9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – December 23rd, 2022

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• What we don’t understand about prohibition in Bihar: It’s popular
• Why Beijing’s rising maritime clout calls for a joint India-Japan nuclear submarine project
• In U.S. actions, the worry of global trade lawlessness
• Reshaping the world’s responses to the terror matrix

GS Paper 3

• Taking the lead on regulation of digital assets
• A tall order – on Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)
• The uncontrolled re-entries of satellites
• Why Beijing’s rising maritime clout calls for a joint India-Japan nuclear submarine project

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• The Urban Learning Internship Programme (TULIP)
• Ministry of Culture administers the scheme of Scholarship and Fellowship Financial Support to protect Folklore Artists
• India abstains from UNSC vote on Myanmar, calls for constructive diplomacy
• Lion @ 47: Vision for Amrutkal” to secure and restore lions’ habitats
• Year End Review of Department of Pharmaceuticals-2022
• Around 40,000 women trained all over India under Nai Roshni Scheme
• Explained | What do the J&K Land Grants Rules, 2022 entail?
• House panel seeks to rein in Big Tech firms with digital competition law

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

What we don’t understand about prohibition in Bihar: It’s popular

News: The article discusses the effect of banning alcohol in Bihar and measures to prevent hooch related deaths.

How has been the condition of Bihar after banning alcohol?

Alcohol in Bihar was banned in the year 2016. This improved the condition as men no longer stayed outside late nights to drink. Domestic violence reduced and women were happy, especially those from the low strata of the society.

However, in later years the scenario changed. Liquors were made available through illegal means and low-quality liquor started coming into the market.

This again worried the government and it started to raid and confiscate liquor. The demands for substitutes for alcohol increased and drug addiction among youth became a real problem.

What has been the impact of alcohol ban on Bihar?

Violence: Domestic violence in Bihar fell by 37 percent between 2016 and 2020.

Revenue loss: Bihar lost a significant amount of revenue from taxation of alcohol. The revenues from alcohol for 2014-15 was about 15 per cent of total tax revenues and 1 percent of the state’s GDP. However, it is not much of concern as 75 percent of Bihar’s revenues are generated via central taxes or grants from the Centre.

Less crowding jails: Bihar’s jails are not overflowing. This is because conviction rates under the prohibition law are very low.

Therefore, there has been a mixed response in banning alcohol. Moreover, no policy can claim success if it leads to preventable calamities, like people recently lost lives due to the consumption of hooch.

What can be the course of action for Bihar?

One of the ways is to make alcohol available but levy high taxes on it. This will ensure that alcohol is legal and demand is reduced for illegal liquor.

Further, a high tax would also lead to low consumption, increase revenues, refocus police attention and bring down hooch-related deaths. However, determining the optimal tax rates would be a concern.

Why Beijing’s rising maritime clout calls for a joint India-Japan nuclear submarine project

News– The article explains the need for Indo-Japan cooperation on nuclear submarines.

What led to the formation of AUKUS?

It was most probably caused by a perception in Washington that Canberra was a more reliable ally against Beijing than New Delhi. The perception was probably caused by the Indian hesitancy to agree to even minimally militarise the QUAD from a purely diplomatic grouping to a more military alignment.

What are the limitations of nuclear submarines operated by India?

There is a misperception that all nuclear submarines are similar. They are not. Only the US and the UK operate nuclear submarines with a fuel core of 95% enrichment. It can give the propulsion unit enormous power over the 35-year lifespan of the submarine.

Compared to this, other submarines have a core of low-enriched uranium. It gives them a limited life of fewer than 10 years at a moderate operating tempo. A US or British nuclear submarine has huge reserve power to operate for a long period of time and travel at long distances.

Why does India need Japan’s cooperation on nuclear submarines?

Repeated attempts by India to access US nuclear submarine technology have been refused on the grounds of US naval opposition.

Japan is the only Asian power that has the capacity to build a naval propulsion reactor. In fact, Mitsubishi and Hitachi are about to launch a new generation of nuclear power reactors to attain carbon zero by 2050.

The model for a multinational defence project like an Indo-Japan nuclear submarine would obviously be the Euro fighter Tornado aircraft project. The multinational consortium consists of the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain.

What can be the implications of Indo-Japan cooperation for building nuclear submarines?

The Indian naval products and its limitations will determine Indian naval strategy. Today, the Chinese operate an overseas base in Djibouti. If India had reoriented its military grand strategy from defensive territoriality to an offensive oceanic one, the Chinese base in Djibouti would not exist for more than 72 hours.

An Indian nuclear submarine with an Indian low-enriched uranium core will force into a cautious, timid and conservative maritime strategy. It is because of the submarine’s extremely limited operating profile.

An Indo-Japanese nuclear submarine project with both countries operating nuclear submarines in the South China sea  would act as a deterrence to China.

What is the way forward?

We need to put Atma Nirbhar aside and do an Asian multilateral nuclear submarine project.

The Indian Navy’s excellent design organisation can provide the drawings for the submarine. Mitsubishi or Hitachi can manufacture the propulsion reactor.

The whole project can be managed by an inter-governmental group probably led by the Controller of Warship Building in New Delhi.

In U.S. actions, the worry of global trade lawlessness

News– The article explains the recent WTO ruling on tariff increase by the US on steel and aluminium. It also explains the changing international economic order.

Four separate WTO Panel reports have ruled that the tariffs of 25% and 10% on steel and aluminium, respectively imposed by the US during the presidency of Donald Trump. They are are inconsistent with WTO law.

It held that these tariff rates breached the U.S.’s obligations under Article II.1 of the GATT. It obligates countries not to impose tariffs beyond bound rates.

What is justification by the US for tariff hikes and WTO response to these justifications?

The U.S. tried to justify its tariff hikes under Article XXI of GATT which allows countries to deviate from their trade obligations on grounds of national security.

The panel held that it can review the action of a state taken purportedly to protect its national security.

The Panel rejected the U.S.’s argument that it increased the tariff rates due to global excess capacity, which could lead to excessive imports of these two commodities used in defence production. Thus, it can compromise the U.S.’s national security.

It held that the situation the U.S. referred to does not constitute an emergency in international relations.

How is the international economic order changing?

The International economic order today is moving away from the post-Cold War neoliberal order toward a new geoeconomic order. In the neoliberal order, economic and security interests are relatively independent tracks.

Neoliberalism is based on principles such as non-discrimination in international economic relations and a peaceful settlement of disputes through neutral international courts.

These principles are achieved by legalising the neoliberal order through the creation of global institutions such as the WTO and a plethora of free trade and investment treaties. The US supported free trade because it did not fear the growth of its strategic rivals such as China.

Nowadays, independent economic and security tracks have started to converge. It heralds the geoeconomic order. As the difference between the size of the Chinese and American economies began to shrink at a rapid pace, the U.S. seems to be giving up on free trade and embracing protectionism.

The increasing use of national security to justify such economic nationalism is an attempt to blunt the possibility of international courts reviewing state action.

What will be the implications of the new economic order?

The geoeconomic order will inevitably lead to ‘international trade lawlessness’. The Biden administration has rejected the WTO Panel’s ruling calling it ‘flawed’.

The U.S. is also asking for reforms in the WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism. The fear of being called out for economic nationalism by the WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism has led the U.S. to block the appointment of judges to the Appellate Body of WTO.

This will only embolden other countries to brazenly pursue unilateralism and economic nationalism. The days ahead will be trying times for the post-war liberal trade order.

Reshaping the world’s responses to the terror matrix

News– The article explains the changing form of terrorism across the world. It explains the response of world leaders to this threat and the need to change the strategy for fighting against terrorism.

How has the concept of terrorism changed in recent times?

It was as at the beginning of this century that the world witnessed several landmark terror attacks. Two that stood out were the September 11, 2001 terror attack in New York, and the November 26, 2008 attack in Mumbai.

Both in their own way reflected the kind of paradigmatic changes that were taking place in the practice of violence. The 9/11 attack heralded what came to be regarded as ‘new age terrorism’. Mumbai underscored the dangers of state-sponsored terrorism. The cognitive map of terrorism had changed with these attacks.

Some major terror attacks took place in 2015-16. The attacks on the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris, Bardo Museum attack in Tunis, Istanbul attack. They signalled the rise of new terrorist entities such as the Islamic State and al Qaeda.

During 2016, the IS launched several more spectacular attacks across Asia, Europe and North Africa. The intensity has since declined to an extent. But, these are indications of new complicated patterns of relationships among various terrorist entities.

Terrorism remains the omnipresent threat that it has always been. Africa and northwest Asia appear to have become the main hunting ground of the al-Qaeda and IS terrorists.

Linkages among terrorist groups have strengthened. It was evident when al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri was identified as living in Kabul in a ‘safe house’ maintained by the Haqqani Network.

Al-Qaeda’s activities in particular are becoming more decentralised. It is finding fertile grounds in the Sahel region of Africa and in Eastern Africa, apart from its salience in Afghanistan. Taliban is among al-Qaeda’s firmest allies today.

How is the world responding to threats of terrorism?

The world has been witnessing a lot of meetings and conferences on the issue of countering terrorism worldwide. The list includes meetings of the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, the No Money for Terror Conference, and an Interpol Conference.

India and Pakistan have continued to hurl invectives at each other instead of finding ways to cooperate to deal with the terrorism menace.

What can be the implications of this cold response?

The declining level of serious terrorist incidents do not translate into a decline in terrorism. It is the small incidents that portray what could happen in the near future.

It would be unfortunate if counter-terrorism experts across India don’t pay attention to many recent terror attacks, such as the one in Coimbatore and Mangalore attacks.

The incidents may appear relatively insignificant, but are symptomatic of growing radicalisation. These indicate that a sizable base is being built in the southern region, which could lead to the creation of organisations on the model of the Indian Mujahideen.

What is the way forward to tackle the threat of terrorism?

Most needed by world leaders is not to accept all declarations of a decline in levels of terrorism at face value. They should not treat some terrorists as good and others as bad.

There is a need to reactivate the proposal for the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that has been languishing in the offices of the UN and finalise the list of items needed to check terrorism globally. Once the CCIT is accepted by the UN, the war on terror would gain a new salience.

Counter-terrorism agencies the world over need to hone their skills and capabilities on how best to counter ‘new age terrorism’.

There is also a clear need for counter-terrorism agencies across the world to function in a more coordinated manner, exchanging both intelligence and tactics.

Agencies need to take stock of the newer patterns of terror such as ‘enabled terrorism’ and ‘remote control terrorism’.

Counter-terrorism experts will again need to enlarge their expertise to accommodate multi-domain operations, and undertake terror ‘gaming’.

GS Paper 3

Taking the lead on regulation of digital assets

News: The G20’s Finance Track discussions came up with the regulation of Virtual Digital Assets (VDAs) to curb financial crimes such as money laundering and terror financing as a priority.

What are the concerns linked to VDAs?

VDAs are often misused for financial crimes. There is – a) lack of proper regulatory measures, b) lack of reporting and transparency norms, c) absence of international consensus on regulatory design.

Therefore, India has a critical role to play in shaping the global regulatory environment as it is one of the highest-ranked countries in terms of VDA adoption and also heading the presidency of G20.

What measures can be taken by India?

India can allow anti-money laundering (AML) authorities to have control over VDA transactions, have power to impose controls upon them and prosecute in the event of any misuse.

These principles are included in the Financial Action Task Force Guidelines on Virtual Asset Transactions (FATF Guidelines). These guidelines have been adopted by various jurisdictions, including the EU, Japan and Singapore.

What are Financial Action Task Force Guidelines on Virtual Asset Transactions?

It prescribes minimum AML/CFT standards that countries should use to prevent the misuse of VDA transactions. The Guidelines are applicable to VDA service providers of member states like India. 

The key features of guidelines are – a) license/registration requirements and extensive reporting and record-keeping obligations for VDA service providers, b) verifying the customer and beneficiary’s identities for all transactions exceeding $1,000, c) it requires VDA service providers to perform enhanced obligations such as tracking the customer’s IP address to ensure there are no links to illicit activities when a transaction is with a higher-risk country.

This AML/CFT framework in India exists under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). It also includes reporting obligations for overseas transactions that fall under the ambit of suspicious transactions.

However, PMLA does not apply to the VDA industry.

What is the way ahead?

Even though PMLA does not apply do VDAs, the government has the power to make the VDA industry come under the PMLA. This would make VDAs to report offshore transactions and be subject to regulatory framework.

Therefore, the current discussion of G20 on VDAs and India coming up with the Digital Data Protection Bill and the Digital India Act will ensure Indians and digital businesses operate under the rights and responsibility framework.

A tall order – on Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)

News:  15th Conference of Parties (COP 15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, has managed to conclude Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) agreement.

The agreement may prove to be tough to implement despite providing an elaborate financing mechanism.

Read – Features of new COP 15 agreement

What are the challenges in achieving COP 15 agreement targets?

The bulk of the world’s vital bio-resources are unprotected. For example, at present only about 17 per cent of the terrestrial, and less than 10 per cent of the marine areas, are under some kind of protection.

Financing these targets would not be an easy task. It looks unachievable after looking at the result of commitment, of $100 billion a year for the climate mitigation fund, by developed countries in 2009.

Living Planet Report 2022 of the Worldwide Fund for Nature reports that nearly 34,000 plant and 5,200 animal species, including one-eighth of the bird species, face the threat of extinction.

Main reasons behind threats are Habitat destruction, over-exploitation, harmful anthropogenic activity, air and water pollution, and climate change.

How India has been able to make changes to the agreement?

India’s suggestion to grant freedom to adopt the targets according to country’s position, priorities and capabilities, has been adopted.

India was able to keep references to the agricultural and fisheries subsidies out of the agreement.

Some of the desired goals of India, linked to indigenous people and knowledge have become part of agreement, such as:

1. Sharing of monetary and non-monetary benefits with indigenous people, which is accruing from the utilisation of genetic resources
2. Protection of traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources.

The uncontrolled re-entries of satellites

News– The article explains the issue of uncontrolled re-entry of satellites.

What are the stages of a rocket launch?

Today, there are more than 6,000 satellites in orbit, most of them in low-earth and geostationary orbits.

Rockets have multiple stages. Once a stage has increased the rocket’s altitude and velocity by a certain amount, the rocket sheds it.

Some rockets jettison all their larger stages before reaching the destination orbit. A smaller engine then moves the payload to its final orbit. Others carry the payload to the orbit, then perform a deorbit manoeuvre to begin their descent. In both cases, rocket stages come back down in controlled or uncontrolled ways.

What is an uncontrolled re-entry?

In an uncontrolled re-entry, the rocket stage simply falls. Its path down is determined by its shape, angle of descent, air currents and other characteristics. It will also disintegrate as it falls.

Most rocket parts have landed in oceans principally because earth’s surface has more water than land. But many have dropped on land as well.

Some pieces burn up entirely while others don’t. But because of the speed at which they’re travelling, debris can be deadly.

Why are scientists worried about the re-entries?

Parts of a SpaceX Falcon 9 that fell down in Indonesia in 2016 included two “refrigerator-sized fuel tanks”. If re-entering stages still hold fuel, atmospheric and terrestrial chemical contamination is another risk.

The USA, it requires all launches to keep the chance of a casualty from a re-entering body to be below 0.01%. But the U.S. Air Force and NASA have waived this requirement on multiple occasions.

A July 2022 study by researchers in Canada found that this threshold is arbitrary and makes little sense in an era when new technologies and mission profiles enable controlled re-entries. Many places have also become more densely populated.

There is no international binding agreement to ensure rocket stages always perform controlled re-entries nor on the technologies with which to do so. The Liability Convention 1972 requires countries to pay for damages, not prevent them.

A 2021 report of the International Space Safety Foundation said, “an impact anywhere on an airliner with debris of mass above 300 grams would produce a catastrophic failure. It means all people on board would be killed”.

How can the damages be minimised?

Satellite bodies should aim for an ocean in order to avoid human casualties.

Future solutions should be extended to re-entering satellites as well. Advances in electronics and fabrication have made way for smaller satellites, which are easier to build and launch in large numbers.

Why Beijing’s rising maritime clout calls for a joint India-Japan nuclear submarine project

News– The article explains the status of the toy industry in India. It also explains the issues faced by this sector.

What are the changes in the toy sector in recent years?

In the last four years, India’s imports of toys, games and sports requisites and their parts and accessories declined 39%.

In the same period, Chinese imports dipped 45% in 2021-22.

In the case of only toys, exports increased by 61.38% in 2021-22. Imports of toys alone have dropped 70%.

What is the game-changer for the industry in terms of competing with Chinese imports?

One of the major reasons for this import-export shift is a sharp increase in basic customs duty from 20 to 60% in February 2020.

This was followed by the decision to bring toys under compulsory Bureau of Indian Standards certification starting January 1, 2021. This quality control became applicable to both domestic and overseas manufacturers.

What is the current status of the toy industry in India?

According to the Toy Association of India, the size of the industry was around Rs 20,000 crore in retail value in 2020. Out of this, only around Rs 5,000 crore came from local manufacturing.

Based on a report by IMARC, a market research company, the Indian toys market size reached $1.5 billion in 2022. It may touch $3 billion by 2028, a compounded annual growth rate of 12.2%.

At present, India is exporting to around 30 countries.

Local manufacturing and the involvement of more micro entrepreneurs and start-ups is on the rise. More than 100 new registered manufacturers entered the sector in the last two years. Local production has gone up 20-30%.

What are issues faced by the toy industry?

There are issues related to quality. A study by the Quality Council of India in 2019 showed that out of 121 different varieties of toys procured only 33% passed quality tests.

Mass manufacturers are not prepared to come under the BIS umbrella owing to the level of paperwork and heavy compliances burden it imposes. Majority of manufactures fall under the MSME segment.

Chinese toys are still available in the Indian market and only around 1,000 local manufacturers have registered under BIS.

In India, the number of electronic manufacturers is relatively low. We are specially importing chips and ICs from countries like China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

India still lacks a R&D centre or a design institute to drive the changes in the sector.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

The Urban Learning Internship Programme (TULIP)

Source: The post is based on the article “The Urban Learning Internship Program (TULIP)” published in PIB on 23rd December 2022

What is the News?

The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs has informed Lok Sabha about “The Urban Learning Internship Programme (TULIP)”.

What is The Urban Learning Internship Program (TULIP)?

Launched by: The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs(MoHUA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE).

Purpose: It is a platform to provide internships to students and graduates in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), Smart Cities, Parastatals of States/UTs. 

Aim: To fulfill the twin goals of providing a hands-on learning experience to recent graduates as well as benefiting States, ULBs, and Smart Cities with the infusion of fresh energy and ideas to solve critical challenges.

Eligibility: The internships under TULIP are open to Indian Citizens who graduate from an undergraduate program and can apply within 18 months of graduating. 

Ministry of Culture administers the scheme of Scholarship and Fellowship Financial Support to protect Folklore Artists

Source: The post is based on the article “Ministry of Culture administers the scheme of Scholarship and Fellowship Financial Support to protect Folklore Artists” published in PIB on 23rd December 2022

What is the News?

The Minister of Culture has informed the Lok Sabha about the steps taken by the Government to support and promote Folk art and culture. 

What are the steps taken by the Ministry of Culture to promote Folk art and Culture?

Scheme of Scholarship and Fellowship for promotion of art and culture: Under the scheme, the Ministry of Culture provides financial assistance to scholars and artists, including folklore artists. Assistance will be in the form of scholarships and fellowships to pursue their respective forms of art and buy specific art instruments etc. 

Cultural Talent Search Scholarship Scheme(CTSSS): The scheme is administered by the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture. 

The scheme provides facilities to young talented children in the age group of 10–14 years to study various art forms. Under this scheme, 650 scholarships are awarded every year, out of which 100 are reserved for Tribal Culture (ST candidates).

Funds Festivals: Ministry of Tribal Affairs provides funds for Tribal Festivals (at the State Level) like the Hornbill Festival of Nagaland, Pawl-Kut festival of Mizoram and Medaram Jatra of Telangana through Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs). 

Zonal Culture Centres(ZCC): They have been set up to protect, promote and preserve various forms of folk art and culture throughout the country. These ZCCs organize various cultural activities and programmes all over the country on regular basis, for which folk and tribal artists are engaged to showcase their talents.

OCTAVE: It is a festival organized regularly by the Zonal Cultural Centres(ZCCs) to promote and protect the rich cultural heritage of the North East Region. Only folk & tribal artists belonging to the North East Region are specifically provided with an opportunity to perform during this festival, for which they are provided remuneration.

India abstains from UNSC vote on Myanmar, calls for constructive diplomacy

Source: The post is based on the article “India abstains from UNSC vote on Myanmar, calls for constructive diplomacy” published in The Hindu on 24th December 2022

What is the News?

India along with China and Russia abstained from voting on a resolution adopted by the United Nations Security Council(UNSC). The resolution demanded an immediate end to violence in Myanmar and urged the military junta to release political prisoners.

What is happening in Myanmar?

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military toppled Suu Kyi’s elected government in February 2021. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, over 2,500 have been killed in the military’s crackdown on dissent.

What has the United Nations decided to do?

The United Nation’s 15-member Security Council has adopted a resolution demanding an immediate end to violence in Myanmar and urged the military junta to release political prisoners. Twelve members voted in favor while China and Russia abstained from the vote along with India.

Significance: This is the first Security Council resolution adopted in Myanmar in 74 years. The only other resolution on Myanmar was adopted by the Security Council in 1948 when it recommended that the United Nations General Assembly admit Burma (Myanmar) as a member.

Why has India abstained from voting?

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN delivered the explanation of the vote. She said that India believes that the complex situation in Myanmar calls for an approach of “quiet and patient diplomacy”.

Any other course would not help resolve the long-standing issues that have prevented enduring peace, stability, progress, and democratic governance. 

This statement is a marked difference from the statement made in the UNSC in April 2021 when India had “condemned” the violence in Myanmar unleashed after the coup. It had called for the release of prisoners, supported ASEAN efforts, and demanded that Rohingya refugees “displaced” in Bangladesh be rehabilitated in Myanmar at the earliest.

Lion @ 47: Vision for Amrutkal” to secure and restore lions’ habitats

Source: The post is based on the article “Lion @ 47: Vision for Amrutkal” to secure and restore lions’ habitats” published in PIB on 23rd December 2022

What is the News?

Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change has informed Lok Sabha about the Project Lion document titled “Lion @ 47: Vision for Amrutkal”.

What is Lion @ 47: Vision for Amrutkal document?

The Government of India has prepared ‘Lion@47: Vision for Amrutkal’ as a part of Project Lion for the conservation of Asiatic Lions in Gir, Gujarat.

The objective of the document is to 1) secure & restore lion habitats for managing its growing population, 2) scale up livelihood generation and participation of local communities, 3) become a global hub of knowledge on big cat disease diagnostics and treatment, and 4) create inclusive biodiversity conservation through Project Lion initiative.

What is Project Lion?

Project Lion is being implemented by the Gujarat government and other stakeholders like the Central Zoo Authority. 

The project envisages landscape ecology-based conservation of the Asiatic Lion in Gujarat by integrating conservation and eco-development. 

The Project is being implemented in the Gir landscape in Gujarat, which is the last home of the Asiatic lion.

What is the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats(IDWH) Scheme?

IDWH is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme started in 2008-09.

Aim: To provide support to 1) protected areas (national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation reserves, and community reserves except for tiger reserves) 2) protection of wildlife outside protected areas and 3) recovery programs for saving critically endangered species and habitats.

Year End Review of Department of Pharmaceuticals-2022

Source: The post is based on the article “Year End Review of Department of Pharmaceuticals-2022” published in PIB on 23rd December 2022

What is the News?

The Department of Pharmaceuticals has launched several initiatives and schemes in 2022.

What are the schemes and initiatives launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals in 2022?

Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP)

Launched by: Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers in 2008. 

Aim: To make quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all.

Under the scheme, dedicated outlets known as Janaushadhi Kendras are opened to provide generic medicines at affordable prices.

Implementing body: The Scheme is implemented by the Pharma & Medical Bureau of India (PMBI) (erstwhile Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India).

National List of Essential Medicines 

Scheme for Strengthening of Pharmaceutical Industry(SPI):

Aim: To address demand of support required to existing Pharma clusters and MSMEs, to improve their productivity, quality and sustainability. 

Components: The scheme has 3 components / sub-schemes: 1) Assistance to Pharmaceutical Industry for Common Facilities(APICF) 2) Pharmaceutical Technology Upgradation Assistance Scheme (PTUAS) and 3) Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices Promotion and Development Scheme (PMPDS).

PLI Scheme for promotion of domestic manufacturing of critical Key Starting Materials (KSMs)/ Drug Intermediates (DIs)/ Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs)

PLI Scheme for promoting Domestic Manufacturing of Medical Devices

PLI Scheme for Pharmaceuticals

Medical Devices Sector: The medical devices sector is an essential and integral constituent of the healthcare sector. 

The current market size of the medical devices sector in India is estimated to be USD 11 Bn and its share in the global medical device market is estimated to be 1.5%.

Few important interventions for the Medical Devices Sector were taken in 2022 such as:

– Reconstitution of National Medical Devices Promotion Council: It is an inter-departmental council setup to interact frequently with the medical devices industry to take up matters for resolution, which are regulatory in nature and are spread over different departments. 

– Export Promotion Council for Medical Devices: Department of Commerce has approved establishment of a separate Export Promotion Council (EPC) for Medical Devices at YEIDA, Uttar Pradesh.The council will give the boost to the Medical Devices Sector.

Around 40,000 women trained all over India under Nai Roshni Scheme

Source: The post is based on the article “Around 40,000 women trained all over India under Nai Roshni Scheme” published in PIB on 23rd December 2022

What is the News?

The Minister of Minority Affairs has informed Lok Sabha about the Scheme.

Note: Nai Roshni scheme has now been merged as a component of Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) scheme.

What is the Nai Roshni Scheme?

Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Minority Affairs

Aim: To empower and enhance confidence in Minority women by providing knowledge, tools, and techniques for the Leadership Development of Women.

Under the scheme, a six-days non-residential/five-days residential training program is conducted for women belonging to minority communities between the age group of 18 years to 65 years. 

– The training modules cover areas related to programs for women, Health and Hygiene, Legal rights of women, Financial Literacy, Digital Literacy, Swachch Bharat, Life Skills, and Advocacy for Social and Behavioral changes. 

Implemented by: The scheme is being implemented through Programme Implementing Agencies/Non Governmental Organizations. 

Eligibility: Beneficiaries having annual income not exceeding Rs.2.50 lakh from all sources are given preference in selection for training under the scheme.

Explained | What do the J&K Land Grants Rules, 2022 entail?

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained | What do the J&K Land Grants Rules, 2022 entail?” published in The Hindu on 24th December 2022

What is the News?

The J&K Lieutenant Governor’s administration has notified fresh land rules under J&K Land Grant Rules-2022.

What are J&K Land Grant Rules-2022?

J&K Land Grant Rules-2022 will replace the J&K Land Grants Rules-1960. These rules dealt with the special rules to grant government land on lease in the erstwhile State of J&K. 

What did the previous rules provide for?

Under the J&K Land Grants Rules 1960, prime locations such as Srinagar, Jammu, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam were opened up for the construction of hotels, commercial structures, and residential buildings in the past. 

The land was granted on lease to only those persons who are permanent residents of the State and those allowed by the government in the interest of industrial or commercial development or in the favor of a registered charitable society.

What do the new rules provide for?

According to the new land laws, the leases of current landowners will not be extended in case of their lease expiry. Unlike the previous up to 99 years of the lease, the lease period has also been reduced to 40 years. 

The government has asked the outgoing leaseholders to evict properties or else face evictions under the new rules.

What is the J&K administration’s plan for lease now?

An expert committee will enlist all properties where the lease had ended. It will be e-auctioned afresh.

The land can be leased for education, healthcare, tourism, skill development, hydroelectric projects, and other recreational purposes.

The rules open bidding to any person legally competent under Section 11 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872. The land can be leased to ex-servicemen, war widows, families of deprived categories, migrant workers, building and construction workers, and sufferers of natural calamities.

What will be the immediate impact of the amendments?

The new rules have hundreds of properties open for fresh auctions, where outsiders could also participate. 

Why are regional parties opposing these new rules? 

The regional parties have claimed that these new rules have been brought to bring rich outsiders to buy prime property in J&K at the cost of local businesses and their interests. They said, the first right to these lease properties belongs to those who were already settled here.

House panel seeks to rein in Big Tech firms with digital competition law

Source: The post is based on the article “House panel seeks to rein in Big Tech firms with digital competition law” published in Business Standard on 23rd December 2022

What is the News?

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance has presented a report titled ‘Anti-competitive practices by Big Tech companies’. The committee has presented a set of recommendations to rein in Big Tech companies.

Why is there a need to regulate Big Tech companies?

Technology companies such as Alphabet (which owns Google), Meta (which owns Facebook), and Amazon are among those recognised the world over as Big Tech companies that act as crucial digital intermediaries. 

These companies have been accused of allegedly abusing their market position using chunks of user data. Recently, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) penalized Google for “anti-competitive” practices related to Android devices.

What are the recommendations given by the Parliamentary Standing Committee to regulate Big Tech companies?

A digital competition law for regulating the anti-competitive practices of these Big Tech companies.

Frame a definition for Systemically Important Digital Intermediaries(SIDIs) that need tighter regulations. The classification could be based on revenues, market capitalisation, and the number of active users.

Specialized digital markets unit within the CCI with skilled experts, academics, and attorneys enabling the commission to closely monitor the SIDIs as well as emerging SIDIs.

Competitive behaviour needs to be evaluated ex-ante before markets end up monopolized. The ex-ante approach is forward-looking regulation, in contrast to initiating an investigation after an anti-competitive act has been committed–the ex-post approach. 

SIDIs must not favour their own offers over the offers of their competitors when mediating access to supply and sales markets.

Big Techs should not exploit the personal data of end users of the platform in certain ways for advertising to ensure a level playing field.