Current Affairs News Analysis | Prelims & Mains 2020 | 26th July 2020

Dear Aspirants

IASbhai Current Affairs News Analysis | Prelims & Mains 2020 is an initiative to dilute major articles from leading Newspapers in India which are most relevant to UPSC preparation –‘THE HINDU, LIVEMINT , INDIAN EXPRESS’ and help millions of readers who find difficulty in answer writing and making notes everyday. Hence we choose articles on daily basis and analyse them with respect to UPSC PRELIMS 2020.

“Don’t let the fear of losing be greater than the excitement of winning.” –Robert Kiyosaki

HIGHLIGHT INFO:

ORANGE COLOUR: Important for Prelims.

RED COLOUR: Important for Mains.

BLACK COLOUR: Must Read !

BLUE COLOUR : Important Links/Survey.

PINK COLOUR: Reports/Themes/Summits.

Page Contents:

Test kits from Mylab

HEADLINES:

Department of Biotechnology supports production scale-up of test kits from Mylab

WHY IN NEWS:

Hot from PIB !

MINISTRY? :-Ministry of Science & Technology

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Health:Diseases : Science and Technology

LEARNING:

For PRELIMS understand the institutions BIRAC, MYLAB and DST . In near future you will see them a lot in news .

ISSUE:

Pune-based Mylab Discovery Solutions has scaled up its production of COVID-19 pathodetect testing kit.

MYLAB

FUNDING

This has been funded under National Biopharma Mission of Department of Biotechnology (DBT)-Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).

CAPACITY

Currently, Mylab has a manufacturing capacity of 2,00,000 RT-PCR and 50,000 RNA tests.

MOLECULAR LABS

Mylab recently launched a Molecular laboratory machine Compact XL.

The machine can perform many molecular tests in a single machine unit.
The machine will help India in setting up the Molecular Diagnostic labs in rural India.
The machine eliminates huge infrastructure costs, Capex and Opex costs since minimal number of employees can do a large number of tests.

ABOUT DBT

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), under the Ministry of Science & Technology.
It promotes and accelerates the development of biotechnology in India.
Prime sectors include growth and application of biotechnology in the areas of agriculture, healthcare, animal sciences, environment and industry.

ABOUT BIRAC:

Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is a not-for-profit Section 8, Schedule B, Public Sector Enterprise.
It is set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), GOI as an Interface Agency.
BIRAC aims to strengthen and empower the emerging Biotech enterprise.

BIRAC undertake strategic research and innovation, addressing nationally relevant product development needs.

IASbhai WINDUP:

Indigenous supplies of qualitative RT-PCR test kits was identified as a critical need in enhancing the testing ability across the country.
This production line at Mylab manufactures rapid, high throughput detection platform and is aligned with our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of AtmaNirbhar Bharat.

SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | Current Affairs News Analysis | Prelims & Mains 2020

Rapid Regulatory Frame : COVID -19

HEADLINES:

Rapid Regulatory Frame Work for COVID -19

WHY IN NEWS:

Hot from PIB !

MINISTRY? :-Ministry of Science & Technology

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Disaster Management : COVID-19 Framework

LEARNING:

For MAINS take a note on framework and find the loopholes in the application part .

ISSUE:

Novel coronavirus was first reported from Wuhan, China in December 2019.

The World Health Organization had declared it as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)
Deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, WHO declared it as a pandemic in March 2020.
DBT has also facilitates research-driven and technology-based interventions, on a fast-track mode.

RAPID RESPONSE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

Framework for COVID-19 is to deal with applications for development of vaccines, diagnostics, prophylactic and therapeutics.
DBT has evolved a set of Rapid Response Regulatory Frameworks.

BROAD CLASSIFICATION

Specimen packaging and shipment
Disinfectants and Laboratory waste management
Viral isolation
Specimen and nucleic acid storage
Routine laboratory procedures
Risk assessment and mitigation measures.

IASbhai WINDUP:

All specimens being transported should have appropriate packaging, labeling and documentation.
WHO’s Guidance on regulations for the transport of infectious substances 2017–2018 will be followed.

SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | Current Affairs News Analysis | Prelims & Mains 2020

Cabinet decision binding on Governor

HEADLINES:

Cabinet decision binding on Governor

WHY IN NEWS:

A 2016 SC order is significant in the Rajasthan face-off as it limits the Governor’s power to specific areas

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 2 : Governor

LEARNING:

For PRELIMS keep evolving with better definitions on Governors power with the ongoing verdicts .

For MAINS How far is the choice of Governor has been explained in the constitution ? What is composite floor testing ?

ISSUE:

A Constitution Bench judgment of the Supreme Court has held that a Governor is bound to convene a meeting of the Assembly for a floor test on the recommendation of the Cabinet.

VERDICT

The five-judge Constitution Bench judgment of the Supreme Court in Nabam Rebia versus Deputy Speaker on July 13, 2016, held that a Governor cannot employ his “discretion”, and should strictly abide by the “aid and advice” of the Cabinet to summon the House.

RAJASTHAN DEADLOCK

The judgment is significant in the present deadlock between Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on floor testing.

The Governor can summon, prorogue and dissolve the House only on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister as the head.

Though the draft Constitution had vested the Governor with the discretion to summon and dissolve, it was latter omitted by the framers of the Constitution.

VERDICT ANALYSIS

Article 163 of the Constitution does not give the Governor a “general discretionary power to act against or without the advice of his Council of Ministers”.
The Governor’s discretionary powers are limited to specified areas like giving assent or withholding/referring a Bill to the President.
The powers are also limited to appointment of a Chief Minister or dismissal of a government which has lost of confidence but refuses to quit, etc.

The area for the exercise of his discretion is limited.

Even in this limited area, Governor’s choice of action should not be arbitrary or fanciful.
It must be a choice dictated by reason, actuated by good faith and tempered by caution.

IASbhai WINDUP:

It is an accepted principle that in a parliamentary democracy with a responsible form of government.
The powers of the Governor as head of the State should not be enlarged at the cost of the real executive, viz. the Council of Ministers.

SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | Current Affairs News Analysis | Prelims & Mains 2020

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