The Goldilocks Zone refers to the habitable zone around a star where the temperature is just right - not too hot and not too cold - for liquid water to exist on a planet.  Liquid water is essential for life as we know it. Where we find liquid water on Earth we also find life.  However, just because a planet or moon is in the Goldilocks Zone of a star, doesn't mean it's going to have life or even liquid water. After all, Earth isn't the only planet in the Sun's Goldilocks Zone - Venus and Mars are also in this habitable zone, but aren't currently habitable.

5.4.Li-RICH GIANT STARS

Why in news? Researchers at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science andTechnology, Govt. of India, have discovered hundreds of Li-rich giant stars indicating that Li is being produced in the stars and accounts for its abundance in the interstellar medium.  They have also associated such Li enhancement with central He-burning stars, also known as red clump giants, thereby opening up new vistas in the evolution of the red giant stars.  Lithium (Li), is one of the three primordial elements, apart from Hydrogen and Helium (He), produced in the big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) whose models predict primordial Li abundance.  Stars are also proposed as likely Li source in the Galaxy.  In general, stars are considered as Li sinks. This means that the original Li, with which stars are born, only gets depleted over stars’ life-time as Li burns at relatively very low temperatures.

Ionospheric electron density  Researchers from Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG), Navi Mumbai, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India, have developed a global model to predict the ionospheric electron density with larger data coverage, a crucial need for communication and navigation.  Ithas developed a new Artificial Neural Networks based global Ionospheric Model (ANNIM) using long-term ionospheric observations to predict the ionospheric electron density and the peak parameters.  ANNs replicate the processes in the human brain (or biological neurons) to solve problems such as pattern recognition, classification, clustering, generalization,

linear and nonlinear data fitting, and time series prediction, and very few attempts have been made to model the global ionosphere variability using ANNs.  Tracking the variability of the Ionosphere is important for communication and navigation.  The ionospheric variability is greatly influenced by both solar originated processes and the neutral atmosphere origin, therefore, difficult to model.  Scientists have tried to model the ionosphere using theoretical and empirical techniques; however, the accurate prediction of electron density is still a challenging task.  However, the ANNIM predictions done by the IIG team matched with the incoherent scatter radar and the satellite in situ electron density observations.  Further, the ANNIM successfully reproduced large scale anomalies of the ionosphere.  The ANNIM also captured the general morphological features of the ionosphere during the disturbed space weather periods, such as geomagnetic storms which occurs when the magnetic cloud originated from Sun (known as Coronal Mass Ejection (CME)) interacts with the Earth’s magnetosphere.  The model developed by IIG researchers may be utilized as a reference model in the ionospheric predictions and has potential applications in calculating the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning errors.

5.5.TIANWEN-1

Why in news? China has named its first Mars exploration mission as ‘Tianwen-1’. The announcement was made on April 24, 2020, the same day when the nation celebrated ‘Space Day’ to mark the 50th anniversary of the launch of its first-ever satellite ‘Dong Fang Hong-1’ in 1970.  China’s Mars mission will include an orbiter, a lander and a rover. With the mission, China aims to catch up with the other nations that have launched successful mars missions including the United States, European Union, Russia and India.  It has been named ‘Tianwen-1’ by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). Tianwen-1 means heavenly questions or questions to heaven, which is a poem written by a well-known Chinese poet Qu Yuan (340-278 BC).  In “Tianwen,” Qu Yuan raised a series of questions in verse involving the sky, stars, natural phenomena, myths and the real world, showing his doubts about some traditional concepts and the spirit of seeking the truth.  The CNSA said all of China’s planetary exploration missions in the future will be named the Tianwen series, signifying the Chinese nation’s perseverance in pursuing truth and science and exploring nature and the universe.  China in recent years has emerged as a major space power with manned space missions and landing a rover in the dark side of the moon. It is currently building a space station of its own. However, China’s attempts to send an exploratory probe

to Mars called Yinghuo-1, in a Russian spacecraft in 2011 failed as shortly after the launch and it was declared lost and later burnt during re-entry.  Last year i.e 2019 China conducted a key experiment to land a rover on Mars. The test was carried out in simulated conditions. The experiment was held on a trial ground, the largest in Asia for test landing on extra-terrestrial bodies. The experiment simulated the gravity of Mars, about one-third of the gravity on Earth, to test the design of the lander.  The lander carrying the rover will use a parachute, retrorockets, and an airbag to achieve a successful landing. The rover will be powered by solar panels. It will probe the ground with radar and perform chemical analyses on the soil and look for biomolecules and biosignatures.

Mission Objectives  The main objective of launching Tianwen-1 is to search for evidence of both current and past life on Mars and to assess the planet's environment.  The Mars orbiter and rover together will provide maps of the Martian surface topography, soil characteristics, water ice component, material composition, atmosphere, ionosphere field and collect other scientific data.

When will Tianwen-1 be launched? Though the launch of China’s Mars mission ‘Tianwen-1’ was scheduled for July 2020, it is not clear whether the mission will continue as per the previous schedule or whether it will be delayed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has brought most of the world to a halt.

5.6.FIRST MERGER OF TWO BLACK HOLES WITH UNEQUAL MASSES DETECTED

Why in news? The gravitational wave observatories at LIGO scientific collaboration have detected a merger of two unequal-mass black holes. The event, dubbed GW190412, was detected nearly a year ago, and this is almost five years after the first ever detection of gravitational wave signals by these powerful detectors.  Subsequent analysis of the signal coming from the violent merger showed that it involved two black holes of unequal masses coalescing, one of which was some 30 times the mass of the Sun and the other which had a mass nearly 8 times the solar mass.  The actual merger took place at a distance of 2.5 billion light years away.  The detected signal’s waveform has special extra features in it when it corresponds to the merger of two unequal-sized black holes as compared with a merger of equal-sized black holes.  These features make it possible to infer many more things about the characters in this celestial drama, namely, a more accurate determination of the distance from the event, the spin or angular momentum of the more massive black hole and the orientation of the whole event with respect to viewers on Earth.

5.7.ASTEROID 1998 OR2

Why in news? A large Everest sized near-Earth asteroid safely passed by our planet on 29thApril, 2020, providing astronomers with an exceptional opportunity to study the 1.5-mile-wide (2- kilometer-wide) object in great detail.  The asteroid, called 1998 OR2, made "close approach" as said by astronomers, but it's still very far away. The asteroid will get no closer than about 3.9 million miles (6.3 million kilometers), passing more than 16 times farther away than the Moon. (The distance between Earth and Moon is 3,85,000 km)  Asteroid 1998 OR2 was discovered by the Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking program at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in July 1998, and for the past two decades astronomers have tracked it.  As a result, its orbital trajectory has been understood very precisely, and it is said with confidence that this asteroid poses no possibility of impact for at least the next 200 years.  Its next close approach to Earth will occur in 2079, when it will pass by closer - only about four times the lunar distance.  Despite this, 1998 OR2 is still categorized as a large "potentially hazardous asteroid" because, over the course of millennia, very slight changes in the asteroid's orbit may cause it to present more of a hazard to Earth than it does now. This is one of the reasons why tracking this asteroid during its close approach using telescopes and especially ground-based radar is important, as observations such as these will enable an even better long-term assessment of the hazard presented by this asteroid.  In total, there are around 125 other objects that have been deemed as potentially hazardous objects.  Close approaches by large asteroids like 1998 OR2 are quite rare. The previous close approach by a large asteroid was made by asteroid Florence in September 2017. That 3-mile-wide (5-kilometer-wide) object zoomed past Earth at 18 lunar distances. On average, we can expect asteroids of this size to fly by our planet this close roughly once every five years.  Since they are bigger, asteroids of this size reflect much more light than smaller asteroids and are therefore easier to detect with telescopes.  Almost all near-Earth asteroids (about 98%) of the size of 1998 OR2 or larger have already been discovered, tracked and cataloged. It is extremely unlikely there could be an impact over the next century by one of these large asteroids, but efforts to discover all asteroids that could pose an impact hazard to Earth continue.  Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico has captured a radar image of the asteroid 1998 OR2. The Arecibo Observatory is the world's second-largest single-dish radio telescope.

5.8.INTERSTELLAR OBJECTS

An interstellar object is an astronomical object (such as an asteroid, a comet, or a rogue planet, but not a star) that is located in interstellar space and is not gravitationally bound to a star.  The term interstellar interloper can be applied to objects that are on an interstellar trajectory but are temporarily passing close to a star, such as certain asteroids and comets (including exocomets).  The first interstellar object to be discovered in the Solar System was 1I/ʻOumuamua in 2017.  The second was Comet 2I/Borisov in 2019. They both have significant hyperbolic excess velocity proving they did not originate in the Solar System.  In addition ʻOumuamua has an orbital eccentricity of about 1.2 and Borisov has an orbital eccentricity of about 3.3, proving neither is gravitationally bound to the Sun.  During the last week of April, Astronomers found 19 asteroids that once belonged to a distant star system to be orbiting the Sun between Jupiter and Neptune.  The asteroids have been circling the sun for more than 4.5 billion years, since the very inception of the solar system.  These 19 asteroids from the Centaur family orbit the Sun on a plane that was perpendicular to planetary motion 4.5 billion years ago. The asteroids belong to a group of objects called Centaurs.  The Centaur family of asteroids roam the space between the two gas giants. Even the computer models can't predict where they'll be headed next. The origin of Centaurs remains a mystery to astronomers since the first member of the group, called Chiron, was recognized in 1977.  The finding comes 2 years after astronomers spotted the first interstellar visitor, the asteroid known as Oumuamua.  According to the researchers, that analysis suggests that the Centaurs' strange- but-steady orbits are a hint they were born beyond our solar system and trapped here.

Result of the discovery:  The discovery of interstellar origin asteroids will help in understanding the chemical and physical similarities and differences between the solar system born asteroids and interstellar asteroids.  The newly discovered population of asteroids will give clues regarding how interstellar asteroid capture occurred, the sun’s early birth cluster, and the role of interstellar matter in chemically enriching the solar system and shaping its evolution.

5.9.SUPER-LUMINOUS SUPERNOVAE

Why in news? Researchers at the Arayabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) Nainital an autonomous research institute under the Department of Science and

Technology (DST) Govt. of India found that SN 2010kd, a super-luminous supernova stands out with the amount of mass as well as Nickel ejected during explosion, which is much more than seen in case of normal core-collapse supernovae.  Supernovae are a kind of energetic explosions where the core of massive stars (a few times to that of mass of our Sun) go to a catastrophic phase of explosion liberating huge amounts of energy. These events are visible through very far away distances much beyond our own solar system.  Super-luminous supernovae are a special type of stellar explosions having energy output 10 or more times higher than that of standard supernovae.  The scientists said that the larger ejected mass of Super-luminous supernovae SN 2010kd indicates that the related star evolution might be different from other possible progenitors of normal core-collapse supernovae with a different possible underlying physical mechanism responsible for producing such energetic supernovae with large ejected mass and Ni.  The super-luminous supernova titled SN 2010kd is rather nearby approximately at a distance of 1.5 Giga light-years discovered by Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment (ROTSE-IIIb) telescope as a part of ROTSE supernova verification project in the USA on 14 November 2010 embedded in a dwarf host galaxy towards Leo constellation.  The observations of the scientists show that parameters like rotation and metallicity play a crucial role in stellar explosions and that there are many more types of possible progenitors existing in diverse environments in their host galaxies than previously known.  The scientists showed that SN 2010kd exploded with a larger velocity but decayed slower than other similar supernovae.

5.10.NEW GLOBAL MAPS MAPPING GROUNDWATER, SOIL WETNESS

New satellite-based, weekly global maps of soil moisture and groundwater wetness conditions were developed by US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL).  Groundwater and soil moisture, which depicts wetness in soil, are crucial for irrigation and crop growth. The need to constantly monitor groundwater and soil moisture is important since both act as useful indicators for predicting drought conditions. But the ground-based observations is limited.  The need for global maps was important as there was limited availability of drought maps.  One of the goals of the new global maps is to make the same consistent product available in all parts of the world, especially in countries that do not have any groundwater-monitoring infrastructure.  The maps are distributed online by the National Drought Mitigation Center at UNL to support global drought monitoring.  The weekly availability of soil moisture and groundwater data help built complete picture of drought. It would also help the agricultural sector in getting a boost. The data would help in managing the selection of appropriate agricultural crops and predicting yields.

 Data available from NASA and German Research Center for Geosciences’ Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow On (GRACE-FO) satellites was used to derive these global maps.  The model produced — among other outputs — time-varying maps of the distribution of water at three depths: Surface soil moisture, root zone soil moisture (roughly the top three feet of soil) and shallow groundwater.  The maps have a resolution of up to 8.5 miles, providing continuous data on moisture and groundwater conditions across the landscape.  The global maps are freely available to users through the drought center’s data portal. These tools are absolutely critical to helping us address and offset some of the impacts anticipated, whether it is from population growth, climate change or just increased water consumption in general.

5.11. ISRO’S ASSISTANCE IN FINDING RICH FISHING AREAS

Why in news? The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Hyderabad has reported that Oceansat Satellite data from Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) are used to prepare the Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories on the potential rich fishing areas and provide to the sea faring fishermen in all states.

 ISRO has developed the methodology for the generation of fishery advisories and transfer to INCOIS since 2002 as an operational service for providing PFZ advisories. This service utilizes data on chlorophyll concentration (Chl) obtained from ISRO’sOceansat-2 satellite and the sea surface temperature from National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA / USA satellites).  INCOIS has reported that a study conducted by National Council for Applied Economic Research revealed that the emission of carbon in the environment is reduced due to the savings in diesel consumption and reported a carbon credit equivalent to an annuity of Rs. 36,200 crore.  Another study, conducted by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in Maharashtra during 2013-14, under National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP) of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), reported that a fishing village of 32 fishing boats in Maharashtra could save 70,000 litres of diesel in a month as the PFZ advisories helped them in avoiding the unwanted search for fish shoals.

OTHER NEWS

5.12.ANTI-SMOG GUNS

Why in news? On January 13, the Supreme Court had said that anti-smog guns should be mandatory in projects that require environmental clearance from the State or Centre, and have a built-up area of over 20,000 square metres in the NCT of Delhi.  More than two months after the Supreme Court ordered the installation of anti- smog guns at all large construction sites among other locations to reduce dust pollution, the devices have been installed at 14 of the 47 large projects in Delhi.  The anti-smog gun sprays nebulised water droplets into the air through high- pressure propellers, which help dust particles settle down.  It is connected to a water tank and mounted on a vehicle, the device could be taken across the city to spray water to settle dust and other suspended particles.  It can spray water up to a height of 50 metres and the results were positive as the spray acts like rain and settles dust particles and also PM 2.5.

5.13.LOW-COST ELECTRO-CATALYSTS

Why in news? Scientists at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, have recently come up with an efficient, low-cost electro-catalyst from fish gills that can help develop environmentally friendly energy conversion devices.  The bio-inspired carbon nanostructure can help overcome the bottleneck in the realization of several renewable energy conversion and storage technologies such as fuel cell, biofuel cell, and metal−air battery.  The New strategy enriches a route to synthesize low-cost, highly efficient bioinspired electrocatalyst that is better than commercial Platinum on carbon (Pt/C) catalyst and could be utilized as next-generation nonprecious carbon-based electrocatalyst for energy conversion and storage applications.  INST has explored a highly active Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) electrocatalyst based on binary transition metals Iron (Fe), and Manganese (Mn) and N-doped porous carbon (Fe, Mn, N-FGC), derived from fish gills (FG) acquired as animal waste, which has a unique porous structure and could provide conductive carbon networks after heat treatment and could be an efficient electrode material.  The catalyst was able to show active oxygen reduction reaction in a wide range of pH (pH < 1, 7, and >13) and outperformed the commercial Pt/C catalyst.  They fabricated a homemade rechargeable Zn−air battery (ZAB) with the catalyst as an air cathode, which showed almost stable charge−discharge voltage plateaus after rigorous cycling for a long duration. It surpassed the commercial Pt/C based ZAB performance.

 The researchers have suggested that the careful selection of transition metals and heteroatoms together with engineering the synthesis protocol can pave a new way for exploring highly active low-cost electrocatalyst for efficient and environmentally friendly energy conversion devices.

Electro Catalyst:  An electrocatalyst is a catalyst that participates in electrochemical reactions.  Catalyst materials modify and increase the rate of chemical reactionswithout being consumed in the process.  Electrocatalysts are a specific form of catalysts that function at electrode surfaces or may be the electrode surface itself.

5.14.NTPC INVITES TENDER FOR PILOT HYDROGEN BUS AND CAR PROJECTS

Why in news? NTPC has invited global Expression of Interest (EoI) to provide 10 Hydrogen Fuel Cell (FC) based electric buses in Delhi and an equal number of Hydrogen Fuel Cell based electric cars for Leh.  The EoI has been issued by NTPC’s wholly owned subsidiary, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) Limited.  The move to procure Hydrogen Fuel Cell based vehicles is first of its kind project in the country, wherein a complete solution from green energy to the fuel cell vehicle would be developed.  The initiative, which has been undertaken with support of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, will also harness renewable energy for generation of hydrogen and develop its storage and dispensation facilities as part of pilot projects at Leh and Delhi.  The move to launch hydrogen powered vehicles aims at decarbonizing mobility segment.  The technology initiatives by NTPC aims at providing complete e-mobility solutions for public transport. It includes the creation of public charging infrastructure as well as providing electric buses to State/city transport undertakings.  NTPC has already commissioned 90 public charging stations in various cities and battery charging and swapping station at Faridabad for e-3-wheelers.  Similarly, e-Bus solution for Andaman & Nicobar Administration is under implementation.

About Hydrogen Fuel cell  Unlike traditional combustion technologies that burn fuel, fuel cells undergo a chemical process to convert hydrogen-rich fuel into electricity.  Fuel cells do not need to be periodically recharged like batteries, but instead continue to produce electricity as long as a fuel source is provided.  A fuel cell is composed of an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane.  A fuel cell works by passing hydrogen through the anode of a fuel cell and oxygen through the cathode. At the anode site, the hydrogen molecules are split into electrons and protons. The protons pass through the electrolyte membrane, while

the electrons are forced through a circuit, generating an electric current and excess heat. At the cathode, the protons, electrons, and oxygen combine to produce water molecules.  Due to their high efficiency, fuel cells are very clean, with their only by- products being electricity, excess heat, and water.  In addition, as fuel cells do not have any moving parts, they operate near- silently.  Fuel cells are also scalable. This means that individual fuel cells can be compiled on one another to form stacks, in turn, these stacks can be combined into larger systems.  Fuel cell systems vary greatly in size and power, from portable systems for smartphone battery recharging, to combustion engine replacements for electric vehicles, to large-scale, multi-megawatt installations providing electricity directly to the utility grid.  Benefits at a glance: Low-to-Zero Emissions, High Efficiency, Reliability, Fuel Flexibility, Energy Security, Durability, Scalability, Quiet Operation.

5.15.MAGNETIC RAM

Why in news? Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, Himachal Pradesh has developed a high- speed magnetic Random Access Memory (RAM).  This Magnetic Random Access Memory (RAM), is faster, energy-efficient and stores more data in a smaller volume as compared to existing data storage technologies.

About Magnetic Random Access Memory (RAM):  The Spin-transfer torque (STT) based nano spintronic device is expected to put an end to computer data loss due to interruptions of power supply.  The technology will have the capability to transform next-generation computers, smartphones, and other gadgets.  In magnetic RAMs, data are represented as the spin of electrons.  In magnetic RAMs, it uses spintronic technology and utilizes the spin of the electrons to transmit and process information, unlike normal electronic devices that are driven by electron charges.  It harnesses the spin of electrons and manipulates the magnetic state leads to what is known as Spin-Transfer Torque-Magnetic Random Access Memory (STT- MRAM).

5.16.BIO-FORTIFIED CARROT

Why in news? Madhuban Gajar, a biofortified carrot variety with high Beta-carotene and iron content is developed by Shri Vallabhhai Vasrambhai Marvaniya, a farmer scientist from Junagadh district, Gujarat.  The variety is being cultivated in more than 1000 hectares of land in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh during the last three years.

 The Madhuban Gajar is a highly nutritious carrot variety developed through the selection method with higher Beta-carotene content (277.75 mg/kg) and iron content (276.7 mg/kg) dry basis and is used for various value-added products like carrot chips, juices, and pickles. Among all the varieties tested, beta-carotene and iron content were found to be superior.  National Innovation Foundation (NIF) - India, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India conducted validation trials for this variety at Rajasthan Agricultural Research Institute (RARI), Jaipur, between 2016 and 2017.  The on-farm trials of the variety were conducted over 25 hectares of land by NIF in different states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Assam, Haryana, Punjab and West Bengal which involved more than 100 farmers where the performance of the variety (Madhuban Gajar) was found to be appreciable in term of yield and its other properties.

Background  During 1943, Shri Vallabhhai Vasrambhai Marvaniya found that a local carrot variety which was profoundly used for fodder to improve the quality of milk. He selectively cultivated this variety and sold this carrot in the market at a good price. Since then, he, along with family, is working for the conservation and development of this cultivar.  The production and marketing of seeds of the variety are taken care of by his son Shri Arvindbhai and the average sale is about 100 quintals per annum.  Around 30 local seeds suppliers are involved for the seed marketing of the variety throughout the country, and the production of seeds is being under taken by Shri Vallabhhai himself with a group of some local farmers.  Shri Vallabhai Vasrambhai Marvaniya was conferred with a National Award by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi during Festival of Innovation (FOIN) – 2017. He was conferred with Padma Shri in the year 2019 for his extraordinary work.

About National Innovation Foundation :  The National Innovation Foundation (NIF) - India was set up in March 2000 with the assistance of Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.  It is India's national initiative to strengthen the grassroots technological innovations and outstanding traditional knowledge.  Its mission is to help India become a creative and knowledge-based society by expanding policy and institutional space for grassroots technological innovators.  NIF scouts, supports and spawns' grassroots innovations developed by individuals and local communities in any technological field, helping in human survival without any help from formal sector.  NIF helps grassroots innovators and outstanding traditional knowledge holders get due recognition, respect and reward for their innovations. It also tries to ensure that such innovations diffuse widely through commercial and/or non-commercial channels, generating material or non-material incentives for them and others involved in the value chain.

5.17.VIRTUAL BRAILLE KEYBOARD

Why in news? Google has announced the launch of a virtual Braille keyboard for Android users with low vision or blindness. This will enable these people to type on their phones without additional hardware.  For the virtual Braille keyboard, Google has collaborated with braille developers and users to create it. The keyboard can be used anywhere, where a user would normally type such as social media, text messaging, and email apps.  Hence, the new Braille keyboard will allow people with severe visual impairments to use their smartphones in a better way.  The braille keyboard will be rolled out to devices running Android 5.0 or newer through an update to the Android Accessibility Suite on the Google Play Store and will support braille grade 1 and grade 2 in English.  A standard 6-key layout has been used in this keyboard with each key representing one of 6 braille dots which, when tapped, can make any letter or symbol. For example: 1. To type the letter A, user should tap dot 1. 2. To type the letter B, user should tap dots 1 and 2. 3. To type the letter C, user should tap dots 1 and 4. 4. To type the letter D, user should tap dots 1, 4, and 5.

COVID-19 RELATED

5.18.AIR PURIFYING RESPIRATORS

Disposable respirators, more commonly referred to as particulate respirators or dust masks, are sold in the half-face variety and are typically used for protection against airborne particles. Reusable respirators, on the other hand, are available in both the half-face and full-face variety and can offer protection not only against airborne particulates, but gases, fumes and vapors as well.

Disposable Air Purifying Respirators Particulate respirators are designed to prevent the inhalation of airborne particles commonly associated with environments where grinding, sanding, sweeping and other dusty operations occur. To make it easier to classify particulate respirators, in 1995, The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released a testing certification for particulate respirators with the intention of creating a standard that respirator users could understand and follow in practice. It grouped particulate respirators into three distinct groups: N-Series, R-Series and P- Series. Each of these three groups, in turn, have three different efficiency possibilities: 95, 99 and 100.

1. N-Series (N95, N99 and N100) N-Series particulate respirators are NOT resistant to oil and therefore provide protection against solid and liquid aerosol particulates that do NOT contain oil. Examples of common non-oil based solid particulates include “dust” particles related to coal, iron ore, flour, metal, wood and pollen and non-oil based liquids. The difference between an N95, N99 and N100 respirator is simply the filter’s efficiency level (i.e. N95 = NOT Resistant to solids and liquids which contain oil and provides 95% efficiency). The higher the efficiency, the more particulates the respirator will filter out. Of these three efficiency levels, the N95 is the commonly used. It is important to note that N-Series respirators have a non-specific service life, and can be used as long as the mask is not damaged or breathing resistances are not detected.

2. R-Series Unlike the N-Series, the R-Series particulate respirators are resistant to oil, which means they provide protection against both solid and liquid aerosol particulates that may contain oil. R-series respirators, however, are only certified for up to 8 hours of service life. Due to these specific service life restrictions, R-Series particulate respirators are the least common type of particulate respirators.

3. P-Series (P95 & P100) P-Series particulate respirators are similar to the R-series in that they provide protection against both solid and liquid aerosol particulates that may contain oil.

The service life of P-Series particulate respirators, however, is substantially longer, with NIOSH recommended disposal after 40 hours or 30 days of use, whichever comes first. This extended service life is contingent on the mask being undamaged with no detectable breathing resistances.

Reusable Respirators Reusable respirators are ideal for workers who may be exposed to multiple elements, as they have capability to protect the wearer from more than just particulate matter, if needed. There are two different types of reusable respirators available: half-face or full-face. Every reusable respirator requires the attachment of two of the following: gas & vapor cartridges, combination cartridges, filters and/or pre-filters.

5.19.DISINFECTING MAHARASHTRA HOSPITALS IN COVID 19 FIGHT

A technology developed under the NIDHI PRAYAS program initiated by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India by an incubatee company of Scitech Park, Pune has emerged as an effective solution for India’s fight against Covid 19 by reducing the viral load of infected areas within a room significantly within an hour.  DST has released Rs 1 crore to manufacture and scale up the product, and 1000 of them will soon be ready for installation in various hospitals in Maharashtra. JCLEAN WEATHER TECHNOLOGIES, a Pune based company, is manufacturing the product.  The negative ion generator titled Scitech Airon, which helps to control the virus, bacteria, and fungal infections in a closed environment, could clean up the air and disinfect areas which are exposed to the infection through Covid 19 positive cases and suspects. Hence it could ensure the wellbeing of the staff, doctors, and nurses who are working round the clock in the quarantine facilities by enhancing their disease resistance power and ability to fight the virus.  It has been scientifically tested by various globally renowned labs in different types of closed environments like houses, hospitals, schools, farms, industries, and so on.  One hour of operation of Ion generator machine reduces viral load within a room by 99.7% depending on room size.

Working mechanism: 1. The Scitech Airon ionizer machine generates negatively charged ions at approx hundred million per 8 seconds. 2. The negative ions generated by the ionizer form clusters around microparticles such as airborne mold, corona or influenza viruses, mite allergens, bacteria, pollens, dust and so on and render them inactive through a chemical reaction by creating highly reactive OH groups called hydroxyl radicals and H O which are highly reactive and known as atmospheric detergents. 3. The detergent property generated by the ion generator helps in the breakdown of the outer protein of the allergens, viruses, and bacteria, which helps in controlling airborne diseases. It increases the body's resistance to infections and harmful

environmental factors. This resistance could be helpful for the next 20-30 days outside the ion atmosphere. 4. It also decomposes gaseous pollutants like Carbon Monoxide (1000 times more harmful than Carbon dioxide), Nitrogen dioxide, and Volatile Organic Compounds.  The efficacy of the Ion generator has also been observed on different types of pathogens like the Influenza virus, Coxsackie virus, Polio virus, Human Corona virus, a range of allergens, bacteria, and fungi.  It could also be useful against floating viruses in the air on public transport, train stations, or airports, or especially within a confined space like a plane cabin, house, hospital ward, and so on.

5.20.SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE

Why in news? In several places, migrant workers travelling to their home states, or their belongings, were sprayed with a disinfectant, apparently to sanitise them. (Workers were sprayed in Bareily of Uttar Pradesh, and belongings of workers in Delhi.)  The chemical in the spray was a sodium hypochlorite solution. Sodium hypochlorite is commonly used as a bleaching agent, and also to sanitise swimming pools. This chemical is also being used in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Punjab, for disinfecting buildings and solid surfaces in a bid to wash away any presence of novel coronavirus.

Is the chemical safe? Sodium hypochlorite is used for a variety of cleaning and disinfecting purposes. It releases chlorine, which is a disinfectant. The concentration of the chemical in the solution varies according to the purpose it is meant for. Large quantities of chlorine can be harmful. 1. A normal household bleach usually is a 2-10% sodium hypochlorite solution. 2. At a much lower 0.25-0.5%, this chemical is used to treat skin wounds like cuts or scrapes. 3. An even weaker solution (0.05%) is sometimes used as a handwash.

What was the concentration used in the spray in various places? 1. In Delhi, officials have said a 1% sodium hypochlorite solution was used in the spray applied on migrant workers’ belongings. The concentration in other places, including those used on buildings or vehicles, is not very clear. 2. A 1% solution can cause damage to the skin of anyone who comes in contact with it. If it gets inside the body, it can cause serious harm to lungs. 3. Sodium hypochlorite is corrosive, and is meant largely to clean hard surfaces. It is not recommended to be used on human beings, certainly not as a spray or shower. Even a 0.05% solution could be very harmful for the eyes.

Does the chemical get rid of the novel coronavirus?  The World Health Organization, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommend homemade bleach solutions of about 2-10% concentration to clean hard surfaces to clear them of any presence of the novel coronavirus.  A Michigan State University tutorial says that cleaning hard surfaces with this solution can disinfect them not just from novel coronavirus but also “help prevent flu, food born illnesses, and more”. However, it adds: “Always use bleach in a well- ventilated area and wear gloves when handling the product or solution.”

5.21.BAG VALVE MASKS

Why in news? The Director of the Indian Institute of Technology – Hyderabad, has urged the government to consider the use of ‘bag valve masks’ as an alternative to meet any surge in demand for ventilators, in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.  A ventilator is a device designed to force breathable air into the lungs of patients who are unable to breathe for themselves.  The most sophisticated computer-controlled ventilators cost around ₹ 40 lakh while more modest ones cost around ₹ 15 lakh (made abroad) and Indian-made ventilators cost around ₹ 6 lakh each.  Conventional ventilators are generally expensive, hard to produce and not portable, however ‘bag valve masks’ were small devices used to deliver breathing support in emergency situations. They are also known as “ambu bags”.  The scientists said that ‘bag valve masks’ are currently hand-powered and therefore not suitable for continuous use as a ventilator. But, they posited, this could easily be remedied by designing similar devices powered by an electrical source, which could be a car battery or conventional power supply. The devices would be made portable, and therefore easy to use in villages and other areas without power supply and could be manufactured in bulk quite inexpensively.  The estimate is that it can be made for less than ₹ 5,000, or one-hundredth of the cost of a conventional machine. The cost is so low that it can be considered a single-use device that will be given over to a single patient, and never used again.  Several designs are already available for 3-D printing, and so can be manufactured on a small scale on a 3-D printer.  The Indian industry has a maximum manufacturing capacity of approximately 6,000 units per month, but even the Indian-made devices use a lot of foreign- made parts whose availability would now be uncertain, when every country would be maximizing their own ventilator production.  Therefore, the total number of ventilators would be very less - at a time when millions of machines may be needed. We cannot depend of the conventional ventilators for a solution to this crisis.

5.22.ANTI-MICROBIAL COATING

Why in news? Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), an autonomous institution under the Department of Science and Technology, has developed a one-step curable anti-microbial coating which, when coated on different surfaces such as textile, plastic and so on could kill a range of virus types including COVID 19.  The covalent coating has been found to completely kill influenza virus as well as resistant pathogenic bacteria and fungi, including methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus and fluconazole-resistant C. albicans spp.  Corona virus, like influenza, is also an enveloped virus. Therefore it is anticipated that the coating may inactivate SARS-CoV-2 upon contact and can help prevent contamination if coated on various surfaces.  The coating can be fabricated on a variety of surfaces, and its ease and robustness eliminate the necessity of skilled personnel for procurement of the coating.  The molecules developed have an ability to chemically cross-link with different surfaces upon UV irradiation. Upon the formation of the coating, it has been shown to permeabilize the membranes of pathogens (i.e. bacteria) leading to their inactivation.  Microbial attachment and their colony formation on different surfaces play a major role in the transmission of deadly infections in the community as well as healthcare settings. Keeping this in mind, an easy approach was developed to coat a wide range of substrates used in daily life as well as in clinical settings.

5.23.COVID-19 QUARANTINE ALERT SYSTEM (CQAS)

Why in news? The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has shared a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) with all telecom service providers regarding the application called COVID-19 Quarantine Alert System (CQAS).  CQAS collects phone data, including the device’s location, on a common secured platform and alerts the local agencies in case of a violation by COVID patients under watch or in isolation.  The DoT and the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), in coordination with telecom service providers, have developed and tested the application.  The CQAS prepares a list of mobile numbers, segregates them on the basis of telecom service providers, and the location data provided by the telecom companies is run on the application to create geo-fencing.  Geo-fencing is a location-based service in which an app or other software uses GPS, RFID, Wi-Fi or cellular data to trigger a pre-programmed action when a mobile device or RFID tag enters or exits a virtual boundary set up around a geographical location, known as a geofence.

 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.  The location information is received periodically over a secure network for the authorized cases with “due protection of the data received”.  The System 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.

India Telegraph Act, 1885 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 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”.  Section 5(2) authorises State or 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.”  As per the SOP, the phone number should be deleted from the system after the period for which location monitoring 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.

Centre for Development of Telematics C-DOT was established in August 1984 as an autonomous Telecom R&D Centre of DoT. It is a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. It is a registered ‘public funded research institution’ with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science & Technology.

5.24.FAVIPIRAVIR

Why in news? The japanese anti-influenza drug being tested for treating covid-19.

 Recently, the Japanese conglomerate Fujifilm announced the start of phase III clinical trials of Avigan, an influenza antiviral drug that is being experimented with in many countries for the treatment of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).  As there is still no specific cure for COVID-19, medicines used for other ailments are being repurposed around the world for it. Drugs for malaria, HIV, arthritis, among others have been administered to COVID-19 patients, with varying degrees of effectiveness.

 The anti-influenza drug Avigan (generic name: Favipiravir), which showed promising results when it was repurposed during the 2014-16 Ebola epidemic, is now being touted as a ray of hope in the treatment of COVID-19 as well.

What is Favipiravir?  Developed by Toyama Chemicals, a subsidiary of the Japanese photography company Fujifilm, Favipiravir was originally intended to be used as an antiviral in the treatment of influenza. It received regulatory approval in Japan in 2014 and was marketed as Avigan.  Japan supplied Favipiravir to affected countries as emergency aid during the Ebola virus epidemic of 2014-16, which claimed over 11,000 lives.  The drug was effective in bringing down mortality rates from 30 per cent to 15 per cent when administered to those with low to moderate viral loads.  According to a Time report, countries such as Japan and the US built stockpiles of the drug over the years for emergency medication during seasonal flu. The medicine was also stockpiled by the UAE during the MERS epidemic (which is also caused by a coronavirus).  The drug has shown promising results in treating patients at a mild or moderate stage of COVID-19. It has been used as an emergency measure to stop the disease from worsening when treatment becomes more challenging.  According to the Time report, since the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is an RNA virus like the influenza A and B viruses, Favipiravir could potentially also work against the former. The drug is less effective when the virus has already multiplied.  According to some studies, its side effects may include fetal deaths or deformities. It is hence not prescribed for patients who are pregnant.  China also administered the drug to its patients.

5.25.RAILWAY UNIT FIRST TO MAKE VENTILATOR

Why in news? Within a week of receiving instructions from the government about “exploring the possibility” of making ventilators, the Railways’ Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in Kapurthala came out with a prototype that has an original design and will cost a fraction of what regular ventilators cost.  The first such breakthrough by a production unit, the prototype named Jeevan will now go for final testing at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) before being put to production to aid the country’s fight against COVID-19. In- house medical professionals of the production unit have tested the unit and given it a go-ahead.  The cost will be under Rs 10,000 without the compressor. Overall, the cost will still be a fraction of what regular ventilators available in the market cost. It can be used as an emergency ventilator. Production is easy and can be done with locally sourced components.

 The heart of the device is the Compressed Air Container to work the ambu bag with air without any moving parts like servo motor or piston or link mechanism. It is very silent.  The intellectual property rights relating to the ventilator belong to the RCF.  The machine provides control on breathing rate, the Inspiratory:Expiratory ratio, and tidal volume — critical parameters in any ventilator. It has a microprocessor- based controller and the circuit has been designed by the RCF team.  The Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, and Rail Wheel Factory, Bengaluru, too have been trying to make a ventilator — first with reverse engineering and then with outside collaboration.  As part of building India’s response capability against COVID-19 outbreak, the government has identified lack of ventilators as one of the major areas. It had asked its arms like Railways as well as private automobile manufactures to try and supplement the production of this critical care item.

5.26.PRANA-VAYU, A LOW-COST VENTILATOR

Why in news? Amid the growing demand for hospital ventilators due to the COVID-19 pandemic, IIT- Roorkee has developed a low-cost portable ventilator in association with AIIMS- Rishikesh, which can be manufactured for just Rs 25,000.  Named ‘Prana-Vayu,’ the closed-loop ventilator can deliver the required amount of air to the patient, with an automated process controlling the pressure and flow rates. It also has feedback that can control tidal volume and the number of breaths per minute.  The ventilator will be useful for a wide degree of congestions in the respiratory tract and is applicable for all age group patients, especially the elderly.  The prototype has been tested successfully for normal and patient-specific breathing conditions. Additionally, it does not require compressed air for functioning and can be especially useful in cases when hospital wards or open areas are converted into ICUs.

5.27.LIFI TECHNOLOGY TO MONITOR COVID-19 PATIENTS

Why in news? In the fight against Covid-19, a Ahmedabad-based innovator has come up with a LiFi (Light Fidelity) technology-based communication solution believed to be a first of its kind globally for hospitals handling coronavirus patients.  Nav Wireless Technology Pvt Ltd adopts LiFi technology to transmit crucial patient data, such as ventilator reading, temperature, etc, using a wireless data transfer through LED lights. It is seen as a big breakthrough for medical teams who get exposed even with protective gear because of repeated visits to monitor patients.

 The company has received clearance from Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital to cover 1,200 beds that are earmarked exclusively for Covid-19 cases.  The device is a plug-n-play LED light with a LiFi-enabled chip inside it and a USB dongle that can be connected to a machine.  LiFi technology is considered safer and greener compared to the existing modes of WiFi communication, telecom tower-based communication or LAN network. Due to the risk involved with radio-magnetic waves through the existing technologies, they are often not used in critical areas or ICUs. No WiFi or mobile phones are allowed near Covid-19 patients, thereby making remote monitoring of the patients almost impossible.  All the patient data generated is secure as no one can get inside the network, unlike the risk in a WiFi network.  Apart from data information, the device will also provide communication support for patients to remotely connect with their relatives as well as for nurses with the doctors. Relatives can speak to patients sitting at a distance of about 300 metres within the hospital premises.  For doctors and medical teams, there is a VOIP-like communication through LiFi. Nursing staff can connect with an outside doctor giving an update on the patient status.  The hospital has sourced everything locally so everything is made in India, and also the entire project is part of the company’s CSR and hence it will not charge the hospital.

About LiFi  LiFi is a wireless optical networking technology that uses LEDs for data transmission. In simpler terms, LiFi is considered to be as a light-based WiFi which uses light instead of radio waves to transmit information.  It is a Visible Light Communications system transmitting wireless internet communications at very high speeds.  The technology makes a LED light bulb emit pulses of light that are undetectable to the human eye and within those emitted pulses, data can travel to and from receivers. Then, the receivers collect information and interpret the transmitted data.  LiFi transmission speeds can go over 100 Gbps, 14 times faster than WiGig, also known as the world’s fastest WiFi.

WiFi: 1. More interference, cannot pass through seawater, works in less dense regions. 2. Used for internet browsing with the help of WiFi hotspots. 3. Coverage distance is about 32 meters, varies based on transmit power and antenna type. 4. Works in less dense environments due to interference related issues. 5. WiFi transmits data using radio waves with the help of WiFi router. 6. WiFi is less secure because the signal cannot be blocked by walls and most objects.

LiFi: 1. Less interference, can pass through salty sea water, works in dense region. 2. Used in airlines, undersea explorations, operation theaters in the hospitals, office and home premises for data transfer and internet browsing. 3. Coverage distance is about 10 meters. 4. Works in high-density environments. 5. LiFi transmits data using light sources (presently LED bulbs). 6. With LiFi, light is blocked by the walls and hence will provide more secure data transfer. 7. The biggest disadvantage of LiFi technology is its coverage distance. Since light can’t pass through walls, the signal’s range is limited by physical barriers. LiFi is probably not the replacement of WiFi technology anytime soon. Instead, it is an incredible companion for it. By positioning LiFi as a complementary technology to WiFi, this promising technology will take wireless connectivity to new heights.

Misconceptions about LiFi: 1. LiFi won’t work in the dark- Since data is transmitted through light, then that must mean that LiFi won’t work in the dark. If the light is completely turned off, there is no LiFi. But LiFi enabled LED lights can be dimmed low enough that a room will appear dark and still transmit data. There is consistent performance between 10 and 90 percent illumination 2. LiFi won’t work in sunlight- A lot of people seem to think that if a LiFi user is under direct sunlight, it would be difficult for the device the user is carrying to detect LiFi waves due to higher intensity of light coming from the sun. However, LiFi can fully operate in daylight. LiFi detects the fast changes in light intensity and not on the absolute or slowly varying levels cause by natural disruptions in sunlight. It modulates the light at very high rates and sunlight is constant light and therefore can be filtered out at the receiver.

5.28.RAPID TEST FOR DETECTION OF COVID-19

Why in news? The Department of Science & Technology has funded ‘Module Innovations’, a Pune based healthcare startup working on point of care diagnostics to build up on its platform technology for rapid diagnosis of diseases to develop a product for detecting COVID 19 with a 10 to 15 minute test.  Using the proven concept from its flagship product USense, Module is now developing nCoVSENSEs (TM) which is a rapid test device for detection of antibodies that have been generated against the COVID 19 in the human body.  With the current stage that India is in, doing a mass screening is of extreme importance. With the rapid test device it will be possible to confirm infection in patients and also determine whether an infected patient has recovered and also identify the stage of infection in the patients.  The current confirmatory method of Real-Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) though a gold standard is costly, takes longer time and needs trained manpower. This new rapid test will help manage the problem in a more efficient way at a lesser cost.

 While not being a substitute for the PCR based confirmatory technique, the tests based on the detection of antibodies are being deployed globally for the purposes of rapid mass screenings that take some of the burden off from limited number of PCR machines, and help in the formulation of strategies and decision making, among other things.  The nCoVSENSetest is aimed at detecting the IgG and IgM antibodies generated in the human body upon the onset of viral infection and is targeted against the Spike proteins making it specific for COVID 19.  The test could also be used to screen patients and passengers at airports, railway stations, hospitals and many such settings thus safeguarding us for any future outbreak as well.

5.29.CFTRI, I-T DEPARTMENT JOIN HANDS TO PROVIDE NUTRITIOUS FOOD

The CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysuru, has joined hands with the Income Tax Department (Karnataka and Goa) in providing nutrition- boosting food to migrant labourers affected by the COVID-19 lockdown.  The institute has supplied five tonnes of fruit bars, 500 kg of spirulina chikki and five tonnes of flavoured water to the I-T Department, which is feeding nearly 10,000 migrant workers daily in Bengaluru and surrounding areas.  The food items are long shelf-life foods that are supplemented with some essential nutrition. Food also provides micro-nutrients that aid in boosting immunity.  The mango fruit bars supplied contain essential nutrients like carbohydrates, carotenes and added vitamin C and zinc, which are known to improve immunity.  By supplying cardamom flavoured water, the institute was using it as a vehicle for providing flavoured oils from traditional herbs which are again known immune boosters.  Logistics for this is provided by the I-T Department.

About CSIR-CFTRI  CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CSIR-CFTRI), is one of the constituent laboratory under the aegis of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).  It was opened on 21 October 1950 in Mysore, Karnataka.  It also has its resource centers in Hyderabad, Lucknow and Mumbai, rendering technical assistance to numerous entrepreneurs.  There are sixteen research and development departments, including laboratories focusing on food engineering, food biotechnology, microbiology, grain sciences, sensory science, Biochemistry, Molecular Nutrition and food safety.  The institute has developed over 300 products, processes, and equipment types and most of these technologies have been released to over 4000 licensees for commercial exploitation.  It holds several patents and has published findings in reputed journals.  India is the world's second largest food grain, fruit and vegetable producer, and the institute is engaged in research in the production and handling

of grains, pulses, oilseeds, along with spices, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, and poultry.  The institute develops technologies to increase efficiency and reduce post-harvest losses, add convenience, increase export, find new sources of food products, integrate human resources in food industries, reduce costs, and modernize.

5.30.DRDO DEVELOPS KIOSK FOR COVID-19 SAMPLE COLLECTION

Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad has added a product to the portfolio of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to combat Coronavirus (COVID-19) by developing COVID Sample Collection Kiosk (COVSACK).  The unit has been developed by DRDL in consultation with the doctors of Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), Hyderabad.  The COVSACK is a kiosk for use by healthcare workers for taking COVID-19 samples from suspected infected patients.  Patient under test walks into the Kiosk and a nasal or oral swab is taken by health care professional from outside through the built in gloves.  The Kiosk is automatically disinfected without the need for human involvement, making the process free of infection spread.  The shielding screen of kiosk cabin protects the health care worker from the aerosols/droplet transmission while taking the sample. This reduces the requirements of PPE change by health care workers.  After the patient leaves the Kiosk, four nozzle sprayers mounted in the kiosk cabin disinfect the empty chamber by spraying disinfectant mist for a period of 70 seconds.  It is further flushed with water & UV light disinfection. The system is ready for next use in less than two minutes.  Voice command can be given through two-way communication system integrated with the COVSACK.  It is possible to configure COVSACK to be used either from inside or outside as required by the medical professionals.  The COVSACK costs nearly Rs. 1 lakh and the identified industry based at Belgaum, Karnataka can support 10 units per day. The DRDO has designed and developed two units and handed over these to ESIC Hospital, Hyderabad after successful testing.

5.31.BAT CORONAVIRUS STRAIN FOUND IN TWO SPECIES OF BATS IN INDIA

Why in news? A study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), found strains of coronaviruses, different from the novel coronavirus, in two bat species – the Indian Flying Fox and Rousettus (old world fruit bats).  The study says there is no evidence to suggest that the bat coronaviruses can be transmitted to humans.

 Swab samples of 25 bats belonging to these species from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Puducherry had tested positive for the virus through reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing.  The findings are part of a larger study carried out by researchers to study the presence of bat coronavirus (Bt-CoV).  The Covid-19 outbreak is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) virus. The origin of the novel coronavirus has been traced back to bats and pangolins. However, no definite proof that the virus jumped from bats to humans via an intermediary species has been found yet.  The ICMR study, conducted in collaboration with a team of scientists from the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, is based on samples collected from forests in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Odisha, Telangana, Chandigarh and Puducherry between 2018 and 2019.  The Pteropus bat species were earlier found positive for the Nipah virus in 2018 and 2019 in Kerala. An association of Pteropus medius bats with the Nipah virus was reported earlier in India.

5.32.SAHYOG

Why in news? On April 15, 2020, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India (GOI) has created an integrated geospatial platform from the available geospatial datasets, standards-based services and analytic tools which helps in decision making during the present COVID-19 outbreak and supports area-specific strategies to handle the socio-economic impact in the recovery phase.

SAHYOG:  The mobile application SAHYOG and the web portal (https://indiamaps.gov.in/soiapp/) prepared and managed by Survey of India (SOI), will complement the “AAROGYA-SETU” mobile application launched by the Government of India for contact tracing, public awareness & self-assessment objectives.  The Survey of India’s support to the Aarogya Setu app will not only improve geospatial data but also help develop maps that could be customized to different COVID-19 related applications like infection clusters, healthcare facilities, and disaster management.  This integrated geospatial platform will strengthen the Nation’s health emergency management due to the COVID-19 outbreak and support the socio-economic recovery process through the seamless provision of spatial data, information, and linkage between human, medical, technological, infrastructural and natural resources.  State Spatial Data Infrastructure (SSDI) in Madhya Pradesh (MP), Odisha, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) have been providing collateral standards-based geospatial data services to the State and District Level Authorities.

 Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) is a data infrastructure implementing a framework of geographic data, metadata, users and tools that are interactively connected in order to use spatial data in an efficient and flexible way.

About DST (Department of Science and Technology) Headquarters – New Delhi Secretary– Ashutosh Sharma.

About Survey of India The National Survey and Mapping Organization of the country functions under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and it was the oldest scientific department of GOI which was set up in 1767.

5.33.CHITRA GENELAMP-N

Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, an Institute of National Importance, of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has developed a diagnostic test kit that can confirm COVID19 in 2 hours at low cost.  The confirmatory diagnostic test, which detects the N Gene of SARS- COV2 using reverse transcriptase loop-mediated amplification of viral nucleic acid (RT-LAMP), will be one of the world’s first few if not the first of its kinds in the world.  The test kit, funded by the DST called Chitra GeneLAMP-N, is highly specific for SARS-CoV-2 N-gene and can detect two regions of the gene, which will ensure that the test does not fail even if one region of the viral gene undergoes mutation during its current spread.  The tests performed at NIV Alappuzha (authorized by ICMR) show that Chitra GeneLAMP- N has 100% accuracy and match with test results using RT-PCR. This has been intimated to ICMR, the authority to approve it, for COVID-19 testing in India, following which License needs to be obtained from CDSCO for manufacture.  Current PCR kits in India enable detection of E gene for screening and RdRp gene for confirmation.  Chitra GeneLAMP-N gene testing will allow confirmation in one test without the need for a screening test and at much lower costs.  The detection time is 10 minutes, and the sample to result time (from RNA extraction in swab to RT-LAMP detection time) will be less than 2 hours. A total of 30 samples can be tested in a single batch in a single machine allowing a large number of samples to be tested each day. The cost of testing with the new device for LAMP testing and the test kit for 2 regions of N gene( including RNA extraction)will be less than Rs 1000/testfor the laboratory.

5.34.REMDESIVIR

Why in news? The drug remdesivir has been under the spotlight as a possible treatment for critical cases of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Globally, it is one of the four possible lines of treatment being investigated in the Solidarity trials under the aegis of the World Health Organization (WHO). While the drug is yet to get approval in any country to treat COVID-19, recent studies have claimed they have found promising results.

What is Remdesivir?  It is a drug with antiviral properties that was manufactured by US-based biotechnology company in 2014, to treat Ebola cases. It was also tried in patients of MERS and SARS, both caused by members of the coronavirus family.  Coronaviruses have a single-strand RNA as their genetic material. When the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2 enters a human cell, an enzyme called RdRp helps the virus replicate. Remdesivir works by inhibiting the activity of RdRP.

What have studies found?  A small cohort study published in The New England Journal of Medicine on April 10 used remdesivir on 61 patients in USA, Canada, Europe and Japan. These patients were critically ill with low oxygen levels, and were administered remdesivir under manufacturer Gilead’s compassionate use programme.  The study found clinical improvement in 68% of the cases, with their oxygen levels improving; 47% patients could be discharged after treatment, and more than 50% patients no longer required mechanical ventilator support.  The study found that clinical improvement was less frequent in patients on invasive ventilators or among elderly people. Seven patients died despite treatment with remdesivir.

How promising are these results?  No study on remdesivir so far has been large enough to be viewed with credibility.  The study published in The New England Journal of Medicine looked at 53 patients, who represent too small a cohort to draw definitive conclusions. Also, 13% of the patients in the study died.  The study had no control arm, meaning another group of patients who were not administered the drug, to compare outcomes of treatment with and without remdesivir. Unless such trials are conducted, the effect of the drug remains a grey zone.

What is India’s stand on remdesivir?  The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said it can consider using the drug if local manufacturers are willing to procure it.  Remdesivir is currently not available in India. The ICMR plans to wait and watch for the results of WHO’s Solidarity trials to make an assessment on the efficacy of remdesivir for COVID-19 treatment.

What are the other lines of treatment being investigated?  Hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug, is undergoing multiple trials to assess if it can be used to treat severe COVID-19 cases.  It works by decreasing the acidity in parts of the cell where the virus is present, thereby inhibiting it.  Ritonavir and Lopinavir are two antiviral drugs used for treatment of HIV. These too work by inhibiting the virus’s RNA. Specifically, they target the enzyme that helps the virus split proteins.  These two drugs are being used in India and several countries for seriously ill patients. In HIV patients, these two antiviral drugs work together to decrease the viral load in blood. Their use in COVID-19 patients seeks the same outcome.

5.35.CORONAVIRUS SPARES NO MAJOR ORGAN IN THE BODY

In the backdrop of increased Covid 19 cases, the Physicians are beginning to realise that lungs are just the ground zero for the virus while the virus spreads its lethal tentacles to multiple organs, heart and blood vessels, kidneys, gut, and brain.  While about 80% of people infected with the virus either don’t display any symptoms or only mild symptoms, the remaining need hospitalisation and about 5% need ICU care.  Who would need hospitalisation and even ICU care depends on how decisively the body strikes down the virus soon after infection. If not beaten back in the initial stage of infection, the virus invades the lower respiratory tract and enters the lungs, which very soon turns into a battle ground.  The virus enters the cells by binding to receptors found on certain cells called angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The lining of the nose is rich in cells with this receptor and hence is the site of entry into the body. The receptors are found in cells found in many other organs, thus leaving them too vulnerable.  The tiny air sacs in the lungs called the alveoli, where oxygen exchange between the lungs and blood vessels take place, are rich in ACE2 receptors. Once the virus enters these cells, the immune system mounts an all out battle against the virus, disrupting the oxygen transfer and leaving the air sacs with fluid and dead cells, which makes breathing shallow and difficult and accompanied with coughing.  Oxygen levels drop sharply and breathing becomes harder. The lungs are by now riddled with fluid white blood cells, mucus, and the detritus of destroyed lung cells instead of air. Many patients end up on ventilators, and while some survive the rest either die or their condition worsens further.  Patients experiencing worsening conditions typically have their immune system overreacting and bringing on a “cytokine storm”, where the level of cytokines far exceed the levels needed resulting in healthy tissues being attacked. Blood vessels leak, blood pressure drops, clots form, and catastrophic organ failure can ensue.  Heart is one of the organs that gets affected after lungs. The disruption seems to extend to the blood itself, causing blood clots, which when breaks can restrict the blood supply to the brain causing stroke or artery supplying blood to the lungs causing pulmonary embolism.

 Infection may also lead to blood vessel constriction, causing reduced blood supply to organs. The virus attacking the blood vessels could be one reason why patients with blood pressure, diabetes are at higher risk.  Asthmatics or patients with other respiratory diseases are not at great risk unlike those with vascular problems- diabetes, obesity, age, hypertension.  Kidneys too are very vulnerable and experience in China shows that a sizeable fraction of patients may suffer from kidney failure. It could be due to direct infection by the virus, cytokine storms reducing blood supply to the kidneys, or pre-existing diabetes causing fatal damage to kidneys.  A small subset (5%-10%) of patients suffer from neurological problems — seizure- like symptoms, strokes, loss of sense of smell and taste, and at times even depression of brain stem reflex, which is responsible for sensing oxygen starvation.  In rare cases, the virus finds its way into the cerebrospinal fluid causing meningitis and encephalitis.

5.36.DASHBOARD PRACRITI

Why in news? On 24th April 2020, The Researchers of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)- Delhi developed a web-based mobile-friendly dashboard named Prediction and Assessment of Corona Infections and Transmission in India “PRACRITI” to predict the spread of Covid-19 in India. It gives a state-wise and district-wise predictions.

Key Points:  The dashboard development team was led by Prof. N M Anoop Krishnan of IIT Delhi’s Civil Engineering Department with Prof. Hariprasad Kodamana and others.  The projections are given for a three-week period which is updated on a weekly basis which will be used by the healthcare institutes, local and central authorities to plan for the future.  PRACRITI uses the data from the available resources like the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and World Health Organisation (WHO) to provide the R0 values of each district and state.  The effects of lockdown implemented in different levels in different states and districts are also taken in account by the model which helps in taking rigorous measures in the states having higher R0 and sustain measures in states with R0 value.  A key parameter of interest on Covid-19 is the basic reproduction number R0 and its countrywide variability. R0 refers to the number of people to whom the disease spreads from a single infected person.  For instance, if an active Covid-19 patient infects two uninfected persons, the R0 is two. Hence, reduction of R0 is the key in controlling and mitigating Covid-19 in India.

 The prediction classifies the population into four categories using a newly developed mathematical model 1. Susceptible: people who have not been exposed to coronavirus. 2. Exposed: people who have been exposed to viruses from an infected person. 3. Infected: people who are actively infected 4. Removed: people who are no longer carriers of virus.  The model will be updated on weekly basis to adapt to the effects like administrative interventions, virulence of viral strain, change of weather patterns which affects the accuracy in prediction.

6. SECURITY

6.1.P8I MARITIME PATROL AIRCRAFT

Why in news? With the induction of advanced P-8I multi-role maritime ASW aircraft, Indian Navy has come to the forefront of aerial Anti-submarine Warfare (ASW), ensuring that the hostile neighbours reworked their underwater surveillance and intelligence gathering tactics.  P-8I aircraft are true C4I (Command, Control, Communication, Computers & Intelligence) airborne platforms and a force multiplier for Indian Navy with its interoperability capabilities.  These aircraft are efficient means to track ships and submarines, with an additional capability to hunt and destroy submarines.  The aircraft systems have been optimised to work in the Indian tropical climate and multiple Indian manufactured equipment have been installed onboard.  ASW (Anti-submarine Warfare) aircraft sometimes need to fly low for long durations for sonobuoy deployment or for Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD) operations, with low flying putting extreme stress on the aircraft’s airframe.

What is a sonobuoy?  A sonobuoy is a relatively small buoy expendable sonar system that is dropped/ejected from aircraft or ships conducting anti-submarine warfare or underwater acoustic research.  A submarine detection is a high air power-intensive role involving thousands of flying hours to cover a large area undertaking patrol patterns.  Indian Navy’s ageing Tupolev-142 (TU-142) and Ilyushin-38 (IL-38) and Dornier fleet required a rapid alternative despite the various upgrade of equipment during different Life Extension Programmes.  The submarines technology have undergone a quantum advancement over a period, making them more silent (with techniques like Air-independent Propulsion or AIP) and possess long-range torpedoes.

How P-8I Aircraft do ASW operations? The P-8Imaritime patrol aircraft uses the highly reliable airframe of Boeing 737 and carries a flight crew of three members along with a complement of Naval Observers.  Though the aircraft is capable of flying at low altitude for longer durations for carrying out manoeuvres like sonobuoy deployment or MAD searches, but it usually operates at high altitude to achieve successful surveillance due to height advantage which is leveraged by powerful sensors onboard.  Aircrafts exploits the thin atmosphere effect at higher altitudes to gain on longer ranges, and with in-air refuelling arrangements, P-8I can remain on its air station duty for prolonged hours.  The aircraft also carries a retractable electro-optic IR (Infra-Red) for heat signature detection. A state of the art EW suite fitted onboard the aircraft gives an exceptional ability to the crew especially when it comes to detection of any

transmission in the electromagnetic domain and its further categorization and classification for identification.

6.2.BIO SUIT

Why in news? 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).

Why the suit?  The 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. 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.

What is the problem behind slow production?  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.  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.

Tests being conducted  The bio suit has been subjected to rigorous testing for textile parameters as well as protection against infection from synthetic blood. “The protection against synthetic blood exceeds the criteria defined for body suits by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare”.  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 Rs 1000, a fraction of the cost of the temperature guns in the market.

6.3.OPERATION SANJEEVINI

Why in news? An Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130J transport aircraft on Thursday delivered 6.2 tonne of essential medicines and hospital consumables to Maldives under Operation Sanjeevani.  These medicines and consumables were procured from eight suppliers in India but couldn’t be transported through any other means due to the 21-day lockdown imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19.  “At the request of the government of Maldives, the IAF aircraft activated Operation Sanjeevani and lifted these medicines from airports in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Madurai before flying to the Maldives,” adding the Army facilitated the transport of these medicines and consumables from warehouses across India to the respective airports.

What all does the medicine include?  Among other things, these medicines include influenza vaccines, anti-viral drugs such as lopinavir and ritonavir have been used to treat patients with COVID-19 in other countries.  Medicines for cardiac conditions, kidney ailments, hypertension, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, allergies and cancer treatment, anticonvulsants, as well as as catheters, nebulisers, urine bags and infant feeding tubes, the statement added.

Last month, India had dispatched a 14-member Army medical team to Maldives to set up a viral testing lab there

6.4.CYBER FRAUDS

Why in news? Cyber frauds trying new ways, it’s important to secure data, accounts. A few people are attempting novel ways of defrauding innocents using information and technology. Money is being siphoned off using fake accounts and exploiting vulnerabilities of various applications

 The COVID-19 outbreak presents a global challenge not just for the medical fraternity and society, but for law enforcement agencies also.  Cyber crime, like a pandemic, knows no state borders. A few people are attempting novel ways of defrauding innocents using information and technology. Money is being siphoned off using fake accounts and exploiting vulnerabilities of various applications. The DCP Cyber Crime, Delhi’s official Twitter account alerted citizens about a fake UPI (Unified Payments Interface) ID of the PM CARES Fund, pmcare@sbi – the correct UPI ID to donate for coronavirus victims is pmcares@sbi. The Delhi police took suo motu cognisance of the fraud, registered an offence of cheating under sections 419 and 420 of IPC, and blocked this and a number of other similar

accounts. The number of persons cheated and amount defrauded can only be known when the investigation is over.

1. UPI and related frauds UPI is a real-time payment system developed by National Payments Corporation of India for inter-bank transactions. The interface is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India and instantly transfers funds between two bank accounts on a mobile platform.  The NPCI keeps record of all the accounts and transactions.  It is very easy to create an account using the UPI platform. One just needs an ID that could be even one’s mobile number or name, and a four-digit PIN. It is phishing, in which the offender creates a similar-looking ID to deceive users.  Within the limits set by each bank, any amount can be exchanged instantly using such apps, and the defrauded amount could be huge.  Second, the imposter can immediately withdraw the amount and flee, as there is no caveat on withdrawal. Also, if the bank has not done the Know Your Customer (KYC) process thoroughly, nabbing the culprit may become difficult. It is important to verify the destination UPI ID from authentic sources before making any transaction. If a mobile phone with a UPI-enabled app is stolen, it must be blocked and the bank intimated before it could be misused. Banks also must adhere to the KYC guidelines issued by the RBI, so that the address of each customer is checked physically.

2. Facebook fraud Facebook is often used for fraud. If the privacy settings are not consciously set to protect an account, it is always susceptible to hacking.

Cases of fake Facebook accounts are being reported where money has been fraudulently asked for the treatment of alleged patients by hacking their accounts. It is therefore, best, to keep the privacy settings at ‘Only me’ or ‘Friends’ and not to share sensitive information on social media. Privacy settings can also be changed for every post and photo.

3. Loss of confidentiality The lockdown has forced many to work from home. Unless the organisation has its own infrastructure and uses VPN (virtual private network) for accessing its resources, the use of public platforms may result in loss of confidential data.  Recently, the popular video conferencing app Zoom, which can add up to 100 participants in a call, has come across as vulnerable.  As the meeting ID can be shared through a link, on screen and other mediums; uninvited guests can also join a meeting and gain access to sensitive information.  The Computer Emergency Response Team-India (CERT-In) circulated a ‘vulnerability note, giving Zoom a ‘medium’ security rating.  Therefore, it is important to be cautious while using such free apps for confidential meetings, or to use organisational infrastructure for such meetings.  The public network can still be used for accessing critical applications, provided authentication, access control and integrity of data are ensured through VPN or other options.

INTEPOL’s advisory In guidelines for law-enforcement agencies, Interpol warned about the emerging trend of false or misleading advertisements about medical products, setting up of fraudulent e- commerce platforms, phishing etc during the pandemic.  It has recommended, inter alia, that people avoid opening suspicious emails and clicking links in unrecognised emails and attachments; back up files regularly; use strong passwords; keep software updated; and manage social media settings and review privacy/security settings. Cyber experts also recommend the use of ‘https’ protocol for secure financial transactions.  In case someone becomes a victim, it has to be reported to the police immediately.  These are computer-related wrongs covered under the IT Act, 2000, liable for penalty and compensation, and criminal liability in appropriate cases.

6.5.IRAN LAUNCHES ITS FIRST MILITARY SATELLITE

The satellite, named Nur (Light), reached an orbit of 425km (264 miles) after being carried by a two-stage Qased launcher. It has claimed it has put its first military satellite into orbit.

The past In February, Iran failed to put into orbit the Zafar communications satellite. There were two other failed satellite launches last year, as well as a mysterious explosion that destroyed a satellite launch vehicle.

What does it do? Noor 1, which is for reconnaissance purposes, orbits the Earth 16 times a day, 430 kilometres from the surface of the earth.

The launch The two-stage Qassed rocket lifted off from the IRGC base near Shahroud(Markazi Desert), about 205 miles (330 km) northeast of the Iranian capital of Tehran.

6.6.INDIA AMONG TOP 5 MILITARY SPENDERS

Why in news? India ranks 3rd in a report released by Swedish think tank

 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. 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”.  In 2019, the top five largest spenders are 1) U.S. ($732 bn) 2) China,( $261 bn) 3) India, ($71.1 bn) 4) Russia ($65.1 bn) 5) Saudi Arabia ($61.9 bn)  These accounted for 62% of the global expenditure. The annual report ‘Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2019’ was released.  “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.” 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. While India’s defence spending excluding pensions, which constitute a significant In comparison, Pakistan’s military expenditure rose by 70% over the decade 2010–19, to reach $10.3 billion while the military burd.

6.7.BSF CREATES AWARENESS OF COVID-19 AMONG ODISHA TRIBALS

Why in news? Locals of Maoist hotbed in Swabhiman Anchal were distributed masks and taught social distancing.  A medical camp for tribal people with special emphasis on COVID-19 awareness was conducted by Border Security Force (BSF) personnel at Kurkunda village deep inside Tulasi reserve forest, a Maoist hotbed in Swabhiman Anchal of Odisha’s Malkangiri district.  These security personnel involved in anti-Maoist operations are now the shield against COVID-19 for tribal people of Swabhiman Anchal.

Masks given The tribal people were given masks prepared by tailors of Company Operation Base (COB) of the BSF’s160 battalion. They were also provided food material and taught basics of social distancing, and basic sanitation to fight the COVID-19 threat.  Security personnel screened all villagers with thermal sensors and the ones suffering from different common ailments were provided necessary medicines.

 Odisha State police and Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPF) personnel are now actively involved in the fight against the deadly virus in remote Swabhiman Anchal.  With the Maoist threat temporarily ebbing after they announced a unilateral ceasefire in early April in view of the novel coronavirus outbreak, the special helpline number introduced by the Odisha police for inhabitants of Swabhiman Anchal is now helping facilitate not only developmental activities but also enabling information gathering about the health condition of the people.  In the absence of mainstream healthcare system, the police outposts and COBs continue to provide primary health care and medicines to the locals.  Swabhiman Anchal was earlier the cut-off area of Balimela reservoir with no direct road link with the rest of the State.  The Gurupriya bridge inaugurated recently, provided direct road connectivity to over 30,000 tribal people living in 151 villages of Swabhiman Anchal.

Direct interface The direct interface of police and CAPF personnel with students, youths and village leaders through various activities is now helping in the awareness drive against COVID- 19 infection. In addition to this, security personnel continue to play a key role in the distribution of PDS.

7. SOCIAL ISSUES

7.1.COMPREHENSIVE DISABILITY INCLUSIVE GUIDELINES

Why in news? The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has issued “Comprehensive Disability Inclusive Guidelines” to States and Union territories for protection and safety of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) in light of Pandemic Covid-19.  While COVID 19 is impacting the entire population, persons with disabilities are more vulnerable to the disease due to their physical, sensory and cognitive limitations.  As such, there is a need to understand their disability specific requirements, daily living activities and take appropriate and timely measures to ensure their protection and safety during situations of risk.

Section 8 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 guarantees equal protection and safety for persons with disabilities in these situations. It also mandates Disaster Management Authorities at District/State/National levels to take measures to include persons with disabilities in disaster management activities and to keep them duly informed about these. These authorities are mandatorily required to involve the concerned State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities during disaster management.  In September 2019, National Disaster Management Authority, Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued National Disaster Management Guidelines on Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DiDRR).

Following measures are suggested which need to be acted upon by various State/District authorities to give focused attention to protection and safety of persons with disabilities during COVID 19 :  All information about COVID 19, services offered and precautions to be taken should be available in simple and local language in accessible formats; i.e. in Braille and audible tapes etc.  During quarantine, essential support services, personal assistance, and physical and communication accessibility should be ensured e.g. blind persons, persons with intellectual/ mental disability (psycho-social) are dependent on care giver support.  Caregivers of persons with disabilities should be allowed to reach Persons with disabilities by exempting them from restrictions during lockdown or providing passes in a simplified manner on priority.  Additional protective measures should be taken for persons with disabilities based on their impairment who need to be given travel pass during the emergency period and should also be sensitized for their personal safety and protection.  24X7 Helpline Number at State Level be set up exclusively for Divyangjan with facilities of sign language interpretation and video calling.

7.2.FOREST RIGHTS ACT AND THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS

The Forest Rights Act is a progressive law, geared towards protecting the rights of forest- dwelling communities to access and manage forests.  Sections 3(1)(i) and 5 of the law that deals with the recognition of collective rights of the community to forest resources , vests decision-making powers to the Gram Sabha or village committee.  Local CSOs played a vital role in demanding the rights of forest-dwelling communities in east Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region.

Capacity building:  The CSOs are actively involved in awareness and capacity building, wherein they organise training and workshops to mobilise communities to exercise their rights and carry out responsibilities towards sustainable forest use and its management.  They have also helped build particular skill sets among local villagers, such as stock mapping and preparing forest management plans.

Easing bottlenecks:  The Indian Forest Act and Biodiversity Act, for example, give precedence to wildlife conservation without clear provisions to safeguard the rights of forest-dwelling communities. Implementing these laws along with the Forest Rights Act creates bottlenecks.  CSO intervention under such circumstances involves constant negotiation and confrontation with state actors in order to ease such bottlenecks and seek suitable ways of reconciliation.

Marketing non-timber forest produce: In addition to acknowledging forest management and access rights of the local communities, community forest resource rights in the act make provisions to support the livelihood of local forest-dwelling communities by allowing them to harvest and trade their non-timber forest products (NTFPs).

7.3.ANDAMAN INDIGENOUS TRIBALS

Why in news? Due to increase of COVID-19 cases in Port Blair, the Union Territory administration has turned its focus to the welfare of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG)in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.  The administration stated that all possible precautions are being taken, including blocking all non-essential traffic on Andaman Trunk Road (ATR), moving tribal groups deep inside forest areas, and providing masks and sanitisers to field workers.  There is one-to-five-kilometre buffer zone around islands and off-shore, where indigenous tribals stay. Commercial or fishing activities are barred. But there are many instances of breach by fishermen and local settlers.

Indigenous tribals and their conditions :  Andaman is home to five groups of PVTGs, including Sentinelese, Jarawa, Great Andamanese, Onge and Shompens. This is besides the Nicobarese who are Scheduled Tribes.  While Sentinelese have so far fiercely kept themselves out of bounds from outsiders, shooting arrows at anyone who gets near their island, others have been in touch with outsiders.  In November 2018, an American national, 27-year-old John Allen Chau, was killed by Sentinelese when he tried to illegally approach them. His body could not be recovered till date despite attempts.  The Onge and Great Andamanese tribes, with a population of around 100 and 45, respectively, are entirely dependent on the government. They live in shelters provided by the government in Little Andaman Island and Strait Island and have been asked remain inside shelters.  While the Jarawas (574) live in Middle and South Andaman Islands and were told to move deep inside the jungle in West Coast area, the Shompens (around 200) live in Great Nicobar Island and are being monitored.  Only the Sentinelese, with a head count of around 100, live in North Sentinel Island and are not in touch with outsiders.

Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG):  Tribal communities are often identified by some specific signs such as primitive traits, distinctive culture, geographical isolation, shyness to contact with the community at large and backwardness.  Along with these, some tribal groups have some specific features such as dependency on hunting, gathering for food, having pre-agriculture level of technology, zero or negative growth of population and extremely low level of literacy. These groups are called Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.  75 tribal groups have been categorized by Ministry of Home Affairs as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG)s. PVTGs reside in 18 States and UT of A&N Islands.  The Ministry of Tribal Affairs implements the Scheme of “Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)” exclusively for them .  In 1973, the Dhebar Commission created Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) as a separate category, who are less developed among the tribal groups. In 2006, the Government of India renamed the PTGs as PVTGs.  Among the 75 listed PVTG’s the highest number are found in Odisha.

7.4.KERALA’S TRIBAL PEOPLE TAKE THE ROAD TO LITERACY

Why in news? The literacy programme of the Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority (KSLMA) is expected to make Wayanad fully literate.  Wayanad, the only district in the State that does not qualify as 100% literate.

 Wayanad is home to 31.2% of the State’s tribal people, whose literacy rate is a low 71% compared to the rest of Kerala, which is why KSLMA launched this tribal literacy programme.  Attappady, another tribal belt,in the foothills of the Nilgiris will become the first completely literate tribal block of the entire country.  The programme is in compliance with UNESCO literacy criteria that mandate that more than 90% of the population should be literate to declare a place 100% literate.

The Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority(KSLMA)  It is an autonomous institution under the General Education Department, Government of Kerala set up in 1998 for the purpose of co-ordinating and activating the Literacy and Continuing Education propagating the slogan "Education for all and Education Forever" .  Presently the KSLMA is fully funded by Government of Kerala in order to implement literacy, continuing education and life long learning programme designed and developed by the state.  The District Literacy Missions are looking after the activities at the district level.  Its headquarters is in Thiruvananthapuram.

7.5.TRIBALS IN ODISHA’S NAGADA

Why in News? Tribals in Nagada(Odisha) suffer from severe malnutrition among other health issues and the nutrition gardens grown by them helped them overcome these health issues.

 There are approximately 582 people who belong to the Juang tribe in Odisha’s Nagada. This tribe is one of the 13 particularly vulnerable tribal groups in the state.  Nagada is a cluster of hamlets, located at Mahagiri mountain range in Odisha’s Jajpur, about 94 kilometers away from district headquarters.  One of the main reasons why Nagada remained untouched by development over the years was its inaccessibility and Government outreach services were unable reach inhabitants of this cluster because it was in a remote area with poor infrastructure, including a lack of roads.  Nagada made headlines in July 2016, when 19 children died from severe malnourishment within a month. The state government immediately took action to not only address malnutrition, but also improve issues of infrastructure development.

Government initiatives :  Metal roads were constructed, ponds were excavated, electricity was brought in, anganwadis were made and houses were constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana.

 The government also focused its attention on enhancing the livelihoods of the community, providing nutritious food to children under the age of six years and more through different line departments and social assistance schemes.  The Odisha government and Odisha Livelihoods Mission(OLM) felt that a focused intervention was needed to create an enabling environment for the overall wellbeing of the people in Nagada. This called for combining strategies for immediate and long-term intervention, with non-profit Trickle Up chosen as a partner by OLM to lead the initiative.

The Solution:  The Trickle Up team working in Odisha faced this challenge by deciding to implement what is known to be one of the best solutions to tackle the difficult issue of malnourishment: The creation of nutrition gardens for families.  The promotion of nutrition gardens can reduce 70 per cent of the diseases caused by deficiency of vitamin A, according to a survey by the Food and Agriculture Organization in 2011.  Seasonal vegetables are grown by utilizing locally available waste and other materials as manure or fertilizer.  Approximately 60 households from Nagada adopted the practice of having a nutrition garden in their household during the kharif season, while 34 households adopted this practice during the rabi season.

Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives supported training needs to start and maintain the gardens. They also supported the procurement of seeds. A new addition to the behaviour change process was the introduction of the food festival in the community.

About Juang Tribe:  Juang tribe belongs to the Munda ethnic group and the people of this tribe are found in Keonjhar, Dhenkanal Angul and Jaipur districts of Odisha.  They live atop Nagada hills and their main occupation is basket weaving.

7.6.DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Why in News? The National Commission for Women (NCW) has raised concerns about the increase in the number of cases of domestic violence and abuse during the lockdown period in the country in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

 NCW had received 116 complaints of crimes against women from across the country.  The NCW support mechanism by which victims can register complaints include physical visits to the commission offices in different states, postal communication, phone calls, online complaint registration, emails and through social media. Under lockdown, only three forms of registering complaints are available to victims: social media, email, and online registration.

 The states with the highest number of complaints include Uttar Pradesh with 90, Delhi with 37, Bihar with 18, Madhya Pradesh with 11 and Maharashtra with 18.

About National Commission for Women : The National Commission for Women was set up as statutory body in January 1992 under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990 to : • review the Constitutional and Legal safeguards for women • recommend remedial legislative measures ; • facilitate redressal of grievances and • advise the Government on all policy matters affecting women.

Composition : The Commission shall consist of : a) A Chairperson, committed to the cause of women, to be nominated by the Central Government b) 5 Members to be nominated by the Central Government from amongst persons of ability, integrity and standing who have had experience in law or legislation, trade unionism, management of an industry potential of women, women's voluntary organizations ( including women activist ), administration, economic development, health, education or social welfare, provided that at least one Member each shall be from amongst persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes respectively c) a Member-Secretary to be nominated by the Central Government who shall be o an expert in the field of management, organizational structure or sociological movement, (or) o an officer who is a member of a civil service of the Union or of an all-India service or holds a civil post under the Union with appropriate experience

Some Facts :  The First Commission was constituted in 1992 with Mrs. Jayanti Patnaik as the Chairperson.  The commission regularly publishes a monthly newsletter, Rashtra Mahila, in both Hindi and English.  As of 30 November 2018, Rekha Sharma is the chairperson.

7.7.INDIAN MIGRANTS

Why in News? The lockdown has led to an exodus of migrant workers struggling to reach their home states.

About Indian Migrants :  The total number of internal migrants in India, as per the 2011 census, is 45.36 crore or 37% of the country’s population. This includes inter-state migrants as well as migrants within each state, while the recent exodus is largely due to the movement of inter-state migrants.  NSSO surveys and economic survey, show that there are a total of about 65 million inter-state migrants, and 33 per cent of these migrants are workers of

which 30 per cent of them are casual workers and another 30 per cent work on regular basis but in the informal sector.  A study by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) and Azim Premji University in 2019 estimates that 29% of the population in India’s big cities is of daily wagers. This is the number of people which would be logically wanting to move back to their states.

What is unique about the migrant labour in urban areas of India, compared to other countries and societies?  These migrants come from within India, unlike international migrants who often dominate the study of migration.  They are low-income workers who are informally employed, meaning they lack formal contracts.  Many migrant workers perform daily wage labor (such as beldars on construction sites), or are self-employed (for example street vendors).  Most of these migrants do not permanently relocate to the city. Expensive and inhospitable urban environments compel them to move without their families.

Has their contribution been recorded and acknowledged properly and accurately? The Answer would be NO because :  Informal nature of employment makes it hard to collect reliable data even on the size of this population, let alone its economic contributions.  Beyond official statistics however, there is a broad societal reluctance to acknowledge the contributions of circular migrants. Perhaps one silver lining of the lockdown will be that the exodus of migrants renders visible the essential role they play in the functioning of Indian cities.

7.8.UN WOMEN AND THEIR ACTION PLANS ON COVID-19

Why in News? The UN Women has urged member-States to include prevention of violence against women in their action plans on COVID-19 and consider shelters and helplines essential services, calling the rise in gender-based violence a “shadow pandemic”.

Suggestions Made :  Helplines, psychosocial support and online counselling should be boosted, using technology-based solutions such as SMS, online tools and networks to expand social support, and to reach women with no access to phones or Internet.  Police and justice services must mobilize to ensure that incidents of violence against women and girls are given high priority with no impunity for perpetrators.

Global scenario for women during Lockdown :  According to UN Women, globally 243 million women and girls aged 15- 49 have been subjected to sexual and/or physical violence perpetrated by an intimate partner in the previous 12 month.

 As per data compiled by the U.N. body, France has seen a 30% increase in domestic violence since the lockdown on March 17.  In Argentina, emergency calls for domestic violence cases have increased by 25% since the lockdown on March 20 and Cyprus (30%), Singapore (33%) have also registered an increase in calls.  Canada, Germany, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. have also registered an increase in cases of domestic violence and demand for emergency shelter.

About UN Women :  The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women, is a United Nations entity working for the empowerment of women.  It was established in July 2010 by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and is headquartered in New York City, United States. It became operational in January 2011.  UN Women is a member of the United Nations Development Group.  It works globally to make vision of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) a reality for women and girls and stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life.

7.9.ACUTE ENCEPHALITIS SYNDROME (AES)

Why in News? Several cases of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) have once again surfaced in Bihar, with one casualty already reported from the disease.

It's not new in Bihar: The state was the AES hotspot last year. The AES outbreak affected as many as 222 blocks of Muzaffarpur district as well as the adjoining districts. As many as 170 children died due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome last year.

About Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) :  It is a serious public health concern in India. It is characterized as acute onset of fever and a change in mental status (mental confusion delirium disorientation or coma).  It is a neurologic manifestation caused by several different viruses, bacteria, fungus, parasites, spirochetes, chemical/ toxins etc.

AES outbreaks in India :  AES outbreaks in north and eastern India have been linked to children eating unripe litchi fruit on empty stomachs. Unripe fruit contain the toxins hypoglycin A and methylenecyclopropylglycine (MCPG), which cause vomiting if ingested in large quantities. Hypoglycin A is a naturally occurring amino acid found in the unripened litchi that causes severe vomiting (Jamaican vomiting sickness), while MCPG is a poisonous compound found in litchi seeds that causes a sudden drop in blood sugar, vomiting, altered mental states leading to

lethargy, unconsciousness, coma and death. These toxins cause sudden high fever and seizures serious enough to require hospitalization in young, severely malnourished children.  Japanese Encephalitis is the major cause of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome ranging from 5 % to 35%.  AES due to JEV was clinically diagnosed in India for the first time in 1955 in the state of Madras,now Tamil Nadu.

7.10.STATE OF THE WORLD’S NURSING REPORT

Why in News? WHO, along with the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and the Nursing Now campaign, has released a report titled, “State of the World’s Nursing”.

Areas of concern:  Globally, there are roughly 36.9 nurses per 10,000 people, with variations within and across regions. There are almost 10 times more nurses in the Americas than in the African region. While there are 83.4 nurses per 10,000 population in the former, there are 8.7 nurses per 10,000 population in the latter.By 2030, there will be a shortage of over 5.7 million nurses worldwide.  The largest shortfall in absolute numbers is in the South-East Asian region, while in the Americas and Europe, the problem is different since they are facing an ageing nursing workforce. Moreover, a number of high-income countries in Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean and American regions are “exclusively” dependent on migrant nurses.  As nurses and other medical workers are at the frontlines of this global pandemic, some of the key issues they face include shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) including face masks, eye-protective gear and gloves, and also the psychological stress faced by some medical staff.

How to address these problems ? Governments should invest in nursing education, jobs and leadership. Some of these measures include remunerating nurses according to the prevalent local, national and international labour market conditions.

Nurses - critical to the healthcare system :  The report highlights that work nurses do is critical in fulfilling national and global targets related to universal health care, mental health, noncommunicable diseases, emergency preparedness and response, among others such goals.  Within the healthcare sector, nurses play a critical role. They comprise the largest component of health professionals, at over 59% — or 27.9 million in absolute numbers — underling that their role, especially during the current health crisis, is paramount.  Overall, nurses are important in ensuring the quality of care delivered to a patient, preventing and controlling infections and combating antimicrobial resistance.

State of Nursing in India:

 As of 2018, there were over 1.56 million nurses in India and 772,575 nursing associates. Out of this, the share of professional nurses is 67% with 322,827 graduating every year with a minimum training period of four years.  Within the health workforce, nurses comprise 47 per cent of the medical staff, followed by doctors (23.3 %), dentists (5.5 %) and pharmacists (24.1 %).  Further, an overwhelming majority of the nurses are women — 88 % in India. This is in line with the composition of nursing seen globally as well, where 90 % are women.

About the International Council of Nurses (ICN):  It is a federation of more than 130 national nurses associations.  It was founded in 1899 and was the first international organization for health care professionals.  It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.  Annette Kennedy(2017-21) from Ireland is the current President of ICN. Membership is limited to one nursing organization per nation.

7.11.KAZHAIKOOTHADIS

Why in News? Nomadic tribal street performers - Kazhaikoothadis - are the latest community to join the list of people affected by the lockdown.

About Kazhaikoothadis :  Kazhai’ means a rope tied between bamboo sticks and ‘Koothadi’ means performer.  Kazhaikoothadis travel in groups for months. Men, women and children perform rope walking, acrobatics, gymnastics, form human pyramids and do fire-ring jumping.  They belong to scheduled caste in Tamilnadu, Kerala ,Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.  Their mother tongue is Oriya but are conversant in the regional languages of the state: Tamil ,Malayalam ,Kannada and Telugu.

Culture :  Crafts known to them : Basketry and Preparation of wigs  They have oral tradition, folk songs and folk dances  Musical instruments used by them:Dhol ,Beho , Kumktarpadi and Shenoy which are played to accompany their street shows.

7.12.WORLD CHAGAS DISEASE DAY

Why in News? For the first time, the global community celebrated 14 April as the first World Chagas Disease Day. One of the aims is to raise the visibility and public awareness of people with Chagas Disease and the resources needed for the prevention, control or elimination of the disease.

About Chagas Disease :  Chagas disease, also called American trypanosomiasis, has been termed as a “silent and silenced disease”, not only because of its slowly progressing and frequently asymptomatic clinical course but also because it affects mainly poor people who have no political voice or access to health care.  Once endemic in Latin American countries, Chagas disease is now present in many others, making it a global health problem.  It was on 14th April,1909 that the first patient, a Brazilian girl named Berenice Soares de Moura, was diagnosed for this disease by Dr Carlos Ribeiro Justiniano Chagas.  Raising awareness and the profile of this neglected tropical disease, which is often diagnosed in its late stages, is essential to improve the rates of early treatment and cure, together with the interruption of its transmission.

Solutions Available :  Evidence-based, cost-effective interventions exist, including screening (blood, organs and of new-borns and children), early case detection, prompt treatment of cases, vector control, hygiene and food safety.  WHO invites the countries to take action with us and add a global voice in favour of this and other neglected tropical diseases.

Some Facts :  Chagas disease is prevalent mainly among poor populations of continental Latin America and affects 6–7 million people.  During the past decades, it has been increasingly detected in the United States of America and Canada and in many European and some Western Pacific countries.  The disease can be transmitted by vectorial transmission.Trypanosoma cruzi parasites are mainly transmitted by contact with faeces/urine of infected blood- sucking triatomine bugs. These bugs, vectors that carry the parasites, typically live in the wall or roof cracks of poorly-constructed homes in rural or suburban areas.  Without treatment, Chagas disease can lead to severe cardiac and digestive alterations and become fatal.  The proposal to designate 14 April as World Chagas Disease Day was initiated by the International Federation of Associations of People Affected by Chagas Disease.

7.13.IMMUNIZATION CAMPAIGNS FOR MEASLES AND OTHER DISEASES

Why in News? The Measles & Rubella Initiative reported that more than 117 million children at risk of missing out on measles vaccines, as COVID-19 surges. Some Facts:  UN noted that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, measles immunization campaigns have been delayed in 24 countries.  While there is a vaccine for measles, the disease claimed 140,000 lives of mostly infants and babies in 2018.

About Measles :  Caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family and it is normally passed through direct contact and through the air.  The virus infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body.  Measles is a human disease and is not known to occur in animals.  The initial symptoms occur 10-12 days after contracting the infection and include high fever, a runny nose, bloodshot eyes and the appearance of white spots on the inside of the mouth.  Some of the most serious complications arising out of the disease include blindness, encephalitis (brain swelling), severe diarrhoea, dehydration and severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia.  The disease is still common in parts of Africa and Asia and is more likely among poorly nourished children, especially those who are deficient in vitamin A.

The Measles & Rubella Initiative(M&R Initiative) :  It is a global partnership launched in 2001,led by the American Red Cross, United Nations Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), UNICEF and WHO.  It is committed to ensuring that no child dies from measles or is born with congenital rubella syndrome.  It helps countries to plan, fund and measure efforts to stop measles and rubella for good.

7.14.CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE FROM INDIA

Why in news? In a global compilation of reports of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) found online, India stands right on top of the list, with 11.7% of the total reports or at 19.87 lakh reports, followed by Pakistan, which contributes 6.8% of all reports (11.5 lakh reports). Bangladesh comes in fourth with 5.5 lakh reports and a share of 3.3%.  The content on the dark web, the part of the internet not indexed by search engines and accessed through specific software, is truly a dark world — offensive, degrading and downright horrific.  There is easy accessibility of such material on child pornography on the open internet.

 The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) urges people to report CSAM found online across the world annually, on their online platform CyberTipline.  Three of the top four countries were in South Asia, raising concerns among child rights activists about the online safety of children in the region.  The NCMEC adds that the reports include geographic indicators related to the upload location of the child sexual abuse material, but country specific numbers may be impacted by proxies and anonymisers.

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)  The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a private, nonprofit organization established in 1984 by the United States Congress.  NCMEC handles cases of missing or exploited children from infancy to young adults through age 20.  The NCMEC operates the CyberTipline which was established by Congress to process reports of child sexual exploitation (including child pornography, online enticement, and contact offenses). The NCMEC reviews these reports and shares them with the appropriate law enforcement agency or Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force.  In addition to the information provided by the reporting party, NCMEC typically adds geolocation information (if appropriate) and cross-references identifying information such as email address, username, or IP address with existing CyberTipline Reports.  In 1998, the NCMEC Board of Directors approved the creation of a separate international organization, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC).The two now act as sister organizations.  ICMEC combats child sexual exploitation, child pornography, and child abduction.  In 2008, ICMEC was granted "Special Consultative Status" by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), to assist the UN with its expertise regarding child sexual exploitation and child abduction.

7.15.CONTAINMENT PLAN IN CHANDIGARH

Why in news? After Chandigarh reported 21 COVID cases, there arose a need to focus attention on districts/cities reporting large number of cases/high growth rate, hence Chandigarh has been included in the list for containment.

Containment zone : It has been defined based on the index case / cluster, which will be the designated epicentre, the listing and mapping of contacts, geographical distribution of cases and contacts around the epicentre and the administrative boundaries within urban cities /town/ rural area.

What is being done at the local transmission stage?  Active surveillance in containment zones is being conducted with contact tracing within and outside the containment zone as well.  Laboratory capacity for testing all suspect samples is being expanded and surge capacities for isolating all suspect / confirmed cases for medical care is being established.  Intensive risk communication via door to door surveys by Asha workers has been implemented across country.

Cluster containment strategy It refers to contain the disease within a defined geographic area after early detection, breaking the chain of transmission and preventing its spread to new areas.

Factors affecting cluster containment  size of the cluster  time since first case/ cluster of cases originated, detection  laboratory confirmation and reporting of first few cases  active case finding and laboratory diagnosis  isolation of cases and quarantine of contacts  geographical characteristics of the area  population density and their movement (including migrant population)  resources that can be mobilised swiftly by the state government and the ability to ensure basic infrastructure and essential services

Buffer zone It is an area around the containment zone, where new cases are most likely to appear. There will not be any perimeter control for the buffer zone. Surveillance activities to be followed in the buffer zone will include review of cases of severe respiratory illness reported since cases began to come out in containment zone epicentre by the District Health Officials to identify any missed case of COVID-19. All health facilities in the buffer zone will be listed as a part of mapping exercise. Measures such as personal hygiene, hand hygiene, social distancing will be enhanced through enhanced IEC activities in the buffer zone.

Perimeter for buffer zone radius  In case of a small cluster in closed environment such as in schools, military barracks, hostels or a hospital-the containment zone will be the building itself. A buffer zone of additional 5 Km radius will be identified.  In case of a single cluster in a residential colony, the containment zone would be the administrative boundary of the residential colony and a buffer zone of additional 5 Km radius.  When multiple clusters in communities (residential colony, schools, offices, hospitals etc) within an administrative jurisdiction are identified, the containment zone would be administrative boundary of the urban district and a buffer zone of neighbouring urban districts as has been done for Jawaharpur in Mohali-Punjab.  If multiple clusters spatially separated in different parts administrative districts of a city originate, the containment zone will be the administrative boundary of city/ town and congruent population in the peri-urban areas as the buffer zone.

 When a cluster originates in a rural setting, there must be a 3 Km radius of containment zone and an additional 7 Kms radius of buffer zone.

How will active and passive surveillance be conducted in such zones? How much movement is allowed? For active surveillance : The residential areas will be divided into sectors for the ASHAs/Anganwadi workers/ANMs each covering 50 households (30 households in difficult areas). Additional workforce will be mobilised from neighbouring districts (except buffer zone) to cover all households in the zone. This workforce will have supervisory officers (PHC/CHC doctors) in the ratio of 1:4. For passive surveillance: All health facilities in the zone will be listed as a part of mapping exercise. All such facilities both in the government and private sector (including clinics) will report clinically suspect cases of COVID-19 to the control room at the district level. A perimeter control will be set up to ensure that there is no unchecked outward movement of population from the containment zone except for maintaining essential services (including medical emergencies). All vehicular movement and personnel movement will be restricted. All vehicles moving out of the perimeter control will be decontaminated with sodium hypochlorite.

How many types of hotspots are there? The centre has defined two types- hotspots with large outbreaks and hotspots with clusters. While the former has been defined as those cities or villages which have received more than 15 cases which are not epidemiologically linked, the latter have been defined where less than 15 cases originate from a specific area.

7.16.THE GREAT ANDAMANESE

Why in news? On April 4, Licho, 1 of the 4 last speakers of the Great Andamanic language family, died of tuberculosis and other multiple disease in Port Blair on South Andaman Island in the Bay of Bengal. • The primitive tribes of Andaman and Nicobar Islands can broadly be grouped in to two racial stocks :Negrito and Mongoloid. Jarawa, Sentinelese, Onge, Great Andamanese belong to the former stock while the Shompen belong to the latter.

About Great Andamanese :  The Great Andamanese are an indigenous people of the Great Andaman archipelago in the Andaman Islands. Historically, the Great Andamanese lived throughout the archipelago, and were divided into ten major tribes.  Among the Baratang group of islands (comprising of 14 islands with approximate area of 129.25 sq.miles) the Strait Island has an area of 3.11 sq.km.belongs to the North and Middle Andaman administrative district and is at present inhabited by Great Andamanese. The island is completely restricted under law for others except the authorized officials to land and enter.  A recent analyses of the Andamanese mitochondrial DNA has confronted their long standing isolation and has corroborated the fact that they are more closely

related to the South African khoisan (formerly known as Bushman and Hottentot) than to their Asian neighbours, making them a major new argument for the 'OUT OF AFRICA' theory of common human origin.

Exceedingly rare languages :  The Jero language of the Great Andamanic language family, now spoken by only 3 individuals, all of whom are more than 50 years old and suffer from a variety of ailments, is at imminent risk of extinction.  Population geneticists believe that that the Andaman islanders descend from one of the founder populations of modern humans, which migrated out of Africa some 70,000 years ago to populate South Asia, Southeast Asia, New Guinea and Australia.  Roughly 8,000 Great Andamanese people were thriving on the Andaman archipelago with virtually no contact with the outside world until 1858, when British officials forcibly established a penal colony in Port Blair. The colonisers brought with them a variety of pathogens, to which the formerly isolated hunter- gatherers had no immunity.  Great Andamanese have had retained their language which has a history of several thousands of years. The grammatical structure of the language is unique and it encapsulates the secrets of human language evolution. It is, perhaps, the very first language of South and Southeast Asia.  According to a 2011 UNESCO report, India is home to 197 endangered languages. Of these, 156 are spoken by fewer than 10,000 people and 42 are critically endangered, meaning that only elders speak them, and only partially and infrequently. Most of the critically endangered languages will die when the elders do.

7.17.SHEHRI SAMRIDHI UTSAV

An initiative of Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA),aims to extend the outreach of Deendayal Antyodaya Mission – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY- NULM), to the most vulnerable, showcase its initiatives and facilitate access of Self-Help Group (SHG) members to the other government schemes.  Through Shehri Samridhi Utsav, SHG members across cities are being linked to national government schemes viz. Swachchh Bharat Mission (U), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (U), Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana and National Nutrition Mission.  A major highlight of Shehri Samridhi Utsav is the National Exhibition cum sale of SHG products and National Street Food Festival being organized in New Delhi.  By promoting the products made by SHGs, the initiative will be helpful in documenting and preserving the unique traditional art and crafts of different states.

7.18.GENDER SOCIAL NORMS INDEX(GSNI)  It is released by The United Nations Development Programme(UNDP)  The index measures how social beliefs obstruct gender equality in areas like politics, work and education.  It contains data from 75 countries covering over 80 percent of the world’s population.

Index has revealed the following :  Only 24% of parliamentary seats worldwide are held by women and there are only 10 female heads of government out of a possible 193. About 50% of the world’s men and women feel that men make better political leaders.  More than a quarter of men and women also think it is justified for a husband to beat his wife.

About UNDP : United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. It was established in 1965 by the General Assembly of the United Nations. Headquartered in New York City, the UNDP is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from member nations.

7.19.BIHAR POLICE SWABHIMAN VAHINI

Why in news? Bihar government raises India's first tribal women battalion.

The parade was headed by a woman constable Karuna Hansdah belonging to the Tharu tribe. Country’s first tribal women police battalion is named as the 'Bihar Police Swabhiman Vahini' with a strength of 675 constables.

About Tharu Tribe :  The Tharu are tribal people who live in the patches of plain surrounded by dense forest in the narrow belt of Tarai i.e. southern Nepal and northern India.  In the Indian Terai, they live foremost in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The Government of India recognizes the Tharu people as a scheduled tribe.  The Tharu Claim that historically they are not Tribal community because they are migrated Rajputs (upper caste Hindus) which has been converted in a tribal community in the period of living in forest.  Renowned Anthropologist D.N. Majumdar says that Tharu could not be explained of their Rajput origin on the basis of Serology.They are a Mongoloid.

7.20.CORE VALUES OF EDUCATION INJURED DUE TO RECENT DELHI RIOTS

Why in news? During the Delhi riots, a private school was set on fire and its property looted  After a violent riot, teachers of young children have a difficult time deciding what to say in their classes when children ask awkward questions about the ruckus created.  A violent riot is normally seen as a breakdown of law and order. That it indeed is, implying a weakening of the state’s moral authority and people’s trust in it.  As an institution of the state, a school whether privately run or managed directly by the government enables the young to imbibe the moral principle underlying the state’s authority. It is this moral principle that permits the state to exercise power over the lives of citizens.  When a riot breaks out, schools are closed, mainly to protect children from aggression and violence.  It takes years to explain to the young that relations among people and communities are guided by certain values.  Even a specific topic such as respect for someone else’s property and publicly owned infrastructure takes a long time to teach in a manner that it would make sense to children. All this effort is wasted when children see with their own eyes that people are killing others and burning shops, houses and buses.

Sanctity of Education to be maintained  Many children know from watching television that Delhi’s present political ethos is full of bitterness and anger. Slogans that ask for shooting down dissent have been openly shouted. In such an ethos, the official message conveyed through post-riot parent-teacher meetings that all is well now cannot reduce cynicism.  The personal trauma suffered by hundreds and the bewilderment of others who have witnessed the collapse of social order and police responsibility cannot be healed by words and promises alone.  Education must deal with the deeper anxieties of the young in order to retain its own sanctity and credibility.

7.21.COUNTRY’S FIRST WOMEN-ONLY MEDICAL COLLEGE

Why in news? The Medical Council of India has granted Symbiosis International University (SIU) permission to establish the country’s first women-only medical college from the academic year 2020-21.  Inspired by the biographic movie about India’s first woman doctor, AnandibaiJoshi, the idea of establishing a medical college with the objective of women empowerment and contributing to the requirement of more women doctors exclusively for women, was born.  The Symbiosis University Hospital & Research Centre (SUHRC), with a strength of 900 beds, is the attached hospital.

 The SUHRC provides clinical services, which are protocol driven and evidence based. All theatres are ‘modular’ with two-way data transfer facilities. The hospital caters to the population in a radius between 25-50 km from SUHRC. It also provides healthcare services to the large community of students and faculty currently residing at the University campus (around 4,000).

About Anandibai Joshi: Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi was the first woman from the erstwhile Bombay presidency of India to study and graduate with a two-year degree in western medicine in the United States.

Appreciations and honors she received:  Queen Victoria sent her a congratulatory message. The Philadelphia Post wrote, “Little Mrs Joshee who graduated with high honors in her class, received quite an ovation.”  Dr Joshi lived a mere 21 years but achieved so much in that brief span that a crater on Venus has been named in her honour.  The Institute for Research and Documentation in Social Sciences (IRDS), a non- governmental organization from Lucknow, has been awarding the Anandibai Joshi Award for Medicine in honour of her early contributions to the cause of advancing medical science in India  On March 31, 2018, Google honored her with a Google Doodle to mark her 153rd birth anniversary.

7.22.OPEN DEFECATION-FREE PLUS (ODF+) AND ODF++

Why in news? Despite the fact that work on three protocols under the next phase of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban-2) — ODF+, ODF++ and Water Plus — is to be completed by 2024, the ground situation was not matching with the assigned timeline  Under Phase 1 of the Swachh Bharat Mission (U), 99 per cent of the cities became ODF, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) had claimed in December 2019.  ODF+ and ODF++ are aimed towards proper maintenance of toilet facilities and safe collection, conveyance, treatment/disposal of all faecal sludge and sewage.  While ODF+ focuses on toilets with water, maintenance and hygiene, ODF++ focuses on toilets with sludge and septage management.  Announced in August 2019, Water Plus aims to sustain toilets by treating and reuse of water. It contributes to the government’s focus on water conversation and reuse under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan and is in alignment with UN SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation.  According to the data presented to the committee by MoHUA, less than 30% of the cities have been certified as ODF+ so far.  The second phase of Swachh Bharat Mission is to be implemented between 2020- 21 and 2024-25. More than 10 crore toilets were constructed in the first phase.

Gram Panchayat get more funds under 15th Finance Commission: Every Gram Panchayat under Swachh Bharat Mission receives Rs 7 to 20 lakhs. Now these funds are to be increased by 5 lakhs for managing solid and liquid waste. These additional funds are to be allocated through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme.

7.23.USAGE OF MODERN CONTRACEPTIVES

Why in news? India’s modern contraceptive usage is 47.8% as per National Family Health Survey (NFHS) IV (2015-16).

Measures taken by the Government to increase the availability, awareness and usage of modern contraceptives:  Mission Parivar Vikas:Launched in 2016 for substantially increasing access to contraceptives and family planning services in146 high fertility districts with Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 3 and above in seven high focus states. These districts are from the states of Uttar Pradesh (57), Bihar (37), Rajasthan (14), Madhya Pradesh (25), Chhattisgarh (2), Jharkhand (9) and Assam (2) that itself constitutes 44% of the country’s population.  New Contraceptive Choices:Injectable contraceptive (Antara program) and Centchroman (Chhaya).  A new method of IUCD insertion immediately after delivery i.e. post-partum IUCD (PPIUCD) has been introduced in 2010 and became operational from 2014.  Emphasis on Post pregnancy Family Planning services which includes promotion of Post-Partum and Post-Abortion contraception.  Redesigned Contraceptive Packaging - The packaging for Condoms, OCPs (Oral Contraceptive Pills) and ECPs (Emergency Contraceptive Pills) has been improved and redesigned since 2015 in order to increase the demand for these commodities.  Family Planning Logistic Management and Information System (FP-LMIS): A dedicated software launched in 2017, to ensure smooth forecasting, procurement and distribution of family planning commodities across all the levels of health facilities.  Appointment of dedicated RMNCH+A counselors at high case load facilities since 2013.  Improved Demand generation activities through a holistic media campaign.  Observation of World Population Day & fortnight from July 11 - July 24 to boost Family Planning efforts all over the country.  Observation of Vasectomy Fortnight from November 21 - December 4 in an effort to enhance male participation and revitalize the NSV programme.  Scheme for Home delivery of contraceptives by ASHAs at doorstep of beneficiaries launched in August 2011.  Scheme for ASHAs to Ensure spacing in births launched in 2012.  Scheme for provision of Pregnancy Testing Kits in the drug kits of ASHAs for use in communities. The Scheme was introduced in 2013.

 National Family Planning Indemnity Scheme (NFPIS) introduced in 2005 under which clients are insured in the eventualities of death, complication and failure following sterilization.  Compensation scheme for sterilization acceptors - Under the scheme MoHFW provides compensation for loss of wages to the beneficiary and also to the service provider (& team) for conducting sterilizations.  Clinical Outreach Teams (COT) Scheme - The scheme has been launched in 146 Mission Parivar Vikas districts wef December 2017 for providing family planning services through mobile teams from accredited organizations in far-flung, underserved and geographically difficult areas.  Ensuring quality of care in Family Planning services by establishing Quality Assurance Committees in all states and districts.

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS)  It is a large-scale, multi-round survey conducted in a representative sample of households throughout India. Three rounds of the survey have been conducted since the first survey in 1992-93.  The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), Government of India, designated the International Institute for Population Sciences(IIPS) Mumbai, as the nodal agency, responsible for providing coordination and technical guidance for the survey. IIPS collaborated with a number of Field Organizations (FO) for survey implementation. Each FO was responsible for conducting survey activities in one or more states covered by the NFHS.

7.24.REHABILITATION OF BEGGARS

Why in news? The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment is exploring the possibilities of a scheme for persons engaged in the act of begging which would cover identification, rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counselling, education, skill development with the support of State Governments/UTs/Local Urban Bodies and Voluntary Organizations, institutions etc.  The Ministry has released an amount of Rs. 1 Crore in 2017-18, Rs. 50.00 lakh in 2018-19 and Rs.70 Lakh in 2019-20 to National Backward Classes Finance & Development Corporation (NBCFDC) for skill development programmes for beggars.  The main objective of the proposed Skill Development Training Programme is provision of vocational skills to members of beggars’ community to enable them to start income generating activities of their own or to get gainfully employed.  Ministry has also released an amount of Rs. 1 Crore to National Institute of Social Defence (NISD) for beggars.

8. SCHEMES

8.1.SPICE+

Why in News? As part of Government of India’s Ease of Doing Business (EODB) initiatives, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs deployed a new Web Form christened ‘SPICe+’ (pronounced ‘SPICe Plus’) replacing the existing SPICe form. SPICe+ would offer 10 services by 3 Central Govt Ministries & Departments (Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Labour & Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance) and One State Government(Maharashtra), thereby saving as many procedures, time and cost for Starting a Business in India and would be applicable for all new company incorporations

Features: SPICe+ would have two parts viz.: Part A-for Name reservation for new companies and Part B offering a bouquet of services like (i) Incorporation (ii) DIN allotment (iii) Mandatory issue of PAN (iv) Mandatory issue of TAN (v) Mandatory issue of EPFO registration (vi) Mandatory issue of ESIC registration (vii) Mandatory issue of Profession Tax registration(Maharashtra) (viii) Mandatory Opening of Bank Account for the Company and (ix) Allotment of GSTIN (if so applied for) The new SPICe+ form provides even more services in a single form than the previous SPICe form. This might result in increase in company formations and lesser difficulties along with better compliance.

8.2.PARAMARSH

Why in news? Higher education institutions that have failed to meet the quality standards of the National Assessment Accreditation Council (NAAC) can now get mentorship from the top universities and colleges.

Ministry of Human Resource and Development

Objective  Under the Paramarsh scheme of the University Grants Commission (UGC), launched by HRD , initially 71 universities and 391 colleges with NAAC score of 3.26 and above will mentor five colleges each.

 These leading institutions will provide regular mentoring to help colleges achieve high quality standards.  The scheme also proposes to provide financial assistance to the mentoring institutions and the option of appointing an expert, who can be paid a fellowship amount of Rs 31,000 per month.  Thrust was on improving the global ranking of the Indian higher education institutions.

Eligibility criteria by UGC  The eligibility guidelines laid down by UGC say the mentor and the mentee can be government, aided, private or self-financing institution.  The mentor institution should be NAAC accredited with an A grade, having an overall score of 3.26 and above.  Any such institution recognised under 2(f) & 12B of the UGC Act 1956 will be eligible to receive UGC grants for the purpose.  Since these grants will be used for mentoring the institution and not for creation of any infrastructure, the private institution can also receive funding as they do for student teacher centric schemes.

Benefits of the Scheme  The scheme will lead to enhancement of the mentee institutions' quality and its profile as a result of improved quality of research, teaching and learning methodologies  The mentee institution will also have increased exposure and speedier adaptation to best practices  The scheme will also facilitate sharing of knowledge, information and opportunities for research collaboration and faculty development in mentee institutions  As part of the scheme, the mentor institutions can secure financial assistance up to Rs. 30 lakh from UGC and can also hire experts.

About NAAC The NAAC is an autonomous body that assesses and accredits higher education institutions (HEIs) in India. It is an outcome of the recommendations of the National Policy in Education (1986). It assesses the higher learning institutes on the basis of seven parametres. The parametres include teaching-learning and evaluation, infrastructure and learning resources, research, innovation and extension, curricular aspects, governance, leadership and management, student support and progression and institutional values and best practices.

8.3.NATIONAL AGRICULTURE MARKET (E-NAM)

Why in News? Agricultural Ministry has launched three new features of National Agriculture Market (e- NAM) Platform to enable farmers to sell their harvested produce directly from warehouse which will prevent crowding in mandis amid COVID-19 outbreak.

These software modules are namely 1. Warehouse based trading module in e-NAM software to facilitate trade from warehouses based on e-NWR 2. FPO trading module in e-NAM whereby FPOs can trade their produce from their collection center without bringing the produce to APMC. 3. In addition to facilitate inter-mandi and inter-state trade at this juncture, enhanced version of logistic module has been released whereby aggregators of transport logistic platform have on boarded which helps users to avail trackable transport facilities for transporting their produce. e-NAM is well poised to play a critical role during the period of Covid-19 to decongest mandis while helping the farmers at same time.

1. Launch of “Negotiable Warehouse Receipt (e-NWRs) module in National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) software a. Warehouse (Registered with WDRA- Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority) trading module with payment feature is launched to enable small & marginal famers to directly trade their stored produce from selected WDRA registered warehouses which are declared deemed market by the State. b. Farmers will be able to place their produce in WDRA accredited warehouses. c. Already States of Telangana (14 warehouses) & Andhra Pradesh (23 warehouses) declared designated warehouses in the State as deemed market.

Benefits of eNWRs integration with e-NAM a. Depositor can save the Logistics expenses and will have better income. b. Farmers can sell the produce across the Nation to get better Price and at the same time can save himself from hassle of mandi. c. Farmers will be able to place their produce in WDRA accredited warehouses avail the benefit of pledge loan if required. d. Price stabilization by matching supply and demand through time and place utility.

2. FPO trading module a. FPO trading module is launched to enable FPOs to upload their produce from their premise/collection centres for bidding. They can upload the picture of the produce and quality parameters from their premises to help distant bidders to visualise the produce before bidding. FPOs have the option for delivery of produce either from their premises or by bringing to mandi premise after successful bidding. This will not only decongest the mandis but also reduce the logistics cost for the FPOs. b. Facility provided to FPO to upload assaying report / photo of their produce from their premise to enable traders to visualise the produce before bidding.

Benefits a. This will not only decongest the mandis but also reduce the hassle of FPOs to deal with mandis. b. This will help FPOs by reducing transaction costs (Transportation) and enhancing their bargaining power. c. Facilitates FPOs to avail online payment facility with ease of doing business.

3. Launch of Logistic Module Presently, e-NAM provides a database of individual transporters to the traders. However, as a quantum response to logistic need by traders, provision has been made for linking large logistic aggregator platforms, which will provide choices to users. Traders would be able to use the link to navigate to the logistics provider’s website and select appropriate services. With these additions, more than 3,75,000 number of trucks from large logistic providers would be added for logistic purpose.

Benefits a. This will help in seamless transportation of agri produce. b. This will promote inter-State trade under e-NAM by providing online transport facilities for distant buyers.

About e-NAM:  e-NAM was launched on 14 April 2016 as a pan-India electronic trade portal linking APMCs across the States.  Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is the lead agency for implementing eNAM under the aegis of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.  Already 585 mandis in 16 States and 02 Union Territories have been integrated on e-NAM portal. e-NAM will be soon expanded to cover additional 415 mandis, which will take the total number of e-NAM mandis to 1,000.  e-NAM provides for contactless remote bidding and mobile-based any time payment for which traders do not need to either visit mandis or banks for the same.

8.4.HACK THE CRISIS – INDIA

This hackathon is part of a global initiative and is being organised by ‘Hack A Cause – India’ and ‘Ficci Ladies Organization Pune’ and supported by Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India (MEITY).  Aim of this hackathon is to strengthen fight against COVID19.The winning ideas from few top participating teams, as implementable solutions on corona crisis is expected to help India and global citizens.

8.5.CLONE TRAINS

Indian Railways launched ‘clone trains’ on high-demand routes that will be run within an hour of a scheduled train’s departure to accommodate those on its waiting list.

Clone trains, which will be new parallel trains will run within an hour of the original train. These trains could originate from where the Railways has big coaching yards and rolling stock to put together a clone train in quick time.

 The idea behind such real-time demand-driven trains is to ensure that they reach their destination around the same time they had originally envisaged. Moreover, they would be informed about their berths in the clone train soon after the reservation charts for the original scheduled train are firmed up four hours before departure.  In order to run viable clone trains, the Indian Railways will do away with the waiting list limit on the identified routes which can give us a clear picture of the passenger demand on the route.  The clone train service is seen as a mutually beneficial situation for both passengers and the Railways, as it would generate more revenue from these trains rather than requiring IRCTC to initiate hundreds of refunds for wait-listed passengers.

8.6.DIGITAL CAMPAIGN FOR SHGS

Why in News?  TRIFED launched digital campaign for SHGs to ensure Tribal Gatherers carry on their work safely.  A total of 1205 VanDhanVikasKendras (VDVKs) have been sanctioned in 27 States and 1 Union territory involving around 18,075 Van Dhan Self Help Groups. This involves over 3.6 Lakhs tribal gatherers in the Scheme.  To start with, 15,000of these SHGs will be promoted as Van Dhan Social Distancing Awareness cum Livelihood Centers’ through a digital training program.  The SHGs will create awareness among the community about social distancing and steps to be followed. Do’s and Don’ts Advisories relating to NTFP to be kept in mind during Covid-19, providing suggestive practices for maintaining personal hygiene, adopting cashless practices, among others will be shared.  TRIFED has collaborated with UNICEF and WHO for developing a digital communication strategy for promoting a digital campaign for Self Help Groups (SHGs) involved in this work, highlighting the importance of Social Distancing.  Additionally, TRIFED has reached out to the Art of Living Foundation’s #iStandWithHumanity Initiative with a Stand With Tribal Families component in providing much needed food and ration for survival of the tribal community.

TRIFED  Govt. of India has initiated a number of steps to develop socio economic conditions of tribal population in the country and one of those initiatives, is the formation of Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) in 1987.  It is a national-level apex organization functioning under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs.  It is a Multi State Cooperative Society set up in 1987 under the Multi State Cooperative Societies Act 1984 (now the Multi State Cooperative Act, 2002).  It was created with the prime objective of providing marketing assistance & remunerative prices to Scheduled Tribe communities for their Minor Forest Produce (MFP) & Surplus Agricultural Produce (SAP) and to wean them away for

exploitative private traders & middlemen and also to help its Member Societies in disposing of the stocks procured from tribals as per their mandate.

8.7.ACTION TAKEN BY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

In order to facilitate the farmers and farming activities at field level during the lockdown period, the Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Government of India is taking several measures.  The Department has circulated the SOP related to crop harvesting & threshing during Kharif 2020 to the States to protect health of farmers and farm workers and to contain the spread of Corona Virus.  The wheat producing States have reported 26-33% harvesting against the total sown area.  During Rabi season 2020 NAFED has procured 1,07,814 MT Pulses (Gram: 1,06,170 MT) and Oilseeds (Mustard: 19.30 MT & Sunflower: 1,624.75 MT) on MSP totaling of Rs. 526.84 crore. This has benefitted 75,984 farmers.  Advisory issued to State Governments/ UT to facilitate Direct Marketing, enabling direct purchase from the farmers/ FPOs/ Cooperatives etc. by Bulk Buyers/Big Retailers/Processors by limiting regulation under State APMC Act.  Module of uberisation of logistics aggregator has been recently launched on e- NAM Platform.  Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme during the lockdown period from 24.3.2020, about 7.77 crore farmer families have been benefitted and an amount of Rs. 15,531 crore has been released so far.  National Horticulture Board (NHB) has extended the validity of star-rated certificate of nurseries to 30th September, 2020 whose validity was expiring on 30th June, 2020.  India had a good crop of wheat, in surplus of its own demand. On specific demand from countries, NAFED has been asked to export 50,000 MT wheat to Afghanistan and 40,000 MT wheat to Lebanon under G2G arrangement.  During the lockdown period the efforts have been made to use CROP software (Computerised registration of pesticide) of Central Insecticide Board & Registration Committee (CIB&RC) through Virtual Private Network (VPN) to facilitate issuance of Certificates etc. through work from home by the Experts/ Officials.  This endeavor has contributed significantly in the issuance of Certificate of Registration related to Indigenous Manufacturing and Import of Chemicals/Intermediates/Raw materials etc required for smooth functioning of Industrial Units/Plant etc involved in the production of crop protection chemicals and thereby ensuring the timely availability of the pesticides and crop protection chemicals to the famers.  Railways introduced 67 routes for running 236 Parcel Specials to supply essential commodities including perishable horticultural produce, agricultural inputs, milk and dairy products at fast speed which will facilitate farmers/FPOs/traders and companies for continuity of supply chain across the country.

 Railways have also made arrangements of parcel vans available for quick mass transportation by e-Commerce entities and other customers including State Governments.

NAFED:  National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd.(NAFED), was established in 1958 and is registered under the Multi State Co-operative Societies Act.  Nafed was setup with the object to promote Co-operative marketing of Agricultural Produce to benefit the farmers.  Agricultural farmers are the main members of Nafed, who have the authority to say in the form of members of the General Body in the working of Nafed.

8.8.YUKTI

It’s a unique portal and dashboard to monitor and record the efforts and initiatives of MHRD. The portal intends to cover the different dimensions of COVID-19 challenges in a very holistic and comprehensive way.  The primary aim is to keep academic community healthy, both physically & mentally and to enable a continuous high-quality learning environment for learners.  It will cover the various initiatives and efforts of the institutions in academics, research especially related to CoVID, social initiatives by institutions and the measures taken for the betterment of the total wellbeing of the students.  The portal will cover both qualitative and quantitative parameters for effective delivery of services to the academic community at large. portal will also allow various institutions to share their strategies for various challenges which are there because of the unprecedented situation of COVID-19 and other future initiatives.  The portal will also establish a two-way communication channel between the Ministry of HRD and the institutions so that the Ministry can provide the necessary support system to the institutions and it will help in critical issues related to student promotion policies, placements related challenges and physical and mental well-being of students in these challenging times.

8.9.SOVEREIGN GOLD BOND SCHEME 2020-21

Why in News?  The Government of India, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, has decided to issue Sovereign Gold Bonds. The Sovereign Gold Bonds will be issued in six tranches from April 2020 to September 2020.  The Bonds will be sold through Scheduled Commercial banks (except Small Finance Banks and Payment Banks), Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL), designated post offices, and recognised stock exchanges viz., National Stock Exchange of India Limited and Bombay Stock Exchange Limited.  Bonds will be tradable on stock exchanges within a fortnight of the issuance on a date as notified by the RBI.

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

Eligibility The Bonds will be restricted for sale to resident individuals, HUFs, Trusts, Universities and Charitable Institutions. Know-your-customer (KYC) norms for the purchase of bond will be same as that for purchase of physical gold. KYC documents such as Voter ID, Aadhaar card, PAN or TAN, or Passport will be required.

Issue price Price of Bond will be fixed in Indian Rupees on the basis of simple average of closing price of gold of 999 purity, published by the India Bullion and Jewellers Association Limited for the last 3 working days of the week preceding the subscription period. The issue price of the Gold Bonds will be Rs 50 per gramme less for those who subscribe online and pay through digital mode.

Denomination The Bonds will be denominated in multiples of gramme(s) of gold with a basic unit of 1 gramme.

Interest rate The investors will be compensated at a fixed rate of 2.50 percent per annum payable semi-annually on the nominal value.

Payment option Payment for the Bonds will be through cash payment (up to a maximum of Rs 20,000) or demand draft or cheque or electronic banking.

Investment limit  Minimum permissible investment will be 1 gramme of gold. The maximum limit of subscription shall be 4 kg for individual, 4 kg for HUF and 20 kg for trusts and similar entities per fiscal (April-March) notified by the government from time to time.  The annual ceiling will include bonds subscribed under different tranches during initial issuance by government and those purchased from the secondary market. In case of joint holding, the investment limit of 4 kg will be applied to the first applicant only.

Redemption price The redemption price will be in Indian rupees based on simple average of closing price of gold of 999 purity, of previous 3 working days published by IBJA Ltd.

Commission Commission for distribution of the bond shall be paid at the rate of 1 per cent of the total subscription received by the receiving offices and receiving offices shall share at least 50

per cent of the commission so received with the agents or sub agents for the business procured through them.

Tax treatment The interest on Gold Bonds shall be taxable as per the provision of Income Tax Act, 1961. The capital gains tax arising on redemption of SGB to an individual has been exempted. The indexation benefits will be provided to long term capital gains arising to any person on transfer of bond.

Sales channel Bonds will be sold through Commercial banks, Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL), designated post offices (as may be notified) and recognised stock exchanges viz., National Stock Exchange of India Limited and Bombay Stock Exchange, either directly or through agents.

8.10.DEKHOAPNADESH WEBINAR SERIES

COVID-19 has had a major impact on all human life and not just in India but globally. Tourism as a sector is naturally hugely impacted with no movement happening either domestically or from across the border.  But owing to technology, it is possible to visit places and destinations virtually and plan our travels for a later date. In these unprecedented times, technology is coming handy to maintain human contact and also keep faith that times will be good to be able to travel again soon.  Keeping this in view, the Ministry of Tourism has launched its "DekhoApnaDesh" webinar series to provide information on the many destinations and the sheer depth and expanse of the culture and heritage of our Incredible India.  The first webinar, which was part of a series that shall unfold, touched upon the long history of Delhi as it has unfolded as 8 cities, each one unique in its character and leaving behind traces which makes Delhi the magnificent city that it is today. The webinar was titled " City of Cities- Delhi's Personal Diary'.

8.11.SWAYAM

MINISTRY: Ministry of Human Resource Development

About SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) 1.0 was Launched on 9th July 2017with the Objectives of Equal access to Quality education ,IncreaseGER in Higher Education from 26 to 30 in next 5 years and Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime learning in other words it is to achieve the three cardinal principles of Education Policy viz., access, equity and quality.

Features

 SWAYAM platform is developed by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and NPTEL, IIT Madras with the help of Google Inc. and Persistent Systems Ltd  The objective of this effort is to take the best teaching learning resources to all, including the most disadvantaged. SWAYAM seeks to bridge the digital divide for students who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy.  This is done through a platform that facilitates hosting of all the courses, taught in classrooms from Class 9 till post-graduation to be accessed by anyone, anywhere at any time.  All the courses are interactive, prepared by the best teachers in the country and are available, free of cost to any learner. More than 1,000 specially chosen faculty and teachers from across the country have participated in preparing these courses. The courses hosted on SWAYAM are in 4 quadrants – (1) Video lecture, (2) Specially prepared reading material that can be downloaded/printed (3) Self-assessment tests through tests and quizzes and (4) An online discussion forum for clearing the doubts. Steps have been taken to enrich the learning experience by using audio-video and multi-media and state of the art pedagogy / technology. In order to ensure that best quality content is produced and delivered, nine National Coordinators have been appointed. They are:

1. AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) for self-paced and international courses 2. NPTEL (National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning) for Engineering 3. UGC (University Grants Commission) for non technical post-graduation education 4. CEC (Consortium for Educational Communication) for under-graduate education 5. NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) for school education 6. NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling) for school education 7. IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University) for out-of-school students 8. IIMB (Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore) for management studies 9. NITTTR (National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research) for Teacher Training programme

 Courses delivered through SWAYAM are available free of cost to the learners, however learners wanting a SWAYAM certificate should register for the final proctored exams that come at a fee and attend in-person at designated centres on specified dates.  Eligibility for the certificate will be announced on the course page and learners will get certificates only if this criteria is matched. Universities/colleges approving credit transfer for these courses can use the marks/certificate obtained in these courses for the same.

SWAYAM 1.0 platform has

 2800+ courses offered  1.23 Crore students enrolled in the courses  Examinations conducted across 125 cities across India  Over 5 lakh students obtained certificates

SWAYAM 2.0 also supports launch of Online degree programmes with enhanced features and facilities. Mapping of SWAYAM courses to AICTE model curriculum has been done, gaps identified. A similar exercise for non-technical courses is underway by a committee of UGC. AT PRESENT 1902 courses are available currently in SWAYAM, which have been offered to 1.56 cr. students since launch. Currently, over 26 lakh students are taking 574 courses on offer. In all, 1509 courses are available for self-learning. Key Features of SWAYAM 2.0

 Higher Scalability and Performance  Enhanced features for faculty and students  Improved assessment and evaluation  Internationalisation  Translation to Indian languages  Local chapters and mentors  Offering of On-line Degrees

8.12.SWAYAM PRABHA

MINISTRY: Ministry of Human Resource Development The SWAYAM PRABHA is a group of 32 DTH channels devoted to telecasting of high- quality educational programmes on 24X7 basis using the GSAT-15 satellite. Every day, there will be new content for at least four hours which would be repeated 5 more times in a day, allowing the students to choose the time of their convenience. The contents are provided by NPTEL, IITs, UGC, CEC, IGNOU, NCERT and NIOS. The INFLIBNET Centre maintains the web portal.

The following decisions were taken recently in the review meeting:  Possibility of redistribution of channels to match available content, and viewership shall be explored.  It was also decided to enrich the content in SWAYAM PRABHA by collecting content from who so ever willing to contribute the same under Vidya Daan Programme. Subject expert committees shall be formed by each NC to approve the content received, before getting it uploaded on SWAYAM Prabha  The broadcast over DTH will be popularized through all available channels, including radio, social media.  The video content on SWAYAM Prabha shall be mapped to curriculum, and the academic calendar

 For the translation of content of four IIT-PAL channels, CBSE, NIOS shall provide all assistance to IIT-Delhi. This matter shall be followed up by JS(IEC) in MHRD.

Vidya Daan  It is an effort to encourage the sharing of high quality, curated, relevant & curriculum linked digital content. Teaching and Learning content in Vidya Daan have been contributed by teachers and schools across India.  This program attempts to synergize countrywide developments in the field of education by providing schools all over India, from the Metro cities to the smallest villages with good quality e-content that can be used by them anytime, anywhere at no cost.  The aim of this program is to empower each school, teacher, and student and improve learning.

NOTE Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET) Centre, Gandhinagar is an Autonomous Inter-University Centre (IUC) of University Grants Commission (UGC) of India. It is a major National Programme initiated by the UGC in March 1991.

IMPORTANT SCHEMES UNDER MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AIMED AT HIGHER EDUCATION

8.13.STUDY IN INDIA PROGRAMME

Objective: It is an unique initiative of the Government of India ( MHRD) to help facilitate the student fraternity from all across the globe to come and experience the best of academic learning from the top institutions in India which would help accommodate the growing quality educational needs of students across the world. Built on centuries of values, the Indian Education system is the world’s third largest higher education system, having a rich mix of premier Government and private institutes with a network of 38000 colleges and 800 universities. Higher Institutions in India offers degrees that are competitive in the world market in terms of quality but are delivered at 1/4th the cost hence guaranteeing value for money.

Features:  India offers quality education and research, and students will earn internationally renowned degree. Students will have a range of courses to choose from such as latest advancements of science and technology like Virtual and Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Computing to traditional subjects, such as Ayurveda, Sanskrit, Hindi and Urdu.  Under the umbrella of Study in India, about 150 select educational institutes from public, private and deemed universities are offering an array of options including courses ranging from engineering, management, commerce, photonics to yoga, Ayurveda, athletics and languages.

 The Government of India is inviting aspiring candidates from all over the world to pursue education in desired field from the top ranked institutions in India as per the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) which is an organisation that assesses and accredits higher education Institutions in India and the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) both under the aegis of the Ministry of Human Resource Development.  Launched in April, 2018 the initiative is helmed by EdCIL (Educational Consultants of India), a Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE) under the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India, the Study in India, initiative aims to make India a preferred education hub for students all across the globe, by elevating its position in the global educational landscape.

NOTE:  Total Number of Registrations on Study in India Portal was 300000 from across 190 countries of the world.  Education Fairs conducted in Malaysia, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal.  Approval received to start IND-SAT examination in April 2020.

About IND-SAT The Indian Scholastic Assessment or IND-SAT is a standardized online proctored test for students seeking scholarships with Study in India (SII). This exam is to gauge the capability and tenacity of students applying to study in India. The IND-SAT scores will serve as a criterion to shortlist the meritorious students for the allocation of scholarships.

8.14.SWAMITVA SCHEME

Why in News? The Prime Minister interacted with Sarpanchs of Gram Panchayats throughout the country through Video Conferencing, on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day 2020. During this event he launched a unified e-GramSwaraj Portal and mobile application and Swamitva Scheme.

About Swamitva Scheme:- The scheme provides for an integrated property validation solution for rural India; the demarcation of inhabited land in rural areas would be done by the use of latest surveying methods – Drone’s technology with the collaborated efforts of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Panchayati Raj Department, State Revenue Department and Survey of India.

The scheme is also launched in pilot mode in 6 states to map rural inhabited lands using drones and latest survey methods.

Features  The scheme will ensure streamlined planning, revenue collection and provide clarity over property rights in rural areas.  This will open up avenues for applying for loans from financial institutions by the owners.  Disputes related to property would also be settled through the title deeds allotted through this scheme. e-GramSwaraj Portal:-  This app is an initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Through this app, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj will offer the Gram Panchayats a single interface to prepare and implement their Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP).  The portal will ensure real time monitoring and accountability. The portal is a major step towards digitization down to the Gram Panchayat level.

8.15.VIDYADAAN 2.0

Why in News? The Union Human Resource Development Ministry e-launched VidyaDaan 2.0 program for inviting e-learning content contributions. The programme has been launched due to the increasing requirement for e-learning content for students(both school and higher education) especially in the backdrop of situation arising out of Covid- 19 and also due to the urgent need to integrate digital education with schooling to augment learning.

Need of it now  The DIKSHA Platform of MHRD has been operating since September 2017 with 30+ States/UTs leveraging DIKSHA for augmenting teaching and learning processes.  With the unprecedented crisis due to the spread of the Novel Coronavirus and Covid-19 impacting upon school and higher education in many different ways, it is the right time and opportunity for all user states/UTs to strengthen their e- learning content for school and higher education on DIKSHA and leverage its potential use by students and teachers of your states/UTs.  This national program is a call to the nation, particularly individuals & organizations across the country to contribute e-learning resources in the education domain to ensure that quality learning continues for learners across India.

Who can contribute?  Contributions can be made by individuals, teachers, educationists, subject experts, schools, government and non-government organisations etc after registering & nominating themselves.  These contributions can be of different types of content such as explanation videos, teaching videos, practice questions, competency-based items, lesson plans etc. for any grade from 1 to 12 and for any subject as specified by the states/UTs under their respective projects.

 Such contributions must be open-licensed under the Creative Commons license framework and can be curated by the respective states/UTs & CBSE and those contributors whose content is accepted and finds high usage, will be duly recognized.  There is provision for approval of contributors, curation of content before uploading to the final and required taxonomy, and picking up content from any of the contributions made to different states/UTs for the use of any other state/UT. States/UTs can have their own unique taxonomy for inviting contributions.

8.16.ATAL PENSION YOJANA

Why in News recently? The government is planning to allow subscribers of the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) for a partial withdrawal from employees’ contribution as the current lockdown to battle COVID-19 has crippled the monetary power of workers in the unorganised sector.

About APY  The Atal Pension Yojana (APY) is a Government of India Scheme launched on 9th May, 2015, with the objective of creating a universal social security system for all Indians, especially the poor, the under-privileged and the workers in the unorganised sector. APY became operational w.e.f. 1st June, 2015, and is open to all citizens of India between 18-40 years of age having a savings bank account in a bank or post-office.  Under the APY, the subscribers would receive the fixed pension of Rs. 1000 per month, Rs. 2000 per month, Rs. 3000 per month, Rs. 4000 per month, Rs. 5000 per month, at the age of 60 years, depending on their contributions, which itself would vary on the age of joining the APY.  The Central Government would also co-contribute 50% of the subscriber’s contribution or Rs. 1000 per annum, whichever is lower.  Atal Pension Yojana, within a period of 4 years since its launch in June, 2015, has been able to enroll nearly 1.68 crore subscribers as on 3rd July, 2019.  In case of premature death of Subscriber (death before 60 years of age), spouse of the subscriber has been given an option to continue contributing to APY account of the subscriber, for the remaining vesting period, till the original subscriber would have attained the age 60 years.  In case of death of both subscriber and spouse, the entire pension corpus would be returned to the nominee.  APY is being administered by PFRDA .PFRDA runs two flagship pension schemes — APY and NPS (National Pension System).

Comparing APY and NPS  While the NPS caters to the central and state governments alongside autonomous bodies as well as individual taxpayers, APY is largely targeted for workers in the unorganised sector.

 While for NPS there is no maximum limit for investing, APY functions on pre- determined monthly contributions.  APY offers pre-defined returns, ranging between Rs 1,000 and Rs. 5,000 (in multiples of 1,000). However, NPS returns are linked to the markets, which means returns can vary depending on multiple factors, including market movement and timing of entry.

8.17.LIFE SKILLS (JEEVAN KAUSHAL) FOR STUDENTS

UGC constituted Expert Committee prepared a Curriculum for Life Skills (JeevanKaushal) for Under Graduate Programme. The curriculum is designed to impart and strengthen the knowledge,skills and dispositions believed to be the best requisites of the current Industry and thereby empower the talent inherent in each learner.  This Curriculum covers the courses on communication skills, professional skills, leadership & management skills and universal human values.  The UGC has requested Vice-Chancellors of all Universities to consider the curriculum for introduction in Universities and affiliated Colleges/institutions at under-graduate level. The objectives of the Jeevan Kaushal curriculum are: (i) to enhance one’s ability to be fully self aware by helping oneself to overcome all fears and insecurities and to grow fully from inside out and outside in; (ii) to increase one’s knowledge and awareness of emotional competency and emotional intelligence at place of study/work; (iii) to provide opportunity for realising one’s potential through practical experience; (iv) to develop interpersonal skills and adopt good leadership behaviour for empowerment of self and others; (v) to set appropriate goals, manage stress and time effectively; and (vi) to manage competency-mix at all levels for achieving excellence with ethics.

8.18.GeM GeM is a short form of one stop Government e-Market Place hosted by DGS&D (Directorate general of supplies and demand ) where common user goods and services can be procured. GeM is dynamic, self sustaining and user friendly portal for making procurement by Government officers.

Objective of GeM  Public procurement forms a very important part of Government activity and reform in Public Procurement is one of the top priorities of the present Government.  Government e-Marketplace is a very bold step of the Government with the aim to transform the way in which procurement of goods and services is done by the Government Ministries and Departments, Public Sector Undertakings and other apex autonomous bodies of the Central Government.

Background  Government e-Marketplace owes its genesis to the recommendations of two Groups of Secretaries made to the Prime Minister in January 2016. They recommended setting up of a dedicated e-market for different goods & services procured or sold by Government/PSUs besides reforming DGS&D.  Subsequently, the Finance Minister in his Budget speech for FY 2016-17, announced setting up of a technology driven platform to facilitate procurement of goods and services by various Ministries and agencies of the Government.  DGS&D with technical support of National eGovernance Division (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) has developed GeM portal for procurement of both Products & Services. The portal was launched on 9th August 2016 by the Commerce & Industry Minister.  Procurement on GeM has been authorized by General Financial Rules by making necessary changes in government rules.  GeM is a completely paperless, cashless and system driven e-market place that enables procurement of common use goods and services with minimal human interface.

GEM ADVANTAGES For Buyers  Rich listing of products for individual categories of Goods/Services  Search, Compare, Select and Buy facility  Buying Goods and Services online, as and when required.  Transparent and ease of buying  Continuous vendor rating system  User-friendly dash board for Buying and monitoring supplies and payments  Easy Return policy

For Sellers  Direct access to all Government departments.  One stop shop for marketing with minimal efforts.  One stop shop for bids / reverse auction on products / services  New Product Suggestion facility available to Sellers  Dynamic pricing: Price can be changed based on market conditions  Seller friendly dashboard for selling and monitoring of supplies and payments  Consistent and uniform purchase procedures

GeM Facilities  Listing of products for individual, prescribed categories of Goods/ Services of common use  Look, estimate, compare and buying facility on dynamic pricing basis.  Market place buying of majority of common User Items.  Buying Goods and Services online, as and when required.  Single window system for aggregating demands and ordering  Transparency and ease of buying  Useful for low value buying and also for bulk buying at competitive price using Reverse Auction/ e-bidding.  Continuous vendor rating system.

 User friendly dash board for buying and monitoring supplies and payments  Return policy

NOTE The procurement of goods and services by Ministries and the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) is mandatory for goods and services available on GeM.

8.19.ANGIKAAR CAMPAIGN

MINISTRY : Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

Why it was in News? The campaign was initiated in all target cities on 2nd October 2019 commemorating 150th Gandhi Jayanti after preparatory phase and culminated on the occasion of Human Rights Day, 10th December, 2019.

Objective  In line with the vision of Prime Minister, Angikaar has been launched for social behaviour change, focusing on issues such as water & energy conservation, waste management, health, tree plantation, sanitation and hygiene for beneficiaries of completed houses under PMAY (U), through community mobilisation and IEC activities.  The campaign converges with schemes and Missions of other Ministries dealing with these subjects. The convergence would especially focus on Ujjwala for gas connection and Ayushman Bharat for health insurance to the beneficiaries of PMAY (U).

Other Features  Under PMAY (U) about 88 lakh houses has been approved till now as against demand of 1.12 crore. The angikaar aims at reaching out all the beneficiaries of the Mission in phased manner.  The campaign included door to door activities, ward and city level events.

9. MISCELLANEOUS/FACTS

GEOGRAPHY

9.1.TROPICAL CYCLONE HAROLD

Why in news? A deadly Pacific cyclone bore down on Fiji April 15th after leaving a trail of destruction in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.  Harold already claimed 27 lives in the Solomon Islands last week and on April 14th tore through Vanuatu, destroying much of the country’s second-largest town Luganville.  A massive international aid effort was launched after the last category five storm to hit Vanuatu, Cyclone Pam in 2015, flattened the capital Port Vila.  But Vanuatu’s international borders are currently closed as the impoverished Pacific nation bids to remain one of the world’s few places with no confirmed COVID-19 cases.  The government has revoked a domestic travel ban imposed as part of its virus response, which will allow disaster relief to flow from Port Vila to the north.

9.2.ANAK KRAKATAU

Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano shoots ash, lava

 Anak Krakatau, which means Child of Kratakau, is the offspring of the famous Krakatau volcano, whose monumental eruption in 1883 triggered a period of global cooling.  Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano spewed a column of ash 500 metres into the sky in the longest eruption since the explosive collapse of the island caused a deadly tsunami in 2018.

9.3.DOPORIJO BRIDGE CONSTRUCTED

Why in news? Daporijo bridge was recently inaugurated, which is built over Subansiri River. Border Roads Organization constructs the bridge in record time on a key road connecting strategic areas in Arunachal Pradesh. Project Arunak is the name of this project ,  Even though there is nationwide lockdown Daporijo bridge over Subansiri river has been constructed by Border Roads Organisation (BRO), keeping in mind utmost precautions against COVID-19 so as to connect this strategic Line of Communication in Arunachal Pradesh.  Bridge on Daporijo River is a strategic link towards the LAC (LINE OF ACTUAL CONTROL) between India and China. All supplies, rations, constructional material and medicines pass over this bridge. Old Bridge developed cracks which could lead to a major catastrophe like on 26 Jul 1992 when a passenger bus fell off the bridge leaving no survivors. With the intervention of Director General Broader roads and Chief engineer Arunank expeditious sanctions were obtained from the MoD and Arunachal Government. The difficult and dangerous launch was completed in record time adhering to all COVID-19 precautions.  Work had started for construction of the bridge on March 17, 2020 by 23 Border Roads Task Force (BRTF). Finally after 27 days on April 14, 2020 the bridge was jacked down successfully and safely on the supports. It has been successfully upgraded from class 24 tons to class 40 tons thereby allowing heavier vehicles to pass catering for not only Army requirements but the future Infrastructure development requirements of Upper Subansiri district.  The bridge was completed with coordination and cooperation between the BRO, MoD and Arunachal Government. BRO is entrusted with the responsibility of development and sustenance of the country’s strategic road infrastructure.

Subansiri River  The Subansiri River is a tributary of the Brahmaputra River in the Indian states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. The Subansiri is 442 kilometres (275 mi) long, with a drainage basin 32,640 square kilometres (12,600 sq mi) large.The Subansiri is the largest tributary of the Brahmaputra.  It contributes 7.92% of the Brahmaputra's total flow.  The Subansiri River originates in the Himalayas, in China. It flows east and southeast into India, then south to the Assam Valley, where it joins the Brahmaputra River in Lakhimpur district.

About Border Roads Organization (BRO) :  Functioning under the control of the Ministry of Defence since 2015, the BRO is engaged in road construction to provide connectivity to difficult and inaccessible regions in the border areas of the country.  It is staffed by officers and troops drawn from the Indian Army’s Corps of Engineers, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Army Service Corps, Military Police and army personnel on extra regimental employment.

 Engineering Service and personnel from the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) form the parent cadre of the Border Roads Organisation.

9.4.ROHTANG PASS

Border Roads Organisation clears Rohtang Pass three weeks in advance despite Covid-19 lockdown. It is the arterial road connecting Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh from rest of the country.

About Rohtang Pass  It is a high mountain pass (elevation 3,980 m (13,058 ft)) on the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas around 51 km (32 mi) from Manali. It connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys of Himachal Pradesh, India.  The pass provides a natural divide between the Kullu Valley with a primarily Hindu culture (in the south), and the arid high-altitude Lahaul and Spiti valleys with a Buddhist culture (in the north). The pass lies on the watershed between the Chenab and Beas basins. On the southern side of this pass, the Beas River emerges from underground and flows southward and on its northern side, the Chandra River (flows from the eastern Himalayas), a source stream of the river Chenab, flows westward.

9.5.KASOWAL BRIDGE

The Border Roads Organization has completed the construction of permanent bridge across Ravi river.  The Kasowal bridge will help Punjab farmers to transport their harvest comfortably. The bridge was constructed by BRO under Project Chetak. The Ravi river is a transboundary river. It is also known by the name Iravati.  The Ravi River is a transboundary river crossing northwestern India and eastern Pakistan.  It is one of six rivers of the Indus System in Punjab region .  The waters of the Ravi are allocated to India under the Indus Waters Treaty.

9.6.NORD STREAM 2 PROJECT

 Nord Stream is a system of offshore natural gas pipelines from Russia to Germany. It includes two lines running from Vyborg to Greifswald forming original Nord Stream (Nord Stream 1), and two lines running from Ust-Luga to Greifswald termed Nord Stream 2.  Nord Stream 2 is a 1,200km-long offshore natural gas pipeline being constructed to connect Europe to the world’s largest reserves in Northern Russia.  Nord Stream 2 passes through the waters of five Baltic Sea nations: Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. Because each country has its own unique set of conditions, thorough preparation was key.

OTHER NEWS

9.7.PMRU

Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers

Why in news? Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory has become 12th State today where the Price Monitoring & Resource Unit (PMRU) has been set up by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).

 PMRUs have already been set up by NPPA in 11 States, including, Kerala, Odisha, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Nagaland, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Mizoram.  The PMRU, a registered society, shall function under the direct control and supervision of State Drug Controller of Jammu & Kashmir. The unit shall be funded by NPPA for its recurring and non-recurring expenses. The PMRU shall help NPPA and State Drug Controller in ensuring availability and accessibility of medicines at affordable prices.

 It is also expected to organise seminars, training programs and other information, education and communication (IEC) activities in the areas of availability and affordability of medicines for all.  PMRU will also collect samples of medicines, collect and analyse data and make reports with respect to availability and over-pricing of medicines for taking action under the provisions of Drug Price Control Order (DPCO).

About National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) was constituted Government of India Resolution dated 29th August, 1997 as an attached office of the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers as an independent Regulator for pricing of drugs and to ensure availability and accessibility of medicines at affordable prices.

9.8.INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

Why in news? Culture ministry publishes draft list of more than 100 items, seeks public comment

Manipur’s tradition of making rice beer, the practice of tying turbans in Rajasthan and several different dances, forms of music and festivals from across the country were among the 106 items listed as intangible cultural heritage in a draft released by the Union Culture Ministry. As per the 2003 UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the list has five broad categories : 1) oral traditions, 2) performing arts, 3) social practices, 4) knowledge and practices related to nature and 5) traditional craftsmanship.

 Among the traditions seen across the country are the devotional music of Qawwali and the music of the oldest instrument in the country, the Veena. The Kumbh Mela and Ramlila traditions of different States have also been included.  The list includes the traditional folk festival of Pachoti in Assam, where the birth of a baby, particularly a male infant as the tradition “relates to the birth of Krishna”, is celebrated with relatives and neighbours, according to the ministry.  The oral traditions of the transgender community called Kinnar Kanthgeet and compositions of Ameer Khusro are among the entries from Delhi.  Gujarat’s Patola silk textiles from Patan with its geometric and figurative patterns also made it to the list.  The practice of tying a turban or safa across Rajasthan was a part of the list.  From Jammu and Kashmir, the Kalam Bhat or Qalambaft gharana of Sufiana music in Budgam district and from Ladakh, the Buddhist chanting across both Leh and Kargil districts were on the list of intangible cultural heritage.

 The making of khor, a rice beer, by the Tangkhul community in Manipur as well as other crafts associated with it, like making gourd vessels and wicker baskets, were also on the list.  Kerala’s martial art form, Kalaripayuttu, and the practice of making designs at the entrance of homes and temples called kolam in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh were also included in the list. Different forms of shadow puppet theatre — Chamadyacha Bahulya in Maharashtra, Tolu Bommalatta in Andhra Pradesh, Togalu Gombeyatta in Karnataka, Tolu Bommalattam in Tamil Nadu, Tolpava Kuthu in Kerala and Ravanchhaya in Orissa — have also been included.

9.9.AMBUBACHI MELA

Why in news? No Ambubachi Mela at Guwahati’s Kamakhya Temple this year due to COVID-19. The COVID-19 lockdown has claimed a festival marking the annual menstruation of the presiding Goddess at Guwahati’s Kamakhya Temple for the first time in its recorded history.  Kamakhya is one of 51 shaktipeeths or holy sites for the followers of the Shakti cult, each representing a body part of the Sati, Lord Shiva’s companion. The temple’s sanctum sanctorum houses the yoni – female genital – symbolised by a rock.  This mela is also known as Ameti or Tantric fertility festival since it is closely associated with Tantric Shakti cult prevalent in eastern parts of India. Even some Tantric Babas make their public appearances only during these four days.  Temple priests said the ritualistic fair celebrating the Goddess’ period is one of the reasons why taboo associated with menstruation is less in Assam compared to other parts of India. The attainment of womanhood of girls in Assam is celebrated with a ritual called Tuloni Biya, meaning small wedding.  Health officials said Ambubachi Mela was also an occasion to promote menstrual hygiene through the use of sanitary pads.  A similar custom is followed at the Devi Temple at Chengannur town in Alleppey district of Kerala. The temple is shut for the days the Goddess there is believed to undergo her period.

9.10.DEVANAHALLI CHAKOTA

Devanahalli pomelo or chakota, a citrus variety almost on the brink of extinction, is now set to receive a new lease of life. Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) which owns and operates Kempegowda International Airport (BLR-Airport), as part of the 50th anniversary of World Earth Day, hopes to conserve the endangered fruit by cultivating it within the airport campus.  The Devanahalli pomelo, which comes with a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, has a unique, sweet taste, unlike other varieties. Hectares of pomelo plantation,

which once dotted Devanahalli region, have now all but vanished. Currently, there are less than 100 cultivators in the area.  Now as part of its flagship Corporate social responsibility(CSR) Programme Namma Ooru, BIAL will plant 500 pomelo trees.

9.11.THE WORLD TRAVEL & TOURISM COUNCIL (WTTC)

WTCC is a membership organization representing the leaders of the global travel and tourism industry. WTTC is a forum for global business leaders comprising presidents, chairs and CEOs of 100 of the world’s foremost companies It is known for being the only forum to represent the private sector in all parts of the industry worldwide.  Its activities include research on the economic and social impact of the industry and its organization of global and regional summits focused on issues and developments relevant to the industry.  Headquarters - London, United Kingdom.

9.12.KERALA TOURISM

The Kerala Tourism has geared up for the post COVID19 era by coming up with six theme based microsites in the official websites to promote destination and tourism products and get an upper hand in the virtualmarketing among brands.

Long-term strategy Yoga, Kalaripayattu, an ancient martial art indigenousto the State, Temples of Keral a, Judaism in Kerala and Discovering Malabar are the other new microsites that have been featured.

About Kalaripayattu  Kalaripayattu is a martial art based on the ancient knowledge of the human body.  It originated in Kerala during 3nd century BC to the 2nd century AD. It is now practised in Kerala and in some parts of Tamil Nadu.  The place where this martial art is practised is called a 'Kalari'. It is a Malayalam word that signifies a kind of gymnasium. Kalari literally means 'threshing floor' or 'battlefield'. The word Kalari first appears in the Tamil Sangam literature to describe both a battlefield and combat arena.  It is considered to be one of the oldest fighting systems in existence.  It is also considered as the father of modern Kung - Fu.

9.13.STRANDED IN INDIA

The Ministry of Tourism has launched a portal ‘Stranded in India’ to help foreign tourists who are stuck in various parts of the country.  “With an aim to extend support to the foreign tourists who are stranded in India, the Ministry of Tourism has come up with a portal to disseminate information regarding the services that can be availed by foreign tourists who are stuck far away from their home land,” said the official release.  The portal strandedinindia.com consists of information around Covid-19 helpline numbers and call centres that foreign tourists can reach out for help, information around Ministry of External Affairs control centers along with their contact information and information around state-based/regional tourism support infrastructure.

9.14.TABLIGHI JAMAAT

Over 200 have tested positive for COVID-19 from among 4,000-odd who had gathered in Delhi’s Markaz Nizamuddin, the headquarters of the Tablighi Jamaat.

What is Tablighi Jamaat? Tablighi Jamaat, which literally means a society for spreading the faith, is a Sunni Islamic missionary movement. The proselytising movement aims to reach out to ordinary Muslims and revive their faith, particularly in matters of ritual, dress, and personal behaviour.

How did the movement begin? Its roots lie in the Deobandi version of the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. It was launched by Deoband cleric and prominent Islamic scholar Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Khandhalaw in 1927 in Mewat. Its emergence also coincided with Hindu proselytising movements.

What is the structure of the Tablighi Jamaat, as an organisation?  There is no defined structure, but there exists a hierarchic network of elders and mosques. Originally, it used to be headed by the Ameer, who would preside over the shura (council), the core of the organisation, and deal with important matters including international congregations known as Aalmi Ijtama.  After the death of Maulana Inamul Hasan Kandhlawi, the third Ameer (1965-95), the post of Ameer was abolished, and Aalmi Shura (international advisory council) was appointed. After the death of Maulana Kandhlawi’s son Zubair ul Hasan kandhlawi in 2015, the movement has been marked by factionalism.

What are these factions?  There are camps in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The “Nizamuddin camp” is headed by Maulana Saad Kandhalwi, great-grandson of Maulana Muhammad Ilyas, while a rival faction is based in Raiwind, Pakistan. Bangladesh, which hosts

the biggest annual Aalmi Ijtama in Tongi, with around two million people attending, is another faction.  In the Ijtama this year, the first phase was held on January 12 with the Tongi faction and the second phase on January 17 with the Nizamuddin faction.  The Tablighi Jamaat also has a significant base in the United States and Britain, which has a large Indian subcontinent diaspora. It also has a presence in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

9.15.BLOCKCHAIN TRACK

Why in news? The World Economic Forum on January 23rd launched the first-ever public blockchain-based platform built to help businesses across industries respond to consumer demands for ethical and environmentally friendly products. It would be a neutral and safe space for collaboration provided by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and first-movers Everledger, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and Lenzing Group, the Geneva-based organisation said during its 50th annual meeting.

9.16.FACEBOOK LAUNCHES PRAGATI

Facebook launches ‘Pragati’ to boost women entrepreneurship in India under corporate social responsibility initiative(CSR).  The initiative will incubate and accelerate early-stage women-led non-profits that are working to drive women entrepreneurship and to spread awareness and adoption of technology among women in India. Facebook Pragati will award four grants of up to RS 50 lakh for each non-profit to scale their work.  Non-profits that are less than three years old and have at least one woman founder can apply. They should be able to demonstrate a viable business plan.

9.17.PULITZER PRIZE

Pulitzer Prize postponed due to COVID-19

About Pulitzer Prize  The Pulitzer Prize is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine and online journalism, literature, and musical composition in the United States.  It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of American (Hungarian- born) Joseph Pulitzer who had made his fortune as a newspaper publisher, and is administered by Columbia University in New York City.  Prizes are awarded yearly in twenty-one categories. In twenty of the categories, each winner receives a certificate and a US$15,000 cash award.  The winner in the public service category of the journalism competition is awarded a gold medal.

9.18.OPERATION SHIELD

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal launched ‘Operation SHIELD’ to break the continuous transmission of Coronavirus in the national capital. SHIELD is an acronym of steps that will be taken to prevent the spread of the virus in places where it has not reached yet.  In Operation SHIELD, S stands for sealing, H for home quarantine, I for isolationof infected patients, E for essential supply, L for local sanitization and D for door to door health check-ups.  Under the operation, 21 areas where cases have been found will be completely sealed and residents will be home quarantined. However, essential services will be delivered to the residents’ doorsteps.

9.19.KAVUTHEENDAL RITUAL

In the wake of the lockdown declared by the government to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the kavutheendal ritual, considered the largest congregation of oracles in the world, was observed on with just one person.  Palakka Velan Devidasan, representative of the Velan community, did the kavutheendal (polluting the temple) ritual. It is a ritual based on the notions of purity/impurity inherent in Brahminical Hinduism. According to popular narratives, Sri Kurumba Bhagavathy is identified with Kannagi of Silappathikaram and also with the Kali-Darika story, part of Bhagavathy cult in Kerala.  Sree Kurumba Bhagavati Temple (alternatively Kodungallur Devi Temple) is a Hindu temple at Kodungallur, Thrissur District, Kerala state, India. It is dedicated to the goddess Bhadrakali, a form of Maha Kali or Parashakthi worshipped in Kerala.  The Bharani festival at the Kodungallur Bhagawati temple is one of the major festivals of Kerala. It is a month of festivities from the Bharani asterism in the month of Kumbham to 7 days after the Bharani asterism in the month of Meenam.  About Velan community  The Velan (or Velar) are a scheduled caste who live mainly in Kerala. They speak, read and write in Malayalam. The Velan are Hindus by religion.Some of the Velan live in Tamil Nadu.  The Velan have cross-cousin marriages. The women help in agriculture, social and religious matters. They also look after finances.

9.20.GAMOSA EVOLVES FROM MEMENTO TO MASK IN ASSAM.

 The multipurpose Assamese gamosa, a ubiquitous, white cotton towel.  It is valued as a gift for visitors, used as a scarf, anti-dust mask, wrapped around the head as a turban.

 Assam has traditionally had two types of gamosas — the uka or plain kind used to wipe sweat or dry the body after a bath, and the phulam, which is decorated with floral motifs to be gifted as a memento or during festivals such as Bihu.  Cultural historians say the gamosa came to symbolise Assamese nationalism in 1916 when the Asom Chatra Sanmilan, a students’ organisation was formed, followed by the Assam Sahitya Sabha, a literary body. Wearing the phulam gamosa around the neck became a standard for cultural identity.  Few cultural symbols are as utilitarian as the white handmade cotton gamosa, with its characteristic red border of woven motifs.

Symbol of protest  The gamosa’s graph as a symbol of protest rose during the anti-foreigners Assam Agitation from 1979 to 1985. The extremist United Liberation Front of Asom too used the towel with “revolutionary” motifs.  Earlier Conservationists we banking on this cultural icon to carry forward the message of turtle conservation, with gamosas woven with turtle images.

9.21.DURBAR MOVE

For the first time in 144 years, the J&K administration has decided to halt the annual shifting of the capital, called ‘Durbar move’, from Jammu to Srinagar in J&K due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, as 23 fresh positive cases pushed the total in the Union Territory to 207.  Introduced by Dogra monarch Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1872 , the ‘Durbar move’ would see shifting of the Civil Secretariat in summers from Jammu to Srinagar and in winters from Srinagar to Jammu.  In January 1987, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had asked then Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah to stop the practice. However, the ‘Durbar move’ was continued to allow it to at as a bridge between two diverse cultures of the Kashmir Valley and the Jammu region.

9.22.NIHANGS

Why in news? The Patiala incident in which a group of Nihangs attacked a Punjab police party and chopped off the hand of an assistant sub-inspector when stopped for a curfew pass, and the subsequent seizure of weapons and narcotics, has put the spotlight on the Nihangs.

Who is a Nihang?  Nihang is an order of Sikh warriors, characterised by blue robes, antiquated arms such as swords and spears, and decorated turbans surmounted by steel quoits.  Sikh historian Dr Balwant Singh Dhillon said, “Etymologically the word nihang in Persian means an alligator, sword and pen but the characteristics of Nihangs seem to stem more from the Sanskrit word nihshank which means without fear, unblemished, pure, carefree and indifferent to worldly gains and comfort.”

 The 19th century historian Rattan Singh Bhangu described Nihangs as “unaffected by pain or comfort”, “given to meditation, penance and charity” and “complete warriors”.

When was the order formed? This can be traced back to the creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. The word nihang also occurs in a hymn in the Guru Granth Sahib, where it alludes to a fearless and unrestrained person.

How were Nihangs different from other Sikhs, and other Sikh warriors?  As per an account by the East India Company’s Colonel James Skinner (1778- 1841), Khalsa Sikhs were divided into two groups: “Those who put on blue attire which Guru Gobind Singh used to wear at the time of battle” and those who “do not follow any restrictions on the colour of their dress” though both of them “follow the profession of soldiery and are brave without peer in the art of musketry and chakarbazi, and the use of quoits”. Nihangs observe the Khalsa code of conduct in its strictest sense.  They do not profess any allegiance to an earthly maste,instead of saffron they hoist a blue Nishan Sahib (flag) atop their shrines.

Nihangs: What is their role in Sikh history? Nihangs had a major role in defending the Sikh panth after the fall of the first Sikh rule (1710-15) when Mughal governors were killing Sikhs, and during the onslaught of Afghan invader Ahmed Shah Durrani (1748-65). When the Khalsa army was divided into five battalions in 1734, one Nihang or Akali battalion was led by Baba Deep Singh Shahid.

Nihangs: What is their current status? Nihangs today constitute a small community. About a dozen bands, each headed by a jathedar (leader), are still carrying on with the traditional order.

9.23.KOLAMS TO GET ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES.

The Kolam tribe, categorized as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), will be supplied with essential commodities in view of their pathetic state in terms of food availability and lack of work. The Kolam habitations in Adilabad district are observing the lockdown norms as a result of which they are staying indoors there by losing contact with outside world.

About Kolam tribals:  Kolam are a designated Scheduled Tribe in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.  They practice agriculture and have a patriarchal society.  Kolam tribals are listed as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in the state of Maharashtra and Andra Pradesh.  Kolam tribals speak Kolami language.

9.24.ANTHARIUM

NIF boosts new varieties of anthurium, a flower with high market value, by lady innovator from kerala .  D Vasini Bai, a women innovator from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, has developed ten varieties of Anthurium, a flower with high market value, by cross-pollination.Anthurium (Anthurium spp.) is a vast group of beautiful blooming plants available in a wide range of colors. The plants of the varieties are having high demands due to its use as indoor decorative plants. During the last year, over 8500 plants, as well as the flowers, have been sold to the market of mainly Pune and Thiruvananthapuram.  The National Innovation Foundation-India has facilitated mass multiplication and large scale production of four highly demanded varieties through tissue culture technique at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bangalore, for the diffusion of the varieties in similar agroclimatic zones of the country.  Anthurium is one of the best domestic flowering plants in the world. They are beautiful but also purify the surrounding air and remove harmful airborne chemicals like formaldehyde, ammonia, toluene, xylene, and allergens. Its importance of removing toxic substances from the air, NASA has placed it in the list of air purifier plants. Anthurium has larger economic importance because of its eye-catching and beautiful inflorescence and fetches a good market price.  In 1980, she manually cross-pollinated for the first time, and after years of experiments in 1985, she developed the first variety of Anthurium- Dora (single plant with 8-10 leaves and multiple flowers with orange-colored spathe). She continued her work, and during 1985–2000, she developed another five varieties viz. Dora- I, Dora –II, Dora –III, Dora –IV and Dora – V. The other five varieties Akash, George, Giant Pink, JV Red, and JV Pink were developed later through manual cross-pollination.

Salient features of the Anthurium varieties are 1. Large beautiful flowers 2. Different colors of spathe and spadix 3. Long stalks 4. Better shelf life 5. Good market value

About NIF National Innovation Foundation (NIF) – India is an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. It was set up in February 2000 at Ahmedabad, Gujarat to provide institutional support for scouting, spawning, sustaining and scaling up the grassroots innovations across the country.

9.25.HYDROGEN FUEL BUS AND CAR PROJECT

NTPC launches Hydrogen Fuel bus and car project for Leh and New Delhi – Invites Global EOI.  NTPC Ltd, India's largest power producer and a central PSU under Ministry of Power, has invited Global Expression of Interest (EoI) to provide 10 Hydrogen Fuel Cell (FC) based electric buses and an equal number of Hydrogen Fuel Cell based electric cars in Leh and Delhi. The EoI has been issued by NTPC's wholly owned subsidiary, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) Limited.  The move to procure Hydrogen Fuel Cell based vehicles is first of its kind project in the country, wherein a complete solution from green energy to the fuel cell vehicle would be developed.  The initiative, which has been undertaken with support of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, will also harness renewable energy for generation of hydrogen and develop it's storage and dispensation facilities as part of pilot projects at Leh and Delhi.

About NTPC  NTPC Limited, formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, is an Indian Public Sector Undertaking, engaged in the business of generation of electricity and allied activities. It is a company incorporated under the Companies Act 1956 and is promoted by the Government of India. The headquarters of the company is situated at New Delhi.  The company has also ventured into oil and gas exploration and coal mining activities. It is the largest power company in India with an electric power generating capacity of 58,156 MW.

9.26.HUBBLE TELESCOPE

Hubble celebrates its 30th anniversary with a tapestry of blazing starbirth. The Hubble Space Telescope (often referred to as HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the first space telescope but it is one of the largest and most versatile, well known both as a vital research tool and as a public relations boon for astronomy.  The first artificial satellite was Sputnik 1, launched by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 under the Sputnik program, with Sergei Korolev as chief designer.  The Hubble telescope is named after astronomer Edwin Hubble and is one of NASA's Great Observatories, along with the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Spitzer Space Telescope.  The Hubble is a joint project between NASA and the European Space Agency. Here are some basic facts about the telescope and the mission.

9.27.PERSONS IN NEWS

9.27.1 ARJUN DEV The legendary historian passed away on 29th March.  He was Born on November 12, 1938 in Leiah, West Punjab (now in Pakistan),  Prof. Arjun spent the better part of his academic life working as a historian at the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).  In partnership with Indira he wrote a number of extremely popular textbooks for the NCERT on Modern and Contemporary India and the World.  One of their books, which was discontinued by the NCERT under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime in 2002 was republished by Orient Blackswan as History of the World: From the Late 19th to the Early 20th Century and has remained a very widely read text.  Within the NCERT, the Bharatiya Janata Party, beginning with the Vajpayee government in 1999-2004, made massive efforts to replace the textbooks written by the country’s most renowned scholars with texts by unknown scholars toeing the Hindutva line. Prof. Arjun spearheaded the determined struggle against these efforts but, alas, could not stop them in the end. The New York Times of October 18, 2002, quoted Prof. Arjun Dev’s criticism of this “assault on history” which would promote a “version of the past [which] is crucial to their political…ideology of Hindu supremacy. They will go to any lengths to achieve this, even put forth a fake invented past.”

9.27.2 RAJA RAVI VARMA

The book, "The World of Raja Ravi Varma: Princes & Patrons" by Manu S Pillai will be launched on the artist’s 172nd birth anniversary.

About Raja Ravi Verma: Raja Ravi Varma (29 April 1848 – 2 October 1906) was a celebrated Indian painter and artist. Raja Ravi Varma was closely related to the royal family of Travancore of present- day Kerala state in India.  A prolific artist, Varma is believed to have made around 7,000 paintings before his death at the age of 58. His most famous works include Damayanti Talking to a Swan, Shakuntala Looking for Dushyanta, Nair Lady Adorning Her Hair, and Shantanu and Matsyagandha.  Varma worked on both portrait and landscape paintings, and is considered among the first Indian artists to use oil paints. Apart from painting Hindu mythological figures, Varma also made portraits of many Indians as well as Europeans.  Varma is also known for having mastered the reproduction of his work on the lithographic press– through which his paintings spread far and wide. He continues

to be regarded as the most important representative of the Europeanised school of painting in India. His 1873 painting, Nair Lady Adorning Her Hair, won Varma prestigious awards including Governor’s Gold Medal when it was presented in the Madras Presidency, and Certificate of Merit at an exhibition in Vienna.  In 1904, the British colonial government awarded Varma with the Kaiser-i- Hind Gold Medal. In 2013, a crater on the planet Mercury was named in his honour.

9.27.3 PANDIT RAVI SHANKAR

Why in news? One of sitar’s greatest exponents, who took Indian classical music to the world, Robindro Shankar Chowdhury would have turned 100 on April 7.  Shankar was born on 7 April 1920 in Benares, then the capital of the eponymous princely state, in a Bengali family, as the youngest of seven brothers.  Ravi Shankar (7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012), whose name is often preceded by the title Pandit (Master) and "Sitar maestro", was an Indian musician and a composer of Hindustani classical music.  He was the best-known proponent of the sitar in the second half of the 20th century and influenced many other musicians throughout the world. Shankar was awarded India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1999.

9.27.4 NIRMAL SINGH KHALSA

The cremation of Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa, a Padma Shri awardee who died of COVID- 19 was delayed as residents of his native town in Punjab feared it would spread the deadly coronavirus in the locality.

About Nirmal Singh Khalsa  Bhai Nirmal Singh was born on 12 April 1952, at village Jandwala Bhimeshah in Ferozepur, Punjab.  Mr. Khalsa was a former ‘Hazoori Ragi ’ (spiritual singer) at Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar.  He was proficient in singing ‘Gurbani’ of the Guru Granth Sahib, based on 31 raags.  For services in the field of arts, Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa was awarded the Padma Shri in 2009 fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India in 2009. He was the first Hazoori Ragi to receive this award.

9.28.INTERNATIONAL/NATIONAL DAYS

9.28.1 WORLD HEALTH DAY  World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on 7 April, under the auspices of the World Health Organization , as well as other related organizations.  Theme 2020 : Support nurses and midwives  In 2020, World Health Day will focus on the vital role played by nurses and midwives in providing health care around the world, and call for strengthen the nursing and midwifery workforce .

9.28.2 KHONGJOM DAY

Why in news? Manipur govt commemorates ‘ Khongjom Day’ at Khongjom War Memorial Complex The Khongjom Day, being a state holiday is celebrated every year on April 23 by the State government to pay tribute to the war heroes of Anglo-Manipuri War 1891 who had sacrificed their lives fighting against the British to protect freedom of Manipur. The site is about 35 KM south of Imphal in Thoubal district where the battle was fight between Manipuri and British.

About The Anglo-Manipur War The Anglo-Manipur War was an armed conflict between the British Empire and the Kingdom of Manipur. The war lasted between 31 March and 27 April 1891, ending in a British victory.

9.28.3 NATIONAL PANCHAYATI RAJ DAY

The National Panchayati Raj Day is observed every year in India on 24th April. The reason behind the celebration of this day is the passing of Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 that came into force from 24 April 1993.  India is a very vast country and it is called the world's largest democracy. Due to the high population and large area in many states, the person sitting at the highest post (I mean Chief Minister of the state) in the state does not get actual scenario of the problems faced by the people of rural areas. So it was decided that the power of democracy should be decentralised.  In order to fulfill this requirement a committee was constituted in 1957 under the chairmanship of Balwantrai Mehta. The Committee recommended democratic decentralization of the power. Hence the concept of Panchayati Raj was constituted in India for the first time in the history.

9.28.4 THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF MULTILATERALISM AND DIPLOMACY FOR PEACE It was officially proclaimed to be observed ever year on 24 April by the UN General Assembly on December 12, 2018 through a resolution.  1stever official ‘International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace’ was observed by the United Nations (UN) on April 24, 2019.  Preserving the values of multilateralism and international cooperation is fundamental to promote and support the three pillars of the UN -Peace and Security, Development and Human Rights.

9.28.5 WORLD BOOK DAY

Union human resource development minister Shri ramesh pokhriyal 'nishank' launches #mybookmyfriendcampaign on world book day.

World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day, or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote reading, publishing, and copyright. The first World Book Day was celebrated on 23 April in 1995, and continues to be recognized on that day. A related event in the United Kingdom and Ireland is observed in March.

9.28.6 AMBEDKAR JAYANTI

 Ambedkar Jayanti or Bhim Jayanti is an annual festival observed on 14 April to commemorate the memory of B. R. Ambedkar.It marks Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's birthday who was born on 14 April 1891.  Since 2015 it has been observed as an official public holiday throughout India.  Ambedkar Jayanti is celebrated not just in India rather all around the world.  Government of India Issued Rs 10 and Rs 125 in 2015 to mark the 125th Birth Anniversary in the honor of Ambedkar.  As Per Government of Maharashtra, 14 April is observed as Knowledge Day in memory of Babasaheb Ambedkar.

9.28.7 MAHAVIR JAYANTI

Why in news? Pm greets people on Mahavir Jayanti on April 6th

About :  Mahavir Janma Kalyanak is one of the most important religious festivals in Jainism. It celebrates the birth of Mahavir, the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankara.  According to Jain texts, Mahavir was born on the thirteenth day of the bright half of the moon in the month of Chaitra in the year 599 BCE (Chaitra Sud 13).

 Mahavir was named 'Vardhamana', meaning "One who grows", because of the increased prosperity in the kingdom at the time of his birth.  Mahavirswami was born into Ikshvaku dynasty as the son of King Siddhartha of Kundagrama and Queen Trishala.  Mahavira practiced intense meditation and severe austerities for 12 years, after which he is believed to have attained Kevala Jnana (omniscience).  Mahavira taught that observance of the vows of ahimsa (non- violence), satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (chastity), and aparigraha (non-attachment) are necessary for spiritual liberation. He taught the principles of Anekantavada (many-sided reality): syadvada and nayavada.  His birth is celebrated as Mahavir Janma Kalyanak and his nirvana (salvation) is observed by Jains as Diwali  The Kalpa Sutra is a collection of biographies of tirthankaras, notably Parshvanatha and Mahavira. Samavayanga Sutra is a collection of Mahavira’s teachings, and the Acharanga Sutra recounts his asceticism.

9.29RECENT APPS

9.29.1 SANITATION APP

Why in news? Sanitation app ‘Swachhata-MoHUA’ has been updated to include new features such as reporting of suspected cases of COVID-19 and lockdown violations, a statement from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). The new features also include requests for fogging/sanitation, food, shelter, medicine, transport of COVID-19 patients and waste pick-up from the quarantined areas.

About Swachhata app  The Swachhata application is a fourth generation complaint redressal mobile and web platform. It is a quantum leap in how complaints and grievances are being redressed by Municipal Corporations in India.  The core of the Swachhata application is to use citizen participation and civic engagement to help resolve the Swachh Bharat complaints.  It is an initiative of the Swachh Bharat Mission in association with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

9.29.2 KISAN RATH The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has launched ‘Kisan Rath’ mobile application (app) to facilitate transportation of foodgrains and perishable during lockdown.  The application has been developed by the National Informatics Centre -NIC (backed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology).  It will be available in eight languages initially, including English and hindi.  The app is expected to connect farmers and traders to a network of more than 5 lakh trucks and 20,000 tractors.

 It is meant to help farmers and traders who are searching for vehicles to move produce. This includes:  Primary transport from the farm to the mandis, local warehouses or the collection centres of farmer producer organisations.  Secondary transport from the local mandis to intra-and inter-State mandis, processing units, railway stations, warehouses or wholesalers.  The Government has granted relaxation in the nationwide lockdown for activities related to agriculture-farming and allied activities with a view to address problems being faced by the farming community.  The app will be a stepping stone towards provision of timely transportation service at competitive rates for farmers and traders, besides achieving a reduction in food wastage.  This will help in ensuring better prices of the produce to farmers.

9.29.3 PUNE’S MOBILE APP SAIYAM  In order to effectively track the home-quarantines citizens and ensure they are actually staying in the home, a mobile application named Saiyam has been developed by the Pune Municipal Corporation under Smart Cities Mission (SCM).  The city administration teams will check if those under home quarantine have downloaded the Saiyam Mobile Application. The Mobile Application has GPS tracking so that whenever quarantined citizens leave their homes, City Administration gets alerted and the local ward or the local police station gets informed, who then visit the family.  All the Home Quarantined citizens are given the mandate to download the app and install it. These identified citizens are advised to keep the GPS feature on the device always switched-on and the mobile device should be switched-on throughout the 24 hours, during the quarantine period. Citizens’ movements can be monitored centrally real-time from the monitoring cell and are marked as Red, Amber or Green. Red signifies that the person has ventured out for longer duration; Yellow signifies that the person has limited movements and Green signifies that the person is confined to house limits.

9.29.4 APTHAMITRA

Karnataka has launched “Apthamitra” mobile application and helpline to fight COVID-19. The application aims at providing medical guidance and advice on COVID-19. When a person has symptoms of COVID-19, he or she can call to the helpline number of “Apthamitra”.

9.30KARMI-BOT

Kerala government hospital deploys robot to serve covid-19 patients

A government hospital in Ernakulam in Kochi has deployed a robot named ‘KARMI-Bot’ to serve food and medicines to coronavirus (COVID-19) patients with an aim to reduce risk of infections for doctors and health workers. The robot is developed by ASIMOV robotics, a company working under maker village of Kerala start-up mission. “Dispensing food, medicine, collecting the trash used by the patients, performing disinfection, enable video call between the doctor and patients etc., are the main responsibilities of the robot”.