Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Meal schemes for students
Mains level: Not Much
Tamil Nadu CM has launched the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme for students of Class I to V in government schools.
CM’s Breakfast Scheme
- The scheme covers around 1.14 lakh students in 1,545 schools which include 417 municipal corporation schools, 163 municipality schools and 728 taluk and village panchayat-level schools.
- The inauguration of the scheme marks an important milestone in the State’s history of providing free meals to school students.
How has the idea evolved?
(a) Pre-independence
- In November 1920, the Madras Corporation Council approved a proposal for providing tiffin to the students of a Corporation School at Thousand Lights at a cost not exceeding one anna per student per day.
- Theagaraya Chetty, the then President of the Corporation and one of the stalwarts of the Justice Party, said the boys studying at the school were poor, which affected the strength of the institution ‘greatly’.
- The scheme, which was extended to four more schools and facilitated higher enrollment of students.
(b) Post-independence
- The concept saw a Statewide application in 1956 when the then CM K. Kamaraj decided to provide free noon meal to poor children in all primary schools across the State.
- The Budget for 1956-57 contained a provision for supplying mid-day meals to schoolchildren for 200 days a year, initially covering 65,000 students in 1,300 feeding centres.
- In July 1982, it was left to the then CM MG Ramachandran to extend the programme to children in the 2-5 age group in Anganwadis and those in 5-9 age group in primary schools in rural areas.
- Subsequently, the scheme now called Puratchi Thalaivar MGR Nutritious Meal Programme — was extended to urban areas as well.
- Since September 1984, students of standards VI to X have been covered under the scheme.
Beneficiaries of the programme
- As of now, there are nearly 7 lakh beneficiaries spread over 43,190 nutritious meal centres.
- This includes around 3,500 students of National Child Labour Project (NCLP) special schools.
- Besides, as a consequence of the collaborative implementation of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and the nutritious meal programme, around 15.8 lakh children in the age group of 2+ to 5+ years receive nutritious meals.
Impact on school education
- Rise in enrolment: After the improved version of the mid-day meal scheme in 1982, the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) at primary level (standards I to V) went up by 10% during July-September, 1982 as compared to the corresponding period in 1981.
- Girls’ enrolment: The rise in boys’ enrollment was 12% and in the case of girls, 7%, according to a publication brought out by the Tamil Nadu government on the occasion of the launch of the Scheme.
- Increase in attendance: Likewise, attendance during July-September 1982 rose by 33% over the previous year’s figure.
Focus areas programme
- Anaemia is a major health problem in Tamil Nadu, especially among women and children, says the 2019-21 National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5’s report.
- From 50% during the period of the 2015-16 NFHS-4, the prevalence of anaemia in children now went up to 57%.
- This and many other health issues can be addressed through the combined efforts of the departments of School Education, Public Health and Social Welfare and Women Empowerment.
- Besides, a continuous and rigorous review of the progress of the scheme and nutritious meal programme should be carried out in a sustained manner.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Big cats
Mains level: NA
We often get confused to differentiate between Cheetah/Bagh/Sher/Puli. The cheetah, which is being re-introduced to India from Africa, is not to be confused with the leopard, which too has spots that look somewhat similar.
How are all Big Cats differentiated?
[A] Genus Panthera
- This is the genus of large wild cats that can roar but can’t purr.
- Among them, the lion, the leopard, and the jaguar are more closely related, while the other strand has the tiger and the snow leopard.
- The snow leopard is an exception to the rest of the group in that it can’t roar.
(1) Tiger (Panthera Tigris)
Size: 75-300 kg | IUCN status : Endangered
- Jim Corbett’s “large-hearted gentleman with boundless courage”, the solitary and strongly territorial tiger is the largest of all wild cats and also the earliest Panthera member to exist.
- Primarily a forest animal, they range from the Siberian taiga to the Sunderban delta.
- The national animal of India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and South Korea, the tiger was voted the world’s favourite animal ahead of the dog in a 2004 Animal Planet global online poll.
(2) Lion (Panthera Leo
Size: 100-250 kg | IUCN status: Vulnerable
- Native to Africa and Asia, the lion is the most social cat, and lives in groups called prides.
- They prefer open forests such as scrubland, and adult males have a prominent mane.
- The lion is arguably the most widely recognised animal symbol in human culture — be it the Ashoka pillar in Sarnath, the main entrance to Buckingham Palace, or the 20th Century Fox and MGM logo.
(3) Jaguar (Panthera Onca)
Size: 50-110 kg | IUCN status: Near Threatened
- The largest cat in the Americas, the Jaguar has the strongest bite force of all wild cats, enabling it to bite directly through the skull of its prey.
- Melanistic (black) Jaguars are common and are often called black panthers.
- Jaguar was a powerful motif in the Mayan and Aztec civilisations.
(4) Leopard (Panthera Pardus)
Size: 30-90 kg | IUCN status: Vulnerable
- Similar in appearance to the Jaguar with a rosette patterned coat, the leopard was described by Jim Corbett as “the most beautiful of all animals” for its “grace of movement and beauty of colouring”.
- The most adaptable of all big cats, they occupy diverse habitats at all altitudes across Africa and Asia.
- Like black jaguars, melanistic leopards are called black panthers.
- In some African cultures, leopards are considered to be better hunters than lions.
(5) Snow leopard (Panthera Uncia)
Size: 25-55 kg | IUCN status : Vulnerable
- The ghost of the mountains, this smokey-grey cat lives above the snow line in Central and South Asia.
- The most elusive of all big cats, it cannot roar, and has the longest tail of them all — which comes in handy for balance while hunting along the cliffs, and also gives warmth when wrapped around the body.
- The snow leopard is the state animal of Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.
[B] Genus Puma
- Closely related to the domestic cat, this genus has only one extant species, the cougar.
Cougar (Puma concolor)
Size: 40-100 kg | IUCN status: Least Concern
- The cougar is the second-largest cat in the Americas. (The Jaguar is the largest.)
- Cougars are also called ‘mountain lion’ and ‘panther’ across their range from the Canadian Yukon to the Southern Andes.
- Concolor is latin for “of uniform colour”. The Incas designed the city of Cusco in the shape of a cougar.
[C] Genus Acinonyx
- This is a unique genus within the cat family, with only one living member, the cheetah.
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Size: 20-70 kg | IUCN status: Vulnerable
- The fastest land mammal, the cheetah is the only cat without retractable claws — the grip helps it accelerate faster than any sports car (0-100 km/hr in 3 seconds).
- Cheetahs are not aggressive towards humans, and they have been tamed since the Sumerian era.
- They don’t breed well in captivity — picky females play hard to get.
- Cheetahs are not really big, and they hunt during the day to avoid competing with other big cats.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PMAY- Urban and Rural
Mains level: Housing for All
Pulling up the States for the delay in completion of the government’s flagship rural household scheme — Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana –Gramin (PMAY-G) — the Union Ministry of Rural Development has come up with a set of penalties that the State governments will have to bear for any further delay.
About PMAY-G Scheme
- In pursuance of the goal – Housing for all by 2022, the rural housing scheme Indira Awas Yojana was revamped to PMAY-G and approved during March 2016.
- The main aim of the PMAY-G scheme is to provide pucca house with some of the basic amenities.
- This scheme is meant for people who do not own a house and people who live in kutcha houses or houses which are severely damaged.
- At present, the minimum size of the houses to be built under the PMAY-G scheme has been increased to 25 sq. mt. from 20 sq. mt.
- Under PMAY, the cost of unit assistance is to be shared between Central and State Governments in the ratio 60:40 in plain areas and 90:10 for North Eastern and hilly states.
Subsidies under PMAY – G scheme
There are various subsidies offered under PMAY G. These include:
- Loans up to Rs. 70,000 from financial institution
- Interest subsidy of 3%
- Subsidy for the maximum principal amount is Rs. 2 lakh
Why in news?
- Opposition-ruled states such as West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Odisha are the leading four States who are far behind their targets.
- The initial deadline for the scheme was March 2022, which owing to the COVID-19 pandemic was extended by another two years till March 2024.
What are the penalty provisions?
- If the sanction of the house is delayed for more than one month from the date of issue of the target, the State government will be penalised.
- The penal fees are per week ₹10 per house for the first month of delay and ₹20 per house for each subsequent month of delay.
- Similarly, if the first instalment due to the beneficiary is delayed for more than seven days from the date of sanction, then the State governments will have to pay ₹10 per house per week of delay.
Also read:
Govt. extends PMAY-Urban scheme
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Green Fins Hub
Mains level: NA
The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) has launched the Green Fins Hub, a global digital platform to give sustainable marine tourism a ‘major boost’.
Green Fins Hub
- The Green Fins Global Hub will be a first-of-its-kind online support system to motivate scuba operators to improve their daily environmental practices at scale.
- It aims to help diving and snorkeling operators worldwide to make simple, cost-efficient changes to their daily practices by utilizing tried and tested solutions.
- It would also help them keep track of their annual improvements and communicate with their communities and customers.
Membership of Green Fins Hub
- It will host two types of membership. One would be digital membership available for diving, snorkelling and liveaboard operations globally.
- Throughout every year of membership, operators will receive environmental scores based on a detailed online self-evaluation and progress made on their action plans.
- The Certified Members will continue to be assessed annually and trained in person at their operation.
- The platform will be for operators around the world to raise industry needs, discuss environmental issues and share lessons and ideas with like-minded industry leaders, non-profits and governments.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: CCI
Mains level: deliberation for effective democracy
Context
- In the recent monsoon session of Parliament (July-August) the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 sent to the Parliamentary Committees for detailed examination and a report thereon.
Background
- Parliament had only limited legislative time this session and could pass only five pieces of legislation
- Oppositions stand: opposition alleging that the Government has been trying to steamroll various pieces of legislation in the last few sessions.
- Governments stand: Government worries that so much time is lost in disruptions in Parliament that the legislative process, as it is, becomes unduly delayed and therefore, referring the bills to the Standing Committees.
Parliamentary Committees
- Need of parliamentary committees: The functions of the Parliament are varied, complex and voluminous. Moreover, it has neither the adequate time nor necessary expertise to make a detailed scrutiny of all legislative measures.
- Function: To assist parliament to discharge of its duties.
- Mandate: To examine various legislations referred to it, the budget proposals of different Ministries, and also to do policy thinking on the vision, mission and future direction of the Ministries concerned.
- Composition: Members of the Parliament of both the LokSabha and the RajyaSabha in the ratio 2:1,
- Authority: constituted by the Speaker of the LokSabha and the Chairman of the RajyaSabha, jointly.
- Classification: Broadly, two kinds–Standing Committees and Ad Hoc Standing Committees are permanent (constituted every year or periodically) and work on a continuous basis, while Ad Hoc Committees are temporary and cease to exist on completion of the task assigned to them.
- Parliament has 24 Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DRSC).
Relevance of parliamentary committees
- Withdrawal of farm law bills shows that if bills are not discussed thoroughly, these laws are just bizarre pieces of legislation from point of view consumers and stakeholders.
- Parliamentary committee’s discussions are held closed door. Members can express their opinion freely.
- Members of DRSC always try reach to consensus despite political differences. Such practices are essential for healthy democracy.
- To strengthen the relevance of parliamentarians the parliamentary committees are crucial tools.
How to improve Efficacy of committees?
- Compulsory process: The Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha have powers to refer Bills to a DRSC of Parliament. Making the process of reference of Bills to these committees compulsory/an automatic process will be useful. An exemption could be made with the specific approval of the Speaker/ Chairman after detailed reasons for the same.
- No whip: All discussions in the Parliamentary Standing Committee should be frank and free. No whip of the party would apply to them during the discussion.
- Time bound: fixed timeline to come up with the recommendation and present its report which can be decided by the Speaker/Chairman. In case the committee if fails to give its recommendation within the approved/extended time, the Bill may be put up before the House concerned directly.
- Inviting filed Expertise: To ensure quality work in the committees, experts in the field may be invited who could bring with them the necessary domain knowledge and also help introduce the latest developments and trends in that field from Some subject matter experts/young researchers could be associated with the committee for a short period would be fruitful.
- Authority: The Speaker/Chairman should have the right to fix a time limit, sometimes even stringent, if the government of the day asks for it and the demand is found to be reasonable by the Speaker/Chairman.
- Organized work in the gap: Between two sessions, there is generally enough time to organise committee meetings for discussions on Bills in the parliamentary committees. It is important for the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs in collaboration with the committee chairmen to get these parliamentary works organized during the intersessional period, in advance.
- Other than Budget Proposals: The committees should not limit themselves to discussing just the budget proposals and endorsing them with a few qualifications here or amendments there. They should also come up with suggestions for the Ministry to take up new initiatives and people friendly measures.
Conclusion
- Discussion is not a stumbling block but an indispensable preliminary of any wise actions.
- Discussion is soul of democracy.
- Parliamentary committees are truly democratic institutions in India due to its consensus and bonhomie while functioning.
- Government of the day should take step to strengthen DRSC and refer more bills to committees.
Other related information
Parliamentary sessions
- The president from time to time summons each House of Parliament to meet.
- The maximum gap between two sessions of Parliament cannot be more than six months.
- In other words, the Parliament should meet at least twice a year.
- There are usually three sessions in a year: 1. The Budget Session (February to May); 2. The Monsoon Session (July to September); and 3. The Winter Session (November to December).
Competition Commission of India (CCI)
- CCI is the chief national competition regulatorin India.
- The commission was established on 14 October 2003. It became fully functional in May 2009
- It is a statutory body within the Ministry of Corporate Affairs
- Responsibility: To enforce the Competition Act, 2002 to promote competition and to prevent activities that effects negatively on competition in India.
- The CCI looks into cases and investigates them if the same has a negative impact on competition.
- CCI also approves combination under the act so that two merging entities do not overtake the market.
Mains Question Q.
Evaluate the significance of parliamentary standing committee in parliamentary democracy. Suggest the steps to strengthen the parliamentary committees.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: FAME India scheme
Mains level: sustainable mobility
Context
- Centralized procurement of 5,450 electric buses and subsequent increase in ambition to have 50,000 e-buses on the country’s roads by 2030 under FAME scheme.
- With the shared aim to rapidly electrify a key pillar of India’s public transportation, recent governance efforts of Union and state governments have created a new business model for e-buses.
Status of State-owned buses
- Status: There are currently around 1,40,000 registered public buses on India’s roads.
- Condition: Large numbers of them having sputtering engines which emits planet-warming fumes into the atmosphere. At least 40,000 of these buses are at the end of their lifespan and must be taken off the roads
- Operators: Most buses are owned and operated by State transport undertakings, which are in poor financial health.
- Revenue loss: They incur large losses because of the subsidized fares to crores of Indians each day.
- Problem: problems of fragmented demand and high prices.
- Limitation: As State governments control issues such as transit, urban governance and pollution control so there’s a limitation for the nation-wide action on this issue.
What is FAME India scheme?
- The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020: Is a National Mission document providing the vision and the roadmap for the faster adoption of electric vehicles and their manufacturing in the country.
- FAME: As part of the NEMMP 2020, Department of Heavy Industry formulated a Scheme viz. Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme in the year 2015 to promote manufacturing of electric and hybrid vehicle technology and to ensure sustainable growth of the same.
- FAME Phase-II: Government has approved Phase-II of FAME Scheme with an outlay of Rs. 10,000 Crore for a period of 3 years commencing from 1st April 2019.
- Out of total budgetary support, about 86 percent of fund has been allocated for Demand Incentive so as to create demand for EVs in the country.
- This phase aims to generate demand by way of supporting 7000 e-Buses, 5 lakh e-3 Wheelers, 55000 e-4 Wheeler Passenger Cars (including Strong Hybrid) and 10 lakh e-2 Wheelers. However, depending upon off-take of different category of EVs, these numbers may vary as the provision has been made for inter as well as intra segment wise f
- Incentives: Only advanced battery and registered vehicles will be incentivized under the scheme.
- Coverage: With greater emphasis on providing affordable & environment friendly public transportation options for the masses, scheme will be applicable mainly to vehicles used for public transport or those registered for commercial purposes in e-3W, e-4W and e-bus segments. However, privately owned registered e-2Ws are also covered under the scheme as a mass segment.
Obstacles in electric vehicle mobility
EV Cost and Battery cost:
- The cost is the most concerning point for an individual when it comes to buying an electric vehicle.
- However, there are many incentives given off by central and state governments. But the common condition in all policies is that the incentives are only applicable for up to a certain number of vehicles only and after removing the discount and incentives the same EV which was looking lucrative to buy suddenly becomes unaffordable
Beta version of vehicles:
- Right now, both the technology and companies are new to the market and the products they are manufacturing are possibly facing real costumers for the first time.
- It’s nearly impossible to make such a complex product like an automobile perfect for the customers in the first go, and as expected the buyers faced many issues. Vehicles like RV400, EPluto 7G, Nexon all them has to update their vehicle up to a very high extent after customer feedback and reviews.
Poor Infrastructure and range anxiety:
- Poor infrastructure is among the most pressing issue among people thinking to opt for electric vehicles.
- Poor infra doesn’t only include a lack of charging stations but also the lack of proper charging set up in their home.
No Universal charger and Ecosystem (Lack of standardization):
- Every second electric vehicle-making company has its own different charging port which is becoming a hurdle to setting up a proper charging ecosystem.
- Also, many EV users complained about facing moral trouble for charging their vehicle in different EV-making Company’s charging stations which can impact the growth of the EV industry.
Temperature Issues:
- Temperature can affect the performance of an EV battery at a large extent which makes EV’s inappropriate for too cold (Uttarakhand, Meghalaya) or too hot regions like (Rajasthan, Kerala). The battery can give its ideal performance when it’s in use under the temperature range of 15-40 degrees.
Environmental concerns:
- The EV revolution is necessary for the most populated and polluted parts of India like Delhi, Mumbai, etc. but in such cities the major chunk of electricity is generated through burning fossil fuels which are equivalent to spreading the pollution through the ICE vehicle smoke, even most of the charging stations are reportedly operating upon diesel-driven electricity generator.
Way ahead
- With anything new, there will always be challenges.
- The EV industry is still in a nascent stage in India but developing at a rapid pace. Catching up to speed are the infrastructure requirements to support the EV demand.
- Even with the current challenges, electric vehicles present huge potential to reduce our carbon footprints and provide a cost-effective system of transportation.
- And one way to contribute towards this growth is to buy an electric vehicle.
Mains Question
Q. What do you understand by FAME India scheme? How it will help tackling climate change? What are the obstacles in implementation of this scheme?
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: National language debate
Union Home Minister has appealed to guardians to speak to children in their mother tongue to enable them to learn Hindi without much effort, on the Hindi Divas.
What did HM say on Hindi?
- He said it was time that inferiority complex around Indian languages, instilled by the British, was overthrown from people’s conscience with the help of regional languages and Hindi.
- He also said that Hindi was not a competitor but a “friend” of all the other regional languages in the country and they were mutually dependent on each other for their growth.
- He said there was a concerted disinformation campaign to pit Hindi against other languages such as Marathi and Tamil, and underlined the need to strengthen local languages with Hindi.
Debate over Hindi
- Between September 12 and 14, 1949, that the Constituent Assembly debated the status of India’s languages.
- Among the issues that were discussed were the use of the term ‘national language’ instead of ‘official’ language.
- Hindi author Seth Govind Das, who represented the Central Provinces and Berar, argued for ‘one language and one script’ and suggested that Hindi should replace English at the earliest.
What is the status of Hindi?
- Finally, the Constituent Assembly adopted what was known as “Munshi-Ayyangar Formula.”
- According to this, Hindi in the Devnagari script would be the official language of the Union.
Official, not national
- English would continue to be used for all official purposes for the next 15 years, to enable a smooth transition for non-Hindi speaking states.
- The deadline was 26 January 1965.
- Under Article 343 of the Constitution, the official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script.
- The international form of Indian numerals will be used for official purposes.
Why has language become a sensitive issue?
- Self-identification: A strong identification with one’s regional language and an underlying fear of homogenisation is at the heart of the national language question in India. An individual conceptualises and communicates his thoughts in a language, enabling him to be an active part of society.
- Language defines primary group: People identify with one another based on language, thus giving them a primary group. A nation is the largest primary group that once can address.
- Learning abilities at stake: The dangers of imposing a language are manifold. It can affect the learning ability of non-native speakers thereby affecting their self-confidence.
- Threats to endangered languages: It can also endanger other languages and dialects and reduce diversity.
- Threats to diversity: National integration cannot come at the cost of people’s linguistic identities. Language is integral to culture and therefore privileging Hindi over all other languages spoken in India takes away from its diversity.
- Promises made by Constituent Assembly: Then PM Pt. Nehru had promised that Hindi would only serve as a linking language and it would not be imposed on non-Hindi speaking states as long as they were against it.
Benefits of having a national language
- Wide range of speakers: Hindi is still the most widely spoken language in the country with an estimated 258 million people declaring that Hindi is their native language and millions more comfortable with Hindi.
- Language as a unifying language: A complete usage of Hindi language whilst respecting the various native languages would also ensure better coordination and cooperation among all the states and act as a strong unifying factor and eliminate all regional differences.
- Reputation at international fora: When countries like Germany, Japan, France, Italy etc. use their respective language as a medium of communication even during International forums not only has the reputation of those countries have greatly enhanced but also those languages have gained a huge reputation worldwide.
Issues with Hindi
- Inherent opposition to Hindi: The Constituent Assembly was bitterly divided on the question, with members from States that did not speak Hindi initially opposing the declaration of Hindi as a national language.
- Fear of imposition: Opponents were against English being done away with, fearing that it may lead to Hindi domination in regions that did not speak the language.
- Symbol of identity politics: The approach towards linguistic policy seems to be driven more by the politics of identity than values of aspiration or accommodation.
- Favour for majoritarianism: The primary argument in favour of Hindi has been reduced to assertions of slim majoritarianism.
- Few speakers, still dominant: Even then, there are concerns about the claim based on mere numerical strength, as only 25 per cent of Indians seem to recognise Hindi as their mother tongue (Census 2011).
- Demographic barriers: Today nearly 35% of people are migrating daily for work. In such a situation, we have to conceptualise a new form of language identity for our states.
- Economic barriers: Any idea of one link language, whether Hindi or English, will be economically disastrous for India. It will slow down migration and reduce the ease of capital flow.
- Multiple dialects: Only five states in India have Hindi as their’ native language’. However, in those states, too, the dialects of Hindi are associated with locals and their communities.
Why Hindi cannot be the national language?
- Multiple dialects: Hindi has largely been influenced by Persian — and then English, among other languages. Also, when the languages were enumerated, Hindi subsumed Bhojpuri, which is spoken by a little over five crore people.
- Inefficacy of Sanskrit: There were demands to make Sanskrit the official language, while some argued in favour of ‘Hindustani’.
- Issue over Script: There were differences of opinion over the script too. When opinion veered towards accepting Hindi, proponents of the language wanted the ‘Devanagari’ script to be adopted both for words and numerals.
Why this issue needs a rational consideration?
- Linguistic chauvinism: Various policies on language have been framed both by the central and state governments that have been termed as forms of linguistic chauvinism. Ex. Obsession for Marathi in Mumbai
- Secular fabric under threat: The states’ fear of the central government’s ideology of monopolising faith, education, and language will adversely affect the Indian political system, which is based on pluralism and accommodation.
- Monolingualism can prove disastrous: If there is a mechanical and monolithic idea of unity followed by any entity, such an entity generally generates great hostility beyond its immediate borders. In neighbouring Bangladesh – then East Pakistan – the language movement against the imposition of Urdu on Bengali speakers was a key driver of Pakistan splitting into two nations.
Way forward
- Language as a skill: Language should be looked at as an important skill to operate in a world which is more connected today than at any other point in time.
- Language not a cultural burden: A united nation has to have space for diversity. India is united in its diversity. Diversity is a great philosophical idea and should never be seen as a cultural burden.
- Linguistic heritage needs priority: This is not to contend that our linguistic heritage should be neglected or trivialised. Our metropolises must be recognized as multilingual entities.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NLP
Mains level: Read the attached story
The government will announce the National Logistics Policy (NLP) this week, aiming to bring down logistics costs and address challenges plaguing importers and exporters.
What is Logistics?
- Logistics refers to the overall process of managing how resources are acquired, stored, and transported to their final destination.
- It involves identifying prospective distributors and suppliers and determining their effectiveness and accessibility.
Why need a logistics policy?
- Organizing and consolidating the sector: India’s logistics sector is largely unorganized and fragmented.
- Reducing logistics cost: This is why the country’s logistics costs are as high as 14-15% of the GDP, against 7-8% in developed nations such as the Singapore and the US, who leverage it to boost exports. The NLP aims to bring down India’s logistics cost to 8% in the next five years.
- Preventing waste of perishable items: As per some estimates in India, about 16% of agri-production is wasted at different stages of the supply chain.
- Warehousing development: Moreover, due to factors such as limited capacity and availability of warehouses, the cost of transaction increases.
- Multi-modal integration: The new policy is going about simplification, technology and will have a multimodal approach that will combine rail, water, and air — all modes of transport.
What role will technology play?
- Advanced analytics: The NLP will aim to harness technologies such as AI and blockchain. It aims to create a data analytics centre for driving greater transparency and continuous monitoring of key logistics metrics.
- Single window portal: Under NLP, a portal will be created, where service providers such as warehousing providers, shipping experts, transporters, customs brokers, and various governmental agencies will be unified.
Will it boost cooperation between ministries?
- Unifying multiple departments: Currently, the logistics value chain is managed by several ministries—road transport and highways, shipping, railways, and civil aviation.
- Single-point clearances: Agencies like the Central Drug Standard Control Organization and the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India provide clearances.
- Nationwide integration: The NLP could enhance their integration at the central level.
What about reducing the carbon footprint?
- Energy-efficient transportation: The draft logistics policy lays emphasis on the shift to more energy-efficient means of transportation, as well as the use of greener fuels which could reduce the supply chain’s carbon footprint.
- Vehicular emission reduction: Moreover, the draft policy, released earlier, emphasized creating regulations for controlling vehicular noise, emissions, and wastage.
- Green warehousing principles: The new logistics policy also aims to incorporate green principles in the functioning of warehouses which contribute to nearly 10% of the logistics costs.
Will it change India’s commodity transport?
- Transport of crucial commodities: The proposed policy aims to focus on the transport of crucial commodities such as coal, steel, iron ore, food grains, steel, cement, fruits and vegetables.
- Creating nationwide clusters: The current logistical network for transporting them is mainly confined to regional clusters.
- Integrating national supply-chains: The NLP could help establish a link between the place of origin, and destination place and integrate the supply on a national level.
- Optimum logistics identification: The draft also proposes identification of the right mode of transport for each of these commodities to minimise losses during transport.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Tribes in news
Mains level: Not Much
The Union Cabinet under the chairmanship of PM has approved the addition of four tribes to the list of Scheduled Tribes (ST), including those from Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh.
Which tribes are we talking about?
- Hatti tribe in the Trans-Giri area of Sirmour district in Himachal Pradesh
- Narikoravan and Kurivikkaran hill tribes of Tamil Nadu and
- Binjhia tribe in Chhattisgarh, which was listed as ST in Jharkhand and Odisha but not in Chhattisgarh
Other tribes in news
- The Cabinet also approved ‘Betta-Kuruba’ as a synonym for the Kadu Kuruba tribe In Karnataka.
Who are the Scheduled Tribes?
- The term ‘Scheduled Tribes’ first appeared in the Constitution of India.
- Article 366 (25) defined scheduled tribes as “such tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under Article 342 to be Scheduled Tribes for the purposes of this constitution”.
- Article 342 prescribes procedure to be followed in the matter of specification of scheduled tribes.
- Article 342(1) empowers the President of India to specify, by public notification, the tribes or tribal communities deemed to be Scheduled Tribes in each state and union territory.
- Among the tribal groups, several have adapted to modern life but there are tribal groups who are more vulnerable.
- The Dhebar Commission (1973) created a separate category “Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs)” which was renamed in 2006 as “Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)”.
How are STs notified?
- The first specification of Scheduled Tribes in relation to a particular State/ Union Territory is by a notified order of the President, after consultation with the State governments concerned.
- These orders can be modified subsequently only through an Act of Parliament.
Status of STs in India
- The Census 2011 has revealed that there are said to be 705 ethnic groups notified as Scheduled Tribes (STs).
- Over 10 crore Indians are notified as STs, of which 1.04 crore live in urban areas.
- The STs constitute 8.6% of the population and 11.3% of the rural population.
What is the reason for special provisions for the Scheduled Tribes in the constitution of India? Are these provisions successful in ameliorating their conditions? (250 Words)
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Ex Kakadu
Mains level: NA
INS Satpura and a P8 I Maritime Patrol Aircraft of the Indian Navy reached Darwin in Australia on for participation in the multinational Exercise Kakadu – 2022, hosted by the Royal Australian Navy.
Exercise KAKADU
- Exercise KAKADU, which started in 1993, is the premier multilateral regional maritime engagement exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and supported by the Australian Air Force.
- The exercise is held biennially in Darwin and the Northern Australian Exercise Areas (NAXA).
- It derives its name from Kakadu National Park, which is a protected area in the northern territory of Australia, 171 km south-east of Darwin
- During the exercise, professional exchanges in harbour and diverse range of activities at sea, including complex surface, sub-surface and air operations would enable sharing of best practices and honing of operational skills.
India’s presence at the exercise
- Indian Navy’s participation in KAKADU provides an excellent opportunity to engage with regional partners and undertake multinational maritime activities ranging from constabulary operations to high-end maritime warfare in a combined environment
- It is aimed at enhancing interoperability and developing of common understanding of procedures for maritime operations gaining importance with the Indo-Pacific narrative.
Also read:
[Prelims Spotlight] Important Submarines and Naval Ships
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: government schemes
Mains level: social welfare
Context
India will be facing the immediate challenge –The ageing of the population. Challenge to ensure a decent quality of life for the old age people in the near future, planning and providing for it must begin today.
Background
- Life expectancy in India has more than doubled since Independence from around 32 years in the late 1940s to 70 years or so today, a historical achievement.
- Over the same period, the fertility rate has crashed from about six children per woman to just two, which liberated women from the cycle of continuous child bearing and child care.
What is ageing of the population?
- Meaning: Population ageing is a shift in the distribution of a country’s population towards older ages.
- Reason behind it: Decline in the fertility rate and Rise In the life expectancy. An increase in longevity increases the average age of the population by increasing the numbers of surviving older people.
- Impact of the ageing population:, labor supply shortage, change in patterns of saving and investment, deteriorate fiscal balance, lack of adequate welfare system etc.
- Challenges they impose: Social security, elderly Healthcare, Dependence on the family etc.
What is the status in India?
- According to the National Commission on Population, The share of the elderly (persons aged 60 years and above) close to 9% in 2011.
- It is growing fast and may reach 18% by 2036.
- Depression: According to survey by Abdul Latif Jameel foundation in Tamilnadu, 30-50% of people above age of 60 has a symptoms of depression.The proportion with depression symptoms is much higher for women than men, and rises sharply with age. In most cases, depression remains undiagnosed and untreated.
- Loneliness: Loneliness one the major factor leading to depression. A large majority of elderly persons living alone are women, mainly widows.
- Hardship of age: Monetary assistance can certainly help to cope with many health issues.
- Poverty and poor health: Old age pensions are vital. Cash helps to lead a dignified life.
Current government schemes for elderly
Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Scheme – This is one of the most popular senior citizen pension schemes in India.
- Designed for senior citizens above 60 years of age, the policy term of this Prime Minister Senior Citizen Scheme extends to ten years.
- The pensioner can choose the frequency of the payment – monthly/quarterly/half- yearly/annually.
- You can earn interest of 8% per annum over this scheme.
- The minimum and maximum capping of pension are Rs. 3,000 per month and 10,000 per month, respectively
National Programme for the Health Care of Elderly (NPHCE)–
- Introduced in 2010, this scheme concentrates on preventive as well as promotive, care for the maintenance of overall health.
- This program was launched to address the health issues faced by seniors.
- The district-level objectives include providing dedicated health facilities in district hospitals, community health centres (CHC), primary health centres (PHC), and sub-centres (SC) levels through State Health Society.
- These facilities maybe free or highly subsidized.
Varishta Mediclaim Policy –
- This policy aids seniors by covering the cost of medicines, blood, ambulance charges, and other diagnosis related charges.
- Designed for senior citizens between the age of 60 and 80 years, this helps meet the health-related expenses of senior citizens.
- Income tax benefits are allowed for payment of premium.
- Although the policy period is for one year, you can extend the renewal up to the age of 90 years.
Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana –
- This scheme provides physical aids and assisted-living devices to the elderly above 60 years of age that belong to the BPL (below the poverty line) category.
- If senior citizens wish to avail this, then they must have a BPL card.
- This is a Central Sector Scheme and is entirely funded by the Central Government.
Varishta Pension Bima Yojana –
- This pension scheme, launched by the Ministry of Finance, is for senior citizens above 60 years.
- The LIC of India has the authority to operate this scheme.
- Any Medical check-ups is not necessary to avail this policy.
- It offers assured pension with a guaranteed interest rate of 8% per annum for up to 10 years –
- You can opt for monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, and yearly pension – depends on how you’d like to receive it.
Vayoshreshtha Samman –
This scheme focuses on those seniors who have made significant contributions in their disciplines and recognized their efforts.
It was upgraded to the National Award in 2013, and since then, awards have been granted below thirteen categories.
Conclusion
- Social security pensions, of course, are just the first step towards a dignified life for the elderly. They also need other support and facilities such as health care, disability aids and assistance with daily tasks, recreation opportunities and a good social life. They can be the active contributor to the economy having the years of experience and mentorship to the demographic dividend.
Mains Question Q.
Discuss the challenges before our elderly today? What steps have been taken by government to address these challenges?
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Recessions, Depression
Mains level: Not Much
The Eurozone is almost certainly entering a recession, with surveys showing a deepening cost-of-living crisis and a gloomy outlook that is keeping consumers wary of spending.
What is Recession?
- A recession is a significant decline in economic activity that lasts for months or even years.
- Experts declare a recession when a nation’s economy experiences negative GDP, rising levels of unemployment, falling retail sales, and contracting measures of income and manufacturing for an extended period of time.
- Recessions are considered an unavoidable part of the business cycle—or the regular cadence of expansion and contraction that occurs in a nation’s economy.
What causes Recessions?
These phenomena are some of the main drivers of a recession:
- A sudden economic shock: An economic shock is a surprise problem that creates serious financial damage. The coronavirus outbreak, which shut down economies worldwide, is a more recent example of a sudden economic shock.
- Excessive debt: When individuals or businesses take on too much debt, the cost of servicing the debt can grow to the point where they can’t pay their bills. Growing debt defaults and bankruptcies then capsize the economy.
- Asset bubbles: When investing decisions are driven by emotion, bad economic outcomes aren’t far behind. Investors can become too optimistic during a strong economy.
- Too much inflation: Inflation is the steady, upward trend in prices over time. Inflation isn’t a bad thing per se, but excessive inflation is a dangerous phenomenon. Central banks control inflation by raising interest rates, and higher interest rates depress economic activity.
- Too much deflation: While runaway inflation can create a recession, deflation can be even worse. Deflation is when prices decline over time, which causes wages to contract, which further depresses prices. When a deflationary feedback loop gets out of hand, people and business stop spending, which undermines the economy.
- Technological change: New inventions increase productivity and help the economy over the long term, but there can be short-term periods of adjustment to technological breakthroughs. In the 19th century, there were waves of labour-saving technological improvements.
What’s the difference between Recession and Depression?
- Recessions and depressions have similar causes, but the overall impact of a depression is much, much worse.
- There are greater job losses, higher unemployment and steeper declines in GDP.
- Most of all, a depression lasts longer—years, not months—and it takes more time for the economy to recover.
- Economists do not have a set definition or fixed measurements to show what counts as a depression. Suffice to say, all the impacts of a depression are deeper and last longer.
- In the past century, the US has faced just one depression: The Great Depression.
The Great Depression
- The Great Depression started in 1929 and lasted through 1933, although the economy didn’t really recover until World War II, nearly a decade later.
- During the Great Depression, unemployment rose to 25% and the GDP fell by 30%.
- It was the most unprecedented economic collapse in modern US history.
- By way of comparison, the Great Recession was the worst recession since the Great Depression.
- During the Great Recession, unemployment peaked around 10% and the recession officially lasted from December 2007 to June 2009, about a year and a half.
- Some economists fear that the coronavirus recession could morph into a depression, depending how long it lasts.
How long do recessions last?
- Gulf War Recession (July 1990 to March 1991): At the start of the 1990s, the U.S. went through a short, eight-month recession, partly caused by spiking oil prices during the First Gulf War.
- The Great Recession (2008-2009): As mentioned, the Great Recession was caused in part by a bubble in the real estate market.
- Covid-19 Recession: The most recent recession began in February 2020 and lasted only two months, making it the shortest US recession in history.
Can we predict a recession?
Given that economic forecasting is uncertain, predicting future recessions is far from easy. However, the following warning signs can give you more time to figure out how to prepare for a recession before it happens:
- An inverted yield curve: The yield curve is a graph that plots the market value—or the yield—of a range. When long-term yields are lower than short-term yields, it shows that investors are worried about a recession. This phenomenon is known as a yield curve inversion, and it has predicted past recessions.
- Declines in consumer confidence: Consumer spending is the main driver of the US economy. If surveys show a sustained drop in consumer confidence, it could be a sign of impending trouble for the economy.
- Drop in the Leading Economic Index (LEI): Published monthly by the Conference Board, the LEI strives to predict future economic trends. It looks at factors like applications for unemployment insurance, new orders for manufacturing and stock market performance.
- Sudden stock market declines: A large, sudden decline in stock markets could be a sign of a recession coming on, since investors sell off parts and sometimes all of their holdings in anticipation of an economic slowdown.
- Rising unemployment: It goes without saying that if people are losing their jobs, it’s a bad sign for the economy.
How does a recession affect individuals?
- We may lose your job during a recession, as unemployment levels rise. It becomes much harder to find a job replacement since more people are out of work.
- People who keep their jobs may see cuts to pay and benefits, and struggle to negotiate future pay raises.
- Investments in stocks, bonds, real estate and other assets can lose money in a recession, reducing your savings and upsetting your plans for retirement.
- Business owners make fewer sales during a recession, and may even be forced into bankruptcy.
- With more people unable to pay their bills during a recession, lenders tighten standards for mortgages, car loans, and other types of financing.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Alcohol laws
Mains level: Read the attached story
The most ambitious Delhi’s Alcohol Policy 2021-22 which brought in big discounts for consumers was scrapped on July 31 amid allegations of corruption and irregularities in the drafting and implementation of the policy.
After scrapping the new policy, the Delhi government decided to bring back the ‘old excise regime’ that was in force before.
Definitely! We shall not nit-pick the old vs. new policy. Let us generally understand how alcohol is regulated in India.
Alcohol laws of India: A backgrounder
- The legal drinking age in India and the laws which regulate the sale and consumption of alcohol vary significantly from state to state.
- In India, consumption of alcohol is prohibited in the states of Bihar, Gujarat, Nagaland and Mizoram.
- There is partial ban on alcohol in some districts of Manipur.
- All other Indian states permit alcohol consumption but fix a legal drinking age, which ranges at different ages per region.
- In some states the legal drinking age can be different for different types of alcoholic beverage.
Regulation
- Alcohol is a subject in the State List under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India.
- Therefore, the laws governing alcohol vary from state to state.
- Liquor in India is generally sold at liquor stores, restaurants, hotels, bars, pubs, clubs and discos but not online.
- Some states, like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, prohibit private parties from owning liquor stores making the state government the sole retailer of alcohol in those states.
- In some states, liquor may be sold at groceries, departmental stores, banquet halls and/or farm houses.
- Some tourist areas have special laws allowing the sale of alcohol on beaches and houseboats.
Drunk driving law
- The blood alcohol content (BAC) legal limit is 0.03% or 0.03 mg alcohol in 100 ml blood.
- On 1 March 2012, the Union Cabinet approved proposed changes to the Motor Vehicle Act.
- Higher penalties were introduced, including fines from ₹2,000 to ₹10,000 and imprisonment from 6 months to 4 years.
- Different penalties are assessed depending on the blood alcohol content at the time of the offence.
Dry days
- Dry days are specific days when the sale of alcohol is not permitted.
- Most of the Indian states observe these days on major national festivals/occasions such as Republic Day (26 January), Independence Day (15 August) and Gandhi Jayanti (2 October).
- Dry days are also observed during elections in India.
Taxation on Alcohol
- Most states levy either Value added Tax (VAT) or Excise duty or both.
- Excise duty is a tax levied to discourage the consumption of a product.
- It is calculated on a per-unit basis. Meaning, if you buy 1 litre of liquor, you pay a fixed excise duty of Rs 15.
- Value-added Tax is charged in the proportion of the product. If a bottle costs Rs 100, and the state levies 10 percent VAT, the price rises to Rs 110.
Tax rates in States
- The 29 states/UTs in India approach liquor taxation differently.
- For instance, Gujarat has banned its citizens from consuming liquor since 1961.
- But outsiders with special licenses can still buy.
- Puducherry, on the other hand, earns most of its revenue from alcohol trading.
- Bihar has prohibited alcohol consumption entirely, meaning the state’s revenue from liquor consumption is nil.
- Its neighbour, Uttar Pradesh, earns the most excise duty on liquor.
- The state does not levy VAT but a special duty on liquor, collecting funds for particular purposes.
Do you know?
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu consume as much as 45 percent of the liquor sold in the country.
Nationally, Maharashtra charges the highest rate but draws only a portion of its revenue from its sales.
Why alcohol isn’t banned everywhere?
- Taxes from alcohol sales roughly form a quarter of state revenues.
- If this stream suddenly stops, states have to compulsorily cut some important spending.
- Also, moderate alcohol consumption may provide some health benefits.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Solar energy targets of India
Mains level: Read the attached story
From less than 10 MW in 2010, India has added significant PV capacity over the past decade, achieving over 50 GW by 2022.
Solar energy in India
- Solar photovoltaics (PV) has driven India’s push towards the adoption of cleaner energy generation technologies.
- India is targeting about 500 GW by 2030, of renewable energy deployment, out of which ~280 GW is expected from solar PV.
- This necessitates the deployment of nearly 30 GW of solar capacity every year until 2030.
Key components
- A typical solar PV value chain consists of first fabricating polysilicon ingots which need to be transformed into thin Silicon wafers that are needed to manufacture the PV mini-modules.
- The mini-modules are then assembled into market-ready and field-deployable modules.
Various challenges
There are challenges that need to be overcome for the sustainability of the PV economy.
(1) PV Modules
- Indian solar deployment or installation companies depend heavily on imports.
- It currently imports 100% of silicon wafers and around 80% of cells even at the current deployment levels.
- India currently does not have enough module and cell manufacturing capacity.
- India’s current solar module manufacturing capacity is limited to ~15 GW per year.
- The demand-supply gap widens as we move up the value chain — for example, India only produces ~3.5 GW of cells currently.
- India has no manufacturing capacity for solar wafers and polysilicon ingots.
(2) Field deployment
- Also, out of the 15 GW of module manufacturing capacity, only 3-4 GW of modules are technologically competitive and worthy of deployment in grid-based projects.
- India remains dependent on the import of solar modules for field deployment.
(3) Size and technology
- Most of the Indian industry is currently tuned to handling M2 wafer size, which is roughly 156 x 156 mm2, while the global industry is already moving towards M10 and M12 sizes, which are 182 x 182 mm2 and 210 x 210 mm2 respectively.
- The bigger size has an advantage in terms of silicon cost per wafer, as this effectively means lower loss of silicon during ingot to wafer processing.
- In terms of cell technology, most of the manufacturing still uses Al-BSF technology, which can typically give efficiencies of ~18-19% at the cell level and ~16-17% at the module level.
- By contrast, cell manufacturing worldwide has moved to PERC (22-23%), HJT(~24%), TOPCON (23-24%) and other newer technologies, yielding module efficiency of >21%.
(4) Land issue
- Producing more solar power for the same module size means more solar power from the same land area.
- Land, the most expensive part of solar projects, is scarce in India — and Indian industry has no choice but to move towards newer and superior technologies as part of expansion plans.
(5) Raw materials supply
- There is a huge gap on the raw material supply chain side as well.
- Silicon wafer, the most expensive raw material, is not manufactured in India.
- India will have to work on technology tie-ups to make the right grade of silicon for solar cell manufacturing — and since >90% of the world’s solar wafer manufacturing currently happens in China.
- It is not clear how and where India will get the technology.
- Other key raw materials such as metallic pastes of silver and aluminium to form the electrical contacts too, are almost 100% imported.
- Thus, India is more of an assembly hub than a manufacturing
(6) Lack of investment
- India has hardly invested in this sector which can help the industry to try and test the technologies in a cost-effective manner.
Current govt policy
- The government has identified this gap, and is rolling out various policy initiatives to push and motivate the industry to work towards self-reliance in solar manufacturing, both for cells and modules.
- Key initiatives include:
- 40% duty on the import of modules and
- 25% duty on the import of cells, and
- Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme to support manufacturing capex
- Compulsion to procure modules only from an approved list of manufacturers (ALMM) for projects that are connected to state/ central government grids
- Only India-based manufacturers have been approved
Way forward
- India’s path to become a manufacturing hub for the same requires more than just putting some tax barriers and commercial incentives in the form of PLI schemes, etc.
- It will warrant strong industry-academia collaboration in an innovative manner to start developing home-grown technologies which could, in the short-term.
- It needs to work with the industry to provide them with trained human resource, process learnings, root-cause analysis through right testing and, in the long term, develop India’s own technologies.
- High-end technology development requires substantial investment in several clusters which operate in industry-like working and management conditions, appropriate emoluments, and clear deliverables.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Windfall taxes
Mains level: Read the attached story
Finance Minister has defended the windfall tax imposed by the Centre on domestic crude oil producers, saying that it was not an ad hoc move but was done after full consultation with the industry.
What is a Windfall Tax?
- Windfall taxes are designed to tax the profits a company derives from an external, sometimes unprecedented event — for instance, the energy price-rise as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
- These are profits that cannot be attributed to something the firm actively did, like an investment strategy or an expansion of business.
- The US Congressional Research Service (CRS) defines a windfall as an “unearned, unanticipated gain in income through no additional effort or expense”.
- One area where such taxes have routinely been discussed is oil markets, where price fluctuation leads to volatile or erratic profits for the industry.
When did India introduce this?
- In July this year, India announced a windfall tax on domestic crude oil producers who it believed were reaping the benefits of the high oil prices.
- It also imposed an additional excise levy on diesel, petrol and air turbine fuel (ATF) exports.
- Also, India’s case was different from other countries, as it was still importing discounted Russian oil.
How is it levied?
- Governments typically levy this as a one-off tax retrospectively over and above the normal rates of tax.
- The Central government has introduced a windfall profit tax of ₹23,250 per tonne on domestic crude oil production, which was subsequently revised fortnightly four times so far.
- The latest revision was on August 31, when it was hiked to ₹13,300 per tonne from ₹13,000.
Why govt. introduced windfall tax?
- There have been varying rationales for governments worldwide to introduce windfall taxes like:
- Redistribution of unexpected gains when high prices benefit producers at the expense of consumers,
- Funding social welfare schemes, and
- Supplementary revenue stream for the government
Why are countries levying windfall taxes now?
- Prices of oil, gas, and coal have seen sharp increases since last year and in the first two quarters of the current year, although they have reduced recently.
- Pandemic recovery and supply issues resulting from the Russia-Ukraine conflict shored up energy demands, which in turn have driven up global prices.
- The rising prices meant huge and record profits for energy companies while resulting in hefty gas and electricity bills for households in major and smaller economies.
- Since the gains stemmed partly from external change, multiple analysts have called them windfall profits.
Issues with imposing such taxes
- Companies are confident in investing in a sector if there is certainty and stability in a tax regime.
- Since windfall taxes are imposed retrospectively and are often influenced by unexpected events, they can brew uncertainty in the market about future taxes.
- IMF says that taxes in response to price surges may suffer from design problems—given their expedient and political nature.
- It added that introducing a temporary windfall profit tax reduces future investment because prospective investors will internalise the likelihood of potential taxes when making investment decisions.
- There is another argument about what exactly constitutes true windfall profits; how can it be determined and what level of profit is normal or excessive.
- Another issue is who should be taxed — only the big companies responsible for the bulk of high-priced sales or smaller companies as well— raising the question of whether producers with revenues or profits below a certain threshold should be exempt.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: iron fortification
Mains level: women health
Context
- The recent National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) data shows anaemia rates increased from 53 per cent to 57 per cent in women and 58 per cent to 67 per cent in children in 2019-21.
Definition of anaemia
- The WHO defines anaemia as a condition where the number of red blood cells or the haemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal. This compromises immunity and impedes cognitive development.
Why anaemia is a concern?
- Adverse effects of anaemia affect all age groups lower physical and cognitive growth and alertness among children and adolescents, and lesser capacity to learn and play, directly impacting their future potential as productive citizens.
- Anaemia among adolescent girls (59.1 per cent) advances to maternal anaemiaand is a major cause of maternal and infant mortality and general morbidity and ill health in a community.
What causes anaemia?
- Imbalanced diet: Cereal-centric diets, with relatively less consumption of iron-rich food groups like meat, fish, eggs, and dark green leafy vegetables (DGLF), can be associated with higher levels of anaemia.
- Underlying factors: High levels of anaemia are also often associated with underlying factors like poor water quality and sanitation conditions that can adversely impact iron absorption in the body.
- Iron deficiency is major cause: A diet that does not contain enough iron, folic acid, or vitamin B12 is a common cause of anaemia.
- Some other conditions: That may lead to anaemia include pregnancy, heavy periods, blood disorders or cancer, inherited disorders, and infectious diseases.
Why is anaemia so high in the country?
- Low vitamin intake: Iron-deficiency and vitamin B12-deficiency anaemia are the two common types of anaemia in India.
- High population and nutrition deprivation: Among women, iron deficiency prevalence is higher than men due to menstrual iron losses and the high iron demands of a growing foetus during pregnancies.
- Overemphasis on cereals: Lack of millets in the diet due to overdependence on rice and wheat, insufficient consumption of green and leafy vegetables could be the reasons behind the high prevalence of anaemia in India.
What is Iron fortification?
- Iron fortification of food is a methodology utilized worldwide to address iron deficiency. Iron fortification programs usually involve mandatory, centralized mass fortification of staple foods, such as wheat flour.
Why need iron fortification?
- Iron deficiency anaemia is due to insufficient iron.
- Without enough iron, the body can’t produce enough of a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen (haemoglobin).
- Severe anaemia during pregnancy increases risk of premature birth, having a low birth weight baby and postpartum depression. Some studies also show an increased risk of infant death immediately before or after birth.
Success story / value addition
- Nepal’s success story to improve maternal anaemia by national action plan .
- The scheme aims to reduce the prevalence of anaemia in India.
- It provides bi weekly iron Folic acid supplementation to all under five children through Asha workers.
- Also, it provides biannual Deworming for children and adolescents. The scheme also establishes institutional mechanisms for advanced research in anaemia.
- It also focuses on non-nutritional causes of anaemia.
We need to focus on the following interventions
- Prophylactic Iron and Folic Acid supplementation.
- Intensified year-round Behaviour Change Communication Campaign (Solid Body, Smart Mind).
- Appropriate infant and young child feeding practices.
- Increase in intake of iron-rich food through diet diversity/quantity/frequency and/or fortified foods with focus on harnessing locally available resources.
- Testing and treatment of anaemia, using digital methods and point of care treatment, with special focus on pregnant women and school-going adolescents
- Mandatory provision of Iron and Folic Acid fortified foods in government-funded public health programmes
Way forward
- India’s nutrition programmes must undergo a periodic review.
- The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), which is perceived as the guardian of the nation’s nutritional well-being must reassess itself and address critical intervention gaps, both conceptually and programmatically, and produce rapid outcomes.
- The nutritional deficit which ought to be considered an indicator of great concern is generally ignored by policymakers and experts. Unless this is addressed, rapid improvement in nutritional indicators cannot happen.
Conclusion
- When a person is anaemic, the capacity of his blood cells to carry oxygen decreases. This reduces the productivity of the person which in turn affects the economy of the country. Therefore, it is highly important to cover Anaemia under National Health Mission.
Mains question
Q. “Every second adolescent girl has anaemia. Every second woman of reproductive age is anaemic”. In this context do you think Women’s empowerment will not have any meaning without tackling anaemia? Discuss.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: KAPILA scheme
Mains level: IPR regime
Context
- Increasing the efficiency of processing patent applications and wider academia-industry collaboration are crucial steps for patent system.
What is patent system?
- A patent system is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention.
Why are patents important?
- A patent is important because it can help safeguard our invention. It can protect any product, design or process that meets certain specifications according to its originality, practicality, suitability, and utility. In most cases, a patent can protect an invention for up to 20 years.
How to get patent?
- To get a patent, technical information about the invention must be disclosed to the public in a patent application.
- The patent owner may give permission to, or license, other parties to use the invention on mutually agreed terms.
- The owner may also sell the right to the invention to someone else, who will then become the new owner of the patent.
- Once a patent expires, the protection ends, and an invention enters the public domain; that is, anyone can commercially exploit the invention without infringing the patent.
- Patents may be granted for inventions in any field of technology, from an everyday kitchen utensil to a nanotechnology chip.
- An invention can be a product – such as a chemical compound, or a process, for example – or a process for producing a specific chemical compound.
- Patent protection is granted for a limited period, generally 20 years from the filing date of the application.
- Patents are territorial rights. In general, the exclusive rights are only applicable in the country or region in which a patent has been filed and granted, in accordance with the law of that country or region.
How patents can support inventors and improve lives
- Recognize and reward: Patents recognize and reward inventors for their commercially-successful inventions. As such they serve as an incentive for inventors to invent. With a patent, an inventor or small business knows there is a good chance that they will get a return on the time, effort and money they invested in developing a technology. In sum, it means they can earn a living from their work.
- Economic opportunity: When a new technology comes onto the market, society as a whole stands to benefit – both directly, because it may enable us to do something that was previously not possible, and indirectly in terms of the economic opportunities (business development and employment) that can flow from it.
- Research and development (R&D): The revenues generated from commercially successful patent-protected technologies make it possible to finance further technological research and development (R&D), thereby improving the chances of even better technology becoming available in the future.
- Opportunities for business growth: A patent effectively turns an inventor’s know-how into a commercially tradeable asset, opening up opportunities for business growth and job creation through licensing and joint ventures, for example.
- Commercialization of a technology: Holding a patent also makes a small business more attractive to investors who play a key role in enabling the commercialization of a technology.
- Spark new ideas: The technical information and business intelligence generated by the patenting process can spark new ideas and promote new inventions from which we can all benefit and which may, in turn, qualify for patent protection.
- No freebies: A patent can help stop unscrupulous third parties from free riding on the efforts of the inventor.
What is KAPILA Initiative?
- Full form: KAPILA is an acronym for Kalam Program for IP (Intellectual Property) Literacy and Awareness.
- Guidelines for patent Filing: Under this campaign, students pursuing education in higher educational institutions will get information about the correct system of the application process for patenting their invention and they will be aware of their rights.
- Encouragement to students: The program will facilitate the colleges and institutions to encourage more and more students to file patents.
Thing to remember
Remember one thing, ‘KAPILA’ Program is related to IP awareness. It sounds much like an animal husbandry related initiative.
Way ahead
- As the patent system is a critical aspect of the national innovation ecosystem, investing in the patent ecosystem will help in strengthening the innovation capability of India.
- The right interventions should be made for the promotion of the quality of patent applications and collaboration between academia and industry.
Mains question
Q. A patent can help stop unscrupulous third parties from free riding on the efforts of the inventor. Discuss this statement in context of protection of innovative ecosystem in India.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker
Mains level: NA
A recently-released Malayalam film Pathonpatham Noottandu (‘Nineteenth Century’) is based on the life of Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker, a social reformer from the Ezhava community in Kerala who lived in the 19th century.
Who was Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker?
- Born into a well-off family of merchants in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, Panicker was one of the most influential figures in the reformation movement in the state.
- He challenged the domination of upper castes or ‘Savarnas’ and brought about changes in the lives of both men and women.
- The social reform movement in Kerala in the 19th century led to the large-scale subversion of the existing caste hierarchy and social order in the state.
- Panicker was murdered by a group of upper-caste men in 1874 at the age of 49. This makes him the ‘first martyr’ of the Kerala renaissance.
What was Panicker’s role in initiating social reforms?
- Panicker is credited with building two temples dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, in which members of all castes and religions were allowed entry.
- One was built in his own village Arattupuzha in 1852, and one in Thanneermukkom in 1854, another village in the Alappuzha district.
- Some of his most significant contributions were in protesting for the rights of women belonging to Kerala’s backward communities.
- In 1858, he led the Achippudava Samaram strike at Kayamkulam in Alappuzha.
- This strike aimed to earn women belonging to oppressed groups the right to wear a lower garment that extended beyond the knees.
- In 1859, this was extended into the Ethappu Samaram, the struggle for the right to wear an upper body cloth by women belonging to backward castes.
- In 1860, he led the Mukkuthi Samaram at Pandalam in the Pathanamthitta district, for the rights of lower-caste women to wear ‘mukkuthi’ or nose-ring, and other gold ornaments.
- These struggles played an important role in challenging the social order and in raising the dignity of women belonging to the lower strata of society in public life.
Other work
- Apart from issues related to women, Panicker also led the first-ever strike by agricultural labourers in Kerala, the Karshaka Thozhilali Samaram, which was successful.
- He also established the first Kathakali Yogam for the Ezhava community in 1861, which led to a Kathakali performance by Ezhavas and other backward communities, another first for them.
Try this PYQ:
Q. The Shri Narayan Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) Movement(1902-03) was related to which of the following community?
a) Mopilla Community
b) South Indian Tea Planters
c) Ezhava Community in Kerala
d) North Eastern Tea Planters
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Essential Medicines
Mains level: Not Much
The latest National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) released September 13, 2022 by the Union health ministry added 34 new medicines and dropped 26 old ones from the previous list.
What is NLEM?
- As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), Essential Medicines are those that satisfy the priority health care needs of the population.
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare hence prepared and released the first National List of Essential Medicines of India in 1996 consisting of 279 medicines.
- The list is made with consideration to disease prevalence, efficacy, safety and comparative cost-effectiveness of the medicines.
- Such medicines are intended to be available in adequate amounts, in appropriate dosage forms and strengths with assured quality.
- They should be available in such a way that an individual or community can afford.
NLEM in India
- Drugs listed under NLEM — also known as scheduled drugs — will be cheaper because the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) caps medicine prices and changes only based on wholesale price index-based inflation.
- The list includes anti-infectives medicines to treat diabetes such as insulin — HIV, tuberculosis, cancer, contraceptives, hormonal medicines and anaesthetics.
- They account for 17-18 per cent of the estimated Rs 1.6-trillion domestic pharmaceutical market.
- Companies selling non-scheduled drugs can hike prices by up to 10 per cent every year.
- Typically, once NLEM is released, the department of pharmaceuticals under the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers adds them in the Drug Price Control Order, after which NPPA fixes the price.
Significance of EML
- Drawing an essential medicines list (EML) is expected to result in better quality of medical care, better management of medicines and cost-effective use of health care resources.
- This is especially important for a resource limited country like India.
- The list of essential medicines is intended to have a positive impact on the availability and rational use of medicines.
Also read
What is the NPPA’s role in fixing drug prices?
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: GST Council
Mains level: Not Much
The Union Finance Minister has heaped praises on Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council.
Why in news?
- FM was reacting to a case made by Fifteenth Finance Commission chief N.K. Singh to set up a Fiscal Council with the Centre and States.
- This is another such recommended body to act as a bridge between the GST Council and the Finance Commission.
What is the GST Council?
- The GST regime came into force after the 101st Constitutional Amendment was passed by both Houses of Parliament in 2016.
- The GST Council – a joint forum of the Centre and the states — was set up by the President as per Article 279A (1) of the amended Constitution.
- The members of the Council include the Union Finance Minister (chairperson), the Union Minister of State (Finance) from the Centre.
- Each state can nominate a minister in-charge of finance or taxation or any other minister as a member.
Why was the Council set up?
- The Council, according to Article 279, is meant to “make recommendations to the Union and the states on important issues related to GST, like the goods and services that may be subjected or exempted from GST, model GST Laws”.
- It also decides on various rate slabs of GST.
- For instance, an interim report by a panel of ministers has suggested imposing 28 per cent GST on casinos, online gaming and horse racing.
- A decision on this will be taken at the Council meeting.
Recent reforms
- The ongoing meeting is the first since a decision of the Supreme Court in May this year, which stated recommendations of the GST Council are not binding.
- The court said Article 246A of the Constitution gives both Parliament and state legislatures “simultaneous” power to legislate on GST .
- Recommendations of the Council are the product of a collaborative dialogue involving the Union and States.
- This was hailed by some states, such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu, who believe states can be more flexible in accepting the recommendations as suited to them.
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