08 June 2021: PIB Summary & Analysis

June 8th, 2021, PIB:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. E-Content for Children with Disabilities
2. India Plastic Challenge – Hackathon 2021
3. Energy efficiency measures in India
4. Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy
5. Surakshit Hum Surakshit Tum Abhiyaan
6. Mango export from India

1. E-Content for Children with Disabilities

Context:

Government releases guidelines for the development of e-Content for Children with Disabilities.

Background:

• The PM e-VIDYA initiative was launched in May 2020 with an aim to unify all efforts related to digital/online/on-air education.
• The programme envisages the development of special e-content for children with disabilities (CwDs).
• The Dept of School Education and Literacy under the Education Ministry had formed an expert committee to come up with guidelines for developing e-content for these children.
• Accordingly, the committee submitted its report titled “Guidelines for the Development of e-Content for Children with Disabilities”.

Salient highlights of the guidelines:

• e-Content for CwDs should be developed based on the four principles of ‘perceivable, operable, understandable and robust’.
• e-Content including text, tables, diagrams, visuals, audios, videos etc. should comply with national and international accessibility standards.
• Distribution platforms on which content is uploaded (e.g. DIKSHA) and Reading platforms/devices on which content is accessed and interacted (e.g. e-pathshala) must comply with technical standards.

2. India Plastic Challenge – Hackathon 2021

Context:

Environment Minister launched the India Plastic Challenge – Hackathon 2021.

About the Hackathon:

• It is a campaign calling upon start-ups/entrepreneurs and students of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to develop innovative solutions to mitigate plastic pollution and develop alternatives to single use plastics.
• The two-month-long ‘Plastic Hackathon 2021’ campaign focuses on plastic waste management and elimination of identified single-use plastics.
• The campaign seeks to come up with suitable alternatives to single-use plastics and identify new ways of plastic waste management.
• Under the campaign a series of events will be organised on reducing plastic waste generation, recognising the need for effective plastic waste management, increasing the awareness of suitable alternatives, sustainable consumption and production and extended producer responsibility.
• It also includes conducting essay competitions for school children.
• The campaign is being organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), a German organisation working jointly with partners in India for sustainable economic, ecological, and social development.

3. Energy efficiency measures in India

Context:

The Ministry of Power is implementing measures to save energy with an objective to reduce  CO₂ emission levels in the environment from industries, establishments and by using equipment/appliances.

Schemes:

The Power Ministry is implementing the PAT Scheme in this regard.

PAT Scheme:

• The Perform Achieve and Trade (PAT) Scheme is a key programme for large industries and establishments.
• This scheme aims to enhance the cost-effectiveness of energy savings by upgrading technologies or by taking in-house actions to minimize energy consumption.
• The scheme provides mandatory targets for the identified Large Units and the excess energy saved by them is issued as Energy Saving Certificate, which are tradable instruments.
• Different industries and establishments are assigned separate energy efficiency targets based on their levels of energy consumption and the potential for energy savings.
• Currently, the scheme extends to 13 most energy intensive sectors in the country including cement, iron and steel, fertilizer, thermal power plants, refineries, petrochemicals, railways and others.
• This initiative is currently leading to energy savings of about 17 MTOE (Million Tonnes of Oil Equivalent) and has resulted in the mitigation of about 87 million tonnes of CO₂.

Learn more about the PAT scheme in the linked article.

Standards and Labeling (S&L) Program:

• The Standards and Labeling (S&L) Program was introduced by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). Know more about the BEE in PIB dated Dec 14, 2019.
• The objective of the program is to provide consumers with an informed choice about the energy savings potential and thereby the cost saving due to the products available in the market.
• The scheme includes the display of energy performance labels on key energy consuming equipment & appliances, with stipulation for minimum energy performance standards.
• As of now, it covers 28 appliances and 15000 models of energy efficient products have been awarded Star labels.
• This initiative has been effective in reducing the CO₂ emissions of about 46 Million Tonnes every year.

4. Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy

Context:

Department of Biotechnology supported first CAR-T cell therapy conducted at ACTREC, Tata Hospital in Mumbai.

Background:

• The Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has emerged as a breakthrough in cancer treatment.
• Clinical trials have shown remarkable results especially for patients suffering from Acute Lymphocytic Leukaemia.
• However it is extremely expensive (each patient’s CAR-T therapy costs Rs 3-4 crores) in India and therefore, unavailable in the country.
• The manufacturing complexity is a major reason for the therapy cost.
• In order to promote and support development of CAR-T cell technology against cancer and other diseases, BIRAC and DBT have taken initiatives and launched specialized calls to invite proposals in the last 2 years.

CAR-T Therapy in India:

• In June 2021, the first CAR-T cell therapy was done at the Bone Marrow Transplant unit at ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai.
• This is a “first in India” gene therapy in early phase pilot clinical trial.
• The trial was conducted by IIT Bombay and Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai partly supported by the BIRAC-PACE scheme.
• The central government’s National Biopharma Mission-BIRAC has approved 19.15 Cr to the team for conducting a first-in-human phase-1/2 clinical trial of the CAR-T cells.

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell Therapy:

• It is a type of treatment in which a patient’s T cells (a type of immune system cell) are changed in the laboratory so they will attack cancer cells.
• T cells are taken from a patient’s blood. Then the gene for a special receptor that binds to a certain protein on the patient’s cancer cells is added to the T cells in the laboratory.
• The special receptor is called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). Large numbers of the CAR T cells are grown in the laboratory and given to the patient by infusion.
• It is used to treat certain types of blood cancers and is being studied for the treatment of other cancers also.

5. Surakshit Hum Surakshit Tum Abhiyaan

Context:

NITI Aayog & Piramal Foundation launched Surakshit Hum Surakshit Tum Abhiyaan in 112 Aspirational Districts.

About the Program:

• The Surakshit Hum Surakshit Tum Abhiyaan was launched to assist district administrations in providing home-care support to Covid-19 patients who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.
• It is part of a special initiative, Aspirational Districts Collaborative, in which local leaders, civil societies and volunteers work with district administrations to address emerging problems across key focus areas of the Aspirational Districts Programme.
• It will be led by district magistrates in partnership with over 1000 local NGOs.
• The program will train over 1 lakh volunteers to connect with patients through inbound/outbound calls.
• The campaign is expected to play a key role in district preparedness for managing nearly 70% of Covid cases at home, reducing pressure on the health system, and stemming the spread of fear amongst the people.
• The campaign will also undertake capacity building of citizens for correct usage of Oxygen concentrators that have been supplied to these districts.
• NGOs will mobilize local volunteers to provide home-care support to those affected, based on the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

6. Mango export from India

Background:

• Mango in India is also referred as ‘king of fruits’ and referred to as Kalpavriksha (wish granting tree) in ancient scriptures.
• While most of the states in India have mango plantations, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka have major share in the total production of the fruit.
• Alphonso, Kesar, Totapuri and Banganpalli are leading export varieties from India.
• Mango exports primarily take place in three forms: fresh mango, mango pulp, and mango slice.

What’s in News?

• In a major boost to mango exports potential from the eastern region, sixteen varieties of mangoes including three GI certified namely, Khirsapati & Lakshmanbhog (West Bengal), Zardalu (Bihar) are being exported to Bahrain.
• Khirsapati Mangoes: The Khirsapati or Himsagar mango is a popular mango cultivar, originating in West Bengal. The inside is yellow to orange in colour and does not have any fibre. The fruit is medium-sized and weighs between 250 and 350 grams, out of which the pulp content is around 77%. It has good keeping quality. It received the GI tag in 2008.
• Lakshmanbhog Mangoes: The ‘Lakshmanbhog’ mango is a mango cultivar from West Bengal. It is considered as the ideal alternative to the Alphonso mango.
• Zardalu Mangoes: It is a unique variety of mango grown in Bhagalpur and adjoining districts of Bihar. It is a creamy yellow coloured fruit which possesses exceptional fruit quality and an enticing aroma. It received the GI tag in 2018.

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

Read previous PIB here.

June 8th, 2021, PIB:- Download PDF Here