Health
Centre tells States to increase interval between Covishield doses

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about NATGI + NEGVAC) + Mains ( GS II governance - transparency and accountability + Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health)
What's the NEWS

• The Centre wrote to States/UTs to increase the interval between two doses of Covishield to 4-8 weeks, stating that there is evidence of increased protection if the second dose of Covishield is administered between 6-8 weeks after the first dose.

Know! more about the review meeting of NATGI

• The interval between two doses of a specific COVID-19 vaccine i.e. Covishield, has been revisited by National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) and subsequently by National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) in its 20th meeting.
• During this meeting, the recommendation has been revised to provide second dose of Covishield at 4-8 weeks' interval after the first dose, instead of earlier practiced interval of 4-6 weeks.
• This decision of revised time interval between two doses is applicable only to Covishield and not to Covaxin Vaccine
• The Ministry has accepted the recommendations of NTAGI and NEGVAC and has thereafter advised the States and UTs to ensure the administration of second dose of Covishield to beneficiaries within this stipulated time interval of 4-8 weeks after first dose.

National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI)

• It was established by an order of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in 2001.
• As India's apex advisory body on immunization, the NTAGI provides guidance and advice to the MoHFW on provision of vaccination and immunization services for the effective control of vaccine preventable diseases in the country.
• The NTAGI now includes a Standing Technical Sub-Committee (STSC).
• The STSC is tasked with undertaking technical review of scientific evidence on matters related to immunization policy and programmes.
• Final recommendations are drafted by the NTAGI taking into account the scientific review by the STSC and any other relevant evidence.
• This Code of Practice contains information about the responsibilities, structure, functioning, and procedures of the NTAGI and STSC.
• The overall objective of the NTAGI is to provide advice to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on the strategies to control the burden and appropriately evaluate the impact of immunization on Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPDs) in the country.
•  The NTAGI shall evaluate licensed vaccines as well as prioritize other related interventions such as associated immune globulins and chemo-prophylactic agents and new technologies for delivery, logistics, disease prevention and monitoring of VPD prevalence, vaccination programme and other adjuncts to VPD control'. Guidance for use of unlicensed vaccines may be developed if circumstances necessitate their use.

NTAGI recommendations may include guidance on all matters related to immunization policy and programmes:

• route, dose and frequency of administration of the vaccine
• population groups (e.g. high risk groups, urban slums and tribal populations)
• circumstances (e.g. pandemics, natural disaster etc.) in which a vaccine or related agent is recommended
• strategies for introduction of the vaccine (e.g. pilot/phased introduction, Special Immunization Activities (SIAs), vaccines for post-exposure prophylaxis etc.)
• contraindications and adverse events associated with the vaccine or related agent
• recommendations on generation of relevant evidence, prior to and after vaccine introduction, monitoring of delivery and impact after vaccine introduction.
• Recommendations formulated by the NTAGI shall be used by the Government to inform, develop and make policy relevant to immunization.
• The NTAGI is not a policy making body in its own right and has no regulatory function.
• The NTAGI is chaired by the Secretary of Health and Family Welfare (H & FW), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, while the Secretary of Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology and the Secretary of Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare serve as the Co-chairs, all functioning in an ex-officio capacity.

National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC)

• National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) constituted by the government is providing guidance on prioritisation of population groups, procurement and inventory management, vaccine selection and vaccine delivery and tracking mechanism\
• It was constituted under the chairmanship of Member (Health) of Niti Aayog V K Paul on August 7 to prepare a strategy for the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccine.
• National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19, met for the first time on 12th August.
• The meeting was chaired by Dr V K Paul, Member Niti Aayog along with Secretary (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) as co-Chair.
• The expert group deliberated on conceptualization and implementation mechanisms for creation of a digital infrastructure for inventory management and delivery mechanism of the vaccine including tracking of vaccination process with particular focus on last mile delivery.
• They discussed on broad parameters guiding the selection of COVID-19 vaccine candidates for the country and sought inputs from Standing Technical Sub-Committee of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI).
• The group delved on the procurement mechanisms for COVID-19 vaccine, including both indigenous and international manufacturing along with guiding principles for prioritization of population groups for vaccination.
• The expert group discussed on the financial resources required for procurement of COVID-19 vaccine and various options of financing the same.
• Available options in terms of delivery platforms, cold chain and associated infrastructure for roll out of COVID-19 vaccination were also taken up.
• National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) in consultation with State Governments and all relevant stakeholders have prepared and presented a detailed blueprint of vaccine storage, distribution, and administration.
• The Expert Group in consultation with the States is working actively on vaccine prioritization and distribution of vaccine.

NEGVAC's recommendations on prioritised population groups will specifically target the following groups initially for vaccination include -
(i) approximately 1 crore, healthcare workers (HCWs) healthcare providers and workers in the healthcare setting
(ii) about 2 crore frontline Workers (FLWs)which includes personnel from state and central police, armed forces, home guards, civil defence and disaster management volunteers, municipal workers,
(iii) approximately 27 crores prioritised age group population above 50 years and persons below 50 years with associated co-morbidities.

Environment
U.P., M.P. sign agreement on Ken-Betwa interlinking work

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about National Board for Wildlife + Panna tiger reserve + ken-betwa interlinking project) + Mains ( GS III Environment conservation +Environment impact assessment + Infrastructure development + GS II government policies and interventions)
What's the NEWS

• The governments of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have signed an agreement that nudges forward a long-stalled multi-crore, controversial project to link the Ken and the Betwa rivers and irrigate the water-deficient Bundelkhand region, spread over both States, and provide electricity.
• Several obstacles have dogged the project. For one, the project will partly submerge the Panna Tiger Reserve in M.P. and affect the habitat of vultures and jackals.
• After years of protests, however, it was finally cleared by the apex wildlife regulator, the National Board for Wildlife, in 2016.
• The States were unable to come to an agreement on how water would be shared, particularly in the non-monsoon months.

Know! more about the project

• The project involves transferring surplus water from the Ken river in Madhya Pradesh to the Betwa in Uttar Pradesh and irrigating 3.64 lakh hectares in the Bundelkhand region of both States.
• The project involves building a 77-metre-tall and a 2-km-wide Dhaudhan dam and a 230-km canal.
• The Centre was originally to fund 90% of the cost (₹37,611 crore in 2018) but a final decision is still outstanding.

National Board for Wildlife (NBWL)

• It is constituted by the Central Government under Section 5 A of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA).
• The National Board may, at its discretion, constitute a Standing Committee under sub-section (1) of Section 5B.
• The Standing Committee shall consist of the Vice-Chairperson (Union Minister in charge of Forests and Wildlife) the Member Secretary and not more than ten members to be nominated by the Vice-Chairperson from amongst the members of the National Board.
• The WLPA mandates that without the approval/recommendation of the NBWL, construction of tourist lodges, alteration of the boundaries of PAs, destruction or diversion of wildlife habitat and de-notification of Tiger Reserves, cannot be done.
• Several proposals seeking statutory approvals for such projects come up before the Standing Committee which meets once every three months to deliberate and grant or reject approvals.
• Every proposal requires to be submitted by the State Government in the approved format with complete details
• It must also contain the clear opinion of the officer in charge of a PA, the Chief Wildlife Warden and the State Government in consultation with the State Board for Wildlife.
• The Standing Committee will then have to consider such proposals in accordance with the provisions of the WLPA.
• One of the most important provisions of the WLPA (Section 29 for Sanctuaries and sub-section (6) of Section 35 for National Parks) is that no person can destroy wildlife or divert the habitat of any wild animal without a permit and no such permit can be granted unless it is considered necessary for improvement and better management of wildlife therein. Government projects also come within the ambit of this provision.
• The NBWL Standing Committee chaired by the Union Minister, Environment & Forests is duty bound to ensure compliance of the mandate's statutory processes prescribed by the WLPA in letter and spirit.

Specific provisions in the WLPA include:

• S 33 (a): No construction of commercial lodges, hotels... shall be undertaken except with the prior approval of the National Board
• S 35(5): No alteration of the boundaries of a National Park except on a recommendation of the National Board;
• S 35(6): No destruction, removal of wildlife or forest produce from a National Park or diversion of habitat unless State Government in consultation with the National Board authorizes the issue of such permit
• S 38-O (g): Ensure Tiger Reserves and areas linking one protected area with another are not diverted for ecologically unsustainable uses except in public interest and with the approval of the National Board
• S 38-W(1) & (2): No alteration or denotification of Tiger Reserves without the approval of the National Board for Wildlife

Know! about Panna National Park

• It is a national park located in Panna and Chhatarpur districts of Madhya Pradesh in India. It has an area of 542.67 km2 (209.53 sq mi).
• It was declared in 1993 as the twenty second Tiger reserve of India and the fifth in Madhya Pradesh
• It is notable that by 2009, the entire tiger population had been eliminated by poaching with the collusion of forest department officials.
• Panna National Park and the surrounding territorial forest area of North and South Panna forest division is the only large chunk of wildlife habitat remaining in North Madhya Pradesh in the otherwise deciduous fragmented forest landscape of the region.
• The National Park is situated at a point where the continuity of the Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests belt, which starts from Cape Comorin in South India, is broken and beyond this the Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests of the great Indo-Gangetic Plain begins.
• This area is the northernmost tip of the natural teak forests and the easternmost tip of the natural 'Kardhai' Anogeissus pendula forests.
• The forests of Panna National Park along with Ken Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining territorial divisions form a significant part of the catchment area of the 406 km (252 mi) Ken River which runs northeast for about 72 km (45 mi) through the park

Miscellaneous
LS nod for Bill to increase FDI in insurance
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the Insurance (Amendment) Bill, 2021 )
What's the NEWS

• The Lok Sabha passed the Insurance (Amendment) Bill, 2021 which seeks to raise the limit for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in insurance companies from 49% to 74%.
• The Bill had earlier been cleared by the Rajya Sabha and now requires presidential assent to become law.
• The move was aimed at solving some of the long-term capital availability issues in the insurance sector which was a capital intensive industry.
• The stakeholders had been consulted by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) before going ahead with the move.
• The apprehensions over the gradual taking over of public sector insurance companies was ill-founded, as the banking and insurance industry had been designated as strategic sectors and that the 74% cap is just a limit posed on the FDI.
• There are 2.67 lakh employees in the private sector in insurance as against 1.54 lakhs in the public sector. Around 15 lakh insurance agents in the public sector as against 21 lakh in the private sector, there are seven public sector companies, while 61 exist in the private sector and money should be available to them to do business

Government Schemes
Ministry ties up with UN for Jal Jeevan Mission in U.P.

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the Partnership between Jal Shakti Ministry and UNOPS) + Mains ( GS II government policies and interventions)
What's the NEWS

• The Jal Shakti Ministry entered a partnership with the United Nations Office for Project Services and the government of Denmark to help bring tap water connections to 11 water-scarce districts in Uttar Pradesh's water-starved Bundelkhand and Vindhya regions under the Jal Jeevan mission.

Know! more about the project

• The project will include capacity building support, with the creation of village action plans, community mobilisation and grassroot water quality monitoring methods being facilitated by UNOPS.
• The project has a million dollar budget for 2021, but is likely to be scaled up in the following years, according to UNOPS.

Know! about United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

• It is an operational arm of the United Nations, dedicated to implementing projects for the United Nations System, international financial institutions, governments and other partners around the world. The organization's global headquarters is located on the UN City campus in Copenhagen, Denmark.
• UNOPS implements more than $2 billion worth of peace and security, humanitarian and development projects for its partners every year, operating in more than 80 countries.
• Its activities have ranged from managing the construction of schools in Afghanistan, to building shelters in Haiti, to procuring ambulances to support the Ebola response in Liberia.
• UNOPS is a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group and works particularly closely with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Department of Peace Operations (DPO) and the World Bank.
• UNOPS was established in 1973 as part of the UNDP. It became an independent, self-financing organization in 1995.
• The UNOPS vision is to "advance sustainable implementation practices in development, humanitarian and peacebuilding contexts" in some of the world's most challenging environments.
• UNOPS concentrates its support in areas where it has a clear mandate and expertise: infrastructure, procurement, project management, human resources and financial management services.
• UNOPS is a fully self-financing organization. It covers direct and indirect costs by charging a fee on each project supported.
• UNOPS pricing policy outlines how the organization aims to finance its projects.
•  UNOPS is not-for-profit, and meets the highest international standards of accountability and transparency in all its transactions

UNOPS offers implementation, advisory and transactional services in its five core areas of expertise:

• Infrastructure
• Procurement
• Project Management
• Financial Management
• Human Resources

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