UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 08-04-2021

Anamaya

• Anamaya is the Tribal Health Collaborative (THC), which is an initiative of Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) supported by Piramal Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
• Aim - To end all preventable deaths among Indian tribal communities, and enhance the health and nutrition status of the tribal communities of India on a Mission Mode.
• It is a multi-stakeholder initiative that brings together governments, philanthropists, national and international foundations, NGOs/CBOs.
• It will begin its operations with 50 tribal, Aspirational Districts (with more than 20% ST population) across 6 high tribal population states.
• Over a 10-year period, the work of the THC will be extended to 177 tribal Districts as recognised by the MoTA.
• A roadmap was laid out by the MoTA to address tribal health issues through the Tribal Health Action Plan.
• As part of this Collaborative, the MoTA will set up,
  1. ‘Tribal Health Cell’ to strengthen the primary healthcare systems, invest in tribal health research,  devise mechanisms to implement the Tribal Health Action Plan, etc.,
  2. ‘National Council on Tribal Health’ to drive policy initiatives in tribal health, and to monitor the implementation of the Tribal Health Action Plan
• National Council on Tribal Health with MoTA and Ministry of health as co-chair and have representatives drawn from various ministries.

Tribal TB Initiative

• Recently, the Tribal Tuberculosis (TB) Initiative was launched by the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• It aims to fulfil the Prime Minister’s goal of ‘TB MuktBharat’ by 2025, five years ahead of the global deadline.

Other Facts

• Over 104 million tribal population lives in India, across 705 tribes, accounting for 8.6 % of the country’s population.
• 177 tribal districts were identified as high priority districts where physical remoteness, malnutrition, poor living conditions and lack of awareness contribute to the vulnerability of the tribal population to TB.
• Initially, the activities of the Joint Action Plan for Tuberculosis (TB) Elimination will be focusing on 161 districts across 18 identified States.
• Tribal Ministry released the Publication ‘ALEKH’ on TB.
• The UT of Lakshadweep and district of Badgam in Jammu & Kashmir have been declared TB Free on World TB Day this year.

Vaccine Technology Transfer

• ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute transferred the Vaccine Technology for Classical Swine Fever (CSF) and Sheep pox to M/s Hester Biosciences through Agrinnovate India Limited.
  1. Indigenous Live Attenuated CSF Cell Culture Vaccine (IVRI-CSF-BS)
  2. Indigenous Live Attenuated Sheep Pox Vaccine [SPPV Srin 38/00]
• These two are the first indigenous Vaccines to be developed in India.

Live Attenuated Indigenous CSF Cell Culture Vaccine

• The CSF is an important disease of pigs that causes 100% mortality.
• In India, the disease is controlled by a lapinized CSF vaccine (Weybridge Strain, U.K.) produced by killing large numbers of rabbits.
• To avoid this, the ICAR-IVRI earlier developed a Cell Culture CSF Vaccine using the Lapinized Vaccine Virus from foreign strain.
• IVRI-CSF-BS developed by using Indian field isolates has a huge export potential (As it has very high titre, the Vaccine can produce a large number of doses easily.)
• The vaccine has been found to induce protective immunity from day 14 of the Vaccination till 18 Months.

Indigenous Live Attenuated Sheep Pox Vaccine

• Sheep pox is a severe viral disease in sheep which is economically important in small ruminants.
• A live attenuated Sheep Pox Vaccine using indigenous strain was developed by the IVRI for preventive vaccination in sheep population.
• It uses indigenous Sheep Pox Virus Strain [SPPV Srin 38/00] and could grow in the Vero cell line. So, the Vaccine production is easily scalable.
• It is potent and immunogenic for sheep aged more than 6 months of age. It protects the Vaccinated animals for a period of 40 months.

Agrinnovate India Limited

• Agrinnovate India Ltd. (AgIn) was incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 (No. 1 of 1956) in 2011.
• It is a "for profit" Company owned by Department of Agricultural Research & Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture.
• It acts as an effective interface between Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR - an autonomous organization under DARE) and the Stakeholders of agricultural sector (at National and International level).
• It will have a significant purpose of securing, sustaining and promoting global agricultural development.

National Programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules

• The Union Cabinet has approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme ‘National Programme on High Efficiency Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) Modules’.
• This scheme was proposed by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy for achieving manufacturing capacity of Giga Watt (GW) scale in high efficiency solar PV modules.
• It will reduce import dependence in a strategic sector like electricity. It will also support the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
• Solar PV manufacturers will be selected through a competitive bidding process. PLI will be disbursed for 5 years post commissioning of solar PV manufacturing plants, on sales of high efficiency solar PV modules.
• Manufacturers will be rewarded for higher efficiencies of solar PV modules and for sourcing their material from the domestic market.
• Benefits expected - The PLI amount will increase with increased module efficiency and increased local value addition.
• Extra 10,000 MW capacity of integrated solar PV manufacturing plants, direct investment, employment, import substitution, and impetus to R&D and demand of Rs.17,500 Cr over 5 years for 'Balance of Materials'.

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Ordinance, 2021

• The President promulgated the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021.
• The Cabinet had approved the proposal to make amendments in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, through the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021.
• The amendments aims to provide a Pre-Packaged alternative insolvency resolution framework for corporate persons - Classified as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) under the Code.
• The initiative is based on a trust model and the amendments honour the honest MSME owners by ensuring that the resolution happens and the company remains with them.
• The Ordinance seeks to amend the Code based on suggestions of the Insolvency Law Committee (ILC).
• Expected benefits of the amendment in Code
  1. Lesser burden on Adjudicating Authority,
  2. Assured continuity of business operations for Corporate Debtor (CD),
  3. Less process costs & maximum assets realization for financial creditors (FC),
  4. Assurance of continued business relation with CD and
  5. Rights protection for operational Creditors (OC).

INS Sarvekshak

• Indian Navy Ship (INS) Sarvekshak visited Port Louis, Mauritius and commenced the hydrographic survey of ‘Deep sea area off Port Louis’.
• It is a hydrographic survey ship, which is part of Research, Survey and Tracking vessels fleet of the Indian Navy (under the Southern Naval Command).
• It is fitted with state-of-the-art survey equipments like Deep Sea Multi-Beam Echo Sounder, Side Scan Sonars and a fully automated digital surveying and processing system. It carries an integral Chetak helicopter.

Other Research, Survey and Tracking Vessels

• Dhruv Class (Missile Range Instrumentation vessel) - INS Dhruv
• Sagardhwani Class (Research vessel) - INS Sagardhwani
• Sandhayak Class (Survey vessels) - INS Nirupak, INS Investigator, INS Jamuna, INS Sutlej, INS Sandhayak, INS Darshak, INS Sarvekshak, along with the INS Nirdeshak (Decommissioned)
• Makar Class (Survey vessel) - INS Makar

Ingenuity Helicopter

• The U.S. space agency NASA's Ingenuity mini-helicopter has been dropped on the surface of Mars in preparation for its first flight.
• The ultra-light aircraft had been fixed to the belly of Perseverance rover, which had driven clear of the copter and its airfield (where Ingenuity will attempt to fly) after dropping to the surface.
• It had been feeding off the Perseverance's power system.
• But now it will have to use its own battery to run a vital heater to protect its unshielded electrical components from freezing and cracking during the bitter Martian night (temperatures can drop to as low as -90^oC).
• To take high-resolution photographs, Ingenuity will attempt to fly in an atmosphere that is 1% the Earth's density, which makes achieving lift harder, but will be assisted by gravity that is one-third of Earth's.
• To know more about Perseverance, click here.

Source: PIB, The Hindu, Times of India