9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – April 21st, 2022

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• Urbanisation and development

GS Paper 2

• Bulldozed due process: Courts must step in and stop state/local authorities from ignoring basic principles
• Initiatives to resuscitate traditional medicine are welcome. There is need to iron out regulatory flaws
• We must revamp schools as they open after the pandemic break
• The Delhi MCA Act denudes the spirit of federalism
• Unfounded apprehensions about this Act
• Freebies are a passport to fiscal disaster

GS Paper 3

• Don’t rush into export ‘opportunity’ presented by Russia-Ukraine conflict
• When the stars came out

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Colombo Security Conclave Virtual Conference on Investigation of Terrorism Cases
• Extreme poverty dipped in India: World Bank report
• Explained: Smart city’s nerve centre
• Sea may inundate many cities by 2050
• Explained: Life and legend of Guru Tegh Bahadur, who stood up to the Mughals
• Central Government amends Nidhi Rules, 2014 to safeguard the interest of general public
• LAUNCH OF SIXTH SCORPENE SUBMARINE ‘VAGSHEER’ AT MAZAGON DOCK LIMITED (MDL)
• India’s Non-basmati rice exports grow by 109% since 2013-14 to USD 6115 million
• Scientists discover new eel species from Kerala, Bengal
• Explained: What are Digital Banking Units, and what services will they provide?

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

Urbanisation and development

Context: World Bank has projected that every seven of 10 people will be living in urban cities by 2050. Therefore, the emphasis on urbanisation and its correlation with sustainable development has never been stronger.

It not only gives a clear picture of the degree of concentration of people in a region, but also highlights the underlying patterns that lead to the formation of a city.

What is Urbanisation?

Urbanization refers to the process of increase in population in cities and towns compared to rural areas. It rests on the following pillars that shape the very character and nature of the process:

– Technology

– Tolerance

– Talent

– Territorial Assets

What is the new understanding wrt the process of Urbanisation?

Historically, the rise of city centres coincided with the industrial society reaching its heights. For the longest time, therefore, migration to urban spaces was only understood unilaterally in the context of employment opportunities alone.

However, in recent years, urbanisation has also been closely associated with globalising forces that aim at integrative development and poverty reduction.

Cities have become the centre of connectivity globally, fostering vigorous efforts toward reducing income inequality and increasing the ease of living for their population.

Today, people migrate from the countryside to the cities in search of leading a better life.

This urbanisation also impacts the rural regions, as remittances from the city result in a higher rate of consumption and asset holdings.

Urban cities, as the drivers of growth and development, also foster economic competition.

– City competitiveness, is the ability of cities to create strong markets that produce goods and services that represent good value in relation to comparable products of other urban regions

What are the global trends wrt Urbanisation?

Global South is experiencing an acceleration in the pace of urbanisation. This fast-paced urbanisation has also complemented the emergence of competitive markets from the developing world at the global centre stage.

The timing of these spatial transformations in the developing world is rooted in historical processes. The period from the 14th till the 19th century witnessed urbanisation in the now developed countries.

India

In India, the first two decades of the 21st century saw a sustained rise in the degree of urbanisation:

– From around 27% in 2000 to nearly 35% of the total population living in urban areas in 2020.

– With a growth of about 7.2%, the World Bank data shows a gradual rise in the percentage of the population concentrated in urban cities. The average economic growth rate in the country was recorded at 4.4% in the same period. Globally, the economic growth rate stood at a mere 1.4% in the 2000-2010 period.

Other developing countries

Among other developing countries, the same trends are visible: A rise in the degree of urbanisation has positively resulted in a rising economic growth.

South Africa, the period from 2000 to 2020 saw a 10.4% rise in the degree of urbanisation. In the same period, the economy grew by almost 0.69%.

Thailand experienced a 20.44% rise in urbanisation from 2000 to 2020, with the average economic growth rate at about 2.87%. This is not to say that the economic growth rate was only driven by urbanisation but that the latter is an important variable and needs to be given attention.

What is the relation b/w economic growth and Urbanisation?

The relation between economic growth rate and the degree of urbanisation is mutually reinforcing, as higher economic growth results in high incomes that influence the rate of urbanisation.

At the same time, an increase in urbanisation leads to a spurt in innovation and greater adoption of technology among the masses leading to the creation of investment opportunities that further trigger the process of job creation.

What are some challenges being faced by the cities?

In the rapidly urbanising world, maintaining the quality of services, achieving sustainable development and preserving competition are some of the significant challenges facing the cities.

What is the way forward?

Urbanisation is influenced by several historical and developmental processes. As a companion to development, it is pertinent to closely watch the pace of urbanisation in India, as it will only lead to the creation of sustainable pathways.

GS Paper 2

Bulldozed due process: Courts must step in and stop state/local authorities from ignoring basic principles

Context: Bulldozers continued to raze alleged encroachments in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri – scene of rioting on Saturday – yesterday, forcing Supreme Court to expeditiously communicate its stay order to North Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

Constitutional courts located in national/state capitals must respond fast enough to such localised cases of overreach.

Why state action in this case is unjustified?

Razing of homes and shops hurts entire families.

Due process not followed: Even if there are family members who allegedly rioted or even if structures are illegal, there’s due process – innocent until proven guilty and adequate notice, respectively – to be followed.

Moreover, Delhi has many other illegal encroachments. So, singling out Jahangirpuri is not proper.

In terms of legality, the MCD Act has clear provisions:

– Under Section 317 the Commissioner is supposed to issue notice to remove projections (structures or fixtures) onto streets,

– Section 343 allows demolition of buildings with a minimum notice period of 5-15 days.

– Only Section 322 doesn’t require issuing notice, because it involves removing temporary structures like stalls encroaching into public streets. There’s also an appellate tribunal under the Act to hear appeals against notices.

Against natural justice: Further, those who faced demolitions in Delhi and MP got no time to appeal, contravening principles of natural justice.

Against the principles set by the Supreme Court of India: Under the sanctity SC has accorded to fair, just and equitable procedure since 1978, even demolishing temporary structures like a juice stall or a ragpicker’s shed that support livelihoods without notice, cannot evade this due process.

Initiatives to resuscitate traditional medicine are welcome. There is need to iron out regulatory flaws

Context: Inaugurating the WHO’s Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) at Jamnagar in Gujarat, Prime Minister of India talked of the possibilities offered by therapeutic approaches that are different from the allopathic medicine system.

Such conversations on medical pluralism are welcome. They could pave the way for a healthcare ecosystem in which healing approaches based on diverse knowledge systems complement each other.

For that to happen, however, there must be thorough stocktaking on why practitioners of different medical systems rarely see eye to eye today. This would involve clearing misapprehensions but also, and equally importantly, ironing out regulatory deficits.

What is the situation wrt use of traditional therapies in India?

According to WHO data, 65 to 70% of people in India use traditional therapies at some stage in their lives.

The turnover of the AYUSH (ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homeopathy) industry has gone up six times in the past eight years.

What are some issues being faced by this sector?

There is a lot of misinformation about traditional therapy cures and their practitioners are spoken negatively at times. A part of the blame for this must be laid at the door of a section of practitioners who make unsubstantiated claims.

– For instance: During the pandemic, for instance, Baba Ramdev sought to exploit mass anxiety by making wildly inaccurate claims for the products manufactured by his Ayurvedic pharmacy, Patanjali Ayurved.

Reports of traditional medicine practitioners prescribing allopathic drugs and steroids are also common.

Physicians have complained about being judged according to criteria designed primarily to ascertain the efficacy of allopathic medicines.

– The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020 does try to resolve this predicament — the act was amended in 2021.

What is the way forward?

A section of traditional medicine practitioners is making efforts to sync the practices of these systems with modern research protocols.

Regulatory bodies and initiatives such as the GCTM would do well to rope in such professionals.

We must revamp schools as they open after the pandemic break

News: Recently, there has been a decline in the severity of covid pandemic. As a result, the schools have been re-opened after a gap of almost two years. In this context, the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) was released.  

What are some recent trends?

There has been a shift in enrolment from private to government schools between 2018 and 2021 across all grades and among both boys and girls in rural areas. This was more pronounced in the lowest grades. For example, Overall, a total of 17 states saw an increase in enrolment in government schools. Out of all, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala topped the list.   

On average in 2021, the proportion of children aged 6-14 currently not enrolled in school has increased by 2.1 percentage points compared to the 2018 level. The status of currently-not- enrolled students compared to 2018 in different states is Andhra Pradesh (7%), Manipur (15.5%), Nagaland (19.6%) and Telangana (11.8%). 

What are the challenges after unlocking schools? 

Students have spent most of their time at home with either semi-structured or no educational activity.  

The already poor state of school infrastructure might have further deteriorated in the past two years. The government schools were either closed or used as the isolation centres for covid-positive patients.  

As per data from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) data for 2019-20, the state of availability of computers, internet facilities, furniture, electricity, ramps for the physically disabled, etc. is very poor in the government schools.  

There are existing challenges related to inadequate recruitment and management of teachers, inadequacy of teacher training and acute scarcity of teachers in government schools.  

As per the ASER and SCHOOL survey by Road Scholarz report, there is a learning crisis in India. The proportion of children who cannot read and do arithmetic operations have increased especially in West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka.  

What are the opportunities for the state-run education system? 

The rising enrolment levels in government schools offer a chance for the state governments. They can ‘seize the moment’ and ensure the retention of students in state-run schools.  

Way Forward 

There is a need to address a few key challenges that confront government schools. These are: 

The school should be prepared to resume structured educational activities and ensure conducive classroom spaces sensitive to the prolonged anxiety, stress and isolation that students face.  

Therefore, starting this academic year, schools should identify the children who are lagging behind. The students must run basic revision and bridge programmes for them to consolidate their skills of reading, writing, numeracy and comprehension at their own pace.  

The National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN) Bharat is a reassuring step in this direction. 

The shift to government schools in a time of crisis indicates that people expect the state to play the right role in providing education. The “right to education” is a matter of right and not just another ‘service’.  

A revamp of school infrastructure is the need of the hour. The special focus should be given on information and communication technology. 

The gap in the stipulated pupil-teacher ratio in the government schools needs to be bridged.  

The Delhi MCA Act denudes the spirit of federalism

News: Recently, The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act 2022 was passed by the parliament.

Subsequently, the State Election Commission of Delhi deferred the announcement of schedule for the elections to the three Municipal Corporations of Delhi after the proposed unification of the three municipal corporations. 

What have been the arguments of the Central government about the validity of the act?

The MHA has stated that the Article 239AA(3)(b) empowers the parliament to make laws for the State of Delhi “on any matter”.  

What are some associated concerns? 

The Central government has conferred upon itself various crucial powers. It assumed control over the Municipal Corporation of Delhi from the State government. For example, the Centre is now empowered to determine the number of wards, extent of each ward, reservation of seats, number of seats of the Corporation, etc. 

The Central government has taken over powers from the State to decide on matters such as ‘salary and allowances, leave of absence of the Commissioner, the sanctioning of consolidation of loans by a corporation, and sanctioning suits for compensation against the Commissioner for the loss or waste or misapplication of municipal fund or property’.  

In 2011, the trifurcation of the Delhi Municipal Corporation was done after much deliberation and discussion at various levels. For example, 1987 Balakrishnan Committee Report, and the 2001 Virendra Prakash Committee Report proposed the slit-up. Thereafter, it went through a number of consultations. However, the decision to reunify has been done without any study or consultation with the Delhi government.  

The Centre’s argument of using Article 239AA does not hold ground. The Part IXA of the Constitution states that the State Legislature is empowered to make laws concerning representation to the municipalities. And, Article 239AA cannot override the general law related to municipalities mentioned in Part IXA of the constitution.  

– Further, Article 239AA was added by the Sixty Ninth Amendment Act of 1991. However, Part IXA of the Constitution was inserted into the Constitution later on through the Seventy-Fourth Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992.  

Recently, the Supreme Court of India in the famous State of NCT of Delhi vs Union of India judgment (2018) finally determined the scope of the Article 239AA. The Court ruled in favour of a balanced federal structure. It mandated that the Union does not usurp all powers and the States should enjoy freedom without any unsolicited interference from the Central Government with respect to matters which exclusively fall within the domain of state government.  

The MCD Act 2022 will lead to litigation on the aspect of a sharing of powers between the State of NCTD and the Central government.  

The act strikes a blow against federalism and the celebrated Indian model of decentralisation. 

Unfounded apprehensions about this Act

News: Recently, The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022 received the President’s assent. The act seeks to repeal the Identification of Prisoners Act (IPA) 1920, whose scope was limited in nature with respect to recording measurements and whose measurements were made. 

Why are various issues raised against the act incorrect? 

The proposed scope of ‘measurements’ already exists in other statutes like CrPC.

The Act explicitly merges the scope of ‘measurements’ in the IPA and the CrPC. For example, The CrPC provides for ‘examination’ of blood, semen, swabs, sputum and sweat, hair samples etc. using modern scientific techniques including DNA profiling etc,  

The IPA already includes some provisions related to who is subjected to measurement. For example, it includes a person who has given security for good behaviour or maintaining peace, etc. 

A magistrate is already empowered to direct any person (including an accused person) to give a signature or handwriting for investigation or proceedings under Section 311A of the CrPC. 

The SC of India in the State of Bombay vs Kathi Kalu (1961) has held that taking specimens of handwriting, signature, thumb impressions, finger, palm or foot print etc. do not violate the right against self-incrimination under Articles 20(3) of the Constitution. These samples by themselves do not convey information.  

Non-cognisable and most of simple cognisable offence like a chakka-jam (punishable with simple imprisonment up to only one month or fine) do not require measurement of biological samples to facilitate investigation. Only physical measurements would be sufficient to record identity.  

By expanding the scope of measurements, an individuals’ privacy is not going to be harmed.  

The Act will not harass juveniles. As per the provisions of the (Special Act) Juvenile Justice Act, 2013, the delinquent juveniles are produced before the Juvenile Justice Board. The FIR is registered only in heinous offence and the juvenile is arrested. In addition, records of conviction are destroyed in accordance to Act. 

The Act does not mandate the compulsory recording of all measurements for all types of offences. The measurements shall be taken ‘if so required’ and as may be prescribed by governments.  

The purpose is to help the enforcement agencies in the prevention and the detection of crime. 

The right of an individual will have to be considered in the background of the interests of society.  

What are the exceptions to the measurement? 

The Supreme Court in the Selvi vs State of Karnataka (2010) has held that the narcoanalysis, polygraphy and brain fingerprinting are testimonial compulsions (if conducted without consent).

They are prohibited under Article 20(3) of the Constitution. These tests do not fall under the scope of expression “such other tests” in Explanation of Section 53 of the CrPC. The Court also laid down certain guidelines for these tests. 

The Act does not lay down any specific scientific tests for the analysis of biological samples. Therefore measurements would not automatically violate any constitutional provision.  

Way Forward 

It would have been prudent to add a provision in the Act for juveniles for clarity and allay any doubts.  

The period of storage of measurements of adults should be reduced by 10 years. In fact, the probability of committing a crime by any person after the age of 80 years is negligible. For example, the NCRB data shows that the number of arrested persons over 60 years of age is less than 1.5%. 

Freebies are a passport to fiscal disaster

Context: The strength of the Centre in India lies in the strength of the states. Hence, the macroeconomic stability of the Union is contingent on the macroeconomic stability of both the Centre and states.

It is in this context that the chairperson of the 15th Finance Commission, NK Singh, discusses the political culture of freebies in India, its dangers and why aiming for a higher economic growth rate is the way forward.

He explicitly states that both the economics and politics of freebies are deeply flawed, and is a race to the bottom.

He writes that we must dread the thought of replicating the culture of competitive freebie politics in India.

Understanding difference b/w freebies and public goods expenditure

There is a need to distinguish between the concept of freebies versus expenditure on public goods having overall benefits. All over the world, these are considered to be desirable expenditures.

Examples: Strengthening and deepening of the public distribution system, employment guarantee schemes, support to education and enhanced outlays for health, particularly during the pandemic.

Why freebies are not desirable in the long run?

1]. Impact on macroeconomic stability – The politics of freebies distorts expenditure priorities. Outlays are being concentrated on subsidies of one kind or the other. This impacts the fiscal sustainability of states which are already debt-stressed.

– Example: In the case of Punjab, it is speculated that the promise of freebies might cost around Rs 17,000 crore for their implementation. The debt-to-GDP ratio of Punjab is already at 53.3% for 2021-22, which would worsen on account of these new measures.

2]. Distortion of expenditure priority: Take, for instance, the change to the new contributory pension scheme from the old scheme, which had a fixed return.

– Rajasthan announced that it would revert to the old pension scheme.  The pension and salary revenues of Rajasthan amount to 56% of its tax and non-tax revenues. Thus, 6 per cent of the population, which is made up of civil servants, stands to benefit from 56% of the state’s revenues. This can not only cause issues like intergenerational inequality, but also affect the broader principles of equity and morality.

3]. The issue of intergenerational equity leads to greater social inequalities because of expenditure priorities being distorted away from growth-enhancing items.

4]. Movement away from the environment: When we talk of freebies, it is in the context of providing, for example, free power, or a certain quantum of free power, water and other kinds of consumption goods. This distracts outlays from environmental and sustainable growth, renewable energy and more efficient public transport systems.

5]. The distortion of agricultural priorities: This affects agricultural practices which do not depend on extensive use of water and fertilisers. The depleting supply of groundwater is an important issue to consider when speaking of freebies pertaining to free consumption goods and resources.

6]. Debilitating effect on the future of manufacturing: Freebies lower the quality and competitiveness of the manufacturing sector by detracting from efficient and competitive infrastructure enabling high-factor efficiencies in the manufacturing sector.

7]. Subnational bankruptcy: Freebies bring into question market differentiation between profligate and non-profligate states and whether we can have a recourse mechanism for subnational bankruptcy.

What is the way forward?

India must strive instead for a race to efficiency through democracy and federalism where states use their authority to harness innovative ideas and solutions to common problems which other states can emulate.

GS Paper 3

Don’t rush into export ‘opportunity’ presented by Russia-Ukraine conflict

News: Recently, the Russia-Ukraine clash and the resultant sanctions have pushed India to face a strong headwind to growth and Indian exports. This is due to surge in energy costs, elevated geopolitical uncertainty.

However, the clash has come up with a number of opportunities which require deep analysis. 

What are the opportunities? 

India gets an opportunity to fill the shortage of commodities in the global market. Russia and Ukraine together account for 30% of global wheat exports. At present, they are unable to export.  

However, India is a wheat surplus country. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) possesses good buffer stock. Therefore, India can export wheat to meet global demand. 

What are the issues with India’s rush to “encash the opportunity” for agricultural exports? 

There are limited prospects for sustained wheat exports for India. India has an available surplus of around 25 million tons. It was accumulated over five years. This is not a big number. Russia and Ukraine annually export nearly 60 million tons of wheat. 

In addition, exporting all the surplus stock would push up domestic wheat prices. Further, it would lead to tariff hikes on future exports like in case of palm oil in Indonesia.  

In agricultural trade, India has the dubious distinction of being an unreliable trading partner.  India is the second-largest producer of wheat in the world. But has only 1% share of global wheat exports.  

Indian’s wheat export is not globally competitive. The government’s Minimum Support Price (MSP) and Procurement regime makes its less competitive. The MSP often rises every year. It normally exceeds global prices. Thus, exports would be difficult. 

India’s lack of export competitiveness can be seen from the consideration of the export parity price (EPP). The cost of getting the produce from the farm or factory to the border or the port is high in India. It is due to high domestic logistics costs (like road transport costs). India’s domestic logistic cost is over 13% of GDP as compared to the global best practice of 8%. In addition, India’s ports are inefficient.  

The FCI cannot sell procured grain for commercial gains as a result of India’s commitments under WTO. It would be difficult to bring in intermediary. 

India had adopted a “heterodox” approach for opening up trade. It aims to open on the export side while being restrictive on the import side. This creates political difficulties in trading relations. 

India’s non-price attributes like food safety, quality, and variety of wheat consist of a lot of issues. It restricts the sustainability of Indian exports. The food safety and quality of wheat are highly preferred in the global market.  

As per recent study, India has the highest number of consignment rejections in both European and US markets in comparison to other developing countries.  

Ways Forward 

The crisis can be an opportunity for India to fix the fundamentals, like its “time to trade”, “costs to trade” among others 

A long-term sustained export strategy is needed. The strategy must incorporate the changing nature of global trade.  

There is a need to deliver on quality or honouring commitments. India can expand trade through new products, varieties and new trade agreements. 

When the stars came out

News: Recently, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched on 25 Dec 21. It was a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency and involved many universities, organisations, and companies across 14 countries.

It is to be administered by the Space Telescope Science Institute (STSI). 

The project proved that the ‘heroic collective’ and ‘heroic individual’ are complementary to each other. The world need story of both ‘individualism and collectivism as both are very important for mankind.  

About JWST

Unlike the Hubble Telescope which worked in the UV and visible light range, it is an Infra-red spectrum telescope.  

The telescope is lighter than Hubble. But it has a mirror six times larger than the Hubble telescope. The JWST is located 1.5 million km away from where the Hubble Telescope was located (i.e., 550 km from the Earth).  

Importance of JWST Project 

It has been planned to enable humanity to see deeper into space. It will help to look further back in time, a period 250 million years after the big bang. Therefore, it’ll help to understand about the origins of the universe.  

In comparison to Hubble, It will take us back about 150 million years further than Hubble.  

It seeks to understand how galaxies form and evolve. It will look for evidence of dark matter, study exoplanets, capture images of planets in our solar system, and other such cosmic curiosities. 

It will augment the understanding of the physical sciences by helping us understand about other life in the universe, Jacques Monod’s thesis etc. 

Lessons to be learnt from JWST Project 

Individualism is important and so is collectivism: A number of heroic individuals like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Stephen Schwarzman, N.R. Narayana Murthy, Mukesh Ambani have made significant differences through their will power, strategic vision, perseverance and unique personal qualities.  

In fact, a lot of individual scientists have worked day and night for the success of the JWST Project. 

But, simultaneously, the JWST is a stellar product of collective endeavour marked with twenty plus years of continuous collaboration. It is a collective production of a common good. The teams have worked together to design and manufacture the JWST system, launching, and placing, at the chosen Lagrange point.  

The idea of working together as groups and collaborating for sharing and cooperation, produce outcomes that are also beneficial for society.  

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Colombo Security Conclave Virtual Conference on Investigation of Terrorism Cases

Source: This post is based on the article “Colombo Security Conclave Virtual Conference on Investigation of Terrorism Cases” published in Hindustan Times on 19th April 2022.

What is the News?

The Colombo Security Conclave Virtual Conference on Sharing of experiences in the investigation of terrorism cases was organised by the National Investigation Agency(NIA) of India.

What is the Colombo Security Conclave(CSC)?

Formed in: 2011 as a trilateral maritime security grouping of India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Aim: To provide a forum for greater maritime security cooperation and to address concerns such as human smuggling, narco-trafficking, piracy, terrorism, and extremism.

Members: India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Mauritius.

Observers: Bangladesh and Seychelles

Pillars: The five pillars of cooperation are: 1) Maritime Safety and Security, 2) Countering Terrorism and Radicalization, 3) Combating Trafficking and Transnational Organized Crim, 4) Cyber Security, Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Technology and 5) Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.

Secretariat: Colombo, Sri Lanka.

What is the significance of CSC for India?

For India, CSC is important for multiple reasons: 

First, the CSC is a complement to its Indo-Pacific strategy for the broader region. 

Second, the CSC is a forum for India to bolster its neighbourhood diplomacy and act as a net security provider in the region. 

Third, the cross-naval collaboration among CSC members will yield indirect and cost-effective ways to strengthen traditional security cooperation.

What are the challenges to CSC?

Issue of power asymmetry: India is well-positioned in the region with geographical advantages and superior naval capabilities. But the CSC faces the same power distribution problem that led to the dormancy of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation(SAARC).

Diverse and Competing Interests: Developing consensus inside the CSC will be a significant challenge since the grouping comes with diverse and competing interests.

Extreme poverty dipped in India: World Bank report

Source: This post is based on the article “Extreme poverty dipped in India: World Bank report” published in Hindustan Times on 18th April 2022.

What is the News?

The World Bank has published the paper titled ‘Poverty has Declined over the Last Decade But Not As Much As Previously Thought’.

What are the key findings of the report?

Decline in Extreme Poverty: Extreme poverty in India declined by 12.3 percentage points between 2011 and 2019. It decreased from 22.5% in 2011 to 10.2% in 2019.

Note: The World Bank defines “extreme poverty” as living on less than USD 1.90 per person per day.

Urban and Rural Poverty: Poverty reduction was higher in rural areas compared with urban India as rural poverty declined from 26.3% in 2011 to 11.6% in 2019, while in urban areas the decline was from 14.2% to 6.3% in the corresponding period.

Two instances of Rising Poverty: One was in 2019 when the rural poverty rose by 10 basis points likely due to a growth slowdown and the other was during 2016 when urban poverty rose by 2 percentage points during the demonetisation event and fell sharply thereafter.

Smallholder farmers have experienced higher income growth: Real incomes for farmers with the smallest landholdings have grown by 10% in annualized terms between the two survey rounds (2013 and 2019) compared to a 2% growth for farmers with the largest landholding.

Wages in India: The casual wages in India grew at an annual rate of 4.1% between 2011 and 2017 as poverty fell by 1.5% points over the period. However, in 2018-2019, casual wage growth turned negative. The poverty reduction rate slowed down to (-) 0.8% points during this time.

Explained: Smart city’s nerve centre

Source: This post is based on the article “Explained: Smart city’s nerve centre” published in Indian Express on 21st April 2022.

What is the News?

The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister has announced that 80 Integrated Command and Control Centres(ICCCs) have already been set up while the remaining 20 will be completed by August 15, 2022.

What is an Integrated Command and Control Centre(ICCCs)?

ICCCs are an integral component of the Smart Cities Mission. The mission aims to set up ICCCs for each city. 

These ICCCs are designed to enable authorities to monitor the status of various amenities in real-time. 

They are aimed at controlling and monitoring water and power supply, sanitation, traffic movement, integrated building management, city connectivity and Internet infrastructure among other parameters.

Hence, they basically act as a “nerve center” of a Smart City for operations management.

Services provided by ICCCs

ICCCs act as the nodal point of availability of all online data and information relating to smart services included in a smart city. Such as LED street lighting, CCTV surveillance cameras, and air quality sensors among others.

They are a source for integrated traffic management monitoring.

They are now also linked to the CCTNS (Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks and Systems) network under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, they also served as war rooms for Covid-19 management.

Sea may inundate many cities by 2050

Source: This post is based on the article “Sea may inundate many cities by 2050” published in Indian Express on 21st April 2022.

What is the News?

According to a study conducted by a consulting firm RMSI, a significant number of population, property and infrastructure in parts of Chennai, Kochi, Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram and Mumbai will be underwater due to rising sea levels by the year 2050.

What is the study about?

A study was conducted by RMSI, a consulting firm to understand the impact of sea-level rise on coastal Indian cities.

The study considered findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) sixth assessment report ‘Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis’. According to this report, the sea level around India will rise significantly by 2050.

Moreover, a report from the Ministry of Earth Sciences(MoES) has also said that the North Indian Ocean(NIO) will see sea-level rise by approximately 300 mm(a foot).

Key Findings of the study

The study has found that a significant number of population, property and infrastructure in parts of Chennai, Kochi, Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram and Mumbai will be underwater due to rising sea levels by the year 2050.

Suggestions: The study has suggested interventions such as land reclamation, increasing road heights and relocation of buildings or strengthening them against damage.

Explained: Life and legend of Guru Tegh Bahadur, who stood up to the Mughals

Source: This post is based on the article “Explained: Life and legend of Guru Tegh Bahadur, who stood up to the Mughals” published in Indian Express on 21st April 2022.

What is the News?

The Prime Minister will participate in the celebrations of the 400th Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji at Red Fort in New Delhi.

Who was Guru Tegh Bahadur?

Born in: Amritsar in 1621 to Mata Nanki and Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh guru.

He was the ninth of ten Gurus who founded the Sikh religion. He was often venerated as the ‘Protector of Humanity’ (Srisht-di-Chadar) by the Sikhs. 

He was a learned spiritual scholar and a poet whose 115 hymns are included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the main text of Sikhism. 

He was also an avid traveller and played a key role in setting up preaching centers. During one such mission, he founded the town of Chak-Nanki in Punjab, which later became a part of Punjab’s Anandpur Sahib. 

He sacrificed his life to protect religion and human values, ideals and principles in world history. He was executed for supporting the religious freedom of Kashmiri Pandits on the orders of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. 

His death anniversary is commemorated as Shaheedi Divas every year on 24 November.

Sikh holy premises Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi mark the places of execution and cremation of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Central Government amends Nidhi Rules, 2014 to safeguard the interest of general public

Source: This post is based on the article “Central Government amends Nidhi Rules, 2014 to safeguard the interest of general public” published in PIB on 20th April 2022.

What is the News?

The government of India has released the Nidhi (amendment) Rules, 2022. This amendment brings changes to the Nidhi Rules,2014 to safeguard the interest of the general public.

What are Nidhi Companies?

Nidhi companies are a type of non-bank lenders that raise funds exclusively from their members and give loans to them to improve their governance and protect the public interest.

They are regulated by the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) for deposit-taking and by the Department of Company Affairs(DCA) for operational matters and deployment of funds.

To become a Nidhi company, the entity has to first register as a public limited company which has more disclosure requirements than a private limited company. 

Only individual members are allowed in Nidhi companies, and it cannot give loans to companies.

What was the need for Nidhi (amendment) Rules, 2022?

Under the Companies Act, 1956, Nidhi meant a company that the Central Government declared as Nidhi or Mutual Benefit Society by notification in the official gazette. 

After that, the Companies Act, 2013 was brought. It initially provided that there was no need for a company to get a declaration from the Central Government to function as a Nidhi Company. Such companies were required to only incorporate as a Nidhi and meet certain requirements.

However, the Government brought back the requirement of government certification to operate as a Nidhi company in 2019 by amending the Companies Act of 2013.

But still, the Government found that Nidhi companies have not been complying with the norms. Hence, the Nidhi (amendment) Rules, 2022 was brought.

What are the key provisions of the Nidhi (amendment) Rules, 2022?

Firstly, a public company set up as a Nidhi with a share capital of Rs 10 Lakh needs to first get itself declared as a Nidhi by the Union government. This can be done by submitting an application showing a minimum membership of 200 and net owned funds of ₹2 million within 120 days of its incorporation.

Secondly, promoters and directors of the Nidhi company have to meet the criteria of fit and proper person as laid down in the rules.

Thirdly, the rules introduced the concept of deemed approval. This means that if no decision is taken on the application for certification as Nidhi companies within 45 days of filing the application, approval would be deemed as granted.

LAUNCH OF SIXTH SCORPENE SUBMARINE ‘VAGSHEER’ AT MAZAGON DOCK LIMITED (MDL)

Source: This post is based on the article “LAUNCH OF SIXTH SCORPENE SUBMARINE ‘VAGSHEER’ AT MAZAGON DOCK LIMITED (MDL)” published in PIB on 20th April 2022.

What is the News?

The Defence Secretary has launched INS Vagsheer. It is the last of the Scorpene-class submarines made under Project 75 and can join the Navy fleet within 12-18 months after sea trials.

What is INS Vagsheer?

INS Vagsheer is the sixth submarine of Project 75 of the Indian Navy.

Manufactured by: Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited(MDL) in collaboration with Naval Group, France.

Named After: Vagsheer is named after the sandfish, a deep-sea predator of the Indian Ocean. It is also named after the first submarine Vagsheer from Russia which was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1974 and was decommissioned in 1997.

Features

Diesel Attack Submarine: It is a diesel attack submarine designed to perform sea denial as well as access denial warfare against the adversary. It can do offensive operations such as anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering and area surveillance.

Speed: It can reach a top speed of 20 knots when submerged and a top speed of 11 knots when it surfaces.

Anti-Torpedo Countermeasure system: It is enabled with a C303 anti-torpedo countermeasure system. It can carry up to 18 torpedoes or Exocet anti-ship missiles, or 30 mines in place of torpedoes.

Superior Stealth Features: Its superior stealth features include advanced acoustic absorption techniques, low radiated noise levels, and hydro-dynamically optimized shape. It has the ability to launch a crippling attack using precision-guided weapons, underwater or on the surface.

India’s Non-basmati rice exports grow by 109% since 2013-14 to USD 6115 million

Source: This post is based on the article “India’s Non-basmati rice exports grow by 109% since 2013-14 to USD 6115 million” published in PIB on 20th April 2022.

What is the News?

As per Government data, India’s non-basmati rice exports witnessed a significant growth of 109% from USD 2925 million in FY 2013-14 to USD 6115 million in FY 2021-22.

What has been the trend in the exports of Non-Basmati Rice?

Any rice other than Basmati Rice is named as Non- Basmati rice.

India registered a growth of 27% in export of non-basmati rice in 2021-22. 

In 2021-22, the export of non-basmati rice was the top forex earner among all agri-commodities.

West African country Benin is one of the major importers of non-basmati rice from India. Other destinations include Nepal, Bangladesh, China, Côte D’ Ivoire, UAE among others.

About Rice

In India, Rice is the staple food crop of a majority of the people.

It is a Kharif crop that requires high temperature (above 25°C) and high humidity with annual rainfall above 100 cm. In the areas of less rainfall, it grows with the help of irrigation.

India is the second-largest producer of rice in the world after China. 

The major rice-producing states are West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Assam, and Haryana.

Scientists discover new eel species from Kerala, Bengal

Source: This post is based on the article “Scientists discover new eel species from Kerala, Bengal” published in Indian Express on 21st April 2022.

What is the News?

A group of Indian scientists have discovered a new species of eel named “Ariosoma indicum” from the Kalamukku and Digha Mohana fishing harbours in Kerala and West Bengal respectively. 

What is Ariosoma indicum?

Ariosoma Indicum is an eel species that belongs to the Congrid eels group. The term Indicum means that it was found in India.

Note: There are seven species of Ariosoma genus documented in India which includes this newly identified eel. Globally, there are 223 species in this genus.

Distribution: It is possibly distributed along the Indian coast including the coastal waters of Kerala and West Bengal. 

Features

It has a greenish-brown body with faint dark bands on the dorsal portion of the head. It also has minute dark pigmentation patches on the extremities of the lower jaw.

Explained: What are Digital Banking Units, and what services will they provide?

Source: This post is based on the article “Explained: What are Digital Banking Units, and what services will they provide?” published in Indian Express on 20th April 2022.

What is the News?

The Finance Minister has reiterated her Budget announcement on setting up 75 digital banking units in 75 districts of the country this year. 

What are Digital Banking Units(DBU)?

DBU is a specialized business unit of a bank that houses certain minimum digital banking products and services. 

A bank can offer specialized digital products at any time all year from these units and also provide existing financial services products.

Who will set up this DBUs?

Commercial banks (other than regional rural banks, payment banks and local area banks) with past digital banking experience are permitted to open DBUs in tier 1 to tier 6 centres without having the need to take permission from the RBI in each case.

What services can DBUs provide?

As per the RBI, each DBU must offer certain minimum digital banking products and services. Such products should be on both liabilities and assets side of the balance sheet of the digital banking segment. 

The services include savings bank accounts under various schemes, current accounts, fixed deposits and recurring deposit accounts, digital kit for customers, mobile banking, Internet banking, debit cards, credit cards UPI QR code and point of sale (PoS).

Other services include making applications for and onboarding of customers for identified retail, MSME or schematic loans.

How are DBUs different from Neo banks?

Currently, fintechs operating as Neo Banks offer digital banking services but they do so in partnership with non-banking financial companies (NBFCs). Some of the non-banks offering services in India are Jupiter, Fi Money, Niyo, Razorpay X.

What are the pros and cons of DBUs?

DBUs can enable last-mile financial inclusion as a lender can reach a wider customer base in a more cost-effective manner.

On the other hand, the ​​limitations of DBU include low public awareness and internet penetration in lower-tier cities. 

Further, challenges such as cyber security, data privacy and phishing need to be resolved if DBUs are to reach their full potential.