Science & Technology
IndiGau

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about IndiGau and role of SNPs chip) + Mains ( GS III indigenisation of technology + GS II government policies and interventions)
What's the NEWS

• Union Minister of Science & Technology released "IndiGau', India's first Cattle Genomic Chip for the conservation of pure varieties of indigenous cattle breeds like, Gir, Kankrej, Sahiwal, Ongole etc.
• This indigenous chip was developed by the concerted efforts of scientists of National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NAIB), Hyderabad, an autonomous institution under the aegis of the Department of Biotechnology.

Know! about IndiGau

• It is purely indigenous and the largest cattle chip of the world.
• It has 11,496 markers (SNPs) more than that placed on 777K Illumina chip of US & UK breeds.
• This CHIP of our own indigenous cows is a great example of self-reliant India
• This chip will have practical utility in the Governments schemes to achieve the goal of conservation of our own breeds with better characters and help towards doubling of farmers' income by 2022.
• DBT is looking forward to implement this technology in the field with the help of other agencies like NDDB, DAHDF, ICAR etc.
• To further the use of this chip in generating phenotypic and genotypic correlations, NIAB has entered into a collaborative agreement with National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
• Since NDDB has well organized presence in the field for collection of phenotypic record, NIAB and NDDB complement each other to undertake this research for generating information for low density SNP chip for any important trait detection, like high milk yield or heat tolerance etc.
• This will eventually help in elite bull selection and improvement of productivity characters of Indian cattle.

Know! about single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)

• Genomic selection using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is a powerful new tool for genetic selection.
• In cattle, SNP profiles for individual animals are generated using a small plastic chip that is diagnostic for up to 50 000 SNPs spaced throughout the genome.
• Phenotypes, usually averaged over offspring of bulls, are matched with SNP profiles of bulls mathematically so that animals can be ranked for siring desirable phenotypes via their SNP profiles.

Prelims Factoids
Operation Blue Freedom

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Operation Blue Freedom )
What's the NEWS

• Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment to Flag-Off ‘Operation Blue Freedom - Land World Record at Siachen Glacier'

Know! about operation blue freedom

• People with disabilities from across the country will undertake an expedition till Siachen Glacier to create a new World Record for the largest team of people with disabilities to reach the world's highest battlefield.
• The Government of India has permitted a team of people with disabilities to scale Siachen Glacier.
• The team of people with disabilities trained by ‘Team CLAW' a team of Armed Forces veterans.
• The selected people with disabilities from across the country will undertake an expedition till Kumar Post (Siachen Glacier) to create a new World Record for the largest team of people with disabilities to reach the world's highest battlefield.
• The successful execution of this pioneering expedition, ‘Operation Blue Freedom', shall firmly place India on the global stage as a leader in empowering Divyangjanand set a benchmark for other nations to emulate.

Prelims Factoids
Five unique varieties of apples

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about varieties of apple)
What's the NEWS

• APEDA collaboration with Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation Ltd (HPMC) today exported first consignment consisting of five unique varieties of apples - Royal Delicious, Dark Baron Gala, Scarlet Spur, Red Velox & Golden Delicious to Bahrain.
• The apples are sourced from the farmers of Himachal Pradesh and exported by APEDA registered DM Enterprises.
• The apple promotion programme is also being organized for familiarising consumers in Bahrain about varieties of apples in India.

National
National Automobile Scrappage Policy
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the scrappage policy) + Mains ( GS II government policies and interventions + GS III environment conservation)
What's the NEWS

• The Prime Minister launched the long-awaited National Automobile Scrappage Policy, describing it as a "significant step towards Aatmabirbhar Bharat.
• The policy was announced by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget speech in February.

Know about the policy:

• The policy recommends "fitness tests" for private and commercial vehicles that are more than 20 and 15 years old respectively.
• In the absence of a "fitness certificate," registration of such vehicles will be automatically cancelled.
• It further recommends mandatory scrapping of all government vehicles that are more than 15 years old but is applicable only on four-wheelers.
• The fitness tests will be done at government-certified fitness centres, appointments for which can be made online.
• Test reports will be generated in online mode. Also, scrappage can be done anywhere in the country, regardless of the place of vehicle registration.
• The scheme also proposes several incentives which the owners can avail after being given a scrapping certificate.
• This includes the scrap value for the old vehicle, which is expected to be around 5-6% of the price of a new vehicle.
• Additionally, a road tax rebate of up to 25% for new personal vehicles, and 15% for new commercial vehicles, as well as a 5% discount against the scrapping certificate, have also been proposed under the policy.
• The registration fees for the purchase of a new vehicle may also be waived upon getting the old vehicle scrapped.

Defence
Maiden Al-Mohed Al-Hindi Exercise

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the maiden exercise between India and Saudi Arabia)

• Maiden bilateral naval exercise ‘AL - Mohed AL - Hindi' between India and Saudi Arabia got under way
• The sea phase of the three day long maiden bilateral exercise ‘Al-Mohed Al - Hindi' between Indian Navy and Royal Saudi Naval Force commenced recently off the coast of Al Jubail.
• Indian Navy participated with its indigenously built stealth destroyer Kochi with two integral Sea King helicopters.
• It saw the two navies undertake co-ordinated action against asymmetric threat, replenishment at sea procedures, anti-piracy and boarding operations.
• Complex and collaborative exercises including weapon targeting drills beyond the horizon were also conducted to enhance synergy and inter-operability between the two navies.

Prelims Factoids
DURAND CUP 2021
Relevance IN - Prelims ( all about Durand cup)

Know! all about Durand Cup

• Durand Cup, the world's third oldest and Asia's oldest football tournament is poised to make a comeback after a year's hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• With the dynamic support of All India Football Federation (AIFF), IFA (West Bengal) and the Government of West Bengal, the 130th Edition of Durand Cup is set to become a landmark event.
• The prestigious tournament was first held in 1888, at Dagshai (Himachal Pradesh) and is named after Mortimer Durand, who was then the Foreign Secretary in charge of India.
• The tournament was a conscious way to initially maintain health and fitness amongst the British troops but was later opened to civilians and currently is one of the leading sports event in the world.
• Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are the most successful teams in the history of the Durand Cup winning it sixteen times each.
• The winning team is presented with three trophies ie the President's Cup (first presented by Dr Rajendra Prasad), the Durand Cup (the original challenge prize - a rolling trophy) and the Shimla Trophy (first presented by citizens of Shimla in 1903 and since 1965, a rolling trophy).

Environment
All India Elephant and Tiger population estimation exercise to be done in convergence for the first time in 2022
Relevance IN - Prelims ( all about Elephant)
What's the NEWS

• Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change released the population estimation protocol to be adopted in the exercise to be taken up for the All India elephant and tiger population estimation in 2022.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), for the first time is converging elephant and tiger population estimation, the protocol for which was released on the occasion of World Elephant Day.

Trumpet

• The programme also witnessed release of the fourth edition of the quarterly newsletter "Trumpet" of the Elephant Division of the Ministry by both the dignitaries.
• Project Elephant Division and Elephant Cell releases the quarterly newsletter "Trumpet".
• This edition of the newsletter articulates the need for landscape approach for synchronized elephant population enumeration.

Know! about Asian elephants

• Asian elephants are listed as "Endangered" on the IUCN Red List of threatened species.
• This has been done as most of the range states except India, have lost their viable elephant populations due to loss of habitats & poaching etc.
• The current population estimates indicate that there are about 50,000 -60000 Asian elephants in the world. More than 60 % of the population is held in India.
• Indian Elephant has also been listed in the Appendix I of the Convention of the Migratory species in the recently concluded Conference of Parties of CMS 13 at Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat in February 2020.

Know! about World Elephant Day

• It is being celebrated to bring attention of various stakeholders to support various conservation policies to help elephants
• Elephant is the Natural Heritage Animal of India and India also celebrates this day to spread awareness towards conservation of the species.
• It was observed on August 12, across the world.
• First world elephant day was observed on August 12, 2012.
• It highlighted the plight of Asian and African elephants.
• Elephants, especially Asian and African, are vulnerable to threats like habitat loss, poaching, mistreatment in captivity hover over elephants.
• As per recent data of World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), roughly 440,000 elephants have left on the Earth.
• Number of wild Asiatic elephants has decreased to 50,000 accounting for 15% of its historic average.

Know! about Elephants

• They are the largest existing land animals.
• Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant.
• African elephants have larger ears and concave backs, whereas Asian elephants have smaller ears, and convex or level backs.
• Elephants are scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia and are found in different habitats, including savannahs, forests, deserts, and marshes.
• They are herbivorous, and they stay near water when it is accessible.
• They are considered to be keystone species, due to their impact on their environments. Elephants have a fission-fusion society, in which multiple family groups come together to socialise.
• African bush elephants and Asian elephants are listed as endangered and African forest elephants as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• One of the biggest threats to elephant populations is the ivory trade, as the animals are poached for their ivory tusks.

Health
Trade Margin Rationalization (TMR)Approach
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about TMR approach + about NPPP) + Mains ( GS II health)
What's the NEWS

• National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Policy (NPPP), 2012 prescribes the guidelines for regulation of prices of drugs.

The key principles of price regulation are

• essentiality of drugs
• control of prices of formulations
• Market Based Pricing

Know! about bout NPPP

• Based on NPPP, 2012 and subsequent Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 (DPCO, 2013), National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) under the Department of Pharmaceuticals fixes the ceiling price of scheduled drugs specified in the first schedule of the DPCO, 2013 and monitors the prices of non-scheduled drugs.
• NPPA has fixed the ceiling prices of scheduled drugs, including the essential medicines used for treatment of cancer, diabetes and HIV as well as heart and kidney diseases.
• Further, NPPA has put a cap on Trade Margin of 42 select non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines under ‘Trade Margin Rationalization (TMR)' Approach resulting in reduction up to 90% of Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of 526 brands of these medicines.
• NPPA has also brought 106 non-scheduled anti-diabetic and cardiovascular drugs under price control by invoking extraordinary powers in public interest.

Jan Aushadhi Sugam App.

• The users of the App are able to find details about name and price of medicines, comparison of prices between generic drugs and their equivalent branded drug, location of nearby Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendra (PMBJK), quality assurance and transaction details, etc.

Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendra (PMBJK)

• Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana' is a campaign launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Govt. Of India, to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the masses through special kendra's known as Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra.
• Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra (PMBJK) have been set up to provide generic drugs, which are available at lesser prices but are equivalent in quality and efficacy as expensive branded drugs.
• Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) is the implementing agency of PMBJP. BPPI (Bureau of Pharma Public Sector Undertakings of India) has been established under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Govt. of India, with the support of all the CPSUs.

Generic Medicine

• Generic medicines are unbranded medicines which are equally safe and having the same efficacy as that of branded medicines in terms of their therapeutic value. The prices of generic medicines are much cheaper than their branded equivalent.

Prelims Factoids
India's first water plus city - Indore
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about India's first water plus city)
What's the NEWS

• Indore, which has been ranked number one in cleanliness four times in the country, has been declared as the country's first 'water plus city' in the results of Swachh Survekshan, 2021

Know! more about it

• The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the Ministry has included Water Plus with cleanliness.
• Its main objective is to clean the water bodies, rivers and ponds in the cities, so that only clean and rainwater flows in the rivers and streams and sewerage water can be reused
• 84 cities of the country had applied in the selection process of Water Plus, out of which only 33 cities were found suitable for ground verification.
• Under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), the cities of the country are tested on the basis of various cleanliness parameters.
• It has categories of ODF+, ODF++ and Water+.
• The Water Plus certificate is awarded to cities that have met all the ODF Double Plus standards.
• Also, the residual sewage from residential and commercial establishments is released into the environment only after treatment. Reuse of treated wastewater should also be ensured.
• The Swachh Survekshan is an annual survey of cleanliness and sanitation in cities and towns across the country as part of the 'Swachh Bharat Mission'.

Prelims Factoids
Global Youth Development Index, 2020
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the Index highlights)
What's the NEWS

• India was ranked at 122nd position among 181 countries in Global Youth Development Index, 2020.

Know! the Index highlights

• Commonwealth Secretariat released this triennial ranking of youth development for 181 countries.
• The index measures the status of young people among 181 countries across the world.
• Singapore was ranked at the top for the first time.
• It is followed by Slovenia, Norway, Malta and Denmark.
• Bottom countries in the index include- Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Afghanistan and Niger.
• Index highlights that, condition of young people has improved worldwide by 3.1 percent in between 2010 and 2018.
• In the index, 156 countries recorded at least slight improvements in their scores.
• Top five improvers include- India, Afghanistan, Russia, Ethiopia, and Burkina Faso.
• The Global Youth Development index ranks countries between the score of 0.00 (lowest) and 1.00 (highest) on the basis of developments in youth with respect to education, health, employment, equality & inclusion, political & civic participation, peace and security.
• It provides score on the basis of 27 indicators, including literacy and voting, to showcase the state of 1.8 billion people across the world aged between 15 and 29.

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