PIB Summary- 27th March, 2025 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

PM-WANI Scheme

Context

PM-WANI scheme aims to expand public Wi-Fi access across India, promoting Digital India, affordable internet, and rural connectivity through PDOs.

Prime Minister’s Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI) Scheme

• Objective: PM-WANI aims to expand internet access across India by setting up public Wi-Fi hotspots, promoting Digital India and its associated benefits.
• Implementation: Public Data Offices (PDOs) establish, operate, and maintain Wi-Fi hotspots, partnering with Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOAs) to provide internet services.
• Current Status: As of March 20, 2025, 2,78,439 PM-WANI Wi-Fi hotspots have been installed nationwide.
• PM-WANI compliant Wi-Fi hardware is widely available in the market and supplied by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) through its Transfer of Technology (ToT) partners.
• Government Initiative: The scheme enables affordable internet access, bridging the digital divide and enhancing rural connectivity.

DECLINE IN NAXALIST ACTIVITIES

Evolution of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)

• Origins: The Naxalite movement began in 1967 in Naxalbari, West Bengal, as a peasant uprising led by Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal, inspired by Maoist ideology.
• Expansion: Over the decades, LWE spread to the “Red Corridor,” covering parts of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Telangana.
• Peak Activity: Violence peaked in 2010 with 1,936 violent incidents and 1,005 deaths.

Government Strategy: National Policy and Action Plan (2015)

• Multi-Pronged Approach: Security measures, developmental initiatives, and ensuring rights of tribal communities.
• Impact: 81% decline in violence (2010–2024) and 85% reduction in casualties.

Security Interventions

• Decline in Affected Districts: Reduced from 126 districts in 2010 to 38 in 2024.
• Capacity Building:
  • Deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
  • Training and modernization of state police.
  • Construction of Fortified Police Stations (FPSs) (626 constructed).
  • Special Intelligence Branches (SIBs) for intelligence gathering.
  • Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme: ₹3,260.37 crore disbursed (2014-25).
  • Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS): ₹1,741 crore allocated.

Developmental Interventions

• Road Connectivity: 14,618 km of roads constructed.
• Telecommunication: 7,768 mobile towers installed.

Skill Development and Education:

• 46 ITIs & 49 Skill Development Centres (SDCs) operational.
• 178 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) for tribal children.

Financial Inclusion:

• 5,731 Post Offices with banking services.
• 1,007 Bank Branches & 937 ATMs opened.
• 37,850 Banking Correspondents deployed.

State-Wise Trends (2019–2024)

• Reduction in Violence: Overall decline from 501 incidents in 2019 to 374 in 2024.
• Key Observations:
  • Chhattisgarh remains the hotspot with the highest number of incidents (267 in 2024).
  • Significant improvement in Jharkhand, reducing from 166 incidents (2019) to 69 (2024).
  • Marginal presence in Kerala, Telangana, Maharashtra, Odisha.

Challenges and Forward Linkages

• Resurgence in 2022-23 due to intensified counter-operations.
• Remaining strongholds in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
• Root Causes Persist: Land alienation, lack of employment, governance deficit in tribal regions.

Future Strategies:

• Deeper penetration of governance in LWE areas.
• Enhanced community policing and intelligence-based operations.
• Strengthening development schemes with local participation.
• Ensuring political representation and democratic engagement.

Impact on Governance and Internal Security

• Improved Law & Order: Reduced LWE activity enables better governance.
• Increased Investment Potential: Infrastructure development encourages private sector participation.
• Enhanced Tribal Welfare: Government schemes directly impact marginalized communities.