UniFocus IAS ( UNIFOCUS UNIVERSAL )

  Cinematograph Act Amendment: First,  the Bill attempts to address the issue of unauthorised recording and exhibition of films and curb the menace of film piracy by transmission of unauthorized copies on the internet. Second,  the Bill attempts to improve the procedure for certification of films for public exhibition by the Central Board of Film Certification, as well as improve categorisations of the certifications of the films. Third,  the Bill attempts to harmonise the law with extant executive orders, Supreme Court judgements, and other relevant legislations. a)  Provisions to Check Unauthorised Recording and Exhibition of Films Amounting to Piracy : To check film piracy by way of cam-cording in the theatres; and most importantly also prohibit any unauthorized copying and online transmission & exhibition of a pirated copy of any film, strict penal provisions have been incorporated. b)  Age-Based Certification : Introduction of age-based categories ...

As a part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat package, Rs 50,000 crore Equity infusion for MSMEs through Fund of Funds was announced. In compliance with the announcement, Self Reliant India (SRI) Fund has been set up to infuse Rs. 50,000 crore as equity funding in those MSMEs which have the potential and viability to grow and become large units. Under this Fund of Rs. 50,000 crore, there is a provision of Rs.10,000 Crore from the Government of India and Rs.40,000 Crore through Private Equity / Venture Capital funds. SRI fund operates through a mother-fund and daughter-fund structure for equity or quasi-equity investments. NSIC Venture Capital Fund Limited (NVCFL) which operates as Mother Fund in SRI Fund implementation, was registered as a Category-II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) with SEBI, on 1 st  September, 2021. Objectives:   SRI Fund, in the form of Category II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF), will be oriented towards providing funding support to the Daughter Funds for onward p...

Controlled Human Infection studies (CHIS) refers to the research methodology that involves intentionally exposing healthy human volunteers to a specific pathogen or infectious agent under controlled conditions. These studies aim to understand disease pathophysiology & immune responses, develop vaccines, test treatment modalities and evaluate the safety and efficiency of potential New Chemical Entities (NCE). In contrast to natural infection studies, which can take longer to observe, researchers obtain data more quickly and efficiently from controlled studies as they involve infecting selected healthy participants under stringent standard protocols. Furthermore, CHIS offers the advantages of accurate observations, comparison and generalization of data as various variables (dose, timing of pathogen exposure etc.) can be modulated. Common types of CHIS include challenge studies, vaccine development trials and treatment studies. Challenge studies involve intentionally infecting healt...

Niger putschists say threat of ‘imminent military intervention’ by ECOWAS - The Hindu About ECOWAS: The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as CEDEAO in French and Portuguese) is a regional political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa. Collectively, these countries comprise an area of 5,114,162 km2 (1,974,589 sq mi), and in 2019 had an estimated population of over 387 million. Considered one of the pillar regional blocs of the continent-wide African Economic Community (AEC), the stated goal of ECOWAS is to achieve "collective self-sufficiency" for its member states by creating a single large trade bloc by building a full economic and trading union. The union was established on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, with its stated mission to promote economic integration across the region. A revised version of the treaty was agreed and signed on 24 July 1993 in Cotonou. The ECOWAS also serves as a peacekeepin...

Dengue (break-bone fever) is a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people. It is more common in tropical and subtropical climates. Most people who get dengue won’t have symptoms. But for those that do, the most common symptoms are high fever, headache, body aches, nausea and rash. Most will also get better in 1–2 weeks. Some people develop severe dengue and need care in a hospital.  In severe cases, dengue can be fatal.   You can lower your risk of dengue by avoiding mosquito bites especially during the day. Dengue is treated with pain medicine as there is no specific treatment currently. Dengue is caused by a virus of the Flaviviridae family,  Flavivirus  genus, which includes viruses such as yellow fever virus, West Nile virus (WNV), and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus. There are four distinct dengue viruses without cross immunity. As such, people can have up to four dengue infections in their lifetime. European Centre for Disease Prevention...

AMC Repo Clearing Limited (ARCL):   LPCC has been set up with the purpose of clearing and settlement of corporate bond repo transactions and to develop an active repo market, which will, in turn, improve liquidity in the underlying corporate bond market. This institution will create a vibrant corporate bond repo market that allows market makers to access cost effective funding for their inventory, that allows holders of bonds to meet their short term liquidity needs without having to liquidate their assets and the opportunity to entities with short term surpluses to deploy their funds in a safe and efficient manner, can all be achieved through this institution. Corporate Debt Market Development Fund (CDMDF) and Guarantee Scheme for Corporate Debt’ (GSCD): The Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, has notified the establishment of ‘Guarantee Scheme for Corporate Debt’ (GSCD) for the purpose of providing guarantee cover against debt to be raised by...

In 1973, the Government of India launched Project Tiger, an ambitious, holistic conservation project, aimed at safeguarding the nation's tiger population and preserving biodiversity. Over the past fifty years, Project Tiger has achieved commendable success, making significant strides in tiger conservation. Initially covering nine tiger reserves spanning 18,278 km2, the project has flourished into a remarkable accomplishment with 53 reserves spread across 75,796 km2, effectively covering 2.3% of India's total land area. India currently harbors almost 75% of the world ’ s wild tiger population. The first phase of tiger conservation in the 1970s focused on enacting the Wildlife Protection Act and establishing protected areas for tigers and tropical forests. However, the 1980s saw a decline due to extensive poaching. In response, the government initiated the second phase in 2005, adopting a landscape-level approach, community involvement & support, implementing strict law enfor...

  Cost to be paid to the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India More than 4,000 complaints registered on NCH against service charge since issuance of CCPA guidelines The Hon’ble Delhi High Court has passed Order on 24 th  July, 2023 directing the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) and the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) to pay ₹1,00,000 each as costs for complete non-compliance of the directions as per its order dated 12 th  April, 2023. The Hon’ble Court has directed that the costs shall be paid to the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India. It may be mentioned that as per Order dated 12 th  April, 2023, the Court had directed that:- (i) Both the associations shall file a complete list of all their members who are supporting the present writ petitions by 30 th  April 2023 (ii) Both the associations shall place their stand and file a specific affidavit on the following aspects:- (a) Percen...

  The Bill aims at giving further boost to Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business The Bill proposes to amend 183 provisions to be decriminalized in 42 Central Acts administered by 19 Ministries/Departments The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023 was passed in Lok Sabha here today. The Bill was first introduced in Lok Sabha on 22nd December 2022. Subsequently, it was referred to the Joint Committee of the Parliament. The Joint Committee on the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022 held detailed discussions with all the 19 Ministries/Departments along with Legislative Department and Department of Legal Affairs. The Committee conducted clause-by-clause examination of the Bill through a series of 9 sittings between 09.01.2023 and 17.02.2023. The Committee finally adopted its Report in its sitting held on 13.03.2023. The Report of the Committee has been laid before Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha on 17th March 2023 and 20th March 2023 respectively. The Committee...