May, 2021

Articulate
An Initiative by Unacademy

MONTHLY CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR UPSC CSE

NOT FOR SALE

Current Times | 1
CONTENTS

CONSTITUTION, POLITY AND GOVERNANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

FILL UP VACANT POST OF NCM CHAIRPERSON, HC TELLS CENTRE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
LIMITED SOPS MAKES SCRAPPAGE POLICY FOR VEHICLES UNATTRACTIVE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
TEMPLES ARE NOT THE FIEFDOMS OF STATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
COVID-19 AND DWINDLING INDIAN FEDERALISM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
THE ROLE OF DETER COMMITTEES FORMED IN BENGALURU. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
THE HOUSE MUST SIT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
A NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE IN INDIA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
BRITISH MODEL OF NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE FUNCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
WEST BENGAL GOVERNMENT TO SET UP A LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
APPOINT ECI MEMBERS VIA COLLEGIUM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
WHY AND HOW OF CREATING A DISTRICT?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
GOVT VS WHATSAPP ON PRIVACY POLICY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
THE OUTDATED NATURE OF BUREAUCRACY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
RESTRUCTURING THE TRIBUNAL SYSTEM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
INTERPRETATION WHICH IMPEDES A JUST SOCIAL ORDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
SAUDI ARABIA JOINS “NET ZERO PRODUCERS FORUM” ON CLIMATE CHANGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
THE RISING SUN IN INDIA-JAPAN RELATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
A COVID BLOT ON INDIA’S FOREIGN POLICY CANVAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN JERUSALEM? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
U.K. TO UNVEIL PLANS FOR ‘DIGITAL BORDER’. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
LITHUANIA QUITS CHINA’S 17+1 COOPERATION FORUM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

SCHEMES, BILL AND ACTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

‘LARGE AREA CERTIFICATION’ SCHEME. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
SCHEME FOR SPECIAL ASSISTANCE TO STATES FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURE FOR 2021-22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
MISSION FOR INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT OF HORTICULTURE (MIDH). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
JAL JEEVAN MISSION (JJM). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
NATIONAL PROGRAMME ON ADVANCED CHEMISTRY CELL BATTERY STORAGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
SPECIAL WINDOW FOR AFFORDABLE & MID-INCOME HOUSING (SWAMIH). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
PM-KISAN SCHEME. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
PM SWASTHYA SURAKSHA YOJANA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
COMMUNITY BASED INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT (CBID) PROGRAM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
PANDIT DEENDAYAL UPADHYAY NATIONAL WELFARE FUND FOR SPORTSPERSONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
ISLANDERS SEEK WITHDRAWAL OF LAND NORMS IN LAKSHADWEEP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

2 I Current Times
SOCIAL JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
PANDEMIC IMPACT: NECESSARY TO STOP REVERSE MIGRATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
MAKING SOCIAL WELFARE UNIVERSAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
HOW TO MEASURE UNPAID CARE WORK AND ADDRESS ITS INEQUALITIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
ONE HEALTH APPROACH THAT TARGETS PEOPLE AND ANIMALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
AT THE STATE’S MERCY: RINGING THE COVID ALARM IN DELHI’S PRISONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
FCRA AMENDMENTS CRIPPLING OUR WORK, SAY NGOS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
ADOPTION PLEAS FOR COVID-19 ORPHANS ARE ILLEGAL, DETRIMENTAL: EXPERTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
THE FAULT LINE OF POOR HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
A COLLAGE OF LAWS THAT LEAVES THE WORKER OUT IN COLD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
INDIA’S TECHNOCRATIC APPROACH TO VACCINATION IS EXCLUDING THE DIGITALLY-DEPRIVED . . . . . . . . . . . 40
LEND A HELPING HAND TO CHILDREN THE RIGHT WAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
IT IS GETTING FROM BAD TO WORSE FOR WOMEN WORKERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
RBI EXTENDS WAYS AND MEANS CREDIT FOR STATES, UTS TO SEPTEMBER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
GROUNDWATER DEPLETION MAY REDUCE WINTER CROPPING INTENSITY BY 20% IN INDIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
“AGRICULTURE INFRASTRUCTURE FUND” CROSSES RS. 8,000 CRORE MARKS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
RBI JOINS “NETWORK FOR GREENING THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
INDIA’S ROAD TO CLEAN ENERGY GOES VIA NATURAL GAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
WHY HAS INDIAN MANUFACTURING BEEN LOSING JOBS SINCE 2016?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
NPCI REFUSES TO BAN CRYPTOCURRENCY TRADES IN INDIA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY WAIVER FOR COVID-19 VACCINES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
INDIAN OFFSHORE MODEL WILL DOMINATE GLOBAL IT SECTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
SEBI TECHNICAL GROUP SUBMITS REPORT ON “SOCIAL STOCK EXCHANGES (SSE)”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
NITI AAYOG REPORT ON DIGITAL FINANCIAL INCLUSION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
DECODING INEQUALITY IN DIGITAL WORLD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY & DISASTER DEVELOPMENT . . . . . 54

“GLOLITTER PARTNERSHIPS PROJECT” – 30 COUNTRIES JOIN THE INITIATIVE TO TACKLE MARINE LITTER. . . 55
THE GLOBAL FOREST GOALS REPORT 2021: UN REPORT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
WHAT NEW RESEARCH SAYS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE CAUSING A SHIFT IN EARTH’S AXIS? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
BEHIND FREQUENT HOSPITAL FIRES IN INDIA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
GREEN PANEL ALLOWS GREAT NICOBAR PLAN TO ADVANCE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
186 ELEPHANTS KILLED BY TRAINS IN OVER 10 YEARS: MOEFCC DATA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
MORE THAN 70% SNOW LEOPARD HABITAT UNEXPLORED: WWF REPORT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
NGT UPHOLDS RIGHTS OF PASTORALISTS IN BANNI GRASSLANDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Current Times | 3
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
INDIA HOSTED THE 5TH SESSION OF “CODEX COMMITTEE ON SPICES AND CULINARY HERBS”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
CSIR-CMERI INDIGENOUSLY DEVELOPED “OXYGEN ENRICHMENT TECHNOLOGY”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
ADITYA-L1 SUPPORT CELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY IN THE FACE OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
AIR INDIA BEGINS ZEOLITE CARGO FLIGHT SERVICE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

INTERNAL SECURITY & DEFENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

CYBERCRIME VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

HISTORY, CULTURE AND HERITAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

MONGOLIAN KANJUR MANUSCRIPTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
BASAVA JAYANTI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY 2021. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
KALAKSHETRA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

PERLIMS BOOSTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
E-2025 INITIATIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
“SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE INITIATIVE OR SCRI” LAUNCHED BY INDIA, JAPAN AND AUSTRALIA. . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
“ZHURONG”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
PROJECT ‘PYRASOL’. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
SUTRA MODEL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
MOORHEN YOGA MAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
GLOBAL INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP (GIP). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
KABASURA KUDINEER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
PULAYAR COMMUNITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
DRUG 2-DEOXY-D-GLUCOSE (2-DG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
WINCHCOMBE METEORITE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
GHOLVAD CHIKOO (SAPOTA). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
NEW BIG 5 PROJECT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
SUNDERLAL BAHUGUNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
DIPCOVAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
BRICS ASTRONOMY WORKING GROUP (BAWG). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

4 I Current Times
Current Times | 5
6 I Current Times
Articulate
FILL UP VACANT POST OF NCM CHAIR-
PERSON, HC TELLS CENTRE
Context:
• Recently, the Delhi High Court has directed the
Centre to fill up the vacant posts of chairperson
and five other members of the National Commis-
sion for Minorities (NCM) by 31st July 2021.
• In 1978, setting up of the Minorities Commission
(MC) was envisaged in the Ministry of Home Affairs
Resolution.
• In 1984, the MC was detached from the Ministry of
Home Affairs and placed under the newly created
Ministry of Welfare, which excluded linguistic mi-
norities from the Commission’s jurisdiction in 1988.
• In 1992, with the enactment of the NCM Act, 1992,
the MC became a statutory body and was renamed
as the National Commission for Minorities.
• In 1993, the first Statutory National Commission
was set up and five religious communities viz the
Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Zoroas-
trians (Parsis) were notified as minority communi-
ties.
• In 2014, Jains were also notified as a minority com-
munity.
Composition:
• It is a multi-membered body where all the members
from minority community with one chairperson,
one vice-chairperson and 5 members to be nomi-
nated by Government of India from persons of emi-
nence, ability and integrity.
• The commission was constituted by  NCM Act
1992 and derives its powers from this act.
• Tenure:  Each Member holds office for a period of
three years from the date of assumption of office.
Functions:
• Evaluate the progress & development of the mi-
norities under the union and the states.
• Observe the working of the safeguards provided in
the constitution.
• Attend specific complaints regarding deprivation
of rights and safeguard of minorities.
• Observe the working of the safeguards provided in
the constitution and in laws enacted by the parlia-
ment and state govt.
• Conduct studies, research and analysis on the is-
sues related to socio-economic and educational
development of minorities.
• Any other matter, which may be referred to it by the
central government.
Powers:
• Summoning and enforcing the attendance of any
person from any part of India and examining him/
her on oath.
• Requiring the discovery and production of any doc-
ument.
• Receiving evidence on affidavit.
• Requisitioning for any record from any court or of-
fice.
Issues and Concerns related to National Commission
on Minorities:
• No constitutional status:  NCM does not have a
constitutional status (it is a statutory body) which
if bestowed upon it would give NCM autonomy and
carry out its functions effectively.
• Absence of any constitutional power: It lacks the
constitutional power to conduct independent en-
quiries or investigations in cases of the transgres-
sion of minorities’ rights, and especially in cases of
communal violence which renders the Commission
legally incapacitated to fulfil its duty. This limita-
tion has also been mentioned in 2007-08, 2008-09,
and 2010-11 annual reports of the Commission.
• Toothless tiger:  It hasn’t been provided with any
“teeth” in terms of their legal capacity to carry out
their mandate. The decision of the Commission can
be overturned by the district and high courts.
• No reports tabled: Section 13 of the NCM Act man-
dates that the annual report, “together with the
memorandum of action taken on the recommen-
dations contained therein’’, as well as the reasons
for non-acceptance of the recommendations be
tabled before Parliament annually. Sources said
these reports have not been tabled in Parliament
since 2010. Further, its recommendations are rou-
tinely rejected or simply filed away and forgotten.
• Partisan representation: There has been a shift in
the kind of members appointed to the body. While
past appointments included former chief justices,
civil servants, academicians etc, the recent appoin-
tees were mostly “social activists” with links to the
ruling party.
• Capacity related challenges: These include human
resource deficiency as is the case now. The Com-
mission is unable to effectively fulfil its mandate
when the key positions of Commission members
remain vacant. For example, the Commission man-
dated to conduct hearing is unable to process the
numerous cases it receives.
• Underutilization of technology:  There is no re-
al-time communication of schedules and appoint-
ments for hearings with the complainants which
results in wastage of time and money.
Current Times | 7
• State minority commissions:  A major recommen-
dation of the Annual Conference of State Minorities
Commissions (2008) was “that the State Govern-
ments should also set up State Minorities Commis-
sions on similar lines (as that of the NCM).” However,
only 16 states have set up such commissions. These
too remain understaffed and mostly dysfunctional
due to lack of capacity in human resource as well as
in the absence of a regular monitoring mechanism
of the State Commissions’ workings.
• Pressure on NCM:  With ineffective State Finance
Commissions, the pressure is borne by the NCM
which further reduced its efficiency.
• Inadequate powers to State Minority Commis-
sions:  State Minority Commissions are not given
adequate powers to implement, monitor, and re-
view developmental programs and welfare schemes
under the Prime Minister’s 15 Point Program for Mi-
norities.
• Lack of research: Only a small proportion of the al-
located budget of the Commission is spent in re-
search activities even when conducting “studies,
research and analysis on the issues relating to the
socio-economic and educational development of
minorities” is among the primary mandates of NCM.
Way Forward:
• The  Digital Empowerment Foundation  along with
NCM in the conference recommended a satellite
support system for minority institution to main-
stream them with educational institutions.
• Emphasis on e-governance for strong connection
between govt. & minorities and minorities & major-
ities.
• The strengthening of the State Commissions and
setting up new state-level commissions, where
these do not yet exist, can help in reducing the pen-
dency rates and increasing hearings’ effectiveness
of the Commission.
• Develop Feedback Mechanism: NCM should de-
velop a Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey for parties
to anonymously provide feedback regarding how
their appeal was processed, irrespective of the de-
cision made.
LIMITED SOPS MAKES SCRAPPAGE POLI-
CY FOR VEHICLES UNATTRACTIVE
Context:
• A Crisil Research analysis shows that the Centre’s
scrappage policy  is unlikely to have freight trans-
porters queuing up to replace old vehicles with new
ones. The scrappage volume of buses, passenger
vehicles (PVs) and two-wheelers will be limited as
well.
8 I Current Times
About the Vehicle Scrappage Policy:
• Fitness Test for Vehicles: - Old vehicles will have to
pass a fitness test before re-registration and as per
the policy  government commercial vehicles more
than 15 years old and private vehicles which are
over 20 years old will be scrapped.
• Higher Re-registration cost: - As a disincentive, in-
creased re-registration fees would be applicable for
vehicles 15 years or older from the initial date reg-
istration.
• Road tax Rebate: - The state governments may be
advised to offer a road-tax rebate of up to 25% for
personal vehicles and up to 15% for commercial
vehicles to provide incentive to owners of old vehi-
cles to scrap old and unfit vehicles.
Issues with the new policy:
• Limited incentive and poor cost economics for
trucks.
• Lack of addressable volumes for other segments.
• The potential benefit from scrapping a 15-year-old,
entry-level small car will be ₹70,000, whereas its re-
sale value is around ₹95,000. That makes scrapping
unattractive.
Way Forward:
• Comprehensive plan in terms of removing ELV (End
of life vehicles) from the road.
• Freight transporters need stronger financial sup-
port.
However, that said, it is important to note that unless
old fleet vehicles are off the road, the benefits of imple-
mentation of Bharat Stage VI vehicles will not be fully
leveraged.
TEMPLES ARE NOT THE FIEFDOMS OF
STATE
Context: -
• Uttarakhand CM Tirath Singh Rawat, revoked the
Uttarakhand govt's 'Uttarakhand Char Dham Dev-
asthanam Management Act', freeing 51 temples.
Reasons for the controversy related to States control
over temple:
• Gross mismanagement of financial resources
• Increasing Corruption
• Disregard to temple maintenance leading to loss
and destruction of temple antiquities.
• Against the principle of Secularism.
How the government control over temples is against
the principles of secularism?
• The Supreme court in Raja Birakishore vs The
State of Orissa ruled that appointment of temple
priests by the state a secular function.
• Yet, the State’s involvement in the appointments of
heads of Mutts and the authority to conduct poojas
is against the principle of Secularism. Because
• Article 25 empowers the state to enact laws for the
regulation of religious institutions. But it is to pro-
hibit discretionary religious practices and to make
law for social welfare and reform.
» Article 25(2)(a) empowers the state to regulate
“economic, financial, political or other secular ac-
tivities which may be associated with religious
practice”.
» Article 25(2)(b) empowers the state to enact a law
to prohibit the exclusion of ‘classes and sections’ of
Hindu society to enter into Hindu temples of a pub-
lic character and also make law for social welfare
and reform.
» However, these safeguards are being misused by
the state to assume ownership of properties be-
longing to religious institutions.
• Establishment of Hindu Religious and Charitable
Endowments Department is not a cause for social
justice.
• In the Shirur Mutt case, the supreme court struck
down a major portion of the  Hindu Religious and
Charitable Endowments 1951 Act. The court ruled
that the provisions are a “disastrous invasion” of re-
ligious liberty.
• Comparison with the  Waqf Act  to legitimize the
control over Hindu religious endowments is mis-
leading. Because,
• One,  Waqf Act clearly  reveals that it applies only
to charities and specifically excludes places of wor-
ship such as mosques.
• Two, it also supports the argument that govern-
ment should not regulate places of worship.
Way Forward:
• It has been said that handing over the temples to
the community will strengthen class hierarchies.
• However, communities are looking for control. They
are asking for representation in the management of
the place of worship. It is possible by the creation
of boards with representatives of religious heads,
priests, and responsible members from the dhar-
mik sampradaya.
• The colonial law, the  Religious Endowments
Act (Act XX of 1863) has similar provisions for hand-
ing over religious institutions to society.
• It created committees in every district to exercise
control over temples.
• This act should be made applicable to all religious
institutions to guarantee adequate community
representation in the management of their places
of worship.
COVID-19 AND DWINDLING INDIAN FED-
ERALISM
Context:
• India’s success in defeating Covid-19 actively rests
upon Centre-State collaboration. However, some
recent developments have revealed fissures in
Centre-State cooperation.
Nature of Indian federal structure:
• Federalism traditionally signifies the independence
of the Union and State governments of a country, in
their respective spheres. However, due to the cen-
tralising tendency of Indian federalism, K C Wheare
referred to it as “Quasi federal”.
• Similarly other constitutional experts describe it
as,  “federation without federalism” and “a Union
of Unequal States”,  particularly the way it has
evolved over the years.
Salient Features of Indian Federalism:
• Inequitable Division of Power: - The division of
powers is in favour of the Centre and highly inequi-
table from that of a true federation.
• No Territorial Integrity with States: - The Par-
liament can by unilateral action change the area,
boundaries, or name of any state (Article 3 of Indi-
an constitution). Indian federalism is described as
an indestructible union of destructive states.
• Flexibility of the Constitution: - The Constitution
of India embodies not only the powers of the Cen-
tre but also those of the states.
• Emergency Provisions: - It converts the feder-
al structure into a unitary one without a formal
amendment of the Constitution.
• Appointment of Governor: - The governor is the
head of the state but is appointed by the President.
He holds office during the pleasure of the President.
• Integrated Constitutional Offices: - Indian consti-
tution provides for an integrated audit machinery
(such as CAG), election commission (Election Com-
mission of India) and states have no control over
these offices. Also, features like Single Citizenship,
Integrated Judiciary and All India Services also sig-
nifies centralising tilt.
Current Times | 9

Federalism during COVID 19 Pandemic:
• If the initial phase of Covid-19 management result-
ed in high centralisation, then the later phase seen
high decentralisation.
• Autonomy to states: - The Union government pro-
vided adequate autonomy to the states to strength-
en their healthcare facilities. For example, the New
Vaccination policy vest 50 percent of the purchas-
ing of vaccines to the State governments.
• Imposition of localized lockdowns: -  The central
government permitted the State government to
impose local lockdowns to control the spread of
the pandemic. For example, Lockdowns by Delhi
and Tamil Nadu government.
• Implement social security measures to mitigate
the impact of the pandemic. Many state govern-
ments have introduced local health policies, wel-
fare measures for vulnerable sections, etc.
Constitutional provisions which show Centralisa-
tion on Power by Union government
• States have to exercise their executive authority
according to the law created by the Central gov-
ernment. It may not hamper the executive pow-
er of the Union within the States.
• Governors are appointed by the Central govern-
ment to check the working of the States
• Centres have the authority to amend the legisla-
tive discretion of the state by taking permission
from Rajya Sabha.
• The centre has authority to acquire the execu-
tive of the States due to the queries like national
security or failure of constitutional machinery of
the State.
Challenges to federalism during the pandemic:
• More Centralisation:  At present the autonomy of
the state is limited. The Centre using its power to
push much-needed reforms in the State list also.
For example, the enactment of farm laws and var-
ious policies of centre in subjects like health, etc.
The centre mentions that it will  consider the wel-
fare of the entire country and its citizens.
• Loss of Fiscal revenue for States:  The nation-
al lockdown resulted in shutting down almost all
economic activity, the State Governments faced
a  drastic reduction in revenue. Even before the
lockdown, many states in India already breached
their mandated fiscal deficit limits. The lockdown
has further increased their financial dependence
on the centre.
• The centre’s indulgence in Agriculture:  Agricul-
10 I Current Times
ture is a state matter in India. But the enactment
of the Three Agricultural legislation reformed the
long-standing agricultural marketing system. Some
states such as Punjab and Haryana opposed these
reforms. Further, they view these legislations as
a violation of federalism.
• The power of the Centre to approve the FDI in-
flows:  Even many states are negotiating with for-
eign investors, they do not have the power to bring
FDI into their state. In India, the approval for FDIs
is centralised. The  Department for Promotion of
Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) being the nod-
al Ministry for FDI approvals. So, the state govern-
ments depend on the centre for approval/rejection/
modification of their foreign inflows.
• The power of the Centre to accept foreign aid: The
states have no power to receive foreign aid to tack-
le the disaster they face. For instance, during the
Kerala Floods, the center turned down the foreign
aid despite the Kerala government’s request for ap-
proval of aid.
Way Forward:
• The concept of Fiscal Federalism: As the national
lockdown impacted the State’s revenue the centre
implemented many measures to strengthen “Fiscal
Federalism.” Such as
» Enhancement of Borrowing Limit of States: Union
Government permitted the State Governments to
borrow within the Net Borrowing Ceiling of 3% of
their Gross State Domestic Product in a financial
year.
» Ways and Means Advances:  The Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) provides Ways and Means Advances
(WMA) to the States. This is to help them tide over
temporary mismatches in the cash flow of their
receipts and payments. During the pandemic, the
RBI increased the WMA limit of States. This gave
immediate liquidity to States to borrow short-term
funds from RBI at a lower rate of interest. It pro-
vided them greater comfort to undertake Covid-19
containment and mitigation efforts.
» Financial Assistance to States:  The central gov-
ernment announced the  Scheme of Financial As-
sistance to States for Capital Expenditure in Octo-
ber 2020. The Scheme contains total funding of Rs.
12,000 crores. Of that part of the allocation was set
aside for States.
» Maintaining Tax Devolution to States:  The 15th Fi-
nance Commission recommended 41% tax devolu-
tion. The centre accepted the devolution. Despite
the pandemic, the Centre empowered the States
fiscally well-equipped to fight the pandemic.
• More active collaboration with states in policy-
making: While drafting new legislation or trying to
amend any existing legislation the Central Govern-
 ment consults all State Governments. Today, the
draft legislations are shared online on websites for
larger outreach and stakeholder consultations.
» For example, the drafting of the Model Tenancy Act
has involved all State Governments and stakehold-
ers.
• State’s ability to perform foreign economic pol-
icy:  The Centre encouraging states to negotiate
loans / FDI directly with overseas banks/institu-
tions. Such initiatives have helped some states in
their economic development and reduced their fi-
nancial dependence on the Centre. So, at present,
the  State not only relies on the Centre’s grants in
aid. But still, the approval for FDIs is centralised.
Conclusion:
• India’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic has
shifted the balance of its federal structure. The
most important moment for federalism during the
pandemic is the  role of state governments on the
ground level in managing the Covid-19 crisis. The
Centre also provided more power and autonomy to
states to tackle the pandemic. But the Centre and
States must ensure the right balance between ex-
treme political centralisation or chaotic political
decentralisation. As the right balance will protect
the States from threatening the national unity and
providing adequate autonomy to states.
THE ROLE OF DETER COMMITTEES
FORMED IN BENGALURU
Context:
• To manage Covid pandemic at the local level, the
Karnataka state government has formed  Decen-
tralized Triage and Emergency Response (DETER)
Committees at ward-levels in Bengaluru.
About DETER committees:
• Objective: - To strengthen government response
and management of the coronavirus pandemic.
• To improve supervision for better ward-level Covid
governance.
• Focused on Decentralised Disaster response: -
These teams will emphasize on the distribution of
localised action in a decentralised system of disas-
ter response.
• Integrated Approach: - They will be run in synergy
with officials, ward committee members, govern-
ment officers, representatives of the peoples, vol-
unteers from resident welfare associations, civil
society organisations, and disaster-support initia-
tives.
Roles and functions:
• They will act as the first-point contact for those in-
fected with Covid-19.
• The Karnataka government has formulated  a ‘3E
Strategy’ for WDCs to micromanage Covid-19 in
a comprehensive manner.  The 3E Strategy is ex-
plained as follows: Efficient admission to hospi-
tals facilitated by community triage services; Ef-
ficient discharge from hospitals enabling efficient
bed-turnover; Empowering hospitals, doctors, and
their management with supportive supervision.
THE HOUSE MUST SIT
Context:
• Parliamentary proceedings should operate virtually
to ensure the voices of all sections of the country
are heard. Many other countries are doing the same.
Introduction:
• The legislature which is the third arm of the state
seems to be missing when there are as many as
306 districts now with a positivity of 20 percent or
higher. The executive and the judiciary can be seen
and heard in the public health emergency.
• Recently, Congress MP and its leader in Lok Sabha
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have written a letter to
the President and the LS Speaker. They asked for a
special session to discuss the response to Covid-19.
This marked Parliament’s absence in the crisis.
• Earlier, Mallikarjun Kharge had sent a letter to the
Prime Minister and the RS chairman. He asked for
virtual parliamentary standing committee meet-
ings.
Global case studies of functioning of parliament and
opposition suggestions amid a pandemic
• Some democracies used conventional ways  and
continued to meet physically, but with restric-
tions. Some switched to virtual meetings with the
help of technologies that allowed remote working.
• The UK has adopted hybrid models. In this, a mix of
members is present in the chamber and others par-
ticipate by video conference. Many states have had
to change laws and relax procedures, reset mini-
mum number rules, and rearrange venues.
India’s response:
• In India, the government showed little or no urgen-
cy for parliamentary proceedings. It has shown high
resistance to suggestions and interferences by Op-
position leaders.
Current Times | 11

» For example, former Prime Minister  Manmohan
Singh’s suggestions were quickly disregarded by
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan earlier.
Way Forward:
• Governments should listen, learn, and correct er-
rors to find the best way forward. The response to
a national health crisis needs the participation of
all the people’s representatives, across states and
party.
• The virus has brought death and distress to every
constituency. To battle this, MPs must group ideas
and resources, ask questions, and apply the check
and balance.
• The House should reopen its doors virtually to en-
sure that the executive does not remain limited to
echo chambers of its own making.
Conclusion:
• One-sided responses are terribly insufficient and
even counterproductive. Parliament must return
as a space for a wider discussion. The government
must take the lead and make this happen.
A NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE IN INDIA
Context:
• The pandemic has broadly highlighted the inade-
quacy in our health care system and has brought
serious consideration for the formation of the Indi-
an national health services.
Background:
• There has been a coordinated effort from medical
staff, the Centre, the state, and other state institu-
tions to control the Pandemic. For instance,
• The railways are running special trains carrying ox-
ygen supplies.
• There is an involvement of military in medical sup-
ply chains.
• The Karnataka government has ordered private
hospitals above a certain size to reserve 75% of
their beds for COVID-19 patients, who will be paid
for under a public scheme.
• Despite these measures, the Indian healthcare sys-
tem is struggling to control the Pandemic.
Challenges in the Indian health care system:
• Inadequate public health expenditure: India
spends just 1.2% of GDP on public healthcare.
• Inadequate public health providers: For in-
12 I Current Times
stance, in certain rural areas the doctor-population
ratio is over 1:40,000.
• High out-of-pocket expenditure: Medical expens-
es constitute the major reason for personal debt in
India.
• Systemic issues:  Highly fragmented, corruption,
urban-centered and elite-focused.
To address the issues ailing our health care system, In-
dia needs to form Indian National Health services, in
line with British National Health Service.
BRITISH MODEL OF NATIONAL HEALTH
SERVICE FUNCTION
• Service is funded entirely from public money (Tax-
ation). The budget includes a payment to general
practitioners, most of whom remain private provid-
ers but are paid by the state for treating NHS pa-
tients.
• All hospital treatment and medicines are free.
• The NHS is the largest employer in the U.K. and Its
current budget is about 7.6% of GDP. Despite being
large in scale, it provides highly localized access to
care.
• The formation of the British National Health Ser-
vice has resulted in providing top-class universal
healthcare, including training and research. How-
ever, some issues like subjective preference to pa-
tients of different social classes still exist.
• In India, during 1946, the civil servant  Sir Joseph
Bhore  proposed Indian national health services
broadly modeled on the lines of the British National
Health Service or NHS.
• The integration of preventive and curative medi-
cines at all levels.
WEST BENGAL GOVERNMENT TO SET UP
A LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Context:
• The West Bengal government will set up a Legis-
lative Council (Vidhan Parishad), as per a decision
taken up at the recent Cabinet meeting.
How is a legislative council created?
• Under  Article 169 of the constitution,  Parliament
may by law create or abolish the second chamber
in a state  if the Legislative Assembly of that state
passes a resolution to that effect by a special ma-
jority.
 Related Facts:
State Legislature:
• Articles 168-212 on Part VI of the Indian Con-
stitution talks about it.
• There are two types of state legislatures in In-
dia:
» Unicameral State legislature:
– Consist of a Governor and only one house i.e.,
Legislative Assembly.
» Bicameral State legislature:
– Consist of a Governor and Two houses (Leg-
islative Assembly and Legislative Council) as
in the Parliament.
About Legislative Council:
• India  has a bicameral system i.e., two Houses of
Parliament namely Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
• Similarly, at the state level, the equivalent of the Lok
Sabha is the Vidhan Sabha or Legislative Assembly.
• Further, the states can also have a Legislative Coun-
cil in addition to the Legislative Assembly under Ar-
ticle 169 of the Constitution.
• Article 169 of the Constitution allows Parliament to
create or abolish the council in a state with the fol-
lowing conditions.
» If the legislative assembly of that state passes a res-
olution for the purpose bya special majority of the
total membership of the assembly and
» a majority of not less than two-thirds of the mem-
bers of the assembly present and voting.
• Currently, six states — Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maha-
rashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka
— have a Legislative Council.
• Members: Article 171 states that a legislative coun-
cil cannot have more than 1/3rd of the total number
of members in the legislative assembly. Also, it can-
not have fewer than 40 members.
• Composition of the Legislative Council:
• Members of the council are indirectly elected.
• The maximum strength of the council is fixed at
one-third of the total member of the assembly
• The minimum strength is fixed at 40
• The minimum and maximum strength are fixed
by the constitution to ensure the predominance
of the directly elected house (assembly).
• The actual number of members to the Legisla-
tive Council is fixed by Parliament.
Legislative Council:
• Unlike Rajya Sabha  which has substantial pow-
ers to shape non-financial legislation, Legislative
Councils lack the constitutional mandate to do so.
• Legislative Assemblies also have the power to over-
ride suggestions/ amendments made to legislation
by the Council.
• While Rajya Sabha MPs can vote in the election of
the President and Vice-President, members of Leg-
islative Councils cannot.
• Members of Legislative Councils also cannot vote
in the elections of Rajya Sabha members.
Election of Legislative Council:
• 1/3rd of members are elected by members of the
Assembly.
• 1/3rd by electorates consisting of members of mu-
nicipalities, district boards and other local author-
ities in the state.
• 1/12th by an electorate consisting of teachers.
• 1/12th by registered graduates.
• The remaining members are nominated by the Gov-
ernor from among those who have distinguished
themselves in literature, science, art, the coopera-
tive movement, and social service.
APPOINT ECI MEMBERS VIA COLLEGIUM
Context:
• A petition was filed by the Association for Demo-
cratic Reforms, in the Supreme Court seeking the
constitution of an independent collegium to ap-
point members of the Election Commission of India
(ECI).
Articles related to Elections
• Article 324 to 329 of the constitution deals with
powers, function, tenure, eligibility, etc of the
commission and the member.
• 324:- Superintendence, direction, and control
of elections to be vested in an Election Commis-
sion.
• 325:- No person to be ineligible for inclusion in,
or to claim to be included in a special, electoral
roll on grounds of religion, race, caste or sex.
• 326:- Elections to the House of the People and
Current Times | 13

to the Legislative Assemblies of States to be on
the basis of adult suffrage.
• 327:- Power of Parliament to make provision
with respect to elections to Legislatures.
• 328:- Power of Legislature of a State to make
provision with respect to elections to such Leg-
islature.
• 329:- Bar to interference by courts in electoral
matters.
Present System of Appointment
Constitutional versus Executive Power of Appoint-
ment:
• No prescribed procedure for appointment of the
Chief Election Commissioner and Election Com-
missioners as per the constitution.
• Currently, the President shall appoint the CEC and
EC  based on the recommendations made by the
Prime Minister. Therefore, it is the executive power
of the President to appoint CEC and ECs.
• However, according to  Article 324(5),  the Parlia-
ment has the power to regulate the terms of condi-
tions of service and tenure of ECs.
Need for an independent collegium:
• Incompatible process with Article 324(2): - Pres-
ent process of appointing members to the Election
Commission, solely by the executive, is incompati-
ble with Article 324(2) of the Constitution.
• Pick and Choose of Executive: - The appointment
of members of Election Commission on the “pick
and choose” of the executive violates the very foun-
dation for which it was created, thus, making  the
Commission a branch of executive.
Recommendations given by various expert commit-
tees:
• 255th Law Commission Report  recommended
that the appointment of all the Election Commis-
sioner should be made by the President in consul-
tation with a three-member collegium or selection
committee, consisting of the Prime Minister, the
Leader of the Opposition of the Lok Sabha, and the
Chief Justice of India.
• Second Administrative Reform Commission  rec-
ommended for the constitution of a neutral and
independent collegium headed by the Prime Min-
ister with the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the Leader
of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the law minister,
and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha as its
members.
• Dr. Dinesh Goswami Committee  recommended
14 I Current Times
for the effective consultation with neutral authori-
ties like Chief Justice of India and the Leader of the
Opposition for the appointment in Election Com-
mission.
• Justice Tarkunde Committee recommended that
the members of Election Commission should be
appointed by the President on the advice of a com-
mittee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Leader
of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief
Justice of India.
WHY AND HOW OF CREATING A DIS-
TRICT?
Context: -
• Punjab Chief Minister has declared Malerkotla as
the 23rd district of the Punjab State.
Process to create a new district in India:
• Role of State Government: - The power to create
new districts or alter or abolish existing districts
rests with the  State governments. This can either
be done through an executive order or by passing a
law in the State Assembly.
• Executive Order: - Many States prefer the execu-
tive route by simply issuing a notification in the of-
ficial gazette.
The role of Central government:
• The  Centre has no role to play  in the alteration of
districts or creation of new ones. States are free to
decide.
• Home Ministry comes into the picture when a State
wants to change the name of a district or a railway
station.
• Departments such as the Ministry of Earth Scienc-
es, Intelligence Bureau, Department of Posts, Geo-
graphical Survey of India Sciences, and the Railway
Ministry, provide their clearance to the proposal of
state government.
• After examination of their replies, state government
receives a no-objection certificate.
Advantages of creation of new districts in India:
• Better administration and governance: This is one
of the foremost advantages stated by state govern-
ments during the creation of new districts. To some
extent, it is also true.
• The smaller district ensures better governance:
New districts will host a range of administrative
machinery in the district. This will result in better
implementation of government schemes, prop-
er fund utilisation, enhanced people coverage of
 scheme, etc. All this will improve governance in the
new district.
• Service to the increased population:  Since 1981,
the average district area has become 44% smaller
in 2019. But the average number of people in a dis-
trict has risen from 16.6 lakh to 18.6 lakh in 2019. So,
the new districts can ensure better service delivery
for the increased population.
• Bring administration closer to the people:  Bigger
districts hinder the administration process in some
areas of that district itself. For example, before the
bifurcation of the Amravati district, the  farthest
taluka was around 150 km from the district head-
quarters.  So, people, administrative officers in
taluka must travel nearly 3 hours to district head-
quarters. A new district can bring administration
closer to the people.
• District-specific government initiatives: New dis-
tricts might attract more district-specific schemes.
For example, the government can set up an agricul-
tural research and assistance centre or a residential
school for gifted children. The state government can
provide better funding for backward districts. This
will benefit the local population.
• Increase employment:  Since the new district will
require new officials from top-down, this will in-
crease the employment in government directly. It
will also spur employment opportunities indirect-
ly. For example, government tender and associated
employment for locals, new shops, and services
near government buildings, etc.
Challenges in the creation of new districts in India:
• The very process of creating one district is chal-
lenging: The government has to find office space for
different departments and fill many new positions.
All this will require a huge government exchequer.
The government will also face challenges with land
acquisition.
• Substitute for genuine decentralisation: Zilla par-
ishad and the Panchayat samitis do not enjoy a lot
of powers in many states. So, these officials  take
most of their grievances to the collector. Creating
smaller districts without empowering these bodies
is against decentralisation in the real sense.
• The increased cost of living in new districts:  The
growth centres created in new district headquar-
ters will also make the land rates and other service
costs go up. This will increase the cost of living in
the new district headquarters in long run.
• Political motive:  Many states reorganise the ex-
isting districts and form new ones due to political
motive. For example, new districts containing a
support base of the ruling party can increase will be
advantageous for it.
• Under utilisation of administration: If the district
is too small, then the administration and associated
machinery will be underutilized. Further, the cre-
ation of more and smaller districts will also make
the management of districts harder for states.
• The 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission stat-
ed that the political gains from forming a new dis-
trict are a “minor dividend” and not the major one.
Way Forward:
• Ensure proper decentralisation:  Instead of creat-
ing new districts every time, the State governments
might reform their decentralisation policy. As the
Panchayats and Zillas face many challenges in their
functioning. If the state government provide more
powers this will improve better functioning of Pan-
chayats and Zilla Parishad. For example,
• Creation of SFCs (State Finance Commission)
properly and allocating funds properly.
• Widening their tax base and provide  access to
the Capital market to raise funds.
• State Governments  should provide local bodies
with the power to recruit personnel  to fulfil their
functions properly.
• Guidelines for the formation of new districts: With
new districts are added every year, the Center may
prescribe certain criteria for the formation of a
new district. For example, the Center may release
a guideline that contains the minimum area of the
district, its population, etc.
• Work on other alternatives:  Instead of creating
new infrastructure the States may conduct special
camps, frequent field visits from officials. This will
not only save the government exchequer but also
serve most of the administrative and governance
targets.
Conclusion:
• Districts are the third tier of India’s governance
structure, after the Centre and the state. Small-
er districts are better in terms of service delivery.
But there is always a limit in the formation of new
districts for solving administrative and governance
issues.
GOVT VS WHATSAPP ON PRIVACY POLICY
Context:
• Communication between the IT Ministry and
WhatsApp on the issue of the updated privacy poli-
cy has been going on since January this year.
Key Features of the Privacy Policy:
Current Times | 15

• Information Sharing with Third Party Ser-
vices:  When users rely on third-party services or
other Facebook Company Products that are inte-
grated with Whatsapp Services, those third-party
services may receive information about users.
• Hardware Information:  WhatsApp collects infor-
mation from devices such as battery level, signal
strength, app version, browser information, mobile
network, connection information (including phone
number, mobile operator, or ISP) among others.
• Deleting the Account: If someone only deletes the
WhatsApp app from their device without using the
in-app delete my account feature, then that user’s
information will remain stored with the platform.
• Data Storage:  WhatsApp mentions that it uses
Facebook’s global infrastructure and data centers
including those in the United States to store user
data. It also states that the data in some cases will
be transferred to the United States or other parts
where Facebook’s affiliate companies are based.
• Location:  Even if a user does not use their loca-
tion-relation features, WhatsApp collects IP ad-
dresses and other information like phone number
area codes to estimate user’s general location (city,
country).
• Payment Services:  WhatsApp says that if anyone
uses their payments services they will process ad-
ditional information about them, including pay-
ment account and transaction information.
What is Metadata
• It virtually gives a 360-degree profile into a per-
son's online activity.
• This level of insight into a person's private and
personal activities is done without any govern-
ment oversight at present or regulatory supervi-
sion.
Concerns related to policy:
• It is contradictory with the Srikrishna Committee
report,  which forms the basis of the Data Protec-
tion Bill 2019.
• The principle of  Data Localisation,  which aims to
put curbs on the transfer of personal data outside
the country, may come in conflict with WhatsApp’s
new privacy policy.
• With the updated privacy policy, WhatsApp can
now share one’s  metadata,  essentially everything
beyond the conversation’s actual text.
• If users disagree with the messaging platform’s
16 I Current Times
updated privacy policy, they will have to quit
WhatsApp when the new terms of service are set
to come into effect.
THE OUTDATED NATURE OF BUREAUCRA-
CY
Context: -
• Outdated nature of public bureaucracy has to
be accounted for the ineffective response to the
COVID-19 crisis in India. A new public governance
model based on collaborative governance need to
be institutionalised.
What is Bureaucracy?
• “Bureaucracy means the civil servants, the ad-
ministrative functionaries who are professional-
ly trained for the public service and who enjoy
permanency of tenure, promotion within ser-
vice-partly by seniority and partly by merit.” -
Robert Garner
Evolution of Civil Services in India
• Ancient time:
» According to Arthasastra, the higher bureaucra-
cy consisted of the mantrins and the amatyas.
While the mantrins were the highest advisors to
the King, the amatyas were the civil servants.
• Medieval period: During Mughal era, the bu-
reaucracy was based on the mansabdari system.
» The mansabdari system was essentially a pool
of civil servants available for civil or military de-
ployment.
• During British India: The big changes in the civ-
il services in British India came with the imple-
mentation of Macaulay’s Report 1835.
» The Macaulay Report recommended that only
the best and brightest would do for the Indian
Civil Service, so as to serve the interest of Brit-
ish empire.
• Post-Independence: After independence Indi-
an civil services system retained the elements
of the British structure like a unified adminis-
trative system such as an open-entry system
based on academic achievements, permanen-
cy of tenure.
Issues with Weberian model of Bureaucracy:
• Generalist bureaucracy: - Weberian bureaucracy
still prefers a generalist bureaucracy over a special-
ist.
• Weberian bureaucracy prefers  leadership based
on position over leadership of function.
» Leadership of function is when a person has expert
knowledge of a particular responsibility in a partic-
ular situation.
» In leadership of function, every official involved in a
particular role responds to the situation rather than
relying on directions from above authority.
Impacts of Weberian model of Bureaucracy:
• Rigid adherence to rules has resulted in the rejec-
tion of innovation.
• Hierarchical nature of workflow and cumbersome
clearance processes even during the period of cri-
sis results in delayed efforts.
• Negligent of Specialist role results in policy failure
and ineffective planning
Suggested Reforms:
• New Public Management: - The reform often sug-
gested in India is new public management. It pro-
motes privatisation and managerial techniques of
the private sector as an effective tool to improve
public service delivery and governance.
• However, failure of private sector in public service
delivery as witnessed during Covid19 and wide-
spread social inequality and regional variations in
development had made this idea infeasible in India.
Way forward:
Collaborative Approach
• The model of new public governance based on col-
laborative governance  will be the most appropri-
ate solution.
• In this model, the public sector, private players and
civil society, especially public service organisations
(NGOs), work together for effective public service
delivery.
• All agencies will be involved in policy formulation
and implementation.
• To institutionalise the model of new public gov-
ernance, the behaviour of bureaucracy needs to
change.
• It needs flexibility in hierarchy, a relook at the gen-
eralist versus specialist debate, and an openness to
reforms such as lateral entry and collaboration with
a network of social actors.
RESTRUCTURING THE TRIBUNAL SYSTEM
Context:
• Recently, the Tribunal Reforms Ordinance, 2021 was
challenged in Supreme Court.
Introduction:
• The ordinance aims to abolish certain existing ap-
pellate tribunals and transfer their functions to
other existing judicial bodies.
• The ordinance also shortened the period for mem-
bers of the tribunals to 4 years.
Constitutional Provisions
• Tribunals were not part of the original constitu-
tion, it was incorporated in the Indian Constitu-
tion by 42nd Amendment Act, 1976.
» Article 323-A deals with Administrative Tribu-
nals.
» Article 323-B deals with tribunals for other mat-
ters.
• Under Article 323 B, the Parliament and the
state legislatures are authorised to provide for
the establishment of tribunals for the adjudica-
tion of disputes relating to the following matters:
» Taxation, Foreign exchange, import and export,
Industrial and labour, Land reforms, Ceiling on
urban property, Elections to Parliament and
state legislatures, Food stuff, Rent and tenancy
rights.
Articles 323 A and 323 B differ in the following
three aspects:
• While Article 323 A contemplates the estab-
lishment of tribunals for public service matters
only, Article 323 B contemplates the estab-
lishment of tribunals for certain other matters
(mentioned above).
• While tribunals under Article 323 A can be es-
tablished only by Parliament, tribunals under
Article 323 B can be established both by Parlia-
ment and state legislatures with respect to mat-
ters falling within their legislative competence.
• Under Article 323 A, only one tribunal for the
Centre and one for each state or two or more
states may be established. There is no question
of the hierarchy of tribunals, whereas under Ar-
ticle 323 B a hierarchy of tribunals may be cre-
ated.
• Article 262: The Indian Constitution provides
a role for the Central government in adjudicat-
ing conflicts surrounding inter-state rivers that
arise among the state/regional governments.
Current Times | 17
Criticism of the ordinance:
• The ordinance bypasses the usual legislative pro-
cess.
• The Center abolished tribunals  such as the Film
Certification Appellate Tribunal and the Intellectual
Property Appellate Board, without any stakeholder
consultation. 
• No  Judicial Impact Assessment  (JIA) was con-
ducted, before abolishing tribunals.
• Ordinance has fixed a four-year tenure for Chairper-
sons and members of the tribunal. It is against the
Supreme Court direction of fixing the 5- year term.
• No National Tribunals Commission (NTC) was con-
stituted for supervising tribunals.
Need of National Tribunals Commission: 
• Executive interference – Executive interference
in the functioning of tribunals is common, espe-
cially in the appointment and removal of tribunal
members, provision of finances, infrastructure, etc.
Thus, the formation of NTC can remove this possi-
bility.
• Lack of independent supervisory body  [such as
NTC] to support the uniform functioning of the tri-
bunals.
• These issues necessitated the establishment of
the National tribunal Commission. NTC will be an
independent umbrella body to supervise the func-
tioning of tribunals, including the recruitment of
members and disciplinary processes against them
as well as the administrative and infrastructural
needs of the tribunals.
Advantages of National Tribunals Commission (NTC):
• Provide administrative support across all tribunals.
• Separation of the administrative and judicial func-
tions carried out by various tribunals.
• It would set performance standards for the effi-
ciency of tribunals and their own administrative
processes.
• Function as an independent recruitment body to
develop and operationalize the procedure for disci-
plinary proceedings and tribunal member appoint-
ments.
• Speedy resolution of disputes.
Way forward:
• Till the time NTC does not come into existence, the
Finance Ministry should come up with a transition
plan.
18 I Current Times
INTERPRETATION WHICH IMPEDES A
JUST SOCIAL ORDER
Context:
• Recently Supreme Court declared the reservation
to the Maratha community in education and public
employment as unconstitutional.
Reasons given by the Supreme Courts’ five-judge
Bench:
• Maratha community did not constitute a socially
and educationally backward class.
• The law is against Indra Sawhney judgment. In In-
dra Sawhney case the court has disallowed reser-
vations made in excess of 50% of the total available
positions.
• State governments had no independent power to
declare a group as a backward class.
Issues in the interpretation provided by the Supreme
Courts’ five-judge Bench:
• The reasoning that it violates Indra Sawhney judg-
ment and State governments had no independent
power to declare a group as a backward class is
against the values of equality and federalism.
• The cap of 50% on the reservation of Indra Sawh-
ney judgment  does not come from the constitu-
tion. Articles 16(4) and 15(4)  confer power on the
government to make reservations, contains no
such limitation.
» In State of Kerala vs N.M. Thomas (1975), the sev-
en-judge bench held that reservation was inher-
ent in the Constitution’s basic guarantee of equal
treatment. This statement by the state high court
contradicts the principle of capping reservation at
50%.
• Court’s interpretation that states do not have the
power to declare groups as backward classes is
misleading. The 102nd Constitutional Amendment
Act forms the basis of court’s ruling.
• After the  102nd Constitutional Amendment
Act  granted constitutional status to the  Nation-
al Commission for Backward Classes,  Article
342A, Article 366(26C) were introduced.
• Article 342A  stipulates that President may, no-
tify groups of persons within a State deemed
to be socially and educationally backward, after
consultation with the state. It  states that Cen-
tral lists could be altered only by the Parliament.
• Article 366(26C)  defines “socially and educa-
tionally backward classes” as such backward
classes identified under Article 342A.
• Based on the provision of Article 342A, a majority for promoting reservations in State’s domain.
on the Bench had made erroneous  interpretation
• Two, the Union Minister of Social Justice and Em-
that, the Centre is empowered to identify socially
powerment had earlier clarified that Article 342
and educationally backward classes like the prepa-
doesn’t take away the state’s right to include or re-
ration of the lists of Scheduled Castes and Sched-
move classes from the List.
uled Tribes and not the states.
• The five-bench ruling of the supreme court has Way forward:
overlooked two essential factors.
• The court’s decision in denying the right to recog-
• One, the term “Central List” in Article 342A refers nize backward classes by states directly impede
to the categorisation of groups as backward for the their ability to secure just social order.
purposes of reservation of posts and seats under
• Hence, the Parliament should amend the Constitu-
the Union government’s control only. It does not
tion and grants to States an express power to de-
affect states power to categorise backward classes
termine backwardness.

Current Times | 19
20 I Current Times International Developments | 23
SAUDI ARABIA JOINS “NET ZERO PRO-
DUCERS FORUM” ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Context:
• Saudi Arabia has announced that it will be joining
Canada, the US, Qatar, and Norway in the formation
of the Net Zero Producers Forum.
About Net Zero Producers Forum:
• The Net Zero Producers Forum  has been formed
for the oil and gas producing countries. The Forum
aims to discuss the ways to achieve net zero carbon
emission targets to limit global warming.
• The countries will also discuss ways to support the
implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate
Change.
• Strategies: The Forum will consider strategies and
technologies which include
» Methane abatement
» Advancing the circular carbon economy approach
» Development and deployment of clean energy and
carbon capture and storage technologies,
» Diversification from reliance on hydrocarbon reve-
nues and
» Other measures in line with each country’s national
circumstances.
THE RISING SUN IN INDIA-JAPAN RELA-
TIONS
Context:
• Japanese Prime Minister  Yoshihide Suga  is set to
visit India as soon as the COVID-19 pandemic nor-
malizes. Outcomes of the recent  Japan-US  meet-
ing gave a glimpse of what India can expect from
Japan.
Japan-US discussions mainly centered around Chi-
na:
• Importance to joint security partnership: - Both
the countries assured their commitments to
the  joint security partnership. The treaty is signif-
icant given China’s recent aggressiveness in terri-
torial disputes in the South and East China Seas as
well as in the Taiwan Strait.
• Both sides acknowledged the importance of ex-
tended deterrence through cooperation on cyber-
security and space technology.
• Competitiveness and Resilience Partnership,
or CoRe: - It  was announced to support funding
of new-age technologies.
» The funding will be used for the deployment of se-
cure 5G networks to build digital infrastructure in
developing countries.
• Putting pressure on China: - Both the countries
expressed their willingness to continue pressure on
China to reform China’s offensive economic prac-
tices.  Such as violations of intellectual property
rights, forced technology transfer, excess capacity
issues, and the use of trade-distorting industrial
subsidies.
• Free and Open Indo-Pacific: - Both the countries
emphasized their vision of a  Free and Open In-
do-Pacific based on the rule of law, freedom of nav-
igation, etc.
• Importance to QUAD: - Also expressed their con-
tinued support for the  QUAD.    Further, they criti-
cized China’s human rights violations in  Xinjiang,
suppression of protests in Hong Kong, and military
aggression towards Taiwan.
What one can expect from the upcoming India-Japan
meeting?
• There will be a continuation of the balancing secu-
rity policy against China as both have been the vic-
tims of China’s aggressive posture.
» For instance, Japan is concerned over China’s uni-
lateral actions in the East and South China Seas,
Xinjiang, and Hong Kong. Whereas India is con-
cerned over China’s military conflict in Galwan val-
ley.
• Quad grouping: - Both the countries will be reaf-
firming their support for a Free and Open Indo-Pa-
cific and the Quad grouping.
• Cooperation in emerging technologies: - India and
Japan will be willing to expand their cooperation in
sectors such as cybersecurity and emerging tech-
nologies. However, there are few irritants in cyber-
security cooperation.
» India’s insistence on data localization.
» India’s reluctance to accede to global cybersecurity
agreements such as the Budapest Convention.
• Improving trade between both the countries: -
Given that Japan is only India’s 12th largest trading
partner and trade volumes between the two stands
at just a  fifth of the value of India-China bilateral
trade. There will be commitments towards increas-
ing Trade between the two countries.
» Japan may reaffirm its support for key manufactur-
ing initiatives, such as ‘Make in India’ and the Japan
Industrial Townships.
» Whereas India will be willing to secure continued
infrastructure investments in the strategically vital
connectivity projects. For example, the Northeast
and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands connectivity
Current Times | 21
 projects
a rise in unemployment will compel the center to
• Fifth,  given the failure of  joint  infrastructure proj- focus on COVID-19 recovery. This will limit India’s
ects in Africa and Iran, both countries will be inter- strategic ambitions in global space.
ested to evolve a joint strategy towards key third
• India might become more appeasing towards Chi-
countries.
na. The mismanagement of the second wave has
• Further, Japan will be willing to push India to join limited India’s ability to stand up against China.
the  Regional Comprehensive Economic Partner-
• India’s foreign policy may also become more ac-
ship.
commodative, reconciliatory, and cooperative in
the neighborhood. (SAARC nations).
» The Pandemic has forced India to reimagine, the
A COVID BLOT ON INDIA’S FOREIGN POLI-
friend-enemy equations in global geopolitics. While
CY CANVAS the US was hesitant to assist India during the pan-
demic Pakistan and China offered aid to India.
Context: -
• India’s freedom to pursue Strategic autonomy
• The consequences of the Covid 19 pandemic sec-
might be reduced. For instance, a post-COVID-19
ond wave have far-reaching strategic implications
India might find it harder to resist demands of a
on India’s Foreign policy.
closer military relationship with the U.S.

Impacts of COVID on India’s foreign policy: • As every crisis opens up the possibility for change,
one good outcome will be the opening up of new
• Decline in Supremacy at regional level: -India’s Su-
regional opportunities for cooperation under
premacy at the regional level (in South Asia) will de-
the SAARC framework.
cline in the future.
» SAARC nations should collectively focus on ‘re-
» India’s traditional primacy in the region was built on
gional health multilateralism’ to promote mutual
a mix of material aid, political influence, and histor-
assistance and joint action on health emergencies.
ical ties.
» Further, geopolitics should be brought in par with
» The Pandemic has reduced India’s ability to mate-
health diplomacy, environmental concerns, and re-
rially help its immediate neighborhood for devel-
gional connectivity in South Asia.
opment assistance and political autonomy.
» As a result, South Asian states are likely to shift to-
wards China for financial support.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN JERUSALEM?
• Geopolitical impact: India’s geopolitical ambitions
to become a leading power will be impacted. Context:
» The pandemic could adversely impact India’s abil- • Tensions have been building up in Jerusalem since
ity to contribute to the Indo-Pacific and the Quad. the start of Ramzan in mid-April between Israe-
li forces and Palestinians. Recently, Israeli armed
» For instance, COVID-19 will prevent any ambitious
forces stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Haram
military spending or modernization plan.
esh-Sharif in Jerusalem.
» It further limits the country’s attention on global di-
plomacy and regional geopolitics. Jerusalem Dispute:
» With reduced military spending and lesser diplo- • Jerusalem City has been at the centre of the Israe-
matic attention to regional geopolitics, India’s abili- li-Palestinian conflict.
ty to project power and contribute to the growth of
• According to the original 1947 UN partition
the Quad will be uncertain.
plan, the proposal was to make Jerusalem an inter-
» India’s inability to take a lead role and China attract- national city.
ing smaller states away from the Indo-Pacific with
• But during the first Arab Israel war of 1948, the Is-
aid and threats can change the balance of power in
raelis captured the western half of the city. Similar-
favor of China.
ly, Jordan took the eastern part including the Old
• The shift in focus on domestic politics in the com- City that houses Haram esh-Sharif.
ing years by the ruling government will reduce In-
• Al-Aqsa Mosque is Islam’s third-holiest site. Its lo-
dia’s willingness for new foreign policy innovation
cation is on a plaza at the Temple Mount, which is
or initiatives.
known in Islam as Haram-esh-Sharif.
» For instance,  economic distress, a fall in foreign
• The Temple Mount is also Judaism’s holiest site.
direct investment and industrial production, and

22 I Current Times
• The Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, is
sacred to Jews. This wall is one side of the retaining
wall of the Al-Aqsa compound.
• However, Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jor-
dan in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed it later.
• Since its annexation, Israel has expanded settle-
ments in East Jerusalem. At present, it is home to
some 220,000 Jews.
• Jews born in East Jerusalem  are Israeli citizens.
The Palestinians in Jerusalem have conditional res-
idency permits. But Palestinians in East Jerusalem,
unlike other parts of the occupied West Bank, can
apply for Israeli citizenship.
Today’s Situation:
• Today’s lines largely echo the consequences of the
1967 war. The West Bank appears to be controlled
by the Palestinian Authority, although it is largely
under Israeli occupation.
• Gaza strip is controlled by Hamas, an Islamist fun-
damentalist party.
India’s stand on Israel- Palestine conflict:
• Support to Palestine: - India has been consistently
supportive of the Palestinian cause.
• India was the first Non-Arab State to recognize Pal-
estine Liberation Organization (PLO) as sole and le-
gitimate representative of the Palestinian people in
1974.
• Also, India was one of the first countries to recog-
nize the State of Palestine in 1988.
• In 1996, India opened its Representative Office to
the Palestine Authority in Gaza, which was later
shifted to Ramallah (West Bank) in 2003. 
• Currently, India supports  a two-state solution  to
the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
• As a part of the Link West Policy, India has de-hy-
phenated its relationship with Israel and Palestine
in 2018. This will allow it to treat both the countries
as mutually independent and exclusive.
• As per India, the issues between the two should be
resolved through direct negotiations and solutions
must be acceptable to both.
Way Forward:
• Both Israel and Palestine  should immediately re-
sume the peace talks  under the guidance of the
UNSC.  count who is coming in and out of the country and
• The proposal to evict 70 Palestinians from East
Jerusalem  should be delayed for some time. This
would help in brokering peace between the parties.
• There must be proper adherence to  UNSC reso-
lution 2334. It concerns the Israeli settlements in
“Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, includ-
ing East Jerusalem”. 
» It states that Israel’s settlement activity consti-
tutes a clear violation of International Law and has
“no legal validity”. 
» It demands that Israel stop such activity and fulfill
its obligations as an occupying power under the
Fourth Geneva Convention.
• The  February 2021 ICC ruling  should be imple-
mented in spirit. It allows the ICC to investigate
persons committing war crimes in the Palestinian
Territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
• India should leverage its growing influence in the
world to counsel Israel to exercise restraint and
move towards a two-state solution. 
• It should continue to use its voice in the United Na-
tions and work with major states in the world to-
wards that end  without directly participating  in
the peace process.
Conclusion:
• The international community must try to instill
peace among the two states. Further any success-
ful peace initiative would need to resolve the four
core issues that have plagued the peace process:
West Bank borders/settlements, Israeli security,
Palestinian refugees, and Jerusalem.
U.K. TO UNVEIL PLANS FOR ‘DIGITAL BOR-
DER’
Context:
• Britain is planning to announce a “fully digital bor-
der”. This is part of a wider overhaul of the country’s
immigration system, which will also include the in-
troduction of a points-based migration system.
About Digital Border:
• Electronic Travel Authorisation: - The move means
those coming to Britain without a visa or immigra-
tion status will need an Electronic Travel Authorisa-
tion – similar to that used in the United States – as
part of plans to be implemented by the end of 2025.
• Digital identity checks will also be used to reduce
the need to visit visa application centres.
• Digitising the border will mean officials “can now
whether they have permission to be there”.
Benefit of Digital Border:
• This approach will make it easier to identify poten-
tial threats before they reach the border.
Current Times | 23
LITHUANIA QUITS CHINA’S 17+1 COOPERA- • The initiative also focuses on infrastructure proj-
TION FORUM
Context:
• Lithuania has quit China’s  17+1 cooperation fo-
rum with central and eastern European states that
includes other EU members.
About 17+1 cooperation forum:
• The 17+1 cooperation forum is a China-led initiative
founded in the year 2012.
• Aim: The aim is to expand cooperation between
China and the Central and Eastern European (CEE)
member countries. This is done through invest-
ments and trade for the development of the CEE
region.
24 I Current Times
ects such as bridges, motorways, railway lines and
the modernisation of ports in the member states.
• Significance: The initiative is largely seen as an ex-
tension of China’s flagship Belt and Road initiative
(BRI).
• Composition: The initiative includes twelve EU
member states and five Balkan states — Albania,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech
Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithua-
nia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Ser-
bia, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Reason to quit the Forum:
• Lithuania has called it “divisive”. It has also urged
fellow EU members to pursue “a much more effec-
tive 27+1 approach and communication with China.”
Schemes/ Bills Times
Current / Acts | 33
25
‘LARGE AREA CERTIFICATION’ SCHEME
Context:
• Recently. 14,491 ha area of UT of A&N Islands has
become the first large contiguous territory to be
conferred with organic certification under  ‘Large
Area Certification’ scheme.
About the ‘Large Area Certification’ scheme:
• Department of Agriculture and Farmers Wel-
fare  under its flagship scheme of  Parampara-
gat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY)  has launched this
unique quick certification programme to harness
these potential areas.
• Cluster based approach: - Under LAC, each village
in the area is considered as one cluster/group.
• Objective: To provide a unique and quick organic
certification to harness the potential land areas for
organic products.
• All farmers with their farmland and livestock need
to adhere to the standard requirements. After ver-
ification, they will get certified as a group. Once is-
sued they don’t need to go under conversion peri-
od.
• Certification is renewed on annual basis through
annual verification by a process of peer appraisals
as per the process of PGS-India.
Organic Farming:
• Organic Farming avoids or largely excludes the
use of synthetic inputs (such as fertilizers, pesti-
cides, hormones). Instead, it relies upon crop ro-
tations, animal manures, off-farm organic waste
and a biological system of nutrient mobilization.
• India now has more than 30 lakh ha area regis-
tered under organic certification. Also, more and
more farmers are joining the movement slowly.
• As per the international survey report (2021) In-
dia ranks at 5th place in terms of area. Further,
India is at the top in terms of the total number of
organic producers (the base year 2019).
SCHEME FOR SPECIAL ASSISTANCE TO
STATES FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURE FOR
2021-22
Context:
• The Ministry of Finance, Government of India has
decided to provide an additional amount of up to
Rs. 15,000 crore to States as interest free 50 year
loan for spending on capital projects.
26 I Current Times
Allocation under the scheme:
• For North-east and hill states  and an amount of
₹2,600 crore has been earmarked.
• All other states  with an amount of ₹7,400 crore.
This amount has been allocated among states in
proportion to their share of central taxes as per the
award of 15th Finance Commission for 2021-22.
• Providing incentives to states for monetisation or
recycling of infrastructure assets and disinvest-
ment of state public sector enterprises. An amount
of ₹5,000 crore is allocated.
Background:
• Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided
to state governments in the form of 50-year inter-
est free loan.
• An amount not exceeding ₹12,000 crore was ear-
marked for 2020-21 and a sum of ₹11,830.29 crore
was released.
• This helped to sustain state level capital expendi-
ture in the pandemic year.
Meaning of Capital Expenditure
• Capital expenditure is the money spent by the
government on the development of machinery,
equipment, building, health facilities, education,
etc.
• It also includes the expenditure incurred on ac-
quiring fixed assets like land and investment by
the government that gives profits or dividend in
future.
• Along with the creation of assets, repayment of
loan is also capital expenditure, as it reduces li-
ability.
• Capital spending is associated with investment
or development spending, where expenditure
has benefits extending years into the future.
MISSION FOR INTEGRATED DEVELOP-
MENT OF HORTICULTURE (MIDH)
Context:
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare
has provided an enhanced allocation of Rs. 2250
Crore for the year 2021-22 for ‘Mission for Integrat-
ed Development of Horticulture’ (MIDH).
About the ‘Mission for Integrated Development of
Horticulture’ (MIDH):
• It is a scheme for the holistic growth and develop-
ment of the Indian horticulture sector.
• Centrally Sponsored Scheme: - This Centrally
Sponsored scheme covers vegetables, fruits, roots
and tuber crops, aromatic plants, flowers, spices,
bamboo, coconut, cashew, and cocoa.
• MIDH also provides technical support and advice
to state horticultural missions, Rashtriya Krishi Vi-
kas Yojana (RKVY), Saffron Mission and the Nation-
al Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA).
• Ministry: - MIDH is under the Ministry of Agricul-
ture and Farmers’ Welfare, GOI.
• Under MIDH, while Government of India (GOI) con-
tributes 85% of total outlay for developmental
programmes in all the states except the states in
Northeast and Himalayas, 15% share is contributed
by State Governments. In the case of Northeastern
States and Himalayan States, GOI contribution is
100%.
Sub Schemes under MIDH: The mission has the follow-
ing sub-schemes as its component:
• National Horticulture Mission (NHM)
• Horticulture Mission for Northeast& Himalayan
States (HMNEH)
• National Horticulture Board (NHB)
• Coconut Development Board (CDB)
• Central Institute for Horticulture (CIH), Nagaland.
Performance of the scheme: MIDH scheme has played
a significant role in increasing the area under horticul-
ture crops such as:
• Area and production  under horticulture crops
during the years 2014 – 15 to 2019 – 20 has increased
by 9% and 14% respectively.
• During the year 2019-20,  the country recorded its
highest ever horticulture production of 320.77 mil-
lion tonnes from an area of 25.66 million hectares.
• However, the sector is still facing a lot of challenges.
Such as,
» High post-harvest loss
» Gaps in post-harvest management
» Supply chain infrastructure.
JAL JEEVAN MISSION (JJM)
Context:
• Recently, The Union Territory of Puducherry has
become the fourth State/UT after Goa, Telangana,
and Andaman & Nicobar Islands to provide assured
tap water supply to every rural home under Jal Je-
evan Mission (JJM).
About Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM):
• Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) was launched by the Min-
istry of Jal Shakti in 2019.
• Objective: The aim is to provide safe and adequate
drinking water through individual household tap
connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.
• The goal of the mission: The goal is to have ‘Har
Ghar Jal’- every house in the village is to be provid-
ed with a Functional tap connection.
Fund Sharing Pattern under the mission:
• The fund sharing pattern between Center and
State under the mission is as follow:
• 90:10 for Himalayan (Uttarakhand, Himachal
Pradesh) and North-Eastern States
• Total fund for UTs will be provided by Center.
• 50:50 for the rest of the States.
Key Features of the mission:
• It is a decentralized, demand-driven and communi-
ty-managed programme. The Gram Panchayat will
play a key role in planning and implementation.
• The mission  includes extensive Information, Edu-
cation and Communication as a key component of
the mission.
• The mission will also implement source sustainabil-
ity measures as mandatory elements. This includes
measures such as recharge and reuse through grey-
water management, water conservation, rainwater
harvesting.
» Further, States will give priority to
» Water quality-affected areas,
» Villages in drought-prone and desert areas,
» Scheduled caste/scheduled tribe majority villages,
» Aspirational districts and Sansad Adarsh Gram Yo-
jana villages.
NATIONAL PROGRAMME ON ADVANCED
CHEMISTRY CELL BATTERY STORAGE
Context:
• The Cabinet has approved the proposal of Depart-
ment of Heavy Industry  for implementation of the
Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme ‘Nation-
al Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC)
Battery Storage’ for achieving manufacturing ca-
pacity of Fifty (50) GigaWatt Hour (GWh) of ACC
and 5 GWh of “Niche” ACC.
Current Times | 27
About the scheme:
• It is a ₹18,100 crore production-linked incentive
(PLI) scheme for building Tesla-style giga factories
to manufacture batteries.
• The plan is to set up 50-gigawatt hour (GWh) manu-
facturing capacity for advanced chemistry cell bat-
teries by attracting investments totaling ₹45,000
crore.
• As part of the scheme, each selected ACC battery
storage manufacturer would have to commit to
set up an ACC manufacturing facility of minimum
5GWh capacity and ensure a minimum 60% do-
mestic value addition at the project level within
five years.
Advantages of the Scheme:
• All the demand for the ACCs is satisfied through im-
ports in India. Hence, the programme on ACC will
decrease import dependence.
• The manufacturing of ACCs will also increase the
demand for Electric Vehicles (EV).
• India can increase  net savings  of around Rs 2 lakh
crore on account of oil import bill due to Electric
Vehicles (EV) adoption.
• Facilitate demand creation  for battery storage in
India.
• The impetus in R&D  can achieve higher specific
energy density and cycles in ACC.
• Promote newer and niche cell technologies.
What is Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) batteries?
• ACCs are the new generation of advanced storage
technologies. They can store electric energy either
as electrochemical or as chemical energy. The cells
then can convert it back to electric energy as and
when required.
• Sectors: Consumer electronics, electric vehicles,
advanced electricity grids and solar rooftops are
major battery consuming sectors.
SPECIAL WINDOW FOR AFFORDABLE &
MID-INCOME HOUSING (SWAMIH)
Context:
• Centre’s Special Window for Affordable & Mid-In-
come Housing (SWAMIH) has completed its  first
residential project.
• The residential project — Rivali Park in suburban
Mumbai — is the first housing project in India to
have received funding under the SWAMIH Fund.
About SWAMIH Fund:
28 I Current Times
• The SWAMIH Fund was  launched by the finance
minister Sitharaman in November 2019.
• SWAMIH Investment Fund has been formed to
complete construction of stalled, RERA-registered
affordable and mid-income category housing proj-
ects which are stuck due to paucity of funds.
• The fund was set up as a Category-II AIF (Alternate
Investment Fund) debt fund registered with SEBI.
• The Investment Manager of the Fund is  SBICAP
Ventures, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SBI Capital
Markets, which in turn is a wholly-owned subsidi-
ary of the State Bank of India.
• The Sponsor of the Fund is the Secretary, Depart-
ment of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.
Alternative Investment Fund (AIF)
• Alternate investment funds (AIFs) are defined
under the Securities and Exchange Board of In-
dia (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations,
2012.
• It refers to any privately pooled investment fund
(whether from Indian or foreign sources) estab-
lished or incorporated in India for investing it in
accordance with a defined investment policy.
• An alternative investment is a financial asset
that does not fall into one of the conventional
equity/income/cash categories.
• For example, private equity or venture capital,
hedge funds, commodities, and tangible assets
• AIF does not include funds covered under the
SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 1996, SEBI
(Collective Investment Schemes) Regulations,
1999 or any other regulations of the Board to reg-
ulate fund management activities.
Who will be the investors of the fund?
• AIFs created/funded under the Special Window
would solicit investment into the fund from the
Government and other private investors including
cash-rich financial institutions, sovereign wealth
funds, public and private banks, domestic pension
and provident funds, global pension funds and oth-
er institutional investors.
PM-KISAN SCHEME
Context:
• The eighth instalment of minimum financial bene-
fit under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi
(PM-KISAN) scheme has been released.
About PM-Kisan scheme:
• PM KISAN: It is a Central Sector scheme launched
by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare in
2019.
• Objective: To augment the income of the farmers
by providing income support to all landholding
farmers’ families across the country and to enable
them to take care of expenses related to agriculture
and allied activities as well as domestic needs.
• Income Support: Under the Scheme an amount of
Rs.6000/- per year is transferred in three 4-monthly
installments of Rs.2000/- directly into the bank ac-
counts of the farmers subject to certain exclusion
criteria relating to higher income status.
• Coverage: The Scheme initially provided income
support to all small and Marginal Farmers’ families
across the country, holding cultivable land up to 2
hectares. Its ambit was later expanded to cover all
farmer families in the country irrespective of the
size of their land holdings.
• Beneficiaries:  The entire responsibility of identi-
fication of beneficiaries rests with the State / UT
Governments.
• Exclusions:  Affluent farmers have been excluded
from the scheme such as Income Taxpayers in last
assessment year, professionals like Doctors, Engi-
neers, Lawyers, Chartered Accountants etc. and
pensioners drawing at least Rs.10,000/- per month
(excluding MTS/Class IV/Group D employees).
• Special Provisions:  Special provisions have also
been made for the North-Eastern States where
land ownership rights are community based, Forest
Dwellers and Jharkhand which does not have up-
dated land records and restrictions on transfer of
land.
Other Similar programmes by States:
• Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income
augmentation (KALIA)- Odisha
Each family will get Rs 5,000 separately in the kharif
and rabi seasons irrespective of the amount of land.
• The Rythu Bandhu scheme- Telangana.
In this scheme the government will provide Rs.4000
per acre per farmer per season  to cover the input
costs  associated in farming like seeds, fertilizers,
labour etc.
PM SWASTHYA SURAKSHA YOJANA
Context:
• The Central government has approved setting up 22
new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
so far under  Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha
Yojana (PMSSY)  out of which six are already fully
functional.
About PMSSY:
• Nodal Ministry:  The scheme was announced in
2003 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Objective:  To correct regional imbalances in the
availability of affordable/reliable tertiary health-
care services. Moreover, it will also augment facil-
ities for quality medical education in the country.
• Components: The scheme has two components:
» Setting up of new AIIMS-like Institutions and
» Up-gradation of existing Government Medical Col-
leges /Institutions in a phased manner.
Total AIIMS established: Total of 22 new AIIMS have
been announced so far under this component: -
• 6 AIIMS are already functional at Bhopal, Bhu-
baneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur, and Rishikesh.
• 16 more AIIMS are approved by the Cabinet. Among
them, 7 AIIMS, have started OPD facility and MBBS
classes while in 5 AIIMS only MBBS classes have
started.
Significance of the Scheme:
• Setting up new AIIMS would not only transform
health education and training. It will also address
the shortfall of health care professionals in the re-
gion.
• Further, their contribution becomes significant be-
cause they will serve areas where the health infra-
structure is weak.
COMMUNITY BASED INCLUSIVE DEVEL-
OPMENT (CBID) PROGRAM
Context: -
• Recently, CBID Program was launched by the Union
Ministry of Social Justice.
Features:
• Objective: - To create a pool of grass-root rehabil-
itation workers at community level  who can work
alongside Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA)
and Anganwadi workers to handle cross disability
issues and facilitate inclusion of persons with dis-
abilities in the society.
• Divyang Mitra: - The program has been designed
to provide competency-based knowledge and skills
among these workers to enhance their ability for
successfully discharging their duties. These work-
ers will be called ‘Divyang Mitra’ i.e. friends of per-
Current Times | 29
 sons with disabilities.
• The National Board of Examination in Rehabilita-
tion under the Rehabilitation Council of India will
conduct examinations and award certificates to
pass-out candidates.
Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI)
• It was set up as a registered society in 1986. In
1992, the Rehabilitation Council of India Act was
enacted by Parliament, and it became a Statuto-
ry Body in 1993.
• Mandate:
» To develop, standardize and regulate training
programmes/ courses at various levels in the
field of Rehabilitation and Special Education.
» To maintain the Central Rehabilitation Register
for qualified Professionals/ Personnel and pro-
mote Research in Special Education.
» It will also take punitive action against unquali-
fied persons delivering services to persons with
disability.
PANDIT DEENDAYAL UPADHYAY NATION-
AL WELFARE FUND FOR SPORTSPER-
SONS
Context:
• The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS) has
approved an amount of Rs 2 Lakh for Karnataka’s V
Tejaswini Bai.
About the Fund:
• Set up in March 1982 with a view to assisting out-
standing Sportspersons of yesteryear, living in in-
digent circumstances who had brought glory to the
Country in sports.
• The scheme was revised in May 2016 to provide
for lump sum ex-gratia assistance to outstanding
Sportspersons of yesteryears.
• Provision of pension has been done away with  as
there is already a Scheme of Pension for Meritori-
ous Sportspersons.
ISLANDERS SEEK WITHDRAWAL OF LAND
NORMS IN LAKSHADWEEP
Context:
• Lakshadweep  Administrator Praful Khoda Patel
is facing opposition from the people of the union
30 I Current Times
territory and politicians — both from within Lak-
shadweep and neighbouring Kerala — over policies
introduced by him since his appointment in De-
cember 2020.
Regulations include:
• The  Draft Lakshadweep Development Authority
Regulation 2021 (LDAR) — which gives the adminis-
trator powers to remove or relocate islanders from
their property, for town planning or any develop-
mental activity.
• The Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA),
introduced in January 2021, under which a person
can be detained without any public disclosure for a
period of up to one year.
• The draft panchayat notification, where a member
with more than two children is disqualified from
being a member.
Concerns related to it:
Real Estate Interests:
• People suspect that this might have been issued at
the behest of ‘real estate interests’ seeking to
usurp the small holdings of property owned by the
islanders, a majority of them (94.8% as per the 2011
census) belonging to the Scheduled Tribes (ST).
• Proposals to bring  real estate development con-
cepts such as ‘transferable development rights’ to
the island have raised people's fear of forced migra-
tion en masse.
• Forcible Relocation & Eviction:
It vests such powers with the authority that it can
prepare comprehensive development plans for any
area and relocate people regardless of their will.
• It provides for forcible eviction, puts the onus on
the owner  to develop his holding as per the plan
prepared by the authority as also to heavily penal-
ise them in the event of non-compliance.
Destruction of Culture:
• The island community is a  close-knit group with
families living in close proximity.  The regulation
will destroy the way of life practised by them for
generations.
Ecological Concerns:
• It  is  neither ecologically sustainable nor socially
viable and the  people’s representatives were not
consulted before drafting it.
About Lakshadweep
• India’s smallest Union Territory, Lakshadweep
 is an archipelago consisting of 36 islands with an
area of 32 sq km.
• It is directly under the control of the Centre
through an administrator.
• There are three main group of islands:
» Amindivi Islands
» Laccadive Islands
» Minicoy Island.
• Amindivi Islands are the northernmost while
Minicoy Island is the southernmost.
• All are tiny islands of coral origin (Atoll) and are
surrounded by fringing reefs.
• The Capital is Kavaratti and it is also the princi-
pal town of the UT.
• Pitti island, which is uninhabited, has a bird
sanctuary.
Population:
• More than 93% of the population who are indig-
enous, are Muslims and majority of them belong
to the Shafi School of the Sunni Sect.
• Malayalam is spoken in all the islands except
Minicoy where people speak Mahl which is writ-
ten in Divehi script and is spoken in Maldives
also.
• The entire indigenous population has been
classified as Scheduled Tribes because of their
economic and social backwardness. There are
no Scheduled Castes in this Union Territory.
Current Times | 31
32 I Current
38 Times
Articulate
PANDEMIC IMPACT: NECESSARY TO STOP » Expansion of  one-nation, one-ration-card
scheme to make subsidized grains available at plac-
REVERSE MIGRATION
Context:
• As the various governments expanding the lock-
down restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19,
a  crisis of reverse migration  of labors from manu-
facturing centers like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore,
Chennai etc. to native places has appeared once
again.
Impacts of Reverse Migration:
• Reducing the demand in local economy especially
for FMCG products: Migrant workers are typical-
ly hand-to-mouth consumers, earning subsistence
living  and spending a large part of their income in
the local economy.
• Forward and backward linkages to the formal sec-
tor will be weakened.
• Stops the remuneration flow to the native state
and create the problem of employability of returned
migrant workers.
• They are  stigmatised as the ‘carriers’ of the dis-
ease.
• Labour shortages: When economic activities be-
gan to pick up last year, this led to labour shortag-
es  in important sectors like manufacturing (espe-
cially  labour-intensive sectors  such as footwear,
textiles, etc), mining, retail and trade and hospital-
ity, which have high dependence on migrant work-
ers.
• Small and medium sized enterprises were hit badly,
given their increased dependence on migrant la-
bour.
Meaning of Migration
• The International Organization for Migration
defines a migrant as any person who is moving
or has moved across an international border or
within a state away from his/her habitual place
of residence.
Meaning of Reverse Migration
• Reverse migration is situation in which migrant
person wants move back to his own city or vil-
lage from where he belong. In the outbreak of
covid 19 , migrant workers are all set to return
hometown because they are with no work to do
in lockdown .
Way Forward:
• Government should give the priority to the porta-
bility of entitlements and social safety nets.
es of work in cities and industrial centres.
» Provide free ration to migrant workers from the
government overflowing godowns.
» Financial help under the Garib Kalyan Yojana must
extend to migrants to help them remain in their cit-
ies of their work.
» Migrant workers should put under group medical
insurance.
• Existing government programmes should be
strengthened-
» The scope of employment under MGNREGA should
be expanded to include a wide range of skilled and
unskilled migrants.
» The government should engage returning migrants
in the creation of new agri-value chains. It can gen-
erate sustainable jobs.
• Comprehensive database on migrants  – The gov-
ernment should digitize all data on migrant workers
in order to develop an action plan in the event that
another mass migration occurs.
MAKING SOCIAL WELFARE UNIVERSAL
Context:
• The pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of
India’s  Universal social welfare. The country failed
to provide adequate social welfare services to the
marginalized during the pandemic times. This calls
for focusing on universal social welfare.
Meaning of Universal Social Welfare
• According to the International Labour Organisa-
tion, Social security is the protection that soci-
ety provides to individuals and households:
• To ensure access to health care and to guarantee
income security; particularly in cases of old age,
unemployment, sickness, invalidity, etc.
• Giving such protection to every individual in the
country is called Universal Social Welfare.
Need of Universal Social Welfare (USW)
Vulnerability of masses:
• It has pushed an estimated 75 million people into
poverty.
• The second wave has shown even money is not
enough to access health care services. It has
Current Times | 33
 brought even the middle and upper-class citizens
to their knees.
• Thus, focus just on the lower section of society is
not sufficient. Now, even the middle class is in the
need of government assistance.
Poor performance of Social Welfare schemes:
• The country has over 500 direct benefit transfer
schemes. However, many schemes weren’t able to
get desired benefits during the pandemic.
• The schemes are  fractionalised across various
departments and sub-schemes. This causes prob-
lems in every stage from data collection to last-mile
delivery.
• Further, Pandemic necessitates a program that can
provide assistance at a very fast pace. It should be
provided before people start suffering from starva-
tion and hunger.
• Better results: India’s Pulse Polio Universal Immu-
nisation Program helped it to become polio-free in
2014. This shows the country has the potential to
run universal programs and achieve better results.
Nature of Indian workforce:
• More than 90% of the workforce is in the unorga-
nized sector thereby depriving them of job security,
labour rights, and post-retirement provisions.
• Further, with the advancement of big data, artificial
intelligence, and other new technologies; experts
fear greater job losses in the country.  
Avoiding Inclusion/Exclusion errors:  » The system was introduced in the 19th century to
• Universal system will encompass every individual
and household in the country thereby tackling the
problem of inclusion/exclusion.  » The system was built keeping in mind the future
• For instance, PDS can be linked to a universal iden-
tification card such as the Aadhaar or voter card, in
the absence of a ration card.  promises social insurance, social assistance, uni-
• This would allow anyone who is in need of food
grains to access these schemes especially the mi-
grant populations.
Improved Living Standard:
• Access to education, maternity benefits, disability
benefits, etc. social benefits would ensure a better
standard of living for the people.
Challenges in adopting Universal Social Welfare
• Financial Burden:  Overall public expenditure on
social protection (excluding public healthcare) is
only approx. 1.5% of the GDP, lower than many mid-
dle-income countries across the world. However,
huge sums of money would be required to univer-
salize social welfare.
34 I Current Times
• One Size Approach:  Universal Social Welfare may
be built on a unified approach that may deliver
sub-optimum results. This would happen as polit-
ical economy, labor markets, demographic attri-
butes, and risk profiles vary by location.
• Unequal Degree of Infrastructure across the
country: The idea of USW requires each village to
have decent electricity and optic fibre network for
smooth dissemination of data. 
• However, the Indian Telecom Services Performance
Indicators April – June 2020 shows only 750 million
people have an internet connection out of 1.3 bil-
lion.
• Leakages and Corruption in Governance: India
has slipped to 86th position in Transparency Inter-
national (TI)’s Corruption Perception Index 2020.
A high degree of corruption may result in a higher
cost for USW and the exclusion of genuine benefi-
ciaries. 
Way Forward:
• Mapping of the Schemes: The government
should  map the State and Central schemes  in a
consolidated manner. This would avoid duplication,
inclusion, and exclusion errors in delivering welfare
services.
• Calculate the costs of delivering universal social
services: Post computation, there is a need for ro-
bust steps to arrange the requisite amount.
• Ireland Model: We can learn from successful global
models like Ireland’s Poor Law System.
provide relief to the masses. It was financed by local
property taxes. 
economic crisis and dignity of the masses.
» It has now evolved into a four-fold apparatus. It
versal schemes, and extra benefits/supplements.
• Data Digitisation: There must be a  focus on data
digitization, data-driven decision-making, and col-
laboration across government departments. This
would improve the implementation potential.
• Focus on Decentralisation: Universal social pro-
tection architecture should give respect to decen-
tralization. Under this, the higher-level government
should allow local governments to design, plan and
deliver a core basket of benefits within a nationally
defined policy framework and budget.
Conclusion:
• India should provide social welfare services to every
citizen as a responsible welfare state. This would be
in line with the Directive Principles of State Policies
 and help in the attainment of the UN’s sustainable
development goals by 2030.
HOW TO MEASURE UNPAID CARE WORK
AND ADDRESS ITS INEQUALITIES
Context:
• Recent election manifestos had promised various
forms of payment to homemakers, thus putting
the spotlight on the unpaid domestic work done by
women.
Meaning of unpaid care work:
• According to the OECD, it refers to all unpaid
services provided within a household for its
members, including care of persons, housework
and voluntary community work. These activities
are considered work because theoretically one
could pay a third person to perform them.
What is the issue now?
• Standard measures of economic activity do not
take into account a large portion of this work, much
of which is done by women and girls.
• McKinsey estimates that women do 75% of the
world’s total unpaid care work.
• The economic contribution of women is 17% of In-
dia’s GDP — less than half the global average.
• This inequality has a direct correlation with partic-
ipation in the formal economy.
Implications for India:
• Reduced rank in Global Gender Gap Report 2021:-
India has slipped 28 places to rank 140th among 156
countries in  the World Economic Forum’s Global
Gender Gap Report 2021.
• Decrease in women’s labour force participation
rate, which fell from 24.8 per cent to 22.3 per cent.
• Earned income of women in India is only one-fifth
of men’s, which puts the country among the bot-
tom 10 globally on this indicator.
Challenges in Compensating Unpaid Work:
• Implementation Issue:  The  Economic Survey
2019 recognizes this unpaid work, is a positive de-
velopment. However, its implementation may cre-
ate problems such as the affordability of the gov-
ernment and calculation of the amounts.
• Endorsing Norm of Women’s Work: Paying mone-
tary benefits carries with it the possible danger of
formally endorsing the social norm that domestic
and care work is ‘women’s work’, for which they are
being paid.
• Master-Servant Relationship:  The term salary,
wage, or compensation is indeed problematic as it
indicates an employer-employee relationship, i.e.,
a relationship of subordination with the employer
having disciplinary control over the employee.
Way Forward:
• Policies should address the rising need for care and
tackle the huge disparity between women’s and
men’s care responsibilities.
• Evidence based decision: More data will make
more unpaid care work visible and help frame tar-
geted policies and enable better monitoring of the
impact of policies and investments.
• Reduce unpaid care work by investment in phys-
ical infrastructure like clean water and sanitation,
energy, and public transport, and in social infra-
structure such as care and health services and ed-
ucation.
• Redistribution of care work between men and
women, and between families and the state will en-
courage positive social norms and economic devel-
opment.
ONE HEALTH APPROACH THAT TARGETS
PEOPLE AND ANIMALS
Context:
• Covid-19 has once again shown the degree of chaos
that can be spread by zoonotic diseases. This gives
India an opportunity to work on the One Health ap-
proach.
Meaning of One Health Approach:
• It is a collaborative, multisectoral, coordinated,
and transdisciplinary approach. It recognizes
the interconnection between people, animals,
and the environment. It calls for working at the
local, regional, national, and global levels with
the goal of achieving optimal health outcomes.
Need for focusing on ‘One Health’:
• High Prevalence of Zoonotic Diseases: More than
two-thirds of existing and emerging infectious dis-
eases are zoonotic. Experts believe that there are
more than 1.7 million viruses circulating in wildlife,
and many of them are likely to be zoonotic.
» It is an infectious disease that jumps from animal
to humans.
Current Times | 35
» Anthropozoonotic infections get transferred from
humans to animals.
• Transboundary impact: The transboundary impact
of viral outbreaks such as the Nipah virus, Ebola,
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), etc.
were alarming for the world. It has made it impera-
tive for the world to focus on one health.
• Huge Economic Cost: Zoonotic diseases place a
heavy burden on the economy of countries.  
» For instance, the WHO estimates that rabies (also
a zoonotic disease) costs the global economy ap-
proximately $6 billion annually. 
Way Forward:
• Consolidating Disease Surveillance:  There is a
need for consolidating existing animal health and
disease surveillance systems — e.g., the Informa-
tion Network for Animal Productivity and Health,
and the National Animal Disease Reporting System.
• Developing Guidelines:  Developing best-practice
guidelines for informal market and slaughterhouse
operation (e.g., inspections, disease prevalence
assessments), and creating mechanisms to oper-
ationalise ‘One Health’ at every stage down to the
village level.
• Holistic Collaboration:  One Health initiatives, by
their multidisciplinary nature, entail working across
ministries and navigating tacit institutional hierar-
chies and allocating leadership roles.
» Therefore, One Health consortia requires the coop-
eration and active engagement of individuals, com-
munities and society are needed.
» Further, there is a need to cultivate champions in
different sectors who can agree on common objec-
tives. This will promote innovation, adaptation and
flexibility in terms of political, financial and admin-
istrative accountability.
• Establishing Institutional Mechanism:  There are
already several cross-cutting efforts operating in
India to develop protocols for a database of re-
search into zoonotic diseases.
» However, there is no single agency or framework
that embraces all interdisciplinary sectorial players
under a single umbrella to carry forward the ‘One
Health’ agenda.
» Thus, a proper institutional mechanism must be set
up to implement One Health concept.
AT THE STATE’S MERCY: RINGING THE
COVID ALARM IN DELHI’S PRISONS
• In April alone, according to news reports, 115 posi-
tive cases have been reported among jail staff and
36 I Current Times
284 among inmates, of which over 253 are active
cases. 
Challenges in decongesting prisons:
• Unwillingness of Prisoners:  Some prisoners feel
more safe and secure in prisons. They are unwilling
to leave the premises at a time of critical shortages
in hospital infrastructure and greater difficulties in
finding work.
• Reluctance of Criminal Justice system: The system
failed to adjust as per the circumstances of pan-
demic.
» There were a high number of arrests by police
during lockdown months.
» Similarly, reduced functioning of courts delayed
trials and enhanced pressure on prisons. 
» Further, bails were granted based on regular bail
jurisprudence. This focuses on individual prisoners
and not overall prison conditions. 
• Inadequate Data: There is a dearth of data on the
current prevalence of infection in jails. Effective
decongesting is possible only when the govern-
ment knows the degree of infection spread in jails.
• Lack of Priority: The authorities have shown very
less concern towards the health and safety of pris-
oners.  
» The last assessment of oxygen concentrators and
other medical equipment within jails happened in
January 2021.
» The higher courts have not acted on petitions de-
manding the safety of prisoners in jails.
Way Forward:
• The government must take robust steps for decon-
gestion. This includes setting up temporary pris-
ons, relaxing criteria for releasing prisoners, etc.
• The government should restrict the interaction of
inmates with jail staff. As it is believed that asymp-
tomatic jail officials may have contributed to the
spread of the virus.
• Further, the government must release data on the
prevalence of testing, infection, and vaccination in
jails periodically. This will improve public monitor-
ing.
• To conclude, we can say that the above steps will
help in safeguarding the fundamental right to life of
prisoners.
FCRA AMENDMENTS CRIPPLING OUR
WORK, SAY NGOS
Context:
• An NGO has now moved the Delhi High Court seek-
ing exemption from the Union Home Ministry’s
March 31 deadline to open an FCRA account with
the SBI branch in New Delhi.
What is the issue?
• The amendments to the Foreign Contribution Reg-
ulation Act (FCRA) enacted in 2020 made it  com-
pulsory for NGOs to open a bank account in Delhi.
• It has crippled the work of many organisations that
are unable to receive foreign funds.
• These new regulations are hampering charitable
work during the pandemic.
About FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation
Act):
• Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act is an act
of Parliament enacted in 1976 and amended in
2010 to regulate foreign donations. It aimed to
ensure that such contributions do not adversely
affect internal security.
• Coverage: It is applicable to all associations,
groups, and NGOs which intend to receive for-
eign donations.
• Registration: An FCRA registration is mandatory
for NGOs to receive foreign funds.
• Purpose: Registered NGOs can receive foreign
contributions for five purposes — social, educa-
tional, religious, economic, and cultural.
Concerns associated with the recent amendments
• Over-regulation of NGO: New regulations put ex-
cessive conditions on civil society organizations,
and educational and research institutions that
have partnerships with foreign entities.
• Lack of Consensus: The amendments were not dis-
cussed with the stakeholder and passed with limit-
ed discussion in Parliament.
• Against Constitutional rights:  According to the
International Commission of Jurists, the new law
is incompatible with international obligations and
India’s own constitutional provisions on rights.
• Incompatible with international laws: The United
Nations Human Rights Council resolution on pro-
tecting human rights defenders says that no law
should criminalize or delegitimize activities in de-
fense of human rights on account of the origin of
funding.
• Discourage social work: Thousands of NGOs serve
extremely disadvantaged sections. Only presump-
tion of guilt against them all, followed by control,
restricts their scope of voluntary actions.
• Selective barriers: The over-regulation appears to
be towards selected categories of global ideas and
ideals such as environmentalism, human rights,
and civil liberties.
• Reduce investments and technology flow: As a
growing economy, India has been proactive in seek-
ing global capital and technology. Strict rules gov-
erning FCRA will impact investments.
• Against Indian cultural ethos: Prime Minister has
often cited the ancient Indian ethos of Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam as the framework for its global en-
gagement. New rules do not go well with India’s le-
gitimate ambitions to be a global player.
• Additional cost of compliance: Every FCRA-regis-
tered NGO will have to open an FCRA-marked bank
account with a designated branch of State Bank of
India in New Delhi. Around 93% of FCRA NGOs are
registered outside Delhi, and will now have to open
a bank account in the capital.
• Lowering the cap on administrative expenses: The
micro-management and cost structures vary from
project to project. It is difficult for NGOs whose
work revolves around advocacy rather than proj-
ects. In 2018-19, there were 1,328 NGOs whose ad-
ministrative expenses exceeded 20% of their total
foreign funds.
Way forward
• Delink religious propagation and conversions from
the question of foreign funding.
• There are adequate laws against conversion by in-
ducement. It cannot be decided against the touch-
stone of the source of funds, native or foreign.
• Seamless sharing of ideas and resources across na-
tional boundaries is essential to the functioning of
a global community.
• The government must commit itself to the ancient
Indian ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam as the
framework for its global engagement and should
not be hostile against the NGOs who criticize the
government for their work.
ADOPTION PLEAS FOR COVID-19 OR-
PHANS ARE ILLEGAL, DETRIMENTAL:
EXPERTS
Context:
• Social media posts appealing for adoption of chil-
dren orphaned during COVID-19 are illegal, warn
experts.
About Juvenile Justice Act:
• Aim: To comprehensively address children in con-
Current Times | 37
 flict with law and children in need of care and pro-
tection.
• It mandates setting up Juvenile Justice Boards and
Child Welfare Committees  in every district. Both
must have at least one-woman member each.
• Also,  the Central Adoption Resource Authority
(CARA) was granted the status of a statutory body
to enable it to perform its function more effective-
ly.
• The Act included several new offences committed
against children (like, illegal adoptions, use of child
by militant groups, offences against disabled chil-
dren, etc) which are not adequately covered under
any other law.
• All Child Care Institutions, whether run by State
Government or by voluntary or non-governmental
organisations are to be mandatorily registered un-
der the Act within 6 months from the date of com-
mencement of the Act.
Constitutional Protection to Children:
• Article 21: The Supreme Court has held that the
right to live is not merely a physical right but in-
cludes within its ambit the right to live with hu-
man dignity.
• Article 23: Prohibition of traffic in human beings
and forced labour.
• Article 24: No child below the age of fourteen
years shall be employed to work in any factory
or mine or engaged in any other hazardous em-
ployment.
• Article 39: It provides certain principles of poli-
cy to be followed by the State towards securing:
» (e) that the health and strength of workers, men
and women, and the tender age of children are
not abused and that citizens are not forced by
economic necessity to enter avocations unsuit-
ed to their age or strength;
» (f) that children are given opportunities and
facilities to develop in a healthy manner and
in conditions of freedom and dignity and that
childhood and youth are protected against ex-
ploitation and against moral and material aban-
donment.
• Article 45: Duty of state to provide early child-
hood care, 0-6 age group
What is the procedure to be followed with children
who have been orphaned?
• If someone has information about a child in need of
care, then they must contact one of the four agen-
cies: Childline 1098, or the district Child Welfare
38 I Current Times
Committee (CWC), District Child Protection Officer
(DCPO) or the helpline of the State Commission for
Protection of Child Rights.
• Following this, the CWC will assess the child and
place him or her in the immediate care of a Special-
ised Adoption Agency.
• When there is a child without a family, the State be-
comes the guardian.
Way forward:
• CARA must  conduct an outreach programme  on
social media, newspapers and TV, warning every-
one not to entertain any illegal adoption offers un-
der any circumstances whatsoever.
• The  National and State Commissions for Protec-
tion of Child Rights must step up their roles as vig-
ilantes.
• Social activists, NGOs and enlightened individuals
must report all the incidents that come to their no-
tice.
• Respective State Legal Services Authorities have
the infrastructure and machinery to stamp out
such unlawful practices brought to their attention.
• The media must publicize and shame all those in-
volved in this disreputable occupation.
• At the same time, the police authorities need to be
extra vigilant in apprehending criminals.
Conclusion:
• Tough times call for tough measures. This business
of criminal trading of children must be checked
with an iron hand.
THE FAULT LINE OF POOR HEALTH INFRA-
STRUCTURE
Context:
• The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has
exposed the abysmally poor state of the country’s
health infrastructure.
Current state of India’s health infrastructure
As per the World bank Data:
• India had 85.7 physicians per 1,00,000 people in
2017 (in contrast to 98 in Pakistan, 100 in Sri Lanka
and 241 in Japan).
• 53 beds per 1,00,000 people (in contrast to 63 in Pa-
kistan, 79.5 in Bangladesh, 415 in Sri Lanka and 1,298
in Japan).
• 172.7 nurses and midwives per 1,00,000 people (in
contrast to 220 in Sri Lanka, 40 in Bangladesh, 70 in
 Pakistan, and 1,220 in Japan).
• Highest Out of Pocket expenditure:-India has
among the highest out-of-pocket (OOP) expendi-
tures of all countries in the world- 62% of the total
health expenditure in India is OOP.
Reasons for Poor Health Infrastructure:
• Low public health expenditure-India spent just 1%
of GDP 2013-14 and 1.28% in 2017-18 (including ex-
penditure by the Centre, all States and Union Terri-
tories) on public health.
• Centralisation of Public Health Management: -
Centre is the key player in public health manage-
ment because the main bodies with technical ex-
pertise are under central control. The States lack
corresponding expert bodies such as the National
Centre for Disease Control or the Indian Council of
Medical Research.
Inter-State variation in per capita health-care expen-
diture (between 2010-11 to 2019-20):
• Kerala and Delhi have been close to the top in all
the years.
• Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh have been con-
sistently towards the bottom of the ranking in all
years.
• Odisha is noteworthy as it had the same per capi-
ta health expenditure as Uttar Pradesh in 2010, but
now has more than double that of Uttar Pradesh.
Way Forward:
• National Plan:-A coordinated national plan at the
central level to fight the pandemic.
• The central government should handle the respon-
sibilities including that of procuring vaccines from
the international market.
• Once the vaccines arrive in India, these could be
distributed across States equitably in a needs-
based and transparent manner.
A COLLAGE OF LAWS THAT LEAVES THE
WORKER OUT IN COLD
Context:
• A COVID 19 destroyed the lives and livelihood of the
workers from informal sector.
Introduction:
• Informal workers constitute 91% of the workforce.
The Pandemic had pushed them into severe pover-
ty and debt burden due to loss of livelihoods.Social
security arrangements could have saved them from
the misery such as
» Free basic curative care in public clinics and hos-
pitals,
» Disability insurance or life insurance,
» Minimum income guarantee
• Even the social security code 2020 passed in par-
liament in September 2020 is short of providing
universal social security for informal workers.
Issues in Social security code 2020:
• Only merger of existing codes:
» It is just a merger of existing social security laws
and does little to provide universal social security
for informal workers.
» Even in the new scheme the employee’s provident
fund, employees state insurance (ESI), maternity
benefit, gratuity  remain only for organised sector
workers.
» Only a subtle change has been done to include in-
formal workers within the ambit of social security
administration. For example,
» In  employees’ state insurance,  the existing em-
ployee threshold has been withdrawn. Now the
central government can extend ESI benefits to any
organisation irrespective of the number of workers
employed.
• Lack of Efforts to resolve the existing efforts:
» The legal framework, as proposed in the Code and
Rules, implies that the basic onus lies on informal
workers registering as beneficiaries. It makes regis-
tration a prerequisite for universal coverage to avail
social security.
» However, it has failed to understand the underlying
problem faced by the informal workers while mak-
ing registration.
» Informal workers lack digital literacy and connec-
tivity. Hence, providing them the option for Online
registration will make the social security scheme a
failure.
» Most informal workers are footloose casual work-
ers (26% of all workers) and self-employed (46% of
all). This makes it difficult for them to furnish all
documentary papers required as part of the regis-
tration process.
• No inter-state arrangements: -
» Unorganised workers are spread across the length
and breadth of India. However, the code does not
address the need for inter-State arrangements and
cooperation for providing social security net.
• No provision of Universal maternity benefits.
» The Social Security Code maintains that the  Em-
ployees’ Provident Fund Scheme will remain appli-
Current Times | 39
 cable, as before, to every establishment in which 20
or more employees are employed.
• Thus, for informal sector workers, access to em-
ployees’ provident fund remains unfulfilled in the
new code.
• Although payment of gratuity was expanded in the
new Code, it remains inaccessible for a vast major-
ity of informal workers.
The code fails to recognise that  India is ageing with-
out social security. The demographic dividend of the
young workforce that could support the ageing will also
end in 15 years. Hence, it’s a priority for India to insti-
tutionalize a Universal social security arrangement for
all including the informal workforce by removing the
above-mentioned challenges.
INDIA’S TECHNOCRATIC APPROACH TO
VACCINATION IS EXCLUDING THE DIGI-
TALLY-DEPRIVED
Context:
• The current technocratic-based  vaccination
drive in India excludes the digitally illiterate popu-
lation of the country. It is leading to substantial bi-
ases and inequality.
Introduction:
• The GOI launched CoWin portal to digitize the vac-
cination drive and made online registration manda-
tory for vaccination booking.
• The approach has resulted in a digital divide among
the rural population. Moreover, it also brought sev-
eral other issues, such as vaccine exclusion and
lack of privacy, with it.
Concerns related to the current technocratic based
vaccination drive:
• Lack of technical literacy  –With no internet ac-
cess and understanding of CoWin portal functions,
the majority of India’s rural population is left out of
COVID vaccination efforts.
• Digital divide- Only 34.60 percent of the rural pop-
ulation has access to the internet.
• Lesser registration through CoWin portal-  Ac-
cording to CoWin data, only 2,52,96,511 of the
14,42,10,652 vaccine registrations [for 45-plus age
group] were done through CoWin.
• The COWIN portal ignores data protection and
cybersecurity- The CoWin website lacks a privacy
policy, putting medical healthcare data at risk of
disclosure through third-party providers.
The CoWin website is contrary to the Supreme
40 I Current Times
Court’s right to privacy judgment.
• Use of Facial recognition technologies (FRT) also
poses a threat to privacy – The CEO of the National
Health Authority said that Aadhaar-based FRT will
soon replace biometric fingerprint or iris scan ma-
chines at Covid-19 vaccination centres.
• The FRT will increase the risk of exclusion and dis-
criminatory outcomes. Moreover, FRT is not an ac-
curate mode of identification, thus affecting the
proper dispensation of the shots.
The technocratic approach is prioritizing data collec-
tion and efficiency over vaccine equity. It disregards
the experience of public healthcare and digital rights
experts. The present deployment of CoWin, is under-
mining the right to health, instead of augmenting it.
LEND A HELPING HAND TO CHILDREN
THE RIGHT WAY
Context:
• Second wave of the pandemic has taken the lives of
many young mothers and fathers. It has left many
children orphaned and vulnerable.
Available options to help orphaned children:
• Toll free Childline number 1098: It is maintained by
the Childline India Foundation, Ministry of Women
and Child Development act as nodal agency.
• Informing the concerned  District protection offi-
cer. 
• His Contact details can be found on the  National
Tracking System for Missing and Vulnerable Chil-
dren portal. 
• One can approach the nearest police station, or its
child welfare police officer. Such officers are spe-
cially trained to exclusively deal with children, ei-
ther victims or juveniles.
• Calling the  Emergency Response Support Sys-
tem  (ERSS). It is a pan-India single number (112)
based emergency response system for citizens in
emergencies.
State support for children who are in need of care:
• Child Welfare Committee (CWC):-Once an out-
reach agency recovers an orphaned child, it needs to
produce the child within 24 hours before the Child
Welfare Committee (CWC) of the district.
• The CWC, after an inquiry, decides whether to send
the child to the child’s home or rather should it
send it to a fit facility or a fit person.
• If the child is below six years, he or she shall be
placed in a specialized adoption agency.
• It is the duty of the state to take care of all such
children who are in need of care and protection, till
they turn 18 years.
• Once a child is declared legally free for adoption by
the CWC, adoption can be done either by Indian
prospective adoptive parents or non-resident Indi-
ans or foreigners.
The safeguards provided for orphaned children by
the state:
• An orphan child kept by an unlawful authority is
punishable. According to the  Hindu Minority and
Guardianship Act, 1956, the father, and in his ab-
sence the mother, is the natural guardian. Not even
a close relative is allowed to look after the child
without authorization.
• In  Sampurna Behrua vs Union of India  (2018), the
Supreme Court of India directed States and Union
Territories to ensure that all childcare institutions
are to be registered.
• Hence, according to The Juvenile Justice Act,  an
NGO, which is not registered, cannot house chil-
dren in need of care and protection.
• The  Supreme Court in  Bachpan Bachao Andolan
vs Union of India directed all Directors General of
Police, to register a first information report as a
case of trafficking or abduction in every case of a
missing child.
• Further, it mandated at least one police officer not
below the rank of assistant sub-inspector in each
police station to undergo training. So that they can
deal with children in conflict with the law and in
need of care and protection.
• Special juvenile police unit: - Each district should
have its special juvenile police unit, headed by an
officer, not below the rank of a DSP.
• The  National Commission for Protection of Child
Rights  requested the state to intimate about any
information received about any, abandoned or or-
phaned child to it by email or over the telephone.
Children are an important national asset. Their wellbe-
ing is directly related to the growth of the nation. Also,
DPSP (Article 39) of the Constitution prohibits children
from being abused. Hence, it is the duty of the state to
provided necessities to the children in need of care.
IT IS GETTING FROM BAD TO WORSE FOR
WOMEN WORKERS
Context:
• The burden on Women during the Pandemic in-
creased disproportionately due to Societal norms,
a male-dominated job market, and a lack of gen-
der-sensitive policy making. This article provides a
solution to address these issues.
Introduction:
• Gender inequality in terms of employment is high
in India. For instance, only 18% of working-age wom-
en were employed as compared to 75% of men.
• Lack of good jobs,  restrictive social norms, and
the burden of household work are the main reasons
for this widening Gender divide in employment.
• After the Pandemic, the  Gender gap in employ-
ment  has further widened. Women workers have
borne a disproportionate burden.
About labour force participation of women in In-
dia:
• According to the International Labour Organisa-
tion’s (ILO) Report, 2019, 1.3 billion women were
in work in 2018 as compared to 2 billion men– a
less than 2% improvement in last 27 years.The
report highlighted that women are paid 20%
lower than men, as a global average.
• Women remain underrepresented at the top, a
situation that has changed very little in the last
30 years. Less than one-third of managers are
women.
• The female labor force participation rate (FLF-
PR) in India has been one of the lowest among
the emerging economies and has been falling
over time. This has resulted in a decrease in
the ratio of working females to the population
of females in the working age group.The FLFPR
in India fell from 31.2% in 2012 to 23.3% in 2018.
Further, the FLFPR for rural areas has declined
by more than 11% in 2018.
• In rural areas, not only are women withdrawing
from the labor force, they are also being outcom-
peted by men in the existing jobs. This situation
necessitates a deeper understanding of issues
that hinder female labor force participation.
Factors are affecting Women’s participation in la-
bour market:
The data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Econo-
my has revealed the following.
• Job security for men is high: 61% of male workers
were unaffected during the lockdown while only
19% of women experienced this kind of security.
• Male-dominated work culture: 47% of employed
women who had lost jobs during the lockdown, had
not returned to work whereas it was only 7%, in the
case of Men.
• Despite the nature of Industry, Women lost a great-
er number of Jobs compared to Men. For instance,
in the education and Health industry.
Current Times | 41
• More fallback options for men: Between 2019-
2020, 33% of formal salaried men moved into
self-employment and 9% into daily wage work. In
contrast, only 4% and 3% of formal salaried women
moved into self-employment and daily wage work.
• Burden of care: This is one of the major reasons for
poor employment recovery among Women.
• During the lockdown, women’s domestic work in-
creased manifold. According to the  India Working
Survey 2020,  among employed men, the number
of hours spent on paid work remained unchanged
after the pandemic.
• But for women, the number of hours spent in do-
mestic work increased manifold. This increase in
hours came without any accompanying relief in the
hours spent on paid work.
Way Forward:
• Increase employment opportunities.  The state
can do it by following ways:
» Expanding the  Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)
» Introduction of an urban employment guarantee
targeted towards women.
42 I Current Times
» Setting up of community kitchens.
» Prioritizing the opening of schools and Anganwadi
centers
» Engagement with self-help groups for the produc-
tion of personal protective equipment kits
• Direct income support:   A COVID-19 hardship al-
lowance of ₹5,000 per month for six months can be
announced for 2.5 million accredited social health
activists  and Anganwadi workers, most of whom
are women.
• Policy support to address issues related to Wom-
en workforce.
» The National Employment Policy  should system-
atically address the issues related to the availability
of work and household responsibilities.
» Envisioning  universal basic services Programme.
It not only fills existing vacancies in the social sec-
tor but also expands public investments in health,
education, child and elderly care.
» It can also alleviate Women’s problems such as
nutritional and educational deficits and domestic
work burdens.
 Economy
Current Times | 49
43
RBI EXTENDS WAYS AND MEANS CREDIT
FOR STATES, UTS TO SEPTEMBER
Context:
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to con-
tinue with the existing interim  Ways and Means
Advances (WMA)  scheme limit of Rs. 51,560 crore
for all States/UTs up to September 2021, given the
prevalence of Covid-19.
Ways and Means Advances:
• Launch: The WMA scheme was introduced in 1997.
• Objective: To meet mismatches in the receipts and
payments of the government.
• Features:
» The  government can avail immediate cash from
the RBI, if required. But it has to return the amount
within 90 days. Interest is charged at the exist-
ing repo rate.
» Section  17(5) of the RBI Act, 1934  authorises the
central bank to lend to the Centre and state gov-
ernments subject to their being repayable “not lat-
er than three months from the date of the making
of the advance”.
» Definition of Repo Rate: Repo Rate is basically
the  rate at which RBI lends short-term money to
banks.
» Overdraft: If the WMA  exceeds 90 days,  it would
be  treated as an overdraft  (the  interest rate on
overdrafts is 2 percentage points more  than the
repo rate).
» The limits for WMA (for Centre) are decided by the
government and RBI mutually and revised periodi-
cally.
» A higher limit provides the government flexibility to
raise funds from RBI without borrowing them from
the market.
» If the WMA is extended for more than 90 days, it
will be treated as an overdraft.
Overdraft:
When the WMA limit is crossed, the government can
avail funds through the overdraft facility. Overdrafts are
not allowed beyond 10 consecutive working days. The
interest rate on overdrafts would be 2 percent more
than the repo rate.
Types of WMA:
(a) Special Drawing Facility or Special WMA and
(b) Normal WMA and
The interest rate on SDF and WMA will be linked with
the Repo rate of the RBI.
44 I Current Times
(a) Special Drawing Facility (SDF)
• The SDF is available before availing of WMA.
• SDF is extended against the collateral (mortgaging)
of the government securities held by the State Gov-
ernment. The SDF facility is linked to the quantity
of investments of the concerned state government
in the Government of India securities including
Auctioned Treasury Bills (ATBs).
• Interest rate for SDF is 1% less than the repo rate.
• Another factor that will add to the SDF loan limit
of the state government is the incremental invest-
ment in Consolidated Sinking Fund (CSF) /Guaran-
tee Redemption Fund (GRF).
• If the state is not finding enough money, it can opt
for the normal WMA which has a higher interest
rate.
(b) Normal WMA
• After the exhaustion of the special Drawing Facility
limit, the State Government is provided a normal
WMA. Time period of WMA is 90 days. The amount
of loans under normal WMA are based on three-
year average of actual revenue and capital expen-
diture of the state.
• The rate of interest on WMA is equal to the repo
rate.
• In case WMA outstanding continues for more than
three months from the date of such advance, a
higher interest of Repo rate plus one per cent will
be charged.
GROUNDWATER DEPLETION MAY RE-
DUCE WINTER CROPPING INTENSITY BY
20% IN INDIA
Context:
• In a recent study, it has been found that groundwa-
ter depletion in India could reduce winter cropped
acreage significantly in years ahead.
Findings of the Study:
Related to Groundwater:
• Groundwater is a critical resource for food secu-
rity, accounting for  60% of irrigation supplies in
India,  but unsustainable consumption of ground-
water for irrigation and home use is leading to its
depletion.
• Groundwater depletion in India could result in
a reduction in food crops by up to 20% across the
country and up to 68% in regions projected to have
low future groundwater availability in 2025.
• It is found that 13% of the villages in which farm-
 ers plant a winter crop are located in critically wa-
ter-depleted regions.
• The results suggest that these losses will largely oc-
cur in northwest and central India.
Related to Switching to Canal Irrigation: “AGRICULTURE INFRASTRUCTURE FUND”
• Indian  government has suggested that switching CROSSES RS. 8,000 CRORE MARKS
from groundwater-depletion wells to irrigation
canals is one way to overcome projected shortfalls.
• The irrigation canals divert surface water from
lakes and rivers.
• However, switching to canal irrigation has  limited
adaptation potential at the national scale.
• The study suggests that switch to canal irriga-
tion will not fully compensate for the expected loss
of groundwater in Indian agriculture.
• Further, in comparison to tube well irrigation, canal
irrigation was associated with less winter cropped
area  and cropped area that was more sensitive to
rainfall variability.
Related to Impact on Crop Production:
• Reduction in Cropping Intensity: Even if all regions
that are currently using depleted groundwater for
irrigation will switch to using canal irrigation, crop-
ping intensity may decline by 7% nationally and by
24% in the most severely affected locations.
• It is found that irrigation canals would favour farms
close to canals, leading to unequal access.
• Reductions in Wheat Production: The reductions
in crop area will occur largely in the states that grow
wheat, potentially leading to substantial reductions
in wheat production in the future.
• Food Security:  The low wheat production could
have ramifications for food security given that In-
dia is the second largest producer of wheat globally
and wheat provides approximately 20% of house-
hold calories in India.
Way Forward:
• Irrigation Infrastructure in Eastern India: There are
enough groundwater resources supported with
higher monsoon rainfall in eastern Indian states
like Bihar. But due to lack of enough irrigation infra-
structure, farmers are not able to make use of natu-
ral resources there.
• There is a need for better policies in eastern India
to expand irrigation and thus increase agricultural
productivity.
• This will also release some pressure from north-
western Indian states.
• Water-saving Technologies: Adoption of water-sav-
ing technologies like a sprinkler, drip irrigation.
• Less water-Intensive Crops:  Switching to less wa-
ter-intensive crops in some areas may help use the
limited groundwater resources more effectively.
Context:
• Recently Agriculture Infrastructure Fund has
crossed the Rs. 8000 crore marks after receiving
8,665 applications worth Rs. 8,216 crores.
Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF):
• Nodal Ministry:  It is a Central Sector Scheme
launched by the Department of Agriculture Coop-
eration and Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW).
• Objective
» To provide medium – long term debt financing facil-
ity for investment in viable projects. This includes
post-harvest management Infrastructure and com-
munity farming assets through incentives and fi-
nancial support.
• Funding: Under the scheme, banks and financial in-
stitutions will provide Rs. 1 Lakh Crore as loans to
eligible beneficiaries.
• Eligible Beneficiaries:  Farmers, Farmer Producer
Organizations, Marketing Cooperative Societies,
SHGs, Joint Liability Groups (JLG). The beneficia-
ries also include Agri-entrepreneurs, startups and
Central/State agency or Local Body sponsored
Public-Private Partnership Projects.
• Lending Institutions: Multiple lending institutions
including Commercial Banks, Cooperative Banks,
NCDC, NBFCs etc.
• Duration of the Scheme:  FY2020 to FY2029 (10
years).
• The largest share of the fund has gone to Primary
Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) (58%). This is
followed by Agri-entrepreneurs (24%) and individ-
ual farmers (13%).
• Andhra Pradesh has received the highest amount
of funds. This is followed by Madhya Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh, Karnataka, and Rajasthan.
About Central Sector Scheme
• These schemes are 100% funded by the Central
government.
• Implemented by the Central Government ma-
chinery.
• Formulated on subjects mainly from the Union
Current Times | 45
 List.
• E.g.: Bharatnet, Namami Gange-National Ganga
Plan, etc.
Salient Features of Agriculture Infrastructure Fund:
• Interest Subvention:  Loans will have an interest
subvention of 3% per annum up to a limit of Rs. 2
crores. This subvention will be available for a maxi-
mum period of seven years.
• Credit Guarantee: A credit guarantee coverage will
be available for eligible borrowers from the scheme.
This coverage is provided under Credit Guaran-
tee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises
(CGTMSE) scheme for a loan up to Rs. 2 crores. The
government will pay fee for this credit coverage.
• Project Management Unit to provide handholding
support for projects including project preparation.
• The moratorium for repayment of a loan under this
financing facility may vary subject to a minimum of
6 months and a maximum of 2 years.
• Need-based refinance support will be made avail-
able by NABARD to all eligible lending entities.
RBI JOINS “NETWORK FOR GREENING
THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM”
Context:
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has joined the Network
for Greening the Financial System  (NGFS)  as a
member.
Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS):
• NGFS was launched at the Paris One Planet Sum-
mit in December 2017.
• It is a group of Central banks and financial super-
visors. The NGFS aims to accelerate the scaling up
of green finance and develop recommendations for
central banks’ role in climate change.
• It is located at the Bank of France headquartered in
Paris.
• NGFS consists of 90 members and 13 observers.
• Significance for RBI: As Green Finance has assumed
significance in the context of climate change. So,
the RBI expects to benefit from the membership of
NGFS by learning and contributing to global efforts
on Green Finance.
46 I Current Times
Climate Finance
• Climate Finance refers to local, national, or
transnational financing—drawn from public,
private and alternative sources of financing.
• It seeks to support mitigation and adaptation
actions that will address climate change.
INDIA’S ROAD TO CLEAN ENERGY GOES
VIA NATURAL GAS
Context:
• Recently, many think tanks, climate negotiators,
corporates and environmental NGOs in India are
currently contemplating on the concept of “net
zero carbon emissions” and the appropriate target
year for achieving it.
Natural Gas
• Natural gas is found with petroleum deposits
and is released when crude oil is brought to the
surface. It can be used as a domestic and indus-
trial fuel.
• In India, Jaisalmer, Krishna Godavari delta, Tri-
pura, and some areas offshore in Mumbai have
natural gas resources.
• Versatility & Abundance: Natural gas has multi-
ple uses, and it is the “greenest” of all fossil fuels.
Also, it is abundantly available in and within the
Indian subcontinent.
• Easy Transition Energy Option: Natural gas is
a feasible prospect because it will not gener-
ate the headwinds due to shutting down of coal
mines.
• Further, it will not require industries to invest
heavily in retrofitting their systems.
» Moreover, it will allow the government to meet
its objective of providing secure and affordable
energy to everyone without degrading the envi-
ronment.
Challenges Associated with the Natural Gas Sector
• Pricing Distortions:  The pricing of natural gas is
based on multiple price formulae.
» There is differential pricing for gas produced from
domestic fields by the public sector companies and
private companies.
» Similarly, differential pricing for production from
deep waters offshore under high temperature etc.
» This creates problems in coming up with competi-
tive pricing.
• Regressive Taxation System:  It is a cascading
structure so that the tax rates increase as the gas
flows from one zone to another.
» This means that customers located at a distance
from the source of gas pay a higher price than those
closer to the source.
» The result is the dampening of demand.
» Moreover, gas is not under GST.
• Conflict-of-interest Situation:  The Gas Authority
of India Ltd (GAIL) is currently engaged in the pro-
duction, transportation and marketing of gas.
» This allows GAIL to leverage its ownership of the
bulk of the gas pipelines to deny its competitors
access to the market.
» Most countries have tackled this conflict-of-inter-
est situation by separating the upstream (produc-
tion/import) and downstream (marketing) interests
from transportation.
• Centre-States Issue:  Completion of a national
pipeline grid gets affected due to clashes between
Centre and state over issues like land acquisition,
pipeline routing; and royalty payments.
» Centre-state differences have also delayed the
construction of import facilities and the creation of
gas markets.
Way Forward
• Deregulation of Pricing:  A key aspect of ensuring
market reforms to boost gas economy, would be
deregulation of pricing for domestically produced
gas.
» It will allow freedom to price and market domestic
gas and in turn boost domestic production, making
it more viable for players to invest.
» Moreover, market-determined, and affordable pric-
ing would also boost industrial growth and eco-
nomic competitiveness.
• Boosting Infrastructure:  These markets have
greatly benefited from factors such as open access
to infrastructure, system operator, unbundled mar-
keting and transport functions and market-friendly
transport access and tariff besides strong pipeline
infrastructure.
» Also, the institutional mechanism should be creat-
ed to enable better coordination between the cen-
tral and state governments.
• Freeing Gas Markets:  Through ensuring price
benchmarks, it will drive competition across the
value chain and stimulate investments in explora-
tion and production along with downstream infra-
structure.
» Moreover, factors such as inclusion under GST and
an overarching regulatory framework will also play
an important role in boosting the overall gas mar-
kets.
WHY HAS INDIAN MANUFACTURING
BEEN LOSING JOBS SINCE 2016?
Context:
• The words “lives” and “livelihoods” are often men-
tioned together. But the ongoing Covid pandemic
has created a difference between these two. Mea-
sures aimed at saving lives are proving to be terrible
for livelihoods.
Current scenario:
As per Azim Premji University’s  the State of Working
India (SWI) report 2021:
• The pandemic had forced people out of their formal
jobs into casual work and led to a severe decline in
incomes.
• Not surprisingly, there is a sudden increase in pov-
erty over the past year.
• Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh,
and Delhi, contributed disproportionately to job
losses.
As per the report brought out jointly by the Centre for
Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) and Centre for Eco-
nomic Data and Analysis:
• The number of people employed in the manufac-
turing sector of the economy has come down from
51 million to 27 million — that is, almost halving in
the space of just four years.
• The number of people employed in agriculture is
going up.
• Employment in non-financial services has fallen
sharply.
Reasons behind the low manufacturing and low de-
mand:
• Stagnation in manufacturing output and employ-
ment contraction:  Less jobs were created due to
stagnant manufacturing output and contraction
of labour-intensive segment of the formal manu-
facturing sector. This is due to excessive rigidity in
the manufacturing labour market and rigid labour
regulations has created disincentives for employ-
ers to create jobs. According to world bank study
Industrial Disputes Act has lowered employment in
organised manufacturing by about 25%.
• Service sector driven growth:  The biggest em-
Current Times | 47
 ployer in India is the agriculture sector, employing be the priority. MUDRA has a potential to create re-
45% of the population but it contributes only 15% quired jobs in India.
to the GDP, whereas Service sector is the biggest
• Implementing NITI Ayog action agenda:  The Ac-
contributor to the GDP but employs less than 30%.
tion Agenda has provided several good ideas for job
IT and Financial services are drivers of service sec-
creation, including labour law reforms at the state
tor growth in last 2 decades however both of these
level. The report emphasizes the role of exports in
sectors are not employment intensive. This is con-
job creation and recommends establishing coastal
tributing to jobless growth in India.
employment zones (CEZs), similar to China’s spe-
• Import-oriented economy:  Excessive imports cial economic zones (SEZs). This agenda must be
have been damaging Indian manufacturing indus- implemented in letter and spirit.
try. India has failed to witness a strong growth in
• Entrepreneurship:  The focus of economic policy
the labour-intensive segment of the manufactur-
must be on creating an enabling policy for youth
ing sector, as it did not move from the import to an
to take up entrepreneurship and create more jobs
export-oriented development strategy. If India had
in the market. India does not need five companies
followed Labour intensive goods export-led model
worth 5000 crores turnover but needs 5000 com-
like Southeast Asian countries, it would have creat-
panies of 5 crore turnover.
ed many jobs in the MSME sector.
• Low demand:  Low demand has led to slow eco-
nomic growth and led to loss of jobs of many due to
NPCI REFUSES TO BAN CRYPTOCURREN-
loss to companies. This is mainly due to less lower
purchasing power and concentration of wealth in
CY TRADES IN INDIA
hands of few.
Context:
• Infrastructure Bottlenecks:  Infrastructural bot-
• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has
tlenecks (especially in access to electricity), lack
refused to ban cryptocurrency transactions.
of backward and forward linkages between agricul-
ture, industry and service sector has failed to cre-
What is NPCI?
ate jobs and also hindered growth of labour-inten-
sive sectors. • The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
serves as an umbrella body for the operation of re-
• MSME problems: The labour intensity of MSME is
tail payment in India.
four times higher than that of large firms. But they
face many problems. They have poor access to • This organization was established by the Reserve
credit and are plagued by many serious problems Bank of India along with the Indian Bank’s Associa-
which has limited their growth potential. tion under the provisions of the Payment and Set-
tlement Systems Act, 2007.
• Skill Mismatch:  Indian labour is not skilled as per
industrial demands. Lesser skill levels of workers • Presently, NPCI is promoted by ten major promoter
limit them the job opportunities. Also, various pro- banks.
grams by government like Skill India and stand-up
India are launched recently only. Industry focused NPCI operate the following payment systems:
skills are needed to be inculcated. • National Financial Switch (NFS).

Way Forward: • Immediate Payment System (IMPS).

• Labour reforms:  Labour Laws should be reformed • Affiliation of RuPay Cards (debit cards/ prepaid
as due to the stringent Labour Laws Corporates in cards) issued by banks and co-branded credit cards
India are preferring Capital intensive mode of Pro- issued by non-banking financial companies (NBFCs)
duction in a country where labour is abundant. or any other entity approved by the RBI.

• Promoting labour Intensive sectors: Labour inten-
sive sectors like food processing industry, leather
industry, apparel, electronics, gems and jewellery,
financial services, and tourism etc. should be en-
couraged. Appropriate subsidies and tax incentives
should be given to incentivise them. Make in India
initiative a great step forward which will boost the
manufacturing.
• Strengthening MSME:  MSME sector should be
promoted and supported. Easing regulations, sub-
sidies will help. Also, easy available of credit should
• National Automatic Clearing House (ACH).
• Aadhaar Enabled Payments System (AEPS).
• Operation of Cheque Truncation System.
Products of NPCI:
• RuPay.
• National Common Mobility Card.
• Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM).
• Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

48 I Current Times
• Bharat Bill Payment System.
Why has it refused to ban cryptocurrency trades?
• NPCI’s decision is based on  the Supreme Court’s
March 2020 ruling  which set aside a directive by
the Reserve Bank of India from April 2018 to ban
banks and finance companies for “dealing in virtual
currencies or providing services to facilitate” any-
one trading in crypto.
• NCPI has not blocked the trades given that the RBI
did not come out with any directive following the
Supreme Court ruling.
What is a cryptocurrency?
• Cryptocurrencies are digital currencies in which
encryption techniques are used to regulate the gen-
eration of units of currency and verify the transfer
of funds, operating independently of a central bank.
• It works on blockchain technology.
• Examples: Bitcoin, Ethereum etc.
Advantages of Cryptocurrency:
• Easy Funds transfer between two parties will be
easy without the need of third party like credit/
debit cards or banks.
• Cheaper alternative compared to other online
transactions.
• Safe and Secured Payments: - Payments are safe
and secured and offer an unprecedented level of
anonymity.
• User Wallet: - Modern cryptocurrency systems
come with a user “wallet” or account address which
is accessible only by a public key and pirate key.
• The private key is only known to the owner of the
wallet.
• Funds transfers are completed with minimal pro-
cessing fees.
Disadvantages:
• Illegal activities: - The almost hidden nature of
cryptocurrency transactions makes them easy
to be the focus of illegal activities such as money
laundering, tax-evasion and possibly even terror-fi-
nancing.
• Payments are not irreversible.
• Cryptocurrencies are not accepted everywhere
and have limited value elsewhere.
• There is concern that cryptocurrency like Bit-
coin are not rooted in any material goods. Some
research, however, has identified that the cost of
producing a Bitcoin, which requires an increasing-
ly large amount of energy, is directly related to its
market price.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY WAIVER FOR
COVID-19 VACCINES
Context:
• The USA has shown its willingness to an IPR waiv-
er for Covid-19 vaccines. It would be pursuing text-
based negotiations on the waiver at the World Trade
Organization (WTO).
About:
• The 1995 agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)  requires rat-
ifying countries to adopt a minimum standard of
intellectual property rights to protect creators and
promote innovation.
• India and South Africa have proposed a waiver
from the implementation  and application  of cer-
tain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement  (waiv-
ing IP rights like patents, copyright, and trade-
marks) for prevention, containment, or treatment
of Covid-19.
• If the waiver is granted, WTO member countries
will not be under an obligation, for a temporary pe-
riod, to either grant or enforce patents and other
IP-related rights to Covid-19 drugs, vaccines, and
other treatments.
» This will immunise the measures adopted by coun-
tries to vaccinate their populations from claims of
illegality under WTO law.
Need of IPR waiver:
• Boost Production: Currently, most production is
concentrated in high-income countries. With a
waiver, the middle-income countries would be able
to manufacture covid vaccines with emergency use
authorisations (EUA). This includes vaccines devel-
oped by Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Novavax,
Bharat Biotech, etc.
• Reducing Cost of Production: The manufacturing
in middle-income companies is currently happen-
ing through licensing or technology transfer agree-
ments. The companies which grant the license,
charge a hefty price for it. The companies would not
need a license after an IPR waiver.
• Avert legal Difficulties: The developing countries
may face institutional and legal difficulties when
using flexibilities available in the TRIPS Agreement.
The waiver would help in averting this problem.
Challenges in granting IPR waiver:
• Procedure Complexities: The nature of text-based
negotiations can delay the process. Further, even
one country can veto the waiver as granting re-
quires consensus among all 164 members of WTO. 
• Disincentivization of Companies: Waiver may re-
Current Times | 49
 duce the earning potential of companies. They may
be disincentivized to do more research on tackling
new variants. This may undermine the global re-
sponse to the pandemic.   Why is India becoming an attractive market for tech
• Erosion of Public Trust: People may not trust the
quality and efficacy of vaccines manufactured in a
middle-income country. 
• Production barriers:  Ramping up production ca-
pacities will be a lengthy process. The developing
countries that are currently producing Covid 19
vaccines are able to do so with the extensive sup-
port and grant of developed countries. 
Challenges in production and distribution of Covid
vaccines in developing countries:
• Scarcity of Raw Material:  It has been a growing
issue for ramping up production. Several manufac-
turers have been relying on specific suppliers, and
alternatives are limited.
• Trade Barriers: US has blocked exports of critical
raw materials used in the  Covid-19 vaccines  using
regulations like the American Defence Production
Act. This led to a delay in the production of Covid
vaccines by some companies in India.
• Acquisition Capability of Developed World: They
have a higher propensity to purchase the vaccine.
This has enabled them to acquire most of the sup-
plies.
Way Forward:
• The recent intention of the EU to support the U.S
proposal should be materialised in reality.
• Covid related interventions including testing, di-
agnostics, and novel therapeutics should be made
part of IPR waiver proposal.
• Developing world should be given an opportunity
to develop cheap and efficacious vaccines. They
have already shown their manufacturing capabili-
ties by developing good quality generic medicines
in the past.  • Loss of Focus:  Homes are comfortable, but they
INDIAN OFFSHORE MODEL WILL DOMI-
NATE GLOBAL IT SECTOR
Context: -
• According to analysts, India is increasingly becom-
ing an attractive market for tech companies from
all over the world.
About Work from home model:
• It is the  relocation of a company’s business pro-
cess to a country that is not in the same geograph-
ical region. For example, a company in the US might
have the majority of its employees working in India
or China due to various benefits.
companies?
• India is becoming an attractive IT market because:
• There is an increase in critical shortage of skilled
manpower in countries such as the US and Europe.
• Pandemic-induced work-from-home has raised the
openness of global tech buyers. They are allowing
to work away from onshore (or the client’s location).
• Markets are witnessing a 50% reduction in the on-
shore model and about 15% increase in the offshore
model.
Advantages of Work from Home Model or Offshore
Model:
• Zero Commutation: When working remotely, a per-
son doesn’t have to step out of their home. So, it
will reduce the time and fuel spent to and from the
office commute.
• Flexible Schedule: A person can choose to sched-
ule tasks that would otherwise be left out. For ex-
ample, when in office and build their working hours
around their priorities, either for home or for learn-
ing something new.
• Larger Skill Pool: Employers can extend their reach
to  hire a better skill pool across the globe, rather
than just relying on persons available locally.
• Saving on Office Space: Having a majority of all the
workforce working remotely will help to cut costs
significantly on office space and maintenance.
Limitations of Work from Home Model or Offshore
Model:
• Increased isolation:  A person can become quite
isolated if he/she spend most of the time by him/
herself working independently.
present their own challenges. Even with a strict
schedule, it is difficult to not get involved with fam-
ily work or responsibilities.
• Lack of Accountability and Fall in Productivi-
ty: Work from Home makes it difficult for an organ-
isation to chart the strengths and weaknesses of
every individual while working remotely.
SEBI TECHNICAL GROUP SUBMITS RE-
PORT ON “SOCIAL STOCK EXCHANGES
(SSE)”
Context:

50 I Current Times

• A technical group on Social Stock Exchanges (SSEs),
constituted by the Securities and Exchange Board
of India (SEBI) has submitted its report.
About Social Stock Exchange
• Meaning: - Social Stock Exchange (SSE)  is a plat-
form that allows investors to invest in select social
enterprises or social initiatives.
• Objective: The aim is to help social and voluntary
enterprises to raise capital in form of equity or debt
or a unit of the mutual fund.
• Examples: It exists in countries such as Singapore,
UK, among others. These countries allow firms op-
erating in social sectors to raise risk capital.
• India: The proposal to set up SSEs in the country
was first floated during the Union Budget in 2019.
• In 2019, SEBI constituted a group under the chair-
manship of Tata group veteran Ishaat Hussain.
• In 2020, SEBI again set up the Technical Group (TG)
under Harsh Bhanwala, ex-Chairman, NABARD. This
time for getting further expert advice and clarity on
SSE. That committee submitted its report.
Key Recommendations on Social Stock Exchanges:
• Eligible Entities:  The group has said that both
for-profit (FP) and not-for-profit organisations
(NPO) should be allowed to tap the SSE.
• Parameters:  The group has said three parameters
for eligibility as Social Enterprises. The parameters
are:
» A Social Enterprise should engage in at least one of
the eligible activities mentioned in “Eligible Activ-
ities” Paragraph.
» Further, it should target underserved or less privi-
leged population segments or regions.
» Also, a Social Enterprise shall have at least 67% of
its activities qualifying as eligible activities to the
target population.
• Prohibited Organisations:  Political and religious
organisations, trade organisations, and corporate
foundations should not be allowed to raise funds
through SSEs.
• Eligible Activities:  Social enterprises can engage
in activities such as:
» Eradicating hunger, poverty, malnutrition, and in-
equality.
» Promoting health care (including mental health)
and sanitation including making available safe
drinking water.
» Activities promoting education, employability, and
livelihoods.
» Promoting gender equality, empowerment of wom-
en and LGBTQIA+ communities.
» Ensuring environmental sustainability, addressing
climate change (mitigation and adaptation), forest
and wildlife conservation.
» Also, the activities promoting livelihoods for rural
and urban poor. This includes enhancing the in-
come of small and marginal farmers and workers in
the non-farm sector.
» Slum area development, affordable housing, and
other interventions to build sustainable and resil-
ient cities.
• Annual Report:  Entities listed on SSE will have to
disclose their social impact report on an annual ba-
sis. This report should cover aspects such as “stra-
tegic intent and planning, approach, impact score-
card”.
NITI AAYOG REPORT ON DIGITAL FINAN-
CIAL INCLUSION
Context:
• Recently, NITI Aayog and Mastercard have released
a report titled ‘Connected Commerce: Creating a
Roadmap for a Digitally Inclusive Bharat’.
Definition of Financial Inclusion
• Financial inclusion may be defined as the pro-
cess of ensuring access to financial services and
timely and adequate credit where needed by
vulnerable groups such as weaker sections and
low income groups at an affordable cost.
Financial Inclusion Initiatives
• Jan Dhan-Aadhar-Mobile (JAM) Trinity
• The government has also launched many flag-
ship schemes to promote financial inclusion and
provide financial security to empower the poor
and unbanked in the country.
» These include the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yoja-
na, Stand-Up India Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Je-
evan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Surak-
sha Bima Yojana, and Atal Pension Yojana.
• Issuing Kisan Credit Cards (KCC)
• Linkage of self-help groups (SHGs) with banks.
Challenges in accelerating digital financial inclusion:
• Digital Exclusions.
• Unfamiliarity With DBT.
• Breeding of Corruption.
Current Times | 51
• Inadequate Rural Banking.
• Unsuccessful Banking Correspondent Model.
• Accountability Issue.
About NITI Aayog
• Chairperson: Prime Minister
• Vice-Chairperson: To be appointed by
Prime-Minister
• Governing Council: Chief Ministers of all states
and Lt. Governors of Union Territories.
• Regional Council: To address specific regional is-
sues, Comprising Chief Ministers and Lt. Gover-
nors Chaired by Prime Minister or his nominee.
• Adhoc Membership: 2 members in ex-officio
capacity from leading Research institutions on
rotational basis.
• Ex-Officio membership: Maximum four from
Union council of ministers to be nominated by
Prime minister.
• Chief Executive Officer: Appointed by
Prime-minister for a fixed tenure, in rank of Sec-
retary to Government of India.
• Special Invitees: Experts, Specialists with do-
main knowledge nominated by Prime-minister
Key recommendations in the report include:
• Strengthening the payment infrastructure to pro-
mote a level playing field for NBFCs and banks.
• Digitizing registration and compliance processes
and diversifying credit sources to enable growth
opportunities for MSMEs.
• Building information sharing systems, including a
‘fraud repository’, and ensuring that online digital
commerce platforms carry warnings to alert con-
sumers to the risk of frauds.
• Enabling agricultural NBFCs to access low-cost
capital and deploy a ‘phygital’ (physical + digital)
model for achieving better long-term digital out-
comes. Digitizing land records will also provide a
major boost to the sector.
• To make city transit seamlessly accessible to all
with minimal crowding and queues, leveraging ex-
isting smartphones and contactless cards, and aim
for an inclusive, interoperable, and fully open sys-
tem such as that of the London ‘Tube’.
52 I Current Times
DECODING INEQUALITY IN DIGITAL
WORLD
Context:
• Digital inequality or Unequal access to digital plat-
form is worsening inequalities in accessing public
goods such as Education and Health during this
COVID time.
Data related to Digital inequality in India:
• Inequality in access to digital devices: Accord-
ing to National Sample Survey (2017), only 6% of
rural households and 25% of urban households
have a computer.
• Inequality in access to Internet Services: Only
17% in rural areas and 42% in urban areas have
access to internet.
• Due to the prevailing inequality in digital access,
the digital solutions offered for providing ba-
sic services such as health and education have
failed.
Reasons behind Digital inequality in education: 
• Lack of access to online classes:  According to
the Azim Premji Foundation, ASER and Oxfam re-
port, between 27% and 60% could not access online
classes, due to lack of devices, shared devices, in-
ability to buy “data packs”, etc.
• Loss of Lives:  A college student studying in Delhi
and a 16-year-old in Goa died by suicide as their
family could not afford to repair the phone they
used.
• Lack of learning environment at home:  A quiet
space to study is a luxury for many. For instance,
25% of Indians lived in single-room dwellings in
2017-19. Further, girls at home are burdened with
domestic chores.
• Advantages in Peer learning is forgiven: For in-
stance,  even students with issues in English lan-
guage found easy to pick up the language with the
help of peers. Now, online education has deprived
them this advantage.
Reasons behind Digital inequality in health:
India’s Poor population is at a disadvantage in ac-
cessing good health care due to the following rea-
sons,
• Very low public spending on health (nearly 1% of
GDP). This has contributed to the high share of ‘out
of pocket’ (OOP) health expenditure  in India was
over 60% in 2018.
» Even in the United States, where health system is
 highly privatised, OOP was merely 10%.
» The private health sector in India is poorly regulat-
ed. As a result, they charge exorbitant prices and
has contributed towards the development of black
market for scarce services.
• Shortage of essentials such as drugs, hospital beds,
oxygen, vaccines etc.,
• To overcome the above challenges, the government
chose to promote Digital health services as a solu-
tion. However, digital health services have resulted
in unequal access to health care due to the follow-
ing reason.
• Exclusion: Platform- and app-based solutions can
exclude the poor entirely thereby denying their
right to access health care. For instance,
• People with knowledge of technology are at advan-
tage to access digital health services, compared to
the vulnerable populations without digital knowl-
edge. For example, in the case of CoWIN, it is much
harder for people without phones, computers, and
the Internet to book slots.
• Language barrier: The website is only available in
English, restricting the use for the mass non-En-
glish population.
• Privacy violation: For example, the push to-
wards  digital health ID databases  may result in
health records being used by private entities with-
out our consent.
Way forward:
• Need to increase spending on health to 3% of GDP
to reduce 50% of out-of-pocket expenditure as
per Economic survey 2021.
• Need to enforce laws against medical malpractices
strictly.
• The Centre needs to ensure Patient privacy. Decen-
tralized digital storage followed in countries like
France and Taiwan should be created rather than
creating a centralized database for digital health
records.
Current Times | 53
54 I Current Times Environment & Disaster Managerment | 61
“GLOLITTER PARTNERSHIPS PROJECT”
– 30 COUNTRIES JOIN THE INITIATIVE TO
TACKLE MARINE LITTER
Context:
• Around 30 Countries from across the oceans have
joined the GloLitter Partnerships Project to tackle
marine plastic litter.
GloLitter Partnerships Project:
• GloLitter Partnerships Project  was launched by
the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and
the Food and Agriculture Organization of the Unit-
ed Nations (FAO). The Government of Norway pro-
vided initial funding for the project.
Objective:
• The project aims to help the maritime transport
and fishing sectors to adapt to a low-plastic future.
To achieve this goal, this initiative will assist devel-
oping countries to apply best practices for preven-
tion, reduction, and control of marine plastic litter
from those sectors.
Participating Countries:  30 Countries will be partici-
pating in the project.  India  is one of the participating
countries.
Significance:
• The project will promote compliance with the Vol-
untary Guidelines of the  MARPOL Convention.  It
contains regulations against discharging plastics
into the sea.
• Further, protecting the marine environment is also
the objective of  Sustainable Development Goal
(SDG) 14.
About MARPOL:
• International Convention for the Prevention of
Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is one of the
main international conventions. It aims at the
prevention of pollution of the marine environ-
ment by ships from operational or accidental
causes.
• Adopted in: The Convention was adopted by
the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)
on 2nd November 1973.
• India is a signatory to the MARPOL Convention.
THE GLOBAL FOREST GOALS REPORT
2021: UN REPORT
Context:
• Recently, The Department of Economic and Social
Affairs of the United Nations has released the Glob-
al Forest Goals Report 2021.
Global Forest Goals Report 2021:
• It is the first evaluation of the global status of im-
plementing the United Nations Strategic Plan for
Forests 2030.
• Objective: The report provides an overview of prog-
ress towards achieving the United Nations Strate-
gic Plan for Forests 2030. The plan has six Global
Forest Goals and 26 associated targets for forests.
• Data: The report draws upon data from 52 volun-
tary national reports and 19 voluntary national con-
tributions. Together they represent 75% of forests
in the world.
Key findings of the report:
• Covid-19 pandemic has aggravated the challenges
faced by countries in managing their forests.
• Overall impact:  More than just a health crisis,
Covid-19 is driving losses of lives and livelihoods,
extreme poverty, inequality, and food insecurity,
and it has put the ‘Future We Want’ further out of
reach.
• Impact on Global Output: It is estimated that world
gross product fell by an estimated 4.3% in 2020. It is
the sharpest contraction of global output since the
Great Depression.
• Economic impact: Forest-dependent populations
have faced job loss, reduced income, diminished
access to markets and information, and for many
women and youth, a contraction in seasonal em-
ployment.
• Many forest dependent populations,  especial-
ly those in remote or hard to reach places, have
faced difficulties accessing healthcare or find that
government assistance programmes and basic ser-
vices are disrupted.
• Pandemic driven health and socio-economic out-
comes have increased pressure on forests. This is
because, to ease their growing vulnerability, many
indigenous peoples and local communities, as well
as returning migrants and urban workers, have re-
treated deeper into the woods to seek food, fuel,
shelter, and protection from the risks of Covid-19.
• One million species were at risk of extinction and
that 100 million hectares of tropical forest were lost
from 1980 to 2000.
Current Times | 55

About United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests
2017-2030 (UNSPF):
• The United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests
2017-2030 was created with a mission to pro-
mote sustainable forest management and en-
hance the contribution of forests and trees to
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• The agreement on the first-ever UN Strategic
Plan for Forests was forged at a special session
of the UN Forum on Forests held in January
2017 and provides an ambitious vision for global
forests in 2030.
• Goals and Targets: It features a set of six Glob-
al Forest Goals and 26 associated targets to be
reached by 2030, which are voluntary and uni-
versal.
» It includes a target to increase forest area by 3%
worldwide by 2030, signifying an increase of 120
million hectares, an area over twice the size of
France.
• It builds on the vision of the 2030 Agenda and
recognizes that real change requires decisive,
collective action, within and beyond the UN
System.
WHAT NEW RESEARCH SAYS ABOUT
CLIMATE CHANGE CAUSING A SHIFT IN
EARTH’S AXIS?
Context:
• Recent study shows that, loss of water on land is
shifting the earth’s axis of rotation. The reasons
behind loss of water are ice melting and human-in-
duced factors.
What is the Earth’s axis?
• The Earth’s axis of rotation is the line along which
it spins around itself as it revolves around the Sun.
The points on which the axis intersects the planet’s
surface are the geographical north and south poles.
Key finding of the study:
• In the mid-1990s, melting glaciers redistributed a
large amount of water. It changed the direction of
the routine polar wander to turn eastward and also
accelerate it.
• The average drift speed rose by around 17 times be-
tween 1995 and 2020.
• The primary cause of polar drift is water loss from
the Polar Regions, with contributions from water
loss in nonpolar regions, which describes the east-
56 I Current Times
ward shift of polar drift.
Major factors causing the shift in Earth’s axis of rota-
tion:
• Mass redistribution affects the rotation of the
earth on and within the planet, such as shifts in soil,
ice sheets, seas, and mantle movement. The follow-
ing are the main forces that contribute to the mass
redistribution-
• Melting of glaciers  -Climate change has caused
billions of tonnes of glacial ice to melt into oceans.
This has caused the Earth’s poles to move in new
directions.
• Groundwater pumping: - The excessive use of
groundwater has caused changes in groundwater
storage in non-glacial areas. Further, it led to polar
wander as most of it eventually joins the sea, thus
redistributing the planet’s mass.
» For example- The changes in groundwater mass in
areas like California, northern Texas, Beijing and
northern India, areas that have been pumping large
amounts of groundwater for agricultural use.
BEHIND FREQUENT HOSPITAL FIRES IN
INDIA
Context:
• As many as 93 people, most of them  Covid-19  pa-
tients, died in 24 incidents of fire in hospitals in In-
dia since last August. 
Data on Urban Fire incidents
• India has witnessed many tragic fire incidents.
Eg – Uphar cinema, New Delhi (1997); Kamala
Mills, Mumbai (2017) and Taxila Coaching Centre,
Surat (2019).
• According to National Crime Records Bureau
figures, 17,700 Indians died due to fire accidents
in 2015.
• Maharashtra and Gujarat, our two most highly
urbanised states, account for about 30% of the
country’s fire accident deaths.
• The India Risk Surveys 2018 has placed India at
3rd position in fire incidents. This signifies the
grave risks of fire incidents to urban habitats.
Major reason behind frequent hospital fire:
• Electrical faults are cited as the leading cause of
fires.
• Overheated ICU’s and ACs-  In most hospitals,
to meet the current COVID-19 situation, medical
 equipment or wires are in use beyond their capac-
ity. It is overheating the electrical wiring system,
causing the fire.
» Short circuit or overloading due to continuous run-
ning ACs in hospitals.
• Mismanagement in hospital  – Placing more ICU
beds in limited space also makes it more vulnerable
to fire spread.
• Lack of cross-ventilation:-Hospital ICUs (for
COVID-19) are at significant fire risk because they
remain sealed for the purpose of keeping them
sterile.
• Highly inflammable material in Hospitals- sanitiz-
er spills and vapor, higher oxygen content in the air,
and PPE kits made of synthetic materials all con-
tribute to the rapid spread of fire.
• Lack of fire audit in hospitals
Way Forward:
• Fire and electrical audit: - All states need to carry
out proper  fire and electrical audits  of dedicated
COVID-19 hospitals in order to reduce the frequent
cases.
• As the health sector expands to accommodate
pandemic arrangements, it is essential that all new
facilities and plans meet safety standards such as-
• Cross-ventilation in ICUs – There is a requirement
of proper ventilation passage in ICUs to allow fumes
an outlet.
• Keeping electrical equipment for ACs away from ox-
ygen-saturated areas will reduce the risk.
• Fire safety drills-  Hospitals should mandatorily
hold regular fire safety and evacuation drills.
• Hospitals must install sprinklers, which start dis-
pensing water [35 liters per minute] as the tem-
perature increases above 78 °C.
• There must be installation of fire extinguishers in
temporary hospitals. A fire truck must also get sta-
tioned outside hospitals in the event of a major di-
saster.
GREEN PANEL ALLOWS GREAT NICOBAR
PLAN TO ADVANCE
Context:
• The  Environment Appraisal Committee (EAC) of
the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change (MoEFCC) has flagged serious concerns
about  NITI Aayog’s ambitious project for Great
Nicobar Island.
About the project for Great Nicobar Island:
• The overall Great Nicobar Development plan envis-
ages the use of about 244 sq. km. region for devel-
opment purposes.
• The proposal includes:
» An international container transshipment terminal,
» A greenfield international airport,
» A power plant and
» A township complex spread over 166 sq. km. (mainly
pristine coastal systems and tropical forests) and is
estimated to cost ₹75,000 crore.
About Great Nicobar
• Great Nicobar is the southernmost island of the
Nicobar Islands Archipelago.
• It covers 1,03,870 hectares of unique and
threatened tropical evergreen forest ecosys-
tems.
• In terms of fauna, there are over 1800 species,
some of which are endemic to this area.
Ecological Characteristics:
• The Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve harbours
a wide spectrum of ecosystems comprising
tropical wet evergreen forests, mountain ranges
reaching a height of 642 m (Mt. Thullier) above
sea level, and coastal plains.
Tribe:
• The Mongoloid Shompen Tribe, about 200 in
number, live in the forests of the biosphere re-
serve particularly along the rivers and streams.
• Another Mongoloid Tribe, Nicobarese, about
300 in number, used to live in settlements along
the west coast.
• After the tsunami in 2004, which devastated
their settlement on the western coast, they
were relocated to Afra Bay in the North Coast
and Campbell Bay.
Importance of the Great Nicobar Development plan:
• Create Job opportunities for locals:  The plan in-
volves the creation of infrastructure (ports, air-
ports, etc.). This will help in creating satisfactory
jobs for the locals.
• Economic Development through Tourism:  It will
help in creating tourism prospects in the region.
This will aid the income generation in the region. 
• The per capita income in Andaman & Nicobar Is-
lands for the year 2015-16 was Rs. 1,24,361. This
was much lower than the per-capita income of
other Union Territories (Chandigarh, Delhi, and
Current Times | 57

Puducherry.)
• Connectivity:  The development  of world-class
infrastructure will  help in improving inter-island
connectivity. Thereby, improving governance and
boosting export potential.
• Social Benefits: It would further create affordable
state-of-the-art facilities for healthcare, quality ed-
ucation, and adequate air, sea and web infrastruc-
ture.
• It will facilitate the delivery of e-governance ser-
vices such as telemedicine and tele-education, as
a part of the Digital India initiative.
• Strategic benefit:  The Nicobar Island located in
proximity to the strait of Malacca. This demands
the creation of robust infrastructure for meeting
geopolitical interests in the region.
» The islands are also home to India’s  only tri-ser-
vices command – the Andaman and Nicobar Com-
mand (ANC).  • Adherence to GRIHA code for building construc-
» The command holds immense relevance due to ris-
ing Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.  » GRIHA means Green Rating for Integrated Habitat
Concerns with the Great Nicobar Development plan:
• Threats to biodiversity:  Any construction in the
region threaten the survival of marine organisms.
• The beaches at the mouth of the river Galathea in
South Bay are among the most prominent nesting
sites of Giant leatherback turtles.
• Similarly, 90% of the Nicobar megapode’s nesting
sites are within a distance of 30 m from the shore.
• Jeopardizing environment for economics:  Gal-
athea sanctuary lies in Coastal Regulation Zone
(CRZ)-I (the zone with maximum protection). But
still, a slew of high-value projects got precedence
over the pristine biodiversity.
• Neglecting tribal rights:  The proposed project ar-
eas are important grounds for the hunter-gatherer
nomadic community especially Shompen. Initia-
tion of work would make large forest areas inacces-
sible and useless for the Shompen.
• Geological volatility:  Andaman & Nicobar Islands
are located in seismic zone V. Further, The Andaman
& Nicobar observe frequent storms and cyclones.
This can easily destroy constructed structures.
» For instance, in 2004 Tsunami caused a 3-4 metre
land subsidence. This is the reason for the submer-
gence of a lighthouse located at Indira point.
• Undermining international obligations:  The Gala-
thea Bay Wildlife Sanctuary forms part of a  UNE-
SCO World Heritage Site. So, preservation of this
pristine biodiversity is an International Obligation
of India. 
58 I Current Times
• Information Deficit: The rationale, process of cre-
ation, and other relevant provisions of the plan are
still not publicly available. 
Way Forward:
• Maintain balance with Tribal Rights: - The work
must be carried out with  due regard to tribal
rights. This would involve proper adherence to pol-
icies like the Shompen Policy of 2015. 
» The Shompen Policy of 2015 calls for giving priority
to tribal rights over large scale development pro-
posals.
• Environment Impact Assessment: -Any construc-
tion under the Great Nicobar Development plan
should involve a proper  Environment impact as-
sessment  (as mandated by the Environment Pro-
tection Act 1986). This will make development more
feasible. Further, it will minimise the threat of ex-
cessive environmental degradation.
tion.
Assessment. It is the National Rating System of In-
dia. 
• Maintain Transparency in Data:-NITI Aayog and
the agencies participating in planning should main-
tain transparency in data. The government should
release the data on the rationale, the process of cre-
ation, consulted groups etc. in public domain. This
will give a holistic view to critics and supporters.
• Cooperation with countries like Japan, South Ko-
rea etc.  This will  help in developing successful is-
land development models.   
186 ELEPHANTS KILLED BY TRAINS IN
OVER 10 YEARS: MOEFCC DATA
Context:
• According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change (MoEFCC), a total of 186 ele-
phants were killed after being hit by trains across
India between 2009-10 and 2020-21. Assam ac-
counted for the highest number of elephant casual-
ties on railway tracks (62), followed by West Bengal
(57), and Odisha (27).
Measures taken to avoid elephant casualties on rail-
way lines:
 Permanent Coordination Committee to prevent
elephant deaths by trains:
• A Permanent Coordination Committee  has been
constituted between the Ministry of Railways (Rail-
way Board) and the MoEFCC for preventing ele-
 phant deaths in train accidents.
• Composition: The committee comprises officers
from the Indian Railways and State Forest Depart-
ments.
• Steps Taken: The committee has taken steps such
as:
» clearing of vegetation along railway tracks to enable
clear view for loco pilots;
» signage boards at suitable points to alert loco pilots
about elephant presence;
» moderating slopes of elevated sections of railway
tracks; underpass/overpass for safe passage of el-
ephants;
» regulation of train speed from sunset to sunrise on
vulnerable stretches; and
» regular patrolling of vulnerable stretches of railway
tracks by the frontline staff of the Forest Depart-
ment and wildlife watchers.
Eco Bridges as a solution:
• Eco Bridges are wildlife corridors also known as
wildlife crossing that are a link of wildlife habitat
which connects two larger areas of similar wildlife
habitat.
• It connects wildlife populations that would oth-
erwise be separated by human activities or struc-
tures such as roads and highways, other infrastruc-
ture development, or logging and farming, etc.
• Eco Bridges aims at enhancing wildlife connectiv-
ity.
• These are made up of native vegetation i.e., it is
overlaid with planting from the area to give a con-
tiguous look with the landscape.
MORE THAN 70% SNOW LEOPARD HABI-
TAT UNEXPLORED: WWF REPORT
Context:
• The World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) has re-
leased a report titled “Over 100 Years of Snow Leop-
ard Research — A spatially explicit review of the
state of knowledge in the snow leopard range”.
Key findings of the Report:
• More than 70 per cent habitat of the snow leopard,
over 12 Asian countries, remains unresearched.
• Nepal, India and China had conducted the most
snow leopard research, followed by Mongolia and
Pakistan.
• Despite a major research focus on snow leopard
population assessments, less than three per cent of
the big cat’s range had robust data on abundance.
• Globally, there could be as few as 4,000 snow leop-
ards left in Asia’s high mountains and this remaining
population faces continued and emerging threats.
Threats:
• Increased habitat loss and degradation, poaching
and conflict with communities.
Snow Leopard conservation in India:
• Project Snow Leopard: - India has been conserving
snow leopard and its habitat through  the Project
Snow Leopard (PSL) to promote an inclusive and
participatory approach to conserve snow leopards
and their habitat.
• India is also party to the Global Snow Leopard and
Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) Programme since
2013.
• India has identified  three large landscapes,
namely,  Hemis-Spiti across Ladakh and Himachal
Pradesh; Nanda Devi – Gangotri in Uttarakhand;
and Khangchendzonga – Tawang across Sikkim and
Arunachal Pradesh.
• Snow Leopard  is in the list of 21 critically endan-
gered species for  the recovery programme of the
Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change.
NGT UPHOLDS RIGHTS OF PASTORALISTS
IN BANNI GRASSLANDS
Context:
• The  National Green Tribunal (NGT)  ordered all en-
croachments to be removed from  Gujarat’s  Banni
grasslands  within six months and directed a joint
committee to prepare an action plan in a month.
About Banni Grassland:
Location:
• Banni is the largest grassland of Asia situated near
the Great Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.
• It is spread over 2,618 kilometres and accounts for
almost 45% of the pastures in Gujarat.
Ecosystem and Vegetation:
• Two ecosystems, wetlands, and grasslands,  are
mixed side by side in Banni.
• Vegetation in Banni is sparse and highly dependent
on rainfall.
• Banni is dominated by low-growing plants, forbs
and graminoids, many of which are halophiles (salt
tolerant), as well as scattered tree cover and scrub.
Current Times | 59
• The area is rich in flora and fauna, with 192 species Who are Maldharis?
of plants, 262 species of birds, several species of • Maldharis are a tribal herdsmen community in Gu-
mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. jarat, India.

What is the issue? • Maldhari community breeds Banni Buffaloes, a

species endemic to the region. The buffaloes are
• The Maldhari community had filed a case against
adaptive to Kutch’s hot weather conditions.
the rampant encroachment in the ecologically-sen-
sitive grassland in May, 2018.

60 I Current Times
ScienceCurrent
& Technology
Times || 61
71

INDIA HOSTED THE 5TH SESSION OF “CO-
DEX COMMITTEE ON SPICES AND CULI-
NARY HERBS”
Context:
• The fifth session of the Codex Committee on Spic-
es and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) has been virtually
inaugurated.
About Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary
Herbs (CCSCH):
• The Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary
Herbs (CCSCH) was established in 2013. It was es-
tablished with the support of more than a hundred
countries under the Codex Alimentarius Commis-
sion (CAC).
• Objective
» To develop and expand worldwide standards for
spices and culinary herbs.
» To consult with other international organisations in
the standard development process.
• Host Country:  India is the host country.  Spices
Board India  acts as the Secretariat for organising
the sessions of the committee.
• Significance:  Since its inception, the Committee
has been successful in developing harmonised
global Codex standards for spices and herbs.
About Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC):
• It was established in 1963.
• It is an intergovernmental body established joint-
ly by the  UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation
(FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
• It was established within the framework of the
Joint Food Standards Programme.
• Objective
» To establish international food standards to pro-
tect the health of consumers.
» To ensure fair practices in the food trade. Especial-
ly while promoting coordination of food standards
work undertaken by international governmental
and non-governmental organisations.
• Membership:  Membership of the Commission is
open to all Member Nations and Associate Mem-
bers of FAO and WHO. The countries interested in
international food standards can become a mem-
ber of CAC.
• Funding: The programme of work of the Commis-
sion is funded through the regular budgets of WHO
and FAO. All works are subjected to the approval of
the two governing bodies of the parent organisa-
tion.
62 I Current Times
• Headquarters: Rome, Italy.
CSIR-CMERI INDIGENOUSLY DEVELOPED
“OXYGEN ENRICHMENT TECHNOLOGY”
Context:
• CSIR-CMERI in association with  MSME-DI has in-
digenously developed Oxygen Enrichment Technol-
ogy.
About Oxygen Enrichment Technology:
• It is a device that concentrates the oxygen from the
air around us by selectively removing nitrogen to
supply oxygen-enriched air.
• The concentrated Oxygen  is delivered to the pa-
tients, having respiratory diseases, through an ox-
ygen mask or nasal cannula.
Uses:
• The device can be used in remote places, homes,
or hospital-like facilities for patients with chronic
obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), chronic
hypoxemia and pulmonary edema.
• It may be used as an adjunct treatment for severe
sleep apnea.
Central Mechanical Engineering Research Insti-
tute
• CMERI is a public engineering research and de-
velopment institution in Durgapur, West Bengal.
• It is a constituent laboratory of the Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research.
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
• CSIR is the largest research and development
(R&D) organisation in India. CSIR has a pan-In-
dia presence and has a dynamic network of 38
national laboratories, 39 outreach centres, 3 In-
novation Complexes and 5 units.
• Established: September 1942
• Located: New Delhi
• CSIR is funded by the Ministry of Science and
Technology and it operates as an autonomous
body through the Societies Registration Act,
1860.
ADITYA-L1 SUPPORT CELL
Context:
• Aditya-L1 Support Cell is a community service cen-
 tre that has been set up to bring all data on board
India’s first dedicated solar space mission to a sin-
gle web-based interface.
About Aditya-L1 Support Cell:
• It is a joint effort of Indian Space Research Organi-
sation and Aryabhatta Research Institute of Obser-
vational Sciences.
• It will allow every interested individual to perform
scientific analysis of the data.
About Aditya- L1 mission:
• It is India’s first solar mission. It will be launched us-
ing the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in XL
• It will have seven payloads (instruments) on board.
• It seeks to study the Sun’s corona, solar emissions,
solar winds and flares, and Coronal Mass Ejections
(CMEs), and will carry out round-the-clock imaging
of the Sun.
Significance of the mission:
• The data from Aditya mission will be immensely
helpful in discriminating between different models
for the origin of solar storms and also for constrain-
ing how the storms evolve and what path they take
through the interplanetary space from the Sun to
the Earth.
GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY IN THE FACE
OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE
Context:
• Ongoing  Covid-19  pandemic  may further contrib-
ute to the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) which is
a growing global problem.
Meaning of Antimicrobial Resistance
• Antimicrobial resistance is the resistance ac-
quired by any microorganism (bacteria, virus-
es, fungi, parasite, etc.) against antimicrobial
drugs (such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivi-
rals, antimalarials, and anthelmintics) that are
used to treat infections.
• As a result, standard treatments become in-
effective, infections persist and may spread to
others.
• Microorganisms that develop antimicrobial
resistance are sometimes referred to as “super-
bugs”.
Causes of antibiotic resistance:
• Microbial behaviour:  As soon as scientists in-
troduce a new antimicrobial drug, there is a good
chance that it will become ineffective at some
point in time. This is due primarily to changes oc-
curring within the microbes.
• People’s behaviour:  Not following recommenda-
tions for the use of some drugs can increase the
risk of antimicrobial resistance. The way in which
people use antimicrobial drugs is a significant con-
tributing factor. Some individualistic reasons are:
• Wrong  diagnosis: Doctors sometimes prescribe
antimicrobials “just in case,” or they prescribe
broad-spectrum antimicrobials when a specific
drug would be more suitable. Using these medica-
tions in this way increases the risk of AMR.
• Inappropriate use: If a person does not complete a
course of antimicrobial drugs, some microbes may
survive and develop resistance to the drug. Also
antibiotics recommended by quacks or pharmacist
contribute to magnify the issue.
• Agricultural use: Using antibiotics in farm animals
can promote drug resistance. Scientists have found
drug-resistant bacteria in meat and food crops that
have exposure to fertilisers or contaminated water.
In this way, diseases that affect animals can pass to
humans.
• Hospital use: People who are critically ill often re-
ceive high doses of antimicrobials. This encourages
the spread of AMR microbes, particularly in an en-
vironment where various diseases are present.
Challenges due to antibiotic resistance:
• Large number of Death: AMR is already responsible
for up to 7,00,000 deaths a year.
• A  threat to prevention and treatment of infec-
tions: -  medical procedures such as organ trans-
plantation, cancer chemotherapy, diabetes man-
agement and major surgery (for example, caesarean
sections or hip replacements) become very risky.
• Increases the cost of healthcare  with lengthier
stays in hospitals, additional tests and use of more
expensive drugs.
• Without urgent action, we are heading to antibiot-
ic apocalypse –  a future without antibiotics, with
bacteria becoming completely resistant to treat-
ment and when common infections and minor inju-
ries could once again kill.
Way Forward:
Individuals: To prevent and control the spread of anti-
biotic resistance, individuals should:
• Only use antibiotics when prescribed by a certified
health professional.
Current Times | 63
• Never demand antibiotics if your health worker
says you do not need them.
• Always follow your health worker’s advice when us-
ing antibiotics.
• Never share or use leftover antibiotics.
• Prevent infections by regularly washing hands, pre-
paring food hygienically, avoiding close contact
with sick people, practising safer sex, and keeping
vaccinations up to date.
Policy makers: To prevent and control the spread of an-
tibiotic resistance, policy makers should:
• Ensure a robust national action plan to tackle anti-
biotic resistance is in place.
• Improve surveillance of antibiotic-resistant infec-
tions.
• Strengthen policies, programmes, and implementa-
tion of infection prevention and control measures.
• Regulate and promote the appropriate use and dis-
posal of quality medicines.
• Make information available on the impact of antibi-
otic resistance.
Health professionals:  To prevent and control the
spread of antibiotic resistance, health professionals
should:
• Prevent infections by ensuring that their hands, in-
struments, and environment are clean.
• Only prescribe antibiotics when they are needed,
according to current guidelines.
• Report antibiotic-resistant infections to surveil-
lance teams.
• Talk to their patients about how to take antibiotics
correctly, antibiotic resistance and the dangers of
misuse.
AIR INDIA BEGINS ZEOLITE CARGO
FLIGHT SERVICE
Context:
• National carrier Air India has begun the first of
its  “zeolite cargo flights”  with the Government of
India having commenced the process of importing
zeolite from across the world for use in medical ox-
ygen plants.
64 I Current Times
What are Zeolites?
• Zeolites are microporous, three dimensional
crystalline solid of aluminum silicate. Zeolites
have small openings of fixed size in them which
allow small molecules to pass through them eas-
ily, but larger molecules cannot pass through
them; that is why they are sometimes called mo-
lecular sieve.
• Zeolites are either formed naturally or can be
synthesized.
Use of Zeolite in medical oxygen plants:
• The technology being developed by the DRDO
uses  the pressure swing adsorption pro-
cess and molecular sieve zeolite in oxygen gener-
ation.
• Used in Oxygen Concentrator: - An oxygen con-
centrator uses Zeolites to adsorb atmospheric ni-
trogen and then vents out the nitrogen. This leaves
oxygen gas remaining to be used for patients.
• In high pressure, the surface area of zeolites in-
creases and thus is capable of adsorbing large
quantities of nitrogen.
Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA):
• It is a technology  used to separate some gas spe-
cies from a mixture of gases under pressure.
• PSA operates at near-ambient temperatures.
• Specific adsorbent materials (e.g., zeolites, activat-
ed carbon, molecular sieves, etc.) are used as a trap,
preferentially adsorbing the target gas species at
high pressure.
Properties Of Zeolites:
• Stable: - Zeolites are very stable solid under differ-
ent environmental conditions. The melting point of
zeolite is very high, i.e.,1000oC.
• Insoluble: - They are insoluble in water or other in-
organic solvents.
• They do not undergo oxidation in the presence of
air.
• Zeolites which are rich in alumina are attracted to
polar molecules like water whereas zeolite rich in
silica are attracted towards nonpolar molecules.
Since zeolites are not reactive and are obtained from
naturally occurring minerals, therefore, they do not
have any harmful environmental effects, although skin
contact or inhalation may have a carcinogenic effect.
76 I Articulate Current Times | 65
CYBERCRIME VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME
Context:
• The Union Home Ministry has said it does not main-
tain a centralised list of volunteers enrolled un-
der the cybercrime volunteer programme since the
police is a “State subject” under the Seventh
Schedule of the Constitution.
Cybercrime volunteer programme:
• Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has
envisaged the Cyber Crime Volunteers Program to
bring together citizens with passion to serve the
nation on a single platform and contribute in the
fight against cybercrime in the country.
• The volunteers are registered, and their services
utilised, by the respective State/UTs as per their re-
quirement.
• The programme targets to rope in around 500 per-
sons to flag unlawful content on the Internet.
Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre
• It has been established under the Ministry of
Home affairs (MHA) to act as a nodal point at
National level in the fight against cybercrime.
• The scheme to set up I4C was approved in Octo-
ber 2018, to deal with all types of cybercrimes in
a comprehensive and coordinated manner.
• This state-of-the-art Centre is located in New
Delhi.
• Various States and Union Territories have given
their consent to set up Regional Cyber Crime
Coordination Centres.
Roles and functions:
• Maintain strict confidentiality of tasks assigned/
carried out by them.
66 I Current Times
• The State Nodal Officer of States/UTs also reserves
the right to take legal action against the Volunteer,
in case of violation of terms and conditions of the
Program.
• Maintain Anonymity: The volunteers are barred
from issuing any public statement about their asso-
ciation with this program and are also “strictly pro-
hibited” from using the name of Ministry of Home
Affairs or claim to have an association with the min-
istry on any social media or public platform.
Concerns Raised:
• Chances of Misuse: There is no information avail-
able on how the Ministry will ensure that the pro-
gram is not misused by certain elements to extract
misguided personal or political vendettas.
• There is no process in place for withdrawal of com-
plaints once submitted.
• Cyber-Vigilantism: The programme will essentially
result in a similar situation to the one which East
Germany was in the 1950s.
• The state asking citizens to report their fellow cit-
izens would lead to cyber-vigilantism and would
lead to peers turning against their peers to snitch
on them.
• No Clear Definition:  The Ministry has failed to
clearly define unlawful content and content which
would relate to “anti-national” activities.
• This could allow the volunteers to exercise far more
discretion than is necessary and report on citizens
who are well within their rights to post content
which is critical of the State.
• Such a program seems to be in direct violation of
the decision of the Supreme Court in  Shreya Sin-
ghal v Union of India  (2013) which highlights the
need to ensure that overbroad restrictions on on-
line speech are not used as a tool by the State to
criminalise free speech on the internet.
 History, Culture and

Current Times | 67
Heritage
MONGOLIAN KANJUR MANUSCRIPTS
Context:
• The Culture Ministry has informed that reprinting
of about 100 sets of sacred Mongolian Kanjur will be
completed by next year for distribution in the main
centres of Buddhism in Mongolia.
What is Mongolian Kanjur?
• In the Mongolian language ‘Kanjur’ means ‘Concise
Orders’- the words of Lord Buddha in particular.
• It is held in high esteem by Mongolian Buddhists,
and they worship the Kanjur at temples and recite
the lines of Kanjur in daily life as a sacred ritual.
• The Mongolian Kanjur has been translated from Ti-
betan. The language of the Kanjur is Classical Mon-
golian.
Historical connection between India and Mongolia:
• Historical interaction between India and Mongolia
goes back centuries.
• Buddhism was carried to Mongolia by Indian cul-
tural and religious ambassadors during the early
Christian era.
• As a result, today, Buddhists form the single largest
religious denomination in Mongolia.
• India established formal diplomatic relations with
Mongolia in 1955.
BASAVA JAYANTI
Context:
• Basava Jayanti marks the birth anniversary of Lord
Basavanna, the 12th-century poet-philosopher, and
the founding saint of the Lingayat faith.
About Basavanna, his thoughts and contributions:
• Basavanna was a philosopher, statesman, Kannada
poet and a social reformer during the reign of  the
Kalachuri-dynasty king Bijjala I in Karnataka.
• Basavanna spread social awareness through his po-
etry, popularly known asVachanaas.
• Basavanna rejected gender or social discrimina-
tion, superstitions, and rituals.
• He introduced new public institutions such as the
Anubhava Mantapa (or, the “hall of spiritual expe-
rience”), which welcomed men and women from all
socio-economic backgrounds to discuss spiritual
and mundane questions of life, in open.
• As a leader, he developed and inspired a new devo-
tional movement named  Virashaivas, or “ardent,
heroic worshippers of Shiva”.  This movement
68 I Current Times
shared its roots in the ongoing Tamil Bhakti move-
ment, particularly the Shaiva Nayanars traditions,
over the 7th- to 11th-century.
• Basava championed devotional worship that re-
jected temple worship and rituals led by Brahmins
and replaced it with personalized direct worship of
Shiva through practices such as individually worn
icons and symbols like a small linga.
• The Sharana movement he presided over attracted
people from all castes, and like most strands of the
Bhakti movement, produced a corpus of literature,
the vachanas, that unveiled the spiritual universe
of the Veerashaiva saints.
The egalitarianism of Basavanna’s Sharana movement
was too radical for its times.
INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY 2021
Context:
• International Museum Day is observed
on  18th  May  every year to raise awareness among
people about the museums.
• 2021 Theme: The Future of Museums: Recover and
Reimagine.
Key Points
• History: The Day was instituted in 1977 by the In-
ternational Council of Museums (ICOM).
• International Council of Museum (ICOM):
» ICOM is a membership association and a non-gov-
ernmental organisation which establishes profes-
sional and ethical standards for museum activities.
It is the  only global organisation in the museum
field.
» It was created in 1946 and is headquartered in Par-
is, France.
» It serves as  a network of museum profession-
als (more than 40,000 members in over 138 coun-
tries).
» The ICOM Red Lists of Cultural Objects at Risk are
practical tools to curb the illegal traffic of cultural
objects.
– Red Lists present the categories of cultural ob-
jects that can be subjected to theft and traffic.
• Administration of Museums in India:
» Multiple ministries hold charges of various Muse-
ums.Not all Museums are administered by the Min-
istry of Culture.
» Some are run without government support by a
handful of people under a Board of Trustees.
» Related Constitutional Provision:
– Article 49:  Protect monuments, places, and
objects of artistic or historic interest which are
declared to be of national importance.
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES
Context:
• Six sites have been added to India’s tentative list of
UNESCO world heritage sites.
These include:
• Maratha military architecture in Maharashtra.
• Hire Benkal megalithic site in Karnataka.
• Bhedaghat-Lametaghat of Narmada Valley in Mad-
hya Pradesh.
• Ganga ghats in Varanasi.
• Temples of Kancheepuram.
• Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
With the addition of these six sites, the UNESCO has 48
proposals in tentative list of India.
What Next?
• These proposals will remain in the tentative list
for a year after which the government will decide
which one of them to push for in their final dossier
to UNESCO.
About World Heritage sites list
• The list is maintained by the International World
Heritage Programme administered by the UNE-
SCO World Heritage Committee, composed of
21 UNESCO member states which are elected by
the General Assembly.
• Each World Heritage Site remains part of the le-
gal territory of the state wherein the site is lo-
cated, and UNESCO considers it in the interest
of the international community to preserve each
site.
• To be selected, a World Heritage Site must be
an already classified landmark, unique in some
respect as a geographically and historically iden-
tifiable place having special cultural or physical
significance.
KALAKSHETRA
• It is a centre for artistic endeavour.
• It is an arts and cultural academy dedicated to the
preservation of traditional values in Indian art and
crafts, especially in the field of  Bharatanatyam
dance and Gandharvaveda music.
• Founded in 1936 by the vibrant visionary Rukmini
Devi Arundale.
• The Institution stands testimony to her dream
of creating a space where the essence of Indian
thought would find expression through artistic ed-
ucation.
• Located in Chennai,  the Kalakshetra Founda-
tion,  as it is known today, is a vital centre for the
study and performance of fine arts.
• In 1994, an Act of the Parliament of India recognised
the Kalakshetra Foundation as an “Institute of Na-
tional Importance.”
Current Times | 69
70 I Current Times
E-2025 INITIATIVE
Context:
• WHO has launched the E-2025 initiative. Under this
initiative WHO Identifies 25 countries with the po-
tential to be malaria-free by 2025.
About E-2025 initiative:
• After the successes of the E-2020,  WHO has
launched the E-2025 initiative.
• As part of this initiative,  WHO has identified 25
countries that have the potential to eliminate ma-
laria within a 5-year timeline.
• Supported by WHO: The countries will re-
ceive  technical and on-the-ground support by
WHO  and its partners, in their work towards the
target of zero malaria.
• Monitoring and Evaluation of Project: In return,
the countries will  audit their elimination pro-
grams  annually, participate in elimination forums,
conduct surveillance assessments, and share ma-
laria case data periodically.
The E-2020 initiative:  rong’.
• It was launched by WHO in 2017.
• The initiative supported 21 countries in their efforts
to get to zero malaria cases within the 2020 time-
line.
• The countries were identified by WHO in 2016 as
having the potential to become malaria-free by
2020.
“SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE INITIATIVE
OR SCRI” LAUNCHED BY INDIA, JAPAN
AND AUSTRALIA
Context:
• India, Japan, and Australia have launched the SCRI
or Supply Chain Resilience Initiative in a virtual Tri-
lateral Ministerial Meeting.
Meaning of Supply Chain Resilience:
• It is the  capability of the supply chain  of a coun-
try  to handle any kind of disruption  and function
normally in difficult times. One approach is  diver-
sifying the source of supply across a group of sup-
plying nations instead of being dependent on just
one or a few.
About Supply Chain Resilience Initiative:
Objective:  (charcoal produced by pyrolysis) and energy in
• The initiative aims to create a virtuous cycle of en-
hancing supply chain resilience  to attain strong,
sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth in the
region.
Projects:
• Sharing of best practices on supply chain resilience
and
• Organizing Investment promotion events and buy-
er-seller matching events. It will provide stakehold-
ers an opportunity to explore the possibility of di-
versification of their supply chains.
Policy Measure:
• Supporting the enhanced utilization of digital tech-
nology and
• Supporting trade and investment diversification.
“ZHURONG”
Context:
• The China National Space Administration has an-
nounced that it will name its first Mars rover ‘Zhu-
About Zhurong:
• Zhurong  is  China’s first Mars rover  mission. The
rover is aboard the Tianwen-1 space probe.
• Launched in:  The rover was launched in the  Mars
orbit Mission  in February 2021 and has landed in
May 2021.
• The rover is named after a traditional fire god. The
rover’s title also fits with the Chinese name for
Mars i.e. “Huo Xing” or fire star.
PROJECT ‘PYRASOL’
Context:
• Recently, the foundation stone of the integrated
Solar Dryer and Pyrolysis pilot plant was laid at
Chennai.
Project Pyrasol:
• It is a part of the Indo-German Science & Technolo-
gy Centre (IGSTC) flagship program 2+2 Project.
• The project was awarded to CSIR-CLRI by the In-
do-German Science & Technology Centre.
Objective:
• To transform urban organic waste into biochar
smart cities.
Current Times | 71
Significance:  veloped from water hyacinth by six young girls from
• The project will lead to technology development
for the joint processing of Fibrous Organic Waste
(FOW) and Sewage Sludge (SS) of Indian smart cit-
ies. These FOW and SS will get converted into hy-
gienic and highly valuable biochar. Apart from that,
the joint processing will also perform associated
energy recovery, carbon sequestration and envi-
ronmental improvement.
Pyrolysis:
• Pyrolysis  is a process of chemically decomposing
organic materials at elevated temperatures in the
absence of oxygen.
• The process typically occurs at temperatures above
430 °C (800 °F) and under pressure.
• It simultaneously involves the change of physical
phase and chemical composition of organic mate-
rial. Pyrolysis is an irreversible process.
SUTRA MODEL
Context:
• The Indian government backed the SUTRA mod-
el to chart the Covid-19 trajectory in the coun-
try. But few scientists have raised concerns over
the SUTRA model.
SUTRA Model:
• SUTRA stands for Susceptible, Undetected, tested
(positive) and Removed Approach.
• Objective: SUTRA  is a mathematical model. It is
used for charting the trajectory of COVID-19 in the
country.
• Parameters:  The model uses three main parame-
ters to predict the course of the pandemic:
• Beta or contact rate: It measures how many people
an infected person infects per day. It is related to
the R0 value. R0 is the number of people an infect-
ed person spreads the virus over the course of his/
her infection.
» For example, if a disease has an R0 of 18. Then a per-
son who has the disease will transmit it to an aver-
age of 18 other people
• Reach: It is a measure of the exposure level of the
population to the pandemic.
• Epsilon: It is the ratio of detected and undetected
cases.
MOORHEN YOGA MAT
• It is a biodegradable and compostable yoga mat de-
72 I Current Times
the fishing community in Assam.
• It could turn this water plant from a nuisance to
wealth.
Background:
• The intervention was triggered through an initiative
by  North East Centre for Technology Application
and Reach (NECTAR),  an autonomous body under
Department of Science & Technology (DST), Govt.
of India to involve the entire women community as-
sociated with a collective called ‘Simang’ meaning
dream, led by the 6 girls to create wealth from wa-
ter hyacinth plants.
GLOBAL INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP (GIP)
Context:
• The Union Cabinet has given an ex-post facto ap-
proval for an agreement signed between India with
the United Kingdom on Global Innovation Partner-
ship.
About Global Innovation Partnership:
• Global Innovation Partnership  has been launched
by the Government of India and the UK.
• Objective: To support Indian innovators to scale up
their innovations in third countries. Thereby help-
ing innovators to explore new markets and become
self-sustainable.
• Under GIP,  Indian entrepreneurs and innovators
will receive seed funding, grants, investments and
technical assistance. They will test, scale up and
take innovative development solutions to select
developing countries.
• the innovations will focus on Sustainable Develop-
ment Goals (SDG) related sectors thereby assisting
recipient countries to achieve their SDGs.
• GIP will also develop an open and inclusive e-mar-
ketplace called E-Baazar. This will be used for cross
border innovation transfer. Further, this will focus
on results-based impact assessment thereby pro-
moting transparency and accountability.
KABASURA KUDINEER
Context:
• The Ministry of Ayush has launched a massive na-
tionwide campaign to distribute its proven poly
herbal Ayurvedic drug AYUSH 64 and Siddha drug
Kabasura Kudineer for the benefit of the vast ma-
jority of out of hospital COVID patients.
About Kabasura Kudineer:
• Kabasura Kudineer is a traditional formulation used
by Siddha practitioners for managing common re-
spiratory health.
• It is an herbal concoction, comprising dry ingredi-
ents of ginger, pippali, clove, cirukancori root, mulli
root, kadukkai, ajwain and many other herbs.
• The ingredients are powdered and mixed with wa-
ter, then boiled to make a decoction of one-fourth
of its initial volume.
PULAYAR COMMUNITY
Context:
• Two Tribal settlements (Kattupatti and Kuzhipatti)
of Pulayar community within the limits of Anamalai
Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu are gearing up for their
annual festival of local deity Vairapattan.
About Pulayar Community:
• The Pulayar, also Pulaya, or Holeya or Cheramar, are
one of the main social groups found in Kerala, Kar-
nataka and in historical Tamil Nadu or Tamilakam.
• Pulayas are noted for their music, craftsmanship,
and for certain dances which include, Kōlam-thullal
(a mask dance which is part of their exorcism ritu-
als) and Mudi-āttam or hair-dance.
• Mahatma Ayyankali  (1863- 1941) was called as  Pu-
laya King.
DRUG 2-DEOXY-D-GLUCOSE (2-DG)
Context:
The DCGI has granted emergency use approval to DR-
DO’s 2-DG drug for treatment in moderate to severe
cases of Covid-19.
• 2-DG helps in faster recovery of hospitalized pa-
tients and reduces supplemental oxygen depen-
dence.
• The drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has been devel-
oped by DRDO’s Institute of Nuclear Medicine and
Allied Sciences (INMAS) in collaboration with Hy-
derabad-based Dr Reddy’s Laboritories.
WINCHCOMBE METEORITE
About Winchcombe meteorite:
• The Winchcombe meteorite is also known as car-
bonaceous meteorite. These meteorites have high
proportion of carbon.
• It was discovered after it landed in the driveway of
a house located in Gloucestershire in the UK and
considered “astonishingly rare”.
• It is named after the place, where it felli.e., the town
of Winchcombe in Gloucestershire in the UK. Fur-
thermore, its weight is 103 grams, and it resembles
coal in looks.
GHOLVAD CHIKOO (SAPOTA)
Context:
• Recently, GI-certified Dahanu Gholvad Chikoo from
Maharashtra begins UK journey.
About Gholvad Sapota
• Geographical Indication (GI) certification  of Ghol-
vad Sapota is held by Maharashtra Rajya Chikoo
Utpadak Sangh.
• The fruit is popular for its sweet and unique taste.
The unique taste is believed to be derived from the
calcium-rich soil of the Gholvad village in Palghar
district.
NEW BIG 5 PROJECT
• It is an international initiative of more than 250 of
the world’s wildlife photographers, conservation-
ists, and wildlife charities.
• Created by British photographer Graeme Green.
• Its aim is to raise awareness about the crisis facing
the world’s wildlife from threats including habitat
loss, human-wildlife conflict, poaching, illegal wild-
life trade and climate change.
• Since its launch in April 2020, the project to list
the animals received more than 50,000 votes from
wildlife lovers.
SUNDERLAL BAHUGUNA
Context: -
Well-known environmentalist and Gandhian Sunderlal
Bahuguna is no more.
• He was one of the founders of the Chipko, or hug
the tree movement, in the 1970s to save Himalayan
forests.
• Bahuguna also led the charge against the construc-
tion of big dams in the Himalayas in the 1980s.
• He was fervently opposed to the construction of
the Tehri dam and sat on two long hunger strikes
against the dam, which proved to be of no avail.
Current Times | 73
• He also led a movement of women’s groups, or mah-
ila mandals, to enforce prohibition in Tehri Garhwal,
which was then part of Uttar Pradesh.
• He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2009.
About Chipko Movement:
• It was a  non-violent agitation  which originated
in Uttar Pradesh’s  Chamoli district  (now Uttara-
khand) in 1973.
• The name of the movement  ‘chipko’ comes from
the word ’embrace’,  as the  villagers hugged the
trees and encircled them to prevent being hacked.
• It is best remembered for the collective mobilisa-
tion of women for the cause of preserving forests,
which also brought about a change in attitude re-
garding their own status in society.
• Its biggest victory was  making people aware of
their rights to forests,  and  how grassroots activ-
ism can influence policymaking regarding ecology
and shared natural resources.
» It led to a ban on commercial felling of trees above
30 degrees slope  and above 1,000 msl (mean sea
level) in 1981.
DIPCOVAN
Context:
• The Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sci-
ences (DIPAS), a laboratory of Defence Research
and Development Organisation (DRDO), has devel-
74 I Current Times
oped a Covid-19 antibody detection kit called ‘Dip-
covan’.
About Dipcovan:
• The Dipcovan kit can detect both spike as well as
nucleocapsid (S&N) proteins of SARS-CoV-2 virus
with a high sensitivity of 97 % and specificity of
99%.
• The kit has a shelf life of 18 months.
• It has been developed in association with Vanguard
Diagnostics Pvt Ltd.
• It is an Antibody detection kit.
BRICS ASTRONOMY WORKING GROUP
(BAWG)
Context:
• Recently, India virtually hosted the 7th meeting of
the BRICS Astronomy Working Group (BAWG) un-
der the Science, Technology, and Innovation track
of the BRICS 2021.
About BAWG:
• It provides a platform for BRICS member coun-
tries to collaborate in the field of astronomy, rec-
ommending that the focal points in each country
should present the scientific results of the work
being carried out in each country.
This will help seek funding support to realize the flag-
ship project whenever funding opportunities are an-
nounced by BRICS funding agencies.