9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – March 26th, 2022

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• Film archives are our heritage. They must not be monetised

GS Paper 2

• 3 in 1: New Bill silent on Corpn funding
• Forging a social contract for data
• India’s complex position on Islamophobia 
• A good foreign policy must also make a difference at home
• Over 15 years of incentivised institutional delivery: Has it ensured safe births?
• Has IAS Failed the Nation?

GS Paper 3

• Heartening milestone: On India’s overseas shipping record

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• NITI Aayog Releases Second Edition of Export Preparedness Index 2021
• Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati(BPKP) Scheme: Implementation of Zero Budget Natural Farming
• 3 Animated Films On Protection & Conservation Of Indian Rivers under H2Ooooh! Initiative released
• Standing Committee of the National Board for WildLife recommends to celebrate October 5 as National Dolphin Day
• Sagarmala – Seven years of Spectacular Success
• Explained: Calcutta HC orders CBI probe into Bogtui killings, here’s how the agency investigates
• New smartphone-based portable oxygen kit can provide consistent oxygen supply during disasters and medical emergencies
• Governments of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh of NCR sign Combined Reciprocal Common Transport Agreement
• Explained: Targeting big tech, what EU’s landmark Digital Act aims to achieve
• World Water Development Report 2022: Unlocking potential of groundwater can provide water security, boost economy: UN
• About India-UAE CEPA: The UAE welcomes a wider India-GCC trade agreement’

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

Film archives are our heritage. They must not be monetised

News: In recent developments, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has decided to bring all regional and national offices of the National Film Archives of India (NFAI), Films Division (FD), Children’s Film Society of India (CFSI), and Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) under the workings of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). 

Brief Introduction about institutes 

The Films Division:  It was established in 1948. It produces, and distributes newsreels and documentary films on historical events and political figures.

– In Post-Independence, films made by the erstwhile colonial agencies of Information Films of India, Indian News Parade, and Army Film and Photographic Unit were handed over to Film Division (FD).  It preserved audio and visual records of India’s history of decolonisation and the process of nation-building. For example, it includes works of Satyajit Ray, MF Husain, Mani Kaul, Pramod Pati, and more recent films by contemporary filmmakers.  

The NFAI: It was established in 1964. It has the mandate to trace, acquire, and preserve the heritage of fiction cinema in India. It preserves several thousand films, books, scripts, posters, and photographs dating back to the 1910s, and it actively promotes film research and scholarship on Indian and South Asian cinema.  

The CFSI: It was established in 1955. It was given the responsibility for producing children’s films.

The DF: It was established in 1976. It organises the National Film Award, for example, Dada Saheb Phalke Award, and the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) etc.  

The NFDC: It is a public sector undertaking. It was established in 1975 and aimed to promote filmmakers outside the mainstream film industries of India. It also contributed to the development of parallel cinema. 

Arguments in favour of the decision 

In the era of digitisation, both NFAI and FD have uploaded rare Indian films, posters and photographs on their YouTube and Instagram accounts to increase public access.

Therefore, non-availability of the physical archives won’t create problem in the future. 

What are the issues involved? 

It implies neglect on the part of Indian government wrt cultural and historical value of films. It means the Govt views film as a medium for information and broadcasting.  

As per NITI AAYOG’s 2018 analysis, NFDC is a loss-making unit. Subsequently, its closure was also proposed in Parliament. Therefore, it is not wise to bring FD, NFAI, CFSI, and DFF under the banner of NFDC. 

The film fraternity of India was not consulted before taking the decision of merger with NFDC. 

The MIB has not given any explanation to why four public-funded bodies are being merged with a loss-making corporation.  

The government has not explained the plan through which the transfer of fragile and inflammable material like celluloid will be carried out.  

The MIB has also dismissed various RTI inquiries and a writ petition by FD employees. It has ignored numerous articles, public debates and open letters written by concerned filmmakers, historians and archivists that seek clarification on the matter.  

The uploading of the archives on social media platforms is going to face problems. They will be owned by big multinationals. In recent years, a number of interviews, reports, and articles have been taken down from social media platforms based on the pressures of governments and interest groups.  

There are other questions like who will crowdfund a public archive from our individual hard drives etc. 

In case of absence of autonomous public institutions, the archives may be tampered, damaged, or destroyed forever.  

What is the way forward?

The government should declare archives as national heritage. Their monetisation should not be allowed. 

India must preserve great works of cinema. It should establish systems of exhibition where the public can freely access them as has been done in the USA, France, UK, etc.  

GS Paper 2

3 in 1: New Bill silent on Corpn funding

News: The central government introduced the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, in the Lok Sabha. The Bill seeks to merge the three municipal corporations of Delhi into a single entity. 

What is the rationale behind the bill? 

The 2011 Trifurcation of the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi was uneven in terms of territorial divisions and revenue generating potential. As a result, there was a huge gap in the resources available to the three corporations compared to their obligations. 

Further, the trifurcation has failed to offer efficient civic services as was expected from the more compact municipal corporation of Delhi. 

Hence, the bill seeks to merge three Delhi MCDs. 

About Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill 

The bill proposes to give wide-ranging powers to the central government in running the municipal body.  

The bill contains a provision allowing the central government, “if necessary”, to appoint a person to be called “special officer“. The officer will exercise the power and discharge the functions of the municipal corporation until the date on which the first meeting of the unified body is held. 

Bill is silent on fund allocation to the singular municipal corporation. Finance has been the bone of contention between the three municipal corporations and Delhi government for a long period.  

– Under the current system, a part of the corporations’ finances comes from Delhi government as per the recommendations of the state finance commission.  

The bill contends that since the trifurcation, the money gap has only widened. It blames this lack of funds for the frequent strikes by the municipal employees which have not only affected civic services, but also created concomitant problems of cleanliness and sanitisation. 

Another proposed change is a reduction in the number of wards under the municipal corporation from 272 to 250. This makes delimitation of ward boundaries and rotation of wards for reserved seats before the next civic polls an inevitability.  

– The bill adds that the number of seats of councillors and those reserved for Scheduled Castes in the merged body will be determined by the central government through a gazette notification. 

Why there is an opposition to the bill? 

The bill is being opposed on the following grounds: 

– The legislation to divide the singular Municipal Corporation of Delhi into three entities was cleared by Delhi assembly, and so Parliament did not have the jurisdiction to merge them. 

– As per the Indian Constitution, power to constitute municipal bodies is vested with the states. 

– The bill hasn’t suggested anything to resolve the financial crisis facing the municipal body. 

– The move to reunify the three civic bodies was a ploy to defer the scheduled MCD elections . 

What is the govt’s stance in the matter? 

As per the Govt, Article 239AA of the Constitution gives Parliament the right to make laws for Delhi. 

 It further stated that the trifurcation of MCD was done to improve governance in the capital, but the experience of the last decade had shown results to the contrary. 

Forging a social contract for data

News: In February 2022, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) released the Draft India Data Accessibility and Use Policy 2022 (or Draft Policy) for public consultation.  

What are the aims of the draft policy? 

It will help in overcoming a number of historical bottlenecks: (1) slow progress on the Open Government Data (OGD) platform, (2) fragmentation of data sets into departmental silos, (3) lack of data quality standards, licensing, and valuation frameworks to support data-sharing etc. 

It can help in informed decision-making, improvement in citizen-centric delivery of public services, and economy-wide digital innovation. 

What are the issues with the draft policy?

The Draft Policy is silent on the norms, rules, and mechanisms that are required to achieve the objectives. 

The draft policy allows transparency only in case of access to the non-personal data sets of the public data.

– It may lead to privacy or risk of data misuse due to transparency-accountability considerations, as some citizen data sets generated during service delivery also contain personal identifiers.

The anonymisation standards put on the personal data sets are insufficient safeguards against privacy risks.  

India has no personal data protection law. It makes it problematic to process the dataset. 

The government agencies treat themselves as ‘owners’ of the public data under The National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP). There is a lack of a data trusteeship framework. Therefore, NDSAP gives government agencies unilateral privileges to determine the terms of data licensing.  

The draft does not allow data-sharing from both public and private sector actors across various sectors. In fact, the private sector holds the most valuable data resources which can help in socioeconomic innovation. 

The laws and regulations related to competition are inadequate for the platform economy in India.  

What is the way forward? 

We need a new social contract for data whereby the government is the custodian or trustee. It would act as a fiduciary to promote data use for public good. It was also recommended by the 2020 Report of the MEITY Committee of Experts on non-personal data governance. 

a) democratisation of data value should be ensured through accountable institutional mechanisms for data governance. 

b) Voluntary data-sharing should be promoted between the Public and Private sector. For example, The European Union has created a common and interoperable data space for such purposes.

c) A data stewardship model can also be promoted. It refers to the use of high-value data sets. It was proposed by the MEITY’s Committee of Experts in their Report on Non-Personal Data Governance (2020).

– In this, a government/not-for-profit organisation should be allowed to request the Non-Personal Data Authority or NPDA for the creation of a high-value data sets.

d) There should be mandatory public access to private data in exceptional cases such as public emergencies. For instance, it has been suggested in EU’s proposed Data Act (2022).

India’s complex position on Islamophobia

News: The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a consensus resolution declaring March 15 to be celebrated as “International Day to Combat Islamophobia” annually.  

What is Islamophobia? 

It refers to the fear of and prejudice, discrimination and hate speech against Islam. For example, Muslims claims the face negative stereotyping in Western countries has exacerbated since 9/11 terrorist attacks.  

Who Introduced the resolution and for what purpose?

It was sponsored by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). 

OIC wanted “high-visibility events” for curbing Islamophobia by the member states of UN. But, OIC had to withdraw this demand.

Instead, it was decided to observe March 15 as “International Day to combat Islamophobia” in “an appropriate manner”. 

What was the stand by various countries and organizations?

India and the European Union (EU) had major difficulties with the very basis of the proposal.

India

– India wanted that the prevalence of religiophobia should be acknowledged instead of focussing on just one religion. The prevalence of ‘phobias’ are just not against Abrahamic faiths.

– These are found against non-Abrahamic faiths also like Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists. For example, India has given refuge to the prosecuted members of Zoroastrians, Jews and Buddhists (Dalai Lama and his followers). India did “condemn” Islamophobia along with all other religiophobia.

– India formally accepted the resolution and allowed the resolution to pass without breaking the consensus. 

EU

Unlike India, the EU’s opposition was based on different philosophical underpinnings. The EU placed its focus on individual rights and freedoms. It did not focus on protection of religions per se. Thus, its emphasis was on the rights of non-believers.  

China

China sponsored the resolution. This was despite China’s abysmal record of treating the Uighurs (its Muslims). However, the China’s approach to the Resolution perhaps may be a result of a quid pro quo 

What is the way forward?

Focus on a single religion may lead to divisiveness based on “religious camps” in UN. 

A good foreign policy must also make a difference at home

News: India’s foreign policy is at the centre of debate due to ongoing geopolitical issues like the treatment of Indian students from the conflict-ridden Ukraine.  

What are the ingredients of a good foreign policy?  

A good foreign policy does not necessarily have to sound nice. It must be able to meet the everyday needs of Indian national nationals from the outside world, like assuring our national security.  

Foreign policy is the link to the outside world. It must pass the test like It enables us to draw what we need for everyday need, like technology or capital, best practices, or even work opportunities.  

At Personal level: (1) For a student, it means ease of getting visas, the ability to travel during times of Covid, employment after studies, safely evacuation of the Indian nationals from the geopolitical crisis like Russia-Ukraine Conflict 2022, (2) For a businessperson, it mean access to foreign markets, receiving information about regulations and practices, and where circumstances demand it, assistance to solve problems, and (3) For the professionals and workers, it may be fair employment contracts, protection and welfare measures in times of difficulty etc. 

For external or internal security: Diplomacy can help prevent, mitigate or solve a security problem. For example, countries can partner against common dangers, like terrorism, radicalization etc.  

For an economy: Foreign policy can facilitate the creation of new capacities at home. It helps in obtaining capital, technology and best practices from abroad vis-à-vis information technology, auto manufacturing, food processing, metros or bullet trains, space capabilities or nuclear energy etc. For example, Japan was the pioneer in this regard during the Meiji era, while China after Deng Xiaoping. Therefore, it can accelerate India’s progress, expand employment and improve your quality of life.  

The foreign policy must be able to address big issues of like Pandemics, Terrorism, and Climate change.

It is important that our foreign policy shape India’s image and influence the narrative prevalent worldwide about India. It matters what other nations think of India, our culture and our way of life. 

Indian diplomacy should be able to deal with contingencies. For example, the neighbours (like China) may be unpredictable due to divergence of interests. Therefore, the policy must be able to show capabilities and deterrence.  

Objectives of India’s Foreign Policy Since 2014

There were six broad objectives that were spelt out to the policy-makers and implementers:.  

One, we must bring about a change in the way of thinking about us in the world.  

Two, we should create a partnership which is on more equal terms, and more generous with smaller countries.  

Three, the global agenda and the big issues of our times should be shaped by India as much as possible.  

Four, foreign relationships should be actively explored and leveraged for domestic development and progress.  

Five, the very conceptualisation of India’s foreign policy should be guided by a people-centric approach.  

Six, our culture, traditions and thoughts should be able to influence international debates and initiatives. For example, Yoga and Ayurveda were obvious examples in this regard. 

What is the way forward?

India has entered into the 75th year of independence. We are going to celebrate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. In this regard, we should be fully aware of the opportunities and challenges that the world currently presents.  

Over 15 years of incentivised institutional delivery: Has it ensured safe births?

News: Maternal mortality ratio (MMR), infant mortality rate and neonatal mortality rate (NMR) have not improved at the same pace as institutional births.

About the growth in institutional births

The share of India’s institutional deliveries increased to 88.6% in 2019-2021 (National Family Health Survey 5) from 40.8% in 2005-06 (NHFS 3). The nine targeted states — Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Assam — recorded a similar increase.

How did the government incentivise institutional deliveries?

Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), 2005: Institutional deliveries were first incentivised by JSY. Under this, direct cash transfer is promised if a woman delivered a baby at a medical facility, rather than at home.

According to the 2020-2021 annual report of the Union health ministry, annual JSY beneficiaries have shot up to over 10 million from 739,000 in 2005-06.

Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), 2011: It entitled pregnant women to several benefits, including no-expense childbirth, covering the complications during the ante-natal and postnatal period, free transport from home to the medical facility, etc.

According to the Health Management Information System, In 2020-21, nearly 17% of pregnant women received free medicines, 19% received free diagnostics, 19% received free food, 7% received free transport under the scheme.

Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan, 2016: The scheme is providing free, assured and quality antenatal care. As of January 5, 2021, more than 20.6 million antenatal care check-ups were conducted under the scheme.

Similar incentive-driven schemes are being implemented at the state level also. For instance, Ayushmati Scheme in West Bengal, Chiranjeevi Yojana in Assam and Gujarat and Mamta Friendly Hospital Scheme in Delhi, etc.

About the mortality ratio

Maternal mortality ratio (MMR), infant mortality rate and neonatal mortality rate (NMR) have not improved as compared to the Institutional deliveries. The nine focus states continue to have the highest MMR, a majority of which are well beyond India’s national average of 103.

With the present pace, the country as a whole may be able to meet the United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goal of reducing MMR to 70 by 2030.

What is the reason behind the low improvement in Mortality rates?

1) Healthcare delivery and service utilisation are very different between states, those performing better than the national average and those lagging behind, 2) Schemes incentivising institutional delivery are not enough to ensure a safe birth, 3) Except Assam, the states recorded a higher NMR in private institutions than home births, 4) Limited beneficiaries: Some schemes are applicable only if the mother is 19 years of age or above, some are only for the first child and some require ‘below poverty line’ identification.

What should be done to reduce the mortality rates?

1) A holistic approach is needed to address infrastructure and human resource shortcomings, 2) Policies that recognise and monitor the subnational disparities, particularly in the Empowered Action Group States plus Assam, and the rural and tribal areas are needed, 3) An infrastructure development plan focused on the actual patterns of use could close the remaining gaps between states in a very short time,

4) The eligibility criteria for such schemes need to be expanded because currently, it excludes those who actually need it, 5) An ideal institutional delivery needs to be defined for better monitoring of the scheme outcomes. For instance, creating a 10-point checklist with indicators such as how soon the pregnant woman is checked by the midwife, was the pulse/heartbeat of the baby was recorded, etc., 6) Closing the data gap: Each institution must publish their morbidity and mortality data regularly and Health centres must be incentivised to deal with high loads of cases.

Has IAS Failed the Nation?

News: The Prime Minister Narender Modi openly expressed his disappointment with the prevalent ‘babu culture’ in the bureaucracy in the Parliament of India last year. 

IAS in early Post Independence India 

Soon after Independence, they were seen as the home-grown answer to the colonial era ICS.  

They were responsible for nation building. For example, carrying out agricultural development, land reforms, building irrigation projects, industrial development etc. IAS officers led in these efforts from the front 

IAS Officers earned a formidable reputation for competence, commitment and integrity. 

In the mid-1970s, the political executives used to appoint an IAS officer to inquire whenever a scam or a scandal used to take place.  

Present Situation of IAS 

The IAS officers are found to be inept, indifferent and corrupt. Though, such IAS officers are in the minority. But the number of this minority is no longer small. 

Now, the IAS officers are publicly perceived to be elitist, self-serving and maintaining the status quo. They are out of touch with reality. They have lost the courage of conviction to stand up for what’s right. 

What explains the issues with the IAS?  

The problems start from the recruitment examination, the induction training and subsequent in-service training and are strengthened with availability of limited opportunities for self-improvement.

The biggest problem is the system of incentives and penalties developed by the politicians. It promotes mediocrity and risk aversion and pushes the talented and young recruits who are full of enthusiasm into a world which is full of complacency, and laziness. They lose their moral compass. 

– In this system, there is no pressure on officers to perform and deliver results.

– The smart, enthusiastic and capable are not assured of rising to the top.

– In fact, the corrupt, lazy and incompetent officers are rewarded.

– So there is no motivation for honest officers in this system to upgrade their knowledge and skills.

In fact, totally blaming the politicians for this is not accurate. It is the weak moral fabric of some IAS officers which lead to them to succumb to the temptation. Then others follow them. They are either attracted by the rewards or simply to save their careers. 

Way Forward 

The bureaucracy should stand united. It should be inflexible and committed to collective high standards of ethics and professional integrity.

– For example, the British equivalents of our cabinet secretary and the Delhi police are so much regarded that they are investigating the scandal of the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.  

There are hundreds of young IAS officers who want to perform near miracles. Those IAS officers should lead to reform the system into a meritocracy.  

GS Paper 3

Heartening milestone: On India’s overseas shipping record

News: Govt has announced that India’s merchandise exports have already surpassed the target set for this fiscal year, with overseas shipments crossing a record $400 billion mark by March 21. 

Why is this news significant? 

This news assumes importance esp in light of the last fiscal’s pandemic-induced slump in global demand. 

Also, the fact that the export growth has been achieved against the backdrop of persistent logistical challenges, including container shortages and port congestion, is laudable. It further reflects the concerted effort made by the government in coordination with industry and the country’s overseas missions. 

Which sectors have performed well? 

Petroleum products were the standout performer as the global surge in oil prices lifted the dollar value of overseas shipments of goods produced at India’s refineries by 150% over the first 11 months of the fiscal. 

Key value-added sectors of engineering goods and apparel and garments have also done well this year. 

What are some challenges that need to be addressed? 

Multiple challenges persist on the trade front. 

Inc in trade deficit: Imports have outpaced exports this year, almost doubling the trade deficit in the April-February period to more than $175 billion. The gap is wider than the pre-pandemic year of 2019-2020 as well and points to the pressing need to step up the pace of export growth. 

Lack of purchase of capital goods: Project goods were the only item of import, among the 30 broad categories listed by the Ministry that contracted over the 11-month period. The lack of overseas purchases of capital goods for new projects is a clear indicator that private Indian businesses are still not making fresh investments given the lack of momentum in personal consumption.  

War in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia is now posing fresh problems for exporters seeking to ship goods to not only these countries but other markets in Europe as well. 

What is the way forward? 

Commerce and Industry Minister made a reference to the role played by India’s embassies and envoys in exploring new opportunities for Indian products. If the current momentum in exports is to be sustained in the coming years, the diplomatic corps will need to enlarge their role in trade promotion.

Policymakers must go beyond stopgap measures such as enabling rupee-rouble trade. They need to expedite ongoing negotiations on  free trade agreements so as to at least help lower some of the tariff walls.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

NITI Aayog Releases Second Edition of Export Preparedness Index 2021

Source: This post is based on following articles:

–  “NITI Aayog Releases Second Edition of Export Preparedness Index 2021” published in PIB on 25th March 2022.

– “Gujarat tops Niti Aayog’s export index for second year in a row” published in Business Standard on 26th March 2022.

What is the News?

NITI Aayog has released the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2021. 

What is the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2021?

Released by: NITI Aayog in partnership with the Institute of Competitiveness

Aim: To examine export readiness and export performance of the Indian States and Union Territories.

Objective: To instil competition among all Indian states to bring about a) favourable export-promotion policies, b) ease the regulatory framework to prompt subnational export promotion, c) create the necessary infrastructure for exports and d) assist in identifying strategic recommendations for improving export competitiveness. 

Parameters: The index ranks states and UTs on 4 main pillars and 11 sub-pillars.The four pillars include-

– Policy- A comprehensive trade policy provides a strategic direction for exports and imports.

– Business Ecosystem- It examines the business ecosystem, as an efficient business ecosystem can help attract investments and create an enabling infrastructure for businesses to grow.

– Export Ecosystem- It aims to assess the business environment, specific to exports.

– Export Performance- It examines the reach of export footprints of states and union territories.

Significance of the index: The index can be used by states and union territories (UTs) to benchmark their performance against their peers and analyze potential challenges to develop better policy mechanisms to foster export-led growth at the subnational level

What are the key Rankings of the index?

States: Gujarat has retained the top position in the index, followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Union Territories: Delhi has topped the index, followed by Goa.

The index has found that most of the ‘Coastal States’ are the best performers. 

The top-six states in India —Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana —contribute 75% of India’s overall exports.

What are the challenges in export promotion?

The index brings out three major challenges to India’s export promotion. These are: 1) Intra- and inter-regional differences in export infrastructure, 2) Weak trade support and growth orientation across states and 3) Lack of R&D infrastructure to promote complex and unique exports.

Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati(BPKP) Scheme: Implementation of Zero Budget Natural Farming

Source:  This post is based on an article “Implementation of Zero Budget Natural Farming” published in PIB on 25th March 2022.

What is the News?

The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has informed Rajya Sabha about the Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati(BPKP) Scheme.

What is Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati(BPKP) Scheme?

Launched by: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare during 2020-21

Parent Scheme: It is a sub-mission under the centrally sponsored scheme– Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana(PKVY).

Aim: To promote traditional indigenous practices which give freedom to farmers from externally purchased inputs.

Main Focus of the Scheme: The scheme mainly focuses on the exclusion of all synthetic chemical inputs and promotes on-farm biomass recycling with major stress on biomass mulching, use of cow dung-urine formulations and other plant-based preparations. 

Financial Assistance: Under BPKP, financial assistance of Rs. 12200/ha for 3 years is provided for cluster formation, capacity building and continuous handholding by trained personnel, certification and residue analysis.

Achievements of the Scheme: Until now, under natural farming, an area of 4.09 lakh ha area has been covered. The Government of Andhra Pradesh is leading in terms of 1.0 lakh ha area under natural farming under BPKP. 

3 Animated Films On Protection & Conservation Of Indian Rivers under H2Ooooh! Initiative released

Source: This post is based on an article “3 Animated Films On Protection & Conservation Of Indian Rivers under H2Ooooh! Initiative released” published in PIB on 24th March 2022.

What is the News?

National Mission for Clean Ganga, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and other partners released three animation films under its initiative “H2Ooooh! – Water Wise program for the Children of India”.

What is “H2Ooooh! – Water Wise program for the Children of India” Initiative?

Launched by: UNESCO in July 2021 jointly with the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and others.

Purpose: It is a unique program crafted for Indian school students between the age of 6-14 years. Through this program, it aims to increase awareness about the limited availability of water, its sustainable use, its conservation, its exploitation and much more.

Phases under the initiative: The initiative is divided into three phases. Under these phases, the initiative aims to spur creativity and raise awareness on water conservation and its sustainable use for students by providing training and encouraging them to submit paintings and story ideas for animated short films.

Significance: Since the launch of the initiative, nearly, 31000 students from 53 schools in 18 Indian states have been engaged actively with support from over 400 teachers.

Standing Committee of the National Board for WildLife recommends to celebrate October 5 as National Dolphin Day

Source: This post is based on an article “Standing Committee of the National Board for WildLife recommends to celebrate October 5 as National Dolphin Day” published in PIB on 25th March 2022.

What is the News?

The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change has chaired the 67th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wild Life.

What are the key decisions taken at the 67th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wild Life?

October 5 as National Dolphin Day: The committee has recommended celebrating October 5th as National Dolphin Day every year as a historic step in creating awareness for the conservation of Dolphins. 

October 5 is currently celebrated as ‘Ganga River Dolphin Day’, but its re-designation as a National Day for Dolphin will encompass all rivers and oceans’ Dolphins beyond the Gangetic ones.

What is the significance of Dolphins?

Dolphins act as ideal ecological indicators of a healthy aquatic ecosystem. Hence, conservation of the dolphins will benefit the survival of the species and also the people dependent on the aquatic system for their livelihood.

Note: Gangetic River Dolphins were declared National Aquatic Animal in 2010.

Sagarmala – Seven years of Spectacular Success

Source: This post is based on an article “Sagarmala – Seven years of Spectacular Success” published in PIB on 25th March 2022.

What is the News?

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has organized an event to commemorate the successful seven years of the Sagarmala program.

What is the Sagarmala Programme?

Launched in: 2015 by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways

Aim: To promote port-led development in the country through harnessing India’s 7,500 km long coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways and strategic location on key international maritime trade routes.

Vision: To reduce logistics costs for EXIM and domestic trade with minimal infrastructure investment.

Components of the Sagarmala Programme 

– Port Modernization & New Port Development: Debottlenecking and capacity expansion of existing ports and development of new greenfield ports

– Port Connectivity Enhancement: Enhancing the connectivity of the ports to the hinterland, optimizing cost and time of cargo movement through multi-modal logistics solutions including domestic waterways (inland water transport and coastal shipping)

– Port-linked Industrialization: Developing port-proximate industrial clusters and Coastal Economic Zones to reduce logistics cost and time of EXIM and domestic cargo

– Coastal Community Development: Promoting sustainable development of coastal communities through skill development & livelihood generation activities, fisheries development, coastal tourism etc.

– Coastal Shipping & Inland Waterways Transport: Impetus to move cargo through the sustainable and environment-friendly coastal and inland waterways mode.

About the projects under Sagarmala

Sagarmala projects include projects from various categories such as modernisation of existing ports and terminals, new ports, terminals, RoRo & tourism jetties, enhancement of port connectivity, inland waterways, lighthouse tourism, industrialization around the port, skill development, technology centres among others.

– These projects are implemented through a stepped approach, with the first attempt on implementing the projects through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) wherever feasible.

– However, projects which have a high social and economic quotient but low Internal Rate of Return(IRR) are being implemented through funding support.

Achievements of the Programme

The Quality service delivery has made Turnaround Time (containers) at Ports come down to 26.58 hours from 44.70 hours in 2013-14.

A total of 29 projects have been successfully implemented under the PPP model, thus reducing the financial burden on the exchequer. 

Explained: Calcutta HC orders CBI probe into Bogtui killings, here’s how the agency investigates

Source: This post is based on an article “Explained: Calcutta HC orders CBI probe into Bogtui killings, here’s how the agency investigates” published in Indian Express on 26th March 2022.

What is the News?

The Calcutta High Court has ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the killings in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, where eight persons were burnt alive.

How does the CBI take up cases?

Unlike the National Investigation Agency(NIA), CBI cannot take suo motu cognizance of a case in a state — whether in a matter of corruption involving government officials of the Centre and PSU staff or an incident of violent crime.

In order to take up corruption cases involving central government staff, it either needs general consent of the state government or specific consent on a case-to-case basis. 

For all other cases, whether involving corruption in the state government or an incident of crime, the state has to request an investigation by the CBI, and the Centre has to agree to the same.

In case the state does not make such a request, the CBI can take over a case based on the orders of the High Court concerned or the Supreme Court.

Can the CBI decline to take up a case for investigation?

After a state makes a request for an inquiry by the CBI, the Centre seeks the opinion of the agency. 

If the CBI feels that it is not worthwhile to spend time and energy on the case, it may decline to take it up.

In the past, the CBI has refused to take over cases citing a lack of enough personnel to investigate and saying it is overburdened.

What is the role of state consent in an investigation by the CBI?

Since 2015, as many as nine states — Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Mizoram and Meghalaya — have withdrawn general consent to the CBI. 

Withdrawal of general consent means that to probe any case in these states, CBI would have to take prior permission from the state government. CBI has claimed that this has tied its hands.

In 2021, the Supreme Court expressed concern over CBI’s submission that 78% of its 150 requests for sanction to investigate cases were pending with state governments that had withdrawn consent to the CBI.

New smartphone-based portable oxygen kit can provide consistent oxygen supply during disasters and medical emergencies

Source: This post is based on an article “New smartphone-based portable oxygen kit can provide consistent oxygen supply during disasters and medical emergencies” published in PIB on 25th March 2022.

What is the News?

A Startup from India has developed a field-portable smart bag pack emergency oxygen concentrator called Oxygen Plus.

What is Oxygen Plus?

Oxygen Plus is a smartphone-based, field-portable oxygen concentrator that can provide consistent and cost-effective oxygen supply to communities during situations like medical emergencies and high altitude-related problems.

Designed by: GRS India, a Government of India recognized start-up with support from the North East Center For Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), an autonomous organisation of the Department of Science and Technology(DST). 

What is the significance of this development?

During the recent Covid-19 pandemic, arranging oxygen for patients suffering from breathlessness had become a major challenge. 

Conventional oxygen support techniques for pulmonary, respiratory and trauma patients in community outreach were found to be time-consuming, costly and required sophisticated equipment and procedures. It was difficult to reach them in time of need, especially in remote areas.

Hence, the development of Oxygen plus will help in providing oxygen supply to remote areas like these, especially in situations of medical emergencies.

Governments of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh of NCR sign Combined Reciprocal Common Transport Agreement

Source: This post is based on an article “Governments of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh of NCR sign Combined Reciprocal Common Transport Agreement” published in PIB on 25th March 2022.

What is the News?

Governments of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh of National Capital Region (NCR) have signed a Combined Reciprocal Common Transport Agreements (CRCTA) covering both Contract Carriage & Stage Carriage.

Note: National Capital Region (NCR) is a planning region centred upon the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. It encompasses Delhi and several districts surrounding it from the states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

What are the Combined Reciprocal Common Transport Agreements(CRCTA)?

Signed by: Governments of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh 

Aim: To facilitate seamless movement of passenger vehicles in the National Capital Region(NCR).

Coverage: All Motor cabs/Taxis/Auto Rickshaws, All Educational Institution vehicles and All Stage Carriage Buses of State Transport Undertakings (including City bus services) of NCR participating states will be covered under this agreement.

Key Features of the Agreement: The agreement provides for:

– Countersigning of permits and licences for motor cabs, taxis, auto-rickshaws registered in NCR for seamless movement.

– All permits/licences including temporary permits/licences (Contract Carriage and also Stage Carriage, as applicable) shall be issued only on Vaahan Software.

– The age of the Stage Carriage vehicles as well as Contract Carriage vehicles shall be limited to ten years for diesel vehicles and fifteen years for petrol/CNG vehicles.

– Single-point taxation to state-owned transport bodies, wherein road tax/passenger tax shall be payable by them only in one NCR State and exempted from such taxes/fees in the other NCR States.

– Exemption in taxes, including road taxes, to buses and other vehicles of educational institutions.

–  All Public Service Vehicles (except those specifically exempted by MoRTH) shall be mandatorily fitted with Vehicle Location Tracking Device (VLTD) and one or more emergency buttons.

What is the significance of this agreement?

One of the policy proposals of the Regional Plan-2021 for the National Capital Region is the unrestricted movement of buses, taxis, and auto-rickshaws within NCR.

Hence, implementation of this agreement is important to facilitate the general public to commute between Delhi and the rest of NCR seamlessly.

Explained: Targeting big tech, what EU’s landmark Digital Act aims to achieve

Source: This post is based on the following articles:

– “Explained: Targeting big tech, what EU’s landmark Digital Act aims to achieve” published in Indian Express on 26th March 2022.

– “European Union agrees on new digital rules to rein in Big Tech dominance” published in Business Standard on 26th March 2022.

What is the News?

The European Union (EU) has finalized details of its Digital Markets Act(DMA).

What is the aim of the Digital Markets Act(DMA)?

The DMA defines clear rules for large online platforms. It aims to ensure that no large online platform that acts as a ‘gatekeeper’ for a large number of users abuses its position to the detriment of companies wishing to access such users.

Which platforms are considered gatekeepers?

To qualify as a gatekeeper:

Firstly, it must either have had an annual turnover of at least €7.5 billion within the European Union (EU) in the past three years or have a market valuation of at least €75 billion

Secondly, it must have at least 45 million monthly end-users and at least 10,000 business users established in the EU.

Thirdly, the platform must also control one or more core platform services in at least three member states. These core platform services include marketplaces and app stores, search engines, social networking, cloud services, advertising services, voice assistants and web browsers.

Note: Small and medium enterprises are exempt from being identified as gatekeepers.

What are the key provisions of the Digital Markets Act(DMA)?

According to the Act, 

Gatekeepers will have to:

– ensure that users have the right to unsubscribe from core platform services under similar conditions to subscription,

– Users will not be forced to use software by default when installing the OS and mentions web browsers,

– Interoperability between the basic functionalities of messaging services. This could mean that a user on WhatsApp and one on iMessage should be able to talk to each other,

– Allow app developers fair access to the supplementary functionalities of smartphones (e.g. NFC chip),

– give sellers access to their marketing or advertising performance data on the platform,

– inform the European Commission of their acquisitions and mergers.

But the Gatekeepers cannot: 1) Rank their own products or services higher than those of others (self-preferencing), 2) Reuse private data collected during a service for the purposes of another service, 3) Establish unfair conditions for business users, 4) Pre-install certain software applications require app developers to use certain services (e.g. payment systems or identity providers) in order to be listed in app stores.

What if a gatekeeper does not comply with the rules?

If a gatekeeper violates the rules laid down in the legislation, it risks a fine of up to 10% of its total worldwide turnover. For a repeat offence, a fine of up to 20% of its worldwide turnover may be imposed.

If a gatekeeper systematically fails to comply with the DMA, i.e. it violates the rules at least three times in eight years, the European Commission can open a market investigation and, if necessary, impose behavioural or structural remedies.

What is the significance of the DMA Act?

The Act could dramatically change the way big tech firms such as Apple, Google, Meta, and Amazon operate in Europe and have ramifications for the rest of the world as well.

World Water Development Report 2022: Unlocking potential of groundwater can provide water security, boost economy: UN

Source: This post is based on the article “Unlocking potential of groundwater can provide water security, boost economy: UN” published in Down To Earth on 26th March 2022.

What is the News?

UNESCO on behalf of UN-Water has released the United Nations World Water Development Report 2022 titled “Groundwater: Making the invisible visible”

What are the key findings of the report?

Importance of Groundwater: Groundwater accounts for 99% of liquid freshwater on Earth and is the source of one-quarter of all the water used by humans.

Water Scarcity: An estimated four billion people live in areas that suffer from severe physical water scarcity for at least one month per year.

Largest Groundwater User: India is the largest groundwater user globally, followed by China and Pakistan.

Sector-wise Groundwater use: India uses 89% of the total groundwater abstracted per year for agriculture — also the highest in the world.

– Globally, 69% of the total volume is abstracted for use in the agricultural sector, 22% for domestic uses and 9% for industrial purposes.

Crops contributing to Groundwater Depletion: Wheat, maize, rice, sugarcane, cotton and fodder are the principal crops contributing to groundwater depletion. These crops are heavily traded, indicating highly unsustainable water footprints from intensive export. China, India, Iran, Pakistan and the US account for about 70% of the unsustainable water footprint.

What are the recommendations given by the report?

To unlock groundwater’s full potential, the report has given the following recommendations: 

– Collecting groundwater data as groundwater monitoring is often a ‘neglected area’.

– Strengthening environmental regulations for groundwater pollution.

– Reinforcing human, material and financial resources by way of increasing groundwater professionals among the staff of institutions as well as local and national governments.

– Financing and supporting groundwater departments/agencies.

About India-UAE CEPA: The UAE welcomes a wider India-GCC trade agreement’

Source: This post is based on the article “The UAE welcomes a wider India-GCC trade agreement’” published in Livemint on 26th March 2022.

What is the news?

India-United Arab Emirates free trade agreement (FTA) is just over a month to go to come into force. India and the UAE in February signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

About the India-United Arab Emirates CEPA

Aim: a) To facilitate higher investment flows for both countries, b) To ensure mutually beneficial and guarantee a maximum advantage in trade for both countries.

Key provisions of the deal:

-The deal will initially give zero-duty access to 90% of Indian products, and 65% of products from the UAE.

-Over the next 10 years, 97% of Indian products will get zero-duty access to the UAE market and 90% of products from the UAE will have duty-free access to the Indian market,

-Service exports are a major component of the deal. There are 11 sectors and more than 100 sub-sectors covered in total. These include business services, telecommunication, construction and related activities, education, healthcare, environment, finance and insurance, and tourism, travel and transport services.

-The CEPA enables companies in both countries to access government procurement.

– In terms of the movement of people who are seeking to provide services under the CEPA, this deal will offer a smoother process from both sides.

What is the significance of this deal for the UAE?

Ever since the pandemic, all sectors critical to the UAE such as supply chains, logistics, aviation, travel and tourism has been hit.

Through CEPA, the UAE businesses will now have improved access to the world’s fifth-largest economy, favourable tariffs in key export sectors including aluminium, copper, steel, and polymers, and greater market access for India’s services sector. According to Indian models, this deal will add $9 billion to UAE’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030.

What are the other key highlights of the deal?

-The deal was negotiated in a record 88 days. Further, This is the first FTA finalized by the Indian government since 2014.

-The trade deal kept the door open for India to conclude a larger pact with the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).