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GS Paper: GS3

  • Missile destroyer INS Mormugao commissioned into Indian Navy

    mormugaon

    Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mormugao (Pennant 67), a P15B stealth-guided missile destroyer was commissioned into the Indian Navy.

    INS Mormugao 

    • This was the second ship to be inducted as a part of the four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers.
    • It is indigenously designed by the Navy’s in-house organisation Warship Design Bureau and constructed by Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in the country’s financial capital Mumbai.
    • The ship was named after a key port in the Indian state of Goa, it was inducted on the eve of Goa Liberation Day.
    • The ship was first launched in September 2016 and began sea trials last year on December 19 which coincided with the day that Goa was liberated from Portuguese rule six decades earlier with December 18 marking the launch of Operation Vijay by the Indian Armed Forces in 1961.
    • Singh also paid tributed former defence minister, the late Manohar Parrikar who had launched INS Mormugao in 2016.

    Features of INS Mormugao

    • The ship measures 163 metres by 17 metres and has the ability to fight in nuclear, biological, as well as chemical (NBC) warfare due to its total atmospheric control system (TACS).
    • Additionally, with a displacement of 7,400 tonnes, the INS Mormugao is loaded with state-of-the-art weapons.
    • It will be operated by a crew of at least 350 which would include 50 officers and 250 sailors.
    • Over 75 per cent of the ship’s content was manufactured and developed in India, either directly or designed and developed by Indian Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) or through strategic tie-ups.
    • It is capable of achieving speeds of 30 knots (55 km/hour) as it is propelled by four powerful gas turbines in a ‘combined gas and gas’ (COGAG) configuration.

    Combat weaponry

    • INS Mormugao includes weapons like BrahMos surface-to-surface missiles and Barak-8 surface-to-air missiles.
    • It is also fitted with a modern surveillance radar which helps provide target data to the ship’s weapon system.
    • Additionally, the ship’s weaponry also includes indigenously-developed rocket launchers, torpedo launchers and ASW helicopters like Sea King or HAL Dhruv.

    Historic significance of Mormugao Port

    • Even as a port, Mormugao has contributed significantly to the growth of India’s maritime trade.
    • Even today, it is one of the oldest and largest ports in the country and will retain this special place due to the services it provides be it Mormugao fort or Mormugao port.
    • It is landmark since the 17th century Maratha campaign against the Portuguese under Chhatrapati Sambhaji (Ch. Shivaji Maharaj’s son).

    Back2Basics: Project PB15

    • P15B destroyers is a class of four ships built by the country’s MDSL with INS Visakhapatnam (Pennant D66), commissioned last year in November as the year.
    • These ships are set to be more advanced than the Kolkata class under the project named 15A which comprised INS Kolkata, INS Kochi, and INS Chennai.
    • The contract for the ships was signed back in 2011 and under Project 15B they were to be named after four major Indian cities like Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal, and Surat.
    • A group of ships with similar tonnage, usage, capabilities, and weaponry are referred to as a ship’s ‘class’.
    • P15B destroyers incorporate new design concepts for improved survivability, seakeeping and manoeuvrability.

     

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  • Why banyan, peepal trees live longer?

    banyan

    Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal have found out the carried out whole genome sequencing of banyan and peepal from leaf tissue samples.

    Science behind long life: Multiple Signs of Adaptive-evolution (MSA)

    • Scientists identified 25,016 coding gene sequences in banyan and 23,929 in peepal.
    • Both trees faced a population bottleneck around 0.8 million years ago and evolved genes with multiple signs of adaptive evolution (MSA).
    • In banyan, the MSA genes are mainly involved in root growth, pollen tube and seed development, leaf formation, cell wall synthesis, metabolism and other developmental processes.

    How MSA prolongs the life?

    • Disease resistance and other stress tolerance gene families showed expansion as well as high expression, contributing to the plants’ long lifespan.
    • The MSA genes of peepal are associated with root cell elongation, cell proliferation, seed and pollen tube growth, lateral organ development, controlling flowering time, metabolism and intracellular transport.
    • The team zeroed in on 17 MSA genes in banyan and 19 MSA genes in peepal that are mainly related to well-developed morphology, and tolerance against drought, oxidative stress and pathogens.
    • Genes involved in growth-regulating auxin signalling and plant senescence-regulating pathways also showed evolutionary signatures.
    • Also, 88% and 89% of the MSA genes in banyan and peepal trees, respectively, are associated with tolerance against biotic and abiotic stress responses.
    • This, in turn, helps these plants to survive when faced with environmental challenges.

     

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  • How can mRNA vaccines help fight cancer?

    mrna

    The results of a trial of an experimental cancer vaccine built on the mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) platform, made by Moderna and MSD (Merck&Co.), have shown promising results.

    What is mRNA?

    mrna

    • Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a single-stranded RNA (Ribo Nucleic Acid) molecule that is complementary to one of the DNA strands of a gene.
    • The mRNA is an RNA version of the gene that leaves the cell nucleus and moves to the cytoplasm where proteins are made.
    • During protein synthesis, an organelle called a ribosome moves along the mRNA, reads its base sequence, and uses the genetic code to translate each three-base triplet, or codon, into its corresponding amino acid.

    What are mRNA vaccines?

    • mRNA vaccines work by introducing a piece of mRNA that corresponds to a viral protein, usually a small piece of a protein found on the virus’s outer membrane.
    • Individuals who get an mRNA vaccine are not exposed to the virus, nor can they become infected with the virus by the vaccine.
    • As part of a normal immune response, the immune system recognizes that the protein is foreign and produces specialized proteins called antibodies.
    • Antibodies help protect the body against infection by recognizing individual viruses or other pathogens, attaching to them, and marking the pathogens for destruction.
    • Once produced, antibodies remain in the body, even after the body has rid itself of the pathogen, so that the immune system can quickly respond if exposed again.

    How does the vaccine work?

    • The personalized cancer vaccine uses the same messenger-RNA technology that was used to produce the COVID vaccine.
    • It allows the body’s immune system to seek and destroy cancerous cells, in this case melanoma, but with the hope that it could lead to new ways to fight other types of cancers too.

    Why is it a significant feat?

    • The cancer vaccine showed a 44% reduction in the risk of dying of cancer or having the cancer progress.
    • As a personalized cancer vaccine, it is tailor-made for every patient.
    • As a consequence, it is expected to be very expensive to make.
    • But oncologists across the world have welcomed this as an exciting new opportunity in cancer care.

     

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  • A milestone in fusion energy

    fusion

    Context

    • For more than nine decades scientists have tried to replicate the process that produces energy for the sun and the stars fusion. On Tuesday, researchers at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in California, USA, announced a milestone in this endeavor.

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    fusion

    What is the research?

    • Merged two nuclei to produce a heavier nucleus: They merged two nuclei to produce a heavier nucleus. Their reactor produced about 1.5 times more energy than what was used in the process. In all the earlier attempts to harness the power of fusion, the reactors used up more energy than what was produced.
    • It will take at least two decades to be pioneered: But scientists say that it will be at least two decades before the process pioneered in the California laboratory can be scaled up.
    • Still a great leap where the world is in search of green technologies: Even then, in a world desperately searching for technologies that can power the developmental needs of nations without adding to the GHG load, the breakthrough at NIF has generated excitement.

    What is Fusion?

    • Fusion works by pressing hydrogen atoms into each other with such force that they combine into helium, releasing enormous amounts of energy and heat.
    • This process occurs in our Sun and other stars.
    • Creating conditions for fusion on Earth involves generating and sustaining a plasma.
    • Plasmas are gases that are so hot that electrons are freed from atomic nuclei.

    fusion

    What is Fusion Energy?

    • The process releases energy because the total mass of the resulting single nucleus is less than the mass of the two original nuclei.
    • The leftover mass becomes energy.

    Why is it perceived as energy of the future?

    • Carbon free: Fusion Reactions could one day produce nearly limitless, carbon-free energy, displacing fossil fuels and other traditional energy sources.
    • Efficient: Net energy gain has been an elusive goal because fusion happens at such high temperatures and pressures that it is incredibly difficult to control.
    • Clean: Unlike other nuclear reactions, it doesn’t create radioactive waste.

    fusion

    Why it is considered as significant research, though it will take at least two decades to be commercialized?

    • Countries are shifting towards renewable energies: Several countries are shifting to renewable energies to meet their international climate-related commitments. Yet, power generation currently is responsible for 25-30 per cent of global GHG emissions.
    • Unstable nature of renewables: The inherently unstable nature of renewables means that countries find it very difficult to jettison fossil-fuel energy sources.
    • Nuclear energy is relatively cleaner: Conventionally-produced nuclear energy that uses fission technology is relatively cleaner. But accidents at Chernobyl in 1986 and Fukushima in 2011 have raised serious questions over the safety of fission-powered plants. According to the IEA’s best-case scenario, the world’s nuclear energy generation capacity is likely to double by 2050 compared to 2020.

    Conclusion

    • The global body has repeatedly flagged concerns about the efficacy of the nuclear reactors by and large in the US and Europe given that about two-thirds of them have been in operation for more than 30 years. It has also maintained that the realisation of the best-case scenario would require significant investments in innovative nuclear technologies.

    Mains question

    Q. Recently researchers at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in USA tried to replicate the process that produces energy for the sun and the stars fusion, discuss the significance of this research.

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  • Need to ensure that the digital gateways do not become gatekeepers of services

    digital

    Context

    • The ease of living enabled by digital technologies has turned digital innovations into essential services for the common public. Considered a novelty earlier, the internet has become a necessity for most day-to-day affairs.

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    Internet access and restrictions

    • To enable access to the internet, various gateways have come up in the last few decades in the form of telecom service providers, personal computers and smartphones, operating systems, etc.
    • However, when these gateways enable and restrict access to other gateways or networks, the openness of the internet is threatened.
    • They then shift roles from being a facilitator to a regulator, from being a gateway to a gatekeeper. Hence, the need for a code of conduct or regulation arises to keep the playing field level and accessible to all.

    digital

    Analysis: Telecoms and Government

    • Telecom service providers: Telecom companies have been instrumental in providing a gateway to essential communication services such as voice calls, internet data, and text messages.
    • Government measures to regulate telecoms: We have seen governments across the world take measures from time to time to regulate these entities to ensure democratic access for the public. If this code of conduct was not enforced on these gateway providers, the internet would not be what it is today. These providers would have turned into gatekeepers, and the internet would have been controlled by them, thwarting innovation and its democratic expansion.
    • Code of conduct cannot catch up the pace of emerging digital tech: With the rate at which digital technologies are evolving, the code of conduct and regulations can’t catch up with the new gateway providers that are emerging. One such example is distribution platforms for smartphone applications.
    • Benchmarks set by bigtechs helps to bring some hygiene in smartphone apps: The two prominent operating systems emerging for smartphones, Google and Apple, enjoy a lion’s share of the app store market. They brought in good practices to ensure basic hygiene for smartphone applications, maintained quality benchmarks for the content on their operating systems, and safeguarded the interests of their users.
    • Lack of full proof regulation would be a slippery slope: Though, without proper regulations to oversee how they decide on what should be weeded and whose interests should be guarded, it’s a slippery slope.

    Policy on Net Neutrality put forwarded by Indian Government 

    • Enforcing a code of conduct on telecoms: Closer home, another example of the enforcement of this code of conduct on providers was when the Indian government came out with the policy on Net Neutrality which, inter-alia, stipulates that telecom networks should be neutral to all the information being transmitted through it.
    • Meaning of Net Neutrality: Networks should treat all communication passing through them equally, independent of their content, application, service, device, sender, or recipient address. Adopting Net Neutrality ensured that we took a democratic stance against Big Tech.

    digital

    Questionable practices of distribution platforms

    • Practices without consent of its users: Various practices range from restrictions on payment gateways, advertising choices, app policies and various other aspects of an application or business that could be considered discriminatory in both principle and practice.
    1. For instance, a case of Goggle’s Update: Recently a report placed before the Competition Commission of India found Google Play Store’s payments policy “unfair and discriminatory”. As per an update in Google’s Play Store billing policy in September 2020, all applications on its platform were mandated to use its payment services for any kind of in-app payments or subscriptions.
    2. Similar case of Apple’s appstore: Similar concerns have been raised for Apple’s App Store, with both platforms said to be charging up to 30 per cent commission on payments processed.
    • Market dominance and unilateral control over smartphone apps by the bigtechs: Google and Apple dominate the global market share of smartphone operating systems (OS). This has enabled them to garner unilateral control over the publishing of smartphone applications on their OS.
    • Developers are forced to bend to the diktats of these bigtech gatekeepers: Bigtechs force developers to make changes to their applications or resort to using their proprietary advertising engines if they wish their applications to see the light of day. As is evident from the overnight change in Google’s billing policy, various smartphone application-dependent businesses and developers continue to remain vulnerable to such internal business policy changes on these platforms.

    European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) sets an example

    • Recognising these concerns: The European Union has recently enacted the Digital Markets Act; it is expected to be implemented by early 2023.
    • Aims to keep digimarket open for competition: The Digital Markets Act regulation aims to keep digital markets innovative and open to competition, through ex-ante regulation.
    • Prohibit anti-competitive practices: The DMA will prohibit the implementation of the most harmful anti-competitive practices by the largest digital platforms.
    • Objective is to maintain balance: The objective is to balance the relationship between these platforms that control access to digital markets and the companies that offer their services there.

    Conclusion

    • The Indian government has taken a huge leap forward in maintaining its sovereignty through the path-breaking and disruptive digital public goods it has created. Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker, and CoWIN are just a few names that adorn this list. However, there is still a wide dependence on various digital offerings enabled by multinational Big Tech companies. It is the need of the hour for the government to devise appropriate regulations to ensure a level playing field and not let the innovating gateways turn into tyrannical gatekeepers.

    Mains Question

    Q. India is the largest consumer of wireless internet. Analyze the role of big tech service providers in this and the role of government in ensuring a level playing field for all.

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  • Rupee Settlement Mechanism draws interest from more nations

    rupee

    India’s rupee trade settlement mechanism, a means of using rupees instead of dollars and other big currencies for international transactions, is attracting interest from more countries.

    More countries are interested

    • Tajikistan, Cuba, Luxembourg and Sudan have begun talking to India about using the mechanism.
    • They have shown interest in opening special rupee accounts, called vostro accounts.
    • Opening of these accounts needs approval from the Reserve Bank of India.
    • It has already been used by Russia following the imposition of sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine war.

    Rupee Settlement System for International Trade

    • Banks acting as authorized dealers for such transactions would have to take prior approval from the regulator to facilitate this.
    • All exports and imports under the invoicing arrangement may be denominated and invoiced in Rupee.
    • The exchange rate between the currencies of the two trading partner countries may be market determined.
    • Exporters and importers can now use a Special Vostro Account linked to the correspondent bank of the partner country for receipts and payments denominated in rupees.
    • These accounts can be used for payments for projects and investments, import or export advance flow management, and investment in Treasury Bills subject to Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA).
    • Also, the bank guarantee, setting-off export receivables, advance against exports, use of surplus balance, approval process, documentation, etc., related aspects would be covered under FEMA rules.

    Benefits of such a mechanism

    • Trade facilitation: This will also facilitate trade with countries like Russia which are facing sanctions.
    • FOREX savings: India imports more than it exports so the country will also save foreign currency under the new arrangement.
    • Rupee appreciation: The rupee is at a historic low against the dollar. It will also help stabilize rupee.
    • Mitigating war impact: Payments had become a pain point for exporters immediately after the Russia-Ukraine war broke out, especially after Russia was cut off from the SWIFT payment gateway.
    • Convertibility easing: We see this as a first step towards 100% convertibility of rupee.
    • Energy security: It will also help buy discounted crude oil from Russia, which now accounts for 10% of all imported crude.
    • Export promotion: As such, the new mechanism will help India promote its exports.

    Which countries would prefer this system?

    • War mongering Russia: For now, it looks like trade settlements in rupee will be limited to countries like Russia and Iran who are facing sanctions from the West
    • Bankrupt Sri Lanka: SL is going through economic turmoil and India has been consistently extending lines of credit to SL.
    • Immediate neighbors: Other countries may include immediate neighbors of India.

    Rupees over Dollars: Why countries would prefer Rupees?

    • At a very simplistic level, this is like two Indians deciding to use an alternative mode of exchange that they have come up with, instead of using rupees.
    • In other terms, this is similar to the barter system.
    • The main reason for countries to want to trade with India in rupees is this:
    1. USD has been going through a phase of strength against most currencies in the world
    2. Strong USD performance has essentially made imports expensive for most countries
    3. Sri Lanka, which is going through one of its worst economic crises in decades, is a glaring example of a country in which the economy has come to a halt due to a drastic fall in forex reserves
    • While the Sri Lankan Rupee has declined over 83 percent against the US Dollar, its fall against the Indian Rupee has been lower at 70 percent.
    • So instead of paying 83 percent more to make purchases in USD, Sri Lanka can pay in Indian Rupees and save some money.

    Challenges

    • Trade surplus countries’ preference: The question that RBI and the Indian government will have to answer is this – why would countries with a trade surplus with India want to trade in rupees?
    • Negative trade balance: China had a $73-billion trade surplus with India in 2021-22 – that is, Indian imports from China exceeded its exports to China by $73 billion.
    • Idle money lying useless: If China were to trade with India in rupees, it would have Indian rupees worth $73 billion (about ₹5.77 lakh crore) sitting idle in its Rupee Vostro accounts in an Indian bank.
    • Few countries interested: Countries whose exports to India are more than imports, will not be too enthusiastic to trade in rupees, especially if the difference is huge as in the case of China.

     

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  • What is DNA Fingerprinting?

    dna

    Delhi Police has established identity of a victim of brutal murder and mutilation by DNA fingerprinting.

    What is DNA fingerprinting?

    • DNA fingerprinting was first developed in 1984 by Alec Jeffreys in the UK, after Jeffreys discovered that no two people could have the same DNA sequence.
    • Within three years of the discovery, the UK achieved the world’s first conviction based on DNA evidence in a case of rape and murder.

    How is DNA fingerprinting done?

    • Each person’s DNA, except for identical twins, is unique.
    • By analyzing selected DNA sequences (called loci), a crime laboratory can develop a profile to be used in identifying a suspect.
    • DNA can be extracted from many sources, such as hair, bone, teeth, saliva, and blood.
    • Because there is DNA in most cells in the human body, even a minuscule amount of bodily fluid or tissue can yield useful information.
    • Samples may even be extracted from used clothes, linen, combs, or other frequently used items.

     

    Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

    • DNA is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA.
    • Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus (where it is called nuclear DNA), but a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria (where it is called mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA).
    • Mitochondria are structures within cells that convert the energy from food into a form that cells can use.
    • The information in DNA is stored as a code made up of four chemical bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T).
    • Human DNA consists of about 3 billion bases, and more than 99 percent of those bases are the same in all people.
    • The order, or sequence, of these bases determines the information available for building and maintaining an organism, similar to the way in which letters of the alphabet appear in a certain order to form words and sentences.

    How it is used in criminal investigation?

    • DNA evidence is used to solve crimes in two ways:
    1. If a suspect is known, that person’s DNA sample can be compared to biological evidence found at a crime scene to establish whether the suspect was at the crime scene or whether they committed the crime.
    2. If a suspect is not known, biological evidence from the crime scene can be analyzed and compared to offender profiles in existing DNA databases to assist in identifying a suspect.
    • Beyond its accuracy, DNA fingerprinting can also sift through crime scene evidence in different ways, previously unavailable to investigators.
    • For instance, advanced DNA fingerprinting can make separate prints of various individuals even from a sample mixture found at the crime scene — this is of help during gang rape investigations as each perpetrator can be individually identified.

    DNA fingerprinting in India

    • By 1988, Lalji Singh, who had been in the UK from 1974 to 1987 on a Commonwealth Fellowship, developed DNA fingerprinting for crime investigations in Hyderabad.
    • Today, Lalji Singh, who passed away in 2017, is known as “the father of DNA fingerprinting in India.”
    • In 1989, DNA fingerprinting was first used in a case by the Kerala Police.
    • By the early 1990s, the technology had begun to be used for establishing paternity, and to link criminals and identify victims in sensational crimes.
    • From the 2000s onwards, the technology became a staple in rape cases where vaginal swab samples were matched with semen samples from suspects.

    Challenges with DNA fingerprinting in India

    • It is vital to ensure that the DNA of the investigators does not get mixed with that of the victims or the suspects.
    • Thus, picking up samples from a crime scene with sterile tools and storing samples in a proper manner are crucial for the evidence to stand a judicial test.
    • While India has rules and guidelines regarding this, India’s police forces have a lot of catching up to do with counterparts overseas.
    • While central agencies such as CBI have the expertise to ensure that crime scenes are protected and correct procedure is followed, state police forces are inadequately trained or fully equipped.

    Issues with such technology

    • The problem is not limited to the police awareness.
    • The capacity for DNA fingerprinting in the country itself is lacking.
    • DNA fingerprinting is available only at a few places — Maharashtra, West Bengal, Delhi, Hyderabad and Chandigarh.
    • Advanced practices in the technology are limited to the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) in Hyderabad.

     

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  • Kerala’s 5 agricultural products get GI Tag

    gi

    Five agricultural products of Kerala have been granted Geographical Indication (GI) status.

    Which are the 5 GI products?

    • These are the latest Geographical Indications that have been registered-
    1. Attappady Attukombu Avara: It cultivated in the Attappady region of Palakkad, is curved like a goat’s horn as its name indicates. Its higher anthocyanin content compared to other dolichos beans imparts violet colour in the stem and fruits. Anthocyanin is helpful against cardiovascular diseases along with its antidiabetic properties. Other than this, calcium, protein, and fibre content are also high. The higher phenolic content of imparts resistance against pest and diseases, making the crop suitable for organic cultivation.
    2. Attappady Thuvara: It is having seeds with white coat. Compared to other red grams, Attappady Thuvara seeds are bigger and have higher seed weight. This delicious red gram, which is used as vegetable and dal, is rich in protein, carbohydrate, fibre, calcium and magnesium.
    3. Kanthalloor-Vattavada Veluthulli (garlic): Compared to the garlic produced in other areas, this garlic contains higher amount of sulphides, flavonoids, and proteins. It is rich in allicin, which is effective against microbial infections, blood sugar, cancer, cholesterol, heart diseases, and damages to blood vessels. The garlic cultivated in this area is also rich in essential oil.
    4. Onattukara Ellu and its oil: It is famous for its unique health benefits. Relatively higher antioxidant content in Onattukara Ellu helps in fighting the free radicals, which destroy the body cells. Also, the high content of unsaturated fat makes it beneficial for heart patients.
    5. Kodungalloor Pottuvellari: It is cultivated in Kodungalloor and parts of Ernakulam is consumed as juice and in other forms. This snap melon, which is harvested in summer, is an excellent for quenching thirst. It contains high amount of Vitamin C. Compared to other cucurbits, nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, fibre and fat content are also high in that.
    • The unique features of the products, imparted by the agro-climatic conditions of the geographical area of their production, are the basis for getting a GI tag.

    What are the other GIs tags awarded?

    Adding to the present collection of Geographical Indications (GIs), nine new items, including-

    1. Gamocha of Assam
    2. Tandur red gram of Telangana
    3. Raktsey Karpo apricot of Ladakh, and
    4. Alibag white onion of Maharashtra

     

    Do you know?

    Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are states with the highest number of GI tags, followed by Kerala (35), Uttar Pradesh (34), and Maharashtra (31).

     

    About GI Tag

    • Recognised by the World Trade Organization (WTO), GI is used to denote the geographical territory from where a product, be it agricultural produce, natural product, or manufactured.
    • It conveys the assurance of quality, distinctiveness, and attributes that are unique to that specific geographic region/place of origin.
    • India became a signatory to this convention, when, as a member of WTO, it enacted the Geographical Indications (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, which came into effect on September 15, 2003.
    • To protect the GI of goods, a GI registry has been established to administer the GI of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, under the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks.

     

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  • Road ministry notifies new rules on BH Series registration mark for vehicles

    bh series

    The Ministry of Road Transport and Highway has notified new rules to further increase the scope of implementation of the BH series registrations for vehicles.

    What is the update?

    The transport ministry has proposed new rules that would permit transfer of vehicles with BH series registration mark to other persons, who are eligible or ineligible for the getting the series.

    What is Bharat series (BH-series)?

    • There was a procedure of re-registration of a vehicle while moving to another state.
    • A vehicle bearing BH registration mark shall not require assignment of a new registration mark when the owner of the vehicle shifts from one State to another.
    • Format of Bharat series (BH-series) Registration Mark –

    Registration Mark Format:

    1. YY BH #### XX
    2. YY – Year of first registration
    3. BH- Code for Bharat Series
    4. ####- 0000 to 9999 (randomized)
    5. XX- Alphabets (AA to ZZ)

    Why such move?

    • Station relocation occurs with both Government and private sector employees.
    • Such movements create a sense of unease in the minds of such employees with regard to transfer of registration from the parent state to another state.
    • Under section 47 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, a person is allowed to keep the vehicle for not more than 12 months in any state other than the state where the vehicle is registered.

    Who can get this BH series?

    • BH-series will be available on voluntary basis to Defense personnel, employees of Central Government/ State Government/ Central/ State PSUs and private sector companies/organizations.
    • The motor vehicle tax will be levied for two years or in multiple of two.
    • This scheme will facilitate free movement of personal vehicles across States/UTs of India upon relocation to a new State/UT.
    • After completion of the fourteenth year, the motor vehicle tax shall be levied annually which shall be half of the amount which was charged earlier for that vehicle.

     

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  • Day 11| Daily Answer Wars| CD WarZone

    Topics for Today’s question:

    GS-3         Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.

    Question

    Q. Inclusive growth approach is focussed mostly towards education, skilling and job creation. Critically examine the success of various post-liberalization policies of the Indian government in this regard. (10 Marks)

     

    HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WARS (DAW)?

    1. Daily 1 question either from General Studies 1, 2, 3 or 4 will be provided via live You Tube video session.
    2. You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.
    3. The answer needs to be submitted by joining the telegram group given in the link below.

      https://t.me/cdwarzone

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