Current Affairs 7 May 2021 – IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 7 May 2021  focuses on Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :

1. Achieving self-sufficiency in pulses
2. Waiving Covid-19 Vaccine Patents
3. Freedom Of Speech Upheld By SC
4. National Financial Reporting Authority
5. Section 142 Of The Social Security Code
6. Export of Organic Millets Grown in Himalayas to Denmark
7. Social Stock Exchanges

Kharif Mini Kit Programme : Achieving Self Sufficiency In Pulses

Source : PIB
GS III : Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers

Why in News ?

With an aim to attain self-sufficiency in the production of pulses, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has formulated a special Kharif strategy for implementation in the ensuing Kharif 2021 season.

• It also aims India to become Aatmanirbhar in the production of pulses.

Key Facts

Aim : The special programme will increase the production and productivity of the three pulses of Tur, Moong and Urad will play an important role in reducing the import burden.

• Through consultations with the state governments, a detailed plan for both area expansion and productivity enhancement for Tur, Moong and Urad has been formulated.
• Under the strategy, utilising all the high yielding varieties (HYVs) of seeds that are available either with the Central Seed Agencies or in the States will be distributed free of cost.
• It is proposed to distribute 20,27,318 (almost 10 times more seed mini kits than 2020-21) amounting to Rs. 82.01 crores.
  • The total cost for these mini-kits will be borne by the Central Government to boost the production and productivity of tur, moong and urad.
• Other Facts
  • Tur intercropping will be covered in 11 states and 187 districts. The states are Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.
  • Moong intercropping will be covered in 9 states and 85 districts. The states are Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.
  • Urad intercropping will be covered in 6 states in 60 districts. The states are Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
  • Urad sole cropping will be covered in 6 states.

Cropping Seasons in India

• There are three distinct crop seasons in the northern and interior parts of country, namely kharif, rabi and zaid.
• The Kharif season largely coincides with Southwest Monsoon.
  • The cultivation of tropical crops such as rice, cotton, jute, jowar, bajra and tur is possible. 
• The Rabi season begins with the onset of winter in October-November and ends in March-April. 
  • Cultivation of temperate and subtropical crops such as wheat, gram and mustard.
• Zaid is a short duration summer copping season beginning after harvesting of rabi crops.
  • The cultivation of  watermelons, cucumbers, vegetables and fodder crops during this season is done on irrigated lands.

Pulses In Inida

• Pulses are a very important ingredient of vegetarian food as these are rich sources of proteins.
• These are legume crops which increase the natural fertility of soils through nitrogen fixation.
• India is a leading producer of pulses
  • It accounts for about one-fifth of the total production of pulses in the world.
• The cultivation of pulses in the country is largely concentrated in the dry lands of Deccan and central plateaus and northwestern parts of the country.
• Pulses occupy about 11 per cent of the total cropped area in the country.
• Being the rainfed crops of drylands, the yields of pulses are low and fluctuate from year to year.
• Gram and Tur are the main pulses cultivated in India.
• Pulse Production Programme
  • Major push towards this effort was made in 2016-17
  • Started with the creation of 150 pulses seed hubs in 24 states covering Krishi Vigyan Kendras in 97 districts, 46 State Agricultural Universities and 7 ICAR institutions
  • They provide location-specific varieties and quality seed quantities.
  • Breeder Seed Production Centres infrastructure at 12 ICAR/SAU centres in 08 states was created for increasing Varietal Replacement and Seed Replacement.

Waiving Covid-19 Vaccine Patents

Source : PIB
GS II : Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers

Why in News ?

US would support Waiving Covid-19 Vaccine Patents

• The statement has important implications because doing away with intellectual property rights will pave the way for cheaper versions of the vaccine to enter the market and also scale up production.

Key Facts

• A temporary waiver of certain provisions of the intellectual property rights under a World Trade Organization (WTO)  agreement would be an important step to enable the scaling up of manufacturing and the timely availability of  affordable COVID19 vaccines and essential medical products.
• India and South Africa last year proposed a relaxation in the norms of the TRIPS agreement to ensure quick and affordable access to vaccines and medicines for developing countries.
• The demand had also been raised by human rights bodies and global advocacy groups.
• Lobbying by Pharmaceutical Companies
  • The appeals to do away with intellectual property rights have been unsuccessful so far in the face of lobbying by powerful pharmaceutical companies.

Need for Waive

• Only drug companies which own patents are authorised to manufacture Covid vaccines.
• A lifting of patent will allow the recipes to be shared and there will no longer be an embargo basically once the formula is shared any company which possesses the required technology and infrastructure can produce vaccines.
• This will lead to cheaper and more generic versions of Covid vaccines.
• It will also mean two things  vaccines will be more affordable and this will be a big step in overcoming vaccine shortage.
• At a time when many people across India are struggling to get vaccines and shortages are being reported from many states there is a unanimous agreement on the fact that there is a need to scale up production.

Opposing the lifting of patents

• Drug manufacturers and governments in the US, UK and Europe have been strongly opposing the patent waiver.
• Pharmaceutical industry has been arguing that innovation as well as vaccine quality and safety depend on maintaining exclusive intellectual property rights.
  • Further arguing that intellectual property rights are important because of the money and effort that goes into research and development.
• Lifting of patents would be a compromise on control of safety and quality standards for vaccine manufacturing.
  • Allow countries such as Russia and China to exploit the mRNA technology to their advantage.
• These drug companies, which enjoy a monopoly on individual Covid vaccines worth billions of dollars in annual sales

Major Opposing Factors
1. Innovation as well as vaccine quality and safety may Compromise
2. Loss monopoly on individual Covid vaccines
3. Russia and China to exploit the mRNA technology
4. Money and effort that goes into research and development

WTO’s Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (Trips)

• The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights is an international legal agreement between all the member nations of the World Trade Organization.
• The WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is the most comprehensive multilateral agreement on intellectual property (IP).
• It frames the IP system in terms of innovation, technology transfer and public welfare.

Freedom Of Speech Upheld By SC

Source : The Hindu
GS II : Structure, organisation and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity

Why In News ?

Real-time reportage of court proceedings, including the oral exchanges in courtrooms between judges and lawyers, is part of the right to freedom of speech, the Supreme Court has held in a judgement.

Background

• The judges had remarked that the ECI was solely responsible for the COVID-19 surge.
• Chief Election Commissioner had appealed to the Supreme Court after the High Court did not restrain the media from reporting the remarks nor make any of them take back the remarks.

Key Facts

• The court declined a plea made by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to restrain the media from reporting oral remarks made by a Division Bench of the Madras High court.
• Poll body officials should be charged with “”urder” for allowing rallies and mass gatherings during the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
• Except in cases of child sexual abuse and marital issues, the phenomenon of free Press should extend to court proceedings.
• Citizens have a right to know about what transpires in the course of judicial proceedings.
• The dialogue in a court indicates the manner in which a judicial proceeding is structured.
• Right of the media to report and disseminate issues and events, including court proceedings that were a part of the public domain, augmented the integrity of the judiciary.
• Oral observations made during the course of the hearing did not bind the parties and did not form a part of the judgement.

National Financial Reporting Authority

Source : PIB
GS II : Statutory, Regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies

Why in News ?

Around 6,500 entities, including insurers and banks, are under the purview of National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) which enforces audit quality standards.

Key Facts

NFRA is responsible for recommending accounting and auditing policies and standards in the country, undertaking investigations, and imposing sanctions against defaulting auditors and audit firms in the form of monetary penalties and debarment from practice for up to 10 years.

• NFRA has come out with a provisional database of entities under its purview as of 31 march 2019.
• The ministry said NFRA is mandated to oversee compliance by ‘public interest entities’ which include all listed companies and large unlisted entities.
• The database of entities gives clarity to businesses as well as their auditors of their statutory obligations.
• The data includes approx. 6,500 companies, comprising listed companies (around 5,300), unlisted companies (around 1,000), and Insurance and Banking Companies.
• This group includes all listed companies, and large unlisted companies.
• NFRA has in the past taken stringent measures against the statutory auditors of Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd. entities after the group faced financial collapse leading to the government replacing its board of directors with a state appointed one.

Section 142 Of The Social Security Code

Source : PIB
GS II : Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation

Why in News ?

Section 142 of the Social Security Code, 2020 has been notified by Ministry of Labour & Employment covering applicability of Aaadhar.

Key Facts

• The notification of section will enable Ministry of Labour and Employment to collect Aaadhar details for the database of beneficiaries under various social security schemes.
• National Data Base for Unorganised Workers (NDUW) is at an advanced stage of development by National Informatics Centre.
• The portal is aimed at collection of data for unorganised workers including migrant workers
  • Mainly focus for the purpose of giving benefits of the various schemes of the Government.
  • An inter-state migrant worker can register himself on the portal on the basis of submission of Aaadhar alone.
• The section under the Social Security Code has been notified only for collection of data of workers including migrant workers.
  • No benefit will be denied to workers for want of Aaadhar.

Social Security Code, 2020

• The SS Code has been enacted to amend and consolidate the laws relating to social security
• With the goal to extend social security to all employees and workers
• It focused organised or unorganised or any other sectors.
• The SS Code has vital provisions with respect to social security benefits to workers including.
• Social Security under the SS Code means
  • The measures of protection afforded to employees, unorganised workers, gig workers and platform workers.
  • Aims to ensure access to health care and to provide income security, particularly in cases of old age, unemployment, sickness, invalidity, work injury, maternity or loss of a breadwinner by means of rights conferred on them and schemes framed, under the SS Code.
• The SS Code has widened the coverage by including the unorganised sector, fixed term employees and gig workers, platform workers etc., in addition to contract employees.

Export of Organic Millets Grown in Himalayas to Denmark

Source : PIB
GS III : Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.

Why in News ?

In a major boost to organic products exports from the country first consignment of millets grown in Himalayas from Dev Bhoomi (Land of the God) Uttarakhand would be exported to Denmark.

• Millets are unique agricultural products from India which have significant demand in the global market.
• India’s export of organic food products rose by more than 51% to Rs 7078 crore ($ 1040 million) during April-February (2020-21) compared to the same period in the previous fiscal (2019-20).

Key Facts

• APEDA, in collaboration with Uttarakhand Agriculture Produce Marketing Board (UKAPMB) & Just Organik, an exporter, has sourced & processed ragi (finger millet) and jhingora(barnyard millet) from farmers in Uttarakhand for exports
  • The item meets the organic certification standards of the European Union.
• The exports of millets to Denmark would expand exports opportunities in European countries.
  • The exports would also support thousands of farmers that are getting into organic farming.

Organic Product export From India

• Oil cake meal is a major commodity of the organic product exports from the country
  • It is followed by oil seeds, fruit pulps and purees, cereals & millets, spices, tea, medicinal plant products, dry fruits, sugar, pulses, coffee, essential oil etc.
• India’s organic products have been exported to 58 countries including USA, European Union, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Switzerland, Israel and South Korea.
• Organic products are exported provided they are produced, processed, packed and labelled as per the requirements of the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP).

National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP)

• The NPOP has been implemented by APEDA since its inception in 2001 as notified under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulations) Act, 1992.
• NPOP certification has been recognized by the European Union and Switzerland.
• NPOP has also been recognized by the Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) for trade of organic products in the domestic market.
• Organic products covered under the bilateral agreement with NPOP need not to be recertified for import in India.

Social Stock Exchanges

Source : Business Standard
GS III : Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment

Why in News ?

Sebi’s technical group (TG) on social stock exchanges (SSEs) has recommended that corporate foundations, political and religious organisations should be made ineligible to raise funds using the SSE mechanism.

Key Facts

• The report on SSEs prepared by the expert panel
• Corporate foundations, political or religious organisations and activities, professional or trade associations, infrastructure and housing companies (except affordable housing) will not be permitted on SSE.
• At the same time both for profit (FP) and not for profit organisations (NPO) should be allowed to tap the SSE.
  • Condition is that they are able to demonstrate that social intent and impact.
  • Panel suggested three parameters to establish primacy of social impact objective.
• Conditions for FP and NPO
  • The panel has recommended different instruments of fund raising for NPOs and FPOs.
  • Modes available for fundraising for NPOs shall be equity, zero coupon zero principal bond (ZCZP), development impact bonds, social impact fund, currently known as social venture fund (SVP) with 100 per cent grants-in grants out provision, and donations by investors through mutual funds.
  • Modes available for FP enterprises will be equity, debt, development impact bonds, and social venture funds.
    • FPEs that wish to list their equity or debt will first have to demonstrate their track record through social performance.
• For SVP
  • Recommended that the minimum corpus size for such funds be reduced from Rs 20 crore to Rs 5 crore
  • The minimum subscription amount be reduced from Rs 1 crore to Rs. 2 lakh.
  • The SVP will fall under category-I Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) and will allow 100 per cent grants-in and grants-out.
• The capacity building fund for SSE should have a corpus of Rs 100 crore.
  • This fund should be housed under Nabard.
  • Exchanges and other developmental agencies such as SIDBI should be asked to contribute towards this fund.
• Entities on SSE shall disclose social impact (for NPOs and FPEs) report on annual basis covering aspects such as strategic intent and planning, approach, impact score card.

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