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  • Science Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP), 2020

    The Department of Science and Technology has published the draft National Science Technology and Innovation Policy and has invited suggestions from the public.

    Q.The STIP, 2020 contains radical and progressive proposals that could be game-changers for not just the scientific research community, but also for the way ordinary Indians interact with Science. Discuss.

    STIP, 2020

    Aim: To identify and address the strengths and weaknesses of the Indian STI ecosystem to catalyse socio-economic development of the country and also make the Indian STI ecosystem globally competitive.

    The philosophy behind

    • Unlike previous STI policies which were largely top-driven in the formulation, this policy follows core principles of being decentralized, evidence-informed, bottom-up, experts-driven, and inclusive.
    • It aims to be dynamic, with a robust policy governance mechanism that includes periodic review, evaluation, feedback, adaptation and, most importantly, a timely exit strategy for policy instruments.
    • The STIP will be guided by the vision of positioning India among the top three scientific superpowers in the decade to come; to attract, nurture, strengthen, and retain critical human capital through a people-centric STI ecosystem

    The Open Science Framework

    Open Science fosters more equitable participation in science through-

    • Increased access to research output;
    • Greater transparency and accountability in research; inclusiveness;
    • Better resource utilization through minimal restrictions on reuse of research output and infrastructure and
    • Ensuring a constant exchange of knowledge between the producers and users of knowledge

    Inclusion principles

    • The STIP proposes that at least 30 per cent representation be ensured for women in all decision-making bodies, as well as “spousal benefits” are provided to partners of scientists belonging to the LGBTQ+ community.
    • Among the proposals in the policy is the removal of bars on married couples being employed in the same department or laboratory.
    • As of now, married couples are not posted in the same department, leading to cases of loss of employment or forced transfers when colleagues decide to get married.
    • The policy says that for age-related cut-offs in matters relating to the selection, promotion, awards or grants, the “academic age” and not the biological age would be considered.

    Funding improvements

    • At 0.6% of GDP, India’s gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD) is quite low compared to other major economies that have a GERD-to-GDP ratio of 1.5% to 3%.
    • This can be attributed to inadequate private sector investment (less than 40%) in R&D activities in India; in technologically advanced countries, the private sector contributes close to 70% of GERD.
    • STIP has made some major recommendations in this regard, such as the expansion of the STI funding landscape at the central and state levels.
    • It has enhanced incentivisation mechanisms for leveraging the private sector’s R&D participation through boosting financial support and fiscal incentives for industry.

    Other key Proposals

    • STIP will lead to the establishment of a National STI Observatory that will act as a central repository for all kinds of data related to and generated from the STI ecosystem.
    • The “One nation, one subscription” policy to establish a system whereby all researchers in India can access research published in top international journals for no cost.
    • All data used in and generated from public-funded research will be available to everyone (larger scientific community and public) under FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) terms.
    • Collaborative Research Centres (CRCs) will be established, that bring together industries, MSMEs, startups, R&D institutions and HEIs with the government.
    • Industry clusters will be encouraged and incentivized wherever necessary, to engage in collaborative R&D.
    • Opportunities for foreign MNCs to invest in the country’s STI landscape will be strengthened and made more accessible.
    • It proposes lateral entry of scientists up to 25 per cent of scientists in related ministries.

  • [pib] Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI)

    The Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare has released INDIA REPORT on Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI) Wave-1.

    Discuss various issues pertaining to old-age care in India.

    Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI)

    • LASI is a full–scale national survey of scientific investigation of the health, economic, and social determinants and consequences of population ageing in India.
    • The LASI, Wave 1 covered a baseline sample of 72,250 individuals aged 45 and above till the oldest-old persons aged 75 and above from all States and UTs of India (excluding Sikkim).
    • It is India’s first and the world’s largest ever survey that provides a longitudinal database for designing policies and programmes for the older population in the broad domains of social, health, and economic well-being.
    • The evidence from LASI will be used to further strengthen and broaden the scope of National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly.
    • It would also help in establishing a range of preventive and health care programmes for older population and most vulnerable among them.

    Why need such survey?

    • In 2011 census, the 60+ population accounted for 8.6% of India’s population, accounting for 103 million elderly people.
    • Growing at around 3% annually, the number of elderly age population will rise to 319 million in 2050.
    • 75% of the elderly people suffer from one or the other chronic disease.
    • 40% of the elderly people have one or the other disability and 20% have issues related to mental health.
    • This report will provide base for national and state level programmes and policies for elderly population.

  • Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

    Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt have agreed on to resume negotiations to resolve their decade-long complex dispute over the Grand Renaissance Dam hydropower project in the Horn of Africa.

    Note: You never know when UPSC might switch map based questions away from the Middle East and SE Asia.

    Considering this news, the UPSC may ask a prelim question based on the countries swept by River Nile/ various dams constructed/ landlocked countries in the African continent etc.

    Also read

    [Burning Issue] Ethiopian Crisis and the Geopolitics

    Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

    • Spearheaded by Ethiopia, the 145-meter-tall (475-foot-tall) Grand Renaissance Dam hydropower project, when completed, will be Africa’s largest.
    • Its construction was initiated in 2011 on the Blue Nile tributary of the river that runs across one part of Ethiopia.
    • The Nile is a necessary water source in the region and Egypt has consistently objected to the dam’s construction, saying it will impact water flow.
    • The long-standing dispute has been a cause of concern for international observers who fear that it may increase conflict between the two nations and spill out into other countries in the Horn of Africa.

    What is the dispute about?

    • The Nile, Africa’s longest river, has been at the centre of a decade-long complex dispute involving several countries that are dependent on the river’s waters.
    • At the forefront of this dispute are Ethiopia and Egypt, with Sudan having found itself dragged into the issue.
    • The main waterways of the Nile run through Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt, and its drainage basin runs through several countries in East Africa, including Ethiopia.

    Concerns over the dam

    • Given the dam’s location on the Blue Nile tributary, it would potentially allow Ethiopia to gain control of the flow of the river’s waters.
    • Egypt lies further downstream and is concerned that Ethiopia’s control over the water could result in lower water levels within its own borders.
    • In addition, Egypt proposed a longer timeline for the project over concerns that the water level of the Nile could dramatically drop as the reservoir fills with water in the initial stages.
    • Sudan’s location between Egypt up north and Ethiopia down south has caused it to become an inadvertent party to this dispute.
    • But that isn’t all; Sudan to is concerned that if Ethiopia were to gain control over the river, it would affect the water levels Sudan receives.

    Why does Ethiopia want this dam?

    • Ethiopia’s goal is to secure electricity for its population and to sustain and develop its growing manufacturing industry.
    • Addis Ababa anticipates that this dam will generate approximately 6,000 megawatts of electricity when it is completed, that can be distributed for the needs of its population and industries.
    • In addition to its domestic requirements, Ethiopia may sell surplus electricity to neighbouring nations like Kenya, Sudan, Eritrea and South Sudan, that also suffer from electricity shortages, to generate some revenue.

    What lies ahead?

    • Despite previous talks, the point of contention hasn’t changed: Egypt and Sudan are concerned about the filling and the operation of the dam.
    • Ethiopia continues to insist that the dam is required to meet the needs of its population and has said that downstream water supplies will not be adversely affected.
    • Cairo insists that the dam would cut its water supplies — concerning for a country that depends on the Nile for approximately 97% of its drinking water and irrigation supplies.
    • Sudan believes that the dam will reduce flooding, but is concerned about the path forward if the negotiations end at a stalemate.

  • India to explore Lithium reserves in Argentina

    India has inked a pact with an Argentine firm to jointly prospect lithium in the South American country.

    Why such a move?

    • Currently, India is heavily dependent on import of these cells and the move to ink sourcing pacts for lithium is seen as another salvo in the front against China, a key source of both the raw material and cells.
    • India is seen as a late mover as it attempts to enter the lithium value chain, coming at a time when EVs are predicted to be a sector ripe for disruption.
    • And 2021 is likely to be an inflexion point for battery technology, with several potential improvements to the Li-ion technology.

    About Lithium

    • Lithium is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3.
    • It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard conditions, it is the lightest metal and the lightest solid element.
    • Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly reactive and flammable and must be stored in mineral oil.
    • When cut, it exhibits a metallic lustre, but moist air corrodes it quickly to a dull silvery grey, then black tarnish.
    • Lithium metal is isolated electrolytically from a mixture of lithium chloride and potassium chloride.
    • It is a crucial building block of the lithium-ion rechargeable batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs), laptops and mobile phones.

    Global producers of lithium

    • Australia and Chile have swapped positions as the world’s leading lithium-producing country over the past decade. In 2019, the world’s Top 5 lithium producers were:
    1. Australia – 52.9% of global production
    2. Chile – 21.5%
    3. China – 9.7%
    4. Argentina – 8.3%
    5. Zimbabwe – 2.1%
    • The U.S. ranked 7th with 1.2% of the world’s lithium production.
    • In 2019, the world’s Top 5 lithium reserves by country were:
    1. Chile – 55.5% of the world’s total
    2. Australia – 18.1%
    3. Argentina – 11.0%
    4. China – 6.5%
    5. U.S. – 4.1%

    Lithium-ion batteries

    • A lithium-ion battery or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery.
    • They are commonly used for portable electronics and electric vehicles and are growing in popularity for military and aerospace applications.
    • A prototype Li-ion battery was developed by Akira Yoshino in 1985, based on earlier research by John Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, Rachid Yazami and Koichi Mizushima during the 1970s–1980s.
    • In 2019, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was given to this trio “for the development of lithium-ion batteries”.

    How does it work?

    • In the batteries, lithium ions move from the negative electrode through an electrolyte to the positive electrode during discharge, and back when charging.
    • Li-ion batteries use an intercalated lithium compound as the material at the positive electrode and typically graphite at the negative electrode.
    • The batteries have a high energy density, no memory effect and low self-discharge.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles produce one of the following as “exhaust”:

    (a) NH3

    (b) CH4

    (c) H2O

    (d) H2O2

    Limitations

    • Despite the improvements in lithium-ion batteries over the last decade, long charging times and weak energy density are still barriers.
    • The Li-ion batteries are seen as sufficiently efficient for applications such as phones and laptops, in case of EVs.
    • They still lack the range that would make them a viable alternative to internal combustion engines.
    • A number of alternatives are being fostered to achieve more optimal options.

  • Quality gigs, a solution to urban unemployment

    With the lack of NREGA equivalent in the urban area government has to find ways to provide income support and employment. The article suggests ways to do the same.

    Slowdown in employment recovery

    • The Indian economy has been gradually recovering from historic contraction of negative 23.9%.
    • This recovery has shifted focus away from the employment question, considered resolved after a sharp rally following the collapse in employment numbers in April.
    • More recent data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, however, point to a gradual slowdown in employment recovery.

    NREGA: employment support in rural area

    • For labour coming back to rural India, employment support came in the form of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA), which witnessed a 243% increase in person workdays.
    • This increased dependency on NREGA, has seen the Rural Development Ministry spend nearly 90% of its increased ₹86,4000 crore allocation by the month of November.
    • In several Indian cities, however, closed businesses have meant that millions of workers have either had to leave or have had to take up new forms of work.

    Supporting gig workers

    With no urban equivalent to the NREGA on the horizon, there must be an increased impetus on evaluating, regulating and supporting new forms of employment.

    1) Evaluation

    •  Our current understanding of gig work is based on the limited disclosures made by the platforms themselves.
    • Furthermore, most regulators continue to remain in the dark on basic questions surrounding platform labour.
    • As of now, there exists no authoritative estimate on the total number of gig workers in India.
    • The centralised nature of the platforms and the larger platform labour market should make the collating of this data relatively straightforward for the Labour Ministry.

    2) Regulation

    • The next step is significantly more sensitive and involves regulation.
    • The reason for the sensitivity primarily revolves around the varied nature of gig work.
    • While some workers use these platforms as a “side hustle”, for others it continues to serve as a primary source of employment.
    • This dynamic is further complicated by the risk of a one-size-fits-all regulatory strategy.
    • Such regulatory strategies are unintentionally hurting the similar, yet distinct, market for highly skilled (and highly paid) freelancers.

    Way forward

    • A more viable strategy then would involve conditional government partnerships with platforms under some of its flagship schemes.
    • The successful pilot of Swiggy’s Street Food Vendors programme under the PM SVANidhi, or PM Street Vendor’s Atma Nirbhar Nidhi scheme, may prove to be an illustrative example.
    •  Creation of jobs, alongside the voluntary adoption of quality standards, is an example of a mutually beneficial partnership between the state and platforms.
    • Similar collaborations on urban employment, that require labour platforms to comply with disclosure norms and worker compensation standards to access government support, could create jobs while ensuring compliance.
    • Collaborating with platforms to employ workers, would bring down costs significantly (for both the state and their partners)  it would also create an environment where firms would be more likely to cooperate with the state.

    Conclusion

    Limited fiscal space and a growing need to fuel the country’s consumption base, must push the government to build symbiotic relationships with new partners.

  • School Bag Policy, 2020

    The Directorate of Education has issued a circular asking school to follow the new ‘School Bag Policy, 2020’ released by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

    Q.What are the features of the School Bag Policy, 2020? Discuss how heavy school bags are a serious threat to the health and learning capability of students.

    School Bag Policy, 2020

    • According to the circular, schoolteachers should inform the students in advance about the books and notebooks to be brought to school on a particular day.
    • They frequently need to check their bags to ensure that they are not carrying unnecessary material.
    • It adds that the teachers should take the responsibility of checking the weight of school bags of the students every three months on a day selected for the whole class.
    • It also holds that any information about heavy bags should be communicated to the parents.
    • The circular also says that it is the duty and the responsibility of the school management to provide quality potable water in sufficient quantity.
    • It adds that files and thin/light exercise books should be preferred to thick/heavy ones.

    Prescribed weights

    The weight of the school bags, as per the policy, should be

    • 6 to 2.2 kg for students of Classes I and II
    • 7 to 2.5 kg for Classes III, IV and V
    • 2 to 3 kg for Classes VI and VII
    • 5 to 4 kg for Class VIII
    • 5 to 4.5 kg for Classes IX and X
    • 5 to 5 kg for Classes XI and XII

    Why heavy school bags are a curse?

    • Heavy school bags are a serious threat to the health and well-being of students.
    • A heavy backpack can pull on the neck muscles contributing to headache, shoulder pain, lower back pain and neck and arm pain.
    • Not just this, carrying backpacks over one shoulder is a wrong practice as it makes muscles strain.
    • The spine leans to the opposite side, stressing the middle back, ribs, and lower back more on one side than the other and this muscle imbalance can cause muscle strain, muscle spasm, and back pain.
    • Heavy school bags are also one of the major reasons for cervical and lumbar pains.
    • The posture of the body also gets affected to a great extent which in the long term develops imbalances in the body and affects the health of the nervous system.

  • PATENTS (AMENDMENT) RULES, 2020

    A recent amendment to a unique feature in patent law under which patentee/licensee has to disclose information regarding the extent to which they have worked patent in India, could have several implications.

    Why the changes in rules matter

    • Indian patent law grants a 20-year patent monopoly to an inventor.
    • In exchange for such monopoly, India’s patent law imposes a duty on the patentee to commercially work the invention in India to ensure that its benefits reach the public.
    • Accordingly, section 146(2), a unique provision not found in patent laws of most other countries, requires every patentee and licensee to submit to the Patent Office an annual statement (Form 27 format) explaining the extent to which they have worked the invention in India.
    • This statement is meant to help the Patent Office, potential competitors, etc. to determine whether the patentee has worked the invention in India and made it sufficiently available to the public at reasonable prices.
    • A failure of this duty could trigger compulsory licensing or even subsequent revocation of the patent under the Patents Act, 1970. 
    • The central government recently amended the format of a statement that patentees and licensees are required to annually submit to the Patent Office.
    • The amendment has significantly watered down the disclosure format.
    • This could hamper the effectiveness of India’s compulsory licensing regime.
    • This in turn could hinder access to vital inventions including life-saving medicines, thereby impacting public health.
    • There has been significant pressure from multinational corporations and the United States government to do away with this requirement.

    What changes were made through the amendment

    • The recent amendment to the form was made in response to a PIL filed by Shamnad Basheer before the Delhi High Court in 2015.
    • The PIL brought to the Court’s attention the rampant non-filing and defective filing of Form 27 and sought a direction to strictly enforce the patent working disclosure rules and take action against the violators.
    • The PIL also called for a reform of Form 27, arguing that the information it sought was grossly insufficient to ascertain the extent of the working of the patent.
    •  However, instead of strengthening the form, the amendment has significantly weakened it further, thereby defeating the entire purpose of the amendment exercise.
    • The amended form has removed the requirement of submitting a lot of important information.
    • It is no longer required to provide any information in respect of the quantum of the invention manufactured/imported into India, the licenses and sub-licenses granted during the year and the meeting of public requirement at a reasonable price.
    • It no longer requires quantum or the total units of the invention manufactured/imported in India.
    • The deletion of this requirement of its disclosure is shocking.
    • This is because,  it is the disclosure of this data by Bayer in Form 27 that played a crucial role in grant of India’s first compulsory license to Natco for the anti-cancer drug Sorafenib/Nexavar.
    • The removal of the requirement of submitting any licensing information, including the disclosure of even the existence of licenses means that the patentees/licensees can just self-certify that they’ve worked the patent.
    • The omission to mandate disclosure of details makes it extremely difficult to ascertain whether the invention has been made available to the public in sufficient quantity and at an affordable price.

    Conclusion

    The government has significantly weakened the critical duty imposed by the law on patentees/licensees to disclose patent working information. Therefore, the government must reconsider its amendments to the form taking into account the PIL recommendations and re-amend it to restore as well as strengthen its spirit.

  • Blueprint of post covid development model

    The article discusses the themes of the post-covid world which will be somewhat more aware and mindful of the dangers of global dimension.

    Collaborative model and public-private partnership

    • A few weeks back, Prime Minister visited the private companies involved with the formulation of the anti-COVID vaccine.
    • The PM’s visit was one more reminder of the critical importance of public-private partnerships.
    • The PM signalled the government’s receptivity to external expert advice.
    • The CEOs reaffirmed their commitment to partnering with the state to help address not just this medical crisis but also the many other social and humanitarian problems.
    • The government has appreciated that the model for sustainable development in a post-COVID world must be a collaborative one.
    • Businesses will repurpose their goals and look beyond profits.

    Working together to deal with the crises of global dimensions

    • COVID-19 was not the first, nor will it be the last crisis of global dimensions.
    • The threat of global warming, for instance, hangs over our heads.
    • Its impact is less immediate and for the present, at least less palpable.
    • But it looms and its consequences are existential.
    • COVID has offered, it is the tangible evidence that no one entity or group — the state, markets, businesses, entrepreneurs, scientists — can tackle existing and emergent economic and social problems on their own.
    • They have to work together to resolve them.

    Business uncertainties

    • Businesses has been the uncertainty of operating in the post-COVID digital world.
    • Every business leader has, in some form or other, expressed three types of uncertainties.
    • 1) Is their business facing a hinge moment, necessitating the reimagining and re-engineering of their strategy and product portfolio?
    • Or are they witnessing no more than another turn of the business cycle and that, once the vaccine is developed and distributed, the market will return to business as usual?
    • Or will conditions necessitate a middle of the road approach: Stay the pre- COVID course but at the same time, speed up the pivot toward a new business model.
    • Most business leaders are adopting this third hybrid path.
    • The key to corporate success in a digital world in which a distinct incident could influence it, is the capability of leaders to think out of the box and to handle the unexpected.
    • Financial, technological and human resources will be necessary, but they will not be sufficient.

    Consider the question “The post-covid development model must be based on the cooperation underscored by the public-private partnership as the challenges that could emerge are not possible to be tackled by any on entitiy. Comment”

    Conclusion

    COVID has “obliterated the one remaining obstacle to a digital future — human attitudes”. Covid forced them to adopt and adapt. The challenge for our business leaders will be to navigate a pathway that sustains the benefits of these tools but without deepening the existing social and economic inequalities. Life is not digital for millions in our country.

  • Carrying out transformational reforms in military

    The article examines issues of national security like the recent creation of a Department of Military Affairs (DMA) and a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and also some focus areas like Threatre Command. 

    Understanding the significance of  DMA and CDS

    • Through the creation of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the management of the armed forces, so far which was assigned to the civilian Defence Secretary, was brought under a military officer, the CDS.
    • The designation of CDS as Secretary DMA made him the first military officer to be recognised as a functionary of the Government of India (GoI).
    • With the DMA is now a part of the GoI, it would aid the resolution of organisational, hierarchical and financial issues faced by the military.

    Recent steps taken by DMA

    • The responsibility for accruing savings to fund defence expenditure has been placed on the DMA.
    • DMA has floated two schemes aimed at reducing the defence pensions bill.
    • One penalises officers seeking early release from service and another envisages a three-year “Tour of Duty” for jawans.
    • Issues with these ideas:
    • Penalising officers for early release is likely to harm morale.
    • “Tour of Duty” will degrade the military’s combat-capability in today’s technology-intensive battle-space.
    • The need here is that DMA must focus on military matters and leave the plans of financing national defence to finance ministry or the Niti Aayog. It will better serve it’s purpose.

    Another area of needed reform – Theatre Command

    • Theatre Commands stands for jointness and integration in the Indian military are varying degrees of synergy and cross-service cooperation between the military wings of Indian armed forces.
    • Objectives of the creation of theatre command should be:
    • To hand over the military’s warfighting functions to the Theatre Commanders, while retaining the support functions with service HQs.
    • To combine India’s 17 widely-dispersed, single-service Commands into four or five mission/threat-oriented, geographically contiguous “Joint” or “Theatre Commands”.
    • To place the appropriate warfighting resources of all three services directly under the command of the designated Theatre Commanders; and
    • To achieve efficiency/economy by pooling of facilities and resources of the three services.

    Advantages of Theatre Commands

    • The Theatre Commanders and their staff will be trained and groomed in jointness.
    • With that jointness, they will be able to plan operations and to employ land, maritime and air forces, regardless of the service to which they belong.
    • For this to happen, radical changes are required in the content of our system of professional military education.
    • The Theatre Commander will also have the benefit of advice from commanders representing each service.

    Issues with Theatre Commands

    • Two thorny issues are the chain of command of the Theatre Commanders and the relationship of the CDS (or his equivalent) with the service Chiefs.
    • To avoid over-concentration of power in any single military functionary, the system followed by the US ensures that the chain of command runs from the President to the Secretary (Minister) of Defence and then, directly to the Theatre Commander.
    • In India, the peacetime management of the armed forces is left to the MoD and the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC).
    • However, during war, strategic guidance to the military,  has always come from the PM.
    • In the system of higher defence under implementation, ideally, the Defence Minister needs to be brought into the command/operational chain of the Theatre Commanders, with the CDS acting as his adviser.
    • Due to frequency of elections and intensity of politics in India that no Defence Minister has had the time or inclination to devote his/her undivided attention to complex national security issues.

    Consider the question “Examine the implications of the creation of Theatre Commands. What are the challenges in its creation.”

    Conclusion

    India’s military reforms are complex, the GoI needs to seriously consider the constitution of a Parliamentary Committee, with military advisers, to oversee and guide this transformational process.

  • FSSAI slashes limit for Trans Fats level in food

    The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has capped the amount of trans fatty acids (TFA) in oils and fats to 3% for 2021 and 2% by 2022 from the current permissible limit of 5%.

    New FSSAI norms

    • FSSAI has acted in response to the amendment to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations.
    • The country’s food regulatory body notified the amendment on December 29, more than a year after it issued a draft on the subject for consultation with stakeholders.
    • The revised regulation applies to edible refined oils, vanaspati (partially hydrogenated oils), margarine, bakery shortenings, and other mediums of cooking such as vegetable fat spreads and mixed fat spreads.
    • It was in 2011 that India first passed a regulation that set a TFA limit of 10% in oils and fats, which was further reduced to 5% in 2015.

    What are Trans Fats?

    • Artificial Trans fats are created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid.
    • Since they are easy to use, inexpensive to produce and last a long time, and give foods a desirable taste and texture, they are still widely used despite their harmful effects being well-known.

    Why such a regulation?

    • Trans fats are associated with increased risk of heart attacks and death from coronary heart disease.
    • As per the WHO, approximately 5.4 lakh deaths take place each year globally because of intake of industrially-produced trans-fatty acids.
    • The WHO has also called for global elimination of trans fats by 2023.