UPSC News Diary For Today 09 June, 2022

”UPSC News Diary For Today” is every day published in the evening between 6-7 PM and contains all current affairs articles from the day on a single platform. ”UPSC News Diary For Today” covers various topics from UPSC Syllabus and is very helpful and time managing for UPSC Aspirants. The framing of this daily current affairs compilation article is easy to read and understandable also.

In the ”UPSC News Diary For Today” article, we focus on both UPSC Preliminary and Mains exam oriented current affairs & prepare a gist of daily important news articles from leading National Newspapers, PIB, and other various official sources.

India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030

In News

The Defence Ministers signed the ‘Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030’, which will significantly enhance the scope and scale of existing defence cooperation.

Key Points

• India and Vietnam share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership since 2016 and defence cooperation is a key pillar of this partnership.
• Vietnam is an important partner in India’s Act East policy and the Indo-Pacific vision.
• Both countries share a rich history of civilisational and cultural linkages spanning over two thousand years.
• The two countries also continue to have most trustworthy relations in contemporary times with broader convergence of interests and common concerns.

Environmental Performance Index (EPI), 2022

In News

India has objected to a report, called the Environmental Performance Index (EPI), 2022, that places the country last on a list of 180 countries on managing climate change, environmental health, and ecosystem vitality.

About the Report

• The report is prepared by researchers at the Yale and Columbia universities.
• High-scoring countries exhibit long-standing and continuing investments in policies that protect environmental health, preserve biodiversity and habitat, conserve natural resources, and decouple greenhouse gas emissions from economic growth.
• India scored low across a range of issues with “deteriorating air quality and rapidly rising greenhouse gas emissions”.

India’s Objection

The use of “biased metrics and biased weights” caused India’s low rank as it didn’t account for the fact that India had one of the lowest emission trajectories.

National Health Authority (NHA)

In News

The National Health Authority (NHA) started a three-day orientation workshop for Joint Directors/Directors from different states & union territories across the country.

Key Points

• The workshop is being held in partnership with the Koita Centre for Digital Health (KCDH), IIT Bombay from today till 10^th June 2022.
• The NHA team would be conducting in-depth training on the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) scheme, its core components and the way forward.
• The workshop shall in turn help take the benefits of digital health ecosystem to the remotest areas of the country and make quality healthcare accessible for all.

About NHA

• National Health Authority (NHA) is the apex body responsible for implementing India’s flagship public health insurance/assurance scheme called “Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana”.
• It has been entrusted with the role of designing strategy, building technological infrastructure and implementation of “National Digital Health Mission” to create a National Digital Health Eco-system.
• National Health Authority is the successor of the National Health Agency, which was functioning as a registered society since 23rd May 2018.
• So, NHA has been set-up to implement PM-JAY, at the national level.
• To implement the scheme at the State level, State Health Agencies (SHAs) in the form of a society/trust have been set up by respective States.

BIRAC

In News

To celebrate 10 years of Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC)’s enabling efforts towards progressing India’s Biotech Sector, an event is being organized on 9-10^th June, 2022 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

Key Points

• India’s biotech sector has drawn global recognition, especially during the recent pandemic period. This decade is important to define the growth trajectory of the biotech sector in India.
• We are moving closer to the target of $ 150 billion by 2025 as evidenced by double-digit growth even in the COVID years.
• There are evident limitations, and gaps in the ecosystem juxtaposed with large opportunities for growth and expansion.

Key Points About Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC)

• BIRAC was set up by DBT on 20th March, 2012, is an Industry-Academia Interface Agency to strengthen and empower the emerging Biotech enterprise, to undertake strategic research and innovation, addressing nationally relevant product development needs.
• BIRAC’s mandate is to foster and promote innovation research and development of products/technologies in the biotech sector by industries, especially start-ups and SMEs to address unmet needs.
• In a 10-year long journey, BIRAC has made impact in terms of bridging the existing gaps in the industry-academia innovation research and facilitated novel, high-quality affordable product development.
• By aligning with the National Missions of Startup India and Make-in-India, BIRAC acts at the interface of Industry and Academia to inculcate the spirit of biotech entrepreneurship for knowledge translation.
• DBT and BIRAC have been at the forefront of India’s battle against COVID-19 pandemic by intervening in the development of indigenous vaccines, novel point-of-care diagnostics and therapeutic formulations based on traditional knowledge, to establishment of research resources and offering services.
• DBT, BIRAC and all the stakeholders have ensured that India is among the top 12 destinations for biotechnology in the world and 3^rd in Asia-Pacific.
• With Global Innovation Index improving to 46th rank, India’s bio-economy is growing in double digits Year on Year, from $51 Bn in 2018 to $81 Bn in 2021.

Gaganyaan Mission

• GS 3: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

Context

• Recently, Union Minister of Earth Science said that India will achieve the unique distinction of simultaneously launching the first Human Space Mission “Gaganyaan” as well as the first manned Human Ocean Mission in 2023.

India Ocean Mission: Key points

• Trials for both the Space and Ocean manned missions have reached advanced stage and the unique feat will be achieved, most likely, in the second half of 2023.
• Sea trials of 500 metre rated shallow water version of the manned submersible are expected to take place in early part of 2023, followed by the MATSYA 6000, the deep-water manned submersible which will be ready for trials by the second quarter of 2024.
• Similarly, for Gaganyaan, the major missions: Test vehicle flight for the validation of Crew Escape System performance and the 1st Uncrewed mission of Gaganyaan (G1) are scheduled in 2nd half of 2022. It will be followed by second uncrewed mission at the end of 2022 carrying “Vyommitra” a spacefaring human robot developed by ISRO and finally the first crewed Gaganyaan mission in 2023.
• Blue Economic Policy: Government will soon unveil the “Blue Economic Policy” and an estimated 40 million people will be employed by ocean-based industries by 2030.
• Deep Ocean Mission (DOM): Government had approved Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) in June last year to be implemented by Ministry of Earth Sciences at a total budget of Rs. 4,077 crore for 5 years.
  • The objective is to develop niche technology and collaborate with Industries in carrying out deep ocean exploration of the non-living resources such as polymetallic manganese nodules, gas hydrates, hydro-thermal sulphides and cobalt crusts, located at a depth between 1000 and 5500 metres.

Mission Samudrayaan: Ocean degradation

• Oceans are marred with concerns like depletion of big fish populations by 90% and destruction of 50% of coral reefs.
• Every year thousand tons of garbage composed of plastics, glass, metals, sanitary, clothes etc. reach the oceans and plastics contribute a major portion (~ 60%) of the total garbage that finds its pathway to the ocean every year.
• As per COP resolutions, all nations should put efforts to protect at least 30 % of our blue planet by 2030.
• It’s very critical that 30 % of our planet’s lands, waters and oceans are protected and hence it is known as 30*30.

Gaganyaan programme benefits

• Progress towards a sustained and affordable human and robotic programme to explore the solar system and beyond.
• Advanced technology capability for undertaking human space exploration, sample return missions and scientific exploration.
• Future capability to actively collaborate in global space station development & to carry out scientific experiments of interest to the nation.
• Create a broad frame work for wider Academia – Industry partnership in taking up development activities for national development.
• Ample scope for employment generation and human resource development in advanced science and R&D activities.
• Unique opportunity to inspire and excite Indian youth and steer many students toward careers in science and technology towards challenging jobs that encourage knowledge, innovation and creativity.
• The programme will strengthen international partnerships and global security through the sharing of challenging and peaceful goals. Having a vibrant human spaceflight programme can be leveraged as a potent foreign policy tool.

India and Vietnam Mutual Logistics Agreement

Relevance for UPSC Exam

India-Vietnam Relations: India and Vietnam Mutual Logistics Agreement will strengthen India Vietnam Relation. It will come under International Relations of GS Paper 2.

India and Vietnam Mutual Logistics Agreement in News

• Recently, India and Vietnam signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on mutual logistics support during the ongoing visit of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to the Southeast Asian nation.

India and Vietnam Defence Partnership

• The Defence Ministers signed the ‘Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030’.
  • India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030 will significantly enhance the scope and scale of existing defence cooperation.
• Logistics Agreement: signing of India and Vietnam Mutual Logistics Agreement is a major step towards simplifying procedures for mutually beneficial logistic support.
• Significance: India and Vietnam Mutual Logistics Agreement is the first such major agreement which Vietnam has signed with any country.
• Defence Line of Credit: Both countries also agreed for early finalisation of $US 500 million Defence Line of Credit extended to Vietnam.
• Building Defence Capabilities: India announced gifting two simulators and monetary grant towards setting up of Language and IT Lab at Air Force Officers Training School for capacity building of Vietnamese armed forces.

USA-India Defense Technology & Trade Initiative

India-Vietnam Relations- Key Significance

• India Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership: India and Vietnam share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership since 2016 and defence cooperation is a key pillar of this partnership.
• India’s Act East Policy: Vietnam is an important partner in India’s Act East policy.

What is Logistics Agreement?

• Logistics agreements are administrative arrangements facilitating access to military facilities for exchange of fuel and provisions on mutual agreement.
• Logistics Agreement simplifies logistical support and increases operational turnaround of the military when operating away from India.

Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS)

Which countries have signed the logistics agreement with India?

• India has signed several logistics agreements including with all Quad countries, France, Singapore and South Korea.
• India singed its first logistics agreement with USA in 2016. India-USA logistics agreement is also known as the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA).

CiSS Application and Baal Swaraj Portal

Relevance for UPSC Exam

CiSS Application and Baal Swaraj Portal: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes under UPSC Mains GS Paper 2 covers the welfare of children and their protection.

CiSS Application and Baal Swaraj Portal in News

• Recently, the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has launched a “CiSS application” under the Baal Swaraj portal.

What is CiSS portal?

• About: CiSS Portal of NCPCR is expected to help in the rehabilitation process of Children in Street Situations (CiSS).
  • The CiSS initiative is taken under the direction of the Supreme Court of India.
• Categorization of CiSS Children: The SOP for Care and Protection of Children in Street Situations 2.0 categorizes any child under ‘Children in Street Situation’ if the child is living on the streets alone, living on the streets during the day, or living on the streets with the family.
  • The root cause of this phenomenon is the migration of families from rural to urban areas in search of a better standard of living.
• Key Functions: The CiSS application is used for receiving data of children in street situations from all the states and union territories, tracking their rescue and rehabilitation process.

PM CARES for Children- Scholarship for PM CARES Children

Significance

• The program embodies Article 51 (A) of the Constitution of India, as it provides a platform to the public and organizations catering to the welfare of the children to report any child in need of assistance.
  • The CiSS platform serves to collect data and report to the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) for them to take necessary action.
• It also provides a platform for professionals and organizations to provide any help that they can to children in need.
  • Help can be provided in the form of open shelters, counselling services, medical services, sponsorships, identification of hotspot, identification of CiSS, or any other assistance.
• The organizations and institutions that can utilize the platform are the Non-Government Organization, Civil Society Organization, higher educational or technical institutions, Foundation, Society, or a Trust.

Key Points about Baal Swaraj Portal

• About: Baal Swaraj is a portal launched by NCPCR for online tracking and digital real-time monitoring mechanism of children in need of care and protection.
• Key Functions: The portal has two functions- COVID care and CiSS.
  • COVID Care link caters to the children who have lost either or both parents due to COVID-19 or otherwise post March 2020.
• Steps followed for Rehabilitation of Children: Baal Swaraj Portal follows following six steps for the rehabilitation of Children.
  • First stage: collection of the child’s details, which is accomplished through the portal.
  • Second stage: Social Investigating Report (SIR) i.e. investigating the child’s background. This is done under the supervision of the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) by the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) by conversing and counselling the child.
  • Third stage: formulating an Individual Care Plan (ICP) for the child.
  • Fourth stage: the order of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) based on the SIR submitted to the CWC.
  • Fifth stage: allocating the schemes and benefits that the beneficiary can avail of.
  • Sixth stage: a checklist is made for the evaluation of the progress i.e. (Follow Ups).

Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015

Antimicrobial Resistance in India

Antimicrobial Resistance is an important topic for UPSC exam. Antimicrobial resistance can be grouped under both current affairs and static topic for UPSC exam. For example: According to a recently conducted research by University of Oxford, a bacterium called Pseudomonas is being treated with Colistin, a ‘last resort’ antibiotic for patients who have developed multi-drug resistant infections. Considering its growing impact on the lives of human beings, plants and animals, we will try to cover everything about antimicrobial resistance that is important for UPSC exam.

What is Antimicrobial Resistance?

• Antimicrobial Resistance meaning: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the ability of microorganisms to persist or grow in the presence of drugs designed to inhibit or kill them.
• These drugs, called antimicrobials, are used to treat infectious diseases caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoan parasites.
• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global threat of increasing concern to human and animal health. It also has implications for food safety, food security and the economic wellbeing of millions of farming households.

What causes AMR

Antibiotic resistance develops naturally in bacteria. However, our actions can increase resistance developing and spreading. This can happen:

• when human and animal health professionals over prescribe antibiotics
• when people don’t take antibiotics as directed
• due to poor hygiene and a lack of infection prevention and control e.g. not washing hands properly
• due to people travelling around the world, spreading resistant bacteria

Implication of AMR

• When microorganisms become resistant to antimicrobials, standard treatments are often ineffective, and in some cases, no drugs provide effective therapy. Consequently, treatments fail.
• This increases illness and mortality in humans, animals and plants.
• For agriculture, this causes production losses, damages livelihoods and jeopardizes food security.
• Moreover, AMR can spread among different hosts and the environment, and antimicrobial resistant microorganisms can contaminate the food chain.

Reasons of AMR Spread

• Antibiotics consumption by humans: Unnecessary use of antibiotics fixed dose combinations could lead to increased resistance in human beings. Issues like self-medication, not having proper knowledge of when to use antibiotics also contributes significantly to the cause.
• Social cause: Incidents like mass bathing in a river, unhygienic practices followed by travellers could also lead to antimicrobial resistance.
• Use in poultry: Antibiotics are used for growth of poultry industry. It further increases AMR in human beings.
• Pharmaceutical industry pollution: The wastewater effluents from the antibiotic manufacturing units contain antibiotics, leading to contamination of rivers and lakes.
• Untreated waste: Untreated disposal of sewage water bodies leads to contamination of rivers with antibiotic residues and antibiotic-resistant organisms.

What is Red Line Campaign?

• In 2016, India launched a Red Line campaign began marking prescription-only antibiotics with a red line to curb their irrational use and create awareness on the dangers of taking antibiotics without being prescribed.

Recommendations for AMR

• Improve awareness and understanding of AMR through effective communication, education, and training
• Strengthen knowledge and evidence through surveillance
• Reduce the incidence of infection through effective infection, prevention, and control
• Optimize the use of antimicrobial agents in all sectors
• Promote investments for AMR activities, research, and innovations
• Strengthen India’s leadership on AMR by means of collaborations on AMR at international, national, and sub-national levels.

Information Technology (IT) Rules 2021

Relevance for UPSC Exam

Draft Amendments to IT Rules: Information Technology (IT) Rules 2021 aims to govern information technology and various allied aspects related to IT like regulation of social media platforms related. Draft Amendments to IT Rules 2021 will come under Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation of UPSC GS Paper 2.

Draft Amendments to IT Rules in News

• Recently, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has published a fresh draft of amendments to the Information Technology Rules, 2021.
• Amendments to IT Rules proposes the creation of government-appointed appeal committees that will be able to veto content-moderation decisions taken by social media intermediaries like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Proposed Amendments to the IT Rules, 2021

• Grievance Appellate Committees (GAC): The draft proposes to create government-appointed appeal committees that will be empowered to review and possibly reverse content moderation decisions taken by social media companies.
  • Organizational Structure: Grievance Appellate Committees shall consist of a Chairperson and such other Members, as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.
• Key Role of GAC: in case a user is not satisfied with the content moderation decision taken by a company’s grievance officer, they can appeal that decision before the proposed government-appointed appeals committee.
  • Currently, the only recourse a user has against companies’ content decisions is to approach the courts.
• Additional Responsibilities on company’s grievance officer: Draft amendment to IT Rules 2021 suggests placing additional responsibilities on grievance officers appointed by social media companies.
  • It says that if a user complains about content which is “patently false”, infringes copyright, and threatens the integrity of India, among other things, a grievance officer will have to expeditiously address it within 72 hours.
  • Under current rules, grievance officers have 15 days to act on and dispose of users’ complaints.

Cabinet Approves Amendments to National Policy on Biofuels 2018

Need for Amendments to IT Rules 2021

• Protecting the Constitutional Rights: proposed amendments will ensure that “Constitutional rights of Indian citizens are not contravened by any big tech platform by ensuring new accountability standards”.
• Need for GAC: there have been many instances that grievance officers of intermediaries either do not address the grievances satisfactorily and/or fairly.
  • In such a scenario, the need for an appellate forum has been proposed to protect the rights and interests of users.
• Poor Customer Grievance redressal system at Social Media Platforms: de-platforming of users by social media companies without allowing them an opportunity to explain their actions, was major concern of the government, triggering the present amendment.

Associated Concerns

• Proposal to set up government-appointed committees has triggered concerns about the government overriding social media platforms’ content decisions.
• The proposal, without any legislative basis, seeks to subject content on social media to the direct scrutiny of the government by permitting users to appeal decisions of social media platforms to a GAC constituted by MeitY.

The Right to Information Act 2005- Historical Background and Key Objectives

Indo Pacific region

Relevance

• GS 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Context

• Recently, the US president Joseph Biden concluded his recent five-day visit to Asia.
• As soon as he reached US, North Korea test-fired three ballistic missiles even as it is preoccupied with a ‘fever’ in the country.
• Chinese and Russian fighter jets carried out joint flights over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea.

US in the Indo-Pacific region

• South Korea said that it would expand the presence of a U.S. missile defence system in the country.
• In Japan, the administration promised the US president that it was ready to do away with its long-standing 1% GDP ceiling for annual defence spending.
• In a press conference, the US president rather gave a more forceful statement that the U.S. would intervene militarily to defend Taiwan if it came under attack from China.

Tensions in Indo-Pacific region

• South Korea and Japan face regular nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.
• China not only challenges international maritime laws in the South China Sea, but also confronts Japan over the Senkaku Islands.
• Six nations, including China and Taiwan, are involved in the dispute over the Spratly Islands, which are supposedly sitting on vast reserves of oil and natural gas.
• China has vigorously militarised some portions of the disputed isles, islets and coral reefs; and countries like Vietnam and the Philippines are anxious not to be left behind.

Indo-Pacific Economic Framework

• Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) was established with Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam to emphasise on China.
• The IPEF will work on fine-tuning four major pillars: standards and rules for digital trade; resilient supply chains; green energy commitments; and fair trade.
• However, concerns are being raised that while the IPEF may be a good idea, there is discontent that the framework does not address issues of trade and tariffs.

Focussing on China

• Whether it is in East, Southeast or South Asia, every country has its own unique relationship with China.
• South Korea and Japan or even Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are part of a strong American security/strategic partnership but will be keen on maintaining their economic status with China.
• India may be a part of the Quad, but is quite mindful that it is the only country in the group that shares a land border with China which is laced with disputes.

Decoding Modern Tech Terms

Introduction

In this article, we shall discuss some very popular and important modern tech terms. We shall ”Decode Modern Tech Terms” like Metaverse, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain Technology, Quantum Technology, Metaverse, NFTs, etc.

Blockchain Technology

• A system whereby information about transactions is stored on a countless comuters spread across the glob.
• It is considered an alternative to the conventional banking system.
• Along with banks, this also applies to mobile payment system.

NFTs

• The success of Blockchain as an independent means of storing and authenticating information has created many more inoovations, one of these is Non Fungible Token or NFT.
• Here the information is stored in the blockchain system itself, especially in a system called ethereum.
• Under NFT system a kind of digital certificate is issued that such an original thing unique in the world.

IOT

• Internet of Things or, more accurately the internet of devices, is all about connecting devices over the internet and letting them ‘talk’ to us, applications and each other.
• This allows huge amounts of data to be collected and transferred, which can then be used for multiple practical purposes.
• However, Internet of Things doesn’t necessarily have to be connected to the internet, it can also be a network of things.
• A common example are wristwatches with sensors that can track the wearers’ heartbeat and pass on the information to our smartphones via bluetooth.
• The smartphone can store that data on cloud after which it can be accessed at any point of time to view a report card of how your heart has been behaving for over a period of a week or a month.

Metaverse

• A simplistic way to look at the metaverse is as a parallel, virtual, world where users can have different identities, possessions and characters.
• In the complex explanation, Metaverse is supposed to be the post-Internet world, a decentralised computing platform of sorts if you will, which is continuous, and live.
• It is an entirely digital economy, and the way most Silicon valley intellectuals see this, metaverse exists both in the digital and physical realm.
• Virtual reality would be an element of this metaverse, but the idea goes beyond just donning a VR headset and starting to play a game.
• According to Ball, the metaverse does not reset or pause or end, but “continues indefinitely.”
• Metaverse is not something that just one company can build. Nor is Facebook the only one working on this. Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, has big plans for the metaverse using its unreal engine.
• In fact, Fortnite already has many elements which would conform to the idea such as live events, its own currency, etc.

Quantum Computing

• The Quantum computing is much talked about because of its infinite power.
• A Quantum computer can perform calculations millions of times faster than a normal computer, and that is why it can prove to be a boon for humanity.
• Traditional computers work based on a fundamental unit of binary digits(0-1 Bit).
• On the other hand the quantum computers adopts qubit(quantum bit).
• The qubit value can be 0, 1 or both.

Artificial Intelligence

• AI refers to ability of human beings to learn analyse think, understand, solve problems, make decision, etc, similar to human being.
• Machines equipped with AI will become powerful and intelligent and compete with human beings capabilities.
  For example features like machine translation, voice to text conversion and voice assistance these days are reached to us because of AI.

Cloud Computing

• Cloud computing implies using the resources available on the internet on your computers or devices.
• Cloud computing has made vast computational power and storage space available to us, and technology like AI required for its calculations

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