Daily Prelims Notes 19 July 2023

Daily Prelims Notes

19 July 2023

Table Of Contents

1. A push for GM mustard disregarding science, the law
2. EC to issue e-vouchers for canvassing on Akashvani, DD
3. A fascinating fusion of rock art in A.P.’s Rudragiri
4. K.’s illegal migration Bill on its way to becoming law
5. Breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s research
6. Genetic resources commission gathers in Rome to deliberate on biodiversity, nutrition & human health
7. Tracking the new railway proposal for Kerala
8. India recorded all-time high of 93% DPT3 immunisation coverage in 2022: WHO
9. Will benefits from genetic resources ever reach communities?
10. India seeks permanent resolution of row over public stockholding
11. IMF Chief urges G20 countries to restore primacy of quota resource

1. A push for GM mustard disregarding science, the law

Subject : Science and technology

Section: Biotechnology

Concept :

• A determined battle by environmentalists in the Supreme Court of India against Delhi University’s genetically modified (GM) herbicide-tolerant (HT) mustard is all that stands between GM food and Indian farmers and consumers.

GM crops

• GM crops are quite different from conventional varieties and hybrids, such as those developed by farmers, agricultural research institutions and companies.
• Biotechnologists insert select genes at a random location in the DNA of a plant to develop a GM crop.
• The insertion makes a GM crop express traits that it ordinarily would not.
• For instance, GM mustard has been altered to withstand the broad-spectrum plant-killer or herbicide glufosinate.
• This makes it easier to develop hybrid mustard seeds for higher yields.
• And farmers growing GM mustard can spray the herbicide to kill all plants except the mustard.

Convergence in risk assessment

• The Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests made a specific reference to GM mustard, and asked the government to conduct a thorough, independent, and transparent assessment of long-term biosafety, environmental risk and socio-economic impacts.
• Five of the six TEC members found HT crops completely unsuitable in the Indian context and warned of serious harm to the environment, rural livelihoods and sustainable agriculture if they were released.
• Given the overwhelming political and technical consensus, the government needs to approach the issue of HT crops transparently and robustly with an emphasis on precaution.

India and GM Crops:

• India allows the import of GM soybean and canola oil.
• The only crops approved for cultivation are (bt) cotton.
• India had an effective ban on other GM seeds for a considerable time.
• The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) earlier this year cleared a proposal for commercial cultivation of GM mustard, and it was also approved by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

About Genetically Modified Mustard (DMH-11):

• The full form of DMH is Dhara Mustard Hybrid. It is a genetically modified crop.
• It carries a gene for herbicide resistance. i.e herbicide tolerant.
• It has been developed by scientists from the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP), Delhi University.
• They developed the hybrid containing two alien genes isolated from a soil bacterium called Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.
• The barnase-barstar GM technology was deployed to develop DMH-11.
• The researchers a popular Indian mustard variety ‘Varuna’ (the barnase line) with an East European ‘Early Heera-2’ mutant (barstar).
• It contains 3 important genes Bargene, Barnase and Barstar, all derived from soil bacterium.

Concerns associated with GM Mustard:

• There is also an apprehension that the seeds of this crop cannot be used for regeneration. Hence, the farmers need to buy new seeds every time they want to grow the crops.
• There is also a likelihood that these crops could lead to disruption in species diversity.
• The most evident outcome of these crops is the spread of herbicide-resistant weeds across large tracts of agricultural land. This can lead to catastrophe in the long run.
• Various studies reveal that introduction of herbicide-resistant or HT crops had led to adverse impacts on the environment. This outcome had been noticed in several countries like the US, Australia, Canada and Argentina.
• There is the ethical question of whether it is correct to violate natural organisms’ intrinsic values by mixing among species.

2. EC to issue e-vouchers for canvassing on Akashvani, DD

Subject : Polity

Section: Elections

Concept :

• The Election Commission has made the process of allotting airtime to political parties for campaigning on Akashvani and Doordarshan entirely online.
• Instead of collecting physical vouchers for the airtime, as is the norm now, the parties will henceforth be issued digital time vouchers through an Information Technology (IT) platform.
• Each party shall be given time Vouchers of different denominations of, 5 minutes and 10 minutes, equal to the total time allotted to it for telecasts on Doordarshan and broadcasts on AIR.
• That party shall have the discretion to choose any representatives and allow them to use those time vouchers provided that no such individual representative shall be allowed to use more than 20 minutes of the total time allotted to that party, either on Doordarshan or on AIR.
• The scheme for allotment of time on public broadcasters during campaigning, which was initially notified in January 1998, holds a statutory basis under Section 39A of the Representation of People Act, 1951.
• It was formulated after extensive consultations with recognised national and State parties and is aimed at ensuring equitable access to government-owned electronic media during elections for campaigning.
• Under this scheme, an equitable base time is allotted to each national party and recognised State party uniformly on DD and Akashvani and the additional time to be allotted to the parties is decided on the basis of their performance in the last Assembly election or the Lok Sabha election.

What is a national party?

• A national party refers to such a political party that has a presence “nationally”, whereas the presence of regional parties is limited to a particular state or region.
• National parties are usually India’s bigger parties, such as the Congress and BJP and a certain stature is associated with being a national party.
• According to the Representation of People Act 1951, registered political parties can get recognition as “State” or “National” parties in the due course of time.
• At present, there are six parties in India with the status of a “national party” including the BJP, Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), CPI(M), National People’s Party (NPP) and the AAP.

Criteria to be recognised as a “national party”

• The ECI reviews the performance of recognised parties after every State Assembly election and general election to the Lok Sabha in order to accord the status of “State Party” or “National Party”.
• The rules for recognition as a national party are specified by the ECI in para 6B of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
• According to the order, a registered party will be eligible to be accorded national status if it manages to:
• Be recognised as a “State party” in four or more States; or
• Secure at least 6% of the total votes polled in any four States in the last Lok Sabha or Assembly elections, and in addition, has a minimum of four of its members elected to the Lok Sabha; or
• Wins at least 2% of seats in the Lok Sabha from not less than three States.
• The Symbols Order of 1968 was amended in 2016 to give parties one additional “pass over”.
• According to the amendment, which is in force since January 1, 2014, if a national or State party fails to meet the eligibility rules in the next general elections (i.e. 2014 Lok Sabha polls) or the Assembly election after the election in which it was recognised, the party shall remain to be recognised as a national or State party,e. it will not be stripped of its status.
• However, whether it will continue to be recognised after any subsequent election would again have to be determined by the eligibility criteria.

Criteria to be recognised as a “State party”

• A party has to secure at least 6% of the valid votes polled and two seats in Assembly polls or one in Lok Sabha polls; or
• At a General Election or Legislative Assembly election, the party must have won at least 3% of the seats in the legislative assembly of the State (subject to a minimum of 3 seats); or
• At a Lok Sabha General Elections, the party must have won at least one Lok Sabha seat for every 25 Lok Sabha seats allotted for the State; or
• At a General Election to the Lok Sabha or the Legislative Assembly, the party must have at least 8% of the total valid votes polled.

3. A fascinating fusion of rock art in A.P.’s Rudragiri

Subject : History

Section: Art and Culture

Concept :

• Recently, a painting from Kakatiya-era drawn in a natural rock shelter on the Rudragiri hillock depicts several evidences from the Ramayana.
• The site unveils a combination of prehistoric rock paintings from the Mesolithic period and exquisite artwork from the Kakatiya dynasty.

About Rudragiri caves:

• Rudragiri hillock is located in the village of Orvakallu, in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.
• The shelters are found in the hillock which earlier was served as living quarters for people during the Mesolithic age around 5000 B.C., and they bear witness to the luminous rock paintings of that era.
• Interestingly, two natural caves at the southern end of the hillock also exhibit exceptional murals from the renowned Kakatiya kingdom.

Findings from the site:

• The first cave, starting from the southern end of the hillock, presents a narrative mural portraying the intense battle between the Vanara brothers, Vali and Sugriva.
• In the middle cave, a grand sketch of Hanuman, accompanied by sacred symbols of the conch (Sankha) and the fire altar (Yagna Vedi) is present. Hanuman is depicted carrying the Sanjivani hill in his right hand, symbolising his mission to save Lakshmana’s life.
• The third cave houses the prehistoric rock paintings from the Mesolithic era.

The Kakatiya Dynasty:

• Kakatiyas is a dynasty from Andhra Pradesh that flourished in the 12th century CE. The Kakatiya dynasty ruled from Warangal (Telangana) from CE 1083-1323.
• They were known for the construction of a network of tanks for irrigation and drinking water and thereby gave a big boost to the overall development of the region.
• The Delhi Sultanate’s Alauddin Khilji invaded the Kakatiya region in 1303, which resulted in disaster for the Turks.
• The Kakatiya army put up a brave fight against Ulugh Khan’s second assault in 1323, but they were ultimately overcome.
• Architecture: A distinctive architectural style was also developed during the Kakatiya era; notable examples include the Warangal Fort, the Thousand Pillar Temple in Hanamkonda, the Ramappa Temple in Palampet, and the Kota Gullu in Ghanpur.
• Inscriptions, including about 1,000 stone inscriptions and 12 copper-plate inscriptions, provide a lot of information about the Kakatiya era.

4. U.K.’s illegal migration Bill on its way to becoming law

Subject : International Relations

Section: Msc

Concept :

• In a victory for the Rishi Sunak government, the U.K. House of Lords passed the Illegal Migration Bill.
• The bill will become law after it obtains royal assent.
• The law will make it the Home Secretary’s duty to remove illegal migrants from the U.K. and significantly change existing protections for asylum seekers.
• By decreasing access to routes to asylum, the Bill seeks to deter illegal migration to the country – especially via small boats crossing the English Channel.

What measures does the Bill propose?

• The Bill, when passed into law by the U.K. Parliament, will:
• require that the Home Secretary detain and remove those arriving in the U.K. illegally, either to Rwanda or another “safe” third country;
• would deny migrants the right to bail or judicial review for the first 28 days of their immigration detention;
• block such migrants from returning to the U.K. or seeking British citizenship going forward.
• The Bill would also seek to set a cap on the number of refugees who will be permitted to settle in the U.K. through “safe and legal routes”.
• This, at the moment, only applies to people from Afghanistan and Ukraine, or British National status holders in Hong Kong.
• The new Bill would also permit the government to detain children for up to eight days, and that too only if they applied for bail.

Criticisms against the bill

• Incompatible with international law
• Recently, the U.K.’s Home Secretary admitted that there was a more than 50% chance that the new bill is incompatible with international law.
• This is more evident in the concept of non-refoulement – that refugees should not be returned to a country where they face threats to life and liberty.
• This concept is encapsulated in the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees as well as the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
• K. is a signatory of both the conventions.
• Criticised by UNHCR
• The proposed plan to deport to origin or remove asylum seekers arriving in the U.K. by boat to a third country has been sharply criticised by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
• Extinguishes the right to seek refugee protection in the UK
• If adopted, the new bill would deny the right to seek refugee protection to people arriving irregularly in the UK, such as those risking their lives to cross the English Channel in small boats.
• The effect of this Bill (in this form) would be to deny a fair hearing and to deny protection to many genuine refugees in need of safety and asylum.

English Channel           

• The English Channel, also known simply as “the Channel,” is a body of water that separates southern England from northern France.
• It is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean and is part of the western extent of the North Sea.
• The Channel is one of the busiest shipping areas in the world and has significant historical, cultural, and economic importance.
• It is approximately 560 kilometers long and varies in width from about 240 kilometers (widest point) to just 34 kilometers (narrowest point), which is the Strait of Dover.

Strait of Dover:

• It connects the English Channel to the North Sea and separates England from mainland Europe.

5. Breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s research

Subject : Science and technology

Section: Health

Concept :

• Less than two weeks after an Alzheimer’s drug developed by Biogen and Eisai won full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Eli Lilly’s monoclonal antibody donanemab has been shown to significantly slow the progression of the disease if treated early.
• Lecanemab, a monoclonal antibody sold under the name Leqembi, was granted “accelerated” approval this January for its ability to reduce amyloid beta protein plaques in the brain — a defining feature of Alzheimer’s — and got full approval this month after later-stage results demonstrated 27% slowing of cognitive and functional decline over 18 months in comparison to a placebo.

Challenges in bringing to India

• Therapy with donanemab would require an early diagnosis, careful selection of patients, screening the eligible among them, and following up with expensive tests while watching for severe adverse events that may lead to death.
• Those being screened would have to be tested for the APOE4 gene, which has been associated with a higher risk of adverse events.
• The costs will be substantial, not just for the medication itself, but also for the biomarker and imaging workup.
• The therapy slows the progression of the disease, but does not ultimately treat it.
• While the phase 3 trial results of lecanemab and donanemab cannot be compared directly — they used different scales for measuring cognitive decline.
• Main adverse effect with drugs that clear out amyloid beta proteins is amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) such as swelling or bleeding in the brain, most of which is asymptomatic.
• Alzheimer’s has multiple modalities and we need various therapies to address them. While the amyloid beta protein therapy has been at the forefront, there is a need to investigate other targets as well.

Alzheimer’s disease

• Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks.
• The disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer
• It symptoms included memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior.
• In brain found many abnormal clumps (now called amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers (now called neurofibrillary, or tau, tangles).
• These plaques and tangles in the brain are still considered some of the main features of Alzheimer’s disease.
• Another feature is the loss of connections between nerve cells (neurons) in the brain.
• This damage initially takes place in parts of the brain involved in memory, including the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. It later affects areas in the cerebral cortex, such as those responsible for language, reasoning, and social behavior.

6. Genetic resources commission gathers in Rome to deliberate on biodiversity, nutrition & human health

Subject : Environment

Section: International convention

Context:

• Delegates from across the world have gathered at the 19th session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) in Rome, Italy.

Details:

• The meeting is taking place at the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) headquarters in Rome.
• The delegates and observers will deliberate on three matters:
  • A review of work on biodiversity, nutrition and human health;
  • Access and benefit-sharing for food and agriculture; and
  • Digital sequence information for food and agriculture.
• At the end of the first day, three informal groups were set up.
• The delegates will discuss:
  • Biodiversity for food and agriculture;
  • The role of genetic resources for food and agriculture in mitigation of and adaptation to climate change;
  • Forest genetic resources;
  • Microorganism and invertebrate genetic resources, including pollinator and biological control agents; and
  • Animal genetic resources.

About the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA):

• CGRFA is the only permanent intergovernmental body that deals with all components of biodiversity for food and agriculture.
• The commission was established in 1983 and on July 16, it completed 40 years of existence.
• Other than working on the diversity of domesticated crops, livestock and farmed fish and aquatic invertebrates, forest trees and aquatic species, the commission also covers the diversity of all the non-domesticated species that enable production to occur. These include pollinators, soil-dwelling organisms, the natural enemies of pests and the microorganisms that enable ruminant animals to digest their food.

Framework of Action on Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture:

• The Framework for Action on Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture was endorsed by the FAO Council in 2021.
• It contains more than 50 individual actions grouped into three strategic priority areas:
  • characterization, assessment and monitoring;
  • management (sustainable use and conservation); and
  • institutional frameworks.

• It was developed in response to the country-driven report on The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture.

Digital Sequence Information (DSI) on Genetic Resources:

• Digital sequence information (DSI) is a term used in the context of certain international policy fora, particularly the Convention on Biological Diversity, to refer to data derived from genetic resources.
• DSI refers to data from DNA or RNA that can be stored digitally.
• The term is generally agreed to include nucleic acid sequence data and may be construed to include other data types derived from or linked to genetic resources, including, for example, protein sequence data.
• DSI is crucial to research in a wide range of contexts, including public health, medicine, biodiversity, plant and animal breeding, and evolution research.
• The Nagoya Protocol, a component of the Convention on Biological Diversity, establishes a right for countries to regulate, and to share in benefits derived from, their nation’s genetic resources by arranging Access and Benefit Sharing Agreements with users.

7. Tracking the new railway proposal for Kerala

Subject : Geography

Section: Places in news

Context:

• In Kerala, a new semi-high speed railway, expected to cruise at an average speed of 125 kmph has been proposed.

Details:

• Set to travel the 420-km Thiruvananthapuram-Kannur north-south corridor, the trains are slated to cover the distance in three and a half hours.
• The alignment for the trains will be largely that of the alignment suggested in 2015 for the high-speed rail corridor.

About the new rail project:

• The approximately ₹1 lakh crore semi-high speed train project on standard gauge track was mooted recently by technocrat E. Sreedharan.
• It is being projected as an alternative to the ₹64,000 crore Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod SilverLine project, which was to cover the 530-km distance at an average speed of about 135 kmph.
• The proposed corridor would have a design speed of 200 kmph and can be linked with high-speed or semi-high speed rail projects on standard gauge that could touch Mangaluru and Coimbatore in future.

Why are high speed trains a priority?

• Trains in Kerala are operating at rock-bottom speed.
• The average speed of express trains is about 50 kmph to as low as 35 kmph.
• There are now 1.5 crore vehicles — one vehicle for every two persons — jostling for space on narrow and congested roads which claim the life of over 4,000 people in accidents every year in the State.

What happened to the high-speed rail corridor and the SilverLineproject?

• In 2014, the State government entrusted the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) with the task of readying a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a high-speed rail corridor linking Thiruvananthapuram with the northern-most district Kasaragod.
• The DPR which was handed over to the government in 2015 was considered too ambitious and costly and failed to take off.
• The SilverLineproject, proposed by the KRDCL in 2021 met with massive resistance due to concern over:
  • Massive displacement of people
  • Being built over a tall embankment
  • Worsen the flood situation, as embankment would block natural flow of water

8. India recorded all-time high of 93% DPT3 immunisation coverage in 2022: WHO

Subject : Science and Technology

Section: Health

Context:

• The coverage rate for DPT3, the third dose of diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccines, in India rose to an all-time of 93% in 2022, surpassing the previous pre-pandemic best of 91% recorded in 2019, and also marking a sharp increase from the 85% recorded in 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

Details:

• The region also witnessed a six per cent improvement in the coverage of the measles vaccine, rising to 92% in 2022 from 86% in 2021.
• In this region, the number of zero-dose children (those that have not received even the first dose of DPT vaccine) halved to 2.3 million in 2022 from 4.6 million in 2021.
• The number of partially vaccinated children (those that have received at least one dose of DPT vaccine but did not complete the primary series of three doses) reduced to 6,50,000 in 2022 from 1.3 million in 2021.

What is Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (DPT)?

• Diphtheria:
  • Caused by: Diphtheria is primarily caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae.
  • Symptoms: Common cold, fever, chills, swollen gland in neck, sore throat, bluish skin etc.
  • Spread: It is mainly spread by coughs and sneezes, or through close contact with someone infected.
  • Target Population: Diphtheria particularly affects children aged 1 to 5 years.
    • Occurrence of diphtheria cases in under-five children reflects low coverage of primary diphtheria vaccination.
• Tetanus:
  • Caused by: Tetanus is acquired through infection of a cut or wound with the spores of the bacterium Clostridium tetani, and most cases occur within 14 days of infection. Tetanus cannot be transmitted from person to person.
  • Prevention: Tetanus can be prevented through immunisation with Tetanus-Toxoid-Containing Vaccines (TTCV). However, people who recover from tetanus do not have natural immunity and can be infected again.
  • Symptoms:
    • Jaw cramping or the inability to open the mouth.
    • muscle spasms often in the back, abdomen and extremities.
    • sudden painful muscle spasms often triggered by sudden noises.
    • Seizures.

• Pertussis:
  • Caused by: Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. In 2018, there were more than 151 000 cases of pertussis globally.
    • The disease is most dangerous in infants, and is a significant cause of disease and death in this age group.
  • Spread: Pertussis spreads easily from person to person mainly through droplets produced by coughing or sneezing.

About Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DTP3) vaccine:

• The DTP vaccine is a class of combination vaccines against three infectious diseases in humans: diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), and tetanus.
• The vaccine components include diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and either kill whole cells of the bacterium that causes pertussis or pertussis antigens.
• Immunisation is an essential component for reducing under-five mortality: Immunisation coverage estimates are used to monitor coverage of immunisation services and to guide disease eradication and elimination efforts.
• It is a good indicator of health system performance.

Initiatives:

• Intensified Mission Indradhanush: India was quick to prevent further backslide with catchup programmes such as the Intensified Mission Indradhanush 3, which reduced the number of children who had not received the first dose from 3 million to 2.7 million in 2021.
  • In 2019, 1.4 million children in the country did not receive the first dose.
• Indradhanush 4.0: Aiming to immunise every pregnant woman and child, India launched Intensified Mission Indradhanush 4.0 in 2022.
  • It is globally the largest vaccination drive reaching out to missed children and pregnant women.
• Universal immunisation programme: Annually, India vaccinates more than 30 million pregnant women and 27 million children through its universal immunisation programme.

9. Will benefits from genetic resources ever reach communities?

Subject: Environment

Section: International Convention

Context:

• Over the last two years, there have been extensive discussions around the concept of access and benefit sharing linked to genetic resources.

Details:

• It has been at the core of discussions under:
  • The Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) Global Biodiversity Framework;
  • World Health Organization’s Pandemic Treaty;
  • The Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction and
  • The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA).
• It was discussed again recently at the Ad Hoc Open Ended Working Group to Enhance the Functioning of the Multilateral System under ITPGRFA in Rome.
  • The Working Group was established way back in 2013.
  •  It is tasked to figure out ways to make the multilateral system of sharing plant genetic resources for food and agriculture work.
  • The issues involves are:
    • Standard Material Transfer Agreement;
    • Expansion of the list of crops in Annex I (at present, this has with 35 crop genera and 29 forage species); and
    • Implementation measures that include ways of sharing benefits from digital sequence information.
• The issue is of utmost importance as plant genetic resources for food and agriculture could provide a way to increase and diversify food production and also help to adapt to climate change in the future.

About ITPGRFA:

• It is a legally binding comprehensive agreement adopted in November, 2001 at Rome during the 31st session of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, which entered into force on June 29, 2004 and currently has 149 Contracting Parties, including India.
• The treaty provides solutions to achieve food and nutritional security as well as climate resilient agriculture. Countries are inter-dependent for PGRFA and consequently a global order is essential to facilitate access and benefit sharing.
• It formally acknowledges the enormous contribution of indigenous people and small-holder farmers as traditional custodians of the world’s food crops.
• The treaty was aimed at:
  • recognizing the significant contribution of farmers to the diversity of crops that feed the world;
  • establishing a global system to provide farmers, plant breeders and scientists with access to plant genetic materials; and
  • ensuring that recipients share benefits they derive from the use of these genetic materials with the countries where they have originated.

Nagoya protocol:

• The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation (ABS) to the Convention on Biological Diversity is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
• It provides a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of one of the three objectives of the CBD: the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources.
• The Nagoya Protocol on ABS was adopted on 29 October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan and entered into force on 12 October 2014, 90 days after the deposit of the fiftieth instrument of ratification.
• Its objective is the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources, thereby contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

What is ABS?

• Access and benefit sharing refers to the way in which genetic resources may be accessed, and how users and providers reach an agreement on the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits that might result from their use.
• Article 15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) sets out rules, which govern access and benefit sharing. Under these rules, the governments of countries have two key responsibilities:

1. To put in place systems that facilitate access to genetic resources for environmentally sound purposes
2. To ensure that the benefits resulting from their use are shared fairly and equitably between users and providers

Why are access and benefit sharing important?

• Access to genetic resources can lead to benefits for both users and providers.
• Access and benefit sharing ensures that the way in which genetic resources are accessed and used
  • maximises the benefits for users, providers, and the ecology
  • help communities where they are found.
• To deliver a range of benefits; from basic scientific research, such as taxonomy, to developing commercial products which contribute to human well beings, such as pharmaceuticals.

10. India seeks permanent resolution of row over public stockholding

Subject :Economy

Section: External Sector

Context: India will stick to its demand of prioritising a permanent solution for the issue of public stockholding (PSH) or buffer stocks of foodgrains at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Key Points:

• India is set to continue with its position of arriving at a permanent solution for public stockholding of food grains, without getting into the debate over whether it is the only way to ensure food security as the model has worked well for the country.
• WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva in June 2022 failed to deliver a permanent solution to public stockholding.
• India and China, among 80 members, have sought text-based negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to find a permanent solution on public stockholding (PSH) for food security at the ministerial-level meeting of the global trade body in February 2024.
• Developing countries and the African Group are pushing for a food security package at the 2024 conference.
• What is the public stockholding issue:
  • Although there is a peace clause in place that stops members from taking action against developing countries in case the present cap of 10 per cent of production value is breached, it is subject to numerous conditions including onerous notification requirements.
• Importance of public stockholding for India:
  • Allows the use of Minimum Support Price (MSP) programmes for food items without worrying about breaching caps and inviting legal action from members.
  • India has rejected any alternative food security solutions beyond PSH and special safeguard mechanism (SSM), SSM being key to check sudden import surges and price drops.
• Why is it important to resolve ?
  • Several developing countries including India maintain that till all the pending matters flowing from the earlier rounds, including finding a permanent solution to PSH, are sorted out, progress in other areas of the agriculture negotiations would be difficult.
  • India’s PSH programme has helped ensure food security for 1.4 billion people, even during the pandemic period.
  • Some countries are now trying to dilute the situation by urging India to hold discussions on the technicalities of PSH.
• At the Bali Ministerial Conference in 2013 it was decided that a permanent solution would be reached by 2017-end, but no concrete progress yet.
• Cairns Group members including Canada and Australia have been pushing for the need to address food security within the context of overall agriculture reform and reduction of trade-distorting domestic subsidies.
• Discussions are expected on various elements of public stockholding issue, such as external reference price, product coverage, transparency requirements, anti-circumvention, safeguard provisions, and the importance of preserving access to dispute settlement.

11. IMF Chief urges G20 countries to restore primacy of quota resource

Subject :Economy

Section: External Sector

Context : IMF chief has stressed the need for prioritising quota revision, to enhance lending capacity.

Key Points:

• IMF has nearly $1 trillion in lending capacity based on the quota resources—which are critical to ensure the predictability of the IMF’s firepower
• The resources have shrunk in relative terms. It is thus important to enhance the IMF quota resources by successfully completing the 16th quota review.
• There is also a need to replenish subsidy resources in the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT).
• IMF’s newest instrument, the Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST) funded through on-lending SDRs.
• The G20 has recently reached its target of committing $100 billion for SDR channeling to vulnerable countries.