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

    Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI)

    | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and agreements involving India

    Union Health Minister has been nominated by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) as a member of the GAVI Board.

    Q.The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the limitations of global cooperation. Critically analyse.

    GAVI

    • GAVI is a public-private global health partnership with the goal of increasing access to immunization in poor countries.
    • GAVI has observer status at the World Health Assembly.
    • GAVI has been praised for being innovative, effective, and less bureaucratic than multilateral government institutions like the WHO.
    • Members: the WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry in both industrialized and developing countries, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation among others.
    • GAVI programs can often produce quantified, politically appealing, easy-to-explain results within an election cycle, which is appealing to parties locked in an election cycle.

    Its function

    • It currently supports the immunization of almost half the world’s children, giving it the power to negotiate better prices for the world’s poorest countries and remove the commercial risks of manufacturers.
    • It also provides funding to strengthen health systems and train health workers across the developing world.

    Significance of India’s membership

    • The GAVI Board is responsible for the strategic direction and policymaking oversees the operations of the Vaccine Alliance and monitors program implementation.
    • With membership drawn from a range of partner organizations, as well as experts from the private sector, the Board provides a forum for balanced strategic decision making, innovation, and partner collaboration.

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  • Promoting Science and Technology – Missions,Policies & Schemes

    ‘Digital Ocean’: the Digital Platform for Ocean Data Management

    Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

    The Ministry of Earth Sciences has inaugurated the web-based application “Digital Ocean” developed by INCOIS.

    Digital Ocean

    • Digital Ocean is a first of its kind digital platform for Ocean Data Management.
    • The platform will be promoted as a platform for capacity building on Ocean Data Management for all Indian Ocean Rim countries.
    • It would help share ocean knowledge about the ocean with a wide range of users including research institutions, operational agencies, strategic users, the academic community, and the maritime industry and policymakers.
    • It also provides free access to information to the general public and the common man.
    • It will play a central role in the sustainable management of our oceans and expanding ‘Blue Economy’ initiatives.

    Its’ features

    • It includes a set of applications developed to organize and present heterogeneous oceanographic data by adopting rapid advancements in geospatial technology.
    • It facilitates:
    1. Online interactive web-based environment for data integration,
    2. 3D and 4D (3D in space with time animation) data visualization,
    3. Data analysis to assess the evolution of oceanographic features,
    4. Data fusion and multi-format download of disparate data from multiple sources viz., in-situ, remote sensing, and model data, all of which is rendered on a georeferenced 3D Ocean.

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

    Places in news: Sea of Galilee

    National Parks/WS | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia

    The Sea of Galilee, well-known in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic lore, has swelled up due to recent rains, according to reports in the Israeli media.

    Do you know?

    The Sea of Galilee Lake Tiberias, Kinneret or Kinnereth is a freshwater lake in Israel. It is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth and the second-lowest lake in the world (after the Dead Sea, a saltwater lake).

    Sea of Galilee

    • The lake lies in northern Israel, between the occupied Golan Heights and the Galilee region. It is fed by underground springs but its major source is the Jordan River.
    • The lake has risen to 209.905 meters below sea level due to heavy rainfall in the surrounding areas.
    • The Jordan flows into the lake and then exits it before ending in the Dead Sea, the saltiest and the lowest point on the planet.
    • Water is not extracted from the Sea of Galilee. But it is considered to be an important barometer of the water situation in Israel.

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  • Innovation Ecosystem in India

    [pib] TiHAN: India’s first Testbed for Autonomous Navigation Systems

    PIB | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: S&T – Applications In Everyday Life

    Union Minister of Education laid the foundation stone of ‘TiHAN-IIT Hyderabad’, India’s first Testbed for Autonomous Navigation Systems (Terrestrial and Aerial).

    Must read:

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/regulations-for-flying-of-drones/

    TiHAN

    • TiHAN is an acronym for Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation and Data Acquisition Systems (UAVs, RoVs, etc.).
    • It is a multi-departmental initiative, including researchers from Electrical, Computer Science, Mechanical and Aerospace, Civil, Mathematics, and Design at IIT Hyderabad.
    • It would focus on addressing various challenges hindering the real-time adoption of unmanned autonomous vehicles for both terrestrial and aerial applications.

    Why need TiHAN?

    • One major requirement to make unmanned and connected vehicles more acceptable to the consumer society is to demonstrate its performance in real-life scenarios.
    • However, it may become dangerous. Especially in terms of safety, to directly use the operational roadway facilities as experimental test tracks for unmanned and connected vehicles.
    • In general, both UAV and UGV testing may include crashes and collisions with obstacles, resulting in damage to costly sensors and other components.
    • Hence, it is important to test new technologies developed in a safe, controlled environment before deployment.

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  • Industrial Sector Updates – Industrial Policy, Ease of Doing Business, etc.

    [pib] Action Agenda for an AtmaNirbhar Bharat (AAAN)

    PIB | | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

    The Health Ministry has released the report Action Agenda for an AtmaNirbhar Bharat (AAAN) prepared by Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC).

    Q.‘Doubling Farmer’s Income’ and ‘USD 5 trillion economy’  seems more like slogans today in wake of COVID pandemic. Comment on the statement with keeping in view the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan of the government.

    AAAN Report

    • The report AAAN is a consequential follow-up of the TIFAC’s White Paper on Focused Interventions for ‘Make in India’: post-COVID -19 which was released earlier this year.
    • The White Paper highlighted five thrust sectors namely, Healthcare, Machinery, ICT, Agriculture, Manufacturing, and Electronics that would be critical for India’s economic growth post-COVID.
    • This AAAN action plan has been structured with reference to timeline, highlighting short/medium and long term interventions in various identified sectors.

    Why need such an agenda?

    • The World is experiencing unprecedented health and economic crisis. A widespread deep global recession has been bolstered, undermining global cooperation and multilateralism.
    • The most outward global economies have turned inwards and are designing enhanced measures for rebooting and resilience of the economy.
    • The document also specifically defines overarching policy recommendations with reference to technological inputs, focusing towards Local to Global.
    • It would thereby revive the Indian economy, in identified domains of Innovation and Technology Development, Technology Adoption/Diffusion, Boosting up Manufacturing and Productivity, Trade and Globalization etc.

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  • Innovations in Sciences, IT, Computers, Robotics and Nanotechnology

    Exploiting 5G strategically

    | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

    The article examines the threat posed by the Chinese 5G technology to the world and India.

    Implications of Chinese 5G technology for Nepal

    • The launch of 5G in Nepal would mean that Nepal’s business interests could pass into Chinese control.
    • Real-time information on weather, routes, map, etc could be based on Chinese 5G, thus making locals or visitors to Nepal dependent on it.
    • A related development of infrastructure along the borders, where most mountaineering sites are, could make Nepal’s borders vulnerable and damage its tourism industry.
    • With lower incomes, the tourism industry might get lured into Chinese cheap loans, leading to a strategic debt trap.
    • Such development would have several ramifications for India.

    Implications of Chinese 5G technology for the world

    • 2020 has been no ordinary year —Militaries have been pushed to the borders, treaties, and agreements are being signed, and a record number of military deals have happened.
    • This year has witnessed the most unprecedented intensification of global military conflicts since the Gulf War.
    • AI applications have been at display in warfare, with drone killing machines being advertised.
    • There is no option left but to get the 5G technology now.
    • Huge Chinese investments across the world to spread a 5G network will encompass the planet — a “digital encirclement of the world”.
    • Combined with the BRI (Belt and Road Initiative), this encirclement would be complete.
    • Intrinsic to the BRI is the fact that Chinese companies will build digital infrastructure.
    • Militaries who allow Chinese 5G, could then become hostage to Chinese technology, as seen during the pandemic.

    Indian 5G technology: Advantages and challenges ahead

    •  India is likely to survive the Chinese 5G invasion if it accelerates the launch of the Indian 5G.
    • India is working on technologies that would enable it to launch Indigenous 5G that would run IoT platforms for civilians as well as military applications.
    • The banning of Chinese apps and blocking of hardware supply chains would be the correct counteroffensive to protect the business and security interests of the country.
    • The problem is India being poor in “implementation”.
    • Where India starts losing out is in slow adoption, getting entangled in policy processes and the crosshairs of the bureaucracy. 

    Consider the question “What are the concerns with the adoption of Chinese 5G technology? How indigenous 5G technology help India and what are the challenges in developing it?” 

    Conclusion

    India must get its timing right. The implementation of 5G, though a bit delayed, can make India a good alternative to China. But agreements like RCEP and China’s other debt strategies will remain a larger threat to the world.

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  • Agricultural Sector and Marketing Reforms – eNAM, Model APMC Act, Eco Survey Reco, etc.

    Reforms with the future and farming needs in mind

    op-ed snap | Agriculture | Mains Paper 3: Issues Related To Farm Subsidies & Msp

    Some provisions of the new farm laws are opposed by the farmers. The article explains the utility of these provisions.

    Major objections to farm laws

    • The first objection is that the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMC) will be eventually closed,
    • The second objection is that Minimum Support Prices (MSP) will be stopped,
    • The third fear is that corporates will take over the agriculture trade, and farmers’ land will be taken over by powerful corporates.

    Why reforms were needed

    • The gap between the agri-income of a farmer and that of a non-agriculture worker increased from ₹25,398 in 1993–94 to ₹1.42 lakh in 2011-12.
    • Aggregate food demand has fallen short of domestic production necessitating the export of a large quantity to prevent domestic prices from falling very low.
    • India is sitting on an excess stock of 60 lakh tons of sugar and nearly 72 million tons of extra buffer stock of wheat and rice which is causing a huge drain on fiscal resources.
    • India’s agri-exports are facing difficulty, imports are turning attractive as domestic prices are turning much higher.
    • Rural youth are looking for jobs outside agriculture and there is a serious problem of unemployment in the countryside.
    • There are numerous instances of market failure to the detriment of producers and consumers.
    • This is turning farmers to look at the government for remunerative prices through MSP for most agricultural products.
    • The growth rate in agriculture is driven by heavy support through various kinds of subsidies and output price support.
    • These costs and losses and subsidies will take away most of the tax revenue of the central government.

    3 Provisions and their utility

    1) Relation between MSP and APMC

    • APMC has nothing to do with the payment of the MSP.
    • The necessary and sufficient conditions for the MSP are procurement by the government, with or without the APMC.
    • Experience shows that even after fruits and vegetables were de-notified from the APMC, they continued to arrive at APMC mandis in large quantities while farmers got additional options.
    • The protesting farmers have raised concerns to keep the level-playing field for the APMC and private players, and the government has shown agreement to address this fully.

    2) Criteria for traders

    • Protesting farmers are also opposing the provision of the simple requirement of a PAN card for a trader.
    • After having a PAN card, even a farmer can go for trading, his son can do agri-business and other rural youth can undertake purchases of farm commodities for direct sale to a consumer or other agribusiness firms.
    • If stringent criteria such as bank guarantee, etc. are included in the registration, then the spirit of the new law to facilitate farmers and rural youth to become agribusiness entrepreneurs will be lost.

    3) Mistaking contract farming with corporate farming

    • Critics and protesting farmers are mixing contract farming with corporate farming.
    • The new Act intends to insulate interested farmers (especially small farmers), against market and price risks.
    • The Act is voluntary and either party is free to leave it after the expiry of the agreement.
    • It prohibits the transfer, sale, lease, mortgage of the land or premises of the farmer.
    • The Act will promote diversification, quality production for a premium price, export, and direct sale of produce, with desired attributes to interested consumers.
    • It will also bring new capital and knowledge into agriculture and pave the way for farmers’ participation in the value chain.

    Conclusion

    The policy reforms undertaken by the central government through these Acts are in keeping with the changing times and requirements of farmers and farming. If they are implemented in the right spirit, they will take Indian agriculture to new heights and usher in the transformation of the rural economy.

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  • Digital India Initiatives

    National Common Mobility Card (NCMC)

    | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways Etc.

    Prime Minister has launched the ambitious National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) service for the Delhi Metro’s Airport Express Line.

    Q.What is the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC)? How it a step moving towards a one nation one card system? (150W)

    National Common Mobility Card

    • The idea of NCMC was floated by the Nandan Nilekani committee set up by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
    • The committee had suggested that NCMC should contain two instruments – a regular debit card which can be used at an ATM and a local wallet.
    • Banks mandated by the department of financial services have been asked to make their debit cards NCMC compliant, to ensure availability of service.
    • The committee has also proposed a host of measures, including all payments by the government to citizens through the digital mode, to reduce the number of cash transactions in the country.

    Features of the NCMC

    • NCMC will allow passengers with RuPay debit cards, issued in the last 18 months by 23 banks, including SBI, UCO Bank, Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank, etc, to be swiped for Metro travel.
    • It can be used at all transit locations making all new metro and transit payments interoperable via one card.
    • NCMC is an automatic fare collection system. It will turn smartphones into an inter-operable transport card that commuters can use eventually to pay for Metro, bus, and suburban railways services.
    • NCMC service is slated to cover the entire 400km stretch of Delhi Metro.
    • It will allow entry and exit from Metro stations with the help of a smartphone, known as the automatic fare collection (AFC) system.
    • To make AFC compliant indigenous gates for metro stations, the government has engaged Bharat Electronics Limited. Eventually, all Metro stations will be fitted with AFC gates.

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  • International Space Agencies – Missions and Discoveries

    Proxima Centauri: the closest star to the Sun

    | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

    Astronomers running the world’s largest initiative to look for alien life have recently picked up an “intriguing” radio wave emission from the direction of Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our Sun.

    Proxima Centauri

    • Proxima Centauri is 4.2 light-years away from the Sun – considered a close distance in cosmic terms.
    • Its mass is about an eighth of the Sun’s, and it is too dim to be seen with the naked eye from Earth.
    • Proxima b, one of the two planets that revolve around the star, is the subject of significant curiosity.
    • Sized 1.2 times larger than Earth, and orbits its star every 11 days, Proxima b lies in Proxima Centauri’s “Goldilocks zone”.

    Goldilocks zone is the area around a star where it is not too hot and not too cold for liquid water to exist on the surface of surrounding planets. To give an example, the Earth is in the Sun’s Goldilocks zone.

    The mystery of radio signals

    • Astronomers at the Breakthrough Listen project, started by the legendary physicist Stephen Hawking, regularly spot blasts of radio waves using two powerful telescopes.
    • They are Parkes Observatory in Australia or the Green Bank Observatory in the US.
    • All of their findings so far, though, have been attributed either to natural sources or interference caused by humans.
    • This raises the possibility that the emission could be an alien “techno-signature”, meaning something which provides evidence of alien technology.
    • There are also reasons to believe that the signal might not mean ‘aliens’.
    • Another possibility could be that the signal could have been caused by something behind Proxima Centauri or by a natural phenomenon whose existence we so far do not know of.

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  • Banking Sector Reforms

    What are Zero Coupon Bonds?

    | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

    The government has used financial innovation to recapitalize a bank by issuing the lender Rs 5,500-crore worth of non-interest bearing bonds called Zero-Coupon Bonds.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Which of the following is issued by registered foreign portfolio investors to overseas investors who want to be part of the Indian stock market without registering themselves directly?

    (a) Certificate of Deposit

    (b) Commercial Paper

    (c) Promissory Note

    (d) Participatory Note

    Zero-Coupon Bonds

    • These are non-interest bearing, non-transferable special GOI securities that have a maturity of 10-15 years and are issued specifically to Punjab & Sind Bank.
    • These bonds are not tradable; the lender has kept them in the held-to-maturity (HTM) investments bucket, not requiring it to book any mark-to-market gains or losses from these bonds.
    • This will earn no interest for the subscriber; market participants term it both a ‘financial illusion’ and ‘great innovation’ by the government.

    How do they differ from bonds issued by private firms?

    • There is a difference between zero-coupon bonds issued by other corporates and these.
    • Zero-coupon bonds by private companies are normally issued at discount, but since these special bonds are not tradable these can be issued at par.

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