24 JUNE 2023

Topic 1: National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission

Context: Recently, a Delhi-based hospital that botched up an in vitro fertilisation procedure (IVF) has been instructed by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) to pay a fine of ₹1.5 crore for negligence and resorting to unethical practices.

About NCDRC:

• The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) is a quasi-judicial commission.
• It was set up in 1988 under the Consumer Protection Act of 1986.
• Composition:
  • The Commission is headed by a sitting or a retired Judge of the Supreme Court or a sitting or a retired Chief Justice of a High Court.
• Jurisdiction:
  • To entertain a complaint valued more than two crore
  • Appellate and Revisional jurisdiction from the orders of State Commissions or the District for a
  • Any person aggrieved by an order of NCDRC,  may prefer an Appeal against such order to Supreme Court within a period of 30 days.

About the Consumer Protection Act:

• The Consumer Protection Act lays down the rights of the consumers and provides for the promotion and protection of the rights of the consumers.
• It is the first and the only Act of its kind in India, that enabled ordinary consumers to secure less expensive and often speedy redressal of their grievances.
• The Act mandates establishment of Consumer Protection Councils at the Centre as well as in each State and District, with a view to promoting consumer awareness.
  • The Central Council is headed by Minister In-charge of the Department of Consumer Affairs.
• It also provides for a 3-tier structure:
  • The National Commission,
  • The State Commissions and
  • The District Commissions
• The provisions of this Act cover ‘goods’ as well as ‘services’.
  • The goods are those which are manufactured or produced and sold to consumers through wholesalers and retailers.
  • The services are in the nature of transport, telephone, electricity, housing, banking, insurance, medical treatment, etc.

About IVF:IVF stands for in vitro fertilization.It’s one of the more widely known types of assisted reproductive technology (ART).  IVF works by using a combination of medicines and surgical procedures to help sperm fertilize an egg in the lab.

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Topic 2: The Liaquat-Nehru pact

Context: Death anniversary of Syama Prasad Mookerjee was marked recently. He resigned from the cabinet of JL Nehru in April 1950 over the controversial Nehru-Liaquat Pact.

About the Nehru-Liaquat pact

• The Nehru-Liaquat Pact, also known as the Delhi Pact, was a bilateral agreement signed between India and Pakistan in order to provide a framework for the treatment of minorities in the two countries.
• It was signed by the two country’s prime ministers – Jawaharlal Nehru and Liaquat Ali Khan.
• Need for the pact:
  • The need for such a pact was felt by minorities in both countries following Partition, which was accompanied by massive communal rioting.
  • Even in 1950 over a million Hindus and Muslims migrated to and from East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh), amidst unspoken violence and communal tensions.

The agreement:

• The Governments of India and Pakistan solemnly agree that each shall ensure, to the minorities throughout its territory:
  • complete equality of citizenship, irrespective of religion,
  • a full sense of security in respect of life, culture, property and personal honour,
  • freedom of movement within each country and
  • freedom of occupation, speech and worship, subject to law and morality.
• Members of the minorities shall have equal opportunity with members of the majority community to:
  • participate in the public life of their country,
  • to hold political or other office, and
  • to serve in their country’s civil and armed forces.

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Topic 3: Joha rice

Context: Towards that direction, scientists at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology explored the nutraceutical properties of aromatic Joha rice.

About Joha rice:

• Joha rice, aromatic rice cultivated in the Northeastern region of India.
• Joha is a short-grain winter paddy known for its significant aroma and noteworthy taste.
• The traditional claims are that the consumers of Joha rice have low incidence of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
• Features and Benefits:
  • It has two unsaturated fatty acids viz., linoleic acid (omega-6) and linolenic (omega-3) acid.
    • These essential fatty acids (which human cannot produce) can help maintain various physiological conditions.
    • Omega-3 fatty acid prevents several metabolic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.
  • Joha has also proved to be effective in lowering the blood glucose and preventing diabetes onset in diabetic rats.
  • Joha rice has a more balanced ratio of omega-6 to omega-3.
  • The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA) is required by human beings for maintaining the proper diet.
  • Joha rice is also rich in several antioxidants, flavonoids, and phenolics.

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Topic 4:The Heliopolis Memorial

Context: Prime Minister of India will pay his respects at the Heliopolis (Port Tewfik) Memorial in the Heliopolis War Cemetery in Cairo, Egypt.

About Heliopolis Memorial:

• Here the names of nearly 4,000 Indian soldiers who fought in Word War 1 in Egypt and Palestine are commemorated.
• The Heliopolis Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery also commemorates 1,700 Commonwealth soldiers who died in World War 2.
• Role of Indian Army in West Asia in First World War
  • The Indian troops played a key role in securing the Suez Canal in Egypt and in Palestine.
    • Here Indian cavalry participated in the Battle of Haifa, commemorated in New Delhi in a war memorial.
  • Indian soldiers also played a key role in Mesopotamia in the First World War.
• Indian regiments commemorated at the war memorial
  • 42nd Deoli Regiment,
  • 58th Vaughan’s Rifles (Frontier Force),
  • 2nd Battalion,
  • 3rd Queen Alexandra’s Own Gurkha Rifles, 51st Sikhs (Frontier Force),
  • 1st Battalion 50th Kumaon Rifles, Jodhpur (Imperial Service) Lancers,
  • 3rd Sappers and Miners

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Topic 5: Semiconductor industry of India

Context: Recently US chipmaker Micron Technology said it will invest up to $825 million in its first semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, to be constructed in Gujarat under a Union government incentive scheme.

About semiconductors:

• It is a substance with specialised electrical properties.
• It can be used as the basis for computers and other electronic devices.
• It is a solid chemical element or compound that, in some circumstances, transmits electricity but not in others.
  • Because of this, it is the perfect medium for controlling electrical current and common electrical appliances.
• Importance of semiconductor:
  • A semiconductor is a crucial component used in electronics that controls the flow of electrical current in a device.
  • These are widely utilised in electronic devices such as cars, smartphones, medical equipment, aircraft, and weapons.
  • These chips are produced using a sophisticated process by chip fabrication plants, also referred to as fabs.

About semiconductor industry:

• The global semiconductor industry is currently valued at $500-$600 billion and caters to the global electronics industry currently valued at about $3 trillion.
• The basic component of a semiconductor chip is a sliver of silicon, which is etched with billions of microscopic transistors and projected to specific minerals and gases, forming patterns to control the flow of current while following different computational instructions.
• The most-advanced semiconductor technology nodes available today are the 3 nanometre (nm) and the 5nm ones.
  • Semiconductors having higher nanometre value are applied in automobiles, consumer electronics and so on, while those with lower values are used in devices such as smartphones and laptops.
• Semiconductor fabrication units, or fabs, turn raw elements such as silicon into integrated circuits that are fit to be a part of all electronic hardware.
• Dominance of China:
  • China pulled ahead of Taiwan in terms of share of global sales from fabs.
  • India is wary of this dominance and the U.S. passed the CHIPS Act providing upwards of $280 billion in subsidies and investments to manufacturers opening fabs and making semiconductors in the U.S.
  • This has been combined with restrictions and sanctions on the Chinese semiconductor industry.

Why India needs to make chips

• India has identified electronics manufacturing as a key sector to boost its growth in the coming years by producing goods not just for the domestic market, but also for exporting to the world.
• The entire process is largely centred around assembling various components that are imported from elsewhere.
• It is clear that building semiconductors domestically is crucial for the government’s vision to develop a domestic electronics supply chain and reduce its imports from foreign countries, especially China.
• It is a pressing time for India to venture into electronics manufacturing of chips.
• As more companies try to diversify their bases from China, India has an opportunity to emerge as a reliable destination.

Advantages that India have

• Design and labour:
  • A large part of semiconductor manufacturing involves design and intellectual labour.
  • India has an advantage here, as a large portion of semiconductor design engineers globally are either Indian or Indian-origin.
  • Chipmaking firms such as Intel and NVIDIA have large facilities in India that are already flush with Indian talent working on design problems.
  • This is an advantage that China is losing control over in the face of sanctions and an ageing population.
• Huge consumer base:
  • India’s strength is the huge domestic consumption market when it comes to semiconductors, being the largest populous economy in the world

Challenges:

• Costly and capital intensive:
  • Chip production is a resource-intensive and expensive process.
  • Just the setting up of one semiconductor fab requires an investment of anywhere between $3 and $7 billion.
• Lack of Fiscal Support from Government:
  • The level of fiscal support currently envisioned is minuscule when one considers the scale of investments typically required to set up manufacturing capacities in the semiconductor industry.
• Lack of latest technology:
  • While India focuses on “lagging-edge” technology nodes in the start to supply to the automotive and appliance sector, creating global demand may be difficult as giants like Taiwan offer viable cutting-edge chip-tech worldwide.
• Not water efficent:
  • Chip-making also requires gallons of ultrapure water in a single day, which could be a task for the government to provide to factories, compounded also by the drought conditions which often prevail in large parts of the country.
• Supply of power:
  • An uninterrupted supply of power is central to the process, with just seconds of fluctuations or spikes causing millions in losses
• Consumer demand:
  • Another task for the government is to drive up consumer demand in the semiconductor industry to not end up in a situation where these ventures remain successful only till taxpayers are forced to fund required subsidies.

Way forward:

• Taking up the lead:
  • India should aim to become a key player in the semiconductor ecosystem that keeps key adversaries out.
  • Favourable trade policies are critical for building a such a plurilateral semiconductor ecosystem.
• Financial support is crucial:
  • Government should focus on funding the semiconductor industries adequately.
• Developing a conducive industrial infrastructure:
  • The immediate need for the Indian government is to connect related industries in India to create the chip manufacturing ecosystem.
  • National capability needs to be enhanced.
• Mastering the design component:
  • There are three components of the chip:
    • Hardware (raw materials)
    • Design
    • Fabrication
  • The design is the component that creates the value and if India is able to harness this capability the no one in the world can beat the country.

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Topic 6: Agreements between India-USA

Context: Recently, a Joint Statement was issued by India and the United States which affirmed a vision of the two countries as “among the closest partners in the world.

Key agreements between India and USA:

Technology partnership

• Strengthening semiconductor supply chains:
  • Micron Technology, with support from the India Semiconductor Mission, will invest more than $800 million toward a new $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in India.
  • A Semiconductor Centre for Commercialization and Innovation will be built in India to strengthen the two nations’ semiconductor supply chain diversification.
  • 60,000 Indian engineers will be trained through “Semiverse Solution” to accelerate India’s semiconductor education and workforce development goals.
• Critical Minerals Partnership:
  • India has become the newest partner of the US-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) that has been established to accelerate the development of diverse and sustainable critical energy minerals supply chains globally.
    • The MSP has 12 other partner countries, plus the European Union.
• Advanced Telecommunications:
  • India and the US have launched public-private Joint Task Forces on the development and deployment of Open RAN systems and on advanced telecoms research and development.
  • India’s Bharat 6G and the US Next G Alliance will co-lead this public-private research.
  • This work will reduce costs, increase security, and improve resiliency of telecommunication networks.
• NASA-ISRO collaboration in space:
  • India has signed the Artemis Accords, joining 26 other countries committed to peaceful, sustainable, and transparent cooperation.
    • It will enable exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
  • NASA will provide advanced training to Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) astronauts with the goal of launching a joint effort to the International Space Station in 2024.
  • NASA and ISRO are also developing a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation by the end of 2023.
• Quantum, Advanced Computing, and Artificial Intelligence:
  • The two countries have established a Joint Indo-US Quantum Coordination Mechanism to facilitate joint research between the public and private sectors across the two countries.
  • They have also signed an implanting arrangement to support joint research on quantum, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and advanced wireless technologies.
• Cutting-edge Research:
  • The US National Science Foundation has announced 35 joint research collaborations with India’s Department of Science and Technology, and signed a new cooperative arrangement with India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on emerging technologies.
• Innovation Handshake:
  • To support the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), the US-India Commercial Dialogue will launch a new “Innovation Handshake” to connect the startup ecosystems of the two countries.
• Fiber Optics Investments:
  • India has invested $100 million in the construction of an optical fibre cable manufacturing unit near Columbia, South Carolina, which will facilitate $150 million in annual exports of optical fibre from India.

Defence partnership

• GE F414 Engine Co-Production:
  • India US will jointly produce the F414 jet engine in India.
  • The first-of-its-kind initiative to manufacture F414 engines in India will enable greater transfer of US jet engine technology than ever before.
• General Atomics MQ-9Bs:
  • India intends to procure armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian UAVs.
  • The drones will increase India’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.
• Service and repair of US Navy ships:
  • The US Navy has concluded  Master Ship Repair Agreements (MSRA) with India.
  • These agreements will allow mid-voyage US Navy ships to undergo service and repair at Indian shipyards.
• More robust defence cooperation:
  • The two countries advanced steps to operationalize tools to increase defence cooperation.
  • They have resolved to strengthen undersea domain awareness cooperation, and agreed to place three Indian liaison officers in US commands for the first time.
  • The US and India have also begun negotiations for a Security of Supply Arrangement and Reciprocal Defence Procurement Arrangement that will enable the supply of defence goods in the event of unanticipated supply chain disruptions.
• Defence “Innovation Bridge”:
  • The India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) — a network of university, incubator, corporate, think tank, and private investment stakeholders — was inaugurated recently.
  • This programme will facilitate joint innovation on defence technologies and accelerate the integration of India’s private sector defence industry with the US defence sector.

People-centric efforts

• Domestic visa renewals:
  • USA will launch a pilot this year to adjudicate domestic renewals of certain petition-based temporary work visas, including for Indian nationals, who will no longer be required to leave the country for renewal in eligible categories.
• New consulates:
  • The US intends to open new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, and India looks forward to opening its consulate in Seattle.
• Student exchanges and scholarships:
  • The US issued a record 125,000 visas to Indian students, and Indians are on track to become the largest foreign student community in the US.
  • India and the US have launched a new Joint Task Force of the Association of American Universities and leading Indian educational institutions, including the IITs.
  • Additional Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowships for research, administered by the US-India Educational Fund, will advance cooperation between leading scholars in India and the US on climate change.
  • The US is also enabling up to 100 additional US undergraduate students to study or intern in India via the Benjamin A Gilman International Scholarship Program.
• Agreement on cultural property:
  • The US and India are continuing negotiations for a Cultural Property Agreement which would help to prevent illegal trafficking of cultural property from India and enhance cooperation on the protection and lawful exchange of cultural property.

Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific

• Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean:
  • The US will join the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.
    • It is a regional initiative inaugurated by India in 2015 to promote a safe, secure, and stable maritime domain and promote its conservation and sustainable use.
  • India will continue to participate as an observer in the Partners in the Blue Pacific.
  • The US and India will hold an Indian Ocean Dialogue with experts and stakeholders from across the Indian Ocean region to promote greater regional coordination.

Sustainable development

• Energy collaboration:
  • The US welcomes India’s decision to co-lead the multilateral Hydrogen Breakthrough Agenda to make affordable renewable and low carbon hydrogen globally available by 2030.
• Green technology:
  • They agreed for initiatives to decarbonise the transportation sector, and the Global Biofuels Alliance, which has been established by India with the US as a founding member.

Initiatives on health

• Fighting cancer and diabetes:
  • The US National Cancer Institute will foster collaboration between US and Indian scientists through two new grants to develop an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled digital pathology platform.
  • It will be utilized for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of therapeutic benefit, as well as AI-based automated radiotherapy treatment for cancers of the cervix, head, and neck.
  • The United States and India will hold a US-India Cancer Dialogue.

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Topic 7: Open Market Sales Scheme

Context: Food Corporation of India (FCI) not to consider request by States for more foodgrains under open market scheme

About Open Market Sale Scheme:

• Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) refers to selling of foodgrains by Government / Government agencies at predetermined prices in the open market from time to time.
• Aim:
  • To enhance the supply of grains especially during the lean season and thereby to moderate the general open market prices especially in the deficit regions.
• The present form of OMSS comprises 3 schemes:
  • Sale of wheat to bulk consumers/private traders through e-auction.
  • Sale of wheat to bulk consumers/private traders through e-auction by dedicated movement.
  • Sale of Raw Rice Grade ‘A’ to bulk consumers/private traders through e-auction.
• How it works:
  • Under the Open Market Sale Scheme, the maximum quantity that a bidder can purchase in a single bid range from 10 to 100 metric tons.
  • This reduction in quantities aims to accommodate more small and marginal buyers, ensuring a wider reach of the scheme and immediate availability of stocks to the public. 
• Why resort to OMSS?
  • Challenges such as untimely rains and temperature fluctuations affecting agriculture production in recent years have led to the release of stocks under the OMSS program.
  • The government aims to maintain a comfortable level of overall stock while ensuring effective control of inflationary trends. 

About Food Corporation of India:FCI was set up in 1965 under the Food Corporation Act, 1964 against the backdrop of major shortage of grains, especially wheat, in the country.Agricultural Prices Commission was also created in 1965 to recommend remunerative prices to farmers.FCI was mandated with three basic objectives:to provide effective price support to farmers;to procure and supply grains to PDS for distributing subsidized staples to economically vulnerable sections of society; andkeep a strategic reserve to stabilize markets for basic foodgrains.

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