Connect to Current -Daily Current Capsules - 1^st May 2019

Agriculture Sector
PepsiCo sues Indian farmers over the FC5 potato row

Relevance IN - Prelims (about the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001 )+ Mains ( GS III various cropping pattern)

PepsiCO allegation

• PepsiCo Inc has sued four Indian farmers for cultivating a potato variety that the snack food and drinks maker claims infringes its patent.
• PepsiCo has sued the farmers for cultivating the FC5 potato variety, grown exclusively for its popular Lay's potato chips. The FC5 variety has a lower moisture content required to make snacks such as potato chips.

 

Farmer's point of view

• Farmers believe that section 39 of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001 allows farmers to grow and sell any variety of crop or even seed as long as they don't sell branded seed of registered varieties.

 

What PepsiCO did 

• PepsiCo has invoked Section 64 of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001 to claim infringement of its rights.
• The section prohibits anyone other than the breeder of seeds or a registered licensee of that variety to sell, export, import or produces such variety.
• The farmers were allegedly growing a variety of potato namely FL 2027, also called FC5, on which PepsiCo claimed exclusive rights by virtue of a Plant Variety Certificate (PVC).

 

Know! about Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001

 

• Objective of the act is the establishment of an effective system for the protection of plant varieties, the rights of farmers and plant breeders and to encourage the development of new varieties of plant.
• Protection of innocent infringement: a right established under this Act shall not be deemed to be infringed by a farmer who at the time of such infringement was not aware of the existence of such right
• Researcher can use any of the registered variety under the Act for conducting an experiment or research. Researchers can use the initial source of variety for the purpose of developing another variety but repeated use needs the prior permission of the registered breeder.
• A farmer can save, use, sow, re-sow, exchange, share or sell his farm produce including seed of a variety protected under the PPV&FR Act, 2001
• However, the farmer shall not be entitled to sell branded seed of a variety protected under the PPV&FR Act, 2001.
• There is also a provision for compensation to the farmers for non-performance of variety.

 

What's the PepsiCo's Proposal

 

• PepsiCo India has proposed to amicably settle with people who were unlawfully using seeds of its registered variety. PepsiCo has also proposed that they may become part of its collaborative potato farming programme.

 

International Affairs
Iran warns to shut down strategic Hormuz Strait

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Hormuz strait)

What's the NEWS

• Iran's top general Mohammad Bagheri has warned that Tehran could close down the strategic Hormuz Strait tension arises further. Recently, USA has imposed some sanctions and lifted off Significant Reduction Exceptions (SREs) waivers.
• The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond, has been at the heart of regional tensions for decades.

 

Know! more about Hormuz Strait

 

• The waterway separates Iran and Oman, linking the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea. The Strait is 21 miles (33 km) wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just two miles (three km) wide in either direction.
• Most crude exported from Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq - all members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries - is shipped through the waterway.
• It is also the route used for nearly all the liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced by the world's biggest LNG exporter, Qatar.

 

What would be the Impact

• Crude oil prices can be surged due to supply concerns and unsettled stock markets. The closure may also have serious geopolitical repercussions as United States Navy's Central Command is located in the Persian Gulf.
• Any confrontation between the US and Iran may escalate and will have larger security implication in the whole region.

 

Indonesia plans to relocate its capital from Jakarta
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Indonesia and its geographical locations)

What's the NEWS

• Indonesia announced its plans to move its capital away from Jakarta. President Joko Widodo's government plans to establish a new Capital out of the crowded Java Island to ensure more equitable development of the country amid environmental concerns and overcrowding issues.
• The new location is yet unknown. President Widodo-led government looks forward to form the Capital similar to Washington D.C. and letting Jakarta sustain as the business, trade and financial hub, similar to New York in the United States.

 

Know! the reasons behind the capital relocation

 

• One of the major concerns behind the move is traffic congestion in the Capital. In 2016, a survey found that the mega-city had the world's worst traffic congestion. Even ministers have been escorted by police convoys to get to meetings on time.
• Another reason is that Jakarta is prone to annual flooding and is one of the world's fastest sinking cities. The World Bank has earlier mentioned in one of its reports that half of Jakarta is below sea level and it continues to sink at an alarming rate.
• As per the estimates, the capital could probably be 40 to 60 centimetres lower in 2025 than it was in 2008. In such case, the sea water may enter the Presidential Palace, which is located some five kilometres inland. By 2050, the large parts of the megacity could be entirely submerged.
• One of the main causes of this sink is the extraction of groundwater which is used as drinking water and for bathing.

 

End of Japanese ‘Heisei' era: Akihito begins abdication rituals; Naruhito to ascend
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about past eras and about Heisei and Reiwa)

What's the NEWS

• Japanese Emperor of ‘Heisei' era, Akihito began his abdication rituals on April 30, 2019 at a Shinto shrine, marking the end of his reign with hope for a new era.
• Akihito announced his retirement before other members of the royal family and top government officials.

 

Beginning of a new imperial era

• Japan on April 1, 2019 declared ‘Reiwa' as the name of its new imperial era that will begin on May 1, 2019 once the new Crown Prince Naruhito, son of Akihito, ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne.
• In a separate ceremony, Naruhito will inherit the Imperial symbols of office - sword and jewel, as well as Imperial seals as proof of his succession as the nation's 126th emperor.
• The new era will be the 248th in the history of Japan. Japan's emperor has no political power, but remains a highly symbolic figure.

 

 

New Era name ‘Reiwa'

 

• The era name ‘Reiwa' is drawn from the 7th century poetry collection "Manyoshu". The name is made up of the two characters ‘Rei' and ‘Wa' that stands for ‘order' and ‘peace', respectively.
• It is likely to be the first time that the Japanese era name (gengo) has been drawn from a Japanese document, depicting a break from over 1,300 years old custom of choosing the name from Chinese classics.

 

End of ‘Heisei' era

 

• The current Japanese era is known as ‘Heisei' which means achieving peace. The era began on January 8, 1989, a day after the death of the Emperor Hirohito, when Emperor Hirohito's son Emperor Akihito acceded to the throne as the 125th Emperor of Japan.
• Origin of the concept of Imperial Era Name
• Japan imported the imperial calendar system from China about 1,300 years ago in 645 CE. The first era was named as ‘Taika' to celebrate the great Taika reform of 645.

 

There have been four era names in Japan's modern period:

 

• Meiji (1868-1912)
• Taisho (1912-1926)
• Showa (1926-1989)
• Heisei (1989-till now)

 

Environment Conservation
Nepal collected 3,000 kg garbage from Mt Everest
Relevance IN - ( Prelims - about cleaning campaign initiative)

What's the NEWS

• Nepal has collected about 3,000 kilograms of solid waste from Mt. Everest since when Nepal launched an ambitious Everest Cleaning Campaign.
• This 45-day Everest Cleaning Campaign was launched on April 14, on Nepali New Year, and seeks to clean up ‘world's highest garbage dump.'
• Items left behind by climbers and Sherpas include discarded fluorescent lights, climbing and camping equipment, empty gas canisters, food packaging, beer bottles, and a huge amount of human excrement.

 

Know more about it 

• Every year, hundreds of climbers, Sherpas and high altitude porters make their way to Everest, leaving behind tonnes of both biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste.
• The campaign will conclude on May 29, the day marked every year to commemorate the first summit of Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953
• The collected waste will then be "showcased" in Namche town, before being ferried down to Kathmandu, where it will once again be showcased on World Environment Day on June 5.
• Under this campaign Nepal is trying to collect around 5,000-kg of garbage from Base Camp area, while 2,000-kg of garbage will be collected from the South Col region and around 3,000-kg will be collected from Camp II and Camp III area.

 

National Affairs
The government has raised import duty on wheat from existing 30% to 40% to support local farmers interest.
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about import duty and wheat production statics)

How this will help

• The higher duty will help offtake of domestically produced grain by discouraging milers to import wheat but to buy local produce and help protect farm prices.

 

Reason for the increase of import duty

• The oversupply in domestic market due to back to back bumper production of food grains has put wheat prices under pressure.

 

Know! the statics of Indian wheat production

• India's wheat production for 2018-19 crop year (which runs from July to June) is 2% higher than 2018, at a recorded production of 99.12 million tonnes.
• Food Corporation of India (FCI) which holds government's wheat stocks already had 16.99 million tonnes in April and after next purchase by government its stock could reach 57 million tonnes by May end.

Reason for bumper production

• In a bid to improve farm income government raised minimum support price (MSP) of wheat (rate at which FCI buys from farmers) by 6% (Rs.1,840 per 100 kg for 2019), which acted as a benchmark for open market in wheat.
• For similar bumper crop in 2018, government increased import duty on wheat from 20% to 30% which resulted in sharp drop in wheat import.
• Know! all about Wheat
• Wheat is India's staple food, placed second to rice.
• Uttar Pradesh is the largest wheat producing state in India followed by Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh.
• India is second largest producer of wheat in the world. China is world's largest producer, followed by India, Russia, and the United states.

 

Know! about Food Corporation of India

• It is a statutory non-profit organization founded and run by Government of India and also run by state Governments.
• It was created in 1965 under Food Corporations Act 1964, to implement objectives of National Food Policy.

Objectives 

• Safeguarding farmers interests by providing them remunerative prices. Making food grains available at reasonable prices throughout the country (for public distribution system), particularly for vulnerable section of society. Intervening in market for price stabilization. Maintaining buffer stocks as a measure of Food Security

 

Prelims Practise Questions

Consider the following statements
1. Japan declared ‘Reiwa' as the name of its new imperial era that will begin on May 1, 2019 once the new Crown Prince Naruhito, son of Akihito, ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne.
2. It is likely to be the first time that the Japanese era name (gengo) has been drawn from a Japanese document, depicting a break from over 1,300 years old custom of choosing the name from Chinese classics.
3. The current Japanese era is known as ‘Heisei' which means achieving peace. The era began on January 8, 1989, a day after the death of the Emperor Hirohito, when Emperor Hirohito's son Emperor Akihito acceded to the throne as the 125th Emperor of Japan.

find the correct statement from the option given below 
a. 1 and 2
b. 1 and 3
c. 2 and 3
d. All

Consider the following statements

1. Uttar Pradesh is the largest wheat producing state in India followed by Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh.
2. India is the second largest producer of wheat in the world. China is world's largest producer, followed by India, Russia, and the United states.
3. It is a statutory non-profit organization founded and run by Government of India and also run by state Governments.
4. It was created in 1965 under Food Corporations Act 1964, to implement objectives of National Food Policy.

Find the correct statement from the option given below
a. 1 2 and 3
b. 2 and 3 
c. 2 3 and 4
d. All

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