9 PM Daily Brief – October 21st, 2020

Good evening dear reader.

Here is our 9pm current affairs brief for you today

GS-2

1.Implications of Indo – US Defence deals

2. SVAMITVA- Digitization of land records

GS-3

3. Offset Policy in Defence
4. India’s innovation potential and initiatives
5. Fiscal Expansion Response

GS-4

6. Dire need of Police reforms
   

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9 PM for Preliminary examination

FACTLY

1.Implications of Indo – US Defence deals

Source: The Indian Express

Syllabus: GS-2- International Relations

Context: India and the US are preparing for the third 2+2 ministerial meeting between External Affairs Minister and Defence Minister, and US Secretary of State and Defense Secretary in New Delhi.

More on news:

• In the last two meetings, agreements known as LEMOA and COMCASA were signed. Next item on the agenda is the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) which is a pact with deep military implications.

What is BECA?

• The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement mainly refers to an agreement on the sharing of geospatial intelligence, information on maps and satellite images for defence.
  • According to officials, anyone who sails a ship, flies an aircraft, fights wars, locates targets, responds to natural disasters, or even navigates with a cellphone relies on geospatial intelligence.
• Signing BECA will allow India to use the US’s advanced geospatial intelligence and enhance the accuracy of automated systems and weapons like missiles and armed drones.
• BECA will provide Indian military systems with a high-quality GPS to navigate and missiles with real-time intelligence to precisely target the enemy.
• This could be a key for Air Force-to-Air Force cooperation as India and the US have stepped up efforts to sign the pact during the upcoming 2+2.

What are the other two agreements about?

• LEMOA: The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement was signed between India and the US in August 2016 and it allows the military of each country to restock from the other’s bases:
  • Access supplies, spare parts and services from the other country’s land facilities, air bases, and ports, which can then be compensated.
  • This is extremely useful for Navy-to-Navy cooperation, since the US and India are cooperating closely in the Indo-Pacific.
• COMCASA: The Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement was signed in September 2018, after the first 2+2 dialogue in the US.
  • It allows the US to provide India with its encrypted communications equipment and systems so that Indian and US military commanders, aircraft and ships can communicate through secure networks in peace and war.
  • COMCASA paved the way for transfer of communication security equipment from the US to India to enable interaction between their forces and potentially with other militaries that use US-origin systems for secure data links.

What do these three pacts put together mean?

• LEMOA means one partner trusts the other enough to expose its valuable assets.
• COMCASA means one is confident that it can rely on encrypted systems to connect the two militaries.
• BECA means it can share highly classified information in real time without fear of being compromised.
• All this signals the level of trust that has developed between the two countries and their militaries.

What is the significance of the India-USA pacts?

• Amid the stand-off, India and the US have increased under-the-radar intelligence and military cooperation at an extraordinary level, since June.
• The cooperation includes sharing of high-end satellite images, telephone intercepts, and data sharing of Chinese troops and weapons deployment along the 3,488 km Line of Actual Control (LAC).
• The armed forces have used at least five American platforms at the LAC which are:
  • C-17 Globemaster III for military transport
  • Boeing’s Chinook CH-47 as heavy-lift helicopters
  • Boeing’s Apache as tank-killers
  • P-8I Poseidon for overland reconnaissance
  • Lockheed Martin’s C-130J for airlifting troops
• The US wants India to move away from Russian equipment and platforms, as it feels this may expose its technology and information to Moscow.
• India is going ahead with the purchase of the S-400 air defence missile system from Russia, and this has been a spiking point for American panellists.
  • India is cautious of Pakistan’s deep-rooted ties with Pentagon, and Washington’s dependence on Rawalpindi for access to Afghanistan as well as its exit strategy.

Way forward

• Every administration in the last 20 years have left the Indo-US relationship in a better shape than how they inherited it and efforts should be made to continue this.

2. SVAMITVA- Digitization of land records

Source- The Hindu Business Line

Syllabus- GS 2 – Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Context – Importance of SVAMITVA scheme in agriculture and non-farm rural activities.

What is SVAMITVA scheme?

SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) scheme is a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Panchayati Raj Departments, State Revenue Departments and Survey of India.

Aim – To provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India for setting the boundaries of the rural lands and also provides the record of right to village household owners.

1. It is a scheme for mapping the land parcels in rural inhabited areas using drone technology and Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) and prepares GIS based maps for each village.
2. Implementation– The mapping will be done across the country in a phase-wise manner over a period of four years – from 2020 to 2024.
3. After physical verification and dispute resolution, property cards or Sampatti patrak will be made available on digital platforms or as hard copies to the village household owners.

Technology used– The Survey of India will use technology for topographical mapping, including satellite imageries and drone platforms.

What are the advantages of digital mapping?

Digital mapping will help raise rural productivity and incomes in various ways-

1. Smoother implication– The digitization of agricultural land records has contributed to the smooth implementation of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, Fasal Bima Yojana and Rythu Bnadhu.
2. Tax collection– The database will help in determination of property tax, which would accrue to the Gram Panchayats directly in states where they are empowered to collect such taxes.
   • The scheme will help in streamlining planning and revenue collection in rural areas and ensuring clarity on property rights.
3. Digitization of personal identity and agriculture land, and now residential property in rural areas through SVAMITVA, will facilitate transparent transactions in land parcels
4. Non-farm related activity– This will benefit from clear title and the removal of land supply constraints. Clear title records, accompanied by legalization of land leasing, will improve their access to credit, insurance and support services.
5. Enhances Liquidity of assets– The cards will help increase liquidity of land parcels in the market and increase the financial credit availability to the village.
6. Creation of better GPDPs– The scheme will enable creation of better-quality Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs), using the maps created under this programme.

Way forward-

SVAMITVA scheme is a welcome step for transparency and accountability. By proper co-ordination between Centre and state, smooth working of dispute settlement systems and training the youth for proper implication is required.

3. Offset Policy in Defence

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: Gs3: Indigenization of Technology and Developing New Technology.

Context: Recently, the government diluted the “offset” policy in defence procurement, based on the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India’s report tabled in Parliament last month.

More in News

• As of 2019, the Defence Ministry had signed 52 offset contracts worth $12 billion via Indian offset partners, or domestic firms.

Findings of CAG report?

• Between 2007 and 2018, the government reportedly signed 46 offset contracts, However, the realised investments were merely 8%.
• Also, technology transfer agreements in the offset clause were not implemented, failing to accomplish the stated policy objective.
• Government has not put in place an automatic monitoring system for offset contracts, as initially promised.

What is an offset policy? And how is it expected to boost domestic capabilities?

• Initiated in 2005, on the recommendations of the Vijay Kelkar Committee.
• The offset clause has a requirement of

1. Sourcing 30% of the value of the contract domestically.
2. Indigenisation of production in specified time limit and

• Training Indian professionals in high-tech skills, for promoting domestic R&D.
• In simplest terms, the offset is an obligation by an international player to boost India’s domestic defence industry if India is buying defence equipment from it.

What changes were made in the offset policy?

• After the dilution, the offset clause will not be applicable to bilateral deals or deals with a single (monopoly) seller or Intergovernmental agreement.
• For example, the deal to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets, was an intergovernmental agreement .so, the sellers are not obliged to fulfil the offset clause.

Why it is a concern?

• Most defence deals are bilateral or a single supplier deal, the dilution means practically giving up the offset clause that deters India’s prospects for boosting defence production and technological self-reliance
• It will be a Setback for augmenting domestic capabilities or for realising the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• Government defends its decision by stating that, the offset clause results in the higher (upfront) cost of the agreement. But in the long run it reduces costs by indigenisation of production and the potential technology spill-overs for domestic industry.

How the Offset policy performed in Aerospace? ( Case study—Success of Offset policy)

• The offset policy was introduced in 2005, for contracts valued at ₹300 crore or more where 30% of it will result in offsets implemented through Indian offset partners.
• According to the United Nations Comtrade Database, the exports via the offsets increased by a whopping 544% in 2007, compared to the previous year. Also, by 2014 exports increased to $6.7 billion from a mere $62.5 million in 2005.
• It enabled India to join the league of the world’s top 10 aerospace exporters.
• Later in 2016, the offset clause was relaxed, threshold for the policy was raised from ₹300 crore to ₹2000 crore which resulted in lowering exports.

What is the way forward?

• The offset policy can succeed, if it is designed and executed correctly. For example, its success in Aerospace industry.
• India needs to re-conceive or re-imagine the offset clause in defence contracts in national interest.
• Offset policy is very much significant for ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan’, or a self-reliant India.

4. India’s innovation potential and initiatives

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS-3- Science & Technology

Context: Recognising the innovation potential of India, the government is putting in place a framework of collaboration, simplification and regulation to lift innovative ecosystem of India.

What is the realistic potential of India’s Innovation ecosystem?

• The Indian innovation system is very multifaceted in terms of user segments and income gaps. However, central government is trying to boost innovation in the country through several schemes.
• Innovation in India is being planned around the triangle of collaboration, facilitation and responsible regulation. It is advanced by cross-disciplinary collaboration.
• India is the fastest growing country in terms of Internet usage, with over 700 million users and the number projected to rise to 974 million by 2025.
• The JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile) trinity has 404 million Jan Dhan bank accounts with 1.2 billion Aadhaar and 1.2 billion mobile subscribers.
• There is a potential to add over $957 billion to India’s GDP by 2035 with artificial intelligence (AI).
• The realistic potential of technology for India echoes in the ‘Amara law’ named after Roy Amara, a Stanford computer scientist, who said that “People tend to overestimate the impact of a new technology in the short run, but to underestimate it in the long run.”

Read also:-  Daily Current Affair

What are the Initiatives of Government of India to boost innovation?

Recently, Indian government organised two events to boost innovation:

• Vaishvik Bharatiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) summit:Numerous overseas Indian-origin academicians and Indians participated to form ideas on innovative solutions to several challenges.
• Responsible AI for Social Empowerment (RAISE) 2020 summit: It grants a course to efficiently use AI for social empowerment, inclusion, and transformation in key sectors such as health care, agriculture, finance, education and smart mobility.
• Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) scholarships:Attract youth talent to the study of science at an early age and thus build the required critical human resource pool for Science & Technology system.
• Ramanujan Fellowship:It is meant for brilliant Indian scientists from outside India to take up scientific research positions in India.
• Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing (KIRAN) scheme: Providing avenues to women scientists and technologists for capacity building.
• Smart India Hackathons (SIH):To provide students a platform to solve some of pressing problems of society.
• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM):To promote innovation and entrepreneurship across India.
• Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) scheme: Largest early stage biotech funding programme in India. Aims to encourage researchers to take bio-technology closer to market through a start up.
• Future Skills PRIME(Programme for Reskilling/Upskilling of IT Manpower for Employability) capacity building platform
• Triad of Scheme for Transformational and Advanced Research in Sciences(STARS), Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC) and Impactful Policy Research in Social Science (IMPRESS): Common objective is to boost India specific research in social and pure sciences.
• National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems:Aims to catalyse translational research across Al, IoT or the Internet of Things, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Big Data Analytics, Robotics, Quantum Computing, Data Science.
• The Reserve Bank of India, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India allow for regulatory sandboxes for channelling new ideas.
• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recently introduced recommendations for regulating cloud services in India, suggesting a light-touch regulation in collaboration with industry, balancing commercial freedom and principles adherence.

What are the steps to be taken?

• Increase R&D spending: Government should frame a policy with the aim of increasing total GERD (Gross domestic expenditure on R&D) to 2% of India’s GDP.
• Global partnerships in innovation: Global innovation partnerships need to be strengthened by enhancing public-private partnership mechanisms and increased public funds should be earmarked for joint industrial R&D projects.
• Idea-to-market challenge:  Government needs to create a special fundto help Indian innovations to advance their start-ups during difficult times.

Way forward

• Innovation has the potential to build a future where AI will transform education and health care, clean energy will drive economy, gene-editing would help us bring back extinct species and virtual reality will change the way we interact with the physical world.
• India must make the right institutional, industrial, and policy reforms.

5. Fiscal Expansion Response

Source: Live Mint

Syllabus: Gs3: Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development and Employment.

Context: The Indian fiscal response till now is more automatic stabilizers than discretionary policy measures, more indirect than direct fiscal action.

What are the Components of fiscal expansion?

• The non-discretionary automatic stabilizers: Automatic stabilizers are ongoing government policies that automatically adjust tax rates and transfer payments in a manner that is intended to stabilize incomes, consumption, and business spending over the business cycle.
• The discretionary fiscal impulse: Actions taken in response to changes in the economy. These acts do not follow a strict set of rules, rather, they use subjective judgment to treat each situation in unique manner. Examples may include passing a new spending bill that promotes a certain cause, such as green technology.

How was India’s fiscal policy response to revive economic contraction?

• Discretionary fiscal impulse in India has been only a modest 1.8% of GDP.
• Most of the fiscal expansion this year is likely to come from a decline in tax collections and other types of automatic stabilizers, rather than government action.
• In comparison, almost 60% of the fiscal expansion in emerging markets has come from discretionary policy
• India’s fiscal response has been more of “below the line” measures through credit guarantees, payroll support, equity infusion and special liquidity schemes.
• “Below the line” fiscal support amounts to 5.2% of GDP. In this, India resembles advanced economies rather than its emerging markets peers.

Why India has emphasised to spend low on discretionary spending?

• During the crisis India’s Fiscal strength was far less than other major economies.
• Fear of sovereign credit-rating downgrade, in case the fiscal situation deteriorates further.
• Prevalence of high inflation, which means that a demand stimulus during a severe supply shock would have added to price pressures.

6. Dire need of Police reforms

Source- The Indian Express

Syllabus- GS 4 – Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.

Context- The country must wake up to the dire need for police reform.

What are the major deficiencies in India Policing?

1. The police-population ratio – The Indian police force is at only 77 per cent of its sanctioned strength. India has 144 police personnel for one lakh population, is less than what is recommended by UN i.e. 222 policemen per lakh population.

• Unfilled vacancies– One in every five posts sanctioned in the Indian Police Service remains vacant. In low and middle rank positions, the vacancies of 5.28 lakh personnel account for nearly one-fourth of the total sanctioned strength of over 22 lakh.
• Low numbers of Women police –Women are grossly underrepresented in our police force. They constitute less than 7 per cent of our total police strength.

2. Untrained police personnel- The existing police personnel are also not adequately trained. Less than 7 per cent police get in-service training. Gujarat scores the lowest, with less than one per cent having received any in-service training.
3. Overburdened police force- Understaffing in turn results into overburdening of work that not only reduces the effectiveness and efficiency of the police personnel (leading to poor quality of investigation) but also leads to psychological distress  and contributes to Pendency of cases.

What are the reforms required?

1. Sensitization of Police Forces– The police need to be sensitized about their role in society. There has to be promptness of action and decency when dealing with public especially during sensitive issues like rape.

• They need to be trained in body language and strictly advised to refrain from abusive behaviour.
• The sensitization module should aim at bringing about attitudinal change, especially pertaining to gender and power relations and police behaviour.

2. Police accountability – As per the police laws, both the Central and State police forces come under the superintendence and control of political executives. Police priorities are frequently altered based on the will of political executives.

• Enhancing accountability will improve police legitimacy and increase public confidence, which, in turn, will reinforce the integrity of the system.
• The police, as the custodian of maintenance of law and order, must stay away from agenda-driven politics.

3. Improvement in police-population ratio- The police-to-people ratio should be improved by at least 50 per cent to meet the challenges faced by the force.

• Women policing– With the increase in the number of gender crimes, it has become a necessity to augment the strength of police by recruiting more and more women police personnel.

4. Dharma-Vira Commission recommendation– The top police leadership should be selected by apolitical representatives and an impartial body. It was a strong antidote to opportunistic appointments and transfers.

Way forward-

• The challenge of India is to restore the culture of rule of law, and make police and justice accessible, effective and credible.
• A new role and new philosophy have to be defined for the police to not only make it a capable and effective body but also one accountable to the law of the land and to the people whom they serve.
• Police needs to be made accountable, and freed from grip of politics
  

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