Rights of Minority Institutes not Absolute: SC

Why in News

Recently, the Supreme Court of India gave its judgement on the admission criteria of minority institutions.

• It held that National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) is mandatory for admission to all the medical colleges and the right of minority institutions is not absolute and is amenable to regulation.

Key Points

• Background:
  
  • Few colleges challenged the notifications issued by the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the Dental Council of India (DCI) under Sections 10D of the Indian Medical Council Act of 1956 and the Dentists Act of 1948 for uniform entrance examinations.
  • The management of such minority-run medical institutions held that uniformly bringing them under the ambit of NEET would be a violation of their fundamental right to occupation, trade and business [Article 19(1)(g)] and would violate their fundamental rights of religious freedom and to manage their religious affairs (Article 25-28) and to administer their institutions (Article 30).
  • Few petitioners claimed that rules notified by Andhra Pradesh government are violative of rights of minority educational institutions under Article 30(1) of the Constitution.
• Highlights of the Judgement:
  
  • The SC held that the fundamental and religious rights of minorities and rights available under Article 30 are not violated by provisions carved out in Section 10D of the MCI and Dentists Act.
  • The right to freedom of trade or business is not absolute. It is subject to reasonable restriction in the interest of the students’ community to promote merit, recognition of excellence, and to curb the malpractices. A uniform entrance test qualifies the test of proportionality and is reasonable.
  • The NEET is mandatory for admission to medical colleges run by religious and linguistic minority communities and it would apply for both aided and unaided medical colleges administered by minorities.
    
    • NEET was started to check several malpractices in the medical education, to prevent capitation fee by admitting students which are lower in merit and to prevent exploitation, profiteering, and commercialisation of education.
  • Uniform entrance exams will ensure improvement in future public health by encouraging merit which will further enhance the Directive Principles enshrined in the Constitution.
  • The SC also upheld rules framed by the Andhra Pradesh government making Secondary School Certificate (SSC)/Transfer Certificate (TC) the basis for a candidate’s claim of minority status for admission to B.Ed courses. The rules also require minority institutions to allot vacant seats under management quota to non-minority students on merit.
  • Major Issues:
    
    • It was noted that conversion certificates were obtained by students from other communities for admission under the management quota.
    • According to statistical data, minority seats are highly disproportionate and far in excess due to the number of colleges and total seats availability.
  • Upholding the Andhra Pradesh government’s rules will safeguard the interests of genuine minority students against the false overnight conversions.
  • Providing admission to non-minority students will also not interfere with the right of a Minority Educational Institution to manage its affairs for the benefit of the Minority Community.

Source: TH/IE

Final Report on National Infrastructure Pipeline

Why in News

Recently, the task force headed by Atanu Chakraborty (economic affairs secretary) on National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) submitted its final report to the Finance Minister.

Key Points

• Revised Investment Need: The taskforce has forecast an investment need of ₹111 lakh crore over the next five years (2020-2025) to build infrastructure projects and drive economic growth.
  
  • The final report has revised up NIP from earlier Rs 100 lakh crore in light of additional data provided by central ministries/state governments since the release of summary NIP report.
• Bulk Share: Energy, roads, railways and urban projects are estimated to account for the bulk of projects (around 70%).
• Measures Suggested:
  
  • Aggressive push towards asset sales
  • Monetisation of infrastructure assets
  • Setting up of development finance institutions
  • Strengthening the municipal bond market
• Streamlining Process: The task force has also recommended to set up of three committees:
  
  • Timely Execution: Panel to monitor NIP progress and eliminate delays.
  • Follow Up: Steering committee in each infrastructure ministry for following up implementation
  • Raising Financial Resources: Committee in the Department of Economic Affairs for raising financial resources for the NIP

Background

• The task force was set up after the Prime Minister, in his Independence Day speech of 2019, promised to roll out an infrastructure push worth ₹100 trillion over five years to make India a $5 trillion economy.
• The summary report for, National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP), 2020-25 was released by the finance minister on 31 December, 2019.
• Out of the total expected capital expenditure of Rs 111 lakh crore
  
  • Projects worth Rs 44 lakh crore (40 % of NIP) are under implementation.
  • Projects worth Rs 33 lakh crore (30 % of NIP) are at conceptual stage.
  • Projects worth Rs 22 lakh crore (20 % of NIP) are under development.

Source: IE

International Financial Services Centres Authority

Why in News

The central government has established International Financial Services Centres Authority to regulate all financial services in International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) with headquarters in Gandhinagar (Gujarat).

Key Points

• Functions:
  
  • The authority will regulate financial products such as securities, deposits or contracts of insurance, financial services, and financial institutions which have been previously approved by any appropriate regulator such as Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) etc., in an IFSC.
  • It will also regulate any other financial products, financial services, or financial institutions in an IFSC, which may be notified by the central government.
  • It may also recommend to the central government any other financial products, financial services, or financial institutions, which may be permitted in an IFSC.
• Members:
  
  • The International Financial Services Centres Authority will consist of nine members, appointed by the central government.
  • They will include chairperson of the authority, a member each from the RBI, SEBI, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA); and two members from the Ministry of Finance. In addition, two other members will be appointed on the recommendation of a Selection Committee.
  • Term: All members of the IFSC Authority will have a term of three years, subject to reappointment.
• Possible Benefits:
  
  • Unification under one authority: The banking, capital markets and insurance sectors in IFSC which are regulated by multiple regulators - the RBI, SEBI, and IRDAI will be unified under the IFSC authority.
  • The single window regulatory institution would accelerate the development of India's first IFSC at GIFT City, Gandhinagar.
  • Both national and international institutions dealing with international financial services would utilise the IFSC platform for inbound and outbound investments with improved ease of doing business, thereby making GIFT IFSC a global financial hub.

Source: ToI

Natural Product Based Alzheimer Inhibitor

Why in News

Scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre For Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have modified the structure of Berberine into Ber-D to use as an Alzheimer's inhibitor.

• JNCASR is an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Govt. of India.
• Berberine is a chemical found in several plants. It is a natural and cheap product similar to curcumin (a substance in turmeric). It is found in India and China and used in traditional medicine and other applications.

Key Points

• Berberine is poorly soluble and toxic to cells. So scientists modified berberine to Ber-D, which is a soluble (aqueous), antioxidant. They found it to be a multifunctional inhibitor of multifaceted amyloid toxicity of Alzheimer’s disease.
  
  • Amyloid is a protein that is deposited in the liver, kidneys, spleen, or other tissues in certain diseases.
  • In case of Alzheimer’s disease, Amyloid beta (Aβ) accumulates in the brain.
• Ber-D inhibits aggregations of metal-dependent and -independent Amyloid beta (Aβ). Further, Ber-D treatment averts mitochondrial dysfunction and corresponding neuronal toxicity contributing to premature apoptosis (cell death).
• These multifunctional attributes make Ber-D a promising candidate for developing effective therapeutics to treat multifaceted toxicity of Alzheimer’s disease.

Source : PIB

Covid-19 Related Disease

Why in News

Recently, the Paediatric Intensive Care Society (PICS) of the United Kingdom has observed an apparent rise in the number of children suffering from a multi-system inflammatory state. Doctors believe that it could be related to Covid-19.

Key Points

• Multi-system Inflammatory State
  
  • It is a rare illness that causes inflammation of the blood vessels leading to low blood pressure. It affects the entire body as it causes a build-up of fluid in the lungs and other organs.
  • Patients suffering from it require intensive care to support the lungs, heart and other organs.
  • Symptoms:
    
    • Abdominal and gastrointestinal symptoms.
    • Cardiac inflammation.
    • Overlapping symptoms of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) and Kawasaki disease as well.
• Toxic Shock Syndrome
  
  • It is a rare condition which is caused by certain bacteria which enter the body and release harmful toxins.
  • It could be fatal if not treated in time.
  • Symptoms: High temperature, headache, sore throat, cough, diarrhea, dizziness or fainting, difficulty breathing and confusion.
• Kawasaki Disease
  
  • It is an acute inflammatory disease of the blood vessels and usually occurs in children below the age of five.
  • The inflammation in the coronary arteries that are responsible for supplying blood to the heart results in enlargement or in the formation of aneurysms (swelling of the wall of an artery), leading to heart attacks.
  • Symptoms: Fever, rashes, redness of the cornea, red and cracked lips, a red tongue and lymph node enlargement of the neck.
• Relation to Covid-19
  
  • Only a few children with the symptoms of the multi-system inflammatory state tested positive for Covid-19. So, it remains unclear if and how the inflammatory syndrome is related to the virus.
  • It is suggested by some doctors that the illness may be a post-infection inflammatory response, where the immune system gets over-stimulated.
    
    • A syndrome associated with an overstimulated immune system response is the Cytokine Storm syndrome.
    • This syndrome may develop as a response to coronavirus, leading to sepsis, multiple organ failures and even death.
  • This could be the reason for the negative Covid-19 test results in some children with this illness because they could have already recovered from the virus before the inflammation set in or the tests simply did not detect the virus.
  • These diseases and conditions are rare but it is important that clinicians are made aware of any potential emerging links so that they are able to give children and young people the right care swiftly on time.

Source: IE

New List of Names of Tropical Cyclones

Why in News

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has released a list with the names of 169 tropical cyclones that are likely to emerge over the north Indian Ocean, including the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.

• The report was adopted by WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC) with consensus in April, 2020.
• The current list has a total of 169 names including 13 names each for 13 WMO/ESCAP member countries.

Key Points

• IMD, one of the six Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres (RSMC) in the world, is mandated to issue advisories and name tropical cyclones in the north Indian Ocean region.
• The advisories are issued to 13 member countries under WMO/ESCAP Panel including Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
• Benefits of naming : Naming of tropical cyclones helps the scientific community, disaster managers, media and general masses to
  
  • Identify each individual cyclone.
  • Create awareness of its development.
  • Remove confusion in case of simultaneous occurrence of tropical cyclones over a region.
  • Remember a tropical cyclone easily,
  • Rapidly and effectively disseminate warnings to a much wider audience.

Naming of the Tropical Cyclones

• The WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC) at its 27^th Session held in 2000 in Muscat, Oman agreed in principle to assign names to the tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.
• The naming of the tropical cyclones over the north Indian Ocean commenced from September 2004.
• This list contained names proposed by then eight member countries of WMO/ESCAP PTC, viz., Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
• The requirement for a fresh list of tropical cyclones including representation from five new member countries: Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen (total 13 member countries) was tabled during the 45^th session of WMO/ESCAP, held in September 2018. The session was hosted by Oman.

Source: PIB

Global Report on Internal Displacement 2020

Why in News

The ‘Global Report on Internal Displacement 2020’ revealed that conflict, violence and disasters led to 50.8 million internal displacement across the world at the end of 2019.

• Internal Displacement refers to the forced movement of people within the country they live in due to conflict, violence, development projects, disasters and climate change.
• Report is published by Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).

Key Highlights

• Displacement due to conflict
  
  • All regions are affected by conflict displacement, but it is highly concentrated in a few countries. Of the global total of 45.7 million people displaced due to conflict and violence in 2019, three-quarters or 34.5 million, were in just 10 countries
  • Top Five countries with highest displacement by conflict and violence are: Syria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Afghanistan.
• Displacement related to disasters
  
  • Nearly 1,900 disasters sparked 24.9 million new displacements across 140 countries and territories in 2019.
    
    • This is the highest figure recorded since 2012.
    • Out of the 24.9 million displaced due to disasters, 23.9 were weather-related, and “much of this displacement took place in form of pre-emptive evacuations”.
• Noted efforts to prevent and respond to internal displacement
  
  • Countries such as Niger and Somalia improved their policy frameworks on internal displacement.
  • Others, including Afghanistan, Iraq and the Philippines, incorporated displacement in their development plans, in their reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals, or when updating risk management strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
  • The combination of official monitoring of disaster displacement in the Philippines with mobile phone tracking data and social media analysis helped improve planning for shelters, reconstruction and long term urban recovery.
  • Improvements in the quantity and quality of data available also enabled better reporting and analysis, which in turn informed more effective responses and risk mitigation measures.

Data Related to India

• Nearly five million people were displaced in India in 2019
  
  • It is the highest in the world.
• Reasons: The displacements were prompted by increased hazard intensity, high population and social and economic vulnerability.
  
  • Southwest Monsoon: More than 2.6 million people suffered displacement due to the southwest monsoon. 2019 was the seventh warmest year since 1901 and the monsoon was the wettest in 25 years.
  • Cyclones Fani and Bulbul also led to huge displacements.
    
    • Evacuations save lives, but many evacuees had their displacement prolonged because their homes had been damaged or destroyed.
• Over 19,000 conflicts and violence also prompted the phenomenon.
  
  • Political and electoral violence, especially in Tripura and West Bengal, led to the displacement of more than 7,600 people.

Source:IE

1.6 Billion Risk Losing Jobs: ILO

Why in News

Recently, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has warned that nearly half of the entire global workforce is in immediate danger of having their livelihoods destroyed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Key Points

• Informal workers at risk: Due to Covid-19 lockdown, three-quarters of workers (some 1.6 billion people) engaged in the informal economy have suffered massive damage to their capacity to earn a living.
  
  • Further, without alternative income, these workers and their families would have no means to survive.
  • The global workforce is 3.3 billion people, of which more than two billion people work in the informal economy.
• Hard-hit Sectors: The worst-affected sectors would be accommodation and food services, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, and real estate and business activities.
• Suggestions
  
  • The ILO calls for urgent, targeted and flexible measures to support workers and businesses those in the informal economy and others who are vulnerable.
  • Measures for economic reactivation should follow a job-rich approach, backed by stronger employment policies and institutions, better-resourced and comprehensive social protection systems.
  • International coordination on stimulus packages and debt relief measures will also be critical to making recovery effective and sustainable.
    
    • International labour standards, which already enjoy tripartite consensus, can provide a framework.

Informal Sector

• The informal sector, also known as the unorganised sector, is the part of any economy that is neither taxed nor monitored by any form of government.
• The informal sector provides critical economic opportunities for the poor.
• The informal sector is largely characterized by skills gained outside of a formal education, easy entry, a lack of stable employer-employee relationships, and a small scale of operations.
• Unlike the formal economy, the informal sector’s components are not included in GDP computations.
• The government of India has launched Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana as a social security for the unorganised workers.
  
  • It is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme.

Source: TH

U.S. Priority Watch List for IPR

Why in News

India continues to be on the ‘Priority Watch List’ of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) for lack of adequate Intellectual Property (IP) rights protection and enforcement, according to the USTRs Annual Special 301 Report.

Key Points

• Concerns:
  
  • Copyright laws not incentivising the creation and commercialisation of content.
  • An outdated trade secrets framework.
  • India restricted the transparency of information provided on state-issued pharmaceutical manufacturing licenses.
  • India continues to apply restrictive patentability criteria to reject pharmaceutical patents.
  • Absence of an effective system for protecting against the unfair means to obtain marketing approval for pharmaceuticals and certain agricultural chemical products.
  • India maintains extremely high customs duties directed to IP-intensive products such as medical devices, pharmaceuticals, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) products, solar energy equipment, and capital goods.
  • India was ranked among the top five source countries for fake goods by the Organization of Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD) in 2019.
  • The government’s 2019 draft Copyright Amendment Rules, if implemented, would have “severe” consequences for Internet-content rights holders as the proposed rules broadened the scope of compulsory licensing from radio and television broadcasting to online broadcasting.
  • Trademarks: Trademark counterfeiting levels were “problematic” and there were “excessive delays” in obtaining trademarks due to a lack of examination quality.
    
    • It urged India to join the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks, a treaty that harmonises trademark registration.
• Progress Noted
  
  • India had made “meaningful progress” to enhance IP protection and enforcement in some areas in 2019 and had acceded to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Internet Treaties and the Nice Agreement.
    
    • The Nice Agreement establishes a classification of goods and services for the purposes of registering trademarks and service marks (the Nice Classification).
  • Online IP enforcement: Online IP enforcement in India has improved but progress is undercut by factors including :
    
    • Weak enforcement by courts and the police.
    • Lack of familiarity with investigative techniques.
    • No centralised IP enforcement agency.

Source: TH

Dams in China over Transboundary Rivers

Why in News

Recently, a US-funded study has highlighted the possible impact of China’s dams on the Mekong river (known as Lancang river in China) and countries downstream.

• The study was published by the Sustainable Infrastructure Partnership in Bangkok and the Lower Mekong Initiative.
  
  • The Lower Mekong Initiative is a US partnership with all the downstream countries of Mekong besides Myanmar.
  • The Mekong flows from China to Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Key Points

• Key Findings of the Study
  
  • It also raised questions on other Chinese dams on rivers which originate in China like Brahmaputra and their similar impact on neighbouring countries like India.
  • China’s southwestern Yunnan province had above-average rainfall from May to October 2019. However, there was severe lack of water in the lower Mekong in 2019 in comparison to 1992, based on satellite data.
  • The Mekong River Commission has emphasised on the need of more scientific evidence to establish whether dams caused a 2019 drought.
    
    • The Mekong River Commission comprises of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam,
  • According to the study, six dams built since the commissioning of the Nuozhadu dam in 2012 had altered the natural flow of the river.
• China’s Stand
  
  • It has called the study groundless and highlighted the drought faced by Yunnan because Lancang only accounts for 13.5% of Mekong’s flows.
  • China has maintained that the dams, it is building, are run of the river dams which store water for power generation.
• India’s Stand
  
  • According to Indian experts, the study is not conclusive because it only considers the water flowing into the lower basin at one station in Thailand.
  • It did not consider other dams and water-use along the course of the river.
    
    • The lower basin is not entirely dependent on flows from China, but also receives water from tributaries in all other countries it flows in, which the study did not account for.
• India’s Other Concerns
  
  • India has been expressing concerns on Brahmaputra since 2015 when China operationalised its first hydropower project at Zangmu. Currently, three other dams at Dagu, Jiexu and Jiacha are being developed.
  • For India, quantity of water is not an issue because these are run of the river dams and will not impact the Brahmaputra flow.
    
    • More importantly, Brahmaputra is not entirely dependent on upstream flows and an estimated 35% of its basin is in India.
  • However, India is concerned about the Chinese activities affecting the quality of water, ecological balance and the flood management.
  • India and China do not have a water sharing agreement. Both nations share hydrological data so it becomes important to share genuine data and have continuous dialogue on issues like warning of droughts, floods and high water discharges.

Source: TH

Aero India

Why in News

Recently, the Ministry of Defence has announced that the 13^th edition of Aero India will be held from February 3 to 7, 2021 at Air Force Station Yelahanka (Karnataka).

Key Points

• Aero India is a biennial international military and civil airshow.
• It is a premier event that draws international and Indian military and civil aircraft makers, their support industries, military brass and government dignitaries, and business visitors.
• The Yelahanka air base, about 30 km from the city centre Bangluru has been hosting the air show in February since it was started in 1996.
  
  • The 2021 Aero India will be organised by the Defence Exhibition Organisation, Ministry of Defence.
• In 2019 it was organised by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).

Source: TH