UPSC Daily Current Affairs - 13th October 2022 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Context

The 11th volume of the Report of the Official Language Committee headed by Home Minister submitted to President has triggered angry reactions from the CMs of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, who have described the Report as an attempt to impose Hindi on non-Hindi-speaking states.

About the Official Language Panel (for Hindi)

• The Committee of Parliament on Official Language was set up in 1976 under Section 4 of The Official Languages Act, 1963.
• Section 4 of the Act says there shall be constituted a Committee on Official language, on a resolution to that effect being moved in either House of Parliament.
• It should have the previous sanction of the President and passed by both Houses.

Terms of reference of the committee

• The Committee is chaired by the Union Home Minister, and has, in accordance with the provisions of the 1963 Act, 30 members — 20 MPs from Lok Sabha and 10 MPs from Rajya Sabha.
• The job of the Committee is to review the progress made in the use of Hindi for official purposes, and to make recommendations to increase the use of Hindi in official communications.

History of its establishment

• With the active promotion of Hindi being mandated by Article 351 of the Constitution, the Official Language Committee was set up to review and promote the use of Hindi in official communications.
• The first Report of the Committee was submitted in 1987.

Issues with the committee

• The name of the Committee is a little misleading.
• This is because unlike the other Parliamentary panels, the Committee on Official Language is constituted by the Home Ministry.
• It does not submit its report to Parliament like other Committees of Parliament.
• The contents of the report submitted are not in the public domain.
• The panel has the largest representation from the ruling majority party. This has made states more furious.

What has the Shah panel recommended in its latest (2021) report?

• Medium of instruction: The panel has made around 100 recommendations, including that Hindi should be the medium of instruction in IITs, IIMs, and central universities in the Hindi-speaking states.
• Administrative communication: The language used for communication in the administration should be Hindi, and efforts should be made to teach the curriculum in Hindi, but the latter is not mandatory.
• Hindi translation of HC verdicts: High Courts in other states, where proceedings are recorded in English or a regional language can make available translations in Hindi, because verdicts of High Court of other states are often cited in judgments.
• Mandate for govt. officials: The panel wants state governments to warn officials that their reluctance to use Hindi would reflect in their Annual Performance Assessment Report (APAR).

Why are these recommendations under criticism?

The crux of the recommendations is being ‘perceived’ that-

• There is a deliberate attempt to reduce the usage of the English language in official communication and to increase the usage of Hindi.
• Knowledge of Hindi would be compulsory in a number of government jobs.

Is this the first time that such recommendations have been made?

• The makers of the Constitution had decided that both Hindi and English should be used as official languages for the first 15 years of the Republic.
• But in the wake of intense anti-Hindi agitations in the south, the Centre announced that English would continue to be used even after 1965.
• On January 18, 1968, Parliament passed the Official Language Resolution to build a comprehensive program to increase the use of Hindi for official purposes by the Union of India.

Context

An expert team will visit the Hoysala temples at Belur, Halebid and Samanathpur this week before submitting a report to UNESCO ahead of declaring them as World Heritage Site.

• This includes Chennakeshava temple at Belur, The Hoysaleshwara temple at Halebid (together “The Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas”) and the 13th centure Keshava temple at Somnathpur.

Criteria for declaration as World Heritage Site by UNESCO

• Nominated sites must be of “outstanding universal value” and must meet at least one of the following ten criteria
• To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius
• To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design
• To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living, or which has disappeared
• To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history”
• To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change
• To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance
• To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance
• To be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth’s history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features
• To be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals
• To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.

Salient features of Hoysala form of Architecture:

• Hoysala temples are hybrid or vesara style temples because of amalgamation of Dravidian and Nagara styles.
• Multiple shrines of different deities around a central pillared hall.
• Stellate plan wherein the shrines are established intricately in the design of a star.
• Soft soapstone being the main building material.
• Decoration of the temple through sculptures – Both the interior and exterior walls, even the pieces of jewellery worn by the deities were intricately carved.
• Upraised platform known as Jagati.
• The walls and stairs of the temple followed a zigzag pattern.

Chennakeshava temple of Somnathpur, Karnataka

• It is a Vaishnava Hindu temple on the banks of River Kaveri
• The temple was constructed in 1258 CE by Somanatha Dandanayaka, a general of the Hoysala King Narasimha III.
• The ornate temple is a model illustration of the Hoysala architecture. T
• The temple is enclosed in a courtyard with a pillared corridor of small shrines (damaged).
• The main temple in the centre is on a high star-shaped platform with three symmetrical sanctums (garbha-griha). The sanctums share a common community hall (sabha-mandapa) with many pillars.
• The outer walls, the inner walls, the pillars and the ceiling of the temple are intricately carved with theological iconography of Hinduism and display Ramayana, the Mahabharata and Bhagavata Purana

International Commission on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS):

• It is a professional association that works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places around the world.
• Headquartered in Charenton-le-Pont, France, ICOMOS was founded in 1965 in Warsaw as a result of the Venice Charter of 1964, and offers advice to UNESCO on World Heritage Sites.
• Objectives: Restoration of historic buildings and protect the world’s cultural heritage threatened by wars and natural disasters under “Blue Shield”; of which ICOMOS is a partner and founding member

GS-II

Context

Recently, the Union Cabinet approved a new Scheme, Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE).

• PM-DevINE was announced in the Union Budget 2022-23 to address development gaps in the North Eastern Region (NER).

What is PM-DevINE Scheme?

• About:
  • It is a Central Sector Scheme with 100% Central funding.
  • The new scheme, to be implemented during the remaining four years of the 15th Finance Commission from 2022-23 to 2025-26 have an outlay of Rs.6,600 crore.
  • The PM-DevINE is in addition to the quantum of resources available for the development of the NE region. It will not be a substitute for existing central and state schemes.
• Implementation:
  • The scheme will be implemented by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region through North Eastern Council or Central Ministries/ agencies.
• Objectives:
  • Fund infrastructure convergently, in the spirit of PM Gati Shakti
  • Support social development projects based on felt needs of the NER
  • Enable livelihood activities for youth and women
  • Fill the development gaps in various sectors

What is the Significance of North East for India?

• Strategic Significance: North-East India is the gateway to South-East Asia and beyond. It is India’s land-bridge to Myanmar.
  • India's Act East Policy places the northeastern states on the territorial frontier of India's eastward engagement.
• Cultural Significance: North East India is one of the most culturally diverse areas of the world. It is home to over 200 tribes. Popular festivals include the Hornbill Festival of Nagaland, Pang Lhabsol of Sikkim, etc.
  • North-east India is a Dowry-Free Zone.
  • The rich tapestry of cultures of Northeast is reflected in its highly developed Folk dance forms like Bihu (Assam).
  • Manipur has a tradition of worshipping nature in sacred groves, called UmangLai.
• Economic Significance: Economically, the Region is rich in natural resources of “TOT” (Tea, Oil, and Timber).
  • It is a veritable powerhouse with a potential of 50000 MW of hydroelectric power and an abundant reserve of fossil fuels.
• Ecological Significance: North East is a part of Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot. It represents one of the highest avian and plant biodiversity of the Indian subcontinent.
  • This area has the prestige of having all the bear species present in India.

What are Current Challenges Pertaining to North-East India?

• Isolation From the Rest of India: The region’s accessibility has always remained weak due to geographical reasons and underdeveloped transport links with the rest of India.
• Lack of Efficient Infrastructure: Infrastructure i.e., physical (like roadways, waterways, energy and so on) as well as social infrastructure (for instance educational institutions, health facilities) plays an important role in human development and economic growth of any region
• Slow Pace of Industrial Growth: North-East India has remained historically underdeveloped in terms of industrial growth.
• Territorial Conflicts: There are existing inter-state and international territorial conflicts within the Northeast that are often based on historical border disputes and differing ethnic, tribal or cultural affinities. Example: Assam-Mizoram Border Dispute.
• Insurgency and Political Issues: Insurgency or terrorism is a political weapon and is often the result of accumulated anger due to political, economic and social causes.
  • The North-Eastern states have witnessed a rise of insurgent activities and regional movements with a feeling of exploitation and alienation from other Indian states.

Way Forward

• Investing in infrastructure would generate employment and would play a major role in thwarting secessionist movements in the North-East region.
• India’s North East is surrounded by national and international borders, so, national and international infrastructure development will be the best choice for inclusive development in India’s Northeast.

Context

The number of information officers and first appellate authorities in the Central government has remained stagnant in the last few years. In contrast, the new Right to Information (RTI) applications filed as well as pending applications are increasing every year. Worryingly, the Central Information Commission and State Information Commissions, the final recourse in matters concerning RTI, also face manpower shortage. As a result, appeals and complaints are piling up.

What is Right to Information Act (RTI)?

• RTI is an act of the parliament that sets out the rules and procedures regarding citizens’ right to information.It replaced the former Freedom of Information Act, 2002.
• Time bound response: Under the provisions of RTI Act, any citizen of India may request information from a “public authority” (a body of Government or “instrumentality of State”) which is required to reply expeditiously or within 30.
• Immediate Information in an urgent petition: In case of a matter involving a petitioner’s life and liberty, the information has to be provided within 48 hours.
• Digitization of records: The Act also requires every public authority to computerize their records for wide dissemination and to proactively publish certain categories of information so that the citizens need minimum recourse to request for information formally.

Implementation of RTI

• The RTI Act is implemented using a three-level structure.
• Public Information Officer: At the first level is the Central Assistant Public Information Officer/Central Public Information Officer (CAPIO/CPIO). Once an RTI query reaches the CAPIO/CPIO, they are expected to reply within 30 days.
• First Appellate Authority (FAA): If the reply is not satisfactory or does not arrive on time, a first appeal can be made to the First Appellate Authority (FAA).
• Central Information and State Information Commissions: If the FAA does not answer or if its answer is not satisfactory, the Central Information and State Information Commissions can be approached.

What are the vacancy related issues?

• Low Performance of Information Commissions: A report released in October by the Satark Nagrik Sangathan, titled ‘Report Card on the Performance of Information Commissions in India,2021-22’,states that the number of appeals and complaints pending before the Central and State Information Commissions as of June 30, 2022 was 3,14,323. The figure is based on data gathered from 26 Information Commissions obtained through 145 RTI applications.
• Increase in the pending appeals: There is an Increase in the number of pending appeals and complaints from 2.18 lakh to3.14 lakh in the last three years.
• Leading states in pending complaints: Maharashtra tops the list with nearly 1 lakh appeals and complaints pending followed by Uttar Pradesh (44,482) and Karnataka (30,358). Data were not available for Tamil Nadu State Information Commission. The Commissions in Jharkhand and Tripura were defunct.
• Substantial delay in reply: The Sangathan assumed that appeals and complaints would be disposed of in a chronological order. It would take the West Bengal State Information Commission 24 years and 3 months to dispose of a complaint filed on July 1, 2022. A similar analysis in Odisha and Maharashtra showed that it would take five years. Only Meghalaya and Mizoram showed no waiting time(not plotted on the tree map).

What is the recent amendment?

• Parity with CEC broken: So far, the CIC received the same salary and perks as that of the Chief Election Commissioner or a judge of the Supreme Court.
• Now on par with Cabinet Secretary: The new rules make the CIC an equivalent of the cabinet secretary and central information commissioners the same as secretary to the government in terms of salary. In the states, the downgrading will be to the level of a secretary to the government, and additional secretary respectively.
• Tenure: The tenure has been reduced from 5 years to 3.
• Power of ICs undermined: The CICs and ICs at both the Centre and the states have the power to review the functioning of government public information officials, and intervene on behalf of citizens seeking information about decisions of the government. This stands undermined.
• Lack of enforcing powers: these officials have zero powers to enforce their orders, except the imposition of a fine for non-compliance.
• Authority exercised: Over the years, government departments coughed out information because they were seen in the same league and of the same authority as the CEC and Supreme Court judges.

Conclusion

The RTI has unquestionably proved to be one of the significant milestones and a major step towards ensuring the participatory and transparent development process in the country. Dilution of RTI is like downgrading the participation of citizens in public affairs. Government should strengthen the RTI instead of weakening.

GS-III

Context

Recently, the railway ministry is planning to bid out 16 stations under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. These railway stations will be upgraded to ensure improved basic facilities and accessibility for passengers.

• This is in addition to the 1253 railway stations that have been identified for development under the Adarsh Station Scheme.

What is Public Private Partnership Model?

• About:
  • It is an arrangement between the government and private sector for the provision of public assets and/or public services. Public-private partnerships allow large-scale government projects, such as roads, bridges, or hospitals, to be completed with private funding.
  • In this type of partnership, investments are undertaken by the private sector entity, for a specified period of time.
  • As PPP involves full retention of responsibility by the government for providing the services, it doesn’t amount to privatization.
  • There is a well-defined allocation of risk between the private sector and the public entity.
  • The private entity is chosen on the basis of open competitive bidding and receives performance-linked payments.
  • PPP route can be an alternative in developing countries where governments face various constraints on borrowing money for important projects.
  • It can also give required expertise in planning or executing large projects.
• Benefits:
  • The PPP model can bring opportunities for investment, operating efficiency and modern and clean technology.
  • PPP railway projects provide for shared use of rail tracks may lead to efficiency gains and an increased revenue basis (or reduced cost basis) for states and private investors.
  • Further, it could lead to increased competition and modernization of railway infrastructure.
• Challenges:
  • PPP projects have been stuck in issues such as disputes in existing contracts, non-availability of capital and regulatory hurdles related to the acquisition of land.
  • Indian government has a poor record in regulating PPPs in practice, as there are delays in land acquisition.
  • Loans for infrastructure projects are believed to comprise a large share of the non-performing asset portfolio of public sector banks in India.
  • In many sectors, PPP projects have turned into conduits of crony capitalism.
  • Many PPP projects in infrastructure sector are run by “politically connected firms” which have used political connections to win contracts.
  • PPP firms use every opportunity for renegotiating contracts by citing reasons like lower revenue or a rise in costs which becomes a norm in India.

What are Types of Public Private Partnership (PPP) Models?

• Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT): It is a conventional PPP model in which the private partner is responsible to design, build, operate (during the contracted period) and transfer back the facility to the public sector.
  • The private sector partner has to bring the finance for the project and take the responsibility to construct and maintain it.
  • The public sector will allow private sector partners to collect revenue from the users. The national highway projects contracted out by NHAI under PPP mode is a major example for the BOT model.
• Build-Own-Operate (BOO): In this model ownership of the newly built facility will rest with the private party.
  • On mutually agreed terms and conditions the public sector partner agrees to ‘purchase’ the goods and services produced by the project.
• Build, Own, Operate, Transfer (BOOT): In this variant of BOT, after the negotiated period of time, the project is transferred to the government or to the private operator.
  • BOOT model is used for the development of highways and ports.
• Build-Operate-Lease-Transfer (BOLT): In this approach, the government gives a concession to a private entity to build a facility (and possibly design it as well), own the facility, lease the facility to the public sector and then at the end of the lease period transfer the ownership of the facility to the government.
• Design-Build-Operate-Transfer (DBFO): In this model, entire responsibility for the design, construction, finance, and operation of the project for the period of concession lies with the private party.
• Lease-Develop-Operate (LDO): In this type of investment model either the government or the public sector entity retains ownership of the newly created infrastructure facility and receives payments in terms of a lease agreement with the private promoter.
  • It is mostly followed in the development of airport facilities.
• Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) Model: Under this model, the cost is completely borne by the government. Government invites bids for engineering knowledge from the private players. Procurement of raw material and construction costs are met by the government. The private sector’s participation is minimal and is limited to the provision of engineering expertise. A difficulty of the model is that financial is the high financial burden for the government.
• The Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM): In India, the new HAM is a mix of BOT-Annuity and EPC models. As per the design, the government will contribute 40% of the project cost in the first five years through annual payments (annuity). The remaining payment will be made on the basis of the assets created and the performance of the developer.

What is Adarsh Station Scheme?

• About: Adarsh station scheme of the Ministry of Railways aims to upgrade the suburban stations of India to Adarsh stations. It was introduced in 2009.
  • The selection of railway stations under this scheme is based on the identified need for up-gradation of amenities.
• Key features:
  • Adarsh stations will be beautified and upgraded with modern facilities like:
  • Improvement of facade of the station building.
  • Duly streamlining traffic flow
  • Improvement of platform surface
  • Improvement of existing waiting halls and retiring rooms
  • Toilet facilities
  • Provision of foot over bridges
  • Provision of lifts and escalators etc.
  • The upgradation process will be monitored by the Indian Government and Indian Railways.

Way Forward

• New projects, especially large-scale transit projects, are significant for increasing mobility and for the series of changes in land use patterns. PPPs have the potential to deliver infrastructure projects better and faster. Currently, PPP contracts focus more on fiscal benefits.
• There is a need for a serious assessment of the efficacy and the likely benefits of increasing private sector participation in rail projects before the adoption of this model.

Context

The first World Sloth Bear Day was observed on October 12, 2022 to generate awareness and strengthen conservation efforts around the unique bear species endemic to the Indian subcontinent.

• It was proposed by Wildlife SOS India, an organisation involved in sloth bear conservation and protection for over two decades and the (International Union for Conservation of Nature) IUCN-Species Survival Commission (SSC) sloth bear expert team accepted and declared the day to be celebrated worldwide.

What is Sloth Bear?

About:

• Sloth Bear is one of the 8 bear species found across the globe.
• Sloth bears primarily eat termites and ants, and unlike other bear species, they routinely carry their cubs on their backs.
• They are also very fond of honey, hence their alternative name of “honey bear”.
• Sloth bears do not hibernate.
• They are agile and considered one of the most formidable wild animals.
• They are also known as the least researched bear species.
• Scientific Name: Melursus Ursinus.
• Habitat: Presently Sloth bears are only found in the Indian subcontinent, Nepal and a sub-species in Sri Lanka.
• About 90% of the global Sloth Bear population is found in India.

Conservation Status:

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
• Wildlife protection Act (1972): Schedule I.
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES): Appendix I.
• Threats:
  • An ethnic group named Kalandars, who were mostly poor performed a practice known as a dancing bear, where the captured sloth bears are tortured to make them dance.
  • According to several reports, their population has dropped by 40 to 50% over the last three decades mainly due to habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, poaching and increasing human-bear conflict.

Conservation efforts:

• The Wildlife SOS Bear rescue centres are rescuing Sloth bears and reintroducing them to their natural habitat where they also received veterinary care.
• Further, to ensure the Kalandar community did not fall back on poaching wild animals for a living, Wildlife SOS worked with the Kalandars to provide them with alternative forms of livelihood and access to education.
• Through the declaration of World Sloth Bear Day, Wildlife SOS and the IUCN-SSC, (Species Survival Commission) Sloth Bear Expert Team aim to set precedence for the rest of the world to promote the conservation of Sloth bears and their habitats throughout their distribution range.

Context

The auto sector is testing many new technologies to reduce carbon emissions. Flex fuel is one technology that has gained currency.

What are Flex Fuel Vehicles?

• Like traditional vehicles, flex fuel vehicles have an internal combustion engine, but instead of regular petrol, it can run on blended fuel—petrol with ethanol or methanol.
• The ethanol mix can vary between 20% and 85%.
• The vehicle has additional sensors and different programming of the engine control module to assess the blend of the fuel and adjust accordingly.
• Unlike electric hybrid vehicles, no bulky parts need to be added to the basic gasoline vehicle architecture.
• Upgrading existing vehicles to run on high blend of ethanol fuel, however, is possible but expensive and not considered feasible.

Are they better than traditional vehicles?

• Flex fuel vehicles are seen as a one-shot solution for multiple problems—pollution, oil import bill and glut in sugar production.
• According to the US department of energy, they have lower overall greenhouse gas emissions, between 40-108%, depending on the feedstock used to produce them.
• It could also help bring down India’s crude oil import bill.
• Further, India also suffers from a glut in sugar production of 6 million tonnes and in sugar season 2020-21, about 2.4 million tonne was diverted to produce 302 litres of ethanol for blending.
• India has set a target of 20% blending rate for 2025.

Is there a catch in flex-fuel technology?

• There is unlikely to be any direct benefit to the consumer.
• Though ethanol costs much lower than petrol at ₹47-64/ltr depending on the sugarcane source, oil marketing companies are expected to pocket the cost differential.
• It is also controlled by the government. So, chances of frequent revision are high.
• On the contrary, the fuel economy is likely to fall by 4-8%.

What are the challenges?

• For mass adoption, an adequate supply of different types of ethanol blends is needed across the country.
• This would have to be in addition to the existing network as current vehicles on the road would have to be supplied with fuel that has only 10% ethanol blending.
• This means significant investment in infra by oil firms.
• At the same time, a constant supply of ethanol would have to be ensured.Since this largely comes from sugarcane in India, which is a water-guzzling crop, any drought could have an impact on blending rates.

How do they fit in with carbon neutrality?

• With electrification already on the horizon, flex fuel vehicles are seen as a stop-gap arrangement.
• The benefit for the environment is less as compared to battery EVs or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles of the future.
• With much lower cost of running, they also offer better economy for consumers.
• The Toyota pilot project notwithstanding, there is also resistance from the industry.
• They want to prioritize investments and not get stretched thin between hybrid and battery electric, fuel cell and flex fuel technologies.