General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

The Ministry of Science and Technology has notified a National Geospatial Policy (NGP) 2022, with the goal of making India a world leader in the Global Geospatial Sector.

• India’s geospatial economy is expected to cross Rs 63,000 crore by 2025 at a growth rate of 12.8% and to provide employment to more than 10 lakh people.

What is Background?

• In 2021, the Ministry of Science and Technology issued “Guidelines for acquiring and producing Geospatial Data and Geospatial Data Services including Maps”.
• While the Guidelines deregulated the Geospatial sector by liberalizing Geospatial data acquisition/production/ access, the 2022 Policy takes it further by laying down an overarching framework for holistic development of the Geospatial ecosystem.

What is National Geospatial Policy 2022?

• About:
  • It is a citizen-centric policy based on Geo-Spatial technology, which seeks to strengthen the Geospatial sector to support national development, economic prosperity and a thriving information economy.
  • The policy is aimed to set up high resolution topographical survey and mapping, with a high-accuracy Digital Elevation Model (DEM)by 2030.
• Vision and Goals:
  • It aims to make India a World Leader in Global Geospatial space with the best in the class ecosystem for innovation.
  • To develop a coherent national framework in the country and leverage it to move towards a digital economy and improve services to citizens.
  • To develop Geospatial infrastructures, Geospatial skill and knowledge, standards, Geospatial businesses.
  • To promote innovation and strengthen the national and sub-national arrangements for generation and management of Geospatial information.
• Institutional framework:
  • A Geospatial Data Promotion and Development Committee (GDPDC) at the national level shall be the apex body for formulating and implementing strategies related to promotion of the Geospatial sector.
  • GDPDC would replace and subsume the functions and powers of the National Spatial Data Committee (NSDC) constituted in 2006 and GDPDC constituted in 2021.
  • Department Of Science & Technology shall continue to be the nodal Department of the Government and GDPDC shall make suitable recommendations to DST in the discharge of its functions relating to the Geospatial regime.

Milestones towards Realization of the Policy’s Vision:

• Year 2025:
  • Put in place an enabling policy and legal framework that supports liberalization of Geospatial sector and democratization of data for enhanced commercialization with Value Added Services.
• Year 2030:
  • High resolution topographical survey & mapping(5-10 cm for urban & rural areas and 50 cm-100 cm for forests & wastelands).
• Year 2035:
  • High resolution/accuracy Bathymetric Geospatial Data of inland waters and sea surface topography of shallow/deep seas– to support Blue Economy.
  • National Digital Twin of major cities and towns. The Digital Twin is a virtual replica of a physical asset, process or service that lies at the core of the new digital revolution.
    • National Digital Twin would be an ecosystem of smart, dynamic, connected Digital Twins, enabled by secure and interoperable data sharing, to facilitate better decision-making.

Significance:

• Geospatial technology and data can act as agents of transformation for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• This is a vibrant initiative to promote the Start-Up & reduce the last mile dependencies on the foreign soil.
• Geospatial data play a vital role in a wide spectrum of frequencies for critical data management applications, such as military operations, disaster and emergency management, environmental monitoring, land and city planning.

What are the Related Concerns?

• Complex Data:
  • Geospatial data can be described as complex data objects with complex relationships among them.
  • Securing this type of data poses major challenges and bottlenecks that are yet to be fully understood and addressed.
• Security Concerns:
  • Although a variety of models and techniques are available to manage access and share geospatial data, little attention has been paid to addressing the National security concerns, such as access control, securities and privacy policies, the development of secure and in particular interoperable GIS applications in the areas of Defence (Tri-Services).
• Data Misuse and Privacy Violations:
  • If the entire body of geospatial data would be made available by simply integrating the data from the different repositories, there is severe chances of potential data misuse and privacy violations.
  • And “also sensitive information such as building ownerships might be revealed or information about critical infrastructure could become publicly accessible and it is a major concern in context to the applications in Defence.

What is Geospatial Technology?

• Geospatial technology uses tools like GIS (Geographic Information System), GPS (Global Positioning System) and Remote Sensing for geographic mapping and analysis.
• These tools capture spatial information about objects, events and phenomena (indexed to their geographical location on earth, geotag). The location data may be Static or Dynamic.
• Static location data include position of a road, an earthquake event or malnutrition among children in a particular region while dynamic location data include data related to a moving vehicle or pedestrian, the spread of an infectious disease etc.
• The technology may be used to create intelligent maps to help identify spatial patterns in large volumes of data.
• The technology facilitates decision making based on the importance and priority of scarce resources.

Way Forward

• Given the number of people and organizations involved in a disaster preparation scenario, security measures must be taken to provide users and applications only with data on a need-to-know basis.
• A clear roadmap should be drawn and SOP should be developed in National Geospatial Policy 2022 for the National Securities Issues for the country wherein it is the three services, Para military or Critical Infrastructure Sectors.

General Studies Paper 3

Why In News?

Recently, corporate tax collections exceeded 3% of the GDP after a gap of two years in 2021-22.

• It is reflecting overall improvement in profitability of India Inc propelled by an increase in demand for goods and services.
• However, the corporate tax collection is yet to surpass its five-year high of 3.51% of GDP recorded in 2018-19.

What are the Key Highlights?

• In actual terms, the net corporate tax collection in 2021-22 stood at Rs 7.12 lakh crore.
• The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at the current market price was Rs 236.64 lakh crore.
• The percentage of net corporate tax to GDP worked out to be 01%.
• In 2019-20, government cut corporate tax rates for new manufacturing units by almost 10% points as it looked to pep up investments.
• The rate of Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) too had been reduced to 15 % from 5 % in 2019.
  • The Minimum Alternate Taxis a strategy designed to close the income tax loophole for all businesses. The MAT makes sure that no business, even one with strong financial standing and significant revenue, may escape paying income tax, even after claiming exemptions.
• The tax cut was reflected in the realization of corporate taxes in 2019-20, when collections fell to over Rs 5.56 lakh crore (2.77% of GDP).

What is the Corporate Tax?

• Corporation tax is payable by both public and private companies registered in India under the Companies Act 1956.
• Corporation taxis a direct tax placed on a company’s net income or profit from its operations.
  • The tax is imposed on the net profits of the corporation, which is calculated by subtracting allowable expenses such as the cost of goods sold, operating expenses, and depreciation from the corporation’s total revenue.

What is the Significance of Corporate Tax?

• Corporate taxis an important source of revenue for governments, as it helps to fund public goods and services such as schools, hospitals, roads, and
• Corporate tax also plays a role in redistributing wealth and addressing income inequality, as it imposes a higher tax burden on corporations that are more profitable.
• In addition, corporate tax can also have other economic and social impacts.
  • For example, corporate tax can affect the competitiveness of businesses, as a higher corporate tax rate may make a country or region less attractive for investment compared to other jurisdictions with lower tax rates.
• Corporate tax can also influence the location and type of businesses that operate in a jurisdiction, as businesses may be more or less likely to invest in a particular area depending on the tax environment.

Conclusion

Overall, the importance of corporate tax depends on the specific context and goals of the government and the society. Some may view corporate tax as a necessary tool for financing public goods and promoting social justice, while others may view it as a burden on businesses and a deterrent to economic growth.

General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

The Jain community has been protesting over demands related to two holy sites — Sammed Shikhar on Parasnath hill in Jharkhand and Shatrunjaya hill in Palitana of Gujarat.

• In Jharkhand, the issue is about Parasnath hill being declared a tourist spot and an eco-sensitive zone without consulting the people from the Jain community, while in Gujarat, the row is over the vandalising of a shrine and related security concerns in Shatrunjaya Hill.

What are the Key Facts about Parasnath Hills and Shatrunjaya Hill?

• Parasnath Hills:
  • Parasnath Hillsare a range of hills located in Giridih district of Jharkhand.
  • The highest peak is 1350 metres. It is one of the most important pilgrimage centre for Jains. They call it Sammed Sikhar.
  • The hill is named after Parasnath, the 23^rd
  • Twenty of Jain Tirthankaras attained salvation on this hill. For each of them there is a shrine (gumti or tuk)on the hill.
  • Some of the temples on the hill are believed to be more than 2,000 years old.
  • The Santhals call it Marang Buru, the hill of the deity.They celebrate a hunting festival on the full moon day in Baisakh (mid-April).
  • Every year, thousands of Jains from across the world undertake the 27 km long trek of climbing the hills to reach the summit.
• Palitana and Shatrunjaya Hill:
  • Shatrunjaya Hill is a sacred site containing hundreds of shrines in Palitana town, Bhavnagar District, Gujarat.
  • The shrines were sanctified when Rishabha, the first Tirthankara of Jainism,gave his first sermon in the temple on the hilltop.
  • It is one of the Jainism’s holiest pilgrimage sites, the Shatrunjaya hill is an incredible hill studded with temples, built over 900 years.
  • It is said that Adinath (also known as Rishabha), the founder of Jainism, meditated beneath the rayan tree at the summit.

What is Jainism?

• Jainism came to prominence in the 6^thcentury B.C., when Lord Mahavira propagated the religion.
• There were 24 great teachers,the last of whom was Lord Mahavira.
• These twenty-four teachers were called Tirthankaras-people who had attained all knowledge (Moksha) while living and preached it to the people.
• The first Tirthankara was
• The word Jaina comes from the term Jina, meaning conqueror.
• Tirthankara is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘Ford maker’, i.e., one who is able to ford the river, to cross beyond the perpetual flow of earthly life.
• Jainism attaches utmost importance to ahimsa or non-violence.
• It preaches 5 mahavratas (the 5 great vows):
  • Ahimsa (Non-violence)
  • Satya (Truth)
  • Asteya or Acharya (Non-stealing)
  • Aparigraha (Non-attachment/Non-possession)
  • Brahmacharya (Celibacy/Chastity)
• Among these 5 teachings,the Brahmacharya (Celibacy/Chastity) was added by Mahavira.
• Thethree jewels or Triratna of Jainism include:
  • Samyak Darshana (right faith).
  • Samyak Gyana (right knowledge).
  • Samyak Charitra (right conduct).
• Jainism is a religion of self-help.
  • There are no gods or spiritual beings that will help human beings.
  • It does not condemn the varna system.
• In later times, it got divided into two sects:
  • Shvetambaras (white-clad) under Sthalabahu.
  • Digambaras (sky-clad) under the leadership of Bhadrabahu.

What is the Pilgrimage vs Tourism Debate?

• Pilgrimage:
  • Pilgrimage is the purpose of traveling to the destination, which is mostly focused on religion.Pilgrimage shrines are an important aspect of any religion’s materiality and sacred geography.
  • Despite using the term Pilgrimage and Tourism interchangeably, the two cannot be mixed, if a pilgrimage shrine is declared a tourist spot, even people who may not have the distinct sensibilities for the shrine may enter the sacred place, thus affecting the sanctity and the “purity” of the place.
  • Also, the sacred character of the place helps to protect the entire landscape from degradation.
    • Consider the sacred groves spread throughout India, protected by local deities of different communities and connected to people’s behaviour in these places, showing us the traditional example of ecological conservation practiced by local communities.
  • Therefore, declaring the area open for tourism may be doing more harm than good, not only to the community and its faith but also to nature and its fragile ecosystem.
    • We have seen what happened in Kedarnath, especially when the cloudburst occurred in June 2013.
    • The lack of planning, clearing of forests, and absence and violation of construction codes in a fragile Himalayan ecosystemmeant that a natural calamity turned into a human-made disaster.
  • Tourism:
    • Tourism attracts more people in the country and thus creates more employment opportunity, also brings in focus the importance of sites and need to preserve them.
    • Tourism as a form of soft power, helps in promoting cultural diplomacy, people to people connect and thereby promotes friendship and cooperation between India and other countries.
    • The growth of domestic tourism largely depends on the Pilgrimage tourism in India and restricting any sort of tourism may affect the economic growth of the place and of the country.

Way Forward

Pilgrimage tourism is the type of tourism that entirely or powerfully motivates tourists for the achievement of religious attitude and practices. Thus, pilgrimage and “religious tourism could become an enduring source of employment and income, without sacrificing the important social and religious functions of the sanctuaries and their pilgrimages.

General Studies Paper 1

Why in News?

Several countries in Europe recorded their hottest January weather ever in 2023 with temperatures 10 to 20 degrees Celsius above average.

• These included Poland, Denmark, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Belarus, Lithuania and Latvia.
• Experts said that the continent is experiencing an extremely warm spell because of the formation of a heat dome over the region.
• In 2021, a heat dome formed over western Canada and the US, causing deadly heat waves.
• Another heat dome settled over the US in September 2022and raised temperatures to a new high.

What is a Heat Dome and Heat Wave?

• Heat Dome:
  • A heat dome occurs when an area of high-pressure traps warm air over a region, just like a lid on a pot, for an extended period of time.
  • The longer that air remains trapped, the more the sun works to heat the air, producing warmer conditions with every passing day.
  • Heat domes generally stay for a few days but sometimes they can extend up to weeks , which might cause deadly heat waves.
  • Scientists suggest that any region of high pressure, whether a heat dome or not, forces air to sink and once it reaches the ground, it gets compressed and becomes even warmer.
  • Moreover, when air sinks, it gets drier and further raises the temperature of the area.

Heat Domes and the Jet Stream:

• The heat dome’s formation is related to the behaviour of the jet stream.
  • Jet streams are relatively narrow bands of strong wind in the upper levels of the atmosphere
• The jet stream is believed to have a wave-like pattern that keeps moving from north to south and then north again.
• When these waves get bigger and elongated, they move slowly and sometimes can become stationary.
• This is when a high-pressure system gets stuck and leads to the occurrence of a heat dome.
• Although heat domes are likely to have always existed, researchers say that climate change may be making them more intense and longer.
• They suggest with the rising temperatures, it is expected that the jet stream will become more wavy and will have larger deviations, causing more frequent extreme heat events.

What are the Causes of Formation of Heat Dome?

• Change in Ocean Temperature: The phenomenon begins when there is a strong change (or gradient)in ocean temperatures.
  • In the process known as convection, the gradient causes more warm air, heated by the ocean surface, to rise over the ocean surface.
  • As prevailing winds move the hot air east, the northern shifts of the jet stream trap the air and move it toward land, where it sinks, resulting in heat waves.
• Change in Atmospheric Pressure: Heat waves begin when high pressure in the atmosphere moves in and pushes warm air toward the ground. This effect is fueled by heat rising from the ocean, creating an amplification loop.
  • The high-pressure system pressing down on the ground expands vertically, forcing other weather systems to change course.
    • It even minimizes wind and cloud cover, making the air more stifling.
    • This is also why a heat wave parks itself over an area for several days or longer.
  • Climate Change:The rising temperatures lead to hotter weather. Heat waves have been a regular phenomenon on land.
    • However, global warming has caused them to be hotter with a longer duration and an increased frequency.
    • Scientists studying the climate tend to agree that the heat waves occurring today are more likely to be a result of climate change for which humans are responsible.

General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

In a recent Constitution Bench judgment, the Supreme Court held that a country with a multi-party system cannot afford to crack the whip every time a Minister makes an offensive or disparaging statement.

What is Whip?

• About:
  • A whip is an official of a political party who acts as the party’s ‘enforcer’ inside the legislative assembly or house of parliament.
  • In India, every major political party appoints a whip who is responsible for the party’s discipline and behaviour on the floor of the House.
  • A whip is an important office-bearer of the party in the Parliament.
  • Parties appoint a senior member from among their House contingents to issue whips — this member is called a Chief Whip, and he/she is assisted by additional Whips.
  • India inherited the concept of the whip from the British parliamentary system.
• Violation of Whip:
  • A legislator may face disqualification proceedings if she/he disobeys the whip of the party unless the number of lawmakers defying the whip is 2/3rds of the party’s strength in the house.
    • Disqualification is decided by the Speaker of the house.
  • Limitations of Whip:
    • There are some cases such as Presidential elections where whips cannot direct a Member of Parliament (MP) or Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) to vote in a particular fashion.
  • Types of Whips:
    • The One-line whip to inform the members about a vote. It allows a member to abstain in case they decide not to follow the party line.
    • The Two-line whip is issued to direct the members to be present in the House at the time of voting. No special instructions are given on the pattern of voting.
    • The Three-line whip is issued to members directing them to vote as per the party line. It is the strictest of all the whip.

What are the Functions of Whip?

• The whip plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth and efficient conduct of business on the floor of the House.
• He is charged with the responsibility of ensuring the attendance of his party members in large numbers and securing their support in favour of or against a particular issue.
• He ensures discipline among party members in the House.
• He identifies the signs of discontent among MPs and informs the respective leaders of their party.
• He or she acts as a binding force in the party and responsible for maintaining the internal party organisation in the Parliament.
• Under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law)a political party has a constitutional right to issue a whip to its legislators.

Question For Practice

1. The role of individual MPs (Members of Parliament) has diminished over the years and as a result healthy constructive debates on policy issues are not usually witnessed. How far can this be attributed to the anti defection law which was legislated but with a different intention? (UPSC 2013)

General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

Recently, the National Medical Commission (NMC) issued the proposed draft regulations related to the National Exit Test (NExT).

What is the Objective of the Regulation?

• To provide consistency across the nation in the summative evaluation with regard to the minimum common standards of education and training for a medical graduate.
• The objective of the NExT is to improve the quality of healthcare in India by ensuring that all doctors have a minimum level of competency and knowledge before they begin practicing medicine.

What is National Exit Test?

• The NExT is a medical licensing exam that is designed to assess the competency of medical graduates.
• Students who received their medical degrees from NMC approved medical institutions and overseas students also will have to qualify the National Exit Test.
• To register for medical practice in India, they must pass the NExT
• This centralized common exam will be conducted by a body formed by the commission for this purpose.
  • National Medical commission (Amendment) Bill,2022,proposes an autonomous board, ‘Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences’, which, when comes to effect, will be responsible for holding the NExT exam.
  • Currently, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS)is responsible for holding exams like NEET PG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate), Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE).
• NExT will take the place of tests likeFMGE and NEET PG.
• The NExT will comprise two separate exams called ‘Steps’.

Who is Eligible to Appear in the NExT?

• All the students who have completed the final MBBS course from a Commission-recognised medical college would be eligible to appear in the exam.
• There is no restriction in the number of attempts provided that the candidate passes both the steps within 10 years of joining
• Just by clearing the NExT exam the foreign medical graduates will get licentiate to become practicing doctors.

What is the National Medical Commission?

• About:
  • The National Medical Commission (NMC)is a statutory body in India that was established in 2019 by the Indian government to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI).
  • The NMC has been constituted by an act of Parliament known as National Medical Commission Act, 2019
  • The NMC is a regulatory body for the medical education sector in India.
• Mission and Vision:
  • The Aim of the National Medical Commission are to
    • Improve access to quality and affordable medical education.
    • Ensure availability of adequate and high quality medical professionals in all parts of the country.
    • Promote equitable and universal healthcare that encourages community health perspective and makes services of medical professionals accessible to all the citizens.
    • Encourages medical professionals to adopt the latest medical research in their work and to contribute to research.
    • Objectively assess medical institutions periodically in a transparent manner.
    • Maintain a medical register for India.
    • Enforce high ethical standards in all aspects of medical services.
    • Have an effective grievance redressal mechanism.
    • It also has the authority to regulate fees for medical courses and to conduct inspections of medical colleges to ensure that they meet the necessary standards.

General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

As per the Minister of Road Transport and Highways the Indian road accident scenario, with 415 deaths and many injured every day, is more severe than Covid-19.

Road Accidents in India: What’s the Scenario?

• Present Situation:
  • Over 1.5 lakh people died from road accidents in 2021,and this has been the trend for several years.
  • According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)data from 2021, driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol contributed to 1.9% of deaths from accidents.
  • Further, nearly 90% of deaths on the road were due to speeding, overtaking, and dangerous driving.
  • According to the World Bank’s data from 2019, India ranked first among the top 20 countries for road accidents.
• Causes:
  • Infrastructural Deficits:Pathetic conditions of roads and vehicles, poor visibility and poor road design and engineering – including quality of material and construction, especially a single-lane with a sharp curve.
  • Negligence and Risks:Over speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, tiredness or riding without a helmet, driving without seatbelts.
  • Distraction:Talking over mobile phones while driving has become a major cause of road accidents.
  • Overloading:To save on the cost of transportation.
  • Weak Vehicle Safety Standards in India:In 2014, crash tests carried out by the Global New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) revealed that some of India’s top-selling car models have failed the UN (United Nations)’s frontal impact crash test.
  • Lack of Awareness:Regarding the importance of safety features like airbags, Anti lock Braking system
• Impacts:
  • Economy:
    • As per the World Bank, road crashes cost the Indian economy 3 to 5 percent of GDP each year.
  • Social:
    • The Burden on Households:
      • Every road accident death causes the depletion of nearly seven months’ household income in poor families and pushes the kin of victims into a cycle of poverty and debt.
    • Vulnerable Road Users(VRUs):
      • VRUs bear a disproportionately large burden of road crashes and account for more than half of all road crash deaths and serious injuries in the country.
        • It is often the poor, especially male road-users of working age, that constitute the category of VRUs.
      • Gender-Specific Impact:
        • Women in the families of victims bore the burden across poor and rich households, often taking up extra work, assuming greater responsibilities, and performing caregiving activities.
        • According to World Bank’s report “Traffic Crash Injuries and Disabilities: The Burden on Indian Society, 2021,
          • About 50% of women were severely affected by the decline in their household income after a crash.
          • About 40% of women reported a change in their working patterns post-accident ,while around 11% reported taking up extra work to deal with the financial crisis.
          • The income decline for low-income rural households(56%) was the most severe compared to low-income urban (29.5%) and high-income rural households (39.5%).

What Steps can be Taken in this Regard?

• Issues with Motor Vehicles (MV) (Amendment) Act, 2019: The MV (Amendment) Act, 2019increased the existing fines for violating traffic rules which were criticised on the pretext that the (fine) paying capacity of an average Indian was still limited.
  • Also, only a few cases of traffic violations are contested by the accused in a court of law.
  • Therefore, the expected impact of the deterrent provisions of the amended law could not be realised on ground.
• Road Safety Zones: It is proposed to set up smaller areas, parts of major roads and highways, as “ideal” road safety zones. These zones will incubate locally suitable, comprehensive safe road practices.
• A New Administrative Structure:The administrative structure for the implementation of road safety can be set up in three tiers:
  • Tier 1: It would be the Managing Group (MG),which would look after day-to-day operations and would be autonomous and financially empowered.
  • Tier 2:It would have district-level monitoring. This is where urgent solutions would be sought, budgetary allocations made, and review modes fixed. It would also ensure adherence to targets.
  • Tier 3: It would have top management and control, represented at the level of the Union or state government.
• Speed-Detection Devices:Installation of proven speed detection devices such as Radar and speed detection camera systems can be introduced.
  • Chandigarh and New Delhi have already implemented the service of speed detection devices such as digital still cameras (Chandigarh), speed cameras (New Delhi), and Radar gun (New Delhi) in traffic control.
    • Radar Gun is a handheld device used by traffic police to estimate the speed of a passing vehicle.
  • Improved Safety Measures:Speed humps, raised platforms, Roundabouts, and optical markings can reduce road accidents to a great extent.
  • Better Centre-State Coordination:It is a high time that we realise that lives cannot be lost at the cost of poor enforcement of traffic laws.
    • It is important for the States and the Centre to be on the same page in improving and strengthening the infrastructure of States by enabling more funds.
    • Merely and only fixing targets is not a pragmatic approach to reducing road accident fatalities. Putting dedicated efforts into achieving those targets is also required.

What are the Initiatives Related to Road Safety?

• Global:
  • Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety (2015):
    • The declaration was signed at the second Global High-Level Conference on Road Safety held in Brazil. India is a signatory to the Declaration.
    • The countries plan to achieve Sustainable Development Goal6 i.e., to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2030.
  • Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030:
    • The UN General Assembly dopted resolution “Improving global road safety ” with the ambitious target of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
    • The Global Plan aligns with the Stockholm Declaration, by emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach to road safety.
  • The International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) :
    • It is a registered charity dedicated to saving lives through safer roads.

India:

• Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, 2019:
  • The Act hikes the penalties for traffic violations, defective vehicles, juvenile driving
  • It provides for a Motor Vehicle Accident Fund, which would provide compulsory insurance cover to all road users in India for certain types of accidents.
  • It also provides for a National Road Safety Board, to be created by the Central Government.
• The Carriage by Road Act, 2007:
  • The Act provides for the regulation of common carriers, limiting their liability and declaration of the value of goods delivered to them to determine their liability for loss of, or damage to, such goods occasioned by the negligence or criminal acts of themselves, their servants or agents and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
• The Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2000:
  • The Act provides for the control of land within the National Highways, right of way and traffic moving on the National Highways and also for removal of unauthorized occupation thereon.
• National Highways Authority of India Act,1998:
  • The Act provides for the constitution of an authority for the development, maintenance and management of NHs and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

Recently, the Supreme Court has passed a verdict on the Demonetisation of currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 in a majority 4-1 by a five-judge Constitution Bench.

What are the Rulings of the Verdict?

• Majority Ruling:
  • The majority held that Centre’s notification dated November 8, 2016 is valid and satisfies the test of proportionality.
  • The RBI and the Centre had been in consultation with each other for six months prior to the November 8 notification issued under Section 26(2)of the RBI (Reserve Bank Of India) Act, 1934.
  • The statutory procedure under Section 26(2) of the RBI Act was not violated merely because the Centre had taken the initiative to “advice” the Central Board to consider recommending
  • The government was empowered under the provision to demonetise “all series” of banknotes.
  • On hasty decision, the court said such measures undisputedly are required to be taken with utmost confidentiality and speed. If the news of such a measure is leaked out, it is difficult to imagine how disastrous the consequences would be.
  • Demonetisation was done for the “proper purposes” of eliminating fake currency, black money and terror financing.
• Minority Ruling:
  • The government could have issued a notification under Section 26(2) of the RBI Act only if the RBI had initiated the proposal to demonetise by way of a recommendation.
  • Therefore, the government’s notification issued under Section 26(2) of the RBI Act was unlawful.
  • In cases in which the government initiates demonetisation, it should take the opinion of the RBI. The opinion of the Board should be “independent and frank”.
  • If the Board’s opinion was in the negative, the Centre could still go forward with the demonetisation exercise, but only by promulgating an ordinance or by enacting a parliamentary legislation.
  • Describing the Parliament as the “nation in miniature”, “without the Parliament, democracy will not thrive”.

What is the Test of Proportionality?

• The test of proportionality is a commonly employed legal method used by courts around the world, typically constitutional courts, to decide cases where two or more legitimate rights clash.
• When such cases are decided, one right typically prevails at the expense of the other and the court thus has to balance the satisfaction of some rights and the damage to other rights resulting from a judgment.
• The principle of proportionality ordains that the administrative measure must not be more drastic than is necessary for attaining the desired result.

What was Demonetisation?

• About:
  • On 8^thNovember 2016, the government announced that the largest denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 were demonetised with immediate effect ceasing to be a legal tender.
  • It is the act of stripping a currency unit of its status as legal tender or fiat money.
  • It occurs whenever there is a change of national currency and the current form or forms of money is pulled from circulation and retired, often to be replaced with new notes or coins.
• Objectives of Demonetisation:
  • To discourage the use of high-denomination notes for illegal transactions and thus curb the widespread use of black money.
  • To encourage digitisation of commercial transactions,formalise the economy and so, boost government tax revenues.
    • The formalisation of the economy means bringing companies under the regulatory regime of government and subject to laws related to manufacturing and income tax.
  • Operation Clean Money:
    • It was launched by the Income Tax Department (CBDT) for e-verification of large cash deposits made during the period from 9^th November to 30^thDecember 2016.
    • The programme was launched on 31^stJanuary 2017 and entered into the second phase in May 2017.
    • It aimed to verify cash transaction status (exchange/savings of banned notes) of taxpayers during the demonetisation period and to take tax enforcement action if transactions do not match the tax status.
  • Impact of the Move:
    • Currency with the public stood at Rs. 17.97 lakh crore on 4^thNovember 2016 and declined to Rs 7.8 lakh crore in January 2017 after demonetisation.
    • Demands fell, businesses faced a crisis and gross domestic product(GDP) growth declined nearly 1.5%, with many small units and shops being shut down and it also created a liquidity shortage.
      • Liquidity shortages or crises arise when financial institutions and industrial companies scramble for, and cannot find the cash they require to meet their most urgent needs or undertake their most valuable projects.

Way Forward

• Demonetization was an expeditious move to boldly counter the black money and parallel economy (illegal economy, such as money laundering, smuggling, etc.) threat with visible impact on how the government’s policies are perceived in international circles of economic power.
• This move by the government achieved greater significance for a globally connected India as it showed boldness in tackling an issue which has remained a thorn in the growth

General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

Recently, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) Chairperson said that the ST body’s position on the Forest (Conservation) Rules 2022 being violative of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 “will be the same” even as the Environment Ministry has dismissed these concerns.

What is the Issue?

• Consent Clause for Diversion of Forest Land:
  • In September 2022, flagging concerns over the provision in the new rules that proposes to do away with the consent clause for diversion of forest land for other purposes, the Commission had recommended that these rules should be put on hold immediately.
    • In response, the ministry has insisted that the rules were framed under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and that the NCST’s apprehension of these rules being in violation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 was “not legally tenable”.
    • The Minister added that the two statutory processes were parallel and not dependent on each other.
  • Consent of Gram Sabhas:
    • The NCST had pointed out that the FCR 2022 has done away with the provisions to mandatorily seek consent of Gram Sabhas before the Stage 1 clearance, leaving this process to be done later and even after Stage 2 clearance.
      • According to the government, FCR 2022 already provides for diversion of forest land “only after fulfilment and compliance of all provisions, including settlement of rights under the Forest Rights Act” and also does not bar or infringe upon the operation of other laws mandating consent of Gram Sabhas.

What are the Provisions of Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2022?

• Formation of Committees:
  • It constituted an Advisory Committee, a regional empowered committee at each of the integrated regional offices and a screening committee at State/Union Territory (UT) government-level.
• Compensatory Afforestation:
  • The applicants for diverting forest land in a hilly or mountainous state with green cover covering more than two-thirds of its geographical area, or in a state/UT with forest cover covering more than one-third of its geographical area, will be able to take up compensatory afforestation in other states/UTs where the cover is less than 20%.
• Allows Private Plantations:
  • The rules make a provision for private parties to cultivate plantations and sell them as land to companies who need to meet compensatory afforestation targets.
    • Prior to the updated rules, state bodies would forward documents to the FAC that would also include information on the status of whether the forest rights of locals in the area were settled.
  • No consent of Gram Sabha needed:
    • The new rules state that a project, once approved by the FAC, will then be passed on to the State authorities who will collect the compensatory fund and land, and process it for final approval.
      • Previously consent of gram sabha, or the governing body in villages in the area, was required to give written consent to the diversion of the forest.
    • Allows building in Forests:
      • Right to construct structures for bonafide purposes including forest protection measures and residential units (up to an area of 250 sq meters as one-time relaxation).

What is the State of Forest in India?

• About:
  • According to India State of Forest Report, 2021,the Total Forest and Tree cover is now 7,13,789 square kilometres, 21.71% of the country’s geographical area, an increase from 21.67% in 2019.
  • Forest Cover (Area-wise): Madhya Pradesh> Arunachal Pradesh> Chhattisgarh> Odisha> Maharashtra.

Category:

• Reserved Forests:
  • Reserve forests are the most restricted forests and are constituted by the State Government on any forest land or wasteland which is the property of the Government.
  • In reserved forests,local people are prohibited, unless specifically allowed by a Forest Officer in the course of the settlement.
• Protected Forests:
  • The State Government is empowered to constitute any land other than reserved forests as protected forests over which the Government has proprietary rights and the power to issue rules regarding the use of such forests.
  • This power has been used to establish State control over trees, whose timber, fruit or other non-wood products have revenue-raising potential.
• Village forest:
  • Village forests are the one in which the State Government may assign to ‘any village community the rights of Government to or over any land which has been constituted a reserved forest’.
• Degree of Protection:
  • Reserved forests > Protected forests > Village forests.

Constitutional Provisions:

• Through the 42^ndAmendment Act, 1976 Forests and Protection of Wild Animals and Birds were transferred from State to Concurrent List along with Education, Weights & Measures and Administration of Justice.
• Article 48 A in the Directive Principles of State policy, mandates that the State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country.
• Article 51 A (g)of the Constitution states that it shall be the Fundamental Duty of every citizen to protect and improve the natural environment including forests and Wildlife.

What are the Related Initiatives?

Indian Forest Policy, 1952:

• It was a simple extension of colonial forest policy. However, it became conscious about the need to increase the forest cover to one-third of the total land area.

Forest Conservation Act, 1980:

• It stipulated that the central permission is necessary to practice sustainable agro-forestry in forest areas. Violation or lack of permit was treated as a criminal offence.

National Forest Policy, 1988:

• The ultimate objective of the National Forest policy was to maintain environmental stability and ecological balance through conservation of forests as a natural heritage.

National Afforestation Programme :

• It has been implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change since 2000 for the afforestation of degraded forest lands.

Other Related Acts:

• The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, The Environment Protection Act of 1986, and The Biodiversity Diversity Act of 2002.
• Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006:
  • It has been enacted to recognize and vest the forest rights and occupation of forest land in forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers, who have been residing in such forests for generations.

General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

Recently, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has released the Draft Rules for Online Gaming.

• The proposed rules have been introduced as an amendment to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

What are the Draft Rules?

• Self Regulatory Body:
  • Online games will have to register with a self-regulatory body, and only games cleared by the body will be allowed to legally operate in India.
    • The self-regulatory body will have a board of directors with five members from diverse fields, including online gaming, public policy, IT, psychology and medicine.
  • There could be more than one self-regulatory body and all of them will have to inform the Centre about the games they have registered along with a report detailing the criteria for registering.
• Due Diligence:
  • Online gaming firms will be required to undertake additional due diligence, including KYC of users, transparent withdrawal and refund of money, and a fair distribution of winnings.
  • For KYC, they will have to follow norms laid down for entities regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• Random Number Generation Certificate:
  • Gaming companies will also have to secure a Random Number Generation Certificate, which is typically used by platforms that offer card games to ensure that game outputs are statistically random and unpredictable.
  • They will also have to get a “no bot certificate” from a reputed certifying body.
• Restrictions on Betting:
  • Online gaming companies will not be allowed to engage in betting on the outcome of games.
• Compliance:
  • Similar to social media and e-commerce companies, online gaming platforms will also have to appoint a compliance officer who will ensure that the platform is following norms, a nodal officer who will act as a liaison official with the government and assist law enforcement agencies, and a grievance officer who will resolve user complaints.

What is the Need for the Rules?

• Around 40 to 45 % of the gamers in India are women, and therefore it was all the more important to keep the gaming ecosystem safe.
• It is believed to be a great first step for comprehensive regulation for online gaming and will reduce the state-wise regulatory fragmentation that was a big challenge for the industry.
• The revenue of the Indian mobile gaming industry is expected to reach USD 5 billion in 2025.
• The industry grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 38% in India between 2017-2020, as opposed to 8 % in China and 10% in the US.
• It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15 % to reach Rs 153 billion in revenue by 2024, as per a report by VC firm Sequoia and management consulting company BCG.