Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CSE
Topics Covered
- Traditional Medicine
- PM – STIAC
- Draft Battery swapping Policy
- Facts for Prelims
- Samrat Missile
- INS Vagsheer
- PM Svanidhi
- Karnal bunt
- Civil services day
1 . Traditional Medicine
Context : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, will perform the groundbreaking ceremony for the first-of-its-kind WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Jamnagar, Gujarat. Earlier, the Prime Minister had said the GCTM would go a long way in enhancing wellness in society.
What is traditional medicine?
- The WHO describes traditional medicine as the total sum of the “knowledge, skills and practices indigenous and different cultures have used over time to maintain health and prevent, diagnose and treat physical and mental illness”.
- Its reach encompasses ancient practices such as acupuncture, ayurvedic medicine and herbal mixtures as well as modern medicines.
- Traditional medicine in India is often defined as including practices and therapies — such as yoga, Ayurveda, Siddha — that have been part of Indian tradition historically, as well as others — such as homeopathy — that became part of Indian tradition over the years.
- Ayurveda and yoga are practised widely across the country; the Siddha system is followed predominantly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala; the Sowa-Rigpa system is practised mainly in Leh-Ladakh and Himalayan regions such as Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling, Lahaul & Spiti.
- The Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (ITRA), Jamnagar, will temporarily house the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine.
What will the GCTM be about?
- The GCTM will aim to focus on evidence-based research, innovation, and data analysis to optimise the contribution of traditional medicine to global health. Its main focus will to develop norms, standards and guidelines in technical areas relating to traditional medicine.
- It will seek to set policies and standards on traditional medicine products and help countries create a comprehensive, safe, and high-quality health system. The GCTM will support efforts to implement the WHO’s Traditional Medicine Strategy (2014-23), which aims to support nations in developing policies & action plans to strengthen the role of traditional medicine in pursuing the goal of universal health coverage.
- According to WHO estimates, 80% of the world’s population uses traditional medicine.
Why has the WHO felt the need to advance knowledge of traditional medicine?
- The WHO says 170 of its 194 WHO Member States have reported the use of traditional medicine, and these member states have asked for its support in creating a body of “reliable evidence and data on traditional medicine practices and products”. It says the Jamnagar centre will serve as the hub, and focus on building a “solid evidence base” for policies and “help countries integrate it as appropriate into their health systems”.
- The WHO has flagged many challenges faced by traditional medicine. For instance, national health systems and strategies do not yet fully integrate traditional medicine workers, accredited courses and health facilities.
- Second, the WHO has stressed the need to conserve biodiversity and sustainability as about 40% of approved pharmaceutical products today derive from natural substances. “For example, the discovery of aspirin drew on traditional medicine formulations using the bark of the willow tree, the contraceptive pill was developed from the roots of wild yam plants and child cancer treatments have been based on the rosy periwinkle,” the WHO says.
- Third, the WHO has referred to modernisation of the ways traditional medicine is being studied. Artificial intelligence is now used to map evidence and trends in traditional medicine. “Functional magnetic resonance imaging is used to study brain activity and the relaxation response that is part of some traditional medicine therapies such as meditation and yoga, which are increasingly drawn on for mental health and well-being in stressful times,” it says.
- Fourth, the WHO has said traditional medicine is also being extensively updated by mobile phone apps, online classes, and other technologies. The GCTM will serve as a hub for other countries, and build standards on traditional medicine practices and products.
Has India taken up similar collaborative efforts earlier?
- In 2016, the Ministry of AYUSH signed a project collaboration agreement (PCA) with the WHO in the area of traditional medicine. The aim was to create benchmarks for training in yoga, Ayurveda, Unani and Panchakarma, for traditional medicine practitioners. The collaboration also aimed at promoting the quality and safety of traditional medicine and consumer protection by supporting WHO in the development and implementation of the WHO Traditional and Complementary Medicine Strategy.
- At least 32 MoUs for undertaking collaborative research and development of traditional medicine have been signed with institutes, universities and organisations from the US, Germany, UK, Canada, Malaysia, Brazil, Australia, Austria, Tajikistan, Saudi Arabia, Ecuador, Japan, Indonesia, Reunion Island, Korea and Hungary.
- A constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research — Institute of Himalayan Bio-resource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur — has signed an MoU with National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan, to collaborate in areas of mutual interest, which include medicinal plants, bioactive molecules, and, herbal formulations etc.
- Also, the CSIR and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have signed an MoU to identify opportunities for scientific and technological research between researchers within and outside India, including collaborations with foundation-funded entities in the areas including traditional medicine as well as beyond.
2 . Principal Scientific Adviser
Context : Ajay Kumar Sood has been appointed Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Union government
About Principal Scientific Adviser
The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (PSA’s Office) was set-up in November, 1999 by the Cabinet Secretariat, primarily, to:
- Evolve polices, strategies and missions for the generation of innovations and support systems for multiple applications,
- Generate science and technology tasks in critical infrastructure, economic and social sectors in partnership with Government departments, institutions and industry, and
- Function as the Secretariat to the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet, with the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India as its Chairman.
About Prime Minister -Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council
- The PM-STIAC is an overarching Council that facilitates the PSA’s Office to assess the status in specific science and technology domains, comprehend challenges in hand, formulate specific interventions, develop a futuristic roadmap and advise the Prime Minister accordingly.
- PSA’s Office also oversees the implementation of such interventions by concerned S&T Departments and Agencies and other government Ministries.
- The other important terms of reference of the Council is to formulate, converge, collaborate, co-ordinate and implement multi-stakeholder policy initiatives, mechanisms, reforms and programmes aimed at:
- Synergizing S&T covering fundamental to applied research in collaboration with multiple stake holders both in central and state governments
- Enabling future preparedness in emerging domains of science and technology
- Formulating and coordinating major inter-ministerial S&T missions
- Providing an enabling ecosystem for technology led innovations and techno-entrepreneurship
- Driving innovation and technology delivery towards solving socio-economic challenges for sustainable growth
- Fostering effective public-private linkages for driving research and innovation
- Developing innovation clusters with multiple stakeholders including academia, industry and government
- Skilling in current and futuristic technologies.
- The body has nine major missions: Natural Language Translation, Quantum Frontier, Artificial Intelligence, National Biodiversity Mission, Electric Vehicles, Bio–science for Human Health, Waste to Wealth, Deep Ocean Exploration, and Accelerating Growth of New India’s Innovations (AGNIi)
3 . Draft Battery Swapping Policy
Context : Government think-tank Niti Aayog has prepared a draft battery swapping policy, under which it has proposed offering incentives to electric vehicles (EVs) with swappable batteries, subsidies to companies manufacturing swappable batteries, a new battery-as-a-service business model, and standards for interoperable batteries, among other measures.
What is battery swapping?
- Battery swapping is a mechanism that involves exchanging discharged batteries for charged ones. This provides the flexibility to charge these batteries separately by de-linking charging and battery usage, and keeps the vehicle in operational mode with negligible downtime.
- Battery swapping is generally used for smaller vehicles such as two-wheelers and three-wheelers with smaller batteries that are easier to swap, compared to four-wheelers and e-buses, although solutions are emerging for these larger segments as well.
What are some of the key proposals?
- The draft policy has suggested that the GST Council consider reducing the differential across the tax rates on Lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicle supply equipment. Currently, the tax rate on the former is 18 per cent, and 5 per cent on the latter.
- The policy also proposes to offer the same incentives available to electric vehicles that come pre-equipped with a fixed battery to electric vehicles with swappable batteries. “The size of the incentive could be determined based on the kWh (kilowatt hour) rating of the battery and compatible EV,” the draft policy states.
- “An appropriate multiplier may be applied to the subsidy allocated to battery providers to account for the float battery requirements for battery swapping stations in different battery swapping ecosystems,” the draft policy said. The government will also specify a minimum contract duration for a contract to be signed between EV users and battery providers to ensure they continue to provide battery swapping services after receiving the subsidy.
- The policy also requires state governments to ensure public battery charging stations are eligible for EV power connections with concessional tariffs. It also proposes to bring such stations under existing or future time-of-day (ToD) tariff regimes, so that the swappable batteries can be charged during off-peak periods when electricity tariffs are low. Transport Departments and State Transport Authorities will be responsible for easing registration processes for vehicles sold without batteries or for vehicles with battery swapping functionality, the draft says. Municipal corporations will be responsible for planning, zoning permissions and land allocation for battery swapping stations.
- The policy also proposes to assign a unique identification number (UIN) to swappable batteries at the manufacturing stage to help track and monitor them. Similarly, a UIN number will be assigned to each battery swapping station. It also proposes to install battery swapping stations at several locations like retail fuel outlets, public parking areas, malls, kirana shops and general stores etc.
What is the battery-as-a-service model?
- Niti Aayog said battery swapping will fall under the battery-as-a-service (BaaS) business model, and such models would have to ensure interoperability between EVs and batteries for a successful mainstreaming of battery swapping as an alternative. “Given the nascency of battery swapping, interoperability between EV batteries and other components within a battery swapping ecosystem is adequate for eligibility under the policy, as long as all components within the ecosystem adhere to the technical and performance standards defined for BaaS and battery swapping services,” the draft policy says.
- Apart from the batteries themselves, major battery providers will be encouraged to sign data-sharing agreements to provide information on battery health and performance, and to enable more flexibility to consumers through peer-to-peer roaming networks. “For the classification of collected data under the broad categories of proprietary, restricted-access, private and open-data, a non-restrictive detailed guideline will be developed for adherence by all industry players,” the draft adds.
- “This policy requires ecosystems to be ‘open’ to allow participation from other market players in order to be considered for support under the policy”. The policy will only support batteries using Advanced Chemistry Cells (ACC), with performance that is equivalent or superior to EV batteries supported under the government’s FAME-II scheme.
- As of now, two-wheel EV maker Bounce has launched an electric scooter with a swappable battery. Under the company’s business model, customers can pay to swap their battery at one of their stations, whenever it runs out of juice.
Does the draft policy talk about EV safety?
- To ensure a high level of protection at the electrical interface, a rigorous testing protocol will be adopted, the draft said, to avoid any unwanted temperature rise at the electrical interface. The battery management system, which is a software that controls battery functions, will have to be self-certified and open for testing to check its compatibility with various systems, and capability to meet safety requirements, it added.
- This particularly assumes significance given the recent incidents of electric two-wheelers bursting into flames.
- “Batteries shall be tested and certified as per AIS 156 (2020) and AIS 038 Rev 2 (2020) standards for safety of traction battery packs, as well as additional tests that may be prescribed for swappable batteries which are subject to multiple coupling/decoupling processes at the connectors,” the draft said.
- Additionally, for better protection of assets, swappable batteries will have to be equipped with advanced features like IoT-based battery monitoring systems, remote monitoring and immobilisation capabilities.
- The Aayog has proposed that all metropolitan cities with a population of more than 40 lakh will be prioritised for the development of battery swapping networks under the first phase, which is within 1-2 years of the draft policy getting finalised. Other major cities such as state capitals with a population greater than 5 lakh will be covered under the second phase.
4 . Facts for Prelims
INS Vagsheer
- The contract for six submarines under P75 was given to Mazgaon dock on October 6, 2005 and delivery was to start from 2012, but the project has faced delays.
- Under P75, INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj and INS Vela have been commissioned. Sea trials are on for Vagir. Vagsheer is the sixth; its production was delayed due to the pandemic.
- Vagsheer is named after the sand fish, a deep sea predator of the Indian Ocean. The first submarine Vagsheer, from Russia, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on December 26, 1974, and was decommissioned on April 30, 1997.
- Vagsheer is a diesel attack submarine, designed to perform sea denial as well as access denial warfare against the adversary. It can do offensive operations across the spectrum of naval warfare including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying and area surveillance.
- It is enabled with a C303 anti-torpedo counter measure system. It can carry up to 18 torpedoes or Exocet anti-ship missiles, or 30 mines in place of torpedoes.
- Its superior stealth features include advanced acoustic absorption techniques, low radiated noise levels, hydro-dynamically optimised shape, and it has the ability to launch a crippling attack using precision guided weapons, underwater or on surface.
- Scorpene submarines can undertake various types of missions such as anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance etc.
- Naval sources said Vagsheer can take up to eight officers and 35 men. It is 67.5 metres long and 12.3 metres high, with a beam measuring 6.2 metres Vagsheer can reach top speed of 20 knots when submerged and a top speed of 11 knots when it surfaces
PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi)
- The PM Street Vendor’s Atma Nirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on June 01, 2020 for providing affordable Working Capital loan to street vendors to resume their livelihoods that have been adversely affected due to Covid-19 lockdown.
- Vendors can avail a working capital loan of up to Rs. 10,000, which is repayable in monthly instalments in the tenure of one year.
- On timely/ early repayment of the loan, an interest subsidy @ 7% per annum will be credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer on quarterly basis.
- There will be no penalty on early repayment of loan.
- The scheme promotes digital transactions through cash back incentives up to an amount of Rs. 100 per month.
- The vendors can avail the facility of escalation of the credit limit on timely/ early repayment of loan.
SARMAT
- Sarmat is a new Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) tested by Russia
Karnal bunt
- Karnal bunt, caused by the fungus Tilletia indica Mitra, is a disease of wheat and triticale (a hybrid of wheat and rye). The fungus and the plant disease that it causes are harmless to humans and animals.
Civil Services Day
- India celebrates Civil Services Day on April 21 every year. Going by history, on April 21, 1947, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Home Minister of Independent India addressed the first batch of Administrative Services at Metcalf House, Delhi. In his address, he referred the civil servants as the “steel frame of India” and laid out the principles of good governance for the civil servants.