Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Article 142
Mains level: Read the attached story
The Supreme Court has crafted a victory for a disabled student by using its special powers under Article 142 to declare the successful completion of her Master of Designs course from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).
What is Article 142?
Article 142 titled ‘Enforcement of decrees and orders of the Supreme Court and orders as to discovery, etc.’ has two clauses:
[1] Article 142(1)
- The Supreme Court in the exercise of its jurisdiction may pass such decree or make such order as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it.
- Any decree so passed or order so made shall be enforceable throughout the territory of India.
- It may be in such manner as may be prescribed by or under any law made by Parliament and, until provision in that behalf is so made, in such manner as the President may by order prescribe.
[2] Article 142(2)
- The Supreme Court shall have all and every power to make any order for the purpose of securing the attendance of any person, the discovery or production of any documents, or the investigation or punishment of any contempt of itself.
Important instances when Article 142 was invoked
- Bhopal Gas tragedy case: The SC awarded a compensation of $470 million to the victims and held that “prohibitions or limitations or provisions contained in ordinary laws cannot, ipso facto, act as prohibitions or limitations on the constitutional powers under Article 142.”
- Babri Masjid demolition case: The Supreme Court ordered framing of a scheme by the Centre for formation of trust to construct Ram Mandir at the Masjid demolition site in Ayodhya.
- Liquor sale ban case: The Supreme Court banned liquor shops within a distance of 500 metres from National as well as State highways in order to prevent drunken driving.
- Ex-PM Assassin case: In the case of Perarivalan, the Supreme Court invoked Article 142(1) under which it was empowered to pass any order necessary to do complete justice in any matter pending before it.
Try this PYQ from CSP 2019:
Q.With reference to the Constitution of India, prohibitions or limitations or provisions contained in ordinary laws cannot act as prohibitions or limitations on the constitutional powers under Article 142. It could mean which one of the following?
(a) The decisions taken by the Election Commission of India while discharging its duties cannot be challenged in any court of law.
(b) The Supreme Court of India is not constrained in the exercise of its powers by laws made by the Parliament.
(c) In the event of grave financial crisis in the country, the President of India can declare Financial Emergency without the counsel from the Cabinet.
(d) State Legislatures cannot make laws on certain matters without the concurrence of Union Legislature.
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Diabetes , its types
Mains level: Not Much
Last week, the Indian Council of Medical Research (IMCR) released guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment, and management for type-1 diabetes.
Why such move?
- India is considered the diabetes capital of the world, and the pandemic disproportionately affected those living with the disease.
- Type 1 or childhood diabetes, however, is less talked about, although it can turn fatal without proper insulin therapy.
- Type 1 diabetes is rarer than type 2. Only 2% of all hospital cases of diabetes in the country are type 1.
What is Diabetes?
- Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy.
- Most of the food you eat is broken down into sugar (also called glucose) and released into your bloodstream.
- When your blood sugar goes up, it signals your pancreas to release insulin.
What is Type 1 Diabetes?
- Type 1 diabetes is a condition where the pancreas completely stops producing insulin.
- Insulin is the hormone responsible for controlling the level of glucose in blood by increasing or decreasing absorption to the liver, fat, and other cells of the body.
- This is unlike type 2 diabetes — which accounts for over 90% of all diabetes cases in the country — where the body’s insulin production either goes down or the cells become resistant to the insulin.
How lethal diabetes is?
- Type 1 diabetes is predominantly diagnosed in children and adolescents.
- Although the prevalence is less, it is much more severe than type 2.
- Unlike type 2 diabetes where the body produces some insulin and which can be managed using various pills, if a person with type 1 diabetes stops taking their insulin, they die within weeks.
How rare is it?
- There are over 10 lakh children and adolescents living with type 1 diabetes in the world, with India accounting for the highest number.
- Of the 2.5 lakh people living with type 1 diabetes in India, 90,000 to 1 lakh are under the age of 14 years.
- For context, the total number of people in India living with diabetes was 7.7 crore in 2019.
- Among individuals who develop diabetes under the age of 25 years, 25.3% have type 2.
Who is at risk of type 1 diabetes?
- The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown, but it is thought to be an auto-immune condition where the body’s immune system destroys the islets cells on the pancreas that produce insulin.
- Genetic factors play a role in determining whether a person will get type-1 diabetes.
- The risk of the disease in a child is 3% when the mother has it, 5% when the father has it, and 8% when a sibling has it.
- The presence of certain genes is also strongly associated with the disease.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Web and its evolution
Mains level: Not Much
Former Twitter CEO recently announced his vision for a new decentralized web platform that is being called Web 5.0 and is being built with an aim to return “ownership of data and identity to individuals”.
Various versions of Web
- Web 1.0 was the first generation of the global digital communications network. It is often referred to as the “read-only” Internet made of static web-pages that only allowed for passive engagement.
- Web 2.0 was the “read and write” Internet. Users were now able to communicate with servers and other users leading to the creation of the social web. This is the World Wide Web that we use today.
- Web 3.0 is an evolving term that is used to refer to the next generation of Internet – a “read-write-execute” web – with decentralization as its bedrock. It leverages the blockchain technology and will be driven by Artificial Intelligence and machine learning.
- Web 4.0 is not really a new version, but is a alternate version of what we already have. Web needed to adapt to its mobile surroundings. Web 4.0 connects all devices in the real and virtual world in real-time.
What is Web 5.0?
- Web 5.0 is aimed at building an extra decentralized web that puts you in control of your data and identity.
- Simply put, Web 5.0 is Web 2.0 plus Web 3.0 that will allow users to ‘own their identity’ on the Internet and ‘control their data’.
- Both Web 3.0 and Web 5.0 envision an Internet without threat of censorship – from governments or big tech, and without fear of significant outages.
What are the use cases for Web 5.0?
There can be two use cases for how Web 5.0 will change things in the future.
- Control of identity: A digital wallet that securely manages user identity, data, and authorizations for external apps and connections.
- Control over own data: Say, we can grant any music app access to settings and preferences, enabling the app to take our personalized music experience across different music apps.
Try this question from CSP 2022:
With reference to Web 3.0, consider the following statements:
- Web 3.0 technology enables people to control their own data.
- In Web 3.0 world, there can be blockchain based social networks.,
- Web 3.0 is operated by users collectively rather than a corporation.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
Mains level: Paper 3- Food crisis due to price shocks
Context
This increase in global food prices which manifested itself in the three food price crises since the 1960s offers some pertinent lessons for global food systems and the international community.
Managing year-to-year volatility Vs. periodic spikes in food prices
- Year-to-year volatility is easily managed by most countries through changes in their trade and domestic policies.
- But steep and severe periodic price shocks can lead to some sort of a crisis at the global and national levels.
- Implications: The crisis can emerge in the form of food shortages, trade disruptions, a rise and spread in hunger and poverty levels, depletion of foreign exchange reserves, a strain on a nation’s fiscal resources, a threat to peace, and even social unrest in some places.
History of food crises after since adoption of Green Revolution
- Data from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Bank/International Monetary Fund show that since the onset and the adoption of Green Revolution technology in the early 1960s, the world has been struck thrice by food price crises.
- First shock-1973-76: The first shock was experienced during 1973-76 when the food price index (based on prices in U.S. dollars) doubled in nominal terms.
- Declining trend: For the next two decades, food prices in real terms followed a declining trend and were at their lowest around 2002.
- After this, nominal as well as the real prices of food began rising.
- Second crisis-2008: This momentum built up to culminate in the next food price crisis of 2008, which was further intensified by 2011.
- While the price shock began softening after 2014, food prices did not move back to their pre-2006 level.
- Third crisis-2020: This time the increase in the food price index happened very quickly and it turned out to be very big – it has taken the food price index to its historically highest level.
- Cause outside agriculture: All the three food price crises were triggered by factors outside agriculture.
- They were not caused by any serious shortfall in agriculture production.
- The interval between crises is reducing: The interval between two consecutive price shocks has narrowed down considerably and the severity of shock is turning stronger.
What are the causes responsible for the recent food price crisis?
- 1] Covid-19 and Ukraine crisis: It was triggered by supply disruptions due to COVID-19 and further aggravated by the Russia-Ukraine war.
- The current food price spike first began in vegetable oils and then expanded to cereals.
- Higher the global trade higher disruption: The effect of global trade disruption will be higher for commodities that are traded more and vice-versa.
- 2] Diversion of food for biofuel: Another factor underlying the rising trend and spikes in food prices is the diversion of food for biofuel needs.
- When crude prices increase beyond a certain level it becomes economical to use oilseeds and grains for biodiesel and ethanol, respectively.
- The second reason for the use of food crops for biofuel is the mandates to increase the share of renewable energy resources.
- 3] Increased cost of agrochemicals and fertilisers: Food prices are also expected to go up in the current and next harvest season because of an increase in the prices of fertilizer and other agrochemicals.
Way forward for India
- Transmission of international prices to domestic prices can be prevented only if there is no trade.
- 1] Trade policy changes: This transmission of global prices to the domestic market can be moderated through trade policy and other instruments.
- When international prices go too low, India has checks on cheap imports to protect the interests of producers; and when international prices go too high, the country liberalises imports and imposes checks on exports to ensure adequate availability and reasonable food prices for domestic consumers.
- 2] Buffer stock: The policy of having a buffer stock of food staples has also been very helpful in maintaining price stability, especially in the wake of global food crises.
- 3] Strategic liberalisation: India should continue with a policy of strategic liberalisation, as followed in the past, to balance the interests of producers and consumers.
- 4] Maintain image as a reliable and credible exporter: The importance of agriculture exports to mop up food and agriculture surplus from the country is increasing.
- Ongoing trends in domestic demand and supply imply that India will be required to dispose of 15% of its domestic food output in the overseas market by 2030.
- This underscores the need to maintain India’s image as a reliable and credible exporter.
- However, it is important to differentiate between the two situations: disturbing normal export and regulating exports exceeding the normal level.
What are the implications for India?
- Increased prices in India: Export and import in the agriculture sector constituted 13% of gross value added in agriculture during 2020-21.
- Therefore, some transmission of an increase in global prices on domestic prices is inevitable.
- Wheat export ban and implications: The recent ban on wheat exports and restrictions on the export of other food commodities by India need to be seen in the light of an abnormal situation created by spikes in international prices.
- Some experts see it as a setback to India’s image as a reliable exporter as this move is seen to disrupt (regular) export channels.
- A closer examination of data reveals that India’s action to ban or restrict food exports is not disrupting its normal exports.
- India was a very small exporter of wheat, with its share in global wheat trade ranging between 0.1% to 1% during 2015-16 to 2020-21.
- The international market is looking for around 50 million tonnes of wheat to compensate for the disruption in wheat exports from Russia and Ukraine.
- If India had not imposed a ban on wheat export, it would have resulted in a severe shortage of wheat within the country.
Global impact and suggestions
- As the steam of Green Revolution technology slowed down with the start of the 21st century, food prices began increasing in real terms.
- New breakthroughs required: The world requires new breakthroughs such as Green Revolution technology, for large-scale adoption in order to enable checks on food prices rising at a faster rate.
- Increase spending on agri-research: This in turn requires increased spending on agriculture research and development (especially by the public sector and multilateral development agencies).
- Strengthen global agri-research system: There is a need to strengthen and rejuvenate the global agri-research system under the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) which is heading towards disarray.
- Rethink biofuel protocols: Biofuel protocols have contributed to the global food crisis for the second time in the last 15 years.
- Diversion of land under food crops and food output for biofuel should be carefully calibrated with implications for food availability.
Conclusion
- The last three food price crises were primarily caused due to an increase in energy prices and disruptions in the movement of food across borders.
- Factors related to climate change are going to be an additional source of supply shocks in the years ahead.
- Therefore, the global community must plan to have a global buffer stock of food in order to ensure reasonable stability in food prices and supply.
Back2Basics: Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
- CGIAR (formerly the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) is a global partnership that unites international organizations engaged in research about food security.
- CGIAR research aims to reduce rural poverty, increase food security, improve human health and nutrition, and sustainable management of natural resources.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 3- Duopoly threat in India's telecom sector
Context
The near-death of competition signalled by the incipient exit of Vi late last year pushed the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to announce steps to prevent the premature exit of a sagging operator.
About 5G
- 5G is the 5th generation mobile network.
- It is a new global wireless standard after 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks.
- 5G can be significantly faster than 4G, delivering up to 20 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) peak data rates and 100+ Megabits-per-second (Mbps) average data rates.
- 5G enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices.
- 5G wireless technology is meant to deliver higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, ultra low latency, more reliability, massive network capacity, increased availability, and a more uniform user experience to more users.
- Higher performance and improved efficiency empower new user experiences and connects new industries.
- With high speeds, superior reliability and negligible latency, 5G will expand the mobile ecosystem into new realms.
- 5G will impact every industry, making safer transportation, remote healthcare, precision agriculture, digitized logistics — and more — a reality.
India’s telecom sector: From monopoly to hyper-competition to duopoly
- India’s telecom market has seen monopoly as well as hyper-competition.
- Twenty-five years ago, the government alone could provide services.
- Technology and deregulation: In the following years, the combined forces of technology and deregulation helped break the shackles of public sector dominance despite the latter’s stiff resistance
- In the following years, there were nearly a dozen competing operators. Most service areas now have four players.
- However, the possible exit of the financially-stressed Vodafone Idea would leave only two dominant players-Airtel and Jio in the telecom sector.
- A looming duopoly, or the exit of a global telecommunications major, are both worrying.
- They deserve a careful and creative response.
Government package for telecom sector to prevent duopoly
- The near-death of competition signalled by the incipient exit of Vi late last year pushed the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to announce steps to prevent the premature exit of a sagging operator.
- As a part of its support package for the telecom sector, in October 2021, it dispensed with the requirement of performance bank guarantees required earlier as security.
- It increased the tenure of spectrum holding from 20 to 30 years.
- It allowed for the surrender of the unutilised or underutilised spectrum after 10 years.
- Most importantly removed the levy of spectrum usage charges.
Why competitive telecom market is important?
- Key to achieving digital ambitions: A competitive telecom sector is fundamental to realising India’s digital ambitions.
- Innovation: Monopolies have no incentive to innovate.
- Investment: The competition will guarantee that operators find it attractive to invest in network infrastructure upgradation and offer consumers a wide range of innovative service options.
- Source of revenue: A competitive telecom sector would be an indirect source of tax revenue as well.
- How to make market competitive? Competition cannot be willed into the sector.
- It needs careful nurturing, assiduous fostering and regulatory neutrality.
Way forward on 5G
- Structural changes: While the package may have prevented the exit of Vi from the market, to embed competition within the sector, structural changes are necessary.
- The imminent 5G networks demand massive investment and sophistication of operations.
- 1] Level playing field: This will not be achieved unless the playing field is level across the relevant operators and honest incentives are provided to operators to embrace new technology.
- 2] Change the spectrum allocation method: There is no doubt that spectrum auctions have served India well in the past due to the acrimonious political economy associated with administrative spectrum assignment, including First Come First Serve (FCFS) method.
- The auction regime worked well when demand exceeded supply, but if there is an adequate quantity of spectrum for everyone, that constraint would not exist.
- Administrative assignments can thus be considered once again.
- 3] Administrative assignments: An administrative assignment will include the possibility that all spectrum can be assigned at reasonable prices and in the process, a grand bargain can be struck with telecom operators.
- 4] Assigning 5G spectrum for private enterprise business: TRAI and the Digital Communications Commission (DCC) are considering whether 5G spectrum should be assigned to companies like TCS, Amazon and Google, among others, for their private enterprise business.
- 5G spectrum assignment for enterprises would adversely affect the business model of telcos.
- But there will be enterprises that telcos could serve that are not large enough to purchase 5G spectrum.
- A grand bargain that allows enterprises to buy 5G spectrum while assigning spectrum to the existing telcos through the administrative route will also serve the revenue needs of the government.
- 5] Privatise public sector operator: This is an opportunity to also signal to the public sector operator that 5G business is outside the range of its capability set.
- Hence like Air India it needs to be privatised in the fullness of time.
- These are difficult decisions and will need much more political will than in 1994.
Consider the question “Why a competitive telecom market is a prerequisite for achieving India’s digital dream and why an eminent duopoly in the sector stands to threaten that dream? Suggest way forward.”
Conclusion
It would be tragic if India’s telecom-access market was to be reduced to only two competing operators, as we have a long way to go. What we need is structural changes in the sectors as well as the way the sector is regulated.
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Back2Basics: Spectrum usage charges
- Companies had to pay 3-5 per cent of their adjusted gross revenue (AGR) as spectrum usage charge to the department of telecom.
- If they share spectrum with another operator, operators must pay an additional 0.5 per cent of AGR for that band as SUC.
- However, in September 2021, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) decided to remove the floor rate of 3% of the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) for operators to pay their spectrum usage charge (SUC).
- The removal of the clause fixing a floor rate of 3% was done to give effect to the recently announced telecom relief package.
- Though the telecom package talks of scrapping SUC only on spectrum acquired in future auctions like that of 5G, if the 3% floor is abolished, as and when operators acquire more spectrum in future auctions, their SUC will become zero on the entire holding.
- This is because of a complex weighted average formula to calculate the SUC of operators who have a mix of administratively allocated spectrum and acquired through auctions.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 3- Inflation triggering factors
Context
Inflation is turning into a global concern fueled by multiple global factors. However, in India there are a few other triggers that will have a bearing on the inflationary trajectory.
Global inflation concerns
- All that could have possibly triggered higher inflation globally has already occurred — multiple waves of the pandemic, supply disruptions, an overdose of policy stimuli, war, sanctions, energy shocks, geopolitical adversity and weather disruptions.
1] Impact of MSP on inflation
- The MSP that is fixed by the government for kharif and rabi crops has been one of the key policy instruments.
- Policymakers in India have often acted with alacrity to protect the interests of farmers over the years.
- In the last 20 years, the weighted average MSP for kharif crops saw double-digit growth four times — in 2007, 2008, 2012 and 2018.
- Food inflation shot up to 12 per cent in 2007-08 as against 8 per cent in 2006-07 and 4 per cent in 2005-06.
- The inflationary surge continued in 2009 as a monsoon failure hit agricultural output hard.
- Global agricultural commodity prices started to rise in 2010 again and the FAO food price index reached an all-time high in July 2012.
- One of the key reasons for the increase in food prices was the oil price surge and a rise in demand for biofuel production.
- The global upside in food prices coincided with a 22 per cent increase in MSP for Kharif crops in India.
- Following the rise in MSP, food inflation in 2012 increased by 14.6 per cent as against 3.6 per cent the preceding year.
- In 2018, for the first time, the MSPs for all 23 kharif and rabi crops were fixed at a margin of at least 50 per cent higher than the cost of cultivation.
- The cost of cultivation (A2 + FL) includes the paid-out cost and cost of imputed family labour.
- Accordingly, the MSP of kharif crops in 2018 saw an annual increase of about 14 per cent.
- However, despite the significant rise in MSP, food inflation in 2018-19 was muted at 0.3 per cent.
- This was because farm input costs were under control and the terms of trade for farmers remained positive.
2] Impact of GST on inflation
- Raising the revenue-neutral rate: In the upcoming meeting, there is talk of changes in GST slabs and rates with an eye on raising the revenue-neutral rate from around 11.5 per cent, which is far lower than the 15.5 per cent estimated at the time of the launch of GST.
- Avoid the shock: However, a GST rate shock to the system is best avoided given the global inflationary backdrop and the fragility of consumer balance sheets.
3] Influence of weather
- While the dependence of agricultural output on the quantum of rainfall has reduced, variance in the spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall is emerging as a key risk.
- A look at 2021 — a normal monsoon year with rainfall at 99 per cent of its long period average — is instructive.
- The late excess rains delayed the crop cycle and led to crop damage in several parts of the country.
- Likewise, the spatial distribution of rainfall remained uneven in 2021.
- Thus, even with normal rainfall in 2021, there were several disruptions to the crop cycle and farm cash flows.
Conclusion
The government has taken various steps lately to rein in inflation. However, the RBI will have little freedom in case the GST council decides to accord revenue protection to states via higher GST rates or if the monsoon is not in line with expectations. One hopes these events pan out right, like the MSP hike, when most other things have gone wrong.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: CoWIN
Mains level: Paper 2- CoWIN platform
Context
Seeing its success, other nations have also expressed interest in availing CoWIN and using it as a bridge for erecting their digital health systems. Responding to this incoming interest, our prime minister has offered CoWIN as a digital public good, free of cost, for all nations globally to adopt.
About CoWIN
- In late 2020, even before the Covid-19 vaccines had arrived, the Government of India had commenced preparations for launching the world’s largest vaccination drive.
- This led to the beginning of the CoWIN journey in January 2021.
- Scalability, modularity, and interoperability: CoWIN, or the Covid-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network, was developed in a record time, with consideration given to scalability, modularity, and interoperability.
- The platform has been made available in English and 11 regional languages to allow citizens across multiple states to access the platform with ease.
- To circumvent the lack of digital access, the platform allows for up to six members to be registered under one mobile-number linked account.
- CoWIN has scaled every 100 million milestone faster than any other platform.
- It reached the coveted one billion registered user mark which only a handful of platforms have been able to achieve globally, and none in such a short time.
- A key feature of the platform has been its modularity and evolvability.
- The CoWIN team has been adept at keeping pace with the changing policy environment and scientific research and developments in the administration of vaccines.
- It was never that CoWIN became the bottleneck or delayed the implementation of our vaccination policies or drive.
- Time and again, CoWIN has proved itself as one of the most secure and robust platforms with minimal data input and zero risk of personal data hacks.
Major phases of CoWIN
- The journey of CoWIN was staggered across three major phases, with multiple additions subsequently.
- In phase 1, the registration process went online where healthcare workers and frontline workers were sent system-generated notifications about their vaccination schedule.
- In subsequent phases, beneficiaries were allowed both walk-in and online vaccination registration, along with the choice of location and time slot as per their convenience.
- An assisted mode was also made available through the 240,000+ Common Service Centres (CSCs) and a helpline number.
- After ensuring successful orchestration using scalability and agile features of the platform to vaccinate individuals over 45 years of age, the APIs of the platform were made available to private players at the beginning of Phase III of the vaccination drive.
- Once access to its services was opened through APIs, more than 100 applications integrated with CoWIN for providing search, booking and certification facilities to their users.
Way ahead
- The inevitable question is what will we do with CoWIN when no further Covid-19 vaccines are to be administered?
- Repurpose the platform: The decision is to repurpose the platform as a universal immunisation platform.
- The credentialing service of DIVOC, used in CoWIN, has proven to be a game-changer in the world of digital certificates.
- CoWIN service is being implemented in five other countries after India and receiving global acceptance for its veracity and sound architecture.
- There is a proposal for opening the credentialing service for more use cases in health.
Conclusion
The story of CoWIN has truly been one of national impact and importance. And while the story started during the pandemic, it won’t end with the pandemic: it will segue into a repurposed digital platform for more health use-cases.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: EPI
Mains level: Paper 3- Environmental Performance Index (EPI) and related issues
Context
The 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) produced by Yale and Columbia Universities and released on World Environment Day (June 5) has triggered much consternation in India, as the country is ranked last (180th).
Issues with EPI 2022
- Ignoring the past effects: Indicators may focus on current rates of increase or decrease in environmental pressures (flows) — as the EPI does for carbon dioxide emissions and tree cover gains — but under-state the accumulated effect (stocks) that relates to actual harm, thereby ignoring past effects.
- Same standard in different socio-ecological context: When ranking countries, one is essentially applying the same standard across vastly different socio-ecological contexts – this involves difficult choices.
- For example, the EPI leaves out arsenic in water, which is a major threat in Bangladesh.
- Difficulty in measurement of frogress on climate change: Climate change is a global environmental problem, and because its effects depend on the accumulation of greenhouse gases over time, measuring progress in a given country is challenging.
- Climate change mitigation has to be measured against what it is reasonable and fair to expect from different countries, taking into account their past emissions as well as national contexts.
- There has been an inconclusive 30-year debate on this question; any choice of benchmark involves major ethical choices.
- EPI has given 38 per cent weight to the climate change in the index.
- They assume that the world must reach net zero emissions by 2050, and so the appropriate benchmark is whether all countries are reducing emissions and reaching zero by 2050.
- Against CBDR: This approach is contrary to widely accepted ethical principles, especially the global political agreement on common-but-differentiated-responsibility (CBDR).
- The Yale-Columbia approach ignores the fact that countries have different responsibilities for past accumulations and are at different levels of emissions and energy use.
- The inclusion of indicators on emissions intensity and emissions per capita partly addresses this issue, but these two account for 7 per cent of the weight, versus 89 per cent for indicators derived from current emission trends.
Implications EPI’s approach
- This approach is guaranteed to make richer countries look good, because they have accumulated emissions in the past, but these have started declining in the last decade.
- Meanwhile, poorer countries that have emitted comparatively little in the past, look bad.
- The EPI’s flawed and biased approach distracts from a much-needed honest conversation about the environment in India.
- India’s local environmental performance on air, water and forests is deeply problematic.
- Air quality in India is now the second largest risk factor for public health in India, behind only child and maternal nutrition.
- Rivers and lakes are increasingly polluted, rivers are drying, groundwater tables are rapidly declining, and gains in tree cover hide declining natural productivity and diversity of forests and grasslands.
Conclusion
While indices like these have a limited attention-grabbing purpose, they serve this purpose well only when they are focused, limited to easy-to-measure metrics, and consciously minimise value judgements. The EPI 2022 resoundingly fails this test.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: FATF
Mains level: Terror financing and money laundering
Pakistan which continues to face an economic crunch from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), is hoping for some respite in the form of its removal from the FATF’s ‘grey list’.
What is the FATF?
- The FATF is an international watchdog for financial crimes such as money laundering and terror financing.
- It was established at the G7 Summit of 1989 in Paris to address loopholes in the global financial system after member countries raised concerns about growing money laundering activities.
- In the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attack on the US, FATF also added terror financing as a main focus area.
- This was later broadened to include restricting the funding of weapons of mass destruction.
- The FATF currently has 39 members.
Working of FATF
- The decision-making body of the FATF, known as its plenary, meets thrice a year.
- Its meetings are attended by 206 countries of the global network.
- It includes members, and observer organisations, such as the World Bank, some offices of the UN, and regional development banks.
Functions of FATF
- The FATF sets standards or recommendations for countries to achieve in order to plug the holes in their financial systems and make them less vulnerable to illegal financial activities.
- It conducts regular peer-reviewed evaluations called Mutual Evaluations (ME) of countries to check their performance on standards prescribed by it.
- The reviews are carried out by FATF and FATF-Style Regional Bodies (FSRBs), which then release Mutual Evaluation Reports (MERs).
- For the countries that don’t perform well on certain standards, time-bound action plans are drawn up.
- Recommendations for countries range from assessing risks of crimes to setting up legislative, investigative and judicial mechanisms to pursue cases of money laundering and terror funding.
What are the Black List and the Grey List?
- The words ‘grey’ and ‘black’ list do not exist in the official FATF lexicon.
- They however designate countries that need to work on complying with FATF directives and those who are non-compliant.
- Black List: The blacklist, now called the “Call for action” was the common shorthand description for the FATF list of “Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories” (NCCTs).
- Grey List: Countries that are considered safe haven for supporting terror funding and money laundering are put in the FATF grey list. This inclusion serves as a warning to the country that it may enter the blacklist.
Consequences of being:
(1) In the grey list:
- Economic sanctions from IMF, World Bank, ADB
- Problem in getting loans from IMF, World Bank, ADB and other countries
- Reduction in international trade
- International boycott
(2) In the black list:
- High-risk jurisdictions subject to call for action
- Countries have considerable deficiencies in their AML/CFT (anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing) regimens
- Enhanced due diligence
- Members are told to apply counter-measures such as sanctions on the listed countries
Note: Currently, North Korea and Iran are on the black list.
Pakistan and FATF
- Pakistan, which continues to remain on the “grey list” of FATF, had earlier been given the deadline till the June to ensure compliance with the 27-point action plan against terror funding networks.
- It has been under the FATF’s scanner since June 2018, when it was put on the Grey List for terror financing and money laundering risks.
- FATF and its partners such as the Asia Pacific Group (APG) are reviewing Pakistan’s processes, systems, and weaknesses on the basis of a standard matrix for anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) regime.
Why is Pakistan on the grey list?
- Pakistan has found itself on the grey list frequently since 2008, for weaknesses in fighting terror financing and money laundering.
- It never addressed concerns on the front of terror financing investigations and prosecutions targeting senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terrorist groups.
- However, now steps had been taken in this direction such as the sentencing of terror outfit chief Hafiz Saeed, prosecution of Masood Azhar and seizure of their properties.
- India meanwhile, a member of FATF, suspects the efficacy and permanence of Pakistani actions.
Steps taken by Pakistan
- Pakistan is currently banking on its potential exclusion from the grey list to help improve the status of tough negotiations with the International Monetary Fund to get bailout money.
- Pakistan is now making a high-level political commitment to the FATF and APG to address its strategic AML/CFT deficiencies.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Misleading Advertisements and Consumer Rights
The Centre has announced a new set of guidelines for advertisements preventing misleading ads by Celebrities.
Guidelines on Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022: Key takeaways
(1) Conditions for non-misleading and valid advertisement
An advertisement shall be considered to be valid and not misleading:
- If it contains truthful and honest representation;
- Does not mislead consumers by exaggerating the accuracy,
- Scientific validity or practical usefulness or capability or performance or service of the goods or product;
- Does not present rights conferred on consumers by any law as a distinctive feature of advertiser’s offer.
(2) Bait Advertisement
- A bait advertisement shall not seek to entice consumers to purchase goods, products or services without a reasonable prospect of selling such advertised goods, products or services at the price offered.
- The advertiser shall ensure that there is adequate supply of goods, products or services to meet foreseeable demand generated by such advertisement.
(3) Prohibition of surrogate advertising
- No surrogate advertisement or indirect advertisement shall be made for goods or services whose advertising is otherwise prohibited or restricted by law.
- No circumventing of such prohibition or restriction and portraying it to be an advertisement for other goods or services shall be allowed.
(4) Free claims advertisements
- A free claims advertisement shall not describe any goods, product or service to be ‘free’, ‘without charge’ or use such other terms if the consumer has to pay anything other than the unavoidable costs.
- Seller must make clear the extent of commitment that a consumer shall make to take advantage of a free offer.
(5) Children targeted advertisements
- An advertisement that addresses or targets or uses children shall not condone, encourage, inspire or unreasonably emulate behaviour that could be dangerous for children or take advantage of children’s inexperience, credulity or sense of loyalty.
(6) Limitations on Celebrity Endorsers
- The government has tightened norms for endorsers, including celebrities and sportspersons.
- They are now required to make material connection disclosures and undertake due diligence while doing advertisements.
- Endorsements must reflect the honest opinions, belief or experience of the endorsers.
- The endorsers have to make material connection disclosures and failing to do so will attract penalty under the Consumer Protection Act (CPA).
- Material disclosures mean any relationship that materially affects the weight or credibility of any endorsement which a reasonable consumer would not expect.
- Violation of these guidelines will attract a penalty of ₹10 lakh for the first offence and ₹50 lakh for the subsequent offence, under the CPA.
(7) ASCI rules
- The latest guidelines will also apply to government advertisements.
- Moreover, the advertising guidelines for self-regulation issued by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) will also be in place in a parallel manner.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: BrahMos Missile System
Mains level: Not Much
On June 12, 2001 the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was first tested from a land-based launcher in Chandipur.
What is BrahMos Missile System?
- BrahMos is a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya.
- The missile derives its name from the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers.
- Beginning with an anti-ship missile, several variants have since been developed.
- It is now capable of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air against surface and sea-based targets and has constantly been improved and upgraded.
Its capabilities
- BrahMos is a two-stage missile with a solid propellant booster engine.
- Its first stage brings the missile to supersonic speed and then gets separated.
- The liquid ramjet or the second stage then takes the missile closer to three times the speed of sound in cruise phase.
- The missile has a very low radar signature, making it stealthy, and can achieve a variety of trajectories.
- The ‘fire and forget’ type missile can achieve a cruising altitude of 15 km and a terminal altitude as low as 10 m to hit the target.
Background and development
- The early 1980s the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme was conceived and led by Dr A P J Abdul Kalam.
- It started developing a range of missiles including Prithvi, Agni, Trishul, Akash and Nag, with a wide spectrum of capabilities and ranges.
- In the early 1990s, India’s strategic leadership felt the need for cruise and guided missiles.
- The need was felt primarily following the use of cruise missiles in the Gulf War.
- An Agreement was signed with Russia in Moscow in 1998 by Dr Kalam, who headed the DRDO.
- This led to the formation of BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between DRDO and NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM), the Indian side holding 50.5% and the Russians 49.5%.
Tests and induction
- In 1999, work on development of missiles began in labs of DRDO and NPOM after BrahMos Aerospace received funds from the two governments.
- The first successful test in 2001 was conducted from a specially designed land-based launcher.
- The missile system has since reached some key milestones, with the first major export order of $375 million received from the Philippines Navy this year.
Strategic significance
- Cruise missiles such as BrahMos, called “standoff range weapons”, are fired from a range far enough to allow the attacker to evade defensive counter-fire.
- What makes the missile system unparalleled is its extreme accuracy and versatility.
- With missiles made available for export, the platform is also seen as a key asset in defence diplomacy.
Variants of Brahmos
- Versions currently being tested include ranges up to 350 km, as compared to the original’s 290 km.
- Versions with even higher ranges, up to 800 km, and with hypersonic speed are said to be on cards.
- Efforts are also on to reduce the size and signature of existing versions and augment its capabilities further.
- Versions deployed in all three Armed forces are still being tested regularly, and so are versions currently under development.
- LAND-BASED: The land-based BrahMos complex has four to six mobile autonomous launchers, each with three missiles on board that can be fired almost simultaneously. They are described as ‘tidy’ as they have very few components.
- SHIP-BASED: The Navy began inducting BrahMos on its frontline warships from 2005. These can hit sea-based targets beyond the radar horizon. The Naval version has been successful in sea-to-sea and sea-to-land modes.
- AIR-LAUNCHED: On November 22, 2017, BrahMos was successfully flight-tested for the first time from a Sukhoi-30MKI against a sea-based target in the Bay of Bengal. It has since been successfully tested multiple times.
- SUBMARINE-LAUNCHED: This version can be launched from around 50 m below the water surface. The canister-stored missile is launched vertically from the pressure hull of the submarine and uses different settings for underwater and out-of-the-water flights.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA)
Mains level: Parliamentary efficiency
A delegation of MLAs from Gujarat visited the UP Legislative Assembly to learn about the novel e-Vidhan system for paperless proceedings that has been recently adopted by the UP state assembly.
E-Vidhan System
- The National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) is a system for digitising the legislative bodies of all Indian states and the Parliament through a single platform.
- It includes a website and a mobile app.
- The house proceedings, starred/unstarred questions and answers, committee reports etc. will be available on the portal.
- Nagaland became the first state to implement NeVA, in March this year.
Significance of NeVA
- There has been a shift towards digitisation in recent years by the government.
- NeVA aims for streamlining information related to various state assemblies, and to eliminate the use of paper in day-to-day functioning.
- PM Modi mentioned the idea of “One Nation One Legislative Platform” in November 2021.
- A digital platform not only gives the necessary technological boost to our parliamentary system, but also connects all the democratic units of the country.
Has this been done elsewhere?
- Himachal Pradesh’s Legislative Assembly implemented the pilot project of NeVA in 2014, where touch-screen devices replaced paper at the tables of the MLAs.
- Though both Houses of Parliament have not gone fully digital yet, governments world over are heading towards embracing the digital mode.
- In December last year, the Government of Dubai became the world’s first government to go 100 percent paperless.
- It announced all procedures were completely digitised.
- This, as per a government statement, would cut expenditure by USD 350 million and also save 14-million-man-hours.
What are the challenges?
- Access to devices and reliable internet and electricity was an issue particularly for legislators representing rural constituencies.
- Lack of training and heightened concerns over security are some more recent issues in the road to digitization.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Microplastics pollution
Mains level: Not Much
Scientists have found microplastics — plastic pieces much smaller than a grain of rice — in freshly fallen Antarctic snow for the first time.
What are Microplastics?
- Microplastics are tiny bits of various types of plastic found in the environment.
- The name is used to differentiate them from “macroplastics” such as bottles and bags made of plastic.
- There is no universal agreement on the size of microplastics. It defines microplastic as less than 5mm in length.
- However, for the purposes of this study, since the authors were interested in measuring the quantities of plastic that can cross the membranes and diffuse into the body via the bloodstream.
- Hence they agreed on an upper limit on the size of the particles as 0.0007 millimetre.
Why in news?
- Researchers have found microplastics in the snow samples from the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica.
Threats posed by Microplastics
- Microplastics has the potential to influence the climate by accelerating melting of ice.
- They limit growth, reproduction, and general biological functions in organisms, as well as humans.
Try this PYQ:
- Why is there a great concern about the ‘microbeads’ that are released into environment?
(a) They are considered harmful to marine ecosystems.
(b) They are considered to cause skin cancer in children.
(c) They are small enough to be absorbed by crop plants in irrigated fields.
(d) They are often found to be used as food adulterants.
Post your answers here.
Back2Basics: Ross Ice Shelf
- Ross Ice Shelf is the largest ice shelf of Antarctica roughly the size of France.
- It is several hundred metres thick.
- The nearly vertical ice front to the open sea is more than 600 kilometres long, and between 15 and 50 metres (50 and 160 ft) high above the water surface.
- Ninety percent of the floating ice, however, is below the water surface.
- Most of Ross Ice Shelf is in the Ross Dependency claimed by New Zealand.
- It floats in, and covers, a large southern portion of the Ross Sea and the entire Roosevelt Island located in the east of the Ross Sea.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021
Mains level: Read the attached story
A person has approached the Delhi High Court to question why marital status, age or gender should be the criteria for prohibiting someone from commissioning a surrogacy.
Why in news?
- Under the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 a married couple can opt for surrogacy only on medical grounds.
- The petitioner have challenged in the court the surrogacy law and the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021 which provides a regulatory framework for surrogacy.
Issues raised by the petition
- Currently, the laws does not allow single men to have child through surrogacy.
- Married women can only avail surrogacy services if they are unable to produce a child due to medical conditions.
- Otherwise, for women to avail of surrogacy services, they must be aged between 35 and 45 and widowed or divorced.
- Women can only offer surrogacy if they are aged between 25 and 35 and married with at least one biological child.
- The laws also require a surrogate to be genetically related to the couple who intend to have a child through this method, their petition said.
Basis of the Petition
- The personal decision of a single person about the birth of a baby through surrogacy, i.e., the right of reproductive autonomy is a facet of the right to privacy guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
- Thus, the right to privacy of every citizen or person affecting a decision to bear or beget a child through surrogacy cannot be taken away.
Distinct features of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021
- Definition of surrogacy: It defines surrogacy as a practice where a woman gives birth to a child for an intending couple with the intention to hand over the child after the birth to the intending couple.
- Regulation of surrogacy: It prohibits commercial surrogacy, but allows altruistic surrogacy which involves no monetary compensation to the surrogate mother other than the medical expenses and insurance.
- Purposes for which surrogacy is permitted: Surrogacy is permitted when it is: (i) for intending couples who suffer from proven infertility; (ii) altruistic; (iii) not for commercial purposes; (iv) not for producing children for sale, prostitution or other forms of exploitation; and (v) for any condition or disease specified through regulations.
- Eligibility criteria: The intending couple should have a ‘certificate of essentiality’ and a ‘certificate of eligibility’ issued by the appropriate authority ex. District Medical Board.
Eligibility criteria for surrogate mother:
- To obtain a certificate of eligibility from the appropriate authority, the surrogate mother has to be:
- A close relative of the intending couple;
- A married woman having a child of her own;
- 25 to 35 years old;
- A surrogate only once in her lifetime; and
- Possess a certificate of medical and psychological fitness for surrogacy.
- Further, the surrogate mother cannot provide her own gametes for surrogacy.
Also read:
[Burning Issue] Surrogacy in India
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: WANA region
Mains level: Paper 2- Engagement with Gulf countries
Context
A controversial remark by the ruling party spokesperson against the Prophet has snowballed into a diplomatic row. Against this backdrop, New Delhi should not stop engaging the Gulf countries and strive to move beyond damage control.
International reaction against the remarks
- The United Arab Emirates, Oman, Indonesia, Iraq, the Maldives, Jordan, Libya and Bahrain have joined the growing list of countries in the Islamic world that have condemned the remarks.
- Earlier, Kuwait, Iran and Qatar had called Indian ambassadors to register their protest, and Saudi Arabia had issued a strongly-worded statement.
- Campaigners (including a few GCC regimes) demand that Prime Minister of India should tender an apology for all that happened.
- But New Delhi’s stance is categorial and legitimate insofar as the Union government has nothing to do with such unsolicited comments.
Why WANA is important for India
- Engagement with WANA: Countries in West Asia and North Africa (WANA) region do not have a fixed position vis-à-vis India.
- Delhi has vibrant economic and strategic ties with almost all regimes in the region.
- That’s precisely the reason these countries are unwilling to join the Islamabad-led chorus or go beyond passing resolutions.
- India’s signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) with the UAE and the ongoing negotiations for a wider FTA with the GCC could be an eye-opener for the country’s detractors.
- India’s energy needs: As much as 40 per cent of oil and an equal share of gas requirements are met through India’s strategic cooperation with the Gulf regimes.
- Mutuality of interests: India and the WANA regimes know that there is a mutuality of interests in these transactions which cannot be substituted by any other segments of the world system.
- Indian diaspora: Equally important is the role of the more than eight million-strong Indian diaspora in the WANA region.
- The “Gulf remittance” is an important part of the Indian economy, as important as the Indian investment in the GCC and GCC investment in India.
Way forward
- India’s foreign policy strategy — which includes strategic bargaining with regional and international actors — would fetch reasonable dividends.
- The response to its Ukraine war strategy has convinced South Block that it has adequate manoeuvrability in global affairs.
Conclusion
New Delhi should not stop engaging the countries, especially the ones in the WANA region, as both have shared interests. Therefore, South Block must go beyond a mere damage-control exercise.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Tendu Leaves, NTFP
Mains level: Not Much
Tribal residents in Chhattisgarh have decided to file an FIR against an official of the state forest department after he confiscated the tendu leaves that they had collected.
Tendu Leaves
- Leaves of tree species Diospyros melanoxyion are used as wrappers of tobacco to produce bidi.
- This tree is commonly known as “tendu,” but also called “abnus” in Andhra Pradesh, “kendu” in Orissa and West Bengal, “tembru” in Gujarat, “kari” in Kerala, “tembhurni” in Maharahstra, and “bali tupra” in Tamil Nadu.
- This leaf is considered the most suitable wrapper on account of the ease with which it can be rolled and its wide availability.
- Tendu is also called ‘green gold’ and is a prominent minor forest produce in India.
How it is traded?
- In 1964, the trade in tendu leaves was nationalised in then-undivided Madhya Pradesh.
- Until then, people were free to sell tendu leaves in markets across the country.
- Maharashtra adopted the same system in 1969, undivided Andhra Pradesh in 1971, Odisha in 1973, Gujarat in 1979, Rajasthan in 1974 and Chhattisgarh in 2000.
- Under this arrangement, the state forest department collects tendu leaves, allows their transportation and sells them to traders.
Why is there a dispute?
- The dispute is essentially about who has the right to sell the leaves.
- State governments say only they can do so due to nationalization.
- On the other hand, tendu leaf collectors cite The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 and the 2013 Supreme Court verdict in the Niyamgiri Case to say private collectors can sell them on their own.
- Tendu leaf collectors allege that the government gives them a lower price for the leaves, while it fetches a higher price in the open market.
What do the tribals want?
- The tribals, after having obtained forest rights leases under the FRA 2006, now want to sell tendu leaves on their own, with the permission of Gram Sabhas and make good profits.
- Many types of minor forest produce like Mahua, Salbeej or the seeds of the Sal tree (Shorea robusta) and Chironji or Almondette kernels (Buchanania lanzan) are collected and sold by tribals.
- Hence, there should not be a dispute over tendu leaves.
Back2Basics: Forest Produce in India
- Forest produce is defined under section 2(4) of the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
- Its legal definition includes timber, charcoal, catechu, wood-oil, resin, natural varnish, bark, lac, mahua flowers, trees and leaves, flowers and fruit, plants (including grass, creepers, reeds and moss), wild animals, skins, tusks, horns, bones, cocoons, silk, honey, wax, etc.
- Forest produce can be divided into several categories.
- From the point of view of usage, forest produce can be categorized into three types: Timber, Non-Timber and Minor Minerals.
- Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are known also as minor forest produce (MFP) or non-wood forest produces (NWFP).
- The NTFP can be further categorized into medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP), oilseeds, fibre & floss, resins, edible plants, bamboo, reeds and grasses
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: TVS-2M Nuclear Fuel
Mains level: Not Much
Russia has supplied the first batches of more reliable and cost-efficient nuclear fuel over the existing one, the TVS-2M nuclear fuel, to India for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP).
What is TVS-2M Nuclear Fuel?
- The TVS-2M FAs contain gadolinium-oxide which is mixed with U-235 enrichments.
- The core does not contain BARs (Burnable Absorbers Rods).
How are they prepared?
- Once the uranium is enriched, it is ready to be converted into nuclear fuel.
- At a nuclear fuel fabrication facility, the UF6, in solid form, is heated to gaseous form, and then the UF6 gas is chemically processed to form uranium dioxide (UO2) powder.
- The powder is then compressed and formed into small ceramic fuel pellets.
- The pellets are stacked and sealed into long metal tubes that are about 1 centimetre in diameter to form fuel rods.
- The fuel rods are then bundled together to make up a fuel assembly.
- Depending on the reactor type, each fuel assembly has about 179 to 264 fuel rods.
- A typical reactor core holds 121 to 193 fuel assemblies.
Benefits offered
- TVS-2M fuel assemblies have a number of advantages making them more reliable and cost-efficient.
- The new fuel has increased uranium capacity – one TVS-2M assembly contains 7.6% more fuel material as compared to UTVS.
- Besides, the special feature of the Kudankulam fuel in particular is the new generation anti-debris filter ADF-2, efficiently protecting fuel assemblies.
- Once the new TVS-2 M fuel is used in the next refuelling, the reactor will start operations with an 18-month fuel cycle.
- It means the reactor, which has to be stopped for every 12 months for removing the spent fuel and inserting the fresh fuel bundles and allied maintenance, will have to be stopped for every 18 months.
Back2Basics: India-Russia Energy Cooperation
- The Soviet Union supplied India with nuclear reactors and fuel when India was denied technologies and was hit with sanctions from the West for its refusal to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT).
- In 1988, the Soviet Union agreed, allegedly without an official deal, to build two nuclear reactors at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu. The deal was made official in 1992.
- In 2000, Russia and India signed another secret MoU, to cooperate on “peaceful uses” of nuclear energy, and for Russia to supply India with low-enriched uranium fuel for the Tarapur reactor in Maharashtra.
- In 2009, the two countries entered into a major nuclear deal, with Russia agreeing to install four nuclear reactors at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu, and one in West Bengal.
- Two units at Kudankulam are currently operational, and the third and fourth units are being prepared for installation.
- Russia is also aiding with the ongoing construction of the fifth and sixth units.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: IN-SPACE
Mains level: Commercial space activities in India
The Prime Minister inaugurated the headquarters of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) at Bopal, Ahmedabad.
What is IN-SPACe?
- The establishment of IN-SPACe was announced in June 2020.
- It is an autonomous and single window nodal agency in the Department of Space for the promotion, encouragement and regulation of space activities of both government and private entities.
- It also facilitates the usage of ISRO facilities by private entities.
- It comprises technical experts for space activities along with safety expert, academic experts and legal and strategic experts from other departments.
- It also comprises members from PMO and MEA of Government of India.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Space activities including building of launch vehicles and satellites and providing space based services as per the definition of space activities.
- Sharing of space infrastructure and premises under the control of ISRO with due considerations to on-going activities.
- Establishment of temporary facilities within premises under ISRO control based on safety norms and feasibility assessment
How is it different from ANTRIX?
- Antrix Corporation Limited (ACL), Bengaluru is a wholly-owned Government of India Company under the administrative control of the Department of Space.
- It is as a marketing arm of ISRO for promotion and commercial exploitation of space products, technical consultancy services and transfer of technologies developed by ISRO.
- Antrix is engaged in providing Space products and services to international customers worldwide.
What about New Space India Limited (NSIL)?
- It functions under the administrative control of the Department of Space (DOS).
- It aims to commercially exploit the research and development work of ISRO Centres and constituent units of DOS.
- The NSIL would enable Indian Industries to scale up high-technology manufacturing and production base for meeting the growing needs of the Indian space program.
- It would further spur the growth of Indian Industries in the space sector.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NATGRID
Mains level: Not Much
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has curtailed the tenure of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) and moved him to the Border Security Force (BSF).
What is NATGRID?
- NATGRID is an intelligence-sharing network that collates data from the standalone databases of the various agencies and ministries of the Indian government.
- It is a counter terrorism measure that collects and collates a host of information from government databases including tax and bank account details, credit/debit card transactions, visa and immigration records and itineraries of rail and air travel.
- It will also have access to the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), a database that links crime information, including First Information Reports, across 14,000 police stations in India.
- As of 2019, NATGRID is headed by an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Ashish Gupta.
Its establishment
- The 26/11 terrorist siege in Mumbai back in 2008 exposed the deficiency that security agencies had no mechanism to look for vital information on a real-time basis.
Access to NATGRID
- Prominent federal agencies of the country have been authorized to access the NATGRID database.
- They are the:
- Central Bureau of Investigation
- Directorate of Revenue Intelligence,
- Enforcement Directorate
- Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
- Central Board of Direct Taxes (for the Income Tax Department)
- Cabinet Secretariat
- Intelligence Bureau
- Directorate General of GST Intelligence
- Narcotics Control Bureau
- Financial Intelligence Unit, and
- National Investigation Agency
Future prospects
- According to the first phase plan, 10 user agencies and 21 service providers will be connected with the NATGRID, while in later phases, about 950 additional organizations will be brought on board.
- In the following years, more than 1,000 organizations will be further integrated into the NATGRID.
- These data sources include records related to immigration entry and exit, banking and financial transactions, and telecommunications.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: GDP and inflation
Mains level: Paper 3- India's growth rate
Context
The Provisional Estimates of Annual National Income in 2021-22 just released show that GDP grew 8.7% in real terms and 19.5% in nominal terms (including inflation). It makes India the fastest growing major economy in the world.
What data implies
- Just 1.51% larger: Provisional Estimates of Annual National Income in 2021-22 also indicate that, the real economy is 1.51% larger than it was in 2019-20, just before the novel coronavirus pandemic hit the world.
- In nominal terms it is higher by 17.9%.
- Inflation: These numbers imply that the rate of inflation was 10.8% in 2021-22 and 16.4% between the two years, 2019-20 and 2021-22.
- Almost no growth: This picture implies almost no growth and high inflation since the pre-pandemic year.
- So, the tag of the fastest growing economy means little.
- Quarterly growth rate: The quarter to quarter growth currently may give some indication of the present rate of growth.
- In 2020-21, the quarterly rate of growth increased through the year.
- In 2021-22, the rate of growth has been slowing down.
- Of course in 2020-21, the COVID-19 lockdown had a severe impact in Q1 (-23.8%); after that the rate of growth picked up.
- In 2021-22, the rate of growth in Q1 had to sharply rise (20.3%).
- Ignoring the outliers in Q1, growth rates in 2021-22 have sequentially petered out in subsequent quarters: 8.4%, 5.4% and 4.1%.
- Going forward, while the lockdown in China is over, the war-related impact is likely to persist since there is no end in sight.
- Thus, price rise and impact on production are likely to persist.
Issues with the data
- The issue is about correctness of data.
- The annual estimates given now are provisional since complete data are not available for 2021-22.
- There is a greater problem with quarterly estimates since very limited data are available for estimating it.
- No data for Q1 of 2020-21: The first issue is that during 2020-21, due to the pandemic, full data could not be collected for Q1.
- No data for agriculture: Further, for agriculture, quarterly data assumes that the targets are achieved.
- Agriculture is a part of the unorganised sector.
- Very little data are available for it but for agriculture — neither for the quarter nor for the year.
- It is simply assumed that the limited data available for the organised sector can be used to act as a proxy.
- The non-agriculture unorganised sector is represented by the organised sector.
- Changes in non-agriculture unorganised: The method using the organised sector to proxy the unorganised non-agriculture sector may have been acceptable before demonetisation (2016) but is not correct since then.
- The reason is that the unorganised non-agriculture sector suffered far more than the organised sector and more so during the waves of the pandemic.
- Shift in demand to the organised sector: Large parts of the unorganised non-agriculture sector have experienced a shift in demand to the organised sector since they produce similar things.
- This introduces large errors in GDP estimates since official agencies do not estimate this shift.
- All that is known is that the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector has faced closures and failures.
- If GDP data are incorrect, data on its components — private consumption and investment — must also be incorrect.
- Further, the ratios themselves would have been impacted by the shock of the lockdown and the decline of the unorganised sectors.
- Private consumption data is suspect since according to the data given by the Reserve Bank of India which largely captures the organised sector, consumer confidence throughout 2021-22 was way below its pre-pandemic level of 104 achieved in January 2020.
- In brief, neither the total nor the ratios are correct.
Possible corrections
- In the best possible scenario, assume that the organised sector (55% of GDP) and agriculture (14% of GDP) are growing at the official rate of growth of 8.2% and 3%, respectively.
- Then, they would contribute 4.93% to GDP growth.
- The non-agriculture unorganised component is declining for two reasons: first, the closure of units and the second the shift in demand to the organised sector.
- Even if 5% of the units have closed down this year and 5% of the demand has shifted to the organised sector, the unorganised sector would have declined by about 10%; the contribution of this component to GDP growth would be -3.1%.
Conclusion
Clearly, recovery is incomplete and India is not the fastest growing big economy of the world.
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