💥Join UPSC 2027,2028 Mentorship (August Batch) + XFactor Notes & Microthemes PDF
Talk to Mentor

Civilsdaily

Login

Distribution: weekly

  • Mapping: Baltic Travel Bubble

    The Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have opened their borders to one another, creating a coronavirus “travel bubble” with an improvised idea to boost travel into their countries.

    Mark the following things on Map:

    1. Baltic Sea and its bordering nations

    2. Irben Strait

    3. Gulf of Riga

    4. Gulf of Finland

    Baltic Travel Bubble

    • The ‘Baltic travel bubble’ aims to facilitate the citizens of these three countries to travel within the region without hassles.
    • However, those who are coming from any other than these three countries would be required to follow self-isolation guidelines and stay in quarantine for exactly 14 days.
    • During the epidemic, Estonia and Lithuania closed their borders to non-citizens and all three nations placed mandatory quarantines for those entering for reasons related to non-work activities.
    • The region has been part of the European Union since 2004 and since 2007 has been a member of the European Schengen Free Travel Area.

    Significance of the travel ease

    • The Baltic nations have shown trust in each other’s healthcare system and have concluded that they have been able to tackle the coronavirus outbreak efficiently.
    • For Asian countries including India, these developments can provide interesting pointers when lockdown relaxations pertaining to travel and flights are being considered.

    Bonus: Try this question from CSP 2011

    Between India and East Asia, the navigation-time and distance can be greatly reduced by which of the following?

    1. Deepening the Malacca straits between Malaysia and Indonesia.

    2. Opening a new canal across the Kra isthmus between the Gulf of Siam and Andaman Sea.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

  • War and Peace: Analysis of BSF’s role

    The BSF came into being in the wake of the 1965 India-Pakistan war. So, its ‘innate’ tasks involves both wartime and peacetime roles. This article is written by a retired IPS officer who has been ADG of BSF.  Our aim is to provide you with on-ground experience of issues in this security force. Focus of the article is on the preparedness of the BSF for its wartime role. From the exam perspective, focus on issues and possible solutions.

    Role of BSF

    • Officially, its role is defined in expansive terms like ‘security of the border of India and matters connected therewith’.
    • The tasks of BSF are divided into peacetime and wartime.
    • 1) The peacetime tasks include preventing smuggling and any other illegal activity, and unauthorised entry into or exit from the territory of India, etc.
    • 2) The wartime tasks of the BSF include holding ground in less threatened sectors, etc.

    Unpreparedness in wartime role

    • The BSF, in terms of its defences, equipment, weaponry and training, is not at all prepared for its wartime role.
    • This means that in the eventuality of any military assault, our ‘first line of defence’ would simply crumble.
    • Falling back on army’s mobilizations for a counterattack may take up to several days.
    • Retreat and loss of territory in this period is a possible scenario.
    • The report titled ‘Border Security: Capacity Building and Institutions’ of the department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, submitted to the Rajya Sabha on April 11, 2017:
    • Does not talk about the wartime role of the BSF even once.
    • It talks only of its peacetime role including fencing, floodlights and roads along the borders, development of integrated check posts, and construction of strategic roads.

    The fallacy of infantry attack

    • The founders of the BSF, including the committee of secretaries, had a wrong presumption that the assault on the ‘first line of defence’ will be by the enemy’s ‘exposed’ infantry.
    • This assault, they imagined, would be repulsed by BSF soldiers wielding similar arms.
    • But that presumption is a folly.
    •  Now, as a rule of thumb, infantry assault, whether supported by armour or not, or even a purely armour assault on any position is preceded by as heavy and as accurate artillery bombardment as possible.
    • If the attacking nation could afford it, such as the US during the 1991 Gulf War the bombardment could be aerial also.

    Unprepared to withstand shelling

    • Our ‘first line of defence’ does not have any defensive structures or fortifications that could withstand artillery bombardment even for a minute.
    • According to photographs available in the public domain, most BSF observation posts on the international border are ramshackle structures of tin sheets and sandbags erected on small mounds of earth.
    • Adding to that, the mounds are in full view of the enemy and their locations are known to them to the last centimetre.

     Uninspiring weaponry

    • The photographs of the 105 mm Indian Field Gun and their staple, the 7.62 mm medium machine gun are available in public domain.
    • The 105 mm Indian Field Guns have been placed under the operational command of the army, and BSF would not be able to use them when the enemy makes first contact with them.
    • That leaves them with their 51 mm and 81 mm mortars.
    • The 51mm mortar, with just 109 grams of explosive per shell and a maximum range of  850 m is as good as useless in a war.
    • The 81 mm mortar bomb with an explosive charge of 750 grams has a maximum range of 6000 m.
    • The enemy artillery would in any case be firing from way beyond that range, thereby making effective retaliation through mortars impossible.
    • Even when enemy IFV/APC or armour would come closer and in range, the smooth-bore 81 mm mortar is inherently not accurate enough to hit a moving vehicle. (smoothness of bore reduces accuracy)
    • Even the NATO rifled 120 mm mortars have a CEP (circular error probable) of 136 m.
    • As for the 7.62 mm medium machinegun, it is an anti-personnel weapon with the armour penetration of the M80 bullet being just 3 mm at 500m.
    • That makes it useless against even lightly armoured vehicles.
    • This means that the BSF outposts will not be able to deliver any effective fire at all on an enemy assault.

    IPS leadership issue

    • Since the BSF’s inception, the force’s Indian Police Service (IPS) leadership has not focused on the wartime role of the BSF.
    • The IPS officers in top positions in the BSF lack knowledge of military science that could enable them to appreciate and address the wartime role.

    Way forward

    •  The only defence feasible against artillery bombardment is to go sub-surface—in the form of deep concrete dugouts and fire trenches.
    • Then we also need elaborate anti-tank ditches.
    • To deliver effective fire on enemy armoured and lightly armoured vehicles, and infantry operating under their protection, the BSF needs weapons which carry enough explosive payloads to tackle armour, both light and heavy.
    • Portability, manoeuvrability and accuracy are important considerations in the ‘first line of defence’ attacking armour.
    • A veritable battery of ATGMs and cheaper yet accurate options like the 80 mm Breda Folgore RCL are available.
    • Using them effectively would require defensive fighting positions interconnected by communication trenches.
    • Research needs to be done to mount weapons like the Shipunov 2A42 30 mm autocannon on platforms faster than the BMP-2.
    • Similarly, MMGs/GPMGs need mobile platforms like Humvees to increase their survivability as well as effectivity.

    Consider the question “The BSF, which is often hailed as India’s ‘first line of defence’ has tasked with wartime and peacetime roles. Though it is quite adept in peacetime role, its wartime preparedness needs an overhaul. Comment.”

    Conclusion

    These issues with the BSF could result in a  situation where there is every possibility of rout and retreat in the early days of the war. This issue needs to be urgently addressed by the government.

     

  • Tale of two crises: Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and Corona Financial Crisis (CFC)

    Not all financial crises are the same. And this is more so about the two crises that we have been witness to – the 2008 Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and the current Corona Financial Crisis (CFC). The author points out the four key difference in the two crises. These four difference also mean that the solution for 2008 GFC may not be the solution for the present CFC. But why is it so? Read to know more…

    1. Origin of the two crises

    • The GFC originated in the financial sector.
    • In GFC, banks and financial intermediaries got carried away by irrational exuberance and recklessly piled on risk.
    •  CDS, CDO, MBS, ABS and various other became the villains in the GFC drama as it unfolded in the rich countries.
    • As people lost their wealth and savings in the financial meltdown, demand collapsed and growth slumped.
    • The contagion, which originated in the financial sector, spread to the real economy.
    • In contrast, the CFC came from outside the economic system.
    • The first impact came by way of a supply shock as China-centred supply chains broke down.
    • And then as countries ordered lockdowns and economies shut down, demand slumped.
    • The ensuing distress in the real economy led to distress in the financial system.

    So, how origin of the crisis matter for its resolution?

    • Restoring the faith in the financial system was key to the resolution of GFC.
    • Which meant rescue and rehabilitation of banks and other financial institutions.
    • Once that task in the financial sector was accomplished, repair of the real economy fell in place.
    • The demand came back, supply resumed and growth picked up.
    • In contrast, the central challenge in the resolution of the CFC is to beat the pandemic, and that solution has to come from science.
    • Only when there is public confidence that the incidence of the pandemic has been brought down to a low-level equilibrium, will there be a resolution in both the real and financial economies.
    • We are seeing that even during this crisis, just like in 2008, governments are coming out with fiscal stimulus packages and central banks with monetary stimulus packages.
    • But these are not solutions to the pandemic; they are just holding operations till the central problem is resolved.

    2. No one country hold key to solution

    • The second difference between the two crises arises from the asymmetry of the solutions.
    • The GFC originated in the subprime mortgage sector of the US and then, rapidly engulfed the world.
    • The CFC originated in the Hubei province of China and rapidly engulfed the world.
    • But the similarity ends there.
    • For the resolution of the GFC, restoring financial stability in the US was necessary, and a sufficient condition for restoration of financial stability everywhere.
    • But the situation with the CFC is different.
    • Every country needs to control the pandemic within its borders.
    • But that is not sufficient because the virus can hit back from across the border.
    • No country is safe until every country is safe.

    3. Policy interventions involve a dilemma

    • How the policy interventions interact with one another makes for the third difference between the two crises.
    • During the resolution of the GFC, solutions in the financial sector and in the real economy reinforced each other.
    • For example, to mitigate the crisis, the RBI cut rates and intervened in the forex market, the government extended special concessions for housing and real estate sectors to provide stimulus in the real economy.
    • There was synergy in these actions.
    • In contrast, in managing the challenge of the CFC, what we are seeing is tension between the various sets of policy actions.
    • The effort to contain the pandemic is exacerbating the challenges in both the real economy and the financial sector.
    • The more stringent the lockdown to save lives, the more extensive the loss of livelihoods.
    • Managing this tension is by far the biggest dilemma for governments battling the crisis.

    4. No single large economy to keep the world afloat

    • The global financial crisis, although it was called “global” did not affect all countries equally.
    • China was less affected even as all rich countries were in a financial meltdown.
    • In fact, one of the less acknowledged facts of the 2008 crisis is that it was the stimulus provided by China that kept the global economy afloat.
    • In contrast, now all rich and big economies are weighed down by the virus, and there is not a single large economy to keep the rest of the world afloat.

    Consider the question “Analyse the key differences in the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 and the financial crisis caused by the Covid-19.”

    Conclusion

    If pandemics are going to be more frequent, as is now suspected, it is all the more important that there is a more enforceable global protocol on early warning and information sharing. For all their differences, the GFC and CFC are similar in one respect — they both teach us life-enhancing lessons. The GFC forcefully reminded us that greed and avarice will only bring tears in the end. The CFC is teaching us that the force of nature is bigger than the combined force of our science and technology.

    Back2Basics: Credit Default Swap (CDS)

    • A credit default swap (CDS) is a type of credit derivative that provides the buyer with protection against default and other risks.
    • The buyer of a CDS makes periodic payments to the seller until the credit maturity date.
    • In the agreement, the seller commits that, if the debt issuer defaults, the seller will pay the buyer all premiums and interest that would’ve been paid up to the date of maturity.

    Collateralised Debt Obligations (CDO), MBS and ABS

    • To create a CDO, investment banks gather cash flow-generating assets—such as mortgages, bonds, and other types of debt.
    • These assets are then repackaged into discrete classes or tranches based on the level of credit risk assumed by the investor.
    • These tranches of securities become the final investment products: bonds, whose names can reflect their specific underlying assets.
    • For example, mortgage-backed securities (MBS) are comprised of mortgage loans.
    • And asset-backed securities (ABS) contain corporate debt, auto loans, or credit card debt.
    • CDOs are called “collateralized” because the promised repayments of the underlying assets are the collateral that gives the CDOs their value.
    • Mortgage-backed securities played a central role in the financial crisis that began in 2007 and went on to wipe out trillions of dollars in wealth, bring down Lehman Brothers, and roil the world financial markets.
    • In retrospect, it seems inevitable that the rapid increase in home prices and the growing demand for MBS would encourage banks to lower their lending standards and drive consumers to jump into the market at any cost.

  • Economic stimulus package for Agriculture

    FM has announced plans to enact a central law to permit barrier-free inter-State trade of farm commodities and ensure a legal framework to facilitate contract farming under the third tranche of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan economic stimulus package.

    Try this question:

    ‘Doubling Farmer’s Income’ and ‘USD 5 trillion economy’  seems more like slogans today in wake of COVID pandemic. Comment on the statement with keeping in view the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan of the government.

    Details of the package

    • The third tranche included plans to invest ₹1.5 lakh crore to build farm-gate infrastructure and support logistics needs for fishworkers, livestock farmers, vegetable growers, beekeepers and related activities.
    • The Centre will deregulate the sale of six types of agricultural produce, including cereals, edible oils, oilseeds, pulses, onions and potatoes, by amending the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
    • Stock limits will not be imposed on these commodities except in case of national calamity or famine or an extraordinary surge in prices.
    • The Centre is considering introducing a law on contract farming under the Contract Act of 1872 to enable farmers to directly engage with processors, aggregators, large retailers and exporters in a fair and transparent manner.
    • It would allow private players to invest in inputs and technology in the agricultural sector.

    Must read:

    [pib] Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (Self-reliant India Mission)

  • Diamer-Bhasha Dam in Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK)

    Pakistan government has signed a contract with a joint venture of a Chinese state-run firm for the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha dam in the PoK.

    Make a note of major dams in India along with the rivers, terrain, major Wildlife sanctuaries and national parks incident to these rivers.

    Diamer-Bhasha Dam

    • Diamer-Bhasha Dam is a concreted-filled gravity dam, in the preliminary stages of construction, on the River Indus between Kohistan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Diamer district in Gilgit Baltistan region of PoK.
    • The dam will have a gross storage capacity of 8.1 Million Acre Feet (MAF) and power generation capacity of 4500 MW.
    • The eight Million Acre Feet (MAF) reservoir with 272-metre height will be the tallest roller compact concrete (RCC) dam in the world.
    • It will have a spillway, 14 gates and five outlets for flushing out silt.
    • The diversion system involves two tunnels and a diversion canal — all three having 1 km length each.
    • The bridge — a box girder structure — under the contract will be constructed downstream of the dam structure while the 21MW power plant will be built to meet the energy requirements of the project during construction.

    Why is this dam being built?

    • The project is designed to serve as the main storage dam of the country, besides Mangla and Tarbela dams, and its storage would be helpful for alleviating flood losses.
    • The project is estimated to help alleviate acute irrigation shortage in the Indus basin irrigation system caused by progressive siltation of the existing reservoirs.
    • It aims to reduce the intensity, quantum and duration of floods and reduce the magnitude and frequency of floods in the River Indus downstream.

    Issues with the Dam

    • The dam is located in the Gilgit-Baltistan region which is an Indian territory illegally occupied by Pakistan.
    • India has consistently conveyed her protest and shared concerns with both China and Pakistan on all such projects in the Indian territories under Pakistan’s illegal occupation.
    • In the past too, India has opposed projects jointly taken up by Pakistan and China in PoK as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

  • Species in news: 40 Gharials released into Ghaghara River in UP

    Forty gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) were released in the Ghaghara River by the Bahraich forest division of Uttar Pradesh.

    This year, we have seen many news focusing on species reintroduction into the wild. Can you recall them?? If not, Click Here.

    And one may often get confused between the Mugger, Gharial and the Saltwater Crocodile. Note the differences about their IUCN status, habitat (freshwater/saltwater) etc..

    Gharials

    • The Gharial is a fish-eating crocodile is native to the Indian subcontinent. They are a crucial indicator of clean river water.
    • Small released populations are present and increasing in the rivers of the National Chambal Sanctuary, Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Son River Sanctuary.
    • It is also found at the rainforest biome of Mahanadi in Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary, Orissa.
    • Gharials are ‘Critically Endangered’ in the IUCN Red List of Species.
    • The species is also listed under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

    Into the wild

    • A major chunk of gharials in India is found in the Chambal River, which has about 1,000 adults.
    • The Ghaghara acts as an important aquatic corridor for gharials in Uttar Pradesh. The river is a major left-bank tributary of the Ganges.
    • About 250 gharials have been released in the Ghaghara since 2014.
    • However, there are satellite populations of less than 100 adults in the Girwa River (Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh, the Ramganga River in Jim Corbett National Park and the Son River).
    • Like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar too is releasing gharials in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve as part of restocking the wild population. Unlike crocodiles, gharials do not pose any danger to humans.

    Back2Basics

    Mugger

    • The mugger is a marsh crocodile which is found throughout the Indian subcontinent.
    • It is a freshwater species and found in lakes, rivers and marshes.
    • IUCN Status: Vulnerable

    Saltwater Crocodile

    • It is the largest of all living reptiles.
    • It is found along the eastern coast of India.
    • IUCN Status: Least Concerned

  • [pib] Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS)

    In order to give a boost to domestic defence and aerospace manufacturing, Raksha Mantri has approved the launch of the Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS).

     

    Practice question for mains:

    Q. Self-reliance in defence manufacturing is one of the key objectives of ‘Make in India’. Discuss.

     

    Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS)

    • The DTIS would run for the duration of five years and envisages set up six to eight new test facilities in partnership with private industry.
    • The scheme has been allocated with an outlay of Rs 400 crore for creating a state of the art testing infrastructure for this sector.
    • This will facilitate indigenous defence production, consequently, reduce imports of military equipment and help make the country self-reliant.
    • While the majority of test facilities are expected to come up in the two Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs), the Scheme is not limited to setting up Test Facilities in the DICs only.

    Funding pattern

    • The projects under the Scheme will be provided with up to 75 per cent government funding in the form of ‘Grant-in-Aid’.
    • The remaining 25 per cent of the project cost will have to be borne by the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) whose constituents will be Indian private entities and State Governments.
    • The SPVs under the Scheme will be registered under Companies Act 2013 and shall also operate and maintain all assets under the Scheme, in a self-sustainable manner by collecting user charges.

  • ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ System

    Finance Minister has announced the nationwide rollout of a ‘One Nation, One Ration Card (ONORC)’ system in all states and UTRs by March 2021. As of now, about 20 states have come on board to implement the inter-state ration card portability.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q. The  ‘One nation one ration card ‘scheme would bring perceptible changes to the lives of India’s internal migrant workers. Comment.

    What is PDS?

    • The Public distribution system (PDS) is an Indian food Security System established under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution.
    • PDS evolved as a system of management of scarcity through distribution of food grains at affordable prices.
    • PDS is operated under the joint responsibility of the Central and the State Governments. 
    • The Central Government, through Food Corporation of India (FCI), has assumed the responsibility for procurement, storage, transportation and bulk allocation of food grains to the State Governments.
    • The operational responsibilities including allocation within the State, identification of eligible families, issue of Ration Cards and supervision of the functioning of Fair Price Shops (FPSs) etc., rest with the State Governments.
    • Under the PDS, presently the commodities namely wheat, rice, sugar and kerosene are being allocated to the States/UTs for distribution. Some States/UTs also distribute additional items of mass consumption through the PDS outlets such as pulses, edible oils, iodized salt, spices, etc.

    Evolution of PDS in India

    • PDS was introduced around World War II as a war-time rationing measure. Before the 1960s, distribution through PDS was generally dependant on imports of food grains.
    • It was expanded in the 1960s as a response to the food shortages of the time; subsequently, the government set up the Agriculture Prices Commission and the FCIto improve domestic procurement and storage of food grains for PDS.
    • By the 1970s, PDS had evolved into a universal scheme for the distribution of subsidised food
    • Till 1992, PDS was a general entitlement scheme for all consumers without any specific target.
    • The Revamped Public Distribution System (RPDS) was launched in June, 1992 with a view to strengthen and streamline the PDS as well as to improve its reach in the far-flung, hilly, remote and inaccessible areas where a substantial section of the underprivileged classes lives.
    • In June, 1997, the Government of India launched the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) with a focus on the poor.
    • Under TPDS, beneficiaries were divided into two categories: Households below the poverty line or BPL; and Households above the poverty line or APL.
    • Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY): AAY was a step in the direction of making TPDS aim at reducing hunger among the poorest segments of the BPL population.
    • A National Sample Survey exercise pointed towards the fact that about 5% of the total population in the country sleeps without two square meals a day. In order to make TPDS more focused and targeted towards this category of population, the “Antyodaya Anna Yojana” (AAY) was launched in December, 2000 for one crore poorest of the poor families.
    • In September 2013, Parliament enacted the National Food Security Act, 2013. The Act relies largely on the existing TPDS to deliver food grains as legal entitlements to poor households. This marks a shift by making the right to food a justiciable right.

    How does the PDS system function?

    • The Central and State Governments share responsibilities in order to provide food grains to the identified beneficiaries.
    • The centre procures food grains from farmers at a minimum support price (MSP)and sells it to states at central issue prices. It is responsible for transporting the grains to godowns in each state.
    • States bear the responsibility of transporting food grains from these godowns to each fair price shop (ration shop), where the beneficiary buys the food grains at the lower central issue price. Many states further subsidise the price of food grains before selling it to beneficiaries.

    Importance of PDS

    • It helps in ensuring Food and Nutritional Security of the nation.
    • It has helped in stabilising food prices and making food available to the poor at affordable prices.
    • It maintains the buffer stock of food grains in the warehouse so that the flow of food remains active even during the period of less agricultural food production.
    • It has helped in the redistribution of grains by supplying food from surplus regions of the country to deficient regions.
    • The system of minimum support price and procurement has contributed to the increase in food grain production.

    Issues Associated with PDS System in India

    • Identification of beneficiaries: Studies have shown that targeting mechanisms such as TPDS are prone to large inclusion and exclusion errors. This implies that entitled beneficiaries are not getting food grains while those that are ineligible are getting undue benefits.
    • According to the estimation of an expert group set up in 2009, PDS suffers from nearly 61% error of exclusion and 25% inclusion of beneficiaries, i.e. the misclassification of the poor as non-poor and vice versa.
    • Leakage of food grains: (Transportation leakages + Black Marketing by FPS owners) TPDS suffers from large leakages of food grains during transportation to and from ration shops into the open market. In an evaluation of TPDS, the erstwhile Planning Commission found 36% leakage of PDS rice and wheat at the all-India level.
    • Issue with procurement: Open-ended Procurement i.e., all incoming grains accepted even if buffer stock is filled, creates a shortage in the open market.
    • Issues with storage: A performance audit by the CAG has revealed a serious shortfall in the government’s storage capacity.
    • Given the increasing procurement and incidents of rotting food grains, the lack of adequate covered storage is bound to be a cause for concern.
    • The provision of minimum support price (MSP) has encouraged farmers to divert land from production of coarse grains that are consumed by the poor, to rice and wheat and thus, discourages crop diversification.
    • Environmental issues: The over-emphasis on attaining self-sufficiency and a surplus in food grains, which are water-intensive, has been found to be environmentally unsustainable.
    • Procuring states such as Punjab and Haryana are under environmental stress, including rapid groundwater depletion, deteriorating soil and water conditions from overuse of fertilisers.
    • It was found that due to the cultivation of rice in north-west India, the water table went down by 33 cm per year during 2002-08.

    What is the one ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ system?

    • Under the National Food Security Act, 2013, about 81 crore persons are entitled to buy subsidized foodgrain — rice at Rs 3/kg, wheat at Rs 2/kg, and coarse grains at Re 1/kg — from their designated Fair Price Shops (FPS) of the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
    • Currently, about 23 crore ration cards have been issued to nearly 80 crore beneficiaries of NFSA in all states and UTs.
    • In the present system, a ration cardholder can buy foodgrains only from an FPS that has been assigned to her in the locality in which she lives.
    • However, this will change once the ONORC system becomes operational nationally.

    How would that work?

    • Under the ONORC system, the beneficiary will be able to buy subsidised foodgrains from any FPS across the country.
    • The new system, based on a technological solution, will identify a beneficiary through biometric authentication on electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices installed at the FPSs.
    • This would enable that person to purchase the number of foodgrains to which she is entitled under the NFSA.

    How will the system of ration card portability work?

    • Ration card portability is aimed at providing intra-state as well as inter-state portability of ration cards.
    • While the Integrated Management of PDS portal provides the technological platform for the inter-state portability of ration cards.
    • It enables a migrant worker to buy foodgrains from any FPS across the country.
    • The Annavitaran portal hosts the data of the distribution of foodgrains through E-PoS devices within a state.
    • The portal enables a migrant worker or his family to avail the benefits of PDS outside their district but within their state.
    • While a person can buy her share of foodgrains as per her entitlement under the NFSA, wherever she is based, the rest of her family members can purchase subsidised foodgrains from their ration dealer back home.

    Revamping of the PDS

    • The PDS system was marred with inefficiency leading to leakages in the system. To plug the leakages and make the system better, the government started the reform process.
    • For, this purpose it used a technological solution involving the use of Aadhaar to identify beneficiaries. Under the scheme, the seeding of ration cards with Aadhaar is being done.
    • Simultaneously, PoS machines are being installed at all FPSs across the country.
    • Once 100 per cent of Aadhaar seeding and 100 per cent installation of PoS devices is achieved, the national portability of ration cards will become a reality.
    • It will enable migrant workers to buy foodgrains from any FPS by using their existing/same ration card.

    How many states have come on board?

    • It was initially proposed to nationally roll out the ONORC scheme by June 1, 2020.
    • So far, 17 major states and UTs have come on board to roll out the inter-state portability of ration cards under the NFSA.
    • Three more states — Odisha, Mizoram, and Nagaland — are expected to come on board by June 1, taking the number of States and UTs to 20 under the One Nation, Once Ration Card System.

    How has been the experience of Ration Card Portability so far?

    • The facility of inter-state ration card portability is available in 20 states as of now but the number of transactions done through using this facility has been low so far.
    • According to data available on the IMPDS portal, only 275 transactions have been done until May 14.
    • However, the number of transactions in the intra-state ration card portability is quite high.
    • The data available on the Annavitaran portal shows that about one crore transactions took place using the facility last month.
    • It means that usages of intra-state ration card portability are way higher than the inter-state portability.

    Back2Basics: National Food Security Act, 2013

    • The NFS Act, 2013 (also Right to Food Act) aims to provide subsidized food grains to approximately two-thirds of India’s 1.2 billion people.
    • It was signed into law on 12 September 2013, retroactive to 5 July 2013.
    • The NFSA 2013 converted into legal entitlements for existing food security programmes.
    • It includes the Midday Meal Scheme, Integrated Child Development Services scheme and the Public Distribution System.
    • Further, the NFSA 2013 recognizes maternity entitlements.
    • The Midday Meal Scheme and the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme are universal in nature whereas the PDS will reach about two-thirds of the population (75% in rural areas and 50% in urban areas).
    • Pregnant women, lactating mothers, and certain categories of children are eligible for daily free cereals.

  • “Tour of Duty (ToD) Scheme” for Short Service in Indian Army

    The Indian Army has planned to take civilians on a three-year “Tour of Duty” (ToD) or short service” on a trial basis to serve as officers and in other ranks initially for a limited number of vacancies which will be expanded later.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q. The “Tour of Duty” (ToD) Scheme is a significant move to free up funds for the Army’s modernization. Comment.

    Tour of Duty Scheme

    • Indian Army is thinking to induct youngsters for three-year “Tour of Duty (ToD) tenure as both officers and jawans.
    • The ToD scheme, in case approved, will initially be launched with around 100 vacancies for officers and 1,000 for jawans.
    • As per Army, a ToD officer will earn Rs 80,000-90,000 per month. After ToD tenure, youngsters can find lucrative private and public sector jobs.
    • The Army says it will restructure the cadre and help modernize the force.

    Advantages of ToD Scheme

    • ToD is expected to result in a significant reduction in the expenditure on pay and pensions and free up funds for the Army’s modernization.
    • The overall purpose of the ToD concept is ‘internship/temporary experience’.
    • There will be no requirement of attractive severance packages, resettlement courses, professional encashment training leave, ex-servicemen status, ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme for ToD officers and other ranks.
    • Analysing the cost of training incurred on each personnel compared with the limited employment of the manpower for three years, the proposal calculates that it will indeed have a positive benefit.

    The cost factor

    • The approximate cost incurred is nearly ₹5.12 crore and ₹6.83 crores for a Short Service Commission (SSC) officer if he or she is released from service after 10 and 14 years, respectively.
    • The costs for those released after a three-year ToD is just ₹80-85 lakh.
    • Similarly, estimates for a jawan with 17 years of service as compared to a ToD recruit with three years’ service shows that the prospective lifetime savings of just one jawan are ₹11.5 crores.
    • Thus, savings for only 1,000 jawans could be ₹11,000 crores, which could be used for the much-needed modernization of the Army.

    Other benefits

    • This scheme is for those who did not want a full career in the Army but still wanted to put on the uniform.
    • Individuals who opted for ToD would get a much higher salary than their peers in the corporate sector.
    • They would also have an edge after leaving the service and going to the corporate sector.
    • The Army hoped that this would attract individuals from the best colleges, including the Indian Institutes of Technology.

    Back2Basics: Permanent Commission (PC) Vs. Short Service Commission (SSC)

    • SSC means an officer’s career will be of a limited period in the Indian Armed Forces whereas a PC means they shall continue to serve in the Indian Armed Forces, till they retire.
    • The officers inducted through the SSC usually serve for a period of 14 years. At the end of 10 years, the officers have three options.
    • A PC entitles an officer to serve in the Navy till he/she retires unlike SSC, which is currently for 10 years and can be extended by four more years, or a total of 14 years.
    • They can either select for a PC or opt-out or have the option of a 4-years extension. They can resign at any time during this period of 4 years extension.

  • Global Forest Resources Assessment, 2020

    The deforestation rate globally declined between 2015 and 2020, according to the Global Forest Resources Assessment, 2020. This decline is a result of sustainable management measures worldwide.

    Possible prelim question:

    Q. The Global Forest Resources Assessment Report recently seen in news is published by-

    a) UN-FAO

    b) UN Forum on Forests

    c) International Union of Forest Research Organizations

    d) None of these

    Global Forest Resources Assessment

    • The Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) reports on the status and trends of the world’s forest resources.
    • It is led by the Forestry Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
    • The FRA reports the extent of the world’s forest area as well as other variables, including land tenure and access rights, sustainable forest management (SFM), legal and institutional frameworks for forest conservation, and sustainable use.

    Click here for amazing visuals of the FRA

    Highlights of the 2020 report

    • The rate of forest loss in 2015-2020 declined to an estimated 10 million hectares (mha), down from 12 million hectares (mha) in 2010-2015, according to the FRA 2020.
    • The FRA 2020 has examined the status of, and trends in, more than 60 forest-related variables in 236 countries and territories in the period 1990–2020.
    • The world lost 178 mha of forest since 1990, an area the size of Libya, according to the report.
    • However, the rate of net forest loss decreased substantially during 1990–2020 due to a reduction in deforestation in some countries, plus increases in the forest area in others through afforestation.
    • The largest proportion of the world’s forests were tropical (45 per cent), followed by boreal, temperate and subtropical.

    Data on losses and gains

    • The world’s total forest area was 4.06 billion hectares (bha), which was 31 per cent of the total land area. This area was equivalent to 0.52 ha per person.
    • Among the world’s regions, Africa had the largest annual rate of net forest loss in 2010–2020, at 3.9 mha, followed by South America, at 2.6 mha.
    • On the other hand, Asia had the highest net gain of forest area in 2010–2020, followed by Oceania and Europe.
    • However, both Europe and Asia recorded substantially lower rates of the net gain in 2010–2020 than in 2000–2010.
    • Oceania experienced net losses of forest area in the decades 1990–2000 and 2000–2010.
    • More than 54 per cent of the world’s forests were in only five countries — the Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, the United States of America and China.
    • The highest per cent of plantation forests were in South America while the lowest was in Europe.