8 September 2022 – Current Affairs

New Name of Rajpath

Paper 2 – Governance

Why Should You Know?

The Road from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate which is currently known as Rajpath has been renamed, now it is known as ‘Kartavya Path’.

In details –

• Rajpath will henceforth be known by its new name, ‘Kartavya Path’. New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) has approved it in its meeting.
• Rajpath is the road from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, which is 3 kilometers in length. Every year the parade takes place on the Rajpath itself on Republic Day.
• The Central Government recently decided to change its name to ‘Kartavya Path’. To finalize this, a meeting was called by the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) recently.
• The proposal to change the name has been approved in the meeting. Now from the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at India Gate to the entire road and area of ​​Rashtrapati Bhavan will be known as ‘Kartavya Path’.

New Infrastructure –

• Over the years, Rajpath and adjoining areas of the Central Vista Avenue had been witnessing pressure of increasing traffic of visitors, putting stress on its infrastructure. It lacked basic amenities like public toilets, drinking water, street furniture and adequate parking space.
• Further, there was inadequate signage, poor maintenance of water features and haphazard parking. Also, a need was felt to organise the Republic Day parade and other National events in a less disruptive manner with minimal restrictions on public movement.
• The redevelopment has been done bearing these concerns in mind while also ensuring the integrity and continuity of architectural character.
• Kartavya Path will exhibit beautified landscapes, lawns with walkways, added green spaces, refurbished canals, new amenity blocks, improved signages and vending kiosks.
• Further, new pedestrian underpasses, improved parking spaces, new exhibition panels and upgraded night lighting are some other features that will enhance the public experience.
• It also includes a number of sustainability features like solid waste management, stormwater management, recycling of used water, rainwater harvesting, water conservation and energy efficient lighting systems, among others.

Name changed in the past –

• The name of Rajpath has been changed for the third time. During the British rule, the name of this road was Kingsway.
• After independence, its name was changed to ‘Rajpath’, which is the Hindi translation of Kingsway.
• Now its name has been changed to Kartavya Path.

History –

• In 1911, when the British shifted their capital from Kolkata to Delhi, the responsibility of designing the new capital was given to Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.
• The Rajpath was completed in 1920. Then it was called Kingsway i.e. ‘King’s Way’.
• In 1905, a road was built in London in honor of George V’s father, which was named Kingsway. The road built in his honor in Delhi was also named Kingsway. George V came to Delhi in 1911, where he announced the new capital.
• After independence, its name was changed to ‘Rajpath’. However, this was the Hindi translation of Kingsway itself.
• Republic Day parade is being held at Rajpath for 75 years. Now the central government has decided to change its name to ‘Kartavya Path’.

MoU between India-Britain

Paper 2 – International Relations

Why Should You Know?

Recently Cabinet approved the Memorandum of Understanding signed on mutual recognition of academic qualifications between India and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

In details –

• The Union Cabinet in its meeting held on September 7, 2022 chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi granted ex post facto approval for the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on mutual recognition of academic qualifications signed on 25.04.2022.
• Mutual Recognition of Qualifications between India and UK aims to promote academic collaboration and student mobility.
• The request from UK side to grant recognition to their One Year Masters Programme was considered, and during the meeting between the Education Ministers of the two countries held on 16 December 2020 in New Delhi, a decision was taken to set up a joint task force for this purpose.
• The first meeting was held on 04th February, 2021 and subsequently after detailed deliberations and negotiations both sides agreed on the draft MoU.

Objective –

• The MoU aims to facilitate the mutual recognition of educational qualifications, periods of study undertaken, documents related to academic degrees/qualifications and accreditation by educational institutions within the two countries.
• Professional degrees like Engineering, Medicine, Nursing and Para-Medical Education, Pharmacy, Law, and Architecture are out of the purview of this MoU. It will also facilitate establishment of Joint/Dual degree courses between Higher Education Institutions, one of our objectives under NEP 2020 for Intel-nationalization of Education.

Significance –

• This MoU will promote bilateral exchange of information about educational structure, programs and standards and increase mobility of students and professionals between the two countries.
• It will also encourage other areas of cooperation in education sector, development of study programs as mutually agreed upon by the Parties.
• This MoU shall recognize equivalence in accordance with parity with regard to acceptability of qualifications as approved under national policy, law, rules and regulations of the two countries.

Long Term Lease of Railway Land

Paper 2 – Governance

Paper 3 – Economy

Why Should You Know?

Recently Cabinet approved policy on long term leasing of Railways Land for implementing PM Gati Shakti framework.

In details –

• The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the Ministry of Railway’s proposal to revise the railways’ land policy to implement PM Gati Shakti framework  (Cargo related activities, Public utilities & Railway’s exclusive use).

Impact –

• This will help in attracting more cargo to railways, increase railways’ modal share in freight transportation thereby reducing logistics cost of the industry.
• This will bring more revenue to railways.
• This will simplify approvals for utilities as envisaged in PM Gati Shakti Programme.  This will help in development of public utilities like electricity, gas, water supply, telecom cable, sewage disposal, drains, optical fibre cables (OFC), pipelines, roads, flyovers, but terminals, regional rail transport, urban transport etc. in an integrated manner.
• This policy amendment will enable employment generation potential of about 1.2 lakh employment.

Financial Implications –

• No additional expenditure will be incurred.  Liberalizing the land leasing policy would open avenues for all stakeholders / service providers / operators to establish more cargo related facilities and render their participation assisting in generation of additional cargo traffic and freight revenues to Railways.

Implementation strategy and target –

• Comprehensive Policy document will be framed and implemented within 90 days of cabinet approval.
• The approvals for setting up utilities envisaged under PM Gati Shakti Programme will be simplified.
• 300 PM Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals would be developed over the next five years.

Background:

• Railways’ organization and network spans the entire country.  However, railways with its existing land policies could not integrate well with other modes of infrastructure.  Thus, a need was felt to streamline and simplify Railway’s land lese policy to enable faster integrated planning and development of infrastructure across the country under PM Gati Shakti framework.
• Extant policy permits licensing of railway land for a short period upto five years for any railway related activity. 
• Such short-term license period does not attract any serious investors for creating multi-modal cargo hubs. 
• Long term leasing of railway land upto 35 years is allowed for leasing government land mainly to Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), thereby limiting the scope of investments in cargo terminals. 
• Since rail is an efficient mode of transport it is essential to more freight by rail so as to reduce the logistics cost of the industry. 
• To enhance the modal share of rail in freight transportation need has been felt to modify the land leasing policy to encourage development of more cargo terminals.

India and UAE Cooperation

Paper 2 – International Relations

Why Should You Know?

Recently Cabinet approved signing of memorandum of Understanding between India and United Arab Emirates on cooperation in the field of Education

In details –

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Education, Government of India and the Ministry of Education of the Government of United Arab Emirates on cooperation in the field of Education.
• The objective of the MoU is to further strengthen our ongoing educational collaboration between India and UAE and widen the scope of our engagements.
• An MoU was signed in 2015 with UAE in the field of Education which expired in 2018. In 2019, at a meeting between Education Ministers of the two countries, UAE side proposed to sign a new MoU. The new MoU incorporates changes brought in by the National Education Policy 2020 in India’s education ecosystem.

Objective –

• This MoU aims to promote Exchange of Information Education, Capacity Development of Technical and vocational Education and Training (TVET) teaching staff, Facilitation of academic collaboration between Higher Education Institutions in both the countries for offering Twinning, Joint Degree and Dual Degree Programmes and any such other areas agreed upon.

Significance –

• This MoU will rejuvenate educational cooperation and increase academic mobility between India and UAE besides facilitating exchange information in order to promote mutual recognition of these qualifications.
• It also covers cooperation in TVET as UAE is a major work destination for Indians.

Validation –

• The MoU will be valid for a period of five years from the date of signing and will be automatically renewable with the consent of both parties. Once signed, this MoU shall supersede the earlier MoU signed with UAE in 2015, which will then cease to have effect.

PM SHRI Schools Scheme

Paper 2 – Education

Why Should You Know?

On September 7, 2022 Cabinet approves a new centrally sponsored Scheme – PM SHRI Schools (PM ScHools for Rising India).

In details –

• On September 7, 2022 The Union Cabinet today, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, approved a new centrally sponsored scheme – PM SHRI Schools (PM ScHools for Rising India).
• This will be a new scheme for development of more than 14500 schools across the country as PM SHRI Schools by strengthening select existing schools being managed by Central Government/ State/ UT Government/ local bodies.
• PM SHRI Schools will showcase all components of the National Education Policy 2020, act as exemplar schools and also offer mentorship to other schools in their vicinity.
• The PM SHRI schools will deliver quality teaching for the cognitive development of students and will strive to create and nurture holistic and well-rounded individuals equipped with key 21st century skills.
• Scheme of PM SHRI  schools (PM ScHools for Rising India) is to be implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with a total project cost of Rs. 27360 crore which includes a central share of Rs. 18128 crore for the period of five years from year 2022-23 to 2026-27.

Key features –

• PM SHRI will provide high-quality education in an equitable, inclusive and joyful school environment that takes care of the diverse background, multilingual needs, and different academic abilities of children and makes them active participants in their own learning process as per the vision of NEP 2020.
• PM SHRI Schools will provide leadership to other schools in their respective regions by providing mentorship.
• The PM SHRI  Schools will be developed as Green schools, incorporating environment friendly aspects like solar panels and LED lights, nutrition gardens with natural farming, waste management, plastic free, water conservation and harvesting, study of traditions/practices related to protection of environment, climate change related hackathon and awareness generation to adopt sustainable lifestyle.
• Pedagogy adopted in these schools will be more experiential, holistic, integrated, play/toy-based (particularly, in the foundational years) inquiry-driven, discovery-oriented, learner-centred, discussion-based, flexible and enjoyable.
• Focus will be on learning outcomes of every child in every grade. Assessment at all levels will be based on conceptual understanding and application of knowledge to real life situations and will be competency-based.
• Assessment of the resources available and their effectiveness in terms of availability, adequacy, appropriateness, and utilisation for each of the domains and their key performance indicators will be done and gaps will be filled in a systematic and planned manner.
• Linkage with Sector Skill Councils and local industry for enhancing employability and providing better employment opportunities will be explored.
• A School Quality Assessment Framework (SQAF) is being developed, specifying the key performance indicators to measure outcomes. Quality evaluation of these schools at regular interval will be undertaken to ensure the desired standards.

Major points –

Major illustrative interventions of Scheme of PM SHRI Schools (PM Schools for Rising India) are:

• Quality and Innovation (Learning Enhancement Programme, Holistic Progress Card, Innovative Pedagogies, Bagless days, Internships with Local artisans, Capacity building etc.)
• Beneficiary oriented entitlements under RTE Act. 100% of PM SHRI Schools will receive Science and Math Kits.
• Annual School Grants (Composite School grants, Library grant, Sports grant)
• Early Childhood Care and Education including Balvatika and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
• Equity and Inclusion including provision of safe and appropriate infrastructure for girls and CWSN.
• Encouraging flexibility in choice of subjects offered to students.
• Encouraging mother tongue/local languages as medium of instruction using technological interventions to help bridge language barriers.
• ICT, smart classrooms and digital libraries for using digital pedagogy. 100% of the PM SHRI Schools will be covered under ICT, smart classrooms and digital initiatives.
• Strengthening of existing infrastructure
• Vocational interventions & Enhancing internship / entrepreneurship opportunities especially with local industry. Mapping of skills with developmental projects/nearby industry and develop courses/curriculum accordingly.
• Saturation approach will be adopted to develop these schools with all modern facilities. Science labs, Library, ICT facility and Vocational labs etc. will be provided to all the schools.

Green School initiatives –

• Further, the scheme envisages convergence with existing schemes /Panchayati Raj Institutions/ Urban Local bodies and community participation for infrastructure upgradation of the school and creation of facilities.

Implementation strategy –

• PM SHRI Schools would be implemented through the existing administrative structure available for Samagra Shiksha, KVS & NVS. The other autonomous bodies would be involved on specific project basis as required.
• These schools shall be monitored vigorously to assess progress and understand the challenges faced in implementation of National Education Policy 2020.

Selection Methodology –

• Selection of PM SHRI schools will be done through Challenge Mode wherein Schools compete for support to become exemplar schools. Schools would be required to self-apply on the online portal. The portal will be opened four times a year, once every quarter, for first two years of the scheme.
• The Elementary schools (Class 1-5/1-8) & the Secondary/ Sr. Secondary Schools (Class1-10/1-12/6-10/6-12) managed by Centre/State/UT Governments / local self-governments having UDISE+ code would be considered for selection under the Scheme. 
• Selection would be done through a three-stage process with definite time lines, which is as follows: –
• Stage-1: States/UTs would sign MoU agreeing to implement NEP in entirety with Centre laying down the commitments for supporting these schools for achieving specified quality assurance as PM SHRI schools.

• Stage-2: In this stage, a pool of schools that are eligible to be selected as PM SHRI Schools would be identified based on prescribed minimum benchmark through UDISE+ data.
• Stage-3: This stage is based on the challenge method for fulfilling certain criteria. Only the schools from the above eligible pool of schools would compete to fulfill the challenge conditions. Fulfillment of conditions would be certified by States/KVS/JNV through physical inspection.

• States/UTs/KVS/JNV shall verify the claims reported by Schools and recommend the list of schools to the Ministry.
• Maximum two schools (one Elementary & one Secondary/Senior Secondary) would be selected per block/ULB with upper limit of number of total schools across India.Geo-tagging of schools for the selection and monitoring of PM SHRI schools will be done. The services of Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) will be taken for geo-tagging and other related tasks. An Expert committee would be constituted for final selection of schools.

Quality Assurance of PM SHRI Schools

• Showcase of NEP 2020
• Student registry  for tracking enrolment and learning progress
• Improvement in learning outcomes of each child to achieve levels above state and national average
• Every middle grade child exposed/oriented to cutting edge and 21st century skills
• Every secondary grade child passes out with at least one skill
• Sports, Arts, ICT for every child
• Sustainable and Green schools
• Each school linked/connected to Higher Education Institutions for mentoring
• Every school linked/connected to local entrepreneurial ecosystem
• Every child counselled for psychological well-being and career
• Students will be rooted to knowledge and heritage of India, proud of civilizational ethos and values of Bharat, aware of India’s contribution to the world, conscious of duties towards society, living beings and the nature, communicatively competent in Indian languages, respecting inclusivity, equality and unity in diversity, sense of service and furthering the spirit of  ‘Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat’.
• Character-building, citizenship values, fundamental duties and responsibilities towards nation-building
• These schools will be developed as vibrant schools focusing on all round development of children.

Beneficiaries –

• More than 18 lakh students are expected to be direct beneficiaries of the scheme.
• Futher impact will be generated through the mentoring and handholding of the schools in vicinity of PM SHRI schools.

MoU between India and Maldives

Paper 2 – International Relations

Paper 3 – Disaster Management

Why Should You Know?

Recently Cabinet approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of Disaster Management between India and the Republic of Maldives.

In details –

• The Union Cabinet, Chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister has ex-post facto approved  the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 02nd August, 2022 between the National Disaster Management Authority of the Republic of India and the National Disaster Management Authority of the Republic of Maldives on cooperation in the field of Disaster Management.

Benefits –

• The MoU seeks to put in place a system, whereby both India and Maldives will be benefited from the Disaster Management mechanisms of each other and it will help in strengthening the areas of preparedness, response and capacity building in the field of Disaster Management.

Salient features of the MoU –

• The Parties will extend mutual support on the request of one Party in the time of large scale disaster incident occurring within its territory, in the field of emergency relief, response, humanitarian assistance
• The Parties will exchange information and share experiences and best practices of disaster response, mitigation, planning and preparedness.
• The Parties will share satellite remote sensing data and expertise of space technology base applications for effective disaster mitigation, including exchange of information on disaster on prevention and risk assessment.
• The Parties will extend cooperation in the field of advanced information technology, early warning systems, remote sensing, satellite communication & navigation services.
• To consider training and capacity building programme for sectoral mainstreaming in disaster risk reduction, the parties will provide opportunities to train senior officials and rescue personnel of emergency management service in the short and long term trainings.
• The Parties will exchange information about the domestic and international exhibitions as well as exercises to be held in both countries and also cooperate in areas such as research, knowledge exchange, faculty support programmes, documentation in the areas of disaster risk reduction and academic programmes in disaster resilience & climate change adaptation.
• The parties will determine further cooperation in other activities related to disaster management.
• The Parties may exchange Tsunami Advisories, Storm Surge, High Wave Alert, Multi Hazard vulnerability information and multi hazard risk assessment due to oceanogenic disasters along their coastal zones.
• The Parties may exchange information about Numerical weather Predication (NWP) products and Extended Range Forecast (ERF).
• The Parties may exchange information including provision of access by Indian side to the Real Time Analysis of Products and Information Dissemination (RAPID) for visualization of Indian Weather Satellite Data as well as providing training on NWP and Satellite Meteorology by IMD.
• The Parties will initiate an annual disaster management exercise that will be held in the different geographic settings of both nations.

US Startup SETU

Paper 2 –International Relations

Paper 3 –Economy

Why Should You Know?

On September 8, 2022 TheCentral Minister Shri Piyush Goyal launches US Startup SETU –(Supporting Entrepreneurs in Transformation and Upskilling programme) in Sanfrancisco

In details –

• The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal launched the US Startup SETU – Supporting Entrepreneurs in Transformation and Upskilling programme in the Bay Area of San Francisco.
• The initiative would connect start-ups in India to US-based investors and start-up ecosystem leaders with mentorship and assistance in various areas including funding, market access and commercialization.
• The programme was launched at a luncheon interaction focused on specific issues related to start-up ecosystem in India. The meeting focused on ways to encourage domestic incorporation and mentorship of early-stage Indian startups by successful diaspora members in the Bay Area.

About SETU –

• SETU is designed to break the geographical barriers between mentors based in US that are willing to invest in entrepreneurship and sunrise startups in India.
• The interaction will be supported through the mentorship portal under the Startup India initiative MAARG, or the Mentorship, Advisory, Assistance, Resilience, and Growth program, which is a single-stop solution finder for startups in India.
• The portal has been developed with the idea to be accessible from every corner of the country to connect with a mentor. A mentor will offer human intelligence in guiding the startups.
• It may be noted that till date, more than 200 mentors have been successfully onboarded on MAARG across the globe.

About MAARG portal –

• The core functions of MAARG are to improve ease of access, use Artificial Intelligence for Matchmaking, schedule meetings virtually, host masterclasses, provide a custom dashboard for relevant information, analytics, features, etc., host cohort-based programs that will allow startup ecosystem enablers to be become a part of the program and enable outcome driven activities.

Significance –

• The minister held frank and fruitful discussions with venture capitalists and industry leaders in the area during several meetings he held in the Bay Area. Venture capitalists and other investors expressed optimism about the business outlook in India.
• It is estimated that about 90% of the start-ups and more than half of the well-funded startups fail in their early days. Lack of experience in handling the business is a key issue, and founders require the right guidance for taking a decision and moral support.
• As India heads towards becoming a supreme start-up destination, the right guidance at the right time is paramount. The Government of India invites the stalwarts, seasoned experts, and industry leaders to give back to the nation by adding value to a startup’s journey.
• MAARG is inviting applications from Mentors across the world. Till date, more than 200 mentors have been on-boared on MAARG across the globe. The applications have come from distinguished individuals representing the industry and the startup ecosystem.

Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority

Paper 3- Economy

Why Should You Know?

Recently the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority completed its sixth year of establishment.Let’s know about it

In details –

• The Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) and the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) organised a seminar on the occasion of the 6th Foundation Day of IEPFA here today, to promote financial literacy and investor awareness and protection among investors.
• Smt Anita Shah Akella. CEO, IEPFA, delivered the keynote address on the IEPFA Foundation Day. Smt. Akella highlighted the imperative of educating investors and ensuring that all stakeholders are guaranteed their rightful shares, dividends and debentures.
• The panellists used attractive and live examples to educate the audience about possible frauds and diligence in making banking transactions, especially in the context of increasing digitisation. The seminar was characterised by active participation from the audience and interaction between the panellists and the audience.
• The seminar was widely attended by the investor community, NCAER faculty, IEPFA staff, and students from the economics and business streams from various colleges, among others.
• The IEPF Chair has been established at NCAER with the support of the IEPFA under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India. Dr Saggar leads a group focused on research and policy outreach in the broad area of regulatory and public policies, including concerns about investor education and protection and financial sector reforms.
• The seminar concluded with a Panel Discussion on “Investor Protection in a Digital World”, focusing on the need for safeguarding investors in an environment of increasing digitisation of financial transactions. The panel included eminent experts from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), IEPFA and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the cyber crime division of the Delhi Police etc.

About IEPFA –

• The Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) was set up on September 7, 2016, under the aegis of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India,
• It is set up for administering the Investor Education and Protection Fund for making refunds of shares, unclaimed dividends, and matured deposits/debentures, among other things, to investors.
• It is setup under the provisions of section 125 of the Companies Act, 2013.

Objectives –

• The Authority is entrusted with the responsibility of administration of the Investor Education Protection Fund (IEPF)
• Make refunds of shares, unclaimed dividends, matured deposits/debentures etc. to investors
• Promote awareness among investors

About NCAER –

• NCAER is India’s oldest and largest independent economic think tank, set up in 1956 to inform policy choices for both the public and private sectors.
• It is one of a few independent think tanks world-wide that combines rigorous economic analysis and policy outreach with deep data collection capabilities, particularly for large-scale household surveys.
• NCAER is led by its Director General, Dr Poonam Gupta, the institution’s first woman head, who assumed office on 1 July 2021, and it is governed by an independent Governing Body currently chaired by Mr Nandan M. Nilekani.

Statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

Paper 1– History

Why Should You Know?

On September 8,2022 the Prime Minister of India shri Narendra Modi is going to unveil 28ft statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, in Delhi.

In details –

• A grand statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, will be unveiled by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 8th of September 2022 near India Gate in New Delhi.
• The jet black granite statue, measuring a total of 28 ft. will be placed under the Canopy near India Gate.
• The grand statue of Netaji being unveiled has been carved from a monolithic block of granite weighing 280 MT. After 26,000 man hours of intense artistic endeavor, the granite monolith was chiseled to produce a statue weighing 65 MT.
• The statue is completely hand sculpted using traditional techniques and modern tools. The team of sculptors for executing the statue was led by Shri. Arun Yogiraj.
• The statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, which will be unveiled by the Prime Minister, is being installed in the same place where a hologram statue of Netaji was unveiled earlier this year on ParakramDiwas(January 23) by him to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji.
• The 28 feet tall towering statue of Netaji is one of the tallest, realistic, monolithic, handmade sculptures in India. The  PM had on 21st January 2022 assured that a grand statue of Netaji made of granite will be installed at India Gate as a symbol of the nation’s indebtedness to him.
• A 100 feet long truck with 140 wheels was specially designed for this monolithic granite stone to travel the 1665 kms from Khammam in Telangana to New Delhi.

Cultural Activities –

• The  Prime Minister’s arrival at the canopy for the unveiling of the statue of Netaji will be heralded with traditional Manipuri ShankhVadayam and Kerala’s traditional PanchVadayam and Chanda.  The unveiling of the statue of Netaji would be accompanied to the tune of Kadam KadamBadhayejaa, the traditional INA song.
• To demonstrate the spirit of Ek Bharat – Shrestra Bharat & Unity in Diversity a cultural festival by 500 dancers drawn from all parts of the country, would be showcased on the Kartvya Path. 
• The glimpse of the same would be shown to the  Prime Minster on the step Amphitheatre near India Gate by around 30 artists who will perform tribal folk art forms such as Sambalpuri, Panthi, Kalbelia, Kargam and dummy horse with live music  by Nashik DholPathik Tasha and Drums.
• Mangalgaan penned by Padma Bhushan Pt. ShrikrishnaRatanjankarji on the auspicious occasion of 1st Independence Day of India in 1947 is being presented by Pt. SuhasVashi along with a team of singers and musicians. Shri. Ashish Keskar will be the music director for the presentation.
• The festival at Kartvya path would commence on 8th September, 2022 after the main function and  will also continue on 9th, 10, & 11th September, 2022.
• A special 10 minute Drone Show on Netaji’s life would be projected at India Gate on 9th, 10th & 11th September, 2022.  Both the cultural festival and the drone show would be open to public with free entry.

BBV154 – A Nasal Covid Vaccine

Paper 2 – Health

Why Should You Know?

Recently First Nasal Vaccine against COVID- 19 supported by DBT-BIRAC got emergency use authorization from India drug regulator DCGI.

In details –

• Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and its PSU, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is delighted to announce approval from DCGI for emergency use authorization first of its kind intranasal COVID-19 Vaccine to Bharat Biotech (BBIL).
• Supported by DBT and BIRAC under the aegis of Mission COVID Suraksha, the mission was launched by DBT and implemented by BIRAC to reinforce and accelerate COVID-19 vaccine development efforts as part of Aatmanirbhar 3.0. Scientific leadership at various levels of vaccine development was provided by DBT laboratories and BIRAC.
• This is the fourth success story for the Covid-19 vaccine under mission Covid Suraksha.
• The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved Bharat Biotech’s intranasal Covid vaccine (BBV154) for restricted emergency use in those aged above 18 years.
• BBV154 is an intranasal replication-deficient chimpanzee adenovirus SARS-CoV-2 vectored vaccine. It consists of a replication deficient ChAd vector expressing the stabilized Spike SARS-CoV-2 (Wuhan variant).
• BBV154 has been specifically formulated to allow intranasal delivery. According to the company, it may produce local antibodies in the upper respiratory tract – which could provide the potential to reduce infection and transmission.
• The nasal delivery system has been designed and developed to be cost-effective in low and middle-income countries.
• Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) completed clinical trials of the nasal vaccine with about 4,000 volunteers.
• There have been no side effect or adverse reaction reported so far, according to sources of company.
• BBIL had said last month that the vaccine was proven safe, well-tolerated, and immunogenic in subjects in controlled clinical trials phase -3.
• Two separate and simultaneous clinical trials were conducted to evaluate BBV154 as a primary dose (2-dose) schedule and a heterologous booster dose for subjects who have previously received 2 doses of the two commonly administered Covid vaccines — Covishield and Covaxin — in India.
• The DCGI has also granted permission to BBI to conduct phase-3 clinical trial to compare the immunogenecity and safety of BBV154 with Covaxin.