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Aadhaar and driving licence may be linked

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

 

Context:

         ★ Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on January 6 announced that the government would soon make it mandatory to link driving licence with Aadhaar card.

         ★ Prasad said a law will soon be introduced for mandatory linking of Aadhaar card and driving licence

 

Key reasons behind Linking Aadhaar With Driving license:

 

Avoiding duplication:

            ★ To link driving licence with Aadhaar card is to crack down on illegal duplication of licences.

            ★ At present, it is easy to get duplicate licences by approaching different Regional Transport Offices (RTO). This is a reason of concern for the government as many people misuse the document.

 

Better identification:

          ★ The government claims that the move will help immensely in identifying licence holders.

          ★ For instance, a person guilty of committing an accident often flees the scene and get another duplicate licence. However, linking Aadhaar with driving licence will allow easy identification in such cases.

          ★ The moment one goes to opt a duplicate licence, the system will clearly inform authorities to not issue another driving licence to the person.

 

Payment of fines:

          ★ Aadhaar linked to driving licence will also ensure that people pay fines that have been issued.

          ★ As of now, many people either void paying the penalties for long durations or just get a new licence made if the fine amount is too high.

          ★ Linking of Aadhaar with driving licence will also help in solving such instances.

                                                                                                              Source:- The Hindu

Tribals of West Bengal battling food scarcity: study

GS PAPER  - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

 

Context:

          ★ The study titled ‘An Inquiry into the world of the Adivasis of West Bengal’, conducted by Professor Amartya Sen’s Pratichi Institute and Asiatic Society,identified “food scarcity in varying degrees” in about 31% of tribal households in West Bengal.

           

Objective of the Report:

          ★ The survey was conducted in 1,000 tribal households to ascertain living conditions, health and education.

 

Key findings of the Report:

          ★ The preliminary survey report claimed that “nearly one third [31%] of the surveyed households” reportedly faced “food scarcity in varying degrees” in the past year.

          ★ while some households faced acute hunger only in some months (August–October), in many cases, people had half-meals only twice a day.

          ★ The report further noted that, in some cases, adult members [of households] reportedly ate only once a day.

          ★ Most of the families surveyed could hardly afford animal protein or pulses.

 

Premature death:

         ★ The number of deaths reported to have occurred in the surveyed households, in the year preceding the survey, “was 52, among which 48 [92%] were premature deaths” and only four were due to old age.

         ★ The average age of the [tribal] persons who died was 58 years, which is much shorter than the life expectancy at birth” (70 years in West Bengal).

 

Workforce - Including Children:

        ★ The work participation rate [WPR] is higher among the Adivasis in Bengal

        ★ The report noted that, School going childrens are forcing to discontinue their studies in order to fend [for] themselves and support the families.

        ★ According to the Census of 2011, while Work participation Rate (WPR) is 39% and 49% in Bengal and India, respectively.

        ★ “The corresponding figures for Adivasis were 49% and 47%,” indicating the participation of more children.

        ★ Report further noted that, Both the children and elderly were also involved in earning, and that the rate of transition in education was low.

                                                                                                                                     Source:- The Hindu

Polavaram project set to create Guinness record

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Development processes

 

Context:

         ★ The Polavaram Project in Andhra Pradesh is going to set a global record on Monday and enter into Guinness Book of World Record by completing 28000 to 30000 cubic metres of concrete works in 24 hours.

 

More about the news:

        ★ The Polavaram project recently bagged the Central Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP) award for speedy execution of Polavaram multipurpose project and best implementation of water resources project for better planning, implementation and monitoring.

 

Polavaram Project:

        ★ Polavaram Project is a multi-purpose irrigation project.

        ★ The Polavaram project was accorded national status in 2014 in the Andhra Pradesh Bifurcation Act and its design was changed.

        ★ The dam across the Godavari River is under construction located in West Godavari District and East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh state and its reservoir spreads in parts of Chhattisgarh and Orissa States also.

        ★ The project is multipurpose major terminal reservoir project on river Godavari for development of Irrigation, Hydropower and drinking water facilities to East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, West Godavari and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh.

        ★ The project is likely to displace over 1.88 lakh people across 222 villages and so far, 1,730 persons in six villages have been rehabilitated by the government.

                                                                                                              Source:- The Hindu

MPs’ panel proposes legal status for SSC

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

 

Context:

         ★ A Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) has recommended that the Centre accord statutory status to the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), one of the largest recruitment agencies in the country.

 

More about the news:

        ★ The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and all State Public Service Commissions either have constitutional or legal status.

        ★ The SSC is the only such organisation that performs similar functions on a much larger scale, but does not enjoy statutory status.

 

Background:

        ★ An expert group constituted by the government in 2014, for reviewing the examination system in the SSC

        ★ The panel had recommended according statutory status to the Commission.

 

Why Statutory Status?

       ★ The workload and responsibilities of the SSC have increased exponentially over the years.

       ★ It has remained an “attached body” under the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

       ★ It  has to depend entirely on the government for all its needs, with no autonomy.

 

Impact of according statutory status to the SSC:

        ★ It would contribute to greater functional autonomy,

        ★ faster decision-making and

        ★ Efficiency in the overall performance and delivery of results by the SSC in the recruitment process.

           

Staff Selection committee: ★ The SSC was created to ease the burden of the UPSC by taking over the recruitment for posts below the Group ‘A’ level. ★ The Staff Selection Commission is an attached office of the Department of Personnel and Training ★ It comprises of Chairman, two Members and a Secretary-cum-Controller of Examinations who are appointed on such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the Central Government from time to time. ★ The Commission is provided such supporting staff as considered necessary by the Central Government. ★ Staff Selection Commission has its Headquarter at New Delhi.

                                                                                                                                     Source:- The Hindu

Defence manufacturing rules eased

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth

 

Context:

         ★ The government issued a notification last week simplifying the the process for approval of manufacturing of a range of defence and aerospace equipment and components by private industry

         ★ It is done by bringing them under the licensing authority of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

 

Building Warship:

        ★ Items are listed in three categories  - defence aircraft, warships of all kinds, and allied items of defence equipment.

        ★ The most significant aspect is that warships of all kinds, surface and sub-surface, have been included in the listing.

        ★ This notification, which supersedes DIPP’s earlier press note of June 2014 on this issue, segregates defence items in two categories covered by two different Acts — the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951, and the Arms Act, 1959.

 

Beneficiaries:

        ★ This move is also expected to help foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) looking for partnerships with the private sector.

        ★ The Defence Ministry has also formulated an ambitious Strategic Partnership (SP) model under the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP)

                                                                                                                              Source:- The Hindu

Understaffed CBI a concern: panel

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation

 

Context:

         ★ A Parliamentary Committee expressed concerns over vacant posts in the CBI, which is working without a regular chief, and asked the government to take proactive steps to ensure that it does not remain under-staffed.

         ★ The Committee said that the proposal for setting up of the 'International Centre of Excellence in Forensic Science-CBI' is pending for long and as informed by the CBI, it is still pending with the home ministry at approval stage.

 

Key Highlights:

         ★ Shortage of personnel at various levels in CBI is a perennial problem.

         ★ The Committee has expressed its concern on this on several occasions. Vacancy in any organization, to a large extent, can be anticipated well in advance and proactive efforts should be initiated to complete necessary procedure to fill up the vacancies on time.

          ★ The parliamentary panel said, The CBI seems to have failed in anticipating such a situation

 

Shortage of Personnel:

          ★ CBI or the Central Bureau of Investigation is working without a regular chief after the agency's Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana were divested of their powers and sent on leave for accusing each other of corruption and other irregularities.

          ★ The Committee observes that the level of vacant positions in executive ranks, law officers and technical officers is about 16 per cent, 28 per cent and 56 per cent respectively.

          ★ At the top level, out of four posts of Special Director/Additional Director, three are lying vacant.

          ★ The panel noted that increasing number of cases are now being referred to the CBI pertaining to areas like internal security, cyber-crimes, corruption, financial irregularities and the nation cannot afford to have its premier investigative agency understaffed and thus ill-prepared.

 

Need for Establishment of Forensic lab :

         ★ To strengthen the capacity building and to reduce the pendency in the courts

         ★ There is huge gap between forensic facilities available and the demand for such services to handle cases promptly and efficiently.

         ★ Police, courts and other public sector bodies like banks, financial institutions which have to depend upon forensic services shall have to wait for the report from government forensic science laboratories for several months to a few years.

                                                                                                                                   Source:- The Hindu

Banks get a breather on bad loans

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.

 

Context:

         ★ According to the latest financial stability report of RBI, Indian banks have reported a decline in the proportion of bad loans.

           

Financial Institutions : Performance and Risk:

         ★ Credit growth of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) has improved between March 2018 and September 2018, driven largely by private sector banks (PVBs).

         ★ The asset quality of banks showed an improvement with the gross non-performing assets (GNPA) ratio of SCBs declining from 11.5 per cent in March 2018 to 10.8 per cent in September 2018.

         ★ Under the baseline scenario, GNPA ratio may decline from 10.8 per cent in September 2018 to 10.3 per cent in March 2019.

         ★ This is because RBI initiated an asset quality review of individual banks to ferret out their problematic accounts in March 2015.

         ★ The bulk of bad loans remains concentrated with public sector banks (GNPA ratio of 14.8%), while private sector banks are much better off (3.8%)

         ★ Analysis of the financial network structure for the period September 2017 – September 2018 reveals a shrinking inter-bank market and increasing bank linkages with asset management companies-mutual funds (AMC-MFs) for raising funds and with NBFCs/Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) for lending.

         ★ The total proportion of ‘stressed’ loans on bank books (NPAs plus restructured loans) peaked at 12.3% in September 2016 and has steadily declined to 11.3% now.

         ★ The average capital adequacy ratio for all banks was at a comfortable 13.4% as of September 2018.

                                                                                                               Source:- The Hindu

India’s Atlantic challenge [ Editorial / Opinion]

GS PAPER  - 03 ECONOMY - Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.

 

Context:

         ★ Trump’s ‘America First’ policy and the Brexit deal could pose more challenges this year

 

U.S. Protectionism factor:

        ★ In the context of protectionism, U.S. President Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ policy could lead to more tariff and subsidy burden.

        ★ The trade experience of 2018 provides a sense of what could happen in 2019 vis-à-vis India-U.S. trade relations.

        ★ Last year, Mr. Trump started a trade war by escalating tariffs between U.S. and its three main trade partners – the EU, China and NAFTA.

        ★ Trump administration is attempting to replace the rules-based trade order with a bilateral trade agreements and sanctions network, a system that has distinct disadvantages for India

        ★ India was denied an exemption by the U.S. from increased tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, it reciprocated by hiking import duties on 29 American export products, including pulses and iron and steel products.

        ★ Spiraling trade war with the U.S. could easily spin India out of control and create rifts in other areas such as security and diplomacy.

 

BREXIT Factors:

       ★ Due to U.K. Brexit policy India may expect complications regarding trade adjustment, and a U.K.-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) may be out of the question.

 

Positive impacts:

      ★ Brexit would surely accelerate the Europe’s interest to develop India as a strong trade and strategic partner. Europe needs to counterbalance United States and China geopolitically and would also need to hedge against a slowing China for its economic interests.

      ★ India is presently the second biggest source of FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) for Great Britain. Indian companies that would set up their factories in the UK could sell their products to the rest of Europe under the European free market system.

      ★ Britain would not want to lose out on capital coming in from India. Thus, one can expect Britain to try extra hard to woo Indian companies to invest there by providing much bigger incentives in terms of tax breaks, lesser regulation and other financial incentives

      ★ Presently, British universities are forced to offer subsidized rates for citizens of the UK and EU. With Brexit, however, the universities will no longer be obliged to provide scholarships to EU citizens, which will free up funds for students from other countries including India.

 

Negative Impacts:

      ★ First impact would be visible on currency volatility as there will be devaluation of the pound and euro due to Brexit. With the pound expected to fall 20 percent in case of a Brexit, Indian companies with sizeable presence in the UK will have to bear the brunt.

      ★ Easy selling of goods and businesses form one EU country to the other did open up doors for vendors who established trade between the nations and now with the exit of Britain, there could be rules and customs imposed which will harm trade in more ways we can anticipate

      ★ UK has always been a gateway for Indian firms to enter into EU. After Brexit, this will cause short-term distress to Indian firms. Global financial market volatility can be readily expected.

      ★ Many big businesses and international companies are in UK mainly because of its easy connectivity to the open EU market. With that gone, there would be impending threat of these companies withdrawing their business from UK immediately.

      ★ Brexit can affect India’s flagship IT sector given that the UK accounts for 17% or one-sixth of the sector’s global exports that topped $100 billion. Brexit will increase overhead costs, setting up new headquarters, perhaps in both Europe and Britain.

 

Way Forward:

       ★ With the U.K., India’s trade in 2019 depends on the twists and turns of Brexit politics, both in London and in Brussels

       ★ For India to secure its trade interests, it needs to renegotiate with both the EU and the U.K. for goods and services

       ★ Also, the discussion on FTA with the EU must be resumed and a similar conversation must be launched with the U.K.

       ★ If these negotiations are managed carefully, Brexit may even emerge as an opportunity for India to recalibrate the legal terms of its trade with the U.K. and the EU, at the multilateral level, and through free trade agreements.

       ★ Brexit is an opportunity for India to reset the legal terms of its trade with the UK and EU, at the multilateral level, and through free trade agreements.

                                                                                                             Source:- The Hindu

what exactly is a polar vortex?

GS PAPER - 01 GEOGRAPHY - Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location- changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

 

Context:

         ★ Weather experts are predicting an extremely cold January and February for the northeastern United States, much of northern Europe and parts of Asia. The reason being given is the polar vortex.

         ★ In this decade, the polar vortex has also been blamed on extremely cold weather in the United States in 2014 and the infamous ‘Beast from the East’, the blast of cold weather that blew from Siberia towards western Europe and the UK in February and March of 2018.

 

what exactly is a polar vortex?

       ★ The polar vortex is not a recent phenomenon. It has been tormenting the Earth’s northern regions for well over four billion years.

       ★ It is described as a whirling cone of low pressure over the poles that is strongest in the winter months due to the increased temperature contrast between the polar regions and the mid-latitudes, such as the US and Europe.

       ★ The polar vortex spins in the stratosphere, a layer of the atmosphere 10-48 km above the ground and above the troposphere, where most familiar weather patterns develop.

       ★ Usually, when the vortex is strongest, cold air is less-likely to plunge deep into North America or Europe. In other words, it forms a wall that protects the mid-latitudes from cold Arctic air.

       ★ But occasionally, the polar vortex is disrupted and weakens, due to wave energy propagating upward from the lower atmosphere.

       ★ The warming weakens the polar vortex, shifting its location somewhat south of the pole or, in some instances, ‘splitting’ the vortex up into ‘sister vortices’.

 

Effects:

       ★ The split higher up in the atmosphere can give rise to both, sudden and delayed effects, much of which involves declining temperatures and extreme winter weather in the eastern US along with northern and western Europe.

       ★ A sudden stratospheric warming also leads to a warm Arctic not only in the stratosphere but also in the troposphere as well. A warmer Arctic, in turn, favours more severe winter weather in the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes including the eastern US.

                                                                                                                     Source:- Down To Earth

why India has failed to solve the riddle of agriculture marketing?

GS PAPER - 03 AGRICULTURE - marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints

 

Context:

        ★ A parliamentary panel report submitted in the Lok Sabha on January 3 underlines that the country is yet to solve the 'Riddle of Agriculture Marketing'.

           

Key findings of the parliamentary Panel Report:

 1.69 to 73% of the rice and wheat produced in 14 years was not procured by FCI/state agencies

         ★ The huge gap between production and procurement meant that the farmers have not been able to get remunerative pricing for their produce.

         ★ Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state government agencies are one of the main platforms available to the farmers for sale of agriculture produce, but these agencies cannot be a wholesome substitute for an efficient marketing system

         ★ since 2002, close to 69 to 73 per cent of the production left with the farmers was sold outside these agencies and probably below the Minimum Support Price (MSP) too.

         ★ Small and marginal farmers account for 86.2 per cent of all farmers in India and are affected the most.

         ★ the majority of our farmers have not been able to get benefits of bumper production due to limited marketing platforms.

           

 Shortage of APMC markets in the country:

        ★ Principal Market Yards (PMYs) and Sub Market Yards (SMYs) set up by Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMCs) in various states are the main marketing infrastructure for agricultural produce in the country.

        ★ Committee in its report stated that, 5 states—Bihar, Kerala, Manipur, Mizoram and Sikkim—these markets do not exist.

        ★  Further, there is no APMC market in the UTs of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli too.

 

Regulated markets far off from farmers:

        ★ Though, The National Commission on Farmers said that a regulated market should be available to farmers within a radius of 5 km (corresponding market area of about 80 sq km).

        ★ However, the situation on the ground is very disappointing.

        ★ The report stated that, the variation in the density of regulated markets across the country that ranged from 116 sq km in Punjab to 11,215 sq km in Meghalaya.

        ★ In fact, the all-India average area served by a regulated market is 496 sq km as against 5 km as outlined by National commission on Farmers.

 

Poor state of infrastructure in APMC markets:

        ★ Just 15 per cent of the APMC markets have cold storage facilities.

        ★ Weighing facilities are available in only 49 per cent of the markets.

        ★ APMC markets also fare poorly in banking, internet connectivity and drying facilities.

        ★ The civic infrastructure at most APMC markets is also in a very bad shape, causing inconvenience to farmers.

             

Poorly implemented regulations of the APMC Act:

       ★ Poor implementation of the APMC Act due to the corruption and monopoly of traders and middlemen ensured that these markets did not work in the interest of farmers.

       ★ But the model APLM Act, 2017 that was meant to facilitate market access and provide freedom to the producers to sell their produce to the consumers has been adopted by just two states —Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

           

At least one gramin haat must be present in each Panchayat:

       ★ Even though ‘Gramin Haats’ with adequate infrastructure facilities are a viable alternative for agriculture marketing,

       ★ The government has not acted on the recommendation of upgrading rural markets into business hubs.

 

Recommendations by the Panel:

        ★ The committee report stressed on the need to create alternative platforms for marketing of agriculture produce which are easily accessible to the farmers and also ensure access to end consumers. 

        ★ The Committee  has asked the government to create marketing infrastructure in these places.

        ★ The Centre has been asked to start consultations with the concerned state governments to increase the number of agriculture markets in the country and improve civic infrastructure, banking facility, digital connectivity and other facilities in APMC markets.

        ★ The government has been asked to devise a Centrally-sponsored scheme for modernisation of APMC markets in India.

        ★ A radical reform in APMC Act is required to ensure justice for farmers in the country.

        ★ The ministry has been asked to raise the target of Gramin Haats to be modernised under the GrAM scheme. It should also be ensured that at least one Gramin Haat is present in each Panchayat of the country.

 

Conclusion:

        ★ Prioritising marketing management and connecting farmers with the consumers is one of the keys to overcome agricultural stress faced by our farmers.

                                                                                                                                Source:- Down To Earth

No policy for rare diseases, govt declares ‘one-time financial assistance’ [ Editorial / Opinion]

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

 

Context:

        ★ After withdrawing the national policy for treatment of rare diseases (NPTRD). Government has announced a ‘one-time financial assistance’ for Rare diseases.

        ★ The standing finance committee has approved a proposal for adding a sub-component under the umbrella scheme of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) for provision of one-time financial assistance to those below threshold poverty line for specified rare diseases which require one-time treatment.

 

Rare Disease:

       ★ A rare disease, also referred to as an orphan disease.

       ★ A rare disease is a health condition that affects a small percentage of the population.

       ★ Rare diseases include genetic diseases, rare cancers, infectious tropical diseases and degenerative diseases.

       ★ They are chronic, debilitating, life threatening and often result in some form of handicap. Patients have often taken the government to court on this, because treatment of rare diseases is long, specialized and expensive.

       ★ The most common rare diseases reported in India include hemophilia, thalassemia, sickle-cell anemia and primary immune deficiency in children, autoimmune diseases, lysosomal storage disorders such as pompe disease, Hirsch sprung disease, gaucher’s disease, cystic fibrosis, hemangiomas and certain forms of muscular dystrophies.

 

Need of nationwide policy:

       ★ State has responsibility for providing affordable, accessible and reliable health-care services to every citizen. In fact constitution also mentions importance of health-care services under articles like 21, 38 and 47 and thus state cannot evade this responsibility under the pretext of non-justifiability of articles.

       ★ Given the low volumes at which the drugs needed to treat such diseases would be consumed, pharmaceutical companies have little commercial incentive to produce them. Thus, a nationwide policy on orphan drugs could incentivize these players.

       ★ Even if pharmaceutical companies are incentivized to develop drugs to treat rare diseases, pharmaceutical companies remain beholden to the laws of economics and, given the low demand for orphan drugs, price these drugs as high as they choose to. Hence there has to be regulation of the government in restricting the exorbitant prices of the drugs.

       ★ Although proportion of rare diseases is much less than the other diseases, it does not reduce the importance of the life of person affected by rare diseases. Thus national policy would remove this adverse distinction and would make government committed equally to all people.

           

National Policy on Rare Diseases:         ★ National Policy on Rare Diseases was introduced in 2017         ★ It provided for corpus fund of 100 Crores at Central and State Level for part funding treatment of rare diseases,         ★ Setting up of a Central Technical Committee (CTC) and individual State Technical Committees (STCs) to ease the process of patient applications,         ★ Encouraging funding support from public sector undertakings (PSUs)   Gaps In the National Policy on Rare Diseases:         ★ Policy is silent on a definition of rare diseases – India does not have a definition for rare diseases. The new policy does not define this either, leaving it unresolved and saying        ★ No Corpus fund – Though the corpus fund of 100 Crores was provided in the affidavit, no such corpus was created under National Health Mission       ★ Many of the states in India, till now, do not know about the national policy or have the clarity on its implementation       ★ There is no clarification as to whether the financial help for treatment would only be provided for BPL patients or would also include APL patients       ★ The implementation of the policy was mistakenly shifted from the Public Health Division to the National Health Mission, which has the mandate of only primary and secondary healthcare while rarest diseases require tertiary care.       ★ Due to this discrepancy, the affidavit claims, National Health Mission funds cannot be earmarked to create the Rs 100 crore corpus

                                                    Source:- Down To Earth ; Hindu Business Line

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