GS- 3rd Paper
Topic- Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences
Context
Abhijit Banerjee has been awarded the 2019 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.
All about noble Prizes
- The Nobel Prize is a set of annual international awards bestowed in several categories by Swedish and Norwegian institutions in recognition of academic, cultural, or scientific advances.
- The will of the Swedish chemist, engineer, industrialist and the inventor of dynamite Alfred Nobel established the five Nobel prizes in 1895.
- He gave the largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology/Medicine, Literature, and Peace, to be called the “Nobel Prizes”.
- In 1968, the sixth award, the Prize in Economic Sciences was started.
- The Nobel Prize consists of a Nobel Medal and Diploma, and a document confirming the prize amount.
The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences 2019
- Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Michael Kremer, are the winners of 2019 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences.
- The prestigious Nobel Prize in Economics was given to the Trio for their Experimental Approach to Alleviating Global Poverty.
- The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, officially known as The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel .
- It is an award funded by Sveriges Riksbank and is annually awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to researchers in the field of economic sciences.
- The Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences was not part of original group of awards (Chemistry, Literature, Peace, Physics, and Physiology or Medicine) set out in dynamite tycoon Alfred Nobel’s 1895 will.
- In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden’s central bank) established the Prize in Economic Sciences.
- The Prize is based on a donation received by the Nobel Foundation in 1968 from Sveriges Riksbank on the occasion of the Bank’s 300th anniversary.
Selection of winners
- The Nobel Committees of four prize-awarding institutions every year invite thousands of members of academies, university professors, scientists, previous Nobel Laureates, and members of parliamentary assemblies among others to submit candidates for the Nobel Prizes for the coming year.
- One cannot nominate himself/herself for a Nobel Prize.
- The nominators are selected in such a way that as many countries and universities as possible are represented over time.
- The Nobel Committees of the prize-awarding institutions are responsible for the selection of the candidates, the institutions being-
- Nobel Prize in Physics and Chemistry– The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
- Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine – The Karolinska Institutet
- Nobel Prize in Literature – The Swedish Academy
- Nobel Peace Prize – A five-member Committee elected by the Norwegian Parliament
- Prize in Economic Sciences – The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
GS- 3rd Paper
Topic- Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights
L2Pro India
Context
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) launched the website and mobile application (Learn to Protect, Secure and Maximize Your Innovation) on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs).
About
- DPIIT launched the website and mobile application on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs).
- The website and app has been developed by Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM)-DPIIT in collaboration with Qualcomm and National Law University (NLU),
Benefits
- The modules of this e-learning platform (L2Pro India IP e-learning Platform and the L2Pro India Mobile App) will aid and enable youth, innovators, entrepreneurs and small and medium industries (SMEs).
- It will help in understanding IPRs for their ownership and protection, integrate IP into business models and obtain value for their R&D efforts.
- The L2Pro has been successfully implemented in Germany, United Kingdom, Italy and France, benefiting immensely from close collaboration with respective IP organizations and public research institutions.
- The learning app has been customized for India in order to ensure that innovation which is fundamental to startups are protected, managed and commercialised.
Key Features of L2Pro India IP e-learning platform
- The L2Pro India IP e-learning platform will have 11 modules for three different levels: Basic, Intermediate and Advanced.
- Each module comprises of e-text for understanding concepts, short animated videos of the concepts, links to additional resources on the subject and quizzes for assessment and grading the learner’s knowledge and understanding of the subject.
- Learners will access the L2Pro IP e-learning platform through their desktop, laptop, mobile browser and mobile application. Learners will be provided e-certificates by CIPAM-DPIIT and NLU Delhi and Qualcomm on successful completion of the e-learning modules.
What are Intellectual Property Rights?
- Intellectual property rights are the rights given to persons over the creations of their minds.
- They usually give the creator an exclusive right over the use of his/her creation for a certain period of time.
- Intellectual property rights are customarily divided into two main areas–
- Copyright and rights related to copyright.
- The rights of authors of literary and artistic works (such as books and other writings, musical compositions, paintings, sculpture, computer programs and films) are protected by copyright, for a minimum period of 50 years after the death of the author.
- Also protected through copyright and related “neighbouring” rights are the rights of performers (e.g. actors, singers and musicians), producers of phonograms (sound recordings) and broadcasting organizations.
- The main social purpose of protection of copyright and related rights is to encourage and reward creative work.
- Industrial property
- Industrial property can usefully be divided into two main areas-
- One area can be characterized as the protection of distinctive signs, in particular trademarks and geographical indications.
- The protection of such distinctive signs aims to stimulate and ensure fair competition and to protect consumers, by enabling them to make informed choices between various goods and services.
- The protection may last indefinitely, provided the sign in question continues to be distinctive.
- Second type of industrial property is protected primarily to stimulate innovation, design and the creation of technology.
- In this category fall inventions (protected by patents), industrial designs and trade secrets.
Need
- The social purpose is to provide protection for the results of investment in the development of new technology, thus giving the incentive and means to finance research and development activities.
- A functioning intellectual property regime should also facilitate the transfer of technology in the form of foreign direct investment, joint ventures and licensing.
- The protection is usually given for a finite term (typically 20 years in the case of patents).
For Prelims-
World Standard Day
Context
Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution inaugurated the celebrations of ‘World Standard Day’ by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
Highlights
- The celebration of 60th ‘World Standard Day’ was organized by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
- The theme of the World Standard Day 2019 was “Video Standards create a global stage”
- World Standards Day is an international day celebrated internationally each year on 14 October.
- The day honours the efforts of the thousands of experts who develop voluntary standards within standards development organizations.
- The aim of World Standards Day is to raise awareness among regulators, industry and consumers as to the importance of standardization to the global economy.
- 14 October was specifically chosen to mark the date, in 1946, when delegates from 25 countries first gathered in London and decided to create an international organization focused on facilitating standardization.
Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav
Context
To Celebrate India’s plural traditions and culture, Under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Matrix, 10th edition of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav was inaugurated.
Highlights
- 10th edition of ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav’ under the Ministry of Culture to be inaugurated in Jabalpur.
- the Ministry of Culture decided to organize it with an intent to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Country in all its rich and varied dimensions, viz Handicrafts, Cuisine, Painting, Sculpture and Performing Arts-Folk, Tribal, Classical and Contemporary- all in one place.
- The Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat programme was launched by the Prime Minister on 31st October, 2016.
- It was aimed to promote engagement amongst the people of different States/UTs so as to enhance mutual understanding and bonding between people of diverse cultures, thereby securing stronger unity and integrity of India.
LOTUS-HR (Local Treatment of Urban Sewage streams for Healthy Reuseplant)
Context
India and Netherlands launched the second phase of the LOTUS-HR (Local Treatment of Urban Sewage streams for Healthy Reuseplant ) as a part of joint collaboration.
Highlights
- His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty, Queen Maxima of the Kingdom of the Netherlands a joint launch of the second phase of the Local Treatment of Urban Sewage streams for Healthy Reuse (LOTUS-HR) program.
- The project was initiated in July 2017.
- It aims to demonstrate a novel holistic (waste) water management approaches that will produce clean water which can be reused for various purposes.
- The LOTUS-HR project is jointly supported by Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India and Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research /STW, Government of Netherlands.
