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NOVEMBER 2020 CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE

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A MAGAZINE FOR CIVIL SERVICES PREPARATION

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CONTENTS

GS 1 : Heritage and culture ,Geography of the World and Society

1. Lessons from Ladakh’s glacial lake outburst

2. Arunachal records best sex ratio, Manipur the worst

GS 2 : Polity, Governance, International Relations

1. The shifting trajectory of India’s foreign policy 2. What are Bulk Drugs Parks? 3. Traffic cops of Space 4. The nutrition fallout of school closures 5. Mission Sagar - II 6. Ganga Utsav 2020 7. Initiatives for Good and Vigilant Governance 8. Gulf Cooperation Council and India 9. Review of PMBJP 10. Kerala, too, withdraws general consent to CBI 11. The financial capacity of States is being weakened 12. The next administration will also pursue ‘America First’ 13. India-UAE Meet on Investments 14. Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Awards 15. Growing Trend of Jobs for Locals 16. Biden, India and comfort in the old normal 17. India-Italy Bilateral Summit 18. India and Biden 19. ‘Strategic comfort’ with the Maldives 20.Impact of US Election Results on India 21. Punjab revokes general consent given to CBI 22. The real significance of the Biden win 23. How a Biden’s Presidency may affect India? 24. CCI to Probe Google 25. Dose of optimism 26. Strengthening public health capacities in disasters 27.Armenia Azerbaijan Peace Deal 27. National Education Day 28. India’s catch-up evolution in techno-policy landscape 29. Draft Data Centre Policy 2020

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30.Can the right to work be made real in India? 31. 17th ASEAN-India Summit 32. A recipe to tear down trade unions 33. Suu Kyi again 34. Constitutional fault lines 35. Step Up for TB 2020 Report 36. India’s First Green Energy Convergence Project: Goa 37. Amid a judicial slide, a flicker of hope on rights- Bail applications 38. Chapare Virus 39.Global Coalition Against HIV 40. Bengaluru Tech Summit 41. India-Luxembourg Relations

GS 3 : Economy, Science and Technology,Environment

1. Faultlines in India’s economic liberalism 2. Deemed Forests in Karnataka 3. Vulture Action Plan for 2020-25 4. Shifting sands for Asian economies 5. Dealing with air pollution 6. New Ramsar Sites 7. Measures on Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 8. Power sector reforms: UK lessons for India 9. Govt. rolls out 1.19 lakh crore stimulus 10. Amendment in FCRA Rules 11. Saffron Cultivation in Northeast 12. Earthquake Concentrations in Dharchula Region 13. Pfizer's Covid-19 Vaccine Candidate 14. Lessons from Vietnam and Bangladesh 15. Four Years of Demonetisation 16. COVID-19, climate and carbon neutrality 17. Delivery of COVID-19 vaccines poses a huge challenge 18. Radio Burst in Milky Way 19. Alimony guidelines 20. Exploring the potential of Green Hydrogen based vehicular fuel 21. Virtual Global Investor Roundtable

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22. Do recent indicators hint at a real economic revival? 23. Enhanced Version of Pinaka Mk-1 Missile 24. Future Pandemics and Reduction Measures 25. Fixing the rules of the economy 26. Evaluation of National Monsoon Mission 27. Centre’s Stand on Central Vista Redevelopment Project 28. UPI Transactions 29. Growth in Manufacturing: PMI and NIBRI 30. Hitting fossil fuel companies where it hurts 31. Reinforcing RBI’s accountability 32. A secure future for platform workers

GS 1 : Heritage and culture ,Geography of the World and Society

1. Lessons from Ladakh’s glacial lake outburst

Context:

 Study of the Gya glacial lake outburst.

Background:

Glacial lake outburst:

 A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is a type of outburst flood that occurs when the dam containing a glacial lake fails. The dam can consist of glacier ice or a terminal moraine.  Failure can happen due to erosion, a buildup of water pressure, an avalanche of rock or heavy snow, an earthquake or massive displacement of water in a glacial lake when a large portion of an adjacent glacier collapses into it.

Gya Incident:

 In August 2014, a glacial lake outburst flood hit the village of Gya in Ladakh, destroying houses, fields and bridges.

Details:

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 Study of the Gya glacial lake incident has thrown light on the causes of the flood.  The glacial lake outburst induced flood was not due to the spillovers due to an avalanche or landslide but rather due to tunnelling drainage process induced by the thawing of the ice cores in the moraine. The water had drained out through the subsurface tunnels. o A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and rock) that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice sheet.

Concerns:

Global warming:

 Given that the thawing of ice cores is expected to accelerate in the future due to global climate change, it is almost certain that other glacial lake outburst floods will happen all over the Indian Himalaya.

Unsustainable development process:

 It is important to note that not all glacial lake outbursts have catastrophic outcomes. It largely depends on urban planning, the size of the lake, the distance between the lake and affected villages, the valley section etc.  The unsustainable development process in these areas will only increase the hazard potential of glacial lake outbursts.

Way forward:

Early warning system:

 There is an urgent need to use multiple methods for better risk assessment and early warning. It is important to regularly monitor lake development and dynamics.  This approach could help limit the damages caused by the glacial lake outburst events.

Better land planning:

 Further development processes in these ecologically fragile areas should be guided by better land-use planning.

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2. Arunachal records best sex ratio, Manipur the worst Context: 2018 report on “Vital statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System” has been published by the Registrar-General of India. Sex ratio

 Sex ratio is the demographic concept that measures the proportion of males to females in a given population.  It is the ratio of males to females in a population.  Sex ratio at birth is the number of females born per 1,000 males. Key Findings:

 According to the report, Arunachal Pradesh recorded the best sex ratio in the country, while Manipur recorded the worst.  Arunachal Pradesh recorded 1,084 females born per thousand males, followed by Nagaland (965) Mizoram (964), Kerala (963) and Karnataka (957).  The worst was reported in Manipur (757), Lakshadweep (839) and Daman & Diu (877), Punjab (896) and Gujarat (897).  The number of registered births increased to 2.33 crore in 2018 from 2.21 crore registered births the previous year.  The level of registration of births has increased to 89.3% in 2018 from 81.3% in 2009. Note:

 The prescribed time limit for registration of birth or death is 21 days. Some States, however, register the births and deaths even after a year.  Births and deaths reported after one year of occurrence shall be registered only on an order of the Magistrate of the First Class after verifying the correctness and on payment of the prescribed fee.

GS 2 : Polity, Governance, International Relations

1. The shifting trajectory of India’s foreign policy

Context:

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 The article analyzes the challenges that India could face from its perceived alignment with the U.S.’s security architecture.

Background:

 In the Third India-U.S. 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue that took place in Delhi recently, the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) for Geo-Spatial Cooperation was signed. With this signing India is now a signatory to all U.S.-related foundational military agreements. o Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) for Geo-Spatial Cooperation would entitle India to receive highly classified U.S. defence and sensitive geo-spatial intelligence information.  With increasing bilateral cooperation, including defence partnership reaching new heights, there has been a growing perception of India’s increasing alignment with the U.S.

 The U.S. has been vocal about the importance of India in the regional and global affairs and has shown keen interest in collaborating with India. During the recent visit, the U.S. Defence Secretary, Mark Esper, stated that India would be the most consequential partner for the US in the Indo- Pacific in the current century. India too, given the state of the regional geopolitical condition, has been shedding its reluctance of collaborating with the U.S.

Concerns:

 The author M.K. Narayanan, a former National Security Adviser argues that India’s closer alignment with the U.S. would lead to some concerns for India.

Compromising India’s independence in military matters:

 Despite the present administration’s argument of there being enough India-specific safeguards built into the four foundational military agreements, these foundational agreements effectively tie India to the wider U.S. strategic architecture in the region.  The author argues that with the signing of these agreements, India’s claims of maintaining strategic autonomy will increasingly sound hollow.

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o Previous governments had resisted attempts to get India to sign these agreements on the ground that it would compromise India’s security and independence in military matters.

Necessitates two-way information exchange:

 The latest BECA would no doubt provide India with access to highly classified information but it would also require India to share some sensitive information.

Against non-alignment policy of India:

 With the closer alignment with the U.S. and its Indo-Pacific policy, India is being viewed as being part of the wider anti-China ‘coalition of the willing’.  This goes against India’s previous policy of neutrality, and of maintaining its equidistance from power blocs.

Impact on India-China ties:

 Too close an identification with the U.S. may have a negative impact on its relations with the Chinese.  Given the U.S.’s intentions to contain and check Chinese ambitions, India’s willingness to sign foundational military agreements with the U.S. would only exacerbate already deteriorating China-India relations.  As India gravitates towards the U.S. sphere of influence, the trust between the two Asian powerhouses would only decrease.  Though China-India relations have never been easy, India has always pursued a policy which put a premium on avoidance of conflicts with China. Even after Doklam in 2017, India preferred talks through the Wuhan and Mamallapuram summits, to maintain better relations.

Impact on India’s influence in the region:

 Several of India’s neighbours (Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh), normally perceived to be within India’s sphere of influence, currently seem to be out of step with India’s approach on many issues.  There seems to be a growing Chinese influence in these countries. India’s approach to counter China by allowing for U.S.’s entry into the region would only cede more space for the U.S. in the region at the cost of its

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own influence in the region. Both China and the U.S., seem to be making inroads and enlarging their influence here. o The Maldives has chosen to enter into a military pact with the U.S. to counter Chinese expansionism in the Indian Ocean region. o India needs to devote greater attention to try and restore India-Iran ties which have frayed in recent years due to the U.S.’s sanctions.

India’s membership of SCO:

 Reconciling India’s closeness with the U.S., with its full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which has China and Russia as its main protagonists — and was conceived as an anti-NATO entity — will test India’s diplomatic skills. o India’s membership of SCO does offer the potential for increasing its influence in the Central Asian region and also offers a platform to engage with two powerful nations of the Asian continent- Russia and China.

Affects India’s standing in NAM:

 India currently has a detached outlook towards the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and has increasingly distanced itself from the African and Latin American group in terms of policy prescriptions.  India’s new alliance patterns could only further aggravate this trend and this could only degrade India’s standing in the NAM.

India’s relationship with Russia:

 The seemingly increasing India’s alignment with the U.S. would have a negative effect on the India-Russia ties, which has been a major feature of India’s foreign policy for more than half a century.  Almost certainly in the circumstances, India can hardly hope to count on Russia as a strategic ally particularly at a time, when Russia-China relations have vastly expanded and a strategic congruence exists between the two countries.  India would lose its unique character of having a working relationship with the major powers of the world if India-Russia relations were to deteriorate at such a critical phase of global geopolitics.

Projection as opportunistic behaviour:

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 The argument that India’s new foreign policy based on deeper collaboration with the U.S. is essentially a pragmatic one, in keeping with the current state of global disorder would only project India as an opportunistic nation for its ideologically agnostic attitude and behaviour.

Conclusion:

 India should balance the ideals of strategic autonomy and non-alignment policy with its immediate and long term national interests.  India should also pay attention to offset its loss of influence and momentum in its immediate neighbourhood (in South Asia), and in its extended neighbourhood (in West Asia).

2. What are Bulk Drugs Parks?

Himachal Pradesh is one of the states vying for the allotment of a bulk drug park under a central government scheme announced earlier this year for setting up three such parks across the country.

What are Bulk Drugs or APIs?

 A bulk drug also called an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), is the key ingredient of a drug or medicine, which lends it the desired therapeutic effect or produces the intended pharmacological activity.  For example, paracetamol is a bulk drug, which acts against pain.  It is mixed with binding agents or solvents to prepare the finished pharmaceutical product, ie a paracetamol tablet, capsule or syrup, which is consumed by the patient.  APIs are prepared from multiple reactions involving chemicals and solvents.  The primary chemical or the basic raw material which undergoes reactions to form an API is called the key starting material, or KSM.  Chemical compounds formed during the intermediate stages during these reactions are called drug intermediates or DIs.

Why is India promoting bulk drug parks?

 India has one of the largest pharmaceutical industries in the world (third largest by volume) but this industry largely depends on other countries, particularly China, for importing APIs, DIs and KSMs.

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 This year, drug manufacturers in India suffered repeated setbacks due to disruption in imports.  Factories in China shut down when the country went into a lockdown, and later, international supply chains were affected as the Covid pandemic gripped the entire world.  The border conflict between India and China exacerbated the situation.

What is the Centre’s scheme?

 The Centre’s scheme will support three selected parks in the country by providing a one-time grant-in-aid for the creation of common infrastructure facilities.  The grant-in-aid will be 70 per cent of the cost of the common facilities but in the case of Himachal Pradesh and other hill states, it will be 90 per cent.  The Centre will provide a maximum of Rs 1,000 crore per park.  A state can only propose one site, which is not less than a thousand acres in area, or not less than 700 acres in the case of hill states.

What does a bulk park offer?

 A bulk drug park will have a designated contiguous area of land with common infrastructure facilities for the exclusive manufacture of APIs, DIs or KSMs, and also a common waste management system.  These parks are expected to bring down manufacturing costs of bulk drugs in the country and increase competitiveness in the domestic bulk drug industry.

Why Himachal?

 Himachal already has Asia’s largest pharma manufacturing hub, that is the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial belt, and the state produces around half of India’s total drug formulations.  Himachal offers power and water at the lowest tariffs in the country, and the state also has an industrial gas pipeline.  It jumped nine places in this year’s ease-of-doing-business rankings declared by the Centre last month, securing the seventh position in the country.

3. Traffic cops of Space

Context:

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Skylark would be the first dedicated satellite constellation looking at managing the situation in space such as congestion, threats of collisions, and addressing space traffic management.

Concerns:

 Sputnik 1 was the first human-made object to orbit the Earth. Its launch created new opportunities in space.  However, it has also added 29,000 objects as debris (larger than 10 centimetres in diameter) in addition to the 2,500-plus active satellites in space.  Numerous space missions have contributed to the build-up of debris and artificial space objects are only expected to grow.  Most ‘space junk’ can reach a speed of nearly 29,000 kilometres per hour.  According to NASA, because of the amount of debris in low Earth orbit and the speed at which they are moving, current and future space-based services, explorations, and operations pose a safety risk to people and property in space and on Earth.

Details:

 NorthStar plans to provide safe and sustainable solutions through its Skylark satellite constellation designed specifically for Space Situational Awareness (SSA).  It plans to provide the information to prevent accidents as the number of satellites exponentially increase.  NorthStar Earth & Space is a Canada-based space company that made headlines for its efforts to address the threat of space debris, which has increased over the recent years.  It has received investments from the Canadian government, the Québec government, Telesystem Space, and the Space Alliance.  It has announced signing the contract for the first three satellites to build the constellation. It plans to launch them by mid-2022 and the rest by 2024.

How does it work?

 The system works on NorthStar’s algorithms to provide space traffic data and collision avoidance navigation services.  SSA tracks natural and artificial objects in the orbit around the Earth, and predicts where the objects are going to be at any given time.

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o Each satellite weighs about 200 kilograms and is equipped with a 60- centimetre long sensor. o The set of three satellites form a spiral, so the constellation will have four spirals with different orbits, all of which will be circular and polar at about 575 kilometres from the Earth’s surface in the low Earth orbit (LEO).  The constellation of 12 satellites would be equipped with optical sensors to monitor space objects including active and inactive satellites and debris that could pose a threat.  This is intended at helping in the management of space traffic in a safe and sustainable way.

Advantages:

A space-based satellite system has certain advantages over ground-based systems, including:

 Having multiple points of view for an object.  Not reliant on weather changes and atmospheric interferences.  The ability to make frequent revisits.

4. The nutrition fallout of school closures

Context:

 The article analyzes the negative impact the school closures have had on the nutrition status of children.

Background:

Mid-day meal scheme:

 The mid-day meal scheme (MDMS) guidelines recommend providing one hot-cooked mid-day meal for school-going children. All school-going children from classes I to VIII in government and government-aided schools are eligible under the scheme. The National Education Policy, 2020 recommends extending the MDMS to cover other school-going children as well.  MDMS is the largest school-feeding programme in the world, which has played an extremely significant role in increasing nutrition and learning among school-going children.

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 The school’s mid-day meals are a major source of nutrition for children, particularly those from vulnerable communities.  The mid-day meal in India should provide 450 Kcal of energy, a minimum of 12 grams of proteins, including adequate quantities of micronutrients like iron, folic acid, Vitamin-A, etc. This amounts to approximately one- third of the nutritional requirement of the child.

Challenges posed by the lockdown:

 The MDMS has been virtually dysfunctional due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Serving hot meals, at the children’s homes or even at the centre, poses many challenges in the present scenario. o Even states like Tamil Nadu, with a relatively good infrastructure for the MDMS, are unable to serve the mandated ‘hot cooked meal’ during the lockdown.

Concerns:

Loss of school meals:

 The report of ‘The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020’, released by the Food and Agriculture Organization in partnership with other UN organisations estimates that in April 2020 at the peak of school closures, 369 million children globally were losing out on school meals, with an estimated 116 million of them from India.

Nutritional insecurity for children:

 The current situation has exacerbated the problem of child hunger and malnutrition.  The recent Global Hunger Index (GHI) report for 2020 ranks India at 94 out of 107 countries and in the category ‘serious’. The Global Hunger Index is a combination of indicators of undernutrition in the population and wasting, stunting, and mortality in children below five years of age.

Goal of Zero hunger:

 India is already far from achieving the ‘Zero Hunger’ goal envisaged under the Sustainable Development Goals. The current circumstances will only further increase the gap.

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Non-implementation of government orders:

 Despite the orders in March and April 2020 that the usual hot-cooked mid- day meal or an equivalent food security allowance/dry ration would be provided to all eligible school-going children even during vacation, to ensure that their immunity and nutrition is not compromised, states are still struggling to implement this decision. The dry ration distributions in lieu of school meals have been irregular.  According to the Food Corporation of India’s (FCI) food grain bulletin, the off-take of grains under MDMS from FCI during April and May 2020 has been 22% lower than the corresponding off-take during April and May 2019. Most states have reported a decline in the grain offtake from FCI in April-May 2020.

Increase in child labour:

 There are also reports of children engaging in labour to supplement the fall in family incomes in vulnerable households.  A recent report by the International Labour Organization and the UNICEF notes that unless school services and social security are universally strengthened, there is a risk that some children may not even return to schools when they reopen and may indulge in child labour.

Way forward:

Retrospective distribution of dry ration:

 Given that the distribution of dry ration started only in late May, there needs to be the immediate distribution of the April quota with retrospective effect.

Innovative strategies:

 Across the country and the world, innovative learning methods are being adopted to ensure children’s education outcomes, similar efforts are necessary to ensure nutritional security of the children.

Decentralised and local supply chains:

 Nutrition experts have suggested local smallholder farmers’ involvement in the school feeding programme. This could involve a livelihood model

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that links local smallholder farmers with the mid-day meal system for the supply of cereals, vegetables, and eggs.  Locally produced vegetables and fruits may be added to the MDMS, also providing an income to local farmers.  This would lead to decentralised models and local supply chains.  This envisaged system apart from enabling nutritional security of children will also aid in diversifying production and farming systems, transform rural livelihoods and the local economy, and fulfill the ‘Atmanirbhar Poshan’ (nutritional self-sufficiency) agenda.

School Nutrition (Kitchen) Garden:

 Initiatives such as the School Nutrition (Kitchen) Garden under MDMS to provide fresh vegetables for mid-day meals should be further strengthened.

School mid-day meal centre:

 Hot meals can be provided to non-school going but eligible children in the school mid-day meal centres, similar to free urban canteens or community kitchens for the elderly and others in some states.

5. Mission Sagar - II

Why in news

As part of ‘Mission Sagar-II’, the Government of India is providing assistance to Friendly Foreign Countries to overcome natural calamities and Covid-19 pandemic.

. Towards the same INS Airavat is delivering food aid for the people of Sudan.

Key Points

. Mission Sagar-II, follows the first ‘Mission Sagar’ undertaken in 2020. . As part of Mission Sagar-II, Indian Naval Ship Airavat will deliver food aid to Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti and Eritrea.

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. Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles along with La Réunion are part of Indian Ocean Commission. India has recently become an observer to the Commission. . The assistance is in line with India’s role as the first responder in the Indian Ocean region. . The deployment is also in consonance with the Prime Minister's vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) . Earlier, India had sent Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kesari, carrying food items and medical assistance teams, to countries in the southern Indian Ocean to deal with Covid-19 pandemic as part of a "Mission Sagar" initiative. . Strategic Significance of the Island Countries: o The strategic importance of these island nations is highlighted by their location along key Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs). o These islands are vital and can facilitate a navy’s continuous presence along key international shipping routes, allowing a navy to patrol and secure SLOCs during peace times and an option to interdict and cut off an adversary’s communications during times of conflict. . Other Related Initiatives: o India on the 65th anniversary of the landmark Bandung Conference emphasized that members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) must work to reduce the socio-economic impact of the pandemic on the most vulnerable sections of society and promote South-South cooperation. o In the wake of the global pandemic, the International Solar Alliance (ISA) responded by setting up ISA CARES (like PM-CARES in India), an initiative dedicated to the deployment of solar energy in the healthcare sector. o With Covid-19 and trade tensions between China and the United States are threatening supply chains, Japan has mooted the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) as a trilateral approach to trade, with India and Australia as the key-partners. o The Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness for Innovation (CEPI), a global initiative, has named Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad as one of the six laboratories for assessing Covid-19 vaccine candidates that are under development o India has contributed 10 million USD to SAARC Covid-19 Emergency Fund and manufactured essential drugs, Covid

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protection and testing kits, for countries in the SAARC region (Eg. Operation Sanjeevani for Maldives).

SAGAR

. Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) was launched in 2015. It is India’s strategic vision for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). . Through SAGAR, India seeks to deepen economic and security cooperation with its maritime neighbours and assist in building their maritime security capabilities. . Further, India seeks to safeguard its national interests and ensure Indian Ocean region to become inclusive, collaborative and respect international law. . The key relevance of SAGAR emerges when seen in conjunction with India’s other policies impacting the maritime domain like Act East Policy, Project Sagarmala, Project Mausam, India as ‘net security provider’, focus on Blue Economy etc.

Other Important Groupings Associated with Indian Ocean Region

. Indian Ocean Rim Association: The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) was established in 1997. o It is aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean region. . Indian Ocean Naval Symposium: The ‘Indian Ocean Naval Symposium’ (IONS) is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime cooperation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion of regionally relevant maritime issues. . Indian Ocean Commission: Recently, India has been approved as an observer of the Indian Ocean Commission, the inter-governmental organization that coordinates maritime governance in the south-western Indian Ocean. . Asia Africa Growth Corridor: The idea of Asia Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC) emerged in the joint declaration issued by India and Japan in 2016. o The AAGC is raised on four pillars of Development and Cooperation Projects, Quality Infrastructure and Institutional Connectivity, Enhancing Capacities and Skills and People-to-People partnership.

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6. Ganga Utsav 2020

Why in News

Recently, the Ganga Utsav 2020 has begun which celebrates the glory of the National river Ganga.

. Ganga was declared as the National River of India on 4th November 2008.

Key Points

. Ganga Utsav: o The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) celebrates the festival every year.  NMCG is the implementation wing of National Ganga Council, set up in 2016, which replaced the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NRGBA). o The three-day festival aims to promote stakeholder engagement and ensure public participation. o It celebrates mystical and cultural river Ganga through storytelling, folklores, dialogues with eminent personalities, quizzes, displaying traditional art forms, dance and music performance by renowned artists, photo galleries and exhibitions and much more. . Programmes Held During the Festival: o Ganga Task Force (GTF) conducted an afforestation drive with National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets and educational tour for youth.  GTF is a unit of battalion of ex-servicemen deployed in the services of the Ganga with the approval of the Ministry of Defence for the period of four years till December 2020.  It was approved by the Cabinet under the Public Participation component of the Namami Gange Programme and the first battalion was raised in March 2016. o Mini Ganga Quest, designed to make youth and students aware of environmental issues and explain their role in conservation.  Ganga Quest is a pan India bilingual quiz to increase public participation in Namami Gange program and encourage the youth. o Suggestion on the innovative ways in which Namami Gange can engage in activities throughout the year.

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 In 2014, Namami Gange Programme was launched to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution and conservation, and rejuvenation of Ganga. . Government Initiatives on River Ganga: o Ganga Action Plan: It was the first river action plan which was taken up by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 1985, to improve the water quality by the interception, diversion and treatment of domestic sewage.  The National River Conservation Plan is an extension to this plan, which aims at cleaning the Ganga river under Ganga Action Plan phase-2. o National River Ganga Basin Authority: It was formed by the Government of India in the year 2009 under Section-3 of the Environment Protection Act 1986. o Clean Ganga Fund: In 2014, it was formed for cleaning up of the Ganga, setting up of waste treatment plants and conservation of biotic diversity of the river. o Bhuvan-Ganga Web App: It ensures the involvement of the public in the monitoring of pollution entering into the river Ganga. o Ban on Waste Disposal: In 2017, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned the disposal of any waste in the Ganga.

River Ganga

. It is the longest river of India flowing over 2,510 km of mountains, valleys and plains and is revered by Hindus as the most sacred river on earth. . It originates in the snowfields of the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas as the Bhagirathi River and is joined by other rivers such as the Alaknanda, Yamuna, Son, Gumti, Kosi and Ghagra. . The Ganga river basin is one of the most fertile and densely populated areas of the world and covers an area of 1,000,000 sq. km. . The Ganges River Dolphin is an endangered animal that specifically habitats this river. . The Ganga widens out into the Ganges Delta in the Sundarbans swamp of Bangladesh, before it ends its journey by emptying into the Bay of Bengal.

7. Initiatives for Good and Vigilant Governance

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Why in News

Recently, the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) has come up with new initiatives for good and vigilant governance on the last day of the Vigilance Awareness Week 2020.

Key Points

. Launches and Initiatives: o “Ideas Box on Good Governance Practices in a Pandemic” has been launched and operationalised both on the DARPG as well as on the MyGov platform.  It will crowdsource ideas related to good governance. o Social media tweets on the “Best Practices in e-governance” have been launched. o Round table discussion on “Satark Bharat, Samriddh Bharat” (Vigilant India, Prosperous India) was held.  It focused on key issues of preventive vigilance in the pursuit of “Naitik Bharat” (Ethical India) which includes ethics training in public services, a social audit of ethical practices, development of measurable metrics for corruption and disproportionately high impact of corruption on governance. . Vigilance Awareness Week: o The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) observes the Week every year during the week in which the birthday of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (31st October) falls. o Objective: It affirms India’s commitment to the promotion of integrity and probity in public life through citizen participation and reiterates Government’s resolve to continue the crusade against corruption. o Theme for 2020: In 2020, it was observed from 27th October to 2nd November with the theme of “Satark Bharat, Samriddh Bharat”. . Government Initiatives to Prevent and Curb Corruption: o Amendments in the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 to make the processes more equitable and reduce opportunities for corruption. o Introduction of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas. o Scaled up disposal of cases by the Central Information Commission (CIC) and the DARPG.

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o Level playing field for employment opportunities to lower-level jobs by the National Recruitment Agency (NRA). o Introduction of e-governance and Direct Benefit Scheme. o Other Related Legislations: Right to Information Act 2005, Judges (Inquiry) Act 1968, Whistleblower Protection Act, 2014, Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002, Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act 2016, etc.

Central Vigilance Commission

. About: o It is an independent body which is only responsible to the Parliament. o It is the apex vigilance institution monitoring all vigilance activity under the Central Government and advising various authorities in Central Government organisations in planning, executing, reviewing and reforming their vigilance work. . Background: o It was set up by the Government in February 1964 on the recommendations of the Committee on Prevention of Corruption, headed by K Santhanam. o The Parliament enacted the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003 conferring statutory status on the CVC. . Composition: o It is a multi-member commission consisting of a Central Vigilance Commissioner (Chairperson) and not more than 2 Vigilance Commissioners (members). o They are appointed by the President on the recommendations of a Committee consisting of the Prime Minister (Chairperson), the Minister of Home Affairs (Member) and the Leader of the Opposition in the House of the People (Member). . Tenure: o The term of office of the Central Vigilance Commissioner and the Vigilance Commissioners is 4 years from the date on which they enter their office or till they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

8. Gulf Cooperation Council and India

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Why in News

Recently, India had a virtual meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a leading regional organisation comprising almost all Arab countries.

Key Points

. Indian Workers Want to Return to Arab Countries: India has asked the members of the GCC to facilitate the return of Indians who want to resume work with the relaxing of Covid-19-related restrictions. This can happen through sustainable travel bubble arrangements. o More than eight million Indians live and work in West Asia, with a majority of them within the region covered by the GCC, which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. o ‘Transport Bubbles’ or ‘Air Travel Arrangements’ are temporary arrangements between two countries aimed at restarting commercial passenger services when regular international flights are suspended as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. They are reciprocal in nature, meaning airlines from both countries enjoy similar benefits. . Cooperation: Both sides affirmed their commitment to reform multilateral institutions to reflect the realities of the 21st century and work together to address contemporary challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, sustainable development and terrorism. o The GCC welcomed India's inclusion in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as a non-permanent member from January 2021. o India assured continuing the flow of food, medicines and essential items to the Gulf region. Supply chains from India to the Gulf were not disrupted despite the lockdowns during the pandemic.

Gulf Cooperation Council

. GCC was established by an agreement concluded in 1981 among Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE in view of their special relations, geographic proximity, similar political systems based on Islamic beliefs, joint destiny and common objectives.

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. The structure of the GCC consists of the Supreme Council (the highest authority), the Ministerial Council and the Secretariat General. The Secretariat is located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. . It is a political, economic, social, and regional organisation according to its charter.

India’s Relations with the GCC

. Political: The governments of the GCC members are India-friendly and Indian-friendly. o The Prime MInister of India has received the ‘Order of Zayed’, the highest civilian order of the UAE and the ‘King Hamad Order of the Renaissance’, the third-highest civilian order of Bahrain. o In the recent past, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have not adopted hostile posture to India’s domestic developments such as removing the special status for Jammu & Kashmir under Article 370. . Economic: The GCC states are among India’s key suppliers of energy, and annual remittances from Indians in these countries are worth an estimated USD 4.8 billion. o The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia are India’s third and fourth-largest trading partners respectively and the total bilateral trade of the GCC countries with India for the year 2018-19 stood at USD 121.34 billion. o UAE also features in the top 10 sources of FDI inflows into India. . Security: o Both India and the GCC are members of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). o Apart from the participation of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and others in India’s mega multilateral Milan Exercise, India also has bilateral exercises with most of them.  India and Oman hold annual bilateral exercises across all three wings of the armed forces (Army Exercise ‘Al Najah’, Air Force Exercise ‘Eastern Bridge’, Naval Exercise ‘Naseem al Bahr’). Further, Oman has provided the Indian Navy access to the Port of Duqm SEZ which is one of Indian Ocean’s largest deep-sea ports.  India has a bilateral naval (In-UAE BILAT) as well as an air force exercise (Desert Eagle-II) with the UAE.

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Way Forward

. The Gulf region has historical, political, economic, strategic and cultural significance for India. India-GCC Free Trade Agreement (FTA) can provide a boost to the relations. . Presently, the GCC region is volatile, thus, India needs to safeguard its large economic, political and demographic stakes in the region.

9. Review of PMBJP Why in News

Recently, the Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers has held a comprehensive review meeting of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).

Key Points

. PMBJP has achieved sales of Rs. 358 crores worth of pharma products through 6600 Janaushadhi Kendras during the first seven months of the fiscal year 2020-21 (up to 31st October) and is likely to surpass sales of Rs. 600 crore for the entire year. o Sales figure has seen a jump from Rs 7.29 crore in 2014-15 to Rs. 433 crore in 2019-20. o Janaushadhi Kendras have grown from mere 99 stores in 2014-15 to around 6600 stores in 2019-20. . The Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) was appraised for ensuring the supply of medicines and other pharma products like masks to people at affordable rates during Covid-19. o BPPI is the implementing agency of the PMBJP. o It was established in December 2008 under the Department of Pharmaceuticals and has been registered as an independent society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. . Suggestions on Improvement: o BPPI should take measures to reduce out of pocket expenditure of citizens on medicines, especially of marginalised sections of the society by strengthening supply chains and adopting innovative measures. o There is a need to work on increasing awareness of people regarding efficacy and quality of Janaushadhi medicines,

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increasing coverage with a focus on remote and rural areas, and for making sure availability of medicines at each Janaushadhi shop.

Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana

. It is a campaign launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals in 2008 under the name Janaushadi Campaign, which was revamped as PMBJP in 2015-16. . Aim: o To extend the coverage of quality generic medicines so as to reduce the out of pocket expenditure on medicines and thereby redefine the unit cost of treatment per person. o To create awareness about generic medicines through education and publicity so that quality is not synonymous with an only high price. . Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras: o Also called Janaushadhi Kendras, these were set up across the country under PMBJP to provide generic drugs.  Generic drugs are marketed under a non-proprietary or approved name rather than a brand name. These are equally effective and inexpensive compared to their counterparts. o All drugs procured under this scheme are tested for quality assurance at the National Accreditation Board Laboratories (NABL) accredited laboratories and are compliant with the World Health Organisation Good Manufacturing Practices (WHO GMP) benchmarks. o Government grants of up to Rs. 2.5 lakhs are provided for setting up of PMBJKs, which can be set up by doctors, pharmacists, entrepreneurs, Self Help Groups (SHGs), NGOs, charitable societies, etc. at any suitable place or outside the hospital premises. . Janaushadhi Week: o It was celebrated across the country from 1st to 7th March 2020, to inform and educate the general public about the price benefits and quality of the medicines being sold at Jan Aushadhi Kendras. . Janaushadhi Sugam Application: o This mobile application was launched in August 2019 to help people in:  Locating nearby Janaushadhi Kendra through Google Maps.  Searching for Janaushadhi generic medicines.

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 Analysing product comparison of generic versus branded medicine in form of Maximum Retail Price (MRP) and overall savings, etc.

10. Kerala, too, withdraws general consent to CBI

Context:

A meeting of the Cabinet decided to withdraw the general consent accorded to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to operate in Kerala.

Details:

 It would curb the agency’s operational independence in the State.  Now, the CBI can probe local cases or chargesheet suspects only with the permission of the State administration.

Concerns:

 The government had already issued a challenge to the Centre by legally challenging the decision of the CBI to investigate LIFE Mission officials on the charge of violating the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.  It had also denied the CBI permission to chargesheet officials of the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation on the charge of corruption in the procurement of raw nuts during the United Democratic Front government.  The controversial decision is likely to further strain the government’s fraught relationship with the Centre.

What is General Consent?

 The CBI is governed by the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act that makes consent of a state government mandatory for conducting an investigation in that state.  The general consent is routinely given by State governments for periods ranging from six months to a year to the CBI and all agencies under the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946.  The consent is necessary as the jurisdiction of these agencies is confined to Delhi and Union Territories under this Act.  There are two kinds of consent: case-specific and general. Given that the CBI has jurisdiction only over central government departments and employees, it can investigate a case involving state government employees

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or a violent crime in a given state only after that state government gives its consent.  “General consent” is normally given to help the CBI seamlessly conduct its investigation into cases of corruption against central government employees in the concerned state. Almost all states have given such consent. Otherwise, the CBI would require consent in every case.  Other states such as West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra have also withdrawn consent to the CBI to operate freely in their respective jurisdictions.

Does withdrawal of General Consent mean that the CBI can no longer probe any case in the state?

 Withdrawal of consent will only bar the CBI from registering a case within the jurisdiction of such states.  The CBI would still have the power to investigate old cases registered when general consent existed.  Also, cases registered anywhere else in the country, but involving people stationed in a state that has withdrawn general consent, would allow CBI’s jurisdiction to extend to these states.  There is ambiguity on whether the agency can carry out a search in either of the two states in connection with an old case without the consent of the state government.  However, there are legal remedies to that as well. The CBI can always get a search warrant from a local court in the state and conduct searches.  In case the search requires a surprise element, there is CrPC Section 166, which allows a police officer of one jurisdiction to ask an officer of another to carry out searches on his behalf.  And if the first officer feels that the searches by the latter may lead to loss of evidence, the section allows the first officer to conduct searches himself after giving a notice to the latter.

11. The financial capacity of States is being weakened

Context:

 The article discusses the decreasing financial capacity of the states; the causative factors and its consequences.

Causative factors:

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Declining actual devolution:

 There has been a notable shortfall in actual and recommended devolutions given by the Finance Commission. o In the year 2014-15, the actual devolution was 14% less than the Finance Commission’s projection. Subsequent devolutions have been consistently less every year, with the period 2019-20 resulting in a 37% decrease.  Finance Commissions recommend the share of States in the taxes raised by the Union government. Their recommendations are normally adhered to. But the current Union Government has discarded this constitutional obligation.

Shrinking divisible pool:

 The Union government has resorted to imposing or increasing cesses and surcharges instead of taxes wherever possible and, in some cases, even replaced taxes with cesses and surcharges.  Various cesses and surcharges levied by the Union government are retained fully by it. They do not go into the divisible pool. This allows the Centre to raise revenues, yet not share them with the States.  Between 2014-15 and 2019-20, cesses and surcharges soared from 9.3% to 15% of the gross tax revenue of the Union government.

GST shortfall:

 GST shortfalls have been persistent and growing from the inception of GST.  Compensation to state revenues has been paid from the GST cess revenue. However, the COVID-19 pandemic induced lockdown has drastically reduced GST collections.  Of the nearly ₹3 lakh crore GST shortfall to the States, the Centre will only compensate ₹1.8 lakh crore. The States will not get the remaining ₹1.2 lakh crore this year.

Central grants:

 Apart from the streams discussed above, Central grants are also likely to drop significantly this year due to lower than expected revenue collection for the government as well as the increased expenditure on health.

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Consequences:

 Due to the combined effect of cutbacks in devolution, the shrinking divisible pool, failure to pay full GST compensation this year and fall in Central grants, the States may experience a fall of 20%-25% in their revenues for the current fiscal year.

Short term impact:

 State governments drive a majority of the country’s development programmes. A large number of people depend on these programmes for their livelihood, development, welfare and security. Any shortfall in the availability of resources may have a negative impact on the state’s ability to deliver on these development programmes.  There has been increasing consensus on the need for a fiscal stimulus to induce economic recovery. Governments ought to spend money this year to stimulate demand. The reduced spending capability with the states will impede the recovery process as well.

Long term impact:

 Given the huge shortfalls, the States are now forced to resort to large borrowings. Repayment burden will overwhelm State budgets for several years. This would impair the state’s ability to spend on development and welfare activities.  The decreased investment in development and welfare programmes will have an adverse impact on per capita income, human resource development and poverty thus impairing economic growth potential as well.

Conclusion:

 States are at the forefront of development and growth. Strong states lead to a stronger India.  Given that the weakening of states serves neither federalism nor national interest, there is the need to guard against any such policies that weaken the states’ status or capabilities.

12. The next administration will also pursue ‘America First’

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Why U.S. election matters for the world

 The world still has need for American leadership.  It remains the world’s largest net provider of global public goods.  It is the lynchpin of the global multilateral system.  If Joe Biden wins, it is possible that America will re-engage with dignity and restore mutual respect in its relations with allies and partners, beginning with the trans-Atlantic alliance.  However, the Trump Americans, who are the new political base, will still shape American policy irrespective of who the president is.

‘America first’ is here to stay

 The American people believe that their education, employment and retirement have been impacted by the immigration, outsourcing and liberal trade policies of past administrations.  Trump America does not want more migrants, it will not support the outsourcing of jobs at the cost of their own.  It wants a fair deal on trade that does not allow cheaper imports to put small American businesses out of business.  Even a Biden administration cannot return America back to the days of open borders and free trade.  It might relax some categories of work-visas, but it cannot return to the time when outsourcing was the preferred option for American companies.  It might re-engage with the World Trade Organisation but it cannot tear down the trade barriers that Trump has erected in the name of Make in America.

Foreign policy of next administration

 The Trump Americans do not wish to spend any more taxpayer dollars on foreign wars and they want their boys and girls to come home.  They think America’s allies are not carrying their weight and are unfairly living off American contributions.  They want their allies and partners to take greater responsibility for peace and security.  Biden’s supporters hope that he can reverse the abdication of American global leadership and renew alliances, but as president he may find it difficult to go against the Trump Americans on issues like China, Iran and

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climate change, without endangering the Democratic Party’s long-term interests.  And if Trump is re-elected as the president, it will only be because of his core voter base and it will strengthen his resolve.

Implications for the world

 Whether or not America withdraws from the world, American leadership, as we know it, might be over.  America will become more transactional and less generous.  Common values like democracy or multipolarity may be of lesser importance in America’s scheme of things.  Whether it is Trump or Biden, the Sino-US relationship will remain complicated and rivalrous.  Whether it is Trump or Biden, the Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran cannot be restored.  Whether it is Trump or Biden, American troops will soon be gone from Afghanistan.  There will be less willingness to consider emerging economies as deserving beneficiaries of concessional arrangements.  A Biden presidency might also mean a more critical look at the record of not just authoritarian states but also democracies on issues like labour, environment and non-proliferation.

Implications for India

 President Trump has been good for India in terms of foreign policy, less so in terms of economic policy.  But Delhi should equally be prepared for the Trump administration to ratchet up pressure on trade and to tighten rules on immigration.  With Biden, India and the US might return to a more balanced re- engagement on trade and immigration, but should be prepared for a more accommodative policy on both Pakistan and China than Trump’s.

Conclusion

Whoever is the next occupant of the White House, the way Americans voted on November 3 will shape American policy and politics for years to come.

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13. India-UAE Meet on Investments Why in News

Recently, the eighth meeting of the India-UAE High-Level Joint Task Force on Investments has been virtually hosted by India in the wake of the ongoing pandemic.

Key Points

. The Joint Task Force was created in 2012 as a crucial forum for further deepening the economic ties between the UAE and India. o The mechanism has assumed greater importance as the two countries signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) Agreement in January 2017 and the Joint Task Force is an integral component of it.  The focus areas underlined in the CSP were economy with emphasis on a two-way flow of investments, counter-terror cooperation and defence ties.  India has signed CSPs with the UK, Indonesia, Vietnam and Australia. . At the meeting, both sides reviewed the existing UAE Plus and the Fast Track Mechanism created in 2018. o UAE Plus is a special and dedicated desk constituted under Invest India with Arabic speaking officials to help facilitate investments. o The Fast Track Mechanism aims to resolve any challenges experienced by UAE investors in India. . Scope of Improvement: o Explore ways to facilitate investments in key Indian and UAE sectors with potential for economic growth, and to maintain their dialogue and further build on the considerable achievements of the Joint Task Force. o Encourage investment and cooperation in areas of mutual interest with the purpose to stimulate economic activities in the post-Covid- 19 times. o Address specific barriers to trade, like anti-dumping duties, tariffs and regulatory restrictions between the two countries with an aim to further strengthen the trade and economic ties and to coordinate efforts and promote mutual cooperation.

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o Continue the work between respective civil aviation authorities to ensure speedy normalisation of air transport operations for their mutual benefit. o Development and operation of UAE-based funds to invest in India, in the light of the Foreign Portfolio Investor Regulations 2019 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).  India agreed to look into these issues with the objective of facilitating further direct investments of UAE-based funds and seeking mutually beneficial solutions in that regard. o Focus on opportunities for cooperation and potential investments in key sectors in India including the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry, mobility and logistics, food and agriculture, energy and utilities and others.

India-UAE Relations

. India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) enjoy strong bonds of friendship based on age-old cultural, religious and economic ties between the two nations. . The relationship flourished after the accession of H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan as the Ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1966 and subsequently with the creation of the UAE Federation in 1971. . Political Relations: o In August 2019, UAE awarded ZAYED Medal, their highest civilian award, to the Prime Minister of India for consolidating the long- standing friendship and joint strategic cooperation between the two nations. o Indian Prime Minister’s visit to the UAE in August 2015 marked the beginning of a new and comprehensive and strategic partnership. o The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi visited India in February 2016 and had wide-ranging discussions on bilateral, regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest. . Commercial Relations: o India-UAE trade was around USD 59 billion making UAE, India’s third-largest trading partner for the year 2019-20 after China and the USA. o The UAE is the second-largest export destination of India with an amount of over USD 29 billion for the year 2019-20.

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o For the UAE, India is the second-largest trading partner for the year 2019 with an amount of around USD 41.43 billion for non-oil trade. o India’s Major Exports: Food items, Machinery, Gems and Jewellery, Textiles, Engineering and Machinery Products, Chemicals, etc. o India’s Major Import: Crude Oil, Petroleum and Petroleum Products, Precious Metals, Minerals, Chemicals, Wood and Wood Products. . Cultural Relations: o The two nations share historical ties and have maintained regular cultural exchanges both at official and popular levels. o They signed a Cultural Agreement in 1975 and the embassies continue to organise various cultural activities on their own as well as by collaborating with other cultural organisations. . Indian Community: o The UAE is home to the Indian expatriate community of more than 2.6 million, the largest expatriate community in the UAE, which has played a major role in the economic development of the UAE. o Recently, India has asked the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which also includes UAE, to facilitate the return of Indians who want to resume work with the relaxing of Covid-19- related restrictions.

Recent Developmental Events in the UAE

. In March 2019, the 46th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), was held in Abu Dhabi where India was invited as a guest of honour. o The UAE hosted the event and had strongly defended the decision to invite India despite Pakistan’s strong objection and threat to boycott the event. . In February 2020, the UAE issued an operating licence for the Arab world's first nuclear power plant, paving the way for it to start production in 2020. . UAE Mars Mission: In July 2020, the UAE launched a Mars probe named Amal (Hope) from Japan, marking the Arab world’s first interplanetary mission. . In September 2020, the UAE signed the Abraham Accord with Israel and Bahrain, which is the first Arab-Israeli peace deal in 26 years.

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14. Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Awards

Why in News

Recently, the Union Minister of Science and Technology has given Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Awards to encourage technology students to move towards setting up biotechnology and other start-ups.

Key Points

. GYTI awards constitute two categories of awards: o Students Innovations for Advancement of Research Explorations- Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (SITARE-GYTI):  Given To: Every year to the most promising technologies developed by the students in life sciences, biotechnology, agriculture, medical devices, etc.  Given By: The Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a public sector enterprise, set up by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). o Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technological Innovations-Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (SRISTI- GYTI):  Given To: Every year to students in other engineering disciplines except for the ones covered by SITARE-GYTI.  Given By: Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technological Innovations (SRISTI), a developmental voluntary organisation.

Initiatives Aimed at Boosting Start-Ups

. Scientific Social Responsibility Policy: o Currently, the government is working on a Scientific Social Responsibility Policy with a focus on how efforts of scientists can benefit all sections of society. . Biotechnology Ignition Grant Scheme: o It is the flagship programme of BIRAC, which provides support to young startups and entrepreneurial individuals. o It is the largest early-stage biotech funding programme in India with the funding grant of up to Rs. 5 million to best in class innovative ideas to build and refine the idea to proof-of-concept.

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o Aims:  Foster generation of ideas with commercialisation potential.  Upscale and validate proof of concept.  Encourage researchers to take technology closer to market through a start-up.  Stimulate enterprise formation. . Encouraging Youth for Undertaking Innovative Research through Vibrant Acceleration (E-YUVA) Scheme: o It will engage a number of universities and technology institutes to serve as mentors, which will help to create a pan-India network to encourage a larger number of student entrepreneurs. o It aims to promote a culture of applied research and need-oriented (societal or industry) entrepreneurial innovation among young students and researchers. o It is implemented through E-YUVA Centres (EYCs) to inculcate entrepreneurial culture through fellowship, pre-incubation and mentoring support. o It provides support for students under the following two categories:  BIRAC’s Innovation Fellows (for postgraduates and above).  BIRAC’s E-Yuva Fellows (for undergraduate students). . Biologically-inspired Resilient Autonomic Cloud (BioRAC) helps more and more students who try to set up start-ups and help India become Atmanirbhar (self-reliant). o BioRAC employs biologically inspired techniques and multi-level tunable redundancy techniques to increase attack and exploitation resilience in cloud computing, helping it tolerate and minimise the impact of novel cyber-attacks.

15. Growing Trend of Jobs for Locals

Why in News

Recently, Haryana Assembly has passed the Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Bill, 2020 to reserve 75% of private-sector jobs in the state for local residents.

. It has led to a new debate on the growing trend of jobs for locals and the associated concerns.

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Key Points

. Provisions of the Bill: o Every employer shall employ 75% of the local candidates with respect to such posts where the gross monthly salary or wages are not more than Rs. 50,000 or as notified by the government, from time to time. o Provided that the local candidates may be from any district of the State, but the employer may, at his option, restrict the employment of local candidates from any district to 10% of the total number of local candidates. o A designated portal shall be made on which local candidates and the employer will have to register and local candidates shall not be eligible to avail the benefit unless they register themselves on the designated portal. . Once it becomes law, it will apply to companies, societies, trusts, limited liability partnership firms, partnership firms, etc. located across the state. . It has been criticised for not being in the best interest of the industries as it will affect the competitiveness of the industries and will lead to loss of investments in Haryana.

Jobs For Locals

. Job Reservation for Locals: o Nativism, the cry for job protection of locals, has been on a rise recently in India. o Various states have taken similar steps with respect to job reservation for locals (JRFL) with the promised reservations ranging from 30% to the more common range of 70-80%. o The move is applicable to both the government and/or the private sector. . Earlier Attempts: o It has been mooted by several parties (ruling or opposition leaders) in States such as Maharashtra (1968 onwards and 2008), Himachal Pradesh (2004), Odisha (2008), Karnataka (2014, 2016, 2019), Andhra Pradesh (2019), Madhya Pradesh (2019). o However, none of these has been implemented and has remained only on paper due to lack of implementation mechanism and reluctant attitudes of industries bodies.

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. The Constitution of India guarantees freedom of movement and consequently employment within India through several provisions. o Article 14 provides for equality before law irrespective of place of birth. o Article 15 guards against discrimination based on place of birth. o Article 16 guarantees no birthplace-based discrimination in public employment. o Article 19 ensures that citizens can move freely throughout the territory of India. . Reasons Behind Such Legislations: o Vote Bank Politics: Inter-state migrant workers (ISMW) constitute a sizeable “under-used or un-used” electorate as they often do not exercise voting rights. If these workers and potential migrants could be retained through JRFL and provided with jobs, the parties’ electoral causes will be served. o Economic Sluggishness: The native unemployment issue assumes relevance as joblessness has intensified in the context of shrinking government employment. o Increased Incomes and Talent: JRFL will not only retain talent but also incomes which otherwise will go to “other regions”. o Precondition for Land Acquisition: Farmers and villagers, who lose their land in the process of land acquisition for industries, keep such preconditions in which industries have to provide jobs to local youth. . Impacts: o Reduced job creation due to deterrence for industries in a state with such restrictions. This would do more harm to natives than actually benefiting them. o Such restrictions may hamper the growth and development prospects of the respective state as well as the country by affecting ease of doing business. o Restrictions on labour mobility would disregard this advantage of the diverse labour pool, which is a strength of the Indian economy. o May promote aggressive regionalism and thus a threat to the unity and integrity of India. o Increased risks of labour shortages, rise in unemployment, aggravate wage inflation and worsened regional inequalities are few other possible impacts.

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Way Forward

. The idea of JRFL amounts to carving out ‘countries’ within a country and is based on a dubious assumption that skills in the local market are omnipresent. . The best way to grow out of it is to ensure economic recovery and provide enough job opportunities for youths with skill training and proper education as key focus areas, enabling the masses to compete in the free market. . States need to create a framework where safe interstate migration for work is facilitated and fiscal coordination is pursued to enable the portability of social security benefits. If this is done, interstate migration would rise and provide more opportunities to remedy regional disparities.

16. Biden, India and comfort in the old normal

Context:

 With the results of the U.S. Democratic candidate Joe Biden seizing the lead in the presidential elections the attention in India turns to what kind of foreign policy changes he will bring to India-U.S. relations.  The article analyses how in general; India could still be in a sweet spot / stand to benefit if there is a political change and a new administration in the U.S.

How will Mr. Biden’s Victory affect India – U.S Relations?

 Specific policies of Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump in the international arena may not differ as much as their political styles and their ideologies do. For example: o In 2009, building an alternative plan to Afghanistan, to present to U.S. Generals pushing for the surge of up to 400,000 troops to win the war in Afghanistan, Mr. Biden suggested that the U.S. did not need more troops; instead it needed to pull out, and focus on a five- point agenda for what he called “Counter-terrorism Plus”. o A decade later, it was President Donald Trump who picked up ideas similar to the Biden plan, when he ordered a large-scale pullout of U.S. troops, limited U.S. presence at bases and its mission in Afghanistan.  While Mr. Trump owned the Indo-Pacific policy later, the policy owes its origins to the Obama-Biden administration.

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o It first focused on “Asia-Pacific” in order to build a coalition to counter Chinese inroads in the region. o During his visit to New Delhi in 2015, Mr. Obama signed the first India-U.S. vision statement on the subject.  It is also likely that Mr. Biden will strengthen military cooperation and push the sale of U.S. military hardware while also building on the military foundational agreements with India.  While Mr. Biden cannot undo many of the measures put into motion by the Trump administration (with respect to trade), he could restore India’s Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) status for exporters.  If he chooses to be more flexible, the U.S could wrap up a mini-trade deal that the U.S. Trade Representative and Indian Commerce Minister have been working on.  With respect to visas, Mr. Biden gave Indian-Americans some assurances at a campaign speech. o He already has an in-house understanding of the value of Indian immigrants to the U.S., and the importance of India’s outsourcing industry to the U.S.

What are the Friction Areas?

 In a speech in 2013 during a visit to Mumbai, Mr. Biden had said: “We admire the way you’ve melded ethnicities, faiths and tongues into a single, proud nation; the way entrepreneurship seems almost hard-wired into Indian society, from rickshaw-wallas to web programmers; and maybe most of all, we admire your democracy and the message that your democracy sends to people everywhere in the world.”  Where there is likely to be some friction, especially given India’s pending review by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, is where the Democratic Party leadership, have been particularly vocal, i.e, the issues relating to: o Jammu-Kashmir o The Citizenship (Amendment) Act o Communal and caste-based violence o Actions against non-governmental organisations and media freedoms.  These are areas Mr. Trump ignored for most part but are areas where Mr. Biden once said the U.S. admired India the most.

International outlook:

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 Biden’s foreign policy will be watched for how many of Mr. Trump’s decisions would be reversed, including the pull-out from the multilateral world order such as: o The World Health Organisation, UNESCO, Human Rights Council. o Agreements such as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the Iran nuclear deal, the Paris Climate Accord. o Traditional trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific alliances.  He will also be watched for what concrete measures he takes in order to strengthen the rules-based international order to ensure the countries that go against it the most, including China, Russia, and even the United States are held accountable.

17. India-Italy Bilateral Summit

Why in News

Recently, a virtual Bilateral Summit between India and Italy has been held to comprehensively review the broad framework of the bilateral relationship and also strengthen cooperation against common global challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic.

Key Points

. Both nations decided to adopt the Action Plan for an enhanced Partnership between India and Italy (2020-2024) to set up priorities, strategic goals and mechanisms of a bilateral partnership. . Economic Engagement: o Agreed to coordinate closely at multilateral fora especially G-20.  Italy will assume the Presidency of G-20 in December 2021 followed by India in 2022.  Saudi Arabia is holding the current presidency of G20. o Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Cassa Depositi Prestiti (CDP), an Italian investment bank and National Infrastructure Investment Fund (NIIF) to promote innovative financial schemes capable of supporting bilateral investments.  Italy is India’s fifth-largest trading partner in the European Union (EU). . Defence Cooperation:

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o Underscored the need to further expand defence engagement through greater two-way collaboration and technology cooperation, co-development and co-production. o Recognised the opportunity to consolidate defence relations with the aim of enhancing the effectiveness of peacekeeping activities within the framework of the United Nations (UN). . Cooperation During Covid-19 Pandemic: o Italy thanked India for extending support during the pandemic by supplying medicines and personal protection equipment (PPE).  The Indian community in Italy is the second-largest community of Indians in Europe after the UK. o Reiterated that the pandemic calls for an inclusive multilateral approach to health protection, especially in the framework of the UN and the World Health Organisation (WHO). o Welcomed the World Health Summit, which will be held in Italy in 2021, in cooperation with the European Union (EU) Commission.  The World Health Summit is one of the world’s leading strategic forums for global health and is held in October every year. . Science, Technology and Research Collaboration: o Welcomed the progress made under India-Italy Science and Technology Cooperation and the India-Italy Executive Programme of Cooperation. o Welcomed the establishment of Thematic Working Groups as a method of work between the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as well as the creation of the first joint ASI-ISRO working group in heliophysics.  Heliophysics is the study of the effects of the Sun on the Solar System. . Cooperation for Counter-Terrorism and Security: o Pledged to strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism and transnational crime both at a bilateral level and in multilateral fora and also agreed to hold the next meeting of the ‘India-Italy Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism’ to further advance cooperation, exchange of expertise and capacity building in 2021. . Regional Cooperation and Connectivity: o India and Italy acknowledged the potential of new international organisations such as the Coalition on Disaster Resilient Infrastructures (CDRI) and the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

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 India welcomed Italy joining ISA after it coming into force of the universalisation of ISA.  India also welcomed Italy’s engagement in the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and Italy’s new status as Development Partner of ASEAN. . Multilateral Cooperation on Environment: o Reaffirmed their commitment to the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement and their respective nationally determined contributions (NDCs). o Highlighted the significance of cooperation in the run-up to the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) of the UNFCCC, which will be organised in 2021 by the UK in partnership with Italy.

18. India and Biden

Context:

 The election of Joe Biden as the 46th US president.

Background:

 The current Indian administration had invested considerably in the Trump administration. o The Houston and Ahmedabad rallies with Mr. Trump indicated a virtual endorsement for his re-election. o The External Affairs Minister had refused a meeting with the Democrat-led House Foreign Affairs Committee. o India’s invitation to senior Trump officials, for “2+2” talks just before the U.S. elections, also indicated India’s expectation of a Trump win.  There are concerns that this could antagonize the incoming administration and its India foreign policy.

Details:

 The article analyzes what could be the potential impact of the change in U.S. presidentship on the India-U.S. relations. The change in U.S. presidentship could be a mixed bag for the government.

Positives for India:

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Incoming President’s previous stance:

 Biden has been a long-time supporter of the U.S.-India relationship.  Given the incoming President’s understanding of foreign policy and his previous role in strengthening India-U.S. relations during his tenure as the Vice-president, India could expect a favourable U.S. stance towards India.

Change in Trump-era policies:

 With the change in leadership, there could be moves to reverse some of the Trump-era policies.

Climate Deal:

 There could be the US’s return to the Paris climate accord.  This would serve well for India given India’s stance of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) in climate negotiations. The return of the U.S. to the Paris accord would provide the much-needed impetus to climate action and this in itself would serve India’s interest in that it continues to remain one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change.  The U.S.’s return would also aid the provision of the financial resources and technology to developing countries like India as envisaged in the Paris Accord.

Iran nuclear negotiations:

 There could be a potential watering down of tensions between the U.S. and Iran given the chances of the U.S. returning back to nuclear negotiations with Iran.  This augurs well for India given that it would no longer be required to walk the tight rope and choose between the U.S. or Iran as during the Trump presidency. This would provide some much-needed succour to the India-Iran bilateral relations which have been on the downturn lately.  This would allow India to deepen its cooperation with Iran without the fear of U.S. sanctions and help counter the increasing influence of China in Iran. This will also facilitate India’s regional connectivity ambitions through projects such as the Chabahar port project and the construction of the Chabahar-Zahedan rail link.

Afghan peace process:

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 Though it is highly unlikely that Mr. Joe Biden would reverse the Afghan pullout process, it might be possible that he might ensure a more measured exit. This would be beneficial as it provides the Afghanistan government more time and U.S. support to adapt to the U.S. pullout.  Given the potential negative impact of U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan on India’s security and its interests in Afghanistan and the region, the longer presence of the U.S. also entails several positives for India.

Views on multilateralism:

 Biden’s stated intention to re-energise the multilateral global order is in line with India’s support for global rule-based multilateralism.

Trade relations:

 India could expect a more favourable US trade policy towards itself as against the ‘America first’ policy under Mr. Trump.

Leadership style:

 Biden’s presidency promises a change in leadership style, with more process-driven decisions. India would benefit from policy consistency as there would not be sudden moves such as Mr. Trump’s withdrawal of India’s GSP export status or the restrictions on H1B visas.

Indian Diaspora:

 Indian immigrants into the U.S. stand to gain under the Biden presidency given the stated position of the democrats on the issue of reform of H1B visas and green card policies.  The new president is expected to take a more pro-immigration stand.

Negatives for India:

Approach towards China:

 Though the new president is expected to maintain the pushback against China, the overtly pro-India and anti-China approach under President Trump may not continue. This may place India in a disadvantageous position vis-a-vis China in the ongoing border dispute in Ladakh.

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Statements on India’s internal matters:

 The previous statements of the President-elect on India’s internal matters like the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, the issue of human rights and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act threaten to impact India-U.S. relations.

Conclusion:

 The U.S. president may not take an anti-India stand due to the following reasons/factors: o India enjoys bipartisan support in the U.S. across both the Democratic and Republican parties. o The active Indian diaspora is a politically influential group and the new president who has received support from this community may not take anti-India stands. o China is a common threat for both countries and India is the U.S.’s major Asian partner and the U.S.’s strategic counter to China and it cannot afford to sour its relation with a strategic partner like India. o Given the mutual benefits of defence partnership, it is likely to continue even under the new presidentship.  While India should be prepared to hold its own in tough conversations on sensitive internal issues, India should also prepare to adjust its responses to the U.S. administration.  International relations are always transactional and it does not matter which party/individual is in power unless and until there are mutual interests involved. The same holds true for the India-U.S. relationship.

19. ‘Strategic comfort’ with the Maldives

Context:

 The visit of the Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla to the Maldives.

Background:

India-Maldives bilateral ties:

People to people relations:

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 India and the Maldives have had bilateral relations for centuries.  Maldivian students attend educational institutions in India and Maldivian patients come to India for super-specialty healthcare, aided by a liberal visa-free regime extended by India. This has increased the people to people contact between the two countries.

Economic relations:

 Tourism is the mainstay of the Maldivian economy accounting for a major proportion of its economy. Indian tourists account for a large share of tourist inflow into the Maldives.

Humanitarian assistance:

 India has always offered emergency assistance to the Maldives. o In 1988, under Operation Cactus, India sent paratroopers and Navy vessels when armed mercenaries attempted a coup against President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. o India offered medical aid and essential goods to the Maldives in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. o When the Maldives faced a drinking water crisis, India rushed fresh water supplies through the Indian Navy. o Considering the geographical limitations of Maldives, India has exempted the Maldives from export curbs on essential commodities during the ongoing pandemic. India has also offered $250 million aid to the Maldives apart from offering medical supplies.

See-saw in India-Maldives relations:

 The robust bilateral relations between India and Maldives took a downturn under the presidentship of Abdulla Yameen, under whom the Maldives increasingly tilted towards China and exhibited a negative bias against India and its interests.  The election of Ibrahim Solih as the Maldivian President has provided the much-needed impetus to India-Maldives bilateral relations, especially on the economic front. o India has offered massive developmental funding for creating physical, social and community infrastructure in the Maldives. o The Solih government has propounded an ‘India First’ policy from day one of assuming the office and has proposed a balanced

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approach towards trilateral equations between India-Maldives- China.

Concerns:

 There have been ‘India Out’ protests going on in the Maldives, mainly headed by the Yameen camp. They are complaining against the Solih government’s increasing reliance on Indian funding and the administration’s decision to retain two India-gifted helicopters and their operational military personnel.  Though India can take respite in the ‘strategic comfort’ of the ‘India First’ policy of the Solih government, India should be concerned about the ‘India out’ protests.  The intra-party rumblings within the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) do not augur well for its prospects in the upcoming 2023 presidential polls.

Significance of the bilateral relation:

For India:

 The Maldives constitutes a major component of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy given its proximity to India. India and Maldives are neighbours sharing a maritime border.  The Maldives is also important for India for its Indian Ocean region policy. The Maldives could play a significant role in protecting India’s increasing geostrategic concerns in the shared seas. Closer India- Maldives relations can help limit the growing influence of China in the Indian Ocean region.  The increasing influence of radical Islam in the Maldives could pose a security threat for India in the coming years. Engaging and supporting the Maldives in its fight against extremism could also help India.

For the Maldives:

 India contributes to maintaining security in the Maldives. It has gifted defence equipment based on Maldives’ requests.  India has provided extensive economic aid and has participated in bilateral programmes for the development of infrastructure, health, telecommunications and labour resources.

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 Given that India is a major power in the Indian Ocean region, Maldives would be served well to maintain a robust relationship with India.

Conclusion:

 India and Maldives must push for taking forward the multifaceted cooperation between the two nations to the next stage. This could serve the mutual interests of both nations.  India should also work towards building bipartisan consensus in the Maldives for strengthening the bilateral relations.

20.Impact of US Election Results on India

Why in News

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. has defeated Donald Trump to become the 46th US President.

. Biden’s running mate Kamala Devi Harris has become the first woman and first Indian- and African- American Vice President of the country. Biden and Harris will be sworn into office on 20th January 2021. . The US has a Presidential System, whereas India has the Parliamentary System of Government. . There are several ways in which the US economy, its health and the policy choices of its government affect India. Both the countries recently had 2+2 dialogue.

US Presidential System

. The US President is both the head of the State and head of the Government. . The law making is done by the legislature (called the Congress in the US), but the President can veto any law. . S/he has a fixed tenure of four years and completes it even if her/his party does not have a majority in the Congress. . The President and the Vice President are chosen by ‘electors’ through a process called the Electoral College. o The presidential candidate of each of the political parties, chooses a vice presidential running mate. Voters vote on the two— presidential and vice presidential candidates—as a team.

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. The President can be removed for conviction of treason, bribery, or other high crimes or misdemeanor.

Indian Parliamentary System

. There is a President who is the formal Head of the state of India and the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, which run the government at the national level. . The Constitution of India vests the executive power of the Union formally in the President. In reality, the President exercises these powers through the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. o The Prime Minister has the support of majority in the Lok Sabha. . The President is elected for a period of five years. S/he is elected indirectly. This means that the President is elected not by the ordinary citizens but by the elected MLAs and MPs. . The President can be removed only for ‘violation of the Constitution’ (impeachment procedure).

Key Points

. Economic Relations: Under Biden administration, India’s trade with the US could recover from the dip since 2017-18. o Trade Surplus: A recent analysis by experts of CARE Ratings (a credit rating agency) shows that over the past 20 years, India has always had a trade surplus (exports exceeding imports) with the US.  The trade surplus has widened from USD 5.2 billion in 2001- 02 to USD 17.3 billion in 2019-20. Trade surplus had peaked at USD 21.2 billion in 2017-18 and has moderated to some extent.  In 2019-20, India exported goods worth USD 53 billion to the US - that’s roughly 17% of all Indian exports that year and imported goods worth USD 35.7 billion in return - that’s roughly 7.5% of all Indian imports. o Trade in Services: India accounts for nearly 5% of USA’s services imports from the World. o Investment:  The US is the fifth-biggest source for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI - investment in the physical assets inside

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India) into India. Only Mauritius, Singapore, Netherlands, and Japan have invested more FDI since 2000.  The US also accounts for one-third of all Foreign Portfolio Investments (that is, investment in financial assets) into India. . H1-B Visa Issue: How a US President looks at the H1-B visa issue, affects the prospects of Indian youth far more than the youth of any other country. o Under President Trump, who severely curtailed the visa regime, owing to his policy of “America First”, India had suffered the most. o H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows American companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. . US’ Generalized System of Preference: India’s exclusion from the US’ Generalized System of Preference (GSP) could come up for reconsideration under Biden. o In 2019, President Donald Trump had terminated India's designation as a beneficiary developing nation under the GSP trade programme after determining that it has not assured the US that it will provide "equitable and reasonable access" to its markets. o India was the largest beneficiary of the programme in 2017 with USD 5.7 billion in imports to the US given duty-free status. o GSP is designed to promote economic development by allowing duty-free entry for thousands of products from designated beneficiary countries. . Other Issues: Other points of contention between India and US - such as the tricky issue of data localisation or capping prices of medicines and medical devices - have a chance of getting towards a resolution. o Further, under the Trump administration, the US sanctions on Iran severely limited India’s sourcing of cheap crude oil. o On China, it is more likely that a Biden administration will help India against China, instead of clubbing the two together. . Paris Climate Accord: Biden has promised to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, and this may help countries such as India in dealing with the massive challenges - both technical and financial - on this front. . Civil Liberties and Democratic Rights in India: o Although some US Congressmen and women had raised red flags on the human rights situation following the revoking of J&K’s special status under Article 370 and passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act alongside the proposed nationwide National

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Register of Citizens (NRC), the Trump administration had not taken any actions beyond making some perfunctory statements. o According to the Biden campaign’s policy paper, Biden has been “disappointed by the measures that the Government of India has taken with the implementation and aftermath of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam and the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act into law”.

Way Forward

. India should be prepared to hold its own in tough conversations on sensitive issues. A Biden presidency may see a renewed push towards a rules-based trading system across the world - instead of outright ad- hocism as was the case under Trump - as well as a move away from the protectionist approach that has been getting strong across the world. . Combined with the control of Covid infections and the economic recovery, the US could yet again provide a growth impulse to the global economy that countries such as India need to boost their exports and grow.

21. Punjab revokes general consent given to CBI

Context:

The Punjab government has withdrawn general consent given to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for investigating cases in the State.

Details:

 The CBI derives its legal powers from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946.  With the withdrawal of general consent for investigating cases by “members of the Delhi Special Police Establishment”, the CBI would have to seek prior permission from the State government for conducting any investigation.

Details:

 It would curb the agency’s operational independence in the State.  Now, the CBI can probe local cases or chargesheet suspects only with the permission of the State administration.

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Concerns:

 The government had already issued a challenge to the Centre by legally challenging the decision of the CBI to investigate LIFE Mission officials on the charge of violating the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.  It had also denied the CBI permission to chargesheet officials of the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation on the charge of corruption in the procurement of raw nuts during the United Democratic Front government.  The controversial decision is likely to further strain the government’s fraught relationship with the Centre.

What is General Consent?

 The CBI is governed by the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act that makes consent of a state government mandatory for conducting an investigation in that state.  The general consent is routinely given by State governments for periods ranging from six months to a year to the CBI and all agencies under the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946.  The consent is necessary as the jurisdiction of these agencies is confined to Delhi and Union Territories under this Act.  There are two kinds of consent: case-specific and general. Given that the CBI has jurisdiction only over central government departments and employees, it can investigate a case involving state government employees or a violent crime in a given state only after that state government gives its consent.  “General consent” is normally given to help the CBI seamlessly conduct its investigation into cases of corruption against central government employees in the concerned state. Almost all states have given such consent. Otherwise, the CBI would require consent in every case.  Other states such as West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra have also withdrawn consent to the CBI to operate freely in their respective jurisdictions.

Does withdrawal of General Consent mean that the CBI can no longer probe any case in the state?

 Withdrawal of consent will only bar the CBI from registering a case within the jurisdiction of such states.

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 The CBI would still have the power to investigate old cases registered when general consent existed.  Also, cases registered anywhere else in the country, but involving people stationed in a state that has withdrawn general consent, would allow CBI’s jurisdiction to extend to these states.  There is ambiguity on whether the agency can carry out a search in either of the two states in connection with an old case without the consent of the state government.  However, there are legal remedies to that as well. The CBI can always get a search warrant from a local court in the state and conduct searches.  In case the search requires a surprise element, there is CrPC Section 166, which allows a police officer of one jurisdiction to ask an officer of another to carry out searches on his behalf.  And if the first officer feels that the searches by the latter may lead to loss of evidence, the section allows the first officer to conduct searches himself after giving a notice to the latter.

22. The real significance of the Biden win

Background:

 The current Indian administration had invested considerably in the Trump administration. o The Houston and Ahmedabad rallies with Mr. Trump indicated a virtual endorsement for his re-election. o The External Affairs Minister had refused a meeting with the Democrat-led House Foreign Affairs Committee. o India’s invitation to senior Trump officials, for “2+2” talks just before the U.S. elections, also indicated India’s expectation of a Trump win.  There are concerns that this could antagonize the incoming administration and its India foreign policy.

Details:

 The article analyzes what could be the potential impact of the change in U.S. presidentship on the India-U.S. relations. The change in U.S. presidentship could be a mixed bag for the government.

Positives for India:

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Incoming President’s previous stance:

 Biden has been a long-time supporter of the U.S.-India relationship.  Given the incoming President’s understanding of foreign policy and his previous role in strengthening India-U.S. relations during his tenure as the Vice-president, India could expect a favourable U.S. stance towards India.

Change in Trump-era policies:

 With the change in leadership, there could be moves to reverse some of the Trump-era policies.

Climate Deal:

 There could be the US’s return to the Paris climate accord.  This would serve well for India given India’s stance of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) in climate negotiations. The return of the U.S. to the Paris accord would provide the much-needed impetus to climate action and this in itself would serve India’s interest in that it continues to remain one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change.  The U.S.’s return would also aid the provision of the financial resources and technology to developing countries like India as envisaged in the Paris Accord.

Iran nuclear negotiations:

 There could be a potential watering down of tensions between the U.S. and Iran given the chances of the U.S. returning back to nuclear negotiations with Iran.  This augurs well for India given that it would no longer be required to walk the tight rope and choose between the U.S. or Iran as during the Trump presidency. This would provide some much-needed succour to the India-Iran bilateral relations which have been on the downturn lately.  This would allow India to deepen its cooperation with Iran without the fear of U.S. sanctions and help counter the increasing influence of China in Iran. This will also facilitate India’s regional connectivity ambitions through projects such as the Chabahar port project and the construction of the Chabahar-Zahedan rail link.

Afghan peace process:

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 Though it is highly unlikely that Mr. Joe Biden would reverse the Afghan pullout process, it might be possible that he might ensure a more measured exit. This would be beneficial as it provides the Afghanistan government more time and U.S. support to adapt to the U.S. pullout.  Given the potential negative impact of U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan on India’s security and its interests in Afghanistan and the region, the longer presence of the U.S. also entails several positives for India.

Views on multilateralism:

 Biden’s stated intention to re-energise the multilateral global order is in line with India’s support for global rule-based multilateralism.

Trade relations:

 India could expect a more favourable US trade policy towards itself as against the ‘America first’ policy under Mr. Trump.

Leadership style:

 Biden’s presidency promises a change in leadership style, with more process-driven decisions. India would benefit from policy consistency as there would not be sudden moves such as Mr. Trump’s withdrawal of India’s GSP export status or the restrictions on H1B visas.

Indian Diaspora:

 Indian immigrants into the U.S. stand to gain under the Biden presidency given the stated position of the democrats on the issue of reform of H1B visas and green card policies.  The new president is expected to take a more pro-immigration stand.

Negatives for India:

Approach towards China:

 Though the new president is expected to maintain the pushback against China, the overtly pro-India and anti-China approach under President Trump may not continue. This may place India in a disadvantageous position vis-a-vis China in the ongoing border dispute in Ladakh.

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Statements on India’s internal matters:

 The previous statements of the President-elect on India’s internal matters like the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, the issue of human rights and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act threaten to impact India-U.S. relations.

Conclusion:

 The U.S. president may not take an anti-India stand due to the following reasons/factors: o India enjoys bipartisan support in the U.S. across both the Democratic and Republican parties. o The active Indian diaspora is a politically influential group and the new president who has received support from this community may not take anti-India stands. o China is a common threat for both countries and India is the U.S.’s major Asian partner and the U.S.’s strategic counter to China and it cannot afford to sour its relation with a strategic partner like India. o Given the mutual benefits of defence partnership, it is likely to continue even under the new presidentship.  While India should be prepared to hold its own in tough conversations on sensitive internal issues, India should also prepare to adjust its responses to the U.S. administration.  International relations are always transactional and it does not matter which party/individual is in power unless and until there are mutual interests involved. The same holds true for the India-U.S. relationship.

23. How a Biden’s Presidency may affect India? (1) Economic Impact

Trade

 There are several ways in which the US economy, its health and the policy choices of its government affect India.  For one, the US is one of those rare big countries with which India enjoys a trade surplus. In other words, we export more goods to the US than what we import from it.  The trade surplus has widened from $5.2 billion in 2001-02 to $17.3 billion in 2019-20.

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 Under a Biden administration, India’s trade with the US could recover from the dip since 2017-18.

FDI and FPI

 The US is the fifth-biggest source for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into India. Of the total $476 billion FDI that has come in since April 2000, the US accounted for $30.4 billion — roughly 6.5 per cent — directly.  Only Mauritius, Singapore, Netherlands, and Japan have invested more FDI since 2000.  Apart from FDI the US also accounts for one-third of all Foreign Portfolio Investments (that is, investment in financial assets) into India.

Ending protectionism

 A Biden presidency may also see a renewed push towards a rules-based trading system across the world.  Instead of outright ad-hocism as was the case under Trump — as well as a move away from the protectionist approach that has been getting strong across the world.

(2) Visa

 For instance, how a US President looks at the H1-B visa issue, affects the prospects of Indian youth far more than the youth of any other country.  Under Trump, who severely curtailed the visa regime, thanks to his policy of “America First”, India had suffered the most.  That could change under Biden, who is unlikely to view immigrants and workers from India with Trump-like suspicion.

(3) Technology

 Other points of contention between India and the US are the tricky issue of data localisation or capping prices of medicines and medical devices.  These have a better chance of getting towards a resolution as we move away from the radical approach of President Trump to the pragmatism of a Biden presidency.

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(4) Diplomacy

 Further, under the Trump administration, the US sanctions on Iran severely limited India’s sourcing of cheap crude oil.  For an economy such as India, which needs a regular supply of cheap oil to grow fast, a normalization of US-Iran relationship (and lifting of sanctions) would be more than useful.  On China, too, while the US apprehensions are unlikely to be fewer. It is more likely that a Biden administration will help India against China, instead of clubbing the two together.

(5) Climate Action

 Biden has promised to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, and this may help countries such as India in dealing with the massive challenges — both technical and financial — on this front.

24. CCI to Probe Google

Why in News

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has initiated a probe into alleged abuse of dominant position by the company to promote its payments app, Google Pay.

Key Points

. CCI highlighted two main anti market practices by google to unfairly push Google Pay it’s payment app: o Mandatory Use: Google’s policy of mandatory use of Google Play’s payment system for purchasing the apps and IAPs (in-app purchases) in the Play Store. o Exclusionary Practices: It excluded other mobile wallets/UPI (Unified Payments Interface) apps as one of the effective payment options in Google Play’s payment system. . The CCI also criticised Google’s policy to charge 30% commission for all app and in-app purchases. Since Google’s Play store cornered about 90% of all downloads, a significant volume of payments being processed in the market would thus be controlled by it. o If the application developers raise their subscription fees to offset the costs of google’s commission or remove/reduce premium/paid

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subscription offers for users, it may affect user experience, cost and choice. Such conditions imposed by the app stores limit the ability of the app developers to offer payment processing solutions of their choice to the users. . CCI also highlighted reports of Google abusing its dominant position in the Android-television market by creating barriers for companies which wanted to use or modify its Android operating systems for their smart televisions. . The probe against Google Pay comes days after the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) allowed rival Facebook-owned WhatsApp to go live on the UPI in the multi-bank model. . This is Google’s third major antitrust challenge in India: o In 2018, the CCI fined Google $21 million for ‘search bias’:  It was alleged that Google was indulging in abuse of a dominant position in the market for online search through practices leading to search bias and search manipulation, among others. o In 2019, the CCI started probing Google for allegedly misusing its dominant position to reduce the ability of smartphone manufacturers to opt for alternate versions of its Android mobile operating system. . Other countries where Google facing antitrust probe: o Regulatory scrutiny in the European Union for anti-competitive behaviour. o The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) also sued Google alleging the company had abused its dominant position in a way that had harmed its competitors as well as customers.

The Competition Act, 2002

. It was passed in 2002 and was amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007. It follows the philosophy of modern competition laws. . The Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969 (MRTP Act) was repealed and replaced by the Competition Act, 2002, on the recommendations of Raghavan committee. . The Act prohibits anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position by enterprises and regulates combinations, which causes or likely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition within India.

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. In accordance with the provisions of the Amendment Act, the Competition Commission of India and the Competition Appellate Tribunal (COMPAT) were established. . The government replaced COMPAT with the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) in 2017.

Competition Commission of India

. It is a statutory body responsible for enforcing the objectives of the Competition Act, 2002. . Composition: A Chairperson and 6 Members appointed by the Central Government. . Objectives: o To eliminate practices having adverse effects on competition. o Promote and sustain competition. o Protect the interests of consumers. o Ensure freedom of trade in the markets of India. . The Commission is also required to give an opinion on competition issues on a reference received from a statutory authority established under any law and to undertake competition advocacy, create public awareness and impart training on competition issues.

25. Dose of optimism

Context:

 Multinational Drug Company Pfizer and BioNTech have announced that their vaccine candidate against COVID-19 based on the mRNA technology has achieved success in the first interim analysis from phase 3 study.

Background: m-RNA technology: mRNA:

 Messenger ribonucleic acid or mRNA plays a vital role in human biology, specifically in a process known as protein synthesis. mRNA is a single- stranded molecule that carries genetic code from DNA in a cell’s nucleus to ribosomes, the cell’s protein-making machinery.

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 Thus mRNA is the set of instructions by which cells make all proteins and send them to various parts of the body. mRNA medicines:

 Using mRNA as a medicine is a fundamentally different approach in drug therapy.  Unlike the traditional pharmaceuticals which are small therapeutic molecules or the traditional biologics (recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies), mRNA medicines are sets of instructions. These instructions direct cells in the body to make proteins to prevent or fight disease.

Potential:

 mRNA medicines take advantage of normal biological processes to express proteins and create a desired therapeutic effect. This would lead to minimal side effects.  mRNA medicines can go inside cells to direct protein production, something not possible with other drug approaches. This enables the potential treatment of a broad spectrum of diseases, many of which cannot be addressed with current technologies. This could have a positive effect on improving human health and impacting lives around the world. Using mRNA as a drug opens up a breadth of opportunities to treat and prevent disease.  mRNA technology has the potential to transform how medicines are discovered, developed and manufactured.

Details:

 The early results of the phase 3 study have indicated the candidate vaccine being “90% protective” in the nearly 40,000 volunteers involved in the trial.  The Pfizer vaccine candidate is based on mRNA technology. The Pfizer vaccine candidate uses an infectious particle, such as a portion of the virus, and uses a piece of RNA that is then made into an antigen by the body’s own machinery. This induces the development of antibodies by the body’s immune system.

Significance:

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 The mRNA technology-based vaccine reduces the risks of untoward reactions in people who have been administered the vaccine as it does not introduce attenuated or inactivated viruses.  The mRNA technology-based vaccine also does not need to be cultured in chicken eggs or other mammalian cells, allowing it to be made faster and at a cheaper price.  The initial success validates the scientists’ basic strategy of developing a vaccine to target the spike protein of the virus. Given that a similar approach is being followed by most vaccine developers, the chances of several encouraging results are high. The mRNA technology-based vaccine marks a new frontier of novel vaccine production methods.

Challenges:

 There are still no commercially available m-RNA based vaccines to accurately predict the efficacy of mRNA technology-based vaccines.  These mRNA technology-based vaccines need to be refrigerated to nearly minus 70°C and India, with its limited cold chain infrastructure, lacks efficient vaccine storage capacity.

Way forward for India:

 India should try to sign agreements with the major vaccine developers to ensure that it is assured of early access to even a fraction of the vaccine output. o In India ‘Covishield’ by the Serum Institute and ‘Covaxin’ by Bharat Biotech Ltd., are undergoing trials.  India must keep a close watch on the mRNA-based vaccine technology and develop expertise. Additionally, India should also focus on improving its cold chain infrastructure to meet the storage demands on any new COVID-19 vaccine.

Conclusion:

 Though the results are said to be announced by an expert independent committee, they have not yet been announced by the standard procedure of a peer-reviewed journal. There is a need to ascertain whether the results would hold up in a wider population.

26. Strengthening public health capacities in disasters

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Context:

 The article analyzes important lessons for India’s health care sector from the COVID-19 pandemic experience.

Lacunae in India’s approach:

Inadequacy of the Indian public health sector:

 Given that the public sector investment in the health sector has been found to be inadequate over the years, the health sector infrastructure has been found to be too inadequate to meet the demands generated during the pandemic.  Though the public health expenditure as a percentage of GDP has been increasing since 2015-16, it still remains within a narrow band of 1.02 – 1.28 per cent of GDP. The country has a long way to go in achieving the targeted public expenditure of 2.5 per cent of the GDP by 2025 under the National Health Programme.

Drawbacks in private sector:

 The private sector accounts for a large share of the Indian health sector. India also envisages a publicly financed health insurance based hospital care service model, which would very likely be private-sector led.  Though the private sector has been able to play a crucial role in filling the vacuum left by the low public health sector presence, there are several drawbacks associated with the private health sector. o A large majority of private hospitals in the country are small enterprises. Many of these small hospitals are unsuitable for meeting disaster-related care needs. o The Indian private health sector is characterized by weak regulation and poor organization and is considered inadequate for mounting a strong and coordinated response to disasters. o The private sector, led by the profit motive, has in many instances indulged in overcharging despite the capping of treatment prices by the governments. This illustrates how the requisitioning of private sector services during disasters can hardly be a dependable option in the Indian context. o Private hospitals do not prefer to invest in disaster preparedness as they consider it non-profitable or economically non-viable.

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Neglect of public health in disaster management:

 In 2005, India enacted the Disaster Management Act, laying out an institutional framework for managing disasters across the country. The act prescribed a systematic scheme for prevention, mitigation, and responding to disasters of all kinds.  Disaster management considerations were to be incorporated into every aspect of development and the activities of different sectors, including health. Though some headway has been achieved, the approach continues to be largely reactive, and significant gaps remain particularly in terms of medical preparedness for disasters.  The public health angle in disasters and disaster management has been largely under-emphasised and this has been evident during the pandemic.

Neglect of critical public health issues:

 The Disaster Management Act fails to identify progressive events as disasters, thus neglecting pressing public health issues such as tuberculosis and recurrent dengue outbreaks.  This has resulted in the neglect of many pressing public health issues which too have a substantial impact on the health profile of the Indian population.

Way forward:

Planning for future challenges:

 The health services and their future development plans must consider the possibility of disaster-imposed pressures as well.

Greater role for public sector:

 Given the lacunae in the private sector, a strong public sector capacity is imperative for dealing with disasters. Additionally, there is a need to strengthen public sector capacities, including capacity-building of staff.

Integration of disaster management with primary health care:

 There is ample scope for greater integration of disaster management with primary care. Making primary health care central to disaster management

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can be a significant step towards building the health system and community resilience to disasters.  Community engagement, disease surveillance, and essential health-care provision, important characteristics of primary care, are central themes to disaster management as well.  This becomes all the more relevant for a developing country like India, which owing to its low-income settings cannot afford to invest in the costly secondary and tertiary health care sectors. The primary care sector offers a low cost and highly effective investment opportunity in the healthcare sector.

Legal framework:

 The legal framework for disaster management must push a legal mandate for strengthening the public health system with suitable regulation of the critical private sector.

27. Armenia Azerbaijan Peace Deal

Why in News

Recently, Russia has brokered a new peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Both counties have been in a military conflict over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus.

Key Points

. Nagorno-Karabakh Region:

o The region extends across western Asia and Eastern Europe. o It has been part of Azerbaijan territory since the Soviet era and is being internationally recognised so but most of the region is controlled by Armenian separatists who have declared it a republic called the “Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast”.  While the Armenian government does not recognise Nagorno- Karabakh as independent, it supports the region politically and militarily.

Conflict and Ceasefire:

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o When the Soviet Union began to collapse (with the end of the Cold War) in the late 1980s, Armenia’s regional parliament voted for the region’s transfer to Armenia but the Soviet authorities turned down the demand. o Clashes and the violence lasted till 1994, when Russia brokered a ceasefire, by which time ethnic Armenians had taken control of the region. o In 2016, the region saw a Four-Day War before Russia mediated peace. o The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, chaired by France, Russia and the USA, has also tried to get the two countries to reach a peace agreement for several years.  OSCE is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organisation. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, promotion of human rights, freedom of the press, and fair elections.  OSCE Minsk Group was created in 1992 by the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) to encourage a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. o In October 2020, both countries agreed to a Russia brokered ceasefire agreement, however, it also proved to be unsuccessful.

Reason for the Conflict:

o Decades-old Ethnic tensions have a crucial role in the dispute. While the Azeris claim that the disputed region was under their control in known history, Armenians maintain that Karabakh was a part of the Armenian kingdom. o Currently, the disputed region consists of a majority Armenian Christian population, even though it is internationally recognised as a part of Muslim-majority Azerbaijan.

New Peace Deal:

o Both sides will now maintain positions in the areas that they currently hold, which will mean a significant gain for Azerbaijan as it has reclaimed over 15-20% of its lost territory during the recent conflict. o All military operations are suspended and Russian peacekeepers will be deployed for a period of five years, along the line of contact in Nagorno- Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor which links the Karabakh capital, Stepanakert, to Armenia.

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o Refugees and internally displaced persons will return to the region and the adjacent territories and the two sides will also exchange prisoners of wars and bodies. o A new corridor will be opened from Nakhchivan to Azerbaijan, which will be under Russian control. o Reactions: Armenian people are against the deal and have protested while Azerbaijan is pleased with the deal and considered it of “historic importance”.

Russia’s Role:

o Russia has always taken a balanced position on the matter and has traditionally good relations with both countries. It supplies arms to both countries. o Russia has a military base in Armenia and both are members of the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation.  The treaty envisages Russia's military support if Armenia is attacked. However, it does not include Nagorno-Karabakh or the other Azerbaijani regions around it seized by Armenian forces. o At the same time, Russia also has strong ties to Azerbaijan, which is being openly backed by Turkey, a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) member.

27. National Education Day

Why in News

The Union Minister of Education virtually inaugurated the National Education Day programme organised by IIT Bombay.

Key Notes

. National Education Day o It has been observed every year on 11th November, since 2008 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. o Maulana Abul Kalam Azad :  He was the first Union Education Minister of India.  He was a freedom fighter, scholar and eminent educationist.  He was a key architect of Independent India who was responsible for setting up apex education bodies like All India

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Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and University Grants Commission (UGC).  He was posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award in 1992. . About the Event o In the event India's commitment to establish India as a global hub of education and to ensure high quality of education was reiterated through Study in India, Stay in India and Internationalization of Education.  Study in India, Stay in India is an extension of the Study in India programme, a flagship project of the Government of India, launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Ministry of Commerce and Industry in April 2018.  Study in india programme objectives:  To improve the soft power of India with focus on the neighbouring countries and use it as a tool in diplomacy.  To boost the number of inbound International students in India.  To double India’s market share of global education exports from less than 1 percent to 2 percent.  Increase in contribution of international students in the form of direct spends, indirect spends, spillover effects.  Improvement in overall quality of higher education.  Increase in global ranking of India as an educational destination.  To reduce the export – Import imbalance in the number of International students.  Growth of India’s global market share of International students.  India is cooperating and coordinating with the leading universities of the world. This has been incorporated in National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 by inviting top 100 World Universities to set up campuses in India.

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Education In India

. Constitutional Provisions: o Part IV of Indian Constitution, Article 45 and Article 39 (f) of Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP), has a provision for state- funded as well as equitable and accessible education. o The 42nd Amendment to the Constitution in 1976 moved education from the State to the Concurrent List.  The education policies by the Central government provides a broad direction and state governments are expected to follow it. However, it is not mandatory, for instance Tamil Nadu does not follow the three-language formula prescribed by the first education policy in 1968. o The 86th Amendment in 2002 made education an enforceable right under Article 21-A. . Related Laws: o Right To Education (RTE) Act, 2009 aims to provide primary education to all children aged 6 to 14 years and enforces education as a Fundamental Right.  It also mandates 25% reservation for disadvantaged sections of the society where disadvantaged groups . Government Initiatives: o Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Mid Day Meal Scheme, Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVS schools), Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV schools) and use of IT in education are a result of the NEP of 1986.

Way Forward

. Programmes like Study in India and the New Education Policy aim to facilitate an inclusive, global and high quality education, which takes into consideration field experiences, empirical research, stakeholder feedback, as well as lessons learned from best practices. . If implemented in its true vision, they will bring India at par with the leading countries of the world and establish India as a global hub of education.

28. India’s catch-up evolution in techno-policy landscape

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Past lessons: (1) From Agriculture

 The Father of the Green Revolution, Norman E Borlaug, was credited with the development of semi-dwarf, disease-resistant and high-yield variety of wheat that he introduced in India, Pakistan and Mexico.  Led by Mexico, and soon followed by India, many countries adopted what is now commonly known as the ‘Green Revolution’.  Even after suffering two famines and recovering from the colonial catastrophe, India transformed itself into a self-sufficient nation in terms of rice and wheat over the next two decades.

Sustaining GR with farm mechanization

 Nearing the end of this decade, farm mechanization in India stands at 40- 45 per cent, which is low compared to the USA (95 per cent), Brazil (75 per cent) and China (57 per cent).  Renewal of focus on farm mechanization was afforded only in the 12th five- year plan through a sub-mission on agricultural mechanization.  Regional disparities aside, India has broken the inertia in adopting farm machinery when compared to previous decades that is largely owed to the current push by the Union government.

Still stranded with Land reforms

 Yet, the response came late as compared to other countries with similar levels of development and was off by decades when compared to advanced economies.  Indian policymakers are still catching-up when implementing agriculture reforms, including land record digitization that should have been done and dusted by now.

(2) Agriculture to Industries

 After adopting resistant-variety cotton, India became the largest producer and second-largest exporter of cotton.  But it lags significantly behind in exporting cotton fabric at 5-6 per cent of the global share as China leads at 51 per cent.  Even with technical textiles, India’s production share is at four per cent and we suffer from an overall trade deficit.

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Why do we lag?

 The earlier policies have not been revamped to reorient them into improving the technologically laggard and decentralized small-scale industries.  The overall direction is guided by budgetary announcements and segregated schemes that often leads to ambiguity in policy.  The new textile policy that is expected to provide for the economy of scale through textile parks is yet to be rolled out and the dedicated National Technical Textile Mission has only been recently announced.  Both policies should have been in place a decade ago.

(3) Automobile sector

 India’s automobile sector is yet another example of playing policy catch- up.  None of the Indian companies has any substantial market share in electric vehicle (EV) production, and retail sale of EVs in India has not registered any significant growth.  The biggest hurdle to the growth of EVs in India, among others, is policy ambiguity in relation to conventional internal combustion (IC) engine vehicles that hamper strategic business decisions.

Beyond lofty roadmaps

 In June 2019, NITI Aayog claimed that only EVs would be sold in India after 2030, replacing conventional IC engine vehicles, a claim that was later refuted by the Union Minister of Transport.  Policy ambiguity and lack of clear-cut directives on such a revolutionary technology can create disarray within the industry and on the broader strategic direction of the manufacturing sector.

(3) Gaps in data and privacy lawmaking

 The world is fast changing with the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing (QC).  Every dimension of technology will start interacting with each other as the physical operations will all be controlled and operated by intelligent and adaptive virtual systems.

Here too, India lags

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 Advanced economies have already put data regulation guidelines in place. China and the United States are already far too ahead in their R&D and policy research into AI and QC.  India developed its national strategy for AI only in 2018 and still lacks a full-proof futuristic policy on quantum computing.  Revolutionary and disruptive technologies require full-proof futuristic policies and strategies for development, and not vision documents and segregated schemes.

Dealing with data

 As of November 2019, the Internet and Mobile Association of India put India’s active Internet users at 504 million; in 2020, India would register nearly 700 million internet users.  We generate a copious amount of data, which, when combined with personal data from individual users in India, demand a new legal and paradigm change.  India’s data fiduciary laws are still in their nascent stage.  Data Protection Bill based on the recommendation of the Justice BN Srikrishna Committee is still pending with Parliament.

Not treating the symptoms

 Every day millions of Indians share intricate personal details and data over the internet; a majority of active users are unaware of the threats posed by an open-access to data.  Political battles are slowly gaining traction on the internet by harnessing the loopholes in social media.  Threats of state surveillance loom over millions of Indians and even now, any legal framework to protect data or privacy is missing.

What we can deduce from the above discussion?

 The Indian State heavily influences the outcome of the country’s technological development, largely due to the significant presence of PSEs, the dominance of public expenditure in R&D and the type of mixed economy.  Therefore timely policy intervention is essential to drive technological development in India.  Policies also require time to materialise and bear fruit, and thus far, India’s track record in implementing policies does not inspire confidence.

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India isn’t always laggard

 India has been able to harness the potential of technology in the past by timely policy intervention. India was an early bird to its environmental policies and space technology.  The United States set up its Solar Energy Research Institute in 1977 and India set up its Commission of Alternate Sources of Energy (CASE) in 1981.  Today, India leads by example in the share of renewable energy in its power generation matrix. India’s space technology is another success story that doesn’t miss the public eye.  Time and again, through innovation and research, Indian academia and industries have exemplified its willingness and capacity to change, and all it requires is the desired policy push.

Conclusion

 With the rapid pace of technological development, the Union government and states cannot set to lose out time, as they have done in the previous decades.  India must hunt for new technological innovations, fund research into prospective applications and build policies to facilitate the adoption of new technologies.  Ministries and public-funded research bodies must be re-tasked to actively seek out new and emerging technologies all across the globe.

29. Draft Data Centre Policy 2020 Why in News

Recently, the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) has released the Draft Data Centre Policy, which aims to simplify clearances for setting up data centres in the country.

Key Points

. Vision of the Draft Data Centre Policy: o Making India a Global Data Centre hub, o Promote investment in the sector, o Propel digital economy growth,

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o Enable provisioning of trusted hosting infrastructure to fulfil the growing demand of the country and facilitate state of the art service delivery to citizens. . Terms Defined: o Data Centre: It is a dedicated secure space within a building/centralized location where computing and networking equipment is concentrated for the purpose of collecting, storing, processing, distributing or allowing access to large amounts of data. o Data Centre Parks: These are specialized secure Data Zone, strategically located with the most conducive non-IT and IT infrastructure, and regulatory environment for housing mix of small scale/large scale clusters of Data Centres to serve the high needs of compute, storage, networking and provision of a wide range of data- related services. . Provisions: o Providing Infrastructure Status to the Data Centre Sector, at par with other sectors like Railways, Roadways, and Power.  The status will help the sector avail long-term credit from domestic and international lenders at easier terms and will give a boost to the investments. o Demarcation of specific zones with necessary infrastructure such as roads, running water and electricity to set up data centre parks. o A single-window, time-bound clearance system for all the approvals required to set up a data-centre park. o Formulation of Data Centre Incentivization Scheme (DCIS) which will specify the intended beneficiaries, applicability criteria and fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for the sector. o Setting-up at least four Data Centre Economic Zones (DCEZ) in the country, as a Central Sector Scheme - DCEZ Scheme. DCEZs would create an ecosystem of Hyperscale Data Centres, Cloud Service Providers, IT companies, R&D units and other allied industries. o In order to address the issues around the high consumption of power, data centre parks would be encouraged to set up their own power generation units, and use renewable energy. o Data centres will be declared as an Essential Service under “The Essential Services Maintenance Act, 1968 (ESMA)” which means that there would be a continuity of services even during times of calamities or crisis.

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o Strengthening the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative by identifying possible opportunities of manufacturing of data centre equipment (IT as well as non-IT) in the country.  The Policy also identifies possible areas of participation by micro, small, and medium enterprises and start-ups. o Collaboration with the Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and leading academic institutes to impart large scale training to workforce on Data Centre, Digital and Cloud technologies, and facilitate sector linkages for such trained workforce. o An Inter-Ministerial Empowered Committee (IMEC) would be set up under the Chairmanship of Secretary, MeitY, with participation from various Central Ministries and State Governments.  It shall be the key decision-making body to facilitate the implementation of various measures as defined under this policy framework, enabling ease of doing business in the sector. o An independent Data Centre Industry Council (DCIC) is proposed to be set up, which would act as an interface between the sector and the Government.

Need for a Data Centre Policy

. The need to set up data centre infrastructure in India comes against the backdrop of data localization norms under the proposed personal data protection legislation and for “protection of the digital sovereignty of the country in an increasingly connected world". o Launch of National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) and Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), which involve use of data. . The size of the digital economy in India is estimated to grow from USD 200 billion in 2017-18 to USD 1 trillion by 2025. o India has witnessed an exponential growth in digital-commerce, digital entertainment and use of social media. o India’s mobile data consumption is already the highest in the world and is constantly increasing. . India also offers advantages of having a favourable geographical location on the world map, availability of economic resources, established global connectivity through submarine cables, easy and cost-effective access

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power and readily available skilled manpower, enabling the nation to become a global Data Centre hub. . There are known impediments to the growth of data centre sector such as lack of infrastructure or Industry status of the Data Centres, complex clearance processes, time consuming approvals, high cost of power, lack of published standards, absence of specialised building norms for building the Data Centres, submarine cable network connectivity limited to few states and high cost of capital and operational expenditure etc. o Further, the data centre industry has been largely concentrated in top 4 cities, with Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai accounting for 60% of total sites.

Way Forward

. The data centre expansion will be supported by growth in data volumes to support high growth in e-commerce, increase in usage of social media, greater preference for over the top (OTT) platforms, the government’s impetus to the Digital India initiative and rapid digitalisation of services across industries (Industry 4.0 and 5G). . Currently, there is no large-scale foreign investment in data centres in the country. India could essentially become a data centre hub for global enterprises, if the government has a clear cut policy around it.

30. Can the right to work be made real in India?

Background:

 Given the large population in India, providing for adequate employment for all has always been a challenge in the Indian scenario. The pandemic and the subsequent lockdown have further deteriorated the employment situation in India. The unemployment rate has been soaring.

Right to Work:

 The right to work is the concept that people have a human right to work, or engage in productive employment, and may not be prevented from doing so.

Broader understanding of the right to work:

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 Often ‘right to work’ is interpreted as the right to employment guarantee. This, however, is a narrow interpretation of the right to work. Ensuring the right to work in the broader sense entails creating employment opportunities which can ensure gainful employment and a dignified living for the worker. This dignity is supposed to come from work conditions, such as being paid a fair wage and having regulated work hours which constitute the equally important right ‘in work’ principle. Apart from mere employment guarantee, such work should be fulfilling, work should be creative.  From a philosophical perspective, the demand for the right to work should also involve aspects such as the right to leisure given that work is but just a part of life. The right to work is often criticized by some as being too narrow an interpretation of the right to a life with dignity. If a person is guaranteed a good eight hours of work, then automatically he/she is guaranteed right to leisure to enjoy one’s life.

Legal status of the right to work:

International status:

 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights includes the right to work in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. They recognise the right to work in an employment of one’s choice and the State’s responsibility to safeguard this right.  India has acceded to both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Status in India:

Constitutional status:

 The Indian Constitution does not explicitly recognise the ‘right to work’ as a fundamental right. It is placed in Part IV (Directive Principles of State Policy) of the Constitution under Article 41, which hence makes it unenforceable in the court of law. o Article 41 of the Constitution provides that “the State shall within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, and in other cases of undeserved want.”

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Judicial interpretation:

 Despite the absence of an express wording of the ‘right to work’ in Part III (Fundamental Rights) of the Constitution, it became a ‘fundamental right’ through a judicial interpretation. The wider interpretation of Article 21 made by the Hon’ble Supreme Court through its judgement in Olga Tellis & Ors. v Bombay Municipal Corporation & Ors.- ‘right to work’ was recognised as a fundamental right inherent in the ‘right to life’.

MGNREGA:

 The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), aims to guarantee the ‘right to work’ in a limited fashion. It aims to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. Notably, under MGNREGA, a person can hold the state accountable for not fulfilling the right by demanding an unemployment allowance.  However, it has to be noted that MGNREGA only ensures the right to work as a statutory right, which can be amended or withdrawn as per the government’s whims and fancies.

Arguments in favour of Right to Work:

To meet basic needs:

 The ‘right to work’ is an essential element of life to be able to live. To enable the fulfilment of the basic need for food, water, clothing and shelter and also something more than just the basic requirements of life, one must work to earn.

Creation of public infrastructure:

 The right to work can help fill the gap created by the profound lack of public goods and assets, in India.  The state’s responsibility to provide basic public goods can be combined with an employment creation programme just like MGNREGA does in rural areas. o Three States — Odisha, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh — have launched an urban employment guarantee programme in the wake of COVID-19, focussing on the creation of public infrastructure.

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Countering side effects of a market economy:

 Most countries have embraced the market economy where demand and supply are the major factors influencing economic decisions. In such a scenario even labour is subject to the laws of the market.  In a capitalist economy where welfare and employment are not a guaranteed by-product of private economic activity, the state has an inherent responsibility to ensure the right to work for all.

Inequitable growth:

 Though the liberalization of the Indian economy has helped India record impressive growth numbers, the growth has been largely inequitable.  Only economic growth with adequate employment opportunities for all can ensure equitable growth. Only this can result in economic development which is a more comprehensive measure of progress than mere economic growth.  Also, this makes economic sense because only equitable growth can ensure adequate disposable income in the hands of the larger population which in turn will drive demand in the economy and economic growth. This can lead to a more sustainable economic growth model.

Profit motive:

 Profit considerations alone may require the industries to go in for the adoption of capital-intensive methods of production. However, this approach may not be suitable for a country like India which is essentially a labour surplus economy. Increasing automation in a country like India is likely to lead to jobless growth.

Weak bargaining power of labour:

 India being a labour surplus economy, in the capital-labour bargaining process, labour is structurally weak in India. This necessitates State’s regulation and the need for the State to provide support to labour. This necessitates the state’s active role in ensuring the right ‘in work’ to ensure the right ‘to work’. o The recent amalgamation of 44 labour laws into four labour codes has been criticized by labour organisations as a dilution of workers’ rights. This dilution of rights ‘in work’, would have an impact on

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the right ‘to work’. In this sense, the dilution of worker rights in India is a cause of concern.  An employment guarantee programme from the government can help significantly reduce the surplus labour, particularly in the casual market and could automatically create favourable conditions for better treatment of workers.  An effective employment guarantee programme can be an excellent solution to the structural weakness of labour.

Economic scenario in India:

 India has been seeing a declining jobs-to-GDP ratio, and mostly jobless growth.  The path of economic development has not only failed to create adequate new employment opportunities, but has also led to displacement and dispossession of people from their means of livelihood. This necessitates the need to envision the right to work in a creative way and make it legally enforceable.  Current circumstances necessitate the need for greater focus on the principle of the right to work.

Way forward:

 Some of the possible policy approaches to the right to work would involve the following measures:

Urban employment programme:

 Together with MGNREGA, an Urban Employment Guarantee scheme can help ensure the right to work.

 One approach is Decentralised Urban Employment and Training, or DUET. For DUET, urban local bodies can issue job vouchers to certified public institutions such as schools and universities for pre-approved tasks. These institutions can only use the vouchers to hire labour for pre-defined tasks.

Government jobs:

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 There are a considerable number of vacant posts in government jobs. These are posts that are sanctioned but not yet filled. This needs to be filled in a time-bound manner.  Also, there has been a massive decline in government sector job growth from 1.3 million per annum from 2005 to 2012 to only 0.4 million per annum from 2012 to 2018. The government should consider increasing the availability of government jobs. The focus will have to be the health and education sectors apart from the police and the judiciary which too have few government staff. These are sectors where the new government can expand government jobs. Many of these are essential services — teachers, nurses, ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, doctors, etc. So, not only will it create employment, but it will also hopefully fill the void in essential public services.

Increasing public expenditure:

 India should consider increasing its public expenditure on public goods.  The labour-intensive universal basic healthcare system of Thailand is a model that could be adopted in the Indian scenario as it would solve two problems at the same time: it builds social infrastructure, and creates jobs.

Encouraging private sector and self-employment:

 Given the constraints in state capacity, it may not be feasible to adopt an approach where the state is the major employer. Apart from government employment opportunities, there should also be room for private job opportunities. o Only about 7% of the total employment is created in the government, including the public sector undertakings (NSS, 2017- 18). Of the total 465 million jobs in India, only 34 million are created in the government sector. Hence, private sector employment through appropriate government policy is crucial.  This could involve incentivizing domestic investments through supportive measures and the provision of adequate infrastructure.  The state could also encourage entrepreneurship and self-employment by providing quality skill training and appropriate credit support.

Safeguarding right ‘in work’:

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 Apart from generating enough employment opportunities, the state is also supposed to safeguard people’s employment through appropriate interventions and supportive measures.  The existing labour codes are applicable only to a minuscule proportion of the labour force. For the rest, there is very little legal protection, very poor awareness of the protections that exist, and weak implementation. The state should take appropriate measures to overcome these shortcomings.

Employing suitable growth strategies:

 Each economy is unique given the underlying factors at play and any economic policy should consider this uniqueness. This necessitates a comprehensive deliberation of the growth strategy to be employed in India. o Given the labour surplus status of India, labour-intensive sectors should be adequately supported along with the capital intensive sectors. This requires some political will and provisioning of adequate fiscal resources. o The state should focus on generating enough non-agricultural employment opportunities to absorb the labour exiting the agricultural sector. o As per the 2015-16 NSS survey, more than 99% of Indian enterprises are micro-enterprises (based on both investment and employment criteria). With appropriate support, these enterprises can grow into small and then medium enterprises.

31. 17th ASEAN-India Summit Why in News

Recently, India has participated in the 17th ASEAN-India Virtual Summit on the invitation of Vietnam, the current Chair of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

. The summit focused on measures to recover from the economic turmoil triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic and ways to further broad-base strategic ties.

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Key Points

. ASEAN’s Centrality with respect to: o India's Act East Policy:  Against the backdrop of aggressive moves by China, including the Ladakh standoff, India placed the ASEAN at the centre of India’s Act East policy and held that a cohesive and responsive ASEAN is essential for security and growth for all in the region. o India's Indo-Pacific Vision and Security And Growth for All in the Region Vision:  India underscored the importance of strengthening convergence between India's Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific, to ensure a free, open, inclusive and rules-based region.  It also highlighted the importance of cooperation by ASEAN in for the Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) Vision. o Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership:  India would explore ways to increase trade despite its exit from the 15-nation RCEP agreement in 2019.  The RCEP free trade agreement is expected to be signed on 15th November 2020 between China, Australia, South Korea, Japan, and the ASEAN Members.  However, experts have warned that once the RCEP is adopted, trade between RCEP nations will assume primacy, which could affect trade ties with other countries including India. o South China Sea:  Affirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, safety and security in the South China Sea, and ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight.  Noted the importance of promoting a rules-based order in the region including through upholding adherence to international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). o Regulating Covid-19 Pandemic:  India welcomed ASEAN’s initiatives to fight the pandemic and announced a contribution of USD 1 million to Covid-19 ASEAN Response Fund.

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 It also underlined the importance of cooperation and regular exchanges in the field of traditional medicines as a source of healthy and holistic living. o Trade and Investment:  India underlined the importance of diversification and resilience of supply chains for post-Covid-19 economic recovery.  India called for an early review of ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), which is pending for a long time. o Connectivity:  Underscoring the importance of greater physical and digital connectivity, India reiterated its offer of USD 1 billion Line of Credit to support ASEAN connectivity. . India’s Significance Highlighted by ASEAN: o Towards promoting peace and stability in the region and India’s support to ASEAN centrality. o Welcomed the adoption of the new ASEAN-India Plan of Action for 2021-2025. o Acknowledged India’s capacity-building initiatives, including the PhD Fellowship Programme at IITs and setting up of Centres for Excellence in Software Development and Training.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations

. It is a regional grouping that promotes economic, political, and security cooperation. . It was established on 8th August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the founding fathers of ASEAN, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. . Ten Members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. . Chairmanship: It rotates annually, based on the alphabetical order of the English names of Member States. . ASEAN countries have a total population of 650 million people and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of USD 2.8 trillion. It is India’s 4th largest trading partner with about USD 86.9 billion in trade. . The group has played a central role in Asian economic integration, signing six free-trade agreements with other regional economies and

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helping spearhead negotiations for what could be the world’s largest free trade pact.

Way Forward

. A cohesive and responsive ASEAN is essential for security and growth for all in the region and cementing the connection between India and ASEAN on all fronts, including economic, social, digital, financial, maritime, is an important priority area. . ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership stands on a strong foundation of shared geographical, historical and civilisational ties. A fruitful exchange with ASEAN leaders and a successful Summit will further strengthen this relationship.

32. A recipe to tear down trade unions

Context: The article analyses how the new labour laws are an attack on workers’ ability to safeguard their rights. Background:

 Labour law reform has been on the table since 1991 as every government’s favourite solution for economic growth. Yet, there was no consensus between governments, political parties, workers and their trade unions, and employers, on what this meant.  In 2019, the Central Government introduced four bills on labour codes to consolidate 29 central laws.  While the Wages Code was passed in 2019, the other three bills were referred to a Standing Committee on Labour. As per the recommendations of the Committee, the government replaced these bills with new ones in September 2020, and these were passed in the same month.  The government, in 2020 passed three Bills (Labour codes) to amalgamate laws on social security, occupational safety and health and industrial relations. Criticisms:

 Concerns are being raised that the Central government has actively excluded trade unions from pre-legislative consultations on drafting the

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new labour codes, repealing all existing labour laws and replacing them with four new labour codes.  It is opined that they dilute workers’ rights in favour of employers’ rights, and together undermine the very idea of workers’ right to association and collective action. Long History of Trade Unions:

 Trade unions first emerged in the 19th century as self-managed organisations of workers in the face of extreme exploitation.  They provided, and continue to provide, a collective voice to working people against employers’ exploitative, unfair and often illegal practices.  It is through trade unions that workers have been able to win better wages, fairer employment conditions, and safe and secure workplaces.  It also provided members (workers) and elected officers of a union a degree of immunity, including against the law on criminal conspiracy.  The law recognised that actions based on collective decisions by workers were legal and did not constitute a criminal conspiracy. In India, workers won the legal right to form trade unions under the colonial rule in 1926, when the Trade Union Act (TUA) was adopted.  The law provided a mechanism for the registration of trade unions, from which they derived their rights, and a framework governing their functioning.  The TUA also bound workers’ actions within a legal framework by providing for deregistration if a trade union “contravened any provisions of the Act”. The creation of the Industrial Relations Code (IRC), has a very sinister outcome for workers’ right to association.  The code widens the grounds under which a trade union may be deregistered.  Under the TUA, deregistration was limited to the internal functioning of a union — in case a union violated the financial rules set down under the law or its own constitution.  The Standing Orders Act and the Industrial Disputes Act had nothing to do with the internal functioning, and, therefore, with the existence of a trade union.

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Vague definitions:

 Under the new IRC, a trade union can be deregistered for contravention of unspecified provisions of the code.  The possibility of deregistering a trade union in this unspecified manner shifts the balance completely in favour of employers, who continue to enjoy protection under the Companies Act.  This violates the principles of equality before the law and of natural justice. When a trade union is deregistered, it can no longer represent its members (the workers) before the dispute resolution machinery or in court and any collective decision taken by its members and elected officers can be treated as illegal. The new code would deter collective action by workers’ unions. Extra-legal formations:

 With the threat of deregistration ever-present, workers and their unions will be pushed to create extra-legal formations like ‘struggle committees’ and ‘workers’ fronts, that existed before the TUA, in order to advance their demands against unreasonable employers.  This would have two outcomes:  It will push employment dispute resolution outside the legal framework.  It would lead to criminalising working-class dissent, since workers’ agitations will have to take place through extra-legal formations. Conclusion: Once a trade union is deregistered or is effectively silenced by a constant and amorphous threat of deregistration, workers effectively lose their fundamental right to freedom of association. This has grave implications for the working class’s ability to defend its rights.

33. Suu Kyi again Context: While full results of the Myanmar general elections are yet to be announced, the Election Commission has stated that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s party National League for Democracy has won at least 346 of the 476 elected seats in Parliament (322 seats are needed to stay in power).

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Challenges facing Myanmar:

 One of the country’s gravest challenges is in the western state of Rakhine, where over seven lakh ethnic Rohingya Muslims fled to neighbouring Bangladesh in 2017 following a military crackdown (for ethnic cleansing).  Myanmar is facing charges of genocide at the Hague, which it denies, saying the campaign was legitimately targeting insurgents who attacked police posts.  Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya are confined to camps and villages where the vast majority are denied citizenship and freedom of movement.  Rakhine is also engulfed in a worsening civil conflict between government troops and the Arakan Army, an armed group that recruits mostly from the majority Buddhist Rakhine population.  When Ms. Suu Kyi’s NLD came to power after winning Myanmar’s first truly contested election in 2015, hopes were high that the pro-democracy icon would spearhead the transition into a full democracy.  Suu Kyi, who is barred from becoming the President by the military-era Constitution, took the levers of power as the State Counsellor in 2015. (By virtue of having married a foreign national, she is barred from becoming President).  Instead of confronting the Generals or pushing to end the military’s outsized influence, she is appeared to have bought peace with them.  Her public defence of the Generals’ handling of the operations in Rakhine State that led to the exodus of at least 740,000 Rohingya Muslims dented her image as a pro-democracy fighter and raised questions about her commitment to the country’s transition. Concerns:

 Supporters of Ms. Suu Kyi highlight the complexities of Myanmar’s power dynamics.  It is said that even though the military allowed free elections, it made sure that its interests were preserved.  A bloc of seats in Parliament is reserved for soldiers, which would prevent any amendment to the Constitution.  The military would control three key government ministries, including the Defence Ministry.

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 The military also continued its campaigns against the country’s ethnic minority rebel groups despite her promise to reach out to them. This suggests that, despite the elections, the power struggle between the popular civilian leadership and the powerful military establishment is an ongoing reality. While Ms. Suu Kyi avoided confronting the Generals, she remained a force between the military and the people. India-Myanmar Relations:

 India has kept cordial relations with both Suu Kyi and the Myanmar Army.  While Buddhism provides a cultural bond, the Indian government has made common cause with the Myanmar government on the Rohingya issue.  However, India does not have the deep pockets for Chinese-style infrastructure projects.  India is working on two key infrastructure projects in Myanmar —a trilateral highway between India-Myanmar and Thailand, and the Kaladan Multi Modal Transit project that aims to connect mainland India to the landlocked Northeastern states through Myanmar. Read more on the India – Myanmar – Thailand Trilateral Highway.  A port at Sittwe and an inland waterway are part of this project. Way forward:

 When Ms. Suu Kyi begins her second term with another decisive victory, she would face tough questions again.  As the elected ruler, she will also have to address allegations of genocide and walk her talk of making peace with the ethnic minority groups.  With her mandate, she must be more assertive against the military in Myanmar’s transition.

34. Constitutional fault lines

Context:

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The Governor of Tamil Nadu has continued to withhold his decision on an application seeking pardon by one of the seven prisoners convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

Background:

 In September 2018, the Supreme Court (SC) had observed, while hearing a connected writ petition, that the Governor should take a decision.  A subsequent resolution passed by the Council of Ministers in favour of releasing all seven prisoners had rendered the matter accomplished.  The inaction by the Governor now has given rise to constitutional fault lines within the executive arm of the government.

Details:

 A five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court in Maru Ram v. Union of India held that the pardoning power “under Articles 72 and 161 of the Constitution can be exercised by the Central and the State Governments, not by the President or Governor on their own.”  In that case, Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer reiterated that the “advice of the appropriate Government binds the Head of the State”.  Therefore, a Governor is neither expected nor is empowered, to test the constitutionality of the order or resolution presented to him/her. That is a power reserved exclusively for constitutional courts of the country.

Past judgments:

 Only recently, the Supreme Court had examined the inordinate delay by constitutional authorities (the President and the Governor) in taking decisions on mercy petitions.  The Supreme Court, in the case of Shatrugan Chouhan v. Union of India, laid down the principle of “presumption of dehumanising effect of such delay”. o Taking cognisance of undue delay in the cases of the petitioners who were incarcerated prisoners, the Supreme Court confirmed that the due process guaranteed under Article 21 was available to each and every prisoner “till his last breath”. o The Supreme Court exercised its powers under Article 32 of the Constitution to commute the death sentences of 15 convicts. By doing so, it essentially interfered when an inordinate delay to perform a constitutional function was brought to its notice.

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 Also, the SC has clarified that constitutional functionaries are not exempt from judicial scrutiny.  In the recent case of Keisham Meghachandra Singh v. Hon’ble Speaker (2020), the Supreme Court was asked to examine the Speaker’s inaction with regard to disqualification proceedings. o The apex court confirmed its view that the “failure on the part of the Speaker to decide the application seeking a disqualification cannot be said to be merely in the realm of procedure” and that it “goes against the very constitutional scheme of adjudication contemplated by the Tenth Schedule”. o Breaking years of convention, the SC, issued a judicial direction to the Speaker to decide the disqualification petitions within a period of four weeks.

Conclusion:

It is argued that in this case, there has been a substantial delay at the hands of the Governor and the delay calls for the immediate interference of the Supreme Court.

35. Step Up for TB 2020 Report Why in News

The “Step Up for TB 2020” report by the Stop TB Partnership and Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has highlighted India’s conservative approach regarding the new medicines for Drug Resistant TB, putting lives of patients including children in danger.

. The current Pandemic has further aggravated the sufferings of TB patients in the country in terms of disease diagnosis, surveillance and treatment.

Note

. Founded in 1971, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), sometimes rendered in English as Doctors Without Borders, is an international humanitarian medical non-governmental organisation (NGO) of French origin best known for its projects in conflict zones and in countries affected by endemic diseases. . It was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.

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Tuberculosis (TB)

. Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs. . Transmission: TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. . Symptoms: Cough with sputum and blood at times, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats. . Treatment: TB is treatable and curable disease.It is treated with a standard 6 month course of 4 antimicrobial drugs that are provided with information, supervision and support to the patient by a health worker or trained volunteer. . Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a form of TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to isoniazid and rifampicin, the 2 most powerful, first-line anti-TB drugs. MDR-TB is treatable and curable by using second-line drugs. . Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) is a more serious form of MDR- TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to the most effective second-line anti-TB drugs, often leaving patients without any further treatment options. . Tuberculosis (TB) remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease, killing more than 1.4 million people in 2019, despite being curable.

Key Points

. About the Report: o The report presents data on 37 high-burden countries, including India (representing 77% of the global estimated TB incident cases), assessing the extent to which national policies align with international best practices based on World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines and the latest scientific research. o This is the 4th edition of this report, which focuses on countries’ policies and practices related to 4 key areas of national TB programmes (NTPs):  Diagnosis,  Treatment (including models of care),  Prevention, and  Medicines procurement policies. . Findings:

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o There are barriers to policy adoption and implementation across the surveyed countries. o The critical medical innovations are reaching very few people who urgently need them. o The report emphasised that oral treatment regimens for people with drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) must be prioritised over older, toxic drugs that have to be injected and cause serious side effects. o Nearly 1 in 3 people with TB disease is still not diagnosed and notified. o Almost 2 in 3 countries surveyed still do not include in their policies urinary TB lipoarabinomannan (TB LAM) testing for people living with HIV.  TB LAM is the only rapid point-of-care TB test available, and there is more than enough evidence of its benefits as a lifesaving point-of-care test. . India Specific Findings: o India was criticised for not scaling up the new Disease Resistant (DR)-TB drugs Bedaquiline and Delamanid, needed even more during Covid-19.  Pretomanid is the third new drug developed for the treatment. o Until March 2020, less than 10% of India’s MDR-TB patients who were eligible for Bedaquiline had received it. This is alarming, since India is home to a quarter of the world’s DR-TB patients.  India has the highest TB burden in the world. In 2018, 2.15 million TB cases were reported, which is 16% more than in 2017. . India’s Initiative to Fight TB: o National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme:  To align with the ambitious goal, the programme has been renamed from the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) to National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP). o Eliminating TB by 2025: India is committed to eliminating tuberculosis from the country by 2025, five years ahead of the global target by the World Health Organisation (WHO) i.e. 2030. o The Nikshay Ecosystem:  It is the National TB information system which is a one-stop solution to manage information of patients and monitor program activity and performance throughout the country.

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o Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY):  This scheme is aimed at providing financial support to TB patients for their nutrition. o TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign:  Launched In September 2019 it is showcasing the highest level of commitment for the elimination of TB. o The Saksham Project:  It is a project of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) that has been providing psycho-social counselling to DR-TB patients. o The Government of India has partnered with the Global Fund to launch JEET (Joint Effort for Elimination of TB), a private sector engagement program operating across the country. . Global Efforts: o The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a joint initiative “Find. Treat. All. #EndTB” with the Global Fund and Stop TB Partnership.  The WHO End TB Strategy outlines global impact targets to reduce TB deaths by 90%, to cut new cases by 80% between the years 2015 and 2030, and to ensure that no family is burdened with catastrophic costs due to TB. o It aims to accelerate the TB response and ensure access to care, in line with WHO’s overall drive towards Universal Health Coverage. . WHO also releases the Global Tuberculosis Report.

Way Forward

. Despite the notable successes achieved by the different programmes, robust efforts are needed to improve the early and accurate diagnosis followed by a prompt appropriate treatment which is vital for ending TB. . India must collaborate with global efforts which are being done to eliminate the TB along with the paradigm shift in the control measure.

36. India’s First Green Energy Convergence Project: Goa

Why in News

India’s first convergence project to generate green energy for rural and agriculture consumption is set to come up in Goa.

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. Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), a joint venture of PSUs under the Ministry of Power, and Goa government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the same.

Key Notes

. Convergence Project of EESL: o Focus: It focuses on energy solutions that lie at the confluence of renewable energy, electric mobility and climate change. o Objective: It seeks to connect seemingly independent sectors like Solar Energy, Energy Storage and LED lights to provide solutions, which can enable in decarbonisation and affordable energy access. o Mechanism:  EESL is offering convergent interventions, which solve multiple gap areas in the energy ecosystem.  Solutions such as solarised agriculture feeders, LED street lights in local villages and battery energy storage systems.  Leveraging the carbon financing mechanism to rapidly strengthen rural infrastructure in a clean and sustainable manner, and to create a resilient and sustainable rural community in India.  EESL’s climate financing interventions currently include Gram UJALA, Decentralised Solar and Gram Panchayat Street Lights programmes. . Benefits of the Project: o Promote Renewable Energy: It will accelerate the usage of renewable energy sources, especially for agricultural and rural power consumption in the State. o Energy Efficient: Contribute to reduction of peak energy demand through deployment of energy efficient pumping and lighting thus contributing to overall sustainability. o Improve Health of DISCOMs: Accrue savings of Rs 2,574 crores to the State over the period of 25 years, while improving the health of DISCOMs and providing cleaner power. o Check Technical Losses: Provide clean day time electricity to farmers as well as energy efficient pump sets which would reduce the power consumption as well as T&D (Transmission and Distribution Losses) losses associated with transmitting power to agriculture and rural feeder networks.

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Energy Efficiency Services Ltd

. It is a joint venture of National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) Limited, Power Finance Corporation, Rural Electrification Corporation and POWERGRID, It was set up under the Ministry of Power to facilitate implementation of energy efficiency projects. . EESL is a Super Energy Service Company (ESCO) that seeks to unlock the energy efficiency market in India, estimated at Rs. 74,000 crore that can potentially result in energy savings of up to 20% of current consumption, by way of innovative business and implementation models. . It also acts as the resource centre for capacity building of State DISCOMs, financial institutions, etc.

Way Forward

. In a solar power rich country like India, effective harnessing of this abundant resource can yield handsome returns for all stakeholders and therefore initiatives like Convergence can help India to produce more energy at less cost. . Project Convergence is also well aligned and is in consonance with the International Solar Alliance, an initiative of the Indian government.

37. Amid a judicial slide, a flicker of hope on rights- Bail applications

General Criminal Procedure

 Sections 436-439 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) has provisions for bail for various offences.

Factors to be considered in bail application as decided in State of U.P. through CBI vs. Amarmani Tripathi, (2005):

 whether there is any prima facie or reasonable ground to believe that the accused had committed the offence;  nature and gravity of the charge;  severity of the punishment in the event of conviction;  danger of the accused absconding or fleeing, if released on bail;  character, behaviour, means, position and standing of the accused;  likelihood of the offence being repeated; reasonable apprehension of the witnesses being tampered with;  danger of justice being thwarted by grant of bail.

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Section 4(2) CrPC

 It gives power to special laws apart from the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to lay down separate procedures.  Various statutes dealing with a special set of crimes have thus crafted distinct provisions for bail and a few of them have made a grant of bail more stringent than CrPC.

Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA)

 Special statutes have additional restrictions apart from these eight conditions. The criteria for bail under UAPA therefore differ.

Background

 Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali was alleged to have been involved in unlawful acts and terror funding.  He was accused of transferring funds received from Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed, the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence, among others, to Hurriyat leaders.  The NIA claimed Watali helped them wage war against the government of India by repeated attacks on security forces and government establishments.

National Investigation Agency (NIA) vs Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali

 The Supreme Court on the interpretation of UAPA said the National Investigation Agency has gathered enough evidence to believe that the accusations against Watali are prima facie true.  The Court has ruled that an accused must remain in custody throughout the period of a trial, even if the evidence against the person is eventually proven inadmissible (and the accused is acquitted).  The SC under the UAPA said that the burden of proving whether the allegations made in the first information report is correct or not rests on the accused and he has to refute the allegations if bail has to be granted to the accused.  The Supreme Court’s interpretation was on the UAPA alone, and not on general criminal procedure.

Concerns

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 10 0  Broad offences included under the UAPA and difficult bail conditions mean individuals can be detained indefinitely even without the conviction of the accused.  Even if the person is eventually acquitted of the charges, the delays in conducting judicial proceedings mean the case may only get heard several years after their arrest – failure to get bail means they have to spend the entire time in jail.  It has left a glaring loophole for rampant abuse by the government, police and prosecution alike.

Conclusion

 Therefore, the bail provision under UAPA is distinct. While other statutes require recording of an opinion by the court that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accused is “not guilty” of the alleged offence, UAPA requires recording of an opinion by the court deciding bail that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accusation against such person is “prima facie” true.

38. Chapare Virus

Why in News

Researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recently discovered a rare Ebola-like illness that is believed to have first originated in rural Bolivia in 2004.

. The virus is named Chapare after the province in which it was first observed. . Chapare, is a rural province in the northern region of central Bolivia.

Key Points

. About: o Chapare Virus belongs to the same Arenavirus family that is responsible for illnesses such as the Ebola virus disease (EVD). It causes Chapare Hemorrhagic Fever (CHHF). . Vector:

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 10 1 o Chapare virus are generally carried by rats and can be transmitted through direct contact with the infected rodent, its urine and droppings, or through contact with an infected person. o A disease vector is any agent which carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism. . Symptoms of Chapare Hemorrhagic Fever (CHHF): o Hemorrhagic fever much like Ebola.  Viral hemorrhagic fevers are a severe and life-threatening kind of illness that can affect multiple organs and damage the walls of blood vessels. o Abdominal pain, o Vomiting, o Bleeding gums, o Skin rash, o Pain behind the eyes. . Transmission: o Virus can spread from person to person.  Chapare spreads only through direct contact with bodily fluids.  Sexually transmission:  Researchers also found fragments of Ribonucleic acid (RNA) associated with Chapare, in the semen of one survivor 168 days after he was infected. . Diagnosis: o Chapare virus is much more difficult to catch than the corona virus as it is not transmissible via the respiratory route. Instead, Chapare spreads only through direct contact with bodily fluids. o New sequencing tools will help develop an RT-PCR test — much like the one used to diagnose Covid-19 to help detect Chapare. . Treatment: o Since there are no specific drugs to treat the disease, patients generally receive supportive care such as intravenous fluids.  Intravenous therapy is a medical technique that delivers a liquid directly into a person's vein. The intravenous route of administration is commonly used for rehydration solutions or to provide nutrition in those who cannot consume food or water by mouth. o Maintenance of hydration. o Management of shock through fluid resuscitation.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 10 2  Fluid resuscitation is the medical practice of replenishing bodily fluid lost through sweating, bleeding, fluid shifts or other pathologic processes. o Pain Relief Medicines o Transfusions as the supportive therapy that can be administered on patients. . People at Risk: o The disease is also known to be most commonly transmitted in more tropical regions, particularly in certain parts of South America where the small-eared pygmy rice rat is commonly found. . Mortality Rate: o As there are very few cases on record, the mortality and risk factors associated with the illness are relatively unknown. o In the first known outbreak, the only confirmed case was fatal. In the second outbreak in 2019, three out of five documented cases were fatal (case-fatality rate of 60%). . Recent Outbreak: o The recent biggest outbreak of the ‘Chapare virus’ was reported in 2019, when three healthcare workers contracted the illness from two patients in the Bolivian capital of La Paz.

Ebola Virus Disease

. Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) or Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF), is a viral hemorrhagic fever of humans and other primates caused by ebolaviruses . Transmission: o Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are natural Ebola virus hosts. . Animal to human transmission: o Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals such as fruit bats, chimpanzees, etc. . Human-to-human transmission: o Ebola spreads via direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with: o Blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with or has died from Ebola. o Objects that have been contaminated with body fluids (like blood, feces, vomit) from a person sick with Ebola or the body of a person who died from Ebola. . Vaccines:

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 10 3 o An experimental Ebola vaccine, called rVSV-ZEBOV proved highly protective against EVD.

39.Global Coalition Against HIV

Why in News

Recently, the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare digitally addressed the Ministerial meeting of the Global Prevention Coalition (GPC) for Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Prevention.

. It was hosted by Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on behalf of the Global HIV Prevention Coalition (GPC).

Key Notes

. Global HIV Prevention Coalition (GPC): o It is a global coalition of United Nations Member States, donors, civil society organizations which was established in the year 2017 to support global efforts to accelerate HIV prevention. o Membership: It includes the 25 highest HIV burden countries, UNAIDS Cosponsors, donors, civil society and private sector organizations. o Goal: To strengthen and sustain political commitment for primary prevention by setting a common agenda among key policy-makers, funders and programme implementers. . Significance of the Conference: o The conference this year holds significance in achieving the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) commitment to end Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) by 2030.  Member States of the GPC had agreed to reduce new adult HIV infections by 75% at the end of 2020 from 2010 levels. . India at the Conference: o Acknowledged that Global AIDS response has shown remarkable success in reducing new infections, improving access to prevention services for key population and treatment services for People Living with HIV (PLHIV), reducing AIDS related mortality, enabling reduction in mother to child transmission of HIV and creating an enabling environment.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 10 4  GPC has shown to the world a model where multiple stakeholders can come together and work cohesively towards a common goal. o Observed that the global AIDS response in general has been a fountainhead of innovative service delivery models with rich civil society involvement and cross learning. . India Against HIV: o India’s unique HIV prevention model:  Aim: To provide outreach, service delivery, counselling & testing and ensuring linkages to HIV care  Centered around the concept of Social Contracting through which the Targeted Interventions (TI) programme is implemented. o Protected the gains made in HIV during Covid-19 by taking swift and timely action to reach out to the last mile with a robust implementation plan for Anti-Retroviral drugs (ARV) dispensation.  Advisories and guidance notes were issued by National Aids Control Organization (NACO) from time to time aligned with global guidelines in the context. o Revamped its Targeted Intervention (TI) programme to focus on hard-to-reach populations to keep its commitments- People living in prisons and other closed settings were considered as priority populations and interventions launched were gradually scaled up since 2016.  The HIV Counselling & Testing Services (HCTS) and Community based Screening of HIV for improving early diagnosis were also ramped up.  The coverage of testing for HIV across the country was increased to achieve the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV.  The Test and Treat Policy: Approximately 50,000 PLHIV who were lost to follow-up were linked back to Antiretroviral Treatment services through Mission SAMPARK, while Viral Load Testing facilities have been scaled up from the existing ten public sector labs to 64 labs across the country. o Enacted The Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017 which has provided a legal and enabling framework for safeguarding the human rights of the infected and affected populations.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 10 5 o Project Sunrise  A new initiative called 'Project Sunrise' was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2016, to tackle the rising HIV prevalence in north-eastern states in India, especially among people injecting drugs. o Helping the world:  India’s provision of generic (ARV) to the world has had a critical impact in controlling the HIV epidemic.  India is ready to extend its unique HIV prevention model to the rest of the world by tailoring the intervention as per local settings. . Other international initiatives against AIDS: o The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM)  Founded in 2002, it is a partnership organization designed to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics.

40. Bengaluru Tech Summit

Why in News

Recently, the Prime Minister has inaugurated the Bengaluru Tech Summit via video conference which was also attended by the Prime Minister of Australia.

Key Points

. It is India's flagship event which will deliberate on the key challenges emerging in the post-pandemic world with focus on the impact of prominent technologies. o It will also provide a platform for discussion to encourage disruptive technologies.  Disruptive technology is an innovation that significantly alters the way that consumers, industries, or businesses operate. It sweeps away the systems or habits it replaces because it has attributes that are recognizably superior.  Examples: e-commerce, online news sites, ride-sharing apps, and Global Positioning System (GPS). . Theme for 2020: Next is Now.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 10 6 . Focus: Innovations in the domains of Information Technology and Electronics and Biotechnology. . Organisers: o The Government of Karnataka along with Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS). o Karnataka government’s Vision Group on Information Technology Software. o Software Technology Parks of India (STPI). o MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications. . Concerns Highlighted: o With the increasing use of technology in governance and other areas, data protection and cyber security become significant. o There is a need to devise robust cybersecurity solutions which can protect digital products against cyber attacks and viruses. . Role of Technology: o It was highlighted that India’s governance model is based on ‘technology first’. o PM-KISAN Mobile App:  It enables direct transfers to farmers and also digitises the complete database of farmers.  The farmers can view the status of their application, update or carry out corrections of their Aadhaar cards and also check the history of credits to their bank accounts. o Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana:  Under it, the government deployed fintech and digital technology to monitor swift and efficient transfer to the beneficiary through Direct benefit transfer.  It also ensured credit to the beneficiary's account without the need for the beneficiary to physically go to the branch which helped people a lot during lockdowns. o Ayushman Bharat:  Making good use of technology and innovation can further reduce the overall cost of healthcare. AI-powered mobile applications can provide high-quality, low-cost, patient- centric, smart wellness solutions. o Aarogya Setu App:  India's first contact tracing app, Arogya Setu app is based on the idea of ‘technological solutionism’ (technology providing an impartial solution to complex social problems).

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 10 7  It enables bluetooth based contact tracing and maps likely hotspots of Covid-19 and disseminates the relevant information. o Apart from all these, technology plays an important role in governance as well. . India and Australia on Technological Development: o Both countries highlighted the unlimited possibilities of working together in space research, critical minerals, 5G, Artificial Intelligence, quantum computing, etc. o In June 2020, the India-Australia Virtual Summit was held where both countries signed the landmark Australia-India Technology Framework on cyber and cyber-enabled technology. o In December 2020, India-Australia Circular Economy Hackathon (I-ACE) will be organised which will focus on identification and development of innovative technology solutions by students, startups and MSMEs of both nations. o They are also planning to launch Australia-India cyber and critical technologies partnership grant programme and are also working together for an open, free, safe and secure Internet.

Government Initiatives to Promote Technology

. Digital India Mission: Launched in 2015, it aimed to prepare India for a knowledge future for being transformative that is to realise IT (Indian Talent) + IT (Information Technology) = IT (India Tomorrow) and for making technology central to enabling change. . Unified Payments Interface (UPI): It is a payment system that allows money transfer between any two bank accounts by using a smartphone. . National Digital Health Mission: It is a complete digital health ecosystem. It is a platform launched with four key features viz. health ID, personal health records, Digi Doctor and health facility registry. . Swamitva Scheme: Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (Swamitva) was launched to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India.

41. India-Luxembourg Relations

. Economic Relationship:

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 10 8 o Both countries have a long-standing cooperation in the steel sector and the leaders called upon businesses, including SMEs and startups, to explore further opportunities for expanding the economic relationship. o Both nations look forward to the 17th Joint Economic Commission (JEC) between India and the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union to review the economic and trade relations. . Finance: o The proposed agreement between the regulatory authorities Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) would deepen bilateral cooperation in the financial sector. o Luxembourg, as a leading international financial centre in Europe, can act as an important bridge to help connect India’s financial services industry with international markets and reach European and global investors. . Space and Digital Cooperation: o Both countries have an ongoing space cooperation, including in the domain of satellite broadcasting and communications. o Luxembourg based space companies have started utilising the services of India for launching their satellites into space.  In November 2020, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the PSLV-C49 mission, which included 4 satellites from Luxembourg. o A cooperation instrument in the area of exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes is currently under discussion between the two Governments. o In the wake of the pandemic, both India and Luxembourg are promoting digitalisation through the "Digital India” programme and the "Digital Luxembourg” initiative respectively and agree to explore convergences between the two initiatives. . Higher Education and Research: o Indian National Brain Research Centre and the Luxembourg Institute of Health and the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine have an ongoing collaboration in the field of neurodegenerative diseases.  Neurodegenerative diseases are a heterogeneous group of disorders that are characterised by the progressive degeneration of the structure and function of the central nervous system or peripheral nervous system.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 10 9  Examples: Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. o IITs in Bombay, Kanpur and Madras and the National Law School of India have links with the University of Luxembourg which will be further expanded for higher education and research in both countries. . Culture and People-to-people Ties: o In 2019, Luxembourg issued a commemorative stamp to mark the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. o Both countries intend to conclude a Migration and Mobility agreement to further strengthen mobility as well as an agreement on an exemption of visas for holders of diplomatic and official/service passports. . EU-India Relations: o In July 2020, a virtual summit between India and the European Union (EU) was held, where India expressed support for further intensification of the India-EU relationship, through strengthening cooperation in areas of common interest in the Indo-Pacific region, and through comprehensive, sustainable and rules-based connectivity. o Luxembourg, as one of the founding members of the EU, has played a constructive role in supporting stronger India-EU ties, which becomes even more important for the post-Covid-19 economic recovery. . Multilateral Cooperation: o Luxembourg welcomed India’s election to a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council for the term 2021-2022 and reiterated its support for the reforms in the UN Security Council, including its expansion in both categories of permanent and non-permanent membership. It supports India’s candidature for the permanent membership of the UN Security Council. o Luxembourg supported India’s entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and India’s participation in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). o India supports Luxembourg’s candidatures to the UN Human Rights Council for the term 2022-2024. o Both condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and agree on the need for continued cooperation to support international efforts at the UN and at forums like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to prevent and combat terrorism.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 11 0 Way Forward

. The first stand-alone Summit between India and Luxembourg in the past two decades marks a new phase in the bilateral relations where both countries reaffirmed their commitment towards widening and deepening the spectrum of the bilateral relations and enhancing consultation and coordination in regional and multilateral fora on matters of mutual and global interest.

GS 3 : Economy, Science and Technology,Environment

1. Faultlines in India’s economic liberalism Impact of liberalism on India

 India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar recently disapproved of free trade and globalisation.  About FTA’s he said that “the effect of past trade agreements has been to de-industrialise some sectors.”  These observations were made days after countries of the Asia-Pacific region signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement.  He said that , “in the name of openness, we have allowed subsidi[s]ed products and unfair production advantages from abroad to prevail”

Flaws in the argument

 There are several flaws in Mr. Jaishankar’s arguments.

1) India cannot be the part of global value chain

 India is now truly at the margins of the regional and global economy.  With trade multilateralism at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) remaining sluggish, FTAs are the gateways for international trade.  By not being part of any major FTA, India cannot be part of the global value chains.  India’s competitors such as the East Asian nations, by virtue of they being part of mega-FTAs, are in an advantageous position to be part of global value chains and attract foreign investment.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 11 1 2) Indian economy has bee relatively closed economy

 India is surely a much more open economy than it was three decades ago, globally, India continues to remain relatively closed when compared to other major economies.  According to the WTO, India’s applied most favoured nation import tariffs are 13.8%, which is the highest for any major economy.  Likewise, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, on the import restrictiveness index, India figures in the ‘very restrictive’ category.  From 1995-2019, India has initiated anti-dumping measures 972 times (the highest in the world) trying to protect domestic industry.

3) Economic survey accepts the benefits of FTAs

 The External Affairs Minister is contradicting government’s economic survey presented earlier this year.  The survey concluded that India has benefitted overall from FTAs signed so far.  Blaming FTAs for deindustrialisation means ignoring real problem of the Indian industry — which is the lack of competitiveness and absence of structural reforms.

4) India has been a major beneficiary of economic globalisation

 It cannot be ignored that India has been one of the major beneficiaries of economic globalisation — a fact attested by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).  Post-1991, the Indian economy grew at a faster pace, ushering in an era of economic prosperity.  According to the economist Arvind Panagariya, poverty in rural and urban India, which stood at close to 40% in 2004-05, almost halved to about 20% by 2011-12.  This was due to India clocking an average economic growth rate of almost 8%.

Conclusion

Desire to make India a global destination for foreign investment is a pipe dream because it is naive to expect foreign investors to be gung-ho about investing in India if trade protectionism is the government’s official policy.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 11 2

2. Deemed Forests in Karnataka

Why in News

Recently, Karnataka has announced that it would declassify 6.64 lakh hectares (nearly 67%) of the 9.94 lakh hectares of deemed forests in the state and hand it over to Revenue authorities.

. The issue of deemed forests is a contentious one in Karnataka, with legislators across party lines often alleging that large amounts of agriculture and non-forest land are “unscientifically” classified as such.

Key Points

. Definition of Deemed Forests: o Deemed forests, comprising about 1% of India’s forest land, are a controversial subject as they refer to land tracts that appear to be a “forest”, but have not been notified so by the government or in historical records. o The concept of deemed forests has not even been clearly defined in any law including the Forest Conservation Act 1980. o In the T N Godavarman Thirumalpad case 1996, the Supreme Court (SC) accepted a wide definition of forests under the Act and held that the word ‘forest’ must be understood according to its dictionary meaning.  This description covers all statutorily recognised forests, whether designated as reserved, protected or otherwise for the purpose of Section 2 (1) of the Act and also includes any areas recorded as forest in the government record irrespective of the ownership. o The provisions for the conservation of forest and the matters connected therewith applies clearly to all forests irrespective of the ownership or classification. o The freedom to define which tracts of forest qualify as forest has been the prerogative of States since 1996.  However, this only applies to forest land that has not already been historically classified as “forest” in revenue records, or

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 11 3 categorised so by the government as “protected” or “reserve forest”. . Deemed Forests in Karnataka: o Areas Included: An expert committee constituted by the state government identified ‘deemed forests’ as:  Land having the characteristic of forests irrespective of the ownership.  Thickly wooded areas of the Revenue Department, not handed over to the Forest Department.  Thickly wooded areas recommended to be handed over to the Forest Department.  Thickly wooded land distributed to grantees but not cultivated.  Thickly wooded plantations of the Forest Department. o Land Coverage: The expert committee reports in 1997 and 2002 identified 43.18 lakh hectares of forest land for conservation in Karnataka, which included 33.23 lakh hectares notified forest area as per forest records and 9.94 lakh hectares ‘deemed forests’. o Issue of Contention:  In 2014, the government relooked at the categorisation of forests and found that some of the ‘statutory forests’ had been wrongly classified as ‘deemed forest’.  It also held that a well-defined scientific, verifiable criterion was not used while applying the dictionary definition which resulted in a subjective classification of areas as deemed forests.  The subjective classification, in turn, resulted in conflicts between the Forest Department and other departments like Revenue, Irrigation, Public Works and Energy.  The random classification caused hardship to farmers in some areas and there is also a commercial demand for mining in some regions designated as deemed forests. o Revised Coverage:  Later, newly formed committees identified 5.18 lakh hectares of deemed forest land that could be released from the total area.  After a recent study of the actual extent of deemed forest areas, the amount of deemed forest land to be released has been revised to 6.64 lakh hectares.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 11 4  In 2019, the state had filed an interim application in the SC for the exclusion of the revised area but the Court did not pass an order on the application.

Forest and Tree Resources in Karnataka

. Total Forest cover: 20.11%, according to the India State of Forest Report 2019, the 16th biennial assessment of India’s forests by Forest Survey of India (FSI). o FSI is an organisation under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). o It undertakes National Forest Inventory to assess the growing stock in forests and Tree Outside Forest (TOF), bamboo resource, carbon stock and to assess the dependence of the people living in Forest Fringe Villages for fuelwood, fodder, small timber and bamboo. . Physiographically, the state can be divided into two distinct regions: o Hilly region (Malnad): comprising the Western Ghats. o Plain region (Maidan): comprising the inland plateau. . The evergreen forests of the Western Ghats cover about 60% of the forest area of the State and are recognised as one of the four Biodiversity Hotspots of India. o Other three biodiversity hotspots are the Himalayas, Areas under Indo-Burma and Sundalands. . Protected Area Network of the State: 5 National Parks (Anshi, Bandipur, Bannerghatta, Kudremukh, Nagarahole) 30 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 15 Conservation Reserves. o Karnataka supports about 10% of the total tiger population and 25% of the elephant population of the country.

3. Vulture Action Plan for 2020-25 Vulture Action Plan

 While the ministry has been carrying out a conservation project for vultures since 2006, the plan is to now extend the project to 2025 to not just halt the decline but to actively increase the vulture numbers in India.  There are nine recorded species of vultures in India — the Oriental white- backed, long-billed, slender-billed, Himalayan, red-headed, Egyptian, bearded, cinereous and the Eurasian Griffon.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 11 5  Vulture numbers saw a steep slide — as much as 90 per cent in some species — in India since the 1990s in one of the most drastic declines in bird populations in the world.

Decline in Populations

 Between the 1990s and 2007, numbers of three presently critically- endangered species – the Oriental white-backed, long-billed and slender- billed vultures — crashed massively with 99 per cent of the species having been wiped out.  The number of red-headed vultures, also critically-endangered now, declined by 91% while the Egyptian vultures by 80%.  The Egyptian vulture is listed as ‘endangered’ while the Himalayan, bearded and cinereous vultures are ‘near threatened’.

Why protect vultures?

 Vultures are often overlooked and perceived as lowly scavengers, but they play a crucial role in the environments in which they live.  The scavenging lifestyle that gives them a bad reputation is, in fact, that makes them so important for the environment, nature and society.  Vultures, also known as nature’s cleanup crew, do the dirty work of cleaning up after death, helping to keep ecosystems healthy as they act as natural carcass recyclers.

Various threats

 The crash in vulture populations came into limelight in the mid-90s, and in 2004.  The cause of the crash was established as diclofenac — a veterinary nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to treat pain and inflammatory diseases such as gout — in carcasses that vultures would feed off.  Just 0.4-0.7 per cent of animal carcasses contaminated with diclofenac was sufficient to decimate 99 per cent of vulture populations.

Various initiatives

 The MoEFCC released the Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2006 with the drugs controller banning the veterinary use of diclofenac in the same year and the decline of the vulture population being arrested by 2011.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 11 6  The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) also established the Vulture Conservation Breeding Programme.  It has been successful and had three critically-endangered species bred in captivity for the first time.  The ministry has now also launched conservation plans for the red-headed and Egyptian vultures, with breeding programmes for both.  The Vulture Safe Zone programme is being implemented at eight different places in the country where there were extant populations of vultures, including two in Uttar Pradesh.

4. Shifting sands for Asian economies

The editorial argues that India could face an uphill task in maintaining its viability against highly competitive countries in the post-pandemic world.

Post-pandemic global economy:

 Discussions on the near future of the global economy have often predicted that China’s appeal as a business destination would fade, losing favour as the global manufacturing hub.  Arguments have been made that production would be dispersed to Asia and even to those outside.  It was expected that the relocation would benefit emerging labour- abundant economies.

However, while a few labour-intensive industries, such as textiles and apparel, have been moving to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as labour costs in China are increasing, trends in other industries show that businesses have mostly remained in China.

China’s importance:

 An expert points out that the combination of the trade war and the COVID-19 crisis has resulted in firms establishing relatively small-scale operations elsewhere. This is perceived as a buffer against being completely dependent on China, referred to as the ‘China +1’ strategy.  There are three reasons for firms to remain in China and pursue this strategy:

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 11 7 o Starting an enterprise and maintaining operations in China are much easier than elsewhere. o Chinese firms are nimble and fast (evident from the quick recovery of Chinese manufacturing after the lockdown). o Many global companies have spent decades building supply chains in China.  Hence, getting out would mean moving the entire ecosystem, which involves time and expenditure. This strategy of global firms has led to an intensification of competition among Asian economies to be that ‘plus one’ in the emerging manufacturing landscape.

Growth in Asia:

 In 1968, Swedish Nobel laureate Gunnar Myrdal published ‘Asian Drama – An Inquiry into the Poverty of Nations’, (focusing on South and Southeast Asia).  This was pessimistic about the development prospects in the region. Half a century later, there has been remarkable growth in the very region with openness and exploding trade.  These newly industrialised economies scaled up their exports, while raising their own levels of living.

Predictions about the post-pandemic global economy:

 The Asia region is expected to see remarkable growth with the formal launch of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).  Its growth would depend on the role of trade and investment flows into these economies, and this would again be the centrepiece of global growth. o The 15 RCEP member countries account for nearly 30% of the global GDP. o This largest free trade agreement in the world includes provisions to cover the entire gamut of trade and commerce.

Challenges facing India and way forward:

The RCEP and the ‘China +1 strategy’ are likely to impact investment flows into Vietnam, India, Bangladesh and Indonesia, which have emerged as key investment destinations.

Increasing public investments:

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 11 8  Private investments would continue to be depressed, due to the uncertainty on the future economic outlook. This calls for high-quality public investments. o Domestic public investments have a central role in economic activity, for both the demand and supply sides. o According to the IMF, “increasing public investment by 1% of GDP could boost GDP by 2.7%, private investment by 10%, and employment by 1.2%, if investments are of high quality and if existing public and private debt burdens do not weaken the response of the private sector.” o It is an opportune time for India to bolster public investments as interest rates are low globally and savings are available.

Overhaul in trade policy:

 There is a need for a major overhaul in India’s trade policy. The challenge is to make the exporting activity more attractive for all firms in the economy.  In the pre-COVID-19 era, world trade had been rattled by tendencies of rising economic nationalism and unilateralism leading to the return of protectionist policies.  A revamped trade policy needs to take into cognisance the possibility of two effects of the RCEP: the ‘Walmart effect’ and a ‘switching effect’. o Walmart Effect would sustain demand for basic products and help in keeping employee productivity at an optimum level, but may also reduce wages and competition due to sourcing from multiple vendors at competitive rates. o Switching effects would be an outcome of developed economies scouting for new sources to fulfil import demands, which requires firms to be nimble and competitive.  Trade policy has to recognise the pitfalls of the present two-track mode, one for firms operating in the ‘free trade enclaves’ and another for the rest.  A major fallout of this ‘policy dualism’ is the dampening of export diversification.

Increasing women’s participation in the workforce:

 In India, three out of four Indian women are neither working nor seeking paid work.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 11 9  Globally, India ranks among the bottom ten countries in terms of women’s workforce participation.  While India’s GDP has grown by around 6% to 7% per year on an average in recent years, educational levels of women have risen, and fertility rates have fallen, women’s labour force participation rate has fallen from 42.7% in 2004–05 to 23.3% in 2017–18.  India could gain hugely if barriers to women’s participation in the workforce are removed.  The manufacturing sector should consciously create labour-intensive jobs that rural and semi-urban women are qualified for.

Conclusion:

 The intensity of competition is evident from the fact that after India passed three labour code bills, the Indonesian Parliament passed legislation slashing regulations, to open up the country to more foreign investment, Bangladesh on its part plans to start negotiations with a dozen countries, including the U.S. and Canada, for signing preferential trade agreements.  India’s approach to the changed scenario needs to be well-calibrated.

5. Dealing with air pollution Solvable problem

 Pollution is very much a solvable problem but it cannot be solved on an emergency basis.  It has to be dealt with firmly and gradually.  Why gradually? Because there are many sources of pollution and it would be prohibitively costly to stop them or even significantly reduce them all at once.

Replacing existing technologies with existing technology

 The biggest sources air polltion nationally are cooking fires, coal-fired power plants, various industries, crop residue burning, and construction and road dust. Vehicles are further down on the list.  Dealing with all these sources will require a gradual replacement of existing technologies with new technologies.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 12 0  Cooking fires must be replaced with LPG, induction stoves, and other electric cooking appliances.  Old coal power plants must be closed and replaced with wind and solar power and batteries while newer plants must install new pollution control equipment.  No new coal-fired power plants should be built — with renewables being cheaper, coal is obsolete for power generation.  Other industries that use coal will have to gradually switch over to cleaner fuel sources such as gas or hydrogen while becoming more energy- efficient at the same time.  Farmers will have to switch crops or adopt alternative methods of residue management.  Diesel and petrol vehicles must gradually be replaced by electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles running on power generated from renewables.

Legal measures and issues

 Governments can make clean investments more profitable and dirty investments less profitable by taxing polluting activities and subsidising clean investments.  The judiciary is more powerful but has far less scientific and technical competence.  It tends to act only during crises and focus on past mistakes rather than planning to prevent new ones.

Reforms in regulatory agency

 Our existing laws do not allow the central and state pollution boards to levy pollution fee or cess based on pollution emissions.  Since closing down an industry is a drastic step, it almost never happens.  We need a regulatory agency that can levy pollution fee or cess, is that the regulatory decision need not be an all-or-nothing decision.  Pollution fees can start small, and the EPA can announce that they will rise by a certain percentage every year.  The regulatory agency should be given some independence,like  1) a head appointed for a five-year term removable only by impeachment.  2) a guaranteed budget funded by a small percentage tax on all industries.  3) autonomy to hire staff and to set pollution fees after justification through scientific studies.  Three advantages of the regulator with such powers would be-

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 12 1  1) Politicians in power can pass on the blame for decisions on pollution fees to the EPA.  2) Pollution fees raise revenue for the government.  3) If the law establishing an independent EPA is written to require that changes to pollution fees and regulations must be published in advance, and cannot involve abrupt changes, then surprises are avoided.  Industry opposition will be muted, especially if industry gets a piece of the revenue to invest in new technologies.

Conclusion

Our pollution problem has taken decades to grow into the monster that it is. It can’t be killed in a day. We need the scientific and technical capacity that only a securely funded independent EPA can bring to shrink pollution down to nothing.

6. New Ramsar Sites

Why in News Recently, the Meteor lake at Lonar in Buldhana district of Maharashtra and the Soor Sarovar at Agra have been declared Ramsar sites, a conservation status conferred by International Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

. Earlier this year Kabartal Wetland (Bihar) and Asan Conservation Reserve (Uttrakhand) were also designated as Ramsar sites. . With latest inclusions, the total number of Ramsar sites in India is 41, the highest in South Asia. Key Points

. Lonar Lake o Location:

 The Lonar lake, situated in the Deccan Plateau’s volcanic basalt rock, was created by the impact of a meteor 35,000 to 50,000 years ago.  The lake is part of Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary which falls under the unified control of the Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR).

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 12 2 o It is also known as Lonar crater and is a notified National Geo-heritage Monument. Geo-heritage refers to the geological features which are inherently or culturally significant offering insight to earth’s evolution or history to earth science or that can be utilized for education. o It is the second Ramsar site in Maharashtra after Nandur Madhmeshwar Bird Sanctuary in Nashik district. o The water in the lake is highly saline and alkaline, containing special microorganisms like anaerobes, Cyanobacteria and phytoplankton. . Soor Sarovar Lake: o It is also known as Keetham lake situated within the Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, which was declared as a bird sanctuary in the year 1991. o Location:

 This lake is situated alongside river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.  The Soor Sarovar bird sanctuary covered an area of 7.97 sq km. o It is today home to more than 165 species of migratory and resident birds. o It also has a Bear Rescue centre for rescued dancing bears. . Benefits:

o With Ramsar status, the sites will benefit in terms of international publicity and prestige. o They will get Financial aid through the convention’s grant and also access to expert advice on national and site-related problems. Ramsar Site

. Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty adopted in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. . It came into force for India on 1st February, 1982. Those wetlands which are of international importance are declared as Ramsar sites. . The Convention’s mission is “the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 12 3 . The Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference. It is maintained as part of the Ramsar List. . At present, two wetlands of India are in Montreux Record:

o Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) and o Loktak Lake (Manipur). . Chilika Lake (Odisha) was placed in the record but later removed from it.

7. Measures on Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 Why in News

The government has announced a fresh set of measures, worth around Rs. 1.2 lakh crore, to boost job creation, provide liquidity support to stressed sectors and encourage economic activity in housing and infrastructure areas.

. An additional outlay of Rs. 65,000 crore is being provided as a fertiliser subsidy to support increasing demand on the back of a good monsoon and sharp increase in the crop-sown area. . The measures have been announced under Aatmanirbhar Bharat 3.0. The recent announcement of Expansion of Production Linked Incentives (PLI) Scheme to 10 more sectors is also a part of Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0.

Key Points

. Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana: o Aim: It is aimed at incentivising the creation of new employment opportunities during the Covid-19 economic recovery phase. o Government Contribution: It will provide subsidy for provident fund contribution for adding new employees to establishments registered with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 12 4  The organisations of up to 1000 employees would receive employee’s contribution (12% of wages) & employer’s contributions (12% of wages), totalling 24% of wages, for two years.  Employers with over 1,000 employees will get employees’ contribution of 12%, for two years.  The subsidy amount under the scheme will be credited upfront only in Aadhaar-seeded EPFO accounts (UAN) of new employees. o Eligibility Criteria for Establishments: Establishments registered with EPFO will be eligible for the benefits if they add new employees compared to the reference base of employees as in September 2020.  Establishments, with up to 50 employees, would have to add a minimum of two new employees.  The organisations, with more than 50 employees, would have to add at least five employees. o Target Beneficiaries:  Any new employee joining employment in EPFO registered establishments on monthly wages less than Rs. 15,000.  Those who left their job between 1st March to 30th September and are employed on or after 1st October. o Time Period: The scheme will be effective from 1st October, 2020 and operational till 30th June 2021. . ECLGS 2.0: o Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 2.0 is being launched for the Healthcare sector and 26 stressed sectors (as identified by the Kamath Committee) with credit outstanding of above Rs. 50 crore and up to Rs. 500 crore as on 29th February 2020 stressed due to Covid-19, among other criteria. o Entities will get additional credit up to 20% of outstanding credit with a tenor of five years, including a 1 year moratorium on principal repayment. o This scheme will be available till 31st March, 2021. . Additional Outlay for PM Awas Yojana - Urban: o A sum of Rs. 18000 crore is being provided for PMAY- Urban over and above Rs. 8000 Crore already allocated this year. o This will help ground 12 Lakh houses and complete 18 Lakh houses, create additional 78 Lakh jobs and improve production and sale of steel and cement, resulting in a multiplier effect on the economy.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 12 5 o PMAY - Urban Mission was launched in 2015 with an intention to provide housing for all in urban areas by year 2022. . Relaxation of Earnest Deposit Money & Performance Security on Government Tenders: o Performance security deposit on contracts has been reduced to 3% from around 5-10%, while Earnest Deposit Money (EMD) will not be required. o The relaxations provided till 31st December, 2021 will be a major relief to the construction sector as it will free up the capital of the contractors and will enhance their financial ability to carry out the project. o Security Deposit: The contractor is required to deposit with the owner a sum stated as a percentage of the cost of the work in order to safeguard the interests of the owner in the event of improper performance of the contract. o Earnest money: It is assurance or guarantee in the form of cash on the part of the contractor to keep open the offer for consideration and to confirm his intentions to take up the work accepted in his favour for execution as per terms and conditions in the tender. . Income Tax relief for Developers & Home Buyers: o Developers have been allowed to sell their housing units at 20% lower than the circle rate by increasing the permissible differential from 10% to 20% (Section 43 CA of IT Act).  Circle rates, also known as ready-reckoner rates, are official area-wise prices set by state governments and are considered by the Income-Tax Department to assume purchase prices.  The government has allowed a differential of 20% between actual prices and circle rates, up from 10% earlier. o The benefit will, however, be available only on primary sale of residential units with price value up to Rs. 2 crore until 30th June, 2021. . Infra Debt Financing: o Government will make Rs. 6,000 Crore equity investment in debt platform of National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), which will help NIIF provide a debt of Rs. 1.1 Lakh Crore for infrastructure projects by 2025. . Boost for Rural Employment: o Additional outlay of Rs. 10,000 Crore is being provided for PM Garib Kalyan Rozgar Yojana to provide rural employment. This will help accelerate the rural economy.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 12 6 . Boost for Project Exports: o Rs. 3,000 Crore boost is being provided to EXIM Bank for promoting project exports under Indian Development and Economic Assistance Scheme (IDEAS Scheme). o Under the IDEAS Scheme, most recipient countries get Indian firms executing projects such as railway lines, transmission lines and so on. . Capital and Industrial Stimulus: o Rs. 10,200 Crore additional budget stimulus is being provided for capital and industrial expenditure on domestic defence equipment, industrial infrastructure and green energy. . R&D grant for Covid Vaccine: o Rs. 900 Crore is being provided to the Department of Biotechnology for Research and Development of Indian Covid Vaccine.

Analysis

. The latest announcement reinforces the ‘fiscal conservatism’ ideology of the government, i.e. rather than large cash transfers, the growth philosophy centres around creating an ecosystem that aids domestic demand, incentivises companies to generate jobs and boost production, and simultaneously extends benefits to those in severe distress, be it firms or individuals. . The measures follow a multi-pronged approach, aimed at generating employment and encouraging formalisation of the workforce in urban areas, expanding the scope of distress employment provided in rural areas, easing the flow of credit to stressed parts of the economy, expanding the incentives offered to boost domestic manufacturing, and kickstarting the real estate cycle, among others. . Put together, all Covid-19 relief measures would increase the Centre’s actual fiscal outgo by under 2% of GDP in 2020-21. o As per the government, the total stimulus announced by the Government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) till date (including Atmanirbhar 1.0 and Atmanirbhar 2.0), to help the nation tide over the Covid-19 pandemic, works out to Rs. 29.87 lakh crore, which is 15% of national GDP. o Out of this, the stimulus worth 9% of GDP has been provided by the government.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 12 7 Way Forward

. The government’s announcements focus on job creation, easing credit flow, but actual spending remains limited. More support is needed. . The finance ministry’s view of the state of the economy suggests that it believes a strong and durable recovery is taking hold. This is partly in line with the results of a study carried out by economists at the RBI, who now expect the economy to contract at a slower pace in the second quarter than what was expected before. . As the RBI noted in its ‘State of the Economy’ report, while it is possible that the third quarter (October-December) may not see a contraction in GDP growth, there are significant risks — relentless pressure of inflation, poor global growth following a second wave of Covid-19, and intensifying stress among households and firms both. Thus, the government needs to take steps accordingly.

8. Power sector reforms: UK lessons for India Background of the power sector reforms in UK

 After living with vertically integrated utilities till 1989, they unbundled.  Unbundling created markets both at generation and retail end.  Today, they are back to a situation where 70% of the power generated is sold outside the wholesale market.  The Electricity Act, 1989, which paved the way for the appointment of a regulator and thereafter, leading to unbundling, both vertical and horizontal.  Twelve distribution utilities were set up (called RECs) along with three- generation companies and also a national wires company (called NGC).  All of them were privatised barring Nuclear Electricity.  Retail competition was introduced in 1990 and was extended to all consumers in 1998.  A wholesale market was set up for generators.  The next major step was to fragment the generators because the regulator felt that they were colluding.  NETA in 2001 was primarily a tie-up between gencos and their consumers with long-term power purchase agreements.  The Energy Act, 2012, was enacted, which envisaged further changes.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 12 8 Issues with Power sector reform in India

 The Electricity Act, 2003 is a very cautious and timid exercise compared to what has been done in the UK.  Through the Act, we have merely unbundled and ring-fenced our utilities so that there is transparency in the accounts; this itself took us several years.  There has been no attempt to create a wholesale market or a full-fledged retail market where the consumer chooses the supplier.  Large consumers, having loads in excess of 1 MW, however, have the option of open-access where they can opt to receive supply from some other entity, instead of his incumbent utility.  The road to open access though has been bumpy, and discoms have opposed it tooth and nail.  Besides what was possible in the UK may not be possible in India.  The UK did not have a regime of cross-subsidies where the commercial and industrial sectors subsidise agriculture and low-end domestic consumers and also did not have high commercial loss levels.  Moreover, in the UK, all consumers were metered, unlike India.  There is yet another factor: ‘Power’ falls in the Concurrent List.  The Centre and states rarely see eye-to-eye on several issues concerning the sector, especially on matters relating to distribution.  Consequently, any major change does not get accepted.

Issues in introducing reform in India

 The CERC floated a discussion paper in December 2018 about the creation of a wholesale market in India.  This amounts to retrofitting, and retrofitting in an existing architecture has its limitations.  But the issue is whether India should attempt creating a wholesale market or for that matter a full-fledged retail market in India, especially after the experience of the UK.  The UK is almost back to the era of vertically integrated utilities, and consumers barely switch their retailer.

Way forward

 We need to privatise our distribution sector by creating joint ventures with the government.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 12 9  the government will have to undertake initial hand-holding till such time commercial losses are wiped out.  This is the model which was followed in the case of Delhi and has proven successful.  Commercial losses have come down from 50% to single-digit figures within a span of 10 to 12 years.  Once we reach that stage, we can think of creating a full-fledged retail market where a consumer can choose her supplier.

Conclusion

The Indian consumer is only interested in good quality power supply at a reasonable price. We only need to take policy measures so that the incumbent utilities can provide this, since, this will be the least costly path.

9. Govt. rolls out 1.19 lakh crore stimulus

Context:

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a fresh set of relief and stimulus measures for the economy – worth ₹1.19 lakh crore.

Key features of the stimulus:

 A new Atmanirbhar Rozgar Yojana has been announced to spur job creation.  The entire Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) contributions for two years of all new employees (hired between October 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021) in firms with fewer than 1,000 employees will be borne by the government. o The definition of ‘new employee’ will include all those who were a part of the EPF net earlier, but had lost their job between March 1 and September 30, 2020. o The benefit will apply to all those new employees whose monthly wage is less than ₹15,000. o For firms with more than 1,000 employees, the Centre will bear half of the EPF contributions (24% of wages), while for smaller firms, it will bear the entire EPF contribution. o To be eligible for the scheme, firms registered with EPFO having more than 50 employees must hire at least five new workers, while those with less than 50 employees must hire a minimum of two workers.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 13 0  Some income tax relief for the purchase of residential units of value up to ₹2 crore.  Production-linked incentive scheme for 10 sectors with a proposed expenditure of ₹1.46 lakh crore over five years.  ₹900 crore has been allocated for research and development towards the COVID-19 vaccine.  To spur rural employment, an additional ₹10,000 crore has been provided for spending through the MGNREGS and PM’s rural roads scheme. o Effectively, this takes the total allocations for MGNREGA in the year close to ₹1.1 lakh crore.  The government would provide ₹65,000 crore as fertilizer subsidy to ensure adequate availability in view of the expected rise in the sown area.  To boost urban housing, an additional allocation of ₹18,000 crore has been made for the PM Awas Yojana over and above the ₹8,000 crore allotted in the Budget.  The ₹3 lakh-crore emergency credit line guarantee scheme announced earlier for micro, small and medium enterprises has been extended till March 31, 2021.  A credit guarantee plan has been announced for stressed sectors as well as healthcare. o Entities in stressed sectors identified by the K.V. Kamath Committee plus healthcare sector with credit outstanding of above ₹50 crore and up to ₹500 crore (as on February 29, 2020) would be able to avail 20% additional credit for a period of five years, with a moratorium of one year on principal repayment. o As per the Kamath committee, the stressed sectors include auto components, construction, gems and jewellery, hotel and restaurants, iron and steel, real estate and textiles.  To free up working capital for contractors bidding for public projects, the Centre has decided to reduce the performance security payable on individual contracts to 3% from the prevailing 5% to 10% of the project value.  The earnest money deposit requirement to bid for tenders is being replaced by a bid security declaration for a period of one year.

Significance:

 Experts have pegged the fiscal cost of the announcement at about 1.2% of the GDP, including the PLI scheme.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 13 1  It aims to boost re-employment chances of formal sector employees who lost their jobs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  78 lakh additional jobs are expected to be generated from the boost given to urban housing, apart from boosting steel and cement demand significantly.

10. Amendment in FCRA Rules

Why in News

Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has notified new rules under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010.

Key Points

. Background: o Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) first enacted in 1976, was once amended in the year 2010 to regulate the foreign contributions or donations and hospitality (air travel, hotel accommodation etc) to Indian organizations and individuals and to stop such contributions which might damage the national interest  It has been amended again in 2020 to enhance transparency and accountability in the receipt and utilisation of foreign contributions and facilitating the genuine non-governmental organisations or associations who are working for the welfare of society. o The Act is applicable to all associations, groups and non- governmental organisations (NGOs) who intend to receive foreign donations. o As per the FCRA, members of legislatures, political parties, government officials, judges and media persons are prohibited from receiving any foreign contribution. . The MHA has notified new rules under the FCRA, 2010 thereby amending the FCRA Rules, 2011. . New Rules: o Norms for farmers, students, religious and other groups who are not directly aligned to any political party to receive foreign funds, if the groups are not involved in active politics, has been relaxed. o FCRA registrations have been made more stringent.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 13 2  Any organisation that wants to register itself under FCRA shall be in existence for three years and should have spent a minimum amount of 15 lakh on its core activities for the benefit of society during the last three financial years.  However, the Central Government in exceptional cases or in cases where a person is controlled by the Central Government or a State Government may waive the conditions.  Office bearers of NGOs or organisations seeking registration under the FCRA are required to submit a specific commitment letter from the donor indicating the amount of foreign contribution and the purpose for which it was being given. o Political Groups:  A new clause has been inserted which says that groups mentioned in Clause V and VI will only be considered a political group by the Centre if they participate in “active politics or party politics”.  Earlier, the rules on said clauses dealt with “guidelines for the declaration of an organisation to be of a political nature, not being a political party”, and the Central government could specify an organisation as that of political nature based on six criteria.  Clause V of Rule 3 (FCRA rules 2011) qualified a political group as organisations of farmers, workers, students, youths based on caste, community, religion, language or otherwise, which is not directly aligned to any political party, but whose objectives as stated in the memorandum of association, or activities gathered through other material evidence, include steps towards advancement of political interests of such groups.  The other 2011 clause (VI) qualified a group as political if the organisation by whatever name habitually engages itself in or employs common methods of political action like rasta roko, jail bharo, rail roko, bandh or hartal in support of public causes.

11. Saffron Cultivation in Northeast

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 13 3 Why in News

A pilot project of saffron cultivation has yielded successful results in Yangyang village of Sikkim, which produced its first crop of saffron recently.

Key Points

. About: o Saffron is a plant whose dried stigmas (thread-like parts of the flower) are used to make saffron spice. o Saffron cultivation is believed to have been introduced in Kashmir by Central Asian immigrants around the 1st Century BCE. o It has been associated with traditional Kashmiri cuisine and represents the rich cultural heritage of the region. o It is a very precious and costly product. o In ancient Sanskrit literature, saffron is referred to as ‘bahukam’. o It is cultivated and harvested in the Karewa (highlands) of Jammu and Kashmir. . Importance: o It rejuvenates health and is used in cosmetics and for medicinal purposes. o It has been associated with traditional Kashmiri cuisine and represents the rich cultural heritage of the region. . Season: o In India, saffron Corms (seeds) are cultivated during the months of June and July and at some places in August and September. o It starts flowering in October. . Conditions: o Saffron grows well at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level. It needs a photoperiod (sunlight) of 12 hours. o Soil: It grows in many different soil types but thrives best in calcareous (soil that has calcium carbonate in abundance), humus- rich and well-drained soil with a pH between 6 and 8. o Climate: For saffron cultivation, we need an explicit climatological summer and winter with temperatures ranging from no more than 35 or 40 degree Celsius in summer to about –15 or –20 degree Celsius in winter. o Rainfall: It also requires adequate rainfall that is 1000-1500 mm per annum. . Saffron Producing Regions in India:

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 13 4 o Saffron production has long been restricted to a limited geographical area in the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir. o Pampore region, commonly known as Saffron bowl of Kashmir, is the main contributor to saffron production.  Pampore Saffron Heritage of Kashmir is one of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage systems (GIAHS) recognised sites in India. o Other districts producing saffron are Budgam, Srinagar, and Kishtwar districts. o Recently, the Kashmir saffron got Geographical Indication (GI) tag status. . Production & Demand in India: o India cultivates about 6 to 7 tonne of saffron while the demand is 100 tonne. o To meet the growing demand of saffron the Ministry of Science and Technology, through the Department of Science and Technology (DST), is now looking at extending its cultivation to some states in the Northeast (Sikkim now, and later to Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh). There is a huge similarity of climate and geographical conditions between Kashmir and few regions of Northeast. . North East Centre For Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), an autonomous body under the DST in collaboration with the Botany and Horticulture departments of Sikkim Central University implemented a pilot project in Yangyang village of South Sikkim. . Benefits o The extension of saffron production will help in meeting the annual demand in india. o It will help in reducing imports. o It will also diversify agriculture and provide new opportunities to the farmers in the North-East. . Other Initiatives: o The National Saffron Mission was sanctioned by the central government in the year 2010 in order to extend support for creation of irrigation facilities through tube wells and sprinkler sets which would help in production of better crops in the area of saffron production. o Recently, the Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT) and the Government of Himachal Pradesh, have jointly decided to increase the production of the two spices namely, Saffron and Heeng (asafoetida).

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 13 5  Under this plan, IHBT will be introducing new varieties of saffron and heeng from the exporting countries and will be standardized under Indian conditions.

Way Forward

. Initiatives such as the National Saffron Mission and extension of saffron production to the North-East will help to diversify the agricultural sector. It will also enforce Atmanirbhar Bahrat Abhiyan in the agricultural sector.

12. Earthquake Concentrations in Dharchula Region Why in News

Recently, scientists at Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) have unearthed large concentrations of micro and moderate magnitude earthquakes in the Dharchula region and adjoining areas of Kumaon Himalaya.

. WIHG is an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.

Key Points

. Location: o The major concentration is in an area around 45 km from the new Kailash Mansarovar road, connecting Dharchula in Uttarakhand to Lipu Lekh on the China border. o The region is known as the Central Seismic Gap (CSG) region, despite the Himalayas being one of the most tectonically and seismically active regions in the country.  A gap is a term used to denote an area with little tectonic activity. . Methodology: o Scientists started investigating and mapping the region precisely to find out the reason behind the occurrence of crowded (closely located and frequently felt) earthquakes. o They established a seismological network of 15 broadband seismological stations along the Kali River valley to investigate the

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 13 6 subsurface configuration in the Kumaon Himalaya region with support from the Ministry of Earth Sciences. . Findings: o These large concentrations of earthquakes are “release of stress’’ building up in the region and the geological structure behind it. o The Dharchula region falls between two knee-like structures, which traps the stress in this region. o This is the reason why there have been crowded earthquakes here within a span of years and numerous smaller earthquakes have occurred here and the stress keeps building up. o For the stress to be finally released, there is a likelihood of a high magnitude earthquake in the region. However it is not possible to predict the scale or the exact time that an earthquake will occur.

Earthquake

. An earthquake in simple words is the shaking of the earth. It is a natural event which is caused due to release of energy, which generates seismic waves that travel in all directions. . The location below the earth’s surface where the earthquake starts is called the hypocenter, and the location directly above it on the surface of the earth is called the epicenter. . Types of Earthquakes: o Based on reasons behind their origins:  Fault Zones Earthquake.  Tectonic Earthquake.  Volcanic Earthquake.  Human Induced Earthquakes. o Based on the depth of focus:  Shallow Earthquakes (0-70 km deep)  Intermediate Earthquakes (70-300 deep)  Deep Earthquakes (300-700 km deep). . Measurement of Earthquakes: o Seismometers detects seismic waves below the instrument and records them as a series of zig-zags.  Scientists can determine the time, location and intensity of an earthquake from the information recorded by a seismometer. This record also provides information about the rocks the seismic waves traveled through.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 13 7 o The earthquake events are scaled either according to the magnitude or intensity of the shock.  The magnitude scale is known as the Richter scale. The magnitude relates to the energy released during the quake. The magnitude is expressed in absolute numbers, 0-10.  The intensity scale is named after Mercalli, an Italian seismologist. The intensity scale takes into account the visible damage caused by the event. The range of intensity scale is from 1-12.

Earthquakes in India

. India is one of the highly earthquake affected countries because of the presence of tectonically active young fold mountains, Himalayas. . India has been divided into four seismic zones (II, III, IV, and V) based on scientific inputs relating to seismicity, earthquakes occurred in the past and tectonic setup of the region.

13. Pfizer's Covid-19 Vaccine Candidate Why in News

Recently, American pharma company Pfizer has claimed that its vaccine candidate BNT162b2 is more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 in participants without evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Key Points

. BNT162b2: o It is a single nucleoside-modified messenger RNA (modRNA) vaccine, which is made of a short segment of genetic material (the messenger RNA/mRNA) which provides instructions for a human cell to make a harmless version of a target protein, in this case the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, in order to activate an immune response.  The mRNA vaccine is a new approach to protecting against viral infection.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 13 8  Unlike traditional vaccines, which work by training the body to recognise and kill proteins produced by pathogens, mRNA tricks the patient's immune system to produce viral proteins itself.  The proteins are harmless, but sufficient to provoke a robust immune response. o Its phase 3 clinical trial began in July with 43,538 participants, 38,955 of whom had received a second dose by November. The case split between vaccinated individuals and those who received the placebo indicates a vaccine efficacy rate above 90%, at 7 days after the second dose. o It means that protection is achieved 28 days after the initiation of the vaccination, which consists of a 2-dose schedule. o Pfizer has become the first firm to release promising late-stage trial data of a potential vaccine for Covid-19, even though the announcement does not have scientifically conclusive evidence on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine candidate. o However, the analysis of the vaccine candidate by an external independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) has not reported any serious safety concerns. o The announcement comes days before the company plans to submit safety and efficacy data from the trial to the American regulator, the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) seeking emergency use authorisation. . Vaccines Worldwide: o As of mid-October 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified 42 candidate vaccines at the stage of clinical trials, up from 11 in mid-June. o Ten of them were at the most advanced phase 3 stage, in which a vaccine's effectiveness is tested on a large scale, generally tens of thousands of people across several continents. o The USA biotech firm Moderna, several state-run Chinese labs, and a European project led by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca are also closing in on potentially viable vaccines. o Two Russian Covid-19 vaccines have been registered for use even before clinical trials were completed, but have not been widely accepted outside of Russia.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 13 9 India’s Progress

. India is preparing to administer a vaccine against Covid-19 to its population early in 2021 and for that, it is working with neighbouring countries on possible collaborative clinical trials of vaccine candidates in the future. . A specialist team of scientists and researchers from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, has imparted training to doctors and regulators in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Afghanistan. . The Indian team has focused its training on conducting crucial phase II and III human clinical trials of the potential vaccine candidate along lines of India’s regulatory mechanism. o In phases II/III, reactogenicity (ability to produce common, adverse reactions), immunogenicity (ability to provoke an immune response), and safety of the vaccine candidate are assessed in a larger population. . The current aim is to facilitate a future collaborative clinical trial but in future, it will allow India to explore the option of buying the potential Covid-19 vaccine from these neighbouring countries. . Indigenously Developed Vaccines: o ZyCoV-D: Designed and developed by Zydus (a pharmaceutical company) with support from the DBT. o Covaxin: Developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the ICMR. . Assistance in Global Trails: o Covishield: Name given to an Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine candidate which is technically referred to as AZD1222 or ChAdOx 1 nCoV-19. o Sputnik V: The first vaccine to be officially registered and has been developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute in collaboration with the Russia’s defence ministry.

14. Lessons from Vietnam and Bangladesh

Context:

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 14 0 While Bangladesh has become the second-largest apparel exporter after China, Vietnam’s exports have grown by about 240% in the past eight years. The article throws light upon the best practices followed in both the countries for and what India can learn from them.

Vietnam’s Success:

 Vietnam’s exports rose from $83.5 billion in 2010 to $279 billion in 2019.  Vietnam pursues an open trade policy mainly through Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) which ensure that its important trading partners like the U.S., the EU, China, Japan, South Korea and India do not charge import duties on products made in Vietnam.  Vietnam’s domestic market is open to the partners’ products. o 99% of EU products will soon enter Vietnam duty-free.  The country has agreed to change its domestic laws to make the country attractive to investors. o Foreign firms can compete for local businesses. o EU firms can open shops, enter the retail trade, and bid for both government and private sector tenders. o They can take part in electricity, real estate, hospital, defence, and railways projects.  An open trade policy, a less inexpensive workforce, and generous incentives to foreign firms contributed to Vietnam’s success.

Learning for India:

 While Vietnam being a single-party state can ignore domestic voices, this model may not be good for India as it offers no protection to farmers or local producers from imports.

Bangladesh’s Strategy:

 In Bangladesh, most of the country’s export constitutes large export of apparels to the EU and the U.S. o The EU allows the import of apparel and other products from least developed countries (LDCs) like Bangladesh duty-free. o However, Bangladesh may not have this advantage in a few years.  The country is working to diversify its export basket.  In India, as a good neighbour, all of Bangladesh’s products are accepted duty-free (except alcohol and tobacco).

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 14 1 Way Forward:

Here are a few suggestions of elements followed in Vietnam and Bangladesh models that India can look to emulate:

Support Large Firms:

 The key learning from Bangladesh is the need to support large firms for a quick turnover. o Large firms are better positioned to invest in brand building, meeting quality requirements, and marketing. o Small firms begin as suppliers to large firms and eventually grow.

Export Diversification:

 Vietnam has changed domestic rules to meet the needs of investors. Yet, most of Vietnam’s exports happen in five sectors.  In contrast, India’s exports are more diversified. o The Economic Complexity Index (ECI), which ranks a country based on how diversified and complex its manufacturing export basket is, illustrates this point. o The ECI rank for China is 32, India 43, Vietnam 79, and Bangladesh 127.

Setting up pre-approved factory spaces:

 India, unlike Vietnam, has a developed domestic and capital market. To further promote manufacturing and investment, India could set up sectoral industrial zones with pre-approved factory spaces.

Final Assembly of goods produced:

 The quick build-up of exports in Vietnam resulted from large MNC investments. But most of its electronics exports are just the final assembly of goods produced elsewhere. In such cases, national exports look large, but the net dollar gain is small. China also faces this issue.

GDP to Export Ratio:

 Vietnam’s export to GDP ratio (EGR) is 107%.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 14 2 o Such high dependence on exports brings dollars but also makes a country vulnerable to global economic uncertainty.  The EGR of large economies/exporting countries is a much smaller number.  Most such countries (including India) follow an open trade policy, sign balanced FTAs, restrict unfair imports, and have a healthy mix of domestic champions and MNCs.  While export remains a priority, it is not pursued at the expense of other sectors of the economy.

Conclusion:

 For India, the focus is on organic economic growth through innovation and competitiveness.  With reforms promoting innovation and lowering the cost of doing business, India is poised to attract the best investments and integrate further with the global economy.

15. Four Years of Demonetisation

Why in News

8th November 2020 marked the four year anniversary of demonetisation, when Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes were withdrawn from the system in 2016.

. Demonetisation: It is the act of stripping a currency unit of its status as legal tender. It occurs whenever there is a change of national currency and the current form or forms of money is pulled from circulation and retired, often to be replaced with new notes or coins.

Key Points

. Objectives of Demonetisation: o To discourage the use of high-denomination notes for illegal transactions and thus curb the widespread use of black money. o To encourage digitisation of commercial transactions, formalise the economy and so, boost government tax revenues.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 14 3  The formalisation of the economy means bringing companies under the regulatory regime of government and subject to laws related to manufacturing and income tax. . Operation Clean Money: o It was launched by the Income Tax Department (CBDT) for e- verification of large cash deposits made during the period from 9th November to 30th December 2016. o The programme was launched on 31st January 2017 and entered into the second phase in May 2017. o It aimed to verify cash transaction status (exchange/savings of banned notes) of taxpayers during the demonetisation period and to take tax enforcement action if transactions do not match the tax status. . Impact of the Move: o Currency with public stood at Rs. 17.97 lakh crore on 4th November 2016 and declined to Rs 7.8 lakh crore in January 2017 after demonetisation.  Currency with Public: As per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) definition, currency with public is arrived at after deducting cash with banks from total currency in circulation.  Currency in Circulation: It refers to cash or currency within a country that is physically used to conduct transactions between consumers and businesses. o Demands fell, businesses faced a crisis and gross domestic product (GDP) growth declined nearly 1.5%, with many small units and shops being shut down and it also created a liquidity shortage.  Liquidity shortages or crises arise when financial institutions and industrial companies scramble for, and cannot find the cash they require to meet their most urgent needs or undertake their most valuable projects. . Current Trends: o Currency with Public: On 23rd October 2020, the currency with the public stood at a record high of Rs. 26.19 lakh crore, up 45.7% from November 2016.  The pace of rise in currency with the public has been very sharp over the last 10 months as it has risen from Rs. 21.79 lakh crore as on 3rd January 2020 to the current number in October 2020.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 14 4  The hike was mainly driven by a rush for cash by the public between March and May amidst the stringent lockdowns to tackle the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.  It shows that the cash in the system has been steadily rising, even though the government and the RBI had pushed for a less-cash society, digitisation of payments and slapped restrictions on the use of cash in various transactions. o Digitisation: According to an RBI study on digital payments, although digital payments have been growing gradually in recent years, both in value and volume terms across countries, currency in circulation to GDP ratio has increased in consonance with the overall economic growth. o Tax Revenues: Along with demonetisation, the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act 2016 and Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016 encouraged compliance such that the number of income tax returns and the number of income tax filers grew at a healthy rate in 2017 and 2018. o Counterfeit Currency: In the year 2015-16, more than 4 lakh fake notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 were captured. This number reduced to 45,400 fake notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 2,000 in 2018-19. However, the number of fake notes among the new design notes of Rs. 500 more than doubled with an increase of 121% whereas those of Rs. 2000 increased by 21.9% over the previous year during 2018-19, according to the annual report of RBI. o Terrorism: It was believed that stopping the high-value currency from circulating will restrict funds used for terrorist activities which will gradually decrease the terrorist activities in the country. But, on the contrary, the number of such incidences rose in the years 2016, 2017, and 2018, compared to 2015.  While 728 people died in terrorist activities in 2015; the number of casualties rose to 905, 812, and 940 in such activities in 2016, 2017, and 2018, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) data.

Way Forward

. Demonetisation was an expeditious move to boldly counter the black money and parallel economy (illegal economy, such as money laundering,

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 14 5 smuggling, etc.) threat with visible impact on how the government's policies are perceived in international circles of economic power. . This move by the government achieved larger significance for a globally connected India as it showed boldness in tackling an issue which has remained a thorn in the growth success story of this generation.

16. COVID-19, climate and carbon neutrality

Context:

 The article written by former Union Minister for Environment, Jairam Ramesh argues for India to pursue the carbon neutrality principle.

Background:

Ill effects of ecological disequilibrium:

Epidemic diseases:

 The COVID-19 pandemic reflects fundamental ecological disequilibrium. Available scientific evidence points to the fact that the loss of biodiversity and the ever-increasing human incursions into the natural world could be contributing to the outbreak and spread of epidemic diseases.  The high levels of air pollution have been found to exacerbate the health impact of COVID-19.

Negative impact on health:

 The environmental problems — such as air pollution, water pollution, chemical contamination, deforestation, waste generation and accumulation, land degradation and excessive use of pesticides — are having profound public health consequences for humans. o The State of Global Air report notes that air pollution contributed to 6.7 million annual deaths globally in 2019 while India faced 1.67 million deaths due to polluted air. o Ambient air pollution also aggravates respiratory and cardiovascular conditions including chronic bronchitis, lung cancer and asthma.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 14 6 Climate Change:

 Climate change, the result of GHG emissions is leading to uncertainties in the monsoon, the retreat of the Himalayan glaciers and the increase in mean sea levels and is also increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme events.

Carbon neutrality:

 Given that the traditional approach of ‘grow now, pay later’ model is not only unsustainable in the medium- to long-term but also dangerous to public health in the short term, there have been growing calls for more active measures.  Rather than resorting to ad hoc techniques like geo-engineering, which itself is riddled with complications, there is the need for more long term solutions like planning for carbon neutrality.  Carbon Neutrality is being proposed as a necessary measure in global climate action. o Carbon neutrality refers to achieving net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by balancing carbon dioxide emissions with carbon absorption. o Achieving carbon neutrality has two basic aims, reducing or simply eliminating carbon dioxide emissions altogether and also increasing carbon removal (through carbon absorption in carbon sinks, carbon offsetting and carbon sequestration).

Carbon neutrality commitments:

 In September 2018, the American State of California became the first to commit itself to carbon neutrality (by 2045).  In December 2019, the European Union also committed to carbon neutrality by 2050.  In September 2020, China, the world’s largest GHG emitter, also declared its goal of carbon neutrality by 2060.  This was followed by the announcements by Japan and South Korea to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Way forward:

Need for carbon neutrality:

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 14 7  The COVID-19 crisis provides an opportunity for reset, recalibration and rethink with respect to environmentally sustainable economic growth models.  Given India’s vulnerability to climate change, rather than arguing that its per capita emissions continue to be low, India too should plan for achieving carbon neutrality. o India’s commitment to ensure 40% of its energy supply through renewable energy sources would help reduce India’s GHG emissions. o India has committed to creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 -3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030. India’s commitment on carbon sequestration through forests could help increase carbon absorption in India’s forest reserves.  Carbon neutrality is a worthwhile goal, the attainment of which has to be consciously engineered through government action and policies.

System level restructuring:

 Renewable energy though may be an integral part of the solution, going forward they alone may not be sufficient and there should be efforts made at re-architecturing systems as a whole. The overhaul in the German electricity sector is a classical example of such re- architecturing.  Given that much of the infrastructure we need for the future is still to be put in place — one estimate widely quoted that something like 70% of the infrastructure required in India by the year 2050 is waiting to be established, the future investment decisions should have sustainability as an important parameter.

17. Delivery of COVID-19 vaccines poses a huge challenge

Context:

 As the COVID-19 vaccine development efforts are progressing the attention is shifting towards the effective delivery of COVID vaccines to all. The article analyzes the challenges and concerns in this regard.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 14 8 Challenges:

Scale:

 Studies indicate the need to vaccinate at least 60-70% of the population to end the pandemic. This would amount to around 80-90 crore people in India.  Unlike the national immunisation programme which is limited to vaccinating children, COVID-19 vaccination will be across age groups, including older people.

Financial challenge:

 Given the number of doses of the vaccine required in India, the financial resources required to purchase vaccines would be substantial. Given the already bleak economic condition and low government revenues, the need for the financial resources to buy these vaccines would only challenge the finances further.

Infrastructure challenge:

 Most of the COVID-19 vaccines, the RNA vaccines in particular, require ultralow storage and distribution temperatures in the range of –70 degrees C to –80 degree C.  Though such temperatures could be obtained, the scale of cold storage required to store hundreds of millions of such vaccine doses poses a critical challenge.  Building new ultra-cold storage infrastructure would require considerable resources and also the uninterrupted power supply. This could pose challenges in rural areas where ensuring uninterrupted power supply is a challenge.

Logistics challenge:

 Given the large geographical area of India and the fact that it includes some difficult terrain necessitates the need to take into consideration the logistics needed to distribute and deliver vaccines to everyone.  Given that most vaccines under development use two doses of the vaccine to achieve best results, the vaccine delivery would also face the herculean challenge of the need to vaccinate people with two doses four weeks apart.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 14 9  Most of the vaccines under development include injectable vaccines. This would require trained professionals in very large numbers.

Ethical challenges:

 Given that the vaccines would be in short supply in the initial phases until mass production of the vaccines pick up the pace, there would be the scramble to get access to the vaccines. The richer countries and individuals might have greater access to such vaccines.  The access to potential vaccines involves some ethically contentious questions like deciding whom to vaccinate when there is an insufficient supply of vaccines to all.

Way forward:

Newer approaches:

 Given the non uniform availability of cold storage in the country, it may make sense to consider bringing people to the vaccine, instead of taking the vaccine to people in some settings.

Developing suitable vaccines:

 There are ongoing attempts to modify the vaccines and increase their stability to suit the storage conditions that already exist Though such vaccines are unlikely to become available in the first-generation vaccines, the efforts should continue.  The Oxford vaccine does not require ultracold temperatures, and hence, the existing system used in the routine immunisation programme may be able to handle the vaccines.

Learning from past experience:

 India’s experience with polio and measles-rubella campaigns could help guide India in its COVID-19 vaccine delivery programme.  The lessons learnt from the national immunisation programme for children can be replicated.  India’s eVIN Project could provide some valuable lessons for the maintenance of the vaccine cold chains. o eVIN (Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network) is an indigenously developed technology system in India that digitizes vaccine stocks

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 15 0 and monitors the temperature of the cold chain through a smartphone application. The innovative eVIN is presently being implemented across twelve states in India. eVIN aims to support the Government of India’s Universal Immunization Programme by providing real-time information on vaccine stocks and flows, and storage temperatures across all cold chain points in these states.

Prioritizing:

 The vaccines should be prioritised for vulnerable groups as identified by the government. o The government recently said it will procure the vaccine and distribute it under a special COVID-19 immunisation programme to four categories of people, free-of-charge. The priority groups named are healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses and ASHA workers, a second category that includes frontline workers including police and armed forces, the third category of those aged above 50 and finally those below 50 years of age with co-morbidities.

Ensuring accessibility:

 To ensure equitable access to all, the vaccines may be made available only in the public sector, at least when supplies are limited. There is a need to ensure that the vaccines are available for free.  However, it does not make sense to rule out the possibility of letting companies sell vaccines to people who can afford as and when such vaccines become available in plenty. This approach could help reduce the burden on the government and also help the companies to maintain business continuity.

18. Radio Burst in Milky Way

Why in News

Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has spotted fast Radio Burst for the first time in the Milky Way.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 15 1 Key Points

. Fast Radio Burst: o FRB are bright bursts of radio waves (radio waves can be produced by astronomical objects with changing magnetic fields) whose durations lie in the millisecond-scale, because of which it is difficult to detect them and determine their position in the sky. o It was first discovered in 2007. . Discovery of FRB in Milky Way: o NASA observed a mix of X-ray and radio signals never observed before in the Milky Way. o The X-ray portion of the simultaneous bursts was detected by several satellites, including NASA’s Wind mission.  NASA’s Wind is a spin stabilized spacecraft launched on 1st November, 1994. After several orbits through the magnetosphere, Wind was placed in a halo orbit around the L1 Lagrange point in early 2004 to observe the unperturbed solar wind that is about to impact the magnetosphere of Earth. o The radio component was discovered by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME), a radio telescope located at Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory in British Columbia, which is led by McGill University in Montreal, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Toronto.  CHIME is a novel radio telescope that has no moving parts. Originally conceived to map the most abundant element in the universe - hydrogen - over a good fraction of the observable universe, this unusual telescope is optimized to have a high "mapping speed". . Source of FRB in Milky Way: o The source of the FRB detected recently in the Milky Way is a very powerful magnetic neutron star referred to as a magnetar, called SGR 1935+2154 or SGR 1935, which is located in the constellation Vulpecula and is estimated to be between 14,000-41,000 light-years away. o The FRB was part of one of the magnetar’s most prolific flare-ups, with the X-ray bursts lasting less than a second. o The radio burst, on the other hand, lasted for a thousandth of a second and was thousands of times brighter than any other radio emissions from magnetars seen in the Milky Way previously.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 15 2  It is possible that the FRB-associated burst was exceptional because it likely occurred at or close to the magnetar’s magnetic pole. o This flare-up, which lasted for hours, was picked up by NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space telescope and NASA’s Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER).  The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, formerly called the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST), is a space observatory being used to perform gamma-ray astronomy observations from low Earth orbit.  NASA’s Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer is an International Space Station (ISS) payload devoted to the study of neutron stars through soft X-ray timing.

Magnetar

. As per NASA, a magnetar is a neutron star, “the crushed, city-size remains of a star many times more massive than the Sun.” . The magnetic field of such a star is very powerful, which can be over 10 trillion times stronger than a refrigerator magnet and up to a thousand times stronger than a typical neutron star’s. o Neutron stars are formed when the core of a massive star undergoes gravitational collapse when it reaches the end of its life. This results in the matter being so tightly packed that even a sugar-cube sized amount of material taken from such a star weighs more than 1 billion tons, which is about the same as the weight of Mount Everest, according to NASA. . Magnetars are a subclass of these neutrons and occasionally release flares with more energy in a fraction of a second than the Sun is capable of emitting in tens of thousands of years. . In the case of SGR 1935, for instance, the X-ray portion of the simultaneous bursts it released recently carried as much energy as the Sun produces in a month, assuming that the magnetar lies towards the nearer end of its distance range.

19. Alimony guidelines

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 15 3 Context:

The Supreme Court while hearing a dispute between a Mumbai-based couple, has set down comprehensive guidelines on alimony.

Details:

 The court ruled that an abandoned wife and children will be entitled to ‘maintenance’ from the date she applies for it in a court of law.

Issue:

 In India, for many girls, marriage before completion of higher education is an inevitable reality.  Girls are married off early and bear children long before they should.  This results in poor maternal health which is one of the root causes of high levels of child stunting and wasting in India.  There is also the possibility of a marriage not working out for varied reasons, leaving the girl or young woman in extreme distress because often, she is not financially independent.

Legislations and constitutional provisions that protect women’s rights:

 Parliament and the courts have persistently enacted legislation to give women better rights.  The two key constitutional safeguards are Article 15(3), which states ‘nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any special provision for women and children’, read together with Article 39, which directs state policy towards equal pay and opportunities for both men and women, and protecting the health of women and children.

Significance of the Recent Judgement:

 In the recent judgment, a Bench of Justices Indu Malhotra and R. Subhash Reddy, outlined specifics, including reasonable needs of a wife and dependent children, her educational qualification, whether she has an independent source of income, and if she does, if it is sufficient, to follow for family courts, magistrates and lower courts on alimony cases.  Given the large and growing percentage of matrimonial litigation, some clarity was necessary.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 15 4  The bench laid down criteria that must be considered while calculating the quantum of maintenance.  The Court laid down that while women can make a claim for alimony under different laws, including the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 and Section 125 of the CrPC, or under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, it would be inequitable to direct the husband to pay maintenance under each of the proceedings, urging civil and family courts to take note of previous settlements.  Keeping in mind the vastness of India and its inequities, the Court also added how an “order or decree of maintenance” may be enforced under various laws and Section 128 of the CrPC.

20. Exploring the potential of Green Hydrogen based vehicular fuel

Vehicular emission and steps taken to deal with it

 The transport sector in India contributes one-third of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, within which the lion’s share is that of road transport.  The government has made concerted efforts to tackle vehicular emissions with policies steps and programmes such as the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME I) scheme, FAME II, tax benefits, etc.

Blending hydrogen

 Typically, hydrogen can be produced in one of three ways, i.e., from fossil fuels (grey hydrogen), through carbon capture utilisation & storage (CCUS) application and fossil fuels (blue hydrogen), or by using renewable energy (green hydrogen).  Indian Oil Corporation Limited has patented a technology that produces H-CNG (18% hydrogen in CNG) directly from natural gas, without having to undertake expensive conventional blending.  This compact blending process provides a 22% reduction in cost as compared to conventional blending.  In comparison to CNG, H-CNG allows for a 70% reduction in carbon monoxide emissions and a 25% reduction in hydrocarbon emissions.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 15 5  The new H-CNG technology requires only minor tweaks in the current design of CNG buses.  However, the issue is that the Hydrogen-spiked CNG is still being produced from natural gas-a fossil fuel.

Electric vehicle Vs. Fuel cell

 From a commercial viability standpoint, two cleaner fuel alternatives come to mind—battery-operated electric vehicles (BEV) and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV).  Hydrogen FCEVs has reduced refuelling time (5 minutes versus 30-40 minutes with fast charges), higher energy density, longer range, etc.  However, one needs to focus on is the entire life cycle of these vehicles as opposed to restricting the analysis to just the carbon-free tailpipe emissions.  According to a report by Deloitte (2020) on hydrogen and fuel cells, the lifecycle GHG emissions from hydrogen FCEVs ranges between 130-230 g CO2e per km.  The lower end of the range depicts the case of hydrogen production from renewables while the higher end reflects the case of hydrogen production from natural gas.  The corresponding life cycles GHG emissions for BEV and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles range between 160-250 g CO2e and 180- 270 g CO2e respectively.  The cost of lithium ion-based battery-operated vehicles has been reducing while hydrogen fuel cell technology is relatively quite expensive.  A hydrogen-run vehicle achieves an energy efficiency rate of 25-35% (roughly 45% of energy is lost during the electrolysis process alone).

Way forward

 Given that these are early days for FCEV, one can be hopeful that we will be able to achieve economies of scale and attain cost reductions.  Hydrogen Council (2020) on hydrogen cost competitiveness that states scaling up and augmenting fuel cell production from 10,000 to 200,000 units can deliver a 45% reduction in the cost per unit.  Similarly, the versatility of hydrogen allows for complementarity across its numerous applications.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 15 6  Moreover, based on the numbers quoted by this report, fuel cell stacks for passenger vehicles are expected to exhibit learning rates of 17% in the coming future.  The corresponding figures for commercial vehicles stand at 11%.  Efforts are underway in India, and the research activities pertaining to hydrogen have been compiled and recently released in the form of a country status report.  In their quest for becoming carbon neutral by 2035, Reliance Industries plan to replace transportation fuels with hydrogen and clean electricity.  Similarly, the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is considering setting up a green hydrogen production facility in Andhra Pradesh.  The ministry of road transport and highways issued a notification proposing amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (1989) to incorporate safety standards for hydrogen fuel cell technology vehicles.  As per a policy brief issued by TERI, demand for hydrogen in India is expected to increase 3-10 fold by 2050.

Conclusion

Against this backdrop, the future of hydrogen, particularly green hydrogen, looks promising in India.

21. Virtual Global Investor Roundtable

Why in News

Recently, the Prime Minister has chaired the Virtual Global Investor Roundtable (VGIR), with an aim to attract investment into the country.

Key Points

. Virtual Global Investor Roundtable: It is an exclusive dialogue between leading global institutional investors, Indian business leaders and the highest decision-makers from the Government of India and Financial Market Regulators. . Organised by: Ministry of Finance and the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF).

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 15 7 . Focus for 2020: Discussions around India’s economic and investment outlook, structural reforms and the government’s vision for the path to a USD 5 trillion economy by 2024-25. . Highlights: o Aatmanirbhar Vision: It is a well-planned economic strategy that aims to use the capabilities of India’s businesses and skills of its workers to make India into a global manufacturing powerhouse. o ESG Score: India has companies ranking high on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) scores. o National Infrastructure Pipeline: Under it, India has an ambitious plan to invest USD 1.5 trillion in various social and economic infrastructure projects, aimed for faster economic growth and alleviation of poverty in the country. o Initiatives Taken to Improve Manufacturing Potential and Ease of Doing Business:  One Nation, One Tax system in the form of Goods and Services Tax (GST), one of the Lowest Corporate Tax rates and Faceless regime for Income Tax (IT) assessment and appeal.  A new labour laws regime balancing the welfare of workers and ease of doing business for the employers and Production Linked Incentive schemes in specific sectors. o Initiative Taken for the Development of the Financial Sector:  Unified authority for the International Financial Services Centre, liberal Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) regime, suitable policy regimes for investment vehicles like Infrastructure Investment Trust and Real Estate Investment Trust.  Implementation of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), financial empowerment through Direct Benefit Transfer and fin-tech based payment systems like Ru-Pay cards and BHIM- UPI. o The opportunity created by the National Education Policy 2020 in setting up campuses of foreign universities in India was also highlighted.

National Investment and Infrastructure Fund

. NIIF is a government-backed entity established to provide long-term capital to the country’s infrastructure sector.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 15 8 o The Indian government has a 49% stake in NIIF with the rest held by foreign and domestic investors. o With the Centre’s significant stake, NIIF is considered India’s quasi- sovereign wealth fund. . It was set up in December 2015 as a Category-II Alternate Investment Fund. . Across its three funds viz. Master Fund, Fund of Funds, and Strategic Opportunities Fund, it manages over USD 4.3 billion of capital. . Its registered office is in New Delhi.

22. Do recent indicators hint at a real economic revival?

Background:

 After India’s economy shrunk by around 24% in the first quarter of 2020- 21 following the nationwide lockdown, an uptick in economic indicators from September and October, normalized power consumption patterns and improved GST collections have been indicative of an economic recovery.  The article analyzes whether this is indicative of a sustainable recovery or just an expression of pent-up demand combined with India’s festive- season spending.

Details:

Mixed growth:

 Sectors such as pharmaceuticals and chemicals, food and beverages, tractors, two-wheelers, consumer durables have performed well, with many firms in these sectors even reporting growth on last year’s average numbers.  Sectors like travel and tourism, construction and real estate, retail sector are still struggling. o The capacity utilisation factor for the travel and tourism sector continues to be very low lying between 10% and 30%. o Though there has been some improvement in the retail sector, mostly owing to the run-up to the festival season, this has been

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 15 9 mostly limited to high-street stores and not the regular shops which account for a very large share of retail business.  There is this very differential performance between sectors.

Employment issue:

 The three very employment-intensive sectors — travel and tourism, construction and real estate, and retail — are struggling to cope with the disruption caused by the pandemic induced lockdowns. This has had a detrimental impact on the employment numbers in these sectors.  The loss of work or reduction in salaries/incomes would have a negative impact on the disposable income of the people and would lead to a vicious economic cycle which does not augur well for economic recovery. o CMIE data suggests that the unemployment rate rose again in October, while MGNREGA claims also rose in rural India.

Uncertainty surrounding the pandemic:

 India continues to register very high COVID cases on a daily basis. We still do not have complete control over the virus, and until we do, there will not be any certainty or complete confidence regarding the normalization of the economy.  Cities like New Delhi have witnessed a recent uptick in the number of cases. This would necessitate the re-imposition of lockdown and restrictions on movement. The lack of a clear-cut government policy regarding this aspect will only add to the existing uncertainty.

Pre-existing economic challenges:

 The economy had already been slowing down when the lockdown was announced, and investments had been coming down. There was also the issue of the financial crisis in the economy given that banks were not willing to lend due to the high NPAs.  The pre-existent signs of weakness in the economy would have a marked impact on the economic recovery process.

Fiscal hesitancy:

 The current circumstances call for a fiscal stimulus. However, given the limited fiscal space available and the government’s intent of

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 16 0 maintaining fiscal prudence, the expectation of a good fiscal package has remained unfulfilled.  There has been very little support for stressed sectors by the government. The RBI’s [Reserve Bank of India] one-time restructuring for stressed firms may not be sufficient for the distressed companies. These stressed sectors can have a substantial impact on the economy in the longer run.

Way forward:

Reducing taxes:

 Most of the construction material — whether it is cement or steel or paint — are all subject to 28% GST, despite them not being sin goods. Similarly, vehicles too are taxed at the rate of 28% GST-plus-cess.  The government should reduce the tax rates on these commodities to help the economy. Though the low demand may not be due to high tax rates, reducing the tax rate may help increase demand. Additionally, it also provides an opportunity to reform the discrepancies in the GST system.

Settling pending dues by the government:

 The government should settle its large outstanding dues to small and large companies, including from public sector companies and state governments. The paying off of dues would be a very direct and immediate way to put liquidity into the economy.

Fiscal stimulus:

 The government should shed its fear of credit rating agencies and must come out with a substantial spending plan, particularly for the stressed sectors. This spending should help generate demand through cash transfers. This could be operationalized by expediting disinvestment.

Prioritizing investments:

 Investment in the infrastructure sector should be prioritized. Though these investments may not show an immediate impact on the ground, it can definitely prove to be productive in triggering long-term growth.  Similarly, investment in public health systems should be focussed upon as such investments apart from helping meet the immediate health sector needs, will also benefit society in the long run.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 16 1 Addressing structural issues:

 The structural issues need to be addressed quickly. This could involve easing the financial sector issues, reforming the power sector and optimizing government regulation to incentivize entrepreneurship.

23. Enhanced Version of Pinaka Mk-1 Missile Why in News

Recently, an enhanced version of the Pinaka Mark (Mk)-1 missile was successfully flight-tested from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha.

Key Points

. Background: The enhanced version of the Pinaka Mk-1 system was taken up to achieve longer-range performance compared to the earlier design with lesser length. . Development: The design and development has been carried out by Pune- based DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) laboratories - Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL). . Significance: o The Enhanced Pinaka Mk-1 will eventually replace the Pinaka Mk-1 missiles, which are currently used by regiments of the Indian Army along India’s frontiers with China and Pakistan.  While the Mark-1 has a range of 38 km, the enhanced version of Mark-1 has a range of 45 km and some key additional features. o The latest test is in continuation of a number of missile trials conducted by the DRDO in the last two months. o The test comes months after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced that its acquisition wing signed contracts with three Indian private companies for supply of six regiments of Pinaka Rocket System, to be deployed along borders with Pakistan and China.  The MoD had said that the induction would be completed by 2024. These six Pinaka Regiments would comprise 114

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 16 2 Launchers with Automated Gun Aiming and Positioning System (AGAPS), 45 command posts and 330 vehicles.

Pinaka Missile

. Development: The development of the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket systems was started by the DRDO in the late 1980s, as an alternative to the Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher systems of Russian make called the ‘Grad’, which are still used by some regiments. o After successful tests of Pinaka Mark-1 in the late 1990, it was first used successfully in the battlefield during the 1999 Kargil War. Subsequently, multiple regiments of the system came up over the 2000s. . Features: o The Pinaka, a multi-barrel rocket-launcher (MBRL) system named after Shiva’s bow, can fire a salvo of 12 rockets over a period of 44 seconds. o One battery of Pinaka system consists of six launch vehicles, accompanied by loader systems, radar and links with network- based systems and a command post. One battery can neutralise an area of 1 km by 1 km.  As a key tactic of long-range artillery battle, the launchers have to ‘shoot and scoot’ to ensure they themselves do not become the targets, especially being detectable due to its back blast. . Multiple Variants: DRDO has also developed and successfully tested the Mk-II and guided variants of the Pinaka, which has a range of around 60 km, while the Guided Pinaka system has a range of 75 km and has integrated navigation, control and guidance system to improve the end accuracy and enhance the range. o The navigation system of Guided Pinaka missile is also aided by the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).

24. Future Pandemics and Reduction Measures

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 16 3 Why in News

Recently, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem (IPBES) has released a report which warns about future pandemics, their more frequent emergence, a faster pace of spread and more damage to the world killing more people than Covid-19, unless significant measures are taken.

. The IPBES is an independent intergovernmental body, established by the United Nations (UN) in 2012. o It aims to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human well-being and sustainable development.

Key Points

. Pandemics of the Century:

. o Covid-19 is at least the sixth pandemic to have taken place in the last century since the Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918.  In March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Covid-19 a pandemic. o Three of the pandemics were caused by influenza viruses, one by Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) followed by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and now Covid-19. . Causes: o Almost all the pandemics so far, have been zoonoses (diseases caused by germs that spread between animals and people). o More than 70% of emerging diseases, such as Ebola, Zika and Nipah, are caused by microbes found in animals which spread due to contact among wildlife, livestock and people.  The estimated value of the legal international wildlife trade in 2019 was about USD 107 billion, a 500% increase since 2005 and a 2000% increase since the 1980s. o Covid-19’s origins also lie in microbes carried by animals but its emergence has been entirely driven by human activities like all pandemics. o About 30% of emerging infectious diseases are attributed to land- use change, agricultural expansion and urbanisation.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 16 4 . Future Possibilities: o Currently, there are over 1.7 million ‘undiscovered’ viruses that exist in mammals and birds, out of which up to 827,000 could have the ability to infect humans. . Reduction Measures: o Pandemic risk can be lowered by reducing the human activities that drive the loss of biodiversity, by greater conservation of protected areas and through measures that reduce unsustainable exploitation of high biodiversity regions. o These measures will help in reducing the contact between wildlife- livestock and humans, thereby helping prevent the spread of new diseases. o Policy options like launching a high-level intergovernmental council on pandemic prevention, countries setting mutually-agreed goals or targets regarding the environment, animals and people, and reducing zoonotic disease risk in the international wildlife trade by forming intergovernmental ‘health and trade’ partnerships will also reduce the risks substantially.

Pandemic

. According to the WHO, a pandemic is declared when a new disease for which people do not have immunity spreads around the world beyond expectations.

Epidemic

. An epidemic is a large outbreak, one that spreads among a population or region. It is less severe than pandemic due to a limited area of spread.

25. Fixing the rules of the economy

Context:

 The article evaluates the current economic policies in India and argues for a change keeping in view both the short and long term needs of the Indian economy.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 16 5 Background:

Income inequality:

 Income inequality is a critical issue plaguing the Indian economy. The prevalent trend indicates that income inequality in India is rising independent of absolute incomes. o Income inequality is how unevenly income is distributed throughout a population. The less equal the distribution, the higher the income inequality is.  Incomes of people in the lower half of the income pyramid are too low. India’s richest 1 per cent hold more than four-times the wealth held by 953 million people who make up for the bottom 70 per cent of the country’s population.

Gini Coefficient:

 The Gini coefficient is indicative of income inequality in India. It is a statistical measure to gauge the rich-poor income or wealth divide.  The Gini Coefficient for India is estimated to be close to 0.50, which would be an all-time high. o Its value varies between zero to 1, zero indicating perfect equality and one indicating the perfect inequality. o A Gini figure below 0.40 is generally considered to be within tolerable limits by economic experts.  A general rise in the Gini Coefficient indicates that government policies are not inclusive and may be benefiting the rich as much as (or even more than) the poor.

Consequences of income inequality:

Concentration of power:

 The power to influence policymaking has become concentrated with wealthy investors and large multinational corporations. The rules do not favour workers and tiny enterprises because they have too little power. This does not augur well for the development process of the large population which make up the labour class and the tiny enterprises.

Economic inefficiency:

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 16 6  The growing inequality is not good for the economic growth of the country.  The lower disposable income among the large population does not augur well for demand in the economy which in turn has a vicious impact on investment decisions and economic growth.  The inequitable economic growth is not sustainable.

Economic policies being propounded in India:

 There has been a growing emphasis on freeing up markets, improving productivity, and applying technology.

Details:

 The article calls for a re-examination of the fundamental economic policies being propounded.

Freeing up markets:

 There has been a growing emphasis on liberalizing the economy through measures such as freeing up the markets for agricultural products to ensure higher price realization for the farmers or deregulation of labour laws to attract investments.

Concerns:

 The freeing up markets for labour is expected to reduce the burden of wage costs on investors.  This would have a degrading effect on the income of the labour class just when wages and the size of markets must be increased to counter the economic downturn. Without adequate incomes, people cannot be a good market for businesses. In fact, it is the inadequate growth of incomes that has caused a slump in investments due to poor expectations of demand.

Improving productivity:

 Improvement of ‘productivity’ is considered a key aspect of economic progress. o Productivity measures the efficiency of production. Productivity is expressed as the ratio of the aggregate output to the aggregate input i.e. output per unit of input, typically over a specific period of time.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 16 7 The larger the output that is produced with a unit of input, the higher the productivity of the system.  Economists generally use labour productivity as a universal measure of the productivity of an economy. o The number of people in the system (the country/the economy) is the denominator, and the gross domestic product the people produce is the numerator. Companies also measure their labour productivity similarly, by dividing the total output of the enterprise by the number of workers employed.

Strategies for increasing productivity:

 Labour productivity can be increased by either increasing the total output of the factory while maintaining the number of workers or by decreasing the number of workers involved in the production.  The total output can be increased by adding more machines and technology to supplement the capacity of workers to increase total output. This is a good strategy for capital-rich enterprises and countries.  The total output can also be increased by enhancing the workers’ skills and create a culture of continuous improvement in the factory, whereby workers and managers cooperate to improve the capability of their system to produce more from limited resources. This is the strategy of ‘total quality management’, famously employed in Japanese companies to reduce their costs of production and to improve the quality of their products. This contributed to the improvement of the total productivity of their enterprises.

Concerns:

 The companies seem to be taking the easy way out to improve productivity in the economy.  There seems to be the growing reliance on reducing the workforce and squeezing out the maximum work possible from this limited workforce to increase productivity.  This has given rise to a ‘hire and fire’ strategy in companies. This goes against the labour welfare principle and could prove detrimental to the labour class.

Technology-led growth:

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 16 8  There is a growing emphasis on inducting high-end technology for economic growth. This is evident in the recent push for technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, etc.

Concerns:

 The very idea of defining the level of technology in terms of ‘equipment cost per work-place’ may be inappropriate.  For capital-scarce and human resource-abundant countries, such as many developing countries, such a policy may be inappropriate.  The current attempt of the ‘developing’ countries, supported by foreign aid, to infiltrate capital intensive technology into their economies inevitably kills off the low-cost indigenous technology at an alarming rate, destroying traditional workplaces at a much faster rate than modern workplaces can be created and producing the ‘dual economy’ with its attendant issues of mass unemployment and mass migration.

Way forward:

Following the social contract principle:

 A good job implies a contract between workers and society. Workers provide the economy with the products and services it needs. In return, society and the economy must create conditions whereby workers are treated with dignity and can earn adequate incomes. Good jobs require good contracts between workers and their employers.  The government should, apart from ensuring ideal conditions for the investors, also ensure a protective cover for the workers. This would require it to regulate contracts between employers and employees.

Empowering the most vulnerable:

 Small enterprises and workers must combine into larger associations, in new forms, using technology, to tilt reforms towards their needs and their rights.

Employment promoting policies:

 The economic reforms should incentivize the firms to employ more numbers of less-skilled workers.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 16 9

26. Evaluation of National Monsoon Mission Why in News

Recently, the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has evaluated the economic benefits of the National Monsoon Mission (NMM).

. Established in 1956, NCAER is India’s oldest and largest independent, non-profit, economic policy research institute, based in New Delhi.

Key Points

. The study spanned across 173 rain-fed districts in 16 states which appropriately represented agro-climatic zones, rain-fed areas, coverage of major crops, and incidence of extreme weather events in the country. It was conducted on behalf of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). . The study refers to economic benefits as direct monetary gains to crop farmers, livestock rearers, and fishermen in the country. o India’s investment of nearly Rs. 1,000 crore in the NMM and High- Performance Computing (HPC) facilities would provide benefits worth Rs. 50,000 crore to nearly 1.07 crore Below Poverty Line (BPL) agricultural households and 53 lakh BPL fisherfolk households in the country. . The total annual economic benefits to agricultural households, farmers and livestock owners taken together, has been calculated at Rs. 13,331 crore and the incremental benefits over the next five years are estimated to be about Rs. 48,056 crore. o The benefits are from accurate weather forecasting by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and other agencies working under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.  Agro-meteorological services for farmers is one of the most prominent weather services of IMD.  Every day Ocean State Forecast (OSF) and warnings to fishermen going out to the sea by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) helped in elimination of less or not so productive trips to the ocean.  Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories resulted in successful trips generating additional catches. . Data Analysis of the Benefits:

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 17 0 o Based on weather advisories, 98% farmers made modifications such as changing variety/breed of the crop, arranging storage of harvest, early/delayed harvesting, changed crop, early/delayed sowing, changed the schedule of ploughing/land preparation, changed pesticide application schedule, changed fertiliser application schedule and changed scheduled irrigation. o 94% of farmers were able to avoid losses and increase income because of services provided through NMM. o 82% of fishermen surveyed, reported using OSF advisories before they venture into the sea every time. o A total of approximately Rs 1.92 crore additional income was generated from 1,079 successful fishing expeditions made using PFZ advisories.

National Monsoon Mission

. It was launched by the Ministry of Earth Sciences in 2012. . Aim: To improve the forecasting skills by setting up a state-of-the-art dynamic prediction system for monsoon rainfall different time scales. . NMM builds a working partnership between the academic and research and development (R&D) organisations, both national and international. . Its augmentation with the HPC facilities has helped the country in achieving a paradigm shift in weather and climate modelling for operational weather forecasts.

27. Centre’s Stand on Central Vista Redevelopment Project Why in News

The Central Government has recently tried to justify its decision to construct a new Parliament building under the proposed 'Central Vista Redevelopment' project, in the Supreme Court (SC).

. One of the issues raised by the petitioners was if it’s possible to refurbish and use the existing Parliament building.

Central Vista Redevelopment Project

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 17 1 . The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs proposed the Central Vista redevelopment project in 2019. . The project envisages: o Constructing a triangular Parliament building next to the existing one. o Constructing Common Central Secretariat. o Revamping of the 3-km-long Rajpath — from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate.  North and South Block to be repurposed as museums. . Currently, the Central Vista of New Delhi houses Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament House, North and South Block, India Gate, National Archives among others.

Key Points

. Centre’s Stand: o Underlining the cost and infrastructure advantages of the proposed project, the Centre told the SC that the question whether or not to have a new Parliament building is a policy decision which the government is entitled to take. o The government had taken an important policy decision to construct a Parliament complex and central secretariat as the existing one is under tremendous stress. Further, the project cannot come up at Noida or elsewhere, but on Central Vista. . Arguments Put Forward by the Government: o Pre Independence building: The current one was built in 1927 to house the legislative council and was not intended to house a bicameral legislature that the country has today. o Lack of Space: The current building will be under more stress when the number of seats to Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are raised. Both Houses are already packed and members have to sit on plastic chairs when joint sessions are held, diminishing the dignity of the House. o Safety Concerns: The existing building does not conform to fire safety norms. Water and sewer lines are also haphazard and this is damaging its heritage nature. Security concerns in the wake of the 2001 Parliament attack shows its vulnerable nature. It is also not quake-proof. o Cost Advantage: Many central ministries are housed in different buildings with the result that the government ends up paying rent

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 17 2 for many of them. The new building, a new central secretariat will help avoid this. o Environmental Benefits: The fact that people and officials have to run around the city to go to different ministries also increases traffic and pollution. The project also proposes interlinking of metro stations which will minimise use of vehicles. . Criticism: o The Opposition, environmentalists, architects and citizens have raised many concerns even before the pandemic brought in extra issues.  They have questioned the lack of studies to ascertain the need for the project and its impact on the environment, traffic and pollution. o Several key approvals for the proposed Parliament building have been pushed during the lockdown. This led to allegations of a lack of transparency. o They argue that in the situation created by the pandemic, the project must be deferred as the country can’t afford it at this time.

28. UPI Transactions

Why in News

According to the data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the total number of transactions conducted on the Bharat Interface for Money-Unified Payments Interface (BHIM-UPI), known more simply as the UPI, crossed the 2 billion transactions count in a month in October 2020.

Key Points

. UPI is currently the biggest among the NPCI operated systems including National Automated Clearing House (NACH), Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), Aadhaar enabled Payment System (AePS), Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), RuPay etc. . Digital transactions were already on the rise but the lockdown imposed during the pandemic provided a thrust and the value of UPI transactions crossed the 200 crore-mark. . The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had advised to resort to digital payment due to the threat of coronavirus spreading through physical exchange of

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 17 3 currency. This resulted in businesses accepting mostly prepaid orders and in turn rise in digital transactions. . Further, after being able to conveniently pay utility bills and even receive cashback at times, people might now be preferring to transact digitally. So, their habit may have played an important role in this thrust. . India’s digital payments industry is likely to grow from Rs. 2,153 trillion at 27% Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) to Rs. 7,092 trillion by 2025. . The growth is likely to come on the back of strong use cases of merchant payments, government policies including Jan Dhan Yojana, personal data protection bill along with the growth of MSMEs, growth of millennials and high smartphone penetration. . Challenges: o The threat of cybercrime on the global banking and financial services industry has increased amid the coronavirus pandemic.  E.g. Malicious Software Cerberus o Fraudulent claims, chargebacks, fake buyer accounts, promotion/coupon abuse, account takeover, identity theft, card detail theft and triangulation frauds are emerging as challenges.

National Payments Corporation of India

. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), an umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India, is an initiative of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) under the provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. . It is a “Not for Profit” Company under the provisions of Section 25 of Companies Act 1956 (now Section 8 of Companies Act 2013), with an intention to provide infrastructure to the entire Banking system in India for physical as well as electronic payment and settlement systems.

Various NPCI Operated Systems

. Bharat Interface for Money-Unified Payments Interface (BHIM-UPI): o It is an initiative to enable fast, secure, reliable cashless payments through the mobile phone. BHIM is based on Unified Payment Interface (UPI) to facilitate e-payments directly through banks. It is an app.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 17 4 o UPI is an advanced version of Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) - round–the-clock funds transfer service to make cashless payments faster, easier and smoother.  This is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features, seamless fund routing & merchant payments into one hood.  It also caters to the “Peer to Peer” collect request which can be scheduled and paid as per requirement and convenience. . Aadhaar enabled Payment System (AePS): o AePS allows people to carry out financial transactions on a Micro- ATM by furnishing just their Aadhaar number and verifying it with the help of their fingerprint/iris scan. o This system adds another layer of security to financial transactions as bank details would no longer be required to be furnished while carrying out these transactions. . National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC): o It helps in electronic toll collection at toll plazas using FASTag. o FASTag is a device that employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for making toll payments directly while the vehicle is in motion. o FASTag (RFID Tag) is affixed on the windscreen of the vehicle and enables a customer to make the toll payments directly from the account which is linked to FASTag. o RFID tagging is a system that uses small radio frequency detection devices for identification and tracking purposes. . National Automated Clearing House (NACH): o It is a service offered by NPCI to banks which aims at facilitating interbank high volume, low value debit/credit transactions, which are repetitive and electronic in nature. . Immediate Payment Service (IMPS): o It offers an instant 24X7 interbank electronic fund transfer service through mobile phones. o IMPS is an emphatic tool to transfer money instantly within banks across India through mobile, internet and ATM. . Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS): o Bharat Bill Payment System is a tiered structure for operating a unified bill payment system. o NPCI functions as the authorised Bharat Bill Payment Central Unit (BBPCU), which is responsible for setting business standards, rules

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 17 5 and procedures for technical and business requirements for all the participants. o Under BBPS, the Bharat Bill Payment Operating Units (BBPOUs) function as entities facilitating collection of repetitive payments for everyday utility services, such as, electricity, water, gas, telephone and Direct-to-Home (DTH). . RuPay: o RuPay is the first-of-its-kind domestic card payment network of India, with wide acceptance at ATMs, POS devices and e-commerce websites across India. It is a highly secure network that protects against anti-phishing. o The name, derived from the words ‘Rupee and ‘Payment’, emphasizes that it is India’s very own initiative for Card payments.

Way Forward

. To further penetrate digital transactions, the government's constant push to digitisation through necessary education, digital rewards and incentives along with intelligent innovations in financial transactions focussed on improving customer experience is necessary. . Further, there is a need for the convergence of anti-money laundering, fraud and cybersecurity processes in Financial Institutions (FIs). This includes more information sharing, tightening due diligence requirements and investing in maintaining systems to strengthen their defences.

29. Growth in Manufacturing: PMI and NIBRI

Why in News

As per the IHS Markit India Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), India's manufacturing output showed the strongest growth in 13 years in October 2020 amid robust sales growth.

. The Nomura India Business Resumption Index (NIBRI) has also shown improvement.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 17 6 Key Points

. Rise in PMI: The headline seasonally adjusted IHS Markit India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose from 56.8 in September to 58.9 in October, and pointed to the strongest improvement in the health of the sector in more than a decade (13 years). o This is a third straight monthly improvement in PMI. In April, the index had slipped into contraction mode (27.4), after remaining in growth territory for 32 consecutive months. o In PMI parlance, a print above 50 means expansion, while a score below that denotes contraction. . Improvement in NIBRI: o NIBRI improved to 82.4 in October, a rise of 2.1 points from 80.3 in September and 73.6 in August. o It is the Japanese brokerage’s weekly tracker of the pace of normalisation of economic activity. . Reasons: o Upturn in Sales: The upturn in sales was the strongest since mid- 2008.  A strong jump in e-way bills (electronic permits for goods movement) has been seen for October, indicating that more goods were shipped within and across states in the month. o Rise in Export Orders: New export orders rose at a quicker pace, one that was the most pronounced in close to six years. o Improvement in IIP: The index of industrial production (IIP) shrank 8% in August on a year-on-year basis, marking a marginally improvement compared with July when output contracted 10.8%. . Concerns: The compliance with government guidelines related to the Covid-19 pandemic caused a further reduction in employment. The fall was the seventh in consecutive months.

Purchasing Managers’ Index

. PMI is an indicator of business activity - both in the manufacturing and services sectors. o It is calculated separately for the manufacturing and services sectors and then a composite index is also constructed. o The PMI summarizes whether market conditions as viewed by purchasing managers are expanding, neutral, or contracting.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 17 7 . The purpose of the PMI is to provide information about current and future business conditions to company decision makers, analysts, and investors. . The headline PMI is a number from 0 to 100. o PMI above 50 represents an expansion when compared to the previous month; o PMI under 50 represents a contraction, and o A reading at 50 indicates no change. . The PMI is usually released at the start of every month. It is, therefore, considered a good leading indicator of economic activity. . PMI is compiled by IHS Markit for more than 40 economies worldwide. IHS Markit is a global leader in information, analytics and solutions for the major industries and markets that drive economies worldwide.

30. Hitting fossil fuel companies where it hurts

Context:

 The divestment movement against fossil fuel-based investments is growing across the world.

Disinvestment movement:

 A committed campaign has been undertaken by various environmental organisations calling for divestment from fossil fuel companies, i.e., companies that extract, refine, sell and make profits from fossil fuels. o Divestment is the process by which money put into stocks and bonds of certain companies is withdrawn and also calls for restraining from investing in equity, providing loans or credit available to the fossil fuel industry.  The purpose is to restrict fossil fuel companies which are large contributors to pollution and the climate change process.

Impact of the disinvestment movement:

Disinvestment commitments:

 The campaign has been successful to an extent given the disinvestment commitments being made. o As of 2019, it is estimated that more than $11 trillion in assets has been committed to divestment from fossil fuels.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 17 8 o Goldman Sachs recently announced that it would no longer finance new oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and also would not provide capital for some of the worst kinds of coal mines, such as mountain-top mining.

Growing acceptance of the need to act:

 There has been a growing acceptance of the need for climate action. There is the growing realization that disinvestment is required not only for ethical reasons but also because of the risk it poses to the global economy and financial system. o Climate change poses a major risk to the stability of the global economy and financial system given that more frequent and more intense climate disasters can have a devastating impact on the economy and subsequently the financial system. Hence, the risk posed by climate change needs to be assessed and acted upon in the financial decisions as well.  There is a growing realization among the investment companies on the critical need to navigate the challenges and capitalise on long-term economic and environmental benefits of a low-carbon world.  JP Morgan’s Corporate and Investment Bank proposes establishing a Center for Carbon Transition and setting “intermediate emission targets for 2030” for its financing portfolio.

Rise in cost of raising capital:

 Divestment appears to be putting a squeeze on the investment industry.  Companies have been reiterating that the divestment movement is making it difficult to raise capital as the banks and investors begin to shift away from fossil fuel companies.

Concerns:

 According to the 2020 report ‘Banking on Climate Change’ by the Rainforest Action Network, global banks have continued to finance the fossil fuel industry with $2.7 trillion despite the Paris Agreement of 2015, where countries agreed to try to limit average global warming to well below 2 degree Celsius. o The financing has been in fossil fuel sub-sectors like oil from tar sands, Arctic oil and gas, fracked oil and gas, liquefied natural gas and mining of coal.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 17 9  This demonstrates how misaligned the banking sector is with the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Indian scenario:

 Arguments for divestment do not apply to India in the current context since India’s contribution to the stock of greenhouse gases remains minimal. o India’s per capita greenhouse gas emission is less than two tonnes of CO2/capita.  However, given that the costs of production and storage of renewables are falling rapidly, policymakers should also consider the economic potential of making a transition away from coal. This would involve providing pathways for coal power plants to retire in a meaningful time frame.

Also, given that India continues to remain vulnerable to climate change, it is advisable that it resorts to a low carbon economy at the earliest.

 As per the Global Climate Risk Index 2019 released by the international environmental think tank ‘Germanwatch’, India ranks 5th. India suffers from climate change-induced or intensified water shortages, crop failures and flooding. India has also recorded the highest number of fatalities due to climate change and the second-highest monetary losses from its impact in 2018 owing to increased frequency and intensity of storms, floods, heatwaves, etc.

31. Reinforcing RBI’s accountability

Context:

 The article analyzes the inflation targeting role played by the Reserve Bank of India.

Background:

Inflation targeting in India:

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 18 0  Inflation targeting is a monetary policy strategy used by central banks for maintaining inflation at a certain level or within a specific range. With many central banks adopting it, inflation targeting has emerged as an important monetary policy framework. o This approach was in contrast with the multiple indicator approach that predated this inflation targeting framework where the central bank focused on both growth and price stability.

Monetary Policy Committee and its mandate:

 In 2016, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) signed an agreement with the Indian government that led to the creation of the first-ever monetary policy committee (MPC) in the country. The MPC was given the target of keeping inflation at 4% with a tolerance limit of 2%, over the next five years till 2021. This meant that inflation should be between 2% and 6%.  Average inflation overshooting the upper tolerance level or remaining below the lower tolerance level for any three consecutive quarters constitutes a failure to achieve the inflation target.  In case of failure to achieve the inflation target, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is required to send a report to the Centre, stating the reasons for the failure to achieve the inflation target, the remedial actions it proposes to initiate, and an estimate of the time period within which it expects to achieve the inflation target through the corrective steps proposed. The report is aimed at ensuring enhanced transparency and accountability of the RBI in its inflation targeting role.

Concerns:

Missed targets:

 In the last three quarters of the current financial year, average inflation has exceeded the target remaining above the upper tolerance limit set by the Centre. o Inflation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), was 6.7% in the January-March quarter, 6.6% in the April-June quarter (based on imputed data) and 6.9% in the July-September quarter.

Unjustified arguments:

 The MPC in its August policy review has cited the lack of adequate and quality data and called for a break in the CPI series for the purpose of

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 18 1 monetary policy decisions and exempting the RBI from complying with the requirement of writing to the Finance Ministry, explaining why inflation missed the set targets. o The normal data collection exercise of the National Statistics Office was disrupted during the lockdown imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The justification of data complications does not hold ground due to the following reasons: o There has been a continuous upward trend in the inflation figure. The break that the MPC referred to is not visible in the inflation data. The data for the last four quarters — 5.8%, 6.7%, 6.6%, 6.9% — appear continuous. o The range around the inflation target (+/- 2%) provided to the RBI is for accommodating constraints and challenges like data limitations, projection errors, short-run supply gaps and fluctuations in the agriculture production.

Questions on the inflation-targeting regime:

 Of late there have been calls from certain sections questioning the desirability of persisting with the inflation-targeting regime.  Such an approach would only help artificially prop up numbers like business revenues and profits, or tax collection figures but would not be good economically in the longer run given the experience in some economies. Price stability is equally important as growth.

Way forward:

Upholding institutional mechanisms:

 RBI should not be allowed to side-step the institutional mechanism provided under the RBI Act. RBI must abide by the law and apprise the Centre of why it failed to control inflation and what measures it intends to take.  Transparency can enable more informed decision-making within the government, greater public scrutiny of the RBI’s performance, and an improved inflation-targeting regime. This would also help improve the credibility, transparency and predictability of monetary policy.

Coordination and collaboration:

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 18 2  The central bank should also be allowed to state expressly what support by way of government policy it needs to meet the inflation target.

32. A secure future for platform workers

Context:

 The Code on Social Security Bill, 2020.

Background:

 The Code on Social Security Bill, 2020, replaces nine laws related to social security. These include the Employees’ Provident Fund Act, 1952, the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, and the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008. o Social security refers to protection measures provided to workers to ensure healthcare and income security in case of certain contingencies such as old age, maternity, or accidents.

Significance:

Defines platform work:

 The Code on Social Security Bill for the first time in Indian law, attempted to define ‘platform work’ outside of the traditional employment category.  As per this bill, “Platform work means a work arrangement outside of a traditional employer-employee relationship in which organisations or individuals use an online platform to access other organisations or individuals to solve specific problems or to provide specific services or any such other activities which may be notified by the Central Government, in exchange for payment.”  This marks a significant move to recognise platform work.

Social security to platform workers:

 One of the major proposals of the Social Security Code Bill is to bring the platform workers under the ambit of social security schemes, including

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 18 3 life and disability insurance, health and maternity benefits, provident fund and skill up-gradation.

Concerns:

No differentiation between platform work and unorganized work:

 The Code has drawn criticism from platform workers’ associations for failing to delineate platform work from gig work and unorganised work. Only such a categorical clarification could help ensure that social security measures are provided to workers without compromising the flexibility and a sense of ownership character associated with platform work.

No fixed accountability:

 The Code states the provision of basic welfare measures as a joint responsibility of the Central government, platform aggregators, and workers without delineating the exact responsibility of each stakeholder.

Continued reliance on platform companies:

 While platform work promises workers flexibility and ownership over the delivery of work, they are still largely dictated by mechanisms of control wired by the platform algorithms. This affects pricing per unit of work, allocation of work, and work hours.  The entry into on-demand platform work like ride-sharing and food delivery is dependent on existing access to vehicular assets. Given that the average Indian worker on a ride-sharing platform has limited access to such capital, platform workers rely on intensive loan schemes, often facilitated by platform aggregator companies. This results in dependence on platform companies, driven by financial obligations, thus rendering flexibility and ownership ineffective in the short- to middle-term.

Benefits of platform work:

For the platform workers:

 The flexibility available in platform work is a significant attraction. The platform work offers a low barrier to entry and flexibility of work timings depending on the workers’ time availability and intent.

www.vishnuias.com (+91-7702170025) 18 4 For the society and economy:

 The platform workers played a critical role during the pandemic. Platform workers were responsible for the delivery of essential services during the pandemic at great personal risk to themselves.  They have also been responsible for helping the demand-driven platform companies remain afloat despite the pandemic-induced financial crisis. This also helped small businesses remain afloat during the lockdowns, hence playing a critical role economically.

Way forward:

Employment status to platform workers:

 The global conversation on platform workers’ rights has been around the misclassification of platform workers as ‘independent contractors’ as against the granting of employee status to platform workers.  The emerging amendments to labour laws in Canada and the U.S. have shown that a move towards granting employee status to platform workers would help guarantee minimum wage and welfare benefits to such workers.  India too should work towards granting employment status to platform workers.

Legal framework for platform workers:

 There should be an effort to acknowledge the heterogeneity of work in the gig economy through an appropriate socio-legal framework and have supportive policies for such jobs.

Ensuring social security:

 To mitigate any operational breakdowns in providing welfare services, a tripartite effort by the State, companies, and workers is required with a more robust responsibility to platform aggregator companies and the State.