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  • Xenobot

    Scientists in the US have created the world’s first “living machines” — tiny robots built from the cells of the African clawed frog that can move around on their own.

    Xenobot

    • Scientists have developed living robots from frogs stem cells.
    • They have named this millimetre-wide robots “xenobots” — after the species of aquatic frog found across sub-Saharan Africa from Nigeria and Sudan to South Africa, Xenopus laevis.
    • Scientists have repurposed living cells scraped from frog embryos and assembled them into entirely new life-forms.
    • The xenobots can move toward a target, perhaps pick up a payload (like a medicine that needs to be carried to a specific place inside a patient) — and heal themselves after being cut.

  • [Burning Issue] Internet Shutdowns in India

     

    • Nowadays, India is widely considered to be a world leader in cutting off access to the Net.
    • Yet, there are no detailed official data on Internet shutdowns in India.
    • Taking a serious note of the situation, the Supreme Court has for the first time set the stage for challenging such suspension orders before courts.
    • It has directed the government to mandatorily publish all orders permitting Internet shutdowns. It has opened such decisions amenable to judicial review.

    Internet shutdowns in India

     

    • The cutting off internet access to control restive populations is an increasing trend around the world with India at the lead.
    • Of the 196 shutdowns in 25 countries documented by Access Now in 2018, as many as 134 were in India, followed by Pakistan (12).

    Legal mechanisms allowing shut-downs

    • Home Departments in the states are mostly the authorities that enforce shutdowns, drawing powers from The Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017.
    • The decisions are reviewed by a state government review committee. The central government also has powers under this law, but has not used it.
    • Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure has enabled many of the shutdowns in the recent past, especially until the time the telecom suspension Rules came into force in 2017.
    • Less frequently used is The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, whose Section 5(2) allows central and state governments to prevent the transmission of messaging during a public emergency or in the interest of public safety or in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India etc.

    Who can pass the orders of Internet Shutdowns?

    • The Rules, issued under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, stipulate that only the Home Secretary of the Union or a state can pass an order, and that the order must include the reasons for the decision.
    • The order should be forwarded to a review committee the day after it is issued, and must be reviewed by the committee within five days to assess its compliance with Section 5(2) of The Telegraph Act.
    • Under this the government has the power to block the transmission of messages during a public emergency or for public safety.
    • In the case of the central government, the review committee comprises the Cabinet Secretary and the Secretaries of the Departments of Legal Affairs and Telecommunications.
    • In the case of states, the committee comprises the Chief Secretary, Secretary, Law or Legal Remembrancer In-Charge, Legal Affairs, and a Secretary to the state government (other than the Home Secretary).

    Who else can issue such orders?

    • In “unavoidable circumstances”, the order can be issued by an officer of the rank of Joint Secretary or above, authorised by the Centre or the state Home Secretary.
    • Telecom service providers must designate nodal officers to handle such requests.

    What laws governed this area before the 2017 Rules were notified?

    • Internet shutdowns were ordered under Section 144 of the CrPC, which gives District Magistrates broad powers during dangerous situations.
    • Even after 2017, many local shutdowns are issued under this law. Section 69(A) of the IT (Amendment) Act, 2008 gives the government powers to block particular websites, not the Internet as a whole.

    Why such shut-downs?

    • Worldwide, Internet shutdowns are typically used when there is civil unrest, in order to block the flow of information about government actions or to end communication among activists and prevent the spread of rumours and fake news.
    • Internet serves as a medium for the transmission of information through pictures, videos and text that have the potential to cause civil unrest and exacerbate the law and order
    • Check Fake News: Internet shutdowns are typically used when there is civil unrest, in order to block the flow of information about government actions or to end communication among activists and prevent the spread of rumours and fake news.
    • Shutdown helps prevent the “spreading of rumours and misinformation using social media platforms which can hinder peace and law and order”.
    • Preventive Response: Cutting off the Internet is both an early and preventive response to block restive groups to organise riots against the Government.
    • National Interest: The Internet cannot be independent of national sovereignty. Therefore, the necessary regulation of the internet is a reasonable choice of sovereign countries based on national interests.

    Kashmir deprived of Internet

    • The Centre has never ordered a nationwide Internet shutdown. Still, India tops the list of Internet shutdowns globally.
    • According to Software Freedom Law Center’s tracker, there have been 381 shutdowns since 2012, 106 of which were in 2019.
    • The ongoing shutdown in Kashmir is the longest ever in any democratic country.
    • The erstwhile state has seen 180 Internet shutdowns since 2012, according to SFLC.
    • The most commonly offered reasons for cutting access have been “encounter between security forces and militants”, “massive search operations”, “gunfights”, and “attack on CRPF men”.

    Issues with the Kashmir Shutdown

    • The Internet shutdown in Kashmir was not compliant with the Rules.
    • The Rules require the suspension to be temporary; also, the orders did not provide reasons for the restrictions.
    • The petitioner contended that the order claims a law-and-order danger, as opposed to a public order danger specified in the Rules.

    Justifying the Kashmir situation

    • Lastly, the court-mandated that all orders regarding the Kashmir case be made public, and to provide essential services such as e-banking and hospitals immediately.
    • What the centre was arguing, in this case, was that this is a matter of national security given that it pertains to Kashmir with a history of militancy.

    Supreme Court Judgement on Internet Shutdowns

    What did the court say?

    The court ordered the government to review its order, ruling that the freedom of speech and trade on the Internet is a fundamental right.

    • The court said that because the Rules require the order to be in accordance with Section 5(2) of The Telegraph Act, the order must be during a “public emergency” or in the “interest of public safety”.
    • Also, the suspension must be “necessary” and “unavoidable”.
    • In furtherance of the same, the State must assess the existence of an alternate less intrusive remedy,” the court said.
    • The Bench also said that the State should make the orders freely available, even though the Suspension Rules do not specify this.
    • The Rules also don’t specify a time limitation for the shutdown, the use of “Temporary” in the title notwithstanding. The Bench decided that an indefinite suspension is “impermissible”.

    The prime mover for the Judgment

    • The Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Service) Rules, 2017 issued under the Telegraph Act deals with restricting Internet access.
    • It does not provide for publication or notification of the order suspending Internet, the apex court-mandated that such orders must be made available to the public.
    • The court declared that it is a “settled principle of law, and of natural justice” that requires publication of such orders, “particularly one that affects lives, liberty and property of people”.
    • This allows individuals to now challenge the orders before courts in J&K and rest of India.

    Internet suspension orders are subjected to Judicial Review

    • In the wake of protests against the new citizenship law, Internet services were suspended temporarily in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Karnataka.
    • There should not be an excessive burden on free speech even if complete prohibition is imposed, and the government has to justify the imposition of such prohibition and explain why lesser alternatives were inadequate, the bench stated.
    • It ruled that Restrictions are to be imposed in an emergency. Hence they must be proportionate to the concern. Their objective must be legitimate rather than cavalier.
    • Authorities must necessarily consider an alternative and least restrictive mechanism before opting to restrict rights. Every decision to impose restriction should be backed by sufficient material and amenable to judicial review.

    Pacing up with technology

    • The bench also noted that the law needs to keep pace with technological development:
    • We need to note that the law should imbibe the technological development and accordingly mould its rules so as to cater to the needs of society.
    • Non-recognition of technology within the sphere of law is only a disservice to the inevitable.

    Internet as a necessity

    Lifeline for people

    • While the Internet is certainly the main source of information and communication and access to social media, it is so much more than that.
    • People working in the technology-based gig economy — like the thousands of delivery workers for Swiggy, Dunzo and Amazon and the cab drivers of Uber and Ola — depend on the Internet for their livelihoods.
    • It is a mode of access to education for students who do courses and take exams online. Access to the Internet is important to facilitate the promotion and enjoyment of the right to education.
    • It is also a mode to access to health care for those who avail of health services online. 
    • It is a means for business and occupation for thousands of small and individual-owned enterprises that sell their products and services online.

    Legal basis for Right to Internet

    • The access to the Internet is a right very similar to what the Supreme Court held with respect to the right to privacy in Justice K.S. Puttaswamy
    • The Human Rights Council of the United Nations Resolution dated July 2, 2018, on the promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet, made important declarations.
    • It noted with concern the various forms of undue restriction on freedom of opinion and expression online, including where countries have manipulated or suppressed online expression in violation of international law.
    • It said that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online, in particular freedom of expression, which is applicable regardless of frontiers and through any media of one’s choice.

    The Kerala case

    • The High Court of Kerala made a start to the domestic recognition of the right to Internet access.
    • The judgment in Faheema Shirin R.K. v. State of Kerala & Others holds that “…a rule or instruction which impairs the right of the students cannot be permitted to stand in the eye of the law.” 
    • It notes that mobile and broadband Internet shutdowns impact women, girls, and marginalized communities more disproportionately than others.

    Trauma of shutdowns

     

    Economic impact

    • While there is no proven benefit of closing down the internet, there are serious economic repercussions.
    • A report by the Brookings Institute adjudged India to have topped the list by incurring losses to the tune of $968 million in 2016 itself.
    • Over the past five years, some 16,000 hours of Internet shutdowns cost the economy a little over $3 billion, according to estimates in a report by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).

    Governance hurdles

    • In Sept. 2018, the Dept. of Telecommunication had acknowledged the adverse impact of a rising number of internet shutdowns that State governments are ordering.
    • The Govt. has embarked upon a programme to deliver services through mobile and internet apart from promoting a cashless economy.
    • Neither banking transactions using credit and debit cards nor internet banking can be done, which leads to hardships to common citizens.

    No permanent solution

    • The practice of shutting down the internet not just disrupts the smooth functioning of the state at large but is also not in line with the fundamentals of democracy.
    • Internet shutdown cannot be a solution to a larger governance problem.
    • Shutting down the internet may result in information blackout that can also create hysteria, panic.

    Conclusion

    • It is time that we recognise that the right to access to the Internet is indeed a fundamental right within our constitutional guarantees.
    • The Internet is pretty much a basic human right, even if not legally defined as such, for most parts of the world — without access to the virtual world, a very large number of vital human activities simply stops.
    • Internet shutdowns leave people without access to information and other services that could be the difference between life and death.
    • It is in recognition of the Internet as a human right that the UN in 2016 passed a non-binding resolution condemning countries that disrupt Internet access to its citizens.

     Way Forward

    • There exists no qualitative or quantitative evidence to show that internet shutdowns are effective tools to restore normalcy.
    • In fact, the internet itself can be used to resolve the problem. For example, the Government can have verified sources to spread legitimate information across various mediums stating areas that are safe/affected the updated status of the situation, etc.
    • State interests like security are important because they are the prerequisites for us to exercise our freedoms. However, in pursuing this, the freedoms themselves cannot be suspended.
    • Therefore, the government needs to clearly lay down a comprehensive framework, stating the conditions behind such Internet shutdowns.

     

     

    References

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/internet-shutdowns-in-india/

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/sc-order-on-internet-shutdowns/

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/op-ed-snap-guarantee-internet-rights/

    https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/specials/india-file/the-trauma-of-internet-shutdown/article30560717.ece

  • 21st January 2020| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement

    The topics covered in the upcoming AWE on 22nd January are:

    Q.1) Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.

    Q.4) Case Studies 

     

    Question 1)

    The Rajkot Satyagraha brought into clear focus the paradoxical situation that existed in the Princely States. Analyze. (15 Marks)

    Question 2)

    What are the similarities and differences in the approach adopted by the US Constitution and that of the Indian Constitution towards Impeachment of their President? (15 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Do you agree with the view that the present national accounting and analytical framework is the need for change in the approach. Give reasons in support of your argument. (15 Marks)

    Question 4)

    You are an IPS officer in New Delhi. There has been a steep rise in incidents of racial discrimination in the area falling under your jurisdiction. Recently, a young boy from the North East was beaten badly by a mob in a market area. This has led to protest by students from the North East region. They have gathered outside your office and are demanding strict action against the culprits. (a) What will be your strategy to manage the situation. Bring out a plan to counter such incidents in the future. (b) What is the use of emotional intelligence in such situations? (c) What are the social and attitudinal factors responsible for racial discrimination. (15 Marks)

    Reviews will be provided in a week. (In the order of submission- First come first serve basis). In case the answer is submitted late the review period may get extended to two weeks.

    *In case your answer is not reviewed in a week, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. If Parth Sir’s tag is available then tag him.

    For the philosophy of AWE and payment, check  here: Click2Join

  • [op-ed of the day] Equity’s weak pulse and commodified medicine

    Context

    As the government tries to overhaul the public health system in India, its time to take into account the advent and the role played by the private sector and its implications.

    The advent of the private sector

    • Increase in the role of the private sector in the post-Independence era: Post-Independence, the private sector increased its footprint in India.
      • Perpetual sub-optimal investments in public health allowed the private sector to capitalise, flourish, and increasingly gain the confidence of the masses.
      • The private sector went from having about 1,400 enterprises in 1950 to more than 10 lakh in 2010-11.
      • To doctors, this promised greater professional liberty, lesser restrictions, and higher incomes.
      • After liberalisation, the greater focus shifted to the lucrative tertiary-care sector and led to an onslaught of sophisticated private health care in cities.

    The dominance of the private sector and malpractices

    • The scale of dominance: Private sector has over 70% of the health-care workforce and 80% of allopathic doctors, has meant that it is scarcely possible for a health-care provider to function in defiance of its norms.
      • Pervasive malpractices: The pervasiveness of malpractices in this market has come to ensure that few could survive without condoning them.
      • Nexus of the private players: Players in this market, in much of their malpractices, have also learnt to function as a harmonious family.
      • Organised form to safeguard interest: The family plays its role in safeguarding its members, acquainting them with its norms and interests, and leveraging the power of its patriarchs to defend its interests in society.
      • Standards of success dictated by the markets: It is little wonder that the market has also come to dictate the avenues of aggrandisement and yardsticks of professional success for health-care professionals.
      • Benchmark of quality changed: Business finesse and social adroitness rather than clinical excellence and empathy become the touchstones of calibre in this market.

    Failure of the government

    • Absence of national system: The larger chunk of Indian health care (and health workforce) could not be brought under a “national system” having some form of overarching state control or involvement.
      • If such a system existed it could avail of essential health care without most people having to rely on a vagarious market, except as a luxury.
      • Example of the UK’s NHS: The National Health Service of the United Kingdom, remains the single largest health-care provider.
      • NHS employs nearly the entire health-care workforce.
      • NHS makes essential health care available to all practically free at the point of service.
    • Consequences of the absence of such system: The absence ensures is that the profit-driven private sector, the minor component, caters mainly to the affluent lot as largely a matter of deliberate choice rather than desperate compulsion.
      • Hopes of benefits of free-market belied: The Indian example, much like the United States’, bespeaks the failure of the idea that a free market will compel players to be more efficient.
      • The exploitation of the loops by the private players: Rather than increasing efficiency, the players have found it expedient to scrupulously exploit the prevailing cracks in the system and employ devious methods in order to maximise profits.

    Conclusion

    • Health-care providers, just like others, are moulded by their social surroundings. When necessary controls are loosened, the connatural vices are let loose; when the habitat is conducive to values, the right traits develop.
    • A system that starts off with health care as an overt tradable commodity it threatens the development of virtues in the system.
    • On the other hand, a system founded on the concept of equity cultivates a totally different culture of patient care.

     

     

  • 20th January 2020 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    [WpProQuiz 343]

  • [op-ed snap] Why ‘Make in India’ has failed

    Context

    Five years after its launch its appropriate time to take the stock of the progress made by ‘Make in India’.

    Three major objectives of the initiative

    • First- Manufacturing growth rate at 12-14 %: The first objective is to increase the manufacturing sector’s growth rate to 12-14% per annum in order to increase the sector’s share in the economy.
    • Second-100 million jobs: The second objective is to create 100 million additional manufacturing jobs in the economy by 2022.
    • Third-increase manufacturing’s contribution to GDP to 25%: The third objective is to ensure that the manufacturing sector’s contribution to GDP is increased to 25% by 2022 (revised to 2025) from the current 16%.

    Assessment of the progress made so far

    • As the policy changes were intended to usher growth in three key variables of the manufacturing sector — investments, output, and employment growth.
    • Progress on the investment front:
      • Slow growth: The last five years witnessed slow growth of investment in the economy.
      • This is more so when we consider capital investments in the manufacturing sector.
      • The decline in gross fixed capital formation: Gross fixed capital formation of the private sector declined to 28.6% of GDP in 2017-18 from 31.3% in 2013-14 (Economic Survey 2018-19).
      • Gross Fixed Capital Formation is the measure of aggregate investment.
      • Increase in private sector’s savings decrease in investment: Household savings have declined, while the private corporate sector’s savings have increased.
      • This is a scenario where the private sector’s savings have increased, but investments have decreased, despite policy measures to provide a good investment climate.
    • Progress on the output growth front:
      • Double-digit growth only in two quarters: The monthly index of industrial production (IIP) pertaining to manufacturing has registered double-digit growth rates only on two occasions during the period April 2012 to November 2019.
      • Below 3% for the most part: The data show that for a majority of the months, it was 3% or below and even negative for some months.
      • The negative growth implies a contraction of the sector.
    • Progress on the employment growth front:
      • No progress: The employment, especially industrial employment, has not grown to keep pace with the rate of new entries into the labour market.

    Problems with the policy

    • The initiative had two major lacunae.
    • First- Too much reliance on foreign capital: The bulk of these schemes relied too much on foreign capital for investments and global markets for produce.
      • This created an inbuilt uncertainty, as domestic production had to be planned according to the demand and supply conditions elsewhere.
    • Second-Lack of implementation: The policy implementers need to take into account the implications of implementation deficit in their decisions.
      • The result of such a policy oversight is evident in a large number of stalled projects in India.
      • The spate of policy announcements without having the preparedness to implement them is ‘policy casualness’.
      • ‘Make in India’ has been plagued by a large number of under-prepared initiatives.

    Three reasons why ‘Make in India’ failed to perform

    • Too-much ambitious goals: It set out too ambitious growth rates for the manufacturing sector to achieve.
      • Beyond capacity rate for the sector: An annual growth rate of 12-14% is well beyond the capacity of the industrial sector.
      • Overestimation of implementation capacity: To expect to build capabilities for such a quantum jump is perhaps an enormous overestimation of the implementation capacity of the government.
    • Dealing with too many sectors: The initiative brought in too many sectors into its fold.
      • Lack of policy focus: Bringing in too many sectors under its fold led to a loss of policy focus.
      • Lack of understanding of comparative advantages: Further, it was seen as a policy devoid of any understanding of the comparative advantages of the domestic economy.
    • Ill-timed launch
      • Given the uncertainties of the global economy and ever-rising trade protectionism, the initiative was spectacularly ill-timed.

    Conclusion

    • In order to revive the ‘Make in India’ there is a need to make necessary changes in the policy and root out the causes associated with the policy implementation.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • [op-ed snap] A farm wish list for the budget

    Context

    As finance minister presents the budget the FM need to ensure transparency and to fully account for the food subsidy.

    The excess buffer stock and need to reform

    • A buffer stock norm and actual stock: A buffer stock norm is at 21.4 million tonnes (mt).
      • Actual stock far exceeds the norm: The actual stocks of grains with the central pool stood at 75.5 mt.
      • Which is 3.5 times what the government needs to hold.
    • The economic cost of the excess stock: At its economic cost, the value of the excess stocks with the government stands at Rs 1.6 lakh crore.
      • Potential for revenue: There is no better place to find revenue for the FM than to liquidate these stocks.
      • Need for the reform in grain management system: Unless the grain management system is reformed, the inefficiency of the grain management system will keep on increasing and the nation will suffer.

    Food subsidy reforms

    • Link food prices to procurement price: It is the time to revise the central issue of price and link it to the procurement price-say at half the procurement price.
      • Limit the population coverage: There is a need to limit this highly subsidised food of Rs 3/kg for rice and Rs 2/kg of wheat to say 40 per cent of the population.
      • Move to DBT: The real fundamental reform would be to move towards direct cash transfers for the intended beneficiaries of food subsidy.

    Fertiliser subsidy reforms

    • Imbalance in the subsidisation: The real problem of this sector is the imbalance in the policy of fertiliser subsidisation.
      • While urea (N) is subsidised to the extent of 75 per cent of its cost, phosphatic (P) and potassic (K) fertilisers are subsidised only to the tune of about 25 per cent of their cost.
    • Consequences of this imbalance: The result is the highly imbalanced use of N, P and K on farmers’ fields. Which results in
      • Giving a very low fertiliser-to-grain response ratio.
      • Degrading the soil.
      • Degrading underground water.
      • Degrading the environment with excessive nitrogen use.
      • Discouragement to natural farming: The current fertiliser subsidy discourages those who want to pursue natural farming as they don’t get subsidy anywhere near the amount chemical-based fertilisers do.
    • Reforms: There are two ways in which the fertiliser subsidy regime can be reformed.
      • Bring nitrogenous fertiliser under NBS: The solution to the imbalance in use is to bring nitrogenous fertilisers under the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) scheme.
      • Cash transfer based on per hectare basis: The second option is to move towards direct cash transfers for fertilisers on a per hectare basis, with some adjustment for irrigated tracts.
      • 50,000 Crore saving: The above-mentioned reforms could result in the saving of Rs. 50,000 crores to the public exchequer.

    Way forward

    • Investing the savings where it matters the most: The savings from the reforms could be invested in-
      • Better water management, especially drip irrigation.
      • Infrastructure for agri-markets.
      • Solar trees: The investments could also be made in setting up the solar trees in the farm to harvest solar power on farmer’s fields with buyback agreements for surplus production.

  • India-Pakistan Trade

    Tensions between India and Pakistan in 2019 have reduced the already low volumes of trade between the two countries to near zero.

    India-Pakistan trade, in the beginning

    • In 1948-49, about 56% of Pakistan’s exports were to India, and 32% of its imports came from India.
    • From 1948-65, India and Pakistan used a number of land routes for bilateral trade; there were eight customs stations in Pakistan’s Punjab province and three customs checkpoints in Sindh.
    • India remained Pakistan’s largest trading partner until 1955-56. Between 1947 and 1965, the countries signed 14 bilateral agreements on trade, covering avoidance of double taxation, air services, and banking, etc.
    • In 1965, nine branches of six Indian banks were operating in Pakistan.

    Close to vanishing

    • Following the terrorist attack on the CRPF convoy in Pulwama in February, India withdrew Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status for Pakistan and raised customs duty on Pakistani imports to 200% .
    • In April, India suspended cross-LoC trade to stop the misuse of this route by Pakistan-based elements.
    • Pakistan on its part closed its airspace to India for a prolonged period.
    • The decisions by both countries, while targeted at hurting the neighbour, have severely impacted the livelihoods of individuals and families involved in cross-border trading activities.

  • Pulse Polio Programme

    The beginning of this year’s Pulse Polio Programme was inaugurated from the Rashtrapati Bhavan itself.  To prevent the virus from coming to India, the government has since March 2014 made the Oral Polio Vaccination (OPV) mandatory for those travelling between India and polio-affected countries.

    The Pulse Polio Programme

    • India launched the Pulse Polio immunisation programme in 1995, after a resolution for a global initiative of polio eradication was adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA) in 1988.
    • Children in the age group of 0-5 years are administered polio drops during national and sub-national immunisation rounds (in high-risk areas) every year.

    India is polio-free

    • According to the Ministry of Health, the last polio case in the country was reported from Howrah district of West Bengal in January 2011.
    • The WHO on February 24, 2012, removed India from the list of countries with active endemic wild polio virus transmission.
    • Two years later, the South-East Asia Region of the WHO, of which India is a part, was certified as polio-free.

    Back2Basics

    What is Polio?

    • The WHO defines polio or poliomyelitis as a highly infectious viral disease, which mainly affects young children.
    • The virus is transmitted by person-to-person, spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (e.g. contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and can cause paralysis.
    • Initial symptoms of polio include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs. In a small proportion of cases, the disease causes paralysis, which is often permanent.
    • There is no cure for polio, it can only be prevented by immunization.

  • Natural Gas Grid (NGG)

    A study to facilitate the development of a National Gas Grid is to be undertaken soon by a U.S. entity. The Government has last year envisaged developing the NGG.

    National Gas Grid

    • At present about 16,788 Km natural gas pipeline is operational and about 14,239 Km gas pipelines are being developed to increase the availability of natural gas across the country.
    • These pipelines have been authorized by Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) and are at various stages of execution viz. Pre-Project activities/laying/testing/commissioning etc.

    Aims and Objective

    • To remove regional imbalance within the country with regard to access of natural gas and provide clean and green fuel throughout the country.
    • To connect gas sources to major demand centres and ensure availability of gas to consumers in various sectors.
    • Development of City Gas Distribution Networks in various cities for supply of CNG and PNG.

    NGG Technical Assistance Program

    • The India NGG Technical Assistance programme stems from an agreement in September between PNGRB and the US Trade Development Agency (USTDA).
    • The study will aim at developing an economic basis for building India’s Natural Gas Grid (NGG).

    Utility of the study

    • It would provide an update on the gas demand analysis, including anchor consumers, industries, city gas distribution (CGD) and emerging demand centres such as CNG and LNG for road transport.
    • The study will take a fresh look at the gas supply analysis too. This includes review of LNG imports, domestic supply, potential transnational gas pipeline imports and virtual pipelines.
    • Share of natural gas in India’s energy basket is 6.2% as against 23.4% globally and is expected to increase.

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