Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 10th March to 17th March - 2019

ARCHIVES

GS-2

Launch of Pulse Polio Programme for 2019

(Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health)

With the global initiative of eradication of polio in 1988 following World Health Assembly resolution in 1988, Pulse Polio Immunization programme was launched in India in 1995. Children in the age group of 0-5 years administered polio drops during National and Sub-national immunization rounds (in high risk areas) every year.

Objective: Achieve hundred per cent coverage under Oral Polio Vaccine.

It aimed to immunize children through improved social mobilization, plan mop-up operations in areas where poliovirus has almost disappeared and maintain high level of morale among the public.

Universal Immunization Programme

• Strengthening of immunization programme has contributed significantly to the decline of Infant Mortality Rate from 39 in 2014 to 32 per 1000 live births in 2017.
• Along with Universal Immunization Programme of the country, we have also launched Mission Indradhanush to accelerate our goal to achieve more than 90% full immunization coverage. More than 3.39 crore children and 87 lakh pregnant women have been vaccinated through Mission Indradhanush drives

Connect the Dots:

1. The campaign for the eradication of Polio and it’s eventual success provides an ideal template for formulating long term strategies for similar objectives. Comment. Also identify areas in which this template must be applied to achieve desired goals. Give reasons for selecting these areas.
2. The fact that Polio could be tackled effectively in India, presents a roadmap to be emulated for other diseases as well. Examine.

Cabinet approves

Proposal for accession of India to

(a) The Nice Agreement on the International classification of goods and services for the purposes of registration of marks

(b) The Vienna Agreement for setting up an International classification of the figurative elements of marks

(c) The Locarno Agreement for establishing an International classification for industrial designs

Benefits:

• Accession to the Nice, Vienna and Locarno Agreements will help the Intellectual Property Office in India to harmonise the classification systems for examinational of trademark and design applications, in line with the classification systems followed globally.
• It would give an opportunity to include Indian designs, figurative elements and goods in the international classification systems.
• The accession is expected to instill confidence in foreign investors in relation to protection of IPs in India.
• The accession would also facilitate in exercising rights in decision making processes regarding review and revision of the classifications under the agreement.

Promulgation of:

(a) The Daman and Diu Civil Courts (Amendment) Regulation, 2019

(b) The Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Civil Courts and Miscellaneous Provisions) Amendment Regulation, 2019

Benefits:

• The move will be helpful in bringing uniformity in Judicial Service.
• It will also help overcome the difficulties being faced by the litigants in travelling to Mumbai for filing appeals due to existing limited pecuniary jurisdiction.
• Enhanced pecuniary jurisdiction will accelerate the justice delivery system, besides making access easier for litigants without having to travel outside the Union Territory.

Signing of Bilateral Agreement for Exchange of Country-by-Country (CbC) Reports between India and the USA

(Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests)

Sub-section (4) of Section 286 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 requires that a constituent entity of an international group, resident in India, other than a parent entity or an alternate reporting entity of an international group, resident in India, shall furnish the Country-by-Country (CbC) Report in respect of the said international Group for a reporting accounting year within the period as may be prescribed, if the parent entity of the said International Group is resident of a country or territory,—

• Where the parent entity is not obligated to file the CbC Report;
• With which India does not have an agreement providing for exchange of the CbC Report; or
• Where there has been a systemic failure of the country or territory and the said failure has been intimated by the prescribed authority to such constituent entity.

This would enable both the countries to exchange CbC Reports filed by the ultimate parent entities of International Groups in the respective jurisdictions.

GS-3

India pilots resolutions on Single-use Plastics and Sustainable Nitrogen management at Fourth United Nations Environment Assembly

(Topic: Environment)

India piloted resolutions on two important global environment issues relating to Single-use Plastics and Sustainable Nitrogen management at the fourth session of United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) which was held in Nairobi.

Theme of the UNEA: Innovative Solutions for environmental challenges and sustainable production and consumption

Issue: The global nitrogen use efficiency is low, resulting in pollution by reactive nitrogen which threatens human health, eco system services, contributes to climate change and stratospheric ozone depletion. Only a small proportion of the plastics produced globally are recycled with most of it damaging the environment and aquatic bio-diversity. Both these are global challenges and the resolutions piloted by India at the UNEA are vital first steps towards addressing these issues and attracting focus of the global community.

India and Climate Finance:

Climate finance is an important lever for climate action related to both mitigation and adaption in the developing countries. The contributions to climate finance need to be in consonance with the basic principles of common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC).

Climate finance is more of an obligation of the developed countries, based on their historical emissions. The availability of sufficient, additional and predictable climate finance is a key for action. Importantly, the lack of pledged funds in Green Climate Fund and the potential reliance on private sector has been highlighted by many developing countries.  

India has been initiating domestic climate actions, both related to climate change mitigation and adaptation, primarily through its own financial resources. There is a sense of urgency for financial support to developing countries, which have not been so responsible for these global environmental concerns.

Twin Success for

(Topic: Defence and Security related issues; Missiles and technology)

• Guided PINAKA

By: Defence Research and Defence Organisation (DRDO)

• DRDO successfully test fired the Guided PINAKA from Pokhran ranges.
• The weapon system is equipped with state-of-the-art guidance kit comprising of an advanced navigation and control system.
• In both the missions, the weapon systems impacted the intended targets with high precision and achieved desired accuracies.
• Telemetry Systems tracked and monitored the vehicle all through the flight path. All the mission objectives have been met.
• The indigenously developed Guided Pinaka by DRDO will significantly boost the capability of the artillery to make precision hits.

• Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile

By: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)

• Indigenously developed, low weight, fire and forget Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) for the second time today in the ranges of Rajasthan desert.
• MPATGM is incorporated with advanced features including state-of-the-art Imaging Infrared Radar (IIR) Seeker with integrated avionics.
• In both the missions, the missiles hit the designated targets precisely at different ranges. All the mission objectives have been met.

Connect the Dots:

1. What role does DRDO play in India’s defence ecosystem? Discuss its achievements and limitations as India’s premiere defence PSU.

Please Note:

• India Bags First Prize at The International ‘Golden City Gate Tourism Awards 2019’ In ‘TV Cinema Spot’ Category at ITB, Berlin.

• Al Nagah III: Indo Oman Joint Exercise

• Exercise Sampriti-VIII: A joint Indo-Bangladesh military exercise

• 14th March: World Kidney Day

• Aim: To raise awareness about the importance of kidneys and how they are related to our overall health – According to National Health Portal, chronic kidney disease is the sixth fastest growing cause of death. 850 million people worldwide are now estimated to have kidney diseases due to various causes. Around 1.7 million people are estimated to die annually due to acute kidney injury globally.

• Theme of World Kidney Day: Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere

• Function of kidneys: Kidneys are essential for removing waste products from the blood and regulating the water fluid levels. Kidneys filter blood approximately 400 times a day. If the kidneys do not function well, they may lead to chronic kidney disease.
• The Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a progressive loss in kidney function over a period of months or years. Every human possesses two kidneys and each of the kidneys has about a million tiny filters called ‘nephrons’. If nephrons are damaged, they stop working, thus leading to kidney failure.

• West Nile Virus

In News: As per the media reports, a seven-year-old boy from Malappuram District of Kerala is suffering from a West Nile Virus (WNV), a mosquito-borne disease, mostly reported in the continental United States.

West Nile fever is spread by Culex mosquitoes and the infection could be confirmed only if the second samples test positive. Symptoms include fever, headache, tiredness, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body, and swollen lymph glands.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says West Nile virus transmits to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds.

Quotes

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu

On peace and non-violence

• Peace will not thrive if the forces of terror continue their unchecked run.
• The battle for peace includes, in the current context, the battle against terror, corruption, climate change, illicit money and arms flows and drugs menace.
• The United Nations should evolve a common strategy to combat these forces and that countries supporting terror must be named, shamed and isolated.

On Governance

• Motto should be – “Reform, Perform and Transform”; Make ethics and excellence as your guiding principles.
• Reforms in governance, path-breaking legislative and administrative measures like GST are changing the way we govern ourselves.
• The most remarkable outcome of demonetization was the sustained growth of digital transactions leaving behind digital trail for the Revenue department to follow. As tax-authorities, one should encourage digital transactions and incentivize business to encourage their customers to adopt digital transactions.
• Kautilya said that the government should collect the tax like honeybee which collects only appropriate amount of honey so that both could survive. An administrator’s effort too is to make our tax regime easy, transparent and predictable.

On Education system

• Education system should be reoriented to ensure greater linkage between academia-industry to make students employable.
• Business incubation has been globally recognized as an important tool for economic development and job creation.
• Innovation, incubation and start-ups are the buzz words in today’s world and countries and societies which are knowledge-centric and technology-driven will play an increasing role in the global economy.
• For us in India, this is the time to seize the opportunity and promote the culture of innovation and technology-based entrepreneurship.
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship are going to be the twin engines that will propel India to a new era of economic prosperity and social inclusion.
• Education is the main instrument for socio-economic transformation of nation and lays foundation for building a knowledge society. It is important in today’s world for education system to produce holistic individuals, who are committed to strong ethical and moral values.
• Education means the process by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, and intellect is sharpened, as a result of which one can stand on one’s own feet. True education equips the youth to contribute to the material progress of the country.
• Knowledge is going to be the driver of Indian Economy and will play a vital role in improving the living conditions of the people. Therefore, India must rise to the occasion and reorient its higher education system to be globally competitive.
• Institutions must become a centre of excellence in providing cutting edge knowledge. They must prepare a large group of skilled and capable workforce who can drive the economy of the nation and help the nation to deal effectively with various challenges such as agrarian distress, rapid urbanization, growing energy demand, climate change, global warming, urban-rural divide and economic disparities.
• We need to vastly expand our manufacturing industry, apart from turning our higher education institutions into world class centres of learning.

On rural development:

• Centre and State Governments must accord highest priority for development of villages and rural areas.
• It is not good to have two Indias’ - one comprising developed urban cities and the other backward rural areas. We must remove the Urban-Rural divide.
• We need to provide minimum basic amenities in rural areas. Connectivity is key for development – “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan”, thus highlighting the crucial need for connectivity.
• Concerted efforts are required to drive away the agrarian distress. Infrastructure development is one of the key factors to improve agriculture sector.
• Irrigation, infrastructure, investment and insurance sectors need to be strengthened to support farmers - improving rural road connectivity, setting up more godowns, cold storage facilities, ensuring assured water and electricity supply are some of the key measures which have to be implemented. Providing timely credit to farmers is equally important.

On Indian Pharmaceutical industry

• World class drugs with unwavering quality at very affordable prices is the need of hour.
• Industry to earmark more resources for discovering new molecules and new drugs without compromising on the affordability of drugs.
• New healthcare challenges are emerging every day, especially with an alarming rise in the number of non-communicable and lifestyle diseases and cancers.
• India had become the largest provider of generic drugs globally and in supplying anti-retroviral drugs used worldwide to combat AIDS.
• The number of people suffering from rare diseases was estimated to be more than 70 million in India, and hence it was important for the Indian Pharma industry to look into the need for developing low-cost drugs for treating rare diseases. Pharma companies should develop new molecules and drugs to combat some of the lesser known diseases, particularly the group of diseases called as “rare diseases”.
• The Pharmaceutical sector has the crucial responsibility of saving human lives and Pharma companies must go above and beyond their CSR mandates to provide lifesaving and other essential drugs to those who cannot afford them.