Positive Indigenisation List

Why in News?

In a significant move towards promoting self-reliance in the defence sector and reducing imports, India’s Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) have received approval for the fourth Positive Indigenisation List (PIL).

 

About Positive Indigenisation List

• Indigenisation is the capability of developing and producing any defence equipment within the country for the dual purpose of achieving self reliance and reducing the burden of imports.
• Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and private organisations are playing a critical role in indigenisation of defence industries.
• From the mid-1980s, the government pumped resources into R&D to enable the DRDO to undertake high profile projects.
• A significant beginning in defence indigenisation was made in 1983,when the government sanctioned the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) to develop four missile systems:
  • Prithvi (surface-to-surface)
  • Akash (surface-to-air)
  • Trishul (the naval version of Prithvi)
  • Nag (anti-tank)
• In 1990 Self Reliance Review Committee (SRRV) under A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, had formulated a 10-year self-reliance plan under which, the self-reliance index (SRI), (defined as the percentage share of indigenous content in total procurement expenditure), was to be increased from 30% in 1992-1993 to 70 % by 2005.
• The indigenous efforts were not adequate to meet the requirements of the armed forces, this resulted in the shift of focus towards co-development and co-production in partnership with foreign companies. A beginning was made in 1998, when India and Russia signed an inter-governmental agreement to jointly produce Brahmos supersonic cruise missile. Apart from Russia, India has also partnered with other countries such as Israel and France for a number of projects.

Why we need indigenisation? ·         Reducing fiscal deficit ·         Security imperative ·         Employment generation ·         Strategic capability ·         Nationalism and Patriotism

 

 

 

Government Initiative   Liberal FDI Regime: Governmetn has liberalised and allowed FDI under automatic route up to 74% and up to 100% through Government route.   Make in India (Defence) ·         Make I: 90% government funded + Vendor ·         Make II: No Government funding. ·         Make III: Collaboration with foreign equipment manufacturer for production in India   Defence Acquisition Procedure It includes following procurement categories: Buy (Indian – Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured), Buy (Indian), Buy and Make (Indian), Buy (Global – Manufacture in India) and Buy (Global). Innovations for Defence Excellence (idEX) ·         It seeks to generate innovation in the aerospace and defence industry with the involvement of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), start-ups, Research and Development (R&D) institutes, individual entrepreneurs, and academia.   Defence Industrial Corridor ·         A defence corridor refers to a route or a path along which domestic productions of defence equipment by public sector, private sector and MSMEs are lined up to enhance the operational capability of the defence forces. ·         Two Defense Industrial Corridors have been established in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, focusing on developing defense manufacturing ecosystems and attracting investments.   Mission DefSpace ·         The Mission DefSpace has been launched to promote defense-related innovations and developments in the space sector.

 

 

• The concept of the positive indigenization list entails that the Indian Armed Forces, comprising the Army, Navy, and Air Force, will exclusively source the listed items from domestic manufacturers.These manufacturers may include entities from the private sector or Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).
• Total 4 Positive Indigenisation List has been published:
  • December 2021
  • March 2022
  • August 2022
  • May 2023
• So far, 310 items have been successfully indigenised, with the breakdown as follows: 262 items from the first PIL, 11 items from the second PIL, and 37 items from the third PIL.This initiative is in line withIndia’s vision of ‘Atma Nirbharta’ (self-reliance) and aims to boost the domestic defence industry, enhance investment, and reduce dependency on imports.

• Indigenisation and In-house Development:
  • To achieve indigenization, the DPSUs will utilize different routes under the ‘Make’ category, focusing on in-house development through the capabilities of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and the private Indian industry.
  • This approach will provide a boost to the economy, encourage investment in the defense sector. Additionally, this initiative will foster the growth of design capabilities within the domestic defense industry by actively involving academia and research institutions.
• Procurement and Industry Participation:
  • The DPSUs are set to initiate procurement action for the items listed in the fourth PIL. To facilitate the process, Srijan Portal Dashboard has been specifically designed for this purpose.

What is the Status of Indigenisation of the Defence Sector in India?

• Need for Indigenization:
  • India’s arms imports fell 11% between 2013-17 and 2018-22, the country is still the world’s top importer of military hardware in 2022 highlighted by a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
• Current Estimates and Targets:
  • Current estimates place India’s defensive capital expenditure at USD 130 billion over the next five years.
  • The defense ministry has set a USD 25 billion (Rs 1.75 lakh crore) turnover goal in defense manufacturing in the next five years, including an export target of USD 5 billion worth of military hardware.
• Examples of Indigenous Defense Arsenal in India:
  • Tejas Aircraft: The Tejas is a lightweight, multi-role supersonic aircraft designed and developed indigenously in India.
  • Arjun Tank: Developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the Arjun Tank is a 3rd generation main battle tank that showcases India’s expertise in armored vehicle technology.
  • NETRA: The NETRA is an airborne early warning and control system developed domestically, providing crucial surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
  • ASTRA: India has successfully developed the ASTRA, an all-weather beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, enhancing the country’s air defense capabilities.
  • LCH ‘Prachand’: It is the first indigenous Multi-Role Combat Helicopter which has potent ground attack and aerial combat capability.
  • ICG ALH Squadrons: In a major boost to further strengthen the capabilities of the Indian Coast Guard, ALH Mk-III squadrons were commissioned in Porbandar and Chennai in June and December 2022.

Status of Defence Export

• India’s defence export for 2022-23 witnessed all time high of around Rs. 16,000 crore. This is an over 10 times increase since 2016-17 when the defence exports were Rs. 1521 crore.
• India has set itself an ambitious defence exports target of Rs. 35,000 crore by 2024-25.
• The major destinations for India’s defence product exports include the likes of Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Italy, France, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Poland, Spain, Mauritius, Bhutan, Israel and Ethiopia.

 

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Anti-Microbial Resistance

Why in News?

Recently, four major multilateral agencies – Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UN Environment Programme (UNEP), World Health Organization (WHO), and World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), announced the launch of a priority research agenda to address the critical issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

 

 

About Antibiotics and AMR

Antibiotics are medicines used to prevent and treat bacterial infections. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in response to the use of these medicines. Bacteria, not humans, become antibiotic resistant. These bacteria may then infect humans and are harder to treat than non-resistant bacteria. Antimicrobial resistance is a broader term, encompassing resistance to drugs to treat infections caused by other microbes as well, such as parasites (e.g. malaria), viruses (e.g. HIV) and fungi (e.g. Candida).

Microorganisms that develop resistance to commonly used antimicrobials are referred to as superbugs.

The World Health Organization (WHO) lists AMR among top 10 threats for global health.

 

 

Antibiotics are chemical substances produced by microorganisms and fungi. When properly prepared, these substances can inhibit the growth of (or destroy) bacteria and other microorganisms.

First true antibiotic was discovered in 1928 by Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming.

 

Related Terms Antigens: Any substance that induces the immune system to produce antibodies against it. It can be a pathogen, chemicals, toxins or pollens etc. Antibodies: It is a protein that immune system produces in response to antigens.

 

 

Causes of AMR

Antibiotic resistance develops naturally in bacteria. However, our actions can increase resistance developing and spreading. This can happen:

• when human and animal health professionals over prescribe antibiotics
• when people don’t take antibiotics as directed
• due to poor hygiene and a lack of infection prevention and control e.g. not washing hands properly. Bacteria in water, soil and air for example, can acquire resistance following contact with resistant microorganisms.
• due to people travelling around the world, spreading resistant bacteria.

Causes of AMR in India

• Inappropriate consumption of broad-spectrum antibiotics is high because of changing prescription practice in the healthcare system due to the non-availability of a narrow spectrum of antibiotics.
• Inappropriate antibiotic use among the general public like Self-medication to avoid the financial burden.
  • Globally, India tops the list of countries with the highest antibiotic consumption, and highest AMR.
• Unrestricted drug manufacturing, marketing, and sales in India. (Over the counter sale)
• The large proportion of sewage is disposed of untreated into receiving water bodies, leading to gross contamination of rivers with antibiotic residues, antibiotic-resistant organisms.
• Use of antibiotics in animals.

 

Steps Taken by India

• To prevent the Over the counter sales of antibiotics, the central drug standard control organization(CDSO) prohibits medical stores from selling 24 key antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription.
• AMR surveillance network has been strengthened by establishing labs in State Medical College. 36 sites in 26 States/UTs have been included in this network so far.
• India’s Red Line campaign: Which demands that prescription-only antibiotics be marked with a red line, to discourage the over-the-counter sale of antibiotics– is a step forward.
• National action plan on containment of Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR) focusing on One Health approach was launched in April 2017 with the aim of involving various stakeholder ministries/departments. Delhi Declaration on AMR– an inter-ministerial consensus was signed by the ministers of the concerned ministries pledging their support in AMR containment.
• AMR Surveillance Network: ICMR has established AMR surveillance and research network (AMRSN) comprising 30 tertiary care hospitals, both private and government to generate evidence and capture trends and patterns of drug resistant infections in the country.
• AMR Research & International Collaboration: ICMR has taken initiatives to develop new drugs /medicines through international collaborations in order to strengthen medical research in AMR.

 

Global Effort

• Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (GAP): Globally, countries committed to the framework set out in the Global Action Plan1 (GAP) 2015 on AMR during the 2015 World Health Assembly and committed to the development and implementation of multisectoral national action plans.
• Tripartite Joint Secretariat on Antimicrobial Resistance: Tripartite joint secretariat (FAO, OIE and WHO) has been established and is hosted by WHO to drive multi-stakeholder engagement in AMR.
• Interagency Coordination Group (IACG) on AMR: It was convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations after the UN High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance in 2016.
  • The IACG brought together partners across the UN, international organizations and individuals with expertise across human, animal and plant health, as well as the food, animal feed, trade to formulate a plan for the fight against antimicrobial resistance.
• World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW): WAAW was previously called the World Antibiotic Awareness Week. From 2020, it will be called the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week.
  • It is a global campaign that aims to raise awareness of antimicrobial resistance worldwide.
• Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS): WHO launched it in 2015 to continue filling knowledge gaps and to inform strategies at all levels.
  • GLASS has been conceived to progressively incorporate data from surveillance of AMR in humans, surveillance of the use of antimicrobial medicines, AMR in the food chain and the environment.
• Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP): A joint initiative of WHO and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), GARDP encourages research and development through public-private partnerships.
  • By 2025, the partnership aims to develop and deliver five new treatments that target drug-resistant bacteria identified by WHO as posing the greatest threat.

 

 

What can be done?

AMR challenges cannot be understood or addressed separately from the triple planetary crisis – the crisis of climate change, the crisis of nature and biodiversity loss, and the crisis of pollution and waste, all of which are driven by unsustainable consumption and production patterns.

Environment plays a key role in development, transmission and spread of AMR. Therefore, the response must be based on a One Health approach, recognizing that humans, animals, plants and environment are interconnected and indivisible, at the global, regional, and local levels from all sectors, stakeholders, and institutions. Prevention is at the core of the action needed to halt the emergence of AMR and environment is a key part of the solution.