MCA21 V3.0:
- MCA21 (Ministry of Corporate Affairs 21) is the online portal of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) that has made all company related information accessible to various stakeholders and the general public. It was launched in 2006.
- It will help in improving Ease of Doing Business in India. India ranked 63rd out of 190 countries in Ease Doing Business 2020: World Bank Report.
- MCA 21 has been part of Mission Mode projects of the Government of India.
- MCA21 Version 3.0 is part of the 2021 Budget announcement.
Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Artifacts
- Gold hallmarking is a purity certification of the precious metal and is voluntary in nature at present. The hallmarking of jewellery/artefacts is required to enhance the credibility of gold jewellery and customer satisfaction through third party assurance for the marked purity/fineness of gold.
- According to BIS, the mandatory hallmarking will protect the public against lower caratage and ensure consumers do not get cheated while buying gold ornaments and get the purity as marked on the ornaments.
- A committee, headed by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Director General Pramod Tewari, has been formed to ensure proper coordination and resolve the implementation issues.
- From June 15, jewellers will be allowed to sell only 14, 18 and 22 carats of gold jewellery.
- The BIS has been running a hallmarking scheme for gold jewellery since April 2000. Around 40 per cent of gold jewellery is being hallmarked currently.
NGT upholds rights of pastoralists in Banni grasslands
- It accounts for almost 45% of the pastures in Gujarat.
- Two ecosystems, wetlands and grasslands, are mixed side by side in Banni.
- Originally nomads, they came to be known as Maldharis after settling in Junagarh (mainly Gir Forest).
- The literal meaning of Maldhari is keeper (dhari) of the animal stock (mal).
- The livestock include sheep, goats, cows, buffalo, and camels.
- The Gir Forest National Park is home to around 8,400 Maldharis.
- Moreover, the Act has a special provision for setting up ‘Critical Wildlife Habitats (CWH)’, for the conservation of the species.
- The Act identifies four types of rights:
Title rights: It gives FDST and OTFD the right to ownership to land farmed by tribals or forest dwellers subject to a maximum of 4 hectares.
Use rights: The rights of the dwellers extend to extracting Minor Forest Produce, grazing areas etc.
Relief and development rights: To rehabilitate in case of illegal eviction or forced displacement and to basic amenities, subject to restrictions for forest protection
Forest management rights: It includes the right to protect, regenerate or conserve or manage any community forest resource which they have been traditionally protecting.
Shahi litchi GI certified products
- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered all encroachments to be removed from Gujarat's Banni grasslands within six months.
- The court also said the Maldharis (Pastoralists) will continue to hold the right to conserve the community forests in the area, granted to them as per the provisions in Section 3 of Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.
- About Banni Grassland:
- It accounts for almost 45% of the pastures in Gujarat.
- Two ecosystems, wetlands and grasslands, are mixed side by side in Banni.
- About Maldharis:
- Originally nomads, they came to be known as Maldharis after settling in Junagarh (mainly Gir Forest).
- The literal meaning of Maldhari is keeper (dhari) of the animal stock (mal).
- The livestock include sheep, goats, cows, buffalo, and camels.
- The Gir Forest National Park is home to around 8,400 Maldharis.
- Forest Rights Act 2006:
- Moreover, the Act has a special provision for setting up ‘Critical Wildlife Habitats (CWH)’, for the conservation of the species.
- The Act identifies four types of rights:
Title rights: It gives FDST and OTFD the right to ownership to land farmed by tribals or forest dwellers subject to a maximum of 4 hectares.
Use rights: The rights of the dwellers extend to extracting Minor Forest Produce, grazing areas etc.
Relief and development rights: To rehabilitate in case of illegal eviction or forced displacement and to basic amenities, subject to restrictions for forest protection
Forest management rights: It includes the right to protect, regenerate or conserve or manage any community forest resource which they have been traditionally protecting.
Shahi litchi GI certified products
- Shahi litchi was the fourth agricultural products to get GI certification from Bihar in 2018, after Jardalu mango, Katarni rice and Magahi paan.
- India is the second largest producer of litchi (Litchi chin) in the world, after China.
- The translucent, flavoured aril or edible flesh of the litchi is popular as a table fruit in India, while in China and Japan it is preferred in dried or canned form.
- Bihar tops in terms of production of litchi. Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Samastipur, Champaran, Begusarai districts and adjoining areas of Bihar have favorable climate for growing Shahi Litchi.
India - Israel Cooperation In Agriculture
Historical Ties:
- India and Israel signed a three-year work program for cooperation in Agriculture, while recognizing the centrality of agriculture and water sectors in the bilateral relationship.
- The minister said that India and Israel have had bilateral relations since 1993 in the agricultural sector. This is the 5th Indo-Israel Agriculture Action Plan (IIAP).
- The three-year work program (2021-2023) will aim to grow existing Centres of Excellence, establish new centers, increase CoE’s value chain, bring the Centres of Excellence into the self-sufficient mode, and encourage private sector companies and collaboration.
- As for the “INDO-ISRAEL Villages of Excellence”, this is a new concept aimed at creating a model ecosystem in agriculture across eight states, alongside 13 Centers of Excellence within 75 villages. The IIVOE program will focus on: (1) Modern Agriculture infrastructure, (2) Capacity Building, (3) Market linkage.
Historical Ties:
- The strategic cooperation between the two countries began during the Sino-India War of 1962.
- In 1965, Israel supplied M-58 160-mm mortar ammunition to India in the war against Pakistan.
- It was one of the few countries that chose not to condemn India’s Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998.
- Trade in diamonds constitutes close to 40% of bilateral trade.
- India is Israel's third largest trade partner in Asia.
- Israeli companies have invested in India in energy, renewable energy, telecom, real estate, water technologies, and are focusing on setting up R&D centers or production units in India.
- The first recipients of grants from the Israel-India Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F) were announced in July 2018, including companies working to better the lives of Indians and Israelis through efficient water use, improving communications infrastructure, solar energy use, and life-changing surgeries.
- The fund aims to help Israeli entrepreneurs enter the Indian market.
- Israel has been among the top four arms suppliers to India for almost two decades now, notching military sales worth around USD 1 billion every year.
- The Indian armed forces have inducted a wide array of Israeli weapon systems over the years, which range from Phalcon AWACS (airborne warning and control systems) and Heron, Searcher-II and Harop drones to Barak anti-missile defence systems and Spyder quick-reaction anti-aircraft missile systems.
- The acquisitions also include a host of Israeli missiles and precision-guided munitions, from Python and Derby air-to-air missiles to Crystal Maze and Spice-2000 bombs.
- In 2020, an Israeli team arrived in India with a multi-pronged mission, codenamed Operation Breathing Space to work with Indian authorities on the Covid-19 response.
Gholvad Sapota GI from Maharashtra
- It is used for agricultural, natural and manufactured goods.
- The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 seeks to provide for the registration and better protection of geographical indications relating to goods in India.
- The Act is administered by the Controller General of Patents, Designs and TradeMarks- who is the Registrar of Geographical Indications.
- The Geographical Indications Registry is located at Chennai.
- The registration of a geographical indication is valid for a period of 10 years. It can be renewed from time to time for a further period of 10 years each.
- It is also a part of the World Trade Organisation’s Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
- Sapota (Chikoo) is grown in many states- Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.
- Karnataka is known to be the highest grower of the fruit, followed by Maharashtra.
- Other GI Certified Products from Maharashtra:
- Geographical Indication (GI) Certification:
- It is used for agricultural, natural and manufactured goods.
- The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 seeks to provide for the registration and better protection of geographical indications relating to goods in India.
- The Act is administered by the Controller General of Patents, Designs and TradeMarks- who is the Registrar of Geographical Indications.
- The Geographical Indications Registry is located at Chennai.
- The registration of a geographical indication is valid for a period of 10 years. It can be renewed from time to time for a further period of 10 years each.
- It is also a part of the World Trade Organisation’s Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).