General Studies Paper 3

Why in News?

The Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) will launch an outreach programme to create awareness of Cryptocurrencies and Online Gaming.

What is the Outreach Programme?

• The need for the outreach programme is based on the observation that both crypto-assets and online gaming (that extends to gambling and betting) are still being promoted in a risky manner despite the recent turmoil in the sector.
• The programme will help potential investors to thoroughly educate themselves before making any decision since cryptocurrency investing is a complex and risky endeavour.

What is the IEPF?

• It is managed by the IEPF Authority, which was set up in 2016 under the provisions of Section 125 of the Companies Act, 2013.
• The Authority is entrusted with the responsibility of administration of the IEPF, which, besides promoting awareness among investors, makes refunds of shares, unclaimed dividends, matured deposits and debentures and so on to rightful claimants.
• As for investment education, the idea is to reach out to household investors, housewives and professionals alike in rural and urban areas and teach them the basics.
• Focus areas include primary and secondary capital markets, various saving instruments, the instruments for investment (such as mutual funds, equity, among others), making investors aware of dubious Ponzi and chit fund schemes and existing grievance redressal mechanisms, among other things.

Why is there a Concern about Cryptocurrency?

• The crypto dilemma stems from concerns about the unregulated currency having a destabilising effect on the monetary and fiscal stability of a country.
• Further, crypto exchanges in India are being investigated for their alleged involvement in unlawful practices such as drug trafficking, money laundering, violating foreign exchange legislation and evasion of GST (Goods and Services Tax).
  • As on December 2022, Rs 907.48 crore have been attached/seized, three persons have been arrested and four prosecution complaints have been filed before the Special Court, Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
• The immutable, public nature of the blockchain makes crypto a poor choice for money laundering because it allows law enforcement to uncover and trace money laundering far easier than cash transactions.”
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recommended framing legislation on the sector. It is of the view that cryptocurrencies should be prohibited.

What about Online Gaming?

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has been appointed the nodal industry for online gaming in India; for e-sports, the nodal agency is the Department of Sports,under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
• A proposed framework for Central regulation by MeitY isexpected to address issues faced by the sector.
• For instance, there is confusion about the definitions of a ‘game of chance’ like fantasy games, and a ‘game of skill’,a term which has been used in the Public Gaming Act (1867) but has not been spelt out. There are risks from cybercrimes as well.
• In a ‘game of skill’, while the element of chance cannot be entirely ruled out, it is the ‘element of skill’ (mental or physical skill of the user) that plays a dominant role in determining the outcome of the game rather than pure chance.
• As per several rulings of the Supreme Court and several High Courts clearly establish ‘Games of Skill’ as legitimate business activities protected under Article 19(1)(g) of the Indian Constitution.
• These rulings have also emphasized a clear distinction between ‘Games of Skill’ and ‘Games of Chance’.
• Despite these court rulings, online skill games have faced restrictions in a few States due to addiction, financial losses and the thin line between skill and chance.

Way Forward

• Apart from the outreach programme, there has to be a regulatory mechanism for the crypto sector.
• If the government takes a heavy-handed approach and starts saying things like virtual currency is not legal in India, that will not be entirely true. People may presume incorrectly that it is illegal,and One may be indulging in unlawful transactions like money laundering using crypto assets. But unlawful transactions can also be executed using legal banking channels as well.

Question for Practice

Q.1 What is Cryptocurrency? How does it affect the global society? Has it been affecting Indian society also? (UPSC 2021)

General Studies Paper 3

Why in News?

The year 2022 was not the best for tech firms, yet we may innovative technologies emerge in future related to Metaverse and AI (Artificial Intelligence), which may raise concerns and present Opportunities.

• The year 2022 saw a lot of the shift in demand during and post the Covid-induced lockdowns.
• The year 2022 ended with near mayhem across most Silicon Valley companies, especially those in the Internet business.

What will be the Future Challenges and Opportunities of Meta-AI?

• More Pervasive AI:
  • ChatGPT has shown the world that conversational artificial intelligence is an idea whose time has come.
  • The ChatGPT can answer “follow-up questions”, and can also “admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests.” but most such AI elements are now in standalone products, which is more play than work.
  • In 2023, this intelligence will be seen coming into more products that we use every day —for instance Gmail that will not just auto-suggest but also write next mail to the boss.
• Beyond Social Media:
  • Twitter and Facebook are struggling to remain relevant amid an increasingly younger and digital native audience. Their concepts of social engagement are very different, often sans text and notice-board behaviors.
  • Meta, for instance, knows that it will have to think beyond its present social media platforms and wants to be the social link when users move to the Metaverse, if at all.
  • But that might not be something that will shift soon. Till then, there seems to be a vacuum emerging in the social media space, for now plugged by users sticking to short videos. But that fad too shall pass and not all platforms are good in that segment.
• More Regional, Darker Social Bubbles:
  • As the Internet spreads to new users, especially in countries like India, it is also becoming more localized and multilingual.
  • Across the world, the English language internet seems to have plateaued, making platforms like Google focus more on opportunities to serve smaller, regional languages.
  • This is a tech challenge in more ways than one, but also presents an opportunity to test out new technologies that can convert the content of the internet for these new users without much human intervention.
• Future of Metaverse: 
  • As hybrid workforces become the norm and with travel still not as easy as earlier, extended reality (XR)could become the answer to collaborate and communicate virtually.
    • XR is an emerging umbrella term for all the immersive technologies, including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) plus those that are still to be created.
    • All immersive technologies extend the reality we experience by either blending the virtual and “real” worlds or by creating a fully immersive experience.
  • Since the headsets and other paraphernalia to facilitate these virtual interactions are still very expensive, it might be up to companies to make these available to their employees for regular XR meetings. The first experience of this could end up looking like an upgraded version of video conferencing, but with the ability to interact with objects in the virtual space.
  • A few more commercial versions of the Metaverse is expected to be accessible to regular users during the year. However, the challenge will be with the hardware that lets people access these virtual worlds without making people bankrupt in the real world. The big disruptor could be an affordable device that logs users into the Metaverse easily — maybe it will just be a smartphone.

What are the Ethical Concerns related to AI?

• The legal and ethical issues that confront society due to AI include privacy and surveillance, bias or discrimination, and potentially the philosophical challenge is the role of human judgment. Concerns about newer digital technologies becoming a new source of inaccuracy and data breaches have arisen as a result of its use.
• The other side of this technological revolution is a growing apprehension on thesocio-political and economic implications of AI, specifically, the concerns about co-existence of these emerging technologies and core principles of modern democracies.
• Consequently, AI ethics and the safe and responsible application of AI are becoming front and centre of the technology revolution.
• Constitutional morality was envisioned as the cornerstone for AI ethics’ principles in India, thus, propelling our constitutional rights and ethos to the paramount consideration for deploying AI in a responsible manner.

What are the Principles of a Responsible AI?

• Safety and Reliability: AI systems must ensure reliability regarding their intended functions and must have built-in safeguards to ensure the safety of stakeholders.
• Equality:AI systems must be built keeping in mind that similar people in similar circumstances are treated equally.
• Inclusivity and Non-Discrimination:AI systems must be developed to be inclusive of all stakeholders, and must not discriminate through bias between stakeholders on religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth or residence in matters of education, employment, access to public spaces etc.
• Privacy and Security:AI systems must ensure that the personal data of data subjects must be safe and secure, such that only authorised persons must access personal data for specified and necessary purposes, within a framework of sufficient safeguards to ensure this process.
• Principle of Transparency:The design and training of AI systems is key for its functioning. The system must be audited and be capable of external scrutiny to ensure that the deployment of the AI system is impartial, accountable and free from bias or inaccuracies.
• Principle of Accountability:Since there are various actors in the process of developing, deploying and operationalizing an AI system, the accountability structures for any effects, harms or damages by the AI system must be clearly set out in a publicly accessible and understandable manner.
• Protection and Reinforcement of Positive Human Values:This principle focuses on the possible deleterious effects of AI systems through collection of personal data for profiling, the use of AI systems in manners contrary to fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India.

General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

The Assam state Cabinet recently approved the merger of four districts with their constituent districts.

• On 27^thDecember, the EC announced the process of delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies in Assam, saying it would be based on Census data from 2001. Assam currently has 14 Lok Sabha constituencies and 126 Assembly constituencies.

What is Delimitation?

• About:
  • Delimitationliterally means the act or process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country to represent changes in population.
  • The Delimitation Commission is to work without any executive influence.
  • The Constitution mandates that the Commission’s orders are final and cannot be questioned before any court as it would hold up an election indefinitely.
  • When the orders of the Delimitation Commission are laid before the Lok Sabha or State Legislative Assembly, they cannot effect any modification in the orders.
• Need:
  • To provide equal representation to equal segments of a population.
  • Fair division of geographical areas so that one political party doesn’t have an advantage over others in an election.
  • To follow the principle of “One Vote One Value”.
• Composition:
  • The Delimitation Commission is appointed by the President of India and works in collaboration with the Election Commission of India.
    • Retired Supreme Courtjudge
    • Chief Election Commissioner
    • Respective State Election Commissioners

What is the Process of Delimitation?

• Under Article 82, the Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act after every Census.
• Under Article 170,States also get divided into territorial constituencies as per Delimitation Act after every Census.
• Once the Act is in force, the Union government sets up a Delimitation Commission.
• The first delimitation exercise was carried out by the President (with the help of the Election Commission) in 1950-51.
• The Delimitation Commission Act was enacted in 1952.
• Delimitation Commissions have been set up four times — 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002 under the Acts of 1952, 1962, 1972 and 2002.
• There was no delimitation after the 1981 and 1991 Censuses.

What are the Issues with Delimitation?

• States that take little interest in population control could end up with a greater number of seats in Parliament. The southern states that promoted family planning faced the possibility of having their seats reduced.
• In 2002-08,Delimitation was done based on the 2001 census, but the total number of seats in the Assemblies and Parliament decided as per the 1971 Census was not changed.
  • The 87^thAmendment Act of 2003 provided for the delimitation of constituencies on the basis of 2001 census and not 1991 census. However, this can be done without altering the number of seats allotted to each state in the Lok Sabha.
• The Constitution has also capped the number of Lok Shaba & Rajya Sabha seats to a maximum of 550 & 250 respectively and increasing populations are being represented by a single representative.

General Studies Paper 3

Why in News?

India has shared the vision to make International Year of Millets 2023 a ‘People’s Movement’ alongside positioning India as the ‘Global Hub for Millets’.

What is International Year of Millets?

• About:
  • India’s proposal to observe an International Year of Millets in 2023 was approved by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)in 2018 and the United Nations General Assembly has declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
  • This was adopted by a United Nations Resolution for which India took the lead and was supported by over 70 nations.
• Objectives:
  • Awareness of the contribution of millet to Food Security and nutrition.
  • Inspire stakeholders to improve sustainable production and quality of millets.
  • Focus on enhanced investment in research and development and extension services to achieve the other two aims.

What is Millet?

• About:
  • Millet is a collective term referring to a number of small-seeded annual grasses that are cultivated as grain crops, primarily on marginal lands in dry areas in temperate, subtropical and tropical regions.
  • Some of the common millets available in India are Ragi (Finger millet), Jowar (Sorghum), Sama (Little millet), Bajra (Pearl millet), and Variga (Proso millet).
    • The earliest evidence for these grains has been found in Indus civilization and was one of the first plants domesticated for food.
  • It is grown in about 131 countries and is the traditional food for around 60 crore people in Asia & Africa.
  • India is the largest producer of millet in the world.
    • It accounts for 20 % of global production and 80% of Asia’s production.
  • Global Distribution:
    • India, Nigeria and China are the largest producers of millets in the world, accounting for more than 55% of the global production.
    • For many years, India was a major producer of millets. However, in recent years, millet production has increased dramatically in Africa.
  • Significance:
    • Nutritionally Superior:
      • Millets are less expensive and nutritionally superior to wheat & rice owing to their high protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals like iron content.
      • Millets are also rich in calcium and magnesium. For example, Ragi is known to have the highest calcium content among all the food grains.
      • Millets can provide nutritional security and act as a shield against nutritional deficiency, especially among children and women. Its high iron content can fight high prevalence of anaemia in India women of reproductive age and infants.
    • Gluten-free a low Glycemic Index:
      • Millets can help tackle lifestyle problems and health challenges such as obesity and diabetes as they are gluten-free and have a low glycemic index (a relative ranking of carbohydrate in foods according to how they affect blood glucose levels).
    • Super Crop at Growing:
      • Millets are Photo-insensitive(do not require a specific photoperiod for flowering) & resilient to climate change. Millets can grow on poor soils with little or no external inputs.
      • Millets are less water consuming and are capable of growing under drought conditions, under non-irrigated conditions even in very low rainfall regimes.
      • Millets have low carbon and water footprint (rice plants need at least 3 times more water to grow in comparison to millets).

What are the Related Initiatives Taken by the Government?

• Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millet Promotion (INSIMP)
• Increase in Minimum Support Price (MSP):The government has hiked the Minimum Support Price of Millets, which came as a big price incentive for farmers.
  • Further, to provide a steady market for the produce, the government has included millets in the public distribution system.
  • Input Support: The government has introduced provision of seed kits and inputs to farmers, building value chains through Farmer Producer Organisations and supporting the marketability of millets.

General Studies Paper 3

Why in News?

Recently, the Year-End-Review of the Department of Space for the year 2022 under the Ministry of Science and Technology was released.

What are the Key achievements of the Department of Space?

• Key Missions:Altogether 44 spacecraft missions, 42 launch vehicle missions and 5 technology demonstrators, have been successfully realized, since 2014.
  • Chandrayaan-2 Mission:In 2019, Chandrayaan-2 was successfully launched.
    • It is providing valuable science data for the research community.
  • 50^thPSLV Launch:
    • The launch of PSLV-C48/ RISAT-2BR1 in Dec 2019 marked the50^th launch of PSLV, the workhorse launch vehicle.
    • RISAT-2BR1 will keep a check on infiltration by allowing round-the-clock surveillance across the border.
  • ISRO System for Safe & Sustained Operations Management (IS4OM):
    • In July 2022, the Ministry of science dedicated ISRO System for Safe & Sustained Operations Management (IS4OM) to the nation in.
    • It is a facility that is conceived with a holistic approach towards ensuring safety and sustainability while reaping the benefits of sustainable utilization of outer space for national development.
  • Launch Vehicle Mark (LVM) 3:
    • LVM3 /OneWeb India-1 Mission was successfully accomplished in October 2022.
    • With this launch, LVM3 exemplifies Atmanirbharata and enhances India’s competitive edge in the global commercial launch service market.
  • Integrated Main Parachute Airdrop Test (IMAT):
    • As part of Gaganyaan programme, IMAT of crew module deceleration system was successfully carried out at Babina Field Fire Range (BFFR), Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh in November 2022.
  • Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator:
    • Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)successfully demonstrated new technology with Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (IAD) – a game changer with multiple applications for future missions.
    • The IAD has huge potential in a variety of space applications like recovery of spent stages of rocket, for landing payloads on to Mars or Venus and in making space habitat for human space flight missions.
  • PSLV-C54:
    • PSLV-C54 successfully launchedEOS-06 satellite in November 2022 along with Eight Nano-satellites including INDIA-BHUTAN SAT (INS-2B).
    • The launch of the new satellite is part of India’s efforts to back Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck’s plans to use advanced technology, including ICT and space technology, for the development of Bhutan.

Academic Support, Capacity building and Outreach:

• Space Technology Incubation Centers (STIC):
  • In order to boost the space research activities, STIC have been established, since 2018.
  • Under this initiative, nine Space Technology Cells (STC), Six STIC and Six Regional Academic Centre for Space (RACS) are operational.
• Satish Dhawan Centre for Space Sciences:
  • Recently, Satish Dhawan Centre for Space Sciences was jointly established by ISRO/DoS and Central University of Jammu.
• Unispace Nanosatellite Assembly & Training by ISRO:
  • In June 2018, India announced a capacity building training programme UNNATI (UNispace Nanosatellite Assembly & Training by ISRO)on Nanosatellites development through a combination of theoretical coursework and hands-on training on Assembly, Integration and Testing (AIT).
• Young Scientist Programme:
  • In 2019, ISRO launched an annual special programme called “Young Scientist Programme” or the “Yuva VIgyani KAryakram” (YUVIKA)in line with the Government’s vision “Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan”.
  • The Program is primarily aimed at imparting basic knowledge on Space Technology, Space Science and Space Applications to the young talents with the intent of encouraging them in the fascinating domain of outer space.
• SpaceTech Innovation Network (SpIN):
  • ISRO and Social Alpha signed an MoU in December 2022 to launch SpaceTech Innovation Network (SpIN), India’s first dedicated platform for innovation curation and venture development for the burgeoning space entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Reforms and Enhanced Participation of Industries:

• NewSpace India Limited (NSIL):
  • In 2019, the NSIL got incorporated as a wholly owned Government of India Undertaking/ Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE).
  • It was aimed at enabling Indian Industries to scale up high-technology manufacturing base for space programmeand to commercially exploit the products and services emanating from the Indian Space Programme for meeting the domestic and global customer needs.
  • GSAT-24 communication satellitewhich is the first demand driven mission of NSIL was launched from Kourou, French Guiana, in June 2022.
• IN-SPACe:
  • IN-SPACe was launched to provide a level playing field for private companies to use Indian space infrastructure.
  • It acts as a single-point interface between ISRO, and everyone who wants to participate in space-related activities or use India’s space resources.
• Indian Space Association (ISpA):
  • ISpA aspires to be the collective voice of the Indian Space industry. ISpA will be represented by leading domestic and global corporations that have advanced capabilities in space and satellite technologies.
• First Private Launchpad & Mission Control Center:
  • First private launchpad & mission control center established by M/s Agnikul Cosmos Pvt. Ltd., Chennai in ISRO campus at SDSC, SHAR in November 2022.
• Indian Space Policy – 2022:
  • Indian Space Policy – 2022 policy is cleared by the Space Commission. The Policy has undergone extensive deliberations with industry groups, inter-ministerial consultations, has been reviewed by Empowered Technology Group and is under further approval process.
• Disaster Management:
  • Monitoring flood inundation, generation of flood hazard zonation atlases of flood prone states, developing flood early warning models, multiple daily detections & dissemination of active forest fires, forecasting cyclone track; intensity & landfall, damage assessment due to earthquakes and landslides, etc. were carried out.
• Covid-19 Related Supports:
  • During the Covid-19 pandemic period, devices likeMechanical Ventilator & Medical Oxygen Concentrator were developed and the technologies are transferred to Indian industries.

Question For Practice

Q.1 What is India’s plan to have its own space station and how will it benefit our space programme? (2019)

Q.2 Discuss India’s achievements in the field of Space Science and Technology. How the application of this technology helped India in its socio-economic development? (2016)

General Studies Paper 3

Why in News?

The Indian Rupee depreciated by around 10% against the US dollar and the rupee was the worst-performing Asian currency in 2022.

• This decline was mainly on account of appreciation in the US currency on safe haven appeal amid fears of recession and inflation across many parts of the world and Russia-Ukraine war.

How did the Rupee Perform in 2022?

• During the year, the rupee fell to a lifetime low of 83.2 against the dollar. Compared to rupee, depreciation of other Asian currencies was to a lesser extent.
  • During the year, the Chinese Yuan, Philippine Peso and Indonesian Rupiah fell around 9%. South Korean Won and Malaysian Ringgit declined by nearly 7% and 6%, respectively.
• However, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)heavily intervened in the forex market to defend rupee. Since the beginning of 2022, the country’s foreign exchange reserves have fallen by USD 70 billion. It stood at USD 562.81 billion as of 23^rd December 2022.
• Reserves have witnessed a bit of erosion but the central bank is now starting to again build up its reserves and that would act as a buffer in times of uncertainty.

What was the Reason for Capital Outflows?

• The US Fed aggressively raised interest rates by 425 basis point (bps) in 2022 in its fight against inflation. This led to a higher interest rate differential between the US and India, and investors pulled out money from the domestic market and started investing in the US market to take advantage of higher rates.
• In 2022,Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) pulled out Rs 1.34 lakh crore from the Indian markets – the highest-ever yearly net outflow.
  • They withdrew Rs 1.21 lakh crore from the stock markets and Rs 16,682 crore from the debt market in 2022, putting pressure on the rupee.
• Russian invasion of Ukraine accentuated the FPI withdrawals with the global economic slowdown making inflows tougher.

What may be the Impact of Depreciation on the Indian Economy?

• Positive:
  • Weaker rupee should theoretically give a boost to India’s exports, but in an environment of uncertainty and weak global demand, a fall in the external value of rupee may not translate into higher exports.
• Negative:
  • It poses risk of imported inflation, and may make it difficult for the central bank to maintain interest rates at a record low for longer.
  • India meets more than two-thirds of its domestic oil requirements through imports.
  • India is also one of the top importers of edible oils. A weaker currency will further escalate imported edible oil prices and lead to a higher food inflation.

What is the Outlook on Rupee for 2023?

• Even though the outlook on the rupee remains weak in the near future, the depreciation in local currency may not continue for a longer period as India remains the fastest-growing economy.
• The terminal interest rate for the US Fed was anticipated, but it cannot be the case that their monetary policy will be tightened endlessly.
• When the (US Fed) tightening is over, the tide will surely turn.

What is Appreciation vs Depreciation of Currency?

• In a floating exchange rate system, market forces (based on demand and supply of a currency) determine the value of a currency.
• Currency Appreciation:It is an increase in the value of one currency in relation to another currency.
  • Currencies appreciate against each other for a variety of reasons, including government policy, interest rates, trade balances and business cycles.
  • Currency appreciation discourages a country’s export activity as its products and services become costlier to buy.
• Currency Depreciation: It is a fall in the value of a currency in a floating exchange rate system.
  • Economic fundamentals, political instability, or risk aversion can cause currency depreciation.
  • Currency depreciation encourages a country’s export activity as its products and services become cheaper to buy.

What are Devaluation and Depreciation?

• In general, devaluation and depreciation are often used interchangeably.
• They both have the same effect – a fall in the value of the currency which makes imports more expensive, and exports more competitive.
  • However, there is a difference in the way they are applied.
• A devaluation occurs when a country’s central bank makes a conscious decision to lower its exchange rate in a fixed or semi-fixed exchange rate.
• A depreciation is when there is a fall in the value of a currency in a floating exchange rate.

Question For Practice

1. How would the recent phenomena of protectionism and currency manipulations in world trade affect macroeconomic stability of India? (2018)

General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has asked all States to ensure strict implementation of the sexual harassment at workplace law.

What are the Concerns of NCW?

• The NCW has expressing concern over incidents of sexual harassment at coaching centres and educational institutes and asked to ensure strict implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013and guidelines established thereunder.
• In recent years, sexual harassment at workplace is becoming one of the most pressing issues affecting women across the globe.
• Nearly 31,000 complaints of crimes committed against women were received by the NCW in 2022, the highest since 2014.
  • About 54.5 % of the complaints were received from Uttar Pradesh. Delhi recorded 3,004 complaints, followed by Maharashtra (1,381), Bihar (1,368) and Haryana (1,362).
• Crimes that women were subjected to: Domestic violence, Harassment of married womenor dowry harassment, Sexual harasment at workplace, Rape and attempt to rape, Cyber crimes.

What is Protection of Women Against Sexual Harassment Act, 2013

• Background:The Supreme Court in a landmark judgement in the Vishakha and others v State of Rajasthan 1997 case gave ‘Vishakha guidelines.
  • These guidelines formed the basis for the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (“Sexual Harassment Act”).
• Mechanism:The Act defines sexual harassment at the workplace and creates a mechanism for redressal of complaints.
  • Every employer is required to constitute an Internal Complaints Committee at each officeor branch with 10 or more employees.
  • The Complaints Committees have the powers of civil courts for gathering evidence.
  • The Complaints Committees are required to provide for conciliation before initiating an inquiry if requested by the complainant.
• Penal Provisions:Penalties have been prescribed for employers. Non-compliance with the provisions of the Act shall be punishable with a fine.
  • Repeated violations may lead to higher penalties and cancellation of license or registration to conduct business.
• Responsibility of Administration:The State Government will notify the District Officer in every district, who will constitute a Local Complaints Committee (LCC) so as to enable women in the unorganised sector or small establishments to work in an environment free of sexual harassment.

What is the Background & Mandate of NCW?

• About:
  • Under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990, the NCW was set up as a statutory body in January 1992.
  • The First Commission was constituted on 31^stJanuary 1992 with Mrs. Jayanti Patnaik as the Chairperson.
    • The commission consists of a chairperson, a member secretary and five other members. The chairperson of the NCW is nominated by the Central Government.
  • Mandate and Functions:
    • Its mission is to strive towards enabling women to achieve equality and equal participation in all spheres of lifeby securing her due rights and entitlements through suitable policy formulation, legislative measures, etc.
    • Its functions are to:
      • Review the constitutional and legal safeguards for women.
      • Recommend remedial legislative measures.
      • Facilitate redressal of grievances.
      • Advise the Government on all policy matters affecting women.
    • It has received a large number of complaints and acted suo-moto in several cases to provide speedy justice.
    • It took up the issue of child marriage, sponsored legal awareness programmes, Parivarik Mahila Lok Adalats and reviewed laws such as:
      • Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961,
      • Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act 1994,
      • Indian Penal Code 1860.

What are the major Legal Frameworks for Welfare of Women?

Constitutional Safeguards:

• Fundamental Rights:
  • It guarantees all Indians the right to equality (Article 14), no discrimination by the State on the basis of gender (Article 15(1)) and special provisions to be made by the State in favour of women (Article 15(3)).
• Fundamental Duties:
  • It ensures that practices derogatory to the dignity of women are prohibited under Article 51 (A).

Legislative Framework:

• Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005
• The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961
• The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013
• The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO), 2012

Women Empowerment Schemes:

• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme
• One Stop Centre Scheme
• UJJAWALA: A Comprehensive Scheme for Prevention of trafficking and Rescue, Rehabilitation and Re-integration of Victims of Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation
• SWADHAR Greh
• NARI SHAKTI PURASKAR
• Mahila police Volunteers
• Mahila Shakti Kendras (MSK)
• NIRBHAYA Fund.

Way Forward

• There is a need to implement JS Verma Committee recommendations on Sexual Harassment at the Workplace Act:
  • Employment Tribunal:Setting up of an employment tribunal instead of an internal complaints committee (ICC) in the Sexual Harassment at the Workplace Act.
  • Power to Form Own Procedure:To ensure speedy disposal of complaints, the committee proposed that the tribunal should not function as a civil court but may choose its own procedure to deal with each complaint.
  • Expanding Scope of Act:Domestic workers should be included within the purview of the Act.
    • The Committee said any “unwelcome behavior” should be seen from the subjective perception of the complainant, thus broadening the scope of the definition of sexual harassment.
  • Women’s role is continuously expanding in today’s India and the expansion of the role of the NCW is the need of the hour.
    • Further, the State Commissions must also widen their ambit.
  • Violence against women continues to be an obstacle to achieving equality, development, peace as well as to the fulfillment of women and girls’ human rights.
    • All in all, the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – to leave no one behind – cannot be fulfilled without putting an end to violence against women and girls.
  • Crime against women cannot be resolved in the court of law alone. A holistic approach & changing the entire ecosystem is what is required.
    • All the stakeholders need to get their act together, including Law makers, police officers, forensic dept, prosecutors, judiciary, medical & health dept, NGOs, rehabilitation centres.

Question For Practice

1. We are witnessing increasing instances of sexual violence against women in the country. Despite existing legal provisions against it, the number of such incidences is on the rise. Suggest some innovative measures to tackle this menace. (2014)

General Studies Paper 3

Why in News?

Government will launch the Digital India Innovation Fund to support deep tech startups.

What is Deep Tech?

• About:
  • Deep tech or deep technology refers to a class of startup businesses that develop new offerings based on tangible engineering innovation or scientific discoveries and advances.
  • Usually, such startups operate on, but are not limited to, agriculture, life sciences, chemistry, aerospace and green energy.
  • Deep tech fields like Artificial Intelligence, advanced materials, blockchain, biotechnology, robotics, drones, photonics, and quantum computing are moving more and more quickly from early research to market applications.
• Characteristics of Deep Tech:
  • Impact:The deep tech innovations are very radical and disrupt an existing market or develop a new one. Innovations based on deep tech often change lives, economies, and societies.
  • Time & Scale:The time required for deep technology to develop the technology and reach the market-ready maturity is way more than shallow technology development (like mobile apps and websites). It took decades for artificial intelligence to develop and it is still not perfect.
  • Capital:Deep tech often requires a lot of early-stage funding for research and development, prototyping, validating hypothesis, and technology development.

What is the State of India’s Deep Tech Startups?

• India had over 3,000 deep-tech start-ups, dabbling in new-age technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning (ML), Internet of Things, Big Data, quantum computing, robotics, etc., at the end of 2021.
• According to NASSCOM, deep-tech start-ups in India raised USD 2.7 billion in venture funding in 2021, and now account for over 12% of the country’s overall startup ecosystem.
• In the last decade India’s deep tech ecosystem has grown 53%and is at par with that in developed markets like the US, China, Israel, and Europe.
  • Bengaluru accounts for 25-30% of India’s deep-tech start-ups, followed by Delhi-NCR (15-20%) and Mumbai (10-12%).
• Deep-tech start-ups are making their presence felt across sectors like drone delivery and cold chain management to climate action and clean energy.

What are the Challenges Faced by Deep Tech?

• For deep-tech startups, funding is one of the biggest challenges. Less than 20% of startups receive financing.
  • Government funds are underutilized, and domestic capital is lacking for such startups.
• Talent and market access, research guidance, investors’ understanding of deep-tech, customer acquisition and cost for talent are the major challenges faced by them.

What are the Related Initiatives?

• The Atal New India Challenge has been launched under the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of the Niti Aayog, with an objective to serve as a platform for the promotion of Innovation Hubs, Grand Challenges, startup businesses, and other self-employment activities, particularly in technology-driven areas.
• Launched in 2021,NASSCOM’s Deep Tech Club (DTC) 2.0 is aimed at scaling the impact to over 1,000 firms that are leveraging technologies such as AI, ML, Internet of Things, robotics, and blockchain.

Way Forward

• Reevaluate the Roadmaps:
  • As the continual growth of the Indian start-up ecosystem is fueled by the ongoing era of constantly emerging new technologies, organizations and the government would need to reevaluate their roadmaps for adopting deep tech.
  • As technologies such as 5G, understandable artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cloud-native technologies, cybersecurity meshes, and customer data platforms will be used in the future. There are a number of factors that can help the booming and resilient Indian startup ecosystem become global leaders in deep technology.
• CSR Budget Utilization:
  • The social sector has traditionally benefited from Corporate Social Responsibility. However, this growing corpus should also be used to develop strategic technologies.
  • A large corporation can be encouraged to contribute to the strategic needs of the nation with some of its budget. There is a need for the government to allow these funds to flow into certain strategic tech startups.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Why in News?

According to figures presented in Parliament in December 2022, over the last five years, the number of registered startups in India have grown from 452 in 2016 to 84,012.

• Many of them are located in the cloud, which refers to the servers and data storage that are accessible through the internet, and storage companies are offering a variety of incentives to lure and retain them.

What is the Role of AWS Cloud Services in India’s Start-up Boom?

• About:
  • AWS, or Amazon Web Services, one of India’s largest providers of cloud-based services, has provided start up credits that allow aspirant startups to use a suite of services from computing, storage and hosting for free.
  • AWS has helped “compress” the lifecycle of a startup, allowing them to become more innovative.
  • Cloud services mean that they can simulate experiments on the cloud, run tests, fail, and learn from it.
  • India has the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem after United States (US) and China and therefore, one of the biggest markets for such cloud services.
    • Some of the companies supported by AWS included: HealthifyME, which developed an app called ‘Vaccinate Me,’ which allowed feature phones to book close to 50 million vaccination-appointments.
  • AWS also powered the Ayushman Bharat Digital mission as well as the Cowin system for Covid-19
• India’s Cloud Computing Market:
  • India’s cloud computing market was expected to grow at 28.1% during the forecast period until 2027.
  • The high concentration and increasing number of small and medium-sized businesses in India that are rapidly shifting towards cloud computing is emerging as the major driving factor for the market.
  • Furthermore, growing investment towards the construction of cloud data centres is expected to boost the India cloud computing market.

What is the State of Start-ups in India?

• About:
  • 49% of start-ups are from tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
  • As of September 2022, India is home to107 unicorns with a total valuation of USD 340.79 Billion.
  • According to the India Venture Capital Report 2021 published by Bain and Company, the number of cumulative start-ups has grown at a CAGR of 17% since 2012 and crossed 1,12,000.
• Major Challenges Related to Start-ups in India:
  • Lack of Forward Thrust to Innovation: India’s education system lacks vocational training and industry exposure that keeps students deprived of pursuing innovation. As a result, this makes the Indian higher education system lags behind in terms of research and development.
  • Lack of Recognition: Since nearly 70% of the Indian population lives in rural areas that are still deprived from reliable internet access. Consequently, many village-based start-up go unrecognised and are deprived of government funding initiatives.
  • Bootstrapped Nature: For running a start-up, a significant amount of working capital is required. Many start-ups in India, especially at early stages, are bootstrapped, i.e., self-funded through the founders’ own savings, since domestic financing is limited.
  • Scalability Concern: Small start-ups in India have limited understanding of customers and are confined to only certain regions, where they know the local language and local people.
  • Marginal Penetration in Space Sector: Indian startups in fintech and e-commerce are doing exceptionally well, but space startups remain outliers.
    • Globally, the space economy is valued at USD 440 billion, with India holding less than 2% of the market.

What are the Government’s Initiatives for Startups?

• Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS):It aims to provide financial assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialization.
• National Startup Awards: It seeks to recognize and reward outstanding startups and ecosystem enablers that are contributing to economic dynamism by spurring innovation and injecting competition.
• SCO Startup Forum: The first-ever Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Startup Forum was launched in October 2020 to develop and improve startup ecosystems collectively.
• Prarambh: The ‘Prarambh’ Summit aims to provide a platform to startups and young minds from around the world to come up with new ideas, innovation and invention.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

Recently, Karnataka has categorized the two dominant communities, Vokkaligas and Lingayats, as “moderately backward” from the “backward” category in a move that could increase their share in reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC).

What are the Key Points of the Move?

• Karnataka currently has32% quota for OBC, and 17% and 7% quota for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, respectively, taking the total to 56%.
• The Panchamasali sub-sect of Veerashaiva Lingayats has demanded inclusion in the 2A category which has 15% quota from their current 3B category which has 5% quota.
• The Cabinet’s decision is based on the recommendations of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes.
• The Vokkaliga community, which is currently in the 3A category, will be moved to a newly-created 2C category with 4% reservation. And the Lingayat community, which is in the 3B category, will now be in a new 2D category with 5% reservation.
• The Cabinet decision ensures that there is no sub-categorisation of the Lingayat community.
• The Lingayats are a dominant community who make up nearly 17% of Karnataka’s six crore population– followed by Vokkaligas. The new categories will not affect the existing reservation provided to other communities.
• The reservation will be applicable only in education and jobs, and “not political reservation.

Who are Lingayats?

• About:
  • The term Lingayat denotes a person who wears a personal linga, an iconic form of god Shiva, on the body which is received during the initiation ceremony.
  • Lingayats are the followers of the12^th-century social reformer-philosopher poet, Basaveshwara.
  • Basaveshwara was against the caste system and Vedic rituals.
  • The Lingayats are strict monotheists. They enjoin the worship of only one God, namely, Linga (Shiva).
  • Lingayats had been classified as a Hindu subcaste called “Veerashaiva Lingayats” and they are considered to be Shaivites.
• Separate Religion for Lingayats:
  • Lingayats had distanced themselves from Hindu Veerashaivas because the latter followed the Vedas and supported the caste system, to which Basaveshwara was against.
  • Veerashaivas are the followers of the five peethas (religious centers), called Pancha Peethas. These peethas are set up on similar lines to the four peethas set up by Adi Shankara.

Who are Vokkaligas?

• It is even believed that the Rashtrakutas and Western Gangas were of Vokkaliga origin.
• Vokkaliga is a category defined in terms of occupation, and to that extent could be an ethnic category; these are largely farmers by origin.
• The Vokkaliga caste originates in the Indian state of Karnataka. In the former princely state of Mysore, the Vokkaligas were the largest community.
• As a community of warriors and cultivators, they have historically wielded tremendous demographic, political, and economic dominance in Old Mysore.

How has the Status of OBC Reservation Emerged Over Time?

• The Kalelkar Commission, set up in 1953, was the first to identify backward classes other than the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) at the national level.
• The Mandal Commission Report, 1980 estimated the OBC population at 52% and classified 1,257 communities as backward.
  • It recommended increasing the existing quotas, which were only for SC/ST, from 22.5% to 49.5% to include the OBCs.
• The central government reserved 27%of seats in union civil posts and services for OBCs [Article 16(4)]. The quotas were subsequently enforced in central government educational institutions [Article 15 (4)].
  • In 2008, the Supreme Court directed the central government to exclude the creamy layer (advanced sections) among the OBCs.
• The 102^nd Constitution Amendment Act, 2018 provided constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), which was previously a statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Questions For Practice

1. Do government’s schemes for up-lifting vulnerable and backward communities by protecting required social resources for them, lead to their exclusion in establishing businesses in urban economies?(UPSC 2014)
2. Discuss the role of the National Commission for Backward Classes in the wake of its transformation from a statutory body to a constitutional body.(UPSC 2022)