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  • Climate Change Impact on India and World – International Reports, Key Observations, etc.

    Carbon Watch: India’s first app to assess one’s carbon footprint

    Prelims Only | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 1: Important Geophysical Phenomena

    Chandigarh became the first state or UT in India to launch Carbon Watch, a mobile application to assess the carbon footprint of an individual.

    Carbon Footprint

    • A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, service, or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent.
    • It corresponds to the whole amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) produced to, directly and indirectly; support a person’s lifestyle and activities.
    • Carbon footprints are usually measured in equivalent tons of CO2, during the period of a year, and they can be associated with an individual, an organization, a product or an event, among others.
    • The GHGs whose sum results in a carbon footprint can come from the production and consumption of fossil fuels, food, manufactured goods, materials, roads or transportation.

    Note: An ecological footprint, as explained earlier compares the total resources people consume with the land and water area that is needed to replace those resources. A carbon footprint also deals with resource usage but focuses strictly on the greenhouse gases released due to burning of fossil fuels.

    How does the app Carbon Watch work?

    • As a person downloads the application, they will need to fill details in four parts — Water, Energy, Waste Generation and Transport (Vehicular movement).
    • In the category of Water, the person will be required to inform about the consumption of water.
    • In the Energy category, the details regarding the electricity units consumed every month at the house, monthly bill etc and usage of solar energy will have to be furnished.
    • In the Waste category, the individual will need to inform about the waste generated on their part and their family.
    • In the transport section, the individual will have to inform about the mode of transport used by four-wheeler, two-wheeler or bicycle.

    Try this PYQ:

    As a result of their annual survey, the National Geographic Society and an international polling firm GlobeScan gave India top rank in Greendex 2009 score. What is this score?

    (a) It is a measure of efforts made by different countries in adopting technologies for reducing the carbon footprint

    (b) It is a measure of environmentally sustainable consumer behavior in different countries

    (c) It is an assessment of programs/schemes undertaken by different countries for improving the conservation of natural resources

    (d) It is an index showing the volume of carbon credits sold by different countries

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  • North-East India – Security and Developmental Issues

    Demand for Greater Tipraland

    States | Polity | Mains Paper 2: Federalism

    Tripura royal scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya has recently announced his political demand for a new state called ‘Greater Tipraland’.

    Try this:

    Q.New-age ethnic politics in North East is driving demands for separate statehood movements in India. Discuss.

    What is Greater Tipraland?

    • ‘Greater Tipraland’ is essentially an extension of the ruling tribal partner Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura – IPFT’s demand of Tipraland, which sought a separate state for tribals of Tripura.
    • The new demand seeks to include every tribal person living in an indigenous area or village outside the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) under the proposed model.
    • However, the idea doesn’t restrict to simply the Tripura tribal council areas but seeks to include ‘Tiprasa’ of Tripuris spread across different states of India like Assam, Mizoram etc. as well.
    • It seeks to include even those living in Bandarban, Chittagong, Khagrachari and other bordering areas of neighbouring Bangladesh.

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  • Health Sector – UHC, National Health Policy, Family Planning, Health Insurance, etc.

    What are Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases (NAFLD)?

    Prelims Only | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education

    The Union Govt has integrated the Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke.

    Try this MCQ:

    Q.A Company marketing food products advertises that its items do not contain trans-fats. What does this campaign signify to the customers?

    1. The food products are not made out of hydrogenated oils.
    2. The food products are not made out of animal fats/oils.
    3. The oils used are not likely to damage the cardiovascular health of the consumers.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) Only 1

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    NAFLD

    • NAFLD is the abnormal accumulation of fat in the liver in the absence of secondary causes of fatty liver, such as harmful alcohol use, viral hepatitis, or medications.
    • According to doctors, it is a serious health concern as it encompasses a spectrum of liver abnormalities.
    • It can cause non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL, simple fatty liver disease) to more advanced ones like non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis and even liver cancer.

    Why such a move?

    • NAFLD is emerging as an important cause of liver disease in India.
    • Epidemiological studies suggest the prevalence of NAFLD is around 9% to 32% of the general population in India with a higher prevalence in those with overweight or obesity and those with diabetes or prediabetes.
    • Researchers have found NAFLD in 40% to 80 % of people who have type 2 diabetes and in 30% to 90% of people who are obese.
    • Studies also suggest that people with NAFLD have a greater chance of developing cardiovascular disease.
    • Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in NAFLD.

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  • Agmark, Hallmark, ISI, BIS, BEE and Other Ratings

    [pib] One Nation One Standard Mission

    PIB | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Ministries & Departments Of The Government

    It’s time to embark on Mission “One Nation One Standard” and make India the leader in setting global benchmarks in setting standards, highlighted the Food and Consumer Affairs Minister.

    One Nation One Standard

    • The purpose of setting standards and enforcing them is not to bring back “inspection raj” but to ensure that quality products are made available to consumers.
    • The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the only national body that frames standards, has come out with more than 20,000 standards for various products and services so far.
    • Besides this, there are about 50-odd agencies that have framed about 400 standards in the country.
    • There are multiple standards in the country for a single product/service. The new mission is to converge such standards with the BIS.

    Main objectives:

    • No one should feel the need to go abroad to get the quality certification.
    • Lab testing in India should be of world standards. Modern equipment and the latest technologies would be used there.

    Why such a move?

    • Having uniform national standards will help in making it mandatory for more products.
    • The government proposes to set Indian standards in line with the global benchmarks, just like other countries enforce their standards on imported products.
    • The Centre, through this move, wants foreign goods coming into India to comply with Indian standards.

    Try this PYQ:

    Consider the following statements:

    1. The Standard Mark of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is mandatory for automotive tyres and tubes.
    2. AGMARK is a quality Certification Mark issued by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

    Back2Basics: Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

    • BIS is the National Standards Body of India working under the aegis of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
    • It is established by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 which came into effect on 23 December 1986.
    • The organisation was formerly the Indian Standards Institution (ISI), set up under the Resolution of the Department of Industries and Supplies in September 1946.
    • The ISI was registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
    • A new Bureau of Indian standard (BIS) Act 2016 has been brought into force with effect from 12 October 2017.
    • The Act establishes the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as the National Standards Body of India.

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  • Microfinance Story of India

    [pib] SFURTI Scheme

    PIB | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Effects Of Liberalization On The Economy, Changes In Industrial Policy and their effects on Industrial Growth

    Union Minister for MSME has inaugurated 50 artisan-based SFURTI clusters, spread over 18 States.

    SFURTI is an off-track scheme compared to other HRD schemes with Hindi acronyms. Similar is the SPARSH scheme for philately.

    SFURTI Scheme

    • Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) is an initiative by the Ministry of MSME to promote Cluster development.
    • Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is the Nodal Agency for the promotion of Cluster development for Khadi.
    • Under the Scheme, the MSME Ministry supports various interventions including the setting up of infrastructure through Common Facility Centers (CFCs), procurement of new machinery, design intervention, improved packaging and marketing etc.

    Types of clusters

    • SFURTI clusters are of two types i.e., Regular Cluster (500 artisans) with Government assistance of up to Rs.2.5 crore and Major Cluster (more than 500 artisans) with Government assistance up to Rs.5 crore.
    • The scheme focuses on strengthening the cluster governance systems with the active participation of the stakeholders so that they are able to gauge the emerging challenges and opportunities and respond to them.

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  • Banking Sector Reforms

    PSBs should operate like proper banks if they can’t be privatized

    | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

    The article deals with the stark differences in the performance of the public sector banks (PSBs) and private banks and suggests ways to deal with the issues.

    Comparing PSBs with private banks

    • The performance of PSBs over the years hasn’t been worth the money that the government has invested in them.
    • As the Economic Survey of 2019-20 pointed out that over ₹4.3 trillion of taxpayer money is invested as government’s equity in PSBs.
    • In 2019, every rupee of taxpayer money invested in PSBs, on average, lost 23 paise.
    • In contrast, every rupee of investor money invested in New Private Banks—banks licensed after India’s 1991 liberalization—on average gained 9.6 paise.
    • The combined market value of HDFC Bank’s shares is ₹8.56 trillion (as of 18 February), whereas the market capitalization of all PSBs is around ₹6.41 trillion (excluding IDBI Bank, which is now categorized as a private bank).
    • Of course, if we add up the assets of PSBs, they are a lot bigger than HDFC Bank’s.

    Dual regulation

    • The private banks are regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
    • PSBs are regulated both by RBI and the department of financial services under the finance ministry.
    • The P.J. Nayak Committee report of May 2014 had pointed out this issue of dual regulation.
    • This is primarily because PSBs are used by the government to fulfil its social obligations and pump-prime the economy when it’s not doing well.
    • The stock market discounts these factors while valuing them.

    Way forward

    • The policies for regulating and promoting industrial growth do not have any social content in them.
    • Hence, PSBs should be run as proper banks irrespective of whether they are privatized or not.
    • If they are not privatized, the government’s stake in these banks needs to come down to 33%, something which would help them raise more capital.
    • Once investors see PSBs being run as proper banks their market capitalization will start to go up.
    • Once PSBs are properly valued by the stock market, the government can sell some of its stake in them every year, and use that money to fund its social objectives.
    • It can also use some of that money to incentivize all banks, not just PSBs, to deliver some of its social objectives.

    Conclusion

    The government should take these steps to let the PSBs realise their potential. At the end of the day, nothing improves service delivery more than some good competition.

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  • Parliament – Sessions, Procedures, Motions, Committees etc

    Voice vote as constitutional subterfuge

    op-ed snap | | Mains Paper 2: Parliament & State Legislatures

    The article discusses the issue of undermining of the upper house by passing the certain bills through voice vote and use of money bill route.

    Passing of the Bill by voice vote

    • The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill was passed by the State’s Legislative Council by voice vote without any division.
    • The law was passed by the Council despite the lack of a majority.
    • There was no division vote based on actual voting as is usual and as the Opposition members had demanded.

    A new legislative precedent

    • Similar process was followed to pass the controversial farm laws (by the Rajya Sabha) in September 2020.
    • The pandemonium in the House caused by heated interventions by the Opposition was used as a pretext to resort to a voice vote.
    • The laws passed with a voice vote seem like a new template for bypassing the constitutionally envisaged legislative process.
    • Another process repeatedly used over the last few years to bypass the Upper House of Parliament is the Money Bill route.
    • The Aadhaar Bill was passed in this manner.
    • Other controversial laws such as those pertaining to electoral bonds, retrospective validation of foreign political contributions and the overhaul of the legal regime relating to tribunals have also been carried out through the Money Bill route.

    The Rajya Sabha’s role

    • The Lok Sabha is seen as directly representing the will of the people, and the Rajya Sabha as standing in its way.
    • The countervailing function of the Upper House is rarely seen as legitimate.
    • The Rajya Sabha has historically stopped the ruling party from carrying out even more significant legal changes.
    • The Rajya Sabha is imperfect, partly because of constitutional design.
    • And partly because obviously undesirable practices, such as members representing States they have no affiliation to, have been allowed to flourish.

    Importance of bicameralism

    • The very questioning of the monopoly of the Lower House to represent the ‘people’ makes bicameralism desirable, argues legal philosopher Jeremy Waldron.
    • In India, the fact that the Rajya Sabha membership is determined by elections to State Assemblies leads to a different principle of representation, often allowing different factors to prevail than those in the Lok Sabha elections.
    • John Stuart Mill had warned about a single assembly becoming despotic and overweening, if released from the necessity of considering whether its acts will be concurred in by another constituted authority.
    • The other merit of bicameralism is significant in a Westminster system like India, where the Lower House is dominated by the executive.
    • The Rajya Sabha holds the potential of a somewhat different legislative relation to the executive, making a robust separation of powers possible.

    Consider the question “Examine the importance of bicameralism in India. Why passage of certain bills as money bill is causing controversies?”

    Conclusion

    The important role played by the upper house needs to be recognised and respected in the legislative processess.

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  • Economic Indicators and Various Reports On It- GDP, FD, EODB, WIR etc

    A year of cautious optimism on economic front

    op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

    The article argues that we are less likely to witness high growth next year rather it is going to be the year of consolidation.

    Year of consolidation

    • The Economic Survey, the Union budget, and the RBI credit policy attest that the economy is on the recovery path.
    • The fourth quarter will register a positive growth rate, and as a consequence, the contraction for the full year will be between 7.5-8 per cent.
    • The contraction sets the pace for growth in 2021-22 which is now going to be critical as it is the foundation for the fructification of the budget revenue targets.
    • But consider this: GDP in 2019-20 was Rs 146 lakh crore, which has come down to Rs 134 lakh crore in 2020-21.
    • Hence, a 10 per cent growth will take the Indian economy to Rs 147 lakh crore — when compared to Rs 145 lakh crore, this reflects modest growth.
    • Therefore, expectations should be tempered when we talk of growth next year.
    • There will be a revival in economic activity on all ends which will probably bear fruit in 2022-23 — FY 2021-22 will be a year of consolidation.

    Policy architecture

    • The government has brought in a cogent policy framework right from the time of the Atmanirbhar announcements, culminating in the budget.
    • There is a focus on infrastructure as well as providing incentives to investment through the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.
    • Real estate, power and construction saw several policy reforms last year.
    • There is a strong capex push by the government and there will more action taken here.

    RBI policies

    • The RBI has promised to continue accommodative policies, which sends a signal of managing liquidity considering the large borrowing programme of the government of Rs 12.8 lakh crore.
    • RBI will carry out more open market operations, and long-term repo operations during the year to ensure that interest rates remain stable.
    • However, there will be concern around state government borrowings too, which will exert pressure on the availability of funds.
    • Hence, there will be more central bank intervention in the market to ensure that funds are available.

    Inflation concerns

    • Inflation is a concern as global commodity prices have already started going up and this has led to core inflation rising.
    • Given that the monsoon has been good in the last four years, there is a possibility of an adverse season this time which can affect food prices. 
    • In India, too, we have seen that the price of petrol and diesel is rising sharply.
    • Add to this rising manufactured goods inflation witnessed of late, and there is a possibility of inflation rising above the MPC’s tolerance levels.

    Lack of consumption growth

    • For growth to take place, consumption growth has to be real and rapid.
    • Consumption growth has been affected by the absence of commensurate job creation.
    • Consumption growth is unlikely too soon as consumption is dependent on job creation.
    • Jobs get created when growth is high and hence there is circular reasoning here.
    • Income has been affected in 2020 due to the pandemic which has led to job losses as well as salary cuts.
    • This has affected the sustainability of the pent-up demand seen in October and November.

    Falling investment

    • Investment has lagged with gross fixed capital formation falling to a low of 24.2 per cent in 2019-20 from 34.3 per cent in 2011-12.
    • Reversing this decline will be challenging because the demand for such projects has slowed down and banks have been wary of lending for infrastructure.
    • There is also surplus capacity in industry with the capacity utilisation rate being 63.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2020-21.
    • Therefore, private investment will rise only gradually and the onus is on governments to manage their targets.
    • Private investment will follow, but at a slower pace and realistically speaking, will fire more in 2022-23 rather than 2021-22.

    Consider the question “Growth has to be driven by two engines- consumption and investment. India has been facing challenges on both fronts. In light of this, suggest the measures India needs to adopt to move forward on both fronts.

    Conclusion

    The year 2021-22 will be one of cautious optimism. Growth will trend upwards, but it has to be interpreted with caution, keeping a check on the consumption while pushing the investment while arresting the inflation.

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  • Land Reforms

    Why does India need Conclusive Land Titling?

    | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Government Scheme/Policies

     

    Land ownership in India

    • In India, land ownership is determined through various records such as sale deeds that are registered, property tax documents, government survey records, etc.
    • Land ownership is broadly defined by access to a land title.  Land Title is a document that determines the ownership of land or immovable property.
    • Having a clear land title protects the rights of the titleholder against other claims made by anyone else to the property.

    What is the news?

    • In 2020, even as laws for farm reform and labour code reform were being enacted, the government’s think tank, NITI Aayog, took steps to initiate land reforms.
    • A Model Bill on Conclusive Land Titling was sent to States and Union Territories last June seeking their comments.
    • In September, after many States failed to send in their feedback, the Centre warned that their agreement would be presumed.

    What is Conclusive Land Titling?

    • In a conclusive titling system, the government provides guaranteed titles and compensation in case of any ownership disputes.
    • Achieving this will require shifting to a system of registered property titles (as opposed to sale deeds) as the primary evidence of ownership, and having clear and updated land records.

    How does the current system work?

    • India currently follows a system of presumptive land titling.
    • This means that land records are maintained, with information on possession, which is determined through details of past transactions.
    • Ownership, then, is established on the basis of current possession. Registration of land is actually a registration of transactions, such as sale deeds, records of inheritance, mortgage and lease.
    • Holding registration papers does not actually involve the government or the legal framework guaranteeing the ownership title of the land.

    What will change in the new system?

    • On the other hand, under a conclusive land titling system, land records designate actual ownership.
    • The title is granted by the government, which takes the responsibility for accuracy.
    • Once a title is granted, any other claimant will have to settle disputes with the government, not the titleholder.

    Why is conclusive land titling needed?

    • The main advantage is that a conclusive system will drastically lower litigation related to land.
    • According to a 2007 World Bank study on ‘Land Policies for growth and poverty reduction’, land-related disputes accounted for two-thirds of all pending court cases in India.
    • A NITI Aayog study on strengthening arbitration estimated that disputes on land or real estate take an average time of 20 years in the courts to be resolved.

    A move for EODB

    • Right now, because land titles are based on transactions, people have to keep the entire chain of transaction records, and a dispute on any link in that chain causes ambiguity in ownership.
    • Once conclusive titling is in place, investors who want to purchase land for business activities will be able to do so without facing the constant risk that their owners may be questioned and their entire investment may go to waste.
    • Land disputes and unclear titling also create hurdles for infrastructure development and housing construction, leading to costly delays and inefficiency.

    Multiple benefits

    • In cities, urban local bodies depend on property taxes that can be levied properly only if there is clear ownership data available.
    • In rural areas, the need is even more acute. Access to agricultural credit is dependent on the ability to use the land as collateral.
    • Without being able to prove their ownership of land and access formal credit from banks, small and marginal farmers are often left at the mercy of unscrupulous moneylenders.

    What does the model Bill propose?

    • The Bill circulated by the NITI Aayog in 2020 calls for Land Authorities to be set up by each State government, which will appoint a Title Registration Officer (TRO),
    • TRO will prepare and publish a draft list of land titles based on existing records and documents.
    • This will be considered a valid notice to all potential claimants interested in the property, who will have to file their claims or objections within a set period of time.
    • If disputing claims are received, the TRO will verify all the relevant documents and refer the case to a Land Dispute Resolution Officer (LDRO) for resolution.

    Major hurdles

    • The biggest challenge is that land records have not been updated for decades, especially in rural and semi-urban areas.
    • Land records are often in the name of the grandparents of the current owner, with no proof of inheritance.
    • Unless they are based on updated records, conclusive land titles could create even more problems.
    • Comprehensive village-level surveys with community involvement are a necessary precursor to the land titling process.
    • Relying on current records or even satellite imagery will not provide the same accuracy as actual, on-the-ground, local surveys.

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  • Global Geological And Climatic Events

    What is Laschamp Excursion?

    | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 1: Geographical Features & Their Location

    This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in DownToEarth.

    The world experienced a few centuries of apocalyptic conditions 42,000 years ago, triggered by a reversal of the Earth’s magnetic poles combined with changes in the Sun’s behaviour. This event is called as Laschamps Excursion.

    Try this PYQ from CSP 2018:

    Q.The term “sixth mass extinction/sixth extinction” is often mentioned in the news in the context of the discussion of

    (a) Widespread monoculture Practices agriculture and large-scale commercial farming with indiscriminate use of chemicals in many parts of the world that may result in the loss of good native ecosystems.

    (b) Fears of a possible collision of a meteorite with the Earth in the near future in the manner it happened 65million years ago that caused the mass extinction of many species including those of dinosaurs.

    (c) Large scale cultivation of genetically modified crops in many parts of the world and promoting their cultivationin other Parts of the world which may cause the disappearance of good native crop plants and the loss offood biodiversity.

    (d) Mankind’s over-exploitation/misuse of natural resources, fragmentation/loss, natural habitats, destructionof ecosystems, pollution and global climate change.

    Laschamp Excursion

    • The Laschamp event was a geomagnetic excursion (a short reversal of the Earth’s magnetic field). It occurred 41,400 years ago, during the end of the Last Glacial Period.
    • This event is named after the village where it was discovered in the French Massif Central.
    • It led to series of catastrophic events like the ozone layer was destroyed, electrical storms raged across the tropics, solar winds generated spectacular light shows (auroras), Arctic air poured across North America, ice sheets and glaciers surged and weather patterns shifted violently.
    • During these events, life on earth was exposed to intense ultraviolet light, Neanderthals and giant animals known as megafauna went extinct, while modern humans sought protection in caves.

    The Adams Event

    • This last major geomagnetic reversal triggered a series of dramatic events that have far-reaching consequences for our planet.
    • Because of the coincidence of seemingly random cosmic events and the extreme environmental changes found around the world 42,000 years ago, researchers have called this period the “Adams Event”.

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