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  • ₹8 lakh income ‘reasonable’ cap for EWS quota, Centre tells SC

    A government committee report in the Supreme Court has said that “income” is a “feasible criterion” for defining the “Economically Weaker Sections” (EWS) in society, and the annual family income of ₹8 lakh is a “reasonable” threshold to determine EWS.

    Centre’s Argument: Strict criteria for EWS

    • The income criterion for EWS was “more stringent” than the one for the OBC creamy layer.
    • EWS’s criteria relates to the financial year prior to the year of application.
    • On the other side, income criterion for the creamy layer in OBC category is applicable to gross annual income for three consecutive years.

    EWS Quota: A backgrounder

    • The 10% reservation was introduced through the 103rd Constitution Amendment and enforced in January 2019.
    • It added Clause (6) to Article 15 to empower the Government to introduce special provisions for the EWS among citizens except those in the classes that already enjoy reservation.
    • It allows reservation in educational institutions, both public and private, whether aided or unaided, excluding those run by minority institutions, up to a maximum of 10%.
    • It also added Clause (6) to Article 16 to facilitate reservation in employment.
    • The new clauses make it clear that the EWS reservation will be in addition to the existing reservation.

    Significance of the quota

    • The Constitution initially allowed special provisions only for the socially and educationally backward classes.
    • The Government introduced the concept of EWS for a new class of affirmative action program for those not covered by or eligible for the community-based quotas.

    What are the criteria to identify the section?

    • The main criterion is that those above an annual income limit of ₹8 lakh are excluded.
    • It accounts income from all sources such as salary, business, agriculture and profession for the financial year prior to the application of the family, applicants, their parents, siblings and minor children.
    • Possession of any of these assets, too, can take a person outside the EWS pool:
    1. Five or more acres of agricultural land
    2. A residential flat of 1,000 sq.ft. and above
    3. A residential plot of 100 square yards and above in notified municipalities, and
    4. A residential plot of 200 square yards and above in other areas

    What are the court’s questions about the criteria?

    • Reduction within general category: The EWS quota remains a controversy as its critics say it reduces the size of the open category, besides breaching the 50% limit on the total reservation.
    • Arbitrariness over income limit: The court has been intrigued by the income limit being fixed at ₹8 lakh per year. It is the same figure for excluding the ‘creamy layer’ from OBC reservation benefits.
    • Socio-economic backwardness: A crucial difference is that those in the general category, to whom the EWS quota is applicable, do not suffer from social or educational backwardness, unlike those classified as the OBC.
    • Metropolitan criteria: There are other questions as to whether any exercise was undertaken to derive the exceptions such as why the flat criterion does not differentiate between metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas.
    • OBC like criteria: The question the court has raised is that when the OBC category is socially and educationally backward and, therefore, has additional impediments to overcome.
    • Not based on relevant data: In line with the Supreme Court’s known position that any reservation or norms for exclusion should be based on relevant data.
    • Breaches reservation cap: There is a cap of 50% on the reservation as ruled in the Indira Sawhney Case. The principle of balancing equality ordains reservation.

    What is the current status of the EWS quota?

    • The reservation for the EWS is being implemented by the Union Government for the second year now.
    • Recruitment test results show that the category has a lower cut-off mark than the OBC, a point that has upset the traditional beneficiaries of reservation based on caste.
    • The explanation is that only a small number of people are currently applying under the EWS category — one has to get an income certificate from the revenue authorities — and therefore the cut-off is low.
    • However, when the number picks up over time, the cut-off marks are expected to rise.

    Practical issues with EWS Quota

    The EWS quota will come in for judicial scrutiny soon. But it’s not only a matter for the judiciary, India’s Parliament should revisit the law too.

    • Hasty legislation: This law was passed in haste. It was passed in both the houses within 48 hours, and got presidential approval the next day.
    • Minority appeasement: It is widely argued that the law was passed to appease a certain section of upper-caste society and to suppress the demands for minority reservations.
    • Morality put to question: Imagine! A constitutional amendment has been made with few hours of deliberation and without consultation of the targeted group. This is certainly against constitutional morality and propriety.
    • Substantial backing is missing: This amendment is based on a wrong or unverified premise. This is at best a wild guess or a supposition because the government has not produced any data to back this point.
    • Under-reservation of Backward Classes: The assertion is based on the fact that we have different data to prove the under-representation of SC, ST, OBCs. That implies that ‘upper’ castes are over-represented (with 100 minus reservation).
    • Rationale of 10%: There is one more problem in this regard. The SC and ST quota is based on their total population. But the rationale for the 10 per cent quota was never discussed.
    • Principle of Equality: Economic backwardness is quite a fluid identity. It has nothing to do with historic wrongdoings and liabilities caused to the Backward Classes.

    Way forward

    • Preserving the merit: We cannot rule out the sorry state of economic backwardness hampering merit in our country .
    • Rational critera: There has to be collective wisdom to define and measure the economic weakness of certain sections of the society in order to shape the concept of economic justice.
    • Judicial guidance: Judicial interpretation will pave the wave forward for deciding the criterion for EWS Quota.
    • Targetted beneficiaries. The centre needs to resort to more rational criteria for deciding the targeted beneficiary of this reservation system. Caste Census data can be useful in this regard.
    • Income study: The per capita income or GDP or the difference in purchasing power in the rural and urban areas, should be taken into account while a single income limit was formulated for the whole country.

     

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  • HC allows woman to terminate 28-week pregnancy

    The Delhi High Court has permitted a 28-week pregnant woman to undergo medical termination of pregnancy on account of substantial foetal abnormality.

    What did the HC rule?

    Ans. Termination of Pregnancy is a matter of Right

    • The High Court said the woman cannot be deprived of the freedom to take a decision to continue or not to continue with the pregnancy, due to foetal abnormalities.
    • HC ruled that reproductive choice is a dimension of personal liberty that is enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution.
    • It stated that allowing the pregnancy to continue would have a deleterious impact on the petitioner’s mental health.
    • The petitioner cannot be deprived of the freedom to take a decision to continue or not to continue with the pregnancy in view the medical board’s opinion.

    What is the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act?

    • Abortion in India has been legal under various circumstances for the last 50 years with the introduction of MTP Act in 1971.
    • The Act was amended in 2003 to enable women’s accessibility to safe and legal abortion services.

    Termination of pregnancy is permitted for a broad range of conditions up to 20 weeks of gestation as detailed below:

    1. Threat to mother: When the continuation of pregnancy is a risk to the life of a pregnant woman or could cause grave injury to her physical or mental health;
    2. Child abnormalities: When there is substantial risk that the child, if born or dead would be seriously handicapped due to physical or mental abnormalities;
    3. Rape survivors: When pregnancy is caused due to rape (presumed to cause grave injury to the mental health of the woman);
    4. Failure of contraception: When pregnancy is caused due to failure of contraceptives used by a married woman or her husband (presumed to constitute grave injury to mental health of the woman).

    Conditions for abortion

    • The MTP Act specifies – (i) who can terminate a pregnancy; (ii) till when a pregnancy can be terminated; and (iii) where can a pregnancy be terminated.
    • There must be an opinion formed of a doctor, that the pregnancy would cause a risk to the life of the pregnant woman or grave injury to her physical or mental health.
    • When a pregnancy exceeds 20 weeks but not 24 weeks, termination is permissible on the opinion formed of two registered medical practitioners.

    What was the recent case?

    • In the present case, the woman has completed 28 weeks of pregnancy.
    • As the MTP Act does not permit pregnancy termination beyond 24 weeks, she approached the court.
    • Various anomalies were found in the heart of the foetus in the foetal ECG.

    Key issues

    There are differing opinions with regard to allowing abortions.

    • One opinion is that terminating a pregnancy is the choice of the pregnant woman and a part of her reproductive rights.
    • The other is that the state has an obligation to protect life, and hence should provide for the protection of the foetus.
    • Across the world, countries set varying conditions and time limits for allowing abortions, based on foetal health, and risk to the pregnant woman.

    Conclusion

    • Access to abortion facilities is limited not just by legislative barriers but also the fear of judgment from medical practitioners.
    • It is imperative that healthcare providers be sensitized towards being scientific, objective and compassionate in their approach to abortions.

    Also read

     

    Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Amendment Bill, 2020

     

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  • India, Pakistan exchange list of nuclear installations, prisoners

    India and Pakistan has exchanged a list of their nuclear installations that cannot be attacked in case of an escalation in hostilities, as part of an annual ritual that has been in practice between the two neighbours for more than three decades.

    Non-Nuclear Aggression Agreement

    • The Non-nuclear aggression agreement is a bilateral and nuclear weapons control treaty between India and Pakistan, on the reduction (or limitation) of nuclear arms.
    • Both pledged not to attack or assist foreign powers to attack on each others nuclear installations and facilities.
    • The treaty was drafted in 1988, and signed by the PM Rajiv Gandhi and his counterpart Benazir Bhutto on 21 December 1988; it entered into force on January 1991.
    • The treaty barred its signatories to carry out a surprise attack (or to assist foreign power to attack) on each other’s nuclear installations and facilities.
    • Starting in January 1992, India and Pakistan have annually exchanged lists of their respective military and civilian nuclear-related facilities.

    Need for the treaty

    • In 1986-87, the massive exercise, ‘Brasstacks’ was carried out by the Indian Army, raising the fears of an Indian attack on Pakistan’s nuclear facilities.
    • Since then, the Foreign ministries of both countries had been negotiating to reach an understanding towards the control of nuclear weapons.

    Significance of the agreement

    • The treaty barred its signatories to carry out a surprise attack (or to assist foreign power to attack) on each other’s nuclear installations and facilities.
    • The treaty provides a confidence-building security measure environment.

    Other: Sharing of Prisoners information

    • Both nations do simultaneously share the list of prisoners in each others’ custody.
    • These lists are exchanged under the provisions of the Agreement on Consular Access signed in May 2008.
    • Under this pact, the two countries should exchange comprehensive lists on January 1 and July 1 every year (i.e. twice a year).

     

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  • George Wittet, who left beautiful fingerprints across Mumbai

    The restored and refurbished Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) (erstwhile Prince of Wales Museum) will open this month as the building enters its centenary year.

    Who was George Wittet?

    • George Wittet was born in Blair Atholl, Scotland. He studied architecture in Perth, Scotland, and worked in Edinburgh and York before arriving in India in 1904.
    • In India, he became assistant to John Begg, consulting architect to the Government of Bombay.
    • Together, they pioneered the Indo-Saracenic style, using it in many government and public buildings across Bombay.
    • About a decade later, Wittet rose to be consulting architect himself and was also elected as the first president of The Indian Institute of Architects.
    • Besides the Prince of Wales Museum, Wittet also designed the Gateway of India, a fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture and among the most identifiable landmarks of Mumbai.

    What is Indo-Saracenic style?

    • The Indo-Saracenic style was promoted by British architects starting from the late 19th century.
    • It is exemplified by the use of elements seen in architecture across India, from Mughal structures to Hindu temples.
    • The style was dominated by Indo-Islamic elements, but sometimes combined with Gothic and neo-classical elements popular in Britain at that time.
    • Major features of the style include domes and domelets, chhattris, minarets, and open pavilions.
    • Indo-Saracenic was seen as Raj’s efforts to promote “Indian” culture, so that their colonial subjects would view them more favorably, especially after the Revolt of 1857.

    Notable monuments

    Examples from other parts of India include the magnificent:

    • Victoria Memorial in Kolkata
    • Amba Vilas Palace (Mysore Palace) in Mysuru
    • Senate House (on the Madras University campus) in Chennai
    • Secretariat Building (Central Secretariat) in New Delhi

    Mumbai’s notable architecture: CSMVS

    • The dome of the CSMVS is based on the Gol Gumbaz, the mausoleum of king Mohammed Adil Shah of Bijapur.
    • Wittet had toured the historic buildings of Bijapur, which was key to his Indo-Saracenic designs.
    • CSMVS’s finial is based on that of the Taj Mahal.
    • However, even though he won the competition for the museum’s design, it wasn’t his design that was executed finally.

     

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  • [Sansad TV] Perspective: 160 years of the Indian Penal Code

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    Context

    Formed in 1862, the Indian Penal Code completes 160 years of its existence.  One of the prominent remains of the British era, IPC has been a part of Indian society.  But has it served society according to its needs? Or does it still have a colonial hangover?

    More important… has it been able to keep pace with the changing face of crime.

    The article looks back at the journey of the Indian Penal Code and discusses the possibilities of reforms.

    What is Indian Penal Code (IPC)?

    • The IPC is the official criminal code of India. It is a comprehensive code intended to cover all substantive aspects of criminal law.
    • The code was drafted on the recommendations of first Law Commission of India established in 1834 under the Charter Act of 1833 under the Chairmanship of Lord Macaulay.
    • It came into force in British India during the early British Raj period in 1862.
    • However, it did not apply automatically in the Princely States, which had their own courts and legal systems until the 1940s.
    • The Code has since been amended several times (more than 70 times) and is now supplemented by other criminal provisions.

    Applications beyond India

    • After the partition, the IPC was inherited by its successor states, the Dominion of India and the Dominion of Pakistan, where it continues independently as the Pakistan Penal Code.
    • After the separation of Bangladesh from Pakistan, the code continued in force there.
    • The Code was also adopted by the British colonial authorities in Colonial Burma, Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka), the Straits Settlements (now part of Malaysia), Singapore and Brunei, and remains the basis of the criminal codes there.

    Key feature: Versatility of the IPC

    • The Code is universally acknowledged as a cogently drafted code, ahead of its time.
    • It has substantially survived for over 150 years in several jurisdictions without major amendments.
    • The Supreme Court of UK has applauded the efficacy and relevance of IPC while commemorating 150 years of IPC.
    • Modern crimes involving technology unheard of during Macaulay’s time fit easily within the Code mainly because of the broadness of the Code’s drafting.

    Some controversial sections of IPC

    [A] Section 377: Homosexuality

    This section prevented private consensual sex between adults of same sex. The Supreme Court of India decriminalised homosexuality by striking off parts of Sec. 377 of which were held violative of Fundamental Rights of LGBTQ Community under Art 14.

    [B] Section 309: Attempt to Commit Suicide

    The Section 309 of dealt with criminalizing attempt to suicide. This was however in P Rathnam v. Union of India held this section as unconstitutional and void for it violates Article 21.

    [C] Section 497: Adultery

    The Section was been criticised on the one hand for allegedly treating woman as the private property of her husband. The Supreme Court headed by the then CJI, Deepak Misra, pronounced that Section 497 is unconstitutional and hence, struck it down.

    [D] Section 124A: Sedition

    This section criminalises anti-national activities and sedition . Throughout India’s history this overbroad provision has been used to silence public figures, including Mahatma Gandhi. More recently it has been used to justify the harassment of protesters.

    [E] Section 153A: Hate Speech

    Promotion of enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony’, is an offence punishable with three years’ imprisonment.

    [F] Section 499: Criminal Defamation,

    This section criminalizes defamation, can be used to secure a conviction without proof that actual harm has occurred – the intent or knowledge that harm would likely result is sufficient. Predictably, this provision has been used to silence political speech.

    Lacunae in IPC

    • Unchallenged and archaic:  The code has been premised on some very basic principles of criminal jurisprudence and hence the underlying expositions and definitions in the IPC mostly remained unchallenged.
    • Covers generic offences: The classification of offences was kept generic and wider enough to include a vast array of wrong-doings and therefore it also did not pose major problems until recently.
    • Colonial attempt: The IPC was essentially a cultural product that reflects a European lineage which was quite alienated to many indigenous personal laws based on religion.
    • Modern crimes not covered:  For instance Cyber Crimes, Drug Offences, Economic Offences, Juvenile Offences, Customs & Excise Offences and further there are many more emerging forms of crime to which IPC does not address.
    • Persistence of death penalty: Keeping of death penalty in the IPC had a different objective in colonial times. All such reasons have now vanished and the presence of death penalty in master criminal law of India defies modern principles of penology and rehabilitation.

    Other legacy challenges

    • Delays in criminal trials pose a major challenge in the way of justice and seek more coordination between the stakeholders of the legal system.
    • Lack of awareness among people regarding the criminal laws adds to the weak functioning of the legal system even after the existence of a comprehensive legal framework.
    • Complex language of the laws mentioned under IPC forms a barrier for the legal interpreters and the common citizens which results in the delay of justice and adds loopholes in the entire system.

    Way forward

    The Malimath Committee (2003) has made following suggestions for a comprehensive for reforming and restructuring of IPC:

    • Legal research: There is a need to have empirical legal research showing areas required to be contemplated as new offences in the code.
    • Enforceability check: The same process should also be applied in case of identification of offences to be dropped from the IPC on account of being outdated nature and issues of enforceability involved in them.
    • Gender-based offences: There is no separate chapter on sexual offences in IPC. It is therefore the right time to dedicate a full chapter on this subject to bring all sexual offences at one place.
    • Cover modern laws: To be comprehensive enough, the IPC must also include chapters on cyber laws, economic offences, and terrorist offences in the code. This would be helpful in avoiding duplicity and confusion.
    • Indigenization: In revision, the indigenousness in the framing of laws must be given space which was completely left out by the IPC.
    • Parallel reforms in Policing: Although revamping IPC will lead to reforming the criminal justice system, additional changes in the police structure are also needed.

    Conclusion

    • Reforming the criminal justice system is not just a one-step process.
    • Revamping IPC is a major step to modernize the criminal law of India and make it in accordance with the Indian democracy.
    • Fulfilling political agendas should not be the reason behind adding specific provisions.

  • China issues ‘official’ names for 15 places in Arunachal Pradesh

    China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs has issued standardized names for 15 places in the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh, to be used henceforth on official Chinese maps.

    MEA clarification

    • The Ministry of External Affairs has dismissed the Chinese “invention”.
    • Arunachal Pradesh has always been, and will always be, an integral part of India, said MEA.

    Why is China giving names to places that are in India?

    • China claims some 90,000 sq km of Arunachal Pradesh as its territory.
    • It calls the area “Zangnan” in the Chinese language and makes repeated references to “South Tibet”.
    • Chinese maps show Arunachal Pradesh as part of China, and sometimes parenthetically refer to it as “so-called Arunachal Pradesh”.
    • China makes periodic efforts to underline this unilateral claim to Indian territory.
    • Giving Chinese names to places in Arunachal Pradesh is part of that effort.

    Earlier unilateral renamings

    • This is the second lot of “standardized” names of places in Arunachal Pradesh that China has announced.
    • Earlier in 2017, it had issued “official” Chinese names for six places spanning the breadth of Arunachal Pradesh

    What is China’s argument for claiming these areas?

    • The PRC disputes the legal status of the McMahon Line, the official boundary under the ‘Convention Between Great Britain, China, and Tibet’ — of 1914 (Simla Convention).
    • China was represented at the Simla Convention by a plenipotentiary of the Republic of China, which had been declared in 1912 after the Qing dynasty was overthrown.
    • The present communist government came to power only in 1949, when the People’s Republic was proclaimed.
    • The Chinese representative did not consent to the Simla Convention, saying Tibet had no independent authority to enter into international agreements.

    What is the McMohan Line?

    • The McMohan Line, named after Henry McMahon, the chief British negotiator at Shimla, was drawn from the eastern border of Bhutan to the Isu Razi pass on the China-Myanmar border.
    • China claims territory to the south of the McMahon Line, lying in Arunachal Pradesh.
    • China also bases its claims on the historical ties that have existed between the monasteries in Tawang and Lhasa.

    Intention behind these renamings

    • This renaming is a part of the Chinese strategy to assert its territorial claims over Indian territory.
    • As part of this strategy, China routinely issues statements of outrage whenever an Indian dignitary visits Arunachal Pradesh.
    • Beijing keeps harping on its “consistent” and “clear” position that the Indian possession of Arunachal Pradesh.
    • These claims have been firmly established and recognized by the world, as “illegal”.

    Arunachal not all-alone

    • Laying aggressive claims to territories on the basis of alleged historical injustices done to China is a part of Beijing’s foreign policy playbook.
    • The claim on Taiwan is one such example, as are the consistent efforts to change the “facts on the ground” in several disputed islands in the South China Sea.
    • The aggression is at all times backed in overt and covert ways by the use of China’s economic and military muscle.

    Also read:

    [RSTV Archive] India-China Ties Post-Galwan

     

  • GST Council defers Tax Rate increase on Textiles

    Hours before the new GST rate was to take effect, the GST Council  has decided to temporarily roll back the increase in tax rate for the textiles sector.

    What was the proposal?

    • The GST Council had recommended making certain rate changes for footwear and textiles to correct the inverted duty structure.

    What is Inverted Duty Structure?

    • An inverted duty structure arises when the taxes on output or final product is lower than the taxes on inputs.
    • This creates an inverse accumulation of input tax credit which in most cases has to be refunded.

    A loss for the govt

    • Inverted duty structure has implied a stream of revenue outflow for the government prompting the government to relook the duty structure.
    • For footwear, the government refunds around Rs 2,000 crore in a year.

    What is the present rate of GST on textiles?

    • At present, tax rate on manmade fibre, yarn and fabrics is 18%, 12% and 5%, respectively.
    • Apparel and clothing up to Rs 1,000 per piece currently attracts 5% GST.

    Issues with the tax increase

    • This decision has created a negative impact resulting in drop in demand and recession.
    • The new rate structure would cause closure of around 1 lakh textile units and losses of 15 lakh jobs nationally.

     

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  • Chisumle- Demchok: Worlds’ Highest Motorable Road

    Ladakh’s Chisumle-Demchok Road, when it crosses the Umling Pass, is now the world’s highest motorable road.

    Chisumle- Demchok Road

    • The project to build the road through the pass — a part of Border Roads Organization (BRO) Project Himank — had been completed in 2017, after which vehicles had started playing on the route.
    • The road is in south Ladakh. It passes through Umling La Pass, which is at a height of over 19,000 feet.
    • The height of the pass makes it the highest motorable road in the world, and was recently recognized as such by Guinness World Records.
    • The 52-km road ‘black-top’ tarmac road from Chisumle to Demchok betters the previous record of a road in Bolivia, which connects the volcano Uturuncu at 18,953 feet.
    • The road was built under extremely challenging conditions, as temperatures in the region can fall to below minus 40 degrees Celsius, and oxygen levels go down to 50 per cent below normal.

    Top of the world

    • At the pass, the road is higher than both the base camps for the climb to Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain.
    • The South Base Camp in Nepal is at a height of 17,598 ft, while North Base Camp in Tibet is at 16,900 ft.
    • The Chisumle-Demchok road is also higher than the Siachen Glacier, which is situated at 17,700 feet.
    • Khardung La in Leh, which at one time was among the highest roads in the world, is at an altitude of 17,582 feet.

    Military significance of the road

    • This road provides a direct route from Chisumle, which lies on the major road coming from Leh, Karu and Nyoma.
    • All of these stations have important military stations which are close to the Line of Actual Control.
    • Demchok has been an India-China flashpoint earlier, the site of a standoff between the two armies in 2016.
    • In the current standoff in eastern Ladakh, which began in May 2020, Demchok has come up as a point of contention.

    Other benefits offered

    • The new axis will be helpful for the armed forces, making it easier to mobilize troops and equipment, including rations.
    • The road will not only enable faster movement of armed forces to the region but will also boost tourism and improve the socio-economic condition of the local people in the region.

    Certain limitations

    • Since the road goes through such a high pass, road transport will be unfeasible during the winter, when the armed forces rely on air support.

     

     

     

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  • What are Solid-State Batteries?

    After Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, now another Indian origin is in the headline is Jagdeep Singh, CEO and founder of a US battery startup. The reason for his recent buzz for his breakthrough battery technology.

    About QuantumScape

    • QuantumScape Corp is a battery startup backed by Volkswagen AG.
    • Its solid-state battery — lithium metal with a solid electrolyte separating the two electrodes — is seen as an exceptionally bright prospect in E-Vehicle industry.

    What are Solid-state batteries?

    • A solid-state battery is a battery technology that uses solid electrodes and a solid electrolyte, instead of the liquid or polymer gel electrolytes found in lithium-ion or lithium polymer batteries.
    • Such batteries can provide potential solutions for many problems of liquid Li-ion battery, such as flammability, limited voltage, unstable solid-electrolyte interphase formation, poor cycling performance and strength.

    What are Li-ion Batteries?

    • Lithium-ion batteries use aqueous electrolyte solutions, where ions transfer to and fro between the anode (negative electrode generally made of graphite) and cathode (positive electrode made of lithium), triggering the recharge and discharge of electrons.
    • The energy density of lithium-ion cells used in today’s mobile phones and electric vehicles is nearly four times higher than that of older-generation nickel-cadmium batteries.

    Its limitations

    • Low energy density: Despite improvements in technology over the last decade, issues such as long charging times and weak energy density persist.
    • Small appliances: While lithium-ion batteries are seen as sufficiently efficient for phones and laptops, they still lack the range that would make EVs a viable alternative.
    • Extreme reactivity: One major problem is that lithium metal is extremely reactive.
    • Corrosion of cells: The main form of lithium corrosion is dendrites (branched lithium structures) that grow out from the electrode and can potentially pierce the separator short-circuiting the cell.
    • Fire hazard: In current lithium-ion batteries, in which the electrolyte is a flammable liquid, dendrite formation can trigger a fire.

    What is the breakthrough?

    • QuantumScape claims to prevent dendrites formation.
    • It uses a solid-state separator technology that eliminates the side reaction between the liquid electrolyte and the carbon/graphite in the anode of conventional lithium-ion cells.
    • The replacement of the separator enables the use of a lithium-metal anode in place of the traditional
    • The lithium metal anode is more energy-dense than conventional anodes, which allows the battery to store more energy in the same volume, according to the company.

    Key advantages of QuantumScape Battery

    • The advantages of the solid-state battery technology include higher cell energy density (by eliminating the carbon anode), lower charge time (by eliminating the need to have lithium diffuse into the carbon particles in conventional lithium-ion cells).
    • It has the ability to undertake more charging cycles and thereby a longer life, and improved safety.
    • Lower cost could be a game-changer, given that at 30 per cent of the total cost, battery expenses are a key driver of the vehicle costs.

    India’s battery push

    • The centre is working on a blueprint for a project of around 4,000 MWh of grid-scale battery storage system at the regional load dispatch centres that control the country’s power grid, primarily to balance the vagaries of renewable generation.
    • Reliance Industries Ltd has announced plans to set up an Energy Storage Giga factory; state-owned NTPC Ltd has floated a global tender for a grid-scale battery storage project.
    • The Ministry of Heavy Industries issued a request for proposal for setting up manufacturing facilities for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) battery storage in India.

     

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  • [Burning Issue] Internet of Things (IoT)

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    Introduction

    The Internet of Things (IoT) can become a game-changer that India needs as this concept is set to disrupt almost every sector in India from smart cities and telecom to manufacturing and mobility. The rapid development in the IoT leads to the starting of the next digital revolution. However, the Internet of Things throws up many challenges like data safety and privacy. So India needs to push ahead with this concept to kick-start the radical development process with the proper regulatory framework in place to govern IoT.

    What is the Internet of Things?

    • IoT is the network of devices, vehicles, and home appliances that contain electronics, software, actuators, and connectivity which allows these things to connect, interact and exchange data.
    • IoT involves extending Internet connectivity beyond standard devices, such as desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets to everyday objects.
    • These objects may be anything from cell phones, coffee makers, washing machines, headphones, lamps, wearable devices.
    • It can also be components of machines, for example, a jet engine of an airplane or the drill of an oil rig.
    • Embedded with technology, these devices can communicate and interact over the Internet, and they can be remotely monitored and controlled.
    • Thus, it is all about connecting devices over the internet and letting them ‘talk’ to us, applications, and each other.
    • However, the Internet of Things doesn’t necessarily have to be connected to the internet; it can also be a network of things.

    Advantages of IoT

    • Monitor Data: It helps us know the precise quantity of supplies or the air quality in home, it can also provide more data that could not have previously been possible to collect easily. For instance, monitoring the expiration of products will improve safety.
    • Ease of Access: Right now, one can easily gain the required information in real-time, from almost any location. It only takes a smart device and an internet connection. Example using Google Maps to see our location, instead of asking a person in real life.
    • Speedy Operation: All this data pouring in enables us to complete multiple tasks with amazing speed. For example, IoT makes automation effortless. Smart industries automate repetitive tasks, thus allowing employees to invest their time and effort into more challenging things.
    • Adapting to New Standards: As IoT is an ever-changing topic, its changes are minimal compared to the other techs of the high-tech world. Without IoT, it would be complicated for us to keep track of all the latest things.
    • Better Time Management: IoT is a clever time-saving tool. We can look up the latest news on our phones during our daily commute, or check a blog about our favourite pastime, purchase an item in an online shop, we can do almost all the things from the palm of our hands.
    • Automation and Control: Without human interference, the machines are communicating with each other providing faster and timely output.
    • Saving Money: Another main advantage of IoT is saving money. If the cost of the tagging and monitoring machines are less compared with the amount of money saved, this is the reason for the Internet of Things being very widely adopted.
    • Allowing the data to be communicated and shared between devices and then translating it into our required way, makes our systems efficient.

    Applications of Internet of Things

    (1) Daily Lives

    • There can be several IoT examples in our day-to-day lives.
    • For instance, a person returning home after his office hours can call his coffee-maker to make the coffee ready when he reaches home.
    • IoT can be used to water the plants of the garden whenever the moisture level falls below a certain limit.
    • We can utilize IoT to convert a normal home into a smart home. It can be used in energy efficiency in homes and office places.

    (2) Industry

    • IoT’s effects may vary from industry to industry based on its utilization.
    • In the manufacturing sector, IoT can be utilized to enhance performance, minimize human-induced errors and consequently improve the overall quality of the manufactured products.
    • In the IT sector, utilization of IoT can result in improvement in services, development of more advanced software and digital services, etc.

    (3) Agriculture

    • IoT can be utilized to collect data about rainfall, soil moisture, soil nutrients, pest infestation, etc.
    • It can assist in making informed decisions to increase agricultural production as well as reducing the risks of crop failures etc.
    • It can help make agriculture profitable with better price-discovery for farmers through smart techniques.

    (4) Healthcare

    • Medical practitioners and doctors can use IoT to remotely monitor the patient’s health.
    • Smart beds can detect when the patient is trying to get up, his abnormal activities, etc.
    • Specialized sensors for senior citizens can be developed with the help of IoT.
    • Wearable heart monitors can help monitor the heartbeats, blood pressure of patients, etc.
    • It can revolutionize telemedicine applications.

    (5) Media

    • Corporate media houses can utilize IoT to monitor consumer habits for the purpose of behavior targeting = display consumer-specific advertisements. They can utilize Big Data and Data Mining for this purpose.

    (6) Transportation

    • IoT can be used in driverless cars and improve intra-vehicular communication to reduce accidents and traffic jams etc.
    • We can use it for electronic toll collections, smart parking, smart traffic management, etc.
    • IoT can be useful in logistics, fleet management, safety assistance, etc.

    (7) Smart cities

    • IoT can be utilized in solid waste management systems to improve the cleanliness of the city.
    • Smart meters and power grids can improve energy efficiency and reduce transmission loss.
    • IoT can be used to track the air pollution levels in the cities and give a warning when it breaches the prescribed safety levels.
    • IoT can also be used to develop smart transportation systems to minimize congestion in the cities.

    (8) Smart Retail

    • IoT provides an opportunity to retailers to connect with the customers to enhance the in-store experience. Interacting through Smartphones and using Beacon technology can help retailers serve their consumers better.
    • They can also track consumers’ paths through a store and improve store layout and place premium products in high traffic areas.

    (9) Energy Engagement

    • Power grids of the future will not only be smart enough but also highly reliable.
    • The basic idea behind the smart grids is to collect data in an automated fashion and analyze the behavior or electricity consumers and suppliers for improving efficiency as well as the economics of electricity use.
    • Smart Grids will also be able to detect sources of power outages more quickly and at individual household levels like a nearby solar panels, making possible distributed energy systems.

    What is the case with India?

    • IoT is the natural evolution of the internet and has many benefits including boosting global economies, improving public utilities, and increasing efficiencies.
    • Many of our global counterparts have already begun reaping the rewards of investing in IoT-based infrastructure.
    • The Indian government outlined a plan to leverage IoT as part of the Digital India mission.
    • The Indian IoT market is expected to reach $15 billion by 2020 and constitute 5% of the global market.
    • Investing in IoT will boost our economy on par with global leaders and it will also bring in investments, create jobs and improve Indian public infrastructure

    What are the measures taken by the government to promote IoT?

    • The central government launched a plan to utilize IoT as part of the Digital India mission.
    • The government came up with the National Digital Communications Policy 2018 to satisfy the modern realities of the telecom such as 5G technology, IoT, Machine to Machine (M2M) communication, etc.
    • The government also allowed 100% FDI in the telecom sector. This will help in the development and growth of the IoT.
    • Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeITY) has published a draft policy for IoT. The target is to establish an IoT market of USD 15 billion by 2020 and having a share of 5-6% in the global IoT industry.

    Challenges with the IoT

    • Data Breach: Having access to data is excellent. Unfortunately, our personal data is more exposed.
    • Dependence on Technology: IoT is mainly dependent on the internet connection. When there is none, it can’t be used.
    • Complexity in Operation: IoT may seem to be managing tasks with ease, a lot of complex operations are done behind it. If by mistake the software makes a wrong calculation, this will affect the rest of the process.
    • Our Safety: As all the household appliances, industrial machinery, public sector services and many other devices all are connected to the Internet, a lot of information is available on it. This information is prone to attack by hackers. It would be very disastrous if private and confidential information is accessed by unauthorized intruders.
    • Inter Compatibility: As devices from various manufacturers will be interconnected to each other, the issue of compatibility in tagging and monitoring increases. This disadvantage can be overcome if manufacturers make a common standard, but there is still a possibility that the technical problems may still persist.
    • Lesser Employment of Menial Staff: The uneducated workers and helpers may lose their jobs as an effect of automation of daily activities. This can lead to unemployment in the society.
    • Technology Takes Control of Life: Our lives are increasingly controlled by technology and will be dependent on it. The younger generation is already addicted to technology for every little work to be done.

    How is IoT impacting the digital transformation of education?

    • Tracking movement: Integrated systems of IoT, which automatically transmit information about the child boarding the bus, the bus reaching the school, and the child entering the school premises, can be available to both parents and teachers via an app and automated messages.
    • Attendance system: Teachers and faculty members need not waste time on roll call. Instead, the student’s identity card automatically communicates with the sensors in the classroom and marks attendance.
    • Automatic sharing: Taking notes and marking critical points is an integral part of a student’s class activity. But, with IoT, all the contents on the black/whiteboard is automatically converted into a portable document and shared over email.
    • Session capture: An IoT environment automatically captures a classroom session (audio and video) and puts it on a shareable drive. This can be accessed by those students who missed the class. This way learning becomes both inclusive and accessible.
    • Ensuring security: With COVID-19 still doing the rounds, an IoT-based system integrated with CCTVs can scan the campus and spot people who are not wearing masks. The coordinates can be sent as an SMS and an email to the administrative authority for further action.
    • Read and translate: IoT can also be used to quickly scan editable text from books, papers, and other documents directly into a phone, tablet or computer and translate into more than 40 languages.

    Way forward

    • IoT makes life easier at the cost of privacy and hence Data Protection Bill can do a lot well in ensuring the privacy of an individual.
    • Policy-makers, regulators, device manufacturers, supporting industries, and service providers will all have to join hands in creating a safer space online.
    • In India, the NDCP (National Digital Communications Policy) brought alignment from critical stakeholders to advance India’s infrastructure and security around digital communications.
    • The draft IoT policy seeks to establish committees to govern and drive IoT-specific initiatives. It is not yet clear how much access to personal data these committees get and how their actions will be monitored.
    • The Justice Srikrishna Committee had recommended some provisions for personal data protection including a consumer’s right to information, consent, and right to request companies to erase their data if preferred.

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