Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 06 October 2021

::NATIONAL::

Industrial Park Rating System Report

The 2nd edition of the Industrial Park Rating System (IPRS) Report was launched by the Minister of State for Commerce & Industry.

About:

With this system, the investors can even remotely refer to this report to identify the suitable investable land area, as per the various parameters of infrastructure, connectivity, business support services and environment and safety standards and make informed investment decisions.
41 Industrial Parks have been assessed as “Leaders” in the Industrial Park Ratings System Report released by DPIIT.
90 Industrial Parks have been rated as under Challenger category while 185 have been rated as under “Aspirers”. These ratings are assigned on the basis of key existing parameters and infrastructure facilities etc.
IPRS 2.0 ratings will be instrumental to contribute to India’s growth story and to chart out the path of progress for both the industry and the country.
The IPRS 2.0 Report is part of the Commerce & Industry Ministry’s AtmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, and comes during the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav festival.
The India Industrial Land Bank (IILB) provides details of more than 5.6 lakh hectares, roughly the size bigger than 30-40 countries, on the click of a button and prospective entrepreneurs can apply sitting from anywhere across the world.
The GIS-enabled IILB acts as a one-stop source of information on Industrial Infrastructure. Significant scaling up in coverage of Industrial Parks on this Land Bank has played a key role in facilitating the IPRS.
The IPRS pilot exercise was launched in 2018, with an objective of enhancing industrial infrastructure competitiveness and supporting policy development for enabling industrialization across the country as the Government pushes ahead a high-growth trajectory with an aim to scale the $5 trillion mark for the Indian economy by 2025.

GI tag for White Onion

Recently, White onion of Alibaug in Maharashtra's Raigad district got Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

About:

GI tag will bring worldwide recognition to its unique sweet taste, no-tears factor, as well as its medicinal properties.
It boosts immunity, helps with insomnia, blood cleaning, blood pressure and heat-related ailments.
GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
GI are part of intellectual property rights that comes under Paris Convention.

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::INTERNATIONAL::

The States of the World’s Children Report 2021

UNICEF report on mental health ‘The States of the World’s Children 2021’ says that around 14 per cent of 15 to 24-year-olds in India, or 1 in 7, have often feeling depressed.
The report has illustrated in stark terms how events in the wider world can affect the world inside our heads.

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In the survey across 21 countries, only 41 per cent of young people in India were willing to seek support for mental health problems, compared to an average of 83 per cent for 21 countries.
Children in India seem reticent to seek support for mental stress, according to a survey conducted by UNICEF and Gallup in early 2021 with 20,000 children and adults in 21 countries.
Only 41 per cent of young people between 15-24 years of age in India said that it is good to get support for mental health problems, compared to an average of 83 per cent for 21 countries.
As per the report, India was the only one of 21 countries where only a minority of young people felt that people experiencing mental health issues should reach out to others.
In every other country, a majority of young people (ranging from 56 to 95 per cent) felt that reaching out was the best way to deal with mental health issues.

WHO’S Solidarity Clinical Trial for COVID-19

India will roll out the next phase of World Health Organization’s Solidarity trial.

Solidarity PLUS:

It aims to assess the effectiveness of new drugs in treating hospitalised Covid-19 patients.
India is among the 52 countries taking part in WHO’s Solidarity PLUS trial.
In 2020 WHO initiated the Solidarity trial.
India trial will study two drugs: Imatinib and Infliximab.
Imatinib is used for treating certain cancers while infliximab is used for diseases of the immune system, including Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

::ECONOMY::

Credit Guarantee Scheme for Subordinate Debt

Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises has extended Credit Guarantee Scheme for Subordinate Debt (CGSSD) which is also called “Distressed Assets Fund-Sub-ordinate Debt for MSMEs” has been extended upto 31st March 2022.

About:

It was launched under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Package to provide credit facility through lending institutions to the promoter(s) of operational but stressed MSMEs (those becoming NPA as on 30th April 2020).
Promoter(s) are given credit equal to 15% of their stake (equity plus debt) or Rs. 75 lakh whichever is lower.
90% guarantee coverage for this sub-debt will be given under the Scheme and 10% would come from concerned promoters.

::SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY::

ICMR’s Drone Response and Outreach in Northeast

Union Health Minister launched ICMR’s ‘Drone Response and Outreach in North East’ (i-Drone) on October 04.

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It is a delivery model, launched by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, to facilitate vaccine delivery to hard-to-reach terrains of India.
i-Drone will overcome these challenges by deploying Unmanned Aerial vehicles (UAV)/drones to remote areas.
Currently, the project has been granted permission for implementation in Manipur and Nagaland, as well as Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Recently, i-Drone used a made-in-India drone to facilitate COVID-19 vaccine delivery to tough and hard-to-reach terrains of the Northeast region.

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