GOVERNANCE- SOCIAL ISSUES

1. INTEGRATED ROAD ACCIDENT DATABASE (IRAD) SYSTEM

TAGS:GS-II- GOVERNANCE- SOCIAL ISSUES

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) released the Annual report ‘Road accidents in India 2021’

THE EXPLANATION:

• As per the report, there were 4,12,432 unfortunate incidences of road accidents during 2021 which claimed 1, 53,972 lives and caused injuries to 3, 84,448 persons.
• This report has been developed by reporting, management, claim processing and analysis of road accident data by using the Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD) system.

What is iRAD?

• It is an initiative of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and is funded by World Bank, to improve road safety in the country.
• This will facilitate road accident data collection by 4 stakeholder departments; Police, Transport, Highways and Health Departments.
• Through a collection of road accident data from all over the country, a road accident database will be developed. The collected data will be analysed using different data analytics techniques for the identification of accident-prone areas and the causes of the accidents.
• The analysis output will be represented in appropriate dashboards, access to higher authorities of stakeholder departments and MoRTH. And accordingly, a strategy will be formed for the reduction of the number of road accidents in India and to enhance road safety.

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INITIATIVES IN NEWS

2. AMRIT BHARAT STATION SCHEME

TAGS: GS-II-GOVERNMENT INTERVENTIONS

THE CONTEXT: Ministry of Railways has recently formulated a new policy for modernization of stations named “Amrit Bharat Station” scheme.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Amrit Bharat Station scheme envisages development of stations on a continuous basis with a long term vision.
• The scheme will subsume all previous redevelopment projects where work is yet to begin.
• The scheme aims at preparation of Master Plans of the Railway stations and implementation of the Master Plan in phases to enhance the facilities including and beyond the Minimum Essential Amenities.
• However, plans and consequent budgets will only be approved on the basis of factors such as footfall and inputs from stakeholders. Zonal railways have been given the responsibility of selecting stations, which will then be approved by a committee of senior railway officials.
• The model envisages low-cost redevelopment of stations which can be executed timely.
• The scheme also aims to relocate redundant/old buildings in a cost efficient manner so that space is released for higher priority passenger related activities and future development may be carried out smoothly.

Facilities Planned under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme

• Provision for Roof Plaza to be created in future
• Free Wi-Fi, space for 5G mobile towers
• Smooth access by widening of roads, removal of unwanted structures, properly designed signages, dedicated pedestrian pathways, well planned parking areas, improved lighting etc.
• High level platforms (760-840 mm) at all stations with a length of 600 metres
• Special amenities for the disabled

INTERNAL SECURITY

3. ZELIANGRONG UNITED FRONT (ZUF)

TAGS:GS-III- INTERNAL SECURITY

THE CONTEXT: A tripartite agreement was signed by the Indian Government, Manipur Government and an insurgent group called Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF).

THE EXPLANATION:

What is Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF)?

• The Zeliangrong United Front is an insurgent group that was established in 2011.
• This Naga insurgent group is actively operating in Manipur, claiming to safeguard the interests of Zeliangrong Naga tribes in Manipur, Assam and Nagaland.
• Its objective is to create a ‘Zeliangrong’ state within the Indian territory, covering the Zeliangrong Naga tribe’s area in the three northeastern states.
• The ZUF is listed by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) as one of the 13 active insurgent groups in Manipur.

About the tripartite agreement

• The ‘Cessation of Operation’ Agreement was signed between the Central Government, Manipur government and the ZUF.
• Under this agreement, the insurgent group agreed to give up violence and join the democratic process.
• This peace agreement provides for the rehabilitation and re-settlement of the armed cadres belonging to the ZUF.
• A joint monitoring group will be set up to oversee the implementation of the agreement.
• This agreement is a major step towards the government’s aspiration of an insurgency-free Northeast India.

About Zeliangrong people

• Zeliangrong people are one of the major indigenous Naga communities living in the tri-junction region of Nagaland, Manipur and Assam. The name “Zeliangrong” combines the Zeme, Liangmai and Rongmei Naga tribes. This tribe belongs to a larger Southern Mongoloid population. Its language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family of languages.

Which are the other key insurgent groups operating in Manipur?

Some of the major insurgent groups operating in the northeastern state of Manipur are Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), United National Liberation Front (UNLF), People’s Liberation Army (PLA), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), National Socialist Council of Nagaland – Khaplang (NSCN-K), Manipur People’s Liberation Front (MPLF), Kuki National Front (KNF), and Kuki National Liberation Front (KNLF).

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS- INFRASTRUCTURE

4. MANGDECHHU HYDROELECTRIC POWER PROJECT

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-GS-III- INFRASTRUCTURE

THE CONTEXT: The 720 Megawatts Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Power Project, which was implemented with the assistance from India, was recently handed over to the Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) in Bhutan. With this handing over, the two countries have successfully completed four mega hydroelectric power projects.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Power Project?

• The 720 MW project Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Power Project was jointly inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering in 2019.
• The Indian Government provided the financial and technical assistance for the construction of this hydroelectric project.
• The commissioning of this hydroelectric power project has increased the electrical power generation capacity of Bhutan by 44 per cent and it is currently at 2,326 Mega Watts.
• The project has generated more than 9,000 million units of energy since the commissioning, bringing down 2.4 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year.
• This is significant, given that the hydropower sector is expected to contribute to Bhutan’s economic growth and development based on the philosophy of Gross National Happiness.
• The project had increased the country’s hydropower revenue by 31 per cent in 2020. It exported electricity worth Rs.12.13 billion to India in 2021. This has increased Bhutan’s electricity exports to Rs.24.43 billion.
• The project received Brunel Medal 2020 from the Institute of Civil Engineers, London. It was recognized for its excellence in civil engineering and its social and environmental credentials.

India-Bhutan hydropower relations

• The bilateral hydropower cooperation began in 1961 when the Jaldhaka agreement was signed. The Jaldhaka project is situated in West Bengal, with the hydropower generated from the plant being exported to southern Bhutan.
• Bhutan’s first mega power project – 336 MW Chukha Hydropower Project (CHP) – was fully funded by the Indian Government. The success of this project paved the way several other mega hydropower projects in Bhutan.

REPORTS & INDEXES

5. CITY FINANCE RANKINGS, 2022

TAGS: GS-III-INFRASTRUCTURE- REPORTS & INDEXES

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs launched this City Finance Rankings, 2022 to evaluate, recognize and reward India’s Urban Local Bodies.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The rankings aim to motivate city/state officials and decision-makers, to implement municipal finance reforms.
• The participating ULBs will be evaluated on 15 indicators across three key municipal finance assessment parameters, namely:
  o Resource Mobilization
  o Expenditure Performance
  o Fiscal Governance.
• The cities will be ranked at the national level based on their scores under any one of the following four population categories:
  o Above 4 million
  o Between 1-4 million
  o 100K to 1 million
  o Less than 100,000
• The top 3 cities in each population category will be recognized and rewarded at the national level as well as within each state/state cluster.

Significance of the ranking:

• City Finance Rankings are an effort to analyse and help the ULBs in identifying areas in their financial performance where they can make further improvements, to be able to deliver quality infrastructure and services to its citizens.
• The rankings will serve as a constant motivation for city/state officials to continue to implement municipal finance reforms.
• At a state- and national level, the rankings will highlight the outcomes achieved by municipalities and provide critical insights to key policymakers into the state of finances of urban local bodies.

1. A law won’t end marital rape – but it’s needed all the same READ MORE
2. HUMANITY OUGHT TO REDISCOVER UNITY READ MORE

1. Rapidly warming Arctic linked to extreme cold weather in the US: What a new study says READ MORE      
2. El Nino is coming; are we ready? READ MORE
3. Loss of biodiversity and the new Global Biodiversity Framework READ MORE  

1. How the New Free Grain Scheme Will End up Increasing Poverty READ MORE
2. Growth and Equity READ MORE
3. The importance of affordable healthcare for all and other key lessons from the pandemic READ MORE

1. Drug regulation: Consolidated course correction needed READ MORE
2. Why the HC verdict on abortion beyond 24 weeks is progressive jurisprudence READ MORE
3. The Constitution and the idea of India READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Inaugurates Sammakka Saralamma Janjati Pujari Sammelan at Bhadrachalam READ MORE  
2. President of India lays foundation stone for PRASHAD project in Bhadrachalam and UNESCO World Heritage Site at Rudreshwar Temple (Ramappa), Mulugu in Telangana READ MORE
3. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launches 2 key initiatives to take India’s Urban Rejuvenation journey to next level READ MORE
4. IT Minister launches G-20 campaigns for online safety, digital innovation READ MORE
5. ‘Govt’s manufacturing push not yielding results; FDI continues to chase less-complicated services sector’ READ MORE
6. How are disputes between states resolved in India? READ MORE
7. India is all set to go for its first waste-to-hydrogen project READ MORE
8. Power Ministry, DRDO Sign MoU For Early Warning System For Hydro Projects READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Rapidly warming Arctic linked to extreme cold weather in the US: What a new study says READ MORE      
2. El Nino is coming; are we ready? READ MORE
3. Recalling Revolts READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Drug regulation: Consolidated course correction needed READ MORE
2. Why the HC verdict on abortion beyond 24 weeks is progressive jurisprudence READ MORE
3. The Constitution and the idea of India READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. How the New Free Grain Scheme Will End up Increasing Poverty READ MORE
2. Growth and Equity READ MORE
3. The importance of affordable healthcare for all and other key lessons from the pandemic READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Why ethnic tensions are flaring again in northern Kosovo READ MORE
2. Where China is headed and what it means for India READ MORE
3. View: India-Australia FTA a big deal for both amid new global trade order READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Trade agreements with Australia, UAE to help boost exports, say export promotion councils READ MORE
2. Laboured wages: On MGNREGS payments to States READ MORE
3. Fishing for wealth: With some tweaks, new fisheries scheme can work READ MORE
4. Gene-based tech can bolster food security READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Loss of biodiversity and the new Global Biodiversity Framework READ MORE  

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. A law won’t end marital rape – but it’s needed all the same READ MORE
2. HUMANITY OUGHT TO REDISCOVER UNITY READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘India’s civil services are getting a much-needed upgrade and the steel frame is shedding its status quoism’. Examine the statement with the help of recent initiatives taken by the government in recent times.
2. Discuss the need for an urban unemployment scheme like MGNREGA to enhance demand-driven work allocation intact.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• No nation was ever ruined by trade.
• With the emerging axis of a cultural revanchism, a dominant executive and a partial media, the Supreme Court and high courts are going to find themselves more and more in the eye of a storm.
• A greater engagement with Constitution in our everyday workplaces and social conversations will go a long way in refining our understanding of the Constitution – so that in this upcoming cultural collision, if you will, there is a collective sense of the constitutional idea of India.
• The idea of India is not the idea of a government or the idea of a high-powered elite. What the commonest of our citizens aspires for as a haven of compassion and opportunity where dignity pervades – that is the idea of India.
• Suppose the persistence of certain species and their habitats are considered critical. In that case, range shifts will have to be accounted for and spaces that are not currently within Protected Area management will have to be secured ex-ante.
• The pandemic showed that India’s health system is in tatters. Despite having a doctor-population ratio that exceeds the World Health Organization’s recommendation, the Indian health system is overburdened and overworked.
• The lack of proper implementation of welfare measures, and the unclear nature of social, economic and health-related decisions help understand the bigger picture of what can go wrong during a crisis.
• The true development of a community involves a transformation of the state of a human being.
• It is time to begin afresh and re-instill in ourselves the culture of connecting with each other through purity and love, respecting the laws of nature and be honest to our original values that bring us together.
• After more than three decades of research, GM mustard, developed by Deepak Pental’s team at Delhi University, is the first food crop approved for environmental release. This technology boosts agriculture will benefit farmers.
• Laws are an imperfect solution to social problems, but to clearly, loudly and unambiguously say something is not okay, signifies something beyond itself. Some lines must be drawn, even if in the sand.
• As India debates the latest border clashes with China, Delhi should keep in mind that China has moved to a security over economics mode, making a Chinese compromise less likely.
• A scheme such as MGNREGS needs to evolve while keeping its core idea of a demand-driven work allocation intact. Treating it as a burden will only hurt genuine beneficiaries.

50-WORD TALK

• The Election Commission’s decision to start delimitation of Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies in Assam is curious. It’s long overdue but urgency to do it with 2001 census data defies logic. Next assembly election is in 2026 and NRC’s fate remains uncertain. Central government whose request prompted EC must come clear.
• India’s civil services are getting a much-needed upgrade. Under Modi, training of future officers now includes global inputs and corporate-style, performance-driven governance templates. There is no resistance either. First, the incorporation of lateral entrants brought fresh ideas. Now, the steel frame is shedding its status quoism.

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 394]

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the ruling party suspended its national spokesperson and expelled its Delhi spokesperson, following comments they had made about Islam and the Prophet. The move came after three countries in the Gulf region had summoned the Indian ambassadors to their nations to register their protest and demanded a public apology from India.It underlines the significance of the Gulf region for India. This article explains in detail the relations between India and the Gulf countries.

WHAT IS THE PERSIAN GULF REGION?

• The lands around the Persian Gulf are shared by eight countries- Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
• These countries are major producers of crude oil and natural gas and thereby contribute critically to the global economy and to their own prosperity.
• The area has approximately two-thirds of the world’s estimated proven oil reserves and one-third of the world’s estimated proven natural gas reserves.
• This factor has added to their geopolitical significance.
• A considerable amount of sea trade passes through the Gulf, leading to heavy traffic in the region.

WHY IS THE GULF REGION IMPORTANT FOR INDIA?

India has enjoyed centuries of good relations with countries like Iran, while smaller gas-rich nation Qatar is one of India’s closest allies in the region. India shares good relations with most of the countries in the Gulf. The two most important reasons for the relationship are oil and gas and trade. Two additional reasons are the huge number of Indians who work in the Gulf countries and the remittance they send back home.

FOUR PILLARS OF INDIA-GULF RELATIONS

TRADE RELATIONS

UAE: The UAE was India’s third-largest trading partner in 2021-2022 and second largest for both exports ($28 billion) and imports ($45 billion) when these are counted individually.

• In terms of total trade volume, the UAE ($72.9 billion) was behind the United States ($1.19 trillion) and China ($1.15 trillion).
• The UAE accounted for 6.6% of India’s total exports and 7.3% of imports in the last financial year, up 68.4% since the previous year when international trade was impacted by the pandemic.

Saudi Arabia: At a total volume of $42.9 billion in 2021-22, Saudi Arabia was India’s fourth-largest trading partner.

• While exports were low at $8.76 billion (2.07% of India’s total exports), imports from Saudi Arabia were the fourth largest at $34.1 billion (7%), up 50% from the previous year. Most of it was crude oil.

Iraq: It was India’s fifth-largest trading partner in 2021-22 at $34.3 billion.

Qatar: The total trade was $15 billion, accounting for just 1.4% of India’s total trade, but the country is India’s most important supplier of natural gas.

• Qatar accounts for 41% of India’s total natural gas imports. The UAE accounts for another 11%.

Oman: For Oman, India was the 3rd largest (after UAE and China) source for its imports and 3rd largest market (after UAE and Saudi Arabia) for its non-oil exports in 2019.

• Major Indian financial institutions have a presence in Oman. Indian companies have invested in Oman in sectors like iron and steel, cement, fertilisers, textile etc.

OIL IMPORTS

• The 239 million tonnes of oil petroleum imports were worth USD 77 billion and accounted for nearly one-fifth of the country’s total imports in 2021.
• The share of Persian Gulf countries in India’s crude imports has remained at around 60% over the last 15 years.
• In 2021-2022, the largest exporter of oil to India was Iraq, whose share has gone up from 9% in 2009-2010 to 22%.
• Saudi Arabia has accounted for 17-18% of India’s oil imports for over a decade.
• Kuwait and UAE remain major oil exporters to India. Iran used to be the second-largest oil exporter to India in 2009-2010; its share went down to less than 1% in 2020-21 due to US sanctions.

INDIAN DIASPORA

• Counting only the 13.4 million non-resident Indians (NRIs), the Gulf has the largest numbers. The UAE (3.42 million), Saudi Arabia (2.6 million) and Kuwait (1.03 million) together account for over half of all NRIs.

REMITTANCES

• According to Ministry of External Affairs data, more than 13.46 million Indian citizens work abroad.
• Counting only the 13.4 million non-resident Indians (NRIs), the Gulf has the largest numbers. The UAE (3.42 million), Saudi Arabia (2.6 million) and Kuwait (1.03 million) together account for over half of all NRIs.
• In terms of remittances from abroad, India was the largest recipient in 2020 at $83.15 billion, according to World Bank data. This was near twice the remittances to the next highest recipient, Mexico, at $42.9 billion.
• The largest contributor is the huge Indian diaspora in the Gulf. In a bulletin in November 2018, it’s last on this subject, the Reserve Bank of India said the GCC countries accounted for more than 50% of the total $69 billion in remittances received by India in 2016-17.
• The UAE accounted for 26.9%, Saudi Arabia for 11.6%, Qatar for 6.4%, Kuwait for 5.5% and Oman for 3%. Beyond the GCC, remittances from the US accounted for 22.9%, second only to the UAE.

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF INDIA-GULF TRADE RELATIONS

EFFORTS BY THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT

SPECIAL FOCUS

• Since coming to power in 2014, the present Government has kept a special focus on maintaining or enhancing India’s relations with most of the countries in the region.

VISITS TO THE REGION

• The Indian Prime Minister (PM) has visited the region several times since 2014.
• He visited the UAE in 2015, 2018 and 2019, and Abu Dhabi’s crown prince came to India in 2017 and 2018.
• Visits were made to Qatar and Iran in 2016 and Saudi Arabia in 2016 and 2019.
• In 2018, he went to Jordan, Palestine and Oman, besides UAE, and became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the Palestinian territory of Ramallah.
• He visited Bahrain in 2019.
• There have been similar reciprocal visits by leaders from these countries during these eight years.
• Even during the pandemic, Indian and Gulf region leaders maintained regular contact.

HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOUR

• Palestine, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Jordan have excellent relations with India and Maldives, and Bahrain have bestowed their highest civilian honour on India’s Prime Minister.

GIVING IMPORTANCE TO THEIR RELIGION

• On his visits, PM visited some of the most popular mosques in those countries, including the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi in 2015 and the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat in 2018.

INDIA’S PRIORITIES IN THE GULF

• Securing long-term energy supply is of primary importance for India in the region.
• India is currently the fourth largest energy-consuming country in the world, and it may go up to the third position in the next couple of decades.
• India’s annual GDP growth at the rate of eight per cent would require further industrial growth, which would demand more energy supply for the country.
• The growing energy necessity has undoubtedly dictated India’s initiative of building up a ‘strategic energy partnership’ with the region to secure long-term energy supply for the country.
• The Gulf countries look at India as a fast-growing economy which holds the potential to compete with the major world economies.
• Realising the trade potential of the Gulf countries, India has entered into a negotiation with the GCC to finalise a Free Trade Agreement.
• The Gulf countries have huge potential for investing in different sectors in India as FDI for mutual benefit.

THE WAY FORWARD:

• There is a need to focus on the new and long-term possibilities for economic cooperation with the Gulf countries, which are looking at a future beyond oil.
• The Gulf states have embarked on massive economic diversification and are investing in a variety of new projects, including renewable energy, higher education, technological innovation, smart cities, and space commerce.
• With the rise of Khaleeji capitalism, the Gulf countries today deliver economic and security assistance to friendly states, build ports and infrastructure, acquire military bases and broker peace between warring parties and states.
• The UAE currently chairs the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and has been eager to work with India in developing joint infrastructure projects.
• India needs to bring scale and depth to its regional initiatives on connectivity and security in the Indian Ocean.
• Avoiding any such conflicts, there must be a clear synergy between India and the GCC countries, consolidating their traditional areas of cooperation — energy, trade and investment.
• They need to adopt an integrated and cohesive approach to develop ties in diverse areas — renewables, water conservation, food security, digital technology and skills development.

THE CONCLUSION: The Government and the diplomatic establishment can never underestimate the power of hurt sentiment, religious sensitivities in foreign policy, or the speed of social media. Many have questioned whether the reaction would have been as tough if the Government had taken the controversy and protests more seriously domestically and engaged with the problem much earlier. It was a lesson the US learned in 2012 after protests over a movie on Prophet Muhammad turned violent and led to the terrorist attack on the US embassy in Benghazi in which the US Ambassador was killed. The attacks on Charlie Hebdo and cartoonists in Europe in 2007 were another case in point- clearly, the sensitivities over a religious matter are important- as is protecting freedom of speech and ensuring no violence or harm comes to anyone.