Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Context

• The government has completed transactions worth ₹96,000 crore under the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) in 2021-22, surpassing the year’s target of ₹88,000 crore.
• In 2021-22, while roads and highways monetised assets worth ₹23,000 crore, power sector closed the fiscal with overall monetisation of ₹9,500 crore, Mining of coal generated monetisation value of ₹40,000 crore and mining of minerals garnered ₹18,700 crore. For Railways, this amount stood at about ₹800-900 crore.

About NMP

• Last year, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled a four-year National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) worth an estimated Rs 6 lakh crore. It aims to unlock value in brownfield projects (which are assets that are already operational) by engaging the private sector, transferring to them revenue rights in the projects, and using the funds generated for infrastructure creation across the country.
• Following through on the government’s plan to monetise public assets to fund fresh capital expenditure on infrastructure, the centre released a list of projects and facilities to be offered to private investors over the next four years through structured leasing and securitisation transactions.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context

• For procurement operations under MSP and seamless distribution of foodgrain under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY) and National Food Security Act 2013 (NFSA), during Financial Year 2021-22 Department of Food & Public Distribution released Rs.2,94,718/- Crore towards Food Subsidy to Food Corporation of India and State Governments.

About NFSA

• The National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) provides for food and nutritional security in the human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices for people to live a life with dignity and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
• The Act is in line with Goal Two of the Sustainable Development Goals (which seeks sustainable solutions to end hunger in all its forms by 2030 and to achieve food security) set by the United Nations General Assembly.
• Schemes such as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDM), the Public Distribution System (PDS), and the  Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) are included under the Act.
• The implementation of the scheme comes under the ambit of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved continuation of revamped Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) for implementation during the period from 01.04.2022 to 31.03.2026 (co-terminus with XV Finance Commission period) to develop governance capabilities of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
• The total financial outlay of the scheme is Rs.5911 crore with the Central Share of Rs.3700 crore and that of State Share of Rs.2211 crore.

Rationale of the Scheme

• Mahatma Gandhi envisioned villages as mini-republics and advocated that true democracy should begin with participation from the grass-root level by the people of every village.
• The 73rd Constitutional Amendment mandated the three tier Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) to function as units of local self–government and envisioned a people-led development at the grass roots level.
• Panchayati Raj System was mandated with the twin objectives of ensuring economic development and social justice for the people living in the rural areas.

About RGSA

• The Union Budget 2016-17 announced the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for building capabilities of Panchayati Raj Institutions for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Key local development challenges faced by the country viz. poverty, public health, nutrition, education, gender, sanitation, drinking water, livelihood generation, etc. are in sync with SDGs and fall within the realm of Panchayats.
• The Panchayats have therefore been designated as a key player for implementation of the United Nations SDGs to be achieved by 2030.
• The scheme extends to all States and UTs including non-Part IX areas where Panchayats do not exist.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Context

• A report, jointly prepared by two energy-research firms — JMK Research and Analytics and the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis — says India will likely miss its 2022 target of installing 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity. This is because of rooftop solar lagging behind.

About The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission

• The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), or the National Solar Mission, is an initiative of the Government of India and State Governments to promote solar power in India.
• Inaugurated in January 2010, the JNNSM has been revised twice and now boasts a target of 100 GW of solar PV by 2022.
• The objective of JNNSM is to establish India as a global leader in solar energy by creating the policy conditions for its deployment across the country.

Each Phase is supported by differing key policies and targets:

• Phase I (2010 – 2013): Target for grid-connected PV (including rooftop) target: 1 000 MW Target for off-grid solar PV applications: 200 MW
• Phase II (2014 – 2017): Cumulative target for grid-connected solar PV (including rooftop): 4 000 – 10 000 MW Target for off-grid solar PV applications: 1 000 MW Scheme for at least 25 solar parks (34 approved currently under Government) and the Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects to target 40 GW solar PV13th Plan
• Phase III (2017 – 2022): Cumulative target for grid-connected solar PV (including rooftop): 100 000 MW• Target for off-grid solar PV applications (as share of cumulative): 2 000 MW. Policies and targets related to the 13th Plan are subject to an evaluation of progress and review of capacity and targets based on emerging cost and technology trends on a regular basis.

The Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF) of solar power projects is less than thermal, hydro, nuclear, wind and bio-mass power projects. The Government has launched several schemes for promotion and development of renewable energy including solar energy in the country from time to time. The Government is promoting development of solar energy in the country by providing various fiscal and promotional incentives such as accelerated depreciation, waiver of Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) charges and losses, financing solar rooftop systems as part of home loan, and permitting Foreign Direct Investment up to 100 per cent under the automatic route.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context

• Recently, The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022 has been unanimously passed in Lok Sabha.
• The Bill seeks to amend The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005, to provide against the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems in line with India’s international obligations.
• The 2005 Act prohibited the manufacturing, transport, and transfer of weapons of mass destruction, and their means of delivery.

Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Weapons 

• While there is no single, authoritative definition of a WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) in international law, the expression is usually understood to cover nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) weapons. 
• India’s 2005 WMD Act defines:
  • “Biological weapons” as “microbial or other biological agents, or toxins of types and in quantities that have no justification for prophylactic, protective or other peaceful purposes; and weapons, equipment or delivery systems specially designed to use such agents or toxins for hostile purposes or in armed conflict” .
  • “Chemical weapons” as “toxic chemicals and their precursors” except where used for peaceful, protective, and certain specified military and law enforcement purposes; “munitions and devices specifically designed to cause death or other harm through the toxic properties of those toxic chemicals”.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

Context

• El Nino, which is characterised by a warming of temperatures in the Central Pacific and is connected with low rainfall over India, is not likely to appear this year.
• Its polar opposite, or La Nina, contributed to two years of above-average rainfall in 2019 and 2020, as well as “normal” rainfall in 2021.
  • The previous two monsoon seasons have been driven by the southwest monsoon, and rainfall in August, the second rainiest month, is projected to be muted in 2022.
  •  The north-eastern states have a high baseline amount of precipitation. However, the major kharif agricultural districts of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, as well as the rain-fed provinces of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, have seen back-to-back La Nina episodes. The development of El Nino, which generally corrupts the monsoon, is ruled out.

About El Nino

• El Nino is a climatic trend characterised by unusually warm surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
• El Nino is the “warm phase” of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation, which is a broader phenomenon (ENSO).
• El Nino and La Nia are the ocean components of ENSO, whereas the Southern Oscillation is the atmospheric component.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Context

• Recently, the Union Cabinet approved a scheme to distribute fortified rice under government programmes.
• Earlier the Prime Minister had announced the fortification of rice distributed under various government schemes, including the public distribution system (PDS) and midday meals in schools, by 2024.

What is rice fortification?

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) defines fortification as “deliberately increasing the content of essential micronutrients in a food so as to improve the nutritional quality of food and to provide public health benefit with minimal risk to health”.
• Various technologies are available to add micronutrients to regular rice, such as coating, dusting, and ‘extrusion’. 
• Extrusion involves the production of fortified rice kernels (FRKs) from a mixture using an ‘extruder’ machine. It is considered to be the best technology for India. The fortified rice kernels are blended with regular rice to produce fortified rice.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context

• The United States, India’s key partner, has warned of dire consequences for any nation, including India, that conducts local currency transactions through Russia’s central bank or builds a payment mechanism that subverts or circumvents US sanctions against Russia.
• Many nations, including the United States, have been irritated by India’s constant neutral stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has been shaped by its decisions. It is necessary to determine India’s non-aligned stance on the conflict.

Neutralising Geo Political Equations

• India has solid connections with both Russia and the United States, and siding with one might jeopardise India’s relationship with the other.
• However, this has not been the case thus far, since India appears to have adopted a neutral stance. India has frequently stated that it considers its relations with Russia and the United States as distinct and would not allow either to dictate its foreign policy.
• Russia has undoubtedly been India’s most trustworthy partner for more than five decades, but due to deteriorating ties with the US, Moscow has increased its connection with China in recent years.
• India, which has been strengthening ties with the US since the turn of the century, is now speeding up its multifaceted collaboration with the US, mostly to counterbalance a confrontational China.
• These shifting geopolitical dynamics have also raised concerns about an Indo-Russian drift and India’s capacity to manage its relations with other major powers.
• Despite the prospect of American penalties under CAATSA, India not only opted to go with the 2018 sale for S-400 missile defence systems, but also completed a new agreement for INR 5,000 crores for the manufacturing of 7.5 lakh AK 203 Russian assault rifles.
• Similarly, India has been collaborating closely with the US in the Indo-Pacific, which Russia has slammed as a US-led plot to undermine India’s long-standing alliance with Russia.
• Despite Russia’s vehement opposition, India has continued to pursue its Indo-Pacific Strategy through frequent contacts inside and beyond the QUAD, demonstrating that it will act exclusively in its own interests.
• India’s defence and energy partnerships with Russia are critical.
• Russia is India’s most seasoned strategic partner, with the two having worked together on political, security, and other strategic issues for a long time and continuing to do so.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context

• On January 31 2022, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry barred the transmission of Malayalam news channel Media One citing ‘security reasons‘. Later, the Kerala High Court granted a stay, allowing the channel to continue functioning.
• Recently, the Supreme Court Tuesday stayed the Centre’s decision to revoke the security clearance of Malayalam news channel MediaOne
  • In the case of  Media One, its licences were revoked because the Home Ministry had denied it security clearance, which is essential as part of the policy.

In which sectors can the I&B Ministry regulate content?

• Until 2021, it had the powers to regulate content across all sectors — TV channels, newspapers and magazines, movies in theatres and on TV, and the radio — barring the internet.
• In 2021, the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, extended its regulatory powers over internet content too, especially on digital news platforms and OTT platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime etc.

In the case of movies

• Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has a mandate to give any film that will be played in a theatre, a rating indicating the kind of audience it is suitable for. For example, a movie with sensitive or sexual content would get an adults-only certificate.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context

• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved continuation of Atal Innovation Mission till March 2023.
• The intended targets that will be achieved by AIM are:
  • Establishing 10000 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs),
  • Establishing 101 Atal Incubation Centers (AICs),
  • Establishing 50 Atal Community Innovation Centers (ACICs) and
  • Supporting 200 startups via the Atal New India Challenges.