Context: Extensive fishing off the Coromandel coast could be forcing the great seahorse to migrate laboriously toward Odisha.

• It is likely a response to extensive fishing activities around the southern coast of India.

Key highlights of the study

• Fishing is less intense in the Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coastline.

• The shallow coastal ecosystem of the eastern Indian State may not be the new comfort zone for the fish with a horse-like head.

• There are 46 species of seahorses reported worldwide.

• The coastal ecosystems of India house nine out of 12 species found in the Indo-Pacific, one of the hotspots of seahorse populations that are distributed across diverse ecosystems such as seagrass, mangroves, macroalgal beds, and coral reefs.

• These nine species are distributed along the coasts of eight States and five Union Territories from Gujarat to Odisha, apart from Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

About the great seahorse (Hippocampus kelloggi)

• It is also known as Kellogg's seahorse is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae.

• It is one of the largest of the 54 species of seahorse.

Conservation status

• IUCN status: Vulnerable (VU)

• CITES: Appendix II

• Distribution: It is found in the Indo-pacific region, specifically documented from the coast of East Africa to Japan. It was also recently identified around both northern and southern Australia.

• Habitat: They’re frequent in areas with an abundance of coral so they can latch on to something.

• Though often found in shallow waters, they have been recorded in depths of over 100 meters, with the deepest recorded seahorse at 152 meters below the surface.

• Threats: Overexploitation for traditional Chinese medicines and as ornamental fish, combined with general destructive fishing and fisheries bycatch.

Context: For the first time, United Nations members have agreed for an early conclusion of the International Legally Binding Instrument of BBNJ under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

What is the BBNJ treaty?

• The BBNJ Treaty also called the Treaty of the High Seas, is an international agreement that aims to preserve and sustainably use the marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.

• This includes the high seas, which are outside of countries’ exclusive economic zones and makeup nearly half of the Earth’s surface.

• These areas are currently poorly regulated and only 1% of them are protected.

• The High Ambition Coalition on BBNJ was launched in February 2022 to negotiate and achieve a comprehensive and ambitious outcome.

Key areas of agreement

The negotiations focus on elements agreed upon such as the-

• Conservation and sustainable use of marine genetic resources,

• Area-based management tools like marine protected areas,

• Environmental impact assessments, and

• Capacity-building and technology transfer

Importance of High Seas

• Ninety per cent of global warming occurs in the ocean, deeply affecting Marine life.

• Comprehensive protection of endangered species and habitats is not possible without High Seas which cover more than 40% of the Earth's surface and two-thirds of the ocean.

• Several marine species — including dolphins, whales, sea turtles and many fish — make long annual migrations, crossing national borders and the high seas. 

• High seas are the  crucial component in global efforts to bring 30% of the world's land and sea under protection by the end of the decade, a target known as "30 by 30".

• The treaty can have benefits for society (pharmaceuticals and food) and will help reverse biodiversity losses and ensure sustainable development.

• The high seas treaty has also been an important matter pertaining to the North-South divide between poor and rich. Those who had resources have always been at an advantage from the activities in the high seas.

Concerns

• Developing nations were disappointed by the limited funding options included in the text of the treaty.

• If the Marine Protected Areas(MPAs) are not properly connected, it might not have the desired impact as many species are migratory.

Conclusion

• The newly established treaty will permit the establishment of marine protected areas within international waters. This will build resilience from climate change, protect marine life, and will also oblige countries to conduct environmental impact assessments of proposed activities on the high seas.

Context: India’s commitment to reduce its carbon emissions and increase its carbon sink as part of the Paris Climate Agreement. The Agreement is a legally binding international treaty signed by 196 parties, including India, to limit global warming to well below 2°C.

India’s Updated NDCs

• India after the COP26 to UNFCCC held in Glasgow, UK, announced enhanced climate targets, representing the framework for India’s transition to cleaner energy for the period 2021-2030.

• Article 4 of the Paris Agreement requires countries to submit NDCs every five years which represents a “progression” beyond a country’s current NDC.

• This nudges countries to continually improve their self-determined ambition.

• The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change that seeks to keep global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

• It also aims to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

• These updated NDCs were prepared after carefully considering our national circumstances and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC).

What is a carbon sink?

• A carbon sink is a natural or artificial reservoir that absorbs and stores carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.

• It can be a natural ecosystem such as forests, oceans, or soil, or it can be an artificial system like carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.

• Carbon sinks help to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and mitigate the negative effects of climate change.

Methods of Carbon Sinks
There are two types of carbon sinks

• (A) Natural Carbon Sinks: These are ecosystems that naturally absorb and store carbon from the atmosphere. The most common natural carbon sinks are:

• Forests: Trees absorb CO2 through photosynthesis and store it in their trunks, branches, and roots.

• Oceans: The Ocean absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere, where it dissolves and forms carbonic acid.

• Soil: Carbon can be stored in soil in the form of organic matter, such as dead plant and animal material, which is broken down by microorganisms.

• (B) Artificial Carbon Sinks: These are human-made technologies that capture and store carbon from the atmosphere. The most common artificial carbon sinks are:

• Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): CCS technology captures CO2 emissions from industrial processes, such as power plants, and stores it underground.

• Direct Air Capture (DAC): DAC technology captures CO2 directly from the air and stores it underground or repurposes it for other uses.

India’s carbon sink target

• India has pledged to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030.

• This will be achieved through afforestation, reforestation, and other land-use changes.

India’s progress towards its carbon sink target

• India has already achieved 24.6% of its carbon sink target as of 2017.

• This was primarily due to afforestation and tree plantation programs, such as the Green India Mission and the National Afforestation Programme.

Challenges in meeting India’s carbon sink target

• Unavailability of accurate data: There is a lack of accurate data on the extent and health of India’s forests, which makes it difficult to measure the effectiveness of afforestation and reforestation programs.

• Conversion of natural forests: The conversion of natural forests to monoculture plantations that have lower carbon sequestration potential can reduce the effectiveness of carbon sinks.

• Pressure on land: The pressure on land for agriculture and other forms of development can lead to deforestation and the loss of carbon sinks.

• Lack of funding: Afforestation and reforestation programs require significant funding, which can be a challenge for India.

• Lack of awareness: Lack of awareness among the public and policymakers about the importance of carbon sinks and the need for their conservation and restoration can hinder efforts to meet India’s carbon sink targets.

Key Suggestion

• India’s policies and crucially, the implementation of these policies need to be in sync to achieve climate targets and attain climate justice along with making a formal baseline to achieve its target.

• It could also broaden the scope of its carbon sink goal to include mangroves and peatlands, and to raise its carbon sequestration target.

• An ethical approach involving the local communities to arrive at sensible compromises through a process of democratic governance should also be enabled.

Conclusion

• India’s commitment to increasing its carbon sink is crucial in mitigating the impacts of climate change.

• More efforts are needed to ensure the success of afforestation and reforestation programs and to address the challenges facing India’s forests.

Context: The Gujarat government is in the process of setting up virtual traffic courts in the state under the One Nation, One Challan initiative.

Key Points

• One Nation, One Challan is an initiative of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

• It aims to bring all related agencies, such as the traffic police and the Regional Transport Office (RTO), on one platform, to enable the seamless collection of challans as well as data transfer.

Working

• The system involves the detection of traffic violations through the CCTV network and getting the registration number of the erring vehicle from applications like VAHAN (detecting the vehicle’s ownership details) and SARATHI (compilation of driving licenses). 

• An e-challan is then generated with the relevant penalty amount, and sent to the mobile number linked with the vehicle.

• If someone doesn’t pay the challan amount within 90 days, the challan will be automatically forwarded to a virtual court and proceedings will be initiated. 

Virtual traffic courts

• Virtual courts are aimed at eliminating the presence of litigants in the court. 

• An accused can search their case on the virtual court’s website. Upon successful payment of the fine, the case will be shown as disposed of.

Context: Moon's launch pad have always run their missions in accordance with their local time zones, but the European Space Agency now believes the Moon should have its own distinct unified time zone. The current system, according to scientists, is unstable.

Purpose

• The fundamental goal of establishing a widely used timekeeping system for the moon is to enhance communication between the different nations and organisations, both public and private, planning lunar missions.

• Outer space revelations continue to intrigue astronomers, observers and experts. Via robots or spaceships, numerous nations are seeking to make an impression on the moon. 

• Many missions have been launched time and time again to investigate the numerous facets of our natural satellite, the moon.

Timekeeping on the Moon

• The Moon has its own day and night cycle, which lasts about 29.5 Earth days.

• This means that if humans were to live on the Moon, they would need to develop their own timekeeping system.

• Currently, the time on the Moon is measured using Universal Time Coordinated (UTC), which is the same timekeeping system used on the Earth.

• However, because the Moon’s day is much longer than Earth’s day, it would be difficult to use UTC for day-to-day activities on the Moon.

Universal Time Coordinated (UTC)

• Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) is a time standard used to keep time consistent around the world.

• UTC is based on International Atomic Time (TAI), which is maintained by atomic clocks around the world.

• It is the primary time standard used by many countries, international organizations, and scientific research institutions.

• UTC is expressed as a 24-hour clock and is used to indicate the time offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+0).

• Time zones are defined as an offset from UTC, with some time zones being ahead of UTC (UTC+1, UTC+2, etc.) and others being behind UTC (UTC-1, UTC-2, etc.).

• UTC is adjusted periodically to account for changes in the Earth’s rotation, which can cause variations in the length of a day.

• These adjustments are made through the addition of leap seconds to UTC, which help to keep the time standard synchronized with the Earth’s rotation.

Why need lunar time zone?

• The Moon is the Earth’s only natural satellite, and humans have been interested in exploring and colonizing it for many years.

• With recent advancements in space technology, there is renewed interest in lunar exploration and settlement.

• The moon will require its own universal timekeeping system, according to the European Space Agency, because distinct planning is being done for it by both governmental and private groups worldwide. Every type of conflict can be prevented if the Moon has its own time zone.

Proposed Lunar Time Zone

• To address this issue, scientists and researchers have proposed creating a lunar time zone that would be based on the Moon’s day and night cycle.

• This would make it easier for lunar settlers to keep track of time and coordinate activities.

Benefits offered

• Having a lunar time zone would also make it easier for scientists and researchers to conduct experiments and collect data on the Moon.

• It would also help to prevent confusion and errors that could arise from using different timekeeping systems on Earth and the Moon.

Various challenges

• Time on Earth is precisely tracked by atomic clocks, but synchronizing time on the moon is tricky because clocks run faster there, gaining around 56 microseconds, or millionths of a second, per day.

• It would also be difficult to establish a consistent time zone for the entire Moon, given that the terrain and lighting conditions vary widely across its surface.

• Additionally, any timekeeping system on the Moon would need to be able to account for the Moon’s irregular rotation and movement.

Conclusion

• The European Space Agency claims that up until recently, each trip to the moon had its own timetable, which was determined by the nation. A worldwide time standard is required in order to offer guidelines and routing for space missions. This is the argument behind the proposal for the Moon to have its own time zone.

Context: In a significant decision, the government has decided to give a one-time option to select Central government employees to migrate to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

Background

• In 2020, the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DPPW) gave a one-time option to those Central government employees to opt for the OPS who were declared successful for recruitment in the results declared before December 31, 2003.

• Recently, the department has called that in all cases where a Central government civil employee has been appointed against a post or vacancy which was advertised/notified for recruitment/appointment, prior to the date of notification for the NPS i.e. 22.12.2003 and has been covered under the NPS on joining service on or after 01.01.2004, may be given a one-time option to be covered under the CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 (now 2021).

• This option may be exercised by the concerned government servants latest by 31 August 2023.

About the proposal

• The government has decided to allow the selected Central government employees, who applied for jobs advertised before December 22, 2003, the day the National Pension System (NPS) was notified but joined the service in 2004 when the NPS came into effect.

Who are eligible to apply?

• The order will be applicable to Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel and other Central government employees who joined the services in 2004 as the recruitment process was delayed due to administrative reasons.

• The employees’ contributions to the NPS will be credited to the General Provident Fund (GPF) of the individual.

• Till January 31 2023, there were 23, 65,693 Central government employees and 60, 32,768 State government employees enrolled under the NPS. Except for West Bengal, all States had implemented the NPS.

The New Pension Scheme (NPS)

• The New Pension System proposed by the Project OASIS report became the basis for pension reforms and what was originally conceived for unorganised sector workers, was adopted by the government for its own employees.

• The NPS was for prospective employees; it was made mandatory for all new recruits joining government service from January 1, 2004.

Contributions

• The defined contribution comprised 10 per cent of the basic salary and dearness allowance by the employee and a matching contribution by the government this was Tier 1, with contributions being mandatory.

• In 2019, the government increased its contribution to 14 per cent of the basic salary and dearness allowance.

Schemes under the NPS are offered by nine pension fund managers

• It is sponsored by SBI, LIC, UTI, HDFC, ICICI, Kotak Mahindra, Aditya Birla, Tata, and Max.

• It laid in its promise of an assured or ‘defined’ benefit to the retiree.

• It was hence described as a ‘Defined Benefit Scheme’.

• For example - if a government employee’s basic monthly salary at the time of retirement was Rs.10, 000, she would be assured of a pension of Rs.5, 000.

• The monthly pay-outs of pensioners also increased with hikes in dearness allowance or DA announced by the government for serving employees.

What is DA?

• It is calculated as a percentage of the basic salary.

• It is a kind of adjustment the government offers its employees and pensioners to make up for the steady increase in the cost of living.

• DA hikes are announced twice a year, generally in January and July.

Context: In a new regulatory move, the government has bought a range of virtual digital asset (VDA) transactions under the ambit of Prevention of Money Laundering Act(PMLA) 2002. 

• In a gazette notification, the Finance Ministry has mentioned that the anti-money laundering legislation is going to be applied to crypto trading, safekeeping and related financial services.

About the development

• The government has imposed money laundering provisions on cryptocurrencies or virtual assets as it looks to tighten oversight of digital assets.

• After this, Indian crypto exchanges will have to report suspicious activity to the Financial Intelligence Unit India (FIU-IND).

• Need of the initiative: There is a global trend of requiring digital-asset platforms to follow anti-money laundering standards similar to those followed by other regulated entities like banks or stock brokers.

Status of Crypto currencies

• A cryptocurrency is a medium of exchange, such as the rupee or the US dollar, but is digital in format that uses encryption techniques to both control the creation of monetary units and to verify the exchange of money.

• Note: Bitcoin is the largest and most well-known cryptocurrency in the world.

• Strong cryptography is used to protect transaction records, regulate the production of new coins, and confirm ownership transfers. 

• Generally, it is not issued by a central authority and doesn't exist in tangible form (like paper money).

• Cryptocurrencies typically use decentralized control as opposed to centralized digital currency and central banking systems.

• The majority of cryptocurrencies are seen as alternative currencies or methods of financial exchange. Currently, they fall beyond the purview of official monetary policy and are not regulated by national governments.

• Recently, El Salvador became the first nation in the world to accept Bitcoin as legal money in September 2021.

Why regulate cryptocurrencies?

• Consumer protection: Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile and can be subject to fraud, scams, and other forms of financial crime.

• Preventing money laundering and terrorist financing: Cryptocurrencies can be used to anonymously transfer funds, making them potentially attractive to criminals and terrorists.

• Systemic risk: Cryptocurrencies are not currently part of the traditional financial system, but they could potentially have an impact on it if they were to become more widely adopted.

• Taxation: Cryptocurrencies can be used to evade taxes or hide assets. Regulation can help ensure that cryptocurrency transactions are properly taxed and that tax evasion is prevented.

• Market stability: being highly volatile, regulation can help promote market stability and prevent excessive speculation or manipulation of cryptocurrency markets.

Recent regulatory moves

• In the Budget for 2022-23, finance ministry had brought a 30% tax on income from transactions in such assets.

• Also, to bring such assets under the tax net, it introduced a 1% TDS (tax deducted at source) on transactions in such asset classes above a certain threshold.

• Gifts in crypto and digital assets were also taxed.

Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002

Background

• The PMLA was enacted in response to India’s global commitment (Vienna Convention) to combat the menace of money laundering. 

About

• It is a criminal law enacted to prevent money laundering and to provide for confiscation of property derived from, or involved in, money-laundering and related matters.

• It forms the core of the legal framework put in place by India to combat Money Laundering.

• The provisions of this act are applicable to all financial institutions, banks (Including RBI), mutual funds, insurance companies, and their financial intermediaries.

Recent Amendments

• Clarification about the Position of Proceeds of Crime: Proceeds of the Crime not only include the property derived from scheduled offence but would also include any other property derived or obtained indulging into any criminal activity relate-able or similar to the scheduled offence.

• Money Laundering Redefined: Money Laundering was not an independent crime rather depended on another crime, known as the predicate offence or scheduled offence.

• The amendment seeks to treat money laundering as a stand-alone crime.

Under Section 3 of PMLA, the person shall be accused of money laundering if in any manner that person is directly or indirectly involved in the proceeds of the crime.

• Concealment

• Possession

• Acquisition

• Use or projecting as untainted property

• Claiming as untainted property

Continuing Nature of Offence: This amendment further mentioned that the person will be considered to be involved in the offence of money laundering till the time that person is getting the fruits of activities related to money laundering as this offence is of a continuing nature.

Issues in policy framework

• High volatility: Cryptocurrency has a volatile nature and is speculative. High investment quantities cause market volatility, which causes price fluctuations and the potential for significant losses for investors.

• Absence of Ombudsmen: Consumers are exposed to transactional and informational risks because there is currently no place where a user may ask for support or a way to resolve a grievance relating to crypto assets.

• Absence of a regulatory framework: Lack of regulatory authority has raised the likelihood of fraud, endangering investor protection and the flow of money throughout the economy.

Road Ahead

• International collaborations: Crypto assets are by definition borderless and require international collaboration to prevent regulatory arbitrage.

• Defining Cryptocurrency: Cryptocurrencies should be explicitly defined as securities or other financial instruments under the relevant national laws.

• Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC): The establishment of a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) for India in the form of the Digital Rupee was announced by the Indian Finance Minister. It will significantly strengthen India's digital economy.

Context: Two recent sets of data released by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) and the National Statistical Office (NSO) offer insights into the process of structural transformation in the Indian economy.

Key findings

• Share of agriculture in the total workforce: fell from 64.6% in 1993-94 to 42.5% in 2018-19.

• The biggest decline, from 58.5% to 48.9%, happened between 2004-05 and 2011-12.

• During this seven-year period, the workforce engaged in farming registered, for the first time in India’s history, a fall even in absolute terms — from 268.6 million to 231.9 million.

• The share of the labour force employed in manufacturing too, peaked at 12.6% in 2011-12.

• Share of agriculture in employment: Not falling fast enough and, in fact, rising after 2018-19.

• Share of manufacturing and construction and trade, hotels & restaurants: Accounted for 11.7% and 12% of the total workforce respectively, as against manufacturing’s 12.1%. But in 2021-22, manufacturing’s share, at 11.6%, was below that of construction (12.4%) as well as trade, hotels & restaurants (12.1%).

Output vs. Value added

• Highest value addition can be seen in Agriculture.

• Example: Every Rs 100 worth of produce coming from Indian farms, Rs 80 is the value generated by those owning and working the lands.

• 2021-22: The GVO from agriculture, forestry & fishing was estimated at Rs 50.71 lakh crore.

• After deducting the value of intermediate consumption (Rs 10.05 lakh crore), the GVA for the sector worked out to Rs 40.66 lakh crore.

• Value addition is the lowest, at just over a fifth, for manufacturing.

• Although the GVO from manufacturing (Rs 156.90 lakh crore) was more than three times from agriculture, the value of intermediate consumption, too, was over 12 times (Rs 122.93 crore) higher.

• As a result, the GVA by manufacturing, at Rs 33.97 lakh crore in 2021-22, was way below agriculture.

Gross Value Output (GVO)

• The total value of all goods and services produced during a financial year.

• However, production involves the use of inputs.

• The inputs for one industry are the outputs of other industries supplying to it.

Gross Value added (GVA)

• GVA is the value of an industry's outputs less the value of intermediate inputs used in the production process.

Link with employment

• High value-addition is a key reason why agriculture is able to employ so many people.

• The sector’s share in GVO — the total value of all goods and services produced by the country — was only 11.4% in 2021-22.

• In terms of value-added or GVA though, the share rose to 19%.

• Manufacturing: Its share in overall GVO was as high as 35.4%, while being just 15.8% relative to GVA.

Reasons for shifting trend

• High value-addition: agriculture is able to employ such large chunks of people primarily because of high-value addition;

• Eg. The sector’s share in terms of value-added or GVA is as high as 19%.

• Low-value addition in Manufacturing: Manufacturing has low-value addition when compared to the agriculture sector

• Eg. Manufacturing had a 35.4% overall proportion of GVO but only a 15.8% relative share of GVA.

• Service sector-driven growth: Indian economic growth is driven towards the service sector, which requires high skills.

• The service sector is the biggest contributor to the GDP but employs less than 30%. 

• Skills development: Indian labour is not skilled enough to meet modern industrial needs. The employment options for workers with lower skill levels are limited.

• MSME under stress: Compared to large companies, MSMEs have a four times higher labour intensity. But they deal with numerous issues like credit crunch etc.

Road Ahead

• Boosting labour-intensive sectors: Labour-intensive industries should be supported, such as those in the food processing business, the leather industry, the garment industry, the electronics industry, the gem and jewellery industry, the financial services industry, and the tourism industry.

• Building up MSME: The MSME sector needs to be supported and developed. Regulation easing and financial aid are helpful. Priority should also be given to easy credit availability. MUDRA could lead to the creation of necessary jobs in India.

• Skill development: various government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana  should be implemented in letter and spirit

• Labour reforms: Reforming the labour market requires changing the strict labour laws that currently exist. In a nation where labour is in plentiful supply, corporations in India favour capital-intensive modes of production.

Context: Recently, the Union minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises launched the revamped MSME Competitive (LEAN) scheme to make it more beneficial for enterprises and stakeholders. 

• Under the revamped scheme, the Centre's contribution will be 90 per cent of the implementation cost for handholding and consultancy fees as against 80 per cent previously.

Key Points

• Earlier, the implementation period for the scheme was set at 18 months.

• However, under the revamped scheme it has been divided into phases - Basic (2 months), Intermediate (6 months) and Advanced (12 months).

• The first phase will cover the manufacturing sector while the services sector will be covered in the second phase.

About MSME Competitive (LEAN) Scheme

• The Scheme aims at reducing manufacturing waste and is an extensive drive to create awareness amongst MSMEs about LEAN Manufacturing practices. 

• Further, the purpose is to motivate and incentivize them to attain LEAN levels while also encouraging them to become MSME Champions.

• Under the scheme, MSMEs will implement LEAN manufacturing tools like 5S, Kaizen, KANBAN, Visual workplace, Poka Yoka etc under the able guidance of trained and competent LEAN Consultants to attain LEAN levels like Basic, Intermediate and Advanced. 

• Through the LEAN journey, MSMEs can reduce wastages substantially, increase productivity, improve quality, work safely, expanding their markets, and finally becoming competitive and profitable.

• This Scheme is an extensive drive to create awareness amongst MSMEs about LEAN Manufacturing practices and motivate and incentivize them to attain LEAN levels while also encouraging them to become MSME Champions.

• LEAN has the potential to become a national movement and that it aims to provide a roadmap to global competitiveness for the MSMEs of India. 

• LEAN will not only attempt to improve quality, productivity & performance, but also the capability to change the mind-sets of manufacturers and transform them into a world class manufacturers. 

Key Contribution

• In addition to this, to support MSMEs, Government will contribute 90% of implementation cost for handholding and consultancy fees. 

• There will be an additional contribution of 5% for the MSMEs which are part of SFURTI clusters, owned by Women/SC/ST and located in North East Region.

• Furthermore, there will be an additional contribution of 5% for MSMEs which are registering through Industry Associations/ Overall Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) organizations after completing all levels. 

• There is a unique feature to encourage Industry Associations and OEMs for motivating their supply chain vendors to participate in this scheme.

Initiatives for MSME

• According to the government, 1 crore 20 lakh MSMEs received huge help from the government during the pandemic. 

• Moreover, in this year’s budget, the MSME sector got additional collateral-free guaranteed credit of 2 lakh crores. This would help the banks to reach out and provide them with adequate finance.

• Similarly, there are numerous government initiatives that aim at the development of the MSME sector. 

• The Ministry of MSME promotes growth and development of the sector, including Khadi, Village and Coir industries, by implementing various schemes/programmes towards credit support, technological assistance, infrastructure development, skill development and training, enhancing competitiveness and market assistance.

• Udyami Mitra Portal: launched by SIDBI to improve accessibility of credit and handholding services to MSMEs.

• MSME Sambandh: To monitor the implementation of the public procurement from MSMEs by Central Public Sector Enterprises.

• MSME Samadhaan MSME Delayed Payment Portal –– will empower Micro and Small entrepreneurs across the country to directly register their cases relating to delayed payments by Central Ministries/Departments/CPSEs/State Governments.

• Digital MSME Scheme: It involves usage of Cloud Computing where MSMEs use the internet to access common as well as tailor-made IT infrastructure

• Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme: It is a credit linked subsidy program under Ministry of MSME.

• Revamped Scheme of Fund for Regeneration Of Traditional Industries (SFURTI): organizes traditional industries and artisans into clusters and make them competitive by enhancing their marketability & equipping them with improved skills.

• A Scheme for Promoting Innovation, Rural Industry & Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE): creates new jobs & reduce unemployment, promotes entrepreneurship culture, facilitates innovative business solution etc.

• National Manufacturing Competitiveness Programme (NMCP): to develop global competitiveness among Indian MSMEs by improving their processes, designs, technology and market access.

• Micro & Small Enterprises Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP)- adopts cluster development approach for enhancing the productivity and competitiveness as well as capacity building of MSEs.

• Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme (CLCSS) is operational for upgradation of technology for MSMEs.

Context: The Indian Railways is utilising data analytics for seamless transit. Under the Real Time Train Information System (RTIS) project, it has started a project that will now allow real-time tracking of train movements with the help of satellite photography.

About Real Time Train Information System (RTIS) project

• RTIS devices that use satellite imagery are being installed on the trains to automatically acquire its “movement timing at the stations, including that of arrival and departure or run-through”.

• These timings get automatically plotted on the control chart of those trains in the Control Office Application (COA) system.

• The project is executed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS).

• RTIS is developed in collaboration with ISRO. ISRO has launched GSAT satellites that have GAGAN payloads for tracking the movement of trains.

Applications of RTIS

• RTIS gives mid-section updates with a periodicity of 30 seconds.

• The Train Control can now track the location and speed of RTIS-enabled locomotives/train more closely, without any manual intervention.

• It allows passengers to get the real-time location or train running status of a train on their smartphone.

Key Points

• Railways have integrated their systems with NavIC and Bhuvan while using bandwidth provided by ISRO.

• Bhuvan portal: It is a particular kind of web portal, developed by ISRO, used to locate and gain access to geographical information (geospatial information) and related geographic services (display, modification, analysis, etc.) online.

• Every locomotive is equipped with a gadget and a SIM card that broadcasts the train's precise location to a satellite and allows for feedback. A three-second update is made to the movement.

• When it's necessary to determine a train's precise location to provide assistance in the event of an accident, flood, or landslide, real-time rail tracking can be helpful.

About Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC)

• ISRO has established a regional navigation satellite system to meet the positioning, navigation and timing requirements of the nation

• ISRO has established the constellation of 7 satellites operating 24*7.

• Three satellites of the constellation are placed in geostationary orbit, and four satellites are placed in inclined geosynchronous orbit with equatorial crossing.

• NavIC offers two services: Standard Position Service (SPS) for civilian users and Restricted Service (RS) for strategic users.

• NavIC coverage area includes India and a region up to 1500 km beyond Indian boundary.

• NavIC signals are designed to provide user position accuracy better than 20m and timing accuracy better than 50ns.

• NavIC SPS signals are interoperable with the other global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signalsnamely GPS,Glonass,Galileo, and BeiDou.

Context: India has recently stated at G20 that its agenda is to treat Multilateral reforms as a priority.

• Think 20 (T20) has also placed multilateral reforms as one of its priorities.

Think 20 initiative

• The T20 Task Force on ‘Towards Reformed Multilateralism’ (TF7) aims to construct a roadmap for ‘Multilateralism 2.0’.

Crises in Multilateral cooperation

• Due to persistent deadlocks, multilateralism has lost its majority’s trust.

• Multilateralism is facing a utility crisis, where powerful member-states opines that it is no longer useful to them.

• Increasing great-power tensions, de-globalisation, populist nationalism, the pandemic, and climate emergencies.

• States have started seeking other arenas like: bilateral, plurilateral and minilateral groupings,

• Result: further polarisation of global politics.

Need of the Multilateralism

• Most of the challenges nations face today are global in nature and require global solutions.

• Global issues that can only be solved collectively: conflicts, climate change, migration, macroeconomic instability, and cybersecurity.

• The COVID-19 pandemic has reversed the social and economic progress that the world has made in the last many decades.

Difficulties in reforming multilateralism

• Multilateralism is used more for global power politics.

• Result: any action that reforms multilateral institutions and frameworks is seen as a move that seeks to change the current distribution of power.

• Modifications in the distribution of power in the global order is neither easy nor normal and can have adverse implications when not done cautiously.

• The status quo powers see multilateral reforms as a zero-sum game which makes decisions about reform hard in these institutions even by consensus or voting.

• Example: in the Bretton Woods system, the U.S. and Europe has believed that reform would reduce their influence and dominance.

• Multilateralism is different than the realities of the emerging multipolar and multi-centred global order.

• Result: formation of new clubs, concerts and coalitions of the like-minded.

• This makes the reform of older institutions and frameworks challenging.

• Currently, the power to reform multilateralism lies only with elite countries particularly the emerging powers. 

Solution to reform multilateralism

• G-20 may constitute an engagement group to discuss about powers lying with elite countries to reform multilateralism and the future to change it.

• India should urge the upcoming presidents of the G-20, Brazil and South Africa to place multilateral reforms as their priorities.

• G -20 should encourage minilateral groupings as a new form of multilateralism and try to transform them into multi-stakeholder partnerships.

• G -20 should create networks of issue-based minilaterals where the governance of the global commons will be helpful to prevent competitive coalitions.

• There is requirement to mobilise the political will like giving concessions and conciliations.

• Include the African Union as a permanent member of G -20 and the UN Secretary-General and General Assembly President as permanent invitees to enhance its legitimacy.

• G-20 should put all its efforts into solving one or two current global issues such as food, fuel and fertilizer security and showcase it as the model of new multilateralism.

Conclusion

• India in its term as G-20 President can help set the stage for a multilateral reform of all major international fora including the UN.

• The G-20 must showcase an alternate form of multilateralism that is inclusive and beneficial for all through reforms that can then be emulated by other fora.

Context: Recently, a new research has shown that Erythritol is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

About the Erythritol

• It is a type of artificial sweetener or sugar alcohol that is used as a sugar substitute in foods and beverages.

• It has no calories and does not raise blood sugar levels.

• It has a lower glycemic index than other sweeteners i.e., it may not impact insulin levels of the body.

• It is produced nominally inside human body.

• They are recommended for people suffering obesity, diabetes or metabolic syndrome.

• It is about 70% as sweet as sugar and is produced through fermenting corn. 

• After ingestion, it is poorly metabolised by the body, goes into the bloodstream and then leaves the body mainly through urine.

• Erythritol when used for 14 days improved blood vessel function in healthy adults.

• Uses: Sugar-free products containing Erythritol are often recommended for people who have obesity, diabetes or metabolic syndrome and are looking for options to help manage their sugar or calorie intake.

Harmful effects of the Erythritol

• Those with higher blood Erythritol levels were at elevated risk of suffering heart attack, stroke or death.

• When Erythritol is added to either whole blood or isolated platelets, it made activated platelets to form a clot.

• Such platelets block blood flow in blood vessels in different parts of the body leading to fatal conditions as mentioned earlier.

About the cell platelets

• They are cell fragments that clump together to stop bleeding and helps in blood clotting during injury.

Context: Across India, an outbreak of a respiratory illness with symptoms of cold, sore throat and fever accompanied by fatigue has been observed since December 2022 and January 2023.

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) confirmed that Influenza Sub-type H3N2 has been causing this illness. 

• It further warned that the virus appeared to lead to more hospitalisations than other Influenza subtypes.

H3N2 Virus

• Influenza is a viral disease. It is caused by Orthomyxovirus (influenza virus) pathogen. 

• The four types of influenza viruses that cause the contagious illness known as the flu are A, B, C, and D.

• H3N2 is a subtype of virus in the classification 'A'.

• The virus causes respiratory infection and can infect birds and mammals.

• According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), H3N2 caused the 1968 flu pandemic that led to the death of around one million people globally. 

• Symptoms: Cough, runny or congested nose, sore throat, headache, body aches and pains, fever, chills, fatigue, diarrhoea, vomiting

• Vaccine: flu vaccine reduces the risk of flu illness in the general population by between 40 and 60 per cent 

• Prevention: Washing hands before eating or touching your face, nose or mouth, carrying pocket sanitiser, and avoiding people already infected with the virus or any other seasonal flu are some of the steps to prevent infectious disease. 

Context: Recently scientists have taken initial steps to create an ‘organoid intelligence’ which aims to create “biocomputers”.

• “Organoid intelligence” like Artificial intelligence is an area of study to create independent decision-making units using organoids.

• Brain organoids are 3D cultures of brain tissue prepared in the lab using human stem cells. These capture many structural and functional features of a developing human brain.

• The scientists ultimately aim to create “biocomputers”: which are brain cultures grown in the lab and coupled to real-world sensors and input/output devices.

Uses

• These biocomputers like human brains can be used for complex information processing.

• These organoids can reveal the biological basis of human cognition, learning, and memory.

• They can help in drug development and in decoding the pathology of degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and microcephaly. 

These mini-brains, built using human stem cells, however, have certain limitations -

• No input sensory inputs (touch, smell, vision, etc.)/output connection

• No blood circulation

• When inserted in a rat shows different behavioural interpretation

What are the Opportunities for ‘Bio-computers’?

• While human brains are slower than computers (say, simple arithmetic), they outshine machines at processing complex information.

• Comparing the data on brain structure, connections, and signalling between ‘healthy’ and ‘patient-derived’ organoids can reveal the biological basis of human cognition, learning, and memory.

• They could also help decode the pathology of and drug development for devastating neuro developmental and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease.

Are ‘Bio-computers’ Ready for Commercial Use?

• Currently, brain organoids have a diameter of less than 1 mm and have fewer than 100,000 cells, which make it roughly three-millionth the size of an actual human brain.

• So scaling up the brain organoid is key to improving its computing capacity.

• Researchers will also have to develop microfluidic systems to transport oxygen and nutrients, and remove waste products.

• They will also need to develop and use advanced analytical techniques to correlate the structural and functional changes in the brain organoids to the various output variables.

• The first, very-primitive forms of learning are already around, and the challenge is now to establish long-term memory, which may take more time.

• There is also a proposal to have an ethics team to parallelly identify, discuss, and analyse ethical issues as they arise in the course of this work.

Context: Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) is the digital distillation of a technological revolution that facilitates the evolution of the human mind. 

Background

• AI is the digital distillation of a technological revolution that is facilitating the long-overdue evolution of the human mind. 

• AI, as fear-inducing as anything disruptive and new is, can galvanise, turbo-charge, and trigger new avenues of intelligence in human minds. 

• These new avenues can enable us to understand and attack society’s greatest challenges today.

Types of AI

• Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) , Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI) and Artificial Super Intelligence(ASI).

About the AGI

• AGI is flexible, adaptable, and can handle new tasks without human intervention also known as ‘unsupervised learning’.

• Known as "strong AI", it can learn from data without being explicitly programmed to do so. 

• Its cognitive architecture is sophisticated such as the development of a system that includes perception, attention, memory, language, and reasoning. 

• It can perform any intellectual task that a human can do such as applying knowledge learned in one context to new and unfamiliar situations.

• AGI can pull knowledge and inputs from various experience, reasonings about complex concepts, and make decisions based on incomplete or uncertain information.

About the ANI

• It is not capable of generalising knowledge or skills to new situations outside of its programmed domain.

• Example: ChatGPT.

• It is controllable even if we do not fully understand the mechanics of how it gets so good at the task it is programmed for.

• It is trained using machine learning algorithms such as supervised learning, unsupervised learning, or reinforcement learning. 

• They are not necessarily capable of reasoning or learning as that of humans.

• Uses: image recognition, natural language processing, and predictive analysis.

AGI vs ANI

• AGI is capable of performing a wide variety of intellectual tasks, while ANI can perform a single or a narrow set of related tasks.

• ANI cannot facilitate knowledge transfer to other domains or tasks whereas AGI can.

• ANI can outperform humans in specific repetitive tasks whereas AGI can competes with humans across all endeavors.

What is the future of jobs?

Negative impact

• ANI products like ChatGPT have taken the world by storm, besides its technological prowess, it is also a matter of right place and right time.

• ChatGPT is a chat bot, which allows users to engage in a conversation about a variety of topics to which it like personal hobbies, interests, or current events and generates human-like responses in text form.

• ChatGPT, and such solutions, are particularly adept at automating routine and repetitive tasks, such as data entry and customer service which could perhaps replace low-skill level workers.

• In industries like healthcare, for example, AI can optimise transportation networks, develop new materials, and even simplify manufacturing processes.

• In the case of AI, workers in low-wage and low-skill occupations may be more vulnerable to job loss than those in high-wage and high-skill occupations.

Positive Impact

• AI may create demand for workers with expertise in machine learning, data science and natural language processing, and project management.

• It may also create opportunities for workers to specialise in areas where human judgement and creativity will remain critical.

• The impact of AI on jobs and industries is likely to be uneven, with some workers and industries experiencing greater disruption than others.

• AI can optimise transportation networks, develop new materials, and simplify manufacturing processes.

• It may create demand for workers with expertise in machine learning, data science and natural language processing. and project management.

• Workers will have to specialise in areas where human judgement and creativity are critical. 

Road Ahead

• It is evident that the technology is likely to have significant implications on the future of work. The lack of control of AI is what leads to the overarching fear of AI.

• As AI continues to transform the job market, workers may need to acquire new skills and knowledge in order to remain employable.

• While there is still much uncertainty about the impact of AI on jobs and industries, it is evident that the technology is likely to have significant implications on the future of work.

• It will be important for policymakers, businesses, and workers to take proactive steps to manage this transition and ensure that the benefits of AI are shared widely across society.

Why in news:

• Eight educational institutions from Punjab have figured among top-100 as per the National Institutional Rankings Framework (NIRF) 2022 released by the Union Ministry of Education.

Key Points:

• Out of the eight institutions from Punjab that made it to the top-100 overall list, five are government universities/institutes and three are private. However, while most of the Punjab government institutions on the list have witnessed a downfall in their ranking compared to 2021, the private ones have considerably improved their rankings and climbed up the ladder.
• According to NIRF rankings 2022, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar (Rupnagar) has secured an overall national rank of 35, the highest among Punjab institutions but lower than its rank of 31 last year.
• Panjab University Chandigarh, too has dropped three notches this year, but has remained in top 50 by bagging the 41st rank. Last year, it was ranked 38 in the overall list of top-100.
• Overall rank of Punjab institutions in top-100

• Institute Name  Ranking
• IIT, Ropar            35
• PU, Chandigarh  41
• IISER, Mohali      47
• Chandigarh University, Mohali    48
• Thapar Institute of Engineering, Patiala   57
• LPU, Phagwara  58
• GNDU, Amritsar 80
• NIT, Jalandhar    85
   

• The Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER), Mohali has been ranked 47th this year, which is lower than its ranking of 40 last year.
• Two other government institutions — Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar and Dr BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology (NIT), Jalandhar — have been ranked 80 and 85 respectively, as per NIRF 2022 rankings.
• While Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar has improved its ranking — climbing up from rank 80 last year — NIT Jalandhar has slipped from 78 to 85.
• Among the private institutions from Punjab, Chandigarh University, Mohali, has considerably improved its ranking, from 77 last year to 48 this year. It has been ranked the highest among private universities in Punjab in the overall category, followed by Lovely Professional University (LPU), Phagwara — which has climbed to 58 from last year’s 81.
• Another private institute, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, has slipped from rank 45 last year to 57 this time.
• In the Universities category, Panjab University Chandigarh has been ranked 25th followed by Chandigarh University, Mohali (29), Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala (31), GNDU Amritsar (44), LPU (47) and Central University, Bathinda (81).
• Notably, no college from Punjab has made it to the top-100 in ‘colleges’ category and in dental studies.
• In the category of research institutions, Panjab University Chandigarh has been placed at 29, followed by Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala at 35.
• IIT Ropar topped the Engineering category in Punjab (rank 22) and was followed by Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala (28), Chandigarh University, Mohali (45), LPU (51) and NIT Jalandhar (52).
• For the best institutes in management studies, LPU has been ranked the highest from Punjab at 34 in the list of top-100, followed by Chandigarh University, Mohali (40), Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala (53), Indian Institute of Management, Amritsar (55) and Chitkara University, Rajpura (80).
• In the pharmacy category, Panjab University Chandigarh has been ranked as the third best institute in the country at number 3, followed by National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Mohali (rank 4), LPU (19), Chitkara University, Rajpura (20), Punjabi University, Patiala (25), Central University, Bathinda (26), ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga (29), Chandigarh University (37), Amar Shaheed Baba Ajit Singh Jujhar Singh Memorial College of Pharmacy, Bela (56) and Chandigarh College of Pharmacy, Landran (91).
• This year, only two medical colleges from Punjab have made it to the top-100 list of medical institutions — Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), Ludhiana which has been ranked at 36 and Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), Ludhiana at rank 40.
• For law studies, LPU has been ranked 13 in the top-100 list, followed by the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala (18) and Army Institute of Law, Mohali (26). In the architecture studies category, LPU has been ranked 12, Chandigarh University (19) and Chitkara University, Rajpura (22).

Why in news:

• Acting on the call given by safe food organisation ‘Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture’ (ASHA), the representatives of various social organisations and individuals held events against GM Mustard approval marking the day as the national safe food day, across the state.

Key Points:

• It was on February 9, 2010 that the Bt Brinjal, the first GM food crop that was cleared by India’s regulators, was placed on an indefinite moratorium by the central government. Since then the February 9 has been marked by citizen groups as national safe food day.
• Now as the GM Mustard has been cleared for environmental release and GM mustard has been planted at six locations in three states, the representatives are opposing the approval to GM Mustard for commercial cultivation.
• A campaign named Sarson Satyagraha has also been started asking people to protect its right to safe food.
• Notably, the genetic engineering appraisal committee (GEAC) had approved the environmental release of GM Mustard DMH 11 in the month of October 2022 which has been challenged in the Supreme Court where the matter is pending. The civil society groups are vehemently opposing the GM technique claiming that this technology is not safe and also there is no difference in yield.
• Various actions were suggested to be undertaken on the day of protest including gifting of organic mustard products to ministers of various mustard growing or mustard consuming states in order to get them to know that this is their last chance to consume safe and natural mustard, if they don’t act now. Round table conferences, cycle rallies, consumer outreach events to make consumers be aware of the dangers with the GM Mustard were also organised.
• The signature campaign was also held at some places. Activities with hashtag #NoGMMustardPoison were put in the social media.
• With the opposition to the GM crops across the country especially in the agricultural states like Punjab, the government should try to take all stakeholders into confidence before taking any major steps. Doubts, if any, need to be cleared by the government since the matter of GM crops is a huge environmental as well as public health concern. And the matter is not crop specific as it it made out to be and the associated dangers can easily percolate to other crops resulting in major unintended consequences which calls for greater scrutiny for all matters of genetic modification of crops.

Why in news:

• The government Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Ludhiana would be upgraded to world-class skill development centre in collaboration with Sun foundation.

Key Points:

• The announcement was made by Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab Vikramjit Singh Sahney on his maiden visit to the institution, in the presence of senior department officers and different associations of the industrialists of Ludhiana.
• Notably, Sun foundation is the philanthropic venture of the Rajya Sabha MP. The fund, amounting to Rs 1 crore, would also be used for procurement of latest machinery in ITI to help train students in various skilled jobs, especially in the bicycle, sewing machine and auto parts manufacturing industries.
• Taking stock of the ground situation, the MP visited Ludhiana ITI where he interacted with industrial associations in the presence of Director of Technical Education Punjab. They discussed several issues like shortage of skilled labour and shortcomings of ITI, which once used to be the premier institute of the region. Several industry representatives from the region have appreciated the MP’s contribution and initiative and therefore, several businessmen have decided to further contribute funds for ITI to make it a hub of skill development.
• Addressing the businessmen, the MP said that ITI Ludhiana will be upgraded to world class multi-skill development centre, that too as per the requirements of the industry. Today’s prime concern is that students of Punjab are seeing their future in Canada and other countries, but it should be the aim of the state government to provide such facilities in cities like Ludhiana so that our students can get their worth here itself. This multi-skill development center will act as a bridge between students and industry and ensure at least 5,000 jobs per year.
• According to the Senior vice president of Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisations (FICO), the Indian government should collaborate with Japan and Germany to enhance the skills of the tutors, so they could teach the latest skills.
• The ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes) are in a situation where urgent steps are needed to change the existing scenario. The institutes were designed to provide occupation-based training to the youth to enable then to get trained in vocational courses so as to enable them to get absorbed in industry / get self employed.
• However, over the years, due to lack of initiative and foresight, the gap between the skills provided at the ITIs and the requirements of the industry has widened. On the one hand, the industry heads complain that the ITI pass outs are not equipped with the knowhow of the latest machinery. While another issue that remains is of disconnect between industry’s requirement and the courses offered at the ITIs. Resultantly, the industries do not get enough workmen trained in fields of their requirement and the ITI pass outs complain that the courses offered to them at the ITIs aren’t fetching them employment. In this scenario, innovation and foresight is the need of the hour and the current initiative is a step in the right direction.

Why in news:

• The Deputy Commissioner of Mohali recently held a meeting with various paper mill officials in order to discuss the issue of stubble burning.

Key Points:

• After due deliberations, various paper mills assured that they would buy bales from farmers and use them to operate the mill.
• The district administration officials are now hoping that the problem of stubble burning in Derabassi area would be solved because a boiler installed in Nachiketa Paper Mill would be operated by stubble. The paper mill would buy bales from the farmers, thereby making it a source of income for the farmers. In this regard, the Deputy Commissioner visited Nachiketa Paper Mill and also held a meeting with the district administration and paper mill officials in order to inspect the ground level preparations.
• Besides, directions have been issued to the concerned officials to sensitise the farmers about the benefits of making straw bales. The farmers need to be inspired to get maximum baler machines provided at 80% subsidy to farmer groups and 50% subsidy to individual farmers.
• As part of the follow-up exercise, a meeting of prominent farmers, cooperative societies and other stakeholders would be held with active involvement of the district administration represented by the Deputy Commissioner and farmers would be made aware about proper management of straw. The district administration has also urged farmers not to burn stubble to make the environment of Punjab pollution-free. The farmers must understand that the burning of crop residue destroys the organic quality of topsoil and other micro-organisms, thereby lowering the agricultural productivity of the state.

Why in news:

• The government of Punjab has undertaken an ambitious plan to go carbon neutral that will also entail conservation of available energy and resources.

Key Points:

• Aiming to make Punjab carbon-neutral with energy conservation the focus area, the state government has tapped 2,227.12 MW capacity renewable energy projects that is about 16 per cent of the total installed capacity. Of this, 1,493.95 MW capacity solar plants have been installed.
• Besides, 462.07 MW co-generation power plants, 91.5 MW biomass power projects, 175.35 MW mini-hydel projects and 1.5 MW waste-to-energy projects have been installed.
• The state is aggressively pursuing the development of compressed bio-gas (CBG) projects that are utilising surplus paddy straw to the tune of 16.54 million tons per annum. A total of 43 CBG projects having a total capacity of 495.58 tons per day based on paddy straw and other agro-residues have been allotted. They aim for a sustainable solution to prevent stubble burning smog, which blankets the entire northern belt of India, comprising Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Chandigarh, in October-November.
• Asia's largest CBG plant was inaugurated in October last year by Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann at Bhuttal Kalan village in Sangrur.
• Agriculture is an important sector of the state's economy. Punjab, the grain kitty of India, ensures food security of the nation. Its contribution to the central pool in 2022-23 was 51 per cent wheat and 25 per cent paddy. As per official figures, 15,820 solar pumps, 103,329 solar streetlights in villages and 178,000 family-size biogas plants have been installed.
• The state is planning to increase renewable energy to 50 per cent of the installed capacity by 2030 in line with the national agenda for clean-energy sources.
• The state annually produces 20 million tonnes paddy straw. In order to provide a much-needed alternative to stubble burning, Asia's largest CBG facility has been commissioned with a foreign direct investment of approximately Rs 220 crore by Germany's leading bio-energy company Verbio AG.
• With a total capacity of 33.23 ton CBG per day, the plant, spread across 20 acres, is consuming 100,000 tonnes of paddy straw that is being procured from within a 10-km radius of the facility.
• There is a daily production of around 600-650 tons of fermented organic manure that can be used for organic farming. The state has constituted a task force to create a mechanism for off-taking of fermented organic manure generated from the CBG projects based on agro-residue.
• The Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA), a state nodal agency, has allocated 42 CBG projects, aiming to attract an investment of Rs 1,200 crore, besides generating employment opportunities for over 8000 skilled and unskilled people.

Why in news:

• The arrival of migratory birds in the year 2022 to Harike, northern India’s largest wetland, declined 12 per cent from 2021, according to the latest census of these water birds.

Key Points:

• According to World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) India Coordinator Gitanjali Kanwar, the Forest and Wildlife Preservation department census counted 65,624 birds from 85 species at Harike.
• Every winter, 90 species of migratory birds from Siberia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia, among others, arrive at the wetland site once the water bodies in their native places start to freeze.
• In 2021, the census recorded 74,869 migratory birds from 88 species. The year before, 91,025 from 90 species were counted. There was no census in 2022 due to COVID-19.
• In 2018 and 2019, 94,771 birds of 94 species and 1,23,128 birds of 83 species arrived at the wetland site, respectively.
• The reason behind the decline in migratory bird arrivals this season is yet to be ascertained. Whether the drop is at a global or a regional level is yet to be seen. Notably, the state of Punjab witnessed fewer migratory bird arrivals at all wetlands in the year 2022.
• Spread over 86 square kilometres at the confluence of the Sutlej and the Beas rivers in Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Kapurthala districts, the Harike wetland is home to rare species of migratory water birds during winters.
• The birds start arriving at Harike, also known as Hari ke Pattan, in September before setting off on their return journey by March.
• Among the species that arrived at Harike this season included 34,523 Eurasian coots, 8,381 greylag geese, 7,432 gadwalls, 2,262 common pochards and 1,807 northern shovelers. Spoonbills, painted storks, ruddy shelducks, bar-headed geese, common teals and shoreline birds such as gulls, terns, sandpipers and plovers were also counted.
• Notably, some species such as the merlin, black-necked grebe and the common merganser were spotted after a long time recently.
• Apart from Harike, these water birds also arrive at wetlands in Keshopur Miani, Nangal, Ropar, Kanjli and the Beas river. 

Why in news

• In the wake of devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria and to improve the state’s preparedness, Punjab Chief Minister has given his nod to constitute a fund aimed at tackling any unforeseen natural disaster effectively.

Key Points:

• According to the official notification in this regard, the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) has been constituted under section 48 1(c) of the Disaster Management Act 2005.
• With this fund, projects related to mitigation measures will be launched, and the state government is expressing hope that these measures will help the state in coping with and mitigating natural calamities.
• In exercise of the powers conferred under clause (c) of sub-section (1) of Section 48 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (Central Act No. 53 of 2005), the Governor has constituted the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) for taking measures for reducing the risk, impact or effects of a disaster for a potential disaster situation.

State Disaster Mitigation Fund

• The State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) is set up at the State level. As per recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission, and as accepted by the Government of India, the State Disaster Mitigation Fund consists of 20 percent of the State Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF). The balance 80 percent will go to the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
• The fund established as State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) is be administered by the Disaster Management and Civil Defence Department. The State Executive Committee is be the custodian of State Disaster Mitigation Fund.

State Disaster Response Fund

• The fund is borne out of the Public Accounts Section of the State Account.
• SDRF has been constituted under Section 48 (1) (a) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. It was constituted based on the recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission.
• It is the primary fund available with the State governments for responses to notified disasters to meet expenditure for providing immediate relief. It is audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) every year.
• The Centre contributes 75% of the State Disaster Response Fund allocation for general category States and Union Territories and 90% for special category States and Union Territories (northeastern States, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir). The annual Central contribution is released in two equal installments as per the recommendation of the Finance Commission.
• Disaster (s) Covered under State Disaster Response Fund: Cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloudburst, pest attack, frost and cold waves.
  
   

Local Disasters:

• A State Government may use up to 10% of the funds available under the SDRF for providing immediate relief to the victims of natural disasters that they consider to be ‘disasters’ within the local context in the State and which are not included in the notified list of disasters of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Why in news:

• Deputy Commissioners and Additional deputy commissioners across the state have directed all government, semi-government offices and private institutions in their respective districts to write their signboards in Punjabi language (Gurmukhi script).

Key Points:

• In order to promote Punjabi language, the state government of Punjab had made it mandatory to use the language on signboards in all government and private institutions before the International Mother Language Day. In view of this, all government and semi-government offices, besides boards, corporations, educational institutions, public, private and commercial establishments have been directed to ensure compliance to the said directions.
• Notably, in order to give priority to the mother tongue, the Punjab government had taken this decision. Therefore, it is necessary to put up signboards in Punjabi language in government and semi-government offices, besides boards, corporations offices, educational institutions, public, private and commercial establishments.
• Apart from this, it has been made mandatory to write the name of road and name plates in Punjabi language in Gurmukhi script. The Deputy Commissioners and Additional deputy commissioners have issued instructions to complete this work before the stipulated time. It is important to note here that if anyone wants to write information in other languages, then it can be written below the Punjabi language. In this regard, directions have been issued to officials of various departments by the district administration to hold meetings with business and markets' associations, industries, and others and ensure implementation of the order in letter and spirit.

Why in news:

• Various political parties in Punjab have once again raised the long pending demand for allowing use of Punjabi language in the Punjab and Haryana high court and various district courts in the state.

Key Points:

• Despite a long pending demand for allowing use of Punjabi language in the Punjab and Haryana high court and various district courts in the state, the fact remains that the Punjab government never sent any proposal to the Centre on the issue.
• Various political parties in Punjab, while in power, had been claiming that they left no stone unturned to promote the use of Punjabi language.
• Union minister of Law and Justice in this regard recently informed the Lok Sabha that the central government had received proposals only from the government of Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Karnataka to permit use of their regional language in their respective high courts.
• The advice of the Chief Justice of India was sought on these proposals and it was intimated that the full court of the Supreme Court, after due deliberations, decided not to accept the proposals.
• Notably, under the aegis of the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Bar Council of India had constituted ‘Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti’ – chaired by former Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde – and it was developing a common core vocabulary, close to all Indian languages, for the purpose of translating legal material into regional languages.
• Announcing that the Supreme Court judgments, as a beginning, will now be translated into four languages – Hindi, Gujrati, Odia and Tamil – the Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud had said recently that English language in its “legal avatar” was not comprehensible to 99.9% of the citizens and access to justice could not be meaningful unless citizens were able to understand it in a language in which they speak and comprehend.
• The use of Hindi in the proceedings of the high court of Rajasthan was authorised under clause (2) of Article 348 of the Constitution.
• After the cabinet committee’s decision on May 21, 1965, the use of Hindi was authorised in the High Courts of Uttar Pradesh (1969), Madhya Pradesh (1971) and Bihar (1972) in consultation with the Chief Justice of India. Clause (2) of Article 348 of the Constitution states that notwithstanding anything in sub-clause (a) of clause (1), the governor of a state may, with the previous consent of the President, authorise the use of Hindi language, or any other language used for any official purposes of the state, in proceedings in the high court having its principal seat in that state.
• The cabinet committee’s decision on May 21, 1965 has stipulated that consent of the Chief Justice of India be obtained on any proposal relating to use of a language other than English in the high court.

Why in news:

• The state of Punjab has emerged as the top-performing state on various education and health-related indicators, according to a study released by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).

Key Points:

• Punjab topped all key indicators like educational infrastructure, access to education, basic health, learning outcomes and governance.
• The report, State of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, was released at ‘The Indian Dialog’, an event organised by the Institute of Competitiveness and US-Asia Technology Center, Stanford University. It was prepared by the Institute for Competitiveness — the Indian wing of the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard Business School.
• Delhi, Goa, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry were ranked as high-performing states and UTs. Meghalaya, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Nagaland, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh were among those that underperformed.
• The primary focus of the report was to capture the role of language in education and focus on improving learning outcomes using appropriate assessments for children in the early years of learning.
• This is the second report that the Institute for Competitiveness has done on the State of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy. Considering that education is a continuum, for India to perform better on development aspirations, both health and educational indicators need to improve and both have taken a knock because of the pandemic. Within that continuum of education, foundational literacy (interpreted as under-10) is the most important link in the chain.
• Punjab, which was also the best performer in the National Achievement Survey-2021 released last year, scored the highest on the educational infrastructure and learning outcomes.
• Rajasthan scored well on learning outcomes but fared poorly with access to education. Sikkim performed high on educational infrastructure but lagged on the governance indicator.
• Among the underperforming states, Meghalaya scored “poor” on educational infrastructure, learning outcomes and governance, while Telangana lagged on governance and learning outcomes. Uttar Pradesh performed poorly on basic health and governance.
  
  
  
   

About the report:

• The report compares states on 36 indicators across five key domains — educational infrastructure, access to education, basic health, learning outcomes and governance.
• The primary data for these indicators were taken from various sources, including the Ministry of Education’s UDISE index, the National Family Health Survey-5, all Budgets from 2019 onwards and the National Achievement Survey 2021.
• The other sources include data from the National Sample Survey Organisation’ survey 2017-18 and the data from the report on Foundational Numeracy and Literacy released by the NCERT in 2022 titled ‘National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage’.
• The methodology adopted to assign weights in the index was Principal Component Analysis (PCA).  States were categorised into different tiers based on the level of development to help form a better analysis. Further, they were classified based on their population of children aged 10 and below.