31st May 2021
First WHO BioHub Facility
Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Swiss Confederation have signed a MoU to launch the first WHO BioHub Facility as part of the WHO BioHub System.
WHO BioHub System
- It was announced in November 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO).
- It would offer a trusted, transparent mechanism that would facilitate the processing, characterization, amplification and sharing of samples with Member States and partners.
- It will promote the rapid and timely sharing of biological materials with epidemic or pandemic potential, facilitate rapid access to pathogens, and promote equitable access to countermeasures.
Significance of WHO BioHub Facility
- It will enhance the rapid sharing of viruses and other pathogens between laboratories and partners globally.
- It will serve as a centre for the safe receipt, sequencing, storage and preparation of biological materials for distribution to other laboratories.
- The BioHub will enable Member States to share biological materials.
Permanent Commission to probe human rights violations
Recently, India had abstained on the resolution that calls on the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to set up a permanent commission to probe human rights violations in Gaza, West Bank and Palestine.
- The resolution passed by 24 votes in favour and nine votes against, marks an exceptional level of examination into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
- The resolution, moved by Pakistan and Palestine, called on the president of the UN Human rights council to set up an “independent, international commission of inquiry”.
- The resolution has urged all third parties to refrain from transferring arms to either of the two parties if there is a “clear risk” that such weapons could be used in commission or facilitation of serious violations of international law.
- The one-day special session of the Geneva-based UNHRC was convened on request of the member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and Palestine.
About permanent commission to probe human rights violations
- It would be the first time that a Commission of Inquiry has received a “continuing mandate” i.e. it is not time-bound.
- The commission of inquiry (COI) was mandated to look at:
- “All underlying root causes of recurrent tensions, instability and protraction of conflict, including systematic discrimination and repression based on national, ethnic, racial or religious identity”.
- The investigation should focus on establishing facts and gather evidence for legal proceedings, and should aim to identify perpetrators to ensure they are held accountable.
Why India had abstained to set up permanent commission?
- India abstained along with 13 others, including France, Japan, Nepal, Brazil and South Korea.
- India did not give an explanation of its vote at the virtual session whereas other member states which voted against or abstained cited the expansive nature of the mandate given to the Commission of Inquiry.
- India reiterated that none of the parties should attempt the “unilaterally change the existing status-quo, including in East Jerusalem and its neighbourhoods”.
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
- The OIC (formerly Organisation of the Islamic Conference) is the world’s second largest inter-governmental organisation after the UN, with a membership of 57 states.
- Its stated objective is to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world.
- OIC has reserved membership for Muslim-majority countries.
- Russia, Thailand, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Central African Republic and Turkish Cypriot State have Observer status.
- The Organization was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco in 1969 following the criminal arson of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.
RBI Annual Report 2021
Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released its annual report for 2020-21.
Key Highlights
Decline in fraud cases in public banks
- The numbers of fraud cases have declined in the banking system during 2020-21 (FY21) but the instances of frauds have increased in the private banks.
- The private banks have reported a rise of 21% year-on-year (y-o-y) in the number of frauds during FY21 but the public sector banks (PSBs) have reported a decline of 34% y-o-y during the same period.
- In value terms, the private banks have reported a rise of 35% y-o-y in frauds during FY21, and PSBs have reported a decline of 45% y-o-y in the similar period.
- Overall, the number of frauds in the banking system declined 15% y-o-y by number and 25% y-o-y in terms of value during FY21.
- According to RBI norms, if an account is declared as fraud, banks need to set aside 100% of the outstanding loans as provisions, either in one go or spread over four quarters.
- As per RBI’s annual report, the average time lag between the date of occurrence of frauds and the date of detection was 23 months for the frauds reported in 2020-21.
- In respect of large frauds of Rs 100 crore and above, the average lag was 57 months for the same period.
Foreign Exchange
- The foreign exchange transactions of the central bank have come as a saviour for the government even as the Covid pandemic continues to rage across the country.
- The central bank’s gain from foreign exchange transactions rose from Rs 29,993 crore to Rs 50,629 crore in 2020-21.
- A good chunk of the money transferred to the government was profit from the sale of dollars during the last three months of FY21.
RBI’s transfer to government
- The RBI has decided to transfer a higher amount of Rs 99,122 crore to the government despite the year FY21 being a nine-month period as against Rs 57,127 crore in the previous 12-month period.
Benefit from Rupee
- The central bank said the rupee gained by 3.5 per cent but underperformed vis-a-vis its Asian peers during 2020-21.
- In Q4 of 2020-21, while the Indian rupee remained supported by foreign portfolio flows and merchant-related inflows, aiding the RBI to sell dollars at a gain, dollar purchases almost matched sales.
Contributors to the RBI’s earnings
- Interest income from domestic sources, such as holdings of government securities and liquidity facilities, of Rs 43,588 crore in FY21 versus Rs 60,957 crore in FY20.
- Interest income from foreign sources, including holdings of overseas securities, of Rs 25,469 crore compared to Rs 48,377 crore last year.
- Total interest income declined to Rs 69,057 crore in FY21 compared to Rs 1,09,333 crore a year.
Sea Animals at the International Space Station (ISS)
Recently, NASA has announced that it will send 128 glow-in-the-dark baby squids and some 5,000 tardigrades (also called water bears) to the International Space Station for research purposes.
Key Highlights
- The water animals will be launched aboard SpaceX’s 22nd cargo resupply mission to the ISS.
- They are part of experiments that could help scientists design improved protective measures for astronauts going on long-duration space travel.
- The experiments are also aimed at better understanding how beneficial microbes interact with animals, potentially leading to breakthroughs in improving human health on Earth.
Why are the sea animals needed at the ISS?
- The water bears and bobtail squid will be involved in experiments aboard the floating laboratory.
- They will be arriving in a semi-frozen state before they are thawed out, revived and grown in a special bio-culture system.
- The researchers will be able to study water bears’ hardiness close up, and possibly identify the genes that allow them to become so resilient.
- It would be possible to design better techniques to keep astronauts healthy on long-duration space missions by learning how the water bears can survive in low gravity conditions.
- The scientists also want to look at how microgravity conditions affect the relationshipbetween the bobtail squid and beneficial microbes, as part of a study called UMAMI.
- Microbes play a crucial role in the normal development of animal tissues and in maintaining human health.
- The research will allow scientists to have a better understanding of how beneficial microbes interact with animals when there is a lack of gravity.
- In the human body, microorganisms contribute to a variety of functions, including digestion, developing the immune system and detoxifying harmful chemicals.
- The findings will help space agencies develop better measures to protect astronauts from adverse host-microbe alterations on long-duration missions.
What are Tardigrades?
- They are microscopic eight-legged animals that have been to outer space and would likely survive the apocalypse.
- They look like adorable miniature bears.
- They are considered aquatic because they require a thin layer of water around their bodies to prevent dehydration.
- They are covered in a tough cuticle, similar to the exoskeletons of grasshoppers, praying mantises, and other insects to which they are related.
- They belong to an elite category of animals known as extremophiles, or critters that can survive environments that most others can't.
- They can also live at temperatures as cold as absolute zero or above boiling, at pressures six times that of the ocean’s deepest trenches, and in the vacuum of space.
- They prefer to live in sediment at the bottom of a lake, on moist pieces of moss or other wet environments.
What is Understanding of Microgravity on Animal-Microbe Interactions (UMAMI)?
- It examines the effects of spaceflight on the molecular and chemical interactionsbetween beneficial microbes and their animal hosts.
- It uses a simplified symbiosis between the bobtail squid Euprymna scolopes and its symbiotic bacterium Vibrio fischeri.
- The luminescent bacteria colonize a specialized light organ within the squid causing the squid to “glow-in-the-dark”.
Central Deputation of IAS officers in India
Recently, the West Bengal Chief Secretary was due to begin an extension of three months after retiring but the Centre has asked him to report and join the Government of India.
- The West Bengal government issued an order, citing the Centre’s approval dated in the interest of public service, to extend West Bengal Chief Secretary’s services for three months.
- The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) wrote to the Chief Secretary that “the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet has approved the placement of the services” with the Government of India with “immediate effect”.
How IAS officers get an extension?
- Rule 16(1) of DCRB (Death-cum-Retirement Benefit) Rules says that:
- A member of the Service dealing with budget work or working as a full-time member of a Committee may be given extension of service for a period not exceeding three months in public interest, with the prior approval of the Central Government.
- The extension can be for six months for an officer posted as Chief Secretary of a state.
What is a Central Deputation of IAS officer?
- In normal practice, the Centre asks every year for an “offer list” of officers of the All India Services (IAS, IPS and Indian Forest Service) willing to go on central deputation.
- The Rule 6(1) of the IAS Cadre Rules says an officer may be deputed for service under the Central Government or another State Government with the concurrence of the State Governments concerned and the Central Government.
- In case of any disagreement, the matter shall be decided by the Central Government and the State Government or State Governments concerned shall give effect to the decision of the Central Government.
Arguments against Rule 6(1) of IAS Cadre Rules
- A PIL in the Supreme Court has contended that because of the Rule, states have to bear the brunt of arbitrary actions taken by the Centre.
- The Rule makes it difficult for the Centre to enforce its will on a state that refuses to back down.
What happens if officer does not comply with deputation orders?
- The Centre can take no action against civil service officials who are posted under the state government.
- The Rule 7 of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, states that the authority to institute proceedings and to impose penalty will be the state government if the officer is serving in connection with the affairs of a state.
- The state and the Centre both need to agree for any action to be taken against an officer of the All India Services.
Online Tracking Portal Bal Swaraj (Covid-Care)
Recently, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched the Online Tracking Portal “Bal Swaraj (Covid-Care).
Need for Bal Swaraj Portal (Covid-Care)
- The children who have lost family support or are without any ostensible means of subsistence are children in need of care and protection under Section 2(14) of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.
- The top court asked state governments to understand the agony of children starving on the streets and directed the district authorities that they be immediately taken care.
- The commission said when both parents of a child dies there are “serious consequences on the continuation of education”.
- The appropriate government is liable to be responsible for their education.
Bal Swaraj Portal
- It is devised by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)under section 109 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.
- It has been created with a purpose for online tracking and digital real time monitoring mechanism of children who are in need of care and protection.
- The Commission has extended the use of this portal for tracking children who have lost parents or either of the parents during COVID-19.
- It has provided a link under the name of “COVID-Care” for uploading of data of such children by the concerned officer/department on the portal.
- The Supreme Court has directed all district officers across the States/UTs to fill data on the Commission’s portal on Bal Swaraj portal under the COVID-Care link.
Significance of Bal Swaraj Portal
- It is launched for child in need of care and protection in view of the growing problem related to children affected by COVID-19.
- It is aimed at tracking the children affected by COVID-19 right from the production of children before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) to the restoration of the children to their parent/guardian/relative.
- The Commission will be able to get information about whether the child is being able to get his/her entitlements, benefits and monetary gains for which the child is entitled to.
- The Commission will come to know whether the child has been produced before the CWC and the orders are being passed for him/her.
- The Commission can identify if the State needs any financial assistance in getting more funds for giving benefit under implemented schemes to the children.
YUVA-Prime Minister’s Scheme for Mentoring Young Authors
Recently, the Ministry of Education, Department of Higher Education has launched a scheme called YUVA-Prime Minister’s Scheme for Mentoring Young Authors.
- The PM has called upon the young generation to write about freedom fighters, incidents associated with freedom, the saga of valour during the period of freedom struggle in their respective areas.
- NEP 2020 has emphasised on the empowerment of the young minds and creating a learning ecosystem that can make the young readers/learners ready for leadership roles in the future world.
YUVA Scheme
- It is an Author Mentorship programme to train young and budding authors (below 30 years of age) in order to promote reading, writing and book culture in the country.
- It is a part of India@75 Project (Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav).
- The National Book Trust, India under the Ministry of Education is the Implementing Agency of YUVA Scheme.
- The books prepared under this scheme will be published by National Book Trust, India.
- The books will also be translated into other Indian languages ensuring the exchange of culture and literature, thereby promoting 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat'.
- The winner will also get a scholarship worth Rs 50,000 per month for a period of six months.
Significance of YUVA Scheme
- The launch of YUVA (Young, Upcoming and Versatile Authors) is in tune with PM’s vision to encourage young writers to write about India's freedom struggle.
- It aims to bring to the fore the perspectives of the young generation of writers on themes like Unsung Heroes, Freedom Fighters, Unknown and Forgotten Places.
- It will help to develop a stream of writers who can write on a spectrum of subjects to promote Indian heritage, culture and knowledge system.
- The scheme is aimed at promoting reading, writing, and book culture in the country, and project India and Indian writings globally.
Indian Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel Sajag
Recently, the National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval had commissioned the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Sajag.
ICG Sajag
- It is the third in a series of five offshore patrol vessels indigenously designed in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' vision.
- It has been constructed by Goa Shipyard Limited.
- It is fitted with advanced technology equipment, weapon and sensors capable to carry a twin engine helicopter and four high speed boats.
- It is an indigenously-built warship which will be based at Porbandar, Gujarat and will be deployed extensively for EEZ surveillance.
- It will enhance the Indian Coast Guard’s operational capability to discharge multifarious maritime tasks.
- It is designed to carry one twin engine helicopter and four high speed boats,including two inflatable boats for boarding operation, search and rescue, law enforcement and maritime patrol.
Indian Coast Guard (ICG)
- The concept of forming ICG came into being post 1971 war, when it was assessed that maritime borders are equally vital as land borders.
- It was created through an Act of Parliament in 1978.
- It is a multi-mission organization, conducting round-the-year real-life operations at sea.
- It operates under the Ministry of Defence.
- It is headed by the Director General Indian Coast Guard (DGICG) exercising his overall command and superintendence from the Coast Guard Headquarters (CGHQ) located at New Delhi.
PM CARES for Children
Recently, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rolled out a slew of benefits under PM Cares for Children, in a bid to support children who lost their parents to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Need for PM CARES for Children
- The decision was taken following a high-level review meeting chaired by the prime minister to deliberate on the impact of the pandemic on children and how to mitigate it.
- Children represent the future of the country and the government should do everything to support and protect the children.
- It is our duty, as a society, to care for our children and instil hope for a bright future.
Features of PM CARES for Children
- It will contribute through a specially designed scheme to create a corpus of Rs 10 lakh for each child when they reach 18 years of age.
- It will be used to give a monthly stipend from 18-23 years of age to take care of the child's personal requirements during the period of higher education.
- On reaching the age of 23, the child will get the corpus amount as a lump sum for personal and professional use.
- The government will also ensure free education for such children.
- Children will receive assistance in getting education loan for higher education and PM Cares will pay interest on it.
- All children will be enrolled for free health insurance of Rs 5 lakh under Ayushman Bharat till 18 years and the premium will be paid as part of the scheme.
Significance of PM CARES for Children
School education for children under 10 years
- The child will be given admission in the nearest Kendriya Vidyalaya or in a private school as a day scholar.
- If the child is admitted in a private school, the fees as per the RTE norms will be givenfrom PM Cares.
- PM Cares will also pay for expenditure on uniform, text books and notebooks.
School education for children between 11-18 years
- The child will be given admission in any Central Government residential school such as Sainik School, Navodaya Vidyalaya etc.
- In case the child is to be continued under the care of guardian/ grandparents/ extended family, then he or she will be given admission in the nearest Kendriya Vidyalaya or in a private school as a day scholar.
- If the child is admitted in a private school, the fees as per the RTE norms will be given from the PM CARES.
- PM Cares will also pay for expenditure on uniform, text books and notebooks.
Support for Higher Education
- The child will be assisted in obtaining education loan for professional courses / higher education in India as per the existing education loan norms.
- The interest on this loan will be paid by the PM Cares
- As an alternative, scholarship equivalent to the tuition fees / course fees for undergraduate/ vocational courses as per government norms will be provided to such children under central or state government schemes.
- For children who are not eligible under the existing scholarship schemes, PM Cares will provide an equivalent scholarship.
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