• The Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare has virtually launched the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) recently.
• The Integrated Health Information Platform is the next generation highly refined version of the presently used Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).
• India is the first country in the world to adopt such an advanced disease surveillance system.
• It was termed as the world's biggest online disease surveillance platform.
• The new version of IHIP will house the data entry and management for India’s disease surveillance program.
• In addition to tracking 33 diseases now as compared to the earlier 18 diseases, it shall ensure near-real-time data in digital mode, having done away with the paper-mode of working.
• It is in sync with the National Digital Health Mission and fully compatible with the other digital information systems presently being used in India.
• The refined IHIP with automated -data will help in a big way in real time data collection, aggregation & further analysis of data that will aid and enable evidence-based policy making

• Minister of State for Education Sanjay Dhotre has recently attended a consultation meeting of Education Ministers of E9 countries.
• The consultation is the first of a three-phased process to co-create an initiative on digital learning and skills, targeting marginalised children and youth, especially girls.

E9 Initiative

• The initiative aims to accelerate recovery and advance the Sustainable Development Goal 4 agenda by driving rapid change in education systems.
• Spearheaded by the UN, the E9 countries includes Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan.
• The E9 countries will have the opportunity to benefit from this global initiative and accelerate progress on digital learning.

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has recently developed an Advanced Chaff Technology to safeguard the naval ships against enemy missile attack.
• Defence Laboratory Jodhpur (DLJ), a DRDO laboratory, has indigenously developed three variants of this critical technology namely Short Range Chaff Rocket (SRCR), Medium Range Chaff Rocket (MRCR) and Long Range Chaff Rocket (LRCR) meeting Indian Navy’s qualitative requirements.
• The successful development of Advanced Chaff Technology by DLJ is another step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat. 
• Recently, Indian Navy conducted trials of all three variants in the Arabian Sea on Indian Naval Ship and found the performance satisfactory.

Chaff

• It is a passive expendable electronic countermeasure technology used worldwide to protect naval ships from enemy’s radar and Radio Frequency (RF) missile seekers.
• The importance of this development lies in the fact that very less quantity of chaff material deployed in the air acts as decoy to deflect enemy’s missiles for safety of the ships.

• The three-day multi-lateral maritime exercise ‘La Perouse’, led by the French Navy, was recently kickstarted in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region.
• The exercise involves the French Navy, Indian Navy, Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) and United States Navy (USN).
• For the first time, the Indian Navy has deployed INS Satpura (with an integral helicopter embarked) and INS Kiltan alongwith P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft in the three-day naval exercise.
• The first edition of La Perouse joint exercise, initiated by France in 2019, included ships from Australia, Japan and the US.

• Spices Board India under Ministry of Commerce and Industry and UNDP India’s Accelerator Lab recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the aim to build a blockchain based traceability interface for Indian spices to enhance transparency in supply chain and trade. 
• Blockchain is a decentralized process of recording transactions on an open and shared electronic ledger.
• This allows for ease and transparency in data management across a complex network, including, farmers, brokers, distributors, processors, retailers, regulators, and consumers, thus simplifying the supply chain.
• It will allow farmers just as all other members of the supply chain to access the information which further makes the entire supply chain more efficient and equitable.

Spices Board of India

• It is one of the five Commodity Boards functioning under the Ministry of Commerce &Industry.
• It is an autonomous body responsible for the export promotion of the 52 scheduled spices and development of Cardamom (Small & Large).

The main functions of the Spices Board are the following

1. Research, Development and Regulation of domestic marketing of Small & Large Cardamom
2. Post-harvest improvement of all spices
3. Export promotion of all spices and assisting exporters in technology upgradation, quality management, brand promotion, research & product development
4. Development of spices in the North East
5. Regulation of quality of spices for exports through its quality evaluation services; etc.

National Security Act (NSA)

• The former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi brought the National Security Act in 1980.
• The maximum period of detention under National Security Act is:

1. A person can be detained for up to 12 months without a charge.
2. A person can be held for 10 days without being told the charges against them.
3. The person can appeal before a high court advisory board but will not be allowed a lawyer during the trial.

• Article 22 (1) of the Indian Constitution says an arrested person cannot be denied the right to consult, and to be defended by, a legal practitioner of his choice.
• According to Section 50 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), any person arrested has to be informed of the grounds of arrest and has the right to bail.
• Under National Security Act, none of these rights are available to the person detained.
• The government holds the right to conceal information which it considers to be against public interest to disclose.
• The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), which collects crime data in India, does not include cases under the NSA as no FIRs are registered.

Non-Fungible Token (NFT)

• A non-fungible token (NFT) is a unit of data on a digital ledger called a block chain, where each NFT can represent a unique digital item, and thus they are not interchangeable.
• NFTs can represent digital files such as art, audio, videos, items in video games and other forms of creative work.
• The NFTs can be bought on an NFT market, it has access to any copy of the original file, however, is not restricted to the owner of the token.
• While the digital files themselves are infinitely reproducible, the NFTs representing them are tracked on their underlying block chains and provide buyers with proof of ownership of the NFTs.
• NFTs can be used to commodify digital creations, such as digital art, video game items, and music files.
• NFTs mostly run on a proof-of-work block chain, which is less energy efficient than a proof-of-stake block chain.
• Indian artists can place their digital assets including art pieces, audio files, videos, and even tweets, for auction over the block chain-based NFT marketplace to earn royalty thereafter.
• Indian cryptocurrency exchange, WazirX has launched a non-fungible tokens (NFT) marketplace for Indian artists and creators.
• Indian artists can place their digital assets including art pieces, audio files, videos, and even tweets, for auction over the blockchain-based NFT marketplace to earn royalty thereafter.

Harmonized System of Nomenclature Code (HSN code)

• It is a 6 digit identification code developed by World Customs
  Organization
• Of the six digits, the first two denote the HS Chapter, the next two give the HS heading, and the last two give the HS subheading.
• It is called the “universal economic language” for goods, a multipurpose international product nomenclature.
• The system currently comprises of around 5,000 commodity groups.
• It has been made mandatory for a GST taxpayer having a turnover of more than Rs 5 crore in the preceding financial year, to furnish 6 digits HSN Code (Harmonized System of Nomenclature Code).
• Over 200 countries use the system as a basis for their customs tariffs, gathering international trade statistics, making trade policies, and for monitoring goods.
• The system helps in harmonising of customs and trade procedures, thus reducing costs in international trade.

World Customs Organization (WCO)

• It was established in 1952 as the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC) is an independent intergovernmental body whose mission is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs administrations.
• As the global centre of Customs expertise, the WCO is the only international organization with competence in Customs matters and can rightly call itself the voice of the international Customs community.
• The WCO has divided its Membership into six Regions, Each of the six Regions is represented by a regionally elected Vice-Chairperson to the WCO Council.
• Besides the vital role played by the WCO in stimulating the growth of legitimate international trade, its efforts to combat fraudulent activities are also recognized internationally.
• WCO has also been responsible for administering the World Trade Organization’s Agreements on Customs Valuation, which provide a system for placing values on imported goods, and the Rules of Origin, which are used to determine the origin of a given commodity.

Chenab Arch Bridge

• It is a 1.3 km-long bridge that is being built across the Chenab River, which is being constructed at a height of 359 metres from the riverbed.
• It will be at a height 35 meters more than the Eiffel Tower in Paris and at five times the height of the Qutab Minar in Delhi.
• It is being built on the Katra-Banihal railway line at village Kauri in the Reasi district.
• The bridge forms the crucial link in the 111-km stretch between Katra and Banihal which is part of the Udhampur- Srinagar-Baramulla section of the Kashmir Railway project.
• At present, the Kashmir link means a 25-km stretch from Udhampur to Katra, an 18-km stretch from Banihal to Qazigund in the Valley and thereafter the 118-km Qazigund to Baramulla line.
• The only missing piece in the link is the Katra-Banihal stretch, and the bridge over Chenab was the main engineering hurdle holding up the progress all these years.
• The bridge will be able to withstand earthquakes with a magnitude of up to eight and high-intensity blasts.

Star Campaigner

• A star campaigner is a celebrity vote seeker in an election for a party.
• They are nominated by the concerned political parties specifying their constituencies and duration of the status.
• Provisions for Star Campaigners

1. The expenditure incurred on campaigning by ‘stars’ is exempt from being added to the election expenditure of a candidate.
2. It only applies when a star campaigner limits herself to a general campaign for the political party she represents.
3. A recognised political party can have up to 40 star campaigners while an unrecognised party (but registered) political party can have 20.
4. The list of star campaigners has to be communicated to the Chief Electoral Officer and Election Commission within a week from the date of notification of an election.

• The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) guidelines say when a prime minister or a former prime minister is star campaigner, the expenditure incurred on security will be borne by the government.
• The Election Commission has the right to decide whether a star campaigner can further campaign or not.