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■ Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) Index 2021 : • Recently, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has released the Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) Report/Index 2021. • The LEADS report is aimed at gauging the logistics performance of states and Union Territories (UT) and identifying areas where they can improve logistics performance. • The index is an indicator of the efficiency of logistics services needed to fuel exports and economic growth. • The index aims to focus on improving logistic performance across states, which is essential for improving the country's trade and reducing transaction costs. • The first logistic report was released in 2018. LEADS 2021 is the third edition. • States are ranked based on quality and capacity of key infrastructure such as road, rail and warehousing as well as on operational ease of logistics including security of cargo, speed of terminal services and regulatory approvals. • The report is structured along the three dimensions which collectively influence logistics ease : 1) Infrastructure, 2) Services, and 3) Operating and Regulatory Environment which are further categorised into 17 parameters. • Estimated India's logistics costs in India are currently about 13-14% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is quite high compared to 8-10% globally. • Due to high logistical cost, the competitiveness of India’s export is greatly reduced. • The government was aiming to bring down logistics costs by 5% over the next 5 years. □ Best performers : • Gujarat ranks first in the list of 21 states. It is followed by Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra respectively. • Delhi stands at the top rank among other UTs. • The first logistic report was released in 2018. Last year the ranking was not released due to the COVID-19 pandemic. • Gujarat was ranked first in the ranking list both in 2018 and 2019. This is the third year in a row that Gujarat remained on top of the rankings.

■ UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) : • Recently, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated Srinagar as a part of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). • After Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Varanasi and Jaipur, Srinagar is the sixth Indian city to achieve this distinction. • UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created in 2004. • It aims to “promote cooperation among cities which recognize creativity as a strategic factor in their urban development”. • Its objective is to place creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans at the local level and cooperating actively at the international level. • Joining the Network, cities commit to sharing their best practices and developing partnerships involving the public and private sectors as well as civil society. • The network covers seven creative fields : Crafts and folk arts, Media arts, Film, Design, Gastronomy, Literature, and Music. • The Srinagar city has been designated the creative city in the field of Crafts and Folk Arts - only second city in India in this category after Jaipur. • It will not only give global recognition to the Srinagar city but also help it in international funding, tie-ups with craft universities and pitching craft as a product. • Every year, UNESCO seeks applications for various cities across the globe for putting them under its UCCN project. The applications in India are routed through the Ministry of Culture. □ Indian Cities on UCCN : 1) Srinagar - Crafts and Folk Arts (2021) 2) Mumbai - Film (2019). 3) Hyderabad - Gastronomy (2019). 4) Chennai - Creative city of Music (2017). 5) Jaipur - Crafts and Folk Arts (2015). 6) Varanasi - Creative city of Music (2015).

■ Members of Legislative Assembly Local Area Development (MLA-LAD) Scheme : • It is the States’ version of a central government scheme - Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLAD). • The objective of this scheme is to create local need based infrastructure, to create assets of public utility and to remove regional imbalances in development. • This scheme is implemented in rural areas as well as urban areas of a state. • MLAs do not receive any money under this scheme. • The government transfers it directly to the respective local authorities. • The MLAs can only recommend works in their constituencies based on a set of guidelines. • This fund is non lapsable and not tied to any development sector. • Amounts per MLA varies across the states. • The guidelines for use of MLA-LAD funds differ across states.

■ Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) : • Recently, the Union Cabinet restored the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) that was suspended in April 2020 subsuming the funds for the scheme in the consolidated fund of India. • The scheme is aimed towards providing funds for developmental works recommended by individual MPs. • MPLAD scheme is a Central sector scheme (Fully funded by the Union Government). • It was launched in December 1993. • Initially, it was under the control of the Ministry of Rural Development. Later, in October 1994, it was transferred to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. • The annual MPLADS fund entitlement per MP constituency is Rs. 5 crore. • The funds under MPLADS are non-lapsable. So the unused funds can be carried forward to the next year. • The MPs do not receive any money under this scheme. The MPs have a recommendatory role under the scheme. MPs have to recommend the district authorities. • The district authority is empowered to examine the eligibility of works, sanction funds and select the implementing agencies, prioritise works, supervise overall execution, and monitor the scheme at the ground level. • The MPs of Lok Sabha can recommend works in their respective constituencies. • The elected members of the Rajya Sabha can recommend works anywhere in the state from which they are elected. • Nominated Members of both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha can recommend works anywhere in the country. • MPs are to recommend every year, works costing at least 15 per cent of the MPLADS entitlement for the year for areas inhabited by Scheduled Caste population and 7.5 per cent for areas inhabited by Schedule Tribe population. • At least 10% of the projects under implementation in the district are to be inspected every year by the district authority. • The projects include assets building such as drinking water facilities, primary education, public health sanitation and roads. • Since June 2016, the MPLAD funds can also be used for implementation of the schemes such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan), conservation of water through rain water harvesting and Sansad Aadarsh Gram Yojana, etc.

📰 In NEWS (11-11-2021) : ● Union Cabinet brings back MPLAD Scheme : • The Union Cabinet on Wednesday restored the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) that was suspended in April 2020 subsuming the funds for the scheme in the consolidated fund of India. • MPLAD scheme was suspended for two financial years (2020-21 and 2021-22) but the Government on Wednesday announced a partial rollback. • The MPs will get ₹2 crore instead of the annual approved ₹5 crore. • Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) Scheme is a Central Sector Scheme (Fully funded by the Union Government). • Funds under MPLADS are non-lapsable. • The MPs have a recommendatory role under the scheme. • Lok Sabha MPs have to recommend the district authorities projects in their Lok Sabha constituencies, while Rajya Sabha MPs have to spend it in the state that has elected them to the House. • Nominated Members of both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha can recommend works anywhere in the country. • The district authority is empowered to examine the eligibility of works, sanction funds and select the implementing agencies, prioritise works, supervise overall execution, and monitor the scheme at the ground level. • At least 10% of the projects under implementation in the district are to be inspected every year by the district authority. ● Kalaris back on track post lockdown : • Kalari units that impart Kalaripayattu, an ancient martial art form, are getting back on track in Kerala. • Kalaripayattu is a martial art based on the ancient knowledge of the human body. • It originated in Kerala during in 3rd century BC to the 2nd century AD.  • It is now practised in Kerala and in some parts of Tamil Nadu. • The place where this martial art is practised is called 'Kalari'. • It is a Malayalam word that signifies a kind of gymnasium. Kalari literally means 'threshing floor' or 'battlefield'. • The word Kalari first appears in the Tamil Sangam literature to describe both a battlefield and combat arena. • It is considered to be one of the oldest fighting systems in existence.

■ Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME) : • PMFME is launched in June 2020 under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. • It is a centrally sponsored scheme. • The expenditure under the scheme would be shared in 60:40 ratio between Central and State Governments, in 90:10 ratio with North Eastern and Himalayan States, 60:40 ratio with UTs with legislature and 100% by Centre for other UTs. • Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is the nodal ministry. • The scheme aims to enhance the competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment of the food processing industry. • It also aims to promote formalization of the sector and provide support to Farmer Producer Organizations, Self Help Groups, and Producers Cooperatives along their entire value chain. • With an outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25. • The scheme envisions to directly assist the 2,00,000 micro food processing units for providing financial, technical, and business support for upgradation of existing micro food processing enterprises. • Under the One District One Product (ODOP) component of the PM FME Scheme, the Ministry of Food Processing Industry approved ODOP for 707 industries for 35 States and UTs. • Other traditional and innovative products including waste to wealth products could be supported under the scheme. • The GIS ODOP digital map of India has been launched to provide details of ODOP products of all the States and UTs. • The digital map also has indicators for Tribal, SC, ST, and aspirational districts. It will enable stakeholders to make concerted efforts for its value chain development. • MoUs have been signed with NAFED and TRIFED to take up the marketing and branding support for 10 products each. □ One District One Product (ODOP) Approach : • It is inspired by Uttar Pradesh’s ODOP programme launched across its 75 districts to encourage indigenous and specialized products. • The States would identify food products for districts keeping in view the existing clusters and availability of raw material. • The ODOP could be a perishable produce based or cereal based or a food item widely produced in an area. E.g. mango, potato, pickle, millet based products, fisheries, poultry, etc.

📰 News : AY.4.2 variant not of concern, INSACOG. • The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) said that AY.4.2 variant of COVID-19 is less than 0.1 % of all of all variants of concern and variant of interest (VOC/VOI) and is too low to be of concern at this time. • The INSACOG noted that Delta (B.1.617.2 and AY.x) continues to be the main variant of concern (VOC) in India and no new variant of interest (VOI) or VOC are noted in India. • Delta (B.1.671.2), which was first found in India in October last year, led to the devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in the country, • INSACOG, a consortium of 28 national laboratories, was set up in December 2020 to monitor the genomic variations in SARS-CoV-2, the COVID-19 causing virus. □ Other variants : • The World Health Organization gives new names for the variants of interest  and concern, (VoI and VoC) of SARS-CoV-2 Virus with important mutations. • B.1.1.7 variant would be known as Alpha which was first identified in Britain. • The B.1.351, identified in South Africa would be named Beta. • The variant P.1 detected initially in Brazil is called Gamma and P.2 variant is called Zeta. • B.1.671.2 found in India would be called Delta and the earlier found variant B.1.617.1 in the country would be known as Kappa.

■ International organisations and their member countries : • Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) : Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. • Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) : Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand. • BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa. • Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) : Algeria, Angola, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela. • P5 Countries [UN Security Council's five permanent members] : USA, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom. • P5+1Countries : USA, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom & Germany. • Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) : India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, Iran. • South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) : Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka. • G4 countries : India, Brazil, Germany & Japan. [Support each other's bids for permanent seats on the United Nations]. • G7 countries : Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the US. • G20 countries : Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.

■ In NEWS (06-11-2021) : ● Stubble burning significantly impacts lung health : • Pollution from stubble burning significantly reduced lung function and was particularly harmful to women in rural Punjab, says one of the largest studies of its kind in India, correlating the effect of air pollution on health. • What is Stubble burning? - Stubble burning is the act of clearing agricultural fields by burning the residue that is left on the land after harvesting, to ready it for the next round of seeding. • According to the study, study that the concentrations of PM2.5, the category of unburnt carbon particles considered most harmful to respiratory health. • Incidentally these are around 10-15 times the WHO prescribed air quality standards though the permissible standards by India’s Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) are higher. • There was decline in lung function with increase in PM2.5 concentration across all age groups even after controlling for several other exposure variables, such the influence of cooking fuel, ventilation, distance from road etc.  ● Mullaperiyar dam : • The Mullaperiyar dam is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar river. • The Periyar River is the longest river in the state of Kerala. It is also known as ‘Lifeline of Kerala’. • The dam is located in Kerala but it is operated and maintained by the Tamil Nadu for meeting the drinking water and irrigation requirements of five of its southern districts. ● UK becomes the first country to approve Merck's anti-Covid pill "Molnupiravir" : • The name of the anti-Covid pill is "Molnupiravir". • It shows consistent efficacy across COVID-19 variants Gamma, Delta and Mu. • The company name for Molnupiravir is "EIDD 2801".