GS-2 1.SEVENTH TRADE POLICY REVIEW OF INDIA AT THE WTO Recently, the final session of India’s seventh Trade Policy Review (TPR) concluded at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland. APPRECIATION FOR INDIA: Introduction of Goods & Services Tax in 2016. India’s efforts in the implementation of WTO’s Trade …

Context: CSIR-NAL scientists along with medical professionals from CSIR-IGIB came forward to address the shortages of ventilators in the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and indigenously designed and developed the non-invasivebilevel positive airway pressureventilator –SwasthVayu SwasthVayu, with additional features to treat Covid-19 patients and make the country self-reliant. The performance …

The Nation’s first indigenously developed DNA vaccine candidate against COVID-19, ZyCoV-D, by M/s Zydus Cadila has been approved by Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), for conduct of the Phase III clinical trials. The candidate has been supported by the National Biopharma Mission (NBM) under the aegis of BIRAC and …

Context: The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Scientific and Technical Cooperation between National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) India. The MoU provides for sharing of …

GS-2 5.WORLD FOOD PRICE INDEX The Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) food price index averaged 107.5 points in December 2020, up 2.3 points from November 2020. This marks the seventh month of consecutive increase. ABOUT THE INDEX: It was introduced in 1996as a public good to help in monitoring developments …

GS-2 4.SCHEME FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairshas approved the proposal of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)for CentralSector Scheme for Industrial Development of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). DPIIT comes under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. CENTRAL SECTOR …

GS-2  3. HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT Recently, the Standing Committee of National Board of Wildlife (SC-NBWL)in its 60 meeting has approved the advisory for management of Human-Wildlife Conflict(HWC)in the country. THE ADVISORY: In the meeting approval was given for including Caracal, a medium sized wildcat into the list of critically endangered species …

GS-2 2.SPECTRUM AUCTIONS Bidding for the sixth round of spectrum auction for radio waves worth Rs. 3.92 lakh crore will start from 1st March 2020. ABOUT THE SPECTRUM AUCTIONS: The long-awaited spectrum auction is being held after a gap of four years and over two years after the Telecom Regulatory …

Context: The year 2020 as the eighth warmest year on record since 1901 12 out of 15 warmest years were during the recent fifteen years (2006-2020) Past decade (2001-2010/ 2011-2020) was also the warmest decade on record Rainfall over the country as a whole during the SW monsoon season (June-September) …

GS-2 1.USTR Recently, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)has said thatthe Digital services taxes adopted by India, Italy and Turkey discriminate againstUS companies and are inconsistent with international tax principles. THE OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE (USTR): It is responsible for developing and coordinating US …