India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council

Recently the first summit-level meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) was co-chaired by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and Prime Minister Narendra Modi

• The Strategic Partnership Council essentially aimed to initiate a high-level council to steer the Indo-Saudi relationship that was established in 2019.
• The SPC has 2 main pillars:
  1. Committee on Political, Security, Social and Cultural Cooperation
  2. Committee on Economy and Investments

• Both sub-committees have 4 functional levels of engagements.

• 4 JWGs have been formed under each sub-committee.

Global Symposium on Farmers' Rights

The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the first 'Global Symposium on Farmers' Rights' (GSFR) at the ICAR Convention Centre, National Agricultural Science Centre Complex in New Delhi

• The first 'Global Symposium on Farmers' Rights' (GSFR) is held at the ICAR Convention Centre in New Delhi.
• Global Symposium on Farmers' Rights' (GSFR) Organised by the Secretariat of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
• The Global Symposium is being hosted by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in collaboration with the following:
  • Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPVFR) Authority,
  • Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR),
  • ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), and
  • ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR).
• It aids to discuss issues related to Farmers’ Rights as enshrined in Article 9 of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
• Article 9 of the Treaty focuses on recognizing, realizing, and promoting Farmers' Rights concerning plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA).
• The Treaty places the responsibility for realizing Farmers' Rights on national governments and outlines potential measures to safeguard, enhance and achieve these rights.
• Plant breeder rights and farmer’s rights are part of the PPVFR Act 2001 and Section 39 has all provisions for Farmers Rights.

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) awards

Recently the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) awards, 2022 was awarded to 12 persons for their contribution to science and technology in India

• The award is named after the founder Director of the CSIR India, the late Dr (Sir) Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar and is known as the ‘Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) Prize for Science and Technology’.
• The award is given each year for outstanding contributions to science and technology.
• Any citizen of India engaged in research in any field of science and technology up to the age of 45 years is eligible for the award.
• Any citizen of India engaged in research in any field of science and technology up to the age of 45 years as reckoned on 31st December of the year preceding the year of the Prize is eligible for the award.
• The prize is given only for the following disciplines:
  1. Biological Sciences
  2. Chemical Sciences
  3. Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences
  4. Engineering Sciences
  5. Mathematical Sciences
  6. Medical Sciences
  7. Physical Sciences
• The awardees are provided with the value of Rs 5, 00,000 each.

• In awarding the Prize, the Governing Body of CSIR is guided by the recommendations of the Advisory Committees constituted with the approval of the Chairman of the Governing body of CSIR.
• The Prize is bestowed on a person who, in the opinion of CSIR, has made conspicuously important and outstanding contributions to human knowledge and progress both fundamental and applied in the particular field of endeavour.
• The awardees for 2022 includes:
  • Dr. Ashwani Kumar and Maddika Subba Reddy for contribution in the ‘Biological Science’ discipline.
  • Dr. Akkattu T Biju and Dr. Debabrata Maiti for contribution in the ‘Chemical Science’ discipline.
  • Dr. Vimal Mishra for contribution in the ‘Earth, Atmosphere and Planetary Sciences’ discipline.
  • Dr. Dipti Ranjan Sahoo and Dr. Rajnish Kumar for contribution in the ‘Engineering Sciences’ discipline.
  • Dr. Apoorva Khare and Dr. Neeraj Kayal for contribution in the ‘Mathematical Sciences’ discipline.
  • Dr. Dipyaman Ganguli for contribution in the ‘Medical Sciences’ discipline.
  • Dr. Anindya Das and Dr. Basudeb Dasgupta for contribution in the ‘Physical Sciences’ discipline.

Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV)

Recently the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV) has for the first time found the presence of Clade 9 variant of varicella zoster virus (VZV) in India

• Varicella-zoster is a herpes virus that causes chickenpox, a common childhood illness.
• Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a virus that causes infections that is very contagious.
• Herpes zoster (HZ), which is commonly known as shingles, is caused by the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus (VZV).
• The Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology scientists, have for the first time in the country, found the presence of Clade 9 variant of varicella zoster virus (VZV).
• A clade is a grouping that includes a common ancestor and all the descendants (living and extinct) of that ancestor.
• The clade 9 is the most common strain in circulation in countries such as Germany, UK and USA.
• In rare cases, VZV infections can progress to the central nervous system involvement and severe complications.
• Mpox disease symptoms are frequently mistaken for VZV, as their clinical presentations often closely resemble each other.
• Clades 1 to 5 are most prevalent in the world, with clade 1 and 3 circulating in Oceania, Europe and America while clade 2 in Asia and clade 4–5 in South Asia and Africa.
• Most VZV infections observed in USA belong to clade 1 and 3.

• The symptoms of Monkeypox disease and Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) are different.

• The most characteristic symptom of Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) causing chicken box is an itchy, blister-like rash on the skin.
• Mpox (Monkeypox) symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, swollen lymph nodes and a rash.

E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022

• E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 aids to digitise the process and provide more visibility to the movement of e-waste in the economy.
• These rules covers every manufacturer, producer refurbisher, dismantler and recycler involved in manufacture, sale, transfer, purchase, refurbishing, dismantling, recycling and processing of e-waste or electrical and electronic equipment listed in Schedule I.

• The rules doesn’t cover the following:
  • Waste batteries as covered under the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022.
  • Packaging plastics as covered under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
  • Micro enterprise as defined in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006.
  • Radio-active wastes as covered under the provisions of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962.
• Every manufacturer, producer, refurbisher and recycler may store the e-waste up to 180 days.
• They should maintain a record of sale, transfer and storage of e-wastes.
• The entities shall register on the portal in any of the following category:
  • Manufacturer,
  • Producer,
  • Refurbisher and
  • Recycler.