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Pb. Current Affairs

February 24, 2020.

Topic: Prison Reforms.

News:-State Human Rights Commission states seek the delayed report from the jail department

The status report had to be submitted to the commission regarding:-

Overcrowding of prisons.
Reformative programme in prisons.
A complaint had been filed with the commission regarding the fact that:
The jails are extremely overcrowded in Punjab.
In some cases, the jails are housing double the number of prisoners than their sanctioned capacity.
Besides, no welfare policy for the improvement of living conditions in jails has been formulated.
It has also come to light that due to overcrowding and inhumane conditions, proper hygiene, good food and proper health facilities are not being maintained.
Even though the Patiala jail ran a yoga training centre but the facilities are poor otherwise.
Otherwise, no welfare policies have been brought for the jail inmates.

(Source:- The Tribune)

Topic: Religion.

News:-Golden Temple Langar Seva system to get food from 8 more acres under organic farming.

SGPC has now brought 8 more acres of land under organic farming.
Its purpose is to provide organic food and healthy langar to the pilgrims.
With this, 21 acres have been brought under pesticide-free farming for the Golden Temple Langar.
The SGPC had started organic farming in 2014 on 7 acres at gurdwara Satliani Sahib( experimental basis).
It took the help of Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Limited for examining the soil and gain knowledge about organic farming.
Many vegetables and fruits are being grown there.
Besides, fixed income is also accruing to the Gurdwara Sahib at Satliani Sahib.
But, in other SGPC Gurdwaras, this measure couldn’t be replicated.
Earlier, The SGPC had asked management of gurdwaras possessing more than 5 acres of land to initiate organic farming on at least one acre of land.

(Source:- The Tribune)

Topic:- Honour to State

News:-“The award of ‘Ideal Chief Minister’ which was conferred on me today doesn’t belong to me but to the people of Punjab at Bhartiya Chhatra Sansad. You all have always stood up for what the nation needed right from its defence to food security. I am humbled to represent you all and assure that we will redouble our efforts for a more prosperous and peaceful Punjab.” CM Punjab.

Purpose of Bhartiya Chhatra Sansad:-

With the objective of nation-building, the Bharatiya Chhatra Sansad (Indian Student Parliament) was initiated by Rahul V. Karad in 2011. It is aimed at enhancing the roles and relevance of youth in democratic institutions such as political parties, social organizations etc.

Recently 10th Bhartiya Chhatra Sansad happened.

(Source:- Punjab Govt)

Topic:- Economics

News:-Cap on trade margins to wipe out small pharma units: Association.

Says Centre’s move aims at benefiting multi-national firms.

Context:-Small pharmaceutical manufacturers in the state have objected to the move of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, to cap trade margins of medicines (the margin between ex-factory price and retail price).

This is also the margin from where doctors, wholesalers and retailers get their “share” in the pharma business.

What is the trade margin?

Trade margin is the difference between the price at which manufacturers/importers sell to stockists and the price charged to consumers.

Why opposition?

Punjab Drug Manufacturers Association said it would not act as a price control measure and rather end up wiping out the small-scale manufacturers and benefit the MNCs.

How?

The maximum allowable post-manufacturing expense of 100 per cent was imposed on 76 scheduled drugs in the Drug Price Control Order of 1995. This led to first-line antibiotics like tetracycline and clotrimazole and effective anti-asthmatic drugs like aminophylline to disappear from the market because these drugs had no margins for promotion through doctors and retailers.

Another reason:-

Being out of price control order, carried a higher MRP and thus had scope to grant higher profits to retailers, manufacturers and even doctors who prescribed.
Many units, in the states that enjoyed tax holiday, can add only 10-20 per cent in their material cost and invoice the drug. For example, the material cost of ceftriaxone injection (1gm) is Rs 11 and it is invoiced at Rs 13. The MRP, under the proposed capped trade margin, would be Rs 19. This Rs 6 would include equal margins of promoter, distributor and retailer. On the other hand, the same drug manufactured by a big pharma unit has a retail price of Rs 60 (under drug price control order of 2013).
“The margin that a retailer alone gets on this medicine is Rs 10. He would thus not sell a medicine manufactured by a small unit where he earns just Rs 3.

Impact:-

There are over 200 small pharma companies in Punjab, employing 30,000 persons directly and indirectly, besides 60,000 involved in the marketing of drugs manufactured in the state, which have earlier weathered the storm of exodus to the neighbouring tax-exempt states of Himachal Pradesh, J&Kand Uttarakhand.