1. DRUG LICENSING (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Health & Regulation)

Context: The Union health ministry has recently proposed significant changes to its drug licensing program, aiming to establish uniformity throughout India to enhance drug safety. 

• This move comes after domestically manufactured cough syrups were reportedly associated with the tragic deaths of children.

Drugs Related Regulations in India

• The Drugs and Cosmetics Act: The primary purpose of these regulations is to oversee and regulate drugs and cosmetics within the country.
• Scope: These guidelines pertain to the issuance of licenses for the production of Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Unani medicines.
• Mandatory Compliance: Manufacturers are obligated to conform to specified criteria for both licensing manufacturing units and medicines. This includes providing evidence of safety and efficacy and adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)

• About: CDSCO establishes standards and measures to ensure the safety, effectiveness, and quality of drugs, cosmetics, diagnostics, and medical devices within the country.
• Export Regulation: CDSCO plays a role in regulating the export of drugs from India.
• Manufacturers with CDSCO certification can export drugs to other countries, expanding India's pharmaceutical presence internationally.

Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI)

• Licensing Approval: The DCGI serves as the department head of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) under the Government of India. 

o One of their primary responsibilities is approving licenses for specific categories of drugs, including blood and blood products, IV fluids, vaccines, and sera within India.

• Standard Setting: DCGI plays a pivotal role in establishing standards for the manufacturing, sales, import, and distribution of drugs across India.

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2. GOVERNMENT E-MARKETPLACE (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Government Scheme)

Context: Recently, the Ministry of Defence has risen to prominence, surpassing 56 other Ministries/Departments participating in the Government eMarketplace (GeM), achieving the highest rankings in both order value and order quantity.

Government eMarketplace (GeM)

• About: It is an online public procurement platform in India.
• Launched: In August 2016
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India
• Objective: To create an open and transparent procurement platform for government buyers to facilitate the online procurement of goods and services.
• Other details: Private individuals are not allowed to make purchases on the platform, but they are permitted to offer their products to government entities through the portal.

o It is a completely paperless, cashless and system driven e-marketplace that enables procurement of common use goods and services with minimal human interface

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3. WHOLE PRICE INDEX (WPI) (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The annual inflation rate, based on the All India Wholesale Price Index (WPI), for the month of August 2023 (compared to August 2022), recently improved to (-) 0.52%, marking a positive shift from the (-) 1.36% recorded in July 2023.

Wholesale Price Index (WPI)

• About: The WPI is a gauge used to monitor and record fluctuations in the prices of bulk goods at the wholesale level within India.
• Published by: Office of Economic Adviser, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Base year: WPI has been revised from 2004-05 to 2011-12 in 2017.
• Formula: WPI = (Total value of the basket of goods and services at current prices / Total value of the basket of goods and services at base year prices) x 100
• Component of WPI: Manufactured products = 65% approx (64.2% now)
• Primary articles = 20% approx (22.6% now)
• Fuel and power = 15% approx (13.1% now)

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4. BHOJ WETLAND (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: Recently, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered Madhya Pradesh government to stop the operation of cruise vessels as well as other motor-propelled boats in the Bhoj wetland.

Bhoj Wetland

• Dual Reservoirs: These lakes consist of two interconnected human-made reservoirs situated within Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
• Upper and Lower Lakes: The Upper Lake is locally referred to as Bhojtal or Bada Talaab, while the Lower Lake is known as Chhota Talaab.
• Biodiversity Richness: These lakes boast significant biodiversity, particularly concerning macrophytes, phytoplankton, and zooplankton.
• Diverse Fish Population: With over 15 different types of fish, the lakes are home to a variety of aquatic species, including vulnerable ones such as turtles, amphibians, and aquatic invertebrates.
• Ramsar Designation: In 2002, these lakes were officially designated as Ramsar sites, recognizing their international importance for wetland conservation

  National Green Tribunal (NGT)

  • Established: Under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010.
  • Principal Place of Sitting: New Delhi
  • Other four place: Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai 
  • Composition: Chairperson, the Judicial Members, and the Expert Members.
  • Tenure: 5 years and are not eligible for reappointment.
  • Appointment: The Chairperson is appointed by the Central Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
  • NGT is mandated to make disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of the filing of the same.
  • Important Facts About NGT:

  o The Tribunal shall not be bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, or the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.

  o It shall be guided by principles of natural justice.

  o However, the Tribunal is vested with the powers of a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure for discharging its functions. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction.

  Ramsar Convention

  • Convention Signed: On 2nd February 1971 
  • Aim: To preserve the ecological character of their wetlands of international importance.
  • It is named after Ramsar, the Iranian city where the treaty was signed in 1971, and places chosen for conservation under it are given the tag ‘Ramsar site’.
  • India currently has 75 Ramsar sites.

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5. BANDIPUR TIGER RESERVE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: The Karnataka Forest Department recently directed the Bandipur Tiger Reserve’s eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) monitoring panel to act against illegal cottages built within the reserve’s ESZ.

Bandipur Tiger Reserve

• Established: In 1931 as Venugopala Wildlife Park

o Expanded with the name Bandipur Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger in 1973.

• Location: Two contiguous districts (Mysore and Chamarajanagar) of Karnataka and located at the tri-junction area of the States of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala
• Rivers: It is surrounded by River Kabini in its north and River Moyar in its south.
• Vegetation: Dry deciduous to tropical mixed deciduous.
• Flora: Rosewood, Indian kino tree, sandalwood, Indian laurel, clumping bamboo, giant clumping bamboo etc.
• Fauna: Wild Asian elephants, bengal tiger, gaur, sloth bear, golden jackal, dhole, four-horned antelope, etc.

Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ)

• About: ESZ are areas in India notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), GoI around Protected Areas, National Park and Wildlife sanctuaries. 
• Range: 10 Kms
• Prohibited activities: Commercial mining, saw mills, establishment of major hydroelectric projects (HEP), commercial use of wood, Tourism, discharge of effluents or any solid waste or production of hazardous substances are all prohibited.

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6. SCRUB TYPHUS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: The recent upsurge in scrub typhus cases in Odisha has highlighted the influence of climate on the increased prevalence of this highly contagious disease.

• A 2022 study looked into clustering of scrub typhus cases in children in three contiguous adm
• inistrative districts in South India over five years. It found temperature, humidity and rainfall had a major role in the incidence of scrub typhus.

Scrub Typhus

• About: Scrub typhus is a potentially life-threatening infection caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi bacteria, posing a significant public health risk in South and Southeast Asia.
• Mites carrying the disease are generally found in the bush, jungle and paddy areas, so the disease is also called jungle or bush typhus.
• Transmission: People contract scrub typhus through the bites of infected chiggers, which are larval mites.
• Common Symptoms: Fever, headache, body aches, and sometimes a rash.
• Treatment: Scrub typhus requires treatment with the antibiotic doxycycline, suitable for individuals of all ages.
• Vaccine: Currently, there is no available vaccine for preventing scrub typhus.

Typhus Fever

• About: Typhus fevers encompass a collection of diseases caused by various bacteria, including epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus.
• Epidemic Typhus: Epidemic typhus is triggered by Rickettsia prowazeki and transmitted by body lice.
• Scrub Typhus: Scrub typhus, on the other hand, results from Orientia tsutsugamushi bacteria and is spread by chiggers.
• Murine Typhus: Murine typhus is caused by Rickettsia typhi and transmitted by fleas.

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7. BT COTTON (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Agriculture)

Context: The pink bollworm has taken a toll on the fiber crop (cotton), even as new “mating disruption” technologies to control the pest are showing promise.

Cotton

• About: It  is one of the most important commercial crops cultivated in India and accounts for around 25% of the total global cotton production.
• Species of Cultivated Cotton: Gossypium arboreum and Herbaceum (Asian cotton), G.barbadense (Egyptian cotton) and G. hirsutum (American Upland cotton).
• Major States: Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Pink bollworm

• It is one of the most destructive pests of cotton.
• Scientific name: Pectinophora gossypiella
• Distribution: Originally native to India, it is now recorded in nearly all the cotton-growing countries of the world.

BT Cotton

• About: is a genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically modified pest resistant plant cotton variety, which produces an insecticide to combat bollworm.
• Commercially grown in India: Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton
• Approved for Cultivation by: The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC).
• It a joint venture between Monsanto and Mahyco.

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8. REPRESENTATION OF PEOPLE ACT (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: The Supreme Court has indicated their intention to separate the challenge to the validity of Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act from the process of expediting trials involving politicians.

Representation of the People Act 1951

• Constitutional Authority: India's electoral system is governed by Articles 324 to 329, which are part of Part XV of the Indian Constitution.
• Parliamentary Authority: According to the Constitution, the Parliament holds the authority to enact laws related to both Parliament and State Legislature elections.
• Article 324:  Establishes the Election Commission of India, tasked with ensuring the fairness and integrity of elections.
• Enactment of Electoral Laws: In accordance with these constitutional provisions, Parliament enacted the Representation of the People Act (RPA) in 1950 and the Representation of the People Act in 1951.
• Scope of RPA: These acts regulate elections to the Houses of Parliament and State Legislature, determine eligibility criteria and disqualifications for membership in these bodies.

Section 8(3) of RPA 1951

• About: Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, provides for the disqualification of a person convicted of certain offenses from being chosen as, or continuing as, a Member of Parliament or a Member of a Legislative Assembly.
• In 2013, the Supreme Court of India upheld the constitutionality of Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act in the case of Lily Thomas v. Union of India.

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9. NAVIC (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci & Tech)

Context: Recently, the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, announced that the government intends to mandate smartphone integration with India's own navigation system, NavIC.

Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) Technology

• About: An autonomous regional satellite navigation system,also known as Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).
• Developed by:  ISRO.
• Coverage Area: Its purpose is to furnish precise positioning information to users within India and a region extending up to 1500 km beyond its borders.
• Two Types of Services: Standard Positioning Service (SPS): This service is accessible to all users, offering basic navigation assistance.

          o Restricted Service (RS): The restricted service is encrypted and exclusively available to authorized users for enhanced security.

System Features

• Accuracy: The IRNSS System is expected to deliver position accuracy better than 20 meters in its primary service area.
• Satellite Configuration: Presently, the system comprises 7 operational satellites positioned approximately 36,000 km away:

         o 3 satellites reside in Geostationary Orbit (GEO).

         o 4 satellites are positioned in an inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO).

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10. PMMSY (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Government Schemes)

Context: Fish farmers from different states will come together to share their success stories and experiences in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, to mark the third anniversary of the success of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)

• About: This initiative represents a flagship scheme aimed at fostering sustainable development in India's fisheries sector. 
• Ministry: Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying.
• Aim: To drive a blue revolution by promoting the sustainable and responsible growth of India's fisheries sector.
• Income Enhancement: The scheme intends to double the incomes of fishers and fish farmers while reducing post-harvest losses from 20-25% to approximately 10%. Additionally, it seeks to create employment opportunities within the sector.
• Implementation: As a comprehensive program comprising two distinct components, namely:

o Central Sector Scheme: The central government fully finances the project cost.

o Centrally Sponsored Scheme: States/Union Territories collaborate in implementing sub-components/activities, with cost-sharing arrangements.

ü North Eastern & Himalayan States: 90% central share and 10% state share.

ü Other States: 60% central share and 40% state share.

Objectives of Scheme

• Fish production
• Fisheries productivity
• Quality of fisheries and aquaculture sectors
• Post-harvest infrastructure and management
• Modernization of value chain
• Welfare of the fishers and fish farmers
• Fisheries management framework

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