03 AUGUST 2023

Topic 1 : Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region

Context: Union Minister of Earth Sciences informed the Lok Sabha about the assessment that was published in 2020.

Key details:

• Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) in 2020 has published ‘Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region’.
• It contains a comprehensive assessment of the impact of climate change upon the Indian subcontinent.
• Highlights of the report:

• India’s average temperature has risen by around 0.7 deg. C during 1901-2018.
• Frequency of daily precipitation extremes (rainfall intensities >150 mm per day) increased by about 75% during 1950-2015.
• The frequency and spatial extent of droughts over India has increased significantly during 1951-2015.
• The sea surface temperatures in the tropical Indian Ocean have also increased by about 1 °C during 1951–2015.
• Sea-level rise in the North Indian Ocean occurred at a rate of 3.3 mm per year in the last two and half decades (1993-2017).
• Frequency of Severe Cyclonic Storms over Arabian sea has increased during the post monsoon seasons of 1998-2018.

India’s efforts towards mitigating climate change:

• India is a Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), its Kyoto Protocol (KP), and the Paris Agreement (PA).
• Independent studies rate India’s efforts highly and compliant with the requirements under PA.
• The Government of India stands committed to combating climate change through its several programmes and schemes including the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which comprises missions in specific areas of:
  • solar energy,
  • energy efficiency,
  • water and agriculture,
  • Himalayan ecosystem,
  • sustainable habitat,
  • green India, and
  • strategic knowledge on climate change.
• The NAPCC provides an overarching framework for all climate actions.
• Thirty-three States /Union Territories have prepared their State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) in line with NAPCC taking into account the State’s specific issues relating to climate change.          

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Topic 2 : Safe City Project

Context: Minister of State for Home Affairs informed the Rajya Sabha about implementation of the Safe City Project.

Key details:

• Safe City Projects have been approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs with centrally sponsored funding in eight cities initially:
  • Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Mumbai.
• The projects involve:
  • identification of hotspots for crime against women
  • deployment of various components including infrastructure, technology adoption
  • capacity building in community through awareness programmes which will enable safety for women.
• Safe City Project is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• The project aims to curb crime against women and address safety issues sensitively.
• It aims to use technology and ensure the prompt availability of professionally equipped police personnel to reach women in distress.
• CCTV cameras will be installed in places frequented by women.
• A command and control centre will be set up at police headquarters, district headquarters and police stations.
• Integration of location-based services and crime and criminal databases with CCTV feeds for prompt and effective resolution of women’s safety issues at public places.
• Analysis of video and creation of actionable warnings or alerts for preventive and curative actions.

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Topic 3 : Iberian wolf

Context: The Iberian wolf is extinct in Spain’s Andalusia since 2020.
 

Key details:

• The Iberian wolf is a species of gray wolf native to the Iberian Peninsula comprising Spain and Portugal,
• Andalusia is an ‘autonomous territory’ of Spain and consists of eight provinces.
• The Iberian wolf lives in packs that are territorial and hierarchical and led by a dominant breeding pair.
• They form the largest wolf population in Western Europe.
• Iberian wolves were the only Western European subspecies of wolf whose hunting remained legal, yet only in Spain.

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Topic 4 : Jeddah Peace Talks

Context: Saudi Arabia is set to host Ukraine, U.S., some European countries and major developing countries including India and Brazil for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine war in Jeddah.
 

Key details:

• While both Ukraine and Russia have signalled their openness to talk on global platforms, they squarely reject what peace would look like for the other.
• Ukraine’s position:
  • Ukranian President continues to hold his position that peace negotiations cannot happen without the withdrawal of Russian troops.
  • The 10-point peace plan that Ukraine is promoting since last year’s G-20 Summit involves:
    • restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity as per its 1991 borders post the breakdown of the Soviet Union
    • reaffirming its territorial integrity according to the UN Charter,
    • prosecuting war crimes committed by Russia.
• Russia’s position:
  • Russia has rejected the plan and is unwilling to cede any of the captured territory in Ukraine.
  • According to Russia any negotiation should happen factoring in “new realities”, indicating redrawn borders including the territories it has annexed.

Recent negotiations:

• In the initial weeks of the conflict, the two parities engaged in talks for temporary ceasefires for creating humanitarian corridors.
• Talks broke down as evidence of war atrocities in Ukraine and Russian attacks on civilians began to mount.
• Since then, the International Criminal Court at the Hague has issued an arrest warrant against the President of Russia.
• Russia recently pulled out of the Black Sea Grain Deal brokered by Turkey and the UN after a year.
  • The deal allowed the movement of 32.9 million metric tonnes of foodgrains from Ukraine through a safe corridor.
  • It was the one negotiation which was seen as fairly effective, even though a sizeable portion of grains were shipped to China and high-income countries.
• While no plan has yet been accepted by both Russia and Ukraine, it has highlighted strategic attempts at mediation by influential players in other parts of the globe.

Peace plan proposed by China

• China came out with a 12-point-plan for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.
• The plan reiterated China’s support for territorial integrity of states and the UN Charter, condemned using of nuclear power in wars, and called for the ceasing of hostilities and resumption of talks.
• It also called for “abandoning cold war mentality”, adding that security should not be achieved by expanding military alliances, pointing towards NATO and the West.
• The plan was seen favouring Russia as it called for countries to stop abusing unilateral sanctions.

Peace initiatives proposed by Africa

• Leaders of seven African countries, led by South African President, visited Russia and Ukraine with a 10-point proposal which suggested the recognition of Russia and Ukraine’s sovereignty, and the release of prisoners.
• It also called for:
  • keeping the exports of foodgrains unhindered;
  • for a de-escalation of fighting, and
  • for peace negotiations between the two sides to start at the earliest.
• The war has meant rising inflation and a shortage of grain and fertilizers for many countries in the African continent, which import these products from Ukraine and Russia respectively.
• The conflict is directly responsible for a shortage of about 30 million tonnes of grain in Africa.
• The plan was also seen as an attempt at peace by African countries who have not outrightly condemned Russia and abstained from UN resolutions against it.

Peace talks by Brazil:

• Brazilian President suggested that he could lead a “peace club” of countries who are not involved in the war and are militarily non-aligned, to broker discussions between the two sides.
• He also suggested that the West was prolonging the conflict by supplying arms to Kyiv.

The upcoming talks in Jeddah

• The United Kingdom, EU, South Africa, and Poland have already confirmed their attendance for the talks.
• The U.S. National Security Advisor is also likely to attend.
• Saudi Arabia maintains close ties with Moscow and is a part of the influential oil cartel OPEC+.
• It has also drawn criticism for cutting oil outputs and driving out prices at a time when supplies from Russia face sanctions.Topic 5 : Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023

Context: The Rajya Sabha has passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023 for making amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.

Key details:

• The MMDR Act, 1957 was comprehensively amended in 2015 to bring several reforms in the mineral sector such as:
  • mandating method of auction for grant of mineral concessions to bring transparency in allocation of mineral resources,
  • for establishing District Mineral Foundation (DMF) for the welfare of the people and areas affected by mining and
  • for establishing National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) to give thrust to exploration and for ensuring stringent penalty for illegal mining.
• The Act was further amended in 2016 and 2020 and was last amended in 2021 to bring further reforms in the sector, such as:
  • removing the distinction between captive and merchant mines,
  • transfer of statutory clearances to ensure continuity in mining operations even with change of lessee,
  • removing the restrictions on transfer of mineral concessions,
  • lapsing of rights of non-auctioned concession holders which have not resulted in mining leases to ensure that concessions to private sector are only granted through auction etc.

The recent amendments:

• Omission of minerals:
  • Omission of 6 minerals from the list of 12 atomic minerals namely:
    • Lithium bearing minerals,
    • Titanium bearing minerals and ores,
    • Beryl and other beryllium bearing minerals,
    • Niobium and Tantalum bearing minerals and
    • Zirconium-bearing minerals.
  • Upon removal of these minerals from the list of atomic minerals, exploration and mining of these minerals will be open to private sector.
• Empowering Central Government to exclusively auction mineral concessions for certain critical mineral:
  • Another major amendment passed by the Parliament is to empower the Central Government to exclusively auction mining lease and composite licence for certain critical minerals viz.:
  • Even though auction would be conducted by the Central Government, the mining lease or composite licence for these minerals to the successful bidders will be granted by the State Government only and the auction premium and other statutory payments shall continue to be received by the State Government.
• Introducing exploration licence for deep-seated and critical minerals:
  • Even though 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) is allowed in mining and exploration sector through automatic route, currently there is no significant FDI received in these sectors.
  • The Bill introduces provisions for grant of a new mineral concession, namely, Exploration Licence (EL), in the Act.
  • The exploration licence granted through auction shall permit the licencee to undertake reconnaissance and prospecting operations for critical and deep-seated minerals mentioned in the newly proposed Seventh Schedule to the Act. 

Conclusion:

• Resource identification for these minerals in the country is very limited as compared to surfacial/ bulk minerals.
• Share of deep-seated minerals in total mineral production is meager and the country is mostly dependent on imports of these minerals.
• Therefore, there is need to further augment expediting exploration and mining of deep-seated minerals.
• The proposed exploration licence would facilitate, encourage and incentivize private sector participation in all spheres of mineral exploration for critical and deep seated minerals.
• Involvement of private agencies in exploration would bring advanced technology, finance and expertise in exploration for deep-seated and critical minerals.
• The proposed exploration licence regime is foreseen to create an enabling mechanism where in the exploration agencies will:
  • bring in expertise from across the world in geological data acquisition,
  • processing and interpretation value chain and
  • leverage the risk-taking ability for discovery of mineral deposits through adoption of expertise and technologies.Topic 6 : Shift of global manufacturing from China to India

Context: India’s Prime Minister’s address at the World Economic Forum indicated India’s ambition to become and promote itself as a global manufacturing and export hub.

Key details:

• A recent report said that India is actively pursuing the ‘plus-one’ strategy.
• Only India’s labour force and domestic market are comparable to those of China.
• India is seen as a natural partner for Western nations, with the Indian government working towards making it easier for businesses to set up their manufacturing units in India.

What does manufacturing in India offer to the world?

• India’s manufacturing potential stems from benefits like:
  • a sizable–trainable workforce,
  • digital infrastructure facilitating efficient operations,
  • investments in logistics infrastructure,
  • proximity to different countries for supply chain diversification,
  • a strategic location for accessing emerging markets,
  • cost advantages in low-cost and economical manufacturing,
  • a strong legal system and patent protection.
• Some recent examples:
  • US aircraft manufacturer, Boeing is looking to begin production in India as Western businesses strive to reduce their reliance on China, the de facto global factory.
  • Apple has been striving to diversify productionaway from China while it looks for a backup amidst the US-China trade war.
    • Their flagship iPhone 14 models are manufactured in India.

Challenges of manufacturing in India  

• Main issues when manufacturing in India are:
  • high tariffs,
  • outdated labour regulations,
  • fragile policy frameworks,
  • regulatory uncertainty, and
  • unfavorable growth conditions in a foreign country.
  • acquisition of land with clear titles,
  • the high amount of import duties,
  • a price-sensitive market
• Unskilled labour and inadequate infrastructure are the key factors that businesses consider before setting up its manufacturing hubs.
  • Labour shortage is raising its ugly head in India’s manufacturing centres.
  • This is because, in contrast to China, many workers are hesitant to move a great distance in search of employment.
• Obtaining land and necessary permits in India can take a significant amount of time.
• Issuing visas for foreign engineers, managers, and technicians can also take time.
• Even if businesses are able to successfully set up their manufacturing units in India, cracking the Indian market becomes another challenge.

Way forward:

• Create globally competitive manufacturing companies
  • Globally competitive manufacturing companies can be built over years, which will lead to a lost opportunity.
  • Whereas government and industry can decide on focus sectors that can be turned and operated at global scaler, provide impetus and help them to be established as part of GVCs, instead of providing benefits to all industries.
  • Synchronised and collective action by the private sector and government can bring forth future requirements and enable to position them as globally competitive units.
• Enabling global market access for Indian manufacturers
  • A greater focus on bilateral deals could bring increased trade activity in country-to-country corridors.
  • India has lot to gain from G2G trade agreements, if we plan render our private sector to compete with global MNCs.
  • Lower trade barriers, special treatment for Indian merchandise, synchronisation of product specifications and certifications can together lead to demand floodgates.
• Build flexible infrastructure for speed and agility
  • The manufacturing sector will need agile physical and virtual infrastructure to build on its products.
  • A number of industrial corridors along the Delhi-Mumbai, Chennai-Bangalore, Vizag-Chennai, and other corridors are already planned, awaiting execution.
  • It is also important to revitalize the SEZ zones, which essentially looks at only export-oriented growth. 
  • India has the world’s largest, safe and successful digital payments platform built on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) that boasts of more than 4.5 billion transactions each month.
  • Added to it the India Stack — a public digital infrastructure that can be put to best use.
    • India Stack is a technological foundation that combines a set of Application Programming Interface (APIs), acting as a technical link that enables two software programs to connect with one another. Topic 7 : Jan Vishwas Bill

Context: The Jan Vishwas Bill passed in the Rajya Sabha recently will amend two provisions of the law governing manufacture, storage, and sale of medicines in India.
 

Key amendments:

• The Jan Vishwas Bill will make two changes to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
  • The first amendment, will do away with imprisonment for companies repeatedly using government analysis or test reports for promoting their products.
    • At present, companies face up to two years imprisonment and a fine of not less than ten thousand rupees for a repeated violation.
    • This will change to only a fine but not less than five lakh rupees.
  • The second amendment will allow “compounding” of offences.
    • Compounding is a legal provision that allows one to pay a fine instead of undergoing criminal proceedings.
    • Companies violating the provisions will continue to face imprisonment between one and two years and a fine not less than Rs. 20,000.
    • But, now there will be an alternative mechanism where the company could agree to pay the fine instead of going through a criminal proceeding in court.
• The existing Drugs and Cosmetics Act has provisions for punishments for different types of offences:
  • adulterated or spurious drugs that lead to death or grievous injury carrying a sentence of up to life imprisonment,
  • adulterated medicines that do not fall under the previous category of medicine manufactured without a licence carrying a sentence of up to five years, and
  • spurious medicines other than the ones that fall under the first category carrying a sentence of up to seven years..

Why it is being opposed?

• While the existing drug law already allows for compounding other offences, the reason many have raised an issue is because it also includes drugs that are not of standard quality (NSQ), colloquially referred to as substandard drugs.

What has it got to do with good manufacturing practices?

• The drug act lists all the requirements such as space or processes for drug manufacturers.
• The changes that were made to this schedule in 2018 to improve drug manufacturing in the country are yet to be adopted by a majority of drug manufacturers.
• The health ministry said that bigger companies with a turnover of over 250 crores will need to implement these measures within six months and smaller companies within a year.
• Those who do not implement the measures within the stipulated time will also be prosecuted.

Conclusion:

• Allowing compounding is actually a good move and prevents companies from being stuck in litigation for years for minor offences.
• It has been a long standing demand of the industry that minor offences be decriminalised to reduce harassment of the business owners.
• Getting imprisoned is a big deal in society and sometimes, people lose their business by the time the court proceedings get over.
• Allowing compounding of some offences but strict punishment for repeat offences or offence with the intent will not only help the pharmaceutical industry flourish but also ensure that they make quality products.Topic 8 : PEHCHAN scheme

Context: PEHCHAN scheme to provide new identity to handicraft artisans and help them avail benefits of various schemes

About the scheme:

• PEHCHAN scheme was launched in 2016 to provide new identity to handicraft artisans so that the benefits of various schemes are provided to the deserving artisans.
• Aadhar linked Pehchan Cards are issued after due verification.
• Pehchan card holders can avail the benefits of all the handicrafts schemes implemented by Ministry of Textiles.
• The ID card will enable the artisans to avail easy loans at a nominal rate.
• The ID cardholders will get the benefit of life insurance and Rs.1200 per year for their children studying between Class IX and Class XII.
• Key features:
• Baseline survey & Mobilization of Artisans Hastshilp Vikash Yojana:
  • The Scheme aims to promote Indian handicraft by developing artisans clusters into professionally managed and self-reliant community enterprises on the principles of effective member participation and mutual corporation.
• Design & Technology Up-gradation:
  • The scheme aims to upgrade artisans skills through the development of invoice design and prototypes products for overseas markets, a revival of endangered crafts and preservation of heritage etc.
• Human Resource Development:
  • The scheme has been formulated to provide a qualified and trained workforce to the handicraft sector.
• Direct Benefit to Artisans:
  • The scheme envisages welfare measures like Health and Life Insurance, recognition, extending credit facilities, supply of modern tools and equipment to the artisans etc.
• Infrastructure and Technology Support:
  • The scheme aims to develop world-class infrastructure in the country to support handicraft production and enhance the product quality and cost to enable it to compete in the global market.
• Research and Development:
  • The scheme was introduced to conduct surveys and studies of important crafts and make an in-depth analysis of specific aspects and problems of Handicraft to generate useful inputs to aid policy planning and fine-tune the ongoing initiatives.
• Marketing Support & Services:
  • The scheme was introduced to promote and provide financial assistance to artisans.