Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Academic Bank of Credit
Mains level: Need of multi-disciplinary education
On the first anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP), the Centre plans to officially roll out some initiatives promised in the policy, such as the Academic Bank of Credit
Academic Bank of Credit
- Academic Bank of Credit referred to as ABC is a virtual storehouse that will keep records of academic credits secured by a student.
- It is drafted on the lines of the National Academic Depository.
- It will function as a commercial bank where students will be the customers and ABC will offer several services to these students.
- Students will have to open an Academic Bank Account and every account holder would be provided with a unique id and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
- The academic accounts of students will have credits awarded by higher education Institutes to students for the courses they are pursuing.
- However, ABC will not accept any credit course document directly from the students, and its institutes that will make the deposits in students’ accounts.
Functions of ABCs
- ABC will be responsible for opening, closing, and validating the academic accounts of students.
- It will also perform tasks including credit verification, credit accumulation, credit transfer/redemption of students, and promotion of the ABC among the stakeholders.
- The courses will also include online and distance mode courses offered through National Schemes like SWAYAM, NPTEL, V-Lab, etc.
- The validity of these academic credits earned by students will be up to seven years. The validity can also vary based on the subject or discipline. Students can redeem these credits.
- For instance, if a student has accumulated 100 credits which is equivalent to say one year and they decide to drop out.
- Once they decide to rejoin they can redeem this credit and seek admission directly in the second year at any university. The validity will be up to seven years, hence, students will have to rejoin within seven years.
Benefits for students
- The participating HEIs in the ABC scheme will enable students to build their degrees as per their choices.
- As per UGC guidelines, the higher education institutes will have to allow students to acquire credits 50-70% of credits assigned to a degree from any institute.
- Students, depending upon their needs can take this opportunity.
- UGC will ensure that students secured the minimum credits to be secured in the core subject area.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Dalitha Bandhu Scheme
Mains level: Not Much
Telangana CM has recently been informed to spend Rs 80,000 crore to Rs 1 lakh crore for Dalit Bandhu Scheme, touted as the country’s biggest direct benefit transfer scheme, to empower Dalits across the state.
Dalit Bandhu Scheme
- Dalit Bandhu is the latest flagship program of the Telangana government.
- It is envisioned as a welfare scheme for empowering Dalit families and enable entrepreneurship among them through a direct benefit transfer of Rs 10 lakh per family.
- This is, once implemented on the ground, going to be the biggest cash transfer scheme in the country.
- Apart from monetary assistance, the government plans to create a corpus called the Dalit Security Fund permanently to support the beneficiary in the event of any adversities.
- This fund will be managed by the district collector concerned, along with a committee of beneficiaries.
- The beneficiary would be issued an identity card with an electronic chip, which will help the government monitor the progress of the scheme.
Where is the scheme being implemented?
- The CM decided to implement it on a pilot basis in the Huzurabad Assembly constituency.
- Based on the experiences of implementation in Huzurabad, the scheme will be rolled out across the state in a phased manner.
- Officials were asked to visit Dalit colonies and interact with Dalit families to find out their views and opinions before preparing guidelines for the scheme.
- The pilot project will focus on monitoring the implementation of the scheme, evaluating the results, and also creating a safety fund for the beneficiaries with the government’s participation.
How is Dalitha Bandhu being implemented?
- The CM has ensured that the Dalit Bandhu is free.
- The governments in the past came out with some schemes and asked for bank guarantees.
- This is not a loan. There is no need to repay it. There is no chance of any involvement of middlemen.
- To promote Dalit entrepreneurship, the government has decided to start a system of reservations for Dalits in sectors where the government issues licenses.
- The government will provide reservations for Dalits in issuing licenses for wine shops, medical shops, fertilizer shops, rice mills, etc.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: SMILE Scheme
Mains level: Transgenders rehabiliation
The Government has approved a comprehensive scheme named “Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE)” which includes a sub-scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons.
About SMILE Scheme
- This scheme is a sub-scheme under the ‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging’.
- It also focuses on rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities and intervention, counselling, education, skill development, economic linkages to transgender persons.
- It covers several comprehensive measures including welfare measures for persons who are engaged in the act of begging.
- The focus of the scheme is extensively on rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counselling, basic documentation, education, skill development, economic linkages and so on.
Its implementation
- The scheme would be implemented with the support of State/UT Governments/Local Urban Bodies, Voluntary Organizations, Community Based Organizations (CBOs), institutions and others.
- The scheme provides for the use of the existing shelter homes available with the State/UT Governments and Urban local bodies for rehabilitation of the persons engaged in the act of Begging.
- In case of the non-availability of existing shelter homes, new dedicated shelter homes are to be set up by the implementing agencies.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Raja Mircha
Mains level: Geographical Indication (GI)
In a major boost to exports of Geographical Indications (GI) products from the north-eastern region, a consignment of ‘Raja Mircha’ also referred to as king chili from Nagaland was exported to London via Guwahati by air for the first time.
Raja Mircha
- The King chili from Nagaland is also referred to as Bhoot Jolokia and Ghost pepper.
- It got GI certification in 2008.
- Raja Mircha contains Scoville Heat Units (SHUs) which makes it the world’s hottest chili.
- It belongs to the genus Capsicum of the family Solanaceae.
- It has been considered as the world’s hottest chili and is constantly on the top five in the list of the world’s hottest chilies based on the SHUs.
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Q.Which of the following has/have been accorded ‘Geographical Indication’ status?
- Banaras Brocades and Sarees
- Rajasthani Daal-Bati-Churma
- Tirupathi Laddu
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Back2Basics: Geographical Indication (GI)
- The World Intellectual Property Organization defines a GI as “a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin”.
- GIs are typically used for agricultural products, foodstuffs, handicrafts, industrial products, wines, and spirit drinks.
- Internationally, GIs are covered as an element of intellectual property rights under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
- They have also covered under the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: SCO
Mains level: Paper 2- Role of Central Asia in Afghanistan
Context
As the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) end their presence in Afghanistan and set off a churn in the neighbourhood, Central Asia is emerging as a key player.
Challenges India faces in playing a leading role in Afghanistan
- Events of the past few years, and the decisions of Russia, the US and China have kept India out of a leading role in Afghanistan.
- India’s original hesitation in opening talks with the Taliban has cut India out of the current reconciliation process.
- India’s efforts to build on trade with Afghanistan, shore up development projects and increase educational and training opportunities for Afghan youth have been appreciated, but these cannot grow bigger due to a number of factors.
- The end of any formal dialogue between India and Pakistan since 2016 and trade since 2019, have resulted in Pakistan blocking India’s over-land access to Afghanistan.
- India’s alternative route through Chabahar, though operational, cannot be viable or cost-effective also long as U.S. sanctions on Iran are in place.
- India’s boycott of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2017, and now tensions at the Line of Actual Control make another route to Afghanistan off-limits.
- The U.S. has announced a formation of a “Quad” on regional connectivity — U.S.-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan that does not include India.
Why Central Asian countries are interested in Afghanistan?
- The hope is that the Central Asian window, with the “Stans” (five Central Asian republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) will open new possibilities for India.
- Calculations of Central Asian neighbours are three-fold:
- The first is that prosperity for these land-locked countries can only flow from access through Afghanistan to the closest ocean, i.e. the Indian Ocean.
- Second, that all transit through Afghanistan depends on guarantees of safe passage from the Taliban, backed by the group’s mentors in Pakistan.
- Third, each of the “Stans” are now a part of China’s BRI, and tying their connectivity initiatives with Beijing’s will bring the double promise of investment and some modicum of control over Pakistan.
Way forward for India
- Given the odds, India’s room for manoeuvre with these five countries on Afghanistan appears limited but not without hope.
- Work on common concerns: To begin with, India and the Central Asian States share common concerns about an Afghanistan overrun by the Taliban.
- Their common concerns are the worries of battles at their borders, safe havens for jihadist terror groups inside Afghanistan and the spill-over of radicalism into their own countries.
- Support financially: It is necessary for India to work with them, and other neighbours to shore up finances for the government in Kabul, particularly to ensure that the government structure does not collapse.
- Cooperation on anti-terrorism: As part of the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), India must also step up its engagement with the Central Asian countries on fighting terror.
- India can support the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) in terms of airpower.
- Better ties between neighbours: South Asia must learn from Central Asia’s recent example in knitting together this region more tightly, a task that can only be completed with better ties between India and Pakistan.
- India’s furtive discussions with the Taliban leadership in Doha make little sense unless a less tactical and more strategic engagement with Pakistan is also envisaged.
Conclusion
Countries of Central Asia and South Asia need to find a more unified voice, as they have in recent weeks. Afghanistan’s future will affect both regions much more than it will the distant global powers that currently dominate the debate.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Inflation
Mains level: Paper 3- Economic recovery
Context
Many developed countries are poised for strong growth. This will compel their respective central banks to begin normalizing the extremely loose monetary policies. This will require a reorientation of India’s stimulus strategy.
Global growth momentum
- On the global front, the growth momentum has been strong, particularly in the US and China, although recent data suggest this has peaked or is even stalling.
- Post the perceived hawkishness of the last US Federal Reserve policy meeting, the traded interest rate of the benchmark US 10-year treasury bond fell to below 1.3 percent.
- The falling rate reflects disquiet about the durability of the recovery once the fiscal stimulus starts waning.
- China recently announced a 0.5 percent cut in the required reserves ratio for banks.
- Europe’s recovery had begun to inch up, but members of the European Central Bank have begun to push back on market expectations of early tapering.
- However, some smaller global central banks have started normalizing their respective Quantitative Easing programs.
Growth momentum in India
- The encouraging aspect of the recovery is the resilience of many mid-and large-turnover companies in the face of the debilitating public health crisis
- In India, there are signs that the recovery momentum began to strengthen from mid-June, and of demand accelerating, despite capacity utilization in many industries below thresholds needed for the next round of private investments.
- In line with the market consensus, we think that 2021-22 growth is likely to be in the 9-10 percent range.
- Tax collections, another indicator of activity, even if a bit skewed, support this view.
- A revival of retail consumer demand is critical for sustaining the recovery. Reports from industry associations suggest a somewhat mixed picture.
- Demand emanating from rural geographies is important for sustaining recovery.
- Demand for work under MGNREGA suggests continuing stress.
- Monsoons will be a big contributor.
- The sowing of Kharif crops stalled in late June but is predicted to pick up again in mid-July.
- Renewed government intervention is required.
Factors deciding the trajectory of recovery
- Inflation: Rising inflation could force a monetary policy normalization faster than presently anticipated.
- Global recovery: Effects global central banks’ policy tightening will only add to the difficulty of balancing a policy-induced increase in interest rates, moderating financial markets volatility, and maintaining growth incentives.
- Access to credit: Access to credit remains a crucial input in the recovery matrix, particularly for small and micro-enterprises.
- The Union government’s Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) has reportedly been very effective in stabilizing the solvency (and cash flows) of micro and small businesses.
Way forward
- Expansion of subvention scheme: The expansion of subvention (ECLGS) is probably the most effective template to incentivize credit flows, leveraging on the government’s balance sheet to take on the first loss risks.
- At the same time, capex proposals of the Centre and states should gradually draw in private sector capex.
- Policy intervention to create a level field: Corporate health has improved, with lower debt on balance sheets.
- Adoption of technology is widespread; this will boost productivity and competitiveness.
- But these factors reinforce trends in consolidation and market power.
- It will require policy interventions to create a more level playing field for smaller companies, which is crucial for job creation.
Conclusion
Policy support will thus need to adapt from the “revive” to the “thrive” phase, to place India on a sustained 7 percent-plus growth path.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: CDS
Mains level: Paper 3- Issues with creation of theatre commands
Context
The government is reportedly planning to re-organise the military into a theatre command under the chief of defence staff (CDS) in which the assets of the Air Force will be split into four and distributed among four operational theatres.
Background of the creation of CDS
- In 2012, the Naresh Chandra Committee suggested the creation of a CDS, which would take on overall functions of the chairman, chiefs of committee as well as the responsibilities pertaining to centralised planning, induction, training, intelligence and logistics.
- Operations, according to the committee’s suggestion, would continue to be managed by the respective chiefs of staff.
- However, sometime in 2016-17, this idea was modified to organise the operational assets of the three services into four theatre commands, all of which are now proposed to be brought under the CDS.
Issues with creating theatre command by dividing Air Force
- Professional leadership is critical in support elements: The Air Chief’s professional leadership of the Air Force is crucial to orchestrate a variety of support elements like aerial tankers, AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control Systems), AEW, Heliborne support and UAVs in an “offensive operation”.
- Lack of in-dept understanding: A land theatre command, if given power over the air elements, may not have the confidence to launch such a mission because of the lack of in-depth understanding of the organisational complexity and the risks involved.
- Dilution of assets may harm effectiveness: Dilution of the combat assets of the Air Force, a 30-squadron force consisting of five or six types of aircraft, might severely affect mission-effectiveness.
- Role of CDS: It is extremely doubtful if the CDS can cope with the enhanced responsibilities that include operations, albeit through the theatre commanders.
- That would leave only training, maintenance, and support under the chiefs of staff — a gross under-utilisation of the operational leadership built over 40 years.
- Resource limitations: Forming a separate air defence command for the air defence of the entire nation seems an impractical idea considering our resource limitations.
- Current arrangement functioned effortlessly: The current arrangement of a decentralised air defence organisation managed by Air Force geographical commands has functioned faultlessly.
- Flexibility: The existing structures afford better flexibility.
- There will be significant expenditure to construct the operational infrastructure of the theatre commands.
- Timing: We are trying to effect changes at a time the military is deployed actively.
- The Chinese have dug in hard, and we do not yet know their strategy.
- To divide the Air Force into four units at this moment is inadvisable.
Way forward
- White paper: There is no white paper on the advantages of the theatre commands or one listing the merits of the CDS donning the mantle of the operational head of the entire military operation.
- So, a white paper on these aspects could clear the air over the utilities of such moves.
- Joint planning is a must, but operations are best undertaken by individual services who know what other services are doing and when.
Conclusion
Splitting the asset of the Air Force would result in dilution of its power and is not advisable at the current juncture.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Dholavira
Mains level: Indus Valley Civilization
The Harappan city of Dholavira, in present-day Gujarat, has been named the 40th Indian site on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
Dholavira site
- The IVC acropolis is located on a hillock near present-day Dholavira village in Kutch district, from which it gets its name.
- It was discovered in 1968 by archaeologist Jagat Pati Joshi.
- The site’s excavation between 1990 and 2005 under the supervision of archaeologist Ravindra Singh Bisht uncovered the ancient commercial city.
Key features
- It is one of the very few well preserved urban settlements in South Asia dating from the 3rd to mid-2nd millennium BCE.
- It was located in the island of Khadir which was strategic to harness different mineral and raw material sources (copper, shell, agate-carnelian, steatite, lead, banded limestone, among others).
- It facilitated internal as well as external trade to the Magan (modern Oman peninsula) and Mesopotamian regions.
- One finds the origin of the Buddhist Stupas in memorials in Dholavira.
A gem in the IVC acropolis
- After Mohen-jo-Daro, Ganweriwala and Harappa in Pakistan and Rakhigarhi in Haryana of India, Dholavira is the fifth largest metropolis of IVC.
- The site has a fortified citadel, a middle town and a lower town with walls made of sandstone or limestone instead of mud bricks in many other Harappan sites.
- While unlike graves at other IVC sites, no mortal remains of humans have been discovered at Dholavira.
Its architecture
- The city demonstrates its multifaceted achievements in terms of urban planning, construction techniques, water management, social governance and development, art, manufacturing, trading, and belief system.
- The property comprises two parts:
- A walled city: Consists of a fortified Castle with attached fortified Bailey and Ceremonial Ground, and a fortified Middle Town and a Lower Town
- A cemetery to the west of the city
Trade and commercial activities
- Remains of a copper smelter indicate of Harappans, who lived in Dholavira, knew metallurgy.
- It is believed that traders of Dholavira used to source copper ore from present-day Rajasthan and Oman and UAE and export finished products.
- It was also a hub of manufacturing jewellery made of shells and semi-precious stones, like agate and used to export timber.
- Such beads peculiar to the Harappan workmanship have been found in the royal graves of Mesopotamia, indicating Dholavira used to trade with the Mesopotamians.
Famous for water conservation
- The expansive water management system designed to store every drop of water available shows the ingenuity of the people to survive against the rapid geo-climatic transformations.
- Water diverted from seasonal streams, scanty precipitation and available ground was sourced, stored, in large stone-cut reservoirs which are extant along the eastern and southern fortification.
- To further access water, few rock-cut wells, which date as one of the oldest examples, are evident in different parts of the city, the most impressive one being located in the citadel.
- Such elaborate water conservation methods of Dholavira is unique and measures as one of the most efficient systems of the ancient world.
Causes for its decline
- Harappans, who were maritime people, lost a huge market, affecting the local mining, manufacturing, marketing and export businesses once Mesopotamia fell.
- From 2000 BC, Dholavira entered a phase of severe aridity due to climate change and rivers like Saraswati drying up.
- Because of a drought-like situation, people started migrating toward the Ganges valley or towards south Gujarat and further beyond in Maharashtra.
- In those times the Great Rann of Kutch, which surrounds the Khadir island on which Dholavira is located, used to be navigable, but the sea receded gradually and the Rann became a mudflat.
Other Harappan sites in Gujarat
- Before Dholavira was excavated, Lothal, in Saragwala village on the bank of Sabarmati in Dholka taluka of Ahmedabad district, was the most prominent site of IVC in Gujarat.
- It was excavated between 1955 and 1960 and was discovered to be an important port city of the ancient civilisation, with structures made of mud bricks.
- From a graveyard in Lothal, 21 human skeletons were found. Foundries for making copperware were also discovered. Ornaments made of semi-precious stones, gold etc. were also found from the site.
- Besides Lothal, Rangpur on the bank of Bhadar river in Surendranagar district was the first Harappan site in the state to be excavated.
- Rojdi in Rajkot district, Prabhas near Veraval in Gir Somnath district, Lakhabaval in Jamnagar, and Deshalpar in Bhuj taluka of Kutch are among other Harappan sites in the state.
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Q.Which one of the following is not a Harappan site? (CSP 2019)
(a) Chanhudaro
(b) Kot Diji
(c) Sohgaura
(d) Desalpur
Also read:
Telangana’s Rudreswara Temple inscribed as a World Heritage Site
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021
The Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021 will be introduced and is likely to be pushed for passage in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament.
Need for this bill
- Electricity distribution is at the cutting edge of the power sector.
- Despite the last 25 years of power sector reforms, the electricity distribution companies are unable to pay the generation and transmission companies as well as banks / financial institutions due to poor financial health.
- In this situation, patchwork may not turn around the power sector and a holistic approach is the need of the hour.
- The provisions of the proposed amendment bill have to be seen in this context.
Key features of Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021
De-licensing: Electricity distribution is delicensed, at least in the letter, giving consumers a choice to choose a distribution company in their area.
Universal service obligation: There is the provision of a universal service obligation fund, which shall be managed by a government company. This fund shall be utilized to meet any deficits in cross-subsidy. In case of supply through pre-paid meters, security deposit will not be required.
Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL): It is being strengthened by an increasing number of members. The domains from where the chairperson and members of Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) and State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERC) will come have been described.
Renewable Power Obligation: Keeping in view the national climate change goals, the responsibility of fixing renewable power obligations (RPO) is shifted from state commissions to the central government.
Penalty: Penalty for contravention of the provisions of the Act has been increased up to Rs 1 crore. Non-fulfillment of RPO will attract stringent penalties as per the proposed amendments.
Important issues not addressed
- Recovery of dues: Discoms collect revenue from the consumers and feed the supply chain upstream. They are, however, unable to recover their costs, out of which nearly 75-80 percent are power purchase costs.
- Tariff: A broad guideline to reduce tariffs could have been part of the proposed amendment bill. Recently, the Forum of Regulators came out with a report on cost elements of tariff and suggested measures to reduce the same.
- AT&C losses: The Aggregate Technical & Commercial (AT&C) losses of 12 states were more than 25 percent and of six states between 15 and 25 percent, according to a report released by the distribution utility forum based on Uday dashboard in 2020.
Some provisions may backfire
- Power distribution is proposed to be delicensed. However, the eligibility criteria shall be prescribed by the central government and the conditions for registration by the SERC.
- There is a provision for amendment and cancellation of registration as well. In case these provisions are implemented similar to a license, the purpose shall be defeated.
- The newly registered companies are given the facility to use the power allocation as well as the network of existing discom, which may be dilapidated in many cases due to paucity of funds.
- With such a network, the quality of supply to the electricity consumers will be seriously affected.
- Financial penalty on discom may not fully compensate and satisfy the consumers in such cased.
Some of the issues that may be considered for holistic power sector reforms:
- The provision of coal and railway freight regulators
- Linkage of AT&C losses as key performance indicator for release of central funds to states by any ministry
- Provision of a risk management committee and corporate governance within discoms, irrespective of being listed company
Way forward
- Fourteen years after the last amendment to the Electricity Act, currently, the focus of the amendment is on competition and compliance.
- Electricity regulatory commissions hold the key to take this forward.
- The commissions should be built as strong institutions and their autonomy should be respected and maintained.
- After providing a robust framework for fair competition, the government should minimize its frequent interventions in the sector.
- The government interventions often distort the market and maybe resorted to only in case of market failure.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: South China Sea
Mains level: South China Sea Dispute
Pentagon chief has said that Beijing’s expansive claims in the South China Sea have “no basis in international law”, taking aim at China’s growing assertiveness in the hotly contested waters.
South China Sea Dispute
- It is a dispute over territory and sovereignty over ocean areas, and the Paracels and the Spratlys – two island chains claimed in whole or in part by a number of countries.
- China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei all have competing claims.
- Alongside the fully-fledged islands, there are dozens of rocky outcrops, atolls, sandbanks, and reefs, such as the Scarborough Shoal.
- China claims by far the largest portion of territory – an area defined by the “nine-dash line” which stretches hundreds of miles south and east from its most southerly province of Hainan.
- Beijing says its right to the area goes back centuries to when the Paracel and Spratly island chains were regarded as integral parts of the Chinese nation, and in 1947 it issued a map detailing its claims.
- It showed the two island groups falling entirely within its territory. Those claims are mirrored by Taiwan.
Spat over Chinese claims
- China has backed its expansive claims with island-building and naval patrols.
- The US says it does not take sides in territorial disputes but has sent military ships and planes near disputed islands, calling them “freedom of navigation” operations to ensure access to key shipping and air routes.
- Both sides have accused each other of “militarizing” the South China Sea.
- There are fears that the area is becoming a flashpoint, with potentially serious global consequences.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PM-CARES Fund
Mains level: Impact of pandemic on Children
The Supreme Court has clarified that welfare schemes such as the PM CARES Fund should cover both children, who became orphans during the Covid-19 pandemic and those, who became orphans due to Covid-19.
What is PM-CARES Fund?
- The Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) was created on 28 March 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
- The fund will be used for combat, containment, and relief efforts against the coronavirus outbreak and similar pandemic-like situations in the future.
- The PM is the chairman of the trust. Members will include the defense, home, and finance ministers.
- The fund will also enable micro-donations. The minimum donation accepted for the PM CARES Fund is ₹10.
- The donations will be tax-exempt and fall under corporate social responsibility.
Why cover orphaned children?
- Over 75,000 children have been orphaned, abandoned, or have lost a parent during the COVID pandemic.
- It is feared that many of them may become victims of human trafficking rackets or descend into crime.
Under the scrutiny of the court
- The Supreme Court has endorsed the PM CARES Fund as a “public charitable trust” to which donors contribute voluntarily.
- The court said that PM-CARES is “not open” for a PIL petitioner to question the “wisdom” that created the fund in an hour of need.
- The court dismissed the idea that the PM CARES was constituted to “circumvent” the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NOTP
Mains level: Organ transplantation in India
The Government of India is implementing National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP) to promote organ donation and transplantation across all States/Union Territories (UTs).
National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP)
- In 2019, the GoI implemented the NOTP for promoting deceased organ donation.
- Organ donation in India is regulated by the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994.
Types of Organ Donations
- The law allows both deceased and living donors to donate their organs.
- It also identifies brain death as a form of death.
- Living donors must be over 18 years of age and are limited to donating only to their immediate blood relatives or, in some special cases, out of affection and attachment towards the recipient.
(1) Deceased donors:
- They may donate six life-saving organs: kidneys, liver, heart, lungs, pancreas, and intestine.
- Uterus transplant is also performed, but it is not regarded as a life-saving organ.
- Organs and tissues from a person declared legally dead can be donated after consent from the family has been obtained.
- Brainstem death is also recognized as a form of death in India, as in many other countries.
- After a natural cardiac death, organs that can be donated are cornea, bone, skin, and blood vessels, whereas after brainstem death about 37 different organs and tissues can be donated, including the above six life-saving organs
(2) Living donors:
They are permitted to donate the following:
- one of their kidneys
- portion of pancreas
- part of the liver
Features of the NOTP
- Under the NOTP a National Level Tissue Bank (Biomaterial Centre) for storing tissues has been established at National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), New Delhi.
- Further, under the NOTP, a provision has also been made for providing financial support to the States for setting up of Bio- material centre.
- As of now a Regional Bio-material centre has been established at Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (ROTTO), Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
More moves for facilitation: Green Corridors
- Studies have suggested that the chances of transplantation being successful are enhanced by reducing the time delay between harvest and transplant of the organ.
- Therefore, the transportation of the organ is a critical factor. For this purpose, “green corridors” have been created in many parts of India.
- A “green corridor” refers to a route that is cleared out for an ambulance carrying the harvested organs to ensure its delivery at the destination in the shortest time possible.
About NOTTO
National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) is a national level organization set up under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- National Human Organ and Tissue Removal and Storage Network
- National Biomaterial Centre (National Tissue Bank)
[I] National Human Organ and Tissue Removal and Storage Network
- This has been mandated as per the Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act 2011.
- The network will be established initially for Delhi and gradually expanded to include other States and Regions of the country.
- Thus, this division of the NOTTO is the nodal networking agency for Delhi and shall network for Procurement Allocation and Distribution of Organs and Tissues in Delhi.
- It functions as apex centre for All India activities of coordination and networking for procurement and distribution of Organs and Tissues and registry of Organs and Tissues Donation and Transplantation in the country.
[II] National Biomaterial Centre (National Tissue Bank)
- The Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act 2011 has included the component of tissue donation and registration of tissue Banks.
- It becomes imperative under the changed circumstances to establish National level Tissue Bank to fulfill the demands of tissue transplantation including activities for procurement, storage and fulfil distribution of biomaterials.
- The main thrust & objective of establishing the centre is to fill up the gap between ‘Demand’ and ‘Supply’ as well as ‘Quality Assurance’ in the availability of various tissues.
The centre will take care of the following Tissue allografts:
- Bone and bone products
- Skin graft
- Cornea
- Heart valves and vessels
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Emigration Act 1983
Mains level: Paper 2- Emigration Bill 2021
Context
The Emigration Bill 2021 could be introduced in Parliament soon and presents a long-overdue opportunity to reform the recruitment process for nationals seeking employment abroad.
An overview of Emigration Act 1983
- Labour migration is governed by the Emigration Act, 1983.
- The Act sets up a mechanism for hiring through government-certified recruiting agents — individuals or public or private agencies.
- It outlines obligations for agents to conduct due diligence of prospective employers,
- Sets up a cap on service fees.
- Establishes a government review of worker travel and employment documents (known as emigration clearances) to 18 countries mainly in West Asian states and South-East Asian countries.
What are the improvements in Emigration Bill 2021?
- It launches a new emigration policy division.
- It establishes help desks and welfare committees.
- It requires manpower agencies to conduct pre-departure briefings for migrants.
- It increases accountability of brokers and other intermediaries who are also involved in labour hiring.
Shortcoming in Emigration Bill 2021
- Lacks human rights framework: The 2021 Bill lacks a human rights framework aimed at securing the rights of migrants and their families.
- For example, in a country such as the Philippines, it explicitly recognises the contributions of Filipino workers and “the dignity and fundamental human rights and freedoms of the Filipino citizens”.
- Workers to bear recruitment payments and service charges: the Bill permits manpower agencies to charge workers’ service fees, and even allows agents to set their own limits.
- This provision goes against International Labour Organization (ILO) Private Employment Agencies Convention No. 181 and the ILO general principles and operational guidelines for fair recruitment.
- The ILO Convention and guidelines recognises that it is employers, not workers who should bear recruitment payments including the costs of their visas, air travel, medical exams, and service charges to recruiters.
- Criminalise worker: The Bill permits government authorities to punish workers by cancelling or suspending their passports and imposing fines up to ₹50,000 for violating any of the Bill’s provisions.
- Criminalising the choices migrant workers make is deplorable, runs contradictory to the purpose of protecting migrants and their families, and violates international human rights standards.
- Recruiters and public officials could misuse the law to instil fear among workers and report or threaten to report them.
- Gender dimension not adequadely addressed: This Bill does not also adequately reflect the gender dimensions of labour migration where women have limited agency in recruitment compared to their counterparts.
- Women are more likely to be employed in marginalised and informal sectors and/or isolated occupations in which labour, physical, psychological, and sexual abuse are common.
- Limited space for representation: The Bill also provides limited space for worker representation or civil society engagement in the policy and welfare bodies that it sets up.
Way forward
- The Ministry of External Affairs must start at the top, and draft a clearer purpose which explicitly recognises the contributions of Indian workers, the unique challenges they face, and uphold the dignity and human rights of migrants and their families.
Conclusion
The new Bill is better than the Emigration Act 1983, but more reforms are needed to protect Indian workers.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: GVA
Mains level: Paper 3- Limits of relying on high-growth sectors
Context
The latest estimates of the fourth quarter of financial year 2020-21 (January-March) brought some relief, for policymakers.
Interpreting the construction sector GVA increase
- The construction sector showed a 15 per cent increase in gross value added (GVA) in the last quarter, which is nearly double the growth experienced by the sector in the previous year (7.7 per cent).
- Sign of better times: The buoyant growth of this sector has been hailed by policymakers not just as a sign of better times to come,
- Addressing distress: Growth in the construction sector is also considered as the capacity of the economy to address the distress that households have faced in the past year.
- Addressing needs of workforce: The Chief Economic Advisor pointed to the high growth rates in construction possibly to indicate that growth would address the needs of the beleaguered workforce.
- The Union budget 2021 has also allocated a considerable sum towards infrastructure and construction in the hopes of the sector playing a catalysing role.
Issues with relying on the growth of high-employment sector
- No strong correlation: While GVA and/or GDP are considered as indicators of economic health, it has been argued in detail how it may not be prudent to rely on these alone as measures of economic welfare.
- In particular, mere growth in a sector may not necessarily translate into benefits for its workers.
- In the last quarter of 2019-2020, when construction GVA grew at nearly 8 per cent, employment in the same sector grew by 3 per cent based on our estimates from CMIE-CPHS.
- Fallback employment option: The fact that employment grew in this sector even during a crisis year is largely because of the fact that the construction sector emerged as a fallback employment option for many displaced workers.
- During “normal” times, the sector typically employs only about 10-15 per cent of India’s total workforce.
- Even if this sector were to expand in line with its GVA growth, it will not be able to provide employment beyond a certain level.
- Employment alone is not enough: Moreover, employment alone is not enough.
- Earnings for an average daily wage worker in the sector have actually declined this year.
- Again, the overall economic growth in GVA in the sector has not been passed on to the workers.
Way forward
- Any relief effort that relies solely on economic growth as a means to uplift workers will be sorely inadequate as we see from the experience of workers in construction.
- The need of the hour is to go beyond relying on sectoral growth as a means of delivering relief to workers.
- Direct transfers of cash and food are also needed, as is livelihood support through employment guarantee programmes.
Conclusion
While boosting growth of high-employment sectors is one strategy to adopt, this has its limitations. The capacity of a sector is limited in terms of the number of workers that it can absorb, and the extent to which growth can benefit workers.
Back2Basics: What is GVA?
- Gross value added (GVA) is an economic productivity metric that measures the contribution of a corporate subsidiary, company, or municipality to an economy, producer, sector, or region.
- GVA is essentially a measure of the “net” value of output — deducting the cost of any input that went into its production from its total value.
- GVA thus adjusts gross domestic product (GDP) by the impact of subsidies and taxes (tariffs) on products.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- Paradox in debate over relations with the US
Context
As the Indian leadership reviews US ties this week with the visiting Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, a paradox stands out.
Deepening Indo-US ties
- India and the US have come a long way since the 1990s.
- There is growing political and security cooperation, expanding economic engagement, widening interface between the two societies, and the intensifying footprint of the Indian diaspora in the US.
- Convergence of interests: That ambition, in turn, is based on the unprecedented convergence of Indian and American national interests.
- Agenda for cooperation: The two countries have already agreed on an ambitious agenda for bilateral, regional and global cooperation.
Debate in India over Indo-US relation: A paradox
- The discourse within India’s strategic community continues to be anxious.
- Some of the questions that animate the media and political classes have not changed since the 1990s.
- Issues in the debate: Debate focuses on US’s stand on the Kashmir issue, democracy and human rights and its impact on India-US relations.
- Contradictory fears: There are also contradictory fears such as whether the US extend full support in coping with China.
- While we expect the US to give guarantees on supporting us, we insist that India will never enter into an alliance with the US.
- Small state syndrome in India: As India’s relative weight in the international system continues to grow, it creates much room for give and take between India and the US.
- Yet, a small state syndrome continues to grip the foreign policy elite.
- The situation is similar on the economic front.
- Although India is now the sixth-largest economy in the world, there is unending concern about the US imposing globalisation on India.
- Even as India’s salience for solutions to climate change has increased, India’s debate remains deeply defensive.
Factors responsible paradox
- Missing the big picture: The narrow focus on the bilateral precludes an assessment of the larger forces shaping American domestic and international politics.
- That, in turn, limits the appreciation of new possibilities for the bilateral relationship.
- Underinvestment in American studies: The problem is reinforced by India’s under-investment in public understanding of American society.
- Russia and China have put large resources in American studies at their universities and think tanks.
- The Indian government and private sector will hopefully address this gap in the not-too-distant future.
Policy shifts unfolding in the US
- Domestic economic policies: If the economic policy drift in the last four decades was to the right, Biden is moving left on the relationship between the state and the market — on raising taxes, increasing public spending and addressing the problem of sharp economic inequality.
- Economic policy and globalisation: Biden has also joined Trump in questioning America’s uncritical economic globalisation of the past.
- If Trump talked of putting America First, Biden wants to make sure that America’s foreign and economic policies serve the US middle class.
- Foreign policy: Biden has concluded that four decades of America’s uncritical engagement with China must be reconstituted into a policy that faces up to the many challenges that Beijing presents to the US.
- Biden is also focused on renewing the traditional US alliances to present a united front against China.
- He is also seeking to overcome Washington’s hostility to Russia by resetting ties with Moscow.
Question of democracy and human rights
- Democracy is very much part of America’s founding ideology.
- But living up to that ideal at home and abroad has not been easy for the United States over the last two centuries.
- Delhi and Washington will also have much to discuss on the challenges that new surveillance technologies and big tech monopolies pose to democratic governance.
- The exclusive American focus on democracy promotion has been rare, costly and unsuccessful.
- India’s own experience at spreading democracy in its neighbourhood is quite similar.
- But that discussion is only one part of the expansive new agenda — from Afghanistan to Indo-Pacific, reforming global economic institutions to addressing climate change, and vaccine diplomacy to governing new technologies that beckon India and the United States.
Conclusion
As they intensify the bilateral cooperation, the two sides will hopefully turn the Indo-US partnership from a perennial curiosity to a quotidian affair.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Turmoil in the NE region
Five Assam police personnel were killed in an exchange of fire with the Mizoram Police after the protracted border row between the two northeastern States took a violent turn.
Assam-Mizoram Boundary Dispute
- At the heart of the dispute over the 165-km Assam-Mizoram boundary are two border demarcations that go back to the days of British colonial rule, and disagreement over which demarcation to follow.
- British tea plantations surfaced in the Cachar plains – the Barak Valley that now comprises the districts of Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj — during the mid-19th century.
- Their expansion led to problems with the Mizos whose home was the Lushai Hills.
- In August 1875, the southern boundary of Cachar district was issued in the Assam Gazette.
- The Mizos say this was the fifth time the British had drawn the boundary between the Lushai Hills and the Cachar plains, and the only time when it was done in consultation with Mizo chiefs.
Creation of new states
- But in 1933, the boundary between Lushai Hills and the then princely state of Manipur was demarcated – it said the Manipur boundary began from the trijunction of Lushai Hills, Cachar district of Assam and Manipur state.
- The Mizos do not accept this demarcation, and point to the 1875 boundary which was drawn in consultation with their chiefs.
- In the decades after Independence, states and UTs were carved out of Assam – Nagaland (1963), Arunachal Pradesh (UT 1972, formerly NEFA), Meghalaya (UT 1972), Mizoram (UT 1972).
A matter of perception
- Mizoram says Assam has been pushing its people 10-12 km inside their territory.
- Mizoram’s official stand is that the boundary should be demarcated on the basis of notification in 1875 that distinguished the Lushai Hills (erstwhile district of Assam that became Mizoram) from the plains of Cachar.
- The notification is based on the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act, 1873, which makes it obligatory for Indians beyond to possess a travel document to enter Mizoram.
- Assam also has border disputes with Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: International Space Station (ISS), Nauka
Mains level: Not Much
Pirs, a Russian module on the International Space Station (ISS) used as a docking port for spacecraft and as a door for cosmonauts to go out on spacewalks. In its place, Russia’s space agency Roscosmos will be attaching a significantly larger module called Nauka.
What does Russia’s new Nauka module do?
- Nauka, which is 42 feet long and weighs 20 tonnes, was supposed to be launched as early as 2007, as per the ISS’s original plan.
- Nauka — meaning “science” in Russian — is the biggest space laboratory Russia has launched to date, and will primarily serve as a research facility.
- It is also bringing to the ISS another oxygen generator, a spare bed, another toilet, and a robotic cargo crane built by the European Space Agency (ESA).
- The new module was sent into orbit using a Proton rocket — the most powerful in Russia’s space inventory — on July 21 and will take eight days to reach the ISS.
What kind of research goes on at the International Space Station?
- A space station is essentially a large spacecraft that remains in low-earth orbit for extended periods of time.
- It is like a large laboratory in space and allows astronauts to come aboard and stay for weeks or months to carry out experiments in microgravity.
- For over 20 years since its launch, humans have continuously lived and carried out scientific investigations on the $150 billion ISS under microgravity conditions, being able to make breakthroughs in research not possible on Earth.
Back2Basics: International Space Station (ISS)
- The International Space Station, which launched its first piece in 1998, is a large spacecraft that orbits around the Earth and is home to the astronauts.
- The ISS is currently the only active space station in the earth’s orbit.
- The first crew on the space station arrived on November 2, 2000.
- The space station is home to a minimum of six astronauts, with two bathrooms, a gymnasium, and a big bay window.
- It is a joint project between five participating space agencies -NASA (USA), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada).
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary
Mains level: Not Much
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region is likely to get its first Ramsar site at the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary.
Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary
- The Maharashtra Government has declared the area along the western bank of Thane Creek as the “Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary” since 2015.
- It is Maharashtra’s second marine sanctuary after the Malvan sanctuary.
- It is recognized as an “Important Bird Area” by the Bombay Natural History Society.
About Ramsar Convention
- The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (better known as the Ramsar Convention) is an international agreement promoting the conservation and wise use of wetlands.
- It is the only global treaty to focus on a single ecosystem.
- The convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975.
- Traditionally viewed as a wasteland or breeding ground of disease, wetlands actually provide fresh water and food and serve as nature’s shock absorber.
- Wetlands, critical for biodiversity, are disappearing rapidly, with recent estimates showing that 64% or more of the world’s wetlands have vanished since 1900.
- Major changes in land use for agriculture and grazing, water diversion for dams and canals, and infrastructure development are considered to be some of the main causes of loss and degradation of wetlands.
What does one mean by Ramsar Site?
- A Ramsar Site is a wetland area designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
- It provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Gold Reserves in India
Mains level: Not Much
The Minister of Mines and Coal has provided useful information regarding gold reserves in India.
Gold Reserves in India
- As per National Mineral Inventory data, the total reserves/resources of gold ore (primary) in the country have been estimated at 501.83 million tonnes as of 2015.
- Out of these, 17.22 million tonnes were placed under the reserves category and the remaining 484.61 million tonnes were under the remaining resources category.
- In India, the largest resources of gold ore (primary) are located in Bihar (44%) followed by Rajasthan (25%), Karnataka (21%), West Bengal (3%), Andhra Pradesh (3% ), Jharkhand (2 %).
- The remaining 2% resources of ore are located in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.
Who takes up their mapping?
- Geological Survey of India (GSI) is actively engaged in geological mapping followed by mineral exploration (survey) for various mineral commodities including gold.
- GSI aims to identify potential mineral-rich zones and establish resources.
- Every year, as per the approved annual Field Season Program, GSI takes up mineral exploration projects in various parts of the country for augmenting mineral resources.
- Recently, GoI has amended the MEMC Rules to allow auction of composite license at G4 level for deep-seated minerals including Gold.
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Consider the following statements:
- In India, State Governments do not have the power to auction non -coal mines.
- Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand do not have goldmines.
- Rajasthan has iron ore mines.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 3 only
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Exercise Cutlass Express
Mains level: Not Much
Indian Naval Ship Talwar is participating in Exercise Cutlass Express 2021, being conducted along the East Coast of Africa.
Exercise Cutlass Express
- The exercise is an annual maritime exercise conducted to promote national and regional maritime security in East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean.
- Indian Navy is participating in the exercise in a ‘trainer role’.
The 2021 edition of the exercise involves the participation of:
- 12 Eastern African countries, US, UK, India
- Various international organizations like International Maritime Organization (IMO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Interpol, European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR), Critical Maritime Routes Indian Ocean (CRIMARIO), and EUCAP Somalia
Focus of the exercise
- The exercise focuses on East Africa’s coastal regions.
- It is designed to assess and improve combined maritime law enforcement capacity, promote national and regional security and increase interoperability between the regional navies.
- As part of the exercise, the Indian Navy, together with other partners, shall undertake the training of contingents from various participating countries in various fields across the spectrum of maritime security operations.
Must read:
[Prelims Spotlight] Defence Exercises
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