1. VIVAD SE VISHWAS II SCHEME
TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY
THE CONTEXT: The Centre has launched a settlement scheme Vivad se Vishwas 2″ to provide a much-needed impetus to the resolution of contractual disputes involving the government and government undertakings,
Explanation:
- The scheme was announced in the Union Budget, 2023 and was launched by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.
- It aims to settle contractual disputes of government and government undertakings, wherein the arbitral award is under challenge in a court.
- The scheme will apply to all domestic contractual disputes where one of the parties is either the Government of India or an organisation working under its control.
- For cases involving Court awards, the settlement amount offered to the contractor will be up to 85% of the net amount awarded or upheld by the court, while the same threshold will be “up to” 65% of the net amount in case of arbitral awards.
- The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has developed a dedicated web page for the implementation of this scheme, and eligible claims shall be processed only through GeM.
- Eligible claims will be processed exclusively through the GeM platform, streamlining the settlement process and ensuring expeditious resolution.
- The move is aimed at promoting ease of doing business, and the deadline for submitting claims under the scheme is 31 October 2023.
Government e-Marketplace (GeM)
- It is a one-stop portal to facilitate online procurement of common-use Goods & Services required by various Government Departments / Organizations / PSUs.
- It aims to enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement.
- It provides the tools of e-bidding, reverse e-auction and demand aggregation to facilitate the government users achieve the best value for their money.
- All Central government and State Government Ministries/Departments, including its attached/subordinate offices, Central and State autonomous bodies, Central and State Public Sector Units and local bodies etc., are authorized to make procurement through the GeM portal.
Earlier initiatives for dispute resolutions:
Vivad Se Vishwas’ Scheme
- It aimed at reducing litigations in the direct taxes payments and was introduced in Union Budget 2020-21.
- It has been launched with a similar goal in an attempt to reduce the number of direct tax litigation cases that are currently pending.
- The scheme provided for settlement of disputed tax, disputed interests, disputed penalty or disputed fees in relation to an assessment or reassessment order on payment of 100% of the disputed tax and 25% of the disputed penalty or interest or fee.
Sabka Vishwas:
- It was proposed in the Union Budget 2019 and was launched to reduce the number of indirect tax cases.
- It was introduced to resolve all disputes relating to the erstwhile Service Tax and Central Excise Acts.
- The scheme was notified by the CBIC to come into force on the 1st of September 2019 and shall be operational until the 31st of December 2019. It is now subsumed under GST.
2. DRAFT NATIONAL DEEP TECH STARTUP POLICY
TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
THE CONTEXT: Recently, the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government put out a draft National Deep Tech Startup Policy (NDTSP) for public comment.
EXPLANATION:
- The draft policy was shaped by the National Consortium and Working Group set up by the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).
- The draft policy seeks to preserve Indian firms’ interests while promoting more coordination to develop tech startups that work on fundamental problem-solving in key areas.
- The policy seeks to “ensure India’s position in the global deep tech value chain” in areas such as semiconductors, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and space tech.
- The policy seeks to bolster research and development in deep tech start-ups, which work on fundamental and technical problems, unlike firms that monetise technology with distinguished business models, the draft says.
- Additionally, the policy seeks to simplify the intellectual property regime for such start-ups, ease regulatory requirements, and propose a slew of measures to promote these firms.
- For instance, the NDTSP suggests that an Export Promotion Board be created to ease barriers of entry for Indian deep tech start-ups into foreign markets and that clauses to ease such market access be included in foreign trade agreements.
- The policy suggests the creation of an “Inter-Ministerial Deep Tech Committee” to regularly review the requirements of enabling the deep tech ecosystem to function better.
- A deep tech startup involves early-stage technologies based on scientific or engineering advancements, which are yet to be developed for any commercial applications.
- The draft NDTSP suggests necessary changes in nine policy areas, such as
- nurturing research, development and innovation
- strengthening the intellectual property regime
- facilitating access to funding
- enabling shared infrastructure and resource sharing
- creating conducive regulations, standards, and certifications
- attracting human resources and initiating capacity building
- promoting procurement and adoption
- ensuring policy and program interlinkages
- sustaining deep tech startups.
- This policy complements and adds value to the existing Startup India policies, programmes and initiatives by fostering a conducive ecosystem for deep tech startups to thrive and address their unique and complex challenges.
Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC):
- It is an overarching council that facilitates the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India to assess the status of specific science and technology domains.
- It comprehends the challenges at hand, formulates specific interventions, develops a futuristic roadmap and advises the Prime Minister accordingly.
- The PM-STIAC is assisted by the Project Management Team (PMT) at Invest India, together with the Office of the PSA. The PMT at Invest India facilitates the delivery and progress of the ‘9 National Missions’ under the PM-STIAC.
- Four of the nine missions, Deep Ocean Mission, Natural Language Translation mission, AI mission, and Quantum Frontier mission have been approved.
- Besides the ‘9 National Missions’, the PMT also advises on other science and technology projects like establishment of The Indian Museum of The Earth (TIME), Developing City Research and Innovation Clusters across the nation, amongst others.
Nine National Missions are:
- Mission 1: Natural Language Translation: The Mission strives to make possibilities and advanced science and technology available to all by releasing the fence that the need for a high-level facility in English poses in modern times.
- Mission 2: Quantum Frontier: It strives to start work in the management of quantum mechanical methods, with a considerable number of grades of freedom, as one of the significant modern challenges in basic science and technology.
- Mission 3: Artificial Intelligence (AI): It will concentrate on handling societal requirements in education, agriculture, infrastructure, smart cities, including intelligent mobility and transport.
- Mission 4: National Biodiversity Mission: Exhaustive record of India’s biodiversity with the possibility of mapping and cataloguing all lifeforms in India, including associated traditional and cultural practices
- Mission 5: Electric Vehicles (EVs): It will create automobile sub-systems and elements for Indian needs, including rare-earth-based 4 electric engines, power electronics, Li-ion batteries, and using academic-industry partnership.
- Mission 6: BioScience for Human Health: It strives to create complete reference maps of genomes and to comprehend the dynamics of how vulnerability to different climates has an impact on human bodies.The Mission will concentrate on the genomic analysis of populations of humans to determine and solve the genetic basis and prevalence of irregular and inherited disorders.
- Mission 7: Waste to Wealth: It seeks to determine, design, and deploy technologies to treat waste to create power, recycle materials and extract value. The Mission will also recognize and sustain the growth of new technologies that hold promise in building a green and clean environment.
- Mission 8: Deep Ocean Exploration: It strives to scientifically analyze the in-depth oceans towards enhancing India’s knowledge of the blue border. It will handle problems arising from long-term transformations in the ocean due to weather changes.
- Mission 9: AGNIi (Accelerating Growth of New India’s Innovations): The Mission strives to sustain the national measures to strengthen the innovation ecosystem in India by linking innovators across industry, people, and the grassroots to the market and assisting in commercializing innovative solutions.
3. SIMILIPAL TIGER RESERVE
TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT
THE CONTEXT: To protect the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) and its wildlife in view of the killing of two forest frontline workers by alleged poachers, the Odisha government has set up a joint task force (JTF) comprising around 200 armed police and forest personnel.
EXPLANATION:
- The task force will gather intelligence and identify people with illegal arms and ammunition in the fringe and buffer villages of Similipal Tiger Reserve.
- The task force has been assigned the key responsibilities of collecting intelligence and identifying people holding illegal arms and ammunition in the fringe and buffer villages of the tiger reserve and preparing a database.
- It has also been empowered to take comprehensive action in ‘de-weaponing’ all the illegally acquired weapons in the fringe and buffer villages of the tiger reserve.
- The state government had recently granted immunity to forest personnel under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) for the use of firearms for self-defence while dealing with poachers and in reserve forest areas.
- Odisha is the third state in India after Assam and Maharashtra to initiate such a measure.
Similipal Tiger Reserve:
- Similipal, which derives its name from ‘Simul’ (Silk Cotton) tree, is a national park and a Tiger Reserve situated in the northern part of Orissa’s Mayurbhanj district.
- The tiger reserve is spread over 2750 sq km and has some beautiful waterfalls like Joranda and Barehipani.
- The park is surrounded by high plateaus and hills, the highest peak being the twin peaks of Khairiburu and Meghashini (1515m above mean sea level).
- At least twelve rivers cut across the plain area, all of which drain into the Bay of Bengal. The prominent among them are Burhabalanga, Palpala Bandan, Salandi, Kahairi and Deo.
- The Tiger Reserve originated as a hunting ground for the surrounding royalty. It was formally designated a tiger reserve under Project Tiger in May 1973.
- The Government of Orissa declared Similipal as a wildlife sanctuary in 1979, with an area of 2750 sq. km.
- Later in 1980, the Government of Orissa proposed 303 sq. km of the sanctuary as National Park. Further, in 1986, the area of the National Park was increased to 845.70 sq. km.
- The Government of India declared it a biosphere reserve in 1994.
- UNESCO added this National Park to its list of Biosphere Reserves in May 2009.
- This tiger reserve also comes under Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve, which includes the adjacent Hadgarh and Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuaries.
- Apart from its biodiversity, the region around Similipal forests is home to a variety of tribes. Prominent among these are Kolha, Santhala, Bhumija, Bhatudi, Gondas, Khadia, Mankadia and Sahara.
Flora and fauna:
- The vegetation is a mix of different forest types and habitats, with Northern tropical moist deciduous dominating some semi-evergreen patches.
- Sal is the dominant tree species here. These forests boast of many plants that have medicinal and aromatic properties.
- The park is known for the tiger, elephant and hill mynah. It holds the highest tiger population in the state of Orissa.
- Apart from the tiger, the major mammals are leopard, sambar, barking deer, gaur, jungle cat, wild boar, four-horned antelope, giant squirrel and common langur.
- Grey hornbill, Indian pied hornbill and Malabar pied hornbill are also found here.
- The park also has a sizeable population of reptiles, which includes the longest venomous snake, the King cobra and the Tricarinate hill turtle.
- The Mugger Management Programme at Ramatirtha has helped the mugger crocodile to flourish on the banks of the Khairi and Deo Rivers.
4. POOR REPRESENTATION OF SCHEDULED CASTES AND TRIBES IN THE HIGHER BUREAUCRACY
TAG: GS 2: POLITY
THE CONTEXT: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has flagged the poor representation of the SCs and STs in the higher bureaucracy at the central level in its recent report. The Committee submitted its report “Role of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (Department of Personnel and Training) in Formulation, Implementation and Monitoring of Reservation Policy” in the Lok Sabha.
FINDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE
- The Committee highlighted that the representation at various levels for SCs and STs is far below the constitutionally mandated percentage of 15 % and 7.5 %, respectively.
- The maximum number of SC and ST candidates were appointed at the level of deputy secretary or directors – 423 in 2017 to 509 in 2022.
- At the senior level of Joint Secretary /AS/Secretary, the figure remains almost the same with 35 in 2017 and 41 in 2022.
- It pointed out the increase in the number of SC and ST officers in the higher bureaucracy between 2017 (458) and 2022 (550).
- But the figure had remained far below the expected level.
- There are currently 12 additional secretaries and 25 joint secretaries against the sanctioned numbers of 90 and 242 from the SC and ST categories.
- At the deputy secretary or director level, there are just 79 officials from SC or ST communities against 509 sanctioned posts.
- It drew the attention towards negligible or no presence of SC and ST members on the boards of directors of almost all ministries, departments, public-sector units, and state-run banks.
- It highlighted that underrepresentation would deprive the marginalised communities of becoming part of the decision-making process on matters of policy.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE
- Names of candidates taking the public service exams should remain undisclosed during selection to ensure fair assessment and to avoid any possible form of discrimination.
- It recommended to provide unique identification numbers to candidates who appear in competitive exams.
- It directed the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to explore all possibilities to increase the representation of SCs and STs to ease out the current imbalance.
- DoPT may also consider setting up a separate regulatory authority to ensure meaningful implementation of reservation policies and orders till legislation to this effect is enacted by the government.
- It also directed DoPT to identify the backlog of vacancies and carry out special recruitment drives to fill the posts.
- It instructed the Department of Personnel and Training to submit an action taken report within three months.
RESPONSE BY DoPT
- DoPT said the appointment of officers to senior posts under the Government of India is filled on deputation.
- Out of the empanelled officers, those who give the option for deputation are considered for appointment for Joint Secretary and above under the Central Staffing Scheme (CSS).
- There is no provision for reservation in the posts filled up on a deputation basis under the CSS.
- The Officers of SC/ST community could not be appointed to the post of Members and Chairman, primarily due to non-availability of suitable candidates.
- However, the Committee is not willing to accept the reply as there are highly qualified deserving and meritorious candidates among SCS/STs available.
5. CASTE BASED SURVEY IN BIHAR
TAG: GS 2: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
THE CONTEXT: Petitions were filed against the decision of the Bihar Government to conduct a caste-based survey in the Patna High Court but the court upheld the validity of Bihar Caste Survey.
EXPLANATION:
- The Patna HC has allowed the State government to continue with the survey.
- Patna High Court found State’s action ‘initiated with due competence’, and ‘not having violated the rights of privacy of the individual especially since it is in the furtherance of a ‘compelling public interest’’.
- Patna High Court stated that Census is a collection of accurate facts and verifiable details. Whereas a survey is intended at collection and analysis of opinions and perceptions of the public, which may be aimed at a specific community.
- The Bihar Government has submitted that it is competent to conduct a caste-based survey collecting data on the caste, Jati, and socio-economic well-being of the people of the state.
- The Government has also submitted that the people are not being forced to declare their caste and that participation in the entire exercise is purely voluntary and this fact makes it different from a caste-based census wherein declaration of caste is mandatory.
ARGUMENTS GIVEN AGAINST THE SURVEY
- Census falls under the union list of government.
- State does not have the right to conduct any caste census.
- Executive did not have the jurisdiction to conduct caste-based census.
- The privacy of the public will be violated by the caste-based survey.
- Caste enumeration is in the interest of the State, and it should be done across the country.
- Central government should get the caste census.
WHAT IS CASTE BASED SURVEY
- A caste-based survey is a data collection exercise that gathers information about individuals’ caste affiliations.
- It aims to understand the distribution and social dynamics of different caste groups within a particular population.
- Such surveys are often conducted to study caste-based disparities, identify social and economic inequalities, and inform policies to address issues related to caste discrimination and social justice.
IMPORTANCE OF CASTE SURVEY
- The caste survey holds significant importance in understanding social dynamics, inequalities, and historical imbalances within a society.
- Conducting a caste survey allows policymakers and researchers to gain valuable insights into the distribution.
- Representation of various caste groups, help to design targeted policies and affirmative action initiatives to address disparities and uplift marginalized communities.
- By collecting comprehensive data on caste demographics, educational attainment, employment opportunities, and socio-economic conditions, the survey helps identify areas requiring intervention and measures progress towards social equity.
- It also aids in monitoring the effectiveness of existing welfare schemes and policies.
- The caste survey facilitates a deeper understanding of the impact of caste-based discrimination, ensuring the protection of fundamental rights and human dignity for all individuals.
- It serves as a basis for fostering inclusive governance and promoting a society that values diversity and promotes social harmony.
- However, it is essential to conduct such surveys with sensitivity, respecting privacy and ensuring that the data is used responsibly to create a fair and just society.
