Mains 365 2021 by Ias Network

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TOPICS : 200 Mains Topics in 200 Pages
1. Amending National Capital Territory Of Delhi Act

2. Global Anti-Trust And Big Tech Challenges
3. Govt Regulation And Tech Platforms
4. Arc - Amc
5. Self Reliance In Science
6. Ironclad Genomics Case
7. Himalayan Dams
8. India Myanmar Relations
9. Disinvestment
10. Development Finance Institution
11. Freedom Of Expression
12. Digital Service Tax
13. Plate Tectonics
14. Green Budget
15. Sedition Issue
16. Pulses Issue
17. Defence Pensions Financial Issue
18. Legislative Process Shortcomings
19. National Education Policy
20. India’s Bilateral Investment Treaty Issue
21. Right To Dignity Of Women Vs Right To Reputation
22. Glaciers And Global Warming
23. High Public Debt Issue
24. 15th Finance Commission Recommendations
25. Land Titling
26. Evn Issue Related To Farming
27. Hydroponic Farming
28. Petroleum Independence
29. Structural Fragility Of Union Territories
30. Anti Defection Law
31. Ott Platforms
32. Nation’s Self Defence Rights
33. Right To Marry
34. Covax Facility
35. Significance Of Preamble
36. Jspoa
37. Nehruvian Economic Self Sufficiency
38. Marriage And Rape
39. Cryptocurrencies
40. Retrospective Taxation Issue
41. Freedom House Report
42. Red Echo And Cyber Threats
43. Spectrum Issue
44. Coal Bed Methane
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45. Fiscal Federalism

46. Ken Betwa Link
47. Business Of Agri By World Bank
48. National Food Security Act
49. Cyber Crime Volunteer Program
50. Electoral Bonds
51. Priority Sector Lending
52. Act East Policy
53. Judicial Delays
54. Environment Tax
55. Oil Seed Production
56. Critical Infra Security
57. National Tribunal Commissions
58. Digital Inequality
59. Government Public Sector Enterprises
60. Banking Sector Reforms
61. Abuse Of Law System, False Case Filling
62. Lakshadweep Issue
63. RTI Implementation Issue
64. Carbon Credit Initiative Issue
65. Jam Trinity
66. Geo Engineering
67. Nutrition Issues
68. Corporate Social Responsibilities
69. Black Carbon Issues
70. Precision Farming
71. Cyclone Protection
72. Agriculture Practices Reforms
73. Digital Divide
74. Sedition Law
75. Global Minimum Corporate Tax
76. Limiting Child Policy In India
77. Health Care Inequality
78. Regionalism In India
79. Mental Health Issues
80. National Food Security
81. Effect Of Globalization On Indian Diversity
82. Privacy Issues With Apps
83. Women In Science And Technology
84. Land Leasing In India
85. Myanmar Situation Issue
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86. Anti Corruption Issue

87. Achieving SDG Goals
88. Diversify India’s Trade
89. New Scramble For Africa
90. Big Tech Regulations
91. Taliban’s Resurgence And India’s Challenges
92. GM Crops
93. Reforming Tribunals
94. Requirement of New Economic Reforms After 1991 Reforms
95. Deterioration Of Himalayan Ecosystem, Massive Development Causing Issues
96. Digitization of Financial Services
97. Edible Oil Shortage And Dependence On Imports
98. Govt Vs Big Tech
99. Vacancies in Courts And Tribunals
100. Maritime Security In Indian Ocean Region
101. China Damming Rivers in Tibet
102. Food Insecurity In India
103. Required GST Reforms
104. Reservation System Issues
105. Issues With Office Of The Speaker
106. Post Retirement Judges Issues
107. Civil Services Recruitment Reforms
108. India Middle East Relations
109. Indian Aviation Sector Challenges
110. Social Security Reforms
111. Thawing Permafrost
112. Inefficiency of Parliament
113. Development Vs Environment, Hills And Expansion Of Urban Areas ( Recent
Aravalli Hills Home Demolition )
114. North East Peace / Conflicts
115. Exploiting Oceanic Minerals, Eg Poly Metallic Nodules
116. Dalai Lama Issue
117. Corporate Governance Issues
118. Telecom Sector Issues
119. Development Of India’s Island Territories For Tourism
120. Engineering Education System Issues In India
121. Allowing Foreign Universities In India
122. Data Protection In India
123. Tribal Issues In India
124. India Nepal Relations
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125. Regulation Of Private Healthcare Sector

126. Sanitation Of Urban Areas in India
127. Rural Healthcare Sector Reforms
128. Exploitation Of India’s Natural Gas
129. Sugar Industry Reforms
130. Improving Corporate Arbitration System Of India
131. Simplifying And Repealing Old Laws
132. Improving Bond Markets In India
133. Insolvency And Bankruptcy Code Reforms
134. Reforming India’s Trade Negotiation
135. Improving Value Addition In Indian Agriculture
136. Co Operation Ministry
137. Land Records
138. Jal Jeevan Mission
139. Food Wastage Issue
140. Lateral Entry
141. Theatre Command System
142. Microchip Manufacturing in India
143. Coral Reefs Issues
144. Forest Fires
145. India’s Refugee Policy
146. India Nato
147. Improving Judicial Accessibility
148. Neglected Tropical Diseases
149. Open Arctic Region
150. Space Junk
151. UNSC Reforms
152. Malnutrition in India
153. Financial Inclusion In India
154. Middlemen in Agri Sector
155. Corporate Frauds In India
156. Telecommunications Infrastructure Security
157. Coal Power In India
158. Farmers Producer Organizations
159. Gas Based Economy
160. PPP Reforms In India
161. Hydroelectric Projects ( Pros, Cons, Way Forward )
162. Changing South Asian Dynamics And Relevance Of Quad For India
163. Peace In North East Region
164. Effect Of Myanmar Situation On India
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165. Digital Divide In India

166. Banking Sector Reforms
167. FDI Issues And Reforms
168. Cooperation On Polar Regions
169. India’s Oceanic Mineral Resources
170. Illegal Sand Mining In India
171. Relevance Of BRICS
172. Marital Rape
173. Cyclones Resilient Planning And Development In Coastal Regions
174. Issues With Farmer Producer Organization System
175. Relevance Of Shanghai CoOperation Organization For India’s Interest
176. Privatization Of Public Banks
177. Textile Sector Issues
178. Further Ease Of Doing Business Reforms Required
179. Green Hydrogen Pros And Cons
180. Increasing Internet Coverage In The Country
181. India’s Achievement Of Climate Goals
182. Unemployment In India
183. Fiscal Policy Reforms Required In India
184. Reforms In Urbanization In India
185. AUKUS and India
186. Higher Education Reforms
187. Medical Sector Reforms
188. Security Of Critical Infra In India
189. Police Reforms
190. Prison Reforms
191. Improvement In Logistics In India
192. Economic Development of North East
193. Adoption Of Tech In Agri Sector
194. How Effective Can Bad Banks Be
195. Telecom Sector Issues
196. Social Entrepreneurship
197. Indian Judicial Service, pros, cons, way forward
198. Judicial Delay Issue
199. India Sri Lanka Relations Issues
200. Maoist Insurgency
© IAS NETWORK
5
Amending NCT of Delhi Act
Union Cabinet approved for amending the Government of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD) Act to arm
the Lieutenant Governor with greater power to control the Delhi Council of Ministers. It
reportedly requires the Delhi Government to send legislative proposals for the LG’s opinion 15
days in advance, and administrative proposals 7 days ahead. Better governance and reducing
potential conflicts were cited as reasons for the amendments.
Issues
● A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court unanimously held that the
Lieutenant Governor of Delhi is bound by the “aid and advice” of the popularly elected
Government. Real authority to take decisions lies with the elected Government. This is
the meaning of “aid and advice”. Titular head (LG) has to act in accordance with the aid
and advice.
● There is no room for anarchy or absolutism in a democracy and both have to work
harmoniously with each other.
● Except for issues of public order, police and land, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi is
bound by the aid and advice of the Government, which has the public mandate.
● There is no independent authority with LG to take decisions except in matters under
Article 239 or those outside the purview of the NCT Government.
● Trivial difference of opinion between the LG and NCT Government cannot be referred to
the President for a decision.
● The issues referred should be of substantive or national importance. In this context, CJI
interpreted the phrase “any matter in the proviso” to article 239 AA (4) as “not every
matter”.
○ Elected representatives would be reduced to a cipher, if any matter in Article 239
AA (4) was interpreted as “every matter” of governance.
Suggestions
● Delhi already suffers a multiplicity of authorities including:
o Union Home and Urban Development Ministries;
o Lieutenant Governor;
o an elected State Government;
o Five Municipal bodies; and
o Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
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● Mixing politics with the administration of Delhi is better avoided.

● What Delhi needs is clean air, waste management, Law enforcement, and Ease of doing
business. Let us concentrate on these things.
Global Antitrust and the Challenge of Big Tech
There are ongoing investigations worldwide, including in the European Union and the United
States of America, on the abuse of monopolistic power by the Big Tech firms, especially
Facebook and Google. Many compare this with the earlier antitrust investigations in the U.S. on
the telecom industry. Ultimately it resulted in the break-up of the AT&T dictated by the
Department of Justice in its Modified Final Judgment in 1982.
Issues
● We cannot do without google maps for our day to day commuting.

● Google searches are indispensable in our quest for information and news.
● Google Scholar is a necessary tool for academicians to explore relevant research artifacts.
● Google Maps Application Program Interface is being used by almost all logistic and
transport companies;
● Facebook APIs are being used for advertisement by almost all firms across the industry.
● The question before the policy makers is how to regulate these internet firms from
abusing their monopoly power, while at the same time encouraging the positive
externalities and consumer surplus they create.
● This is a tough nut to crack as it is very difficult to prove that the firms engage in the
abuse of their monopoly power.
● Due to their strong network affects, it is not possible to ban or curtail these services.
Suggestions
● One option is tax subsidy to these internet firms in return for their orderly behaviour in
the marketplace.
● Another aspect could be that the Govts. can mandate sharing of Non-Personal Data
(NPD) owned by these firms, for societal and economic well being.
● At the same time, public pressure as in the case of Free Basics of Facebook as well as
sharing of personal information between WhatsApp and Facebook, which were shelved
because of huge public outcry.
● Internet firms should adhere to core ethical principles in conducting their businesses.
● Lessons from the Enron scandal and collusions between large banks and financial
institutions during the 2008 financial crisis indicate that firms that aim at super monopoly
profits and are greedy often end up in the ditch.
7
Government Regulations and Tech Platforms
There were some tweets put out by some Handles on the ongoing farmer protests. There is also a
hash tag that suggested that farmer genocide was being planned. The Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology ordered these handles to be blocked on the grounds that they were
spreading dangerous misinformation about the protest. Twitter initially complied with the order,
but then restored these tweets and handles.
Issues
● Retention of specified information
o These are required to preserve and retain specified information in a manner

and format prescribed by the Centre for a specified duration.
o Contravention of this may attract prison term up to 3 years, besides a fine.
● Extending technical assistance
o Intermediaries should extend technical assistance in the form of giving access

or securing access to the resource involved.
o Failure to extend such assistance may entail a prison term of up to 7 years.
● Collect And Monitor Data On Traffic
o When an authorized agency asks for technical assistance, the intermediary

must comply with the request.
o Non-compliance may lead to a prison term of up to 3 years, besides a fine.
Suggestions
● Section-69 of the IT act confers on the Central and the State Governments the power to
issue the directions to intercept, monitor or decrypt any information generated,
transmitted, received in any computer resource.
● An intermediary shall not be liable for any third-party information, data or
communication link made available or hosted by him.
● Hence, it protects intermediaries from being made liable for content that users may post
or generate.
Asset Reconstruction Company (Arc) – Asset Management Company (Amc)
8
Union Budget, 2021-22 revived the idea of a bad bank by stating that the Centre proposes to set
up an Asset Reconstruction Company – Asset Management Company (ARC-AMC) to acquire
bad loans from the banks. With COVID-19 lockdown and moratorium, bad loans are expected to
increase further.
Issues
● Bad banks backed by the Government will merely shift bad assets from the hands of
public sector banks, which are owned by the Government, to the hands of a bad bank.
● Mere transfer of assets from one pocket of the Government to another (though it may be
established by banks, but it may have sovereign guarantee) may not lead to successful
resolution.
● A bad bank backed by the Government is likely to pay too much for stressed assets.
● However, finally, the losses of bad banks may be recouped by the taxpayers.
● The root cause of the problem is that the public sector banks are managed by bureaucrats
who may not have the same commitment, just like private sector bank executives, in
ensuring these lenders' profitability.
● There is huge risk of moral hazard as commercial banks that are bailed out by a bad bank
have little reason to change their behaviour.
Suggestions
● A bad bank makes a profit in the operations, if it manages to sell the loan at a price higher
than what it paid to acquire the loan from a commercial bank.
● Generating profits is usually not the primary purpose of a bad bank.
● The objective is to ease the burden on banks and it facilitates banks to concentrate on
lending.
● It can help consolidate all bad loans of banks under a single exclusive entity.
● Monitoring of the resolution becomes easy.
● Banks can concentrate on their core areas of lending.
● The idea has been tried out in countries such as the USA, Germany, Japan, and others in
the past.
Emphasizing Self-Reliance in Science/ SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND INNOVATION

POLICY (STIP) 2020
On March 4, 1958, under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, for the first time in the history of
independent India, Parliament passed a resolution on science policy. The new policy envisages
technological self-reliance and aims to position India among the top three scientific superpowers.
Issues
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● Increasing the private sector's contribution is being talked about for several years but
common sense informs us that the private sector cannot be expected to pay for basic
research. This is because the return on investment in basic research takes too long from a
private sector perspective. Participation of the private sector in basic sciences has not
happened even in the U.S.
● Several new authorities and centers have been proposed and this goes against the policies
of decentralized mechanisms and this is expected to end up further fattening of
bureaucracy.
● The document talks about tackling discrimination on gender, caste, religion etc. and
mentions more representation of women / LGBTQ communities but it is silent on how we
are to achieve their proportionate representation.
● The document talks about developing a scientific temper, humanism and spirit of inquiry
and reform and it is not understood how this can be ensured when pseudoscience
tendencies are being promoted.
● Our belief systems, values and attitudes have an impact on the quality of research. 0nly a
dissenting mind can think out of the box and our ecosystem is not promoting this.
Suggestions
● A Science Technology and Innovation development bank will be created to direct

long-term investments in select strategic areas for large scale mission mode programmes.
● Rules of lending will be modified for an easier mode of finance.
● A strategic technology development fund is to set up to home grow strategic
developments in areas such as nuclear science, space, cyber technology and
biotechnology.
● The fund, managed by a Strategic Development Board, will also provide finance to the
private sector and higher educational institutions for research with specific goals.
● A Strategic Export Policy to enable private players to thrive in the international markets
is also on the carts.
● Appropriate institutional mechanisms are to be created to dip into the untapped potential
of the high skilled Indian scientific diaspora.
● There will be opportunities for them to return or to contribute from wherever they are
based.
● An engagement portal exclusively to bring together Indian scientists and technocrats
world-wide and to engage with Indian researchers is being planned.
● The draft policy visualizes “a decentralized institutional mechanism balancing top-down
and bottom-up approaches, focusing on administrative and financial management,
research governance, data and regulatory frameworks and system interconnectedness, for
a robust STI Governance”.
10
IronClad Genomics Case
A success of genetic research has raised a lot of hope for diagnosis and treatment of diseases. For
a doctor to use genetic information of a patient, to decide about the specific drug to prescribe,
has now become a reality.
Issues
● Past selection lacks diversity.

● It was found in 2009 that 95% of the genomic studies conducted involved only people of
European descent.
● The situation improved a little in 2016 i.e., from 95% to 81%.
● There is a huge deficit of representation of global ethnic and geographic diversity in these
studies.
● The lack of diversity in genomic research can result in erroneous understanding of the
relationships between genes and disease in unstudied populations.
● CYP2D6 Gene is involved in the metabolism of the many commonly prescribed drugs,
including Tamoxifen, which is used to treat Breast Cancer.
● More than 100 different variants of this gene occur at different frequencies across
populations.
● Unless research is inclusive of the diversity of peoples, the results of research are likely
to be of limited value, probably wasteful and harmful.
Suggestions
● The Government of India has initiated some major population level research projects on
Genomics.
● Bio banks (Repositories of blood samples/cancer tissues etc.) are being created for use in
genetic and other research to understand diseases of importance in India.
● Inclusion of diverse ethnic populations is of paramount importance in genome research
and bio banks.
● It is ideal that such research be conducted by investigators of concordant ethnic
background, and in partnership with institutions trusted by those groups.
Fragile Himalayas - Case For Review of Hydro Power Plants
A significant slice of the glacier was dislodged by a landslide. It produced roaring torrents in
Rishi Ganga and Dhauliganga rivers in Chamoli district. It trapped unsuspecting workers at two
Hydro power project sites. It filled tunnels in the Tapovan power project.
Issues
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● In the Himalayas, deep gorges and canyons attracted many hydro-electric projects and
dams. But they have ignored the earthquake risk.
● There is also risk of dam induced microseismicity.
● There are severe monsoonal aberrations now-a-days that could repeat a Kedarnath like
flood.
● Severe biodiversity loss and extreme danger to the communities downstream is another
factor.
● The life of the dams is often exaggerated and the siltation is underestimated. In the
Bhakra dam in Himachal Pradesh for instance, siltation was higher by 140% than
calculated.
● In view of global and regional warming, the lakes have expanded as the sizes of the
glaciers are shrinking. Hence, became more vulnerable to Glacier-Lake Outburst Floods
(GLOFs).
● Chinese glaciologists have projected a 43% decrease in the glacial area on average by
2070, and 75% decrease by the end of 21st Century.
● The glacial melting is also exacerbated by the impact of short-lived black carbon deposits
or Soot.
Suggestions
● Repeated remotely sensed images of high resolution can be used to observe the changes
in glacial lakes, such as expansion mechanisms for monitoring purposes.
● A structural and geo-technical engineering solution-oriented approach can also be
thought of by draining out water from glacial lakes, through construction of channels for
gradual and regulated discharge of water.
● The Nepalese Government has installed an alarm system on many potentially dangerous
glacial lakes.
● We have to rigorously study the impact of policy on the Himalayas and confine hydro
projects to those with the least impact.
● We have to rely more on low impact run-off the river power projects that need no
destructive large dams and reservoirs.
India-Myanmar Relations
Thousands of protesters have been marching in Yangon, while doctors and some teachers have
joined a campaign of civil disobedience. The citizens have become used to new freedoms and
don’t want Myanmar returning to its former impoverished, isolated state under the military. The
army, which wrote Myanmar’s constitution, kept 25% of the parliament seats for itself. The
army’s plans were thwarted with the massive victory for Aung Suu Kyi’s ruling National League
for Democracy (NLD) sweeping 396 out of 476 seats, winning 83% of the ballots.
12
Issues
● Now the United States of America threatened Myanmar with the sanctions.
● At present, though several projects are being planned in Myanmar, Myanmar's Army
(Tatmadaw) has deep suspicion about China.
● Myanmar generals feel that China is supporting several ethnic groups in Myanmar with
arms, but now for the Tatmadaw, there is no other alternative than embracing China up to
certain extent.
● Hence, Chinese footprint is expected to increase if the army rule continues.
● India would find it difficult to openly support the Junta, given the strong Western and
American stands.
● On the other hand, it can ill afford to offend the army by actively seeking a restoration of
democracy.
● When two power centers were there, India was able to manage without hurting the
international community.
● Now China has arrived on the scene.
● Hence, India's policy will be a function of interests rather than norms.
● Myanmar Junta getting closer to China is a real cause of worry for India.
● Moreover, Myanmar’s military played a helpful role in containing north-eastern
insurgencies by allowing Indian military to pursue insurgents across the border into
Myanmar.
Suggestions
● India is left with very few clear policy options.

● It must continue to maintain relations with the Government in power in Myanmar, while
discreetly pushing for political reconciliation in the country.
● The focus must be on trade, connectivity, and security links between the two sides.
Disinvestment
The Government kept disinvestment target of Rs. 1.75 lakh crore. This includes likely inflows
from the strategic sale of entities like Air India, BPCL carried forward from this year’s plans.
The listing of LIC could be completed as well with necessary amendments in the Finance Bill.
There is a promise to privatize two public sector banks and a general insurance company. The
Government categorically stated that it will exit all businesses in non-strategic sectors.
Issues
● The Government made its intent clear in 2014 itself, when it said that “the Government
had no business being in business”.
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● Now the Government put forward its policy in clearer terms in Union Budget 2021-22.
● Now tactful execution will be as critical as dealing with the usual pockets of resistance
that would crop up.
● Though the stock markets are on a high, the financial capacity of potential bidders may
not be optimal.
Suggestions
● The Government will need to create confidence in the sale processes and ensure a
semblance for fair valuations.
● Officers should also be protected from potential post-transaction, witch-hunts by auditors
and investigating agencies.
● With the massive disinvestment, the economy should not face shocks or create
monopolies.
● A single controversial transaction could scuttle the entire process, so the Government
should be highly cautious.
Development Finance Institution
Now the Government thought that Development Finance Institution (DFI) is inevitable to take
care of funding needs of National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP). Some critics say that it was a
failed experiment with institutions like ICICI and IDBI, which were converted into universal
banks. But India’s financial markets have grown by leaps and bounds since then. Other
economies have demonstrated success with DFIs. Now, the policy makers have the luxury of
learning from past mistakes. This makes the DFI idea worth exploring again.
Issues
● Industrial lending institutions after independence were over reliant on cheap Government
funds.
● Universal banks failed because they ran into asset liability mismatches due to their
reliance on retail deposits to fund long-term projects.
● Indian project execution has got its own inherent weaknesses.
● In the past, ambitious highway and pipeline projects have been interminably held-up by
local protests and land acquisition woes.
● Telecom players were affected because of litigation over AGR and retrospective taxes.
● Mega power projects have been stalled by irregular fuel allocations and poor contract
enforcement.
Suggestions
● The new age DFIs should focus on diversified sources of funding that balance the two.
14
● Specific verticals tend to do better in building project appraisal skills and managing risks
than super-market lenders, who fund any project that comes their way.
● Now, there is success in refinancing institutions like NHB and NABARD.
● Direct Finance Institutions like Exim Bank, IREDA and IRFC have also seen success.
● Hence, there is a case for going towards multiple specialized DFIs by taking a cue from
the successes of specialized DFIs.
● The proposed DFI must be freed from political interference or crony lending.
● Merely having private shareholders or professional managers on-board is not sufficient to
ensure good governance.
● This has to be backed by a robust system of external checks and balances, such as
supervision by RBI and proper due diligence by auditors and rating agencies.
Concerns about Curtailing Freedom of Expression
The Government of India said that it had invoked Section 69A of the Information Technology
Act. It ordered Twitter to block access to several accounts. The primary reason appears to be the
use of the hashtag “Modi planning famer genocide”. This was deemed a threat to public order.
Twitter initially blocked the accounts and restored several of them subsequently. This prompted a
sharp reaction from the Government. Government issued a non-compliance notice and said
Twitter’s employees would be prosecuted for violating Section 69A.
Issues
● It becomes very easy for the Government to censor information.

● It is a completely costless option for the Government.
● Rather than having to go to court and prove violation even prima facie of law, the
Government can simply direct intermediaries to block content.
● It places the burden of going to court upon the users.
● Once it becomes easier to censor the speech, more likely that the Government will
resort to that option.
● The confidentiality requirement means that the user will not even know why their
account is blocked.
● He/she will be in no position to challenge it.
● There are no procedural safeguards and no opportunity for a hearing to the affected
parties.
● No need for reasoned orders.
● Hence, it violates both free speech rights as well as right to due process.
Suggestions
15
● The best-case scenario would be to prohibit the Government from being able to
directly order intermediaries to block access to online information.
● Of course, Government can have power in well-defined emergency cases.
● At the same time, the procedure under normal cases should require the Government to
go through the court with adequate opportunity for affected parties to defend
themselves.
● Alternatively, blocking orders can be made public and can be done even under the
current legal regime.
● Affected parties can be given a fair opportunity of hearing before the blocking order is
issued.
● The process will also ensure that the blocking order is a reasoned one, and can be
effectively challenged before a court.
Is India’s Digital Services Tax Discriminatory?
To understand the logic of Digital Services Tax (Equalization Levy), one has to go back to 2013.
At that point of time, the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) programme was launched by
OECD at the behest of the G20 countries. Under the 15 action points, action point one was to
look at the tax challenges of the digital economy.
Issues
● The main problem was to find the new way of taxing digital companies, because under
the existing rules, they were not adequately taxed.
● They don’t have permanent establishments in the countries which they operate.
● For example, Indian Income Tax Act does not allow taxation, when there is no
permanent establishment.
● At the same time, it becomes difficult to assess the intangibles, like the value of data.
● India started with an equalization levy on advertisement services at 6%.
● It was basically on payments made to a non-resident by a resident advertising on the
platform (B2B).
● However, the revenue generated is not much.
Suggestions
● The contention is wrong as the market is dominated by US companies.

● It appears that only US companies are targeted, but actually it is wrong.
● The contention is wrong because OECD/G-20 is trying to find alternative mechanisms
for taxing digital giants since 2013, but they could not come to a conclusion till now.
● It is easy for the Government to tax revenue as it is possible to assess location specific
revenue clearly.
16
Plate Tectonics and the Himalayas - Explaining the Vulnerability of the Region
A snow avalanche triggered possibly by a landslide caused a flash flood in the Rishi Ganga river,
a tributary of Alaknanda in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. It washed away a functional small
hydroelectric project and also destroyed the under-construction 520 MW TapovanVishnugad
project of NTPC on the Dhauli Ganga river. The Home Minister in Parliament said that the
“landslide-avalanche event at an altitude of 5,600 metres occurred in a glacier in the Rishi Ganga
catchment and covered an area of 14 sq. km, causing the flood”.
Issues
● Indian and Eurasian plates connect in the Himalayan region. The Main Central Thrust
(MCT), which was formed 20-22 million years ago runs east-west along the
Himalayas.
● As the northward moving peninsular India presses on, the lesser Himalaya rock
assemblages are compressed and are pushed under the huge pile of the great
Himalayan rocks. Hence, it remains active in terms of deep movement of rock
assemblages.
● A key concern is the active nature of rock fractures, known as faults, which respond to
earthquakes, creating enormous instability, especially along the slopes.
● In the context of proposed 315-metre-high India-Nepal Pancheshwar project across
Kali river in the Kumaon region, the geologists said that the chosen site could witness
a strong earthquake in the Nepal area from Rangunkhola Fault.
● The geology of mountains in many parts of Uttarakhand is such that the threat of
landslides is high.
● Rocks have been weakened by natural processes across time and are vulnerable to
intense rainfall as well as human interference, in the form of house-building and road
construction.
● The careless disposal of enormous debris from mining and construction projects has
added to the problem. It blocked flow paths and additional debris played havoc in
previous incidents.
Suggestions
● The Government will need to create confidence in the sale processes and ensure a
semblance for fair valuations.
● Officers should also be protected from potential post-transaction, witch-hunts by
auditors and investigating agencies.
● With the massive disinvestment, the economy should not face shocks or create
monopolies.
● A single controversial transaction could scuttle the entire process, so the Government
should be highly cautious.
17
● The net benefit of big dams is controversial because of the collateral and unquantified
damage in terms of loss of lives, livelihoods and destruction of ecology.
● Chipko movement activist Sunderlal Bahuguna argued that large dams with an
expected life of about 100 years alter the character and health of the hills.
● So, now, the experts' proposal of small low-impact dams of less than 5 MW appears to
be a better alternative.
GREEN BUDGET
A rainforest drowned under a dam cannot be recreated whatever the money the Government
pours into it. The Governments have not put in the substantial new financial resources raised
through rapid growth into environmental protection. Steadily increasing levels of pollution,
biodiversity loss, decline in forest health and destruction of wetlands is testimony to the dismal
gap between Government rhetoric and the environment.
Issues
● There is no intention to phase-out fossil fuels.

● On the contrary, coal mining and thermal power are being promoted under the Atma
Nirbhar Bharat package.
● Large hydro-power is being promoted as renewable energy, though its massive
ecological and social impacts are well documented.
● Now, much of the solar and wind energy is coming under the form of massive energy
parks, that take up huge areas of land, displacing people and wildlife.
● There is no indication that the renewable energy push would be predominantly
decentralized, community managed and with full environmental impact assessment.
● There is no effort to curtail wasteful and luxury consumption of energy or other
products and services by the rich, without controlling demand, even a complete shift to
RE will be unsustainable, after all Silica has to be mined somewhere.
● Government is following a highly centralized approach with “one size fits all
approach”.
● It focuses heavily on expensive infrastructure like big reservoirs and pipelines.
● There is no focus on incentivizing responsible consumption, restraining luxury uses
and redistributing water more equitably.
● It is not only the construction of the road, but opening up previously intact ecosystems
causes far more damage.
Suggestions
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● Subsequent to COVID-19, the Budget could have been the occasion to climb into a
green nature and land-based livelihood’s recovery, that could create tens of millions of
jobs, as also regenerate India’s depleted environment.
● But, the present continuation of neo-liberal development planning, with a blind trust in
growth as the panacea for all ills and treating nature as a commodity for exploitation or
a sink into which to dump waste.
● Hence, environmental regeneration and conservation and self-reliance has not
happened through this Budget.
Sedition
The Delhi Police team travelled to Bengaluru and took Disha Ravi into custody, apparently
without following the guidelines laid down by the Delhi High Court on inter-State arrests.
However, she was produced before a duty magistrate in Delhi within the mandatory 24-hour
period. Main charge against her is that she edited a Google document shared among activists.
Issues
● The toolkit, the prosecution alleges, was prepared by a pro-Khalistani outfit and it was
concluded that the activist was working with separatists to create disaffection against
India.
● She was charged with sedition and criminal conspiracy.
● Sedition cases are spiking year-on-year from 35 in 2016 to 70 in 2018 and 93 in 2019.
● NCRB data also reveals 5,922 UAPA arrests between 2016 and 2019 against a mere
132 convictions.
● At 2019’s start, 3,908 UAPA cases were pending investigation from previous years in
which police filed 257 chargesheets in 2019.
● These talk about a poor justice delivery system.
● The possible fact that “direct protests were also discussed and planned” does not mean
that there was any incitement to violence, a mandatory requirement to charge someone
with sedition.
● Prima facie it also does not come under “creating disorder or disturbance in law and
order”.
Suggestions
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● The Government is more likely to attract international embarrassment and opprobrium

(public disgrace arising from shameful conduct) by the indiscriminate use of police
power against activists, protesters and the media.
● In recent times, the state is increasingly resorting to heavy-handed responses to issues
that attract
o A convergence of activism
o Opposition political activity
o Adverse media scrutiny
● Now the Government should urgently seek to address the issues of deficit in tolerance
and surfeit (excessive) in repression.
Govt Should Make Pulses Policy Demand-Centric
On the occasion of World Pulses Day, the Agriculture Minister stated that the Centre aspires to
boost pulses production to 32 million tonnes by 2030 from the current level of around 24 million
tonnes.
Issues
● The demand side needs greater attention.

● It devolves on the policymakers to boost pulses consumption.
● It should become an integral part of the Centre’s welfare programmes, including Public
Distribution System and National Food Security Act.
● The policy attention is on higher production, but the imperative need to boost pulses
consumption cannot be overlooked.
● The pulses production is around 24 million tonnes.
● It yields dal (milled pulse) fit for human consumption of about 18 million tonnes after
accounting for seeding and milling losses.
● The present population is around 135 crores. Hence the annual per capita availability is
around 13.5 kg.
● Moreover, there is a well recognized skew in consumption of pulses, wherein the poor
consume much less than what the per capita availability number of 13.5 kg suggest.
Suggestions
● Nutritionists recommend pulses consumption of at least 20 kg per person a year for a

country with a large vegetarian population.
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● To reach that, India should be producing 30 million tonnes right now, but at present it
is lower by around a fifth.
● By 2030, India’s population would be around 150 crores.
● If the Government achieves the target of 32 million tonnes, availability of consumable
dal would be approximately 16.3 kg.
● So, even by 2030 also we will fall short of the 20 kg per capita suggestion given by the
nutritionists.
● However, there will be a small increase in per capita availability from 13.5 kg to 16.3
kg.
The Challenge of Ballooning Defence Pensions in India
The allocation for defence is nearly stagnant. Pensions are the fastest-growing component of
defence spending. In the past 10 years, the share of India’s defence budget going towards
pensions has risen from 18% to 28%. It is expected to be Rs. 1.15 lakh crores in 2021-22. Even
this appears to be under-provisioned, as the Centre may be deferring certain pension obligations
to future years.
Issues
● As the pension burden has ballooned, one casualty has been capital spending on
modernization and the procurement of hardware, tanks, aircraft and ships.
● The share of capital spending on hardware in the defence budget has gone down from
27% to 19% in 10 years, almost a reverse trend of pension payments.
● India has the world’s largest volunteer army.
● The military force has 1.4 million active personnel and 2.1 million in reserve.
● Every year, more than 60,000 personnel retire. Most of them are in the 35-45 years age
bracket, with a possibility of 20-30 years of active service ahead of them, if gainfully
employed.
● Even among the officers, many choose to retire well before they hit their late 50s.
Hence, most of the retirees are young cohorts.
● One Rank One Pension (OROP) plan was approved by the Union Cabinet in
September 2012. However, it was implemented much later.
● It has been a long-standing demand.
● This meant that personnel retiring at the same rank with the same length of service
would get the same pension, irrespective of their date of retirement.
● Any future rise in the pension rate is automatically passed on to all past pensioners.
● Hence pension will become an ever-increasing share of the defence budget.
Suggestions
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● Lieutenant General Dr. Prakash Menon and PranayKotasthane suggested one workable
solution.
● It involves lateral and circular flows of servicemen from internal security forces to the
armed forces and back.
● Army personnel can be deployed for the ever-increasing needs of internal security too.
● These could also be agencies such as the National Disaster Response Force, Civil
Defence Corps or the Home Guards, all of which are severely understaffed.
● This well thought out solution does not entail reducing benefits in accordance with the
age of retirement, as is currently being contemplated.
● It is high time that our fiscal authorities bite this pension reform bullet.
An Urgent Need to Reform the Country’s Legislative Processes
When one looks at the PRS Legislative’s Functioning of 16th Lok Sabha (2014-2019) Report,
only a quarter of the bills introduced in that period were referred to committees, much lower than
71% during the 15th and 60% during the 14th Lok Sabha. However, the 16th Lok Sabha
discussed 32% of the bills for more than three hours. This is an improvement over 22% in the
15th Lok Sabha and 14% in the 14th Lok Sabha.
Issues
● Lack of attendance
● Absence of debate
● Lack of deliberation or constitution of expert committees.
● The laws were passed in just a few minutes.
● It only took a few days from tabling the bills to receiving the President’s assent.
● The 52nd constitutional amendment (Anti Defection Law) created rules to expel
legislators who defect from political parties and destabilize Governments in exchange
for money.
● This amendment defined defection not just as switching parties, but also disobeying a
party directive on a vote.
● So, the legislators can lose membership of the House, if they abstain or vote against
their party’s whip.
● When decisions are made in a party’s office, legislators stop attending Parliament or
Legislative Assembly sessions.
● When each party confers with its preferred experts, legislators stop demanding
parliamentary or standing committees.
● If bills are introduced wholesale and voted into law in mere hours, the opposition stops
preparing debates.
Suggestions
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● The 12th term of Haryana Assembly sat on an average 11 days per year, budget
sessions occupying 70% of the total session time.
● In the remaining time, the state's assembly passed 129 bills, all of which were passed
on the same day that they were introduced.
● In Goa’s Assembly, on average, each bill was discussed for four minutes. In 2012, in
Delhi’s Assembly, only one of the 11 bills passed was discussed for more than 10
minutes.
● During the 12th Gujarat Assembly (2008-12), in session for half the days as
Parliament, over 90% of all bills were passed on the very day they were introduced.
● India must urgently reform its legislative processes.
Structural Reforms for NEP, 2020
Now, normal academic activity is being gradually resumed. Hence, the Central Government’s
New Education Policy is back in focus. The policy covers a wide spectrum of issues, which
include reforms in school and higher education. The emphasis should also be on the need to
restructure the governing bodies for Universities and Autonomous Colleges.
Issues
● The existing system of Syndicates consists of Government nominees and those

nominated by Governors or Chancellors.
● NEP talks about creating new structures such as a Board of Management to replace the
Syndicate system.
● At present people lacking merit, but with an eye on memberships of affiliation,
building and purchase committees get nominated to these bodies.
● At present, the selection of Vice-Chancellors is happening, in several States, based on
political affiliation.
● Hence, there is a need for restructuring of Search Committees.
● At present, they are dominated by the Government nominees, Chancellor’s nominees
and University nominees.
● This practice should be stopped. It should be replaced by drawing an eminent former
Vice-Chancellor or academician of proven integrity, and administrative capability for
the post of Chairman of the Search Committee.
Suggestions
● The Board’s decisions should be taken either by consensus or by a majority of the

members.
● Proceedings should be conducted in virtual mode, and made available for stakeholders’
viewership.
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● Applications for the post of Vice-Chancellors can be invited through advertisements in

the university website, and through newspapers.
● Bio-data of candidates must also be published on the websites.
● The committee may then allot marks to each candidate in terms of teaching and
research, administrative capabilities and capacity for fundraising.
● The scores obtained by candidates should be consolidated and the names of shortlisted
candidates then submitted in order of merit to Chancellors for deciding on formal
appointments.
● For the accountability of faculty, the best way is to put in place the institutional
structure of “Academic audit”.
● Faculty members must mandatorily upload on university websites, their annual plans
for research and innovative modes of teaching.
● The annual self-appraisal reports can be evaluated by external peers, and their
recommendation should be strictly implemented.
● In order to improve the higher education ecosystem, excellence in teaching, research,
innovation, entrepreneurship and social contribution must be encouraged.
“Indian Investments and BITs”
Sri Lanka decided to renege on a 2019 agreement with India and Japan that aimed to jointly
develop the strategic East Container Terminal (ECT) at the Colombo Port. One has to look it
through the prism of India-Sri Lanka Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). BIT forms the bedrock
of international law governing foreign investment between two countries
Issues
● The twist in the tale is that India unilaterally terminated India-Sri Lanka BIT on March
22, 2017.
● The termination was part of the mass repudiation of BITs that India undertook in 2017
as a result of several ISDS claims being brought against it.
● There is a survival clause which says, in case of a unilateral termination of the treaty,
the treaty shall continue to be effective for a further period of 15 years from the date of
its termination in respect of investments made before the date of termination.
● Hence, Indian investment in Sri Lanka made before March 22, 2017 will continue to
enjoy treaty protection.
Suggestions
● Because of the onslaught of ISDS claims in the last few years, India has developed a
protectionist approach towards BITs. The motivation appears to be to eliminate or at
least minimize future ISDS cases against India.
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● But the important aspect is BITs are reciprocal. BITs do not empower merely foreign
investors to sue India but also authorize Indian investors to make use of BITs to
safeguard their interest in the turbulent foreign markets.
● In the post-COVID-19 world, regulatory risks will further exacerbate. Hence foreign
investment may be subjected to arbitrary and whimsical behavior.
● The Government should revisit its stand on BITs, as India is emerging as an exporter
of capital and not just an importer of capital.
● India needs to adopt a balanced approach towards BITs with an effective ISDS
provision. This will facilitate Indian investors in defending their investment under
international law.
Right to Dignity of Women Prevails over right to Reputation
Priya Ramani, a journalist, in 2017, accused M. J. Akbar, former Journalist and Minister of State
at that point of time, about sexual harassment during 1993/94. Subsequently, the Minister of
State resigned. He filed a criminal complaint for defamation against Miss Ramani for her article
and her tweets.
Issues
● The law of criminal defamation is about protecting a person's right to reputation.

● “Making or publishing any imputation concerning any person, intending to harm, the
reputation of such person is criminal defamation”.
● Mr. M.J. Akbar alleged that Miss Priya Ramani's allegations, by their very tone and
tenor, are ex-facie defamatory.
● It not only damaged the complainant's goodwill and reputation in his social circles, and
on the political stage.
● Reputation was established after years of toil and hard work. Hence, her allegations
affected the personal reputation of the complainant in the community, friends and
colleagues.
● Priya Ramani said, as per Section-499, “It is not defamation to impute anything, which
is true concerning any person, if it be for the public good, and the imputation should be
made or published”.
● It is not defamation, if the imputation is made in good faith for the protection of the
interest of the person or for the public good.
Suggestions
● Now, the Delhi Court acquitted Journalist Priya Ramani of the charge of defaming
M.J. Akbar.
25
● The fact is that many women suffer in silence in the face of harassment, especially in
the early stages of their career.
● The Court said that a woman cannot be punished for criminal defamation, when she
raises her voice against sexual harassment.
● The Court also said “the right of reputation cannot be protected at the cost of the right
of life and dignity of the women.”
● Court has also taken note of the unequal equations of power between the harasser and
the victim in most situations.
● It also said, a woman has a right to put her grievance at any platform of her choice, and
even after decades.
GLACIERS AND GLOBAL WARMING
Adaptation is nothing but how people can adapt to increasing climate change related variability
and uncertainty.
Issues
● Greater vulnerability, uncertainty and glacier melt than in the past are certain because
of climate change.
● There needs to be more pressure on developed countries to transition to net zero
economies and faster.
● Nations are setting ambitions for net zero economies, but they are not changing the
status quo as far as action plans are concerned.
● Carbon markets have the potential to get countries to reduce emissions.
● They can generate benefits of $ 250 Billion per year in 2030.
● Rules for how these markets will work, pricing carbon and who gets the credit are still
unclear.
● Setting a carbon price will help investments flow in the right direction.
● At present, funding for adaptation and resilience is extremely low.
● UNEP estimates that the adaptation related funding gap will be $ 300 Billion by 2030.
● International agencies can help through being the first loss takers.
● Resilience bonds are one such example. Structuring bonds in such a way that there is
incentive for the private sector to invest in livelihoods and increased resilience is the
way forward.
● The losses can be absorbed by the Government and the multilateral agencies.
Suggestions
● Capacity for disaster preparedness and response must be increased.

● The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Disaster Response
Force (NDRF), and Border Roads Organisation need more resources and capacity.
26
● It requires a larger mandate for risk informed programming.

● These agencies are required to work across ministries to ensure that disaster risk
programming occurs at all levels, and is integrated in plans, budgets, procurement and
programmes.
● Data for risk prediction and risk prevention must be increased.
● Tipping points in the microsystem are going to occur more frequently.
● With climate change, we need to be prepared for greater uncertainty. Hence, more
disaggregated and high-resolution data on physiographic factors is the need of the
hour.
● Communities are key for disaster preparedness.
● Greater uncertainty means building modular planning units with sufficient capacity.
● Communities are key for such preparedness and response.
● Not only are small communities agile and can mobilize quickly, they also know their
own populations best.
● Glacier retreat and permafrost thaw are projected to decrease the stability of mountain
slopes, and increase the number and area of glacial lakes.
● More attention needs to be paid on this front.
High Public Debts - How Do They Impact Developed & Developing Economies?
Advanced countries or rich countries face the problem of secular stagnation. Older people who
expect to live longer spend less per capita, as do low-income households, who don’t see their
economic prospects improving. As people consume less and save more, investment opportunities
decline and the economy goes into a low growth, low inflation syndrome of secular stagnation.
Issues
● Central banks respond to this downturn by cutting interest rates to zero or even making
them negative. When people’s confidence about their economic prospects is low, even
that doesn’t help.
● The solution, then lies in Governments taking advantage of low interest rates to borrow
and spend.
● In a low interest rate scenario, the multiplier effect of spending will be so high that
public debt, far from exploding, will actually pay for itself.
● The median age of Indian population is 29 years. Our economy is consumption driven
and inflation prone.
● Far from secular stagnation, any increase in incomes here quickly translates into
consumption. Hence inflation becomes a problem!
● In rich countries, interest payments are just a small proportion of total Government
spending.
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● But in a country like India, when the debt accumulates, interest payments are the single
biggest item of Government expenditure.
Suggestions
● Economy’s growth rate has to be higher than the interest rate on the debt.
● Government must be collecting enough in taxes such that it's borrowing, if at all, only
for paying the interest on debt.
● The FRBM Committee determined our sustainable debt as 60% of GDP.
● As against that, it is estimated our debt will rise to 90% of GDP by the time we exit the
corona crisis.
● If today’s debt financed spending does not generate rapid growth, the burden of debt
repayment will pass on to our children through higher taxes. We don’t want to sin
against our children!
15th Finance Commission Recommendations
The 15th Finance Commission was appointed on November 27, 2017. Originally, it was to
submit a report by October 30, 2019 for five years i.e., for the period 2020-21 to 2024-25. The
Finance Commission submitted two reports. Interim Report for 2020-21 and the Main Report
covering the period of five years beginning April 1, 2021 and ending March 31, 2026.
Issues
● It used two additional factors, i.e., demographic performance and tax effort.
● It gave 15% weightage to 2011 population and demographic performance was given
12.5% weightage and it appears to be a balancing act.
● The income distance is given 45% weightage and it is the distance of the States’
income from the State with the highest income. States with lowest per capita income
would be given a higher share to maintain equity among the States.
Suggestions
● It made grants towards urban and rural local bodies conditional upon states setting up
their own Finance Commissions and publishing online, the accounts of the local
bodies.
● 60% of these grants will be further linked to the bodies providing sanitation and water
services.
● Panel suggested setting up a non-lapsable dedicated fund to support defence and
internal security modernization, which is accepted by the Centre in principle.
● It also recommended sector specific and other grants adding up to about Rs. 1.8 lakh
crores and Centre is non-committal about this recommendation till now.
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Conclusive Land Titling and Its Challenges
Now, the Central Government wants to reform the Country’s land markets through a
fundamental, legal and procedural shift, in how land titles are awarded. Already a Model Bill on
conclusive land titling was sent to States and UTs in June, 2020. In September, after many States
failed to send-in their feedback, the Centre warned that their agreement would be presumed.
Issues
● Ambiguity in ownership results in black market for land transactions. This deprives the
Government of the taxes.
● Not only that, political clout of the politicians is increasing and the land mafia is
emerging due to the lack of proper land titles.
● In the rural areas, access to agricultural credit is dependent on the ability to use the land
as collateral.
● Small and marginal farmers are often left at the mercy of unscrupulous money lenders,
entrenching themselves in a mountain of debt.
● The biggest challenge is that land records have not been updated for decades, especially
for rural and semi-urban areas.
● Land records are often in the name of grand-parents of the current owner, with no proof
of inheritance.
● Relying on current records or even satellite imagery may not provide the desired
accuracy.
● Comprehensive village level service with community involvement is necessary, but local
Governments have not been provided with the resources or manpower to conduct such
service.
Suggestions
● Land Authorities to be set-up by each State Government, which will appoint a Title
Registration Officer (TRO).
● TRO will prepare and publish a draft list of land titles based on existing records and
documents.
● This will be considered a valid notice to all potential claimants, who have interest with
the property.
● They will have to file their claims or objections within a said period of time.
● TRO will verify all the relevant documents and refer the case to a Land Dispute
Resolution Officer (LDRO) for resolution.
● Having considered and resolved all the disputed claims, the Land Authority will
publish a record of titles.
● Over a three-year period, these titles and the decisions of the TRO and LDRO can be
challenged before the Land Titling Appellate Tribunal.
29
● After a three-year period, entries in the record of titles will be considered conclusive
proof of ownership.
● Further appeals can only be taken up in the High Courts.
Environmental Destruction Perspective And Farming
Issues
● Former CEO of UN’s Sustainable Energy for all Campaign, Mohinder Gulati says,
farmers around Delhi burn 100 million tonnes of crop residue annually.
● It generates 140 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, 12 million tonnes of other polluting
gases along with 1.2 million tonnes of particulate matter.
● Smog in Delhi and adjacent areas chokes 50 million people, closes schools and causes
irreversible lung damage to 2.2 million children and many adults.
● Burning stubble also destroys the nitrogen and carbon potential of the soil, kills micro
flora and fauna beneficial to the soil.
● It also removes a large portion of organic matter and unavoidably leads to increased
use of chemical fertilizers.
Suggestions
● Excessive tube well irrigation in north-western part of the country has lowered the
water table disastrously.
● Drinking water wells ran dry followed by shallow tube wells of small farmers. Only
the deepest tube wells of richest farmers now pump water. They use electricity the
most and emit the most carbon.
● Punjab is a low rainfall region and normally it should not grow rice, but free electricity
made rice cultivation very profitable, while destroying aquifers.
● The farm agitators insist on guarantees of free electricity and Government purchase of
all the rice they produce.
What Is Hydroponic Farming? What Are Its Advantages & Challenges?
It is the technique of growing plants without soil. In traditional farming, plants get their nutrients
from soil, through additives such as compost, manure and fertilizers. In hydroponic farming,
plants get them in nutrient fortified water.
Issues
● Setting up an hydroponic farm can be extremely expensive due to the cost of

containers, pumps, lights, nutrients and automated systems.
● Since plants are grown in a controlled environment, constant monitoring is required.
30
● The process of hydroponic farming depends on a range of equipment that requires

proper expertise.
● High level of energy consumption, because of air pumps, providing light, water pumps
and the running of other appliances.
● Normally we cannot grow root vegetables through hydroponics.
● Heavy fruiting plants may need elaborate forms of support.
Suggestions
● There is no need to worry about land requirements.

● Roots don’t need to spread because water and nutrients are delivered directly to them,
hence more plants can be grown in the same amount of space.
● More energy can be diverted into the growth of leaves, stems, vegetables and fruits and
hence, 30% to 50% faster growth can be achieved.
● We can produce food anywhere in the world at any time of the year as climate and
light can be controlled. Food grown in this way is nutritionally superior.
● The risks of pests will reduce substantially.
● They use less water than traditional soil-based systems. Moreover, the water can be
filtered, repopulated with nutrients and fed back to plants. The same water can be used
over and over again. Overall, it reduces water dependence by as much as 90%.
● Global human population will reach 10 billion by 2050 and in 2019 about 124 million
people will face acute food shortages from climate related events. Hence, it is seen as a
sustainable solution towards food security.
Being Petroleum-Independent
The share of bio-ethanol in petrol has risen to nearly 8% by volume, under the 2018 National
Policy on Biofuels. Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric vehicles (FAME-II) now
focus largely on Electric Vehicles, instead of Hybrids. Government has also provided several
additional fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to encourage a transition to electric vehicles.
Issues
● At present, the electric mobility initiative in India is driven largely by new entrants in
the two and three-wheeler space.
● Market leaders have adopted a wait and watch attitude.
● Two wheelers, which consume nearly 2/3rd of the petrol used in India, are not
subjected to any fuel efficiency standards.
● Recent analysis by International Council on Clean Transportation suggests that a
standard requiring 50% reduction in fuel consumption by new two wheelers by 2030
will not only lead to Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) efficiency related
31
improvements, but also ensure that nearly 60% of all new two wheelers sold in India
are electric driven.
Suggestions
● The Government should formulate a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) programme.

● This would require vehicle manufacturers to produce a certain number of electric
vehicles.
● These are already implemented in China, certain states in the USA, British Columbia
in Canada, and South Korea.
● The Government should also strengthen fuel efficiency requirements for new
passenger cars and commercial vehicles.
● FAME focussed on two and three wheelers, taxis and buses.
● It should be extended not only to all passenger cars and commercial vehicles, but also
to agricultural tractors.
● Extending fiscal incentives to all kinds of vehicles and stepping up investments in
charging infrastructure are essential complementary policies.
● GST rates for all passenger vehicles should be made proportional to their fuel
efficiency level instead of the present system that relies on vehicle length and engine
size.
The Structural Fragility of Union Territories
There was a realization that the administration of these territories directly by the President
through the administrators under Article-239 does not meet the democratic aspirations of the
people. The creation of a Legislature and Council of Ministers is logical, and in consonance with
the policy of the State, to promote democracy. Article-239A was originally brought in 1962, to
enable Parliament to create legislatures for the UTs.
Issues
● There can be a Council of Ministers without a Legislature or there can be a Legislature

as well as a Council of Ministers.
● A Legislature without a Council of Ministers or a Council of Ministers without a
Legislature is a conceptual absurdity.
● In our Constitutional scheme, a Legislature is the law-making body and a legislative
proposal is initiated by the Government, which is responsible to the Legislature.
● Neither can the Legislature exist without a Council of Ministers nor can the Council of
Ministers exist without a Legislature.
● A Legislature that is partly elected and partly nominated is another absurdity.
● A simple amendment in the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 can create a
Legislature with more than 50% nominated members.
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● It is not understood how a predominantly nominated House promotes representative

democracy.
● The Government of Union Territories Act provides for a 33-member house for
Puducherry of whom three are to be nominated by the Central Government.
Suggestions
● No doubt there is provision for nomination of members to the RajyaSabha as per

Article 80 (1)(a).
● Clause (3) of the Article specifies the fields from which they will be nominated.
● The purpose of this nomination is to enable the House to draw on the expertise of those
eminent members who are nominated and thus enrich the debate in the House.
● There is huge power vested with the Lieutenant Governor in the UTs.
● The Administrator has the right to disagree with the decisions of the Council of
Ministers and then refer them to the President for a final decision.
● The President decides on the advice of the Union Government. So, it is the Union
Government, which finally determines the disputed issue.
● The Administrator can, in fact, disagree with all crucial decisions taken by the State
Government.
● The experience shows that the UTs having legislatures with ultimate control vested in
the Central Administrator are not workable.
● Hence, it is time to remove legal and constitutional provisions, which enable the
Administrator to act like a “super power”.
The Absurdity Of the Anti-Defection Law
Anti-defection law was included in the Constitution as the 10th Schedule in 1985. It is to combat
the evil of political defections. The main purpose was to preserve the stability of Governments
and insulate them from defections of legislators from the treasury benches. It disqualifies MP or
that of a State Legislator, if they voted on any motion contrary to the directions issued by their
party.
Issues
● The provision is not limited to confidence motions or money bills.

● It applies to all votes in the House, on every bill, and every other issue.
● It even applies to the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Councils, which have no say in the
stability of the Government.
● MP or MLA has absolutely no freedom to vote their judgment on any issue.
● They have to blindly follow the direction of the party.
● This provision goes against the concept of representative democracy.
● Several dubious methods are being used to topple the Government.
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● Total membership of the House is reduced through resignations, recently in

Puducherry, not long back in Karnataka as well in Madhya Pradesh.
● Any person disqualified for defecting cannot get a ministerial position, unless they are
re-elected, and now members are resorting to resignation rather than voting against the
party.
● In other instances, the Speaker, usually from the ruling party, has been delaying taking
a decision on the disqualification.
● This led to strange situations such as members who continue to be part of the main
opposition party becoming Ministers, as happened in Andhra Pradesh in term of the
last Assembly.
● The Supreme Court has tried to plug this by ruling that the Speaker has to take the
decision in three months, but it is not clear what would happen, if a Speaker does not
do so.
Suggestions
● Anti-Defection law has been detrimental to the functioning of our legislatures as

deliberative bodies, which hold the executive to account on behalf of citizens.
● It has not done the job of preserving the stability of Governments either.
● The 10th Schedule to the Constitution must be repealed.
Guidelines to the OTT Platforms
For the first time, the Government brought in detailed guidelines for digital content on both
digital media and Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms, while giving overriding powers to the
Government to step-in.
Issues
● There have been widespread concerns about digital content, especially on OTT
Platforms, says the Government.
● There were 50 Parliamentary questions in the recently concluded first part of the
budget session.
● The digital media platforms have no monitoring mechanism like TV News media or
the Print media.
● TV has to follow the code under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act,
1995 and Print media is regulated by the Press Council of India.
● There is a Censor Board for the Films, but OTT Platforms have no such mechanism.
● Despite the Ministry’s request, OTT platforms have not come up with a satisfactory
self-regulatory mechanism.
Suggestions
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● These are on the expected lines and quite mild compared to the kind of pre-censorship
of content many were fearing.
● These rules stemmed from the industry’s failure in formulating a code of
self-regulation.
● The age-related restrictions / classifications do not exist in several other countries.
Hence, now they are required to implement parental locks, and reliable age verification
mechanisms.
● The move will lead to consolidation in the OTT industry or shutting down of Niche
apps, which have relied on obscene content.
● There are various categories of ratings now, which may become more cumbersome for
content creators as well as the platform.
● The players and creators will have to probably re-look at the kind of content they want
to make, since these ratings will directly impact the commercials involved.
Exercising Self Defence Is a Nation’s Primary Right
Exercising self defence is a nation's primary right, when a situation demands “immediate and
proportionate action” and applies also to the attacks by non-state actors, India says at a UN
meeting.
Issues
● Customary International Law has long recognised the principles governing the use of
force in self-defence.
● Article 51 of the UN Charter is not confined to “self-defence” in response to attacks by
states only.
● The right of self-defence also applies to attacks by non-state actors.
● In fact, the source of the attack, whether a state or a non-state actor, is irrelevant to the
existence of the right of self-defence.
● India believes that instances where states have exercised the right of self-defence to
attack non-state actors located in other states must be consistent with Article 2(4) of
the UN Charter.
Suggestions
● There are several armed attacks undertaken by the non-state actors. The host state is
unwilling to address the threat posed by the non-state actors.
● It is actively supporting and sponsoring the attack by the non-state actors.
● Hence, a growing number of states believe that the use of force in self-defence against
a non-state actor operating in the territory of another host state can be undertaken, if
the non-state actor has repeatedly undertaken armed attacks against the state.
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Right to Marry? Statist Paternalism towards Adults Has Limits
The Centre responding to plea seeking recognition of same sex marriages said that “same sex
relationships are not comparable to the concept of an Indian family unit”.
Issues
● Same sex individuals living together as partners, and having a sexual relationship is
not comparable to that of Indian family unit.
● The concept of Indian family unit comprises husband, a wife, and children, which
necessarily pre-suppose a biological man as a husband, a biological woman as a wife,
and the children born out of the union between the two.
● The Parliament has designed and framed the marriage laws in the Country to recognize
only the union of a man and woman, to be capable of religious sanction, and thereby
claim legal and statutory sanction.
● The heterosexual marital union is a limited interpretation of family.
● Marriage also works as a civil contract between consenting adults, and as societal
signaling by the couple.
● When formalized through religious rituals, marriage further acquires sacramental
significance.
Suggestions
● After the legal acceptance in 2018, the Government’s view point denies them of their
fundamental rights to life with dignity, equality before law, and right against
discrimination by the state on grounds of gender.
● No cultural definition can be greater than human rights, equality, dignity.
● Nothing can be more important than human rights. How can someone else have the
power to decide about the rights of an individual? This is extremely unfair.
● Even Hindu Marriage Act talks about marriage between persons and does not specify
gender.
● Religion and culture cannot be the benchmark of everything.
Covax Facility
It is COVID-19 vaccine’s global access facility. It is a vaccine sharing scheme. It is led by the
World Health Organization, GAVI and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations
(CEPI). GAVI is a public private vaccine promoting alliance. CEPI is a foundation that finances
research into vaccines for pandemics.
Issues
36
● In 2009, an outbreak of swine flu (Influenza A H1N1) killed thousands of people

worldwide.
● Vaccines were developed within months. They first became available in high income
countries, where most doses have been secured through bilateral agreements with drug
firms.
● After shortages and production delays, developing countries found themselves pushed
to the back of the queue.
● By the time vaccines are available for them three months later, the epidemic has
peaked and the vaccines were less useful.
Suggestions
● COVAX was established to prevent a repeat of swine flu type instances.

● One of the scheme’s motivations can be considered as humanitarian.
● Another is to hinder the emergence of new variant’s resistance to vaccines.
● The point to note here is the more widely a virus spreads, the more likely it is to
mutate.
● Hence, containing the spread through vaccination in the initial stages becomes
essential.
● UN Children’s Fund - UNICEF, which will take the leading role in delivering vaccines
is preparing to distribute up to 850 tonnes of vaccines per month or more than double
the average weight of vaccines it usually transports.
● The number of doses allocated to each country is likely to be limited by persistent
global shortages.
● Country’s preparedness also matters. GAVI says COVAX will not deliver to those that
will not store and distribute them.
Preamble and Its Significance for Indian Constitution
“We, the people of India” indicates ultimate sovereignty of people of India. Sovereignty means
independent authority of the State, not subject to control of any other state or external power.
Republic indicates a Government by the people and for the people. the 42nd Amendment
replaced the words “Sovereign Democratic Republic” with “Sovereign Socialist Secular
Democratic Republic”. It also changed “Unity of the Nation” to “Unity and Integrity of the
Nation”.
Issues
● It is not enforceable in Court.

● Democracy has been spoken in the past as political democracy. It is not enough by itself.
● It may be used to obtain a gradually increasing measure of economic democracy, equality
and the spread of good things of life to others and removal of gross inequalities.
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● Political democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of it, social democracy.
● Democracy means a way of life which recognizes liberty, equality and fraternity.
● These are not to be treated as separate items in a trinity.
Suggestions
● It states the objectives of the Constitution.

● Social, economic and political justice is an objective.
● Liberty, Equality and Fraternity have also been made ideals.
● It is an introductory statement to a document or a book.
● It explains the book/document’s philosophy and objectives.
Revival of JCPOA - An Issue of Trust Deficit between US and Iran
The former US President Barack Obama described JCPOA as his greatest diplomatic success.
Iran was then estimated to be months away from accumulating enough highly enriched Uranium
to produce one nuclear device. The JCPOA obliged Iran to accept constraints on its enrichment
programme. It was verified by an intrusive inspection programme in return for a partial lifting of
economic sanctions.
Issues
● Iran's economy was affected badly. It contracted by 7% in 2019, and 6% in 2020.

● It was shaken by a series of unexplained fires and blasts at a number of sensitive sites,
including one at the Natanz nuclear facility and another at Khojir, a missile fuel
fabrication unit.
● The damage at Natanz, described as ‘sabotage’, was significant. Subsequently, Iran
announced that it would be replaced by a new underground facility.
Suggestions
● The EU/E-3 needs to fast track deals with Iran, which include INSTEX pipeline.
● Some of the US sanctions can be reversed like removing sanctions on Iranian political
leaders.
● The US should share with the EU/E-3 a 45–60-day time frame for progressive
restoration of sanctions relief.
● Iran needs to refrain from any further nuclear brinkmanship.
● The IAEA and E-3 should work on a parallel reversal of steps taken by Iran, to ensure
full compliance with the JCPOA.
Nehruvian Ideology of Economic Self-Sufficiency - A Critical Appraisal
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The first Prime Minister of independent India Jawaharlal Nehru viewed economic
self-sufficiency as necessary and inevitable policy for the preservation of political freedom. He
felt that depending on imports for railways, airplanes and guns amounted to being slaves of
foreign countries. In his opinion, “whenever these countries wished they could stop sending
these things … we would thus remain slaves”.
Issues
● Industry came to be divided into a formal capital-intensive sector, and an informal

cottage industry sector.
● Capital got concentrated almost entirely in the formal, and labour in the latter.
● Hardly any attractive job opportunities opened for unskilled workers, except in the
public sector.
● India remained primarily agricultural with 66% of the workforce trapped in that sector,
till as late as 1987-88.
Suggestions
● Efficiency required the allocation of scarce savings to light manufacturers, allowing

them to achieve scale and product quality, necessary to compete in the vast global
economy.
● That would have created jobs for the unskilled at decent wages.
● Resulting rising incomes would have led to rise in savings, and provided investible
funds for investment in progressively more capital-intensive products.
● This is precisely the strategy South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore followed in the
1960s and 1970s.
Rape and Marriage
Supreme Court asked a Government employee whether he would marry a girl he was accused of
raping repeatedly while she was a minor. The Chief Justice of India told the lawyer of the rape
accused “We are not forcing you …” The lawyer later told the Court that his client refused to
marry the girl, because he was already married.
Issues
● Relationship between two individuals, including marriage, is built around love,

respect, trust and consent.
● Within the civilized framework, a violent and exploited act like rape has no place.
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● By offering marriage as a solution to a rape victim, the judiciary failed to protect the
rights of a girl.
● The battle for equality becomes more difficult when people in high offices make
offensive remarks.
● Already India is suffering from misogyny (tendency of hating women), patriarchal
mindsets and other failings such as blaming the victim for rape.
Suggestions
● On marital rape, though the recommendation was not included in the act, Justice J.S.
Verma Committee was clear; the law ought to specify that a marital or another
relationship between the perpetrator and a victim cannot be a defense against sexual
violation.
● Citing the judgment of the European Commission of Human Rights in C.R. vs U.K., it
endorsed the conclusion that “a rapist remains a rapist regardless of his relationship
with the victim”.
Cryptocurrencies – Pros and Cons - A Critical Appraisal
The Draft Cryptocurrency Bill has sparked a heated debate on the future of private currencies in
India. However, the proposed bill does not have the words “banning of”, which was
recommended by the inter-ministerial committee. The Cryptocurrencies are based on blockchain
technology.
Issues
● Govt. cannot allow the use of crypto tokens as currency for people and businesses to
make and receive payments, substituting official fiat currency.
● Govt. cannot allow its citizens with imperfect knowledge of cryptocurrencies to get
trapped in the asset bubble, that Bitcoin actually is at present.
● The monetary policy becomes ineffective, if the cryptocurrencies are used for
payments.
● Moreover, illicit flows to terror organisations and the black money crossing the borders
of the nation and resulting in investments in foreign countries are also other
possibilities.
● Whatever way we look at it, the Government cannot allow cryptocurrencies for
making various payments. Hence, to prevent cryptocurrency being used for money
laundering, financing illegal activities or for doing transactions in the dark market, the
banning of the cryptocurrency is the only option.
Suggestions
40
● As long as the internet is there, Crypto transactions are difficult to be stopped. Even if
a ban is imposed, it will neither be monitorable nor enforceable.
● People are already familiar with the use of remote desktops and VPNs (Virtual Private
Networks), which make any kind of restrictions in the telecom sector useless.
● Government’s fear is that it is difficult to monitor, but crypto is the most secure,
transparent and public way of exchanging money.
● The technology also provides a transparent and auditable trail of money, unlike cash
transactions.
● In Countries where crypto is regulated, Crypto exchanges become anchor points for
tracking the flow of funds, and they are following strict KYC norms like banks.
● Cryptocurrency has got the advantage in terms of both speed and price for the transfer
of funds.
● The fee for transfers is negligible and fixed irrespective of the amount of transfer from
anywhere to anywhere in the World.
● It not only brings employment opportunities across the states, nations and boundaries,
but brings other dimensions to finances, personal, professional, social and national.
● Several companies are now in favour of adopting Cryptocurrencies.
“Free” To “Partly free” - Report By freedom House & Strong Rebuttal by India
US based Human Rights watchdog Freedom House has accused the Prime Minister of driving
India towards authoritarianism. It says that it is founded on the core conviction that freedom
flourishes in democratic nations where Governments are accountable to their people. Freedom
House, which is largely funded through US Government grants, has been tracking the course of
Democracies since 1941.
Issues
● The Country abandoned its potential to serve as a global democratic leader, elevating
narrow Hindu nationalist interest, at the expense of its founding values of inclusion and
equal rights for all.
● It came down heavily on the government shutting down internet connectivity in Kashmir,
as well as on Delhi’s borders.
● The other reason for the downgrade is the continued crackdown on critics.
● The report also said ham-fisted lockdown that resulted in unplanned displacement of
millions of internal migrant workers.
● Crackdown on protests opposed to discriminatory Citizenship Law.
● There were also arrests of dozens of journalists who aired criticism of the official
pandemic response.
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● It also faulted Uttar Pradesh Law prohibiting forced religious conversions through
inter-faith marriages.
Suggestions
● The Government attaches highest importance to the safety and security of all residents of
the country, including journalists.
● It says that freezing of Amnesty International’s assets has led to the decline in ranking.
● Amnesty International had received permission under Foreign Contribution Regulation
Act only in 2000.
● Since then, despite their many applications, they were denied FCRA approvals by
successive Governments because they are not eligible.
● However, to circumvent the FCRA regulations, Amnesty UK remitted a large amount of
money to four entities registered in India by misclassifying the remittance as FDI.
● The malafide rerouting of law was in contravention of the law and led to freezing of the
organization's assets.
Red Echo And Emerging Cyber Threats
A Cyber security firm Recorded Future reported malware attacks by a Chinese group “Red
Echo” on large swathes of India’s power sector in the past few months. The Ministry of Power
confirmed it was aware of this. It also said that there was no data breach and no connection to the
October 12 blackout in Mumbai. Cyfirma, another cyber security group claimed Chinese hackers
had targeted Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India. Recorded Future also claimed that
Chinese hackers had targeted 10 entities of India’s power grid plus two maritime ports, when the
company first notified the CERT on February 10 of the hacking.
Issues
● The National Security Council chaired by the National Security Advisor plays a key
role in shaping India’s Cyber policy ecosystem.
● The NSA also chairs the National Information Board, which is the apex body for
cross-ministry coordination on cyber security policy making.
● National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) established
under the National Technical Research Organization (technical intelligence Agency
under NSA) in 2014 was mandated to facilitate the protection of critical information
infrastructure.
● In 2015, the Prime Minister established the office of the National Cyber Security
Coordinator, who advises the Prime Minister on strategic cyber security issues.
● Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), which is the nodal agency
corresponding to various cyber security threats to non-critical infrastructure comes
under MeitY.
42
● The Ministry of Defence recently upgraded the Defence Information Assurance and
Research Agency to establish the Defence Cyber Agency.
● The Ministry of Home Affairs oversees multiple similarly named coordination centres
and focus on law enforcement efforts to address cyber crime, espionage and terrorism.
● The Ministry of External Affairs coordinates India’s cyber diplomacy push both
bilaterally with other countries and at the International forums like United Nations.
Suggestions
● At present, there are concerns around effective coordination, overlapping

responsibilities and lack of clear institutional boundaries and accountability.
This needs to be clarified in India’s National Cyber Security Strategy, which is
the update of National Cyber Security Policy, 2013.
● India is yet to articulate a doctrine that holistically captures its approach to
cyber conflict. There is no crystal clear doctrine, and we need one such just like
No First Use doctrine for Nuclear weapons use.
● Secrecy and ambiguity surrounding a nation’s doctrine and capabilities do not
provide tactical advantage.
● India should contribute to global crafting norms for responsible state behaviour
in cyberspace.
● Precise articulation of how International Law applies to cyberspace, which
could mould the global governance debate, is the need of the hour. It should
include positioning on non-binding norms, but also legal obligations on red
lines with respect to cyber space targets.
● Coordination is needed between the Government and the private sector, as well
as within the Government itself and at the national and state levels.
● A clear public posture on Cyber defence and warfare boosts citizen confidence,
helps build trust among allies. It also clearly signals intent to potential
adversaries enabling a more stable and secure cyber ecosystem.
Electromagnetic Spectrum - Strained Telecom Sector Is Treading Cautiously
In India’s first auction of telecom spectrum in five years, the Government generated a revenue of
Rs. 77,815 crore. Reliance Jio accounted for close to 60% of the spectrum bought, followed by
Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea.
Issues
● The 700 MHz band, as also 1,800 MHz, 2,100 MHz, and 2,300 MHz bands, are
seen playing an important role in the 5G rollout (the fifth generation of mobile
networks).
43
● The 5G networks promise to connect everybody as also everything much faster

and with much lower latency.
● The 700 MHz have no takers because of its prohibitive floor price. Some see
this expecting the Government to scale down the reserve price.
● In these rounds of auctions, the “C-band”, i.e. the “king” in 5G (band between
3,300 MHz - 4,200 MHz) was not on offer.
Suggestions
● Spectrum bands have different characteristics, and this makes them suitable for
different purposes.
● Low-frequency transmissions can travel greater distances before losing their
integrity, and they can pass through dense objects more easily. Less data can be
transmitted over these radio waves.
● Higher-frequency transmissions carry more data, but are poorer at penetrating
obstacles.
Coal Bed Methane
CBM is an unconventional natural gas that occurs in coal beds in absorbed form and it is held
tightly in reservoirs and can be obtained during the coalification process. It requires special
stimulation and technologies to produce it economically. Methane is the main component.
Hence, CBM can be used as natural gas. But it is difficult to extract in comparison to
conventional natural gas.
Issues
● Methane is 25-30 times more potent greenhouse gas than Carbon dioxide.
● It poses a safety challenge in underground coal mines.
● It needs to be ventilated for securing the workplace and carrying out mining operations.
● Hence, it is drained and let out into the atmosphere.
● Its release into the atmosphere is a matter of great concern.
● It needs to be controlled to mitigate global warming.
Suggestions
● We urgently require enabling mechanisms in terms of policy initiative and administrative

transparency, coupled with requisite data / information depository.
● It requires international collaboration.
● International technology providers/operators may select an Indian partner of their choice
to implement CBM projects in India. This will not only ensure introduction of
contemporary technology to suit Indian conditions but also mitigate risk of investment.
44
● Technology transfer, however, should be mandatory as per a clearly-laid-out roadmap in

sync with ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ objectives.
Fiscal Federalism - Growing Mistrust between the Centre and the States
The tax sharing deal was modest when the 1st Finance Commission was appointed in 1951.
States were assigned half the income tax collected by New Delhi. The 1st Finance Commission
added a 40% share of union excise duties on three commodities. Subsequent Finance
Commissions increased the share of States in income tax revenue as well as the number of
commodities in the list of Union excise duties to be shared. In 2000, as a result of a
Constitutional amendment, all taxes collected by the Union Government were made shareable
with States.
Issues
● It recommended a sharp increase in the share of taxes to be devolved to States to 42%.

● This was 10 percentage points higher than the devolution formulae of the previous
panel.
● In reality, the actual share of States in the gross revenues of the Union Government has
been less than 35% in the past five years.
● The reason is Cess and Surcharges, which are not required to be shared with the States,
increased substantially.
● The share of Cesses and Surcharges in gross central tax revenues has nearly doubled
from 10.4% in 2011-12 to 19.9% in 2021-22.
Suggestions
● The Country’s inability to increase its share of taxes as a proportion of GDP over the
past three decades means that Indian fiscal federalism has been reduced to a zero-sum
game.
● One player gains only at the expense of another, when it comes to sharing the
resources.
● This is precisely the reason that the 15th Finance Commission has recommended a
slew of fiscal reforms to increase the tax to GDP ratio, especially through an overhaul
of the Goods and Services Tax.
Some Headway in Ken-Betwa Link Project
On the World Water Day, on March 22, Memorandum of Agreement was signed among the
Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Government of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to implement
Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP). It is the first project under the National Perspective Plan for
45
interlinking of rivers. It envisages transferring water from the Ken river to the Betwa river, both
the tributaries of Yamuna.
Issues
● The project lies in the Bundelkhand region, a drought prone region which
spreads across 13 districts of MP and UP.
● The main concern is the Panna Tiger Reserve.
● As per the National Water Development Agency under the Jal Shakti ministry,
the Daudhan dam to be built on the Ken river will be 77 m high.
● It is expected to submerge around 9,000 hectares, out of which 5,803 hectares
comes under Panna Tiger Reserve. The latter include 4,141 hectares of forest
area, which is about 7.6% of the total Panna Tiger Reserve area.
Suggestions
● In 1980, the Ministry of Irrigation prepared a National Perspective Plan for water
resources development.
● It envisaged inter-basin water transfer.
● It comprises two components, one is Himalayan rivers development, and the other one is
peninsular river development.
● Based on this NPP, the National Water Development Agency identified 30 river links, 16
under the peninsular component, and 14 under the Himalayan component.
An Insight into Enabling the Business of Agriculture by the World Bank
World Bank recently published Enabling the Business of Agriculture (EBA), 2019. Based on 8
indicators, the EBA measures the extent to which Government regulatory systems in 101
Countries worldwide make it easier for their farmers to operate agricultural activities.
Issues
● Inadequate access can cause productivity loss, higher cost of food production, and
uncertainty.
● Lower capacity of farmers and uncertainty makes farmers reluctant in accepting new
opportunities and adapting new plant varieties.
● The regulatory processes that help farmers make appropriate decisions regarding the level
of investment in irrigation are measured by this indicator.
● Regulatory system is essential for reducing the variability of farm output prices and
incomes.
● It captures the quality of regulations affecting farmers’ access to livestock farming inputs.
46
● It is incidental to note that the credit availability for the livestock sector is not up to the
required level.
● The quality of legislation on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) is captured
through this.
● It facilitates not only human health protection, at the same time, it facilitates ease in
exports.
● Gaining access to the global agricultural value Chain requires a sound regulatory
framework on SPS.
Suggestions
● Comparative score of India on supplying seed, trading food, and accessing finance
indicators is high.
● A robust seed supply system is required for improving yield and adopting new crop
varieties.
● The trading food indicator assesses laws and regulations that facilitate exporting of farm
products by the farmers.
● A robust warehouse receipts system enables the farmers to obtain the credit needed to
invest in agriculture. By using warehouse receipts as collateral, farmers can receive
credit.
● The future of World Agriculture and food production is expected to depend on middle
income countries like China, India, Brazil and Indonesia.
● To make the best use of this great opportunity, India needs to put in place an agricultural
regulatory system that would make it easier for its farmers to conduct agricultural
activities, thereby improving productivity, competitiveness and income.
National Food Security Act, 2013 - High Time to Revisit the Provisions
The annual food subsidy bill of the Centre is expected to be about Rs. 2.5 Lakh Cr. The quantity
of food grains drawn by the states (annually) hovered around 60 to 66 million tonnes.
Issues
● Even after several decades of poverty reduction in the country, we are still providing
food grains to 2/3rd of the total population.
● It is incidental to note that, as per Rangarajan Committee formula in 2014, the share of
people living below the poverty line in the 2011 population census was 29.5% (about
36 Cr).
● It is time the Centre had a re-look at the overall food subsidy system, including the
pricing mechanism.
47
● Even though States have been allowed to frame criteria for the identification of
Priority Households (PHH) cardholders. the Centre can nudge them into pruning the
number of such beneficiaries.
● By keeping low prices for the absolutely needy people, we can ask other beneficiaries
to pay a little more.
Suggestions
● It is incidental to note that the overall food grain production in the country is hovering
around 280-300 million tonnes.
● Now, NFSA entitlements cover 2/3rd of the country’s population. Each beneficiary is
provided with 5 Kg of rice or wheat per month.
● The Central Issue Price (CIP) remained Rs. 2/kg for Wheat, and Rs. 3/kg for Rice for
years, even the NFSA envisaged a price revision after three years.
● Several states are providing food grains at Rs. 1/kg or at Zero price in States like
Karnataka and West Bengal. Centre provides assistance to the States for carrying the
food grains, even up to the ration shop.
● The origin of rice subsidy goes back to 1967, when one of the political parties in Tamil
Nadu promised three measures (approximately 4.5 kg) at Rs. 1 and the Telugu Desam
Party in 1983 in Andhra Pradesh at Rs. 2/kg. It is incidental to note that in 1983, the
market price of rice was around Rs. 4 a kg.
Cyber Crime Volunteers Programme - Horizontal Surveillance Is Dangerous
Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) launched Cyber Crime Volunteers Programme.
I4C is under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It allows citizens to register themselves as
Cybercrime volunteers. They will be in the role of unlawful content flaggers. As per the official
website of National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, it will help law enforcement agencies in
identifying, reporting and in the removal of illegal, unlawful online content. The programme will
be launched all over the country and it will have its test run in Jammu & Kashmir and Tripura.
I4C aims to bring together citizens with passion to serve the nation on a single platform and
contribute to fight against Cyber Crime.
Issues
● State sponsored lateral surveillance is harmful as it creates a culture of hate,

fear and constant suspicion against an enemy.
● It violates the Fundamental Right to Privacy, and hence, consequently, the
unfettered expression of free speech and behaviour.
● This culture places a duty on people to “keep an eye-out” for their own safety
and this heightens the fear of crime in society.
48
● This is not the first time that the State sponsored lateral surveillance has been
implemented in India.
● C-Plan app in Uttar Pradesh launched for keeping a tab on anti-social elements.
It is designed to receive inputs from certain identified individuals in villages
across the State.
● These individuals have been given the responsibility to solve local problems
such as providing information about simmering communal tensions or land
disputes taking place in their respective villages through the mobile
application.
Suggestions
● It is used to further emotional objectives such as community building and

strengthening relationships with neighbours.
● Here, emotional and social factors act as a driving force.
● It creates a situation where privacy may be undermined for the betterment of
the community.
● It makes it easier to discriminate between those who conform to the social
norms of the majority.
● LGBT Community in South Korea came under the scanner, after a cluster of
novel Coronavirus cases were reported from a particular area.
● It resulted in several comments against the patients, who tested positive from
the community.
● It increased troubles for the people belonging to the sexual minority.
Electoral Bonds Have No Place in Democratic Polity
They can be purchased by any Indian Citizen or a body incorporated in India. They can be
bought for any amount in multiples of Rs. 1,000, Rs. 10,000, Rs. 1 lakh, Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 1
Cr. The donor gives the electoral bond to the political party of his choice, within 15 days after
issuance of the bond. The validity is 15 days. These are intended to increase transparency in
political funding i.e., clean money.
Issues
● Anonymous from voter’s perspective

● MNCs with Indian subsidiaries can donate unlimited amounts and the common man
never knows about it.
● Government can pressurize corporates to give donations.
● Government can also pressurize corporates not to give donations to opposition parties.
● Corporates can influence public policy.
● Increases anonymous money power in politics.
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● Strikes at the root of the representative democracy.
Suggestions
● Government knows the donor because details through “Know Your Customer” are
collected by the SBI. SBI can also ask for additional information from the donor.
● The rules also allow the information to be given to investigation agencies or courts, if
necessary.
● Hence the donor is not anonymous from a Government perspective.
PRIORITY SECTOR LENDING
● Public sector lending (PSL) is mandated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), making it a
requirement for domestic and foreign banks to offer loans to specific sectors and
sub-sectors within the nation’s economy.
● It requires all banks to offer a percentage of their loans to specific sectors, mostly those
that tend to struggle or underperform, or those that benefit the country as a whole, which
ultimately boosts the
● Sectors that are specified by the RBI include (but are not limited to) lending for allied
support, small and micro businesses, housing for the poor, education, and a host of other
low-income groups that need financial assistance.
● As per the RBI circular released in 2016, there are eight broad categories of the Priority
Sector Lending.
● They are: (1) Agriculture (2) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (3) Export Credit (4)
Education (5) Housing (6) Social Infrastructure (7) Renewable Energy (8) Others.
● It also includes personal loans to weaker sections, loans to distressed persons, loans to
state sponsored organizations for SC/ST.
● PSL is designed to promote the development of weaker sections within the country,
thereby supporting the economy in India.
● The RBI mandates that PSL should account for nearly half (about 40%) of Adjusted Net
Bank Credit (ANBC) or the credit equivalent amount of off-balance sheet exposure,
depending on which percentage
● The sub-target sectors of PSL include agriculture, which should account for 18% of the
total (with a caveat that 8% of that goes to small farmers), and 7.5% should go to small
businesses.
ISSUES
● Persons who borrow from the bank do not repay the loan. This increases the
non-performing assets of the banks. Thus priority sector credit has created fear among
banks and discourages them to go slow in disbursement of credit.
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● The concerns for achieving quantitative targets within stipulated time frame irrespective
of assessed demand or potential have caused an erosion of the qualitative aspects of
lending which have an effect on the viability of the lending institutions.
● Banks are sometimes unable to fill up the mandated PSL credit due to dearth of banking
networks in remote areas, elevated rates of default etc.
● One of the major problems of banks is that the government interferes in the working of
the banks especially in public sector banks. Therefore, loans are delivered in the hands of
the rich rather than weaker section of the society
● Sanctioning and monitoring of large numbers of small advances is time consuming and
manpower intensive, thus adding to the transaction cost.
SUGGESTIONS
● Banks should ensure that loans extended under priority sector are for approved purposes
and the end use is continuously monitored.
● To ensure continuous flow of credit to the priority sector, the compliance of banks will be
monitored on a ‘quarterly’ basis.
● The data on priority sector advances has to be furnished by banks at quarterly and annual
intervals as per revised reporting formats.
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released revised priority sector lending (PSL)
guidelines to augment funding for COVID-19 impacted companies.
● New guidelines align them with emerging national priorities and bring sharper focus on
inclusive development, after having wide ranging discussions with all stakeholders.
● The revised guidelines will enable better credit penetration to credit deficient areas,
increase lending to small and marginal farmers and weaker sections, boost credit to
renewable energy, and health infrastructure
● Also, Bank finance for start-ups up to ₹50 crore, loans to farmers for installation of solar
power plants for solarisation of grid connected agriculture pumps and loans for setting up
Compressed BioGas (CBG) plants
● The revised guidelines have been framed to address regional disparities in the flow of
priority sector credit.
● Higher weightage has been assigned to incremental priority sector credit in ‘identified
districts’ where priority sector credit flow is comparatively low.
● The targets prescribed for “small and marginal farmers” and “weaker sections” are being
increased in a phased manner.
● A register/ electronic record should be maintained by the bank, wherein the date of
receipt, sanction/rejection/disbursement with reasons thereof, etc., should be recorded.
The register/electronic record should be made available to all inspecting agencies.
ACT EAST POLICY
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● The ‘Act East Policy’ announced in November, 2014 is the upgrade of the “Look East
Policy” which was promulgated in 1992
● It aims at promoting economic cooperation, cultural ties and developing a strategic
relationship with countries in Indo-pacific region with a proactive and pragmatic
approach and thereby improving the economic development of the North Eastern Region
(NER) which is a gateway to the South East Asia Region.
● With its geographical position and rich natural as well as agro-climatic resources, access
to the growing ASEAN market is essential for optimum utilization of trade and business
opportunities.
● The policy has been continuously evolving since the early 1990s and involves intensive
and continuous engagement with South East Asian countries in the field of connectivity,
trade, culture, defence and people-to-people-contact at bilateral, regional and multilateral
levels.
● Connectivity is an important element of Act East Policy. Efforts in this direction include
❖ Agartala-Akhaura Rail Link between India and Bangladesh,
❖ Intermodal transport linkages and inland waterways through Bangladesh,
❖ Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project and
❖ The Trilateral Highway Project connecting the North East with Myanmar
and Thailand.
● Under India-Japan Act East Forum, projects such as Road and Bridges and modernization
of Hydro-electric power projects have been undertaken.
● Among other initiatives, assistance has been extended in the form of medicines/medical
supplies to ASEAN countries during the pandemic.
● India is also implementing Quick Impact Projects in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and
Vietnam to provide development assistance to grass-root level communities in the fields
of education, water resources, health etc.
● China’s aggressive posturing in the South China Sea and growing influence in the Indian
Ocean region, India’s focus on act east policy is a necessity.
ISSUES
● By deepening defence cooperation in the South China Sea, New Delhi risks getting
embroiled in a future maritime controversy or conflict between Beijing and one or more
ASEAN nations.
● The rising influence of China in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean Region poses a
direct geopolitical challenge to India. The Act East Policy has been less effective in
tackling China’s influence in the region.
● The share of ASEAN in India’s total trade deficit increased from about 7% to 12%
during the last Among the 15 RCEP countries,
● India faces trade deficits with all except Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines.
China accounts for 60% of the total deficit.
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● India’s trade deficit vis-a-vis all other Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
(RCEP) countries is around $ 107 billion
● Act East Policy has not been able to garner support of various countries in removing
issues regarding RCEP that concerned India.
SUGGESTIONS
● Success of Act East policy will also define the difference we are able to make to the life
and commerce of our people in the north-east because connectivity becomes extremely
important.
● Regional Value chains need to be created to expand the economic cooperation between
India and ASEAN.
● India is World’s largest producer of milk and 2nd largest producer of food grains.
Regional value chains can add value to the food processing sector and the agriculture
sector.
● Collaborate more in the field of design, engineering, Research & Development.
● Promote cooperation between Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) through technology
transfers, joint ventures, and business partnerships.
● For faster growth in the economic ties between India & ASEAN, more focus needs to be
given in areas such as transportation, banking, Information Technology Services, and
Environmental Services.
● Japan is investing in projects to help develop infrastructure in the North East of India.
Under the current Government, India believes that the North East is the gateway to
Southeast Asia and East Asian countries.
● Spread support in the field of Air Connectivity, land connectivity and Maritime security
as a major chunk of World’s trade passes through this region.
● Use soft power like Buddhist and Hindu links could be promoted to forge new contacts
and connectivity among the people
● Partners must work to promote economic revival, seek strategic cooperation to fight
terrorism, and enhance maritime security and defense cooperation.
JUDICIAL DELAYS
● One of the grey areas, where our justice delivery system failed to come up to the people’s
expectations is that the judiciary has failed to deliver expeditiously. This delay in delivery
of justice is in fact one of the greatest challenges before the judiciary.
● The founding fathers of our constitution placed "Justice" at the highest pedestal and our
preamble to the constitution placed justice higher than the other features like liberty,
equality and fraternity.
● In India, Justice delivery system, which is considered to be the third pillar, is in a bad
shape.
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● A survey of the workings of more than half a century of Indian Judicial System reveals
that this system which had worked smoothly and satisfactorily for centuries has now
failed to deliver Justice expeditiously.
● On an average, cases take three years and nine months to get disposed of. In Delhi HC,
considered publicly as one of the best, 66,281 are pending. It takes an average of two
years and eight months to give its verdict in a case.
● To be fair, delays are not a peculiarly Indian phenomenon. Many advanced countries
struggle to provide quick, high-quality justice to citizens. But in India the scale of the
problem is unprecedented.
● A sense of confidence in the courts is essential to maintain the fabric of ordered liberty
for a free people and three things could destroy that confidence and do incalculable
damage to society:
❖ people come to believe that inefficiency and delay will drain even a just
judgment of its value,
❖ people who have long been exploited in the smaller transactions of daily
life come to believe that courts cannot vindicate their legal rights from
fraud and overreaching,
❖ People come to believe the law in the larger sense cannot fulfill its primary
function to protect them and their families in their homes, at their work,
and on the public streets.
● There is a well-known saying that “Justice delayed is Justice denied.” Denial of „timely
justice‟ amounts to denial of „justice‟ itself. Two are integral to each other.
● Timely disposal of cases is essential for maintaining the Rule of Law and providing
access to justice which is a guaranteed fundamental right.
ISSUES
● If the inadequate number of judges is one reason behind delay in judicial process,
another reason is the incompetence and inefficiency of judges.
● Focusing on capacity alone won't reduce delays. A pervasive reason for delays is
adjournments.
● Merely increasing the number of judges won't help because adjournments are acceptable
in our judicial system.
● These encourage delaying tactics, block judicial time, prevent effective case management
and impoverish litigants.
● They deter many from seeking access to formal justice.
● Also from the lawyers’ side, who often charge per hearing more which makes a huge
burden
● It impacts our ease of doing business rankings and hinders access to justice to the
mazdoor whose employment has been unlawfully terminated.
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● Scarcely has there been an issue that cries out louder for the government and the judiciary
to secure the constitutional mandate of speedy and effective access to justice
● In judicial appointments, a power struggle between the government and judges for
determining who has the final word on the judiciary's ideological trajectory and the
careers of individuals manning it.
● At all three levels, courts dispose of fewer cases than are filed. The number of pending
cases keeps growing, litigants face even dimmer prospects of their cases being disposed
of quickly.
● Inadequate quality of justice not only promotes peace in the society but also weakens the
internal security of the country.
● Also the focus today is largely on speedy disposal of cases, without adequate exploration
of the stage at which proceedings on cases are being delayed or the reasons for the same.
● Focus on Incentivizing the courts to dispose of cases quickly, without first addressing the
issues causing these delays, compromises on “the ability of the system to deliver quality
justice”
SUGGESTIONS
● Establishment of a National Authority for Judicial Statistics at the federal level with the
Chief Justice of India at its helm, responsible for the collection of detailed statistics about
cases filed in the Supreme Court.
● An initiative by VCLP -Justice, Access and Lowering Delays in India talks about
❖ It talks of reducing government litigation,
❖ Compulsory use of mediation and other alternative dispute resolution
mechanisms.
❖ It mentions simplifying procedures, recommending precise capacity
reinforcements and use of technology.
● There is a need to establish more courts and to increase the number of judges according
to population.
● The multi-pronged reforms are a long-term project and judges will first have to be
brought on board with any significant changes to their profession.
● Fast-track courts, dedicated to cases of sexual crimes, were opened across the country to
address this sentencing and trust deficit.
● In order to meet the need for a large number of appropriately trained Subordinate Court
Judges, the age of retirement of Subordinate judges be raised to 62.
● The benefit of increase in the retirement age be made available to judicial officers in
terms of the directions of the Supreme Court.
● Adequate provisions be made for staff and infrastructure required for the working of
additional Courts.
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● The High Courts may be required to carry out Periodic Judicial Needs Assessment to
monitor the rate of institution and disposal and revise the judge strength periodically,
based on institutions, disposals, pendency and vacancy.
● Encouraging Alternative Dispute Resolution Methods, where appropriate and more
efficient allocation and utilization of resources is required to fulfill the goal of providing
timely justice to litigants.
ENVIRONMENT TAX
● According to the OECD, an environmental tax is a tax whose tax base is a physical unit
(or a proxy of it) that has a proven specific negative impact on the environment.
● Four subsets of environmental taxes are distinguished: energy taxes, transport taxes,
pollution taxes and resources taxes.
● Environmental Taxes are a kind of economic instrument to address environmental
problems.
● They are designed to internalize environmental costs and provide economic incentives for
people and businesses to promote ecologically sustainable activities
● It is a duty charged on pollution-causing goods and services. The money collected from
this tax helps governments in carrying our various ecological projects in the country
● The environment is affected by the existing production and consumption patterns. To
address environmental problems, behavioral changes are needed which involve
substantial economic costs and affecting labor, product and capital markets.
● Environmental policy aims to reach environmental and sustainable development goals.
● Policy-makers use incentive-based tools to ensure that environmental solutions are found
at least cost, for correcting externalities and/or for raising revenues for specific purposes.
● Environmental taxes can serve to discourage behavior that is potentially damaging for the
environment and can provide incentives to lessen the burden on the environment and to
preserve it by ‘getting the prices right’.
● For these purposes, physical data on the tax bases (e.g. emissions, waste and energy
products) and data on market prices of the products involved are needed.
PROS
● They generate revenue for governments, allowing other taxes to be lowered or

environmental projects to be carried out.
● This motivate companies to innovate in sustainability and help them for proper utilization
of resources
● It helps in promoting energy saving with the use of renewable sources.
● Increased or more effective use of environmentally related taxes can drive
growth-oriented reform by shifting the tax burden away from more distortive taxes, e.g.
on corporate or personal income, and contribute to fiscal consolidation.
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● Emissions from energy use cause environmental and health damages and they also
contribute to climate change.
● By charging for these damages, taxes on energy use can reduce excessive emissions,
while raising revenue that can be used to fund vital government services.
CONS
● Lack of connection towards the negative externalities that generated the tax.
● Lack of environmental consistency in the design due to not being based on environmental
damage.
● Lack of consideration regarding the spatial scope of taxable events, subjecting
technologies and premises rather than damage and consumption.
● Rates too low to discourage the agents causing environmental damage.
● Coal taxes are often zero or almost non-existent, according to the OECD's 2018 Energy
Tax report.
● The complexity and diversity of the taxes to which the most affected sector of all, the
energy sector, is subjected.
● The lack of international or regional diversity in respect with environmental taxation
leads to disparity in revenue collection.
SUGGESTIONS
● Environmental taxes should be targeted to the pollutant or polluting behaviour, with few
exceptions.
● The scope of an environmental tax should be as broad as the scope of the damage.
● The tax rate should be commensurate with the environmental damage caused.
● The tax must be credible and its rate predictable in order to motivate behaviours that help
protect the environment.
● Environmental tax reform revenues can be used as additional revenue or help to reduce
other taxes.
● Distributional impacts should be addressed through other policy instruments.
● Competitiveness concerns need to be carefully assessed, not to obstruct taxes but to offer
the possibility of coordinating policies and establishing transitional relief periods.
● Clear communication is critical to public acceptance of environmental taxation.
● Environmental taxes may need to be combined with other environmental policy
instruments to address certain issues.
OIL SEED PRODUCTION
● India is one of the major oilseeds grower and importer of edible oils.
● Because of diverse agro-ecological conditions in the country there are 9 annual oilseed
crops, which include
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❖ 7 edible oilseeds: groundnut, rapeseed & mustard, soybean, sunflower,

sesame, safflower and Niger and
❖ 2 non-edible oilseeds: castor and linseed.
● In 2019, India imported around 15 million tons of edible oils worth approximately Rs.
7,300 crore. India is the largest importer of palm oil in the world.
● Today, the oilseeds account for 13% of the cropped area in the country.
● India cultivated oilseeds on 25 million hectare of land, producing 32 million tons of
oilseeds in 2018-19, with soybean, rapeseed and mustard and groundnut accounting for
almost 90 per cent share in the area.
● India’s vegetable oil economy is the world's fourth largest after the USA, China & Brazil.
● The domestic production can only meet a little over 30 per cent of the total demand for
edible.
● According to the latest data, each Indian consumed 19.5 kg of edible oil every year on an
average during 2015-16, up from 15.8 kg in 2012-13.
● The production of oilseeds during 2019-20 is higher by 4.54 million tonnes than the
average oilseeds production.
● The production of oilseeds has increased from 27.51 million tonnes in 2014-15 to 37.31
million tonnes in 2020-21
ISSUES
● Poor productivity and low gross production compel India to resort to frequent imports for
meeting the domestic demand of pulses and oilseeds.
● Inefficient irrigation and rainwater management.
● Availability of quality seeds of improved varieties and hybrids is grossly inadequate and
is one of the major constraints in enhancing the oil seed production.
● No use or low use of plant nutrients is one of the most important factors for low
productivity of oil seeds.
● Lack of awareness among farmers of better techniques.
● Oilseeds face severe challenges in terms of climatic stresses and unfavorable farming
conditions.
● Non-availability of hybrids in case of major oilseeds like groundnut and soybean are
other limitations in increasing the productivity of these crops
SUGGESTIONS
● Government has strengthened the National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil palm.
● Increasing the seed replacement ratio with focus on varietal replacement
● Intercropping with cereals/pulses/sugarcane. Productivity improvement and adoption of
proven and climate-resilient technologies
● Supporting cluster demonstrations for the adoption of good agricultural practices
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● Creation of 36 oilseed hubs with a focus on regional approach for larger availability of
quality seeds
● Post-harvest management at farm and village level. Formation of Farmer Producer
Organizations.
● Widen the scope of research, technology, diffusion and institutional intervention to
re-energize the oil sector.
● Provide incentives to private sector participation in processing and value addition in
oilseeds crops.
● In order to provide remunerative prices to farmers, the Government declares Minimum
Support Price of oilseeds well before the cropping season.
● Also, Scientists have advised rise of fallow land after paddy/potato harvest for oilseeds
farming to increase the area under the oilseeds crops.
CRITICAL INFRA SECURITY
● Critical infrastructure security is the area of concern surrounding the protection of

systems, networks and assets whose continuous operation is deemed necessary to ensure
the security of a given nation, its economy, and the public’s health and/or safety.
● According to security expert Bruce Schneier, the biggest threat to critical infrastructure
security may not be targeted exploits such as equipment destruction attacks but random
malware that could inadvertently take down essential systems.
● Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience advances a national policy to strengthen
and maintain secure, functioning, and resilient critical infrastructure.
● Critical infrastructures are indispensable for modern society (e.g. banking-finance,
energy, communication, commerce, health care, transport), and their failure to meet an
expected service level might have a significant impact on the society.
● An emerging issue is that infrastructures, until now independent, are becoming entangled
into network-of-networks. It is this interconnection where the information and
communication technologies play a pivotal role.
● The Critical Infrastructure Protection sector now has the need to protect a region's vital
infrastructures such as food and agriculture or transportation.
● From energy organizations to transportation companies, it is paramount that security in
all critical infrastructure sectors is of the highest standard and that disaster preparedness,
response and recovery are top priorities.
● Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) helps organizations to prepare for and respond to
serious incidents involving critical infrastructure environments and to protect against an
ever-growing number of threats.
ISSUES
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● A significant challenge in protecting critical infrastructure is the inhibition in the private

(and public) sector to share information about the vulnerability of their systems.
● India lacks indigenization in hardware as well as software cybersecurity tools. This
makes India’s cyberspace vulnerable to cyber-attacks motivated by state and non-state
actors.
● The absence of a credible cyber deterrence strategy means that states and non-state actors
alike remain incentivized to undertake low-scale cyber operations for a variety of
purposes — espionage, cybercrime, and even the disruption of critical information
infrastructure.
● With the growing adoption of the Internet and smart-phones, India has emerged “as one
of the favorite countries among cyber criminals.”
● Attackers can gain control of vital systems such as nuclear plants, railways, transportation
or hospitals that can subsequently lead to dire consequences.
SUGGESTIONS
● There is a need to clearly articulate a doctrine that holistically captures its approach to
cyber conflict, either for conducting offensive cyber operations or the extent and scope of
countermeasures against cyber-attacks.
● Every government in every nation has a responsibility to protect these essential critical
infrastructure against natural disasters, terrorist activities and now cyber threats.
● The information technology revolution has changed the way business is transacted,
government operates, and national defense is conducted. Those three functions now
depend on an interdependent network of critical information infrastructures.
● The protection program authorized by this order shall consist of continuous efforts to
secure information systems for critical infrastructure, including emergency preparedness
communications, and the physical assets that support such systems.
● Protection of these systems is essential to the telecommunications, energy, financial
services, manufacturing, water, transportation, health care, and emergency services
sectors.
● At the regional and international level, cooperation and coordination amongst countries
appears essential using a comprehensive approach
● Framework for cyber security and critical information infrastructure protection would
entail a national strategy and creation of legal frameworks to curb cybercrime.
● Regional workshop on frameworks for cyber security and critical infrastructure
protection under the aegis of International Telecommunication Union has highlighted the
need for national frameworks.
● Establishment of National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC)
for protection of critical information infrastructure in the country.
● Common components of critical infrastructure needing security considerations include
Industrial Control Systems (ICS), Operation Technology (OT), and SCADA Systems.
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NATIONAL TRIBUNAL COMMISSIONS
● The advent of Articles 323A and 323B into our Constitution through the 42nd
amendment has successfully introduced tribunals into the justice delivery mechanism.
● National Tribunals Commission (NTC) acts as an independent body to supervise
appointments and functioning of tribunals across India.
● The NTC as per the direction of the SC will comprise of
❖ three serving judges of SC nominated by the CJI;
❖ two serving HC judges nominated by the CJI;
❖ two members to be nominated by the central government;
❖ Two independent experts to be appointed by the government in
consultation with the CJI.
● The NTC would also take care of the administrative and infrastructural needs of tribunals,
it would enhance the image of tribunals and instil confidence in the minds of litigants.
● Tribunals have taken to itself certain matters that previously vested with the lower courts
and in appeal with the High Courts
PROS
● Tribunals are forums for seeking specialized justice and are expected to be as fair and as
independent as any other court.
● Tribunal consists of technical and judicial members while the courts consist solely of the
judicial members.
● The technical members possess the technical know-how of the specified field and are
appointed from the executive wing while the judicial members ensure fairness in the
decision making.
● The tribunals have attained unique place in the Indian landscape as they have been
adjudicating several important matters.
● The tribunalisation of justice was brought to expedite the adjudication mechanism and
they have been so far successful in their objective.
● It could function as an independent recruitment body to develop and operationalize the
procedure for disciplinary proceedings and appointment of tribunal members.
ISSUES
● There is issues of inconsistent judgment by tribunal

● The member of the tribunal does not acquire any judicial training. So there is a lack of
proper judiciary knowledge.
● There is political interference in the appointment of the tribunal. Also there are issues of
adequate infrastructure.
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● Lack of functional autonomy as tribunals depend on their respective ministries for

allocation of funds in addition they cannot hire their own staff leading to executive
interference.
● The tenure of members of tribunal is short unlike judges hence they work as per pleasure
of the government affecting their independence.
● Also the main reason to establish tribunal was to decrease the cases load on high court
but actual result showed failure in this direction.
● The departments occupied by the executive appear before such tribunals as a litigating
party and their role in appointment would jeopardize public trust and faith in these
institutions.
● The judicial members are expected to ensure fairness in the adjudication mechanism and
this cannot be ensured when their appointment comes from the executive wing.
SUGGESTIONS
● The independence and autonomy of tribunal should be ensured by minimizing executive

interference
● Developing an independent oversight body for accountable governance requires a legal
framework that protects its independence and impartiality.
● The NTC should be established via a constitutional amendment or be backed by a statute
that guarantees it functional, operational and financial independence.
● The executive as well as the bar, being relevant stakeholders, should form a part of any
NTC, but it needs to give primacy to judicial members.
● The NTC must also do away with the system of re-appointment of tribunal members due
to its impact on the independence of the tribunal.
DIGITAL INEQUALITY
● Digital Inequality is the disparities in knowledge and ability of using digital and
information technology among individuals with different demographics, socioeconomic
backgrounds, and digital and information technology experience and competencies.
● These variations in digital experiences predict who is likely to benefit from access to the
Internet, in terms of health, finances, political participation and interpersonal
communication and support.
● Existing digital inequality may shape changes in digital communication during the
COVID-19 pandemic along with disparities of sociodemographics, personal living
situations during lockdown, and Internet access and skills.
● Equality of Opportunity is one of the basic principles of the Indian Constitution. Shifting
to a system that benefits only a section of people and leaves behind the neediest is in
violation of constitutional ethos.
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● Though these digital initiatives are helping in mitigating the disruption caused by
pandemic, these are causing a digital divide as education and health are getting
re-organized in ways that make access more inequitable in an already unequal society.
● Digital inequality is one of the most critical issues in the knowledge economy.
ISSUES
● Surveys by the NCERT, the Azim Premji Foundation, ASER and Oxfam suggest that
between 27% and 60% could not access online classes for a range of reasons: lack of
devices, shared devices, inability to buy “data packs”, etc.
● Besides this, many lack a learning environment at home: a quiet space to study is a
luxury for many.
● According to the NSSO conducted between July 2017 and June 2018, just 4.4 percent
rural households have a computer, against 14.4 per cent in an urban area.
● Many students have been robbed of peer learning opportunities due to online education.
● According to the Deloitte report, ‘Digital India: Unlocking the Trillion Dollar
Opportunity’ in mid-2016, digital literacy in India was less than 10%.
● Even though the government has provided various e-services at grassroots through
common service centers, without internet access and digital literacy, these are of no use.
● Transparency and accountability are dependent on digital connectivity. The digital divide
affects e-governance initiatives negatively.
SUGGESTIONS
● Empirical research is needed both to expand our understanding of digital inequality and
to inform effective policy making and intervention.
● Government has launched the Bharat Net programme, which aims to have an optical fibre
network in all gram panchayats.
● National Digital Literacy Mission (NDLM) has been initiated with the vision to empower
at least one person per household with crucial digital literacy skills by 2020.
● NDLM is an effort to complement the government’s vision to transform one from each
household as digitally literate.
● The project aims at helping adults with low technological literacy develop the skills they
need to interact in an increasingly digital world.
● To create infrastructure for a minimum standard and quality of Internet access as well as
capacity-building measures which would allow all citizens to be digitally literate.
● The government should invest the resources saved by moving services online, to create
Digital infrastructure.
● The definition of digital literacy today must include the ability to access and act upon
resources and information found online.
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● Zero-rated services for mobile data access, could be an intermediate step to fully open
and affordable Internet access for the poorest, provided that the choice of selecting
services is transparent and inclusive.
● We should also explore migration to new technologies like 5G. It would resolve some of
the bandwidth challenges.
GOVERNMENT PUBLIC SECTOR ENTERPRISES
● Public Enterprises (PEs) played an important part in the development of Indian industry
and economy.
● The basic objectives of setting up of the PEs were to build infrastructure for economic
development, create employment opportunities, and promote balanced regional
development and to generate investable resources for development.
● Public enterprise provides goods and services to the public at a reasonable price.
● The public enterprises should either be wholly owned by the Central Government or State
Government(s) or local authority or jointly owned by two more of them
● If the enterprise is owned by the government and private persons, the state must have the
predominant share (at least 51%) in the ownership of such enterprises.
● Section 617 of the Indian Companies Act clearly specifies that ‘Government Company'
means any company in which not less than fifty one percent of the paid up share capital is
held by the Central Government.
● As part of the ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ package, the government in May 2020 had
announced that there will be a maximum of four public sector companies in the strategic
sectors, and state-owned firms in other segments will eventually be privatized.
● The remaining enterprises would be rationalized in terms of mergers, amalgamations and
privatization if feasible.
● Recent scenario of PSUs is that NITI Aayog will recommend PSUs for retention in
strategic sectors and that should be considered for privatization, merger, or closure.
ISSUES
● The level of profitability of some PSUs is very low which gives a chance of
disinvestment.
● Most of the PSUs have inefficient pricing policy which fails to cover the cost.
● There is lack of investment in Research and Development in PSUs
● The PSUs projects take too much time in completion leading to cost escalations. Cost of
completion is a high burden on Indian economy.
● There is frequent interference from politicians and civil servants in the working of public
enterprises. Such interference leaves little scope for initiative and freedom of action.
● There is also a lack of skill development of employees once they are appointed which
could not match with current technology.
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● Most of the Public Enterprises produce products which serve as inputs for other sectors of
the economy. It would be suicidal from the point of view of the overall growth of the
economy if prices of steel, fertilizers or coal are fixed very high.
● Trained manpower is a critical factor in economic development. With the fast expansion
of the existing PEs and additions through nationalization, the training and development of
personnel has acquired a great deal of significance.
● In the absence of proper project planning, there is underutilization of capacity and
wastage of national resources.
SUGGESTIONS
● To provide greater autonomy to remaining public enterprises through the strengthening of

the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) system and by providing greater professional
expertise in the Boards of these enterprises.
● The Boards of these PEs should be restructured by inducting at least three non-official
Directors as the first step before the exercise of enhanced delegation of authority.
● To evaluate the performance of management through objective criteria.
● To provide incentive for better performance in future.
● Development works are done in a planned and balanced way. It should try to develop all
regions in harmonious ways.
● PSUs should work to maintain a sustained growth in productivity and to achieve
optimum utilization of human resources.
● Privatization must be accompanied by competition in the post-privatized scenario.
● In order to improve the performance of inefficient units, the creation of a competitive
market environment is absolutely essential.
BANKING SECTOR REFORMS
● The Banking Sector is an important part of the economy. It monitors and regulates the
smooth functioning of the Indian economy.
● The banking sector reforms enacted to promote the efficiency and productivity of the
banking system in India.
● They aim to increase growth and development. They also maintain stability and adequacy
in the financial market.
● The Banking System of India has important acts and reforms from two phases. The first
phase revolves around basic policy and institutional frameworks:
■ It was the first committee (1991) of India to suggest acts and reforms for
an improved banking system. M. Narasimham was the chairman of this
committee, thus justifying the name.
■ This committee was formed right after the economic crisis.
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■ It suggested – Autonomy in Banking, Reforms in the role of RBI, Change

in CRR and SLR, Recovery of Debts, Freedom of Operation, Local Area
Banks, Prudential Norms, and Entry of Foreign Banks.
● And the second phase (1998) revolves around structuring and developing the industry
with advancements:
❖ This again was headed by M Narasimhan, the 13th governor of RBI.
❖ This committee is an extension of the first one.
❖ The idea was to overview the reforms introduced after the first committee.
❖ It suggested – Development Finance Institution, Stronger banking system,
the idea of Non-performing assets, Capital adequacy and tightening of
provisioning norms, and, Rural and Small Industrial Credits.
● There are many other committees followed – The Verma Committee, The Khan
Committee, AK Bhuchar Committee, The Urjit Patel Committee, The Vaghul Committee,
etc.
● These banking reforms aim to remove the external restriction on banks like high-interest
rates, reserve requirements (CRR and SLR), and frequent change in interest rates.
● Banking sector reforms want to make the banking system more adaptive and flexible.
● They are to smoothen the process of bank formation in India. It is to promote healthy
competition for better productivity.
● Foreign direct investment is another area they focus on to improve the economy.
● The merging of banks across India is their focus again. It is done to improve efficiency
and productivity.
● These reforms have improved the overall functioning of the banking system in the
country.
ISSUES
● The slowdown in the economy in the last few years led to a rise in bad loans or
non-performing assets (NPAs). These are loans which are not repaid back by the
borrower. They are, thus, a loss for the bank.
● As pressure is mounted by the RBI to reduce NPAs, in the absence of effective
debt-recovery, banks have no option except to pick up gilt-edged securities or highly
rated investments rather than credit, thus choking credit delivery, particularly to medium
and small-scale units.
● The policy of Fiscal activism has increased the fiscal deficit year after year. The policy of
automatic monetization of the Fiscal deficit had inflationary tendencies and other
negative impacts on the economy.
● The nationalization of Banks had given complete control over these banks to the
government, which resulted in the limited role of market forces in the financial sector.
● In the last few years, gross NPAs of banks (as a percentage of total loans) have increased
from 2.3% of total loans in 2008 to 9.3% in 2017
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● Restructured assets too put pressure on a bank's profitability. These are just loans which
are identified as stressed assets.
SUGGESTIONS
● Recently Government has announced some major banking sector reforms in her
growth-oriented Budget 2021-22:
❖ The first is the setting up of a ‘Bad Bank’, in which banks can offload
their non-performing assets (NPAs).
❖ The second is the much-awaited DFI (Development Finance Institution)
for infrastructure financing, which will be set up with ₹27,000-crore
equity and run by experts.
❖ And, third, is the privatizations of a couple of public sector banks (PSBs).
● Guidelines should be revised to provide a uniform, simplified, non-discriminatory and
non-discretionary mechanism for the recovery of the stock of NPAs of all banks.
● The regulatory/supervisory system should be strengthened by the setting up of a Board
for Financial Supervision.
● Institutional strengthening should be undertaken to ensure the progressive development
and integration of the securities, money and forex markets.
● RBI is encouraging banks to provide better service to customers by encouraging adoption
of state-of-the art information technology.
● To enable faster clearing of cheques, MICR processing centres have been established in
major centres of the country.
● While every effort needs to be made to improve the credit appraisal system and debt
recovery tribunals have been established, the legal framework should perhaps be
reviewed and revamped in a comprehensive manner to facilitate recovery.
● The measures that the RBI undertook aimed at preserving the stability of the banking
system and warding off potential systemic risks.
● Measures were taken to strengthen the regulatory and supervisory framework, introduce
prudential norms and reduce non-performing assets.
● Under the Banking Ombudsman scheme, customers can obtain expeditious and
inexpensive resolution of their complaints
Abuse of Law system, False Case issues
● The principles relating to Perjury, False Claim & False Prosecution in a judicial
proceeding and its consequences under Section 209 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) &
Section 340 of the Criminal Procedure Code
● False claims delay justice and compromise the sanctity of a Court of justice as an
incorruptible administrator of truth and a bastion of rectitude.
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● Recently a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court highlighting the need for the
government to frame guidelines for compensating victims of wrongful prosecution by the
police or authorities.
● The petition said the government had not bothered to implement the recommendations
made by the Law Commission of India in its 277th report on the miscarriage of justice in
2018.
● The system of making false cases has become so strong that very senior political leaders
and ex-prime ministers are also coming into their grip. The Supreme Court has found no
base in those cases. For example Hawala Case and St. Kitts forgery case.
ISSUES
● It has become very easy for any law enforcing agency to make any baseless story or a
story without any reasonable base and make a person accused and put him before Court
● Interestingly there are many police cases where the complainant, witness and enquiry
officer is one and the same man, which is bad in law but working even today.
● A person accused of an offence has the right of defense. In some cases, this opportunity
starts after ten to twenty years. In Normal cases, it takes two to three years.
● There are issues that it takes many years to present the witnesses in Court and many times
they are not made presents at all and cases are dismissed.
● Though there are many laws relating to false cases and punishment for them. But in
practice rarely any person punished them.
● A person who falls in a false case becomes so tired and his confidence in the rule of law
so shaken that he is rarely in position to take any action against any culprits.
● Also, the Judiciary is also not taking any innovative steps to speedy justice.
SUGGESTIONS
● The Malimath Committee’s recommendations on reforms in the criminal justice system

should be applied.
● The Committee felt that all cases in which punishment is three years and below should be
tried summarily and punishment that can be awarded in summary trials be increased to
three years
● Magistrate before starting the process of the case should have reasonably applied their
mind. If any case is made out or not. If they do not do so action against them is must.
● Courts have to prohibit themselves from giving “Dates”. Heavy cost should be given to
the accused for any “Date” on lapse of prosecution.
● Strict action against all persons engaged in prosecution, if a case fails because of their
lapse, is required.
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● Judiciary has to become very efficient and use all reasonable and lawful methods to
become efficient.
● The biggest authority is Parliament of India who can remove/make provisions of law to
stop misuse of law.
● The Supreme Court of India and High Courts have various powers to stop misuse of law
and in the interest of justice, they can make rulings/orders.
● The subordinate judiciary can also participate by looking at the case on the very first
stage and not after hearing a full trial. They have many powers to punish false case
creators. They have to use those powers.
LAKSHADWEEP ISSUES
● Lakshadweep is a tropical archipelago of 36 atolls and coral reefs in the Laccadive Sea,
280 km to 480 km off the coast of Kerala.
● Lakshadweep means "one lakh islands" in Malayalam. The islands form the smallest
union territory of India and their total surface area is just 32 km square.
● The residents of the Lakshadweep Islands take pride in their traditional culture, while
maintaining significant environmental safeguards to protect the island.
● The islands are protected under special provisions where liquor sales are not allowed,
outsiders cannot buy land there, and moreover, non-residents cannot visit the islands
without special permission from the administration.
● Recently, Lakshadweep has been witnessing protests by locals over the recent action and
administrative reforms being implemented by Govt.
● The draft regulations bills include:
❖ The Lakshadweep Animal Preservation Regulation, 2021
❖ The Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Regulation (PASA)
❖ The Lakshadweep Panchayat Regulation, 2021 and
❖ Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation 2021.
● The draft regulations created criticism from civil society as they place economic
development over environmental sustainability.
ISSUES
● The creation of the LDA empowers the administration to take over any land, without
consultation with the stakeholders. For islanders, this is an attempt for a corporate land
grab.
● Lakshadweep Animal Preservation and Regulation 2021, which is similar to anti-cow
slaughtering rules implemented which prohibits slaughtering cows. The islanders have a
lifestyle of using cows for agriculture, breeding or giving milk, and for meat consumption
● The Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Regulation (PASA) provides for the
administrator to order the detention of a person for a period of up to one year if a person
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is a bootlegger, drug offender, immoral traffic offender, property grabber, etc. which is
against to is islanders
● The regulation would also allow for building, engineering, mining, quarrying and other
such operations on the ecologically rich and sensitive islands under its definition of
“development”.
● The new rules may hamper the cultural milieu of the region. They allow for the intrusion
of outsiders in the region which may destroy the way of life practiced by indigenous
people for generations.
● The Lakshadweep Panchayat Regulations, 2021 disqualifies people with more than two
children from becoming gram panchayat members.
● All these actions are deemed to adversely affect the maintenance of public order.
SUGGESTIONS
● The new laws should be discussed with the concerned stakeholders including the local
fisherman and civil society. Their grievances should be heard and rectified for ensuring
greater acceptability.
● The new regulation will ease the procedural and regulatory requirements for land
acquisition thereby enabling faster development of infrastructure.
● The regulation should focus more on the creation of jobs for the islanders through
tourism promotion as well as the export of seafood and coconut-based products made in
the Islands.
● The Panchayat regulations will pave the way for the upliftment and empowerment of
women. The reservation would generate more women representatives who would create
gender-sensitive policies.
● If the new regulation is implemented then tourism will get a new dimension and tourists
will get facilities for accommodation and entertainment while locals will get new
opportunities for employment and business.
● Also, Parliament should reconsider some controversial decisions for the welfare of the
public and the ecosystem of Lakshadweep.
RTI IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES
● The Right to Information Act, 2005 was a revolutionary act that envisaged to provide the
citizens of India with transparent as well as accountable public bodies across the country.
● The basic object of the Right to Information Act is to empower the citizens in the
working of the government’s services and to prevent corruption thereby.
● The Act provided the citizens of the country to have access to the information in all
public authorities and bodies across the country.
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● The right to information is a fundamental right under Article 19 (1) of the Indian
Constitution.
● In 1976, in the Raj Narain vs the State of Uttar Pradesh case, the Supreme Court ruled
that Right to information will be treated as a fundamental right under article 19.
ISSUES
● Recently, a query seeking details of the PM Cares fund was denied by the Prime
Minister’s Office. It stated that the PM Cares fund is not a public authority.
● Also, the State Bank of India refused to give these details on the ground that it was third
party information held under fiduciary capacity.
● The proposed RTI Amendment Act 2019 is aimed at giving the Centre the power to fix
the tenures and salaries of state and central information commissioners, which are
statutorily protected under the RTI Act.
● In India, every year almost 4-5 million RTI’s are filed of which a large number of
applications remain unanswered.
● The backlog of unanswered RTI applications is increasing with each passing year.
● Lack of staff and infrastructure for running information commission is another
impediment in the effectiveness of the Act.
● Protection of RTI activists is another major challenge. They go through harassment,
assault and death threats on a daily basis.
● There are numerous instances when RTI activists paid mortally for exposing
unscrupulous and powerful people indulged in corruption.
● Public authorities also have a common belief that the introduction of RTI has led to a lot
of hassle, as they now have an additional workload of responding to applications asking
for information.
● There are a lot more discrepancies that cannot be ignored including the vulnerable state
of infrastructure of RTI workplaces and offices.
● Governments are also not seen very active towards ensuring transparency in public
offices. For instance, the country has seen the post of Chief Information Commissioner
being vacant for 9 months.
● The biggest challenge for the effective implementation of the RTI act is the unawareness
of the people.
● Surprisingly, though two-third of India’s population lives in villages, only few of the
applicants were rural who applied for RTI till now.
SUGGESTIONS
● The RTI applications must be disposed of within the statutory time limit provided under
the Act with complete and comprehensive information.
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● The Public Information Commissioners must be given adequate training to be

cooperative enough towards the Information seekers.
● External agencies must be appointed to train the officers within and beyond the Act.
● Maintenance of information must be automated and efficient. The State Government has
to play a facilitative role by issuing rules/procedures to mandate the compliance of the
Act.
● The role of Information Commissions must not be limited to hearing of appeals but they
must also be a watchdog over the public authorities.
● Dissemination of awareness about the Right to Information in rural areas so that more
rural people could practice this right.
● Enactment of some supplementary laws parallel to RTI Act such as Whistle-blower
protection Act.
● Parliament should jointly take initiative for making all required and necessary
amendments in the RTI act.
CARBON CREDIT INITIATIVES ISSUES
● A carbon credit is a permit that allows the company that holds it to emit a certain amount
of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases. One credit permits the emission of a mass
equal to one ton of carbon dioxide.
● Carbon credits were devised as a market-oriented mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.
● The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) developed this
carbon credit proposal to reduce worldwide carbon emissions in a 1997 agreement known
as the Kyoto Protocol.
● The agreement set binding emission reduction targets for the countries that signed it.
Another agreement, known as the Marrakesh Accords, spelled out the rules for how the
system would work.
● The Kyoto protocol was revised in 2012 in an agreement known as the Doha
Amendment, which was ratified as of October 2020, with 147 member nations having
"deposited their instrument of acceptance”
● Companies get a set number of credits, which decline over time. They can sell any
excess to another company. Thus, "cap-and-trade" is an incentive to reduce emissions.
● If a country emitted less than its target amount of hydrocarbons, it could sell its surplus
credits to countries that did not achieve its Kyoto level goals, through an Emission
Reduction Purchase Agreement (ERPA).
ISSUES
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● The lack of clearly defined and stable regulatory programmes to govern the carbon
markets will continue to present challenges for traditional project finance deals, which
rely on stable and relatively predictable economic risks.
● Greater transparency and agreement on robust standards for crediting mechanisms are
needed to ensure environmental integrity
● An intensive afforestation program requires implementation of right forest conservation
practices along with huge amounts of money but carbon credits have failed to generate
funds for the developing world.
● Indian companies which have accumulated certified emission reduction units over time
are unable to sell their carbon credits.
● The generation of global funds to reduce emissions from REDD+ has failed due to faulty
carbon pricing and the poor negotiating rights of traditional communities.
● Inefficacy in selecting projects remitting carbon projects at wrong sites which resulted in
contrary to disturbing ecosystem
● Many environmental agencies have discovered that they can purchase these credits and
choose not to use them and hold them indefinitely, creating artificially high credit prices.
● Most industries do not have monitoring devices installed to determine how much output
is really occurring. This makes it very easy for the average business to cheat on its
emissions reports
● Renewable energy resources are still relatively new and are still relatively expensive. For
industries that transition into lower emissions and follow cap rules, the products that they
produce will be more expensive in the future
● Though global carbon markets assume that a carbon credit has the same value regardless
of the type of project, in reality many types of credits tradeoff with each other or at least
fail to seriously mitigate emissions.
● At present, the complexity and evolutionary nature of the market mechanisms can make it
difficult to assess and mitigate the risks associated with projects connected to the
markets.
SUGGESTIONS
● India must look in direction to leverage a corpus set up of the Compensatory

Afforestation Management and Planning Authority as suggested by the Supreme Court in
2002.
● Under this, projects in forest areas have to compensate for the forest cover destroyed by
depositing a value in the CAMPA corpus, which will be used for forest management and
other afforestation programmes.
● REDD++ has failed due to faulty carbon pricing and the poor negotiating rights of
traditional communities. A multilateral body just for funding green initiatives must be set
up.
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● Alternative energy resources can be funded. Research on alternative energy resources can
be funded with carbon taxes in those places that work with the cap trade system.
● Researchers say that if we want to keep temperature increases below 1.5°C, global CO2
emissions need to decline by 45% from today’s levels by the year 2030. We need to
invest in energy efficiency and promote the use of renewables etc.
● To secure popular support for decarburization, the public needs to be informed about the
positive effects of emission reductions, their benefits for cleaner air, health and new
energy.
● Greater transparency and agreement on robust standards for crediting mechanisms are
needed to ensure environmental integrity
● The World Bank has recently announced a new Carbon Asset Development Fund
specifically geared toward development of greenhouse gas emission reduction projects.
● These funds may also create opportunities to pool both investments and sources of carbon
offsets such that the regulatory and economic risks involved can be shared.
● India is one of the countries that have 'credits' for emitting less carbon and is therefore
having surplus credit to offer to countries that have a deficit.
JAM TRINITY
● JAM trinity acronym used for JAN DHAN YOJNA, AADHAAR, and mobile number of
respective users.
● These aims provide a better mode of transfer subsidies and direct cash benefits to the
bank account of the beneficiaries with minimum leakage and maximum accuracy &
transparency.
● In covid-19, the trinity has helped the Government to reach to the right beneficiary of
subsidy through fast and secure mode.
● The aid that reached people during the pandemic under the PM Garib Kalyan package is
a barometer of the success of the government’s financial inclusion and digitization efforts
● The Jan Dhan scheme is proving to be a boon for millions of Indians seeking financial
assistance during the ongoing countrywide COVID-19 lockdown.
● Given the need for physical distancing to curtail the spread of COVID-19, JAM is
promoting online transactions among the beneficiaries, use of ATMs and payment cards
instead of physical visits to the banks.
● Its strong interlinkage with the mobile linked Aadhaar scheme has facilitated swift
transfer of money into bank accounts of beneficiaries and helped to eliminate middlemen,
frauds, and leakages due to corruption.
● Amid the gloom of the Covid-19 pandemic. The trinity also digital payments in India are
set to account for 71.7 percent of all payments by volume by the year 2025.
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ISSUES
● JAM was often invoked (sometimes along with UBI) as a possible tool of emergency
relief. But when the time actually came to make cash transfers to the poor, JAM turned
out to be of little use.
● Coverage by Aadhar is still only upto 70% hence many poor will be left out. Also, there
have been apprehensions regarding privacy invasion due to biometric requirements for
Aadhar.
● Privacy concerns related to bio identity requirements for Aadhar. Eg: Supreme Court
intervention in enrolment of Aadhar
● Distant location of ATMs will be another deterrent for people to withdraw cash subsidy.
● The major problem is Financial illiteracy among people, particularly laborers and
workers.
● Poor penetration of financial institutions in rural areas
● Many of Indian villages till now don't even have electricity. There is a need for
infrastructure like cellular towers, cheap mobile plans because without mobile
connectivity JAM would be meaningless.
● Some concerns about the effectiveness of DBT to all schemes e.g. farmers are criticizing
they it would be difficult to pay high upfront costs for fertilizer and then wait for
payments through banks
SUGGESTIONS
● Promotion of the usefulness of Aadhar, especially in villages. People wouldn't need

multiple identification cards. Advertisements should also tell how it would not be a
privacy invasion.
● Initiative like digital India, Bharat.Net, Project loon etc. help for better infrastructure and
internet connectivity.
● Banking Correspondent agents can be used to educate farmers not to fall into traps of
moneylenders. This would result in people using more of their JanDhan account.
● Proper framework for monitoring the service quality benchmarks for digital financial
transactions with the coordination of the Finance ministry, TRAI, UIDAI.
● There is a need for a proper framework and rules regarding biometric identification and
its use. It can be done with help of passing pending bill of National Identification
Authority of India (NIAI) Bill
● Financial literacy programs should be done with the help of financial institution, agents
NGOs, SHGs especially in rural areas
● More fund allocation for PMJDY to banks and Programs like Indrashanush which helps
PSUs to reduce financial burden.
● Addressing mobile data connectivity through setting up of more infrastructure and
telecom towers in remote areas
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● In addition to this physical infrastructure, well trained staff, streamlining of all subsidies
with coordination of different ministries and financial institutions help to make JAM an
important link for financial inclusion as well as inclusive growth and development of the
nation.
GEO ENGINEERING
● Geoengineering schemes are projects designed to tackle the effects of climate change
directly, usually by removing CO2 from the air or limiting the amount of sunlight
reaching the planet's surface.
● Geoengineering is a deliberate, large-scale intervention carried out in the Earth’s natural
systems to reverse the impacts of climate change.
● This involves techniques to physically manipulate the global climate to cool the planet.
● These techniques fall primarily under three categories: Solar radiation management
(SRM), carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and weather modification.
PROS
● It aims to actively reverse climate damage. When it comes to climate change, methods
like emissions reduction and forest conservation serve as forms of mitigation
● It could lower average temperatures on the planet faster than could be achieved by
changing human behaviors.
● Geoengineering research and geoengineering initiatives create jobs for scientists,
engineers, and other workers.
● Solar geoengineering would reflect some sunlight (solar radiation) back to space to limit
or reverse human-caused climate change.
● When blasts fine ash into the atmosphere, where the particles can linger as a kind of
cloud cover, reflecting solar radiation back into space and helps in temporarily cooling
the planet.
● It helps in reducing or reversing sea ice melting.
● It also helps in reducing or reversing sea level rise.
CONS
● Geoengineering is a false solution to the climate crisis that aims to address the symptoms
of climate change but ignores and enables the root causes to continue.
● It is a large risk to take without knowing the potentially harmful consequences of such a
planetary scale deployment.
● The sheer scale of many of these proposals would have massive negative and
unpredictable impacts on the environment – air, land and sea.
● Some of these consequences are already known. Solar geoengineering, for example,
alters rainfall patterns that can disrupt agriculture and water supplies.
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● The main challenges in this case are reducing manufacturing and running costs to make
the devices commercially viable, and finding reliable and inexpensive ways to store the
captured gas.
● Manipulating the climate could have the same geopolitical function as nuclear weapons.
Even before geoengineering is deployed, it may be used as a threat that will likely incite
countermeasures,
● A 2017 report by the ETC Group and the Heinrich Böll Foundation has suggested. If
governments ever gain control of changing the course of potentially damaging storms,
diversions that direct storms toward other countries may be seen as acts of war.
● Injecting sulfate aerosols in the stratosphere above the Arctic to mimic volcano clouds,
for example, can disrupt the monsoons in Asia and increase droughts, particularly in
Africa, endangering food and water sources for two billion people
SUGGESTIONS
● To reduce carbon emissions, remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and adapt to
climate change, small doses of geoengineering may help reduce the most dangerous
aspects of global warming.
● Our research shows that no single technology to combat climate change will fully address
the growing crisis, and we need to stop burning fossil fuels and aggressively harness
wind and solar energy to power society.
● To scale them up, these technologies require heavy regulation by states and countries,
funding for research and strong policy incentives to mature.
● Specific technologies that can help us achieve negative emissions need to be publicly
funded and democratically administered to ensure that they serve the public interest.
● Geoscientists have suggested geoengineering as a solution to deal with the knocking
catastrophic situation.
● While this may seem a panacea in the short run, the grave problem still looms large.
Further, the cost of using such technology would hamper development programs in
underdeveloped and developing countries. So, Sustainable measures required in these
fields
NUTRITION ISSUES
● Adequate Nutrition is essential for human development. Malnutrition still remains one of
India’s biggest challenges, according to the 2020 Global Nutrition Report released
worldwide.
● Malnutrition includes both undernutrition as well as over-nutrition and refers to
deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in the intake of energy, protein and/or other
nutrients.
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● 35% of under-5 kids in India are malnourished, and more than half of all women of
reproductive age are anaemic. Every third child, under the age of 5, is malnourished in
India
● The recently released National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019-20, shows the
prevalence of anaemia among children under five years of age has increased in 18 out of
22 states and Union Territories.
● A similar trend was seen in the prevalence of anaemia among women in the age of 15-49
years. Out of the 22 states/UTs, 16 showed an increase in anaemia among women.
● According to the Global Nutrition Report 2020, India is among 88 countries that are
likely to miss global nutrition targets by 2025
● As per Global Hunger Index 2020 which is calculated on the basis of total
undernourishment of the population, child stunting, wasting and child mortality, places
India at the 94th spot among 107 countries.
● Studies reveal that India loses up to 4 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) and up
to 8 percent of its productivity due to child malnutrition.
ISSUES
● Change in the pattern of food consumption substantially in India over the past few
decades has resulted in the disappearance of many nutritious local foods, for example,
millets, pulses etc.
● Regional disparities in the availability of food and varying food habits lead to the
differential status of under-nutrition which is substantially higher in rural than in urban
areas.
● Nearly 75% of these experts believe that the gradual decline in protein consumption is
driven mainly by a lack of awareness and misconceptions amongst people
● Most children in rural areas and urban slums still lack sanitation. This makes them
vulnerable to the kinds of chronic intestinal diseases that prevent bodies from making
good use of nutrients in food, and they become malnourished.
● Also, Anaemia amongst women results in entering pregnancy in an anaemic stage and
this has well-documented negative impacts on fetal growth and birth weight, as well as
on the health status of the mother.
● Lack of knowledge and Inappropriate and sub-optimal infant and young child feeding
and caring practices.
● Failure of government programmes which address malnutrition like the Integrated Child
Development Service (ICDS) and the National Health Mission, these do not yet reach
enough people.
● Reduction in budget 2020-21, Government has allocated Rs 2,700 crore towards the
nutrition of children and women. This is 27 per cent less than the budget estimates of Rs
3,700 crore on nutrition in the last fiscal year of 2020-21.
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SUGGESTIONS
● NITI Aayog, the Government’s apex think tank has also been talking about subsidizing
protein-rich foods like eggs, fish and chicken through the PDS.
● As initiatives and organizations such as Eat Right India, PFNDAI, IDA, Right to Protein,
etc. continue to build awareness about protein,
● Our citizens must narrow their focus on balanced meal consumption to fulfil their daily
protein requirements.
● Improving access to safe water, promoting hygiene, and preventing and treating diseases
are just as important. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Jal Jeevan mission with schemes
pertaining to nutrition, will bring holistic changes to India’s nutrition scenario.
● Government needs to ensure early disbursement of funds and optimum utilization of
funds in schemes linked to nutrition.
● The budget for child malnutrition has been allocated as components under the new
Saksham Anganwadi and Mission POSHAN 2.0 schemes will help efficiency to tackle
malnutrition.
● Skilled and improved training should be given to Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) &
ASHA workers along with Anganwadi workers.
● Agriculture sector should be impoverished and farmers must be given adequate
knowledge about diverse and nutritious crops that can be grown in addition to traditional
crops like cereals.
● Social and behavior change initiatives, such as community-level counselling, dialogue,
media engagement and advocacy, especially in marginalized communities, is integral to
promoting usage of locally available, nutrient-dense affordable foods.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
● CSR is a corporate initiative to assess and take responsibility for the company’s effects on
the environment and impact on social welfare.
● The projects are taken up to promote positive social and environmental change. CSR is
governed by clause 135 of the Companies Act, 2013.
● Currently, the CSR rules apply to the companies with any of the following criteria:
❖ a net worth of Rs 500 crore or more
❖ a turnover of Rs 1,000 crore or more
❖ net profit of Rs 5 crore or more
● These companies are required at least 2 percent of their three-year annual average net
profit towards CSR activities in a particular financial year.
● Now the Government has made changes to the CSR Rules and the recent amendments in
the Companies (CSR Policy) Rules, 2013 have been notified on 22nd January 2021.
● The highlights of these amendments, inter-alia, includes:
❖ Mandatory registration of implementing agencies with the Ministry,
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❖ Enhancing the role of board of the company in the utilization of CSR funds,
❖ Flexibility to board for spending as per project requirements,
❖ Treatment of unspent as well as set-off of excess amount spent under CSR,
❖ Impact assessment of CSR projects,
❖ Creation and acquisition of capital assets through CSR and
❖ Enhanced disclosure of CSR activities etc.
❖ Transfer of unspent amount to government notified fund
● Examples of common CSR objectives include minimizing environmental externalities,
promoting volunteerism among company employees, and donating to charity.
ISSUES
● Lack of Community Participation in CSR Activities:

❖ There is a lack of interest of the local community in participating and contributing
to CSR activities of companies.
❖ This is largely attributable to the fact that there exists little or no knowledge about
CSR within the local communities
● Need to Build Local Capacities:
❖ There is a need for capacity building of the local non-governmental organizations
as there is serious dearth of trained and efficient organizations that can effectively
contribute to the ongoing CSR activities initiated by companies
● Issues of Transparency:
❖ There is an expression by the companies that there exists lack of transparency on
the part of the local implementing agencies as they do not make adequate efforts
to disclose information on their programs, audit issues, impact assessment and
utilization of funds.
● Non-availability of Well Organized Non-governmental Organizations:
❖ It is also reported that there is non-availability of well-organized
nongovernmental organizations in remote and rural areas that can assess and
identify real needs of the community and work along with companies to ensure
successful implementation of CSR activities.
● Non-availability of Clear CSR Guidelines:
❖ There are no clear cut statutory guidelines or policy directives to give a definitive
direction to CSR initiatives of companies.
❖ It is found that the scale of CSR initiatives of companies should depend upon
their business size and profile
● Lack of Consensus on Implementing CSR Issues:
❖ There is a lack of consensus amongst local agencies regarding CSR projects.
❖ This lack of consensus often results in duplication of activities by corporate
houses in areas of their intervention.
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SUGGESTIONS
● It is found that there is a need for creation of awareness about CSR amongst the general
public to make CSR initiatives more effective.
● Steps should be undertaken to address the issue of building effective bridges amongst all
important stakeholders for the successful implementation of CSR initiatives.
● A long term and sustainable perspective on CSR activities should be built into the
existing and future strategies of all stakeholders involved in CSR initiatives
● To address the issue of reaching out to wider geographical areas, the involvement of
small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the CSR domain will be essential.
● It is recommended that a campaign should be launched to both spread awareness on CSR
issues amongst the general public as well as to involve SMEs to participate more actively
in CSR initiatives
● It is recommended that companies should also actively consider their interventions in
rural areas on education, health, girl child and child labor as this will directly benefit rural
people. After all, more than 70 per cent people still reside in rural India
● The Government has instituted National Corporate Social Responsibility Awards
(NCSRA) as an official recognition at the highest level for outstanding contribution made
by companies through their CSR activities.
● Aim should be to strengthen the Corporate Social Responsibility ecosystem, by
improving and strengthening disclosures and by simplifying compliances.
● It also aims to address the inadequacies of the present CSR architecture by removing
ambiguities, bringing in objectivity, and by simplifying language.
● The Amendments have been made with the objective of bringing transparency and
increasing the accountability of the companies undertaking CSR activities.
● All data related to CSR filed by companies in the MCA21 registry, including Aspirational
District-wise, is available in public domain. The initiative is a significant step towards
driving accountability and transparency for corporate India.
● The role and efforts of the private sector in taking the development agenda forward with
focus on education, health, environment, livelihood, women empowerment, disaster
management to mention a few have been visible and effective. Some innovative models
are also available for private sector interventions in these areas.
BLACK CARBON ISSUES
● Black carbon is the sooty black material emitted from gas and diesel engines, coal-fired
power plants, and other sources that burn fossil fuel.
● It comprises a significant portion of particulate matter or PM, which is an air pollutant.
● It is a short-lived climate pollutant with a lifetime of only days to weeks after release in
the atmosphere
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● Both India and China are the largest emitters of black carbon in the world, with emissions
of up to 25-35 per cent.
● A study by scientists at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Black carbon
concentrations near the Gangotri glacier rose 400 times in summer due to forest fires and
stubble burning from agricultural waste, and triggered glacial melt
● The Indo-Gangetic plains will become the largest contributor of black carbon, with about
20 percent from biofuels, 40 per cent from fossil fuels and about 40 percent from biomass
burning.
● Also, the World Bank in a study said that Black carbon deposits due to human activities
are increasing glaciers and snow melt in the Himalayan ranges and are changing
temperatures and precipitation patterns.
ISSUES
● Black carbon, like all particles in the atmosphere, affects the reflectivity, stability and
duration of clouds and alters precipitation
● It is an important contributor to warming because it is very effective at absorbing light
and heating its surroundings.
● Per unit of mass, black carbon has a warming impact on climate that is 460-1,500 times
stronger than CO2.
● Black carbon and its co-pollutants are key components of fine particulate matter (PM2.5)
air pollution, the leading environmental cause of poor health and premature deaths.
● At 2.5 micrometres or smaller in diameter, these particles are, many times smaller than a
grain of table salt, which allows them to penetrate into the deepest regions of the lungs
and facilitate the transport of toxic compounds into the bloodstream.
● It can affect the health of ecosystems in several ways: by depositing on plant leaves and
increasing their temperature, dimming sunlight that reaches the earth, and modifying
rainfall patterns.
● Changing rain patterns can have far-reaching consequences for both ecosystems and
human livelihoods, for example by disrupting monsoons, which are critical for
agriculture in large parts of Asia and Africa.
● When deposited on ice and snow, black carbon and co-emitted particles reduce surface
albedo (the ability to reflect sunlight) and heat the surface.
● As there is more shipping in the Arctic region, making it more likely that black carbon
emissions from ships burning heavy fuel will increase in the future.
● As a result the Arctic and glaciated regions such as the Himalayas are particularly
vulnerable to melting.
SUGGESTIONS
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● The EPA report asserts that globally, the best strategies for reducing black carbon
emissions include targeting brick kilns and coke ovens in Asia, and cookstoves and diesel
vehicles everywhere.
● The Green Freight Action Plan aims to increase awareness about black carbon emissions,
develop methods to track and report black carbon emissions and spur the adoption of
technologies and best practices to reduce them.
● The Coalition supports implementation of control measures that, if globally implemented
by 2030, could reduce global black carbon emissions by as much as 80% (UNEP &
WMO 2011).
● Scientists are conducting integrated and multidisciplinary research to improve our
understanding and determine more clearly the role of black carbon in air pollution and
climate change and how we might reduce its emissions and impacts.
PRECISION FARMING
● As per FAO, Precision farming is based on the optimized management of inputs in a field
according to actual crop needs. It involves data-based technologies, including satellite
positioning systems like GPS, remote sensing etc.
● It is based on sustainable agriculture and healthy food production and it consists of
profitability and increasing production, economic efficiency and the reduction of side
effects on the environment.
● There is a need to increase output per hectare in India as it is low compared to other
countries, so access to modern technology, judicious use of water, energy and efficient
use of various inputs like seeds are needed to enhance productivity.
● The Global Precision Farming Market was valued at USD 3.58 billion in 2021, and is
expected to reach a value of USD 7.30 billion by, at a CAGR of 12.61% over the forecast
period.
● Today because of increasing input costs and decreasing commodity prices, the farmers
are looking for new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. Precision farming
technology would be a viable alternate to improve profitability and productivity
BENEFITS
● Precision farming can improve both yield and profits by using fewer resources, while at
the same time making agriculture more sustainable and less polluting.
● Precision farming optimizes output by targeting the fine spatial differences in a farm.
● Reduces soil, water, and air pollution by decreasing the use of chemical fertilizers and
pesticides.
● It builds up soil biodiversity and supports wildlife outside farms.
● It makes farming sustainable by reducing reliance on resources and water.
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● It helps in reducing carbon emissions from the agriculture sector.

● All stages of agriculture can be optimized through precision farming, which will increase
yield while keeping costs low.
● For instance, Geographical limitations like Rayalaseema Region of Andhra Pradesh
which have low agro-productivity due to less rainfall can be overcome by adopting
Precision farming.
● Due to the significant reduction in travel imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the
virtual side of precision farming has been notably beneficial, and a continued trajectory
of increased adoption rates is expected.
ISSUES
● Lack of technical experts, funds, knowledgeable research in precision farming.

● High capital costs may discourage farmers to not adopt this method of farming.
● Precision agriculture techniques are still under development and require expert advice
before actual implementation.
● It is an extremely difficult task particularly the collection and analysis of data.
● Lack of adequate monitoring equipment for crop production, soil properties, and
environmental quality in order to understand the changes occurring due to the
management practices
● Lack of access of power in remote regions like north eastern states
SUGGESTIONS
● There is a need for the PPP model in agriculture to provide required technological
support to farmers.
● Development of indigenous low cost sensors with integrated platforms, robotics, IoTs and
WSN for high throughput field phenotyping and soil and crop health monitoring and
management.
● Niti Aayog has collaborated with IBM to develop precision agriculture using Artificial
Intelligence in 10 aspirational districts across India. etc.
● The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Indian Agricultural
Research Institute (IARI) have formulated a project entitled “SENSAGRI: SENsor based
Smart AGRIculture”.
● The major objective is to develop indigenous prototypes for drone based crop and soil
health monitoring systems using hyperspectral remote sensing (HRS) sensors.
● It has ability for smooth scouting over farm fields, gathering precise information and
transmitting the data on real time basis
● In August 2019, a technology called Soilsens, which is a low-cost smart soil monitoring
system, has come as a potential help to farmers facing farming decision predicaments.
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● The system is embedded with a soil moisture sensor, soil temperature sensor, ambient
humidity sensor, and ambient temperature sensor. Based on these parameters, farmers are
advised about optimum irrigation through a mobile app.
● The government also introduced the multilingual mobile app 'CHC-Farm Machinery,' that
enables the farmers to rent farm machinery and implement it through a CHC in their area.
● Startups, such as Barton Breeze, have been doing hydroponic and other soil-less farming,
and their farms continue to operate even in lockdown.
● According to DataLabs, India is estimated to have more than 1090 agritech startups, and
this sector has been spearheading a revolution in terms of technology, especially in
drones, IoT devices, and data analytics to AI and satellite imagery.
● Standardized protocols for UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) based imaging using different
sensors, inter sensor calibration and data analytics for near real time crop condition
monitoring and management
CYCLONE PROTECTION
● Cyclones are caused by atmospheric disturbances around a low-pressure area

distinguished by swift and often destructive air circulation. These are usually
accompanied by violent storms and bad weather.
● The air circulates inward in an anticlockwise direction in the Northern hemisphere and
clockwise in the Southern hemisphere.
● Cyclones that develop in the regions between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer are
called tropical cyclones.
● Tropical cyclones are large-scale weather systems developing over tropical or subtropical
waters, where they get organized into surface wind circulation.
● Amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, India witnessed two cyclones,
Tauktae and Yaas, leaving behind a trail of destruction across several Indian states.
● Low pressure formation over Arabian Sea led to Cyclone Tauktae that hit the western
coast of India and subsequent low pressure formation over the Bay of Bengal caused
Cyclone Yaas.
● Also the year 2020 marked the first pre-monsoon cyclone in a century called Cyclone
Amphan and another Cyclone, Nisarga, hit the financial capital of India and was the
second pre-monsoon cyclone after Amphan.
● About 8% of the area in the country is prone to cyclone-related disasters. As per IMD,
India could witness many other pre-monsoon cyclones in the coming years.
CHALLENGES
● The country’s coastal regions, in particular, are highly vulnerable because of rapid
urbanization, high population densities and related economic activities such as
agriculture, aquaculture, tourism, industries and trade.
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● The 7,517-km-long coastline is home to 260 million people or one- third of India’s
population, who live in low-lying areas within 50 km of the sea coast and are perennially
exposed to climate variabilities and extreme weather events
● When a cyclone hits in October or November, the kharif crop is standing and often gets
damaged. That means an average farming family will probably have no food production
for the rest of the year and will need food aid till the next crop is harvested.
● Lack of awareness of people about the impact and magnitude of the disaster.
● Mining and other industries in the ecologically sensitive area, lack of compliance with
zoning and building regulation codes is increasing the death toll.
● Increase in storms can radically impact the lives and livelihoods of fishing communities
by making fishing more dangerous, displacing fish habitats and interfering with breeding
cycles due to fish larval dispersal
● Continuous rains cause floods resulting in loss of shelter. Also, heavy rains due to
cyclones cause landslides, soil erosion and weaken the embankments.
● An abnormal rise in sea level near the coast due to severe tropical cyclones results in the
drowning of low lying areas in the coastal region. It results in loss of lives, destruction of
vegetation and the salt content in seawater reduces the soil fertility
SUGGESTIONS
● The 13th Finance commission recommended the creation of a National Disaster Response
reserve (NDRR) with a corpus of Rs.250 crore as Revolving Fund to meet the immediate
requirement of relief material/equipment after a disaster..
● Launching Community Based Disaster Management (CBDM) activities similar to the
DRM Project initiatives of MHA in all villages of the 84 districts vulnerable to cyclones
that have not yet been covered.
● Building all-weather road links to all coastal habitations, between habitations and cyclone
shelters/cattle mounds
● Early establishment of planned Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) and Rain-gauge
Network.
● Establishment of at least one High Wind Speed Recorder and one surge recorder for each
coastal district, vulnerable to cyclones (on priority basis).
● Establishing a comprehensive Cyclone Disaster Management Information System
(CDMIS) covering all phases of DM to provide on-line services to the departments of
Disaster Management in the states
● To provide clarity on roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders concerned with
● cyclone management.
● Developing Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) frameworks for addressing the
sustainability and optimal utilization of coastal resources as also cyclone impact
minimization plans.
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● Enhancement of a Doppler Weather Radar Network over coastal regions at an interval of

300 km along the coast
● Augmentation of high resolution vertical soundings with the enhancement of Radio
Sound(RS)/Radio Wind (RW) Network and introduction of Wind Profilers
● To ensure coordination by promoting productive partnership with all other agencies
related to cyclone management.
● Mapping and delineation of coastal wetlands, patches of mangroves and shelterbelts,
identification of potential zones for expanding bio-shield spread based on remote sensing
tools.
NEED FOR CHANGE OF AGRICULTURE PRACTICES
Why is there a need for changes in agricultural practices?
● Nearly three-quarters of India’s families depend on rural incomes. The majority of India’s
poor (some 770 million people or about 70 percent) are found in rural areas.
● India’s food security depends on producing cereal crops, as well as increasing its
production of fruits, vegetables and milk to meet the demands of a growing population
with rising incomes.
● In India, about 80% of farmers are smallholders which is generally considered to mean
they have two hectares or less of land
● Agriculture contribution in the GDP has reduced to less than 20 per cent and contribution
of other sectors increased at a faster rate as compared to agricultural production has
grown
● As per second advance estimates for 2019-20, total foodgrain production in the country is
estimated to be a record 291.95 million tonnes but as per the estimates of Indian Council
for Agricultural Research (ICAR), demand for foodgrain would increase to 345 million
tonnes by 2030.
● India is blessed with large arable land with 15 agro-climatic zones as defined by ICAR,
having almost all types of weather conditions, soil types and capable of growing a variety
of crops.
● India is the top producer of milk, spices, pulses, tea, cashew and jute, and the
second-largest producer of rice, wheat, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables, sugarcane and
cotton but need to improve in future
● Increasing population, increasing average income and globalization effects in India will
increase demand for quantity, quality and nutritious food, and variety of food.
● Therefore, pressure on decreasing available cultivable land to produce more quantity,
variety and quality of food will keep on increasing.
● To do so, a productive, competitive, diversified and sustainable agricultural sector will
need to emerge at an accelerated pace.
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ISSUES
● Small farmers are a vulnerable population where social, market and economic pressures
are huge, often leading to considerable distress
● Farming for subsistence which makes the scale of the economy in question with the
majority of small holdings.
● Low-access of credit and prominent role of unorganized creditors affecting decisions of
farmers in purchasing of inputs and selling of outputs
● Less use of technology, mechanization and poor productivity are of major concern.
● Very less value addition as compared to developed countries and negligible primary-level
processing at farmers level.
● Issues of fluctuations in weather, temperature and rainfall on agricultural productivity
will have a significant impact on the wider population.
● Poor infrastructure for farming makes more dependence on weather, marketing and
supply chain suitable for high value crops.
● India is home to nearly 25% of the world’s hungry population and has an alarming rate of
farmer suicide (around 60,000 cases in the past three decades).
● Another problem facing Indian agriculture is the increasing lack of interest in farming
among educated youth. Changing socio-economic milieu, increasing agri-input costs and
diminishing returns have turned agriculture into a less preferred profession among the
youth.
SUGGESTIONS
● The future of Indian agriculture lies in the hands of technology-driven farming practices,
powered by well- informed and modern-minded farmers.
● The agricultural universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendras need to adopt a proactive
approach in bringing the latest research and innovation to the farmers. The lab-to-land
concept has to be effectively implemented.
● There is a need for work on cost-effective technologies with environmental protection
and on conserving our natural resources.
● To turn the farmers into ‘agri-entrepreneurs’, efforts should be made to establish strong
lab–farm links and farmer–industry interaction should be promoted.
● Creation of ‘Business Incubation Centres’ would also be a step in the right direction for
aspiring farmers in this field.
● Agricultural marketing reforms after 2003 made changes in marketing of agricultural
outputs by permitting private investment in developing markets, contract farming and
futures trading, etc. These amendments in marketing acts have brought about some
changes but the rate is less.
● Many startups in agriculture by highly educated young ones show that they are able to
understand the high potential of putting money and effort into this sector.
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● Cumulative effects of technology over the next decade will change the face of
agriculture.
● Promoting e-marketing extensively, cold storage facilities and refrigeration vans should
cater to farmers' needs in a big way.
● Providing uninterrupted power round-the-clock and extending timely credit at
low-interest rates are crucial to make agriculture profitable and viable.
● Loan waivers and subsidies provide temporary relief to farmers and are not sustainable
solutions. Both long-term and short-term measures are needed to ensure remunerative
prices to farmers.
● Promote organic farming, as it is pertinent to point out that the organic food segment in
India is expected to grow at 10% during 2015-25 and is estimated to reach Rs. 75,000
crore by 2025
● As farmers are unorganized and voiceless, the 4 Ps--Parliament, political leaders,
policymakers and press must proactively adopt a positive bias towards agriculture.
DIGITAL DIVIDE
● Digital divide is a term that refers to the gap between demographics and regions that have
access to modern information and communications technology, and those that don't or
have restricted access.
● The digital divide typically exists:
❖ Between those in cities and those in rural areas;
❖ Between the educated and the uneducated;
❖ Between socioeconomic groups; and,
❖ Globally, between the more and less industrially developed nations.
● Even among populations with some access to technology, the digital divide can be
evident in the form of
❖ Lower-performance computers,
❖ Lower-speed wireless connections,
❖ Lower-priced connections such as dial-up, and
❖ Limited access to subscription-based content.
● India’s digital divide remains huge as more than 400 million people still have no access
to the internet.
● India’s digital sectors still account for less than 10% of GDP, which is low compared to
other emerging economies.
● A BBC investigation has discovered, throughout lockdown, students from more than 150
villages in the area have had no access to online classes.
● The pandemic has not only caused the wide rift in educational inequality but also
exacerbated existing disparities
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ISSUES
● Spatial divide is huge, with the internet density in rural areas, where more than 60% of
the people live, is still low at 25% compared to the internet density in urban areas 90%.
● The digital divide is also big across the leading and lagging regions, with states like Bihar
and Uttar Pradesh with very low internet use density.
● Gender digital divide is also huge within India, with far fewer women with access to
mobile phones and internet services.
● Only 21 percent of women in India are mobile internet users, according to GSMA’s 2020
mobile gender gap report, while 42 per cent of men have access.
● The report says that while 79 percent of men own a mobile phone in the country, the
number for women is 63 per cent.
● Internet usage has created social stratification which is evident among those that are
connected to the internet and those that are not. Non-connected groups are sidelined since
they don’t share in the internet benefits of the connected groups.
● Lack of telecommunication infrastructure with sufficient reliable bandwidth for Internet
connections and cost, the ability to purchase, rent without financial hardship and the
necessary equipment
● Having Internet access is no guarantee that one can use it. The NSO report shows that
20% of Indians above the age of 5 years had basic digital literacy, doubling to just 40% in
the critical age group of 15 to 29 years, which includes all high school and college
students as well as young parents
● According to the 75th round of National Sample Survey conducted between July 2017
and June 2018, just 4.4 rural households have a computer, against 14.4 per cent in urban
areas, with just 14.9 percent rural households having access to the internet against 42 per
cent households in urban areas.
SUGGESTIONS
● The Supreme Court of India has declared the right to access to the Internet as a
fundamental right, making it a part of the right to privacy and the right to education that
comes under Article 21 of the Constitution.
● Promotion of budget mobile phones under Atma Nirbhar Bharat with new technologies
like 5G would resolve some of the bandwidth challenges with low expenditure.
● National Digital Literacy Mission introduced digital literacy at the primary school level
in all government schools for basic content and in higher classes and colleges for
advanced content
● Government has started E-pathshala to fill the literary gap between rural and urban
students and provide them with study materials.
● HPCL has started Unnati projects to bridge the digital divide in schools by giving the
rural students with poor economic and social background access to computer education
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● A project named Optical Fibre Network (NOF-N) started with the aim to ensure
broadband connectivity to over two lakh (200,000) gram panchayats of India.
● PM Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan, launched in 2017, to usher in digital literacy in
rural India by covering 60 million households.
● Google will invest $10 billion (€8.8 billion) to digitize India over the next five to seven
years and make access to information affordable, building new productions, helping
businesses with their transition to digital, and increasing the use of artificial intelligence
in health, education, and agriculture.
● The Govt. should aim to ensure equal and adequate access to such platforms as the
country continues to globalize and catch up with advanced economies.
● If the Indian Education system aims to transit to online learning in the future, it must
emphasize policies that bridge digital divide and move the country closer to achieving the
Sustainable Development Goals
SEDITION LAW
● Sedition law under Section 124A IPC states:

❖ “Whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible
representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or
contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the
Government established by law in India,
❖ He/she shall be punished with imprisonment for life, to which a fine may
be added; or, with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to
which a fine may be added; or, with fine.”
● There is a thin line between criticizing the government, making a false propaganda
against the government and trying to destabilize the government.
● Destabilizing a democratically elected government certainly falls under the purview of
sedition law.
● The sedition law has been in debate ever since it was brought into force by the colonial
British rulers in the 1860s.
● Several top freedom movement leaders including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru
were booked under the sedition law.
● Sedition law is back in controversy again with the Supreme Court reiterating that taking a
stand against the government's policies is not sedition.
● In Farooq Abdullah’s case, the Supreme Court said, “Expression of views which is
dissent and different from the opinion of the government cannot be termed seditious’’
● The Supreme Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against former Jammu
and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah demanding he be charged with sedition.
● In Disha Ravi’s case, the Delhi court said, “The offence of sedition cannot be invoked to
minister to the wounded vanity of the governments.” It also said the government could
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not put citizens “behind bars simply because they chose to disagree with the state
policies”.
ISSUES
● Sedition laws were brought in colonial times, it is often described as a draconian law that
can be used against constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech and expression of
Article 19.
● According to the National Crime Records Bureau’s report,
❖ Crime in India, 93 cases of sedition were filed in 2019, which is a 165%
jump from 35 in 2016. The state of Uttar Pradesh seems to be the most
enthusiastic in this regard.
❖ In 2019, 9% of the sedition cases pending from previous years and filed in
2019 resulted in closure because the accused were untraceable.
❖ Chargesheets were filed in only 17% of the cases and the conviction rate
in such cases in 2019 was only 3.3%.
● The terms used under Section 124A like 'disaffection' are vague and subject to different
interpretations to the whims and fancies of the investigating officers.
● IPC and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act 2019 have provisions that penalize
"disrupting the public order" or "overthrowing the government with violence and illegal
means".
● These are sufficient for protecting national integrity. There is no need for Section 124A.
● It is evident that the government since 2014 has been misusing this law from the fact that
96% of sedition cases against 405 persons for criticizing politicians and governments
were registered after 2014.
● Sedition leads to a sort of unauthorized self-censorship, for it produces a chilling effect
on free speech.
● It suppresses what every citizen ought to do in a democracy- raise questions, debate,
disagree and challenge the government's decisions.
SUGGESTIONS
● It falls on the judiciary to protect Articles 19 and Article 21 of the Constitution. Section
124A should not be misused as a tool to curb free speech.
● In the landmark 1962 Kedar Nath Singh case, the Supreme Court upheld the
constitutional validity of the sedition law; it attempted to restrict its scope for misuse.
● The court held that unless accompanied by incitement or call for violence, criticism of the
government cannot be labeled sedition.
● The Law Commission of India was asked to consider section 124A of the Indian Penal
Code, 1860 which deals with sedition. Some of the important observations
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❖ Dissent and criticism of the government are essential ingredients of a

robust public debate in a vibrant democracy. Thus, if the country is not
open to positive criticism, there lies little difference between the pre- and
post-Independence eras.
❖ Right to criticize one’s own history and the right to offend are rights
protected under free speech under Article 19 of the Constitution. While it
is essential to protect national integrity, it should not be misused as a tool
to curb free speech.
❖ Every restriction on free speech and expression must be carefully
scrutinized to avoid unwarranted restrictions.
❖ In India as a largest democracy, singing from the same songbook is not a
benchmark of patriotism. People should be at liberty to show their
affection towards their country in their own way.
❖ An expression of frustration over the state of affairs cannot be treated as
sedition. For merely expressing a thought which is not in consonance with
the policy of the government of the day, a person should not be charged
under the provision of sedition.
❖ The Commission also asked whether it would be worthwhile to rename
Section 124A and find a suitable substitute for the term – sedition.
● The Supreme Court in Ramesh Thapar vs State of Madras declared that unless the
freedom of speech and expression threaten the security of or tend to overthrow the State,
any law imposing restriction upon the same would not fall within the purview of Article
19(2) of the Constitution.
● The constitution of India prescribes reasonable restrictions that can always be imposed on
this right in order to ensure its responsible exercise and to ensure that it is equally
available to all citizens.
● The SC laid down that every citizen has a right to say or write about the government by
way of criticism or comment.
● It also added that this comment shouldn’t incite people to violence against the
government established by law or with the intention of creating public disorder.
GLOBAL MINIMUM CORPORATE TAX
● A global minimum tax rate would ensure that companies would have to pay wherever
they were registered, with revenues being apportioned according to the extent of their
activity in the respective countries.
● This aims to stop giant companies from shifting their profits to low-tax havens via what
are basically shell companies.
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● If countries agree on a global minimum tax, governments could still set whatever local
corporate tax rate they want.
● But if companies pay lower rates in a particular country, their home governments could
“top-up” their taxes to the agreed minimum rate, eliminating the advantage of shifting
profits to a tax haven.
● Each country would collect the underpaid taxes of its own multinationals. For example, if
a UK firm has operations In Singapore, if taxes were lower there than the minimum rate,
it would impose an additional tax on those profits to reach the minimum rate.
● The Group of 7 rich nations has agreed on a new global framework for ending low-tax
havens by having a minimum corporate tax of 15%, and by sharing the excess profits of
the 100 largest companies with the countries where they operate.
● The agreement could form the basis of a worldwide deal. It will now be discussed in
detail at a meeting of G20 financial ministers and central bank governors in July 2021.
ISSUES
● Multinationals are a source of foreign direct investment. These corporations help to

generate demand with efficient utilization of resources and create employment in
low-income countries
● The global minimum tax rate will finish off every opportunity for such countries whose
only weapon to attract these companies is lower taxes.
● In a world where there are income inequalities across geographies, a minimum global
corporation tax rate could crowd out investment opportunities.
● India has already been proactively engaging with foreign governments in double taxation
avoidance agreements, tax information exchange agreements, and multilateral
conventions to plug loopholes. This proposal of a common tax rate, thereby, adds no
further benefits.
● A lower tax rate is a tool for India to alternatively push economic activity. If the proposal
comes into effect, India may experience a longer economic hangover than other
developed nations with less ability to offer mega stimulus packages.
● Multilateralism will further stumble in such a tax policy. The policy will create haves and
have-nots across the world.
● Another contentious issue is how to define the list of the “biggest and most profitable”
enterprises, and how to resolve disputes if countries disagree over what share of their
profits each can tax.
● Ireland has a 12.5% corporate tax rate and is among the countries whose approval is
necessary for the G7 tax plan to take effect. But Ireland wants to retain its tax rate to
offset the disadvantages of a small country in attracting foreign investment.
● Lack of clarification on the issue of digital taxation may be a further dissuasion to
countries like India, who are not in the stage of development so as to not differentiate
between distinct sectors and industries.
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● A minimum tax of 15 percent may not raise substantial revenues and there is a possibility
that other countries may want a higher minimum global tax rate
SUGGESTIONS
● The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has been
coordinating tax negotiations among 140 countries for years on rules for taxing
cross-border digital services and curbing tax base erosion, including a global corporate
minimum tax.
● An IMF research paper estimated that $12 trillion of global corporate investment was
“just phantom investment” to avoid tax. This tax will help to curb such evasion.
● According to the OECD, large companies that operate across borders enjoy an unfair
competitive advantage by capitalizing on international tax avoidance strategies that aren’t
available to local-only companies
● The proposal for a minimum corporate tax is tailored to address the low effective rates of
tax shelled out by some of the world’s biggest corporations, including digital giants such
as Apple, Alphabet and Facebook, as well as major corporations such as Nike and
Starbucks.
● India's effective tax rate is still above the global minimum tax rate, it would not impact
companies doing business in India.
● A global minimum corporate tax rate of 15% that the G7 nations have endorsed will need
coordination among countries to ensure they uniformly apply it and don’t work at cross
purposes
● According to economic theory, the US seems right in claiming a win-win situation for all
the nations. However, in the real world, the policy will create unwanted hurdles for many
developing countries' growth paths, especially India.
● A 15% minimum corporate tax will hit not just tax havens but countries, including India,
that offer tax breaks for specific purposes — export industries, investment in backward
areas or Special Economic Zones, green investments, R&D, accelerated depreciation, and
other legitimate incentives.
LIMITING CHILD POLICY IN INDIA
● India was one of the first countries in the world to initiate a family planning programme,
in 1952, aimed at “lowering fertility and slowing the population growth rate”.
● Despite having the National Population Control Policy (2000), India’s population has
already crossed 130 crores and is expected to surpass the world’s most populous
nation-China in the next couple of decades.
● The 2019 bill in the Rajya Sabha for population control had asked for incentives for
sterilization by giving special benefits to those families in which either spouse undergoes
sterilisation.
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● The Bill also intends to offer incentives in taxes, employment, education and priority in
social benefit schemes and school admissions etc. to its people who keep their family
limited to two children.
● Now the Assam government will gradually implement a two-child policy for availing
benefits under specific schemes funded by the state.
● Also, the Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission has begun the groundwork for a draft law
that will seek to limit the benefits of state government schemes only to those with two
children or less.
● The law is aimed at incentivising people to help in population control in the most
populous state in the country.
● But China will for the first time allow couples to have a third child in a further relaxation
of family planning rules five years after a “two-child policy” largely failed to boost birth
rates.
● India and its states must learn from China’s failed experience with enforcing coercive
population policies. Stringent population control measures have created a population
crisis for China.
PROS
● Due to the Population explosion the constitutional rights to clean air, drinking water,
health, livelihood and education cannot be secured to all citizens without controlling the
population. The two-child policy can slow down the population growth.
● Parents will have less stress as they don’t have to spend more on necessities.
● The government can increase the quality of services as there are less people to satisfy
● Two-child policy can help reduce the continuous growth rate in India. If the policy is
implemented, it can readily control the fertility rates and suppress the aggravated problem
of overpopulation.
● India is experiencing an increase in unemployment. With the decrease in population,
competition among citizens will lower and unemployment would alleviate.
● Population control can help reduce carbon emission in India and help alleviate climate
change. Carbon emission means the carbon dioxide emission due to certain human
activities. India is among the top 5 countries with the highest carbon emission in the
world.
CONS
● Recently a petitioner in the Supreme Court (SC) sought that fertility rates falling across
states, India does not need a law enforcing a two-child norm.
● Such a law could instead have unintended impacts like sex-selective and unsafe abortions
and a further skew in India's sex ratio.
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● Today Sikkim and Lakshadweep also face the challenges of an aging population,
shrinking labor workforce and an increase in sex selective practices, given that the total
fertility rate (TFR) well below the replacement level.
● The strict birth limits have created a rapidly aging population and shrinking workforce
that is straining the country’s economy.
● A NGO, PFI, gave the example of China's one-child policy which led to a fast-declining
workforce. The skewed sex ratio also led to increased trafficking of women and forced
prostitution in China.
● According to an analysis by PFI, Currently about 4% of the National Health Mission
budget is spent on family planning programmes, of which the majority is for incentives to
families and service providers for sterilisation
SUGGESTIONS
● National Population Policy 2000 and the National Health Policy 2017 are guiding
documents to prioritize the role of the government in shaping health systems in all its
dimensions and achievement of Total Fertility rate (TFR) of 2.1 by 2025
● The Family Welfare Programme in India is voluntary in nature, which enables couples to
decide the size of their family and adopt the family planning methods best suited to them
according to their choice without any compulsion.
● Twenty-five Indian states already have fertility rates at replacement levels or near
replacement levels. There is no need for coercive family planning measures advised by
Population Foundation of India (PFI), a Delhi-based NGO.
● India's total fertility rate has fallen from 3.4 children per woman, aged 15-49 years, in
1992-93 to 2.2 children in 2015-16, data from the National Family Health Survey 4
(NFHS 4) show.
● This is projected to fall to 1.93 by 2025, and to 1.8 by 2030, without any coercive law,
per a health ministry report.
● India’s southern states have lowered their fertility rates. It is vital to remember that they
did this, not by adopting coercive policies, but by ensuring greater empowerment of
women through increased access to education, economic and other development
opportunities.
● Women's education, awareness about family planning and easy availability of
contraceptives would be more effective than coercive measures.
● The budget for family planning would be better spent in greater adolescent care and
awareness, programmes to reduce social and cultural taboos in using contraception, and
behavior change communication, especially for men.
● There were a variety of methods used to enforce this policy, including financial awards
issued by the government.
● International experience shows that any coercion to have a certain number of children is
counter-productive and leads to demographic distortions.
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HEALTH CARE INEQUALITY
● Health inequities are systematic differences in the health status of different population
groups. These inequities have significant social and economic costs both to individuals
and societies.
● These differences in health status or in the distribution of health resources between
different population groups, arising from the social conditions in which people are born,
grow, live, work and age.
● In all countries whether low, middle or high-income, there are wide disparities in the
health status of different social groups.
● The lower an individual’s socio-economic position, the higher their risk of poor health.
● There are other populations too that are marginalized on the basis of disability, mental
health, sexuality and homelessness. For example, research suggests that people living
with chronic mental health problems tend to die earlier than the general population
● India’s inadequate health infrastructure accompanied by factors like population density,
poverty and illiteracy made India highly vulnerable to Covid-19.
ISSUES
● The public health system, weakened by decades of under investment, has failed to fulfil
its expected role of protecting the poor and marginalized from inequities induced by the
market mechanism.
● According to WHO, India has only 80 doctors per 1,00,000 people
● Lack of access to healthcare services and medical care, diagnosis and treatment is just not
accessible to hundreds of millions of Indians because they cannot afford to pay huge
amounts for their treatment.
● Gender and poverty were considered the structural determinants of health inequalities in
maternal and child health.
● Low rates of education among women was considered a major barrier in achieving health
goals
● Nutrition deficiency in marginalized communities is high due to poor food intake which
is linked to poor income.
● Since a majority of these afflicted groups reside particularly in far flung rural areas, there
is no health coverage or access to care and quality care which create large scale
disparities in health care
● There is an imbalance in resource allocation, due to which there is limited access to
quality health services and inadequate human resources for health.
● This is compounded by high out-of-pocket expenditures, with the rising financial burden
of health care falling overwhelming on private households, which account for more than
three-quarter of health spending in India
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SUGGESTIONS
● India must immediately commit 3% of its GDP for public spending on health services,
with the focus on free and universal primary and secondary health care.
● Global health leadership should work together, improve data collection, identify and
tackle the root cause of inequities and act beyond borders by sharing resources such as
testing kits, treatment drugs and vaccinations with the low-income countries.
● Economic Survey of India 2021 state Accessibility, affordability and accountability of
the healthcare system of India are essential for better health and wellbeing of its people.
● The National Health Mission (NHM) has played a critical role in mitigating inequity in
healthcare access, therefore, its budget needs to be increased substantially.
● NHM coupled with the Health and Wellness Centre (HWC) under the Ayushman Bharat
can bridge the gap of unequal healthcare access.
● As telemedicine consultations correlates strongly with the internet penetration in a state,
more internet access will increase usage of telemedicine and reduce geographic
disparities in healthcare utilization.
● To reduce inequities in health care utilization, policies should address issues related to
both supply and demand sides.
● Ensuring the equitable distribution of vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and healthcare
workforce would therefore require the Centre and States to intervene with an equal sense
of ownership.
● There is also a need to improve and increase the outreach to the most unaddressed areas
along with strengthening the primary health centres and tertiary care centres.
● There is also the need to provide adequate medication and medical equipment so that the
community is able to access health care and treatment on time and lives can be saved.
REGIONALISM IN INDIA
● Regionalism is the expression of a common sense of identity and purpose by people

within a specific geographical region, united by its unique language, culture, language,
etc.
● In a positive sense, it encourages people to develop a sense of brotherhood and oneness
which seeks to protect the interests of a particular region and promotes the welfare and
development of the state and its people.
● In the negative sense, it implies excessive attachment to one’s region which is a great
threat to the unity and integrity of the country.
● Political aspirations of leaders remain a major source of regionalism. For example,
regional political parties have used the regional and linguistic identities to secure votes
● Recently, the West Bengal election has faced the situation on the same lines of
regionalism.
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● Also we observe International Mother Language Day to promote linguistic and cultural
diversity and multilingualism 0n 21 Feb 2021.
● Today Regionalism is the political ambition of establishing regional coherence and
regional identity seems to be of primary importance.
ISSUES
● Uneven patterns of socio-economic development have created regional disparities. What

is worst is the naming of these states as BIMARU (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan
and Uttar Pradesh)
● A feeling of regionalism may develop among the people of a particular region if they
believe that they have been politically dominated by the people of other regions.
● The feeling of relative deprivation and thereby the demand for separate states, for
example, Bodoland.
● Political parties, particularly regional parties and local leaders exploit the regional
sentiments to capture power. The regional parties like ADMK, AIADMK in Tamil Nadu
and Telugu Desam in Andhra Pradesh have captured power.
● It promotes enmity amongst various factions sometimes taking violent turns.
● Due to growing regionalism son of soil doctrine emerge where only local get benefit in
region and restricted entry of outsiders
● Regionalism can weaken the time tested fabric of ‘Unity in Diversity’, if not promoted in
a positive manner.
● Regionalism is often seen as a serious threat to the development, progress and unity of
the nation. It gives internal security challenges by the insurgent groups
● Rise of regional parties and their influence on the central government has impacted India
"s friendly relation with neighbors like with Sri Lanka on Tamil issue.
SUGGESTIONS
● The Constitution of India under Article-19, gives every citizen a fundamental right to
move around and settle down peacefully in any part of the country. And, as citizens of
India everyone should respect this fundamental right of every person, avoiding clashes
like Shiv Sena does in Maharashtra.
● The need of the hour is to develop each region of India, through devolution of power to
local governments and empowering people for their participation in decision-making.
● Political parties should try to avoid partisanship. The appeals made to the electorate based
on regional identity must be stopped. They should aim at bringing a national unity
besides all sectarian interests.
● The governments at state level need to find out the alternative resources of energy, source
of employment for local people, use of technology in governance, planning and for
agriculture development.
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● Cultural sensitization programs must be taken up in colleges to avoid hatred based on

regions and promote friendship among students.
● Fairs and festivals can be conducted to promote national identity. For example, the setting
up of food stalls from all states in Delhi during Independence Day celebrations to
promote national brotherhood.
● The further integration of the different regions will give every nation due respect and due
importance to their needs. Their exotic and unique things are getting exposure at
international level and no one will feel left out.
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
● In this global humanitarian crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health issues have
been reported from all over the world.
● As two year is approaching since the beginning of the Coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID‑19) pandemic, it is important to acknowledge the detrimental effect that it is
having on mental health at the individual, societal and public health levels.
● A recent survey by the World Health Organization reported that COVID-19 has
disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93% of countries worldwide while
the demand for mental health is increasing
● There is a direct and indirect psychological impact of COVID‑19 on the general public,
as well as on vulnerable groups, including the elderly, the young, healthcare
professionals, and people with pre‑existing mental health issues, those infected by
COVID‑19, homeless people and refugees.
ISSUES
● Distress, uncertainty and unpredictability due to lack of endpoint of the COVID-19

pandemic while treatment is still not in sight, have led to the emergence of mental health
issues, such as panic, anxiety and depression
● Due to treatment delays of serious chronic diseases have led to triggering of somatic
symptoms and exacerbation of common pathologies
● Moreover, repeated media images of severely ill people, dead bodies and coffins and
knowledge that people may not be able to say goodbye to their dying loved ones have
magnified social distress
● Apart from that, the unfamiliarity with strict quarantine measures that infringe on
personal freedoms
● The widening economic crisis and unemployment mainly affecting those with informal,
daily wage jobs, which include a substantial proportion of the workforce in lower-income
countries
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● It also resulted in various deleterious ways of coping with daily stressors, such as alcohol,
drug and tobacco abuse, potentially addictive behaviors, such as online gaming and
gambling, and rise in rates of domestic violence and sexual abuse
● Children’s mental health development appears extremely vulnerable in the COVID-19
era, as children are exposed to chronic stress conditions, such as forced isolation from
peers due to social distancing and shelter at home laws and worries about the health and
financial status of their relatives.
● Patients with pre-existing mental health issues appear extremely vulnerable to relapsing
during the COVID-19 pandemic, as SARS-CoV-2 can exacerbate underlying psychiatric
symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, panic, delirium, psychosis and suicidality.
● Apart from that, those admitted in ICUs often experience post-intensive-care syndrome
that manifests with cognitive, psychological, and neurological symptoms or dysexecutive
syndrome after ICU discharge
SUGGESTIONS
● WHO has recently published operational guidances in order to maintain essential health
services with specific focus on the younger, the elderly and those who are suffering from
mental health disorder
● Governments and health officials must provide accurate information on the state of the
pandemic, refute rumors in a timely manner, and reduce the impact of misinformation on
the general public's emotional state.
● These high level activities result in a sense of public security and potential psychological
benefits
● Six important roles for the psychiatrists have been identified:
❖ education of the public about the common psychological effects of a
pandemic,
❖ motivating the public to adopt strategies for disease prevention and health
promotion,
❖ integrating their services with available health care,
❖ teaching problem-solving strategies to cope with the current crisis,
❖ empowering patients with COVID-19 and their caregivers, and
❖ provision of mental health care to healthcare workers
● Policy makers to ensure that clear guidelines, effective communication channels and
proactive protocols are prepared now to help alleviate the consequences of the pandemic
crisis and the subsequent restrictive measures, so as to prevent the mental health tsunami
in sight.
NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY ACT
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● The National Food Security Act (NFSA) was introduced by the Government of India in
2013.
● The Act provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the
urban population for receiving subsidized food grains under Targeted Public Distribution
System (TPDS) which covers approximately 2.37 crore households or 9.01 crore persons,
as on February 1, 2021.
● It is a legal right to persons belonging to “eligible households” to receive food grains at
subsidized price rice at Rs 3/kg, wheat at Rs 2/kg and coarse grain at Rs 1/kg under the
Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
● NFSA is the key pillar supporting India’s food-safety-net schemes, especially the
Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), Mid-Day-Meal (MDM) and Integrated
Child Development Services (ICDS-Anganwadi-Supplementary Nutrition Programme)
● Recently, NITI Aayog has recommended lowering the coverage of both rural and urban
population under the National Food Security Act, 2013, to save up to Rs 47,229 crore
annually
● The think tank has reportedly suggested cutting down coverage in rural areas from 75%
of population to 60% and from 50% to 40% in urban areas.
● The coverage ratio has not been revised since the law came into effect on July 5, 2013.
ISSUES
● Subsidy reduction is a key aim of Niti Aayog’s proposal to reduce food-security

coverage, but our subsidy level is not as high as it looks and the move could thwart
efforts to achieve nutrition goals
● It must be widen its coverage to feed the needy instead of letting subsidy reductions get
the better of it
● The current discussion on reform is based not on any objective evaluation of its
functioning and efficacy, but on the necessity of reducing our food subsidy, which is a
misplaced pursuit.
● The high food subsidy is actually a result of the mismanagement of food procurement and
storage by the government.
● There is absolutely no mechanism or instrument to reduce the number of beneficiaries.
● With the Covid 19 pandemic exacerbating the food security and livelihood situation, any
attempt to dilute the NFSA in the name of reforms will further weaken food and nutrition
security.
● Any short-sighted attempt at diluting the NFSA will not only reverse the gains made on
nutrition and food security over the past two decades, but will also contribute to
inefficiency.
● Reform proposals are regressive because they would negate the goal of expanding
coverage under the NFSA by making it quasi- universal.
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● Reducing the number of PDS beneficiaries will be a throwback to the era of targeted
distribution, which was not just inefficient and leakage-prone, but also excluded a large
majority of the poor who actually needed government support.
SUGGESTIONS
● The reforms should focus on strengthening the NFSA and its links with the agricultural
sector, and not on diluting the hard-won right to food in the country.
● The department of food and public distribution also asked the NITI Aayog to suggest an
alternative way to cover beneficiaries under the Act, who might be left out due to the
changes in the coverage ratio.
● The solution to India’s nutritional problem requires a system-based approach based on
greater convergence between stakeholders, decentralization in its true spirit, and better
data systems to drive quicker learning and course-corrections.
● The food basket under NFSA also needs to be diversified to include more food groups.
Some promising steps have been taken like the inclusion of pulses under the NFSA
during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
● The expansion of the pilot scheme for distribution of fortified rice to aspirational districts.
● A dynamic nutrition-line, similar to the poverty line, can be reinforced to act as the target
for NFSA to change behavior. Communication can be introduced to reduce possible
diversion of cash by households in non-food related expenditure.
● Investment in high-quality monitoring and evaluation (M&E) for DBT is a must since
such programmes are prone to inclusion or exclusion errors achieve
● In 2017, the NITI Aayog, through the National Nutrition Strategy, had suggested several
measures including, greater convergence between existing nutrition-focused schemes,
dietary diversification to include food groups rich in Vitamin A, C, and iron
● Strengthening of the existing monitoring and early warning systems, and greater
ownership and monitoring by the local community.
● The Economic Survey for 2020-’21 had also recommended a revision of the Central Issue
Prices (CIP) of foodgrains released from the central pool, observing that the food subsidy,
at its current level of Rs 4,22,618 crore, is becoming “unmanageably large”,
● To enhance the benefit of the package in response to COVID-19, the government has
announced several schemes to maintain supply of food grains to states and union
territories for distribution under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and Targeted
Public Distribution System (TPDS).
EFFECT OF GLOBALISATION ON INDIAN DIVERSITY
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● Globalization is described by theorists as the process through which societies and

economies are integrated through cross border flows of ideas, communication,
technology, capital, people, finance, goods, services and information.
● It is a significant factor in a competitive world that integrates and mobilizes cultural
values of people at a global level.
● It has a huge impact on cultural, social, monetary, political, and communal life of
countries.
● Recently, COVID-19 has widened the gap between nations with technological
advancements and those lacking in it. Transfer of goods, particularly capital goods has
been impacted.
● Pre COVID-19, mass movement used to take place in the form of business, tourism and
travel. The restrictions imposed due to the contagious nature of the virus has crippled the
idea of globalization.
● Cross-border movement was halted due to the lockdown. This lack of capital movement
resulted in the depreciation of the Rupee.
ISSUES
● In the process of providing a common language medium of mass communication has

undermined the local languages. Many tribal languages have been wiped out due to the
use of a common tongue.
● In the globalized and mechanized economy no art has remained local. Countries like
China are flooding Indian market with products which are local to India like toys making.
This has impacted diversity in Art and handicraft as now we find the same kind of
product all over India.
● Globalization generalized the taste and preferences of people relating to food, Dance
forms and Values. This undermines the peculiar features of various ethnicities like
cuisines.
● Traditional forms of classical, folk, and tribal forms dance and music enjoyed a niche and
regional following. However, they are now slowly being edged out toward extinction.
● With the radical changes in the socioeconomic structures, the traditional “we self and
familial self” is evolving into more a Western “I self,” and a “multinational/global self”.
● The western Idea of civilization has impacted perspective toward Indian tradition and
customs which are looked down as regressive, therefore people are leaving their cultural
identity which provided India its cultural diversity.
● The disappearance of emotional ethos has affected the socio physiological environment
of individuals. A person feels alienated.
● Modern progress brings an individualistic way of thinking which causes increasing
frustration and low tolerance level among the younger generation.
SUGGESTIONS
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● India is one of the countries that succeeded significantly after the initiation and
implementation of globalization. The growth of foreign investment in the field of
corporate, retail, and the scientific sector is enormous in the country.
● Globalization spreads cultural intelligence which improves cultural metacognition
(sometimes called cultural mindfulness) required to understand, feel, and respect other
cultures.
● As a result of globalization, women in India have become more aware of their rights and
are now stepping out of homes to pursue not only schooling but higher education and
jobs.
● Globalization to an extent acted as a unifying force but monitored access would help
India preserve its multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-caste society.
● Increased prosperity and materialistic pursuits have decreased the religion based
conflicts but religion continues to dominate the social sphere mostly concerned with
ethos and values. It also led to questioning the age-old exploitative traditions like
Devadasi and Triple-talaq.
● It gives essence to “unity in diversity” and helps form a society in which the members of
minority groups maintain their independent cultural traditions
PRIVACY ISSUES WITH APPS
● The Digital India programme has now become a movement which is empowering
common Indians with the power of technology.
● The extensive spread of mobile phones, Internet etc. has also enabled many social media
platforms to expand their footprints in India. Common people are also using these
platforms in a very significant way.
● Recently, WhatsApp has announced its new privacy policy for India. As a result of this
privacy update, WhatsApp will get permission to share with Facebook the metadata of
users and their messages with business accounts.
● The Ministry of Information Technology has received many complaints from various
sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android
and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an
unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India.
● Recently, the Government also under section 69A of the Information Technology Act
blocking access to 43 mobile apps.
● This action was taken based on the inputs regarding these apps for engaging in activities
which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, security of
state and public order.
ISSUES
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● New smartphones will come with the app pre-installed. The app can be used only on a
smartphone. It gathers huge amounts of critical private data.
● The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) has also received many
representations from citizens regarding security of data and breach of privacy impacting
upon public order issues.
● The issue has once again raised questions about what constitutes legitimate uses of data
and how businesses, governments and political parties can and cannot use data.
● Being a surveillance app, it could gather vast amounts of data far beyond what is required
for the stated narrow purpose of contact tracing.
● On the data retention part, the app’s privacy policy specifies only the data available on
the app and does not specify for how long the Government of India will retain server side
data.
● The alleged data breach around Facebook and Cambridge Analytica has alerted people to
the challenges of protecting data in a hyper-digitized environment.
● India did not have specific laws on data protection even though India did not implement
the Personal Data Protection Bill; there is no control over how user data will be processed
by companies.
SUGGESTIONS
● According to the Supreme Court in the Puttaswamy judgement (2017), the right to
privacy is a fundamental right and it is necessary to protect personal data as an essential
facet of informational privacy.
● Government of India has decided to disallow the usage of certain Apps, used in both
mobile and non-mobile Internet enabled devices and giving boost to indigenous apps
under Atma Nirbhar Bharat
● The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs has also sent an
exhaustive recommendation for blocking the malicious apps
● Personal data protection bills as well as Draft intermediary guidelines need to move on
soon.
● The Information Technology Act (2000) (“IT Act”) to include Section 43A and Section
72A, which give a right to compensation for improper disclosure of personal information.
● Personal messages should be protected by end-to-end encryption and will continue to be
so.
● No data from groups will be shared with Facebook for ad purposes and all the
communication within is end-to-end encrypted.
● Governments should undertake structural reforms and bring transparency and openness in
the process of commissioning and executing its surveillance projects, and build a
mechanism of judicial oversight over surveillance requests.
● Government should order the authorities to demonstrate great care and sensitivity in
dealing with personal information of its citizens.
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● It requires to legislate a transformative, rights-oriented data protection law that holds all
powerful entities that deal with citizens’ personal data (data controllers), including the
state, accountable.
● Also recently, WhatsApp has rolled back their privacy policy after facing a huge backlash
from users. Many users started switching to competitor apps such as Signal and
Telegram.
WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
● There is a growing concern among policy makers regarding the entry and retention of
women in science and technology
● Only 15 per cent of the Indian research and development workforce are women, while the
global average is 30 percent, says the National Task Force on women in science report.
● According to DST figures, the share of women involved in scientific R&D increased
from 13% to 29% from 2000-2001 to 2014-15 & it decreased to 14.71% in 2015-16.
● Eminent women leaders in science and technology underlined the need for a change in
the mindset of people to end stereotyping of women and give them due respect and
recognition.
● Also, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated the critical role
of women researchers in different stages of the fight against COVID-19, from advancing
the knowledge on the virus, to developing techniques for testing, and finally to creating
the vaccine against the virus.
● Recently, the 6th International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly theme will
be Beyond the Borders: Equality in Science for Society, with a special focus on the value
of the social aspects and cultural dimensions in Science, Technology and Innovation to
enhance sustainable development programmes.
ISSUES
● A major factor responsible for this is the mindset that boys are better at science and girls
are not.
● Only 11% of colleges in India which are exclusively for women, majority of which offer
arts and commerce rather than science.
● India tops world rankings in producing female graduates in STEM with 43% but
employs only 14% of them. In comparison, Sweden produces 35% female STEM
graduates and employs 34% of them.
● The few women who decide to pursue careers in science and technology are also paid
less for their work compared to men and experience huge difficulties in advancing in
their careers.
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● When the question of pursuing a career in science, the entrenched patriarchy in society
holds women back.
● There are patriarchal attitudes in hiring practices or awarding fellowships and grants etc.
● A male-dominated work environment and gender insensitivity are additional burdens for
women scientists.
● With the rapid digitization transforming global societies at an unprecedented scale, the
under-representation of women in science and technology puts them at the high risk of
being displaced by technology.
● Only 25 women have won a Nobel Prize in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and Economics
since its inception in 1901— a distressing disparity that reflects deeply ingrained gender
stereotypes, biases and male-dominated cultures.
● UNESCO said that women account for only one third of the world’s researchers and hold
fewer senior positions than men at top universities, which has led to “a lower publication
rate, less visibility, less recognition and, critically, less funding”.
SUGGESTIONS
● Leadership development programmes, changes in curriculum to attract girls and policy

for gender balance in research are some of the ways that could help increase the number
of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics),
● To create an environment where academia, industry, and R&D labs provide confidence
and opportunity to women, encourage women in innovation, start-ups and help them
explore their full potential
● Vigyan Jyoti Scheme is launched by the Department of Science & Technology (DST)
intended to create a level-playing field for the meritorious girls in high school to pursue
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in their higher education.
● The Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI) will develop a
comprehensive Charter and a framework for assessing Gender Equality in STEM
● Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing (KIRAN) Scheme
is started by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) aimed to bring gender
parity in the Science & Technology sector by inducting more women talent in the
research & development domain.
● According to the All-India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) report 2018-19, the
gender gap in the country narrowed as compared to the previous year, i.e. 2017-18.
● Initiatives like She-box are ensuring workplace safety and boost better participation of
women in all areas of economy
● Ensure that girls are not left out of the new information technology revolution and that
programmes are devised specifically to familiarize girls with computers
● Encourage teachers to invite parents to information meetings aimed at overcoming the
prejudices often found in families which tend to discourage girls from choosing a career
in science and technology;
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● Ensure a greater male/female balance on examination boards, recruitment panels for

teachers and university researchers and, where applicants are of equal merit, ensure
preferential treatment for the under-represented sex.
● The fight against gender disparity in science and technology must be fought by all —
families, educational institutions, companies and governments, as women’s
representation in science and technology is essential to design inclusive and sustainable
societies.
LAND LEASING IN INDIA
● Land leasing laws relating to rural agricultural land in Indian states were overwhelmingly
enacted during decades immediately following independence.
● At that time, the abolition of Zamindari and redistribution of land to the tiller were the
highest policy priorities.
● Major objective of land reforms in free India was to abolish intermediaries and to bring
changes in the revenue system that would be favourable to cultivators.
● As per the Indian constitution, land reform comes under the list of state subjects, and
hence the responsibility for bringing up regulations for effecting land reforms lies with
individual states.
● Land is a scarce resource in India. It supports roughly 18 percent of the world’s
population but has access to only about 2.5 percent of the global landmass, having one of
the lowest levels of per-capita land availability across the world.
● Recently, the NITI Aayog recognized that land lease should be viewed as an “economic
necessity”, not mere “feudal agrarian structure”.
● Legalization of land leasing has long been a part of the agricultural reforms agenda laid
down by the NITI Aayog.
● This has subsequently been endorsed by the high-level committee on doubling farmers’
income too.
● The committee (headed by an agriculture ministry official Ashok Dalwai) mentioned it in
its report submitted in 2019.
PROS
● Land tenure security is the cornerstone to achieve broader goals of inclusive agriculture
growth.
● Legal recognition and formalisation of land leasing would enable tenants to access
credit, insurance and high-yielding input.
● Migrant labourers who have returned to their villages during the lockdown may not go
back to their host states in the near term. They may prefer to work as tenant farmer and
legalization of tenancy will prevent their livelihoods from disaster
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● Ensuring land leasing through a legal framework incentivizes tenant cultivators to invest
and conserve agricultural land resources, which, in turn, leads to increased land
productivity and profitability.
● The introduction of transparent land leasing laws that allow the potential tenant or
sharecropper to engage in written contracts with the landowner is a win-win reform.
● The tenant will have an incentive to make investment in improvement of land, landowner
will be able to lease land without fear of losing it to the tenant and the government will be
able to implement its policies efficiently
● From the evidence in India and the rest of the world, ensuring poor people’s access to the
land lease market could prove to be a game changer for enhancing farmers’ income.
● The tenant lacks the security of tenure that she would have if laws permitted her and the
landowner to freely write transparent contracts.
ISSUES
● The existing legislations on land revenue matters are diverse and complex across the
states.
● Restrictive land leasing legislations in many parts of the country have led to informal and
concealed tenancies without security of tenure.
● In India, despite 60 percent of the total population being directly dependent on land for
their livelihoods, land governance remains one of the most complex, controversial, and
under examined public policy issues
● With rising levels of income, the prices of agricultural lands are going up and, therefore,
landless agro-labourers and small/marginal farmers can’t afford to purchase new parcels
of lands
● A potential hurdle to the land leasing reform laws is that landowners may fear that a
future populist government may use the written tenancy contracts as the basis of transfer
of land to the tenant and therefore would oppose the reform.
● Landowners also feel a sense of insecurity when leasing land with many choosing to
leave land fallow.
● The process of mutation and updating of land records has been slow in many states.
● The poor maintenance of land records and slow pace of digitization of land revenue
administration is negatively impacting agriculture.
SUGGESTIONS
● The committee on Doubling Farmers’ Income (DFI) of the Government of India has also
recommended legislating the model Agricultural Land Leasing Act (brought out by NITI
Aayog) to ensure private sector investments in agriculture.
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● The bottleneck of credit flow to lessee farmers/sharecroppers/tenants could be addressed

by legalizing land leasing, as land is often used by lending financial institutions as
collateral for farm loans.
● A land reforms agenda, particularly the land leasing legislations and updated land
records, should receive the highest priority to increase incomes of smallholders, tenant
farmers and sharecroppers.
● High resolution satellite imagery coupled with ground trothing has also been suggested
for the survey operations.
● Aadhaar is uniquely positioned to assist the ongoing process of modernizing land records
to validate land assets.
● Liberalization of land use laws will also open up an alternative avenue to the provision of
land for industrialization that is fully within the state’s jurisdiction and allows the
landowner to retain ownership of her land.
● As India progressed from a low-income economy to a lower-middle-income economy
according to World Bank classifications, the competing demand for land resources
whether to grow food, support livelihoods, or develop industry and infrastructure has
changed over time.
● Police records in many Indian states show that land disputes are the reason behind a
sizable chunk of cognizable offences (as high as 40% in Bihar) and, therefore, an updated
record of ownership would help farmers avoid land-related litigations.
● The proposed titling would require a massive upgrade of land records and existing
processes through computerization, capacity building of stakeholders and amending the
appropriate land laws.
● This can be carried out in the PPP mode, as already demonstrated in a few states of
India.
MYANMAR SITUATIONS
INTRODUCTION
● Myanmar, also known as Burma, is in SouthEast Asia. It neighbors Thailand, Laos,

Bangladesh, China and India.
● It has a population of about 54 million, most of whom are Burmese speakers, although
other languages are also spoken. The biggest city is Yangon (Rangoon), but the capital is
Nay Pyi Taw.
● There are many ethnic groups in the country, including Rohingya Muslims but their main
religion is Buddhism.
● On Feb. 1, 2021, the military in Myanmar detained senior members of the civilian
government after claiming the country’s November 2020 elections were fraudulent.
● They declared a state of emergency for a year, and took power in their hands.
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● Ms. Suu Kyi is thought to be under house arrest. Several charges have been filed against
her, including breaching import and export laws and possession of unlawful
communication devices.
● Mass protests have continued unabated since, despite hundreds of demonstrators killed
and many more arrested.
● Myanmar’s decade-long efforts at a democratic transition of power had brought some
progress but now the population is affected by poverty and internal conflict.
● The sudden return to military rule has raised alarms about the future of the Southeast
Asian nation.
ISSUES
● Clashes in the northeast of the country have increased levels of displacement inside the
population.
● The people of Myanmar have been forced to endure brutal human rights violations and
crimes against humanity committed by the state’s security forces.
● Under Myanmar’s junta, fundamental freedoms, including the right to life, freedom of
expression, the right to privacy, and private property rights, have been all but swept away.
● Anyone protesting the military coup is in danger of the military’s lethal use of force, and
live with the fear that they may be arbitrarily detained or charged at any time.
● Escaping the junta’s violence, increasing numbers of people are now seeking refuge and
protection in neighboring countries, including Thailand and India.
● Recent developments in Myanmar pose a serious policy challenge to India. Myanmar is
an important element for the success of India’s ‘Neighborhoods First’, ‘Act East’, and
‘Indo-Pacific’ policies
● Further economic breakdown promises to disrupt communities nationwide as businesses
and banks find it difficult to function, foreign investment dries up, workers strike and
migrants flee the country.
● The U.N. World Food Program has estimated that in the coming six months, hunger will
hit 3.4 million people in Myanmar, especially in urban areas.
● In addition to imposing financial burdens on neighboring countries, the potential spread
of COVID-19 is another challenging issue, if a large number of asylum seekers from
Myanmar are accepted.
● These may also generate non-traditional security threats, such as increasing narcotics
production and trafficking, which will affect the wider region.
SUGGESTIONS
● UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it was a “serious blow to democratic

reforms”.
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● U.N. refugee agency calling on neighboring countries to offer refuge and protection for
those fleeing the violence in Myanmar and providing them with humanitarian assistance.
● The international community should not overlook the threats facing the people of
Myanmar.
● To safeguard international norms, or out of a sense of moral responsibility, the regional
and international community must act, urgently and strongly,
● UNHCR must evolve in order to stop the current violence of Myanmar’s security forces,
to save the lives of people of Myanmar, and to end the military dictatorship.
● If the world remains paralyzed and unable to halt the bloody chaos in Myanmar, the
continued crackdown will lead to a regional humanitarian catastrophe.
● India had shown commitment to build a robust relationship with Myanmar over the past
two decades which intensified after the democratic process began in 2011.
● On January 22, India sent 15 lakh doses of the Covishield vaccine to assist Myanmar in
fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
ANTI-CORRUPTION LAW
INTRODUCTION
● Corruption refers to the act of misuse and abuse of power especially by those in the
government for personal gains either pecuniary or a favor.
● It promotes illegality, unethicality, subjectivity, inequity, injustice, waste, inefficiency and
inconsistency in administrative conduct and behavior.
● It significantly impacts the development of the nation and its economy overall.
● In India, the law relating to corruption is broadly governed by the Indian Penal Code,
1860 (‘IPC’) and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (‘POCA’).
● Apart from the investigating agencies and the prosecution machinery, there is also the
CAG and the CVC which play an important role due to Public Interest Litigations
(‘PILs’) in India.
● Other legal system against corruption are: Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002,
Right to Information Act 2005, Lokpal and Lokayukta Act 2013,Whistleblower
protection Act 2014, Black Money(Undisclosed Foreign Income & Assets) and
Imposition of Tax act, 2015 and Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018.
● The new amendments to POCA which provides for supply-side prosecution, among
other key changes, was passed by both houses of Parliament and received the assent of
the President on July 26, 2018.
● India ranked 86 out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) published
in 2020 by Transparency International.
ISSUES
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● One of the hurdles connected with conviction of public servants is that trial of cases in a
court of law takes many years for their conclusion. Also there are a significant number of
corruption cases pending for conclusion of trial.
● Criminalization of bribe-giving could result in undue victimization of the public despite
the clauses for protecting those coerced to give bribes.
● The judiciary has failed to bring to book corrupt officials including politicians. More than
30% of the legislators in the country have pending criminal cases against them.
● Examples of honest officers being witch-hunted like Ashok Khemka and Amitabh
Thakur are the indicators of the bigger malaise.
● Lack of political will and resistance from within the bureaucracy has led to failure of
major reforms like citizen charter, RTI and e-governance.
● The poor and marginalized due to their lack of awareness and high dependence on the
state become the easy target of exploitation by corrupt officials.
● For most political parties, winning the elections becomes a sole obsession and increasing
election expenses are often stated as a major cause for political corruption.
● Major scandals such as the 2G spectrum scam, Commonwealth Games
misappropriations, Adarsh housing scandal, and the cash for vote scam have badly dented
the credibility of the political class.
SUGGESTIONS
● India is not in an ideal place when it comes to corruption and also global perceptions of
corruption and bribery. There is certainly an issue in the country, though regulations and
changes have arisen in more recent years to combat the problem.
● Simplifying the disciplinary proceedings and strengthening preventive vigilance within
the departments to ensure corrupt civil servants do not occupy the sensitive position.
● Under “Right to Information Act (RTI) “citizens can now ask the government about how
our tax money is spent.
● With “Jan Dhan yojana” & “Direct Benefit Transfer” schemes, bank accounts of millions
of people were opened so that they can get subsidies and benefits directly into their
account and remove corrupt intermediaries.
● There are E-Auctions for spectrums and natural resources is a good step towards a
corruption less India.
● The government has formulated guidelines and monetary thresholds for certain public
servants regarding the acceptance of gifts, business courtesies and hospitality in the
Service Rules.
● These rules must be followed by public servants employed in specified government
services.
● Corporations can engage law firms to periodically conduct or participate in such
workshops/sessions to educate and update the employees on the laws and also on the
consequences of violating the applicable laws.
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● Apply 7-point Police reforms as suggested by SC in Prakash Singh case to establish rule
of law and ensure impartial investigation in cases of corruption
● Several additional measures aimed at tackling corruption in India:
❖ including the creation an independent ombudsman (the Lokpal) to
investigate and prosecute cases of corruption by public officials (including
ministers),
❖ strengthening laws relating to prosecution of bribe-givers, facilitators and
influence peddlers,
❖ Strengthening laws against intermediaries with fiduciary duties like
auditors and the enactment of laws to expand the scope of existing laws
governing money laundering and benami (i.e., proxy) transactions.
❖ To target those in possession of undisclosed income (whether in India or
abroad) and accused persons absconding from prosecution.
❖ Most importantly, Indian authorities have become more aggressive in
enforcing anti-corruption laws in India, aided by close scrutiny by Indian
courts.
❖ Government agencies have also shown a willingness to take the assistance
of specialists such as private forensic auditors or investigators to provide
expertise that they may lack themselves, and there are several examples of
this in ongoing proceedings.
ACHIEVING SDG GOALS
INTRODUCTION
● The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were
adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end
poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.
● The 17 SDGs are a bold commitment to finish what the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) started, and tackle some of the more pressing challenges.
● The Covid-19 pandemic is such a big global health emergency that it has snowballed into
a sustainable development crisis for most countries.
● For the first time since adoption in 2015 for a better world, the worldwide progress on
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) has shown reversal due to
increased poverty and unemployment caused by Covid-19.
● India has dropped three spots from 117 to rank at 120 out of 165 countries, according to
the report. In 2020, too, India had slid to rank 117 down from 115 in 2019.
● The 6th edition of the Sustainable Development Report (2021) ranked India at 120th out of
165 countries with a country score of 60.1
● India ranks below four South Asian countries among Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and
Bangladesh,
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ISSUES
● India’s rank was 172 in the environmental health category, which is an indicator of how
well countries are protecting their populations from environmental health risks.
● Specifically, low-income developing countries (LIDCs) lack the financial strength to
achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the pandemic has worsened the
challenge
● According to the EPI 2020 report by Yale University, India ranked 148, 21 positions
behind Pakistan which was at 127th position in the category of biodiversity and habitat
which assesses countries’ actions toward retaining natural ecosystems and protecting the
full range of biodiversity within their borders.
● There are worsening trends on the targets related to the ratio of female-to-male labor
force participation rate under the goal of Gender Equality.
● The decline in SDG performance globally is driven to a large extent by increased poverty
rates and unemployment.
● According to UNCTAD’s latest report, investment to least developed countries,
landlocked developing countries, and small island developing states, accounted for only
3.5 per cent of total foreign direct investment in 2020.
● According to the SDI index, high-income countries and OECD countries tend to generate
the largest negative spillovers. These can occur through unsustainable supply chains, base
erosion, and profit shifting.
● Despite mounting efforts over the past 20 years, the loss of the world’s biodiversity
continues.
SUGGESTIONS
● To restore SDG progress, developing countries need a significant increase in fiscal

space, through global tax reform and expanded financing by the multilateral development
banks.
● The pandemic has underlined the need to accelerate progress towards universal health
coverage and universal access to key infrastructure, especially digital infrastructure.
● India is on track to achieve the SDG 6 on Clean Water & Sanitation despite major
challenges related to basic sanitation services and anthropogenic wastewater treatment,
and SDG 13 on Climate Action.
● NITI Aayog’s recent SDG India Index 2020–21, too, had recorded the country’s steady
progress on Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6) and Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG
7).
● The 2020 Global Education Meeting triggered a dialogue about the need to improve the
current global education cooperation mechanism to support countries’ progress towards
SDG 4, especially in the context of recovering from the COVID-19 education disruption.
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● Amidst continued challenges in India, SDR 2021 has recorded declining trends on
Quality Education (SDG 4) due to lower secondary completion rate, and Life on Land
(SDG 15) due to risk of extinction of species.
● India has the potential for $1 trillion worth of business opportunities and 72 million job
opportunities by 2030 for companies working in the sustainable development space,
especially in sectors such as food and agriculture, energy, construction, and healthcare.
● Cooperatives and NGOs should help considerably in the upliftment of the
socio-economic conditions of the rural poor and also adopt environment-friendly
technologies for their functioning and generate awareness among people regarding
environmental issues.
● Developed countries need to change their production and consumption patterns,
including by limiting the use of fossil fuels and plastics, and to encourage public and
private investments that align with the SDGs.
DIVERSIFY INDIA’S TRADE
INTRODUCTION
● As the pandemic struck in early 2020, the need for export diversification in terms of
products and markets emerged as a necessary strategy for building economic resilience
against such shocks.
● The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed existing vulnerabilities associated with
international trade, especially for developing countries that are heavily linked into
existing global value chains (GVCs).
● In response to the pandemic, manufacturing firms began re-purposing production towards
the manufacturing of personal protection equipment (PPE), medicines and other
medicinal equipment.
● Also Mahindra and Mahindra and Maruti Suzuki, India’s major automobile producers,
started geared production towards the manufacturing of ventilators
● Similarly, textile and garments manufacturing firms moved towards the production of
masks and PPE.
● India exported merchandise worth $32.21 billion in May 2021, 67% higher on a YOY
basis and almost 8% more than May 2019’s pre-pandemic shipment.
● India’s highest trade deficit is with China followed by Iraq and Saudi Arabia during
April-Nov 2020-21 and April-Nov 2019-20.
● India’s average score on the EPI is 39 out of 100, which shows the tremendous potential
India holds towards transforming into an export-based super economy.
ISSUES
● India’s foreign policy decisions like growing convergence with the US have led to
weakening its links with traditional friends like Russia and Iran.
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● India’s GDP and exports were significantly hit by supply and demand disruptions.
● In the first quarter of the financial year, India registered a negative growth rate of 23.9. In
November 2020, India’s exports declined by 9 percent year-on-year and imports by 13.3
percent.
● Recently, India has opted out of the RCEP, this self-imposed isolation doesn’t synergise
with India’s aspiration of becoming a global power.
● With India in a lockdown and a large chunk of its workforce, particularly those
employed in MSMEs, back in the hinterlands, even if demand from existing export
markets comes back, our exporters will still find it difficult to cater.
● India experienced a fall in its traditional export products like precious stones, spices,
jewellery, cotton, tea, fabrics, clothing articles and leather
● The country’s ‘Make in India’ campaign, launched in 2014, has failed to bring in the
level of best-in-class manufacturing and pro-business agenda, the credibility of which is
now in further question after the current wave of Covid.
● Some of the drawbacks obstructing export preparedness in many states are poor trade
support, gaps in export infrastructure, lack of basic trade support, lack of access to
financial facilities and low export credit.
SUGGESTIONS
● With growing digitalization and amid the ongoing pandemic, India needs to reorient its
trade policy with emphasis on developing its own GVCs and upgrading existing ones to
accelerate its export diversification.
● India announced the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for large-scale electronics
manufacturing, schemes for electronics manufacturing clusters (EMC) 2.0 and the
promotion of manufacturing of electronics components and semiconductors.
● The pharmaceutical industry has also emerged as a key sector for India’s export
development.
● A PLI scheme has been introduced to attract large investments to promote domestic
manufacturing of critical active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs),
● Digital technologies have opened up new pathways for export diversification along the
value chains for India.
● Digitalization and automation in manufacturing tasks can boost efficiency in the
production process, leading to higher output and exports and more profits,
● At the macro-level, there is a need for policies to facilitate the ease of doing business,
improve trade logistics, and address infrastructural challenges and last-mile connectivity
to expand GVC linkages.
● APEDA and the National Small Industries Corporation Ltd. (NSIC) signed a MoU to
ensure cooperation in a wide range of areas on the export potential of agricultural and
processed food products manufactured by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSMEs).
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● The US-China trade war has proved beneficial for India since many big manufacturing
companies have shifted their production and operations to the country.
● To improve this and help diversify investment, the country is likely to decrease corporate
income tax rates, remove FDI caps in different sectors, and step up the production-linked
incentive scheme.
● The operationalization of a "Green Corridor” and a Bilateral Investment Protection
Arrangement are likely to encourage bilateral trade and investment
● In March 2021, India and Kuwait announced the establishment of a joint ministerial
commission to strengthen bilateral ties in sectors such as energy, trade, investment,
manpower & labor and IT.
● Foreign trade policy 2021-26 is expected to focus on MSMEs and new export potential.
In March 2021, the central government announced plans to establish a new mechanism to
increase import screening in order to protect domestic manufacturers.
● The Government of India has been working on striking important deals with the
Governments of Japan, Australia, and China to increase contribution towards the
economic development of the country and growth in the global market.
● OECD simulations suggest that if India cuts tariffs and non-tariff measures restricting
trade by 20% and improves trade facilitation, domestic production would rise by about
3%, exports by 14%. It would also create jobs in the manufacturing sector.
NEW SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA
INTRODUCTION
● Africa is the world's second largest continent both in terms of land and population with
55 countries which account for about 15 percent of world’s population.
● India and Africa have a long and rich history of interaction marked by cultural, economic
and political exchanges based on the principle of south cooperation.
● Africa is critical to India’s security, especially the Horn of Africa region, because of its
proximity with India. The threat of radicalism, piracy, and organized crime emerge from
this region.
● India is facing stiff competition from China, USA and Europe in this region as they are
trying to expand their geopolitical influence. This puts a great challenge for India's
diplomacy.
● They are increasing their international engagement with African states, with an eye to
rising economic opportunities, including in energy, mining, infrastructure and
connectivity.
● During the COVID-19 times, India took new initiatives to assist Africa through prompt
dispatch of medicines and later vaccines.
● Also India is planning to host the Fourth India Africa Forum Summit in September this
year. However, the COVID-19 pandemic may cause it to be delayed.
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CHALLENGES FOR INDIA TO GAIN ENTRY AND TAKE ADVANTAGE
● It is seen that India’s political and economic relations with African states have generally
been overshadowed by the more prominent Sino-African relations
● Although India has immense social capital among African nations, it has not matched this
in material ties, and China’s economic and investment presence in Africa has been
outstripping India’s for many years
● China is essentially trying to offer an alternative authoritarian model of development to
African countries. Its message is that no longer is the liberal international path the only
road for African countries to take and prosper.
● There is large-scale piracy near the countries like Ethiopia and Somalia, which is
disrupting the maritime trade between both countries.
● There is growing sentiment in many African nations about India as another opportunist
country like China and western countries.
● Alleged racist attacks against African students and nationals in India and similar incidents
in African states involving Indians have the potential to deteriorate people-to-people ties.
● China is investing an enormous amount for the development project in Africa as
compared to Indian nation.
● China is developing a series of important ports in Africa on the western and eastern coast
right up till Mediterranean and building rail linkages to connect to those ports.
● Political instability in a number of African Nations may impact India’s long term
investment opportunities.
SUGGESTIONS
● India has significantly increased its engagement with African states since the 1990s. The
most visible expression of this was the three India-Africa summits in 2008, 2011 and
2015, and the noticeable increase in trade between the two parties.
● In response to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), India has developed new
foreign policy strategies, such as the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC), which is to
be implemented jointly with Japan.
● Regions such as Africa and the Indian Ocean, where Germany and India have a number
of common interests, are ideal for such cooperation:
❖ First, both states are keen to secure sea routes in the Indian Ocean and to
take action against piracy.
❖ From a German perspective, this is also meant to combat the causes of
forced displacement and to reduce migration flows.
❖ Second, Germany and India want to prevent African states from becoming
too politically and economically dependent on China due to increasing
debt.
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● India also works in regional organizations such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association
(IORA) with island states and East African rim states. India played a major role in the
reorientation of the IORA in 2013.
● Since the movement of African students to India for higher education has been disrupted,
India may expand the e-VidyaBharti (tele education) project to establish an India-Africa
Virtual University.
● India is already enjoying the good will of African people due to historical ties and Indian
company’s practices of employing local workers and skilling them.
● India kept its supply lines open for much of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensured that
critical supplies of medicines and medical equipment reached countries in need in Africa
is a testament to India’s desire to become a steadfast and reliable partner.
BIG TECH REGULATIONS
INTRODUCTION
● India will be one of the largest bases of internet and data users in the world.
● Today, the Big Tech firms are leveraging their capital base and thereby engaging in
predatory pricing, and driving out competitors. They are erecting entry barriers by
refusing to interconnect and interoperate with competing firms.
● These firms are also amassing data on the citizens and using this information for their
commercial interest by targeted advertisements.
● Recently the US House of Representatives panel submitted the report of a bipartisan
investigation into the working of Big Techs.
● Also, Australia has launched the new News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory
Bargaining Code. The code intends to force Big tech firms like Facebook and Google to
pay local media outlets and publishers to link their content in news feeds or search
results.
● Similarly, the Indian government also announced a sweeping array of rules reining-in
social media. Specifically, social media platforms are required to become “more
responsible and more accountable” for the content they carry.
● Recently, Indian government issued a notice to twitter after it restored more than 250
suspended accounts. On January 31st Twitter suspended these accounts as per the
government’s order. Because these accounts were allegedly promoting misinformation
about the farmer’s protests.
● But regulating these platforms has its own issues like effect on free speech, hindering
their role as an enabler and being the voice of the voiceless, etc.
● The Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology released the Information
Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021
Feb. 25, 2021.
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● The rules replace the original rules from 2011 and are promulgated under the Information
Technology Act, 2000.
ISSUES
● Nowadays technology is linked with remote working and studying, public transport,
shopping, telemedicine, on-demand music, and video streaming etc. Tech giants with
their presence in digital space created a monopoly in essential services.
● There is a suspicion that big tech companies were acquiring more monopoly power
leading to lack of free competition.
● The tech giants with their power to influence the market, society, and governments are
involved in unethical trade practices and antitrust activities all over the world.
● There is a lack of transparency in the way tech companies process user data. This has
raised serious privacy concerns and also created antitrust investigations by various
governments
● Now, the big techs are the foremost medium of fake news, hate speech, etc. These were
seen as un-democratic activities by countries.
● Users of Facebook and Google can't sign in and access services over food, grocery
delivery, and various other companies. This can be used to mine the accounts of users.
This creates a challenge to regulate the tech giants alone.
SUGGESTIONS
● To regulate tech, governments first need to determine the appropriate regulatory scope
for the industry. It must provide clarity for both individuals and companies on what is
protected and what is not.
● The Supreme Court in suo-moto writ petition (Prajjawala case) vide order had observed
that the Government of India may frame necessary guidelines to eliminate child
pornography, rape and gangrape imageries, videos and sites in content hosting platforms
and other applications.
● The Supreme Court vide order had directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology to apprise the timeline in respect of completing the process of notifying the
new rules.
● Also the Ad-hoc committee of the Rajya Sabha laid its report after studying the alarming
issue of pornography on social media and its effect on children and society as a whole
and recommended for enabling identification of the first originator of such contents.
● For a national tech regulator to be effective, it would need to adopt regulations and new
supervision methods capable of staying ahead of the potential threats posed by
accelerating technological change.
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● With a standards-based approach, regulators can introduce new guidelines to encourage

sensible innovation or, conversely, swiftly hold tech companies accountable when
unforeseen risks arise.
● Regulators can play a key role in preventing risks from materializing by forming
structured partnerships to work with tech companies to identify and address emerging
risks with new regulations as quickly and efficiently as possible
● The new Rules empower ordinary users of social media, embodying a mechanism for
redressal and timely resolution of their grievances.
● Rules about digital media and OTT focuses more on in house and self-regulation
mechanisms whereby a robust grievance redressal mechanism has been provided while
upholding journalistic and creative freedom.
● It seeks to address peoples’ varied concerns while removing any misapprehension about
curbing creativity and freedom of speech and expression.
● The new guidelines have been framed keeping in mind the difference between viewership
in a theatre and television as compared to watching it on the Internet.
● The rules go beyond internet platforms to also cover digital news organizations and
video-streaming platforms like Netflix or JioTV, giving the government much more
power to intervene, censor and re-classify online material.
Taliban Resurgence, India’s Challenges ( context / Intro, issues, suggestions )
Recently on 15 august Taliban(talibs means students of madrasa in southern and eastern part of
afghanistan) once again recaptured the capital city of afghanistan which in the media is reported
as Fall of Kabul. This brings multifold challenges to india.
Issues with respect to India:
1. Hostility on borders because of Taliban support to anti India terrorist groups like Al
qaeda and JeM.
2. Rise in infiltration of terrorists especially in winter times posing threat to India’s Internal
security.
3. Increase in the illegal supply of drugs because of the golden crescent.
4. Development projects in Afghanistan like hospitals,parliament building and other mining
projects are in threat.
5. Affecting Iran projects like Chabahar port because of the rippling effect.
6. Restricting India’s connectivity to central asian countries such as turkmenistan,uzbekistan
7. Increasing dominance of China in Afghanistan as recently the Chinese government
supported the Taliban regime indirectly. So, boost to China Pakistan economic corridor.
Suggestions:
1. Providing back door support to Northern Alliance as it still controls Panjshir province.
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2. Putting diplomatic pressure on Afghanistan to not provide safe havens to terrorist groups.
3. Increasing vigilance on borders and ensuring community confidence so that they report
separatist elements to the army.
4. Strengthening customs checks on the border to prevent illegal drug supply.
5. Raising issues of Taliban in international forums like UNSC.
6. Reducing India’s independence on defense imports and strengthening domestic defense
production.
7. Creating theatre commands to tackle the triple challenge of Pak,China and Afghanistan.
GM Crops ( context / Intro, pros, cons, way forward )
Genetically modified crops simply means altering genetic composition of crops and introducing
some different genes using lab technologies to bring certain traits in crops. In India,GEAC
regulated GM crops and Bt cotton is the only approved GM crop.
Pros of GM crops:
1. Reduced need for pesticide treatment.
2. Increased crop yields
3. Enhanced nutritional value of crop
4. Reduced cost of food or drug production.
5. Food security for world population
6. Medical benefits to world’s growing population
Cons of GM crops:
1. Threat to biodiversity- cross pollination may result in herbicide resistant superweeds that
can further threaten sustenance of other crops
2. Threat to farmers as overproduction might lead to reduced prices and no profit to farmers
3. Various health concerns such as antibiotic resistance.
4. Environmental concerns such as decrease in species diversity
5. Introduction of GM crops is a costly and time consuming process.
Way forward:
1. Establishment of national biotechnology regulatory authority as recommended by task
force under MS swaminathan
2. Extensive research so that low input and high output can be achieved
3. Decision only after convincing all stakeholders such as farmers and consumers.
4. Strict check on illegal and unapproved GM crops production.
Reforming Tribunals
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42nd constitutional amendment provided for the ar 323a and 323b for the constitution of
tribunals to ensure speedy and cost effective justice and to reduce workload of judiciary.
Recently,the Govt passed tribunal reforms bills 2021 to address some of the issues.
Issues:
1. Vacancies in tribunals.
2. Executive interference in the functioning of tribunals
3. Dependent on the government for financial matters.
4. Overlapping of functions with courts.
5. Lack of infrastructure to deal with increasing cases.
6. Inappropriate service conditions which leads to satisfaction issues.
Suggestions:
1. Granting financial autonomy and separate budgetary allocations.
2. Fixed tenure and service conditions.
3. Reforming tribunals for instance uniform rules and regulations across tribunals.
4. Disband tribunals where cases are not filed in significant numbers.
5. Search cum selection committee for appointment of members and chairpersons
6. Minimum holiday period for reappointment of retired members
Requirement of New Economic Reforms After 1991 Reforms:
Opening up India's market to the world and promoting imports and exports helped India to
become 6th largest economy in the world but the growth is stagnated so for this India needs
major revamp. This major revamp can be labelled as 3rd generation economic reforms.
Why India needs new economic reforms:

1. Demographic dividend-Around 67 percent population in age group of 15 to 64 yrs of age.
2. Stagnation in Exports and India share in world export is only 2 to 3 pc.
3. India’s skilled population- around 4.5 pc whereas in china its around 24 pc.
4. Inadequate infrastructure of banks to deal with increasing load.
5. Unavailability of credit to MSME.
6. Large share of informal workers in the Indian economy.
7. Low tax to gdp ratio so leading to fiscal deficit.
8. Inefficient taxation system and bureaucratic hurdles.
Suggestions for economic reforms:

1. Focus on building human capital i.e., Increasing expenditure on education,health.
2. Revamping the banking sector.
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3. Signing Early harvest agreements as this is precursor to FTA and helps in knowing the
effects of signing free trade agreements.
4. Strengthening law machinery to prevent leak and evasion of taxes.
5. Signing bilateral agreements with foreign nations to prevent base erosion and profit
shifting.
6. Reforming taxation laws for instance enacting direct tax code.
7. Strengthening Contracts enforcement for building confidence in businesses and providing
adequate support to exporters.
Deterioration Of Himalayan Ecosystem, Massive Development Causing Issues
Recently the World Bank released a report showing the alarming rate of glacier melting in the
Himalayas and its consequences.
Causes of Himalayan ecosystem deterioration:

1. Unplanned urbanisation and developmental projects.
2. No proper Environment impact assessment done.
3. Fragile ecology of himalayas disturbed by influx of tourists.
4. Deposition of black carbon on glaciers leading to increased melting.
5. Release of greenhouse gases leading to global warming which in turn affects the
himalayan ecosystem.
6. Lax behaviour of Environmental authorities.
Measures needed to prevent further deterioration:

1. Sensitizing people to live in harmony with nature.
2. Community policing to check illegal construction and flouting of rules.
3. Creating an effective poaching control network.
4. Studying endangered and vulnerable species.
5. Controlling Air pollution by banning harmful gases like CFC,HCFC etc.
6. Effective environmental regulation and its enforcement.
7. Implementing Zero carbon initiative in letter and spirit.
8. Implementing India national determined contribution.
9. Focusing on renewable sources of energy.
Digitization of financial services:
India’s fintech market is currently valued at $31bn which is expected to touch $84bn by 2025 at
a CAGR of 22 percent.
Meaning of digitization of financial services:
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1. Financial services means bank deposits,transfer,insurance,loans,claim settlement.

2. When such services are provided digitally then it means digitization.
3. For instance Unified payment interface, NEFT, online loan application and account
opening and many more.
Issues with digitization of financial services:

1. Inadequate infrastructure leading to frequent shutdown of services.
2. Financial illiteracy.
3. Increasing threat of financial frauds through sim cloning,otp etc.
4. Rural urban divide leading to skewed development.
5. Vulnerability of cyber attacks on telecom companies leading to collapse of
communication and banking systems.
6. Lack of skilled population in the field leading to increased imports.
7. Inefficient cyber police and reporting mechanism in India.
Measures/ Suggestions:
1. Focus on public private partnerships for developing necessary infrastructure.
2. Investing in human capital to improve financial literacy and skilled professionals.
3. Coding classes to school students.
4. Building Cyber shops every 3 km for common citizens so that accessibility increases.
5. Bridging rural urban divide by ensuring WIFI connectivity in gram panchayats.
6. Strengthening cyber police framework and dedicated cells in each police station.
7. Uniform framework across India to deal with cyber crimes related to finances.
Edible Oil Shortage And Dependence On Imports
Recently the Govt of India launched a National mission on edible oil- palm oil to reduce
dependence on imports and make India self-reliant in the field of edible oils.
Stats related to Edible oils showing huge supply demand mismatch:

1. India's annual demand for edible oil stands at 26 million tonnes.
2. India produces only around 8 million tonnes so the remaining 65 percent is dependent on
imports.
3. More than 50 percent of import constitutes palm oil.
4. India’s annual demand of palm oil is around 9 mn tonnes of which 98 percent is met
through imports. So that's why the Govt is focusing on palm oil production in particular.
Suggestions to increase production of edible oils:

1. Focusing on increasing yield per hectare.
2. Giving training and necessary inputs to farmers to produce oilseeds of required quality.
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3. Building efficient infrastructure to convert oilseeds to edible oils.

4. Focusing on alternatives like rice bran oil as nowadays urban consumers are health
conscious.
5. Producing edible oils from cotton seeds.
6. Utilising fallow lands of rice and wheat.
7. Shifting focus to north east region as climate is suitable for produce of oilseeds.
Govt Vs Big Tech:
Recent faceoff between government and twitter over the issue of implementation of Information
technology(intermediaries) rules 2021 brought many challenges to the fore.
Provision of new IT rules,2021:

1. Self certification of Content released on Over the top platforms like prime video, netflix
2. Identification of first originator of information which authority considers as threat to
India’s national security.
3. Appointment of grievance redressal officer resident in India.
4. Report on action taken on grievances.
5. Code of conduct for journalists and print media.
6. Government termed these regulations as soft touch regulations.
Issues with Big techs:

1. Large user base can manipulate sentiments of the public against the government and
country.
2. Circulation of fake news leading to destabilization of internal security.
3. Widespread reporting of religious based news leading to communal clashes.
4. Foreign funding from non state actors threatening india sovereignty
5. Big tech misutilised provisions of IT act. For instance Safe harbor provision
6. Manipulating election results in favour of one particular party.
Suggestions:
1. Strengthening law machinery to deal with resultant violence.
2. Framing rules keeping in mind individual freedom but at the same ensuring national
security.
3. Dealing first hand with negative elements in society.
4. Framing rules after consulting with related stakeholders.
5. Strengthening IT infrastructure to deal with circulation of fake news and identification of
first originators.
6. Effective judiciary or tribunals to dispose of cases related to big tech.
7. Ensuring big tech follows good management practices and follows the law of the land.
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Vacancies in Courts And Tribunals:
Recently,the Supreme Court asked the government for the status of 55 judges' names
recommended by collegium for appointment. On an average courts suffered 40 pc vacancies.
Same is the condition of tribunals which are dealing with pendency of cases because of lack of
manpower.
Issues arising because of Vacancies:
1. Justice delayed is justice denied.
2. Huge pendency of cases and sometimes it takes almost 10 years for just one hearing.
3. Undertrials in prisons leading to curtailment of basic and most fundamental rights.
4. Overcrowding in jails because of delay in judgements.
5. Severely affects families of victims leading to mental health issues.
6. Projects Indian judiciary in a negative light on international forums.
7. Poor quality of judgement because of inadequate manpower.
Suggestions/reforms needs to be taken:

1. All india judicial services on the lines of all india services similar to upsc pattern.
2. Clarity in terms and conditions of collegium.
3. Fixing time limit for govt in which it needs to send report back to supreme court on
action taken on recommendations.
4. Strengthening State PSC for recruiting quality candidates for subordinate judiciary.
5. Conducting exams on the regular basis for the lower judiciary.
6. Eliminating nepotism in the matters of appointment and promotions.
Maritime Security In Indian Ocean Region:
Recently Quad countries organised virtual conferences to address Indian ocean issues. This
shows the significance of the Indian ocean in the international domain whereas India has a 7500
km coastline so the Indian ocean is of great importance for India in particular.
Why maritime security is Important in region:

1. International trade.
2. Economic value of minerals on seabed. For instance polymetallic nodules.
Issues
1. Dominance of China in the region through policies like string of pearls.
2. Violation of International agreements.
3. Not adhering to judgements by the international court of justice.
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4. VIolation of rule based order in the Indian Ocean region.

5. Denial of Freedom of navigation operations.
6. Illegal trespassing in the territories of countries. For instance, a recent US naval ship
entered India's exclusive economic zone.
7. Unsettled claims especially in the south china sea.
8. Security issues at choke points like strait of malacca.
9. Threat of pirates from countries like Somalia.
10. Recent instances of drone attack on vessels also shows change in modus operandi.
Suggestions:
1. Strengthening international forums and abiding to international agreements.
2. Upholding rule based order in the sea.
3. Ensuring FONOPS even to the weakest country.
4. Adhering and respecting judgements of ICJ and other concerned courts.
5. Settling maritime disputes amicably as done by India with Sri lanka and Bangladesh.
6. Conducting maritime exercises with other countries.
7. Regular inspection of choke points and eliminating pirate threats.
China Damming Rivers in Tibet
In its Five year plan 2021-25 China announced to build dams on lower reaches of yarlung
zangbo in tibet. These dams will be run by the river project which means water will not be
stored,diverted but returned back to the river after use. This building of dams led to various
problems in countries like India and Bangladesh.
Issues:
1. Reduced river flow in India threatening water security of the region.
2. No proper mechanism or bilateral treaties to deal with issues arising out of this.
3. Building dams helps China in asserting its claim over Arunachal pradesh.
4. Lack of hydrological data may lead to flooding in north east areas.
5. Construction near the unsettled border might lead to frequent clashes with the military.
6. Putting Soft pressure on India in times of conflict by cutting off river flow.
Measures:
1. Signing of bilateral treaty to resolve and address various issues amicably.
2. Proper verification to confirm whether dams are run of the river type or not.
3. Ensuring Water flow is not reduced.
4. Ensuring no construction other than dams takes place like military set up near borders.
5. Sharing hydrological data especially when river flow is very high.
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Food Insecurity In India
As per the state of food security and nutrition in world report, India shows an increase of 9 pc in
people facing moderate to severe food insecurity and 52 crore people in absolute numbers
whereas India holds 100 million tonnes food stock in its godowns.
Why India facing food insecurity:

1. Ineffective public distribution system leading to delay in delivery of foods to the needy.
2. Leakage of food items to traders so not benefiting beneficiaries.
3. Documents like ration cards needed to avail services at PDS.
4. Prevailing Poverty leading to food insecurity which in turns leads to unemployment and
consequent poverty. So families are stuck in a poverty trap.
5. Unemployment leading to uncertain incomes.
6. Large informal workers so income is not fixed.
7. Ineffective policies of govt and bureaucratic hurdles leading to rotting of grains in
godowns.
Suggestions:
1. Simplifying documentation so that vulnerable sections can avail services at TPDS.
2. Adopting digital infrastructure to prevent leakage of grains.
3. Ensuring timely delivery of grains to ration shops by coordination with state and local
govt.
4. Amending provisions to prevent stockpiling of grains in godowns.
5. Focusing on education to ensure holistic development of individuals.
6. Effective implementation of MGNREGA to ensure employment in rural areas especially
in times of distress.
Required GST Reforms:
Goods and services Act was enacted through 101st constitutional amendment in 2017
introducing uniform indirect taxation throughout India replacing VAT,customs duty and several
others. It introduced various slabs of taxation such as 5pc,12pc,18pc and 28pc.
Issues in current GST framework:

1. The GST Act assumed 14% year on year growth in state revenue but this was not
achieved.
2. Products like alcohol for human consumption,petroleum products etc are out of its ambit.
3. GST compensation not paid to states regularly.
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4. Different slabs like 5 pc, 12 pc and other slabs are not justified as it creates confusion.
5. Issues in E way bills.
6. GST network site having frequent shutdowns and glitches.
7. Fake issuance of bills to claim input tax credit.
8. Tax base not increased as expected, still low gdp to tax ratio.
Suggestions/ Reforms needed:

1. Bringing petroleum and alcohol for human consumption under the ambit of gst.
2. Ensuring the uniform tax slabs and products are not changed from one slab to other
frequently.
3. Support to small businesses and MSME to deal with increased documentation.
4. Effective machinery to prevent issuance of fake bills.
5. Improving digital infrastructure to deal with frequent website shutdowns.
6. Increasing tax base by bringing small businesses under GST ambit.
7. Recruiting skilled professionals and dedicated team for handling issues related to e-way
bills and others.
Reservation System Issues
Article 15 and article 16 of Indian constitution provides for the reservation framework in
educational institutions and jobs respectively for certain groups which are scheduled castes,tribes
and other backward classes. In recent times,the government also provided reservation to the
economically weaker section by adding article 15 (6) and article 16 (6) through the 103rd
constitutional amendment act.
Issues with reservation system:

1. Benefits of reservation cornered by wealthy people in SC and ST as creamy layer not
applicable.
2. 27 pc reservation for other backward classes enjoyed only by the top 3 pc of other
backward classes leaving behind the most vulnerable.
3. Fake documents also create wrong identification of beneficiaries.
4. Affects efficiency and quality of services especially in technical fields like engineering
and medical.
5. Reservation provides entry at lower marks in colleges but they need to pass at par with
other batchmates so this is leading to dropouts especially in top notch colleges.
6. Reservation also affects the quality of administration and governance.
7. Leads to further marginalisation of people and deepening caste clashes.
8. Political class takes advantage of reservation and offers a spree of benefits leading to
spillover effects.
9. Some wealthy classes also claim reservation, leading to erosion of the reservation system.
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Suggestions:
1. Sub classification of obc so that most vulnerable among obc gets benefit.
2. Applying creamy layer in SC and ST after convincing all stakeholders.
3. Ensuring proper documentation and background before giving reservation.
4. Restricting reservation benefits to one or two generations.
5. Govt should not dilute the line between the reservation based on historical discrimination
and reservation based on economic status.
6. Ensuring quality of administration and services is not affected because of reservation.
7. Providing necessary support to students in college for preventing dropouts.
Issues With Office Of The Speaker
Office of speaker in lok sabha is constitutional and Article 93 provides for the election of the
speaker from amongst the members of lok sabha and is elected commonly from the ruling party.
It is responsible for conducting proceedings of the house as per rules and convention and each
member is given the opportunity to speak.
Issues:
1. Since the speaker is from the ruling party, he favours the party in power sometimes.
2. Certifying bill as money bill under article 110.
3. Powers granted under 10th schedule anti defection used against defecting members by the
ruling party through the speaker.
4. Rejecting motions without due consultations.
5. Ignoring misconduct of ruling party members.
6. Not able to maintain quality debates and discussions in parliament.
7. Passing bill by voice vote.
Suggestions:
1. Speaker elected should resign from the membership of the party to ensure
non-partisanship.
2. Due process should be followed before certifying the bill as a money bill.
3. Adhering to the spirit of the constitution.
4. Proper checks and balances on the conduct of the speaker.
5. Independent offices detached from any political party can be established for the role of
speaker.
6. Decisions related to anti defection can be taken after consultation with the election
commission of india.
Post Retirement Judges Issues
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Recent nomination of retd. Chief justice Ranjan Gogoi as member of the Rajya Sabha sparked
off the debate about post retirement issues.
Issues:
1. Subjugates the authority of judiciary as such benefits can be used for favours.
2. Fades the line of separation of power between judiciary and executive.
3. Results in biased judgements in the favour of one party in case.
4. Loss of confidence in the judiciary.
5. Denies justice and fair trial to the one party.
6. Denies justice to the vulnerable or poor party.
7. Political masters use it to fulfil their illegal goals.
Suggestions:
1. Barring appointment of retd. judges for at least 3 years.
2. Establish a separate department in the law ministry which works independently and can
do thorough background check of any discrepancy and promise by a political master for
delivering favourable judgement in any case.
3. Age limit for enjoying post retirement benefits.
4. Post retirement given only on the basis of merit and conduct of the judge during his
tenure.
Civil Services Recruitment Reforms:
21st century presents newer challenges to the administration and governance which needs to be
tackled through a 360 degree revamp of the civil services framework starting from recruitment to
training and to service.
Suggested Reforms:
1. Streamlining recruitment process through following measures:
a. Reducing age limit to 28.
b. Encouraging female candidates to apply in civil services.
c. Dividing technical services and changing eligibility criteria for that.
d. Abolishing redundant services and overlapping services.
e. Bring more transparency by publishing the answer key after prelims and showing
answer copies of Mains.
f. Bring more objectivity to the interview process and eliminate subjective biases of
the interview panel.
2. Other reforms include:
a. Shifting from rule based promotions to role based promotions.
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b. Mid service training.

c. 360 degree performance appraisal report.
d. Fixed tenure in a district and independent body to decide on transfers.
India Middle East Relations
India shares healthy relations with middle east countries like UAE,Saudi Arabia,qatar
etc.Diplomatic relation of India with middle east countries faces challenges of varied nature but
at the same time middle east countries are of great importance.
Importance of middle east countries:

1. Two third of India's oil supplies come from middle east countries.
2. FDI from gulf countries like uae and saudi arabia.
3. Increasing trade prospects.
4. To combat increasing threat of terrorism and pirates and to ensure maritime security.
5. Importance of middle east countries for look west policy.
Issues:
1. Increasing investment of china in middle east countries.
2. Pressure from usa to stop fuel supplies from usa adversaries.
3. Anti India elements in gulf countries.
4. Violation of basic human rights of indian labourers working in gulf countries.
5. Interference in India’s internal matters particularly related to the Kashmir issue.
Suggestions:
1. Balancing act in foreign policies i.e., dealing with two countries who are adversaries.
2. Prioritizing India’s sovereignty in foreign policy.
3. Reducing dependence of India for fuel supplies on gulf countries.
4. Making investment in gulf countries and completion of developmental projects on time.
5. Supporting the Indian diaspora and working with the government to ensure good working
conditions.
Indian Aviation Sector Challenges
Covid outbreak led to lockdown,travel restrictions and consequent shutdown of flight operations
which severely affected indian airlines failing to even cope up with the expenses and leading to
delay in salary of employees and repayment of loans.
Challenges of indian aviation sector:

1. High cost of aviation turbine fuel.
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2. HIgh operational costs and demand for lower fares.

3. High airport cost and charges levied by airport authority of india
4. Strict taxation regime.
5. Cut throat competition in the market.
6. High initial capital expenditure leading to high debt and interest on debt.
Suggestions:
1. Adopting and migrating to low cost carriers and ultra low cost carriers.
2. Streamlining taxation structure.
3. Government support to ailing airlines.
4. Reducing airport charges and bringing them at par with international standards.
5. Follow certain standards like less use of brakes,less idling time and obey the speed limit
to reduce the operational cost by cutting down fuel needs.
Social Security Reforms:
According to the international labour organisation social security means preventing the
exploitation of the vulnerable and ensuring the development of individuals. Social security
includes two components-one is good standard of living and income security.
Need of social security reforms:

1. 100 million additional people were pushed into poverty because of covid.
2. Rise in unemployment.
3. Poverty leads to food insecurity and malnourishment.
4. Climate change also poses threats to most vulnerable sections.
5. Political exclusion and marginalisation of vulnerable sections.
6. Homeless people living on streets.
Suggestions:
1. Universal social security scheme ensuring basic monthly income.
2. Rationalisation of national food security act ensuring availability of food at all times.
3. Providing employment through various govt schemes like MGNREGA.
4. Helping homeless people by setting up govt houses and effective implementation of PM
AWAS yojana.
5. Establishing food canteens in every 5 km providing subsidised food.
6. Adhering to international commitment under sustainable development goals.
7. Reducing poverty through targeted schemes like setting up infrastructure for schools in
tribal areas etc
Thawing Permafrost
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Permafrost means the ground which remains frozen below zero degree celsius continuously for
two years and when this ice deposited below permafrost starts melting,it leaves behind water and
soil. So,scientists and researchers are apprehensive that this might lead to disaster in the coming
times.
Issues:
1. Rising global temperature because thawing of permafrost leaves behind carbon stored
which further accentuates climate change.
2. Increase in the incidence of zoonotic diseases because of increase in temperature.
3. Increased risk of pandemics and epidemics.
4. Spreading of tropical diseases in higher latitudes so more of the population is now
vulnerable to diseases.
5. Provides suitable conditions for the growth of virus and bacteria.
Way forward:
1. Arresting the increase of temperature by following green practices.
2. Enforcement of international agreements like the Paris climate deal.
3. Sensitizing people about the effects of global warming.
4. Preventing soil erosion.
5. Some researchers suggest artificially manufacturing more ice to increase the thickness.
Inefficiency of Parliament
Budget 2021 session of parliament and monsoon session of parliament ended before its actual
schedule,frequent disruptions and leniency in the passing of bills shows prevalent inefficiency in
parliament.
Issues:
1. Reduced quality of debates leading to lacunae in passed bills.
2. Marginalisation of parliament committees.
3. No proper consultation with concerned stakeholders.
4. Leads to frequent challenges in supreme court for violating constitutional principles.
5. Does not address the changing times because of frequent disruptions.
6. Problems of marginalised sections like women,poor people not addressed.
7. Defeats the principle of vibrant democracy.
8. Leads to bad laws in the country which are sometimes contrary to moral and ethical
values.
Way forward/ Suggestions:

1. Referring bills to concerned parliamentary committees for proper scrutiny.
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2. Conducting sessions of parliament as scheduled.

3. Ensuring proper code of conduct is followed in parliament sessions.
4. Bills are tabled in the house and clause by clause discussion should take place.
5. Passing of bills by voice vote should be restricted only to cases which enjoy a virtual
majority otherwise voting methods should be followed.
6. Role of opposition should be strengthened.
7. Pre and post legislative impact assessment should be done.
Development Vs Environment, Hills And Expansion Of Urban Areas
Recent order of supreme court to demolish the homes on land of aravalli forest and other cases
like narmada bachao andolan by medha patkar in mp shows the conflict between environment
and development.To address the issues of this nature needs holistic approach and comprehensive
planning.
Issues:
1. Unplanned development threatens the fragile ecosystem of the region.
2. Leads to the frequent man animal conflict. For instance elephant deaths because of
collisions with trains.
3. Threatens the extinction of wild animals.
4. Threatens the diverse biodiversity leading to problems in food chains.
5. Diverting the flow of rivers or damming it leads to flooding in the surrounding regions.
6. Leading to frequent glacial outbursts like seen in chamoli uttarakhand.
7. Further rise in global temperature leading to outbreaks of epidemics and pandemics.
Suggestions:
1. Planned development and proper balance between environment and development.
2. Environment impact assessment must be in a fragile ecosystem.
3. Imposing heavy penalties on the violators of rules and regulations.
4. Effective use of funds accumulated under compensatory forest fund CAMPA.
5. Respecting the boundaries of national parks and not entering into the homes of animals.
6. Sensitizing people to not buy homes and not support projects in forest areas.
7. Strengthening forest cadre to overlook and implement rules and regulation properly.
North East Peace / Conflicts
North east region of India comprises eight states which is engulfed in insurgency means armed
rebellion. Central government over the years is trying to solve the issue of insurgency through
negotiations and signing peace agreements but still problems persist.
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Reasons of conflicts:
1. Historical injustice because of the poor administration of British india.
2. Poor connectivity from Indian mainland.Only connected through siliguri corridor.
3. Poor development of the northeast compared to the Indian mainland.
4. Indigenous people clash with migrants from other states.
5. Refugees from neighbouring countries like bangladesh,myanmar.
6. Strict regulations by the military and enforcement of AFSPA.
7. Presence of insurgent groups like ULFA,NSCN etc.
8. Support from countries like China and providing safe havens to insurgents.
Way forward:
1. General policy of amnesty for insurgents if they agree to drop weapons and settle
disputes peacefully.
2. Ensuring connectivity of north east to indian mainland through flights and sea.
3. Development of the region by collaborating with private companies and encouraging
them to establish industries there.
4. Reducing military-civilian conflicts and restoring faith and confidence of the public in the
army.
5. Protecting the rights and customs of tribals and ensuring their holistic development.
6. Strengthening law and order situations.
Exploiting Oceanic Minerals
Oceanic minerals are of great importance and according to various estimates a very small patch
of ocean bed can fulfil the energy needs of the world for the coming centuries.Countries like
China are trying to get a stronghold over south china sea because of its natural resource.
Issues in exploitation:
1. Environmental pollution associated with mining of oceanic minerals.
2. Overuse of water leads to shortage of water.
3. Threat to marine life.
4. High capital expenditure involved in exploitation.
5. Disturbs the ecology of not only marine life but also of terrestrial life.
6. Such exploitation leads to disputes with countries.
Suggestions:
1. Fixing maritime boundaries and settling such disputes through international forums.
2. Sustainable exploitation of marine resources.
3. Restricting threat of marine life to a limited extent.
4. Collaborating with private companies to cope up with high capital expenditure.
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5. Proper R&D department for technological advancement so that resources can be

exploited sustainably and economically.
Dalai Lama Issue
Dalai Lama is spiritual leader of buddhist community and is revered worldwide and enjoys great
support and respect all over world.After China captured tibet region forcefully in 1950,dalai
lama continued its struggle against oppressive chinese authority and took refuge in india in 1959.
Since then this is one of the irritants between India and China along with border disputes.
Why Dalai Lama fled to India:

1. Oppressive regime.
2. Imposing chinese culture on buddhists.
3. Curtailing individual liberty of people residing in that area.
Implications for India:

1. Disturbed and complicated relation with China in spite of strong trade.
2. China considers the Dalai lama as separatist so favouring an enemy of any country is not
good for national security.
3. Frequent border disputes like seen in 2018 and 2020.
4. China is putting pressure on India in international forums.
5. Obstructing India’s membership in UNSC.
Suggestions/Way forward:
1. Supporting the Dalai Lama as a refugee and not as separatist.
2. Raising the issue of Tibet in international forums just like China interfering in the
Kashmir issue.
3. Putting diplomatic matters on China.
4. Not giving wider publicity to Tibet issues in the media as it might cause negative
sentiment in Chinese people.So it might disturb people to people connect.
Corporate Governance Issues
Corporate governance refers to the management of resources at disposal to ensure the

profitability of stakeholders,employees,customers and society at large.Recent cases of YES bank
ceo rana kapoor and dhfl promoters wadhawan family raised the issue of ethics in corporate
governance.
Issues:
1. Narrow and selfish interest of promoters.
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2. Unethical practices of promoters like evading taxes and profit shifting.

3. Undue influences in favour of the company through the ruling party.
4. Accountability of stakeholders.
5. Influence of one promoter on board of directors.
6. Efficiency of board of directors and no proper and regular meetings.
Suggestions:
1. Proper accountability mechanism for stakeholders.
2. Independent department to ensure regular meetings and decisions based on consensus.
3. Proper overwatch by tax authorities to ensure zero incidence of tax evasion.
4. Sensitizing board directors to follow ethical practices.
5. Adhering to code of conduct in internal management.
6. Promoting talent over family linkage and giving preference to talented employees and not
to the family members of independent directors.
Telecom Sector Issues
Recent CEO of VI Ltd. stepped down from the CEO post and suggested takeover of VI by the
govt and merge it with BSNL and MTNL.However govt. Replying that a loss making company
can not be merged with another loss making company, it is like nationalisation of loss and
privatization of profits.
Issues in Telecom sector:

1. High cost of spectrum allocation and license fees.
2. Cut throat competition in the market.
3. Lowest cost of internet in the world. So business is not profitable.
4. Dependent on imports for some of the components.
5. Burdened with the Adjusted gross revenue AGR dues.
6. Poor penetration of fixed line communication.
7. High right of way cost levied by states for laying fiber cables.
8. Low Average revenue per user so affecting profits.
9. Late adoption of 4G and wireless technology. Still some telecom companies don't provide
Voice over LTE.
Suggestions:
1. Rationalising prices of spectrum allocation and license fees.
2. Regulating freebies provided by some companies.
3. Increasing the pace of latest technology adoption.
4. Increasing the self-reliance of industry by focusing on the indigenous production.
5. Necessary govt support to the ailing sector.
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6. Concessions may be provided over AGR dues in the form of deferred payment,reducing
the interest over dues.
7. Curb on predatory pricing to save the industry from pricing war.
8. Lowering the right of way costs.
Development Of India’s Island Territories For Tourism
India hosts islands on its eastern and western coast that are Lakshadweep Islands and Andaman
& Nicobar islands which provides opportunity for the development of tourism and related
industry but at the same time it poses several challenges also.
Issues:
1. Disturbs fragile ecology of islands.
2. Unplanned development leads to climate change further destroying the island's
ecosystem.
3. Littering by tourists on the island.
4. Andaman and Nicobar fall into the biodiversity hotspot region so it threatens biodiversity.
5. Disturbing the indigenous culture of tribals living there.
6. Entry of tourists is restricted on islands like Andaman and Nicobar regulated by the
government because of pvtg tribes like sentinelese etc.
7. The Island's protection zone restricts construction activity, leading to inadequate
infrastructure for tourists.
Suggestions:
1. Development of integrated tourism involving components of both terrestrial and marine
life.
2. Separate development authority for islands under the tourism ministry.
3. Separate budgetary allocation for tourism purposes.
4. Development of areas near tourist spots for ensuring convenience and time saving.
5. Sustainable development and construction of infrastructure with full respect to
biodiversity and ecosystem.
6. Minimize the travel restriction and at the same ensure safety of indigenous tribes living
there.
7. Inflicting penalties on developers for violating the rules.
Engineering Education System Issues In India
According to an annual employability survey,80 percent of engineers are not fit for any technical
employment and only around 3.5 pc possess required skill for software related jobs.This shows
dire need of reforms in Indian engineering education pattern.
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Issues:
1. Age old curriculum in colleges.
2. Rigid pattern of examination and students prepare only to pass exams.
3. Poor industry academia collaboration.
4. No focus on internships and industry visits of students.
5. No proper arrangement of research and development work in colleges.
6. Students not encouraged to pursue minor and major projects dedicatedly.
7. Classes taken by guest faculties.
8. Sole focus is on the theoretical aspect of engineering.
9. Companies need to provide training to new engineers so expenditure increases.
10. Large number of engineering colleges and seats leading to poor quality of engineers and
in excess so mismatch in demand and supply.
11. No engineering college in the top 100 in the international list.
12. Poor foreign teacher and student ratio in college.
Suggestions:
1. Stop giving licenses to new engineering colleges.
2. Ensuring dynamic curriculum satisfying the changing expectations of industry leaders.
3. Giving more focus on the training aspect rather than on the theoretical aspect.
4. Giving options to students to exit the course whenever they want. For instance multiple
entry and exit points.
5. Internationalisation of Engineering colleges by incentivizing entry of foreign teachers and
students.
6. Setting up labs in colleges to give students first hand experience.
7. Providing adequate funds to colleges to promote multi and interdisciplinary education.
8. Working on industry academia linkage.
Allowing Foreign Universities In India
According to a survey conducted by the national institute of educational planning and

administration, eight universities, one each from the top 50 and top 100, were interested in
establishing their campuses in india.
Issues:
1. Apprehensions regarding its success in india.
2. Interest among students to take admission in foreign colleges.
3. Policies of the government are still not clear regarding this.
4. High college fees are not feasible considering India's per capita income level.
5. Curriculum of colleges might not suit India's needs.
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6. Industries located in India might not recruit students from these colleges.
7. Management apprehensive regarding the economic viability of campus and level of
capital expenditure needed.
Suggestions:
1. Government framing necessary policies,rules and regulation for foreign universities.
2. Prior feasibility study for foreign universities.
3. Establishing industry academia collaboration for recruitment and training purposes.
4. Designing curriculum as per India’s need and suiting demands of india.
5. Subsidising fees of foreign universities for meritorious students.
6. Foreign universities can first establish a temporary campus in some building and after
some time can establish an independent campus in india.
Data Protection In India
BN srikrishna committee prepared a draft data protection bill ensuring the individual privacy and
individual’s control over data and at the same time ensuring the data driven economy to develop
at a sustainable pace.Recent whatsapp new privacy policy brought the issue of data protection
once again to limelight.
Issues:
1. Misuse of individual data for profits by companies without consent.
2. Violation of privacy of an individual.
3. Data leaks threaten national security and sovereignty.
4. Threatens the political regime of the country established through legitimate means.
5. Data leak can also lead to substantial financial losses.
6. It may influence the election by targeting individuals through their personal data.
7. Private companies can use personal data for advertisement and sell their products and
also leads to elimination of healthy competition.
Suggestions:
1. Enacting law for personal data protection.
2. Ensuring the judicious balance between data principal and principal companies.
3. Following article 19 in letter and spirit.
4. Giving right to forgotten to data principal.
5. Framing international agreement and ensuring the protection of data of developing
countries.
6. Ensuring the strict adherence to data localisation and making sure that foreign companies
follow it.
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Tribal Issues In India
Tribals are one of the most primitive occupants on earth and Around 8 percent of India's
population is tribal and MP has the largest tribal population in India. Various provisions of the
Indian constitution like 6th schedule,PESA act,special provisions under article 371 provide for
the protection of culture and their holistic development.
Issues:
1. Malnourishment and poor health indicators like high MMR.
2. Low level of literacy.
3. Struggling to meet their daily needs.
4. Cutoff from mainstream society so most of the development and technology is not
available.
5. Historical injustice done by the British by exploiting forests and displacing lakhs of
tribals from their homes.
6. Struggle between tribals and government over the issue of development in forests.
7. Crimes committed against tribals by tourists and common people.For instance in
andaman and nicobar.
8. Over regulation of tribal matters by the government.
Suggestions:
1. Adhering to the spirit of tribal panchsheel as envisaged by the First PM of India.
2. Autonomy to tribal areas to self regulate their matters.
3. Ensuring the proper governance in the areas ensuring the availability of basic services
like schools,hospitals,residence and water.
4. Restricting the movement of outsiders and ensuring safety of innocent tribes.
5. Sustainable exploitation of forest so that tribals are not affected.
6. Providing necessary support and schemes for tribals like marketing of minor forest
produce.
7. Strict implementation of forest rights act 2006.
India Nepal Relations
India shares fourth longest border with Nepal and both countries share quite friendly
relationships but in recent times,issues like territorial dispute over kalapani,India interference in
internal matters of Nepal have deteriorated the long built relation.
Issues:
1. Territorial disputes over kalapani,limpiyadhura and Susta.
2. Delay in the implementation of infrastructural projects.
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3. Addressing the allegations of Nepal and alleviating the fears that India plays like big
brother.
4. Increasing influence of China over internal politics.
5. Nepal is excessively dependent on one country so looking for alternatives.
6. Attack on nepalese living in india.
7. Water sharing disputes and construction of dams on rivers.
Suggestions:
1. Speeding up the implementation of infrastructural projects.
2. Ensuring the safety of nepal citizens residing in india.
3. Updating the treaty of friendship 2007 to address the fears of china.
4. Ensuring the people to people relationship and building relation over similar cultures.
5. Resolving the territorial disputes diplomatically and amicably.
6. Providing Humanitarian assistance to Nepal whenever in need.
7. Cornering China by maintaining a healthy relationship with the party in power.
Regulation Of Private Healthcare Sector
Covid 19 exposed the dire situation of India's health infrastructure of both public and private
sector.Various newspapers reported about the high cost of treatment,beds given only after
prepayment,beds reserved for VIP,10 to 20 times increase in the cost of normal blood test. So
this shows the need of regulating the private sector.
Issues:
1. Beds only for rich people.
2. Negligence of doctors.
3. Patients kept even after death just for increasing bills.
4. Private doctors have nexus with labs and medical shops so patients need to purchase
medicine and do tests from that lab only.
5. High fees in colleges and donation money.
Suggestions:
1. Establishing independent authority for the regulation of private hospitals.
2. Fixing MRP like concepts in hospitals so that no hospital can charge extra money.
3. Soft touch regulation of hospitals.
4. Appointment of grievance redressal officer in each hospital.
5. Prescribing generic medicines.
6. Subsidising cost of treatment in private hospitals for poor patients.
Sanitation Of Urban Areas in India
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Swachh Bharat mission-urban helped India to become open defecation free but more needs to be
done in the field of solid waste management,waste collection,management of sewages and
community toilets etc.
Issues:
1. Segregation of waste at source.
2. Waste collection in cities door to door not done.
3. Gender based sanitation insecurity.
4. Bio medical waste management.
5. Manual scavenging still continued in India.
6. Proper safety gears not given to sanitation workers.
Suggestions:
1. Decentralised waste handling just like done in Alapuzha of Kerala where Biobins are
installed in backyard of houses.
2. 100 percent waste segregation into biodegradable and non biodegradable waste.
3. Using RFID technology for ensuring the door to door collection of waste.
4. Adopting global waste practices like plastic bottle deposit cum refund machines.
5. Providing proper safety gears and equipment to sanitation workers.
6. Establishing funds for the rehabilitation and assistance to sanitation workers.
7. Levying penalties where manual scavenging is practiced even today.
Rural Healthcare Sector Reforms
According to the 2011 census,only 30 percent people live in Urban areas whereas 70 percent still
live in rural areas.So,considering the population living in rural areas,the health sector needs
reforms particularly in rural areas.
Issues:
1. Doctor patient ratio in rural areas.
2. Availability of hospitals and necessary machines in rural areas.
3. Quality healthcare services not available.
4. Patients need to travel long distances to avail health services.
5. Low penetration of insurance services in rural areas.
6. High out of pocket expenditure particularly affects poor rural people.
7. Hesitancy of doctors to serve in villages and tier 3 towns.
8. No Infrastructure for general tests like blood tests,urine tests etc.
9. Skewed ratio of educational institutes in rural areas.
10. No infrastructure for tertiary healthcare like surgery etc.
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Suggestions:
1. Ensuring private public partnership for the development of healthcare infrastructure.
2. Giving additional benefits to doctors providing services in rural areas.
3. Establishing General clinics in every 3 km in rural areas.
4. Mandatory internship for college students in rural areas.
5. Providing basic surgical procedures like stitches etc in primary health clinics.
6. Ensuring availability of medicines in hospitals.
7. Providing tests like complete blood count in hospitals at minimal cost.
8. Providing subsidised health services to poor people.
Exploitation Of India’s Natural Gas
India’s natural gas production has been declining continuously since 2011-12 and in the financial
year 2021 output of natural gas decreased by 8.1 percent compared to financial year 2020.
Natural gas is naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mainly composed of methane and other high
alkalines.
Issues in exploitation of natural gas:

1. Aging gas reserves make extraction more difficult.
2. Need of technology intensive operation needed as easy gas is not available because of
depletion of sources.
3. Exploitation of reserves mostly done by state public sector units leading to inefficiency.
4. Less interest of foreign companies in India’s gas reserves because of strict government
policies and less profitability.
5. Lack of private companies participation because of high capital expenditure at the initial
stage.
Suggestions:
1. Adoption of latest technologies for exploitation of gas fields.
2. Alternative such as unconventional hydrocarbons like shale gas.
3. Increase participation of private companies by easing the regulations and providing
necessary support.
4. Govt policy Hydrocarbon exploration and licensing policy is a step in the right direction
but more needs to be done in simplification of the approval process.
Sugar Industry Reforms
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Sugar industry is mostly located in uttar pradesh,maharashtra,andhra,haryana and bihar.Sugar

industries are faced with numerous challenges because of which it not only affects the owners
but also the stakeholders attached like farmers and consumers.
Issues in sugar industries:

1. Extremes in production cycle like surplus and sometimes deficit so creates demand
supply mismatch and manufactures are not able to get actual price.
2. Slow pace of technology adoption.Today also the manufacturing process is based on
traditional industries.
3. Low sugar recovery from sugarcane that is only around 10 percent.
4. Short crushing seasons lead to underutilization of sugar mills and also financial loss to
seasonal workers.
5. Government policies and interventions like the announcement of frp also burdens the
sugar industries.
6. Fiscal position of sugar industries is also not good and they are under debt.
Suggestions:
1. Sector needs infusion of capital to ease the burden of sugar industries' debt.
2. Faster adoption of technologies in industry.
3. Adoption of recommendations given by Rangarajan committee in 2012 such as No
outright ban on exports of sugar,abolishing the criteria of 15 km distance between two
sugar mills etc.
4. Fixing fair and remunerative prices after considering market dynamics.
5. Proper utilization of byproducts needed to reduce the production cost.
Improving Corporate Arbitration System Of India
Arbitration is a procedure in which a dispute is submitted,by agreement of the parties,to one or

more arbitrators who make a binding decision on the dispute.This enables big corporations to
resolve disputes amicably without going to court and helps in saving a lot of time in judicial
process.
Need of arbitration:
1. Although India gained significantly in ease of doing business india but still on the
enforcement of contracts parameter it ranks 163 which is very low.
2. So for this India needs a strong arbitration framework to further ease the business
ecosystem in India.
Issues:
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1. Intervention of courts in arbitration proceedings.

2. Lack of awareness among MSME and Indian corporate houses.
3. Lack of proper laws for arbitration.
4. Influence of big corporate houses over arbitrators leading to biased decisions.
5. Lack of trust for arbitrators.
6. Availability of qualified arbitrators in India.
Suggestions:
1. Creating awareness among corporations is most important.
2. Mandatory arbitration in agreement before coming to courts.
3. Minimum court arbitration.
4. Enacting proper laws for the arbitration ecosystem in India.
Simplifying And Repealing Old Laws
Focus on maximum governance and minimum government is the philosophy of government and
this will ensure New India.One of the ways to ensure maximum governance is to simplify laws
and repeal redundant laws.
Benefits of repealing and simplifying old laws:

1. Get rid of age old rules which have lost their utility in today’s time.
2. Repealing discriminatory laws like section 377.
3. Simplifying complex laws so that the common man can understand it.
4. Codification of laws helps in proper enforcement.For instance 4 labour codes and
Insolvency & bankruptcy code.
5. Addresses the new challenges which are emerging as a result of modernization.
Issues:
1. Unscientific laws like under Indian motor vehicles act,an inspector in andhra must have
well bruised teeth and will be disqualified if he has knock knees,pigeon chest.
2. Put up obstacles in running the smooth administration.
3. Obstacles in the ease of doing business.
4. Old laws reminded India of its colonial subjugation.
Suggestions:
1. Periodic review of old laws and constantly updating the laws.
2. Establish a separate department in the law ministry for the review of laws.
3. Setting up a portal where feedback from the public about the old laws can be taken and
suggestions for changes in laws.
4. Borrowing global best rules provision and applying those for India needs.
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Improving Bond Markets In India
India’s bond market size in financial year 2021 was 16 percent of GDP i.e., 33 lakh crore rupees
which is expected to increase to 22 percent of gdp by financial year 2025. However Indias bond
market is not well developed when compared to nations like the USA.
Issues:
1. Illiquid secondary markets lead to less interest of investors in bond instruments.
2. Narrow Investor base.Mostly financial institutions take participation and that too fulfil
the commitment under Statutory liquidity ratio.
3. Lack of diversity of instruments.
4. Low interest rate and unsecured investments whereas banks provide much more secure
options and decent interest rates on fixed deposits.
5. Regulatory restrictions affect the small investors and avoid taking part in the market.
6. Global investors are avoiding Indian bonds because of the slow pace of reforms.
7. High cost of borrowing also affects borrowers.
Suggestions:
1. Direct access to retail investors without the need of any middlemen or brokers.
2. Mandatory raising funds from the bond market for big companies.
3. Ensuring the high volume of sellers and buyers by giving incentives like no tax on returns
etc.
4. Reducing stamp duty so that the burden on retail investors is reduced.
5. Sensitization of the general public about the corporate bond market as an investment
avenue just like done with the mutual fund market.
Insolvency And Bankruptcy Code Reforms
Recently parliament passed the law amending IBC 2016 and provided for pre packaged
insolvency resolution plan (PIRP) for micro,small and medium enterprises.This will help in
quick resolution and minimal disruption to business when compared with corporate insolvency
resolution process (CIRP).
Issues in IBC:
1. Low approval rate of resolution plans- only 15 percent.
2. Slow judicial process allows the process to drag on.
3. Lack of operational National company law tribunal benches.
4. High number of liquidations is another cause of concern.
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5. Disruption in operation of business as it appoints insolvency resolution professionals who

work on the behalf of a committee of creditors.
Suggestions:
1. Setting up more branches of NCLT and making them operational.
2. Speeding up the judicial process by removing official and bureaucratic hurdles.
3. Making the whole process digital to make it more transparent.
4. Strictly adhering to the time bound resolution and 330 days limit.
Reforming India’s Trade Negotiation
India has signed a number of free trade agreements with various countries in order to promote
bilateral trade and bridge its trade deficit.However there is still need to address various issues
which hinders India to realize its true potential.
Issues:
1. Trade distorting policies which benefit domestic companies.
2. High level of sanitary and quality standards in European countries.
3. Unclear policies in India related to tax disputes. For instance cairn energy tax dispute.
4. Non tariff barriers to trade is another cause of concern.
5. Protectionist policies of the government.
6. Negative sentiments for a particular country among citizens also affects sales and revenue
of a company.
7. Geopolitical issues also lead to deadlock in trade negotiation.
Reforms:
1. Uniform policy framework for all companies operating in country without any
discrimination.
2. Strict compliance with quality standards especially for consumable items.
3. Not imposing discriminatory import duties.
4. Creating a barrier free ecosystem for healthy trade.
5. Dealing with geopolitical issues and trade issues separately and not mix two issues.
Improving Value Addition In Indian Agriculture
Value addition in agriculture means through various processes like cooling,drying,packaging,

extracting and other processes that transforms raw agri produce to something new.For instance
tomato converted to sauce is an example of value addition in agriculture.
Issues:
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1. Collection centre not available near farms.

2. Cold storage in rural areas is not available.
3. High transportation cost and availability of transport medium.
4. Quality of agri produce is not good because of suboptimal inputs.
5. High charges for warehouses.
6. High capital expenditure for setting up industries.
7. Agri products need to match high quality standards to compete in the world market.
Suggestions:
1. Establishing hub and spokes where sub centres and collection centres are available near
the farms.
2. Collection of agri produce from the gate of farm.
3. Providing quality input to farmers to maintain good quality of agri produce.
4. Subsidies to farmers for capital expenditure.
5. Strict quality checks to ensure quality agri products and that can be exported in european
countries.
6. Value added agriculture will ensure and help india to achieve double farmer income by
2022.
Co Operation Ministry
Recently union government constituted new ministry for the development of cooperatives in the
country.The vision of this ministry is sahakar se samridhi i.e., prosperity through cooperation.It
will help India in solving some of the most complex issues like agricultural problems,poverty
eradication and others.
Issues in cooperatives:
1. Lack of trained personnel.
2. Availability of credit flow to deal with problems of members.
3. Mismanagement and siphoning off money.
4. No regular elections and meetings leads to inefficiency and poor governance.
5. Lack of awareness among public.
6. Restricted coverage as their operations limited to one or two villages.
Suggestions:
1. Capacity enhancement of cooperative by providing necessary training to personnel.
2. Proper legal and administrative framework for the working of cooperatives.
3. Ensuring the availability of credit to cooperatives.
4. Proper watch mechanism to ensure enforcement of rules.
5. Market linkages for farmer cooperatives and cooperative societies.
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Land Records System In India
The Land Records System is a system that ensures all the processes for the transfer, registration
and updation of land records, like, field maps depicting boundaries and measurements and
reclassification, partition, conversion, and land revenue collection etc.
● The present system of land records in a written form originated from the Mughal period
by the great revenue administrator Todar mal. British fine-tuned this system.
● Land is a State subject in the Constitution, and the systems of land record management
developed during the British rule have got local influences and hence vary from State to
State.
● Land record data is kept in the Tahsil office. It is updated every 30 years through the
process of survey and settlement operations.
Issues
● Several departments are involved in managing land records in most of the States,
leading to waste of time, exposure to rent seeking, and harassment.
1. Revenue Department for textual records and mutations
2. Survey & Settlement (or Consolidation) Department for the maps
3. Registration Department for verification and registration of transfer,

mortgage, etc.
4. the Panchayats (in some States, for mutation), and the municipal authorities
(for urban land records),
All these departments work in a stand-alone manner, thus updating records by one of
them makes the records of the others outdated.
● Land records are poorly maintained. They do not reflect the on ground position.
Survey has been neglected by most of the States. It results in Poor land records also affect
future property transactions. It becomes difficult to access land records when data is
spread across departments and has not been updated.
● Land ownership in India is presumptive. The Registration Act, 1908 provides for
registration of deeds and documents, not titles.
● Benami transactions: Unclear titles and non-updated land records enable carrying out
property transactions in a non-transparent way.
● High litigation: A World Bank study from 2007 states that some estimates suggest that
land-related disputes account for two-thirds of all pending court cases in the country
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● According to NITI Aayog the land disputes on average take about 20 years to be
resolved.
● Agricultural credit: Land is used as collateral for obtaining loans by farmers. It has
been observed that disputed or unclear land titles prevent the supply of capital and credit
for agriculture.
● Unclear titles result in a large proportion of land lying unused. A major portion of the
unused land is a high-value property in prime areas in big cities.
● The cost of registering properties is high. Stamp duty rates vary between 4% and 10%
across states, compared to 1% and 4% in other countries.
● Although modernization started in the 1980s, the process has been quite slow due to poor
capacity building, bureaucratic red-tapism, and inadequate fund allocation.
Suggestions
● Modernization of the Land Record System by competent use of modern technology
The Government of India initiated two Centrally-sponsored schemes following a decision

in the Conference of the State Revenue Ministers in 1985
1. Strengthening of Revenue Administration & Updating of Land Records

(SRA&ULR)
2. Computerization of Land Records (CLR).
But to correct the limitations of these two schemes, the government merged them with a
modified Centrally-sponsored scheme in the shape of the Digital India National Land
Records Modernization Programme (DINLRMP) 2008, under the Department of Land
Resources, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. It seeks to create a
system that will help move towards conclusive titling.
● While moving toward DILRMP It would require ensuring that all existing land records
are accurate and free of any encumbrances.
● The Committee on Financial Sector Reforms (FSRC) in 2009 had also recommended
moving from a presumptive to a conclusive titling system.
● Taking a lesson from the Torrens system of Australia. This system has created a central
registry where all transfers of land are recorded in one register, thereby producing a
single title with a unique number that also records easements, mortgages, and discharges
of mortgages.
● Rationalizing stamp duty and registration fees across states. It will encourage people to
get their properties registered.
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● The entire process of data collection and storage with regard to land records happens at
the village, city, or block level. The Committee on State Agrarian Relations (2009) had
observed that for updating land records and strengthening land management, there is a
need to build capacity among officials at all levels.
● Introduction of new technology such as GIS, GPS, and use of satellite imagery to update
land records.
Jal Jeevan Mission
● It is a central government initiative under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

● The Government of India has restructured and subsumed the ongoing National Rural
Drinking Water Programme into Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to provide Functional
Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to every rural household by 2024.
● Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme was launched in 1972 for rural water
supply. It was renamed as National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) in
2009, with one of the objectives to “enable all households to have access to and use safe
& adequate drinking water within premises to the extent possible by 2030 ”.
● Aim is coinciding with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. (SDG-6)
Importance /pros
● As per the information available with the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation
(DDWS), as on 31.3.2019, only 18.33% of rural households have piped water
connections.
● India is home to 18% of the global human population and 15% of the global livestock
population. However, it has only 4% of global freshwater resources. Thus adequate water
supply with disciplined uses and reducing wastage has become very crucial.
● According to the NITI Aayog's Composite Water Management Index (CWMI), 21 Indian
cities could face Day Zero in the coming years. Day Zero refers to the day when a place
is likely to have no drinking water of its own. Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi and Hyderabad
are among the most susceptible.
● It will ensure equitable distribution of one of the most precious natural resources thus
promoting social justice by benefiting poor women and rural households.
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● It converges other central and state government schemes thus inhibiting duplication of
efforts.
● It focuses technological intervention for treatment to make water potable (where water
quality is an issue, but quantity is sufficient);
● It emphasizes support activities, i.e. information, education, training, development of
utilities, water quality laboratories, knowledge centre, capacity building etc.
● It provides for creation of local infrastructure for rainwater harvesting, groundwater
recharge and management of household wastewater for reuse in agriculture.
● To make water everyone's business, the mission will strive to build partnerships and work
together with NGOs, village organisations, SHG, community based organisations to
achieve the goal set under JJM and long term drinking water security. Government has
already initiated Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), an intensive campaign in water-stressed
districts to harmonize water conservation efforts of all stakeholders.
Issues
● Changing rainfall patterns. According to IMD, due to climate change, there is a

considerable spatial & temporal variation in rainfall resulting in lesser surface storage.
● Water quality issues, As per CGWB 2018 data, around 50% assessment units are found to
be contaminated with Arsenic, Fluoride, Chlorine, Nitrate and/or Salinity due to both
geogenic and anthropogenic causes. Thus in some cases treatment will require import of
costly and sophisticated technology.
● Jal Jeevan Mission (Rural) has been able to cover only around 34 per cent of the targeted
households (65.5 million) in rural India so for, according to the latest data from the Union
Ministry of Jal Shakti but Less than 50 per cent of households receive entitled amount of
55 litres per capita per day.
● Inadequate financial resources. In a presentation made to the finance Commission by the
Ministry of Jal Shakti showed that there had been a 45% shortfall in financing.
● Non-availability of technical human resource at Gram Panchayat level.
● Poor recovery of service charges/ absence of water tariff.
● Poor attention on O&M of completed schemes.
● Excessive focus on infrastructure creation but not on functioning as a utility result in
misallocation of funds and water resources.
● Growing population.
● Water scarcity in some places will make pipe water infrastructure ineffective.
● Reluctance of State Governments to devolve the local water supply schemes to PRIs or
handing over non-functional schemes.
Suggestions
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● Shift focus from top down approach to community ownership and participatory approach
in true spirit. Involve women and SCs/STs community in the planning process at village
level.
● Panchayati Raj Institutions should be devolved with adequate power, finance and human
resources for planning, mobilising and implementing the mission.
● Equal focus should be given to conservation and treatment of waste water at par with
lying piped water infrastructure.
● Special allocation of budgetary resources for information, education and communication.
● Timely release of funds by both state and central government.
Food wastage Issue
● Food waste refers to items that are fit for human consumption but thrown away often by
retailers or by consumers.
● According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) about 1.3 billion tonnes of
food is wasted globally each year. It is about one third of the food produced for human
consumption.
● The causes of food waste or loss are numerous and occur throughout the food system
during production, processing, distribution, retail and consumption.
● In low-income countries, most loss occurs during production, while in developed
countries much food, about 100 kilograms per person per year, is wasted at the
consumption stage.
● Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 of Agenda 2030, seeks to “ensure sustainable
consumption and production patterns”. Target 12.3 of that goal aims to “by 2030, halve
the per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer level”.
Issues
● Uneaten food is one of the largest components of municipal solid waste. In landfills, food
gradually breaks down to form methane, a greenhouse gas which is up to 86 times more
powerful than carbon dioxide.
● Excess spending on buying more food.
● Wastage energy involved in the growing, manufacturing, transporting, and selling food.
● In India, irrigation consumes 84 %of total available water. Wastage of food results in
wastage of this precious resource.
● The land is precious, valuable and limited, but 28% of the world’s agricultural lands are
used for the production of food that goes to waste. It results in a need to clear land to
make way for space to grow crops.
● When food waste decomposes produce a stinky smell and make the surrounding
unpleasant to live in.
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● Food wastage attracts wild life which can be harmed by these decaying food. It may also
impact the food chain.
● Food waste litter along the roadside, in the poly bag, are eaten by the stray cattle. This
causes serious health issues in them.
● According to “The Food Waste Index Report 2021”, about 690 million people are
affected by hunger in 2019, an estimate that is expected to rise sharply due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, and three billion people unable to afford a healthy diet.
Suggestions
● Countries can raise climate ambition by including food waste in Nationally Determined
Contributions to the Paris Agreement, while strengthening food security and cutting costs
to households
● Shop carefully, cook creatively and make wasting food anywhere socially unacceptable
while we strive to provide healthy, sustainable diets to all.
● Support the community by donating untouched food that would have otherwise gone to
waste to those who might not have a steady food supply.
● Food waste can be bio-degraded by composting and reused to fertilize soil. It can also be
used to produce biofuel.
● Government of almost every country in the world needs to create initiatives and
campaigns to help make people aware of the food waste problem in the same way as
people have been educated about wasting energy or the harmful effects of smoking.
● Food Bank Concept: Food Banks encourage food businesses to commit to reducing food
waste and also redirecting their surplus to feed those in need
● Technology should be adopted at every stage of the supply chain to reduce wastge.
Lateral Entry
● Lateral entry relates to the appointment of specialists, mainly those from the private
sector, in government organisations.
● The Government recruits outstanding individuals with good experience and expertise in
financial services, industrial services, economic affairs, agriculture, forest and climate
change, new and renewable energy, transportation, tourism, trade and more.
● The Second Administrative Reforms Commission too had recommended lateral entry at
senior positions
● In 2018, the government had said the lateral entry would fulfil the twin purpose of
bringing in domain expertise in the civil services and addressing the problem of shortage
of IAS officers at the Centre.
● In the past too, experts were inducted at senior positions into the government without any
advertisement. Many of them, such as Dr. Manmohan Singh, Bimal Jalan, Vijay Kelkar,
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Montek Ahluwalia, Jairam Ramesh and Arvind Subramanian, left a good impact and
contributed to the governance substantially in senior positions.
Pros
● Complexity in governance: It is requiring specialised skills and domain expertise.

Generalist officer cannot be expected to be up-to-date with specialized skills. Therefore,
domain experts are required to fulfil the complex needs of present day administrative
challenges
● Minimize the Shortage of Officers: According to the Department of Personnel and
Training data, there is a shortage of about 1500 IAS officers in India. Large states like
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar have a shortfall of 75 to 100 officers as per The
Baswan Committee report.
○ Lateral entry would minimize the shortage of IAS (Indian Administrative Service)
officers working on deputation in the Centre.
● It will bring the values of economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the Government
sector. Thus it will change organisation culture in the Government sector.
● It will strengthen participatory governance by providing opportunities to the private
experts and nonprofits to participate in the governance process.
● Role of civil servants is changing from service provider to facilitator after liberalisation
in 1991. In this scenario the role of a specialist is increasing to enhance the regulatory
capacity of the state which depends upon the up to date knowledge of administrators.
● In the present environment, there is no incentive for a young civil servant to acquire
knowledge or to improve their skills. It will instil a sense of competition among existing
bureaucracy and encourage them to perform in order to get career upliftment. It will
uphold the mantra of “perform or perish”.
Cons
● One of the many reasons for the opposition against lateral entry recruitment is the
transparency in the lateral entry process. It is essential to select the right people in a
manner that is manifestly transparent.
● The recruitment of officers at mid-levels of the bureaucracy will affect the existing
balance of officers. This can also demotivate current officers who would have struggled
hard to get through to the services in the first place after clearing the UPSC Civil Services
Exam.
● Career bureaucrats with knowledge on a broad range of issues and practical experience
throughout the career can see deeper inside the interconnectedness and find solutions that
a private expert might not be able to.
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● Private sector approach is profit oriented whereas the motive of Government is public
service. Private sector person will require a fundamental transition within himself while
working in government.
● Difficulty in adjustment to a totally different system of functioning. This is because the
government imposes its own limitations.
● Groups representing SCs, STs and OBCs have protested the fact that there is no
reservation in these appointments.
● Former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has said that it is opening back doors to bring
its own people openly.
● The movement from private sector raises issues of potential conflict of interest. This issue
requires stringent code of conduct for entrants from private sectors to ensure conflict of
interest is not detrimental to public good.
● Lateral entry is likely to face strong resistance from in service Civil Servants and their
associations.
● Private experts are appointed for 3 to 5 years. In terms of affecting change in governance,
it could prove to be too short a time. Also they may use this time for their own career
advancement rather than having significance interest in governance.
Suggestions
● The lateral entry number the government is talking about is minuscule and will have
negligible impact. However, lateral entry in a bureaucracy per se is not a bad step," N.C.
Saxena, former secretary of the planning commission, said. There is a need to
institutionalize the process of induction of outside talent into the government on a regular
basic.
● There can be open competition for the Lateral entry with all necessary checks and
balances to ensure persons with high integrity and political neutrality enters into the
service.
● The lateral entrants should undergo intensive training at the Indian Institute of Public
Administration (IIPA) which will help them understand the complex nature of work in
Government.
Theatre Command System
● The core of the idea behind Theatre command is achieving ‘Jointness’ which refers to
“the cooperation and integration of different branches of the military,”.
● More than 32 countries in the world have a level of Joint Services set up, with key
military powers like the United States and China, also operating on this model.
● Kargil Review Committee, Group of Ministers and Naresh Chandra Committee, have
broadly called for the creation of Joint Theatre Commands (JTCs).
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● The Indian military is expected to be reorganised under five theatre commands by 2022
with defined areas of operation and a seamless command structure for synchronised
operations.
Pros
● It is seen to be a better means of pooling resources and improving efficiency for

maximising impact in any war.
○ Ex. The naval fighter aircraft can be deployed in the Western sector in the desert
areas when not required at sea to effectively utilise existing resources.
● Rationalisation of armed forces under theatre command can save huge military
expenditure which can be used in modernisation of armed forces such as development of
cutting edge technologies, purchase of arms and ammunition and developing
impenetrable cyber infrastructure.
● The Theatre Command would see joint training of personnel, unified command and
control structure besides pushing for a tri-service approach for the modernisation of the
● three forces.
● It will help in quick decision making during situations like LAC crisis and Doklam crisis.
● Former army vice chief Lt Gen AS Lamba (retd) said “the geographical expanse of
theatres in India demands unified commands for strategic decisions and critical outcomes
that will be possible in concentrated employment of resources”.
Issues
● Integrated force commander cannot be expected to have domain knowledge about the
other two Services under his command, thereby limiting his ability to make the right
decision.
● Two tri-service commands Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and Strategic Forces
Command (SFC) are headed by rotation by officers from the 3 Services.
● There are issues related to the structure of command, i.e. who will report to who within
the tri-services and joint theatre command configurations, and who will have operational
command over personnel and machinery, service chiefs or theatre commanders.
● There has been a demand for more integrated functional commands, such as the
aerospace, cyber and Special Operations commands, but the government is yet to take
any decision.
● Air force has opposed this idea as it doesn’t have enough resources such as fighter
squadrons, AWACS and mid-air refueller to allocate them dedicatedly to different theatre
commanders.
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● The inter-services competition wherein each service zealously oversees its own assets and
strives for a greater share of the defence budget and influence might prove to be an
obstacle in creating synergy among the services.
● Some critics argues that the idea of Integrated Theatre Commands seems to be driven
more by economic considerations and less by operational inadequacies
Suggestions
● The process for creation of theatre command must first invent the skeleton operational
structure that is guided by maximising space for cooperative flexibility and do so in the
hugest structure possible which permits planning and decentralized execution.
● These reforms cannot operate in a vacuum, and in order to be effective needs structural
integration alongside a supporting ecosystem. Supporting ecosystem includes-
Robust and vibrant defence manufacturing complex
● Recognition of the changing nature of warfare from a linear land based one to one that is
spread over to fast emerging critical domains such as those of cyber, space, and
psychological. (China, in critical areas has already introduced the Strategic Support Force
which comprises cyber force, space force and electronic warfare.)
● India should adopt only those changes which do not bring down the operational
effectiveness of the existing system, in light of our peculiar geography/terrain, threat
perception, peculiar challenges, resources and technological threshold.
Microchip manufacturing in India
Microchip is a set of electronic circuits on one small flat piece of semiconductor material that is
normally silicon.
● The Indian electronics sector is witnessing tremendous growth, as the demand is poised
to cross $400 billion by 2023-24.
● In fact, domestic production has grown from $29 billion in 2014-15 to nearly $70 billion
in 2019-20 (CAGR of 25 per cent).
● The government has unveiled three schemes with an outlay of about ₹48,000 crore to
promote electronics manufacturing in India. These schemes are:
○ Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme.
○ Modified electronic manufacturing cluster.
○ Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and
Semiconductors (SPECS).
● Most of the production takes place in the final assembly units located in India and
focussing on assembly units, would eventually help develop deep backward linkages,
thus inducing industrialisation.
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● The Economic Survey 2019-20 also promotes this by suggesting “assembly in India for
the world”, especially in “networked products”, in a bid to create four crore well-paid
jobs by 2025 and eight crore jobs by 2030.
● IIT Madras and Mumbai have developed indigenous microchip designs like Shakti and
Ajit respectively.
Issues
● While India has state-of-the-art R&D centres focusing on chip design, it has a limited
number of fabless start-ups and companies.
○ There are about 170 commercial foundries globally, yet there isn’t a single one in
India.
○ Industry experts cite the lack of fabrication facilities as contributing to low R&D
in this sector in India, which results in poor talent retention and eventually ‘brain
drain’.
● Chip manufacturers like Intel, TSMC, and Samsung, cite uncertain domestic demand and
poor cost efficiencies in India therefore choose other countries to produce microchips.
● Establishment of fabrication facilities will require huge investment.
● Despite the impressive growth of electronic production in India, the net value addition is
very low. It is in the range of $7-10 billion out of a global market of $2.1 trillion.
● High imports reliance. Nearly constitute 80 per cent of these components, with
approximately 67 per cent of the imports coming from China alone at a cheaper rate.
● It is expected that electronics imports will soon overtake crude oil as India’s largest
import commodity thus further widening current account deficit.
● Though ISRO and DRDO have their own fabs, their use is restricted for space and
defence systems only.
Suggestions.
● Government should stop viewing each private sector proposal with extreme suspicion. It
should act as a facilitator.
● The total outlay of Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components
and Semiconductors (SPECS) scheme must be increased from the present ₹3,300 crore,
in order to attract the microchip giants.
● SPECS was launched to provide a 25 per cent incentive on capital expenditure for
semiconductor manufacturing among other core components.
● Companies in China and Taiwan have had a lot of government support over the last
couple of decades to foster an effective ecosystem, which consists of materials,
machinery, manufacturing, testing, packaging, and sales.
● ISRO and DRDO, through technology transfer, can help new start-ups to establish new
fabrication facilities.
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● Government can provide special packages to facilitate manufacturing of indigenous

microchips such as Shakti and Ajit under Atma Nirbhar Bharat.
● Several MNCs have decided to shift a part of their production out of China, it is
imperative for us to act, and act fast to attract this outgoing investment.
Coral Reefs Issues
● Coral reefs are large underwater structures composed of the skeletons of colonial marine
invertebrates called coral.
● Reef-building corals have a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic algae called
zooxanthellae which live in their tissues.
● The three main types of coral reefs are fringing, barrier, and atoll.
● Coral reefs grow best in warm (21–29° C), clear and shallow water, where lots of sunlight
filters through to their symbiotic algae. It is possible to find corals at depths of up to 200
m.
● Great Barrier Reef, Raja Ampat Islands (Indonesian), Lakshadweep islands etc. are few
examples of coral reefs.
● The Aichi Biodiversity Targets within the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
countries adopted Aichi Target 10 which aims to reduce the different pressures on coral
reefs.
● SDG 14 aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for
sustainable development.
Importance
● About 25% of the ocean's fish depend on healthy coral reefs.

● Coral reefs protect coastlines from storms and erosion
● It provides economic opportunities for local communities, and offer opportunities for
recreation.
● They also are a source of food and new medicines.
● It assists in carbon and nitrogen fixing as well as helping with nutrient recycling.
● According to Indian Institute of Meteorology, coral reefs can provide insight into the
monsoon system.
● Most corals and sponges consume particulate matter suspended in the water column. This
contributes to enhanced quality and clarity of our near shore waters.
Threats
● Increased ocean temperatures and changing ocean chemistry are the greatest global
threats to coral reef ecosystems. These threats are caused by warmer atmospheric
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temperatures and increasing levels of carbon dioxide in seawater due to climate change. It
causes coral bleaching.
● Physical damage or destruction from coastal development, dredging, quarrying,
destructive fishing practices and gear, boat anchors and groundings, and recreational
misuse
● Trash such as plastic bags, bottles, and discarded fishing gear (also called marine debris)
that makes its way into the sea can snag on corals and block the sunlight needed for
photosynthesis, or entangle and kill reef organisms and break or damage corals.
● Pathogens from inadequately treated sewage, stormwater, and runoff from livestock pens
● Coral reefs are adapted to low nutrient levels; so an excess of nutrients from agricultural
fertilizer use, sewage discharges and animal waste can lead to the growth of algae that
blocks sunlight and consumes oxygen corals need for respiration.
● Sedimentation from coastal development, urban stormwater runoff, forestry, and
agriculture. Sediment deposited onto reefs can smother corals and interfere with their
ability to feed, grow, and reproduce.
● Overfishing can alter food-web structure thus ecological imbalance
○ Blast fishing (i.e., using explosives to kill fish) can cause physical damage to
corals as well.
● Toxic substances, including metals, organic chemicals and pesticides found in industrial
discharges, sunscreens, urban and agricultural runoff, mining activities, and runoff from
landfills. It can affect coral reproduction, growth, other physiological processes, feeding,
and defensive responses.
● Some threats are natural, such as diseases, predators, and storms.
Suggestions
● Encourage the adoption of best practice in sustainable management of coral reefs and
associated ecosystems
● Raise awareness at all levels on the plight of coral reefs around the world.
● Some artificial methods can be used to restore damaged reefs-
○ Develop and harvest coral nursery plants on the seafloor.
○ Installation of artificial coral structures. It acts as a foundation for coral larvae to
settle and grow.
● Government should formulate a dedicated legal framework for protection of coral reefs.
The law and policy for coral reefs in India is virtually non-existent. Environment
(Protection) Act, 1986, the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification etc. are used to provide
protection.
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● Some ingredients in sunscreen lotion can be harmful to or even kill corals. Such
ingredients should be banned and we should take a reef-friendly approach to sun
protection.
● Every country should fulfil its Intended National Determined Contribution agreed under
Paris Agreement. It should also chalk out a concrete plan for achieving SDG-14.
● Government should develop capacity for collection and scientific disposal of waste thus
preventing it from entering into sea. People should keep in mind the three R’s (reduce,
reuse, and recycle).
● Promote sustainable fishing.
Forest Fire
● The term Forest fires is used to designate the unwanted fires burning forests and wild
lands.
● Lightening is the major natural cause of forest fire whereas smoking is the leading man
made cause.
● High temperature, wind speed and direction, low moisture in soil and atmosphere and
long dry spells can intensify the forest fires.
● Around the world, somewhere between 75 million and 820 million hectares of land burn
each year.
● Global warming will alter fire regimes. Climate models predict that higher temperatures
and longer droughts will increase wildfire frequency, particularly in semi-arid regions.
● India's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has not recognised forest fires
as natural hazards.
● Forests with chir pine are very prone to forest fire.
● According to the Forest Survey of India report, out of the total 7,12,249 square km of
forest cover, 1,52,421 square km (21.40 percent) is either highly or extremely fire prone.
● The forests of Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Manipur, Odisha, Uttarakhand and Madhya
Pradesh are most vulnerable.
● International agencies like United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World
Meteorological Organization (WMO), FAO etc. work on problems related to forest fire
management
Issues
● Loss of valuable timber resources

● Degradation of catchment areas
● Loss of biodiversity and extinction of plants and animals
● Loss of wildlife habitat and depletion of wildlife
● Loss of natural regeneration and reduction in forest cover
● Global warming
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● Loss of carbon sink resource and increase in percentage of CO2 in atmosphere

● Change in the microclimate of the area with unhealthy living conditions
● Soil erosion affecting productivity of soils and production
● Ozone layer depletion
● Health problems leading to diseases
● Loss of livelihood for tribal people and the rural poor, as approximately 300 million
people are directly dependent upon collection of non-timber forest products from forest
areas for their livelihood.
Suggestions
● Prevention of human-caused fires through education and environmental modification. It

will include silvicultural activities, engineering works, people participation, and
education and enforcement.
● Development of fire line after thorough survey.
● Prompt detection of fires through a well-coordinated network of observation points,
efficient ground patrolling, and communication networks. Remote sensing technology is
to be given due importance in fire detection.
● India should explore the option of having own indigenous satellite system for early
warning rather than excessive reliance on NASA’s MODIS (Moderate Resolution
Imaging Spectro-radiometer) and VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite)
satellites
● For successful fire management and administration, a National Fire Danger Rating
System (NFDRS) and Fire Forecasting System can be developed in the country.
● Initial attack measures should be strengthened through training and capacity building.
● Vigorous follow up action.
● Equipping fire-fighters with modern fire-fighting resources.
● National Action Plan on Forest Fires (NAPFF) was launched in 2018 to deal with forest
fires by informing, enabling and empowering fringe communities and incentivising them
to work with the State Forest Departments.
India’s Refugee Policy
● Under the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees and the subsequent 1967
Protocol, the word refugee pertains to any person who is outside their country of origin
and unable or unwilling to return owing to well-founded fear of persecution for reasons
of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.
● India is one of the few liberal democracies that is not a party to the 1951 UN Refugee
Convention and its 1967 Protocol.
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● However it continues to grant asylum to a large number of refugees from neighbouring

States and respects UNHCR’s mandates. It respects the principle of non refoulement for
holders of UNHCR documentation.
● India does not have a dedicated domestic refugee law in spite of their increasing inflow.
● The Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939 govern the entry
and exit of all refugees.
● The Foreigners Act, 1946 offers a very simple definition of a foreigner. It means “a
person who is not a citizen of India”.
Issues
● The Foreigners Act, 1946, fails to address the problems faced by refugees as a class. It
also gives unrestrained power to the government to deport any foreign citizen.
● Since Indian law does not define who is a refugee, the government can brand all refugees
and asylum seekers under the umbrella “illegal migrant”.
● Newly introduced Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA) includes Hindu, Buddhist,
Sikh, Jain, Christian, and Parsi refugees from the three Muslim-majority countries of
South Asia but excludes Muslims from its purview. Numerous critics have stated that the
CAA violates Article 14 of the Indian Constitution
● Many people from neighbouring countries illegally immigrate to India, not because of
state persecution but in search of better economic opportunities. But in lack of dedicated
policy the two categories tend to get bunched together.
● The absence of a legal framework leads to politicisation of refugee protection and
complicates its geopolitical fault lines.
● The absence of a legal framework enables the government in office to pick and choose
‘what kind’ of refugees it wants to permit for whatever cultural, political or geopolitical
reasons.
○ It results in a discriminatory action, which could be a violation of human rights.
Suggestions
● It is the duty of a state, especially one with a vibrant democracy like India, to keep its
doors open for people in distress.
● The Supreme Court has held that the right to equality (Article 14) and right to life and
personal liberty (Article 21) extends to refugees.
● New domestic law aimed at refugees that make a distinction between temporary migrant
workers, refugees and illegal immigrants and deal with each of them differently through
effective legal and institutional mechanisms.
● UNHCR says it is its priority “to create an enabling environment for voluntary
repatriation and to mobilize support for returnees.”
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● Any refugee, whose grant of asylum has been approved, should be given a formal
recognition of his/her asylum status along with an identity document and a travel
document.
● They should be able to apply for residence permits, and be able to choose their place of
residence across India.
● Their documents must also enable them to seek employment in the private sector.
● Primary education, a powerful enabler, should be offered on no-charge basis in
government schools, while primary healthcare services available to Indian citizens should
be offered as well.
India – NATO: Intro, should India join, argument for arguments against, way forward
● The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance,
is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 European and North American
countries.
○ Established by the Washington Treaty of April 4, 1949.
● During the Cold War, India’s refusal to align either with NATO or USSR followed the
policy of non-alignment.
● China’s meteoric rise and aggressive actions in the Galwan Valley, at LAC and other
border areas has dramatically heightened India’s need for closer security relationships
with politically reliable and like-minded states.
● Some members of the Indian strategic community and many western countries have been
considering NATO as a reliable partner.
Should India join- Argument for
● Post cold war NATO has built partnerships with many neutral and non-aligned states.
● Article 5 provides that if a NATO ally is attacked, each and every other member of the
alliance will consider this attack against all members and will take the actions it deems
necessary to assist the ally.
○ It would create deterrence for Pakistan and China to attack India.
● NATO has regular consultations with both Russia and China, despite the gathering
tensions with them in recent years. Reluctance from the Indian side does not make any
sense.
● An India-NATO dialogue would simply mean having regular contact with a military
alliance, most of whose members are well-established partners of India.
● In the longer term, India would derive military-strategic benefits from a partnership with
the world’s most powerful alliance.
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● Delhi is eager to draw a reluctant Russia into discussions on the Indo-Pacific, whereas it
makes little sense in avoiding engagement with NATO, which is now debating a role in
Asia’s waters.
● A sustained dialogue with NATO could facilitate productive exchange of ideas about
terrorism, changing geopolitics, the evolving nature of military conflict, military
technologies and new military doctrines.
● India has military exchanges with many members of NATO including the US, Britain,
and France in bilateral and multilateral formats. Then a collective engagement should not
be a problem.
● It is the era of multilateralism. Even India and China are aligned together in SCO and
WTO. In WTO both countries are against USA but militarily USA and India oppose
China.
Should India join- Arguments against
● India still is heavily dependent on the Russian military equipment. Joining NATO will irk
Russia.
● NATO members have conflicting opinions about sharing the military burden and its
military operations.
● Russia has shown displeasure over India’s growing strategic convergence with the US.
● India’s proximity with NATO could further strengthen the already deepening relation
between China-Russia, Pakistan-Russia.
● Establishment of NATO bases on India’s territory might invite widespread protests in the
country; it may even be seen as an infringement of our sovereignty.
● India would get dragged into various conflicts. This would result in a lot of Indian
soldiers dying in conflicts in which we have no reason at all to get involved.
Way forward
● There is an imperative need on part of both parties to collaborate.

● Since Russia has not shown any allergy to the Quad and Delhi’s engagement with
Washington, putting NATO into that mix is unlikely to make much difference. As mature
states, India and Russia know they have to insulate their bilateral relationship from the
larger structural trends buffeting the world today.
● Even NAM has no much significance today. India should make rational decisions based
on geopolitical realities, keeping colonial hangover aside.
● An institutionalized engagement with NATO will make it easier for Delhi to deal with the
military establishments of its 30 member states.
● Since treaties are concluded purely in the national interest, India should think of NATO
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Improving judicial accessibility
● ‘Access to Justice’ is a basic human right conferred by the common law and exists unless
it is taken away under any valid exercise of statutory or constitutional power by the
legislature.
● According to Justice M. Jagannadha Rao, former chairman of Law Commission of India
access to justice also refer to the nature of different rights, to the number of Courts, to the
quality of justice, to the independence of the Judges who man the Courts, to legal aid and
public interest litigation and so on.
● The Supreme Court has held that access to Justice is a Fundamental Right guaranteed to
citizens by Article 14 and Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
● Poor judge-population ratio, poor infrastructure, Recruitment Delays, Procedural Delays,
lack of alternate mechanism, high fee, low role of technology etc. are some reason thar
affect accessibility.
Issues
● A National Court Management report by the Supreme Court showed that in the last three
decades, the number of cases increased by twelve folds while the number of judges
increased only by six folds.
● A number of people who are aggrieved are not able to seek justice because of the
prohibitive costs of litigation and the delays that come along with them.
● Use of English language especially in higher judiciary along with linguistic complexities,
archaic formulae, complex prepositions, lengthy and embedded clauses is hardly
understood by common people.
● While the rich are able to access and mould the legal and judicial system in their favour,
the poor suffer at the hands of corrupt and inefficient systems.
● High cost associated with increasing judicial infrastructure and increasing the number of
judges.
● During the pandemic access to justice became conditional on access to technology.
● High illiteracy, poor knowledge about legal rights, patriarchal mind-set etc. prevent
people from seeking justice.
● Most of the women facing domestic violence do not seek judicial remedies.
● Insensitivity towards women and lack of child friendly court.
Suggestions
● Promote use of technology ex. electronic filing of cases in the Supreme Court, High
Courts and district courts across the country.
● There is a need to promote the alternate dispute resolution mechanism such as mediation,
arbitration and conciliation to ensure dispute resolution out of regular court.
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● Early consensus on All-India Judicial Service to recruit judicial officers to fill the
vacancy in subordinate courts through an entrance test.
● Provide vernacular translations of the judgments. Making legal language more accessible
and understandable to the public.
● Use of technology and create protocols for virtual courts and e-hearings.
● Decentralising the courts to make them more accessible. Ex. More benches of Supreme
court
● Increase the number of mobile courts and gram nyayalaya.
Neglected tropical disease
● Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of tropical infections which are
common in low-income populations in developing regions of Africa, Asia, and the
Americas.
● They are caused by a variety of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa and
parasitic worms
● The most common NTDs in India are Rabies, Leptospirosis, Lymphatic Filariasis,
Visceral Leishmaniasis, Rabies, Dengue, Leptospirosis, and Soil-Transmitted Helminthic
Infections
● They are called "neglected," because they generally afflict the world's poor and
historically have not received as much attention as other diseases.
● NTDs are especially common in tropical areas where people do not have access to clean
water or hygienic living conditions.
● India experiences the world’s largest absolute burden of at least 11 major NTDs.
● Government has taken initiatives like National Health Policy, National Rabies Control
Programme, National Leprosy Eradication Programme, National Policy on Treatment of
Rare Diseases, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme etc. to prevent spread
of NTDs.
Issues
● Children are the most vulnerable. The disease kills, impairs or permanently disables
millions of people each year. It often results in life-long physical pain and social
stigmatization.
○ They aggravate poverty by lowering productivity
● Lacking a strong political voice as people affected by these diseases have a low status in
public health priorities.
● Lack of reliable statistics of diseases have hampered efforts to bring them out of the
shadows.
● Low budgetary allocation to support eradication programme
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● There is poor coordination between the various research bodies and funding agencies to
prioritise the research agenda and minimise duplication.
● ‘Dilapidated’ health infrastructure, low density of health professionals, low R&D etc.
hamper NTD elimination efforts.
● Main victims are poor people. They are incapable of accessing costly health services
resulting in high mortality.
Suggestions
● Controlling the vectors (e.gmosquitoes, black flies) that transmit these diseases and
improving basic water, sanitation, and hygiene are highly effective strategies against
these NTDs.
● Global Initiatives like Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovations (CEPI)
should be strengthened to finance and coordinate the research and development of new
vaccines to prevent and contain infectious disease.
● A comprehensive policy to foster research and innovation in drug discovery, diagnostics,
and vaccine development in neglected tropical diseases is lacking
● Our focus should be on an integrated approach instead of targeting diseases individually,
also formulate a holistic strategy.
● Partner with Civil Society, NGOs for ground-level implementation and monitoring of
eradication programmes.
● Going for mass drug administration and immunisation where appropriate to develop herd
immunity.
● Ensure accessibility, availability and affordability to primary health services for all
communities. It is essential to make them free of NTDs.
Opening of Arctic Due to Global Warming
● The Arctic is more impacted by global warming than any other place in the world. The
area is warming up twice as fast as the worldwide average
● In the past 30 years, we’ve seen areas of Arctic sea ice melt (around 75%) that are larger
than Norway, Sweden and Denmark combined.
● Arctic sea ice is now declining at a rate of 13.1 percent per decade, relative to the 1981 to
2010 average.
● As the Arctic ice melts into the sea, it opens up the Northern Sea Route, connecting the
North Atlantic to the North Pacific through a polar arc.
● A number of commercial cargo vessels have been going through the Northern Sea Route
every summer since the last decade.
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● Earth observation studies predict that this route could be ice-free in by 2050, if not
earlier.
Positive
● The Arctic is located at the top of the world and connects 90% of the world’s economy.
● It sits on vast amounts of untapped resources; this includes a significant portion of the
world’s buried petroleum, while Greenland alone holds about 10% of the world’s
freshwater reserves.
● A warmer climate will make mining possible in parts of the Arctic that were previously
inaccessible. The region holds many of the raw materials that will form a key part of
green technologies, like the rare-earth elements used in batteries for electric cars and
wind turbines
● The shrinking of ice on the Northern Sea Route will open new possibilities for shipping
companies that today account for 2-3% of global CO2 emissions and around 80% of
world trade journeys by sea.
● Shorter shipping routes will mean lower fuel costs, which will ultimately be better for the
environment.
○ The distance from Rotterdam to Yokohama will be cut by 40 per cent compared to
the Suez route.
● Melting Arctic ice creates new opportunities for the tech industry.
○ The Finnish company Cinia and Russian MegaFon recently agreed to install a
fiber optic cable across the Arctic Ocean, which will significantly reduce latency
○ Some of the largest data centers are scheduled to be built in the region due to the
cold climate and abundant hydropower in the Arctic
● Fishing is one of the key sources of income for the Arctic’s inhabitants - and new fishing
territories will open when the ice melts
Negative
● Forecasts estimate that Greenland’s ice sheet will have disappeared by the year 3000,
which will lead to an increase in the world’s water levels of around seven meters.
● The loss of ice and the warming waters will affect sea levels, salinity levels, and current
and precipitation patterns.
● Less ice means less reflected heat, meaning more intense heat waves worldwide.
● Permafrost in the Arctic stores large amounts of methane, which is a greenhouse gas.
When it gets melted, that methane is released, which in turn increases the rate of global
warming. It results in a vicious cycle that may result in a climate catastrophe.
● Tundra is returning to the swamp, the permafrost is thawing, sudden storms are ravaging
coastlines and wildfires are devastating interior Canada and Russia.
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● The phenomenally rich biodiversity of the Arctic region is under serious threat. Habitat
loss and degradation, the absence of year-long ice and higher temperatures are making
the survival of Arctic marine life, plants and birds difficult while encouraging species
from lower latitudes to move north.
● The Arctic is also home to about 40 different indigenous groups, whose culture, economy
and way of life are in danger of being swept away. Increasing human encroachment with
its attendant stresses will only aggravate this impact and upset a fragile balance.
● However, Navigation conditions are dangerous and restricted to the summer. Lack of
deep-water ports, a need for ice-breakers, shortage of workers trained for polar conditions
and high insurance costs add to the difficulties.
● Unlike Antarctica, the Arctic is not a global common and there is no overarching treaty
that governs it, only the UN Convention of Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Large parts of it
are under the sovereignty of the five littoral states Russia, Canada, Norway, Denmark
(Greenland) and the US and exploitation of the new resources is well within their rights.
● Even India’s extensive coastline makes it vulnerable to the impact of Arctic warming on
ocean currents, weather patterns, fisheries and most importantly, its monsoon
Way forward
● In order to fully embrace the opportunities, there need to be new, coordinated

infrastructure projects in the region. An Arctic infrastructure plan for the region would
better connect its remote areas.
● Mining and deep-sea drilling carry massive costs and environmental risks. These
difficulties may provide the crucial window to work out norms that are focused on
balanced and sustainable development before human greed overtakes everything.
● An international consensus must be built under the aegis of the United Nations to make
the arctic free and open for everyone and utilize the opportunities provided by it in a
judicious and sustainable manner.
● Arctic Council is the predominant inter-governmental forum for cooperation on the
environment and development aspects of the Arctic.
● It is high time that India’s presence in the Arctic Council should be underpinned by a
strategic policy that encompassed economic, environmental, scientific and political
aspects.
● It is in humanity’s interest to treat the opening of the Arctic as a severe global issue and
act accordingly.
Space Junk
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Space junk (also known as space debris, space pollution, space waste, space trash, or space
garbage) is defunct human-made objects in space, principally in Earth orbit, which no longer
serve a useful function.
● There are about 2,000 active satellites orbiting Earth and also 3,000 dead ones littering
space. What's more, there are around 34,000 pieces of space junk bigger than 10
centimeters in size and millions of smaller pieces that could nonetheless prove disastrous
if they hit something else.
● Computer simulations of the next 200 years suggest that the junk between 4 inches and 8
inches is expected to multiply 3.2 times and debris less than 4 inches will grow by a
factor of 13 to 20.
● It has been found that even a single grain of sand can cause serious damage to the heat
shield of a space shuttle, at high speed.
● In 2006, for example, a tiny piece of space junk collided with the International Space
Station, taking a chip out of the heavily reinforced window.
● LEO (Low Earth Orbit) is an orbital space junkyard with millions of pieces of space junk.
● Space junk comprises human-generated objects, such as pieces of spacecraft, tiny flecks
of paint from a spacecraft, parts of rockets, satellites that are no longer working, or
explosions of objects in orbit flying around in space at high speeds.
Issues
● Most space junk is moving very fast and can reach speeds of 18,000 miles per hour. Due
to the rate of speed and volume of debris in LEO, current and future space-based
services, explorations, and operations pose a safety risk to people and property in space
and on Earth.
● At the moment, NASA estimates there are hundreds of thousands of untraceable pieces of
junk in orbit around the Earth that threaten operational satellites and even people in
space.
● Questions around liability and responsibility for cleaning up orbit remain, and the
technology still needs to prove effective in real-life scenarios
● There are no international space laws to clean up debris in our LEO. LEO is now viewed
as the World’s largest garbage dump.
● It is expensive to remove space debris from space because the problem of space junk is
huge. There are close to 6,000 tons of materials in low Earth orbit.
● The anti-satellite system, and its test and use, created debris. Ex. According to NASA,
out of the 101 pieces of debris (big enough to be tracked) created by India’s Anti-satellite
system test, 49 continued to remain in orbit.
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● Trackers are seeing more and more close calls between satellites, as companies work to
deploy constellations of hundreds to thousands of small spacecraft, adding to fears that
those small satellites could become junk themselves.
Suggestions
● Every space program should look for ways to create less orbital debris, and design
equipment to track and remove the debris already in space.
● Deploy Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) which dock with a satellite in orbit, in order to
extend its life and keep it from becoming space junk faster.
● From a technology standpoint and from a market visibility standpoint, the development
of satellite servicing and the related ecosystem will contribute to the viability of the
active debris removal concepts.
● Deploying technological fixes like removing space debris from orbit with nets, harpoons,
or lasers. The laser could vaporize or redirect junks back to earth.
● Managerial fixes like deorbiting the satellite after the end of its life.
● Space junk is no one countries’ responsibility, but the responsibility of every spacefaring
country. The problem of managing space debris is both an international challenge and an
opportunity to preserve the space environment for future space exploration missions.
● Cleaning up junk requires finding new ways to remove it from orbit and experts say
regulations and policy need to be clarified to prevent more from accumulating.
● Reports now suggest that in order to keep certain orbits around Earth safe for new
satellites in the coming years, there will need to be active clean-up, with companies and
countries removing debris.
UNSC Reform
● The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945

● It is the one place where the world's nations can gather together, discuss common
problems and find shared solutions.
● UN Secretary-General António Guterres has made proposals to reform the United
Nations since the beginning of his term in January 2017.
○ He has set out three areas for reform: the development system, management, and
the 'peace and security architecture'
● Post Cold War, the world has been facing new kinds of threats to its peace and stability.
○ Regional and local conflicts based on deep-rooted historical, social, economic,
ethnic and other factors, are rampant, threatening to plunge the world into even
greater instability.
● The problem of explosive population increase, poverty, and environmental degradation
are affecting the entire planet.
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● Given the current international environment, the United Nations is expected to play an
even more important role than before.
● In order for the United Nations to be able to fulfill its responsibilities effectively, it must
undertake institutional as well as financial reforms
● Since 1945, the UN has been subject to a number of reforms, adapting it to the changing
needs and expectations, the tussle between 'power' and 'principle' still remains the same.
Issues
● Growing tensions between North and South developed and developing, as well as
ideological differences among member states and a rapidly changing world structure.
● The larger policy question underlying the UN as a world body is that of sovereignty. With
globalization, the question of sovereignty is a major source of tension that touches and
shapes many areas of reform.
● Due to the rapid globalization of market economies, the flow of goods, information,
services, capital, people and ideas has greatly expanded. With such changes, the UN as a
governing body has failed to adjust accordingly
● Member states have struggled with the term 'reform', as it lacks clarity, and it has been
difficult to reach a consensus on its execution.
● Some countries want a larger presence of the organization on the world stage whereas
some want to see the UN's mandates confined solely to humanitarian work.
● Slow and unresponsive service delivery owing to a fragmented and weak management
structure and also prevalent trust deficit among member states and UN staff.
● The UN development system is by far the biggest arm of the UN and it has 34 entities.
Experts agree that its fragmentation and inefficiency have grown beyond what is
acceptable, seriously limiting the system's performance, that its functions are outdated.
● A very frequently discussed change to the UN structure is to change the permanent
membership of the UN Security Council, which reflects the power structure of the world
as it was in 1945.
● Permanent five are generally opposed to strengthening the institution and use their power
to stop any significant change.
● UNCTAD has faced a steady erosion of its prominence and importance in its role and
developed countries continue to limit the mandate and power of the organization.
● A more formidable challenge is raising financial resources to ensure reform. For finances,
the institution is dependent on its donor. The countries donating more have greater say in
decision making.
● Political interests in maintaining the present siloed and arcane structure might yet drive
some states to oppose sweeping reforms to maintain their hold on prized billets in the
secretariat.
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● The growing divergence between the US and its European partners on many global
issues.
○ Differences between the US and the other powers is very visible in the Iran
nuclear deal.
● The United Nations Commission on Human Rights was criticized for giving high-profile
positions to member states that did not guarantee the human rights of their own citizens.
○ Libya, Cuba, Sudan, Algeria, China, Azerbaijan, Vietnam etc. to have been guilty
of gross violations of human rights
○ China is even a member of the UN’s main executive body UNSC.
Suggestions
● “No reform of the UN would be complete without reform of the Security Council”.
Therefore, its expansion as well as equitable representation in the UNSC is the desired
reform.
● A'reserve fund’ or even a ‘world tax’ can be a possible solution to reform UN finances.
● A reinvigorated resident coordinator (RC) system, emphasizing sustainable development.
○ RC system coordinates all organizations of the UN dealing with operational
activities for development, regardless of the nature of their presence in the
country
● A coordinated and restructured regional approach to support work in the field more
effectively
● Strengthen the United Nations human rights machinery, with the aim of ensuring the
effective enjoyment of all human rights i.e. civil, political, economic, social and cultural
rights, including the right to development.
○ A new Council to perform periodic reviews to assess states’ fulfillment of human
rights obligations and commitments.
● Strengthen the UN Conference on Trade and Development to maximize the trade,
investment and development opportunities of developing countries and assist them in
their efforts to integrate into the world economy on an equitable basis to achieve true
globalization and multilateralism.
● During a humanitarian crisis like the coronavirus pandemic, every country needs to come
together, putting together their capacities, not only in fighting the pandemic in a
coordinated way but in working together to have the treatments, testing mechanisms, the
vaccines accessible to everybody, to deal with the challenges.
Malnutrition in India
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● Malnutrition refers to getting too little or too much of certain nutrients.

○ Undernutrition: This type of malnutrition results from not getting enough protein,
calories or micronutrients.
○ Overnutrition: Overconsumption of certain nutrients, such as protein, calories or
fat, can also lead to malnutrition.
● More than one-third of the world's malnourished children live in India. Among these, half
of the children under three years old are underweight.
● India has been ranked at 94 among 107 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI)
2020.
● India's grinding Covid lockdown interrupted crucial government schemes that benefited
hundreds of millions of women and children.
● SDG 2 aims to end hunger by 2030
Issues
● Reduces the productivity of the population.

● Lower the survival rate of children.
● Increases the country’s mortality rates.
● Affects the learning capability and cognitive ability of children, making them inefficient
and unproductive in their later life.
● India is slipping into a vicious cycle of malnutrition.
● India’s poor performance towards SDG 2: Ending hunger by 2030, which is unlikely to
be achieved as experts suggest, will negatively affect India’s image as a welfare state
internationally.
● Women and ‘lower caste’ people are the worst-hit sections of the population thus it
exacerbates social injustice.
● Malnutrition is the primary reason behind 69 percent of deaths of children below the age
of five in India, as per UNICEF’s The State of the World’s Children 2019 report.
● According to the Global Burden of Disease Study, malnutrition is among the leading
causes of death and disability in India.
● 194.4 million people in India (about 14.5% of the total population) are undernourished as
per the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates.
● Huge budgetary allocation for providing nutritious food to pregnant women, children etc.
It is a huge burden on the public exchequer.
Suggestions
● Special emphasis on implementation of Government program schemes such as Integrated

Child Development Services (ICDS), the National Health Mission, the Janani Suraksha
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Yojana, the Matritva Sahyog Yojana, the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, and the National Food
Security Mission, among others.
● Special focus on National Nutrition Strategy which aims to reduce all forms of
malnutrition by 2030, with a focus on the most vulnerable and critical age groups.
● The Strategy aims to launch a National Nutrition Mission, similar to the National Health
Mission.
● A decentralized approach should be promoted with greater flexibility and
decision-making at the state, district and local levels regarding eradication of
malnutrition.
● Promote exclusive breastfeeding and introduce complementary foods and a diversified
diet after the first six months is crucial to meet the nutritional needs of infants.
● Discourage monoculture and diversify agriculture practices, promote bio-fortification and
food fortification to enhance the nutritional level among the population.
● Promote WASH initiatives, that is, safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, which are
critical for improving child nutritional outcomes.
● Effective implementation of ‘one nation one ration card’ as among the migrant
population, children and women are the most affected from deprivation during migrations
impacting their health condition.
Financial Inclusion in India
Financial inclusion is a method of offering banking and financial services to everybody in

society regardless of their income or savings.
● Financial inclusion is not only about having bank accounts but also includes access to
credit, insurance and micro-investment products in a simple and safe way.
● The National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2019-2024 sets forth the vision and key
objectives of the financing through a broad convergence of action involving all the
stakeholders in the financial sector.
● A series of schemes like PMJDY, Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana, Pradhan Mantri
Mudra Yojana, Stand Up India scheme, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana
(PMSBY), Atal Pension Yojana (APY), Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana (VPBY), Credit
Enhancement Guarantee Scheme (CEGS) for scheduled castes, Sukanya Samriddhi
Yojana etc. have strengthened financial inclusion in India.
● 23.21 crore accounts, out of the total 41.93 crore accounts opened under the PMJDY
scheme, belong to women account holders.
● It is estimated that nearly 80% of Indians have bank accounts at present.
● FinTech companies are playing a vital role in financial inclusion. India currently has
around 2174 FinTech startups.
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● Financial inclusion will act as a catalyst for not just economic growth but also the
eradication of poverty. It will also help in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) set by the United Nations (UN).
● Although the state of financial inclusion has improved over time, financial inclusion
hasn’t reached the poorest of the poor.
Issues
● Although the state of financial inclusion has improved over time, financial inclusion
hasn’t reached the poorest of the poor.
● Low income and the inability to provide collateral restrict the ability to access loans.
● Excessive reliance on informal lending.
● Disabled people find it difficult to access banks.
● The rising level of NPAs in banks makes it difficult to improve financial inclusion in
India.
● The biggest challenge to financial inclusion is the lack of robust technology
infrastructure. Further, lack of awareness and trust in digital payments enhances the
problem.
● Lack of enough bank branches in rural areas. Despite 69% population resides in rural
areas only 33% of total branches of PSBs and 21% of all branches of private banks are
located in rural India. It continues to be the roadblock to financial inclusion.
● The banks are facing high operating and maintenance costs in extending the financial
products to remote areas.
● Around 190 million adults in India still do not have a bank account (World Bank in 2020)
● India’s adult population is financially illiterate, resulting in 48% of the bank accounts
being inactive (World Bank in 2018)
● Digital lending has issues related to unauthorized lenders, exorbitant rates of interest, use
of coercive repayment methods, and non-consensual collection or use of user data.
Suggestions
● Development of need-based products, financial literacy along with innovative delivery

mechanism is necessary to ensure inclusive inclusion in India.
● Measures need to be initiated to make credit disbursement more flexible and attract the
masses that are used to informal sources of credit.
● Eliminating multiple layers of governance, leveraging modern technology, better
participatory role by benefactors and easing procedures can help in building a better
delivery infrastructure that provides efficiency and security.
● An affordable and accessible solution, based on mobile technology can be a good
platform to deliver financial services.
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● Investing in audit studies, reducing the risk of agent misconduct and conducting risk
management assessments are effective strategies that the government can adopt.
● It is important to ensure an effective policy solution to address the issues that impede the
growth of digital lending.
Middle Men in the Agricultural Sector
● Middlemen play the role in transferring the agricultural produce from farm to plate. They
act as market agents, traders or distributors of agro products.
● Farmers do not have the mechanisms, tools, methods and infrastructure to sell the farm
produce inefficient and lucrative market. They, therefore generally rely on the middlemen
to sell their produce.
● The Government of India introduced the Agricultural Produce Market Committee
(APMC) Act in 1963 with a linchpin focus on eliminating the exploitation of farmers by
middlemen. However, the very purpose of the act has been made redundant, and arguably
even counter-productive, over time.
● APMC Act was amended in 2003 to make marketing more transparent but it has actually
given rise to a conflict of interest, as the APMC, which is the operator, is also the
regulatory authority.
Pros
● Middlemen are a vital part of the farm economy and for thousands of farmers, the
mainline of credit.
○ The middlemen provide quick funds for seeds and fertilizers, and even for family
emergencies
● In the absence of organized wholesale markets, middlemen prevent farmers from
resorting to fire sales.
● Middlemen help in the marketing of agro products of poor farmers who are unable to
store or transport their products.
Cons
● Smaller farmers lack access to the storage facilities and sell their products earlier, in cash,
to the middlemen at lower rates.
● Middlemen are one of the hurdles in achieving the envisioned goal of doubling farmer’s
income. They are involved in black marketing and hoarding the agro products (ex.
Onion) thus creating an artificial crisis in the market which leads to inflation.
● Black marketers and hoarders are other dampeners of inefficient agricultural marketing
by farmers. They buy the agricultural produce from farmers at very cheap prices and
create artificial inflation, thereby making the consumers suffer as well.
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● In absence of effective regulations, only one or few middlemen control the whole market.
This leads to artificial pricing which affects both producers and consumers.
● In the absence of a direct link with the consumers, the farmers are at the mercy of the
middlemen who occupy the entire space between the production and the ultimate sale of
the produce
● This makes middlemen very powerful and the farmers often find themselves at a
disadvantage despite being the producers.
● Illiterate or semi-literate farmers, who are not market savvy and cannot comprehend the
multiplicity of taxes in place, are at the disposal of a cartel of middlemen and agents in
these markets who have a license to operate.
● With only limited agents in an APMC, it’s profitable for them to form a cartel and
deliberately increasing the bids, pushing prices higher. Thus delinking the producers and
consumers, deprives both- the farmers of better returns on their produces and the
common people of fair pricing on their vegetables.
● High costs are usually passed down to the farmers, who end up benefiting very little and
having to separately pay commission, marketing fee, and APMC cess.
Suggestions
● Farmers need a conducive environment that allows them to have a say in the pricing of
their produces in accordance with the demands of the consumers by interacting and
trading directly in the market.
● A lesson can be learned from the success of the dairy sector in India. The major factor in
the growth of the dairy sector in India is that this sector was granted much more
autonomy compared to the agricultural sector.
● Co-operative marketing increases the benefit of farmers by collective bargaining.
● The objectives of such committees are to ensure that farmers are getting paid sufficiently
and judiciously without getting exploited.
● To combat the exploitation of farmers, we need to take active policy action to increase
farm productivity, post-harvest technology, and better storage facilities.
● If we want the consumer to pay less and the farmer to gain more the role of private sector
role has to be enhanced by setting up private mandis where farmers can come and sell
their crops directly.
● Early implementation of e-NAM to develop a true pan India market for selling,
purchasing, making transactions, comparing prices etc. of agricultural produce over the
internet.
● Creation local outlets at each village where the farmers sell their stocks directly to the
consumers or the authorized buyers at fixed prices.
Corporate Fraud in India
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● Corporate fraud is the intentional misrepresentation of company financial information or

activities designed to mislead the public and increase the profits of the company.
● Types of corporate fraud are bribery and corruption, misappropriation of assets,
manipulation of financial statements, procedure-related frauds, corporate espionage, etc.
● Some major corporate frauds are the Satyam scandal, Harshad Mehta Scam, the
ICICI-Videocon scam, the ILFS scam, etc.
● Industry survey showed that in 2017, 89 percent of the companies based in India were
victims of at least one instance of fraud, 33 percent of them suffered revenue losses of
more than seven percent due to this.
● Various legal provisions such as the Indian Contract Act 1872, Indian Penal Code,
Prevention of Corruption Act, Prevention of Money Laundering Act, The Companies Act
1956 etc. deal with corporate fraud.
● The government had appointed various committees such as Kumar Mangalam Birla
Committee (2000), Naresh Chandra Committee (2002), N.R. Narayana Murthy
Committee (2003), J.J. Irani Committee (2005), Kotak Committee etc. to improve
Corporate Governance.
● Experts believe that the current disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic may lead
to a rise in corporate fraud.
Issues
● Destroy the confidence of investors in stock markets

● Prevent inflow of foreign investment.
● Results in enormous destruction in the wealth of investors
● Damage the reputation credibility of the affected company, its management and board of
directors
● Corporate fraud results in reduced performance of the companies in the market.
● Erode the ability of the affected company to borrow and thus creating financial stress.
● Government intervention in case of fraud is inevitable. It affects the autonomy of the
firms.
● Frauds add to non-performing assets in banks and lead to loss of banks and the economy.
● Frauds have a significant impact on the profitability and viability of Indian firms in the
long run.
Suggestions
● Companies should lay down strong systems, processes, corporate governance practices
and a robust recruitment process to ensure that the right people with integrity and value
systems are hired.
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● Regulations should be regularly tightened to ensure monitoring, vigilance and disclosure

mechanisms including whistle blowers’ complaints.
● Development of detailed anti-corruption and bribery policies.
● It is also important to create awareness among employees through rigorous training
mechanisms, as to areas exposed to fraud and ensure that frauds are impartially
investigated and culprits are punished, in time.
● Regional and international initiatives provide a forum for the private sector, public sector,
and civil society to come together with a common goal of reducing vulnerability to
corruption
● Speedy trial and strict punishment for the person who is found guilty of corporate fraud.
● Attitudinal change is necessary. The quality of our thoughts equals the quality of our
lives. We should work towards changing our attitude towards corruption.
Security of Telecommunications Infrastructure in India
● India is the world’s second-largest telecommunications market with a subscriber base of

1.16 billion and has registered strong growth in the last decade.
● India ranks as the world’s second-largest market in terms of total internet users. The
number of internet subscribers in the country increased at a Compound Annual Growth
Rate (CAGR) of 21.36% from FY16 to FY20 to reach 743.19 million in FY20.
● Gross revenue of the telecom sector stood at Rs. 68,228 crore (US$ 9.35 billion) in the
third quarter of FY 2020-2021.
● FDI inflow into the telecom sector during April 2000 – December 2020 totaled US$
37.62 billion according to the data released by the Department for Promotion of Industry
and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
● The rise in mobile phone penetration and decline in data costs will add 500 million new
internet users, especially in rural India, creating opportunities for new businesses.
● The Indian mobile economy is growing rapidly and will contribute substantially to India’s
GDP according to a report prepared by GSM Association (GSMA) with Boston
Consulting Group (BCG).
● Now, Government is more conscious about security due to the fast-changing realization
around the criticality of telecom networks and vulnerability to backdoor bugs and state
and non-state hacking syndicates.
● There are growing concerns in the government over “meddling by Chinese elements” into
India’s critical infrastructure.
Issues
● Telecom companies are more susceptible to security concerns because of their

interconnected nature and the necessity to rely on international operational standards.
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● The telecommunication sector builds and operates complex networks and stores
voluminous amounts of sensitive data associated with individuals and corporate. There
are issues related to data breaches.
● Cyber-attacks disrupt telecom service providers. The cost of such attacks is surging over
time. There is a huge cost associated with developing a secure cyberinfrastructure.
● Poor technology, inadequate safety net and ineffective policy framework make our
telecommunication infrastructure highly vulnerable.
● Inadequate focus on human capital, lack of R&D, less number of IPR and over-reliance
on import of equipment and technologies, especially from China, enhance the insecurity
of this critical infrastructure.
● Due to high digital illiteracy and ignorance on our part, the confidence of malicious
players who use our behavioral data to impersonate us to carry out the illicit activity
boosts.
○ With IoT gaining a foothold, this will complicate matters substantially.
● Frequent Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks have the potential to overwhelm
the network with irrelevant data and make network resources unavailable.
● Poor security strategy of telecom industries. Only 50% of the corporates in the telecom
space have a mobile security strategy in place and one out of three have security
management software.
Suggestions
● Embracing a holistic cybersecurity approach including prevention measures, threat

detection, incident response methods and others. Telecommunication companies can
dodge cyber risks posed by the security vulnerabilities inherent to their industry.
● In a move to restrict the business of top Chinese vendors such as Huawei and ZTE in 4G
expansion and the upcoming 5G, to secure the mobile ecosystem, the government made
amendments to the license rules, mandating that equipment can be procured only from
‘trusted’ sources that have been approved by a Designated Authority.
● Give a policy boost to domestic electronic manufacturing in the country in the context of
Digital India policy and Atma Nirbhar Bharat strategy through production-linked
incentive scheme and other benefits.
● Strengthen institutional frameworks such as the Computers Emergency Response Team
and National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Center. They play a vital role
in securing Telecommunication infrastructure.
● Harden network nodes by implementing better firewall configuration.
● Conduct regular network security assessments and penetration tests.
● Invest in the promotion of digital literacy and awareness.
● Investment in research and development of modern and secure technology (ex. quantum
computing)
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Coal Power in India
● Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the coal powered industries, steamships and
steam trains. It was also the primary force behind the industrial revolution.
● According to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), coal and lignite-based power plant
account for 54.7% of total installed capacity as of March 2021.
● India's energy demand will increase more than that of any other country over the next two
decades, as said by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in 2021.
● Energy use has doubled since 2000, with most of that demand met by coal and oil. This is
set to grow about 35 percent until 2030, down from 50 percent before the coronavirus
pandemic.
● India’s use of coal may have peaked in 2018, according to a report by U.K.-based clean
energy group Ember. That’s sooner than many experts have forecast.
● Rapidly cutting coal consumption is necessary to meet climate goals set under the Paris
Agreement, which strives to keep temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius
from pre-industrial levels in order to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
Positive
● Reliability. Coal’s ability to supply power during peak demand either as base power or as
off-peak power is greatly valued as a power plant fuel. It is with this fact that advanced
pulverized coal-fired power plants are designed to support the grid system in avoiding
blackouts.
● Coal is not an intermittent energy source. Coal, unlike solar, wind, or hydro, is a
round-the-clock energy source. It is never affected by snow or drought-like hydro; neither
is it impacted by night like solar and it suffers less from seasonal fluctuations as the wind
power does.
● Affordability. The energy produced from coal-fired plants is cheaper and more affordable
than other energy sources. Since coal is abundant, it is definitely cheap to produce power
using this fuel.
● Abundance. With a great amount of coal available for use, coal-fired plants can be
continuously fueled in many years to come.
● Known technologies. The production and use of coal as a fuel are well understood, and
the technology required in producing it is constantly advancing. Moreover, coal-mining
techniques are continuously enhanced to ensure that there is a constant supply of coal for
the production of power and energy.
● Safety. Generally, coal-fired plants are considered safer than nuclear power plants.
● Compact design. Coal-based power plant require less land resources as compared to its
renewable counterparts such as wind energy, solar energy, Hydropower plants etc.
● Coal output is controllable unlike wind and solar energy which are dependent on the
external environment.
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● Coal creates jobs as, in India, it is labor-intensive. That means it requires a huge number
of people to operationalize and actualize it.
● In the event of an emergency, it is easier to mitigate the side effects as compared to
nuclear or hydropower.
Issues
● Despite large reserves of coal, India imports nearly 170 million tons of coal.
● The Plant Load Factor (PLF) in the country (Coal & Lignite based) has declined from
77.5% in 2009-10 to 53.37% 2020-21. It means we have installed a huge capacity, most
of which is redundant.
● Greenhouse gas emissions. Coal leaves behind harmful byproducts upon combustion that
causes a lot of pollution and contributes to global warming. The increased carbon
emissions further global warming which results in climate changes.
● Mining destruction. The mining of coal not only results in the destruction of habitat and
scenery, but it also displaces humans as well.
● Generation of millions of tons of waste. Millions of tons of waste (ex. fly ash etc.) are
generated from coal-fired plants. These waste products contribute to waste disposal
problems, these also contain harmful substances.
● Emission of harmful substances. Coal-fired plants emit harmful substances to the
environment. These include mercury, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, mercury,
selenium, and arsenic. These harmful substances not only cause acid rain but also are
very harmful to humans as well.
● Coal is a non-renewable source of energy. Though we have abundant supply as of now,
coal is, unfortunately, not a renewable source of energy. That means it shall cease to exist
someday. Therefore we need a backup plan.
Suggestions
● Despite the increased focus on renewable energy, coal will remain an important part of
India’s energy mix. Therefore a range of new technologies (like Coal gasification, Super
Critical power plant etc.) can be deployed to make coal-fired power plants more
environmentally friendly.
● India should actively engage with developed countries to mobilize funds and technology
for climate mitigation and adaptation.
● India can collaborate with the European Union which envisages achieving “carbon
neutrality” by 2050 under a green climate deal.
● India could speed up the transition by placing a moratorium on new coal power plants
and incentivizing the closure of old, inefficient facilities as the world is shifting toward
greener and cleaner energy sources.
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● India will unlikely to achieve the renewable energy target 2022 (175GW). It should put
all its energy and effort so that it doesn’t miss the 2030 target (450GW) to reduce reliance
on coal-based thermal power plants.
Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)
● FPO is a type of Producer Organization where the members are farmers, especially small
and marginal farmers. Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is providing
support for the promotion of FPOs
● Since 2011, Government has intensively promoted FPOs under the Small Farmers’
Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC), state governments, NABARD and NGOs
● It is also significant amid the Government’s ambition of doubling farmer’s income by
2022. (But this target is likely to be missed)
● The agriculture ministry said FPOs is the first step for converting Krishi (farmer) into
"Atma Nirbhar Krishi". which will enhance cost-effective production and productivity
and higher net incomes to the member of the FPO.
● The FPOs include farmer producer companies (FPCs) registered under the Companies
Act as well as farmers' cooperatives registered under the Cooperative Societies Act of
state governments.
● FPO is now defined as "farmer" in the new Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce
(Promotion and Facilitation) Act of 2020 for the purpose of trading in agricultural
produce.
● The central government has proposed to form and promote 10,000 new FPOs in the next
five years in the country with a budgetary provision of Rs 6,865 crore, says the Ministry
of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
How they can help
● FPOs can provide small and marginal farmers "better collective strength for better access
to quality input, technology, credit and better marketing access through economies of
scale for better realization of income".
● It will enhance cost-effective production and productivity and higher net incomes to the
members of the FPO.
● Post-harvest losses can be minimized through value addition and efficient management of
the value chain.
● A producer company offers more credibility to the farmers as compared to other
unregistered organizations of farmers or agriculturists.
● Price fluctuation can be managed; if there are practices like contract farming, agreements,
etc. Farmers will be benefited from stable prices.
● Easy in communication for dissemination of information about price, volume and other
farming-related advisories
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● In agricultural marketing, there is a long chain of intermediaries who very often work
non-transparently leading to the situation where the producer receives only a small part of
the value that the ultimate consumer pays. FPOs limit the influence of intermediaries.
● FPO is a means of actively engaging farmers in the development process. It provides an
organized system to transfer modern-day technology, absorb them efficiently into rural
development programs, and monitor their socio-economic progress.
● It plays a critical role in creating sustainable employment for youth and women, and
progress towards reducing poverty for millions of people.
● They will have better bargaining power vis-à-vis the bulk buyers of produce thus farmers
can compete with large corporate enterprises
Issues
● FPOs are facing issues with manpower attrition that leads to less farmer mobilization into
FPOs. Due to fewer farmers being mobilized, share capital of FPOs is less than expected
and that leads to several other financial problems.
● BODs and CEOs have very little managerial skills and limited exposure to
entrepreneurship and business development.
● As Farmer Producer Organizations do not have anything other than farmer member’s
equity to leverage borrowings, it’s very difficult for any banking system to provide them
capital in huge amounts.
● FPOs are unable to take benefits of several schemes launched by SFAC and other related
organizations because there is a lack of particular direction of flow of information.
● Presently, while the risks related to production at farmers’ level are partly covered under
the existing crop/livestock / other insurance schemes, there is no provision to cover
business risks of FPOs.
● FPOs have inadequate access to basic infrastructure required for aggregation like
transport facilities, storage, value addition (cleaning, grading, sorting, etc.) and
processing, brand building and marketing.
● Inadequate awareness among the farmers about the potential benefits of collectivization
& non-availability of competent agencies for providing handholding support. Further,
lack of legal and technical knowledge about various Acts and Regulations related to the
formation of FPOs and statutory compliances thereafter.
Suggestions
● The Central Government along in coordination with the State Government should
aggressively promote FPOs as studies suggest that we need more than one lakh FPOs
while we have less than 10,000 as of now.
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● The government needs to address structural issues such as lack of technical skills,
professional management, working capital, marketing, infrastructure, risk mitigation
mechanism etc. while scaling up FPOs.
● Although the Government is focusing on the establishment of new FPOs, equal focus
should be on creating an effective supply chain and finding new markets.
● While taking any initiative Government should give extra focus on women farmers as it
has the potential to advance the narrative on women’s empowerment.
● Various training programs should be organized from time to time to enhance the
entrepreneurship and business development skills of CEOs and BODs of FPOs.
● FPOs can be developed into such a system that they should earn round the year by
different methods.
○ They can take dealership with public and private companies working in the
fertilizer sector, pesticide industry and seed selling company
○ These three inputs should be supplied to farmers and this way farmers are also
benefited from the company.
Gas Based Economy India.
● Natural gas is the cleanest-burning hydrocarbon, odorless, colorless and non-toxic,

consisting primarily of methane.
● Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that a gas-based economy is crucial for
Atmanirbhar Bharat.
● NITI Ayog in its National Energy Policy highlights the importance of access to gas at an
affordable price. It relates to the reduction of poverty, including energy poverty, and
increasing access to electricity and clean cooking.
● Increased reliance on gas will reduce India’s dependence on crude oil imports by
substituting the use of oil products in industrial, transportation and residential
applications.
● The share of natural gas in India’s energy basket is 6%. The government plans to increase
this share to 15% by 2030.
● India’s natural gas production capacity is around 32 billion cubic meters per year
currently.
● Assam, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh are leading producers of
natural gas in India.
● The government has brought Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) by
replacing New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) to expedite exploration and
production of natural gas through revenue sharing model.
● The Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) has increased substantial acreages in the
country. This policy is an investor-driven acreage auction process.
● Increased gas utilization is expected to help India meet its intended nationally determined
contribution (INDC) commitments under the UN Framework Convention on Climate
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Change by reducing carbon emission intensity by up to between 33 and 35 percent from

2005 levels by 2030.
Positive
● Gas is the cleanest-burning hydrocarbon, producing around half the carbon dioxide
(CO2) and just one-tenth of the air pollutants of coal when burnt to generate electricity.
● The most efficient gas-fired plant has investment costs of $1,100 per kilowatt, according
to the IEA, compared with $3,700 for the most efficient coal-fired plant.
● Gas also has a growing number of uses. It is a lower-emission alternative to diesel and
heavy fuel oil in transport.
● It is 40 percent cheaper than liquefied petroleum gas. It is even cheaper than coal.
● A gas-fired power station takes much less time to start and stop than a coal-fired plant.
This flexibility makes it a good partner to renewable sources of energy such as solar and
wind, which are only available when the sun shines and the wind blows.
● Natural gas is abundant. If consumption remained at present levels, the International
Energy Agency (IEA) estimates there are enough recoverable resources to last around
230 years.
● It will improve the ease of living and reduce the expenses of the poor, middle class and
entrepreneurs.
Challenges
● Natural gas must be handled carefully because it is a highly combustible material.

● Like all fossil fuels, natural gas is not a renewable energy source.
● India is the world’s third-highest emitting country. Therefore the questions are likely to
be asked whether the commitment towards gas-based fossil fuels is compatible with the
international climate goals laid out in the Paris Agreement, as it produces greenhouse gas.
● Natural gas resources are limited in India. 55% of the total needs is imported in the form
of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) (which is costlier)
● The government’s focus is on the existing sources of supply i.e. domestic gas and LNG.
Progress on pipelines from other countries has largely been ignored.
● The Union government had envisaged developing the National Gas Grid in 2019. Till
January 2021, 16,788 km long natural gas pipeline is operational and 14,239 km of
pipelines are being developed to increase the availability of natural gas across the
country, according to the government.
○ But, historically, India’s pipeline expansion plans have fallen short of
expectations.
● Tough competition with renewables (solar energy, electric transportation etc.) and coal.
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Suggestions
● Government should steadfastly be working to build infrastructure and increase

connectivity to transport natural gas from the coasts to inland areas.
● There is the need for “one – nation-one – gas-grid" structure to enhance energy
availability and accessibility
● Natural gas has a high tax burden currently. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)
has pointed out that the ‘second clean fuel revolution was possible only with taxation and
pricing reforms in favor of cleaner fuels.
● There is the need for aggressive policy-driven actions including coal cess and mandates
to phase out old coal-based power plants.
● Policy reforms needed downstream to move from monopoly to competition. We must
move to a marketplace where the consumer has multiple competing gas supply options to
ensure that supply is available, affordable and sustainable.
● India needs to fully tap the global gas glut. This is the time to attract major gas players to
come to India, invest and be part of the growth – similar to what is happening with the
refining and fuels marketing business.
● No doubt natural gas is a cleaner fuel but cannot be called a green fuel. Therefore more
focus should be on renewable sources of energy as compared to natural gas or any other
fossil fuel.
PPP Reform in India
● Public-private partnerships involve collaboration between a government agency and a

private-sector company that can be used to finance, build, and operate projects, such as
public transportation networks, parks, and convention centers.
● PPP ventures guarantee proficient utilization of assets, accessibility of cutting edge
innovation, better venture outline, ideal risk distribution, enhanced deliverance of public
services and push to public sector reforms.
● It is said that the PPP story began with private sterling investments in Indian railroads in
the latter half of the 1800s.
● A new wave in PPP was felt when a policy was made by the Central government in 1991
and it was decided to allow private participation in the Power sector which opened up the
doors for independent power producers.
● The National Highways Act, 1956 was altered in 1995 to empower private support.
● India majorly follows 3 types of PPP models. They are the Hybrid Annuity Model
(HAM), Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) and Engineering Procurement and Construction
(EPC).
● HAM is a hybrid of BOT and EPC where the financing, risks, operations etc, are shared
by the Government and a private partner.
196
● HAM was introduced in 2016 to revive investments in road infrastructure. It got initial
success as it had succeeded in mitigating the concerns of the private investors.
● A high-level government panel headed by Vijay Kelkar has suggested sweeping reforms
to energize public-private partnerships (PPP) in the infrastructure sector.
○ Key recommendations of the committee were related to service delivery instead
of fiscal benefits, allocation of risks between stakeholders, viability gap funds,
improved fiscal reporting, PPP Adjudication Tribunal, Unsolicited Proposals
("Swiss Challenge") etc
Issues
● There is increasing evidence to show that privatization of public services has led to the
exclusion of the poor and has had severe ramiﬁcations on issues in equity and access.
● There is widespread consensus now that the unfettered privatization agenda of economic
reforms is ﬂawed, has not worked, and a greater role of the state is called for.
● PPP projects have been stuck due to disputes in existing contracts, non-availability of
capital and regulatory hurdles related to the acquisition of land.
● Market risk arising from insufficient demand.
● There is often a lack of congruence in the objectives amongst the government and the
private sector.
● Legal risk, arising from changes in law, title/lease rights, insolvency of developer etc.
● Some major projects (ex. Metro) become sites of crony capitalism. It was used as a
means for accumulating land by private companies.
● In many cases, the loans taken by private partners from public sector banks in India has
turned into a non-performing asset.
● Political connection in the allocation of many PPP projects in infrastructure sectors.
● Frequent renegotiations also resulted in the drain of a larger share of public resources.
Suggestions
● The approach to PPPs must remain firmly grounded in principles that ensure PPPs are
formulated and executed in public interest with a view to achieving additional capacity
and delivery of public services at a reasonable cost.
● The success of PPP is dependent on stable revenue flow assurances and a stable
ecosystem to investors over long periods by means of stable policy and law.
● It is important to create an effective coordination and review mechanism that develops
mutual trust and confidence.
● The government should establish a transparent process of selection of the private partner.
Preference should be given to e-bidding.
197
● The agreements defining the mutual role and responsibilities should be precisely drafted
to avoid confusion and conflict.
● Sector-specific institutional frameworks may be developed to address issues for PPP
infrastructure projects.
● Implementation of the key recommendation of the Vijay Kelkar Committee on Revisiting
and Revitalizing PPP Model.
Hydroelectric Projects ( Pros, Cons, Way Forward )
Hydroelectric projects are used for the generation of electricity using the flow of water i.e., run
of the river projects or by construction of check dams.Although the projects comes under the
category of renewable sources,it has several implications on the environment and habitation.
Pros:
1. Clean and non polluting source of energy.
2. Water is not consumed in the run of river projects so it doesn't flow to lower areas.
3. Reliable source of energy throughout the year, unlikely solar energy.
4. Affordable source of energy.
5. Reservoirs built can be used for recreational activities so boosting tourism in the area.For
instance Hanuwantiya island in MP.
6. Flexible source of power as it can go from zero to maximum output.
7. Helps in flood control,irrigation and also provides clean water.
Cons:
1. Building reservoirs disturbs the ecosystem of rivers and creates difficulty for fish and
other animals.
2. It displaces people.For instance Sardar sarovar dam on narmada river.
3. Creates Migrants and refugee issues.For example-Chakmas and Hajongs from
Bangladesh.
4. Hydroelectric projects are expensive to build.
5. It creates issues like drought,increased melting of glaciers,methane emissions.So harmful
for the environment.
Way forward:
1. Proper Environment impact assessment of the project before its construction.
2. Adopting more environment friendly sources of energy like Solar and Wind energy.
3. Proper rehabilitation of nearby villages.
4. Banning construction of new hydroelectric projects in biodiversity hotspot and
ecologically sensitive areas.
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Changing South Asian Dynamics And Relevance Of Quad For India
QUAD is a multilateral group of four countries USA,Japan,Australia and India which recently
held virtual conferences involving the heads of all four countries.Quad holds much importance in
the wake of changing situations in south asian.
South Asian dynamics:

1. Assertive and aggressive policies of China.
2. Restricting freedom of navigation operations in south china sea and indian ocean.
3. Point of conflicts in south china sea and China threatening small countries.
4. Terrorist safe havens in countries like Pakistan.
5. Illegal drugs trade.
6. Spillover effect of terrorism on neighbouring countries.
Relevance of Quad for India:

1. Counter assertiveness of China in the region.
2. Effectively dealing with the terrorism and ensuring stability in region.
3. Ensuring freedom of navigation operations in the Indian Ocean region.
4. Ensuring respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty and peaceful resolution of
disputes.
5. Ensuring maritime security in the region.
Issues with QUAD:

1. Confusion over definition of Indian ocean region.
2. Entire focus is on maritime collaboration rather than on land based groupings.
Way forward:
1. Establishing proper framework for the functioning of Quad.
2. Ensuring regular meetings and effective decisions needs to be taken.
3. Outcome oriented and strong steps needed in terms of counter terrorism.So organising
Joint military operations.
Peace In North East Region
Government of India signed various tripartite peace accords with armed insurgents groups and
state govt such as Bodo peace accord,Naga peace accord etc.Very recently,Karbi anglong peace
accord was signed with 5 armed groups and govt provided special 1000 rs crore package for the
development of karbi anglong autonomous district council.
Issues in north east region:
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1. Clashes between tribal people who are natives and migrants.

2. Relative deprivation of the region.
3. Loosely administered by the British India government.
4. Cut off from the Indian mainland.
5. Racial abuses against north east people in rest of india.
6. Influx of refugees from neighbouring countries.
7. AFSPA acts enforceable in the state leading to conflict with the military.
8. Safe havens to armed groups in neighbouring countries like Myanmar,Bangladesh.
Suggestions:
1. Ensuring development in the region by setting up industries and infrastructure needed for
health,education for people.
2. Proper connectivity in the region.
3. Strengthening law and order situation.
4. Giving autonomy to district councils so that the culture of indigenous people can be
protected.
5. Ensuring proper checks and balances on development so that fragile ecology is protected.
6. Proper verification needs to be done before the central government enters into ceasefire
agreements with armed groups.
7. Protecting borders to restrict flow of refugees across borders.
Effect Of Myanmar Situation On India
Recent coup by military to overthrow the constitutional government led to protests and clashes
between people and military,criticism by international community and governments.India shares
land border with myanmar so India took very calculative step by not excessive criticism of
military regime but instead stressed on protecting the constitutional values and human rights of
citizens.
Effects on India:
1. Increased influx of migrants because of the atrocities under the military regime.
2. Safe havens to insurgents groups might lead to increased threat in the northeast region.
3. Disruption of trade and business between India and myanmar..
4. Criticising the military might push it towards China and lead to policies against india.
5. Myanmar is critical for a safe and secure north east and is a vital component of Act east.
Suggestions:
1. Diplomatic pressure on the military to set up a constitutional government and protect
human rights.
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2. Negotiating with the military to not commit atrocities on ethnic tribes and prevent exodus
of refugees in india.
3. Ensuring free flow of goods and services between India and Myanmar.
4. Providing a safe environment to Businesses in Myanmar.
Digital Divide In India
Digital divide means disparity in the access to digital services like online education,online
shopping,digital payments in rural and urban areas.This could be due to various factors like
availability of internet,affordable internet packages and digital literacy. In India around 700
million active internet users are there.
Consequences of digital divide:

1. Denies access to online education which is affordable as compared to brick and mortar
classrooms.
2. Hampers the growth of rural people to access quality courses to hone their skills for
newer challenges in employment.
3. Denies basic services like tele health services to rural people.
4. Further widens the poor and rich gap.
5. Depends on the cash payments for transactions.
6. Communication gap leading to cut off with their relatives living abroad or far off places.
Suggestions:
1. Strengthening infrastructure to provide internet services in india such as laying down
optical fibre line and satellite based internet.
2. Direct benefit transfer to below poverty line people for using internet services.
3. Internet connectivity to all gram panchayats.
4. Setting up a government centre where poor and illiterate people can access digital
services like digital payments,online bill payments.
5. Subsidies can be provided for the purchase of laptop and smartphones to access online
education.
Banking Sector Reforms
Banking sector is important for the growth of the economy providing credit to businesses,farmers
and middle classes.It is important for the demand creation in the economy but the banking sector
has been plagued with problems like Non performing assets,infra in rural areas etc.
Why need of reforms:
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1. Providing credit to farmers and poor people.

2. Solving the problem of Bad loans.
3. Increased risk of cyberthreats.
4. Varied and unique demand of customers not fulfilled by traditional banks.
Reforms suggested:
1. Creation of bad banks and asset restructuring companies for solving issues of bad loans.
2. Need of big banks by merger of small and non performing banks.
3. Need of differentiated banking to cater to the unique and varied demands of customers.
4. Blockchain banking to further financial inclusion and better risk management.
5. Need to increase the deposit insurance limit to increase the trust of customers in the
banking system.
6. Empowering banks to deal with wilful defaulters and have diversified loan portfolios.
FDI Issues And Reforms
India received record Foreign direct investment of around $81 bn in financial year 2021 and
Mauritius was the largest contributor.Although FDI is crucial for businesses and companies but it
also has limitations and negative impact on the country.
Issues with FDI:

1. FDI is foreign capital so needs to pay profit,interest and dividend on that leading to
capital account deficit.
2. Subjugates India’s sovereignty and security.
3. Doesn’t lead to improvement in technological capabilities or technology transfer.
4. It also leads to loss of ownership to foreign companies and individuals.
Suggestion:
1. Restricting flow of FDI in strategic sectors.
2. Prior approval for fdi from hostile countries which poses threat to India's security.
3. Restrict and prohibit fdi from countries which follow trade distorting practices against
Indian companies.
4. Requiring foreign companies to transfer technology in India and establish business in
India for a long duration.
Co Operation On Polar Regions
Polar regions also known as frigid zones consist of areas lying in polar circles comprising arctic
and antarctica.Recently India drafted a policy on arctic to extend scientific research, sustainable
tourism and exploration of oils and minerals.
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Why Polar regions is of importance:

1. White ice reflects the sun rays so keeps the earth temperature in control.
2. It also helps in regulation of warm and cold currents.
3. Stores vast amounts of the planet's freshwater as ice.
4. It is very rich in mineral reserves.
Cooperation:
1. India signed an agreement with Sweden to explore arctic regions and carry out scientific
research.
2. The Arctic council is a high powered intergovernmental committee which addresses
problems of arctic governments and indigenous people of the arctic.
3. Polar regions are not easy to explore because of terrains and extreme cold so cooperation
between countries is needed.
India’s Oceanic Mineral Resources
India has an exclusive economic zone of around 2 million sq km and coastline of around 8000
km which contains vast reserves of marine living resources.Government announced the deep
ocean mission for carrying out research and exploring oceanic minerals.
Issues in exploring oceanic resources:

1. Environmental concerns over drilling on the ocean beds.
2. Threatens the marine ecosystem.
3. India does not have proper scientific capabilities to sustainably exploit oceanic minerals.
4. High capital intensive investment needed for exploration.
Suggestions:
1. Proper research and development in the field of ocean exploration.
2. Investment in the machinery for the sustainable exploration of minerals.
3. Separate department in the ministry of earth science dedicated for oceanic minerals.
4. Restricting the exploration only where marine life is not high.
Illegal Sand Mining In India
Sand is a minor mineral and is used intensively in construction as binding agent.Mining of sand
is regulated by respective state governments but because of the lax regulations and nexus with
police and politicians, the sand mafia illegally mines sand from river beds.
Issues with Illegal sand mining:
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1. Damages the ecosystem of rivers and weakens bridges.

2. Weakens riverbeds and destroys natural habitats of organisms living on riverbeds.
3. Affects fish breeding and migration.
4. Increase salinity of river water.
5. Leads to revenue loss to the state government.
6. Disturbs the law and order of the area as frequent clashes of mafia with police and forest
officials took place.
Suggestions:
1. Integrated operations by police and forest officials for crackdown on sand mafia.
2. E auction of sand mines to bring transparency in allocation.
3. Promoting the use of alternatives of river sand:
a. Manufactured sand
b. Copper slag
c. Granulated blast furnace slag
Relevance Of BRICS
BRICS is an intergovernmental group of like minded emerging economies comprising

Brazil,Russia,South Africa,India and China.All members met annually in BRICS summit which
was recently held virtually because of Covid-19.
Why BRICS is still relevant:

1. To put forward a similar agenda concerning emerging economies on international
platforms.
2. For effective actions against terrorism.
3. Promotion of just and equal multipolar world order.
4. Comprehensive measures to overcome the impact of pandemic to restore global value
chains and openness of international trade.
5. Intensify collaboration between epidemiological services and creating an early warning
system for infectious diseases.
Suggestions:
1. Hosting other informal summits apart from annual summits to discuss emerging issues.
2. Follow up on actions taken on the joint statement issued after the annual summit.
3. Strengthening New development Bank so that credit availability is ensured during crisis
like covid.
4. Reforming administrative structure to bring more efficiency in its functioning.
5. Resolving territorial disputes between neighbouring countries like India and China.
Marital Rape
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Around 70 percent of women in India are victims of domestic violence,one of the manifestation
of domestic violence is marital rape.In India,marital rape is still not criminalized.Non
criminalization of marital rape emanates from exception 2 to section 375 which undermines the
dignity and human rights of women.
Issues:
1. Violative of fundamental rights:
a. Article 14:against the right to equality
b. Article 21:against the core principles of the right to dignified life and living.
2. Defeats the purpose of section 375 as it does not criminalises marital rape.
3. Shows the patriarchal mindset and patriarchy prevalent in the laws.
4. Leads to inhumane treatment with women and violence against them.
Suggestions:
1. UN committee on elimination of discrimination against women recomended India should
criminalize marital rape.
2. JS verma committe setup after the delhi gang rape case also recomended the same.
3. Setting up separate wings in police stations to deal with the cases of domestic violence.
4. Empowering women so that they can fight against discrimination on their own.
5. Providing education and employment to women.
Cyclones Resilient Planning And Development In Coastal Regions
Recently cyclone tauktae and cyclone yaas led to massive destruction in the country particularly
in coastal areas.Around 2.5 million people were taken to shelters and also led to uprooting of
trees which further depleted the already decreasing green cover.
Issues/Challenges:
1. Cyclones are second most expensive in terms of cost incurred because of damage.
2. Cyclones are the third most lethal disaster after earthquakes and floods.
3. Cyclones also lead to an increase in precautionary expenditure.
4. India lost around 2 percent of gdp and 15 percent of revenue over the 1999-2020.
5. According to the global climate risk index,India is the seventh most vulnerable country
because of extreme climate related events.
Suggestions/Way forward:
1. Strengthening NDRF and SDRF by providing more funds and equipment to the force.
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2. Flood resilient structure in coastal areas.

3. Planting mangroves as it helps in the prevention of damage.
4. Increasing tree cover in coastal areas.
5. Strengthening IMD so that accurate prediction of cyclone and its landfall can be
predicted.
6. Improve cyclone warning system and revamp disaster preparedness measures.
7. Constructing storm resilient embankments,canals and improving river connectivity to
prevent waterlogging in low lying areas.
Issues With Farmer Producer Organization System
FPOs are voluntary organizations controlled by farmers directly who also participates in farming
activities,policies and decision making.FPOs membership is open to all person irrespective of
gender,social,racial or political discrimination.
Issues:
1. Inadequate awareness of FPOs amongst farmers.
2. Lacks skills required to run an organisation.
3. Governance issues like appointment of board members and chairperson.
4. Lacks capacity building capabilities.
5. Best management practices not followed and charges of corruption on board members.
6. Lacks credit availability necessary for building necessary infrastructure.
7. FPO not in sufficient numbers to cater to the needs of farmers.
Suggestions:
1. Country like India needs at least one lakh FPO where we have only 10000 FPOs.
2. Addressing structural issues like weak financials,inadequate technical skills.
3. Passing legislation to give formal shape and backing to FPO.
4. Training and skilling farmers to operate organisations and follow good governance and
best management practices.
5. Focusing on collective farming.
Relevance Of Shanghai CoOperation Organization For India’s Interest
Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a political,social and economical intergovernmental group

of South asian countries like India,China,Russia,Tajikistan,Uzbek,Pakistan,Kazak, Krgyz
working together towards a better and prosperous Asian region.
Why SCO is of interest and relevance:
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1. It brings India and China on one platform so issues like unsettled borders and increasing
aggression of China can be countered and solved amicably.
2. To counter the increasing threat of terrorism in the region and particularly in India.
3. Russia is an all weather friend of India and can play a greater role in settling disputes
between India and China,India and Pak.
4. Policies to mitigate the effect of climate change can be adopted.
5. SCO can also help in maritime security by bringing issues of chinese policy of string of
pearls and how it undermines sovereignty of one nation.
Privatization Of Public Banks
In union budget 2021 announced privatization of two psu banks as part of govt long time project
to solve the issues of psu banks.Also various committees like Narsimhan committee
recommended govt stake in banks to 33 percent or 51 percent.However, private banks also have
some issues.
Issues:
1. Governance issues like dubious grant of loans and corrupt practices in board meetings
like insider trading etc.
2. Only open branches in urban and rich areas so denying banking services to vulnerable
and rural areas.
3. Focus more on maximization of profits so don't extend loans to vulnerable sections like
farmers,street vendors etc.
4. Cases like yes bank and laxmi vilas bank pose serious challenges for privatization of
banks.
5. As per RBI report,many private banks under report their NPAs.
Suggestions:
1. Corporatization of banks is a good alternative to privatization.
2. Need to implement recommendation of PJ Nayak committee.
3. Governance structures like that of LIC can be adopted in the banking system.
4. Mandatory percentage of branches in rural areas.
5. PSL targets for private banks can ensure financial inclusion.
Textile Sector Issues
Textile sector contributes 2.6 percent to GDP,7 percent to industrial output,12 percent to export
earnings and 21 percent to employment in India.This shows the importance of the textile sector
for India.
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Issues:
1. The Indian textile industry is highly fragmented.
2. It is largely unorganised.
3. Use of outdated technologies in textile industries.
4. Export from the sector has been stagnating for a very long time.
5. Lack of foreign investment.
6. Indian textile industries lack scale in production.
7. GST structure makes garments expensive leading to uncompetitiveness in domestic and
international markets.
Suggestions:
1. Establishing a textile park as announced in the Union budget.
2. Reforming tax structure to make garments competitive in the market.
3. Adopting latest technologies and innovations in industries.
4. Allowing FDI in the sector through an automatic route.
Further Ease Of Doing Business Reforms Required
India performance significantly improved in ease of doing business index released annually by
world bank.However still there are some areas in which performance of India is not upto the
mark.SO there is need of reforms.
Issues:
1. No proper mechanism and legislation for the enforcement of contracts.
2. Reliable source of power not available in certain areas.
3. Issues in setting up business and getting various clearances like environmental creates
hurdles.
4. Newer challenges posed by covid pandemic like credit availability to industries,issues in
renewing licenses.
Suggested reforms:
1. Automatic renewal of various certificates and licenses during covid pandemic.
2. Easing the borrowing requirements for some industries and providing them cheap credit
by following loose money policy.
3. Computerised central random inspector allocation system.
4. Providing reliable electricity connection to industries.
5. Enacting the legislation for the enforcement of legal contracts between employers and
employees.
6. Adopting technologies and innovation to bring transparency in the administration.
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Green Hydrogen Pros And Cons
When hydrogen powered fuel is manufactured using the greener sources ie., using electrolysis of
water and low carbon sources instead of fossil fuel and carbon intensive sources.This is also
important for the renewable energy target of 175 GW by 2022 and 450 GW by 2030.
Pros:
1. Environmental friendly as it does not emit anything except water vapor.
2. Abundant source of hydrogen.
3. Good fuel efficiency as compared to gasoline.
4. Green hydrogen stabilizes the heat and electricity supply.
5. Green hydrogen is versatile and can be used as fuel,coolant or even raw material in
industries.
Cons:
1. Lacks economies of scale as of now in India so costly to produce.
2. Lack of infrastructure as only 500 hydrogen stations globally.
3. Explosion risk and highly combustible.
4. India lacks technological capability to produce green hydrogen.
5. Not affordable to middle class consumers.
Increasing Internet Coverage In The Country
As per Internet and mobile association of India,for the very first time there are more internet
users in rural areas than in urban areas.But still large rural urban internet gap exists in
country.For this,Govt of India is taking steps like PM-WANI,BharatNet and National optical
fibre mission.
Suggestions to increase internet coverage:

1. Satellites based internet coverage in countries like that of the starlink project.
2. Laying down optical fibres in rural areas to provide high speed internet connectivity.
3. Providing incentives to telecoms to set up internet infrastructure in rural India.
4. Providing subsidies to rural and poor people to make internet access cheap and
affordable.
5. Providing subsidies to buy smartphones and laptops.
6. Utilising universal service obligation fund to pluck gap in rural urban divide.
India’s Achievement Of Climate Goals
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Hon’ble prime minister recently said that India is on its way to achieve its commitments under
paris agreement well before 2030 and reports from the environment ministry also suggest the
same.
Achievements of goals:
1. Reducing greenhouse gases emissions intensity of its gdp by 33-35 percent below 2005
levels by 2030.
2. Share of non-fossil fuels in electricity generation also increased to 38 percent.
3. India is on its path to increase the share of natural gas in the energy basket from 6 percent
to 15 percent by 2030.
4. Liquified natural gas is also promoted as fuel.
5. Setting up of 5000 compressed biogas plants.
6. Target of 20 percent ethanol blending also advanced to 2025.
What more needs to be done:

1. Collaborations and cooperation between various stakeholders.
2. Faster and swift decision making.
3. Considering environmental cost of infrastructural projects before giving approval.
4. Actively participating with international organisations for funding and technology
sharing.
Unemployment In India
India adds roughly 10 million people every year to unemployment and this situation is further
aggravated because of covid crisis.NSSO under Ministry of statistics and program
implementation is responsible for the measurement of unemployment in two categories-usual
status approach and weekly status approach.
Why unemployment rising in India:

1. Structural issues in the Indian education system like no or minimal skill and vocational
education provided to students.
2. More than two third engineers are not employable.
3. Lack of industry and academia alliance.
4. Low demand in the Indian economy leading to no or minimum recruitment drives by
Indian companies.
5. Lack of capital for investment is one of the reasons.
6. Rapid growth of population.
7. Low productivity in the agricultural sector.
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Suggestions:
1. Upskilling and reskilling of Indian students.
2. Necessary funds to educational institutions to upgrade infrastructure.
3. Government push towards infrastructure creation such as National infrastructure pipeline
and national monetization pipeline.
4. Reducing dependence on agriculture for employment.
5. Creating a business friendly environment especially for me.
Fiscal Policy Reforms Required In India
Fiscal policy is the guiding force that helps the government decide how much money it should
spend to support the economic activity and how much revenue it should earn from the system, to
keep the wheels of the economy running smoothly.
Why fiscal policy reforms needed:

1. To ensure tax buoyancy.
2. To ensure effective functioning of the budget and social schemes of the government.
3. To combat inflation and recession.
4. To provide necessary support to businesses.
Reforms suggested:
1. Rationalization of subsidies to cut down expenditure of the government.
2. Effective revenue collection process to ensure zero leakage of taxes.
3. Complying with the FRBM act and target set under it.
4. Systemic reform in the government borrowing process.
5. Focusing on reduction of debt by keeping check on non performing PSU’s.
6. Selling off debt ridden public sector units.
Reforms In Urbanization In India
India’s urban population is around 32 percent and India is one of the fastest urbanised nations in
the world.However this process is faced with several challenges which needs to be tackled at the
earliest.
Issues with urbanisation:

1. Stress on limited natural resources like land.
2. Aggravates climate change and leads to events like urban flooding and heat islands effect.
3. Sanitation and housing problems leading to spread of viral diseases.
4. Development of slums.
5. Rise in unemployment.
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6. Also leads to urban crimes such as theft and robbery.

7. Water supply and transportation issues in urban areas.
8. Waste collection and disposal problem.
Suggested reforms:
1. Proper urban planning for combating housing and sanitation problems.
2. Adopting a decentralised waste collection and disposal system.
3. Developing Satellite and peri urban areas to reduce stress on land and other resources of
the city.
4. Providing better alternatives in rural areas to arrest migration issues.
5. Providing affordable housing to middle income and poor people.
AUKUS and India
Recently the USA announced the formation of a trilateral security pact with the UK and
Australia to share military intelligence to deal with evolving terror threats around the world.
Impact on India:
1. The USA is looking beyond India in the Indo-Pacific to counter the aggression of china.
2. USA seeking alliance with Australia as the definition of indo pacific for both countries is
in sync with each other.
3. Undermines the importance of India in the Indo-Pacific region.
4. China might take advantage of this alliance as it left out India.
Way forward:
1. India should take care of USA’s statements like India is a true friend and should take all
commitments with a pinch of salt.
2. India needs to strengthen its economic dominance in the world to get more recognition.
3. Build strong relations with other countries like France.
4. Support USA aspirations in Indo pacific in return of seat in UNSC
Higher Education Reforms
Recently New policy on education completed its first anniversary and PM modi announced a set
of initiatives which operationalised reforms like academic bank of credit,inter and
multidisciplinary education.
Issues with higher education:
1. Different and multiple regulators like UGC,AICTE,NCTE etc.
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2. Engineering colleges lack alliance with industries and fail to understand the needs of
industry.
3. Research work not motivated in colleges.
4. Master degree courses lack necessary support from professors.
5. Central institutes like IITs and JNU are facing financial crunch.
6. Focus more on marks and examinations and not on practical education.
Suggested reforms:
1. Merging different regulators and creating unified structure.
2. Providing financial support to institutes.
3. Allowing foreign institutes to start joint programs with indian institutes.
4. Appointing vice chancellors through a transparent process.
5. Linking university grants to performance of institutes.
6. Focus more on industrial training by industry academia linkage.
Medical Sector Reforms
In India doctor patient ratio is 1:1456 against the WHO recommendation of 1:1000.Apart from
this,there are various other problems which are plaguing India's health and medical education
system.
Issues:
1. High medical college fees and donation charges.
2. Regulatory issues in medical colleges.
3. Lack of infrastructure such as hospital beds and ventilators in rural areas.
4. Corrupt practices of private hospitals leading to denial of medical support to poor people.
5. Poor doctor patient ratio.
6. Secondary and tertiary treatment is very costly.
7. Govt spends only 1.2 percent on health budget leading to high out of pocket expenditure
for middle class.
Reforms:
1. Increasing government spending on the health budget.
2. Regulating fees in private medical colleges.
3. Incentivizing doctors to work in rural areas.
4. Building necessary infrastructure such as hospital beds and intensive care units.
5. India also needs to focus on generic medicines to ensure medicine availability at effective
prices.
6. Improving insurance coverage in rural areas.
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Security Of Critical Infra In India
Recent cyber attacks on US colonial pipelines which led to surge in fuel prices and such similar
attacks on India’s nuclear plants shows the importance of securing critical infrastructure.
Critical infrastructure is defined as the infra which is critical for the nation’s security, economy
and public health and safety.
Need of securing critical infrastructure:

1. Increasing cyber attacks such as petya,wannacry ransomware and China linked Redecho
group to the power sector.
2. Cyber wars for geopolitical gains.
3. Disrupts India’s economy and poses security threats.
4. Such threats might undermine India’s political process by spying on political leaders.
Suggestions:
1. Strengthening security infrastructure by public private partnerships.
2. Reducing dependence on imports.
3. Unified command centre for reporting cyber crimes.
4. Upskilling of police officials to deal with emerging and evolving threats.
5. Global cyber policy to protect critical infrastructure.
6. Stringent rules and regulations for such crimes.
Police Reforms
Policing comes under the state list in the seventh schedule of the Indian constitution. Indian
police faces several problems and solutions to some of the problems was suggested in prakash
singh judgement case.
Issues:
1. Poor police to public ratio(around 137 per one lakh people) leading to high pressure on
police personnel.
2. Infrastructural issues such as riot gears for safety,vehicles and equipment to deal with
cyber crimes.
3. No operational freedom because of nexus with political parties in power.
4. Financial crunch leading to inefficiency in policing.
5. Public image of police.
Suggested reforms:
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1. Modernization of police forces by procuring modern weapons and logistical support and
wireless systems.
2. Revamping the criminal justice system in sync with India's needs.
3. Infrastructure creation such as renovating police stations.
4. Providing weekly off to police forces and regulating working hours by increasing human
resource.
5. Implementing prakash singh judgement such as fixed tenure of dgp,creation of state
security commission,two year tenure for SP and SHO.
Prison Reforms
Administration and management of prisons is the responsibility of respective state

governments.National crime records bureau published a prison statistics India report which
shows the hardships of prisoners and conditions of prisons in India.
Issues:
1. Overcrowding of prisons.
2. Quality of food provided to prisoners and other facilities such as washrooms.
3. Frequent violent clashes.
4. Understaffing in prisons leading to inefficiency in management.
5. Violation of basic human rights of prisoners.
6. No courses provided to prisoners so that they can lead respectful life after their jail term.
Suggestions:
1. Reforming the justice system to reduce the number of undertrials.

2. Providing professional courses and vocational training to prisoners.
3. Creation of capacity of prison staff.
4. Post release financial security for prisoners.
5. Unified prison management system.
6. Recommendations of the mulla committee should be implemented.
Improvement In Logistics In India
India's ranking slipped from 35 to 44 in the logistics performance index of world bank in
2018.Logistics is necessary for a thriving economy and sustaining pace of growth.India aspires
to become $5 trillion gross domestic product by 2025 and for this logistics is of prime
importance.
Issues:
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1. India spends 13 to 14 percent of its GDP on logistics which is much more than other
countries such as the USA and China.
2. The Logistics sector is highly unorganised.
3. Lack of basic infrastructure.
4. Heavy dependence on roads for transportation leading to high travel time.
5. Inefficient and climate unfriendly transportation.
Suggestions:
1. Development of a multi modal transportation system.
2. Developing a dedicated freight corridor.
3. Developing river waterways for cost effective and climate friendly transportation.
4. Collab with global partners for solutions related to logistics.
5. Encouraging private companies to find innovative transportation models.
6. Integrating all three modes of transport to reduce transporting time of goods.
Economic Development of North East
North east region of India is connected to the Indian mainland through a very narrow corridor
chicken’s neck.North east is relatively under-developed so it needs special focus,for this
department of north east region DONER is established.
Issues:
1. Connectivity with the Indian mainland.
2. Security challenges in the north east especially because of insurgency.
3. Border issues such as migrant crisis,illegal drugs trafficking etc.
4. Private companies are reluctant to set up industries there because of demand and
connectivity.
Suggestions:
1. Development of the north east by connecting with ASEAN countries.
2. Securing international borders to provide security to private companies.
3. Incentivizing companies to set up industries there.
4. Providing employment to students in the region itself to further push economic
development.
5. Developing an exclusive plan for food north east by considering natural resources.
Adoption Of Tech In Agri Sector
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India’s Agricultural sector contributes 15 to 16 percent in gross value added and supports 45
percent of the workforce.Technology adoption can solve many of the problems which Indian
agriculture is facing right now.
Issues:
1. Per hectare yield is low compared to countries like china.
2. Inefficient use of fertilizers leading to adverse environmental effects.
3. Water intensive crops are grown in water deficient areas.
4. Soil profiling not done properly.
Suggestions:
1. Using technology for tackling stubble burning such as happy farm seeders.
2. Helps in decreasing the use of water.
3. Increasing per hectare yield by proper soil profiling.
4. Efficient use of fertilizers through crop sensors.
5. Mobile apps can be used for controlling crop irrigation systems.
How Effective Can Bad Banks Be
Finance minister in her budget speech proposed the idea of setting up bad banks as NPA is
expected to grow further.Bad bank is a financial entity set up to buy bad loans or NPA from
banks.Bad banks makes profit by selling acquired loans at higher price then it acquired from
banks.
Pros of bad banks:

1. Bad banks help in freeing up the bank’s capital thus improving lending.
2. The USA also implemented a troubled asset relief program and it proved to be successful.
3. Revival of credit flow post covid stress.
4. Bad banks are specialists which help in the recovery of non performing assets.
Arguments against bad banks:

1. Bad banks require capital which further tightens fiscal position.
2. It shifts the burden from one entity to another.
3. It negatively motivates banks to further lend recklessly.
4. Setting up a bad bank is not a panacea for the NPA problem.
Other alternatives to bad bank:

1. Strict implementation of Insolvency and bankruptcy code.
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2. Strict background check and document verification before lending capital.

3. Instead of giving capital to bad banks directly infuse capital to banks.
Telecom Sector Issues
India is currently the world's second largest telecommunications market and is registering strong
growth. Deregulation of FDI norms has made the sector one of the fastest growing and top five
employment opportunity generators in the country.However,the telecom sector is facing a
number of issues.
Issues:
1. Cut throat competition and price war among telcos.
2. Adjusted gross revenue definition and its dues with govt.
3. Data cost lowest in the world leading to revenue loss to telcos.
4. Late adoption of advanced wireless technologies.
5. Unsustainable debt levels owing to intense competition in the country.
6. Limited spectrum availability.
7. Poor fixed line penetration.
8. High right of way cost.Sometimes govt charges huge amount for laying down optical
fibres.
Suggestions:
1. Sustaining health competition among telcos.
2. Early adoption of latest technologies.
3. Amicable agreement with government over the definition of AGR.
4. Spectrum allocation to BSNL and MTNL for Long term evolution technology.
5. Reduce reserve price for spectrum auction.
6. Curb on predatory pricing.
7. Lower license fees.
Social Entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship can be defined as the organisation working for the welfare of society in
general and finding innovative solutions for the emerging social issues.Social entrepreneurship is
the need of hour especially during the crisis like Covid.
Examples of social entrepreneurship are banking services in rural areas,helping orphaned

children,educational programs etc.
Challenges:
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1. Viable business model leading to closure of business.

2. Limited to specific areas and not pan india.
3. Availability of credit to such companies.ṣ
4. Management issues leading to corrupt practices.
5. Filing of returns at the right time leading to evasion of taxes.
Suggestions:
1. Raising of capital through share market.
2. Diverting CSR funds which is mandated at 2 percent to such entrepreneurs.
3. Recruiting skilled professionals for the management.
4. Filing Income tax returns on time.
5. Creating a trust organisation for credit availability.
Indian Judicial Service, pros, cons, way forward
Indian judiciary acts as protector and defender of constitution and ensures enforcement of
fundamental rights.However,judiciary is facing issues ranging from high pendency of cases,
human resource shortage to name few.indian judicial service is posed to solve some of those
issues.
Pros;
1. On time recruitment of judges especially at lower judiciary.
2. Skilled and talented individuals can be attracted on lines of civil services exam.
3. Quality judgement.
4. Reducing pendency and time taken to dispose of cases.
5. Unified judicial service leading to professionalism and efficiency in the judiciary.
Cons:
1. All india services are not suitable for the judiciary because of diversity such as different
culture.customs and languages.
2. Might lead to centralization and more frequent centre state conflicts.
3. It can also undermine the state government authority.
4. Might create conflict between different levels of judiciary.
5. Requirement of huge funds for salary and infrastructure.
Way forward:
1. Taking into confidence higher judiciary and other stakeholders.
Judicial Delay Issue
219
According to the national judicial data grid there are around 3.5 crore pending cases in India and
out of these,87 percent are pending in the district and subordinate courts.
Reasons for judicial delay:
1. High vacancy at all levels of judiciary.

2. Lack of infrastructure as said by former CJI Deepak mishra.
3. Increasing number of state and central laws.
4. Increase in the filing of public interest litigations and appeals.
5. Long drawn judicial process.
6. Inefficient inquiry by police leading to delay and undertrials.
7. Indiscriminate utilization of article 32.
Measures needed:
1. Establishing a national court of appeals.

2. Setting up a separate constitutional bench for appeals against constitutional amendments.
3. Regular recruitment especially at lower levels of judiciary.
4. Effective and efficient police enquiry by setting up a separate investigation wing.
5. Merging and codifying centre and state laws to remove overlap.
6. Creating all india judicial service on the lines of civil services.
India Sri Lanka Relations Issues
India shares maritime border with Sri Lanka and India shares 2500 years old relations with Sri
lanka.However,in recent times there are a number of issues between India and Sri lanka.
Issues:
1. Denial of citizenship to Tamilians due to this they continued to live in poverty.
2. Linguistic discrimination between sinhalese and tamils.
3. Religious discrimination against tamilians as buddhism was given primary importance.
4. Sentiments of Indian Tamils hurted because of atrocities committed against Tamils in Sri
lanka.
5. Island disputes such as katchatheevu.
6. Frequent clashes between fishermen of both countries.
7. Growing influence of China on Sri Lanka which threatens India's security and
sovereignty.
Suggestions:
220
1. Confidence Building measures between India and srilanka such as extending line of
credit amongst some.
2. countering aggressive china policies
3. implementing development projects at the earliest without any further delay.
4. Building Good people to people relations by emphasizing on historical roots and similar
culture.
Maoist Insurgency
Maoists aim to violently overthrow the democratic institutions of India. The growing insurgency
has killed hundreds of citizens each year since 2004, with hundreds of thousands more now
living in conflict zones throughout India’s heartland.
The Maoists are exploiting India’s federal structure and disparate conflict responses to find the
most conducive battleground for their fight.
Maoist insurgents detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli
district on May 1,2019 killing more than 15 security personnel engaged in anti-Naxalite
operations.
Recently in march 2021, 22 armed force personnels were killed by maoists in sukhma.
Causes of the conflict:-
1-Tribal’s concerns with government policies-

● The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 deprives tribals from collecting minor forest
produce which is the primary source of their livelihood.
● Development induced displacement of tribals in naxalism-affected states due to
development projects, mining operations and other reasons.
● Soft prey for Maoists recruitment drive as Such poor people are taken into naxalism by
Maoists.
2-Lacunae in the socio-economic system of the country:-

● Government’s approach towards the issue is more focussed on reducing the violent
attacks rather tackling the root cause of holistic development of the affected areas.
● Absence of strong technical intelligence and information gathering measures to fight with
naxalites.
● Infrastructural problems as some villages are not yet connected properly with any
communication network and connectivity in the red corridor regions.
3-Police and administration coordination issues:- administration fails to provide essential

services to the people of that region.
221
4-Confusion over tackling naxalism as a social issue or as a security threat.
5- Lack of cooperation between union government and state governments:- State governments
considering naxalism as the central government’s issue and thus are not taking any initiatives to
fight it.
Government steps:-
● winning hearts and mind policy (WHAM) to rehabilitate the maoist into mainstream.
● Surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy to persuade the maoists to leave the violent conflict.
● Operation Green Hunt: It was started in 2010 and massive deployment of security forces
was done in the naxal-affected areas.
● Civic action programme for local area inclusive development.
● COBRA COMMANDOS And Salwa Judum as retaliatory measures.
From 223 districts that were affected due to naxalism in the year 2010, the number has come
down to 90 in nine years.
The government also started ‘Relief and Rehabilitation Policy’ for bringing naxalites into
mainstream.
Way forward:-
● Aspirational Districts Programme: NITI AYOG’s brainchild project Launched in 2018, it

aims to rapidly transform the most backward districts that have shown relatively lesser
progress in key social areas.
● policy focus must be oriented towards twin dimensions; security of the peace-loving
people and the development of the naxalism-affected regions.
● SAMADHAN APPROACH should be implemented in letter and spirit.
● To create conducive environment to began the talk between government agencies and
maoists.
222
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MAI

TOPICS : 200 Mains Topics in 200 Pages

1. Amending National Capital Territory Of Delhi Act

45. Fiscal Federalism

86. Anti Corruption Issue

125. Regulation Of Private Healthcare Sector

165. Digital Divide In India

Amending NCT of Delhi Act

● Delhi already suffers a multiplicity of authorities including:

o Union Home and Urban Development Ministries;

o an elected State Government;

o Five Municipal bodies; and

o Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

● Mixing politics with the administration of Delhi is better avoided.

Global Antitrust and the Challenge of Big Tech

● We cannot do without google maps for our day to day commuting.

Government Regulations and Tech Platforms

● Retention of specified information

o These are required to preserve and retain specified information in a manner

o Contravention of this may attract prison term up to 3 years, besides a fine.

● Extending technical assistance

o Intermediaries should extend technical assistance in the form of giving access

o Failure to extend such assistance may entail a prison term of up to 7 years.

● Collect And Monitor Data On Traffic

o When an authorized agency asks for technical assistance, the intermediary

o Non-compliance may lead to a prison term of up to 3 years, besides a fine.

Asset Reconstruction Company (Arc) – Asset Management Company (Amc)

Emphasizing Self-Reliance in Science/ SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND INNOVATION

● A Science Technology and Innovation development bank will be created to direct

IronClad Genomics Case

● Past selection lacks diversity.

Fragile Himalayas - Case For Review of Hydro Power Plants

● India is left with very few clear policy options.

Development Finance Institution

Concerns about Curtailing Freedom of Expression

● It becomes very easy for the Government to censor information.

Is India’s Digital Services Tax Discriminatory?

● The contention is wrong as the market is dominated by US companies.

● There is no intention to phase-out fossil fuels.

● The Government is more likely to attract international embarrassment and opprobrium

o Opposition political activity

o Adverse media scrutiny

Govt Should Make Pulses Policy Demand-Centric

● The demand side needs greater attention.

● Nutritionists recommend pulses consumption of at least 20 kg per person a year for a

The Challenge of Ballooning Defence Pensions in India

An Urgent Need to Reform the Country’s Legislative Processes

Structural Reforms for NEP, 2020

● The existing system of Syndicates consists of Government nominees and those

● The Board’s decisions should be taken either by consensus or by a majority of the

● Applications for the post of Vice-Chancellors can be invited through advertisements in

“Indian Investments and BITs”

Right to Dignity of Women Prevails over right to Reputation

● The law of criminal defamation is about protecting a person's right to reputation.

GLACIERS AND GLOBAL WARMING

● Capacity for disaster preparedness and response must be increased.

● It requires a larger mandate for risk informed programming.

15th Finance Commission Recommendations

Conclusive Land Titling and Its Challenges

Environmental Destruction Perspective And Farming

What Is Hydroponic Farming? What Are Its Advantages & Challenges?

● Setting up an hydroponic farm can be extremely expensive due to the cost of

● The process of hydroponic farming depends on a range of equipment that requires

● There is no need to worry about land requirements.