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  • [pib] Swayam Prabha TV Channels

    The HRD Ministry has taken several prompt, new and unique initiatives to ensure that the education of learners should not get affected by the challenging situation arising out of COVID 19. One of them is Swayamprabha TV channels.

    There are various web/portals/apps with peculiar names such as YUKTI, DISHA, SWAYAM etc. Their core purpose is similar with slight differences. Pen them down on a separate sheet under the title various digital HRD initiatives.

    SWAYAM Prabha

    • The SWAYAM Prabha is a group of 32 DTH channels devoted to telecasting of high-quality educational programmes on a 24X7 basis using the GSAT-15 satellite.
    • The channels are uplinked from BISAG, Gandhinagar. The contents are provided by NPTEL, IITs, UGC, CEC, IGNOU, NCERT and NIOS.
    • The INFLIBNET Centre maintains the web portal.
    • Every day, there will be new content for at least 4 hours which would be repeated 5 more times in a day, allowing the students to choose the time of their convenience.

    The DTH Channels shall cover the following:

    Higher Education: Curriculum-based course contents at post-graduate and under-graduate level covering diverse disciplines such as arts, science, commerce, performing arts, social sciences and humanities, engineering, technology, law, medicine, agriculture, etc.

    School education (9-12 levels): Modules for teacher’s training as well as teaching and learning aids for children of India to help them understand the subjects better and also help them in preparing for competitive examinations for admissions to professional degree programmes.

    Curriculum-based courses: These channels can meet the needs of life-long learners of Indian citizens in India and abroad.

    Back2Basics: SWAYAM Portal

    • SWAYAM is a Hindi acronym that stands for “Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds” is an Indian Massive open online course (MOOC) platform.
    • It is an initiative launched by the Ministry of HRD, under Digital India to give a coordinated stage and free entry to web courses, covering all advanced education, High School and skill sector courses.
    • It was launched on 9th July 2017 by Honorable President of India.
    • The platform offers free access to everyone and hosts courses from class 9 till post-graduation.
    • It enables professors and faculty of centrally funded institutes like IITs, IIMs, IISERs, etc. to teach students.

  • [Prelims Spotlight] GI Tags in News

    Prelims Spotlight is a part of “Nikaalo Prelims 2020” module. This open crash course for Prelims 2020 has a private telegram group where PDFs and DDS (Daily Doubt Sessions) are being held. Please click here to register.

    GI Tags in News

    15 April 2020 

    Geographical Indications in India

    • A Geographical Indication is used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
    • Such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness which is essentially attributable to its origin in that defined geographical locality.
    • This tag is valid for a period of 10 years following which it can be renewed.
    • Recently the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry has launched the logo and tagline for the Geographical Indications (GI) of India.
    • The first product to get a GI tag in India was the Darjeeling tea in 2004.
    • The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 (GI Act) is a sui generis Act for the protection of GI in India.
    • India, as a member of the WTO, enacted the Act to comply with the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.
    • Geographical Indications protection is granted through the TRIPS Agreement.

    Two well-known products from Tamil Nadu — Dindigul lock and Kandangi Saree — have been given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by The Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai.

    Dindigul lock

    • The Dindigul locks are known throughout the world for their superior quality and durability, so much so that even the city is called Lock City.
    • Government institutions such as prisons, godowns, hospitals, and even temples use these locks instead of other machine-made ones.
    • The application for the lock was made by the Dindigul Lock, Hardware and Steel Furniture Workers Industrial Co-operative Society Limited.
    • More than 3,125 lock manufacturing units are limited to an area of 5 km in and around Dindigul.
    • The abundance of iron in this region is the reason for the growth of the industry.
    • There are over 50 varieties of locks made by the artisans using raw materials such as MS flat plates and brass plates procured from the nearby towns, including Madurai and Salem.

    The Kandangi sarees

    • The Kandangi sarees are manufactured in the entire Karaikudi taluk in Sivaganga district.
    • They are characterised by large contrast borders and some are known to have borders covering as far as two-thirds of the saree which is usually around 5.10 m-5.60 m in length.
    • Worn in summer, these cotton sarees are usually bought by customers in bulk.
    • The Amarar Rajeev Gandhi Handloom Weavers Co-operative Production and Sales Society Limited filed the application for the Kandangi saree.

    Palani Panchamirtham

    • PalaniPanchamirtham, an abishegaPrasadam, from Palani Town is one of the main offerings in the Abisegam of Lord Dhandayuthapani Swamy, the presiding deity of the Temple.
    • It is a combination of five natural substances, namely, banana, jaggery sugar, cow ghee, honey and cardamom in a definite proportion.
    • It is prepared in a natural method without addition of any preservatives or artificial ingredients and is well known for its religious fervour and gaiety.
    • This is the first time a temple ‘prasadam’ from Tamil Nadu has been bestowed with the GI tag.

    Tawlhlohpuan

    • Tawlhlohpuan, a medium to heavy, compactly woven, good quality fabric from Mizoram is known for warp yarns, warping, weaving & intricate designs that are made by hand.
    • Tawlhloh, in Mizo language, means ‘to stand firm or not to move backward’. Tawlhlohpuan, which holds high significance in the Mizo society, is produced throughout the state of Mizoram, Aizawl and Thenzawl town being the main centre of production.

    Mizo Puanchei

    • Mizo Puanchei, a colourful Mizo shawl/textile, from Mizoram, is considered as the most colourful among the Mizo textiles.
    • It is an essential possession for every Mizo lady and an important marriage outfit in the state.
    • It is also the most commonly used costume in Mizo festive dances and official ceremonies.
    • The weavers insert the designs and motifs by using supplementary yarns while weaving to create this beautiful and alluring textile.

    Tirur betel vine

    • Tirur betel vine from Kerala is mainly cultivated in Tirur, Tanur, Tirurangadi, Kuttippuram, Malappuram and Vengara block panchayaths of Malappuram District.
    • It is valued both for its mild stimulant action and medicinal properties.
    • Even though it is commonly used for making pan masala for chewing, it has many medicinal, industrial and cultural usages and is considered as a remedy for bad breath and digestive disorders.

    Panchamirtham’ of Palani temple gets GI tag

    • The famous Palani panchamirtham, given as ‘prasadam’ at the Murugan temple at Palani has been granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
    • This is the first time a temple ‘prasadam’ from Tamil Nadu has been given the GI tag.

    About the Panchamirtham

    • It is sweet in taste and one of the main offerings for Lord Dhandayuthapani Swamy, the presiding deity of Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple, situated on Palani Hills.
    • The panchamirtham is a combination of five natural substances — banana, jaggery, cow ghee, honey and cardamom.
    • Dates and diamond sugar candies are added for flavour.
    • The panchamirtham is an ‘abhishega prasadam’ (food that is a religious offering), which is served in a semi-solid state.
    • Not even a single drop of water is added during the preparation of the panchamirtham.
    • This gives it its classic semi-solid consistency and taste. No preservatives or artificial ingredients are used.

    Pashmina

    • Pashmina is a fine type of cashmere wool. The textiles made from it were first woven in Kashmir.
    • The wool comes from a number of different breeds of the cashmere goat; such as the changthangi or Kashmir pashmina goat from the Changthang Plateau in Tibet and part of the Ladakh region and few parts of Himachal Pradesh.
    • Often shawls called shahmina are made from this material in Kashmir and Nepal; these shawls are hand spun and woven from the very fine cashmere fibre.
    • Traditional producers of pashmina wool are people known as the Changpa.

    About Kodaikanal’s malai poondu Garlic

    • Also known by its scientific name Allium Sativum, this particular garlic is known for its medicinal and preservative properties. It is grown in the Kodaikanal Hills, Dindugul district.
    • It has anti-oxidant and anti-microbial potential, which is attributed to the presence of higher amount of organosulfur compounds, phenols and flavonoids compared to other garlic varieties.
    • Its usually white or pale yellow and each bulb weighs 20-30g on an average.
    • According to the GI application, Kodaikanal Hill Garlic cultivation is done twice in a year, once around May and for second time in November depending upon the suitability of the climate.
    • The hill altitude, the misty condition and the soil prevailing in the Kodaikanal region are responsible for its medicinal property and the long storage shelf life of the garlic.

    Kolhapuri Chappal

    • According to the GI application made by the two states, Kolhapuris can be traced back to the 12th century King Bijjal who ruled Bidar in Karnataka.
    • His prime minister Vishwaguru Basavanna wanted to create a casteless society and remove the stigma associated with the cobbler community.
    • The community embraced Lingayat faith and used its creative skills to start producing footwear known equally for its ruggedness and regal bearing.
    • Brand Kolhapuri came into being only in the beginning of 20th century when the footwear began to be traded in Kolhapur.
    • Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj (1874-1922) of Kolhapur encouraged its production and 29 tanning centres were opened during his rule in Kolhapur.

    Kandhamal Haldi

    • Kandhamal in Odisha’s southern hinterland is famed for its turmeric, a spice that enjoys its pride of place in an array of cuisines.
    • The agricultural product also stands out for its healing properties and arresting aroma.
    • The GI tag was primarily developed with the purpose of recognising the unique identity connecting different products and places.
    • For a product to get GI tag it has to have a unique quality, reputation or characteristic which is attributable to its geographic origin. ‘Kandhamal Haldi’ has been placed under Class-30 type.

    GI Tag for 5 Indian Coffee varieties

    Coorg Arabica coffee 

    • It is grown specifically in the region of Kodagu district in Karnataka.

    Wayanaad Robusta coffee 

    • It is grown specifically in the region of Wayanad district which is situated on the eastern portion of Kerala.

    Chikmagalur Arabica coffee 

    • It is grown specifically in the region of Chikmagalur district and it is situated in the Deccan plateau, belongs to the Malnad region of Karnataka.

    Araku Valley Arabica coffee 

    • It is coffee from the hilly tracks of Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha region at an elevation of 900-1100 Mt MSL.
    • The coffee produce of Araku, by the tribals, follows an organic approach in which they emphasise management practices involving substantial use of organic manures, green manuring and organic pest management practices.

    Bababudangiris Arabica coffee 

    • It is grown specifically in the birthplace of coffee in India and the region is situated in the central portion of Chikmagalur district.
    • Selectively hand-picked and processed by natural fermentation, the cup exhibits full body, acidity, mild flavour and striking aroma with a note of chocolate.
    • This coffee is also called high grown coffee which slowly ripens in the mild climate and thereby the bean acquires a special taste and aroma.

    Sirsi Arecanut

    • It is cultivated in Yellapura, Siddapura and Sirsi taluks.
    • Totgars’ Cooperative Sale Society Ltd., Sirsi, is the registered proprietor of the GI.
    • The arecanut grown in these taluks have unique features like a round and flattened coin shape, particular texture, size, cross-sectional views, taste, etc.
    • These features are not seen in arecanut grown in any other regions.

    Shahi Litchi

    • The lychee crop, which is available from May to June, is mainly cultivated in the districts of Muzaffarpur and surrounding districts.
    • Cultivation of litchi covers approximately an area of about 25,800 hectares producing about 300,000 tonnes every year.
    • India’s share in the world litchi market amounts to less than 1%.
    • The names of the litchi produced in Muzaffarpur are Shahi and China.
    • The fruits are known for excellent aroma and quality.

    King of Mangoes gets GI tag

    • Alphonso from Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Palghar, Thane and Raigad districts of  Maharashtra, is registered as Geographical Indication (GI).
    • The king of mangoes, Alphonso, better known as ‘Hapus’ in Maharashtra, is in demand in domestic and international markets not only for its taste but also for pleasant fragrance and vibrant colour.
    • It has long been one of the world’s most popular fruit and is exported to various countries including Japan, Korea and Europe.
    • New markets such as USA and Australia have recently opened up.

    GI Tag for Telangana

    • The Chennai-based GI Registry gave Geographical Indication certificate for Warangal dhurries
    • The shatranji carpets and jainamaaz prayer mats are made in Warangal

    Specialty of carpets

    • Bright colors, geometrically repetitive patterns and interlocking zigzag motifs in cotton and jute are the signature styles of the carpets
    • One of the newest innovations by the weavers here is an adaptation of tie-dyed ikat techniques and hand-painted or block-printed kalamkari designs for the dhurries to save time and energy.

    Kalamkari Paintings

    • Kalamkari or qalamkari is a type of hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile, produced in Iran and
      India
    • Its name originates in the Persian, which is derived from the words qalam (pen) and kari (craftsmanship),
      meaning drawing with a pen
    • There are two distinctive styles of kalamkari art in India – the Srikalahasti style and the Machilipatnam
      style
    • The Srikalahasti style of kalamkari, wherein the "kalam" or pen is used for freehand drawing of the
      subject and filling in the colors is entirely hand worked
    • The Pedana Kalamkari craft made at Pedana nearby Machilipatnam in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh,
      evolved with the patronage of the Mughals and the Golconda sultanate

    MP gets GI tag for a chicken breed

    • Madhya Pradesh has received the Geographical Indications (GI) tag for Kadaknath, a chicken breed whose black meat is in demand in some quarters
    • The protein-rich meat of Kadaknath, chicks, and eggs are sold at a much higher rate than other varieties of chicken.

     

     

  • Removal of AP State Election Commissioner by ordinance route

    The removal of the SEC by the ordinance route raises the question over the legality of the move. And if it passes the judicial scrutiny it would harm the independence of the body.

    The legality of the removal and its implication for free and fair elections

    • The fact that it was the culmination of an open conflict between the Election Commissioner and Chief Minister makes it a glaring instance of misuse of power.
    • The State government got the Governor to issue an ordinance to cut the SEC’s tenure from five to three years.
    • The ordinance also amended the criterion for holding that office from being an officer of the rank of Principal Secretary and above to one who had served as a High Court judge.
    • This automatically rendered the SEC’s continuance invalid.
    • Last month, just days before the local body polls were to be held, the SEC postponed the elections, citing the COVID-19 outbreak.
    • The State government approached the Supreme Court, but the court declined to interfere.
    • Having exhausted its legal remedy, the government should have waited for the ongoing fight against the disease to be over.
    • The Chief Minister has no legal right to terminate the SEC’s tenure.
    • The Constitution makes the holder of that post removable only in the same manner as a High Court judge.
    • If courts uphold this means of dislodging the head of an independent election body, it would mark the end of free and fair elections.

    Past judgements on the issue

    • The State government seems to have gone by legal opinion that citedAparmita Prasad Singh vs. State of U.P. (2007).
    • Cessation of term vs. removal: In that judgement the Allahabad High Court ruled that cessation of tenure does not amount to removal, and upheld the State Election Commissioner’s term being cut short.
    • The Supreme Court, while dismissing an appeal against the order, kept open the legal questions arising from the case.

    UPSC can frame the question based on the judgement in case by the SC and its implication for the independence of the body in conducting the fair, free and impartial election.

    Issues arising out of the past judgements

    • The judgment seems erroneous, as it gives freedom to the State government to remove an inconvenient election authority by merely changing the tenure or retirement age.
    • This was surely not what was envisioned by Parliament, which wrote into the Constitution provisions to safeguard the independence of the State Election Commission.
    • It is a well-settled principle in law that what cannot be done directly cannot be done indirectly.
    • Therefore, the removal of an incumbent SEC through the subterfuge of changing the eligibility norms for an appointment may not survive judicial scrutiny.
    • Prohibition on the variation of condition of service: Further, the Constitution, under Article 243K, prohibits the variation of any condition of service to the detriment of any incumbent.
    • Even if the State government argues that a change of tenure does not amount to varying the conditions of service, the new norm can only apply to the successor SEC, and not the one holding the office now.

    Conclusion

    In order to ensure the independence of the SEC and free and fair elections, legality of the move should not pass the legal scrutiny. Even if it passes the legal scrutiny the government should amend this provision avoid such instances in the future.

     

  • 12 April 2020 |Current Affairs Test 6: November 2019

    [WpProQuiz 421]

  • [Burning Issue] World Health Organization (WHO) And Coronavirus Handling

     

     

    International organisations are important for the UPSC exam. International Relations (IR) is a crucial segment of the UPSC syllabus and every year, questions are asked based on international organisations in the UPSC prelims and mains exams. We have covered the most important organisations in various articles and Burning Issues. This article focuses on the recent issues that have plagued the World Health Organization. 

     

    Context

    • US President Donald Trump has lashed out at the WHO by declaring he would “hold” their funding, and then said the decision is still under consideration.
    • Trump accused WHO to be China-centric and that it got every aspect of the coronavirus pandemic wrong.
    • US, however, isn’t the only one criticizing the WHO. Several leaders, columnists, and others have also criticised the WHO’s handling of China — where the virus had originated.

    A brief history of the WHO

    World Health Organization

    • The WHO is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.
    • It is part of the U.N. Sustainable Development Group.
    • The WHO Constitution, which establishes the agency’s governing structure and principles, states its main objective as ensuring “the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.”
    • It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with six semi-autonomous regional offices and 150 field offices worldwide.

    Its establishment

    • The WHO was established in 7 April 1948, which is commemorated as World Health Day.
    • The first meeting of the World Health Assembly (WHA), the agency’s governing body, took place on 24 July 1948.
    • The WHO incorporated the assets, personnel, and duties of the League of Nations’ Health Organisation and the Office International d’Hygiène Publique, including the International Classification of Diseases.
    • Its work began in earnest in 1951 following a significant infusion of financial and technical resources.

    Composition of WHA

    • The WHA, composed of representatives from all 194 member states, serves as the agency’s supreme decision-making body.
    • The WHA convenes annually and is responsible for selecting the Director-General, setting goals and priorities, and approving the WHO’s budget and activities.
    • The current Director-General is Tedros Adhanom, former Health Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, who began his five-year term on 1 July 2017.

    Mandate of the WHO

     

    • The WHO’s broad mandate includes advocating for universal healthcare, monitoring public health risks, coordinating responses to health emergencies, and promoting human health and well being.
    • It provides technical assistance to countries, sets international health standards and guidelines, and collects data on global health issues through the World Health Survey.
    • Its flagship publication, the World Health Report, provides expert assessments of global health topics and health statistics on all nations.

    Focus areas

    • The WHO has played a leading role in several public health achievements, most notably the eradication of smallpox, the near-eradication of polio, and the development of an Ebola vaccine.
    • Its current priorities include communicable diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS, Ebola, malaria and tuberculosis; non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
    • It also focuses on a healthy diet, nutrition, and food security; occupational health; and substance abuse.

    Achievements

    • Some of the WHO’s biggest achievements came in its early days.
    • In 1958, the erstwhile United Socialist Soviet Republic, or USSR, had proposed a WHO-led smallpox eradication programme. The disease was still endemic by 1966, especially in Africa and Asia.
    • The next year, in 1967, the WHO began its Intensified Eradication Program that focused on mass vaccinations, and it proved to be a huge success.
    • By 1980, small pox was declared as eradicated from the world — the only disease to be classified this way.

    Other successes

    • In 1978, the WHO adopted the Declaration of Alma-Ata, calling on “urgent and effective national and international action to develop and implement primary health care throughout the world”.
    • The declaration was considered historic for identifying the role and necessity of primary healthcare in assuring health facilities for all.
    • The WHO has played a central role in global immunisation programmes against polio, measles and tetanus, among others.

    Financing of WHO

    • The WHO relies on assessed and voluntary contributions from member states and private donors for funding.
    • It started off with $5 million and 51 member countries — all of whom signed its constitution.
    • Now, it has 194 member countries, with a budget of $4.8 billion.
    • The US is currently the biggest financial contributor to the WHO and has been its active member for many decades.

    Handling of novel coronavirus pandemic

    • In December 2019, the WHO’s China office was informed about cases of pneumonia of unknown cause detected in the Wuhan city of Hubei province.
    • Ever since, the WHO has worked to inform the world about the illness — called the novel coronavirus — and even earned the praise of global health experts initially for its transparent and swift approach.
    • It was the WHO that announced a global emergency due to the spread of the virus and later declared it a pandemic.
    • It is raising $675 million to find a cure and spread awareness about the illness.

    Why is WHO under Criticism?

    1) Some unanswered questions

    • Questions were raised when WHO director praised China for the speed with which detected the outbreak and its commitment to transparency.
    • China has a history of keeping its data under wraps and it is said to have even concealed the extent of the outbreak during the early stages.
    • The WHO surprisingly maintained that masks only need to be used by those with symptoms, and travel bans are “ineffective” in curbing the spread of the virus.

    2) Affinity with China

    • The WHO can certainly be criticized for giving China too much benefit of the doubt at the beginning of this pandemic.
    • The WHO is now being called “Chinese Health Organisation” even as it is at the forefront of fighting its worldwide spread.
    • Despite the criticism, the WHO has pledged to keep fighting against the current pandemic.

    3) Delayed response

    • They accuse the WHO of simply reporting virus statistics given to them by the Chinese government, even though we now know China widely underreported and even tried to hide the extent of the virus.
    • For example, in mid-January, the WHO repeated that China said human-to-human transmission of the virus hadn’t been proved.
    • The WHO waited weeks to declare a public health emergency and only declared it a pandemic March 11, later than many countries would have preferred.

    4) Trump being Trump

    • The US is trying to deflect the blame away from this catastrophe back onto China.
    • This fight between the US and China, with the world’s leading health organization in the middle, is a distraction.

    Some of its failures:

    • It has come under fire in recent years for its heavy bureaucratic framework, which has led to inefficiencies, inertia, and even “over-reactions”.
    • During the 2009 H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic, the WHO was accused of overplaying the dangers of the virus and aligning with pharmaceutical interests.
    • As a consequence, member states bought billions of doses of vaccines that ultimately remained unused, leading to wastage of resources and money.
    • The organisation later admitted having failed in communicating about it properly.
    • During the Ebola outbreak in 2013-2015, the WHO failed to sound the alarm over the virus, despite knowing about it. Thousands of lives were lost before the WHO could act.

    Why has WHO failed?

    • The WHO’s sprawling structure is an outcome of a vague mandate and global power imbalance.
    • WHO is facing the biggest pandemic in human history. For all the responsibility vested in the WHO, it has little power.
    • Unlike international bodies such as the WTO, the WHO, which is a specialised body of the UN, has no ability to bind or sanction its members.
    • Its annual operating budget, about $2bn in 2019, which is smaller than that of many university hospitals and split among a wide array of public health and research projects.
    • At the same time, the international order on which the WHO relies is fraying, as aggressive nationalism becomes normalized around the world.

    Conclusion

    • Whatever the causes of this disaster are, it is clear that the WHO has failed in its duty to raise the alarm in time.
    • This shortfall of WHO is failure indicative of a deeper malaise: the global institutional framework is a pawn in the hands of the great powers, cash-strapped.
    • While the focus has been on what happened between China and the WHO, in epidemiological terms the crisis has moved on.
    • The WHO is battling against a breakdown in international cooperation that is far beyond its capacity to control.
    • States have been turning away from international institutions for a long time. And WHO has relied on the often unspoken norms of international collaboration that underlie it.

    Way forward

    • The new world order is on the way. The spread of concepts like “before corona” and “after corona” will become commonplace.
    • The global institutional architecture of the 1940s cannot help humanity face the challenges of the 2020s.
    • India as a nation has an important say for fundamental reforms in the UN System, including the WHO to make it more transparent, competent, and accountable.
    • Nothing less than a new social contract between states and the international system can serve the purpose.

     

    References

    https://theprint.in/theprint-essential/all-about-who-the-global-health-watchdog-attacked-as-chinese-health-organization/397998/

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/08/why-exactly-is-president-trump-lashing-out-world-health-organization/

    https://www.theguardian.com/news/2020/apr/10/world-health-organization-who-v-coronavirus-why-it-cant-handle-pandemic

    https://www.trtworld.com/opinion/donald-trump-versus-the-world-health-organization-35319

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization

  • Using knowledge-era technology to bridge the urban-rural gap

    This article puts forward the idea of using knowledge-era technology to minimise the difference between rural and urban areas. In the first part, it elaborates the reasons and circumstances that led to the neglect of rural areas and development in urban areas. In the next part, the idea of using knowledge-era technologies to close the gaps between rural and urban areas is explored.

    Why Urbanisation is spreading and how it led to the neglect of rural areas?

    • Better opportunities: The tendency to migrate to urban areas has been a natural consequence of better opportunities that got created there — in contrast to life in rural areas becoming increasingly unsustainable.
    • Centralisation: The industrial-era dynamics that led to centralisation in support of mass production or massive scale-up was clearly a major one.
    • This, in turn, also led to the concentration of higher education/capacity building processes to urban centres where there was job growth, quite to the detriment of the much larger rural area.
    • Problems in education and training: The education and training environment became myopic, essentially meeting the manning requirements to run systems created by others.
    • Our education with its inherent problems led to little confidence in creating one’s own systems to address needs independent of others.
    • Demographic dividend: India’s importance grew primarily because of her demographic dividend and the large market that her people constituted and not because of the systems and technologies.
    • Neglect of rural India: Rural India suffered severe neglect in the process, probably as a result of poor job opportunities there and education having lost its role as an enabler of local development.
    • However, the country is learning to create systems and technologies to address her needs. The exercise is, by and large, urban-centric.

    UPSC asked about the quality of urban life in 2014, and the trends of labour migration in 2015. This article touched upon both of these themes.

    Using the knowledge-era technology to close the urban-rural gap

    • We are now in the knowledge era.
    • And knowledge-era technologies, in contrast to industrial-era technologies, promote democratisation (social media, for example) and facilitate decentralisation (work from home).
    • It should thus be possible for an adequately educated and trained youth residing in a rural domain to support a significant part of the manufacturing and service needs of urban areas.
    • Just as an urban youth can support a significant part of the knowledge and application needs in rural areas.
    • With technologies like additive manufacture, internet of things, and artificial intelligence, well-trained people can address needs in both urban and rural areas from wherever they are.
    • Thus, the knowledge era should, in principle, become a significant income leveller between the urban and rural domains, with a large rise in the overall national income.
    • As we focus on capacity building of rural youth, the opportunities in rural areas should, in principle, become higher than those in urban areas since the rural segment can now benefit from all three sectors of the economy- agriculture, manufacturing and services.

    The idea of “cillage”

    • In the knowledge era, with emphasis on capability and capacity building of rural youth in terms of holistic education, appropriate technology and enhanced livelihood, there is a possibility for a more balanced distribution of income as well as population.
    • This would, however, need knowledge bridges to be built between cities and villages, and the creation of an ecosystem which has been conceptualised as a “cillage” — a synergistic combination of city and village.
    • Bridging the knowledge gap between a city and a village would also bridge the income gap between the two.
    • This will also lead to a faster bridging of the gap between the average individual income in India and that in industrially advanced countries.
    • Democratisation promoted by knowledge technologies, if properly leveraged, can in principle reduce disparities, which, unfortunately, are on the rise today.

    How to realise the idea of cillage?

    • Integrated and holistic approach: Developing a “cillage” ecosystem would need a rooted and integrated approach to holistic education and research, technology development and management, as well as technology-enabled rural livelihood enhancement.
    • It would take a while for the rural youth to become empowered enough to convert the challenges into opportunities in rural areas.
    • The emergence of a new-age society is an inevitability.
    • How soon the rural domain can embrace it and how concurrently, comprehensively that can happen, is the real challenge.
    • That will decide whether India will gain in the knowledge era or lag as it did in the industrial era.

    Look at one more question from 2015-“Smart cities in India cannot sustain without smart villages. Discuss this statement in the backdrop of rural-urban integration”.  The ideas discussed here in this article help us to deal with such questions.

    Can Covid-19 speed up the realisation of cillage?

    • The process could also be seen as the migration of a set of experiences and skills to villages.
    • We can look at this as a potential two-way bridge for a new relationship between cities and villages.
    • It will be the bridge in which not all need to return to cities, but can rather meet the needs of cities as well as villages by remaining in villages.
    • Several initiatives will be needed to realise such a possibility.
    • Facilitating a number of new skills, technologies and support systems that can further leverage current capabilities of these people for starting a new enterprise would be important.
    • Immediate arrangements to facilitate their livelihood, and leveraging their present capabilities could help retain at least some of these people in villages.
    • It could trigger a faster movement towards an inevitable long-term equilibrium.
    • Going forward, we should take knowledge activities to a higher level so that the products and services created by these people become more competitive.
    • Looking at disruptive technologies for exploiting local opportunities should follow.

    Conclusion

    Given that the new normal after Covid-19 would, in any case, be quite different, the right course would be to channelise the stimulus caused by this crisis towards accelerating the shift to a new normal. This will not only help a more dispersed population, but will also reduce disparities and lead to faster growth of the economy.

  • Quiz Review

  • OPEC+ decides combine slashing of crude oil production

    India has made a case for affordable oil prices in the backdrop of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries-plus (OPEC+) combine slashing production amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Global crude oil pricing dynamics greatly impact  India and its import bill. Kindly refer to the article titled “Oil Prices and OPEC+” pinned below this newscard. Various aspects related to the issue are covered in the Burning Issue section . It seeks to answer all your doubts such as ; Impact on Fuel prices,  India’s forex reserves, Strategic petroleum reserves,  etc.

    Why a cause of worry?

    • OPEC accounts for around 40% of global production.
    • The OPEC accounts for 80% of India’s crude oil imports.
    • Any production cut by the OPEC plus arrangement impacts India’s energy security efforts in the short run.

    Impact on India

    • India, which is one of the major OPEC consumers, has always stood for a global consensus on responsible pricing.
    • Indian refiners have cut production as the lockdown has led to a sharp decline in demand for transportation fuels.
    • Demand for domestic cooking gas has, however, increased as more people stay indoors during the lockdown aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus.

    About OPEC+

    • The non-OPEC countries which export crude oil along with the 14 OPECs are termed as OPEC plus countries.
    • OPEC plus countries include Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, South Sudan and Sudan.
    • Saudi and Russia, both have been at the heart of a three-year alliance of oil producers known as OPEC Plus — which now includes 11 OPEC members and 10 non-OPEC nations — that aims to shore up oil prices with production cuts.

    Back2Basics:  OPEC

    • OPEC is a permanent, intergovernmental organization, created at the Baghdad Conference in 1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.
    • It aims to manage the supply of oil in an effort to set the price of oil in the world market, in order to avoid fluctuations that might affect the economies of both producing and purchasing countries.
    • It is headquartered in Vienna, Austria.
    • OPEC membership is open to any country that is a substantial exporter of oil and which shares the ideals of the organization.
    • Today OPEC is a cartel that includes 14 nations, predominantly from the middle east whose sole responsibility is to control prices and moderate supply.

    Also read:

    [Burning Issue] Oil Prices and OPEC+

  • ConFarm model of agricultural market

    A unique initiative titled Consumer-Farmer Compact in Telangana is ensuring food availability and access in COVID-19 times.

    Such innovative models of agricultural marketing are very crucial while highlighting the limitations of APMCs and eNAM. Make personal notes of such initiatives.

    Consumer-Farmer Compact

    • The initiative is kicked off by some NGOs in June 2018 and has been endeavoring to bring farmers and consumers on the same platform for their benefit.
    • The consumers support farmers with their agricultural needs; in return, farmers ensure consumers are able to access food in a hassle-free manner.

    What does the initiative do?

    • The initiative requires consumers to support farmers at the beginning of a farming season.
    • Each consumer supports a group of farmers with about Rs 12,500 per acre for their farming needs.
    • In return, at the time of harvest, consumers are given products according to the value they invested, leaving the middlemen out.
    • They are provided with millets, pulses, oil, jaggery and other necessary items produced organically — either in bulk or on a monthly basis.
    • The initiative also aims to give millets a push in the urban market, enabling consumers to move beyond the commonly consumed grains such as rice and wheat.

    Significance

    • This model of sharing economy in the village has helped alleviate hunger and ensured their nutritional needs are met.
    • The farmers who are part of the initiative practice traditional ecological farming with an emphasis on biodiverse cultivation.
    • It helps them have dietary diversity in their food choices and control over their land and food production that is not dictated by the vagaries of the market.
    • The practice has brought them closer to a group of consumers who have been keen on trying an alternative route.

    Conclusion

    • At this juncture in crisis — when the free-market system and global trade are staring at an uncertain future — local solutions such as ‘Confarm’ hold greater prominence.
    • Such supply chains such are the need of the hour. Farmers and consumers must come together to face crisis moments in the future as well.

  • Is the Centre’s lockdown different from a state’s lockdown?

    The central government has extended the 21-day nationwide lockdown by two more weeks. Before this, some states had already ordered to extend the lockdown till the end of this month.

    How do the two lockdowns differ?

    Newspapers are flooded up with news on lockdowns. The two lockdowns are fundamentally different from each other. Such difference sparks a thought in the mind of question framers.

    1) State lockdowns

    • As per the Constitution, subjects of law and order and public health lie with state governments.
    • Additionally, the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897, which many states have invoked to order a lockdown, empowers them to prescribe temporary regulations to prevent the outbreak and spread of disease.

    2) Centre’s lockdown

    • The lockdown ordered by the centre is implemented under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
    • The Union home ministry, in compliance with the NDMAs order can issue orders for the lockdown under Section 10(2)(l) of the DMA.

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