UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 5th March 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Why in News?

Recently, the ancient city of Sisupalgarh was in news due to the damages by the Land mafias.

About Sisupalgarh:

• It is located near the city of Bhubaneswar in Odisha.
• It was once the capital of Kalinga, which is the ancient name of Odisha.
• It dates back prior to the Mauryan period.
• It is a 2,000-year-old fortified city.
• It is considered one of the largest and best-preserved ancient fortifications in India.
• The remains of the fortification were discovered in 1948 by the Indian archaeologist B.B. Lal.

Features of Sisupalgarh :

• It was designed and constructed in a complete square shape that was surrounded by defensive walls.
• Each side spreads for over half a mile, and the interior is full of stone ruins and sculptures.
• The walls of the fortification are a little over nine meters (30 feet) tall.
• There were eight gateways into the city, two on each of the four sides of the wall.
• The gateways were connected by streets in a grid-like arrangement with the palace in the center.
• The gates were elaborate structures made of brick and stone.
• There is evidence of stone-lined reservoirs that were likely used for harvesting rainwater.
• Intelligent traffic management, pedestrian-friendly pathways, grand gateways with guard houses, wide roads, and a vast open space.
• It is identified with Kalinganagara of Kharavela and Tosali of Ashoka.
• The construction of Sisupalgarh was based on JalaDurga(Water Fort) concept, which in Odia is known as the GadaKhai concept.
• Jala Durga is a type of Durga or fort, which must be situated within a water body.
• It is divided into two categories, viz., the Anterdvipa (Island fort) and the Sthala Durga (Land fort).
• Antardvipa-Durga (island fortress) is surrounded by natural (sea or river) water bodies.
• Sthala-Durga (plain fortress) is surrounded by artificial moats or irrigated by a river.

Source: The Hindu

GS-II

Why in News?

All-India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists threatens a country-wide agitation against e-pharmacies.

• Recently, the Ministry of Health has pulled up at least 20 companies including Tata-1mg, Flipkart, Apollo, PharmEasy, Amazon and Reliance Netmeds, by issuing them a show cause notice, for selling medicines online.

About E-Pharmacy:

• E-pharmacy, or online pharmacy, refers to a platform that allows customers to purchase medicines and other healthcare products online.
• E-pharmacies operate through websites or mobile apps where users can upload their prescriptions, select the products they need, and place orders.
• The products are then delivered to the customers’ doorstep leading to such mode becoming increasingly popular due to their convenience, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness.
• However, they also pose regulatory challenges and concerns related to the safety, authenticity, and quality of medicines sold online.

Draft e-pharmacy rules:

• The draft e-pharmacy rules were introduced in 2018, and were intended to whip e-pharmacy businesses into shape, but were shoved into cold storage.
• E-pharmacies made a bang in the market in 2015 by offering hefty discounts on medicines and calling themselves facilitators of doorstep delivery.
• However, companies like PharmEasy are building a supply chain from the ground up by buying out big and small wholesale drug distributors.
• Since 2015, e-pharmacies have recorded losses year-on-year. Tata-1 Mg posted a loss of ?146 crore in FY22, whereas PharmEasy’s losses widened to ?2,700 crore in the same fiscal.
• Both e-pharmacies and offline retail pharmacists have realized that it is futile to stick to any one way of doing business.

Associated concerns:

• The Centre is of the view that online sale of drugs without a doctor’s prescription or even otherwise, poses threats to the public health including drug abuse, especially among youth. Many instances of drug abuse, especially among youth have surfaced lately.
• It’s a great risk to national security as well as the online data can be misused for criminal activities by promoting addictive medicines.
• The government has been receiving various representations raising concerns regarding sale of drugs via online platforms in contravention to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 & rules there under.
• Some drugs are also being sold online which are only allowed for sale by retail under a valid prescription of a registered medical practitioner and supplied under the supervision of a pharmacist.
• Not just adults, children too use the internet, and this may cause severe health hazards in case we don’t put a ban on online sales.

Significance

• E-pharmacies are a part of the government’s intent to build digital infrastructure as a key pillar driving India’s long-term growth strategy.
• The potential of India’s over $344 million e-pharmacy market is promising and is expected to grow at an enviable 40-45% owing to its surging internet connectivity, mobile phone penetration, government initiatives, and rising investments.
• E-pharmacies can provide access to affordable and genuine medicines, especially in areas where traditional pharmacies may not be accessible.

Associated challenges:

• The Centre is of the view that online sale of drugs without a doctor’s prescription or even otherwise, poses threats to the public health including drug abuse, especially among youth. Many instances of drug abuse, especially among youth have surfaced lately.
• It’s a great risk to national security as well as the online data can be misused for criminal activities by promoting addictive medicines.
• The government has been receiving various representations raising concerns regarding sale of drugs via online platforms in contravention to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 & rules there under.
• Some drugs are also being sold online which are only allowed for sale by retail under a valid prescription of a registered medical practitioner and supplied under the supervision of a pharmacist.
• Not just adults, children too use the internet, and this may cause severe health hazards in case we don’t put a ban on online sales.

Laws regulating e-pharmacies:

• The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) first banned the online sale of medicines in 2015.
• The latest draft New Drugs, Medical Devices, and Cosmetics Bill, 2022, has comprehensive provisions including:
• Periodic inspections, complaint redressal mechanisms, monitoring e-pharmacies, and others.
• Indian regulations require that pharmacies, both online and offline, be registered with the central drugs regulator CDSCO and have permits from state regulators for sales and distribution.
• Previously, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry developed a self-regulation code for e-pharmacies in 2016.

Way Forward:

In recent years, the market penetration of e-pharmacies has seen a growth from 3% to 5%. It is an important option for consumers for buying chronic care medicines for diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiac issues, and so on.

Hence, an outright ban on heaving e-pharmacies to the hellbox must be avoided. It goes against the government’s intent of building digital infrastructure as a key pillar driving India’s long-term growth strategy.

Therefore, It is crucial for the government and stakeholders to work together towards ensuring that e-pharmacies operate efficiently and legitimately, while protecting the health and safety of the public.

Source: The Hindu  

Why in News?

According to the Academic Freedom Index report, India’s academic freedom index is in the bottom 30% among 179 countries in 2022.

• Academic freedom refers to the principle that scholars and researchers should have the freedom to pursue their research and express their findings without interference, censorship, or retaliation from the government, private institutions, or other external entities.

What is the Academic Freedom Index?

• It has been published by Global Public Policy Institute as a part of a global time-series dataset (1900-2019) in close cooperation with Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Scholars at Risk and the V‑Dem Institute.
• The report provides an overview of academic freedom in 179 countries by assessing five indicators. It is based on assessments by more than 2,197 country experts from around the world.
• The indicators include,
  • Freedom to research and teach
  • Freedom of academic exchange and dissemination,
  • Institutional autonomy of universities
  • Campus integrity
  • The freedom of academic and cultural expression.
• The scores are scaled from 0 (low) to 1 (high).

What are the Key Highlights of the Report?

• Global:
  • It identified 22 countries, including India, China, the United States and Mexico – where it said universities and scholars experience significantly less academic freedom today than they did ten years ago.
  • Only five small countries (Gambia, Uzbekistan, Seychelles, Montenegro, and Kazakhstan) representing 0.7 % of the global population, improved their rankings.
  • In the remaining 152 countries, academic freedom has stayed stagnant, For the average global citizen, academic freedom has gone back to levels last registered four decades ago.
  • Like China and India, populous countries like the United States of America and Mexico have recorded a decline in academic freedom over the past decade.
• Indian Overview:
  • India scored 0.38, lower than Pakistan’s 0.43 and the United States’ 0.79.
  • India’s freedom index score was high in the past, ranging from 0.60-0.70 between 1950 and 2012, except from 1974-1978.
  • China’s academic freedom index stood at 0.07 in 2022, occupying the bottom 10 %.
  • India scored low in campus integrity, which measures the extent to which campuses are free from politically motivated surveillance or security infringements.
  • India also fared poorly in institutional autonomy and academic and cultural expression related to political issues.
  • As for freedom to research and teach and freedom of academic exchange and dissemination, India did slightly better than the three indicators above.
• Factors for Declining India’s Score:
  • Around 2013, all aspects of academic freedom began to decline strongly, reinforced with the election in 2014.
  • A lack of a legal framework to protect academic freedom has enabled attacks on academic freedom under the ruling government.
  • There has been notable pressure on the institutional dimensions of academic freedom — institutional autonomy and campus integrity — combined with constraints on the academic freedom of expression.
• Suggestions:
  • The declines in India and China could bear more consequences as they are home to 2.8 billion people.
  • Call on higher education policymakers, university leaders, and research funders to promote academic freedom in their own academic institutions as well as abroad.

Source: DTE

Why in News?

About Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC):

• It is a regional organization that was established in 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration.
• Initially known as BIST-EC (Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation).
• It became renamed ‘BIMST-EC’ in 1997, following the inclusion of Myanmar.
• It became a  seven Member organization with the admission of Bhutan and Nepal in 2004.
• The BIMSTEC Charter was signed and adopted during the ‘Fifth BIMSTEC Summit’ held in the virtual format in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2022.
• It is headquartered in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• H. E. Mr. Tenzin Lekphell assumed office as the Secretary-General of BIMSTEC in 2020 as the third BIMSTEC Secretary-General.
• Chairmanship-the Chairmanship of BIMSTEC rotates according to the alphabetical order of the English names of the Member States.
• India hosted the first meeting of Governing Board of BIMSTEC Energy Centre in Bengaluru in 2023.

BIMSTEC Principles

• Cooperation within the BIMSTEC will be based on respect for the principle of sovereign equality, territorial integrity, political independence, non-interference in internal affairs, non-aggression, peaceful co-existence, mutual respect, and mutual benefit.
• Cooperation within the BIMSTEC will be complementary to and not be a substitute for bilateral, sub-regional, regional, or multilateral cooperation involving the Member States.

Source: DOWN TO EARTH

GS-III

Why in News?

The government of India recently announced that the sale of gold jewellery and gold artefacts hallmarked without a six-digit alphanumeric shall not be permitted from April 1, 2023.

About Bureau of Indian Standards(BIS):

• BIS is the National Standard Body of India established under the BIS Act 2016
• It works under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
• It was formerly the Indian Standards Institution (ISI), set up under the Resolution of the Department of Industries and Supplies in 1946.
• The ISI was registered under the Societies Registration Act, of 1860.
• A new Bureau of Indian standard (BIS) Act 2016 was brought into force in 2017.
• BIS has its Headquarters in New Delhi.
• President, Ex-officio: Hon’ble Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India.
• Vice President, Ex-officio: Hon’ble Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India.
• Objectives:  harmonious development of the activities of standardization, marking and quality certification of goods and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

BIS is involved in various activities as given below:

• Standards Formulation
• Product Certification Scheme
• Compulsory Registration Scheme
• Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme
• Hall Marking Scheme
• Laboratory Services
• Laboratory Recognition Scheme
• Sale of Indian Standards
• Consumer Affairs Activities
• Promotional Activities
• Training Services, National & International level
• Information Services

About Hallmark:

• Hallmarks are thus official marks used in many countries as a guarantee of the purity or fineness of precious metal articles.
• The principle objectives of the Hallmarking Scheme :
  • to protect the public against adulteration
  • to obligate manufacturers to maintain legal standards of fineness.
• Who issues Hallmark: Bureau of Indian Standards
• For which products: Gold and silver jewellery
• Applicable since: It is applicable for gold since 2000 and for silver since 2005.

Procedure For Obtaining Registration by Jeweller for Sale of Hallmarked Jeweller / Artefacts

• Any jeweller willing to obtain a certificate of registration for selling Hallmarked Gold and Silver Jewelry/artefacts shall apply online in the BIS portal.
• The certificate of registration is granted instantly to the jeweller without the need to upload any document or pay any fees for the same.
• The certificate of registration stands valid for a lifetime. 

About  Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID):

• HUID is a six-digit alphanumeric code .
• It is given to every piece of jewellery at the time of hallmarking and is unique for each piece.
• It is being implemented by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in a phased manner.
• Hallmarking & HUID are mandatory for 14-, 18- and 22-carat gold jewellery and artefacts.
• The Government has made it mandatory the introduction of a HUID number in every piece of jewellery.

Source: THE HINDU

Why in News?

Recent investigation by International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) revealed that India has become the second largest importer of "conflict wood" from Myanmar, after China. India hasn’t banned the import of teak from Myanmar, which is being exported to the US & EU.

These supplies of teak not only chip away at the Myanmar’s forest cover but also provide sustenance to the military regime of Myanmar.

• Following the military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, the military junta took over Myanma Timber Enterprises (MTE), with exclusive control over the country's valuable timber and teak trade. The sales of this "conflict" wood are a crucial source of income for the military regime.
• After Western sanctions on timber trade, India has become a popular stop for illegal timber trade.
• As per Forest Watch, between February 2021 and April 2022, Indian companies imported over USD 10 millions of teak.
• India is both the largest importer of teak, and the largest exporter of processed teak wood products in the world.

• About:
  • Teak wood from Myanmar's deciduous and evergreen forests is highly valued for its durability, resistance to water and termites, and is commonly used for high-end furniture, veneers, and ship-decking, especially in the luxury yacht industry. However, the forest cover and teak reserves in Myanmar are shrinking, which ironically increases the wood's value.
  • According to Global Forest Watch, Myanmar has lost forest cover equivalent to Switzerland's size over the last twenty years.
• Status of Myanmar Teak:
  • Teak (Tectona grandis) also known as sagon, sagwan, Indian oak, and teca. Its production covers 1% of global annual timber demand.
  • Teak, is a large deciduous tree native to India, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. Teak is highly tolerant of a range of climate conditions and can be found from very dry to very moist regions. It is high resistance to decay and insect damage, and the heartwood changes from olive green to golden brown after exposure.
  • This wood species is listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as endangered, but not listed in the CITES.
  • African teak (Pericopsis elata), also known as Afrormosia, Kokrodua and Assamela, has brown, green or yellow-brown bark. The African teak is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List 2004, and is listed on Appendix II of CITES.

• Steps Taken:
  • In 2013, the EU brought regulations, to prevent illegal timber from entering their markets (over 70% of the logs exported from Myanmar between 2000-2013 were illegally harvested).
  • After the military coup in February 2021, the EU and US imposed sanctions on all timber trade with Myanmar.
• Impact of these Sanctions:
  • Teak from Myanmar continues to flow into the US and some EU countries, while imports into countries like Italy, Croatia, and Greece have increased.
  • Traders in Myanmar and India face two challenges: the conflict on the ground and frequent changes in regulations by Myanmarese authorities.
  • After the ban on export of whole logs, a new regulation allowed only teak in "sizes" to be exported.
• Loopholes needs to be Plugged:
  • Timber traders suggest that buyers could conduct DNA testing to trace the origin of teak from Myanmar, despite sanctions in place. However, DNA testing is a relatively new concept and not yet commonly used in India.
  • Loopholes have been found in the regulations for exporting teak to EU countries, with some Indian companies not specifying the origin of the wood or using vague language in transit passes. These loopholes could be addressed to improve regulation.

What Steps can be Taken to Tackle Illegal Trade for Teak ?

• Use of science to tackle illegal timber trade, like:
• Digital Microscopes: In Brazil, for, the law enforcement staff has been trained to take macroscopic anatomical photographs of timber shipments they stop. Reporting Logging: The logging detection system can track activity in real time and report the data to local authorities or to anyone else in the world.
• DNA Profiling: All trees have a unique genetic fingerprint, allowing us to match sawn wood to its parent tree through DNA profiling.
• Isotope analysis: To identify wood’s geographic origin (climate, geology and biology), making them unique to an area.
• Near Infrared Spectroscopy: By exposing wood to near infrared electromagnetic energy, scientists can use spectroscopy to detect its traits and properties.
• Bridging international and national regulatory gap by effective and objective collaboration, like list this species in the CITES.
• Bring scientific solution to the wood’s replacement by other artificial materials.
• Develop genetically modified teak for bridging the demand and supply gap and lower cost in the illegal market.

Source: IE