Current Affairs Feb 25 – GES Reporter

Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Pharmaceuticals

Why in News?

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Pharmaceuticals over a period of Financial Year 2020-21 to 2028-29.

Benefits

The Scheme will benefit domestic manufacturers, help in creating employment and is expected to contribute to the availability of wider range of affordable medicines for consumers.
The scheme is expected to promote the production of high value products in the country and increase the value addition in exports.
Total incremental sales of Rs.2,94,000 crore and total incremental exports of Rs.1,96,000 crore are estimated during six years from 2022-23 to 2027-28.
The scheme is expected to generate employment for both skilled and un-skilled personnel, estimated at 20,000 direct and 80,000 indirect jobs as a result of growth in the sector.
It is expected to promote innovation for development of complex and high-tech products including products of emerging therapies and in-vitro Diagnostic Devices as also self-reliance in important drugs. It is also expected to improve accessibility and affordability of medical products including orphan drugs to the Indian population.

Objective

To enhance India’s manufacturing capabilities by increasing investment and production in the sector and contributing to product diversification to high value goods in the pharmaceutical sector.
One of the further objectives of the scheme is to create global champions out of India who have the potential to grow in size and scale using cutting edge technology and thereby penetrate the global value chains.

Background:

Indian pharmaceutical industry is 3rd largest in the world by volume and is worth USD 40 billion in terms of value. The country contributes 3.5% of total drugs and medicines exported globally. India exports pharmaceuticals to more than 200 countries and territories including highly regulated markets such as USA, UK, European Union, Canada etc.
At present, low value generic drugs account for the major component of Indian exports, while a large proportion of the domestic demand for patented drugs is met through imports. This is because the Indian Pharmaceutical sector lacks in high value production along with the necessary pharma R&D.

PIB

Production Linked Incentive Scheme for IT Hardware

Why in News?

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for IT Hardware.
The scheme proposes production linked incentive to boost domestic manufacturing and attract large investments in the value chain of IT Hardware.
The Target Segments under the proposed Scheme include Laptops, Tablets, All-in-One PCs and Servers.
The Scheme shall, extend an incentive of 4% to 2% / 1% on net incremental sales (over base year i.e. 2019-20) of goods manufactured in India and covered under the target segment, to eligible companies, for a period of four (4) years.
The scheme is likely to benefit 5 major global players and 10 domestic champions in the field of IT Hardware manufacturing including Laptops, Tablets, All-in-One PCs, and Servers.

Financial Implications:

The total cost of the proposed scheme is approximately Rs.7,350 crore over 4 years, which includes an incentive outlay of Rs.7,325 crore and administrative charges of Rs.25 crore.

Benefits:

The scheme will enhance the development of electronics ecosystem in the country. India will be well positioned as a global hub for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) on account of integration with global value chains, thereby becoming a destination for IT Hardware exports.
The scheme has an employment generation potential of over 1,80,000 (direct and indirect) over 4 years.
The Scheme will provide impetus to Domestic Value Addition for IT Hardware which is expected to rise to 20% – 25% by 2025.

Background:

The vision of National Policy on Electronics 2019 notified on 25.02.2019 is to position India as a global hub for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) by encouraging and driving capabilities in the country for developing core components, including chipsets, and creating an enabling environment for the industry to compete globally.
Currently, the laptop and tablet demand in India is largely met through imports valued at USD 4.21 billion and USD 0.41 billion respectively in 2019-20.
The market for IT Hardware is dominated by 6-7 companies globally which account for about 70% of the world’s market share. These companies are able to exploit large economies of scale to compete in global markets. It is imperative that these companies expand their operations in India and make it a major destination for manufacturing of IT Hardware.
Given the current global scenario, the world of manufacturing is undergoing a paradigm shift. Manufacturing companies across the globe are looking to diversify their manufacturing locations to mitigate the risk involved in depending on a single market.

PIB

Three Patents filed by NMPB

Why in News?

The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of AYUSH has initiated a special drive to identify the patentable projects which were / are sponsored under the ‘Research and Development Component’ of Central Sector Scheme (CSS) on “Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants”.
NMPB generally sponsors various R&D programs under CSS to both government as well as private organizations across the country.
Under these sponsored / financially supported research projects, NMPB so far identified three unique projects which are novel in nature and patentable.

They are:

(1.) Bio-production of secondary metabolites from Aegle marmelos which is commonly known as Bel;

(2.) In vitro production of secondary metabolites from tree species of Dashmoola (10 roots used in Ayurveda) through hairy root cultures; and

(3.) Development of anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory agents from Dioscoria floribunda.

While the first two projects belong to the Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB), Coimbatore, the third project was carried out by Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow.
The CIMAP filed patent is titled as “A synergistic polyherbal formulation exhibiting potential cancer activity.”

PIB

Awards under the PM-KISAN scheme

Why in News?

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Rural Development, Panchayat Raj and Food Processing Industries, awarded the top-performing States and Districts for their exemplary work with respect to the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme.
The states/UTs were awarded based on the criteria such as correction of data, addressing farmer grievances, timely physical verification exercise etc.

About the Scheme:

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme was launched on 24th February, 2019 with a view to providing income support to all landholding Small and Marginal farmers’ (SMF) families across the country, to enable them to take care of expenses related to agriculture and allied activities as well as domestic needs.
The Scheme, effective from 1.12.2018, aims to provide a payment of Rs. 6000 per year for the farmers’ families with cultivable land holding up to 2 hectares, subject to certain exclusions.
The financial benefit of Rs.6000 is being released by the Central Government in three 4-monthly instalments of Rs. 2000/- over the year directly into the bank accounts of the eligible farmers under Direct Benefit Transfer mode.
The entire responsibility of identification of beneficiaries rests with the State/UT Governments.
Beneficiaries are entitled to their benefit from the 4-monthly period in which their name is uploaded by the State Nodal Officer (SNO) in the PM-KISAN Portal.

PIB

BRICS Finance and Central Bank Deputies

Why in News?

India hosted a Meeting of BRICS Finance and Central Bank Deputies virtually.
Other participants included BRICS Finance and Central Bank Deputies of Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa.
India assumed the BRICS Chairship in 2021, at a time when BRICS is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Under the theme BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation, India’s approach is focused on strengthening collaboration through Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus.
This was the first meeting on the BRICS Financial Cooperation under India Chairship in 2021.
During the meeting, India shared priorities under financial cooperation agenda and issues for discussion during 2021 such as Global Economic Outlook and Response to COVID-19, Social Infrastructure Financing and Use of Digital Technologies, New Development Bank (NDB) Activities, Fintech for SME and Financial Inclusion, BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA), among others.

PIB

Grant of Government Business to Private Banks

Why in News?

The Government has lifted the embargo on private sector banks (only a few were permitted earlier) for the conduct of Government-related banking transactions such as taxes and other revenue payment facilities, pension payments, small savings schemes, etc.

Why?

This step is expected to further enhance customer convenience, spur competition and higher efficiency in the standards of customer services.
Private sector banks, which are at the forefront of imbibing and implementing latest technology and innovation in banking, will now be equal partners in development of the Indian economy and in furthering the social sector initiatives of the Government.
With the lifting of the embargo, there is now no bar on RBI for authorization of private sector banks (in addition to public sector banks) for Government business, including Government agency business.

PIB

Sustainable Development of Dams & River Basins

Why in News?

The International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) Symposium on Sustainable Development of Dams & River Basins was inaugurated.
International Commission on Large Dams(INCOLD) in collaboration with Central Water Commission (CWC), Dam Rehabilitation Improvement Project (DRIP) and National Hydrology Project (NHP) is organising Symposium on “Sustainable Development of Dams and River Basins” under the aegis of ICOLD at New Delhi as Hybrid event from 24th – 27th February 2021.
The symposium is being organised to provide an excellent opportunity to Indian Dam Engineering Professionals and Agencies to share their experiences, ideas and latest developments in new materials and construction technologies, advancement in investigation techniques, best engineering practices, dam safety issues etc.
Besides this offers opportunity to networking with the world renowned dam experts from different countries and global organizations involved in Dam Construction, management and operation and maintenance for mutual benefits.
Dam Safety Bill which has been approved by Lok Sabha, in order to put regulatory mechanism in place, to provide for proper surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of all dams in India, which has been enacted will be publicised.

PIB

Treatment of Alzheimer’s

Why in News?

Scientists have developed a small molecule that disrupts the mechanism through which neurons become dysfunctional in Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
The molecule could be a potential drug candidate to halt or cure the leading cause of dementia (70-80%) worldwide.
In the Alzheimer’s brain, abnormal levels of naturally forming protein clump together to form plaques that collect between neurons and disrupt cell function.
This is caused by production and deposition of the amyloid peptide (Aβ) that accumulates in the central nervous system.
The multifactorial nature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) attributed to multifaceted amyloid toxicity has kept researchers from developing effective treatment.
A team of scientists designed and synthesized a set of novel small molecules and identified a lead candidate which they found could reduce the toxicity of Amyloid Beta (Aβ) toxicity.
The detailed studies established the molecule called TGR63 as the lead candidate to rescue neuronal cells from amyloid toxicity.
Remarkably, the molecule was also found to reduce amyloid burden in the cortex and hippocampus, or a complex part embedded deep into the temporal lobe, thereby reversing cognitive decline.
Currently available treatments provide only temporary relief, and there are no approved drugs that directly act on the disease mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease.

PIB

Early Detection Of Cancer, Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s

Why in News?

Scientists have developed a new technique to measure DNA modifications that can have applications in early diagnosis of multiple diseases like Cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s diseases.
Alteration in DNA affects their expression and functions.
DNA controls cell survival through the genetic code as well as via modifications to its structure.
There is a demand for techniques with very high resolution to measure such modifications of DNA structures and observe and understand the molecular mechanisms associated with it to track rare diseases.
The novel nanopore-based platform developed by the scientists can directly measure such modifications or branched DNA properties with the single-molecule resolution even with extremely low amounts of sample.
The measurement principle of the novel platform is analogous to the Archimedes principle. Individual analyte molecules are driven through a nanopore under an applied voltage, which, during translocation, results in a tiny electrical blip. C
Charges excluded by the analyte (supercoiled DNA) in the nanopore is directly proportional to the volume of the particle and is directly measured as the current change.
This method utilizes extremely low amounts of sample and can measure DNA structural changes ranging to a few nanometers resolution in the axis perpendicular to the translocation and few tens of nanometers along the translocation axis.
Further optimization of the technique can help in the development of portable nano-bio sensors for detection and quantification of protein aggregates and cell-free DNA or nucleosomes.
This may help in the early diagnosis of many diseases like Cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s diseases. Currently, researchers at RRI are also exploring applications of this method for virus detection.

PIB

Way to predicting solar cycles

Scientists have estimated how the Sun has rotated over a century from data extracted from old films and photographs that have been digitized.
This estimation would help study magnetic field generated in the interior of the Sun, which causes sunspots and results in extreme situations like the historical mini-ice age on Earth (absence of sunspots).
It could also help predict solar cycles and their variations in the future.
The Sun rotates more quickly at its equator than at its poles.
Over time, the Sun’s differential rotation rates cause its magnetic field to become twisted and tangled.
The tangles in the magnetic field lines can produce strong localized magnetic fields.
When the Sun’s magnetic field gets twisted, there are lots of sunspots.
The sunspots which form at the surface with an 11-year periodicity are the only route to probe the solar dynamo or solar magnetism inside the Sun and hence measure the variation in solar rotation.
Researchers have studied the solar rotation by tracing sun spots from century-old digitalized films and photographs.
The old films and photographs were taken at the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KoSO) of Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), an autonomous institute of DST, and have now been digitised.

PIB

Air-powered robot

A four-legged soft robot uses pressurised air to function.
These robots can find applications in places where electronics cannot function, such as MRI machines and mine shafts.
The team is now working to improve the robot’s gait to help it walk on uneven surfaces and navigate over obstacles.

THE HINDU

Massive black hole

Cygnus X-1, one of the closest black holes to Earth discovered in 1964, has now been found to have a mass of over 20 times the mass of our Sun.
The black hole is so massive it’s actually challenging how astronomers thought they formed.
The black hole in the Cygnus X-1 system began life as a star approximately 60 times the mass of the Sun and collapsed tens of thousands of years ago.

THE HINDU

New Crystalline Ice Form

Ice is a very versatile material, with about 18 crystalline forms known so far.
The different arrangement of hydrogen and oxygen atoms, different pressure and temperature help in the formation of these different types of ice.
Using a new cooling process and by increasing the pressure to around 20-kilo bar, researchers produced a new ice XIX and have now elucidated its crystal structure.

THE HINDU

Gut phages

The human gut houses over 142,000 species of bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria), notes a new study.
“It’s important to remember that not all viruses are harmful, but represent an integral component of the gut ecosystem”.
“It’s fascinating to see how many unknown species live in our gut, and to try and unravel the link between them and human health.”

THE HINDU

When CRISPR met corn

Using the gene-editing tool CRISPR, researchers have now found a way to increase the number of maize kernels per cob.
“A lot of people were using CRISPR in a very simple sense just to disrupt genes completely, to knock out the gene. But we came up with this new idea to CRISPR the promoter regions that turn the gene on”.
The team hopes this new strategy will increase crop yield per acre and make agriculture more sustainable.

THE HINDU

Habitat loss is leading to inbreeding of Indian tigers

Why in News?

While Indian tigers have the highest genetic variation compared to other subspecies of the feline across the world, their populations continue to be fragmented by loss of habitat, leading to inbreeding and potential loss of this diversity, says a new study.
This habitat loss from human activities leads to tigers being “hemmed into their own protected area.”
“Now, they can only mate with the other tigers in their own population. Over time, this will result in inbreeding, they will end up mating with their relatives.
While genetic diversity across a population improves their chances of survival in the future, the study said population fragmentation of tigers can decrease this variation, and endanger them further.
Although tigers have received significant conservation attention, the scientists said very little is known about their evolutionary history and genomic variation, especially for Indian tigers.
With 70% of the world’s tigers living in India, the researchers said understanding the genetic diversity of tigers in the country is critical to the feline’s conservation worldwide.
The results of their three-year long study offer insights into genomic variation in tigers and the processes that have sculpted it.
Based on the results, the scientists believe there have been relatively recent divergences between subspecies, and intense population bottlenecks that may have contributed to inbred individuals.
According to the NCBS scientist, maintaining structural connectivity, enabling tigers to move between protected areas can help overcome these bottlenecks.
This would require the right types of habitat between protected areas, for example having densely populated human settlements would not work.
While the total genomic variation in Indian tigers was higher than in other subspecies, the study found that several individual tigers in the country had low variation, suggesting possible inbreeding.
According to the research, tigers from northeast India were the most different from other populations in India.
The study showed recent divergences between tiger subspecies, within the last 20,000 years, which the scientists believe is concordant with increasing human impacts across Asia and a transition from glacial to interglacial climate change in the continent.

THE HINDU

New alpine plant species discovered

Why in News?

A new species of alpine plant in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district has been discovered by a group of scientists of three institutes of the country.
The new species belongs to the family of Himalayan sunflower.
It is named as Cremanthodium indicum, and the plant species which generally flowers from July to August, is endemic to Penga-Teng Tso Lake of Tawang district, where it was discovered.
The alpine plant species is assessed as critically endangered, according to the IUCN guidelines.
It is a perennial herb and stands 16–24 cm tall. Cremanthodium indica grows in boggy soil among mosses along the banks of alpine lake.

THE HINDU

Lower Bhavani Project system

Why in News?

Prime Minister is expected to lay the foundation stone for the extension, renovation and modernisation of Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) system, to be taken up at Rs. 933.10 crore, during his visit to Coimbatore.
The LBP system comprises the LBP main canal that receives water from the Bhavani Sagar Dam and runs for 201 km irrigating 2.07 lakh hectares in the districts of Erode, Tiruppur and Karur.
Also, the main canal feeds Arakkankottai and Thadapalli channels at Kodiveri anicut, while the Kalingarayan canal that runs for 90.5 km also comes under the system.
The objective of the project is to provide the right quantum of water at the right time for the total cultivable command area (CCA) by effective water utilisation and adopting conservancy strategies.

THE HINDU

Bill on religious conversion

Why in News?

Amid protests by the Opposition, the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed by voice vote a Bill aimed at curbing religious conversions by fraudulent or any other undue means, including through marriage.
The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2021 seeks to replace the ordinance promulgated in November last year that provides for imprisonment up to 10 years and a maximum fine of ₹50,000 for violators.
Under the Bill, a marriage will be declared “null and void” if the conversion is solely for that purpose, and those wishing to change their religion after marriage need to apply to the District Magistrate.
The Bill mainly envisages that no person shall convert, either directly or indirectly from one religion to another by use or practice of misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage nor shall any person abet, convince or conspire such conversion.
An aggrieved person, his/her parents, brother, sister, or any other person who is related to him/her by blood, marriage or adoption may lodge an FIR about such conversion, according to the Bill.

THE HINDU

Winter pollution shows rise in most Indian cities

The levels of PM 2.5, the most threatening of particulate matter, worsened in 43 out of 99 cities whose winter air in two years, 2020 and 2019, was compared by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
Only 19 registered “substantial improvement” — and one of these was Chennai.
The rest of the cities did not experience significant change.
In the aftermath of the lockdown, several cities reported improved pollution levels but by winter, when lockdowns were significantly eased, pollution levels had clawed back to pre-COVID-19 levels, the CSE notes, underlining the significant contribution of local and regional factors to a city’s pollution levels.
The cities with the worst pollution spikes in 2020 over 2019 include Gurugram, Lucknow, Jaipur, Visakhapatnam, Agra, Navi Mumbai, and Jodhpur. Kolkata is the only mega city in this group.
In 37 cities that are otherwise showing stable or declining seasonal averages, their peak pollution levels have risen significantly during winter.
These include Aurangabad, Indore, Nashik, Jabalpur, Rupnagar, Bhopal, Dewas, Kochi, and Kozhikode. On the other hand, in north India, other cities, including Delhi, have experienced the reverse, that is, an increase in the seasonal average but decline in the seasonal peak.
During winter, cool and calm weather traps and spikes daily pollution, particularly in north Indian cities located in the Indo Gangetic Plain.
This year, the average level of PM2.5 during the summer and monsoon months was considerably lower than the previous year due to the summer lockdown.
However, the winter PM2.5 concentration has risen compared to the 2019 winter in many cities across regions.
The analysis is part of the air pollution tracker initiative of CSE. It’s based on publicly available granular real time data (15-minute averages) from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
When ranked from the most to the least polluted cities, 23 of the most polluted cities are from north India.
While Mysuru is the least polluted, followed by Satna in Madhya Pradesh and Kochi in Kerala, Ghaziabad is the most polluted city in the northern belt.
There are only four cities (Satna, Mysuru, Vijaypura and Chikkamagaluru) that have met the national 24-hour standard (60 μg/m3) during the winter season.
Satna and Maihar in Madhya Pradesh, and Mysuru in Karnataka, are the cleanest cities in the country, according to the report.

THE HINDU