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  • Government Budgets

    Gati Shakti: Transforming India’s Logistics

    op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways Etc.

    Logistics

    “Efficient logistics is the backbone of a successful economy, enabling businesses to access markets, reduce costs, and increase productivity, ultimately leading to sustainable economic growth.” – Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways.

    Central Idea

    • The Union Budget 2023 has increased the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan’s budget from ₹5,000 crore to ₹10,000 crore and allocated ₹2.4 lakh crore to the Indian Railways. This plan aims to improve India’s logistics competitiveness by increasing the railways’ share in freight movement from 27% to 45% and addressing infrastructural challenges. However, several challenges such as operational and connectivity issues, infrastructural challenges, and lack of integration need to be addressed to achieve these targets.

    Logistics

    What is PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan?

    • Comprehensive development: It is a comprehensive infrastructure development plan announced by the Government of India in November 2021.
    • Aim: The plan aims to improve economic growth and sustainable development by focusing on infrastructure such as roads, railways, airports, ports, mass transport, waterways, and logistics.
    • Increased Budget: The Union Budget 2023 has increased the budget for the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan
    • The plan includes the development of five main corridors:
    • East-West Corridor: It will connect the east and west coasts of India, stretching from Silchar in Assam to Porbandar in Gujarat.
    • North-South Corridor: It will connect the northern and southern parts of India, stretching from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
    • North-East Corridor: It will connect the northeastern states to the rest of India, stretching from Imphal in Manipur to Kohima in Nagaland.
    • South-West Corridor: It will connect the southwestern states to the rest of India, stretching from Ratnagiri in Maharashtra to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
    • East Coast Corridor: It will connect the east coast states to the rest of India, stretching from Kolkata in West Bengal to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
    • The railways have a pan-India network and offer an efficient and economic mode of logistics movement, making them an essential component of the plan.

    Logistics

    The Freight Movement at Present

    • Freight movement Impact: Currently, 65% of freight movement is done by road transport, leading to congestion, pollution, and increased logistics costs.
    • convenience over cost: Although the cost of rail transportation is less than road transportation, convenience has taken precedence over cost, and the railways have lost their share in freight movement to more flexible modes.
    • For instance: In 2020-21, coal constituted 44% of the total freight movement of 1.2 billion tonnes, followed by iron ore (13%), cement (10%), food grains (5%), fertilizers (4%), iron and steel (4%), etc.
    • Non-bulk commodities: Transportation of non-bulk commodities accounts for a very small share in the rail freight movement
    • Rise in Container Traffic: The convenience of moving non-bulk commodities in containers has led to an increase in containerized traffic. Globally, railway systems are heavily investing in advanced rail infrastructure for quick and low-cost container movement.

    Infrastructural, Operational, and Connectivity Challenges

    • The national transporter faces several challenges, leading to a shift of freight traffic to roads.
    • Infrastructure: Increased transit time by rail, pre-movement and post-movement procedural delays, lack of necessary terminal infrastructure, maintenance of good sheds and warehouses, and uncertain supply of wagons are some of the infrastructural challenges that customers face.
    • Connectivity: The lack of integrated first and last-mile connectivity by rail increases the chances of damage due to multiple handling and also increases the inventory holding cost.

    Strategies to Improve Efficiency in Rail Cargo Movement in India

    • Overall improvement: The Indian Railways need to improve infrastructure and encourage private participation in the operation and management of terminals, containers, and warehouses to efficiently utilize resources.
    • Special Entity Needed: Establishing a special entity under the railways to handle intermodal logistics in partnership with the private sector could address the first and last-mile issue faced by the railways.
    • For instance: An integrated logistics infrastructure with first and last-mile connectivity is essential to make rail movement competitive with roads, and facilitate exports by rail to neighbouring countries such as Nepal and Bangladesh.
    • An Uber like model: An Uber-like model for one of the two cargo wagons, wherein the customer can book the wagon using an online application, could help in increasing the utilization rate of these wagons.

    Way ahead

    • The adoption of railways for cargo movement is crucial to improve India’s logistics competitiveness.
    • The Indian Railways are upgrading their infrastructure with PM Gati Shakti, but a continuous monitoring of existing projects and identification of new priority areas are required to achieve the targets of rail freight movement.

    Logistics

    Conclusion

    • The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan has the potential to transform India’s logistics infrastructure and increase the railways’ share in freight movement. However, several challenges such as operational and connectivity issues, infrastructural challenges, and lack of integration need to be addressed. The upcoming Dedicated Freight Corridors, multimodal logistics parks, and establishment of a special entity under the railways could address these challenges.

    Mains Question

    Q. Explain the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and its significance in improving India’s logistics competitiveness.

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  • Digital India Initiatives

    What is Digital India Act, 2023?

    | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Government Scheme/Policies

    india

    The Union government has formally outlined the Digital India Act, 2023 which is a broad overhaul of the decades-old Information Technology Act, 2000.

    Central idea: Reconsideration of Safe Harbour

    • The government is reconsidering a key aspect of cyberspace — ‘safe harbour’.
    • Safe harbour is the principle that so-called ‘intermediaries’ on the internet are not responsible for what third parties post on their website.
    • This is the principle that allows social media platforms to avoid liability for posts made by users.
    • Safe harbour has been reined in in recent years by regulations like the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which require platforms to take down posts when ordered to do so by the government, or when required by law.

    What is the Digital India Act, 2023?

    • The act is a new legislation that aims to overhaul the decades-old Information Technology Act, 2000.
    • The Act covers a range of topics such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybercrime, data protection, deepfakes, competition issues among internet platforms, and online safety.
    • The Act also aims to address “new complex forms of user harms” that have emerged in the years since the IT Act’s enactment, such as catfishing, doxxing, trolling, and phishing.

    Why was this act enacted?

    • Data privacy: The Digital India Act will be implemented alongside the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022, which focuses solely on processing personal data in India.
    • Lawful use of data: It seeks to address the processing of digital personal data in a manner that recognizes both the right of the individuals to protect their personal data and the need to process personal data for lawful purposes.
    • Comprehensive regulation: This Act and the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill will work in tandem with each other.

    Key features of the Digital India Act

    • Creating new regulations around newer technology, including 5G, IoT devices, cloud computing, metaverse, blockchain, and cryptocurrency.
    • Reclassifying online intermediaries to separate categories instead of one general intermediary label, each one with its own set of regulations.
    • Removing “safe harbour” immunity for online intermediaries for purposeful misinformation or other content violations from third parties.
    • Creating digital standards and laws regarding artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology.
    • Criminalizing cyberbullying, identity theft, and unauthorized sharing of personal information without consent.

    Significance

    • The Digital India Act provides a legal framework for promoting the growth of the digital economy in India.
    • It aims to create a conducive environment for the development and deployment of digital technologies across different sectors.
    • The Act also addresses various challenges associated with cybersecurity and data privacy, which are critical issues in the digital age.

    Conclusion

    • The Digital India Act is expected to promote digital literacy and increase access to digital services for all citizens.
    • It will help in creating a digital infrastructure that is secure, reliable, and accessible to everyone.
    • The Act will also encourage the adoption of digital technologies in various sectors such as healthcare, education, and agriculture, leading to increased efficiency and productivityhow-to-start-upsc-preparation-from-zero-level

     

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  • International Space Agencies – Missions and Discoveries

    NASA’s IBEX spacecraft to study Edge of Solar System

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

    ibex

    NASA has announced that its Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft is fully operational after the mission team successfully reset it.

    Edge of Solar System: Heliopause

    ibex

    The edge of the Solar System, also known as the heliopause, is the point where the solar wind from the Sun meets the interstellar medium. Here are some key points about the edge of the Solar System:

    • The heliopause is the boundary where the Sun’s solar wind is stopped by the interstellar medium.
    • The Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed the heliopause in 2012, becoming the first man-made object to leave the Solar System.
    • The exact location of the heliopause is not well defined and varies based on the strength of the solar wind and the density of the interstellar medium.
    • The interstellar medium beyond the heliopause is composed of plasma, magnetic fields, and cosmic rays from other stars in the Milky Way galaxy.
    • The edge of the Solar System is being studied by NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission, which is mapping the boundary region where the solar wind meets the interstellar medium.

    Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX)

    • IBEX is a small NASA spacecraft designed to map the boundary where winds from the Sun interact with winds from other stars.
    • The spacecraft is about the size of a bus tire and its instruments look towards the interstellar boundary while it is on its nine-day orbit around our planet.
    • It was launched in 2008 and has spent nearly 15 years in space already.

    Purpose

    • The purpose of IBEX is to study the interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium and to map the boundary of the solar system.

    Technology

    • IBEX uses two neutral atom imaging cameras to detect energetic neutral atoms that are created at the boundary of the heliosphere.
    • The cameras are mounted on a spinning spacecraft, allowing them to scan the sky and build up a map of the boundary.

    Discoveries

    Since its launch, IBEX has made several important discoveries, including:

    • The first direct measurements of the interstellar wind, which flows into the solar system from the direction of the constellation Scorpius.
    • The discovery of a “ribbon” of energetic neutral atoms that stretches across the sky, which may be caused by the interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium.

    Current Status

    • IBEX is still in operation and continues to gather data about the interstellar boundary.
    • Its mission has been extended several times, with the most recent extension running until 2023.

    Significance

    • IBEX’s findings have increased our understanding of the interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium.
    • It has helped to refine models of the heliosphere and the solar system’s place in the galaxy.
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  • ISRO Missions and Discoveries

    Kodaikanal Solar Observatory

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

    Kodaikanal

    The Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KoSO) has been observing the Sun for over a century.

    Why in news?

    • Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KoSO) has been observing the Sun for over a century
    • KoSO has captured images of sunspots and recorded changes in the Sun’s behavior
    • Solar physicists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) and Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) have digitized 1.48 lakh solar images captured since 1904

    A Brief History of Kodaikanal Solar Observatory

    • KoSO is one of the world’s oldest observatories studying the Sun.
    • Norman Pogson, astronomer and Government Astronomer of the Madras Observatory, proposed the idea of taking pictures of the Sun using a 20-inch telescope.
    • The Madras Observatory was set up as the private effort of an official of the British East India Company in 1786.
    • The decision to establish a solar observatory was taken in 1893, and Kodaikanal in present-day Tamil Nadu was chosen for its high altitude and dust-free environment.
    • The Solar Physics Observatory opened on April 1, 1899, and was later named KoSO.
    • The Bhavnagar Telescope, named after the Maharaja of Bhavnagar, was one of the more famous instruments at KoSO during the early decades of its operation.
    • A 15cm telescope was used to capture solar images onto a photographic film or plate.
    • Solar magnetic plages and prominences were recorded since 1911, taken on photographic films and plates.

    Solar Observations, One Every Day: How They Are Taken

    • White light images of the Sun have been captured every day since 1904 using a 6-inch telescope
    • Visible light images reveal sunspots on the surface of the Sun.
    • One image is taken daily around 8 am, which has been a fixed routine for over a century now
    • Each observation accompanies the corresponding date and time, which is key for calibration purposes later.
    • These plates or films are sent to the darkroom and developed either the same day or the next day
    • Once the film has been developed, the date and time of observation are written on the plate and entered in the logbook.
    • These plates or films are kept in an envelope with the handwritten date and time of observation and stored carefully in humidity-controlled rooms.

    Arrival of New Technology and the Process of Digitization

    • Between 1904 and 2017, all solar observations were traced onto photographic films and plates
    • A new telescope mounted with CCD cameras has taken over and, since 2017, continued to observe the Sun.
    • Digitization of the records was initiated in 1984 by Prof J C Bhattacharyya, and others continued the effort.
    • In 2018, digitized solar observations for the period 1921-2011 were made available to the scientific community.
    • Raw and calibrated data for the period of 1904 to 2017 were added, and the digitization process is nearly complete.
    • KoSO is now home to a digital repository of a whopping 1.48 lakh solar images adding up to 10 terabyte of data.
    • These include 33,500 white-light images (showing sunspots), 45,000 images of the Ca II K spectral line (which reveals plages), and 70,000 H-alpha photographic plates that show prominences.
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  • Festivals, Dances, Theatre, Literature, Art in News

    Yaoshang festival begins in Manipur

    Prelims Only | History | Mains Paper 1: Arts & Culture

    yaoshang

    The Yaoshang festival, which is Manipur’s version of Holi, has begun.

    Yaoshang Festival

    • Yaoshang festival is celebrated every year on the full moon of Lamta (February-March) of the Meitei lunar calendar.
    • It begins just after sunset followed by Yaosang Mei thaba, also known as Burning of the Straw Hut.
    • Children visit neighbours to ask for monetary donations, called nakatheng.
    • Yaoshang, unlike Holi, is celebrated with a traditional twist in Manipur.
    • During these five days, Manipur comes alive with sporting events during the day and traditional “thabal chongba” dance in the night.

    Key feature: Thabal Chongba Dance

    • The thabal chongba is a traditional dance of the Meitei, where boys and girls gathered in an open ground and dance in a circle.
    • But these days thabal chongba is performed throughout the month of Lamta.

     

     

     

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  • ISRO Missions and Discoveries

    Space Debris: India’s Contribution and Efforts to Tackle the Problem

    op-ed snap | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

    Space Debris

    Central Idea

    • Space debris, particularly in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), is becoming an increasingly urgent problem due to the rising number of rocket launches and payloads, as well as anti-satellite missile tests and collisions. On March 7, 2023, ISRO successfully carried out a controlled re-entry for the decommissioned Megha-Tropiques-1 (MT1).

    Space Debris

    ISRO’s controlled re-entry of the decommission

    • Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully carried out a controlled re-entry of the decommissioned Megha-Tropiques-1 (MT1) satellite.
    • MT1 was launched over a decade ago with the objective of studying clouds in the tropical regions of the world.
    • As the satellite had reached the end of its operational life, ISRO brought it down in a controlled manner to reduce space debris in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and limit the potential risks associated with it.

    Space debris

    • Space debris refers to any human-made object that is in orbit around the Earth but no longer serves any useful purpose. This can include pieces of spacecraft, rocket stages, and other materials that have been left in space after they have completed their missions or have been discarded.
    • Space debris can vary in size, from small paint flecks and bolts to larger objects like satellites and old rocket bodies.
    • There are currently more than 26,000 objects larger than 10 cm in orbit around the Earth, and many smaller objects that are too small to be tracked.

    Space Debris

    Surge in Space Debris

    • Increasing number of payloads: The surging number of rocket launches and the increasing number of payloads carried in recent years have made the space junk problem acute, especially after private companies such as SpaceX launched thousands of satellites to provide Internet access.
    • For instance: In 2022, over 2,160 objects were launched into space, about 300 more than 2021 and 900 more than 2020.
    • Data on fragmented debris: The number of satellites in space has crossed the 10,000 mark, including active and defunct ones still orbiting Earth, and the number of fragmentation debris is hurtling towards the 14,000-mark.
    • Smaller debris poses a bigger challenge: While satellite launches are the reason for the rise in rocket bodies orbiting Earth, fragmented debris are mostly a consequence of collisions and Anti-Satellite (ASAT) missile tests. The fragmented junk poses a bigger challenge as tracking debris smaller than 10 centimetres is tough.

    Countries responsible

    • Russia: Close to 35% originated from the Soviet Union/Russia,
    • US: 31% from the U.S.,
    • China: 29% from China, over 2,700 pieces of debris from a Chinese anti-satellite test in 2007, marked as the single worst contamination of space in history, are still in orbit.
    • India: India’s contribution is 0.5%.
    • India added to the problem in 2019 by testing an ASAT missile which targeted a live satellite in LEO which resulted in 400 pieces of orbital debris
    • While all the trackable debris from India’s test have re-entered Earth in subsequent years, over 50 pieces from a break-up event of the 4th stage of PSLV-C3 in 2001 are still in orbit.

    Space Debris

    The cost of avoiding collision

    • High cost: While debris has the potential to cause serious accidents, the cost of manoeuvres to avoid collisions is high.
    • For instance: In 2022, ISS had to conduct two such collision avoidance manoeuvres due to threats posted by debris from Russia’s ASAT test in 2021.
    • Challenges: Such manoeuvres are costly as they require hours of monitoring, fuel for movement, and also result in loss of data as instruments are turned off during such operations.
    • India’s honest efforts:
    • India conducted 21 such corrections for its satellites in 2022, the highest ever for the country.
    • Also, in 2021, ISRO monitored 4,382 events in LEO and 3,148 events in geostationary orbit (GEO) in which debris or other space objects came close to India’s space assets.

    Conclusion

    • Small debris orbiting Earth pose threats to space assets, the immediate need is that the countries must acknowledge the responsibility. India’s continues efforts towards controlled decommission set the bar high.

    Mains Question

    Q. Discuss the challenges posed by increasing space debris and the potential risks associated with it.

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  • Government Budgets

    Budget For The Education Sector

    op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Government Budgeting

    Budget

    Central Idea

    • The Union Budget 2023 has made nominal increases in the allocation for education, which will not suffice to improve the education sector’s current situation.

    Government Expenditure on Education

    • As per the Economic Survey 2023, the combined expenditure on education by the Centre and States (as a percentage of GDP), has remained stagnant at 2.9% during 2019-20 to 2022-23 (BE).
    • As a percentage of total government expenditure, it slid from 10.7% in 2019-20 to 9.5% in 2022-23 (BE), while the share of education in social services nosedived from 42.5% to 35.5% during the same period.

    Budgetary allocation for School sector

    • Allocation for School Education increases due to new scheme: The school sector has been allocated ₹68,804.85 crores, as against ₹63,449.37 crore last year, largely due to a fresh allocation of ₹4,000 crore for the PM ScHools for Rising India), or PM-SHRI alone.
    • Existing schools suffer due to allocation for new initiatives: This combined with the newly announced Eklavya model residential schools to be opened in every district of India actually brings down the provisions for already existing schools and their activities, leaving them high and dry to deal with rising prices and the pressure of increasing enrolment in government schools.
    • Majority of Indian students attend government schools: Government and government-aided schools are still where the deprived and have-nots go to. Out of about 15 lakh schools, 10 lakh schools are owned and managed by the government, employing about 97 lakh teachers and catering to over 26 crore students.

    Allocation for Higher Education

    • Allocation for higher education has increased: The allocation for higher education has increased from ₹40,828 crore to ₹44,094 crore, with autonomous bodies receiving an average increase of 13.60%. The central universities have benefitted the most with a 22.39% increase.
    • Reduction in Budgetary Support to Indian Institutes of Management: The budgetary support for Indian Institutes of Management has been drastically reduced with most of the allocation meant for loan repayment. The reduction in funding for IIM was expected due to their increased fees. The impact of this on equity in these institutions is uncertain.
    • No provision for HEFA and reduced allocations: There is no provision for Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA) in this year’s Budget, which means no new loans for infrastructure development in centrally funded institutions. The allocation for world class universities has also been reduced. The allocation for Prime Minister’s Girls’ hostels has been reduced by half.

    Allocation for Research and Innovation Initiatives

    • Reduction in Startup India and Design Innovation Initiatives: The Startup India initiative for higher educational institutions has been reduced and also provisions for the national initiative for design innovation have been reduced.
    • Drastic Reduction in IMPRINT and SPARC Allocations: The allocations for IMPacting Research, INnovation and Technology (IMPRINT) and the Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC) have also been drastically reduced.
    • No Allocation for IMPRESS: The Budget does not provide any allocation for Impactful Policy Research in Social Sciences (IMPRESS).
    • National Research Foundation awaits Cabinet Approval: The proposed National Research Foundation has been allotted ₹2,000 crore through the Department of Science and Technology, but this awaits approval from the Union cabinet.

    Conclusion

    • In today’s time, everyone wants to benefit and improve their lives. However, not investing enough in education could harm the growth and improvement of education. Unfortunately, the 2023 budget doesn’t offer anything new to make the sector ultimately effective. The education sector needs more investment to improve the quality of education and provide equal opportunities for all students.

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  • Tourism Sector

    Tourism Potential In Border States

    op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Border Area Security Challenges,Issues relating growth and development, employment

    Central Idea

    • India has tremendous tourism potential in its border states, which remains largely untapped due to the remoteness of locations and difficulty of access. The government has made unprecedented efforts to build border infrastructure and announced plans to open villages along the northern border for tourists under the Vibrant Villages Programme. However, encouraging tourism in these areas requires promoting hubs of civilian presence, building necessary infrastructure, and conducting feasibility studies to ensure sustainable development.

    What is Vibrant Villages Programme?

    • Improve infrastructure in villages along India’s border with China: The Vibrant Villages program is a government initiative aimed at improving infrastructure and creating job opportunities in villages situated along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
    • Overview: The program involves a significant allocation of funds, i.e., Rs 4,800 crore, to upgrade 633 villages situated in five states, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Ladakh. Under the programme, residential and tourist centres will be constructed.
    • Objectives of the program: The program aims to enhance the living conditions of the people residing in the border areas and improve the security situation along the LAC with China.
    • Expected Benefits: The Vibrant Villages program aims to provide better facilities like schools, 24×7 electricity, and more 4G telecommunication towers in the border areas to match what is available in settlements across the LAC.
    • Strategy to enhance security: The Vibrant Villages program is part of the broader Indian government strategy to enhance security along the border with China. The investment in developing infrastructure and creating job opportunities is a crucial step towards improving the living conditions of the people in the border areas and enhancing the security situation along the LAC with China.
    • Program is modelled after Chinese actions on LAC: The program is modelled after the Chinese military and civilian authorities’ actions on their side of the LAC to build permanent population settlements along the border.

    Tourism potential in Border areas

    1. Karakoram:
    • Regular motorcycle expeditions should be organised for civilians in cooperation with India’s major motorcycle manufacturers. Areas such as the Saser Kangri massif could be explored for mountaineering expeditions by small experienced teams in tandem with the armed forces and the Indian Mountaineering Federation.
    1. Areas around Pangong Lake:
    • The area around Pangong Lake and Chushul is a delight for photographers and birdwatchers. In the Changthang wildlife sanctuary, there are wetlands and a thriving population of the Kiang, a wild ass.
    • Lhari Peak is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists.
    • The Demchok area is home to several hot springs that are popular for naturopathy cures.
    • The nearby villages of Tsaga, Koyul and Hanle can also be further developed.
    • Tourism can be promoted in the Tso Moriri lake area, with a particular focus on home stays.
    1. Mana Pass and Niti Valley in Uttarakhand:
    • It is one of the world’s highest vehicle-accessible passes.
    • The village of Mana is rich in mythology, believed to be the gateway to heaven, and is situated near popular destinations like Hemkund and the Valley of Flowers and the revered Badrinath shrine is located nearby.
    • Tourists can enjoy sailing on the Deo Tal Lake near Mana, while skiing enthusiasts can make use of the nearby slopes. Mount Kamet and other peaks in the Nilang-Jadang valley are also ideal for mountaineering expeditions.
    1. Tourism Potential in Sikkim:
    • In Sikkim, the region around Doka La is ripe for tourism.
    • Pedong, Nathang Valley, Zuluk, Kupup, Baba Harbhajan Mandir and the Yak Gold Course, the highest golf course in the world, are nearby.
    • Conducted tours, including trekking expeditions up to Batang La, could be a start.
    1. Bum La Pass in Arunachal Pradesh
    • In the eastern sector, the Bum La Pass in Arunachal Pradesh is already a well-established tourism hub.
    • There is scope to bring in more tourists all the way up to Zero Point, the site of border personnel meetings with China.
    • Publicity should be given to the memorial built there in honour of Subedar (Baba) Joginder Singh, who was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra for outstanding bravery in the battle near Tongpen La during the India-China war in 1962.
    • Nearby, the Pangateng and Sangetsar lakes are picturesque.
    • Expeditions on the lines of NIMAS’s Winter Bailey Trekking Expedition could attract international tourists to Tawang and the interiors of the State

    What measures should be taken to promote commercial activity in India’s remote border areas?

    1. Transition from Military to Tourism in Remote Areas:
    • Encourage Commercial Activity:
    • Prioritize Tourism
    • Build Infrastructure for Tourism
    1. Developing Border Areas for Sustainable Growth:
    • Establish Civilian Hubs and Home Stays
    • Allocate Border Area Development Programme Funds
    • Install Vital Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy Sources

    Conclusion

    • While developing border areas for security is crucial, conducting feasibility studies before implementing tourism projects is equally important to ensure sustainability. Unplanned construction violates norms and harms the Himalayan belt, so promoting sustainable infrastructure that benefits the local economy is necessary.

    Mains Question

    Q. India’s Border Areas have Tremendous Tourism Potential, but it remains largely untapped due to remoteness and accessibility. What measures should be taken to promote commercial activity in India’s remote border areas?

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

    Meeting India’s ‘Carbon Sink’ target

    Prelims Only | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia

    carbon-sink

    Central idea: India’s commitment to reduce its carbon emissions and increase its carbon sink as part of the Paris Climate Agreement. The Agreement is a legally binding international treaty signed by 196 parties, including India, to limit global warming to well below 2°C.

    What is a carbon sink?

    • A carbon sink is a natural or artificial reservoir that absorbs and stores carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.
    • It can be a natural ecosystem such as forests, oceans, or soil, or it can be an artificial system like carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.
    • Carbon sinks help to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and mitigate the negative effects of climate change.

    Methods of Carbon Sinks

    There are two types of carbon sinks:

    (A) Natural Carbon Sinks: These are ecosystems that naturally absorb and store carbon from the atmosphere. The most common natural carbon sinks are:

    • Forests: Trees absorb CO2 through photosynthesis and store it in their trunks, branches, and roots.
    • Oceans: The Ocean absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere, where it dissolves and forms carbonic acid.
    • Soil: Carbon can be stored in soil in the form of organic matter, such as dead plant and animal material, which is broken down by microorganisms.

    (B) Artificial Carbon Sinks: These are human-made technologies that capture and store carbon from the atmosphere. The most common artificial carbon sinks are:

    • Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): CCS technology captures CO2 emissions from industrial processes, such as power plants, and stores it underground.
    • Direct Air Capture (DAC): DAC technology captures CO2 directly from the air and stores it underground or repurposes it for other uses.

    India’s carbon sink target

    • India has pledged to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030.
    • This will be achieved through afforestation, reforestation, and other land-use changes.

    India’s progress towards its carbon sink target

    • India has already achieved 24.6% of its carbon sink target as of 2017.
    • This was primarily due to afforestation and tree plantation programs, such as the Green India Mission and the National Afforestation Programme.

    Challenges in meeting India’s carbon sink target

    • Unavailability of accurate data: There is a lack of accurate data on the extent and health of India’s forests, which makes it difficult to measure the effectiveness of afforestation and reforestation programs.
    • Conversion of natural forests: The conversion of natural forests to monoculture plantations that have lower carbon sequestration potential can reduce the effectiveness of carbon sinks.
    • Pressure on land: The pressure on land for agriculture and other forms of development can lead to deforestation and the loss of carbon sinks.
    • Lack of funding: Afforestation and reforestation programs require significant funding, which can be a challenge for India.
    • Lack of awareness: Lack of awareness among the public and policymakers about the importance of carbon sinks and the need for their conservation and restoration can hinder efforts to meet India’s carbon sink targets.

    Conclusion

    • India’s commitment to increasing its carbon sink is crucial in mitigating the impacts of climate change.
    • More efforts are needed to ensure the success of afforestation and reforestation programs and to address the challenges facing India’s forests.
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  • Blockchain Technology: Prospects and Challenges

    Money Laundering laws will now cover Cryptocurrency Trade

    | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Money-Laundering & Its Prevention

    crypto

    The government has imposed the Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002 on cryptocurrencies or virtual assets as it looks to tighten oversight of digital assets.

    Central idea: The Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002, now covers various financial activities related to virtual digital assets, including exchanges between fiat currencies and digital assets, transfer and storage of digital assets, and provision of financial services related to the sale of digital assets by an issuer.

    What are Cryptocurrencies?

    • Cryptocurrencies are digital or virtual currencies that use encryption techniques to secure and verify transactions and control the creation of new units.
    • They operate independently of central banks and financial institutions and use a decentralized ledger technology called blockchain to record transactions.
    • They can be used to make purchases, transfer funds, or as a store of value, and some are designed to facilitate specific use cases, such as smart contracts.
    • Bitcoin is the first and most well-known cryptocurrency, but there are thousands of others, including Ethereum, Ripple, and Litecoin.
    • Cryptocurrencies can be purchased on cryptocurrency exchanges or obtained through mining, a process in which computers solve complex mathematical problems to validate transactions and earn new cryptocurrency units as a reward.

    Why regulate cryptocurrencies?

    • Consumer protection: Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile and can be subject to fraud, scams, and other forms of financial crime.
    • Preventing money laundering and terrorist financing: Cryptocurrencies can be used to anonymously transfer funds, making them potentially attractive to criminals and terrorists.
    • Systemic risk: Cryptocurrencies are not currently part of the traditional financial system, but they could potentially have an impact on it if they were to become more widely adopted.
    • Taxation: Cryptocurrencies can be used to evade taxes or hide assets. Regulation can help ensure that cryptocurrency transactions are properly taxed and that tax evasion is prevented.
    • Market stability: being highly volatile, regulation can help promote market stability and prevent excessive speculation or manipulation of cryptocurrency markets.

    What is the recent move?

    • Indian crypto exchanges will have to report suspicious activity to the Financial Intelligence Unit India (FIU-IND).
    • The move is in line with the global trend of requiring digital-asset platforms to follow anti-money laundering standards similar to those followed by other regulated entities like banks or stock brokers.

    Recent regulatory moves

    • In the Budget for 2022-23, finance ministry had brought a 30% tax on income from transactions in such assets.
    • Also, to bring such assets under the tax net, it introduced a 1% TDS (tax deducted at source) on transactions in such asset classes above a certain threshold.
    • Gifts in crypto and digital assets were also taxed.

    Back2Basics: Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)

    • PMLA, 2002 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted by the NDA government to prevent money laundering and to provide for confiscation of property derived from money laundering.
    • It was enacted in response to India’s global commitment (including the Vienna Convention) to combat the menace of money laundering.
    • PMLA and the Rules notified there under came into force with effect from July 1, 2005.
    • The act was amended in the year 2005, 2009 and 2012.

     

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