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Time: 45 min Date: 27-09-2021

Health

Clinicopathological Profile of Cancers in India: ICMR

Syllabus:GS 2/HEALTH

In News

● The study ‘Clinicopathological Profile of Cancers in India was released by the

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Major Findings

● Gender wise:

○ Out of the 6,10,084 cancers, 3,19,098 (52.4%) cancers were reported in males,

and 2,90,986 (47.6%) in females.

■ The proportion of all cancer cases was higher in males than females

with gynaecological cancers, including breast cancer, comprising

over half of all cancers in females.

○ Cancers of the head and neck region accounted for nearly one third

(31.2%) of the cancers among males.

● Age-wise :

○ The highest proportion of cancer from all sites was reported in the 45 to 64

years age group, except for prostate cancer in males, which was higher in

those over 65 years.

● Tobacco use:

○ Cancers in sites associated with tobacco use comprised 48.7% of cancers

among males and 16.5% among females.

■ In the category of cancers associated with the use of tobacco in males,

lung cancer was the highest at 30% followed by oesophagus (16%);

mouth and tongue cancers (13% each); larynx (9%) and urinary

bladder (7%).

■ Among females, the incidence of mouth cancers were the highest at

28% followed by lung (27%), oesophagus (24%), tongue (7%),

urinary bladder (4%), and larynx (3%).

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● Childhood cancers constitute 7.9% of all cancers.

About Clinicopathological Profile of Cancers in India: A Report of the

Hospital-Based Cancer Registries, 2021

● It consolidates the data collected during the period 2012-19 across 96 Hospital

Based Cancer Registries under National Cancer Registry Programme.

● The data pertains to all diagnosed and treated cases of confirmed malignancies

reported to these centres across the country.

○ Registries whose data sets were complete and finalised have been

included for the referenced period.

● This report addresses the needs of clinicians, researchers, health professionals,

policymakers, and those who would like to obtain and use cancer statistics.

● The aim is to give an idea regarding types of treatment administered to cancer

patients in various stages of cancer, emphasising which organ site is the origin

of the disease (primary site of cancer).

What is Cancer?

● It is a large group of diseases that can start in almost any organ or tissue of the

body when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably and go beyond their usual

boundaries to invade adjoining parts of the body and/or spread to other organs.

● The branch of medicine dedicated to diagnosing, treating and researching cancer

is known as oncology, while a physician who works in the field is called an

oncologist

Types

● Cancers are named for the area in which they begin and the type of cell they are

made of, even if they spread to other parts of the body.

● There are also several clinical terms used for certain general types of cancer:

○ Carcinoma-It is cancer that starts in the skin or the tissues that line other

organs.

○ Sarcoma -It is a cancer of connective tissues such as bones, muscles,

cartilage, and blood vessels.

○ Leukemia-It is a cancer of bone marrow, which creates blood cells.

○ Lymphoma and myeloma-They are cancers of the immune system.

○ The other common cancers included gastrointestinal tract cancers and

breast cancer.

Treatment

● Surgery:

○ Surgically removes as much cancer as possible.

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● Chemotherapy:

○ It uses medications that are toxic to cells to kill rapidly dividing cancer cells.

○ It is the most typical treatment modality for many cancers regardless of the

clinical extent of disease at presentation, including cancers of the liver,

gallbladder, stomach, lung and childhood cancers and regardless of the

organ site and clinical extent, most cancer patients, were initiated on cancer-

directed treatment within 8 to 30 days of diagnosis.

● Radiation Therapy:

○ It uses powerful, focused beams of radiation inside (brachytherapy) or

outside (external beam radiation) your body to kill cancer cells.

● Stem Cell (Bone Marrow) Transplant:

○ It Repairs diseased bone marrow with healthy stem cells.

○ Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can have a variety of functions.

These transplants allow doctors to use higher doses of chemotherapy to

treat cancer.

● Immunotherapy (Biological Therapy):

○ It uses antibodies to help the body’s immune system recognize cancer so it

can fight it off.

● Hormone Therapy:

○ It removes or blocks hormones that fuel certain cancers to stop cancer cells

from growing.

● Targeted Drug Therapy:

○ It uses drugs to interfere with certain molecules that help cancer cells grow

and survive.

● Multimodality treatment:

○ It is a varied combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

○ It is administered for cancers of the breast and head & neck,

Cancer Burden in India

● According to the National Cancer Registry Programme Report 2020:

○ In 2020, tobacco-related cancers are estimated to contribute 3.7 lakhs

(27.1%) of the total cancer burden.

○ Cancer cases in India are likely to increase to 15.6 lakhs by 2025 — a 12%

increase from currently estimated cases.

○ 1 in 10 Indians will develop cancer during their lifetime and 1 in 15 will die

of the disease.

○ Oral cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer among men in India,

largely fuelled by tobacco-chewing.

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Government Initiatives

● India is committed to achieving a one-third reduction in cancer-related deaths by

2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals, and it has made considerable

progress.

● India has improved in some areas, such as personal hygiene, which are distant

drivers of cancer.

● Government programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, Swasthya Bharat, Swachh

Bharat Abhiyan, Poshan Abhiyaan and Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi

Pariyojana and initiatives such as FSSAI’s new labelling and display regulations

and drug price control can encourage inter-sectoral and multi-sectoral action.

● Other initiatives such as the National Health Policy, the National Tobacco Control

Programme, and the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer,

Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke are also paving the way for

progress.

● The National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes,

Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) is being implemented under the

National Health Mission (NHM) for up-to-the district-level activities.

● India creates the world’s 1st Database of Genomic Variants of Oral Cancer

'dbGENVOC'.

○ dbGENVOC is a browsable online database of GENomic Variants of Oral

Cancer and is a free resource.

Conclusion

● We need to focus on three key aspects: risk reduction, early detection and

programmatic and policy solutions.

● Cancer drugs need to be affordable so that whenever required the treatment can

be provided at the earliest in the early stages when the cancer is curable.

○ Availability and affordability of cancer drugs will give impetus to

treatment outcomes bringing down the cost of treatment.

Source:TH

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Governance

Social Accountability Law

Syllabus: GS 2/ Governance

In News

● A State-wide campaign has been launched in Rajasthan for demanding passage of

the social accountability law.

● Rajasthan Congress had promised the legislation in its 2018 Assembly election

manifesto.

● The Chief Minister had also reiterated his resolve to enact the law in his budget

speech in 2019.

What is Social Accountability?

● Social accountability has been defined as an approach towards ensuring

accountability that relies on civic engagement,

○ i.e., in which ordinary citizens and citizen groups participate directly or

indirectly in exacting accountability.

● In a public sector context, social accountability refers to a wide range of actions

and mechanisms that can be use to hold public officials accountable to

○ citizens, communities, independent media and civil society organizations.

Need for Social Accountability

● Rousseau social contract theory:

○ Rousseau's central argument in The Social Contract is that government

attains its right to exist and to govern by “the consent of the governed.”

● To enable the citizens to access their rights:

○ Activists pointed out that countless citizens were suffering from an inability

to access their rights.

● To revamp the the government departments:

○ Many government departments have huge pendency of grievances.

○ Such law will empower citizens to get their complaints redressed in a time-

bound manner.

● Rights based Approach of Governance:

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○ The State government should adopt a rights based approach and ensure

timely delivery of services.

How can Social Accountability be ensured?

● In 2019, a committee under the chairmanship of the former state election

commission, Ram Lubhaya was constituted.

○ Its mandate was to advise the government on the drafting of the Social

Accountability Bill.

○ It submitted its draft bill in 2020.

● The Draft Bill has following provisions:

○ Mechanism for redressing grievances must start from village panchayats

and involve public hearings at the block level.

○ It incorporates the suggested provisions for

■ transparency in governance,

■ citizens’ participation,

■ public hearing,

■ social audit,

■ information and facilitation centres,

■ decentralisation of the process and

■ establishment of an independent grievance redressal structure.

● World Bank too in its 2004 report has emphasised on 2 routes to accountability:

○ Long Route: It is recommended for Public Accountability

■ The state needs to have a clear understanding of what its citizens

want.

■ For this to occur, citizens must be able to draw on the political

process to hold the state (policy makers and politicians) to account.

■ This relationship is referred to as ‘voice’.

■ The state, in turn, acting as the representative of the people, must be

able to transmit these demands to the actual provider of services and

ensure that providers perform their functions effectively. This

relationship is the ‘compact’.

○ Short Route: It is the model more suitable to private firms but still

extendable to public institutes for day to day accountability.

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Source: DARPG

● The Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances has also started

a study on “Social Accountability”.

○ It intends to explore the ways and means of enhancing the ability of citizens

(especially the poor and the marginalized) to engage with public servants

and politicians in a more empowered way.

○ It emphasised on

■ Strong Voice: an informed and mobilised citizenry that can draw

upon platforms for engagement to make accountability demands on

the system

■ Strong Compact: A system of institutions designed in a manner that

makes accountability possible.

Source: DARPG

● Major Principles of Social Accountability:

○ Jankari (Information)

○ Bhagidari (Involvement and participation of citizens)

○ Karyawahi (Time bound action)

○ Suraksha (Protection of Citizens)

○ Sunwai (Citizen's right to be heard)

○ Janta Ka Manch (Collective Platform)

○ Prasar (Report Dissemination)

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Few Examples of Social Accountability

● Participatory Planning and Policy Formulation (Kerala)

● Participatory Budget Analysis (Gujarat)

● Participatory Expenditure Tracking System (Delhi, Rajasthan)

● Citizens’ Surveys/Citizen Report Cards (Bangalore, Maharashtra)

● Citizen Charters (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka)

● Community Scorecards (Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh)

Conclusion

● The Rajasthan Guaranteed Delivery of Public Service Act, 2011 and The Rajasthan

Right to Hearing Act (2012) have already been around

○ But they were repealed due to some major issues.

● Today, there is emphasis on social accountability worldwide in order to ensure

participatory democracy.

● India too must attempt to make such steps mandatory for the minimum

government with maximum governance.

Source: TH TOI

International relations

First-ever in-person Quad Summit

Syllabus:GS 2/International Organisations & Groupings

In News

● Recently, the Quad Leaders Summit was hosted by the United States of

America(USA).

Major Points of Summit

● Towards Afghanistan and Terrorism:

○ Quad nations announced to closely coordinate diplomatic, economic, and

human-rights policies towards Afghanistan and deepen their counter-

terrorism and humanitarian cooperation in accordance with United

Nations Security Council 2593 (a resolution passed on August 30, when

India held the presidency of the Council).

○ They reaffirm that Afghan territory should not be used to threaten or

attack any country or to shelter or train terrorists or to plan or finance

terrorist acts.

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● European Union:

○ The Quad also declared its support for the European Union’s September

2021 Indo Pacific Strategy.

■ The announcement earlier this month of a U.S., Australia, U.K.

security partnership in the Indo Pacific (‘AUKUS’) had gone down

badly with France, a key EU nation.

AUKUS

● Under it, the U.S., U.K will help Australia deploy nuclear-powered submarines

in the Pacific region.

● Focus: The focus of AUKUS will be on integrating all defence and security

related science, supply chains, industrial bases and technology.

● It will also focus on protecting shared values and promoting security and

prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region

● North Korea:

○ The Quad called on North Korea to engage in substantive dialogue and for

“an end to the violence in Myanmar.”

■ It declared its support for the early restoration of democracy in

Myanmar and the release of all political detainees, including

foreigners.

● Climate Change:

○ Quad countries share a serious concern with the August

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s report findings on the

latest climate science, which has significant implications for climate action.

○ Quad countries intend to “update or communicate ambitious NDCs

(Nationally Defined Contributions, i.e., climate action targets) “ before

COP26.

■ It says countries will work with the “intent” to get to net-zero

emissions “preferably” by 2050 “taking into account national

circumstances.”

■ India has not yet made formal commitments for COP26 or

committed to achieving ‘net zero’ by 2050.

● Vaccine supply:

○ India would begin supplying Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19

vaccines, with 8 million doses being made available by the end of October

from (Telangana-based) pharma company Biological E Ltd.

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● New infrastructure partnership:

○ The Quad launched a new infrastructure partnership – which would

involve mapping the region’s infrastructure needs and providing

technical assistance and evaluation tools for projects.

■ It would work with the Blue Dot Network – a U.S., Australia and

Japan’s private sector-led infrastructure effort in the region to

counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

● Critical and Emerging Technologies:

○ Quad leaders are committed to working together to foster an open,

accessible, and secure technology ecosystem. They have organized work

around four efforts:

■ Technical standards, 5G diversification and deployment, horizon-

scanning, and technology supply chains.

● Indo-Pacific region:

○ India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the

need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of

China’s rising military manoeuvring in the region.

○ It should be free from coercion and disputes should be solved in accordance

with international law.

● People-to-People Exchange and Education:

○ Quad partners are proud to announce the Quad Fellowship: a first-of-its-

kind scholarship program, operated and administered by a philanthropic

initiative and in consultation with a non-governmental task force composed

of leaders from each Quad country.

● Cybersecurity:

○ The Quad will launch new efforts to bolster critical-infrastructure

resilience against cyber threats by bringing together the expertise of our

nations to drive domestic and international best practices.

○ The Quad will Launch a Quad Senior Cyber Group.

● Space:

○ Quad countries are among the world’s scientific leaders, including in space.

The Quad will begin space cooperation for the first time with a new

working group.

○ The Quad will Share Satellite Data to Protect the Earth and its Waters:

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About QUAD

● Genesis of QUAD

○ 2007: Japanese PM Shinzo Abe mooted the idea of Quadrilateral Security

Dialogue.

■ Could not materialise due to the reluctance of Australia

○ December 2012: Shinzo Abe again initiated a concept of Asia’s

Democratic Security Diamond, involving Australia, India, Japan and the

US.

■ The aim was to safeguard the maritime commons from the Indian

Ocean to the western Pacific.

○ November 2017: QUAD Coalition was finally given a present-day form

with the active participation of India, the US, Australia and Japan.

■ The aim was to keep critical sea routes open and free for navigation

in the Indo-Pacific.

○ 2019: Foreign ministers of the four countries held their first meeting under

the ‘Quad’ framework in New York in September 2019.

● It is also known as Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD).

● In 2020, all four QUAD Countries - Japan, India, Australia and the USA took

part in the Malabar exercise.

● It is a strategic dialogue with the objective to ensure a free, open, inclusive and

prosperous Indo Pacific and address global challenges.

Source: TH

Indian Economy

Blue Food Assessment 2021

Syllabus: GS 3/ Indian Economy & related issues

In News

● Most aquaculture systems have not achieved the levels of efficiency seen in

terrestrial food production systems as per a report titled “Environmental

performance of blue foods”.

○ The report is a part of the Blue Food Assessment (BFA).

○ The BFA is a collaboration between

■ Sweden-based Stockholm Resilience Centre,

■ United States-based Stanford University and

■ the non-profit EAT.

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What is Blue Food?

● They are food derived from aquatic or marine animals, plants or algae that are

caught or cultivated in freshwater and marine environments.

● Examples

○ Seaweeds, Sea Cucumber

○ Bivalves (mussels, oysters, etc.)

○ Fishes like tilapia, salmon, catfish and carp, etc.

● It also involves Capture Fisheries.

○ Capture fisheries refers to all kinds of harvesting of naturally occurring

living resources in both marine and freshwater environments.

Benefits of Blue Food

● High Nutritional Benefits

○ They have higher nutritional benefits in comparison to terrestrial food.

○ Many blue food species are rich in important nutrients like omega-3 fatty

acids, vitamins and minerals.

● Ecological benefits and environmental footprints

○ They are more sustainable as they release less greenhouse gasses.

○ On average, the major species produced in aquaculture were found to have

lower environmental footprints comparable to terrestrial meat.

● Less pressure on Land

○ The aquaculture and marine farms free the space which was needed for

feeding the growing population by conventional agriculture.

● Food Security

○ Investing in innovation and improving fisheries management could

increase consumption even more and have profound effects on

malnutrition.

○ They can feed the masses by solving both the problem of

■ Real Hunger

■ Hidden Hunger

● Fulfilling SDG commitment

○ Promotion of Blue food will help in fulfillment of many Sustainable

development Goals. E.g.

■ SDG 2: Nutrition

■ SDG 14: Sustainable use of marine resources

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Challenges to Blue Food

● Acceptance to Blue Food

○ The acceptance of the sea cucumber and similar variants is still very less.

○ It needs a behavioural change in dietary habits.

● Technology and Capital Intensive sector

○ One of the major challenges with blue food is the need for high end

technology and capital.

● Lack of skilled labour and resources

○ It needs rare skilled labour.

● Lack of proper cuisine and dishes

○ More R&D activities are required by chefs and scientists to make dishes

loved by the masses.

● Danger of invasive species

○ There may be a threat of invasive species in case of imports for culturing in

a country.

Conclusion

● Blue Food is the future

○ The report acknowledged the vital role to be played by Blue foods in the

shift towards healthy, equitable and sustainable food systems.

○ These have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through

improved management and optimising gear types.

● The Blue Economy Policy is working toward mainstreaming such food and

should be promoted.

Few schemes related to Blue Food

Draft Blue Economy Policy:

● The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has rolled out the draft Blue Economy

policy, inviting suggestions and inputs from various stakeholders.

○ It is in line with the Government of India’s Vision of New India by 2030.

● Key Highlights of the Policy

○ It categorised the blue economy as one of the 10 core dimensions for

national growth.

○ It emphasizes policies across several key sectors to achieve holistic

growth of India’s economy.

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○ It recognizes the following 7 thematic areas:

■ National accounting framework for the blue economy and ocean

governance.

■ Coastal marine spatial planning and tourism.

■ Marine fisheries, aquaculture, and fish processing.

■ Manufacturing, emerging industries, trade, technology, services,

and skill development.

■ Logistics, infrastructure and shipping, including trans-shipments.

■ Coastal and deep-sea mining and offshore energy.

■ Security, strategic dimensions, and international engagement.

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana:

● Nodal Ministry/ Department: Department of Fisheries

● Tenure: 2020-2025

● Intended Beneficiaries are

○ Fishermen, fish farmers, fish workers and fish vendors

○ Fisheries Development corporations

○ Self Help Groups (SHGs)/Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) in the fisheries

sector

○ Fisheries cooperatives and federations

○ Entrepreneurs and private firms

○ Fish Farmers Producer Organisations/Companies (FFPOs/Cs)

○ SCs/STs/Women/Differently abled persons

Source: DTE

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Social Justice

Reservation for Women in the Judiciary

Syllabus: GS2/ Structure, Organization and Functioning of the Judiciary

In News

● Recently, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) backed 50% representation for women in

the judiciary.

About

● The CJI called for “urgent correction” of the gender imbalance in the judiciary.

● The CJI further added that it’s not a small issue. It’s an issue of thousands of years

of suppression. It’s a matter of right.

● Invoking Karl Marx’s “workers of the world” call, the CJI said: “Women of the

world, unite. You have nothing to lose but your chains.”

Women' Stats in Judiciary

● Low Participation: Women constitute only-

○ about 30 percent of the lower judiciary,

○ 11.5 percent of the High Courts,

○ 12 percent of the Supreme Court.

● Right now there are just 4 women Judges in the Supreme Court - Justices Indira

Banerjee, Hima Kohli, B V Nagarathna and Bela M Trivedi.

● Of India’s 1.7 million advocates, only 15 percent are women.

● Only 2 percent of the elected representatives in the State Bar Councils are women.

● There are no women members in the Bar Council of India.

(Image Courtesy: TOI )

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Benefits of Women Reservation

● Broader Perspective: Gender sensitization will provide a diverse perspective to

judgments.

● Implementation of Stringent Laws: Laws for heinous crimes are not yet effective,

specially for Acid attack and rape. More inclusion of Women in judiciary will

impact in proper implementation of such laws.

● More Empathy: Lack of empathy reflected in some of the judgements could

significantly reduce.

● Gender of a judge does not matter when a citizen goes to court, but with a female

judge hearing the person’s comments always makes the citizen (if female) less

uncomfortable.

● It will benefit LGBTQ community as well, as women in general are more

accepting towards different orientations of people.

● The High Courts (HCs) that are headed by women have higher representation of

female judges than those headed by men.

Challenges

● Gender stereotypes that force women to bear the responsibilities of the family.

● The preference of clients for male advocates.

● An uncomfortable environment within courts.

● Vacancy filling takes place at very slow pace and collegium generally don't prefer

women judges

● Biological discrimination takes place when making appointments in private firms

as well as Government places.

● Lack of Infrastructure and Washrooms: Out of 6,000 trial courts, nearly 22 per

cent have no toilet for women.

● Recently many cases are rising which lack professionalism on the part of senior

advocates towards junior female advocates.

Global Scenario

● India is not an isolated case when it comes to a huge gender imbalance in its top

court.

● Many developed countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland and international

bodies are also grappling with the same issue.

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(Image Courtesy: IE )

Suggestions

● Infrastructure: The National Judicial Infrastructure Corporation will ensure

inclusive design of Court complexes.

● Gender Diversity in Legal Education: there should be a fixed number of seats,

reserved for women candidates, in all colleges and universities providing law

courses.

● Legal Vacancies: Increase the number of seats in the judiciary so that participation

rate and presence both can increase.

● Atmosphere: Making work environment safer and proper implementation of

Vishakha Guidelines even at lower levels (small firms).

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Conclusion

● Simply inducting a woman CJI would not absolve the judiciary from the

responsibility and accountability it holds.

● Reorientation and ground- level changes are required to convert the rosy picture

into reality.

Source: IE

Facts In News

Modern History

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya

Syllabus: GS 1/Personalities

In News

● Recently, The Prime Minister of India has paid tributes to Pandit Deendayal

Upadhyaya Ji on his 105th birth anniversary.

Image Courtesy: FE

About Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya

● Early Life and Education:

○ Born on September 25, 1916, in the sacred region of Brij in the village of

Nagla Chandrabhan in Mathura District.

○ He lost his parents at an early age and was brought up by his maternal

uncle.

○ He attended high school in Sikar. Being regarded as a brilliant student, the

Maharaja of Sikar gave him a gold medal, ₹ 250 for books and a monthly

scholarship of ₹ 10.

○ He passed his Intermediate exams with distinction in Pilani and left for

Kanpur to pursue his B.A. and joined the Sanatan Dharma College.

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● Philosophy:

○ He is extensively admired for the philosophy of Integral Humanism which

is the official philosophy of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

○ A profound philosopher, organiser par excellence and a leader who

maintained the highest standards of personal integrity.

● Political Role:

○ He joined RSS in 1937 and came under the influence of Shri Nana ji

Deshmukh and Shri Bhau Jugade.

○ He convened on September 21, 1951, a political convention of UP and

founded the state unit of the new party, Bharatiya Jana Sangh.

○ He was the leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh from 1953 to 1968.

● Contributions:

○ He launched the weekly 'Panchjanya' and the daily 'Swadesh'.

○ He was a creative writer and a renowned editor. He was a journalist in

‘Rashtra Dharma’ daily, worked as an editor for ‘Panchjanya’ and wrote a

column named ‘Political Diary’ for the weekly ‘the Organiser’.

○ His mantra for journalism was ‘Don’t distort the news’.

○ He wrote a number of books including Samrat Chandragupt, Jagatguru

Shankaracharya, Political Diary, Integral humanism, Ekatmamanav - vad

and an analysis of the Five Year plans in India.

● Pandit Upadhyaya died under mysterious circumstances in February 1968.

● Tribute:

○ Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 63-feet tall statue of Pandit

Upadhyaya while inaugurating the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya

Memorial Centre in Padao on the Varanasi-Chandauli border.

■ The ‘pancha loha’ statue is the tallest statue of the BJP ideologue in

India.

● In 2014, the Ministry of Rural Development relaunched its existing skill

development programme- Aajeevika Skills- National Rural Livelihoods

Mission (NRLM). However, they renamed the programme Deendayal

Antyodaya Yojana- NRLM in November 2015.

Source: HT

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Polity and Governance

Marine Product Exports Development Authority (MPEDA)

Syllabus: GS 2/Statutory, Regulatory & Various Quasi-judicial Bodies

In News :

● The poultry industry has asked the Centre to set up a body on the lines of the

Marine Products Exports Development Authority(MPEDA ) for the industry to

boost exports.

About Marine Products Exports Development Authority

● It is a statutory body set up under Section (4) of the MPEDA Act, 1972.

● The erstwhile Marine Products Export Promotion Council (MPEPC), established

in September 1961, was converted into MPEDA in August 1972.

● It is the nodal agency for the holistic development of the seafood industry in

India to realise its full export potential as a nodal agency.

● Focus: Market Promotion, Capture Fisheries, Culture Fisheries, Processing

Infrastructure & Value addition, Quality Control, Research and Development.

● Function and Powers

○ To regulate exports of marine products and take all measures required for

ensuring sustained, quality seafood exports from the country.

○ To prescribe for itself any matters which the future might require for

protecting and augmenting the seafood exports from the country.

○ To carry out inspection of marine products, their raw material, fixing

standards, specifications, and training as well as take all necessary steps for

marketing the seafood overseas.

Source: TH

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Modern History

Cham Dance

Syllabus: GS 1/Art Forms

In News

● The filmmaker and art historian recently gave a talk on the dance form Cham at

an online event organised by the India Habitat Centre.

Image Courtesy:leh ladakh india

About Cham

● Origin: The Yogachara School of Buddhism was founded in Kashmir in the 4th

century by Asanga and Vasubandhu. This developed into the sophisticated

Vajrayana form of Buddhism, which incorporated the Cham dance.

○ From Ladakh to Mongolia, the Cham is the deepest form of meditation of

the Lamas.

○ The purpose of this meditation is for the Lama (priest) to be able to free

himself entirely from his own ephemeral personality.

● It was started in the eighth century by Padmasambhava (who introduced Tantric

Buddhism to Tibet), to subjugate the local demons that were obstructing the

building of the first monastery in Tibet, Samye.

● It is an elaborate masked and Costumed dance. It is considered an act of cleansing

evil forces.

● It is unique to Tibetan Buddhism and an important cultural tradition.

Source:TH

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Intellectual Property Rights

GI Tag to Goa Cashew Feni Tags: GS3/Intellectual Property Rights

In Context

● Goa's famed alcoholic beverage Feni has been granted geographical indication (GI) tag which gives local producers exclusive brand protection rights.

○ The Goa government in 2016 classified Feni as the Heritage Spirit of Goa.

Goa Cashew Feni

● Feni is a brew made from coconut or cashew fruits.

● It is the first liquor product in the country to obtain ‘Heritage Drink’ status and got its GI certification in 2000.

● Feni was first manufactured in Goa in the 1600s, after the Portuguese imported the cashew plant from Brazil to India. There are currently 26 varieties of feni manufactured in Goa.

● It is used in various cultural traditions, cuisines and is well known for its medicinal value also.

● The two most popular types of feni are cashew feni and toddy palm feni,

depending on the original ingredient; however, many other varieties are sold.

● Cashew feni was awarded Geographical Indication registration in 2009 as a speciality alcoholic beverage from Goa.

Geographical Indication (GI) Certification

● GI is an indication used to identify goods having special characteristics originating from a definite geographical territory.

● It is used for agricultural, natural and manufactured goods.

● The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 seeks to provide for the registration and better protection of geographical indications relating to goods in India.

● It is also a part of the World Trade Organisation’s Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

● The Controller General of Patents, Designs and TradeMarks is the Registrar of Geographical Indications.

● The Geographical Indications Registry is located at Chennai.

● The registration of a geographical indication is valid for a period of 10 years.

● It can be renewed from time to time for a further period of 10 years each.

Other GI-Tags from Goa

● Khola red chilies/Canacona Chillies, spicy Harmal Chillies, Myndoli Banana or Moira Banana, and traditional sweet dish Goan Khaje.

Source: IE

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Art & Culture

National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM)

Syllabus: GS1/ Art & Culture

In News

● Recently, the National Mission on Cultural Mapping has now been handed over

to the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), which is gearing up

for a trial run in 75 villages in October 2021.

National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM)

● It is a mission mode project of the Ministry of Culture. It was enacted in 2015.

● Aim: To address the necessity of preserving the threads of rich Indian Art and

Cultural Heritage, convert vast and widespread cultural canvas of India into an

objective Cultural Mapping while creating a strong “Cultural Vibrancy”

throughout the nation.

● It encompasses data mapping, demography building, formalising the processes

and bringing all cultural activities under one umbrella for better results.

● The work on creating a database for folk arts and mapping of heritage of villages

would be carried out over five years

● Significance

○ Fostering Cultural Awareness

○ Cultural Preservation

○ Sustainable Employment to creative industries

○ Optimal Resource Allocation and Utilization:

○ Creation of objective Database for inclusive growth of cultural heritage

Source: TH

Defence

Arjun Mk-1A Main Battle Tanks (MBT)

Syllabus: GS3/ Defence

In News

● In order to boost the “Make in India” initiative in the Defence sector, the Ministry

of Defence (MoD) recently placed an order for the procurement of 118 of the main

battle tank (MBT) Arjun Mk-1A for deployment with the Indian Army.

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What is the Arjun Main Battle Tank?

● About:

○ The Arjun Main Battle Tank project was initiated by DRDO in 1972 with

the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment

(CVRDE) as its lead laboratory.

● Objective:

○ To create a “state-of-the-art tank with superior fire power, high mobility, and excellent protection”.

● Features:

○ The Arjun tanks stand out for their ‘Fin Stabilised Armour Piercing

Discarding Sabot (FSAPDS)’ ammunition and 120-mm calibre rifled gun.

○ It also has a computer-controlled integrated fire control system with stabilised sighting that works in all lighting conditions.

● Different from earlier version

○ The development of Arjun Mk1 was followed by improved variants - Mk1A and MkII.

○ The latest version is 54.3 per cent indeginous content against the 41 per cent in the earlier model.

Image courtesy:theindianhawk.com

Source: IE

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