Solution (c)

Project 3-S: Smart Safety Surveillance

It is a project focused on optimizing pharmacovigilance (PV) systems in low-middle and middle-income countries (LMICs) across the globe by:

• Developing an advocacy and communications strategy for the next 3 years.
• Identifying, securing and promoting representation at prominent global health events and platforms where 3-S advocacy activities can be launched.
• Generating supportive marketing materials, including publications 

WHO has been prodding countries to adopt the 3S programme, with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to strengthen pharmacovigilance systems in developing nations.

The central government will expand the reach of the Smart Safety Surveillance, or 3S, programme, to optimize post-marketing surveillance of priority drugs and vaccines, and ensure the vaccines distributed under the universal immunization programme are safe.

The 3S project was recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), considering the limited safety data on vaccines introduced in India.

As part of the 3S project, India is evaluating the recently-introduced rotavirus vaccines. It is also trying to strengthen the collaboration among key stakeholders, such as ministry of health and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), to ensure high levels of vigilance.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/to-ensure-post-marketing-safety-of-vaccines-govt-to-expand-reach-of-3s-project-11574183458016.html

Solution (b)

Source: https://www.iea.org/weo2019/

Solution (b)

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for adoption of Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programme by the Indian Patent Office (IPO) under the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks, India (CGPDTM) with patent offices of various other interest countries or regions.

The said programme will initially commence between Japan Patent Office (JPO) and Indian Patent Office on pilot basis for a period of three years only.  Under this Pilot programme, Indian Patent Office may receive patent applications and certain specified technical fields only, namely, Electrical, Electronics, Computer Science, Information Technology, Physics, Civil, Mechanical, Textiles, Automobiles and Metallurgy while JPO may receive applications in all fields of technology.

PPH programme would lead to the following benefits for the Indian IP office:

• Reduction in time to dispose patent applications.
• Reduction in pendency of patent applications.
• Improvement in quality of search and examination of patent applications.
• An opportunity for Indian inventors including MSMEs and Startups of India to get accelerated examination of their patent applications in Japan.

Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1592573

Solution (d)

The Europe 29 (E29) region refers to the 29 countries in Central, Eastern and Northern Europe.

The Europe 29 region comprises Albania, Liechtenstein, Austria, Lithuania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Malta, Croatia, Moldova, Cyprus, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Estonia, Romania, Finland, Serbia, Greece, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Icelland, Sweden, Latvia, Switzerland and Turkey.

Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1592432

Solution (c)

The draft code on Industrial Relations has been prepared after amalgamating, simplifying and rationalizing the relevant provisions of following three Central Labour Acts:

• The Trade Unions Act, 1926
• The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946
• The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947

Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1592550