UPSC Daily Current Affairs- September 16, 2022 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Context

The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) has launched the Green Fins Hub, a global digital platform to give sustainable marine tourism a ‘major boost’.

About Green Fins Hub

• The Green Fins Global Hub will be a first-of-its-kind online support system to motivate scuba operators to improve their daily environmental practices at scale.
• It aims to help diving and snorkeling operators worldwide to make simple, cost-efficient changes to their daily practices by utilizing tried and tested solutions.
• It would also help them keep track of their annual improvements and communicate with their communities and customers.

Membership of Green Fins Hub

• It will host two types of membership. One would be digital membership available for diving, snorkelling and liveaboard operations globally.
• Throughout every year of membership, operators will receive environmental scores based on a detailed online self-evaluation and progress made on their action plans.
• The Certified Members will continue to be assessed annually and trained in person at their operation.
• The platform will be for operators around the world to raise industry needs, discuss environmental issues and share lessons and ideas with like-minded industry leaders, non-profits and governments.

GS-II

Context

The India Discrimination Report which is released by Oxfam India highlighted that women and marginalized communities suffered discrimination in the job market.

What are the Key Highlights of the Report?

• The dataset was taken from the 61^st round of the National Sample Survey on employment unemployment (2004-05), the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) in 2018-19 and 2019-20, and the All-India Debt and Investment Survey by the Centre.
• Schedule caste/Schedule tribe: There has been a decline in discrimination in urban areas due to education and supportive government policies.
  • Difference in Earning: The average earning of self-employed workers in 2019-20 was Rs 15,878 for people from non-SCs/ST categories, while it is Rs 10,533 for those from SC or ST backgrounds.
    • Self-employed non-SC/ST workers earn a third more than their counterparts from SC or ST backgrounds.
  • Rise in discrimination in Rural areas: The SC and ST communities in rural India are facing an increase in discrimination in casual employment.
• Women: Discrimination against women is so high that there is hardly any difference across religion or caste-based sub-groups, or the rural-urban divide.
  • The discrimination increased for women in this period — from 67.2% in 2004-05 to 75.7% in 2019-20.
• Earning Gap between Males & Females: The earning gaps are large, both in rural and urban areas for casual workers ranging between 50% and 70%. The range is low for regular workers, with earnings of men exceeding those of women by 20 and 60%.
  • In the case of the self-employed, the disparity is much higher, with men earning 4 to 5 times that of women.
  • Gender discrimination in India is structural which results in great disparities between earnings of men and women under ‘normal circumstances.

What are the Constitutional Provisions against Discrimination?

Right to Equality (Article 14, 15, 16)

• Equality Before Law: Article 14 says that no person shall be denied treatment of equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India.
  • The right is extended to all persons whether citizens or foreigners, statutory corporations, companies, registered societies or any other type of legal person.
• Prohibition of Discrimination: Article 15 provides that no citizen shall be discriminated on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.
• Equality of Opportunity in Public Employment: Article 16 of the Indian constitution provides for equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters of employment or appointment to any public office.

What are the Government Initiatives Related to Women Empowerment?

• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme
• Ujjawala Yojna
• Swadhar Greh
• Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana
• Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme
• One Stop Centre

Context

Russia hosted the seventh Eastern Economic Forum- EEF Vladivostok from September 5 to 8. The four-day forum is a platform for entrepreneurs to expand their businesses into Russia’s Far East (RFE).

About Eastern Economic Forum-EEF

• The EEF was established in 2015 aiming to encourage foreign investments in the RFE to display:
  • Economic potential
  • Suitable business conditions and
  • Investment opportunities in the region
• Focus areas: The agreements focus on infrastructure, transportation projects, mineral excavations, construction, industry and agriculture.
• With EEF, Russia is trying to attract the Asian economies in investing and developing the Far East.
• This year, the Forum aimed at connecting the Far East with the Asia-Pacific.

What does the EEF aim for?

• FDI inflows: The primary objective of the EEF is to increase the Foreign Direct Investments in the RFE.
• Natural resource exploitation: The region encompasses one-third of Russia’s territory and is rich with natural resources such as fish, oil, natural gas, wood, diamonds and other minerals.
• Demographic revamp: The sparse population living in the region is another factor for encouraging people to move and work in the Far East.
• Unleashing economic potential: The region’s riches and resources contribute to five percent of Russia’s GDP.

Success of EEF

• Agreements signed at the EEF increased from 217 in 2017 to 380 agreements in 2021, worth 3.6 trillion roubles.
• As of 2022, almost 2,729 investment projects are being planned in the region.

Who are the major actors in the EEF?

• China is the biggest investor in the region as it sees potential in promoting the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative and the Polar Sea Route in the RFE.
• China’s investments in the region account for 90% of the total investments.
• South Korea has invested in shipbuilding projects, manufacturing of electrical equipment, gas-liquefying plants, agricultural production and fisheries.
• Japan is another key trading partner. In 2017, its investments through 21 projects amounted to $16 billion.

How does Russia see Chinese investment in EEF?

• Russia has been welcoming Chinese investments since 2015; more now than ever due to the economic pressures caused by the war in Ukraine.
• The Trans-Siberian Railway has further helped Russia and China in advancing trade ties.
• The countries share a 4000-km-long border, which enables them to tap into each other’s resources with some infrastructural assistance.
• China is also looking to develop its Heilongjiang Province which connects with the RFE.
• Both nations have invested in a fund to develop connectivity between the cities of Blagoveshchensk and Heihe.

India and Russia’s Far East

• India seeks to expand its influence in the RFE.
• In 2019, India also offered a $1 billion line of credit to develop infrastructure in the region.
• During the forum, PM Modi expressed the country’s readiness in expanding trade, connectivity and investments in Russia.
• India is keen to deepen its cooperation in energy, pharmaceuticals, maritime connectivity, healthcare, tourism, the diamond industry and the Arctic.

Strategic significance of EEF for Russia

• Gateway to Asia: The RFE is geographically placed at a strategic location; acting as a gateway into Asia.
• Negating the Ukrainian war impact: The Ukraine war is a worrying issue as it affects the economic growth of the country.
• Surviving sanctions: Although, the EEF is an annual gathering, the forum comes at an opportune time for Russia who is dealing with the impact of the sanctions.
• Supply chain resilience: The IPEF will also play a key role in building resilient supply chains.

Will India be able to strike a balance between the EEF and IPEF?

• Both are incomparable: The US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) and the EEF are incomparable based on its geographic coverage and the partnership with the host-countries.
• India values both: India has not shied away from investing in the Russia-initiated EEF despite the current international conditions.
• India is firm for its purpose: At the same time, India has given its confirmation and acceptance to three of the four pillars in the IPEF.

Conclusion

• India understands the benefits of being involved in the development in the RFE but it also perceives the IPEF as a vital platform to strengthen its presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
• India’s participation in the forum will help in disengaging from supply chains that are dependent on China and will also make it a part of the global supply chain network.

Context

The Centre has told the Supreme Court that the law does not allow undergraduate medical students, who fled the “war-like situation” in Ukraine, to be accommodated in Indian medical colleges.

Which laws is the govt talking about?

• There are no provisions either under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, or the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 to accommodate or transfer medical students.
• Till now, no permission has been given by the National Medical Commission to transfer or accommodate any foreign medical students in any Indian medical institute/university.

Why foreign undergraduates are not permitted?

• Absence of law: The extant regulations in India do not permit migration of students from foreign universities to India.
• No backdoor entry: The public notice cannot be used as a back door entry into Indian colleges offering undergraduate courses.
• Merit issue: The students had left for foreign universities for two reasons, poor marks in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and affordability of medical education in foreign countries.
• High cost: Besides, these students, if admitted in Indian colleges, would again face the problem of affordability.

Why do Indians go abroad for medical studies?

• According to estimates from Ukraine, reported in the media, around 18,000 Indian students are in Ukraine (before Operation Ganga).
• Most of them are pursuing medicine.
• This war has turned the spotlight on something that has been the trend for about three decades now.

Preferred countries for a medical degree
For about three decades now, Indian students have been heading out to Russia, China, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Philippines to pursue a medical degree.

Hype of becoming a Doctor

• Prestige: The desire to study medicine still holds a lot of value in the Indian community (the other is becoming an IAS officer).
• Shortages of Doctor: In many rural areas, people still look at doctors as god’s incarnate.
• Rarity of opportunity: The lack of equal opportunities exacerbated by the caste factor in the Indian context, has a great deal of impact on the prestige still associated with being a doctor.
• Social upliftment ladder: For years, certain communities were denied the opportunities, and finally they do have a chance at achieving significant educational status.

Why do Indians prefer going abroad?

• No language barrier: The medium of education for these students is English, a language they are comfortable with.
• Affordability: The amount spent on living and the medical degree are far more affordable than paying for an MBBS seat in private medical colleges in India.
• Aesthetics and foreign culture: People are willing to leave their home to study far away in much colder places and with completely alien cultures and food habits.
• Practice and OPD exposure: It broadens students’ mind and thinking, expose them to a whole range of experiences, and their approach to issues and crises is likely to be far better.

Doesn’t India have enough colleges?

• More aspirants than seats
  • There are certainly far more MBBS aspirants than there are MBBS seats in India.
  • In NEET 2021, as per a National Testing Agency press release, 16.1 lakh students registered for the exam, 15.4 lakh students appeared for the test, and 8.7 lakh students qualified.
  • As per data from the National Medical Commission (NMC), in 2021-22, there were 596 medical colleges in the country with a total of 88,120 MBBS seats.
  • While the skew is in favour of Government colleges, it is not greatly so, with the number of private medical institutions nearly neck-to-neck with the state-run ones.
• Fees structure
  • That means over 50% of the total seats are available at affordable fees in Government colleges.
  • Add the 50% seats in the private sector that the NMC has mandated must charge only the government college fees.
  • In fully private colleges, the full course fees range from several lakhs to crores.
• Uneven distribution of colleges
  • These colleges are also not distributed evenly across the country, with States such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala having many more colleges.

What about costs?

• The cost factor on both sides of an MBBS degree is significant.
• The costs of an MBBS degree in a Government college tot up to a few lakhs of rupees for the full course, but in a private medical college, it can go up to ₹1 crore for the five-year course.
• In case it is a management seat, capitation fees can inflate the cost by several lakhs again.
• Whereas, an MBBS course at any foreign medical university in the east and Eastern Europe costs far less (upto ₹30lakh-₹40 lakh).

Conclusion

• Creating more medical colleges will be beneficial for the country, if access and availability can be ensured.
• This will not be possible by resorting to private enterprise only.
• The State and Central governments can start more medical colleges, as recommended by NITI Aayog, by utilising district headquarters hospitals, and expanding the infrastructure.
• This way, students from the lower and middle socio-economic rung, who are otherwise not able to access medical seats, will also benefit.

Context

Recently, a group of researchers has suggested that Shallow Water Mining is in direct conflict with Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability Goals, as the activity poses severe environmental risks.

What is Shallow Water Mining?

• Shallow-water mining takes place at depths less than 200 metres and it has been touted as less destructive than terrestrial mining and less risky than mining in Deep-Water Ecosystems.
• It is considered a relatively low-risk and low-cost option to satisfy the demand for metals and minerals. Also, technology for shallow-water mining already exists.
• Shallow-water mining projects are already underway in Namibia and Indonesia, and projects have been proposed in Mexico, New Zealand, and Sweden.

What are the Findings?

• About
  • Shallow Water Mining is not a sustainable substitute for Deep-Sea Mining.
    • The part of the ocean that lies below a depth of 200 meters is defined as the deep sea, and the process of extracting minerals from this area is known as deep-sea mining.
  • Mining metals from the shallow-water ocean floor requires removing large amounts of sediment.
  • Removing these sediments, which takes thousands of years to accumulate, means jeopardizing organisms that call it home.
• Impact
  • As shallow-water ecosystems are already under stress due to pollution, and the impacts of climate change, even seemingly small-scale mining activities can drastically affect marine ecosystems, especially at local scales.
  • Mineral mining alters habitats as well as causes local biodiversity loss and changes in species communities.
  • The indirect effects of mining, such as the spread of seabed material and harmful substances released from the seafloor and the clouding of water, contribute to impairing the state of the marine environment.
  • The overall environmental effects of shallow-water mining are similar to those of operations where the seafloor is excavated, such as dredging. This means that it can take decades for the ecosystems to recover.

What are the Suggestions?

• Shallow-water mining activities should not be considered the “silver bullet to resolve the growing global need for metals” until the environmental and socioeconomic impacts are thoroughly investigated.
• Without this information, one could not understand the potential risks of the mining activity for deep-ocean biodiversity, ecosystems and human well-being.
• The precautionary principle should be applied to mining in shallow marine areas. They believe operations should not be permitted until their risks have been fully mapped.

Context

Tamil Nadu CM has launched the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme for students of Class I to V in government schools.

About CM’s Breakfast Scheme

• The scheme covers around 1.14 lakh students in 1,545 schools which include 417 municipal corporation schools, 163 municipality schools and 728 taluk and village panchayat-level schools.
• The inauguration of the scheme marks an important milestone in the State’s history of providing free meals to school students.

How has the idea evolved?

• Pre-independence
  • In November 1920, the Madras Corporation Council approved a proposal for providing tiffin to the students of a Corporation School at Thousand Lights at a cost not exceeding one anna per student per day.
  • Theagaraya Chetty, the then President of the Corporation and one of the stalwarts of the Justice Party, said the boys studying at the school were poor, which affected the strength of the institution ‘greatly’.
  • The scheme, which was extended to four more schools and facilitated higher enrollment of students.
• Post-independence
  • The concept saw a Statewide application in 1956 when the then CM K. Kamaraj decided to provide free noon meal to poor children in all primary schools across the State.
  • The Budget for 1956-57 contained a provision for supplying mid-day meals to schoolchildren for 200 days a year, initially covering 65,000 students in 1,300 feeding centres.
  • In July 1982, it was left to the then CM MG Ramachandran to extend the programme to children in the 2-5 age group in Anganwadis and those in 5-9 age group in primary schools in rural areas.
  • Subsequently, the scheme now called Puratchi Thalaivar MGR Nutritious Meal Programme — was extended to urban areas as well.
  • Since September 1984, students of standards VI to X have been covered under the scheme.

Beneficiaries of the programme

• As of now, there are nearly 7 lakh beneficiaries spread over 43,190 nutritious meal centres.
• This includes around 3,500 students of National Child Labour Project (NCLP) special schools.
• Besides, as a consequence of the collaborative implementation of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and the nutritious meal programme, around 15.8 lakh children in the age group of 2+ to 5+ years receive nutritious meals.

Impact on school education

• Rise in enrolment: After the improved version of the mid-day meal scheme in 1982, the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) at primary level (standards I to V) went up by 10% during July-September, 1982 as compared to the corresponding period in 1981.
• Girls’ enrolment: The rise in boys’ enrollment was 12% and in the case of girls, 7%, according to a publication brought out by the Tamil Nadu government on the occasion of the launch of the Scheme.
• Increase in attendance: Likewise, attendance during July-September 1982 rose by 33% over the previous year’s figure.

Focus areas programme

• Anaemia is a major health problem in Tamil Nadu, especially among women and children, says the 2019-21 National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5’s report.
• From 50% during the period of the 2015-16 NFHS-4, the prevalence of anaemia in children now went up to 57%.
• This and many other health issues can be addressed through the combined efforts of the departments of School Education, Public Health and Social Welfare and Women Empowerment.
• Besides, a continuous and rigorous review of the progress of the scheme and nutritious meal programme should be carried out in a sustained manner.

Context

Pulling up the States for the delay in completion of the government’s flagship rural household scheme — Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana –Gramin (PMAY-G) — the Union Ministry of Rural Development has come up with a set of penalties that the State governments will have to bear for any further delay.

Why in news?

• Opposition-ruled states such as West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Odisha are the leading four States who are far behind their targets.
• The initial deadline for the scheme was March 2022, which owing to the COVID-19 pandemic was extended by another two years till March 2024.

About PMAY-G Scheme

• In pursuance of the goal – Housing for all by 2022, the rural housing scheme Indira Awas Yojana was revamped to PMAY-G and approved during March 2016.
• The main aim of the PMAY-G scheme is to provide pucca house with some of the basic amenities.
• This scheme is meant for people who do not own a house and people who live in kutcha houses or houses which are severely damaged.
• At present, the minimum size of the houses to be built under the PMAY-G scheme has been increased to 25 sq. mt. from 20 sq. mt.
• Under PMAY, the cost of unit assistance is to be shared between Central and State Governments in the ratio 60:40 in plain areas and 90:10 for North Eastern and hilly states.

Subsidies under PMAY – G scheme

There are various subsidies offered under PMAY G. These include:

• Loans up to Rs. 70,000 from financial institution
• Interest subsidy of 3%
• Subsidy for the maximum principal amount is Rs. 2 lakh

What are the penalty provisions?

• If the sanction of the house is delayed for more than one month from the date of issue of the target, the State government will be penalised.
• The penal fees are per week ₹10 per house for the first month of delay and ₹20 per house for each subsequent month of delay.
• Similarly, if the first instalment due to the beneficiary is delayed for more than seven days from the date of sanction, then the State governments will have to pay ₹10 per house per week of delay.

GS-III

Context

The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare addressed the ‘Outlook Agritech Summit and Swaraj Awards 2022’.

What is the AgriTech Summit?

• Agritech Summit is a platform to bring together the top political leadership, policymakers, thought leaders and companies involved in agriculture-related technology to share knowledge and recognise the best practices in the field of agriculture in India.
• The annual awards recognise the best performances and innovations in the field of agriculture, and recognise those who are pushing the envelope by using smart technology.
  • The awards were given to various Krishi Vikas Kendras, Farmers' Producers Organisations as well as individual scientists.
• The Swaraj Award was organised in association with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare.

What are the Highlights of the Address?

• Many important schemes are being implemented so that the challenges of farming can be reduced and the income of the farmers can be increased.
• There are 86% of small farmers in the country, who have small acreage and cannot invest much. The government is working to take these farmers forward, because if the balance of these farmers remains low, then neither agriculture nor the country will progress.
• The government has started the work of creating 10,000 new FPOs (Farmer Producer Organisation), if small farmers join these FPOs, then the area under cultivation increases, the collective power of the farmer’s increases.
• The government is also working in the field of pulses and oilseeds. Both were areas of scarcity.

What is the importance of Technology in Agriculture?

• Importance
  • The agriculture sector poses its own unique challenges such as dependency upon good monsoons, small and fragmented farm holdings, lack of mechanisation and scarcity of capital.
  • Technology in agriculture can be used in different aspects of agriculture such as the application of herbicide, pesticide, fertilizer, and improved seed.
  • Over the years, technology has proved to be extremely useful in the agricultural sector.
    • Presently, farmers are able to grow crops in areas where they were thought could not grow, but this is only possible through agricultural biotechnology.
• For example, genetic engineering has made it possible to introduce certain strains into other genes of crops or animals.
  • Such engineering boosts the resistance of the crops to pests (e.g., Bt Cotton) and droughts. Through technology, farmers are in a position to electrify every process for efficiency and improved production.
• Initiatives
  • The government is working on a Digital Agri Mission so that the farmers can reach the government and the government can reach all the farmers.
    • Under the Digital Agri Mission, if all the farmers, agricultural areas, government schemes, central and state governments and banks are also brought on this platform, then the benefits of the schemes will be easily available.
  • Farmers are being linked with mechanization.
  • The government is promoting drone technology.