9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – February 8th, 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• Poor drafting – on amendments to the Customs Act
• IAS cadre rules: Upsetting the Centre-state balance
• A self-reliant Pharma Industry

GS Paper 3

• Notes for India as the digital trade juggernaut rolls on
• Land rights to women: Despite Courts, The Plot Is Against Daughters
• Why Union Budget 2022-23 falls short in addressing gaps to build disaster resilience
• Union budget 2022-23: Is India‘s Rs 13,700 cr space budget enough?
• Reservation laws for locals: Local labour pains
• E-fasting can minimize E-waste
• Let business houses with good track records run banks

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• IISc startup launches India’s first indigenous bio-sample collection kit
• Explained: I&B Ministry’s powers to regulate content on TV, other platforms
• Operation to curb trafficking launched
• Ministry of Tourism has formulated a National Strategy and Roadmap for Development of Rural Tourism in India- An initiative towards Atma Nirbhar Bharat
• Universalise maternity benefit scheme, say activists
• Parvatmala-An efficient and safe alternate transport network
• Why USFDA has Indian generic drug cos worried
• Understanding Artificial Neural Networks
• Union Minister Flags Off NITI Aayog’s Fintech Open Summit
• National Policy for Natural and Man-Made Water Bodies

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

Poor drafting – on amendments to the Customs Act

News: Budget 2022-23 has proposed to amend the Customs Act. It will criminalize the publishing of any information relating to the value or classification or quantity of goods entered for export from India, or import into India, or the details of the exporter or importer of such goods.

What is the objective of the proposed amendment?

It intends to protect the trade secrets of exporters and importers that may be stolen and sold with an aim to compromise competitiveness and commercial advantage. The aim is to protect the privacy of specific transactions of Indian businesses.

Why criminalizing publishing of Customs data is a bad idea?

First, It shows administrative steps taken to end the information leakage are not efficient.

Second, there is no existing clause under which such data leaking can be prosecuted. Also, there is no internal accountability mechanism for such leakage.

Third, the drafting by CBIC is done in a careless manner and lack of attention has been given to possible negative consequences.

For instance, the intent should be specifically mentioned. The amendment has used broad and vague meaning words which can be interpreted differently by investigative agencies and others.

Lastly, if the aim of such amendment is to protect the privacy of specific transactions of Indian businesses, proposed data privacy laws would be an appropriate law.

What is the way forward?

First, data on Indian exports should be disaggregated and timely available to allow for analysis in an anonymized form.

Second, the state should not overreach, and it must draft new regulations, laws, and statutes narrowly with clearly defined objectives to avoid handing over excessive powers to police persons, tax officials, or other agencies of the state.

IAS cadre rules: Upsetting the Centre-state balance

News: The proposed changes in IAS cadre rules has the potential to create a rift between Centre and State relations.

How the IAS is related to both the centre and state?

Why did the centre propose the amendments to the deputation of cadre officers?

Why did state governments oppose the proposed amendments?

Impact public interest: Central government has stretched the cadre rules to enable greater control over IAS officers in the public interest. This will allow the centre to pull out any number of IAS officers from the states.

How the proposed amendments will affect Centre-State relations?

– It can create mistrust in Centre-state relations.

– It would also result in the functional depreciation of the IAS in the states.

A self-reliant Pharma Industry

News: As pharmaceuticals industry is a key sector for the Atmanirbhar Bharat programme, Government introduced Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme in this sector. A prime objective was to reduce import dependence on Active Pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), Drug Intermediaries (DIs), and Key Starting Materials (KSM.

However, response to the scheme has not met expectations. 

What is PLI scheme, and what are its objectives? 

Read here 

What are the problems that have emerged regarding the application of scheme? 

Only 239 applications were received in two rounds from an industry which has over 3,000 firms. 

In spite of the two rounds of applications, no beneficiary was identified (or no application was received) in five products, which are all antibiotics. 

To realise the objective of import dependence, there is need for a broader strategy. 

What are the modifications required in PLI scheme to make it more effective? 

Price competency: Firms will invest in production in India only if they see a prospect of producing at prices cheaper than the cost of imports. Products from China are 35–40% cheaper than compared to indigenously produced products. So, any strategy aimed at achieving self-reliance should focus on achieving price competency in production. 

Technology: PLI scheme doesn’t have a technology component. Technology will help Indian producers overcoming some advantages of Chinese producers like competitive pricing and scale of operations. 

Old capacity: Scheme insists on new manufacturing facilities, which doesn’t allow firms which have idle older capacities to take advantage of the scheme. Many firms used to produce these products and have wound up production as cheaper imports began to flow from China. Permission to utilise existing but in-operational or underutilised facilities for production would elicit a better response.  

Involving MSMEs: The focus of the PLI Phase-I scheme is on large firms which have been historically interested in formulations and not Active pharmaceutical Ingredient (APIs). Apart from this, nearly three-fourth of the production of pharmaceuticals in India is by MSMEs. Therefore, it is important to include smaller firms. 

Involving Public sector enterprises: Out of the five products for which no application was received, four are APIs that are not used much by the industry. However they are of great significance for public health. Here, Government can task public sector enterprises (PSEs) should tasked for their production. 

GS Paper 3

Notes for India as the digital trade juggernaut rolls on

News:  In December 2021, Australia, Japan, and Singapore, have stated that they might schieve convergence on more issues linked to the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on e-commerce by the end of 2022. These 4 countries are co-convenors of the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on e-commerce.

How present rules existing on digital trade progressed?

In the Second Ministerial Conference (1998) of WTO, member countries agreed on core rules for e-commerce. A temporary moratorium was imposed on customs duties relating to the electronic transmission of goods and services. This moratorium was opposed by India and South Africa because it imposes significant costs on developing countries.

Hence, a work programme was set up on e-commerce but due to lack of progress, JSI was initiated in 2017 to work on the trade-related aspects of e-commerce. China and Indonesia joined with a justification that it is better to shape the rules from within.

What are the issues associated with JSI?

One, over half of WTO members have opted out of JSI negotiations. The developing countries fear that accepting these rules will affect their digital sovereignty.

Two, JSI does not include all WTO members, like General Council Work Programme. Thus, India and South Africa have said that it is against the WTO’s consensus-based framework, where every member has a voice and vote regardless of economic standing.

Why there is a disagreement between the developed and developing worlds?

First, free flow of data across borders: several countries are imposing data localization rules. But the developed world is finding it as a restriction on access to new digital markets, and it is causing unnecessary compliance costs. Hence, it is discouraging innovation and results in unfair protectionism.

For instance, In India, Mastercard and American Express were prohibited from issuing new cards for failure to comply with a 2018 financial data localization directive of RBI. Also, the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on data protection has recommended strict localization measures.

Second, domestic laws of some countries mandate the disclosure of source codes. Developed countries believe that this discourages innovation, but for developing countries, it is essential for algorithmic transparency and fairness.

What are the options available for India?

One, advocating data sovereignty, which aims to resist ‘data colonialism’. Policymaking in India should focus on surveillance reform, personal data protection, algorithmic governance, and non-personal data regulation. They should work for individuals, communities and promote local businesses.

Two, India should avoid signing trading obligations in a hurry to preserve the space available to frame appropriate policy. Also, it should avoid sitting out of trade negotiations to keep a check on digital trade rules. For example, RCEP.

Three, exceptions to digital trade rules should be negotiated. For example, ‘legitimate public policy objective’ or ‘essential security interests’, could be negotiated.

Four, India should take lessons from the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) between Singapore, Chile, and New Zealand. India should push for a framework where countries can pick and choose modules with which they wish to comply.

Lastly, the WTO plays a critical role in global governance and is vital to India’s strategic interests. Hence, India should negotiate without surrendering the domestic policy-making space.

Land rights to women: Despite Courts, The Plot Is Against Daughters

News: Recently, the Supreme court ruled that if a male Hindu dies without a will, his self-acquired property will pass by succession, and a daughter would be entitled to inherit such property even under Hindu law.

Why the land ownership is critical for women’s empowerment?

Various organizations like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, etc acknowledge women’s rights to land as fundamental to fulfilling basic rights. Such as livelihood, housing, and food, as well as rights to an adequate standard of living, self-determination, and cultural participation.

Greater equitable rights to land are also part of SDG goals. These goals are part of the United Nations and have been adopted by India as part of global development 2030. Goal five aims to undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources.

Land ownership creates a sense of equality for women in society. It provides a basis for her family’s economic security and stability. It acts as the foundation of agricultural productivity and promotes a more inclusive and stable society.

What does the data show about women’s position in holding land rights?

There is great inequity in the ownership of resources. According to the World Bank report, in 40% of economies, women face legal barriers to enjoying land and property rights.

Lack of data makes it difficult to get accurate figures. UN women estimated that less than 20% of the world’s landholders are women. Agriculture census data from India, which is conducted every five years, gives information on land ownership.
As per 2015–16 data, Only 13.96% of agricultural landowners are women. And they operate only 11.72% of agricultural lands.

What steps should the government adopt to close the gender gap in land ownership?

Government should invest in reliable data from where it can collect all the required information like how many and which women own land; which laws facilitate women’s ownership; how women use the land to their advantage and what barriers they face in using land and others. This precise data will help the government to close the gender gap in land ownership.

Also, the efforts of all stakeholders are required for implementing the law successfully.

Why Union Budget 2022-23 falls short in addressing gaps to build disaster resilience

News: The budgetary allocations under relief on natural calamities and MGNREGA are not up to mark. This can affect India in building disaster resilience.

Why is the allocation provided under disaster resilience is not enough?

According to the World Meteorological Organization’s ‘State of the Climate in Asia” report, India lost Rs 65 lakh crore in 2020 alone because of tropical cyclones, floods, and droughts. But, still, the allocation under relief operations for natural calamities has been decreased to Rs 1,511.93 crore in 2022-23 from Rs 1,538.03 crores in 2021-22. The ActionAid India recent citizens report, also indicated that  India needs more resources at ground level.

This allocation is not sufficient as between 1991 and 2021, India covered only 8% of the total losses and there is a protection gap of 92% during this period.

Why there is a need to review the disaster funds?

First, the list of items and norms of assistance from SDRF and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for 2010-15 and 2015-20 is outdated, so needs to be revised.

Second, Some of the compensation listed in the norms is highly inadequate. For example, Under the 2015-20 guidelines, Rs 3,200 is given as compensation for partially damaged kuchcha houses and Rs 95,100 for fully damaged kuchcha houses. However, no one gets Rs 95,100 as compensation and Rs 3,200 is highly inadequate for restoring even a kutcha house.

What steps should the government adopt in its disaster relief activities?

– The state allocations for SDRF are not enough, so need to increase them.

– Need to bring uniformity of compensation across the country.

– Need to present disaster-risk reduction (DRR) component in all the departments which will help in prioritizing the life of people living in coastal regions, within 5 km of the sea, building disaster-resilient houses in for ecologically sensitive zones, etc.

– Government should allocate financial resources to formulate community-level disaster management plans. It should map the blocks and Gram Panchayats which are susceptible to disaster and fund them to operationalize their DRR plan.

– More focus should be on Vulnerable population groups such as women, children, elderly and disabled people.

– Allocation provided under National Coastal Mission and MoEFCC should be used to protect the livelihoods of fisherfolk and also the mangroves in the Sundarbans. The West Bengal government has already set up a mangrove resource centre to study and raise mangrove forests.

What should be the way forward?

Achieving SDG 13 requires urgent actions to combat climate change. This requires reevaluating grant infrastructure projects in ecologically fragile areas. The focus should shift to villages, towns, and other locations in states which are affected by disasters every year.

There is a need to speed up relief distribution and rehabilitation, and also enhance compensation amounts. To add to this, disaster-resilient houses and social security safety nets should be built.

Union budget 2022-23: Is India‘s Rs 13,700 cr space budget enough?

News: Budget allocation to the space sector in the Union Budget 2022-23, attracts reactions from the experts.

What is the expert’s view on the allocation of resources for the space?

Center has kept aside Rs 13,700 crore as ISRO space itself for the Gaganyaan mission. ISRO Will receive the maximum share from the space budget. But still, experts say, it is difficult to estimate the sufficiency of funds as officials do not disclose the progress of ongoing projects.

According to experts, budgetary constraints led to shorted lifespans of ISRO missions in comparison to NASA. Also, it is difficult to have the best scientific observations on limited instruments. For example, MOM carried five instruments while the eight is carried by MAVEN. Another reason that India can carry a low-cost mission is because of lower salaries of the workforce and cost of living.

Also, according to experts, as the space sector is doing well, there is a need to allocate more monetary allocations.

What is India’s position in global space?

According to Economic Survey 2021-22, the global space economy was close to $447 billion in 2020. Of this, India’s share was only about 2%, much behind the US and China, reports. Also, India launches roughly 5-7 satellites per year. In contrast, the United States, China, and Russia had 19, 25, and 34 satellite launches.

What are the upcoming missions of ISRO?

There are several missions in the pipeline like Chandrayaan,  Small Satellite Launch Vehicle; Aditya Ll, XpoSat an X-ray observatory satellite, and Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System.

How the collaboration with the private sector can help ISRO?

The government introduced Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre in 2020. This was aimed at channelling non- government-private enterprises to watch space activities. According to the 2021-2022 Economic Survey, IN-SPACe received close to 40 proposals from large industries, micro, small and medium enterprises, start-ups, and academia for manufacturing launch vehicles and satellites.

Also, the number of space start-ups increased to 100 in 2021, from one in 2012.

Reservation laws for locals: Local labour pains

News: Haryana’s law of reserving 75% of new jobs in the private sector is now before the Supreme Court. The appeal was made by Haryana state after Punjab and Haryana High Court put a stay on the implementation of the law.

Why the observation of the Supreme Court is important?

The local job reservation law is in contradiction with Article 16 of the Constitution. Apart from Haryana, other state governments like Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh have also passed laws mandating between 70 and 75 % quota.

So, the judgment is important as it raised an important question of whether the state can restrict employment, even in the private sector, based on domicile.

Why did the Telangana government revoke its job reservation law?

Telangana cabinet earlier approved a proposal to reserve 80% of semi-skilled jobs and 60% of skilled jobs in the private sector for locals in August 2020. The policy generates difficulties in attracting investment, especially in the IT sector. Also, the companies are reluctant to invest in the states where employment options are restricted to locals.

What should be the way forward?

The state should follow a two-pronged strategy of educating local youths in marketable skills so that they get jobs without quotas. Along with that, the government can offer an incentive to industries to employ locals.

E-fasting can minimize E-waste

News: Electronic (e-waste) is emerging as a serious public health and environmental issue globally in this century.  

Why is e- waste generated and how different countries fare on the e-waste generation metric? 

When obsolete devices are replaced by new devices due to the advent of new technologies, this, in turn, results in electronic waste. 

United States and China are the first and second most electronic waste generating nations in the world. 

India is the ‘fifth-largest electronic waste producer in the world’. Approximately 1.2 million tonnes of e-waste is generated annually in India, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).  

Majority of the e-waste ,about 70 percent comes from computer devices and then comes the telecom sector which has 12 percent share. 

Government, public sector companies and private sector companies, generate nearly 75% of electronic waste, with the contribution of individual households being only 16%. 

What are harmful effects of e-waste? 

E-waste can pose several health hazards which include damage of kidney, immune system, reproductive system and central nervous system. 

They can add heavy metals in landfills. 

E-waste largely undergoes unorganised processing and recycling, which is not safe from the environmental point of view. 

Children and adults who often live work and play in or near e-waste recycling centres are especially vulnerable to the effects of e-waste  

What is the way forward? 

Electronics waste contains hazardous but also simultaneously valuable and scarce materials which should be extracted. 

Segregation of e-waste from normal waste and estimation of the amount of e-waste generated are the first few steps which will help in proper processing and disposal of e-waste. 

There is need for enhanced awareness among every individual about the cause and effects of e-waste and request cooperation in the disposal of the same. Users may be encouraged to practice digital fasting or e-fasting. This involves reducing technology use — such as turning off notifications, turning phone off while working and setting limits for the amount of time spent on technology. 

Manufacturers should be encouraged to produce greener electronics. 

Let business houses with good track records run banks

News: The RBI has revised the guidelines to allow 26% long-term promoter ownership in private banks based on recommendations of its internal working group.

What are the arguments in favour of allowing bank ownership by corporate business houses?

One, the RBI has allowed non-industrial groups having financial businesses (with the share of assets of financial businesses of the group exceeding 60% of group’s total assets) to apply for on-tap banking licenses. The issues of securing depositors and investors from systemic risk have been addressed with suitable guidelines. The same can be extended to well-reputed industrial houses through appropriate regulations.

Two, there are certain risks associated with giving banking licenses to industrial houses e.g., it is necessary to ensure that the ownership does not impact the management of the bank and its lending policies. Such risks can be avoided by greater monitoring of transactions, assigning higher risk weightages, tighter governance structures and proper regulatory audits.

Three, it will help in ensuring timely availability of credit for MSMEs which are key driver of employment generation. According to an RBI report, credit by private banks to MSMEs rose but the numbers of accounts declined by 1.5% in 2020-21 i.e., the number of MSME entities availing credit declined. It indicates stress suffered by small units, major restructuring of loans and shows that major portion of loans are cornered by big units.

Four, allowing the industrial houses to bid for divestment in the Public Sector Banks will help improve their valuations (more bidders) and thus help better realizations for the Government.

Five, ownership of Banks by industrial houses is expected to help in moderanization of the Banks and increase customer focus thus improving service levels.

Six, past failures of listed banks were due to their faulty business models like aggressive high-risk, high-return sectoral lending, fraudulent practices. Hence, past failures should not be used as argument against corporatization of banks.

Seven, RBI working group has cautioned against the unregulated big-tech entry into the digital lending space. The unregulated big-tech are using their large customer bases and cross-selling opaque financial products like crypto. Hence, to compete there is need of full-stack digital bank licenses given to strong domestic players.

What is the way forward?

 First, India’s banking scenario is highly competitive and big companies are raising more money via commercial paper and bonds instead of bank loans. The regulator has to watch over the business models of banks to check overzealous business practices and prevent the shrinking of banking sector. Hence, allowing industrial houses in banking sector is a win-win outcome for all stakeholders.

Two, there is need to increase fintech partnerships with existing banks and allow reputed business houses with good track record to run banks. They will help in increasing focus on MSMEs through differential directed commitments.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

IISc startup launches India’s first indigenous bio-sample collection kit

What is the news?

Azooka Labs, a startup at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has launched mWRAPR.

What is mWRAPR?

It is India’s first indigenous bio-sample collection kit.

It can be used as a biosample collection kit and storage medium for samples destined for genomic sequencing labs, biobanks and research ​​labs handling biological samples for molecular analysis. 

The kit helps to preserve genetic content in all types of biological samples including microbiomes, saliva, cells, tissues, blood, body fluids and fecal tubes.

Significance of this development: It is the only Molecular Transport Medium to be manufactured in India that competes with other notable foreign bio-sample collection kits.

Source: This post is based on the article “IISc startup launches India’s first indigenous bio-sample collection kit” published in TOI on 8th Feb 2022.

Explained: I&B Ministry’s powers to regulate content on TV, other platforms

What is the news?

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry(I&B) has informed Media One, a Malayalam-language news channel, that its broadcast licence had been cancelled.

Which sectors can the I&B Ministry regulate content?

Earlier, the I&B Ministry had the powers to regulate content across all sectors — TV channels, newspapers and magazines, movies in theatres and on TV, and the radio – barring the internet. 

But after the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, the power has been extended over internet content too, especially on digital news platforms and OTT platforms.

What kind of content is not allowed by the Government?

There are no specific laws on content allowed or prohibited in print and electronic media, radio, films or OTT platforms.

The content on any of these platforms has to follow the free speech rules of the country, Article 19(1) of the Constitution, while protecting the freedom of speech also lists certain “reasonable restrictions”.

Action can be taken if any of these restrictions is violated.

What kind of powers does the I&B Ministry have?

Movies: Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has a mandate to give any film that will be played in a theatre, a rating indicating the kind of audience it is suitable for.

TV Channels and OTT Platforms: IT Rules, 2021 came up with a three-tier grievance redressal structure for viewers to raise concerns. A viewer can successively approach the channel, then a self-regulatory body of the industry, and finally the I&B Ministry which can issue a show cause notice to the channel and then refer the issue to an inter-ministerial committee(IMC). For content on OTT platforms too, there is a similar structure.

Electronic Media Monitoring Cell: It is under  I&B Ministry. It tracks channels for any violations of the programming and advertising codes mentioned in the Cable TV Network Rules,1994. Violation can lead to revocation of a channel’s uplinking licence (for sending content to a satellite) or down-linking licence (for broadcasting to viewers through an intermediary). 

Print: In print, based on the recommendations of the Press Council of India, the government can suspend its advertising to a publication

Source: This post is based on the article “Explained: I&B Ministry’s powers to regulate content on TV, other platforms” published in Indian Express on 8th Feb 2022.

Operation to curb trafficking launched

What is the news?

Railway Protection Force(RPF) has launched “Operation AAHT”.

What is Operation AAHT?

Operation AAHT has been launched to curb human trafficking.

As part of the operation, special teams will be deployed on all long-distance trains/routes with focus on rescuing victims, particularly women and children, from the clutches of traffickers.

The infrastructure and intelligence network of the RPF will be utilized to collect, collate and analyze clues on victims, source, route, destination, popular trains used by suspects, kingpins and shared with other law-enforcing agencies.

Hence, the RPF could act as a bridge cutting across States to assist the local police in the mission to curb the menace of human trafficking.

Source: This post is based on the article “Operation to curb trafficking launched” published in The Hindu on 8th Feb 2022.

Ministry of Tourism has formulated a National Strategy and Roadmap for Development of Rural Tourism in India- An initiative towards Atma Nirbhar Bharat

What is the news?

The Ministry of Tourism has formulated a National Strategy and Roadmap for Development of Rural Tourism in India.

What is Rural Tourism?

Any form of tourism that showcases the rural life, art, culture, and heritage at rural locations, thereby benefiting the local community economically and socially.

It also enables interaction between the tourists and the locals for a more enriching tourism experience.

Strengths of Rural Tourism in India: a) Indian villages have unparalleled culture, craft, music, dance and heritage to offer to the visitors b) Expansion of road infrastructure has made most of the rural areas accessible c) Well-developed agriculture and farms to provide stay facilities and d) Beautiful climate conditions and Biodiversity among others.

Weaknesses of Rural Tourism in India: 1) Lack of prioritization for rural tourism at the State and National level 2) Poor profiling of rural product offerings 3) Poor tourism supporting infrastructure including ICT in rural areas 4) Lack of tourism awareness and skills in rural areas and 5) Poor resource allocation.

What is the National Strategy and Roadmap for Development of Rural Tourism in India?

Aim: To prioritize rural tourism at national level. It further aims at convergence of various schemes addressing issues such as poverty, empowerment of women and strengthening the economic status of the rural people.

Key Pillars: The strategy document focuses on the following key pillars:

– Model policies and best practices for rural tourism

– Digital technologies and platforms for rural tourism

– Developing clusters for rural tourism

–  Marketing support for rural tourism

– Capacity building of stakeholders

– Governance and institutional framework

Source: This post is based on the article “Ministry of Tourism has formulated a National Strategy and Roadmap for Development of Rural Tourism in India- An initiative towards Atma Nirbhar Bharat” published in PIB on 8th Feb 2022.

Universalise maternity benefit scheme, say activists

What is the news?

Government has announced that Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana(PMMVY) will be extended to cover the second child only if it is a girl.This announcement has met with criticism from activists who have demanded that it be universalised.

What is Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)?

It was launched in 2017 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD). 

It provides ₹5,000 for the birth of the first child to partially compensate a woman for loss of wages. Furthermore, it also aims to improve the nutritional well-being of the mother and the child. The amount is given in three installments upon meeting certain conditions. 

It is combined with another scheme, Janani Suraksha Yojana under which nearly ₹1,000 is given for an institutional birth so that a woman gets a total of ₹6,000.

What is being done now with the scheme?

The scheme is being expanded. Under this, the maternity benefit amount of ₹6000 is also to be provided for the second child, but only if the second is a girl child. This is being done to discourage pre-birth sex selection and promote the girl child.

Why is the scheme being criticized by the activists?

Firstly, to provide maternity benefit only to the mother of the first-born is illegal as the National Food Security Act, 2013 lays down that every pregnant woman and lactating mother are entitled to it.Then to extend it to second girl child is nothing but posturing.

Secondly, adding more conditions to the scheme will prove to be bureaucratic.This can be overcome if the scheme is universalised.

Thirdly, extending the scheme to the second girl child implies that women will be able to access the scheme only after the delivery.This means it will not have any impact on nutritional uptake of women during the course of their pregnancy.

Source: This post is based on the article “Universalise maternity benefit scheme, say activists” published in The Hindu on 8th Feb 2022.

Parvatmala-An efficient and safe alternate transport network

What is the News?

In Union Budget 2022-23, Union Finance Minister has announced that the National Ropeways Development Programme – “Parvatmala” will be initiated through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

What is the National Ropeways Development Programme?

Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH)

Aim: To develop Ropeways in hilly areas of the country in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

Around 8 ropeway projects for a length of 60 km would be awarded in 2022-23. 

The programme will also cover congested urban areas, where conventional mass transit systems are not feasible. 

The programme is being presently started in regions like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir and the other North-Eastern states.

What are the benefits of Ropeways?

Economical mode of transportation: Given that ropeway projects are built in a straight line over hilly terrain, it results in lower land acquisition costs. Hence, despite having a higher cost of construction per km than roadways, ropeway projects construction cost may happen to be more economical than roadways. 

Faster mode of transportation: Owing to the aerial mode of transportation, ropeways have an advantage over roadway projects where ropeways can be built in a straight line, over a hilly terrain.

Environmentally friendly: Low dust emissions. Material containers can be designed to rule out any soiling of the environment.

Last-mile connectivity: Ropeway projects adopting 3S (a kind of cable car system) or equivalent technologies can transport 6000-8000 passengers per hour.

Ideal for difficult/challenging/sensitive terrain: This mode of transportation will enable mobility to people living in difficult areas and help them become part of the mainstream. 

Flexible: Transport of different materials – A ropeway allows for the simultaneous transport of different types of material.

Ability to handle large slopes: Ropeways and cableways (cable cranes) can handle large slopes and large differences in elevation. Where a road or railroad needs switchbacks or tunnels, a ropeway travels straight up and down the fall line. 

Source: This post is based on the article “Parvatmala-An efficient and safe alternate transport network” published in PIB on 8th Feb 2022.

Why USFDA has Indian generic drug cos worried

What is the News?

The US Food and Drug Administration(USFDA) has decided to restart an old pilot project of conducting surprise inspections of foreign manufacturing plants. This could be a litmus test for Indian generic drug makers.

What is the surprise inspection  project announced by USFDA?

The USFDA will conduct unannounced inspections of manufacturing plants in India and China in an attempt to uphold the quality standards of drugs that are supplied to the US market. 

Under the current practice, the USFDA gives advance notice to foreign manufacturers before it begins its regulatory inspections.

How will this impact Indian generic firms?

In 2014, a similar ‘surprise’ inspection pilot was started by the US FDA. 

This move led to a 60% increase in regulatory action against generic companies. Between 2014 and 2015, India’s top five generic companies collectively lost a market cap of ₹15 billion.

Why has the US announced this surprise inspection  project again?

Around 40% of the finished drugs sold in the US are made outside the country. The demand to safeguard the drug supply chain and bring manufacturing closer to the US has grown over the last few years.

What can Indian drugmakers do?

Large drugmakers have already started diversifying their business beyond the US market. This would continue.

There is also a possibility of firms asking the Indian government to intervene and initiate dialogue with the US administration.

Source: This post is based on the article “Why USFDA has Indian generic drug cos worried” published in Livemint on 8th Feb 2022.

Understanding Artificial Neural Networks

What is the News?

Recently, the global Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Market report was published. As per the current report, ANN Market is to set phenomenal growth from 2021 to 2028.

What is an Artificial Neural Network(ANN)?

Artificial Neural Networks(ANN) also known as Neural Networks are a vital subset of machine learning and are at the heart of deep learning algorithms. 

Their name and structure are inspired by the human brain, mimicking the way that biological neurons signal to one another.

They are not like other machine learning algorithms that process numbers or organize data, it is an algorithm that learns from experience and repeated tasks performed by users.

It is fed massive volumes of data in the beginning phases. In most cases, training is done by providing input and informing the network about what should be the output.

Note: Backpropagation is a commonly used method for training artificial neural networks, especially deep neural networks.

What are the applications of Artificial Neural Network(ANN)?

The applications of Artificial Neural Network(ANN) are Image Preprocessing and Character Recognition, Forecasting, Credit rating, Fraud Detection, Portfolio Management among others.

What are the limitations of Artificial Neural Network(ANN)?

Firstly, the most significant technological hurdle is the time it takes to train networks, which frequently demand an acceptable level of computational power for even complex tasks.

Secondly, neural networks are computer systems in which the user categorizes the trained data and gets responses. They have the ability to fine-tune the responses, but they do not have access to the specific decision-making process.

Source: This post is based on the article “Understanding Artificial Neural Networks” published in The Hindu on 7th Feb 2022

Union Minister Flags Off NITI Aayog’s Fintech Open Summit

What is the News?

The Minister for Communications, Electronics and IT inaugurated the Fintech Open Summit.

What is the Fintech Open Summit?

Organized by: NITI Aayog in collaboration with PhonePe, AWS and EY.

Aim: To bring together regulators, fintech professionals, industry leaders, start-up community and developers to collaborate, exchange ideas and innovate.

Objectives of the Summit: a) Encourage an open ecosystem across the fintech industry, b) Foster innovation and growth and c) Ensure financial inclusion and leverage new models like Account Aggregator to unleash the next wave of fintech innovation.

What is an Open Platform?

Click Here to read about it 

An open platform is created using public investment, wherein numerous private entrepreneurs, start-ups and developers can join to create new solutions. 

For example, today, 270 banks are connected with the UPI and many entrepreneurs and start-ups have provided solutions that have helped increase the country’s fintech adoption rate—which is the highest globally at 87%.’

Source: This post is based on the article “Union Minister Flags Off NITI Aayog’s Fintech Open Summit” published in PIB on 8th Feb 2022.

National Policy for Natural and Man-Made Water Bodies

What is the News?

Minister for Jal Shakti has informed that a specific National Policy toward protecting natural and man-made step wells, ports, ponds, tanks or lakes is being discussed.

Which policy is currently there to protect the Natural and Man-Made Water Bodies?

At present, the National Water Policy – 2012 is in effect which contains provisions regarding these Natural and Man-Made Water Bodies.

Further, the Archeological Survey of India(ASI) takes up the works as per National Conservation Policy 2014 for renovation and restoration of natural and man-made step wells, ports, ponds, tanks or lakes.

Note: Water is a State subject. Hence, conservation and efficient management of water resources are primarily undertaken by the respective State Governments. But the Central Government provides inputs and funding.

What is National Water Policy, 2012?

The policy aims to assess the existing situation and proposes a framework for a plan of action with a unified national perspective.

The key provisions of the policy are: 1) Emphasis on the need for a national water framework law, 2) Water after meeting the pre-emptive needs should be treated as an economic good, 3) Adaptation strategies in view of climate change, 4) Setting up of Water Regulatory Authority, 5) Incentivization of recycling and reuse, 6) Removal of the large disparity in stipulations for water supply in urban areas and in rural areas, 7) Water resources projects and services should be managed with community participation and 8) Adequate grants to the States to update technology.

Source: This post is based on the article “National Policy for Natural and Man-Made Water Bodies” published in PIB on 8th Feb 2022.