The country has 58,098 manual scavengers and 42,594 of them belong to the Scheduled Castes, the government has told Parliament.

Key Data

• The Minister of State of Social Justice and Empowerment said that a number of surveys on manual scavengers in the country have been carried out according to the provisions of the manual scavenging Act, 2013.
• These surveys have confirmed a disproportionately large number of manual scavengers from Scheduled Castes alone.
• According to this data, 431 manual scavengers are OBCs, 421 are from Scheduled Tribes and 351 manual scavengers belong to the “Others’’ category.
• The ministry said the government is implementing a central employment scheme for rehabilitation of manual scavengers which provides a one-time cash assistance of Rs 40,000, and skill training for the person and their dependents with a stipend of Rs 3,000 per month for the period of their training.
• It also provides for capital subsidy of Rs 5 lakh for those who have taken loans for self-employment projects and health insurance under Ayushman Bharat for scavengers and their families.

 The latest World Inequality Report 2022 states that Since the mid-1990s, the richest 1 per cent captured 38 per cent of wealth growth at the global level.

Key Highlights of the report

• Global billionaire wealth in 2021 represents 3.5 per cent of the world’s household wealth, with the share of the global top 0.01 per cent up from 7 per cent of global wealth in 1995 to 11 per cent this year.
• The report suggested developing new forms of wealth taxation on multimillionaires, including a progressive rate of wealth tax with tax rates according to the value of the total amount of wealth owned.
• Proposal: 
  • The time is right to develop new forms of wealth taxation, to modernise our tax system, to take stock of what has been happening in the economy over the past decades.
  • What has been happening is a higher concentration of wealth, more wealth inequality and our tax systems so far in most countries in the world have not adapted to this.
  • It makes sense when the governments are looking for money, looking for how to repay the debt of Covid.
  • A global wealth tax on multi millionaires, people who own more than a million dollars or euros and this tax in this proposal is progressive, meaning that the rates are going to be according to the value of the total amount of wealth that you own.
• In countries, where wealth is highly concentrated, more rates on the stock of wealth of very wealthy individuals can deliver high amounts of revenues.
• As per the report, the richest 10 per cent own around 60-80 per cent of wealth and the poorest half systematically own less than 5 per cent of wealth.
• The government intervention is key to tackle inequality with social and tax policies.
• Women today get just one-third of all labour income in the world whereas gender parity would mean they get half of that.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has batted for more functional autonomy to civic bodies as the Covid pandemic has put severe strain on the third tier of the government.

Reason behind this–

• According to the RBI’s report on state governments’ finances, the third-tier governments in India playing a frontline role in combating the pandemic by implementing containment strategies, healthcare, quarantining and testing facilities, organising vaccination camps and maintaining the supply of essential goods and services, their finances have come under severe strain, forcing them to cut down expenditures and mobilise funding from various sources.

Recommendations–

• According to the central bank, increasing the functional autonomy of the civic bodies, strengthening their governance structure and financially empowering them via higher resource availability through self-resource generation and transfers are critical for building resilience and effective interventions at the grass-root level.
• State governments should set up State Finance Commissions (SFC) at regular intervals, in line with the recommendations of FC XV.
• States may also urge rural and urban local bodies to make audited accounts available online in a timely manner to access grants.
• In addition, States should undertake local body reforms as stipulated by the Centre to improve the financial autonomy of third-tier governments.

More than six lakh Indians renounced citizenship in the past five years, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informed the Lok Sabha recently.

• In 2021, till September 30, 1,11,287 Indians gave up their citizenship.

Probable reason for exodus

• The reason for a large number of Indians surrendering their citizenship was not stated.
• Though, in 2018, the MHA revised Form XXII under Citizenship Rules for declaration of renunciation of citizenship, which, for the first time, included a column on “circumstances/reasons due to which applicant intends to acquire foreign citizenship and renounce Indian citizenship”.
• Recently, the MHA had simplified the process and provisions were made for the applicants to upload documents online and an upper limit of 60 days was fixed for the renunciation process to be completed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently announced that India would aim for net-zero carbon emissions by 2070. The announcement was given credence by the country’s solar achievements since 2015. India is the only major economy whose policies and actions are on track to limit global average temperature rise below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, as envisioned in the Paris Agreement.

Green hydrogen

• Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced by splitting water by electrolysis. This produces only hydrogen and oxygen. We can use the hydrogen and vent the oxygen to the atmosphere with no negative impact.
• To achieve electrolysis we need electricity, we need power. This process to make green hydrogen is powered by renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar. That makes green hydrogen the cleanest option – hydrogen from renewable energy sources without CO2 as a by-product.

Colour coding of hydrogen

• While hydrogen generated through renewable energy sources is green, it is blue when the carbon generated from the process is captured and stored without dispersing it in the atmosphere. When the carbon is not captured, the generated hydrogen is labelled grey.

According to the latest National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21), less than one in 10 men use condoms in India, while nearly four in 10 women undergo sterilisation to avoid pregnancy, which also shows that female sterilisation continues to be on the rise.

Key Findings

• Only 9.5% of men used condoms but 37.9% of women underwent sterilisation, according to the NFHS.
  • Though condom use in urban India is better than rural parts, the overall trend is vastly similar — 7.6% men in rural India and 13.6% men in urban India use condoms, while 38.7% women in rural India and 36.3% in urban India underwent sterilisation.
• Female sterilisation has gone up for the entire country from 36% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 37.9% in NFHS-5.
• In 19 of the 36 States and Union Territories, female sterilisation increased in NFHS-5 from that of NFHS-4. The rise was more than 5 percentage points in 11 States and UTs.
• The States with the highest increase in female sterilisation were Bihar (14.1% points to 34.8%), Goa (13.6% points to 29.9%) and Madhya Pradesh (9.7% points to 51.9%) .
• In 23 of the 36 States and UTs for which data were available, condom use was less than 10%. The State with the highest condom use was Uttarakhand (25.6%) and the Union Territory Chandigarh (31.1%).
• The silver lining, however, is that use of condoms has gone up between the two surveys — from 5.6% to 9.5%.
• The refusal to use condoms is not due to lack of awareness — NFHS-5 data shows that 82% men were aware that consistent use of condoms can reduce the chance of getting HIV/AIDS.
• Studies, however, show that promotion of condoms for protection from HIV/AIDS creates confusion in their acceptance among married couples.

Now that the three laws are set to be withdrawn, pressure is mounting on the government to implement the other, no less vociferous, demand by the farm unions: Providing legal guarantee for the minimum support prices (MSP) of crops.

MINIMUM SUPPORT PRICE

• The MSP is a guarantee that acts as a safety net for farmers while selling their crop, the minimum price for any crop that government considers remunerative for farmers.
• The Centre presently announces the MSPs of 23 crops-
• 7 cereals – paddy, wheat, maize, bajra, jowar, ragi and barley)
• 5 pulses- chana, tur/arhar, moong, urad and masur)
• 7 oilseeds- rapeseed-mustard, groundnut, soyabean, sunflower, sesamum, safflower and nigerseed)
• 4 commercial crops- sugarcane, cotton, copra and raw jute

Calculation of MSP

• The price policy reports every year are submitted as a parts of its recommendations by CACP .
• The state wise, crop specific production cost estimates provided by Directorate of Economics & Statistics in the Agriculture Ministry are used by CACP to make its projections

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Context:

In 2016, BigBasket became one of the first companies in India to introduce electric vehicles (EVs) for last-mile deliveries. By going electric, the online supermarket successfully saved costs while being kind to the environment, and three years later, it added 1,000 more e-vans and 2,000 e-bikes to its fleet.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Electric vehicles are automobiles that are prepared by one or more electric motors using energy stored in rechargeable batteries

DATA/ REPORTS

NITI Aayog submitted a report to move out three-wheelers running on internal combustion engines

According to WHO’s  global air pollution database ,India has 14 out of 15 most polluted cities in the world in terms of particulate matter concentrations (PM 2.5)

According to the Ministry of petroleum and oil, India’s oil import dependence is around 83%. It is a concern for current account deficit as well as energy security

It affects overall economic growth as well as has spill over effects on other factors as well

In the Indian transport sector, mobility market is driven by two wheelers. Policy making should focus on this aspect and also on public transport. India has merely 1.2 buses for 1000 people

BENEFITS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Sunrise industry-  this is a new industry and hence has a huge potential to grow with high investment as well as employment opportunities

To become world leader- if India does not move to clean energy then there will be huge differences between developed and developing countries. 

It would help in sustainable growth and development

CHALLENGES

Import dependence

• For oil imports India is majorly dependent on OPEC countries, electrical vehicles will diversify the import of energy
• However, China controls lithium-ion battery markets directly or indirectly making it a dominant player in the battery of electric vehicles
• The move towards more electric vehicles would mean a dependence upon China which could pose a strategic challenge for the country

Shifting with respect to emissions

• Since India gets the majority of electricity from coal power thermal plants some major part of electricity for electric vehicles would come from coal
• Emissions from automobiles will be shifted to emissions from thermal power plants

Technology and funding

• To reduce our dependence on coal India needs to have better renewable energy technology and funding
• The recent Glasgow summit and India’s commitments are vital steps in this direction

Lithium and Cobalt reserves

• We do not have large reserves of lithium or Cobalt. Countries like China, Congo, Bolivia and Australia have high reserves

Pricing 

• Since it is yet a new technology price cannot be reduced beyond a certain limit since then it would become economically unviable, government has to balance this factor with incentivizing people to buy electric vehicles

New technology

• As it is said when a new technology comes out it will lead to the death of many all technologies
• When the technology of fracking came up, the US started the exploration of shale gas. This causes the issue of creative destruction which may lead to loss of jobs and other repercussions.

Lack of energy security

• India has yet not achieved 100% electrification in a real sense, it is only according to the definition that mandates only 10% electrification of households in a village

Lack of charging facilities

• India has around 150 charging stations with a target of about 5000. China has lakhs of charging facilities

PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOBILE SECTOR

At present automobile sector is experiencing a decline and it is a lead indicator of economic growth

Reasons for slow down

• Some exports of called to be a cyclic slowdown of the automobile sector
• Policy induced- high GST and adoption of Bharat stage VI norms
• Because of uncertainty in the policies that previous models will be banned and government steps of increasing re-registration charges, people are looking for a scrap value
• The gig economy- even the millennials are using ola and uber, consumption patterns of the population have shown a change
• Model fatigue theory- the new models launched by major manufacturers are not that attractive

ENVIRONMENTAL KUZNETS CURVE HYPOTHESIS

• According to the curve when the country e moves from a pre-industrial economy to an industrial economy there is an increase in pollution and hence level of degradation of the environment increases. 
• When it enters the stage of the industrial economy there is a shift to service-based economy and becomes less polluting, after reaching a turning point with growth in the country it adopts mitigation and adaptation measures and becomes less polluting
• Thus, more the economic growth that is more capability and money for the protection of the environment

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES

FAME- faster adoption and manufacturing of hybrid and electric vehicles

It is a part of the national electric mobility mission plan. It focuses on 4 areas

Technology development demand creation pilot projects charging infrastructure

Now phase 2 of the FAME India scheme has been extended till 2024 with the announcement of a 50% increase in incentives for electric two-wheelers

Minister of heavy industries has also mandated energy efficiency services limited to procure your 3 lakh electric three-wheelers for use by different authorities

Syllabus: General studies paper 2

Context:

In the light of the horrendous experience of the Government over the farm laws, the present practice of not referring the Bills to committees should be reviewed.

Lok Sabha Speaker has spoken about strengthening the committee system in the recent presiding officers’ conference. One way of strengthening it is by getting all the important Bills examined by them. 

A missed step of referred bills to the committees:

In fact, available data shows that Bills are very rarely referred to the committees these days.

House rules have vested the discretion in the presiding officers in the matter of referring the Bills to committees.

No reasoned decisions of the presiding officers for not referring them are available. Since detailed examination of Bills by committees result in better laws, the presiding officers may, in the public interest, refer all Bills to the committees with few exceptions.

Although the relevant rule is not happily worded, the intent is clear, namely, that the committee should examine all the important Bills.

Importance of Parliamentary committees in democracy:

The Parliamentary committees are established to study and deal with various matters that cannot be directly handled by the legislature due to their volume.

1. These committees act as a mini-parliament, as they have MPs representing different parties are elected into them through a system of the single transferable vote, in roughly the same proportion as their strength in Parliament.
2. They monitor the functioning of the executive branch and provide the legislature with various policy inputs, playing an important role in Indian democracy.
3. It scrutinises the accounts and the report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India, thereby ensuring accountability of any misspending.
4. Parliamentary committees ensure executive accountability through scrutiny of public spending and various laws.
5. The Public Accounts Committee is concerned with the manner and results of spending public funds.
6. Although committee recommendations are not binding on the government, their reports create a public record of the consultations that took place and put pressure on the government to reconsider its stand on debatable provisions.
7. By virtue of being closed-door and away from the public eye, discussions in committee meetings are also more collaborative, with MPs feeling less pressured to posture for media galleries.

Decreasing role of Parliamentary committees:

1. In a parliamentary democracy, the bills of such significance are sent to parliamentary committees for closer scrutiny.
2. However, 71% of the bills went to parliamentary committees between 2009 and 2014, and this dipped to only 25% between 2014 and 2019.
3. Side-lining parliamentary committees are increasingly becoming the norm in India. But, given the significance of the parliamentary committee system in a democracy, it needs to be strengthened rather than rendered defunct.
4. Protection of farmers is an essential part of national interest. So, in any future legislation on farmers, it is absolutely necessary to involve the systems of Parliament fully so that a balanced approach emerges.
5. We must not forget that the farm Bills were not referred to either the standing committee or a joint select committee of both Houses of Parliament as has been the practice earlier.
6. Other issues affecting the functioning of the committees are low attendance of MPs at meetings, too many ministries under a committee.
7. Norms are not followed by most political parties while nominating MPs to committees and the constitution of DRSCs for a year leaves very little time for specialisations.

Steps that need to take:

1. These farm Bills should have been referred to the standing committee on agriculture for detailed scrutiny. The committee could have held comprehensive discussions with the farmers.
2. They would have thus got an opportunity to present their views before the committee and Parliament.
3. In fact, their main complaint was that they were not consulted at any stage before the ordinances were issued.
4. Radical changes in the farm sector without having any kind of consultation with the farmers was nothing short of adventurous.
5. It is very surprising why important Bills which are coming before Parliament are not being referred to the committees.
6. The experience of centuries shows that scrutiny of Bills by the committees make better laws. The case of the farm laws holds an important lesson for this Government or any government.
7. According to the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC), DRSCs should be periodically reviewed so that the committees which have outlived their utility can be replaced with new ones. For example:
8. Standing Committee on National Economy to provide analysis of the national economy with resources for advisory expertise, data gathering, and research facilities.
9. Standing Constitution Committee to scrutinize Constitutional Amendment Bills before they are introduced in Parliament.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context:

U.S. Trade Representative recently flagged India’s ‘unpredictable’ regulatory norms, high tariffs and market access restrictions as key impediments to bilateral trade.

• The US emphasised America’s continued interest in agriculture market access and conveyed that “worker-centric” policies will be the pivot for the Joe Biden administration’s approach to trade policy.

Background 

• Recent trade visit is to revive the U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum (TPF) after a four-year hiatus, US stated that the relationship is a top priority for President Biden, but highlighted that bilateral trade “never seems to quite live up to its significant potential”.

Key Highlights of the Trade talk

• Signalling a major switch to a “worker-centric” focus in U.S. policy, the Representative said: “The President is convinced that the U.S. policy needs a fundamental shift to ensure that both nation’s policies and actions focus on the impact that trade and trade agreements have on the lives of real working people.”
• The US will work closely with the Indian Government ‘colleagues’ including Labour and Employment Minister on connecting trade “more directly with working people”.
• There is a huge potential for growth in our two countries, in areas like the digital economy, services, health-related trade and yes, even agriculture. The US believes that a revived TPF can help our trade relationship keep pace with our other areas of engagement.
• India and the U.S. also face shared challenges like climate change and sustainability, vulnerable supply chains and promoting market-oriented principles and structures. These are areas that are ripe for closer collaboration now, underlining that the U.S. is committed to ensuring a robust and sustainable trade partnership.
• Delivering results and further integrating our two economies will require concerted efforts from our Governments, businesses, civil society, our people as both workers and consumers.

India’s Take

• The trade policy forum is being rejuvenated after “languishing for four years”. India expressed confidence that the two sides will be able to resolve issues in an amicable manner and send a message to the world that the U.S. and India are strong partners. 
• Citizens from both our countries look towards India-U.S. partnerships with great optimism and hope. The U.S. and India share a partnership that can not only help each other but the entire world to recover if we were to work together.

India US Ties

• The relations between India and the United States have evolved in the post-Cold War era. Both countries have established strong bilateral relations and continue to contribute to the stability and prosperity of the world. 
• As two mature and vibrant democracies, the relations between the two countries are based on a foundation of shared values and common interests, including a commitment towards Democratic principles.
• As the ideological Cold War ended after a  myriad of international convergences and divergences, India was forced to look to the West given the paradigm shift in the geopolitics Of the world. Today India and the US are among the most vibrant and foreign cohorts and strategic partners.

Significance of India US relations

• Energy partnership –

• • • India and the US signed a civil nuclear deal in 2008. It provides US assistance to India’s civilian nuclear energy programme and expands India US cooperation in energy and satellite technology. This was a time when the relations between the two countries peaked and it was considered as a game-changer in Indo US relations.

• Economic relations – 

• • The trade and economic partnership between the US and India has been a key component in the bilateral relations between the two countries. In 2018, the Indian manufacturing trade in the US reached 50.1 billion U.S. dollars for the first time surging by approximately 6 billion U.S. dollars over the previous year.

• Defence Partnership- 

• • Defence relations have emerged as a major pillar in India-U.S. strategic partnership. The two countries signed the ‘New Framework for India-U.S. Defence Relations’ in 2005 and resulted in an intensification of defence trade, joint exercises, personnel exchanges, collaboration and cooperation in maritime security and counter-piracy, and exchanges between each of the three services. 
  • The Defence Framework Agreement was updated and renewed for another 10 years in 2015. 
  • The US has become India’s second-largest arms supplier. 
  • The two countries signed the Basic Exchange Cooperation Agreement in 2019. Before that the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement and Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement was signed between the two. 
• Both the countries cooperate closely at multilateral organisations like the United Nations, G20, Association of Southeast Asian nations regional forum, World Bank, etc. In 2019 the US joined India’s coalition for disaster resilient infrastructure to expand cooperation on sustainable infrastructure in the Indo- Pacific region.

• Counter-terrorism and internal security cooperation

• • In counter-terrorism has seen considerable progress between the two countries with intelligence sharing, information exchange,  operational cooperation, counter-terrorism technology and equipment. 
  • The India US counter-terrorism cooperation initiative was signed in 2010 that aims to expand collaboration on counter-terrorism, information sharing and capacity building. 
  • The two sides have agreed to work on a joint plan to counter the threat of improvised explosive devices.

• Energy and climate change 

• • The US India energy dialogue was launched in 2005 to promote trade and investment in the energy sector. 
  • Currently, there are six working groups under the energy dialogue in oil and gas, coal, power and energy efficiency, new technologies and renewable energy, civil nuclear cooperation and sustainable development. As a priority initiative under the partnership to advance clean energy, 
  • The US Department of Energy and the Government of India established the joint clean energy research and development centre that has been designed to promote clean energy innovations by a team of scientists From India and the US.

• Education

• • Cooperation in the education sector has been an integral part of the strategic partnership between the two countries. 
  • The Fulbright programme was renewed in 2008, with the enhanced mandate and joint funding with the aim of providing more student and scholar exchange grants. 
  • There are about 1.5 lakh, Indian students, pursuing advanced degrees in the USA.