9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – July 6th, 2022

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• As students gear up for university, the devil is in the NEP’s details
• The rush to overhaul education
• CARs of foreign policy: Uzbekistan’s troubles are a reminder of Central Asian Republics’ importance to India
• Handcuffing, a judicial tap, and the long arm of the law
• Rule of law, anyone?
• The way to control tuberculosis
• Greening better: NGT is a vital cog in environment regulation but it needs a performance review & better staffing

GS Paper 3

• A matter of import: On spectre of wider trade and current account deficits
• The relentless march of FPIs to the exit gate
• Making sense of Assam floods: Why rivers turned violent in the 20th century and how climate change is making them more unpredictable
• Indian aviation needs a strong and steady tailwind

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• State Ranking Index for NFSA: Odisha, UP, AP emerge as top three states among General Category States
• Explained: What are Nairobi flies, which are causing disease in Sikkim?
• Explained | What is the status of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in South Asia?
• Single-crystalline scandium nitride(ScN): New material discovered can convert infrared light to renewable energy
• Explained: The three new ‘exotic’ sub-atomic particles discovered at CERN
• Draft Development of Enterprise and Service Hubs (DESH) Bill: SEZs to be turned into mfg hubs for domestic markets
• Restoring Banni grasslands, Gujarat battles invasive tree species
• Toy imports down by 70% and exports up 61% over last three years as Make in India yields positive results for the sector
• States Startup Ranking 2021: Results of Ranking of States on support to Start-up Ecosystems declared

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

As students gear up for university, the devil is in the NEP’s details

News: Along with the rest of the world, India has seen the “massification” of higher education over the past two decades. The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) is poised to transform Indian higher education. But, the sweeping changes the NEP brings might not likely to provide the desired outcomes.

How does the NEP plans to transform Indian higher education?

The NEP’s core objective for higher education is to make it “holistic and multidisciplinary education” (HME). The NEP ties the goal of HME to three specific reforms: a) A four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP); b) a “multiple exit/entry system” (MEES); and c) a nationwide Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) system for storing and transferring credits.

What are the challenges associated with the NEP?

FYUP requires justification: In Europe and the UK, the three-year format is preferred for HME. Given that the three-year format is used in reputed institutions abroad and was already established in India, the change to the FYUP as the universal norm for degrees in general education has the not explained the following,

a) Need to shift for three years to FYUP, b) challenges associated with the three-year program, and c) benefits for students in FYUP.

MEES has no necessary relationship with the FYUP: To reap the benefits of MEES, FYUP has to be modified accordingly. For instance, the first year of the FYUP must fulfill the requirements of a standalone certificate course. But it is impossible to design a single curriculum that does justice to four different courses.

Since the existing syllabi are force-fitted into FYUP format, the most likely outcomes are diluted long courses, lopsided short courses, or both.

NEP does not address the root cause: According to the latest NSSO report on education, two-thirds of those in the 18-24 age group who had enrolled in higher education institutions were currently not attending them. The three most common reasons given for not attending are financial constraints, economic activities and domestic activities.

NEP and its multiple exit and entry points will not address these issues. Instead, Multiple exit points will help in renaming drop-outs as certificate or diploma-holders. Short-term credentials will encourage families to withdraw their wards from education, especially women.

NEP falls prey to global trends in higher education: Modalities such as credit transfers originated in Europe and the OECD and were promoted by multilateral agreements like the Bologna Process, the Lisbon and Incheon Declarations.

But all these are designed to solve the European problem of excess capacity in higher education and to expand the catchment area for institutions to ensure their viability.

On the other hand, problems of Indian education are radically different and demand context-sensitive solutions.

What should be done to improve HME?

The unprecedented widening of access to higher education in India has failed to reduce inequalities or promote mobility. A far more direct method would be to provide targeted scholarships for students with financial constraints.

The rush to overhaul education

News: The Andhra Pradesh government’s hurried education reforms are a cause for worry.

The Andhra Education Department has been tasked with implementing a slew of government initiatives in sync with the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, this academic year, starting July 5.

What reforms are being initiated by the Andhra govt?

The Andhra School Education Department is focused on conceptual learning instead of rote learning.

Emphasis is being laid not on evaluating the students on a three-hour examination but on their classroom participation, projects, communication skills, leadership skills and extracurricular activities.

– Training teachers in English

– Mapping Classes 3-5 in primary schools in the government sector to high schools located nearby

– Re-apportion teaching staff

– Implement Section 12(1)(C) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which mandates private, unaided schools to reserve 25% of seats in entry-level classes for children belonging to weaker sections; and bring select schools under the CBSE syllabus.

Restructuring programme: The proposal is to categorise educational institutions into satellite foundational schools comprising

– pre-primary 1 and pre-primary 2

– Foundation schools comprising Classes 1 and 2

– Foundation plus schools with Classes 1 to 5

– Pre-high schools with Classes 1 to 8

– High schools with Classes 3 to 10, and

– High school plus with Classes 3 to 12.

What are the concerns being raised?

Educationists say there is too much to do and too little time.

They have raised serious concerns about the “incoherence” of the initiatives. They worry that no homework was done before these initiatives were introduced and that the reforms lack sound footing.

The Chief Minister’s English medium project was set aside by the High Court and the matter is sub-judice in the Supreme Court.

– Despite this, the State has embarked on training teachers in English. It has also started printing textbooks with lessons in both English and Telugu to facilitate the smooth transition of children to English as a medium of instruction. It also has plans to shift from the State Board to the CBSE in phases.

There is also confusion about the school restructuring programme. It is being argued that merging primary classes with high schools would violate the ‘neighbourhood school system’ endorsed by the RTE Act. This would result in a higher school dropout rate, especially of girls in remote tribal areas.

The earlier deadline of June 30 for completing the school-mapping exercise has been pushed to July 31. People worry that there will be confusion if the merger exercise is carried out even as students attend classes in their old schools.

There’s no clarity on the proposed re-apportionment of the teaching staff, the long-pending transfers, and promotions of teachers.

– Teachers are demanding the repeal of these orders saying they will be overburdened and the quality of education will suffer.

Way forward

Given the formidable challenges, it may take a few years at least for the government to achieve its lofty educational goals.

Its race against time is ill-advised; instead, it would serve everyone well if the process was gradual with all these concerns addressed.

CARs of foreign policy: Uzbekistan’s troubles are a reminder of Central Asian Republics’ importance to India

News: Last week’s unrest in Uzbekistan’s autonomous region of Karakalpakstan that left at least 18 people dead and wounded another 243 should concern India.

Uzbekistan is a key Central Asian Republic that borders Afghanistan.

What are the reasons behind the protest?

Protests in Karakalpakstan broke out over plans to revise the Uzbek constitution that would change the autonomous region’s status and curtail its right to secede. Those plans have now been put on hold.

How have the countries reacted to the situation?

Despite Karakalpakstan’s close ties with Russia, Moscow has backed Tashkent saying the unrest was Uzbekistan’s internal matter.

Why the unrest in CAR is problematic for the entire region?

Islamist extremism here received a second wind with the conflict in Syria. And though regional governments have been largely successful in containing extremist groups, the latter could still take advantage of any social, economic or political turmoil.

That would be bad news given Taliban’s return in Afghanistan. Security implications stretch all the way to South Asia.

This is precisely why in November 2021 India hosted the national security advisers of the five CARs for its regional security dialogue on Afghanistan, and the Prime Minister held a virtual summit with the leaders of these nations earlier this year.

Way forward

India’s outreach to the CARs must have a strong economic component.

With Uzbekistan, India in 2020 concluded agreements on 15 investment projects for $3 billion and also extended a line of credit of $448 million. Plus, both Amity and Sharda universities opened branches in Uzbekistan in 2018.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is a uranium giant and Turkmenistan has the world’s fourth-largest gas reserves. Together, they could fulfil India’s energy needs and provide vital connectivity as part of the International North-South Transport Corridor.

But there is also competition in the form of China’s growing influence in the region through its Belt and Road Initiative.

India should, therefore, present itself as a long-term trustworthy partner for the CARs by supporting regional stability, coordinating on security and actualising transparent, need-based investment projects.

Handcuffing, a judicial tap, and the long arm of the law

News: Recently, the Karnataka High Court, in Suprit Ishwar Divate vs The State of Karnataka, passed a verdict in which Rs. 2 lakh compensation was awarded to an accused, for handcuffing.

He was handcuffed without recording the reasons in the police case diary.

What are the principles of handcuffing?

There can be three different occasions when a person can be legally handcuffed,

(1) An accused on his arrest and before he is produced before the magistrate;

(2) An under-trial prisoner during transit from jail to the court and back; and

(3) A convict being transported from jail to the court and back.

If a person is under the judicial custody of the court, the court’s permission is required for handcuffing except under emergent circumstances.

Circumstances

An accused need not be handcuffed on arrest, in normal circumstances. Further, the officers are allowed to resort to handcuffing only under exceptional circumstances.

In Prem Shankar Shukla vs Delhi Administration (1980), the SC held that the norm should be that the security of an arrestee or a convict be increased to prevent him/her from escaping. However, the handcuffing can be allowed only when the escape of the arrestee or a convict cannot be prevented without the use of handcuffs.

In case of handcuffing, the arresting officer must record the reasons in the police diary.

Further, the court must inquire with the person arrested as to whether he had been handcuffed or not. It will be the duty of the court to do judicial/court scrutiny of the recorded reasons and then approve or reject the reason.

On compensation

There is a strict liability for violating the guaranteed basic and indefeasible rights of the citizens.

If there is an ‘established infringement” of the fundamental right (FR) guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The constitutional courts are empowered to grant such relief ‘against the state or its servants in the purported exercise of their powers’.

Who should pay such compensation?

In the Supreme Court has ruled that in case of violation of the FR, the state (and not the concerned officer) has to pay the compensation.

This was on the ground that the police officers are not personally liable for such acts. They act in their official capacity.

Argument in favor of handcuffing

It has been found there is a lack of manpower, in police stations or a reserve police line to provide sufficient escort to jail authorities while transporting the under-trial prisoners to court.

In addition, it is difficult at times to predict the conduct of an arrestee on the spot. For example, as per the NCRB publication on ‘Crime in India- 2020’, there were around 810 cases of prisoner escape from police custody in 2020. Most of them were not due to negligent police officers.

Therefore, handcuffs are generally done to prevent escape and not to dehumanise criminals.

What are the possible solutions?

In case if malice is found behind the use of handcuffs, the department should initiate disciplinary action against the errant officer under service conduct rules, rather than to order the payment of compensation.

The Karnataka HC Judgment

The blame of non-compliance cannot be shifted only to the police officer because there is an absence of the required infrastructure. It is the state’s responsibility to equip all police stations with adequate and necessary police personnel to discharge their obligations.

The State governments should review the mobility of the police. It should review the requirement of additional manpower and technical gadgets, such as body cameras.

The enforcement agencies and lower courts are duty bound to implement, in letter and spirit, the Supreme Court’s directives on handcuffing.

Rule of law, anyone?

News: In recent months, there have been various cases across the world, in which the violation of the rule of law has been seen. It means the rule of law does not work in all circumstances.

A few examples will prove that point.

Global Level

(1) The US Supreme Court over-ruled a half-century-old law that made abortion a part of women’s rights.

(2) Swedish PM said that their integration had failed because mainstream Swedish society and its immigrant citizens lived in “parallel societies”. And there was a case of Muslim groups who rioted over alleged blasphemy by one politician,

(3)  In 2018, former German chancellor Angela Merkel acknowledged that there were no-go zones, referred to Muslim ghettos in some cities, for the law enforcement agencies.

India

In India, in some states, the vigilante groups take the laws, which do not allow cow slaughter or the transportation of bovine animals without permits, in their hand.

What are the important conditions for working on the rule of law across the world?

First, there must be a very strong group of interests that must want the law legislated and enforced.

Second, the state itself must be powerful enough to be able to do so.

Third, when societies change, the law must be flexible enough to quickly change too. But when large communities live in “parallel” universes, this change will not happen fast enough.

Fourth, when different social groups exist and cannot agree on what the law should be, the rule of law cannot work. In this situation, these groups should come to agreements before making the laws.

What are the challenges to the rule of law?

In general

The laws made through a process of one-sided concessions result in more bad blood between communities rather than peace and amity.

Global Example

The Non-proliferation treaty is not respected by various countries including India because it was a one-sided treaty.

India

The founding fathers of the Indian Republic, made one sided concessions or non-reciprocal concessions. Therefore, the laws enshrined into the Constitution or the Indian Penal Code are dead letters. Every community does not agree upon various laws. Therefore, they don’t cooperate in their implementation. For example, Hindus and Muslims don’t agree on the cow slaughter ban etc.

Way Forward

The contentious laws work best when they are negotiated and reciprocal in nature.

There has to be community-level negotiation based on give and take, for laws to work. For example, If Hindus and Muslims agree that there will be no ban on cow slaughter, i.e., a concession by Hindus, then there has to be a significant reciprocal concession made by Muslims for any agreement to be honoured.

The rule of law must be backed by all groups and communities based on reciprocity and give and take.

The way to control tuberculosis

News: In recent years, WHO revised its target of TB elimination to 2035. Further, the Prime Minister also announced that India would eliminate TB by 2025.

Threat posed by TB

As per WHO, Tuberculosis is the worst among endemic diseases. It kills 1.5 million people every year. It affects adults in their most productive years. As a result, it impoverishes the family and the nation.

India is the TB capital of the world. In a gross estimate, it kills some 1,400 persons every day in India.

History of India’s TB control measures

In the 1950s and ’60s, India was the global leader in research in epidemiology, transmission and domiciliary treatment of TB.

In 1962, the government adopted the National TB Control Programme. It was a district-based initiative which strived to control TB with public-private participation.

Later on, the Indian government adopted the WHO’s Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP)

What are the flaws in the RNTCP programme which is being implemented in India?

The programme has been proved unsuccessful and the programme failed to control TB.

It has been developed with the help of a theoretical construct of TB control. It does not factor in the differences between the TB epidemiology of poor and rich countries.

In India, there is no prescribed method of monitoring the trajectory of TB control.

Till now, the Indian policy makers have assumed that treating pulmonary TB patients alone would control TB. However, it was an epidemiologically fallacious decision in India.

The programme has failed to elicit people’s partnership in TB control. Without people’s informed participation, there will be stigma and delay in seeking help to control TB.

Way Forward

Before the National AIDS Control Organization was established, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) used to work on it. It set up an AIDS Control Task Force which had a unique method of monitoring the control trajectory, popularly called ‘sentinel surveillance’. India can adopt the same method today.

India should design its own comprehensive strategy and point out the flaws in the WHO-designed RNTCP.

The government should focus on early diagnosis and treatment of the TB patients in order to curb TB through ‘source reduction’.

India should adopt its earlier AIDS Control Programme, in which public education was given high priority. For example, red ribbon clubs were established in schools and colleges.

In order to control TB, in addition to the specific interventions, the government should also work upon interventions such as the ‘secular trend’., for example, better housing, nutrition, education and income. Such ‘secular trend’ has reduced the burden of TB by 1% or 1.5% per year, globally.

The policy makers should first focus on a high level of control over the TB Cases rather than elimination (refers to achieving zero frequency of new cases). This is because India has a huge backlog of latent TB and it is not possible to eliminate TB in near future.

India should leverage Trained State and District TB officers, extensive network of TB clinics and an army of community and field workers.

Greening better: NGT is a vital cog in environment regulation but it needs a performance review & better staffing

News: Given the rampant ecological degradation and related localised grievances, an adjudicatory body(NGT) staffed with judicial and technical experts having significant powers offers a lot of promise. However, many of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders are being appealed in Supreme Court and high courts.

What are the few recent instances?

A construction firm complained that it wasn’t heard before NGT imposed a penalty of Rs 40 crore on it. In that case, the Supreme Court criticised the NGT for passing “mechanical and pre-drafted” orders.

Another SC bench expressed displeasure with NGT’s tendency to set up expert committees. The bench noted that NGT’s adjudicatory functions cannot be delegated in this manner.

What are the challenges faced by NGT?

Lack of political support: Some of NGTs big-bang orders include de-registering 10-year-old diesel vehicles, bans on firecrackers, RO-water purifiers and sand-mining, etc. But these had minimal impact in the absence of political support.

Staffing issues: Against NGT Act’s mandate to have 10-20 judicial and expert members each, NGT presently has seven judicial and six expert members. In 2019, these numbers were down to four and two respectively. This resulted in increasing backlogs and hasty disposals.

Judicial intervention: Hasty disposals resulted in increasing stays against NGT orders from SC and HCs, especially in clearing or blocking projects.Thus eroding NGT’s credibility.

Challenges with virtual mode: NGT was one of the pioneers of virtual hearings, but lawyers say the lack of physical interface has affected NGTs ability to make a more urgent cases before the bench.

Apart from that, NGT has also struck between the “development vs environment” debate.

NGT must get the support it needs from the government but NGT must also do more to avoid backlogs and hasty disposals. This can be done by conducting a performance review of NGT & providing better staffing.

GS Paper 3

A matter of import: On spectre of wider trade and current account deficits

News: India’s monthly merchandise trade deficit hit a fresh record of $25.6 billion in June, as per preliminary estimates released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry.

This is the third occasion in seven months and the second month in a row that the trade deficit has widened to all-time highs.

The trade deficit for Q1 adds up to a record $70.25 billion, over two times higher than a year ago.

What is the situation wrt India’s exports and imports?

Exports

The relentless march of FPIs to the exit gate

News: FPIs have been on a selling spree in India. June 2022 witnessed the worst sell-off since March 2020 at ₹50,000 crore. This is the second highest sell-off in a month since 1993, after March 2020.

This comes on the back of May’s sell-off figures of about ₹44,000 crore. June was also the ninth on the trot that FPIs sold more than they had purchased.

Their selling actions have triggered a significant decline in benchmark indices, resulting in a drop in market capitalization of companies.

What are FPIs?

Foreign portfolio investors are those that invest funds in markets outside their home turf.

Their investments typically include equities, bonds and mutual funds.

They are generally not active shareholders and do not exert any control over the companies whose shares they hold.

The passive nature of their investment also allows them to enter or exit a stock at will and with ease.

What factors cause movement of the FPIs?

Promise of attractive returns on the back of economic growth draws investors, including FPIs into a country’s markets.

FPIs also show keenness to invest in bonds. This happens when there is a favourable differential between the real interest rates on offer in the country they aim to invest in, and other markets, but more specifically, the U.S.

Why have FPIs been selling India holdings?

Due to the following factors, there has been a decline in confidence of robust economic performance of India. This has led to the FPIs exiting market investments over these past months.

Uneven recovery: Post-pandemic, recovery in the Indian economy has been uneven.

– The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 devastated lives and livelihoods.

– The economy stuttered again when a third, albeit less severe, wave saw the spread of the Omicron variant early this year.

Add to this the return of pent-up demand in economies worldwide as the pandemic subsided.

The pace of recovery caught suppliers off guard, contributing to supply-side shortages.

Russia-Ukraine war: As the industry was grappling with supply-side shortages challenge, came Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

– Sunflower and wheat supplies from these two nations were impacted, leading to a rise in global prices for these crops. As supplies in general tightened across the globe, commodity prices too rose and overall inflation accelerated.

Uncertainty of the industrial recovery: Industrial production has seen a bumpy ride without giving confidence of a full and final recovery from the pandemic.

– For example, the S&P Global India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) slid to 53.9 in June — the lowest level in nine months — from 54.6 in the previous month.

Consumption expenditure too has remained weak in the subcontinent.

U.S. Federal Reserve raised the benchmark interest rate starting March this year, in its battle against surging inflation.

– When the differential between the interest rates in the U.S. and other markets narrow, and if such an occurrence is accompanied by the strengthening of the dollar, then the ability of investors to realise healthy returns is impacted. For returns are measured not only by the value appreciation of assets but also by exchange rate changes.

In such a situation, the FPIs tend to exit assets seen as ‘risky’ such as in emerging markets like India, Brazil or South Africa.

What impact does an FPI sell-off have?

When FPIs sell their holdings and repatriate funds back to their home markets, the value of local currency depreciates.

– After all, they sell rupees in exchange for their home market currency. As supply of the rupee in the market rises, its value declines.

The most telling impact is on the cost of India’s crude oil imports that contribute to 85% of its oil needs.

Making sense of Assam floods: Why rivers turned violent in the 20th century and how climate change is making them more unpredictable

News: This year Assam floods disrupted normal life. The current cycle of flooding occurred in places that have not been flood-prone in recent years. This indicates that environmental factors unique to each locality are responsible for the floods.

What are the advantages of floods in the northeast?

Every year, the Brahmaputra and its tributaries transport billions of tonnes of sediment, mainly from the Eastern Himalayas. This raised the lowlands and regularly adjusted river beds.

Floods cause disruption and damage but they also generate a bounty of fish and rejuvenate flood-plain ecosystems all along the Brahmaputra, including in the Kaziranga.

The entire Assam landscape has been shaped over millions of years with the help of an active monsoonal environment and mighty rivers that carry sediments weathered from the still-rising Himalaya.

What are the environmental factors responsible for increased Assam floods?

Two coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomena combined to create high rainfall in the Bay of Bengal. a) La Niña in the Pacific, and b) A negative dipole condition in the tropical Indian Ocean.

To add to that, a warmer atmosphere because of climate change can hold more moisture leading to intense bouts of rain.

All this made Parts of the Northeast to experience a month-and-a-half of rains in 10-12 days. But there is no standard pattern for the recurrence of mega, unpredictable floods. In the last century, they occurred in 1934, 1950, 1954, 1955, 1966, 1988 and 2004.

How human footprint intensified floods in the northeast?

From an estimated 11,000 people in 1901, Guwahati now is home to close to 1.1 million people. Almost all cities witnessed an increase in population. As the human footprint intensified on the floodplains, the landscape was increasingly “developed and engineered”.

The engineered and planned landscape has affected the floodplains in two ways: 1) It has undermined their ability to store and absorb water and 2) Reduced floodplain capacity to transport sediment.

Human interventions to “tame” rivers and “stabilise” hydrologically dynamic landscapes and riverscapes by building dams and reservoirs. But the operation of dams and reservoirs has also devastated the floodplains.

What should be done?

Northeast India has fragile geology, changing rainfall patterns, and high seismicity and also face the risk of landslides. Along with the rapid transformation in rainfall characteristics and flooding patterns demands building people’s resilience.

Construction projects that impede the movement of water and sediment across the floodplain must be reconsidered.

Climate-imposed exigencies demand new paradigms of early-warning and response systems and securing livelihoods and economies in the northeast.

Indian aviation needs a strong and steady tailwind

Context: Since 1991, India has witnessed radical changes in various sectors including the airline sector like the no. of airlines has grown from Air India and Indian Airlines to many more. But still, the aviation sector has been struggling on various fronts.

The Aviation Sector since 1991 Reforms

The reforms opened up the aviation sector, ended the licence raj and the monopoly of Indian Airlines and Air India.

In 2003, the concept of low-cost airlines overcame the cost barrier and the common man could think of flying.

Importance of Aviation Sector

The aviation sector is integral to economic growth. It can make India globally competitive.

It is important for balanced regional growth. For example, Passenger airlines and air cargo overcome geography and connect remote areas which are alienated from the mainstream.

It can boost tourism, which is the largest employment generator in the unorganised sector. This will resolve the issues of poverty and unemployment in India.

Air cargo integrated with road, rail and port infrastructure is the backbone of a growing economy.

Why has Indian aviation become ‘the sick man of India’?

There are choking regulations, tough entry barriers for new entrants, high fuel prices on account of sky-high taxes etc.

There are inefficient public sector airports which have monopoly in the airport segment. Due to this, there is absence of robust competition, and as a result, the airports are extortionist in nature.

There is an absence of a long-term visionary strategic policy not just for airlines but also for the entire gamut of sectors in aviation. The government resorts to frequent and knee-jerk actions.

India’s air cargo growth is also languishing. For example, Hong Kong airport alone handles more cargo than all of India’s over 100 airports put together.

India’s aviation fuel taxes both at the State and central level are among the highest in the world.

India has mega airports which do not connect rural and small towns from the large metros. India’s ‘Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) initiative, has failed to bring much regional connectivity due to barriers like prohibitive costs in India.

India’s MRO segment is in a dismal state. High customs, other duties and tortuous rules make it difficult to bring in parts, to facilitate repair and overhaul, etc. Indian Airlines send their aircraft to major MROs abroad like in Dubai, Singapore or Germany.

Further, it is to be mentioned that India’s charter business has remained stagnant.

There are thousands of pilots and technicians unemployed in India. And Indian airlines have to look for foreign pilots and engineers. This pushes up costs in the process.

India’s Aircraft Act, 1934 and Aircraft Rules, 1937 has not kept pace with modern technology in aerospace. This has increased costs to the industry and ultimately affected passenger growth.

Way Forward

India needs entrepreneurs in the aviation sector because they have revolutionary ideas. They are the driving force in hi-tech companies. They are disrupting many conventional businesses. Therefore, this force must spread to other areas including the aviation sector. The Indian government should leverage the ‘Start-up India’ initiative.

India needs reforms in all areas of aviation, i.e., air cargo, airports, aviation fuel taxes and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO).

India’s statutory regulatory authority, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) needs to be modernised, well-staffed, motivated and incentivised. It should be headed by aviation professionals rather than by bureaucrats from the Indian Administrative Service(IAS).

India has an inexhaustible market. The government should increase the figure of 4% who now fly to 50% in the next two decades.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

State Ranking Index for NFSA: Odisha, UP, AP emerge as top three states among General Category States

Source: The post is based on the article “State Ranking Index for NFSA: Odisha, UP, AP emerge as top three states among General Category States” published in PIB on 5th July 2022.

What is the News?

The Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution has released the 1st edition of ‘State Ranking Index for NFSA’.

What is the State Ranking Index for NFSA?

Released by: Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.

Aim: To document the status and progress of implementation of NFSA and various reform initiatives across the country post consultation with states. 

Parameters: The states and UTs were ranked on the basis of three parameters: 1) NFSA coverage, rightful targeting and implementation of all provisions under the Act, 2) The delivery platform while considering the allocation of food grains, their movement and last-mile delivery to fair price shops, and 3) Nutrition initiatives of the department.

Significance: The index will help create an environment of competition, cooperation and learning among states while addressing matters of food security and hunger.

Note: The Index denotes only the efficiency of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) operations. It does not reflect the level of hunger, if any or malnutrition, or both, in a particular state or union territory.

What are the key takeaways from the 1st State Ranking Index for NFSA?

General Category States: Odisha has been ranked as the top State followed by Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

Special category states (the northeastern states, Himalayan states and the Island states): Tripura has obtained the first rank. Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim are in the second and third positions.

Explained: What are Nairobi flies, which are causing disease in Sikkim?

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained: What are Nairobi flies, which are causing disease in Sikkim?” published in Indian Express on 6th July 2022.

What is the News?

Around 100 students of an engineering college in East Sikkim have reported skin infections after coming in contact with Nairobi flies.

What are Nairobi Flies?

Nairobi flies are also called as Kenyan flies or dragon bugs. They are small, beetle-like insects that belong to two species, Paederus eximius and Paederus sabaeus. 

They are orange and black in color and thrive in areas with high rainfall. Like most insects, they are also attracted by bright light.

How are humans affected by Nairobi Flies?

Usually, the insects attack pests that consume crops and are beneficial to humans — but at times, they come in contact with humans directly and cause harm. 

Health officials say these flies do not bite, but if disturbed while sitting on anyone’s skin, they release a potent acidic substance called pederin.

This substance can cause irritation if it comes in contact with the skin, leading to lesions or unusual marks or colouring on the skin. The skin begins to heal in a week or two, but some secondary infections can occur, especially if the victim scratches the irritated skin.

Have there been outbreaks of Nairobi Flies disease?

Major outbreaks have happened in Kenya and other parts of eastern Africa. In 1998, unusually heavy rain caused a large number of insects to come into the region. Outside Africa, outbreaks have happened in India, Japan, Israel and Paraguay in the past.

Explained | What is the status of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in South Asia?

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained | What is the status of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in South Asia?” published in The Hindu on 6th July 2022.

What is the News?

G7 countries have recently unveiled their $600-billion plan called the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Intelligence(PGII) to build infrastructure projects in developing and middle-income countries. This is being seen as a counter to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

What is the Belt and Road Initiative(BRI)?

Click Here to read about it

How has BRI progressed since its launch?

More than 60 countries have now joined BRI agreements with China with infrastructure projects under the initiative being planned or under construction in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America.

However, in recent years, the BRI seems to have experienced a slow down as annual Chinese lending to countries under the initiative slimmed from its peak of $125 billion in 2015 to around $50 to 55 billion in 2021.

Moreover, the West has accused China of debt-trapping by extending “predatory loans” that force countries to cede key assets to China. 

What is the progress of BRI in South Asia?

Pakistan: In 2015, China unveiled the BRI’s flagship project and its biggest one in a single country — the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC). However, since its inception, the CPEC has been met with multiple roadblocks and China seems to have reduced its $62-billion pledges to the project.

Sri Lanka: Hambantota Port is a deep seaport on the world’s busiest east-west shipping lane, which was meant to spur industrial activity. The port had always been secondary to the busy Colombo port until the latter ran out of capacity.

The ​​Sri Lankan government took $1.4 billion in Chinese loans for the port’s expansion. Unable to service the huge loan, the government handed Hambantota port to a Chinese state-owned company on a 99-year lease in 2017.

Nepal: Nepal formally joined the Belt and Road Initiative in 2017 submitting a list of 35 infrastructure projects it wished China to finance. 

After the Chinese request, Nepal shortlisted nine projects including an ambitious trans-Himalayan rail road from Nepal to China, construction of roads, laying of power transmission lines and hydropower projects.

Five years after signing the framework agreement, work has not been started on any of the nine projects as of May 2022.

Afghanistan: Afghanistan has not comprehensively been brought into the BRI, despite a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote BRI projects being signed with China in 2016.

Maldives: Most of China’s infrastructure investment happened in the Maldives. One of the most prominent BRI projects undertaken in the Maldives is the 2 km long Sinamale bridge or the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge.

However, Maldives current regime has tried to distance itself from the BRI focusing more on its ‘India First’ policy.

Bangladesh: Bangladesh joined BRI in 2016. Multiple studies show that Bangladesh has been able to benefit from the BRI while maintaining diplomatic and strategic ties with both India and China.

But, Bangladesh has also avoided Chinese interference in its internal matters by stressing its sovereign power when China warned it about joining the Quad.

Single-crystalline scandium nitride(ScN): New material discovered can convert infrared light to renewable energy

Source: The post is based on the article “New material discovered can convert infrared light to renewable energy” published in PIB on 5th July 2022.

What is the News?

Scientists have discovered a novel material called “Single-crystalline scandium nitride(ScN)” that can emit, detect and modulate infrared light with high efficiency.

Background

Electromagnetic waves are a renewable energy source. It is used for electricity generation, telecommunication, defence and security technologies, sensors and healthcare services. 

Scientists use high-tech methods to manipulate such waves precisely. This is done in dimensions that are thousands of times smaller than human hair using specialized materials. 

However, not all the wavelengths of light (electromagnetic waves) are easy to utilize, especially infrared light, since it is difficult to detect and modulate. 

For infrared light applications, intelligent and cutting-edge materials are required which can enable excitation, modulation and detection at desired spectral range with high efficiencies. 

Only a few existing materials can serve as hosts for light-matter interactions in the infrared spectral range with very low efficiencies. The operational spectral range of such materials also does not cover the industrially important short-wavelength infrared(SWIR) spectral range.

What have the scientists discovered?

Scientists have discovered a material called “Single-crystalline scandium nitride(ScN)” that can emit, detect and modulate infrared light with high efficiency.

This material can be used for solar and thermal energy harvesting and for optical communication devices. 

Explained: The three new ‘exotic’ sub-atomic particles discovered at CERN

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained: The three new ‘exotic’ sub-atomic particles discovered at CERN” published in Indian Express on 5th July 2022.

What is the News?

The Large Hadron Collider(LHC) has observed three never-before-seen particles: a new kind of “pentaquark” and the first-ever pair of “tetraquarks”, which includes a new type of tetraquark. 

What is the Large Hadron Collider(LHC)?

The Large Hadron Collider is a giant, complex machine built to study particles that are the smallest known building blocks of all things.

Located at: It is a 27-km-long track-loop buried 100 meters underground on the Swiss-French border. 

Built by: European Organization for Nuclear Research(CERN) between 1998 and 2008 in collaboration with over 10,000 scientists from hundreds of universities and laboratories.

Significance: It is the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator. 

Experiments conducted at LHC: ATLAS is the largest general-purpose particle detector experiment at the LHC

– The Compact Muon Solenoid(CMS) experiment is one of the largest international scientific collaborations in history with the same goals as ATLAS but which uses a different magnet-system design.

Major Discovery: In 2012, scientists at CERN had announced to the world the discovery of the Higgs boson or the ‘God Particle’ during the LHC’s first run. This led to Peter Higgs and his collaborator François Englert being awarded the Nobel Prize for physics in 2013. 

Note: The Higgs boson is the fundamental particle associated with the Higgs field, a field that gives mass to other fundamental particles such as electrons and quarks.

What are Quarks, Pentakquark and Tetraquark?

Quarks are elementary particles that come in six “flavours”: up, down, charm, strange, top, and bottom. They usually combine together in groups of twos and threes to form hadrons such as the protons and neutrons that make up atomic nuclei.

But they can also combine into four-quark and five-quark particles called tetraquarks and pentaquarks. 

These exotic hadrons were predicted by theorists about six decades ago — around the same time as conventional hadrons — but they have been observed by the Large Hadron Collider and other experiments only in the past 20 years.

Draft Development of Enterprise and Service Hubs (DESH) Bill: SEZs to be turned into mfg hubs for domestic markets

Source: The post is based on the article “SEZs to be turned into mfg hubs for domestic markets” published in Livemint on 6th July 2022.

What is the News?

Government plans to table the Development of Enterprise and Service Hubs (DESH) Bill in the monsoon session of the Parliament. This bill will replace the current Special economic zones (SEZ) Act,2005.

Why does India need to replace the SEZ Act, 2005?

The World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement panel has ruled that India’s export-related schemes including the SEZ Scheme were inconsistent with WTO rules, since they directly linked tax benefits to exports. Countries aren’t allowed to directly subsidize exports as it can distort market prices. 

Further, SEZs also started losing their attraction after the introduction of minimum alternate tax and a sunset clause to remove tax sops. SEZ units used to enjoy 100% income tax exemption on export income for the first five years, 50% for the next five years, and 50% of the ploughed back export profit for another five years.

Hence, that’s why this new Draft DESH Bill has been brought to replace SEZ Act, 2005.

What are the key provisions of the draft Development of Enterprise and Service Hubs (DESH) Bill?

Firstly, Special Economic Zones will now be renamed as Development of Enterprise and Service Hubs (DESH).

Secondly, these hubs will no longer be required to be net foreign exchange positive cumulatively in five years (i.e, export more than they import) as mandated in the SEZ regime.

Thirdly, the hubs will be allowed to sell in the domestic market easily with duties only to be paid on the imported inputs and raw materials instead of the final product. In the current SEZ regime, duty is paid on the final product when a product is sold in the domestic market. 

Fourthly, the Bill proposes an equalization levy for goods or services supplied to the domestic market to bring taxes at par with those provided by units outside.

Fifthly, the units operating within the new hubs will no longer benefit from direct tax incentives, which will be scrapped — a move that will make the hubs compliant with World Trade Organization rules.

Sixthly, the bill does not limit how long units can store goods, which is one year currently. Besides, there is no mandatory payment requirement in foreign exchange.

Lastly, in the current SEZ regime, most decisions were made by the Department of Commerce at the Centre. Now the Bill allows states to participate and even directly send recommendations for development hubs to a central board for approval. Besides, state boards would be set up to oversee the functioning of the hubs.

Restoring Banni grasslands, Gujarat battles invasive tree species

Source: The post is based on the article “Restoring Banni grasslands, Gujarat battles invasive tree species” published in Indian Express on 6th July 2022.

What is the News?

The Gujarat forest department plans to restore 10,000 hectares of the Banni grasslands in the coming year and every year in the coming decade.

What are Banni Grasslands?

Banni Grassland is situated near the Great Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.

It constitutes about 4.33% of the total geographical area of Gujarat distributed in eight districts and three different climatic regions — Kutch, Saurashtra and central Gujarat. 

Banni grassland was declared a Protected Forest in 1955, under the Indian Forest Act, 1927.

The grasslands have native trees like Acacia nilotica, Salvadora persica and Capparis decidua which are protected under Section 26 in the Indian Forest Act, 1927. 

Banni also has sensitive soil ecology where the sweet soil rests on salinity only 2 to 3 meters below the ground and any disturbance of the soil brings up salinity destroying the rich productivity of the land.

Click Here to read more

What are the threats faced by Banni Grassland?

The landscape of Banni has shown drastic changes with the deterioration of the grassland taking place due to 1) Heavy uncontrolled grazing, 2) Widespread ingress of Prosopis Juliflora (a harmful exotic tree species), 3) Dams constructed on rivers flowing towards Banni, 4) Periodic occurrence of droughts and 5) Continuous increase in soil salinity.

Toy imports down by 70% and exports up 61% over last three years as Make in India yields positive results for the sector

Source: The post is based on the article “Toy imports down by 70% and exports up 61% over the last three years as Make in India yields positive results for the sector” published in PIB on 5th July 2022.

What is the News?

According to Ministry of Commerce and Industry data, the import of toys is down by 70% in the last three years. On the other hand, the exports of Toys have jumped by 61.38% over the same period. 

India’s Toys Industry

India’s Toys Industry is estimated to be $1.5 bn making up 0.5% of the global market share. 

The toy manufacturers in India are mostly located in NCR, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and clusters across central Indian states. 

The sector is fragmented with 90% of the market being unorganized and 4,000 toy industry units from the MSME sector. 

FDI norms in Toy Industry: 100% FDI is allowed under the Automatic Route.

What are the government Interventions in the Toy Industry?

Firstly, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade(DGFT) mandated sample testing of each consignment and no permission for sale unless the quality testing is successful. In case of failure, the consignment is either sent back or destroyed at the cost of the importer.

Secondly, Basic Custom Duty(BCD) on Toys has increased from 20% to 60% in February 2020.

Thirdly, To instil standardization in the production and import of toys, a Toy Quality Control Order(QCO) was issued in 2020 under the BIS act to ensure toys manufactured or imported into the country were in-line with global quality standards.

– QCO on Toys was amended in 2020 to exempt goods manufactured and sold by artisans registered with the Development Commissioner and also by authorized users of GI Tag products.

Fourthly, BIS made special provisions in 2020 to grant licenses to micro-scale units manufacturing toys without the testing facility for one year and not to insist on establishing in-house facilities.

States Startup Ranking 2021: Results of Ranking of States on support to Start-up Ecosystems declared

Source: The post is based on the article “States Startup Ranking 2021: Results of Ranking of States Exercise 2021 on support to Start-up Ecosystems declared” published in PIB on 4th July 2022.

What is the News?

The 3rd edition of the State Startup Ranking was released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

What is State Startup Ranking?

Conducted by: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) since 2018.

Aim: To support states and union territories in developing their start-up ecosystem and learn from the best practices in each state and union territory.

Parameters: The states were evaluated across 7 broad Reform Areas ranging from 1) Institutional Support, 2) Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 3) Access to Market, 4) Incubation support, 5) Funding Support, 6) Mentorship Support and 7) Capacity Building of Enablers.

Classification: For the purposes of the Ranking, States and Union Territories are classified into 5 categories: 1) Best Performers, 2) Top Performers, 3) Leaders, 4) Aspiring Leaders and 5) Emerging Start-up Ecosystems.

What are the key takeaways from State Startup Ranking 2021?

Best Performers: Gujarat and Karnataka appeared as the Best Performers in the States category. Meghalaya topped among UTs and North-eastern States category.

Top Performers: Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa and Telangana won the Top Performers award among states category. Jammu and Kashmir appeared as the Top Performer among UTs and NE states category.