Daily CURRENT AFFAIRS

Daily Current Affair - UPSC/KAS Exams - 18th June 2021

What is in news : South Western Railway (SWR) will run MEMU trains on suburban routes, including the popular Bengaluru-Tumakuru and KSR Bengaluru-Devenahalli lines.

Details :

• SWR has completed electrification work till Hirehalli on the 56-km Yeshwantpur–Tumakuru line. The remaining 11 km will be completed by the end of June.
• SWR aims to complete electrification of eight lines totalling 318 km by 2022. The only exception is the Chikkabanavara-Hassan line, which is expected to be electrified by March 2023.
• SWR proposes to run 60 trains on electric traction by March 2022, which is expected to save ₹9.05 crore every month.

MEMU TRAINS

• On Indian Railways, the MEMUs are electric multiple unit (EMU) trains that serve short and medium-distance routes in India, as compared to normal EMU trains that connect urban and suburban areas. The acronym stands for "Mainline Electric Multiple Unit"
• In the 1990s Indian Railways' built MEMUs that had 10 ft 8 in (3,250 mm) wide coaches
• The service started on Asansol – Adra section on 15 July 1995 and on Kharagpur – Tata section on 22 July 1995.
• The first 20 coach MEMU ran between Surat to Virar in 2017. In 2018, Integral Coach Factory (ICF) launched new MEMU capable to operate at 110–130 km/h (68–81 mph)
• IR is progressively replacing all locomotive-hauled slow and fast passenger and intercity trains with EMUs. The upgraded trains are re-branded as MEMUs

POLITY

What is the news : Recently, the Union Cabinet approved the Inland Vessels Bill, 2021, which will replace the Inland Vessels Act, 1917 after passing in Parliament

Features of the Bill:

• A key feature of the Bill is a unified law for the entire country, instead of separate rules framed by the States.
• The certificate of registration granted under the proposed law will be deemed to be valid in all States and Union Territories, and there will be no need to seek separate permissions from the States.
• The Bill provides for a central database for recording the details of vessel, vessel registration, crew on an electronic portal.
• All non-mechanically propelled vessels will also have to be enrolled at the district, taluk or panchayat or village level.
• It enlarges the definition of ‘inland waters’, by including tidal water limit and national waterways declared by the Central Government.
• It also deals with pollution control measures of Inland Vessels. This Bill directs the Central Government to designate a list of chemicals, substances, etc. as pollutants.

Inland Waterways:

• India has about 14,500 km of navigable waterways which comprise of rivers, canals, backwaters, creeks, etc.
• As per the National Waterways Act 2016, 111 waterways have been declared as National Waterways (NWs).
• NW-1: Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System (Prayagraj-Haldia) with length 1620 km is the longest National Waterway in India.
• The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is implementing the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) for capacity augmentation of navigation on the Haldia-Varanasi stretch of Ganga (part of NW-1) with the technical and financial assistance of the World Bank.

What is the news : central government issued a notification amending the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 thereby providing a statutory mechanism for redressal of grievances/complaints of citizens.

About the Notification:

• The notification issues Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2021.
• It provides for a three-level grievance redressal mechanism — self-regulation by broadcasters, self-regulation by the self-regulating bodies of the broadcasters, and oversight by an Inter-Departmental Committee at the level of the Union government.
• Significance Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2021:
• Various Self-regulatory bodies like News Broadcasters Standards Authority (NBSA) and Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) will get legal recognition.
• At present, there is an institutional mechanism by way of an Inter-Ministerial Committee to address grievances of citizens relating to violation of the Programme/Advertising Codes under the Rules.
• Various broadcasters have also developed their internal self-regulatory mechanism for addressing grievances.
• There are over 900 television channels that have been granted permission by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB).
• The recent notification is significant as it paves the way for a strong institutional system for redressing grievances while placing accountability and responsibility on the broadcasters and their self-regulating bodies.
• This will bring the television’s self-regulatory mechanism at par with that being set-up for OTT players and digital news publishers, as envisaged in the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

SOCIAL ISSUES

What is in news : The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Thursday submitted to the Supreme Court a 40:30:30 formula for evaluation of marks of Class XII students, which will be based on their Class XII, Class XI and Class X results, respectively.

Details :

• According to the formula, the theory marks of each subject will be computed using 40% from the marks they got in the subject pre-boards or mid-term exams held by their schools earlier this year, 30% from their Class XI final exam marks, and 30% from their Class X board exam results. This will be added to the actual marks that they got in their Class XII internal assessments and practicals for that subject.
• For Class XII, it will be based on the performance of students in each subject in either one or more unit tests, mid-term or pre-board theory exams. This will be left to the discretion of the ‘Result Committees’ to be constituted in each school comprising the school principal, two seniormost teachers of the school and two teachers teaching Class XII at a neighbouring school.
• For the Class XI component, the computation will be based on the marks in the respective subjects from year-end final theory exams that the students wrote in 2019-2020.
• In the Class X component, the average of the theory marks of three main subjects in which a student performed best in their Class X board examinations will be computed. This average will be uniformly awarded to all the class XII subjects based on theory weightage of each subject.
• Each school will have to internally moderate the marks to account for the school level variations in marking of students in internally conducted exams of Classes XI and XII. A historical performance reference will be used as anchor. This will be the performance of the school in whichever of the last three years’ board examinations it performed best.
• Students who fall short in one subject will be placed in the ‘compartment’ category, and compartment examination will be conducted after declaration of results to give them a chance to clear that subject. Those who fall short in more than one subject will be placed in the ‘essential repeat’ category.Students who are not satisfied with the manner of assessment or the marks they will get will be allowed to sit for written examinations conducted by the board “when conditions are conducive for holding the examinations”.

What is the news : An inspiring journey of 100 women scientists who returned to science after a break in career has been documented into a book form.

Woman scientist scheme- Kiran :

• Full form - Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing (KIRAN) Scheme
• The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is implementing ‘Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing (KIRAN)’ Scheme to provide various career opportunities to women scientists and technologists.
• It is primarily aimed to bring gender parity in the Science & Technology sector by inducting more women talent in the research & development domain through various programmes.
• It also provides fellowship support ranging from Rs 25000 to 55000 to women ranging in the age group 27 to 57 years for continuing higher education in Science and Technology after a break in career.

What is in news : Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has issued a notification dated 14thJune, 2021 for a common format of the PUC (Pollution Under Control) Certificate to be issued across the country, under Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989

Salient features of the PUCC - 

(a) Introduction of uniform Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUC) format across the country and linking the PUC database with the National Register.

 (b) The concept of Rejection slip is being introduced for the first time. A common format of rejection slip is to be given to the vehicle owner in case the test result value is more than the maximum permissible value, as mandated in the concerned emission norms. This document can be shown at the service centre for getting the vehicle serviced or can be used, in case the PUCC centre device is not working properly when tested at another centre.

(c) There will be confidentiality of information viz. (i) Vehicle owner’s mobile number, name and address (ii) engine number and chassis number (only the last four digits to be visible, the other digits shall be masked)

 (d) The owner’s mobile number has been made mandatory, on which an SMS alert will be sent for validation and fee.  

 (e) If the enforcement officer has reason to believe that a motor vehicle is not complying with provisions of Emission standards, he may communicate in writing or through electronic mode to direct the driver or any person in-charge of the vehicle to submit the vehicle for conducting the test in any one of the authorized Pollution Under Control (PUC) testing stations. If the driver or person in-charge of the vehicle fails to submit the vehicle for compliance or the vehicle fails to comply, the owner of the vehicle shall be liable for payment of penalty.

If the owner fails to comply with this, the registering authority shall, for reasons to be recorded in writing, suspend the certificate of registration of the vehicle and any permit granted, until such time a valid “Pollution under Control “certificate is generated. 

(f) Thus, enforcement would be IT-enabled and would help in better control over polluting vehicles.

(g) The QR code shall be printed on the form. It will contain the complete information about the PUC Centre.

What is in news : S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS) has shown that the geometry of space-time can cause neutrinos to oscillate.

Details :

• They also "oscillate"-- meaning that different types of neutrinos change into one another – as has been found in many experiments. Probing of oscillations of neutrinos and their relations with mass are crucial in studying the origin of the universe.
• Neutrinos interact very weakly with everything else – trillions of them pass through every human being every second without anyone noticing; a neutrino’s spin always points in the opposite direction of its motion, and until a few years ago, neutrinos were believed to be massless. It is now generally believed that the phenomenon of neutrino oscillations require neutrinos to have tiny masses.

What are neutrinos

• Neutrinos, first proposed by Swiss scientist Wolfgang Pauli in 1930, are the second most widely occurring particle in the universe, only second to photons, the particle which makes up light. In fact, neutrinos are so abundant among us that every second, there are more than 100 trillion of them passing right through each of us — we never even notice them.
• They occur in three different types, or flavours. These are separated in terms of different masses. From experiments so far, we know that neutrinos have a tiny mass, but the ordering of the neutrino mass states is not known and is one of the key questions that remain unanswered till today. This is a major challenge INO will set to resolve, thus completing our picture of the neutrino.
• They hold the key to several important and fundamental questions on the origin of the Universe and the energy production in stars. Another important possible application of neutrinos is in the area of neutrino tomograph of the earth, that is detailed investigation of the structure of the Earth from core on wards. This is possible with neutrinos since they are the only particles which can probe the deep interiors of the Earth.

Production enhancement

• In order to augment the domestic manufacture, the Government is continuously engaging with the manufacturers to resolve their issues related to raw materials. Department of Pharmaceuticals and the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) have actively coordinated with the industry for identification of manufacturers, alternate drugs and expeditious approvals of new manufacturing facilities. The manufacturing firms were contacted and have been sensitized about the need to increase production.
• The existing manufacturers have also been called upon to increase production of Liposomal Amphotericin-B. Ramping up production of alternative drugs/forms for treating the disease is also being actively pursued with the manufacturers. Various concerns of manufacturers and importers, including those related to licensing and availability of raw material issues, import license are being speedily addressed.
• The domestic production capacity of Amphotericin B Liposomal Injection has increased from about 62000 in April 2021, to 1.63 lakh vials in May 2021 and is expected to cross 3.75 lakh vials in June, which is a fivefold increase in a short time span.
• Regular Monitoring of production is being carried out by the Government and several meetings held with the manufacturers to identify the issues involved in the augmentation of the production. Companies manufacturing APIs have also been contacted by the Government and asked to ensure increased and continuous supplies for augmenting production.

Import facilitation

• Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is playing an important role in reaching out to various players abroad. Through its missions all over the world, MEA has identified new sources of Amphotericin B/ Liposomal Amphotericin B injections and alternative drugs for treatment of Mucormycosis.
• Out of the identified sources, the MoHFW has called upon MEA to take steps to procure Liposomal Amphotericin-B from Australia, Russia, Germany, Argentina, Belgium and China. MEA has also been actively working on ensuring supplies of key excipient, HSPC and DSPG-NA from sources abroad for production of Liposomal Amphotericin B in India.

Making allocation

• In order to ensure equitable distribution of the limited stocks, it was decided to make allocation of limited stocks among states, which would ensure that all states with patients of Mucormycosis would get a fair chance of accessing a share of the supplies. 
• The allocation by the Central Government is being done only in respect of Lyposomal Amphotericin-B, barring one manufacturer Bharat Serum, which produces Lyposomal, Lipid and emulsion form of the drug. The allocation of Conventional Amphotericine is also being done since 14th June 2021, after assessing the demand and availability.
• For equitable distribution, allotments are being made to the States/ UTs in accordance with the proportion of their reported case load in respect of the entire country. The number of patients in a particular State is derived from the portal of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in which the States themselves enter the figures of patient load in their respective states. This allocation regime is an interim arrangement till the supply of the drug stabilises vis a vis the demand.
• Physical distribution and availability of the drug in a particular city/ hospital is managed by the State Governments concerned. Liposomal Amphotericin-B is directly procured by State Governments from the manufacturers based on the allocation made and the drug is subsequently made available to the Hospitals. Through allocations made till 14th June, 2021, a total 6,67,360 vials have been allocated by Department of Pharmaceuticals to States / UTs. In addition, 53,000 vials of Conventional Amphotericin B were also allocated to States / UTs on 14th June.

Ensuring supply

• Supply arrangements are being monitored by the National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority (NPPA) under the Department so as to ensure expeditious availability of the drug to the needy. NPPA has put in place a strongly responsive system to ensure timely supplies of allocated volumes and maintains continuous contact with States / UTs and suppliers to trouble shoot any issues in reaching the drugs to the Health Departments of States/ UTs.
• On 7th June, 2021, MoHFW has circulated the advisory of the National Task Force on COVID-19 for treatment and management of Covid related Mucormycosis (CAM), which explains in detail, the manner and conditions under which various Mucormycosis drugs like Amphotericin B lipid complex, liposomal Amphotericin B, Amphotericin deoxycholate form, Posaconazole etc. are to be used. Department of Pharmaceuticals has also on 10th June, 2021 issued an advisory to the Health Secretaries of all State governments/UTs reiterating the need of ensuring judicious use of allocated drugs and efficient distribution within their State/UTs.
• Government continues to closely monitor in contact with state governments and manufacturers, the production, import, supplies and availability of the drugs required for treatment of Mucormycosis.

By : UN Sustainable Development Solution Network (SDSN)

Key points :

• This year, Finland was ranked highest in the index.
• A Nordic country has ranked at the top of SDG Index for the first time.
• Finland has topped even when COVID-19 has slowed down sustainable development
• Top 10 countries in Sustainable development index 2021 are: Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Norway, France, Slovenia and Estonia (in that order).

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDGs was adopted in 2015 by all member states of United-Nations. It describes a universal agenda which are applicable to all countries.  It is a successor to Millennium Development Goals. SDG index is framed on the basis of implementation of 17 SDG goals among UN member states in six broad categories- education, skills, health & wellbeing, clean energy & industry, sustainable land use, sustainable cities, and digital technologies. Index is prepared by independent experts at Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and Bertelsmann Stiftung.

By : UNESCO

Details :

• Latest edition of UNESCO Science Report (USR) was published on June 11, 2021 which is entitled as “race against time for smarter development”
• USR is a flagship publication of UNESCO which is published once every five years. It is a report on science, technology and innovation (STI).
• Every edition comprises of a chapter on India. Chapter on India in latest edition was authored by Prof Sunil Mani, director at Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram. This chapter provides an overview of STI developments in India along with suggestions and recommendations.
• With respect to initiatives promoting innovation on account of COVID-19, USR suggests to find new ways for finance research projects and to amend existing IP rules to do away compulsory licenses on vaccines and drugs.
• According to report, India has not adopted industry 4.0 technologies and job losses due to automation is not a serious threat now.
• Report highlights, despite some efforts only a few Indian states have made progress on meeting  renewable energy targets. USR suggests for incentives to promote use of electric and hybrid vehicles. Report is silent about policies on biofuels or on hydrogen as a source of energy.
• On employment report highlights, job opportunities for science, technology, engineering & medicine (STEM) graduates have not increased. However, employability of STEM graduates has increased to 49% in 2019 from 34% in 2014. It is serious issue because every other graduate is unemployable.

• Former Karnataka Ranaji all-rounder B. Vijayakrishna passed away  on Thursday following a cardiac arrest.
• US President Joe Biden is soon expected to sign a law making June 19, or “Juneteenth”, a national holiday recognised by the federal government, commemorating the end of slavery after the American Civil War
• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has condoled the demise of Dr Kenneth David Kaunda, former President of Zambia.
• Twitter has appointed interim Chief Compliance Officer in India to comply with the Indian government’s new IT rules.
• Scientists have created first-ever 3D map of boundary between our solar system and interstellar space called Heliosphere. 3D map was created using data from NASA’s IBEX satellite.