Defence
Defence Acquisition Council headed by Raksha Mantri approves proposals of value Rs.13,165 cr.

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about DAC and about Indian-IDDM + Mains (GS III indigenisation of technology)
What's the NEWS

• The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) under the Chairmanship of Defence Minister accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for Capital Acquisitions proposals for modernization and operational needs of the Indian Armed Forces amounting to approx. Rs.13,165cr.Of the total amount approved, procurement worth Rs. 11,486cr.
• 87% is from the domestic sources.

Key approvals

• Guided munition and rocket ammunition.
• Procurement of 25 ALH Mark III helicopters from M/s HAL under Buy Indian-IDDM
• Procurement of Terminally Guided Munition (TGM)
• HEPF/RHE Rocket Ammunition under Buy(Indian-IDDM) category

Defence Acquisition Council

• The Defence Acquisition Council is the highest decision-making body in the Defence Ministry for deciding on new policies and capital acquisitions for the three services (Army, Navy and Air Force) and the Indian Coast Guard.
• The Minister of Defence is the Chairman of the Council.
• It was formed, after the Group of Ministers recommendations on 'Reforming the National Security System', in 2001, post Kargil War (1999).

Defence Procurement Policy

• Under the new DPP, the government has introduced a newly incorporated procurement class called "Buy (Indian-IDDM)", where IDDM stands for Indigenous Designed Developed and Manufactured.
• The category refers to the procurement from an Indian vendor of either products that have been indigenously designed, developed and manufactured with a minimum of 40 per cent indigenous content or products having 60 per cent of it on a cost basis but not designed and developed indigenously.
• The policy has also significantly liberalised the offset liability for foreign vendors, which makes it compulsory for companies to invest, or source, at least 30 per cent of the contract value in India.

Government Schemes
National Export Insurance Account (NEIA) scheme

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about NEIA) + Mains ( GS II government policies and interventions)
What's the NEWS

• Government has approved capital infusion of Rs.1,650 Crore to National Export Insurance Account (NEIA) over a period of five years, i.e. from FY 2021-2022 to FY 2025-2026.

Know! about NEIA

• NEIA Trust was established in 2006 to promote project exports from India that are of strategic and national importance.
• The NEIA Trust promotes Medium and Long Term (MLT) /project exports by extending (partial/full) support to covers issued by ECGC (ECGC Ltd, formerly known as Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Ltd.) to MLT/project export and to Exim Bank for Buyer's Credit (BC-NEIA) tied to project exports from India.
• NEIA aims to ensure the availability of credit risk cover for projects and other high-value exports, which are desirable from the point of view of national interest, but which ECGC is unable to underwrite at terms which will not affect the competitiveness of the exports.
• The capital infusion in NEIA Trust will help the Indian Project Exporters (IPE) to tap the huge potential of project exports in focus market.
• Support to project exports with Indian content sourced from across the country will enhance the manufacturing in India.
• NEIA supports projects which are commercially viable and are strategically important
• The corpus commitment of GOI is Rs.4000 crore and Maximum Liability Permissible is 20 times of the actual corpus
• Its impact in enabling project exports has been most significant in Africa and South Asia.

Various Export Related Schemes and Initiatives taken by Govt. in last few years

1. Foreign Trade Policy (2015-20) extended upto 30-09-2021
2. Roll out of a new Scheme - Remission of Duties and Taxes and Exported Products (RoDTEP).
3. It is a WTO compatible mechanism for reimbursement of taxes/ duties/ levies, which are currently not being refunded under any other mechanism, at the central, state and local level
4. Support to textiles sector was increased by the remission of Central/ State taxes through the ROSCTL scheme, which has now been extended till March 2024
5. Common Digital Platform for Certificate of Origin has been launched to facilitate trade and increase FTA utilization by exporters
6. A comprehensive "Agriculture Export Policy" to provide an impetus to agricultural exports related to agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries and food processing sectors, is under implementation
7. Promoting and diversifying services exports by pursuing specific action plans for the 12 Champion Services Sectors
8. Promoting districts as export hubs by identifying products with export potential in each district, addressing bottlenecks for exporting these products and supporting local exporters/manufacturers to generate employment in the district
9. Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES), Market Access Initiatives (MAI) Scheme and Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) schemes to promote trade infrastructure and marketing.

Export Credit Guarantee Corporation

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about ECGA) + Mains ( GS II government policies and interventions)
What's the NEWS

• Government has approved capital infusion of Rs.4,400 crore to ECGC Ltd. (formerly known as Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Ltd.) over a period of five years, i.e. from FY 2021-2022 to FY 2025- 2026.
• The approved infusion along with efforts made to suitably synchronize with the listing process of ECGC through the Initial Public Offering will increase the underwriting capacity of ECGC to support more exports.

Know! about ECGC

• The ECGC Limited (Formerly Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Ltd) is a government owned export credit provider.
• ECGC was established by the Government of India under Companies Act in 1957 to promote exports by providing credit insurance services to exporters against non- payment risks by the overseas buyers due to commercial and political reasons.
• It is under the ownership of Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India
• It provides export credit insurance support to Indian exporters.
• It is managed by an Asset Management Company comprising representatives of the Government, Reserve Bank of India, banking, insurance and exporting community.
• It also provides insurance covers to banks against risks in export credit lending to the exporter borrowers.
• ECGC endeavours to support the Indian export industry with its experience, expertise and underlying commitment to progress and advance of India's exports.
• ECGC plays a wider role in supporting exports from labour-intensive sectors and encourage bank lending to enterprises of small exporters thereby leading to their revival.
• Capital infusion in ECGC will enable it to expand its coverage to export oriented industry particularly labour-intensive sectors.

Facilities

• Offers insurance protection to exporters against payment risks
• Provides guidance in export-related activities
• Makes available information on different countries with its own credit ratings
• Makes it easy to obtain export finance from banks/financial institutions
• Assists exporters in recovering bad debt
• Provides information on credit-worthiness of overseas buyers
• Need for export credit insurance

ECGC - Performance highlights

1. ECGC is a market leader with around 85% market share in export credit insurance market in India
2. Export supported by ECGC was Rs.6.02 lakh crore in 2020-21, which is around 28% of India's merchandise exports
3. ECGC insures around 50% of total export credit disbursement by banks, covering 22 banks (12 Public Sector Banks and 10 Private Sector Banks)
4. ECGC has a database of over five lakh overseas buyers
5. It has invested $ 11.7 million in Africa Trade Insurance (ATI) so as to facilitate Indian exports to African market
6. ECGC has shown continuous surplus and made dividend payments to the Govt. for last 20 years

Prelims Factoids
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award)
What's the NEWS

• After a gap of twenty years, a scientist from Assam has bagged the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award for his pioneering research on coal and energy.
• Dr Binoy Kumar Saikia is among the 11 scientists under 45 years of age who bagged the award given for seven categories by Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) this year.
• He is the lone recipient in the Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences category.

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs)

• He has made outstanding contributions on the formation of fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs) from Indian coal.
• Discovered accidentally in 2004, CQDs are small carbon nano-particles with size less than 10 nm (nano metre).
• Number of studies have been done worldwide in using fluorescent properties of CQDs, which have high stability, good conductivity, low toxicity and are environmental friendly, for various applications including medicine and environmental science.
• The fluorescent CQDs of Indian coal is much cheaper than imported ones and will help reduce dependency on other countries.
• It can have multiples uses including in medical science

Know! about Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology (SSB)

• It is a science award in India given annually by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for notable and outstanding research, applied or fundamental, in biology, chemistry, environmental science, engineering, mathematics, medicine, and Physics.
• The prize recognizes outstanding Indian work (according to the view of CSIR awarding committee) in science and technology.
• It is the most coveted award in multidisciplinary science in India.
• The award is named after the founder Director of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar. It was first awarded in 1958.
• Any citizen of India engaged in research in any field of science and technology up to the age of 45 years is eligible for the prize.
• The prize is awarded on the basis of contributions made through work done in India only during the five years preceding the year of the prize.
• The prize comprises a citation, a plaque, and a cash award of Rs.5 lakh (US$7,000).
• In addition, recipients also receive Rs. 15,000 per month up to the age of 65 years.

Prelims Factoids
International Hydropower Association (IHA)

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about IHA and blue planet award + Teesta river)
What's the NEWS

• Recently, NHPC's 510 MW generating capacity Teesta-V (Five) power station located in the Himalayan state of Sikkim has been awarded the prestigious 'Blue Planet Award' by the International Hydropower Association.

Know! about International Hydropower Association (IHA)

• It is a non-profit membership association based in London and operating in 120 countries.
• It's membership mainly consists of hydropower controllers and operators, developers, designers, suppliers and consultants.

Blue planet award

• IHA's Blue Planet Award is awarded to hydropower projects that demonstrate excellence in the pursuit of sustainable development.
• The Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol (HSAP) is the leading international tool for measuring the sustainability of such projects.
• It provides a way to benchmark the performance of a hydroelectric project against a wide range of environmental, social, technical and governmental parameters.

Teesta River

• It is a 414 km long river that originates from the Pahunari Mountains of the Eastern Himalayas.
• It flows through Sikkim, West Bengal and Bangladesh, 315 km of the river lies in India and the rest in Bangladesh.
• It joins the Brahmaputra River at Phulchari in Bangladesh and empties into the Bay of Bengal.
• Teesta is the largest river in Sikkim and the second largest river in West Bengal after the Ganges.

Environment
International Maritime Organization

Relevance IN.- Prelims ( about IMO and about Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) + Black carbon)
What's the NEWS

• The 77^th 'Marine Environment Protection Committee' (MEPC) i.e. MEPC 77 meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will be held in November.
• Before the meeting, the Clean Arctic Alliance has demanded an immediate reduction in 'black carbon' emissions from shipping

Black Carbon

• Generated through incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuels and biomass. It is a short term pollutant.
• It is spread by both anthropogenic and naturally occurring soot.
• It originates from local sources and has a huge impact on local areas.
• Major sources: Diesel engines, cooking stoves, wood burning and forest fires
• Black carbon is the second largest contributor to Earth's warming after carbon dioxide (CO₂).

Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC)

• The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) was established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) with the objective of ensuring a 'proactive approach' to protect and safeguard the interests of the marine environment and ecosystem.
• This committee presents solutions to the problem of air pollution caused by the continuous and heavy traffic of ships in the sea areas.
• The Committee also proposes necessary amendments to the existing terms and guidelines on MARPOL in its meetings.
• It also focuses on the identification and enforcement of 'Particularly Sensitive Maritime Areas' (PSSA) and other Special Maritime Areas.

World Maritime Day

• It is celebrated every year by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and other international organizations on the last Thursday of September.
• Objective: To recognize the contribution of international maritime industries to the world economy, especially shipping, to raise awareness of the importance of shipping safety, maritime security and the marine environment.
• The theme of the day for the year 2021: "Sailors: at the heart of the future of shipping."
•  India has been a member of the IMO since 1959 and is listed among the 10 countries with the 'greatest interest in international maritime trade'.
• The Hong Kong Convention on the Safe and Environmentally Sustainable Recycling of Ships was adopted by the IMO in 2009.
• Hong Kong Convention Objective: To ensure that ships are recycled after the end of their operational period, without causing unnecessary risks to human health, safety and the environment.

National
Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2021
Relevance IN.- Prelims ( about Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2021 -highlights) + Mains ( GS III issues relating to intellectual property rights.)
What's the NEWS

• Recently, the Central Government has introduced the Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2021 with an aim to promote innovation and development of new technologies.

Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2021

• In this, the patent fee for educational institutions has been reduced.
• In order to encourage more participation of educational institutions playing a vital role in the innovation of the country, the official fee payable by them in respect of various Acts under the Patents Rules, 2003 has been reduced through the Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2021.
• Benefits related to 80% lower fees for patent filing and prosecution have been extended to all educational institutions. Earlier this benefit was available only for all recognized educational institutions owned by the government.
• The rapid examination system has been expanded i.e. the fastest patent is granted within 41 days of the filing of such request.
• This facility of rapid examination system was initially provided for patent applications filed by startups.

The facility of rapid examination system now has been extended to 8 other categories of patent applicants:

1. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
2. Women Applicants
3. Government Department
4. Institutions Established by Central Act
5. Institution established by a Provincial or State Act
6. Government company
7. Institutions wholly or substantially financed by the Government
8. To applicants under Patent Prosecution Highway

Prelims Factoids
National Mission on Cultural Mapping
Relevance IN.- Prelims ( about National Mission on Cultural Mapping)
What's the NEWS

• Recently the National Mission on Cultural Mapping has now been handed over to the Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts (IGNCA).
• This decision was taken in view of the unsatisfactory progress of this mission since 2017.

National Mission on Cultural Mapping

• It is a mission mode project of Ministry of Culture.
• It was established in 2015.
• Objective: To address the need to preserve the rich Indian art and cultural heritage and transform India's vast and extensive cultural landscape into a purposeful cultural mapping, creating a strong "cultural vibrancy" across the country.
• Major Functions: Identification, collection and recording of cultural assets and resources. Creating a portal and database listing organizations, facilities, festivals and events

Purposeful Programs of the Mission

• National Cultural Awareness Campaign: Hamari Sanskriti Hamari Pehchaan Abhiyan (Our culture is our identity)
• Nationwide Artist Talent Search/Scouting Programme: Cultural Talent Search Campaign
• National Cultural Workplace: Centralized transactional web portal with database and demographics of cultural assets and resources including all art forms and artists.

Environment
Polynya
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Polynya)
What's the NEWS

• A new research by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) research has now shown that more heat and moisture is released through a large hole in sea ice called a polynya, which fuels the formation of more clouds.
• This traps heat in the atmosphere and hinders the refreezing of new sea ice.

Know! about the new findings done by NASA

• Temperatures in the Arctic region are rising much faster than in the rest of the regions of earth.
• New NASA research has clarified what is the relationship between cloud formation and sea ice or essentially frozen sea water.
• In general, research over the past decades has indicated that the loss of Arctic sea ice cover is likely to lead to more cloud formation near the ocean surface.
• New research has now shown that more heat and moisture is released through a large hole in the sea ice called a polynya, which promotes the formation of more clouds.
• It traps heat in the atmosphere and hinders the re-freezing of new sea ice.
• Low clouds over Polynya emitted more energy or heat than clouds in nearby areas covered with sea ice.
• Sea ice acts as a barrier between the relatively warm ocean surface and the cold and dry atmosphere above, so more heat and moisture from the ocean enters the atmosphere.
• This warming slows the growth of sea ice.

Know! about Polynya

• Polynya is an area of open water surrounded by sea ice.
• In ancient times these open and unfrozen areas were used for navigable routes.
• It is now used as a geographical term for an area of unfrozen seawater within frozen ice or fast ice.
• There are two main types of polynya: first "coastal polynya", which can be found year-round near the Antarctic and Arctic coasts and are created mainly by strong winds pushing ice away from the coast, and second "mid- sea or open-ocean polynyas", which can be found more sporadically in the middle of an ice pack, especially in some places around Antarctica.

Science and Technology
Dark Energy
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about dark energy)
What's the NEWS

• Recently an international team of researchers has made the first direct detection of dark energy.
• It has also been proven that experiments like XENON-1T, which is designed to detect dark matter, can also be used to detect dark energy.
• The XENON-1T experiment is the world's most sensitive dark matter experiment.
• It was operated deep underground at INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy.

Know! about Dark Energy

• Dark energy is an unknown form of energy.
• It affects the universe on the largest scale and helps in understanding its expansion.
• The first observational evidence of the existence of dark energy came from measurements of supernovae, which showed that the universe does not expand at a constant rate; Rather, the universe is expanding at a rapid rate.
• Since the 1990s, dark energy has been the most accepted basis for the accelerated expansion of the universe.
• There are several active areas of cosmological research in this context as of 2021 that aim to understand the fundamental nature of dark energy.
• Without introducing a new form of energy, there was no other way to explain how to measure an accelerating and expanding universe.

Dark Energy vs Dark Matter

• Dark matter attracts and holds galaxies together
• Dark energy causes the expansion of our universe.
• About 27% is dark matter and 68% is dark energy.
  
  

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