Challenges Faced by the Gig Workers

Source: TH

Why in News?

Recently, a study was conducted by the People’s Association in Grassroots Action and Movements, and the Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers, Which highlights the challenges encountered by the Gig Workers such as app-based cab and delivery drivers/persons in India.

What are the Key Highlights of the Study?

• Long Working Hours:
  • Almost a third of app-based cab drivers work for over 14 hours a day, with more than 83% working more than 10 hours and 60% working over 12 hours.
  • Social disparities exacerbate the situation, with over 60% of drivers from Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) working for over 14 hours a day.
• Low Pay:
  • Over 43% of gig workers earn less than Rs 500 a day or Rs 15,000 a month after deducting all costs.
  • Additionally, 34% of app-based delivery persons earn less than Rs 10,000 a month. These income disparities contribute to existing social inequalities.
• Financial Strain:
  • 72% of cab drivers and 76% of delivery persons face difficulty managing expenses, with 68% of cab drivers' overall expenses exceeding their earnings, potentially leading to debt-like situations.
• Unsatisfactory Compensation:
  • Over 80% of app-based cab drivers were unsatisfied with the fares offered by the companies, while over 73% of app-based delivery persons were dissatisfied with their rates.
  • The survey claims that employers are deducting between 31-40% of the commission rate per ride of drivers, while the officially claimed figure by the companies themselves is 20%.
• Work Conditions:
  • Due to demanding work hours, drivers are physically exhausted and at increased risk of road traffic accidents especially due to the ‘10-minute delivery at the doorstep’ policy of certain e-commerce platforms.
  • Many drivers and delivery persons struggle to take regular days off, with less than 37% of drivers belonging to a union.
• Issues with Platforms:
  • Workers face issues such as ID deactivation and customer misbehaviour, negatively impacting their ability to work effectively.
  • A significant majority of drivers and delivery persons report negative effects from customer behaviour.
• Recommendations:
  • The report recommended regulations to ensure that companies establish fair and transparent payment structures to protect gig workers from being underpaid or exploited by companies.
  • Payment of a minimum wage to platform workers will help guarantee a fixed component in the income.
    • In instances of blocking the IDs of workers, such practices should not be allowed and IDs of workers cannot be indefinitely blocked.
  • The platforms need to address rising voices of income insufficiency and respond to worker demands such as reducing the amount of commission they charge per transaction or making separate payments for workers’ fuel bill, which keeps inflating as fuel prices rise.
  • The study recommends stronger social security for app-based workers and government oversight on the fairness of algorithms and mechanisms used by platforms to monitor workers.

Who are Gig Workers?

• Gig Workers:
  • Gig workers are individuals who work on a temporary, flexible basis, often for multiple clients or companies, performing tasks or providing services.
  • They are typically independent contractors rather than traditional employees, which means they have more control over when, where, and how they work.
• Gig Economy:
  • A free market system in which temporary positions are common and organisations contract with independent workers for short-term engagements.

Why is it Essential to Provide Social Security Benefits to Gig Workers?

• Economic Security:
  • The ‘demand-based only’ nature of the sector results in a lack of job security and uncertainty attached to the continuity of income making it even more reasonable to provide social security benefits like unemployment insurance, disability coverage, and retirement savings programs.
• More Productive Workforce:
  • Lack of access to employer-sponsored health insurance and other healthcare benefits leaves gig workers vulnerable to unexpected medical expenses; prioritising their health and well-being will create a healthier and more productive workforce.
• Equity in Opportunities:
  • Exemption from traditional employment protections creates disparities where gig workers face exploitative working conditions and inadequate compensation. Providing social security benefits will level the playing field.
• Long-term Financial Security:
  • Without employer-sponsored retirement plans, gig workers may struggle to save enough for their future. Enabling gig workers to save for retirement will reduce the risk of future financial hardship and dependence on public assistance programs.

What are the Main Challenges in Providing Social Security Benefits to Gig Workers?

• Classification and Excess Flexibility:
  • Blurred boundaries between self-employment and dependent employment, and freedom to work for multiple firms or quit at will, make it difficult to determine the extent of company obligations towards gig workers.
  • The gig economy is characterised by its flexibility, allowing workers to choose when, where, and how much they work.
    • Designing social security benefits that accommodate this flexibility and meet the diverse needs of gig workers is a complex task.
• Funding and Cost Distribution:
  • Traditional social security systems rely on employer and employee contributions, with employers typically bearing a significant portion of the costs.
    • In the gig economy, where workers are often self-employed, identifying appropriate funding mechanisms becomes complex.
• Coordination and Data Sharing:
  • Efficient data sharing and coordination among gig platforms, government agencies, and financial institutions are necessary to accurately assess gig workers' earnings, contributions, and eligibility for various social security programs.
    • However, as gig workers often work for multiple platforms or clients, it becomes challenging to coordinate and ensure proper coverage.
• Education and Awareness:
  • Many gig workers may not fully understand their rights and entitlements regarding social security benefits.
    • Raising awareness and providing education about the importance of social security, eligibility criteria, and the application process is a challenging task.

What can be done to Ensure Social Security of Gig Workers?

• Implementing Code on Social Security, 2020:
  • Although the Code on Social Security, 2020, contains provisions for gig workers, the rules are yet to be framed by the States and not much has moved in terms of instituting the Board. These should thus be taken up expeditiously by the government.
• Adopt International Examples:
  • The UK has instituted a model by categorising gig workers as “workers,” which is a category between employees and the self-employed.
    • This secures them a minimum wage, paid holidays, retirement benefit plans, and health insurance.
  • Similarly, in Indonesia, they are entitled to accident, health, and death insurance.
• Expanding Employer Responsibilities:
  • Strong support for gig workers should come from the gig companies that themselves benefit from this agile and low-cost work arrangement.
    • The practice of classifying gig workers as self-employed or independent contractors needs to be eliminated.
    • Companies must be provided equal benefits as that of a regular employee.
• Government Support:
  • The government should invest in systematically increasing exports in high-skill gig work such as in the education, financial advisory, legal, medicine or customer management sectors; by making it easier for Indian gig workers to access global markets.
  • Also, it would require collaboration between governments, gig platforms, and labour organisations to establish fair and transparent mechanisms for sharing the responsibility of providing social security benefits.

Conclusion

• There is a need for comprehensive measures to improve the working conditions, financial security, and overall well-being of app-based workers, recognizing their contributions to the gig economy while advocating for their rights and protections.

Levels and Trends in Child Mortality

Source: DTE

Why in News?

Recently, the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, has released a report titled- Levels and Trends in Child Mortality, which highlighted that the annual number of global under-five deaths in 2022 declined by more than half from the 2000 estimate — from 9.9 million to 4.9 million.

What are the Key Highlights of the Report?

• Historic Low in Child Mortality:
  • The annual number of under the age of five deaths dropped to 4.9 million in 2022, representing a significant achievement in the global effort to reduce child mortality.
  • This is coupled with a decline of more than half in the global under-five mortality rate (U5MR) since 2000.
    • The decline in under-five mortality has been consistent, driven by sustained commitment from various stakeholders including governments, organisations, local communities, healthcare professionals, and families.
• Persistent High Death Toll:
  • Despite the progress, the annual death toll among children, adolescents, and youth remains unacceptably high.
  • In 2022, 2.3 million under-five deaths occurred during the first month of life, and an additional 2.6 million children died between the ages of 1 and 59 months.
    • Furthermore, 2.1 million children, adolescents, and youth aged 5–24 also died that year.
• Magnitude of Lives Lost:
  • Between 2000 and 2022, the world lost 221 million children, adolescents, and youth, with nearly the entire population of Nigeria being a staggering comparison.
    • Neonatal deaths (death of a baby within 28 days of birth) accounted for 72 million of these under-five deaths, and deaths among children aged 1–59 months numbered 91 million.
  • The trend of under-five deaths has increased in the neonatal period from 41% in 2000 to 47% in 2022.
• Inequality in Survival Chances:
  • Children face unequal chances of survival based on factors such as geographical location, socio-economic status, and whether they live in fragile or conflict-affected settings.
  • These disparities highlight persistent and entrenched inequities among vulnerable populations of children.
• Regional Disparities:
  • While global rates of child mortality are declining, there are significant regional disparities.
    • 35 million children under the age of 5 will lose their life before 2030 and sub-Saharan Africa will bear most of the death toll.
  • Countries will not meet the UN-mandated Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets on time.
    • If, however, every country realised the SDG-5 vision of an end to preventable under-five deaths and met the relevant mortality targets on time, 9 million more children would survive to age five.
  • Under current trends, 59 countries will miss the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) under-five mortality target and 64 countries will miss the neonatal mortality target.
• Recommendations:
  • Several low- and lower-middle-income countries have outperformed the global decline in under-five mortality, in some cases slashing their rates by more than two thirds since 2000.
    • These inspiring outcomes demonstrate the high returns when investments are made in maternal, newborn and child health and survival.
  • They also provide important proof that if sustained and strategic action is taken – even in resource constrained settings – levels and trends in under five mortality will shift and lives will be saved.

What can be done to Curb Child Mortality?

• Increase Access to Family Planning Services: Providing comprehensive family planning services can help prevent unintended pregnancies, which can reduce the risk of preterm births and stillbirths.
• Improve Antepartum Services: Enhancing antenatal care services, including regular health and nutrition check-ups for pregnant women, can contribute to healthier pregnancies and reduce the likelihood of preterm births and stillbirths.
  • Ensuring access to iron folic acid supplementation for pregnant mothers can also improve maternal and foetal health.
• Identification and Management of Risk Factors: Implementing effective screening programs to identify and manage risk factors associated with preterm births and stillbirths can help mitigate adverse outcomes.
  • This includes managing conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and infections during pregnancy.
• Improve Data Recording and Reporting: Enhancing data collection systems to accurately record and report preterm births and stillbirths is crucial for understanding the magnitude of the problem and implementing targeted interventions effectively.
  • Adopting standardised classification systems, such as the International Classification of Diseases, for reporting perinatal mortality can improve data quality and comparability.
• Implement Surveillance Guidelines: Ensuring effective implementation of maternal and perinatal deaths surveillance guidelines can help in identifying trends, risk factors, and opportunities for intervention.
  • This includes timely reporting and analysis of maternal and perinatal deaths to inform policy and practice.

Comprehensive Framework for a Regulatory Sandbox

Source: BS

Why in News?

Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) revised the timeline for the completion of various stages of a Regulatory Sandbox (RS) to nine months from the previous seven months.

• The updated framework for an RS also requires sandbox entities to ensure compliance with provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

What is the Regulatory Sandbox (RS)?

• Background:
  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) set up an inter-regulatory Working Group in 2016 to look into and report on the granular aspects of FinTech and its implications so as to review the regulatory framework and respond to the dynamics of the rapidly evolving FinTech scenario.
  • The report recommended introducing an appropriate framework for a Regulatory Sandbox (RS) within a well-defined space and duration where the financial sector regulator will provide the requisite regulatory guidance, to increase efficiency, manage risks and create new opportunities for consumers.
• About:
  • A Regulatory Sandbox (RS) refers to live testing of new products or services in a controlled regulatory environment for which regulators may or may not permit certain regulatory relaxations for the limited purpose of testing.
  • The RS is an important tool that enables more dynamic, evidence-based regulatory environments which learn from and evolve with, emerging technologies.
  • It enables the regulator, financial service providers and customers to conduct field tests to collect evidence on the benefits and risks of new financial innovations while monitoring and containing their risks.
• Objectives:
  • The objective of the RS is to foster responsible innovation in financial services, promote efficiency and bring benefit to consumers.
  • It can provide a structured avenue for the regulator to engage with the ecosystem and to develop innovation-enabling or innovation-responsive regulations that facilitate delivery of relevant, low-cost financial products.
• Target Applicants:
  • Target Applicants for entry to the RS include fintechs, banks, and companies partnering with or providing support to financial services businesses, among others.

What are the Associated Benefits and Challenges Related to Regulatory Sandbox?

• Benefits:
  • Regulatory Insights: Regulators can obtain first-hand empirical evidence on the benefits and risks of emerging technologies and their implications, enabling them to take a considered view on potential regulatory changes.
  • Enhanced Understanding for Financial Providers: Incumbent financial service providers might improve their understanding of how new financial technologies might work, potentially helping them to appropriately integrate such new technologies with their business plans.
  • Cost-Effective Viability Testing: Users of an RS have the potential to test the product’s viability without the need for a larger and more expensive roll-out.
  • Financial Inclusion Potential: FinTechs provide solutions that can potentially further financial inclusion in a significant way.
  • Thrust Areas for Innovation: Areas that can potentially get a thrust from the RS include microfinance, potentially innovative small savings, remittances, mobile banking, and other digital payments.
• Challenges:
  • Flexibility and Time Constraints: Innovators may face challenges with flexibility and time during the sandbox process, potentially impacting their ability to adapt and iterate quickly.
  • Case-by-Case Authorizations: Securing customised authorizations and regulatory relaxations on an individual basis can be a lengthy process, often involving subjective assessments, which may result in delays in experimentation.
  • Limitations on Legal Waivers: The RBI or its Regulatory Sandbox cannot offer legal exemptions, which might limit innovators looking to reduce legal risks while experimenting.
  • Post-Sandbox Regulatory Approvals: Even after successful sandbox testing, experimenters may still require regulatory approvals before their product, services, or technology can be permitted for wider application, potentially prolonging the time to market.

Way Forward

• Work towards streamlining the sandbox process to minimise the time and administrative burden on innovators. This could involve simplifying application procedures and providing clearer guidelines for participation.
• Increase transparency in the case-by-case authorization process by providing clear criteria for decision-making and ensuring that judgments are made consistently and fairly.
• Provide comprehensive education and support for innovators participating in the sandbox, including guidance on regulatory requirements and potential legal issues.
• Collaborate with legal experts to develop frameworks for addressing legal issues that may arise during experimentation, such as consumer losses. This could involve implementing safeguards to protect consumers while encouraging innovation.
• Streamline the process for obtaining regulatory approvals post-sandbox testing to ensure that successful experiments can quickly progress to wider application. This may involve establishing fast-track approval mechanisms for proven innovations.

New Satellite-Based Toll Collection System

Source: TH

Why in News?

Recently, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of India announced in Parliament that the government intends to roll out a new highway toll collection system based on the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) before the model code of conduct for the 2024 election becomes effective.

What is the New Proposed Highway Tolling System?

• Salient Features:
  • The proposed highway tolling system utilises the GNSS, including the Indian satellite navigation system GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation) for accurate location tracking.
    • The GNSS is a term used to refer to any satellite-based navigation system, including the US’ Global Positioning System (GPS).
    • It uses a large constellation of satellites to provide more accurate location and navigation information to users globally as compared to the GPS alone.
  • Implementation involves fitting vehicles with an On-Board Unit (OBU), or tracking device, which communicates with satellites to determine location.
  • Coordinates of national highways are logged using digital image processing, allowing software to calculate toll rates based on distance travelled.
    • Toll amounts are deducted from a digital wallet linked to the OBU, ensuring seamless and cashless transactions.
  • Enforcement measures including gantries equipped with CCTV cameras along highways to monitor compliance and deter evasion tactics.
  • The new system will likely coexist with the existing FASTag-based toll collection initially. A decision on mandating OBUs for all vehicles is yet to be made.
• Benefits:
  • Smoother Traffic Flow: Elimination of toll plazas is expected to significantly reduce traffic congestion, especially during peak hours.
  • Faster Commutes: Frictionless toll collection should lead to quicker travel times and a more efficient highway network.
  • Fairer Billing: The system aims to offer users the benefit of paying tolls only for the actual distance travelled, promoting a pay-as-you-use model.
• Challenges:
  • Payment Recovery: Recovering tolls from users with depleted digital wallets or those who tamper with the system remains a concern.
  • Enforcement Infrastructure: Setting up a nationwide network of Automatic Number-Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras for enforcement purposes requires significant infrastructure development.
  • Privacy Concerns: Data security and user privacy need to be addressed effectively.

Sabarmati Ashram Redevelopment Project

Source: IE

Why in News?

Recently, on the 94^th anniversary of the Dandi March, the Prime Minister of India laid the foundation for the Sabarmati Ashram Redevelopment Project in Ahmedabad.

• The Sabarmati Ashram Redevelopment Project is a Rs 1,200 crore initiative to restore, conserve, and rebuild the original Sabarmati Ashram founded by Mahatma Gandhi.

What is the Historical Significance of the Sabarmati Ashram?

• Establishment:
  • Founded in 1917 by Mahatma Gandhi, the Sabarmati Ashram is situated on the western bank of the Sabarmati River, near the village of Juna Vadaj in Ahmedabad.
    • Gandhi set up five settlements during his lifetime, two in South Africa (Phoenix Settlement in Natal, and Tolstoy Farm outside Johannesburg), and three in India.
    • Gandhi’s first Ashram in India was established in the Kochrab area of Ahmedabad in 1915, and the others are Sabarmati Ashram (Ahmedabad), and Sevagram Ashram (in Wardha).
  • It is currently managed by the Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust (SAPMT).
• Role in India's Independence Movement:
  • The ashram served as a base for Gandhi's socio-political activities and experiments with truth and non-violence.
    • It witnessed the launch of several seminal movements, including the Dandi March in 1930.
  • Apart from the Dandi March, Gandhiji also launched the Champaran Satyagraha (1917), the Ahmedabad mills strike and Kheda Satyagraha (1918), the Khadi movement (1918), the Rowlatt Act and Khilafat Movements (1919), and the Non-Cooperation movement (1920) while living in Sabarmati.
  • Vinoba Bhave lived in a cottage at Sabarmati Ashram called "Vinoba Kutir".
• Architectural and Philosophical Significance:
  • Gandhi designed the ashram himself, embodying simplicity, self-sufficiency, and communal living.
  • Constructed using local materials and traditional techniques, the ashram exemplified Gandhi's principles of sustainability and harmony with nature.
• Legacy and Symbolism:
  • The Sabarmati Ashram stands as a testament to Gandhi's enduring legacy and his pivotal role in India's freedom struggle.
  • It remains a pilgrimage site for admirers of Gandhian philosophy, offering insights into his life, teachings, and principles.

France Considers Legalising Assisted Dying

Source: DTE

Why in News?

France, after recently adding abortion as a constitutional right, is now considering legalising a form of assisted dying called "aid in dying".

• The proposed bill will have strict conditions, allowing assisted dying for individuals with incurable illnesses expected to cause death in the short- or middle-term.
• The country already allows passive euthanasia.

What is Assisted Dying and Passive Euthanasia?

• Assisted Dying: Assisted dying involves individuals who are terminally ill seeking medical assistance to obtain lethal drugs, which they then administer themselves to end their own lives.
  • It typically occurs when patients are facing unbearable suffering due to a terminal illness and wish to have control over the timing and manner of their death.
  • The primary distinction of assisted dying is that individuals actively participate in the process of ending their lives with the aid of medical professionals.
• Passive Euthanasia: Passive euthanasia occurs when life-sustaining treatments are withheld or withdrawn, allowing the patient to die naturally.
  • This may involve decisions to stop medical interventions such as ventilators, feeding tubes, or medications that sustain life.
  • Passive euthanasia is often considered distinct from active euthanasia because it does not involve directly causing the patient's death but rather allows death to occur by natural means.
    • Active euthanasia involves deliberately using lethal substances or actions to end a person's life.
• Countries with Legalised Assisted Dying or/and Euthanasia:
  • Netherland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain allows both euthanasia and assisted suicide for anyone who faces “unbearable suffering” that has no chance of improvement.
  • Switzerland bans euthanasia but allows assisted dying in the presence of a doctor or physician.
  • The United States has different laws in different states. Euthanasia is allowed in some states like Washington, Oregon, and Montana.
  • India allows for passive Euthanasia.
    • In Aruna Ramachandra Shanbaug v. Union of India Case, 2011, Supreme Court recognised passive euthanasia in this case (for Aruna Shanbaug, who was in vegetative state) by which it had permitted withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from patients not in a position to make an informed decision.
    • In Common Cause V/s Union of India Case, 2018, the Supreme Court of India legalised passive euthanasia, citing the importance of a 'living will.'
      • The ruling allows mentally competent adults to refuse medical treatment or opt not to receive it, thus embracing a natural death, under specific circumstances.
      • The court emphasised that dignity in the dying process is integral to the right to life guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution.
    • In 2023, the Supreme Court revised rules for passive euthanasia to simplify and expedite the process.
      • SC eliminated the requirement for a judicial magistrate to validate a living will, stating that attestation by a notary or a gazetted officer is adequate.

Empowering the Sikh Community

Source: PIB

In a move to empower the Sikh community, on the occasion of Sikh New Year, the Union Minister of Minority Affairs launched a comprehensive skill development, leadership, and entrepreneurship promotion program.

• The program is part of the "Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas" initiative under the Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) Scheme through the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), which is a Statutory Body established for the welfare of the Sikh community.
  • It targets 10,000 youth and women for modern skills training in employment-oriented job roles, promotes Sikh artisans, fosters women's leadership and entrepreneurship, and provides education for school dropouts.
  • The program aims to assist socio-economically disadvantaged groups within the Sikh community and promote communal and social harmony.
  • State-of-the-Art Gurmukhi Script learning centres will be established in Khalsa colleges under the University of Delhi for preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the Sikh community.
    • The Gurmukhi script was developed from the Śāradā script, standardised and used by the second Sikh guru, Guru Angad.
    • The Śāradā script is part of the Brahmic family of scripts.
• The Ministry will provide infrastructure and ancillary services, including developing Studios/Smart Classrooms under the PM Jan Vikas Karyakram.

Read more: Welfare Schemes for the Minority Communities, Sikhism

SEBI Warns Against Fraudulent Trading Platforms

Source: IE

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has issued a cautionary statement regarding deceptive trading platforms falsely asserting ties with its registered Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs).

• Pretending as SEBI-registered FPIs, they entice individuals to download applications promising access to stock purchases, IPO subscriptions, and exclusive 'institutional account benefits.'
  • These platforms lure individuals through online trading courses, seminars, and mentorship programs, exploiting social media platforms like WhatsApp or Telegram.
• SEBI clarified that the FPI route is not accessible to resident Indians, with limited exceptions outlined in the SEBI (Foreign Portfolio Investors) Regulations, 2019.
  • Also, there is no provision for an Institutional Account.
• FPIs encompasses financial investments made by foreign individuals, corporations, and institutions in Indian financial assets like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.
  • Unlike Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which involves long-term ownership of assets, FPI is primarily driven by the aim of achieving short-term gains and portfolio diversification.

Read more: Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Foreign Portfolio Investors

Lead Iodide Perovskites

Source: PIB

• A study led by Bharat Ratna Professor C.N.R. Rao explores atomic rearrangements in lead iodide perovskites during phase transitions caused by temperature and pressure changes.
  • Perovskite structure: perovskite refers to any material that has a crystal structure like the mineral perovskite. Ex: Lead Iodide Perovskites and calcium titanium Perovskites.
• Lead iodide perovskites exhibit excellent optoelectrical properties, making them promising materials for solar cells. However, their instability (decomposition in humid air) is a concern due to structural changes under varying conditions.
  • Despite instability issues, it has commercial potential due to their unique crystalline structures and optoelectronic properties.
  • Lead iodide perovskites’s energy conversion efficiency can be higher than even that of commercial silicon-based solar cells
• Addressing instability could lead to more efficient renewable energy generation using lead iodide perovskites in solar cells, LEDs, X-ray shielding, and Energy Storage Systems.

Read More: Viability Gap Funding Scheme for Battery Energy Storage Systems

Internet in Remote Tribal Villages (VSAT)

Source: TH

Recently, The Ministry of Tribal Affairs plans to collaborate with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to deploy V-SAT (very small apperture terminal) stations on a pilot basis for approximately 80 tribal villages in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Maharashtra.

• The initiative aims to provide Internet services to geographically remote tribal villages that have been historically difficult to connect due to challenging terrain. It will facilitate e-governance and improve connectivity in remote areas.
• Apart from this, the Ministry also discussed proposals for partnerships with institutes such as AIIMS Delhi, IIT Delhi, IIM Calcutta, and IISc Bengaluru.
  • Partnerships with AIIMS Delhi include conducting advanced research on tribal health issues, particularly on Sickle Cell Anaemia.
  • Additionally, plans are in place to establish a training facility with the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru to offer courses on semiconductors to tribal students.

Read More: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

GI Tag to Cuttack Rupa Tarakasi

Source: TH

The renowned Cuttack Rupa Tarakasi (Silver Filigree) has been granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, marking its distinct heritage and craftsmanship.

• Dating back to ancient Mesopotamia, where filigree adorned jewellery as early as 3500 BCE, its journey to Cuttack potentially via Persia and Indonesia speaks volumes about cultural exchange through maritime trade routes.
  • Filigree is ornamental work especially of fine wire of gold, silver, or copper applied chiefly to gold and silver surfaces.
• Alongside Cuttack Rupa Tarakasi, other crafts like Banglar muslin (West Bengal), Narasapur crochet lace (Andhra Pradesh), and Kutch rogan craft (Gujarat) have also earned GI status, emphasising the diversity and excellence of India's traditional crafts.
• A GI tag is a label used on products linked to a specific geographic area, ensuring only authorised users from that region can use the product's name.
  • It guards against imitation and lasts for 10 years once registered.
  • The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) manages GI registration in India under the Geographical Indications of Goods Act, 1999, in line with the TRIPS agreement.

Read more: Geographical Indication Tag