Weekly Current Affairs (15th to 21st March 2024) Part - 1 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Levels and Trends in Child Mortality

Context: A recent report titled "Levels and Trends in Child Mortality," released by the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, has drawn attention to a significant decline in global under-five deaths. The report reveals that in 2022, the annual number of such deaths dropped to 4.9 million from the estimated 9.9 million in 2000.

What are the Main Points of the Report?

Achieving Historic Lows in Child Mortality:

• In 2022, the annual under-five mortality rate reached 4.9 million, marking a remarkable accomplishment in the ongoing global campaign to reduce child mortality. This achievement is further underscored by the fact that the global under-five mortality rate (U5MR) has decreased by over fifty percent since 2000. The consistent decline in under-five mortality is attributed to sustained efforts from diverse stakeholders, including governments, organizations, local communities, healthcare professionals, and families.

Persisting High Fatality Rates:

• Despite the progress made, the number of deaths among children, adolescents, and youth remains alarmingly high. In 2022, 2.3 million deaths occurred within the first month of life, and an additional 2.6 million children died between the ages of 1 and 59 months. Additionally, 2.1 million children, adolescents, and youth aged 5–24 lost their lives that year.

Magnitude of Lives Lost:

• Between 2000 and 2022, a staggering 221 million children, adolescents, and youth perished, a figure nearly equivalent to the entire population of Nigeria. Neonatal deaths accounted for 72 million of these under-five deaths, while deaths among children aged 1–59 months totaled 91 million. The proportion of under-five deaths during the neonatal period increased from 41% in 2000 to 47% in 2022.

Inequality in Survival Opportunities:

• Children's chances of survival vary significantly based on factors such as geographical location, socio-economic status, and whether they reside in fragile or conflict-affected environments. These disparities underscore persistent and entrenched inequities among vulnerable populations of children.

Regional Disparities:

• Despite the global decline in child mortality rates, substantial regional variations persist. Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to bear the brunt of the death toll, with an estimated 35 million children under the age of 5 expected to die before 2030. Many countries are unlikely to meet the UN-mandated Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets within the specified timeframe. However, adherence to SDG-5 could potentially save an additional 9 million children by the age of five.
• Under current trends, 59 countries are expected to miss the SDG under-five mortality target, while 64 countries will miss the neonatal mortality target.

Recommendations:

Several low- and lower-middle-income countries have surpassed the global decline in under-five mortality rates, achieving reductions of more than two-thirds since 2000. These success stories underscore the significant returns on investments in maternal, newborn, and child health and survival. They also provide compelling evidence that sustained and strategic action, even in resource-constrained settings, can lead to shifts in levels and trends in under-five mortality, ultimately saving lives.

What can be done to Curb Child Mortality?

• Increase Access to Family Planning Services: Providing comprehensive family planning services can help prevent unintended pregnancies, which can reduce the risk of preterm births and stillbirths.
• Improve Antepartum Services: Enhancing antenatal care services, including regular health and nutrition check-ups for pregnant women, can contribute to healthier pregnancies and reduce the likelihood of preterm births and stillbirths.
  • Ensuring access to iron folic acid supplementation for pregnant mothers can also improve maternal and foetal health.
• Identification and Management of Risk Factors: Implementing effective screening programs to identify and manage risk factors associated with preterm births and stillbirths can help mitigate adverse outcomes.
  • This includes managing conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and infections during pregnancy.
• Improve Data Recording and Reporting: Enhancing data collection systems to accurately record and report preterm births and stillbirths is crucial for understanding the magnitude of the problem and implementing targeted interventions effectively.
  • Adopting standardised classification systems, such as the International Classification of Diseases, for reporting perinatal mortality can improve data quality and comparability.
• Implement Surveillance Guidelines: Ensuring effective implementation of maternal and perinatal deaths surveillance guidelines can help in identifying trends, risk factors, and opportunities for intervention.
  • This includes timely reporting and analysis of maternal and perinatal deaths to inform policy and practice.

Comprehensive Framework for a Regulatory Sandbox

What Exactly is the Regulatory Sandbox (RS)?

Background:

• In 2016, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) established an inter-regulatory Working Group to delve into the nuanced aspects of FinTech and its implications. The aim was to reassess the regulatory framework and adapt to the rapidly evolving FinTech landscape.
• The resulting report proposed the implementation of a Regulatory Sandbox (RS) framework, delineating a defined space and duration where the financial sector regulator could offer necessary regulatory guidance. This was intended to enhance efficiency, mitigate risks, and foster new opportunities for consumers.

Overview:

• A Regulatory Sandbox (RS) entails the live testing of novel products or services within a controlled regulatory environment. Regulators may choose to grant certain regulatory relaxations, depending on the nature of the test.
• The RS serves as a crucial mechanism for creating more adaptable, evidence-driven regulatory environments that evolve alongside emerging technologies. It facilitates field tests conducted by regulators, financial service providers, and customers to assess the benefits and risks of new financial innovations while effectively managing associated risks.

Objectives:

• The primary objective of the RS is to encourage responsible innovation in financial services, thereby enhancing efficiency and delivering benefits to consumers.
• It provides a structured platform for regulators to interact with the ecosystem and develop regulations that either support innovation or respond to it, thus facilitating the provision of relevant, cost-effective financial products.

Target Applicants:

• Potential applicants seeking entry into the RS include fintech firms, banks, and companies collaborating with or supporting financial services businesses, among others.

What are the Associated Benefits and Challenges Related to Regulatory Sandbox?

Benefits:

• Regulatory Insights: Regulators can obtain first-hand empirical evidence on the benefits and risks of emerging technologies and their implications, enabling them to take a considered view on potential regulatory changes.
• Enhanced Understanding for Financial Providers: Incumbent financial service providers might improve their understanding of how new financial technologies might work, potentially helping them to appropriately integrate such new technologies with their business plans.
• Cost-Effective Viability Testing: Users of an RS have the potential to test the product’s viability without the need for a larger and more expensive roll-out.
• Financial Inclusion Potential: FinTechs provide solutions that can potentially further financial inclusion in a significant way.
• Thrust Areas for Innovation: Areas that can potentially get a thrust from the RS include microfinance, potentially innovative small savings, remittances, mobile banking, and other digital payments.

Challenges:

• Flexibility and Time Constraints: Innovators may face challenges with flexibility and time during the sandbox process, potentially impacting their ability to adapt and iterate quickly.
• Case-by-Case Authorizations: Securing customised authorizations and regulatory relaxations on an individual basis can be a lengthy process, often involving subjective assessments, which may result in delays in experimentation.
• Limitations on Legal Waivers: The RBI or its Regulatory Sandbox cannot offer legal exemptions, which might limit innovators looking to reduce legal risks while experimenting.
• Post-Sandbox Regulatory Approvals: Even after successful sandbox testing, experimenters may still require regulatory approvals before their product, services, or technology can be permitted for wider application, potentially prolonging the time to market.

Way Forward

• Work towards streamlining the sandbox process to minimise the time and administrative burden on innovators. This could involve simplifying application procedures and providing clearer guidelines for participation.
• Increase transparency in the case-by-case authorization process by providing clear criteria for decision-making and ensuring that judgments are made consistently and fairly.
• Provide comprehensive education and support for innovators participating in the sandbox, including guidance on regulatory requirements and potential legal issues.
• Collaborate with legal experts to develop frameworks for addressing legal issues that may arise during experimentation, such as consumer losses. This could involve implementing safeguards to protect consumers while encouraging innovation.
• Streamline the process for obtaining regulatory approvals post-sandbox testing to ensure that successful experiments can quickly progress to wider application. This may involve establishing fast-track approval mechanisms for proven innovations.

NITI for States Platform

What Exactly is the NITI for States Platform?

• Overview: Crafted by NITI Aayog, the 'NITI for States' platform acts as a repository of valuable resources, with the goal of harmonizing data across states and centralizing findings to guide future decisions by state governments based on data-driven insights.
• The platform facilitates real-time data updates and monitoring across 10 sectors and two cross-cutting themes.
• These sectors include agriculture, education, energy, health, livelihoods and skilling, manufacturing, micro, small and medium enterprises, tourism, urban development, water resources, and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene).
• The cross-cutting themes encompass gender and climate change.

Key Features:

• Rich Knowledge Base: Curates best practices, policy documents, datasets, data profiles, and publications by NITI Aayog.
• Multilingual Accessibility: Ensures inclusive access with content available in major Indian languages as well as foreign languages.
• Capacity Building Initiatives: Offers tailored digital training modules for officials at block, district, and state levels.
• Expert Help Desk: Provides specialized guidance through collaborations with prominent institutions.
• Data Integration: Utilizes data from the National Data & Analytics Platform (NDAP) to offer comprehensive insights.
• Introducing the Viksit Bharat Strategy Room:
  • The Viksit Bharat Strategy Room serves as an interactive environment where users can visualize data, trends, best practices, and policies in an immersive manner to conduct a holistic assessment of any given problem statement.
  • It enables users to engage via voice-enabled AI and connect with multiple stakeholders through video conferencing.
  • Designed as a plug-and-play model, it facilitates replication at state, district, and block levels.

PM-SURAJ and NAMASTE Scheme

Context: The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has introduced the 'Pradhan Mantri Samajik Utthan and Rozgar Adharit Jankalyan' (PM-SURAJ) national portal online, with the Prime Minister serving as the Chief Guest. This initiative aims to provide credit support to the marginalized segments of society.

• As part of this launch, the Prime Minister distributed Ayushman Health Cards and Personal Protective Equipment to Safai Mitras (sewer and septic tank workers) under the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme, which was previously known as a rehabilitation scheme for manual scavengers.

What Exactly is PM-SURAJ?

• The 'PM-SURAJ' national portal is designed to uplift the most marginalized sections of society by offering credit assistance to one lakh entrepreneurs from disadvantaged communities. Implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and its departments, the portal serves as a centralized platform where individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds can apply for and track the progress of various loan and credit schemes available to them. Credit support will be facilitated through banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies Finance Institutions (NBFC-MFIs), and other organizations, ensuring nationwide accessibility.

Understanding the NAMASTE Scheme:

Overview:

• The NAMASTE Scheme, formulated in 2022 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), aims to ensure safety, dignity, and sustainable livelihoods for urban sanitation workers.
• Previously known as the Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS), NAMASTE is now tasked with the rehabilitation of manual scavengers (MS) and Persons Engaged in Hazardous Cleaning of Sewer and Septic tanks (SSWs).

Objectives:

• The scheme aims to promote safe and mechanized cleaning of sewers and septic tanks through trained and certified sanitation workers.
• It envisions zero fatalities in sanitation work, all performed by formalized skilled workers, with no direct contact with human fecal matter.

Outcome Goals:

• Ensuring sanitation workers are collectivized into Self Help Groups (SHGs) and empowered to run sanitation enterprises.
• Providing access to livelihoods for sewers, SSWs, and their dependents through capital subsidies for sanitation-related equipment.
• Increasing awareness among sanitation service seekers to engage registered skilled and certified sanitation workers.
• Extending health insurance benefits under Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), to SSWs, manual scavengers, and their family members.

SBI's Study on Empowering Women Through SHGs

Context: The State Bank of India (SBI) recently published a research study shedding light on the evolving dynamics of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in India, a noteworthy development.

• This study delves into the patterns of credit utilization and digital behaviors among SHGs, their members, and the emerging group referred to as 'Lakhpati Didis'.

What are the Key Insights from the Study?

Emergence of SHGs and Lakhpati Didis:

• SHGs in India, numbering approximately 8.5 million with around 92.1 million members, are spearheading a transformative movement.
• A significant outcome of this endeavor is the increasing presence of Lakhpati Didis.
• 'Lakhpati Didi' is a government initiative aimed at empowering women within SHGs to earn a minimum of Rs 1,00,000 per year through sustainable livelihood practices.
• The program, launched in 2023 with an initial target of 2 crore women, has seen its target raised to 3 crore by 2024-25, signifying the growing contribution of women to Gross Value Added (GVA) and economic output.
• The rising female Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) indicates an increasing participation of women in the formal sector due to formalization initiatives.

Bank Linkage and Access to Credit:

• The SHG Bank Linkage Programme (SHG-BLP) has been transformative, with approximately 97.5% of SHGs now holding bank accounts.
• This strong banking relationship facilitates timely access to credit, crucial for economic value addition. With optimal funds available at reduced interest rates, SHGs overcome barriers, unlocking their full marketing potential.
• The SHG portfolio of Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) is nearing Rs 2 trillion.

Utilization and Repayment of Credit:

• The average limit sanctioned to SHGs has increased 2.2 times in FY24 compared to FY19.
• There has been a significant improvement in credit repayment, with the average repayment increasing by 3.9 times in FY24 compared to FY19, indicating prudent and timely repayment practices.

Digital Inclusion:

• Bank Mitras and Digital Didis are facilitating financial inclusion on an unprecedented scale.
• Initiatives like SARAS Melas are commendable, but further enhancements, such as onboarding onto digital platforms like the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), could augment their impact.
• Expenditure through the Aadhar Enabled Payment system increased at least threefold in FY24 compared to FY23 across all regions.

Income Growth:

• Female SHG member incomes have tripled during FY19-FY24, with urban members witnessing a 4.6 times increase.
• Approximately 65% of rural SHG members have experienced an upward shift in relative income in FY24 compared to FY19.

State-wise Progress:

• While Andhra Pradesh and Telangana lead in SHGs, states like Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Punjab, and Gujarat have also seen significant increases in female SHG incomes.
• By FY27, millions of Lakhpati Didis are projected to exist in nearly every state in India.

What are the Hurdles Confronting SHGs?

Resource Constraints:

• SHGs commonly grapple with limited financial means, hampering their capacity to invest in crucial elements like infrastructure, marketing, and distribution channels necessary for expanding their operations.

Quality Assurance and Uniformity:

• Ensuring consistent quality and standardization of goods or services poses a challenge for SHGs, especially when operating at a small scale with constrained resources and technical proficiency.

Technology Accessibility:

• Restricted access to modern technologies such as digital platforms, e-commerce solutions, and automated production processes can impede SHGs' ability to scale efficiently and access broader markets.

Market Entry Barriers:

• SHGs often encounter difficulties in accessing broader markets beyond their immediate communities due to factors such as inadequate market information, restricted distribution channels, and competition from established enterprises.

Socio-Cultural Obstacles:

• In certain communities, SHGs may encounter socio-cultural barriers such as gender bias, lack of familial support, or resistance to change, which can obstruct their growth and acceptance.

What are the Initiatives Pertaining to SHGs?

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY – NRLM):

• Implemented in a mission mode, this initiative aims to organize rural impoverished women into Self-Help Groups (SHGs), providing support until they attain enhanced incomes and improved living standards. Sub-schemes like Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) and Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) are also under its ambit.
• SVEP assists SHG members in establishing village-level enterprises in non-farm sectors, while MKSP empowers women in agriculture, covering approximately 1.77 crore female farmers nationwide.

Micro Enterprise Development Programme (MEDPs):

• NABARD has been backing need-based skill development programs (MEDPs) for matured SHGs since 2006, facilitating skill enhancement or optimization of production activities.
• Scheme for Promotion of Women Self-Help Groups (WSHGs) in Backward and Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Districts of India:
• This scheme strives to establish sustainable WSHGs with support from anchor agencies, facilitate bank credit linkage, offer livelihood assistance, and ensure loan repayment.

Future Directions

• Extend the SHG-BLP coverage to remote regions and underserved communities.
• Streamline credit application processes and devise tailored financial products to meet diverse SHG requirements.
• Foster market linkages between SHGs and larger corporations, retail chains, and e-commerce platforms.
• Promote branding and marketing of SHG products through participation in exhibitions, trade fairs, and online marketplaces.
• Invest in infrastructure development like storage facilities, transportation networks, and shared production centers to bolster SHG endeavors.
• Encourage public-private partnerships to harness resources, expertise, and networks for comprehensive SHG development.

Merging Cantonments with the State Municipalities

Context: Recently, the Centre has issued a notification to reclassify civil areas in 10 out of the country's 58 cantonments. These areas are slated to be integrated with the respective State Municipalities (Local Bodies).

• The government intends to delineate specific regions within these cantonments and amalgamate them with the local bodies of the respective states.

Understanding Cantonments:

• Cantonments, originally stemming from the French word "canton" denoting "corner" or "district," are primarily designated for accommodating military personnel and providing requisite infrastructure.
• Initially conceived as temporary military encampments, they have evolved into semi-permanent settlements offering housing, administrative offices, educational institutions, and other amenities for military personnel and their families.
• In India, the history of cantonments traces back to the British East India Company era, with the establishment of the first cantonment in 1765 at Barrackpore near Calcutta following the Battle of Plassey in 1757.
• While initially intended for military troops, these areas have expanded to include civilian populations providing logistical support to the military.
• The Cantonments Act of 1924 in India formalized the governance and administration of cantonments, furnishing a legal framework for their management, development, and regulation.

Mechanism of Cantonment Administrations in India:

Classification and Structure:

• Cantonments are categorized into four classes (I to IV) based on area size and population density.
• The composition of the cantonment board varies accordingly, with a class I cantonment board comprising eight elected civilians and eight government/military members, while a class IV cantonment board consists of two elected civilians and two government/military members.
• The station commander of the cantonment serves as the ex-officio president of the board, with an officer from the Defence Estates Organisation acting as the chief executive and member-secretary.

Administrative Oversight:

• Cantonment administration falls under an inter-services organization of the Ministry of Defence, with Urban Self Governance of the Cantonments and the Housing Accommodation therein listed as a subject matter of the Union of India according to Entry 3 of the Union List (Schedule VII) of the Constitution of India.
• Approximately 62 Cantonments across the country are governed by the Cantonments Act, 1924 (succeeded by the Cantonments Act, 2006).

Regulation of Urban Governance by Municipalities:

• At the Central level, the Ministry of Defence oversees cantonment boards' urban governance, while the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs manages urban local government affairs.
• At the State level, urban governance is under the purview of state governments, with regulations varying across states.
• The Constitution (74th Amendment) Act, 1992 mandates the establishment of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) as institutions of local self-government, with state governments empowered to devolve certain functions, authority, and revenue collection powers to these bodies.

What is the Need for Merging Cantonments with the Municipalities?

DIfferent Restrictions:

• Civilians living in cantonment areas have long complained of issues regarding different restrictions and said cantonment boards have failed to resolve them.
• For example, access to home loans, and free movement within the premises.

Local Governance and Civic Amenities:

• The integration of civilian areas into municipal governance can lead to improved civic amenities and infrastructural development.
• Residents may have a more significant say in local governance matters, resulting in better urban planning and public services.

What are the Issues in Merging Cantonments with the Municipalities?

Legal and Administrative Challenges:

• The transition from a cantonment town to a merged municipality may bring about various legal and administrative challenges like integrating infrastructure systems such as roads, water supply, sewage, and electricity between the cantonment and civilian areas.

Resistance from Existing Constituencies:

• City councillors and political representatives may resist allocating funds from their constituencies to support the newly merged areas.
• This resistance could further exacerbate inequalities within the city and impede efforts to improve services and infrastructure in the merged areas.

Infrastructure Strain:

• The sudden inclusion of cantonment areas into ULBs may strain existing infrastructure such as water supply, sewage systems, transportation networks, and healthcare facilities.
• ULBs may struggle to upgrade and expand infrastructure to meet the needs of the merged areas, leading to service disruptions and deteriorating living conditions.

Environmental Concerns:

• Uncontrolled construction and commercialisation in merged areas, especially in ecologically sensitive regions like hill stations, could have detrimental effects on the environment and local ecosystems.
• Poorly regulated development may lead to issues such as deforestation, soil erosion, and increased vulnerability to natural disasters like landslides and floods.

Security Considerations:

• The proximity of civilian areas to military installations raises security concerns, particularly regarding unauthorised construction and encroachment near defence facilities.
• ULBs must adhere to security guidelines and regulations set by the military to ensure the safety and security of military personnel and assets.

Conclusion

• The decision to merge cantonments with the ULB’s is in keeping with the needs of the times and, as such, is well-considered.
• Given the presence of inimical countries around India, the military needs to completely devote itself to the major task of defending the borders and should not be weighed down by functions unrelated to soldiers and war.
• Since the responsibility of overseeing civilian areas will rest with the ULBs once all 62 cantonments are disbanded, the defence budget can redirect the funds it would have spent on these areas to core military requirements and social infrastructure wherever needed.