Daily Prelims Notes 20 September 2021
- September 20, 2021
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN
Daily Prelims Notes
20 September 2021
Table Of Contents
- Covid’s ‘hidden heroes’
- 12-digit unique ID for farmers
- National Company Law Tribunals (NCLT)
- National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT)
- Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016 (IBC)
- National E-Governance Services Ltd. (NeSL)
- World Health Organization
- Transboundary Climate Risks (TCR)
- Wildmeat consumption – greater threat to protected terrestrial animals
- Front of-Pack (FOP) Labelling
- National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA)
- Common Services Centers (CSCs)
- National Register of Citizens (NRC)
- This is why CAA is necessary
- NIPUN Bharat Scheme
- ‘Crime India’ Report
- Coffee Act 1942
- Anti-Tank Guided Missile Helina
- Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019
Subject – Science and Tech
Context – Antivirals, monoclonal antibodies and viral-killing pills are under development, but making them accessible will be a challenge.
Concept –
- Antivirals, monoclonal antibodies or small molecules (pills) are the “hidden heroes” the biopharmaceutical industry is putting its money on.
- Monoclonal antibody treatments are beginning to offer promise for outpatient treatment, as are novel antivirals.
Monoclonal Antibody Therapy
- Monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy, also called monoclonal antibody infusion treatment, is a way of treating COVID-19.
- The goal of this therapy is to help prevent hospitalizations, reduce viral loads and lessen symptom severity.
- This type of therapy relies on monoclonal antibodies. These are antibodies that are similar to the ones your body would naturally make in response to infection. However, monoclonal antibodies are mass-produced in a laboratory and are designed to recognize a specific component of this virus — the spike protein on its outer shell.
- By targeting the spike protein, these specific antibodies interfere with the virus’ ability to attach and gain entry into human cells. They give the immune system a leg up until it can mount its own response.
- This therapy can be extremely effective, but it’s not a replacement for vaccination.
- If a person is already sick, that means monoclonal antibodies prevent them from having severe symptoms that require hospitalization. If someone has been exposed, monoclonal antibodies can fend off the virus to prevent them from becoming sick in the first place.
- Monoclonal antibody therapy is given through intravenous (IV) infusion.
- One possible side effect of monoclonal antibody therapy is an allergic reaction. These reactions typically only occur during infusion or soon after.
- Monoclonal antibody treatment is available to individuals who:
- Are high risk for developing severe COVID-19 and
- Have a positive COVID-19 test and have not yet been admitted to the hospital and12 years of age or older (and at least 88 pounds).
- Are
How is it different from a vaccine?
- A vaccine helps stimulate and prepare your immune system to respond if or when you are exposed to the virus. “Your immune system is ready to create all these antibodies before they are needed.”
- Monoclonal antibodies boost the immune system after you are already sick, speeding up your immune response to prevent COVID-19 from getting worse. “But a vaccine does this much easier and much better.”
- You can think of monoclonal antibodies as guided missiles that target and neutralize the virus. But they don’t stick around. While monoclonal antibodies are effective for about a month, they are long gone 6 months later, when a vaccine still offers significant protection.
Antivirals
- Antivirals are medications that help your body fight off certain viruses that can cause disease. Antiviral drugs are also preventive.
- They can protect you from getting viral infections or spreading a virus to others.
- Antiviral medications help the body fight off harmful viruses. The drugs can ease symptoms and shorten the length of a viral infection.
- Antivirals also lower the risk of getting or spreading viruses that cause herpes and HIV.
- Viral infections like HIV, hepatitis and herpes are chronic. Antivirals can’t get rid of the virus, which stays in your body. However, antiviral medicines can make the virus latent (inactive) so that you have few, if any, symptoms. Symptoms that develop while you take antivirals may be less severe or go away faster.
How do antiviral medications work?
- Antiviral medicines work differently depending on the drug and virus type. Antivirals can:
- Block receptors so viruses can’t bind to and enter healthy cells.
- Boost the immune system, helping it fight off a viral infection.
- Lower the viral load (amount of active virus) in the body.
Difference between Antibiotics and Antivirals –
- Antibiotics help the immune system fight off bacterial infections. Bacteria typically reproduce outside of cells, making it easier for medicines to target them. An antibiotic can usually treat many different types of bacterial infections. But the drugs do not affect viruses.
- Each antiviral only works against a specific virus. Because viruses inside cells are harder to target, antiviral drugs are more challenging to develop. There are more viruses than antiviral drugs to treat them.
2. 12-digit unique ID for farmers
Subject – Agriculture
Context – For easy access to schemes, Govt plans 12-digit unique ID for farmers, database
Concept –
- The government has begun producing 12-digit unique IDs for farmers that can be utilized to avail all farm-related providers below varied schemes “seamlessly”
- A unique ID for every farmer is a part of the Government’s initiative to create a database by collating information from varied schemes, corresponding to PM-Kisan, and linking them with land data.
- The intent is to create a unified farmer service interface. The unique ID will enable them to seamlessly avail various Government schemes and credit facilities, and help the Centre and state governments in better planning of procurement operations.
- So far, the database has been ready for 11 states, together with Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh.
- A database is being created from current schemes corresponding to PM-Kisan, Soil Health Card and PM Fasal Bima Yojana.
- All farmer data in Central schemes will be linked to land record details available with state governments.
- Aadhaar will be used as a deduplication mechanism.
- Besides, linkage of land parcels via a Geographical Information System (GIS), the place maps are digitised by states, might be used.
3. National Company Law Tribunals (NCLT)
Subject – Economy
Context – Ease of doing business at risk if issue of appointments to tribunals is not resolved
Concept –
- Total strength – 63.
To know about NCLT, please click here.
4. National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT)
Subject – Economy
Context – Ease of doing business at risk if issue of appointments to tribunals is not resolved
Concept –
- Sanctioned strength – chairperson plus 11 members.
To know more about NCLAT, please click here.
5. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016 (IBC)
Subject – Economy
Context – 1,000 appeals under the IBC were pending adjudication as on May 31.
Concept –
- IBC was enacted with an object of time-bound resolution of debts.
- The IBC created an institution called an information utility to be the repository of information on debts and defaults in India.
- The sole utility in India at present is the National E-Governance Services Ltd. (NeSL).
- According to the evidence provided by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance in August, NeSL data as of May 31 shows that the number of debtors in India stood at 93.02 lakh. The amount of underlying debt is Rs 136 lakh crore.
- Not all creditors report debts and defaults to NeSL as it is not mandatory to file default certificates issued by it with the NCLT while filing petitions to commence corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP).
To know more about IBC, please click here.
6. National E-Governance Services Ltd. (NeSL)
Subject – Economy
Context – NeSL data as of May 31 shows that the number of debtors in India stood at 93.02 lakh.
Concept –
- According to the evidence provided by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance in August, NeSL data as of May 31 shows that the number of debtors in India stood at 93.02 lakh. The amount of underlying debt is Rs 136 lakh crore.
- Not all creditors report debts and defaults to NeSL as it is not mandatory to file default certificates issued by it with the NCLT while filing petitions to commence corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP).
About NeSL–
- NeSL is India’s first Information Utility and is registered with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) under the aegis of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC).
- The company has been set up by leading banks and public institutions.
- The primary role of NeSL is to serve as a repository of legal evidence holding the information pertaining to any debt/claim, as submitted by the financial or operational creditor and verified and authenticated by the parties to the debt.
- NeSL works towards
- Time-bound resolution by providing verified information to creditors and to Adjudicating Authorities that do not require further authentication.
- Default intimation to Creditors linked to a debtor when any creditor files a default against a debtor
- Mitigation of information asymmetry between parties to a debt
- Superior credit monitoring by creditors
- An agreed statement of outstanding balance between parties to a debt
- Facilitate all stakeholders of the IBC ecosystem by leveraging Information Technology to achieve objective of code.
Subject – IR
Context – Former UK PM Gordon Brown now WHO ambassador for global health financing.
Concept –
About WHO –
- The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.
- The WHO Constitution states its main objective as “the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health”.
- Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, it has six regional offices and 150 field offices worldwide.
- It is an inter-governmental organization and works in collaboration with its member states usually through the Ministries of Health.
- The WHO provides leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.
- A publication, the World Health Report, provides assessments of worldwide health topics.
Its role in public health –
- providing leadership on matters critical to health and engaging in partnerships where joint action is needed;
- shaping the research agenda and stimulating the generation, translation, and dissemination of valuable knowledge;
- setting norms and standards and promoting and monitoring their implementation;
- articulating ethical and evidence-based policy options;
- providing technical support, catalysing change, and building sustainable institutional capacity; and
- monitoring the health situation and assessing health trends.
- CRVS (civil registration and vital statistics) to provide monitoring of vital events (birth, death, wedding, divorce).
Governance –
- World Health Assembly
- The World Health Assembly (WHA) is the legislative and supreme body of WHO.
- Based in Geneva, it typically meets yearly in May.
- It appoints the director-general every five years and votes on matters of policy and finance of WHO, including the proposed budget.
- It also reviews reports of the executive board and decides whether there are areas of work requiring further examination.
- Executive Board
- The Assembly elects 34 members, technically qualified in the field of health, to the executive board for three-year terms.
- The main functions of the board are to carry out the decisions and policies of the Assembly, to advise it, and to facilitate its work.
- Director-General
- The head of the organization is the director-general, elected by the World Health Assembly.
- The term lasts for five years, and Directors-General are typically appointed in May, when the Assembly meets.
How WHO is funded?
- WHO gets its funding from two main sources: Member States paying their assessed contributions (countries’ membership dues), and voluntary contributions from Member States and other partners.
- Assessed contributions (AC) are a percentage of a country’s Gross Domestic Product (the percentage is agreed by the United Nations General Assembly). Member States approve them every two years at the World Health Assembly. They cover less than 20% of the total budget.
- The remainder of WHO’s financing is in the form of voluntary contributions (VC), largely from Member States as well as from other United Nations organizations, intergovernmental organizations, philanthropic foundations, the private sector, and other sources.
- Core voluntary contributions (CVC)
- Core voluntary contributions are fully unconditional (flexible), meaning WHO has full discretion on how these funds should be used to fund the programmatic work of the Organization.
- These represent 3.9% of all voluntary contributions.
Mandatory Assessed Contributions, 2020 in $ millions –
8. Transboundary Climate Risks (TCR)
Subject – Environment
Context – Transboundary climate risks impact agricultural production in every country: Report
Concept –
- Transboundary climate risks are climate risks that cross national borders.
- Climate change impacts agricultural production all around the globe. It does not respect national borders.
- A recent report has provided a systematic, quantitative assessment of transboundary climate risks (TCR) to trade in six major agricultural commodities — maize, rice, wheat, soya, sugarcane and coffee.
- The study showed that every country is exposed to transboundary climate risks.
- Countries in Europe and North America are both highly exposed to TCRs through foreign imports. This is particularly problematic for importers that depend on trade for food security or other economic activity.
- The Small Island Developing States and small globally integrated countries like Singapore and Sweden are also vulnerable.
9. Wildmeat consumption – greater threat to protected terrestrial animals
Subject – Environment
Context – Consumption of wild meat has threatened the existence of several species protected under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), according to a new report.
Concept –
- Consumption of wild meat has threatened the existence of several species protected under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), according to a new report.
- Around 70 per cent of the CMS terrestrial mammals are hunted for wild meat consumption, the study by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on 105 species showed.
- As much as 64 per cent of the wild species were recorded as hunted. The share increased to 98 per cent excluding species like bats of the Chiroptera order.
- Overall, 60 per cent of the wild animals studied are recorded as traded (nationally or internationally; legally or illegally).
- Taking of wild animals for domestic use had a greater impact on most species than taking for international trade, the study found.
- The report indicates for the first time a clear and urgent need to focus on domestic use of protected migratory species of wild animals, across their range. We need to ensure that domestic laws and enforcement efforts are able to tackle this major threat to CMS species.
- Human activities that bring wildlife, domestic animals and humans into increasingly close contact has been linked to zoonotic disease emergence.
- More than half the CMS terrestrial mammal species are known to host at least one of 60 pathogens that have been, or have the potential to be, transmitted to humans and cause infections, according to the research.
Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)
- CMS, an environmental treaty of the United Nations, provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats.
- Bonn Convention is a name of the international treaty on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals, that was adopted in Bonn, Germany in 1979. It came into force in 1983.
- It is the only global treaty concerning the migratory species and works under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme.
- The convention has legally binding agreements and non-legally binding Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) which are tailored according to conservation needs.
- There are two appendices under the Bonn Convention:
- Appendix I lists migratory species that are endangered or threatened with extinction.
- Appendix II lists migratory species which have an unfavourable conservation status and which require international agreements for their conservation and management.
India & CMS
- India has been a party to the Convention since 1983.
- Indian subcontinent is a part of a significant bird flyway network, i.e, Central Asian Flyway that covers areas between the Arctic and Indian Oceans with at least 279 populations of 182 migratory waterbird species (including 29 globally threatened species).
- India has signed a non-legally binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CMS on conservation and management of Siberian Cranes (1998), Marine Turtles (2007), Dugongs (2008), and Raptors (2016).
- India will be the President of COP to Bonn Convention till 2023. India recently hosted COP 13 to Bonn Convention in February 2020:
- The theme of the 13th session of COP to Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals was, “Migratory species connect the planet and together we welcome them home.”
- The mascot of the CMS COP 13 is Great Indian Bustard (Gibi).
- The CMS COP 13 logo is inspired by ‘Kolam’, a traditional artform from southern India.
10. Front of-Pack (FOP) Labelling
Subject – Governance
Context – Countries have tried different labelling formats, but warning labels have emerged as the most effective in guiding consumers to make healthy food choices.
Concept –
- Countries are working to find ways to nudge consumers into healthy food choices and to contain the growing crisis of obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension and heart ailments.
- It is a crisis that increasingly impacts children and also exacerbates novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) symptoms. Front-of-pack (FoP) labelling is definitely an effective tool in this effort.
Interpretive ‘warning’ labels–
- Warn about the specific nutrient that is present in excess amount in a product and provide binary information — if the product has a warning label for salt, it has excess salt.
- The information is then conveyed using tools such as colours, shapes and graphics. They do not leave consumers confused with a glut of information, text and numbers to process and thus informs the unlettered and those not familiar with the language.
- At least seven countries have adopted warning labels in the past five years. These include Chile, Peru, Mexico, Israel and Uruguay.
- Brazil and Columbia have announced to implement the label in 2022, with Canada likely to enforce by December 2022 and Argentina, South Africa and the UK considering it.
- Warning labels “have better performance than any other type of labels in visualisation, understanding and healthier food purchase behaviour”.
- The overall nutrition of the product can be assessed by number of octagons on the package — four octagons mean the product is high in all of sodium, sugar, saturated fat and calories.
- Since the labels came into force in 2016, nutrients cut‐offs have become increasingly stricter over a three‐year period. Studies show warning label along with other policy measures have helped reduce purchases of sugary drinks by 24 per cent.
- Low- and middle-income mothers have shown profound changes in attitudes towards food purchases as they now understand the nutritional content of packaged foods.
FOP Labelling in India –
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) introduced regulations on Packaging and Labelling in 2011.
- The ‘Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and labelling)Regulations, 2011, mandated that pre-packaged food products should include a description of food contained in the package long with a list of ingredients used in it.
- With subsequent amendments, changes mandating format for displaying the license number, step by step regulations on trans fat, the display of warning messages such as ‘May not be nutritionally appropriate for pregnant and lactating women and children under age of 5’, and ‘Consumption of more than 3 gm shall be avoided’, the specification of gluten free food, labelling of edible oil and fat, limitations of dietary fibres in foods like flakes, noodles, pastas and savories, limitations on doses of radiation for food products like fresh fruits, vegetables, cereals and fish to inhibit ripening, delay ripening, insect disinfestation etc, the font size of the label and voluntary display of trans fat free logo, were included.
- In 2018, the FSSAI proposed a draft Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2018, highlighting certain criteria for labelling and display on the front of food packs.
- Under this, the FSSAI proposed the Guiding Daily Amounts (GDA) design for FoPL with the nutrient(s) of concern (high on sugar/salt/fats) in the food product to be marked in RED.
- The FSSAI also laid down the thresholds for sugar, salt/sodium and fats for various food and beverage categories which was in line with the WHO- SEARO model.
- Faced by opposition from the industry, the FSSAI developed a modified set of thresholds in 2019 – a study done and validated based on the Indian context and environment. However, due to continued resistance from the industry, this also did not see the day of light.
11. National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA)
Subject – Economy
Context – Anti-profiteering body gets 1-year extension
Concept –
- The GST Council has decided to extend the tenure of the National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA) for one more year while an alternative will be explored in the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
- This is a second extension for the Authority whose term will now continue till November 30, 2022
About NAA –
- NAA comes under the Finance Ministry and was established under Section 171 of CGST Act.
- It started working with effect from December 1, 2017.
- It was intended as a transitional arrangement with a specific time limit in view of the sudden changes in tax levels due to the introduction of GST, which was followed by periodic rationalisation.
- The law empowers NAA to determine whether reduction in rate of input tax credit (ITC) has been passed on to the consumers or not, by lowering prices. If not, then the Authority may ask for reduction of prices, levy penalty and in extreme cases can even order cancellation of registration.
- NAA consists of a chairman and four technical members. The authority needs a quorum of Chairman and three technical members.
- The orders of the NAA can be appealed against only in the high court.
About Competition Commission of India (CCI)
- CCI is part of the Corporate Affairs Ministry.
- It has been established through the Competition Act 2002.
- It is mandated to eliminate practices which have an adverse effect on competition, promote and sustain competition, protect the consumers’ interests and ensure freedom of trade.
12. Common Services Centers (CSCs)
Subject – Governance
Context – Common Service Centres can now help with ration card issues
Concept –
- Common Services Centre (CSC) programme is an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY), Government of India.
- CSCs are the access points for delivery of various electronic services to villages in India, thereby contributing to a digitally and financially inclusive society.
- CSCs are more than service delivery points in rural India. They are positioned as change agents, promoting rural entrepreneurship and building rural capacities and livelihoods. They are enablers of community participation and collective action for engendering social change through a bottom-up approach with key focus on the rural citizen.
- CSC e-Governance Services India Limited is a Special Purpose Vehicle (CSC SPV) incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, to monitor the implementation of the Common Services Centers Scheme. It provides a centralized collaborative framework for delivery of services to citizens through CSCs, besides ensuring systemic viability and sustainability of the scheme.
- The CSC is a strategic cornerstone of the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP), approved by the Government in May 2006, as part of its commitment in the National Common Minimum Programme to introduce e-governance on a massive scale.
- The objective of CSCs is to provide high quality and cost-effective video, voice and data content and services, in the areas of e-governance, education, health, telemedicine, entertainment as well as other private services.
- The PPP (Public Private Partnership) model of the CSC scheme envisages a 3-tier structure consisting of the:
- CSC operator (called Village Level Entrepreneur or VLE);
- Service Centre Agency (SCA), that will be responsible for a division of 500-1000 CSCs; and
- State Designated Agency (SDA) identified by the State Government responsible for managing the implementation in the entire State.
- CSCs enable the three vision areas of the Digital India programme:
- Digital infrastructure as Utility to Every Citizen
- Governance and services on demand
- Digital empowerment of citizens.
Services offered
- Agriculture Services (Agriculture, Horticulture, Sericulture, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Veterinary)
- Education & Training Services (School, College, Vocational Education, Employment, etc.)
- Health Services (Telemedicine, Health Check-ups, Medicines)
- Rural Banking & Insurance Services (Micro-credit, Loans, Insurance)
- Entertainment Services (Movies, Television)
- Utility Services (Bill Payments, Online bookings)
- Commercial Services (DTP, Printing, Internet Browsing, Village level BPO).
CSC 2.0 Scheme:
- Based on the assessment of CSC scheme, the Government launched the CSC 2.0 scheme in 2015 to expand the outreach of CSCs to all Gram Panchayats across the country.
- Under CSC 2.0 scheme, at least one CSC will be set up in each of the 2.5 lakh GPs across the country by 2019.
- CSCs functioning under the existing scheme will also be strengthened and integrated with additional 1.5 lakh CSCs across the country.
- CSC 2.0 is a service delivery oriented entrepreneurship model with a large bouquet of services made available for the citizens through optimum utilization of infrastructure already created in the form of State Wide Area Network (SWAN), State Service Delivery Gateway (SSDG), e-District, State Data Centre (SDC), and (National Optical Fiber Network (NOFN)/BharatNet.
13. National Register of Citizens (NRC)
Subject – Polity
Context – NRC is final, rules Assam Foreigners’ Tribunal
Concept –
- While the Registrar General of India has not yet issued a notification on Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC) to make it a legal document, a Foreigners’ Tribunal has gone ahead and recorded it as the “final NRC” while declaring a man to be Indian.
To know about NRC, please click here.
To know about National Population Register (NPR), please click here.
To know about Foreigner’s Tribunal, please click here.
To know about Registrar General of India (RGI), please click here.
To know about Doubtful Voters, please click here.
14. This is why CAA is necessary
Subject – Polity
Context:
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Purihad remarked that developments in Afghanistan are the reason why the enactment of the citizenship Amendment Act is necessary.
Concept:
Who is a refuge?
- Under the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees and the subsequent 1967 Protocol, the word refugee pertains to any person who is outside their country of origin and unable or unwilling to return owing to well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.
- Stateless persons may also be refugees in this sense, where country of origin (citizenship) is understood as ‘country of former habitual residence’.
India’s Refugee policy:
- India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees and the subsequent 1967 Protocol.
- Nor does India have a refugee policy or a refugee law of its own.
In the absence of refugee-specific legislation, the reception, admittance and treatment of refugees in India is conditioned by ad hoc policies adopted by the government to deal with specific circumstances.
Thus, among several communities, we have hosted Tibetans, Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka, persecuted Chin and Afghan refugees and the minority Chakmas from the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). India had received worldwide admiration for its singular support to the huge numbers of people fleeing violence and persecution from then East Pakistan in 1970-71.
Subject – Government Schemes
Context – When the Centre launched its NIPUN Bharat scheme in July 2021 to improve foundational literacy and numeracy among primary school students, participants from non-Hindi speaking States complained that they were the ones left feeling illiterate.
Concept –
- Ministry of Education has launched a National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN Bharat), for ensuring that every child in the country necessarily attains foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) by the end of Grade 3, by 2026-27.
- The National Mission which has been launched under the aegis of the centrally sponsored scheme of Samagra Shiksha, will focus on providing access and retaining children in foundational years of schooling; teacher capacity building; development of high quality and diversified Student and Teacher Resources/Learning Materials; and tracking the progress of each child in achieving learning outcomes.
- The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education (MoE) will be the implementing agency at the national level and will be headed by a Mission Director.
- The mission will focus on children of age group of 3 to 9 years including pre-school to Grade 3.
- The children who are in Class 4 and 5 and have not attained the foundational skills will be provided individual teacher guidance and support, peer support and age appropriate and supplementary graded learning materials to acquire the necessary competencies.
- The goals and objectives of the mission are required to be achieved by all Govt., Govt. Aided and Private Schools so that universal acquisition of FLN skills can be achieved by 2026-27.
- The unique feature is that the goals of the Mission are set in the form of Lakshya Soochi or Targets for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy. The Laskhyas are based on the learning outcomes developed by the NCERT and international research and ORF studies.
- A special package for foundational literacy and Numeracy under NISHTHA is being developed by NCERT and around 25 lakh teachers teaching at pre-primary to primary grade will be trained this year on FLN.
What is Foundational Literacy and Numeracy?
- Foundational literacy – The pre-existing knowledge of language helps in building literacy skills in languages. The key components in Foundational Language and Literacy are:
- Oral Language : Development Includes improved listening comprehension; oral vocabulary and extended conversation skills. The experiences in oral language are important for developing skills of reading and writing.
- Decoding : Involves deciphering written words based on understanding the relationship between symbols and their sounds
- Reading Fluency : Refers to the ability to read a text with accuracy, speed (automaticity), expression (prosody), and comprehension that allows children to make meaning from the text. Many children recognise aksharas, but read them laboriously, one-by-one.
- Reading Comprehension : Involves constructing meaning from a text and thinking critically about it. This domain covers the competencies of understanding texts and retrieving information from them, as well as interpreting texts.
- Writing : This domain includes the competencies of writing aksharas and words as well as writing for expression
- Foundational Numeracy – Foundational Numeracy means the ability to reason and to apply simple numerical concepts in daily life problem solving. The major aspects and components of early mathematics are:
- Pre-number concepts : Count and understand the number system
- Numbers and operations on numbers : Learn conventions needed for mastery of Mathematical techniques such as the use of a base ten system to represent numbers
- Shapes and Spatial Understanding : Perform simple computations in her/his own way up to three-digit numbers and apply these to their day to life activities in different contexts
- Measurement : Understand and use standard algorithms to perform operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division on numbers up to three digits
- Data Handling : Identify and extend simple patterns starting from repeating shapes to patterns in numbers, interpret simple data/information in his/her daily life activities;
Subject – Governance
Context – 1.2 lakh deaths in road accidents in 2020: NCRB
Concept –
- National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released the Crime in India Report 2020.
- India recorded 1.2 lakh cases of “deaths due to negligence relating to road accidents” in 2020, with 328 persons losing their lives every day on average, despite the COVID-19 lockdown, according to government data.
- As many as 3.92 lakh lives were lost in three years in deaths due to negligence related to road accidents.
- On average, there were 112 cases of “hit and run” reported across the country every day in the past year, according to the data.
- During 2020, India logged 133 cases of “deaths due to medical negligence”.
To know about other details of report, please click here.
Subject – Government Schemes
Context – Coffee Act will be simplified, says Piyush Goyal
Concept –
- Indian coffee industry holds respect amongst coffee estates in the world. After the First World War, the Indian coffee economy was in a deplorable state and thus the Government of India established a Coffee Board and enacted the Coffee Act of 1942.
- This Coffee Board was constituted by the name Indian Coffee Market Expansion Board as per Section 4 of the Indian Coffee Market Expansion Board Ordinance, 1940. The Indian Coffee Board comes under the purview of Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Coffee Board of India
- The Coffee Board of India was enacted by the State through Section 4 of this Act as a means to uplift and improve the coffee industry. After trade barriers were removed and coffee trade was privatized in 1996.
- The board serves as a quality regulation body. It is the first-friend and guide of coffee growers and sellers.
- They have taken activities such as R&D, supporting Indian growers and control of coffee exports and re-imports.
How is Coffee regulated by this Act?
- Any person owning land with coffee plants planted on it, whether wholly or partly in India or divided amongst different estates has to apply for registration at the registration officer appointed by the State Government.
- They have to do so within one month of the date when they became owner.
- Once registered, it can only become invalid if the registering officer cancels it.
- As per Section 16 (1) of the Act, the Central Government can though notification in the Official Gazette, set prices for sale of coffee in the Indian market, in wholesale or retail. Section 16(2) stipulates that the same would be a price ceiling.
- As per Section 20 of the Act, Coffee cannot be exported from India by anyone except the Board or with the authorization of the Board.
18. Anti-Tank Guided Missile Helina
Subject – Security
Context – Antitank missile completes all trials
Concept –
- The helicopter-launched Nag Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM), Helina, being developed indigenously by DRDO, has completed all trials.
- Helina is a third-generation fire-and-forget class ATGM mounted on an indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), and has a minimum range of 500 metres and a maximum range of 7 kilometres
- The Helina (the Army version) and Dhruvastra (Indian Airforce version) are helicopter-launched versions of third-generation anti-tank guided missiles (the Nag missile system).
Nag Missile
- Nag is a third-generation, fire-and-forget, anti-tank guided missile developed by DRDO to support both mechanized infantry and airborne forces of the Indian Army.
- It is an all-weather condition with day and night capabilities and with a minimum range of 500m and a maximum range of 4 km.
- Nag can be launched from land and air-based platforms. The land version is currently available for integration on the Nag missile carrier (NAMICA).
- DRDO has developed nag Missiles under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program.
IGMDP (Integrated Guided Missile Development Program)
- It was conceived by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to enable India to attain self-sufficiency in the field of missile technology. It was approved by the Government of India in 1983 and completed in March 2012.
- The five missiles developed under this program are:
- Prithvi: Short-range surface to surface ballistic missile.
- Agni: Ballistic missiles with different ranges, i.e., Agni (I, II, III, IV, V).
- Trishul: Short-range low-level surface to air missile.
- Nag: 3rd generation anti-tank missile.
- Akash: Medium range surface to air missile.
Anti-tank guided missile
- An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles.
- ATGMs range in size from shoulder-launched weapons, which can be transported by a single soldier, to larger tripod-mounted weapons, which require a squad or team to transport and fire, to vehicle and aircraft mounted missile systems.
19. Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019
Subject – Polity
Context – BJP President J P Nadda was joined by Union cabinet minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, in showering praise on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
Concept –
- The CAA was never meant to help asylum seekers and protect persecuted people.
To know about CAA, please click here.
Refugee –
- The definition of a refugee in Article 1A (2) of the United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees, 1951, involves people who are unable to avail the protection of the state of which they are nationals and are forced to flee outside their countries’ borders due to a “well-founded fear of persecution” based on their “race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion”.