9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – June 17th, 2023

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Mains Oriented Articles

GS PAPER - 2

Paying for a safety net

Source: The post is based on the article “Paying for a safety net” published in Business Standard on 17th June 2023.

Syllabus: GS 2 – Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes.

Relevance: concerns with freebies

News: Government and politicians are now moving with the old approach to gain votes because economic reforms have failed to achieve the desired results.

What old approach is being adopted by the government?

The government is moving towards the old approach of offering subsidies and cash incentives. This strategy has proven effective in past elections.

For instance, M G Ramachandran expanded a limited programme of free midday meals in schools.

This improved nutrition, better school attendance, and therefore improved literacy, even a lower birth rate. It is now a nationwide programme.

Similarly, the ruling party in recent years has adopted a strategy due to the failure of its macro promises like doubling farmers’ incomes, or a $5 trillion economy.

As a result, it has emphasized its own welfare initiatives, including cash payments to farmers, free foodgrain, free toilets, housing subsidies, and free medical insurance.

Even the Congress has copied the Aam Aadmi Party in the recent Karnataka election by promising monthly payments to jobless diploma-holders and graduates, financial assistance to female heads of households, free electricity, and free grain.

Why are the governments moving towards offering freebies?

Offering freebies attract votes. Freebies are being looked at as an alternative to job creation, improvement in education, etc. This approach serves as a way for the democratic system to manage economic distress and social unrest.

Therefore, India is moving in an unplanned and haphazard way towards setting up a social safety net, with the free provision of grain and medical insurance; public works programmes to create work, etc.

What are the concerns with freebies?

Click Here to Read

What can be the way ahead?

Freebies raises the question of whether India is building a productive economy substantial enough to generate the necessary tax revenue to sustain a welfare system.

This is because the tax-to-GDP ratio has shown little improvement despite a significant increase in per capita income over the past three decades. This in turn has increased public debt, consuming around 40% of tax revenue.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for public debate on this central political-economy question. The NITI Aayog or a private think tank should take the lead.

[Kurukshetra June 2023 Summary] Water conservation through community planning – Explained, pointwise

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Introduction

Water conservation is a critical global concern, emphasized by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), which promotes clean water and sanitation for all. An integral part of this goal involves managing water resources sustainably and ensuring that every drop is used efficiently.

In a populous country like India, where the pressure on water resources is immense, the need for conservation is even more urgent. In this context, community planning plays a vital role. By involving local communities in water conservation efforts, the use and management of water can be optimized to meet local needs and circumstances, while also fostering a sense of responsibility for this crucial resource.  

Read more: Equitable Water Resources Management – Explained, pointwise

What are the needs for water conservation in India?

Growing population and limited resources: India houses 18% of the world’s population with only 2.4% of the world’s land. This increasing population and limited resources necessitate effective water conservation.  

Increased freshwater demand: Due to industrialization, urbanization, and population growth, the demand for freshwater has escalated. The country needs to conserve water to meet this rising demand.  

Rapid depletion of groundwater levels: Groundwater fulfils about 80% of rural and 50% of urban India’s water needs. Farmers extensively extract groundwater for irrigation, resulting in declining groundwater levels. Thus, judicious extraction and water conservation are required to balance the situation.  

Reliance on rain-fed irrigation: India receives about 1,200 mm of rainfall each year, yet only 6% is effectively captured and stored. This heavy reliance on rain-fed irrigation results in water stress during dry periods and emphasizes the need for effective water conservation and storage techniques.  

Mitigating effects of climate change: Erratic rainfall patterns, droughts, or drought-like conditions due to climate change increases the need for effective water management and conservation.  

Sustainable agricultural practices: Around 84% of total incremental irrigation comes from groundwater. To ensure the sustainability of agricultural practices, it is crucial to conserve water resources.  

Enhanced community involvement: Water conservation initiatives would be more successful if the community is involved in various stages of implementation. Community-based management of water resources is therefore essential.  

Must read: Groundwater Use and Governance in India – Explained, pointwise

How can India use community participation to address the rapid depletion of groundwater?

Enhancing awareness and education: Through community awareness programs, local residents can learn about the importance of groundwater, the dangers of over-extraction, and ways to conserve it. Education can empower communities to take proactive steps towards conservation.  

Promoting community-led initiatives: Communities can be encouraged to take the lead in local water conservation initiatives, such as rainwater harvesting, maintaining local water bodies, and employing sustainable irrigation practices. These initiatives can significantly reduce the over-reliance on groundwater.  

Establishing water user associations: Communities can form Water User Associations to manage local water resources. These associations can develop local rules for water usage, conduct regular checks on water levels, and ensure the equitable distribution of water.  

Empowering local self-governance: The Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) can play a pivotal role in planning, implementing, and monitoring water conservation measures at the local level. They can take up the responsibility of identifying water conservation projects and strategizing the extraction of water for identified purposes.  

Involving women in water management: Women, often the primary users of water in households, can play a crucial role in water conservation. Encouraging women’s participation in decision-making about water management can lead to more sustainable use of groundwater.  

Building capacity for sustainable water use: Communities can be trained in sustainable water use, the maintenance of water infrastructure, and the monitoring of local water resources. This capacity building can ensure long-term, sustainable management of groundwater.  

Promoting collaboration and convergence: Communities should be encouraged to collaborate with district or block-level authorities for the planning, execution, and monitoring of water conservation projects. This ensures the convergence of efforts and resources for maximum impact.  

Read more: [Kurukshetra April 2023 Summary] Groundwater Water Management through Panchayats – Explained, pointwise

What initiatives have the several Union and state governments taken for water conservation?

Water conservation
Source: Kurukshetra
Water conservation
Source: Kurukshetra

What role do community planning and participation play in water conservation?

Water conservation
Source: Kurukshetra

Ensuring sustainable water management: Community involvement in planning and implementing water conservation initiatives ensures sustainable water management. For instance, community-driven rainwater harvesting projects can contribute to groundwater recharge and reduce dependency on borewells.  

Promoting ownership and responsibility: When communities participate in planning, they take ownership of the conservation projects, leading to better upkeep and longevity of these initiatives. For example, local management of ponds and lakes in villages often leads to better maintenance and use of these water bodies.  

Enabling customised solutions: Community planning allows for solutions that are tailored to local conditions and needs. For instance, the selection of appropriate irrigation techniques can be decided based on local climate and crop patterns.  

Facilitating resource mobilisation: Community participation can facilitate the mobilisation of local resources, both human and material, for water conservation. In the Indian state of Rajasthan, for example, traditional water conservation practices were revitalised by communities, leading to improved water availability.  

Increasing effectiveness of public policy: Community participation can make public policies more effective by integrating local knowledge and practices. A good example of this is the Atal Bhujal Yojana, which aims to manage groundwater with active participation from communities in water-stressed areas.  

Strengthening social cohesion: Community participation in water conservation can also strengthen social ties and foster a sense of shared responsibility. This was evident in the village of Hiware Bazar in Maharashtra, where community-led watershed development projects transformed it into a ‘water surplus’ village.  

Improving monitoring and accountability: When communities are involved in the execution and monitoring of water conservation projects, it leads to greater transparency and accountability. For instance, social audits of water schemes can ensure that projects are executed as planned and funds are utilised appropriately.  

Read more: [Kurukshetra June 2023 Summary] Fostering Water Management for Food Security – Explained, pointwise

What should be done?

Initiating social mobilization: Communities should begin by analyzing their specific water needs and preparing a Water Security Plan, Irrigation Plan, and Village Action Plan.  

Discussing sustainability: Community meetings should deliberate on the sustainability of water schemes for both drinking and irrigation purposes. New revenue sources, such as user fees or maintenance fees, should be explored to ensure the smooth operation and conservation of water systems.  

Preparing a water reserve audit and safety plan: These plans will ensure the recharge, storage, and availability of water, as well as address issues related to water quality.  

Ensuring convergence with line departments: Communities should work closely with district authorities to plan and execute water conservation projects under various government schemes, ensuring increased water availability in rural areas.  

Promoting timely execution and fund utilisation: Coordination with District or Block level authorities is essential for promoting the timely execution of water projects and proper utilization of funds.  

Adopting technologies for monitoring: Communities should embrace digital mediums and technologies for the monitoring of water schemes.  

Arranging social audits: Regular social audits of water schemes should be arranged in consultation with district line department officials.  

Arranging training and capacity building programmes: Programmes should be arranged for grassroots workers on rainfall data capture, water collection, storage, and usage. Monitoring water availability, sources, and quality: Communities should be vigilant about their local water resources and organize awareness camps when necessary. 

Read more: Water Crisis in India – Explained, pointwise

Source: Kurukshetra

Syllabus: GS 1: Human and Economic Geography: Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent).

GS PAPER - 3

Germany’s net-zero plan for old vehicles

Source: The post is based on the article “Germany’s net-zero plans for old vehicles” published in Business Standard on 17th June 2023.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Environment

Relevance: About Germany proposal of adopting carbon-neutral synthetic fuels

News: Germany put forward an interesting proposal when the EU was debating legislation to ensure only zero-emission vehicles would be on European roads by 2035.

What has Germany proposed?

Germany suggested a transition to carbon-neutral synthetic fuels for existing internal combustion vehicles rather than phasing out all internal combustion vehicles.

The proposal has been made due to the fact that even though electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cells have zero-emission during usage, their manufacturing processes have significant environmental impacts.

Approximately 90% of the world’s vehicles are expected to be internal combustion by 2030, and replacing them entirely would not be a zero-carbon solution.

Some calculations suggest that manufacturing an electric vehicle may have slightly higher environmental impacts compared to an internal combustion vehicle.

Hence, Germany proposed the possibility of producing carbon-negative fuels for IC engines, which would result in a net carbon impact of zero or even negative during the fuel cycle.

This can be done by replacing fuels like petrol, diesel, kerosene, and compressed natural gas (CNG) by synthetic hydrocarbon fuels.

Germans have already manufactured synthetic petrol and diesel substitutes from coal in World War II.

How can synthetic hydrocarbon fuel be manufactured?

It can be done by capturing ambient carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This would make the fuel production process carbon-negative.

Additionally, hydrogen can be generated by using green methods such as running an electric current through water.

Producing synthetic fuel could be carbon-negative if the carbon emissions from the fuel are less than the carbon captured during the production process.

Even if there is a net carbon release, it may still be lower than the carbon impact of manufacturing a large number of electric vehicles (EVs).

What are the challenges with manufacturing synthetic hydrocarbon fuel?

First, it may be expensive compared to petrol or diesel. However, production costs would reduce with scale and access to cheap, green electricity.

Second, there are also engineering challenges with capturing carbon. Currently, carbon capture is not an efficient process, and there is a lack of sufficient scale for green hydrogen electrolysis. Therefore, investment in R&D, as well as large-scale implementation, would be needed in addressing these challenges.

How an old report can pave way for central forces to stabilise Manipur

Source- The post is based on the article “How an old report can pave way for central forces to stabilise Manipur” published in the “Business Standard” on 17th June 2023.

Syllabus: GS3- Security

Relevance- Issues related to security of northeastern states

News– In Manipur, security situation has deteriorated due to ongoing conflict among Meitei and tribal; people

What Are the recommendations of Punchhi Commission that are relevant in context of Manipur violence?

It studies the feasibility of supporting legislation under Article 355 for the purpose of suo motu deployment of Central forces in the States. An important recommendation made by the Commission was on Article 355 and 356.

There was general reluctance among political parties to allow the Centre to take over their elected administration even if law and order broke down temporarily. The states considered such measures as political punishment.

Hence, the Commission recommended to adopt “Localised Emergency provisions” under Article 355. It can bring a district or even part of a district under the Central rule. Such take over should not be for more than three months.

Another recommendation was to amend the Communal Violence Bill. It proposed that state consent should not become a hurdle in the deployment of central forces in a serious communal riot.

However, such deployment should only be for a week and post-facto consent should be taken from the state. This was to prevent a Babri Masjid-type of situation.

Had these recommendations been adopted, the Centre could have taken over the administration of only the Kuki dominant areas in Manipur.

What are the historical examples of such a type of action by the central government to tackle the law-and-order problems in a state?

Something like this was done in 1950 by the then Union Home Minister C Rajagopalachari to tackle the second phase of the Telangana insurgency.

The entire administration including law and order of a portion of a state was given to the Central Intelligence Bureau with a mandate to get rid of insurgents “within six months”.

Their area of operations was confined only to Communist strongholds and not the entire Hyderabad state.

Shifting sands – on external trade

Source- The post is based on the article “Shifting sands” published in “The Hindu” on 17th June 2023.

Syllabus: GS3- Indian economy

News- The article explains the scenario of trade in recent times.

What are statistics related to India’s external trade in recent times?

There was a 10.3% decline in goods exports in May. It marks the fourth successive month of contraction in good exports.

Except for electronics exports, other categories of exported goods did not show good performance.

Engineering goods contracted for the 11th month in a row. The textiles sector shrank for the seventh straight month.

There was a 30% decline in petroleum exports. It may largely be due to cooling global prices that are also affecting other commodities’ export values.

After a 6.7% rise in 2022-23, goods exports are now down 11.4% over the first two months of this year.

The current estimate of $25.3 billion for May’s services exports is quite sobering.

Global service exports increased by a mere 0.7% in May. There was a 26.7% boom in services exports last year. The global slowdown now appears to be impacting the services too.

Core imports excluding oil and gems and jewellery have contracted 5.5%  in 2023-24.

May import bill was just 6.6% below 2022 levels and almost 14% over April’s figure which had been the lowest in 15 months. This has lifted the merchandise trade deficit to a five-month high of $22.1 billion.

It is believed the trend may improve from July or August. The World Trade Organization has upgraded the global trade growth from 1% to 1.7% for 2023.

How India can lead multilateralism at WTO

Source- The post is based on the article “How India can lead multilateralism at WTO” published in “The Indian Express” on 17th June 2023.

Syllabus: GS3- Economy

Relevance- Issues related to WTO

News– The recently concluded meeting of the G20 working group on trade and investment focused on the important issue of WTO reform.

How has the approach of the global community towards global economic governance changed in recent times?

Earlier The world favoured economic interdependence. The WTO was aimed at legalising and policing economic interdependence.

Today’s world is dominated by geoeconomic considerations and heightened securitisation of international economic relations.

The pursuit of unilateralism in international economic relations, especially by developed countries like the US, is on the rise. There is little regard for WTO law.

Economic policies such as industrial subsidies and local content requirements have made a comeback. There is a deliberate effort to weaken trade multilateralism in favour of external plurilateral alignments keeping the big power confrontation in mind.

What are the WTO reforms that should be advocated by G20’s “middle powers” such as India, Indonesia, Brazil, and South Africa?

First is related to the special and differential treatment (SDT) principle in WTO agreements. SDT provisions give special rights to developing countries and obligate developed countries to treat the former more favourably.

However, only 21% of the SDT provisions in various WTO agreements oblige developed countries to provide differential treatment to developing countries. SDT provisions need to be given more teeth and effort.

Second is related to the appellate body. It remains paralysed since 2019 because of the US.

The remaining G20 countries need to either persuade the US to change its position or resurrect the appellate body without the US.

Third is related to the consensus-based decision-making in the WTO. It is slowing from 2017 onward. There has been a shift away from this principle toward plurilateral discussions on select issues such as investment facilitation.

While the plurilateral approach is a welcome development for rule-making, there is a need to develop a multilateral governance framework for plurilateral agreements.

This governance framework should include key principles of non-discrimination, transparency, and inclusivity. Forcing plurilateral agreements on non-willing members will increase the trust deficit between developed and developing countries.

Fourth is related to addressing the transparency gap in the WTO, especially in terms of notification requirements.

The WTO member countries are obliged to notify all their laws and regulations that affect trade. But, the compliance with this obligation is poor. This increases the cost of trade, especially for developing countries.

Railway safety — listen to the voices from below

Source- The post is based on the article “Railway safety — listen to the voices from below” published in “The Hindu” on 17th June 2023.

Syllabus: GS3- Infrastructure

Relevance- Issues related to railway safety

News- The triple train collision near Balasore in Odisha on June 2 led to the tragic loss of over 280 lives.

What is the record of railways on safety in recent times?

Statistics show that over the last two decades, the number of derailments has drastically declined from around 350 per year around the turn of the millennium, to 22 in 2021-22. This is a commendable achievement by any standards.

This has been achieved despite a nearly threefold increase in freight loading and more than a doubling of passenger traffic.

What is one aspect of railway safety that has not received sufficient attention?

This concerns the flow of information regarding unsafe practices or situations on a real-time basis.

Unlike many other organisations, the activities of the Railways are spread geographically over a wide area.

It involves a multiplicity of departments. They need to work in close coordination on a real-time basis to ensure the smooth and safe running of trains.

In order to ensure uniformity in the compliance of rules and regulations and safety, a large number of codes and manuals have been evolved for different departments to standardise the procedures.

Periodic field inspections are done by authorities at various levels. It ensures compliance with laid-down procedures and standards of workmanship.

Every department has evolved a set of schedules for the inspection of various work centres and operational procedures for every level of the management. This system suffers from a few drawbacks.

The “top-down” approach places the onus of detecting deviations on the higher authorities. They look down on the lower staff with suspicion and distrust.

It encourages window dressing and sweeping of problems under the carpet. There is a lack of transparency and frankness in such a situation.

This can be counterproductive in matters that concern railway safety. Many accidents are the culmination of unsafe practices or deviations from the norm over a period of time.

How real empowerment of lower staff can be done and how it is useful?

A system called Confidential Incident Reporting and Analysis System (CIRAS) was developed by one of the British universities nearly three decades ago.

This encourages the lower staff to point out deviations on a real-time basis, and the expression of frank view. This is an example of real empowerment of staff. The introduction of a similar reporting system on the Indian Railways is necessary.

The success and effectiveness of a CIRAS-like reporting system depends not only on the physical infrastructure. A total change in the mindset of the management, from the highest to the lower levels is required.

There must be an attitudinal change from the conventional approach of fault-finding and punishment to a shared commitment to ensure safety at all levels. The aim should be to correct, not punish.

What are other reforms needed for the railway?

There is a need for serious rethink on the recently introduced Indian Railways Management Service (IRMS) scheme. It can destroy loyalty and sense of “ownership” towards a particular department amongst the management cadre.

It is perhaps also time to revert to the earlier system of having a full-time Cabinet Minister for the Railways. There is a need for undivided attention at the highest policy-making level.

Synthetic human embryos: All about life

Source: The post is based on the article “Synthetic human embryos: All about life” published in Indian Express on 17th June 2023

Syllabus: GS3- Awareness in the field of Biotechnology.

Relevance: About Synthetic human embryos.

News: At the International Society of Stem Cell Research’s annual meeting in Boston, a woman scientist announced that her team has succeeded in creating synthetic human embryos using stem cells, sidestepping the need for egg and sperm.

About synthetic human embryos

Synthetic embryos are embryos, which are created without fertilization. These are also known as artificial embryos.

These embryos do not require an egg or sperm cell to facilitate their creation. Instead, these are the primitive embryos that include cells that go on to form the placenta, the yolk sac and the embryo itself.

These embryos rely on self-assembling stem cell structures to mimic the natural process of early human development.

Note: Last year, the same team demonstrated that the stem cells from mice could be programmed into developing a beating heart and primordial brain. 

What are the challenges associated with synthetic human embryos?

a) It’s not yet clear whether these embryos have the potential to progress beyond the early stage, b) There are ethical concerns related to synthetic embryos, c) Their improvement will also create regulatory challenges, and d) None of the animal embryos has gone on to produce living species in the past.

It is time for global nations to set boundaries, limit research to welfare and alleviate the trauma of patients.

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