What is Kaizen?
17-10-2024
09:07 AM
Overview:
The month-long strike at Samsung’s manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu has brought to the spotlight the stressful working conditions in these factories shaped and determined by their management philosophy, which draws inspiration from the Japanese production method called Kaizen.
About Kaizen:
- Kaizen is a compound of two Japanese words that together translate as "good change" or "improvement."
- Kaizen is a Japanese business philosophy that encourages continuous improvement involving employees at all levels of a company.
- The concept of kaizen encompasses a wide range of ideas.
- Those include making the work environment more efficient by creating a team atmosphere, improving processes and procedures, ensuring employee engagement, and making jobs more fulfilling, less tiring, and safer.
- The goal of Kaizen is to make small changes over a period of time to drive continuous improvement within a company.
- The Kaizen process recognizes that small changes now can add up to huge impacts in the future.
- Ultimately, that can mean better quality control, more efficient processes, and the elimination of waste, among other benefits.
- Under Kaizen, improvements can be initiated by any employee at any time.
- The philosophy is that everyone has a stake in the company's success, and everyone should strive, at all times, to help make the business better.

Q1: What are the five steps of Kaizen?
Applying Kaizen's five steps—identify the problem, analyze the problem, develop solutions, implement solutions, and review and standardize—creates a structured approach to continuous improvement. This method ensures that manufacturing processes become more efficient, cost-effective, and quality-oriented.
What is Third-Party Litigation Funding (TPLF)?
17-10-2024
08:18 AM

Overview:
The idea of Third-Party Litigation Funding (TPLF) has quickly emerged as a game-changer, potentially opening courtroom doors for many who felt they had been shut out.
About Third-Party Litigation Funding (TPLF):
- TPLF, often referred to as litigation finance, is a financial arrangement in which a third party (with no prior connection to the litigation) in a legal dispute provides funding to support the plaintiff's pursuit of a legal claim.
- In return, the third-party funder receives a portion of the proceeds if the case is successful.
- Plaintiffs do not have to repay the funding if their lawsuit is not successful.
- This funding model allows entities to bring lawsuits without shouldering the financial risks associated with litigation.
- The emergence of TPLF has been driven by various factors, including the escalating costs of legal proceedings, the complexity of modern litigation, and the desire to level the playing field between parties with disparate financial resources.
- Disputes that attract TPLF generally include commercial contracts, international commercial arbitration, class action suits, tortious claims like medical malpractice and personal injury claims, anti-trust proceedings, insolvency proceedings, and other like claims that have a calculated chance of resulting in a substantial monetary award.
- TPF is not expressly prohibited in India. In fact, several judgments highlight its benefits and express that there is a need for its regulation.

Q1: What are tortious claims?
A tort is a civil claim where a claimant has suffered damages due to the actions of the person who committed the act. In this type of claim, the person who committed the act can be held legally liable. The losses incurred by the claimant may be financial, physical injuries, emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and others. Basically, a tort claim is an act committed by one person that causes harm to another.
Source: Reimagining access to justice
What is West Nile Fever?
17-10-2024
09:07 AM

Overview:
Ukraine is grappling with a severe outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV), with health officials raising alarms as the death toll rises.
About West Nile virus:
- West Nile Virus (WNV) is a member of the flavivirus genus and belongs to the family Flaviviridae.
- It was first isolated in a woman in the West Nile district of Uganda in 1937.
- It is commonly found in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North America and West Asia.
- According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it typically spikes between the summer and autumn months of June and September.
- Transmission: Human infection is most often the result of bites from infected mosquitoes. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds, which circulate the virus in their blood for a few days.
- The virus may also be transmitted through contact with other infected animals, their blood, or other tissues.
- Symptoms:
- Infection with WNV is either asymptomatic (no symptoms) in around 80% of infected people, or can lead to West Nile fever or severe West Nile disease.
- About 20% of people who become infected with WNV will develop West Nile fever and symptoms include fever, headache, and tiredness, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, occasionally with a skin rash.
- So far, 19 countries, including Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Türkiye and Kosovo have reported outbreaks.
- Treatment: No vaccine is available for WNV and only supportive treatments can be provided to neuroinvasive WNV patients.

Q1: What are Viruses?
These are parasitic entities lacking cells, making them unclassifiable within any specific kingdom. They are sub-microscopic infectious agents that can only replicate inside host cells of living organisms. They range from 20 to 400 nm and can infect all life forms - humans, animals, plants, bacteria.
Source: Deadly West Nile virus spreads across Ukraine, 11 fatalities since July
About Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)
17-10-2024
09:05 AM

Overview:
The Centre's air pollution control panel for Delhi-NCR recently directed state governments in the region to implement the first stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
About Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP):
- GRAP is a framework designed to combat air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region.
- It was introduced as an emergency response mechanism, and its implementation is triggered when the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaches "poor" levels.
- GRAP is particularly important during the winter months when air quality tends to plummet.
- Who implements GRAP?
- The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR and adjoining areas oversees the implementation of GRAP.
- It collaborates with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
- The CAQM has constituted a sub-committee for the operationalization of the GRAP.
- This body includes officials from the CAQM, member secretaries of pollution control boards of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, the Central Pollution Control Board, a scientist from the IMD, one from the IITM, and a Health Advisor.
- The sub-committee is required to meet frequently to issue orders to invoke the GRAP.
- The orders and directions of the CAQM will prevail in case of any conflict between directions issued by the State governments and the CAQM.
- Different stages of GRAP: GRAP consists of four stages, each with targeted actions to be taken by the necessary authorities and agencies. These are the following:
- Stage I: "Poor" air quality (Delhi AQI: 201-300)
- Stage II: "Very Poor" air quality (Delhi AQI: 301-400)
- Stage III: "Severe" air quality (Delhi AQI: 401-450)
- Stage IV: "Severe+" air quality (Delhi AQI > 450)
What is the Air Quality Index (AQI)?
- AQI is issued by government agencies to gauge air pollution levels and communicate risks to the public.
- It indicates how air pollution can affect health, with higher AQI values indicating more severe health concerns.
- The AQI is calculated based on air pollutant concentrations over a specific period, and the results are categorised into ranges with corresponding health advisories.
- According to the AQI scale, the air quality check between 0 and 50 is "Good", 51 and 100 "Satisfactory", 101 and 200 "Moderate", 201 and 300 "Poor", 301 and 400 "Very Poor", 401 and 450 "Severe" and over 450 as "Severe +".

Q1: What is the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)?
The CAQM is a statutory body established under the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region (NCR) and Adjoining Areas, Act 2021. It undertakes action for the prevention and control of Air pollution in Delhi-NCR & Adjoining Areas which impacts the air quality of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. The Commission is required to coordinate its actions on monitoring of air quality with the government of Delhi and the adjoining states, which includes Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
Source: Delhi-NCR Activates Stage 1 Of Anti-Pollution Plan: What It Means
Drugs Technical Advisory Board
17-10-2024
08:30 AM

Overview:
Recently, the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) has recommended the inclusion of all antibiotics in the definition of new drugs in the New Drugs and Clinical Trial (NDCT) Rules, 2019.
About Drugs Technical Advisory Board:
- It is the highest statutory decision-making body on technical mattersrelated to drugs in India.
- It is established as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
- It is part of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).
- Function: It advises the Central Government and the State Governments on technical matters arising out of the administration of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, of 1940 and to carry out the other functions assigned to it by this Act.
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
What is a new drug?
- According to Rule 122 E of the Drug and Cosmetic Rules 1945, a new drug can be one which has not been used in the country and has not been recognised as effective and safe by the licensing authority for the proposed claims.
- It could also be an approved drug with modified or new claims including indications, dosage, and new route of administration.
- If brought into the new drug bracket, the manufacturing, marketing, and sale of antibiotics will be documented.
- Also, the manufacturing and marketing clearance will have to be obtained from the Central government instead of State drug administration, and patients will be able to buy antibiotics only on prescription.

Q1: What is the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO)?
It is the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) of India for the medical devices industry under the provisions of the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules. It works under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
Source: To curb antimicrobial resistance, government may include antibiotics in definition of new drug
About SAMARTH scheme
17-10-2024
09:07 AM

Overview:
Recently, the central government has extended the Samarth Scheme for two years (FY 2024-25 and 2025-26) with a budget of Rs. 495 Crore to train 3 lakh persons in textile-related skills.
About SAMARTH Scheme:
- The Scheme for Capacity Building in Textiles Sector (SAMARTH) is a demand-driven and placement-oriented umbrella skilling programme.
- Aim: It aims to incentivize and supplement the efforts of the industry in creating jobs in the organized textile and related sectors, covering the entire value chain of textiles, excluding Spinning and Weaving.
- In addition to the entry-level skilling, a special provision for upskilling/ re-skilling programme has also been operationalized under the scheme towards improving the productivity of the existing workers in the Apparel & Garmenting segments.
- Under this scheme skilling programme is implemented through the following Implementing Agencies:
- Textile Industry.
- Institutions/Organizations of the Ministry of Textiles/State Governments having training infrastructure and placement tie-ups with the textile industry.
- Reputed training institutions/ NGOs/ Societies/ Trusts/ Organizations/ Companies /Start-Ups / Entrepreneurs active in the textile sector having placement tie-ups with the textile industry.
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Textiles.

Q1: What is upskilling?
Upskilling is the strategic enhancement of an employee’s skill set, aimed at boosting their proficiency and adaptability in their current roles.
Source: Government extends “Samarth” (Scheme for Capacity Building in Textiles Sector) till March 2026
Bushveld Igneous Complex
17-10-2024
07:40 AM

Overview:
Researchers recently discovered pockets of living microbes in a 2-billion-year-old rock from the Bushveld Igneous Complex in South Africa, providing insights into early life on Earth and potentially aiding the search for life on Mars.
About Bushveld Igneous Complex (BIC):
- It is the largest layered igneous intrusion within the Earth's crust.
- It is located in northern South Africa, exposed at the edge of the Transvaal Basin.
- It covers a pear-shaped area of over 66,000 sq.km.
- The complex varies in thickness, sometimes reaching 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) thick.
- It is renowned for containing some of the richest ore deposits.
- The complex contains the world's largest reserves of platinum-group metals (PGMs), i.e., platinum, palladium, osmium, iridium, rhodium, and ruthenium, along with vast quantities of iron, tin, chromium, titanium, and vanadium.
- BIC is divided into an eastern and western lobe, with a further northern extension. All three sections of the system were formed around the same time, about 2 billion years ago.
- Formation:
- Vast quantities of molten rock from the Earth's mantle were brought to the surface through long vertical cracks in the Earth's crust, creating the geological intrusion known as the BIC.
- The effects of these injections of molten rock over time, combined with the crystallisation of different minerals at different temperatures, resulted in the formation of a structure rather like a layered cake consisting of distinct rock strata including three PGM-bearing layers, referred to as reefs.

Q1: What are Igneous rocks?
Igneous rocks form when magma (molten rock) cools and crystallizes, either at volcanoes on the surface of the Earth or while the melted rock is still inside the crust. All magma develops underground, in the lower crust or upper mantle, because of the intense heat there. Igneous rocks can have many different compositions, depending on the magma they cool from.
Source: Earth’s Oldest Living Organisms Discovered Trapped in 2-Billion-Year-Old Rock
Battle of Walong
17-10-2024
09:16 AM

Overview:
To mark the 62nd anniversary of the iconic battle of Walong during the 1962 war with China, the Army is planning a month-long series of commemorative events.
About Battle of Walong:
- Set during the 1962 Sino-Indian War, it occurred at the easternmost tip of Arunachal Pradesh, near the tri-junction of India, China, and Myanmar.
- As Chinese forces launched a full-scale offensive, Indian troops were tasked with defending Walong, the only advanced landing ground in the region, a vital supply route that connected remote border posts.
- After Tawang, Walong was China’s main offensive in the eastern sector during the war.
- The Chinese had overwhelming numbers on their side—an estimated 15,000 soldiers to India’s 2,500, accompanied by superior weaponry and artillery.
- Yet, despite being heavily outnumbered and outgunned, Indian soldiers displayed remarkable resolve.
- The Indian Army units involved included battalions from the Kumaon Regiment, Sikh Regiment, Gorkha Rifles, Assam Rifles, and Dogra Regiment.
- Their tenacity and courage managed to hold back the Chinese advance for nearly three weeks, despite dire shortages of ammunition and supplies.
- The battle resulted in significant losses for India, with around 830 soldiers either killed, wounded, or captured.
- Yet, their defence stands as a powerful symbol of the valour and sacrifice of the Indian Army.
- It went down in history as the only Indian counterattack during the 1962 war.

Q1: Where is Tawang located?
Tawang is located in Arunachal Pradesh, close to the border with Bhutan and Tibet. Tawang has a rich and fascinating history, dating back to the 17th century when it was founded by the Monpa people. It is home to the famous Tawang Monastery, one of the largest and oldest monasteries in Asia.
Source: Indian Army lines up month-long commemorative events to mark 62 years of Battle of Walong