9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – February 17th, 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• Our Gender Gap in Contraception needs public policy intervention

GS Paper 2

• Questioning the ban on online gaming platforms
• A case for a more federal judiciary
• A Case for Specialists
• I For International?
• Teachers mustn’t be blamed for India’s poor learning outcomes
• Ghost of 497IPC
• Tapping the promise of Philanthropy

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Atmospheric pressure on surface of Pluto is more than 80,000 times less than Earth: study
• PM delivers inaugural address at TERI’s World Sustainable Development Summit
• Union Minister launches the Career Counselling Workshop ‘Pramarsh 2022’
• Explained: J&K’s State Investigation Agency, and its mandate
• India lacks solar waste handling policy
• Battery swapping policy to level the playing field for operators
• Work Plan 2022 signed between India and Germany to strengthen Quality Infrastructure, reduce technical barriers
• All you need to know about Satellite Internet
• Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry launches a Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED)
• Government approves ‘ New India Literacy Programme, a new scheme of Adult Education for FYs 2022-27”

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

Our Gender Gap in Contraception needs public policy intervention

News

The recently-released fifth round of our National Family and Health Survey (NFHS-5) highlights that there has been a more than 10 percentage-point increase in the use of contraception among currently married women aged 15-49 years.

However, it also highlights that female sterilization continues to be the most popular choice of contraception despite the availability of Cheaper and safer procedure of male vasectomy.

What are the possible explanations for this gender divide in the method of contraception in India?

The divide could imply two things. First, it may indicate greater bodily autonomy exercised by women today or it also indicate the deep-rooted patriarchy that exploits and subjugates women.

How the data supports ‘subjugation’ explanation over the ‘bodily autonomy’ hypothesis?

According to the NFHS-4, only about 8% of women were found to make independent decisions on the use of contraception. However, despite not having the authority to make decisions, the burden of contraception falls on women.

As female sterilization is the most wide-spread method, with more than a third of India’s sexually-active population opting for it, despite the availability of cheaper and safer options available.

Also, NFHS-3 and NFHS-4 highlight that a higher proportion of women with college or higher levels of education tend to opt for male or female reversible methods of contraception over female sterilization.

All these facts give credence to the ‘subjugation’ explanation of the divide over the ‘bodily autonomy’ hypothesis outlined above.

How pandemic has adversely affected the family planning?

Exceptional pandemic measures like lockdowns and the exigencies of essential supplies have interrupted contraceptive supply chains. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), family planning has been severely affected during this period, with seven out of ten countries affected.

What have been recent government initiative in this area?

Government has recently increased the age of marriage for girls from 18 to 21 years. There have been studies that confirm that an increase in the age of marriage for females reduces the total fertility of women. It also leads to an improvement in the bargaining power of women, as it may reduce age gaps between husbands and wives.

What should be the way forward?

As seen in many parts of the country that increase in education translates into increased use of contraception and increased family planning. However, in addition to this, there is need for awareness about the benefits of different methods of contraception to the community at large.

Special emphasis should be given to bring awareness specially among men about the relevance of family planning. Also, they should be made aware about the use of several male contraceptive methods that are safer, cheaper and procedurally simpler than female sterilization. This can be done by utilizing the country’s existing network of community health workers, like Asha workers or Anganwaadi workers. Some additional male workers can also be employed to ease the direct communication.

Law on contraception-This will make access to a sound sexual health every citizen’s legal right. This would facilitate access to information and knowledge by removing unnecessary restrictions on the advertisement and publicity of contraceptives. It can also be used to make the availability and accessibility of contraceptives easier by enrolling the services of Primary Health Centres, particularly in rural areas.

GS Paper 2

Questioning the ban on online gaming platforms

News: The Karnataka High Court has delivered a judgement striking down major portions of the Karnataka Police (Amendment) Act, 2021. This law was introduced to ban online gambling and skill-based gaming platforms like rummy, poker and fantasy sports that involved risking money on an uncertain event.

Apart from Karnataka, a similar law introduced by the Tamil Nadu government was struck down by the Madras High Court in August 2021.

Online Gaming in India

According to a report, the number of online gamers in India grew from ~250 million gamers in 2018 to ~400 million gamers by the mid of 2020.

The main factors that contributed to their growth include technology infrastructure development and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Why the States are banning Online Gaming in India?

States are banning online games as they believe that online games like rummy and poker are addictive in nature. 

Reportedly, there have been instances where youngsters, faced with mounting debts due to losses in online games, have committed other crimes like theft and murder. 

Why are High Courts striking down the ban on Online Gaming?

The High Courts of several States have struck down the ban on Online Gaming on three grounds: a) violation of fundamental rights of trade and commerce, b) liberty and privacy, c) speech and expression. 

The court held that games, where substantial effort, knowledge and skills are required, are different from games of mere luck or chance. 

The High Court also relied upon previous judgements of the Supreme Court, which had held rummy, fantasy sports and betting on horse racing to be games of skill.

What is the solution then for Online Gaming?

An outright ban may not entirely curtail the playing of such online games. Instead, the users will shift to grey or illegal offshore online gaming apps.

This not only results in loss of tax revenue for the State and job opportunities for locals, but results in users being unable to avail remedies for any unfair behaviour or refusal to pay out winnings.

Hence, instead of a complete ban, the state could look at licensing and regulating the industry with various checks and balances.

A case for a more federal judiciary

News: The delicate balance between HCs and SC is tilting in favour of the SC.

The article discusses the need to balance the power between High Courts and the Supreme Court.

Federalism is a midpoint between unitarism, to which the States are subordinate and confederalism wherein the States are supreme and are coordinated by a weak centre.

What is the basic nature of federalism?

A.V. Dicey’s View: The essential characteristic of federalism is the distribution of limited executive, legislative and judicial authority among bodies that are independent of each other.

Supreme Court View: it has held that the federalist nature is part and parcel of the basic structure of the Constitution.

What are the instances, where the SC overpowered High Courts

In recent years, the erosion of power of the High Court was witnessed.

First, the collegium system, consists of SC’s judges, has the power to appoint and transfer judges and chief justices to the High Courts and the Supreme Court.

Second, successive governments have passed laws to create parallel judicial systems of courts and tribunals which bypass the High Courts.

For example, Competition Commission and company law tribunals.  Also, laws have been drafted such that the Supreme Court directly acts as an appellate court.

Third, SC is intervening in matters which are clearly of local importance and have no constitutional ramifications. For instance, in 2018, petition in the Supreme Court to curtail Deepavali celebrations and the court entertained the writ petition and issued directions.

The Supreme Court entertaining PILs, which could have been effectively dealt with by the High Court, sends the message that there is no need to go to HC, cases can be directly filed in the SC.

How the Indian judiciary is envisaged by the Indian constitution?

One, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar stated in the Constituent Assembly that the Indian Federation has a dual polity but has no dual judiciary at all. The High Courts and the Supreme Court form one single integrated judiciary and provide remedies in all cases arising under constitutional law, civil law, or criminal law.

Two, the Indian Constitution envisaged the equality of power of High Court judges and Supreme Court judges. For instance, the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, Justice P.V. Rajamannar rejected the seat in newly formed Supreme Court and preferred to be Chief Justices of the prestigious High Court.

Three, on many occasions the Supreme Court has reiterated that it is superior to the High Court only in the appellate sense.

Why there is a need to strengthen the federal nature of the judiciary?

First, a robust federal judicial system is a basic requirement for a federal State which interprets the constitution. It adjudicates upon the rights of the federal units and the central unit, and between the citizen and these units.

Second, the need for this balance was underscored during the Emergency, when the High Courts stood out as beacons of freedom.

Third, empirical research in the USA shows that judicial review by a centralized judiciary tends toward unitarism. In Nigeria, research has shown that the Supreme Court has favored interpretations that support the rights of the center over the States.

What is the way forward?

The weakening of the state units sets off a weakening of the entire body of the state. Hence, the Supreme Court should recognize this and restore the federal balance by re-empowering the High Courts.

A Case for Specialists

News: The recent regulatory breaches at the National Stock Exchange is an example of why India needs more regulatory expertise.

In this article, the author argues for inclusion of more domain experts in policy making.

Why there is need to consider protecting economics from politics and vice versa?

One, there was continuity in policy implementation since 1991, but the sudden withdrawal of farm laws and the repeal of the land acquisition ordinance in 2015 are two examples of policy discontinuity. It shows intermixing of politics and economics.

Two, the political input in economic policymaking is becoming dominant as regional and state-level issues are assuming overriding significance.

Three, domestic policy is also influenced by other factors. For instance, external pressure should not be the basis of reforms, but it can be used to push desirable domestic reform. For example, India’s entry into the WTO mandated the recognition of product and process patents. This was politically hard to accept, and there were differences between economics and politics.

Why there is a need for specialists?

First, relying on the crisis to drive reform only work in rare circumstances. When the aspiration is to become a $10 trillion economy by 2030, then a sustained growth of over 15 percent per annum in nominal GDP is needed. But as growth occurs, institutions also require sophistication, knowledge, expertise, and some protection from political interference.

For instance, between 2004 and 2009, India experienced 8.1 percent increase in real GDP. But the growth story was cut short by the global financial crisis and institutional weaknesses such as coal scam and the 2G scam.

Second, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) in 2016, replaced RBI’s internal decision-making to include three external experts. MPC minutes are also published. This has enhanced the transparency into monetary policy decisions and efficiency. Hence, similar reforms should be extended to other important government functions, such as the budgetary process.

Also, successive finance commissions and the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Review Committee have recommended the creation of a fiscal council to bring transparency in the budget-making process. It will help in moderating the influence of politics and powerful interest groups.

Third, domain experts should be an integral part of the policy formulation process. Implementation can be left to the executive. For instance, when TRAI was first set up, it had a healthy combination of domain experts and public policy professionals. Capacity was limited, but the intent was clearly visible. But instead of strengthening it more, TRAI resembles a government department now.

Fourth, India has more and more professionals as universities offer courses on regulation and public policy. The diaspora has always been available to fill the gap.

Fifth, since more sectors (for example, the Gati Shakti initiative) engage the private sector, lessons from the last quarter-century should not be wasted. Domain expertise helps in creating a cadre of professionals with technical expertise and also helps in managing the complex tasks of policy processes.

What is the way forward?

Policies should be independent of vested interests in politics and business. Agencies tasked with protecting the public interest should work in the interest of the public. Also, retired bureaucrats are excellent for policy institutions, but they should not be an entitlement.

I For International?

News: Recent reports suggest that IITs are in talks to open up outposts in Britain.

This article says, IITs expanding abroad is a good idea. But there is need of more radical reform.

Why there is need of reforms in higher education institutions?

One, the IITs are widely respected in India but there is no clarity whether IITs are competitive enough to offer education product in a foreign and more advanced market.

Two, IITs success is mostly built on the fact that some of the smartest of students prepare for months to get in, via competitive examination. Hence, students do better due to their own merit. It is not known that how much of their success is due to pedagogy and research quality in IITs, including in the older institutions.

Three, 2019 CAG audit of eight IITs found them in poor condition. For instance, states haven’t provided land properly, labs are inadequate, little research is sponsored by non-government sources and over a five-year period these IITs obtained zero patents.

The audit also accused the governing bodies for poor supervision. That’s why lot has to be done before foreign expansion.

What about foreign universities setting up campuses in India?

First, Union Cabinet approved first proposal to allow foreign universities to set up branches in India in 2010. IIT Bombay also started work on opening an applied science campus in New York City. But both projects did not materialize.

Second, National Education Policy 2020 indicated that top foreign universities will be allowed and Budget 2022 suggested that they will be allowed to operate in Gujarat’s GIFT city without having to follow restrictive domestic rules.

Third, there was also the GoI proposal of creating institutions of excellence.

What is the way forward?

First, there is need to address the broader issue of reforming the university. NEP has also proposed a reformed higher education regulator.

Second, GoI and states must acknowledge that for-profit private investment encourages enterprise to increase quality. Because good faculty, good labs, good libraries, a good campus, all of this require money. Also, deserving students who can’t pay should get government scholarships.

Teachers mustn’t be blamed for India’s poor learning outcomes

News:There is need to address the systemic and societal problems that are at the heart of poor learning outcomes.

Teacher is expected to be the sole agent of education, gradually she becomes demotivated and become the target of the blame. However, the roots to the problem lie in larger systemic and societal causes.

The article says, there is complex interplay between different factors which contribute to poor learning outcomes.

Why teachers should not be blamed solely for the poor learning outcomes?

First, the teacher is supposed to teach which is a difficult task. For example, basic language and math are not difficult but for a child aged 6, it is a complex task.

Second, the language that children speak at home and in their neighborhood is often different from the medium of instruction. Also, the textbooks are often terrible which complicate teaching.

Third, teachers do not have the capacity to teach what they must. For instance, pedagogical capacities which is related to how to teach any subject matter and capacities to handle children effectively to ensure curricular learning. Both capacities are complex and challenging.

Becoming an effective teacher requires persistence, preparation and an appropriate set of conditions to be able to put what one has learnt into daily practice.

Fourth, teachers are ill-prepared due to dysfunctional teacher education system. They are neither adequately equipped with the pedagogical capacities nor have they learnt how to effectively handle children. Also, there is no supportive environment for effective practice.

Fifth, the attitude of teachers is also a concern. Some teachers are extremely positive, some are deeply negative, but most are average like any large group of people in our country.

Sixth, it is said that teachers are not motivated enough. Motivation comes from a large of set of factors. This includes the physical environment in the school and what kind of treatment the teacher receives in the school and in the community. For example, lack of toilets. The treatment of teachers determines how supportive, empowered and valued teachers are.

Seventh, teachers also don’t have adequate resources and many of the resources they have are of poor quality. Apart from this, teachers are also over- burdened. For instance, administrative work distracts them from core task of teaching.

Also, the vast majority children come from homes in poverty or near poverty and thus they have no academic support at home. Hence teachers have to compensate for that gap.

Ghost of 497IPC

News

Recently Gujarat high court has reinstated a police constable to his service who lost his job over adultery and has outlined that Individual’s Personal choices professional career.

What has been high court’s observation in the case?

The court noted that the constable’s superiors or society may view the relationship from the prism of immorality but there was no ground to invoke disciplinary provisions related to “misconduct” under the relevant statutory rules.

What has been the recent developments in the matter?

Supreme Court in 2018 striked down adultery as a penal offence (Section 497 IPC) in 2018 and recognised fundamental right to privacy in 2017. HCs have in the past also ruled against authorities pursuing disciplinary proceedings for adultery, noting that misconduct requires proof of adverse effect on an officer’s public duties.

What is the way forward?

However, despite these developments courts are sometimes themselves prone to social morality. 2021 witnessed a few orders by various HCs levying monetary penalties or passing harsh observations in such cases.

As the SC’s ruling has reiterated the equality before law of all consenting adults this divergence in the orders of various courts should stop.

For this Service rules across India need to be updated to restrict the scope for loosely applying misconduct provisions.

Tapping the promise of Philanthropy

News

India has had a centuries old tradition of philanthropy , which was dominated by a few business houses in few decades before and post-independence who has the desire to contribute to nation-building.

What is the current scenario in Philanthropy sector in India?

The scenario has changed now. Economic growth has led to more people becoming wealthier at younger ages and consequently having the desire to give back to the society.

Also, Regulations around corporate social responsibility have provided a nudge to corporations to support social causes. There is also a host of platform that now facilitate smaller retail donations.

There has been greater professionalism within philanthropy and a shift from ideas of it being a source of development rather charity.

What are the challenges that still remain?

Indian philanthropists still donate a much smaller portion of their wealth relative to countries like the US.

Significant sectoral and regional concentration- Education and healthcare receive 75 per cent of family-based giving in India. Many critical sectors like environment, rural development and citizen empowerment remain underrepresented.

More concentrated in Metro cities-Around 85 per cent of donations by ultra-high net-worth individuals are spent in three cities alone — Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.

This unequal distribution of resources needs to be addressed.

For more on this topic , click here.

How has the Pandemic affected the Philanthropic efforts across sectors?

Many non-profits find themselves struggling to survive which makes Philanthropy much more relevant in current times. These organisations will require not just infusion of capital, but significant handholding to become stable again

What is the way forward?

Risk taking-Philanthropic capital enjoys much greater independence than governments and corporations and are better-placed to support complex and under-invested areas by experimenting with novel approaches. This should motivate philanthropists to experiment with innovative methods and plans for development .

For example- For example, REVIVE Alliance, a coalition of philanthropic funders and multilateral organisations, is experimenting with the concept of “returnable grants” with only a “moral obligation” to repay if specific financial milestones are achieved.

Patience– Philanthropic capital must be patient and seek to support longer-term, systemic change as Social change is a long and complex process; success is often not immediately visible.

The areas which require long term investment but also provide long term gains are research, developing sector-level institutions and infrastructure, and also .developing the capacity of NGOs themselves

Trust and collaboration– Multi-year funding commitments based on trust can allow NGOs to focus on impact rather than worrying about fundraising. Also, collaboration will help in  shared learnings which will have a multiplier effect.

Being adaptive-Funders should acknowledge that things may not always go as planned and that that require them to re-evaluate their approach or priorities. Having robust feedback loops is will help in this.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Atmospheric pressure on surface of Pluto is more than 80,000 times less than Earth: study

What is the news?

According to a study, Pluto’s atmospheric pressure on its surface is 80,000 times less than that on Earth.

What is the study about?

Scientists calculated the atmospheric pressure by observing the stellar occultations of Pluto using 3.6-m Devasthal optical telescope (DOT) (India’s largest optical telescope) and 1.3-m Devasthal Fast Optical Telescope (DFOT) telescopes located at Devasthal, Nainital.

Note: In astronomy, an occultation happens when a celestial object gets hidden from the view of the observer due to another celestial object passing in between them.

What did the scientists find out?

Scientists found that Pluto’s atmospheric pressure on its surface is 80,000 times less than that on Earth.

The study also confirms earlier findings that Pluto suffers from intense seasonal episodes because of a large depression on Pluto known as Sputnik Planitia.

For instance, Pluto’s poles remain for decades in permanent sunlight or darkness over its 248-year long orbital period leading to strong effects on its Nitrogen (N2) atmosphere that is mainly controlled by vapour pressure equilibrium with the surface N2 ice. 

Moreover, as Pluto is now moving away from the Galactic plane as seen from Earth, stellar occultations by Pluto are becoming increasingly rare, making this event a decisive one.

Source: This post is based on the article “Atmospheric pressure on surface of Pluto is more than 80,000 times less than Earth: study” published in PIB on 17th Feb 2022. 

PM delivers inaugural address at TERI’s World Sustainable Development Summit

What is the news?

The Prime Minister has delivered the inaugural address at the World Sustainable Development Summit.

What is the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS)?

It is an annual event organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) since 2001. The summit was earlier known as Delhi Sustainable Development Summit.

Aim: To bring together a wide number of participants in the fight against climate change. Participants include governments, business leaders, academicians, climate scientists, youth, and civil society.

Theme: “Towards a Resilient Planet: Ensuring a Sustainable and Equitable Future”.

What are the key highlights from the PM’s address at the Summit?

Firstly, the LED bulb distribution scheme that has been running for over seven years, has helped save more than 220 billion units of electricity and 180 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year. 

Secondly, India is a mega-diverse country. With 2.4% of the world’s land area, India accounts for nearly 8% of the world’s species. 

Thirdly, Aravalli Biodiversity Park in Haryana being declared as an Other Effective Area – based Conservation Measures (OECM) site for its effective conservation of biodiversity. 

Fourthly, Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary in Gujarat and Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh have been recently included as Ramsar Site from India.With this, India now has 49 Ramsar sites which is the highest in South Asia. 

Fifthly, the concerns of the disaster-prone areas have been addressed by initiatives like The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (C.D.R.I.) and Infrastructure for Resilient Island States. 

Lastly, the two initiatives of  LIFE – Lifestyle For Environment and Pro Planet People (3-Ps) will form the foundation of our environmental efforts for improving the global commons.

Source: This post is based on the article “PM delivers inaugural address at TERI’s World Sustainable Development Summit” published in PIB on 17th Feb 2022. 

Union Minister launches the Career Counselling Workshop ‘Pramarsh 2022’

What is the news?

The Union Minister launched the career counselling workshop ‘Pramarsh 2022’for the students of the Bikaner District region.In this workshop one lakh students participated from more than thousands schools of Bikaner district mainly from rural area.

What is Pramarsh?

Pramarsh is an online career counselling workshop conducted by the National Institute of Career Services (NICS).

Aim: To bridge the industry-academia gap and spread awareness about various choices available to students under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

What is the National Institute of Career Services (NICS)?

N​​ational Institute for Career Service (erstwhile Central Institute for Research and Training in Employment Service) was set up in 1964 under Directorate General of Employment (DGE), M/o Labour & Employment.

Aim: To be a National Centre of Excellence to provide enhanced employability through Training, Research & Capacity Building Programme in the area of Employment under National Employment Services.

Source: This post is based on the article “Union Minister launches the Career Counselling Workshop ‘Pramarsh 2022’” published in PIB on 17th Feb 2022. 

Explained: J&K’s State Investigation Agency, and its mandate

What is the news?

The Jammu and Kashmir government has granted sanction for the creation of a State Investigation Agency (SIA) on the lines of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

What is the State Investigation Agency(SIA)?

SIA has been constituted as a specialised, nodal agency for coordinating with NIA and other central agencies.

– It will investigate terrorism related cases not referred to the NIA.

– The head of the CID wing shall be the ex-officio Director of the SIA.

– All the officers in-charge of the police stations have to mandatorily intimate the SIA immediately on registration of terrorism related cases and also about such cases where any terrorism linkage surfaces during the investigation.

– SIA has also been empowered to register an FIR, suo motu while keeping the DGP, J&K informed.

– The acts that will come under the purview of the SIA include: The Explosive Substances Act,1908 and The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

Source: This post is based on the article “Explained: J&K’s State Investigation Agency, and its mandate” published in Indian Express on 17th Feb 2022. 

India lacks solar waste handling policy

What is the News?

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), India does not have a firm policy on managing waste that results from used solar panels or from the manufacturing process.

What is Solar Waste?

Solar waste is the electronic waste generated by discarded solar panels. Solar panels have an estimated life of 25 years. Further, solar PV modules could develop defects during the plant operations and be discarded even before their scheduled life span.

Solar Waste in India

India has set a target of producing 100 GW of solar energy by 2022. The cumulative capacity of grid-connected solar photovoltaic(PV) installations is around 40 GW.

India’s solar manufacturing industry took off around 2010 most of the installed systems were new and early in their calendar life cycle and therefore unlikely to generate a large quantity of solar waste.

According to IRENA, it is estimated that the global photovoltaic waste will touch 78 million tonnes by 2050 with India expected to be one of the top five photovoltaic-waste creators.

However, India does not have a solar waste management policy and it currently considers solar waste a part of electronic waste and does not account for it separately.

What are the steps taken to reduce Solar Waste?

A committee had been constituted under the chairmanship of the Secretary of the Ministry of Renewable Energy to propose an action plan to evolve a “circular economy” in solar panels, through the reuse/recycling of waste generated. 

Currently, there is no commercial raw material recovery facility for solar e-waste operational in India. But a pilot facility for solar panel recycling and material recovery has been set up by a private company in Gummidipoondi, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Source: This post is based on the article “India lacks solar waste handling policy” published in The Hindu on 17th Feb 2022.

Battery swapping policy to level the playing field for operators

What is the News?

Niti Aayog will hold pre-draft stakeholder consultations to invite feedback from industry participants on the government’s upcoming electric vehicle (EV) battery swapping policy.

What is Battery Swapping?

Click Here to read about it

What will be the focus of the Battery Swapping Policy?

The Policy will focus on creating a comprehensive framework including regulatory operational and technical elements to incentivize battery swapping.

Initially, it will focus on battery swap services for three-wheeled auto-rickshaws and two-wheelers such as electric scooters and motorcycles.

EV owners may also get incentives of up to 20% on the subscription or lease cost of the battery.

Moreover, as part of the policy, NITI Aayog will work with the Bureau of Indian Standards and the Department of Science and Technology(DST) to develop technical standards for batteries.

What are the demands of the energy service providers from the Government?

Firstly, the Government needs to balance standardization and innovation to ensure that there is room for technologies and business models to evolve in this sector.

Secondly, the battery swapping space has to be ironed out of anomalies such as higher GST on separate batteries (18% versus 5% for EVs).

Thirdly, the Government should extend FAME-II subsidies to battery swapping operators.

Source: This post is based on the article “Battery swapping policy to level the playing field for operators” published in Livemint on 17th Feb 2022. 

Work Plan 2022 signed between India and Germany to strengthen Quality Infrastructure, reduce technical barriers

What is the News?

​​India and Germany have signed a Work Plan 2022 during the virtually held 8th meeting of the Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure.

What is the Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure?

The Group was established in 2013.

It meets annually to identify areas of cooperation to support and strengthen quality infrastructure in the country, taking into account the needs and requirements of relevant stakeholders from diverse technology areas so as to support bilateral trade.

What are the key highlights from the Group meeting?

India and Germany have signed a Work Plan 2022. The plan aims to cooperate in strengthening quality infrastructure, reducing technical barriers to trade, enhancing product safety and strengthening consumer protection.

The areas identified for collaboration include mobility, energy, circular economy, smart farming/ agriculture, medical devices, digitalisation (artificial intelligence, Industry 4.0 and other new technology areas), machinery safety, medical devices and equipment and market surveillance.

Global Quality Infrastructure Index(GQII)

A Global Quality Infrastructure Index(GQII) study conducted by the German side was also shared during the group meeting.

As per the study, India is placed at the seventh position on standardization aspect, ninth for accreditation activities and 19th for metrology related activities.

India scored 95.6 out of 100 and is ranked at 10th place in the world for the overall quality infrastructure environment in the country.

Source: This post is based on the article “Work Plan 2022 signed between India and Germany to strengthen Quality Infrastructure, reduce technical barriers” published in PIB on 17th Feb 2022. 

All you need to know about Satellite Internet

What is the News?

Jio Platforms has launched a joint venture(JV) with European satellite-based broadband service company SES to enter the satellite internet space.

What is Satellite Internet?

Satellite Internet is the technology that beams the internet down from a satellite that’s orbiting the earth. Jio, Bharti Airtel OneWeb and Starlink want to send thousands of these satellites to orbit.

Jio will use geostationary (GEO) and medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites, while Starlink and OneWeb use low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. 

What is the difference between GEO, MEO and LEO satellites?

LEO satellites are cheaper to make and deploy, but require a satellite constellation working in sync to offer coverage on earth. 

On the other hand, GEO and MEO Satellites are larger, deployed in higher orbits and cost more. These satellites cover a larger area and require fewer ground stations, which makes them ideal for targeted coverage.

What are the advantages of satellite internet?

Militaries across the world have depended on satellite communications for a long time. The reason telecom firms want to explore satellite internet is that there are areas where fibre connections just can’t reach. Hence, satellite networks are being used to bring connectivity to such areas, which include hills and remote islands. 

Are there any disadvantages with satellite internet?

The satellite internet has the following limitations, 

High latency: Latency is all about internet speed, while bandwidth determines how many devices can connect to a network at the same time. 

Low bandwidths: Experts say current satellite connections will bring only about 1-2 MB bandwidth.

Troubleshooting can also be a problem because it needs specialized knowledge.

Source: This post is based on the article “All you need to know about Satellite Internet” published in Livemint on 17th Feb 2022. 

Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry launches a Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED)

What is the news?

The Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment launched the Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED) for the welfare of De-notified, Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Communities.

What is the need for SEED Scheme?

The DNTs, NTs, SNTs are one of the most deprived and economically weaker communities in India. The policies of the colonial government affected lives and livelihood adversely. The misery of these communities began with the enactment of the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871 during British rule.

They were branded as criminals under various colonial acts. This has led to the forcible alienation from their traditional occupations and habitations. They remained hunter-gatherers and pastoral/peripatetic.

Even after the Independence, they have not benefitted much from the planned development of over seven decades. They were deprived of state support like the SCs/STs.

What are the major government initiatives that were taken to mainstream DNTs, NTs, SNTs?

Various efforts were undertaken for bringing these communities into the mainstream. Accordingly, the first commission was set up in October 2003. The Renke Commission was set up in 2008.

In 2015, National Commission was constituted under the chairmanship of Bhiku Ramji Idate. This commission was tasked to identify and proper listing of these communities in different states, to evaluate the progress of development of these communities in the states so that a systematic approach can be developed for the development of these communities.

Based on the recommendation of this commission, the Government has set up the Development and Welfare Board for DNTs, SNTs &NTs (DWBDNCs) in 2019.

The Government also decided to create an umbrella scheme for empowerment of these communities and accordingly, the Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs, SNTs &NTs (SEED) has been formulated and launched.

What are the salient features of the Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED)?

Source: This post is based on the article “Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry launches a Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED)” published in PIB on 16th Feb 2022.

Government approves ‘ New India Literacy Programme, a new scheme of Adult Education for FYs 2022-27”

What is the news?

Government-approved a new scheme “New India Literacy Programme” for the period FYs 2022-2027 to cover all the aspects of Adult Education to align with National Education Policy 2020.

Further, as a progressive step, the government has also decided to use the term “Education For All” in place of “Adult Education.” This is because the terminology “Adult Education” is not incorporating appropriately all non-literates of 15 years and above age group.

About the status of Adult illiteracy in India

As per Census 2011, the absolute number of non-literates of the country in 15 years and above age group is 25.76 crore.  About 7.64 crore persons are certified as literates under the Saakshar Bharat programme. Hence, it is estimated that currently, around 18.12 crore adults are still non-literate in India.

About the New India Literacy Programme(NILP)

Implementing ministry: Ministry of Education in convergence with various Ministries and Departments will implement the scheme.

The scheme will be implemented through volunteerism through online mode. The training, orientation, workshops of volunteers, maybe organized through face-to-face mode.

Objective: To impart not only foundational literacy and numeracy but also to cover other components which are necessary for a citizen of the 21st century. Such as

– critical life skills (financial literacy, digital literacy, commercial skills, health care and awareness, child care and education, and family welfare)

– vocational skills (with a view towards obtaining local employment); 

– basic education (including preparatory, middle, and secondary stage equivalency) and 

– continuing education (including engaging holistic adult education courses in arts, sciences, etc and recreation, as well as other topics of interest or use to local learners).

Intended beneficiaries: The scheme will cover non-literates of the age of 15 years and above in all states/UTs.

Targets: The target for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for FYs 2022-27 is 5 crore learners at one crore per year by using “Online Teaching, Learning and Assessment System (OTLAS).”

Funding: It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.

Salient features of the New India Literacy Programme (NILP)

-School will be the Unit for the implementation of the scheme.

-Flexibility for States/UTs will be provided to undertake innovative activities.

-Foundational Literacy and Numeracy will be imparted through Critical Life Skills.

-CSR/Philanthropic Support may be received.

-Use of Technologies to impart Adult Education for wider coverage of the scheme.

-The Performance Grading Index (PGI) for State/UT and district level will show the performance of States and UTs on yearly basis by measuring progress through UDISE portal.

-The age cohort of 15-35 will be saturated first followed by ages 35 and above. Priority will be given in terms of categories to the Girls and women, SC/ST/OBC/Minorities, etc. who can substantially and immediately benefit from adult education.

-The focus will be on all aspirational districts, districts with literacy rates less than the National/State average, etc.

Source: This post is based on the article “Government approves ‘New India Literacy Programme, a new scheme of Adult Education for FYs 2022-27” published in PIB on 16th Feb 2022.