Today in History (November 14th, 1889)
Celebrated on 14th November, Children’s Day is a tribute to India’s beloved Chacha Nehru and his vision for the nation’s youth. This special day celebrates the innocence and potential of every child, reminding us that they hold the key to India’s future.
Let’s Revise
1. What is the main focus of the FAO’s “The State of Food and Agriculture 2024” (SOFA 2024) report?
A) Agricultural subsidies
B) The impact of climate change on farming
C) The true cost of food, including economic, social, and environmental impacts
D) Agricultural trade policies
Answer: C)
Explanation: SOFA 2024 focuses on the true cost of food, exploring how agrifood systems impact the economy, society, and the environment. It emphasizes the need for more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable food systems.
2. What was the total estimated hidden cost of agrifood systems globally, as highlighted in SOFA 2024?
A) $5 trillion
B) $10 trillion
C) $12 trillion
D) $15 trillion
Answer: C)
Explanation: SOFA 2024 reveals that the global hidden costs of agrifood systems amount to approximately $12 trillion annually, highlighting the economic burden, especially from unhealthy dietary patterns.
3. Which country has the largest hidden costs associated with its agrifood systems according to SOFA 2024?
A) India
B) China
C) United States
D) Brazil
Answer: B)
Explanation: According to SOFA 2024, China has the largest hidden costs associated with its agrifood systems, followed by the United States and India. China’s hidden costs are estimated to be $1.8 trillion.
4. Which of the following is a major contributor to the hidden costs in agrifood systems, as per the findings in SOFA 2024?
A) Agricultural subsidies
B) Unhealthy dietary patterns leading to diseases
C) Export tariffs
D) Urbanization
Answer: B)
Explanation: The report highlights that the hidden costs, especially in terms of health, are largely driven by unhealthy dietary patterns that result in diseases and decreased labor productivity. These health-related hidden costs are a major component of the total economic burden.
Summary of Today’s News
British writer Harvey wins Booker Prize- 2024
• Samantha Harvey wins the 2024 Booker Prize for her novel Orbital, a story set on the International Space Station (ISS) over a single day.
• The novel was written during the COVID-19 lockdowns, inspired by watching footage of Earth from space.
• Orbital depicts the beauty of Earth as seen from space and reflects the isolation felt during lockdown.
• The book was the top-selling work on the Booker Prize shortlist, outselling the past three Booker winners combined.
• Judges praised Harvey’s writing for its “intensity of attention” to the fragile world and the human experience.
• The novel is set over 24 hours, where astronauts and cosmonauts witness 16 sunrises and sunsets as they orbit the Earth.
• Edmund de Waal, chair of the Booker Prize panel, called the novel “miraculous”, noting its ability to make the world feel “strange and new.”
• Gaby Wood of the Booker Prize Foundation highlighted the novel’s timely and hopeful themes amidst global crises.
• Samantha Harvey receives a £50,000 prize, which she plans to use to buy a new bike.
• The Booker Prize is a prestigious literary award given annually to the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland.
• Established in 1969, it was initially limited to authors from Commonwealth countries, later opening up to include English-language novels from any part of the world.
• The Booker Prize aims to recognize exceptional literary talent, promote outstanding works of fiction, and stimulate interest in contemporary literature.
• The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction and later the Man Booker Prize.
• Initially, the prize was restricted to authors from Commonwealth nations, Ireland, and South Africa, later broadening its eligibility to include any English-language novel, a move met with both acclaim and controversy.
• Each year, a panel of five individuals, drawn from diverse backgrounds including authors, publishers, journalists, and notable figures from various fields, is tasked with selecting the winning book.
• The recipient of the Booker Prize not only receives a substantial monetary award of £50,000 but also garners international recognition, often leading to increased book sales. Regarded as a significant event in British literary culture, the announcement of the Booker Prize recipient generates widespread excitement and attention worldwide.
• Additionally, the International Booker Prize, a sibling award, celebrates translated fiction, with short story collections also eligible for consideration.
• The £50,000 prize is evenly split between the author and translator of the winning novel, further acknowledging the importance of literature in translation.
World Intellectual Property Report 2024 and India
India has ranked among the top 10 countries for patents, trademarks, and industrial designs, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) 2024 report.
Key Highlights of the report
• Patent Applications: India saw a 15.7% growth in patent applications in 2023, the fastest growth among the top 20 global IP economies.
• Industrial Designs: Applications in industrial designs surged by 36.4%, reflecting a strong focus on innovation within the creative and manufacturing sectors.
• Trademark Filings: India ranked 4th globally for trademark filings, with a 6.1% increase in 2023.
• Global IP Trends: Resilience in IP Filings: A total of 3.55 million patent applications were filed worldwide in 2023, marking a 2.7% increase from the previous year.
• The growth was primarily driven by Asian countries, with India, China, the United States, Japan, and South Korea leading the rise.
What is Intellectual Property?
• Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce.
• IP is protected in law by patents, copyright and trademarks, which enable people to earn recognition or financial benefit from what they invent or create.
Types of intellectual property
• Patent: A patent is an exclusive right granted for an invention, which is a product or a process that provides, in general, a new way of doing something, or offers a new technical solution to a problem.
• Copyright: It is a legal term used to describe the rights that creators have over their literary and artistic works.
• Trademark: It is a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one enterprise from those of other enterprises.
• Industrial design: It constitutes the ornamental or aesthetic aspect of an article.
• Geographical indications and appellations of origin are signs used on goods that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities, a reputation or characteristics that are essentially attributable to that place of origin.
• Trade secrets are IP rights on confidential information which may be sold or licensed.
India’s initiative
• National IPR Policy 2016: This policy consolidates all forms of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) into a unified vision document, establishing an institutional framework for the implementation, monitoring, and review of IP laws.
• The policy aims to foster innovation and creativity by enhancing protection and providing stronger incentives for inventors, artists, and creators.
• Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM): Established to coordinate the execution of the National IPR Policy.
• National Intellectual Property Awareness Mission (NIPAM): A flagship initiative designed to promote IP awareness and provide basic IP training in educational institutions.
• Scheme for Facilitating Startups Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP): Launched to nurture innovation and entrepreneurship by creating a supportive ecosystem for startups to protect and manage their IP assets.
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM): Set up by NITI Aayog in 2016 to cultivate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in India. AIM has launched four key programs to support innovation:
• Atal Tinkering Labs
• Atal Incubation Centers
• Atal New India Challenges and Atal Grand Challenges
• Mentor India
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
• It is a self-funding agency of the United Nations, that serves the world’s innovators and creators, ensuring that their ideas travel safely to the market and improve lives everywhere.
• History: WIPO was established in 1967 by the WIPO Convention.
• Members: The organization has 193 member states including both developing and developed nations like India, Italy, Israel, Austria, Bhutan, Brazil, China, Cuba, Egypt, Pakistan, the U.S. and the U.K.
• India joined WIPO in 1975.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
