Miscellaneous
Price Monitoring and Resource Unit

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the role of PMRU)
What's the NEWS

• A Price Monitoring and Resource Unit (PMRU) has been set up in Goa under the aegis of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India.

Know! the objective and rolw of PMRU

• This PMRU will function at the State level under the direct supervision of the State Drug Controller for increasing outreach of NPPA.
• PMRUs are societies registered under the Societies Registration Act having its own Memorandum of Association/ Bye laws.
• The Board of Governors of PMRU includes the representatives from Central Government and State Government concerned and other stakeholders.

Know! the genesis of PMRU's

• NPPA, under its Central Sector Scheme named Consumer Awareness, Publicity and Price Monitoring (CAPPM) has already set up PMRUs in 15 States/ UTs,
• NPPA has plans to set up PMRUs in all the 36 States/ UTs in the country.
• The expenses of PMRUs, both recurring and non-recurring are borne by NPPA under the Scheme.
• The PMRUs are expected to strengthen drug security and affordability at regional levels.
• The primary function of PMRUs is to assist NPPA in monitoring of prices of drugs, ensuring availability of drugs and raising consumer awareness.
• They act as collaborating partners of NPPA with information gathering mechanism at the grass-roots level.
• They will render necessary technical assistance to both the NPPA and the respective State Drug Controllers of States/ Union Territories.

Governance
National Conference on Vigilance and Anti Corruption

Relevance IN - Prelims (about the National Conference on Vigilance and Anti-Corruption)
What's the NEWS

• The Prime Minister inaugurated the National Conference on Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, on the theme Vigilant India, Prosperous India

Know! more about the Conference

• The Central Bureau of Investigation organizes this National Conference coinciding with ‘Vigilance Awareness Week', which is observed in India every year from 27th October to 2nd November.
• The three day conference would discuss the Challenges in investigation in foreign jurisdictions; Preventive Vigilance as a Systemic Check against Corruption; Systemic improvements for financial inclusion and prevention of bank frauds
• The Conference shall bring policy makers and practitioners on a common platform and will act as an enabler to combat corruption through systemic improvements and preventive vigilance measures, thereby ushering in good governance and accountable administration. This is a significant contributing factor for enabling ease of doing business in India.

Prelims Factoids
Tocilizumab
Know! about Tocilizumab

• Tocilizumab is the second drug, after hydroxychloroquine, that had quickly earned global popularity as a Covid-19 treatment before its efficacy came under question in the wake of poor trial outcomes.
• It is an immunosuppressant, commonly used for rheumatoid arthritis, and marketed as Actemra by Swiss pharma company Roche.
• It was repurposed in January to fight severe lung infection in Covid-19 patients.
• Tocilizumab is an immunosuppressive drug, mainly for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, a severe form of arthritis in children.
• It is a humanized monoclonal antibody against the interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R).
• Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a cytokine that plays an important role in immune response and is implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases, such as autoimmune diseases

Prelims Factoids
The Kati Bihu of Assam
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the bihu festivals of Assam)
Know! about the different types of Bihu festivals of Assam

• The Assamese people observe all the pan-Indian religious festivals, but their most important celebrations are the three Bihu festivals.
• Originally agricultural festivals, they are observed with great enthusiasm irrespective of caste, creed, and religious affinity.
• The Bohag Bihu, celebrated in the spring (usually mid-April), marks the commencement of the new year (first day of the Bohag or Baishakh month).
• It is also known as Rangoli Bihu (from rang, meaning merrymaking and fun)
• The Magh Bihu, celebrated in mid-January (in the month of Magh), is a harvest festival.
• It is also known as Bhogali Bihu (from bhog, meaning enjoyment and feasting)
• The third Bihu festival, the Kati Bihu (in mid-October or November), is also called the Kangali Bihu (from kangali, meaning poor), because by this time of year the house of an ordinary family is without food grains, as the stock is usually consumed before the next harvest.

Cultural life of Assam

• The cultural life of Assam is interwoven with the activities of a number of cultural institutions and religious centres, such as the satra (seat of a religious head known as the satradhikar) and namghar (prayer hall).
• Satras in Assam have been looking after the religious and social well-being of the Hindu population since the 15^th century.

International Organisations
India gets Chairmanship of ILO Governing body after a gap of 35 years
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about ILO and its governing body)
What's the NEWS

• After a gap of 35 years, India assumed the Chairmanship of Governing Body of International Labour Organisation (ILO), with Labour Secretary Apurva Chandra being elected to the post.
• India assumed the Chairmanship of GB after 35 years, marking a new chapter in the 100 years of productive relationship between India and ILO.
• The Chairperson of the Governing Body of ILO is a position of international repute.

Know! about the Governing body

• The Governing Body (GB) is the apex executive body of the ILO, which decides policies, programmes, agenda, budget, and elects the Director-General.
• At present, the ILO has 187 members. Chandra will be presiding over the upcoming the Governing Body's meeting, to be held in November 2020.
• The Governing Body meets three times a year, in March, June and November.
• It takes decisions on ILO policy, decides the agenda of the International Labour Conference, adopts the draft Programme and Budget of the Organization for submission to the Conference
• This governing body is composed of 56 titular members (28 governments, 14 employers and 14 workers) and 66 deputy members (28 governments, 19 employers and 19 workers).
• It will also provide a platform to apprise participants of the transformational initiative taken by the government in removing the rigidities of the labour market, besides making intention clear about the universalisation of social security to all workers in the organised or unorganised sector.

Know! about ILO

• The only tripartite U.N. agency, since 1919 the ILO brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 member States , to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men.
• The ILO was founded in 1919, in the wake of a destructive war, to pursue a vision based on the premise that universal, lasting peace can be established only if it is based on social justice. The ILO became the first specialized agency of the UN in 1946.
• The unique tripartite structure of the ILO gives an equal voice to workers, employers and governments to ensure that the views of the social partners are closely reflected in labour standards and in shaping policies and programmes.

Environment Conservations
Himalayan brown bear

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Himalayan brown bear )
What's the NEWS

• A recent study on the Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) has predicted a significant reduction in suitable habitat and biological corridors of the species in the climate change scenario
• The study prompted the scientists to suggest an adaptive spatial planning of protected area network in the western Himalayas for conserving the species.

Know! about Himalayan brown bear and study highlights

• The Himalayan brown bear is one of the largest carnivores in the highlands of Himalayas.
• It occupies the higher reaches of the Himalayas in remote, mountainous areas of Pakistan and India, in small and isolated populations, and is extremely rare in many of its ranges.

• The study carried out in the western Himalayas by scientists of Zoological Survey of India, predicted a massive habitat decline of about 73.38% to 72.87% of the Himalayan brown bear by the year 2050 in the climate change scenario.
• These losses in habitat will also result in loss of habitats from 13 protected areas (PAs), and eight of them will become completely uninhabitable by the year 2050, followed by loss of connectivity in the majority of PAs.
• The IUCN list Himalayan brown bears as vulnerable, and they are listed under Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.

Steps Suggested

• There is a need to adopt "preemptive spatial planning of PAs in the Himalayan region for the long-term viability of the species".
• The suitable habitats were mapped outside the PAs and are closely placed to PAs; such areas may be prioritized to bring them into the PA network or enhanced protection
• Adaptive spatial planning of PAs is aimed at minimizing the risks and uncertainty of climate change and make PAs more resilient to climate change.
• The Himalayan brown bear is a top carnivore of the high-altitude Himalayan region.
• The elevation gradient in which the brown bear is distributed is most vulnerable to global warming as this elevation belt is getting warmer faster than other elevation zones of Himalayas
• The habitat of such species is highly vulnerable to climate and unless we plan in advance, we cannot sustain its population in future
• Adaptive spatial planning broadly refers to conserving the existing landscape and augmenting the fragment areas of the habitat of the species.

Know! about ZSI

• The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), founded on 1 July 1916 by Government of India Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, as premier Indian organisation in zoological research and studies to promote the survey, exploration and research of the fauna in the country.

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