1. GOVERNMENT E-MARKETPLACE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Economy)

Context:  The procurement of goods and services by central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) through Government e-Marketplace (GeM) grew 74 per cent to Rs 42,510 crore during the first four months of 2023-24 over the corresponding period in the previous year.

Government e-Marketplace

• About: GeM is a contactless, paperless and cashless online marketplace that replaced the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D) in 2016.
• Origin: The initiative was launched on August 9, 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India with the objective to create an open and transparent procurement platform for government buyers.
• It was created in a record time of 5 months to facilitate online procurement of goods and Services. 
• General Financial Rules, 2017: The purchases through GeM by Government users has been authorized and made mandatory by the Ministry of Finance by adding a new Rule in the General Financial Rules, 2017.
• Nodal Authority: The platform is owned by GeM SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) which is a 100 per cent Government-owned, non-profit company under the Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Government of India.
• The Government of India has made it mandatory for sellers to display the 'country of origin' on products to be sold on GeM portal.
• Key Features: 
• It is a one stop portal to facilitate online procurement of common use Goods and Services.
• The portal is open for all government buyers— Central and State Ministries, departments, public sector enterprises etc.
• Private buyers cannot buy on the platform but private people can sell products to government bodies through the portal.

• Significance of GeM:

• Transparent and Cost-effective Procurement.
• Promotion of Atma Nirbhar Bharat.
• Entry of Small Local Sellers.

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2. UDAN SCHEME (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Infrastructure)

Context: The civil aviation ministry will soon start a detailed evaluation of routes awarded under the government’s regional connectivity initiative, known as the Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme, which offers flight subsidies to underserved or unserved destinations.

• Government data shows that 260 flights and routes are operational under the UDAN scheme as of date.
• Of the 1,154 routes awarded under the scheme, spanning Phase 1 to Phase 4 until 16 May, airlines have initiated flights on only 475 routes.

Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik  (UDAN)

• About: UDAN is a regional connectivity scheme spearheaded by the Government of India (GoI). 

• It aims to develop smaller regional airports to allow common citizens easier access to aviation services.

• This scheme is a part of the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) and is funded jointly by the GoI and the state governments. 

• Salient features:

• The scheme duration is for 10 years.
• Airlines participating in UDAN are selected through a competitive bidding process.
• UDAN 1.0: Under this phase, 5 airlines companies were awarded 128 flight routes to 70 airports (including 36 newly made operational airports)
• UDAN 2.0: In 2018, the Ministry of Civil Aviation announced 73 underserved and unserved airports.
• For the first time, helipads were also connected under phase 2 of UDAN scheme.
• UDAN 3.0: Inclusion of Tourism Routes under UDAN 3 in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism.
• Inclusion of Seaplanes for connecting Water Aerodromes.
• Bringing in a number of routes in the North-East Region under the ambit of UDAN.
• UDAN 4.0: The 4th round of UDAN was launched in December 2019 with a special focus on North-Eastern Regions, Hilly States, and Islands.
• The airports that had already been developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) are given higher priority for the award of VGF (Viability Gap Funding) under the Scheme.
• Under UDAN 4, the operation of helicopters and seaplanes is also been incorporated.

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3. ASEAN - INDIA FTA (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Trade)

Context: India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have agreed to review their trade pact by 2025, less than a month after India's trade minister called the agreement unfair to the Indian industry.

• The decision came at a meeting of economic ministers from the two sides in Indonesia.
• The ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) was signed in 2009.

ASEAN–India Free Trade Area (AIFTA)

• It is a free trade area among the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India.
• It came into force from January 2010.
• Under the pact, two trading partners set timelines for eliminating duties on the maximum number of goods traded between the two regions.
• The ASEAN-India Free Area emerged from a mutual interest of both parties to expand their economic ties in the Asia-Pacific region. 
• India's Look East policy was reciprocated by similar interests of many ASEAN countries to expand their interactions westward.

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4. SUMMONING OF ASSEMBLY (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Polity)

Context: The 60-member Manipur Assembly failed to hold a Special Session to discuss the ongoing ethnic violence as the Raj Bhavan did not issue any notification to convene it despite a recommendation from the State Cabinet. 

• The State Cabinet had recommended to Governor the summoning of the fourth session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly on August 21. 
• The last session of the State Assembly was adjourned sine die in March, more than a month before the ethnic clashes between the tribal Kuki and the non-tribal Meitei communities started on May 3.

Summoning of assembly

• Article 174 of the Constitution: The Governor shall from time to time summon the House or each House of the Legislature of the State to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit.
• Article 174 (2) (a) says a governor may from “time to time” prorogue the House and 174 (2) (b) allows her or him to dissolve the Legislative Assembly.
• Article 163: Although it is the Governor’s prerogative to summon the House, the Governor is required to act on the “aid and advice” of the Cabinet.
• So, when the Governor summons the House under Article 174, this is not of his or her own will but on the aid and advice of the Cabinet.
• The Constitution permits the Governor to summon the House on recommendation of the Cabinet.
• But it also adds that she or he would not need their advice if the Constitution requires her or him to carry out any function at her/his discretion.

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5. NORTHEAST-SPECIFIC SCHEME (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Govt. Policies & Interventions)

Context:  The Centre has begun fast-tracking project approvals for Northeast-specific schemes after the chief ministers there complained of a slowdown, triggering top-level reviews as first reported by ET on August 14.

• The Ministry of Development of North East Regions (DONER) has finally issued the much awaited guidelines for all major funding schemes the flagship PM’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-Devine), North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS) and and for the North Eastern Council (NEC).

Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE)

• About: It is a new scheme for the Northeastern states which was announced in the Union Budget. 
• Objectives:
• Fund infrastructure convergently, in the spirit of PM GatiShakti.
• Support social development projects based on felt needs of the NER.
• Enable livelihood activities for youth and women.
• Fill the development gaps in various sectors.

• Implementation: PM-DevINE will be implemented by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), through the North Eastern Council or central ministries and agencies.

• Time constraints: Efforts will be made to complete the PM-DevINE projects by 2025-26 so that there are no committed liabilities beyond this year.

• Significance: The parameters of N-E states in respect of Basic Minimum Services (BMS) are well below the national average and there are critical development gaps as per the NER District Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index 2021-22 prepared by NITI Aayog, UNDP and MDoNER.

North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS)

• About: The NESIDS was sanctioned by the Government of India to focus on projects relating to infrastructure creation concerning water supply, power and connectivity, and thereby enhancing tourism.
• Nodal Ministry: NESIDS is being implemented by the Union Ministry of Development of the North-East Region (MoDoNER).
• Funding: NESIDS is a central sector scheme with 100% financial assistance from the Union Government.
• Financial Assistance and Focus Areas: NESIDS is a central sector scheme (100% funding by central government). Under NESIDS, financial assistance is provided:
• To enhance tourism through physical infrastructure projects relating to water supply, power and connectivity; and
• To upgrade social infrastructure for primary and secondary education and health.

• Key Benefits:

• The assets to be created under the new scheme of NESIDS will strengthen health care and education facilities in the region
• NESIDS will also encourage tourism thereby employment opportunities for local youth.
• The scheme will act as a catalyst in the overall development of the region in the years to come.

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6. MEITY-NSF RESEARCH COLLABORATION (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Education)

Context: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology(MeitY) announced its 1st Joint Call for proposals under the MeitY- National Science Foundation (NSF) research collaboration.

Key Points

• MeitY-NSF have signed an Implementation Arrangement (IA) on Research Collaboration in May 2023. 
• This MeitY - NSF collaborative research opportunity focuses specifically upon discoveries and innovations in areas of mutual interest as highlighted in the Joint Statement made by Government of India and United State of America during Prime Minister’s visit to the US in June 2023.
• Proposals in the areas of semiconductor research, next generation communication technologies/networks/systems, cyber-security, sustainability and green technologies and Intelligent Transportation Systems will be considered.

National Science Foundation (NSF)

• It is an independent agency of the United States federal government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. 
• Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health. 
• The NSF funds approximately 25% of all federally supported basic research conducted by the United States' colleges and universities.
• In some fields, such as mathematics, computer science, economics, and the social sciences, the NSF is the major source of federal backing.

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7. JAL JEEVAN MISSION (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Health)

Context: At the Stockholm World Water Week 2023 from 20 to 24 August, UNESCO will showcase its longstanding work on water issues through a series of side events.

• In India, Jal Jeevan Mission is making quick progress, but a major part of rural India still remains to be covered.
• Under the mission, the government aims to provide tapped water connections to all rural households by 2024.

Key Points

• India has 193.6 million rural households. Of these, only 32.4 million or 16.7 percent rural households had tapped water connections at the start of the Jal Jeevan Mission.
• As of January 3, 2023, the number of rural households with a tapped water connection had increased to 108.7 million or 56.14 per cent, as per the programme’s dashboard. 
• This means the Mission needs to cover 76.3 million additional rural households (47.3 per cent) in the next two years.
• So far, only five states and Union Territories (UTs) - Haryana, Goa, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, and Daman and Diu and Dadra Nagar Haveli - have achieved the Har Ghar Jal status with tap water supply to all rural households. 
• Two more states - Telangana and Gujarat - have reported having achieved Har Ghar Jal status and their claims are being verified under the scheme.
• Its success will ensure India maintains its open-defecation-free status and achieves the Sustainable Development Goals on water and sanitation.

Jal Jeevan Mission

• About: Launched in 2019, it envisages supply of 55 litres of water per person per day to every rural household through Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) by 2024.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• Objective: The mission ensures functionality of existing water supply systems and water connections, water quality monitoring and testing as well as sustainable agriculture.
• It also ensures conjunctive use of conserved water; drinking water source augmentation, drinking water supply system, grey water treatment and its reuse.
• Funding Pattern: The fund sharing pattern between the Centre and states is 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States, 50:50 for other states, and 100% for Union Territories.

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8. MALABAR NAVAL EXERCISE (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - IR)

Context:  The 27th edition of Exercise MALABAR, concluded on the East Coast of Australia off Sydney on 21 Aug 23. 

• The exercise saw participation of Ships, Submarines and aircraft from the Indian Navy (IN), Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) and the US Navy (USN). 
• The Indian Navy was represented by indigenously built Destroyer INS Kolkata, Frigate INS Sahyadri and P8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft. 
• Other participating units included RAN ships HMAS Choules and HMAS Brisbane, USS Raphael Peralta, JS Shiranui, along with submarines, fighter aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft and shipborne helicopters.

Exercise Malabar

• About: It is a trilateral naval exercise but due to the participation of Australia in 2020 & 2021, it has become a quadrilateral exercise.
• Origin: It started off in 1992 as a bilateral naval exercise between Indian and US navies. 
• The first Malabar Exercise in the Bay of Bengal took place in 2007.
• In 2015, Japan joined the exercise Malabar, making it a trilateral naval exercise. 
• In 2020, the Australian Navy had joined the Malabar Exercise, making it a quadrilateral naval exercise.
• Earlier, Australia joined the exercise in 2007.
• Objective: The aim of the Malabar Exercise of India, US, Japan and Australia is to coordinate for free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
• Locations: It takes place annually in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans alternatively.
• Non-permanent members: Singapore and Australia have been non-permanent members previously.
• Activities: This exercise includes a diverse range of activities such as fighter combat operations and maritime interdiction operations.

Other Naval Exercises

• INDRA Exercise: It is a bi-annual bilateral exercise between India and Russia that began in 2003.
• Varuna Exercise: It is an annual exercise between India and France usually held in the Indian Ocean or Mediterranean Sea. The last exercise was held in 2021 in the Arabian Sea.
• Milan Exercise: It is a biennial Multilateral event. The last exercise was held in 2018, had a participation of 16 countries. It is usually held in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• IBSAMAR: It is a maritime exercise held by India, South Africa, and Brazil.
• SIMBEX: Held annually between India and Singapore since 1994.
• SLINEX: Between India and Sri Lanka.

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9. CHOLERA (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Sci & Tech)

Context: Since 2017, a spike in conflict and displacement in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is pushing children into the worst cholera crisis, warns the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

• In 2017, cholera spread across Congo, including the capital, Kinshasa, leading to almost 55,000 cases and more than 1,100 deaths.
• Cholera is mainly linked to insufficient access to safe drinking water and inadequate sanitation. 

Cholera disease

• About: A life-threatening infectious disease and a public health hazard.
• Caused by: An acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
• Symptoms:
• Profuse watery diarrhoea
• Vomiting
• Leg cramps
• Transmission:
• A person may get cholera by drinking water or eating food contaminated with the cholera bacterium.
• The disease can spread rapidly in areas with inadequate treatment of sewage and drinking water.
• Vaccine:
• Currently there are three WHO pre-qualified oral cholera vaccines (OCV), Dukoral, Shanchol, and Euvichol-Plus.
• All three vaccines require two doses for full protection.
• It is not covered in Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).

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10. PATHOLOGY @ HOME TECHNOLOGY (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Sci & Tech)

Context: iHub Drishti Foundation at IIT Jodhpur supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), has developed several technologies under Pathology @ Home.

• These include tele-medicine application for video conferencing and scheduling, multilingual chatbot for patients, asynchronous emails and notifications, 3D analysis and collaboration tools, small and low cost, non-invasive, integrated diagnostic devices that are connected to mobile app, augmented reality tools that can help interactive visualization of 3D CT scans as well as multilevel screening.
• The products translate the lab technology into small portable solutions that do not require training for their usage and at the same time, provide clinical readings at affordable pricing.

National Mission in Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems:

• About: It was launched in 2018 at a total outlay of Rs.3660 Crores for a period of five years.
• Objectives: It is comprehensive mission to address technology development, application development, human resource development & skill enhancement, entrepreneurship and start-up development in CPS and associated technologies.
• As part of the Mission implementation, 25 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs) have been established in advanced technologies in reputed institutes across the country.
• Nodal Ministry: It is being implemented by Department of Science & Technology under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

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