Prime Minister will launchthe platform for “Transparent Taxation – Honoring the Honest” via video conferencing on the 13th August 2020.

TheCBDT has carried out several major tax reforms in direct taxes in the recent years. Last year the Corporate Tax rates were reduced from 30 percent to 22 percent and for new manufacturing units the rates were reduced to 15 percent. Dividend distribution Tax was also abolished.

The focus of the tax reforms has been on reduction in tax rates and on simplification of direct tax laws. Several initiatives have been taken by the CBDT for bringing in efficiency and transparency in the functioning of theIT Department.

This includes bringing more transparency in official communication through the newly introduced Document Identification Number (DIN) wherein every communication of the Department would carry a computer generated unique document identification number. Similarly, to increase the ease of compliance for taxpayers, IT Department has moved forward with prefilling of income tax returns to make compliance more convenient for individual taxpayers. Compliance norms for startups have also been simplified.

With a view to provide for resolution of pending tax disputes the IT Department also brought out the Direct Tax “Vivad se Vishwas Act, 2020” under which declarations for settling disputes are being filed currently. To effectively reduce taxpayer grievances / litigation, the monetary thresholds for filing of departmental appeals in various appellate Courts have been raised.

Several measures have been taken to promote digital transactions and electronic modes of payment. The IT department is committed to take the initiatives forward and has also made efforts to ease compliances for taxpayers during the Covid times by extending statutory timeliness for filing returns as also releasing refunds expeditiously to increase liquidity in the hands of taxpayers.

The upcoming launch of the platform for “ Transparent Taxation – Honoring the Honest “ by the Prime Minister will further carry forward the journey of direct tax reforms.

The number of loan sanctions and number of applications received under PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme have crossed the mark of 1 lakh and 5 lakhs respectively within 41 days of commencement of the lending process on July 02, 2020. The PM SVANidhi scheme has generated considerable enthusiasm among the street vendors, who have been looking for access to affordable working capital credit for re-starting their businesses post COVID-19 lockdown.

The PM SVANidhi Scheme was launched by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs under the ambit of ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’. It aims at facilitating collateral free working capital loans upto Rs 10,000 of 1 year tenure, to about 50 lakh street vendors in the urban areas, including those from the surrounding peri-urban/ rural areas, to resume their businesses post COVID-19 lockdown. Incentives in the form of interest subsidy @ 7% per annum on regular repayment of loan, cashback upto Rs 1,200 per annum on undertaking prescribed digital transactions and eligibility for enhanced next tranche of loan have also been provided.

PM SVANidhi Scheme envisages bringing ‘Banks at the door steps’ of these ‘nano-entrepreneurs’ by engaging the Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) and the Micro-Finance Institutions (MFIs) as lending institutions in addition to Scheduled Commercial Banks - Public & Private, Regional Rural Banks, Cooperative Banks, SHG Banks etc. The onboarding of the vendors on digital payment platforms is a very important component to build the credit profile of the vendors to help them become part of the formal urban economy.

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) is the implementation partner for the scheme. A graded guarantee cover is provided, on portfolio basis, to these lending institutions through Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) to encourage lending to street vendors.

The street vendors mostly operate their businesses on very thin margins. The micro-credit support under the scheme is expected to provide not only major relief to such vendors but also help them climb the economic ladder. Use of an integrated IT Platform (pmsvanidhi.mohua.org.in), Web Portal and Mobile App, has enabled the Scheme to extend its reach and benefits to this segment of society with the objective of minimum government and maximum governance.

Indian weaves have always helped to weave the rich heritage of people and handlooms in the country. The incredible journey of handlooms and weavers was shared in a webinar on Weaves of Maharashtra and Textiles of Odisha organized by Press Information Bureau, Mumbai and India Tourism, Mumbai today. The webinar focused on different handlooms and fabrics belonging to Maharashtra and Odisha. Both these states are also ‘paired states’ under ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ Mission.

Initially, Regionàl Director, M/o Tourism D. Venkatesan, briefed about concept of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat and narrated initiatives undertaken through this programme. Further, stated that, the webinar intends to help to know about centuries old traditions of handlooms and fabric making in the states of Maharashtra and Odisha.

Speaking about the Textiles of Odisha, Regional Level Guide, Eastern Region, Sh. Tapan Kumar Mishra gave a virtual trip of the handloom map of the state. His presentation threw light on the nuances and techniques involved in weaving each handloom saree/textile. He shared photographs of hand-woven fabric of every district and region of Odisha namely Nuapatna, Berhampur, Dhenkanal, Kordha, Koraput and more.

‘Kotpada saree of Koraput district in Odisha is made in a typical way. It is made from the outer covering of Arjun tree and later treated in cow dung’, he said. He also spoke about how different tribes of the state excel in making hand-woven fabric that requires immense patience and creativity. ‘The fierce Dongria tribe of Odisha has soft hands in making Handloom craft’ he added.

Chitra Acharya, Regional Level Guide, Western Region spoke about 13 different weaves of Maharashtra that stands popular even till date. She proudly said that the state’s Ghongadi fabric has medicinal qualities that can cure many ailments including back pain.

She also spoke about ‘Satranji’ a fabric that reached Maharashtra from the southern part of India -a colourful piece which has all colours of the rainbow. ‘The interlocking pattern of the fabric makes it very strong that it never gets damaged. A Satranji can last for more than 100 years’, she said while explaining the specific way it is woven.

She also spoke about different varieties of sarees and fabrics celebrated by every Maharashtrian - Narayanpeth saree, Nagpuri saree, Himroo, Solapur Chaadar, Munga Sarees, Khann sarees, Karvat Kathi, Tassar Silk and Paithani.

‘Paithani is not a cloth, it is a feeling. It is called so because it originally came from Paithan near Aurangabad. It is every woman's dream to have a Paithani. It is called the Mahavastra’, she said.

The webinar was an initiative to weave the the thread of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat and also honour the handloom weavers and also the handloom industry of these states. ‘India stands for Unity in diversity. Even with its diverse landscapes, people, languages, ethnic backgrounds the nation stands united in many ways,’ Director General, West Zone, M/o Information & Broadcasting, Manish Desai emphasised the dimensions of the sentiment of unity.

He recalled the inspiring words of Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi to connect the country and its people through Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Mission. He also mentioned that the Government of India has given high priority for the development of Handloom industry and spoke about various welfare schemes designed for the promotion of the sector.

India celebrated National Handloom Day on 7th August to honour the handloom weavers in the country and also highlight the handloom industry. August 7 was chosen as the National Handloom Day, to commemorate the Swadeshi Movement which was launched on this day in 1905 in the Calcutta Town hall to protest against partition of Bengal by the British Government. he initiative ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ was announced by Prime Minister on 31st October, 2015 on the occasion of the 140th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. This was launched to enhance the understanding and bonding between the states, thereby strengthening the unity and integrity of India.

The Webinar showcased the journey of India’s independence struggle through the galleries and cells of the Cellular jail

The next episode of the Webinartitled JallianwalaBagh: A turning point in the freedom struggle Posted On: 12 AUG 2020 1:26PM by PIB Delhi

As India gears up to celebrate its 74th Independence Day celebrations , the Ministry of Tourism’s DekhoApnaDesh Webinar Series presented the webinar titled “Cellular Jail : Letters , Memoirs & Memories on 10th August 2020.

The 46th in the series of DekhoApnaDeshwebinars, the “Cellular Jail :Letters , Memoirs & Memories”was presented by Ms. NidhiBansal, CEO, India City Walks & India with locals, Dr.Soumi Roy, Head of Operations, India with Locals and India Heritage Walks and Ms. SomritaSengupta, City Explorer, India City Walks. DekhoApnaDesh Webinar Series is an effort to showcase India’s rich diversity under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat and it is continuously spreading spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat through virtual platform.

The Webinar showcased the journey of India’s independence struggle through the galleries and cells of the Cellular jail. The lives and stories of some of the most famous political prisoners like Veer Savarkar, B.K.Dutt, Fazl-e-HaqKhairabadi, Barindra Kumar Ghose, SushilDasgupta were presented. The important contribution made by NetajiSubhas Chandra Bose in Andaman towards India’s independence also had a mention in the presentation.

The Cellular Jail in Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands is a prison where Indians fighting for freedom from the British were exiled and incarcerated under very inhuman conditions. Today, a national memorial, it is called cellular because it was constructed to host only individual cells for the purpose of solitary confinement.

Originally, the building had seven wings, at the centre of which was a tower with a large bell, manned by guards. Each wing had three storeys and each solitary cell was about 15 ft by about 9 ft, with a single window at a height of 9 ft. The wings were built like the spokes of a bicycle and the front of one wing overlooked the back of the other so there was no way a prisoner could communicate with another.

The presenters recalled how the year of 1857 turned out to be threat to British supremacy and the mid 19th century shook the English empire. The political atmosphere of 20th Century saw the stages of freedom struggle like Gandhi’s policy of non violence and Civil disobedience and several other campaigns. The construction of the prison started in 1896 and was completed in 1910. The original building was a puce-coloured brick building.The building had seven wings, at the centre of which a tower served as the intersection and was used by guards to keep watch on the inmates.

Prior to Cellular jail, it was the jail at Viper Island that was used by the British to inflict the worst form of torture and hardship on those who strove to free the country from the British rule. Solitary cells, lock-ups, stocks and whipping stands characterized the Viper Jail. Women were also held.The conditions at the jail were such that the place got the notorious name, "Viper Chain Gang Jail." Those who had challenged the might of the British authority were chained together and confined at night by a chain running through coupling of irons around their legs. It was at this jail that members of the Chain Gang were put to hard labour.

The architecture of Cellular Jail was conceptualized on the basis of 'Pennsylvania System or Separate System' theory in which separate confinement is necessary for each inmate for complete isolation from other inmates. No communication of any kind was possible between prisoners in the same or different wings. Each and Every brick of the Cellular Jail has got a heart rendering stories of resistance, sufferings and sacrifices. Cellular Jail stands as a mute spectator to the inhuman sufferings of the patriots, freedom fighters who were imprisoned in these cells. They even had to sacrifice their precious lives as victim of tyranny.

Often punishment were inhuman, it ranged from extra hours on the grinding mill to standing handcuffed for a week, gardening, drying copra, rope making, coir pounding, carpet making, weaving towels, to bar-fetters for six months, to confinement in solitary cells, to four days of starvation diet and to cross bars for ten days, a punishment which compelled the victim to keep his legs apart.

The presenters highlighted the sacrifices of following freedom fighters who had to go through the inhuman sufferings at the Cellular Jail.

a) Veer Savarkar - In 1911, freedom fighter VinayakDamodar Savarkar was sentenced to 50 years in the cellular jail of Andamans (also known as Kala Pani) for revolting against the Morley-Minto reforms (Indian Councils Act 1909). He was released in 1924. He was known for his bravery and hence nicknamed ‘Veer’.

b) B.K.Dutt- BatukeshwarDutt, also known as B K Dutt, was a Revolutionary Freedom Fighter. He, alongwithBhagat Singh was involved in the Central Legislative Assembly Bombing Case of 1929, passed away on 20th July 1965 after an illness at the age of 54. Both Singh and Dutt were sentenced to life imprisonment and deported to the Cellular Jail in Port Blair.

c) Fazl-E-HaqKhairabadi- After the Indian Rebellion of 1857 failed, Fazl-E-Haq was covered by an amnesty and was arrested by the British authorities on 30 January 1859 at Khairabad for inciting violence. He was tried and found guilty of encouraging murder and role in the 'jihad'. He had chosen to be his own counsel and defended himself. His arguments and the way he defended his case was so convincing that the presiding magistrate was writing a judgement to exonerate him, when he confessed to giving the fatwa, declaring that he could not lie. He was sentenced for life to the prison at Kalapani (Cellular Jail) on Andaman Island, and his property was confiscated by the judicial commissioner of Awadh court.

d) Barindra Kumar Ghose - BarindraGhose was born at Croydon, near London on 5 January 1880. Following the attempted killing of Kingsford by two revolutionaries Khudiram and Prafulla on 30 April 1908, the police intensified its investigation which led to the arrest of Barin and AurobindoGhosh on 2 May 1908, along with many of his comrades. The trial (known as the Alipore Bomb Case) initially sentenced BarinGhosh and UllaskarDatta to death. However, the sentence was reduced to life imprisonment, by DeshbandhuChittaranjan Das and Barin was deported to the Cellular Jail in Andaman in 1909 along with other convicts.

e) SushilDasgupta - Sushil Kumar Dasgupta (1910-1947) was born in Barishal, now in Bangladesh. He was a member of the revolutionary Yugantar Dal of Bengal, and the Putiya Mail Robbery case of 1929 took him to Medinipur prison. From there, he escaped along with fellow revolutionaries, SachinKar Gupta and Dinesh Majumdar. They were absconding for seven months. Eventually Dinesh was caught and hanged, Sushil was sent to Cellular Jail, and Sachin first to Mandalay Jail and, then, to Cellular Jail.

Mass hunger strikes were resorted to especially between 1932 and 1937. The last strike began in July 1937 and it continued for 45 days. The government finally decided to close down the penal settlement and all the political prisoners of Cellular Jail were repatriated to their respective states on mainland India by January 1938.

On December 29, 1943, political control of the islands was passed to the Azad Hind government of Subhas Chandra Bose. Bose visited Port Blair to raise the tricolour flag of the Indian National Army. During this, his only visit to the Andamans, he was kept carefully screened from the local population by the Japanese authorities. Various attempts were made to inform him of the sufferings of the people of the Andamans, and the fact that many local Indian Nationalists were at that time being tortured in the Cellular Jail.

The presenters also showcased the beautiful island beyond Cellular jail. The Andaman Islands are an Indian archipelago in the Bay of Bengal. These roughly 300 islands are known for their palm-lined, white-sand beaches, mangroves and tropical rainforests. Coral reefs supporting marine life such as sharks and rays make for popular diving and snorkeling sites. Indigenous Andaman Islanders inhabit the more remote islands, many of which are off limits to visitors.

Port Blair on South Andaman Island is the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Its seafront Cellular Jail hints at its past as a British penal colony and is now a memorial to Indian independence activists. Inland, the Samudrika Marine Museum showcases local marine life.

The Anthropological Museum focuses on the islands’ indigenous tribes. Cellular Jail Museum, a prominent and the most attractive sightseeing spot at Andaman and Nicobar Island for tourists across the globe comprises of National Memorial houses, Freedom Fighters Photo and Exhibition Gallery, Art Gallery, and a Library on Freedom Movement.

The place is sure to draw our memories back to the Indian Freedom Struggle. Ross island or N.C.BoseDweep has the ruins of opulent British past in the form of bakery, old office buildings, churches etc. Neil Island or ShaheedDweep with white shores, coral reefs is often visited for snorkeling. Havelock islandalso named Swaraj island is home to Radhanagar beach. Travelers can enjoy scuba diving, fishing, snorkeling etc at Elephant island.

Location: North Sumatra, Indonesia.

Why in News? The volcano has become active once again. The volcano became active in 2010, erupting after nearly 400 years of inactivity.

Background: Indonesia is home to many active volcanoes, due to its position on the “Ring of Fire”, or the Circum-Pacific Belt, which is an area along the Pacific Ocean characterised by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes.

The Ring of Fire is home to about 75 per cent of the world’s volcanoes and about 90 per cent of its earthquakes.

Why do volcanoes erupt? A volcano can be active, dormant or extinct. An eruption takes place when magma (a thick flowing substance), formed when the earth’s mantle melts, rises to the surface.

Because magma is lighter than solid rock, it is able to rise through vents and fissures on the surface of the earth. After it has erupted, it is called lava.

When are they explosive? Not all volcanic eruptions are explosive, since explosivity depends on the composition of the magma.

When the magma is runny and thin, gases can easily escape it, in which case, the magma will flow out towards the surface. On the other hand, if the magma is thick and dense, gases cannot escape it, which builds up pressure inside until the gases escape in a violent explosion.

Context: In February, a government-appointed committee had submitted its recommendations for implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, a key provision that has been contentious for decades. The government made the report public recently.

Background: The committee was set up by the Home Ministry in 2019. Headed by retired High Court judge Biplab Kumar Sarma. Its brief was to define the “Assamese people” and suggest measures for the safeguard of their rights.

What does Clause 6 say? Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, which was signed in 1985 after the Assam Agitation of 1979-85, envisages that appropriate “constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards should be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the people of Assam.”

This Clause was inserted to safeguard the socio-political rights and culture of the “indigenous people of Assam”.

What is Assam Accord? It was a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) signed between representatives of the Government of India and the leaders of the Assam Movement in New Delhi on 15 August 1985.

For recognition as citizens, the Accord sets March 24, 1971 as the cutoff. Key recommendations made by the committee: The committee has proposed that the following be considered Assamese people for the purpose of Clause 6:

All citizens of India who are part of: Assamese community, residing in the Territory of Assam on or before January 1, 1951; or Any indigenous tribal community of Assam residing in the territory of Assam on or before January 1, 1951; or

Any other indigenous community of Assam residing in the territory of Assam on or before January 1, 1951; or All other citizens of India residing in the territory of Assam on or before January 1, 1951; and Descendants of the above categories.

Implications and impacts of these recommendations: Clause 6 is meant to give the Assamese people certain safeguards, which would not be available to migrants between 1951 and 1971.

If the recommendation is accepted, those who migrated between 1951 and 1971 would be Indian citizens under the Assam Accord and NRC, but they would not be eligible for safeguards meant for “Assamese people”.

What are these safeguards? 80 to 100% reservation in the parliamentary seats of Assam, Assembly seats and local body seats be reserved for the “Assamese people”. 80 to 100% of Group C and D level posts (in Assam) in central government/semi-central government/central PSUs/private sector

80 to 100% of jobs under Government of Assam and state government undertakings; and 70 to 100% of vacancies arising in private partnerships

Land rights, with restrictions imposed on transferring land by any means to persons other than “Assamese people”. Several other recommendations deal with language, and cultural and social rights.

Context: Supreme Court has expanded on a Hindu woman’s right to be a joint legal heir and inherit ancestral property on terms equal to male heirs.

What is the ruling? A Hindu woman’s right to be a joint heir to the ancestral property is by birth and does not depend on whether her father was alive or not when the law was enacted in 2005. The ruling now overrules the verdicts from 2015 and April 2018.

How did the case come about? While the 2005 law granted equal rights to women, questions were raised in multiple cases on whether the law applied retrospectively, and if the rights of women depended on the living status of the father through whom they would inherit.

About the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005: It gave Hindu women the right to be coparceners or joint legal heirs in the same way a male heir does. The amended act made a daughter of a coparcener also a coparcener by birth “in her own right in the same manner as the son”.

The law also gave the daughter the same rights and liabilities “in the coparcenary property as she would have had if she had been a son”. Applicability of the law: It applies to ancestral property and to intestate succession in personal property — where succession happens as per law and not through a will.

Background of the case: Different benches of the Supreme Court and various High Courts had taken conflicting views on the issue. In Prakash v Phulwati (2015), the Supreme Court held that the benefit of the 2005 amendment could be granted only to “living daughters of living coparceners” as on September 9, 2005 (the date when the amendment came into force).

In February 2018, contrary to the 2015 ruling, the Court held that the share of a father who died in 2001 will also pass to his daughters as coparceners during the partition of the property as per the 2005 law. Then in April that year, the Court reiterated the position taken in 2015.

These conflicting views by Benches of equal strength led to a reference to a three-judge Bench in the current case.

Context: The National Socialist Council of Nagaland-IM has for the first time released the details of the 2015 framework agreement.

It has also accused interlocutor R.N. Ravi of deleting a key word from the original document and sharing the modified version with other Naga groups.

What’s the issue? The agreement released by the NSCN-IM stated “sharing the sovereign power” and provide for an “enduring inclusive new relationship of peaceful co-existence of the two entities”. However, it is alleged that Mr. Ravi, also Nagaland Governor, “craftily deleted the word new from the original” and circulated to the other Naga groups including the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs).

What are the demands? The NSCN claimed that the word ‘new’ is politically sensitive as it goes to define the meaning of peaceful co-existence of the two entities (two sovereign powers) and it strongly indicates outside the purview of the Constitution.

It has demanded that the Centre should come out with an undertaking that the framework agreement is still alive in its original form and “to be handled by somebody other than RN Ravi” who is sensitive enough to understand and respect what has been achieved during the past 23 years.

Background: Naga talks have hit a rough weather as the NSCN-IM has demanded that the present interlocutor be removed from the position. The NSCN-IM has been fighting for ‘Greater Nagaland’ or Nagalim — it wants to extend Nagaland’s borders by including Naga-dominated areas in neighbouring Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, to unite 1.2 million Nagas.

The Centre has said there will be no disintegration of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur to merge the Naga inhabited areas with Nagaland.

How old is the Naga political issue? Pre- independence: The British annexed Assam in 1826, and in 1881, the Naga Hills too became part of British India. The first sign of Naga resistance was seen in the formation of the Naga Club in 1918, which told the Simon Commission in 1929 “to leave us alone to determine for ourselves as in ancient times”. In 1946 came the Naga National Council (NNC), which declared Nagaland an independent state on August 14, 1947.

The NNC resolved to establish a “sovereign Naga state” and conducted a “referendum” in 1951, in which “99 per cent” supported an “independent” Nagaland.

Post- independence: On March 22, 1952, underground Naga Federal Government (NFG) and the Naga Federal Army (NFA) were formed. The Government of India sent in the Army to crush the insurgency and, in 1958, enacted the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.

When did the NSCN come into being? A group of about 140 members led by Thuingaleng Muivah, who were at that time in China, refused to accept the Shillong Accord, and formed the National Socialist Council of Nagaland in 1980.

As per the accord, NNC and NFG agreed to give up arms. In 1988, the NSCN split into NSCN (IM) and NSCN (K) after a violent clash.

Context: This new virus is rapidly spreading in China. It causes a disease called Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS).

What’s the concern now? While the disease is transferred to humans through tick bites, Chinese virologists have warned that human-to-human transmission of the virus cannot be ruled out. The current case fatality rate rests between approximately 16 and 30 per cent.

Due to the rate at which it spreads and its high fatality rate, SFTS has been listed among the top 10 priority diseases blue print by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Unlike SARS-CoV-2 however, this is not the first time the SFTS virus has infected people. The recent spate of cases merely marks a re-emergence of the disease.

What is the SFTS virus? Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) belongs to the Bunyavirus family and is transmitted to humans through tick bites. The virus was first identified by a team of researchers in China over a decade ago.

How it spreads? An Asian tick called Haemaphysalis longicornis is the primary vector, or carrier, of the virus. Scientists have found that the virus is often transmitted to humans from animals like goats, cattle, deer and sheep.

What are the symptoms of the SFTFS virus? According to a study conducted by a team of Chinese researchers in 2011, the incubation period is anywhere between seven and 13 days after the onset of the illness. Patients suffering from the disease usually experience a whole range of symptoms, including, fever, fatigue, chill, headache, lymphadenopathy, anorexia, nausea, myalgia, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, gingival hemorrhage, conjunctival congestion, and so on.

How is SFTS treated? While a vaccine to treat the disease is yet to be successfully developed, the antiviral drug Ribavirin is known to be effective in treating the illness.

Context: Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, in collaboration with Dell Technologies has launched Student Entrepreneurship Programme 2.0 (SEP 2.0) for young innovators of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs).

About SEP 2.0 and its significance: It will allow student innovators to work closely with Dell volunteers. They will receive mentor support; prototyping and testing support; end-user feedback; intellectual property registration and patenting of ideas, processes, and products; manufacturing support; as well as the launch support of the product in the market.

About Student Entrepreneurship Programme: SEP 1.0 began in January 2019.

Through a 10-month-long rigorous programme, the top 6 teams of ATL Marathon—a nationwide contest where students identify community challenges and create grassroots innovations and solutions within their ATLs—got a chance to transform their innovative prototypes into fully functioning products, which are now available in the market.

It is a prototype of SpaceX’s uncrewed “Mars ship”. It is a stainless steel test. It is a part of the Starship spacecraft.

Why in News? The prototype recently completed its first test flight. It successfully flew to an altitude of over 500 feet for a little less than 60 seconds.

What is Starship? Designed by SpaceX, Starship is a spacecraft and super-heavy booster rocket meant to act as a reusable transportation system for crew and cargo to the Earth’s orbit, Moon and Mars. SpaceX has described Starship as “the world’s most powerful launch vehicle” with an ability to carry over 100 metric tonnes to the Earth’s orbit.

Potential: Once functional, the Starship spacecraft will enter Mars’ atmosphere at a speed of 7.5 km per second and will be designed to withstand multiple entries. Starship can deliver satellites further and at lower marginal costs than SpaceX’s Falcon vehicles and it can ferry both cargo and crew to the International Space Station (ISS).

Once developed, Starship is also expected to help carry large amounts of cargo to the Moon, for human spaceflight development and research. Beyond the Moon, the spacecraft is being designed for carrying crew and cargo for interplanetary missions as well.

It is a new coronavirus vaccine launched by Russia. It is touted as the world’s first such vaccine, too.

Currently, WHO and Russian health authoritiesare discussing the process for possible WHO prequalification for its newly approved COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is named Sputnik V, a reference to the first orbital satellite, which was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957 and set off the global space race.

Articles covered previously (Note: This section helps you have a brief overview of articles which are frequently in news and are repeated with no significant developments. This will also help you reduce unnecessary burden.) Delhi High Court notice to Centre:

Context: The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the Centre on a plea seeking contempt proceedings against the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for failing to publish the translated versions of the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification in all 22 languages of the Eighth Schedule.

What’s the issue? The petitioner accused the Ministry of “wilful disobedience and deliberate defiance” of the order of the High Court passed on June 30 to publish the draft EIA in the vernacular languages to enable the general public to give their comments, objections or recommendations.

Note: Details of the draft EIA have been covered multiple times. What you can study from the above mentioned topic? All about the 8th schedule of the Indian Constitution. Contempt of Court- meaning, applicability and outcomes.