04 June 2021: PIB Summary & Analysis

June 4th, 2021, PIB:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. PLI Scheme for White Goods
2. INS Sandhayak
3. Model Panchayat Citizens Charter
4. Indian Railways
5. India’s First Indigenous Tumour Antigen SPAG9
6. SAGE Initiative

1. PLI Scheme for White Goods

Context:

Scheme Guidelines issued for Production Linked Incentive Scheme for White Goods (Air Conditioners and LED Lights) manufacturers in India.

Details:

• The Department of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has notified the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for White Goods (Air Conditioners and LED Lights) manufacturers in India.
• The guidelines have been issued for the same.
• The objective of the scheme is to create complete component ecosystem in India and make India an integral part of the global supply chains.
• The Scheme is expected to attract global investments, enhance manufacturing and generate large scale employment opportunities.
• The PLI Scheme will be implemented within the overall financial limits of Rs. 6,238 Crores over a period of 5 years during FY 2021-22 to FY 2028-29.
• Application window is open from June to September 2021.
• Companies meeting the pre-qualification criteria for different target segments will be eligible to participate in the Scheme. Incentives shall be open to companies making brown field or green field investments. Thresholds of cumulative incremental investment and incremental sales of manufactured goods over the base year would have to be met for claiming incentives.

Read more on the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme in the link.

2. INS Sandhayak

Context:

Indian Navy’s oldest Hydrographic Survey Ship INS Sandhayak Decommissioned.

About INS Sandhayak:

• INS Sandhayak, the Navy’s oldest hydrographic survey ship was decommissioned after rendering 40 years of service to the nation.
• INS Sandhayak undertook over 200 major hydrographic surveys in the Western and Eastern coasts of the Indian peninsula, the Andaman Sea, and surveys in neighbouring countries including Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
• The ship also took part in important operations like Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka (1987), Operation Rainbow for Humanitarian Assistance in the aftermath of the Tsunami in 2004 and the maiden Indo-US HADR Exercise Tiger-Triumph in 2019.
• Note:- Hydrographic survey is the science of measurement and description of features which affect maritime navigation, marine construction, dredging, offshore oil exploration/offshore oil drilling and related activities.

To know more about HADR Exercise TIGER TRIUMPH, check PIB dated Nov 12, 2019.

3. Model Panchayat Citizens Charter

Context:

Union Minister of Rural Development released a Model Panchayat Citizens Charter.

Details:

• A Model Panchayat Citizens Charter/framework for delivery of services across the 29 sectors, aligning actions with localised Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been prepared by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in collaboration with the National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR).
• The Citizen Charter would ensure transparent and effective delivery of public services for sustainable development and enhanced citizen service experiences.
• The basic objective of the Gram Panchayat Citizen Charter is to empower the citizens in relation to public services and to improve the quality of services without any prejudice, and in accordance with the expectations of the citizens.

Read more on Citizens’ Charter in the linked article.

4. Indian Railways

Context:

Indian Railways on way to become “Largest Green Railways” in the world with Zero Carbon Emission.

Background:

• Indian Railways is working to become the largest Green Railways in the world and is moving towards becoming a “net zero carbon emitter” before 2030.
• With a vision to become environment-friendly, efficient, cost-effective, punctual and modern, the IR has been taking steps ranging from electrification to saving animals from getting injured on railway tracks.

Steps taken by Railways to become “Green”:

• Dedicated Freight Corridors are being developed as a low carbon green transportation network with a long-term low carbon roadmap, which will enable it to adopt more energy efficient and carbon-friendly technologies, processes and practices.
• MoU signed between IR and the Confederation of Indian Industry in 2016 for the facilitation of green initiatives on IR.
  • Green certification mainly covers assessment of parameters having direct bearing on the environment, such as, energy conservation measures, use of renewable energy, Green House Gas emission reduction, water conservation, waste management, material conservation, recycling, etc.
  • Many railway stations and buildings have acquired the ‘green certification’.
• Indian Railways has incorporated Climate Change features in its own risk assessments and disaster management protocols.
• The Environment Sustainability Report published by IR and subsidiary units each year sets up a framework document defining strategies and focus points in the context of climate change, the issues at stake, and steps for dealing with them.
  • It helps railways to support government commitments such as the Paris agreement on climate change, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and National Disaster Management Plans.

Also read: National Rail Plan

5. India’s First Indigenous Tumour Antigen SPAG9

Context:

DBT-NII received Trademark for India’s First Indigenous Tumour Antigen SPAG9.

Details:

• India’s first indigenous tumour antigen SPAG9 was discovered by Dr Anil Suri in 1998 who is heading the Cancer Research Program at NII (National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi).
  • The Cancer Research Program is funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
• The SPAG9 antigen has received the trademark ASPAGNII^TM.
• Currently, ASPAGNII^TM is being used in dendritic cell (DC) based immunotherapy in cervical, ovarian cancer and will also be used in breast cancer.

DC-based Immunotherapy:

• Immunotherapy is a new approach that exploits the body’s inner capability to put up a fight against cancer.
• With this approach, either the immune system is given a boost, or the T cells are “trained’’ to identify recalcitrant cancer cells and kill them.
• In this personalised intervention, those patients expressing SPAG9 protein can be treated with DC-based vaccine approach.
• In DC-based vaccine, patient’s cells called monocytes from their blood are collected and modified into what are called dendritic cells.
• These dendritic cells are primed with ASPAGNII^TM and are injected back to the patient to help the ‘fighter’ cells, or T-cells, in the body to kill the cancer cells.
• DC-based immunotherapy is safe, affordable and can promote antitumor immune responses and prolonged survival of cancer patients.

Background:

• Cancer kills 8.51 lakh people in India every year.
• According to the WHO, one in 10 Indians will develop cancer during their lifetime, and one in 15 will die of cancer.

6. SAGE Initiative

Context:

The SAGE (Seniorcare Aging Growth Engine) initiative and SAGE portal for elderly persons has been launched by the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment.

About the SAGE Initiative:

• The SAGE portal will be a “one-stop access” for elderly care products and services by credible start-ups.
• The portal is open for applications and start-ups will be selected on the basis of innovative products and services, which they should be able to provide across sectors such as health, housing, care centres, apart from technological access linked to finances, food and wealth management, and legal guidance.
• The SAGE programme and SAGE portal have been launched with a view to help those persons who are interested in entrepreneurship in the field of providing services for elderly care.
• The SAGE project aims to identify, evaluate, verify, aggregate, and deliver products, solutions and services directly to the stakeholders. The Ministry will act as a facilitator, enabling the elderly to access the products through these identified start-ups.
• On the recommendation of the committee set up for the purpose, up to Rs 1 crore will be given to start-ups for elderly care.
• The Ministry has designed SAGE programme as per the suggestions of the Empowered Committee on start-ups for the elderly to solicit the involvement of youth and their innovative ideas for elderly care.
• An allocation of Rs 25 crores has been made for the SAGE project in the current financial year i.e. 2021-22.

Background:

• India’s elderly population is on the rise, and as per surveys, the share of elders, as a percentage of the total population in the country, is expected to increase from around 7.5% in 2001 to almost 12.5% by 2026, and surpass 19.5% by 2050.

Read previous PIB here.

June 4th, 2021, PIB:- Download PDF Here