Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• Supreme Court censure on renaming games: Because the past lives in the present

GS Paper 2

• Phasing out the line, ‘math is not for a girl’
• G20: India’s platform for global leadership
• Our Health, Our Data – Digital models for disease tracking are crucial. But so are data analytic skills & privacy protection

GS Paper 3

• Lessons from Turkey: How to make India earthquake prepared
• The country must work at raising productivity growth
• Searing changes: On heatwaves predicted by the Met Office
• Combining social welfare and capital markets through SSE
• New thermal plants: A reality check

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Constitution of Greater Panna Landscape Council
• Windsor Framework: What is the deal UK and EU have reached to solve the Northern Ireland Protocol tangle
• Union Power Minister launches Star-rated appliances program and iDEEKSHA Portal
• CE-20 cryogenic engine: ISRO successful in key test for India’s third moon mission
• All five S­400 regiments expected to be delivered by early 2024
• Philanthropy by India’s super rich falls by a third in FY22, says report
• Lutyens’ bungalows, RBI, encroachments are ‘forests’ in govt’s forest cover map
• India calls upon G20 countries for faster extradition of fugitive economic offenders

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

Supreme Court censure on renaming games: Because the past lives in the present

News: The Supreme Court has recently dismissed a PIL that sought a renaming commission focussed on “ancient India”.

About the case and renaming places after history

Why terming medieval rulers as “invaders” and “outsiders” is wrong?

Firstly, during medieval times, kings and sultans were not accountable for their actions. These were times when hierarchies were held as important for “social cohesion” and statecraft had very different objectives. Wars and violence were often critical to empire-building.

Secondly, the history is too complex to be captured in binaries. For instance, Aurangzeb revoked many of the policies of his forefathers. He imposed Sharia laws, brought back the discriminatory jizya tax that Hindus had to pay in return for protection and gave orders to destroy Hindu shrines in some parts of his empire.

On the other hand, there were more Hindus in the higher echelons during Aurangzeb’s rule than any other Great Mughal. He had Rajput relatives, and gave grants for maintaining Hindu temples.

Thirdly, the colonial regime periodised India’s past into Hindu rule, Muslim rule and British rule. This is evident from James Mill’s History of India. His book categorises Mahmud of Ghazni, Ibrahim Lodhi, Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan as the invader. His book had a significant impact on the country’s education system for most of the colonial period.

GS Paper 2

Phasing out the line, ‘math is not for a girl’

News- The representation of females in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics or other math intensive fields and careers remains is not desirable.

What is the status of girls’ performance in maths?

Boys outperform girls in mathematics significantly, which has been persistent over time. But, there is a considerable variation.

In the north Indian States of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh, boys outperform girls substantially. In south India, girls outperform boys in Mathematics.

What are the reasons behind less representation of girls in the field of maths?

There is a tendency to attribute these disparities to differences in ability. It does not acknowledge the impact of social and cultural norms.

Girls are found to perform better in some southern States. It implies that inherent ability is not responsible for this difference.

There is a widespread prevalence of the systematic devaluation of girls related to their mathematical aptitude in the classroom, at home, and in society. This is reflective of stereotypes related to girls.

How public policy recognises the discrimination faced by girls in enrolling and continuing their school?

The National Education Policy 2020  acknowledges the need to address several gender gaps in schooling. It stresses the need to implement gender­ sensitive training for teachers. It calls for establishing a ‘Gender ­Inclusive Fund’ for States to utilise in implementing community based interventions.

Similarly, the National Curriculum Framework for Early Childhood Care also acknowledges these gender disparities.

How underrepresentation of girls in the field of mathematics is neglected by policy documents?

However, neither of these documents explicitly recognises the causes and consequences of gender differences in mathematics learning at early ages.

It is not that these gaps and mechanisms are unknown to the educational administration and policymakers. It was recognised in the position paper on the “Teaching of Mathematics” published by the NCERT in 2005.

The paper talks about poorer outcomes for girls in mathematics through the devaluation of girls in society. It also discusses classroom research, indicating how gendered perceptions and the behaviour of teachers might negatively impact the performance of girls in maths.

What is the way forward to remove discrimination against girls in the field of mathematics?

Targeted behavioural interventions can curb the gender stereotyping of “math is not for a girl” at the household, societal, and school levels.

References to female mathematicians should be made in textbooks, female names, and characters in word problems.

There is a need to provide exposure to female role models in STEM fields in the course curriculum.

G20: India’s platform for global leadership

News- India recently hosted the meeting of the G20 finance minister as its current chair.

Why does the G20 seem to be in a deadlock?

Foreign Ministers of Japan and South Korea declined to attend the Delhi meet. Russia, China and the EU publicly stuck to their differing positions on the war in Ukraine.

For the first time ever, the group could not agree on an outcome document in a recent meeting of foreign ministers.

India found itself in an uneasy situation. It was not able to explain whether it supported its own

Chair’s summary. The summary noted that the majority of states condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rejected the use or the threat of use of nuclear weapons.

India has reservations about calling Mr. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine a war at all. India wanted the conflict to be referred to as a crisis.

There was little time left for discussions on debt restructuring and cryptocurrency regulation.

Why should India take a stand on Russia’s invasion of UKraine at president of G20?

Condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not about supporting the United States or encouraging NATO expansion. It is about upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity enshrined in the UN Charter.

These are also the same principles that India has relied on for international support in the four wars that it has fought since independence.

The concern is global. This is not just a European problem. The war has affected oil and gas prices, exacerbated inflation and disrupted global food supplies and prices.

Further, it has escalated nuclear risks. There is a big threat to Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, all five of which have come under direct shelling this past year.

If war continues for a longer time, Russia will be weaker due to sanctions and isolation by developed economies. It will become more dependent on China. The irony of India not taking sides means that it is helping Russia become a client state of China.

India played a vital role last year in reaching consensus at the Bali summit. It would be a tragedy if India is not able to do so at New Delhi.

Our Health, Our Data – Digital models for disease tracking are crucial. But so are data analytic skills & privacy protection

News: Bill Gates recently mentioned the importance of effective public health surveillance and early warning systems in forestalling future pandemics.

About public health surveillance in India

Public health surveillance helps in the identification, collation and analysis of disease occurrence. It is the bedrock of national healthcare architecture.

In India, a watershed moment in public health was the outbreak of plague in Surat in 1994. The plague catalysed the creation of the National Apical Advisory Committee in 1995.

This was followed by the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project in 2004 and the Integrated Health Information Platform in 2019.

What are the present opportunities to improve public health surveillance in India?

Developments over the last two years indicate that over the next decade, digital identifiers and integrated systems will greatly expand the surveillance footprint. The unique health identifiers (UHID) for individuals and their Aadhaar data can help in improving public health surveillance in India.

These will help in creating electronic health records. These records will span private-sector healthcare providers and can be integrated with public disease surveillance programmes.

What are the challenges in creating public health surveillance in India?

-Public health institutions tracking disease occurrence based on data generated by states are the primary disease surveillance arms. But the state’s performance so far has been less optimal as they often function in silos.

-Over the next decade, having adequate skilled personnel in public health surveillance may be a bigger challenge.

For instance, WHO’s International Health Regulations are binding on members. The regulations cover chemical agents and radioactive materials. This shortage of skills is a big challenge in enforcing them.

-Health risks are no longer confined to infectious diseases.

-Digital models aren’t regulated by a robust personal data protection bill. Further, health data is sensitive and anecdotal evidence suggests that voluntary dimensions to rules on UHID are often violated.

What should be done to improve public health surveillance in India?

a) Digital models should be used to bring far-reaching changes in public health surveillance by expanding sources of data collation to the private sector, b) Public health surveillance can suffer a setback in the absence of adequate data security. Hence, the government should frame a proper data protection framework.

GS Paper 3

Lessons from Turkey: How to make India earthquake prepared

News- The destruction caused by earthquakes in Turkey should be alarming for us.

Nearly 58% of the Indian landmass is vulnerable to earthquakes. Geologists have warned of a probable massive earthquake in the Himalayan state.

What are the main components of India policy on earthquake and issues related to the policy?

India’s policy on earthquake preparedness operates primarily at the scale of structural details. It is guided by the National Building Codes. This includes specifying dimensions of columns, beams and details of the reinforcements that join these elements together.

It ignores the buildings that were constructed before such codes were published in 1962. Such buildings form a large part of our cities.

It assumes infallibility in the processes of enforcement. It relies only on penalisation and illegalities.

It treats earthquakes as a problem of individual buildings. It assumes that buildings exist and behave in complete isolation from their urban context.

The truth is that buildings exist in clusters and in the event of an earthquake, behave as a system. They collapse on nearby buildings and on the abutting streets.

What are the interventions needed to improve the preparedness of the country for earthquakes?

At individual building level- There is a need to create a system of retrofitting existing structures and enforcing seismic codes with more efficiency.

Such a policy should include two measures- (1) To create a system of tax-based or development rights-based incentives for retrofitting one’s building up to seismic codes. This  will enable the growth of an industry around retrofitting and will generate a body of well-trained professionals and competent organisations.

2) By ensuring better enforcement of seismic codes through a similar model. The National Retrofitting Programme was launched in 2014 is a step in that direction. The RBI directed banks to deny loans for any building activity that does not meet the standards of earthquake-resistant design.

Japan is a good example in this case. It has invested heavily in technological measures to mitigate the damage from the frequent earthquakes that it experiences.

Skyscrapers are built with counterweights and other high-tech provisions to minimise the impact of tremors. Small houses are built on flexible foundations and public infrastructure is integrated with automated triggers that cut power, gas, and water lines during earthquakes.

At urban-level– The policy should start with surveys and audits that can generate earthquake vulnerability maps. These maps show the parts of the city that are more prone to serious damage.

This should follow four criteria- (1) The percentage of vulnerable structures in the area. (2) The availability of evacuation routes and distances from the nearest open ground. (3) Density of the urban fabric. (4) Location of nearest relief services and the efficiency with which these services can reach affected sites.

Using such maps, enforcement, incentives, and response centres can be proportionally distributed across the urban terrain.

A policy on earthquake preparedness will require a visionary, radical and transformative approach.

Some areas such as dense historic city centres will still be beyond repair. They will require either surgical retrofitting or revised town planning schemes.

What are challenges in executing these interventions?

Surgical retrofitting is unreliable and the revised town planning schemes are politically suicidal.

People across time and space have been in denial of such threats. Therefore, political will is lacking to execute such transformations. Earthquakes are not seen as a fatal threat.

The country must work at raising productivity growth

News- The recent budgets have hiked capital expenditure substantially but there is less focus on improving productivity of the economy.

What is the rationale behind substantially hiked capital expenditure in recent budgets?

The reason is multiplier effects of capex. It is assumed that increased capex would lead to higher growth in future, as these investments could enhance capital formation.

Prospects of higher growth might also attract more private investments.

However, such a growth strategy fails to realise its full potential unless there is corresponding increases in productivity.

Why is productivity an issue for the Indian economy?

A recent study published in January’s RBI Bulletin shows the existence of large productivity differences across sectors.

The study examined the time span between 2001 and 2019 and divided it into two sub-periods, 2001-10 and 2011-19.

RBI study offers disaggregated economy-wide estimates in the manufacturing sector. Wide variations are found in productivity growth across sectors.

The sectors crucial in accelerating industrial growth, such as electrical equipment, refined petroleum, machinery and chemicals, witnessed a productivity decline in the second time period, compared to the first.

The sectors with lower share in overall value addition, such recycling, have registered higher productivity growth since 2010.

Two important inferences can be made from the figures. First, capital-intensive sectors saw a decline in productivity growth. Labour-intensive sectors, barring transport equipment and parts had higher productivity.

The RBI study’s findings are in line with a 2021 World Bank report. It observed that the level of productivity in the South Asia Region(SAR)  remains the lowest among emerging market and developing Economies regions.

The World Bank report argues that the average level of labour productivity in SAR during 2013-18 was only 5% of the advanced economy average.

However, it should be noted that within South Asia, India stands out with higher growth of productivity.

What is the way forward to increase the productivity of the Indian economy?

There is a need to enhance investments to strengthen human capital. The economy has already achieved outcomes in terms of raising life expectancy, reducing mortality, and expanding access to education.

The investments in physical infrastructure needs to be complemented with commensurate human capital improvements.

This involves a two-pronged approach. First, provide more capital access to factors that contribute to human capital formation and ensure that these are inclusive. Second, we must ensure continuous quality improvements in human capital.

Resource reallocation was the driver of aggregate productivity during 2001-10. Productivity can be raised by sectoral reallocation of resources from low to more productive sectors. It should be accompanied by improved local services and urban planning.

There is a need for renewed effort to promote the reallocation of capital and labour to more productive firms within sectors.

Productivity-enhancing inter-firm resource reallocation can be encouraged by policies to foster competition and by reducing regulatory burdens that discourage firm growth. This requires continued reforms.

Searing changes: On heatwaves predicted by the Met Office

News: February was generally considered as a ‘spring’ and a ‘winter month’ by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and usually posts temperatures in the low 20s. But recently, the IMD has said that February 2023 was the warmest February since 1901 with the average maximum temperature at nearly 29.54°C. The IMD has also said that these trends are likely to spill over into summer.

What is a heat wave, and what are its implications?

About the present status of heatwaves in India

There has been a gradual rise in the temperature along with that the minimum temperatures are also scaling new heights. Most of northeast, eastern, central and northwest India is expected to post “above normal” temperatures.

Heatwaves during March-May are likely over most parts of India, except for the north-east, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and coastal Karnataka.

What are the impacts of heat waves in India?

Impact on humans: A Lancet study reported a 55% rise in deaths due to extreme heat and that excessive heat also led to a loss of 167.2 billion potential labour hours among Indians in 2021.

Impact on the wheat yields: India produced 106.84 million tonnes of wheat in the 2021-22 crop season, less than the 109.59 million tonnes in the 2020-21 season. This is due to the hotter-than-usual March that impacted the crop during its growth phase.

What are the challenges in predicting the impact of heat waves this year?

This is because, a) Only after March, the global forecast models can be able to analyse sea-surface conditions and can credibly extrapolate, b) The interplay between local weather and climate is complex, and c) The science continues to be uncertain about the impact of climate change on rising heatwave intensities. 

What should be done to reduce the impact of heat waves in India?

a) Public health systems should be more responsive to the challenges from rising temperatures, b) Several States have action plans and early warning initiatives but inadequate outreach, particularly in rural India. This should be addressed, c) Promote newer crop varieties that mature early, d) Greater emphasis on aiding farmers to tweak soil and water management practices to adapt to the impact of heat waves.

Combining social welfare and capital markets through SSE

News: Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has given approval to the National Stock Exchange of India to set up a Social Stock Exchange (SSE). SSE was presented in the Union Budget 2019.

What is a Social Stock Exchange (SSE)?

Click Here to Read

Who can invest in SSE?

Retail investors can only invest in securities offered by for-profit social enterprises (FPSEs) under the Main Board.

In all other cases, only institutional investors and non-institutional investors can invest in securities issued by SEs.

What are the eligibility criteria to be listed as a social enterprise?

Any non-profit organisation (NPO) or for-profit social enterprise (FPSEs) that establishes the social intent would be recognised as a social enterprise (SE). This will make them eligible to be registered or listed on the SSE.

Further, seventeen eligibility criteria are listed under Regulations of SEBI’s ICDR (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2018.

Some of them are that enterprises must be serving to eradicate either a) hunger, b) poverty, c) malnutrition and inequality; d) promoting education, e) employability, among others.

Which organisations are not be eligible as social enterprise?

Corporate foundations, political or religious organisations or activities, professional or trade associations, infrastructure and housing companies (except affordable housing) would not be identified as an SE.

Further, NPOs which are dependent on corporates for more than 50% of its funding are also not eligible to be listed as SE.

How can NPOs raise money?

NPOs can raise money either through issuance of Zero Coupon Zero Principal (ZCZP) Instruments from private placement or public issue, or donations from mutual funds. It must be registered with SSE to issue the bonds.

The ZCZP must have a specific tenure and can only be issued for a specific project or activity that is to be completed within a specified duration.

It must also provide past experience in the social sector in order to acquire investor confidence and tackle concerns about potential default.

Moreover, NPOs may also choose to register on the SSE and not raise funds through it but via other means. However, they would have to make necessary disclosures about it.

What is the difference between ZCZP bonds and conventional bonds?

ZCZP bonds differ from conventional bonds in the sense that it entails zero coupon and no principal payment at maturity.

The conventional bonds provide a fixed interest (or repayment) on the funds raised through varied contractual agreement, whereas ZCZP would not provide any such return, instead promising a social return.

What are other methods through which NPOs can raise money?

Another finance method available to NPOs is the Development Impact Bonds (DIB). DIBs are results-based contracts.

Under DIBs, NPOs initially raise money from ‘Risk Funder’. They finance the project on a pre-payment basis and also bear the risk of non-delivery of social metrics.

After the project has been completed and delivered on pre-agreed social metrices at pre-agreed costs/rates, a grant is made to the NPO.

The donor who makes the grant upon achieving the social metrics is referred to as ‘Outcome Funders’.

How can For-Profit Enterprises (FPEs) raise money?

FPEs need not register with social stock exchanges to raise funds. However, it must comply with all provisions of the ICDR Regulations when raising through the SSE.

It can raise money through issue of equity shares or issuing equity shares to an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) including Social Impact Fund or issue of debt instruments.

What disclosures are required to be made to SEBI?

SEBI’s regulations state that a social enterprise should submit an annual impact report. The report must be audited by a social audit firm and has to be submitted within 90 days from the end of the financial year.

Listed NPOs are required to provide the details on the quarterly basis about the money raised and utilised.

New thermal plants: A reality check

News: Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has been given the task to frame the National Electricity Plan (NEP). The draft recommends creation of new capacity of up to 51 GW of coal-fired plants.

What are the concerns associated with the creation of new capacity of coal-fired plants?

One of the major concerns is the environmental. The recommendation has come at a time when India is committed to a net-zero emissions by 2070.

States like Haryana, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, are planning to set up new capacities of coal-fired plants and these new capacities are mostly located away from coal-bearing states. This ultimately adds burden of transporting coal.

Why has draft NEP recommended setting up new thermal power plants?

It is because the growth in renewables is not fast enough to cater to the rising power demand.

According to the estimates, even if the renewable energy capacity grows at four times the pace it has grown, India would need new thermal power plants.

What can be the probable alternative solution to the recommendation made by the draft NEP?

Instead of setting up new plants, it would be better to improve the performance of the existing plants and add capacity to existing stations or brownfield expansion.

The draft NEP projects about 55 percent plant load factor (PLF) by 2026-27 and 61 percent by 2031-32. However, it is feasible to achieve above 70 percent PLF by maintaining the existing plants.

Thus, it would save capital investment in the new thermal power plants and mobilize it towards establishing renewable capacities.

What can be the course of action?

There has been a sudden rise in power demand in the post-Covid period and states are facing supply challenges. Therefore, they prefer to consider the view of having their own capacity.

However, instead of infusing fresh capex, it is better to invite offers from private developers who may set up capacity outside the state and contracting power from generators who may have untied capacity, etc.

This would help in utilizing the capex for renewables and it will also help railways to utilize its freight services for other goods because it is the railways which bear the burden of transporting coal to thermal power plants.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Constitution of Greater Panna Landscape Council

Source: The post is based on the article “Constitution of Greater Panna Landscape Council” published in PIB on 2nd March 2023.

What is the News?

Government of India has constituted Greater Panna Landscape Council(GPLC) under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, Govt of Madhya Pradesh.

Why was the Greater Panna Landscape Council(GPLC) constituted?

Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) is the first interlinking of rivers project under the National Perspective Plan(NPP).  It would be a game-changer for the socio-economic prosperity of the Bundelkhand region, which faces recurrent drought situations.

As part of this project, the Wildlife Institute of India(WII) has prepared a comprehensive Integrated Landscape Management Plan(ILMP) for the conservation of wildlife and biodiversity not only in Panna Tiger Reserve(PTR) but also in surrounding areas.

To ensure systematic and time-bound implementation of ILMP, the Greater Panna Landscape Council(GPLC) has been constituted.

What is the aim of the Greater Panna Landscape Council(GPLC)?

Aim: To ensure a “win-win” situation for conservation through integration with the development process based on a balanced approach and considering the diverse stakes. 

Objectives: 1) To enable the betterment of habitat, protection, and management for flagship species viz. tiger, vulture, and gharial in the landscape 2) To consolidate the landscape for overall biodiversity conservation through spatial prioritization and well-being of the forest-dependent communities and 3) To provide species-specific and site-specific monitoring strategies under the integrated landscape management in context with a feedback loop and adaptive management options.

Windsor Framework: What is the deal UK and EU have reached to solve the Northern Ireland Protocol tangle

Source: The post is based on the following articles: 

— “Windsor Framework: What is the deal UK and EU have reached to solve the Northern Ireland Protocol tangle” published in Indian Express on 2nd March 2023.

— “Explained | Understanding the Windsor framework” published in The Hindu on 2nd March 2023.

What is the News?

The UK government under Prime Minister has reached a landmark deal called the “Windsor Framework” with the European Union (EU) on post-Brexit trade rules that will govern Northern Ireland.

The ‘Windsor Framework’ will replace the Northern Ireland Protocol, which led to significant disagreements between the UK and European Union (EU).

Background of Northern Ireland

The island of Ireland comprises the Republic of Ireland, which is a sovereign country, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.

The political split on the island was exacerbated by growing tensions, especially from the 1960s onwards between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

This dark saga on the island ended only after the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998 between the UK Prime Minister and the Republic of Ireland respectively. 

A key takeaway from the Agreement was, respecting the wishes of the majority of the people of Northern Ireland, the province would remain a part of the U.K.

What is the Northern Ireland Protocol?

It was a deal struck between the UK and the European Union that determined what the trade rules would be for Northern Ireland after Brexit.

Northern Ireland shares a land border with Ireland, which is an EU member, over which goods move freely because there are no checkpoints.

Given all sides were committed to keeping that land border open, the UK and EU agreed that the inspection of goods would be conducted between Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) and Northern Ireland. ​​

This effectively created a customs border between two different parts of the UK – Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

What is the Windsor Framework?

Source: The Hindu

The Windsor Framework is aimed at significantly reducing the number of checks. It proposes two crucial aspects: 

Lanes: Two lanes would be created for goods arriving in Northern Ireland from Great Britain:

A green lane for goods will remain in Northern Ireland. Products going through the green lane would see checks and paperwork scrapped.

A red lane for goods that may be sent on to the EU.

Red lane goods would still be subject to checks.

Stormont Brake: It allows Northern Ireland lawmakers and London to veto any EU regulation.

The veto is applicable if they believe that the regulation affects the region adversely.

Union Power Minister launches Star-rated appliances program and iDEEKSHA Portal

Source: The post is based on the article “Union Power Minister launches Star-rated appliances program and iDEEKSHA Portal” published in PIB on 2nd March 2023.

What is the News?

The Union Minister of Power has launched the Voluntary Star Labelling Programme for multi-door refrigerators, table- and wall-mounted fans, pedestal fans, and induction hobs.

The Minister also launched the iDEEKSHA Portal.

What is the Star Labeling Programme?

Star Labeling Program has been formulated by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency(BEE) as part of its mandate under the Energy Conservation Act, of 2001.

Aim: To provide consumers an informed choice regarding the energy savings and thereby the cost-saving potential of various energy-consuming appliances.

– This scheme prescribes minimum energy performance levels for appliances/ equipment, rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most energy efficient.

– Presently, the programme covers the star labeling program for 34 appliances, including the four newly-added energy-efficient appliances.

What is iDEEKSHA Portal?

iDEEKSHA is a platform developed under the Accelerating Smart Power and Renewable Energy (ASPIRE) Technical 1 Assistance Programme.

– Note: ASPIRE is a bilateral programme implemented by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, Government of the UK in association with the Ministry of Power and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

Purpose: iDEEKSHA is designed to serve as a one-stop shop for all energy efficiency and decarbonization needs of Indian energy-intensive industries.

– It aims to facilitate the exchange of information, knowledge and experience, and best practices related to the wide gamut of stakeholders such as industries, industrial associations, technology and service providers and research institutions, etc.

CE-20 cryogenic engine: ISRO successful in key test for India’s third moon mission

Source: The post is based on the article “CE-20 cryogenic engine: ISRO successful in key test for India’s third moon mission” published in The Hindu on 2nd March 2023.

What is the News?

Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) has successfully conducted the flight acceptance hot test of the CE-20 cryogenic engine that will power the Cryogenic Upper Stage of the LVM3 launch vehicle for the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

What is CE-20 Cryogenic Engine?

The CE-20 is a cryogenic rocket engine developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, a subsidiary of the Indian Space Research Organisation. 

It has been developed to power the upper stage of the LVM 3 launch vehicle.

It is the first Indian cryogenic engine to feature a gas-generator cycle.

The high-thrust cryogenic engine is the most powerful upper-stage cryogenic engine in operational service.

What is a Cryogenic Engine?

The cryogenic stage is technically a very complex system due to its use of propellants at extremely low temperatures.

They are complex but highly efficient and provide better thrust for each kilogram of fuel burnt when compared to the traditional solid and liquid propellant rocket stages.

It typically makes use of liquid oxygen (LOX), which liquefies at -183 deg C, and liquid hydrogen (LH2), which liquefies at -253 deg C.

LH2 acts as the fuel, while LOX acts as the oxidizer that explosively reacts with the hydrogen, producing thrust. When the engine ignites, the two liquids are pushed into a combustion chamber by a booster pump continuously.

Significance: Only six countries have developed their own cryogenic engines: the US, France/European Space Agency, Russia, China, Japan, and India.

All five S­400 regiments expected to be delivered by early 2024

All five S­400 regiments expected to be delivered by early 2024 The post is based on the article “All five S­400 regiments expected to be delivered by early 2024” published in The Hindu on 2nd March 2023.

What is the News?

Indian Air Force (IAF) has received the third regiment of the S-400 `Triumf’ air defence missile system from Russia.

This means that out of the five S-400s India had ordered, three have reached India and the balance two are expected to be delivered before the year ends or early 2024.

What is the S-400 Triumf Missile defence system?

Click Here to read

What are the obstacles faced by India-Russia in the S-400 deal?

In 2018, India signed a deal with Russia for five S­400 regiments. The deal has been delayed from the start.

The possibility of American sanctions in the form of Counter America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) loomed large over India’s decision to purchase the S-400.

The payments troubles compounded after Russia was shut out of the global SWIFT system for money transfers. India and Russia have agreed to conduct payments through the rupee ­rouble arrangement.

Further, the transportation and finding cargo carriers outside the purview of sanctions and their insurance has also been a major issue.

Philanthropy by India’s super rich falls by a third in FY22, says report

Source: The post is based on the article “Philanthropy by India’s super rich falls by a third in FY22, says report” published in Business Standard on 2nd March 2023.

What is the News?

Dasra and Bain & Co have released the India Philanthropy Report 2023.

What are the key findings of the report?

Philanthropic contributions made by India’s Ultra High Networth Individuals or UHNIs (net wealth of over Rs 1,000 crore): It has fallen sharply to Rs 4,230 crore in FY22, from Rs 11,821 crore the previous financial year.

– This dramatic fall in philanthropic contributions by almost a third, was due to the fact that contributions by the Azim Premji Foundation dropped by Rs 9,000 crore due to a share buyback of Wipro.

– However, this fall in the quantum of philanthropic contributions has taken place despite the fact that UHNI net wealth in India went up by 9.2% in FY22.

– This clearly shows that Indian UHNIs are not giving away as much of their wealth as their counterparts do in the US, UK and China.The average contribution of UNHIs in India was only 0.06% of their net worth, compared to 1.37% in the US, 0.33% in the UK and 0.38% in China in FY22.

Corporate social responsibility(CSR) spending: CSR spending grew at 13% since 2017, reaching ₹27,000 crore in 2021-2022 with healthcare and education cornering the lion’s share of total funding. 

– However, despite the buoyant numbers, CSR activity has not been evenly distributed in India.About 50% of state-specific CSR spending is directed towards just a few states, namely Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

Lutyens’ bungalows, RBI, encroachments are ‘forests’ in govt’s forest cover map

Source: The post is based on the article “Lutyens’ bungalows, RBI, encroachments are ‘forests’ in govt’s forest cover map” published in Indian Express on 2nd March 2023.

What is the News?

In Delhi, bungalows of ministers and senior officers, even the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) building on Sansad Marg are shown as “forest” in the official forest cover map.

What is the issue with India’s forest cover shown in government records?

For over four decades, around one-fifth of India has remained consistently under green cover on government records.

The Forest Survey of India (FSI) publishes this forest cover data in its biennial State of Forest Reports (SFRs).

Ground verification of the FSI’s latest (SFR 2021) forest cover data offered a glimpse of what can be labeled as forest under the official interpretation of satellite images.

For instance, official forest cover maps have shown forests as private plantations on encroached and cleared reserve forest land, tea gardens, betel nut clusters, village homesteads, roadside trees, urban housing areas, VIP residences, parts of educational and medical institutes, etc.

Why are bungalows of ministers, RBI buildings shown as “forest” in the official forest cover map?

The explanation lies in India’s definition of forest cover.

The global standard for “forest” is provided by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations: at least 1 hectare of land with a minimum of 10% percent tree canopy cover.

The FAO definition of forests does not include areas “predominantly under agriculture or urban land use” in a forest.

But India counts all 1-hectare plots with 10% canopy cover “irrespective of land use” as forest. This broad definition, experts say, inflates the country’s forest cover.

Due to this definition of forest cover, patches of land like bungalows of ministers, and RBI buildings may look green from the sky, but they do not support a fraction of the biodiversity we associate with a forest.

What are the other issues with India’s forest cover?

Over the years, several independent studies have reported a significant loss of forests in India. According to Global Forest Watch, a World Resources Institute platform, India lost 1,270 sq km of natural forest between 2010 and 2021.

But the FSI reported a gain of 2,462 sq km in dense forest and 21,762 sq km in overall forest cover for the same period.

India calls upon G20 countries for faster extradition of fugitive economic offenders

Source: The post is based on the article “India calls upon G20 countries for faster extradition of fugitive economic offenders” published in The Hindu on 2nd March 2023.

What is the News?

India has called upon G20 countries to adopt multilateral action for faster extradition of fugitive economic offenders (FEOs) and recovery of assets both on the domestic front as well as from abroad.

What are Fugitive Economic Offenders(FEO)?

Fugitive Economic Offenders Act,2018 has defined the term Fugitive Economic Offender(FEO).

FEO is defined as an individual against whom a warrant of arrest in relation to scheduled offence has been issued by any court in India and who has left the country to avoid criminal prosecution, or the FEO abroad refuses to return to face criminal prosecution.

The act lists 55 economic offences in the Schedule, which include: (i) counterfeiting government stamps or currency, (ii) dishonouring cheques, (iii) benami transactions, (iv) transactions defrauding creditors, (v) tax evasion, and (vi) money-laundering. The central government may amend the Schedule through a notification.

What is the process for declaring an individual an FEO?

Under the Act, an application must be filed in the special court asking that a particular individual may be declared an FEO.

The application must be accompanied by reasons for the belief that an individual is a fugitive economic offender; any information available as to the whereabouts of the fugitive economic offender; a list of properties or the value of such properties believed to be the proceeds of crime, etc.

The special court may then issue notice to the individual to appear at a specified place, and drop the proceedings if the individual complies.

If, however, the special court is satisfied that an individual is an FEO, it may record so in order, along with reasons. The court may then order the confiscation of the properties of the accused individual in India or abroad

Why has India called for multilateral action against FEOs?

India has called upon G20 countries to adopt multilateral action for faster extradition of fugitive economic offenders (FEOs) and recovery of assets both on the domestic front and from abroad.

This will allow for an effective investigation and speedy trial for the related offence and this would also help the banks and other financial institutions and tax authorities to achieve recovery from defaults committed by such FEOs.

This will help in restoring, to some extent, the overall health of these banks and other financial institutions, while eliminating the possibility of further misuse of these funds.