07 July 2021: PIB Summary & Analysis

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Bhalia wheat
2. INS Tabar
3. dbGENVOC
4. AEO Programme

1. Bhalia wheat

Context:

Exports of Geographical Indications certified Bhalia wheat from Gujarat began.

Details:

• The first shipment of Geographical Indication (GI) certified Bhalia variety of wheat was exported to Kenya and Sri Lanka from Gujarat.
• This initiative is expected to give a boost to wheat exports from India.

About Bhalia Wheat:

• This wheat variety has high protein content and is sweet in taste.
• The crop is grown mostly across the Bhal region of Gujarat which includes Ahmadabad, Anand, Kheda, Bhavnagar, Surendranagar, Bharuch districts.
• It is grown in rainfed conditions without irrigation and cultivated in around two lakh hectares of agricultural land in Gujarat.
• The Bhalia variety of wheat received GI certification in 2011.

Also read: List of Geographical Indications [GI Tags] in India

2. INS Tabar

Context:

INS Tabar exercises with the Italian Navy off Naples, Italy.

About INS Tabar:

• INS Tabar is a Talwar-class stealth Frigate built for Indian Navy in Russia.
• The ship is equipped with a versatile range of weapons and sensors and is among the earliest stealth frigates of the Indian Navy.
• The ship is part of the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet which is based at Mumbai under Western Naval Command.

3. dbGENVOC

Context:

The world’s first database of genomic variants of oral cancer named dbGENVOC created.

About dbGENVOC:

• dbGENVOC is a browsable  online database of GENomic Variants of Oral Cancer.
• It is a free resource and has been made publicly accessible.
• It is created by the DBT-National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Kalyani an autonomous institute funded by the Department of Biotechnology, GOI.
• dbGENVOC is not just a catalogue of genomic variants, it has a built-in powerful search engine.
  • It also allows a reasonable extent of statistical and bioinformatic analysis to be carried out online, including identifying variants in associated altered pathways in oral cancer.
• The repository, which will be updated annually with variation data from new oral cancer patients from different regions of India and southeast Asia, has the potential to support advances in oral cancer research and will be a major step in moving forward from simply cataloguing variants to gain insight into their significance.

Oral cancer:

• Oral cancer appears as a growth or sore in the mouth that does not go away.
• Oral cancer, which includes cancers of the lips, tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses, and pharynx (throat), can be life threatening if not diagnosed and treated early.
• Oral cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer among men in India, largely fuelled by tobacco-chewing. Tobacco-chewing causes changes in the genetic material of cells in the oral cavity. These changes (mutations) precipitate oral cancer.
• Research to identify those genetic mutations that drive oral cancer are ongoing. Such driver mutations may be variable across populations.

4. AEO Programme

Launch of online filing of application for Authorised Economic Operators (AEO T2 and AEO T3).

Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme:

• AEO is a programme under the aegis of the World Customs Organization (WCO) SAFE Framework of Standards to secure and facilitate Global Trade.
• The programme aims to enhance international supply chain security and facilitate movement of legitimate goods.
• AEO encompasses various players in the international supply chain.
• Under this programme, an entity engaged in international trade is approved by Customs as compliant with supply chain security standards and granted AEO status & certain benefits.
• AEO is a voluntary compliance programme.
• It enables Indian Customs to enhance and streamline cargo security through close cooperation with the principle stakeholders of the international supply chain viz. importers, exporters, logistics providers, custodians or terminal operators, custom brokers and warehouse operators.
• The programme is under the Directorate of International Customs, Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC).
• Structure of the programme:
  • It is a three-tier programme for importers and exporters i.e. AEO-T1, AEO-T2 and AEO-T3 in the increasing degree of benefits accorded and compliance requirements.
  • AEO LO certificates are also provided for entities other than importers and exporters such as warehouse operators and customs brokers.
• AEO Eligibility:
  • Entity should be established in India.
  • Entity’s business should be customs-related.
  • Should have dealt with minimum 25 customs documents (either Bill of Entry or Shipping Bill) in the last fiscal year.
  • Business activity should be there for last 3 financial years preceding the financial year of date of application. However, for newly established businesses, the application can be considered after due verification.
• The Indian AEO Programme was started in 2011 and currently has a membership of about 5000 AEO entities.

Read previous PIB here.

July 7th, 2021, PIB:- Download PDF Here