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INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

SVAMITVA SCHEME

THE CONTEXT:Union Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Shri Giriraj Singh will inaugurate the National Meet on SVAMITVA Scheme: A Stepping-Stone Towards Upliftment of Rural Economy on 14th September, 2021

ABOUT SVAMITVA SCHEME

• SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) Scheme   was launched   by the Prime Minister on   National   Panchayati   Raj Day, 24^thApril 2020 with a resolve to enable economic progress of Rural India by providing “Record of Rights” to every rural household owner.
• Aiming to demarcate inhabited (Abadi) land in rural areas through the latest surveying drone-technology, SVAMITVA Scheme is a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Revenue Departments, State Panchayati Raj Departments and Survey of India.
• The scheme covers multifarious aspects viz. facilitating monetisation of properties and enabling bank loan; reducing property related disputes; comprehensive village level planning, would be the stepping-stone towards achieving Gram Swaraj in true sense and making rural India Atmanirbhar (self-reliant).
• Phase I– Pilot Scheme (April 2020 – March 2021) covers States of Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and establishment of Continuous Operating Reference Systems (CORS) in the States of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan.
• Phase II(April 2021 – March 2025) – Complete survey of remaining villages and CORS network coverage across the Country by 2022.

SOURCE:PIB

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY AND AGRICULTURE

CLIMATE CHANGE COULD CAUSE 216 MN TO MIGRATE: WORLD BANK

THE CONTEXT: A World Bank report has found that Climate change could push more than 200 million people to leave their homes in the next three decades and create migration hot spots unless urgent action is taken to reduce global emissions and bridge the development gap.

ANALYSIS:

• The World Bank’s updated Groundswell report was released September 13, 2021.
• It examined how the impacts of slow-onset climate change, such as water scarcity, decreasing crop productivity and rising sea levels, could lead to millions of what it describes as “climate migrants” by 2050 under three different scenarios with varying degrees of climate action and development.
• Under the most pessimistic scenario, with a high level of emissions and unequal development, the report forecasts up to 216 million people moving within their own countries across the six regions analysed. Those regions are Latin America; North Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Eastern Europe and Central Asia; South Asia; and East Asia and the Pacific.
• In the worst-case scenario, Sub-Saharan Africa — the most vulnerable region due to desertification, fragile coastlines and the population’s dependence on agriculture — would see the most migrants, with up to 86 million people moving within national borders.
• In South Asia, Bangladesh is particularly affected by flooding and crop failures, accounting for almost half of the predicted climate migrants, with 19.9 million people, including an increasing number of women, moving by 2050 under the pessimistic scenario.

SOURCE:DTE

CLIMATE ACTION AND FINANCE MOBILIZATION DIALOGUE (CAFMD)

THE CONTEXT: India and US launch the Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue (CAFMD).

ANALYSIS:

• The CAFMD is one of the two tracks of the India-U.S. Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 partnership launched at the Leaders’ Summit on Climate in April 2021, by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and US President Mr. Joseph Biden.
• CAFMD would be based on three pillars: 1. A “climate action pillar” which would have joint proposals looking at ways in emissions could be reduced in the next decade. 2. Setting out a roadmap to achieving the 450GW in transportation, buildings and industry. 3. ”Finance Pillar” would involve collaborating on attracting finance to deploy 450 GW of renewable energy and demonstrate at scale clean energy technologies.

SOURCE:  PIB

INDIAN ECONOMY

INFLATION DIPS MARGINALLY TO 5.3% IN AUGUST

THE CONTEXT:India’s retail inflation cooled to 5.3% in August from 5.6% in July, thanks to food price inflation falling to 3.11% from nearly 4% in July, and the effect of a high base last August.

ANALYSIS:

• RBI is expected to continue with its accommodative monetary policy stance, with the headline inflation number edging lower. However, economists warned that inflationary risks persist.
• Inflation in health (7.8%), transport and communication (10.2%), fuel & light (almost 13%), remains high.

ABOUT CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (CPI)

• CPI is the measure of changes in the price level of a basket of consumer goods and services bought by households.
• Base Year for CPI is 2012.
• Types of CPI: 1. CPI for Industrial Workers (IW): Compiled by the Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and Employment. 2. CPI for Agricultural Labourer (AL): Compiled by the Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and Employment. 3. CPI for Rural Labourer (RL): Compiled by the Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and Employment. 4. CPI (Rural/Urban/Combined): Compiled by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
• Note: Changes in prices at the producer level are tracked by the Wholesale Price Index (WPI).

SOURCE : TH

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

INDIA–AFRICA DEFENCE DIALOGUE TO BE HELD ALONGSIDE EVERY DEFEXPO

THE CONTEXT:India proposes to institutionalize the India Africa Defense Dialogue during successive DefExpos to be held once every two years.

ANALYSIS:

• Institutionalization of the India Africa Defence Dialogue will help building on the existing partnerships between African countries & India and to explore new areas of convergence for mutual engagements including areas like capacity building, training, cyber security, maritime security and counter terrorism.
• It has been decided that Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses shall be the knowledge partner of India Africa Defence Dialogue and will assist in providing necessary support for enhanced defence cooperation between India and Africa.
• It has also been decided that Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh will host the Defence Ministers of African Nations in the next India – Africa Defence Dialogue on the sidelines of the DefExpo that is scheduled to be held at Gandhinagar, Gujarat in March 2022.
• The broad theme of this India Africa Defence Dialgue will be ‘India – Africa: Adopting Strategy for Synergizing and Strengthening Defence and Security Cooperation’.

SOURCE:  PIB

PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS:

Q1. Which of the following is compiled by Central Statistics Office (CSO)?

a) CPI for Industrial Workers (IW)

b) CPI for Agricultural Labourer (AL)

c) CPI for Rural Labourer (RL)

d) CPI (Rural/Urban/Combined)

ANSWER FOR SEPTEMBER 10, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS (REFER TO RELEVANT ARTICLE)

Answer: B)

Explanation:

• Subramania Bharati died exactly 100 years ago, on September 11, 1921. Popularly known as “Mahakavi Bharathi”, he was a pioneer of modern Tamil poetry and is considered one of the greatest Tamil literary figures of all time.
• His numerous works included fiery songs kindling patriotism during the Indian Independence movement.
• He wrote stories, commentaries, and was also the pioneer of column writing in Tamil.
• Aspects of this dream form part of his fantasy story, Gnanaratham (The Chariot of Wisdom), written when he was still in his late 20s.