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  • [Burning Issue] Interlinking of Rivers in India

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    Context

    • The funding and implementation of the Ken-Betwa river inter-linking project, a part of national river linking project (NRLP), has been approved by the Union Cabinet at a cost of ₹44,605 crore.
    • The Ken-Betwa project has the status of a national project, as the Centre will contribute 90% of the cost. It is also the first major centrally-driven river interlinking project in the country.
    • The project will pave the way for more interlinking of river projects in India.
    • With the process of creating the National Interlinking of Rivers Authority (NIRA) set in motion by the Centre, the topic of river interlinking merits a detailed discussion.

    Interlinking of Rivers

    • Management of water resources: The Indian Rivers Inter-link aims to effectively manage water resources in India by linking Indian rivers by a network of reservoirs and canals 
    • Flood control: It main purpose is to enhance irrigation and groundwater recharge, reduce persistent floods in some parts, and water shortages in other parts of India.
    • India accounts for 18% of the world’s population and about 4% of the world’s water resources. One of the solutions to solve the country’s water woes is to link rivers and lakes.
    • Idea behind the interlinking of rivers: Many parts of the country face problems of drought while many others face the problem of flooding every year. 
    • Hence, the National River Linking Project (NRLP) is claimed to be the answer to India’s water problem through conservation, storage, and deliver to areas and over times when water becomes scarce.
    • Beyond water security, the project is also seen to offer potential benefits to transport infrastructure through navigation, as well as to broadening income sources in rural areas through fish farming.

    Brief history

    • The idea of interlinking of rivers in the Indian subcontinent is atleast 150 years old.
    • During the British Raj in India, Sir Arthur Cotton, a British general and irrigation engineer, first suggested linking the Ganga and the Cauvery for navigational purposes.
    • K.L. Rao’s Proposal (1972), which had 2640 km long Ganga – Cauvery link as its main component involved large scale pumping over a head of 550 m.
    • The Central Water Commission, which examined the proposal, found it to be grossly under estimated and economically prohibitive.

    Capt. Dastur Proposal (1977)

    It envisaged the construction of two canals:

    1. 4200 km Himalayan Canal at the foot of Himalayan slopes running from the Ravi in the West to the Brahmaputra and beyond in the east
    2. 9300 km Garland Canal covering the central and southern parts

    Beginning of implementation

    • The Indian Rivers Inter-link aims to link India’s rivers by a network of reservoirs and canals and so reduce persistent floods in some parts and water shortages in other parts of India.
    • The idea to link rivers got a shot in the arm with the establishment of the National Water Development Agency in 1982 by then PM Indira Gandhi.
    • The Inter-link project was split into three parts:
      1. Northern Himalayan rivers inter-link component
      2. Southern Peninsular component
      3. Intrastate rivers linking component

    Objectives of inter-linking

    • Connect the Himalayan and peninsular rivers via a network of canals so that
    • Excess water from one channel can be diverted to another which has an inadequate flow
    • Flood moderation in the Ganga-Brahmaputra system
    • Hydropower generation through excess water

    About Ken-Betwa River Interlinking Project

    • The Ken-Betwa Link Project is the first project under the National Perspective Plan for the interlinking of rivers.
    • Under this project, water from the Ken River will be transferred to the Betwa River. Both these rivers are tributaries of the river Yamuna.
    • The project is being managed by India’s National Water Development Agency (NWDA), under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
    • Implementation of the project –
      1. Phase-I: Daudhan dam complex and its appurtenances like Low Level Tunnel, High Level Tunnel, Ken-Betwa link canal and Power houses
      2. Phase-II: Lower Orr dam, Bina complex project and Kotha Barrage

    Utility of the Project

    • Irrigation: The project is slated to irrigate 10.62 lakh hectares annually, provide drinking water supply to 62 lakh people and generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar power.
    • Water supply: The project will be of immense benefit to the water-starved Bundelkhand region, spread across Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
    • Agricultural boost: The project is expected to boost socio-economic prosperity in the backward Bundelkhand region on account of increased agricultural activities and employment generation.
    • Addressing Rural Distress: It would also help in arresting distress migration from this region.

    Many hurdles

    • Submergence of critical wildlife habitat: The project will partly submerge the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh and affect the habitat of vultures and jackals.
    • Clearance: After years of protests, it was finally cleared by the apex wildlife regulator, the National Board for Wildlife, in 2016.
    • Water sharing disputes: Then UP and MP could not agree on how water would be shared, particularly in the non-monsoonal months.

    Having known about the recent advancements, let us learn about the concept of river interlinking in detail.

    National River Linking Project (NRLP)

    • NWDA has studied and prepared reports on 14 inter-link projects for Himalayan component, 16 inter-link projects for Peninsular component, and 37 intrastate river linking projects.

    Benefits of River Interlinking

    There are many benefits that the proposed interlinking projects will bring about. They are discussed below:

    • Interlinking rivers is a way to transfer excess water from the regions which receive a lot of rainfall to the areas that are drought-prone. This way, it can control both floods and droughts.
    • This will also help solve the water crisis in many parts of the country. 
    • Hydropower generation: This project envisages the building of many dams and reservoirs. This can generate about 34000 MW of electricity if the whole project is executed.
    • Dry weather flow augmentation: When there is a dry season, surplus water stored in the reservoirs can be released. This will enable a minimum amount of water flow in the rivers.
      • This will greatly help in the control of pollution, in navigation, forests, fisheries, wildlife protection, etc.
    • Indian agriculture is primarily monsoon-dependent. The problems of unexpected behavior of monsoons can be solved through the project as it will provide irrigation facilities in water-deficient places.
    • Inland waterway transportation: The project will also help commercially because of the betterment of the inland waterways transport system.
    • Improve fish production: The rural areas will have an alternate source of income in the form of fish farming and other related activities.
    • The project will also augment the defense and security of the country through the additional waterline defense.

    Challenges in River Interlinking

    • Project feasibility: The project is estimated to cost around Rs.5.6 lakh crores(estimated cost with the base year of 2000).
    • Requires great engineering capability and manpower: There is also the requirement of huge structures. All this requires a great engineering capacity. So, the cost and manpower requirement is immense.
    • Climate vulnerability: A report points out that Climate change will cause a meltdown of 1/3rd of the Hindu Kush Region’s glaciers by 2100. So, the Himalayan Rivers might not have ‘surplus water’ for a long time.
    • Environmental impact: The huge project will alter entire ecosystems. The wildlife, flora and fauna of the river systems will suffer because of such displacements and modifications.
    • Impact on society: Building dams and reservoirs will cause the displacement of a lot of people. This will cause a lot of agony for a lot of people. They will have to be rehabilitated and adequately compensated.
    • Controlling floods: Some people express doubts as to the capability of this project to control floods. There have been instances where big dams like Hirakud Dam, Damodar Dam, etc. have brought flooding to Odisha, West Bengal, etc.
    • Political Challenges: Water is a state subject in India. So the implementation of the NRLP primarily depends on Inter-State co-operation. Several states including Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, and Sikkim have already opposed the NRLP.
    • Inter-state disputes: Many states like Kerala, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, etc. have opposed the river interlinking project.
    • International disputes: In the Himalayan component of the project, the effect of building dams and interlinking rivers will have an effect on the neighboring countries. For example, Bangladesh has opposed the transfer of water from the Brahmaputra to the Ganga.
    • Other Challenges: The government is proposing a canal irrigation method for transmitting water from one area to the other. The maintenance of canals is also a great challenge it includes preventing sedimentation, clearing logging of waters etc.

    Way Forward

    • Integrated water resource management is the key: India needs to conserve every drop of water, reduce wastage, equitable distribution of resources at the same time enhance groundwater. 
      • So the small scale simple things have to be tried instead of large scale projects.
    • Local solutions (like better irrigation practice) and watershed management, should be focused on.
    • National Waterways Project (NWP) should be considered: It “eliminates” friction between states over the sharing of river waters since it uses only the excess flood water that goes into the sea unexploited.
    • Interlinking of rivers should be pursued in a decentralized manner, and more sustainable ways like rainwater harvesting should be promoted to mitigate floods and droughts.

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  • Target UPSC CSE 2023 – Why is it Better to Start Preparing 18 months before Prelims? || Free Q&A Webinar By Two-Time UPSC Interview Candidate & Civilsdaily Mentor Shubham Jatte|| How to divide 18 months into 5 phases and Revise atleast 5-6 Times before Exams?|| Free Open to All Webinar with Limited Slots|| Register Now

    Target UPSC CSE 2023 – Why is it Better to Start Preparing 18 months before Prelims? || Free Q&A Webinar By Two-Time UPSC Interview Candidate & Civilsdaily Mentor Shubham Jatte|| How to divide 18 months into 5 phases and Revise atleast 5-6 Times before Exams?|| Free Open to All Webinar with Limited Slots|| Register Now

    target upsc-cse 2023 – register here to attend the free webinar by shubham sir

    UPSC-CSE 2021 results have shaken the long held belief that the examination can only be cleared after multiple attempts. Most of the UPSC-CSE toppers like Satyam Gandhi (AIR 10), Ria Dabi (AIR 15), Yash Jaluka (AIR 4), Mamta Yadav (AIR 5) and Shashwat Tripurari (AIR 19) cleared the exam as fresh graduates in their very first attempt. How were they able to do it?

    If you watch their strategy videos, you can find a common pattern — they started 12-24 months in advance before the exam.

    Open to All Webinar by Civilsdaily Mentor Shubham Jatte

    One of the benefits of starting your preparation early is the time you would get to revise and practice test series upon completing the syllabus. Also, you would get ample time to pay attention to every subject. There are totally 9 papers in UPSC-CSE Mains and 2 papers in Prelims exams. Not to forget, the daily current affairs. Many aspirants need time to figure out how they can prepare in an understandable manner. That’s why starting your preparation eight months before the exam is not advisable.

    However, what’s the best way to prepare, if you aren’t a fan of making mistakes and figuring it out along the way? We understand how annoying it might be for you if you were to study in a certain way for months together and then realize that it doesn’t align with the UPSC-CSE way of doing things.

    Do you know an ideal preparation would be divided into five phases and spread across 18 months? This means each phase will be about three to four months long.

    This is what Civilsdaily mentor and 6 time Mains, 2 Time Interview candidate Shubham Jatte sir would be discussing in the upcoming webinar. Backed by years of experience and ongoing research & analysis of the civil services exam, Shubham sir has developed a refined strategy which will he will be sharing to all the newcomers.

    This webinar is absolutely free for all to attend! All you have to do is confirm your attendance by filling the registration form below.

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    Key-Takeaways of the Free Q&A Webinar with Shubham Sir

    1. The first phase – Studying the Core Subjects. How to read every topic in the syllabus from 2-3 sources in the first reading and prepare a 1-2 page notes? And in your second reading, stick to only one source while using your notes as reference.

    2. The second phase – Studying Mains Specific Subjects & Optional. How to follow the ritual of reading, writing summaries and answering topic-wise previous year questions?

    3. Discussing 2-3 Revision Strategies which you can follow. Why should you not go more than 20 days without revision?

    4. Live demonstration of making the perfect notes. How to not copy line-by-line of everything you read & only note down the 5 dimensions of a topic?

    5. Why is the third phase of preparation the shortest of all? What should you ideally do after completing the Prelims and Mains subjects?

    6. About the fourth phase. How to improve your accuracy 3 months before the Prelims exams?

    5. The last phase. What must be done 3 months before the Mains exams?

    6. Including statistics and relevant data. What are the subject-wise important committee reports you should read?

    7. Three readings per subject. How do you study during each revision phase?

    Shubham Sir will also hold a Q&A Session where beginners and veterans can clarify their doubts.

    TARGET UPSC-CSE 2023 – REGISTER HERE TO ATTEND THE FREE WEBINAR BY SHUBHAM SIR

    Webinar Details

    If you want to get the nuances of UPSC-CSE preparation right in the first go, then this free webinar is for you! Just fill the form and let us know the question you want to ask Shubham sir in the one hour long session on Sunday.

    Date: 19 December 2021

    Time: 3 PM

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  • The WTO’s challenge to MSP

    Context

    Amid the demand for legal backing to MSP, the question remains about whether India can provide a legal guarantee violating its international law obligations enshrined in the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) of the World Trade Organization (WTO)?

    Classification of subsidies under AoA: Trade distorting and non-trade distorting

    • The objective of AoA: One of the central objectives of the AoA is to cut trade-distorting domestic support.
    • Three categories: In this regard, the domestic subsidies are divided into three categories: ‘green box’, ‘blue box’ and ‘amber box’ measures.
    • Non-trade distorting: ‘Green box’ subsidies (like income support to farmers de-coupled from production) and ‘blue box’ subsidies (like direct payments under production limiting programmes subject to certain conditions) are considered non-trade distorting.
    • Countries can provide unlimited subsidies under these two categories.
    • Trade-distorting subsidies: Price support provided in the form of procurement of crops at MSP is classified as a trade-distorting subsidy and falls under the ‘amber box’ measures, which are subject to certain limits.

    So, how do countries measure ‘amber box’ support?

    • Compute AMS: To measure ‘amber box’ support, WTO member countries are required to compute Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS).
    • AMS is the total of product-specific support (price support to a particular crop) and non-product-specific support (fertilizer subsidy).

    Understanding the  de minimis limit

    • Under Article 6.4(b) of the AoA, developing countries such as India are allowed to provide a de minimis level of product and non-product domestic subsidy.
    • This de minimis limit is capped at 10% of the total value of production of the product, in case of a product-specific subsidy; and at 10% of the total value of a country’s agricultural production, in case of non-product subsidy.
    • Subsidies breaching the de minimis cap are trade-distorting.

    Possibility of India overshooting the de minimis limit

    • Relation between MSP and AMS: The procurement at MSP, after comparing it with the fixed external reference price (ERP) — an average price based on the base years 1986-88 — has to be included in AMS.
    • Widening gap between ERP and MSP: Since the fixed ERP has not been revised in the last several decades at the WTO, the difference between the MSP and fixed ERP has widened enormously due to inflation.
    • According to the Centre for WTO Studies, India’s ERP for rice, in 1986-88, was $262.51/tonne and the MSP was less than this.
    • However, India’s applied administered price for rice in 2015-16 stood at $323.06/tonne, much more than the 1986-88 ERP.
    • Procuring all the 23 crops at MSP, as against the current practice of procuring largely rice and wheat, will result in India breaching the de minimis limit making it vulnerable to a legal challenge at the WTO.
    • Even if the Government does not procure directly but mandates private parties to acquire at a price determined by the Government, as it happens in the case of sugarcane, the de minimis limit of 10% applies.

    Way forward

    • Peace clause: Although a permanent solution is nowhere in sight, the countries have agreed to a peace clause.
    • The peace clause forbids bringing legal challenges against price support-based procurement for food security purposes even if it breaches the limit on domestic support.
    • The peace clause is applicable only for programmes that were existing as of the date of the decision and are consistent with other requirements.
    • India’s procurement for rice and wheat, even if it violates the de minimis limit, will enjoy legal immunity.
    • However, India will not be able to employ the peace clause to defend procuring those crops that are not part of the food security programme (such as cotton, groundnut, sunflower seed).
    • Move from MSP to income-based support: Arguably, India can move away from price-based support in the form of MSP to income-based support, which will not be trade-distorting under the AoA provided the income support is not linked to production.
    • Supplement price-based support with income-based support: Alternatively, one can supplement price-based support (keeping the de minimis limit in mind) with an income-based support policy.

    Conclusion

    The Government needs to engage with the farmers and create an affable environment to convince them of other effective policy interventions, beyond MSP, that are fiscally prudent and WTO compatible.

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  • How lack of public data on pandemic could harm us

    Context

    Questions are being asked about India’s preparedness as the cases with the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus has been on the rise in the country.

    Where does India stand?

    [1] The Positives

    • Addressing oxygen shortage: The extreme shortages of oxygen that we saw barely six months ago will hopefully not be a feature of a third wave.
    • Vaccinated population: We have now vaccinated more than 50% of the adult population with both doses of vaccine, and approximately 85% have received one or two doses.
    • Ramping up testing to deal with a spike should not require an increase in capacity.
    • More vaccine doses: We have more vaccine doses than in May 2021 and the potential for oral antiviral therapy in the near future.

    [2] The negatives

    • Lack of data: An urgent and important one is the lack of publicly available data on the pandemic from Government sources, particularly in regard to testing, but also in terms of being able to correlate disease severity with age, prior medical conditions, locations and other variables.
    • Data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India’s premier medical research agency, remains inaccessible.
    • The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has not responded.
    • The CoWIN data contains valuable information but it is of little value for future planning and prediction unless it can be tied to testing data and clinical information at the level of individuals.
    • ICMR data not correlated to CoWIN platform data: The Indian Council of Medical Research holds data on every COVID-19 test conducted in India.
    • However, these data are not correlated to the vaccine data in the CoWIN platform.
    • Data with States is inaccessible: Data on hospitalisations, etc. are apparently available at the State level, but seem inaccessible.

    What we can know from the data about pandemic

    • Infer the probability of reinfection: If we knew that a person had tested positive on successive tests separated by, say four months or more, with a negative test in-between, that would suggest a reinfection.
    • We could then infer the probability of such a reinfection.
    • Probability of vaccine breakthrough infection: With information about testing and vaccination status, we could compute the probability of a vaccine breakthrough event.
    • To know the efficacy of single vaccine dose: By checking to see whether the positive test happened after the first but before the second dose of vaccine, or after the second dose, the relative efficacy of such single vaccine doses at preventing disease could be derived.
    • Effect of the vaccine on disease severity: By examining symptoms reported after a vaccine breakthrough event, we could understand the extent to which vaccines reduce disease severity.
    • Impact of new variant: Add to this a layer of sequence information, and we could study the impact of new variants.

    Role of the volunteer organisation

    • The most trustworthy and granular data on cases in India have resulted from the remarkable and public-spirited work of a volunteer organisation, Covid19India.org.
    • Their work has now been taken over by several other voluntary groups, all operating on the same broad principles of data accessibility: covid19bharat.org, incovid19.org and covid19tracker.in.

    Way forward

    • Commitment towards data accessibility: We need to stress on data availability because this is the one area where a swift realignment is possible.
    • The more widely data are shared, the greater the likelihood of integration of the rapidly shifting scientific frontier with clinical practice.
    • Learning from the experience of South Africa: With the advantages of a relatively high-quality surveillance system among low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) countries, bolstered by a commitment towards transparency and data accessibility, South Africa’s rapid sharing allowed the world to prepare swiftly for the appearance of the highly mutated Omicron variant.
    • It is clear that pre-emptive decisions on vaccination and other measures could be made faster and better if more integrated data were available.

    Consider the question “Why availability and accessibility of data is important in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic? What are the challenges facing health data accessibility in India?”

    Conclusion

    Now, more than ever before is the time for us to urgently reassess our attitude towards data for public health purposes and the role of national health agencies in sharing data, generated with public funds, with scientists in India and across the world.

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  • 17th December 2021| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1    History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.- their forms and effect on the society

    GS-2    Constitution of India—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

    GS-3    Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing.

    GS-4    Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.

    Questions:

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 What were the reasons behind the failure of the League of Nations? How did this failure shape the formation of the United Nations as its successor? (10 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 Examine the significance of fundamental duties in the context of the Indian Constitution. What are the issues with making the enforcement of rights contingent on adhering to the duties? (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 India faces the challenge of high food prices. Examine the ways in which high food prices affect the overall economy. How far is India’s agriculture policy responsible for the problem? (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 “Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If not, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way.” – Swami Vivekanand. What does the quotation mean to you? (10 Marks)

     

    HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?

    1. Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.

    2. A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.

    3. You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.

    4.  Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.

    5. Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.

    6. If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 11th  October is uploaded on 11th October then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis

    7. If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th October is uploaded on 13th October, then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.

    8. We encourage you to write answers on the same day. However, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor like @Staff so that the mentor is notified about your answer.

    *In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. 

    For the philosophy of AWE and payment: 

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  • Growth of India’s Defence Exports

    India’s defense exports have increased manifold from ₹1,521 crore in 2016-17 to ₹8,434.84 crore in 2020-21.

    Note: This newscard provides substantial data about India’s defense exports and imports, which is highly relevant for mains and interview. Kindly bookmark this article.

    India’s defense exports

    • India has the strength of low-cost, high-quality production.
    • The Government has set an ambitious target to achieve exports of about ₹35,000 crore ($5 billion) in aerospace and defense goods and services by 2025.
    • The Defense Ministry has clarified that the names of the major defense items exported cannot be disclosed due to strategic reasons.
    • To boost indigenous manufacturing, the govt had issued two “positive indigenization lists” consisting of 209 items that cannot be imported and can only be procured from domestic industry.

    A significant achievement

    • According to the latest report of the Swedish think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), three Indian companies figure among the top 100 defence companies in the 2020 rankings.
    • These include Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Ordnance Factory Board and Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL).

    Yet India is a top importer

    • While India remained among the top importers, it was also included in the Top 25 defence exporters.
    • There was an overall drop in India’s arms imports between 2011-15 and 2016-20, according to another SIPRI report of 2020.

    Items that India export

    • India has supplied different types of missile systems, LCA/helicopters, multi-purpose light transport aircraft, warships and patrol vessels etc.
    • It is also willing to export artillery gun systems, tanks, radars, military vehicles, electronic warfare systems and other weapons systems to IOR nations.

    Major partners: South Asian Countries

    • Vietnam is procuring 12 Fast Attack Craft under a $100 million credit line announced by India.
    • It is also interested in Advanced Light Helicopters and Akash surface-to-air missiles.
    • HAL has pitched its helicopters and the Tejas LCA to several Southeast Asian and West Asian nations and is in the race to supply the LCA to Malaysia.
    • Discussions on the sale of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, jointly developed by India and Russia, are at an advanced stage with some Southeast Asian nations.

    Steps taken by the Centre to boost defence production

    • Licensing relaxation: Measures announced to boost exports since 2014 include simplified defence industrial licensing, relaxation of export controls and grant of no-objection certificates.
    • Lines of Credit: Specific incentives were introduced under the foreign trade policy and the Ministry of External Affairs has facilitated Lines of Credit for countries to import defence product.
    • Policy boost: The Defence Ministry has also issued a draft Defence Production & Export Promotion Policy 2020.
    • Indigenization lists: On the domestic front, to boost indigenous manufacturing, the Government had issued two “positive indigenization lists” consisting of 209 items that cannot be imported.
    • Budgetary allocation: In addition, a percentage of the capital outlay of the defence budget has been reserved for procurement from domestic industry.

    Issues retarding defence exports

    • Excess reliance on Public Sector: India has four companies (Indian ordnance factories, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL)) among the top 100 biggest arms producers of the world.
    • Policy delays: In the past few years, the government has approved over 200 defence acquisition worth Rs 4 trillion, but most are still in relatively early stages of processing.
    • Lack of Critical Technologies: Poor design capability in critical technologies, inadequate investment in R&D and the inability to manufacture major subsystems and components hamper the indigenous manufacturing.
    • Long gestation: The creation of a manufacturing base is capital and technology-intensive and has a long gestation period. By that time newer technologies make products outdated.
    • ‘Unease’ in doing business: An issue related to stringent labour laws, compliance burden and lack of skills, affects the development of indigenous manufacturing in defence.
    • Multiple jurisdictions: Overlapping jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Industrial Promotion impair India’s capability of defence manufacturing.
    • Lack of quality: The higher indigenization in few cases is largely attributed to the low-end technology.
    • FDI Policy: The earlier FDI limit of 49% was not enough to enthuse global manufacturing houses to set up bases in India.
    • R&D Lacunae: A lip service to technology funding by making token allocations is an adequate commentary on our lack of seriousness in the area of Research and Development.
    • Lack of skills: There is a lack of engineering and research capability in our institutions. It again leads us back to the need for a stronger industry-academia interface.

    Way forward

    • Reducing import dependence: India was the world’s second-largest arms importer from 2014-18, ceding the long-held tag as the largest importer to Saudi Arabia, says 2019 SIPRI report.
    • Security Imperative: Indigenization in defence is critical to national security also. It keeps intact the technological expertise and encourages spin-off technologies and innovation that often stem from it.
    • Economic boost: Indigenization in defence can help create a large industry which also includes small manufacturers.
    • Employment generation: Defence manufacturing will lead to the generation of satellites industries that in turn will pave the way for a generation of employment opportunities.

     

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  • Back in news: Right to be Forgotten

    The Centre has informed the Delhi High Court that the Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 contains provisions related to the ‘right to be forgotten’.

    Right to be Forgotten

    • ‘Right to be forgotten’ is a fairly new concept in India where an individual could seek to remove or delete online posts which may contain an embarrassing picture, video or news articles mentioning them.
    • It comes under the right to privacy which has been held to be a fundamental right by the Supreme Court under Article 21.
    • In 2017, the Right to Privacy was declared a fundamental right by the Supreme Court in its landmark verdict.

    Why in news?

    • The Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 contains provisions related to the doctrine of ‘right to be forgotten’.
    • It highlighted two judgments passed by the Orissa High Court and the Karnataka High Court where they have accepted the doctrine of the ‘right to be forgotten’ as an essential part of the ‘right to privacy’.

    Mention in PDP Bill

    • The PDP bill aims to set out provisions meant for the protection of the personal data of individuals.
    • Clause 20 under Chapter V of this bill titled “Rights of Data Principal” mentions the “Right to be Forgotten.”
    • It states that the “data principal (the person to whom the data is related) shall have the right to restrict or prevent the continuing disclosure of his personal data by a data fiduciary”.
    • A data fiduciary means any person, including the State, a company, any juristic entity, or any individual who alone or in conjunction with others determines the purpose and means of the processing of personal data.

    Implications

    • Under the Right to be forgotten, users can de-link, limit, delete or correct the disclosure of their personal information held by data fiduciaries.

    Other similar provisions

    • Section 69A of the IT Act does provide for removal of “certain unlawful information” from an intermediary platform.
    • It primarily applies to ‘national security and public order related issues’ only.

    Also read:

    Draft Personal Data Protection Bill, 2021

     

     

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  • Extension for PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana

    The Cabinet has given its approval to extend its umbrella scheme Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana for irrigation, water supply, groundwater and watershed development projects for another five years till 2026.

    PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana

    • The PMKSY was launched on 1st July, 2015 with the motto of “Har Khet Ko Paani”.
    • It is being implemented to expand cultivated area with assured irrigation, reduce wastage of water and improve water use efficiency.

    The scheme has basically combined three active projects under various ministries which is as follows:

    1. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Program (Ministry of Water Resources)
    2. Integrated Watershed Management Program (Ministry of Rural Development)
    3. Farm Water Management Project of the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture

    Components of PMKSY

    PMKSY seeks to provide a complete solution to farm level irrigation and assured irrigation for every farm

    • It aims to integrate irrigation with the latest technological practices and cover more cultivable areas under assured irrigation
    • Increase the implementation of water-saving technologies and precision irrigation which in other words can be said as More Crop Per Drop.
    • PMKSY also targets the promotion of micro-irrigation in the form of sprinklers, rain-guns, drips, etc.

    Advantages of Micro Irrigation

    • Higher Profits
    • Water Saving & Water Use Efficiency (WUE)
    • Less Energy Costs
    • Higher fertilizer-use efficiency (FUE)
    • Reduced Labour Costs
    • Reduce Soli Loss
    • Marginal Solis & Water
    • Efficient & Flexible
    • Improved Crop Quality
    • Higher Yields

    Implementation of PMKSY

    • Everything from planning and execution of plans is regionalized in PMKSY.
    • District Irrigation Plans (DIPs) will identify the areas that require improved facilities in irrigation at block levels and district levels.
    • State Irrigation Plan consolidates all the DIPs and it oversees the agricultural plans developed under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.

    Funding pattern

    • Funds will be allocated by the centre only if the state has prepared the district irrigation plans and the state irrigation plans.
    • The state government’s share under PMKSY is 25% and rest is borne by the centre, with an exception for north-eastern states where contribution by the state government is 10%.

     

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  • WTO rules against India’s Sugar Subsidies

    A World Trade Organization panel ruled that India violated international trade rules when it offered excessive subsidies for the production and export of sugar and sugarcane.

    What did WTO say?

    • Under WTO rules, India’s sugar subsidies are capped at a de minimis limit of 10% of the value of production.
    • India’s policies were inconsistent with WTO rules that govern the levels at which nations can subsidize domestic agricultural production.
    • WTO has asked it to withdraw its prohibited subsidies under the Production Assistance, the Buffer Stock, and the Marketing and Transportation Schemes within 120 days.

    What was the complaint against India?

    Australia, Brazil, and Guatemala said India’s domestic support and export subsidy measures appeared to be inconsistent with various articles against WTO’s:

    1. Agreement on Agriculture
    2. Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM)
    3. Article XVI (which concerns subsidies) of the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT)
    • Domestic Support: All three countries complained that India provides domestic support to sugarcane producers that exceed the de minimis level of 10% of the total value of sugarcane production.
    • Various subsidies: They also raised the issue of India’s alleged export subsidies, subsidies under the production assistance and buffer stock schemes, and the marketing and transportation scheme.
    • Notifying support: Australia accused India of “failing” to notify its annual domestic support for sugarcane and sugar subsequent to 1995-96, and its export subsidies since 2009-10.

    India’s reply to WTO panel

    • India rejected the panel’s findings as “erroneous”, “unreasoned”, and “not supported by the WTO rules”.
    • It argued that the requirements of Article 3 of the SCM Agreement are not yet applicable to India.
    • It has a phase-out period of 8 years to eliminate export subsidies under the agreement.
    • India also argued that its mandatory minimum prices are not paid by the governments but by sugar mills, and hence do not constitute market price support.

    Must read:

    Sugarcane Pricing in India

     

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  • [pib] Chalcolithic sites in news: Eran and Tewar

    The Chalcolithic cultures of Central India are adequately investigated and studied informed the Ministry of Culture in particular reference to the sites of Eran and Tewar.

    Major sites in Central India

    [1] Eran (Dist. Sagar, MP )

    • Eran (ancient Airikina) is situated on the left bank of the Bina (ancient Venva) river and surrounded by it on three sides.
    • The recent excavation has unearthed a variety of antiquities including a copper coin, an iron arrowhead, terracotta bead, stone beads along with copper coins, stone celt, beads of steatite and jasper, etc.
    • The occurrence of few specimens of plain, thin grey ware is noteworthy.
    • The use of iron was evidenced by few metallic objects at the site.

    [2] Tewar (Dist. Jabalpur, MP)

    • Tewar (Tripuri) village is located 12 km west of Jabalpur district on Jabalpur – Bhopal highway.
    • This excavation did not reach the natural soil and revealed four folds of cultural sequences i.e. Kushana, Shunga, Satvahana, and Kalachuri.
    • Antiquarian remains in this excavation include viz remains of sculptures, hopscotch, terracotta balls, Iron nails, copper coins, terracotta beads, implements of Iron and terracotta figurine, ceramics red ware etc.
    • It also revealed structural remains consist of brick wall and structure of sandstone columns.

    Back2Basics: Chalcolithic Culture in India

    • A completely different kind of culture known as Chalcolithic Culture was developed in central India and Deccan region by the end of the Neolithic period.
    • It is characterized by the use of both stone and bronze implements.

    Major Chalcolithic complexes in India

    1. Ahar culture c. 2,800-1,500 B.C.
    2. Kayatha culture c. 2,450-700 B.C.
    3. Malwa culture c. 1,900-1,400 B.C.
    4. Savalda culture c. 2,300-2,000 B.C.
    5. Jorwe culture c. 1,500 -900 B.C.
    6. Prabhas culture c. 2,000-1,400 B.C.
    7. Rangpur culture c. 1,700-1,400 B.C.

    Important features

    • The people of Chalcolithic culture had used unique painted earthenware usually black-on-red.
    • The use of copper and bronze tools also evidenced on a limited scale.
    • The economy was largely based on subsistence agriculture, stock-raising, hunting, and fishing.
    • They, however, never reached the level of urbanization in spite they were using metal.
    • They were contemporary of the Harappan culture, but some other were of later Harappan age.

    Their locations

    • The centers of Chalcolithic cultures flourished in semi-arid regions of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
    • The settlements of Kayatha culture were mostly located on the Chambal River and its tributaries.
    • The settlements of Malwa culture are mostly located on the Narmada and its tributaries.
    • The three best known settlements of Malwa culture are at Navdatoli, Eran, and Nagada.
    • Navdatoli was one of the largest Chalcolithic settlements in the country spread in almost 10 hectares.
    • The settlements of Rangpur culture are located mostly on Ghelo and Kalubhar rivers in Gujarat.
    • More than 200 settlements of Jorwe culture are known. Greater numbers of these settlements are found in Maharashtra.
    • The best known settlements of Jorwe culture are Prakash, Daimabad, and Inamgaon. Daimabad was the largest one that measured almost 20 hectares.

    Development of Agriculture

    • They cultivated both Kharif and Rabi crops in rotation and also raised cattle with it.
    • They cultivated wheat and barley in Malwa region. Rice was cultivated in Inamgaon and Ahar.
    • They also cultivated jowar, bajra, kulth, ragi, green peas, lentil, and green and black grams.
    • Largely, the Chalcolithic cultures flourished in the black cotton soil zone.

    Trade and Commerce

    • The Chalcolithic communities traded and exchanged materials with other contemporary communities.
    • A large settlement serves as the major centers of trade and exchange.
    • Some of them were Ahar, Gilund, Nagada, Navdatoli, Eran, Prabhas, Rangpur, Prakash, Daimabad, and Inamgaon.
    • The Ahar people settled close to the copper source and were used to supply copper tools and objects to other contemporary communities in Malwa and Gujarat.
    • Identical marks embedded on most of the copper axes found in Malwa, Jorwe, and Prabhas cultures that might indicate that it may be the trademarks of the smiths who made them.
    • It is found that Conch shell for bangles was traded from the Saurashtra coast to various other parts of the Chalcolithic regions.
    • Gold and ivory come to Jorwe people from Tekkalkotta in Karnataka and semiprecious stones may have been traded to various parts from Rajpipla in Gujarat.
    • Wheeled bullock carts were used for long distance trade, besides the river transport. The drawings of wheeled bullock carts have been found on pots.

    Try this PYQ from CSP 2019. It is dicey, but you cannot escape such questions.

    Q. Which one of the following is not a Harappan site?

    (a) Chanhudaro

    (b) Kot Diji

    (c) Sohgaura

    (d) Desalpur

     

    Post your answers here.

     

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