{"id":14962,"date":"2021-04-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-27T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/uncategorized\/27-04-2021\/facts-in-news-136\/"},"modified":"2021-04-27T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-04-27T00:00:00","slug":"facts-in-news-136","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/27-04-2021\/facts-in-news-136","title":{"rendered":"Facts in News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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Facts in News<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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  • It is a dedicated fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It has been registered as a <\/span><\/span><\/span>Public Charitable Trust<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> & its trust deed has been registered under the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Registration Act, 1908<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> at New Delhi on <\/span><\/span><\/span>27<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>th<\/sup><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> March 2020<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • PM CARES conforms to <\/span><\/span><\/span>being a \u201cpublic account\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and as vast sums of money have been collected manifestly at the behest of the government of India, allowing the CAG to audit it.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It is not a <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u2018Public Authority<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u2019 Under <\/span><\/span><\/span>RTI Act.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Objective<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
      \n
    • To<\/span><\/span><\/span> undertake & support relief or assistance<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> of any kind relating to a public health emergency, calamity or distress, etc.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • To<\/span><\/span><\/span> render financial assistance, provide grants<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> of payments of money or take such other steps.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • Constitution of Trust<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
        \n
      • PM<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> is the <\/span><\/span><\/span>ex-officio Chairman<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • The <\/span><\/span><\/span>Ministers of Defence, Home Affairs & Finance <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>are<\/span><\/span><\/span> ex-officio Trustees<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • The Chairperson has the power to <\/span><\/span><\/span>nominate 3 trustees<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> (<\/span><\/span><\/span>eminent persons<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> in field of research, health, science, social work, law, public administration & philanthropy).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Appointees shall act in a<\/span><\/span><\/span> pro bono (for the public good) capacity<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
      • Financing<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
          \n
        • Consists entirely of <\/span><\/span><\/span>voluntary contributions<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> from individuals\/organisations & does not get any budgetary support.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • Qualifies for <\/span><\/span><\/span>80G benefits for 100% exemption <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>under the<\/span><\/span><\/span> Income Tax Act, 1961<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> & donations qualify as <\/span><\/span><\/span>Corporate Social Responsibility <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>(CSR) expenditure under the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Companies Act, 2013<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • Exempted under the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Foreign Contribution Regulation Act<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> (FCRA) and accepts donations from foreign individuals & organizations.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Zhurong Rover<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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  • It is <\/span><\/span><\/span>China\u2019s first Mars rover<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> & has been named after a<\/span><\/span><\/span> traditional fire god<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It is aboard the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Tianwen-1 probe <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>which will <\/span><\/span><\/span>land <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>on <\/span><\/span><\/span>Mars in May 2021<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
      \n
    • Tianwen-1 will analyse & map Martian surface & geology, looking for water ice and will study the climate & surface environment.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • China would become the <\/span><\/span><\/span>third country<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> after the<\/span><\/span><\/span> former USSR<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and <\/span><\/span><\/span>the US<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> to put a robot rover on Mars.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • The top candidate for the landing site is <\/span><\/span><\/span>Utopia Planitia<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, a <\/span><\/span><\/span>rock-strewn plain on Mars<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> where the <\/span><\/span><\/span>US lander Viking 2<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> touched down in <\/span><\/span><\/span>1976<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      (Image Courtesy: <\/span><\/span><\/span>SCMP<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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  • It is released by Singaporean non-profit group, <\/span><\/span><\/span>Chandler Institute of Governance<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, and classifies 104 countries in terms of government capabilities and outcomes.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • The index uses <\/span><\/span><\/span>34 indicators<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, which are <\/span><\/span><\/span>organised into 7 pillars:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> leadership & foresight, robust laws & policies, strong institutions, financial stewardship, attractive marketplace, global influence & reputation and helping people rise.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It taps over <\/span><\/span><\/span>50 publicly available global data sources<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> such as the <\/span><\/span><\/span>World Trade Organisation<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, <\/span><\/span><\/span>United Nations <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>and <\/span><\/span><\/span>World Bank<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Finland <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>has <\/span><\/span><\/span>topped <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>the list and <\/span><\/span><\/span>Venezuela <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>is at <\/span><\/span><\/span>bottom with 104th position<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • India <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>has been ranked <\/span><\/span><\/span>49<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>th<\/sup><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It shows the<\/span><\/span><\/span> importance of measuring and investing in governance capabilities<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> that matter and highlights a key need for \u2018<\/span><\/span><\/span>pracademics<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>(someone who is both an academic and an active practitioner in their subject area) in government.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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TRIPS<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n

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  • The TRIPS Agreement came into effect on 1 January 1995.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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    • The TRIPS agreement was negotiated in 1986-94 during the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Uruguay<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> round of the World Trade Organization (WTO<\/span><\/span><\/span>).<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • India is a member of the World Trade Organisation<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and committed to the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS Agreement).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • It is\u00a0 the <\/span><\/span><\/span>most comprehensive<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span>multilateral agreement<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> on <\/span><\/span><\/span>intellectual property.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • The areas of intellectual property that it covers are:\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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      • Copyright and related rights (i.e. the rights of performers, producers of sound recordings and broadcasting organizations)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Trademarks including service marks<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Geographical indications including appellations of origin<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Industrial designs<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Patents including the protection of new varieties of plants<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • The layout-designs of integrated circuits<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Undisclosed information including trade secrets and test data.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
      • The TRIPS Agreement introduced <\/span><\/span><\/span>global minimum standards for protecting <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>and enforcing nearly all forms of intellectual property rights (IPR), including those for patents.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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        • The Agreement lays down certain general principles applicable to all IPR enforcement procedures.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • In addition, it contains provisions on <\/span><\/span><\/span>civil and administrative<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> procedures and remedies, provisional measures, special requirements related to border measures and criminal procedures.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Compulsory Licensing<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n

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  • Compulsory licensing is when a government allows <\/span><\/span><\/span>someone else<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> to <\/span><\/span><\/span>produce a patented product<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> or process <\/span><\/span><\/span>without the consent<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> of the <\/span><\/span><\/span>patent owner<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> or plans to use the patent-protected invention itself.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It is one of the flexibilities in the field of patent protection included in the <\/span><\/span><\/span>WTO\u2019s agreement on intellectual property<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> \u2014 the T<\/span><\/span><\/span>RIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) Agreement<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n
    • The Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) does not specifically list the reasons that might be used to justify compulsory licensing.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • However, the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Doha Declaration<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> on TRIPS and Public Health confirms that countries are free to determine the grounds for granting compulsory licences, and to determine what constitutes a national emergency.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Compulsory Licencing is regulated under the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Indian Patent Act, 1970.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
        \n
      • As per <\/span><\/span><\/span>Clause 92 of the Patent Act<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, compulsory licenses can also be issued suo motu by the Controller of Patents pursuant to a notification issued by the Central Government in cases of national emergency, extreme urgency, public non-commercial use.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Breakthrough Infections<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n

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  • Breakthrough<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> infections happens when vaccinated people even those who have received both doses, testing positive for the virus<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
      \n
    • It is indicating that the virus has been able to <\/span><\/span><\/span>break through the defences<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> created by the <\/span><\/span><\/span>vaccine<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • Cases of breakthrough infections have led to some doubts being expressed about the effectiveness of the vaccine, and contributed to the already prevailing vaccine hesitancy.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Earlier, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) released data that <\/span><\/span><\/span>showed breakthrough<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> infections were extremely rare in India\u2019s vaccinated population, with an incidence rate of less than <\/span><\/span><\/span>0.05%.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
        \n
      • They point out that immune escape variants of SARS-CoV2 can also contribute to an increase in reinfections and potentially have an adverse effect on the efficacy of vaccines, leading to breakthrough infections.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n
        • Also, it typically takes about two weeks for the body to build immunity after being vaccinated, so the chances of a person falling sick during this period are as high \u2014 or as low \u2014 as the chances for any person who has not been vaccinated.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          \u00a0 Facts in News Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund It is a dedicated fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation. It has been registered as a Public Charitable Trust & its trust deed has been registered under the Registration Act, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14963,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[30,26,25,42],"class_list":["post-14962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs","tag-gs-2","tag-gs-3","tag-gs1","tag-literature"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2023\/07\/518950current-affairs.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14962"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14962\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}