The dope testing lab in India was established with an aim to get permanently accredited by International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) to do the testing for the banned drugs in human sports. The Lab has successfully completed sample testing for numerous major International as well National events since its inception.
The lab was earlier located in the JN Stadium and is shifted to the new site on May 14,09 with better facilities .The area of the new NDTL lab is 2700 sq meter as against the earlier area of only 900 square meters. It has the excellent facilities for increasing the testing capacity of the lab to 5000 samples and for the testing of Common Wealth Games 2010.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI), a successor organization of the IXth Asian Games held in New Delhi in 1982, was set up as a Society registered of Societies Act, 1860 in pursuance of the Resolution No. 1-1/83/SAI dated 25th January 1984 of the Department of Sports, Govt. of India with the objective of promotion of Sports and Games as detailed in the Resolution.
It is also entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining and utilizing, on the behalf of Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, the following Stadia in Delhi which were constructed/renovated for the IX Asian Games held in New Delhi in 1982 :- Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex Indira Gandhi Sports Complex Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium Dr. Shyam Prasad Mookherjee Swimming Pool Complex Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Ranges
Subsequently, in order to adopt an integrated approach towards promotion and development of sports consciousness, the erstwhile Society for National Institutes of Physical Education & Sports (SNIPES) consisting of NSNIS Patiala at its centers and the two LNCPEs located at Gwalior and Thiruvananthapuram were merged with SAI w.e.f. 1st May 1987. The LNCPE Gwalior was however, delinked from SAI in September 1995 on attaining the status of a “Deemed University”.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) was established by the Govt. in 1984 as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, with the twin objective of broad-basing of sports and to achieve excellence at the national and international level. Over the years, SAI has emerged as a field arm of sports of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS).
Aims & Objectives of SAI: To promote and broad-base sports in the country. To implement schemes/programmes for achieving excellence in sports in different disciplines at international level in order to establish India as a major sporting power. To maintain and utilize on behalf of the Govt., stadia which were constructed/renovated for the IXth Asian Games held in 1982.
To act as an interface between the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and other agencies concerned with the promotion/ development of sports in the country on the other hand, i.e., State Govt., U.T. Administration, IOA, National Sports Federations, Sports Control Boards, Industrial Houses, etc. To establish, run, manage and administer the institutions to produce high caliber coaches, sports scientists and physical education teachers. To plan, construct, acquire, develop, take over, mange, maintain and utilize sports infrastructure and facilities in the country.
To initiate, undertake, sponsor, stimulate and encourage research projects related to various sports sciences for upgradation of sports, sportspersons and coaches. Other incidental issues concerning promotion, development and excellence in sports.
About TOPS – Objective of the Scheme The Target Olympic Podium Scheme is a flagship program of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports which is an attempt to provide assistance to India’s top athletes. The Scheme looks to add a premium to the preparations of these athletes so that they can win Olympic medals in 2020 and 2024 Olympics.Under the Scheme, the Department of Sports shall identify athletes who are potential medal winners in 2020 / 2024 Olympics.The idea of the Scheme is to also keep an eye in the future and fund a Developmental Group of Athletes who are medal prospects for the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 and Los Angeles Games in 2028.
History of the Scheme In order to realize India’s Olympic medal dream, at the 2016 (Rio) and 2020 (Tokyo) Olympics, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) established the Target Olympics Podium Scheme (TOPS or TOP Scheme) in September 2014. To fulfill the objective of this scheme, a committee (TOPS Elite Athletes’ Identification Committee) was constituted to identify the elite athletes who could achieve the Olympic podium. The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports is responsible for appointment of TOPS members with emphasis on ensuring representation from ‘High-Priority’ sports (Archery, Badminton, Boxing Hockey, Shooting and Wrestling). The total members of the committee are to be decided by MYAS. TOPS constitution does not stipulate minimum/maximum members for the committee. The first committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Shri. Anurag Thakur (MP) and comprised of eminent athletes (Pulella Gopichand, Rahul Dravid, Abhinav Bindra, and Manisha Malhotra) and sports administrators from Sport Authority of India (SAI) and the MYAS [DG SAI and JS (Sports)].
Recent Success The TOPS sponsored athletes gained relative success at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2018 Commonwealth Games. P V Sindhu and Sakshi Malik captured silver and bronze in Badminton and Wrestling respectively at the 2016 Rio Olympics. In the 2016 Paralympic Games, the TOPS Athletes won 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze demonstrating theeffectiveness of the Scheme.The recent success of the Commonwealth Games emphasized the efficacy of the Scheme. Out of the 70 athletes who won medals at the CWG, 47 of them were supported under the TOP Scheme.
Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) The Mission Olympic Cell is a dedicated body created to assist the athletes who are selected under the TOP Scheme. The MOC is under the Chairmanship of the Director General, Sports Authority (DG, SAI). The Committee meetings are attended by representatives of respective National Sports Federations (NSFs) and Project Officers of the SAI besides other members. The idea of the MOC is to debate, discuss and decide the processes and methods so that the athlete receives best assistance. The MOC also focuses on selection, exclusion and retention of athletes, coaches, training institutes that can receive TOPS assistance. Some of the functions that the MOC are enumerated below –
(a) To approve customized programs for athletes chosen under the TOP Scheme. (b) To recommend financial disbursement for the customized programs. (c) To support, monitor and review progress of athletes in accordance with the training programs.
(d) To set a regular reporting structure on the athletes’ training program. (e) To take decisions on sudden and unanticipated requirements/needs of athletes. (f) To communicate regularly with the athletes on their progress, requirements and perspectives
(g) To engage implementation partner agencies to carry out/execute any or all the above functions. (h) To ensure documentation/contractual obligations of beneficiaries. (i) To deliver sponsor/commercial partner/media commitment under the NSDF TOP Scheme
Scheme of Assistance The main objective of the Scheme is to provide added impetus towards the athlete’s preparations, over and above what is planned under the Annual Calendar of Training and Competition (ACTC). The selected athletes can seek assistance under the Scheme for the following :- –
(a) Customized training under reputed coaches at institutes having world-class facilities. (b) Participation in international competition.
(c) Purchase of equipment. (d) Services of support staff/personnel like Physical Trainer, Sports Psychologist, Mental Trainer and Physiotherapist etc.
(e) Any other support specific to the sport discipline. (f) Out-of-pocket allowance of Rs. 50,000/- (Rupees fifty thousand only) a month to the athletes as an incentive
Context: India recently successfully test-fired its first Sub-sonic cruise missile, Nirbhay.
Nirbhay is a long range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile designed and developed in India by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The missile can be launched from multiple platforms and is capable of carrying conventional and nuclear warheads. It is a two-stage missile powered by Solid rocket motor booster.
It is capable of carrying warheads of up to 300kg at a speed of 0.6 to 0.7 Mach (sub-sonic). It has an operational range of 1000 km (long range). The Nirbhay cruise missile is an Indian version of the American Tomahawk.
Historical background: The J&K Constituent Assembly was constituted in September 1951 and dispersed on January 25, 1957. The J&K Constitution was adopted on November 17, 1956 but came into effect only on January 26, 1957.
The Constituent Assembly resolved that the head of state, named Sadr-e-Riyasat, would be elected by the Legislative Assembly for a term of five years and recognised by the President of India. New Delhi agreed to allow J&K to recognise an elected Sadr-e-Riyasat instead of an appointed Governor.
Eligibility: Only a permanent resident of J&K could become Sadr-e-Riyasat. Once elected by the Legislative Assembly, the Sadr-e-Riyasat had to be recognised and then appointed by the President of India. On the recommendation of the J&K Constituent Assembly, the President issued a Constitution Order on November 17, 1952 under Article 370 saying that the state government means the elected Sadr-e-Riyasat, acting on the aid and advice of council of ministers.
J&K had its own Prime Minister and Sadr-e-Riyasat until 1965, when the J&K Constitution was amended (Sixth Constitution of J&K Amendment Act, 1965) by the then Congress government, which replaced the two positions with Chief Minister and Governor respectively. The state had nine more Prime Ministers before Independence.
The first Prime Minister of J&K, appointed by Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh, was Sir Albion Banerjee (1927-29).
When was it changed and why? The Sixth Amendment to the J&K Constitution, carried out in 1965, made a fundamental change to its basic structure.
Under Section 147, an amendment is to be assented by the Sadr-e-Riyasat after a Bill is passed by a two-thirds majority of the House, while Section 147 itself cannot be amended by the state legislature, and neither can an amendment that changes the provisions of Constitution of India as applicable in relation to J&K.
Sadr-e-Riyasat, however, was replaced with Governor across the J&K Constitution, except in Section 147 which could not be amended. This has led to the existence of two kinds of heads of state in the Constitution — Sadr-e-Riyasat as well as Governor. In 1975, a Presidential Order issued under Article 370 barred the J&K Legislature from making any change to the J&K Constitution regarding appointment and powers of the Governor.
In December 2015, the J&K High Court ruled that the conversion of the post of Sadr-e-Riyasat into Governor was unconstitutional. The ‘elective’ status of Head of the State was an important attribute of Constitutional autonomy enjoyed by the State, a part of ‘Basic Framework’ of the State Constitution and therefore not within the amending power of the State legislature. In terms of aforestated amendment Governor is appointed by the President and is to be Head of the State. The office of Head of the State in wake of amendment ceases to be ‘elective’.
The Sixth Amendment therefore did not merely change the nomenclature, but the eligibility, mode and method of appointment of Head of the State.”
Recent demands: J&K’s major parties have been demanding restoration of J&K’s autonomy to its original status as agreed during the 1947 negotiations. In 2000, when the NC was in power after having won with a two-thirds majority in 1996, the Legislative Assembly passed a State Autonomy Report, seeking restoration of the state’s autonomy to the 1953 position, which would have meant restoration of the Prime Minister and Sadr-e-Riyasat positions. The then Vajpayee government summarily rejected the resolution passed by the Assembly.
Background: The experimental form of IVF uses an egg from the mother, sperm from the father, and another egg from a donor woman. It was developed to help families affected by deadly mitochondrial diseases which are passed down from mother to baby.
The technique was used in Mexico in 2016 to produce a baby for a family with mitochondrial disease complications. It was also used in Ukraine in 2017 to produce a baby for a 34-year-old Ukrainian mother suffering from “unexplained infertility.”
How was it done? The team used a technique called maternal spindle transfer (MST). All cells have mitochondria, which are like power packs for the cells and create the energy that keeps cells alive. While a child’s DNA is a mixture from both the mother and father, mitochondria are separate “packages of genetics” that come solely from the mother.
Some people have a mitochondrial disease — a problem with the genetics in their mitochondria — which can lead to severe, life-threatening conditions, although this is rare.
One treatment for a woman who might have one of these diseases is to replace the mitochondria in her eggs via IVF. This can be done via a process like the one used in Greece where the DNA is taken out of the woman’s egg and put into a donor woman’s egg once the DNA has been stripped from it, which is then fertilised with sperm to create an embryo.
Is it ethical? With this, a woman’s inalienable right to become a mother with her own genetic material became a reality. However, some experts say the technique raises ethical questions and should be banned in cases not involving disease. The risks of the technique aren’t entirely known, though may be considered acceptable if being used to treat mitochondrial disease.
The structure of a cell: Nucleus: Where the majority of our DNA is held – this determines how we look and our personality. Mitochondria: Often described as the cell’s factories, these create the energy to make the cell function. Cytoplasm: The jelly like substance that contains the nucleus and mitochondria.
Background: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) had signed a framework MVA in June 2015 to enable movement of passenger and cargo vehicles across borders among the four countries. Bhutan has not yet ratified the pact for its entry to come into force. However, Bhutan had given its consent for the BBIN MVA to enter into force amongst the other 3 countries i.e. Bangladesh, India and Nepal, who have already ratified it.
About BBIN MVA: What is it? The landmark MVA was signed by Transport Ministers of the BBIN countries in Thimphu, Bhutan on 15 June 2015. As per the agreement, member countries would allow vehicles registered in the other countries to enter their territory under certain terms and conditions. Customs and tariffs will be decided by the respective countries and these would be finalised at bilateral and trilateral forums.
Objective: The main objective of the agreement is to provide seamless people-to-people contact and enhance economic interaction by facilitating cross border movement of people and goods.
Benefits: It would permit unhindered movement of passenger and cargo vehicles among the four countries. Cargo vehicles do not have to be changed at the border, a practice that has prevailed until now. The BBIN agreement will promote safe, economical efficient and environmentally sound road transport in the sub-region and will further help each country in creating an institutional mechanism for regional integration.
Assistance from ADB: The Asian Development Bank(ADB) has been providing technical, advisory, and financial support to the BBIN MVA initiative as part of its assistance to the South Asia Sub regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) program, a projects-based economic cooperation initiative that brings together the BBIN countries, Maldives, Sri Lanka and more recently, Myanmar. ADB is the secretariat of SASEC.
Composition: The committee would comprise a representative of NITI Aayog, secretaries of Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Urban Development and Ministry of Environment, the director general of National Mission for Clean Ganga and the Chairman of the Central Pollution Control Board. The Chairman of CPCB will be the nodal authority for coordination. The chief secretaries of the states will act as the nodal agency at the state level.
Objective: The committee has been composed to monitor pollution of rivers, as it has caused serious threat to the safety of water and environment. Besides checking river pollution, the central monitoring committee will coordinate with the River Rejuvenation Committees of the states and oversee the execution of the action plans, taking into account the timelines, budgetary mechanism and other factors.
Concerns: Crores of rupees have been pumped in for cleaning rivers under the Centre’s National River Conservation Plan (NRCP), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Smart Cities Mission programmes of the Ministry of Urban Development and the “Namami Gange” under Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (MOWR).
Still pollution level in rivers of India has not shown any sign of improvement. More than 38,000 million litres of waste water goes into the major rivers, water bodies and even percolates into the ground every day. Over and above this there is industrial effluent.
Need of the hour: CPCB and the state pollution control boards should launch a nationwide programme on biodiversity monitoring and indexing of the rivers to assess the efficacy of river cleaning programme. For the safety of human health and maintaining the sanctity of the rivers, regular hygienic surveys of the rivers should be carried out with reference to fecal coliform and fecal streptococci, as indicated in the primary water quality criteria for bathing waters. There is also the need for a regular study of the Indian rivers with regard to biological health and its diversity.
Context: While releasing its monsoon forecast recently, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) expressed the projected rainfall in terms of Long Period Average (LPA), saying that it was expected to be 96% of LPA. The LPA of the monsoon season over the country is 89 cm, calculated for the period 1951-2000.
What is LPA? This is the average rainfall recorded during the months from June to September, calculated during the 50-year period, and is kept as a benchmark while forecasting the quantitative rainfall for the monsoon season every year.
How is it measured? Like the countrywide figure, IMD maintains an independent LPA for every homogeneous region of the country, which ranges from 71.6 cm to 143.83 cm.
The region-wise LPA figures are:83 cm for East and Northeast India, 97.55 cm for Central India, 71.61 cm for South Peninsular India, and 61.50 for Northwest India, which put together bring the all-India figure to 88.75 cm. The monthly LPA figures for the season are36 cm for June, 28.92 cm for July, 26.13 cm for August and 17.34 cm for September.
So, when IMD forecasts the category of rainfall, be it for country, region or month, the forecast is based on these standardised figures calculated for a period of 50 years.
As per the outputs obtained from the weather models, the rainfall is categorised as normal, below normal, or above normal. IMD maintains five rainfall distribution categories on an all-India scale. These are:
Normal or Near Normal: When per cent departure of actual rainfall is +/-10% of LPA, that is, between 96-104% of LPA. Below normal: When departure of actual rainfall is less than 10% of LPA, that is 90-96% of LPA.
Above normal: When actual rainfall is 104-110% of LPA. Deficient: When departure of actual rainfall is less than 90% of LPA. Excess: When departure of actual rainfall is more than 110% of LPA.
Context: Telugu poet K Siva Reddy has been selected for the prestigious Saraswati Samman, 2018 for his work Pakkaki Ottigilite which is a collection of poetry.
Saraswati Samman is the annual award given to an outstanding literary work in any Indian language mentioned in Schedule VIII of the Constitution and published in 10 years preceding the specified award year.
It is the highest recognition in the field of Indian literature in the country and carries a citation, a plaque and award money of ₹15 lakh. The award is presented by the KK Birla Foundation, a literary and cultural organisation that also gives the Vyas Samman for Hindi, and Bihari Puraskar for Hindi and Rajasthani writers of Rajasthan.
Veera, third in the series of offshore patrol vessels of the Coast Guard, was built by L&T at its shipbuilding facility at Kattupalli in Chennai. A ship of this class has been designed and constructed in India for the first time as part of ‘Make in India’ concept of the Central government.
Veera is equipped with the state-of-the-art machinery comprising an integrated bridge system, which includes advanced navigation and communication technology and integrated platform management system.
Context: The Chinese authorities are using a vast, secret system of advanced facial recognition technology to track and control the Uighurs. It is the first known example of a government intentionally using artificial intelligence for racial profiling.
Who are Uighurs? The Uighurs are mostly Muslims, and number about 11 million in western China’s Xinjiang region. They see themselves as culturally and ethnically close to Central Asian nations, and their language is similar to Turkish.
What’s the issue? The tension and recent violence between the Uighurs and China is mainly caused by economic and cultural factors. There’s been a mass migration of Han Chinese (China’s ethnic majority) to Xinjiang, and the Uighurs feel their culture and livelihoods are under threat. Uighurs also react vehemently to gradual curtailment of their commercial and cultural activities, restrictions on Islam, strict control over religious schools in the region by China.
Why in News? With the number of tigers steadily on the rise at Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttarakhand, the authorities feel upgrading it to a tiger reserve is necessary for the conservation of tigers at the facility. Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary is situated close to the Nandhaur river in Kumaon region of the State.
What are Non-Core Assets? Why in News? The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) issued guidelines for monetisation of non-core assets of CPSEs. Non-core assets are assets that are either not essential or simply no longer used in a company’s business operations. Non-core assets are often sold when a company needs to raise cash. Some businesses sell their non-core assets in order to pay down their debt.
Composition: A non-core asset can be any kind of asset, including an entire subsidiary or a holding in another company. But often non-core assets are things such as real estate, commodities, natural resources, currencies or securities. A non-core asset might also be factory or property that is no longer being used.
Who decides? Whether an asset is considered non-core is entirely relative to the company. An asset that is non-core for one company might be core for another.
Context: The Election Commission of India has barred Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Azam Khan of the Samajwadi Party, Maneka Gandhi of the BJP and BSP chief Mayawati for few days for making “highly provocative” speeches that could “aggravate existing differences and create mutual hatred between different religious communities”.
What MCC says? Paragraph 1 the Model Code of Conduct forbids parties and candidates from indulging in “any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic”.
What do RPA and IPC say on this? Invoking religion to seek votes, or making statements to the effect of creating disharmony between two communities, is a violation of the poll conduct and may invite prosecution under Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (Promoting enmity between classes in connection with election), Sections 153A, 153B, l7lC, 295A and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code and Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988.
What’s worrisome? The Election Commission’s weakening commitment to the Model Code of Conduct is cause for concern. There are now perceptions that the ECI has responded inadequately, or not at all, to violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), which is in effect from March 10 to May 23.
Some examples in this election include the Prime Minister’s announcement on national television of India’s first anti-satellite weapon test, the Rajasthan Governor making statements in favour of the ruling party, leaders of the ruling party invoking the Indian Army in their election campaign, and, in a spate of dubious media initiatives, a continuous line of statements along communal lines.
Challenges present: Electoral malpractice has appeared in new forms. Voter bribery and manipulation through the media have become the techniques of unethically influencing voters in place of voter intimidation and booth capturing. These malpractices are harder to stem.
The ECI’s capacity to respond to the older types of violations of the MCC has weakened. Its response to inappropriate statements by powerful political actors has been weak, or delayed. Consequently, political actors are regaining the confidence to flout the MCC without facing the consequences.
As the ECI’s capacity to secure a level playing field has dipped, attacks on it have increased. They now encompass its processes such as the use of electronic voting machines, which had become acceptable when the ECI was stronger. A vicious cycle has been set in motion.
Need of the hour: The Model Code of Conduct, which evolved from a draft code voluntarily approved by representatives of leading political parties in Kerala in February 1960, has been in place since 1962, when the Election Commission circulated it to all recognised parties. But a lot of time has passed, and the nature of elections and electioneering have undergone many changes. It is time to revise it thoroughly.