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  • PM-CARES Fund should cover COVID orphaned children: SC

    The Supreme Court has clarified that welfare schemes such as the PM CARES Fund should cover both children, who became orphans during the Covid-19 pandemic and those, who became orphans due to Covid-19.

    What is PM-CARES Fund?

    • The Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) was created on 28 March 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
    • The fund will be used for combat, containment, and relief efforts against the coronavirus outbreak and similar pandemic-like situations in the future.
    • The PM is the chairman of the trust. Members will include the defense, home, and finance ministers.
    • The fund will also enable micro-donations. The minimum donation accepted for the PM CARES Fund is ₹10.
    • The donations will be tax-exempt and fall under corporate social responsibility.

    Why cover orphaned children?

    • Over 75,000 children have been orphaned, abandoned, or have lost a parent during the COVID pandemic.
    • It is feared that many of them may become victims of human trafficking rackets or descend into crime.

    Under the scrutiny of the court

    • The Supreme Court has endorsed the PM CARES Fund as a “public charitable trust” to which donors contribute voluntarily.
    • The court said that PM-CARES is “not open” for a PIL petitioner to question the “wisdom” that created the fund in an hour of need.
    • The court dismissed the idea that the PM CARES was constituted to “circumvent” the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

  • Organ Transplantation in India

    The Government of India is implementing National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP) to promote organ donation and transplantation across all States/Union Territories (UTs).

    National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP)

    • In 2019, the GoI implemented the NOTP for promoting deceased organ donation.
    • Organ donation in India is regulated by the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994.

    Types of Organ Donations

    • The law allows both deceased and living donors to donate their organs.
    • It also identifies brain death as a form of death.
    • Living donors must be over 18 years of age and are limited to donating only to their immediate blood relatives or, in some special cases, out of affection and attachment towards the recipient.

    (1) Deceased donors:

    • They may donate six life-saving organs: kidneys, liver, heart, lungs, pancreas, and intestine.
    • Uterus transplant is also performed, but it is not regarded as a life-saving organ.
    • Organs and tissues from a person declared legally dead can be donated after consent from the family has been obtained.
    • Brainstem death is also recognized as a form of death in India, as in many other countries.
    • After a natural cardiac death, organs that can be donated are cornea, bone, skin, and blood vessels, whereas after brainstem death about 37 different organs and tissues can be donated, including the above six life-saving organs

    (2) Living donors:

    They are permitted to donate the following:

    • one of their kidneys
    • portion of pancreas
    • part of the liver

    Features of the NOTP

    • Under the NOTP a National Level Tissue Bank (Biomaterial Centre) for storing tissues has been established at National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), New Delhi.
    • Further, under the NOTP, a provision has also been made for providing financial support to the States for setting up of Bio- material centre.
    • As of now a Regional Bio-material centre has been established at Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (ROTTO), Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

    More moves for facilitation:  Green Corridors

    • Studies have suggested that the chances of transplantation being successful are enhanced by reducing the time delay between harvest and transplant of the organ.
    • Therefore, the transportation of the organ is a critical factor. For this purpose, “green corridors” have been created in many parts of India.
    • A “green corridor” refers to a route that is cleared out for an ambulance carrying the harvested organs to ensure its delivery at the destination in the shortest time possible.

    About NOTTO

    National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) is a national level organization set up under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

    1. National Human Organ and Tissue Removal and Storage Network
    2. National Biomaterial Centre (National Tissue Bank)

    [I] National Human Organ and Tissue Removal and Storage Network

    • This has been mandated as per the Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act 2011.
    • The network will be established initially for Delhi and gradually expanded to include other States and Regions of the country.
    • Thus, this division of the NOTTO is the nodal networking agency for Delhi and shall network for Procurement Allocation and Distribution of Organs and Tissues in Delhi.
    • It functions as apex centre for All India activities of coordination and networking for procurement and distribution of Organs and Tissues and registry of Organs and Tissues Donation and Transplantation in the country.

    [II] National Biomaterial Centre (National Tissue Bank)

    • The Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act 2011 has included the component of tissue donation and registration of tissue Banks.
    • It becomes imperative under the changed circumstances to establish National level Tissue Bank to fulfill the demands of tissue transplantation including activities for procurement, storage and fulfil distribution of biomaterials.
    • The main thrust & objective of establishing the centre is to fill up the gap between ‘Demand’ and ‘Supply’ as well as ‘Quality Assurance’ in the availability of various tissues.

    The centre will take care of the following Tissue allografts:

    1. Bone and bone products
    2. Skin graft
    3. Cornea
    4. Heart valves and vessels

  • Emigration Bill 2021 does not go far enough

    Context

    The Emigration Bill 2021 could be introduced in Parliament soon and presents a long-overdue opportunity to reform the recruitment process for nationals seeking employment abroad.

    An overview of Emigration Act 1983

    • Labour migration is governed by the Emigration Act, 1983.
    • The Act sets up a mechanism for hiring through government-certified recruiting agents — individuals or public or private agencies.
    • It outlines obligations for agents to conduct due diligence of prospective employers,
    • Sets up a cap on service fees.
    • Establishes a government review of worker travel and employment documents (known as emigration clearances) to 18 countries mainly in West Asian states and South-East Asian countries.

    What are the improvements in Emigration Bill 2021?

    • It launches a new emigration policy division.
    • It establishes help desks and welfare committees.
    • It requires manpower agencies to conduct pre-departure briefings for migrants.
    • It increases accountability of brokers and other intermediaries who are also involved in labour hiring.

    Shortcoming in Emigration Bill 2021

    • Lacks human rights framework: The 2021 Bill lacks a human rights framework aimed at securing the rights of migrants and their families.
    • For example, in a country such as the Philippines, it explicitly recognises the contributions of Filipino workers and “the dignity and fundamental human rights and freedoms of the Filipino citizens”.
    • Workers to bear recruitment payments and service charges: the Bill permits manpower agencies to charge workers’ service fees, and even allows agents to set their own limits.
    • This provision goes against International Labour Organization (ILO) Private Employment Agencies Convention No. 181 and the ILO general principles and operational guidelines for fair recruitment.
    • The ILO Convention and guidelines recognises that it is employers, not workers who should bear recruitment payments including the costs of their visas, air travel, medical exams, and service charges to recruiters.
    • Criminalise worker: The Bill permits government authorities to punish workers by cancelling or suspending their passports and imposing fines up to ₹50,000 for violating any of the Bill’s provisions.
    • Criminalising the choices migrant workers make is deplorable, runs contradictory to the purpose of protecting migrants and their families, and violates international human rights standards.
    •  Recruiters and public officials could misuse the law to instil fear among workers and report or threaten to report them.
    • Gender dimension not adequadely addressed: This Bill does not also adequately reflect the gender dimensions of labour migration where women have limited agency in recruitment compared to their counterparts.
    • Women are more likely to be employed in marginalised and informal sectors and/or isolated occupations in which labour, physical, psychological, and sexual abuse are common.
    • Limited space for representation: The Bill also provides limited space for worker representation or civil society engagement in the policy and welfare bodies that it sets up.

    Way forward

    • The Ministry of External Affairs must start at the top, and draft a clearer purpose which explicitly recognises the contributions of Indian workers, the unique challenges they face, and uphold the dignity and human rights of migrants and their families.

    Conclusion

    The new Bill is better than the Emigration Act 1983, but more reforms are needed to protect Indian workers.

  • Revival of Construction sector

    Context

    The latest estimates of the fourth quarter of financial year 2020-21 (January-March) brought some relief, for policymakers.

    Interpreting the construction sector GVA increase

    • The construction sector showed a 15 per cent increase in gross value added (GVA) in the last quarter, which is nearly double the growth experienced by the sector in the previous year (7.7 per cent).
    • Sign of better times: The buoyant growth of this sector has been hailed by policymakers not just as a sign of better times to come,
    • Addressing distress: Growth in the construction sector is also considered as the capacity of the economy to address the distress that households have faced in the past year.
    • Addressing needs of workforce: The Chief Economic Advisor pointed to the high growth rates in construction possibly to indicate that growth would address the needs of the beleaguered workforce.
    • The Union budget 2021 has also allocated a considerable sum towards infrastructure and construction in the hopes of the sector playing a catalysing role.

    Issues with relying on the growth of high-employment sector

    • No strong correlation: While GVA and/or GDP are considered as indicators of economic health, it has been argued in detail how it may not be prudent to rely on these alone as measures of economic welfare.
    • In particular, mere growth in a sector may not necessarily translate into benefits for its workers.
    • In the last quarter of 2019-2020, when construction GVA grew at nearly 8 per cent, employment in the same sector grew by 3 per cent based on our estimates from CMIE-CPHS.
    • Fallback employment option: The fact that employment grew in this sector even during a crisis year is largely because of the fact that the construction sector emerged as a fallback employment option for many displaced workers.
    • During “normal” times, the sector typically employs only about 10-15 per cent of India’s total workforce.
    • Even if this sector were to expand in line with its GVA growth, it will not be able to provide employment beyond a certain level.
    • Employment alone is not enough: Moreover, employment alone is not enough.
    • Earnings for an average daily wage worker in the sector have actually declined this year.
    • Again, the overall economic growth in GVA in the sector has not been passed on to the workers.

    Way forward

    • Any relief effort that relies solely on economic growth as a means to uplift workers will be sorely inadequate as we see from the experience of workers in construction.
    • The need of the hour is to go beyond relying on sectoral growth as a means of delivering relief to workers.
    • Direct transfers of cash and food are also needed, as is livelihood support through employment guarantee programmes.

    Conclusion

    While boosting growth of high-employment sectors is one strategy to adopt, this has its limitations. The capacity of a sector is limited in terms of the number of workers that it can absorb, and the extent to which growth can benefit workers.

    Back2Basics: What is GVA?

    • Gross value added (GVA) is an economic productivity metric that measures the contribution of a corporate subsidiary, company, or municipality to an economy, producer, sector, or region.
    • GVA is essentially a measure of the “net” value of output — deducting the cost of any input that went into its production from its total value.
    • GVA thus adjusts gross domestic product (GDP) by the impact of subsidies and taxes (tariffs) on products.

  • Russia’s Nauka Module for ISS

    Pirs, a Russian module on the International Space Station (ISS) used as a docking port for spacecraft and as a door for cosmonauts to go out on spacewalks. In its place, Russia’s space agency Roscosmos will be attaching a significantly larger module called Nauka.

    What does Russia’s new Nauka module do?

    • Nauka, which is 42 feet long and weighs 20 tonnes, was supposed to be launched as early as 2007, as per the ISS’s original plan.
    • Nauka — meaning “science” in Russian — is the biggest space laboratory Russia has launched to date, and will primarily serve as a research facility.
    • It is also bringing to the ISS another oxygen generator, a spare bed, another toilet, and a robotic cargo crane built by the European Space Agency (ESA).
    • The new module was sent into orbit using a Proton rocket — the most powerful in Russia’s space inventory — on July 21 and will take eight days to reach the ISS.

    What kind of research goes on at the International Space Station?

    • A space station is essentially a large spacecraft that remains in low-earth orbit for extended periods of time.
    • It is like a large laboratory in space and allows astronauts to come aboard and stay for weeks or months to carry out experiments in microgravity.
    • For over 20 years since its launch, humans have continuously lived and carried out scientific investigations on the $150 billion ISS under microgravity conditions, being able to make breakthroughs in research not possible on Earth.

    Back2Basics: International Space Station (ISS)

    • The International Space Station, which launched its first piece in 1998, is a large spacecraft that orbits around the Earth and is home to the astronauts.
    • The ISS is currently the only active space station in the earth’s orbit.
    • The first crew on the space station arrived on November 2, 2000.
    • The space station is home to a minimum of six astronauts, with two bathrooms, a gymnasium, and a big bay window.
    • It is a joint project between five participating space agencies -NASA (USA), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada).

  • Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary proposed as Ramsar Site

    The Mumbai Metropolitan Region is likely to get its first Ramsar site at the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary.

    Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary

    • The Maharashtra Government has declared the area along the western bank of Thane Creek as the “Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary” since 2015.
    • It is Maharashtra’s second marine sanctuary after the Malvan sanctuary.
    • It is recognized as an “Important Bird Area” by the Bombay Natural History Society.

    About Ramsar Convention

    • The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (better known as the Ramsar Convention) is an international agreement promoting the conservation and wise use of wetlands.
    • It is the only global treaty to focus on a single ecosystem.
    • The convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975.
    • Traditionally viewed as a wasteland or breeding ground of disease, wetlands actually provide fresh water and food and serve as nature’s shock absorber.
    • Wetlands, critical for biodiversity, are disappearing rapidly, with recent estimates showing that 64% or more of the world’s wetlands have vanished since 1900.
    • Major changes in land use for agriculture and grazing, water diversion for dams and canals, and infrastructure development are considered to be some of the main causes of loss and degradation of wetlands.

    What does one mean by Ramsar Site?

    • A Ramsar Site is a wetland area designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
    • It provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

  • [pib] Gold Reserves in India

    The Minister of Mines and Coal has provided useful information regarding gold reserves in India.

    Gold Reserves in India

    • As per National Mineral Inventory data, the total reserves/resources of gold ore (primary) in the country have been estimated at 501.83 million tonnes as of 2015.
    • Out of these, 17.22 million tonnes were placed under the reserves category and the remaining 484.61 million tonnes were under the remaining resources category.
    • In India, the largest resources of gold ore (primary) are located in Bihar (44%) followed by Rajasthan (25%), Karnataka (21%), West Bengal (3%), Andhra Pradesh (3% ), Jharkhand (2 %).
    • The remaining 2% resources of ore are located in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.

    Who takes up their mapping?

    • Geological Survey of India (GSI) is actively engaged in geological mapping followed by mineral exploration (survey) for various mineral commodities including gold.
    • GSI aims to identify potential mineral-rich zones and establish resources.
    • Every year, as per the approved annual Field Season Program, GSI takes up mineral exploration projects in various parts of the country for augmenting mineral resources.
    • Recently, GoI has amended the MEMC Rules to allow auction of composite license at G4 level for deep-seated minerals including Gold.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Consider the following statements:

    1. In India, State Governments do not have the power to auction non -coal mines.
    2. Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand do not have goldmines.
    3. Rajasthan has iron ore mines.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 3 only

  • [pib] Exercise Cutlass Express 2021

    Indian Naval Ship Talwar is participating in Exercise Cutlass Express 2021, being conducted along the East Coast of Africa.

    Exercise Cutlass Express

    • The exercise is an annual maritime exercise conducted to promote national and regional maritime security in East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean.
    • Indian Navy is participating in the exercise in a ‘trainer role’.

    The 2021 edition of the exercise involves the participation of:

    • 12 Eastern African countries, US, UK, India
    • Various international organizations like International Maritime Organization (IMO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Interpol, European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR), Critical Maritime Routes Indian Ocean (CRIMARIO), and EUCAP Somalia

    Focus of the exercise

    • The exercise focuses on East Africa’s coastal regions.
    • It is designed to assess and improve combined maritime law enforcement capacity, promote national and regional security and increase interoperability between the regional navies.
    • As part of the exercise, the Indian Navy, together with other partners, shall undertake the training of contingents from various participating countries in various fields across the spectrum of maritime security operations.

    Must read:

    [Prelims Spotlight] Defence Exercises

  • Getting India’s military jointness formula right

    Context

    The Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat’s recent description of the Indian Air Force (IAF) as a supporting arm and the IAF chief Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria’s rebuttal highlights turbulent journey marking the reorganisation process of the armed forces.

    Issues before IAF

    • The IAF is warning against splitting it into packets.
    • Reports suggest that counting even ageing aircraft, the IAF is 25% short on fighter squadrons.
    • A pan service shortage of about 400 pilots, almost 10% of their authorised strength, further aggravates this.
    • Therefore, the IAF has a point when it warns against splitting assets, for, there may be nothing much to split.

    Way forward

    • Confidence building: A common understanding of the nuances of military airpower is the key.
    • With the experience of operating almost every kind of aircraft the IAF operates, the naval leadership understands air power.
    • This applies to the Indian Army too, in its own way.
    • Confidence needs to be developed that rightly staffed apex joint organisations can draw up professional operational plans for air power.
    • Enhancing military education: Confidence building will need some effort in the short term towards enhancing professional military education though, at the staff level.
    • Analysis before implementation: Major reorganisations must strictly follow the sequence of written concepts, their refinement through consultation, simulation or table top war gaming, field evaluation and final analysis before implementation.
    • This would help address command and control, asset adequacy, individual service roles, operational planning under new circumstances and the adequacy of joint structures.
    • Who gets to lead what also matters.
    • The Western Command between the Indian Army and the IAF, the Northern Command with the Indian Army, Maritime Command with the Indian Navy and the Air Defence Command with the IAF may be an acceptable formula.

    Why jointness?

    • With dwindling budgets, a steadily deteriorating security situation and the march of technology, the armed forces understand the need to synergise.

    Challenges

    • Challenges in co-existence: Different services do not co-exist well where they are colocated.
    • Bitter fights over land, buildings, facilities, etc. harms optimal operational synergising.
    • Allocation challenge: Then there is the issue of giving each other the best, or of wanting to be with each other.
    • Lack of operational charter: The Andaman and Nicobar Command suffered from the lack of a substantial operational charter, and the services not positioning appropriate personnel or resources there.
    • Lack of interest in joint tenure: As a joint tenure did not benefit career, no one strove for it.
    • The U.S., when faced with the same problem, made joint tenures mandatory for promotions.

    Steps to be taken

    • Security strategy: We need a comprehensive National Security Strategy to guide the services develop capacities required in their respective domains.
    • Professional education: We need to transform professional education and inter-service employment to nurture genuine respect for others.
    • Mutual resolution of difference: The armed forces must resolve their differences among themselves, as the politicians or bureaucrats cannot do it.
    • Quality staff: Good quality staff, in adequate numbers, at apex joint organisations, will help to reassure individual services and those in the field that they are in safe hands.
    • Tailored approach: There is need for the acceptance of the fact that what works for other countries need not work for us.

    Conclusion

    We may need tailor-made solutions which may need more genuine thinking. For genuine military jointness, a genuine convergence of minds is critical.

  • Implications of EU’s new GHG emissions law for Indian industry

    Context

    On July 14, the European Union introduced new legislation, Fit for 55, to cut its GHG emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 and to net-zero by 2050.

    Implications of Fit for 55

    • Legal backing: It turns the EU’s announcement into law, protecting it from the winds of political change.
    • Opportunity for India: It opens new markets for Indian industry, for example for electric vehicles.
    • CBAM: However, it also introduces a potentially adverse policy called the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM).
    • CBAM is meant to discourage consumers from buying carbon-intensive products and encourage producers to invest in cleaner technologies.

    What is CBAM?

    • The EU has had a carbon emission trading system since 2005.
    • With Fit for 55, the EU’s carbon price is likely to go up.
    • High carbon price will make the EU’s domestic products more expensive than imports from countries that do not have such rules.
    • The new CBAM is meant to level the playing field between domestic and imported products.
    • CBAM will require foreign producers to pay for the carbon emitted while manufacturing their products.
    • The adjustment will be applied to energy-intensive products that are widely traded by the EU, such as iron and steel, aluminium, cement, fertiliser, and electricity.

    Why CBAM is a cause for concern for India?

    • India is Europe’s third-largest trading partner, and it does not have its own carbon tax or cap.
    • So, CBAM should be a cause for concern for it.
    • A UNCTAD study predicts that India will lose $1-1.7 billion in exports of energy-intensive products such as steel and aluminium.
    • India’s goods trade with the EU was $74 billion in 2020.

    Way forward for Indian Industry

    • Clean technology partnerships: Indian Industry should enter clean technology partnerships with European industry.
    • Invest in renewables:  Indian companies should invest in more renewable electricity and energy efficiency.
    • Incentivise low-carbon choices: They can adopt science-based targets for emission reduction and internal carbon pricing to incentivise low-carbon choices.
    • Schemes and Government financing: The government can extend the perform-achieve-trade scheme to more industries and provide finance to MSMEs to upgrade to clean technologies.
    • WRI India’s analysis shows that carbon dioxide emissions from the iron and steel industry can be reduced from 900 million tonnes to 500 million tonnes in 2035 through greater electrification, green hydrogen, energy efficiency, and material efficiency.
    • Diversify export: India can try to diversify its exports to other markets and products.

    Consider the question “What is carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) introduced by the EU? What are its implications for Indian industry?” 

    Conclusion

    At present, the CBAM may seem obstructionist. But over the long-term, it can provide regulatory certainty to industry by harmonising carbon prices, and Indian industry can position itself as a strong player in the trade landscape of the future.

    Back2Basics: UNCTAD

    • UNCTAD is a permanent intergovernmental body established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964.
    • Its headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland, and have offices in New York and Addis Ababa.
    • UNCTAD is part of the UN Secretariat.
    • IT report to the UN General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council but have own membership, leadership, and budget.
    • It is also part of the United Nations Development Group.