9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – December 28th, 2022

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• India@75, Looking at 100: India can be a world leader in the sustainable production of cotton textiles

GS Paper 2

• Focus on Africa, the heart of the Global South
• A retelling of the Indian migrant worker’s plight
• Many Docs but What’s The Prescription? – Breakneck growth in the quantity of doctors is coming at the cost of their quality
• Equipping IAS officers to deal with the manufacturing sector
• What is the CAG audit report on Assam’s NRC?
• China, West, G20 Presidency: Opportunities & concerns for India in 2023

GS Paper 3

• No free lunches – The free food scheme is driven by electoral considerations, but its long-term fiscal risks outweigh the short-term gains
• Input cost pressure – on increasing milk prices

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Centre appoints MeitY as the nodal ministry for gaming, to set rules soon
• Australia FTA: Wine industry gears up for foreign market’s entry in India
• India’s bid to beat cervical cancer
• Transfer of technology ‘Inactivated low pathogenic avian influenza (H9N2) vaccine for chickens’ developed by ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal
• India, ADB sign $125 million loan to improve Urban Services in Tamil Nadu
• Ministry of Power signs Memorandum of Understanding with Defence Research and Development Organization for Implementation of Early Warning System for Vulnerable Hydro Projects/Power Stations
• Amrit Bharat Station Scheme for Indian Railways

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

India@75, Looking at 100: India can be a world leader in the sustainable production of cotton textiles

News– The article explains the impact of colonial era economic policies on the handloom sector. It explains the impact of these policies on cotton production in India. It also tells about the future prospects of the handloom sector.

In pre-industrial times, the many varieties of Indian cotton cloth were a source of wealth for India. Until colonial times, the yarn for handloom weaving in India had been spun by hand.

How British colonialism impacted handloom weaving and domestic cotton production?

Spinning machinery was invented in Britain. Since India was a British colony, the latter dictated its economic policies. Machine-woven cotton fabrics began to be imported. The raw cotton was shipped out to supply British industry.

Though Indian varieties of cotton produced the finest fabrics in the world, they were unsuited to the newly invented textile machinery.

American cotton varieties having longer, stronger staple, were more suited to machine processing. So, the hundreds of varieties of Indian cotton had to become uniform.

How has it impacted the cotton farmers?

Cotton in India is grown largely by small farmers. The new practices have changed the nature of farm practices from sustainable, family-based agriculture to intensive commercial farming. Seeds come from large multinationals. They are expensive.

American varieties need irrigation, which increases humidity. Humidity encourages pests and fungi. So, use of fertiliser and pesticide increases the cost of cultivation, but does not guarantee a good harvest. It has led to indebtedness of farmers.

The distress of the cotton farmer has even led to suicides. The introduction of genetically modified seeds has led to more severe problems.

What are the future prospects of the Indian handloom sector?

It will be clean, renewable energy that will make the small-scale environmental Indian industries top leaders of the 21st century.

As fossil fuels deplete, earlier notions of efficiency will change. The low-energy manufacturing processes will gain value.

Markets are becoming saturated with look-alike products from factory-style mass production. There are more customers for the individualised products of dispersed production. Small-batch handwoven fabrics will become desirable in the changing markets.

The world is looking for “green” industries. Over the next 25 years, handloom weaving located close to cotton fields can make it a world leader in sustainable production.

GS Paper 2

Focus on Africa, the heart of the Global South

News– The article explains the dynamics of US and Chinese relations with Africa. It explains the opportunity for India to improve its relationship with Africa in the context of the G20 presidency.

What are the recent initiatives by the US to improve its relationship with Africa?

The second U.S.-Africa summit was held in Washington in the month of December this year. They discussed the political, security, and economic cooperation related issues.

Mr. Biden declared that African voices, leadership and innovation are critical to address the most pressing global challenges. It is needed to realise the vision of a free, open, prosperous and secure world. The U.S. is “all in on Africa and all in with Africa.”

Several important decisions were taken.

The U.S. announced its support for the AU to join the G20 as a permanent member. It announced full support for UNSC reform to include permanent representation for Africa.

A promise for the president and the vice president to visit Africa next year was made.

The U.S. announced new investments and initiatives. It includes $21 billion to the IMF  to provide funds for low-and middle-income countries, and $10 million to boost the security capacity of its African partners.

The administration indicated that it planned to invest $55 billion in Africa over the next three years.

What is the status of Chinese relationship with Africa?

China is the largest trading partner and the fourth largest investor in the African continent. It has emerged ahead of the U.S. through its steady diplomacy and extensive economic engagement.

In 2021, China-Africa bilateral trade was $254 billion. While the U.S.-Africa trade stood at $44.9 billion. The U.S. investment in Sub-Saharan Africa was $30.31 billion last year. In comparison, China’s total investment was $43.4 billion.

Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was established in October 2000. It is composed of ministers and leaders of Africa and China who meet once in three years. The Chinese president participates in deliberations in person or digitally.

China has a full-fledged inter-ministerial mechanism to ensure the timely implementation of FOCAC decisions. The last meeting expressed support for One-China Principle, the Global Development Initiative, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the vision of “a community with a shared future. These are part of the Chinese agenda.

The Chinese foreign minister visits annually to Africa.

What is the way forward for India to improve its relationship with Africa?

India’s equity in Africa is older and richer than that of China and the U.S. But it should not make India complacent.

The G20 presidency is an opportunity for India to ensure that the AU becomes a permanent member of this grouping and to firmly reflect Africa’s Agenda 2063 for development.

India and the U.S. should work closer together in Africa.

The fourth India-Africa Forum Summit should be held in early 2024.

A retelling of the Indian migrant worker’s plight

News– The article explains the status of immigration across the world. It also explains the challenges faced by migrants. Itr also suggests the way forward for improving the conditions of migrants in India

What is the status of immigration across the world?

According to the World Migration Report 2022, there were 281 million international migrants globally in 2020. Nearly two-thirds are labour migrants.

South Asia’s share is nearly 40%. The South Asia-Gulf Migratory corridor is the world’s largest migrant corridor.

Long-term data on international migration show that migration is not uniform across the world. It is shaped by economic, geographic, demographic and other factors. It results in distinct migration patterns, such as migration corridors developed over many years.

Recently, 300 Indian engineers from Tamil Nadu were trafficked to Myanmar to work for a crypto-scam. Joblessness due to COVID-19 was responsible for it.

What are issues with immigration in India?

India is the largest migrant-sending and remittance-receiving country. But, the welfare of Indian migrants abroad does not seem to be a priority for the Government and policymakers.

India lacks a tangible and comprehensive migration policy to ensure decent living and safe movement of migrants.

Migration to abroad is governed by the Emigration Act. However, the Indian government has been silent on the issue of updating the Act.

What are the challenges faced by immigrants across the world?

The United Nations, through its non-binding resolution, “Global Compact for Safe, Orderly Migration and Regular Migration”, recognises the challenges migrant labour faces across the world.

The recurring problems faced by migrants are irregular payment, poor working conditions, negation of labour rights. There is absence of a proper grievance redress mechanism. They don’t have access to a transparent judicial system.

Rich employers in GCC violate basic labour laws and refuse regular salaries and dues. They are from different nationalities, including Indians.

The pandemic has resulted in unemployment, under-employment. It has led to reduction in salaries, and non-payment of salaries, compensation and residual dues.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the existing exploitative nature of the Kafala system.

What are some steps taken by countries for improving the conditions of migrants?

Presently, South Asian countries and their civil society members are leading a ‘justice for wage theft’ campaign. It is for the disbursement of the pending salary benefits and other related dues of labour.

Countries such as the Philippines which have recorded the wage theft of their migrants are taking up the issue legally.

What is the way forward to improve the conditions of migrants?

Attention needs to be focussed on the women migrant workforce. They are largely limited to GCC countries and also to the OECD countries to some extent.

Indian nurses and care-givers have been working in the most volatile countries such as Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen and Israel.

Government should comprehensively assess the situation of migrant women. It should create women-centric, rights-based policies.

The Government of India has to revisit its policies in the post-pandemic migratory scenario. It should engage all stakeholders and pass the Emigration Bill 2021.

Many Docs but What’s The Prescription? – Breakneck growth in the quantity of doctors is coming at the cost of their quality

News: India has increased its number of medical colleges and MBBS seats and it is closer to the target of one doctor per 1,000 population on aggregate.

How have medical colleges transformed over years?

Between 1980 and 2010: The private medical colleges increased rapidly between these years. This expansion was accompanied by corruption, substandard colleges that lacked the necessary infrastructure and faculty.

After 2011: A large number of new government colleges opened since 2011, especially in the southern and western states and Uttar Pradesh. The government also decided a policy to convert district hospitals into medical colleges to ensure one for each district causing an increase in the number of colleges.

Moreover, from 2014, 270 new colleges came up but many government colleges started to resemble private ones in having inadequate faculty and poor standards of teaching/ training.

What is the recent decision taken by the government?

The health minister has recently talked of a paradigm shift from an input-based to outcome-based approach. 

The input-based system focuses on ensuring adequate infrastructure, faculty and patient load, all of which impact the quality of teaching and training whereas the outcome-based only focuses on increasing the number of MBBS graduates.

Therefore, this approach of government of increasing doctors and medical colleges have many concerns associated with it.

What are the concerns with medical education and with the increasing number of colleges?

The increase in the number of colleges comes at the price of poor-quality teaching and training and hence poorly equipped doctors as more MBBS seats do not mean greater accessibility.

The fees even for government medical colleges have been increasing and seats being reserved for NRIs.

Further, the current medical entrance exam favours those with access to expensive coaching, richer and more urban households having a better chance of becoming doctors.

Moreover, there has been an irregular distribution of doctors even when the number of doctors has risen from 0. 5 in 2000 to 0. 9 per thousand, closer to the WHO guidelines.

For example, north and northeast India are facing shortage while south and west India have the highest concentration. Therefore, there could be areas where the doctor-population ratio could be as less as one per 10,000.

Moreover, MBBS graduates treating people without proper training is injustice to the citizens as they are expected to take charge in primary health centres to get initial training.

Therefore, bringing in more doctors is not the solution without realising the consequences of poorly trained physicians and taking firm steps to improve the quality of teaching/training along with proper distribution.

Equipping IAS officers to deal with the manufacturing sector

News: There has been policy related issues that are blocking rapid growth of the manufacturing sector.

To become an attractive destination for manufacturing investment, India needs to solve the issues, which is making it a difficult country to manufacture and do business.

Therefore, it becomes important to analyse, why existing personnel charged with policy execution have been failing.

While the political leadership lays down the vision, the responsibilities for translating these into ground realities are that of IAS officers.

Therefore, the development of Manufacturing is only possible if the concerned civil servants in the ministries have good manufacturing domain knowledge.

IAS officers need to know how to add to or reduce the costs of manufacturing, create demand for enabling industry to achieve economies of scale, and generation of profits and internal resources for growth.

So, how to equip IAS officers to become much more effective in dealing with the manufacturing sector as well as other areas of development?

It requires reforms in our system of human resource development and bringing it in line with the best global practices.

A new wing

A wing should be created in the Department of Personnel & Training, and its counterparts in the states.

This wing should be responsible to select officers on the basis of aptitude from the IAS and other services, and train them to frame and implement policies relating to manufacturing and industrial development.

It should report directly to the Prime Minister to insulate it from pressures from various quarters.

Selection and training of officers

The selection of officers could be made after they have completed around 10 years of service.

Thereafter, selected officers would need to be trained and given postings that would enable them to gain more knowledge and experience.

For knowledge and experience, a temporary appointment to selected private companies should be made.

It would acquaint officers to market based competition and select companies in different manufacturing sectors could be able to trust the government officers.

These officers should be assessed from time to time to move them into the policy making stage for manufacturing sector.

How to resolve some past challenges?

The previous such attempts have been failed due to issues linked to promotions and postings. It has prevented some skilled officers to be appointed at right places. This problem can be resolved by Japanese model.

The Japanese model was implemented in Maruti. The model was to de-link salary scales from job responsibilities.

It means the most suitable person for the job will be posted for higher responsibilities. However, her/his pay scale will not change due to this. Annual increases in pay scales and movement from one scale to another followed a different system.

What is the CAG audit report on Assam’s NRC?

News: CAG has flagged issues in the NRC exercise carried out in Assam.

What are issues highlighted by CAG report in Assam’s NRC?

Secure and reliable software was required for the exercise, however, software utilities were added to the core software. Haphazard development of software for the exercise, made it prone to data tampering.

Undue profits worth crores amassed by the system integrator (SI) by violating the Minimum Wages Act.

Test check of records revealed irregularities in the utilisation of funds including “excess and inadmissible payment to vendors”.

Amount of wages paid to the outsourced staff was 45.59%-64.27% less than what was approved by the NRC coordination committee.

Recommendations made by CAG report

First, penal measures to be taken against Wipro Limited for violating the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act and for paying data operators less than minimum wages.

Action against the State Coordinator of National Registration (SCNR) for “excess, irregular and inadmissible payments”.

Fixing accountability of the SCNR as the principal employer for “not ensuring compliance with the Minimum Wage Act”.

China, West, G20 Presidency: Opportunities & concerns for India in 2023

News– The article explains the strategic scenario across the world that matters for India foreign policy establishment. It also explains the challenges and opportunities for India.

What are six hard realities for the Indian strategic establishment?

Russia-Ukraine war: The Russian invasion of Ukraine has upended the global order in place since World War II. It has impacted the world’s food and energy security. It can lead to global economic recession.

The nuclear threat from Russian leaders is a cause of worry. The Strategic alignment between Russia and China is another concern.

China’s aggression: China’s aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific may create disruptions. India is facing that aggression on its border.

China is also constructing an island in the South China Sea.

Ties with the West being tested: India’s ties with the West are going through a stress test due to the Russia factor. The India balancing act has been perceived as opportunistic by US and Europe.

Delhi is seen as following its interests and not being guided by “shared values”. European partners have criticised India for buying cheap oil from Russia.

There is absence of a full time US ambassador in India for two years.

Engagement with Taliban: India reopened its limited operations in the Indian embassy in Kabul  in June. Delhi had begun the process of re-engaging by sending humanitarian aid. It has made a commitment of USD 80 million for improving the lives of Afghans.

But, India will not compromise on extremism and rights of minorities and women.

Finally, Delhi is finally looking at the Taliban as a political actor.

Pakistan turmoil:  Imran Khan led government was ousted and the Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition has formed the government in May. The rhetoric against India has lowered a bit. But, there has been no movement in bilateral ties.

Towards the end of the year, Pakistan got a new Army chief. This is the real transition of power in this country.

Neighbourhood in crisis: The Sri Lankan economic and political crisis was a major challenge in the neighbourhood. India provided humanitarian aid, fuel, medicines.

Delhi is also helping the island country negotiate an economic debt relief package from the International Monetary Fund.  Delhi wants a government that understands India’s security and strategic interests.

Engagement with Myanmar has continued in low-key visits. India has sought to not isolate the military regime, unlike the western partners.

The key impact has been the influx of refugees from Myanmar to the north-eastern states through the porous borders. There are  concerns about non-state actors creating trouble in the north-east.

What are six challenges and opportunities for 2023?

Dealing with China: Beijing is challenging the status quo, not just in eastern Ladakh but in other sectors along the border with India. It was evident from the Arunachal clash.

As China sees itself as a superpower, there will be  more clashes and competing interests with India. It will have to be resolved through negotiations.

Engaging with Russia: The border standoff with China has shown Russia’s importance in India’s strategic calculus.

However, increasing closeness between Russia and China is cause of worry for India. Economic relations have formed the “new strategic basis” for Sino-Russian relations.

India will try to engage with both Russia and the West, and put its strategic defence and national security interests first.

G20 as a global stage: New Delhi, has already positioned itself as the “voice of the Global South”. It will seek to put its priorities on the global forum.

In this context, it will also seek to bring Russia and the West together and end the conflict in Europe. If it manages to do so, it can claim a diplomatic win.

Ties with the West: Delhi will have to address the concerns of European and American partners. In fact, the G20 preparations will give some opportunity to do that.

Challenge in the neighbourhood: Sri Lanka will continue to demand India’s humanitarian, financial and political attention in the new year.

India will also be part of political conversation in Maldives. The Maldives is going to polls in September. Delhi will be watching closely as political parties try to project India as the bully and a big brother.

Bangladesh also goes into election mode in 2023. India will be looking at the prospects of Sheikh Hasina after a long political journey that has brought security in India’s eastern states.

In Nepal,Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda has become the Prime Minister. Former PM Oli is holding the keys to the government. This will pose a significant challenge for Delhi. Beijing’s influence is growing in Kathmandu in recent years.

Pakistan’s crucial year: Elections in Pakistan are scheduled for later in 2023. The new civilian government and the Army chief will shape their attitude towards India.

What is the way forward for our strategic establishment?

Our domestic efforts will need to be bolstered by smart partnerships with others. New relationships are necessary. But, there is a need to keep old partners like Russia by our side.

India should engage all countries including China, and resolve outstanding matters with our smaller neighbours.

GS Paper 3

No free lunches – The free food scheme is driven by electoral considerations, but its long-term fiscal risks outweigh the short-term gains

News: The government has decided to allow free food grain supplies under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) until December 2023. The government is being criticized for this decision.

What are the concerns?

The government instead of reducing the food subsidy bill has made it free under NFSA. It would act as a fiscal burden on the government.

This might also encourage political parties ruling in many of the states to come up with similar schemes and bring fiscal burden on itself.

Therefore, it will have a negative fiscal consequence both on Centre and the states even after discontinuing Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY). However, it would benefit the Finance Ministry.

How would the Finance Ministry be benefitted?

The launch of PM-GKAY in April 2020 acted as a burden and affected the expenditure planning for the Union Finance Ministry. The scheme kept on extending till December 2022.

Since the PM-GKAY has been discontinued now, it is expected that it would provide the finance ministry a food subsidy saving equivalent to about 0.4 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).

If taken together with the fertiliser subsidy saving which is estimated at about 0.3 percent of GDP, the finance ministry will have a total savings of about 0.7 per cent of GDP in 2023-24.

This will provide flexibility to the Finance Ministry in increasing capital expenditure.

Further, subsuming the PM-GKAY into the NFSA will also provide budgetary advantage for the next fiscal year. It is unlike the previous budgets where the government took decisions on the PM-GKAY after the Budget was decided.

Moreover, the PM-GKAY being discontinued, now the government will only have to focus on bringing NFSA under the central issue price regime. However, it is unexpected that it will come under it before the next Lok Sabha election.

Input cost pressure – on increasing milk prices

News: The dairy sector in the National Capital Region of Delhi is experiencing difficulties due to a short supply and high cost of cattle feed and fodder.

Cattle feed prices have reportedly increased by 28%, leading to the highest level of wholesale price-based fodder inflation since 2013.

This short supply has resulted in multiple price increases for milk by major dairy companies. The main thing to note is that it is happening during a post-monsoon flush season. In this season milk supplies typically exceed demand, allowing dairy firms to build up stocks.

It has increased the milk procurement cost of dairies by 24%.

What are the reasons behind high cost of cattle feed?

Climate change: Intense heat and other climate change-induced stresses on feed-worthy farm produce

Alternative uses: The use of damaged and substandard grains for other products like ethanol and starch, instead of feeding them to cattle.

Shrinking natural pastures: Disappearance or shrinkage of natural pastures and common grazing grounds due to encroachment.

The area under cultivated fodder crops has remained stagnant at just around 4 per cent of the total cropland for decades. It is despite several fold increase in the cattle population.

Plant varieties: The replacement of traditional tall crop varieties with dwarf high-yielding ones has lowered the availability of plant stalks and other residual biomass for use as dry fodder.

What are the course of action?

Better management of grazing grounds.

Incentivising growing of nutritious forage grasses and trees under agro-pastoral and horti-pastoral systems of cultivation.

Setting up fodder banks to preserve the surplus green vegetation available during the monsoon season.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Centre appoints MeitY as the nodal ministry for gaming, to set rules soon

Why in the news?

As per a gazette notification,

1) Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) would be the nodal ministry for matters relating to online gaming with monetary risks.

2) Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) has been tasked with regulating e-sports (video games not involving money) as part of multiple sports events.

What was the need for such appointments?

India’s gaming market is currently estimated at $2.6 billion and expected to be worth $8.6 billion by 2027.

Proliferation of games like cards, casinos, and fantasy sports among young people led to addiction and financial losses, with some reported cases of suicide.

The online gaming policy is likely to prescribe a mandatory age verification mechanism and know-your-customer (KYC) norms for all real money games in the country.

The allocation of a nodal ministry for the sector has resolved a long-standing debate on considering gaming platforms as intermediaries or publishers.

The appointment may also bring uniformity in regulations on real money games across the country. At present states have been framing their own laws on this matter.

Australia FTA: Wine industry gears up for foreign market’s entry in India

Why in the news?

India signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with Australia this year. Now there is a possibility of entry of established Australian and European winemakers into the country.

What does the agreement says about wine?

This is the first time that India has agreed to liberalise wine under a trade pact. However, the agreement only covers 2 per cent of wine imports from Australia.

Under the FTA, India agreed to reduce customs duty on Australian wines, but in a staggered manner. The stage wise manner was to ensure that domestic wine industry doesn’t end up being subjected to predatory pricing.

According to the new structure, tariffs on wine with a minimum import price of $5 per bottle will be reduced from to 100 per cent once the deal is implemented and subsequently to 50 per cent over 10 years. The duty on bottles with a minimum import price of $15 will be reduced to 75 per cent, and subsequently to 25 per cent over 10 years.

Benefits of including wine in the agreement

In India, the (grape) vine yield is lower compared to top wine-producing countries.

Australia can help India, since it has the expertise to improve vine yields, and speed up the growth of the plantations.

Australia can also help the domestic industry to align Indian wines to efficiently tackle non-tariff barriers, such as meeting stringent inter­national requirements for certification.

India’s bid to beat cervical cancer

Source: The post is based on the article “India’s bid to beat cervical cancer” published in The Hindu on 28th December 2022. 

What is the News?

The government has recently announced that it will roll out vaccines for the prevention of cervical cancer to girls aged between 9 and 14 years through schools. Girls who do not attend schools will be given the vaccines by community outreach and mobile health teams.

Recently, the National Technical Advisory Group for Immunisation (NTAGI) had also recommended the introduction of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).

What is Cervical Cancer?

What is India’s Cervical cancer burden?

More than 58% of all cases of cervical cancer and deaths globally were estimated in Asia with India accounting for 21% of cases and 23% of deaths, followed by China (18% and 17%).

In India, the incidence rate is 18 per 1,00,000 women. The WHO has specified that countries must maintain an incidence rate of fewer than 4 new cases per 1,00,000 women a year by 2030.

To achieve that goal, 90% of girls will have to be vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15.

About indigenous HPV vaccine, CERVAVAC

What is the importance of launching the HPV vaccine?

When the HPV vaccine will be rolled out?

The indigenous HPV vaccine is likely to be rolled out by mid-2023. A one-time catch-up vaccine will be given to 9-14-year-old adolescent girls before it is introduced at nine years.

What are the challenges in reducing cervical cancer?

According to the Lancet, the burden of cervical cancer remains high in Asia and Africa due to substantial geographical, and socioeconomic inequalities and lower levels of human development.

Note: In 2022, India ranked 132 out of 191 countries on the Human Development Index.

How India can reduce Cervical cancer through the HPV vaccine?

-India’s fertility rate is declining due to a variety of factors, including an improved literacy rate, an increase in the age of marriage and so forth. This should be utilised in India’s fight against cervical cancer.

-From the government, doctors to ground level health workers should launch campaigns on cervical cancer awareness, push vaccinations and screening for all girls.

-The surveillance systems and infrastructure used for COVID-19 vaccinations may also be customised to improve HPV vaccination, monitor national cervical screening programmes and improve health system capacity to deliver more efficient preventive services.

Transfer of technology ‘Inactivated low pathogenic avian influenza (H9N2) vaccine for chickens’ developed by ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal

Source: The post is based on the article “Transfer of technology ‘Inactivated low pathogenic avian influenza (H9N2) vaccine for chickens’ developed by ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal” published in the PIB on 28th December 2022. 

What is the News?

Scientists have recently developed the ‘Inactivated low pathogenic avian influenza (H9N2) vaccine for chicken.

About H9N2 Vaccine

It is the first indigenous vaccine for the H9N2 virus. The vaccine will contribute significantly to increasing the income of poultry farmers by reducing the economic loss due to the disease. The vaccine will meet the standard of the market both in India and abroad.

About H9N2 influenza

H9N2 was considered to be a low pathogenicity avian influenza virus (AIV) because it causes mild clinical disease. Poultry infected with H9N2 are important incubators for novel emerging pandemic AIVs.

H9N2 viruses resort to a variety of other subtypes to form novel influenza virus genotypes. Moreover, H9N2 viruses were reported to have evolutionary human-like receptor identities. Hence, they have adapted to bind mammalian host receptors, which led to an increase in human susceptibility.

India, ADB sign $125 million loan to improve Urban Services in Tamil Nadu

Source: The post is based on the article “India, ADB sign $125 million loan to improve Urban Services in Tamil Nadu” published in the PIB on 28th December 2022. 

What is the News?

The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $125 million loan to develop climate-resilient sewage collection and treatment, and drainage and water supply systems in three cities in the state of Tamil Nadu.

The financing is the third and the last tranche of the $500 million multi-tranche financing facility (MFF) for the program approved by ADB in 2018.

About the Urban Services project in Tamil Nadu

Aim: To build priority water supply, sewerage, and drainage infrastructure in strategic industrial corridors across 10 cities in the state. The tranche 3 loan covers Coimbatore, Madurai, and Thoothukudi.

The project will deploy new approaches such as build and operate modality, automatic meters for bulk water users, and real-time monitoring through supervisory control and data acquisition systems.

The ADB financing will help ensure universal access to basic water and sanitation services and improve resilience against floods in the project target areas which are also the industrial hubs of Tamil Nadu.

Ministry of Power signs Memorandum of Understanding with Defence Research and Development Organization for Implementation of Early Warning System for Vulnerable Hydro Projects/Power Stations

Source: The post is based on the article “Ministry of Power signs Memorandum of Understanding with Defence Research and Development Organization for Implementation of Early Warning System for Vulnerable Hydro Projects/Power Stations” published in the PIB on 28th December 2022. 

What is the News?

The Ministry of Power signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) for the Implementation of Early Warning Systems for Vulnerable Hydro Projects/Power Stations.

About the MoU for Early Warning Systems

Under this, the Ministry of Power and DRDO will jointly work towards developing suitable mitigation measures against avalanches, landslides, glaciers, glacial lakes and other geo-hazards.

The expertise of DRDO will also be utilized in developing comprehensive Early Warning Systems for vulnerable hydro projects/ power stations in hilly regions.

About Early Warning Systems

An early warning system is an adaptive measure for climate change, using integrated communication systems to help communities prepare for hazardous climate-related events.

EWS is an integrated system of hazard monitoring, forecasting and prediction, disaster risk assessment, communication and preparedness for timely action to reduce disaster risks in advance of hazardous events.

Amrit Bharat Station Scheme for Indian Railways

Source: The post is based on the article “Amrit Bharat Station Scheme for Indian Railways” published in the PIB on 28th December 2022. 

What is the News?

The Ministry of Railways has formulated a new policy for the modernization of stations named Amrit Bharat Station scheme.

About “Amrit Bharat Station” scheme

The scheme envisages the development of stations on a continuous basis with a long-term vision. It is based on Master Planning for the long term and implementation of the elements of the Master Plan as per the needs and patronage of the station.

Objectives of the scheme: a) Preparation of Master Plans of the Railway stations and implementation in phases to enhance the facilities including and beyond the Minimum Essential Amenities (MEA), b) Cater for the introduction of new amenities as well as upgradation and replacement of existing amenities, c) Relocate redundant/old buildings in a cost-efficient manner.

Scope of work:

-Master Plans will have elementary details of the most appropriate location of Roof Plaza to be created in future.

-Cover the stations where detailed techno-economic feasibility studies have been conducted or are being conducted.

-Existing building usage shall be reviewed and space should be released in favour of passengers.

-Amenities for Divyangjan at stations.

-Gradual shift to sustainable and environmental friendly solutions as per availability of funds and condition of existing assets.

-At least one aesthetically designed hoarding(signage) on each side of the circulating area at a prominent location shall be erected for the display of important information etc.