Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 19-03-2021

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 19-03-2021

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Governance and Institutions - 3.2 cr Indians out of middle class, into poverty - Financial problems brought by 2020's coronavirus pandemic coupled with an already slowed economy have pushed about 3.2 crore Indians out of the middle class, undoing years of economic gains, a Pew Research Center report showed. Job losses pushed lakhs of them into poverty. The research classified those earning between $10-$20 (₹725-₹1,450) a day as 'middle class'. More than 7.5 crore Indians were pushed below the poverty line, compared to just 10 lakh in China. Both India and China were hit, but China managed it much better, and saw marginal drops. Indian economy will shrink by around 8% (2020-21) while China's grew by roughly 2% (2020). Pew research used five groups that the population is divided into - poor, low income, middle income, upper-middle income, high income.
2. Indian Politics - Maharashtra records 25,833 new COVID-19 cases, crosses last year's peak - Maharashtra on 18-03-2021 reported that it recorded 25,833 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, crossing last year's peak. The highest number of COVID-19 cases registered in Maharashtra in a single day until today was 24,886 cases reported on September 11, 2020. Maharashtra's COVID-19 death toll rose to 53,138 with another 58 COVID-19 related deaths. Private hospitals in Mumbai warned of a bed crunch, if the trend continued for another two weeks. Beds in state-run hospitals are relatively empty, but private ones are seeing a rush. The BMC had started using these facilities for other purposes as January 2021 saw the cases getting reduced daily. Things have suddenly changed. Meanwhile, India reported the highest daily COVID cases for second day in a row in 2021 at 35,871. It reported 172 deaths in 24 hours, taking the COVID-19 death toll to 1,59,216.
3. Foreign Affairs - Italy joins ISA, signs agreement with India - According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Italy has joined the International Solar Alliance. The country also signed a framework agreement of ISA with India after the amendment to the agreement came into force. The amendment opens the membership of ISA to all the member countries of the United Nations. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla met Italian Ambassador to India Vincenzo De Luca and welcomed Italy's accession to International Solar Alliance. They also discussed Italy's G20 presidency and Vaccine Maitri. The International Solar Alliance was launched jointly by the Indian Prime Minister and the French President during the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP21, in Paris. It aims to contribute to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement through rapid and massive deployment of solar energy.
4. Governance and Institutions - Vehicle Scrapping Policy introduced (in Lok Sabha) - Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on March 18, 2021, introduced the Vehicle Scrapping Policy in Lok Sabha. The policy by the government aims at creating an eco-system to phase out the old, unfit, and polluting vehicles. The Minister in Lok Sabha informed that the new policy will bring major changes by reducing vehicular emission of pollutants. Known globally as "cash for clunkers", India will offer tax rebates and discount for new vehicles. Gadkari is confident the policy will push auto sector's turnover to Rs.10 lakh crores. All vehicles older than 15-20 years will be replaced by new ones, with mulitple benefits being offered. US and EU started the "cash for clunkers" in 2008-09, to pull their economies out of recession.
5. Governance and Institutions - MMDR Amendment Bill, 2021 - The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2021 was introduced in Lok Sabha. The Bill amends the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. The Bill provides that no mine will be reserved for particular end-use. The Bill provides that captive mines (other than atomic minerals) may sell up to 50% of their annual mineral production in the open market after meeting their own needs. The central government may increase this threshold through a notification. The Bill empowers the central government to specify a time period for completion of the auction process in consultation with the state government. If the state government is unable to complete the auction process within this period, the auctions may be conducted by the central government. The Bill provides that transferred statutory clearances will be valid throughout the lease period of the new lessee. It says that mines (other than coal, lignite, and atomic minerals), whose lease has expired, may be allocated to a government company in certain cases. The state government may grant a lease for such a mine to a government company for a period of up to 10 years or until the selection of a new lessee, whichever is earlier.
6. Environment and Ecology - IQ Air’s Global air pollution Report - A report on Global air pollution was released by IQ Air, a Swiss air quality technology company specialising in protection against airborne pollutants, and developing air quality monitoring and air cleaning products. Delhi remained the most polluted capital city in the world. India, on the whole, had improved its average annual PM2.5 (particulate matter) levels in 2020 than in 2019. India is the third most polluted country in 2020. Bangladesh and Pakistan have worse average PM2.5 levels than India. China ranked 11th in the latest report, a deterioration from the 14th in the previous edition of the report. Amongst cities, Hotan in China was the most polluted, followed by Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. Of the 15 most polluted cities, 13 were in India. The pollution levels are weighted averages, meaning that the population of a country influences the pollution values reported. 84% of all monitored countries observed air quality improvements. However, of the 106 monitored countries, only 24 met the WHO’s annual guidelines for PM 2.5.
7. Governance and Institutions - ILO report on Indian workers - The ILO report titled ‘Global Wage Report 2020-21: Wages and minimum wages in the time of COVID-19’ was released.  The report comments on various issues including on Indian workers having low average wages, longer hours as well as that the workers in Asia and the Pacific enjoyed the highest real wage growth among all regions over the period 2006–19. Further, while comparing average wage, the report has taken into account the National Floor Level Minimum Wage which is Rs.176/- per day. However, actual wages are far higher. If the median of the minimum wages in different states is drawn, it would be Rs.269/- per day in the country. The Code on Wages, 2019 which has been notified on 8th August, 2019 universalises and creates a statutory right of minimum wages for all workers whether in organized or unorganised sector. A new concept of statutory floor wage has also been introduced in the Code on Wages. The Code also provides that the minimum wages are to be ordinarily reviewed and revised by the appropriate Governments in intervals not exceeding five years.
8. Governance and Institutions - Jharkhand goes native - The Jharkhand government announced 75% reservation in private sector jobs with a salary of up to Rs. 30,000 for locals. The bill will treat shops, establishments, mines, enterprises, industries, companies, societies, trusts, Limited Liability Partnership firms and any person employing ten or more persons as the private sector and an entity. Every employer needs to register employees on a designated portal who are receiving gross monthly salary or wages not more than Rs 30, 000 — or as notified by the government from time to time — within three months of this bill (after turning into an Act) coming into force. No local candidate will be eligible to avail 75 per cent benefit without registering herself in the designated portal. The bill defines a local candidate as a person who belongs to Jharkhand and is registered on the designated portal. the employer may claim exemption where an adequate number of local candidates of the desired skill qualification or proficiency are not available.
9. World Politics - Putin versus Biden, in the open - As Russian President Vladimir Putin challenged Joe Biden to a debate after the US President called him a "killer", the White House said, "The President already had a conversation with President Putin... he's quite busy." Biden had described Putin as having no soul, and said he would pay a price for alleged Russian meddling in the November 2020 US presidential election. This is the most direct attack from US on the Russian President, who is alleged to have interefed in the 2016 Presidential elections in a big way, and also in the 2020 elections. Biden was quick to extend a nuclear arms pact with Russia after he took office. But his administration has said it will take a tougher line with Moscow than Washington did during Donald Trump's term in office, and engage only when there is a tangible benefit for the United States. Russia is preparing to be hit by a new round of U.S. sanctions in the coming days over the U.S. allegations of election interference and hacking.
10. Constitution and Law - Much relief as Judiciary corrects itself on rape "compromises" - The Supreme Court ruled that courts, while adjudicating cases involving gender-related crimes, should not suggest "any form of compromise" between the prosecutrix and the accused. "Discussion about the dress, behaviour, past conduct or morals of the victim, should not enter the verdict granting bail," SC stated. "Bail conditions... should avoid reflecting... patriarchal notions about women," it added. Recently, there was uproar about shocking incidents of judges recommending a compromise, or asking about whether the accused will marry the victim, or whether the victim will tie "rakhi" to the accused. The S.C. has hopefully put an end to that practice now, with the verdict that had seven clear points as instructions to all judges of India.

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• SECTION 2 - DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

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• 1. ECONOMY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper)

UNCTAD sees India growth at 5% in 2021

• The story: The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has said that India's Covid-19 stimulus fell short of initial announcements, leading to a lower than expected economic performance in 2020. It said that for the global economy, the overall cost of the crisis has been exorbitant with the brunt of the hit to the global economy being felt in developing countries with limited fiscal space, tightening balance of payments constraints and inadequate international support.
• Latest update: In its Trade and Development 2020 update, it said the relief measures adopted by India were not only much smaller in scale, but also centred on easing supply side constraints and providing liquidity support rather than aggregate demand support. UNCTAD expects India's GDP to have contracted 6.9% in 2020 and grow 5% in 2021, attributing the stronger recovery projected for 2021 to the deeper-than-expected downturn in 2020.
• Lockdowns: Restrictions to people’s movement not only severely affected incomes and consumption, they also proved largely unsuccessful in containing the spread of the virus. The report is titled ‘Out of the frying pan... into the fire’. You can download it here - https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/gdsinf2021d1_en.pdf
• Net result: As a result, it said, the fall in economic activity proved to be larger than it had envisaged in mid-2020. “The budget for the fiscal year from April 2021 to March 2022 also points to a shift towards demand-side stimulus, with an uptick in public investment (particularly in transport infrastructure) for the coming fiscal year,” it said, adding that an anticipated recovery in global demand will also help buoy the export sector through 2021.
• Overall: UNCTAD said for the global economy, the overall cost of the crisis has been exorbitant with the brunt of the hit to the global economy being felt in developing countries with limited fiscal space, tightening balance of payments constraints and inadequate international support. Moreover, while all regions will see a turnaround this year, potential downside health and economic risks could still produce slippages.

 

 

Telangana govt presents tax-free budget for 2021-22

• Going tax-free: The Telangana government on 18-03-2021 presented a tax-free Budget for 2021-22, proposing a total expenditure of Rs 2,30,825.96 crore with major allocations made for panchayat raj and rural development, agriculture, irrigation, social security pensions and others. The budget proposed Rs 29,271 crore for panchayat raj and rural development and Rs 25,000 crore for agriculture and Rs 16,391 crore for irrigation sector.
• A new scheme: It proposed a new scheme "CM Dalit Empowerment Programme", with an allocation of Rs 1,000 crore, besides Rs 5,225 crore towards crop loan waiver as per the ruling TRS's assurance during the last assembly polls to waive crop loans up to Rs one lakh and Rs 11,728 crore for 'Aasara' (social security) pensions scheme. The benefits of the new scheme would accrue to the Scheduled Castes.
• Details: Of the Rs 2,30,825.96 crore, revenue expenditure is Rs 1,69,383.44 crore and capital expenditure Rs 29,046.77 crore. "Revenue surplus in the budget is estimated at Rs 6,743.50 crore and the estimated fiscal deficit is Rs 45,509.60 crore," state Finance Minister T Harish Rao said in his budget speech.
• Covid impact: On the adverse impact of COVID-19 on state economy, the budget said while the countrys GDP growth at current prices in 2020-21 is estimated to be at -3.8 per cent, in Telangana, the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) is estimated to be at +1.3 per cent. In these adverse times, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, while initiating efficient measures to protect the health of the people, also took precautionary steps to minimise the impact of COVID-19 on the state economy, it said. "With these efforts, Telangana confidently faced the challenges thrown up by corona in both health sector and the economy sector."
• GSDP: As per advance estimates, GSDP at current prices in 2020-21 is estimated at Rs 9,78,373 crore. With the adverse impact of COVID-19 and the lockdown, the growth of GSDP declined significantly from 13.5 per cent in 2019-20 to 1.3 per cent in 2020-21. The national GDP growth declined from 7.8 per cent to -3.8 per cent in the same period. As compared with the national GDP growth, state GSDP growth is much better, it said. The per capita income of Telangana is estimated to increase by 0.6 per cent, compared to previous year, to Rs 2,27,145 in 2020-21. On the other hand, the country's per capita income is estimated to decline by 4.8 per cent to Rs.1,27,768.
• For MLAs: Under Constituency Development Fund, the government has decided to provide each MLA and MLC with Rs five crore for the development of his/her constituency. The guidelines in this regard would be released shortly. 

 

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• 2. ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper

Oceans may emit more Ozone-Depleting Gases

• The ocean is releasing ozone-depleting gases at a faster rate due to rising global temperatures, prompting scientists to warn of more ultraviolet radiation and a greater cancer risk. Chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, have slowly collected in deep ocean water for decades. The human-produced gas, commonly used for manufacturing aerosol sprays and refrigerants, is released into the atmosphere and then sucked into the ocean from surface wind, according to new research.
• But the world’s oceans are on pace to reverse their role as a sink for CFCs, and researchers say hotter ocean temperatures due to climate change will make it happen faster. As gases such as CFCs degrade the stratospheric ozone layer, the Earth’s surface loses its protection against ultraviolet rays. Scientists warn that increased exposure to UVB rays causes increased risk of cancer, cataracts and immune deficiency disorders.
• Since 2010, the Montreal Protocol—a global agreement to protect the stratosphere ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances—has cut CFC emissions. Those already absorbed by the ocean are starting to be emitted as the atmosphere’s levels dip. But warmer water weakens oceans’ ability to be a reservoir for the potent ozone-consuming gas. Without climate change, the researchers predict that by 2075 oceans will emit more CFCs than they absorb. That shift could happen up to 10 years earlier with climate change.

• Even if there were no climate change, as CFCs decay in the atmosphere, eventually the ocean has too much relative to the atmosphere, and it will come back out. Climate change will make that happen even sooner. But the switch is not dependent on climate change. This shift would happen first in the Northern Hemisphere—circulation there is expected to slow down, which leaves more gases in shallow waters, making it easier to escape into the atmosphere.

1. Climate change also can cause especially harmful CFCs, like CFC-11—a Class 1 ozone-depleting substance, according to EPA—to linger in the atmosphere longer, too.
2. CFC-11 also has a very long life in the stratosphere where it depletes the ozone—up to 55 years. CFC-12 can live up to 95 years. It can only be destroyed when it reaches high into the stratosphere, which takes awhile, meaning that CFCs are lasting longer in the atmosphere.
3. Many CFC detection models were pinning ocean CFC emissions on some countries near large ocean emission areas. From their estimates, current models have overpredicted illicit CFC-11 emissions by 10%. Findings could change policy around the Montreal Protocol, since many countries may not actually be violating the agreement.

• Land or oceans: Some areas are actually producing CFCs illegally, like in the Shandong province in China. People might think these extra emissions are still coming from these countries, but it could just be increased emissions from the ocean. To decrease CFCs in the atmosphere, new policies need to look toward the land, not the sea. The amount of CFCs in the ocean is about 10% compared with CFCs stored on land. To prevent CFCs from getting into the air or water, he said scientists need to focus on developing technology that keeps land-based CFCs from escaping. It will be too technologically difficult to scrub CFCs from the oceans. CFCs are stored in chillers and building insulating foams, so when we tear down old buildings, that’s when new CFCs are released.

• Knowledge centre:

1. CFCs - Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are nontoxic, nonflammable chemicals containing atoms of carbon, chlorine, and fluorine. They are used in the manufacture of aerosol sprays, blowing agents for foams and packing materials, as solvents, and as refrigerants. CFCs are classified as halocarbons, a class of compounds that contain atoms of carbon and halogen atoms. Individual CFC molecules are labeled with a unique numbering system. For example, the CFC number of 11 indicates the number of atoms of carbon, hydrogen, fluorine, and chlorine (e.g. CCl3F as CFC-11). The best way to remember the system is the "rule of 90" or add 90 to the CFC number where the first digit is the number of carbon atoms (C), the second digit is the number of hydrogen atoms (H), and the third digit is number of the fluorine atoms (F). The total number of chlorine atoms (Cl) are calculated by the expression: Cl = 2(C+1) - H - F. In the example CFC-11 has one carbon, no hydrogen, one fluorine, and therefore 3 chlorine atoms. Refrigerators in the late 1800s and early 1900s used the toxic gases, ammonia (NH3), methyl chloride (CH3Cl), and sulfur dioxide (SO2), as refrigerants. After a series of fatal accidents in the 1920s when methyl chloride leaked out of refrigerators, a search for a less toxic replacement begun as a collaborative effort of three American corporations- Frigidaire, General Motors, and Du Pont. CFCs were first synthesized in 1928 by Thomas Midgley, Jr. of General Motors, as safer chemicals for refrigerators used in large commercial appilications.
2. Ocean carbon sink - A carbon sink is a natural or artificial reservoir that absorbs and stores the atmosphere’s carbon with physical and biological mechanisms. Coal, oil, natural gases, methane hydrate and limestone are all examples of carbon sinks. After long processes and under certain conditions, these sinks have stored carbon for millennia. On the contrary, the use of these resources, considered as fossil, re-injects the carbon they hold into the atmosphere. Nowadays, other carbon sinks come into play: humus storing soils (such as peatlands), some vegetalizing environments (such as forming forests) and of course some biological and physical processes which take place in a marine environment. These processes form the well-known "ocean carbon pump". It is composed of two compartments: a biological pump which transfers surface carbon towards the seabed via the food web (it is stored there in the long term), and the physical pump which results from ocean circulation.
3. Montreal Protocol - The Montreal Protocol, finalized in 1987, is a global agreement to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances (ODS). The United States ratified the Montreal Protocol in 1988 and has joined four subsequent amendments.
4. Kyoto Protocol - The Kyoto Protocol is a treaty created by the United Nations in 1997 that aimed to reduce carbon emissions worldwide, thereby combating global warming or climate change. It operationalizes the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by committing industrialized countries and economies in transition to limit and reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in accordance with agreed individual targets.

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• 3. FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper)

India’s Act East Policy

• A change: The Union Minister of State Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) said in March that connectivity is an important element of Act East Policy. So what is this policy? The ‘Act East Policy’ announced in November, 2014, is the upgrade of the “Look East Policy”.  (From "look" to "act)
• What is Act East: It is a diplomatic initiative to promote economic, strategic and cultural relations with the vast Asia-Pacific region at different levels. It involves intensive and continuous engagement with Southeast Asian countries in the field of connectivity, trade, culture, defence and people-to-people-contact at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels.
• Goals: To promote economic cooperation, cultural ties and developing a strategic relationship with countries in Indo-pacific region with a proactive and pragmatic approach and thereby improving the economic development of the North Eastern Region (NER) which is a gateway to the South East Asia Region.
• Historical background: In order to recover from the loss of the strategic partner - USSR (end of the Cold war 1991), India sought to build up a relationship with the USA and allies of the USA in Southeast Asia. In this pursuit, former Prime minister of India P V Narasimha Rao launched the "Look East policy" in 1992, to give a strategic push to India’s engagement with the South-East Asia region, to bolster its standing as a regional power and a counterweight to the strategic influence of the People’s Republic of China.

• Key difference Between Look East and Act East:

1. Look East - This focused on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries + Economic Integration. India became a dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1996 and summit level partner in 2002. In 2012 the relationship got up-graded into a Strategic Partnership. The time when India launched the Look East Policy in 1992, India's trade with ASEAN was USD 2 billion. After signing the Free Trade Agreement in 2010 with ASEAN, the trade has grown to USD 72 billion (2017-18). India is also an active participant in several regional forums like the East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) etc.
2. Act East - This focused on ASEAN countries + Economic Integration + East Asian countries + Security cooperation. The Prime Minister of India highlighted the 4 Cs of Act East Policy - Culture, Commerce, Connectivity, and Capacity building.
3. Security is an important dimension of India's Act East Policy. In the context of growing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, securing freedom of navigation and India's own role in the Indian Ocean is a key feature of Act East Policy. In pursuance of this, India has been engaged under the narrative of Indo-pacific and informal grouping called Quad.

• Initiatives to enhance connectivity: (i) The Agartala-Akhaura Rail Link between India and Bangladesh, (ii) Intermodal transport linkages and inland waterways through Bangladesh, (iii) Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project and the Trilateral Highway Project connecting the North East with Myanmar and Thailand, (iv) Under India-Japan Act East Forum, projects such as Road and Bridges and modernization of Hydro-electric power projects have been undertaken.
• With Japan: The India-Japan Act East Forum was established in 2017 which aims to provide a platform for India-Japan collaboration under the rubric of India’s "Act East Policy” and Japan’s "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy”. The Forum will identify specific projects for economic modernization of India’s North-East region including those pertaining to connectivity, developmental infrastructure, industrial linkages as well as people-to-people contacts through tourism, culture and sports-related activities.
• Other initiatives: Assistance extended in the form of medicines/medical supplies to ASEAN countries during the pandemic. Scholarships with offers of 1000 PhD fellowships have been offered at IITs for ASEAN countries participants. India is also implementing Quick Impact Projects in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam to provide development assistance to grass-root level communities in the fields of education, water resources, health etc. Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) are small-scale, low cost projects that are planned and implemented within a short timeframe. 

 

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• 4. GOVERNMENT SCHEMES (Prelims, GS Paper 2, Essay paper)

UDAN 4.1

1. Freedom to fly: On the commencement of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (India@75)’, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has proposed about 392 routes under UDAN 4.1 bidding process.
2. Points to note: The UDAN 4.1 focuses on connecting smaller airports, along with special helicopter and seaplane routes. Some new routes have been proposed under the Sagarmala Seaplane services. The Sagarmala Seaplane Services is an ambitious project under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways with potential airline operators. One such seaplane service is already in operation between Kevadia and Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, which was started in October 2020.
3. About UDAN Scheme: Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) was launched as a regional connectivity scheme under the Ministry of Civil Aviation in 2016. It is an innovative scheme to develop the regional Aviation market. The objective of the scheme is to create affordable yet economically viable and profitable flights on regional routes so that flying becomes affordable to the common man even in small towns. The scheme envisages providing connectivity to un-served and underserved airports of the country through the revival of existing air-strips and airports. The scheme is operational for a period of 10 years.  Under-served airports are those which do not have more than one flight a day, while unserved airports are those where there are no operations. Financial incentives from the Centre, state governments and airport operators are extended to selected airlines to encourage operations from unserved and under-served airports, and keep airfares affordable. Till date, 325 routes and 56 airports including 5 heliports and 2 water aerodromes have been operationalised under the scheme.
4. UDAN 1.0: Under this phase, 5 airlines companies were awarded 128 flight routes to 70 airports (including 36 newly made operational airports).
5. UDAN 2.0: In 2018, the Ministry of Civil Aviation announced 73 underserved and unserved airports. For the first time, helipads were also connected under phase 2 of the UDAN scheme.
6. UDAN 3.0: Inclusion of Tourism Routes under UDAN 3 in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism. Inclusion of Seaplanes for connecting Water Aerodromes.
7. Bringing in a number of routes in the North-East Region under the ambit of UDAN.
8. UDAN 4.0: In 2020, 78 new routes were approved under the 4th round of Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) - UdeDeshKaAamNagrik (UDAN) to further enhance the connectivity to remote & regional areas of the country. Kavaratti, Agatti, and Minicoy islands of Lakshadweep will be connected by the new routes of UDAN 4.0.

 

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• 5. POLITY AND CONSTITUTION (Prelims, GS Paper 2, GS Paper 3)

The Appropriation Bill

• What is it: We read in newspapers that "the Lok Sabha cleared the Appropriation Bill, allowing the Central government to draw funds from the Consolidated Fund of India". The question is - what is the "Appropriation Bill" all about?
• Points to note: The Appropriation Bill gives power to the government to withdraw funds from the Consolidated Fund of India for meeting the expenditure during the financial year. As per article 114 of the Constitution, the government can withdraw money from the Consolidated Fund only after receiving approval from Parliament. The amount withdrawn is used to meet the current expenditure during the financial year.
• Procedure followed: The Appropriation Bill is introduced in the Lok Sabha after discussions on Budget proposals and Voting on Demand for Grants. The defeat of an Appropriation Bill in a parliamentary vote would lead to the resignation of a government or a general election. Once it is passed by the Lok Sabha it is sent to the Rajya Sabha.
• Power of Rajya Sabha: It has the power to recommend any amendments in this Bill. However, it is the prerogative of the Lok Sabha to either accept or reject the recommendations made by the Rajya Sabha. After the bill receives assent from the president it becomes an Appropriation act. The unique feature of the Appropriation Bill is its automatic repeal clause, whereby the Act gets repealed by itself after it meets its statutory purpose. The government cannot withdraw money from the Consolidated Fund of India till the enactment of the appropriation bill. However, this takes time and the government needs money to carry on its normal activities. To meet the immediate expenses the Constitution has authorised the Lok Sabha to make any grant in advance for a part of the financial year. This provision is known as the ‘Vote on Account’.
• Vote on Account: A vote on account, as defined by Article 116 of the Indian Constitution, is a grant in advance for the central government to meet short-term expenditure needs from the Consolidated Fund of India, generally lasting for a few months till the new financial year kicks in. During an election year the Government either opts for ‘interim Budget’ or for ‘Vote on Account’ as after the election the Ruling Government may change and so the policies.
• Amendment: No amendment can be proposed to an Appropriation Bill which will have the effect of varying the amount or altering the destination of any grant so made or of varying the amount of any expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of India, and the decision of the Lok Sabha Speaker as to whether such an amendment is admissible is final.
• Appropriation Bill vs Finance Bill: While the Finance Bill contains provisions on financing the expenditure of the government, an Appropriation Bill specifies the quantum and purpose for withdrawing money. Both appropriation and finance bills are classified as money bills which do not require the explicit consent of the Rajya Sabha. The Rajya Sabha only discusses them and returns the bills.
• Money Bill: A Bill is said to be a Money Bill if it only contains provisions related to taxation, borrowing of money by the government, expenditure from or receipt to the Consolidated Fund of India. Bills that only contain provisions that are incidental to these matters would also be regarded as Money Bills.
• Consolidated Fund of India: It was constituted under Article 266 (1) of the Constitution of India. It is made up of: (a) All revenues received by the Centre by way of taxes (Income Tax, Central Excise, Customs and other receipts) and all non-tax revenues. (b) All loans raised by the Centre by issue of Public notifications, treasury bills (internal debt) and from foreign governments and international institutions (external debt). (c) All government expenditures are incurred from this fund (except exceptional items which are met from the Contingency Fund or the Public Account) and no amount can be withdrawn from the Fund without authorization from the Parliament. (d) The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG) audits the fund and reports to the relevant legislatures on the management.

• Stages of Budget in the parliament:

1. Presentation of Budget
2. General discussion
3. Scrutiny by Departmental Committees
4. Voting on Demands for Grants
5. Passing an Appropriation Bill
6. Passing of Finance Bill

• Unique about 2021: The Finance Minister announced she was breaking the fiscal glide path, and instead taking the fiscal deficit to an unprecedented level of 9.5% of the GDP, as she allotted funds for clearing pending dues of food subsidy account. Separately, the 15th Finance Commission had already recommened a new fiscal glide path for the country, and a new FRBM law itself as the earlier one had lost meaning in recent years (due to the slowdown and then the pandemic). 

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• 6. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

Seismic ripples reveal size of Mars’s core

• Cutting edge of human science: Recently, Mars became the first inner planet after Earth to have its core measured! Scientists peered into the heart of Mars for the first time using the NASA’s InSight spacecraft, sitting on the Martian surface. It revealed the size of Mars’s core by listening to seismic energy ringing through the planet’s interior.
• So how big is it: Measurements suggest that the radius of the Martian core is 1,810 to 1,860 kilometres, roughly half that of Earth’s. That’s larger than some previous estimates, meaning the core is less dense than had been predicted. The finding suggests the core must contain lighter elements, such as oxygen, in addition to the iron and sulfur that constitute much of its make-up.
• Struture of planets: Rocky planets such as Earth and Mars are divided into the fundamental layers of crust, mantle and core. Knowing the size of each of those layers is crucial to understanding how the planet formed and evolved. InSight’s measurements will help scientists to determine how Mars's dense, metal-rich core separated from the overlying rocky mantle as the planet cooled. The core is probably still molten from Mars’s fiery birth, some 4.5 billion years ago (450 crore years).
• Evolution of solar system: The only other rocky planetary bodies for which scientists have measured the core are Earth and the Moon. Adding Mars will allow researchers to compare and contrast how the Solar System’s planets evolved. Similar to Earth, Mars once had a strong magnetic field generated by liquid sloshing its core; but that magnetic field dropped dramatically over time, causing Mars's atmosphere to escape into space and the surface to become cold, barren, and much less hospitable to life than Earth's.

• Quakes on Mars: The spacecraft, which cost nearly US$1 billion, landed on Mars in 2018 and is the first mission to study the red planet’s interior. The stationary lander sits near the Martian equator and listens for ‘marsquakes’, the Mars equivalent of earthquakes. So far, InSight has detected around 500 quakes, meaning the planet is less seismically active than Earth but more so than the Moon. Most marsquakes are very small, Lognonné said, but nearly 50 of them have been between magnitude 2 and 4—strong enough to provide information on the planet’s interior.

1. Just as seismometers do on Earth, InSight measures the size of the Martian core by studying seismic waves that have bounced off the deep boundary between the mantle and the core.
2. With information from enough of these deep-travelling waves, InSight scientists were able to calculate the depth of the core–mantle boundary and hence the size of the core. The seismic data also suggest that the upper mantle, which extends to around 700 to 800 kilometres below the surface, contains a zone of thickened material in which seismic energy travels more slowly.
3. In an effort to replicate the conditions inside planetary cores, other researchers have squeezed combinations of different chemical elements at high pressures and temperatures. InSight’s estimate of the Martian core density agrees with many of those laboratory-based estimates.

• Time running out: InSight might be running out of time to make discoveries. Dust has been piling up on its 2-metre-wide solar panels, cutting down on the amount of power the spacecraft can generate. Mars is also moving towards the farthest point from the Sun in its orbit, which will further limit the craft’s opportunity to recharge. This will cause it to reduce instrument usage over the next few months. In January 2021, the team already had to give up on its German-built ‘mole’, a thermal probe that was supposed to bury itself in the soil and measure heat flow, but which encountered problems with friction and couldn’t dig deep.
• Different conditions: Drastic temperature changes on Mars that occur when day turns to night and vice versa, create noise in the signals that Insight's seismometer collects, as the tether connecting it to the lander lays exposed on the planet's surface. So InSight is now trying to bury the tether by scooping dirt onto it in an attempt to insulate it. InSight detects marsquakes mostly at night, because daytime winds cause too much shaking and interfere with seismic signals. But the windy season at its landing site recently drew to an end. Team scientists are looking forward to new-found seismic quiet to catch as many marsquakes as they can before the mission has to end. 

 

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• 7. SOCIAL ISSUES (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

• Any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in a manner or within the range considered normal for human beings, resulting from impairment is termed as a disability. Disability is an important public health problem especially in developing countries like India. In order to sensitise the matter of disability, December 3 has been marked as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities by the United Nations. It envisages promotion of the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
• In India, many laws and schemes strive to achieve equality of opportunity and accessibility for persons with disabilities (PwDs). However, India still lags behind in a big way when it comes to removing infrastructural, institutional and attitudinal barriers for the PwDs.

• Disability in India: The population with disabilities constitutes the world’s largest ‘unrecognised minority’ group. In India, according to the 2011 population census, the population with disabilities is around 26.8 million, constituting 2.21% of India’s total population.

1. Lack of political representation - Despite the vast population of people with disabilities in India, in our seven decades of independence we have had just four parliamentarians and six state assembly members who suffer from visible disabilities.
2. Added roadblocks - Indians with disabilities are far more likely to suffer from poor social and economic development. Shockingly, 45% of this population is illiterate, making it difficult for them to build better, more fulfilled lives.
3. Poverty & disability correlation - Data on disability points to a correlation between ‘disability’ and ‘poverty’. A large number of people with disabilities are born into poor households. This is due to the fact that pregnant mothers in poor families lack care, these systemic fallacies lead to medical complications during pregnancy leading to the birth of children with disabilities in many cases.
4. Largely rural - The population census data 2011 also points out similar trends when it says that 69% of the total population of persons with disabilities in India resided in rural areas.

• Issues faced: There is a lack of awareness, lack of care, and lack of good and accessible medical facilities. Further, there is a lack of accessibility, availability, and utilization of rehabilitation services. These factors affect the preventive and curative framework for PwDs. The government has had some admirable initiatives to improve the condition of PwDs. However, even now, most buildings in India are not disability-friendly, despite the government of India, under the Accessible India Campaign, instructing all ministries to make their buildings accessible to persons with disabilities.
• Reservations: The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act has provided for a quota of reservation for persons with disabilities in government jobs and higher education institutions, but the majority of these posts are vacant. A significant proportion of people see a person with disabilities as an object of ‘sympathy’ and ‘pity’ thereby leading to their ‘othering’ and their treatment as a third-class citizen in the country. The psyche of a significant mass considers persons with disabilities a liability, and this leads to discrimination and harassment against them and their isolation from the mainstream.

• Summary: Much can be done to alleviate their suffering.

1. Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Approach: CBR is a comprehensive approach at the primary health care level used for situations where resources for rehabilitation are available in the community. CBR approach is needed to ensure that people with disabilities are able to maximize their physical and mental abilities, have access to regular services and opportunities, and achieve full integration within their communities
2. Increasing Public Awareness and Understanding of Disability: Governments, voluntary organizations, and professional associations should consider running social marketing campaigns that change attitudes on stigmatized issues related to PwDs. In this context, mainstream media has taken the right path by increasingly started showing positive representations of people with disabilities, from Taare Zameen Par to Barfi.
3. Collaboration With States: Awareness regarding care to pregnant mothers and good and accessible medical facilities across the rural heartland are the important pillars for addressing the occurrence of disabilities. For facilitation of both these factors, the state governments should be actively supported but union government to invest heavily in their health sector as health comes under the ‘state subject’ in our constitution.
4. Need for Genuine Intent: Since the inception of Rights to Persons With Disabilities Act, 2016, there have been many instances of faulty implementation of disability reservation. The new act can only be successful if there is a genuine ‘intent’ to recruit persons with disabilities. There is a need for a culture to be developed in India, where the needs of the population with disabilities are kept in mind while building any infrastructure.

• Conclusion: Merely using the word ‘divyang’ or ‘differently-abled’ won’t change the psyche of the masses towards persons with disabilities. It is critical that the government work with civil society and individuals with disabilities to craft an India where everyone feels welcome and treated with respect, regardless of their disabilities.

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• 8. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, GS Paper 1, GS Paper 2)

Rajya Sabha passes Insurance Amendment Bill

1. The event: The Rajya Sabha has passed the “Insurance Amendment Bill 2021”. The Bill will amend the Insurance Act, 1938. The bill was passed even after the Opposition parties was criticising the bill for its clause that enable “control and ownership” by the foreign investors.
2. Key provisions: The bill will increase the limit of foreign direct investment (FDI) from 49 percent to 74 percent in Indian insurance companies. The bill also comprises of the provision for removal of restrictions on ownership & control on the insurance companies. As per the bill, majority of directors on the board and key management persons will have to be resident Indians. Thus, this provision will make them accountable to the Indian law. Further, the bill specifies that at least half of directors have to be the independent directors which also ensures the accountability.
3. Background: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has proposed during her presentation of the Union Budget 2020-21 to liberalize the foreign direct investment (FDI) in Indian insurance companies to 74%.
4. Benefits: This move will provide access to fresh capital to some of the insurers. The experts also believe that the decision will also benefit the individual policyholders. Increase in the FDI limit will also attract the foreign capital where it is required. It will ensure higher penetration and will bring a new wave of transformative change in order to create more of value-based affordable healthcare for Indians.
5. Life Insurance Sector in India: The market for insurance which covers both public and private sector organisations. As an “Union List Subject”, Insurance is listed in the Seventh Schedule of the constitution of India. Thus, this sector can only be legislated by Central Government. In India, the insurance sector has gone through several phases since government allowed the private companies to solicit the insurance in the year 2000. The government also allowed FDI in Insurance by setting the limit on FDI to 26%. In the year 2014, this limit was increased to 49%.

 

Committees to drive India to a Circular Economy

1. The event: The government has set up 11 committees which will be led by the concerned line ministries apart from officials from Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and NITI Aayog.  The committee will expedite the transition India from a linear to a circular economy across the 11 focus areas.
2. Key points: These committees will be preparing the comprehensive action plans to help in transitioning from the linear to the circular economy in the respective focus areas. The committee will also carry the necessary modalities which in turn will ensure the effective implementation of findings and recommendations.
3. Focus area: The government has selected 11 focus area to move from linear economy to the circular economy. The areas include: Municipal Solid Waste & Liquid Waste, Electronic Waste, Scrap Metal (Ferrous & Non-Ferrous), Solar Panels, Gypsum, Lithium-Ion Batteries, Agriculture Waste, Toxic Hazardous Industrial Waste, Used Oil Waste, Tyre and Rubber Recycling and End-of-life Vehicles (ELVs).
4. Need for transition: Sustainable growth is the key element of the Aatma-Nirbhar Bharat initiative. So, India needs a development model for the optimum utilization of resources. Thus, in the light of climate change, growing population, rapid urbanization, and environmental pollution, there is a need to move towards the circular economy.
5. Circular Economy: It is an economic system which aims to eliminating the waste and continual use of resources. This system accounts for reuse, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing, recycling and sharing in order to create a closed-loop system. Thus, it minimises the use of resource inputs. It also minimises the creation of pollution, waste and carbon emissions. If India adopts the circular economy path, it could bring in the substantial annual benefits. It will help in reducing the congestion and pollution.
6. Government policies: The Indian Government has been actively formulating the policies and has been promoting the projects which will drive country towards the circular economy. Government has notified several rules like “Plastic Waste Management Rules, Construction & Demolition Waste Management Rules, e-Waste Management Rules and Metals Recycling Policy etc.” NITI Aayog has also undertaken initiatives which ensures the economic growth. It organises an International conference on “Sustainable Growth through National Recycling”.

 

USAID & DFC to finance renewable energy in India

1. The event: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) have announced for a $41 million-loan guarantee program in order to finance the investment in the renewable energy solutions by Indian Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
2. Key points: The USAID and DFC are jointly sponsoring the $41 million loan portfolio guarantee. This load amount will help to finance the investments by Indian SMEs for the renewable energy solutions and rooftop solar installations. These loans will enable the SMEs to access the reliable power and cut costs.
3. Importance: Investments in the solar solutions, which will be secured by the credit guarantees, will help in improving the access to clean, steady and affordable energy. It will also help in furthering the progress towards clean energy transition and climate change mitigation in India. In India, the commercial and industrial sectors pay a high fee for their electricity. This makes the rooftop solar a sustainable and cost-saving investment. On the other hand. The SMEs and residential consumers face the challenge of securing the finances which are required to install and use the rooftop panels. Thus, this finance from the USAID & DFC will help the SMEs to finance the investment for solutions by SMEs which accounts for 48 per cent of the total energy consumed in the industrial sector of India.
4. Rooftop solar power generation: The rooftop solar power generation helps in lower the monthly energy costs. It also drives the important social benefits such as job creation and economic growth. It also helps in reducing the carbon emissions and improves the air quality.’ USAID and DFC have partnered with New York-based Encourage Capital to tackle the problem. It is an environmentally focused investment firm. They have also collaborated with the two Indian non-banking financial companies called cKers Financial and woman-owned Electronica Finance Ltd (EFL).

Government to establish Women Helpline Centres in foreign countries

1. The event: The Union Minister of Women & Child Development, Smriti Irani, in a reply to supplementary question in Rajya Sabha has replied that, the central government will soon establish a women helpline centres in foreign countries which will look after the distressed overseas residents.
2. Key points: These Women Helpline Centres are being set up with the help of Ministry of external affairs in other countries. This is being done to ensure safety and security of Indian women across the world. The union minister also informed that the government has associated with NIMHANS for the mental health outreach of the children and has launched project SAMVAD. This project is providing the psychological help to the children in distress. The centre has also collaborated with NALSA and the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure a fair compensation for the acid attack victim.
3. NIMHANS-Government ties: The Ministry of Women and Child Development is funding the project SAMVAD which is led by NIMHANS. This project aims for mental health outreach for the Child Survivors of trafficking, Child in conflict with law or the children who are abandoned and orphaned.
4. Project SAMVAD: This project is called “Support, Advocacy and Mental Health Interventions for Children in Vulnerable Circumstances and Diseases”. This project was launched in June 2021. It is being run in association with the Panchayati Raj Ministry. The total cost of the project is ₹56 crore for the period of five years. Till date, a total of 41,000 personnel has come in contact with the children in need of care and protection. These personnel were trained across 28 States to screen the children having mental concerns to ensure the early intervention.
5. NIMHANS: It is the “National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences”. It is a premier medical institution located in Bengaluru. It is the apex centre of mental health and neuroscience education. It operates autonomously under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It has been ranked 4th best medical institute across India. 

 

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• SECTION 3 - MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

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