28 Feb 2024: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. National Science Day
2. Tripartite MoU signed at Bharat Tex 2024
3. Akademi Fellows (Akademi Ratna)
4. India and WTO
5. India-Germany High Defence Committee Meeting
6. First human clinical trial of gene therapy for haemophilia A
7. Ministry of Jal Shakti signs agreement with 12 technical education 
institutions for basin management of 6 rivers

1. National Science Day

Syllabus: GS-3, Science-related news

Prelims: National Science Day, Dr C V Raman, Raman Effect

Context:

Prime Minister conveyed greetings on National Science Day.

National Science Day:

• National Science Day is observed every year in India on Feb 28 to mark the discovery of the Raman Effect by eminent scientist Dr C V Raman, who won the Nobel Prize for Physics for discovery.
• The theme for National Science Day 2024 is “Indigenous Technology for Viksit Bharat”.

Know more about National Science Day in the link.

2. Tripartite MoU signed at Bharat Tex 2024

Syllabus: GS-3, Economy, Environment

Prelims: Bharat Tex, GeM

Mains: Circular economy

Context:

A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Textiles Committee, under the Ministry of Textiles, Government e-Marketplace (GeM), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE), Department of Public Enterprises.

Details:

• Objective of the MoU: The promotion of upcycled products made from textile waste and scrap.
• The MoU was signed at the ongoing Bharat Tex 2024, the global textile event being held at the Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
• Through this MoU, GeM will work with stakeholders in the upcycling ecosystem, especially under-served seller groups, to provide them direct market linkages in public procurement, without intermediaries, through #Vocalforlocal GeM Outlet Stores. 
• These stores will promote upcycled products made from textile waste and scrap.

What is Upcycling?

• Upcycling means repurposing textile waste and scrap to extend its life cycle. 
• Through upcycling, discarded materials are transformed into items of more value and functionality.
• The difference between upcycling and recycling is that while recycling implies breaking down materials into their basic components and then reusing them to form new products, upcycling means repurposing the discarded material without breaking it down. This entails lesser consumption of energy and resources.
• Hence, the impact on the environment is less.
• With conscious consumption on the rise, there is a greater demand for upcycled products in the textile industry.
• Hence, this initiative to promote the upcycling of textile waste and scrap will lead in the long-term to achieve the SDGs.

3. Akademi Fellows (Akademi Ratna)

Syllabus: GS-1, Art and Culture

Prelims: Akademi Fellows (Akademi Ratna), Sangeet Natak Akademi

Context:

Six eminent personalities in the field of performing arts elected as Akademi Fellows (Akademi Ratna).

Details:

• The Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, New Delhi unanimously elected six eminent personalities in the field of performing arts as Akademi Fellows (Akademi Ratna).
  • This honour, the Fellowship of the Akademi, is very prestigious and bestowed only on a maximum of 40 artists at a given time.
  • The honour of Akademi Fellow carries a purse money of Rs 3 lakhs.
• The General Council of the Akademi also selected 92 artists from the fields of music, dance, theatre, traditional/folk/tribal music/dance/theatre, puppetry and overall contribution/scholarship in the performing arts for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for the years 2022 & 2023. 
  • This carries a purse money of Rs 1 lakh, a Tamrapatra and Angavastram.
• It has also selected 80 young artists for Sangeet Natak Akademi Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for the years 2022 and 2023.
  • This carries a purse money of Rs. 25,000/-, a Tamrapatra and Angavastram.

About the Sangeet Natak Akademi:

• It is the apex body in the country for performing arts.
• It was established in 1953 for the preservation and promotion of the vast intangible heritage of India’s diverse culture expressed in forms of music, dance and drama. 
• Its chairperson is appointed by the President of India for a five-year term.
• It is an autonomous body of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

4. India and WTO

Syllabus: GS-3, Economy

Prelims: WTO

Mains: India and WTO, related news

Context:

India calls for restoration of Appellate Body and Dispute Settlement Reforms at ongoing WTO Ministerial Conference-13 in Abu Dhabi.

Details:

• The Appellate Body – the appellate arm of the Dispute Settlement system – has been non-functional since December 2019 due to the blocking of the appointment of its Members by the United States. 
• This has vastly impacted the credibility of the WTO and the rules-based order it upholds.
• India has called for the restoration of the Appellate Body as the top-most priority for any reform process.
• India stated that a credible and reliable WTO DS system is the bedrock of an equitable, effective, secure and predictable multilateral trading system. 
• To this end, India proposed a three-point action plan for Members:
  • To transition the discussions on dispute settlement reforms to WTO formal bodies, preferably under the guidance of the Dispute Settlement Body Chair
  • To ensure that the transition is not just a mere formality but results in an effective multilateralization of the process taking into account the interests and challenges of developing countries and LDCs
  • To prioritise the restoration of the Appellate Body

Development at the core of WTO work:

• India also put across a strong case for keeping Development at the core of the WTO work now and in the future. 
• There have been many promises, but very little action, on account of which the vulnerabilities of the developing countries including the LDCs have only amplified further. 
• India stated that development is the goal and reason for which developing countries and LDCs joined the WTO in the first place and hence, it is important that the WTO prioritizes, deliberates, and delivers solutions to the several challenges faced by developing countries including LDCs. 
• In this regard, India also highlighted that the principles of Special and Differential Treatment (which are often attacked by the developed countries) were not an exception to the general WTO Rules.

5. India-Germany High Defence Committee Meeting

Syllabus: GS-2, IR

Mains: India – Germany Relations

Context:

The Defence Secretary co-chaired the India-Germany High Defence Committee meeting.

Details:

• Both sides discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues, with a focus on developing defence cooperation as a key pillar of the Strategic Partnership between India and Germany.
• They discussed issues such as:
  • The regional security situation
  • Likely joint exercises with Germany in the Indo-Pacific
  • Potential defence industrial projects and proposals
• This meeting follows the visit of the German Defence Minister in 2023 to India.

Read more on India – Germany relations in the linked article.

6. First human clinical trial of gene therapy for haemophilia A

Syllabus: GS-2, Health

Prelims: Haemophilia A

Context:

India has conducted the first human clinical trial of gene therapy for haemophilia A (FVIII deficiency) at Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore.

Details:

• This programme was supported by the Department of Biotechnology, the Centre for Stem Cell Research – a unit of InStem Bengaluru, in collaboration with Emory University, USA at Christian Medical College, Vellore. 
• This trial involved using a lentiviral vector to express an FVIII transgene in the patient’s own haematopoietic stem cell which will then express FVIII from specific differentiated blood cells.

Haemophilia A:

• It is a genetic disorder caused by missing or defective factor VIII (FVIII), a clotting protein.
• It is also known as classic haemophilia or factor VIII (8) deficiency.
• It is passed down from parents to children although in some cases there is no previous family history.
• It is a sex-linked disorder. The X and Y sex chromosomes help determine haemophilia inheritance patterns. The gene for haemophilia is carried on the X chromosome.
• People with haemophilia A bleed longer than other people. 
• The disorder results in significant susceptibility to bleeding, both internally and externally.

7. Ministry of Jal Shakti signs agreement with 12 technical education institutions for basin management of 6 rivers

Syllabus: GS-3, Environment

Mains: Basin management of rivers

Context:

The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti signed an agreement between 12 technical education institutions for academic and research collaboration towards basin management of 6 rivers. 

Details:

• The agreement has been made under the National River Conservation Plan.
• Through this project, the responsibility of research, monitoring and gathering technical knowledge required for the condition assessment and management plan in basin management of Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Cauveri, Narmada and Periyar has been given to 12 institutions.
  • Narmada Basin Management — IIT Indore and IIT Gandhinagar
  • Godavari Basin Management — IIT Hyderabad and NEERI Nagpur
  • Mahanadi Basin Management — IIT Raipur and IIT Rourkela
  • Krishna Basin Management — NIT Warangal and NIT Surathkal
  • Cauvery Basin Management — IISc Bangalore and NIT Trichy
  • Periyar Basin Management — IIT Palakkad and NIT Calicut

Read previous PIB articles here.