Bilateral Relations
Maitri Setu

Relevance IN - Prelims (about Maitri Setu) + Mains (GS II bilateral relations + Indian and its neighbourhood)
What's the NEWS

• Prime Minister will inaugurate ‘Maitri Setu' between India and Bangladesh on 9^th March 2021 at 12 noon via video conferencing.
• Prime Minister will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple infrastructure projects in Tripura during the event.

Know! all about Maitri Setu

• The bridge ‘Maitri Setu' has been built over Feni river which flows between Indian boundary in Tripura State and Bangladesh.
• The name ‘Maitri Setu' symbolizes growing bilateral relations and friendly ties between India and Bangladesh.
• The construction was taken up by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd at a project cost of Rs. 133 Crores.
• The 1.9 Km long bridge joins Sabroom in India with Ramgarh in Bangladesh. It is poised to herald a new chapter for trade and people to people movement between India and Bangladesh.
• With this inauguration, Tripura is set to become the ‘Gateway of North East' with access to Chittagong Port of Bangladesh, which is just 80 Kms from Sabroom.

Integrated Check Post at Sabroom

• Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for setting up an Integrated Check Post at Sabroom.
• It will help ease the movement of goods and passengers between the two countries, provide new market opportunities for products of North East states and assist seamless movement of passengers to and from India and Bangladesh.
• The project is being taken up by the Land Ports Authority of India at an estimated cost

Other Infrastructure Projects

• Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of NH 208 connecting the Unakoti district headquarters at Kailashahar with the Khowai district headquarters.
• Prime Minister will also inaugurate State Highways and other district roads, developed by the State government with a financial outlay of Rs. 63.75 Crores. They will provide all weather connectivity to the people of Tripura.
• Prime Minister will inaugurate 40978 houses constructed under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), completed with the financial outlay of Rs. 813 Crores.
• He will also inaugurate the Integrated Command and Control Centre built under Agartala Smart City Mission.
• Prime Minister will also lay foundation stone for widening of the existing road from Lichubagan to the airport from two lanes to four lanes.
• The work is being implemented by Agartala Smart City Mission at a project cost of about Rs 96 crores.

Health and Family Welfare
Techbharat 2021

Relevance IN - Prelims (about TechBharat 2021+ Laghu Udyog Bharati + IMS) + Mains (GS II government policies and interventions for the development of various sectors)
What's the NEWS

• Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan addressed the inaugural session of TechBharat 2021

Know! more about TechBharat

• Laghu Udyog Bharati and IMS Foundation have organized the 2nd edition of the conclave bringing together stakeholders from the HealthTech & Edutech sector on a virtual platform.
• Techbharat is facilitating interactions & deliberations between thousands of domestic & global participants, including policy makers, government representatives, industry members, investors & start-ups to nurture resourceful partnerships and boost growth in the sectors.
• If you are a startup or SME or Educational Institution or a University, TECHBHARAT gives you a global platform - a space - to interact with Government & policy makers, collaborate with global leaders & meet with investors & change agents

Laghu Udyog Bharati

• It is a not for profit Pan India Organisation with the aim of empowering Micro and Small enterprises in the country since its formation in 1994.
• Today, it has the distinction of being one of the largest Industry networks with branches in all the 24 states of India and membership base of 27,000.
• At a national level, LUB endeavors to bring together like-minded industrialists and entrepreneurs to create a strong and progressive organisation that provides solutions to entrepreneurs with a national spirit.
• It also helps aspiring entrepreneurs to achieve their full potential through training programs to impart new management techniques, technology know-how as well as to transfer of technology.

IMS 2021 - THE GLOBAL PLATFORM FOR MSME

• IMS 2021 is India's premier event for Manufacturing and engineering related sectors
• IMS 2021 intends to be the catalyst to accelerate the manufacturing sector by bringing together the best minds, the best technologies and the best practices from across the globe while providing excellent Business and Knowledge sharing opportunities for all its participants.
• The central theme for IMS 2021 "MAKE IN INDIA, MADE FOR THE WORLD" is in tune with the clarion call given by the Prime Minister Shri. Narendra to make MSME sector play pivotal role in Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
• The MSME is the most dynamic industrial sector contributing to about 35% of India's manufacturing output. Further, there is a vision to enhance contribution of MSME's to over 50% in India's GDP. If we have to achieve Indian economy to scale the $5 trillion mark.

Prelims Factoids
Singorgarh Fort in Damoh district (MP)

Relevance IN - Prelims (about Singorgarh Fort - location based MCQs)
What's the NEWS

• The President of India aid the foundation stone for the conservation works of Singorgarh Fort in Singrampur village of Damoh district in Madhya Pradesh
• The President also inaugurated the newly carved Jabalpur Circle of Archaeological Survey of India.
• The Presided addressed the State Level Tribal Conference at Singrampur village in Damoh.
• The program was organized by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and the Tribal Affairs Department of Madhya Pradesh.

Know! more about Singorgarh Fort

• Singorgarh Fort in the Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh state in Central India, is a hill-fort of Garha Kingdom, spread over the hills of a forested area.
• It is about 45 km from Jabalpur city, on the way to Damoh town.
• It was a magnificent fort and a residence of Rajgond rulers of Central India who spent part of each year there.
• It is presently in a ruined condition with no caretaker. The site must be accessed by foot, as there is no proper road to it.
• In its peak years, thousands of people lived at the fort, which was spread over large area.
• Many of its former watch towers are still visible. There is a pond on the hilltop that provided water.
• The fort was attacked in June, 1564 during the last war of the Garha Kingdom dynasty, under the rule of Rani Durgavati.
• At that time, Rani Durgavati, the ruling Queen of Gondwana, resided there; she later moved to Chouragarh Fort in Narsinghpur.

Defence
First ever visit by Indian Naval Ships to the historic port city of Mongla, Bangladesh 8^th - 10^th Mar 2021

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about port town of Mongla in Bangladesh - location based MCQs)
What's the NEWS

• Indian Naval Ships Sumedha, an indigenously build Offshore Patrol vessel and Kulish, an indigenously built guided missile corvette, are scheduled to make a port call at the historic port town of Mongla in Bangladesh from 8^th to 10^th March 2021 to commemorate the ongoing Swarnim Vijay Varsh and reiterating the historic Indo-Bangladeshi friendship.
• This is the first time that any Indian Naval Ship is visiting the port of Mongla in Bangladesh and the visit is aimed at paying homage to the Bangladeshi and Indian combatants and citizens who laid down their lives during the Liberation War of 1971, and reiterate India's firm resolve and commitment to maintain peace, stability and good order in the region, in line with SAGAR - Security and Growth for all in the Region, as articulated by the Prime Minister of India.

Prelims Factoids
India's first ‘Transgender Community Desk'
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Transgender Community Desk )
What's the NEWS

• The first-of-its-kind gender inclusive community policing initiative in the country, Cyberabad police inaugurated a ‘Transgender Community Desk' at Gachibowli police station, Hyderabad

Know! more about it

• The desk will be managed by a police liaison officer and a transgender person who is designated as community coordinator.
• It will be the focal point for all grievance redressal among transgender community in Cyberabad Commissionerate.
• The desk will provide support to file cases in offences related to violence or discrimination against any transgender person.
• Among other services the desk will also provide counselling, legal aid, life skills, soft skills training, job placements, and referral linkages to welfare schemes in partnership with the Department of Women and Child Welfare, and District Legal Services Authority.

Bilateral Relations
Sri Lanka's claim of Indian approval for WCT project proposal 'factually incorrect': MEA

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about West Container Terminal (WCT) + about the East Container Terminal (ECT) + GS II bilateral relations
What's the NEWS

• The Sri Lankan Cabinet decided to allocate Colombo's West Container Terminal (WCT) to an Adani Group consortium to compensate for cancelling the East Container Terminal (ECT) agreement, previously signed by India and Japan
• Both New Delhi and Tokyo have signalled their distancing from the decision.
• The proposal presented by the Adani group and Special Economic Zone Ltd, a consortium called APSEZ, had been "approved" by the Indian High Commission.
• The Sri Lankan government has engaged directly with investors on this project
• The Japanese government has not yet responded officially to the Sri Lankan offer for the WCT, but it had reacted sharply to being ousted from the previous Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with India and Sri Lanka for the neighbouring ECT project, and had called the decision "regrettable".
• Japan has not made any decision regarding the West Coast Terminal (WCT)

East Container Terminal (ECT) agreement

• It was signed in May 2019, the trilateral MoC between India, Japan and Sri Lanka for the ECT
• It was a government-to-government agreement, expected to send a strong strategic signal in the region, as India and Japan planned to collaborate to fund and develop infrastructure projects in South Asia, where thus far China had a bigger role.
• Japan is understood to have offered very generous terms at the time, for a 40-year soft loan with a 0.1% interest rate to help fund the ECT.
• Japan's reluctance to accept the WCT offer instead of the ECT could be a blow to the new agreement, which is now a public-private partnership driven by the Adani group.
• In the Sri Lanka port project, Adani group is committed to make investment to the tune of $400 million (approximately Rs.3,000 cr) to develop the terminal and other infrastructure
• The investment would be met from the company's own resources, and not linked to funding from Japan.

Background

• Sri Lankan Cabinet helmed by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa unanimously agreed to run the East Container Terminal (ECT) as a fully-owned operation of the state-run Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), succumbing to pressure from the trade unions who opposed the joint venture to develop the strategic terminal.
• The three countries agreed that SLPA would retain 100% ownership, while a jointly-owned Terminal Operations company would run the terminal-- 51% stake with Sri Lanka and 49% with India and Japan.
• It will be developed with 51% ownership by the Sri Lankan Government and the remaining 49% as an investment by India's Adani Group and other stakeholders including Japan.

Health
Kerala's delayed approach towards herd immunity
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Herd immunity)
What's the NEWS

• Kerala continues to contribute a high number of cases on a daily basis. However, there has not been any surge or spike in daily cases, as seen in other States.
• Refuting the possibility of widespread infection in the population taking it close to herd immunity contributing to the decline in cases
• As per the third countrywide serosurvey conducted by the ICMR between December 17, 2020 and January 8, 2021, the seropositivity in the State was only about 11.5%. "So nearly 82% of the population in the State have not got infected

Genome sequencing

• Kerala in collaboration with IGIB was the first to begin sequencing the genome of samples collected from all the 14 districts to identify any variants/escape mutants.
• Over 1,000 samples sent from Kerala have been sequenced so far. "This is the largest number sequenced from any State

Herd immunity

• 'Herd immunity', also known as 'population immunity', is the indirect protection from an infectious disease that happens when a population is immune either through vaccination or immunity developed through previous infection.
• WHO supports achieving 'herd immunity' through vaccination, not by allowing a disease to spread through any segment of the population, as this would result in unnecessary cases and deaths.
• Herd immunity against COVID-19 should be achieved by protecting people through vaccination, not by exposing them to the pathogen that causes the disease.
• Vaccines train our immune systems to create proteins that fight disease, known as ‘antibodies', just as would happen when we are exposed to a disease but - crucially - vaccines work without making us sick.
• Vaccinated people are protected from getting the disease in question and passing on the pathogen, breaking any chains of transmission.
• To safely achieve herd immunity against COVID-19, a substantial proportion of a population would need to be vaccinated, lowering the overall amount of virus able to spread in the whole population.
• One of the aims with working towards herd immunity is to keep vulnerable groups who cannot get vaccinated (e.g. due to health conditions like allergic reactions to the vaccine) safe and protected from the disease.
• The percentage of people who need to be immune in order to achieve herd immunity varies with each disease.
• For example, herd immunity against measles requires about 95% of a population to be vaccinated.
• The remaining 5% will be protected by the fact that measles will not spread among those who are vaccinated.
• For polio, the threshold is about 80%. The proportion of the population that must be vaccinated against COVID-19 to begin inducing herd immunity is not known.

Economy
Govt. open to evaluate, explore cryptocurrencies
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Cryptocurrency) + Mains ( GS III economic development)
What's the NEWS

• The government is open to evaluate and explore new technologies, including cryptocurrencies, for improving governance.
• A high-level Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) was constituted under the Chairmanship of Secretary (Economic Affairs) to study the issues related to virtual currencies and propose specific actions to be taken in the matter recommended in its report that all private cryptocurrencies, except any virtual currencies issued by state, will be prohibited in India
• The government would take a decision on the recommendations of the IMC and the legislative proposal, if any, would be introduced in Parliament following the due process
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government is still formulating its opinion on cryptocurrencies and will take a calibrated position.
• The RBI had virtually banned cryptocurrency trading in 2018. The Supreme Court had asked the Centre in 2019 to frame policies for crypto, and in 2020, struck down the curbs imposed by the RBI.

Know! about Cryptocurrency

• A cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that is secured by cryptography, which makes it nearly impossible to counterfeit or double-spend.
• Many cryptocurrencies are decentralized networks based on blockchain technology-a distributed ledger enforced by a disparate network of computers.
• A defining feature of cryptocurrencies is that they are generally not issued by any central authority, rendering them theoretically immune to government interference or manipulation.
• A cryptocurrency is a form of digital asset based on a network that is distributed across a large number of computers.
• This decentralized structure allows them to exist outside the control of governments and central authorities.
• The word "cryptocurrency" is derived from the encryption techniques which are used to secure the network.
• Blockchains, which are organizational methods for ensuring the integrity of transactional data, are an essential component of many cryptocurrencies.
• Cryptocurrencies are systems that allow for secure payments online which are denominated in terms of virtual "tokens," which are represented by ledger entries internal to the system.
• "Crypto" refers to the various encryption algorithms and cryptographic techniques that safeguard these entries, such as elliptical curve encryption, public-private key pairs, and hashing functions.

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