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  • Time for govt, RBI to rethink bank architecture

    To deal with the damage inflicted by the corona crisis on the economy, both the RBI and the government are planning various monetary and fiscal measures. In its latest measures, the RBI has further reduced the reverse repo rate. This article discusses the impact of these measures and explains why the first round of measures failed in achieving the desired result.

    What was announced in the second round of policy measures by the RBI?

    • RBI reduces the interest on money banks keep in the central bank (reverse repo down by 25 basis points).
    • RBI gives ₹50,000 crores to banks through targeted long-term repo operations or TLTRO 2.
    • And another ₹50,000 crores to Small Industries Development Bank of India (Sidbi) and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) to lend to microfinance institutions (MFIs) and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs).

    Banks not transmitting the money

    • Banks globally have a problem.
    • They are not transmitting the money that central banks are providing to businesses that need the money.
    • Imagine that the world has been put into a business coma as we wait for the pandemic to recede.
    • Money to pay rents, interest and salaries is needed by the business to stay alive during this period and banks are showing reluctance to step in.
    • Firms and tiny entrepreneurs need to borrow to stay afloat.
    • Banks typically lend to the larger part of the market and NBFCs and MFIs to the rest—they provide the last mile that banks do not.

    Measures by the RBI to increase the money supply in the market

    • The US Fed buying bonds directly: The US Federal Reserve has taken to buying corporate bonds directly rather than through banks.
    • RBI has not gone that far, but is using its firepower to nudge banks to lend to those who are credit-worthy and who desperately need the money.
    • It has done two things to facilitate this.

    What reduction in Reverse Repo rate by the RBI means?

    • What is reverse repo rate? This is the rate at which banks lend to the central bank—they keep their surplus money with the RBI and get some interest on it.
    • Banks borrow from RBI at the repo rate, which is 4.4% right now.
    • A few weeks ago, the central bank had reduced the reverse repo by a larger percentage than the repo to decrease the incentive to banks to keep money with RBI.
    • But that had a limited impact as on 15 April, banks still had almost ₹7 trillion with the RBI under this window.
    • In the second round, RBI has cut the reverse repo by another 25 basis points to 3.75% to increase the difference between the borrowing rate and the lending rate.
    • What would be the impact of the second reduction in the reverse repo? The RBI is hoping that this would make banks lend to firms, rather than keeping their money safe with RBI.
    • The difference between the rate of borrowing and lending is now 65 basis points.

    An issue of monetary policy transmission is a recurring one. The RBI always try to ensure the transmission but there are several factor that prevent it. Make note of these factors.

    Risk aversion of the banks

    • Banks are displaying deep risk aversion—the desire to keep their capital safe rather than risk investing in investment-worthy bonds.
    • The first round of money put into the system through TLTRO 1.0, brought ₹1 trillion.
    • TLTRO is long-term (one-to-three years) funding to banks at the repo rate or a short-term rate.
    • TLTRO money didn’t reach small and medium firms: Banks took the cheap loan and lent to high-rated public sector units (PSUs) and AA-plus firms—essentially entities who had enough liquidity.
    • The money did not find its way to smaller and medium firms, NBFCs and MFIs—entities that actually reach the last mile.
    • RBI has put another ₹50,000 crores as part of TLTRO 2.0.
    • Banks can only get this money if they lend to NBFCs and MFIs.
    • For A and A-minus (these are still investment-worthy) bonds issued by firms in these sectors, banks stand to get a return of between 10-14%.
    • Banks are borrowing at 4.4% and have the option to lend at a multiplier.
    • That is the incentive given by the RBI to get money down the pipeline.
    • Banks stand to lose 65 basis points if they seek the safety of money with the RBI or stand to gain almost 6-10 percentage points in interest if they lend.
    • It remains to be seen if banks take this nudge and begin lending to lower than the highest safety bonds.

    Refinance to three institutions

    • Another ₹50,000 crores is being provided as a refinance to three institutions-Sidbi, Nabard and National Housing Bank.
    • These banks reach the small-scale firms, rural sector, housing finance firms, NBFCs and MFIs.
    • Again, this should help money reach the last mile.
    • Clearly, there is too much competition at the top end of the market—everybody wants the safe paper and deals.

    The UPSC could ask a direct question with reference to the issue of policy transmission and how it is a serious challenge in crisis such as Covid -19. So, following are some suggestions to deal with this issue.

    Way forward

    • Rethink the bank architecture: With transmission, or the liquidity given by the central bank not going down the line, maybe this is a good time for the government and the RBI to rethink its bank architecture.
    • Develop bond a corporate bond market: There is very little action at the middle and lower end of the market. The development of a robust corporate bond market will help.
    • Early alarm system: The setting up of an early alarm system as proposed by the Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill to prevent a financial firm failure that takes the whole system down would be a step in the right direction.

    Back2Basics: What is the transmission of monetary policy?

    • Monetary transmission refers to the process by which a central bank’s monetary policy signals (like repo rate) are passed on, through the financial system to influence the businesses and households.
    • There are many monetary policy signals by the RBI; the most powerful one is the repo rate.
    • When repo rate is changed, it brings changes in the overall interest rate in the economy as well.
    • As a result of a decrease in repo rate, the interest rate on loans by banks also changes and this encourages consumption and investment activities of businesses and households.
    • In an economy, both consumption and investment are often financed by borrowings from banks.
    • As the repo rate brings changes in market interest rate, the repo rate channel is often referred to as interest rate channel of monetary transmission.

  • A virus, social democracy, and dividends for Kerala

    This article is an analysis of Kerala’s success in dealing with the Covid-19. Factors that emerge are-strong emphasis on the social democracy, the participation of civil society and strong social compact between the government and citizenry. We have also covered the same subject in a previous article but focus there was more on the administrative level.

    Kerala’s success story

    • Kerala was the first State with a recorded case of coronavirus and once led the country in active cases.
    • It now ranks 10th of all States and the total number of active cases (in a State that has done the most aggressive testing in India) has been declining for over a week and is now below the number of recovered cases.
    • Given Kerala’s population density, deep connections to the global economy and the high international mobility of its citizens, it was primed to be a hotspot.
    • Yet not only has the State flattened the curve but it also rolled out a comprehensive ₹20,000 crore economic package before the Centre even declared the lockdown.

    Why does Kerala stand out in India and internationally?

    • Kerala’s much-heralded success in social development has invited endless theories of its cultural, historical or geographical exceptionalism.
    • But taming a pandemic and rapidly building out a massive and tailored safety net is fundamentally about the relation of the state to its citizens.
    • From its first Assembly election in 1957, through alternating coalitions of Communist and Congress-led governments, iterated cycles of social mobilisation and state responses have forged what is in effect a robust social democracy.
    • The current crisis underscores the comparative advantages of social democracy.

    Kerala’s success is built on social democracy in the state. Following are the factors that constitute the social democracy in the state which is helping it fight against the Covid-19 pandemic with considerable success. These factors are also important from the Mains point of view if the question is framed on Kerala’s success story.

    How social democracy is practised in Kerala?

    • Social democracies are built on an encompassing social pact with a political commitment to providing basic welfare and broad-based opportunity to all citizens.
    • In Kerala, the social pact itself emerged from recurrent episodes of popular mobilisation.
    • Popular mobilisations include the temple entry movement of the 1930s to the most recent various gender and environmental movements.
    • These movements nurtured a strong sense of social citizenship.
    • These movements also drove reforms that have incrementally strengthened the legal and institutional capacity for public action.
    • Second, the emphasis on rights-based welfare has been driven by and in turn has reinforced a vibrant, organised civil society.
    • This civil society demands continuous accountability from front-line state actors.
    • Third, this constant demand-side pressure of a highly mobilised civil society and a competitive party system has pressured all governments in Kerala.
    • The pressure made governments to deliver public services and to constantly expand the social safety net, in particular a public health system that is the best in India.
    • Fourth, that pressure has also fuelled Kerala’s push over the last two decades to empower local government.
    • Nowhere in India are local governments as resourced and as capable as in Kerala.
    • Finally, all of this ties into the greatest asset of any deep democracy, that is the generalised trust that comes from a State that has a wide and deep institutional surface area.
    • That on balance treats people not as subjects or clients, but as rights-bearing citizens.

    How the built-in social democracy is helping in dealing with the pandemic?

    • A government’s capacity to respond to a cascading crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic relies on a very fragile chain of –(1)mobilising financial and societal resources, (2)getting state actors to fulfil directives, (3)coordinating across multiple authorities and jurisdictions and maybe, most importantly, (4)getting citizens to comply.
    • First, an effective response begins with programmatic decision-making.
    • From the moment of the first reported case in Kerala, Chief Minister convened a State response team that coordinated 18 different functional teams.
    • The CM held daily press conferences and communicated constantly with the public.
    • Kerala’s social compact demanded no less.
    • Second, the government was able to leverage a broad and dense health-care system.
    • The health-care system, despite the recent growth of private health services, has maintained a robust public presence.
    • Kerala’s public health-care workers are also of course highly unionised and organised, and from the outset the government lay emphasis on protecting the health of first responders.
    • Third, the government activated an already highly mobilised civil society.
    • As the cases multiplied, the government called on two lakh volunteers to go door to door, identifying those at risk and those in need.
    • A State embedded in civil society — the women’s empowerment Kudumbasree movement being a case in point.
    • Kudumbasree movement was in a good position to co-produce effective interventions, from organising contact tracing to delivering three lakh meals a day through Kudumbasree community kitchens.
    • Fourth, you can get the politics right and you can have a great public health-care system, but its effectiveness in a crisis like this will only be as good as the infamous last kilometre.
    • And this is where two decades of empowering local governments have clearly paid off.

    Conclusion

    At a time when India is dealing with this unprecedented crisis, it is important to be reminded that Kerala has managed the crisis with the most resolve, the most compassion and the best results of any large State in India. And that it has done so precisely by building on legacies of egalitarianism, social rights and public trust. Other states and the Central government must learn from Kerala’s experience.

  • Institutional fixes and the need for ethical politics

    The article discusses the recent event in Madhya Pradesh where a group of legislature resigned bringing down the government. A most important issue arising out such incidents is circumventing of the laws made to avoid such things from happening. Several such issues along with their solutions are described here.

    New method to bypass the anti-defection law

    • The political activities in Madhya Pradesh represent a new method of bypassing the anti-defection law and toppling elected governments.
    • The government in Karnataka was brought down in July last year in a similar manner with 17 MLAs of the ruling coalition resigning and joining the BJP.
    • What method was used? Under this novel method, a set of legislators of the party in power is made to resign from the Assembly to reduce the total strength of the House enough for the opposition party to cross the halfway mark to form the government.
    • In the ensuing by-elections, the members who resigned were then fielded as ruling party candidates (most of whom have been re-elected in the case of Karnataka).
    • The same practice is likely to be repeated in Madhya Pradesh soon.

    A question based on anti-defection law and its implication for healthy debate in the parliament was asked in 2013. And that issues still persist. So, take note of these issues.

    Exploiting the loophole in the Tenth Schedule

    • This method of mass defection circumvents the provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution (better known as the anti-defection law)
    • What is the Tenth Schedule? The tenth schedule prescribes the grounds for disqualification of legislators: voluntarily giving up party membership and voting or abstaining to vote against party directions.
    • Resignation is not mentioned as a ground for disqualification.
    • However, the Speaker in Karnataka disqualified them for the rest of the Assembly’s term, thereby barring them from contesting the by-polls.
    • While the Supreme Court upheld the disqualification.
    • It stuck down the bar from contesting by-polls.
    • In Madhya Pradesh, since the Speaker has accepted the resignation of the MLAs, the defectors can in any case contest the by-polls.

    Damaging the underpinnings of democracy

    • The recurrence of this model of defection signals the exploitation of the inherent weaknesses of the anti-defection law.
    • While solo legislators jumping ship might have reduced now, “horse-trading” seems to have gone from retail to wholesale.
    • This threatens the underpinnings of India’s electoral democracy since such surreptitious capture of power essentially betrays the people’s mandate in a general election.

    Kihoto case is an important case in relation to the anti-defection law.

    Time to reframe the anti-defection law

    • In this context, it is important to examine whether the anti-defection law fulfils any purpose.
    • This law raises fundamental concerns regarding the role of a legislator in a parliamentary democracy.
    • Issues with the law: It denies the legislator the right to take a principled position on a policy matter and reduces her to an involuntary supporter of the whims of party bosses.
    • Challenge to the constitutionality: The constitutionality of the Tenth Schedule was challenged for violating the Basic Structure of Constitution with regard to parliamentary democracy and free speech.
    • Judicial review of the Speaker’s decision: The Supreme Court in Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu (1992) in a 3-2 verdict upheld the law while reserving the right of judicial review of the Speaker’s decision.

    What are the shortcomings in the anti-defection law?

    • Restriction on the freedom of legislator: The anti-defection law, on the one hand, severely restricts the freedom of a legislator and makes her a slave of party whips.
    • Failure in preventing the horse-trading: On the other hand, it has not been able to meet its primary objective of preventing horse-trading and continues to be circumvented to bring down elected governments.
    • This calls for reforms that address concerns at both ends of the spectrum.

    Following two are the solutions offered here. They are important from Mains point of view. As solutions are often asked for the pressing issues.

    Dinesh Goswami Committee and other suggestion

    • Restrict the scope of the binding whip: For addressing the first issue, as the Dinesh Goswami Committee also suggested, the scope of the binding whip should be restricted to a vote of confidence.
    • For addressing the second issue, it is best to institutionalise the Karnataka Speaker’s decision to bar the defected members from contesting in the ensuing by-poll, if not for a longer period.
    • This will disincentivise MLAs from jumping ship.
    • These reforms would require a constitutional amendment to the Tenth Schedule, an uphill task under the current circumstances.

    Conclusion

    We are facing a deeper challenge of the corrosion of India’s parliamentary system, for even in jurisdictions without such anti-defection laws, we do not see “horse-trading” and “resort politics”. Hence, beyond institutional fixes, we also need a popular articulation of an ethical politics that causes the public to shun such political manoeuvres.

    Back2Basic: What is the Tenth Schedule?

    • The Tenth Schedule was inserted in the Constitution in 1985.
    • It lays down the process by which legislators may be disqualified on grounds of defection by the Presiding Officer of a legislature based on a petition by any other member of the House.
    • A legislator is deemed to have defected if he either voluntarily gives up the membership of his party or disobeys the directives of the party leadership on a vote.
    • This implies that a legislator defying (abstaining or voting against) the party whip on any issue can lose his membership of the House.
    • The law applies to both Parliament and state assemblies.
    • Exceptions under the law: Legislators may change their party without the risk of disqualification in certain circumstances.
    • The law allows a party to merge with or into another party provided that at least two-thirds of its legislators are in favour of the merger.
    • In such a scenario, neither the members who decide to merge nor the ones who stay with the original party will face disqualification.
    • Is there any time limit to decide on the matter? The law does not specify a time period for the Presiding Officer to decide on a disqualification plea.
    • Given that courts can intervene only after the Presiding Officer has decided on the matter, the petitioner seeking disqualification has no option but to wait for this decision to be made.

  • [pib] “Kisan Rath” mobile app to facilitate transportation of farm produce

    The Union Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare has launched a mobile application to facilitate farmers & traders in searching for transport vehicles for movement of Agriculture & Horticulture produce.

    Initiatives as such are less likely to be asked in the prelims as the name and purpose create no different analogy. But for the sake of information and mains perspective, it is vital to remember ‘Kisan Rath’ while emphasizing on Agricultural marketing reforms.

    “Kisan Rath” mobile app

    • The app aims to facilitate Farmers and Traders in identifying the right mode of transportation for movement of farm produce ranging from foodgrains, fruits & vegetables, oilseeds, spices, fibre crops etc.
    • Primary transportation would include movement from Farm to Mandis, FPO Collection Centre and Warehouses etc.
    • Secondary Transportation would include movement from Mandis to Intra-state & Inter-state mandis, Processing units, Railway station, Warehouses and Wholesalers etc.
    • It also facilitates traders in transportation of perishable commodities by Reefer (Refrigerated) vehicles.

    Utility of the app

    • Transportation of Agri produce is a critical and indispensable component of the supply chain.
    • Kisan Rath will ensure smooth and seamless supply linkages between farmers and the market.

  • Virus outbreak can potentially spur the next quantum leap for computing

    The article suggests that the corona crisis would speed up research in the field of quantum computing. The tremendous speed offered by quantum computers will help us find a cure for diseases like Covid-19 in a much shorter duration. This article explains the limitations of classical computers, working of quantum technology, and how quantum computer overcomes these limitations.

    Use of supercomputer to find the cure of Covid-19

    • The whole world is pressurized into quickly discovering a vaccine and a cure for covid-19.
    • IBM’s Summit, the world’s fastest supercomputer, was used for running numerous simulations and computations.
    • These simulations and computations help scientists find promising molecules to fight the pandemic.
    • The latest update says the Summit has been able to identify 77 candidate molecules that researchers can use in trials.
    • This was achieved in just two days, while, traditionally, it has taken months to make such progress.

    Computing capacity as a limit on molecular discoveries

    • Today, faster molecular discoveries are limited by computing capacity.
    • Molecular discoveries are also limited by the need for scientists to write codes for harnessing the computing power.
    • It is no secret that classical computing power is plateauing (e. it is not growing anymore)
    • And till we have scalable artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), scientists will have to write code for not only different scenarios but also for different computing platforms.
    • So, what we need today is more computing power.

    The following points explain the limits of classical computers. Pay attention to the Moore’s law, and how it explains the development of semiconductor technologies and in turn computers as a whole.

    What is the solution to the limits of classical computers?

    • Given that we have already neared the peak of classical computing, the solution probably is quantum computing.
    • Not just vaccines, quantum computing can accelerate many innovations, such as hyper-individualized medicines, 3-D printed organs, search engines for the physical world etc.
    • All innovations currently constrained by the size of transistors used in classical computing chips can be unleashed through quantum computing.
    • Moore’s law: In 1965, Gordon Moore had said the number of transistors that can be packed into a given unit of space will double about every two years.
    • Subsequently, in an interview in 2005, he himself admitted that this law can’t continue forever.
    • He had said: “It is the nature of exponential functions, they eventually hit a wall.”
    • Over the last 60 years, we reaped the benefits of Moore’s law in many ways.
    • For instance, compared to initial days of the Intel 4004, the modern 14nm processors deliver way bigger impact—3,500 times better performance and 90,000 times improved efficiency, at 1/60,000th the cost!
    • Yet, we are also seeing his 2005 statement coming true. All the experts agree that the ‘wall’ is very near.
    • So, what next? The answer again is probably the same—quantum computing.

    Quantum technology is one of the emerging and revolutionary technologies, you should be aware of the terms and general principle which lies at the heart of such technology. So, terms like superposition, qubit, binary etc are important if you want to answer a questions related to this technology.

    Quantum computing and its applications

    • It is no more a concept, there are working models available on the cloud.
    • How it works: Quantum computing uses the ability of sub-atomic particles to exist in multiple states simultaneously, until it is observed.
    • The concept of qubits: Unlike classical computers that can store information in just two values, that is 1 or 0, quantum computing uses qubits that can exist in any superposition of these values,
    • This superposition enables quantum computers to solve in seconds problems which a classical computer would take thousands of years to crack.
    • Applications: The application of this technology is enormous, and just to cite a few, it can help with the discovery of new molecules, optimize financial portfolios for different risk scenarios.
    • It can also crack RSA encryption keys, detect stealth aircraft, search massive databases in a split second and truly enable AI.

    Investment in the development of technology

    • In the Union budget this year, the Indian government announced investments of ₹8,000 crores for developing quantum technologies and applications.
    • Globally, too, countries and organizations are rushing to develop this technology and have already invested enormous capital towards its research.

    Conclusion

    Historically, unprecedented crises have always created more innovations than routine challenges or systematic investments. Coincidentally, current times pose similar opportunities in disguise for the development of quantum technologies.

    Back2Basics: Difference between bit and qubit

    • A binary digit, characterized as 0 and 1, is used to represent information in classical computers.
    • A binary digit can represent up to one bit of information, where a bit is the basic unit of information.
    • In classical computer technologies, a processed bit is implemented by one of two levels of low DC voltage.
    • And whilst switching from one of these two levels to the other, a so-called forbidden zone must be passed as fast as possible, as electrical voltage cannot change from one level to another instantaneously.
    • There are two possible outcomes for the measurement of a qubit—usually taken to have the value “0” and “1”, like a bit or binary digit.
    • However, whereas the state of a bit can only be either 0 or 1, the general state of a qubit according to quantum mechanics can be a coherent superposition of both.
    • Moreover, whereas a measurement of a classical bit would not disturb its state, a measurement of a qubit would destroy its coherence and irrevocably disturb the superposition state.
    • It is possible to fully encode one bit in one qubit.
    • However, a qubit can hold more information, e.g. up to two bits using superdense coding.
    • For a system of n components, a complete description of its state in classical physics requires only n bits, whereas in quantum physics it requires 2n−1 complex numbers.

  • What is Post-intensive Care Syndrome (PICS)?

    • Various news reports in recent weeks have pointed out that for some COVID-19 patients who needed intensive care, the journey to recovery is a long one.
    • After leaving the ICU, they may suffer from what is known as post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), which can happen to any person who has been in the ICU.

    Infectious disease outbreaks, like the current Coronavirus (COVID-19), can be scary and can affect our mental health. This pandemic is going to leave a bigger trauma for those who had lost their dear ones as well those who recovered.

    What is PICS?

    • PICS comprise impairment in cognition, psychological health and physical function of a person who has been in the ICU.
    • Further, such patients may experience neuromuscular weakness, which can manifest itself in the form of poor mobility and recurrent falls.
    • The psychological disability may arise in a person in the form of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

    Its symptoms

    • The most common PICS symptoms are generalized weakness, fatigue, decreased mobility, anxious or depressed mood, sexual dysfunction, sleep disturbances and cognitive issues.
    • These symptoms may last for a few months or many years after recovery, the authors of the aforementioned article note.
    • Patients who develop this may take at least a year to fully recover, until which time they may have difficulty in carrying out everyday tasks such as grooming, dressing, feeding, bathing and walking.

    What causes PICS?

    • A combination of factors can affect aspects of an ICU survivor’s life.
    • PICS may be induced if a person was on prolonged mechanical ventilation, experienced sepsis, multiple organ failure and a prolonged duration of “bed-restore deep sedation”.

    Treatment

    • It is recommended that to avoid PICS, patients’ use of deep sedation is limited and early mobility is encouraged, along with giving them “aggressive” physical and occupational therapy.
    • Further, patients should be given the lowest dose of pain medications when possible and should be put on lung or cardiovascular rehabilitation treatments along with treatments for depression, anxiety and PTSD.

  • Partnership with the private sector in a fight against Covid-19

    The article delineates five areas in which partnership with the private sector is essential to deal effectively with the epidemic and ensure a whole-of-society response. Ensuring the participation of the private sector has been the recurring theme of many op-eds we have come across after the outbreak.

    Significance of private healthcare in India

    • According to the WHO, a critical lesson from the 2014-16 West African Ebola epidemic was that both the public and private sector need to work in tandem in responding to large-scale epidemics.
    • In the COVID-19 response in India, the private sector has to play an even more important role, as it is the dominant provider of health services in the country.
    • The private sector includes the for-profit and not-for-profit segments.
    • The dominance of the private sector in India: The NSSO 71st round data on social consumption of health show that private hospitals, clinics and nursing homes provide over 70 per cent of healthcare.
    • Data on the nearly 1 crore treatments received under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) corroborate this finding.
    • AB PM-JAY data shows that over half of all treatments are being availed of from private providers, accounting for over 60 per cent of total disbursements.

    UPSC asked about community-level healthcare intervention in 2018. So, pay attention to the significant role played by the private health sector in India.

    Following five are the areas in which cooperation with the private sector will be essential-

    1 Testing

    • Creating a large and accessible testing infrastructure is the first weapon in the armoury.
    • Countries like South Korea, Singapore, Germany and Japan have been successful at controlling the spread of COVDID-19 and reducing mortality through early detection and quick containment.
    • This has been possible only through widespread testing.
    • India has opened testing up to private labs.
    • Testing has been included under the AB PM-JAY as well.
    • We need to substantially expand testing capacity.
    • This cannot happen without the active participation of the private sector.

    2 Converting private hospitals into Covid-19-only hospitals

    • As the government deepens its containment efforts, the country will need to rapidly surge the numbers of quarantine units, isolation wards and ICU beds in COVID-19-only
    • It will also need to ensure increased and continued supply of essential medical products — from testing kits, masks and other PPEs to oxygen and ventilators.
    • According to a recent ICMR study, around five per cent of those infected will need intensive care and half of those in intensive care units will need mechanical ventilation.
    • These projections translate into large numbers that considerably exceed the capacity of the government health system.
    • Private hospitals with adequate infrastructure will need to convert in COVID-19-only hospitals.
    • There should be a clear policy framework of designated hospitals, reporting and referral systems and an appropriate payment system.
    • With many government facilities being converted into COVID-19-only hospitals, a large number of non-COVID-19 patients will need facilities and providers to take care of their other urgent, critical or continuing healthcare needs.
    • The AB PM-JAY has started a process to bring on board more hospitals to respond to such needs.

    3 Protecting healthcare workers

    • As more private providers join this fight, a major concern that will arise is keeping healthcare workers from becoming infected.
    • In addition to being at a high risk of contracting the virus, healthcare workers are also potential carriers.
    • Ensuring their protection is of paramount importance.
    • Increasing the production: Companies manufacturing essential medical products such as ventilators, masks will need to crank up their production.
    • Direct support from banks may be needed to keep production and supply chains going.

    4 The private sector has to support the ecosystem driving health system

    • The private sector will need to vigorously support the large ecosystem that drives the health system as the lockdown and ongoing epidemic restrict movement and normal economic activities.
    • Activities such as the production of essential drugs and medical products, logistics to maintain smooth supply need to not only continue but also accelerate.
    • Support for community activities such as night shelters and community kitchens will need to be strengthened.

    5 Collaborate to share knowledge on the epidemic

    • An adequate stage-wise response to the pandemic and its economic, social and political aftermath will require the rapid filling of the many knowledge gaps.
    • Government, private and not-for-profit research institutions need to collaborate to understand the nature of transmission of the virus.
    • They must understand the factors that slow its spread, the most at-risk communities, or the optimal quarantine period.

    In 2015, UPSC asked whether the private health sector could help bridge the gap in providing universal health coverage. A question can be asked based on the same theme but in reference to dealing with the pandemic.

    Conclusion

    The fight against COVID-19 is not a race to a hilltop. It involves the continuous management of an evolving public health crisis that threatens to spawn economic and social crises. These multiple dimensions will require a whole-of-society approach that goes beyond the government alone.

  • TRAI wants set top boxes to be made interoperable

    The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended that all set-top boxes (STBs) in the country must be interoperable, meaning that consumers should be able to use the same STB across different DTH or cable TV providers.

    The TRAI and Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal are quite often seen in the news.  Most recent was the dispute risen due to AGR dues.

    TRAI has a wide range of jurisdiction over Telecoms. Keep a track on all such news.

    Why such a recommendation?

    • TRAI noted that while the STBs deployed in the cable TV networks are non-interoperable, those by DTH players complied with licence conditions to support common interface module based interoperability.
    • However, in practice, even in the DTH segment the STBs are not readily interoperable.
    • The lack of interoperability of set-top boxes between different service providers deprives the customer of the freedom to change her/his service provider.
    • It also creates a hindrance to technological innovation, improvement in service quality, and the overall sector growth.

    About TRAI

    • The TRAI is a statutory body set up under section 3 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997.
    • It is the regulator of the telecommunications and its tariffs in India.
    • The TRAI Act was amended by an ordinance, effective from 24 January 2000, establishing a Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to take over the adjudicatory and disputes functions from TRAI.
    • TRAI regularly issues orders and directions on various subjects such as tariffs, interconnections, quality of service, DTH services and mobile number portability.

  • [pib] Amendment to the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006

    To address unprecedented situation arising from the global outbreak of COVID-19 and to ramp up availability or production of various drugs, the MoEFCC has made an amendment to EIA Notification 2006.

    EIA is a process of evaluating the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development, taking into account inter-related socio-economic, cultural and human-health impacts, both beneficial and adverse.  Its a hot topic for mains.

    What is the amendment about?

    • All projects or activities in respect of bulk drugs and intermediates, manufactured for addressing various ailments, have been re-categorized from the existing Category ‘A’ to ‘B2’ category.
    • Projects falling under Category B2 are exempted from the requirement of collection of Baseline data, EIA Studies and public consultation.
    • The re-categorization of such proposals has been done to facilitate decentralization of appraisal to State Level so as to fast track the process.

    Projects Categorization and Clearance under EIA

    • Environmental clearance is required in respect of all new projects or activities listed in the Schedule to the 2006 notification and their expansion and modernization, including any change in product –mix.
    • Since EIA 2006 the various developmental projects have been re-categorised into category ‘A’ and category ‘B’ depending on their threshold capacity and likely pollution potential.
    • They require prior EC respectively from MOEFCC or the concerned State Environmental Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAAs).
    • Where state-level authorities have not been constituted, the clearance would be provided by the MOEFCC.

    Back2Basics: Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in India

    • EIA is a management tool to minimize adverse impacts of developmental projects on the environment and to achieve sustainable development through timely, adequate, corrective and protective mitigation measures.
    • The MoEFCC uses EIA Notification 2006 as a major tool for minimizing the adverse impact of rapid industrialization on the environment and for reversing those trends which may lead to climate change in the long run.
    • EIA has now been made mandatory under the Environmental (Protection Act, 1986 for 29 categories of developmental activities involving investments of Rs. 50 crores and above.

    EIA stages

    • Screening: This stage decides which projects a full or partial assessment need study.
    • Scoping: This stage decides which impacts are necessary to be assessed. This is done based on legal requirements, international conventions, expert knowledge and public engagement. This stage also finds out alternate solutions that avoid or at least reduce the adverse impacts of the project.
    • Assessment & evaluation of impacts and development of alternatives: This stage predicts and identifies the environmental impacts of the proposed project and also elaborates on the alternatives.
    • EIA Report: In this reporting stage, an environmental management plan (EMP) and also a non-technical summary of the project’s impact is prepared for the general public. This report is also called the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
    • Decision making: The decision on whether the project is to be given approval or not and if it is to be given, under what conditions.
    • Monitoring, compliance, enforcement and environmental auditing: This stage monitors whether the predicted impacts and the mitigation efforts happen as per the EMP.

  • What are MK 54 torpedoes, AGM-84L Harpoon missiles that US has cleared for sale to India?

    The US has approved a military sale to India of 16 MK 54 all round up lightweight torpedoes and ten AGM-84L Harpoon Block II air-launched missiles. India plans to use the equipment requested in both the deals on the Indian Navy’s Boeing P-8I maritime aircraft.

    What is “Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)” , sometimes seen in the news? (CSP 2018) .

    MK 54 lightweight torpedo

    • The MK 54 lightweight torpedo is known as the Lightweight Hybrid Torpedo (LHT).
    • It weighs around 608 pounds, while its warhead weighs around 96.8 pounds and is highly explosive.
    • The primary use of this equipment is for offensive purposes when deployed by anti-submarine warfare aircraft and helicopters, and for defensive purposes when deployed by ships and against fast, deep-diving nuclear submarines and slow-moving, quiet, diesel-electric submarines.

    AGM-84L Harpoon Block II air-launched missiles

    • The Harpoon missile system will be integrated into the P-8I aircraft to conduct anti-surface warfare missions in defence of critical sea lanes.
    • It uses GPS-aided inertial navigation to hit the designated target.
    • Its warhead weighs over 500 pounds and is capable of delivering lethal firepower against targets, including land-based targets, coastal defence sites, surface-to-air missile sites, exposed aircraft and industrial or port facilities.

    About P-8I aircraft

    • Boeing’s P-8s are designed for long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
    • The P-8s India version is called the P-8I, and helps the Indian Navy carry out important maritime operations.
    • According to Boeing, the aircraft can surpass 25,000 flight hours, and gives the Navy a significant edge in the strategically important Indian Ocean.
    • India currently has eight of these aircraft and is scheduled to receive four more by 2022.