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Subject: Governance

Important aspects of Society

  • What is the REWARD Project?

    The GoI, the State Governments of Karnataka and Odisha, and the World Bank have signed a $115 million for the REWARD Project.

    What is REWARD Program?

    • REWARD stands for Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative Development.
    • The project aims to help national and state institutions adopt improved watershed management practices to help increase farmers’ resilience to climate change, promote higher productivity and better incomes.
    • REWARD is being implemented in three to four Indian States.
    • It is proposed as a 6 years Project.

    Objectives of the project

    • The outcomes are prevention of soil run-off, regeneration of natural vegetation, rainwater harvesting, and recharging of the groundwater table.
    • This enables multi-cropping and the introduction of diverse agro-based activities, which help to provide sustainable livelihoods to the people residing in the watershed area.

     

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  • How to prevent another Bulli Bai or Sulli Deals

    Context

    The auctioning of Muslim women first on Sulli Deals and now through Bulli Bai is shocking and it is our collective responsibility to make sure it never happens again.

    How to prevent such incidents from happening?

    • Even a good system of blocking this app from mainstream online platforms is a short-term technical solution.
    • We have on our hands a problem of a few active bad actors and many passive ones.
    • Systems to identify and remove content on Social media: For over a decade, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and YouTube have been at the center of controversy.
    • Over time, they have developed elaborate systems through which harmful content can be identified and removed.
    • What is key is that this content is usually legible to a wide range of people. 

    How GitHub is different?

    • GitHub’s content is code.
    • GitHub is a specialist platform that is not accessible or legible to everyone.
    • It is, however, working towards more sophisticated content moderation.
    • There is great value in a platform that shares code.

    Challenges in finding and punishing perpetrators

    • US laws: The United States of America’s laws require companies not to share private information unless the request is made through an onerous process.
    • Delay in sharing information: This is a pre-internet process for law enforcement requests from other countries.
    • After the internet made American platforms intermediaries of communication worldwide, the number of requests for information from these companies escalated dramatically.
    • The system does not have the resources to cope with the increased demand and there is a delay before requests can be processed.
    • This is why it is a waste of time calling for GitHub to hand over the names of the authors of the code.

    Suggestion

    • Automated detection system: To address non-consensual sexual media, platforms maintain a shared database of reported videos and images which they remove the instant they are re-published or shared.
    •  At least in the short term, GitHub needs to work with the group being targeted towards an automated detection system that will restrain this new disturbing trend in targeting Muslim women.

    Conclusion

    Our focus in the short term should be on finding a way to make sure that any recurring versions of this code are blocked proactively by GitHub.

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  • [pib] Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED)

    The Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched the Scheme for Economic Empowerment of De-notified, Nomadic, and Semi Nomadic Communities (SEED).

    Who are the DNTs?

    • The term ‘De-notified Tribes’ stands for all those communities which were once notified under the Criminal Tribes Acts, enforced by the British Raj between l87l and I947.
    • These Acts were repealed after Independence in l952, and these communities were “De-Notified”.
    • The DNTs (of whom most are the medieval period Banjaras) are the most neglected, marginalized, and economically and socially deprived communities.
    • Most of them have been living a life of destitution for generations and still continue to do so with an uncertain and gloomy future.

    SEED Scheme

    • Under the scheme, the government seeks to provide free coaching to students for civil services examinations, competitive exams for admission to professional courses; health insurance; livelihood support and housing.
    • It has been formulated for families having income from all sources of Rs.2.50 lakh or less per annum and not availing any such benefits from similar Scheme of Centre Government or the State Government.
    • The Scheme will be implemented through a portal, developed by the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment.
    • Post verification, the funds will be transferred directly to the beneficiaries in their account.
    • The other implementing agencies are Ministry of Rural Development, National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and National Health Authority (NHA).

    Components of the scheme

    The Scheme will have the following four components:

    [I] Free Coaching

    • A component of free Coaching for DNT Students has been envisioned for the educational empowerment of these communities.
    • The objective of this component is to enable them to appear in competitive examinations/ admission to professional courses like medicine, engineering, MBA, etc for obtaining an appropriate job in the Public/Private Sector.
    • The selection of the candidates for each course will be based on system generated merit list through the portal.
    • Approximately, 6250 students will be provided free coaching under this component in five years. The total funds spent in the five years will be Rs.50 crore.

    [II] Health Insurance

    • Members of these communities are likely to have little or no access to medical facilities and other benefits available under the mainstream health policies.
    • The primary objective of the scheme is to provide financial assistance to National Health Authority (NHA) in association with State Health Agencies (SHAs).
    • These agencies will provide a health insurance cover of Rs.5 lakhs per family per year for families as per norms of “Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.

     [III] Livelihood Initiatives

    • The decline of traditional occupations of DNT/NT/SNT communities has exacerbated their poverty.
    • A focus to support livelihood generation for these communities is required.
    • The primary objective of the scheme is to provide financial assistance to National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).
    • It would enhance productivity growth in key livelihood sectors for employment generation through investments in institutional support, technical assistance.

    [IV] Financial support for Housing

    • Considering the shortage of houses for DNTs, it has been proposed to earmark a separate outlay for PMAY to support specific importance in providing houses only for DNTs living in rural areas.
    • It is for those who have not taken benefit of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana as SC, ST, OBC and are living below the poverty line.
    • The admissible support is Rs 1.20 lakhs in plains and 1.30 lakhs in hilly areas (per unit assistance).

    Why need such a scheme?

    • DNTs escaped the attention of our developmental framework and thus are deprived of the support unlike Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
    • Historically, these communities never had access to private land or homeownership.
    • These tribes used forests and grazing lands for their livelihood and residential use and had “strong ecological connections.
    • Many of them are dependent upon various types of natural resources and carve out intricate ecological niches for their survival.
    • The changes in ecology and environment seriously affect their livelihood options.

     

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  • [pib] New India Literacy Programme for Adult Education

    The Union Government approved a new scheme “New India Literacy Programme (नव भारत साक्षरता कार्यक्रम) for the period FYs 2022-2027 to cover all the aspects of Adult Education to align with National Education Policy 2020.

    New India Literacy Programme

    • The scheme will cover non-literates of the age of 15 years and above in all states/UTs in the country.
    • The target for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for FYs 2022-27 is 5 (five) crore learners @ 1.00 crore per year by using “Online Teaching, Learning and Assessment System (OTLAS)”.
    • A learner may register him/herself with essential information like name, date of birth, gender, Aadhaar number, mobile number, etc.
    • The scheme will be implemented through volunteerism through online mode.
    • The training, orientation, workshops of volunteers, maybe organized through face-to-face mode.
    • All material and resources shall be provided digitally for easy access to registered volunteers.

    Objectives of the scheme

    The objectives of the scheme are:

    • To impart foundational literacy and numeracy
    • To cover other components which are necessary for a citizen of the 21st century such as critical life skills (including financial literacy, digital literacy, commercial skills, health care and awareness, child care and education, and family welfare)
    • Vocational skills development (with a view towards obtaining local employment)
    • Basic education (including preparatory, middle, and secondary stage equivalency)
    • Continuing education (including engaging holistic adult education courses in arts, sciences, technology, culture, sports, recreation, etc.)

    Salient features of the scheme

    • The school will be a Unit for implementation of the scheme
    • Schools to be used for conducting a survey of beneficiaries and Voluntary Teachers (VTs)
    • Foundational Literacy and Numeracy will be imparted through Critical Life Skills to all non-literates in the age group of 15 years and above
    • Performance Grading Index (PGI) for State/UT at the district level
    • CSR/Philanthropic Support may be received by hosting ICT support, providing volunteer support

    Need for this scheme

    • As per Census 2011, the absolute number of non-literates of the country in 15 years and above age group is 25.76 crore (Male 9.08 crore, Female 16.68 crore).
    • Even after the Saakshar Bharat program was implemented during 2009-10 to 2017-18, it is estimated that currently around 18.12 crore adults are still non-literate in India.

     

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  • One Rank One Pension (OROP) Policy

    The Supreme Court has said that the Centre’s hyperbole on the One Rank One Pension (OROP) policy presented a much “rosier picture” than what is actually given to the pensioners of the armed forces.

    What is OROP Policy?

    • OROP means the same pension, for the same rank, for the same length of service, irrespective of the date of retirement.
    • The concept was provoked by the then decision by Indira Gandhi-led government, in 1973, two years after the historic victory in the 1971 Bangladesh war.

    How did the issue escalate?

    • The Rank pay was a scheme implemented by the Rajiv Gandhi-led govt in 1986, in the wake of the 4th Central Pay Commission.
    • It reduced the basic pay of seven armed officers’ ranks of 2nd Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Captain, Majors, Lt. Colonel, Colonels, Brigadiers, and their equivalent by fixed amounts designated as rank pay.

    How was it reviewed?

    • In 2008, Manmohan Singh led Government in the wake of the Sixth Central Pay Commission (6CPC), which discarded the concept of rank-pay.
    • Instead, it introduced Grade pay, and Pay bands, which instead of addressing the rank, pay, and pension asymmetries caused by ‘rank pay’ dispensation, reinforced existing asymmetries.

    Issues with this pension policy

    • The causes that inform the OROP protest movement are not pension alone, as armed forces veterans have often tried to make clear, and the parliamentary committee recorded.
    • The issues, veterans emphasize, are of justice, equity, honor, and national security.
    • The failure to address the issue of pay-pension equity, and the underlying issue of honor, is not only an important cause for the OROP protest movement but its escalation.

    Present status

    • PM Modi-led government has accepted the OROP.
    • It has already released Rs. 5500 crores to serve the purpose, but still, there are some grievances from the veterans’ side.
    • It refined Pensions for all pensioners retiring in the same rank as the average of the minimum and maximum pensions in 2013.
    • The veterans noted governments’ proposal as one rank many pensions since the review of 5 years would lead to differences in pension between senior and a junior.

     

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  • What are Eat Right Campuses?

    Four police stations of New Delhi district have been certified as ‘Eat Right Campus’ by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

    Eat Right Campus

    • Eat Right India is a flagship mission of FSSAI, which aims at ensuring that the citizens of the country get safe and nutritious food.
    • The ‘Eat Right Campus’ initiative led by FSSAI aims to promote safe, healthy and sustainable food in campuses such as schools, universities, colleges, workplaces, hospitals, tea estates etc. across the country.
    • The objective is to improve the health of people and the planet and promote social and economic development of the nation.
    • The initiative is not mandatory to adopt.

    Evaluation Criteria

    • Benchmarks have been created on four different parameters based on which campuses are evaluated and certified as ‘Eat Right Campus’.
    • These parameters include
    1. Food safety measures, steps to ensure the provision of healthy, Environmentally sustainable food, and Building awareness to make the right food choices.
    2. These practices include mandatory steps such as licensing and registration of food service providers in the campus and compliance to food safety and hygiene standards as per Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006.

    Benefits of Eat Right Campus

    • It can provide immense benefits to the campus and the individuals on the campus not only in terms of health but also economics.
    • Safe, healthy, and sustainable food on the campus would reduce the incidence of food-borne illnesses, deficiency diseases, and non-communicable diseases among the people on the campus.
    • This means less absenteeism and loss of working hours and greater wellbeing, motivation, and productivity of people.
    • This would also reduce the burden of healthcare costs for the workplace, institution, hospital, jail, or tea estate.

    Back2Basics: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

    • The FSSAI is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
    • It has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India.
    • It is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.
    • It is headed by a non-executive Chairperson, appointed by the Central Government, either holding or has held the position of not below the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.

     

     

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  • Caste census

    Context

    Last month, the Supreme Court upheld the 27% quota for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the All-India Quota seats for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test and reiterated that reservations for backward classes were not an exception but an extension of the principle of equality under Article 15(1) of the Constitution.

    Multiple dimensions of reservation

    • The judgment highlighted how open competitive exams give the illusion of providing equal opportunity in ignorance of the widespread inequalities in educational facilities, the freedom to pursue such education, and societal prejudices.
    • Psychological and social effects: The Court pointed out how such disparities are not limited to the issue of access to good education or financial constraints alone, but also to the psychological and social effects of inherited cultural capital (communication skills, books, accent, academic accomplishments, social networks, etc.), which ensures the unconscious training of upper-caste children for high-grade performance.
    • The Constituent Assembly held a similar philosophy while introducing constitutional provisions which enable the government to make special provisions for the uplift of the “lower castes”.

    Importance of justifiable data

    • The politicisation of issue: Political parties often promise reservation for communities on being brought to power without any credible data collection exercises to justify the decision.
    • It can be said that the faith of our citizens cannot be restored until credible exercises of data collection are undertaken regarding caste.
    • Lack of data on OBC: Even though data concerning the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have been included in the Census, there is no similar data on OBCs.
    • Proper assessment: In the Indra Sawhney case, the Supreme Court held that the States must conclude the “backwardness” of a particular class of people only after proper assessment and objective evaluation. 
    • It held that such a conclusion must be subject to periodic review by a permanent body of experts.
    • The National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993, provides under Section 11 that the Central government may every 10 years revise lists with a view to exclude those classes which have ceased to be backward and include new backward classes.
    • This exercise has not been done to date.
    •  Impartial data and subsequent research might save the bona fide attempts of the uplift of the most backward classes from the shadow of caste and class politics and be informative to people on both sides of the spectrum – for and against reservation.
    • Calls for caste data in Census: Last year, many calls were made for the inclusion of caste data (including that of the OBCs) in the 2021 Census, and the matter reached the Supreme Court.
    • However, the government took the stand that the 2011 SECC was “flawed” and is “not usable”.

    Conclusion

    Caste data will enable independent research not only into the question of who does and does not need affirmative action but also into the effectiveness of this measure.

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  • Setting right the focal point of Jammu and Kashmir tribal politics

    Context

    The Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Commission has recently shared its interim report. One of the salient features of the report is the proposed reservation of nine seats for Scheduled Tribes (ST).

    Reservation for STs in Legislative Assembly

    •  It is for the first time that seats have been reserved for the ST community in the Legislative Assembly of J&K.
    • The commission has also proposed reserving seven seats for Scheduled Castes (SCs).
    • In the erstwhile Legislative Assembly, there were also seven seats reserved for SCs, but there was no such reservation for STs.
    • This denial of constitutionally guaranteed reservation under Article 332 post-1991 when four communities (the Gujjars, Bakerwals, Gaddis and Sippis) were granted ST status is a pointer to the harsh reality that discrimination has largely been deliberate.

    Issue of reservation for STs in J&K

    • No role of Article 370: Nothing in Article 370 has prevented the provision of political reservation to STs or extension of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 to J&K.
    • The presence of Article 370 has often been given as a reason for the absence of reservation for the tribals in J&K though this is untrue.
    • Reservation for SCs: SCs in J&K had reservations even before the dilution of Article 370, and it was provided under the J&K Constitution. 
    • This lack of political will stemmed from an unwillingness to share power with groups ethnically and culturally different from both Dogras and the Kashmiris, the two predominant power groups in J&K.

    What has changed now?

    • The dilution of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, and the subsequent Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 changed political dynamics in the region.
    • As far as tribals are concerned, it promised them political reservation under Article 332 and led to the extension of the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
    •  Essentially, it has changed the nature of tribal politics in J&K as well, which had largely centered around these two major objectives.

    Way forward

    • Economic and social empowerment: The focus of tribal politics has to shift toward the economic and social empowerment of tribal communities.
    • Implementation of the Forest Rights Act has to be a major issue as it has the potential to significantly empower these communities.
    • The political mobilization of STs began many years ago, and the interim report has thrown up new challenges before STs than merely empowering them.
    • Awareness: It will not change after reservation unless there is an awareness and conscious attempt by the leadership to prioritize tribal interests over party politics.
    • Political relevance: The tendency to limit tribal politics to Rajouri and Poonch (which the interim report has also done) is the extension of past practice though the reality is that more than 68% of the ST population lives outside these districts.
    • Political relevance is a major challenge that tribal politics in J&K faces.
    • Community leaders, especially tribal youth, need to understand the significance of the tribal vote.
    • Tribal politics also have to address the political, social, and economic empowerment of marginal tribes such as the Bakerwals, Gaddis and Sippis.
    • Women empowerment: Women have to play a major role in tribal politics, and their participation and leadership have to be made feasible and suitably promoted.
    • They have proven their leadership in the District Development Council (DDC) elections, and it needs to be strengthened further.

    Conclusion

    The focus of tribal politics has to shift toward the economic and social empowerment of tribal communities, with a special focus on the effective implementation of welfare schemes and policies for STs in J&K.

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  • Maharashtra may become 8th state to opt out of PMFBY

    Maharashtra may follow several other big states and opt-out Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), the government’s much-highlighted crop insurance scheme.

    Why do many states want to opt-out?

    • The major reasons are denial and delay of claims along with a huge subsidy burden on state governments.
    • The farmers are facing a problem with timely claim settlement.
    • Maharashtra is studying the Beed Model for insurance settlement.

    Who else has stepped out?

    • Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana, Bihar, Gujarat (PM’s home state), Punjab and West Bengal — all predominantly agriculture states — have already opted out of the scheme.
    • Some of these states have their own insurance schemes.

    What is PMFBY?

    • The PMFBY was launched in February 2016. It is being administered by Ministry of Agriculture.
    • It provides a comprehensive insurance cover against failure of the crop thus helping in stabilising the income of the farmers.
    • It is implemented by empanelled general insurance companies.
    • The scheme is compulsory for loanee farmers availing Crop Loan /KCC account for notified crops and voluntary for other others.

    Its functioning

    • PMFBY insures farmers against all non-preventable natural risks from pre-sowing to post-harvest.
    • Farmers have to pay a maximum of 2 per cent of the total premium of the insured amount for kharif crops, 1.5 per cent for rabi food crops and oilseeds as well as 5 per cent for commercial / horticultural crops.
    • The balance premium is shared by the Union and state governments on a 50:50 basis and on a 90:10 basis in the case of northeastern states.

    Farmers covered

    • All farmers growing notified crops in a notified area during the season who have insurable interest in the crop are eligible.
    • To address the demand of farmers, the scheme has been made voluntary for all farmers from Kharif 2020.
    • Earlier to Kharif 2020, the enrolment under the scheme was compulsory for following categories of farmers:
    1. Farmers in the notified area who possess a Crop Loan account/KCC account (called as Loanee Farmers) to whom credit limit is sanctioned/renewed for the notified crop during the crop season. and
    2. Such other farmers whom the Government may decide to include from time to time.

    Risks covered under the scheme

    • Comprehensive risk insurance is provided to cover yield losses due to non-preventable risks, such as Natural Fire and Lightning, Storm, Hailstorm, Cyclone, Typhoon, Tempest, Hurricane, Tornado.
    • Risks due to Flood, Inundation and Landslide, Drought, Dry spells, Pests/ Diseases also will be covered.
    • In post-harvest losses, coverage will be available up to a maximum period of 14 days from harvesting for those crops which are kept in “cut & spread” condition to dry in the field.
    • For certain localized problems, Loss/damage resulting from the occurrence of identified localized risks like hailstorm, landslide, and Inundation affecting isolated farms in the notified area would also be covered.

    Back2Basics: Beed Model

    • The model of crop insurance in place in Maharashtra’s Beed district is being studied by a central government panel set up to suggest suitable working models for PMFBY.
    • In the Beed model, there is a cap on the profit of the insurance companies.
    • If the claims exceed the insurance cover, the state government pays the bridge amount.
    • If the claims are less than the premium collected, the insurance company keeps 20 per cent of the amount as handling charges and reimburses the rest to the state government.
    • This is expected to reduce burden of subsidies from state.

     

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  • India to prepare digital maps of all villages

    India plans to prepare digital maps of all its 6,00,000 villages and pan-India 3D maps will be prepared for 100 cities to mark a year of the updated geospatial policy guidelines under the SVAMITVA Scheme.

    What is SVAMITVA Scheme?

    • SVAMITVA stands for Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas.
    • Under the scheme, the latest surveying technology such as drones will be used for measuring the inhabited land in villages and rural areas.
    • The mapping and survey will be conducted in collaboration with the Survey of India, State Revenue Department and State Panchayati Raj Department under the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
    • The drones will draw the digital map of every property falling in the geographical limit of each Indian village.
    • Property Cards will be prepared and given to the respective owners.

    Broad Objectives

    1. Leveraging property as a financial asset by the citizens of rural India
    2. Creation of accurate land records for rural planning
    3. Provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India
    4. Serve as a means of reduction in property-related disputes. Facilitate with the determination of property tax
    5. Creation of survey infrastructure and GIS (Geographic Information System) maps that can be used by any department or agency

    Features of the Scheme

    • Accurate survey: SVAMITVA Scheme uses the combination of Survey Grade Drones and CORS network (Continuously Operated Reference Stations) to accurately survey large areas in a very short span of time.
    • High resolution: The 1:500 scale maps generated through the drone survey are of very high accuracy i.e., 3-5 cms, which the conventional methodology does not provide.
    • Geo-tagging: Moreover, editable and geo-tagged maps are produced at a fraction of the cost without the need for line-of-sight.
    • Permanent records: These maps facilitate the creation of the most durable record of property holdings in areas with no legacy revenue records.

    What are the updated guidelines?

    • The updated guidelines help private companies to prepare a variety of maps without needing approvals from a host of ministries.
    • They aim to make it easier to use drones and develop applications via location mapping.
    • It encompasses the trinity of geospatial Systems, Drone Policy, and unlocked Space Sector will be the hallmark of India’s future economic progress.

     

    Also read:

    [Yojana Archive] SVAMITVA Scheme

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