• The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020 with provisions to remove commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes from the list of essential commodities was passed by Rajya Sabha today.
• Earlier, the bill was introduced by the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Shri Danve Raosaheb Dadarao in the Lok Sabha on 14th September, 2020 to replace ordinances promulgated on 5th June 2020. The bill was passed by Lok Sabha on 15th September, 2020.

The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020

• It aims to remove fears of private investors of excessive regulatory interference in their business operations.
• The freedom to produce, hold, move, distribute and supply will lead to harnessing of economies of scale and attract private sector/foreign direct investment into agriculture sector. It will help drive up investment in cold storages and modernization of food supply chain.
• The Government, while liberalizing the regulatory environment, has also ensured that interests of consumers are safeguarded. It has been provided in the Amendment, that in situations such as war, famine, extraordinary price rise and natural calamity, such agricultural foodstuff can be regulated.
• However, the installed capacity of a value chain participant and the export demand of an exporter will remain exempted from such stock limit imposition so as to ensure that investments in agriculture are not discouraged.

• Parliament has passed two bills aimed at transforming agriculture in the country and raising farmers’ incomes. The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 which were passed by Lok Sabha on 17th September 2020, were passed by the Rajya Sabha also today.
• The Bills were introduced in Lok Sabha on 14th September 2020 by Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, to replace ordinances promulgated on 5th June 2020.

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020

Main provisions –

• The new legislation will create an ecosystem where the farmers and traders will enjoy freedom of choice of sale and purchase of agri-produce.
• It will also promote barrier-free inter-state and intra-state trade and commerce outside the physical premises of markets notified under State Agricultural Produce Marketing legislations.
• The farmers will not be charged any cess or levy for sale of their produce and will not have to bear transport costs.
• The Bill also proposes an electronic trading in transaction platform for ensuring a seamless trade electronically.
• In addition to mandis, freedom to do trading at farmgate, cold storage, warehouse, processing units etc.
• Farmers will be able to engage in direct marketing thereby eliminating intermediaries resulting in full realization of price.

Doubts –

• Procurement at Minimum Support Price will stop
• If farm produce is sold outside APMC mandis, these will stop functioning
• What will be the future of government electronic trading portal like e-NAM

Clarification –

• Procurement at Minimum Support Price will continue, farmers can sell their produce at MSP rates, the MSP for Rabi season will be announced next week
• Mandis will not stop functioning, trading will continue here as before. Under the new system, farmers will have the option to sell their produce at other places in addition to the mandis
• The e-NAM trading system will also continue in the mandis
• Trading in farm produce will increase on electronic platforms. It will result in greater transparency and time saving
   

The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020

Main provisions –

• The new legislation will empower farmers for engaging with processors, wholesalers, aggregators, wholesalers, large retailers, exporters etc., on a level playing field. Price assurance to farmers even before sowing of crops. In case of higher market price, farmers will be entitled to this price over and above the minimum price.
• It will transfer the risk of market unpredictability from the farmer to the sponsor. Due to prior price determination, farmers will be shielded from the rise and fall of market prices.
• It will also enable the farmer to access modern technology, better seed and other inputs.
• It will reduce cost of marketing and improve income of farmers.
• Effective dispute resolution mechanism has been provided for with clear time lines for redressal.
• Impetus to research and new technology in agriculture sector.

Doubts –

• Under contract farming, farmers will be under pressure and they will not be able to determine prices
• How will small farmers be able to practice contract farming, sponsors will shy away from them
• The new system will be a problem for farmers
• In case of dispute, big companies will be at an advantage
   

Clarification –

• The farmer will have full power in the contract to fix a sale price of his choice for the produce. They will receive payment within maximum 3 days.
• 10000 Farmer Producer organizations are being formed throughout the country. These FPOs will bring together small farmers and work to ensure remunerative pricing for farm produce
• After signing contract, farmer will not have seek out traders. The purchasing consumer will pick up the produce directly from the farm
• In case of dispute, there will be no need to go to court repeatedly. There will be local dispute redressal mechanism.

• The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today unveiled the Logo and song for festival “Destination North East-2020” (The Emerging Delightful Destinations) through a video conference.
• The 4-day event will be formally inaugurated by Union Minister for Home Affairs Shri Amit Shah on 27.09.2020, with Dr Jitendra Singh as Guest of Honour.
• The Chief guest for the closing ceremony on 30.09.2020 will be Shri KirenRijiju, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, while Shri RameshwarTeli, Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries will join as Guest of Honour.

• Films Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has come up with yet another fiesta, ‘Nrityanjali’, an online film festival on Indian Classical Dance and Maestros from 23rd to 25th September, 2020.
• The first part of ‘Nrityanjali’ will showcase 10 films on the life and works of India’s leading classical dancers. 
• The festival will be streamed on Films Division website www.filmsdivision.org/Documentary of the Week/ and its YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/FilmsDivision. All films will be streamed live, simultaneously, for three days. 
• Indian Classical Dance is an umbrella under which various performing arts whose theory and practice can be traced to the Sanskrit text, Natya-Shastra, the foundational treatise by Bharata Muni. Prominent traditional dance forms like Bharat Natyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathakali, Sattriya, Manipuri and Mohini Aattam, include music and recitation in local language or Sanskrit, and they represent a unity of core ideas in a diversity of styles, costumes and expression.

Details of films/documentaries to be screened:

1. “Sitara Devi” 
2. “Yamini Krishnamurthy”
3. “Guru Amubi Singh” 
4. “A Luminous Jewel –Pt. Birju Maharaj”
5. “Kalamandalam Gopi” 
6. “Kanak Rele” 
7. “Dreamer - Swapna Sundari”
8. “Sonal”
9. “Raja-Radha” 
10. “Padma”

• Kerala has won the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases Awards 2020 for its “outstanding contribution” towards the non-communicable diseases-related sustainable development goals.
• Kerala is among the seven ministries of health across the world to receive the award.
• Kerala has been awarded for the tireless service of the state in the health sector.
• The Award is presented to recognize the achievements during 2019 on multisectoral action in the prevention and control of NCDs, mental health and the wider NCD-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The award was presented in four categories:

• Ministries of health and government health agencies
• Ministries and government agencies outside health
• UN country teams
• Non-governmental organizations, academia and foundations.

• The Reserve Bank of India has announced to launch the facility of Positive Pay System for Cheque Truncation System (CTS) i.e the cheques cleared through CTS (movement of the image of cheque in place of physical movement of cheque).
• Positive Pay in CTS will be developed by NPCI which manages the CTS in India.
• Under this facility, the issuer of the cheque will submit the important details (like date, name of the beneficiary / payee, amount, etc.) of large value cheques to the drawee bank. These details will be crossed checked against the actual cheque that is presented on the CTS. This will help in preventing cheque fraud.
• NPCI will make this facility available to the commercial banks. These banks in turn will make this facility available to its customers. The customer can submit the cheque details through channels like SMS, mobile app, internet banking, ATM, etc.
• Banks are required to make this facility available to the customers where the amount of cheque is Rs. 50,000 and above. However, availing of this facility is at the discretion of the account holder. Banks can however make this facility compulsory for cheques with the amount of Rs 5 lakh and above.
• Positive Pay System will be implemented from January 01, 2021.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will implement the “’Technology Vision for Cyber Security’ for Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) – 2020-2023” to enhance the IT security system of Urban Co-operative banking to prevent, detect, respond to and recover from cyber-attacks.
• RBI will achieve this objective using its five-pillared strategic approach ‘GUARD’. GUARD denotes:
  
  G – Governance Oversight,
  U – Utile Technology Investment,
  A – Appropriate Regulation and Supervision,
  R – Robust Collaboration
  D – Developing necessary IT, cyber security skills set.
   
• To accomplish the five pillared approach, RBI has established 12 specific action points.
• The implementation of this Technology Vision document will strengthen the cyber resilience of the Urban Co-operative Banks.

• Google Pay has partnered with VISA for the rollout of tokenization that will enable users to safely transact with their debit or credit cards.
• Through tokenization, Google Pay users can make payment by using the debit or credit card without physically sharing their credit or debit card details through a secure digital token attached to their phone.
• This will also help the user in tap-to-pay method on near-field communications (NFC)-enabled point of sale (PoS) terminals and online merchants.
• This feature is now available to all users of Axis, SBI Card and Kotak.

• State Bank of India has launched a programme named “Mahila Atmanirbharshil Aachani” (Women Self-Reliance programme) in order to accelerate Self Help Group (SHG) finance in the Bank.

The main objectives of “Mahila Atmanirbharshil Aachani” are:

• To create a strong bonding with the SHG member,
• For self-reliance and economic upliftment of SHG members by extending credit linkages to the women SHGs nurtured and sponsored by NRLM, Assam.

• Noted Indian Historian and author Romila Thapar has written a new book titled “Voices of Dissent”
• The book will be available in stores from October 19, 2020.
• It will be published jointly by Penguin Random House India and Seagull Books.
• The book is a historical essay, exploring dissent, including its articulation and public response to its particular forms, with a special focus on recent protests in the country related to the citizenship law and the National Register of Citizens.

• Award-winning actor Neena Gupta will to come out with her memoir titled ‘Sach Kahun Toh’, talking about her personal and professional life.
• The book will be published under Penguin ‘Ebury Press’ imprint and is scheduled to be out in 2021.
• The memoir will give detail about her life, from her childhood in Delhi’s Karol Bagh, to her time at the National School of Drama, to her move to Bombay in the 1980s, as well as her struggles to find work. 
• Memoir is a historical account or biography written, based on author’s personal memories.

• Star chef Vikas Khanna has authored a book titled “Kitchens of Gratitude” in which he has written about his Feed India initiative.
• The book will be released in 2021. Feed India initiative is one of the largest food drives in the world, serving meals to the underprivileged.
• He will also be honored with the 2020 Asia Game Changer Award in October.

• The fourth edition of the biennial India-Japan Maritime bilateral Exercise (JIMEX) kicked off on 26 September 2020 in the northern Arabia Sea.
• The three-day maritime drill JIMEX-20 will culminate on 28 September. It is being conducted in a ‘non-contact at-sea-only format’, in view of COVID-19 restrictions.
• JIMEX-20 will showcase a high degree of inter-operability and joint operational skills through conduct of a multitude of advanced exercises, and further enhance the cooperation and mutual confidence between the two navies
• From India, the warships Chennai, Teg, Tarkash and fleet tanker Deepak will represent the Indian Navy, while Japanese warships Kaga and Ikazuchi will represent Japan in the drill.

• India and Israel have formed a new sub working group (SWG) to promote co-development and co-production of high tech weapon systems, and exporting them to other friendly countries.
• The announcement of the creation of the SWG was made during a webinar between India and Israel and it will further strengthen bilateral defence partnership between the two countries.
• SWG will explore defence industrial cooperation with focus on areas like transfer of technology, technology security, artificial intelligence, innovation and joint export to third nations.
• The SWG will be headed by Sanjay Jaju, joint secretary (defence industries production) in the Indian defence ministry and Eyal Calif, director Asia & Pacific, Ministry of Defence of Israel.

• India successfully test-fired the indigenously developed nuclear-capable missile Prithvi-II, on 23 September 2020, from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur off the Odisha coast.
• The trial of the surface-to-surface missile was a routine exercise by the DRDO.
• Prithvi-II missile has a strike range of 350 km.
• It is capable of carrying 500 to 1000 kg of warheads and is powered by liquid propulsion twin engines.

• The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) have signed a “Statement of Intent” to establish YuWaah-Generation Unlimited (GenU), a global multi-stakeholder platform in India, to equip young people in India with the skills they need to fulfil their potential and lift up their communities.
• The YuWaah initiative is linked to the global Generation Unlimited (GenU) movement of UNICEF, which began in New York in September 2018.
• Generation Unlimited (GenU) partnership aims to bring young people together with the private sector, governments, international and local organisations to tackle the urgent challenge of investing in their learning and training so that they are prepared for the complex and fast-changing world of work and can be active and engaged citizens.

Basic objective of YuWaah project :

• Support young people by providing entrepreneurship classes (online and offline)
• Upskilling of young people on 21st century works and skills
• Create linkages with aspirational economic opportunities
• Providing career guidance support to young people

• The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh announced that NRA is expected to conduct Common Eligibility Test (CET) from September,2021 onwards.
• Government has set up National Recruitment Agency (NRA) vide order dated 28.08.2020, as an independent, professional, specialist organization for conduct of computer based online common eligibility test (CET) to shortlist candidates for vacancies of Group 'B' Non-Gazetted posts, Group 'B' Gazetted posts, which are exempted from consultation with the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC); Group ‘C’ posts in the Government and equivalent posts (where no such classifications exist) in instrumentalities of the Government, for which  similar eligibility conditions have been prescribed. NRA has been set up to provide the same platform to all candidates at the nearest District HQ and with a view to set a new standard of equity and inclusiveness in recruitment.
   
• NRA will conduct CET to screen/shortlist candidates for jobs in Government sector for which recruitment is presently carried out through the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) and Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS).NRA will conduct only preliminary screening of candidates. The final recruitment will be done through domain specific examinations/tests to be conducted by respective agencies viz.  SSC, RRBs and IBPS. Based on the score obtained in CET conducted by NRA, candidates may appear in domain specific exam/tests to be conducted by respective recruitment agencies.
   
• NRA would identify language experts to translate the question bank/paper in all regional languages included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution, as per requirement and subject to adequate number of candidates opting to take test in the regional language.

• The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has extended the tenure of the Company Law Committee by one year until September 2021. 
• Corporate affairs secretary Rajesh Verma is the present chairperson of the committee.
• The committee has a total of 11 members. 
• It was  set up to:
  suggest measures to improve functioning of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT),
  make recommendations on issues pertaining to implementation of the Companies Act and Limited Liability Partnership Act.

• SEBI has constituted a Technical group on the social stock exchange (SSE) to develop a framework for onboarding non-profit organisations (NPO) and for-profit enterprises (FPE) on SSE.
• The technical group would be chaired by former chairman of NABARD, Harsh Kumar Bhanwala.
• The committee would be required to:
  
  define for profit social investing /enterprises,
  prescribe disclosure requirements relating to financials, governance, performance etc.
  dwell upon aspects related to social impact, social audit, information repositories etc.

• HCL Technologies has acquired the Australian IT firm DWS Ltd for $115.8 million in a bid to further expand its digital offerings especially in Australia and New Zealand.
• The DWS Group closed FY 2020 with revenues of $ 122.9 million and has over 700 employees with operations in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Canberra. It provides a wide range of IT services including digital transformation, application development and support, programme and project management and consulting.

• The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has projected the GDP growth for the Indian economy at -12.6% For 2020-21 (FY21).
• For 2021-22, NCAER projects the GDP of India to grow by 7%. 

• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has predicted that the GDP of India will contract by 5.9% in the year 2020.
• For the year 2021, UNCTAD projects the Indian economy to grow by 3.9%.
• The projection was made in its Trade and Development Report 2020.

• Fitch Solutions has revised downward its forecast for Indian economic growth and now estimates that India’s GDP will contract by 8.6% in 2020-21 (FY21).
• Earlier this was estimated at -4.5%.
• It has also forecasted a 5 percent year-on-year (y-o-y) growth in 2021 and 2022.

• Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Women and Child Development have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for controlling Malnutrition as a part of POSHAN Abhiyaan.
• Both ministries will cooperate for: 
  
  Integration of AYUSH into POSHAN Abhiyaan and
  Control of malnutrition through the principles and practices of Ayurveda, Yoga and other Ayush systems.
   
• Apart from this, both the ministries will launch the hashtag #Ayush4Anganwadi for generating awareness about the activities on the digital media.
• The Anganwadi worker who is providing the Ayurveda nutrition message to the community at ground level may be designated as ‘DHATRI’ – Dedicated Health Activist to Replenish the Innutrition.

• World Environmental Health Day is observed on 26 September every year.
• The Theme for the 2020 World Environmental Health Day: Environmental health, a key public health intervention in disease pandemic prevention. 
• The World Environmental Health Day was declared in 2011, by the International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH).
• The IFEH was established in 1986 and is based in London, England.

• The International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons (or Nuclear Abolition Day) is held every year on September 26 since 2014.
• The day was declared by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in 2013.
• The aims of the day is to enhance public awareness about the threat posed to humanity by nuclear weapons and the necessity for their total elimination.

• Every Year on September 25 India observes Antyodaya Diwas to mark the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. The day was declared by the Modi Government on September 25, 2014.
• Antyodaya means uplifting the poorest of the poor.
• Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, born in Mathura in 1916 was one of the key leaders of Bharatiya Jana Sangh from which the BJP later emerged.
• He was the leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh from 1953 to 1968. 

• The World Pharmacist Day is observed on September 25 annually to create awareness about the role of a pharmacist in improving health.
• 2020 Theme : “Transforming global health“.
• The day was designated in 2009 by the FIP Council (International Pharmaceutical Federation or Federation Internationale Pharmaceutique) at the World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Istanbul, Turkey.

• Every year the International Maritime Organization (IMO) observes World Maritime Day to celebrate the international maritime industry’s contribution towards the world’s economy, especially in shipping.
• The exact date is left to individual Governments but it is usually celebrated on the last Thursday of September month.
• In 2020, World Maritime Day is being observed on September 24, 2020.
• Theme for WMD is “Sustainable Shipping for a Sustainable Planet.”

• The International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) is celebrated annually across the world on 23 September to raise awareness on sign languages and strengthen the status about sign languages.
• Theme 2020 : “Sign Languages Are for Everyone!”.
• Also, the last full week of September is observed as International Week of the Deaf.
• 23 September has been chosen to mark IDSL as it commemorates the establishment of the World Federation of the Deaf on 23 September 1951.
• The International Day of Sign Languages was first celebrated in 2018.

• World Rhino Day is observed every year on 22 September to celebrates and raise awareness of the need to protect all the five existing species of Rhinoceros, which are:
  
  Black Rhino
  White Rhino
  Greater one-horned Rhino
  Sumatran Rhino
  Javan Rhinos
• World Rhino Day was first announced by World Wildlife Fund-South Africa in 2010 and is being observed internationally since 2011.

• The World Alzheimer’s Day is observed annually on September 21 globally.
• The day aims to raise awareness about the stigma that runs around the Alzheimer disease and related-dementia.
• Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease that impairs memory and other mental functions.
• The theme for World Alzheimer Day 2020 is ‘Let’s talk about dementia’.

• The International Day of Peace (or World Peace Day) is observed annually on 21 September to spread awareness and preach peace and harmony all across the globe.
• The Day established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly.
• The 2020 theme for the International Day of Peace is “Shaping Peace Together.”

• HDFC Bank has topped the BrandZ Top 75 Most Valuable Indian Brands 2020 Rankings. HDFC Bank has topped this ranking for the 7th consecutive year. It has a total brand value of more than $20.2 billion
• LIC is ranked second while Tata Consulting Services has been ranked at no.3.

• Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loan of Rs 2,200 crore (USD 300 million) to finance inclusive water supply and sanitation infrastructure and services in secondary towns of Rajasthan.
• The project will strengthen institutional capacity of local governments and Rajasthan Urban Drinking Water, Sewerage, and Infrastructure Corporation Ltd.

• Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has chosen the following insurers as Domestic Systemically Important Insurers (D-SIIs) for 2020-21:

1. Life Insurance Corporation of India;
2. General Insurance Corporation of India; and
3. The New India Assurance Co. Ltd.

• Domestic Systemically Important Insurers (D-SIIs) are the insurance companies that are considered “Too Big to Fail”. i.e its failure will impact the economy and insurance sector to a great extend.
• IRDAI has chosen these three insurers on the basis of their size, market importance and domestic and global interconnectedness whose distress or failure would cause significant dislocation in the domestic financial system.

• The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, inaugurated the`Mukhyamantri Kisan Kalyan Yojna` on 26 September 2020.
• This scheme has been launched on the lines of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) Scheme of the Government of India.
• Under the Mukhyamantri Kisan Kalyan Yojna, the MP state government would transfer Rs 4,000 to accounts of 1,75,000 farmers in the state.
• This amount will be transferred in two installments every year.
• The initiative aims to provide additional Rs 4,000 to each farmers so that farmers can get Rs 10, 000 annually.
• It must be noted that farmers get Rs 6000 annually under the PM-Kisan scheme of the central government in three installments of Rs 2000 each.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual meeting with chief ministers of six states and one Union Territory.
• These states and UTs are those where the coronavirus cases are higher. They are: Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.
• During the meeting, PM announced that for these 7 states and UTs, the  limit of using the State Disaster Response Fund is being increased from the current 35 percent to 50 percent to help them further strengthen health infrastructure to tackle COVID.

• Parliament has passed the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020 with Rajya Sabha giving its nod today. 
• The bill amends the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 which regulates the acceptance and utilization of foreign contribution by individuals, associations and companies. Foreign contribution is the donation or transfer of any currency, security or article by a foreign source.
• The bill adds that the public servants will be prohibited to accept any foreign contribution. 
• It provides that any person seeking prior permission, registration or renewal of registration must provide the Aadhaar number of all its office bearers, directors or key functionaries as an identification document. The bill states that foreign contributions must be received only in an account designated by the bank as an FCRA account as notified by the Central Government.

• The Indian Railways have set the target to achieve 100 percent electrification of its broad gauge routes by 2023.
• This information was stated by the Railway Minister Piyush Goyal in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on 23 September 2020.

• The Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Unilever Limited(HUL) Sanjiv Mehta said that India has the potential to achieve a high GDP growth rate of around 10 per cent and be a USD 10 trillion economy in the next 12 to 15 years.
• Terming the present situation as a "massive opportunity for the country", Mehta said impetus should be given on digitising sectors like manufacturing, agriculture and pharma.
• The CMD of HUL said To achieve this, the country must "dream big, think big and act big".
• Talking about the COVID-19 situation in the country, he said a USD 3 trillion economy is like an Airbus A380 aircraft and it must not be allowed to go into a free fall.
• He also suggested digitising the entire economy and making data a national asset.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of nine highway projects worth Rs.14,258 crore in Bihar through video conferencing.
• These highway projects involve a road length of about 350 kilometres at a cost of Rs. 4258 crore. Prominent road projects are six laning of 39 km stretch of Patna Ring road, four laning of Ara-Mohania section of NH 30, Bakhtiarpur-Rajauli section of NH 31 and four laning of Narenpur-Purnea section of NH 131A.
• These roads will enhance better connectivity, convenience and economic growth in and around the state. Movement of people and goods will also improve substantially, especially with the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand.
• The Prime Minister had declared a special package for significant infrastructure development of Bihar in the year 2015. This included 75 projects worth Rs. 54,700 crore, of which 13 projects have been completed, work is underway at 38 while others are in DPR, Bidding or Sanction stage.
• The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Optical Fibre internet services where all the 45,945 villages of Bihar will be connected through Optical Fibre Internet Service.
• The project will be executed by combined efforts of the Department of Telecom, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and Common Service Centres (CSC).
• The project would also entail implementation of one wi-fi and five free of cost connections to Government Institutions like Primary Schools, Anganwadi Centres, Aasha Workers and Jeevika Didi.
• This project will help in easy availability of digital services like e-Education, e-Agriculture, Tele-Medicine, Tele-law and other social security schemes to all citizens of Bihar at the click of the button. 

• The Government of India has approved a total outlay of Rs.600.00 crores for the PM SVANidhi scheme.
• This was informed by Minister of State (I/C) for Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Hardeep Singh Puri in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on 21 September 2020.
• The Prime Minister Street Vendor’s Amta Nirbhar Nidhi Scheme (PM SVANidhi) was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has on 01 June 2020 to facilitate collateral free working capital loans upto Rs 10,000 of 1 year tenure, to about 50 lakh street vendors across the country.

PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi)

• The scheme is fully funded by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• To provide working capital loan up to Rs. 10,000 at subsidized rate of interest of 7% to street vendors ( to be repaid in 1 year in 12 EMIs). No collateral will be taken by the lending institutions. 
• To incentivize regular repayment of the loan by way of providing interest subsidy (@7%), and
• To reward digital transactions. Vendors would be incentivised with a monthly cashback in the range of Rs. 50 – Rs. 100 for using digital platforms like PayTM, GooglePay etc where minimum transaction amount should be Rs. 25.
   
• Beneficiary of the Scheme– Street vendors or hawkers vending in urban areas, as on or before March 24, 2020. (including the vendors of surrounding peri-urban and rural areas. )
   
• Tenure of the Scheme– The Scheme will be implemented up to March, 2022.

• Total liabilities of the government increased to Rs 101.3 lakh crore at end-June 2020 from Rs 94.6 lakh crore at end-March 2020, according to the latest data on public debt.
• The total debt of the government stood at Rs 88.18 lakh crore at end-June 2019.
• Public debt accounted for 91.1 per cent of total outstanding liabilities at end-June 2020, the quarterly report on public debt management.
• During the first quarter of the current fiscal, the central government issued dated securities worth Rs 3,46,000 crore as against Rs 2,21,000 crore in the same period a year ago.
• The weighted average maturity (WAM) of new issuances stood at 14.61 years in the quarter as against 16.87 years in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal, according to data collated by Public Debt Management Cell (PDMC).
• During April-June 2020, the Central Government raised Rs 80,000 crore through the issuance of Cash Management Bills.
• The Reserve Bank conducted one special OMO involving simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities for Rs 10,000 crore each during the quarter ended June 2020.
• The net average liquidity absorption by RBI under Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) including Marginal Standing Facility and Special Liquidity Facility was Rs 4,51,045 crore during the quarter.
• The gross fiscal deficit (GFD) of the Central Government for 2020-21 has been budgeted at Rs 7,96,337crore or 3.5 per cent of GDP as compared to the revised estimate of Rs 7,66,846 crore (3.8 per cent of GDP) and the provisional estimate of Rs 9,35,635 crore (4.6 per cent of GDP) for 2019-20.
• During April-June 2020, fiscal deficit at Rs 6,62,363 crore worked out to be 83.2 per cent of the budget estimate as compared to 61.4 per cent of the budget estimate in the corresponding quarter of 2019-20. 

• Parliament has passed the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill 2020.
• The Bill amends the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Act, 2014 and the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Act, 2017.
• The Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Act, 2017 declares certain IIITs established under public-private partnership mode as institutions of national importance.
• The Bill seeks to declare five IIITs set up under the public private partnership mode in Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala, and Raichur as institutions of national importance.
• Currently, these institutes are registered as Societies under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and do not have the power to grant degrees or diplomas. On being declared institutions of national importance, the five institutes will be granted the power to grant degrees.

• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade(DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with its Denmark counterpart in the field of Intellectual Property Cooperation. 
• The MoU was signed between Dr. Guruprasad Mohapatra, Secretary, DPIIT and Mr. Freddy Svane, Ambassador of Denmark on 26 September 2020.
• The MoU aims at increasing IP co-operation between the two countries and provide opportunities to both countries to learn from the experience of each other.
• The two sides will draw up Biennial Work Plan to implement the MoU.

• Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi has announced a grant assistance of USD 15 million to Sri Lanka for the promotion of Buddhist ties between the two countries.
• The grant will be used for deepening people-to-people linkages between the two countries in the field of Buddhism.

• United States has imposed a range of sanctions and restrictions on Iranian and Iranian-linked officials and entities after an effort over the weekend to reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran was largely rejected. 
• The Trump Administration said, it was imposing sanctions on 27 individuals and entities under a UN resolution including Iran's Defence Ministry, its Atomic Energy Organization and Venezuela's leftist leader Nicolas Maduro, whom Washington is trying to topple.

• India and the Maldives have launched the first ever Direct Cargo Ferry Service on 21 September 2020 to boost trade between the two countries.
• The cargo ferry service will connect the Indian ports of Tuticorin and Cochin ports with Kulhudhuhfushi and Male ports in the Maldives.
• This initiative will help to cut costs and reduce the time taken to transport goods between the two countries.
• The Cargo Ferry Vessel MCP Linz operated by the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) will be used to connect the Indian and Maldivian ports.

• India has provided financial assistance of 250 million dollars as budgetary support to the Maldives government to mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The 250 million dollar budgetary support was a response to the request made by Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for financial assistance to overcome the difficult economic situation in the Maldives.
• The budgetary support of 250 million idollars has been extended without conditions. Maldives government is at liberty to use the money in repairing the domestic economic situation in line with its own priorities. 
• The financial assistance is being routed through State Bank of India (SBI), Male so that it does not reflect in the external borrowings of the Maldives.
• Indian government has provided a sovereign guarantee to SBI for this financial assistance.
• The soft loan has a comfortable tenor of 10 years and a very low interest rate. Since the principal payment is due only at the end of 10 years, it will not put any immediate debt servicing liability other than bi-annual interest payment.
• Maldives is the only country to which India has provided such assistance.

• Personal computers brand Acer India has roped in actor Sonu Sood as its brand ambassador.
• The actor will endorse the brand’s innovative range of products to improving people’s lives through technology.
• The actor has been selected due to his contribution to empowering people which is in line with Acer India’s brand mantra of empowering people through technology.

• Renowned economist Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia has passed away after a 10-month-long battle with brain cancer. She was 74.
• Dr Ahluwalia was awarded with the third-highest civilian award Padma Bhushan in 2009 for her services in the field of education and literature.
• Ahluwalia served as the director and then the chairperson of Delhi-based Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) for a total of 15 years and built ICRIER into a leading global think tank.

• Mohamed Hussein Roble has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of Somalia after a landslide victory in Parliamentary election held on 23 September 2020.
• All 215 members of parliament unanimously voted for Roble in the presence of Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.
• He would succeed Hassan Ali Khaire, who was expelled in July 2020 due to his failure to present a roadmap to holding democratic elections due before February 2021. 
  Capital: Mogadishu
  Currency: United States Dollar, Somali shilling

• Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), has appointed Rajat Sud as its new Managing Director with effect from 23 September 2020.
• Sud succeedsS Gopal, director (commercial), who had taken on the additional charge of interim managing director (MD).
• EESL is an energy service company (ESCO) of the Government of India to facilitate energy efficiency projects. 
• It is a joint venture of PSUs under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, which includes NTPC Limited, Power Finance Corporation, REC Limited and POWERGRID.
• EESL is also the world’s largest government owned ESCO.

• Legendary singer SP Balasubramanyam has passed away. He was undergoing treatment after being tested positive for Covid-19 at a hospital in Chennai.He was 74. 
• He is known to have recorded over 40,000 songs in 16 Indian languages including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam and holds the Guinness World Record for recording the highest number of songs by a singer. 
• SP Balasubramanyam was honored with a Padma Shri (fourth-highest civilian award) in 2001 and Padma Bhushan (third-highest civilian award) in 2011 for his contribution to cinema.

• President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko has been sworn in for a sixth term on 23 September 2020.
• The 66 year-old authoritarian leader won 80% of the vote in the presidential election to gain another 5 year term.
• Lukashenko is serving as the President of Belarus since the establishment of the office 26 years ago, on 20 July 1994.

• Former Australia cricket commentator, coach and legendary batsman Dean Jones has passed away on 24 September 2020 after suffering a heart attack. He was 59.
• Jones was in Mumbai as a commentator for the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 and was in a bio-secure bubble in a seven-star hotel in Mumbai.
• Jones had represented Australia in 52 Tests and 164 ODIs.
• He was also part of Australia’s 1987 World Cup-winning squad.

• Renowned Marathi, Hindi films, and stage actress Ashalata Wabgaonkar has passed away after contracting COVID-19 while shooting for a Marathi serial. She was 79.
• Besides working in several Marathi films and plays, Ashalata Wabgaonkar had also starred in various Hindi films such as ‘Apne Paraye’, ‘Woh Saat Din’, ‘Namak Halaal’, ‘Zanjeer’ among others.

• Former rebel military commander Ishmael Toroama has been elected as president of Bougainville, an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea.
• This was the first general election, since Bougainville voted overwhelmingly to separate from Papua New Guinea in November 2019.
• Bougainville is a mineral-rich and lush group of islands in the South Pacific.

• Time Magazine has released the TIME 100 Most Influential People List 2020. Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi is the only politician on the list. He has been named in this for the fourth time since coming in power in 2014.
• The List has named people in five categories- Pioneers, Artists, Leaders, Titans, Icons.
• The following Indians have also been named in this list:

1. Professor Ravindra Gupta (Pioneer)– is a Professor of Clinical Microbiology and has worked for the cure of HIV.
2. Ayushmann Khurrana (Artists)
3. Bilkis (Icons)– the ‘dadi from Shaheen Bagh’

• Union Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi has passed away after he contracted coronavirus disease.
• He was 65-years-old.
• He is the first member of the Union Cabinet to die due to coronavirus.
• Suresh Angadi was a four-time Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka’s Belagavi constituency. He was elected in 2004, 2014 and 2019.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed AK Das (ex-general manager at Union Bank of India), as the new administrator of the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank.
• He has replaced JB Bhoria who has stepped down from his role as the administrator of the bank due to health reasons.
• In September 2019, the RBI had superseded the board of PMC bank due to fraud and financial irregularities in the PMC bank.

• Former Minister of Defense of Mali, Bah N’Daw has been appointed as the new president of the country.
• The 70-year-old Bah N’Daw will take the charge of the office with effect from 25 September 2020.
• Bah N’Daw has been appointed for an interim period of 18 months, following the 2020 Malian coup, that overthrew president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

• Veteran Congress leader and former Rajasthan minister Zakia Inam died at a hospital here. She was 71.
• Inam was a three-time MLA from Tonk and served as the state minister twice.

• Former Himachal Pradesh minister Shyama Sharma died at a hospital in Chandigarh at the age of 72.
• She was a member of the Himachal Lokhit Party.
• Three times MLA and State Minister Shyama Sharma was born in 1948 at Sarog Tikkar (Sarahan) Village of District Sirmaur. She was jailed during the Emergency.  
• Shyama Sharma was elected from Nahan Vidhan Sabha Constituency for the first time in 1977 and served as State Minister. She was re-elected to State Vidhan Sabha in 1982 and 1990.

• Former Canadian Prime Minister, John Turner, has passed away at the age of 91.
• He served as the 17th Prime Minister of Canada , for just 79 days, from June 30 to September 17, 1984.
• Turner had also served as the Minister of Justice from 1968 to 1972, and Minister of Finance from 1972 to 1975.

• Music composer, singer, lyricist and actor Bibhuranjan Choudhury passed away at the age of 71 years due to cancer.
• He was from Assam. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal condoled the demise of Bibhuranjan Choudhury.

• Nepal-based Ang Rita Sherpa, the first man to climb Mount Everest 10 times, has passed away suffering brain and liver ailments for a long time. He was 72.
• Ang Rita made all the ascents to the world’s tallest mountain between 1983 and 1996 and that too without bottled oxygen.
• He was therefore also known as the “snow leopard” for his climbing skills.

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by PM Narendra Modi has approved the appointment of former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief, Anil Dhasmana, as the new Chief of National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) for a period of two years with effect from 18 September 2020.
• He will replace former Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Satish Chandra Jha.
• Dhasmana, a 1981-batch officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been the chief of RAW from 31 January 2017 to 29 June 2019.
• NTRO is a technical intelligence Agency under the National Security Advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), which looks after geospatial intelligence and satellite imagery.

• Former Prime Minister of India, Shri H D Deve Gowda took oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka on 20 September 2020.
• The 87-year-old President of the Janata Dal (Secular) party was elected to the Rajya Sabha in June 2020.
• This is the first time that the JD(S) leader has become a member of the Upper House since 1996.
• Mr. Deve Gowda was the 11th Prime Minister of India from 1 June 1996 to 21 April 1997.
• He had also served as the 14th Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1994 to 1996.

• Veteran Rabindra Sangeet exponent Purba Dam passed way at the age of 85 years.
• Rabindra Sangeet (Tagore Songs), are songs written and composed by Rabindranath Tagore.
• She was conferred with Sangeet Samman by West Bengal in 2013.

• The Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have come up with an indigenously-made Microprocessor, named ‘MOUSHIK.’
• Moushik is a processor cum System on Chip(SoC), which means that, as a processor it can execute the instructions and as a SoC, different components can be attached to the it.
• Moushik is the third in the series of six computer chips being designed as a part of the Shakti Microprocessor programme of IIT Madras. 
• The Project Shakti is funded by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with fitness experts, citizens and influencers from across the country during a nation-wide online Fit India Dialogue on 24 September 2020, to mark the one-year anniversary of Fit India Movement.
• PM Modi also launched the ‘Fit India Age Appropriate Fitness Protocols’ during the event.
• This fitness protocols have been prepared with the help of fitness enthusiasts for fitness and good health.
• It has been prepared for three age categories which includes:
  
  5-18 years category
  18-65 years category
  65 plus age category
   
• Cricketer Virat Kohli, model, actor and runner Milind Soman, and nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar were among the various fitness influencers who participated in the event.
• The Fit India Dialogue is another effort to involve citizens of the country to draw out a plan to make India a Fit Nation.
• The Fit India Movement was envisioned and launched by PM Modi on August 29, 2019.

• Ashleigh Barty, who is the top-ranked WTA player in the world, and a former professional cricket player, has now added another feat in her sporting list by winning golf club championship.
• The 24-year-old, world number one Australian, has won the Brookwater Golf Club women’s championship.
• Ash Barty had withdrawn from participating in US Open and French Open due to coronavirus pandemic.

• In Tennis, the World number one Novak Djokovic beat Argentine Diego Schwartzman, 7-6, 5-3, to win 2020 Men’s Single Italian Open title and his fifth overall Rome title.
• In Women’s single, top seed Simona Halep defeated champion Karolina Pliskova, 6-0, 2-1, to win her first Italian Open title.

Winners List:

• Men’s Single- Novak Djokovic
• Women’s Single- Simona Halep
• Men’s Double- Marcel Granollers /Horacio Zeballos
• Women’s Double- Hsieh Su-wei / Barbora Strýcová

• The Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal launched the Mukhyamantrir Grammya Paribahan Achoni of the state transport department.
• Under the scheme Light Motor Vehicle Service would be launched in all the villages of the state to improve rural connectivity and generate employment in the villages.
• In the first phase of the scheme, 10,000 villages would be covered with financial outlay of Rs 100 crore.
• One vehicle would be provided to one beneficiary per village.
• The state government shall financially assist the eligible entrepreneurs with 25 percent of the cost of the vehicle or Rs 1 lakh, whichever is less.

• The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched a unified portal called ‘U-Rise’.
• U-Rise portal will guide around 20 lakh students, in learning, career counselling, and getting employment in the state.
• Uttar Pradesh is the first state to launch such a unified portal along with the implementation of National Education Policy (NEP)-2020.
• U-Rise portal would empower the students by providing them with practical and technical knowledge ranging from online exams, digital content, digital assessment, digital examination papers, webinars, internship, e-library, recorded video content to employment.
• The e-content, e-library, and online courses available on this portal will be accessible by students even in the most interior areas of the state.

• The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Shri Ashok Gehlot has approved the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation’s scheme called ‘Moksha Kalash Yojana-2020’.
• This Moksha Kalash Yojana aims to allow free bus travel to two members of the family of the deceased to immerse ashes of their loved ones in the Ganga in Haridwar.
• The state road transport corporation would be the nodal agency to run the scheme and the expenses would be borne by Devasthan Department.
• The scheme is open for all, except the income taxpayers and government employees.
• Following the social distancing norms, a maximum of 46 passengers in a bus would be allowed travel to Haridwar.

• Tamil Nadu has become the first state in India to launch policies on Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Cybersecurity policies.
• Chief minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami unveiled the Tamil Nadu Cyber Security Policy, 2020, Tamil Nadu Blockchain Policy, 2020, and Tamil Nadu Safe and Ethical Artificial Intelligence Policy, 2020 at Connect 2020.
• State Family DataBase (SFDB) and Block-Chain Backbone infrastructure will be established in the state for the implementation of these policies.

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the NITI Aayog will jointly organise a Mega Virtual Summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI) ‘RAISE 2020’ from 5 to 9 October 2020.
• RAISE 2020 stands for ‘Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020.’
• The Summit will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• RAISE 2020 provide a global platform for expert minds to exchange ideas and solutions for using AI for social transformation, inclusion and empowerment in areas like Healthcare, Agriculture, Education and Smart Mobility, among other sectors.
• Delegates and experts in research, policy and innovation on Artificial Intelligence will join from across the globe. 

• The United Kingdom and the United Nations are going to co-organise a global climate summit on December 12 to mark the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015.
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will co-host the event.
• The Summit will invite National governments to present more ambitious and high-quality climate plans.
• The summit will increase the momentum ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26) to be held in Glasgow, Scotland in November 2021.

• Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Vaishwik Bharatiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Summit on 2nd October’2020 through videoconferencing.
• The VAIBHAV Summit is a joint initiative of all S&T and Academic Organisations of India (working in Research, Academic and Scientific fields) to enable deliberations on thought process, practices and R&D culture with a problem solving approach for well defined objectives.
• The month-long Summit will provide a platform to leverage the expertise and knowledge of global Indian researcher for solving emerging challenges and create an ecosystem of Knowledge and Innovation in the country through global outreach.

• The Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana -“Saubhagya Scheme” has completed three years of inception on 25 September 2020.
• Saubhagya scheme aims to achieve universal household electrification by providing last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all households in rural areas and all poor households in urban areas across the country.

Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana –“Saubhagya Scheme”

• Objective: To ensure 100% electrification of all willing households in the country in rural as well as urban areas. Under the Saubhagya Scheme free electricity connections to all households (both APL and BPL) in rural areas and poor families in urban areas will be provided.
   
• Date of Launch of Saubhagya Scheme: 25th September, 2017
   
• Ministry Involved: Ministry of Power
   
• Total Outlay of Saubhagya Scheme: Rs. 16, 320 crore (Rural- Rs. 14,025 crore + Urban- Rs. 2,295 crore)
   
• Implementing/Nodal Agency: Rural Electrification Corporation (REC)
   
• Cost of Electricity Connection: For Poor households the electricity connections is free of cost under this Saubhagya Scheme.
• For other household electricity connections would be provided on payment of Rs 500 only. This shall be recovered by the respective Power Departments in 10 instalments along with electricity bills.
   
• Does Saubhagya Scheme provide free power: No, it only provides for free electricity connection. The power used would have to be paid as per prevailing tariff.
   
• Households to be covered under Saubhagya Scheme: The scheme aims to electrify around 3 crore households that includes 2.5 crore in rural areas and 50 lakh households in urban areas.
   
• Deadline for 100% Electrification under Saubhagya Scheme: March 31, 2019.
• The old deadline was December 31, 2018. However till 31 December 2018, the government had achieved 100% electrification in 25 states. There were still 10.48 lakh households left for electrified in 4 States, that are Assam, Rajasthan, Meghalaya and Chhattisgarh.

Initiatives for 100% coverage under Saubhagya Scheme :

• ‘Saubhagya Rath’– A special vehicle named ‘Saubhagya Rath’, is moving around in villages and towns and any left out households may approach them to avail electricity connection under the Saubhagya scheme.
• Toll Free Number: 1800-121-5555 for reporting any left out households.
• Saubhagya Web Portal– http://saubhagya.gov.in/

Context: Recently, the Parliament passed the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020. The Bill replaces an Ordinance promulgated in June 2020 and amends the Essential Commodities Act (ECA), 1955.

Background:

• The ECA 1955 was used to curb inflation by allowing the Centre to enable control by state governments of trade in a wide variety of commodities.
• The states imposed stock limits to restrict the movement of any commodity deemed essential. It helped to discourage hoarding of items, including food commodities, such as pulses, edible oils and vegetables.

However, the Economic Survey 2019-20 highlighted that government intervention under the ECA 1955 often distorted agricultural trade while being totally ineffective in curbing inflation.

• Such intervention does enable opportunities for rent-seeking and harassment.
• Rent-seeking is a term used by economists to describe unproductive income, including from corruption.
• Traders tend to buy far less than their usual capacity and farmers often suffer huge losses during surplus harvests of perishables, since large stocks held by traders can be outlawed under the ECA 1955 anytime.

This led to farmers being unable to get better prices due to lack of investment in cold storage, warehouses, processing and export.

• Also with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) controlling stocks before, there were less investment and buyers.

Key features of the 2020 bill

• Removal of items from Essential Commodities list: It provides provisions to remove commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes from the list of essential commodities.
• Elimination of fear of private investors: It aims to remove fears of private investors of excessive regulatory interference in their business operations.
• The freedom to produce, hold, move, distribute and supply will lead to harnessing of economies of scale and attract private sector/foreign direct investment into agriculture sector.
• It allows the central government to regulate the supply of certain food items only under extraordinary circumstances (such as war and famine).
• It requires that imposition of any stock limit on agricultural produce must be based on price rise.
• A stock limit may be imposed only if there is a 100% increase in retail price of horticultural produce and a 50% increase in the retail price of non-perishable agricultural food items. 

Significance of the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020

• It will create a positive environment not only for farmers but also for consumers and investors.
• It will strengthen the overall supply chain mechanism of the agriculture sector.
• It will also help to achieve the government’s promise to double the farmer’s income by promoting investment in this sector and promote ease of doing business.
• It will help drive up investment in cold storages and modernization of food supply chain.
• It will help both farmers and consumers while bringing in price stability.
• It will create competitive market environment and also prevent wastage of agri-produce that happens due to lack of storage facilities.
• Issues Involved
• It will be a highly centralized law and will infringe upon the States’ powers, as they will not be able to regulate let say the menace of hoarding, black marketing etc.
• The stock limit relaxations under the ECA may lead to black marketing and hoarding rather than benefiting the producers. This will lead to increase in inflation and monopoly of few individuals over prices of certain goods.

Road Ahead

• The ECA 1955 was brought when India was not self sufficient in food grains production. But now India has become surplus in most agri-commodities, and the amendments in the ECA 1955 is an important step by the government to achieve its target of doubling farmers’ income and also for ease of doing business.

Context: Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has marginally increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of six rabi crops for 2021-22.

• Rabi crops are agricultural crops that are sown in winter and harvested in the spring in India. Eg. wheat, barley, mustard etc.

Key Points

• MSP rates were hiked for wheat, barley, gram, masoor dal (lentil), safflower, and rapeseed and mustard.
• However, the MSP has seen a lower hike compared to 2020-21. The wheat MSP has seen an increase of just 2.6% — the lowest increase in 11 years.
• The increase in MSP is in line with the principle of fixing the MSPs at a level of at least 1.5 times of the All-India weighted average Cost of Production as announced in Union Budget 2018-19.
• The increase in MSP comes in the midst of a vehement protest by farmers, who fear that new agricultural marketing reforms will result in the phasing out of MSP and public procurement.

Issues with New Agricultural Reform
The farmers are protesting against the three Bills which includes:

• Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020.
• Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020.
• Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

In short, the Bills aim to do away with government interference in agricultural trade by creating trading areas free of middlemen and government taxes outside the structure of Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs).

• They also aim to remove restrictions on private stock holding of agricultural produce.
• This according to farmers will give preference for corporate interests at the cost of farmers’ interests and a lack of regulation in these non-APMC mandis are cause for concern for farmers.
• In the new system, companies will benefit as trading rates will not be under pressure of government procurement and they will be able to force farmers to reduce their rates.
• The absence of any regulation in non-APMC mandis is being seen as a precursor to the withdrawal of the guarantee of MSP-based procurement.
• These fears gain strength with the experience of States such as Bihar which abolished APMCs in 2006. After the abolition of mandis, farmers in Bihar on average received lower prices compared to the MSP for most crops.
• The government procurement also reduced significantly compared to other states.
• Government is relying on the market to realise better prices. However, recent data suggest limitations of market intervention in raising farm gate prices.
• For most crops where MSP-led procurement is non-existent, the decline has been sharper. Even cash crops such as cotton have seen a collapse in prices in the absence of government intervention.
• With rising input costs, farmers do not see the market providing them remunerative prices.
• The farmers also raise concern about the intent of the government to leave the price discovery mechanism on the market.
• It has time and again made ad hoc interventions, such as raising import duties on masur and a ban on onion exports.

Minimum Support Price

• The MSP is the rate at which the government buys grains from farmers.
• Reason behind the idea of MSP is to counter price volatility of agricultural commodities due to the factors like variation in their supply, lack of market integration and information asymmetry.
• Fixation of MSP: The MSP is fixed for 23 crops based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), Ministry of Agriculture.

Factors taken into consideration for fixing MSP include

• Cost of cultivation,
• Demand and supply,
• Price trends in the market, both domestic and international,
• Inter-crop price parity,
• Terms of trade between agriculture and non-agriculture,
• A minimum of 50% as the margin over cost of production, and
• Likely implications of MSP (inflation) on consumers of that product.

The CACP also makes visits to states for on-the-spot assessment of the various constraints that farmers face in marketing their produce, or even raising the productivity levels of their crops.

• Based on all these inputs, the CACP then finalizes its recommendations/reports, which are then submitted to the government.
• The government, in turn, circulates the CACP reports to state governments and concerned Central Ministries for their comments.
• After receiving the feed-back from them, the CCEA of the Union government takes a final decision on the level of MSPs and other recommendations made by the CACP.

Procurement: The Food Corporation of India (FCI), the nodal central agency of the Government of India, along with other State Agencies undertakes procurement of crops.

MSP Calculation: This MSP is usually estimated based on three types of calculation methods.

• A2: Under this, MSP is set 50% higher than the amount farmers spend on farming including spending on seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, and labour.
• A2+FL: It includes A2 plus an assigned value of unpaid family labour.
• C2: Under C2, the estimated land rent and the cost of interest on the money taken for farming are added on top of A2+FL.
• The Central government had set up the National Commission on Farmers (NCF) in 2004 to address the issues of farmers in India including that of calculation of MSP.

Additional Information

• In India, there are two major cropping seasons: a) Kharif and b) Rabi. Another cropping season Zaid i.e. summer season (March to June). Examples of Zaid cops are watermelon, bitter gourd etc.
• The kharif cropping season is from July –October during the south-west monsoon. Major Kharif crops include rice, maize, sorghum, groundnut etc.
• Rabi cropping season extends from October-March (winter). Major Rabi crops are wheat, barley, oats etc.

Context: Recently, the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) has released the latest report for the 2020-21 kharif marketing season.
Current Scenario

• Overflowing Stocks of Foodgrains: The central pool had 73.85 million tonnes of food grains on 2nd April, 2020. This is not only the highest-ever stock available but also over 300% of the strategic and operation reserve norm of 21.04 million tonnes. This year’s kharif crop production is also estimated to be record-high.
• Failure of Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS): The Union government had decided in April 2019 to sell wheat and rice in the open market via e-auction through OMSS. It aimed to divert extra stock. But the government could just sell one-fifth of the target of a five-million tonne sale.
• Increase in food business registration: There has been a 65% year-on-year jump in registration applications for new food businesses, indicating that private players are eager to invest in agri business and the rural economy as a result of the reforms by Agricultural ordinances.
• Traders moving out-of Mandi: As there would be no fees on buying outside the Mandi (unlike before the agri ordinances), many of the traders would prefer to buy outside. In June to August, there was a 20-40% drop in sale volume of non-perishables within the mandis. This will adversely impact the farmers.
• Increase in MSP for Rabi Crops: Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs marginally increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of six rabi crops for 2021-22. This is in line with the principle of fixing the MSPs at a level of at least 1.5 times of the All-India weighted average Cost of Production as announced in Union Budget 2018-19.

Challenges

• Unavailability of Physical Space for Storage: This can cause foodgrains to perish.
• Reduction in Demand due to More Supply: Release of high buffer stock in the market, would lead to a collapse in prices. This, in turn, will lead to farmers again losing on fair price for their bumper harvest.
• Farmer’s protest: Recently, there have been strong protests from farmers, especially from the states of Punjab and Haryana, against three farm bills passed in the parliament. This has posed a challenge in front of the government to assure farmers of routine procurements and fair prices.

Recommendations of CACP Report

• Excess Stocks need to be urgently liquidated: This will help ease storage capacity constraints and save large carrying costs of excessive stocks.
• Excess rice stocks should be liquidated through increased allocation under the National Food Security Act and Other Welfare Schemes.
• The government should divert old stocks for ethanol production and cattle feed purposes.

Review open-ended procurement policy (OEPP)

• The central government should review OEPP for rice and wheat.
• Major policy changes should be introduced in pricing, procurement and use of other crops like oilseeds, pulses, maize nutri-cereals to encourage farmers to shift to these crops,which have great potential for crop diversification.

More Procurement from States like UP and Bihar: Strengthen procurement from states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan and restrict procurement from states like Punjab and Haryana where substantial groundwater depletion has occurred and other states that give bonus.

• In all those states that impose high fees and incidental charges and pay bonus, procurement of rice and wheat should be restricted.
• The state governments should discontinue the bonus above the minimum support price (MSP) as it distorts the market and discourages private sale.
• More than 95% of paddy farmers in Punjab are covered under the government procurement system while it is 70% in case of Haryana. In case of other major paddy producing states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, it is 3.6% and 1.7% respectively.

Reserve Price for open Market Sale of Pulses and oilseeds

• The government should not sell these stocks in the open market below the MSP, particularly during the procurement season as it depresses market prices and discourages the private sector to procure directly from farmers.

Road Ahead

• Given the forecast for food grains like paddy, the prices would be subdued due to large stocks and also less demand globally. If the government decides to flood the market with its excessive stock, it would lead to more supply, thus reducing the price. In such a scenario, implementing the bold recommendations of CACP may help in dealing with the stocks.

Why are the Agriculture Bills being opposed

Three Bills on agriculture reforms –

The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020;
The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and
The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
These three bills introduced in the Parliament on September 14 to replace the ordinances issued during the lockdown.

Opposition members in the Lok Sabha plan to move a resolution against the Trade and Commerce ordinance and the Price Assurance ordinance.

Farmers and farmer associations across the country have protested against the ordinances.

The tractor protest by farmers of Punjab and Haryana in July was in opposition to these. The Punjab Assembly on August 28 passed a resolution rejecting the Centre’s ordinances.

Why are they being opposed?

Provisions of which will override all State APMC laws – entail?

Cooperative federalism

Since agriculture and markets are State subjects – entry 14 and 28 respectively in List II – the ordinances are being seen as a direct encroachment upon the functions of the States and against the spirit of cooperative federalism enshrined in the Constitution.

The Centre, however, argued that trade and commerce in food items is part of the concurrent list, thus giving it constitutional propriety.

End to MSP?

According to PRS Legislative Research, APMCs were set up with the objective of ensuring fair trade between buyers and sellers for effective price discovery of farmers’ produce.
APMCs can regulate the trade of farmers’ produce by providing licences to buyers, commission agents, and private markets; levy market fees or any other charges on such trade; and provide necessary infrastructure within their markets to facilitate the trade.
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance aims at opening up agricultural sale and marketing outside the notified Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis for farmers, removes barriers to inter-State trade and provides a framework for electronic trading of agricultural produce.
It prohibits State governments from collecting market fee, cess or levy for trade outside the APMC markets.
Critics view the dismantling of the monopoly of the APMCs as a sign of ending the assured procurement of food grains at minimum support prices (MSP).
To the Centre’s ‘one nation, one market’ call, critics have sought ‘one nation, one MSP’.
Critics argue that ensuring a larger number of farmers get the MSP for their produce and straightening kinks in the APMCs, instead of making these State mechanisms redundant is the need of the hour.
Now, government announces 2.6% hike for wheat MSP amid farmers’ protests.
The Cabinet has approved MSP hikes for six crops, including a 2.6% increase in the rate for wheat. Last year, MSP for wheat had seen a 4.6% increase.
Framework for contract farming

The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance relates to contract farming, providing a framework on trade agreements for the sale and purchase of farm produce.
The mutually agreed remunerative price framework envisaged in the legislation is touted as one that would protect and empower farmers.
The written farming agreement, entered into prior to the production or rearing of any farm produce, lists the terms and conditions for supply, quality, grade, standards and price of farm produce and services.
The price to be paid for the purchase is to be mentioned in the agreement.
In case of prices subjected to variations, the agreement must include a guaranteed price to be paid for such produce, and a clear reference linked to the prevailing prices or any other suitable benchmark prices for any additional amount over and above the guaranteed price, including bonus or premium.
The method of determining such price, including guaranteed price and additional amount, will be provided in the agreement as annexures.

No mechanism for price fixation: Contract farming:

Contract farming is not a new concept to the country’s farmers – informal contracts for food grains, formal contracts in sugarcane and poultry sectors are common.

The Price Assurance Bill, while offering protection to farmers against price exploitation, does not prescribe the mechanism for price fixation.

There is apprehension that the free hand given to private corporate houses could lead to farmer exploitation.

Critics are apprehensive about formal contractual obligations owing to the unorganised nature of the farm sector and lack of resources for a legal battle with private corporate entities.

Deregulation of food items:

The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance removes cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes from the list of essential commodities.

The amendment will deregulate the production, storage, movement and distribution of these food commodities.

The central government is allowed regulation of supply during war, famine, extraordinary price rise and natural calamity, while providing exemptions for exporters and processors at such times as well.

Food security undermined?

Critics anticipate that on the easing of regulation of food items said, it would lead to exporters, processors and traders hoarding farm produce during the harvest season, when prices are generally lower, and releasing it later when prices increase. He said it could undermine food security since the States would have no information about the availability of stocks within the State.

Critics anticipate irrational volatility in the prices of essentials and increased black marketing.

Conclusion:

 The bills require that imposition of any stock limit on agricultural produce must be based on price rise.

The way to liberalise agricultural marketing is to create more accessible markets and choice for the farmer. There will be rules to regulate such markets.

We need to enlarge the market for agriculture produce while preserving the ‘safety net’ principle through MSP and public procurement.

Context: Recently, the government has introduced three Bills in the Lok Sabha to amalgamate laws on social security, occupational safety and health and industrial relations.
Background

• In India, labour falls under the Concurrent List of the Constitution. Therefore, both Parliament and state legislatures can make laws regulating labour.
• Given the large number of state and central laws regulating various aspects of labour such as resolution of industrial disputes, working conditions, social security and wages and their often complex and archaic provisions had made compliance difficult for the businesses.
• As part of the government’s labour reform agenda, the existing labour laws are to be amalgamated into four labour codes- on wages, industrial relations, social security and safety, health and working conditions. This would help to improve ease of compliance and ensure uniformity in labour laws.
• The code on wages was passed in 2019.
• The Code on Wages seeks to amend and consolidate laws relating to wages, bonus and matters connected therewith. The Code will subsume four labour laws – Minimum Wages Act, Payment of Wages Act, Payment of Bonus Act and Equal Remuneration Act.

Key Points

• The Labour and Employment Minister introduced the Industrial Relations Code, 2020; the Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions Code, 2020; and the Code on Social Security, 2020.

The Industrial Relations Code, 2020:

• The Code provides for the recognition of trade unions; notice periods for strikes and lock-outs, standing orders, and resolution of industrial disputes.
• It would subsume and replaces three labour laws: the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947; the Trade Unions Act, 1926; and the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946.
• The major provisions of the Industrial Relations Code Bill include the mandatory provision for companies with 300 or more workers to prepare and submit to the government standing orders regarding the conditions of service, including shift timings and termination of employment.
• As of now, this applies to establishments with over 100 employees, under the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946.
• The Industrial Relations Code aims to promote the ease of doing business and spur investment by encouraging labour flexibility.

The Social Security Code Bill:

• The Bill replaces nine laws related to social security.  These include the Employees’ Provident Fund Act, 1952, the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, and the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008. 
• Social security refers to protection measures provided to workers to ensure healthcare and income security in case of certain contingencies such as old age, maternity, or accidents.
• One of the major proposals of the Social Security Code Bill is to bring unorganised sector, gig workers and platform workers under the ambit of social security schemes, including life and disability insurance, health and maternity benefits, provident fund and skill upgradation.

The Occupational Safety Code

• The Occupational Safety Code subsumes and replaces 13 labour laws relating to safety, health and working conditions. These laws include: Factories Act, 1948; Mines Act, 1952; Dock Workers Act, 1986; Contract Labour Act, 1970; and Inter-State Migrant Workers Act, 1979, which has been highlighted during the recent migrant workers crisis due to COVID-19.
• These laws cover factories, mines, dock workers, building and construction workers, plantation labour, contract labour, inter-state migrant workers, working journalists, motor transport workers, sales promotion employees, and cine workers.
• The Code seeks to regulate health and safety conditions of workers in establishments with 10 or more workers, and in all mines and docks.
• The Code creates special provisions for certain classes of establishments such as factories, mines, dock workers, and constructions workers. These include separate provisions on licenses, safety regulations, and duties of employers. 

Context: Amid Pandemic, Trade and Development Report 2020 report launched by UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Key highlights of the Report

• Global economy will contract by an estimated 4.3% this year, leaving global output by year’s end over $6 trillion short of what it was before the coronavirus began to spread.
• The world body said that though there will be a recovery in the following year, the contraction will result in permanent loss of income.
• Biggest absolute falls in output will be in the developed world, with some countries set to register a double-digit decline over the year.
• World is grappling with the equivalent of a complete wipeout of the Brazilian, Indian and Mexican economies.
• As per report, the world is grappling with the equivalent of a complete wipeout of the Brazilian, Indian and Mexican economies.
• Possible Reason: As domestic activity contracts, so goes the international economy; trade will shrink by around one-fifth this year, foreign direct investment flows by up to 40% and remittances will drop by over $100 billion .
• “Debt levels across the world, in both the public and private sectors, will have risen significantly from the historically high levels registered before the crisis,

Indian Scenario

According to United Nation

• The South Asian economy as a whole will contract by 4.8% in 2020-’21 and grow by 3.9% in 2021-’22.
• The Indian economy India’s GDP forecast to contract 5.9% in 2020 and recover to 3.9% next year.
• “In the case of India, the baseline scenario is a sharp recession in 2020 as strict lockdown measures to stem the virus’ spread brought many productive activities to a halt across the country".
• “The contraction registered in 2020 is likely to translate into a permanent income loss".

About Trade and Development Report

• The Trade and Development Report (TDR), launched in 1981, is issued every year for the annual session of the Trade and Development Board.
• The Report analyses current economic trends and major policy issues of international concern, and makes suggestions for addressing these issues at various levels.

Context: Recently, the Finance Ministry has said that the Importers will have to do their due diligence to ensure that imported goods meet the prescribed ‘rules of origin’ provisions for availing concessional rate of customs duty under free trade agreements (FTAs).
Key Points

• The Customs Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements Rules, 2020 (CAROTAR, 2020), will come into force from September 2020.
• Under the rules, the importer has to possess all relevant information related to country of origin criteria, including the regional value content and submit the same to the proper officer on request.
• Also, an importer would now have to enter certain origin related information in the Bill of Entry, as available in the Certificate of Origin.

CAROTAR, 2020

• The Department of Revenue has notified the ‘Customs (Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) Rules, 2020.
• CAROTAR 2020 comprises of norms for the enforcement of ‘rules of origin’ provisionsfor allowing preferential rate of customs duties on products imported under free trade agreements.
• Under this provision, a country that has inked an FTA with India cannot dump goods from some third country in the Indian market by just putting a label on it.
• The new norms have been framedwith a view to checking inbound shipments of low quality products and dumping of goods by a third country routed through an FTA partner country.
• Preferential rules of origin ensure that only goods originating in participating countries enjoy tariff or other preferences.
• CAROTAR 2020 supplements the existing operational certification procedures prescribed under different trade agreements.
• India has inked FTAs with several countries, including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and ASEAN members.
• Under such agreements, two trading partners significantly reduce or eliminate import/customs duties on the maximum number of goods traded between them.

Additional Facts

• ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) FTA allows imports of most items at nil or concessional basic customs duty from the 10-nation bloc.
• Major imports to India come from five ASEAN countries — Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.
• The benefit of concessional customs duty rate applies only if an ASEAN member country is the country of origin of goods.

Context: According to the World Risk Index (WRI) 2020, India was ‘poorly prepared’ to deal with ‘climate reality’, due to which it was more vulnerable to extreme natural disasters.
About World Risk Index

• WRI, released annually since 2011, is part of the World Risk Report 2020 (which was recently released by United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) and Bundnis Entwicklung Hilft, in cooperation with the University of Stuttgart in Germany).
• It indicates which countries are in the greatest need to strengthen measures for coping with and adapting to extreme natural events.
• The WRI is calculated on a country-by-country basis, through the multiplication of exposure and vulnerability.

Key Highlights
India related

• India ranked 89th among 181 countries on the WRI 2020.
• India was fourth-most-at- risk in south Asia on the index, after Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

South Asian region

• Sri Lanka, Bhutan and the Maldives fared better than India in their abilities to cope with extreme disasters.
• India and other south Asian nations did improve their ranking marginally. Bhutan improved its ranking the most, followed by Pakistan.
• However, all south Asian countries fared poorly in the 2020 index (as compared to 2019) on strengthening their abilities to prepare and adapt to extreme events. 

Global Highlights

• Oceania was the continent most at risk, followed by Africa and the Americas.
• Vanuatu was the country with the highest disaster risk worldwide. It was followed by Tonga and Dominica.
• The Central African Republic was the most vulnerable country, followed by Chad, Congo, Niger and Guinea-Bissau.

Context: Recently, the Union Minister of Textiles provided information on implementation of Scheme for Integrated Textile Park (SITP), in Rajya Sabha.
Key Points
Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks

• SITP was launched in 2005.
• Objectives: To provide the industry with world-class state of the art infrastructure facilities for setting up their textile units.
• To attract foreign investors to the domestic textile sector.

Key features of STIP

• Under the SITP, infrastructure facilities for setting up of textile units are developed in a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model.
• The Government of India grants upto 40% of the project cost.
• However, it grants upto 90% of the project cost for the first two projects (each) in the North Eastern States, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh.
• The government's support is limited to Rs. 40 crores for each textile park.
• Each Integrated Textile Park (ITP) under the scheme would normally have 50 units. The number of entrepreneurs and the resultant investments in each ITP could vary from project to project.

Status

• A total of 59 textile parks have been sanctioned under SITP by the textiles ministry out of which 22 textile parks have been completed.
• Further, the proposal to set up Mega Textile Parks by the Ministry of Textiles is at the advanced stage of discussion.
• The government is considering a plan to set up 1,000-acre mega textile parks.

The slow progress of SITP is attributed to

• Delay in obtaining land.
• Other statutory clearances from state governments.
• Slow fund mobilisation by the textile parks.

Significance of Textile Sector

• The sector accounts for 7% of India’s manufacturing output, 2% of GDP, 12% of exports and employs directly and indirectly about 10 crore people.

Owing to the abundant supply of raw material and labour, India is-

• The largest producer of cotton, accounting for 25% of the global output.
• The world’s second-largest producer of textiles and garments after China.
• The second-largest producer of man-made fibres — polyester and viscose.
• As per India Brand Equity Foundation, the sector has demonstrated encouraging growth trends in India with a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8% for the last few years wherein it has reached a size of $13 billion.

Challenges

• Highly fragmentation and domination by the unorganized sector.
• The introduction of new tax structure under GST (Goods and Service Tax) makes the garments expensive.
• Increasing interest rates and labor wages and workers’ salaries.
• Faces a lack of access to the latest technology and fails to meet the global standards in the highly competitive export market.
• The fierce competition from China, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the low price garment market.
• The environmental and social issues like child labor and personal safety.
• Programmes initiated by Government to boost the textile industry
• Comprehensive Scheme for Development of Knitting and Knitwear Sector: The Government has launched a separate scheme for development of Knitting and Knitwear Sector to boost production in the knitting and knitwear cluster at Ludhiana, Kolkata and Tirupur.
• The scheme is launched under Power-Tex India.
• North East Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS) for promoting textiles industry in the NER by providing infrastructure, capacity building and marketing support to all segments of textile industry.
• A skill development scheme titled SAMARTH (Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector) covers the entire value chain of the textile sector, excluding Spinning and Weaving in the organized sector, on pan India basis.
• PowerTex India: A comprehensive scheme for Powerloom sector with components relating to Powerloom up-gradation, infrastructure creation, concessional access to credit, etc.
• Silk Samagra: An integrated Scheme for development of silk industry with components of research & development, transfer of technology, seed organization and coordination, market development, quality certification and export.Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (ATUFS)
• Jute ICARE for increasing the income of farmers by at least 50% through promotion of certified seeds, better agronomic practices, use of microbial reusing of Jute plant, retting to produce quality of jute, increase productivity and to reduce the cost of jute production for the jute farmers.
• National Handloom Development Programme, Comprehensive Handloom Cluster Development Scheme, Handloom Weaver Comprehensive Welfare Scheme and Yarn Supply Schemes under which financial assistance is provided for raw material purchase, looms and accessories, design innovation, product diversification, infrastructure development, skill upgradation, marketing of handloom products & loans at concessional rate etc. for enhancing production and boost the textile sector.

Road Ahead

• Toward an organised sector: India can make the sector organised by setting up mega apparel parks and common infrastructure for the textile industry.
• This will increase the scale of production and help Indian players to produce faster and at a lower cost with maximum efficiency in operation.
• Facilitate modernisation of the industry: Focus should be on the modernisation of the obsolete machinery and technology. This can help increase the production and productivity of the textile industry and thereby increase the export also.

Context: Recently, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to use Infrastructure Investment Trust(s) (InvIT) as a vehicle for mobilising funds for constructing road infrastructure.
What are InvITs?

• InvITs are instruments that work like mutual funds. They are designed to pool small sums of money from a number of investors to invest in assets that give cash flow over a period of time. Part of this cash flow would be distributed as dividend back to investors.
• The minimum investment amount in an InvIT Initial Public Offering (IPO) is Rs 10 lakh, therefore, InvITs are suitable for high networth individuals, institutional and non-institutional investors.
• InvITs are listed on exchanges just like stocks — through IPOs.
• However, the Indian InvIT market is not yet mature and has supported the formation of 10 InvITs till date of which only two are listed.
• The InvITs listed on the stock exchange are IRB InvIT Fund and India Grid Trust.
• InvITs are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) (Infrastructure Investment Trusts) Regulations, 2014.

Structure of InvIT

• Like mutual funds, they have a trustee, sponsor(s), investment manager and project manager.
• Trustee has the responsibility of inspecting the performance of an InvIT.
• Sponsor(s) are promoters of the company that set up the InvIT.
• Investment manager is entrusted with the task of supervising the assets and investments of the InvIT.
• Project manager is responsible for the execution of the project.

How does it work?

• While the fund will be raised by monetising the completed NHs, the regulations say that the project SPV would distribute not less than 90 per cent of net distributable cash flow to the trust in proportion of its holding in each of the project SPV and further not less than 90 per cent of the net distributable cash flow of the trust will get distributed to the unitholders. The unitholders will get the distributions at least once every six month.
• The fund raised can be invested in the project SPVs by way of an issue of debt.
• The trust can utilise it to repay their loans or even for prepayment of certain unsecured loans and advances availed by such project SPVs from the sponsor, the project manager and certain members of the sponsor group.
• The Indian InvIT market is not yet mature and has supported formation of 10 InvITs till date — in roads, power transmission, gas transmission and telecom towers sectors —  of which only two are listed, according to a report of the task force on National Infrastructure Pipeline.
• The InvITs listed on the stock exchange are IRB InvIT Fund and India Grid Trust.
• The listed are required to maintain a maximum-leverage ratio of 49 per cent, which can be increased to 70 per cent subject to certain conditions, such as six continuous distributions to unit-holders and AAA-rating.
• With the significant amount of funding required in the infrastructure sector and a gap in availability of long-term funds, this structure helps close that gap by enabling fund raising from capital markets.

Why does NHAI need fund and how will it benefit the economy?

• At a time when private sector investment in the economy has declined, fund-raising by NHAI and spending on infrastructure will not only provide a fillip to the economy, but will also crowd-in private sector investment.
• So NHAI’s InvIT offer is a way for the government to tap alternative sources of financing to boost public spending in the roads and infrastructure sector.
• It is important to note that in October 2017, the Centre had launched Bharatmala Pariyojana, its flagship highway development programme, for development of 24,800 km of roads at a total investment of Rs 5,35,000 crore.
• In order to complete the projects, NHAI needs adequate funds and one of the options is to monetise the completed and operational NH assets and offer attractive schemes to private players to invest in construction of National Highways.

How does it benefit the investor?

• A retail or even a large financial investor may not be typically able to invest in infrastructure projects such as roads, power, energy etc. InvITs enable these investors to buy a small portion of the units being sold by the fund depending upon their risk appetite.
• Given that such trusts comprise largely of completed and operational projects with positive cash flow, the risks are somewhat contained.
• The investors can benefit from the cash flow that gets distributed as well as in capital appreciate of the units.
• Unitholders also benefit from favourable tax norms, including exemption on dividend income and no capital gains tax if units are held for more than three years.

Context: One District One Product (ODOP) is seen as a transformational step forward towards realizing the true potential of a district, fuel economic growth and generate employment and rural entrepreneurship, taking us to the goal of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat. With this it  aim to Encouraging Domestic Manufacturing.
About One District One Product (ODOP)
The objective of the concept is to convert each district of the country into an export hub by:

• Identifying products with export potential in the district
• Addressing bottlenecks for exporting these products
• Supporting local exporters, manufacturers to scale up manufacturing, and find potential buyers outside India.
• The aim is to promote exports, promote the manufacturing & services industry in the district and generate employment in the district.
• Towards this end, District Export Promotion Committees (DEPCs) are being set up in each district.
• These committees are likely to be headed by the DM/Collector/DC/District Development Officer of the District and co-chaired by the designated Regional Authority of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
• The primary function of the DEPC will be to prepare and act on district-specific Export Action Plans in collaboration with all the relevant stakeholders from the Centre, State and the District levels.

Context: Recently, the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has announced expansion of and doubling of support to beneficiary oriented Self-Employment schemes aimed at contributing to Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
Key Points

• The government will provide assistance to artisans engaged in Pottery Activity and Beekeeping Activity.
• Previously, the Ministry of MSME approved a programme for the benefit of artisans involved in manufacturing of Agarbatti under the Gramodyog Vikas Yojana.

Pottery Activity

• The assistance includes technical knowhow, quality standardization of products, skill-development to Self Help Groups (SHGs), encouragement to the successful traditional potter to set up units under Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) scheme, necessary market linkages by tying up with exports and large buying houses etc.
• PMEGP is a credit-linked subsidy scheme which promotes self-employment through setting up of micro-enterprises.
• It also includes setting up of clusters in Terracotta, Red clay pottery, with new innovative value added products to build pottery to crockery/tile making capabilities under the SFURTI scheme.
• The Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) aims to make traditional industries more productive and competitive by organizing the traditional industries and artisans into clusters.

Terracotta

• Terracotta is a type of ceramic pottery, made by baking terracotta clay.
• The word “terracotta” comes from the Italian words for “baked earth.”
• It is often used for making pipes, bricks, and sculptures.
• Recently, a Terracotta Grinder was launched at Varanasi by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).
• The Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) terracotta has been given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• Terracotta Figurines were also made during the Indus Valley Civilization. They were either used as toys or objects of worship and represented birds, dogs, sheep, cattle and monkeys.
• The famous terracotta figure of the Mother Goddess was discovered in Mohen-jodaro which shows the Mother Goddess as the symbol of fertility and prosperity.

Beekeeping Activity

• It aims to create sustainable employment for the beekeepers/farmers, help artisans adopt scientific Beekeeping & Management practices, utilize available natural resources; and create awareness about the benefits of beekeeping in cross pollination.
• It involves distributing tools and equipment to migrant labourers in the Prime Minister Gareeb Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan (PMGKRA) districts and providing training to the beneficiaries, setting up clusters under the SFURTI Scheme.
• PMGKRA empowers and provides livelihood opportunities to the returnee migrant workers and rural citizens who have returned to their home states due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown.
• Recently, the Ministry of MSME flagged off ‘Apiary on Wheels’.
• ‘Apiary on Wheels’ is a unique concept designed by the KVIC for the easy upkeep and migration of Bee Boxes having live Bee colonies.
• A Beekeeping Development Committee was also constituted in 2019 under the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) to give recommendations to enhance the contribution of the beekeeping sector for achieving the target of doubling farmers’ incomes by 2022.
• KVIC also launched a Honey Mission in 2017 under which it provides awareness, training and ‘Bee Boxes’ along with Bee Colonies to the farmers.
• The Honey mission was in line with the ‘Sweet Revolution’, launched in 2016 to promote beekeeping and associated activities.

Benefit

• The program will immediately benefit about 1500 artisans, in providing sustainable employment with increased earnings.
• Artisans living in rural areas, Self Help Groups and Migrant workers will particularly benefit from the program.
• In addition to enhancing employment opportunities locally, the programme will also help in capturing the export market in such products.

Road Ahead

• The MSME sector has been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, especially the rural enterprise owners. In addition to these self-employment schemes, the government can provide tax relief (GST and corporate tax), give swift refunds, and provide liquidity to rural India (may be through PM-Kisan) to boost demand for MSME products.

Context: Recently, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) told Parliament that the Centre has only transferred 60% of the proceeds from cess/levies in Fiscal Year 2018-19 to the relevant Reserve Funds and retained the balance in the Consolidated Fund of India (CFI).

• The Centre had collected Rs. 2.75 lakh crore from 35 cesses/levies in FY19. However, it has only transferred Rs. 1.64 lakh crore and retained Rs. 1.1 lakh crore in the CFI.

Do you know?

• Cesses and levies collected are required to be first transferred to designated Reserve Funds and utilised for the specific purposes intended by Parliament.
• Funds collected through Central taxes along with cesses and other levies go to the CFI.
• Taxes and surcharges in CFI are parked in a divisible pool and 42% of the total is given to States as devolution.

Additional Information

Consolidated Fund of India

• It was constituted under Article 266 (1) of the Constitution of India.

Composition

• All revenues received by the Centre by way of taxes (Income Tax, Central Excise, Customs and other receipts) and all non-tax revenues.
• All loans raised by the Centre by issue of Public notifications, treasury bills (internal debt) and from foreign governments and international institutions (external debt).
• All government expenditures are incurred from this fund except exceptional items which are met from the Contingency Fund or the Public Account.
• No amount can be withdrawn from the Fund without authorization from the Parliament.
• The CAG audits the fund and reports to the relevant legislatures on the management.

Concept of Cess

• It is a form of tax levied over and above the base tax liability of a taxpayer.
• It is resorted to only when there is a need to meet the particular expenditure for public welfare.
• It is not a permanent source of revenue for the government, and it is discontinued when the purpose of levying it is fulfilled.
• It can be levied on both indirect and direct taxes.

Types of cess in India

• Education Cess: Education cess was introduced to finance and provide standard quality education to poor people.
• Health and education cess: Proposed in Budget 2018 by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to meet the education and health needs of rural and rural and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.
• Swachh Bharat Cess: Introduced in 2015, a 0.5% Swachh Bharat cess was imposed to fund national campaign for clearing the roads, streets and the infrastructure of India.
• Krishi Kalyan Cess: This cess was aimed at developing the agricultural economy, and was collected at the rate of 0.5%.
• Infrastructure Cess: Announced in Union Budget 2016, this cess was charged on the production of vehicles.

Key Features

• The proceeds of all taxes and cesses are credited in the Consolidated Fund of India (CFI). The approval of the Parliament is necessary to withdraw funds from the CFI.
• The tax proceeds are shared with the States and UTs according to the guidelines by the Finance Commission. But the cess proceeds need not be shared with them.
• The government has to create a dedicated fund in order to utilize the cess proceeds lying in CFI.

What is the difference between tax and cess? What is cess tax?

• Cess is different from taxes such as income tax, GST, and excise duty etc as it is charged over and above the existing taxes.
• While all taxes go to the Consolidated Fund of India (CFI), cess may initially go to the CFI but has to be used for the purpose for which it was collected. If the cess collected in a particular year goes unspent, it cannot be allocated for other purposes. The amount gets carried over to the next year.
• Another major difference between central taxes and cess is that the proceeds of a cess may or may not be shared with the state governments, while that of taxes have to be shared.
• The procedure for introducing cess is comparatively simpler than getting the provisions done for introducing taxes, which usually means a change in the law.
• Cess is also easier to modify and abolish.

Surcharge

• It is an extra fee, charge, or tax that is added on to the cost of a good or service, beyond the initially quoted price.
• It is added to an existing tax and is not included in the stated price of the good or service.
• It is levied for extra services or to defray the cost of increased commodity pricing.

Context: Recently, the World Bank has clarified that the USD 1 billion loan that it has provided to India in May 2020 to deal with Covid-19 comes with a condition of universal eligibility in procurements.
Background

• In April 2020 the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors had approved a fast-track $1 billion India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project to help India prevent, detect, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen its public health preparedness.
• It is the largest ever health sector support from the Bank to India.

Key Points

India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Strengthening Project:

• It is a joint initiative of the Government of India and the World Bank.
• The World Bank has the $1 billion loan disbursed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).
• The Railway Ministry is one of the implementing agencies of the project.

What does the condition of “universal eligibility” mean?

• This would mean that all preferential market access policies, including Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) Policy, certain benefits to start-ups, shall not be applicable on purchases made while implementing the national project.
• The contractors must agree to comply with the relevant provisions of the World Bank’s anti-corruption guidelines and prohibited policies of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
• Apart from making way for universal eligibility in the supply system, the World Bank would have the right to review the procurement documents, inspect/audit all accounts, records and other files relating to the project.
• Compliance to these conditions has been made mandatory for the funding.

Clarification

• The World Bank would have the right to review the procurement documents, inspect all accounts, records and other files relating to the project. Compliance to these conditions has been made mandatory for the funding.
• Following the clarification the Indian Government has also asked all its production units and other major establishments to remove preferential references in tenders and ensure that contractors explicitly agreed to comply with the relevant provisions of the World Bank’s guidelines.

Impact

• This would mean that all preferential market access policies, shall not be applicable on purchases made while implementing the national project.
• The preferential market access policies includes Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) Policy, certain benefits to start-ups.
• It will be a setback to the Make in India and Atmanirbhar initiative.

About World Bank Group

• With 189 member countries, the World Bank Group is a unique global partnership which consists of five development institutions.

Context: Recently, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has formulated a note for Cabinet – on creation of an ecosystem for voluntary phasing out of unfit and old polluting vehicles.
Key Points

• Under the vehicle scrappage policy, the government proposes amendments to motor vehicle rules to allow scrapping of vehicles older than 15 years.
• The proposed policy, once approved, will be applicable on all vehicles.

Environmental Significance

• The move will aid environment-friendly phasing out of polluting old vehicles and spur adoption of electric vehicles. This would play a critical role in reducing air pollution in the cities.

Economic Significance

• With this new policy India could emerge as a hub for automobile manufacturing as key raw material available from scrapping steel, aluminium and plastic were bound to be recycled, bringing down automobile prices by “20-30%.”
• This would also help reduce Indian oil dependence and help improve the Current account deficit of which oil imports form a major proportion.
• This would help reduce import of critical raw material from other countries helping improve India’s trade balances with such countries.
• This policy would spur investments in the automobile sector, which would help economic revival in India and will also help generate additional employment opportunities.

Context: Recently, Scientists have warned that extra-tropical storms in the Mediterranean Sea, known as ‘Medicanes’ or ‘Mediterranean Hurricanes’, could become more frequent due to human-induced climate change.
About the Medicanes

• Medicanes might become more frequent owing to global warming due to anthropogenic climate change.
• Medicanes might increase threat from storms for already vulnerable populations living in North Africa, possibly triggering human migration.
• They could also be a menace for European countries like Italy and Greece.
• Medicanes occur more in colder waters than tropical cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons. Hence, the cores of these storms are also cold, as compared to the warm cores of tropical cyclones.
• Warmer cores tend to carry more moisture (hence rainfall), are bigger in size and have swifter winds.
• Sometimes, warm-cored tropical cyclones transform into cold-cored extratropical cyclones and in rare cases, the opposite can also happen.

Mediterranean Sea

• Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean on the west to Asia on the east and separates Europe from Africa.
• It has often been called the incubator of Western civilization.  
• The Mediterranean Sea, including the Sea of Marmara, occupies an area of approximately 2,510,000 square km.
• The western extremity of the Mediterranean Sea connects with the Atlantic Ocean by the narrow channel of the Strait of Gibraltar.
• To the northeast the Mediterranean is connected with Black Sea through the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Bosporus.
• To the southeast it is connected with the Red Sea by the Suez Canal.
• The Mediterranean is a generally dry, evaporative sea and cyclonic storms don’t grow as much rain and can be hard to detect.

Key facts

• The rare event of an extra tropical cyclone becoming a tropical cyclone happens because of warmer-than-usual waters in the Mediterranean Sea. 
• A La Niña produces more rain in the central eastern part, where most of the Mediterranean cyclones develop.

Context: Recently, Union Environment Ministry has announced that the Indian Government has recommended eight Indian beaches for the “Blue Flag” certification.

Key Points

• On the occasion of International Coastal Clean-Up Day, for the first time eight beaches of India are recommended for the coveted International eco-label, the Blue flag certification.
• Along with that it also launched India’s own eco-label BEAMS by e-hoisting the flag -#IAMSAVINGMYBEACH simultaneously at these eight beaches.
• International Coastal Clean-Up Day is celebrated across 100 countries since 1986 on the third Saturday in September.

About Blue Flag beaches

• Blue Flag beaches are considered the cleanest beaches of the world.
• The eight beaches are Shivrajpur in Gujarat, Ghoghla in Daman & Diu, Kasarkod and Padubidri beach in Karnataka, Kappad in Kerala, Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh, Golden beach of Odisha and Radhanagar beach in Andaman and Nicobar.
• The recommendations are done by an independent National Jury composed of eminent environmentalists & scientists.

Blue Flag Certification

• ‘Blue Flag’ is an international certification of environmental properties and cleanliness on beaches.
• A ‘Blue Flag’ beach provides hygienic and clean bathing water, basic infrastructure to tourists and sustainable development in the area.
• The ‘Blue Flag’ is a certification that can be obtained by a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator, and serves as an eco-label.
• The certification is awarded by the Denmark-based non-profit Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), which sets stringent environmental, educational, safety-related and access-related criteria that applicants must meet and maintain.
• It is awarded annually to beaches and marinas in FEE member countries.
• FEE conducts mainly five programmes such as: Blue Flag, Eco-Schools, Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE), Learning about Forests (LEAF) and Green Key.

Key Facts on Blue Flag Certification

• The Blue Flag Programme started in France in 1985.
• Spain has the largest number of 566 Blue Flag beaches while Greece and France have 515 and 395 such blue flag beaches respectively.
• Chandrabhaga beach located on the Konark coast of Odisha is the first beach in the country to receive ‘Blue Flag Certification’.

BEAMS Programme

• BEAMS is one of the several other projects of ICZM that the central government is undertaking for sustainable development of coastal regions, striving for the globally recognised and coveted eco-label ”Blue Flag”
• To plan sustainable tourism and healthy coastal management, MoEF&CC has conceived an integrated coastal management scheme viz. BEAMS to reduce existing pollutants on beaches and to aspire & achieve such high International Standards in India.
• This program promotes beach recreation in absolute harmony with nature.
• Society of Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM) has initiated the process for clean beaches in 13 pilot beaches (one pilot beach in every Coastal States/UTs) under this programme and in line with Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.

Purpose
To promote sustainable development in coastal regions of India for the beach management authorities to strive to achieve high international standards in four categories of:

• Environmental Management including cleanliness, solid waste management in beaches
• Environment Education
• Safety & Security of Beachgoers
• Bathing Water Quality Standards

Objectives

• Abate pollution in coastal waters,
• Promote sustainable development of beach facilities,
• Protect & conserve coastal ecosystems & natural resources,
• Strive and maintain high standards of cleanliness,
• Hygiene & safety for beachgoers in accordance with coastal environment & regulations.

Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)

• Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change launched the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) activities in India to protect and conserve the coastal and marine ecosystems and environment through a holistic coastal management.
• It aimed to promote sustainable development & management of coastal zones through its own wing SICOM.

Background

• The concept of ICZM was introduced in 1992 during the Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro and most of the coastal countries in the World have been adopting ICZM principles for managing their coastal zones.
• Adoption of ICZM principles for managing and sustainably developing our coastal regions is helping India in keeping with its commitments to international agreements on ICZM.

Context: The United Nations Millennium Development Goals and the World Bank Group’s global practices have recognised environment sustainability as an essential issue of global importance. Firms should focus on creating green supply chains instead of following a few environmental practices.
Environmental sustainability is understood as 

• Buying greener products
• Avoiding hazardous materials
• Energy optimisation
• Waste reduction. 

Present Challenges of achieving Environment Sustainability

• Fear of losing Profits: Some firms are still reluctant to engage in environmentally beneficial activities as they are afraid to compromise on the economic benefits
• Adoption by Force:  Some firms have positioned environmental practices at the forefront due to legislation and government commitments but not on voluntary basis.
• Short term green practices: Manufacturing sector, get so serious about the low-hanging fruits of waste reduction and energy efficiency improvements that they fail to recognise the need for restructuring their learning imperatives and see the big picture of environmentalism

Step towards achieving Green supply chain

• These include green procurement, green manufacturing, green distribution, and reverse logistics. 
• With practices starting from acquisition of eco-friendly raw material to disposal/ reuse/ recycle of used products,employees, suppliers, distributors, retailers and customers will be able to integrate environmental concerns in the daily operations of a firm
• This ensures that environmental sustainability is from the source (willingness) and not through force (regulations).

Benefits of Green Supply chain

• Enables Restructuring of Firms & ecosystem: Green supply chain practices enable organisational learning in environmental sustainability. This further promotes environmentalism across all players in manufacturing supply chains. 
• Helps firms Better Strategize to future needs: The resultant learning system smoothens the knowledge flow in the organisation and help firms to strategise for better performance, bearing in mind the environmental aspects.
• Leads to Higher Economic performance in long run: Research shows that green Supply Chain not only lead to a long-lasting natural drive towards environmental performance, but also to higher economic performance 
• Society will be prioritised over Profits: Understanding environmental links will enable managers and experts to shape their organisational values, work practices, and performances for the greater good of society.

Road Ahead

• When the different manufacturing supply chain realise the essential benefits associated with organisational learning dimensions, their drive towards environmentalism will increase.
• Policymakers should support this thinking (Green Supply Chain) by not merely imposing environmental practices as regulatory norms but by emphasising on the creation of green supply chain-based learning systems in manufacturing.

Context: According to data shared in the Parliament, the number of arsenic-affected habitations in India has increased by 145% in the last five years (2015-20).

• The country had had 1,800 arsenic-affected habitations in 2015. This increased to 4,421 habitations as of September 2020.

Key Points

• Arsenic contamination in groundwater is one of the most crippling issues in the drinking water scenario of India. 
• According to the latest report of the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), 21 states across the country have pockets with arsenic levels higher than the BIS stipulated permissible limit of 0.01 milligram per litre (mg/l). 
• The states along the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) river basin — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Assam — are the worst affected by this human-amplified geogenic occurrence. 
• In India, arsenic contamination was first officially confirmed in West Bengal in 1983. 
• Close to four decades after its detection, the scenario has worsened. 
• About 9.6 million people in West Bengal, 1.6 million in Assam, 1.2 million in Bihar, 0.5 million in Uttar Pradesh and 0.013 million in Jharkhand are at immediate risk from arsenic contamination in groundwater. 

Effects of arsenic poisoning 

• Long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking water can cause cancer in the skin, lungs, bladder and kidney. It can also cause other skin changes such as thickening and pigmentation. 
• The likelihood of effects is related to the level of exposure to arsenic and in areas where drinking water is heavily contaminated, these effects can be seen in many individuals in the population. 
• Increased risks of lung and bladder cancer and skin changes have been reported in people ingesting arsenic in drinking water at concentrations of 50 µg/litre, or even lower. 

Affecting food

• Recent research says arsenic contamination in groundwater has penetrated the food chain. 
• It eventually causes photo-accumulation of arsenic in the food crops, especially in the leaves, can emanate from contaminated water sprayed on them. 
• Yet the focus remained on drinking water, and the affected regions became the primary stake-holder in the mitigation approach. 

Road Ahead

• Mitigation measures that are currently focused on drinking water must have a more comprehensive approach to ensure arsenic-free water for drinking and agricultural products. 
• That means that the government must check for arsenic in water used for agricultural produce. 
• Both the Union and state governments must work toward facilitating research that can investigate the accumulation of arsenic in crops and addressing the agricultural concerns of the affected regions. 
• They must watch out for arsenic percolation in the food chain and the possibilities of biomagnification. 
• The government needs to also conduct a larger study on the arsenic contamination of our food chain and its health impacts to understand its spatial spread through the agricultural supply chain. 

Context: Over 450 long-finned pilot whales have died in Australia in what is being called the biggest stranding of whales on record in Australia.
Issue

• The entire pod of 460 long-finned pilot whales stuck in Macquarie Harbour, on the rugged and sparsely populated west coast of Tasmania.
• The whales have been found stranded up to 10 kilometres.
• The causes of mass strandings remain unknown.

Whale Beaching/stranding

• Beaching refers to the phenomenon of dolphins and whales stranding themselves on beaches.
• There are around 2,000 strandings each year worldwide, with most resulting in the death of the animal.
• Whales strand themselves on beaches either singularly or in groups. While individual strandings are mostly attributed to injury or sickness, it is not clear why exactly whales beach themselves in groups.

Possible reasons for whale stranding

• Some whales follow schooling fish or other prey into shallow waters, which causes the whales to become disoriented, as a result of which they get stranded.
• Another reason could be panic from being trapped by a predator such as killer whales or sharks or whales might be drawn to land by prey-rich currents.
• Some scientists believe that sonar signals and other man-made loud underwater noises may contribute to beaching events.
• The shape of the beach and the coastline could also have a role to play.

Long-finned Pilot whales

• Pilot whales are cetaceans belonging to the genus Globicephala.
• The two extant species are the long-finned pilot whale and the short-finned pilot whale.
• Pilot whales feed primarily on squid, but will also hunt large demersal fish such as cod and turbot. They are highly social and may remain with their birth pod throughout their lifetime.
• The conservation status of both species has not been determined, but bycatch and hunting are modern threats to one or both species.

About the International Whaling Commission (IWC)

• It is the global body charged with the conservation of whales and the management of whaling.
• It aim to provides conservation of whale stocks and also helps in the orderly development of the whaling industry.
• To keep under review and revise as necessary the measures laid down in the Schedule to the Convention which governs the conduct of whaling throughout the world.
• Commercial whaling was banned by the IWC in 1986 after some species were almost driven to extinction.
• 89 countries have the membership of in IWC and all the member countries are signatories to this convention. Japan withdrew from the IWC citing domestic reasons.
• India is a member state of the IWC.

There are two whale sanctuaries registered by the International Whaling Commission. They are

• Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in Antarctica
• Indian Ocean Whale Sanctuary in Seychelles

Context: World Rhino Day is observed on September 22 every year to raise awareness and build a safe natural habitat for this incredible species. 
About the day

• World Rhino Day celebrates all five species of rhino: Black, white, greater one-horned, Sumatran and Javan rhinos.
• World Rhino Day was first announced by WWF-South Africa in 2010.
• World Rhino Day grew into an international success, encompassing both African and Asian rhino species.
• Theme of this year- Yes! “Five Rhino Species Forever” celebrates both the African and Asian rhino species.
• Reason: The main reason for the loss of the rhino population is poaching, climate change, and the destruction of their natural habitat.
• Today, approximately 75% of the entire population of Greater One-horned Rhinoceros now occurs in India in the three States viz, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Key facts

• Habitats of Rhino include Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannahs and shrublands, tropical moist forests, deserts and shrublands. 

The scientific name and  conservation status of the five species are 

• Javan Rhinos (Rhinoceros sondaicus): Critically Endangered 
• Sumatran rhinos (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis): Critically Endangered 
• Black rhinos (Diceros bicornis): Critically Endangered 
• White rhinos (Ceratotherium simum): Near Threatened 
• Greater One-Horned Rhinos (Rhinoceros unicornis): Vulnerable

Rhinos have very poor eyesight. However, their poor eyesight in compensated by other senses. Rhinos can smell and hear people even when they are 30 metres away.

• Rhino horn comprises keratin. Keratin is a protein which forms the basis of human hair and nails.
• The African rhinoceros has a symbiotic relationship with oxpeckers. The bird sits on the back of rhinos and eats ticks. The bird also raises an alarm when it senses danger.
• A group of rhinoceros is referred to as a crash. Male rhinos are called bulls while females are called cows.
• Rhinos mark their territories by defecating around them.

Significance of that day

• World Rhino Day provides the opportunity for cause-related organizations, NGOs, zoos, and members of the public to celebrate in their own unique ways.
• Donors and partners are able to contribute to the organizations and initiatives of their choosing.
• Peaceful demonstrations, classroom projects, fundraising dinners, auctions and poster displays are just a few examples.

About Indian One-Horned Rhino

• India is home to the largest number of Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros in the world with the population in the range of 3000 animals in Assam, West Bengal and UP.
• The Environment Ministry has launched a National Conservation Strategy for Indian One-Horned Rhino and the conservation initiatives for rhino has also enriched the grassland management which helps in reducing the negative impacts of climate change through carbon sequestration.
• The National Rhino Conservation Strategy for India was launched last year to conserve the greater one-horned rhinoceros.
• This is a first of its kind for the species in India which aims to work for the conservation of the species under five objectives. The objectives include strengthening protection, expanding the distribution range, research and monitoring, and adequate and sustained funding.
• One-horned rhino was close to extinction with a population of less than 200 at the beginning of the 20th century. It is the only large mammal species in Asia to be down-listed from endangered to vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN Red list in 2008.

Conservation Efforts for Rhinoceros in India
Indian Rhino Vision (IRV) 2020 programme

• The WHO-India launched Indian Rhino Vision (IRV) 2020 programme to protect and increase the population of the one-horned rhinoceros.
• It is an ambitious effort to attain a wild population of at least 3,000 greater one-horned rhinos spread over seven protected areas in the Indian state of Assam by the year 2020.
• National Conservation Strategy for the Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros
• It was launched in 2019 to conserve the greater one-horned rhinoceros.
• It is a first of its kind for the species in India which aims to work for the conservation of the species under five objectives which include strengthening protection, expanding the distribution range, research and monitoring, and adequate and sustained funding.
• Its goal is to repopulate Rhinoceros population in those areas also which used to hold the Rhinoceros earlier by augmenting the existing conservation efforts and strengthening them through scientific and administrative measures.

New Delhi Declaration on Asian Rhinos 2019

• India and four rhino range nations have signed a declaration ‘The New Delhi Declaration on Asian Rhinos 2019’ for the conservation and protection of the species.
• India will collaborate with Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia and Malaysia to increase the population of three species of Asian rhinos, including the Greater one-horned rhinoceros found in the Indian sub-continent.
• The declaration was signed to conserve and review the population of the Greater one-horned, Javan and Sumatran rhinos every four years to reassess the need for joint actions to secure their future.

Context: Recently, a study conducted by Australian universities has found out that the Komodo dragon could become extinct in the next few decades due to climate change.
About Komodo Dragons

• Komodos come in a variety of colors, including blue, orange, green and gray.
• Their skin is rough and durable, reinforced with bony plates called osteoderms.
• They have long claws and a large, muscular tail.
• Komodos have good vision; they can see objects as far away as 985 feet (300 m).
• They seldom need to capture live prey directly.
• Since their venomous bite delivers toxins that inhibit blood clotting.

Distribution

• Komodos are very rare and are found in the wild only on five islands.
• They are all within Komodo National Park (Indonesia) — and the island of Flores, where the Komodo roams freely.

Habitat

• The lizard’s habitat can be anything from a tropical dry forest to a savanna to a deciduous monsoon forest.
• No matter where they live, the Komodo likes extreme heat.
• To stay warm at night, they make or find burrows to nestle down in.
• During the day the same burrow keeps them cool.

Threats

• The primary threats to the dragon’s survival include illegal hunting and loss of habitat to human settlement.
• Komodo dragons were sought as trophies by big-game hunters.
• They also are killed for skins and feet to make novelties.

Conservation

• IUCN Status: Vulnerable.
• CITES: Appendix I. (The commercial trading of live specimens or any parts, dead or alive of Komodo is prohibited.)
• Protection from poaching is made easier by the dragon’s limited distribution.
• In August 2019, the Indonesian government ordered the relocation of the residents of the Island of Komodo in a bid to conserve Komodo dragons and the Komodo National Park.

Context: Recently, death of two sloth bears have been reported from the Nandankanan Zoological Park, Bhubaneswar (Odisha).

• The exact cause of deaths is not yet known. Earlier, a 28-year-old Himalayan black bear died probably due to old age as bears are known to live for about 30 years.

About Sloth Bear

• Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) is a nocturnal insectivorous species of bears found in India.
• It feeds on fruits, ants and termites.
• It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
• The sloth bear is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• International trade of the sloth bear is prohibited as it is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

About Himalayan Black Bear

• Scientific Name: Ursus thibetenus
• Habitat: Also called Asiatic black bear, it inhabits mountainous and heavily forested areas across southern and eastern Asia.
• Protection Status: ‘Vulnerable’ in the IUCN Red List, Appendix I in CITES listing, Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• Threats: Illegal hunting for body parts, specifically the gallbladder, paws and skiing poses the main threat, together with habitat loss caused by logging, expansion of human settlements and roads.

About Nandankanan zoo

• It is located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
• It lies in adjacent to Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary.
• It is the only zoological park in India to become an institutional member of World Association of Zoos and Aquarium (WAZA).
• The Nandankanan zoo hosts India’s only pangolin conservation breeding centre.
• It is the first zoo in the World to breed White tiger and Melanistic tiger.
• It was the world’s first captive crocodile breeding centre, where gharials were bred in captivity in 1980.
• The State Botanical Garden of Nandankanan is one of the pioneering plant conservation and nature education centres of Odisha.

Note: World Association of Zoos & Aquariums (WAZA) is the global alliance of regional associations, national federations, zoos and aquariums, dedicated to the care and conservation of animals and their habitats around the world.

Context: Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has launched the 'Centralized Farm Machinery Performance Testing Portal'.
Key Points

• The portal has been developed by the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare.
• It is seen as a step to improve the services of farm machinery testing institutions and bringing out transparency in the entire process of testing and evaluation of machines.
• The portal will facilitate manufacturers in applying, communicating and monitoring the progress of testing of their machines in a seamless manner as it is easily accessible from any location and from any device connected to the Internet.
• It will improve the efficiency of the testing institutes thereby reducing testing time for various agricultural machines and equipment.

Benefits of agricultural mechanization

• It contributes to increasing the efficiency and productivity of all direct as well as indirect inputs used in the crop production system.
• It also reduces the drudgery associated with various farm operations.
• Testing of farm machines is an important aspect of agricultural mechanization which benefits both buyers i.e. farmers as well as the manufacturers of agricultural machinery.
• Testing and evaluation of agricultural machinery encourage improvement in quality and functional suitability.
• Comparable data for similar machines are available to manufacturers, which help them in improving the design of their product and open up avenues in the commercialization of agricultural machinery not only on the national level but also globally.

Context: Recently, a hackathon named “KRITAGYA” has been planned by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP).

About ‘Kritagya’ Hackathon

• It is being organised as an Ag-Tech Hackathon to promote innovation in farm mechanization.
• It is a joint initiative by NAHEP and Agricultural Engineering Division.
• It aims to promote potential technology solutions for enhancing farm mechanization with special emphasis on women-friendly equipment.
• Students, faculties and innovators/entrepreneurs from any university/technical institution across the country can apply and participate in the event in the form of a group.
• Under this, they can propose solutions for farm mechanization.
• Participating students can collaborate with local start-ups, students from technology institutes, and can win Rs. 5 lakhs, Rs 3 lakhs and Rs. 1 lakh as first, second and third prize.
• KRITAGYA is an acronym for KRI for Krishi (Agriculture), TA for Taknik (Technology) and GYA for Gyan (Knowledge).
• The development and promotion of women-friendly equipment through innovative technology solutions and right collaborations with stakeholders would play an important role in enhancing farm productivity and profitability.

Additional Information
National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP)

• The ICAR commenced NAHEP in 2017.
• It is a Government of India and World Bank project.
• Objective: To support the National Agricultural Research and Education System providing more relevant and better quality education to the students.

Context: Recently, the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority has written to the chief secretaries of Punjab and Haryana urging them to address the issue of stubble burning urgently.
Issues

• Paddy residue is not used as fodder as it’s unfit and hence farmers burn both the paddy stalk and straw close to autumn every year which is a key contributing factor of pollution causing breathing problems in the northern region.
• Early burning of crop residue has begun in the states of Punjab and Haryana.
• According to a SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research under the Central government) estimate, based on harmonising the INSAT-3, 3D and NASA satellite, EPCA noted that Punjab has seen 42 fire counts in a single day.
• In 2019, about 9.8 million tonnes of the total estimated crop residue of 20 million tonnes were burnt in Punjab. In Haryana, of a total of 7 million tonnes, 1.24 million tonnes of stubble was burnt.

About EPCA 

• It is a Supreme Court mandated body tasked with taking various measures to tackle air pollution in the National Capital Region.
• It was notified in 1998 by Environment Ministry under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.

Composition

• Besides the chairman, the EPCA has 14 members, some of whom are the environment secretary of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT), chairperson of the New Delhi Municipal Council, transport commissioner of the NCT, the commissioners of various municipal corporations of Delhi and professors at IIT Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Powers

• It has the power suo-moto, or on the basis of complaints made by any individual, representative body or organization functioning in the field of environment.

Functions

• To protect and improve quality of environment and prevent and control environmental pollution in National Capital Region.
• To enforce Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in NCR as per the pollution levels.

Additional Information
About INSAT-3D

• INSAT-3D is an advanced weather satellite of India configured with an improved Imaging System and Atmospheric Sounder.
• INSAT-3D is designed for enhanced meteorological observations, monitoring of land and ocean surfaces, generating a vertical profile of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and humidity for weather forecasting and disaster warning.

Context: According to the government, the new Bills passed by Parliament attempt to make it easier for farmers to sell to and produce for the private sector. The hope is that liberalising the sector and allowing greater play for market forces will make Indian agriculture more efficient and more remunerative for the farmers.

• In this context, it is important to understand some of the basics of Indian agriculture.

Key Facts

• Agriculture’s contribution to national output: At the time of Independence, agriculture and allied activities accounted for around 54% of India’s national income. As of 2019-20, it is less than 17% (in gross value-added terms).
• Employment in Agriculture: the proportion of Indians engaged in agriculture has fallen from 70% in 1951 to 55% in 2011. The Committee on Doubling Farmers’ Income (2017) observes that the dependence of the rural workforce on agriculture for employment has not declined in proportion to the falling contribution of agriculture to GDP.
• Proportion of landless labourers: It has increased from 28% (27 mn) in 1951 to 55% (144 mn) in 2011.
• Size of Landholding: 86% of all landholdings in India are small (between 1 and 2 hectares) and marginal (less than 1 hectare). The average size among marginal holdings is 0.37 ha.
• Terms of Trade between farmers and non-farmers: It is the ratio between the prices paid by the farmers for their inputs and the prices received by the farmers for their output. If the ToT is less than 100, it means farmers are worse off. ToT rapidly improved between 2004-05 and 2010-11 to breach the 100-mark but since then it has worsened for farmers.
• Geographical Disparity: Some of the most populous states like Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh have very low levels of income and very high proportions of indebtedness. And even the relatively more prosperous states have fairly high levels of indebtedness.

Context: As per International resource data from Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) Statistics 2020, India stands at 9th position in terms of certified agricultural land with 1.94 million ha(2018-19).
Background

• Cultivable land area under organic farming has more than doubled from 11.83 lakh ha in 2014 to 29.17 lakh ha in 2020 due to the focused efforts of the Government. 
• Over the years, the organic promotion activities led to development of State specific organic brands, increased domestic supply and exports of organic produce from NER. 
• Taking cue from the success of the organic initiatives, a target of 20 lakh ha additional area coverage by 2024 is envisaged in the vision document. 
• Awareness programmes, availability of adequate post- harvest infrastructure, marketing facilities, premium price for the organic produce etc., would certainly motivate farmers towards organic farming thereby increasing organic coverage in the country.

The schemes under which assistance is provided by the GOI for promoting organic farming in India are:

• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY): It is a traditional farming improvement programme launched in 2015. Know more in the linked article.

Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER)

• The scheme promotes 3rd party certified organic farming of niche crops of the northeast region through Farmers Producer organizations (FPOs) with a focus on exports.
• Farmers are given an assistance of Rs 25000/ha/3 years for organic inputs including organic manure and biofertilisers, etc.
• Support for the formation of FPOs, capacity building, post-harvest infrastructure up to Rs 2 crores are also provided in the scheme.

Capital Investment Subsidy Scheme (CISS) under Soil Health Management Scheme

• 100% assistance is provided to State Government/Government agencies for setting up of mechanized fruit/vegetable market waste/Agro waste compost production unit up to a maximum limit of Rs.190.00 Lakh/unit (3000 Total Per Annum TPA capacity).
• Similarly, for individuals/private agencies, assistance up to 33% of the cost limit to Rs 63 lakh/unit as capital investment is provided.

National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP): This scheme supports plantation, maintenance and intercropping with Tree Borne Oilseeds (TBOs) e.g. olive, neem, karanja, mahua, etc. Subsidised biofertilisers are provided under the scheme.

National Food Security Mission (NFSM): Under this scheme, financial help is given for biofertilisers, thereby boosting organic farming. 

Additional Information

• China is in the third position with 3.14 million ha and the US is in the seventh position with 2.02 million ha of certified agricultural land.

Also Read: https://abhipedia.abhimanu.com/Article/IAS/MjA0MzMw/Status-of-Organic-farming-in-India-Geography-IAS

Context: Against the backdrop of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, International Energy Agency (IEA), in collaboration with NITI Aayog, presented a ‘Special Report on Sustainable Recovery’.
About the Report

• It is part of IEA’s flagship World Energy Outlook series, the report proposes a number of actions that could be taken over the next three years to revitalize economies and boost employment while making energy systems cleaner and more resilient.
• According to report, Post the 2008–09 financial crisis, green measures accounted for around 16% of the total stimulus measures. To recover from the pandemic, we must be even more ambitious and decisive towards clean investments.
• The IEA’s report, prepared in cooperation with IMF, details energy-focused policies and investments that could help boost economic growth, create jobs and put emissions into structural decline.
• The report mentions key sectors for creating jobs: electricity, transportation, buildings, industry and sustainable biofuels and innovations.
• However, the measures highlighted in the report remains the sovereign choice of the country.

International Energy Agency

• The International Energy Agency (IEA) is an autonomous organisation which works to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy.
• Established in 1974 as per framework of the OECD.
• It is headquartered in Paris, France.
• World Enegry Outlook report is released by IEA annually.
• India became an associate member of the International Energy Agency in 2017.
• Mexico officially became the International Energy Agency’s 30th member country in February 2018, and its first member in Latin America.

Composition and eligibility

• It has 30 members at present.
• IEA family also includes eight association countries.
• A candidate country must be a member country of the OECD.
• But all OECD members are not IEA members.

Reports released by IEA

• Global Energy & CO2 Status Report.
• World Energy Outlook.
• World Energy Statistics.
• World Energy Balances.
• Energy Technology Perspectives.

OECD

• The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is an intergovernmental economic organisation with 37 member countries.
• Colombia has become the OECD’s 37th Member country.
• The mission of the OECD is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.
• OECD is an official United Nations observer.
• It was founded in 1961.
• It is headquartered in Paris, France.

Context: On 22nd September 2020, the day and night was almost equal in most locations marking the start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere which lasts until the winter solstice (December 21 or 22).

About the Event

• The autumnal equinox for the Northern Hemisphere falls on 22 September this year.
• This day marks the beginning of autumn and cooler temperatures. 
• For the northern hemisphere, this means it will follow a shorter path across the sky, leading to shorter days and longer nights.
• On the other hand, spring starts in the Southern Hemisphere and the sun will be located directly on the celestial equator. 

What are Equinoxes (Vernal & Autumnal)?

• The word equinox is derived from two Latin words – aequus (equal) and nox (night).
• There are only two times of the year when the Earth’s axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, which results in a nearly equal amount of daylight and darkness at all latitudes. These events are referred to as Equinoxes.
• The equinoxes happen in March (about March 21) and September (about September 23) on these days the Sun is exactly above the Equator
• The equator and places near the equator experience nearly 12 hours of the day and 12 hours of the night.

Reasons

• The phenomenon occurs due to the Earth’s axial tilt, or the angle by which the planet is tilted relative to the Sun. 
• The imaginary axis of our planet is not straight up and down but is tilted by 23.5 degrees. 
• This is why different regions of the Earth experience different measures of sunlight.

Implications

• The days become a little longer at the higher latitudes (those at a distance from the equator) because it takes the sun longer to rise and set.  
• The solstices, together with the equinoxes, are connected with seasons, harvests and livelihood. Therefore, many cultures celebrate various combinations of the solstices, the equinoxes, and the midpoints between them, leading to various holidays arising around these events.

What are Solstices (Summer & Winter)?

• The two solstices happen in June (20 or 21) and December (21 or 22). These are the days when the Sun’s path in the sky is the farthest north or south from the Equator.
• In the Northern Hemisphere, the June solstice marks the start of summer, this is when the North Pole is tilted closest to the Sun, and the Sun’s rays are directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer.
• The summer solstice occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer which is located at 23.5° latitude North and for every place north of the Tropic of Cancer, the sun is at its highest point in the sky and this is the longest day of the year.
• The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, it occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, which is located at 23.5° south of the equator.

Also Read: https://abhipedia.abhimanu.com/Article/IAS/MTc4NTA1/Annular-Eclipse-of-the-Sun--2020-Geography-IAS

Context: The day September 19 marks the 60th anniversary of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) between India and Pakistan. On that day it was signed in Karachi by the first Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and then President of Pakistan Ayub Khan.

• The Indus system comprises the main Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. The basin is mainly shared by India and Pakistan with a small share for China and Afghanistan.

Indus Waters Treaty, 1960

• The Indus Waters Treaty is a water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan, brokered by the World Bank signed in Karachi in 1960.
• According to this agreement, control over the water flowing in three “eastern” rivers of India — the Beas, the Ravi and the Sutlej was given to India
• The control over the water flowing in three “western” rivers of India — the Indus, the Chenab and the Jhelum was given to Pakistan.
• India can use 20% of Indus water for irrigation, transport and power generation since it originates in India and Chenab and Jhelum for consumption purposes.
• The treaty allowed India to use western rivers water for limited irrigation use and unrestricted use for power generation, domestic, industrial and non-consumptive uses such as navigation, floating of property, fish culture, etc. while laying down precise regulations for India to build projects
• India has also been given the right to generate hydroelectricity through the run of the river (RoR) projects on the Western Rivers which, subject to specific criteria for design and operation is unrestricted.

Based on equitable water-sharing

• Back in time, partitioning the Indus rivers system was inevitable after the Partition of India in 1947.
• The sharing formula devised after prolonged negotiations sliced the Indus system into two halves.
• Equitable it may have seemed, but the fact remained that India conceded 80.52 per cent of the aggregate water flows in the Indus system to Pakistan.
• It also gave Rs 83 crore in pounds sterling to Pakistan to help build replacement canals from the western rivers. Such generosity is unusual of an upper riparian.
• India conceded its upper riparian position on the western rivers for the complete rights on the eastern rivers. Water was critical for India’s development plans.

India plays resilient

• That the treaty has remained “uninterrupted” is because India respects its signatory and values trans-boundary Rivers as an important connector in the region in terms of both diplomacy and economic prosperity.
• There have been several instances of terror attacks which could have prompted India, within the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, to withdraw from the IWT.
• However, on each occasion, India chose not to do so.

Significance of the treaty

• It is a treaty that is often cited as an example of the possibilities of peaceful coexistence that exist despite the troubled relationship.
• Well-wishers of the treaty often dub it “uninterrupted and uninterruptible”.
• The World Bank, which, as the third party, played a pivotal role in crafting the IWT, continues to take particular pride that the treaty functions.

Need for a rethink

• The role of India, as a responsible upper riparian abiding by the provisions of the treaty, has been remarkable.
• However, of late, India is under pressure to rethink the extent to which it can remain committed to the provisions, as its overall political relations with Pakistan becomes intractable.

Road Ahead

• The role of India, as a responsible upper riparian abiding by the provisions of the treaty, has been remarkable but the country is under pressure to rethink the extent to which it can remain committed to the provisions, as its overall political relations with Pakistan becomes intractable.
• IWT is often cited as an example of the possibilities of peaceful coexistence that exist despite the troubled relationship between both neighbouring countries.

Also Read: https://abhipedia.abhimanu.com/Article/IAS/MjAyODIw/India--Pakistan-spar-over-Indus-water-talks-Geography-IAS

Context: According to the Global Subnational River-Borders database, Rivers make up 23 per cent of international borders, 17 per cent of the world’s state and provincial borders and 12 per cent of all county-level local borders.

• Rivers have historically formed the bedrock of several civilisations but have also been used to divide land and form borders.
• According to the Global Subnational River-Borders database, Rivers make up 23 per cent of international borders, 17 per cent of the world’s state and provincial borders and 12 per cent of all county-level local borders.

Key highlights

• The database found nearly half of South America’s borders are made by rivers, the greatest proportion of international borders made like this.
• North America also has sizable percentages of borders made by rivers (28 per cent), followed by Africa (26 per cent) and Europe (21 per cent).
• The continents where European powers established colonies and extended great influence tended to have more borders defined by rivers as European explorers, cartographers, politicians and diplomats found rivers to be a convenient way to divide territories.
• Asia, however, had fewer river borders (16 per cent), compared to other continents as European influence there was limited.
• This was with the exception of south Asia, where such influence was significantly prevalent until the 20th century.

Context: Recently, Lok Sabha unanimously passed the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
Key Points

• The Bill will replace the Salary, Allowances And Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 which was earlier passed by the Union Cabinet in April 2020.
• It reduces the basic salary of MPs by 30% for one year to meet the exigencies arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Under this, the government also amended certain Rules under the 1954 Act to reduce constituency allowance and office expenses allowance of MPs.
• These amendments have been made for a period of one year effective from April 1, 2020.

Need for salary reduction

• As the economy was affected due to the Covid-19 outbreak and funds are needed to fight with the COVID-19 pandemic so this will provide more funds to government kitty for other schemes and welfare of the people. 
• Important value additions
• The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954 provides for the salary, allowances and pension of Members of Parliament.

Note: Article 106: The members of either House of Parliament shall be entitled to receive such salaries and allowances as may from time to time be determined by Parliament by law.

Context: Recently eight Rajya Sabha MPs were suspended for unruly behaviour in the House.
What is the reason for suspending an MP?

• The general principle is that it is the role and duty of the Presiding Officer — Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chairman of Rajya Sabha — to maintain order so that the House can function smoothly.
• In order to ensure that proceedings are conducted in the proper manner, the Speaker/Chairman is empowered to force a Member to withdraw from the House.

What are the rules under which the Presiding Officer acts?

• Rule Number 373 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business provides for the suspension of MPs by the Speaker of the House.
• To deal with more recalcitrant Members, the Speaker make take recourse to Rules 374 and 374A.
• Rule 374 says: The Speaker may, if deems it necessary, name a Member who disregards the authority of the Chair or abuses the rules of the House by persistently and wilfully obstructing the business thereof.
• Rule 374A was incorporated in the Rule Book on December 5, 2001. The intention was to skirt around the necessity of moving and adopting a motion for suspension.

Procedure in Rajya Sabha

• It’s largely similar, with one important difference.
• Like the Speaker in Lok Sabha, the Chairman of Rajya Sabha is empowered under Rule Number 255 of its Rule Book to “direct any Member whose conduct is in his opinion grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately” from the House.
• Unlike the Speaker, however, the Rajya Sabha Chairman does not have the power to suspend a Member. The House may, by another motion, terminate the suspension.
• The Chairman may “name a Member who disregards the authority of the Chair or abuses the rules of the Council by persistently and wilfully obstructing” business.
• In such a situation, the House may adopt a motion suspending the Member from the service of the House for a period not exceeding the remainder of the session.

Is suspending an MP a decent practice?

• It is a strong action, but it is not uncommon. In general, a balance has to be struck.
• There can be no question that the enforcement of the supreme authority of the Presiding Officer is essential for smooth conduct of proceedings.
• However, it must be remembered that the job of the Presiding Officer is to run the House, not to lord over it.

Alternatives to suspension

• The solution to unruly behaviour has to be long-term and consistent with democratic values.
• A previous Speaker had ordered that television cameras be focussed on the demonstrating members so that people could see for themselves how their representatives were behaving in the House.

Present situation

• In the present case, however, the Opposition has accused the Chairman of stopping the telecast of the proceedings in Rajya Sabha.
• What cannot be denied is that Speaker’s/Chairman’s actions are often dictated more by expediency and the stand of the party that they belong to, rather than by the Rules and principles.
• So, the ruling party of the day invariably insists on the maintenance of discipline, just as the Opposition insists on its right to protest. And their positions change when their roles flip.

Context: Queen Elizabeth II, who is the head of state in the UK and 15 other Commonwealth realms will be dropped as monarch by Barbados in 2021.
Key points

• Barbados aims to complete the process of becoming a republic before its 55th anniversary of independence from Britain, in November 2021.
• With this, it will become the first country in almost three decades to sever ties with the British royal family and become a republic.
• Mauritius being the last to do so in 1992.

Barbados

• Barbados, a former British colony, gained its independence in 1966.
• Although it is an independent state, Queen Elizabeth remains its constitutional head
• It shall remain a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
• Its current Prime Minister is Mia Mottley, who is the first woman to hold the post in the nation. She was elected in 2018.

Commonwealth of Nations

• It is an international intergovernmental organization of countries that were mostly former territories of the British Empire and dependencies.
• It was established by the London Declaration in 1949.
• Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the Commonwealth.
• The current membership includes 54 Countries.
• Maldives becomes 54th member of Commonwealth.
• The membership is based on free and equal voluntary co -operation.
• The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is a biennial summit meeting of the heads of government from all Commonwealth nations.

Context: Recently, India called for the appointment of an Indian lawyer or a Queen’s counsel for Indian death-row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav to ensure a free and fair trial in the review of his death sentence in Pakistan.
Current Scenario

• India’s suggestion comes in the backdrop of the ongoing negotiations between the two sides to ensure a free and fair trial for the death row prisoner in Pakistani custody. 
• The assertion by India comes days after Pakistan’s Parliament has extended for four months an ordinance that allowed Jadhav to file an appeal against his conviction in a high court as required by the International Court of Justice.
• The Indian Government said the government of Pakistan has not been able to fulfil its obligations on implementation of the ICJ judgment in letter and spirit.
• India mentioned that Pakistan has not yet addressed the core issues, which include the provision of all documents related to the case, providing unconditional and unimpeded consular access to Kulbhusan Jadhav and appointment of an Indian lawyer or a Queen’s counsel to ensure a free and fair trial. 

About the Kulbhushan Jadhav Case

• Kulbushan Jadhav was allegedly arrested in the Chaman area of Balochistan on the Pakistan- Afghanistan border on March 3, 2016.
• India denied that he had any links to its government but said that he was running a business in the Iranian port city of Chabahar after a “premature retirement” from the Navy.
• India believed that Kulbhushan Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran and his subsequent presence in Pakistan has never been explained credibly.
• Kulbhushan Jadhav was sentenced to death in a Field General Court Martial on April 10, 2017, after three-and-a-half months of trial after he was found guilty on charges of espionage.

India Approach to the International Court of Justice (ICJ)

• India had dragged Pakistan to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on May 8, 2017 for refusing consular access to Jadhav and for violating the Vienna Convention on consular relations.
• India accused Pakistan of violating the Vienna Convention and conducting a “farcical trial” for convicting Jadhav without a “shred of evidence”.
• ICJ ruled in July 2019 that Pakistan must undertake an “effective review and reconsideration” of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav and also to grant consular access to India without further delay.

India’s argument at ICJ 

• Following are the main arguments made by India in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case:
• Kulbhushan Jadhav has not got the right to get proper legal assistance and the right to consular access.
• The execution of the death sentence cannot be done while this court is hearing the appeal. Else, it will be a violation of the Vienna Convention. 
• Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he was involved in business activities after retiring from the Indian Navy.

Pakistan’s argument

• The court lacks jurisdiction. Pakistan argued that Vienna Convention provisions not intended to apply to a ‘spy’ involved in terror activities.

What is Queen’s Counsel?

• Queen’s Counsel is a barrister or advocate, appointed Counsel to the UK Crown on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor.
• The position originated in England.
• Some Commonwealth countries have either abolished the position or re-named it so as to remove monarchical connotations, for example, ’Senior Counsel’ or ’Senior Advocate’.
• Queen’s Counsel is an office, conferred by the Crown that is recognised by courts.
• Senior Advocate Harish Salve earlier this year has been appointed as Queen’s Counsel (QC) for the courts of England and Wales.

About International Court of Justice

• It is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN).
• It was established in June 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations and began work in 1946.
• The Court is located at Hague (Netherlands). Of the six principal organs of the United Nations, it is the only one not located in New York (United States of America).
• All 193 UN members are automatically parties to the Court’s statute. Non-UN members may also become parties to the Court’s statute.
• Its judgments have binding force and are without appeal for the parties concerned. Though there is no way ICJ can enforce its decisions. However, United Nations Security Council can compel the states to follow the ICJ’s ruling.
• The President and Vice-President are elected by the Members of the Court every three years by secret ballot.

Composition

• The Court is composed of 15 judges, who are elected for nine years.
• 15 judges are distributed as per the regions: three from Africa, two from Latin America and Caribbean, three from Asia, five from Western Europe and other states and two from Eastern Europe.

Role of the court

• To settle legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs.
• It has no jurisdiction to deal with applications from individuals, non-governmental organizations, corporations or any other private entity. It or help them in their dealings with national authorities.
• ICJ is not a supreme court to which national courts can turn. It is not an appeal court for any international tribunal.

Who nominates the ICJ judge candidates?

• Every country, party to the UN Charter, designates a group who propose candidates for the office of ICJ judges. This group includes four members/jurists of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, two of whom could be of their nationality. After that, voting in UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council occurs to select judges.

What differentiates the ICJ from the International Criminal Court and the ad hoc international criminal tribunals?

• ICJ has no jurisdiction to try individuals accused of war crimes or crimes against humanity.
• This task of hearing proceedings of war crimes is done by national courts, the ad hoc criminal tribunals established by the United Nations (such as the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) to take over residual functions from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and Rwanda (ICTR)).

How does the International Court of Justice differ from other international courts?

• The ICJ differs from the Court of Justice of the European Union (based in Luxembourg), whose role is to interpret European Community legislation uniformly and also differ from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (in Costa Rica), which deal with allegations of violations of the human rights conventions under which they were set up.
• The jurisdiction of the ICJ is general and thereby differs from that of specialist international tribunals, such as the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

About Vienna Convention

• The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963 is an international treaty that defines a framework for consular relations between independent states.
• A consul normally operates out of an embassy in another country and performs two functions: (1) protecting in the host country the interests of their countrymen, and (2) furthering the commercial and economic relations between the two states.
• The treaty provides for consular immunity. The treaty has been ratified by 179 states. Advisory opinions are not binding and are only consultative, though they are considered important.

Context: At a special session marking 75 years of the United Nations, the Prime Minister of India called for reform of its outdated structures, pointing out that in the absence of comprehensive changes, the world body today faces a crisis of confidence.
India’s call for UNSC Reforms

• India has been at the forefront of demanding reform in the UN, particularly its principal organ, the Security Council.
• For decades, India has been staking its claim as one of the world’s largest economies and most populous countries, with a track record in promoting a rules-based international order, and contributing to peacekeeping through UN forces.
• Despite the dysfunctional power balance that prevails, the UN’s reform process, held through Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) has not made progress over decades.

The UN has chosen to roll over the discussions of the IGN, which are looking at five major issues:

• Enlarging the Security Council.
• Categories of membership.
• The question of the veto that five Permanent Members of the UNSC wield.
• Regional representation.
• Redistributing the Security Council-General Assembly power balance.

Need for Reforms

• The UN was born in the crisis of the World War era, and the realities of that time can hardly be compared to the present.
• The UNSC’s permanent, veto-carrying members – the U.S., the U.K., France, Russia and later China, chosen by virtue of being winners of World War II can hardly claim adequate representation of the world’s leadership today.
• The UNSC does not include a permanent member from the African, Australian and South American continents.
• Pillars of the multilateral order, such as the G-4 group of Brazil, India, Germany and Japan, have been ignored for long.
• Many more representative options exist, and that has been the crux of the battle for change.
• There is a deep polarisation within the UN’s membership, so decisions are either not taken, or not heeded.
• Frequent divisions within the UNSC P-5 end up blocking key decisions.

Road Ahead

• These issues have become all the more significant at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has brought the world to a standstill; yet, the UN, the UNSC, and WHO have failed to play an effective role in helping nations deal with the spread.
• The UN’s 75th anniversary declaration passed by all members pledges to upgrade the United Nations with a commitment to instil new life in the discussions on the reform of the Security Council.
• The UNSC’s permanent members must recognise the deep peril the UN faces, look beyond their own interests for the greater good of the world and its peace-building architecture and support the reform process.

Marathon runner Fauja Singh makes it to children’s book

Fauja Singh (109), the world’s oldest marathon runner, has created history as this ‘young athlete’ has been featured as a superhero in a children’s book. He has beaten a number of world records in multiple age brackets. However, none of his times have been ratified as records.

The book ‘Fauja Singh Keeps Going’, authored by New York-based professor Simran Jeet Singh, was released last month.

It narrates the story of the centenarian, a native of Beas village in Jalandhar district, who completed a marathon at the age of 100 in 2011. It aims to tell the children the story of a Sikh man who began running at the age of 81, since he was born with weak legs, for which kids in the village teased him, calling him ‘danda’ or stick.

Fauja Singh never learned to read because he didn’t go to school, and even now, at the age of 109, he still has not learned to read. The book, which includes illustrations by Baljinder Kaur, traces the journey of the young Fauja from Punjab to the UK. It describes how the young Fauja, whose name meant ‘warrior lion’, wanted to feel stronger but his parents worried that he might not even be able to walk.

In England, Fauja Singh eventually underwent professional training and emerged the world’s oldest runner when he ran the Toronto Waterfront Marathon at the age of 100 in 2011. Fauja Singh has also written a foreword for the book.

Farmer’s Protest

Recently, there have been strong protests from farmers, especially from the states of Punjab and Haryana, against three farm bills that seek to replace ordinances issued in june 2020.

These bills envisage to bring change in some of the key aspects of the farm economy — trade in agricultural commodities, price assurance, farm services including contracts, and stock limits for essential commodities.

These bills sought to bring much needed reforms in the agricultural marketing system such as removing restrictions of private stock holding of agricultural produce or creating trading areas free of middlemen and take the market to the farmer.

However, farmers are apprehensive that the free market philosophy supported by these bills could undermine the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system and make farmers vulnerable to market forces.

Note :

Three Farm Bills that are bond of contention:

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020,
The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020,
Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

Intended Benefits Associated with These Bills
The Bills aim to do away with government interference in agricultural trade by creating trading areas free of middlemen and government taxes outside the structure of Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs).
It will allow farmers an option to sell their produce directly to these new zones, without going through the middlemen and paying levies such as mandi fees.
It sought to remove stock holding limits as well as curbs on inter-State and intra-State trade, and create a framework for contract farming.
Also, these bills promote the creation of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO) on a large scale and will help in creating a farmer-friendly environment for contract farming where small players can benefit.
These bills may enable private players to invest in warehousing, grading and other marketing infrastructure.
A combined effect of these bills will help in creating a ‘One Nation, One Market’ for agricultural produce.
 

Issues Raised by The Farmers & Opposition
Federal Angle: The provisions in the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, provides for unfettered commerce in designated trade areas outside APMC jurisdictions.
Apart from this, the bill empowers the Centre government to issue orders to States in furtherance of the law’s objectives.
However, matters of trade and agriculture being the part of subjects on the State list, have caused resentment in States.
Lack of Consultation: First the ordinance route and now the hastily attempt to pass the Bills without proper consultation adds to the mistrust among various stakeholders including farmers.
Also, by allowing ‘trade zones’ to come up outside the APMC area, farmers have become apprehensive that the new system would lead to eventual exit from the minimum support price.
Absence of any regulation in non-APMC mandis: Another issue that is raised by the farmers is that the proposed bills give the preference for corporate interests at the cost of farmers’ interests.
In absence of any regulation in non-APMC mandis, the farmers may find it difficult to deal with Corporates, as they solely operate on the motive of profit seeking.
Non-Favourable Market Conditions: While retail prices have remained high, data from the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) suggest a deceleration in farm gate prices for most agricultural produce.
With rising input costs, farmers do not see the free market based framework providing them remunerative prices.
These fears gain strength with the experience of States such as Bihar which abolished APMCs in 2006. After the abolition of mandis, farmers in Bihar on average received lower prices compared to the MSP for most crops.

Way Forward
Improve Agricultural Infrastructure to Strengthen Competition: Government should massively fund the expansion of the APMC market system, make efforts to remove trade cartels, and provide farmers good roads, logistics of scale and real time information.
Empowering State Farmers Commissions: Rather than opting for heavy centralisation, the emphasis should be on empowering farmers through State Farmers Commissions recommended by the National Commission for Farmers, to bring about a speedy government response to issues.
Consensus Building: The Centre should reach out to those opposing the Bills, including farmers, explain to them the need for reform, and get them on board.
 

Conclusion
Without strong institutional arrangements, the free market may harm lakhs of unorganised small farmers, who have been remarkably productive and shored up the economy even during a pandemic.

Barcode to ensure sale of quality seeds

In a move to protect farmers from unscrupulous traders selling fake or low-quality seeds, the Punjab Government has decided to deploy advanced certification technology, including barcodes and QR codes, to ensure farmers get genuine seeds of various crops, including wheat and rice.

Encouraged by a successful project for potato crop seeds, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has approved deployment of advanced traceability certification through block chain technology to ensure farmers are not cheated with fake and uncertified seeds.

The certified seeds will be distribute to farmers in the coming seasons, beginning with 1.50 lakh quintal seeds of fodder, oil and cereal crops to be cultivated by Punjab State Seed Corporation across 10,000 acres.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that it was impermissible for a public service commission to evolve its own method of selection, which was not in consonance with the relevant service rules. Justice Anil Kshetarpal also ruled that commission chairman could not take important policy decisions at individual level. The ruling came on a petition filed against the State of Punjab and others by Jasveer Singh through counsel Alka Chatrath, seeking to set aside a recruitment notice issued by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) in September 2018, inviting applications for 22 posts of extra assistant conservator of forest in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Protection. It was argued that the commission had drawn its own pattern of conducting written examinations. Justice Kshetarpal asserted that Article 320(1) of the Constitution provided that the Union and the state public service commissions were required to conduct examinations for appointment to the services of the union and the state. “Once the service rules provide for the method of recruitment, in the considered view of this court, the commission has no jurisdiction to deviate or ignore the same,” Justice Kshetarpal added.

After much delay, the state Cabinet today approved the ordinance for setting up of the multi-member Punjab State Vigilance Commission. An independent body, the Commission will have supremacy over the state vigilance bureau and the police in respect of investigation of offences under the Corruption Act. During 2002-07, the then Congress regime approved the Punjab State Vigilance Commission Act, 2006. However, the commission was abolished when the Akalis came to power in March 2007.
As per the ‘Punjab State Vigilance Commission Ordinance, 2020’, the body will comprise a chairman with two members, with a term of five years. To be set up along the lines of the Central Vigilance Commission, the state body would be headed by a retired High Court judge and have commissioners, including a senior IAS officer who has held the post of chief secretary or additional chief secretary of a state government; and a senior IPS officer who have held the post of DGP or ADGP. These appointments shall be made on the recommendations of a committee chaired by the CM with the Vidhan Sabha Speaker and the senior-most minister as its members. There is a Central Vigilance Commission to enquire into offences alleged to have been committed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, by public servants. However, there is, at present, no such body under the state government.

Vigilance Bureau Punjab

The Vigilance Bureau has been empowered to enquire into allegation against all public servants, as defined under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The jurisdiction of Vigilance Bureau was originally restricted to Punjab Government employees and members of All India Services (Para I (B) (ii) instructions dated 15.09.1967). However, it was extended vide instructions dated 15.10.1979 so as to cover employees of autonomous and statutory Boards/ Corporations and Improvement Trusts. At present all the public servants are covered under prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 subject to its jurisdiction.

The Vigilance Bureau ordinarily does not take cognizance of anonymous and pseudonymous complaints unless these contain specific allegations of verifiable nature. Complaints requiring administrative action are referred to administrative department concerned for necessary action. If during enquiries the allegations are proved then Vigilance Enquiries/Criminal Cases are registered against the suspects. During the investigation of Vigilance Enquiries the material collected by IO is looked into by the legal & technical support staff of Vigilance Bureau who examines the viability and nature of evidence and assists the Chief Director, Vigilance Bureau in taking the final decision. Criminal cases under PC Act are registered where there is the evidence. Besides, Regular Departmental proceedings are recommended to the Administrative Department/Vigilance Department against public servants.

Cases registered under the P.C. Act-1988 were previously being investigated by Gazetted Police Officers only. On the proposal of Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, Govt. of Punjab (Deptt. of Vigilance), vide its Notification dated 20.9.2012, in exercise of the powers conferred by the first proviso to section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act-1988, has authorized Inspectors of Police, for the time being, serving in the Vigilance Bureau, Punjab and has entrusted all powers to them to investigate under P.C.Act-1988.

The main function of the Vigilance Bureau is as under:-

• To collect intelligence regarding corruption and corrupt public servants.
• To conduct enquiries into the complaints of corruption against public servants.
• To conduct investigation of criminal cases involving corruption by the public servants.
• To assist in prosecution against the defaulter public servants in trial courts.
• To conduct raids to catch corrupt Govt. Servants red-handed while accepting bribes.
• To submit information, data and reports to the State Govt. regarding corruption and corrupt public servants.
• To suggest measures to check corruption in various Govt. Department.
• To keep a watch over departmental proceedings on charges of corruption against public servants entrusted to respective departments.
• To conduct joint checking of the ongoing projects in various departments.

After much delay, the state Cabinet today approved the ordinance for setting up of the multi-member Punjab State Vigilance Commission. An independent body, the Commission will have supremacy over the state vigilance bureau and the police in respect of investigation of offences under the Corruption Act. During 2002-07, the then Congress regime approved the Punjab State Vigilance Commission Act, 2006. However, the commission was abolished when the Akalis came to power in March 2007.
As per the ‘Punjab State Vigilance Commission Ordinance, 2020’, the body will comprise a chairman with two members, with a term of five years. To be set up along the lines of the Central Vigilance Commission, the state body would be headed by a retired High Court judge and have commissioners, including a senior IAS officer who has held the post of chief secretary or additional chief secretary of a state government; and a senior IPS officer who have held the post of DGP or ADGP. These appointments shall be made on the recommendations of a committee chaired by the CM with the Vidhan Sabha Speaker and the senior-most minister as its members. There is a Central Vigilance Commission to enquire into offences alleged to have been committed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, by public servants. However, there is, at present, no such body under the state government.

Vigilance Bureau Punjab

The Vigilance Bureau has been empowered to enquire into allegation against all public servants, as defined under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The jurisdiction of Vigilance Bureau was originally restricted to Punjab Government employees and members of All India Services (Para I (B) (ii) instructions dated 15.09.1967). However, it was extended vide instructions dated 15.10.1979 so as to cover employees of autonomous and statutory Boards/ Corporations and Improvement Trusts. At present all the public servants are covered under prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 subject to its jurisdiction.

The Vigilance Bureau ordinarily does not take cognizance of anonymous and pseudonymous complaints unless these contain specific allegations of verifiable nature. Complaints requiring administrative action are referred to administrative department concerned for necessary action. If during enquiries the allegations are proved then Vigilance Enquiries/Criminal Cases are registered against the suspects. During the investigation of Vigilance Enquiries the material collected by IO is looked into by the legal & technical support staff of Vigilance Bureau who examines the viability and nature of evidence and assists the Chief Director, Vigilance Bureau in taking the final decision. Criminal cases under PC Act are registered where there is the evidence. Besides, Regular Departmental proceedings are recommended to the Administrative Department/Vigilance Department against public servants.

Cases registered under the P.C. Act-1988 were previously being investigated by Gazetted Police Officers only. On the proposal of Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, Govt. of Punjab (Deptt. of Vigilance), vide its Notification dated 20.9.2012, in exercise of the powers conferred by the first proviso to section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act-1988, has authorized Inspectors of Police, for the time being, serving in the Vigilance Bureau, Punjab and has entrusted all powers to them to investigate under P.C.Act-1988.

The main function of the Vigilance Bureau is as under:-

• To collect intelligence regarding corruption and corrupt public servants.
• To conduct enquiries into the complaints of corruption against public servants.
• To conduct investigation of criminal cases involving corruption by the public servants.
• To assist in prosecution against the defaulter public servants in trial courts.
• To conduct raids to catch corrupt Govt. Servants red-handed while accepting bribes.
• To submit information, data and reports to the State Govt. regarding corruption and corrupt public servants.
• To suggest measures to check corruption in various Govt. Department.
• To keep a watch over departmental proceedings on charges of corruption against public servants entrusted to respective departments.
• To conduct joint checking of the ongoing projects in various departments.

Context: Recently, a Technology License Agreement ceremony on “Brucella abortus S19Δ per vaccine” was held between ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) and Hester Biosciences Limited.
About Brucella abortus S19Δ per vaccine

• It is developed by ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI).
• The vaccine has DIVA capability meaning that it can differentiate between naturally infected and vaccinated animals.
• In India, calf-hood vaccination is practiced using live attenuated B. abortus S19 strain for control of the disease.
• B. abortus S19 strain is a very strong immunogen and provides lifelong immunity.
• The vaccine candidate was developed under DBT funded “Brucellosis network program”.

Importance

• The new vaccine strain developed at ICAR-IVRI, a modified strain of B. abortus S19, overcomes several drawbacks of the currently-used vaccine B. abortus S19, such as residual virulence to human and animals, not suitable for vaccination in adult animals, causing abortion when used in pregnant animals and also interfering with sero-diagnosis of clinical infection.

What is Brucellosis?

• Brucellosis is one of the most important zoonotic diseases worldwide which is also endemic in India causing huge economic losses to the dairy industry due to infertility, abortion, birth of weak offsprings and reduced productivity.
• It is responsible for abortions in cattle, buffalo, sheep and goats leading to infertility.
• Prevention of abortions will add new calves to the animal population leading to enhanced milk production.
• Brucellosis is an economically important zoonotic disease. Economic losses due to this disease is almost Rs.350 million per annum.
• It is a highly contagious disease.

Brucellosis Control Programme

• This programme was formerly known as the National Control Programme on Brucellosis.
• It was introduced during the 10th Plan and renamed during the 12th
• It includes the vaccination of female calves aged between 6 – 8 months in all Indian states.
• It also includes the vaccination of all un-vaccinated adult female bovines.
• The programme also covers biannual village screening of pooled milk samples, mass screening and castration of infected bulls.
• The programme is being implemented on a 60:40 sharing basis between Centre and States except in North Eastern and the Himalayan States where the funding is on 90:10 Centre: State sharing basis, whereas 100% central share is being provided for Union Territories.

Also Read: https://abhipedia.abhimanu.com/Article/IAS/MjIyOTA3/Brucellosis-disease--Science-Affairs-IAS

Context: Recently, Tata CRISPR test, developed by CSIR-IGIB ‘Feluda’ (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology) has received regulatory approvals from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for commercial roll-out.
Key Points

• The test uses indigenously developed CRISPR technology for the detection of the genomic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
• The Tata CRISPR test is the world’s first diagnostic test to deploy a specially adapted Cas9 protein to successfully detect the virus causing COVID-19.

About CRISPR technology

• “CRISPR” stands for “Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats“.
• CRISPRs are specialized stretches of DNA. The protein Cas9 (or “CRISPR-associated”) is an enzyme that acts like a pair of molecular scissors, capable of cutting strands of DNA.
• CRISPR technology was adapted from the natural defence mechanisms of bacteria and archaea (the domain of single-celled microorganisms). These organisms use CRISPR-derived RNA and various Cas proteins, including Cas9, to foil attacks by viruses and other foreign bodies. They do so primarily by chopping up and destroying the DNA of a foreign invader.
• CRISPR technology is a powerful tool for editing genomes. It allows researchers to easily alter DNA sequences and modify gene function. Its many potential applications include correcting genetic defects, treating and preventing the spread of diseases and improving crops.
• There were ways to edit the genomes of some plants and animals before the CRISPR method was unveiled in 2012 but it took years and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. CRISPR has made it cheap and easy.

Context: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and NITI Aayog will organize a Mega Virtual Summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI), RAISE 2020- ‘Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020,’ in October, 2020.
About RAISE 2020

• RAISE 2020- ‘Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020,’ is being conducted by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and NITI Aayog.
• It will be a global meeting of minds to exchange ideas and chart a course for using AI for social transformation, inclusion and empowerment in areas like healthcare, agriculture, education and smart mobility, among other sectors.
• Representatives from the global AI industry will hold discussions at the summit.
• Chosen start-ups will also showcase their AI solutions in the summit.

Background

• India is home to the world’s third-largest start-up ecosystem.
• Industry analysts predict that AI could add up to $957 billion to India’s economy by 2035.

Relating India and AI

• In the spirit of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas India plans to leverage AI for inclusive development, representing the country’s ‘AI for All’ strategy.
• RAISE 2020 is a first of its kind, global meeting of minds on Artificial Intelligence to drive India’s vision and roadmap for social transformation, inclusion and empowerment through responsible AI.

Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI)

• India became one of the founding members and joined the league of leading economies including USA, UK, EU, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore to launch the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI or Gee-Pay).
• GPAI is an international and multi-stakeholder initiative to guide the responsible development and use of AI, grounded in human rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation, and economic growth.
• This is also a first initiative of its type for evolving better understanding of the challenges and opportunities around AI using the experience and diversity of participating countries.
• In order to achieve this goal, the initiative will look to bridge the gap between theory and practice on AI by supporting cutting-edge research and applied activities on AI-related priorities.
• In collaboration with partners and international organizations, GPAI will bring together leading experts from industry, civil society, governments, and academia to collaborate to promote responsible evolution of AI and will also evolve methodologies to show how AI can be leveraged to better respond to the present global crisis around COVID-19.

National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• NITI Aayog had published the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in 2019, wherein it identified five core areas for application of artificial intelligence.
• Healthcare: for increased access and affordability of quality healthcare.
• Agriculture: for enhanced farmers’ income, increased farm productivity and reduction of wastage.
• Education: For improved access and quality of education.
• Smart Cities and Infrastructure: For efficient and connectivity for the burgeoning urban population.
• Smart Mobility and Transportation: For smarter and safer modes of transportation and better traffic and congestion problems.

ASEEM digital platform

• Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) launched ‘Aatamanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASEEM)’ portal to help skilled people find sustainable livelihood opportunities.
• ‘Atma Nirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASEEM)’ portal is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based platform to help in recruiting a skilled workforce that spurs business competitiveness and economic growth.
• ASEEM is developed and managed by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in collaboration with the Bangalore based company
• ASEEM will refer to all the trends, data, and analytics describing the workforce market and map demand of skilled workforce to supply.
• Through ASEEM, agencies, employers, and job aggregators who are looking for a skilled workforce in the specific sectors will have access to the required details of the availability of skilled workforce and formulate their hiring plans.
• It will be used as a matchmaking engine to map skilled workers with the jobs available.

Context: Recently, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has recommended the creation of a multi-stakeholder body (MSB) to ensure that Internet access providers adhere to the provisions of net neutrality.
About Multi-Stakeholder Body

• To be established by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
• The Multi-Stakeholder Body (MSB) could include telecom service providers,Internet service providers, content providers, researchers, academic and technical community, civil society organisations, and the government.
• It should be set up as a non-profit entity.
• MSB will help DoT in the maintenance of a repository of reasonable traffic management practices.
• MSB is required to investigate complaints regarding the violation of net neutrality.
• The net neutrality principles adopted by DoT were technology-neutral and would apply equally to 5G technology.

Concept of Net Neutrality

• It has been defined as a principle that Internet Service Providers (ISP) also called Internet Access Providers (IAP) should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favouring or blocking particular products or websites.
• This means when the customers pay an ISP for a data plan, they should be able to access all content online (news, social media, videos, games, etc.) at the same broadband speed which they had opted for.

Arguments in Favour

• It democratises the internet space as the telecom provider cannot charge differently for different websites and allows everyone on the internet to participate in it.
• It does not let ISPs to act as “gatekeepers” and control, filter or block data according to their will without a court order.
• It provides a level playing field to all the big and small companies in the Information Technology (IT) sector and does not let a handful of companies control the internet.
• It ensures that all people and websites have equal access to each other, regardless of their ability to pay hence fosters the principle of freedom of speech.

Arguments Against

• It will stifle innovation on the internet as it will not be possible to explore consumer choices and create content accordingly.
• ISPs will not be able to make an investment in Broadband services.
• It will kill competition as every data packet will be treated the same and content providers will not get a chance to advance their data at a better rate by paying the telecom providers.

About the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)

• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is a statutory body set up by the Government of India under the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997.
• The TRAI (Amendment) Act, 2000 had led to the reconstitution of the Authority. It consists of one Chairperson, two full-time members and two part-time members. Also led to the  establishment of Telecommunications Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to take over the adjudicatory and disputes functions from TRAI.

Goals and Objectives of TRAI

• Increasing tele-density and access to telecommunication services in the country at affordable prices.
• Making available telecommunication services which in terms of range, price and quality are comparable to the best in the world.
• Providing a fair and transparent policy environment which promotes a level playing field and facilitates fair competition.
• Establishing an interconnection regime that allows fair, transparent, prompt and equitable interconnection.
• Re-balancing tariffs so that the objectives of affordability and operator viability are met in a consistent manner.
• Protecting the interest of consumers and addressing general consumer concerns relating to availability, pricing and quality of service and other matters.
• Monitoring the quality of service provided by the various operators.
• Providing a mechanism for funding of net cost areas/ public telephones so that Universal Service Obligations are discharged by telecom operators for the spread of telecom facilities in remote and rural areas.
• Preparing the grounds for a smooth transition to an era of convergence of services and technologies.
• Promoting the growth of coverage of radio in India through commercial and non-commercial channels.
• Increasing consumer choice in reception of TV channels and choosing the operator who would provide television and other related services.

Context: Recently, Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space, tolds that Protoype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) being constructed by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI) is expected to get commissioned by October 2022. 
Key Points

• The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor is being constructed by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI).
• On completion of commissioning, PFBR will be adding 500 MW of electrical power to the national grid.
• The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is a 500 MWe fast breeder nuclear reactor presently being constructed at the Madras Atomic Power Station in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. The Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) is responsible for the design of this reactor.
• The construction started in the year 2004, Originally planned to be commissioned in 2012, the construction of the reactor suffered from multiple delays. As of August 2020, criticality is planned to be achieved in 2021 (now October 2022).
• The reactor is a pool-type reactor with 1,750 tonnes of sodium as coolant.

About Fast Breeder Reactors

• A Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) is a nuclear reactor that uses fast neutrons to generate more nuclear fuels than they consume while generating power, dramatically enhancing the efficiency of the use of resources.
• Hence, a breeder reactor is a nuclear reactor that generates more fissile material than it consumes.
• It achieves this because its neutron economy is high enough to create more fissile fuel than it uses, by irradiation of a fertile material, such as uranium-238 or thorium-232 that is loaded into the reactor along with fissile fuel.

What is India’s three-phase nuclear power programme?

• The Indian nuclear power programme, launched in 1954, envisaged a three-stage development of nuclear power generation from the country’s uranium and thorium resources.
• The first stage programme consists of setting up of pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs). PHWRs are natural uranium-fuelled, heavy water moderated and cooled. The uranium reserves in the country are adequate to support the first stage nuclear power programme of 10,000 MWe through PHWRs. In addition to generating power, PHWRs progressively make available plutonium as a by-product. The technologies for the reprocessing of plutonium from spent PHWR fuel and for fabrication of plutonium bearing fuels have been systematically established in India through research and development over the past several years.
• The second stage of the nuclear power programme consists of effective utilisation of plutonium in Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) which will provide the key to full utilisation of the country’s uranium resources and prepare the way for the long-term utilisation of the more abundant thorium reserves. FBRs enable generation of more fresh fissile material than is consumed for power production. With the deployment of FBRs, the depleted uranium and plutonium generated in the first stage will permit an additional power potential to the extent of 3,50,000 MWe.
• During the later part of the second stage programme, it is proposed to use thorium as blanket material in FBRs to generate U-233, another fissile material for use in the third stage programme based on U-233 fuelled reactor systems.

Context: Recently, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, said in a written reply in Lok Sabha that Government has a proposal to set up Neutrino Observatory in the country.
About India based Neutrino observatory

• India based Neutrino Observatory (INO) will observe neutrinos produced in the atmosphere of the Earth. It will be located in Bodi West Hills, in Theni district, Tamil Nadu.

Key Points

• About : INO Project is a multi-institutional effort aimed at building a world-class underground laboratory with a rock cover of approx. 1200 m for non-accelerator based high energy and nuclear physics research in India.
• National Neutrino Collaboration group (NNCG): It includes more than 50 scientists from about 15 Institutes and Universities in India and is tasked with detailing various aspects related to INO activity and come up with a proposal for an underground neutrino laboratory.
• Funded by : Dept. of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the Dept. of Science and Technology (DST).
• Objectives: INO will observe neutrinos and antineutrinos produced in the atmosphere of the Earth.
• Over the years this underground facility is expected to develop into a full-fledged underground science laboratory for other studies in physics, biology, geology, hydrology etc.

Features: The project includes:

• Underground laboratory and associated surface facilities at Bodi West Hills.
• Construction of a magnetized Iron Calorimeter (ICAL) detector for studying neutrinos.
• When completed, ICAL will have the world's largest magnet.
• Setting up Inter Institutional Centre for High Energy Physics (IICHEP) at Madurai

Advantages

• This observation will tell us more about the properties of neutrino particles, whose main source is the Sun and the Earth's atmosphere.
• This will also help in developing a model of physics beyond the so-called Standard Model of Particle Physics.
• The Standard Model of particle physics is the theory describing three of the four known fundamental forces (the electromagnetic, weak, and strong interactions, and not including the gravitational force) in the universe, as well as classifying all known elementary particles i.e. electrons, protons and neutrons.
• It would also have a great impact on diverse fields such as nuclear and particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology, medical imaging etc.

Issues Involved

• The project was challenged before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for adversely affecting the ecosystem of Western Ghats. However , it was granted environmental clearance by NGT.
• The villagers in the Pottipuram Panchayat (at Bodi West Hills) have been agitating against the proposed observatory under the banner of Poovulagin Nanbargal (Friends of the earth).

About Neutrinos

• Neutrinos are the smallest particles that form the universe.
• Atoms are made of proton, neutron and electron and neutrino is not a part of the atom
• It has very little mass, no charge & half spin
• It interacts weekly with matter
• Source can be solar system, other stars, cosmic rays , they can also be produced in lab
• Neutrinos occur in three different types, or flavours – electron neutrino, Tau neutrino, muon neutrino.
• They can change from one flavour to another as they travel which is called as neutrino oscillation.

Why the laboratory is situated underground?

• Neutrinos are difficult to detect in a laboratory because of their extremely weak interaction with matter.
• The background from cosmic rays and natural radioactivity will make it almost impossible to detect them on the surface of the Earth.

Context: Recently,the Union Minister of State for Space informed the Lok Sabha that the Tamil Nadu State Government has identified over 961 hectares in Thoothukudi district for the country’s proposed second rocket launch port.

Key Points

• At present, rockets are launched from the Indian Space Research Organisation spaceport at Sriharikota, near Chennai.
• The government has decided to set up a second facility in the backdrop of an increase in the number of launches by ISRO for domestic and international customers.
• The proposed site is in Thoothukudi’s Kulasekarapattinam town.
• A rocket launch pad at Kulasekarapattinam will be close to the equator and hence ideal for putting satellites in polar orbit.
• ISRO has a Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) is at Mahendragiri in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu where it assembles the second and fourth stages/engines for the PSLV.
• Instead of transporting the second and fourth stages to Sriharikota from Mahendragiri, it will be easier to shift them to the launch pad if it is built in Kulasekarapattinam which is around 100 km away.

Context: Recently, the Government of India has created the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe), an independent nodal agency under the Department of Space.

• This move is a part of the reforms announced under the economic stimulus packages.

Key Points

• IN-SPACe is to be established as a single-window nodal agency, with its own cadre, which will permit and oversee the activities of private companies.
• This is part of reforms aimed at giving a boost to the private sector participating in space-related activities or using India’s space resources.

Functions

• Encourage, promote and handhold the private sector for their participation in the Space Sector.
• Currently, there are more than 500 private companies which partner with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in carrying out various space activities.
• They provide materials used in manufacturing, mechanical fabrication, electronic fabrication, system development, integration, etc.
• Draw up an integrated launch manifest considering the requirements for ISRO, New Space India Limited (NSIL) and private companies based on priorities and readiness level.
• After these reforms are implemented fully, the role of NSIL would be to build launch vehicles, provide launch services, build satellites, provide space-based services, technology transfers, etc.
• Work out a suitable mechanism to offer sharing of technology, expertise and facilities on free of cost wherever feasible or at reasonable cost basis to promote private companies.
• The government will allow utilising those infrastructures of ISRO which are otherwise not available elsewhere in India.
• Permit establishment of facilities, within ISRO premises, based on safety norms and feasibility assessment.
• The decision of IN-SPACe shall be final and binding on all stakeholders including ISRO and private players will not be required to seek separate permission from ISRO.