The Union Ministry for Science & Technology has released “Biotech-PRIDE (Promotion of Research and Innovation through Data Exchange) Guidelines” developed by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
Biotech-PRIDE
These guidelines aim at providing a well-defined framework and guiding principle to facilitate and enable sharing and exchange of biological knowledge, information and data.
They will facilitate this and enable the exchange of information to promote research and innovation in different research groups across the country.
They will be implemented through the Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC) at Regional Centre for Biotechnology supported by the Department of Biotechnology.
Creating a national repository: Bio-Grid
Other existing datasets/ data centres will be bridged to this IBDC which will be called Bio-Grid.
This Bio-Grid will be a National Repository for biological knowledge, information and data.
It will be responsible for enabling its exchange, developing measures for safety, standards and quality for datasets and establishing detailed modalities for accessing data.
Why need such guidelines?
India ranks number 4 amongst the top 20 countries contributing biological databases.
The Government invests a large number of public funds for biosciences to gain deep insights into intricate biological mechanisms and other processes and for translation.
A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.
The Streak Daily Initiative is aimed to help out UPSC aspirants in their day-to-day preparation. You can follow the monthly, weekly, and daily timetables and continue this streak until you find yourself on the final list.
So, let us look at Today’s activities.
For full-time Aspirants
High Court
Tribunals
Subordinate Courts
For working Aspirants
Supreme Court
High Court
Target Assignment by Ravi Sir:
Try these Prelims Questions :
Q1.Consider the following statements regarding writ jurisdiction of Supreme Court and High Court:
1.Writ jurisdiction of the High Court (under Article 226) is not exclusive but concurrent with the writ jurisdiction of the Supreme Court 2.The writ jurisdiction of the High Court is wider than that of the Supreme Court
Which of the following statement is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Q2. Consider the following statements with reference to the power of judicial review of high courts:
1. High court can review the laws enacted by state legislatures only and not the ones enacted by the Centre. 2. High court can not interpret the Constitution while reviewing any law or order passed by the government, as the Supreme Court is the sole interpreter of the Constitution.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Q3. With reference to the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), consider the following statements:
1.The members of CAT have the status of judges of High Courts. 2.The members are drawn from both judicial and administrative streams. 3.The appeals against the order of CAT can be made only in the Supreme Court of India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A 1 and 2 only
B 2 and 3 only
C 1 and 3 only
D 1, 2 and 3
Q4. Which of the following categories
1) levy, assessment, collection, and enforcement of any tax; 2) foreign exchange, import, and export across customs frontiers; 3) industrial and labor disputes
Which of those options are correct regarding article 323B?
a) 1 and 2 b) 2 and 3 c) all of the above d) None of above
Q5. Which of the following statements are correct with reference to the functions and powers of a District judge?
1. He possesses original and appellate jurisdiction in both civil as well as criminal matters. 2. He has supervisory powers over all subordinate courts in the district. 3. Capital punishment passed by him is subject to confirmation by the High Court, whether there is an appeal or not.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
A 1 only
B 2 and 3 only
C 1 and 3 only
D 1, 2 and 3
Video Discussion of Prelims Questions by Santosh Sir:
Try these Mains Questions :
Q: Are the high court’s power to issue writs wider than that of the Supreme Court of India? (10)
Q: “The Central Administrative Tribunal which was established for redressal of grievances and complaints by or against central government employees nowadays is exercising its powers as an independent judicial authority.” Explain. (15)
Video Discussion of Mains Questions by Sukanya Ma’am:
July 30 is United Nations World Day against Trafficking in Persons. It is also a time to reflect on India’s human trafficking crisis.
What are factors increasing vulnerability?
Between April 2020 and June 2021, an estimated 9,000 children have been rescued after being trafficked for labour, according to a child rights non-governmental organisation (NGO).
Economic distress due to pandemic: The pandemic has resulted in the loss of income and economic crisis.
Loss of parental care: It has also caused, in some instances, loss of parental care due to death, illness or separation.
Relaxing of legal provision: These factors are compounded by an erosion of some of the checks against child labour and child marriage provided by law, as well as the scrutiny of schools and society.
Child marriages are also rampant — over 10,000 cases were tracked between April and August 2020.
Internet access: The increase in Internet access in current times has also led to cyber-trafficking.
A recent report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on the effects of the pandemic on trafficking echoes these findings.
Challenges in dealing with the issue
Lack of national-level data: The Government admitted in Parliament as recently as March 2021 that it does not maintain any national-level data specific to cyber trafficking cases.
India does not meet the minimum standards: India is still classified by the U.S. Department of State as a Tier-2 country in its report on global human trafficking.
This means that the Government does not fully meet the minimum standards under U.S. and international law for eliminating trafficking, but is making significant efforts to comply.
Lack of implementation: The Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) are specialised district task forces comprising police and government officials.
In 2010, it was envisioned that 330 AHTUs would be set up.
RTI responses in August 2020 showed that about 225 AHTUs had been set up, but only on paper.
Way forward
AHTU: If properly staffed and funded, AHTUs could provide crucial ground-level data on the methods and patterns of traffickers.
This, in turn, can strengthen community-based awareness and vigilance activities.
Incentivise education and provide safe employment: Global practices such as in Nigeria, Africa, should be encouraged in India, in consonance with a larger framework to protect women and children by incentivising education and creating safe employment opportunities.
Implementation of laws: There is no shortage of anti-trafficking policy in India.
Where the system is found lacking is in the implementation of the laws.
Take preventive action: The failure of existing institutional mechanisms to foresee the present crisis should spur the Government and other stakeholders to take preventive action now.
Discussion needed on the provision of draft anti-trafficking Bill
Significant discussion is required on the provisions of the Bill, particularly with respect to bringing in the National Investigation Agency and increasing the punishment for offences, including the death penalty.
Ensure effective functioning of AHTUs: The draft Bill also provides for AHTUs/committees at the national, State and district levels, but as noted, their effective functioning cannot be taken for granted.
Challenges faced by prosecutors and judges: There were 140 acquittals and only 38 convictions in 2019, according to government data.
This points to a failure of investigation and cannot be solved by the draft Bill’s provision that accused traffickers must be presumed guilty unless they can prove the contrary.
Case management: Trials can drag on for years, with victims sometimes withdrawing their complaints after being intimidated by traffickers.
Proper case management must be introduced to give meaning to the “fast track” courts.
Compensation and counselling: Other problems include the low number of beneficiaries of monetary compensation and the lack of consistent access to psychological counselling.
Parts of the draft Bill recognise the importance of rehabilitation, but implementation is key.
Conclusion
Effective implementation of the legal provision and discussion on the various provisions of the draft law is required to deal with the menace of trafficking in persons.
We want you to succeed because we succeed only when you succeed! That is why we are pleased to announce that Habitat (our learning app) is offering comprehensive coverage of the syllabus in 13 different subjects.
As complicated as it may appear, the UPSC Civil services exam is more about carrying nerves. It’s also about maintaining discipline for the time being and till you succeed. Nor the subjects are esoteric or unheard of. But the character for one to be able to sacrifice the beauty called life and family is rare. Your stay in the game with the zeal to come out winning is very important.
Philosophy aside, but keeping the practical elements in mind, let’s dig a little deeper. Also, find out what it takes for one to jump that threshold and what our toppers have said. Why have they not been able to clear earlier and what changes have they made to succeed?. These are the most sought-after info and are available on the internet. But from an individual’s perspective, one can not ignore his/her inconclusiveness due to lack of a distinct plan or direction.
Hence, we are coming up with an open session. To counter myths and give some facts which will help you see the light on the other side of the tunnel about the exam.
In this open session, we are going to give a clear insight which is important for one to save time, energy, and effort. Which might otherwise be getting wasted in the wrong direction? This is important because for an individual the first year is the year with maximum energy, expectation from self, go-getter attitude, etc..
We tend to get lost in the sea of advice and sources of studies. To save one from such torrents of information, it’s sometimes said that we need to better know “what not to follow than what to follow”.
Anyways such hypotheses aside, your time in this open session is going to be full of interaction. Some previous year aspirants are also expected to be present. We do expect that all your confusion about the exam will get clear.
Attendees can expect some takeaways too in the form of softcopies relevant to the exam. They will be available to you via email once you have done the registration for the open session.
In this webinar, Ajay Verma, Mentor Head at Civilsdaily will give you an overview:
– What UPSC expects out of you?
– Avoiding Mistakes that can cost you an attempt?
– What to do to master the IAS-Exam?
– How to clear the exam -Step-by-Step learning plan?
– An interactive Q&A session with Current Students at Civilsdaily
– How to clear the exam on the very first attempt?
– Important Civilsdaily softcopies takeaway for exam preparation.
A quick bit about Ajay :
Ajay has firsthand experience with 6 Mains and 3 interviews of UPSC. He has gathered experience working as Mentor-Head at CivilsDaily for the past 3 Yrs and helped many cross the threshold.
Indian society and social issues make a huge part of the UPSC syllabus. The knowledge can be used to enrich your answers in all the GS papers in Mains as well as your Essays. Do not miss this session by Siddharth sir for absolutely FREE!
Q: Are the high court’s power to issue writs wider than that of the Supreme Court of India? (10)
Q: “The Central Administrative Tribunal which was established for redressal of grievances and complaints by or against central government employees nowadays is exercising its powers as an independent judicial authority.” Explain. (15)
Try these Prelims Questions :
Q1.Consider the following statements regarding writ jurisdiction of Supreme Court and High Court:
1.Writ jurisdiction of the High Court (under Article 226) is not exclusive but concurrent with the writ jurisdiction of the Supreme Court 2.The writ jurisdiction of the High Court is wider than that of the Supreme Court
Which of the following statement is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Q2. Consider the following statements with reference to the power of judicial review of high courts:
1. High court can review the laws enacted by state legislatures only and not the ones enacted by the Centre. 2. High court can not interpret the Constitution while reviewing any law or order passed by the government, as the Supreme Court is the sole interpreter of the Constitution.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Q3. With reference to the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), consider the following statements:
1.The members of CAT have the status of judges of High Courts. 2.The members are drawn from both judicial and administrative streams. 3.The appeals against the order of CAT can be made only in the Supreme Court of India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A 1 and 2 only
B 2 and 3 only
C 1 and 3 only
D 1, 2 and 3
Q4. Which of the following categories
1) levy, assessment, collection, and enforcement of any tax; 2) foreign exchange, import, and export across customs frontiers; 3) industrial and labor disputes
Which of those options are correct regarding article 323B?
a) 1 and 2 b) 2 and 3 c) all of the above d) None of above
Q5. Which of the following statements are correct with reference to the functions and powers of a District judge?
1. He possesses original and appellate jurisdiction in both civil as well as criminal matters. 2. He has supervisory powers over all subordinate courts in the district. 3. Capital punishment passed by him is subject to confirmation by the High Court, whether there is an appeal or not.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
A 1 only
B 2 and 3 only
C 1 and 3 only
D 1, 2 and 3
Sukanya madam’s video would be out at 7:00 PM and Santosh sir would provide the video at 9:00 PM.
Watch this space for more updates exclusively for you.
Dear aspirants, Train your mind to learn more, retain more, and score more with some incredible Mind Training Techniques with Joshua Sir. Get sharp with ideas and train your mind to be consistently consistent!
This is the right time to start Mental Exercises to sharpen your focus and be ready for Prelims! And the sessions are ABSOLUTELY FREE!
The controversy over the use of Pegasus spyware for snooping highlights the threats posed by cyber-weapons.
The emergence of the cyber weapons epoch
Cyberattacks on institutions such as banks and on critical infrastructure have proliferated to an alarming extent, signaling the emergence of the cyber weapon epoch.
Privacy has been eroded and the Internet has become a powerful weapon in the hands of those seeking to exploit its various facets.
Fifth dimension of warfare: Cyber is often touted as the fifth dimension of warfare — in addition to land, sea, air and space.
The domain of everyday life
Cyber, as the domain of military and national security, also co-exists with cyber as a domain of everyday life.
The war is no longer out there.
It is now directly inside one’s drawing-room, with cyberweapons becoming the weapon of choice.
Israelis today dominate the cyber domain along with the Chinese, Russians, Koreans and, of course, the Americans.
The linkage between sabotage and intrusive surveillance is but a short step.
Cyberattacks during the past decades
Beginning with the 2007 devastating cyberattack on Estonia’s critical infrastructure, this was followed by the Stuxnet worm attack a few years later on Iran’s nuclear facility.
The Shamoon virus attack on Saudi Aramco occurred in 2012.
In 2016, a cyberattack occurred on Ukraine’s State power grid; in 2017 there was a Ransomware attack (NotPetya) which affected machines in as many as 64 countries.
United Kingdom’s National Health Service fell prey to the Wannacry attack the same year.
The series of attacks happened this year on Ireland’s Health Care System and in the United States such as ‘SolarWinds’, the cyber attack on Colonial Pipeline and JBS, etc.
What are the threats posed by cyberattacks?
Cyberweapons carry untold capacity to distort systems and structures — civilian or military.
Cyberweapons also interfere with democratic processes, aggravate domestic divisions and, above all, unleash forces over which established institutions or even governments have little control.
As more and more devices are connected to networks, the cyber threat is only bound to intensify, both in the short and the medium term.
What is especially terrifying is that instruments of everyday use can be infected or infiltrated without any direct involvement of the target.
The possibilities for misuse are immense and involve far graver consequences to an individual, an establishment, or the nation.
It is not difficult to envisage that from wholesale espionage, this would become something far more sinister such as sabotage.
Way forward
Deeper understanding: Dealing with ‘zero day’ vulnerabilities require far more thought and introspection than merely creating special firewalls or special phones that are ‘detached’ from the Internet.
Recognising the mindset: What is needed is a deeper understanding of not only cyber technologies, but also recognising the mindsets of those who employ spyware of the Pegasus variety, and those at the helm of companies such as the NSO.
Short-term remedies are unlikely to achieve desired results.
No use of AI: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is often seen as a kind of panacea for many of the current problems and ills, but all advances in technology tend to be a double-edged sword.
If truth be told, AI could in turn make all information warfare — including cyber related — almost impossible to detect, deflect or prevent, at least at the current stage of development of AI tools.
Conclusion
All this suggests that security in the era of ever-expanding cyberweapons could become an ever-receding horizon.
Back2Basics: Zero-day vulnerability
The term “zero-day” refers to a newly discovered software vulnerability.
Because the developer has just learned of the flaw, it also means an official patch or update to fix the issue hasn’t been released.
So, “zero-day” refers to the fact that the developers have “zero days” to fix the problem that has just been exposed — and perhaps already exploited by hackers.
Police reforms are still an unfinished task, fifteen years after the Supreme Court gave directives in the Prakash Singh case in 2006.
Integrated schemes in different facilities
The Government of India has lately been talking of “One Nation, One Ration Card”, “One Nation, One Registry”, “One Nation, One Gas Grid”, and even “One Nation, One Election”.
These ideas would contribute to an integrated scheme in different facilities and networks across the country.
The attempt at uniformity should, however, take cognisance of local factors and special features.
Issue of different states passing different Police Act
Every state is legislating a different Police Act, purportedly in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions on police reforms given on September 22, 2006.
We are in the process of having “one nation, many police acts”.
Circumventing the Prakash Singh judgement: The objective behind these laws is to give legislative cover to the existing arrangement and thereby circumvent the judicial directions given in the Prakash Singh judgement in 2006.
Eighteen states have already passed Police Acts.
Absence of central guidelines: Several states have, in the absence of any central guidance or directive, passed their own Police Acts, blatantly violating the Supreme Court’s directions.
No action by judiciary: The Supreme Court has, for inexplicable reasons, not issued a contempt notice to any of the states for non-compliance of its directions on police reforms.
Way forward
1) The Centre should legislate a Model Police Act
Article 252 of the Constitution gives Parliament the power to legislate for two or more states by consent.
Soon after the Supreme Court’s directions on police reforms, the Police Act Drafting Committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs came out with the Model Police Act, 2006.
The Government of India should have enacted a law based on this Model Police Act with such changes as it may have found necessary, and the states should have mutatis mutandis ( making necessary alterations while not affecting the main point at issue) adopted it.
The least that the Government of India could have done was to legislate for the UTs and then prevailed upon the states to pass similar legislation.
Enacting a law in the states could have been incentivised by linking their passage with the modernisation grants made available to the states.
2) Need for the spirit of cooperative federalism
In recent times, we saw the unseemly spectacle of the Mumbai police commissioner accusing the state home minister of using the police as an instrument for extortion.
In West Bengal, the police have been a mute spectator to the post-election violence.
The Centre, through a fiat, gave protection to all the MLAs of the BJP.
Normally, any such arrangement should have been in consultation and with the involvement of the state government.
Cooperative federalism: The best option would be for the central and state governments to respect each other’s turf in a spirit of cooperative federalism.
3)Need for a fresh look at the distribution of power
If the central and state governments cannot respect each other’s turf, it would perhaps be necessary to have a fresh look at the distribution of powers in the seventh schedule of the Constitution.
Conclusion
Police reforms on the lines of judicial directives given by the Supreme Court is the need of the hour. The centre needs to act first and nudge the states toward a uniform police structure throughout the country.
Back2Basics: Supreme Court Directive on Police Reforms
1) Limit political control
Constitute a State Security Commission to:
Ensure that the state government does not exercise unwarranted influence or pressure on the police.
Lay down broad policy guidelines.
Evaluate the performance of the state police.
2. Appointments based on merit
Ensure that the Director-General of Police is appointed through a merit–based, transparent process, and secures a minimum tenure of 2 years.
3. Fix minimum tenure
Ensure that other police officers on operational duties (including Superintendents of Police in charge of a district and Station House Officers in charge of a police station) are also provided a minimum tenure of 2 years.
4. Separate police functions
Separate the functions of investigation and maintaining law and order.
5. Set up fair and transparent systems
Set up a Police Establishment Board to decide and make recommendations on transfers, postings, promotions and other service-related matters of police officers of and below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police.
6. Establish a Police Complaints Authority in each state
At the state level,there should be a Police Complaints Authority to look into public complaints against police officers of and above the rank of Superintendent of Police in cases of serious misconduct, including custodial death, grievous hurt or rape in police custody.
At the district level, the Police Complaints Authority should be set up to inquire into public complaints against the police personnel of and up to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police in cases of serious misconduct.
7. Set up a selection commission
A National Security Commission needs to be set up at the union level to prepare a panel for selection and placement of chiefs of the Central Police Organizations with a minimum tenure of 2 years.
