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Time: 45 min Date: 01-09-2021

Polity and Governance

Two years of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) Draft

Syllabus: GS 2/Government Policies & Interventions

In Context

● The updation process of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam is caught in a logjam two years after the publication of the supplementary list on August 31, 2019.

Major Points

● The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) had collected the biometric details of 27.43 lakh people who had been delisted from the initial complete draft published in 2018. Some 8.37 lakh of them made it to the NRC complete draft published eight months later.

● More than 19 lakh out of 3.3 crore applicants were left out of the complete draft of Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC) published on August 31, 2019.

○ But the stagnation of the updating exercise has cast a cloud of uncertainty over 8.37 lakh more people across the State.

■ They are struggling to get Aadhaar, and worry about benefits linked to it.

■ This is because the biometric details of people collected before the publication of the draft continue to be frozen.

■ Background :

● The collection of biometrics followed a Supreme Court-

approved standard operating procedure (SOP) in November 2018.

● Fingerprints, retina scans and other details were collected during the hearing of claims for the excluded people to be included in the NRC and objections to the inclusion of people who may have figured in the citizens’ list erroneously or through alleged manipulation.

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Why has the NRC of Assam not come into force even after two years?

○ Notification delayed :

■ The Registrar General of India (RGI) has not yet issued a notification on the NRC, which questions the legality of the list.

○ Unheard case:

■ The Supreme Court, which supervised the exercise from 2013, has

not heard cases related to NRC since January 2020.

○ Re-verification demand :

■ There has been a demand for the re-verification of the entire list. A hundred per cent review was demanded in several districts .

○ Financial irregularities:

■ Notably, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has also reported financial irregularities of more than Rs 100 crore, adding to the dispute after the list was published.

○ Formal delays :

■ In February 2020, NRC State Coordinator wrote to the Assam government advising the unlocking of the biometric details of the 8.37 lakh people who made it back to the list.

■ Officials at the UIDAI’s regional office in Guwahati said the Aadhaar numbers of people with the “NRC cloud” could not be issued until clarification from the RGI reached the authority via the Department.

■ Without the RGI’s notification, the NRC authority cannot issue

rejection slips to the 19.06 lakh people excluded from the register.

● Such a slip outlines the reasons for a person being left out of the list.

● According to the SOP, each excluded person was to have been issued a rejection slip for appealing to a Foreigner’s Tribunal within 120 days of receiving the slip.

● The tribunals would then hear their cases for inclusion in the register or exclusion for good.

○ But till date, those excluded have not been issued rejection slips by the NRC office, which would enable them to file appeals.

● These NRC cases are stretching out and since last year no hearings have taken place; so its implementation is still uncertain.

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● Impacts

○ The NRC process should have been taken to its logical conclusion or continued within the schedule.

■ The suspension of the exercise has denied documents such as Aadhaar cards to many while thousands are being deprived of ration cards and other government benefits.

■ Increasing trauma: The trauma for the excluded people is increasing with the time taken for the exercise to resume.

What is the National Register of Citizens (NRC)?

● National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a register prepared after the conduct of the Census of 1951 in respect of each village, showing the houses or holdings in serial order and indicating against each house or holding the number and names of persons staying therein.

● These registers covered each and every person enumerated during the Census of 1951 and were kept in the offices of Deputy Commissioners and Sub Divisional

Officers according to instructions issued by the Government of India in 1951. Later these registers were transferred to the Police in the early 1960s.

● This NRC was prepared under a directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

● At present, only Assam has such a register and the exercise may be extended to other states as well. Nagaland is already creating a similar database known as the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants.

NRC in Assam

● The NRC in Assam is basically a list of Indian citizens living in the state. The citizens’ register sets out to identify foreign nationals in the state that borders Bangladesh.

○ The reason behind the move was to identify Indian citizens in Assam amid "unabated" migration from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

● The Centre has been pushing for NRCs in every state. Nagaland has already started an exercise to create a similar database of citizens known as the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants.

What is the National Register of Citizens (NRC) update?

● National Register of Citizens (NRC) updation basically means the process of enlisting the names of all citizens residing in Assam at the time of NRC updation.

How will the NRC be updated?

● The NRC will be updated as per the provisions of The Citizenship Act, 1955 and The Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.

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Eligibility for inclusion in updated NRC

● Persons whose names appear in NRC, 1951.

● Persons whose names appear in the Electoral Rolls up to 24th March (midnight), 1971.

● Descendants of the above persons.

● Persons who came to Assam from Bangladesh between 1st January 1966 and 25th March 1971 and registered themselves with the Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO) and were declared by the Foreigner Tribunal as Indian citizens.

● All Indian Citizens including their children and descendants who have moved to Assam post 24th March 1971 would be eligible for inclusion in the updated NRC on adducing satisfactory proof of residence in any part of the country (outside Assam) as of 24th March 1971.

● Persons who can provide any of the admissible documents issued up to 24th March midnight, 1971.

Objectives and need

● It effectively suggests bringing legislation that will enable the government to identify infiltrators who have been living in India illegally, detain them and finally deport them where they came from.

● It will target illegal immigrants in India.

○ But Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis coming from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh won't be affected, if they claim they have arrived in India after fleeing religious persecution.

● It essentially means, if a nationwide NRC is implemented as proposed, any illegal immigrant from other than Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, will be affected. And as for those three nations, people coming from there who belong to the Muslim community will also be affected as they are not included in the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Is there any link between the CAA and NRC

● There is no direct link between the CAA and NRC. The Citizenship Amendment Act is meant to help members of the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and

Christian communities who have migrated from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan until December 31, 2014, facing religious persecution, ensuring that they will not be treated as illegal immigrants and given Indian citizenship.

● The Act got the President of India’s approval in December 2019 after it was passed by both Houses of Parliament.

● The rules of this Act are yet to be framed and the Centre has sought the extension of the deadline until 2022 in the Supreme Court.

● The NRC on the other hand is a process of valid Indian identification.

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Way Forward

○ The state needs to take urgent steps to move the NRC process forward as soon as possible and to ensure that guarantees of due processes are in place.

Source:TH

International Relations

China's First Road­rail Transport Link To Indian Ocean

Syllabus: GS2/ Effect of Policies and Politics of Developed and Developing Countries on India’s interests

In News

● Recently, China opened the first road­rail transport link to the Indian Ocean.

About

● The first shipments on a newly-launched railway line from the Myanmar border to the key commercial hub of Chengdu in western China were delivered.

● It provides China a new road-rail transportation channel to the Indian Ocean.

● It connects the logistics lines of Singapore, Myanmar and China.

● The new railway line completes the transport corridor involving a sea-road-rail

link.

● It is currently the most convenient land and sea channel linking the Indian Ocean with southwest China. One way saves 20-22 days.

Image Courtesy: TH

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Other connectivity plans of China

● China also has plans to develop another port in Kyaukphyu in the Rakhine state, including a proposed railway line from Yunnan directly to the port, but the progress there has been stalled by unrest in Myanmar.

● Chinese planners have also looked at the Gwadar port in Pakistan as another key outlet to the Indian Ocean that will bypass the Malacca Straits. Gwadar is being developed as part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to the far western Xinjiang region, but has been slow to take off amid concerns over security.

● The railway line currently ends in Lincang on the Chinese side opposite the Myanmar Border trade town of Chin Shwe Haw. Plans are underway to develop Chin Shwe Haw as a “border economic cooperation zone” under the Belt and Road Initiative.

● The costs and logistics through CPEC are also less favourable than the Myanmar route with the opening of the rail transport channel from the Myanmar border right to western China’s biggest commercial hub, Chengdu.

Threats to India

● China’s direct access to the Bay of Bengal is a major threat to India.

● Andaman and Nicobar Islands also come along the way China wants to trade with South East Asian countries.

● Chinese ships will later pass through the Bay of Bengal on a large scale.

● With this they can easily keep an eye on the Indian islands.

● Due to the increasing reach of China, the crisis can also increase in Northeast India where rebels often attack.

● China’s Western Theatre Command (WTC) is tasked with the responsibility for the Indian strategic direction. The 77th Group Army will play a major role in the mobilisation of the forces if there’s an escalation near the Arunachal Pradesh border due to its proximity to the region.

● The Sichuan-Tibet railway runs dangerously close to the Indian border near Arunachal Pradesh. Thus, on completion in 2030, it will enhance the PLA’s mobility and connectivity on the border with India, especially in the eastern sector.

Way Ahead

● India needs to keep a constant watch on all developments having a bearing on India's security.

● The Government of India has to facilitate the economic development of border areas to meet India's strategic and security requirements.

● The necessary measures should be taken to safeguard India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Source: TH

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International Relations

UNSC Resolution on Afghanistan

Syllabus: GS2/ Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

In News

● Recently, the UN Security Council, under India's presidency, adopted a resolution

demanding that the territory of Afghanistan should not be used to threaten any country or shelter terrorists.

About

● US Troops Departure:

○ The adoption of Resolution 2593 coincided with the departure of the last US troops from Afghanistan on 30 August, fulfilling Washington’s commitment that all its troops would exit Afghanistan by 31 August.

● Proclamation of Taliban:

○ In Kabul, the Taliban proclaimed “full independence" for Afghanistan after the last US soldiers left after a two decade long stay.

● UN Resolution 2593:

○ The UNSC resolution was put forward by the US, the UK, and France and adopted after 13 council members voted in favour, with permanent members Russia and China abstaining.

● Demand in Resolution:

○ Resolution demands that Afghan territory not be used to threaten or attack any country or to shelter, train terrorists or plan or finance terrorist acts.

● UNSC Resolution 1267:

○ It specifically mentions individuals and entities designated pursuant to UNSC Resolution 1267, i.e., Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), etc.

■ The LeT and JeM are anti-India terrorist groups that are based in Pakistan.

■ In the past, LeT and JeM camps have sprouted in Afghanistan when Kabul was in the control of the Taliban between 1996-2001.

■ This is of direct importance to India.

● Russia, China stand

○ In their statements explaining the split within the UNSC’s permanent members, Russia and China said they wanted all the groups, especially Islamic State (ISIL) and the Uighur East Turkestan Islamic Movement

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(ETIM) be named specifically in the document, and listed a number of objections to the drafting of the resolution.

○ They accused the resolution’s sponsors the U.S., the U.K. and France of having rushed it through on a “tight schedule” while seeking to absolve the U.S. of responsibility, and distinguish between “their and our terrorists”.

○ Russia has also cautioned against “freezing Afghan financial assets”, a clause that was not included in the document.

● India's Responsibility:

○ 1988 Sanctions committee:

■ India is expected to chair the 1988 Sanctions committee that looks at Taliban sanctions next and participate in the decision to extend the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), where it will also have to balance competing demands from the U.S., the U.K. and France bloc ranged against Russia and China.

○ Stranded Indians:

■ focused on developments in Afghanistan, ensuring the evacuation of stranded Indians and also airlifting Afghan nationals, especially “religious minority groups” from Kabul.

Significance

● The resolution recognizes the importance of upholding human rights, especially of Afghan women, children and minorities as well as to inclusive negotiated settlement and humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

● With this resolution, Afghanistan would have to earn international legitimacy and support.

● India highlighted its key role in the wording on Afghan territory not being used for terrorist actions in other countries

Challenges in Afghan Peace Process

● Inherent Complexities: The Afghan dialogue has been riddled with the presence of multiple stakeholders including the Afghan government, Taliban, Haqqani Network and various tribes existing in the region. This complicates the process due to conflicting viewpoints and divergence in opinion on the direction the dialogue process should take.

● Rising Violence: Afghan peace process has assumed violent overtones due to the constant infighting among the tribes as well as the non-state actors. This makes it difficult to conduct dialogue within Afghan society.

● Role of External Actors: Apart from the internal variations, Afghanistan has also interference from various other countries including Pakistan, US, China and other actors like Pakistan’s ISI. This complicates the process with some groups pulling the peace process in different directions as per their self-interest.

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● Withdrawal of US Troops: US administration has set 9/11 as the final date for its withdrawal from the territory of Afghanistan. This has raised concerns of Afghanistan slipping back to chaos in the absence of any forthcoming international assistance.

● Role of Pakistan: The international community has outlined the role of Pakistan in promoting terror groups like Taliban for meeting its own political ends. International media has criticized Pakistan for its intentions of toppling the Afghan government and installing the Taliban regime as its puppet in Afghanistan.

What can India do?

● Broader Diplomatic Engagement: India should consider appointing a special envoy

dedicated to Afghan reconciliation. The envoy can ensure that Indian views are expressed at every meeting, broaden engagement with the Afghan government and other political actors, and reach out to certain Taliban representatives.

● Idea of Double Peace: India has been advocating the need for peace within Afghanistan as well as peace in the external environment of Afghanistan.

● Continued Training and Investments: India should provide more military training to Afghan security forces and invest in longer-term capacity-building programs. It should actively support and invest in the National Directorate of Security (for example, by providing training and sharing intelligence). Finally, given the continued levels of violence and the impact of the coronavirus on the Afghan economy, India should expand its development assistance.

● Working With and Through Others: India should look to broaden its engagements with Iran and Russia, explore opportunities for cooperation (as limited as they might be) with China, and find common ground with the United States on Afghanistan’s future. This does not mean forcing competing interests to align; it means investing in a wider diplomatic initiative with the view to carve out areas of convergence.

● Role of United Nations: India sees a bigger role of the United Nations in the Afghan peace process as an influencer of peace. It has prescribed a larger role of the international community in putting pressure on the regional players and other stakeholders towards finding a solution.

Way Ahead

● Demonstrate Solidarity: The Afghanistan peace process is a rare opportunity for global solidarity and to demonstrate the world’s capability of raising an infant democracy from the ashes of a terror-based regime.

● Financial Aid: There is a need to engage with all stakeholders amid an Afghan-led, Afghan-controlled and Afghan–owned peace process. However, it would require substantial financial commitments from the richer nations as per their capability.

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● Dialogue with Taliban: There is a need to make it clear to Taliban and other non-state actors what is expected out of them in order to let them continue having a presence in the political establishment.

● Checking Pakistan’s Involvement: For any progress to be expected, Pakistan needs to be stopped from promoting violence and terror in Afghan society.

● Role of India: India would do well to strengthen the peace process and contribute to the Afghan redevelopment efforts.

Source: TH

Indian Economy

PPP Model of Bharat Net Project

Syllabus: GS3/ Indian Economy & related issues, GS2/ Government Policies & Interventions

In News

● The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has started pre-bid meetings with various stakeholders to implement the public-private partnership model (PPP) for the BharatNet project.

○ States which took lead on the PPP model under BharatNet Phase 2 are being consulted for potential hindrances and way outs.

BharatNet Project

● About:

○ It is the central government’s flagship scheme to provide internet connectivity via National Optical Fibre Network to all 2.5 lakh gram panchayats in the country.

○ It is the world’s largest rural broadband connectivity programme.

○ It is implemented by Bharat Broadband Network Ltd. (BBNL) under the supervision of the Department of Telecommunication under the Ministry

of Communications.

○ The project is being funded by Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).

■ The USOF was set up for improving telecom services in rural and

remote areas of the country.

○ Recently it was also included in the Viability Gap Funding Program to help the Private sector play a dominant role.

■ Viability Gap Funding (VGF) is a kind of capital subsidy to attract more private investors.

■ In this, a certain percentage of the total capital cost is paid by the

government to make the project economically viable.

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● Aim and Objectives:

○ The project will create a highly scalable network infrastructure accessible on a non-discriminatory basis.

○ It will provide on-demand, affordable broadband connectivity of 2 Mbps

to 20 Mbps for all rural households.

○ It will help all the institutions to augment their capacity, to realise the

vision of Digital India, in partnership with States and the private sector.

○ Thus, the program will facilitate the delivery of e-governance, e-health, e-

education, e-banking, Internet and other services to rural India.

● Phases of the Project:

● 1st Phase: It will provide 1 lakh gram panchayats with broadband connectivity by laying underground Optic Fibre Cable (OFC) lines by

December 2017.

● 2nd Phase: It will provide connectivity to all the gram panchayats in the

country.

○ It will use an optimal mix of underground fibre, fibre over power

lines, radio and satellite media by March 2019.

● 3rd Phase: From 2019 to 2023, a state-of-the-art, future-proof network, including fibre between districts and blocks will be laid down.

○ Ring topology will be used to reduce latency and fasten the services.

Bharat Broadband Network Ltd. (BBNL)

● BBNL is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) set up by the Government of India

under the Companies Act, 1956 with an authorized capital of Rs 1000 crore.

● It has been mandated to create the National Optical Fiber Network (NOFN) in

India.

National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN)

● It was launched in October 2011 and renamed Bharat Net Project in 2015.

● NOFN was modelled as an information superhighway through the creation of

a robust middle-mile infrastructure.

● Its aim was to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats.

● In 2019, the Ministry of Communications also launched the ‘National

Broadband Mission’.

○ Aim: To facilitate universal and equitable access to broadband services across the country.

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Challenges while implementing the BharatNet via PPP mode

● Choice of PPP scheme:

○ The challenge is to choose from different models of PPP for optimum

utilisation of resources with minimum risk.

○ The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India had recommended BOOT/BOT

models in 2016.

■ BOOT stands for Build-Own-Operate-Transfer.

■ BOT stands for Build-Operate-Transfer.

● Profit Motive of Private Firm:

○ The aim of the scheme is Digital Inclusion but if the private sector will

operate the project after building it, it may charge higher prices for service.

○ It may defeat the actual objective of the scheme.

● Lack of interest shown by Private Firms

○ It has been seen that the private sector is less interested in social sector

projects due to various reasons.

■ Red-tapism and excess bureaucracy.

■ Less Profit: Non-viable projects as they are serving a very small

population group whose spending capacity is very less.

■ ‘Right of Way’ (RoW) is seen as a “major risk factor'' by the private

sector.

● Right of Way (ROW) is the area around a pipeline or

transmission line for which you receive permission to work.

● It can be either government-owned or privately-owned.

● Implementational Challenges: Floundering Project of Phase 1 and Phase 2

○ As per an Indian Express, 2020 report, the scheme is floundering at the last

mile due to the failure of the implementation agencies.

○ The DoT had been looking to rope in the private sector to complete the

pending projects under Phase 1 and 2 of BharatNet.

Conclusion and Way Ahead

● PPP in BharatNet is a welcome step.

● There is a need to overcome framework and implementation related challenges

in order to make it beneficial for all the stakeholders.

● The aforementioned challenges can be overcome in the following ways:

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○ Discussion with all the stakeholders

■ DetailedDeliberations can help everyone put forth their concerns.

■ Experimental case studies are taken from different states who have already implemented it can help a lot.

○ Quick and Timely release of money with reduced bureaucratic hurdles

■ Single Window Clearance, Easy Credit and release of bill amount can make the project lucrative for the private sector.

■ Safeguards must be in place under the agreement to attenuate various risks and encourage participation.

○ Trial of different PPP models at different places

■ Various modes of PPP viz EPC, BOT, BOOT, etc may be run on a pilot basis.

■ The success may be objectively analysed and accordingly, future work may be promoted.

○ Government Subsidy to the users till the spending capacity is augmented

■ The government would need to rope in by providing subsidies initially in order to make sure the objective of Digital Penetration is achieved.

Public-Private Partnership (PPP)

● It involves collaboration between a government agency and a private-sector company that can be used to finance, build, and operate projects.

● These projects can include public transportation networks, parks, and convention centres.

Benefits of PPP model for BharatNet

● Optimal utilisation of funds can be done to complete the project by August 2023:

○ PPP has been known to bring in much-needed capital and technology for completing the projects on time.

○ Better private sector management will result in optimal resource utilisation.

○ It will also help in Faster Rollout.

● Relieve the burden on Public Exchequer:

○ The private sector partner is expected to bring an equity investment and raise resources towards capital expenditure.

○ The private sector will also be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the network.

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● Better Access through schemes like Internet Sathi by Google:

○ The private firms can also impart skills to train villagers in using computer systems and the internet.

○ This will make Common Service Centres more efficient.

○ It will enable better access to e-services offered by various governments.

○ It will also enable online education, telemedicine, skill development, e-commerce and other applications of broadband.

Source: IE

Indian Polity

Appointment of Supreme Court Judges

Syllabus: GS2/ Judiciary

In News

● Nine new Supreme Court judges were administered their oaths of office by Chief Justice NV Ramana.

About

● It is for the first time in the history of the Supreme Court that nine judges took the oath of office at one go.

● With the swearing-in of the nine new judges, the strength of the Supreme Court has now increased to 33, including the CJI, out of the sanctioned strength of 34.

● It was the first time the Supreme Court allowed a live telecast of the ceremony.

Collegium System

● It is the system of appointment and transfer of judges that has evolved through judgments of the Supreme Court, and not by an Act of Parliament or by a provision of the Constitution.

● The Supreme Court collegium is headed by the Chief Justice of India and comprises four other senior-most judges of the court.

● A High Court collegium is led by its Chief Justice and four other senior-most judges of that court.

● Names recommended for appointment by a High Court collegium reaches the government only after approval by the CJI and the Supreme Court collegium.

● Judges of the higher judiciary are appointed only through the collegium system, and the government has a role only after names have been decided by the collegium.

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● Evolution:

○ The collegium system has its genesis in a series of Supreme Court judgments called the ‘Judges Cases’.

○ FIRST JUDGES CASE: In S P Gupta Vs Union of India, 1981, the Supreme Court judgment held that consultation does not mean concurrence and it only implies an exchange of views.

○ SECOND JUDGES CASE: In The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association Vs Union of India, 1993, a nine-judge Constitution Bench overruled the decision and devised a specific procedure called ‘Collegium System’ for the appointment and transfer of judges in the higher judiciary.

■ The majority verdict in the Second Judges Case accorded primacy to the CJI in matters of appointment and transfers while also ruling that the term “consultation” would not diminish the primary role of the CJI in judicial appointments.

■ The role of the CJI is primal in nature because this being a topic within the judicial family, the executive cannot have an equal say in the matter.

○ THIRD JUDGES CASE: In the Third Judges case (1998), the Court opined that the consultation process to be adopted by the Chief Justice of India requires ‘consultation of plurality judges’.

■ The sole opinion of the CJI does not constitute the consultation process.

■ He should consult a collegium of four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court and even if two judges give an adverse opinion, he should not send the recommendation to the government.

■ The court held that the recommendation made by the chief justice of India without complying with the norms and requirements of the consultation process is not binding on the government.

Constitutional Provisions

● Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts are appointed by the President under Articles 124(2) and 217 of the Constitution.

○ Article 124(2): Every Judge of the Supreme Court shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal after consultation with such Judges of the Supreme Court and of the High Courts in the States as he may deem necessary.

○ Article 217: Every Judge of a High Court shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, the Governor of the State, and, in the case of appointment of a Judge other than the Chief Justice, the Chief Justice of the High Court.

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Criticism Against the Collegium System

● Lack of Transparency and Accountability.

● Scope for nepotism.

● Embroilment in public controversies.

● Overlooks several talented junior judges and advocates.

Way Forward

● This is a time to revisit the Collegium issue, either through a Presidential reference to the Supreme Court, or a constitutional amendment with appropriate changes in the original NJAC law.

● The “thought process” of both the government and Collegium should be modulated and the time frame needed to be fixed for both the Collegium and Ministry to complete the appointment process.

● There should be an institutional basis for considering names from the Supreme Court Bar, rather than considering them on an ad hoc basis.

Source: TH

Facts In News

Indian Economy

Sukhet Model

Syllabus:GS 3/Indian Economy & Related Issues

In News

● Recently, the Prime Minister of India praised the ‘Sukhet model’ of Madhubani district in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme.

About

● Sukhet model is named after Sukhet village in Madhubani district where it is being implemented by the scientists of Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agriculture University, Pusa (Samastipur)Bihar.

● Under this project, garbage and dung from houses are collected door-to-door and then converted into vermicompost (organic manure).

● From the income generated from the sale of organic manure, every family is provided LPG cylinders every two months in exchange for the waste and cow dung

Benefits

● It also provides four-fold benefits to farmers four-fold benefit like a pollution-free environment in villages, disposal of waste in villages, monetary assistance to villagers for gas cylinders and availability of organic fertilisers to farmers.

● Employment generation

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Other Related schemes (Godhan Nyay Yojana)

● Launched on 21st July 2020, on the occasion of Hareli, the first festival of the state, by the Chhattisgarh

● Under this, the state government would procure cow dung at 2 per k.g. from the farmers and cattle rearers of the state which will lead to income as well as employment generation.

● The government will also make arrangements for the marketing of additional organic fertilizer.

Indian Economy

E-Gopala App

Syllabus: GS 3/Indian Economy & Related Issues

In News

● The web version of the e-GOPALA application developed by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has been launched to aid dairy farmers.

About

● e-GOPALA provides a platform to farmers in the country for managing livestock including buying and selling of disease-free germplasm in all forms (semen, embryos, etc), availability of quality breeding services (Artificial Insemination, veterinary first aid, vaccination, treatment etc) and guiding farmers for animal nutrition, treatment of animals using appropriate ayurvedic medicine/ethnoveterinary medicine.

● There is a mechanism to send alerts (on the due date for vaccination, pregnancy diagnosis, calving etc) and inform farmers about various government schemes.

● This portal will also facilitate real-time checking of coverage and progress of various projects and government schemes.

National Dairy Development Board's (NDDB)

● It was created to promote, finance and support producer-owned and controlled organisations.

● NDDB's programmes and activities seek to strengthen farmer-owned institutions and support national policies that are favourable to the growth of such institutions.

● Fundamental to NDDB's efforts are cooperative strategies and principles.

● NDDB’s efforts transformed India’s rural economy by making dairying a viable and profitable economic activity for millions of milk producers while addressing the country’s need for self-sufficiency in milk production.

● NDDB has been reaching out to dairy farmers by implementing other income-generating innovative activities and offering them sustainable livelihood.

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Biodiversity and Environment

Crocodile Species in India

Syllabus: GS 3/Species in News

In News

● Odisha’s Kendrapara emerged as the only district in the country that is home to all the three species of a crocodile after forest officials found a baby gharial in the river system

● Kendrapara now has gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), mugger (Crocodylus palustris) and saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus).

Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus)

● It is also known as the gavial or the fish-eating crocodile,It is the longest among all living crocodilians

● Conservation: Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List)

● Schedule I: Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

● Appendix I: CITES

● Threats: Loss of habitat because of sand mining and conversion to agriculture, depletion of fish resources and detrimental fishing.

Saltwater crocodile(Crocodylus porosus)

● It is the earth’s largest living crocodilian, with average-size males reaching 17 feet and 1,000 pounds.

● Habitat:

○ Brackish and freshwater regions of eastern India, Southeast Asia and northern Australia.

○ In and around BNP, the Sundarbans and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in India.

● Threats:

○ Illegal hunting for their hides, habitat loss, and antipathy due to its reputation as a man-eater.

● Conservation:

○ In 1975, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) started a crocodile breeding and rearing project.

○ IUCN Red List: Least Concern

○ Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

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Mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris)

● The mugger crocodile also called marsh crocodile or broad-snouted crocodile

● Habitat :

○ It is native to freshwater habitats from southern Iran and Pakistan to the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka.

● Conservation

○ The mugger has been listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1982.

○ In India, it is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Among the six schedules in the Act, Schedule I and part II of Schedule II provide the highest degrees of protection to listed species, with the most stringent penalties for offenders.

Art & Culture

World Heritage Institute of Training and Research – Asia Pacific (WHITRAP)

Syllabus: GS1/ Art & Culture

In News

● The World Heritage Institute of Training and Research – Asia Pacific (WHITRAP) has recognised CEPT University’s Programme in Conservation and Regeneration as a “commended case”.

About

● Among these entries received by WHITRAP, the Conservation Programme at CEPT was the only one from South Asia to get recognition as a ’Commended Case’ of Global Innovation on World Heritage Education.

● The World Heritage Education Programme was initiated as a United Nations

Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) special project in 1994.

WHITRAP

● About:

○ It is a non-profit organization specialized in the area of heritage

conservation.

○ It is an institute under the auspices of UNESCO, it is the first one established in developing countries.

○ It is an autonomous institution at the service of member states and associate members of UNESCO.

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○ It was established in 2007 and is located in China.

○ It provides services to States Parties to the 1972 World Heritage

Convention in the Asia-Pacific region.

● Objectives:

○ Increasing the balanced representation and distribution of Asia-Pacific

properties on the World Heritage List.

○ Promoting better protection and management of the World Heritage

properties in the Asia and the Pacific region.

○ Raising awareness of the World Heritage conservation among the general

public.

● Mandate:

○ To strengthen the implementation of the World Heritage Convention

through capacity building, training, research, communication and

dissemination of information.

● World Heritage Convention:

○ It is an international agreement that was adopted by the General

Conference of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and

Cultural Organisation) in 1972.

○ The Convention is administered by the World Heritage Committee, which

is an elected body comprising representatives of 21 nations.

○ The Convention was based on the premise that certain places on earth are

of ‘outstanding universal value’ and therefore they should be identified

and safeguarded by the international community as a whole.

○ India is a signatory to the convention and has 40 world heritage sites as of

now.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

● It was formed in 1945, is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) based

in Paris.

● It works for achieving peace and security by promoting international

collaboration through educational, scientific, and cultural reforms in order to

increase universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and human rights along

with fundamental freedom proclaimed in the United Nations Charter.

● It has 195 member states and ten associate members. India is a founding

member of the Organisation.

Source: IE

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International Organisations

Resolution 2593: UNSC

Syllabus: GS2/ International organisations & groupings

In News

● The United Nations Security Council, under the current Presidency of India, on August 30, 2021, adopted Resolution 2593 on the situation in Afghanistan.

About

● The resolution called on the Taliban to keep its commitments to preventing terror groups in Afghanistan and urged them to assist the safe evacuations of all Afghan nationals wishing to leave the country, which was the result of careful coordination.

○ It specifically mentions individuals designated by the UNSC resolution 1267,” which includes the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

● The resolution was put forward by the US, the UK, France. It was adopted after 13 Council members voted in favour, while permanent members Russia and China abstained from the voting.

Health/ Science & Technology

West Nile Virus

Syllabus: GS2/ Health

In News

● Russia has warned of an increase in West Nile virus (WNV) infections due to mild temperatures and heavy precipitation creating favourable conditions for the mosquitos that carry it.

West Nile Virus

● About:

○ West Nile Virus (WNV) is a member of the flavivirus genus and belongs to the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of the family Flaviviridae.

● Origin:

● It was first isolated in a woman in the West Nile district of Uganda in 1937. It was identified in birds in the Nile delta region in 1953.

● Birds are the natural hosts of the West Nile virus.

● It is commonly found in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North America and West Asia.

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● Transmission:

○ Human infection is most often the result of bites from infected mosquitoes. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds, which circulate the virus in their blood for a few days.

○ No human-to-human transmission of WNV through casual contact has been documented.

● Symptoms:

○ Infected persons usually have no symptoms or mild symptoms, it can cause a fatal neurological disease in certain cases.

○ Some of the symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, skin rash, and swollen lymph glands.

● Treatment:

● As of now, there is no vaccine against the virus in humans although one exists for horses.

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