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Daily Current Capsules - 17th August 2020

Social Issues/International organisations
4th Meeting of the BRICS Anti-Drug Working Group held
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Anti-Drug Working Group +steps taken by India + about BRICS) + Mains ( GS II Social issues + international organisations)
What's the NEWS
  • The 4th Session of the BRICS Anti-Drug Working Group comprising of Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa and India was held
  • This year's session, held over video conference on August 12, 2020, was chaired by Russia.
Know! about session highlights
  • The common points emerged during the discussions include need for real time information sharing among the member states and need to curb increased drug trafficking through maritime routes.
  • Misuse of darknet and other advanced technologies for drug trafficking was one of the key focal areas of the meeting.
  • The member nations adopted a communiqué that covered all the points discussed in the meeting.
Steps taken by India to curb drug trafficking
Nasha Mukt Bharat: Annual Action Plan (2020-21)
  • Nasha Mukt Bharat: Annual Action Plan (2020-21) for 272 Most Affected Districts' was launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on the occasion of "International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking"
  • The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment observes 26th June every year as "International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking".
  • It is the nodal Ministry for drug demand reduction which coordinates and monitors all aspects of drug abuse prevention
  • Nasha Mukt Bharat Annual Action Plan for 2020-21 would focus on 272 most affected districts and launch a three-pronged attack combining efforts of Narcotics Bureau, Outreach/Awareness by Social Justice and Treatment through the Health Dept.
The Action Plan has the following components:
  • Awareness generation programmes; Focus on Higher Educational institutions, University Campuses and Schools; Community outreach and identification of dependent population; Focus on Treatment facilities in Hospital settings; and Capacity Building Programmes for Service Provider.
National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use
  • Based on the finding of the National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India and list of districts which are vulnerable from the supply point of view provided by Narcotics Control Bureau, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment would undertake intervention programmes in vulnerable districts across the country
National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (2018-2025)
  • The Ministry has also prepared a National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction for the period 2018-2025 which aims at reduction of adverse consequences of drug abuse through a multi-pronged strategy involving education, de-addiction and rehabilitation of affected individuals and their families.
  • The Action Plan includes components for preventive education and awareness generation, capacity building, treatment and rehabilitation, setting quality standards, focussed intervention in vulnerable areas, skill development, vocational training and livelihood support of ex-drug addicts, State/UT specific interventions, surveys, studies, evaluation and research etc.
Know! about BRICS
  • BRICS is an informal group of states comprising the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian Federation, the Republic of India, the People's Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa.
  • Among other areas of collaboration, matters pertaining to drug trafficking is an important area of cooperation among the BRICS member states.
Prelims Factoids
Navroz or Nowroz
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Navroz)
What's the NEWS
  • The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has extended his greetings on Parsi New Year, Navroz.
Know! all about Navroz
  • Parsi New Year, also known as Navroz or Nowroz, is celebrated to mark the beginning of the Iranian calendar.
  • In Persian, ‘Nav' stands for new, and ‘Roz' stands for the day, which literally translates to ‘new day'.
  • The tradition is believed to have been celebrated for the past 3,000 years, and is observed by Iranians and the Parsi community around the world.
  • The most prominent Navroz celebrations take place in Maharashtra and Gujarat in India on account of a sizeable Parsi population living there.
  • Navroz falls in the month of August, according to the Gregorian calendar. This year it's being celebrated on August 16.
  • Navroz is celebrated in March globally, however, in India, the Shahenshahi calendar is followed that doesn't account for leap years, hence Navroz arrives 200 days later, in August.
  • Navroz is also known as Jamshed-i-Navroz, after the Persian King, Jamshed.
  • The king is credited with having created the Persian calendar, or the Shahenshahi calendar.
Environment
Hornbill

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Hornbill+ about Papum Reserve Forest (RF) +Pakke Tiger Reserve + birdlife international) + GS III ( Environment conservation)
What's the NEWS
  • A study based on satellite data has flagged a high rate of deforestation in a major hornbill habitat in Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Ecologists assessed the changes in forest cover of the Papum Reserve Forest (RF) adjoining the Pakke Tiger Reserve
  • According to the Global Forest Watch 2020 report, Arunachal Pradesh lost 1,110 sq.km. of primary forest from 2002-2019.
  • "Forests still cover 74% of the total land area of the State, and steps are being taken to stop felling\
Papum Reserve Forest
  • Papum RF is a nesting habitat of three species of the large, colourful fruit-eating hornbills: Great, Wreathed and Oriental Pied.
  • The satellite data pointed to alarming deforestation rates in Papum RF
  • Papum Reserve Forest is geographically situated in the south west of East Kameng district in Arunachal Pradesh.
  • It is surrounded by Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary to the east and Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary to the west.
  • Papum Reserve Forest forms part of the Eastern Himalayas Endemic Bird Area.
  • It is a part of the Indo-Burma Biodiversity hotspot in India.
  • There are four Biodiversity Hostpots in India : Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Sundalands and Western Ghats and Sri Lanka.
Know! all about Hornbills
  • The hornbills (Bucerotidae) are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia.
  • India is home to nine species of hornbills. The northeastern region has the highest diversity of hornbill species within India.
  • Papum RF is a nesting habitat of three species of hornbills: the great hornbill (Buceros bicornis), wreathed hornbill (Aceros undulatus) and the Oriental pied hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris), Wreathed and Oriental Pied.
  • The 862 sq.km. Pakke reserve houses a fourth species, the Rufous-necked hornbill (Aceros nipalensis) species are found here.
  • Referred to as ‘forest engineers' or ‘farmers of forest' for playing a key role in dispersing seeds of tropical trees, hornbills indicate the prosperity and balance of the forest they build nests in.
  • The great hornbill is the state bird of Arunachal Pradesh and Kerala.
  • They are the cultural symbols of some ethnic communities in the northeast, specifically the Nyishi of Arunachal Pradesh.
  • The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species notes that the overwhelming majority of hornbills are not in danger of becoming extinct.
  • 26 out of the 62 species of hornbills are Globally Threatened or Near Threatened with extinction, with all other species listed as Least Concern
  • The great hornbill (Buceros bicornis) is one of the larger members of the hornbill family. It is found in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Its impressive size and colour have made it important in many tribal cultures and rituals.
  • The great hornbill is evaluated as vulnerable.
  • It is protected at the highest level under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Additional info
Endemic Bird Area
  • An Endemic Bird Area (EBA) is an area of land identified by BirdLife International as being important for habitat-based bird conservation because it contains the habitats of restricted-range bird species
  • EBAs contain about 93% of the world's restricted-range bird species
BirdLife International
  • It is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats.
  • BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding important sites for birds, maintaining and restoring key bird habitats, and empowering conservationists worldwide.
  • BirdLife International has identified 7,500 important bird areas and manages more than 2,500,000 million acres (1,000,000 hectares) of wildlife habitat.
  • As the official listing authority for birds for the World Conservation Union's red list of threatened species, BirdLife International has identified more than 1,000 bird species threatened with extinction and has developed conservation strategies for each of them.
  • In addition, the group publishes the quarterly magazine World Birdwatch and the scientific journal Bird Conservation International.
Health
CSIR moots ‘mega labs' to boost COVID-19 testing

Relevance IN - Prelims (about mega labs + Next Generation Sequencing machines +Next generation sequencing + about genome sequencing)
What's the NEWS
  • To speed up testing as well as improve the accuracy of testing for coronavirus(COVID-19) positive cases, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is working on developing "mega labs" where large machines, called Next Generation Sequencing machines (NGS), which are also used for sequencing human genomes, will be repurposed to sequence 1,500-3,000 viral genomes at a go for detecting the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus.
Know! about these mega labs
  • These genome sequencing machines can substantially detect the possible presence of the virus even in several instances where the traditional RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) tests miss out on them.
  • This is primarily because the RT-PCR test identifies the SARS-CoV-2 virus by exploring only specific sections of the virus whereas the genome method can read a bigger chunk of virus genome
  • It can also trace the evolutionary history of the virus and track mutations more reliably.
  • The CSIR has partnered with the U.S.-based Illumina, a company that specialises in the manufacture of NGS machines.
  • Five such sequencers, costing Rs.4 crore each, are currently available in India.
  • Establishing "hubs" capable of whole genome sequencing would help track significant mutations in the virus and can be repurposed for any kind of outbreak, be they of viral or bacterial origin.
Know! about Next generation sequencing (NGS)
  • Next generation sequencing (NGS), massively parallel or deep sequencing are related terms that describe a DNA sequencing technology which has revolutionised genomic research as they generates giga bases of data in a short amount of time
  • Using NGS an entire human genome can be sequenced within a single day.
  • This has reduced the cost per genome significantly, making genomic data more accessible to individual researchers.
Know! about Genome sequencing
  • Genome sequencing is figuring out the order of DNA nucleotides, or bases, in a genome-the order of As, Cs, Gs, and Ts that make up an organism's DNA. The human genome is made up of over 3 billion of these genetic letters
Defence
Indigenisation portal SRIJAN

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about SRIJAN Portal + other signed agreements - DISC,iDEX) + Mains ( GS III indigenisation of technologies)
What's the NEWS
  • The Ministry of Defence (MoD) launched Department of Defence Production, MoD's portal SRIJAN which is a ‘one stop shop online portal that provides access to the vendors to take up items that can be taken up for indigenization.
  • Four Contracts of Defence India Start-up Challenge under iDEX and four MoUs between industry partners and Defence PSUs were also signed
Know! about SRIJAN portal
  • Department of Defence Production, MoD has developed an indigenization portal, srijandefence.gov.in, as "opportunities for Make in India in Defence", which will give information on items that can be taken up for indigenization by the private sector.
  • On this portal, DPSUs/OFB/SHQs can display their items which they have been importing or are going to import which the Indian Industry can design, develop and manufacture as per their capability or through joint venture with OEMs.
  • The Indian Industry will be able to show their interest. The concerned DPSUs/OFB/SHQs, based on their requirement of the items and their guidelines & procedures will interact with the Indian industry for indigenization.
  • The portal displays information in a structured way, which includes the item name, image and specification, values of imports, NATO Classification (indicative), etc. It also has a search facility.
Know! about other signed agreements
  • DDP Signed 4 Contracts of Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC) 3 under Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) .
  • iDEX aims to create an ecosystem which fosters innovation and encourages technology development in Defence by engaging R&D institutes, academia, industries, startups and individual innovators.
  • The iDEX framework was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in April 2018.
  • iDEX is being implemented by Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), a Section 8 company formed for this purpose, with Rs 50 crore support each from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), both of which are Defence Public Sector Units.
  • More than 700 startups and innovators responded to the 3 rounds of Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC), out of which over 55 startups/ individuals have been selected to receive innovation grants in 15 technological areas under DISC 1, 2 and 3, through the Prototype funding guidelines called "Support for Prototype and Research Kickstart" (SPARK), which entail provisioning of grants upto Rs 1.5 crore to the Startups on the basis of milestones through multiple tranches.
Prelims Factoids
Fit India Freedom Run

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Fit India Freedom Run initiative)
What's the NEWS
  • A new initiative "Fit India Freedom Run" introduced by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India .
  • This event would continue from 15th August to 2nd October 2020.
  • The initiative is being taken up under the aegis of the Fit Indian Movement.
Know! about the initiative
  •  "Fit India Run" has been conceived keeping in view the indispensable need to keep ourselves fit while maintaining social distancing.
  • ‘Fit India Freedom Run' was launched by Minister of State for Youth Affairs
  • The Fit India Freedom Run has been ideated in a unique way. Participants can run at their own place (wherever they are) and at their own pace (at a time convenient to them) between August 15, the 73rd Independence Day and October 2, the 151st Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Know! about Fit India Movement
  • It is a nation-wide movement in India to encourage people to remain healthy and fit by including physical activities and sports in their daily lives.
  • It was launched by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi on 29 August 2019 (National Sports Day).

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