(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Atal Innovation Mission launches Space challenge in collaboration with ISRO & CBSE across India READ MORE
2. India, U.S. agree to collaborate on emerging fuels READ MORE
3. The world’s coral reefs have suffered terribly in 30 years, but are resilient: Study READ MORE
4. Explained: What is KYC-VS, the new update on CoWIN to check vaccination status? READ MORE
5. 80% of Indian Children Learnt Lesser During the Pandemic: UNICEF Report READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. A Critical Analysis of the Constitutionality of the Non-criminalisation of Marital Rape in India READ MORE
2. Indefensible Political Acrimony READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Why we need caste census: Benefits distribution needs finer social data. Upper caste angst no reason to stop the exercise READ MORE
2. Gender gap, inequity in healthcare access: Only four States show a fair sex ratio in COVID vaccination. On the health and survival front, India already is one of the five worst performers in South Asia READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. How the world — and India — changed in the 20 years after 9/11 READ MORE
2. Why Pakistan is the winner of the longest war in Afghanistan READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. The utilisation of Government Borrowings in the Major Indian States READ MORE
2. Asset Monetisation for Infrastructural Investment READ MORE

 ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Checking stubble burning: Curb the menace to reduce pollution READ MORE
2. In Himachal Pradesh, climate change and unplanned development are causing disasters READ MORE
3. Need for More Knowledge to Conserve Himalayan Ecosystem READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Prudent step: The Govt is on guard against terror acts in J&K in the wake of the Taliban takeover READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Drop all bad feelings for a better tomorrow READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘Privatising assets without allowing for competition or regulation creates private monopolies that raise prices, reduce efficiency and harm the economy’. In the light of the statement discuss the way forward to address these issues.
2. Discuss the need for the regulations for ‘Gig Economy’.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Try taking a stand on just one leg. You need to see both sides.
• Privatising assets without allowing for competition or regulation creates private monopolies that raise prices, reduce efficiency and harm the economy.
• In the past, disinvestment of equity, strategic sale or outright privatisation were the principal means to mobilise such non-debt capital receipts.
• Fiscal sustainability is a key element for subnational governments in India as fiscal policy is the only instrument that can be used to correct economic malady.
• The fiscal sustainability of state governments is different from that of the central government, due to the differential allocation of powers in the Constitution of India.
• The democratic public sphere is supposed to regulate the direction of judgment and its normative outcome based on merit. Political parties should take such a judgment to promote merit among the leaders who participate in democratic decision-making.
• Rape is an egregious act that cannot be merely construed as a sexual offence but is an act to degrade and humiliate the dignity, modesty, and integrity of a woman.
• Using technology to harness agricultural waste can be a good start. Punjab has taken to the direct seeding of rice (DSR) method that yields less residue, utilises less water and makes do with the labour shortage.
• The Commission for Air Quality has asked Delhi and neighbouring states to adopt satellite data from ISRO to chalk out an action plan in this regard. More such applications of technology should be undertaken to reduce pollution and achieve the aim of clean air for blue skies.
• Tipping delivery workers, offering them shelter during rough weather conditions, and other basic gestures of humanity, have all been mooted. While important in their own right, it is crucial to note that the problem is institutional, and requires an institutional solution.
• Liberalisation isn’t necessary only for poverty alleviation and achieving prosperity, but arguably it is now the principal strategy for national security.

50-WORD TALK

• Ford’s exit from India four years after GM underlines the failure of American auto giants to cope with India’s highly competitive market. But this is also a blow to the country’s manufacturing sector amid a slowdown. Government should encourage emerging tech such as hybrids and EVs to overcome these setbacks.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and also exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
• For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.

THE CONTEXT: The recent farmer agitation has brought the issue of farmer distress front and centre in the public consciousness. The time seems ripe to find new solutions to the structural challenges facing farmers. One of the solution is to support farmers by Direct Income Support (DIS) but in recent time several reports highlighted that such schemes are facing many challenges. In this article, we will discuss that what should be the way forward for the effective implementation of these scheme.

Income support scheme in India for farmers

• In agriculture, there are two major types of government support measures. The first one is price support measure and the second is income support measures.
• Price support means the government is procuring the agricultural produce from farmers at a remunerative price. India’s Minimum Support Price based procurement is a classic example of price support scheme.

Direct Income Support

• The second type of support is DIRECT INCOME SUPPORT (DIS).In this scheme, government transfers direct payment to the poor farmers.
• Under the WTO terminology, it is called Direct payments to farmers or Decoupled Income Support. Decoupled means such an income transfer to farmers will not influence (or minimum influence) production and price of the respective crops.

PM KISAN SAMMAN SAMMAN NIDHI

• The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is the first universal basic income-type of scheme targeted towards landed farmers.
• It was introduced in December 2018 to manage agricultural stress.

• Initially, the scheme was targeted at small and medium landed farmers, but with the declining growth in gross value added of the agricultural sector, it was extended to all farmers in May 2019.
• This direct benefit transfer scheme was aimed at addressing the liquidity constraints of farmers in meeting their expenses for agricultural inputs and services.

Features of the scheme:

• Income support: The primary feature of this Yojana is the minimum income support it provides to farmers. Each eligible farmer family is entitled to receive Rs.6000 per annum across India. However, the amount is not disbursed at once. It’s divided into three equal instalments and meted out four months apart.
• Funding: PMKSNY is an Indian government-sponsored farmer support scheme. Therefore, the entirety of its funding comes from the Government of India.
• Identification responsibility: While the responsibility of funding lies with GOI, the identification of beneficiaries is not under its purview. Instead, it’s the responsibility of State and Union Territory governments.

Benefits of Direct Income Support

Direct Income Supports’ ability to encourage farmers to raise production is less. At the same time, it has some positives:

• There is no leakage – income is transferred through DBT.
• There is protection for farmers against income loss and adverse terms of trade impact on agriculture.
• It is less distortionary and is WTO combatable; there is less influence on production and price.
• Farm income support is superior to price support as it is crop neutral. The farmer is getting reward for continuing with agriculture whatever may be the crop he is cultivating. On the other hand, India’s MSP historically, favored wheat and rice farmers as procurement was concentrated on these two crops.

PM KISAN after two years: A critical review

The PM KISAN scheme has completed two years (seven installments are released of the scheme) but facing several crises.  The scheme is a useful vehicle to provide support to farmers and it was included in the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package during lockdown but, was this a useful way of relieving distress during the lockdown?  A survey by NCAER National Data Innovation Centre in June 2020 provides some useful insights in this regard:

Findings of the survey

• Lower level of economic distress among farmers than among other groups.
• While farmers faced some logistical challenges in transporting and selling their produce, 97 per cent of them continued to harvest Rabi crops and prepared for the Kharif season.
• Nearly 75 per cent of the cultivators who usually hire labourers for agricultural activities continued to do so.
• The farmers were relatively immune to the economic impact of the lockdown as nearly 32 per cent of them experienced a large income loss which is much lower compared to the proportion among casual wage workers and business households
• The proportion of households that had to borrow to meet their day-to-day consumption needs during the lockdown was relatively low for the farmers.

Performance of PM-KISAN during the Pandemic

• Only 21 per cent households received cash transfers through PM-KISAN.
• Around two-thirds reported receiving Rs 2,000 and about a fourth received Rs 4,000, possibly because family members engaged in agricultural activities may be co-residing within a household.
• About 35 per cent of rural PM-KISAN recipients suffered income losses to a large extentin comparison to more than half of the non-recipients.

Lack of Data Base

• The scheme was hurriedly announced right ahead of the 2018 elections and then the government did not have proper database of farmers.
• There are nearly 14.5 crore families in India but govt did not has proper database of these families. Many states like West Bengal, have delayed or did not submit the data related to farmers.

Difficulty in Identifying Beneficiary Farmers

• According to agricultural census of 2015-16, number of landholdings in the country was projected at Rs 14.65 crore. But land holding do not determine the number of farmer families present in the country as there are multiple owners for a single land. In such scenario, all the farmer families which own the land are eligible for the scheme.
• Number of landholdings in Punjab according to agricultural census were 10.39 lakh but number of beneficiaries’ farmers in PM-kisan data base list were 17.52 lakh till October 23, 2019.

Census Issue

• Other problem includes the agricultural census that counts the number of operational landholdings. Which is the piece of land being used for cultivation without considering the title of land. Whereas PM-kisan scheme considers the farmer families recognised as land holders under the state or union territory.
• Further, around 14.3 crore landless farmers (census 2011) will not be able to avail this scheme. Mainly due to the fact they are not the land holders and are contract farmers.

Others

Intended Farm Households are not covered: PM-KISAN is not reaching all farmer households as intended as most of the farmers in UP, Haryana and Rajasthan own land and should be receiving benefits but only 21 per cent of the cultivators interviewed reported receiving the benefit.

1. 1. Not a pro-poor scheme: it is not pro-poor since recipients of PM-KISAN seemed to be better off than the general rural population even before the lockdown.
   2. Lack of digitized land records: In many States, land records are not updated regularly and therefore, there could be instances where the cultivating farmers would have partitioned their holdings from other family members, but would not have the records-of-right to claim the benefit instantly.

What should be the Way Forward?

Proactive role of Banks

• There are reports that after the loan waiver in Maharashtra or transfer of first instalment to the Bank accounts of farmers under KALIA scheme in Odisha, concerned bank branches adjusted the deposit money against past liabilities of few farmers.
• This kind of scenarios may lead to subversion of the objectives of the income support scheme, which is clearly intended to assist the farmers with some disposable cash for purchase of inputs.

Strengthening IT backbone

• Needless to say that States with robust computerized land records data base and a good IT infrastructure will be in a better position to implement PM-KISAN.
• With ICT usage and direct transfer of money to farmers’ bank accounts, pilferage would also be less.
• Farmers not having bank accounts should be encouraged to open ‘no-frills’ accounts under the Jan-Dhan Yojana. Linking Aadhaar data base will further strengthen the system and analytics later on from this big-data eco-system could assist decision making empirically.

Targeting benefits and updation of land records

• In many States, land records are not updated regularly and therefore, there could be instances where the cultivating farmers would have partitioned their holdings from other family members, but would not have the records-of-right to claim the benefit instantly.
• These kind of genuine cases need to be redressed by revenue authorities so that eligible cases are not deprived.

Lesson from states policies

• Odisha’s KALIA scheme offers some important lessons for the effective implementation of the scheme.
• Odisha used a three-step framework to identify beneficiaries. These are:
• Unification:The first step involved unifying state databases with “green forms” which were essentially applications from farmers who wanted to opt in.
• Verification:The second step involved verification of information through databases like the Socio-Economic Caste Census, National Food Security Act and other databases; de-duplication through Aadhaar; and bank account verification through bank databases.
• Exclusion: The third step involved excluding ineligible applicants like government employees, tax payers, large farmers, and those that voluntarily opted out.
• The use of technology and non-farm databases meant that KALIA could include sharecroppers, tenant and landless farmers as beneficiaries, which is a significant step towards inclusive agricultural policy-making.
• KALIA has now laid the foundation for a state-wide farmer database with 100 per cent Aadhaar, mobile number and financial address seeding. This database can be leveraged for targeted scheme delivery beyond DIS, issuing customised agri-advisories and improving financial access.

CONCLUSION

PM- KISAN is India’s first direct support scheme, which should be surely successful. But for this, govt of India should learn some important lessons from other sources like the KALIA scheme and for that technology can play a vital role. The potential of technology to transform social welfare delivery is exciting. An approach that leverages data to maximize citizen benefits, while ensuring privacy, security and access, must be the way forward if we are to truly realize the power of digital to serve every Indian.

Just add to your knowledge

The MSP as a Price Support Measure

• WTO calls these subsidies as amber box subsidies that distorts trade. Such subsidies should be reduced as they may make a high cost producer a big produce and the country may export its produce.
• According to the WTO, a support (subsidy) by the government that influences production and price is trade distorting and it should be reduced.

PM-KISAN (Direct Income Support)

• In this case; the government will be giving direct payment to the farmers for their low income from farming.
• Under the WTO terminology, it is called Direct payments to farmers or Decoupled Income Support.
• Decoupled means such an income transfer to farmers will not influence production and price of the respective croops.
• Under Agreement on Agriculture (WTO), the direct payment to farmers comes under the Green Box.

Sources

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/kalia-scheme-direct-income-support-odisha-welfare-7228320/

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/5-top-performing-states-under-pm-kisan-scheme-101614160699833.html

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/pm-kisan-farmer-scheme-lockdown-6536208/

1. Teachers Transform Lives READ MORE
2. The Most Important decisions READ MORE

1. Climate crisis in North East India: What is behind water scarcity in the region READ MORE
2. Explained: What a new study says about fossil fuel extraction and global warming READ MORE

1. Do quotas in public sector employment for disadvantaged groups enhance their welfare? READ MORE
2. Learning disabilities: Govt must reopen primary schools immediately READ MORE

1. Why hasn’t marital rape been criminalised in India yet? READ MORE
2. Stop arbitrariness in tribunal appointments READ MORE
3. Nations Don’t Fail, States Fail READ MORE
4. The Right to Education Act has brought hope – but the pandemic has shown flaws that should be fixed READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Union Education Minister releases India Rankings 2021 READ MORE
2. India’s first Indigenously Designed High Ash Coal Gasification Based Methanol Production Plant at BHEL R&D Centre, Hyderabad READ MORE
3. Explained: Island discovered off Greenland is the new speck on the world map READ MORE
4. Human-driven speciation: A peek into how we may alter the morphology of African elephants READ MORE
5. India’s 1st emergency landing strip on the highway to be inaugurated in Barmer today READ MORE

Main Exam  

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Why hasn’t marital rape been criminalised in India yet? READ MORE
2. Stop arbitrariness in tribunal appointments READ MORE
3. Nations Don’t Fail, States Fail READ MORE
4. The Right to Education Act has brought hope – but the pandemic has shown flaws that should be fixed READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Do quotas in public sector employment for disadvantaged groups enhance their welfare? READ MORE
2. Learning disabilities: Govt must reopen primary schools immediately READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The fall of Afghanistan, the fallout in West Asia READ MORE
2. India’s diplomatic win on Afghanistan READ MORE
3. Victims at the Heart of International Criminal Justice READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Catching up: The success of the PLI is likely to hinge on how entrepreneurs weigh the risk-reward equation READ MORE
2. We must focus on human development, not GDP growth READ MORE
3. 30 years on, economic reforms have paid off READ MORE
4. Why has India’s growth slowed? The slowdown in growth is primarily on account of the banking crisis READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Climate crisis in North East India: What is behind water scarcity in the region READ MORE
2. Explained: What a new study says about fossil fuel extraction and global warming READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Teachers Transform Lives READ MORE
2. The Most Important decisions READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. The RTE Act seems to be more of a “right to access schooling” than a “right to education’’. In the light of the statement discuss the need for the inclusion of online education in the Act.
2. The growing NPA problem can aggravate the balance-sheet imbalances of the banking sector. This is requiring reforms to make the banking and financial sector more transparent and accountable. Comment on the statement.
3. The global discourse on national security is changing and India should also align itself to such change. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Stay faithful to the stories in your head.
• While Pakistan is playing the lead public role in Afghan affairs, the country’s West Asian/Gulf neighbours will be a significant influence in shaping the future of that beleaguered country.
• Inadequate teaching has given rise to an aversion to programming across campuses.
• All UNSC members praised India’s presidency and acknowledged the value added by India in building bridges in the midst of polarised UNSC dynamics, strengthening its claim for permanent membership.
• A major reason for the rising inequality is the heterogeneity of the Indian population, leading to varying adjustment capacity.
• The application of nano-fertilisers is emerging as a promising strategy to promote plant growth and development and limit environmental degradation.
• India’s ‘development diplomacy’ is taking shape in the Maldives by funding the largest infrastructure development project there.
• The RTE Act seems to be more of a “right to access schooling” than a “right to education’’. With the pandemic, even the “right to access schooling” is coming undone. It is a right served all wrong.
• The second crucial window of opportunity for India is the QUAD summit (in person) in end-September and the India-US head of government level bilateral. The focus has to be on peaceful co-existence for all powers in the region for sustained prosperity.

50-WORD TALK

• That the Karnal SDM has become a sticking point in the talks between protesting farmers and the state government is not surprising. Such a provocation by a magistrate on duty will not disappear easily. Transferring the officer doesn’t amount to punishment or accountability. The state’s action must be seen to be exemplary.

Things to Remember

• For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and also exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
• For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

INDIA RANKINGS 2021

THE CONTEXT: Union Education Minister released the India Rankings 2021 instituted by the National Institutional Ranking Framework.

ANALYSIS:

• This is the sixth consecutive edition of India Rankings of HEIs in India. During its maiden year in 2016, rankings were announced for University category as well as for three domain-specific rankings, namely Engineering, Management and Pharmacy institutions.
• Over the period of six years, three new categories and five new subject domains were added to bring the total tally to 4 four categories, namely Overall, University, College and Research Institutions and 7 subjects, namely Engineering, Management, Pharmacy, Architecture, Medical, Law and Dental in 2021.
• Research institutions have been ranked for the first time in India Rankings 2021.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF INDIA RANKINGS 2021

• Indian Institute of Technology Madras retains 1st Position in Overall Category as well as in Engineering for the third consecutive year.
• Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru tops the University as well as Research Institution category introduced for the first time in India Rankings 2021.
• IIM Ahmedabad tops in Management subject and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi occupies the top slot in Medical for the fourth consecutive year.
• Jamia Hamdard tops the list in Pharmacy subject for the third consecutive year.
• Miranda College retains 1st position amongst colleges for the fifth consecutive year.
• IIT Roorkee takes the top slot for the first time in Architecture subject displacing IIT Kharagpur.
• National Law School of India University, Bangalore retains its first position for in Law for the fourth consecutive years.
• Colleges in Delhi dominate ranking of colleges with five colleges out of first 10 colleges from Delhi.
• Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal, secure 1st position in “Dental” category.

SOURCE:  PIB

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY AND AGRICULTURE

A NEW STUDY SAYS ABOUT FOSSIL FUEL EXTRACTION AND GLOBAL WARMING

THE CONTEXT: A new study conducted by researchers from University College London says that the global oil and gas production should decline by three per cent per year until 2050 to keep global warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius, which is the target set by the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. The study has been published in the journal Nature.

ANALYSIS:

• A Greenpeace report published in early 2020 estimated that the global cost of air pollution from fossil fuels was around $2.9 trillion per year, or $8 billion per day, which was 3.3 per cent of the world’s GDP at the time. As per this report, India is estimated to bear a cost of $150 billion from air pollution caused by fossil fuels.
• Keeping this goal set out by the climate agreement, the study says that as of now, both planned and operational fossil fuel extraction projects are not conducive to meeting the targets set out by the climate agreement signed in 2015.
• Significantly, the study says that a substantial number of regions in the world have already reached their peak fossil fuel production and that any increase in fossil fuel production will have to be offset by a decline elsewhere, if the goal wants to be achieved.
• Further, the required unextracted reserves need to be 58 percent for oil, 59 percent for fossil methane gas and 89 percent for coal by 2050.  Which is to say that these percentages of fossil fuels need to remain unextractable if global warming targets are kept in mind.
• Specifically for coal, the unextractable estimates show less variation across regions, the report notes.

SOURCE:  IE

INDIAN ECONOMY

GOVERNMENT PROVIDES BIG BOOST TO EXPORTERS

THE CONTEXT: Government of India has decided to budget Rs 56,027 crore in this Financial Year FY 21-22 itself in order to disburse all pending export incentives due to exporters.

ANALYSIS:

• Benefits would be disbursed to more than 45,000 exporters, out of which about 98% are small exporters in the MSME category.
• Centre has provided a massive relief to the exporters.
• This amount is over and above duty remission of Rs 12,454 crore for the RoDTEP scheme and Rs 6,946 crore for RoSCTL scheme already announced.
• Benefits would help sectors to maintain cash flows and meet export demand in international market
• This support would have a multiplier effect and spur employment generation
• Robust export growth is being witnessed in recent months and this decision will lead to an even more rapid export growth in coming months

SOURCE : PIB

MAIN BHI DIGITAL 3.0

THE CONTEXT: Ministry of Housing and urban Affairs( MoHUA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) launched the pilot drive ‘Main Bhi Digital 3.0’ – A special Campaign for Digital Onboarding and Training for street vendors under PM SVANidhi scheme across 223 cities in the country .

ANALYSIS:

• The special drive aims to accelerate on-boarding of street vendors on the UPI QR code and handhold them to start accepting/making digital payment transactions.
• Five major aggregators including Paytm, Phone Pe, Bharat Pe, Mswipe and Aceware have agreed to participate in 45 days special drive for digitally onboarding the street vendors with BHIM-UPI QR code on pro-bono basis.
• The drive will cover 223 cities across the country with around 8,68,184 street vendors to be onboarded under various urban local bodies.
• Digital Payment Aggregators will educate the street vendors about the benefits of digital payments such as convenience, increased operational efficiency, seamless transfer of funds, cost saving, transparency and security.
• They will also hand hold the street vendors by performing penny drop transaction and any further support that is required to accept/ pay digitally.
• Digital footprints including  digital payment transactions and loan repayment data under the scheme would help in credit profiling  of street vendors. This will enable inclusion of street vendors in the formal credit ecosystem, and help in driving financial inclusion of unorganized sector.
• This will enable inclusion of Street Vendors in the formal credit ecosystem, and help in driving financial inclusion of the unorganized sector.
• The Covid-19 pandemic has catazalyzed behavioural changes in citizens for adoption of digital payments, as reflected in the tremendous growth in BHIM UPI transactions from  99.95 crore in April 2020 to  355.55 crore in August-2021.  During the coronavirus crisis, digital payments, particularly BHIM UPI has played a significant role in keeping economy running by supporting commerce and business.

PM SVANIDHI

• PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) was launched on June 1, 2020 as a Central Sector Scheme.
• The scheme facilitates affordable working capital loan of up to ₹10,000 with an interest subsidy @7% on regular repayment.
• The street vendors are not required to pay any collateral for the loan. The scheme provides Graded Guarantee Cover, to Lending Institutions, on a portfolio basis. The scheme targets to cover 50 lakh street vendors, who had been vending on or before March 24, 2020.
• The street vendors also stand a chance to avail a loan of ₹20,000 and ₹50,000 in the second and third tranches respectively on timely repayment of the loan.
• To encourage digital transaction a cash back up to ₹1,200 on digital transactions at ₹100 per month is provided to the street vendors under the scheme.
• An Integrated IT Platform has been developed to provide end-to-end solution for the paper less loan processing.
• SIDBI has been appointed as the implementation agency for scheme administration.

SOURCE :  PIB

INTERNAL SECURITY

MRSAM

THE CONTEXT:  The first deliverable Firing Unit (FU) of Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) System was handed over to Indian Air Force (IAF) in the presence of Raksha Mantri.

ABOUT MRSAM

• MRSAM provides air defence against aerial threats like fighter aircraft, UAVs, guided and unguided munitions & cruise missiles
• Capable of engaging multiple targets at ranges up to 70 kilometres
• Indigenously developed rocket motor & control system for achieving high manoeuvrability
• State-of-the-art missile system

SOURCE: PIB

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

HIGH ASH COAL GASIFICATION BASED METHANOL PRODUCTION PLANT

THE CONTEXT:  India’s first Indigenously Designed High Ash Coal Gasification Based Methanol Production Plant at BHEL R&D Centre, Hyderabad

ANALYSIS:

• Methanol is utilized as a motor fuel, to power ship engines, and to generate clean power all over the world.
• Methanol is also used to generate di-methyl ether (DME), a liquid fuel that is very similar to diesel — existing diesel engines simply need to be minimally changed to use DME instead of diesel.
• The majority of worldwide methanol production is derived from natural gas, which is a relatively easy process. Since India doesn’t have much of the natural gas reserves, producing methanol from imported natural gas lead to outflow of foreign exchange and sometimes uneconomical due to excessive prices of natural gas.
• The next best option is to utilise India’s abundant coal. However, due to the high ash percentage of Indian coal, most internationally accessible technology will not be adequate for our demands.
• To address this issue, BHEL R&D centre at Hydrabad began working on Indian high ash coal gasification in 2016 with support from the NITI Aayog to produce 0.25 ton per day methanol.
• The project was supported by the Department of Science and Technology with a Rs 10 crore grant. With four years of hard work BHEL successfully demonstrated a facility to create 0.25 TPD Methanol from high ash Indian coal using a 1.2 TPD Fluidized bed gasifier. The methanol purity of the crude methanol produced is between 98 and 99.5 percent.

SOURCE : PIB

Q1. Consider the following statements about PM SVANIDHI:

1. The street vendors are not required to pay any collateral for the loan.
2. SIDBI has been appointed as the implementation agency for scheme administration.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

ANSWER FOR SEPTEMBER 09, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS (REFER RELEVANT ARTICLE)

Answer: a)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: MSP is the minimum price at which government purchases crops from farmers. It is based on a calculation of at least one-and-a-half times the cost of production incurred by the farmers.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) decides the minimum support price and recommend it to government.

[WpProQuiz 43]

THE CONTEXT: The Economic Survey rightly flagged the issue of a growing food subsidy bill, which, in the words of the government, “is becoming unmanageably large”. The reason is food subsidy, coupled with the drawal of food grains by States from the central pool under various schemes, has been on a perpetual growth trajectory. This article discusses about the issues related to increasing food subsidy, need to recast the system and possible solutions.

Public Distribution System

Basic information

• PDS evolved as a system of management of scarcity through distribution of foodgrains at affordable prices.
• The operational responsibilities including allocation within the State, identification of eligible families, issue of Ration Cards and supervision of the functioning of Fair Price Shops (FPSs) etc., rest with the State Governments.
• The Public distribution system (PDS) is an Indian food Security System established under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution.
• PDS is operated under the joint responsibility of the Central and the State Governments:

1. The Central Government, through Food Corporation of India (FCI), has assumed the responsibility for procurement, storage, transportation and bulk allocation of food grains to the State Governments.
2. The operational responsibilities including allocation within the State, identification of eligible families, issue of Ration Cards and supervision of the functioning of Fair Price Shops (FPSs) etc., rest with the State Governments.

Evolution of the system

• Before 1960-PDS was introduced during the time of World War II. It was before the year 1960 that the distribution through PDS was dependent on imports of food grains.
• 1960s-The Public Distribution System was then expanded in the 1960sto handle food shortages and take care of distribution.
• The Food Corporation of India and the Commission of Agricultural Costs and Prices were also set up by the government of India to improve domestic procurement and storage of food grains.
• 1970s– It was during the 1970s when PDS evolved as a universal scheme for the distribution of food.
• 1992- The Revamped Public Distribution System (RPDS)was launched in 1992 with a view to strengthen and streamline the PDS as well as to improve its reach in the far-flung, hilly, remote and inaccessible areas.
• 1997- the Government of India launched the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS)with a focus on the poor.
• Beneficiaries under TPDS  Divided into 2 categories – Households Below Poverty Line and Households Above Poverty Line.
• 2000- Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)launched in December, 2000 was a step in the direction of making TPDS aim at reducing hunger among the poorest segments of the BPL population.

Functions

• The centre procures food grains from farmers at a minimum support price (MSP) and sells it to states at central issue prices. It is responsible for transporting the grains to godowns in each state.
• States bear the responsibility of transporting food grains from these godowns to each fair price shop (ration shop), where the beneficiary buys the food grains at the lower central issue price.

Food Security and PDS System

• With a network of more than 400,000 Fair Price Shops (FPS), the Public Distribution System (PDS) in India is perhaps the largest distribution machinery of its type in the world.
• PDS is said to distribute each year commodities worth more than Rs15,000 crore to about 16 crore families.
• This huge network can play a more meaningful role if only the system is able to translate into micro level a macro level self-sufficiency by ensuring availability of food grains for the poor households.
• Food Security of beneficiaries is ensured by distributing food grains at subsidized prices through the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).  It protects them from price volatility due to inflation.
• Over the years, while the spending on food subsidy has increased, the ratio of people below the poverty line has decreased.

The Issue

• During 2016-17 to 2019-20, the subsidy amount, clubbed with loans taken by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) under the National Small Savings Fund (NSSF) towards food subsidy, was in the range of ₹1.65-lakh crore to ₹2.2-lakh crore. In future, the annual subsidy bill of the Centre is expected to be about ₹2.5-lakh crore.
• As the National Food Security Act (NFSA), which came into force in July 2013, enhanced entitlements (covering two-thirds of the country’s population), this naturally pushed up the States’ drawal (Based on an improved version of the targeted Public Distribution System (PDS), the law requires the authorities to provide to each beneficiary 5 kg of rice or wheat per month.)

• For this financial year (2020-21) which is an extraordinary year on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, the revised estimate of the subsidy has been put at about ₹4.23-lakh crore, excluding the extra budgetary resource allocation of ₹84,636 crore.

Other Challenges Related to the Food Subsidy

• While MSP is declared for 23 crops, the biggest financial burden comes from wheat and rice.
• Overall procurement of rice and wheat has gone up to 52 million tonnes and 39 million tonnes, respectively. The requirement of PDS and welfare schemes is about 60 million tonnes.
• This leaves a surplus of about 30 million tonnes, in addition to the carry-over stock of about 42 million tonnes (current)—far above the buffer and strategic reserve norms.
• The cost of holding this stock works out to Rs 29,000 crore per year.

Will increasing CIP revamp the system?

Food grains via ration shops are supplied at highly subsidised rates of ₹3 per kg for rice, ₹2 per kg for wheat and ₹1 per kg for coarse grains through Public Distribution System (PDS) as per the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

• The Economic Survey has hinted at an increase in the Central Issue Price (CIP),which has remained at ₹2 per kg for wheat and ₹3 per kg for rice for years, though the NFSA, even in 2013, envisaged a price revision after three years.
• One should ponder over the advisability of keeping so low the retail prices of food grains at fair price shops, even after the passage of nearly 50 years and achieving substantial poverty reduction in the country. As per the Rangarajan group’s estimate in 2014, the share of people living below the poverty line (BPL) in the 2011 population was 29.5% (about 36 crore).
• The Centre, by stating through the Survey that it is difficult to reduce “the economic cost of food management in view of rising commitment” towards food security, does not want the NFSA norms to be disturbed.
• Political compulsions are perceived to be coming in the way of the Centre and the States increasing the prices.

Possible Solutions

Decreasing the quantum of coverage

• It is time the Centre had a relook at the overall food subsidy system including the pricing mechanism. It should revisit NFSA norms and coverage.
• An official committee in January 2015 called for decreasing the quantum of coverage under the law, from the present 67% to around 40%

“Give-up” option

• For all ration cardholders drawing food grains, a “give-up” option, as done in the case of cooking gas cylinders, can be made available.
• Even though States have been allowed to frame criteria for the identification of PHH cardholders, the Centre can nudge them into pruning the number of such beneficiaries.

Slab system

• As for the prices, the existing arrangement of flat rates should be replaced with a slab system. Barring the needy, other beneficiaries can be made to pay a little more for a higher quantum of food grains.
• The rates at which these beneficiaries have to be charged can be arrived at by the Centre and the States through consultations. These measures, if properly implemented, can have a salutary effect on retail prices in the open market.

Conclusion

• There are no two opinions about reforms implemented in the PDS through various steps, including end-to-end computerisation of operations, digitisation of data of ration cardholders, seeding of Aadhaar, and automation of fair price shops.
• Yet, diversion of food grains and other chronic problems do exist. It is nobody’s case that the PDS should be dismantled or in-kind provision of food subsidy be discontinued.
• After all, the Centre itself did not see any great virtue in the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode at the time of giving additional food grains free of cost to the States during April-November last year (as part of relief measures during the pandemic).
• A revamped, need-based PDS is required not just for cutting down the subsidy bill but also for reducing the scope for leakages. Political will should not be found wanting.

1. Back at school: The nascent reopening of schools can be sustained with a commitment to safety READ MORE
2. Order, order: An unnecessary confrontation with the judiciary has held up much-needed tribunal reforms READ MORE
3. Justice for women of law READ MORE
4. Have SC’s attempts to depoliticise police inadvertently led to a weakening of federalism? READ MORE

1. School lockdowns in India have robbed a generation of upward mobility. READ MORE
2. Himachal: Institutional Casteism in Hiring of Cooks for Mid-Day Meals READ MORE

1. Over 90% of districts in India now face arid conditions. READ MORE
2. Green hydrogen, a new ally for a zero-carbon future: It holds promise as an alternative, truly clean fuel and in aiding the world’s decarbonisation goals READ MORE
3. How India’s food systems must respond to the climate crisis, READ MORE
4. India confronts increased rain-deficiency, climate migration READ MORE

1. Learning and not suffering settles karma READ MORE
2. What is Patience READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Cabinet increases Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for Rabi crops for marketing season 2022-23 READ MORE.
2. Supreme Court Collegium recommends names of 12 additional judges for appointment as permanent High Court judges READ MORE
3. Give rivers their rights, activists tell IUCN World Conservation Congress READ MORE
4. What is ‘Right to Sit’, the Tamil Nadu bill that mandates seating facilities for shop workers? READ MORE
5. Modi govt approves PLI scheme worth Rs 10,683 crore for textiles sector READ MORE
6. PM Modi launches key education initiatives for ‘education revolution’ READ MORE

Main Exam  

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Back at school: The nascent reopening of schools can be sustained with a commitment to safety READ MORE
2. Order, order: An unnecessary confrontation with the judiciary has held up much-needed tribunal reforms READ MORE
3. Justice for women of law READ MORE
4. Have SC’s attempts to depoliticise police inadvertently led to a weakening of federalism? READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. School lockdowns in India have robbed a generation of upward mobility. READ MORE
2. Himachal: Institutional Casteism in Hiring of Cooks for Mid-Day Meals READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. India’s presidency of the UNSC fortified our role in world affairs READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. The economic reforms — looking back to look ahead: The fundamentals need to be set right with a focus on human capital, technology readiness, and productivity READ MORE.
2. NBFC regulation needs to be strengthened READ MORE
3. CEA stokes hope amid Asian gloom: India’s economic growth is expected to be higher than the pre-COVID19 level. READ MORE
4. Balanced asset monetization: The govt must assess the plan since it has several pluses and minuses. READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Over 90% of districts in India now face arid conditions. READ MORE
2. Green hydrogen, a new ally for a zero-carbon future: It holds promise as an alternative, truly clean fuel and in aiding the world’s decarbonisation goals READ MORE
3. How India’s food systems must respond to the climate crisis, READ MORE
4. India confronts increased rain-deficiency, climate migration READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Learning and not suffering settles karma READ MORE
2. What is Patience READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. What do you understand by ‘Green Hydrogen’? Discuss the benefits and challenges involved in its production.
2. ‘India’s presidency of the UNSC has reinforced that India continues to play an important role in world affairs’. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• While the miser is merely a capitalist gone mad, the capitalist is a rational miser.
• It is high time to catch up with the rest of the world by going in for clean energy, decarbonising the economy and adopting ‘Green hydrogen’ as an environment-friendly and safe fuel for the next generations.
• Governments should end their populist indulgence of unsafe behaviour in public spaces to prevent community-level spikes that can jeopardise the nascent return of schooling.
• The narrative of Indian agriculture has to be changed towards more diversified high-value production, better remunerative prices and farm incomes. It must be inclusive of women and small farmers; it must be nutrition-sensitive, environment friendly and sustainable.
• India should also aim for a food systems transformation, inclusive and sustainable, ensuring growing farm incomes and nutrition security.
• There is no doubt that our presidency of the UNSC has once again reinforced the fact that India continues to play an important role in world affairs.
• India’s ed-tech market is thriving, but millions of children still don’t access online education. Physical classes must resume, or else learning gaps may become impossible to reverse.

50-WORD TALK

• Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel deserves applause for letting the law take its course in his father’s case. In an ideal world, such a show of propriety wouldn’t merit a special mention. As it is, public expectations from politicians are low. Baghel has raised the bar for those holding public offices.

Things to Remember

• For prelims-related news, try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place is in the news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and exploring other geographical locations nearby, including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.), you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects; for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
• For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic; the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. SC: RAILWAYS TO COMPENSATE FOR LATE-RUNNING TRAINS

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court has held that the Railways will have to pay passengers compensation for the late running of trains if unable to establish or prove that the delay was due to reasons beyond its control.

ANALYSIS:

• These are the days of competition and accountability. If the public transportation has to survive and compete with private players, they have to improve the system and their working culture.
• Unless and until the evidence is laid explaining the delay and it is established and proved that delay occurred beyond their control and/or even there was some justification for delay, the railways are liable to pay the compensation for delay and late arrival of trains.

SOURCE: The Hindu

2. RIGHT TO SIT

THE CONTEXT: The Tamil Nadu government formally presented a bill in the state assembly Monday requiring shops, storefronts, and commercial establishments to provide employees with seating facilities.

ANALYSIS:

• The Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Act, 2021, is inspired by a Kerala bill that was first tabled in July 2018 before it became a law in January 2019, after women textile workers in the state protested against harsh conditions in 2016.
• In the Kerala Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Ordinance 2018, seating facilities were mentioned by way of adding a new section in the Kerala Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1960.
• The problems faced by members of Tamil Nadu’s workforce in industries like jewellery and textiles have been widely reported on in recent years. Workers were being forced to stand throughout their daily 10-12 hour shifts and not being allowed timely toilet breaks.

SOURCE: THE PRINT

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY AND AGRICULTURE

3. GIVE RIVERS THEIR RIGHTS, ACTIVISTS TELL IUCN

THE CONTEXT: Activists highlighted the plight of rivers as well as the support building up for according rights to them at the ongoing International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress September 8, 2021 in Marseille, France.

ANALYSIS:

• Some 1,700 individuals and 211 organisations from over 40 countries have pledged support to the declaration.
• Several campaigns calling for rights to be accorded to rivers have also incorporated the declaration. These include campaigns for the Lempa river in El Salvador, the Tavignanu river in France, all rivers in Mexico’s Oaxaca state, the Ethiope river in Nigeria, the Indus river in Pakistan and the Frome river in the United Kingdom.
• Several amici curiae briefs in defence of the ‘rights of rivers’ also reference the rights recognised in the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Rivers.
• The rights to recognise river as living entities rather than mere human property started in 2008. That year, Ecuador became the first country to constitutionally recognize the Rights of Nature.
• In 2017, a treaty agreement between the Whanganui Iwi (a Māori tribe) and the New Zealand government recognised the Whanganui river as a legal person
• Also in 2017, a Constitutional Court decision in Colombia recognised the rights of the Atrato River and a court in Uttarakhand recognised the Ganga and Yamuna rivers as legal persons with rights. This was later stayed.
• According to one statistic, only 37 per cent of rivers longer than 1,000 km still flow freely due to dams being built on them.

SOURCE : Down to Earth

4. OVER 90% DISTRICTS IN INDIA NOW FACE ARID CONDITIONS

THE CONTEXT:  According to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), as many as 673 out of India’s 733 districts face arid conditions now.

ANALYSIS:

• Overall, despite ‘normal’ rains, almost 90 per cent of the country remains drier than usual even as the kharif (summer) crop season is underway.

SOURCE : Down to Earth

INDIAN ECONOMY

5. PLI SCHEME FOR TEXTILES

THE CONTEXT: Government has approved the PLI Scheme for Textiles for MMF Apparel, MMF Fabrics and 10 segments/ products of Technical Textiles with a budgetary outlay of Rs. 10,683 crores.

ANALYSIS:

• PLI for Textiles along with RoSCTL, RoDTEP and other measures of Government in sector e.g. providing raw material at competitive prices, skill development etc will herald a new age in textiles manufacturing.
• PLI scheme for Textiles is part of the overall announcement of PLI Schemes for 13 sectors made earlier during the Union Budget 2021-22, with an outlay of Rs. 1.97 lakh crore.
• With the announcement of PLI Schemes for 13 sectors, minimum production in India is expected to be around Rs. 37.5 lakh crore over 5 years and minimum expected employment over 5 years is nearly 1 crore.
• PLI scheme for Textiles will promote production of high value MMF Fabric, Garments and Technical Textiles in country. The incentive structure has been so formulated that industry will be encouraged to invest in fresh capacities in these segments.
• This will give a major push to growing high value MMF segment which will complement the efforts of cotton and other natural fibre-based textiles industry in generating new opportunities for employment and trade, resultantly helping India regain its historical dominant status in global textiles trade.
• The Technical Textiles segment is a new age textile, whose application in several sectors of economy, including infrastructure, water, health and hygiene, defense, security, automobiles, aviation, etc. will improve the efficiencies in those sectors of economy.
• Government has also launched a National Technical Textiles Mission in the past for promoting R&D efforts in that sector. PLI will help further, in attracting investment in this segment.

SOURCE : PIB

6. CENTRE HIKES MINIMUM SUPPORT PRICE FOR RABI CROPS

THE CONTEXT: The government increased the minimum support price (MSP) for wheat for the upcoming rabi season to ₹2,015 per quintal, a 2% hike from the ₹1,975 per quintal rate of last year.

ANALYSIS:

• Oilseeds and pulses such as mustard, safflower and masoor dal saw higher MSP hikes of up to 8% in a bid to encourage crop diversification.

ABOUT MSP

• MSP is the rate at which the government purchases crops from farmers, and is based on a calculation of at least one-and-a-half times the cost of production incurred by the farmers.
• Government of India sets the MSP twice a year for 23 crops (13 Kharif, 6 Rabi and 4 commercial crops).
• The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) decides the minimum support price and recommend it to government.
• Department of Agriculture and Co-operation, declares MSP before sowing season.

SOURCE :The Hindu

INTERNAL SECURITY

7. PROCUREMENT OF 56 C-295MW TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT

THE CONTEXT: Cabinet Committee on Security approved the procurement of fifty-six C-295MW transport aircraft from M/s Airbus Defence and Space S.A., Spain for the Indian Air Force.

ANALYSIS:

• 16 aircraft to be delivered in flyaway condition from Spain; 40 to be manufactured in India.
• Unique initiative to strengthen indigenous capabilities & boost ‘Make in India’.
• All aircraft to be installed with indigenous Electronic Warfare Suite.
• To replace the ageing Avro aircraft of IAF.
• Transport aircraft of 5-10 Tonne capacity with contemporary technology.

SOURCE: PIB

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

8. INDIA, RUSSIA REVIEW AFGHANISTAN SITUATION

THE CONTEXT:  India and Russia conducted their first “detailed and extensive review” of the situation in Afghanistan, agreeing to coordinate their positions at the United Nations, as a delegation led by Russia’s Security Council Secretary General Nikolai Patrushev met National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in Delhi.

ANALYSIS:

• The two sides stressed areas of “convergence”, including the need to hold the Taliban to their promises thus far, the threat of terrorism from international terror groups inside Afghanistan, flow of weapons, radicalization and increase in opium production and drug trafficking under the new regime.
• They also touched upon humanitarian and migration problems in [Afghanistan], as well as prospects for the Russian-Indian joint efforts aimed at creating conditions for launching a peaceful settlement process on the basis of an intra-Afghan dialogue.

SOURCE: The Hindu

9. INDIA, AUSTRALIA TO HOLD 2+2 MEET

THE CONTEXT:  India and Australia will hold the inaugural 2+2 Ministerial meeting in New delhi during the upcoming visit of Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Minister of Defence Peter Dutton.

ANALYSIS:

• These inaugural 2+2 discussions are a cornerstone of the Australia-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which is founded on a shared commitment to a secure, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
• Talks between foreign ministers will cover economic issues, cyber security, climate change, critical technology and supply chains.
• Dutton will hold defence cooperation related meeting with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh.
• Discussions also likely to include a bilateral free trade agreement. India and Australia have been in negotiation over a possible free trade deal, which has so far not yielded a positive result.

SOURCE: The Hindu

Q1. Consider the following statements about Minimum Support Price:

1. It is the minimum price at which government purchases crops from farmers.
2. It is decided by the government on the recommendations of Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR).

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

ANSWER FOR SEPTEMBER 08, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS (REFER RELEVANT ARTICLE)

ANSWER: A)

Explanation:

• Vidyanjali 2.0 is an amalgamation of the words Vidya meaning “correct knowledge” or “clarity” and Anjali meaning “an offering with both hands” in Sanskrit language.
• Vidyanjali 2.0 is an initiative taken by the Ministry of Education, Government of India with the aim to strengthen Schools through community and private sector involvement in schools across the country.
• This initiative would connect schools with varied volunteers from the Indian Diaspora namely, young professionals, retired teachers, retired Government officials, retired professionals and many others.
• Vidyanjali has two verticals: “Participate in school Service/Activity” and “Contribution in Assets/ Material/ Equipment” in which volunteer can support and strengthen the government and government aided schools.

[WpProQuiz 42]

THE CONTEXT: In a stunning development for Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification on March 4 dramatically altering the compact between OCIs and the Indian state. It is saying that the notification is the end of India’s experiment with dual citizenship. The development has started a new debate. In this article, we will analyse the issue in detail.

Notification by the ministry of home affairs

The new notification issued under the section 7(B) of the Citizenship Act, 1955. Under this notification the rules and regulation for the OCIs has been rescheduled. This notification supersedes three earlier notifications which were issued in 2005, 2007 and 2009.

The OCI cardholder shall be required to obtain a special authorization/permit to visit India from the competent authority or the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (hereinafter referred to as “FRRO”) or the Foreigners Registration Officer (hereinafter referred as to “FRO”) if the Indian mission visit is for following purposes:

• To undertake research;
• To undertake any Missionary or Tabligh or Mountaineering
• or Journalistic activities;
• To undertake an internship in any foreign Diplomatic Missions or foreign Government organizations in India or to take up employment in any foreign Diplomatic Missions in India;
• To visit any place which falls within the Protected or Restricted or prohibited areas as notified by the Central Government or competent authority.

For any time period to stay in India and the exemption from registration with the FRRO or FRO, the OCI cardholders can also claim exemption from registration with the FRRO or FRO. Necessary to mention the OCI cardholders who are ordinarily resident in India shall intimate the FRRO or the FRO through email every time there is a change in permanent residential address and their occupation.

Parity with Indians nationals in the matter of

• Tariffs in airfares in domestic sectors in India; and
• Entry fees to be charged for visiting national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, the national monuments, historical sites and museums in India.

Parity with non-resident Indians in the matter of

• Inter-country adoption of Indian children subject to the compliance of the procedure as laid down by the competent authority for such adoption;
• Appearing for the all India entrance tests.
• Provided that the OCI cardholder shall not be eligible for admission against any seat reserved exclusively for Indian citizens;
• Purchase or sale of immovable properties other than agricultural land or farm house or plantation property
• Pursuing the following professions in India as per the provisions contained in the applicable relevant statutes or Acts as the case may be, namely:-

(a) Doctors, dentists, nurses and pharmacists

(b) Advocates

(c) Architects

(d) Chartered accountants.

Who are OCI citizens?

OCI citizens are of Indian origin; however, they are foreign passport holders and are not citizens of India. India does not allow dual citizenship but provides certain benefits under Section 7B (I) of the Citizenship Act, 1955 to the OCIs.

The ministry of home affairs defines a person as a oversees citizen of India who:

• Was a citizen of India on or After 26^thJan 1950
• Was eligible to become a citizen of India on 26^thJan 1950
• Is a child or grandchild of such person

But a person is not eligible of OCI; if his parents or grandparents have ever been the citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh. This category was introduced by the government in 2005. The government of India via Citizenship (amendment) 2015 merged the person of Indian origin (PIO) category with OCI category.

How new ruling impacts the OCI card holders?

• Prohibits them from undertaking certain activities without prior permission of the Foreigners Regional Registration Officers (FRRO).
• Parity with Indian citizens in the matters of tariffs in air fares in domestic sectors in India and entry fees to be charged for visiting national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, the national monuments, historical sites and museums in India.
• Special permission to undertake research work or taking up employment in any foreign diplomatic missions in India will need permission.
• Prior permission will be needed if wants to visit any place that falls within the protected or restricted or prohibited areas.
• This regulation will impact the government’s 2018 decision that made an OCI eligible for appointment as permanent teaching faculty in a premier educational institution. Such recruitments are governed by Section 7B 2(I) of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
• It restored the lifelong visa to OCIs that was temporarily suspended in March 2020 in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• An OCI cardholder to intimate the FRRO by email whenever there is a change in permanent residential address and in their occupation.
• Eligible for appearing in all-India entrance tests. This will only be against any NRI seat and shall not be eligible for admission against any seat reserved exclusively for Indian citizens.
• In a related case pending before the Karnataka High Court, the Centre had in March 2019 maintained the same stand. However, on 15 December 2020, the HC directed that students under the OCI category are to be considered citizens of India for admission to professional courses and not restrict their admissions only under the NRI quota.

Under the Foreigners (Restricted Areas) Order, 1963, the following areas have been declared as `Restricted’ Areas – Andaman & Nicobar Islands – Entire Union Territory and Sikkim – Part of the State.

• Whole of Arunachal Pradesh
• Parts of Himachal Pradesh
• Parts of Jammu & Kashmir
• Whole of Manipur
• Whole of Mizoram
• Whole of Nagaland Parts of Uttarakhand

OCI holders at par with NRIS?

• The new notification is making OCI cardholders par with Non-Resident Indians in the matter of inter-country adoption of Indian children.
• Appearing in the all India entrance tests and purchase or sale of immovable properties other than agricultural land or farm house or plantation property.
• They can pursue the professions in India as per the provisions contained in the applicable relevant statutes which include doctors, dentists, nurses and pharmacists, advocates, architects, chartered accountants.

Is the new notification an end for India’s experiment with dual citizenship?

In 2006, in order to meet calls for dual citizenship, India introduced the OCI card for foreign nationals of Indian descent. The OCI card allows foreign citizens of Indian origin to visit, live and work in India as citizens would. But there were many key restrictions:

• OCI card holders could not vote or participate in Indian politics
• Can’t occupy any positions in public service
• Can’t invest in agricultural land holdings

Moreover, it was hope that in future India will provide dual citizen to OCIs card holders and for that Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor introduced a bill in Parliament to amend the Indian Constitution and allow dual citizenship for Indians. But, the new notifications are being seen as a step backward from granting dual citizenship to people of Indian origin who are citizens of foreign countries.

What is dual citizenship and why does India need it?

Introducing dual citizenship means that foreign citizens would be allowed to hold Indian passports and exercise all rights of an Indian citizen including participating in politics, policy and governance.

Why does India need Dual citizenship?

For Indian diaspora:

• It would open the floodgates for a diversely skilled group of professionals to come back home, infusing India’s somewhat insular and protectionist policymaking apparatus with much-needed international expertise.
• Dual citizens will bring Indian policymaking the benefits of global perspectives and lessons from global best practices.

To expand foreign policy:

• For years, Indian foreign policy discourse has suffered from introversion and fence-sitting on matters of international politics and security. A large part of the domestic debate on foreign policy is restricted to the immediate neighbourhood – and often just one country out of them all: Pakistan.

Global influence:

• They will also be more invested in steering Indian foreign policy discourse towards discussion on increasing India’s global influence, rather than on less meaningful populist chest-thumping: After all, many of them changed their passports in large part because of the consequences of India’s underwhelming global influence (the Indian passport is currently ranked 86 out of 109 positions on travel freedom – below Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone).

Easy citizenship by foreign countries:

• Many Indians abroad change their passports for very practical reasons seeking access to a higher quality of life, high-paying jobs in multilateral organisations where Indian citizens are over-represented, or merely for mobility and travel freedom.
• Between 2014 and 2017, 4.5 lakh Indians opted for citizenship of another country. As foreign countries offer easy citizenship in exchange for cash and investments, the trend is only set to grow.

For development:

• Dual citizenship will more fully leverage the political influence of Indians abroad by giving them a more direct stake in India’s development – and more meaningful roles by which to contribute to it. If Indian dual citizens return home to be in politics or government, they are more likely to do so in order to fix many of the developmental challenges that forced their migration, rather than to serve any ‘grand designs’ of foreign sabotage in India

Others  countries are offering dual citizenship:

• Eighty-five countries in the world offer dual citizenship. India needs to join this long list to avoid embarrassments such as an Indian winning the Nobel Prize but not being an Indian citizen.

But the new notification of government of India is against the demand of modern times that makes OCIs card holder as par Indian Citizens in some cases but restricted in some other cases and make them as par the NRIs. Although there are some criticisms of dual citizenship like:

• the threat of having foreign citizens in positions of policymaking and power.
• How can Indians trust folks who owe allegiance to a foreign power.

But the problem with these arguments is that this approach is totally misunderstand the Indian diaspora spectacularly. Unlike several foreign citizens of Chinese or Russian descent, Indian-origin citizens in the West did not flee from their home country out of spite or suppression.

What are the options for India? Case studies from other countries

Many countries have found a way around the technical and security issues involved.

• Bangladesh requires its citizens to obtain a “dual nationality certificate” so that it can control who gets to take dual citizenship and under what circumstances.
• Brazilians can acquire another country’s passport but they must enter and exit Brazil only on the Brazilian passport.
• Canada actually encourages dual citizenship; the US discourages but allows it.
• If the concern is security, one can look at Pakistan, which allows its citizens to hold dual citizenship of only 16 other countries, doesn’t let dual citizens run for public office or join the military. Signing dual citizenship agreements with other countries helps prevent its misuse.

CONCLUSION: The introduction of dual citizenship is a great opportunity for India to expand its global influence and attract the world’s talent to aid its domestic growth. More importantly, it will reinstate India’s legacy as a civilisation that is open rather than insular, global rather than protectionist, and confident rather than insecure. For India’s aspirations to be a global power, there are few attributes more pertinent than those.

Difference between OCI card holder, PIO and NRI

Overseas citizen of India:

• OCI is an immigration status given to a foreign citizen of Indian origin as an alternative for dual-citizenship which is not allowed by the Indian Constitution.

Non-residential India:

• NRI is a residential status given to a citizen of India with an Indian Passport who resides in a foreign country for the purpose of work/business, or education.

Person of Indian origin:

• PIO is an identification status given to whom or whose any of the ancestors was a permanent Indian resident/citizen and who is currently holding valid citizenship and passport of another country.

Sources

https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-how-new-oci-notification-is-going-to-impact-overseas-citizens-travel-stay-and-more/377216

https://theprint.in/opinion/its-time-for-india-to-adopt-dual-citizenship/307701/

https://scroll.in/global/988721/with-new-oci-notification-india-has-ended-its-experiment-with-dual-citizenship

https://m.timesofindia.com/nri/other-news/new-oci-card-rules-turn-the-spotlight-on-the-dual-citizenship-debate/amp_articleshow/81448930.cms

https://www.theweek.in/columns/shashi-tharoor/2020/12/03/time-to-approve-dual-citizenship.html

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. PM LAUNCHED 5 INITIATIVES UNDER NEP 2020

THE CONTEXT: PM addressing the inauguration of a 10-day Shikshak Parv, rolled out five initiatives as part of the implementation of the National Education Policy. The theme of the ‘Shikshak Parv-2021′ is “Quality and Sustainable schools: Learning from schools in India.”

ANALYSIS:

1. A 10,000-word Indian Sign Language Dictionary (audio and text embedded sign language video for the hearing impaired).
2. A talking books project for visually challenged students.
3. A teacher training programme for early childhood education (NISHTHA teachers’ training programme for NIPUN Bharat)
4. A standards setting authority for the Central Board of Secondary Education (School Quality Assurance and Assessment Framework of CBSE).
5. The Vidyanjali 2.0 portal to facilitate private donors, corporate social responsibility contributions and volunteering activities.

ABOUT VIDYANJALI 2.0

• Vidyanjali 2.0 is an amalgamation of the words Vidya meaning “correct knowledge” or “clarity” and Anjali meaning “an offering with both hands” in Sanskrit language.
• Vidyanjali 2.0 is an initiative taken by the Ministry of Education, Government of India with the aim to strengthen Schools through community and private sector involvement in schools across the country.
• This initiative would connect schools with varied volunteers from the Indian Diaspora namely, young professionals, retired teachers, retired Government officials, retired professionals and many others.
• Vidyanjali has two verticals: “Participate in school Service/Activity” and “Contribution in Assets/ Material/ Equipment” in which volunteer can support and strengthen the government and government aided schools.

SOURCE: TH

2. 37% STUDENTS IN RURAL AREAS NOT STUDYING AT ALL

THE CONTEXT: A survey on learning gaps conducted after schools across the country remained closed due to the pandemic states that only eight per cent children in rural households attended regular online classes.

ANALYSIS:

• The survey called School Children’s Online and Offline Learning (SCHOOL) was conducted in August and was coordinated by economists Jean Drèze, Reetika Khera, Nirali Bakhla and Vipul Paikra with the help of a team of volunteers across states.
• The team conducted the survey on 1,400 school children in underprivileged households across 15 states and UTs — Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
• The report said an “absolutely dismal” picture emerged from the survey.
• It found major discrepancies in the learning levels of children as they did not attend school for a prolonged period. Nearly 42 percent of children in classes 3-5 from rural household were unable to read a single word.
• Children in Grade 2 — 65 percent in urban areas and 77 percent in rural areas could not read more than a few letters.
• Even at the upper-primary level (Grades 6-8), the proportion of children who are able to read fluently is just over half, in both rural and urban areas.
• The report also compared literacy rates of school children with average literacy rate of the same age group from the 2011 population census.
• Among school children, however, literacy rates in the 10-14 age group are as low as 75 percent in urban areas, 67 percent in rural areas, and 61 percent for rural Dalits and Adivasis.
• An overwhelming majority of parents felt that their child’s reading and writing abilities had declined during the lockout.

SOURCE: THEPRINT

INTERNAL SECURITY

3. DELEGATION OF FINANCIAL POWERS TO ARMED FORCES

THE CONTEXT: Raksha Mantri released order on Delegation of Financial Powers to Defence Services (DFPDS) 2021, providing enhanced delegation of Revenue Procurement powers to the Armed Forces.

ANALYSIS:

• The DFPDS 2021 aims to empower field formations; focus on operational preparedness; promote ease of doing business and enhance jointness among the Services.
• The enhanced delegation of Financial Powers to functionaries in Service Headquarters and lower formations would result in quicker decision making at all levels leading to better planning and operational preparedness of the Services in a quicker time frame and optimum utilisation of resources.
• The primary focus of the enhanced delegation of financial powers is to empower Field Commanders and below to procure equipment/war-like stores in a speedy manner for urgent operational necessities and meeting essential sustenance requirements. Last such enhancement at all levels for the Defence Services was done in 2016.

SOURCE: PIB

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

4. THREE NEW HEATWAVE HOTSPOTS IN INDIA

THE CONTEXT: North-Western, Central, and further to south-central region of India are the new hotspot of intense heatwave events over the past half-century, said a study which found an increase in deadly Indian heat waves in recent years.

ANALYSIS:

• The study also highlights the need for developing effective heat action plans in the three heatwave hotspot regions with a focus on different vulnerabilities among the inhabitants.
• The study showed a shift in the Spatio-temporal trend of HW events from the eastern region of Gangetic West Bengal and Bihar to North-Western, Central and further to south-central region of India.
• The research also observed an alarming southward expansion and a spatial surge in SHW events in the last few decades that may put a greater population at additional risk of heat stress in a region already characterized by low Diurnal temperature range (DTR), or the difference between the maximum and minimum temperatures within one day and high humidity. Importantly, the HW/SHW events were found to be positively correlated with mortality in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, highlighting that human health is highly susceptible to severe heatwave disasters.
• With an ever-increasing extreme-temperature threshold, a heat resilient future is the need of the hour. Dense population with an intensive outdoor work culture calls for an equitable heat resilient mitigation and adaptation strategies covering each section of the society depending on their vulnerability.
• The study highlights the need for developing effective heat action plans in the three heatwave hotspot regions.

 SOURCE: PIB 

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

5. 13TH BRICS SUMMIT

THE CONTEXT:  As part of India’s ongoing Chairship of BRICS in 2021, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will chair the 13th BRICS Summit on 9 September 2021 in virtual format.

ANALYSIS:

• The theme for the Summit is ‘BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS cooperation for continuity, consolidation and consensus’. India had outlined four priority areas for its Chairship.
• These are Reform of the Multilateral System, Counter Terrorism, Using Digital and Technological Tools for achieving SDGs and Enhancing People to People exchanges. In addition to these areas, the leaders will also exchange views on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other current global and regional issues.
• This is the second time Prime Minister Modi will be chairing the BRICS Summit. Earlier he had chaired the Goa Summit in 2016.
• The Indian Chairship of BRICS this year coincides with the fifteenth anniversary of BRICS, as reflected in the theme for the Summit.

SOURCE:  PIB

6. MULLAH AKHUND TO HEAD INTERIM TALIBAN GOVERNMENT

THE CONTEXT:  Taliban veteran and head of the Shura council Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund would serve as its acting Prime Minister.

ANALYSIS:

• Mullah Akhund had served as Deputy ForeignMinister under the earlier Taliban regime and is on a UN blacklist.
• The position of Interior Minister was given to Sirajuddin Haqqani.
• The new government would be an interim government.

ABOUT MULLAH HASAN AKHUND

• He has been an influential figure in Afghanistan since the inception of the militant group in the 1990s. But unlike other Taliban leaders from that period, he was not involved in the Soviet-Afghan war of the 1980s.
• He is seen much more as a religious influence in the Taliban.
• He served on the Taliban’s shura councils, the traditional decision-making body made up of religious scholars and mullahs — an honorific given to those trained in Islamic theology.
• Akhund is probably best known as one of the architects of the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan, the giant cliff statues destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.
• Initially, Omar had no intention of destroying the statues. But the Taliban founder was angered at seeing conservation money being made available for the UNESCO world heritage site while failing to secure humanitarian aid from the United Nations for Afghanistan. As such, Omar sought out the advice of his shura, and Akhund was part of the council that ordered the destruction of the sixth-century statues.
• Akhund held a political role in the Taliban government of the 1990s, serving as foreign minister; however, his importance lies more in the development of the group’s religious identity. He, like Mullah Omar, was schooled in a brand of strict Islamist ideology, known as Deobandism.
• After the Taliban was ousted from Afghanistan in 2001, Akhund remained an influential presence, operating mostly from exile in Pakistan. From there he would give spiritual and religious guidance to the Taliban throughout the 2000s and 2010s. In this role, he provided the ideological justification for the ongoing insurgency against the United States and the U.S.- backed Afghan government.
• Today, there are broadly two factions in the Taliban — a military wing that carries out the day-to-day campaigns, and a conservative religious elite grounded in Deobandism that acts as its political wing. Mullah Akhund aligns very much with the religious faction of the Taliban.

SOURCE:  TH

Q1. Which of the following initiative aims to strengthen schools through community and private sector involvement in government and government aided schools?

1. Vidyanjali 2.0
2. Diksha
3. SARTHAQ
4. PRAGYATA

ANSWER FOR SEPTEMBER 04, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS (REFER RELEVANT ARTICLE)

ANSWER: B

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Manda Buffalo is unique breed of buffalo found in the Eastern Ghats and plateau of Koraput region of Odisha.
• Statement 2 is correct: It is resistant to parasitic infections, less prone to diseases and can thrive on modest resources.

[WpProQuiz 41]

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