Daily Current Capsules
26-27 June 2023
NANDI (NOC Approval for New Drug and Inoculation System) Portal
- Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, launched Nandi – NOC Approval for New Drug and Inoculation System portal
- With this portal, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) will facilitate the regulatory approval process with transparency to assess and examine veterinary product proposals will be more streamlined through seamless integration with the SUGAM portal of Central Drugs Standard Control Organization
Know! about NANDI
- In order to expedite regulatory process for approval of animal drugs and vaccines NANDI (NOC Approval for New Drug and Inoculation System) the department has developed NANDI portal through CDAC in coordination with Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO)
- NANDI will bring about growth and innovation by enabling quick and easy coordination between various Government Departments, Institutes, and Industry through a seamless interconnected system designed to expedite and strengthen the regulatory process.
- The portal has inbuilt features for end-to-end coordination between Departments, Committees/Subcommittee and Applicants.
Blackbucks
- Punjab’s state animal blackbuck census by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) at Shri Guru Jambeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary near Abohar in Fazilka district has revealed a drastic dip in its numbers.
- Wildlife Institute of India has stated that the blackbucks ‘are on the verge of extinction in Punjab’ as they were spotted at only up to 12 spots in the Abohar wildlife sanctuary in two population estimation exercises since December 2021
Know! about Abohar wildlife sanctuary
- Located in the heartland of the environment-loving community of Bishnois, the sanctuary is unique as it is owned entirely by private individuals or panchayats.
- A cluster of 13 villages in Sito Gunno tehsil was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1989 on the community’s demand to protect wild animals in their private lands.
- There is no restriction on public movement, members of the Bishnoi community voluntarily guard animals against poaching.
Know! about Blackbuck
- The Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), or the Indian Antelope, is a species of antelope native to India and Nepal.
- Once widespread throughout the Indian subcontinent, it has become extinct in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
- Only scattered herds are found in protected areas in India and Nepal.
- It lives mainly in open grasslands or dry deciduous forests
- The blackbuck is easily recognizable through the dark brown to black colour of the upper part of the coat of its males.
- It is widespread in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and other areas throughout peninsular India.
- It has been declared as the state animal by the governments of Punjab, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh.
Conservation status
-
- IUCN Red List: Least concerned.
- Wildlife Protection Act of 1972: Schedule I
- CITES: Appendix III
Joha rice
- Recently, scientists at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, explored the nutraceutical properties of aromatic Joha rice.
Know! about Joha rice
- Joha rice, aromatic rice cultivated in the Northeastern region of India is effective in lowering the blood glucose and preventing diabetes onset and hence is an effective nutraceutical of choice in diabetes management.
- Joha is a short-grain winter paddy known for its significant aroma and noteworthy taste.
- Joha rice is an indigenous rice of Assam and it is grown in Sali/ Kharif season
- The researchers also found that scented Joha rice has a more balanced ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in comparison to the widely consumed non-scented variety.
- It has got Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
- The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA) of required by human beings for maintaining the proper diet is around one.
- They have used this Joha rice to make rice bran oil, a patented product that they claim to be effective in diabetes management.
- Joha rice is also rich in several antioxidants, flavonoids, and phenolics.
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
- BIS recently notified 31 Indian standards related to Ayush, which includes 30 herbs and 1 product (stainless steel neti pot). These standards were recently published through a gazette notification.
Know! bout Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
- BIS is the National Standards Body of India established under the BIS Act 2016.
- Objective: Harmonious development of the activities of standardisation and quality assurance of goods and articles.
- It works under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
- BIS represents India in International Organization for Standardization (ISO)and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
Know! about ISO
- It is an independent, non-governmental international organisation with a membership of 167 national standard bodies.
- Through its members, it brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market-relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges.
Know! about IEC
- The IEC is a global, not-for-profit membership organisation whose work underpins quality infrastructure and international trade in electrical and electronic goods.
- The IEC brings together more than 170 countries and provides a global, neutral and independent standardisation platform to 20 000 experts globally.
- It administers 4 Conformity assessment systems whose members certify that devices, systems, installations, services and people work as required.
UDYAMI BHARAT
- On the occasion of International MSME Day, Ministry of MSME celebrated ‘Udyami Bharat-MSME Day’ on 27th June, 2023
- During this programme, Ministry of MSME launched various initiatives for growth and development of MSMEs such as CHAMPIONS 2.0 Portal and Mobile App for Geo-tagging of Cluster Projects and Technology Centers.
- During the programme results for ‘MSME Idea Hackathon 2.0’ was declared and ‘MSME Idea Hackathon 3.0’ for Women Entrepreneurs has been launched
Creation and Harmonious Application of Modern Processes for Increasing Output and National Strength (CHAMPIONS) portal
- It was launched on June 1, 2020, by the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises.
- It is a single-window grievance redressal portal for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
- The portal operates in a Hub & Spoke Model, with the Hub located in New Delhi at the Secretary MSME’s office, and the spokes in various offices and institutions of the Ministry located in different states.
- The portal has expanded its scope by onboarding 25 ministries/departments/government institutions, 32 state governments, and 58 banks to cater to the operational requirements.
CHAMPIONS 2.0) portal
- The revamped CHAMPIONS 2.0 portal incorporates AI-driven chatbots to enhance user experience and provide efficient grievance redressal.
- The portal is available in 11 languages, including Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, and Kannada, to cater to a wider audience.
- It includes a real-time feedback mechanism for analysis, allowing users to provide feedback on their experience with the portal.
E Sewa Kendras
- 815 eSewa Kendras have been made under 25 High Courts, benefiting all the stakeholders to avail citizen-centric services of courts and case-related information conveniently.
Know! about eSewa Kendras
- eSewa Kendras have been rolled out to bridge the digital divide by providing e filing services to lawyers and litigants.
- Covering all High Courts and one District Court as pilot project, it is being expanded to cover all court complexes.
- The eSewa Kendras are being set up at the entry point of the court complexes with the intention of facilitating the lawyer or litigant who needs any kind of assistance ranging from information to facilitation and e filing.
Know! about e-Resource Center
- On 30 October 2020, India’s first e-Resource Center was inaugurated at Nagpur in Maharashtra.
- The e-Resource Centre “Nyay Kaushal” will facilitate e-filing of cases in Supreme Court India, High Courts and District Courts across the country
- It will also assist the lawyers and litigants in access online e-Courts services and shall be the saviour for those who cannot afford the technology.
- It will provide benefits in saving time, avoidance of exertion, travelling long distances, and saving cost by offering facilities of e-filing of cases across the country, to conduct the hearing virtually, Scanning, Accessing e-Courts services etc.
Kharchi Puja
- The Prime Minister has greeted people on the occasion of Kharchi Puja.
- Kharchi Puja is a festival where the 14 gods that comprise the dynastic deity of the Tripuri community are worshipped in the state of Tripura in northeast India.
- The rituals are observed for a whole week in the temple dedicated to the 14 gods which is located in the state’s capital city of Agartala.
- The festival is celebrated on the 8th day of the new moon in the month of July. It can also sometimes fall in the month of June or August.
Odisha Gunvatta Sankalp
- The Government of Odisha & the Quality Council of India, in collaboration with industry associations – ASSOCHAM, FICCI, EEPC, OASME, PHDCCI, CIPET, FHRAI – launched the Odisha Gunvatta Sankalp (Odisha Quality Mission) at Bhubaneswar
Know! about Odisha Gunvatta Sankalp
- The objective of the mission is to promote and prioritize quality across various sectors in the state of Odisha, creating an ecosystem of quality that contributes to the progress and empowerment of Odisha.
- The launch of Odisha Gunvatta Sankalp aims to foster collaboration between policymakers, industry leaders, practitioners, and academia to drive the culture of quality in Odisha.
- The mission aspires to create a progressive and empowered Odisha by emphasizing the importance of quality in various sectors.
- The collaboration between the Government of Odisha, QCI, and industry associations demonstrates a collective effort to prioritize and promote quality for the overall development of the state.
- QCI will be working closely with the government to make sure that these interventions get materialized at the earliest.
Quality Council of India
- The Quality Council of India, established in 1997 by the Government of India and the Indian industry, is the apex organisation in India responsible for establishing and operating the third-party national accreditation system, improving quality across sectors and advising the government and other stakeholders on all matters concerning quality.
- It has established constituent Boards that offer accreditation in respective areas – such as NABL for labs and NABH for hospitals, NABCB for certification and inspection bodies, and NABET for education and training.
- Its National Board for Quality Promotion is responsible for running the national quality campaign.
- The Chairperson of QCI, nominated by the Prime Minister of India
KEEP Learning KEEP Evolving
TEAM CL/GKP