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  • Mother and Child Health – Immunization Program, BPBB, PMJSY, PMMSY, etc.

    How lower fertility rate hampers demographic dividend in number of ways

    op-ed snap | Indian Society | Mains Paper 1: Population & Associated Issues

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: NA

    Mains level: human population

    fertility rateContext

    • Though the Global population, in terms of numbers, has been steadily increasing the average global fertility rate has been consistently declining over the past 70 years.

    What Reports say?

    • Reports suggest that the global population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030.
    • According to the World Population Prospects 2022, Average number of children per woman in the reproductive age group has declined by 50%, from an average of five children per woman in 1951 to4 children in 2020.

    What is Fertility?

    • Fertility is the quality or state of being fertile.
    • Fertility is the ability to reproduce through normal sexual interaction. In other words it is the natural capacity to conceive a biological child.
    • Fertilitychanges with age. Both males and females become fertile in their teens following puberty.

    fertility rate What is fertility rate?

    • The number of live births in women over a specific length of time.
    • Total fertility rate is the average number of children born to a woman during her lifetime.

    Recent findings

    The newly released World Population Prospectus notes that the global fertility rate fell from three in 1990 to 2.3 in 2021.

    Overview of fertility dynamics

    • Reason: Speeding up the social phenomenon of demographic transition.
    • Poorer countries: speeding up the Transition a lot faster than the richer ones.
    • Britain: Took 130 years to transition from a fertility rate of five per woman in 1800 to two in 1930, whereas
    • South Korea: Took 20 years from 1965 to 1985 to achieve the same. South Korea reporting the lowest fertility rate, 1.05 children per woman.
    • Most advanced economies: Have their fertility rate below the replacement rate of 2.1.
    • Sub-Saharan African countries: Expected to contribute more than half the population growth after 2050 and grow through 2100. For example, Niger a sub Saharan country with highest fertility rate in the world, estimated to be 91 children per woman.
    • What is Demographic transition: is a long-term trend of declining birth and death rate. It is shift from high birth rates to low birth rates in societies with minimal technology, education (especially of women) and economic development and from high death rates to Low death rates in societies with advanced economies and development.

    fertility rate
    Where India Stands

    • According to National Family Health Survey (NFHS), fertility rate falling below the replacement level for the first time to 2.0 in 2021.dropped from 2.2 to 2.0.
    • only five States have a fertility rate above the replacement rate: Bihar (3), Meghalaya (2.9), Uttar Pradesh (2.4), Jharkhand (2.3), and Manipur (2.2)
    • At the time of Independence, India’s fertility rate was six per woman, and it had taken 25 years to reach five, with the government launching the first ever family planning program in the world in 1952.
    • India’s fertility further declined to four in the 1990s when Kerala became the first State in India to have a fertility rate below replacement l
    • Increased use of contraception, more years of average schooling, better health care, and an increase in the mean marriage age of women are of the reasons behind the steady dip in fertility rate.

    Lower fertility rate as cause and consequences on the economy

    Positive impact:

    • Lower fertility leads to rise in women’s education.
    • Window of time where the ration of working-age population is higher than that of the dependent age groups.
    • This high proportion of people in the workforce boosts income and investment, and higher level of saving.
    • Lower pressure on land, water and other resources and would also contribute to achieving environmental goals.
    • Advanced health care and better nutrition, results in increased life expectancy and productivity of citizens.

     

    Negative impact:

    • Lower fertility impacts women’s education positively, which in turn lowers the fertility of the next generations.
    • While the income rises with better health care and better infrastructure development, Fertility drops.
    • A fall in fertility rate beyond replacement level would have a negative effect on the proportion of the working population, which in turn will affect output in an economy.
    • After the window of demographic dividend, the huge working age population moves to old age, supported by fewer workers.
    • Japan was the first country to experience the implications of falling fertility rates. Country is now facing fiscal challenges to meet rising social security costs.

    Experiments to deal with fertility decline

    Countries across the globe are experimenting with policies to boost fertility.

    • Germany: found success in boosting births through liberal labour laws, allowing more parental leave and benefits.
    • Denmark: offering state-funded IVF for women below 40 years
    • Hungary: Recently nationalized IVF clinics.
    • Poland: Gives out monthly cash payments to parents having more than two children
    • Russia: Makes one-time payment to parents when their second child is born. Reinstituted the Soviet-era ‘Mother Heroine’ title, who bore and raised more than 10 children amounting to almost a one-time payment of 13 lakh.

    Way ahead

    • Need of the hour is to ensure liberal labor reforms, encourage higher female labor force participation, higher focus on nutrition and health.
    • Although India’s working age population will continue to grow for many more decades, it would need to keep an eye on fertility dips.

    Mains Question

    What are Implications of lower fertility rate on the economy? What steps could be taken to deal with fertility decline? Discuss.

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  • Electronic System Design and Manufacturing Sector – M-SIPS, National Policy on Electronics, etc.

    Why Should India choose manufacturing over services?

    op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Effects Of Liberalization On The Economy, Changes In Industrial Policy and their effects on Industrial Growth

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: PLI scheme

    Mains level: sectors of economy

    ManufacturingContext

    • Manufacturing can create higher productivity jobs.

    What is service sector?

    • The service sector, also known as the tertiary sector, is the third tier in the three-sector economy. Instead of product production, this sector produces services maintenance and repairs, training, or consulting. Examples of service sector jobs include housekeeping, tours, nursing, and teaching.

    What is called manufacturing sector?

    • Manufacturing is the making of goods by hand or by machine that upon completion the business sells to a customer. Items used in manufacture may be raw materials or component parts of a larger product. The manufacturing usually happens on a large-scale production line of machinery and skilled labor.

    ManufacturingShould India focus on manufacturing over services?

    • Services sector failed to create more jobs: So far, in services, we have certainly developed some advantage and we are doing rather well. Services’ share of the economy has gone up to over 50% of the GDP. However, this sector has not been able to create enough jobs in a commensurate manner. The result is that agriculture still continues to sustain nearly half of India’s workforce, which means that 15% of GDP is supporting some 45% of the workforce.
    • Manufacturing can provide productive jobs: We need more productive job opportunities for the workforce to shift away from agriculture. We need to focus attention on the manufacturing sector because of the direct and indirect jobs that it can create.
    • Empirical fact: It is an empirical fact that manufacturing of all productive sectors has the highest backward and forward linkages.
    • Significant potential: So, all together, there is significant potential for the manufacturing sector to create higher productivity jobs for people stuck in agricultural activities. That is the future for India.

    ManufacturingWhat is PLI Scheme?

    • As the name suggests, the scheme provides incentives to companies for enhancing their domestic manufacturing apart from focusing on reducing import bills and improving the cost competitiveness of local goods.
    • PLI scheme offers incentives on incremental sales for products manufactured in India.
    • The scheme for respective sectors has to be implemented by the concerned ministries and departments.

    Criteria laid for the scheme

    • Eligibility criteria for businesses under the PLI scheme vary based on the sector approved under the scheme.
    • For instance, the eligibility for telecom units is subject to the achievement of a minimum threshold of cumulative incremental investment and incremental sales of manufactured goods.
    • The minimum investment threshold for MSME is Rs 10 crore and Rs 100 crores for others.
    • Under food processing, SMEs and others must hold over 50 per cent of the stock of their subsidiaries, if any.
    • On the other hand, for businesses under pharmaceuticals, the project has to be a green-field project while the net worth of the company should not be less than 30 per cent of the total committed investment.

    What are the incentives offered?

    • An incentive of 4-6 per cent was offered last year on mobile and electronic components manufacturers such as resistors, transistors, diodes, etc.
    • Similarly, 10 percent incentives were offered for six years (FY22-27) of the scheme for the food processing industry.
    • For white goods too, the incentive of 4-6 per cent on incremental sales of goods manufactured in India for a period of five years was offered to companies engaged in the manufacturing of air conditioners and LED lights.

    Benefits of PLI

    • The scheme has a direct employment generation potential of over 2,00,000 jobs over 5 years.
    • It would lead to large scale electronics manufacturing in the country and open tremendous employment opportunities. Indirect employment will be about 3 times of direct employment as per industry estimates.
    • Thus, the total employment potential of the scheme is approximately 8,00,000.

    Conclusion

    • In order to integrate India as a pivotal part of this modern economy, there is a strong need to step up our manufacturing capabilities.

    Mains question

    Q.Should India focus on manufacturing over services for job creation? Discuss the role Production Linked Incentive Scheme could play in boosting manufacturing in India.

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  • Parliament – Sessions, Procedures, Motions, Committees etc

    Parliamentary Standing Committees

    op-ed snap | Polity | Mains Paper 2: Comparison Of The Indian Constitutional Scheme With That Of Other Countries,Constitutional Bodies,Indian Constitution – historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: CCI

    Mains level: deliberation for effective democracy

    Parliamentary CommitteesContext

    • In the recent monsoon session of Parliament (July-August) the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 sent to the Parliamentary Committees for detailed examination and a report thereon.

    Background

    • Parliament had only limited legislative time this session and could pass only five pieces of legislation
    • Oppositions stand: opposition alleging that the Government has been trying to steamroll various pieces of legislation in the last few sessions.
    • Governments stand: Government worries that so much time is lost in disruptions in Parliament that the legislative process, as it is, becomes unduly delayed and therefore, referring the bills to the Standing Committees.

    Parliamentary CommitteesParliamentary Committees

    • Need of parliamentary committees: The functions of the Parliament are varied, complex and voluminous. Moreover, it has neither the adequate time nor necessary expertise to make a detailed scrutiny of all legislative measures.
    • Function: To assist parliament to discharge of its duties.
    • Mandate: To examine various legislations referred to it, the budget proposals of different Ministries, and also to do policy thinking on the vision, mission and future direction of the Ministries concerned.
    • Composition: Members of the Parliament of both the LokSabha and the RajyaSabha in the ratio 2:1,
    • Authority: constituted by the Speaker of the LokSabha and the Chairman of the RajyaSabha, jointly.
    • Classification: Broadly, two kinds–Standing Committees and Ad Hoc Standing Committees are permanent (constituted every year or periodically) and work on a continuous basis, while Ad Hoc Committees are temporary and cease to exist on completion of the task assigned to them.
    • Parliament has 24 Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DRSC).

    Relevance of parliamentary committees

    • Withdrawal of farm law bills shows that if bills are not discussed thoroughly, these laws are just bizarre pieces of legislation from point of view consumers and stakeholders.
    • Parliamentary committee’s discussions are held closed door. Members can express their opinion freely.
    • Members of DRSC always try reach to consensus despite political differences. Such practices are essential for healthy democracy.
    • To strengthen the relevance of parliamentarians the parliamentary committees are crucial tools.

    Parliamentary CommitteesHow to improve Efficacy of committees?

    • Compulsory process: The Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha have powers to refer Bills to a DRSC of Parliament. Making the process of reference of Bills to these committees compulsory/an automatic process will be useful. An exemption could be made with the specific approval of the Speaker/ Chairman after detailed reasons for the same.
    • No whip: All discussions in the Parliamentary Standing Committee should be frank and free. No whip of the party would apply to them during the discussion.
    • Time bound: fixed timeline to come up with the recommendation and present its report which can be decided by the Speaker/Chairman. In case the committee if fails to give its recommendation within the approved/extended time, the Bill may be put up before the House concerned directly.
    • Inviting filed Expertise: To ensure quality work in the committees, experts in the field may be invited who could bring with them the necessary domain knowledge and also help introduce the latest developments and trends in that field from Some subject matter experts/young researchers could be associated with the committee for a short period would be fruitful.
    • Authority: The Speaker/Chairman should have the right to fix a time limit, sometimes even stringent, if the government of the day asks for it and the demand is found to be reasonable by the Speaker/Chairman.
    • Organized work in the gap: Between two sessions, there is generally enough time to organise committee meetings for discussions on Bills in the parliamentary committees. It is important for the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs in collaboration with the committee chairmen to get these parliamentary works organized during the intersessional period, in advance.
    • Other than Budget Proposals: The committees should not limit themselves to discussing just the budget proposals and endorsing them with a few qualifications here or amendments there. They should also come up with suggestions for the Ministry to take up new initiatives and people friendly measures.

    Conclusion

    • Discussion is not a stumbling block but an indispensable preliminary of any wise actions.
    • Discussion is soul of democracy.
    • Parliamentary committees are truly democratic institutions in India due to its consensus and bonhomie while functioning.
    • Government of the day should take step to strengthen DRSC and refer more bills to committees. 

    Other related information

    Parliamentary sessions

    • The president from time to time summons each House of Parliament to meet.
    • The maximum gap between two sessions of Parliament cannot be more than six months.
    • In other words, the Parliament should meet at least twice a year.
    • There are usually three sessions in a year: 1. The Budget Session (February to May); 2. The Monsoon Session (July to September); and 3. The Winter Session (November to December).

    Competition Commission of India (CCI)

    • CCI is the chief national competition regulatorin India.
    • The commission was established on 14 October 2003. It became fully functional in May 2009
    • It is a statutory body within the Ministry of Corporate Affairs
    • Responsibility: To enforce the Competition Act, 2002 to promote competition and to prevent activities that effects negatively on competition in India.
    • The CCI looks into cases and investigates them if the same has a negative impact on competition.
    • CCI also approves combination under the act so that two merging entities do not overtake the market.

    Mains Question Q.

    Evaluate the significance of parliamentary standing committee in parliamentary democracy. Suggest the steps to strengthen the parliamentary committees.

     

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  • Electric and Hybrid Cars – FAME, National Electric Mobility Mission, etc.

    FAME India

    op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 2: Government Scheme/Policies

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: FAME India scheme

    Mains level: sustainable mobility

    FAMEContext

    • Centralized procurement of 5,450 electric buses and subsequent increase in ambition to have 50,000 e-buses on the country’s roads by 2030 under FAME scheme.
    • With the shared aim to rapidly electrify a key pillar of India’s public transportation, recent governance efforts of Union and state governments have created a new business model for e-buses.

    Status of State-owned buses

    • Status: There are currently around 1,40,000 registered public buses on India’s roads.
    • Condition: Large numbers of them having sputtering engines which emits planet-warming fumes into the atmosphere. At least 40,000 of these buses are at the end of their lifespan and must be taken off the roads
    • Operators: Most buses are owned and operated by State transport undertakings, which are in poor financial health.
    • Revenue loss: They incur large losses because of the subsidized fares to crores of Indians each day.
    • Problem: problems of fragmented demand and high prices.
    • Limitation: As State governments control issues such as transit, urban governance and pollution control so there’s a limitation for the nation-wide action on this issue.

    FAMEWhat is FAME India scheme?

    • The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020: Is a National Mission document providing the vision and the roadmap for the faster adoption of electric vehicles and their manufacturing in the country.
    • FAME: As part of the NEMMP 2020, Department of Heavy Industry formulated a Scheme viz. Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme in the year 2015 to promote manufacturing of electric and hybrid vehicle technology and to ensure sustainable growth of the same.
    • FAME Phase-II: Government has approved Phase-II of FAME Scheme with an outlay of Rs. 10,000 Crore for a period of 3 years commencing from 1st April 2019.
    • Out of total budgetary support, about 86 percent of fund has been allocated for Demand Incentive so as to create demand for EVs in the country.
    • This phase aims to generate demand by way of supporting 7000 e-Buses, 5 lakh e-3 Wheelers, 55000 e-4 Wheeler Passenger Cars (including Strong Hybrid) and 10 lakh e-2 Wheelers. However, depending upon off-take of different category of EVs, these numbers may vary as the provision has been made for inter as well as intra segment wise f
    • Incentives: Only advanced battery and registered vehicles will be incentivized under the scheme.
    • Coverage: With greater emphasis on providing affordable & environment friendly public transportation options for the masses, scheme will be applicable mainly to vehicles used for public transport or those registered for commercial purposes in e-3W, e-4W and e-bus segments. However, privately owned registered e-2Ws are also covered under the scheme as a mass segment. 

    FAMEObstacles in electric vehicle mobility

       EV Cost and Battery cost:

    • The cost is the most concerning point for an individual when it comes to buying an electric vehicle.
    • However, there are many incentives given off by central and state governments. But the common condition in all policies is that the incentives are only applicable for up to a certain number of vehicles only and after removing the discount and incentives the same EV which was looking lucrative to buy suddenly becomes unaffordable

       Beta version of vehicles:

    • Right now, both the technology and companies are new to the market and the products they are manufacturing are possibly facing real costumers for the first time.
    • It’s nearly impossible to make such a complex product like an automobile perfect for the customers in the first go, and as expected the buyers faced many issues. Vehicles like RV400, EPluto 7G, Nexon all them has to update their vehicle up to a very high extent after customer feedback and reviews.

       Poor Infrastructure and range anxiety:

    • Poor infrastructure is among the most pressing issue among people thinking to opt for electric vehicles.
    • Poor infra doesn’t only include a lack of charging stations but also the lack of proper charging set up in their home.

     No Universal charger and Ecosystem (Lack of standardization):

    • Every second electric vehicle-making company has its own different charging port which is becoming a hurdle to setting up a proper charging ecosystem.
    • Also, many EV users complained about facing moral trouble for charging their vehicle in different EV-making Company’s charging stations which can impact the growth of the EV industry.

       Temperature Issues:

    • Temperature can affect the performance of an EV battery at a large extent which makes EV’s inappropriate for too cold (Uttarakhand, Meghalaya) or too hot regions like (Rajasthan, Kerala). The battery can give its ideal performance when it’s in use under the temperature range of 15-40 degrees.

       Environmental concerns:

    • The EV revolution is necessary for the most populated and polluted parts of India like Delhi, Mumbai, etc. but in such cities the major chunk of electricity is generated through burning fossil fuels which are equivalent to spreading the pollution through the ICE vehicle smoke, even most of the charging stations are reportedly operating upon diesel-driven electricity generator.

    Way ahead

    • With anything new, there will always be challenges.
    • The EV industry is still in a nascent stage in India but developing at a rapid pace. Catching up to speed are the infrastructure requirements to support the EV demand.
    • Even with the current challenges, electric vehicles present huge potential to reduce our carbon footprints and provide a cost-effective system of transportation.
    • And one way to contribute towards this growth is to buy an electric vehicle.

     

    Mains Question

    Q. What do you understand by FAME India scheme? How it will help tackling climate change? What are the obstacles in implementation of this scheme?

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  • old age problems that we should address now

    op-ed snap | Indian Society | Mains Paper 1: Salient features of Indian Society,Social Empowerment

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: government schemes

    Mains level: social welfare

    old ageContext            

    India will be facing the immediate challenge –The ageing of the population. Challenge to ensure a decent quality of life for the old age people in the near future, planning and providing for it must begin today.

    Background

    • Life expectancy in India has more than doubled since Independence from around 32 years in the late 1940s to 70 years or so today, a historical achievement.
    • Over the same period, the fertility rate has crashed from about six children per woman to just two, which liberated women from the cycle of continuous child bearing and child care.

    What is ageing of the population?

    • Meaning: Population ageing is a shift in the distribution of a country’s population towards older ages.
    • Reason behind it: Decline in the fertility rate and Rise In the life expectancy. An increase in longevity increases the average age of the population by increasing the numbers of surviving older people.
    • Impact of the ageing population:, labor supply shortage, change in patterns of saving and investment, deteriorate fiscal balance, lack of adequate welfare system etc.
    • Challenges they impose: Social security, elderly Healthcare, Dependence on the family etc.

    What is the status in India?

    • According to the National Commission on Population, The share of the elderly (persons aged 60 years and above) close to 9% in 2011.
    • It is growing fast and may reach 18% by 2036.

    old ageProblems faced by elderly

    • Depression: According to survey by Abdul Latif Jameel foundation in Tamilnadu, 30-50% of people above age of 60 has a symptoms of depression.The proportion with depression symptoms is much higher for women than men, and rises sharply with age. In most cases, depression remains undiagnosed and untreated.
    • Loneliness: Loneliness one the major factor leading to depression. A large majority of elderly persons living alone are women, mainly widows.
    • Hardship of age: Monetary assistance can certainly help to cope with many health issues.
    • Poverty and poor health: Old age pensions are vital. Cash helps to lead a dignified life.

    old ageCurrent government schemes for elderly

    Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Scheme – This is one of the most popular senior citizen pension schemes in India.

    • Designed for senior citizens above 60 years of age, the policy term of this Prime Minister Senior Citizen Scheme extends to ten years.
    • The pensioner can choose the frequency of the payment – monthly/quarterly/half- yearly/annually.
    • You can earn interest of 8% per annum over this scheme.
    • The minimum and maximum capping of pension are Rs. 3,000 per month and 10,000 per month, respectively

    National Programme for the Health Care of Elderly (NPHCE)–

    • Introduced in 2010, this scheme concentrates on preventive as well as promotive, care for the maintenance of overall health.
    • This program was launched to address the health issues faced by seniors.
    • The district-level objectives include providing dedicated health facilities in district hospitals, community health centres (CHC), primary health centres (PHC), and sub-centres (SC) levels through State Health Society.
    • These facilities maybe free or highly subsidized.

    Varishta Mediclaim Policy –

    • This policy aids seniors by covering the cost of medicines, blood, ambulance charges, and other diagnosis related charges.
    • Designed for senior citizens between the age of 60 and 80 years, this helps meet the health-related expenses of senior citizens.
    • Income tax benefits are allowed for payment of premium.
    • Although the policy period is for one year, you can extend the renewal up to the age of 90 years.

    Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana –

    • This scheme provides physical aids and assisted-living devices to the elderly above 60 years of age that belong to the BPL (below the poverty line) category.
    • If senior citizens wish to avail this, then they must have a BPL card.
    • This is a Central Sector Scheme and is entirely funded by the Central Government.

    Varishta Pension Bima Yojana –

    • This pension scheme, launched by the Ministry of Finance, is for senior citizens above 60 years.
    • The LIC of India has the authority to operate this scheme.
    • Any Medical check-ups is not necessary to avail this policy.
    • It offers assured pension with a guaranteed interest rate of 8% per annum for up to 10 years –
    • You can opt for monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, and yearly pension – depends on how you’d like to receive it.

    Vayoshreshtha Samman –

    This scheme focuses on those seniors who have made significant contributions in their disciplines and recognized their efforts.

    It was upgraded to the National Award in 2013, and since then, awards have been granted below thirteen categories.

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/old-age-poverty/Conclusion

    • Social security pensions, of course, are just the first step towards a dignified life for the elderly. They also need other support and facilities such as health care, disability aids and assistance with daily tasks, recreation opportunities and a good social life. They can be the active contributor to the economy having the years of experience and mentorship to the demographic dividend.

    Mains Question Q.

    Discuss the challenges before our elderly today? What steps have been taken by government to address these challenges?

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  • Health Sector – UHC, National Health Policy, Family Planning, Health Insurance, etc.

    Fighting anaemia

    op-ed snap | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: iron fortification

    Mains level: women health

    anaemiaContext

    • The recent National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) data shows anaemia rates increased from 53 per cent to 57 per cent in women and 58 per cent to 67 per cent in children in 2019-21.

    Definition of anaemia

    • The WHO defines anaemia as a condition where the number of red blood cells or the haemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal. This compromises immunity and impedes cognitive development.

    Why anaemia is a concern?

    • Adverse effects of anaemia affect all age groups lower physical and cognitive growth and alertness among children and adolescents, and lesser capacity to learn and play, directly impacting their future potential as productive citizens.
    • Anaemia among adolescent girls (59.1 per cent) advances to maternal anaemiaand is a major cause of maternal and infant mortality and general morbidity and ill health in a community.

    What causes anaemia?

    • Imbalanced diet: Cereal-centric diets, with relatively less consumption of iron-rich food groups like meat, fish, eggs, and dark green leafy vegetables (DGLF), can be associated with higher levels of anaemia.
    • Underlying factors: High levels of anaemia are also often associated with underlying factors like poor water quality and sanitation conditions that can adversely impact iron absorption in the body.
    • Iron deficiency is major cause: A diet that does not contain enough iron, folic acid, or vitamin B12 is a common cause of anaemia.
    • Some other conditions: That may lead to anaemia include pregnancy, heavy periods, blood disorders or cancer, inherited disorders, and infectious diseases.

    anaemiaWhy is anaemia so high in the country?

    • Low vitamin intake: Iron-deficiency and vitamin B12-deficiency anaemia are the two common types of anaemia in India.
    • High population and nutrition deprivation: Among women, iron deficiency prevalence is higher than men due to menstrual iron losses and the high iron demands of a growing foetus during pregnancies.
    • Overemphasis on cereals: Lack of millets in the diet due to overdependence on rice and wheat, insufficient consumption of green and leafy vegetables could be the reasons behind the high prevalence of anaemia in India.

    What is Iron fortification?

    • Iron fortification of food is a methodology utilized worldwide to address iron deficiency. Iron fortification programs usually involve mandatory, centralized mass fortification of staple foods, such as wheat flour.

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/mandatory-rice-fortification-policy-should-be-re-examined/Why need iron fortification?

    • Iron deficiency anaemia is due to insufficient iron.
    • Without enough iron, the body can’t produce enough of a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen (haemoglobin).
    • Severe anaemia during pregnancy increases risk of premature birth, having a low birth weight baby and postpartum depression. Some studies also show an increased risk of infant death immediately before or after birth.

    anaemiaSuccess story / value addition

    • Nepal’s success story to improve maternal anaemia by national action plan .

    Anaemia Mukt Bharat

    • The scheme aims to reduce the prevalence of anaemia in India.
    • It provides bi weekly iron Folic acid supplementation to all under five children through Asha workers.
    • Also, it provides biannual Deworming for children and adolescents. The scheme also establishes institutional mechanisms for advanced research in anaemia.
    • It also focuses on non-nutritional causes of anaemia.

    We need to focus on the following interventions

    • Prophylactic Iron and Folic Acid supplementation.
    • Intensified year-round Behaviour Change Communication Campaign (Solid Body, Smart Mind).
    • Appropriate infant and young child feeding practices.
    • Increase in intake of iron-rich food through diet diversity/quantity/frequency and/or fortified foods with focus on harnessing locally available resources.
    • Testing and treatment of anaemia, using digital methods and point of care treatment, with special focus on pregnant women and school-going adolescents
    • Mandatory provision of Iron and Folic Acid fortified foods in government-funded public health programmes

    Way forward

    • India’s nutrition programmes must undergo a periodic review.
    • The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), which is perceived as the guardian of the nation’s nutritional well-being must reassess itself and address critical intervention gaps, both conceptually and programmatically, and produce rapid outcomes.
    • The nutritional deficit which ought to be considered an indicator of great concern is generally ignored by policymakers and experts. Unless this is addressed, rapid improvement in nutritional indicators cannot happen.

    Conclusion

    • When a person is anaemic, the capacity of his blood cells to carry oxygen decreases. This reduces the productivity of the person which in turn affects the economy of the country. Therefore, it is highly important to cover Anaemia under National Health Mission.

    Mains question

    Q. “Every second adolescent girl has anaemia. Every second woman of reproductive age is anaemic”. In this context do you think Women’s empowerment will not have any meaning without tackling anaemia? Discuss.

     

     

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  • Intellectual Property Rights in India

    Patents in India

    op-ed snap | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Intellectual Property Rights

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: KAPILA scheme

    Mains level: IPR regime

    patent systemContext

    • Increasing the efficiency of processing patent applications and wider academia-industry collaboration are crucial steps for patent system.

    What is patent system?

    • A patent system is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention.

    Why are patents important?

    • A patent is important because it can help safeguard our invention. It can protect any product, design or process that meets certain specifications according to its originality, practicality, suitability, and utility. In most cases, a patent can protect an invention for up to 20 years.

    patent systemHow to get patent?

    • To get a patent, technical information about the invention must be disclosed to the public in a patent application.
    • The patent owner may give permission to, or license, other parties to use the invention on mutually agreed terms.
    • The owner may also sell the right to the invention to someone else, who will then become the new owner of the patent.
    • Once a patent expires, the protection ends, and an invention enters the public domain; that is, anyone can commercially exploit the invention without infringing the patent.

    Terms of Patent

    • Patents may be granted for inventions in any field of technology, from an everyday kitchen utensil to a nanotechnology chip.
    • An invention can be a product – such as a chemical compound, or a process, for example – or a process for producing a specific chemical compound.
    • Patent protection is granted for a limited period, generally 20 years from the filing date of the application.
    • Patents are territorial rights. In general, the exclusive rights are only applicable in the country or region in which a patent has been filed and granted, in accordance with the law of that country or region.

    patent systemHow patents can support inventors and improve lives

    • Recognize and reward: Patents recognize and reward inventors for their commercially-successful inventions. As such they serve as an incentive for inventors to invent. With a patent, an inventor or small business knows there is a good chance that they will get a return on the time, effort and money they invested in developing a technology. In sum, it means they can earn a living from their work.
    • Economic opportunity: When a new technology comes onto the market, society as a whole stands to benefit – both directly, because it may enable us to do something that was previously not possible, and indirectly in terms of the economic opportunities (business development and employment) that can flow from it.
    • Research and development (R&D): The revenues generated from commercially successful patent-protected technologies make it possible to finance further technological research and development (R&D), thereby improving the chances of even better technology becoming available in the future.
    • Opportunities for business growth: A patent effectively turns an inventor’s know-how into a commercially tradeable asset, opening up opportunities for business growth and job creation through licensing and joint ventures, for example.
    • Commercialization of a technology: Holding a patent also makes a small business more attractive to investors who play a key role in enabling the commercialization of a technology.
    • Spark new ideas: The technical information and business intelligence generated by the patenting process can spark new ideas and promote new inventions from which we can all benefit and which may, in turn, qualify for patent protection.
    • No freebies: A patent can help stop unscrupulous third parties from free riding on the efforts of the inventor.

    What is KAPILA Initiative?

    • Full form: KAPILA is an acronym for Kalam Program for IP (Intellectual Property) Literacy and Awareness.
    • Guidelines for patent Filing: Under this campaign, students pursuing education in higher educational institutions will get information about the correct system of the application process for patenting their invention and they will be aware of their rights.
    • Encouragement to students: The program will facilitate the colleges and institutions to encourage more and more students to file patents.

    Thing to remember

    Remember one thing, ‘KAPILA’ Program is related to IP awareness. It sounds much like an animal husbandry related initiative.

    Way ahead

    • As the patent system is a critical aspect of the national innovation ecosystem, investing in the patent ecosystem will help in strengthening the innovation capability of India.
    • The right interventions should be made for the promotion of the quality of patent applications and collaboration between academia and industry.

    Mains question

    Q. A patent can help stop unscrupulous third parties from free riding on the efforts of the inventor. Discuss this statement in context of protection of innovative ecosystem in India.

     

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  • LGBT Rights – Transgender Bill, Sec. 377, etc.

    LGBTQ leap forward for positive future growth of human rights

    op-ed snap | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Governance, Transparency & Accountability, Citizens Charters,Health & Education

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: various judgments

    Mains level: human rights

    LGBTQContext

    • Four years after landmark LGBTQ verdict: The march to full citizenship.

    Why in news?

    • On September 6, 2018, exactly four years ago, in Navtej Singh Johar and Ors v Union of India, a five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court, in a beautifully elaborate decision, liberated LGBTQI Indians from the darkness of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

    What is LGBTQ?

    • LGBTQ is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.

    What is Section 377 of the IPC?

    • It reads – Unnatural offences: Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
    • The terms “carnal intercourse” and “against the order of nature” are not defined precisely anywhere in the code.

    LGBTQRole played by the judiciary hitherto

    • The Delhi High Court’s verdict in Naz Foundation vs Government of NCT of Delhi (2009) was a landmark in the law of sexuality and equality jurisprudence in India.
    • The court held that Section 377 offended the guarantee of equality enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution, because it creates an unreasonable classification and targets homosexuals as a class.
    • In a retrograde step, the Supreme Court, in Suresh Kumar Koushal vs Naz Foundation (2013), reinstated Section 377 to the IPC.
    • However, the Supreme Court in Navtej Singh Johar & Ors. vs Union of India (2018) declared that the application of Section 377 IPC to consensual homosexual behaviour was “unconstitutional”.
    • This Supreme Court judgment has been a great victory to the Indian individual in his quest for identity and dignity.
    • It also underscored the doctrine of progressive realisation of rights.

    LGBTQWhat’s next?

    • Overarching legislation is needed to guarantee equality to all persons on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, sex, caste, religion, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, nationality, and other grounds.
    • The law should impose obligations of equality and non-discrimination on all persons, public and private, and in the areas of education, employment, healthcare, land and housing and access to public places.
    • It should provide for civil remedies to stop discriminatory behaviour, costs and damages, and positive action to make reparations.
    • We need an equality law to define what equality would encompass.
    • Supreme Court comes held in its privacy judgment in K.S. Puttuswamy v. Union of India (2017) that equality and liberty cannot be separated, and equality encompasses the inclusion of dignity and basic freedoms.

    Way forward

    • Schools and colleges must effect changes in curricula for a better understanding of the community.
    • People of a different sexual orientation or gender identity often narrate harrowing tales of bullying, discrimination, stigma and ostracization.
    • Gender-neutral restrooms should be compulsory in educational institutes and other places.
    • Parents too need to be sensitised, because the first point of misunderstanding and abuse often begins at home, with teenagers being forced to opt for “conversion” therapies.

    Conclusion

    • Justice Chandrachud, speaking on the fourth anniversary of Johar and the journey ahead, while quoting the Beatles classic “All you need is love”, notes that “simply love is not enough”. Rights are necessary. Which will enhance dignity of the community.

    Mains question

    Q. “Silent segregation” on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation preferences are followed in several houses. Elucidate in context of LGBTQ issues. What Legal remedies are needed for its victims?

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  • Health Sector – UHC, National Health Policy, Family Planning, Health Insurance, etc.

    Public health should be led by doctor alone

    op-ed snap | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: NA

    Mains level: Health care sector reforms

    public healthContext

    • Doctor shortages are creating hurdles in health emergency response

    What is the crux of the article in simple words?

    • Medical qualification and expertise is necessary to deliver quality health services by medical professionals unlike by general health care workers who lack competency.

    What is public health?

    • Public health has been defined as “the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals”.

    Why there is need of qualification?

    • Lack of training: Health workers have no training in public health; they are grassroots-level service providers. Asking them to be part of public health cadre trivialises the profession of public health.
    • Separate profession: It is important to understand that public health is a separate profession with a specific set of competencies.

    public healthWhat are 4 pillars of public health?

    • Academics: Academics refers to a good understanding of evidence generation and synthesis by having a good grounding in epidemiology and biostatistics. These competencies are also critical for monitoring and evaluating programmes, conducting surveillance, and interpreting data and routine reporting.
    • Activism: Public health is inherently linked to ‘social change’ and an element of activism is core to public health. Public health requires social mobilisation at the grassroots level by understanding community needs, community organisation, etc. This requires grounding in social and behavioural sciences.
    • Administration: Administration refers to administering health systems at different levels from a primary health centre to the district, State, and national level. This includes implementing and managing health programmes, addressing human resource issues, supply and logistical issues, etc. It includes microplanning of programme delivery, team building, leadership as well as financial management to some extent.
    • Advocacy: In public health, there is little that one can do at an individual level; there must be communication with key stakeholders to change the status quo at different levels of government. This requires clear enunciation of the need, analysis of alternative set of actions and the cost of implementation or non-implementation. Good communication and negotiation skills are critical to perform this function. The related subjects are health policy, health economics, health advocacy and global health.

    public healthWhat are the hurdles in absorbing others as public health professionals?

    • Lack of skill: Many doctors and other health professionals work at the grassroots level and develop a good sense of public health due to their inclination. But they do not become public health professionals as they may not have the necessary skills. Nevertheless, they are valuable.
    • Lack of critical expertise: Clinicians with training in epidemiology and biostatistics would not qualify to be public health professionals as they lack not only other essential and critical expertise but also an appropriate perspective.
    • Compromise on quality:

    Current challenges faced by public healthcare in India

    • Deficiency: The doctor-patient ratio of 1:1655 in India as against WHO norm of 1:1000 clearly shows the deficit of MBBS. While the government is working towards a solution and targeting to reach the required ratio, there is a need to relook at the overall medical education.
    • Post pandemic scenario: The lag in formal medical education has come up evidently post-pandemic when the nation saw the medical fraternity struggling to fill the doctor deficit.
    • Limited government seats: The number of seats available for medical education in India is far less than the number of aspirants who leave school with the dream of becoming doctors.
    • Lack of skills: Though the institutes are managing to hire professors and lecturers, there is a lack of technical skills. Finding faculties in clinical and non-clinical disciplines is difficult and there are very few faculty development programs for upskilling the existing lot.
    • Lack of infrastructure: The gap in digital learning infrastructure is currently the biggest challenge the sector is facing. There is an urgent need to adopt technology and have resources available to facilitate e-learning.
    • Lack of research and innovation: The medical research and innovation needs an added push as there haven’t been many ground-breaking research here. The education system needs to focus more on increasing the quality of research. Additionally since industry academia partnership is not available, hence innovation also takes a back-seat.

    Conclusion

    • By establishing new medical colleges, the government can increase student intake as well as enhance equitable access to public health as separate profession. This will attract the best and the brightest people into this discipline, which is very important for the nation’s health. This is one lesson that we should learn from the pandemic.

    Mains question

    Q. What do you understand by public health? Do you think it is a separate profession requiring a specific set of competencies? Examine.

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  • Economic Indicators and Various Reports On It- GDP, FD, EODB, WIR etc

    IIP gives us true health of our economy

    op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Effects Of Liberalization On The Economy, Changes In Industrial Policy and their effects on Industrial Growth

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: particulars of IIP

    Mains level: economic indicator

    IIPContext

    • India’s statistics ministry generates only one high-frequency gauge of economic activity. And that lone barometer, the index of industrial production (IIP), is completely broken.

    What is IIP?

    • The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is an index that indicates the performance of various industrial sectors of the Indian economy. It is a composite indicator of the general level of industrial activity in the economy.

    IIPHow is IIP calculated?

    • IIP is calculated as the weighted average of production relatives of all the industrial activities. In the mathematical calculation Laspeyre’s fixed base formula is used.

    What are the Core Industries in India?

    • The main or the key industries constitute the core sectors of an economy.
    • In India, there are eight sectors that are considered the core sectors.
    • They are electricity, steel, refinery products, crude oil, coal, cement, natural gas and fertilizers.

    Which has highest weightage in IIP?

    • The eight core sector industries in decreasing order of their weightage: Refinery Products> Electricity> Steel> Coal> Crude Oil> Natural Gas> Cement> Fertilizers.

    IIPWhy is IIP important?

    • IIP is the only measure on the physical volume of production. It is used by government agencies including the Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank of India, etc. for policy-making purposes. IIP remains extremely relevant for the calculation of the quarterly and advance GDP estimates.

    Who releases IIP data?

    How useful are monthly IIP figures to draw a conclusion about India’s growth?

    • IIP figures are monthly data and as such it keeps going up and down.
    • In fact, the release calls them “quick estimates” because they tend to get revised after a month or two.

    IIP Index Components

    • Mining, manufacturing, and electricity are the three broad sectors in which IIP constituents fall.
    • The relative weights of these three sectors are 77.6% (manufacturing), 14.4% (mining) and 8% (electricity).
    • Electricity, crude oil, coal, cement, steel, refinery products, natural gas, and fertilizers are the eight core industries that comprise about 40 per cent of the weight of items included in the IIP.

    Basket of products

    • Primary Goods (consisting of mining, electricity, fuels and fertilisers)
    • Capital Goods (e.g. machinery items)
    • Intermediate Goods (e.g. yarns, chemicals, semi-finished steel items, etc)
    • Infrastructure Goods (e.g. paints, cement, cables, bricks and tiles, rail materials, etc)
    • Consumer Durables (e.g. garments, telephones, passenger vehicles, etc)
    • Consumer Non-durables (e.g. food items, medicines, toiletries, etc)

    IIP base year change

    • The base year was changed to 2011-12 from 2004-05 in the year 2017.

    Way ahead

    • IIP remains extremely relevant for the calculation of the quarterly and advance GDP (Gross Domestic Product) estimates.

    Mains question

    Q. What do you understand by IIP? How it helps us to understand economic health?

     

     

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