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  • Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) Scheme

    A recent report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has attributed the inefficiency of the PAT scheme to non-transparency, loose targets and overlooked deadlines.

    PAT Scheme

    • Perform Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme is a flagship program of Bureau of Energy Efficiency under the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE).
    • NMEEE is one of the eight national missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) launched by the Government of India in the year 2008

    Working of the scheme

    • PAT is a market-based compliance mechanism to accelerate improvements in energy efficiency in energy-intensive industries.
    • The energy savings achieved by notified industries is converted into tradable instruments called Energy Saving Certificates (ESCerts).
    • The ESCerts after issuance by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency are traded at Power Exchanges.

    What is PAT cycle?

    • The government shortlists industries and restricts the amount of energy they can consume and defines a time limit of three years by when this restriction should be met as part of PAT.
    • These three years of time are called one PAT cycle.
    • The industries are chosen after in-depth, sector-wise analysis by the government.
    • Industries that participate in this scheme are called designated consumers (DC).
    • Those that overachieve their targets are issued energy savings certificates (ESCerts) that can be traded with industries that have not achieved their targets.
    • Non-achievers have to buy the ESCerts after the three years for compliance.

    Various PAT cycles

    • PAT covered about 13 energy-intensive sectors
    • Sectors included are thermal power plants (TPP), cement, aluminium, iron and steel, pulp and paper, fertilizer, chlor-alkali, petroleum refineries, petrochemicals, distribution companies, railways, textile and commercial buildings (hotels and airports)
    • Announcements for six cycles since 2012 have been made so far

     

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  • [pib] Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages of India (SPPEL)

    The Government of India has initiated a Scheme known as “Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages of India” (SPPEL) informed the Minister of Culture and Tourism.

    About SPPEL

    • The Scheme was instituted by Ministry of Human Resource Development in 2013.
    • The sole objective of the Scheme is to document and archive the country’s languages that have become endangered or likely to be endangered in the near future.
    • The scheme is monitored by the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) located in Mysuru, Karnataka.
    • The CIIL has collaborated with various universities and institutes across India for this mission.
    • University Grants Commission (UGC) is also providing financial assistance for the creation of centres for endangered languages at Central and State Universities.

    What are Endangered Languages?

    • At the moment, the languages which are spoken by less than 10,000 speakers or languages that are not been linguistically studied earlier are considered endangered language.

    Present status of the scheme

    • Presently, 117 languages have been listed for the documentation.
    • Documentation in the form of grammar, dictionary and ethno-linguistic profiles of about 500 lesser known languages are estimated to be accomplished in the coming years.

     

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  • 3rd December 2021| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1    Population and associated issues, poverty, and developmental issues

    GS-2    Federalism

    GS-3    Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

    GS-4    Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions

    Questions:

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 The recently released empirical data from the National Family Health Survey 2019-20 (NFHS-5) shows that States and UTs are experiencing a sharp decline in fertility rates. What are the key reasons for the decline? Do you think a policy limiting family size is still required? (15 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 NFHS-5 places India’s total fertility rate (TFR) at 2.0. With ageing states increasingly relying on a workforce from relatively younger states to maintain their economic prosperity, it may be time for us to change our mindset about critical dimensions of India’s federalism. Comment. (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 The global electric mobility revolution is today defined by the rapid growth in electric vehicle (EV) uptake. In the context of this, examine the opportunities offered by the battery storage revolution for India and discuss the measures taken by India to promote the EV ecosystem in India. (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 Law cannot mention details of human conduct in different situations. Do you agree? If yes, what should guide the conduct of a public administrator if there is a conflict between legality and ethics? (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*. 

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  • [Yojana Archive] Making Gram Sabhas Vibrant

    November 2021: Panchayti Raj

    Gram Sabha: A backgrounder

    • The Gram Sabha is the fulcrum of the Panchayati Raj and village development.
    • It is the Sabha of the electorate. All other institutions of the Panchayati Raj like the Gram Panchayat, Block Panchayat and Zilla Parishad are constituted by elected representatives.
    • People use the forum of the Gram Sabha to discuss local governance and development, and make need- based plans for the village.
    • The Panchayat implements development programs under the overarching mandate, supervision and monitoring of the Gram Sabha.
    • All decisions of the Panchayat are taken through the Gram Sabha and no decision is official and valid without the consent of the Gram Sabha.

    Constitutional Provisions

    • The term Gram Sabha is defined in the Constitution of India under Article 243(b).
    • Gram Sabha is the primary body of the Panchayati Raj system and by far the largest.
    • It is a permanent body.

    Members of the Gram Sabha

    • Persons, those who are above 18 years of age and
    • living in the village and
    • whose names are included in the electoral rolls for the Panchayat at the village level.

    Meetings of the Gram Sabha

    • According to the State Panchayat Raj Acts, the Gram Sabha must meet at least two to four times in a year.
    • For people’s convenience, in most of the States, four national-international days have been identified as reference dates for these meetings. They are
    • Republic Day (26th January)
    • Labour day (1st May)
    • Independence Day (15th August)
    • Gandhi Jayanti (2nd October)
    • Gram Panchayats are however free to convene Gram Sabha on other dates according to their convenience.

    Who organizes Gram Sabha?

    • Panchayat Secretary (often called the Gram Sevak) after obtaining approval of the Sarpanch should organize the Gram Sabha.
    • Condition: The Sarpanch has to convene a Gram Sabha meeting when either 10% members of Gram Sabha or 50 persons of Gram Sabha (whichever is more) submits their requisition for holding a Gram Sabha.
    • Purpose of the meet: These members have to inform the purpose for the meeting.
    • Convening: A written request for the meeting must be handed over to the Sarpanch during office hours 5 days before the date of meeting.

    Issues with Gram Sabha

    The functioning of Gram Sabha is often criticized due to:

    1. Lack of regularity and transparency
    2. Low participation
    3. Irregular Gram Sabha meetings
    4. Absence of a coherent Gram Sabha agenda, etc.
    • The vulnerable sections of the village community hesitate to voice opinions due to inhibitions on account  of their financial and social standing.
    • The elected representatives of the Gram Panchayat, especially the Sarpanch, exercise significant powers and reduce Gram Sabhas to mere symbolic platform.

    Need & Relevance of Gram Sabha

    • Consensus building: Gram Sabha is a unique institution which would enable the citizens to highlight grass-root level problems and build consensus on possible solutions.
    • Participatory governance: Various flagship programs of the government require large scale mobilization and people’s direct participation.  It provides an ideal platform for this.

    Issues in functioning

    • Lack of funds: There is a need to enlarge the domain of panchayats to be able to raise their own funds.
    • Political interference: The interference of area MPs and MLAs in the functioning of panchayats also adversely affected their performance.
    • Ad-hocism: There is a presence of adhocismi.e. lack of clear setting of agenda in gram sabha, gram samiti meetings and no proper structure.
    • Unclear devolution: This has allowed concentration of powers with the states and thereby restraining the elective representatives who are more aware and sensitive to the ground level issues to take control.
    • Surrogate representation: Often women members are dominated by their spouses.

    Way forward for effective functioning

    The allocation of the Finance Commission’s Untied Grants is a major step towards strengthening financial autonomy. The following recommendations have been made for the effective functioning of GS:

    • Ensuring periodic Gram Sabhas
    • Formulating and distributing Agenda/Action taken Report
    • Preparing Annual Calendar: For spreading information about the annual schedule and the  nature of discussions in the various meetings.
    • Effective Scheduling: To enable the limited resources of District/Block administration to optimise efforts towards conducting the GSs.
    • Convenient Timings: Organizing Sabhas at a convenient time to enable the village population to attend in large numbers.
    • Administrative presence: The district administration should ensure attendance of Group A and B officers in all the Gram Sabha meetings.
    • Augmenting people’s participation: The minimum quorum for the meeting should be 10% of the members out of which at least 30% should be females.
    • Digital/virtual means of citizens’ participation: wherever possible and permissible, may also be considered. The services of elected representatives, SHGs, ASHA workers, Rozgar Sahayaks, etc., should  be utilized to create awareness about participation

    Conclusion

    • To ensure effective functioning of the Gram Panchayats, it is important to revitalize the Gram Sabha as an assembly of the village.
    • Bringing transparency, responsibility, and accountability in Panchayat functioning and its functionaries, would go a long way in creating Gram Panchayats as engines of socio-economic growth in the rural areas.
    • Vibrant Gram Sabhas could also chart ways for achieving India’s Sustainable Development Goals by facilitating their localization to the Gram Panchayat level.

    By facilitating participative democracy, the Gram Sabhas will not only contribute to the socio-economic development of the villages, but also create collective transformational change in the rural areas of the country.

  • India’s electric vehicle push will lead to brighter, greener future

    Context

    The transition to electric mobility is a promising global strategy for decarbonising the transport sector.

    Electricity mobility revolution

    • The global electric mobility revolution is today defined by the rapid growth in electric vehicle (EV) uptake.
    • This phenomenon is today defined by the rapid growth in EV uptake, with EV sales for the year 2020, reaching 2.1 million.
    • Falling battery costs and rising performance efficiencies are fueling the demand for EVs globally.

    Significance of India’s transition to electric mobility

    • India is the fifth largest car market in the world and has the potential to become one of the top three in the near future.
    • India is among a handful of countries that supports the global EV30@30 campaign, which aims for at least 30 per cent new vehicle sales to be electric by 2030.
    • Part of global climate agenda: The push for EVs is driven by the global climate agenda established under the Paris Agreement to reduce carbon emissions in order to limit global warming.
    • Ensuring energy security: It is also projected to contribute in improving the overall energy security situation as the country imports over 80 per cent of its overall crude oil requirements, amounting to approximately $100 billion.
    • Job creation: The push is also expected to play an important role in the local EV manufacturing industry for job creation.
    • Strengthen grid operation: Through several grid support services, EVs are expected to strengthen the grid and help accommodate higher renewable energy penetration while maintaining secure and stable grid operation.

    Battery storage: Opportunities and challenges

    • Promoting sustainable development: With recent technology disruptions, battery storage has great opportunity in promoting sustainable development in the country, considering government initiatives to promote e-mobility and renewable power (450 GW energy capacity target by 2030).
    • Economic opportunity: With rising levels of per capita income, there has been a tremendous demand for consumer electronics in the areas of mobile phones, UPS, laptops, power banks etc. that require advanced chemistry batteries.
    • This makes manufacturing of advanced batteries one of the largest economic opportunities of the 21st century.
    • Concern of absence of manufacturing base: It is estimated that by 2020-30 India’s cumulative demand for batteries would be approximately 900-1100 GWh, but there is concern over the absence of a manufacturing base for batteries in India, leading to sole reliance on imports to meet rising demand.

    Government schemes to promote EV ecosystem

    • To develop and promote the EV ecosystem in the country, government has remodeled Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME II) scheme (Rs 10,000 crore) for the consumer side.
    • It has also launched production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) ( Rs 18,100 crore) for the supplier side.
    • Finally the recently launched PLI scheme for Auto and Automotive Components (Rs 25,938 crore) for manufacturers of electric vehicles was launched.
    • All these forward and backward integration mechanisms in the economy are expected to achieve robust growth in the coming years and will enable India to leapfrog to the environmentally cleaner electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

    Benefits of EV ecosystem

    • This will not only help the nation conserve foreign exchange but also make India a global leader in manufacturing of EVs and better comply with the Paris Climate Change Agreement..
    • Battery demand creation: All three schemes cumulatively expect an investment of about Rs 1,00,000 crore which will boost domestic manufacturing and also facilitate EVs and battery demand creation along with the development of a complete domestic supply chain and foreign direct investment in the country.
    • Reduction of oil import bill: The programme envisages an oil import bill reduction of about Rs 2 lakh crore and import bill substitution of about Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

    Conclusion

    India’s push for EV ecosystem is in line with the country’s climate change commitments, will help boost manufacturing sector and also help ensure energy security.

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  • A launch window for India as a space start-up hub

    Context

    After the launch of Sputnik in 1957, space race is on again, but this time, private players are on the power field. This has huge implications for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the space sector in India and is a promising venture for global investors.

    Insignificant share of India in space economy

    • 2% India’s share: The space economy is a $440 billion global sector, with India having less than 2% share in the sector.
    • While total early-stage investments in space technologies in FY21 were $68 billion, India was on the fourth place with investments in about 110 firms, totalling not more than $2 billion.

    Reasons for India’s insignificant private participation

    • Absence of a framework: The reason for the lack of independent private participation in space includes the absence of a framework to provide transparency and clarity in laws.
    • Brain drain: Another aspect to throw light on is the extensive brain drain in India, which has increased by 85% since 2005.
    • Policy bottlenecks: Brain drain can be linked to the bottlenecks in policies which create hindrances for private space ventures and founders to attract investors, making it virtually non-feasible to operate in India.

    Suggestions

    • The laws need to be broken down into multiple sections, each to address specific parts of the value chain and in accordance with the Outer Space Treaty.
    • Dividing into upstream and downstream: Dividing activities further into upstream and downstream space blocks will allow legislators to provide a solid foundation to products/services developed by the non-governmental and private sectors within the value chain.
    • Timeline on licensing: With the technicalities involved in the space business, timelines on licensing, issuance of authorisation and continuous supervision mechanism need to be defined into phases.
    • Insurance and indemnification clarity: Another crucial aspect of space law is insurance and indemnification clarity, particularly about who or which entity undertakes the liability in case of a mishap.
    • In several western countries with an evolved private space industry, there is a cap on liability and the financial damages that need to be paid.
    • Need to generate own IP: Currently, many of the private entities are involved in equipment and frame manufacturing, with either outsourced specifications or leased licences.
    • However, to create value, Indian space private companies need to generate their intellectual property for an independent product or service with ISRO neither being their sole or largest customer nor providing them IP and ensuring buy-backs.

    Possibilities for India and the government’s effort

    • India currently stands on the cusp of building a space ecosystem and with ISRO being the guiding body, India can now evolve as a space start-up hub for the world.
    • Already 350 plus start-ups such as AgniKul Cosmos, Skyroot Technologies, Dhruva Space and Pixxel have established firm grounds for home-grown technologies with a practical unit of economics.
    • Last year the Government of India created a new organisation known as IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) which is a “single window nodal agency” established to boost the commercialisation of Indian space activities.
    • A supplement to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the agency promotes the entry of the Non-Government Private Entities (NGPEs) in the Indian space sector.

    Consider the question “Examine the factors responsible for hindering the participation of the private sector in India’s space industry? Suggest the ways to increase the participation of private sector.”

    Conclusion

    To continue the growth engine, investors need to look up to the sector as the next “new-age” boom and ISRO needs to turn into an enabler from being a supporter. To ensure that the sky is not the limit, investor confidence needs to be pumped up and for the same, clear laws need to be defined.

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    Back2Basics: The Outer Space Treaty

    • The Outer Space Treaty was considered by the Legal Subcommittee in 1966 and agreement was reached in the General Assembly in the same year ( resolution 2222 (XXI)).
    • The Treaty was largely based on the Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, which had been adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 1962 (XVIII) in 1963, but added a few new provisions.
    • The Treaty was opened for signature by the three depository Governments (the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States of America) in January 1967, and it entered into force in October 1967.
    • The Outer Space Treaty provides the basic framework on international space law, including the following principles:
    • The exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and shall be the province of all mankind;
    • Outer space shall be free for exploration and use by all States;
    • Outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means;
    • States shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner;
    • The Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes;
    • Astronauts shall be regarded as the envoys of mankind;
    • States shall be responsible for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental entities;
    • States shall be liable for damage caused by their space objects; and
    • States shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies.

  • 2nd 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    Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

    GS-3    Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

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

    Questions:

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 While, the First World War had many far-reaching impacts on the Western Europe and the USA, but it affected India too. Elaborate the impact of First World War on India. (10 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 “One of the many consequences of China’s assertive posture in Asia has been the emergence of geopolitical coalitions to limit Beijing’s regional dominance. Critically analyse. (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 While around half of the electricity is now being generated privately, most discoms are still state government-owned. What will the implications of using IBC proceedings against the discoms? (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”- Martin Luther King Jr. Bring out what this quote means to you in the present context. (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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  • Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021

    The Lok Sabha has passed the Assisted Reproductive Technology- ART (Regulation) Bill,, 2020 that proposes the establishment of a national registry and registration authority for all clinics and medical professionals serving in the field.

    Key highlights of the Bill:

    Definition of ART

    • The Bill defines ART to include all techniques that seek to obtain a pregnancy by handling the sperm or the oocyte (immature egg cell) outside the human body and transferring the gamete or the embryo into the reproductive system of a woman.
    • Examples of ART services include gamete (sperm or oocyte) donation, in-vitro-fertilisation (fertilising an egg in the lab), and gestational surrogacy (the child is not biologically related to surrogate mother).
    • ART services will be provided through: (i) ART clinics, which offer ART related treatments and procedures, and (ii) ART banks, which store and supply gametes.

    Regulation of ART clinics and banks

    • The bill provides that every ART clinic and bank must be registered under the National Registry of Banks and Clinics of India.
    • It will act as a central database with details of all ART clinics and banks in the country.
    • State governments will appoint registration authorities for facilitating the registration process.
    • Clinics and banks will be registered only if they adhere to certain standards (specialised manpower, physical infrastructure, and diagnostic facilities).
    • The registration will be valid for five years and can be renewed for a further five years.

    Conditions for gamete donation and supply

    • Screening of gamete donors, collection and storage of semen, and provision of oocyte donor can only be done by a registered ART bank.
    • A bank can obtain semen from males between 21 and 55 years of age, and oocytes from females between 23 and 35 years of age.
    • An oocyte donor should be an ever-married woman having at least one alive child of her own (minimum three years of age).
    • The woman can donate oocyte only once in her life and not more than seven oocytes can be retrieved from her.
    • A bank cannot supply gamete of a single donor to more than one commissioning couple (couple seeking services).

    Conditions for offering ART services:

    • ART procedures can only be carried out with the written informed consent of both the party seeking ART services as well as the donor.
    • The party seeking ART services will be required to provide insurance coverage in the favour of the oocyte donor (for any loss, damage, or death of the donor).
    • The Bill also requires checking for genetic diseases before the embryo implantation.

    Rights of a child born through ART

    • A child born through ART will be deemed to be a biological child of the commissioning couple and will be entitled to the rights and privileges available to a natural child of the commissioning couple.
    • A donor will not have any parental rights over the child.

    National and State Boards:

    • The Bill provides that the National and State Boards for Surrogacy constituted and will for the regulation of ART services.
    • Key powers and functions of the National Board include:
    1. Advising the central government on ART related policy matters
    2. Reviewing and monitoring the implementation of the Bill
    3. Formulating code of conduct and standards for ART clinics and banks
    4. Overseeing various bodies to be constituted under the Bill
    5. State Boards will coordinate enforcement of the policies and guidelines for ART as per the recommendations, policies, and regulations of the National Board

    Offences and penalties

    Offences under the Bill include:

    1. Abandoning, or exploiting children born through ART,
    2. Selling, purchasing, trading, or importing human embryos or gametes,
    3. Using intermediates to obtain donors,
    4. Exploiting commissioning couple, woman, or the gamete donor in any form, and
    5. Transferring the human embryo into a male or an animal
    • These offences will be punishable with a fine between 5 and 10 lakh rupees for the first contravention.
    • For subsequent contraventions, these offences will be punishable with imprisonment for a term between eight and 12 years, and a fine between 10 and 20 lakh rupees.
    • Any clinic or bank advertising or offering sex-selective ART will be punishable with imprisonment between five and ten years, or fine between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 25 lakh, or both.
    • No court will take cognisance of offences under the Bill, except on a complaint made by the National or State Board or any officer authorised by the Boards.

     

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  • SC pushes for National Judicial Infrastructure Corporation (NJIC)

    The Supreme Court orally said that courts cannot wait on the whims and fancies of the Government, but need a proper mechanism for funding the development of judicial infrastructure.

    National Judicial Infrastructure Corporation (NJIC)

    • The idea for such NJIC was first proposed by CJI Ramana in March this year, even before he took office.
    • It mooted the idea of an “umbrella national organization” that would take care of the need for judicial infrastructure.
    • Such a corporation would bring the uniformity and standardization required to revolutionize judicial infrastructure, said CJI.
    • Soon after he was sworn in, the CJI commenced work on the NJIC and a survey of 6,000 trial courts in various states was undertaken as part of this exercise.

    CJI recommends the composition of NJIC

    • The CJI has said that the Judiciary is least interested in retaining control of the council.
    • The composition can be of the Union Minister for Law and Justice, the Secretary, Finance, etc.
    • The States can also be represented.
    • The benefit of having a senior judge or Chief Justice on it would be that they are in the know of things.

    Why need NJIC?

    • No central agency: Presently, there is no agency to ensure use of funds allocated to augment judicial infrastructure
    • Infrastructure gap: There is a substantial gap in infrastructure and availability of basic amenities in the lower judiciary.
    • Lack of basic amenities: There is a lack of court halls, residential accommodation, and waiting room for litigants in trial courts, especially in smaller towns and rural areas.
    • Budgetary lapses: Experience shows that budgetary allocation for state judiciary often lapses since there is no independent body to supervise and execute works.

    NJIC is expected to fill this vacuum and overcome problems related to infrastructure.

    Significance of NJIC

    • The modernization of judicial infrastructure did not mean building more courts or filling up vacancies or ploughing through vacancies.
    • An efficient “judicial infrastructure” means providing equal and free access to justice.
    • This could be realized through a barrier-free and citizen-friendly environment.

     

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  • Dam Safety Bill, 2021 introduced in RS

    The Dam Safety Bill 2021 was moved in the Rajya Sabha but the debate could not be held because of disruptions from the Opposition parties.

    Dam Safety Bill, 2021

    • The Bill provides for surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of dams to prevent disasters, and institutional mechanisms to ensure safety.
    • It applies to over 5,000 dams across the country, many of which are currently in poor conditions.
    • It has been met with significant opposition, particularly from several states that claim the bill oversteps the Centre’s mandate.

    Which dams are covered?

    • All dams in India with a height above 15 metres come under the purview of the bill.
    • Dams between 10 to 15 metres of height are also covered but only if they meet certain other specifications in terms of design and structural conditions.

    National Committee on Dam Safety

    • The Bill provides for the constitution of a National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS) which is to be chaired by the Central Water Commissioner (CWC).
    • The other members of the NCDS will be nominated by the Centre and will include up to 10 representatives of the Centre, 7 state government representatives, and 3 experts on dam safety.
    • The NCDS is to formulate policies for dam safety and to prevent dam failures.
    • In the event of a dam failure, the NCDS will analyse why the failure occurred, and suggest changes in dam safety practices to ensure there aren’t any repetitions.

    National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA)

    • The bill provides for the formation of a NDSA which will be responsible for implementing the policies of the NCDS, and will resolve issues between State Dam Safety Organisations (or SDSOs) and dam owners.
    • The NDSA will also specify regulations for the inspection of dams and will provide accreditation to the various agencies working on the structure of dams and their alteration.

    State Dam Safety Organisations (SDSOs)

    • The bill will also result in the establishment of SDSOs, and State Committees on Dam Safety (SCDSs).
    • The jurisdiction of the SDSOs will extend to all dams in that specific state.

    Cross jurisdictions

    • The NDSA will, in some cases, possess this jurisdiction, for example, if a dam owned by one state is situated in another or crosses multiple states, or if a dam is owned by a central public sector undertaking.
    • SDSOs will be in charge of scrutinizing dams under their jurisdiction and maintaining a database of the same.
    • The SCDS will review the work of the SDSO, and will also have to assess the impact of dam-related projects on upstream and downstream states.
    • The bill gives the Central government the power to amend the functions of any of the above bodies through a notification, whenever it is deemed necessary to do so.

    How does Bill change the functioning of dams?

    • If the bill is made into a law, then dam owners will have to provide a dam safety unit in each dam.
    • The dam safety unit will be required to inspect the dam before and after the monsoon session, and also during and after natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods.
    • The bill requires dam owners to prepare emergency action plans. Risk-assessment studies will also have to be undertaken by owners, regularly.
    • At specified, regular intervals, and in the event of either a modification to the dam’s structure or a natural event that may impact the structure, dam owners will have to produce a comprehensive safety evaluation by experts.

    Do you know?

    The point of contention are four dams — Mullaperiyar, Parambikulam, Thunakkadavu and Peruvaripallam — located in Kerala but owned, operated and maintained by the Tamil Nadu Government.

    Issues with bill

    • The primary objection to the bill is that is unconstitutional, as water is one of the items on the State List.
    • Tamil Nadu, which currently possesses four dams situated in Kerala, is opposed to the Bill as it would result in the four dams falling under the NDSA.
    • This will be doing away with Tamil Nadu’s rights over the maintenance of the dam.
    • The Bill states that the NCDS will be chaired by the Central Water Commissioner.
    • However the Supreme Court has ruled in the past that such a scenario is prohibited, as it involves the CWC, an advisor, functioning both as a regulator and the head of the NCDS.

     

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