Prelim Bits 22-07-2023 | UPSC Daily Current Affairs

Intellectual Property Rights Policy Management framework

• Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) - It refers to the legal rights that protect the creations of the mankind.
• These creations include inventions, literary and artistic works, symbols, names, and images used in commerce.
• Objective - To provide creators with exclusive rights to their intellectual property and to prevent others from using, selling, or reproducing their work without permission.
• Intellectual Property Rights Policy Management (IPRPM) framework was launched in the form of National IPR Policy 2016.
• It encompasses all IPRs into a single vision document setting in place an institutional mechanism for implementation, monitoring and review of IP laws.
• The framework includes the intellectual property rights of Patents, Trade mark, Industrial Designs, Copyrights, Geographical Indications, Semiconductor Integrated Circuit Layout Design, Trade Secret, and Plant Varieties.

India is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and has signed the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

References

1. PIB | Intellectual Property Rights Policy Management framework

2. Legal Service India | Intellectual Property Rights

Kodava Community

Members of the Kodava community are demanding constituencies in Parliament and the Karnataka Assembly on the lines of the Sangha virtual constituency.

• Origin – One theory says they are the descendants of Alexander the Great, while another traces their origins to a band of Kurds from Iraq.
• Habitat - Kodavas are a unique race of people who live in Kodagu (Coorg), the smallest district in Karnataka.
• Occupation - This land-owning community known for its martial traditions, has a distinct culture that is strikingly different from that of the neighbouring cultures.
• Language - Kodava language does not have a script, is a mixture of Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam.
• Society - The Kodava community of Coorg is a patrilineal society.
• Religion - Kodavas are Hindus, but priests have no role in their marriages.
• Worship - Kodavas are basically ancestor and nature worshippers.
• Every Kodava is a member of a patrilineal okka (clan) that has descended from a common ancestor.
• The Karanava, the first ancestor of the clan, is revered as a god, and Kodavas worship the the ancestral spirit, their Guru Karona.
• There are no idols in the kaimada, the central place of ancestor worship
• Kodavas revere the Cauvery River, they worship nature and guns.
• Festivals - Puthari (harvest festival ushered in with a gunshot) Keil Murtha (festival is dedicated to guns) and Kaveri Sankramana.
• Women Empowerment - Kodava women are highly educated. There is no dowry systemKodava families treat their daughters and sons similarly when it comes to education.
• Kodava women tend to be well educated, often reaching high levels in their chosen careers.

Sangha Virtual Constituency

• Sangha Assembly constituency is one of the constituencies in the 32-member Assembly of Sikkim, a State in the northeast region of India.
• The Sangha constituency doesn’t exist on the map.
• This seat is reserved for the Buddhist monastic community of Sikkim, Buddhist monks and nuns.
• Voters recognized with monasteries in Sikkim State are the only ones who can contest and cast their votes for the Sangha constituency seat.

References

1. The Hindu | Kodava community demands virtual constituency

2. The Hindu | Who are the Kodavas?

3. Deccan Herald | Are Kodavas, who belong to a unique race, Hindus?

Pronab Sen Committee

Government forms new panel to review all NSO data revamping a Standing Committee on Economic Statistics (SCES) set up in late 2019.

• Pronab Sen - India’s first chief statistician and the former chairman of the National Statistical Commission (NSC).
• The committee will review and develop the country’s surveys on employment, industry and services sector.
• It works under the aegis of the National Statistical Office (NSO).
• Ministry - Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
• The committee has also been mandated to provide guidance to conduct pilot surveys/ pre-testing, if necessary, before finalising schedules for data collection.
• It will also provide guidance for studying and exploring the availability of administrative statistics.
• The committee can also provide technical guidance to the central and state-level agencies for the surveys.
• Members - As of now, the SCoS has 14 members, out of which there are 4 non-official members, 9 official members and a member secretary, chaired by Sen.
• It is extendable based on the requirement from time to time.

References

1. The Hindu | Government forms new panel to review all NSO data

2. The Indian Express | Govt sets up panel to review conduct of surveys

Crimean- Congo Haemorrhagic Fever

Alert has been sounded about the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), an infection spread by ticks that has a high fatality rate, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

• Crimean- Congo Haemorrhagic Fever - It is a viral haemorrhagic fever usually transmitted by Ixodid (hard) ticks, especially those of the genus, Hyalomma, are both a reservoir and a vector for the CCHF virus.
• It can also be contracted through contact with viraemic animal tissues (animal tissue where the virus has entered the bloodstream) during and immediately post-slaughter of animals.
• The disease progression can be subdivided into 4 different stages - incubation period, pre-hemorrhagic, hemorrhagic and the convalescent phases.
• Transmission - Transmission to humans occurs through contact with infected ticks or animal blood.
• CCHF can be transmitted from one infected human to another by contact with infectious blood or body fluids.
• Diagnosis - Laboratory tests like antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), virus isolation attempts, and detection of antibody by ELISA (IgG and IgM).
• Treatment - The virus is sensitive in vitro to the antiviral drug ribavirin.
• It has been used in the treatment of CCHF patients reportedly with some benefit.
• Spread so far - The CCHF is endemic to Africa, the Balkan countries, Middle East, and parts of Asia.
• Cases have so far been reported in Eastern Europe, throughout the Mediterranean, in northwestern China, central Asia, southern Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent.
• In India, one person recently succumbed to CCHF recently in Gujarat, the state that reports the majority of the country’s cases of this disease.
• Prevention - Insect repellants containing DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) are the most effective in warding off ticks.

References

1. The Indian Express | Climate change aiding spread of deadly virus

2. WHO | Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever

Export Preparedness Index (2022)

NITI Aayog is releasing the 3^rd edition of Export Preparedness Index (EPI) for States/UTs of India for the year 2022.

• Aim - The index undertakes a comprehensive analysis of States and UTs across export-related parameters in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses.
• It is a comprehensive tool which measures the export preparedness of the States and UTs in India.
• Released by - NITI Aayog.
• It seeks to assist the States and UTs in driving policy changes which are relevant to address their specific challenges rather than comparing with the previous editions.
• Pillars - EPI assess the performance of the States and UTs across 4 pillars
  • Policy,
  • Business Ecosystem,
  • Export Ecosystem,
  • Export Performance.
• Each pillar is composed of sub-pillars, which in turn capture a state’s performance using relevant indicators.
• 10 sub-pillars – Export Promotion Policy; Institutional Framework; Business Environment; Infrastructure; Transport Connectivity; Export Infrastructure; Trade Support; R&D Infrastructure; Export Diversification; and Growth Orientation.
• Top 5 states/UTs in the Export Preparedness Index (2022)

• The ranking is based on 4 types of states namely, Coastal states, Landlocked states, Himalayan and UT/Small States.
• The most ‘Coastal States’ have performed well with top 5 performers are Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Haryana and the least performing state/UT is Lakshadweep in all categories.

References

1. PIB | 3rd edition of the ‘Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2022

2. The Hindu | Tamil Nadu tops NITI Aayog export preparedness index