UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 31st October 2022 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Context

On National Unity Day 2022, the Union Home Minister of India remembered Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 147th birth anniversary saying that the latter realised the dream of a strong and united India with his farsightedness.

Why is National Unity Day Celebrated?

• National Unity Day is celebrated every year on 31st October to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. It is also known as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.
• The reason behind the celebration of this day is to make people aware of the ideas of staying together and uplifting society.
• It was celebrated for the first time in 2014.
• Several events are organised on this day like ‘Run For Unity’ - a nationwide marathon to increase awareness about the contribution of Sardar Patel to national integrity, National Unity pledge, etc.
• In 2018, the Government of India unveiled the ‘Statue of Unity’ in Gujarat to mark the 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar Patel.
• Who was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel?

• About:
  • He was born on 31st October 1875 in Nadiad, Gujarat.
  • Sardar Patel was the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India.
  • He is recognized as the real unifier of India for his colossal contribution to integrate and make India a united (Ek Bharat) and an independent nation.
  • He requested the people of India to live together by uniting in order to create Shresth Bharat (Foremost India).
  • This ideology is still reflected in the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative which seeks to make India Self-Reliant.
  • He is also remembered as the ‘Patron saint of India’s civil servants’ as he established the modern all-India services system.
• Role in Framing Constitution:
  • He headed various Committees of the Constituent Assembly of India, namely:
  • Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights.
  • Committee on Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas.
  • Provincial Constitution Committee.
• Major Contributions:
  • He worked extensively against alcohol consumption, untouchability, caste discrimination and for women emancipation in Gujarat and outside.
  • He integrated the farmer’s cause in Kheda Satyagraha (1918) and Bardoli Satyagraha (1928) with the national freedom movement.
  • Women of Bardoli bestowed the title ‘Sardar’ on Vallabhbhai Patel, which means ‘a Chief or a Leader’.
  • During the 1930 Salt Satyagraha (prayer and fasting movement), Sardar Patel served three months imprisonment.
  • In March 1931 Patel presided over the Karachi session (46th session) of the Indian National Congress which was called upon to ratify the Gandhi-lrwin Pact.
• Integration of the Princely States:
  • Sardar Patel played a key role in the integration of about 565 princely states into the Indian Union.
  • Few princely states like Travancore, Hyderabad, Junagadh, Bhopal, and Kashmir were averse to joining the state of India.
  • Sardar Patel worked tirelessly to build a consensus with the princely states but did not hesitate in employing methods of Sama, Dama, Dand and Bhed wherever necessary.
  • He had used force to annex princely states of Junagadh ruled by Nawab and Hyderabad ruled by Nizam, both of whom had wished not to merge their respective states with the Union of India.
  • Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel stitched the princely states along with British Indian territory and prevented the balkanization of India.
  • He is known as the “Iron Man of India” for playing an important role in unification and integration of Indian princely states into the Indian federation and for convincing princely states to align with the Indian Union.
• Death:
  • 15th December 1950 in Bombay.

Source: The Hindu

Context

Kalanamak, a traditional type of rice with a black husk and a powerful fragrance, is about to get a new look and name. The rice is thought to have been a gift from Lord Buddha to the people of Sravasti (capital of the ancient Kosala) following his enlightenment.

About Kalanamak Rice:

• Also known as Buddha Rice, Kalanamak is a scented, one of the finest and short grain rice with an unusual black husk (kala = black; namak means salt).
• It is currently grown in 11 districts of the Terai region of Northeastern Uttar Pradesh and in Nepal (specifically Kapilvastu).
• This rare rice has been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2013 which recognised Siddharth Nagar and the adjacent districts for the tag.
• Under the One District One Product (ODOP) Scheme, it has earned the Prime Minister’s award for Excellence in Public Administration 2021.
• It was featured in the book ‘Speciality Rice’s of the World’ by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
• Lodging is a condition in which the top of the plant becomes heavy because of grain formation, the stem becomes weak, and the plant falls to the ground.

The dwarf varieties (Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1638 and 1652) by IARI:

• The plan was to combine the high yielding properties with the quality of traditional Kalanamak.
• In that process (started in 2007), the breeding programme was conducted by bringing the dwarfing genes from the rice varieties Bindli Mutant 68 and Pusa Basmati 1176, after crossing it with Kalanamak.
• The objective was to bring dwarfness into the variety and make the plant sturdy to prevent lodging. Attack of blight bacterial disease has also been addressed by inducting blight tolerant genes.
• The new name is in recognition of the association the institute has with the Acharya Narendra Dev University of Agriculture and Technology in Ayodhya, where the two varieties were tested.
• The new breed has a stronger aroma and superior nutritional characteristics. Productivity has increased to 4.5 to 5 tonnes per hectare, up from 2.5 tonnes in traditional Kalanamak.

Benefits:

• This rice is rich in micronutrients such as iron and zinc and can help prevent Alzheimer’s
• It also contains 11% protein which is almost double of common rice varieties.
• Besides, it has a low Glycaemic Index (49% to 52%) making it sugar free and suitable for even diabetic people.
• It also contains antioxidants such as anthocyanin which is useful in preventing heart disease and also helps in improving the health of the skin.
• It has also been found helpful in regulating blood pressure and blood-related problems.

About Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI):

• Commonly known as the Pusa Institute, IARI is India’s national institute for agricultural research, education and extension.
• The current institute in Delhi is financed and administered by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
• The ICAR is an autonomous body responsible for coordinating agricultural education and research in India.
• It reports to the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture and the Union Minister of Agriculture serves as its president.
• It is the largest network of agricultural research and education institutes in the world.
• The IARI was responsible for the research leading to the “Green Revolution in India” of the 1970s.

Source:  The Hindu

GS-II

Context

• Recently, Kerala Governor warned ministers that the statements of individual ministers that lower the dignity of the Governor’s office can invite action including withdrawal of pleasure.

What is Pleasure Doctrine?

About:

• The pleasure doctrine is a concept derived from English common law, under which the crown can dispense with the services of anyone in its employ at any time.
• In India, Article 310 of the Constitution says every person in the defence or civil service of the Union holds office during the pleasure of the President, and every member of the civil service in the States holds office during the pleasure of the Governor.
• However, Article 311 imposes restrictions on the removal of a civil servant. It provides for civil servants being given a reasonable opportunity for a hearing on the charges against them.
• There is also a provision to dispense with the inquiry if it is not practicable to hold one, or if it is not expedient to do so in the interest of national security.
• Under Article 164, the Chief Minister (CM) is appointed by the Governor; and the other Ministers are appointed by the Governor on the CM’s advice.
• It adds that Ministers hold office during the pleasure of the Governor. In a constitutional scheme in which they are appointed solely on the CM’s advice, the ‘pleasure’ referred to is also taken to mean the right of the CM to dismiss a Minister and not that of the Governor. In short, the Governor of an Indian State cannot remove a Minister on his own.
• Supreme Court’s View:
  • Shamsher Singh & Anr vs State Of Punjab (1974):
    • In this case, a seven-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court said that the President and Governor, custodians of all executive and other powers under various Articles, shall exercise their formal constitutional powers only upon and in accordance with the advice of their Ministers save in a few well-known exceptional situations.
  • Nabam Rebia And Etc. vs Deputy Speaker And Ors (2016):
    • In this case, the Supreme Court cited the observations of B R Ambedkar: “The Governor under the Constitution has no function which he can discharge by himself; no functions at all. While he has no functions, he has certain duties to perform, and the House will do well to bear in mind this distinction.”
    • SC ruled that Article 163 of the Constitution does not give the Governor a general discretionary power to act against or without the advice of his Council of Ministers
  • Mahabir Prasad v. Prafulla Chandra 1969:
    • The case revolved around the question of the nature of the governor’s pleasure under article 164(1).
    • The governor's pleasure under article 164(1) is subject to Article 164(2). Thus, the withdrawal of the governor's pleasure must coincide with the withdrawal of support to the ministry by the assembly.

What are Constitutional Provisions Related to the Governor?

• Article 153 says that there shall be a Governor for each State. One person can be appointed as Governor for two or more States.
• A Governor is appointed by the President and is a nominee of the Central Government.
• It is stated that the Governor has a dual role.
• He is the constitutional head of the state, bound by the advice of his Council of Ministers (CoM).
• He functions as a vital link between the Union Government and the State Government.
• Articles 157 and 158 specify eligibility requirements for the post of governor. A governor must:
• Be a citizen of India.
• Be at least 35 years of age.
• Not be a member of the either house of the parliament or house of the state legislature.
• Not hold any office of profit.
• Governor has the power to grant pardons, reprieves, etc. (Article 161).
• There is a CoM with the CM at the head to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his functions, except some conditions for discretion. (Article 163).
• The Governor appoints the Chief Minister and other Ministers (Article 164).
• Governor assents, withholds assent, or reserves the bill for the consideration of the President passed by the Legislative Assembly (Article 200).
• Governors may promulgate the Ordinances under certain circumstances (Article 213).

What are the Friction Points in Governor-State Relations?

Governor is envisaged as an apolitical head who must act on the advice of the council of ministers. However, the Governor enjoys certain discretionary powers granted under the Constitution. For example:

• Giving or withholding assent to a Bill passed by the state legislature,
• Determining the time needed for a party to prove its majority, or which party must be called first to do so, generally after a hung verdict in an election.
• There are no provisions laid down for the manner in which the Governor and the state must engage publicly when there is a difference of opinion.
• The Governor has a 5-year tenure, he can remain in office only until the pleasure of the President.
• In 2001, the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution, held that the Governor owes his appointment and his continuation to the Union.
• There is the apprehension that he is likely to act in accordance with the instructions received from the Union Council of Ministers.
• In the Constitution, there are no guidelines for exercise of the Governor’s powers, including for appointing a CM or dissolving the Assembly.
• There is no limit set for how long a Governor can withhold assent to a Bill.
• The Governor sends a report to the centre which forms the basis of the Union cabinet’s recommendations to the President for invoking Article 356 (President’s Rule).

What Attempts have been Made to Address Concerns over the Alleged Partisan Role Played by Governors?

• Changes regarding the Selection of Governors:
  • The National Commission To Review the Working of the Constitution appointed by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 2000 suggested that the Governor of a State should be appointed by the President, after consultation with the Chief Minister of that State.
• Proposal by Sarkaria Commission:
  • The Sarkaria Commission, set up in 1983 to look into Centre-state relations, proposed that the Vice President of India and Speaker of Lok Sabha should be consulted by the Prime Minister in the selection of Governors.
• Punchhi Committee Proposal:
  • The Justice Madan Mohan Punchhi Committee, constituted in 2007 on Centre-state relations, proposed in its report that a committee comprising the Prime Minister, Home Minister, Vice President, Speaker, and the concerned Chief Minister should choose the Governor.
  • The Punchhi Committee recommended deleting the “Doctrine of Pleasure” from the Constitution, but backed the right of the Governor to sanction the prosecution of ministers against the advice of the state government.
  • It also argued for a provision for impeachment of the Governor by the state legislature.

Way Forward

• While Governors may differ with the contents of a Bill and may exercise the available constitutional options, they should not use their powers to stall legislation unpalatable to them.
• It is time to implement the principle that the M.M. Punchhi Commission, which reviewed Centre-State relations, recommended that Governors should not be burdened with the role of Chancellors.
• Governors seem to have an exaggerated notion of their own roles under the Constitution. They are expected to defend the Constitution and may use their powers to caution elected regimes against violating the Constitution, but this does not mean that they can use the absence of a time-frame for decision-making and the discretionary space given to them to function as a parallel power centre.

Source: Indian Express

Context

The Supreme Court (SC) has agreed to examine a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) challenging changes made to the right to freedom of speech and expression by the first amendment to the Constitution in 1951.

• The court said there is a legal issue, which arises for consideration, and has sought the Center’s views.

What are the Petitioner’s Arguments?

• Objectionable Insertions:
  • Section 3(1) of the amendingAct substituted original Clause (2) of Article 19 with a new Clause (2), which contained two objectionable insertions.
  • Original Clause (2) of Article 19 was dealing with reasonable restrictions on the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a).
  • New Clause (2), contained “two objectionable insertions” allowing restrictions also “in the interest of public order” and “in relation to incitement to an offence”
• Neglects National Security:
  • The amendment also neglects national security by dropping the expression ‘tends to overthrow the State’ which raises grave concern in the context of the dangers posed to the concept of secular democratic republic by radicalism, terrorism and religious fundamentalism.
• These two Insertions Protect Sections:
  • 124A: Sedition
  • 153A: Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.
  • 295A: Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs)
  • 505: Statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code from the vice of unconstitutionality.
• Section 3 (1)(a)- 3 (2) Void:
  • The plea urged the court to declare Section 3 (1)(a) and 3 (2) of the First Amendment “beyond the amending power of Parliament” and void since the “same damage the basic or essential features of the Constitution and destroy its basic structure”.

What was the Constitution First Amendment Act, 1951?

• About:
  • The First Amendment was passed in 1951 by the Provisional Parliament, members of who had just finished drafting the Constitution as part of the Constitutional Assembly.
  • The First Amendment Act amended articles 15, 19, 85, 87, 174, 176, 341, 342, 372 and 376.
  • Provided for the saving of laws providing for the acquisition of estates, etc.
  • Added Ninth Schedule to protect the land reforms and other laws included in it from the judicial review. After Article 31, Articles 31A and 31B were inserted.
• Reason for Amendments:
  • The immediate reason for the amendments were a series of Supreme Court and High Court judgments that had struck down provisions of public safety laws, press related laws and criminal provisions that were deemed to be incompatible with the constitutional right to freedom of speech.
• Implications:
  • Under the provisions of Article 31, laws placed in the Ninth Schedule cannot be challenged in a court of law on the ground that they violated the fundamental rights of citizens.
  • Article 31(A), has vested enormous power to the State with respect to the acquisition of estates or taking over management of any property or corporation in public interest. It sought to exclude such acquisitions or from the scope of judicial review under Articles 14 and 19.
  • The Ninth Schedule was widely misused. Ninth Schedule contains more than 250 legislations receiving protection under Ninth Schedule from judicial scrutiny.

Way Forward

• The First Amendment debates, although conducted in a very different political context, remain relevant today, as democracy in India is going through difficult or uncertain times.
• The custodial death of Stan Swamy, and the recent revelations around the misuse of the Pegasus surveillance spyware against Opposition leaders, lawyers, and human rights defenders, highlights why institutional safeguards for freedom of speech must be protected and strengthened.
• Revisiting the First Amendment debates, 74 years after independence, could be one step in this direction.

Source: The Hindu

GS-III

Context

The NITI Aayog report (2018) says that India’s water demand will exceed water supply by a factor of two by 2030.

• The major source of water supply is groundwater for most regions in India and rapidly depleting groundwater levels call for urgent attention for ensuring water security in the coming years.
• India covers around 2.45% of the world’s surface area and has 4% of the world’s water resources.
• In India, rainfall is the primary source of freshwater.
• For a country of its size, India receives the second most amount of rainfall.
• India receives an average of 1,170 millimeters (46 in) of rain per year, which equates to around 4,000 cubic kilometers (960 cu miles) of rain per year, or about 1,720 cubic meters (61,000 cu feet) of freshwater per person.

About Rainwater Harvesting:

• The rainwater harvesting process incorporates collection and storage of collected rainwater with the help of artificially designed systems.
• Rainwater harvesting systems consists of the following components
• Catchment- Used to collect and store the captured rainwater.
• Conveyance system – It is used to transport the harvested water from the catchment to the recharge zone.
• Flush- It is used to flush out the first spell of rain.
• Filter – Used for filtering the collected rainwater and removing pollutants.
• Tanks and the recharge structures: Used to store the filtered water which is ready to use.

Some traditional water harvesting techniques:

• Kuls: Often spanning long distances, with some over 10 km long, kuls have been around for centuries. They are present in mountain areas Jammu, Himachal Pradesh.
• Tanka system: it is used in Rajasthan, which is a cylindrical ground pit that receives rainwater from the nearby catchment area.
• Virdas-Virdas are shallow wells dug in low depressions called jheels (tanks) , they are found in Runn of Kutch area in Gujarat.
• Madaka-It is a unique structure constructed on the upper reaches of undulating topography
• Khadin- a very long (100-300 m) earthen embankment built across the lower hill slopes lying below gravelly uplands.
• Bamboo drip irrigation: used in the northeast, suitable for irrigation in hilly terrains.
• Tanks in Karnataka: these are artificial reservoirs to store water taking advantage of depression.
• Zing -Tanks: for collecting water from melted ice in Ladakh.
• Stepwell: these are found in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
• Baoris / bers – they are community wells in Rajasthan.
• Apatani –Terraced plots connected by inlet and outlet channels in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Pyne-ahar: system of south Bihar on which the cultivation of paddy depends.

Declining groundwater is a concern:

• According to the World Water Development Report 2015 (UNESCO), India is a frontrunner in groundwater extraction.
• The water table is going down in several areas and there are many reasons for this decline
  • Overexploitation of shared water resources.
  • Mismanagement of water resources.
  • Climate change impact.
• Several metropolitan cities are already facing difficulties meeting water demand due to high population density and limited water resources.
  • For example, Delhi has a water supply of approximately 930 million gallons a day (mgd) while its demand is 1,380 mgd.
  • The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) plans to meet this growing demand through groundwater sources which will lead to over-exploitation of groundwater sources.

Government efforts to reduce groundwater depletion:

• For improving access to water, the government has given special focus to implementing “source sustainability measures” such as
  • Recharge and reuse through grey water management.
  • Water conservation.
  • Rainwater harvesting (RWH)
• A campaign to “Catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls”, has been launched which aims to create appropriate rainwater harvesting structures.
• Several government schemes such as Atal Bhujal Scheme are focusing on aquifer mapping to construct artificial reservoirs and rainwater harvesting structures.
• These mapping techniques consider hydrogeology and source water availability.

Significance of rain water harvesting:

• Ensuring Food Security:
  • Modern hybrid crops & fertilizer depend on continuous supply of irrigation water.
  • More than 60% of net sown area in India is rainfed and to address the rising cases of drought in the dry belt of India and ensure food security RWH is essential.
• More than 3/4th of the precipitation In India occurs during 4 months of monsoon season and significant part of which is lost in runoff and evaporation, this can be controlled by rain water harvesting.
• Rapid urbanization and Industrial development demands huge water hence severe water crunch can be addressed by water harvesting.
• In dry and hilly areas women face hardship in fetching water and in such remote areas RWH can provide a decentralized source of water which would reduce their hardships.

Way Forward:

• There is a need to enhance efforts to reduce dependency on groundwater with a focus on
  • Enhancing water security.
  • Rejuvenation and recharge of natural and constructed water bodies.
  • Increased reuse of treated wastewater through local sewage treatment plants.
• Build well-designed rainwater harvesting systems across residential and commercial areas.
• These efforts must be facilitated by cooperation of Central and State governments.
• There is a need for stringent policy initiatives for long-term and sustainable solutions.
• An integrated water management plan must be brought up by local bodies and implemented at the local level.

Therefore, the need of the hour is to promote rainwater harvesting using a mix of traditional ecologically safe, viable and cost-effective systems with modern rainwater saving techniques, such as percolation tanks, injection wells and subsurface barriers to rejuvenate India’s depleted water resources. But using only traditional methods is not enough. Productively combining these structures could be the answer to India’s perennial water woes.

Source: The Hindu

Context

Over the past three years, over 50% of existing central government-sponsored schemes have been discontinued, subsumed, revamped, or rationalized into other schemes.

About Rationalization of schemes:

• Ministry of Women and Child Development:
  • There are just three schemes now out of 19 schemes, i.e.,
  • Mission Shakti,
  • Mission Vatsalya,
  • Saksham Anganwadi, and Poshan 2.0.
  • Mission Shakti itself replaced 14 schemes which included the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ scheme.
• Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare:
  • There are now three out of 20
  • Krishonnati Yojana,
  • Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Cooperatives, and
  • the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana
  • There is little information on the National Project on Organic Farming or the National Agroforestry Policy.
• Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairy:
  • It has just two schemes remaining out of 12.
  • The Ministry has ended three schemes which include Dairying through Cooperatives, National Dairy Plan-II, etc.
  • There are funding cuts in the Nirbhaya fund (2013) which focuses to improve the public safety of women in public spaces was allocated Rs. 1,000 annually (2013-16) but remains largely unspent.

Challenges for the schemes:

• Under Utilization of funds:
  • As of June 2022, ₹1.2 lakh crore of funds meant for central government-sponsored schemes are with banks that earn interest income for the Centre.
  • For instance, the Nirbhaya fund (2013) with its focus on funding projects to improve the public safety of women in public spaces and encourage their participation in economic and social activities is an interesting case; ₹1,000 crores was allocated to the fund annually (2013-16), and remained largely unspent.
• As of FY21-22, approximately ₹6,214 crores were allocated to the fund since its launch, but only ₹4,138 crores were disbursed.
• Of this, just ₹2,922 crores were utilized; ₹660 crores were disbursed to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, but only ₹181 crores were utilized as of July 2021.
• A variety of women-focused development schemes across States are being turned down or ended. Meanwhile, women continue to face significant risks while in public spaces.
• Funding Cuts:
  • Fertilizer subsidies:
  • It has been in decline over the last few years; actual government spending on fertilizers in FY20-21 reached ₹1,27,921 crore.
  • In the FY21-22 Budget, the allocation was ₹79,529 crore (later revised to ₹1,40,122 crore amidst the COVID-19 pandemic).
  • In the FY22-23 Budget, the allocation was ₹1,05,222 crore.
  • Allocation for NPK fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) was 35% lower than revised estimates in FY21-22.
  • Such budgetary cuts, when fertilizer prices have risen sharply after the Ukraine war, have led to fertilizer shortages and farmer anguish.
• MGNREGA:
  • The allocation for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) went down by approximately 25% in the FY22-23 Budget earlier this year, with the allocated budget at ₹73,000 crores when compared to the FY21-22 revised estimates of ₹98,000 crores.
  • The Economic Survey 2022-23 has highlighted that demand for the scheme was higher than pre-pandemic levels as rural distress continues.
  • The actual funding disbursal for MGNREGA has often been delayed, leading to a decline in confidence in the scheme.
• Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan:
  • The Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan sought to provide immediate employment and livelihood opportunities to the rural poor; approximately 50.78 crore person days of employment were provided at an expenditure of approximately ₹39,293 crores (against an announced budget of ₹50,000 crores, Ministry for Rural Development).
  • With between 60 million to 100 million migrant workers who seek informal jobs, such a scheme should have been expanded.
• Salaries of Healthcare Workers:
  • For Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), who are the first responders, there have been delays in salaries for up to six months.
  • Regularisation of their jobs continues to be a struggle, with wages and honorariums stuck at minimum levels.
• Biodiversity:
  • Funding for wildlife habitat development under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has declined: from ₹165 crores (FY18-19) to ₹124.5 crores (FY19-20), to ₹87.6 crores (FY20-21).
  • Allocations for Project Tiger have been slashed — ₹323 crores (FY18-19) to ₹194.5 crores (FY20-21).

Way Forward:

• State governments should have the flexibility to ensure that the schemes benefit the targeted groups since they implement the schemes.
• There should be proper debates and dialogues with relevant stakeholders on the restructuring of the CSS.
• Blockages in budgetary processes in the schemes, such as delays in the flow of funds, and in releasing sanction orders for spending shall be addressed.
• There is a need to build capacity for an efficient civil service to meet today’s challenges by providing a corruption-free welfare system, running a modern economy and providing better public goods.
• Rather than having a target of fewer government schemes, we should raise our aspirations towards better public service delivery.

Source: The Hindu

Context

The WHO released the Global TB Report 2022 which considered the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis, treatment and burden of disease for TB all over the world.

• 21.4 lakh TB cases notified in India in 2021

Findings:

• An estimated 10.6 million people fell ill with tuberculosis (TB) in 2021, an increase of 4.5% from 2020, and 1.6 million people died from TB (including 187 000 among HIV positive people).
• The burden of drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) also increased by 3% between 2020 and 2021, with 450 000 new cases of rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) in 2021.
• The WHO report also noted the crucial role of nutrition and under-nutrition as a contributory factor to the development of active TB disease.

Indian Context:

• While the COVID-19 pandemic impacted TB Programmes across the world, India was able to successfully offset the disruptions caused, through the introduction of critical interventions in 2020 and 2021 – this led to the National TB Elimination Programme notifying over 21.4 lakh TB cases – 18% higher than 2020.
• India’s TB incidence for the year 2021 is 210 per 100,000 population – compared to the baseline year of 2015 (incidence was 256 per lakh population in India) and there has been an 18% decline which is 7 percentage points better than the global average of 11%.
• Stating that India had done better in major metrics as compared to other countries over time that the figures placed India at the 36th position in terms of incidence rates (from the largest to the smallest incidence numbers).
• It attributed this to measures including mandatory notification policy to ensure all cases were reported to the government etc. In 2021, over 22 crore people were screened for TB.
• In this respect, the TB Programme’s nutrition support scheme – Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana – has proved critical for the vulnerable. During 2020 and 2021, India made cash transfers of 89 million dollars (INR 670 crore) to TB patients through a Direct Benefit Transfer programme.
• In 2022, first-of-its-kind initiative, Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan was launched in India to provide additional nutritional support to those on TB treatment, through contributions from community including individuals and organisations.
• Till date, 40,492 donors have come forward to support over 10,45,269 patients across the Country, said the Ministry in its release

Source: The Hindu

Context

Recently, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released ‘Emissions Gap Report 2022.

• This is the 13th edition of the Report.
• Title: ‘The Closing Window — Climate Crisis Calls for Rapid Transformation of Societies’
• An overview of the difference between where greenhouse emissions are predicted to be in 2030 and where they should be to avert the worst impacts of climate change.

Key Findings:

• The world is falling short of the goals set forth in the Paris Climate Agreement adopted in 2015.
• No credible pathway is currently in place to restrict global warming to under 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
• The top seven emitters (China, the EU27, India, Indonesia, Brazil, the Russian Federation and the United States of America) plus international transport accounted for 55 percent of global GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions in 2020.
• In India and six other top emitters, emissions have rebounded in 2021, exceeding pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
• Collectively, G20 members are responsible for 75 percent of global GHG emissions.
• The global average per capita GHG emissions was 6.3 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) in 2020.
• The report finds that the world must cut emissions by 45 percent to avoid global catastrophe.

Suggestions:

• The world needs to reduce greenhouse gasses by unprecedented levels over the next eight years.
• There is a need for alternative technologies in heavy industry, to reverse the rise in carbon intensity of global steel production.
• Urgent transformation is needed to deliver the enormous cuts needed to limit GHG emissions by 2030.
• To be on the most cost-effective path to limiting global warming to 2°C or 1.5°C, these percentages must reach 30% and 45%.

Source: DownToEarth