Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- Recalibrating India-Nepal ties
The article suggests the need for a relook at the India-Nepal ties in the changing geopolitical circumstances.
Unchanging perspective on of each other
- Many in Nepal continue to equate being anti-India with being nationalistic.
- Politicians and political parties whip up such sentiment especially before an election.
- Prime Minister K.P. Oli won the 2017 election partly because he projected himself as someone who stood up to India during the blockade.
- He again whipped up nationalistic sentiments when he got the Nepal map amended to add new territory.
- India continues to think that by providing aid and development projects in Nepal, it can win Nepali hearts.
- But despite pouring billions of rupees into Nepal over decades, it has still not been able to do so.
- Therefore, it needs to reflect on what it is not doing right.
India’s aid Vs Chines aid to Nepal
- Two issues are important to understand here.
- First, all aid to Nepal from countries other than India and China go through the Plans of the Government of Nepal.
- Indian aid is seen in Nepal as a favour bestowed on a constituency it wants to garner support from rather than a contribution to Nepal’s planned development.
- Second, India competes with China in providing aid outside government budgets.
- And China picks up projects of visibility and strategic location.
- Chinese involvement in Nepal has increased since the April 2015 earthquake and Nepal is surely an area of strategic influence in China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
People-to-people ties
- In the past two decades, two significant changes have happened.
- 1) Indian workers in Nepal constitute a big part of the workforce and send about $3 billion to India every year.
- In terms of remittances to India, Nepal ranks eighth.
- So, the Government of India needs to keep in mind that many households in India are being run with remittances from Nepal.
- 2) Nepalis have migrated in the past 20 years to more than a hundred countries; India is not the only country that Nepalis rely on for jobs or education.
- This is a new Nepal comprising young people with global aspirations.
- Meanwhile, Nepal needs to plan how it engages with the youth in mainland India for whom Nepal is just like Bangladesh or Myanmar.
Consider the question “The unchanging perspective of each other in both countries calls for the recalibration of India-Nepal ties. Examine the factors that India should consider while having a relook at its ties with Nepal”
Conclusion
There are some fundamentals that we simply cannot forget: geography will not change, the border will remain open as millions of livelihoods on both sides depend on it, and China is going to be a big global player with varied interests in the neighbourhood. Therefore, the India-Nepal relationship has to be recalibrated.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: FPTC Act 2020
Mains level: Paper 3- Agri marketing and related issues.
The article examine issue of agriculture produce marketing. The passage of FPTC Act 2020 sought to address the challenges faced by the farmers. However, these are several issues the Act fails to resolve. These issues are discussed here.
Why do farmers sell outside mandis?
- Official data show that even for paddy and wheat, respectively, only 29% and 44% of the harvest is sold in a mandi.
- In other words a large proportion of Indian harvest is not directly sold in a mandi.
- Farmers are forced to sell outside the mandis for two reasons.
1) There are not enough mandis
- The National Commission on Agriculture (NCA) had recommended that every Indian farmer should be able to reach a mandi in one hour by a cart.
- Thus, the average area served by a mandi was to be reduced to 80 km2.
- For this, the number of mandis was to increase to at least 41,000.
- But there were only 6,630 mandis in 2019 with an average area served of 463 km2.
- Using another set of criteria, a government committee in 2017 had recommended that India should have at least 10,130 mandis.
- So, by all counts, India needs not less but more mandis.
2) Transport cost
- Most small and marginal farmers, do not find it economical to bear the transport costs to take their harvests to mandis.
- Thus, they end up selling their harvest to a village trader even if at a lower price.
- Even if private markets replace mandis, small and marginal farmers will continue to sell to traders in the village itself.
- The situation will change only if economies of scale rise substantially at the farm-level.
Why there is poor private investment in markets?
- Already, 18 States have allowed the establishment of private markets outside the APMC; 19 States have allowed the direct purchase of agricultural produce from farmers; and 13 States have allowed the establishment of farmer’s markets outside the APMC.
- Despite such legislative changes, no significant private investment has flowed in to establish private markets in these States.
- The reason for poor private investment in markets is the presence of high transaction costs in produce collection and aggregation.
- When private players try to take over the role of mandis and the village trader, they incur considerable costs in opening collection centres and for salaries, grading, storage and transport.
- Corporate retail chains face additional costs in urban sales and storage, as well as the risk of perishability.
- This is why many retail chains prefer purchasing from mandis rather than directly from farmers.
Issue of mandi tax
- Many commentaries treat taxes in mandis as wasteful. This assertion is not fully true for two reasons:
- 1) Much of the mandi taxes are reinvested by APMCs to improve market infrastructure.
- A fall in mandi taxes would reduce the surplus available with APMCs for such investment.
- 2) In States such as Punjab, the government charges a market committee fee and a rural development fee.
- The Punjab Mandi Board uses these revenues to construct rural roads, run medical and veterinary dispensaries, supply drinking wate etc.
- Such rural investments will also be adversely affected if mandis are weakened.
Weakening of MSP regime
- Many policy signals point to a strategic design to weaken the MSPs.
- 1) Rising input and labour costs necessitates a regular upward revision of MSPs to keep pace with costs of living.
- However, MSPs are rising at a far slower rate over the past five to six years than in the past.
- 2) The government has not yet agreed to fix MSPs at 50% above the C2 cost of production.
- As a result, farmers continue to suffer a price loss of ₹200 to ₹500 per quintal in many crops.
- 3) The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) has been recommending to the government that open-ended procurement of food grains should end.
- These policy stances have set alarm bells ringing among farmers.
- The farmers Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh feel that if mandis weaken and private markets with no commitment to MSPs expand, they fear a gradual erosion of their entitlement to a remunerative price.
Steps to be taken
- 1) India needs an increase in the density of mandis, expansion of investment in mandi infrastructure and a spread of the MSP system to more regions and crops.
- 2) This increase in density should happen hand-in-hand with a universalisation of the Public Distribution System.
- 3) APMCs need internal reform to ease the entry of new players, reduce trader collusion and link them up with national e-trading platforms.
- The introduction of unified national licences for traders and a single point levy of market fees are also steps in the right direction.
Consider the question “The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 was passed with a view to address the challenges faced by the farmers in selling their produce. However, there are concerns with the provision of the Act and its efficacy to addresss these challenges. What are the issues with the Act? Suggest the measures to address these issues.”
Conclusion
The government’s must try to allay the fears of farmers over the Farm Bills and it is never too late to rethink. Unconditional talks with farmers would be an appropriate starting point.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: OIC
Mains level: Internationalization of Kashmir Issue
India has hit out at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for making factually incorrect and unwarranted references to Jammu and Kashmir.
What is OIC?
- The OIC — formerly Organisation of the Islamic Conference — is the world’s second-largest inter-governmental organisation after the UN, with a membership of 57 states.
- The OIC’s stated objective is “to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world”.
- OIC has reserved membership for Muslim-majority countries. Russia, Thailand, and a couple of other small countries have Observer status.
India’s relationship with OIC
- At the 45th session of the Foreign Ministers’ Summit in 2018, Bangladesh suggested that India, where more than 10% of the world’s Muslims live, should be given Observer status.
- In 1969, India was dis-invited from the Conference of Islamic Countries in Rabat, Morocco at Pakistan’s behest.
- Then Agriculture Minister Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was dis-invited upon arrival in Morocco after Pakistan President Yahya Khan lobbied against Indian participation.
Recent developments
- In 2019, India made its maiden appearance at the OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Abu Dhabi, as a “guest of honour”.
- Then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj addressed the Inaugural Plenary.
- This first-time invitation was seen as a diplomatic victory for New Delhi, especially at a time of heightened tensions with Pakistan following the Pulwama attack.
- Pakistan had opposed the invitation to Swaraj and it boycotted the plenary after the UAE turned down his demand to rescind the invitation.
What is the OIC’s stand on Kashmir?
- It has been generally supportive of Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir and has issued statements criticizing India.
- These statements over the last three decades became an annual ritual, of little significance to India.
- Last year, after India revoked Article 370 in Kashmir, Pakistan lobbied with the OIC for their condemnation of the move.
- To Pakistan’s surprise, Saudi Arabia and the UAE — both top leaders among the Muslim countries — issued nuanced statements, and were not as harshly critical of New Delhi as Islamabad had hoped.
- Since then, Islamabad has tried to rouse sentiments among the Islamic countries, but only a handful of them — Turkey and Malaysia — publicly criticised India.
How has India been responding?
- India has consistently underlined that J&K is an integral part of India and is a matter strictly internal to India.
- The strength with which India has made this assertion has varied slightly at times, but never the core message.
- It has maintained its “consistent and well known” stand that the OIC had no locus standi,
- This time, India went a step ahead and said the grouping continues to allow itself to be used by a certain country “which has a record on religious tolerance, radicalism and persecution of minorities”.
OIC members and India
- Individually, India has good relations with almost all member nations. Ties with the UAE and Saudi Arabia, especially, have looked up significantly in recent years.
- The OIC includes two of India’s close neighbours, Bangladesh and Maldives.
- Indian diplomats say both countries privately admit they do not want to complicate their bilateral ties with India on Kashmir but play along with OIC.
What lies ahead with OIC?
- India now sees the duality of the OIC untenable, since many of these countries have good bilateral ties and convey to India to ignore OIC statements.
- But these countries sign off on the joint statements which are largely drafted by Pakistan.
- South Block feels it is important to challenge the double-speak since Pakistan’s campaign and currency on the Kashmir issue has hardly any takers in the international community.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Swasthya Sathi
Mains level: Ayushman Bharat
West Bengal CM has recently extended the Swasthya Sathi health insurance scheme to cover the entire population of the state.
Do you know?
Delhi, Telangana, Odisha and West Bengal have not implemented the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.
Swasthya Sathi
- The scheme was launched in West Bengal in 2016.
- It is a basic health cover for secondary and tertiary care up to Rs five lakh per annum per family.
- It is quite popular among rural and economically deprived sections of the state’s population.
Highlights of the expanded scheme
- Every family, every citizen irrespective of the age group will be included in this scheme
- This is a basic health cover for secondary and tertiary care up to Rs 5 lakh per annum per family
- The scheme is completely funded by the state government
- To cover the entire population of the state, each and every family will be given one smart card to avail the benefits under this scheme, where they will get cashless treatment
- All state-run and private hospitals are going to come under the Swasthya Sathi
- The card will be issued to the female guardians of families
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: 5G Technology
Mains level: 5G Technology and the Huawei issue
India, which has the highest average monthly mobile data traffic per smartphone, is expected to surpass 350 million 5G subscriptions by 2026, according to a report by Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson.
Also read:
[Burning Issue] 5G Technology
Ericsson Mobility Report, 2020
- As per the report, four out of every ten mobile subscriptions in 2026 will be 5G globally with 5G subscriptions forecast to reach 3.5 billion.
- In the India region, LTE (long-term evolution technology) subscriptions are forecast to increase from 710 million in 2020 to 820 million in 2026” by which time 3G will be phased out.
- LTE remains the dominant technology in 2020, accounting for 63%.
- Based on the reported timeline for spectrum auction for 5G services, India could have its first 5G connection in 2021.
Internet usage in India
- In India, the reliance of people on mobile networks to stay connected as well as work from home during the pandemic has resulted in average traffic per smartphone is the global highest.
- Low prices for mobile broadband services, affordable smartphones and increased time spent by people online all contribute to monthly usage growth in India.
Back2Basics: 5G Technology
- It is the next-generation cellular technology that will provide faster and more reliable communication with ultra-low latency.
- A government panel report points out that with 5G, the peak network data speeds are expected to be in the range of 2-20 Gigabits per second (Gbps).
- This is in contrast to 4G link speeds in averaging 6-7 Megabits per second (Mbps) in India as compared to 25 Mbps in advanced countries.
- Once 5G becomes commercial, users will be required to change their current devices in favour of 5G-enabled ones.
- However, it is likely that the primary use of the technology will go beyond the delivery of services on personal mobiles devices.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Hayabusa2 Probe
Mains level: Not Much
A Japanese spacecraft is nearing Earth after a yearlong journey home from a distant asteroid with soil samples. It is set to land in Australia.
Try this PYQ:
Which of the following is/are cited by the scientists as evidence/evidence for the continued expansion of the universe?
- Detection of microwaves in space
- Observation of redshirt phenomenon in space
- Movement of asteroids in space
- Occurrence of supernova explosions in space
Codes:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1, 3 and 4
(d) None of the above can be cited as evidence.
Hayabusa2 Probe
- Hayabusa2is an asteroid sample-return mission operated by the Japanese space agency, JAXA.
- It follows on from the Hayabusa mission which returned asteroid samples in 2010.
- It was launched on 3 December 2014 and rendezvoused with near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu on 27 June 2018.
- It surveyed the asteroid for a year and a half and took samples. It left the asteroid in November 2019.
- It carries multiple science payloads for remote sensing, sampling, and four small rovers that investigated the asteroid surface to inform the environmental and geological context of the samples collected.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Arunachal Kiwi
Mains level: Organic farming in India
Recently, the ‘Wild’ Arunachal Kiwi has received organic certification by the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for the North East Region.
Try this PYQ:
Q.Among the agricultural commodities imported by India, which one of the following accounts for the highest imports in terms of value in the last five years?
(a) Spices
(b) Fresh fruits
(c) Pulses
(d) Vegetable oils
Arunachal Kiwi
- The kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa Chev.) is a deciduous fruiting vine native to Yangtze River valley of south and central China.
- In Arunachal Pradesh, a domesticated variety of kiwi was introduced as a commercial fruit only in 2000.
- The Ziro Valley specifically located at 1,500-2,000 metres above sea level is the most ideal for kiwi.
- It is also called “China’s miracle fruit” and “Horticulture wonder of New Zealand”.
Benefits of certification
- Certification helps producers and handlers; they receive premium prices for the products and have access to fast-growing, local, regional and international markets.
Organic certification in India
- An agricultural practise/product is considered organic when there are no chemical fertilizers or pesticides involved in its cultivation process.
- Such certifications in India can be obtained after a strict scientific assessment done by the regulatory body, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Zebrafish
Mains level: Not Much
Indian scientists have used the Zebrafish model and identified its genes that can promote heart regeneration.
Try this PYQ:
Q.With reference to India’s Biodiversity, Ceylon frogmouth, Coppersmith Barbet, Gray-chinned minivet and White-throated redstart are-
(a) Birds
(b) Primates
(c) Reptiles
(d) Amphibians
Zebrafish
- Zebrafish is a small (2-3 cm long) freshwater fish found in the tropical and subtropical regions.
- The fish is native to South Asia’s Indo-Gangetic plains, where they are mostly found in the paddy fields and even in stagnant water and streams.
- The fish become adults at three months and survive 2-3 years in a laboratory condition.
- Its unique characteristics lie in its transparency during its embryonic stages, allowing observing all organs, including beating heart and blood circulation.
Ability to heal their heart
- The ability of Zebrafish to heal their heart after injury makes them an attractive model to investigate mechanisms governing the regenerative process.
- Researchers worldwide are actively working to understand the mechanism behind the heart regeneration in Zebrafish for the last two decades.
- Years of efforts have helped them identify the cellular communication network factor 2a (ccn2a), a gene that can promote heart regeneration by enhancing cardiomyocyte proliferation.
- They have also observed that this gene resolves the transient collagenous fibrotic scar resulting in faster regeneration.
Significance for humans
- Cardiovascular diseases are the number 1 cause of deaths globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year, according to the World Health Organisation.
- Humans cannot regenerate their hearts upon myocardial damage and a person who suffered a heart attack cannot functionally heal the damaged heart muscle, resulting in reduced pumping efficiency.
- While on the other hand, this unique fish has the full potential to regenerate its heart and restore its function after injury.
- Till now, there is no treatment available to restore the damaged heart function in humans. Hence scientists have sought to decode the heart regeneration processes using this model animal.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Annapurna idol
Mains level: Not Much
PM has announced that an ancient idol of the goddess Annapurna, stolen from India about a century ago, is being brought back from Canada.
Must revise: Gandhara and Mathura school of Art
[Static Revision] Chapter 6 | Post Mauryan Period (200BC to 300AD)
Annapurna Idol
- Annapurna, also spelt Annapoorna, is the goddess of food.
- This 18th-century idol, carved in the Benares was stolen from a temple of Varanasi and smuggled out around 100 years ago somewhere around 1913.
- Now is part of the University of Regina, Canada’s collection at the MacKenzie Art Gallery.
- The idol holds a bowl of kheer in one hand and a spoon in the other.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: JCPOA
Mains level: Paper 2- Peace and stability in the middle east
The assassination of Iran’s nuclear scientist has implication for the future of JCPOA and the peace and the stability of the region. The article explains why.
Context
- Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the Iranian scientist who led Iran’s nuclear weapons programme until it was disbanded, was assassinated last week.
JCPOA and U.S. Presidential election’s link with the
- Assassinations in which Israeli hands were suspected had stopped after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was signed.
- The U.S. withdrew from the agreement when Trump became the U.S. President.
- In retaliation of the withdrawal, Iran began enriching uranium and stockpiling it beyond JCPOA limits.
- With that, the strategy of targeted assassinations seems to be back.
- This strategy has assumed urgency with the election of Joe Biden in the U.S., who has expressed his desire to return to the JCPOA.
Understanding the Israel link
- Israel government is apprehensive that Mr. Biden will imperil Israel’s nuclear monopoly in West Asia.
- The assassination of Fakhrizadeh appears to be part of a larger Israeli plan in conjunction with Saudi Arabia to force the U.S. into taking military action against Iran.
- An Israeli-Saudi nexus on this issue, when combined with President Trump’s, could culminate in a major military strike on Iran before he leaves office.
Win-win situation for Israel
- If the Iranian government launches revenge attacks Mr. Netanyahu would be able to persuade the U.S. to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.
- If Iran shows restraint, Israel would have shown up the Iranian regime as weak while augmenting anti-American feelings in the country.
- That anti-American feeling would make it difficult for the Biden administration to resume negotiations with Tehran on reviving JCPOA.
Conclusion
The fallout of the assassination, while benefiting Israel, will add to the instability in the region.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Kyoto Protocol, Rio Declaration, Copenhagen Accord etc
Mains level: Paper 3- Paris Agreement and issues with it
The article highlights the fact that the provisions of the Paris Agreement would not be enough to avert the catastrophic and irreversible changes resulting from the global emissions.
Past efforts for environmental protection
- The most hopeful time for global cooperation in protection of the planet was between the time of the Stockholm Conference (1972) and the time of the Rio Conference (1992).
- Scientific evidence about role anthropogenic emission in global warming led to political initiatives to harmonise development and environment.
- The historic consensus in Rio led to the adoption of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).
- A distinction was made between the “luxury emissions” of the developed countries and the survival emissions of the developed countries, which were allowed to increase.
- Moreover, a huge financial package was approved to develop environment-friendly technologies in developing countries.
Copenhagen Accord: Abandonment of Rio Principles
- After the adoption of UNFCC, Conference of the Parties was held in Berlin in 1995 where developed countries backed off from their commitments.
- Though the G-77 was split, the Rio principles were maintained.
- The Kyoto Protocol enshrined the Rio principles.
- It fixed emission targets for developed countries and a complex set of provisions was included to satisfy their interests.
- The end of the Kyoto Protocol and the abandonment of the spirit of the Rio principles were reflected in the Copenhagen Accord (2009).
- Argument given was that a global climate action plan would be possible only if all reductions of the greenhouse gases were made voluntary.
Paris Agreement: Making emission reduction voluntary
- The Paris Agreement moved away from the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
- All countries were placed on an equal footing by making reduction of greenhouse gas emissions voluntary.
- It requires all parties to put forward their best efforts through nationally determined contributions (NDCs)
Shortcomings in Paris Agreement
- The NDCs so far submitted will not result in the desired objective of limiting increase of global warming to below 2°C.
- The Paris Agreement requires that all countries — rich, poor, developed, and developing — slash greenhouse gas emissions.
- But no language is included on the commitments the countries should make.
- Nations can voluntarily set their emissions targets and incur no penalties for falling short of their targets.
- Further temperature rise, even of 1.5°C, may result in catastrophic and irreversible changes.
- Even a 1°C hotter planet is not a steady state, says a report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Conclusion
The IPCC report acknowledges that “the pathways to avoiding an even hotter world would require a swift and complete transformation not just of the global economy but of society too”. This will only be possible if the world rejects nationalism and parochialism and adopts collaborative responses to the crisis. The Paris Agreement falls short of that imperative.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Recent Agricultural bills, MSP
Mains level: Concerns of farmers over this bill
Farmers all across the Punjab and Haryana have marched to New Delhi over the new legislations.
Major cause of Farmers’ protest
- Much of the opposition really is just to one of the three laws. It is the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act and its provisions that are seen as weakening the APMC mandis.
- Even in that one — the act — there are only some contentious provisions, which, although key, can still leave doors open for negotiation.
A fight for privilege
- Farmers, if anything, would gain from removal of stocking restrictions on the trade, as it potentially translates into unlimited buying and demand for their produce.
The contentious one: FPTC Act
- The FPTC Act is a bone of contention. It permits sale and purchase of farm produce outside the premises of APMC mandis.
- Such trades (including on electronic platforms) shall attract no market fee, cess or levy “under any State APMC Act or any other State law”.
- An issue here is the very right of the Centre to enact legislation on agricultural marketing.
- Article 246 of the Constitution places “agriculture” and “markets and fairs” in the State List.
- But entry 42 of the Union List empowers the Centre to regulate “inter-State trade and commerce”.
An example of Central hegemony
- While trade and commerce “within the State” is under entry 26 of the State List, it is subject to the provisions of entry 33 of the Concurrent List.
- Under this, the Centre can make laws that would prevail over those enacted by the states.
- Entry 33 of the Concurrent List covers trade and commerce in “foodstuffs, including edible oilseeds and oils”, fodder, cotton and jute.
- The Centre, in other words, can very pass any law that removes all impediments to both inter- and intra-state trade in farm produce, while also overriding the existing state APMC Acts. The FPTC Act does precisely that.
Farmers question
- Some experts make a distinction between agricultural “marketing” and “trade”.
- Agriculture per se would deal with everything that a farmer does — right from field preparation and cultivation to also sale of his/her own produce.
- The act of primary sale at a mandi by the farmer is as much “agriculture” as production in the field.
- “Trade” begins only after the produce has been “marketed” by the farmer.
The centre’s overriding logic behind
- Going by this interpretation, the Centre is within its rights to frame laws that promote barrier-free trade of farm produce (inter- as well as intra-state) and do not allow stockholding or export restrictions.
- But these can be only after the farmer has sold.
- Regulation of first sale of agricultural produce is a “marketing” responsibility of the states, not the Centre.
What do farmers’ want?
- Farmers would want no restrictions on the movement, stocking and export of their produce.
- For example, Maharashtra’s onion growers have vehemently opposed the Centre’s resort to ban on exports and imposition of stock limits whenever retail prices have tended to go up.
- But these restrictions relate to “trade”.
- When it comes to “marketing” — especially dismantling of the monopoly of APMCs — farmers, especially in Punjab and Haryana, aren’t very convinced about the “freedom of choice to sell to anyone and anywhere” argument.
Where lies the major issue?
- Much of government procurement at minimum support prices (MSP) — of paddy, wheat and increasingly pulses, cotton, groundnut and mustard — happens in APMC mandis.
- In a scenario where more and more trading moves out of the APMCs, these regulated market yards will lose revenues.
- They may not formally shut, but it would become like BSNL versus Jio.
- And if the government stops buying, farmers will be left with only the big corporates to sell to.
What could be negotiated?
- If the protesting farmer union leaders were to sit down at the negotiating table, the government can possibly get them to agree to drop the demand on repealing all the three laws.
- Their problem is essentially about the FPTC Act and its provisions that they see as weakening the APMC mandis.
- These may be just fears, but they aren’t small.
- From the government’s standpoint, the elephant in the room would be if the farmers insist on an additional demand: Making MSP a legal right.
- This would be still impossible to meet, even if the three farm laws were to be put on hold.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Ways to counter shortage of doctors in India
The Central Council of Indian Medicine, a statutory body set up under the AYUSH Ministry has allowed postgraduate (PG) Ayurvedic practitioners to receive formal training for a variety of general surgery, ENT, ophthalmology and dental procedures.
Debate over Ayurvedic surgeries
- The Indian Medical Association (IMA) decrying it as a mode of allowing mixing of systems of medicine by using terms from allopathy.
- The debate revolves Ayurveda doctors allowing ‘Shalya’ (general surgery) and ‘Shalakya’ (dealing with eye, ear, nose, throat, head and neck, oro-dentistry) to perform 58 specified surgical procedures.
- The AYUSH Ministry has clarified that the ‘Shalya’ and ‘Shalakya’ postgraduates were already learning these procedures in their (surgical) departments in Ayurvedic medical colleges as per their training curriculum.
Broader issue
- The broader issue is the feasiblity of short-term training equip them to conduct surgeries and if this dilutes the medicine standards in India.
- As such, the postgraduate Ayurvedic surgical training is not short-term but a formal three-year course.
- Whether the surgeries conducted in Ayurvedic medical colleges and hospitals have the same standards and outcomes as allopathic institutions requires explication and detailed formal enquiry, in the interest of patient safety.
Why such a move?
- The shortage and unwillingness of allopathic doctors, including surgeons, to serve in rural areas is now a chronic issue.
- The government has tried to address this by mechanisms such as rural bonds, a quota for those who have served in rural service in postgraduate seats.
- However, it would probably still continue to fall short of enough trained specialists in rural areas.
Are there any restrictions on Ayurveda practitioners?
- As of now, no such restriction exists that limits non-allopathic doctors, including those doing Ayurvedic surgical postgraduation, to rural areas.
- They have the same rights as allopathic graduates and postgraduates to practise in any setting of their choice.
Is it sensible to allow Ayurvedic surgeons to only assist allopathic surgeons, rather than perform surgeries themselves?
- The AYUSH streams are recognised systems of medicine, and as such are allowed to independently practise medicine.
- They have medical colleges with both undergraduate and postgraduate training, which include surgical disciplines for some systems, such as Ayurveda.
- There is, however, a difference in approach in the systems of medicine, and hence models, which allow for cross-pathy.
Various risks associated
- An apprenticeship model for Ayurvedic surgeons working with allopathic surgeons might fall into a regulatory grey zone.
- It might require re-training Ayurvedic practitioners in the science of surgical approaches in modern medicine.
- Even then, there might be a limit to what they are allowed to do. Any such experiment can put patient safety in peril, and hence, will need careful oversight and evaluation.
Can this lead to substandard care?
- Many patients prefer to receive treatment exclusively from AYUSH providers, while some approach this form of treatment as a complement to the existing allopathic treatment they are receiving.
- For invasive procedures, like surgery, the risk element can be high.
A matter of rights
- Patients have a right to know and understand who their surgeon would be, what system of medicine they belong to, and their expertise and level of training.
- There should not be a difference in quality of care between urban and rural patients — everyone deserves a right to quality and evidence-based care from trained professionals.
Way forward
- We need to explore creative ways of addressing this gap by evidence-based approaches, such as task-sharing, supported by efficient and quality referral mechanisms.
- The advent of mid-level healthcare providers, such as Community Health Providers in many States, is also an opportunity to shift some elements of healthcare (preventive, promotive, and limited curative) to these providers, while ensuring clarity of role and career progression.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: RT-PCR, LAMP
Mains level: COVID testing issues
Indian Council of Medical Research has recently validated the LAMP technology for COVID-19 testing.
What is RT-LAMP?
- RT-LAMP stands for Reverse Transcriptase loop-mediated isothermal amplification) technology.
- Agappe Diagnostics has recently developed the technology indigenously, and their kit has been validated and approved by the ICMR for marketing.
- It is named LUME Screen nCoV.
How does it work?
- RT-LAMP technology is a one-step nucleic acid amplification method to multiply specific sequences of RNA of the coronavirus.
- The RNA is first made into cDNA (copy DNA) by the usual reverse transcription. Then, the DNA is amplified by the LAMP technique.
Current method
- •The current method diagnosis is the real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test which detects the presence of viral nucleic acids in nasopharyngeal swab samples.
- But it has certain shortcomings.
- The test requires complex and costly equipment. It requires extensive training for potential users.
Benefits of LAMP over RT-PCR
- The LAMP technology is superior to the PCR technology–based COVID-19 kits where specificity is around 95% only.
- As the specificity and sensitivity of the test is about 95%, there is a possibility of false negative results.
- The turnaround time is about 10 hours, so that the result will be available only by the next day.
- In remote places, the turnaround time further increases depending on the distance the samples need to travel.
- In short, the RT-PCR does not have the capacity to keep pace with the increasing demand.
- The LAMP technology does not need laborious preparation as in the case of RT-PCR. LAMP is cost effective and does not need complex expensive equipment.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 3- Quad needs naval heft
The article suggests projection of naval power to ensure the stability in the Indian Ocean.
Quad conducts Malabar exercise
- In November, the Quad converged to continue the Malabar series, with a total of just eight ships.
- The idea of Quad is to form a grouping of democratic nations in the Indian Ocean, and use naval power to convey a message to Beijing.
- The message a grouping of eight ships would convey to a nation thinking in terms of five aircraft carriers remains would not be taken seriously.
Importance of naval power in ensuring oceanic stability
- There is no substitute for naval power to ensure oceanic stability, but one alternative lies in the area of Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).
- Perhaps, some thought may already have been given to MDA in the twin agreement to BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement), and Maritime Information Sharing Technical Agreement (MISTA) signed between India and the US.
- There is little information available in the public domain about MISTA.
- But MISTA should cover an omnibus agreement for Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) operating and information sharing for the entire Indo-Pacific.
- The Pacific has a high density of MPA assets, while they are sparse in the Indian Ocean, particularly the western Indian Ocean.
- The Australians can cover the Malacca Straits, but for the west Indian Ocean, the US will probably have to base a squadron of P-8 aircraft at Masirah or Diego Garcia.
- Today, the primary weapon system of most warships is the surface-to-surface missile, with ranges of up to 200 km.
- The ships’ sensor range is only up to 100 km.
- So, accurate target information has to be supplied beyond 100 km by aircraft or helicopters in what is called Over the Horizon Targeting (OTHT).
- With the Indo-Pacific fully covered by the MPAs of the Quad, a PLAN ship in the Indian Ocean is in imminent danger of being sunk at will
Conclusion
A public announcement of a division of the Indo-Pacific into areas of responsibility for MDA, between members of the Quad will send an unmistakable signal to Beijing. With a desultory Quad naval exercise, once a year of a few ships, Beijing will only be amused that a “threat” exists to its ambition to become a global power.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: National Food Security Act 2013
Mains level: Paper 3- Food Security
The article takes stock of the food insecurity and malnutrition in India with the aid of two recently published reports.
Reports about food security in India
- Two recent reports — “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020” by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and the 2020 Hunger report, “Better Nutrition, Better Tomorrow” by the Bread for the World Institute – document staggering facts about Indian food insecurity and malnutrition.
- The reports use two globally recognised indicators, Prevalence of Undernourishment (PoU) and the Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food Insecurity (PMSFI).
- Using these indicators, the reports indicate India to be one of the most food-insecure countries, with the highest rates of stunting and wasting among other South Asian countries.
Comparing rate of reduction in malnutrition with neighbouring countries
- Malnutrition in India has not declined as much as the decline has occurred in terms of poverty.
- On the contrary, the reduction is found to be much lower than in neighbouring China, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
- The decline in China is way higher than that of India, even though it had started with lower levels of PoU in 2000.
Food security during pandemic and National Food Security Act 2013
- Two crucial elements still got left out in the National Food Security Act – 2013.
- These two elements are the non-inclusion of nutritious food items such as pulses and exclusion of potential beneficiaries.
- Because of this, the current COVID-19 pandemic would make the situation worse in general, more so for vulnerable groups.
- Though States have temporarily expanded their coverage in the wake of the crisis, the problem of malnutrition is likely to deepen in the coming years.
- Hence, a major shift in policy has to encompass the immediate universalisation of the Public Distribution System which should definitely not be temporary in nature.
Conclusion
The need of the hour remains the right utilisation and expansion of existing programmes to ensure that we arrest at least some part of this burgeoning malnutrition in the country.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PM-Kisan
Mains level: Paper 2- Geo-targeted aid during disasters
The article suggests the provision for a safety net with geographic targeting in case of disasters as most disasters are location specific.
Safety net in the U.S.
- The US Congress enacted in March a Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to sends $1,200 to each individual below the income threshold of $75,000.
- Nonetheless, as The Washington Post reported, even in October, millions of households were yet to receive their stimulus payments.
- The tax authorities who were charged with disbursing the funds had no way of knowing how to send the cheques.
- But the poor had to cross several hurdles to get this money and the computer system did not make it easy for them to register their claim.
Safety net in India and issues with it
- In contrast to U.S., 23 per cent of Indians living in Delhi-NCR received a payment of Rs 500 in their Jan Dhan accounts within three weeks of the lockdown being declared.
- Farmers registered for PM-KISAN also received Rs 2,000 in their accounts immediately.
- However, there were some issues for example, recipients of PM-KISAN were not amongst the poorest households, nor were these the households that were most affected by the COVID-related lockdown.
- The PM-Kisan Yojana applies to landowners, thereby excluding agricultural labourers as well as the urban informal sector workers who were most affected by the lockdown.
- Similarly, for the PMJDY payment, BPL and non-BPL households record similar receipt transfers.
Twin challenges in designing social safety nets
- Unless a registry containing data about individuals and their bank accounts exists, money cannot be transferred expeditiously.
- 1) Registries based on specific criteria (for example, identified BPL households) may not identify individuals most vulnerable to crises.
- 2) Factors that contribute towards alleviating poverty may differ from the ones that push people into it — indicating the challenge of targeting welfare beneficiaries in response to shocks.
- About 40 per cent of the poor in 2012 were pushed into poverty by special circumstances and would not have been classified as being poor based on their 2005 conditions.
- Such exclusion errors can get magnified in the event of large-scale disasters when using pre-existing databases, since many people are likely to fall into poverty from an economy-wide negative shock, leading to coverage errors.
Way forward
- Recent estimates from the World Bank suggest that 88 to 115 million people could slide into poverty in 2020.
- These observations suggest that in a disaster response situation, we cannot rely on registries based on individual characteristics to identify beneficiaries.
- Most disasters are geographically clustered.
- If there is a way for us to set up social registries that identify individuals, their place of residence, and their bank accounts, these linkages can be used to transfer funds to everyone living in the affected area quickly.
- Aadhaar linkages of individuals and bank accounts already exist.
- If residential information in the Aadhaar database can be efficiently structured, this would allow for geographic targeting.
- Issue of violation of individual privacy can be addressed by providing that such social registries store only basic information such as location, instead of more sensitive identifiers.
Consider the question “Disasters underscores the importance of social safety nets. However, designing a social safety net that identifies and reach the vulnerable suffers from several challenges. What are these challenes. Suggest ways to address these challenges.”
Conclusion
As we try to disaster-proof future welfare programmes, these are some of the considerations that deserve attention.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: GATI
Mains level: Women in sciences
One of the focuses of the new Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, currently being drafted by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) is to increase the participation of women in science.
Connect the dots:
Women in STEM presents a dismal picture of gender equality in India.
GATI
- The DST is incorporating a system of grading institutes depending on the enrolment of women and the advancement of the careers of women faculty and scientists.
- It will be called GATI (Gender Advancement through Transforming Institutions).
- The concept borrows from a programme started by the UK in 2005 called the Athena SWAN (Scientific Women’s Academic Network), which is now being adopted by many countries.
- The DST will soon launch a pilot, which the British Council has helped it develop.
Why need such initiative?
- India is ranked 108 out of 149 countries in the 2018 Global Gender Gap report.
- According to DST figures, in 2015-16, the share of women involved in scientific research and development was 14.71% — after it had actually increased from 13% in 2000-2001 to 29% in 2014-15.
- The DST has also found that women are either not promoted, or very often drop out mid-career to attend to their families.
What is Athena SWAN?
- The Athena SWAN Charter is an evaluation and accreditation programme in the UK enhancing gender equity in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM).
- Participating research organisations and academic institutions are required to analyse data on gender equity and develop action plans for improvement.
- Signatories commit to addressing various issues such as –
- Unequal gender representation;
- Tackling the gender pay gap;
- Removing the obstacles faced by women in career development and progression;
- Discriminatory treatment often experienced by trans people;
- Gender balance of committees and zero tolerance for bullying and sexual harassment.
Way ahead
- To get as many institutions as possible to sign up, the DST will need to manoeuvre around government red tape as most universities, barring the IITs and NITs, are run and funded by the government as well.
- This means that these institutions don’t have direct control over institutional policies, recruitment and promotions.
- The DST has tied up with the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), under the UGC, aiming to push gender equity through them.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: BEOSP
Mains level: Use of technolgy in crime investigations
A brain electrical oscillation signature profiling (BEOSP) test will be conducted on the convicts of the alleged rape and murder in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh.
Note: According to Article 20(3) of the Indian constitution, no person accused of any offence shall be compelled to be a witness against himself. The privilege against self-incrimination is a fundamental canon of common criminal law jurisprudence.
What is the BEOSP test?
- BEOSP also known as brain fingerprinting is a neuro-psychological method of interrogation in which the accuser’s participation in the crime is investigated by studying their brain’s response.
- The BEOSP test is carried out via a process known as an electroencephalogram, conducted to study the electrical behaviour of the human brain.
- Under this test, the consent of the accused is first taken and they are then made to wear caps with dozens of electrodes attached to them.
- The accused are then shown visuals or played audio clips related to the crime to check if there is any triggering of neurons in their brains which then generate brainwaves.
- The test results are then studied to determine the participation of the accused in a crime.
What differentiates a BEOSP test from a polygraph or a lie detector?
- The BEOSP procedure does not involve a question-answer session with the accused and is rather a neuro psychological study of their brain.
- In a polygraph test, the accused person’s physiological indicators are taken into account which includes blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration and skin conductivity.
- While a person might be able to control their pulse rate and BP even in times of distress, a BEOSP test
Can these tests be admitted as evidence?
- Not as a standalone, a/c to the 2010 Supreme Court judgment in the Selvi v. State of Karnataka case.
- The bench observed that narco analysis, polygraph and brain mapping tests cannot be forced upon any individual without their consent and the test results cannot be admitted solely as evidence.
- However, any information or material discovered during the tests can be made part of the evidence, observed the bench.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Brahmos Missiles
Mains level: India's missile arsenal
India’s Armed forces are conducting back-to-back tests of various versions of BrahMos missile.
Take a quick look at India’s missile arsenal:
[Prelims Spotlight] Missiles
The BrahMos Missiles
- A combination of the names of Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers, BrahMos missiles are designed, developed and produced by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture company set up by DRDO and Mashinostroyenia of Russia.
- It is a two-stage missile with a solid propellant booster as the first stage and liquid ramjet as the second stage.
- The cruise missiles like BrahMos are a type of systems known as the ‘standoff range weapons’ which are fired from a range sufficient to allow the attacker to evade defensive fire from the adversary.
- These weapons are in the arsenal of most major militaries in the world.
- The versions of the BrahMos that are being tested have an extended range of around 400 km, as compared to its initial range of 290 km, with more versions of higher ranges currently under development.
Various versions
- Various versions of the BrahMos, including those which can be fired from land, warships, submarines and Sukhoi-30 fighter jets have already been developed and successfully tested in the past.
- The earliest versions of the ship launched BrahMos and land-based system are in service of the Indian Navy and the Indian Army since 2005 and 2007 respectively.
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