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  • Who was Srimanta Sankardeva?

    sankardeva

    ‘Gurujana’ a musical tribute to 15th–16th century Assamese polymath Srimanta Sankardeva was recently released by the PIB.

    Srimanta Sankardeva (1449–1568)

    • Sankardeva was a 15th–16th century Assamese polymath; a saint-scholar, poet, playwright, dancer, actor, musician, artist social-religious reformer and a figure of importance.
    • He is widely credited with building on past cultural relics and devising-
    1. New forms of music (Borgeet)
    2. Theatrical performance (Ankia Naat, Bhaona),
    3. Dance (Sattriya)
    4. Literary language (Brajavali)

    Literary works

    • He has left extensive literary trans-created scriptures (Bhagavat of Sankardev), poetry and theological works written in Sanskrit, Assamese and Brajavali.

    Political influence

    • The Bhagavatic religious movement he started, Ekasarana Dharma and also called the Neo-Vaishnavite movement, influenced two medieval kingdoms – Koch and the Ahom kingdom.
    • His influence spread even to some kingdoms as the Matak Kingdom founded by Bharat Singha, and consolidated by Sarbananda Singha in the latter 18th century endorsed his teachings.
    • The assembly of devotees he initiated evolved over time into monastic centers called Sattras, which continue to be important socio-religious institutions in Assam and to a lesser extent in North Bengal even today.

     

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  • Enhancing the credibility of the Election Commission (ECI)

    Election Commission

    Context

    • A vital issue of national importance dominating the headlines for the last three days is the PIL in the Supreme Court regarding the autonomy and neutrality of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

    Election Commission

    Constitutional mandate for Election Commission of India (ECI).

    • The Constitution intended the Election Commission to be fiercely independent and vested it with enormous powers of superintendence, direction and control over all elections.
    • The apex court has repeatedly adjudged these powers to be absolute and unquestionable.
    • It has declared Article 324 to be the reservoir of all powers of the ECI and has repeatedly declared free and fair elections to be part of the basic structure of the Constitution.

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    Back to basics: Appointment & Tenure of Commissioners

    • The President has the power to select Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners.
    • They have tenure of six years, or up to the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
    • They have the same status and receive pay and perks as available to Judges of the Supreme Court of India.
    • The Chief Election Commissioner can be removed from office only through accusation by Parliament.
    • Election commissioner or a regional commissioner shall not be removed from office except on the recommendation of the Chief Election Commissioner.

    What are the issues regarding the appointment of the Election commissioners?

    • Flawed system of appointment of the Election Commissioners: They are appointed unilaterally by the government of the day.
    •  B. R. Ambedkar’s remark on tenure: Tenure B R Ambedkar’s statement to the Constituent Assembly “the tenure can’t be made a fixed and secure tenure if there is no provision in the Constitution to prevent a fool or a naive or a person who is likely to be under the thumb of the executive”
    • Uncertainty over the elevation: Uncertainty over the elevation of an Election Commissioner to the post of CEC, which makes them vulnerable to government pressure. They consider themselves on probation, always conscious of how their conduct is viewed by the government, which can exploit this fear. Since all three members have equal voting rights and all decisions in the commission are taken by the majority, the government can even control an independent-minded CEC through the majority voting power of the two Election Commissioners.

    Election Commission

    What are the demands for the appointment of EC’s?

    • Appointments through a broad-based consultation: There has been a demand for appointments through a broad-based consultation, including parliamentary scrutiny.
    • The Proposed mechanism: A collegium consisting of the Prime Minister, leader of the Opposition (LOP) and the Chief Justice of India (CJI).This system is already in operation for the appointment of the Central Vigilance Commissioner, Chief Information Commissioner and Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation.
    • The probable benefit of this mechanism: This will obviate the possibility of allegations against the incumbent of being partisan to the government. Opposition parties would not be able to raise a finger against the incumbent since the LOP would be a party to the selection.
    • Collegium system for appointing Election Commissioners: In its 255th Report, the Law Commission of India also recommended a collegium system for appointing Election Commissioners. Political stalwarts and many former CECs including BB Tandon, N Gopalaswami, TS Krishnamurthy supported the idea.
    • Extending protection to Election Commissioners: At present, only the CEC is protected from being removed (except through impeachment). One has to remember that the Constitution enabled protection for the CEC as it was initially a one-man Commission. Logically, this should have been extended to the other two Commissioners, who were added in 1993, as they collectively represent the ECI.

    Memory shot: Constitutional Provisions in short

    • 324: Functions of EC and its composition.
    • 325: One general electoral roll and equality among the citizens.
    • 326: Adult suffrage.
    • 327: Power to Parliament: To make provisions with respect to elections to federal and State Legislatures.
    • 328: Power to State Legislature: To make laws with respect to elections to such legislature.
    • 329: Bars interference by courts in electoral matters. Notwithstanding anything said in the constitution i.e., validity of any law relating to the delimitation of constituencies or the allotment of seats to such constituencies shall not be called in question in any court.

    Election Commission

    Added Information: Conditions for filing an Election Petition

    • No election to either House of Parliament or either House of the Legislature of a State shall be called in question except by an election petition.
    • Any elector or candidate can file an election petition on grounds of malpractice during the election.
    • In respect of elections to the Parliament and State Legislatures, they can only be filed before the High Court.
    • In respect of elections for the offices of President and Vice President, such petitions can only be filed before the Supreme Court.

    Conclusion

    • The recent questions raised about the ECI’s credibility are certainly worrisome. An ECI in office with the express consent of both the ruling and opposition parties is a great opportunity to convince the country and all the parties contesting the elections of its neutrality and impartiality.

    Mains Question

    Q. Election Commission of India, the most powerful in the world, is said to have the most flawed appointment system. What are the concerns and demands raised from time to time? Discuss

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  • States ask Centre to curb its ‘Cess’ habit

    cess

    Several States, including some governed by the Centre urged to rein in its reliance on raising revenues through cesses and surcharges which reduce their share in the divisible pool of taxes.

    What are Cesses and Surcharges?

    The Union government has the authority to collect money through a variety of levies referred to as a tax, fee, cess, and surcharge.

    (A) Cess

    • Cess is charged on the tax amount and is levied for a specific purpose.
    • In India, cess is applicable to all the taxpayers, and it is calculated over, and above the base tax liability of the taxpayer, cess taxes initially go to the consolidated fund of India (CFI) that has to be used for the purpose for which it was collected.
    • Education Cess, Swachh Bharat Cess

    (B) Surcharge

    • The surcharge is levied on the tax payable and not on the total income.
    • It directly goes to the CFI, and after that it can be used for any purpose, just like the normal tax.
    • Surcharge applies to the taxpayer whose income is more than Rs 50 lakh.
    • In simple terms, surcharge is a tax on tax that is not collected for any particular cause, and the union government may use the proceeds of surcharges for any purpose it sees as important.
    • The objective behind the surcharge is to put a high tax burden on people with high incomes.

    Difference between the two

    • The rate of cess under income tax is fixed at 4%, whereas the rate of surcharges varies from 10%, 15%, 25% & 37% based on the taxpayers’ total income.
    • Cess is calculated on total tax and surcharge amount; surcharge is calculated on total tax amount only.
    • In a nutshell, while both are taxes, cess is collected from every taxpayer to meet a certain purpose, and the surcharge is an additional tax collected from the taxpayers who have higher slab income.

    Key difference over which states dispute

    • Major difference is that each can be shared with the state government, the surcharge can be kept with CFI, and it can be utilised for other taxes.
    • However, cess should be utilised for a particular reason. This restricts the states expenditure.
    • Tamil Nadu noted that the share of cesses and surcharges had grown from 10.4% of gross tax revenue in 2011-12 to 26.7% in 2021-22.
    • This has deprived the States of their legitimate share of revenue collected by the Union Government.

     

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  • Rationalization in long-term Capital Gains Tax structure on the anvil

    The Finance Ministry is looking at rationalizing long-term capital gains tax structure by bringing parity between similar asset classes and revising the base year for computing indexation benefits.

    What is Capital Gains Tax?

    • Capital gains tax is levied on the profits made on investments (Base Year: 2001).
    • It covers real estate, gold, stocks, mutual funds, and various other financial and non-financial assets.
    • Under the Income Tax Act, gains from sale of capital assets — both movable and immovable — are subject to ‘capital gains tax’.

    Types of CGT

    (A) STCG (Short-term capital asset)

    • An asset held for a period of 36 months or less is a short-term capital asset.
    • The criteria is 24 months for immovable properties such as land, building and house property from FY 2017-18.
    • For instance, if you sell house property after holding it for a period of 24 months, any income arising will be treated as a long-term capital gain, provided that property is sold after 31st March 2017.
    • The reduced period of the aforementioned 24 months is not applicable to movable property such as jewellery, debt-oriented mutual funds etc.

    Some assets are considered short-term capital assets when these are held for 12 months or less. This rule is applicable if the date of transfer is after 10th July 2014 (irrespective of what the date of purchase is). These assets are:

    1. Equity or preference shares in a company listed on a recognized stock exchange in India
    2. Securities (like debentures, bonds, govt securities etc.) listed on a recognized stock exchange in India
    3. Units of UTI, whether quoted or not
    4. Units of equity oriented mutual fund, whether quoted or not
    5. Zero coupon bonds, whether quoted or not

    (B)  LTCG (Long-term capital asset )

    • An asset held for more than 36 months is a long-term capital asset.
    • They will be classified as a long-term capital asset if held for more than 36 months as earlier.
    • Capital assets such as land, building and house property shall be considered as long-term capital asset if the owner holds it for a period of 24 months or more (from FY 2017-18).

    Whereas, below-listed assets if held for a period of more than 12 months, shall be considered as long-term capital asset.

    1. Equity or preference shares in a company listed on a recognized stock exchange in India
    2. Securities (like debentures, bonds, govt securities etc.) listed on a recognized stock exchange in India
    3. Units of UTI, whether quoted or not
    4. Units of equity oriented mutual fund, whether quoted or not
    5. Zero coupon bonds, whether quoted or not

    Why is it so complicated?

    Capital gains tax is complicated for a few primary reasons.

    • First, the rate changes from asset to asset. LTCG tax on stocks and equity mutual funds is 10% but on debt mutual funds is 20% with indexation.
    • Second, holding period changes from asset to asset. The holding period for LTCG tax is two years in real estate, one year for stocks, and three years for debt mutual funds and gold.
    • Third, exemptions available against it come with their own complex conditions. For instance, buying a house after selling one can get you an exemption, but the new house must be bought in two years or built in three years of the sale.

    Stipulated reforms by Finance Ministry

    • Currently, shares held for more than one year attract a 10% tax on long-term capital gains.
    • Gains arising from sale of immovable property and unlisted shares held for more than 2 years and debt instruments and jewellery held for over 3 years attract 20% long-term capital gains tax.
    • Also, a change in base year for computing inflation-adjusted capital gains is being contemplated.
    • The index year for capital gains tax calculation is revised periodically to make it more relevant. The last revision took place in 2017 when the base year was updated to 2001.
    • Since the prices of assets increase over time, the indexation is used to arrive at the inflation-adjusted purchasing price of assets to compute long-term capital gains for the purpose of taxation.

     

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  • Russia offers advanced nuclear fuel for Kudankulam Reactor

    The Russian state-owned nuclear energy corporation Rosatom has offered a more advanced fuel option to India’s largest nuclear power station at Kudankulam, which will allow its reactors to run for an extended 2-year cycle without stopping to load fresh fuel.

    What is the news?

    • Rosatom’s nuclear fuel division, TVEL Fuel Company, is the current supplier of TVS – 2 M fuel for the two VVER 1,000 MWe reactors generating power in the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP).
    • This fuel has an 18-month fuel cycle, meaning that the reactor has to be stopped for fresh fuel loading every one-and-a-half years.
    • TVEL has now offered the more modern Advanced Technology Fuel (ATF), whose fuel cycle is a whopping 24 months.

    Benefits of the move

    • This fuel will ensure more efficiency and additional power generation due to the prolonged operation of the reactor.
    • It will result in sizable savings of the foreign exchange need to buy fresh fuel assemblies from Russia.

    What is the Nuclear Fuel Cycle?

    • The nuclear fuel cycle consists of front-end steps that prepare uranium for use in nuclear reactors and back-end steps to safely manage, prepare, and dispose of used—or spent—but still highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel.
    • Uranium is the most widely used fuel by nuclear power plants for nuclear fission.
    • Nuclear power plants use a certain type of uranium—U-235—as fuel because its atoms are easily split apart.
    • Although uranium is about 100 times more common than silver, U-235 is relatively rare at just over 0.7% of natural uranium.

    Steps involved in fuel enrichment

    • Uranium concentrate is separated from uranium ore at uranium mills or from a slurry at in-situ leaching facilities.
    • It is then processed in conversion and enrichment facilities, which increases the level of U-235 to 3%–5% for commercial nuclear reactors, and made into reactor fuel pellets and fuel rods in reactor fuel fabrication plants.
    • Nuclear fuel is loaded into reactors and used until the fuel assemblies become highly radioactive and must be removed for temporary storage and eventual disposal.
    • Chemical processing of spent fuel material to recover any remaining product that could undergo fission again in a new fuel assembly is technically feasible.

    Back2Basics: Uranium Enrichment

    • It is a process that is necessary to create an effective nuclear fuel out of mined uranium.
    • It involves increasing the percentage of uranium-235 which undergoes fission with thermal neutrons.
    • Nuclear fuel is mined from naturally occurring uranium ore deposits and then isolated through chemical reactions and separation processes.
    • These chemical processes used to separate the uranium from the ore are not to be confused with the physical and chemical processes used to enrich the uranium.

    Why is enrichment carried out?

    • Uranium found in nature consists largely of two isotopes, U-235 and U-238.
    • Natural uranium contains 0.7% of the U-235 isotope.
    • The remaining 99.3% is mostly the U-238 isotope which does not contribute directly to the fission process (though it does so indirectly by the formation of fissile isotopes of plutonium).
    • The production of energy in nuclear reactors is from the ‘fission’ or splitting of the U-235 atoms since it is the main fissile isotope of uranium.
    • Naturally occurring uranium does not have a high enough concentration of Uranium-235 at only about 0.72% with the remainder being Uranium-238.

     

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  • Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Amendment) Bill, 2022. Why is it needed?

    cruelty

    A draft Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Amendment) Bill, 2022, prepared by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, has been opened for public comment.

    Why in news?

    • Recently, instances of animal cruelty in India witnessed a surge.
    • The same has ushered the debate around animal rights and the extent of legal protection that the current laws provide them.

    Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Amendment) Bill, 2022

    • The Centre has proposed to overhaul The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, introducing 61 amendments in the law.
    • It includes stringent penalties of three years’ imprisonment for committing “gruesome cruelty” including “bestiality” with animals.

    Main changes proposed in the law

    • Cruelty as a cognizable offence: Several offences have been made cognizable, which means offenders can be arrested without an arrest warrant.
    • Recognizing gruesome cruelty: The proposed law describes “gruesome cruelty” as any act involving animals which leads to “extreme pain and suffering” and is “likely to leave the animal in life-long disability”. It includes mutilation or killing of animals by the use of strychnine injection in the heart or any other cruel manner.
    • Stringent penalties: Essentially, the law is proposed to be made tighter, with more stringent punishments. The draft proposes fines from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000 “or the cost of the animal. For killing an animal, the draft Bill proposes a maximum punishment of five years in jail.

    What are the existing penal provisions?

    • An offence such as this — fairly common in India — would currently attract charges under Section 428 (mischief by killing or maiming animal) IPC and Section 11 (treating animals cruelly) of The PCA Act, 1960.
    • It prescribes some rubbish penal provisions.

    Need for such law

    • Barbarism: In September, a doctor in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur allegedly tied a dog to his car and dragged it across the city.
    • Non-deterrence: Present provisions are incapable of acting as any deterrent for potential offenders.
    • Ridicules penalties: First-time offenders under the PCA Act are punished with a fine of Rs 10-50. If it is found that this is not the offender’s first such crime in the past three years, the maximum punishment would be a fine between Rs 25 and Rs 100, a jail term of three months, or both.

    Key propositions for such law

    • Along with animal welfare organisations and several political leaders have in the past called for the law to be amended.
    • In 2014, the Supreme Court, in ‘Animal Welfare Board of India vs A Nagaraja & Others’, had said that “Parliament is expected to make proper amendment of the PCA Act to provide an effective deterrent.

    Government response

    • In April 2021, the Centre had proposed changes where the penalty can go up to Rs 75,000 per animal or three times the cost of the animal as determined by the jurisdictional veterinarian.
    • It proposed imprisonment of three years which may extend to five years or both.
    • The government has finally moved in this direction with proposed amendments.

    Legal remedies in India

    • The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 recognises that animals can suffer physically and mentally, and is applicable to ‘all living creatures’.
    • The Constitution also enshrines the principle of ahimsa and mandates to all citizens of India to ‘have compassion for living creatures’.
    • The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) is the central body responsible for animal welfare in the country.
    • The National Institute for Animal Welfare created in 1999, has the broad mandate to improve animal welfare through research, education and public outreach.
    • According to Section 50(4) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, a Wildlife Offence Report (WLOR) can be filed.

    Apart from increasing penalties, what else is proposed?

    (1) Freedoms to animals

    • “It shall be the duty of every person having charge of an animal to ensure that the animal in his care or under his charge has freedom from:
    1. Thirst, hunger and malnutrition;
    2. Discomfort due to environment;
    3. Pain, injury and diseases;
    4. Fear and distress, and the
    5. Freedom to express normal behaviour for the species

    (2) Protection to community animals

    • The draft defines “community animal” as “any animal born in a community for which no ownership has been claimed by any individual or an organization, excluding wild animals as defined under the wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (53 of 1972).”
    • The proposed law also says that in case of a community animal, the local government such as municipality or panchayats shall be responsible for taking care of the community animals in a manner developed by the State Government or by the Board.

    Latent issues with the law

    • Simply increasing the quantum of punishment may not be enough to stop cruelty against animals.
    • Some already marginalised communities like ‘madaris’ (who perform with animals) and ‘saperas’ (snake charmers) may be disproportionately affected.
    • Others have argued that focusing on the individual act of ‘cruelty’, such as farmers putting up electric fences around their fields, is an incomplete approach.

    Conclusion

    • Steps are needed to mitigate the larger issues of vanishing animal habitats and climate change exacerbating man-animal conflict.

     

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  • Idea of Urban Agriculture and Use of Technology

    Urban Agriculture

    Context

    • As per the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization, urban and peri-urban agriculture have a significant role in global food and nutritional security, and so it is seeking to encourage such activities through the Urban Food Agenda.

    What is Urban Agriculture?

    • Urban agriculture refers to agricultural practices in urban and peri-urban areas. Peri-urban areas are those transitioning from rural land uses (such as for agriculture or livestock production) to urban ones (such as the built environment, manufacturing, services, and utilities), and are located between the outer limits of urban and regional centres and the rural environment.
    • Cultivating food and non-food product: Urban agricultural practices are geared towards cultivating or growing a wide range of food and non-food products, and include activities such as rearing livestock, aquaculture, beekeeping, and commercial-scale floriculture.

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    Urban Agriculture

    Urban Agriculture and Technology

    • Farming using software: In France, for instance, certain software gives farmers access to cross-referenced information on their smartphones about the weather, spraying dates, seeds, fertilization plans, and regulatory compliance.
    • Use of mobile applications: In India and the US, mobile applications can help connect urban growers and local consumers. Technology also helps food growers in precision farming, which involves mapping and monitoring geological and plant data for a field so that inputs can be adapted to suit ultra-localized needs. Local communities can be helpful in the gathering of such data.
    • Aeroponics: Aero Farms in Newark, US, builds and operates vertical indoor farms to enable local production at scale and increase the availability of safe and nutritious food. The company uses aeroponics to grow leafy greens without sun or soil in a fully controlled environment. The technology enables year-round production with less water consumption and high yields per square metre.
    • Container system: In Paris, a start-up called Agricool grows strawberries in containers across the city. The company retrofits old, unused containers to accommodate LED lights and aeroponics system to grow strawberries year-round. These ‘cooltainers’ are powered by clean energy and use about 90 percent less water than traditional farming activities. This can also create job opportunities for city residents in the agricultural sector.

    Urban Agriculture in Indian Cities: Exploring the Potential

    • Small area large population: India’s total urban area has been estimated at around 222,688 sq. km, or about 6.77 percent of the country’s geographical area. This small area is home to around 35 percent of India’s population, around 500 million Indians.
    • less area to convert into green spaces: If Indian cities were to allocate 10 percent of their geographic space for greens (gardens, playgrounds, public parks and the like), as suggested in the Urban & Regional Development Plans Formulation & Implementation guidelines, this would mean 22,268 sq. km of the total urban area is available to convert into public green spaces.
    • Space constraint hinders the urban agriculture: Even if half of this area (111,34 sq. km) were used for urban agriculture instead of parks, gardens, playgrounds, and horticulture, this is a mere 5 percent of all urban area and 0.56 percent of all land under agriculture in the country. This showcases the space constraints that urban agriculture must tackle.

    Urban Agriculture

    Urban constraints and use of technology

    • Raised bed farming: Raised bed farming is the agricultural technique of building freestanding crop beds above the existing soil level. In certain instances, raised beds are covered with plastic mulch to create a closed planting bed. The method helps reduce soil compaction and allows better control of the soil. The planted area also gets protected in case of excess rainfall. This method affords far greater productivity than regular farming.
    • Container gardening: Container gardening refers to the practice of growing plants in containers instead of planting them on the ground. Containers could include polyethene plastic bags, clay pots, plastic pots, metallic pots, milk jugs, ice cream containers, bushel baskets, barrels, and planter box bottles. Most vegetables grown in backyard gardens can be grown in containers.
    • Aquaponics: A closed-loop aquaponics system is an organic strategy that draws on the strengths of the basic ecological foundations of the nitrogen and carbon cycles. Nutrient-rich fish water is used to fertilise and water plants. This system requires only a few inputs primarily energy and some of the basic plant nutrients.
    • The vertical farming: The vertical farming model essentially aims at increasing the amount of agricultural land by stacking many racks of crops vertically, thereby having many levels on the same space of land.
    • Rooftop Plant Production: Under rooftop plant production (RPP) systems, food crops can be grown using raised beds, row farming, or a hydroponic greenhouse. Hydroponics is the practice of growing plants in a nutrient solution with or without a soilless substrate to provide physical support. RPP systems maximize the cultivation area with artificial lighting. RPP can be used to grow crops that require higher light intensities and more vertical space.

    Conclusion

    • Urban agriculture faces several constraints, but each of these can be overcome by adopting a range of technologies, establishing urban agriculture initiatives in peri-urban areas, launching community initiatives in common spaces, and altering planning parameters and city regulations to include urban agriculture as a ULB activity.

    Mains Question

    Q. What is the urban agriculture? What are constraints in urban agricultural practice and how to overcome those constraints? 

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  • Measles outbreak: Need to accelerate Children Immunization program

    Measles

    Context

    • A measles outbreak in Mumbai has raised concerns amongst the country’s public health authorities. The city has reported more than 200 cases in the past two months and at least 13 children have lost their lives.

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    Measles: A memory shot

    • Measles is a highly contagious viral disease.
    • Measles is caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family and it is normally passed through direct contact and through the air.
    • The virus infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body.
    • Measles is a human disease and is not known to occur in animals.

    outbreak

    All you need to know about Measles

    • Signs and symptoms include:
    • The first sign of measles is usually a high fever, runny nose, a cough, red and watery eyes, and small white spots inside the cheeks can develop in the initial stage.
    • The most serious complications include blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhoea and related dehydration, ear infections, or severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia.
    • Who is at risk?
    • Unvaccinated young children are at highest risk of measles and its complications, including death.
    • Unvaccinated pregnant women are also at risk.
    • Any non-immune person (who has not been vaccinated or was vaccinated but did not develop immunity) can become infected.
    • Transmission:
    • Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases.
    • It is spread by coughing and sneezing, close personal contact or direct contact with infected nasal or throat secretions.
    • Treatment:
    • No specific antiviral treatment exists for measles virus.
    • Severe complications from measles can be reduced through supportive care that ensures good nutrition, adequate fluid intake and treatment of dehydration with WHO-recommended oral rehydration solution.
    • All children diagnosed with measles should receive two doses of vitamin A supplements.
    • Prevention:
    • Routine measles vaccination for children, combined with mass immunization campaigns in countries with high case and death rates, are key public health strategies to reduce global measles deaths.
    • The measles vaccine is often incorporated with rubella and/or mumps vaccines.

    Reasons sought behind the sudden outbreak of Measles in India

    • A backslide in the universal immunisation programme during the pandemic:
    • By all accounts, the outbreak seems to have been precipitated by a backslide in the universal immunisation programme during the pandemic.
    • According to the state government data, only 41 per cent of the eligible children have been inoculated against measles in Mumbai.
    • Vaccine hesitancy:
    • Parents, reportedly, are showing a disinclination to continue the inoculation regime for their children after they developed fever on being administered the first jab.
    • Overworked public health professionals, including ASHA workers, have also had to combat vaccine hesitancy.

    outbreak

    Government efforts and the status of Immunization programs

    • Mission Indradhanush: In recent years, the Centre’s Mission Indradhanush project has improved vaccine coverage and reduced delays between shots.
    • Low coverage in last two years: WHO and UNICEF studies have shown that immunisation programmes especially those focusing on DPT (diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus) and measles have taken a hit in low- and mid-income countries, including India, in the past two years.
    • Missed shots during Pandemic restrictions: Early in the pandemic, the National Health Mission’s information system reported that at least 100,000 children missed their shots because of the restrictions on movement.
    • India speeding up the immunization after the pandemic: Anecdotal reports do indicate that India’s universal inoculation programme picked up during the latter part of the pandemic. But measles is a highly contagious disease. Experts had cautioned that even a 5 per cent fall in the vaccination rate can disrupt herd immunity and precipitate an outbreak. The surge of the disease in Mumbai indicates that their fears are coming true.

    Countries with lower per capita incomes are more at risk

    • Measles is still common in many developing countries particularly in parts of Africa and Asia. The overwhelming majority (more than 95%) of measles deaths occur in countries with low per capita incomes and weak health infrastructures.
    • Measles outbreaks can be particularly deadly in countries experiencing or recovering from a natural disaster or conflict. Damage to health infrastructure and health services interrupts routine immunization, and overcrowding in residential camps greatly increases the risk of infection.
    • Measles outbreaks can result in epidemics that cause many deaths, especially among young, malnourished children. In countries where measles has been largely eliminated, cases imported from other countries remain an important source of infection.

    outbreak

    Conclusion

    • Studies have shown that child vaccination had suffered during the pandemic as attention shifted towards adult vaccination. Now that the pandemic has waned, governments must carefully evaluate at the grassroots how many children fell out of the vaccine net during this period and take countermeasures.

    Mains question

    Q. Measles is a highly contagious disease with a high mortality rate in unvaccinated children. Discuss the reasons behind the recent outbreak of measles in India.

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  • Civil Aviation Ministry notifies draft Aircraft Security Rules, 2022

    The Ministry of Civil Aviation has notified the draft Aircraft Security Rules, 2022 which enable the aviation security regulator, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to impose penalties upto ₹1 crore on airports and airlines for violation of security measures.

    Why such move?

    air

    • India’s civil Aviation Sector is facing a unique crisis a crisis of credibility and safety.
    • Some of the issues are-
    1. The windshield of a go air flight cracks mid-air, two go air flights suffer engine snags, a flight could not take off because of a dog on the runway.
    2. A bird was found in the cockpit of an Air India Express cruising at 37 000 feet.
    3. One flight suffered an engine snag another noticed smoke in the cabin.
    4. Luggage is not being loaded or is going missing.

    Draft Aircraft Security Rules, 2022

    • The rules will supersede Aircraft Security Rules, 2011 and were necessary after Parliament passed Aircraft Amendment Act, 2020 in September 2020.
    • It gives statutory powers to BCAS, along with the Director General of Civil Aviation and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.
    • These allow them to impose penalties which could only be imposed by courts earlier.
    • The amendment were necessary after the UN aviation watchdog, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), raised questions about the three regulators functioning without statutory powers.

    Key features

    • Hefty fines: Once the draft Rules are finalised, the BCAS can impose a fine of ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore (depending on the size of the company) on airports and airlines if they fail to prepare and implement a security programme.
    • Security clearance: They can commence operations only after seeking a security clearance.
    • Regulating passenger behaviour: Individuals will also face penalties ranging from ₹1 lakh to ₹25 lakh depending on the nature of offence.
    • Data security: In order to deal with cyber security threats, the rules also require each entity to protect its information and communication technology systems against unauthorised use and prohibit disclosure.
    • Unburdening the CISF: The draft rules now authorise airports to engage private security agents instead of CISF personnel at “non-core areas” and assign security duties as per the recommendation of the National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016.

     

    Tap to read more about: India’s ailing Civil Aviation Sector.

     

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  • Retail Inflation and the new trends

    Inflation

    Context

    • The recent data seems to indicate that retail inflation has possibly peaked and is now likely to trend downwards. But, it would be wise to exercise caution. The latest data, while providing useful nuggets of information about price trends in the economy, challenges some of the widely held conceptions about inflation, and gives mixed signals about its trajectory.

    Inflation

    What is a simple definition for inflation?

    • Inflation is an increase in the level of prices of the goods and services that households buy. It is measured as the rate of change of those prices. Typically, prices rise over time, but prices can also fall (a situation called deflation).

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    Inflation Rate

    • Inflation Rate is the percentage change in the price level from the previous period. If a normal basket of goods was priced at Rupee 100 last year and the same basket of goods now cost Rupee 120, then the rate of inflation this year is 20%.
    • Inflation Rate= {(Price in year 2 – Price in year 1)/ Price in year 1} *100

    Inflation

    Five broad trends emerge to consider as reasons behind high inflation.

    • Russia- Ukraine war:
    • The sharp rise in commodity prices as a consequence of the war is considered to have been largely responsible for the spurt in inflation this year, pushing it beyond the upper threshold of the RBI’s inflation-targeting framework.
    • For instance, India’s crude oil import price rose from $84.67 per barrel in January to $112.87 in March, and further to $116.01 in June. The ripple effects of higher commodity prices have been felt across the economy.
    • Inflation generalized in formal and informal sectors:
    • There are indications that inflation is getting more generalized across both the formal and informal segments of the economy.
    • One indication of this comes from the clothing and footwear category, a highly fragmented industry with the presence of both formal and informal segments. Another possible indication comes from rentals.
    • Rental inflation in India had tended to remain largely range-bound over much of the past few years. But as this category has the highest individual item-wise weight in the inflation index, any movement in either direction, however small, would have a large impact on core inflation.
    • Supply side disruptions during the pandemic: During the pandemic, supply-side disruptions had caused goods inflation to rise, even as services inflation remained relatively muted owing to risk-averse behaviour by consumers and restrictions on high-contact intensive sectors.
    • Competition and the pricing mechanism in the economy:
    • Prices are rigid on the downside will depend not only on how demand fares now with monetary conditions having been tightened, but also on the extent of competition in the economy, among others.
    • After all, greater market concentration creates conditions for greater pricing power. A badly damaged non-corporate sector (MSMEs) would have led to ruptures in the low-cost economy, increasing the pricing power of the corporate sector during this period.
    • Wage- price spiral:
    • Inflation in India is not a consequence of a strong economy. Wage growth in the large informal rural economy has been lower than inflation.
    • While some skill-intensive segments of the urban formal labour force may be able to exercise some bargaining power, the labour force participation rates suggest continuing slack in urban labour markets.

    Inflation

    What are the concerns?

    • Commodity should have come down over the period: If high core inflation in the months after the beginning of hostilities was an outcome of the passthrough, either in part or completely, of the Ukrainewar, then the decline in commodity prices since then should have led to a moderation in core inflation
    • Services inflation vs goods inflation: But as activities normalised, there was an expectation that services inflation would see a strong pick-up. The recent data indicates that this has not been the case. While services inflation has risen, it remains considerably lower than goods inflation, perhaps owing to a combination of lower cost-push pressures, more slack and less demand.

    Conclusion

    • While inflation may have peaked, it is far from being quashed. The RBI expects inflation to edge downwards from 6.5 per to 5 per cent in the first quarter of the next financial year (2023-24). But RBI ca not afford to underestimate the price pressures in the economy.

    Mains Question

    Q. What is inflation?  Some of the new emerging trends are considered while measuring rising inflation in the current scenario. Discuss.

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