PIB Summary- 20th January, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Guru Gobind Singh ji

Context: Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s Parkash Purab.

Details

• The tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh was born in December 1666.
• His birthday falls either in December or January in the Gregorian calendar.
• In 2021, the date falls on January 20th.
• The day is marked as Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti or Parkash Purab.

What happened?
On 7 October 1708, Guru Gobind Singh died of wounds inflicted when an assassin stabbed him. He was the last Sikh Guru.

Guru Gobind Singh

• Born Gobind Rai, Guru Gobind Singh was installed as the Sikh Guru aged nine when his father and the ninth Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded on the orders of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb for refusing to embrace Islam.
• His notable contribution to Sikhism is the establishment of the Khalsa in 1699.
• The only son of Guru Tegh Bahadur, Guru Gobind Singh was born in Patna in December 1666.
• He was educated in reading, writing, and also martial arts, archery and horse riding. 
• Not only was he a brave warrior, but he was also a great poet and philosopher.
• His literary contributions include the Jaap Sahib, Benti Chaupai, Amrit Savaiye, etc. 
• He took part in many battles, particularly against the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb.
• In the Battle of Anandpur (1704), the Guru lost his mother and two minor sons who were executed. His eldest sons also died in battle.
• The Khalsa: Guru Gobind Singh’s most significant contribution was the institutionalising of the Khalsa, which was a warrior community. An initiation ceremony called Amrit Pehul was created and rules were formulated for the Khalsa. A male Khalsa was given the title ‘Singh’ and a female was given the title ‘Kaur’. This code solidified the martial spirit of the Sikh community.
• Guru Gobind Singh started the tradition of the Five K’s for the Khalsa. The Five K’s are kesh (uncut hair), kanga (wooden comb), kara (iron or steel bracelet), kirpan (dagger) and kacchera (short breeches). These were the five articles of faith that a Khalsa must always adorn. The tradition is still followed.
• The Guru also laid down many other rules for the Khalsa warriors to follow like abstaining from tobacco, alcohol, halal meat, etc. The Khalsa warrior was also duty-bound to protect innocent people from persecution. Everyone was treated equally and caste was abolished.
• The Khalsa tradition was responsible for converting the Sikhs into a strong and disciplined fighting group. This also paved the way for the establishment of the Sikh Empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1799.
• Another significant contribution of Guru Gobind Singh was the enshrining the Sikh scripture Granth Sahib as the eternal Guru of Sikhism. Thus, after his death, there were no more Gurus in human form.
• Guru Gobind Singh also wrote the Zafarnama which was a letter to the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb is believed to have agreed to a meeting with the Guru but died before that.
• The Guru along with his troops was stationed in the Deccan when two Afghan assassins commissioned by Wazir Khan gained access to the camp. One of the assassins stabbed the Guru at Nanded. The assassin was killed by the Guru while his accomplice was killed by Sikh guards. Guru Gobind Singh died of wounds a few days later on 7 October 1708 aged 42.
• After the Guru’s death, there ensued a long and bitter war between the Sikhs and the Mughals.

MoU between India and Uzbekistan

Context: Cabinet approves signing of Memorandum of Understanding between India and Uzbekistan for cooperation in the field of Solar Energy.

About the MoU

• The main area of work under is to identify research/demonstration/pilot projects between the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, India and the International Solar Energy Institute (ISEI), Uzbekistan in the following mutually identified areas:
  • Solar Photovoltaic
  • Storage Technologies
  • Transfer of Technology
• Based on mutual agreement, both parties would work for the implementation and deployment of a pilot project in International Solar Alliance (ISA) member countries.

Regulatory Compliance Portal by DPIIT

Context: DPIIT has launched the Regulatory Compliance Portal in January 2021. 

Background

• In order to translate the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan into a reality, the next generation of reforms relating to minimizing regulatory burden on businesses and citizens are being taken up by Central Ministries and States/UTs on a mission mode.
• The government has declared as its priority making Government to Business and Government to Citizen interfaces online, transparent and time-bound.
• The DPIIT, Commerce & Industry Ministry is the nodal department for coordinating the exercise of minimizing regulatory compliance burden for citizens and businesses.
• The launch of the Regulatory Compliance Portal is a major initiative in this regard. 

About the Regulatory Compliance Portal

• The objective of this portal is to act as a bridge between citizens, industries and the Government in order to minimize burdensome compliances.
• It will also act as a first-of-its-kind central online repository of all Central and State-level compliances.
• All Central Ministries/Departments and States/UTs would examine laws/regulations/rules under their purview and implement an Action Plan to rationalize and simplify all the processes and remove burdensome compliances, decriminalize laws and repeal redundant Acts.
• These details would be captured and tracked on the Regulatory Compliance Portal. 
• Industry stakeholders from trade bodies such as CII, FICCI and ASSOCHAM would also be able to submit compliances and proposed recommendations.
• This will be assessed by the Government authorities concerned and suitable action would be undertaken to minimize the regulatory compliance burden.

National Conference with States on Logistics

Context: The National Conference with States on Logistics was organised by the Department of Commerce. 

Objective of the Conference: To initiate a consultative and collaborative framework for the Central and State Governments to work in a coordinated manner in the logistic sector.

Outcome of the Conference

• The conference reiterated the role states play in improving the logistics performance of the country.
• A comprehensive 18 Point Agenda was presented to the States to improve logistics. 
• Thrust areas for logistics improvements in the States were identified as the following: 
  • City logistics
  • Simplification of approvals for warehouses Facilitation for warehousing development
  • Reducing the burden on truck movement
  • Addressing the shortage of truck drivers
• It was decided that the Ministry of Commerce & Industry will work with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to focus on 50 cities for logistics planning initially.
• A plan for facilitation to reduce enforcement burden on truck drivers will be developed. 
• Many States have already appointed senior officers as nodal officers for logistics and others will do the same in a short period of time.
• State Level Coordination Committees on Logistics will be formed.
• Central Ministries looking after the transportation will appoint State Nodal Officers to coordinate with the States.
• It was decided to rank states based on logistics performance. 
  • The State ranking will focus on data in addition to perspective on logistics performance.

Defence Geo-Informatics Research Establishment (DGRE)

Context: DRDO inks framework MoU with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for Geo-hazard Management.

MoU Details

• The MoU aims to strengthen collaboration in the field of technical exchange and cooperation on sustainable geohazard management.
• As per the MoU, DRDO and MoRTH will cooperate in various mutually beneficial areas related to geohazard management.
• The initiative will ensure safety against the adverse effects of landslides and other natural calamities on national highways in the country.
• It has been agreed that the expertise of DRDO (through the DGRE) will be utilized in providing sustainable mitigation measures to damages caused by landslides, avalanche and other natural factors on various National Highways in the Country. 

About DGRE

• The Defence Geo Informatics Research Establishment (DGRE), a DRDO laboratory, is a leading entity in the development of critical technologies for enhancing combat effectiveness with a focus on terrains and avalanches.
• Its role and charter include mapping, forecasting, monitoring, controlling and mitigating landslides and avalanches in the Himalayan terrain.
• Its expertise will be utilized for designing national highways including tunnels.
• Terrain and modelling simulation is an important asset with DGRE, which will play an important role in planning and building robust road infrastructure in difficult terrains.

5th India – Singapore Defence Ministers’ Dialogue

Context: The 5^th Defence Ministers’ Dialogue (DMD) between India and Singapore was successfully held. 

Background

• Defence and security engagements between India and Singapore have broadened significantly in scale and scope across all three Services of the Armed Forces as well as in the areas of defence technology and industry.
• Both countries have also found common ground on multilateral fora and engagements.
• In August 2020, the implementing agreement on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) cooperation was signed for the two Armed Forces to have closer operational collaboration in response to disasters and capacity-building activities of mutual interest.
• The cyber agencies of both armed forces have also stepped up engagements.

Military exchanges between India and Singapore

• Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) – annual exercise between the navies.
• SITMEX – Singapore, India, Thailand Maritime Exercise.

5^th DMD Details

• The Implementing Agreement on Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation was signed between the navies of India and Singapore.

Virtual Expo 2021 for R&D in Processed Food Sector

Context: First-ever Virtual Expo 2021 for R&D in the processed food sector inaugurated. 

Who is organising the Expo?

• The Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

About the Expo

• It is an expo for research and development in the processed food sector.
• It will showcase the outcomes of R&D projects supported by the Ministry of premier Food Technology Institutions of India (such as NIFTE, IIFPT, CFTRI, ICAR, IITs).
• The key focus areas would be showcasing R&D projects consisting of categories like Novel Food Products, Innovations in Food Engineering, Food Safety & Quality Evaluations, Food Packaging Solutions & Food Industry Waste Utilization.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)

Context: 16^th Foundation Day of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

NDRF BNS with their Area of Responsibility

What is the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)?
After a series of natural calamities including, the Orissa Super Cyclone (1999), Gujarat Earthquake (2001) and Indian Ocean Tsunami (2004), among many others, the concerned authorities took necessary steps towards designing a systematic disaster management plan. This led to the enactment of the Disaster Management Act on December 26, 2005.
The Disaster Management Act has statutory provisions for the constitution of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for the purpose of specialized response to natural and man-made disasters. The practice of “proactive availability” of this Force to the States and that of “pre-positioning”, in a threatening disaster situations have immensely helped minimise damage, caused due to natural calamities in the country.

What is the role of NDRF in Natural Disasters?
NDRF carries out rescue and relief operations during natural disasters. Till date, NDRF has carried out 73 operations in the country and saved approximately 1.3 Lakh human lives. In addition, NDRF has the capability to respond to nuclear, biological and chemical disasters.

Who is the Chairman of NDRF?
Head of NDRF is designated as Director General (DG). Usually, an IPS Officer is the head of NDRF. The apex body of disaster management is the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). NDRF functions under NDMA. Chairman of NDMA is the Prime Minister.

Can a Civilian join NDRF?
No, civilians do not have direct entry into NDRF.  NDRF consists of personnel on deputation from Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), and  Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

International Operations Performed by NDRF

1. Nepal Earthquake – April 2015
2. Japan Tsunami – March 2011

Under which ministry, NDRF is functioning? 
Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

Hunar Haat

Context: The 24^th “Hunar Haat” of indigenous products of artisans and craftsmen being organised at Avadh Shilpgram in Lucknow.

Details

• The 24^th Hunar Haat is being organised by the Ministry of Minority Affairs with the theme “Vocal for Local”.
• About 500 artisans and craftsmen from 31 States/UTs of the country are participating. 
• Indigenous products are being showcased such as Ajrakh, Applique, Art Metal Ware, Bagh Print, Batik, Banarsi Saree, Bandhej, Bastar Art & Herbal products, Block Print, Brass Metal Bangles, Cane & Bamboo products, Canvas Painting, Chikankari, Copper Bell, Dry Flowers, Handloom Textile, Kalamkari, Mangalgiri, Kota Silk, Lac Bangles, Leather products, Pashmina Shawls, Rampuri Violin, wooden and iron toys, Kantha Embroidery, Brass products, crystal glass items, Sandalwood products, etc
• Apart from products and food items, artists will also perform cultural events. Hunar 
• Haat Significance
  • “Hunar Haat” has proved to be immensely beneficial and encouraging for artisans and craftsmen as lakhs of people visit the “Hunar Haat” and purchase indigenous handmade products of artisans on large scale.

About Hunar Haats

• Hunar Haats have become a “Mega Mission” of indigenous craft, cuisine & culture and economic empowerment of master artisans and craftsmen. 
• Through these Haats, in the last 3 years, about 3 lakh needy master artisans, craftsmen & culinary experts have been provided employment and employment opportunities. 
• The beneficiaries include a large number of women artisans too. 
• The government plans to organise about 100 Hunar Haats across the country in the next 5 years. 
• Hunar Haats provide a platform to the artisans/craftsmen from the minority communities for marketing their products. 
• Organised by the Minority Affairs Ministry, these Haats encourage the artisans practicing indigenous talent or crafts. 
• Apart from providing employment opportunities, they also give these artisans new businesses.
• These Haats are organised under the USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts / Crafts for Development) scheme of the central government.
  • USTTAD scheme aims to preserve the heritage of traditional arts and crafts of minority communities and build capacity of traditional crafts-persons and artisans and establish linkages of traditional skills with the global market. 
  • It was launched in 2015.

Angiogenesis

• Angiogenesis is the physiological process through which new blood vessels form from pre-existing vessels, formed in the earlier stage of vasculogenesis.
• Angiogenesis is a normal and vital process in growth and development, as well as in wound healing and in the formation of granulation tissue.
• However, it is also a fundamental step in the transition of tumours from a benign state to a malignant one.
  • This has led to the use of angiogenesis inhibitors in the treatment of cancer.

In cancer treatment

• The essential role of angiogenesis in tumour growth was first proposed in 1971 by Judah Folkman.
• Angiogenesis is critical in the growth of cancer because tumours need blood supply to grow. Tumours trigger the growth of blood cells by giving off chemical signals that stimulate angiogenesis.
• Deregulation of angiogenesis is the main reason for tumour growth and progression. 
• Inhibition of tumour angiogenesis has become a popular anti-cancer strategy after chemotherapy.
• However, the clinically approved anti-angiogenic drugs are ineffective due to parallel activation of various compensatory mechanisms involving a cascade of molecules, which aids tumour angiogenesis.
• Investigation of these mechanisms is essential for developing anti-angiogenic therapies.

What’s in News?

• An INSPIRE faculty from Chennai and his team are working to develop transgenic zebrafish (which have exogenous genes added to their genome) model by the use of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing tool to further study the compensatory angiogenesis mechanism in the tumour microenvironment.
• The transgenic or CRISPR/Cas9 edited Zebrafish platform (TZP) can be used for studying the efficacy of a  drug as anti or pro-angiogenesis in the next phase of the project.
• The researcher has already found that nitric oxide (NO) plays a key role in switching off angiogenesis under tumour microenvironment and that the melatonin hormone suppresses tumour angiogenesis.

New technology useful in water transportation & self-cleaning

Context: Scientists develop gold microstructure substrate with tunable wettability useful in water transportation & self-cleaning.

What’s in News?

• Scientists have developed a gold microstructure substrate with the ability to repel water as well as bubbles with tunable wettability, which can be used in designing microfluidic devices, biosensors and useful in water transportation and self-cleaning.
• A scientist and his group from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have developed a substrate exhibiting morphological gradient that helps one to tune the wettability because of surface energy change.
• The morphological gradient in the substrate ranges from domes to elliptical holes. 
• These studies would be useful in designing microfluidic devices, biosensors, and water transportation.

What is wettability?

• Wettability, or the ability of a liquid to maintain contact with a solid surface, is an important property in surface and interface science.
• Its influence is seen in many biochemical processes, sensing, microfluidics, water transportation, self-cleaning, industrial processes.
• Tunable wettability results from tunability in surface energy of the substrate, which can be utilized to regulate the direction of flow in water transportation and self-cleaning applications.

Report on Faecal Sludge and Septage Management in Urban Areas

Context: NITI Aayog releases Report on Faecal Sludge and Septage Management in Urban Areas: Service and Business Models.

Details

• The NITI Aayog released a book on faecal sludge and septage management in urban areas.
• The book was jointly developed by the NITI Aayog and the National Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (NFSSM) Alliance.
• The book presents 27 case studies across 10 states and various service and business models adopted by Indian cities while implementing faecal sludge and septage management (FSSM) initiatives.
• It provides a repository of FSSM best practices that can be adapted and replicated appropriately across the country.

Background

• Considering the importance of FSSM solutions, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs came up with the national policy on FSSM in 2017.
• The policy has been rigorously pursued across the country—more than 24 states have adopted it and 12 of them have come up with their own policies.

What the Report says

• The report mentions that about 60% of urban households rely on onsite sanitation systems, which require dedicated planning for the management of waste collected in these systems’ containment structures.
• Accordingly, FSSM planning prioritizes human excreta management, a waste stream with a high potential for spreading diseases.
• The planning strategies entail emptying, transportation, treatment, and safe disposal of waste and possible reuse of output products post-treatment.
• It is a low-cost and easily scalable sanitation solution.
• Many Indian cities have come up with exemplary FSSM planning models, with optimal private-sector participation and greater mechanization of operations.

Significance

• Safe sanitation is a strong contributor to both public health and environmental sustainability and needs focused attention, especially the safe and complete treatment of all human waste.
• The models captured in this report will help other states and cities replicate and scale them up to achieve 100% effective management of India’s faecal sludge and septage in the next five years.
• This report is intended for city managers, municipal functionaries, elected representatives, state decision-makers, CSOs and private-sector players to understand the developments in FSSM and the opportunities it presents.