Social Issues/GSII
Gender Samwaad

What's the NEWS

• Over 3000 State Mission staff and Self-Help Group (SHG) members logged in from 34 states to attend the third edition of ‘Gender Samwaad' organised by the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development

• It is a national virtual initiative under the DAY-NRLM to generate greater awareness on the mission's interventions across the country with a gender lens.
• The theme for this edition was ‘Promotion of food and nutrition security through women's collectives'.
• The event was organized as a part of Ministry's Iconic Week celebration theme ‘Naye Bharat ki Naari' under Amrit Mahotsava.
• The event enabled National and State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLM) to listen to voices from SHG women and for SRLMs to share and learn from best practices.

• Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) organised a seminar on "25 Years of TRAI Act: Way Forward for Stakeholders (Telecom, Broadcasting, IT, AERA and Aadhaar)
• In the year 1997, TRAI Act was enacted to regulate the telecommunications sector in India.
• It also provided for a mechanism of dispute resolution among the stakeholders of telecom sector.
• It was amended in 2000, establishing a Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to take over the adjudicatory and disputes functions from TRAI.

• National Telecom Policy, 1994, allowed entry of private entities in telecom sector and with entry of private sector, need was felt to have a regulator for this sector.
• This led to establishment of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India in 1997 through enactment of TRAI Act.
• Initially, TRAI played the role of regulator as well as adjudicator.
• The TRAI Act was amended by an ordinance, effective from 24 January 2000, establishing a Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to take over the adjudicatory and disputes functions from TRAI.

Government Initiatives/GSII
India Water Pitch-Pilot-Scale Start-up Challenge under AMRUT 2.0

What's the NEWS

• Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched the ‘India WaterPitch-Pilot-Scale Start-up Challenge' under Ministry's Atal mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0.

• Technology Sub-mission to engage startups as ‘Technology Partner' has been approved by Cabinet under AMRUT 2.0.
• The Mission aims to empower startups in the water/ used-water sector to grow through innovation and design that will drive sustainable economic growth and generate employment opportunities.
• Under this initiative, Ministry will select 100 start-ups which will be provided Rs.20 lakhs as funding support as well as mentorship.
• MoHUA organised ‘India Water Pitch-Pilot-Scale Start-up Conclave' to provide first of its kind networking platform to startups, young innovators, industry partners, incubators and States/cities.
• The inviting startups to be partners under Technology Sub-Mission is a promising initiative which will help resolve urban water problems in the country.
• Start-ups have to come up with innovative technologies which will help better management of urban water

• It is a transformative and unique scheme, with a huge outlay of over Rs 2.77 lakh crore.
• The scheme will ensure water security in the country, reduce its transportation costs, reduce

• Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology visited the Gallium Nitride Ecosystem Enabling Centre and Incubator ( GEECI ) facility at the prestigious Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc), Bengaluru.

• The facility has been jointly set up by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and IISc Bengaluru aimed at establishing Gallium Nitride (GaN) based Development Line Foundry facility for strategic applications.
• Gallium nitride (GaN) is a very hard, mechanically stable wide bandgap semiconductor.
• With higher breakdown strength, faster switching speed, higher thermal conductivity and lower on-resistance, power devices based on GaN significantly outperform silicon-based devices.
• Gallium nitride crystals can be grown on a variety of substrates, including sapphire, silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon (Si).

• Aimed at providing accessible, standardised and affordable generic medicines, the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) Kendras have added nutraceuticals products, including protein powder and bar, malt-based food supplements and immunity bar for its customers.

• Nutraceuticals are products, which other than nutrition are also used as medicine.
• A nutraceutical product may be defined as a substance, which has physiological benefit or provides protection against chronic disease.

Know! about PMBJP

• Currently, 8,675 PMBJP Kendras function in districts across the country with three IT-enabled warehouses in Gurugram, Chennai and Guwahati and another one ready to start operations in Surat.
• Under the PMBJP being implemented by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, a medicine is priced on the principle of maximum of 50% of the average price of the top three brands of the said medicine.
• Thus, the prices of Jan Aushadhi medicines are cheaper at least by 50% and in some cases, by 80% to 90% of the market price of the branded medicines.
• In India, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority under the Department of Pharmaceuticals regulates the prices of all drugs, whether branded or generic.
• While it fixes the ceiling price of scheduled medicines specified in the first schedule of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, in case of non-scheduled medicines, the manufactures are free to fix the maximum retail price (MRP) of the drug.

Health/GSII
GenOMICC project

What's the NEWS

• Scientists in the United Kingdom as part of a research project, GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care), have identified 16 new genetic variants that make a person more susceptible to a severe COVID-19 infection.

• The GenOMICC- reportedly the largest of its kind - is a research study that brings together clinicians and scientists from around the world to find the genetic factors that lead to critical illnesses.
• The scientists involved compare the DNA of critically-ill patients with members of the general population. However, ferreting out such differences requires a large number of people and comparing their genetic structures at multiple levels of resolution.
• Since 2015, the GenOMICC has been studying emerging infections such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome), flu, sepsis, and other forms of critical illness.

Prelims Factoids/Location in NEWS
MANGALAJODI

What's the NEWS

• The Odisha government has proposed to ban movement of mechanised fishing boats in the Mangalajodi area of the Chilika lake, an important haunt of migratory birds, to provide the winged guests an undisturbed ecosystem for six months every year.
• Mangalajodi is an olden village under Tangi, Odisha block in Khordha district of Odisha at the northern edge of Chilika Lake.
• Mangalajodi is recognised as globally important for the conservation of birds. Migratory birds arrive there for roosting.
• However, no statutory rules and regulations are there for protecting the marshland with emergent vegetation.
• Many occasions and festivals are celebrated in Mangalajodi
• Danda Yatra is one of the oldest ritual occasions celebrated in the month of Chaitra.
• Paika Akhada is another dance performed by some villagers.

Know! about Chilika Lake

• It is a brackish water lagoon, spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha state on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal
• It is the biggest lake of India after Vembanad Lake.
• This lake is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the largest brackish water lagoon in the world after The New Caledonian barrier reef.
• It is the largest salt water lake in India.
• It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent.

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