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- The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has updated the regulations governing the selection of experts for the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC).
- About the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC):
- The GEAC is a statutory body established under the “Rules for the Manufacture, Use/Import/Export, and Storage of Hazardous Microorganisms/Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells (1989 Rules),” which were framed under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Originally called the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, its name was changed to Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee in 2010.
- Operating under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), the GEAC's role, as outlined in the 1989 Rules, includes:
- Reviewing activities that involve the large-scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinant organisms in research and industrial production, from an environmental perspective.
- Evaluating proposals related to the release of genetically modified organisms and products into the environment, including for experimental field trials.
- Exercising the authority to take legal actions under the Environment Protection Act.
- Overseeing the import, export, and use of genetically modified organisms and crops.
- Granting approval for the environmental release of genetically modified crops.
- Composition:
- The GEAC is headed by the Special Secretary or Additional Secretary of MoEF&CC, with a representative from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) serving as co-chair. The committee currently consists of 24 members, including experts from various ministries and institutions like ICAR, ICMR, and CCMB. The committee convenes once a month.
- The government has recently announced the formation of an 18-member committee, chaired by NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand, to revise the base year of the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) and to develop a roadmap for transitioning to the Producer Price Index (PPI).
- About the Ramesh Chand Panel:
- The panel has been set up with the objective of updating the base year for the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) from 2011-12 to 2022-23.
- Key responsibilities of the panel include:
- Proposing an updated commodity basket for both the WPI and Producer Price Index (PPI) with the new base year of 2022-23, taking into account structural changes in the economy.
- Reviewing the current price collection system and recommending necessary improvements.
- Determining the computational methodology to be used for the WPI and PPI.
- The panel will include economists from government bodies, rating agencies, asset management companies, banks, and representatives from both the government and the Reserve Bank of India.
- The committee has been instructed to submit its final report to the Office of the Economic Adviser at the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIT) within 18 months.
- The Territorial Army has recently formed a new task force dedicated to the revitalization and safeguarding of the Gomti River.
- About the Gomti River:
- The Gomti is a tributary of the Ganges (Ganga) River, flowing entirely through the state of Uttar Pradesh.
- Course: The Gomti River originates from Gomat Taal, also known as Fulhaar Jheel, located near Madho Tanda in the Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh.
- The river drains the region between the Ramganga and Sharda rivers. Flowing southward, it passes through the districts of Lucknow, Barabanki, Sultanpur, Faizabad, and Jaunpur before joining the Ganga River.
- The Gomti extends over approximately 900 kilometers and drains a basin covering about 18,750 square kilometers (7,240 square miles).
- It is a perennial river, characterized by a slow flow throughout the year, with a significant increase in runoff during the monsoon season due to heavy rainfall.
- Key tributaries of the Gomti include the Sai River, Chowka River, Kathina River, and Saryu River.