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GS Paper: GS3

  • CBG: Renewable energy revolution

    cbg

    Context

    • The beginnings of a renewable energy revolution rooted in agriculture are taking shape in India with the first bio-energy plant of a private company in Sangrur district of Punjab having commenced commercial operations on October 18. It will produce Compressed Biogas (CBG) from paddy straw, thus converting agricultural waste into wealth.

    Background

    • Stubble burning every year in north and northwest: It has become common practice among farmers in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh to dispose of paddy stubble and the biomass by setting it on fire to prepare fields for the next crop, which has to be sown in a window of three to four weeks. This is spread over millions of hectares.
    • Resultant smog polluting environment: The resultant clouds of smoke engulf the entire National Capital Territory of Delhi and neighbouring States for several weeks between October to December. This plays havoc with the environment and affects human and livestock health.
    • Stubble burning practice spreading rapidly across the country: Though paddy stubble burning in northwest India has received a lot of attention because of its severity of pollution, the reality is that crop residue burning is spreading even to rabi crops and the rest of the country. Unless these practices are stopped, the problem will assume catastrophic proportions.

     What is Stubble Burning?

    • Stubble (parali) burning is a method of removing paddy crop residues from the field to sow wheat from the last week of September to November.
    • It is usually required in areas that use the combined harvesting method which leaves crop residue behind.
    • This practice mostly carried out in Punjab, Haryana and UP contributes solely to the grave winter pollution in the national capital.

    cbg

    How stubble burning impacts environment and Human health?

    • Deteriorates air quality: The process of burning farm residue is one of the major causes of air pollution in parts of north India, deteriorating the air quality.
    • Source of various harmful gases: Stubble burning is a significant source of carbon dioxide (CO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and hydrocarbons (HC).
    • Air Pollution: Stubble burning emits toxic pollutants in the atmosphere containing harmful gases like Carbon Monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOC). These pollutants disperse in the surroundings and eventually affect air quality and people’s health by forming a thick blanket of smog. Along with vehicular emissions, it affects the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital and NCR.
    • Soil degradation: Soil becomes less fertile and its nutrients are destroyed when the husk is burned on the ground. Organic content of soil is completely destroyed. Stubble burning generates heat that penetrates into the soil, causing an increase in erosion, loss of useful microbes and moisture.

    cbg

    Some of the measures taken by Government for the effective prevention and control of stubble burning

    • The Commission for Air Quality Management: The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) had developed a framework and action plan for the effective prevention and control of stubble burning,
    • In-situ management: The framework/action plan includes in-situ management, i.e., incorporation of paddy straw and stubble in the soil using heavily subsidized machinery (supported by crop residue management (CRM) Scheme of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare).
    • Ex-situ management: Ex-situ CRM efforts include the use of paddy straw for biomass power projects and co-firing in thermal power plants, and as feedstock for 2G ethanol plants, feed stock in CBG plants, fuel in industrial boilers, waste-to-energy (WTE) plants, and in packaging materials, etc.
    • Awareness generation programme: Additionally, measures are in place to ban stubble burning, to monitor and enforce this, and initiating awareness generation.
    • Project by NITI Aayog along with FAO: NITI Aayog approached FAO India in 2019 to explore converting paddy straw and stubble into energy and identify possible ex-situ uses of rice straw to complement the in-situ programme.
    • Rice straw for producing CBG: A techno-economic assessment of energy technologies suggested that rice straw can be cost-effective for producing CBG and pellets. Pellets can be used in thermal power plants as a substitute of coal and CBG as a transport fuel.
    • SATAT initiative: With 30% of the rice straw produced in Punjab, a 5% CBG production target set by the Government of India scheme, “Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT)” can be met. It could also increase local entrepreneurship, increase farmers’ income and reduce open burning of rice straw.
    • Encouraging private players to produce CBG more and reduce CO2 emissions: Verbio India Private Limited, a 100% subsidiary of the German Verbio AG, got approval from the Punjab government in April 2018 to set up a bio-CNG project that will utilise about 2.1 lakh tonnes of a total of 18.32 million tonnes of paddy straw annually. The plant will use one lakh tonnes of paddy straw produced from approximately 16,000 hectares of paddy fields. Paddy residue will be collected from this year to produce 33 tons of CBG and 600-650 tonnes of fermented organic manure/slurry per day this will reduce up to 1.5 lakh tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.

    FAO Study on developing crop residue supply chain

    • Use of Rice straw: In technical consultations with the public and private sectors, the FAO published its study on developing a crop residue supply chain in Punjab that can allow the collection, storage and final use of rice straw for other productive services, specifically for the production of renewable energy.
    • Required Investment and benefits farmers: The results suggest that to mobilise 30% of the rice straw produced in Punjab, an investment of around ₹2,201 crore ($309 million) would be needed to collect, transport and store it within a 20-day period. This would reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by about 9.7 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent and around 66,000 tonnes of PM2.5. Further, depending on market conditions, farmers can expect to earn between ₹550 and ₹1,500 per ton of rice straw sold, depending on market conditions.

    cbg

    Interesting to read: Compressed Bio Gas (CBG)

    • Biogas is produced naturally through a process of anaerobic decomposition from waste / bio-mass sources like agriculture residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, municipal solid waste, sewage treatment plant waste, etc.
    • After purification, it is compressed and called CBG, which has a pure methane content of over 95%.
    • CBG is exactly similar to the commercially available natural gas in its composition and energy potential.
    • With calorific value (~52,000 KJ/kg) and other properties similar to CNG, CBG can be used as an alternative, renewable automotive fuel.
    • Given the abundance of biomass in the country, CBG has the potential to replace CNG in automotive, industrial and commercial uses in the coming years.

    Conclusion

    • Encouraging private players for producing CBG appears to be a first win-win initiative in the form of environmental benefits, renewable energy, value addition to the economy, farmers’ income and sustainability. This initiative is replicable and scalable across the country and can be a game changer for the rural economy.

    Mains Question

    Q. What is Stubble burning? Discuss the measures taken by Government for the effective prevention and control of stubble burning and producing CBG could be a win-win situation.

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  • What is FCRA and its recent amendments?

    Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs amended certain provisions of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).

    • The Ministry had made the FCRA rules tougher in November 2020, making it clear that NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) which may not be directly linked to a political party but engage in political action like bandhs, strike or road blockades will be considered of political nature if they participate in active politics or party politics. According to the law, all NGOs receiving funds have to registered under the FCRA.
    • The move comes after the government enhanced the import duty on gold import from 7.5 % to 12.5 % in a bid to discourage import of gold that leads to increase in trade deficit and puts pressure on the currency and forex reserves.
      • An increase in import duty on gold will lead to increase in cost of import and discourage its import and consumption.

    What is the FCRA?

    • About:
      • The FCRA was enacted during the Emergency in 1976 in an atmosphere of apprehension that foreign powers were interfering in India’s affairs by pumping in funds through independent organisations.
        • These concerns had been expressed in Parliament as early as in 1969.
      • The law sought to regulate foreign donations to individuals and associations so that they functioned “in a manner consistent with the values of a sovereign democratic republic”.
    • Objectives:
      • It requires every person or NGO wishing to receive foreign donations to be registered under the Act, to open a bank account for the receipt of the foreign funds and to utilise those funds only for the purpose for which they have been received and as stipulated in the Act.
      • The Act prohibits receipt of foreign funds by candidates for elections, journalists or newspaper and media broadcast companies, judges and government servants, members of legislature and political parties or their office-bearers, and organisations of a political nature.
    • Amendments:
      • It was amended in 2010 to “consolidate the law” on utilisation of foreign funds, and “to prohibit” their use for “any activities detrimental to national interest”
      • The law was amended again by the current government in 2020, giving the government tighter control and scrutiny over the receipt and utilisation of foreign funds by NGOs.

    What are the Key Changes?

    • It allows Indians to receive up to Rs 10 lakh annually from their relatives abroad under FCRA.
      • The limit earlier was Rs 1 lakh.
      • If the amount exceeds, the individuals will now have 90 days to inform the government instead of 30 days earlier.
    • It has given individuals and organisations or NGOs 45 days for the application of obtaining ‘registration’ or ‘prior permission‘ under the FCRA to receive funds.
      • Earlier it was 30 days.
    • Organisations receiving foreign funds will not be able to use more than 20 % of such funds for administrative purposes.
      • This limit was 50 % before 2020.
    • Made five more offences under the FCRA “compoundable”, making 12, instead of directly prosecuting the organisations or individuals.
      • Earlier, only seven offences under the FCRA were compoundable.

    What are Compoundable Offences?

    • Compoundable offences are those offences where, the complainant (one who has filed the case, i.e., the victim), enter into a compromise, and agrees to have the charges dropped against the accused. However, such a compromise should be a “Bonafide,” and not for any consideration to which the complainant is not entitled to.
    • The FCRA violations which have become compoundable now include failure to intimate about receipt of foreign funds, opening of bank accounts, failure to place information on website, etc.

    What is the Significance of the Move?

    • Enhances Remittances:
      • It will curb the outflow of funds and on the other hand enhancing inward Remittances.
    • Stabilise forex Reserves:
      • It will lead to an increase in inflow of funds into India which will stabilise the forex reserves and also the currency.
      • Similarly, an increase in import duty on gold from 7.5 % to 12.5 % will discourage gold import as it will result in an increase in the price of gold in India.
    • Reduces Trade Deficit:
      • An increase in inflow of funds and reduction in outflow of funds on account of gold imports will help reduce the trade deficit.
        • The trade deficit in the month of April and May 2022 stood at a high of USD 20.1 billion and USD 24.6 billion respectively making an aggregate of USD 44.7 billion in two months.
        • By comparison the trade deficit in April and May 2021 stood at USD 21.8 billion.

  • Why freight trains are switching to aluminium wagons?

    aluminium

    The Union Railway Minister has recently flagged off the country’s first freight train with an all-aluminium wagon rake.

    What is the news?

    • This move is a part of the country’s ambitious plan to modernize rail transportation and facilitate large carbon savings.

    Aluminium-bodied trains

    • Indian Railways proposes to shift its passenger and freight operations gradually to aluminium-bodied trains.
    • A blueprint for its production and introduction was finalized even before the onset of the covid-19 pandemic.
    • The Modern Coach Factory (MCF) at Rae Bareli has signed a transfer of technology contract with South Korea’s Dawonsys for such passenger coaches in early 2020.
    • The execution of the project was held back because of the pandemic and its fallout.
    • These coaches will be rolled out now.

    What is the plan for their introduction?

    • At present, India’s high-speed trains, including the Rajdhanis and the Shatabdis, use Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches that are made of stainless steel.
    • Only the interiors use aluminium, which makes them lighter as compared to conventional rakes.
    • The Indian Railways plans to procure 400 new generation Vande Bharat train sets with better energy efficiency and passenger riding experience.
    • The use of aluminium body coaches in these new generation trains will be considered.

    Will aluminium trains reduce carbon footprint?

    • Aluminium trains consume less energy.
    • Besides, the metal is recyclable.
    • It is estimated that switching to aluminium will save 1,500 tonnes of carbon emissions a year.
    • With the Railways planning to deploy over 100,000 wagons in the coming years, the potential annual CO2 reduction could be to the tune of over 5 million tonnes with a 15-20% shift to aluminium wagons.

    Material advantages of aluminium

    • These coaches, being lighter than stainless steel ones, are preferred for higher speed systems.
    • They are lighter by up to 30% compared to stainless steel coaches.
    • They offer low haulage cost and higher payload, better fuel efficiency and lower pollution levels.
    • Also, aluminium trains take less time to manufacture and thus can help speed up capacity for production.
    • The new metal trains will help the Railways hike its share in overall freight transportation from the current 18%.

    What about the cost of building?

    • An all-aluminium passenger coach and wagon system would raise the cost of manufacturing rolling stocks by about 35% since the price of aluminium, globally, is far higher than that of steel.
    • However, the advantages of the metal outscore its high price. It is estimated that as the metal is recyclable, the new coaches would have up to 80% resale value.
    • The recyclability will also help in times of global volatility in metal prices.
    • This is why aluminium trains command a lion’s share in the US, Europe and Japan.

     

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  • What is Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA)?

    pdna

    Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) is now being done simultaneously in Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha and Meghalaya.

    Why in news?

    • PDNA is now being used to evaluate the financial and social cost of local disasters in eight states in India.
    • These states all experienced severe flooding in the last few months.
    • The results of these assessments are likely to come out next month.

    What is PDNA?

    • PDNA is an internationally accepted methodology for determining the physical damages, economic losses, and costs of meeting recovery needs after a natural disaster through a government-led process.
    • It is an international framework for assessing losses and damages in the aftermath of a disaster.
    • The framework helps get recovery and reconstruction efforts right following a disaster.
    • Globally, of the 55 PDNAs conducted worldwide since 2008, only two droughts — one in Malawi and the other Marshall Islands in 2016 — were of slow-onset disasters.

    Components of PDNA

    • PDNA includes a calculation of the disaster’s impact on Gross Domestic Product, the balance of payment and fiscal budget.
    • Secondly, how this affects the flow of revenue to multiple sectors is evaluated.
    • For example, the number of farmers’ income affected per damaged acre of land and the livelihoods lost.
    • Overall, a quantitative assessment is additionally done on the social and environmental impact of the disaster.

    History of PDNA in India

    • This is not the first time PDNA has been conducted in India.
    • It was first adopted during the Kerala floods of 2018 and again during the cyclone in Odisha in 2019, both unprecedented disasters.
    • Until now, the assessment was only limited to massive disasters that required international funding from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations.

    15th Finance Commission provision

    • The 15th finance commission report of 2021, for the first time, made a provision for recovery and reconstruction in the national disaster management budget, which is at the core of the PDNA.
    • The states did not receive international funding to do the current ongoing PDNAs, as they are expected to take the money from the budget.

     

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  • ISRO launches 36 satellites through its heaviest rocket LVM3

    lvm3

    The ISRO’s heaviest rocket, Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3 or GSLV Mark 3) has successfully put into orbit 36 satellites of the U.K.-based OneWeb.

    Also in news

    • The ISRO has renamed the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark -III as Launch Vehicle Mark-III, mainly to identify its task of placing satellites into a variety of orbits.

    What is LVM3?

    • LVM3 (erstwhile GSLV) is an expendable space launch vehicle designed, developed, and operated by the ISRO to launch satellites and other space objects into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbits.
    • It is 49.13 m tall and tallest among all other vehicles of ISRO.
    • It is a three-stage vehicle with a lift-off mass of 420 tonnes.
    • ISRO first launched LVM3 on April 18, 2001 and has made 13 launches since then.

    Stages in LVM3

    • The first stage comprises S139 solid booster with 138-tonne propellant and four liquid strap-on motors, with 40-tonne propellant.
    • The second stage is a liquid engine carrying 40-tonne of liquid propellant.
    • The third stage is the indigenously built Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) carrying 15-tonne of cryogenic propellants.

    Difference between PSLV and LVM3

    • LVM3 has the capability to put a heavier payload in the orbit than the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
    • PSLV can carry satellites up to a total weight of 2000 kg into space and reach up to an altitude of 600-900 km.
    • LVM3 can carry weight up to 5,000 kg and reach up to 36,000 km.
    • PSLV is designed mainly to deliver earth observation or remote sensing satellites, whereas, LVM3 has been designed for launching communication satellites.
    • LVM3 delivers satellites into a higher elliptical orbit, Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO).

    Upgrades brought by LVM3

    • The LVM3 is capable of lifting much heavier satellites than the GSLV Mk II with a bigger cryogenic upper stage and a larger first stage.
    • Both GSLV Mk II and LVM3 are three-stage vehicles, while the PSLV, which launches to low earth polar orbits, is a four-stage vehicle.
    • The GSLV Mk-II can place up to 2,500kg in geosynchronous orbits and up to 5,000kg to low earth orbit.
    • By comparison, the LVM3 can lift 4,000kg to GTO and up to 8,000 kg to LEO.

     

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  • When does RBI step in to monitor a Bank?

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has placed a private bank under tight monitoring and greater public scrutiny.

    What is the news?

    • The XYZ Bank’s capital to risk weighted assets ratio (CRAR) dropped to around 13% at the end of March this year from 14.5% a year ago.
    • This has dropped below the Basel III in the past and it has even been placed under the prompt corrective action framework (PCA) by the RBI to deal with serious deteriorations in its financial position.
    • Under Basel-III norms banks are supposed to maintain their CRAR at 9% or above.

    What is Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR)?

    • Capital adequacy ratio is an indicator of the ability of a bank to survive as a going business entity in case it suffers significant losses on its loan book.
    • The CRAR is a ratio that compares the value of a bank’s capital (or net worth) against the value of its various assets weighted according to how risky each asset is.
    • It is used to gauge the risk of insolvency faced by a bank.

    How do it affects bank functioning?

    • A bank cannot continue to operate if the total value of its assets drops below the total value of its liabilities as it would wipe out its capital (or net worth) and render the bank insolvent.
    • So, banking regulations such as the Basel-III norms try to closely monitor changes in the capital adequacy of banks in order to prevent major bank failures which could have a severe impact on the wider economy.
    • The capital position of a bank should not be confused with cash held by a bank in its vaults to make good on its commitment to depositors.

    Alternatives for bank

    • The said Bank has been trying to issue additional shares in the open market through a rights issue in order to deal with its capital adequacy woes.
    • Through a rights issue, the bank will be able to raise more equity capital from existing shareholders.
    • This is in contrast to an initial public offering where shares are issued to new shareholders.

    Back2Basics: Basel Norms

    • Basel is a city in Switzerland. It is the headquarters of the Bureau of International Settlement (BIS), which fosters co-operation among central banks with a common goal of financial stability and common standards of banking regulations.
    • Basel guidelines refer to broad supervisory standards formulated by this group of central banks – called the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS).
    • The set of the agreement by the BCBS, which mainly focuses on risks to banks and the financial system is called Basel accord.
    • The purpose of the accord is to ensure that financial institutions have enough capital on account to meet obligations and absorb unexpected losses.
    • India has accepted Basel accords for the banking system.

    Basel I

    • In 1988, BCBS introduced a capital measurement system called Basel capital accord, also called as Basel 1.
    • It focused almost entirely on credit risk. It defined capital and structure of risk weights for banks.
    • The minimum capital requirement was fixed at 8% of risk-weighted assets (RWA).
    • RWA means assets with different risk profiles.
    • For example, an asset-backed by collateral would carry lesser risks as compared to personal loans, which have no collateral. India adopted Basel 1 guidelines in 1999.

    Basel II

    • In June ’04, Basel II guidelines were published by BCBS, which were considered to be the refined and reformed versions of Basel I accord.
    • The guidelines were based on three parameters, which the committee calls it as pillars:
    • Capital Adequacy Requirements: Banks should maintain a minimum capital adequacy requirement of 8% of risk assets.
    • Supervisory Review: According to this, banks were needed to develop and use better risk management techniques in monitoring and managing all the three types of risks that a bank faces, viz. credit, market and operational risks.
    • Market Discipline: This needs increased disclosure requirements. Banks need to mandatorily disclose their CAR, risk exposure, etc to the central bank. Basel II norms in India and overseas are yet to be fully implemented.

    Basel III

    • In 2010, Basel III guidelines were released. These guidelines were introduced in response to the financial crisis of 2008.
    • A need was felt to further strengthen the system as banks in the developed economies were under-capitalized, over-leveraged and had a greater reliance on short-term funding.
    • Also, the quantity and quality of capital under Basel II were deemed insufficient to contain any further risk.
    • Basel III norms aim at making most banking activities such as their trading book activities more capital-intensive.
    • The guidelines aim to promote a more resilient banking system by focusing on four vital banking parameters viz. capital, leverage, funding and liquidity.

     

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  • In news: Sukapaika River

    sukapaika

    Sukapaika, a small river that stopped flowing 70 years ago in Odisha’s Cuttack district is set to be rejuvenated.

    Sukapaika River

    • The Suka-paika (the dead) River originated from another river, the Mahanadi, near Ayatpur village.
    • It flowed 27.5 km before meeting the Mahanadi again at Bankala.
    • In the 1950s, the State’s water resource engineers had in their wisdom closed the Sukapaika river mouth enabling development of the Taladanda Canal System, a major canal of the State.
    • This led to the river mostly drying up.
    • The process was aggravated by agricultural encroachments that had sprung up on the riverbanks.

     

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  • Five new varieties to expand India’s Basmati platter

    basmati

    Five new Basmati varieties, developed by a group of scientists from Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), in 2020 and 2021 are all set to bring revolutionary changes in the way this type of paddy is cultivated in the country.

    About Basmati Rice

    • Basmati, pronounced is a variety of long, slender-grained aromatic rice which is traditionally grown in India, Pakistan, and Nepal.
    • As of 2019, India accounted for 65% of the international trade in basmati rice, while Pakistan accounted for the remaining 35%.
    • Many countries use domestically grown basmati rice crops; however, basmati is geographically exclusive to certain districts of India and Pakistan.
    • India accounts for over 70% of the world’s basmati rice production.
    • The areas which have a geographical indication are in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Western Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir

    Export potential of Basmati

    • Basmati rice has a market abroad and brings about ₹30,000 crore in foreign exchange every year.
    • While 75% of the export is to West Asian countries, European Union countries also import Indian Basmati.
    • However, recently, the export to EU countries faced certain hurdles due to the increase in the pesticide residue levels in the rice from India.

     

     

  • Cyber ​​threats as a challenge to Internal Security

    Cyber

    Context

    • As the 21st century advances, a new danger the cyber threat is becoming a daily monster. It is hardly confined to any one domain though the military is the one most often touted. Rather, it is the civilian sphere where the cyber threat is becoming more all-pervading today and, in turn, a serious menace.

    What is mean by Cyber threat?

    • A cyber threat or cyber security threat is defined as a malicious act intended to steal or damage data or disrupt the digital wellbeing and stability of an enterprise.
    • Cyber threats include a wide range of attacks ranging from data breaches, computer viruses, denial of service, and numerous other attack vectors.

    Cyber

    How Cyber threat is ever increasing?

    • Increasing Grey Zone Operations: Grey zone Operations which fall outside traditional concepts of conflicts have become the new battleground, especially in regard to cyber warfare. ‘Grey Zone Operations’ are already beginning to be employed to undermine the vital of a state’s functioning, a trend likely to grow. The convergence of emerging technologies alongside new hybrid usages, pose several challenges to nations and institutions.
    • Attack on examination: The recent arrest in India, of a Russian for hacking into computers involved in the conduct of examinations for entry into the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), is a reflection of how cybercriminals are significantly amplifying their Grey Zone Warfare’ tactics
    • Pervasive nature of cyber threat: What is most unfortunate is that not enough attention is being bestowed on the all-encompassing nature of the cyber threat. In the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the world seems awash with papers on artificial intelligence (AI)-driven military innovations and potential crisis hot zones, along with stray references to new forms of hybrid warfare.
    • Weaponization of everything: There is very little about the threat posed by cyber-attacks. Ignored also is the new reality of the weaponization of everything’ which has entered the vocabulary of threats. The latter clearly demands a ‘proto-revolutionary’ outlook on the part of policymakers, which is evidently lacking.
    • Becoming a Multi-dimensional threat: Lost in translation is also the nature of today’s weapon of choice, viz., cyber. This lack of awareness is unfortunate at a time when states clearly lack the necessary resilience to face a variety of multi-vector threats.
    • Cyber weapon as symbol of national Power: Cyber space has been described by Lt. Gen. Rajesh Pant (retired), India’s current national cyber security coordinator, as a “superset of interconnected information and communication technology, hardware, software processes, services, data and systems”. Viewed from this perspective, it constitutes a critical aspect of our national power.
    • Simultaneous attacks in multiple dimensions: Cyber threats are not confined to merely one set of conflicts such as Ukraine, where no doubt cyber tools are being extensively employed extending well beyond this and other conflicts of a varied nature. The cyber threat is in this sense all-pervading, embracing many regions and operating on different planes.

    Cyber

    Challenges to India’s cyber security infrastructure

    • Structural:

    1. Absence of any geographical constraints.

    2.Lack of uniformity in devices used for internet access.

    • Administrative:
    1. Lack of national-level architecture for cybersecurity
    2. Security audit does not occur periodically, nor does it adhere to the international standards.
    3. The appointment of the National Cyber Security Coordinator in 2014 has not been supplemented by creating liaison officers in states.
    • Procedural
    1. Lack of awareness in local police of various provisions of IT Act, 2000, and also of IPSC related to cybercrime.
    2. Lack of data protection regime.
    • Human Resource Related
    1. Inadequate awareness among people about the security of devices and online transactions.

    Cyber

    What are the Steps taken by India to strengthen cyber security?

    • Section 66F of ITA: Specific provision dealing with the issue of cyber terrorism that covers denial of access, unauthorized access, introduction of computer contaminant leading to harm to persons, property, critical infrastructure, disruption of supplies, ‘sensitive data’ thefts. Provides for punishment which may extend to life imprisonment.
    • National Cyber Security Policy 2013: Policy document drafted by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology. Established National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) to improve the protection and resilience of the country’s critical infrastructure information; Create a workforce of 5 lakh professionals skilled in cybersecurity in the next 5 years.
    • National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC): It has been setup to enhance the protection and resilience of Nation’s Critical information infrastructure. It functions under the National Technical Research Organization (NTRO).
    • Computer Security through CERT-IN: Organization under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology with an objective of securing Indian cyberspace. The purpose of CERT-In is to respond to computer security incidents, report on vulnerabilities and promote effective IT security practices throughout the country. According to the provisions of the Information Technology Amendment Act 2008, CERT-In is responsible for overseeing the administration of the Act.
    • Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative: It was launched in 2018 with an aim to spread awareness about cybercrime and build capacity for safety measures for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT staff across all government departments.
    • Cyber Crisis Management Plan (CCMP): It aims at countering cyber threats and cyber-terrorism.
    • National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC): It seeks to generate necessary situational awareness of existing and potential cyber security threats and enable timely information sharing for proactive, preventive and protective actions by individual entities. National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) under National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) coordinates with different agencies at the national level for cyber security matters.
    • Cyber Swachhta Kendra: This platform was introduced for internet users to clean their computers and devices by wiping out viruses and malware.
    • Information Security Education and Awareness Project (ISEA): Training of personnel to raise awareness and to provide research, education, and training in the field of Information Security.

    Conclusion

    • With several non-state actors engaging in hybrid warfare and distorting day-to-day practices, including examinations, these pose legal, ethical and real dilemmas. Left unchecked, the world may have to confront a new kind of Wild West, before states find a common denominator for regulating cyber space and lay down proper rules and practices to prevent anarchy and chaos.

    Mains Question

    Q. Cyber threat is intruding the daily life of citizens and making the internal security more challenging task. Comment what are the policy loopholes in India’s fight against the cyber threat?

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  • Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on global poverty

    poverty

    Context

    • A recent World Bank report, titled “Correcting Course”, captures the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global poverty. The economic mismanagement we were witness to in India resulted in 5.6 crore people slipping into extreme poverty in 2020.

    Do You Know?

    • 17 October is observed as International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
    • The theme for International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2022-2023 is “Dignity For All in Practice: The commitments we make together for social justice, peace, and the planet”

    What is the Impact of COVID-19?

    • Rapid rise in extreme poverty: The number of people living in extreme poverty rose by seven crores million in 2020, as the global poverty rate rose from 8.4% in 2019 to 9.3%in 2020.
    • Increased Inequality: This is the first time in two decades that the poverty rate has gone up. Global inequalities have widened, evident in the relative impacts felt on incomes in the richest countries as opposed to the poorest; and, unsurprisingly, economic recovery has been similarly uneven.

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    What the World Bank report says on fiscal policy of developing Nations?

    • The report focuses on fiscal policy as an instrument for governments in dealing with crises such as the pandemic.
    • Poorer countries were unable to use fiscal policy as effectively and thus unable to offset the impact of the pandemic to a much lesser degree than richer countries.

    What is the status of India’s Fiscal Policy and Poverty?

    • Sluggish state of Indian Economy: India’s economy continues to be sluggish in 2022, and one should look back at the policy choices that were made back in 2020.
    • Absence of official poverty data: The World Bank report relies on the Consumer Pyramids Household Survey (CPHS) by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), in the absence of official poverty data since 2011.
    • Poverty and fall in GDP: By the estimate, 5.6 crore people are likely to have slipped into poverty as India’s GDP fell by7.5% in FY2020-21.
    • India’s Population below poverty line: The population below poverty line in India stood at 10% in 2020.
    • Marginal Incremental spending: Refusal to provide a fiscal stimulus to consumption the Government announced a fiscal stimulus worth Rs.2 lakh crore, or 1% of GDP. However, only a small fraction therein reflected incremental spending.
    • Inadequate increase in MGNREGA wage: The minor increase to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) wage by Rs.20 per day was a long-pending correction and quite inadequate to say the least.
    • No money in the hands of households: The majority of India’s stimulus package took the form of credit lines and refinancing schemes to private enterprises, which are an inefficient mechanism to realise the goal of putting money in the hands of people to boost household-level consumption.

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    The relationship between India’s Tax policies and Poverty

    • Reduced corporate tax: Through the pandemic and beyond, India persisted with the reduced corporate tax rate that had been announced in September 2019. The reduction of corporate tax from 30% to 22% cost the exchequer Rs.1.84 lakh crore over the last two fiscal years, according to the Parliamentary Committee on Estimates.
    • Rise in corporate profit: India has refused to reintroduce wealth tax, or indeed, an inheritance tax. At the same time, corporate profits soared, as reported by the CMIE.
    • Rise in inequality: Through all of this, and in spite of the World Inequality Report terming India as a ‘poor and very unequal country’.
    • GST as regressive tax regime: India has repeatedly increased the rates on a wide range of products covered by the Goods and Services Tax as well as increased the prices of cooking and transport fuels. While indirect taxes may help prop up public finances, they place a disproportionate burden on the poor.

    Food aid through PMGKAY and the problem associated with it

    • Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana: The announcement of 80-crore people in India would get food aid through the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY), a scheme that continues mainly because of the undeniable household-level distress. PMGKAY is currently estimated to cost about Rs.3.90 lakh crore. Started in April 2020, it has been extended till the upcoming Assembly elections are over.
    • PMGKAY is not a long-term solution: food aid is not a long-term solution, and certainly does not solve the problem of chronic malnutrition.

    World Bank Suggested priorities for Post pandemic recovery

    • The World Bank report identifies three priorities for fiscal policy for governments to aid with post-pandemic recovery:

    1. Targeted subsidies that benefit the poor

    2. Public investment to build resilience in the long term;

    3. Revenue mobilisation that should rely on progressive direct taxation rather than indirect taxes

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    Conclusion

    • India’s fiscally prudent policies had ensured the wealthy state but poor people. However, we must not see India’s story in isolation. Despite the good fiscal packages developed country like UK, USA are heading towards recession. Though sluggish, India has done well to maintain positive growth trajectory but this positive growth must include the growth of the poor as well.

    Mains Question

    Q.How fiscal policy can impact the poverty? What are the government initiatives to uplift the poor?

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