(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. India’s push for home-grown navigation system jolts smartphone giants READ MORE
2. Seven years which saw the Supreme Court embrace live-streaming, online RTI portal READ MORE
3. I&B Ministry blocks 45 videos from 10 YouTube channels READ MORE
4. The case to decide on excommunication within Dawoodi Bohras READ MORE
5. Growth in credit offtake at 9-yr high, with retail driving demand READ MORE
6. Inflation to stay above 6% until 2022-end: S&P READ MORE
7. 60 years after they were last seen, tigers to come back to Madhya Pradesh’s Madhav National Park READ MORE
8. Union minister Giriraj Singh launches ‘Jaldoot’ app to check water levels of selected wells READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Repeated multi-year droughts hit India over last 1,000 years, water policies need reassessment: Study READ MORE  
2. 3 reasons Hurricane Ian poses a major flooding hazard for Florida — a meteorologist explains READ MORE
3. Break chains of inequality, historical injustice READ MORE
4. SOCIAL MEDIA SPURS SUICIDAL TENDENCIES READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Putting power back in the hands of the people: With a crisis of representation, tottering democracies can be brought to life with the crucial role of referendum or direct democracy READ MORE
2. Death penalty: Deciding the rarest of the rare READ MORE
3. Lawless policing an abomination in a free society READ MORE
4. Governor vs Govt: The spat between the Kerala Governor and the Chief Minister is most unfortunate READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Digitised healthcare depends on faster connectivity READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Modi’s vishwa guru quest continues. Australia visit will help India wean Canberra away from China READ MORE

 GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Why PLI is worth doing: Critiques are missing both the immediate economic logic & its longer term strategic benefit READ MORE
2. The RBI’s rupee headache READ MORE
3. Food Security Dwindles: Increasing foodgrain prices will be a big blow to country’s food security which is already strained READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT

1. Waste mismanagement: NGT applies ‘polluter pays’ principle for lapses READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. How this cyclone intensity estimation technique saved millions of lives across continents READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Be like an immovable rock in the midst of chaos READ MORE
2. Shed gloomy thoughts READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘Caste-based discrimination continues to stalk the political landscape of independent India’. Comment with examples.
2. ‘In a democratic society, the law vests vast powers in the hands of the police to curb lawlessness by anti-social elements, but also keeps provisions to ensure that these powers are not used to imperil the rights of citizens’. With the help of relevant examples discuss how the cases of police brutality can be minimized?
3. The tussle between state government and the office of Governor set many bad examples and ultimately affects the working of state government. Discuss what India can learn British monarch to address the issue between state government and governor overreach?

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• History never looks like history when you are living through it.
• With a crisis of representation, tottering democracies can be brought to life with the crucial role of referendum or direct democracy.
• The draft telecom act, which replaces a colonial law, does well to put in technological, regulatory changes but falls short on some aspects.
• The country’s efforts so far in tackling water and air pollution as well as ensuring garbage and e-waste disposal have suffered due to misgovernance.
• Within redistributive justice, special provision has to be made for those who have suffered historical injustice. Dalits and Scheduled Tribes are doubly disadvantaged. They are socially discriminated on the basis of birth and also denied opportunities. Caste-based discrimination continues to stalk the political landscape of independent India.
• Despite facing myriad personal and official issues, the Queen remained a cool customer and a role model for other heads of State.
• Digital health delivery is gaining popularity, but its expansion in rural India will bank on connectivity.

50-WORD TALK

• The Supreme Court has done well to acknowledge that capital punishment needs closer scrutiny and referring the matter to a five-judge bench. The problem that the Supreme Court’s reference to a Constitution Bench seeks to remedy is the need to achieve consistency on the requirements of a fair, meaningful and effective sentencing hearing.
• In a democratic society, the law vests vast powers in the hands of the police to curb lawlessness by anti-social elements, but also keeps provisions to ensure that these powers are not used to imperil the rights of citizens. The conviction of criminals is important, but more important is the fact that the police must function in a way that promotes the values of a liberal, democratic society. Illegal means ultimately undermine the ends. This approach damages the credibility of the police.

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 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 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. INDIA-UAE CEPA MAKES SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE IMPACT ON INDIA-UAE TRADE

THE CONTEXT: The India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) which came into effect on the 1st of May 2022 is already creating a significant positive impact on India-UAE trade. Indian exports to the UAE, excluding petroleum products grew from US$ 5.17 billion during June-August 2021 to US$ 5.92 billion during June-August 2022, which denotes an increase of 14%.

THE EXPLANATION:

• It is pertinent to note that India’s global non-petroleum exports during the same period (Jun-Aug 2022) grew by 3% on an annual basis. This implies the growth rate of India’s non-petroleum exports to the UAE is almost 5 times as that of India’s non-petroleum exports to the world.
• Excluding petroleum related imports, Indian imports from the UAE during the same three-month period grew from US$ 5.56billion (June-August 2021) to US$ 5.61 billion (June-August 2022) or an increase of 1% in percentage terms.
• It may be noted that India’s non-oil export growth of around 14% on year-on-year basis comes in the context of significant macroeconomic headwinds such as conflict in Ukraine, COVID-19 related lockdowns in China, rising inflationary pressures, expected Policy tightening in advanced economies, global growth slowdown and consequent reduced demand, reduction in global merchandize trade (growth slowed down to 3.2% in Q1 2022 vis-a-vis 5.7% in Q4 2021)etc.
• Indian exports are likely to increase further in the coming months with increasing use of the CEPA by the exporters and with dedicated efforts from Department of Commerce, in association with Indian Mission in the UAE, through organization of a series of trade promotion events in the UAE during the current Financial Year.
• The analysis of the India-UAE CEPA was carried out from the period of June-August 2022, excluding statistics of oil trade. The month of May has not been included for the purpose of the analysis as it is considered as a transitory period. Oil trade has not been considered as import increase in oil/petroleum products is largely on account of the rise in global prices and to a certain extent on an increase offtake in volumes. Further, it is pertinent to mention that bulk of the oil imports from the UAE are of Crude Petroleum, the demand for which is inelastic and the customs duty for which is very low.

VALUE ADDITION:

What is CEPA?

• It is a kind of free trade pact that covers negotiation on the trade in services and investment, and other areas of economic partnership.
• India has signed CEPAs with South Korea and Japan.

India-UAE CEPA trade deal

The new strategic economic agreement will increase bilateral trade in goods to $100 billion in five years (2022-27) of the signed agreement and increase trade in services to $15 billion.

The Agreement is a comprehensive agreement which will cover:

• Trade in Goods, Rules of Origin,
• Trade in Services,
• Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT),
• Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures,
• Dispute Settlement,
• Movement of Natural Persons,
• Telecom,
• Customs Procedures,
• Pharmaceutical products,
• Government Procurement,
• IPR, Investment,
• Digital Trade and Cooperation in other Areas.

It will include a digital trade element, which is a first of its kind for both countries.

• The United Arab Emirates is India’s third largest trading partner and second largest export destination.
• The UAE is also the eight largest investor in India with an estimated investment of US$ 18 billion.
• Bilateral trade between India and the UAE stood at $43.3 billion in 2020-21.
• Exports were $16.7 billion, and imports, driven by oil, pushed the balance in favor of the UAE at $26.7 billion in 2020-21.

Issues/ Challenges:

Lack of negotiations:

• A free trade agreement with the GCC comprising Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain as its members was first envisaged in 2007, but got stuck after a couple of rounds of negotiations.

Lacking Global Giant Experience:

• Despite being a US $2.5 trillion economy, Indian businesses are small in size. In fact, none of the Indian business giants come close to the big global conglomerates that have the capacity, infrastructure and experience to handle huge investments.

Procedural Issues:

• Including lack of planning, lack of complete information, bureaucratic bottlenecks continue to remain a challenge for foreign investors despite significant efforts by the government in this direction to make investments easy and convenient.

Legal Issues:

• Legal problems have in the past dampened foreign investments from coming to India. For example, the investments from UAE’s Etisalat and Etihad had got stuck in legal problems, thus dampening investor enthusiasm. While checks and regulations are needed, better streamlining of the procedures and processes help in avoiding such problems.

Political Will: 

• There are challenges pertaining to political diversions, especially when an election year is approaching.
• India has a tendency to become focused inward and in the process, ignore foreign policy.
• The UAE with an appetite for large-scale investments needs to be continuously engaged.

Significance of the deal:

Enhanced market access: The agreement will provide significant benefits to Indian and UAE businesses, including enhanced market access and reduced tariffs.

• The CEPA will boost bilateral trade from the current $60 billion to $100 billion in the next 5 years.
• India welcomed investment from the Gulf country into Jammu and Kashmir that would open new routes for regional trade and connectivity and advance the collective interests of India, Israel, the UAE and the United States.
• The deepening of the relationship with the UAE would also help Indian exporters gain access to other West Asian countries, Africa and some parts of Europe.

Digital trade: Early harvest agreement would likely include a chapter on digital trade which would be aimed at enhancing cooperation between the two countries on digital trade in the future.

• Digital trade is likely to include frameworks on paperless trading, digital payments and online consumer protection, as well as address issues such as intellectual property rights in digital trade, and challenges to small and medium enterprises.
• The UAE hopes to get enhanced market access in India for its petrochemicals, metals and dates.
• Indian goods will flow to the other GCC countries as the UAE has no customs barriers.

Energy ties: UAE is India’s third largest supplier of crude oil and second largest supplier of LPG and LNG. Renewable energy is the next stop for bilateral energy ties.

• It may also give a boost to India’s jewellery exports.
• It is expected to create new jobs, raise living standards, and provide wider social and economic opportunities in both nations.

2. THE GROUP OF FOUR (G4) ON UNSC REFORM

THE CONTEXT: India’s External Affairs Minister met with his counterparts from Germany, Brazil and Japan under the Group of Four (G4) banner.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The G4 met on the sidelines of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss issues related to the reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
• The group is primarily focused on N. Security Council (UNSC) reform and  Permanent membership of the body for G4 members.
• The G4 nations, comprising Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan, are four countries that support each other’s bids for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council.
• Unlike the G7, where the common denominator is the economy and long-term political motives, the G4’s primary aim is the permanent member seats on the Security Council.
• Each of these four countries have figured among the elected non-permanent members of the council since the UN’s establishment.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MEETING:

Pushing forward for Reforms:

• In the recent meeting, the group reiterated their commitment to pushing forward reform.
• They also expressed dissatisfaction at the lack of progress in this regard.

Complex Global issues and need of reforms:

• The G4 felt that the U.N. decision-making bodies needed to be urgently reformed as global issues were increasingly complex and interconnected.

No meaningful progress & lack of transparency:

• G4 ministers expressed concern that the 76 th Session of the U.N. General Assembly (i.e., the year-long session that just concluded) did not make “meaningful progress” in the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN).
• This session, according to the G4, was constrained by a lack of transparency.

African representation:

• They also batted for the Common African Position (CAP) and emphasized that African nations need representation in both the permanent and non-permanent categories of membership of a reformed and expanded Security Council.
• G4 also called for dialogue with all pro-reform Member States.

Text-based negotiations:

• The G4 Ministers welcomed the recommendation of the President of the 76 th General Assembly to “gradually move the process towards text-based negotiations”.
• The group hoped this principle would be followed in the 77th General Assembly Session.

VALUE ADDITION:

 THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

3. CHINA DISCOVERS A NEW MINERAL ON THE MOON: CHANGESITE-(Y)

THE CONTEXT: A new type of crystal was discovered by researchers in China from the near side of the Moon.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The newly discovered crystal was named Changesite-(Y) after the Chinese moon goddess Chang’e.
• This small and transparent crystal was found among the volcanic debris of the near side of the moon.
• It is more than a billion years old and its width is almost comparable to human hair.
• It has a unique composition and is related to other minerals found only found on the lunar surface or in meteors.
• The crystal was found among the 1.8 km of lunar rocks brought back by Chang’e-5 mission in 2020.
• These samples are the first to the delivered to the Earth from Moon since 1976 and the first ever lunar samples collected by China.
• The Changesite-(Y) crystal is the sixth new mineral to be discovered on the Moon and the first identified by China. The previous 5 discoveries were made by either the United States or Russia.
• The lunar samples from Chang’e-5 also had helium-3, a version of helium that is extremely rare on Earth but highly abundant on the Moon.
• It is seen as a potential source of fuel for nuclear fusion, as it is known to emit lesser radiation and nuclear wastes than other elements.
• It is found in abundant quantities as it was deposited directly onto the lunar soil for billions of years by solar wind.
• The availability of Helium-3 on Earth is few and far between. Hence, its discovery has triggered a potential lunar resource race.
• Several space-faring nations and private companies are looking to mine the moon for Helium-3, including the US and China.

 THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INTERVENTIONS

4. THE SIGN LEARN – INDIAN SIGN LANGUAGE DICTIONARY

THE CONTEXT: The Central Government has launched the Sign Learn to make Indian Sign Language usage more widespread.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Sign Learn is a mobile application-based Indian Sign Language Dictionary having 10,000 words.
• The application was launched by the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Pratima Bhoumik.
• It was developed based on the Indian Sign Language Dictionary of the Indian Sign Language Research And Training Centre (ISLRTC).
• In the application, all the words can be searched either in Hindi or English.
• The purpose of this mobile application is to make Indian Sign Language (ISL) more accessible for the general public.
• All sign videos in the application can be shared via social media.
• It was launched on the occasion of Sign Language Day.
• On this occasion, ISL e-content of NCERT textbooks of class 6 and Indian Sign Language versions of selected books of ‘Veergatha’ series were launched.
• The e-content was developed after an MoU was signed in 2020 for converting NCERT textbooks for classes 1 to 12 into digital ISL format to make them more accessible for children having hearing disabilities.

VALUE ADDITION:

What is Sign Language Day?

The Sign Language Day was celebrated on September 23 as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. Its theme was “Sign Languages Unite Us”. The theme was chosen to declare the support for sign language as a human rights for deaf people. The event was approved by the National Implementation Committee (NIC), which was chaired by Home Minister. The event was organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, which comes under the aegis of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

About ISLRTC

The ISLRTC is an institute focusing Indian Sign Language teaching and research. It was established under the 11^th Five Year Plan (2007-2012). Earlier, it existed as an autonomous center of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Delhi. Later, in 2015, it became a society under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.

 THE PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

5. NEELAKURINJI FLOWERS THAT BLOOM ONCE IN EVERY 12 YEARS

THE CONTEXT: Neelakurinji flowers have bloomed in Kodagu district of Karnataka after 12 years. This kind of mass flowering is known as gregarious flowering.

THE EXPLANATION:

About the flower:

• It is a shrub that is found in the shola forests of the Western Ghats in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
• Locally known as Kurinji, the flowers grow at an altitude of 1,300 to 2,400 metres.
• Nilgiri Hills, which literally means the blue mountains, got their name from the purplish blue flowers of Neelakurinji that bloom only once in 12 years.
• Kurinjimala Sanctuary of Kerala protects the kurinji in approximately 32 km2 core habitat in Kottakamboor and Vattavada villages in Idukki district.
• Kurinji Andavar temple located in Kodaikanal of Tamil Nadu dedicated to Tamil God Murugan also preserves these plants.
• The Paliyan tribal people living in Tamil Nadu used it as a reference to calculate their age.
• Karnataka has around 45 species of Neelakurinji and each species blooms at intervals of six, nine, 11 or 12 years.
• Besides the Western Ghats, Neelakurinji is also seen in the Shevroy in the Eastern Ghats, Sanduru hills of Bellary district in Karnataka.

THE MAINS PERSPECTIVE-VALUE ADDITION

6. THE FOOD BARONS 2022 REPORT

THE CONTEXT: The Food Barons 2022 report released ahead of the Committee on World Food Security.

THE EXPLANATION:

About Food Barons 2022 report:

• The report titled “Food Barons 2022 — Crisis Profiteering, Digitalization and Shifting Power” was released by Canada-based global research firm ETC Group.
• It was created based on the 2020 sales and analysis of three annual reports of several agro-food companies.

KEY FINDINGS OF THE REPORT

Macroeconomic findings

• The report revealed that large corporations have profited from the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and war.
• Small-scale operators in food sector are adversely impacted because of the strategies used by agri-food giants to consolidate and expand their dominion over global food systems.
• Food prices are surging because of the structural inequality and corporate concentration in this sector.

Food delivery sector

• According to this report, India’s major food delivery platforms have been ranked among top 10 e-commerce-based food delivery companies.
• The top 3 performers in this sector Chinese food platform named Meituan, Deliveroo in the UK and Uber Eats in the US.
• In majority of countries across the globe, the delivery workers are treated as independent contractors and not employees, making them ineligible for social security, personal injury, settlements and other benefits.
• Several governments are looking to reform their labour laws to address this trend. New York became the first city to pass a law to regulate food delivery sector, mandating minimum pay and social security for gig workers.
• The food delivery sector is currently facing the major issue of an increased trash from takeaways using single-use packaging.
• Several food delivery platforms faced significant losses and were forced to shift towards grocery delivery.

Grocery sector

• Walmart receives 30 per cent of consumer spending across the world.
• The Indian companies are not among the top 10 meat companies or in the global grocery retail sector. Small grocery stores are currently dominating the retail market in the country.
• India currently has over 20 million grocery stores or kirana stores. During the pandemic, these stores have been digitized to retain the customer base.
• Currently, big corporations like Amazon, Walmart, Reliance and others are looking to consolidate these kirana stores into a single value chain.
• India’s retail market is expected to grow nearly 1.5 trillion USD by 2030 and these corporations are looking to profit from it.

Agrochemicals sector

• China’s Syngenta Group dominates a quarter of the global market of agrochemicals like seeds, pesticides and fertilizers.
• Syngenta and German-based Bayer and BASF Agricultural Solutions, and Corteva in the United States account for 62.3 per cent of global market share.
• China is the leading manufacturer of off-patent and generic pesticides.
• India’s UPL Limited is the fifth largest agro-chemical firm in the world. In 2020, it had 7.9 per cent of the global market share with 4,900 million USD sales. 71 per cent of revenue came from generic pesticides.

Farm sector

• In the commercial seed market, 10 companies controlled 40 per cent of global market 25 years ago. Now, only two firms have 40 per cent of the market share.
• These firms made use of intellectual property laws, mergers and acquisitions and new technologies to take control of this market.
• In the farm equipment sector, which includes tractors, farming tools and machines, 6 companies account for nearly half of the international market share.
• India’s Mahindra and Mahindra is the sixth largest firm in this sector, with 2 per cent market share at the international level. Over 40 per cent of the Indian market is dominated by this firm. It reported a 31 per cent rise in domestic sales in June 2021 when compared with the previous year.
• Companies are currently investing in drone technology in agriculture sector.

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THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

1. COMMITTEE FOR PHARMA MARKETING PRACTICES

THE CONTEXT: A high-level committee has been set up to regulate the promotion of pharmaceutical products.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Government has set up a five-member committee chaired by Dr VK Paul, NITI Aayog member (health) to create a legal mechanism to address the issue of pharmaceutical companies giving incentives to promote their drugs and products.
• The members of this committee include department of pharmaceuticals S Aparna, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan, and Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) chairman Nitin Gupta.
• The joint secretary (policy) from the department of pharmaceuticals is the member secretary of this committee.
• The committee was set up based on the recommendation of the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Chemicals and Fertilizers, Mansukh Mandaviya.
• This committee will examine the Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP), Indian Medical Council Regulations, 2002 and CBDT rules, which are involved in the regulation of marketing practices of pharma companies.
• The UCPMP, which was unveiled in 2015, aims to prevent unethical practices of the pharma companies by regulating their marketing, including sample distribution and gifts. The code also governs hospitality and cash or monetary grants to physicians and their families. It is voluntary and not enforceable.
• The Indian Medical Council Regulations, 2002 details misconduct by medical professionals, including accepting gifts from drug companies and commissions from laboratories.
• The CBDT rules require pharma companies to file details on how much they spend to promote their products. The Supreme Court had held that gifts to medical practitioners by pharmaceutical companies is not allowable expenditure under the Income Tax Act, 1961.
• The Committee will look to harmonize all codes, rules and regulations concerning the malpractices in the pharmaceutical sector. These rules are currently implemented by different entities of the government.
• It will also examine the requirement of legally enforceable mechanisms to regulate marketing practices by studying global best practices. The high-level committee will be submitting its report in 90 days.

 2. WHAT BANKING SYSTEM LIQUIDITY GOING INTO ‘DEFICIT MODE’ MEANS?

THE CONTEXT: For the first time since May 2019, the banking system liquidity situation turned into a deficit mode of Rs 21,873.4 crore on September 20, 2022. By comparison, the liquidity surplus was to the tune of Rs 8 lakh crore in November 2021 as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was providing liquidity support to the economy, which was dealing with the after-effects of the Covid pandemic.

THE EXPLANATION:

On September 20, 2021, the liquidity surplus was Rs 6.7 lakh crore. Multiple factors are at play here: an uptick in the bank credit, advance tax payments by corporates, and also incremental deposit growth not keeping pace with credit demand.

What is banking system liquidity?

• Liquidity in the banking system refers to readily available cash that banks need to meet short-term business and financial needs. On a given day, if the banking system is a net borrower from the RBI under Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), the system liquidity can be said to be in deficit and if the banking system is a net lender to the RBI, the system liquidity can be said to be in surplus. The LAF refers to the RBI’s operations through which it injects or absorbs liquidity into or from the banking system.

What has triggered this deficit?

• Economists say that there are various factors over the last few months that have led to the current situation. If an improvement in demand for credit has led to the same, the recent advance tax outflow, which is a quarterly phenomenon, has further aggravated the situation.
• Besides, there is the continuous intervention of the RBI to stem the fall in the rupee against the US dollar.
• “The deficit in the liquidity situation has been caused by an uptick in the bank credit, advance tax payments by corporates, intervention of the RBI into the forex market, and also incremental deposit growth not keeping pace with credit demand.
• According to the latest RBI data, the outstanding bank credit stood at Rs 124.58 lakh crore as on August 26, 2022 and has increased by 4.77% (Rs 5.7 lakh crore) from Rs 118.9 lakh crore as on March 25, 2022. However, deposit growth was just 3.21% (Rs 5.3 lakh crore) at Rs 169.94 lakh crore as on August 26, 2022, from Rs 164.65 lakh crore as on March 25, 2022.

How can a tight liquidity condition impact consumers?

• A tight liquidity condition could lead to a rise in the government securities yields and subsequently lead to a rise in interest rates for consumers too. The 10-year government bond yield increased to 7.23% on September 21, 2022, from 7.18% on August 20, 2022. According to Economists, the short-term rates would increase at a faster pace as the direct reflection of tighter liquidity and RBI’s rate hike would be on these papers.
• A rise in the repo rate will lead to a higher cost of funds. Banks will increase their repo-linked lending rates and the marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR), to which all loans are linked to. This rise will result in higher interest rates for consumers.

What can RBI do to deal with this situation?

• Experts feel that RBI’s actions will depend upon the nature of the liquidity situation. If the current liquidity deficit situation is temporary and is largely on account of advance tax flow, the RBI may not have to act, as the funds should eventually come back into the system. However, if it is long-term in nature then the RBI may have to take measures to improve the liquidity situation in the system.

 THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

3. DEFENCE MINISTRY CONTRACT FOR BRAHMOS MISSILES

THE CONTEXT: The Indian Government has inked a Rs.1,700 crore contract with BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd for procuring BrahMos missiles.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The contract was signed by the Defence Ministry to purchase 35 combat and 3 practice BrahMos supersonic dual-role surface-to-surface cruise missiles.
• The range of these missiles is 290 km and they are capable of both land attack and anti-ship strikes.
• Their speed is 2.8 Mach, which is almost three times the speed of sound.
• These missiles will be equipped in two P-15B class stealth guided missile destroyers of the Indian Navy.
• This is expected to significantly boost India’s naval capabilities.
• They are brought under Buy-In category, which aims to boost indigenous production of critical weapon systems and ammunitions with active participation of indigenous defence industry.

What is BrahMos Missile?

• BrahMos is the fastest supersonic missile and the fastest anti-ship cruise missile in the world. It was developed by BrahMos Aerospace – a joint venture between DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya. The missile was named after Brahmaputra river in India and Moskva river in Russia.
• In 2016, since India entered into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), India and Russia decided to develop a new generation of Brahmos missiles with a range of 400 km and then increase it to 600 km. The extended range version has been tested from warships, including from INS Visakhapatnam.

About Project 15B

• Under the Project 15B, four stealth guided missile destroyers are being constructed at the cost of Rs. 29,643.74 crore. These destroyers are improved versions of Kolkata-class destroyers. These four vessels are named after major cities from all four corners of India. These are Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal and Surat.
• While INS Visakhapatnam was commissioned in 2021, the rest were launched into waters. They were designed by the Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design and constructed by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai. These vessels will be equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, including BrahMos and Barak-8 surface-to-air missiles.

CONNECT THE DOTS:

In a major boost to India’s defence export plans, the Philippines has accepted Indian BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd’s proposal worth $374.9 million to supply a Shore-based Anti-Ship Missile System Acquisition Project for its navy.

 THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INITIATIVES IN NEWS

4. CONVERGENCE PORTAL BETWEEN AIF, PMFME SCHEME & PMKSY

THE CONTEXT: A convergence portal was jointly launched by the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to increase the potential of India’s agriculture and food processing sector.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The convergence portal brings together Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) scheme, Pradhan Mantri Micro Food Enterprises Upgradation Scheme (PMFME) and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY).
• A standard operating procedure (SOP) was also issued to provide maximum benefits under these three schemes.
• It aims to boost the concept of “Vocal for Local”.
• The convergence portal aims to ensure effective collaboration between all ministries and departments and improving access to these schemes and creating positive impact for farmers and small-scale entrepreneurs of the food processing industry.
• The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) is a financing facility launched in 2020 to improve post-harvest management infrastructure and community farm assets through benefits like 3 per cent interest subvention and credit guarantee support. Under this, Rs.1 lakh crore funds are provided from 2020-21 to 2025-26 and interest subvention and credit guarantee assistance will be provided until 2032-33.
• The AIF has the facility of convergence with other schemes implemented by states and central government, enabling the optimization of multiple government schemes for a specific project.
• The PMFME scheme was launched to provide financial, technical and commercial assistance for the upgradation of micro food processing enterprises across India. It will be implemented from 2020-21 to 2024-25. The total outlay for this scheme is Rs.10,000 crore. It uses the One District One Product (ODOP) approach to boost procurement, avail common services and marketing of products.
• The PMKSY is a centrally sponsored scheme launched to boost infrastructure to improve supply chain management from farm to retail outlets. It aims to create mega food parks, improve cold chain and value addition infrastructure, food safety and quality assurance infrastructure, agro-processing clusters etc.

VALUE ADDITION:

“VOCAL FOR LOCAL”:

• It means that products are made competitive vis-a-vis global brands. But it does not mean that one must only buy products that have a logo ‘made in India’ on it
• Government’s announcement to make ‘local companies global’ and to increase demand for locally manufactured goods, India’s digital industry is going to benefit from more Indian brands wanting to reach a wider audience.
• Vocal for local also aims to achieve ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India).

Idea behind it

• ‘Vocal for Local’ is a concept which dates back to the era of the Swadeshi movement which stared in 1905 as part of the Indian independence movement
• It was also Developed and promoted by Mahatma Gandhi.As an economic strategy, it helped develop Indian nationalism at the time. After 1947, in the 1950s and 60s India followed a conscious, socialist pattern of development to create and grow a base of domestic big industry.
• However, this minimized competition and also encouraged protectionism.
• The era of the 1990s saw a liberalization of the economies across the world, including in India.
• This led to an infusion of FDI and big investments from MNCs and corporate houses and several joint ventures which made India very competitive.
• The Indian Prime Minister latest slogan ‘Be vocal about local’ is built on both the reform agenda of Narasimha Rao and Vajpayee’s infrastructure focus to address a serious weakness in the India growth story ― low share of manufacturing in the country’s GDP vis-à-vis China.

 THE PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

5. THE 2023 BREAKTHROUGH PRIZE WINNERS ANNOUNCED

THE CONTEXT: The 2023 Breakthrough Prizes conferred to individuals who made key contributions in the scientific growth.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Breakthrough Prizes are international awards conferred under three categories – mathematics, fundamental physics and life sciences.
• These awards give recognition to scientific advances in these fields.
• The awards were created in 2010 by a group of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs – Milner (venture capitalist), Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan of Facebook and Sergey Brin of Google.
• The Breakthrough Prizes were conferred for the first time in 2012 and the ceremony was hosted by Morgan Freeman.
• Awardees receive 3 million USD each in prize money, which is higher than the 1 million USD received by Nobel laureates.
• These prizes are conferred at a televised award ceremony that is organized to celebrate their achievements and inspire the next generation of scientists.
• This year, three prizes were conferred in the life sciences category, one for mathematics and one for fundamental physics.
• The total prize received by all these awardees are more than 15 million USD.

Who are the winners?

• Life Sciences: Clifford Brangwynne and Anthony Hyman received the prize for discovering a new mechanism of cellular organization. Demis Hassabis and John Jumper were recognized for the development of AlphaFold, which predicts the structure of proteins. The prize was also given to Emmanuel Mignot and Masashi Yanagisawa for the discovery of causes of narcolepsy – the chronic sleep disorder characterized by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep.
• Mathematics: Daniel Spielman of Yale University was given recognition for multiple discoveries in theoretical computer science and mathematics. He has been a professor of applied mathematics and computer science at Yale University since 2006.
• Fundamental physics: The prize was shared by Charles Bennett, Gilles Brassard, David Deutsch and Peter Shor for their research in quantum information.

 6. WHAT IS CARBON DATING, AND CAN THE GYANVAPI ‘SHIVLING’ BE DATED BY THIS TECHNIQUE?

THE CONTEXT: Recently, a district court in Varanasi on allowed a petition seeking carbon dating of the structure inside the Gyanvapi mosque that the Hindu side has claimed is a ‘Shivling’. The court has issued notices to other parties wanting to know whether they have any objection to carbon dating.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is carbon dating?

• Carbon dating is a widely-used method applied to establish the age of organic material, things that were once living. Living things have carbon in them in various forms. The dating method makes use of the fact that a particular isotope of carbon called C-14, with an atomic mass of 14, is radioactive, and decays at a rate that is well known.
• The most abundant isotope of carbon in the atmosphere is carbon-12 or a carbon atom whose atomic mass is 12. A very small amount of carbon-14 is also present. The ratio of carbon-12 to carbon-14 in the atmosphere is almost static, and is known.
• Plants get their carbon through the process of photosynthesis, while animals get it mainly through food. Because plants and animals get their carbon from the atmosphere, they too acquire carbon-12 and carbon-14 isotopes in roughly the same proportion as is available in the atmosphere.
• But when they die, the interactions with the atmosphere stops. There is no further intake of carbon (and no outgo either, because metabolism stops). Now, carbon-12 is stable and does not decay, while carbon-14 is radioactive. Carbon-14 reduces to one-half of itself in about 5,730 years. This is what is known as its ‘half-life’.

What about non-living things?

• Though extremely effective, carbon dating cannot be applied in all circumstances. Specifically, it cannot be used to determine the age of non-living things, like rocks, for example. Also, the age of things that are more than 40,000-50,000 years cannot be arrived at through carbon dating. This is because after eight to ten cycles of half-lives have been crossed, the amount of carbon-14 becomes almost negligible and undetectable.
• There are other methods to calculate the age of inanimate things, but carbon dating can also be used in an indirect way in certain circumstances. For example, the age of the ice cores in glaciers and polar regions is determined using carbon dating by studying the carbon dioxide molecules trapped inside large ice sheets. The trapped molecules have no interaction with the outside atmosphere and are found in the same state as when they were trapped.

Is there anything that cannot be dated?

• Though a variety of methods exist to know the age of a certain object, not everything can be dated. The accuracy of the different methods also varies.
• Though the petitioners in the Gyanvapi case have asked for carbon dating, it is not clear as of now whether carbon dating can be applied in this case, or if some other methods would be suitable. Some methods, like looking for trapped organic material beneath it, might not be feasible for practical reasons because that would involve uprooting the structure or making some other disruptions that are not desirable.

1. Five essential steps to happiness READ MORE
2. The power of patience READ MORE
3. The Use and Abuse of Oath-taking READ MORE

CASE STUDY

1. In Nandurbar, delayed MGNREGA wages trap workers in a vicious cycle of debt and migration READ MORE

1. In Conservation Efforts, the Tiger Overshadows India’s Other Carnivores READ MORE
2. Climate, Salinity, Menstrual Health: Sundarban Women Fight on Three Fronts READ MORE

1. To develop, India must forge a new social contract READ MORE  
2. Towards the Instrumentality of Inequality READ MORE

1. Issues before the Supreme Court in EWS quota case: background and analysis READ MORE
2. How to Defend India and Swaraj READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Malawi first country in southern Africa to eliminate trachoma: WHO READ MORE
2. ‘Ambedkar tourist circuit only aids nationalistic narrative’ READ MORE
3. Coming soon: relief from spam calls, fraudulent messages READ MORE
4. What banking system liquidity going into ‘deficit mode’ means READ MORE
5. What is carbon dating, and can the Gyanvapi ‘Shivling’ be dated by this technique? READ MORE
6. Burning fuel to carry fuel: Govt’s ethanol programme to face transport challenges READ MORE
7. Rupee breaches 81, policy challenge: let it find its value or burn forex, hike rates READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. To develop, India must forge a new social contract READ MORE  
2. Towards the Instrumentality of Inequality READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Issues before the Supreme Court in EWS quota case: background and analysis READ MORE
2. How to Defend India and Swaraj READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. The success of the novel PM SHRI schools scheme will depend on the quality of educators READ MORE
2. National Health Accounts, 2018–19 READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The Global South’s assertion in geopolitics READ MORE
2. UN Charter in jeopardy: World must heed Guterres’ warning that winter of global discontent is on the horizon READ MORE
3. The SCO has a long-term regional agenda READ MORE
4. The Growing Significance of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. True meaning of Atmanirbharta READ MORE
2. The Role of Industrial Policy in Market-friendly Economies READ MORE
3. Rare treasure trove: Rare opportunity for India READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT

1. In Conservation Efforts, the Tiger Overshadows India’s Other Carnivores READ MORE
2. Climate, Salinity, Menstrual Health: Sundarban Women Fight on Three Fronts READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. How this cyclone intensity estimation technique saved millions of lives across continents READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Five essential steps to happiness READ MORE
2. The power of patience READ MORE
3. The Use and Abuse of Oath-taking READ MORE

CASE STUDY

1. In Nandurbar, delayed MGNREGA wages trap workers in a vicious cycle of debt and migration READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘The rising importance of the SCO is an indicator of the growing strategic exhaustion with the US-led world order’. Analysis.
2. ‘Poor teaching is a product of systemic deficits that makes the teaching profession unattractive to a large number of talented people’. In the light of the statement analyse how a parallel teacher training programme can must be in place to train the educators in the pedagogical practices?

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.
• Given the supply-chain disruptions observed in the past two years and China’s severe hedonistic tendencies, it is not wise to maintain dependence for such crucial raw materials.
• Agriculture electricity supply has been the Achilles heel in the context of electricity policy and subsidy in India. The study summarises all the electricity consumption methods and numbers in the major agricultural states by state electricity regulatory commissions and researchers.
• The rising importance of the SCO is an indicator of the growing strategic exhaustion with the US-led world order.
• A deficit in healthcare and its skewed availability across states remain major limitations.
• The outcome of the SCO in Samarkand shows that the members are bracing for a larger role on the world stage.
• Bemoaning the stark reality that while the international community had a ‘duty’ to act, the SG added: ‘We are gridlocked in colossal global dysfunction. The international community is not ready or willing to tackle the big dramatic challenges of our age.
• Poor teaching is a product of systemic deficits that makes the teaching profession unattractive to a large number of talented people. A parallel teacher training programme must be in place to train the educators in the pedagogical practices proposed by the NEP.

50-WORD TALK

• Arresting PFI leaders — even banning the group — will achieve little unless the government presents credible evidence of ties to terrorism. Past prosecutions against PFI haven’t succeeded, only gave it a halo of victimhood and more supporters. Fighting its toxic politics needs a nuanced political response, not only the police’s hammer.
• Endless arguments about who cast the first stone in Leicester won’t fix the damage Hindu-Muslim clashes have inflicted on South Asian communities abroad. Importing hatred from the homeland will destroy the hard-won reputation of South Asian immigrants as workers and entrepreneurs. Hindu-Muslim fanaticism will only empower English-nationalist opposition to immigration.

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 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: Many developing countries have reorganized their subnational administrative boundaries as a part of administrative reforms and decentralization. Theoretically, organisational proliferation can lead to better developmental outcomes by better managing ethnic heterogeneity, bringing public services closer to people, and better matching services to local preferences. This article analyzes the demographic and developmental outcomes of such administrative proliferation in India.

THE OVERVIEW: In a bid to arrive at the optimal population size in a local government unit, many national governments have reorganized their sub-national boundaries and have implemented vast decentralization reforms with the explicit goal of improving governance. The fundamental argument for decentralized administration is that there is heterogeneity in demand for public services. The variance in preferences can be better understood and catered to by a government that is closer to the citizens, thus raising well-being throughout society. Small jurisdictions have an information advantage and can tailor their services, tax appropriately, and raise welfare. In addition, it also enhances the capability of the citizens to monitor their government and hold the responsibility of the public official to better match local preferences.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROLIFERATION:

• Administrative proliferation is the creation of new administrative units by the splitting of existing ones at subnational levels. Although administrative proliferation may be associated with decentralization reforms, it is a distinct policy choice. Decentralization involves the devolution of responsibility, authority, and resources to lower-level governmental units, while administrative proliferation only creates new governmental units without changing the underlying power structure.
• Many developing countries create new districts as a part of their administrative reforms process, also referred to as administrative proliferation or government fragmentation.

WHY ADMINISTRATIVE PROLIFERATION?

• Administrative proliferation may claim some of the theoretical benefits of decentralization as it brings citizens closer to their administrators. Each administrative unit is smaller and more homogeneous—with less heterogeneity in preferences, they are able to provide better services to citizens. Splitting of administrative units also may reduce the bargaining power of each unit.
• Another consideration in the creation of administrative units is the management of ethnic diversity. Ethnic politics constitutes a crucial dimension of public life and serves as an intermediary between public administration and the economic well-being of citizens, especially in cases where multiple hierarchically nested administrative units interact to provide public goods. In ethnically diverse states, it is common to devolve power to subnational units as a compromise between the demands of territorially concentrated ethnic groups and the need to preserve the higher-level territorial integrity.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROLIFERATION IN INDIA

Administrative proliferation in India has been occurring since Independence, but it has picked up pace since the enactment of the decentralization reforms in 1992. India enacted extensive decentralization reforms with a constitutional amendment in 1992. Until the 73rd and 74th amendments to the constitution, the government structure in India was two-tiered, with the union and state governments—and the district level administrators performing such tasks as assigned to them by the state governments, such as rural development programs. With the passing of the 73rd and 74th Amendments, the local government units became the third tier of government. The local government units are of three levels – district level, 220 sub-district (taluka) level and village (panchayat) level.

According to the 2011 Census, between 2001-2011 alone, as many as 46 districts were added. Since the 2011 Census, approximately 100 districts have been added in India.

• In 2021 Punjab created Malerkotla as its 23rd district.
• The surge in several districts is primarily due to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh into A.P. and Telangana in 2014. Telangana currently has 33 districts and Andhra Pradesh has 26 districts (13 new communities were created in 2022).
• Most recently, in August 2022, WEST BENGAL also announced for the creation of 7 new districts.

ADVANTAGES OF CREATING NEW DISTRICTS IN INDIA

• Better administration and governance: This is one of the foremost advantages stated by state governments during creating new districts. To some extent, it is also true.
• The smaller district ensures better governance: New districts will host a range of administrative machinery in the district. This will result in better implementation of government schemes, proper fund utilization, enhanced coverage of schemes, etc. All this will improve governance in the new district.
• Service to the increased population: Since 1981, the average district area has become 44% smaller in 2019. But, the average number of people in a district has risen from 16.6 lakh to 18.6 lakh in 2019. So the new districts can ensure better service delivery for the increased population.
• Bring administration closer to the people: Bigger districts hinder the administration process in some areas of that district itself. For example, before the bifurcation of the Amravati district, the farthest taluka was around 150 km from the district headquarters. So, administrative officers in taluka have to travel nearly 3 hours to district headquarters. A new district can bring the administration closer to the people.
• District-specific government initiatives: New districts might attract more district-specific schemes. For example, the government can set up an agricultural research and assistance centre or a residential school for gifted children. The state government can provide better funding for backward districts. This will benefit the local population.
• Increase employment: Since the new district will require new officials from the top down, this will increase employment in government directly. It will also spur employment opportunities indirectly. For example, government tender and associated employment for locals, new shops and services near government buildings, etc.

DEMOGRAPHIC AND DEVELOPMENT OUTCOMES OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROLIFERATION

The district bifurcations benefit the overall district – and especially newly created districts – in terms of economic output. There could be two underlying reasons for the observed outcomes – it may be arising due to the greater homogeneity in population distribution after the split, or due to the redistributive benefits of bifurcation.

• After the bifurcation, the child and the parent region tend to be more homogeneous. Compared with a similar district that was never split, both child and parent districts do better in terms of economic outcomes. This suggests that the greater homogeneity in population distribution and preferences after the split could be playing a part in the observed positive outcomes.
• However, the child regions do better than the parent regions in the post-bifurcation period. This is reasonable to expect because the villages in the child district gain the advantage of having a new administrative setup built closer to them. This is consistent with the idea that reducing the distance between citizens and administrative centres could lead to better outcomes. [The parent region already has an established administrative system; therefore, the redistributive effects due to the creation of a new district headquarters do not come into play in the parent district. The observed benefit to the child region over the parent region seems to suggest that the positive outcomes are due to redistributive benefits.]

CHALLENGES IN THE CREATION OF NEW DISTRICTS IN INDIA

Creating a number of districts without any rationale can be challenging. This is due to various reasons such as,

• Creating one district is challenging: The government has to find office space for different departments and fill many new positions. All this will require a huge government expenditure. The government will also face challenges with land acquisition.
• Substitute for genuine decentralization: Zilla Parishad and the Panchayat Samiti do not enjoy much power in many states. So, these officials take most of their grievances to the collector. Creating smaller districts without empowering these bodies does not conform to the idea of decentralization in the real sense.
• The increased cost of living in new districts: The growth centres created in new district headquarters will also increase land rates and other service costs. This will increase the cost of living in the new district headquarters in the long run.
• Political motive: Many states reorganize the existing districts and form new ones due to political motives. However, the 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission stated that the political gains from forming a new district are a “minor dividend” and not the major one.

THE ANALYSIS OF THE ISSUE

• In democratic societies, small jurisdictions are believed to enhance political participation, make politics less abstract, politicians more responsive, and facilitate exit-based empowerment of citizens. Decentralization may promote responsiveness and effectiveness of the government as it enhances the capability of the citizens to monitor their government and aligns the incentive structure facing the public official. Decentralization will increase economic efficiency as local governments have an information advantage and can respond better to variance in preferences at the local level and population mobility will lead to competition between local authorities and better provision of public goods [One District, One Product; Aspirational District Programme; Swachh Bharat Mission etc will incentivise the general public in a more comprehensive way].
• Decentralized service delivery, especially when citizens directly elect the local governments, is expected to provide better coverage, quality, and efficiency. Competing local governments may experiment with various ways to provide public goods and lead to innovations [ making use of locally available resources, traditional knowledge and manpower] that can also be applied/replicated elsewhere.
• Local government proliferation also brings citizens closer to their government and may engender a better match between the supply and demand of public goods and services.
• At the same time, there is a counterargument in favour of larger jurisdiction sizes because larger units allow for economies of scale in providing public goods. Local bureaucracies may be poorly staffed and ill-equipped to handle the responsibilities associated with the decentralized provision of public goods [such as in cases of natural disasters and climate change-related issues which impact a larger geographical area and needs more coordinated efforts at a large scale]. Making each unit smaller and increasing the number of units, may increase the total cost of coordination and cooperation.
• There is also the possibility that the newly created administrative units may struggle to generate resources due to poorer administrative capability, thus leading to subpar public good provision. Thus critics also argue that the effectiveness of decentralization measures/administrative proliferation is often hampered by the particular context of its implementation, which may or may not always lead to better outcomes.

THE WAY FORWARD:

1. Ensure proper decentralization: Instead of creating new districts every time, the State governments might reform their decentralization policy as the Panchayats and Zillas face many challenges in their functioning. If the state government provides more powers, this will improve the functioning of Panchayats and Zilla Parishad. For example,

• Creation of SFCs(State Finance Commission) properly and allocating funds properly.
• Widening their tax base and providing access to the Capital market to raise funds.
• State Governments should provide local bodies with the power to properly recruit personnel to fulfil their functions.

2. Guidelines for the formation of new districts: With new districts added every year, the Center may prescribe certain criteria for the formation of a new district. For example, the Center may release a guideline that contains the minimum area of the district, its population, etc.
3. Work on other alternatives: Instead of creating new infrastructure, the States may conduct special camps and frequent field visits from officials. This will not only save the government exchequer but also serve the majority of the administrative and governance targets.
4. Information and communication technologies (ICT) are key instruments for achieving higher competitiveness in the economy and improving the social living standard of the citizens. Wide usage and incorporation of ICT in these two directions are targeted to achieve innovative, sustainable and associative growth, which is envisaged.
5. The present times is an era of technology and underlining the benefits of technology as demonstrated during the time of the pandemic, the union government is working to provide high-speed internet to every village and it is imperative to invest even further in technology and innovation, which will help in better administration and good governance initiatives, reducing the need for further bifurcation of the districts.
6. Parallel steps to enhance the Accountability, Responsibility, and Transparency of the public offices will further enhance the overall functioning of the administration along with the administrative proliferation which indeed helps in bringing the government and administration closer to the people.

THE CONCLUSION: Administrative proliferation as a policy measure has mixed results with specific public service measures such as education, sanitation, water supply, or maternal health. Compared to districts that are not split, split districts (parent and child) are better off in terms of economic outcomes. However, the child regions have an advantage over the parent regions in the post-bifurcation period. Government functions are many and varied and the effect of population size on one of those functions might not be the same as that on others. The demographic and developmental outcomes may fall off the line with the conceived notions of administrative proliferation at lower levels of population per administrative unit.

Mains Practice Question:

1. What are the reasons for creating new districts in the state? are they helping in administrative ease or just a populist measure?
2. Does the concept of administrative proliferation conform to the idea of a leviathan state? In the era of minimum government, maximum governance justifies the idea of creating more administrative centres in the state.
3. Do newly added districts yield desired governance results? critically analyze.

Essay Question Paper: UPSC CSE Mains 2022

GS PAPER-1: UPSC CSE Mains-2022

GS PAPER-2: UPSC CSE Mains-2022

GS PAPER-3: UPSC CSE Mains-2022

GS PAPER-4 UPSC CSE Mains-2022

THE POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. THE ELECTION COMMISSION RESTRICTIONS ON CASH DONATIONS TO POLITICAL PARTIES

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Chief Election Commissioner has written to the Union Law Ministry to limit anonymous political donations. He has provided several recommendations reduce election funding via black money.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Disclose donations above Rs.2,000: Under the current rules, political parties are required to disclose all donations above Rs.20,000 through their contribution report. The EC recommends disclosure of all donations above Rs.2,000.
• Capping Cash Donations: The EC also found that while donations reported by some political parties were nil, their audit accounts statement revealed that they received large amount of money via cash, below the threshold of Rs.20,000. It recommended capping cash donations at 20 per cent or at maximum of Rs.20 crore of the total funds received by a party, whichever is less.
• Mandatory digital/cheque transactions: EC called for mandating digital transaction or account payee cheque transfers for all expenses above Rs.2,000 to a single entity/person.
• Separate account for election finances: While maintaining separate bank account for poll expenditure is already part of the instruction, the EC wants this to become part of Rule 89 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961. This would require the candidate to maintain a separate account for recipient and payments related to elections. This has to be disclosed to the EC as an account of election expenditure.
• Transparency in foreign donations: The EC also sought electoral reforms so that no foreign donations can penetrate into the political funding as speculated under the Representation of the People (RP) Act, 1951 and the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010. Currently, there lacks a mechanism segregating foreign donations at the initial stages and the current format of the contribution report is not capable of gaining this information.

About Election Commission of India

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a constitutional body established to conduct and regulate elections in India. Article 324 of the Constitution provides the EC to power to organize the elections to parliament, state legislatures, and offices of president and vice president.

2. THE DRAFT INDIAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS BILL, 2022

THE CONTEXT: Draft Indian Telecommunications Bill, 2022 was unveiled recently by the Department of Telecommunications for stakeholders’ comments.

THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DRAFT BILL:

• The objective of the draft bill is to consolidate and make changes to existing laws for the development, expansion and operation of telecommunication services, telecom networks and infrastructure in India.
• It merges three Acts that govern the Indian telecom sector. They are Indian Telegraph Act 1885, Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act 1933, and The Telegraph Wires, (Unlawful Protection) Act 1950.
• The draft bill proposes to include over-the-top (OTT) communication services like WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram under the definition of telecommunication services.
• This means that OTT communication services will be subjected to rules followed by telecom operators, which forces operators to incur high costs of licensing and spectrum. Currently, OTT players are providing free services due to the lack of this provision.
• The draft bill also amends the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act to dilute TRAI’s function to being just recommendatory body. Currently, the telecom department is mandated to seek TRAI’s recommendation before issuing a license to a service provider. The Bill also removes legal provision requiring TRAI to request the government to provide necessary information or document to make this recommendation.
• The draft bill also proposes that the Central Government can gain control of the spectrum assigned to a telecom entity that is going through bankruptcy or insolvency. Currently, there is no specifications on whether the spectrum owned by a defaulting operator belongs to the Central Government or if the banks can take control of it.
• The draft bill provides the Central Government the power to postpone, convert into equity, write off or grant relief to any licensee under extraordinary circumstances like financial stress, consumer interest and maintaining competition etc.
• It also proposes to replace the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) with the Telecommunication Development Fund (TDF). The USOF is a fund generated by charging 5 per cent Universal Service Levy upon all telecom fund operators on their Adjusted Gross Revenue. This fund has been used for providing rural connectivity. The purpose of the TDF seeks to expand the scope of USOF to include undeserved urban regions, research and development, skill development etc.

 THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

3. EXPORT PROMOTION COUNCIL (EPC) FOR MEDICAL DEVICES

THE CONTEXT: The Indian Government has decided to set up a separate Export Promotion Council (EPC) for Medical Devices.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The new EPC would have headquarters in Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh and regional offices in Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad.
• An initial funding of Rs.3 crore will be provided by the government for setting up the headquarters at the upcoming Medical Devices Park Common Facility Centre (CFC).
• The regional office in Andhra Pradesh will be set up by 2023 and the one in Telangana will be set up by 2025.
• It will come under the aegis of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, which is a part of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• It will be overseen by a committee of administration, which will have both nominated and elected members from the government and medical devices industry.
• The EPC will help in the promotion of export of medical devices at the global market through various initiatives that ensure their promotion.
• These initiatives may include conducting international trade fairs, buyer-seller meets etc., which are in line with the foreign trade policy of India.
• The EPC will also be involved in organizing awareness campaigns about the assistance provided for the MSME exports by various government schemes.
• It will also help ensure coordination among ministries to boost export and investment in the sector.
• The new policy would increase export and investment potential of over around Rs.80,000 crore for the manufacturing of medical devices for the international market.
• It will also make India one of the top five most preferred supplier base of medical devices.
• India had exported Rs 23,766 crore worth of medical devices in FY22. This is an increase from the previous year’s figure of Rs 19,736 crore.

India’s medical devices market

Indian medical devices market is the fourth largest in Asia. It is among the top 20 markets in the world. About 80 per cent of the market are dominated by imported medical devices, significantly affecting profits of many small-scale manufacturers of medical devices in the country.

4. NEW FRAMEWORK FOR SOCIAL STOCK EXCHANGE

THE CONTEXT: The SEBI has unveiled a framework for the SSE, which was notified in July 2022.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Under the new rules, the Social Stock Exchange (SSE) will be a separate segment from existing stock exchanges.
• Social enterprises eligible to participate in the SSE must be not-for-profit organizations and for-profit social enterprises having social intent and impact as their primary goal.
• These enterprises must focus on eligible social objectives for the development and welfare of undeserved and less privileged populations or regions.
• The new framework specifies the minimum requirements of the not-for-profit organizations (NPOs) for registering with the bourse as well as the disclosure requirements.
• The NPOs must disclose funds raised through the issuance of zero-coupon zero-principal instruments.
• The Listed NPOs are mandated to submit a statement of utilization of funds to the SSE within 45 days from the end of quarter.
• Social enterprises raising funds using SSEs are also required to provide Annual Impact Report within 90 days from the end of financial year.
• This report must highlight the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the social impact created by the NPOs. If possible, it must also capture the impact generated by the project or solutions for which funds were raised on SSE.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. WHAT IS MEANT BY VIRTUAL AUTOPSY?

THE CONTEXT: Recently, a renowned comedian post-mortem was conducted using a novel technique called virtual autopsy.

THE EXPLANATION:

Virtual autopsy is a virtual alternative to a traditional autopsy, conducted with scanning and imaging technology. In a virtual autopsy, doctors use radiation to examine the innards to reach a conclusion about the cause of death. A CT scan or an MRI machine could be used, in the same way that they are used to scan a living human’s body.

Advantages of a virtual autopsy:

1. Virtual autopsy is a non invasive technique where non-intrusive human autopsies are performed by using a CT Scanner to obtain a detailed view of the body.
2. Virtual Autopsy creates digital and permanent records of the body, making it easier for pathologists and clinicians to communicate with each other.
3. Real samples are hard to transport and share, while the digital image of the body can be shared electronically among medical professionals and experts and can be stored for future retrieval and re-examination.
4. Doctors can conduct a Virtual Autopsy remotely. This means that hospitals centres with CT scanners can take advantage of Virtual Autopsy even though they may not have an in-house pathologist.

Disadvantages of a Virtual autopsy:

1. Virtual autopsy is expensive and include high equipment and technology costs.
2. Virtual autopsy need skills and training to deduce from the autopsy results. Lack of experience is a disadvantage.
3. Virtual autopsy is a lengthy procedure which include taking CT scan and MRI with result may take 2-3 days to come, while traditional autopsy take less time.
4. Virtual autopsy is new and is not fully accurate and thus may lead to false diagnosis and judgements.
5. Merging data from multiple techniques will always result in some loss of precision. A reliance on imagery alone may lead to omissions.

However, it does away with the ethical disadvantages of the conventional autopsy as many cultures and traditions do not accept mutilation of body for the sake of autopsy. AIIMS Delhi is the only institute doing virtual autopsy in Southeast Asia for the past two years.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES/ INITIATIVES IN THE NEWS

6. THE DRAFT NOTIFICATION ON INDIAN NUTRITION RATING: FSSAI

THE CONTEXT: The FSSAI has recently issued a draft notification on Indian Nutrition Rating (INR) modelled on the health star-rating system.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The draft notification issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) makes changes to the Safety and Standards (Labelling & Display) Regulations, 2020.
• It requires packaged food to display the prescribed format of INR by assigning a rating from ½ star (least healthy) to 5 starts (healthiest).
• The star rating must be displayed close to the name or brand name of the product on the front of the pack.
• Several food products like milk, milk-based products, egg-based deserts, infant formula, vegetable oil and fat, fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables, fresh and frozen meat, fish, salads, sandwich spreads and alcoholic beverages are exempted from this rule.
• Carbonated beverages without any energy or sugar are also exempted from this system.
• The star rating system is opposed by public health experts as it gives false positive connotation and make it difficult to identify harmful products.

• Instead, they recommend the inclusion of warning labels like an octagonal “stop” symbol that has proven to minimise sales of unhealthy food and beverage products. This system is used in Chile to reformulate the products and remove large amounts of sugar and salt.

About FSSAI

The FSSAI comes under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This statutory body is responsible for regulating the food industry and setting standards for ensuring food safety. It is responsible for providing licence to food businesses, developing safe food practices, testing, capacity building etc.

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(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

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2. What is the draft Telecom Bill, and what changes it aims to bring READ MORE
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4. Economic backwardness can be temporary… does EWS need affirmative action, not quota: SC READ MORE
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7. Global warming increased appetite of termites that feed on wood needed to store carbon: Study READ MORE
8. 10th IBSA Trilateral Ministerial Commission meeting held in New York READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. A census is not about counting sheep: The Census in India is about many things — it must be made a priority and used to affirm a sense of comradeship READ MORE
2. India and Pakistan can future-proof their threatened rivers READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Managing sports: On administrators and the National Sports Code READ MORE
2. For internal democracy: On Election Commission of India rejecting notion of ‘leader for life’ in political parties READ MORE
3. Freeing the caged parrot READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Equality remains an elusive dream READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

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GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

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DISASTER MANAGEMENT

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GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

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2. Cause-effect algorithm READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Discuss the reasons, why India seen uneven economic development and progress, uneven levels of education, employment, social cohesion and contentment even after the seventy-five years of independence?
2. States mistrust in central agencies, is not good in a federal structure. If the Centre is serious about fighting graft, it must make the CBI truly autonomous. Comment on the statement in the light of recent criticism faced by central agencies.
3. Living lose and economic costs of road crashes have emerged as a major challenges against the Indian policy makers in recent times and sometimes it is defined as the road terror. In your view, what should the government do to minimize these loses?

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.
• Having decided to keep away from the trade track of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for now, assertions that the Government has ‘no bandwidth’ left for new free trade pact negotiations though more countries are wooing it, and is seeking to slow talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council, are unnecessary.
• Over time, uneven development has characterised the States of the Indian Union. Regional and linguistic diversity characterises them. And so does uneven economic development and progress, resulting in uneven levels of education, employment, social cohesion and contentment.
• There is need for an Indian global media platform to address the superficial understanding of Indian democracy and the stereotypical perspective of the country’s socio-cultural diversity.
• Surface transport safety reforms can be implemented at the State and national levels to minimise the economic costs of road crashes.
• Decency, among other things, has to be understood in terms of what is minimally available to a person to remain decent while organising their public life in association with others.
• It is even seen that a critical level of human development is a prerequisite for ensuring sustainable economic growth. Hence, it is no surprise that the deceleration in India’s HDI values corresponds with the slowdown in India’s growth rates.

50-WORD TALK

• Supreme Court’s anguish over “hate speech” during debates on TV news channels is understandable. But to ask the government to make a law to curb it is overreach. The rise in hate speech in India is due to the pervasive politics of hate. TV debates only mirror that unfortunate reality.
• A new India-Brazil-South Africa impetus should seek an improved coordination to giving BRICS a better direction. Within BRICS, it must exert itself by coordinating its own positions. Simply blocking the path of what China wants to do is not a long-term solution. It needs to take charge of the destiny of BRICS and G20 as effective leaders.

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 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.

[WpProQuiz 339]

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