THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. CHINA, SOLOMONS ISLANDS INK DRAFT OF CONTROVERSIAL SECURITY PACT

THE CONTEXT: China and the Solomon Islands have signed a draft version of a security pact that could see Chinese police and other forces take up duties in the Pacific Island nation.

THE EXPLANATION:

• A leaked document has revealed that China and the Solomon Islands are close to signing a security agreement that could open the door to Chinese troops and naval warships flowing into a Pacific Island nation that played a pivotal role in World War II.
• Although it is marked as a draft and cites a need for “social order” as a justification for sending Chinese forces, it has set off alarms throughout the Pacific, where concerns about China’s intentions have been growing for years.
• The Solomon Islands, home to about 700,000 people, switched its diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing in 2019 a contributing factor to riots in November 2021 between residents of different islands within the country.

What is the Pact?

• The leaked document states that “Solomon Islands may, according to its own needs, request China to send police, armed police, military personnel and other law enforcement and armed forces to Solomon Islands to assist in maintaining social order, protecting people’s lives and property.”
• It allows China to provide “assistance on other tasks” and requires secrecy, noting, “Neither party shall disclose the cooperation information to a third party.”

2. THE 20TH EDITION OF THE ‘VARUNA’ BILATERAL NAVAL EXERCISE

THE CONTEXT: In an effort to further strengthen Defence ties, India and France began a five-day mega naval wargame in the Arabian Sea in reflection of growing congruence in their maritime security cooperation.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The bilateral exercises between the two Navies were initiated in 1993. The exercise was christened as ‘Varuna’ in 2001 and has become a vital part of India – France strategic bilateral relationship.
• Various units including ships, submarines, maritime patrol aircraft, fighter aircraft and helicopters of the two navies are participating in the exercise. These units will endeavour to enhance and hone their operational skills in maritime theatre, augment inter-operability to undertake maritime security operations and demonstrate their commitment to promote peace, security and stability in the region as an integrated force.
• Having grown in scope and complexity over the years, Varuna series of exercises continue to provide both the navies opportunities to learn from each other’s best practices.
• The exercise has been a principal driver for operational level interactions between the two navies and has underscored the shared commitment of both nations to security, safety and freedom of the global maritime commons.
• The maritime cooperation between India and France has witnessed a major expansion in the last few years.  The Indian and French navies in April last year too carried out a mega wargame in the Arabian Sea.
• The French Navy deployed its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, and its entire carrier strike group in that exercise, reflecting growing congruence in naval ties.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

3. INDIA’S EXTERNAL DEBT ROSE TO $614.9 BILLION AT END OF DEC. 2021

THE CONTEXT: According to Finance Ministry India’s external debt rose by $11.5 billion to $614.9 billion in the three months ended December 2021.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The external debt to GDP ratio fell marginally to 20% at the end of December last year from 20.3% at the end of September 2021.
• According to India’s Quarterly External Debt Report for quarter ended December 2021, the country’s external debt was placed at $614.9 billion, recording an increase of $11.5 billion over its level at the end of September 2021.
• Valuation gains due to the appreciation of the U.S. dollar vis-a-vis major currencies such as Euro, Yen and Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) was placed at $1.7 billion.
• Commercial borrowings remained the largest component of external debt, with a share of 36.8%, followed by non-resident deposits (23.1%) and short-term trade credit.
• The share of short-term debt, with original maturity of up to one year, in total external debt increased to 18.6% at the end of December 2021 from 17.4% at end-September 2021.
• S. dollar denominated debt remained the largest component of India’s external debt, with a share of 52% at end-December 2021, followed by the Indian rupee (32%), SDR (6.7%), Yen (5.3%), and the Euro (3.1%).
• Also, the report added, “the borrower-wise classification shows that the outstanding external debt of government marginally declined while that of non-government sector increased as at end-December 2021 over the previous quarter”.

Value Addition:

What is External Debt?

• External debt can be regarded as one of the forms of a tied loan, where the borrower needs to apply any spending of the funds to the country which has provided the loan.
• In case of an inability of the borrower country to produce and sell goods so as to make a profitable return to repay the loan, there arises a debt crisis.
• As of June 2021, India’s external debt was placed at US$ 571.3 billion, recording an increase of US$ 1.6 billion over its level at the end-March 2021.
• India’s external debt to GDP ratio declined to 20.2 per cent at the end-June 2021 from 21.1 per cent at end-March 2021.
• External debt sustainability can be measured based on the following parameters:

1. Government’s debt and current fiscal revenue ratio.
2. The overall share of short and long-term debt in the total debt burden.
3. Share of concessional debt.
4. Foreign debt to exports ratio
5. Debt to GDP ratio
6. The share of external debt to the total debt of the country.

THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

4. DOLPHIN COUNT SURGES IN GAHIRMATHA, DIPS IN CHILIKA

THE CONTEXT: According to the Annual Dolphin Census, the population of the dolphin along Odisha’s coast and in its water bodies has increased but the number of Irrawaddy dolphins in Chilika lake has fallen.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The report stated that Gahirmatha is home to the State’s largest population of dolphins, even more than Chilika.
• As per the 2022 dolphin census, Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary and nearby areas in Bhitarkanika saw dolphin count skyrocket to 540 from 342 last year. These included 45  Irrawaddy , 135 ottlenose, 332  humpback, 13 striped and 15 spinner dolphins.
• In the 2021 census, forest officials sighted only  342 dolphins including 39  Irrawaddy, 22 bottlenose and 281 humpback dolphins. Dolphins are commonly sighted in water bodies in Khola, Nalitapata, Dhamara and in the sea near Satabhaya, Pentha, Agaranashi, Eakakula, Hukitola and other areas within the sanctuary.
• However, the count of dolphins in Chilika Wildlife Division saw a dip from 188 in 2021 to 167 in 2022.

Value Addition:

• Dolphins have been included in Schedule I of the Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972, in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), in Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and categorised as ‘Endangered’ on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List.

THE INTERNAL SECURITY AFFAIRS

5. CENTRE REDUCES DISTURBED AREAS UNDER AFSPA IN 3 NORTH EAST STATES

THE CONTEXT: According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), AFSPA is being removed from 15 police station areas in seven districts of Nagaland; 15 police station areas in six districts of Manipur; and 23 districts entirely and one district partially in Assam.

THE EXPLANATION:

• After Assam and Meghalaya resolved a part of their 50-year boundary dispute in the Centre’s push for a “dispute-free Northeast”, Union Home Minister announced that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) will be removed from several districts across Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur.
• According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), AFSPA is being removed from 15 police station areas in seven districts of Nagaland; 15 police station areas in six districts of Manipur; and 23 districts entirely and one district partially in Assam.
• The decision comes in the backdrop of vociferous demands for AFSPA to be lifted after six civilians were gunned down in Nagaland’s Mon district last December in a botched operation by security personnel. Seven more civilians and security personnel died in the retaliatory violence that followed, prompting the Nagaland Assembly to pass a resolution for the repeal of AFSPA.
• However, Mon district remains a “disturbed area since this is a border district and has a strong presence of NSCN-K (YA),” said sources in the Nagaland government.
• The notification of “disturbed areas” under AFSPA has been in force in Assam since 1990, in Nagaland since 1995, and in Manipur, except the Imphal Municipality area, since 2004. Starting in 2015, the Government removed AFSPA entirely from Tripura and Meghalaya, and partially from Arunachal Pradesh, which currently has three districts and two police station areas in a fourth district under the Act.
• In Assam, AFSPA will remain in the districts of Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Golaghat, Jorhat and the Lakhipur subdivision of Cachar.

Demands to repeal AFSPA

• Anger over the incident is rising in Nagaland, where people have frequently accused security forces of wrongly targeting innocent locals in counterinsurgency operations against rebel groups under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
• Besides sweeping powers of search and arrest, the law, enforced in parts of four of the seven northeastern states as well as Indian-administered Kashmir, allows Indian forces to open fire to maintain public order in areas designated as “disturbed areas”.
• Nagaland is covered by the law as India says rebel groups operate from thick jungles of an unfenced region that also spans the neighbouring states of Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, which border Myanmar.

What is Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)?

 How is a region declared ‘disturbed’?

Section (3) of the AFSPA empowers the governor of the state or Union territory to issue an official notification in The Gazette of India, following which the Centre has the authority to send in armed forces for civilian aid.

• Once declared ‘disturbed’, the region has to maintain the status quo for a minimum of three months, according to The Disturbed Areas (Special Courts) Act, 1976.

Criticism of AFSPA:

Sec 4(a) in which army can shoot to kill, as it violates article 21 which gives the right to life.

• Section 4(b) search without warrants violates the right to liberty and article 22.
• Dispersion of civil assembly by armed forces under section 121 violates the right to assembly
• No judicial magistrate permission required while arresting –violate article 22
• Overrides CrPC.
• Violation of human rights
• It alienates the people from the army and then from the rest of India. A feeling of otherworldliness is generated in their mind.

What should be done?

• Create committees at the district level with representatives of the army, administrators and the public which will report, assess and track complaints in that area.
• All investigations should be time-bound reasons for the delay must be communicated with the aggrieved.
• Amendments In-Laws: The lacunae in the Act, as a result of definitional voids with respect to terms like “disturbed”, “dangerous” and “land forces” need to be amplified to ensure greater clarity.
• The onus of proving the alleged person as a terrorist should lie with the forces. Sec 7 should be suitably amended to this effect.

SCHEMES & INITIATIVES IN NEWS

6. CJI INTRODUCES ‘FASTER’ SYSTEM

The Context: The Chief Justice of India has introduced the “Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records” (FASTER) system.

About ‘FASTER’ System:

• The ‘Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records’ (FASTER) software transmits court orders swiftly and securely through electronic mode, ensuring quicker communication of judicial orders.

• It also proposed that the e-authenticated copies of the record of proceedings/orders, digitally signed by the authorized officer may be transmitted through FASTER system to the duty-holders of the justice system.

Need:

• There have been cases where the jail inmates are not released despite bail orders passed by the court due to delays in communication of such orders. So, it was needed to utilize information and communication technology tools for efficient transmission of court orders.

Significance:

• Ensure that undertrials are not made to wait for days on end behind bars to be released because the certified hard copies of their bail orders took time to reach the prison.
• Undertrials are the people who are yet to be found guilty of the crimes they have been accused of.
• Prevent unnecessary arrests and custody of people even after the court had already granted them its protection.
• Communicate a stay on an execution ordered by the final court on time.

Challenges:

• The availability of internet connection in jails across the nation as without this facility transmission of such orders to prisons will not be possible.
• Awareness and training to jail officials about the use of digital technology.

 THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Q1. Consider the following statements about Koodiyattam:

1. It is a traditional performing art form in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.
2. It has elements of Koothu, an ancient performing art from the Sangam era.
3. It is officially recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

 ANSWER FOR 31^ST MARCH 2022

Answer: C

Explanation:

• Project NETRA is an initiative by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) which is an early warning system in space to detect debris and hazards to Indian satellites.
• Under this project, the Indian space organization plans to put up many observational facilities like telescopes, connected radars, data processing units, and a control center.

[WpProQuiz 191]

THE INTRODUCTION: The need for a strong and resilient social infrastructure became even more important during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that brought into focus the vulnerabilities in social infrastructure across countries. Specifically, the pandemics posed the challenge of balancing livelihoods while saving lives. To save lives and livelihoods amidst the COVID crisis, countries have adopted various strategies. India, the country with the second-largest population and a large elderly population, adopted a multi-pronged approach. The government’s response through ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ packages and other sector-specific initiatives have provided the necessary support to mitigate the adverse impact of a pandemic. This chapter gives a brief account of India’s response to Social Infrastructure and Employment.

INDIA’S HEALTH RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19

Like most other countries, India also faced two COVID-19 waves: the first in 2020 and the second in 2021. To save lives, the Government adopted a multi-pronged approach viz.

1. Restrictions/partial lockdowns,
2. Building capacity in health infrastructure,
3. COVID-19 appropriate behavior, testing, tracing, treatment
4. Vaccination drive.

COVID VACCINATION STRATEGY

• Guided by scientific and epidemiological evidence, World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, and global best practices, India’s National COVID Vaccination Program has been one of the world’s largest vaccination programs.
• Government of India procured 75 percent of monthly vaccine production and provided it free to States and UTs, while the rest could be procured by private hospitals.
• Availability of Vaccine: The ICMR funded the clinical trials of the COVISHIELD vaccine developed in collaboration with Oxford – Astra Zeneca. COVISHIELD and COVAXIN have been widely used vaccines in India. Every month about 250- 275 million doses of COVISHIELD and 50-60 million doses of COVAXIN have been produced.
• Pricing and equity: At all Government COVID-19 Vaccination Centres (CVCs), the COVID-19 vaccine was made available free of cost for all eligible citizens.
• Coverage: From 1st May 2021, all 94 crore persons of age 18 years and above, were made eligible for COVID vaccination. From 3rd January 2022, COVID-19 vaccine coverage has been extended to the age group of 15-18 years. Till 19th January 2022, 3.73 crore youngsters between 15-18 age group have been vaccinated with 1st dose of COVID-19 vaccine covering more than 50 percent of youngsters.
• Vaccine hesitancy: To reduce vaccine hesitancy, the Government made efforts that include awareness by identified experts. From 3rd November 2021, a campaign, ‘Har Ghar Dastak’, has been initiated to identify and vaccinate those who missed 1st dose and are due for 2nd dose through house-to-house mobilization activity.
• Technology-driven: Arogya Setu mobile app was launched to enable people to assess the risk of their catching the COVID-19 infection.
• Vaccination Progress: As of 16th January 2022, a total of 156.76 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered: 90.75 crores first dose and 65.58 crores second dose.

Population vaccinated by country (in percent)

TRENDS IN SOCIAL SECTOR EXPENDITURE

• Government’s spending on social services increased significantly during the pandemic. In 2021-22 (BE), Centre and State governments earmarked an aggregate of ` 71.61 lakh crore for spending on the social service sector; an increase of 9.8 percent over 2020-21.
• Last year’s (2020-21) revised expenditure has also gone up by ` 54,000 crores from the budgeted amount. In 2021-22 (BE), funds to the sector increased to 8.6 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (8.3 percent in 2020-21).
• During the last five years, social services accounted for about 25 percent of the total Government expenditure (Centre and States taken together). In 2021-22 (BE), it was 26.6 percent.
• Expenditure in the health sector increased from ` 2.73 lakh crore in 2019-20 (pre-COVID-19) to ` 4.72 lakh crore in 2021-22 (BE), an increase of nearly 73 percent.
• Union Budget 2021-22, announced Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme, with an outlay of about ` 64,180 crores in the next five years to develop capacities of primary, secondary, and tertiary care Health Systems
• Union Budget 2021-22 provided an outlay of Rs 35,000 crore towards COVID-19 vaccination.
• The National Health Policy, 2017 envisaged increasing the government’s health expenditure to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2025.

EDUCATION

• During initial COVID-19 restrictions, as a precautionary measure to protect the students from COVID-19, schools, and colleges were closed across India. This posed a new challenge for the Government in terms of continuity of education.
• School Infrastructure An assessment for the pre-pandemic year of 2019-20 for which data is available reveals that the number of recognized schools & colleges continued to increase between 2018-19 and 2019-20, except for primary & upper primary schools.

SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE

• An assessment for the pre-pandemic year of 2019-20 for which data is available reveals that the number of recognized schools & colleges continued to increase between 2018-19 and 2019-20, except for primary & upper primary schools.

• Toilets (girls or boys), drinking water, and hand-washing facilities are now available in most Government schools (10.32 lakh).
• Priority to drinking water and sanitation in schools under Jal Jeevan Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission as well as under Samagra Shiksha Scheme has been instrumental in providing required resources and creating these assets in schools.
• As of 19.01.2022, under Jal Jeevan Mission 8,39,443 schools were provided a tap water supply.
• Availability of teachers, measured by Pupil-Teacher Ratio, an indicator whose decrease signals improvement in quality of education, has improved at all levels continuously from 2012-13 to 2019-20: from 34 to 26 at primary, 23 to 18 at upper primary, 30 to 18 at secondary, and 39 to 26 at the higher secondary level.

Schools with Basic Facilities

SCHOOL ENROLMENT

• In 2019-20, 26.45 crore children were enrolled in schools. During the year, schools enrolled about 42 lakh, additional children, out of which 26 lakh were in primary to higher secondary levels and 16 lakh were in pre-primary as per the Unified District Information System for Education plus (UDISE+) database.
• The enrollments increased across all levels viz., upper-primary, secondary, and higher secondary, except for the primary level. At the primary level, enrollment reduced from 13.5 crores in 2012-13 to 12.2 crores in 2019-20. This decline in enrollment was because of a decline in the total number of children in the age group 6-10 years.

 School Gross Enrollment Ratios in India (in percent)

SCHOOL DROP-OUT

• the years 2019-20 saw a decline in dropout rates at primary, upper-primary, and secondary levels. In 2019-20, the school dropout rate at the primary level declined to 1.45 percent from 4.45 percent in 2018-19.
• ASER found that despite the pandemic, enrollment in the age cohort of 15-16 years continued to improve as the number of not enrolled children in this age group declined from 12.1 percent in 2018 to 6.6 percent in 2021.

Major Initiatives for Students during the COVID-19 pandemic

PM e-VIDYA: Major components

• One Nation, One Digital Education (DIKSHA) Platform
• One Class, One TV channel through Swayam Prabha TV Channels
• Extensive use of Radio, Community Radio, and Podcasts
• One DTH channel is being operated specifically for hearing impaired students in sign language.

National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR): A digital infrastructure for Education, was launched on 29th July 2021.

Vidyanjali: To connect the Government and Government aided schools through a community/ volunteer management program.

Major Schemes for School Education during 2021-22

1. Samagra Shiksha Scheme has been continued for a period of five years, from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
2. NIPUN Bharat Mission: On 5th July 2021, the government launched a National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy called “National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN Bharat)”.
3. Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Scheme: The Scheme, earlier known as the ‘National Programme for Mid-Day Meal in Schools”, covers all school children studying in Balvatika (just before class I) and Classes I-VIII in Government and Government-Aided Schools.

HIGHER EDUCATION

• Gross enrollment ratio in higher education was recorded at 27.1 percent in 2019-20, slightly higher than 26.3 percent in 2018-19. For males, it has also increased from 26.3 percent in 2018-19 to 26.9 percent in 2019-20 while for females it has increased from 26.4 percent to 27.3 percent respectively.

Gross Enrollment Ratios in Higher Education for age 18-23 years (in percent)

SKILL DEVELOPMENT

• To unlock the demographic dividend, several steps have been taken to increase the skill levels in the population. Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2019-20 shows that formal vocational/technical training among youth (age 15-29 years) and working population (age 15-59 years) have improved in 2019-20 over 2018-19.
• The improvement in skills has also been for males and females, both in rural and urban sectors. However, formal training for males and females is lower in rural than in urban areas.
• As per the report of the first quarter (April-June, 2021) of the Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) in respect of establishments employing at least 10 workers in major nine sectors, 17.9 percent of estimated establishments were imparting formal skill training.

SKILL INDIA MISSION

• Launched in 2015, Skill India Mission focuses on re-skilling and up-skilling in prominent trades. Under the Mission, the government implements Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) Scheme, and National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), for providing short term Skill Development training and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS), for long term training, to the youth.

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)

• PMKVY has two training components, viz., Short Term Training (STT) and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Between 2016-17 and 2021-22 (as of 15 January 2022 ), under PMKVY 2.0 about 1.10 crore persons were trained (inclusive of the placement-linked and non-placement-linked components of the PMKVY).

Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) Scheme

• JSS aims to provide vocational skills to non-literate, neo-literates, persons with a rudimentary level of education up to 8th and school dropouts up to 12th standard in the age group of 15-45 years. The priority groups are women, SC, ST, minorities, Divya Gyan, and other backward sections of the society.

National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS)

• This Scheme promotes apprenticeship training and the engagement of apprentices by providing financial support to industrial establishments undertaking apprenticeship programs under The Apprentices Act, 1961. As of 31 October 2021, 4.3 lakh apprentices are engaged under the scheme.

Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS)

• CTS is for providing long-term training in 137 trades through 14,604 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across the country. For session 2020, 13.36 lakh trainees were enrolled.

 TRENDS OF EMPLOYMENT

In the absence of high-frequency data on labour market indicators, other proxies such as subscriptions to the EPFO scheme and demand for work under MGNREGA, have been used to analyze the more recent trends in employment in urban and rural sectors.

Trends in Urban employment using Quarterly PLFS data

• In the first quarter of 2020-21, the unemployment rate for the urban sector rose to 20.8 percent. The LFPR and WPR in the urban sector also declined significantly during this quarter.

• The UR gradually declined during this period to reach 9.3 percent in Q4 of 2020-21. The UR for males as well as females, aged 15 & above, recovered to the pre-pandemic levels.

TRENDS IN DATA ON DEMAND FOR WORK UNDER MGNREGS

• During the nationwide lockdown, the aggregate demand for MGNREGS work peaked in June 2020, and has thereafter stabilized.
• During the second COVID wave, demand for MGNREGS employment reached the maximum level of 4.59 crore persons in June 2021. Nonetheless, after accounting for seasonality, the demand at an aggregate level still seems to be above the pre-pandemic levels of 2019.
• For some states like Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, the demand for work under MGNREGS has reduced to below the pre-pandemic levels during the last few months.
• Intuitively, one may expect that higher MGNREGS demand may be directly related to the movement of migrant labouri. e. source states would be more impacted. Nevertheless, state-level analysis shows that for many migrant source states like West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, the MGNREGS employment in most months of 2021 has been slower than the corresponding levels in 2020.
• In contrast, the demand for MGNREGS employment has been higher for migrant recipient states like Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu for most months in 2021 over 2020.

Long-term trends in employment using annual PLFS data

• During the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2019-20 (survey period from July 2019 to June 2020), employment at its usual status continued to expand. Between 2018-19 and 2019-20, about 4.75 crore additional persons joined the workforce.
• This is about three times more than the employment created between 2017-18 and 2018-19.

POLICY RESPONSES TO BOOST RURAL LIVELIHOOD

Incentives for job creation: Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY) was announced as a part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 package to boost the economy, increase the employment generation in the post-Covid recovery phase, and incentivize the creation of new employment along with social security benefits and restoration of loss of employment during COVID-19 pandemic.

Wage employment: To boost employment and livelihood opportunities for returnee migrant workers, Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan was launched in June 2020. It focused on 25 target-driven works to provide employment and create infrastructure in the rural areas of 116 districts of 6 States with a resource envelope of Rs 50,000 crore.

Boosting Self-employment:

• The program targets to mobilize about 9-10 crore households into Self Help Groups (SHGs).
• Till December 2021, 8.07 crore households are mobilized into SHGs.

Social protection:

• Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (PM-SYM) Yojana, launched on 05.03.2019, is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for providing a monthly minimum assured pension of ` 3000 upon attaining the age of 60 years.
• As of 17.01.2022, the enrollment under the PMSYM scheme is 46.09 lakh persons, out of which female enrollment was 23.89 lakh and male enrollment was 22.20 lakh.

e-SHRAM Portal

• e-SHRAM portal has been launched to create a National Database of Unorganized Workers (UWs). One of the main objectives of this portal is to facilitate the delivery of Social Security Schemes to the workers. This database is seeded with Aadhaar and for the age group between 16-59 years.
• It includes construction workers, migrant workers, gig workers, platform workers, agricultural workers, MGNREGA workers, fishermen, milkmen, ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, street vendors, domestic workers, rickshaws pullers, and other workers engaged in similar other occupations in the unorganized sector.

Status of Labour Reforms

• In 2019 and 2020, 29 Central Labour laws were amalgamated, rationalized, and simplified into four labor codes, viz., the Code on Wages, 2019 (August 2019), the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Code on Social Security, 2020, and the Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions Code, 2020 (September 2020).
• The new laws were in tune with the changing labour market trends and at the same time accommodated the minimum wage requirement and welfare needs of the unorganized sector workers.

HEALTH

PROGRAMMES AND SCHEMES FOR THE HEALTH SECTOR

• Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs): The vision of Ayushman Bharat is to achieve universal health coverage. It adopts a continuum of care approach, comprising two inter-related components. The first component is the creation of 1,50,000 Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) which cover both, maternal and child health services and non-communicable diseases, including free essential drugs and diagnostic services.
• Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY): The scheme provides a health cover of ` 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to over 10.74 crores of poor and vulnerable families in the bottom 40 percent of the Indian population.
• PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) is a mission to develop the capacities of primary, secondary, and tertiary care health systems, strengthen existing national institutions, and create new institutions, to cater to the detection and cure of new and emerging diseases. It is the largest pan-India scheme for public health infrastructure since 2005.
• Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) is being implemented to correct regional imbalances in the availability of affordable reliable tertiary healthcare services and to augment facilities for quality medical education in the country.
• Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), erstwhile National Digital Health Mission (NDHM), announced on 27th September 2021 to develop the backbone necessary to support the integrated digital health infrastructure of the country.
• e-Sanjeevani: In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare upgraded the thee-Sanjeevani application to enable patient-to-doctor teleconsultation to ensure a continuum of care and facilitate health services to all citizens in the confine of their homes free of cost.

HEALTH OUTCOME INDICATORS

As per the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5, social indicators such as total fertility rate, sex ratio, and health outcome indicators viz., infant mortality rate, under-five mortality rate, institutional birth rates have improved over the year 2015-16.

CHILD HEALTH INDICATORS

• All child nutrition indicators have also improved at all Indian levels. Under Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) has declined from 49.7 in 2015-16 to 41.9 in 2019-21. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has declined from 40.7 per 1000 live births in 2015-16 to 35.2 per 1000 live births in 2019-21.
• Stunting has declined from 38 percent in 2015-16 to 36 percent in 2019-21. Wasting has also declined from 21 percent in 2015-16 to 19 percent in 2019-21. And, underweight declined from 36 percent in 2015-16 to 32 percent in 2019-21.

LIFE EXPECTANCY

• Life expectancy at birth was 69.4 years for the period 2014-18; it has increased by 0.4 years from 2013-17. It varies widely across states; ranging from the lowest at 65.2 years in Chhattisgarh to the highest at 75.3 years in Kerala and Delhi. It is higher in urban areas (72.6 years) than in rural areas (68.0 years).

DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

JAL JEEVAN MISSION (JJM)

• In 2019, out of about 18.93 crore families in rural areas, about 3.23 crore (17 percent) rural families had tap water connections in their homes. As of 2 January 2022, 5,51,93,885 households have been provided with a tap water supply since the start of the mission.
• Six states/ Uts have achieved the coveted status of 100 percent households with tap water supply, namely Goa, Telangana, A & N Islands, Puducherry, Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, and Haryana.

SWACHH BHARAT MISSION (GRAMEEN) [SBM-G]

• During 2021-22 (as of 25.10.2021) a total of 7.16 lakh Individual household latrines for new emerging households and 19,061 Community Sanitary Complexes have been constructed. Also, 2,194 villages have been declared as ODF Plus.
• As per the recently released findings of the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey, 2019-21 (NFHS-5), the population living in households that use an improved sanitation facility has increased from 48.5 percent in 2015-16 to 70.2 percent in 2019-21.

ELECTRICITY AND CLEAN COOKING FUEL

• As per NFHS-5, 58.6 percent of households were using clean fuel for cooking in 2019-21, a significant increase from 43.8 percent in 2015-16.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

PRADHAN MANTRI AWAAS YOJANA-GRAMIN (PMAY-G)

• In the first phase from 2016-17 to 2018-19, one crore houses were taken up. Under phase II, assistance is being provided for the construction of the remaining 1.95 crore houses from 2019-20 to 2021-22.
• As of 18th January 2022, 2.17 crore houses have been sanctioned and 1.69 crore houses completed against a target of 2.63 crore houses till 2021-22.

PRADHAN MANTRI GRAM SADAK YOJANA (PMGSY)

• As of 18.01.2022, a total of 1,82,506 roads measuring 7,82,844 km and 9,456 Long Span Bridges (LSBs) have been sanctioned and 1,66,798 roads measuring 6,84,994 km and 6,404 LSBs have been completed.
• World Bank (2019) in an evaluation of the scheme found that PMGSY roads had a positive impact on human capital formation in rural India.

MULTIDIMENSIONAL POVERTY (MPI)

• Using the NFHS-4 (2015-16) report, in line with the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), NITI Aayog prepared Multidimensional Poverty Index at the national, for all states and districts of India.
• It will enable measuring deprivation across twelve indicators at the national, state, and districts level. In 2015-16, 25 percent of households were found to be multidimensional poor in India.
• Among states, Bihar had the largest (51.91%) multidimensional poor households, followed by Jharkhand (42.16%), Uttar Pradesh (37.79%), Madhya Pradesh (36.65%), Assam (32.67%), and Rajasthan (39.46%).
• Since the MPI index is based on NFHS-4 data of 2014-15, it may serve as the baseline for measuring deprivation in future studies.