Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

• Several studies have examined Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s concept of democracy, primarily through the lens of social, political, and economic philosophy.

What Constitutes Democracy in Ambedkar’s Opinion?

• Morality:
• A look at the Buddha and his Dhamma sheds light on how Ambedkar viewed democracy,  as an approach that affected every aspect of human existence.
• Buddha, Kabir and Mahatma Phule’s philosophies played an important role in Ambedkar’s own engagement with democracy.
• According to him, democracy must also be viewed morally despite its pillars of equality, liberty, and fraternity.
• Use of Morality in Caste System:
• Ambedkar used the lens of morality in investigating the caste system, the Hindu social system, the nature of religion and Indian history.
• Since Ambedkar brought the most marginalized communities into democracy, it was difficult to place his framework of democracy within these rigid religious structures and socio-political systems.
• Thus, Ambedkar attempts to construct a new structure based on the principles of Buddhism.
• Balancing Individualism and Fraternity:
• He was critical of extreme individualism that was a possible outcome of Buddhism, as such characteristics failed to engage in activism that challenged social order.
• Thus, he believed that there needed to be a balance between individualism and fraternity for a harmonious society.
• Importance to Practicality:
• Ambedkar gave utmost importance to practicality.
• For him, concepts and theories needed to be tested as they were supposed to be practised in society.
• He used rationality and critical reasoning to analyse any subject matter, because he believed that a subject must first pass the test of rationality, failing which, it must be rejected, altered or modified.

What is Ambedkar’s view of Indian society?

• Caste System:
• According to his analysis of Indian society, the caste system is a particularistic value in Hinduism.
• Particularism is apolitical theory where one group promotes its own interests without regard to the interests of larger groups.
• The upper castes, according to Ambedkar, universalise the negative particularity (their dominance over the other groups) and particularise the negative universal morality (wherein the caste system and the subsequent alienation of certain groups is justified).
• This negative social relation is essentially ‘undemocratic’.
• It is to fight such separation that Ambedkar attempted to bring the democratic processes of Buddhism into the discourse of modern democracy.
• Role of Religion in Democracy:
• In Ambedkar’s view, democracy was born from religion, without which associated living was impossible.
• Thus, instead of removing aspects of religion completely, he attempts to reconstruct a new version of democracy that accepts the democratic aspects of religions like Buddhism.
• Finally,Ambedkar realises that in order to conceptualise democracy as a way of life, it was important to distinguish principles and rules in society.
• In the Buddha and His Dhamma, Ambedkar elaborates how the concepts of Dhamma, which includes Prajna or thinking and understanding, Sila or good action and finally Karuna or kindness, emerge as a‘morally transformative’ concept that dismantles regressive social relations.

What are the Conditions put forward by Ambedkar for Democracy to Function?

• Tackling Inequalities in Society:
• There must not be any glaring inequalities in society and there must not be an oppressed class.
• There must not be a class that has got all the privileges and a class that has got all the burdens to carry.
• Strong Opposition:
• He emphasized on the existence of a strong opposition.
• Democracy means veto power. Democracy is a contradiction of hereditary authority or autocratic authority, where elections act as a periodic veto in which people vote out a government and opposition in parliament act as an immediate veto that curbs the autocratic tendencies of the government in power.
• Liberty:
• Additionally, he argued that parliamentary democracy instills a passion for freedom; freedom to express thoughts and opinions, freedom to live a respectful life, freedom to do what one values.
• But we can see a parallel fall of India in the Human Freedom Index along with a weakened opposition and consequently falling democratic credentials.
• Equality in Law and Administration:
• Ambedkar also upheld equality in law and administration.
• Likes should be treated likely and there should be no discrimination based on class, caste, gender, race and so on.
• He brought forward the idea of constitutional Morality.
• For him, the constitution contains only the legal skeleton, but the flesh is what he calls constitutional morality.

Question for practice

1. Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, despite having divergent approaches and strategies, had a common goal of amelioration of the downtrodden. Elucidate. (UPSC 2015)
2. Constitutional Morality’ is rooted in the Constitution itself and is founded on its essential facets. Explain the doctrine of ‘Constitutional Morality’ with the help of relevant judicial decisions. (UPSC 2021)

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Why in News?

Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released a report titled- “State of the Economy”, which warns of a darkening global outlook.

What are the Highlights of the Report?

• Darkening Global Outlook:
  • The balance of risks gets increasingly tilted towards a darkening global outlook for 2023, the year that will bear the brunt of monetary policy actions of this year.
• Emerging Market Economies:
  • Emerging market economies (EMEs) appear precarious, having battled currency depreciations and capital outflows in addition to slowing growth and high
• Energy Prices:
  • An unease hangs over energy prices, for now, Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) plus stayed its hand in cutting production, but an oil price cap threatens to unleash disruptive financial forces, with hedge funds already cutting net long positions in crude contracts.
  • Despite moderation in global commodity markets, climate change and the war in Ukraine are set to keep food prices at higher than pre-pandemic levels.
• Debt:
  • Debt distress is rising, with a surge in default rates and an appreciating US dollar – the principal currency in which debt is denominated – although more recently it has tumbled down from 20-year highs.
• Indian Growth Outlook:
  • Inflation:
    • Inflation may be slightly down, but it is certainly not out.
    • Inflation is likely to moderate in 2023 from current levels, but it would remain well above targets in most economies.
      • The easing of inflation is primarily driven by the sharp moderation in food inflation. The index declined by 11 bps month-on-month (m-o-m), which along with a favorable Base Effect.
    • Domestic Drivers:
      • The near-term growth outlook for the Indian economy is supported by domestic drivers.
        • Domestic economic activity remained resilient in November and early December of 2022.
      • The outlook for private consumption and investment is looking up, although relatively higher inflation in rural areas is muting spending in those regions.
      • Headline inflation moderated by 90 basis points to 5.9 % in November 2022 driven by a fall in vegetables prices even as core inflation remained steady at 6 %.
    • Equity Inflow:
      • Equity markets touched a string of new highs during November buoyed by strong portfolio flows to India.
      • Waning input cost pressures, still buoyant corporate sales and turn-up in investments in fixed assets are heralding the beginning of an upturn in the capex cycle in India which will contribute to a speeding up of growth momentum in the Indian economy.
    • Future Prospects:
      • In December 2022, as India engages in setting out its priorities and deliverables under itsG20 Presidency, there is a sense that perhaps it’s time for India in the centre of the world’s stage has arrived.
      • As the third largest economy in PPP (Purchasing power parities) terms, and the 5^thlargest in terms of market exchange rates, India accounts for 3.6 % of G20 GDP while its share in real (PPP) terms is much higher at 8.2 %.
      • In 2023, India is projected to be among the fastest growing economies within G20.
      • India’s priorities under the G20 Presidency encapsulate a vision of unity and interconnectedness. They will also reflect the priorities of the global South: One Earth, One Family, One Future.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

 Why in News?

• Under the SAMARTH Scheme of Textile Ministry, more than13,235 artisans have been trained in the last three years.

What is the Samarth Scheme all about?

• About:
  • Samarth (Scheme for Capacity Building In Textile Sector) is a flagship skill development scheme approved in continuation to the Integrated Skill Development Scheme for 12^thFive Year Plan (FYP), Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs.
  • The office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) is implementing the SAMARTH to provide skill training to handicraft artisans under the component ‘Skill Development in Handicrafts Sector’ of National Handicrafts Development Programme (NHDP).
• Objectives:
  • To provide demand-driven, placement-oriented skilling programmes to incentivize the efforts of the industry in creating jobs in the organized textile and related sectors to promote skilling and skill up-gradation in the traditional sectors through respective sectoral divisions/organizations of the Ministry of Textile.
  • To provide livelihood to all sections of the society across the country.

What is the Status of the Textile Sector in India?

• About:
  • Textiles & garments industry is a labour intensive sector that employs 45 millions people in India and is second only to the agriculture sector in terms of employment.
  • India’s textiles sector is one of the oldest industries in the Indian economy, and is a storehouse and carrier of traditional skills, heritage and culture.
  • It can be divided into two segments:
    • The unorganised sector is small scale and uses traditional tools and methods. It consists of handloom, handicrafts and sericulture (Production of silk).
    • The organised sector uses modern machinery and techniques and consists of the spinning, apparel and garments segment.
  • Other Schemes of the Textile Sector:
    • Scheme for Integrated Textile Park (SITP):Launched in 2005, it aims to provide the industry with world-class state of the art infrastructure facilities for setting up their textile units.
    • Power-Tex India: It is an all-inclusive scheme that’s made for the development of the power loom sector which further addresses the unheard needs of the power loom sector.
    • Silk Samagra Scheme: It focuses on improving the quality and productivity of domestic silk thereby reducing the country’s dependence on imported silk.
    • Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (ATUFS):It is a credit linked Capital Investment Subsidy (CIS) scheme to catalyze capital investments for technology upgradation and modernization of the textile industry.
    • National Handloom Day: National Handloom Day is observed every year on 7^th August to mark the importance of the handloom weaving community in India.
    • National Technical Textile Mission: The mission aims to position India as a global leader in Technical Textiles by increasing the domestic market size from USD 40 billion to USD 50 billion by 2024.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

Recently, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying announced that employment will be given to more than 50 lakh farmers.

• Under Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) there is a scheme to provide subsidy on cow/buffalo/pig/chicken/goat breeding farms and silage making units of which 50% subsidy will be given by the Government of India. Also, 3% interest subvention on the loan amount can also be taken under the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) scheme.

What is Rashtriya Gokul Mission?

• About:
  • It is being implemented for development and conservation of indigenous bovine breeds since December 2014.
  • The scheme is also continued under umbrella scheme Rashtriya Pashudhan Vikas Yojna from 2021 to 2026 with a budget outlay of Rs.2400 crore.
• Nodal Ministry:
  • Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
• Objectives:
  • To enhance productivity of bovines and increasing milk production in a sustainable manner using advance technologies.
  • To propagate use of high genetic merit bulls for breeding purposes.
  • To enhance Artificial insemination coverage through strengthening breeding network and delivery of Artificial insemination services at farmers doorstep.
  • To promote indigenous cattle & buffalo rearing and conservation in a scientific and holistic manner.
• Significance:
  • The RGM will result in enhanced productivity and benefit of the programme, percolating to all cattle and buffaloes of India especially with small and marginal farmers.
  • This programme will also benefit women in particular since over 70% of the work involved in livestock farming is undertaken by women.
• Components:
  • Availability of High genetic Merit Germplasm
  • Extension of Artificial Insemination Network
  • Development and Conservation of indigenous Breeds
  • Skill Development
  • Farmers Awareness
  • Research Development and Innovation in Bovine Breeding
• Implementing Agency:
  • Rashtriya Gokul Mission will be implemented through the “State Implementing Agency (SIA viz Livestock Development Boards).
• Significant Initiatives:
  • Gopal Ratna Awards:
    • For farmers maintaining the best herd of Indigenous Breed and practicing best management practices.
  • Kamdhenu Awards:
    • For best-managed Indigenous herd by Institutions/Trusts/ NGOs/ Gaushalas or best-managed Breeders’ societies.
  • Gokul Grams:
    • RGM envisages the establishment of integrated cattle development centers, ‘Gokul Grams’ to develop indigenous breeds including up to 40% nondescript breeds(belonging or appearing to belong to no particular class or kind) with objectives to:
      • Promote indigenous cattle rearing and conservation in a scientific manner.
      • Propagate high genetic merit bulls of indigenous breeds.
      • Optimize modern Farm Management practices and promote Common Resource Management.
      • Utilize animal waste in an economical way i.e., Cow Dung, Cow Urine.
    • Recently, funds have been released for setting up of 16 Gokul Grams.
  • National Kamdhenu Breeding Centre (NKBC):
    • It is being established as a Centre of Excellence to develop and conserve Indigenous Breeds in a holistic and scientific manner.
  • E-Pashu Haat:
    • It is a web portal which provides information on pet cattle, trading of bovine animals that were not offered on any other platform in the country.
  • Nakul Prajnan Bazaar:
    • An e-market portal connecting breeders and farmers, for quality- disease-free bovine germplasm.
  • Pashu Sanjivni:
    • An animal wellness program encompassing the provision of animal health cards (‘Nakul Swasthya Patra’) along with unique identification and uploading data on National Database.
  • Advanced Reproductive Technology (ART):
    • Including Assisted Reproductive Technique- IVF/Multiple Ovulation Embryo Transfer (MOET) and sex-sorted semen technique to improve the availability of disease-free female bovines.
  • National Bovine Genomic Center for Indigenous Breeds (NBGC-IB):
    • It will be established for selection of breeding bulls of high genetic merit at a young age using highly precise gene-based technology.
  • AHIDF Scheme:
    • AHIDF of Rs.15000 crore has been set up under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan stimulus package for incentivizing investments by individual entrepreneurs, private companies, MSME, Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs) and Section 8 companies to establish:
      • the dairy processing and value addition infrastructure,
      • meat processing and value addition infrastructure and
      • Animal Feed Plant.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Why in News?

Recently, the government of India has taken various initiatives related to Agriculture by using Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

• IoT is a computing concept that describes the idea of everyday physical objects being connected to the internet and being able to identify themselves to other devices.

What is the Need for IoT and AI in the Agriculture Sector?

• Even as agriculture remains a priority sector accounting for the livelihoods of around 58 % of the country’s population, adoption of technology in the sector is at a transitory juncture and faces several challenges across the value chain.
• These challenges require disruptive interferences which can be provided by technological solutions such as the IoT and AI etc.
• Adoption of AI technologies can pave the way for higher production with the optimum utilization of available resources and facilitate predictive analysis, crop health management, enhance quality and traceability among others.
• The adoption of innovative and transformative smart farming practices in the country is gradually becoming a major trend.
• Globally technology advancements in recent years arere-engineering both the upstream and downstream segments of the agri value chain, which makes it important to adapt innovation in Agriculture.
• Cutting-edge technologies in AI such as IoT, ML (Machine Learning), cloud computing, statistical computing, deep learning, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) can enable the Agriculture Sector to overcome the challenges of productivity, quality, traceability and carbon emission with enhanced profitability.

What is the Usage of AI in Agriculture?

• Analyzing Farm Data:
  • Farms produce hundreds of thousands of data points on the ground daily. With the help of AI, farmers can now analyze a variety of things in real-time such as weather conditions ,temperature, water usage or soil conditions collected from their farm to better inform their decisions.
  • Farmers are also using AI to create seasonal forecasting models to improve agricultural accuracy and increase productivity.
• Precision Agriculture:
  • Precision agriculture uses AI technology to aid in detecting diseases in plants, pests, and poor plant nutrition on farms.
  • AI sensors can detect and target weeds and then decide which herbicides to apply within the right buffer zone.
  • This helps to prevent over-application of herbicides and excessive toxins that find their way in our food.
  • It would increase productivity by introducing precision agriculture.
• Tackling the Labour Challenge:
  • With fewer people entering the farming profession, most farms are facing the challenge of a workforce shortage.
  • One solution to help with this shortage of workers is AI agriculture bots. These bots augment the human labour workforce and are used in various forms. For example:
    • These bots can harvest crops at a higher volume and faster pace than human labourers, more accurately identify and eliminate weeds, and reduce costs for farms by having around the clock labour force.
    • Additionally, farmers are beginning to turn to chatbots for assistance. Chatbots help answer a variety of questions and provide advice and recommendations on specific farm problems.

What are the Related Initiatives taken?

• National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (NM-ICPS):
  • It was launched in 2018 by the Ministry of Science and Technology with an outlay of Rs. 3,660.00 crore for a period of five years to encourage innovation in new age technologies.
  • Under the Mission, 25 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs) have been set up in premier institutes of national importance across the country in advanced technology verticals.
  • The Mission can act as an engine of growth that would benefit national initiatives in health, education, energy, environment, agriculture, strategic cum security, and industrial sectors, Industry 4.0, SMART Cities, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 
• Digital India initiatives:
  • Under the Digital India initiatives government has set up Centres of Excellence on Internet of Things with the objective to enable India to emerge as an innovation hub in IoT through democratization of innovation and realization of prototypes.
  • One of the focus areas of Centres of Excellence on IoT is on Agri-tech and it connects various entities such as startups, enterprises, venture capitalists, government and academia.
• National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture:
  • Funding is given to State Governments for Digital Agriculture projects using emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), IoT, Block chain etc.
• Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development:
  • This programme is operational under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) from 2018-19 with the objective to promote innovation and entrepreneurship by providing financial support and nurturing the incubation ecosystem.
  • In this connection, five Knowledge Partners (KPs) and 24 Agribusiness Incubators (R-ABIs) have been appointed across the country. The five KPs are:
    • National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad.
    • National Institute of Agricultural Marketing (NIAM) Jaipur.
    • Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Pusa, New Delhi.
    • University of Agriculture Science, Dharwad, Karnataka.
    • Assam Agriculture University, Jorhat, Assam.

Way Forward

• With the recent reforms in the agriculture sector, there is a likelihood of increased investments in contract farming and infusion of technology for better yields and productivity.
• This will further push the adoption of AI in agriculture. Further, in order to help these AI solutions, scale increased investments needed, both from the public and private sector.
• A huge surge in the emergence of agritech start-ups is being witnessed in India, driven by advanced technology penetration coupled with a conducive policy environment.
• This can only be seen as a starting point for the penetration of advanced technologies like AI, ML, IoT and Blockchain in the agriculture ecosystem.
• These collective technologies come as a great boon to the agricultural sector which is heavily reliant on unpredictable climatic conditions.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

Recently, Rajya Sabha passed the Anti-Maritime Piracy Bill which the government said would provide an effective legal instrument to combat Maritime Piracy.

• The security of sea lanes of communication is critical as more than 90% of India’s trade takes place by sea routes and more than 80% of the country’s hydrocarbon requirements was sea-borne.

What are the Key Features of the Bill?

• About:
  • The Bill provides for prevention of maritime piracy and prosecution of personsfor such piracy-related crimes.
    • It will apply to all parts of the sea adjacent to and beyond the limits of the Exclusive Economic Zoneof India, i.e., beyond 200 nautical miles from the coastline.
  • The Bill brings into law the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Definition of Piracy:

• It defines piracy as any illegal act of violence, detention, or destruction committed against a ship, aircraft, person or property, for private purposes, by the crew or passengers of a private ship or aircraft. Such acts may be carried out in the high seas (beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone of India) or any place outside the jurisdiction of India.
  • Inciting or intentionally facilitating such acts would also qualify as piracy.
  • It includes any other act that is considered as piratical under international law.
• Piracy also includes voluntary participation in the operations of a pirate ship or aircraft used for piracy.

Penalties:

• An act of piracy will be punishable with:
  • Imprisonment for life; or
  • Death, if the act of piracy causes or attempts to cause death.
• An attempt to commit, aid, support, or counsel an act of piracy will be punishable with up to 14 years of imprisonment, and a fine.
• Participating, organising, or directing others to participate in an act of piracy will also be punishable with up to 14 years of imprisonment, and a fine.
• Offences will be considered This means that the accused can be transferred to any country for prosecution with which India has signed an extradition treaty.
  • In the absence of such treaties, offences will be extraditable on the basis of reciprocity between the countries.

Jurisdiction of the Courts:

• The central government, in consultation with the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court, may notify Sessions Courts as the Designated Courts under this Bill.
• The Designated Court will try offences committed by:
  • A person in the custody of the Indian Navyor Coast Guard, regardless of his nationality.
  • A citizen of India, a resident foreign national in India, or a stateless person.
• The Court will not have jurisdiction over offences committed on a foreign ship unless an intervention is requested by:
  • The country of origin of the ship.
  • The ship-owner.
  • Any other person on the ship.
• Warships and government-owned ships employed for non-commercial purposes will not be under the jurisdiction of the Court.

What are the Key Challenges in the Bill?

• Under the Bill, if a person, while committing an act of piracy causes or seeks to cause death, he will be punished with death.
  • This implies a mandatory death penalty for such offences.
  • The Supreme Court has held that mandatory death penalty for any offence is unconstitutional as it violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
    • However, Parliament has passed laws providing for mandatory death penalty for some offences. Example: Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (SC/ST Act).
  • The Bill provides for imprisonment of up to 14 years if a person participates in an act of piracy. Committing an act of piracy (which includes voluntarily participating in the operation of a pirate ship or aircraft) is punishable with life imprisonment.
    • As these circumstances may overlap, it is unclear how the punishment would be determined in such cases.
  • The Bill will apply to all parts of the sea adjacent to and beyond the limits of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)of India, i.e., beyond 200 nautical miles from the coastline.
    • The question is whether the Bill should cover the EEZ also, that is the area between 12 nautical miles and 200 nautical miles(from the coastline of India).

What is the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea?

• The UNCLOS, 1982 is an international agreement that establishes the legal framework for marine and maritime activities.
• It is also known as Law of the Sea. It divides marine areas into five main zones namely- Internal Waters, Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the High Seas.
• It is the only international convention which stipulates a framework for state jurisdiction in maritime spaces. It provides a different legal status to different maritime zones.
• It provides the backbone for offshore governance by coastal states and those navigating the oceans.
• It not only zones coastal states’ offshore areas but also provides specific guidance for states’ rights and responsibilities in the five concentric zones.
• In 1995, India ratified the UNCLOS.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

• After a fall during the first year of theCovid-19 pandemic, organ donation numbers increased back in 2021.
• In India, Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994 provides various regulations for the removal of human organs and its storage. It also regulates the transplantation of human organs for therapeutic purposes and for the prevention of commercial dealings in human organs.

What is the Status of Organ Donation in India?

• India has an organ donation rate of about 0.52 per million population. In comparison, the organ donation rate in Spain, the highest in the world, is 49.6 per million population.
  • Unlike India where a person has to register to be an organ donor — and the family has to consent to it after death —Spain has an opt-out system where a person is presumed to be a donor unless otherwise specified.
• Although organ donation has increased, however, the number of deceased donations has remained lower than the number of donations from living persons.
  • Deceased Donation is the organs donated by the kin of those who suffered brain death or cardiac death.
• Only 14.07% of the total organs harvested in 2021 were from deceased donors, much less than the 16.77% of 2019.
• Of the 12,387 organs harvested in 2021, only 1,743 — a little more than 14% — were from deceased donors. The numbers harvested in 2021 were close to the highest in the last five years (12,746, in 2019).
• There is also a geographical skew in deceased donations. All but two deceased organ donations in 2021 were in 15 states, with the top five — Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Karnataka — accounting for more than 85% of the total. Two organs were harvested from a deceased donor in Goa.
  • One reason for the geographical skew could be that most organ transplant and harvesting centres are concentrated in these geographies.

What is the Need for Increasing Deceased Donations?

• Gap in the Number of Organs Needed:
  • The first reason is the gap in the number of organs needed and the number of transplants that happen in the country.
  • In absolute numbers, India conducts the third highest number of transplants in the world.
  • Yet, of the estimated 1.5-2 lakh persons who need a kidney transplant every year, only around 8,000 get one.
  • Of the 80,000 persons who require a liver transplant, only 1,800 get one. And of the 10,000 who need a heart transplant, only 200 get it.
• Prevalence of Lifestyle Diseases:
  • Demand is on the rise because of the increasing prevalence of lifestyle diseases.
  • Besides, organs like heart and lungs can be retrieved only from deceased donors.
• Only Harvested from Brain Dead Persons:
  • The second reason is that without deceased donations, a precious resource is wasted.
  • Nearly 1.5 lakh persons die in road traffic accidents every year in India, many of whom can ideally donate organs.
  • Although donations are possible after the heart stops working, almost all organs are currently harvested from brain dead persons.

 Way Forward

• For increasing accessibility of donated organs to weaker sections, the public hospitals need to increase the infrastructural capacity to carry out transplantation and provide affordable proper treatment to the poor.
• It is suggested that cross-subsidization will increase accessibility to the weaker section . For every 3 or 4 transplants, the private hospitals should carry out free of cost transplantation to the section of the population that donates a majority of organs.
• The Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994, need to be amended to substitute the rigid bureaucratic procedure of hospitals by self-declaration and mandatory verification involving civil society.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Why in News?

• Russia has for the second month in a row remained India’s top oil supplier in November 2022 surpassing traditional sellers Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
• Russia now makes up for 22% of India’s total crude imports, ahead of Iraq’s 20.5% and Saudi Arabia’s 16%.
• The European Union ban on imports of Russia’s seaborne oil from 5th December has driven Russia to seek alternative markets, mainly in Asia, for about 1 million barrels per day.

What is the Current Scenario of India’s Oil Import/Consumption?

• India is the world’s third-largest oil consumer at around 5 million barrels a day, behind the US and China. The oil demand is growing at 3-4% a year in the country.
  • By this estimate, in a decade, India could be consuming about 7 million barrels a day.
• According to the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC),India imported 212.2 million tonnes of crude oil in 2021-22, up from 196.5 million tonnes in the previous year.
  • For April 2022-23, the oil import dependence was around 86.4% against 85.9% in the corresponding year-ago period.
• It has been argued that due to increasing demand, the consumption of oil has gone up, which has marginalised the efforts being made to increase output.
  • Higher crude oil import bill is expected to dent the macroeconomic parameters.

What Initiatives have been taken to Cut down Crude Oil Imports?

• In March 2015, the Prime Minister of India inaugurated the ‘Urja Sangam 2015’ —India’s then biggest global hydrocarbon meet aimed at shaping India’s energy security.
  • All the stakeholders were urged to increase the domestic production of oil and gas to reduce import dependence from 77% to 67% by 2022 and further to 50% by 2030.
• The government has also introduced various policies for increasing domestic production of oil and natural gas under the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) Regime, Discovered Small Field Policy, Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP), New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP),
  • However, an underlying issue with domestic oil production is that oil and gas projects — from exploration to production —have a long gestation period.
  • Besides, pricing and tax policies are not stable and the oil and gas business requires huge capital, so investors are often wary of taking risks.
• The Government of India promotes the Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP) with the aim of reducing the country’s dependence on crude oil imports, cutting carbon emissions and boosting farmers’ incomes.
  • The Government has advanced the target for 20% ethanol blending in petrol (also calledE20) to 2025 from 2030.

 What can be Done to Reduce India’s Oil Import Dependence?

• Encouraging Domestic Production: It must be kept in mind that India’s demand for oil is only going to go up as we go for 10% GDP growth and that India will continue to be an oil economy for many more years to come.
  • The only way India can reduce its dependence on imports is to increase the size of India-owned exploration and production assets overseas. That is what China has done.
  • The public sector oil giant Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is also taking various steps to increase the production by redevelopment of existing matured fields and development of new/marginal fields.
• Alternate Green Sources: Another way out for India is to expand its basket and focus on green energy. With the economy gaining momentum, demand for power is on the upswing. With the CoP26 commitments in place, the demand for Renewable Energy is at an all-time high, which calls for substantial capacity addition.
  • The wind sector gained momentum, thanks to private investments and government initiatives coupled with regulatory support.
  • However, backed by global supply of solar cells and modules and favourable policies, solar power emerged more competitive than wind power.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

• Recently, the year-end-review of the Department of Consumer Affairs under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution for the year 2022 was released.

What are the Key Achievements of the Department?

• Scheme for strengthening of Price Monitoring Mechanism:
  • Price Monitor Cell monitors wholesale and retail prices of twenty-two essential commodities including Rice, Wheat, Atta, Gram Dal etc. based on data collected from 179 market centres spread across the country representing North, West, East, South and North-eastern regions of the country.
  • During the year,57 price reporting centers were added. Number of price reporting centers increased from 122 on 1st January 2021 to 179 till December 2022.
• Price Stabilization Fund (PSF):
  • PSF is a central sector scheme for providing working capital and other incidental expenses for procurement and distribution of agri-horticultural commodities.
  • During 2022,83 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) of pulses has been Transferred from Price Support Scheme (PSS), Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DACFW) to PSF, Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) /Procured/Import under PSF.
• Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY):
  • During 2022, Rs. 35.59 crore were released to States/Union Territories as reimbursement for expenditure on intra-State movement & handling, fair price shop dealer’s margin and Additional Margin Distribution through Point of Sale (PoS) Device for distribution of pulses under PMGKAY and Atma Nirbhar Bharat Scheme.
• Consumer Awareness:
  • The new mascot of the DoCA“Jagriti” was launched to strengthen the campaign titled “Jago Grahak Jago” to reinforce top-of-mind awareness with all the consumers.
• Bureau Of Indian Standards (BIS):
  • BIS Act 2016came into force with effect from 12th October 2017, subsequently Governing Council was reconstituted.
    • The total number of standards in force, as on 25^thNovember 2022 is 21,833.
  • BIS (India) is holding the chairship of the South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO) Technical Management Board for a three-year term from Oct 2020 to Oct 2023 and Board of Conformity Assessment (BCA).
  • Management System Certification:
    • BIS operates 20 Management Systems Certification Schemes, In 2021-22, two new more schemes i.e., Occupational Health & Safety Management System and Energy Management System have been accredited by National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB).

 Consumer Protection:

• World Consumer Rights Day:
  • The World Consumer Rights Day was celebrated on 15th March 2022 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
  • The theme of the event was “Fair Digital Finance”.
• Settlement of cases through National Lok Adalat:
  • National Legal Service Authority (NALSA)along with other Legal Service institutions conducts Lok Adalats.
  • DoCA wrote to all State/UT Govts. for referring pending consumer cases to be taken up through National Lok Adalat.
• As a result, 5,930 cases were settled on a single day on 12th December, 2022 through Lok Adalat across the Country.
  • Consumer Protection Act, 2019:
    • Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022were notified under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019
    • E-Filing:
  • A Consumer Commission online application portal named “nic.in” has been developed to facilitate the consumers/advocates to file the consumer complaint online through the e-Daakhil portal from home or anywhere at their own comfort.
    • Fake Reviews:
  • BIS launched the framework titled Indian Standard (IS) 19000:2022 ‘Online Consumer Reviews — Principles and Requirements for their Collection, Moderation and Publication.
  • The standards will be applicable to every online platform which publishes consumer reviews.
  • The standard provides for responsibilities of organization including developing a code of practice, and necessary stipulations for terms and conditions like accessibility, criteria, and ensuring content does not contain financial information etc.

Legal Metrology:

• Amendment to Rules:
  • The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011were amended to allow the electronic products industries to declare certain mandatory declarations in the digital form through the QR Code for a period of one year, if not declared in the package itself.

This permission is to enable greater use of technology in this digital era to declare the mandatory declaration through the QR Code which can be scanned to view the declarations.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

• Recently, the Union Finance Minister moved the Appropriation (No.5) Bill, 2022, and Appropriation (No.4) Bill, 2022, in the Rajya Sabha.
• The bill authorized payment and appropriation of certain further sums from and out of the Consolidated Fund of India for the services of the financial year 2022-2023 for consideration and return.

What is an Appropriation Bill?

• About:
  • The Appropriation Bill gives power to the government to withdraw funds from the Consolidated Fund of India for meeting the expenditure during the financial year.
    • As per Article 114 of the Constitution, the government can withdraw money from the Consolidated Fund only after receiving approval from Parliament.
    • The amount withdrawn is used to meet the current expenditure during the financial year.
  • Procedure Followed:
    • The Appropriation Bill is introduced in the Lok Sabha after discussions on Budget proposals and Voting on Demand for Grants.
      • The defeat of an Appropriation Bill in a parliamentary vote would lead to the resignation of a government or a general election.
    • Once it is passed by the Lok Sabha it is sent to the Rajya Sabha.
      • Rajya Sabha has the power to recommend any amendments in this Bill. However, it is the prerogative of the Lok Sabha to either accept or reject the recommendations made by the Rajya Sabha.
    • After the bill receives assent from the president it becomes an Appropriation act.
      • The unique feature of the Appropriation Bill is its automatic repeal clause, whereby the Act gets repealed by itself after it meets its statutory purpose.
    • The government cannot withdraw money from the Consolidated Fund of India till the enactment of the appropriation bill. However, this takes time and the government needs money to carry on its normal activities. To meet the immediate expenses the Constitution has authorised the Lok Sabha to make any grant in advance for a part of the financial year. This provision is known as the ‘Vote on Account’.
      • A vote on account is defined in Article 116 of the Indian Constitution.
      • During an election year the Government either opts for ‘interim Budget’ or for ‘Vote on Account’ as after the election the Ruling Government may change and so the policies.
    • Amendment:
      • No amendment can be proposed to an Appropriation Bill which will have the effect of varying the amount or altering the destination of any grant so made or of varying the amount of any expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of India, and the decision of the Lok Sabha Speaker as to whether such an amendment is admissible is final.

What is the Difference between Appropriation Bill and Finance Bill?

• While the Finance Bill contains provisions on financing the expenditure of the government ,an Appropriation Bill specifies the quantum and purpose for withdrawing money.
• Both appropriation and finance bills are classified as money bills which do not require the explicit consent of the Rajya Sabha. The Rajya Sabha only discusses them and returns the bills.

What is the Consolidated Fund of India?

• It was constituted under Article 266 (1) of the Constitution of India.

It is made up of:

• All revenues received by the Centre by way of taxes (Income Tax, Central Excise, Customs and other receipts) and all non-tax revenues.
• All loans raised by the Centre by issue of Public notifications, treasury bills (internal debt) and from foreign governments and international institutions (external debt).
• All government expenditures are incurred from this fund (except exceptional items which are met from the Contingency Fund or the Public Account) and no amount can be withdrawn from the Fund without authorization from the Parliament.
• The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG) audits the fund and reports to the relevant legislatures on the management.

What are the Stages of Stages of Budget in Parliament?

• Presentation of Budget.
• General discussion.
• Scrutiny by Departmental Committees.
• Voting on Demands for Grants.