Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• Vaikom, a satyagraha, and the fight for social justice

GS Paper 2

• Safe urban spaces for all shouldn’t be a long haul
• Doctors must embrace Right to Health Bill, not protest against it

GS Paper 3

• The issues with the Quality Control Orders for fibres
• Women Not In Job Market? It’s A Myth
• Laud the failure of J&J’s shot at patent evergreening
• The country mustn’t get entangled in a web of fake news
• Colombian hippopotamus: Hippos are coming
• Giving International Court of Justice a say could make climate-related processes more justice-oriented

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra tea gets European GI tag
• Vembanad, Ashtamudi: NGT slaps Rs 10 crore on Kerala for its failure to protect Ramsar sites
• Gujarat: CAG finds 117 hectares of mangroves destroyed in Kutch; asks govt to save ‘Kharai” breed of camels from extinction
• Drugs for rare diseases get customs duty relief
• ISRO releases images of Earth captured by its EOS-06 satellite
• New India Literacy Program(NLIP) – Back to school: 22.7 lakh adults sit for literacy and numeracy skills exams this year
• UPI transaction fee: Do prepaid cards, wallets stand to lose?
• Govt. concedes disinvestment stalled by multiple challenges
• In India’s G20 presidency year, recalling its diplomatic role in the Korean War seven decades ago
• Scientists spot piezoelectric effect in liquids for the first time

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

Vaikom, a satyagraha, and the fight for social justice

News– The article explains the Vaikom movement.

What are some facts about the Vaikom movement?

Vaikom was a temple street entry movement launched in 1924.

The purpose was to end the prohibition imposed on backward communities in using the roads around the Vaikom Mahadeva temple.

It was launched by leaders in Kerala such as T.K. Madhavan, K.P. Kesava Menon and George Joseph, on the advice of Mahatma Gandhi. The movement was sustained and successfully conducted by Periyar E.V. Ramasamy.

How the movement started and sustained with time?

The committee against untouchability launched the protest on March 30, 1924, when three persons from various communities were prevented from entering the temple streets.

The protest sustained itself for more than one and a half years, leading to many arrests and satyagrahis being jailed. Police started to arrest the leaders of the protest.

Their arrests created a vacuum as there was no leader to lead the protest. Then Periyar decided to lead the protest.

As a mark of appreciation, the editor of Tamil journal Navasakthi and scholar, Thiru. Vi. Kalyanasundaram, conferred the title Vaikom Veerar on Periyar.

What are some significant events related to movement?

The Vaikom movement consists of day­to­day protests, arrests, of inquiries, jail terms and agitations.

There was also the support of the higher castes for a 13-day march to the capital. A resolution was introduced in the Assembly in support of the free entry to the streets around the temple (Sanchara). But it was defeated.

Mahatma Gandhi arrived to negotiate between the government, protesters and orthodox Hindus. Since Mahatma Gandhi insisted that it should be a local protest, requests to make it a pan-­India movement failed.

The traditionalists caused many troubles for the satyagrahis. It included counter rallies marked by violence. The resolution for the right to sanchara was defeated in the Assembly by the open support of the traditionalists. They were backed by the government and the administration.

Tamil Nadu played a pivotal role in Vaikom Satyagraha. Periyar and Kovai Ayyamuthu, a firebrand leader, worked in tandem with leaders in Kerala. But they faced repressive action.

How does the movement end?

The movement ended on November 23, 1925. The 19 leaders, including Periyar, Kesava Menon and T.K. Madhavan, was released on August 30, 1924.

The rally by the upper castes that began on November 1, reached Trivandrum on November 13, submitting its memorandum to the Queen regent.

Mahatma Gandhi held talks with the Queen of Travancore, social reformer Narayana Guru, traditionalists and police commissioner W.H. Pitt.

On November 17, the satyagrahis announced their decision to withdraw their protest. On November 23, the government of the Travancore princely state declared that people could enter three of the four streets around Vaikom temple.

GS Paper 2

Safe urban spaces for all shouldn’t be a long haul

News– The article deals with lack of access to safe and hygienic facilities for women.

What are some statistics related to coverage of Swachh Bharat Mission?

Swachh Bharat was begun on an impressive scale. Over 100 million toilets were built across rural India within a span of five years. In 2019, the country was declared “open defecation free” (ODF).

The Phase II of the mission started to sustain behavioral shifts by focusing on waste disposal, litter reduction, and stagnant water. Today, of India’s 594,240 villages, 235,708 are declared as “ODF-plus”.

How do women face difficulties in access to hygienic facilities and safe spaces?

Women still face not just an acute scarcity of public urinal facilities in cities. They also face the risk of acquiring infections from unhygienic lavatories. The private set-ups also lack these facilities.

Women who cannot work from home and have less control of their time schedules are more vulnerable.

They face safety issues in transport hubs or field-work trips by road, office spaces or institutional premises.

Doctors must embrace Right to Health Bill, not protest against it

News: The Rajasthan government has recently passed the Right to Health Act. This made Rajasthan the first state in India to pass the Right to Health (RTH) bill. But the doctors in the State are protesting and terming it as a ‘draconian law’.

About Rajasthan Right to Health bill

The bill allows free access to outpatient and inpatient services in all government and selected private hospitals in the state.

Why Rajasthan is the ideal state to formulate and implement the Right to Health bill?

Rajasthan is the ideal state to formulate and implement the Right to Health bill because, a) In 2022, “Healthy states, progressive India” report placed Rajasthan in 16th position among 19 big states, b) As per the National Family Health Survey -5 (2019-21), the infant mortality rate and the neonatal mortality rate in the state are 30.3 per 1,000 live births and 20.2 per 1,000 live births respectively, c) The doctor-population ratio of the state is at an astoundingly low level of five doctors per 10,000 population (in comparison, it is 21 per 10,000 population in Jammu and Kashmir).

What are the expected benefits of the Right to Health bill?

a) Rajasthan’s RTH is a legal entitlement for the patient which will prevent many doctors from extracting (not earning) money from patients, b) Rajasthan has one of the highest incidences of violence against healthcare professionals in the country. Violence against healthcare professionals is due to mistrust between patients and doctors. The RTH bill will increase trust in the system, and c) Ensure doctors work hand-in-hand with the poor and the have-nots.

Why there are oppositions to the Right to health act?

-Assault on private “business model”: As per official data, more than 78% of healthcare in India is now delivered by private players. At this juncture, providing free emergency treatment and care will upset the entire private healthcare model foundation.

Doctors’ mistrust of the system: This is due to two key reasons a) There is no clear definition of what can be classified as a medical emergency, b) Bureaucratic and political control to admitting or reimbursing payment for patients. The protest shows doctors’ naivety in failing to embrace a historic moment in patient care in this country.

What should be done?

The easiest way to make the society good is to bring equality and justice and this may be at the cost of the physician’s ability to earn money. The RTH Bill just aims to achieve that.

GS Paper 3

The issues with the Quality Control Orders for fibres

News: The article discusses the revised Quality Control Orders (QCO) issued for the textile industry.

About revised Quality Control Orders (QCO)

A revised Quality Control Orders (QCO) have been issued for fibres (cotton, polyester and viscose). These fibres constitute the basic raw materials for the majority of the Indian textile and clothing industry.

Under the revised QCO, international manufacturers of these fibres, who supply to India, are also mandated to get a certificate of quality control from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). BIS is the certifying authority for the QCOs.

What is the aim of the revised Quality Control Orders (QCO)?

The Indian textiles manufacturers import fibres due to the cost competitiveness, non-availability in the domestic market, or to meet a specified demand of the overseas buyer.

The fibres imported are often sub-quality and cheaper which does not cater the demand of the buyers.

Therefore, the main aim of the QCO is to control import of sub-quality and cheaper items and to ensure that customers get quality products. 

What are the challenges associated with the revised QCO?

First, it is difficult to get a BIS certificate as it involves cost and many would not be interested in getting the certificate.

This will make the Indian textile manufacturers, who are dependent on these suppliers for the raw material, to either look at other suppliers or lose orders.

Second, BIS officials have to visit the manufacturing unit abroad before issuing the certificate. This makes the process time consuming and the process is yet to be completed for all suppliers who have already applied for the BIS registration.

There is also no clarity on the fibres that were shipped to India before the certification.

Third, the domestic and international textile buyers have established a supply chain over the years and BIS certification may cause disruptions to it.

Fourth, some varieties of viscose or polyester fibres have special functional properties and separate HS (Harmonised Commodity Description and Coding System) code when imported.

The textile industry imports just small quantities of such fibres and restricting its availability will deny Indian consumers of niche products.

Fifth, there is also a fear of costs going up for basic garments.

What can be the way ahead?

First, the textile industry is of the view that import of specialty fibres that are used as blends with other fibres should be made available without restriction.

Second, any overseas applicant for the BIS certificate should get it without delay after inspection.

Third, concerns exist regarding textile units using inferior fibres that aren’t covered by the QCO, and financial assistance required by MSME yarn mills to set up laboratories to test quality of the products.

Therefore, the QCO should be applied only after the uncertainties have been resolved and the anomalies have been corrected.

Women Not In Job Market? It’s A Myth

News: The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) often in its various reports has shown low female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) in India. However, this might not be true.

Why is low female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) shown in India?

FLFPR is shown low despite the fact that 15% of pilots in India are women which is the highest in the world. And, as per the World Bank, 42.7% of women in India were STEM graduates in 2018.

The low FLFPR as per the PLFS is because India fails the “smell test” or the “duck test”. This implies that the actual FLFPR is higher from what is shown.

Further, NSSO data for 2004/05 showed FLFPR to be 35% but in 2011/12 this figure dropped to 26.1%

The reason behind the decline in FLFPR is because of the changed definition of the ILO from 2011.

The changed ILO definitions says that production towards home consumption (e.g., care-taking of cattle for milk consumed at home) would no longer be counted as “work for pay or profit”. This dropped millions of women from FLFPR.

Note: Duck test refers to identification of something by its habitual characteristics.

Must Read: PLFS findings on FLFPR: More women in the labour force must not lead us to complacency

How can there be an increase in the FLFPR?

FLPR can be increased by the enrolment of women in India at all levels of education.

The new generation (between 25 and 30 years) will cause the FLFPR to increase because higher education leads to greater work participation.

Further, Indian women have a fertility rate less than the replacement rate of 2.1 and dropping. And attitudes around the world (and in India) towards childcare are changing.

Therefore, having babies is no longer a constraint towards FLFPR.

What is the way ahead?

First, there has been an increase in female enrolment in higher education, i.e., from two-fifths of male enrolment in 1983 to now 83%. The ratio is 95% in the dominant enrolment age group of 15-22 years.

Second, labour force participation rates for women are now equal to, or higher, than the level observed in 2011 (if no change in ILO definition is considered).

Third, adjusted weekly LFPR status for all women is now at 38.7%, which is two percentage points above 2011.

Therefore, the issue of low FLFPR given by the PLFS in its various reports should not be considered as a matter of concern.

The growing enrollment with increasing FLFPR must be acknowledged by the policy makers and international organizations.

Source: Times of India

Note: Three different definitions of LFPR are – weekly status, long-term employment (usual status), and weekly LFPR adjusted for education (i.e., one is considered “in work force” if attending school).

Laud the failure of J&J’s shot at patent evergreening

News– Last week, when the Indian Patent Office rejected an application by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to extend its patent on its TB drug Bedaquiline beyond its primary patent’s expiry this July.

Why is there a need for proactive action against TB?

TB is an ancient airborne disease. It is one of the deadliest infectious killers. According to the WHO, 10.6 million were infected by the disease in 2021 and an estimated 1.6 million people died.

India bears the world’s largest burden of TB as well as its multi-drug resistant version

(MDR-TB).

Due to resistance to existing medications, strains have emerged that could evade the effects of various drugs. It means fewer treatment options, lower survival rates and a much longer duration of treatment.

The drugs have harrowing side effects ranging from kidney and liver disorders to permanent deafness.

What are some facts about the Bedaquiline drug?

It is used against advanced TB. It has improved cure rates. It is also observed to be a safer alternative to injectables such as Kanamycin and Amikacin.

WHO has advised the countries to scale up its use, with certain caveats.

What are provisions in the Indian patent act to safeguard the interests of citizens?

The Indian patent act has special provisions to prevent evergreening. These were introduced

through an amendment to the Indian Patents Act in 2005.

It ensures that a patent is not granted to a new form or use of a known substance, unless the modification shows enhanced efficacy.

These provisions have acted as important public-health safeguards. It has allowed the timely entry of generics and helped to bring down the cost of life-saving drugs. It makes them more accessible.

What will be the future implications of the order?

The failure of J&J’s evergreening attempt will let other drug-makers manufacture and sell this life-saving drug after July 2023. Competition will ensure its price drop.

The national TB programme currently relies on J&J supplies for its Bedaquiline requirement. It will be able to procure the drug from other players expected to enter the market.

India exports generic drugs to several low-income countries where TB prevalence is high. So, patients elsewhere will also be able to access this drug at reasonable cost.

The country mustn’t get entangled in a web of fake news

News– The events during the Covid19 shows the disrupting potential of fake news.

What are some examples related to the impact of fake news?

Fake news during the Covid hit the poultry sector hard. As per research note published by ICAR-Central Avian Research Institute, industry’s losses were over $3 billion.

According to the All India Poultry Breeders Association, Indian poultry farmers faced an average loss of about ₹50 per kg as a result of rumors.

The misinformation on the Indian poultry industry had socio-economic ramifications. Stakeholders operating at different levels of the value chain had multiple forms of impacts. They faced social and psychological distress.

Farmers could not sell their chicken for a long period of time during the pandemic. As procurement dropped sharply, they were left with culling as their only option. This led to both short- and long-term financial adversities for farmers.

How fake news works?

Fake news rarely works in isolation. A message that might look harmless has the potential to impact many livelihoods.

Research shows that misleading or manipulative information relies on psychological mechanisms. In times of anxiety, a defence mechanism could kick. It helps the mind to deny the seriousness of a threat.

Why does India need to act decisively to deal with fake news?

India has an estimated 850 million active internet users. This growth has seen a parallel boom of misinformation. NCRB shows a spike in fake news cases under Section 505 of the IPC across the country in 2020.

The fact-checking agency of Lok Sabha busted 1,160 rumours since its inception in November 2019.

Newschecker.in identified 2,824 instances of misinformation across nine languages in 2021 alone. Since a vast number of cases go unreported. The actual prevalence of the problem is significantly worse.

Artificial intelligence tools that create photo-realistic images have added to the menace.

India has had no specific legislation to regulate fake news. The government relies on insufficient provisions such as the Information Technology Act and IPC.

What is the way forward to deal with fake news?

Better campaigns aimed at generating media literacy among users of social media are needed.  It is incumbent upon all users, however, to identify fake news and think hard before we share anything over the internet.

The upcoming Digital India bill is expected to have measures against fake news. In framing rules, there is a need to understand the gravity of the problem.

The anticipated law itself does not end up becoming a weapon against free expression.

It is crucial for the bill to appropriately define the term ‘fake news’.

Colombian hippopotamus: Hippos are coming

News: In the late 1980s, the founder and leader of the Medellin Cartel in Colombia brought a few hippos as a collection of his exotic animals. After his death in 1993, four of the hippopotamus escaped and have since multiplied.

Recently, the Colombian government has decided to relocate 70 such hippopotamus – and 60 are reportedly going to come to India.

Note: These are called as ‘cocaine hippos’ as they were brought to the country by a drug lord.

What is Hippopotamus?

They are also called as river horse.

These are semi-aquatic herbivores, which have often been posited as a “missing link” between land-based and marine mammals (whales, seals, etc).

They are known to kill creatures as massive as the Nile crocodile and kill more humans than any large carnivore in the African continent.

What will be the benefit for India if Colombian hippopotamus arrives in India?

Their arrival to India can serve many a purpose. They will make for a great tourist attraction. Like the cheetahs at Kuno in Madhya Pradesh, the “river horse” could lead to a jump in tourists for whichever state(s) receives them.

Giving International Court of Justice a say could make climate-related processes more justice-oriented

News: Recently, a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution has asked the International Court of Justice to evaluate options under international law for suing countries failing to avert climate emergencies.

About the UNGA resolution on climate injustice

The resolution was sponsored by the small Pacific island nation, Vanuatu. It was adopted unanimously by the UNGA.

According to the UNGA, the resolution will provide clarity to states on their obligations under international law to protect their people, now and in the future, from climate impacts.

Reason for adoption: Many countries are now asserting their right to reparations after climate emergencies, for example, Pakistan.

What is the significance of the UNGA resolution on climate injustice?

a) The ICJ’s opinion will not be binding but its pronouncements carry moral weight, b) The resolution reflects the frustration of the international community — especially of small island countries — with the procedures of the global climate agencies, particularly the UNFCCC, c) The resolution testifies to the global consensus on the climate crisis, d) The advisory could set the stage for countries incorporating climate justice in their legal frameworks. Just like the UN Declaration of Human Rights has found a place in statute books across the world and e) The intervention of ICJ could make climate-related processes more justice-oriented.

What are the previous instances where climate change negotiations were taken by a non-environmental UN forum?

Global warming has been part of the UN Security Council’s agenda since 2007. From time to time in the past 15 years, the UNSC has tried to frame the issue from a security standpoint, instead of looking at it from only a developmental or environmental perspective.

However, both India and China have rightly resisted the securitisation of climate change.

What should be done?

Though the UNGA resolution on climate injustice is talking about rights and justice instead of securitisation, holding individual countries to account for their climate inaction will have many challenges.

Instead of continuing climate change negotiations on a non-environmental UN forum, the nations should work on reforming the UNFCCC. UNFCCC need to be more equity-sensitive and justice-oriented. But for that, it requires support from wealthy members like the US.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra tea gets European GI tag

Source: The post is based on the article “Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra tea gets European GI tag” published in The Tribune on 29th March 2023.

What is the News?

Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra Tea has got a European Union Geographical Indication Tag (GI tag).

Note: Kangra tea received the Indian GI tag in 2005.

About Kangra tea

It is a type of tea derived from the leaves, buds and tender stems of the Camellia sinensis species as cultivated in the Kangra valley (Himachal Pradesh, India).

Main characteristics of the kangra tea:

-It have multi-stemmed frame, and narrow leaves.

-‘Kangra tea’ has distinctive nutty, winter-green, woody floral aromas in its flavour profile. The ‘Kangra tea’ imparts a sweet aftertaste.

-‘Kangra tea’ has a light colour and high body in liquor.

Grown in: Kangra tea is grown 900-1,400 meters above sea level, on the slopes of the Dhauladhar mountain range in the Western Himalayas.

It is planted from seed stock raised in the Kangra valley and other selected varieties for the region.

Rain: The Kangra area yearly receives high amounts of rainfall. For example, the city of Dharmshala and its surrounding areas are recorded to be the second highest rain-receiving areas after Mawsynram of Meghalaya state in India.

Nutritional contents: ‘Kangra tea’ leaves contain up to 13% of catechins and up to 3% of caffeine and amino acids such as theanine, glutamine, and tryptophan.

Method of production: It is produced using high efficiency whole leaf-orthodox manufacture. It means that ‘Kangra tea’ is made up of whole leaf and flavour-enriched leaves with the highest content of polyphenols (catechins).

Advantages: The tag will help Kangra tea to get an opportunity to enter the European market.

Vembanad, Ashtamudi: NGT slaps Rs 10 crore on Kerala for its failure to protect Ramsar sites

Source: The post is based on the article “Vembanad, Ashtamudi: NGT slaps Rs 10 crore on Kerala for its failure to protect Ramsar sites” published in The Hindu on 31st March 2023

What is the News?

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a penalty of Rs 10 crore on the Kerala government for failing to protect the Vembanad and Ashtamudi lakes, which are included in the Ramsar list of wetlands.

What is Vembanad Lake?

Click Here to read

What is Ashtamudi Lake?

Ashtamudi Lake is located in Kerala

It is a backwater lake. The lake is also called the gateway to the backwaters of Kerala.

The importance of Ashtamudi Kayal dates back to the times of the Romans and Phoenicians in the 14th century. It was considered as one of the most important ports among the five ports used for Chinese trade.

Kallada River is a major river discharging into the Ashtamudi Lake.

There is a famous island in this lake called Munroe island. It is a group of eight small islands in this lake. 

Another island called Chavara south is said to be rich in minerals. It is a small village with factories set up for the extraction of the minerals present here. 

There is also another island called Thekkumbhagom island. This is also a small village and is significant because the composer of the first epic poetry in Malayalam named Azhakath Padmanabha Kurup hails from this village.

Gujarat: CAG finds 117 hectares of mangroves destroyed in Kutch; asks govt to save ‘Kharai” breed of camels from extinction

Source: The post is based on the article “Gujarat: CAG finds 117 hectares of mangroves destroyed in Kutch; asks govt to save ‘Kharai” breed of camels from extinction” published in Indian Express on 31st March 2023

What is the News?

Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its report tabled in the Gujarat Assembly has asked the government to preserve mangroves and save the ‘Kharai’ breed of camels.

What is Kharai?

The Kharai are a rare breed of camel found in the salt marshes of the Kutch district in the western state of Gujarat.

They are well adapted to the saline desert environment and are known for their ability to swim (hence also known as ‘swimming camel’).

They swim long distances in the sea to reach their grazing areas, usually more than 3 km at a time, even in deep waters.

They eat large volumes of mangroves or saline plant species. They live in a dual ecosystem of land and coast and are found only in Gujarat.

The Kharai was recognised as a separate breed in 2015 by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

What did the CAG report find?

CAG has found that nearly 117 hectares of mangroves have been destroyed.

The destruction of these mangroves in CRZ (Coastal Regulatory Zone) areas not only proves costly to ecosystems but also poses a threat of extinction to a unique breed of ‘Kharai’ camels which are dependent on the mangroves for their food.

Drugs for rare diseases get customs duty relief

Source: The post is based on the article “Drugs for rare diseases get customs duty relief” published in Indian Express on 31st March 2023

What is the News?

The Central Government has given full exemption from basic customs duty on all drugs and food for special medical purposes imported for personal use for the treatment of all Rare Diseases listed under the National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021.

What is the National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021?

Click Here to read

What is the significance of this exemption of basic customs duty on rare diseases?

Drugs or Special Foods required for the treatment of rare diseases are expensive and need to be imported.

It is estimated that for a child weighing 10 kg, the annual cost of treatment for some rare diseases, may vary from ₹10 lahks to more than ₹1 crore per year with treatment being lifelong and drug dose and cost, increasing with age and weight. 

This exemption from basic customs duty will result in substantial cost savings and provide much needed relief to the patients.

In order to avail this exemption, the individual importer has to produce a certificate from Central or State Director Health Services or the District Medical Officer/Civil Surgeon of the district. 

What is the tax on life-saving drugs and medicines?

Drugs/medicines generally attract basic customs duty of 10 per cent, while some categories of lifesaving drugs/vaccines attract a concessional rate of 5 per cent or nil.

ISRO releases images of Earth captured by its EOS-06 satellite

Source: ​​The post is based on the article “ISRO releases images of Earth captured by its EOS-06 satellite” published in The Hindu on 31st March 2023

What is the News?

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has released images of Earth captured by the EOS-06 satellite.

What is EOS-06?

Earth Observation satellite(EOS-6) is the third-generation satellite in the Oceansat series.

It was launched by ISRO onboard the PSLV-C54 along with eight Nano-satellites in 2022.

It provides continued services of Oceansat-2 with enhanced payload capability.

It carries four payloads: 1) Ocean Color Monitor (OCM-3), 2) Sea Surface Temperature Monitor (SSTM), 3) Ku-Band Scatterometer (SCAT-3) and 4) ARGOS.

Objectives:

To observe ocean color data, sea surface temperature and wind vector data to use in Oceanography, climatic and meteorological applications.

To support value-added products such as potential fishing zones using chlorophyll, Sea Surface Temperature(SST) and wind speed and land-based geophysical parameters

New India Literacy Program(NLIP) – Back to school: 22.7 lakh adults sit for literacy and numeracy skills exams this year

Source: The post is based on the article “Back to school: 22.7 lakh adults sit for literacy and numeracy skills exams this year” published in The Hindu on 31st March 2023

What is the News?

22.7 lakh adults from 10 states and union territories in India became qualified as literate adults in 2022-23 by passing an assessment test conducted under New India Literacy Program(NLIP).

More than 40% of the aspirant candidates were from Madhya Pradesh alone.

What is the New India Literacy Program(NLIP)?

Click Here to read

Volunteer driven programme:

NILP has been allocated ₹150 crore for 2022-23 of which nearly ₹80 crore was released to the States to kickstart the scheme.

However, this budget does not include funds to hire teachers, meaning that the entire scheme is volunteer-driven.

To bridge this gap, the Education Ministry encourages students and teachers to volunteer their time to teach adults. As an incentive for college students, a credit-based framework is being put in place with the help of the University Grants Commission.

What is the significance of the NLIP Scheme?

NLIP is the first government scheme that covers the missing age group of 15 to 18-year-old children who are at risk of dropping out of school. 

The Right To Education covers children till 14 years and adult literacy programmes target persons over 18 years.

UPI transaction fee: Do prepaid cards, wallets stand to lose?

Source: The post is based on the article “UPI transaction fee: Do prepaid cards, wallets stand to lose?” published in The Hindu on 31st March 2023

What is the News?

The National Payments Corp. of India (NPCI), has introduced an interchange fee of up to 1.1% on merchant UPI transactions made via prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) like wallets and prepaid cards from 1 April.

What does the NPCI circular say?

As per the circular by NPCI, certain UPI merchant transactions made via prepaid instruments will carry an interchange fee of up to 1.1% of the transaction amount.

The interchange fee will be applicable on specified categories of merchants such as online merchants, large merchants, and small merchants for transactions of over Rs 2,000 from April 1, 2023.

What about sending money to friends, family or any other person via UPI?

The interchange fee will not be applicable to peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions or peer-to-peer-merchant (P2PM) transactions between a bank and the prepaid wallet.

P2PM is the NPCI classification for small businesses which have a projected monthly inward UPI transaction of less than or equal to Rs 50,000. 

So, if one is sending money to friends, family or any other individual or a small business merchant’s bank account, it will not attract an interchange fee.

Which UPI payments will attract an interchange fee then?

Only certain merchant transactions made by prepaid payment instruments will attract the interchange fee. Wallets, smart cards, vouchers, magnetized chips come under prepaid payment instruments. A few examples of wallets are the Paytm wallet, PhonePe wallet, Amazon Pay, MobiKwik wallet, SODEXO vouchers.

Now suppose, one has money in his/her Paytm or PhonePe wallet and go to a store and scan the QR code and pay it from the wallet. If the transaction amount is above Rs 2,000, an interchange fee of up to 1.1% will be levied.

Who will have to pay these interchange fees?

Interchange fees are transaction fees that the merchant has to pay whenever a customer processes a transaction. 

So, if one is making a prepaid payment through UPI at a store using a PhonePe QR code, the merchant has to pay the interchange fee to the payment service provider, which is PhonePe here. Users do not have to pay any interchange fee.

How will this benefit the payment services providers such as Paytm, PhonePe, and Amazon Pay?

This decision is expected to bring in much-needed revenue for payment service providers, who have been struggling to maintain profitability due to the low-transaction fees on UPI transactions.

Govt. concedes disinvestment stalled by multiple challenges

Source: The post is based on the article “Govt. concedes disinvestment stalled by multiple challenges” published in The Hindu on 31st March 2023

What is the News?

The Finance Ministry has publicly acknowledged the numerous challenges it is facing in its efforts to privatize public sector enterprises (PSEs) and raise funds through minority stake sales.

Note: Finance Ministry had reduced the government’s disinvestment target for 2023-24 to a nine-year low of ₹51,000 crore.

What is disinvestment?

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How has disinvestment progressed in recent years?

Disinvestment receipts so far this year amount to just ₹35,282 crores as opposed to a Budget target of ₹65,000 crore and revised estimates of ₹50,000 crores. 

The privatization of Central Electronics and Pawan Hans had to be scrapped after being announced, owing to legal concerns about the winning bidders.   

The proposed privatization of BPCL and a SAIL unit — Bhadrawati Steel – had been called off due to lack of sufficient interest among bidders. 

The privatization of two public sector banks and one general insurance firm, announced in the Union Budget two years ago, is also off the table for now. 

What are the key obstacles faced by the government in the disinvestment process?

External Challenges: The Finance Ministry has noted that the COVID-19 pandemic seriously impacted transactions in 2020 and 2021. It was followed by the Ukraine conflict last year.

– These events impacted minority stake sales as well as strategic sales as financial capacity and risk-reward options of potential bidders turned worse.

Internal Challenges: Strategic disinvestment transactions have to deal with matters such as: resolving land title, lease and land use issues with State government authorities; disposal of non-core assets, excess manpower and labour unions, protection of process and functionaries etc.

Employee Unions opposition: Multiple court cases filed by employees’ unions and other interest groups against the disinvestment policy as well as specific transactions were also hindering deals.

Challenges to disinvestment through minority stake sale include: 1) reduced availability of government stake over 51% for large listed central PSEs, 2) relatively muted perception of investors in these stocks, 3) price overhang in the market due to high disinvestment target and frequent use of exchange-traded funds (ETF) route for stake sale till 2019-20.

In India’s G20 presidency year, recalling its diplomatic role in the Korean War seven decades ago

Source: The post is based on the article “In India’s G20 presidency year, recalling its diplomatic role in the Korean War seven decades ago” published in Indian Express on 31st March 2023

What is the News?

In its G20 year, India has shown renewed interest in the only other diplomatic intervention by India in a distant war (apart from the recent Russian-Ukraine) seven decades ago – The Korean War.

What is the Korean War?

The Korean War was fought between North Korea and South Korea from 1950 to 1953. The war began on 25 June 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea following clashes along the border and rebellions in South Korea.

North Korea was supported by China and the Soviet Union while South Korea was supported by the United States and allied countries. The fighting ended with an armistice on 27 July 1953.

What is the role of India in the Korean War?

Diplomacy: In late 1952, the Indian resolution on Korea was adopted at the UN with unanimous non-Soviet support.

But India recognized any deal without the Soviets will fail and immediately flung into action to get them on board, which happened in 1953.

Ultimately, despite the rough international political climate, India succeeded in building consensus – which precipitated the “Armistice Agreement”.

Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission(NNRC): One of the follow-up actions to the Armistice Agreement was the establishment of a Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission (NNRC).

NNRC was to decide on the fate of over 20,000 prisoners of war from both sides and India was chosen as the Chair of the NNRC.

A UN Command led by an Englishman and a Custodian Force from India (headed by Lt.Gen Thimayya) was also deployed on the inter-Korean border.

NNRC’s tenure ended in early 1954, and the Indian forces were praised internationally for executing the tough stabilizing operations successfully.

Asylum to prisoners of war: At the end of its work, the NNRC was left with over 80 prisoners of war who didn’t want to go to either of the Koreas.

As an interim arrangement, Nehru decided to grant them abode in India until the UN directive on their request is pronounced. 

Although most settled in foreign destinations like Latin America, some did stay back in India and lived their entire lives here.

What is the significance of India’s role in the Korean war?

In an essay, ‘Between the Blocs: India, the UN, and Ending the Korean War’, British historian Robert Barnes recognised the key role played by India:

– To bring the Korean war to a swift conclusion by reconciling the divergent positions of the two superpower blocs, and

– Prevent the UN from adopting a policy that might lead to its escalation.

Hence, as the world grapples to find an end to the war in Ukraine, India’s role and its experience (in ending the Korean war,70 years ago) can’t be neglected.

Scientists spot piezoelectric effect in liquids for the first time

Source: The post is based on the article “Scientists spot piezoelectric effect in liquids for the first time” published in The Hindu on 31st March 2023

What is the News?

For the first time, scientists have reported evidence of the piezoelectric effect in liquids.

What is the Piezoelectric effect?

Piezoelectric Effect is the ability of certain materials to generate an electric charge in response to applied mechanical stress. 

One of the unique characteristics of the piezoelectric effect is that it is reversible. This means materials exhibiting the direct piezoelectric effect (the generation of electricity when stress is applied) also exhibit the converse piezoelectric effect (the generation of stress when an electric field is applied).

Quartz is the most famous piezoelectric crystal. It is used in this capacity in analog wristwatches and clocks. Such crystals are used in cigarette lighters, electric guitars, TV remote controls, audio transducers, and other instruments where converting mechanical stress to a current is useful.

Note: It is believed that the Piezoelectric effect was discovered in 1880, in quartz, by Jacques and Pierre Curie.

Why is the Piezoelectric effect in liquids surprising?

The Piezoelectric effect has been known for 143 years and in this time has been observed only in solids.

The reason the piezoelectric effect has only been expected in solids thus far is that the body being squeezed needs to have an organized structure, like the pyramids of quartz. Liquids don’t have such structure; instead, they take the shape of their container.

What are the implications of this discovery?

The discovery of Piezoelectric effect in liquids opens the door to applications that have previously not been accessible with solid-state materials and are more readily recyclable and in many instances pose fewer environmental issues than many currently used piezoelectric materials.

The liquids also displayed the inverse piezoelectric effect which means they became distorted when an electric charge was applied, this fact could be used to control how the liquids bent light passing through them by passing different currents through them.

Hence, using this simple control mechanism, vials of these liquids could be used for lenses with dynamic focusing abilities.