Context: WHO has released a report on Sodium intake.
Functions of Sodium
Essential nutrient involved in the maintenance of normal cellular homeostasis and in the regulation of fluid and electrolyte balance.
Crucial for maintaining extra-cellular fluid volume because of its osmotic action.
Essential for muscle and nerve cell function.
Essential for transport of nutrients through plasma membrane.
In many high-income countries, and increasingly in low- and middle-income countries, a significant proportion of sodium intake can be attributed to processed food.
Guidelines for Sodium Intake
Sodium intake is extremely unlikely in healthy individuals. The minimum intake level required for physiological needs is not well established although it is estimated to be <500 mg/day. Hence, most populations are consuming much more sodium than sodium than is physiologically necessary.
However, there adverse effects with a diet high in sodium:
Raised blood pressure.
Gastric cancer
Obesity
Meniere's disease
Osteoporosis
WHO Guidelines on Sodium Intake recommends
A reduction in sodium intake to reduce blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and coronary heart disease in adults. WHO recommends a maximum intake of <2000 mg/day sodium (<5g/day salt) in adults.
A reduction in sodium intake to control blood pressure in children. Recommended maximum intake of <2000 mg/day sodium and (<5 g/day salt) in adults should be adjusted downward based on the energy requirements of children relative to those of adults.
Lowering sodium content in food products
Implementing front of pack labelling to help consumers select food products with lower sodium content.
Conducting mass-media campaigns to alter consumer behaviour around sodium.
Implementing public food procurement and service policies to reduce sodium content in food served or sold.
All 194 Member States of WHO have committed to reducing population sodium intake by 30% by 2025 in 2013. However, as no country in the world is on track to attain this target. WHO has proposed 30% reduction target for 2030.
WHO has documented progress to date on policies through Sodium Country Score Card. It assesses country implementation of sodium reduction policies and other measures, allocating a score from 1 (for lowest level of implementation) to 4 (for highest level of implementation).
Suggestions for reducing Sodium Intake
Maximum sodium content limits in foods: Setting of global sodium benchmarks is critical to facilitate reformulation of food products, which contributes to driving progress in sodium reduction.
Healthy public food procurement & service policies: Government should lead by example through the implementation of mandatory policies of sodium reduction that cover food and beverages purchased, subsidised, prepared, served in public agencies.
Nutrition Labelling: This tool empowers informs consumers about ingredients; nutrition content of food and influences consumers to make healthier choices and induce food manufactures to develop healthier food products. Mandatory labelling policies should also include nutrient declarations, including sodium, on the package and clear and simple interpretive front of pack labelling schemes.
Marketing restrictions: Implementing mandatory marketing restrictions is needed to limit exposure to unhealthy foods and beverages, to decrease demand for these products and to provide industry incentive to reformulate and market healthier products.
Fiscal policies: Fiscal policies to reduce population sodium intake include taxes on unhealthy foods and beverages or removing tax benefits for development and marketing of foods high in sodium. They can be strengthened by earmarking revenue for subsidies for fresh fruits and vegetables, or for implementation of other sodium reduction strategies.
Prioritisation: Action is required to increase the demand for change, drive societal shift, catalyse response and influence policy and decision makers to prioritise mandatory legislation.
Data: Regular reporting of data on sodium content in foods, and global access to such data, are needed to develop, monitor and evaluate sodium reduction policies and other measures.
The recently concluded Budget session of the Rajasthan Assembly revived the debate around the Right to Health Bill. The legislation, if passed, will provide mandatory free and affordable medical services in hospitals, clinics and laboratories — both public and privately owned. Rajasthan would be the first State government to establish and protect the legal rights of patients to access equitable healthcare services. The Bill also provides for strengthening the public healthcare system.
Fault lines have emerged around the legislation’s passage. Private hospital doctors object to the Bill citing it is hastily drafted, ignores ground realities and may tighten norms in an already over-regulated field. Civil society groups and activists, however, note that while the Bill needs clarity and could be sharpened to avoid implementation loopholes, it is an important starting point in framing healthcare as a tangible “right” for citizens.
If we look at the syllabus of GS Paper II:
Questions in Mains:
2020. In order to enhance the prospects of social development, sound and adequate health care policies are needed particularly in the fields of geriatric and maternal health care. Discuss.
In Questions like these Rajasthan Bill can be used as a case study.
So we will:
Importance of Health in Indian Context
There are several important health statistics in India, some of which include:
Does the Constitution guarantee a right to health?
What does the Bill say?
Importance of Health in Indian Context:
Health is essential for economic development as a healthy population is more productive and can contribute to the growth of the economy. Poor health can result in increased absenteeism, reduced productivity, and higher healthcare costs, which can negatively impact the economy.
Poor health can contribute to poverty, and poverty can, in turn, lead to poor health outcomes. Access to healthcare services, clean water, and sanitation can help reduce poverty and improve health outcomes.
Health is essential for social development as it is linked to education, gender equity, and social justice. Improved health can lead to better educational outcomes, increased gender equity, and reduced social inequalities.
Health is essential for national security as it can affect the readiness of the armed forces and the ability of the country to respond to public health emergencies.
Health is a key component of sustainable development as it is linked to environmental sustainability, economic development, and social equity.
The current state of health in India is complex and multifaceted. On the one hand, there have been significant improvements in health indicators over the past few decades, such as increased life expectancy, reductions in maternal and child mortality, and improved access to healthcare services.
However, there are still several challenges that need to be addressed, including high rates of malnutrition, a high burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, inadequate healthcare infrastructure in rural areas, and a shortage of healthcare workers.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the need for increased investments in public health infrastructure, strengthening of healthcare systems, and preparedness for future health emergencies. While progress has been made in addressing some of these challenges, more needs to be done to ensure better health outcomes for all citizens in India.
There are several important health statistics in India, some of which include:
Life expectancy: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the average life expectancy in India is around 69 years.
Infant mortality rate (IMR): As per the National Family Health Survey-4 (2015-16), the infant mortality rate in India is 32 per 1000 live births.
Maternal mortality rate (MMR): The maternal mortality rate in India, as per the latest estimates from the WHO, is 174 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Malnutrition: India has one of the highest rates of malnutrition in the world, with 38.4% of children under the age of five being stunted, 21% being wasted, and 35.8% being underweight, as per the Global Nutrition Report 2020. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs): NCDs are responsible for 61% of deaths in India, with cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes being the leading causes, according to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.
Health expenditure: According to the National Health Accounts Estimates for India 2017-18, the total health expenditure in India was 3.6% of GDP, with the government contributing 32.3% of the total expenditure.
Doctor-patient ratio: India has a doctor-patient ratio of 1:1456, as per the National Health Profile 2021.
Health insurance coverage: As per the National Health Accounts Estimates for India 2017-18, only 27% of the total health expenditure was covered by health insurance, with out-of-pocket expenditure accounting for the rest.
Does the Constitution guarantee a right to health?
The Indian Constitution does not explicitly talk about a right to health.
A “right to health”, in theory, is derived from the right to life and liberty as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Previously, courts have highlighted the State’s obligation to protect and promote the health of citizens, pointing to Constitutional provisions such as Article 38 (promoting the welfare of people) and Article 47 (which directs the government to meet the nutrition and health requirements of the population).
In Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity v. State of West Bengal (1996), the Supreme Court averred that it is the government’s responsibility to provide medical aid in the interest of bolstering public health.
In this regard, The current legislation tabled in Rajasthan is a welcome step.
What does the Bill say?
The Bill provides rights to patients and healthcare providers, places the obligation on the government to protect these legal rights and mandates the setting up of grievance redressal mechanisms.
The legislation will be a “progressive reduction in out-of-pocket expenditure in seeking, accessing or receiving health care” for patients, the preamble states.
Rajasthan residents will be entitled to free check-ups, drugs, diagnostics, emergency transport and care at all public health institutes, along with affordable surgeries. The Bill frames medical services as a public service rather than a vehicle for making money. If enacted, the Act will have a recurring annual expenditure of Rs. 14.5 crores.
Clause 3 of the Bill lays down 20 rights a State resident will be entitled to — including the right to informed consent, to seek information (in the form of medical records and documents) regarding diagnosis and treatment, to keep this data confidential and private and to receive treatment without discrimination based on caste, class, age, gender, among other markers.
Clause 4 of the Bill shifts the burden of responsibility in providing adequate medical services to the government.
The government is “obligated” to provide funds, set up institutions and constitute grievance redressal systems.
They must take the initiative to set up a State Health Authority and district health authorities. Beyond resolving complaints, the authorities would be tasked with planning healthcare services, monitoring services and conducting routine clinical, social and economic audits.
Moreover, the Bill also talks about the safety of healthcare providers and improving public health infrastructure.
Clause 4 mandates that the government develop a Human Resource Policy for Health ensuring the availability and equitable distribution of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers at all levels of the system across regions.
Hence, recognizing and protecting the right to health is certainly a good step in India, as it has the potential to improve the health outcomes of millions of people in the country.
India faces several health challenges, including high rates of infectious and non-communicable diseases, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, and unequal access to healthcare services.
Recognizing the right to health can help address these issues by promoting equitable access to healthcare services, ensuring that healthcare facilities and services are of high quality and available to all, and addressing the social determinants of health such as poverty, education, and access to clean water and sanitation.
Moreover, recognizing the right to health can help strengthen India's healthcare system by making it more responsive to the needs of its citizens.
It can also help hold the government accountable for ensuring that the health needs of its citizens are met, and provide a framework for addressing health disparities and promoting health equity.
Overall, recognizing the right to health is a positive step in India, and can help improve the health outcomes of its citizens and strengthen its healthcare system.
Context: As per Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the launch of Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar mission, and the first solar mission Aditya L1 will possibly happen by the middle of 2023.
Chandrayaan-3
Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface.
It consists of Lander and Rover configuration. It will be launched by Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM 3) launch vehicle from SDSC, Sriharikota.
The propulsion module will carry the lander and rover configuration till the 100 km lunar orbit.
Objectives
To demonstrate a Safe and Soft Landing on a specified lunar site
To demonstrate Rover roving on the moon which will carry out in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface during the course of its mobility
To conduct in-situ scientific experiments
Several advanced technologies in Chandrayaan
Propulsion module has Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload to study the spectral and Polari metric measurements of Earth from the lunar orbit.
Lander payloads:
Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) to measure the thermal conductivity and temperature
Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) for measuring the seismicity around the landing site
Langmuir Probe (LP) to estimate the plasma density and its variations.
Laser Retroreflector Array from NASA to understand the dynamics of Moon system.
Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA)
Rover payloads:
Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) for deriving the elemental composition in the vicinity of the landing site.
Chandrayaan 1 and Chandrayaan 2
CHANDRAYAAN 1
CHANDRAYAAN 2
1st Lunar mission of India
Floow-up mission, 1st interplanetary mission
No landing of the surface of the moon
A lander will make a soft landing
the net weight of the spacecraft -1380kgs.
the spacecraft weights approx 3850
Launched by PSLV
Launched by GSLV Mk III
Carried a range of scientific equipment, both Indian and Internation; Mini-Synthetic Aperture Radar (Mini-SAR) found water-ice deposits in craters on the far side of the moon. It carried five ISRO payloads and six payloads from other space agencies including NASA, ESA, and the Bulgarian Aerospace Agency.
It has three modules namely orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan). The main aim is to study the moon's mineral and chemical composition, topology and seismology. It carried 14 payloads; 13 Indian and 1 from NASA.
Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has unveiled a vision document for rollout of 6G communications technology in India by 2030.
More on news: For regular users, 6G could be a huge opportunity. At present, the total annual purchase of smartphones is greater than 16 crore smartphones for about 30 crore Indian households, as per the vision document. This means that every household today is buying smartphones at an average of one phone every 2 years. A similar amount is being spent annually on two-wheelers, suggesting that an average Indian finds a personal smartphone as valuable, and necessary, as a personal vehicle.
Introduction to 6G
6G is the next generation of wireless technology that is currently in the research phase and is expected to be commercialized by 2030.
It is expected to offer faster speeds, higher capacity, and lower latency than the current 5G technology.
It is expected to use higher frequency bands than 5G, including terahertz frequencies, to achieve higher data rates.
6G is also expected to be more energy-efficient than 5G, which will help to reduce the carbon footprint of wireless networks.
6G is expected to enable a wide range of new applications, including augmented reality, virtual reality, and the Internet of Things.
Energy efficiency refers to the amount of energy required to transmit data wirelessly, and it is an important consideration for mobile network operators due to the increasing demand for mobile data services and the need to reduce carbon footprint.
Here's a comparison of the energy efficiency of 4G, 5G, and 6G:
4G: 4G technology is not very energy efficient. It consumes a relatively high amount of energy due to the use of multiple antennas and high-power transmitters. As a result, 4G networks have a high carbon footprint and are not sustainable in the long term.
5G: 5G technology is more energy efficient than 4G due to the use of advanced antenna systems and improved signal processing techniques. 5G networks can also dynamically adjust their power consumption based on the number of connected devices and the data traffic. This leads to a reduction in energy consumption and a lower carbon footprint.
6G: 6G technology is expected to be even more energy efficient than 5G. It will use advanced signal processing algorithms and will be able to dynamically adjust the frequency and power levels based on the specific requirements of each device. In addition, 6G will use high-frequency bands, such as terahertz frequencies, which require less energy to transmit data. As a result, 6G networks are expected to have a significantly lower carbon footprint than 4G and 5G networks.
Overall, the energy efficiency of wireless networks is improving with each new generation of technology, and 6G is expected to be the most energy-efficient wireless technology to date.
Use cases of 6G
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality: 6G can enable more advanced and immersive AR and VR experiences, including real-time holographic communication and 3D mapping.
Internet of Things (IoT): 6G can support a massive number of connected devices, with ultra-low latency and high reliability, enabling a wide range of IoT applications such as smart cities, smart homes, and smart factories.
Autonomous Vehicles: 6G can enable highly reliable and low-latency communication between vehicles and the infrastructure, making it possible to achieve a fully autonomous transportation system.
Telemedicine: 6G can enable remote medical procedures, such as remote surgery, with ultra-low latency and high reliability, making it possible to provide medical services to patients in remote areas.
Environmental Monitoring: 6G can enable real-time monitoring of the environment, including air quality, water quality, and climate change, with a high level of accuracy and precision.
Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs): 6G can enable the development of advanced BCIs, which can connect the human brain directly to the internet, enabling new forms of communication and control.
Overall, 6G has the potential to enable a wide range of applications that were previously impossible or impractical with existing wireless technologies, and it is expected to be a key enabler of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Concerns related to 6G
High carbon footprint: while 6G promises growth, it will simultaneously have to be balanced with sustainability since most 6G supporting communication devices will be battery-powered and can have a significant carbon footprint, the document said.
Shared use of spectrum: The government will have to explore shared use of spectrum, particularly in the higher frequency bands for 6G.
Captive networks: A reassessment and rationalisation of congested spectrum bands, and adoption of captive networks for Industry 4.0 and enterprise use cases will also have to be done.
What is India’s 6G roadmap?
Support to explorative ideas, risky pathways and proof-of-concept tests. Ideas and concepts that show promise and potential for acceptance by the global peer community will be adequately supported to develop them to completion, establish their use cases and benefits, and create implementational IPs and testbeds leading to commercialisation as part of phase two.
The 6G project will be implemented in two phases, and the government has also appointed an apex council to oversee the project and focus on issues such as standardisation, identification of the spectrum for 6G usage, create an ecosystem for devices and systems, and figure out finances for research and development, among other things.
Exploring opening up a few bands to generate demand (for example 450-470 MHz, 526-612 MHz, 31-31.3 GHz, etc.). This requires initiating a new inter-ministerial process of repurposing several bands like that has been done earlier.
To fund research and innovation on 6G, the vision document on 6G has recommended the creation of a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore to facilitate various funding instruments such as grants, loans, VC fund, fund of funds, etc. for the next 10 years.
To decide on standardisation around 6G and related technologies, the document called for India to take on a greater role in various international bodies such as 3GPP, ITU, IEC, and IEEE.
What is India’s immediate action plan?
The government has set up a Bharat 6G project and appointed an apex council to oversee the project and focus on issues such as standardisation, identification of the spectrum for 6G usage, create an ecosystem for devices and systems, and figure out finances for research and development, among other things.
The apex council will facilitate and finance research and development, design and development of 6G technologies by Indian start-ups, companies, research bodies and universities. It will aim to enable India to become a leading global supplier of intellectual property, products and solutions of affordable 6G telecom solutions and identify priority areas for 6G research based on India’s competitive advantages.
A key focus of the council will be on new technologies such as Terahertz communication, radio interfaces, tactile internet, artificial intelligence for connected intelligence, new encoding methods and waveforms chipsets for 6G devices.
Recently, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted manufacturing and marketing licenses for the commercial use of Prussian blue insoluble formulations, developed under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme.
About Prussian blue:
or potassium ferric hexacyanoferrate is used as a medication to treat Thalliumpoisoning or radioactive Caesium poisoning.
It is one of the critical medicines listed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for radiological and nuclear emergencies.
Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI):
DCGI is responsible for the approval of licences for specified categories of drugs such as blood and blood products, IV fluids, vaccines, and sera in India. It also sets standards for the manufacturing, sales, import, and distribution of drugs in India.
It comes under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme:
TDF has been established to promote self-reliance in defence technology as a part of the 'Make in India' initiative.
It encourages the participation of public/private industries especially MSMEs to create an eco-system for enhancing cutting-edge technology capability for defence applications.
It is an initiative of the Ministry of Defence executed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation meeting the requirements of Tri-Services, Defence Production and DRDO.
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted two consecutive successful flight tests of the Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missile at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha recently.
About VSHORADS:
VSHORADS is a Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPAD) meant for neutralising low-altitude aerial threats at short ranges.
The missile is propelled by a dual-thrust solid motor that incorporates many technologies including Dual-band Imaging Infra-Red Seeker, a miniaturised Reaction Control System (to increase mid-air manoeuvrability) and integrated avionics.
Significance:
An effective Air Defence weapon system that can be deployed quickly in rugged terrain and maritime domain.
Being man-portable and lightweight compared to the other missile systems, it can be deployed in the mountains close to the LAC at a short notice and will be the best option for mountain warfare.
What are MANPADS?
MANPADS are short-range, lightweight and portable surface-to-air missiles.
They can be fired by individuals or small groups to destroy aircraft or helicopters.
They are fitted with infrared (IR) seekers that identify and target the airborne vehicle through heat radiation being emitted by the latter.
They have ‘fire and forget’ guidance systems i.e., the operator is not required to guide the missile to its target, enabling them to run and relocate immediately after firing.
They shield troops from aerial attacks and are most effective in targeting low-flying aircraft.
Kuiper is a satellite internet constellation project that is being developed by Amazon. The project aims to provide high-speed broadband internet access to areas of the world that currently lack reliable internet connectivity.
Features
The Kuiper constellation will consist of over 3,000 satellites that will operate in the Ka-band frequency range.
The satellites will be capable of providing internet speeds of up to 400 Mbps, which is significantly faster than most current satellite internet services.
The Kuiper satellites will be launched into low Earth orbit, which will enable them to provide low-latency internet service.
Purpose
The primary purpose of the Kuiper satellite constellation is to provide high-speed broadband internet access to areas of the world that currently lack reliable internet connectivity. This includes rural areas, developing countries, and other locations where traditional internet infrastructure is not available or is prohibitively expensive.
Advantages of satellite-based internet
Reduced Latency: 20-30 milliseconds, roughly the time it takes for terrestrial systems to transfer data. The transmission from a satellite in geostationary orbit has a latency of about 600 milliseconds.
High Bandwidth: Satellite internet connections can handle high bandwidth usage, so your internet speed/quality shouldn’t be affected by lots of users or “peak use times.”
Viability: The signals from satellites in space can overcome obstacles faced by fibre-optic cables or wireless networks easily. We don’t need a phone line for satellite internet.
Quick recovery post-disaster.
We don’t need a phone line for satellite internet.
Disadvantages of satellite-based internet
More vulnerable to bad weather.
Coverage: Due to its lower height, its signals cover a relatively small area.
Difficulty in Space Studies: The constellations of space internet satellites will make it difficult to observe other space objects, and to detect their signals. Light reflected from the man-made satellites can interfere with — and be mistaken for — light coming from other space bodies.
Light Pollution: There will be an increased risk of light pollution.
Significance
Bridging the digital divide: The Kuiper satellite constellation has the potential to bring internet connectivity to areas of the world that currently lack reliable internet access, particularly in rural and remote regions. This could help bridge the digital divide and provide more equitable access to information and communication technologies.
Enabling economic development: Access to high-speed internet can enable economic development by providing businesses with the tools they need to reach new markets, improve efficiencies, and create jobs.
Supporting education: Access to high-speed internet can help improve educational opportunities by providing students and teachers with access to online educational resources, remote learning tools, and virtual classrooms.
Enhancing emergency response: High-speed internet access can be critical during emergencies, providing first responders with access to real-time information and communication tools that can save lives.
Advancement of IT infrastructure: the Kuiper project is one of several satellite internet constellations currently being developed by major technology companies, which suggests that satellite internet is likely to become an increasingly important part of the global telecommunications infrastructure in the coming years.
Advancing space technology: The development of the Kuiper satellite constellation is an important milestone in the advancement of space technology, particularly in the area of satellite communication systems. This could have broader implications for space exploration and the development of space-based infrastructure.
Researchers have been long toiling to find materials that super conduct electricity in ambient conditions, i.e. at one or a few atmospheres of pressure and at room temperature.
Recently, the U.S. scientists have claimed to produce the first commercially accessible material named "red matter", which has superconducting properties at room temperature.
About Red matter:
Red matter is a mixture of Hydrogen, Nitrogen and a rare-Earth material called Lutetium.
It is claimed to become superconductive at a temperature of just 21°C (69°F) and a pressure of 1 gigapascal. That is nearly 10,000 times the atmospheric pressure on Earth’s surface, but still far lower pressure than any previous superconducting material.
The data reported shows a sharp drop in the electrical resistance around room temperature, the expulsion of magnetic fields, and a hump in the heat capacity (the sample expels heat from itself when cooled, as the electrons organise into the more-ordered superconducting state). However, the validity of the scientific research is still being ascertained.
Superconductors:
Superconductors are materials that do not resist the flow of current or have zero resistance, below a fixed temperature, which is the critical temperature. E.g.,
A portion of the electricity generated at every power plant is lost during transmission because the wires and cables that carry the current have electrical resistance.
Once an electric current passes over a superconducting material, it can continue to flow without receiving power from any source as none of the energy involved is lost as heat.
However, every superconductor made so far has required extraordinarily high pressures (millions of Pascal), and very low temperatures.
E.g., Aluminium becomes superconducting at temperatures less than (minus) –250° C.
Properties of Superconductors:
Infinite conductivity with Zero resistance: When the temperature of the material is reduced below the critical temperature, its resistance suddenly reduces to zero and thus offers infinite conductivity. E.g., Mercury becomes superconductor below 4 kelvin.
Complete expulsion of Magnetic field: Superconductors are diamagnetic i.e. oppose the magnetic field or do not allow the magnetic field lines to penetrate it. (This phenomenon is called Meisser Effect)
However, there is a certain value of the magnetic field (critical magnetic field) beyond which the superconductors lose superconductivity and convert into conductors.
Significance:
Elimination of the loss of energy as electricity moves along the wire would mean longer-lasting batteries, more-efficient power grids and improved high-speed trains.
Potential applications include Magnetic-energy storage systems, magnetic levitation trains, superconducting magnetic refrigerators, etc.
Huge potential for revolutionary technologies, including efficient quantum computers, as superconductors can exhibit truly quantum phenomena.
India will continue to pursue its application for an exclusive Geographical Indication (GI) tag for its basmati rice in the European Union (EU) and not consider any other solution as it could affect the exclusivity of the fragrant rice in other markets, official sources have said.
What is the historical background of the issue?
It all started when India registered its Basmati Rice GI in the European market, which has been countered by Pakistan. An official release by the European Union on September 11, 2020, notified India’s application for getting the geographical indication for its Basmati Rice in the EU market. The release also indicated that in the next three months, any entity, which objects to this application, can oppose it in the EU.
On 7th December 2020, the application received opposition from Pakistan, when its rice association, Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) filed a notice with EU authorities. To further strengthen its case of opposition, Pakistan registered its Basmati Rice under its Geographical Indication Act 2020 on January 27, 2021. The case is still pending with no conclusion being reached.
What is GI tag?
Under the TRIPS agreement, Geographical indication (GI), is defined as an indication of the true geographical origin of products, with reputation, quality, or other characteristics of that product attributable to the origin. Countries issue GI tags to their products under the law, in order to protect the product from imitation and misuse of its registered name. In India, the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act came into force in 2003.
What is the present issue?
Exports of rice are of importance to both India and Pakistan. Pakistan’s Punjab, in which all of its ‘Basmati Rice’ (as claimed by it) production is located, also lies in the Indo-Gangetic Plains. India is the largest supplier of Basmati Rice, exporting 5.5 million tons of Basmati Rice to the world in 2020. Its production is spread across Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Western UP and parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan wants to convince India for ‘joint recognition’ as the heritage is shared by both the countries. EU is trying to put pressure on India to amend its application by including the basmati growing areas in Pakistan or submit a new joint application.
Why India is against this?
India cannot accept the EU’s proposal. In August 2020, after the abrogation of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan published a map showing Jammu as part of its territory. When a joint application is made, the map of both countries will have to be included. This will mean India accepting Jammu to be part of Pakistan.
Further, Pakistan is yet to come up with any definition of basmati. It has no physical standard and has not notified the DNA standard.
Note: APEDA, is the nodal agency to get GI tag for Indian products.
