9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – July 15th, 2022

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• Bridging the gap-India needs to help women get greater access to jobs and resources
• The great omission in the draft disability policy
• It’s what MPs do: List of unparliamentary words is not such a big deal. Quality of law-making is the real House test
• The Uber Files expose gaps in regulatory structures, underline need for govts to be more nimble as they regulate Big Tech
• No winners in Russia-Ukraine war, but an opportunity for India

GS Paper 3

• Is protectionism compatible with liberalisation?
• The road to rolling out labour codes
• India’s shrinking pot in an expanding universe
• In defence of the Aravallis
• Ensuring nutrition security

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

Bridging the gap-India needs to help women get greater access to jobs and resources

News: Recently, World Economic Forum released Global Gender Gap Index for 2022.

What are the findings of the Global Gender Gap Index?

About the global gender gap

The global gender gap has been closed by 68.1%, which means at the current rate of progress it will take 132 years to reach full parity.

Due to broad stagnation in gender parity scores, it will take the longest (197 years) for South Asia to close the gender gap.

What is the status of India on the Global Gender Gap Index 2022?

India ranks poorly among its neighbours and is behind Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Bhutan. Only Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan perform worse than India in the region.

India has fared the worst in at least one of the parameters — ‘health and survival’ — in which it took the last spot.

What is the status of Indian women on various parameters?

In the pandemic years, as incomes shrank, Indian women faced hurdles on every front, from food, health, and education for the girl child to jobs.

The latest NFHS data (2019-2021) show that 57% of women (15-49 age bracket) are anaemic (up from 53% in 2015-16).

Though, women using a bank account or savings account have increased to 78.6%, with schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, their participation in the labour force has shrunk.

According to Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) data, in 2016-17 about 15% of women were employed or looking for jobs; this further reduced to 9.2% in 2021-22.

How to achieve gender parity?

It is imperative to increase the representation of women in leadership positions at all levels so that women get greater access to jobs and resources. Hence, the government has to move beyond tokenism and help women overcome staggering economic and social barriers.

The great omission in the draft disability policy

News: The Department of Empowerment of Person with Disabilities (DoEPwD) recently released the draft of the national policy for persons with disabilities (“Policy”) inviting public comments till July 15, 2022.

The new policy will replace the 2006 policy.

Why a new policy on disability?

The necessity for a new policy was felt because of multiple factors, such as

– India’s signing of the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

– enactment of a new disability legislation (Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016) which increased the number of disabilities from seven conditions to 21.

– Being a party to the Incheon Strategy for Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013-2022 (“Incheon commitment”).

These commitments have changed the discourse around disability by shifting the focus from the individual to society, i.e., from a medical model of disability to a social or human rights model of disability.

What are some associated issues?

Political participation: Political empowerment and the inclusion of the disabled are an issue that has not found traction in India’s democratic discussion. India does not have any policy commitment that is aimed at enhancing the political participation of disabled people.

Accessibility issues: Section 11 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act prescribes that

• “The Election Commission of India and the State Election Commissions shall ensure that all polling stations are accessible to persons with disabilities and all materials related to the electoral process are easily understandable by and accessible to them”.

Although this mandate has been in existence for a few years, the disabled people still report accessibility issues before and on election day.

– There is often a lack of accessible polling booths in many locations.

– There’s still no widespread adaptation of braille electronic voting machines and even wheelchair services at all polling centres.

Political parties in India still do not find the disabled as the large electorate to specifically address their needs.

The lack of live aggregate data on the exact number of the disabled people in every constituency only furthers their marginalisation.

Inadequate representation: Representation plays an imperative role in furthering the interests of the marginalised community. Disabled people are not represented enough at all three levels of governance. Government does not maintain data on the disability aspect of members.

– The first visually disabled Member of Parliament in independent India, Sadhan Gupta, hardly finds mention in India’s political or disability discourse.

– Further, there has been a failure to acknowledge disabled political personalities who have overcome the myriad barriers in India’s political space.

Efforts for the disabled

The Election Commission of India has developed its own procedures for handling PwDs during the electoral process.

Few States have begun initiatives at local levels to increase political participation.

– For instance, Chhattisgarh started the initiative of nominating at least one disabled person in each panchayat. If a disabled person is not elected, then they are nominated as a panchayat member as per changes in the law concerned.

Way forward

The goal of the policy document — of inclusiveness and empowerment — cannot be achieved without political inclusion.

The policy can follow a four-pronged approach: a) building the capacity of disabled people’s organisations and ‘empowering their members through training in the electoral system, government structure b) regulatory frameworks by lawmakers and election bodies to encourage the political participation of the disabled; c) inclusion of civil societies to ‘conduct domestic election observation or voter education campaigns’; and d) a framework for political parties to ‘conduct a meaningful outreach to persons with disabilities when creating election campaign strategies and developing policy positions’.

The document lays emphasis on the point that central and State governments must work together with other stakeholders to make the right real.

This right can be made real only when it includes political rights/political participation within it.

It’s what MPs do: List of unparliamentary words is not such a big deal. Quality of law-making is the real House test

News:  A list of ‘unparliamentary’ words and phrases, published by the Lok Sabha secretariat, saw opposition leaders accusing the government of trying to gag them.

Why the accusations hold no ground?

Publishing such words has been happening since 1950s.

The list is not a diktat, it’s based on rulings by presiding officers in parliamentary and assembly proceedings in India and Commonwealth countries.

And none of the words is banned.

Presiding officers will expunge remarks they deem unacceptable.

Also, there are easy workarounds for many words listed as unparliamentary.

Way forward

Parliamentary secretariats should not entirely take a mechanical approach.

– House discussions must also reflect the liveliness of the politics in a democracy.

MPs can also help by reminding themselves that the five minutes of news television coverage they get for using unparliamentary words do nothing for their legislative career.

Ultimately, a Parliament is judged by the quality of its debate and its law-making.

What’s needed in greater measure is extensive deliberations in smaller parliamentary committees and deeper House debates on complex issues.

The Uber Files expose gaps in regulatory structures, underline need for govts to be more nimble as they regulate Big Tech

News: Over the past few days, investigation carried out in collaboration with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, has revealed issues in the manner in which Uber has conducted itself over the years

About Uber App

It started operation in 2010. The company has expanded globally and now operates in more than 70 countries and 10,000 cities. It has also become the world’s most valued start-up.

It has become popular because it provides ease in availing the cabs and that too at a competitive pricing model. For example, In India alone it has served around 9.5 crore riders.

It employs millions of drivers across the world. For example, In India alone, it has nearly six lakh driver partners.

What are the associated issues?

The company has bypassed regulators and cut corners to expand its business and presence. It operated in the regulatory grey zones and blind-spots.

The technology tools like “greyball” and “geofencing” were used to stay ahead of law enforcement or to keep Uber rides away from prying policemen and government officials on the streets.

Further, the company did not bother about the concerns of both riders and drivers who are lying at the heart of the platform.

The “critical elements of the new safety features” that were meant to be put in place after the rape incident in Delhi in December 2014 have still not been implemented.

There are issues related to the classification of drivers, and as a consequence their treatment. For example, the UK Supreme Court has ruled to treat them as workers rather than self-employed. This would entitle them to minimum wages and other benefits.

There are concerns over data privacy. For example, the ride-sharing platform holds a treasure trove of information on the ride-hailers.

Way Forward

The government, instead of imposing draconian rules, should frame regulation with a light touch so as not to throttle innovation.

Also, the government should become nimbler in their approach as they attempt to regulate the new age behemoths.

No winners in Russia-Ukraine war, but an opportunity for India

News: In the recent past, Russia started a “special military operation” against Ukraine. Since then the western media is full of solidarity with Ukraine and resistance against the incursion of Russian forces into Ukrainian territory.

Developments So Far

The US, the UK, NATO, EU and G-7, are not directly involved in the war. But they have been offering various kinds of support to Ukraine.

Like the supply of arms, intelligence, cash and logistics and training of Ukrainian troops, severe economic sanctions to cripple the Russian economy and weaken Russia.

Causes behind Russia aggression towards Ukraine

At the end of the Cold War in 1989-1990, it was agreed that NATO would not expand to the east. However, since then NATO has continued to expand in the east.

Russia has seen the emergence of a more resolute leadership in the Russian Federation under the command of the Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Russian President articulated these apprehensions in his speech to the Munich Security Conference in 2007. However, the West ignored Russia and did not accommodate the apprehensions.

Why is there no winner in the Russia-Ukraine war?

The West has been at war before, in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Syria. But this is different. This is a war on European soil and a war of attrition that has pitted Western firepower against Russia.

The war that most expected to come to a quick resolution has turned out to be a war of attrition, reminiscent of the brutal trench warfare and artillery duels of the First World War.

The war in Ukraine has rung the death knell of globalisation. Unlike other wars, this one has snapped the flow of global trade, sports and cultural and scientific exchanges between the West and Russia.

Countries have started increasing military spending. For example, Germany has been radically altering its policy with regard to military spending, pledging 100 billion euros into upgrading the armed forces and so on.

In addition to above, there have been the weaponization of trade through the imposition of “sanctions”. There has been wholesale confiscation of assets in Western banks and financial institutions.

The war and sanctions have resulted in the global inflation. it is biting into the budgets of low-income households all over the world.

There will be impact on the environment. For example, substituting oil and gas with coal is a potentially dangerous trade-off which will lead to failure of the efforts to rein in global warming.

Who are the real beneficiaries?

It is the military-industrial complex of the US and its global subsidiaries which are cashing in on the vast sums of taxpayer money made available to them by western governments. Otherwise, there are no winners in this war.

Way Forward

India has been able to keep Indian diplomacy open to both Russia and the United States during the Ukraine War. Due to this, India was able to repatriate vast numbers of Indians from Ukraine due to such diplomacy.

The negotiations between Russia and the West should be placed at the first priority. There might be a window of opportunity for India to mediate between both sides.

In the post-independence period, India stepped in as a mediator in the Korean conflict, under the leadership of PM Nehru. India can repeat it now

GS Paper 3

Is protectionism compatible with liberalisation?

News: The government is planning to liberalise India’s economy. But with policies such as Atmanirbhar Bharat, the government seems to protect the domestic economy from foreign competition. This raises questions on whether the government’s external protectionism is compatible with its promise of liberalising India’s economy.

What are the challenges associated with India’s policies to protect the domestic economy?

Not efficient: Industrial policies generally invest in industries that could be globally competitive. But in India, there is a long list of sectors in which the government has embarked on import substitution that encourages domestic production. The emphasis is on producing in India rather than on efficiency.

Not able to predict the future: In the 1970s, the government thought that electronics export was going to be a good thing. So, they created the Santacruz Electronic Export Processing Zone (SEEPZ) in Bombay and removed customs duties. By removing protectionism, they thought they were doing a favour to the electronics industry. And 30 years later, the software industry and the diamond processing industries came out on top.

Against ease of doing business: There is still high red-tapism in India.  Further, in most productive sectors also India is lagging behind its counterparts. All this make fall in competitiveness of Indian industry.

Restrict the benefits of consumer: The government stands in the middle and interferes with the ability of an Indian consumer to buy something from abroad or the ability of an Indian firm to buy something from abroad or the ability of an engineering firm to raise capital from a cheaper source abroad, and so on. This raises fundamental question of consumer freedom.

Industrial licensing era policy: Policies such as Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme provide incentives to certain capacities. In this, the government determine the minimum economic scale and then direct the industry to produce along those lines.

What should be done to improve the Indian economy?

Reduce custom duty and protectionism: Every time India cut customs duties, and removes elements of protectionism, firms in India which are users of those goods become more competitive. Hence, India can increase exports by making raw materials cheaper.

External and domestic reforms have to go hand in hand: China and other Southeast Asian countries have been attracting foreign investment just because they execute external and domestic reforms together. India should also focus on both instead of an isolated approach.

Government has to be a facilitator: Instead of picking select sector and promoting them, India can leave that to the market economy to discover the sectors. If the government want to intervene, the policy should be made by the government and industries having a dialogue.

Japan, [South] Korea, and many Southeast Asian countries follow this dialogue based approach. This might cause many firms to go bankrupt, and many industries will shut down. That’s how India can find out what works and what doesn’t.

Provide freedom to consumer: Ad hoc protectionism is not really the way forward because ultimately we are living in a market economy and there has to be the freedom to choose.

Role of industries: The industry needs to identify the pain points, and they should ask the government to address these issues. For instance, during the pandemic, big pharmaceutical giants had substantial government backing in producing vaccines and other medicines.

The road to rolling out labour codes

News: The Code on Wages (passed in Parliament in August, 2019), the Industrial Relations Code, the Code on Social Security, and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (all passed on September 22 and 23, 2020 in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha) have not yet been implemented.

What are the views of various stakeholders?

The Centre claims that the four codes are a major step in the process of labour reforms.

The central trade unions (CTUs) have held three general strikes against the codes so far, alleging that the codes will result in taking away whatever little social and economic security is left in the employment sector.

The farmers’ organisations had also supported the trade unions in their protests.

The employers’ associations, had mixed feeling towards the codes, but had generally welcomed them.

Why the delay in implementation of the codes?

The government says the delay in implementation is due to the delay in framing rules by the States.

As labour is a concurrent subject, both the States and the Centre will have to prepare rules for the codes.

According to a recent report, 24 States have so far published draft rules to all four codes.

What the Centre wants to do?

The Centre intends to implement the four codes together. The Labour Minister has offered discussions with trade unions and representatives of employers to iron out differences, if any.

The SP Mukherjee committee, which is working towards the issue of minimum wages, is yet to complete its task. Setting a national minimum wage is important in the implementation of the Code on Wages.

Social security for unorganised workers is a promise in the Code on Social Security and expansion of ESIC network is an unavoidable step for this purpose.

What are some of the concerns?

The central trade unions in the Opposition camp are opposed to all the four codes.

– Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), is opposed to the Industrial Relations Code and certain provisions of the Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions.

According to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, one of the central trade unions, said the exercise is aimed at pushing out a large section of the workforce out of the coverage of all labour laws.

The BMS has been maintaining that the codes should not be implemented at one go. The differences must be resolved by mutual dialogue. The Govt should implement only those sections and codes where there is a larger unanimity among the workers, employers and the government.

The employers’ associations like Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) had expressed reservation on the proposal for increasing the minimum wages and expanding the social security network by involving the employers too.

Way forward

The trade unions are warning about more protests if the codes are implemented. They say that the Centre will have to repeal it the way it repealed the three farm laws.

The Centre, too, is worried about the political fallout of its implementation and thus, this could also be a possible reason for the delay.

The employers are worried that a further increase in the salary bill will hamper their profits in a recession-hit economy and they expect the government to hold more discussions.

India’s shrinking pot in an expanding universe

News: In recent days, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has sent back its first stunning images of a small spot of the cosmos as it was 13.5 billion years ago, a time period just ‘a bit later’ than our estimate of the Big Bang—about 3 million centuries prior.

About the James Webb Space Telescope

It was launched in Dec, 2021. It was a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency and Canadian Space Agency. It is expected to cost around $9.7 billion over its lifetime.

Furthermore, it comprises a 21-foot-wide mirror, a sun-shield of the size of a tennis court and a quarter of a million tiny shutters, each smaller than a grain of sand.

How is India still behind the western countries?

The West has stormed ahead of India in recent centuries. It is because the science and tech innovations have been led by governments through state/public funding. However, India’s state spending on science and technology languishes, despite 75 years of freedom or Independence.

The budget of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) was cut by more than 3% this fiscal year.

There is an environment promoting the study of ‘Vedic science’ in India Further the young Indian women aiming to pursue a career in science, face an “almost hostile environment”.

Way Forward

In order to take the Indian space sector a leap forward, the government has opened the sector for private participation.

For real progress, in addition to academia and national laboratories, India’s ministries should also work with a scientific temper.

The Constitution of India has given us a “free and democratic nation”, where all brothers and sisters get the same constitutional rights.

In defence of the Aravallis

News: In recent days, the government has released the draft NCR Regional Plan 2041. It contains a recent proposal from the NCR Planning Board which includes an attempt to open up the Aravallis for construction.

About the Aravalli ranges

They start from Delhi and traverse through Haryana and Rajasthan before ending in Gujarat, spanning 690 km in length.

They are among the oldest fold mountain systems in the world.

How are the Aravalli ranges crucial for the survival of the National Capital Region (NCR)?

First, they serve as a groundwater recharge zone for a perpetually water-starved NCR region.

Second, they are the last remaining green lungs of Delhi NCR.

Third, they also serve as a barrier against the desertification of the Indo-Gangetic plains.

Legal Regime for preservation of any forest in the NCR

The NCR Regional Plan 2021 has placed the “Aravallis” and “forest areas” in the Natural Conservation Zone (NCZ). This includes all Aravalli’s Forest areas, water bodies and groundwater recharge areas, and rivers as well as flood plains.

It limits construction to only 0.5% of the total area. In short, the Regional Plan 2021 banned construction for commercial, residential, tourism and real estate purposes in the NCZ.

What are worrisome attempts that aim to eliminate barriers that prevent the destruction of the Aravallis?

There are attempts to circumvent existing environmental protections through the removal of the entire concept of a Natural Conservation Zone (NCZ) in the draft plan.

The draft Plan 2041 proposes to replace NCZ with a very loosely defined new term, “Natural Zone”. It has removed the terms ‘Aravalli’ and ‘forest areas’ from the NCZ.

It means the new category will provide protection only to those areas which are “notified for preservation” and also “recognized in the revenue records” of states over time.

However, most of the Aravalli hill area in Haryana is not notified and neither is the term ‘Aravalli’ mentioned in revenue records. Instead, it is recorded as “gair mumkin pahaar” (uncultivable wasteland), and “bhood” (sandy foothills). The forest cover of the Aravallis is neither notified nor mentioned as “forest” in revenue records.

Further, the 0.5% limit on construction in the NCZ has been dropped in the proposed classification.

The plan can drastically reduce the forest cover and open the floodgates to indiscriminate real estate development in the Aravallis.

Way Forward

India is going through rapid urbanization. Almost half the people of India would be living in its cities by 2025.

– Therefore, there is a need to ensure that India’s urbanization occurs within the carrying capacity and ecological limits of the region. The cities should be able to ensure enough water and green spaces to the growing populations.

The Aravallis are a common groundwater recharge zone for Delhi and Haryana, and all stakeholders must do their bit to protect them.

In this era of climate change, water security and clean air need priority over real estate projects.

Ensuring nutrition security

News: In the recent periods, the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21) and the United Nations report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition 2022 were released.

Findings of the UN report

Globally, the count of undernourished people has swelled by nearly 46 million over the past 15 years. The figure has shrunk by nearly 23.5 million in India. However, the scale of malnutrition still remains worrisome in India.

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to eliminate hunger by 2030 is not going to be met because 8% of the world population (about 670mn people, or) would remain underfed in 2030.

What are the proximate causes for such food insecurity?

The prices of cereals, fertilisers and energy has increased. It has turned food unaffordable for a sizable section of the poor.

The Black Sea region which accounts for one-third of the world’s wheat and barley production and close to half of fertiliser output, especially that of potassic fertilisers has not been able to export to meet the global demand.

What are the measures that have been taken by the Indian government for food security in India?

India has been running liberal consumer subsidies and a slew of food-based social welfare programmes, i.e., the targeted public distribution system (TPDS) aimed to alleviate hunger across the country.

What are the issues in India’s food security programmes?

The policies aimed to keep consumer prices in check hurt the interests of farmers.

Findings of the NFHS-5

Regardless of India’s food security, there is rampant malnutrition, including imbalanced nutritional intake in India. These can be illustrated based on the following>

(1) more than half the Indian women in the 15-49 age group are anaemic.

(2) About 45 million children below the age of five suffer from wasting, the deadliest form of malnutrition.

(3) About 149 million children are stunted due to deficiency of essential minerals and vitamins.

(4) Due to unhealthy food consumption practices, there are high incidence of obesity among both adults and children.

What are the causes behind rampant malnutrition in India?

The inter-ministerial committee which was appointed to go into the findings of the survey has listed lack of affordability, dietary ignorance, and socio-cultural food taboos among the significant factors responsible for rampant malnutrition.

The panel is reported to have observed that the silent crisis of undernourishment has aggravated during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Way Forward

The inter-ministerial committee recommended amending the National Food Security Act to make inclusion of protein-rich and micro-nutrients-doped food items. These should be legally mandated as part of the meals provided through food safety programmes in schools and Anganwadis, and under the Poshan Abhiyan.

The food and agricultural policies of the countries should focus on boosting food production as well as enhancing its economic access to the poor.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Source: The post is based on the article “The debate around the Forest Conservation Rules” published in The Hindu on 15^th July 2022.

What is the News?

The latest version of the Forest Conservation Rules is creating intense debate on forest conservation.

What are the Forest Conservation Rules?

The Forest Conservation Rules deal with the implementation of the Forest Conservation Act (FCA), 1980. They prescribe the procedure to be followed for forest land to be diverted for non-forestry uses such as road construction, highway development, railway lines, and mining.

What is Forest Advisory Committee (FAC)?

For forest land beyond five hectares, approval for diverting land must be given by the Central government. This is via a specially constituted committee, called the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC).

Functions of the committee: This committee examines whether the user agency, or those who have requested forest land a) Have made a convincing case for the upheaval of that specific parcel of land, b) Whether they have a plan in place to ensure that the ensuing damage will be minimal and c) The said piece of land doesn’t cause damage to wildlife habitat.

Process after approval: Once the FAC is convinced and approves (or rejects a proposal), it is forwarded to the concerned State government where the land is located.

The state government has to ensure that provisions of the Forest Right Act, 2006 are complied with. State bodies would forward documents to the FAC that would also include information on the status of whether the forest rights of locals in the area were settled or not.

The FAC approval also means that the future users of the land must provide compensatory land for afforestation as well as pay the net present value (ranging between ₹10-15 lakh per hectare.)

What is the need for updating of Forest Conservation Rules?

After 2009, the Environment Ministry passed an order mandating that proposals would not be entertained by the FAC unless there was a letter from the State specifying the following,

a) The forest rights in the place had been “settled” and b) The gram sabha, or the governing body in villages in the area, had given their written consent to the diversion of forest.

But the Ministry of Tribal Affairs frequently opposed the order and wanted to do away with the necessary consent from the Gram Sabha.

What are the new updated Forest Conservation Rules?

Firstly, The new rules formally codify Ministry of Tribal Affairs demands. It says that a project, once approved by the FAC, will then be passed on to the State authorities who will collect the compensatory fund and land, and process it for final approval.

Secondly, the rules make a provision for private parties to cultivate plantations and sell them as land to companies who need to meet compensatory forestation targets.

What are the benefits of the new rules?

1) The new rules will help India increase forest cover as well as solve the problems of the States of not finding land within their jurisdiction for compensatory purposes, 2) The new updates will also “streamline the approval process.”

What are the concerns associated with the new rules?

1) The rules do not mention the tribals and forest-dwelling communities whose land would be hived off for developmental work, 2) FAC generally approves land for diversion without examining questions around consent as it relies on the State government to ensure that this is done. The new update is focused on the increase of the approval process and not its assessment.

Department of Consumer Affairs sets up committee to develop comprehensive framework on the Right to Repair

Source: The post is based on the article “Department of Consumer Affairs sets up committee to develop comprehensive framework on the Right to Repair” published in PIB on 14th July 2022

What is the News?

The Government of India has set up a committee to develop a “comprehensive framework” on the Right to Repair.

What is the Right to Repair?

Click Here to read about it

About the Committee on the Right to Repair

The Department of Consumer Affairs has set up a committee chaired by Nidhi Khare, an additional secretary to develop a framework for ‘Right to Repair’.

This committee held their first meeting recently.

What are the issues highlighted by the committee?

Control over spare parts: Manufacturers have proprietary control over spare parts (regarding the kind of design they use for screws and others). This monopoly on repair processes infringes the customer’s “right to choose”. 

Right to reclaim warranty: The committee has flagged how consumers often lose the right to claim a warranty if they get a product repaired from a “non-recognized” centre.

Culture of Planned Obsolescence: Manufacturers are encouraging a culture of ‘planned obsolescence. This is a system whereby the design of any gadget is such that it lasts a particular time only and after that particular period it has to be mandatorily replaced. When contracts fail to cede full control to the buyer-the legal rights of owners are damaged.

What are the key decisions taken by the committee?

The committee has decided to come up with a Right to Repair framework for products such as mobile phones/tablets, consumer durables and electronics, automobiles and farming equipment. 

Under this framework, it would be mandatory for manufacturers to share their product details with customers so that they can either repair them by themselves or by third parties, rather than depending on original manufacturers.

Hence, once the framework is in place, manufacturers won’t be able to artificially or deliberately restrict the repair of their products, thereby forcing people to buy a new product.

Note: The right to repair has been recognised in many countries across the globe, including the US, UK and European Union.

– In the US, the Federal Trade Commission has directed manufacturers to remedy unfair anti-competitive practices and asked them to make sure that consumers can make repairs, either themselves or by a third-party agency.

India to give land for I2U2-backed food parks

Source: The post is based on the article “India to give land for I2U2-backed food parks” published in The Hindu on 15th July 2022

What is the News?

The leaders of the I2U2 grouping – India, Israel, the UAE and the USA have held their first summit.

What is I2U2 Grouping?

Click Here to read about it

What are the key takeaways from the summit?

Integrated Food Park in India: India will provide land for Integrated Food Parks across the country that will be built in collaboration with Israel, the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

UAE will invest $2 billion in India to create these food parks backed by technology from the US and Israel.

Note: India was chosen as the location for the food project because of its proximity to Israel and the UAE which will help in creating a smooth agriculture supply chain.

Hybrid Renewable Energy Project in Gujarat: I2U2 Group will support a Hybrid Renewable Energy Project in Gujarat consisting of 300 megawatts(MW) of wind and solar capacity complemented by a battery energy storage system.

The project is expected to be another step in India’s quest for 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.

Explained: What are ‘unparliamentary words’ unfit for the House, and how are they compiled?

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained: What are ‘unparliamentary words’ unfit for the House, and how are they compiled?” published in Indian Express on 15th July 2022

What is the News?

Ahead of the Parliament session, the Lok Sabha secretariat has issued a  list of words that will be viewed as unparliamentary in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

What do the Constitution and rules say on the use of words by MPs inside the house?

​​Article 105(2) of the Constitution lays down that no Member of Parliament shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said or any vote given by him in Parliament or any committee thereof.

However, MPs do not enjoy the freedom to say whatever they want inside the House. Whatever an MP says is subject to the discipline of the Rules of Parliament.

Rule 380 (“Expunction”) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha says: “If the Speaker is of opinion that words have been used in the debate which are defamatory or indecent or unparliamentary or undignified, the Speaker may, while exercising discretion order that such words be expunged from the proceedings of the House”.

Rule 381 says: “The portion of the proceedings of the House so expunged shall be marked by asterisks and an explanatory footnote shall be inserted in the proceedings as follows: ‘Expunged as ordered by the Chair”.

What are Unparliamentary Words?

There are phrases and words, literally in thousands, both in English and in Indian languages, that are considered “unparliamentary”. 

The Presiding Officers — Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chairperson of Rajya Sabha — have the job of keeping such words out of Parliament’s records.

For their reference, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has brought out a bulky tome titled ‘Unparliamentary Expressions’. The last such book was published in 2009.

The state legislatures to are guided mainly by the same book, first compiled in 1999.

Urgent call for better use of existing vaccines and development of new vaccines to tackle AMR

Source: The post is based on the article “Urgent call for better use of existing vaccines and development of new vaccines to tackle AMR” published in WHO on 13th July 2022

What is the News?

The World Health Organization(WHO) has released the first-ever report on the pipeline of the vaccines currently developing to prevent infections by Antimicrobial Resistance(AMR) bacterial pathogens.

What is Antimicrobial Resistance(AMR)?

Antimicrobial resistance(AMR) refers to the growing threat of bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites becoming unresponsive to antimicrobial medicines.

Most recent estimates suggest that 4.95 million deaths were associated with AMR in 2019.

But AMR is about more than bacterial infections. AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines. 

When an individual becomes infected with these microbes, the infection is said to be resistant to antimicrobial medicines. These infections are often difficult to treat.

How can vaccines help in combating AMR?

Vaccines can be highly effective tools in combating antimicrobial resistance(AMR). They reduce the incidence of both resistant and susceptible infections, thereby also decreasing antibiotic consumption. 

What does the report say on current vaccine development against AMR?

The report identifies 61 vaccine candidates in various stages of clinical development to address AMR diseases. However, the report cautions that most will not be available anytime soon.

Currently, there are vaccines available against four priority bacterial pathogens: 1) pneumococcal disease (Streptococcus pneumonia), 2) Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), 3) Tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) and 4) Typhoid fever (Salmonella Typhi). 

But the current Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccines against tuberculosis (TB) do not adequately protect against TB. Hence, the report called for developing more effective vaccines against TB.

The remaining three vaccines are effective, and the world needs to increase the number of people receiving them to contribute to a reduction in the use of antibiotics and prevent further deaths.

Data democracy: WHO bats for passing on genomics tech to developing world

Source: The post is based on the article “Data democracy: WHO bats for passing on genomics tech to developing world” published in Down To Earth on 13th July 2022

What is the News?

WHO Science Council has released a report “Accelerating access to genomics for global health” advocating for passing on Genomic Technologies to developing countries.

What is Genomics?

Genomics is the study of all of a person’s genes (the genome), including interactions of those genes with each other and with the person’s environment.

​​The field of genomics uses biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology methods to understand and use biological information in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA).

What does the report say on Genomics?

Access to genomic technologies needs to be expanded, especially for Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC).

It is not ethically or scientifically justifiable for countries with fewer resources to gain late access to such technologies.

Shortfalls in the financing, laboratory infrastructure, materials and highly trained personnel need to be addressed to expand access to genomic technologies.

What are the recommendations given by the report?

Promote the adoption or expanded use of genomics in all Member States through advocacy by many parties.

Identify and overcome the practical issues that impede the implementation of genomics through local planning, financing, training of essential personnel, and the provision of instruments, materials, and computational infrastructure.

Foster commitments to collaborative activities to promote all aspects of national and regional programmes that advance genomics in the Member States.

What is the WHO Science Council?

It was established in April 2021 by WHO Director. 

It is composed of 9 leading scientists and public health experts from around the world.

The council advises the Director on high-priority issues and advances in science and technology that could directly improve global health.

It identified genomics as the focus of its first study, given the significant implications for public health.

Union Home Minister has congratulated countrymen on the inclusion of Ahmedabad in the list of “World’s 50 Greatest Places of 2022” by Time Magazine

Source: The post is based on the article “Union Home Minister has congratulated countrymen on the inclusion of Ahmedabad in the list of “World’s 50 Greatest Places of 2022” by Time Magazine” published in PIB on 14th July 2022

What is the News?

The Union Home Minister has congratulated countrymen on the inclusion of India’s first UNESCO World Heritage City, Ahmedabad in the list of the “World’s 50 Greatest Places of 2022” by Time Magazine.

About Ahmedabad

Ahmadabad was founded by Sultan Ahmad Shah in 1411 AD on the eastern bank of the Sabarmati River. It continued to flourish as the capital of the State of Gujarat for six centuries.

In 2017, Ahmedabad was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage City.

The city presents a rich architectural heritage from the sultanate period, notably the Bhadra citadel, the walls and gates of the Fort city and numerous mosques and tombs as well as important Hindu and Jain temples of later periods. 

The urban fabric of the city is made up of densely-packed traditional houses (pols) in gated traditional streets (puras) with characteristic features such as bird feeders, public wells and religious institutions. 

Union Agriculture Minister launches Platform of Platforms(POP) under eNAM

Source: The post is based on the article “Union Agriculture Minister launches Platform of Platforms(POP) under eNAM” published in PIB on 14th July 2022

What is the News?

The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has launched the Platform of Platforms (POP).

What is Platform of Platforms(POP)?

It has been launched under the National Agriculture Market(e-NAM).

Aim: The platform intends to promote trade & marketing of agricultural produce wherein farmers will be facilitated to sell the produce outside their state borders.

Features: e-NAM integrates the platform of Service Providers as “Platform of Platforms” which includes Logistics Service Provider, Quality Assurance Service Provider, Warehousing Facility Service Provider and other services such as e-commerce, international agri-business platforms, barter, private market platforms among others.

Benefits: The inclusion of various service providers gives the users of the platform options to avail services from different service providers. 

– It also enables farmers, FPOs, traders and other stakeholders to access a wide variety of goods and services across the agricultural value chain through a single window thereby giving more options to the stakeholders. 

– The platform will also help increase farmers’ digital access to multiple markets and bring transparency to business transactions.

RBI sets up system to settle trade in rupees

Source: The post is based on the article “RBI sets up system to settle trade in rupees” published in The Hindu on 11th July 2022

What is the News?

The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has put in place a mechanism to facilitate International Trade in Rupees (INR), with immediate effect.

What is the existing mechanism of India’s International Trade?

If a company exports or imports, transactions are always in a foreign currency (excluding with countries like Nepal and Bhutan).

So, in case of imports, the Indian company has to pay in a foreign currency (mainly dollars and could also include currencies like pounds, Euro, yen etc.).

The Indian company gets paid in foreign currency in case of exports and the company converts that foreign currency to rupee since it needs rupee for its needs, in most cases.

Here, both the parties involved have to incur the conversion expenses and bear the risk of foreign exchange rate fluctuations.

How will the International Trade in Rupees(INR) system work?

Under this mechanism, exporters and importers can use a special vostro account linked to the correspondent bank of the partner country for receipts and payments denominated in rupees. 

The funds in the Vostro Account can be used by the export partner for trading with anyone who accepts rupees. 

Indian exporters may also receive advance payment against exports from overseas importers in Indian rupees through the mechanism. 

Banks have to take approval from the Foreign Exchange Department of the Reserve Bank of India on doing such transactions. 

Moreover, before allowing any such receipt of advance payment against exports, Indian banks need to ensure that available funds in these accounts are first used towards payment obligations arising out of already executed export orders/export payments in the pipeline. 

What are the benefits of this system?

Trade with Sanctioned Countries: Ever since sanctions were imposed on Russia, trade has been virtually at standstill with the country due to payment problems. As a result of these steps introduced by the RBI, we can expect the payment issues with Russia easing.

Arrest Fall of Rupee: India runs a trade deficit – its imports are greater than exports – settling trades in rupees will also save dollar outflows.Hence, at a time when the rupee’s value is declining every week against the US dollar, saving dollar outflows becomes even more critical for the RBI. 

Promote Growth: It will promote the growth of global trade and will support the increasing interest of the global trading community in INR.

Ministry of Women and Child Development issues Detailed Guidelines for ‘Mission Shakti’ aimed at Strengthening Interventions for Women Safety, Security and Empowerment

Source: The post is based on the article “Ministry of Women and Child Development issues Detailed Guidelines for ‘Mission Shakti’ aimed at Strengthening Interventions for Women Safety, Security and Empowerment” published in PIB on 14th July 2022

What is the News?

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has issued detailed guidelines for the ‘Mission Shakti’ scheme. 

What is Mission Shakti?

Launched by: Ministry of Women Child Development (MWCD)  

Aim: It is a mission mode scheme aimed at strengthening interventions for women’s safety, security and empowerment.

Objective: To provide to all women and girls including differently-abled, socially and economically marginalized and vulnerable groups, in need of care and protection, with short-term and long-term services and information for their holistic development and empowerment. 

Sub Schemes: ‘Mission Shakti’ has two sub-schemes – ‘Sambal‘ and ‘Samarthya‘. 

– Sambal: It is for safety and security of women. The components consist of erstwhile schemes of One Stop Center (OSC), Women Helpline (WHL), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) with a new component of Nari Adalats – women’s collectives to promote and facilitate alternative dispute resolution and gender justice in society and within families.

Samarthya: It is for the empowerment of women. The components consist of erstwhile schemes of Ujjwala, Swadhar Greh and Working Women Hostel have been included with modifications. In addition, the existing schemes of National Creche Scheme for children of working mothers and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana(PMMVY) under umbrella ICDS have also been included. Moreover, a new component of Gap Funding for Economic Empowerment has also been added.