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  • Issues faced by Discoms in India

    The article highlights the need for frequent financial aids to the discoms by the Centre and discusses the factors responsible for this.

    Frequent rescue packages for discoms

    • Recently, there was a sharp decline in the dues owed by power distribution companies, discoms, to power generating companies.
    • Discoms have paid off their dues in part by drawing down a liquidity facility arranged by the Centre last year.
    • This rescue package was arranged to prevent the entire power sector chain from suffering because of the discoms’ inability to meet their obligations. 
    • In the initial years after the introduction of UDAY some states did, in fact, witness an improvement in their financial and operational indicators.
    • But it wasn’t sustained, There has been a sharp deterioration in several parameters.

    Low performance of Discoms

    1) On the basis of AT&C losses

    • A key metric to measure the performance of discoms is AT&C losses.
    • The UDAY scheme had envisaged bringing down these losses to 15 per cent by 2019.
    • However, as per data on the UDAY dashboard, the AT&C losses currently stand at 21.7 per cent at the all-India level.
    • In the case of the low-income north and central-eastern states — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh — the losses are considerably higher.

    2) On the basis of cost and revenue per unit

    • On another metric — the gap between discoms’ costs and revenues — the difference, supposed to have been eliminated by now, stands at Rs 0.49 per unit in the absence of regular and commensurate tariff hikes.
    • For the high-income southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, this gap between costs and revenues is significantly higher.

    What are the factors responsible for inefficiencies?

    1) Electrification push without cost restructuring

    • The government’s push for ensuring electrification of all have contributed to greater inefficiency.
    •  To support higher levels of electrification, cost structures need to be reworked, and the distribution network would need to be augmented — in the absence of all this, losses are bound to rise.

    2) Economic fallout of the pandemic

    • With demand from industrial and commercial users falling, revenue from this stream, which is used to cross-subsidise other consumers, has declined, exacerbating the stress on discom finances.
    • A turnaround in the economy will provide some relief, but will not form the basis of a sustained improvement in finances.

    3) Lack of consumer data and metering

    •  Even six years after UDAY was launched, various levels in the distribution chain — the feeder, the distribution transformer (DT) and the consumer — have not been fully metered.
    • As a result, it is difficult to ascertain the level in the chain where losses are occurring.
    • Other than discoms in metros like Delhi and Mumbai, there is also limited data on which consumer is attached to which DT.
    • This lack of data makes it difficult to isolate and identify loss-making areas and take corrective action.

    4) No tariff hike

    • The continuing absence of political consensus at the state level to raise tariffs or to bring down AT&C losses signal a lack of resolve to tackle the issues plaguing the sector.

    Way forward

    • One of the solution centres around a national power distribution company.
    • Another option is to deduct discom dues, owed to both public and private power generating companies, from state balances with the RBI forcing states to take the necessary steps to fix discom finances.
    • The Centre has linked additional state borrowings to the completion of distribution reforms to incentivise states to act.

    Consider the question “Despite several efforts by the Centre to improve the efficiency, discoms continue to perform dismally requiring frequent financial aids. What are the factors responsible for this? Suggest the way forward.” 

    Conclusion

    Short of radical measures — privatisation remains a chimera — it is difficult to see how a sustainable turnaround in the financial and operational position of discoms can be engineered. As the amounts involved rise, minor tinkering isn’t likely to produce the desired results.


    Back2Basics: AT&C losses

    • Distribution loss consists of two parts:
    • a. Technical loss
    • b. Commercial loss.
    • It is also called AT&C loss.
    • AT&C loss is nothing but the sum total of technical and commercial losses and shortage due to non-realization of billed amount.
    • AT&C Loss = (Energy input – Energy billed) * 100 / Energy input.
  • How poll results are challenged, and when courts have set them aside

    West Bengal CM has filed an election petition in the Calcutta High Court challenging the Assembly election result of Nandigram constituency, where she had contested and lost.

    What is an election petition?

    • The Election Commission’s role ends with the declaration of results, that is once the Returning Officer has signed the final result sheet (Form 20).
    • After that, an election petition is the only legal remedy available to a voter or a candidate who believes there has been malpractice in an election.
    • Such a person can challenge the result through an election petition submitted to the High Court of the state in which the constituency is located.
    • Such a petition has to be filed within 45 days from the date of the poll results; nothing is entertained by courts after that.
    • Although the Representative of the People Act of 1951 suggests that the High Court should try to conclude the trial within six months, it usually drags on for much longer, even years.

    On what grounds can an election petition be filed?

    Under Section 100 of the RP Act, an election petition can be filed on the grounds that:

    • On the day of the election, the winning candidate was not qualified to contest.
    • The winning candidate, his poll agent or any other person with the consent of the winning candidate has indulged in a corrupt practice. Section 123 of the RP Act has a detailed list of what amounts to corrupt practice, including bribery, use of force or coercion, appeal to vote or refrain from voting on grounds of religion, race, community, and language.
    • Improper acceptance of the nomination of the winning candidate or improper rejection of a nomination.
    • Malpractice in the counting process, which includes improper reception, refusal or rejection of any vote, or the reception of any vote which is void.
    • Non-compliance with the provisions of the Constitution or the RP Act or any rules or orders made under the RP Act.

    What happens if the court finds that a contention of malpractice is correct?

    • This depends on relief that is claimed by the petitioner in her election petition.
    • Under Section 84 of the RP Act, the petitioner may ask that the results of all or the winning candidates may be declared void.
    • In addition to that, the petitioner may also ask the court to declare her (in case the petition is filed by a candidate) or any other candidate as the winner or duly elected.
    • So the verdict on an election petition, if found in favour of the petitioner, may result in a fresh election or the court announcing a new winner.

    Have there been any election results that were declared void because of an election petition?

    • There are many examples, the most famous being the Allahabad High Court verdict of 1975 which set aside Indira Gandhi’s election from Rae Bareli constituency, four years earlier, on grounds of corrupt practice.
    • The election petition was filed by her nearest rival Raj Narain who had lost by over one lakh votes.
    • The High Court found that Indira Gandhi’s election agent Yashpal Kapur, the DM of Rae Bareli, the Superintendent of Police of Rae Bareli and the Home Secretary of UP government helped in the arrangements for her election tour.
    • This amounted to a corrupt practice under Section 123 (7) of the RP Act.
  • World Competitiveness Ranking 2021

    India’s position has remained unchanged at 43 for the third year in a row in the World Competitiveness Ranking by Switzerland-based Institute for Management Development (IMD).

    World Competitiveness Ranking

    • The IMD World Competitiveness Ranking ranks 64 economies and assesses the extent to which a country promotes the prosperity of its people by measuring economic well-being through hard data and survey responses from executives.
    • The ranking examines four factors — economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure.
    • The top-performing economies are characterized by varying degrees of investment in innovation, diversified economic activities, and supportive public policy.

    India’s performance

    • Among the BRICS nations, India is ranked second after China (16), followed by Russia (45th), Brazil (57th) and South Africa (62th).
    • Among the four indices used, India’s ranking in government efficiency increased to 46 from 50 a year ago, while its ranking in other parameters such as economic performance (37), business efficiency (32) and infrastructure (49) remained the same.
    • India has maintained its position for the past three years but this year, it had significant improvements in government efficiency.
  • [pib] Indian Certification of Medical Devices (ICMED) Plus Scheme

    The Quality Council of India (QCI), and the Association of Indian Manufacturers of Medical Devices (AiMeD) have added further features to the ICMED Scheme for Certification of Medical Devices.

     ICMED 13485 PLUS

    • The ICMED 13485 PLUS, as the new scheme has been christened, will undertake verification of the quality, safety and efficacy of medical devices.
    • It was first launched in 2016.
    • It has been designed to integrate the Quality Management System components and product-related quality validation processes through witness testing of products with reference to the defined product standards and specifications.
    • This is the first scheme around the world in which quality management systems along with product certification standards are integrated with regulatory requirements.
    • This scheme will be an end-to-end quality assurance scheme for the medical devices sector in India.

    Details of the scheme

    • This scheme provides the much-needed institutional mechanism for assuring product quality and safety.
    • It will go a long way in assisting the procurement agencies to tackle the challenges relating to the menace of counterfeit products and fake certification.
    • This will also help in eliminating the circulation and use of sub-standard medical products or devices of doubtful origin that could prove to be serious health hazards.
  • ECI releases an Atlas on General Elections 2019

    The Election Commission of India has released ‘General Elections 2019 – An Atlas’.

    Atlas on General Elections

    • The Atlas encompasses all the data and statistical figures of this monumental event. It shares interesting facts, anecdotes and legal provisions related to the Indian elections.
    • It brings out salient features such as data of the 23 States and Uts where women voting percentage was more than the male voting percentage.
    • It has information about the largest & smallest parliamentary constituency in terms of electors, candidates and performance of political parties amongst other parameters.
    • The Atlas depicts the elector’s data in different categories and through various comparison charts like Elector Gender Ratio and electors in different age categories.
    • This Atlas serves as an informative and illustrative document that brings to light the nuances of the Indian electoral process and empowers readers to analyze trends and changes.

    Data on 2019 Elections

    • The 2019 General Elections witnessed the lowest gender gap in the history of Indian elections.
    • The Elector Gender Ratio which has shown a positive trend since 1971 was 926 in the 2019 General Elections.
    • The Atlas also compares the average number of electors per polling station in different states during the 2014 & 2019 General Elections.
    • The Election Commission of India set up over 10 lakh polling stations in General Elections 2019 with the lowest number of electors per polling station (365) in Arunachal Pradesh.

    Why was such Atlas needed?

    • Since the first General Elections in 1951-52, the Commission has been publishing a compilation of electoral data in the form of narrative and statistical books.
    • 17th General Elections conducted in 2019 were the largest democratic exercise in human history which witnessed the participation of 61.468 crore voters at 10.378 lakh polling stations spread over 32 lakh sq km.
  • [pib] Exercise EUNAVFOR

    Indian Navy is participating in the maiden IN – EUNAVFOR Joint Naval Exercise in the Gulf of Aden.

    Exercise EUNAVFOR

    • EUNAVFOR is a multilateral naval exercise comprising of Italian Navy, Spanish Navy, and French Navy.
    • Ships of the four navies will endeavor to enhance and hone their war-fighting skills and their ability as an integrated force to promote, peace, security, and stability in the maritime domain.
    • EUNAVFOR and the Indian Navy converge on multiple issues including counter-piracy operations and protection of vessels deployed under the charter of the World Food Programme (UN WFP).
    • Indian Navy and EUNAVFOR also have regular interaction through SHADE (Shared Awareness and De-confliction) meetings held annually in Bahrain.
    • This engagement showcases increased levels of synergy, coordination, and inter-operability between India and EUNAVFOR.
    • It also underscores the shared values as partner navies, in ensuring freedom of seas and commitment to an open, inclusive and rules-based international order.

    Mark the nations along the Gulf of Aden:

  • [Yojana Archive] NITI Aayog: Redefining Federalism

    May 2020
    • A few decades ago, when we talked of Federal Structure, one generally drew a uni-dimensional picture, in mind, with Centre on the top of all the States.
    • We rarely saw it as a synergy between the States, and a common strategy to develop and grow together.
    • Though, this is the new-age approach of the Federal Structure based on cooperative and competitive federalism defined and re-emphasized with the formation of NITI Aayog.

    What is Federalism?

    • Essentially, federalism is an institutional mechanism to accommodate two sets of polities—one at the regional level and the other at the national level. Each government is autonomous in its sphere.
    • The Indian Constitution provides for a federation with a strong center.
    • It does not use the word ‘federation’ and has described India as a “Union of States”, which implies the ‘cooperative’ nature with certain unitary features.
    • The Union, State, and Concurrent lists demarcate the responsibilities and functions of the two.

    The idea behind Indian Federalism

    Federalism has to continuously maintain a difficult balance between the Centre and the States with decentralization of resources, strengthening them all by bringing the weaker leg forward, creating healthy competition among the States in the form of Health, Sanitation Rankings, etc.

    • The idea is to develop a culture and a set of values and virtues like mutual trust, and a spirit of cooperation among the people and policies.
    • It is about acknowledging and celebrating unity as well as diversity, respecting the boundaries as well as transcending the boundaries.
    • The most common analogy given for such a structure is ‘the brain’ and ‘the body parts’.
    • The way they work in tandem with perfect synchronization is the spirit, mind, and soul of federalism as well.
    • Each organ is dependent on the other for smooth functioning and growth of the entire body.

    NITI Aayog

    • The NITI Aayog (abbreviation for National Institution for Transforming India) is a public policy think tank of the Government of India.
    • It is established with the aim to achieve sustainable development goals with cooperative federalism by fostering the involvement of States in the economic policy-making process using a bottom-up approach.

    Its founding principles include:

    1. Cooperative federalism (a collaboration between the Central and State Governments) and
    2. Competitive federalism (spurring healthy competition among States)

    NITI Aayog Vs Planning Commission: A comparison

    • Planning Commission and NITI Aayog, their mandate and approach of the two institutions, with the same overarching goal of developing India, could not be more different.
    • Planning Commission operated through the lens of Five-Year Plans, using financial resources as the primary lever for guiding development.
    • NITI Aayog, on the other hand, is driven primarily through intellectual firepower as well as the mandate and capability of forging meaningful partnerships with the stakeholders
    • While the Planning Commission acted as a fund disburser, NITI Aayog works as a thought partner with all stakeholders, especially the States, which are the principal agents for fostering economic development in the country.
    • While the Planning Commission followed a top-down model, the NITI Aayog is using a bottom-up approach.
    • While the Planning Commission impinged on the fiscal sovereignty of the States, they are now empowered to decide how best to use their funds, without being mandated to follow a top-down direction.
    • The NITI Aayog has replaced the Central Government’s practice of unilaterally designing the pan-Indian development strategy-while working with State Governments to jointly prepare development blueprints.

    Notably, the Planning Commission adopted a ‘onesize- fits-all’ approach towards the Indian States. NITI Aayog, on the other hand, is guided by a ‘States-first’ approach.

    Various initiatives by the NITI Aayog

    [1] For regional development

    • The NITI Forum for North East has been constituted and tangible sectoral proposals are being implemented by the States in partnership with the North East Council.
    • It has designed some major initiatives for island development which are being implemented by relevant authorities under the overall guidance of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
    • It is also envisaged that like the NITI Forum for the North East, other regional councils of contiguous States could be formed in the coming months.

    [2] Various Indicators

    NITI promotes competitive federalism by pushing its sectoral indices which are put out in the public domain.

    • The indices on water, education, health, innovation, export preparedness, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have attracted significant positive attention through SDG India Index.
    • The ‘Performance in Health Outcomes’ Index, for instance, captures the overall performance of States in health along with annual improvements in health outcomes, governance, and processes.
    • Similarly, the Composite Water Management Index details how States have progressed on water-related issues over time.
    • The ‘School Education Quality Index’ and Performance Grading Index aims to institutionalize a focus on improving education outcomes (learning, access, equity) in India.

    [3] Policy inputs

    • NITI Aayog has been continuously engaged in providing fresh policy-related inputs for implementation by relevant Central Government Ministries and State Government agencies.
    • It has been involved in drafting the National Medical Commission Bill and the bills for reforming the education system pertaining to Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy.
    • Several policy suggestions are contained in NITI’s document ‘Strategy for New India @ 75’. It is a seven-year strategy.
    • The Centre has passed important legislation in the agriculture sector. The onus is now on the States to implement this reform and pave the way for significantly enhancing productivity and doubling farmers’ income.

    [4] Various development programs

    NITI Aayog has also introduced a competition element in the ‘Aspirational Districts Program’ which aims to raise the human development indicators in these districts to the national averages by focusing on governance improvement and achieving effective convergence among government agencies and organizations on the ground.

    NITI Aayog has been focused on nurturing an innovation ecosystem across the country through the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM). It is a flagship initiative of NITI for promoting innovation and entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of the country.

    AIM promotes an innovative mindset in school students through Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) which feed into start-ups fostered by the Atal Incubation Centres (AICs).

    [5] Various schemes

    • NITI Aayog has also been closely involved with the design and monitoring of the Ayushman Bharat program.
    • It has played a similar key role in the POSHAN Abhiyaan which the Government launched to provide an appropriate governance structure that affects the nutritional status of an individual or household.
    • It has also implemented the SATH – ‘Sustainable Action for Transforming Human Capital’ program in 3 States.
    • It shared a road map for Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana with all States and Union Territories.

    Way forward

    • In the years to come, India needs to make similar persistent efforts wherein both the Central and State Governments work jointly to solve the country’s most complex issues and unleash growth.
    • To meet the rising aspirations of our young population, India needs to achieve and sustain a high rate of GDP growth for the next three decades.
    • In pursuit of this goal, continued structural reforms are crucial for laying new foundations to ensure sustained and inclusive growth.
    • NITI Aayog has a key role to play in helping India undertake these reforms and implement policy initiatives in a scalable and impactful manner through partnerships with States.
    • To achieve the goal of rapid, sustained, and clean growth that generates employment for all, investing in the right physical and social infrastructure, is a prerequisite.

    NITI Aayog with its intellectual breadth and depth is well placed to help India achieve these goals.

    Conclusion

    • NITI Aayog has endeavored to pursue its twin mandate of promoting cooperative and competitive federalism through partnerships with States for designing and reviewing development plans.
    • Ultimately, the onus of putting India on a high-growth trajectory and ensuring that the benefits of growth are equitably distributed rests with both the Centre and States.
    • NITI Aayog will continue to work towards strengthening cooperative federalism in the country, thereby enabling the Centre and States to work in tandem as equal partners for ensuring India’s success.
  • Prime Prelims TS 2022 starts today: First test – Polity Basic | Enrollments open

    Program starting Today


    40 Tests (8 Basic, 8 Advanced, 10 Current Affairs, 10 Full Length, 4 CSAT)

    Download PDF for better visibility – Prime Prelims TS 2022 Time Table


     It’s 2021-22 session and we are set to look at the brighter side of Covid mayhem. Apparently, it dented our confidence but not the will to stand tall. So much happened over the last couple of years and now things are set for a revival. Several exams were battered with UPSC Civil Services being no exception.

    Despite the churnings happening around us, few fundamentals couldn’t be challenged at least about the UPSC exam. Much coveted UPSC civils service has always attracted the best talents from across India. Hence on the flip side heightening the competition. So, you really have to strive hard. As a result, a focussed and measured approach is always needed and that too throughout the year.

    Those who have already faced the exam would know it themselves. The importance & contribution of the Mock Tests in finetuning the prep process cannot be overemphasized.

    I wouldn’t mention anyone else but cite my own example.

    During the first year of preparations, I used to struggle through Hindu and Express for current affairs. Investing around 4 hours a day fighting the menace of changing context all on my own. Then I realised the need for something which had the potential to give me clarity on the content and samples of what comes in the exam.

    It then became evident that a reliable touch of direction and a source of instant help, whenever necessary is indispensable. That’s when I would know what are my weaknesses and how to correct them. Not only that but also how to mend my gaps in understanding.

    These sessions have the power of healing touch and reassurance. That’s how I could divert all my energy with a needle tip precision and forsake all the non-core worries to my mentors/course designers.

    Now fast forward to the present, to prove the point we have many testimonies and attestations. Not the least many top rankers in several pep talks have emphasised the importance of Mocks / Practice Test papers. And Civilsdaily IAS has always been at the centre stage.

    Comparison Between With Mentorship, Without Mentorship and Other Program

    Presenting you few highlights about our Prime Prelims Program 2022

    1. Complete course revision with Test Paper-based time-plan

    The complete course has 36 Test papers, to enhance the exam worthiness of an aspirant. Especially those who have their house (concepts) in order about the course/syllabus. The idea of solving test or mock papers is with the intent to find out the gaps in our preparation. Sometimes they are also helpful for the mains or subjective type questions.

    2. A holistic mix of Static – cum- Dynamic Test series

    Course completion is what we care to establish with each finishing module. And this incorporates the aspect of Current affairs and Associated statics as well. Hence an aspirant gets a holistic mix of Static cum Dynamic elements featured in this course.

    3. Mentor & Discussion help for 1-1

    This is an important element for aiding/expediting the process of course completion within a specified time limit. Mentorship with tests is going to help an aspirant keep a track of the syllabus, which was earlier either glossed over or paid little attention to. Mentors will be the person who would have the responsibility to ensure you end up with all the papers. Also, imparting valuable advice to stay sane and mindful.

    Test Mentorship calls would be provided once you are up-to-date with all the allotted tests. Calls would be scheduled as per this plan:

    1. One call after the first two tests. Aimed at guiding the basics.
    2. One call after the successful completion of basic tests.
    3. One call after the successful completion of Advanced tests.
    4. One call before the start of FLTs.
    5. One call before the Prelims Exam.

    4. All India Rankings

    All India rankings are here to help you deal with the moments of truths vis-à-vis your preparation level. They give you the necessary nudge to focus back on evaluating the current state of preparation. Your mentor would have a lot more to focus on wrt the rankings you achieve.

    5. Performance-based Aspirant Cohorts on Civilsdaily Habitat

    At Civilsdaily, you would get a community always ready to deal with unexpected roadblocks. We aim to create a like-minded and similarly placed aspirant cohort. For a better discussion of tasks and problem-solving capabilities. So as a member of any Cohort, chat (responsibly) with other learners.

     If you have a question, chances are, you’re not alone. Reach out in the discussion forum to ask for help from other learners taking this program.

    6. CivilsDaily Habitat Sessions – Ask Anything

    Where your queries about courses/syllabus / basic doubts would be addressed to keep you always on the move.

    Throughout this course, you will learn about the techniques of time management, the ability to find a static–dynamic convergence. Also, peace of mind about course completion under the guidance of a mentor. The mentor would also provide a lot of reading material from time to time. But sometimes, you may need to look things up on your own for extra learning. Things change fast in our dynamic socio-political setup, so it is critical to do your own research so you can stay up-to-date on what is new.

    7. Tikdams for mastering the art of intelligent guesstimates

    Tikdam technique is a very important skill which can boost your score by 30+ marks. It will prepare you and enhance your ability to perform under pressure (& lack of information). 

    We not only impart but make you practice these skills in our Test Series. We will provide:

    1) Static and Tikdam Lectures: Lectures on static subjects will *not* focus on explaining you the basics but instead focus on important details/trivia you skip to miss. From a prelims perspective, these details become very important. We are also releasing 30+ Hours of Advanced Video Lectures on Static subjects – Polity, History, Geography, Economy

    2) Economic Survey and Budget lectures: The importance of Union budget and economic survey can’t be overstated, not only for UPSC prelims but also for Mains and Essay as well, it is a not to be missed section for preparation. Even for UPSC interview candidates, these lecture series are very important.


    3) Static PDF Notes: Civilsdaily has been known for its high-quality content. In this Program, We will be providing Static notes of various Subjects like Economics, Arts and Culture, Environment, Geography, History etc.

    Our Testimonials:

    What is there on Habitat?

    • #DDS sessions – Dedicated sessions every day to resolve doubts in real-time. Never keep a doubt to yourself.
    • An ecosystem for co-learning and active learning.
    • A highly motivated community to bring flexibility and consistency to your preparation.
      Samachar Manthan Civilsdaily IAS Current Affairs UPSCHabitat – Desktop and Mobile view

    Program inclusion:

    • 40 Tests
      • 8 Basic tests
      • 8 Advanced tests
      • 10 Current Affairs
      • 10 Full-Length Tests
      • 4 CSAT tests
    • Civilsdaily’s Monthly Magazine Combo
    • Individual Mentorship
    • Economic Survey & Budget Videos and Notes
    • Advanced Static + Tikdam Videos
    • Admission to the exclusive Civilsdaily Prelims club on Habitat.
    • Monthly Zoom call and Static PDF notes.

    This is what our students have to say about our mock tests..

    Feedback for 2021 Prelims Mocks

    Civilsdaily’s Community: Testimonials

    Two variants of Prelims Ts 2022:

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