General Studies Paper 3

Context: Recently, India and Malaysia have agreed to settle trade in the Indian rupees.

About:

• De-dollarisation is a process of substituting the US dollars with another agreed currency to carry out international trade transactions. It is a method of reducing the dollar’s dominance of global markets.
• It is a way to reduce the effects of weaponization of the US dollar.

Advantages 

• Reducing Dependence on the US Dollar:By using other currencies or a basket of currencies, countries can reduce their dependence on the US dollar and the US economy, which can help to mitigate the impact of economic and political changes in the US on their own economies.
• Improving Economic Stability:By diversifying their reserves, countries can reduce their exposure to currency fluctuations and interest rate changes, which can help to improve economic stability and reduce the risk of financial crises.
• Increasing Trade and Investment:By using other currencies, countries can increase trade and investment with other countries that may not have a strong relationship with the US, which can open up new markets and opportunities for growth.
  • Direct Trade in country’s national currency leads to saving on currency conversion spreads,
• Reducing US monetary Policy Influence:By reducing the use of the US dollar, countries can reduce the influence of US monetary policy on their own economies.

Challenges

• Not Fully Convertible: The challenge for national currencies is that these are not fully convertible. Thus, despite the rise of alternate systems of trade, and multiple currency circulation systems, the dollar still dominates.
• Currency Fluctuations: National currencies can fluctuate in value relative to the dollar, which can make it difficult for countries to plan their economic policies and for businesses to make long-term investments.
• Limited Use of National Currencies in International Trade:The dollar is widely used in international trade, making it difficult for national currencies to compete. This can make it harder for countries to conduct trade with one another and for businesses to expand internationally.
• Dependence on the Dollar: Many countries are heavily dependent on the dollar for trade and financial transactions, which can make them vulnerable to changes in the value of the dollar and to the policies of the US government.
• Financial Instability: The dollar’s dominance in the international financial system can contribute to financial instability in other countries, as they may be more susceptible to financial crises.
• Monetary Sovereignty: The hegemonic role of the dollar limits the monetary sovereignty of other countries by making it difficult for them to use monetary policy to stabilise their economies.

 Initiatives:

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) unveiled a rupee settlement system for international trade as a step towards internationalising the rupee.
• Banks from eighteen countries were allowed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to open Special Rupee Vostro Accounts (SRVAs) to settle payments in Indian rupees.
• India and Russia are considering the use of a third currency or inclusion of a third country like UAE to facilitate oil trade between the two countries.

Way Forward:

• India can further look forward to inclusion of BRICS countries or use of a common digital currency to protect the countries trade from Dollar risks.

General Studies Paper 3

Context: Experts from around the world recently gathered in London for the Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing. The summit discussed the latest advancements in technology and emphasized the importance of responsible use. While human genome editing offers potential solutions to many challenges, it also raises ethical, legal, and regulatory concerns. Therefore, it is crucial to understand and address these challenges to ensure ethical and responsible use of the technology.

What is Human genome editing?  

• Genome editing is a method for making specific changes to the DNA of a cell or organism. It can be used to add, remove or alter DNA in the genome. Human genome editing technologies can be used on somatic cells (non-heritable), germline cells (not for reproduction) and germline cells (for reproduction).
• For example, scientists can use CRISPR-Cas9, a type of genome editing tool, to cut and modify specific parts of the DNA in a cell. This could potentially be used to treat genetic diseases by correcting the underlying genetic mutations responsible for the disease.

What is the need for Human genome editing? 

• Increasing Genetic disorders: India is considered as the “Pandora’s Box of genetic disorders. India has a high prevalence of rare recessive genetic diseases due to its population’s heterogeneity and inbreeding rates. Human genome editing could potentially address this issue by correcting or eliminating disease-causing mutations in affected individuals or preventing the transmission of these mutations to future generations.
• Rising incidence of viral disease: According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 2.1 million people in India were living with HIV in 2019, with a prevalence rate of 0.2.
• Cancer as a growing health concern: According to The Report of National Cancer Registry Programme, 2020 India’s cancer burden could increase from 1.39 million during this year to 1.57 million in 2025. Human gene editing can address this burden.
• Rising issues of side effects of treatment: Genome editing can be used to create personalized medicine based on an individual’s unique genetic makeup. This could lead to more effective and efficient treatments with fewer side effects.
• Increasing food allergies: According to a study published in the Indian Journal of Pediatrics, the prevalence of food allergies in Indian children is estimated to be around 6-8%. Human gene editing can also be used to create allergy-free foods.

What are the advantages of Human genome editing?  

• Potential cures for genetic diseases: Genome editing could potentially offer a cure for genetic diseases that currently have no effective treatments. For example, using genome editing to correct the genetic mutation responsible for cystic fibrosis could cure the disease.
• Can treat cancer diseases: Human gene editing can improve the accuracy and efficiency of cancer modeling, which is crucial for developing cancer therapies. For instance, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), a cancer genomics program in the US, has already mapped genomic changes in 33 cancer types in order to improve cancer treatment.
• Can treat viral diseases: Human genome editing has the potential to cure viral diseases by modifying the patient’s own immune cells to better target and destroy the virus. One approach is to use CRISPR-Cas9 to edit the DNA of T cells, a type of immune cell, to make them resistant to HIV infection. Another approach is to use CRISPR-Cas9 to remove the hepatitis B virus from infected liver cells.
• Increase understanding of the human genome:Studying the effects of editing specific genes could help researchers better understand the role of those genes in human biology and disease.
• Advancements in scientific research: Genome editing can be used to create animal models of human diseases, allowing scientists to better understand the mechanisms of these diseases and develop new treatments.
• Enhanced biosecurity: Genome editing can be used to develop disease-resistant animals, preventing the spread of zoonotic diseases.
• Improving agricultural productivity:Genome editing could be used to create crops that are more resistant to pests, require less water or are more nutritious, leading to increased agricultural productivity and food security. It’s worth noting that while there are potential advantages to genome editing, there are also significant ethical and safety concerns that must be carefully considered before any widespread use of the technology.

What are the challenges associated with Human genome editing?  

• Ethical concerns:The use of gene editing raises ethical questions such as whether it is appropriate to genetically engineer embryos, or to modify traits that are not related to the disease. For instance, editing genes to enhance intelligence or physical appearance could lead to unintended consequences and exacerbate social inequalities.
• Concerns over “designer babies”:There are concerns that genome editing could be used to create “designer babies” for social rather than medical reasons. This raises ethical concerns and could lead to the creation of a genetically-engineered elite. For example, editing the genes of an embryo to increase its intelligence could create a societal divide between those who have access to technology and those who do not.
• Off-target effects: Gene editing could unintentionally modify genes other than the targeted one, causing unpredictable consequences. For example, a study published in 2017 reported that CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing resulted in unexpected mutations in mice.
• Safety concerns: Gene editing could lead to unintended consequences, such as off-target effects or immune reactions, that could pose a risk to the health of the individual undergoing the procedure. For example, editing the wrong gene could cause a person to develop cancer.
• Germline editing:Until now, all therapeutic interventions in humans using genome editing have been performed in somatic cells (i.e. only the patient gets affected, no chance of inheriting the altered genes by the patient’s offspring).
• But, editing the germline can lead to unpredictable changes that can be passed on to future generations. This raises ethical and safety concerns. For example, editing the genes of a human embryo can result in unintended genetic changes that can be passed down to offspring.
• Lack of long-term data:The long-term effects of gene editing are not yet fully understood, and there are concerns that modifications made to an individual’s DNA could have unintended consequences that only become apparent years or even decades later. For example, there may be unforeseen consequences of using CRISPR to eliminate a particular disease-causing gene that is not fully understood.
• Regulatory challenges: At present, there is no regulating body to keep a check on the practices and applications of Human genome editing technology. It may therefore lead to reduced transparency, low quality and may also increase the unnecessary delay in the treatment of patients.
• Further creating a strong regulatory oversight can be difficult to achieve given the rapidly evolving nature of the technology and the varying regulatory approaches taken by different countries.
• For example, the US FDA currently regulates gene-edited animals as drugs, while in Europe they are considered to be genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and are subject to different regulations.
• Ecological impacts:Gene drives can be used to propagate a set of genes with negative traits throughout a population, which can lead to severe ecological consequences. For example, introducing gene-edited mosquitoes that are resistant to malaria could lead to the elimination of the mosquito population, which could disrupt the ecosystem.
• Uncontrolled clinical trials: There are currently no standard norms for clinical trials to check the efficacy of genome editing treatment. This can lead to uncontrolled clinical trials, which can result in patients receiving ineffective or potentially harmful treatments.

What should be done before permitting widespread applications of human genome editing?  

• Continued research:Further research is needed to fully understand the potential benefits and risks of human genome editing. This includes long-term studies on the safety and efficacy of different gene editing techniques, as well as research on the ethical, social, and legal implications of the technology.
• Responsible use: It is important that human genome editing is used responsibly and ethically, with appropriate regulation and oversight. This includes ensuring that the technology is used only for medical purposes and that it does not exacerbate existing inequalities.
• Collaboration and transparency:Collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and the public is important to ensure that human genome editing is used responsibly and transparently. This includes open communication about the potential benefits and risks of the technology, as well as consultation with the broader public on key ethical and policy issues.
• Development of ethical guidelines:The development of clear ethical guidelines is important to ensure that human genome editing is used responsibly and ethically. This includes guidelines on issues such as the use of gene editing for non-medical purposes, the editing of germline cells, and the informed consent of individuals undergoing the procedure.
• Investment in infrastructure:Investment in infrastructure is needed to support the development and deployment of gene editing technologies. This includes investment in research facilities, regulatory agencies, and public health systems, as well as the development of international standards and protocols for the use of gene editing.

Educate the public: The public should be educated about the potential benefits and risks of human genome editing, as well as the ethical and social implications of the technology. This can help to ensure that public opinion and policy decisions are informed by accurate and up-to date information.

General Studies Paper 3

Context: Recently, the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 was unveiled by the Union government.

What are the aims of the new trade policy?

• Shift from an incentive to a tax remission-based regime.
• Improve the ease of doing business.
• Promote exports through
• Focus on emerging areas.
• The government has articulated the goal of achieving$2 trillion in export of goods and services by 2030.

What are the focus areas of the new policy?

• The focus of the new policy is on reducing points of friction across the system. The measures focus on providing automatic approvals for various permissions.
• For instance, the processing time for revalidation of various authorisations, which currently ranges from three days to one month, is expected to be brought down to one day.
• Facilitation of e-commerce exports, widening the basket covered under RODTEP are also the focus areas.
• Other thrust areas of the policy are steps being taken to boost manufacturing, rationalising the thresholds for recognition of exporters, merchanting trade reform, and greater use of the rupee in international trade.
• Further, a one-time amnesty scheme has been introduced that aims at faster resolution of trade disputes.

What is the way forward for better implementation of the policy?

• India accounts for a minuscule portion of global trade. Its share in global merchandise exports stands at around 1.8%, while that in services is roughly 4%. There is considerable scope for improvement for the country on this count.
• The new policy needs to be supplemented with other measures to boost the country’s trade performance. These range from lowering import tariffs and ensuring a competitive exchange rate to signing broader and deeper free trade agreements.

General Studies Paper 2

Context:

The Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs recently said that Swachhata has become a foundational tenet in not just every govt scheme but also in the way of life of citizens.

• The Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban (SBM-U) was the first large-scale programme to instil the principle of Jan Bhagidari.
• Also,‘Swachhotsav – 2023: Rally for Garbage Free Cities’ was held in New Delhi as part of India’s celebration of the International Day of Zero Waste 2023.

What is International Day of Zero Waste?

• The International Day of Zero Waste, observed for the first time on 30 March 2023 and is jointly facilitated by UNEP  and UN-Habitat.
  • It aims toraise awareness of the importance of zero waste and responsible consumption and production practices and urban waste management contributing to achieving sustainable development.
• The day calls on rethinking our practices and for embracing a circular economy as a key for addressing the triple planetary crisis  of climate change, nature loss and pollution, and putting the planet, and humanity, on a path to health and prosperity.

What is the Status of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban?

• Achievements:
  • Open Defecation Free (ODF):
    • Urban India has become Open Defecation Free (ODF), with all 4,715 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)completely ODF.
    • 3,547 ULBs are ODF+with functional and hygienic community and public toilets, and 1,191 ULBs are ODF++ with complete faecal sludge management.
  • Waste Processing:
    • Waste Processing in India has gone up by over 4 times from 17% in 2014 to 75% in 2023, aided through 100% door-to-door waste collection in 97% wards and source segregation of waste being practised by citizens across almost 90% wards in all ULBs in the country.
  • Garbage Free Cities:
    • The Garbage Free Cities (GFC)-Star rating protocol launched in January 2018 has increased from only 56 cities in the first year to 445 cities till date, with an ambitious target of having at least 1,000 3-star GFC by October 2024.
      • The2023-24 budget has reinforced India’s commitment to building a circular economy through an enhanced focus on scientific management of dry and wet waste.
    • Women in Spotlight:
      • Rally for Garbage Free Cities:
        • The Rally for Garbage Free Cities is a women-led Jan Andolan, where lakhs of citizens have taken on the responsibility of cleaning their streets, neighbourhoods, and parks.
      • ‘Stories of Change’ Compendium:
        • The ‘Stories of Change’ Compendium captures some of the amazing on-ground successes of more than  300 women Self-Help Group members who have travelled across cities to learn various waste management models.
        • 4 lakh women are directly engaged in sanitation and waste management as an enterprise in urban India,providing dignity and livelihood opportunities for women.
      • Challenges:
        • Lack of Waste Management Infrastructure:India has a shortage of infrastructure and resources to manage waste effectively. Many cities lack adequate landfill sites, waste processing facilities, and waste collection systems.
          • For example – the Ghazipur landfill in Delhi, which has exceeded its capacity causing air and water pollution and posing a health hazard to nearby residents.
        • Unsustainable Packaging:The popularity of online retail and food delivery apps, though restricted to big cities, is contributing to the rise in plastic waste.
          • E-commerce companies too have come under fire for excess use of plastic packaging.
          • Also, there are usually no disposal instructions included with packaged products.
        • Lack of Data Collection Mechanism: India lacks time series data or panel data in connection with solid or liquid waste.
          • So it is very difficult for the waste planners of the country to analyse the economy of waste management.

Way Forward

• City Composting Centers:Composting centres can be established in cities to reuse organic waste, which will enhance soil carbon content and eliminate the need for chemical fertilisers.
  • Compost will also help in carbon dioxide sequestration by storing carbon back into the soil.
• Extended Producer Responsibility:There is a need to devise the mechanism for Extended Producer Responsibility  in India to ensure that product manufacturers are made financially responsible for various parts of the life cycle of their products.
  • It includes take-back, recycling and final disposal at the end of their useful life, in a way promoting circular economy.
• Behavioural Change Towards Waste and Waste-Pickers: Waste is often viewed as useless, and waste collectors are often isolated.There is a need to change this perception and look at proper waste management.
  • Also, ULBs should reward waste pickers by providing incentives and spreading awareness to the public regarding their social inclusion.
  • The inclusion of waste pickers is crucial not only for their own health and livelihoods, but for the economies of municipalities as well.

General Studies Paper 3

Context: India’s digital public infrastructure (DPI), loosely the India Stack and more, is shaped in a unique partnership between governments (Union and States), regulators, the private sector, selfless volunteers, startups, and academia/think tanks.

• India, through India Stack, became the first country to develop all three foundational DPIs:digital identity (Aadhar), real-time fast payment (UPI) and a platform to safely share personal data without compromising privacy.

What is Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)?

• Digital public infrastructure (DPI) refers to blocks or platforms such as digital identification, payment infrastructure and data exchange solutions that help countries deliver essential services to their people, empowering citizens and improving lives by enabling digital inclusion.

What DPI Does?

• Put simply, foundational DPIs mediate the flow of people, money and information.
  • First, the flow of people through a digital ID System.
  • Second, the flow of money through a real-time fast payment system.
  • And third, the flow of personal information through a consent-based data-sharing system to actualise the benefits of DPIs and to empower the citizen with a real ability to control data.

Major Challenges with DPI

• There is a disturbing trend of the weaponization of data and technology or Digital Colonisation (Hicks, 2019) resulting in a loss of agency, sovereignty and privacy.
• Therefore, proactively deliberating on how to build good DPI is key to avoiding such challenges.

Need of DPI

• Public infrastructure has been a cornerstone of human progress. From the transcontinental railways of the nineteenth century to telecommunication in the twentieth century, infrastructure has been vital to facilitating the flow of people, money and information. Built on top of public infrastructure, democratic countries with largely free markets have fostered public and private innovation and, therefore, generated considerable value creation in societies.
• DPI has emerged as the most feasible model due to its low cost, interoperability and scalable design, and because of its safeguards against monopolies and digital colonisation.
• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the use of these systems as enforced isolation left people with no choice but to rely on these digital alternatives

India’s digital public infrastructure (DPI)

• In India, DPI has been a key focus area of the government in recent years, with several initiatives aimed at building a robust DPI ecosystem.
• As India aspires to become a $5 trillion economy in the future, and the world’s third-largest economy within a decade, its thriving DPI will be central to delivering on this economic promise and achieving these audacious goals.
• India today has 850 million internet users, compared to 5.5 million users in 2000. According to the central government, India is the world’s largest “digitally connected democracy”.

Key Components of DPI in India

• Digital Identity:The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has developed Aadhaar, a unique identification system that provides every Indian citizen with a unique identification number based on their biometric data. Aadhaar is used for a variety of purposes, including as a digital identity proof for availing government services.
• Unified Payment Interface:UPI enables anyone with a bank account to make real-time digital payments using a mobile device. UPI is a payments system that runs on a central server operated by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), a non-profit organisation that is responsible for its management.
• DigiYatra and DigiLocker:DigiYatra is a Biometric Enabled Seamless Travel (BEST) experience based on a facial recognition system (FRS), again through a partnership between industry and government, which ensures seamless identification of passengers at key checkpoints such as airport entry, security check and boarding gate clearance.
• The United States CLEAR programme (an expedited airport security/airport identity verification process) is now active at 51 airports with about 15 million members at a cost of $369 per annum for a family of four.
• Cybersecurity: The government has established the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), which is responsible for responding to cybersecurity incidents and ensuring the security of India’s digital infrastructure.
• Overall, the growth and development of India’s DPI ecosystem in the past decade have been impressive, and there are significant opportunities for further growth and development in the coming years. As India continues on its path towards digital transformation, the development of a robust DPI ecosystem will be crucial for enabling inclusive and sustainable growth.

Way Ahead

• For India’s DPI success to become a worldwide revolution, three types of institutions must be built.
  • First, we need independent DPI steward institutions. It is important to have a governance structure that is agile and responsive. A multiparty governance process through independent DPI institutions will be accountable to a broad range of stakeholders rather than be controlled by a single entity or group. This can build trust and confidence in DPI.
  • Secondly, we need to develop global standards through a multilateral dialogue led by India. If standards originating from developed nations were transplanted to an emerging economies’ context without deferring to their developmental concerns, smaller countries would simply be captive to dominant technology players.
  • Finally, we need to develop sustainable financing models for developing DPI for the world. Currently backed by philanthropic funding, such models are at risk of becoming a tool of philanthropic competition and positioning.
• India’s DPI marks our second war for independence — economic freedom from the day-to-day drudgery of life and transactions, which has made it become our new business backbone that is powering India towards a $25 trillion economy by the 100th year of our political independence. Imagine what new Cambrian explosion will happen when ChatGPT meets India Stack

Conclusion

• The world needs a new playbook for digital infrastructure that mediates the flow of people, money and information. This will facilitate countries looking to digitally empower their citizens. They can then rapidly build platforms that address the specific needs of people, while ensuring people are able to trust and use the platform – without fear of exclusion or exploitation.

General Studies Paper 3

Context: Recently, A report prepared by the National Solar Energy Federation of India predicted that India could generate over 34,600 tonnes of cumulative solar waste in India by 2030.

About:

• India has the world’s fourth highest solar PV deployment. The installed solar capacity was nearly 62GW in November 2022.  .This contributes  to a large  amount of solar PV waste.
• India’s solar PV installations are dominated by crystalline silicon (c-Si) technology. A typical PV panel is made of c-Si modules (93%) and cadmium telluride thin-film modules (7%) Both the technologies have a recovery rate of 85-90 per cent.
• The market value of raw materials recovered from solar panels could reach $450 million by 2030,according to a projection by the International Renewable Energy Agency. This amount of raw materials is approximately the same as that required to build 60 million new solar panels or to generate 18 GW of electricity.

India’s current PV recycling policy

• India had recently included PV waste under E waste management rules.This places PV modules under the Extended Producer Responsibility framework.
  • Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is an environmental policy approach in which a producer’s responsibility for a product is extended to the post-consumption stage in a product’s life cycle.
• According to a 2021 report, approximately50% of the total materials in A PV module can be recovered but in India only about 20% of the  PV waste is recovered and the rest is treated informally. As a result, the waste often accumulates at landfills,which pollute the surroundings.
• Incinerating the waste  also releases sulphur dioxide, hydrogen fluoride, and hydrogen cyanide into the atmosphere.

Issues with Policy

• Clubbing PV waste with other e-waste could lead to confusion as characteristics of solar panel materials are different from other E wastes.
  • PV cells have Monocrystalline or multi-crystalline silicon. Recovering this silicon needs different methods than those used for e waste ,where the main priority is recovery of metals.
• Recycling PV waste is not economical at this stage. According to the National Renewable Energy  Recycling a solar panel costs between $20 and $30, Laboratory, while sending it to a landfill costs $1-2.
• Lack of Incentives from the government for recycling is another challenge.

Remedial Measures

• India should formulate and implement provisions specific to PVwaste treatment within the ambit of the e-waste guidelines.
• A Central regulatory body should be set up to protect against financial losses incurred in waste collection and treatment.
• An awareness campaign to drive home the hazardous qualities of PV materials.
• India needs to pay more attention to domestic R&D efforts since  local solar PV-panel manufacturing capacity  is limited.

General Studies Paper 2

Context: Government has launched a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely, “New India Literacy Programme” (NILP) for implementation during five years from the FYs 2022-23 to 2026-27.

About

• The scheme aims to cover a target of 5.00 crore non-literates in the age group of 15 years and above.
• The Scheme has five components: (i) Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, (ii) Critical Life Skills, (iii) Vocational Skills Development, (iv) Basic Education and (v) Continuing Education.
• The beneficiaries under the scheme are identified through door to door survey on Mobile App by the surveyors in the States/UTs.
• The non-literate can also avail the benefit of the scheme through direct registration from any place through mobile app. The scheme is mainly based on volunteerism for teaching and learning.
• The scheme is based on technology and implemented predominantly through online mode. The teaching learning material and resources have been made available on the DIKSHA platform of NCERT and can be accessed through the mobile-apps.

Foundational literacy

• FLN is a person’s ability to read basic texts and solve basic math problems (such as addition and subtraction).
• Issues
  • Improvement in school infrastructure, uniforms, toilet access, water and textbook availability, classroom processes remain a challenge.
  • Lack of direct funds to schools, teacher vacancies, allocation of non-teaching tasks to teachers negatively affects the education.
  • A systematic way of recruiting good teachers and establishing teacher development institutions is still absent.
  • Poor governance affects the effectiveness of face-to-face or digital teacher development initiatives like Nishtha, Pratham’s Read India campaign, etc.
• Initiaives:
  • Nipun Bharat:it was launched with a vision to ensure universal literacy and numeracy for Class 3 children by 2026-27.
    • It envisaged a five-tier implementation mechanism, set up at the National- State- District- Block- School level in all States and UTs, under the aegis of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha.
  • NEP 2020 –The National Education Policy (NEP):  It has provisions for National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for attaining universal foundational literacy and numeracy in all primary schools.
    • It also aims to identify state-wise targets and goals to be achieved by 2025.

Way ahead

• The foundational literacy can be further improved with use of technology, decentralization of funds and making the community a participant in the process.

General Studies Paper 2

Context: Recently, Saudi Arabia joined Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a dialogue partner.

About

• Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have noticed the United States  withdrawal from the region and have moved to diversify security partners. In this process the countries have grown closer to China .
• Recent resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi and Iran ,brokered by China and Iran about to become the newest member of SCO are to be seen in this regard.
• The Saudi’s decision was also followed by  announcement by Saudi Aramco which increased its investment in China by finalising a planned joint venture in northeast China and acquiring a stake in a privately controlled petrochemical group.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation:

• SCO is a Eurasian political, economic and military organisation aiming to maintain peace, security, and stability in the region.
• It covers 40% of the global population, nearly 20% of the global GDP, and 22% of the world’s landmass.
• The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was announced in2001 by the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, The Russian Federation, and the Republic of Tajikistan.
• The SCO currently comprises of eight Member States (China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan), four Observer States interested in acceding to full membership (Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia) and six “Dialogue Partners” (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey).
• SCO Secretariat in Beijing and Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkentare its two permanent bodies
• India and pakistan became full members in 2017
• The Chairmanship of SCO is held by rotation for a year among member states.
• India and SCO:
  • The SCO  gives India the chance to start global and regional counterterrorism measures as well as regional efforts to combat the illicit drug trade
  • India can  use SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) to boost cooperation for combating regional security challenges
  • India can utilise the SCO to promote the International North-South Transport Corridor and the Chabahar Port Project (INSTC). A trilateral working committee was also established in 2020 by India, Iran, and Uzbekistan to collaborate more closely on the Chabahar port and other connectivity initiatives.
  • SCO can be used to pressure Pakistan to change its position and strategy on tying together Central Asia and South Asia. Pakistan has previously obstructed India’s interests by refusing to allow connectivity and energy projects such as The Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) Pipeline (TAPI) to pass through its borders.

Saudi -China Relations

• China is Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade worth $87.3 billion in 2021. Chinese exports to Saudi Arabia reached $30.3 billion, while China’s imports from the kingdom totalled $57 billion.
• Saudi Arabia is China’s top oil supplier. It makes up 18% of Beijing’s total crude oil purchases.
• China and Saudi Arabia have come together after the USA  started ceding its influence in the middle east. The Russia-Ukraine war and Jamal Khashoggi incident have accelerated the process.
• Economically too both the countries have resolved to accelerate the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030

General Studies Paper 2

Context:

The article explains the initiatives by the government to digitise the food grain distribution.

What are the benefits of Scheme for Modernisation and Reforms through Technology in Public Distribution

System (SMART-PDS)?

• It prevents leakage of foodgrains, increases the efficiency of the distribution chain and ensures the availability of such provisions for migrants.
• A lot of data is being generated and stored every day by states and UTs.  Data Analytics on the TPDS ecosystem can be used to generate critical information about the beneficiaries, their food security needs and patterns of migration.
• It can implement data-driven decision-making. It can be leveraged for the delivery of many other central schemes and welfare programmes.
• Convergence and integration with the use of AI can really be a game changer for people as well as governments in bringing accountability across all programmes.

What are other successful initiatives for digitisation of food grain distribution?

• Today, nearly 93% of the total monthly allocated foodgrains are distributed through  the Aadhaar authentication mode using electronic Point of Sale devices.
• This can be attributed to the 100% digitisation of ration cards, online management of beneficiaries’ data, computerisation of foodgrains’ allocation and supply chain management systems in all states, and the installation of ePoS devices.
• The government has launched a Central Sector Scheme calleds Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS)To sustain the reforms brought in by the End-to-end Computerisation of TPDS Operations scheme.
• Its main objectives are: Implementation of One Nation One Ration Card, creation of a national level data repository for ration cards data; creation of integrated data infrastructure across ration card management.
• One Nation One Ration Card is seamlessly functional in all 36 States and UTs and is consistently recording over 3.5 crore monthly portable transactions. This count is steadily improving. It has so far recorded more than 100 crore portability transactions.
• The data generated during this process has now become a tool for many other central ministries and state governments. It includes benefits for the e-Shram Portal, Ayushman Bharat, and PM-SVANidhi Yojana. Agriculture ministry envisages family-based ONORC data to map the beneficiaries.

General Studies Paper 2

Context:

• Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), and other kinds of not-for-profit organizations are working for societal improvement.
• What are the concerns associated with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)?
• Donors want to support costs which are incurred for programs and activities that directly deliver the desired benefits or improvements to intended communities.
• However, they don’t want to support other costs involved in the operation of the CSOs, known as overhead cost. It is impractical for a CSO to only focus on the outcome while neglecting other costs.
• For example,a CSO working with public schools to enhance learning will have team members who train and assist teachers. Their salaries and activity costs are just as essential as the teaching-learning-material and resources given to schools.
• The donors in this case, will be ready to support teaching material and not for the salaries and expenses for the staff of CSOs.
• Further, donors expect CSOs to be strong and stable organizations which have good processes, sound accounting and reporting, leadership succession and development, the capacity to scale up, and more.
• However, a CSO can only become stable when it is being financially supported for these things.
• Some donors provide support for CSO overhead expenses ranging from 5-10% of the cost base, which is very low given the enormous amount of expense needed by CSOs to function.
• Hence, a reasonable donation for overhead cost should range from 15%-25%.
• Moreover, donors are also reluctant to commit long term funding for CSOs. This has weakening effect on Indian civil society.

What can be the way ahead?

• Donors usually look for a strong, vibrant and high-capacity CSO ecosystem. This is only possible when they start supporting CSOs objectives along with their overhead costs wholeheartedly.