MSME Competitive (LEAN) scheme

• Lean Manufacturing - It involves applying Lean Techniques such as Total Productive Maintenance, 5S, Just in Time, Kanban System, Poka Yoke, etc.)
• It aims to identify and eliminate waste and streamline a system.

LEAN Scheme

• Aim – Under the Scheme, MSMEs will be assisted in reducing their manufacturing costs and brings improvement in the quality of products.
• Funding Pattern - Financial assistance is provided for implementation of lean manufacturing techniques.

• Initially, 80% of funding was contributed by the GoI and 20% by beneficiaries.
• Now it is updated to 90% by GoI and 10% by beneficiaries.
• There will be an additional contribution of 5% for the MSMEs which are part of SFURTI clusters, owned by Women/SC/ST and located in North East Region.
• Eligibility – All MSMEs registered with the UDYAM registration portal will be eligible to participate in MSME Competitive (Lean) Scheme and avail related benefits/incentives.
• It is also open to Common Facilities Centres under SFURTI (Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries) and Micro & Small Enterprises - Cluster Development Program (MSE-CDP).

Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972

• Antiquity – It includes which has been in existence for not less than 100 years.
• Any manuscript, record or other document having aesthetic value and which has been in existence for not less than 75 years.
• Art treasure – It includes any human work of art, not being an antiquity, declared by the Central Government.
• Regulation - It shall not be lawful for any person, other than the Central Government or any authority authorised by the Central Government to export any antiquity or art treasure.
• Antiquities to be sold only under a licence - No person shall, himself selling or offering to sell any antiquity except under and in accordance with the terms and conditions of a licence granted.
• Licence for selling or granting antiquity by a person is granted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
• The first thing in order to prove the ownership is the complaint (FIR) filed with the police.
• Restitution - There are three categories

1. antiquities taken out of India pre-independence;
2. those which were taken out since independence until March 1976, i.e. before the implementation of AATA; and
3. antiquities taken out of the country since April 1976.

• For First category, requests have to be raised bilaterally or on international fora.
• Antiquities comes under the 2nd and 3rd category can be restituted by raising an issue bilaterally with proof of ownership and with the help of the UNESCO convention.

Blood Donation

Whole blood donation - Whole blood donation is about a pint (about half a liter) of whole blood and then separated into red cells, plasma and platelets.

Apheresis

• Platelet donation - collects only platelets that are the cells that help stop bleeding by clotting in blood vessels.
• Donated platelets are commonly given to people with clotting problems or cancer and people who will have organ transplants or major surgeries.
• Double red cell donation – collects a concentrated amount of red blood cells that are deliver oxygen to the organs and tissues.
• Donated red blood cells are given to people with severe blood loss, such as after an injury or accident, and people with sickle cell anemia.
• Plasma donation - collects the liquid portion of the blood (plasma).
• Plasma helps blood clot and contains antibodies that help fight off infections.
• Plasma is commonly given to people in emergency and trauma situations to help stop bleeding.

Guidelines for Blood Donor Selection & Blood Donor Referral, 2017

• It was issued by the National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC) and the National Aids Control Organisation.
• It excludes transgenders, gay people, and female sex workers as blood donors by including them in the “at risk” category for HIV, Hepatitis B, or C infections.

Jim Corbett National Park 

• Name - Set up in 1936 as India’s - and Asia’s - first national park, the national park was called Hailey National Park.
• It was renamed Ramganga National Park (after the river that flows through it) shortly after Independence.
• In 1956, it was rechristened yet again as Corbett National Park.
• About - Located in the Himalayan foothills of Uttarakhand, the park encompasses the Patli Dun valley formed by the Ramganga River.
• It has sub-Himalayan belt ecological characteristics, as it falls in the Shivalik and Outer Himalaya geological provinces.
• It has dense moist deciduous forest.
• The park contains reserve forests and Patli Dun valley.
• Ideal Tiger Territory - Corbett National Park was the place from where Project Tiger was launched in 1973.
• It is part of the Corbett Tiger Reserve.
• It has the single largest tiger population in a tiger reserve in the country.
• The national park along with the neighbouring Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary makes the critical tiger habitat of the Corbett Tiger Reserve.
• Other Fauna - Indian Leopards, Barking Deer, Spotted Deer, Sambar Deer, Jungle Cats, sloth, etc.

Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative

• It is an open, non-treaty based initiative for countries to work together for cooperative and collaborative solutions to common challenges in the region.
• IPOI focuses on seven pillars namely: Maritime Security, Ecology, Resources, Capacity Building & Resource Sharing, Disaster Risk Reduction Management, Sci & Tech and Academic Cooperation, Trade, Connectivity and Maritime Transport.
• The IPOI was announced by Prime Minister of India at the 14th East Asia Summit (EAS) held in Bangkok, Thailand on 4th November 2019, is a practical implementation of this Vision with a focus on collaborative effort to better manage, conserve, sustain and secure the maritime domain.
• The “Indo” part of the Indo-Pacific demands that India invests significantly in its maritime capacity and capability building to remain a major player in the Indian Ocean region.
• IPOI as it includes all major dialogue partners of ASEAN-not only China and Russia – but the most active proponents of Indo-Pacific – Japan, Australia and the US also. Recently, Italy had decided to join in the Indo Pacific Ocean Initiative.