VISION

📰 Vaccination lag in rural India points to a looming crisis

GS SCORE Fact Files: Important Reports (National and International) PDF

GS SCORE Current Affairs May 2021 Week 3 PDF

1)  World AIDS Vaccine Day: 18 May

•World AIDS Vaccine Day, (also known as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day), is observed annually on May 18 to promote the continued urgent need for a vaccine to prevent HIV infection and AIDS.  The first World AIDS Vaccine Day was thus observed on May 18, 1998, to commemorate the anniversary of Clinton’s speech.

•The concept of World AIDS Vaccine Day was proposed on May 18, 1997, during a commencement speech at Morgan State University made by then-President Bill Clinton, which underlined the need for a vaccine to curb the spread of HIV.

2)  International Museum Day: 18 May

•The International Museum Day is celebrated on 18 May, since 1977, to raise awareness about the fact that “Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples”. The theme of International Museum Day 2021: “The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine”. It is coordinated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM).

3)  India loses ONGC-discovered Farzad-B gas field in Iran

•India lost the ONGC Videsh Ltd-discovered Farzad-B gas field in the Persian Gulf after Iran awarded a contract for developing the giant gas field to a local company. The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) has signed a contract worth USD 1.78 billion with Petropars Group for the development of Farzad B Gas Field in the Persian Gulf.

•The field holds 23 trillion cubic feet of in-place gas reserves, of which about 60 per cent is recoverable. It also holds gas condensates of about 5,000 barrels per billion cubic feet of gas.

•ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), the overseas investment arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), had in 2008 discovered a giant gas field in the Farsi offshore exploration block. OVL and its partners had offered to invest up to USD 11 billion for the development of the discovery, which was later named Farzad-B.

4)  Haryana Declares Black Fungus A Notified Disease

•Black Fungus has been categorised as a notified disease in Haryana, making it imperative that government authorities be informed about each case. This will allow in the tracking and management of an outbreak. The COVID-19 pandemic in India has catalysed the spread of black fungus or mucormycosis, which can disfigure people even when it is not fatal. Declaring a disease notifiable helps collate information and lets authorities monitor the disease and set off early warnings.

5)  Manipur CM launches ‘MOMA Market’ for vegetable

•Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has launched a smartphone application “Manipur Organic Mission Agency (MOMA) Market” for home delivery of fresh vegetables to ensure that people get fresh vegetables at their doorsteps during the COVID-19 induced curfew. MOMA a unit of the state horticulture and soil conservation department launched the app under the CM’s supervision to make fresh vegetables available for day-to-day consumption and to reduce the distress sales of farm produce during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

•MOMA has been assigned to work in the area and channel farm produces to consumers via home delivery in order to prevent vegetable losses and COVID-19 spread. Farmers Producer Companies (FPCs) working with MOMA will harvest vegetables from various farms. It will then be transported to cold storage and warehouses at the department’s complex in Sanjenthong and other locations. Finally, the consumer’s MOMA Market order will be shipped to their doorstep.

6)  IDRBT building National Digital Financial Infrastructure (NADI)

•The Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT) is building a next-generation Digital Financial Infrastructure named National Digital Financial Infrastructure (NADI). NADI would provide a roadmap and framework for future digital financial services growth in India.

7)  Google Cloud partnered with SpaceX for providing satellite internet service

•Google Cloud and SpaceX signed a deal for providing internet service through Starlink satellite. Google will provide the Cloud infrastructure for this connectivity Project, while Space X will install ground terminals in Google’s cloud data centres for connecting Starlink satellites. It will help in providing fast internet service to the rural areas. This service will be available to customers before the end of 2021.

•The first Starlink terminal will be established in a Google data centre in Ohio, United States. Earlier, Microsoft has also signed a similar agreement with SpaceX to connect its Azure cloud to Starlink. Starlink is a project under which SpaceX aims to send 12,000 satellites to provide space-based internet.

8)  IIT Ropar developed portable eco-friendly mobile cremation system

•IIT Ropar has developed a portable eco-friendly electric cremation system. It is one of its kind of technology that produces no smoke despite using wood for cremation. It is based on wick-stove technology. The cart has been developed in collaboration with the company Cheema Boilers Limited.

•The cart-shaped mobile cremation system has stainless steel insulation on both sides of the cart for reducing heat loss and wood consumption. It takes less time to dispose of the body entirely as compared to normal wood-based cremation. It uses half wood than normal wood-based cremation, so it is an eco-friendly technology.

9)  Satoshi Uchida appointed as Suzuki Motorcycle India’s new Company Head

•Suzuki Motorcycle India has appointed Satoshi Uchida as the new Company Head. He has replaced Koichiro Hirao as part of Suzuki Motor Corporation’s global revamp. Suzuki Motorcycle India registered its highest-ever monthly sales in April 2021, dispatching as many as 77,849 units during the month. Suzuki Motor Corporation is a Japanese multinational corporation based in Minami-Ku.

10)  Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank receives ‘International Invincible Gold Medal’

•International Invincible Gold Medal of this year has been conferred on Union Education Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. He has been recognised for his extraordinary commitment and outstanding service to humanity through his writings, social and illustrious public life.

•The decision was made after due deliberations by a high-powered committee duly constituted under the leadership of Dr Tony Nader who is the global head of the Maharshi organisation. This honour will be given by the worldwide Maharishi Organization & its universities.

📰 ‘Job losses bode ill for the economy’

GS SCORE FACT FILE- Economic Important Reports (National and International)PDF

 What is the issue?

• It has been a year  since the news of tensions between Indian and Chinese troops on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh first broke (May-June 2020).
• With this, here is an assessment of the developments so far, the present conditions and the future challenges.

What happened back then?

• The crisis involved Chinese ingressions and violent clash with soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in mid-June 2020.
• It eventually involved seven places: Depsang plains, Galwan, Gogra, Hot Springs, North bank of Pangong Tso, Kailash range and Demchok.
• With agreements to disengage from the Pangong lake area , it was planned to convene meeting of the senior commanders to address and resolve all other remaining issues.

• The last such meeting of commanders was held in April 2021, but the Chinese have refused to even discuss the remaining issues.

• Modi government seemed keen to announce a closure of the border crisis by creating the impression of an honourable solution against a major power.
• But, no such closure is in sight yet.

What is the current situation?

• The PLA troops deny India access to territories it controlled by patrolling.
• With this, the government’s asserted aim of restoring the status quo ante as of April 2020 remains unfulfilled.
• Even on the north bank of Pangong, a new status quo has been created where the patrolling rights are yet to be restored.
• Similarly, the Kailash range has seen neither de-escalation nor de-induction so far.
• So, in all, there have been no further deaths after June 2020 and no firing after early September 2020.
• But, the peace on the border is both unstable and unsustainable.
• Ongoing tensions, with massive deployments on each side, belie any hope of tranquillity.
• Cognisant of the volatility and risk, Indian Army has undertaken a major reorientation of its units and formations towards the China border.
• China-India ties are thus moving into a zone of problems even as New Delhi grapples with pandemic-related issues.

How is COVID-19 and geopolitics playing now?

 Vision IAS Weekly Focus Non-Performing Assets (NPA) From ‘a Crisis’ to ‘a Catalyst’ PDF