Daily Prelims Notes 30 April 2021

April 30, 2021
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Daily Prelims Notes

30 April 2021

Table Of Contents

Subject: Science & tech

Context: China launched the core module of its space station, kicking off a series of key launch missions that aim to complete the construction of the station by the end of next year.

Concept:

The Long March-5B Y2 rocket, carrying the Tianhe module, blasted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on the coast of the southern island province of Hainan.
The Tianhe module will act as the management and control hub of the space station Tiangong, meaning Heavenly Palace, with a node that could dock with up to three spacecraft at a time for short stays, or two for long
Tianhe has a total length of 16.6 meters, a maximum diameter of 4.2 meters and a take-off mass of 22.5 tonnes, and is the largest spacecraft developed by China.
The space station will be a T shape with the core module at the centre and a lab capsule on each side.
The station will operate in the low-Earth orbit at an altitude from 340 km to 450 km. It has a designed lifespan of 10 years, but experts believe it could last more than 15 years with appropriate maintenance and repairs.

China’s Space Station:

The new, 66-tonne, multi-module Tiangong station is set to be operational for at least 10 years.
Tianhe is one of three main components of what would be China’s first self-developed space station, rivalling the only other station in service – the ISS.
It forms the main living quarters for three crew members in the Chinese space station.
The Tianhe launch is the first of 11 missions needed to complete the space station, which will orbit Earth at an altitude of 340 to 450 km.
In the later missions, China will launch the two other core modules, four manned spacecraft and four cargo spacecraft.

China Space Station

2. VACCINE MAITRI PROGRAMME

Subject: Governance / IR

Context: India is unlikely to resume its Vaccine Maitri programme for the neighbourhood, including Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, until at least July, given the sudden crunch in the availability of vaccines amidst a surge in COVID-19 cases, and the government’s plan for universal vaccination set to start on May 1.

Concept:

Vaccine Maitri

India will supply Made-in-India Covid-19 vaccines to its neighboring and key partner countries Under its Neighborhood First policy.
Bhutan and Maldives will be the first to get the vaccines followed by Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles.
Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Mauritius will also get doses once they give necessary regulatory approvals.
Pakistan has not been named as a neighboring country which will get the vaccine.
Vaccine will be Supplied to the partner countries in a phased manner, keeping in mind the demand.
Earlier Diplomacy measures by India:
India had earlier supplied Hydroxychloroquine, Remdesivir and Paracetamol tablets as well as diagnostic kits, ventilators, masks, gloves and other medical supplies to a large number of countries during the pandemic.
Under the Partnerships for Accelerating Clinical Trials(PACT) programme, India has also provided training to several neighbouring countries to enhance and strengthen their clinical capabilities

PACT programme:

It has been launched for supporting COVID-19 vaccine development activities in partnering countries.
The initiative is being implemented by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and Clinical Development Services Agency(CDSA) under the aegis of the National Biopharma Mission and Ind-CEPI Mission of DBT.

3. PRESIDENT RULE IN DELHI

Subject: Polity

Context: AAP MLA Shoaib Iqbal on Friday demanded imposition of President’s rule in Delhi in view of the massive surge in COVID-19 cases.

Concept:

In NCT of Delhi, President’s rule is applied on the basis of Article 239AB of the Constitution of India (as the Article 356 is not applicable to Union Territories) which reads thus:
Article 239AB. -If the President, on receipt of a report from the Lieutenant Governor or otherwise, is satisfied—

(a) that a situation has arisen in which the administration of the National Capital Territory cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of article 239AA or of any law made in pursuance of that article; or

(b) that for the proper administration of the National Capital Territory it is necessary or expedient so to do,

the President may by order suspend the operation of any provision of Article 239AA or of all or any of the provisions of any law made in pursuance of that article for such period and subject to such conditions as maybe specified in such law and make such incidental and consequential provisions as may appear to him to be necessary or expedient for administering the National Capital Territory in accordance with the provisions of article 239 and article 239AA.
Article 239 AA (inserted by 69th amendment act, 1991): UT of Delhi is called National Capital Territory of Delhi; Legislative Assembly; make laws over State & Concurrent List.

4. NATIONAL COMMISSSION ON WOMEN

Subject : National Organisations

Context : The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Thursday launched a message-only helpline for providing assistance to expectant mothers.

Concept :

It was set up as a statutory body in January 1992 under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990.
Its mission is to strive towards enabling women to achieve equality and equal participation in all spheres of life by securing her due rights and entitlements through suitable policy formulation, legislative measures, etc.

Its functions are to:

Review the constitutional and legal safeguards for women.
Recommend remedial legislative measures.
Facilitate redressal of grievances.
Advise the Government on all policy matters affecting women.

Composition:

Chairperson: The central government should nominate the chairperson.
Five members: The five members are also to be nominated by the central government from amongst the person of ability, integrity, and standing. They should possess experience in various fields like law or legislation, trade unionism, management of industry potential of women, women’s voluntary organization, education, administration, economic development, and social good-being.
Member Secretary: The Central Government also nominates member secretary. He/ she should be either an expert in the field of management, an organization, or an officer who is a member.

5. AEROSOL MODE OF TRANSMISSION

Subject : Science & tech

Context : This excessive high rate of transmission with increased disease severity means that the virus is more virulent, escaping immunity and spreading by other means than previously established mode such as droplets, urine or faecal matter.

Concept :

This new mode could be ‘aerosols,’ tiny liquid particles from the respiratory tract generated when someone exhales, talks, or coughs.
They can float in the air and can contain live viruses unlike droplets which do not float but settle down on ground or any surface in one-two minutes after exhalation.
When inhaled, these aerosols make everyone vulnerable to viral infection.
A scientific study recently published in ‘Lancet’ provides strong and consistence evidence that SARS-CoV-2 can remain in air for as long as for three hours with half-life of 1.1h., i.e. it will take at least 66 minutes for half of the virus to lose activity.
Confirmed presence of the virus in air-filters and ducts in hospitals with Covid-19 patients also means that it predominantly transmits in the form of aerosol.
The widespread presence of the virus and its ability to spread through aerosols suggest that a lockdown will have minimal to no impact on Covid-19 spread.

Aerosols

Aerosols are defined as a combination of liquid or solid particles suspended in a gaseous or liquid environment.
In the atmosphere, these particles are mainly situated in the low layers of the atmosphere (< 1.5 km) since aerosol sources are located on the terrestrial surface.
However, certain aerosols can still be found in the stratosphere, especially volcanic aerosols ejected into the high altitude layers.

6. SEBI NORMS FOR MUTUAL FUNDS

Subject : Economics

Context: Recently, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has said that a minimum 20% of the compensation of mutual fund managers in an asset management company (AMC) should be in the form of units of the mutual fund schemes they manage.

Concept :

What are changes announced by SEBI?

The SEBI has specified the rules of allocation of this 20% by saying that is should be proportional to the assets under management of the schemes in which an employee has a role or oversight.
The SEBI has also said that a fund manager who manages only one fund will have at least 50% of this type of compensation in the scheme she manages.
The regulator has also specified that the units offered by way of compensation are locked-in for three years.

Reasons for changes announced by SEBI

The primary objective of new rule is to align the interest of the key employees of the AMCs with the unit holders of the mutual fund schemes.
The SEBI wants fund managers to have skin in the game, or demonstrate to investors that they have confidence in the schemes they manage.

7. COMPULSORY LICENSING

Subject : Economy / Governance

Context :Govt should not hesitate to invoke compulsory licensing of drugs under Patent Act if necessary: Delhi High Court.

Concept :

The Patents Act, 1970 was amended three times in 1999, 2002, 2005 respectively to include the concept of ‘compulsory license’ and these are given in the sections 84-92 of the Indian Patents Act, 1970.
A patent is an exclusive right granted for an invention, whether it is a product or a process which gives a new technical solution to a problem, and this patent is granted for a specific period to the inventor.

What are ‘compulsory licenses’ under the Patents Act?

In simple terms, compulsory licenses are authorizations given to a third-party by the Government to make, use or sell a particular product or use a particular process which has been patented, without the need of the permission of the patent owner.
The provisions regarding compulsory licenses are given in the Indian Patents Act, 1970 and in the TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) Agreement at the International level.
Although this works against the patent holder, generally compulsory licenses are only considered in certain cases of national emergency, and health crisis. There are certain pre-requisite conditions which need to be fulfilled if the Government wants to grant a compulsory license in favor of someone.
Under Indian Patents Act, 1970 the provisions of ‘compulsory license’ are specifically given under Chapter XVI, and the conditions which need to be fulfilled are given is Sections 84-92 of the said Act.

Section 84

At any time after the expiration of three years from the date of the grant of a patent, any person interested may make an application to the Controller for grant of compulsory license on patent on any of the following grounds, namely:
That the reasonable requirements of the public with respect to the patented invention have not been satisfied, or
that the patented invention is not available to the public at a reasonably affordable price, or
that the patented invention is not worked in the territory of India.

However compulsory licenses may also be granted under ,

Section 92 A– For exports, under exceptional circumstances.
Section 92A– In case of national emergency, extreme urgency of public non-commercial use by notification of the Central Government
Section 92 A (1) – To a country which has insufficient or no manufacturing power in the pharmaceutical sector to address public health.