Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• India and Italy: Friends in a turbulent world
• India and the Anglosphere
• A case for electricity public hearings that is the best of both worlds
• About legalising same-sex marriages: Inaction and intervention: On the handling of social issues

GS Paper 3

• Gati Shakti is the third pillar of our Amrit Kaal growth strategy
• Why do landfills catch fire during summers?
• Look at AI, not ChatGPT
• Systemic failure – Instability in prices of perishables must be addressed

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Doha Political Declaration adopted by world leaders to fast-track progress in least developed countries
• India plans new security testing for smartphones, crackdown on pre-installed apps
• OBC sub-categorisation panel is working without Socio Economic Caste Census data, Centre’s reply reveals
• BIS Launches ‘Learning Science via Standards’ Series
• India to have a modern and smart power transmission system; Government accepts the Task Force report
• 3 out of 4 rural homes without piped drinking water: NSSO
• RBI has allowed banks from 18 countries to trade in rupee: government in Rajya Sabha
• Synthesis Report: IPCC meet in Switzerland: The significance, likely impact
• Atal Innovation Mission launches ATL Sarthi

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

India and Italy: Friends in a turbulent world

News– On the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and India, the summit between the Italian Prime Minister and Indian Prime Minister was held on March 2.

What is the status of India and Italy bilateral relationship?

Economic partnership-Bilateral trade reached 15 billion euros in 2022. It is double in comparison to 2020.

In 2020, a five-year action plan was adopted. It has a well-defined range of priorities: Energy transition, food processing, advanced manufacturing, the creative industry and infrastructure of various kinds.

Regional and global cooperation– In recent years, Italy has joined all the multilateral initiatives promoted by India. Some of these are Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Coalition for Disaster Relief Infrastructure (CDRI), and International Solar Alliance.

Both have a common vision for an Indo-Pacific based on respect for international law, freedom of navigation and territorial integrity.

On the Ukraine issue, both countries are trying to find a solution to the conflict.

Cultural relations– Both have collaboration in the cultural field, heritage front and the creative industry (fashion, design, cinema) as well.

Science and Technology– Both countries have launched 13 new joint projects for scientific research and technology.

People- to-people contacts– In the last few years, there has been a significant increase in the flow of Indian students and workers in Italy. The Indian community exceeds a figure of 2,00,000 in Italy. It is the highest in the European Union

Health sector– During the pandemic, both countries collaborated since the beginning. They have exchanged experiences and practices, launched humanitarian initiatives, and promoted joint research projects.

What were major developments during the summit?

The Joint Declaration approved in the Summit affirms the commitment of the two governments to develop a strategic partnership. It will also focus on sectors such as defence, cybersecurity, space and energy.

A connection was also identified between the Indo-Pacific and Mediterranean. India plays a leading role in the Indo-Pacific. Italy is a front-line player in the enlarged Mediterranean in terms of energy security, investments and commerce.

The link between the two areas will be strengthened in the fields of maritime and digital connectivity and security.

Finally, Italy announced its full support to the Indian Presidency of the G20.  It will contribute to the issues that were at the centre of Italy’s G20 Presidency in 2021. This includes debt service suspension, special drawing rights, finance and health track, and balance sheet optimisation of multilateral banks

Prime Minister Meloni and Prime Minister Modi have also expressed their commitment to enhancing the European-Indian strategic partnership.

They also supported the ongoing negotiations for Free Trade Agreements and agreements on investment protection and geographical indication protection.

India and the Anglosphere

News– The road map to Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines, announced this week in San Diego by the leaders of Australia, the UK, and the US

How do different countries look at AUKUS?

For Canberra, London, and Washington, the AUKUS will promote deterrence and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

For China, AUKUS, along with Quad, are small alliances built by US in Asia to contain it.

There is a range of opinions among Australia’s neighbors. Their individual reactions have been shaped by their perspectives on the shifting Asian security dynamic.

What are the challenges for AUKUS?

It will have to overcome several technical and policy issues in implementing the AUKUS road map. The current estimated cost of the project will be around $250 billion. An Australian-built nuclear submarine will enter service after three decades.

Projects of this scale involve significant delays and cost escalation. The current political support in the three democracies for the AUKUS framework may not endure in the years ahead.

What are several phases in acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines by Australia?

The first step in the implementation of AUKUS involves deploying Australian personnel in the American and British nuclear submarine establishments. There will also be more port calls by US and British nuclear-powered submarines in Australia.

The second phase will start in 2027. Washington and London will work to deploy nuclear submarines in Australia. The objective is to accelerate the development of the Australian naval personnel, workforce, infrastructure and regulatory system necessary to establish solid SSN capabilities in Australia.

In the third phase, the US will sell up to five nuclear-powered submarines to Australia.

The fourth phase will start in the late 2030s. London will deliver the first British-built AUKUS submarine to Canberra.

The final phase will begin by the early 2040s. The nuclear submarines built in Australia will begin to roll out.

What will be the strategic consequences of AUKUS plans for Asia and India?

First, AUKUS will transform Australia’s strategic capabilities. It will make it a powerful factor in shaping the Indo-Pacific regional security environment.

The AUKUS involves collaboration between the three countries in a range of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing. It will shape regional security scenarios.

India tends to underestimate the extraordinary scientific and technical skills in Australia. There will be dramatic upgradation of those Australian capabilities in the coming years. This should also open the door for greater S&T cooperation between India and Australia.

Second, the Indian foreign policy community tends to neglect the continuing global strategic salience of Britain. Its profile in Asia is boosted by the AUKUS deal.

The UK is the lynchpin in the AUKUS. It has a critical role in designing and developing a new class of nuclear-powered submarines.

The UK abandoned its security responsibilities East of Suez in the late 1960s. After that, it had become marginal to Asian security all these decades. AUKUS will change that by reinforcing London’s renewed claim for a long-term role in Indo-Pacific security.

Third, AUKUS has reinvigorated the idea of an “Anglosphere”. It refers to enduring geopolitical bonds between the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. There has been rapid expansion of India’s ties with the English-speaking world in recent times.

The intelligence sharing among the “Five Eyes” has remained an important feature of their partnership. The AUKUS arrangement is more narrowly focused on the Indo-Pacific. It will look beyond information sharing. It will promote integration of the technological and defence industrial bases of the three countries.

Fourth, the three countries have emphasised that AUKUS’s purview does not involve nuclear weapons.

China has launched a campaign against the AUKUS. It is said that it is against the non-proliferation norms. But the NPT does not prohibit AUKUS-like cooperation between nuclear and non-nuclear weapon states.

AUKUS countries have made it clear that they will negotiate strictest terms for the international monitoring of the transfer and use of nuclear material under the AUKUS arrangement.

Finally, the US has made it clear that it does not want the expansion of the AUKUS arrangement to other partners like Japan and India. India has no expectation of such cooperation.

India’s interest lies in something else. AUKUS marks a significant change in US regional strategy for the Indo-Pacific. In the past, the US sought to promote regional security unilaterally through its own military capabilities.

Washington is now eager to boost the strategic capabilities of its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific. The US focus is different with different partners. But the objective is to promote local balances of power.

India can develop a unique set of arrangements with Washington and its allies. It will strengthen India’s comprehensive national power and enhance its contribution to regional peace and security.

A case for electricity public hearings that is the best of both worlds

News– The central Electricity Regulatory Commissions (ERC) recently issued a public notice where it announced that hearings would resume through in-person mode. These were closed due to COVID19.

The ERCs in Tamil Nadu and Telangana have also reverted to in person hearings. However, several State ERCs, including those in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, recently held public hearings entirely online.

What are the benefits associated with in-person public hearings?

These facilitate meaningful interactions and cross ­learning between various stakeholders. It helps to build consumer networks and enable collective action.

Thus, it promotes consensus building. It also lends enhanced credibility to decisions on complex matters.

It has led to understanding on issues like under projecting distribution losses by inflating agricultural consumption and the need for scrutiny in power purchase contracts.

A consumer’s concerns with the quality of supply also get discussed and corrective measures are taken.

What are issues related to in-person public hearings?

There are issues related to distance, logistics of transport, or lack of financial support. It could hinder participation in the public hearing.

What are steps taken by states to improve in person public hearings?

Many State ERCs have tried to increase access and diversify participation. They have organised tariff revision public hearings at different locations.

Steps have been taken in some States such as Andhra Pradesh and Odisha for better engagement. They are making a local language summary of the tariff petition and providing consumer advocate services available to the public.

What are the benefits associated with online hearing?

Online hearing resolved transport and logistics issues. It enabled wider attendance from remote Locations. It allowed for quick convening and multiple meetings.

These ERCs also provide a live streaming feature. It has helped in improving access, visibility and transparency. Over the last two years, significant infrastructure and experience toward online hearings have been built by institutions and individuals.

What are the challenges faced in online hearings?

Technological access and know­ledge are not uniform across the country. It creates difficulties for some to participate.

Issues such as poor Internet connections, technical mishaps, and the use of complex platforms and applications by ERCs hinder participation.

What are steps taken by states to improve online hearing?

ERCs have taken measures such as providing step by step guidelines and orientation sessions for more participation. In Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, ERCs have set up facilitation centres across the States for public participation.

What is the way forward to improve the process of hearings by Electricity Regulatory Commissions?

Public hearing is a major social platform. There is a need for more such interactions and ensuring transparency and accountability in operations. Improving access to these public proceedings should be a priority.

The provision of the online mode in addition to in-person hearings would strengthen public participation. This has been recognised by other institutions such as the National Green Tribunal. They provide e-hearing facility in addition to in-person hearing.

Public hearings conducted in hybrid mode are best suited to improving access. The choice of mode is left to the citizen.

It will plug access gaps, provide flexibility of participation to the citizen, and enable a robust avenue for public participation.

About legalising same-sex marriages: Inaction and intervention: On the handling of social issues

News: Recently, the Centre has filed an affidavit to Supreme Court mentioning the issues in legalising same-sex marriages. The apex court has now referred the matter to a Constitution Bench of five judges to decide the issue of granting legal recognition to same-sex marriages.

About the case and Centre’s affidavit on same-sex marriages

According to the Centre, to legalise same-sex marriages various laws and provisions have to be amended. This includes religious laws such as the Hindu Marriage Act, Special Marriage Act, Citizenship Act and Foreign Marriage Act.

What are the issues in the centre’s affidavit on legalising same-sex marriages?

a) Centre’s argument that Court never accepted same-sex marriages and only decriminalised their sexual intercourse is a reflection of government’s narrow vision. This is because, the SC itself in Navtej Johar case said that “History owes an apology to the members of this community and their families, for the delay” b) People’s belief in marriage’s sacrament nature cannot deny equal status to same-sex marriages, c) The Centre’s traditional notion of marriage is missing the foundation of love, respect and recognition between partners, which holds the relationship together and builds community around it, d) A person’s fundamental rights cannot be debated against reducing government burden of too many amendments, e) Ever since the Naz Foundation judgement of Delhi High Court in 2009, people in same-sex relationships are living together as married couples and raising children whether born to either party, or adopted. Now they are just seeking stability and recognition.

What should be done on the question of legalising same-sex marriages?

Ensure equality: Before addressing the question of legalising same-sex marriages, the centre should ensure that no civil rights available to married heterosexual couples ought to be denied to those who belong to the same gender.

The court can determine the time limit: Taiwan is the first Asian country to permit same-sex marriages. The constitutional court of Taiwan directed the government to act within a timeframe to amend its laws. A similar approach can be followed in India as well.

Need for responsive government: It is the work of the Legislature to bring far-reaching changes that may impact the personal laws of all religions. So, instead of arguing that legalising same-sex marriages should come from judicial intervention or legislative action, the government should frame a law on the subject.

Else, the Legislative inaction on burning social issues will legitimise and invite judicial intervention.

Empower the community: Instead of playing moral police, the State should work on empowering the community with equal opportunities. This is because the changes to societal structures and attitudes take time.

Work with experts for amendments: Most of the amendments are simple, merely require replacing the term ‘husband’ or ‘wife’ with the gender-neutral term ‘spouse’. However, certain gender-specific terms, such as dowry, domestic violence, maintenance and alimony require closer examination and deliberation with experts and community representatives.

Overall, the centre should understand that decriminalisation does not mean only their right to have sex alone. But it was also about the right to live with dignity and equality as full members of society.

GS Paper 3

Gati Shakti is the third pillar of our Amrit Kaal growth strategy

News: India has taken several steps to improve its infrastructure and boost domestic manufacturing. However, there is also a need to focus on the third pillar.

What is the third pillar of domestic manufacturing?

The first two pillars of domestic manufacturing (Atmanirbhar Bharat and green growth) rest on an important third pillar – ease of movement.

Ease of movement focuses on creating such infrastructure that will bring down the cost of logistics while also increasing transport efficiency in India.

A reduction in the cost of logistics will make India more competitive internationally. Therefore, along with other measures taken by the government, there is also a need to focus on ease of movement.

What are other measures taken by the government to improve infrastructure?

Increase in Capex: The government has increased its capex from ₹6.03 trillion in 2021-22 to ₹7.3 trillion in 2022-23.

PM Gati Shakti Initiative: The initiative has made India the first country to digitize and make visible whole processes across all ministries.

Budget 2023-24: Budget has focused on 100 crucial infrastructure projects with ₹75,000 crore of total investments.

Multimodal connectivity, digital connectivity and green solutions can be implemented in these projects. This will not only help in reducing the cost of doing business but will also reduce carbon emission in the country.

Further, the government has also committed its largest ever capex outlay of ₹10 trillion in the Budget. This has the potential to attract private investments and reduce the carbon footprint.

FastTag: The implementation of FastTag for road traffic has brought a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

Funding to States: Budget 2023-24 provides for concessional funding to states. This means loans will be provided to states on easy terms to implement crucial projects and achieve their objectives.

This support will ensure that development is spread across various regions of India. This will ultimately create domestic demand along while positioning India as a global manufacturing hub.

What more can be done to improve infrastructure?

First, there is a need for a sustained dialogue with users and private players so that bottlenecks are removed. This can be made more efficient by ensuring data integration through the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP).

Second, a periodic evaluation of the infrastructure along with implementing digital solutions would lead to optimal utilization of the infrastructure. This would also help the government to reduce its total capex needs.

Third, measures such as real-time tracking and information on available capacity will help in the improvement of end-to-end logistics management.

Fourth, there is also a need for integration and coordination among Indian logistical service suppliers and the signing up of small service providers. These will enhance the efficiency of the logistics services.

Fifth, outsourcing to third- and fourth-party service providers in India will make PM Gati Shakti more relevant and climate-friendly.

Why do landfills catch fire during summers?

News: The Kochi landfill site caught fire earlier this month. This reminds the Indian cities to be prepared for such incidents in upcoming summer months.

What are the reasons behind the landfill fire?

India’s municipalities collect more than 95% of the waste generated in cities but the efficiency of waste-processing is 30-40%. Therefore, unprocessed waste remains in open landfills for long periods of time.

This openly disposed waste includes flammable material like low-quality plastics, rags and clothes.

Further, the biodegradable fraction composts much faster in summers. This in turn increases the temperature of the disposed wastes beyond 70-80°C. This high temperature along with flammable material makes fire possible in the landfill.

Read More: Dump This Practice – Kochi garbage fire is a warning to all cities

What can be done to prevent landfill fires?

First, the disposed material can be completely capped, and landfills be closed in a scientific manner. 

However, this solution is not suitable for India because the land can’t be used again for other purposes and there are also specific operating procedures for the closed landfills.

Second, bioremediation techniques can be adopted to clear the piles of waste. Automated sieving machines can be used to segregate the flammable refuse-derived fuel (RDF) (plastics, rags, clothes, etc.) from biodegradable material.

The RDF can be sent to cement kilns as fuel while the bio-soil can be distributed to farmers to enrich soil.

However, implementing a bioremediation project usually takes up to two or three years. Therefore, there is a need for short-term solutions for landfill fires.

What are the short-term solutions available for landfill fire?

The landfill site can be divided into blocks depending on the nature of the waste.

Blocks with fresh waste should be separated from blocks with flammable material at each landfill site. The blocks can be separated using a drain or soil bund and a layer of soil should cap each block.

The most vulnerable part of the landfill which contains lots of plastics and cloth should be completely capped with soil.

After the division of the landfill into blocks, the landfill operator should classify incoming waste and dispose of it in designated blocks rather than mixing it.

Non-recyclable and non-biodegradable segregated wastes should be sent to cement kilns instead of accumulating them. Dry grass material and dry trees from the site should also be cleared immediately.

These are some short-term measures that can be adopted. However, a permanent and long-term solution is needed.

What can be the long-term solution? 

The long-term solution can be adopted by ensuring cities have a systematic waste-processing system where wet and dry waste are processed separately and their byproducts treated accordingly.

Look at AI, not ChatGPT

News– Generative AI and its applications like ChatGPT have drawn the attention of the world in recent times.

How does AI show the faultlines of human intelligence?

Act fastly and make mistakes– Microsoft wanted to capitalise on its early investment. It added some of those ChatGPT features to its search engine, Bing. But this became problematic.

It confessed its desire to hack computers and spread misinformation. It professed love for a New York Times journalist and compared another reporter to Hitler. It commented on the reporter ‘s physical features.

In parallel, Google introduced Bard. A single mistake in responding to a question about the James Webb Space Telescope led to $100 billion in loss of market value for the company.

Detract from meaningful issues- The non-serious coverage of ChatGPT in the media has shown its poor understanding of the AI landscape.

Reporters and commentators may be adding to public unease about it. It comes at the cost of insufficient coverage of more societally meaningful uses of AI.

This has consequences. Media narratives in tech areas drive attention. It leads to misallocation of scarce resources.

Health-related AI crossed a major milestone last year.  An AI system called Alphafold showed that it could predict the structure of almost every protein. This could open the door to breakthroughs in the discoveries of medicines. But this was not given coverage like Chat GPT.

Short attention and shorter memories- Yet another limitation of human intelligence is that we have short memories. A case in point is the Covid-19 pandemic. The first alert of a mysterious new virus out of Wuhan, came through AI.

At the other end, the search for a vaccine was accelerated by algorithms. Researchers got help from AI in understanding the SARS-CoV-2 virus better and predicting an immune response. AI was key to determining clinical trial sites and analysing the vast amounts of trial data.

Why didn’t Alphfold get media coverage similar to ChatGPT, Bing and Bard?

Its implications are harder for readers to grasp. It hasn’t delivered immediately usable results. But, we are programmed to appreciate the end-products. The end-products of AI in healthcare take time and require consistent focus and dedication of resources.

To make meaningful advances, the predictions must be paired with numerous other approaches. AI algorithms for drug design need lots of data and the data must be released from disparate sources and from different formats owned by different institutions.

Systemic failure – Instability in prices of perishables must be addressed

News: Despite the increasing retail food inflation, the wholesale prices of two key kitchen staples — onions and potatoes — have crashed below their production costs.

This is causing widespread distress among growers. The country’s largest potato-producing state, West Bengal has witnessed farmers’ suicide. Many onion growers in Maharashtra have lit their onion fields on Holika Dahan.

What are the reasons for the price crash of onions and potatoes?

The current meltdown in the prices of onions and potatoes seems to be the result of systemic failure. This is because,

Delayed action: The downturn in onion prices began as early as November when the produce from the kharif and late kharif crops began hitting the markets simultaneously. But both the Centre and the state governments chose to wait till February-end.

The limited capacity of state institutions: The Centre asked the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India and the Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium to buy these commodities from major production centres and sell them in large consuming areas. The state governments offered financial sops like income support and transport subsidies.

But the limited capacity of these agencies to undertake market-support operations have led farmers to either for distress sale or to destroy their produce.

Inadequate storage facilities: Kharif-grown onions have low storability due to their high moisture content. Further, potatoes have inadequate refrigerated warehousing facilities.

Absence of price-discovery mechanisms: The cold store owners also demand the entire rental charges in advance, fearing that the farmers might not take their stocks back if the prices failed to appreciate.

The absence of price-discovery mechanisms like futures trading or credible market intelligence further aggravates the issue.

Issues with existing price-management instruments: India has price-management instruments like the market intervention scheme and the price-stabilisation fund. But they have failed to serve the desired purpose because of the scarcity of funds, infrastructure, and manpower,

What needs to be done to prevent the price crash of agricultural commodities?

India needs to a) strengthen critical systemic measures by scaling up their operational capacity, b) put in place facilities to foresee the production, demand, and price trends to facilitate timely remedial action, and c) improve investments in storage techniques and warehousing capacity for the perishable items produced during specific seasons but in demand round the year.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Doha Political Declaration adopted by world leaders to fast-track progress in least developed countries

Source: The post is based on the article “Doha Political Declaration adopted by world leaders to fast-track progress in least developed countries” published in Down To Earth on 15th March 2023

What is the News?

The 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) concluded with the adoption of the ‘Doha Political Declaration’ by world leaders.

What is the Doha Political Declaration?

The declaration focuses on implementing the Doha Programme of Action (DPoA).

What is the Doha Programme of Action(DPoA)?

DPoA for the Decade (2022-2031) was agreed upon during the first part of the LDC5 conference in March 2022 in New York, the US.

It is a 10-year plan to put the world’s 46 most vulnerable countries back on track to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

DPoA consisted of six key focus areas: 1) Eradicating Poverty, 2) Leveraging the potential of science and technology to fight against multidimensional vulnerabilities and to achieve the SDGs, 3) Addressing Climate Change, 4) Environmental Degradation, 5) Recovering from Covid-19 and 6) building resilience against future shocks for risk-informed sustainable development.

What is the need for this declaration?

The 46 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are being hit the hardest by multiple crises including the Covid-19 Pandemic, Climate Crisis, growing Inequalities, rising Debt Burdens and economic shocks.

They have contributed minimally to Carbon Dioxide Emissions, but disproportionately bear the burden of climate change impacts.

These countries, which include 33 African nations, face the challenge of high debt costs while having inadequate liquidity to provide essential services.

The LDCs are the worst performers in the progress made towards achieving SDGs, according to the Sustainable Development Report 2022.

What are the Least developed countries (LDCs)?

LDCs are low-income countries confronting severe structural impediments to sustainable development. They are highly vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks and have low levels of human assets.

There are currently 46 countries on the list of LDCs which are reviewed every three years by the Committee for Development (CDP).

LDCs have exclusive access to certain international support measures in particular in the areas of development assistance and trade.

India plans new security testing for smartphones, crackdown on pre-installed apps

Source: The post is based on the article “India plans new security testing for smartphones, crackdown on pre-installed apps” published in The Hindu on 15th March 2023

What is the News?

The government of India plans to force smartphone makers to allow the removal of pre-installed apps and mandate screening of major operating system updates under proposed new security rules.

What are the new security rules the Government of India is planning to bring?

Currently, most smartphones come with pre-installed apps that cannot be deleted such as Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi’s app store GetApps, Samsung’s payment app Samsung Pay mini and iPhone maker Apple’s browser Safari.

Under the new rules, smartphone makers will have to provide an uninstallation option and new models will be checked for compliance by a lab authorized by the Bureau of Indian Standards agency.

The government is also considering mandating screening of every major operating system update before it is rolled out to consumers.

What is the rationale behind the new rule?

Government is of the view that pre-installed applications in the majority of smartphones pose serious privacy and information security issues which can be exploited by foreign nations, including China. 

Note: Chinese players like Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo dominate the Indian smartphone market with over 70% share.

What will be the impact of these new rules?

Firstly, experts have said that some pre-installed apps like the camera are critical to user experience and the government must make a distinction between these and non-essential ones when imposing screening rules.

Secondly, more testing could prolong approval timelines for smartphones. Currently, it takes about 21 weeks for a smartphone and its parts to be tested by the government agency for safety compliance.

OBC sub-categorisation panel is working without Socio Economic Caste Census data, Centre’s reply reveals

Source: The post is based on the article “OBC sub-categorisation panel is working without Socio Economic Caste Census data, Centre’s reply reveals” published in The Hindu on 15th March 2023

What is the News?

Other Backward Classes (OBC) sub-categorisation panel have been working without the data from the last Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) conducted in 2011.

What is the sub-categorisation of OBCs? 

Click Here to read

What is the Commission to examine the Sub-Categorisation of OBCs?

Click Here to read

What are the key findings of the commission?

The commission is yet to submit its report to the government. But its preliminary findings led it to subcategorize OBC caste groups into four broad categories.

Among these, the existing 27% OBC quota will be divided — with the maximum reservation going to caste groups that have been historically crowded out, and the minimum reservation for the dominant caste groups.

Does the OBC Sub-categorisation panel use the data from the SECC conducted in 2011?

According to the Minister of Social, Justice and Empowerment, the Government has not shared the data from the previous Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) conducted in 2011 with the OBC Sub-categorisation panel.

According to experts, there has to be a study on socio-economic indicators like education, land holding, poverty and also on levels of discrimination faced by OBCs using the SECC data. Without this, any sub-categorisation work would not be possible

BIS Launches ‘Learning Science via Standards’ Series

Source: The post is based on the article “BIS Launches ‘Learning Science via Standards’ Series” published in PIB on 15th March 2023

What is the News?

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the National Standards Body of India has announced the launch of ‘Learning Science via Standards’ Initiative.

What is Learning Science via Standards Initiative?

It is a unique initiative for students for learning science via standards.

The initiative focuses on a series of lesson plans aimed to use scientific concepts, principles and laws to help students understand their practical applications in manufacturing, functioning and testing of quality characteristics of different products as stated in the relevant Indian Standards.  

The subjects for the lesson plans are largely related to products used in day-to-day life and have been chosen based on their relevance to education as part of the course curriculum as well as to industrial applications.

This initiative runs in a continuum with an earlier BIS ‘Standards Clubs’ Initiative.

What is the Standards Clubs Initiative?

Launched by: Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

Aim: To expose science students of class 9th and above classes to the concept of Quality and Standardization with the help of student-centric activities

Under the initiative, Standards Clubs have been set up in schools and colleges. Each Standards Club comprises a science teacher as its mentor and a minimum of 15 students as members. 

– BIS organizes a two-day residential training for Mentors of Standard club wherein they are introduced to concepts of Standards and Quality, their role and expectation as mentors and different student-centric activities that can be taken up.

– Such schools have also initiated conducting activities under the aegis of the Standards Club such as quizzes, standard writing competitions, essay writing etc. 

India to have a modern and smart power transmission system; Government accepts the Task Force report

Source: The post is based on the article “India to have a modern and smart power transmission system; Government accepts the Task Force report” published in PIB on 14th March 2023

What is the News?

The Ministry of Power has accepted the Recommendations of the Task Force Report setup to adopt the Future-Ready Transmission System in India.

About the Task Force on Future-Ready Transmission Systems

The task force was set up by the Ministry of Power in 2021 under the chairmanship of POWERGRID Chairman to suggest ways for modernization of the Transmission Sector and making it a smart & future-ready.

Need: A modern transmission grid is necessary to achieve the government’s vision of providing 24×7 reliable and affordable power to the people and meet sustainability goals.

What are the key recommendations of the Task Force?

The task force has recommended several technological and digital solutions which have been clubbed under four categories: 1) modernization of existing transmission system, 2) Use of advanced technology in construction & supervision, operations & management, 3) Smart & future-ready transmission system and 4) Up-skilling of the workforce.

Some of the key recommendations are: 1) real-time monitoring and automated operation of the grid, 2) capability to have an increased share of renewable capacity in the power mix, 3) enhanced utilisation of transmission capacity, 4) greater resilience against cyber-attacks as well as natural disasters, 5) centralised and data-driven decision-making, 6) reduction in forced outages through self-correcting systems, 7) predictive maintenance technique using AI/ML algorithms and 8) Use of Drones & Robots in construction/inspection of transmission assets.

3 out of 4 rural homes without piped drinking water: NSSO

Source: The post is based on the article “3 out of 4 rural homes without piped drinking water: NSSO” published in TOI on 15th March 2023

What is the News?

The National Sample Survey Office(NSSO) has released the findings of the Multiple Indicator Survey(MIS).

What is a Multiple Indicator Survey(MIS)?

Multiple Indicator Survey(MIS) was part of the 78th round of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). 

Objective: 1) To collect information for developing estimates of some important Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators and 2) To collect information on Migration.

What are the key findings of the survey?

Drinking water: Less than a quarter of rural households and under two-thirds of urban ones in India reported having piped water for drinking in their houses or yard.

– Although penetration of piped drinking water is abysmal in many states, more than 95.7% of people reported having access to an improved source of drinking water. 

– This is defined as water taken from packed bottles, piped water into a house, yard or from a neighbour, public tap, tube well, hand pump, covered well, tanker and so on.

Access to latrine: About 70% of the rural households reported having exclusive access to a latrine while 21. 3% reported having no access to a latrine, exclusive or otherwise. 

Financial Inclusion: The survey confirms the progress in financial inclusion in India with nearly 90% of those surveyed reporting having an account individually or jointly with banks, other financial institutions or mobile money service providers.

Cooking: Almost half of the rural households are still using firewood as the primary source of energy for cooking.

Not in education, employment or training: During the time of the survey, 16.1% of males and 43. 8% of females aged 15-24 were neither studying nor working or being trained. 

RBI has allowed banks from 18 countries to trade in rupee: government in Rajya Sabha

Source: The post is based on the article “RBI has allowed banks from 18 countries to trade in rupee: government in Rajya Sabha” published in The Hindu on 15th March 2023

What is the News?

The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has granted approvals to banks from 18 countries to open Special Rupee Vostro Accounts to settle international trade in rupees.

What are Special Rupee Vostro Accounts(SRVA)?

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When did the Special Rupee Vostro Accounts(SRVA) arrangement start?

The process of SVRAs began in July 2022 when the RBI announced that it has been decided to put in place an additional arrangement for invoicing, payment, and settlement of exports/imports in INR [Indian rupees].

The announcement came against the backdrop of the commodities crisis triggered by the Western sanctions against Russia.

Under the framework, all exports and imports may be denominated and invoiced in rupees, with the exchange rate between the currencies of the two trading partner countries to be market determined. 

To settle these trade transactions, authorized Indian banks have to open Special Rupee Vostro accounts of correspondent banks of the partner trading country.

What are the benefits of SRVA arrangement?

Firstly, it would promote the growth of global trade and support increasing international interest in the rupee.

Secondly, it will help India bypass sanctions that prevent the use of a global currency such as the US dollar for trade with certain countries.

Synthesis Report: IPCC meet in Switzerland: The significance, likely impact

Source: The post is based on the article “IPCC meet in Switzerland: The significance, likely impact” published in Indian Express on 15th March 2023

What is the News?

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) is meeting in Switzerland to finalize the Synthesis Report.

What is a Synthesis Report?

Synthesis Report integrates and summarizes the findings of the six reports released by IPCC during the current cycle which began in 2015. 

This includes three Special Reports and the three IPCC Working Group contributions to the Sixth Assessment Report.

Once approved, the Synthesis Report will become a fundamental policy document for shaping climate action in the remainder of this pivotal decade. 

This will bring an end to the Sixth Assessment Report, a collective work of thousands of scientists over a period of eight years starting in 2015.

About IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Cycle

As part of the sixth assessment cycle, the IPCC published three comprehensive reports: 1) scientific evidence for climate change, 2) impacts and vulnerabilities and 3) exploring mitigation options available. 

Besides these, special reports on the feasibility of keeping global temperature rise within the 1.5 degree Celsius limit and the connections between land, ocean and cryosphere were also released.

What will be the focus of the Synthesis Report by IPCC?

The first report of the IPCC’s sixth assessment cycle, the one on 1.5-degree temperature limit, had come out in 2018.

In the five years since then, a lot more evidence on the pressing need to stick to the 1.5 degree Celsius target has presented itself. 

Measurements by the World Meteorological Organisation reveals that the average annual temperatures have already gone above 1.2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial times. The WMO also mentioned that the breach of the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold, even if temporary, is a real possibility in just the next five years.

Therefore, the Synthesis Report is expected to emphasize on meeting the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold as the main global goal, unlike the Paris Agreement, which seeks to restrict temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius.

Atal Innovation Mission launches ATL Sarthi

Source: The post is based on the article “Atal Innovation Mission launches ATL Sarthi” published in PIB on 14th March 2023

What is the News?

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) – NITI Aayog has launched ATL Sarthi.

What is ATL Sarthi?

ATL Sarthi is a comprehensive self-monitoring framework to strengthen the ever-growing ecosystem of Atal Tinkering Labs(ATL).

It provides necessary guidelines for local authorities like districts, states, innovation councils, private organizations to help assess ATLs in their particular region and provide much-needed guidance and support to steer this ATL ecosystem to new heights.

Pillars: It has four pillars ensuring the performance enhancement of ATLs through regular process improvements: These pillars are:

– MyATL Dashboard: It is a self-reporting dashboard.

– Compliance SOPs: For schools to ensure financial and non-financial compliance

– Cluster-based Approach: On-ground enablement of ATLs in collaboration with relevant local authorities.

– Performance-Enablement (PE) Matrix: It provides ownership to schools to analyze their performance.

What are Atal Tinkering Labs(ATL)?

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