Recently, the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) launched “PRAGATI- 2024” (Pharma Research in AyurGyan And Techno Innovation).

PRAGATI-2024:

• PRAGATI-2024 aims to encourage joint research endeavors between CCRAS and the Ayurvedic pharmaceutical industry, fostering innovation and expansion within the Ayurveda domain.

Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS):

• Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) operates as an independent body under the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy), Government of India.
• Aim: Founded in 1978, its mission is to organize, coordinate, advance, and advocate for research in Ayurveda and the Sowa-Rigpa medical system using scientific principles.
• Objectives: Conducting studies to scientifically validate the effectiveness of Ayurvedic practices.
• Advancing and popularizing Ayurvedic science through research and educational initiatives.
• Fusing traditional Ayurvedic approaches with modern medicine to enhance overall healthcare services.

Achievements of CCRAS:

• Ayurvedic Formulation Development: CCRAS has created numerous significant Ayurvedic formulations and technologies, which have been patented and brought into commercial use.
• Ayurveda Morbidity Codes: CCRAS has devised morbidity codes and standardized terminologies to establish uniformity in Ayurvedic practice.
• AYUSH Research Portal: An extensive repository of Ayurvedic research, encompassing data on medications, case reports, and clinical trials.

Prominent Initiatives:

• Golden Triangle Partnership: A joint endeavor involving CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) and ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) to bolster the scientific verification of Ayurvedic practices.
• Tribal Health Care Research Program: Geared towards cataloging ethno-medical wisdom and scientifically validating its efficacy.

AYUSH Medicine System

• AYUSH stands for the various medical systems practiced in India, including Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy.
• Evolution of AYUSH: In 1995, the Department of Indian Medicine and Homeopathy was established within the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• In 2003, this department underwent a name change to become the Department of AYUSH, with a concentrated emphasis on education and research in Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy.
• Establishment of the Ministry of Ayush in 2014: Aiming to revitalize ancient medical systems’ knowledge and facilitate the optimal growth and dissemination of Ayush healthcare systems.

The Supreme Court recently observed that the extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution of India is an exception to the doctrine of merger and the rule of stare decisis to do complete justice between the parties.

Doctrine of Merger:

• It is a common law doctrine founded on the principle of maintenance of decorum and propriety in the functioning of courts and tribunals.
• The doctrine of merger provides that when an appellate court passes an order, the order passed by the lower court is merged with that order.
• The underlying logic is that there cannot be more than one decree or operative order governing the same subject matter at a given point of time.
• The doctrine solves the issue of which order must be enforced and given importance if there are multiple orders passed by both subordinate and superior courts on a single issue.
• It clarifies and provides that in this situation, the order passed by the superior court or the successive order would prevail and that the order of the lower court would be merged with the order passed by the superior court.
• The doctrine is not recognized statutorily but is a statement of judicial propriety and seeks to instil discipline in the functioning of subordinate adjudicating authorities, whether judicial, quasi-judicial, or administrative.

Doctrine of Stare Decisis:

• The doctrine of Stare Decisis refers to the concept that courts must follow previously made judicial decisions in cases where the same legal issues are brought before them in subsequent matters.
• It means that courts refer to previous, similar legal issues to guide their decisions.
• Such previous decisions that courts refer to are known as “precedents”.
• Precedents are legal principles or rules that are created by the decisions given by courts.
• Such decisions become an authority or an example for the judges to decide similar legal cases/issues in the future.
• The doctrine of Stare Decisis creates an obligation on courts to refer to precedents when taking a certain decision.

Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched three major initiatives – PRAVAAH portal, the retail direct mobile app and a fintech repository.

1.PRAVAAH Portal (Platform for Regulatory Application, VAlidation and AutHorisation):

• PRAVAAH portal is a secure and centralized web-based portal for any individual or entity to seek authorisation, license or regulatory approval on any reference made by it to the Reserve Bank.
• Features: On the portal, 60 application forms covering different regulatory and supervisory departments can be submitted online.
• On the portal, an entity can track/monitor the status as well as RBI can send a decision related to a specified application in a time bound manner.
• More application forms would be made available as may be required.

Need of PRAVAAH Portal:

• Regulatory Requirements: Different entities must obtain licenses or authorizations to conduct activities regulated by the RBI.
• Additionally, regulated entities need to periodically seek specific regulatory approvals from the RBI under various statutes and regulations.
• Presently, the application and approval processes occur through a combination of online and offline methods.
• Streamlining Financial Sector Compliance: The 2023-24 Union Budget has emphasized the necessity to streamline, simplify, and minimize the cost of compliance for financial sector regulators.
• This includes establishing defined timeframes for processing applications under various regulations.
• Role of PRAVAAH: ‘PRAVAAH’ will eventually cover all kinds of applications submitted to the RBI across its functions.

2.Retail Direct mobile app:

• The retail direct mobile app will provide retail investors a seamless and convenient access to the retail direct platform and provide ease of transacting in government securities (G-Secs). 
• Launching of Retail Direct Portal:  In November 2021, the Retail Direct Scheme was launched, granting individual investors the opportunity to hold gilt accounts with the RBI and engage in government securities investment.
• A Gilt Account functions similarly to a bank account, with the distinction that it is debited or credited with treasury bills or government securities rather than currency.
• Advantage of the App: With the launch of the retail direct mobile app, retail investors can now transact in G-Secs using the mobile app on their smartphones.
• Features of the App: Through this application, investors can purchase both central and state government bonds, along with Treasury bills.
• It facilitates buying securities in primary auctions and executing buy/sell orders through the Negotiated Dealing System-Order Matching system (NDS-OM) platform.

Benefits of Retail Direct Scheme:

• Direct Access: Within the scheme, small investors have the opportunity to directly purchase or sell government securities (G-Secs), or bonds, without the need for an intermediary such as a mutual fund.
• Zero Default Risk: With the government as the borrower, there’s a sovereign guarantee for the funds, ensuring zero risk of default.
• Interest Rate Advantage: Additionally, government securities may provide more attractive interest rates compared to bank fixed deposits, contingent upon prevailing interest rate trends.

3.FinTech Repository

• The FinTech Repository aims to capture essential information about FinTech entities, their activities, technology uses, etc.
• Fintech:Fintech, a combination of the terms “financial” and “technology,” refers to businesses that use technology to enhance or automate financial services and processes.
• FinTechs, both regulated and unregulated, are encouraged to contribute to the repository.
• Management of the Repository: The FinTech Repositories are secure web-based applications and are managed by the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), a wholly owned subsidiary of RBI.
• Functions: The repository would enable availability of aggregate sectoral level data, trends, analytics, etc that would be useful for both policymakers and participating industry members.
• EmTech Repositories:A related repository for only RBI regulated entities (banks and NBFCs) on their adoption of emerging technologies (like AI, ML, Cloud Computing, DLT, Quantum, etc.), called EmTech Repository, is also being launched.
• Ownership: EmTech Repositories are secure web-based applications and are managed by the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), a wholly owned subsidiary of RBI.

The Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS-4) will be convened  (May 27-30) in Antigua and Barbuda, North America.

Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

• Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are a distinct group of 39 States and 18 Associate Members of United Nations regional commissions that face unique social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities.
• Located: The three geographical regions in which SIDS are located- the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Sea.
• Recognition: SIDS were recognized as a special case both for their environment and development at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• Theme: Charting the course toward resilient prosperity
• Aim: To Assess the ability of SIDS to achieve sustainable development, including the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.

Support Received:

• Regional Level: SIDS are supported by inter-governmental organizations, primarily the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC).

UN Programmes of Action in Support of SIDS:

• Barbados Programme of Action (BPoA), 1994: It prescribed specific actions that would enable SIDS to achieve sustainable development.
• The Barbados Declaration is a statement of political will underpinning the commitments contained in the BPoA.
• Mauritius Strategy, 2005: The Mauritius Strategy for further implementation of the BPoA was adopted to address remaining gaps in implementation.
• SAMOA Pathway, 2014: It recognizes the adverse impacts of climate change and sea-level rise on SIDS’ efforts to achieve economic development, food security, disaster risk reduction and ocean management, among other challenges.

Global Environment Facility & SIDS:

• The Global Environment Facility has provided $1.9 billion in grant finance to SIDS through national, global, and regional projects.
• The current GEF-8 funding cycle (2022 – 2026) continues to provide strong support and an emphasis on the needs of SIDS and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

Recently, a Himalayan serow was spotted in the central part of Nameri National Park and Tiger Reserve.

Himalayan serow:

• It resembles a cross between a goat, a donkey, a cow, and a pig.

Types:

• There are several species of serows, and all of them are found in Asia.
• The Himalayan serow, or Capricornis sumatraensis thar, is restricted to the Himalayan region. Taxonomically, it is a subspecies of the mainland serow (Capricornis sumatraensis).
• Diet: These are herbivore species.
• Distribution: These are typically found at altitudes between 2,000 metres and 4,000 metres (6,500 to 13,000 feet). They are known to be found in eastern, central, and western Himalayas, but not in the Trans Himalayan region.

Conservation Status:

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
• CITES: Appendix I
• The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I

Key facts on Nameri Tiger Reserve:

• It is situated in the northern part of the Sonitpur district of Assam, along the foothills of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The Nameri National Park constitutes the core of NTR, which is bound by rivers, viz. Jia-Bhoreli in the west and Bor-Dikorai in the east.
• The Pakke Tiger Reserve of Arunachal Pradesh is in the North and the habitat is contiguous.
• Flora: It is made up of tropical evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous forests with cane brakes and narrow strips of open grassland along rivers.
• Fauna:The habitat is biologically rich and is famous for the white winged wood duck,
• Even Leopard cat, common otter, Black giant squirrel, Indian mongoose, Large clawed shrew, Indian flying fox, slow loris, Assameese macaque, Rhesus macaque are also found here.