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Type: PIB

  • Learning Platform “Skills Build Reignite”

    MSDE-IBM Partnership has unveiled Free Digital Learning Platform “Skills Build Reignite” to reach more job seekers & provide new resources to business owners in India.

    There are various web/portals/apps with Hindi acronyms such as YUKTI, DISHA, SWAYAM etc. Their core purpose is similar with slight differences. Pen them down on a separate sheet under the title various digital HRD initiatives.

    Skills Build Reignite

    • The SkillsBuild Reignite tends to provide job seekers and entrepreneurs, with access to free online coursework and mentoring support designed to help them reinvent their careers and businesses.
    • It is a long term institutional training to the nation’s youth through its network of training institutes and infrastructure.
    • IBM will provide multifaceted digital skill training in the area of Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to students & trainers across the nation in the National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) and ITIs.
    • Directorate General of Training (DGT) under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) is responsible for implementing the program.
    • Job seekers, individual business owners, entrepreneurs and any individual with learning aspirations can now tap into host of industry-relevant content on topics including AI, Cloud, Data analytics etc.

    Features

    • Its special feature is the personalized coaching for entrepreneurs, seeking advice to help establish or restart their small businesses as they begin to focus on recovery to emerge out of the COVID 19 pandemic.
    • Courses for small business owners include, for example, financial management, business strategy, digital strategy, legal support and more.
    • Plus, IBM volunteers will serve as mentors to some of the 30,000 SkillsBuild users in 100 communities in at least five major regions worldwide to help reinvigorate local communities.

  • Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF)

    The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved setting up of Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) worth Rs. 15000 crore.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q. In pursuit of doubling farmer’s income, development of animal husbandry has to play a crucial role. Discuss.

    About AHIDF

    • The fund is part of the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus packages to help people affected by the lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
    • The AHIDF would promote infrastructure investments in dairy, meat processing and animal feed plants.
    • Farmer producer organizations (FPOs), MSMEs, Section 8 companies, private companies and individual entrepreneurs would be eligible to benefit from the fund.
    • It will ensure the availability of capital to meet upfront investment required for these projects and also help enhance overall returns/ payback for investors.

    Provisions of the AHIDF

    • The beneficiaries will have to contribute 10 per cent margin towards the proposed infra project and the rest 90 per cent would be a loan component to be made available to them by scheduled banks.
    • The balance 90% would be the loan component to be made available by scheduled banks.
    • Government of India will provide 3% interest subvention to eligible beneficiaries.
    • There will be 2 years moratorium period for the principal loan amount and 6 years repayment period thereafter.

  • ‘Decarbonizing Transport in India (DTI)’ Project

    http://www.newsonair.com/writereaddata/News_Pictures/NAT/2020/Jun/NPIC-2020622172010.jpg

    NITI Aayog in collaboration with International Transport Forum (ITF) is set to launch the “Decarbonising Transport in India” project with the intention to develop a pathway towards a low-carbon transport system for India.

    Note the following things about ‘Decarbonising Transport in India (DTI)’ Project:

    1. Associated international institution

    2. Whether the institution is a UN body or not

    3. If India is a member of that body

    The DTI Project

    • The India project is carried out in the wider context of the International Transport Forum’s “Decarbonising Transport” initiative.
    • It is part of the “Decarbonising Transport in Emerging Economies” (DTEE) family of projects, which supports transport decarbonisation across different world regions.
    • India, Argentina, Azerbaijan, and Morocco are current participants.
    • The DTEE is a collaboration between the ITF and the Wuppertal Institute, supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment.

    Objectives of the project

    • The project will design a tailor-made transport emissions assessment framework for India.
    • It will provide the government with a detailed understanding of current and future transport activity and the related CO2 emissions as a basis for their decision-making.

    About International Transport Forum (ITF)

    • The ITF is an inter-governmental organisation within the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) system.
    • It is the only global body with a mandate for all modes of transport.
    • It acts as a think tank for transport policy issues and organises the annual global summit of transport ministers.
    • The ITF’s motto is “Global dialogue for better transport”.
    • India has been a member of ITF since 2008.

    Back2Basics: OCED

    • The OECD is an international, intergovernmental economic organization of 36 countries.
    • OECD was founded in the year 1961 to stimulate world trade and economic progress.
    • OECD originated in 1948, as the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC).
    • The Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC) was founded to govern the predominantly US-funded Marshall Plan for post-war reconstruction on the continent.
    • The OEEC was instrumental in helping the European Economic Community (EEC). The EEC has evolved into the European Union (EU) to establish a European Free Trade Area.
    • India is NOT a member of OECD.

  • What is Foldscope?

    Indian researchers have explored and validated the clinical utility of Foldscope in the diagnosis of diseases using various patient samples.

    Though trivial, Foldscope is a significant invention with most crucial applications. It somehow offers an alternative to costly microscopes for some basic diagnosis.

    What is Foldscope?

    • Foldscope is an affordable origami-based microscopy device composed of a series of paper clippings.
    • Upon assembly, the device can hold a specimen slide for observation, and this specimen can be viewed via a mobile phone camera attached to it.

    How does it work?

    • Foldscope can be assembled using paper clips and mounted on a cell phone using coupler and glue drops.
    • To do the assessment, a patient sample like urine is smeared on a transparent glass slide and visualized under a Foldscope mounted on a cell phone.
    • Sample images can be enlarged using the zoom function of the mobile, which can be stored on the mobile memory card for later reference/patient records.
    • Foldscope visualizes calcium oxalate crystals, which are a major cause of kidney stones.

    Utility of Foldscope

    • Foldscope is particularly convenient to diagnose urinary tract infection (UTI) and monitor kidney stone.
    • The study evaluated the use of Foldscope in the clinical diagnosis of oral and urinary tract infections.
    • Using this tool, one can easily monitor own-kidney stone status at home with a simple glass-slide, a Foldscope and a phone in hand.
    • Such monitoring could perhaps avoid kidney stone reaching a painful state or surgery in recurring cases.

  • Indian Gas Exchange (IGX): the first nationwide online delivery-based gas trading platform

    India’s first gas exchange — the Indian Gas Exchange (IGX) — was launched by the Ministry of Petroleum. The exchange is expected to facilitate transparent price discovery in natural gas, and facilitate the growth of the share of natural gas in India’s energy basket.

    Note the following things with caution from the newscard:

    • IGX allows only imported LNG and not domestically produced natural gas.

    • India’s import of LNG

    • GAIL

    • Taxation of LNG

    What is IGX?

    • The IGX is a digital trading platform that will allow buyers and sellers of natural gas to trade both in the spot market and in the forward market for imported natural gas.
    • It will allow trading across three hubs —Dahej and Hazira in Gujarat, and Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh.
    • Imported Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) will be regassified and sold to buyers through the exchange, removing the requirement for buyers and sellers to find each other.
    • The exchange also allows much shorter contracts – for delivery on the next day, and up to a month – while ordinarily contracts for natural gas supply are as long as six months to a year.
    • This will mean that buyers do not have to contact multiple dealers to ensure they find a fair price.

    Will domestically produced natural gas also be bought and sold on the exchange?

    • The price of domestically produced natural gas is decided by the government. It will not be sold on the gas exchange.
    • However, following appeals by domestic producers that the prices set by the government are not viable given the cost of exploration and production in India.
    • A new gas policy will include reforms in domestic gas pricing and will move towards more market-oriented pricing.

    Will this make India more import-dependent?

    • Domestic production of gas has been falling over the past two fiscals as current sources of natural gas have become less productive.
    • Domestically produced natural gas currently accounts for less than half the country’s natural gas consumption; imported LNG accounts for the other half.
    • LNG imports are set to become a larger proportion of domestic gas consumption as India moves to increase the proportion of natural gas in the energy basket from 6.2% in 2018 to 15% by 2030.

    What regulatory change is required?

    • Currently, the pipeline infrastructure necessary for the transportation of natural gas is controlled by the companies that own the network.
    • State-owned GAIL owns and operates India’s largest gas pipeline network, spanning over 12,000 km.
    • An independent system operator for natural gas pipelines would help ensure transparent allocation of pipeline usage, and build confidence in the minds of buyers and sellers about neutrality in the allocation of pipeline capacity.
    • Experts have also called for natural gas to be included in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime to avoid buyers having to deal with different levies such as VAT across states when purchasing natural gas from the exchange.

  • AarogyaPath Platform for the Healthcare Supply Chain

    AarogyaPath Platform has been recently launched to provide real-time availability of critical healthcare supplies.

    Possible prelims question:

    Q. The AarogyaPath platform recently seen in news is related to:

    Options:  a) Tracking of COVID patients/ b) Emergency ambulances service/c)  Supply-chain solutions of healthcare facilities/ d)E-com portal for generic medicines …

    Aarogyapath platform

    • The information platform named AarogyaPath with a vision of providing a path which leads one on a journey towards Aarogya (healthy life) has been developed by the CSIR.
    • During the present national health emergency arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic, wherein there is a severe disruption in the supply chain, the ability to produce and deliver the critical items may be compromised due to a variety of reasons.
    • The platform would serve manufacturers, suppliers and customers.
    • CSIR expects AarogyaPath to become the national healthcare information platform of choice in the years to come.
    • It would fill a critical gap in last-mile delivery of patient care within India through improved availability and affordability of healthcare supplies.

    Its significance

    • This platform provides single-point availability of key healthcare goods that can be helpful to customers in tackling a number of routinely experienced issues.
    • These issues include dependence on limited suppliers, time-consuming processes to identify good quality products, limited access to suppliers who can supply standardized products at reasonable prices within desired timelines, lack of awareness about the latest product launches, etc.
    • It also helps manufacturers and suppliers to reach a wide network of customers efficiently, overcoming gaps in connectivity between them and potential demand centres like nearby pathological laboratories, medical stores, hospitals, etc.
    • It will also create opportunities for business expansion due to an expanded slate of buyers and visibility of new requirements for products.
    • Over time, analytics from this platform is expected to generate early signals to manufacturers on overcapacity as well as on looming shortages.

  • I-FLOWS: Mumbai Flood Management System

    Integrated Flood Warning System for Mumbai (I-FLOWS Mumbai), a state-of-the-art flood warning system has been developed for the city.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q. Urban floods in India are consequences of unplanned urbanization in India. Discuss with references to the frequent annual floods in Mumbai.

    What is IFLOWS-Mumbai?

    • IFLOWS is a monitoring and flood warning system that will be able to relay alerts of possible flood-prone areas anywhere between six to 72 hours in advance.
    • The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has developed the system with in-house expertise and coordination with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
    • The system can provide all information regarding possible flood-prone areas, likely height the floodwater could attain location-wise problem areas across all 24 wards and calculate the vulnerability and risk of elements exposed to flood.
    • Mumbai is only the second city in the country after Chennai to get this system. Similar systems are being developed for Bengaluru and Kolkata.

    How will it work?

    • The primary source for the system is the amount of rainfall, but with Mumbai being a coastal city, the system also factors in tidal waves and storm tides for its flood assessments.
    • The system has provisions to capture the urban drainage within the city and predict the areas of flooding.
    • The system comprises seven modules- Data Assimilation, Flood, Inundation, Vulnerability, Risk, Dissemination Module and Decision Support System.

    Why was this system needed in Mumbai?

    • Mumbai, the financial capital of India, has been experiencing floods with increased periodicity.
    • Floods, especially the ones in 2005 and 2017, are etched in everyone’s memory.
    • Last year, post-monsoon and unseasonal rainfall as late as October, two tropical cyclones in the Arabian Sea had caught authorities off guard and left a trail of destruction.
    • The flood during 26th July 2005, when the city received a rainfall of 94 cm, a 100 year high in a span of 24 hours had paralyzed the city completely.
    • Urban flooding is common in the city from June to September, resulting in the crippling of traffic, railways and airlines.
    • As preparedness for floods before they occur, the system will help in warning the citizens so that they can be prepared in advance for flooding conditions.

    Benefits

    • IFLOWS-Mumbai will enhance the resilience of the city by providing early warning for flooding, especially during high rainfall events and cyclones.
    • Using this, it will be possible to have an estimate of the flood inundation three days in advance, along with immediate weather updates.
    • The Union Minister said the system was “one of the most advanced” ones and will help the city, which has been experiencing floods with increasing periodicity.
    • The hi-tech system will predict floods before they occur, therefore enabling Mumbaikars to take due precautions in advance.

  • Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) bench for the UT of J&K and Ladakh

    The union govt. has inaugurated the 18th Bench of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) for the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

    Try this question from our AWE initiative:

    “The Central Administration 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. (10 Marks)

    What is Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT)?

    • The Central Administrative Tribunal had been established under Article 323 – A of the Constitution for adjudication of disputes and complaints with respect to recruitment and conditions of service.
    • It aims to provide speedy and inexpensive justice to the aggrieved public servants.
    • It adjudicates for the persons appointed to public services and posts in connection with the affairs of the Union or other authorities under the control of the Government.
    • In pursuance of Article 323-A, the Parliament has passed the Administrative Tribunals Act in 1985.
    • The act authorizes the Central government to establish one Central Administrative Tribunal and the state administrative tribunals.

    Composition of the CAT

    • The CAT is a specialist body consisting of Administrative Members and Judicial Members who by virtue of their specialized knowledge are better equipped to dispense speedy and effective justice.
    • A Chairman who has been a sitting or retired Judge of a High Court heads the Central Administrative Tribunal.
    • There are now 18 Benches and 21 Circuit Benches in the CAT all over India.

    Its functioning

    • It exercises jurisdiction only in relation to the service matters of the parties covered by the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985.
    • The Tribunal is guided by the principles of natural justice in deciding cases and is not bound by the procedure, prescribed by the Civil Procedure Code.
    • Under Section 17 of the Administrative Tribunal Act, 1985, the Tribunal has been conferred with the power to exercise the same jurisdiction and authority in respect of contempt of itself as a High Court.

    Independence of working

    • The conditions of service of the Chairman and Members are the same as applicable to a Judge of High Court as per the Administrative Tribunals (Amendment) Act, 2006.
    • The orders of CAT are challenged by way of Writ Petition under Article 226/227 of the Constitution before respective High Court in whose territorial jurisdiction the Bench of the Tribunal is situated.

  • International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL)

    The Ministry of Shipping has informed about the steps taken for prevention and control of pollution arising from ships in the sea and in the inland waterways under the MARPOL Convention.

    Aspirants must note the following things:

    1. If the convention is a subsidiary to the United Nations/IMO,

    2. Whether it is Legally binding?

    3. If India is a signatory or not …..

    MARPOL Convention

    • MARPOL is the main international convention aimed at the prevention of pollution from ships caused by operational or accidental causes.
    • The Protocol of 1978 was adopted in response to a number of tanker accidents in 1976–1977.
    • It is one of the most important international marine environmental conventions.
    • It was developed by the IMO with an objective to minimize pollution of the oceans and seas, including dumping, oil and air pollution.
    • The Convention includes regulations aimed at preventing and minimizing pollution from ships – both accidental pollution and that from routine operations – and currently includes six technical Annexes.
    • India is a signatory to MARPOL.
    • It has six annexes (I to VI) and it deals with prevention of (1) Pollution from ships by Oil, (2) Noxious liquid substances, (3) Dangerous goods in packaged form, (4) Sewage, (5) Garbage and (6) Air pollution from ships respectively.

  • Rare-earth based Magnetocaloric materials for cancer treatment

    Indian scientists have developed a rare-earth-based magnetocaloric material that can be effectively used for cancer treatment.

    Magnetocaloric Effect does have other applications like in the field of medical implants but for use in energy field, it is still in nascent stage.

    From exam perspective, do understand what principles lies behind this effect.

    What is Magnetocaloric Effect?

    • Magnetocaloric effect (MCE) is a phenomenon where the application and removal of a magnetic field cause certain materials to get warmer and cooler, respectively.
    • This effect normally occurs near its Curie temperature where the application of the field makes the material to warm up and cools up when the field is removed.

    Issue of hyperthermia in cancer treatment

    • Advancements in magnetic materials led to the development of magnetic hyperthermia to try to address the issues of side effects of cancer treatment like chemotherapy.
    • In magnetic hyperthermia, magnetic nanoparticles are subjected to alternating magnetic fields of few Gauss, which produce heat due to magnetic relaxation losses.
    • Usually, the temperature required to kill the tumour cells is between 40 and 45°C.
    • However, the drawback in magnetic hyperthermia is the lack of control of temperature, which may damage the healthy cells in the body and also have side effects like increased BP, hair losses etc.

    Here comes in, Magnetocaloric materials

    • This hypothermia can be avoided by using magnetocaloric materials, as it can provide controlled heating.
    • The advantage of magnetocaloric materials which heat up or cool down with the application and removal of the magnetic field, respectively is that as soon as the magnetic field is removed, the cooling effect is generated.
    • The team at ARCI chose rare-earth-based alloy for studies as some of the rare earth materials are human body compatible.
    • The heating capacity would increase with the increase in the magnetic field.